Streets of Gold

You'd think my little municipality had won the lottery. Streets are repaved every 24 months. Arts and music festivals abound. And a formerly utilitarian park near my home is getting a dramatic makeover. A concrete drainage ditch has been replaced with costly flagstone. Sidewalks have been widened to eight feet. Permanent restrooms and handsome barbecue pits are being installed. There's not much room left for baseball, football and soccer practices, but the transformation will undoubtedly look good on the landscape designer's resume.