Letters From the Issue of Thursday, August 9, 2007

When I was 5, I moved to Sixth Avenue and Hatcher and grew up there until I was 19, when my mother decided to move to Sun City West. Going to college and unable to afford my own place, I followed along. My boyfriend still sort-of worked in the neighborhood, so there were times we would drive through, and I missed it. But didn't miss the dingy houses, or the creepy pedestrians. There was a time when I drove by my old elementary school on Vogel but it had been demolished. It was gone. There was nothing there but a dirt lot, and I started to cry. They eventually built a new school, but it'll never be the same for those of us who went to the original Sunnyslope Elementary.

I know I'm just reminiscing, and it may seem silly, but I just wanted to show you that even those of us who don't live there still remember it and still love it. I lived on a street where one end looked nice, manicured, while the other had cars in the yard and overgrown brush. I was blocks away from two-story buildings nestled against the mountain and run-down shacks that were condemned. I'm so happy to hear they're working on the neighborhood.
Rebeka Johnson, PhoenixGlad we can help: I've been trying to tell people that Sunnyslope is going to be the next big thing in the Valley. That its landscape and views would make it a great place to clean up and turn into a great community. It's one of the most affordable conveniently located neighborhoods left.
Jay Corum, Phoenix