August 19, 2005
Friday

A thrill of recognition ran up my spine when I read Doug Barry's words, "Growing up on upper Front Street where my backyard overlooked the Newtown portal of the tunnel and my grandparent's overlooked the downtown side, I have lots of memories of what downtown used to look like."

I want you to know that Doug Barry's backyard was an absolutely irresisitable beacon to kids when it came to throwning things over to the world below, a.k.a. Newtown. My sister, Marksy, and I both got into big trouble there - separated by several years - in the 1950's. About the time tunnel construction was coming to a conclusion, I tossed a rock over, just to see what would happen. My friends and I ran and hid quietly in the entrance to a basement, thinking we could sit out awhile and avoid discovery. I can't begin to describe my horror - I was 5 at the time - when a man came looking for me and identified me from having seen my long, red hair when I tossed the rock.

A few years later, my sister (and I think Doug) tossed a toy washing machine over the side, but their accuser was much scarier than mine: A police officer. The washing machine had landed on his police cruiser and dented it! My sister and I now live quiet lives, at street level, and every once in a while our mother tells the story of our early criminal lives to those who see us as upstanding members of our community.

Jane Davidson MaliK
Alexandria, VA - USA

Related Viewpoint:

Downtown Ketchikan in the 50s & 60s By Doug Barry - Sammamish. WA - USA

Related Story:

Newtown, Over A Century Old By DAVE KIFFER...
August 18, 2005

 

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