Giving High Street a chance
As the final scraps of confetti are swept up by the city's maintenance department following this year's Moorpark Country Days, a few observations linger in the air.

Why is it that we can, just once a year, have the entire town come down to High Street and have a terrific time, but the rest of the year folks are afraid to enjoy this part of town due to an amorphous fear of gangs, day workers or the like?

In the 21st century, isn't it time we get past such borderline racist preconceptions? Is there any difference between anyone, anywhere, who might be currently unemployed and those men who scramble to grab a job out in front of the Tipsy Fox on High Street? Granted, there are a few "bad apples" who let alcohol get in the way of making good decisions, but isn't that, too, a condition pervasive throughout society, and not just within the local Hispanic community?

The face of High Street is about to go through a major facelift. A developer is about to take the entire south side of the street and transform it into a mixed-use community gem. The plans include aesthetic considerations that will keep the street in that "Andy of Mayberry" style. And the new city hall complex is planned to eventually sit at the very top of the street, at the intersection of Moorpark Avenue.

These additions will finally give the city of Moorpark the old town city center we have all been wishing for. With the planned center for the day workers finishing things off, the entire package will deliver both a visually pleasant and financially enriching payoff.

Our residents need to change their view of our old town area to update to the emerging reality of what is to come. Think Ventura Main Street. Think downtown San Luis Obispo.

Think positive.