DEAR EDITOR: Just recently I visited my parents for the holidays. I was astonished to see the condition of the street on which they live. The street, West Fourth Street in Edgard, is completely filled with potholes. It is nearly impossible to drive your car on that street without denting or damaging some part of the automobile.

My father has advised me that he has contacted his councilman, Lester Rainey, and the Parish President, Nickie Monica, on numerous occasions during the past year about the condition of the street. However, nothing has been done to repair the street, and the street is deteriorating more and more as time passes. Parish employees did manage to dump dirt on the street prior to Christmas (without repairing any of the holes). The end result was messy and muddy holes.

It amazes me that our representatives have no desire or concern about the living condition of the people who reside on West Fourth Street in Edgard. I have advised my father, along with other residents of West Fourth Street, to seek legal representation and file an action against the parish and each councilman individually if the street is not repaired.

Each resident has a potential cause of action for property damage for the damage to their automobiles (dents, alignments, worn tires) as a result of having to drive through the potholes daily. They may also have a cause of action for economic damages for the reduction in the property value of their homes due to the poor condition of the street. In addition, they may have a cause of action for general damage for the mental anguish suffering they have had to endure for this extended period of time of having to endure this damage.

As a licensed attorney in the State of Louisiana, I am more than willing to file an action on the behalf of these residents. However, I hope that this matter can be resolved without having to go that route. Furthermore, my reason for writing is in hopes of a resolution without judicial intervention.

I am a former resident of West Fourth Street, having lived there for nearly 20 years before relocating. Yet, I visit regularly and have never seen the street in such poor condition as it was when I visited for the holidays. I am astonished that there is such indifference and disregard for these taxpaying residents. Just like the residents of other parts of the parish, these residents deserve to be able to maintain their standard of living and preserve their property rights without having this right infringed upon by their elected officials, elected officials who have been made aware of the problem, but who still refuse to do anything about it.

I hope that the Parish Council of St. John the Baptist Parish or any of the other elected officials representing the residents of West Fourth Street in Edgard would step forward to ensure that this matter is remedied immediately. I trust that this street will be repaired within the next two months.

Shantel C. Octave, Austin, Texas