Dear Diary,

I really do love my town, but I often have doubts about the town council. We're facing problems such as a lack of water (even when the pipes don't break), not enough schools and inadequate roads. All of these problems have occurred because of the rapid growth in our region. So our town council spends time regulating wooden fences. True, they're trying to solve the other problems, but wooden fences.....?

Anyway, the council has decided that any new wooden fence should be constructed with the smooth side facing the street and the rough side facing the house. The result of this rule is to create a prettier town.

I can see the images now! Parents driving to yet another school board meeting to find out which school their children will attend THIS year, can ease their frustrations by looking at the pretty fences. Motorists stuck in traffic created by little country roads trying to handle the capacity of major city thoroghfares, will stop suffering from "road rage" by gazing at the lovely wooden fences enclosing the yards of our town.

Maybe other cities and towns will want to adopt a similar policy. We could conduct tours of the beautiful fences. Perhaps even advertise in travel magazines to attract tourists from around the country. Souvenir booths could be set up to sell items depicting our pretty fences. I think I'll ask for the tee-shirt concession.