Another abandoned area

[NewsWhore]

Listin Diario reporters covered the robbery of a floral wreath from the Independence Park monument to the fathers of the nation in the Colonial City. A newspaper reporter was there to do a story on how the park had fallen into neglect, following complaints from the National Hotel & Tourism Association and the Santo Domingo Hotels Association about the city council's neglect of key public areas in Santo Domingo. Coincidentally, Juan Eduardo Thomas of Listin was there to photograph at least the back of the thief who made off with the wreath into the darkness of adjacent Avenida Bolivar. He makes the point that the leading monument has very little lighting, which leads to crime. The reporter described the park as the "most important" in the country for its historic significance. The Permanent Commission of Important Historic Dates recently inaugurated an exhibition of large posters with information on founding father Juan Pablo Duarte, but only some of the images have lighting. The reporter says that all the petty thieves in the area are allowed to go free by the police patrols after paying the "tolls" for the day.

Listin Diario reported that the central government's Direccion Nacional de Embellecimiento de Carreteras y Avenidas de Circunvalacion del Pais (Digecac) says it has restored the green area of the Plaza de la Bandera, and is working on the Plazoleta Duarte, the green area of the Las Americas Expressway, Avenida Espana and the Columbus Lighthouse.

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