When we saw the "Grand Opening" sign on E-Z Mart, we rejoiced at the signs of new business opening in downtown Salem. That was 10 years ago. Unfortunately the well-worn "Grand Opening" sign is still up.

Perhaps E-Z Mart's door performs grand gestures when opening. Chances are, though, that the grand opening sign is a ploy to get customers into his convenience store. The sign itself is completely rundown and looks like it's been up for a lot longer than 10 years. What makes matters worse is that the McGilchrist building that houses the E-Z Mart has undergone some renovation, such as a paint job that now highlights this horrible sign.

It is the responsibility of all downtown merchants to keep their business as updated and neat as possible. It's part of the obligation that merchants sign onto when they open a storefront in the epicenter of a growing city. So, Mr. E-Z Mart, either start elaborately opening your doors or change your sign.

:-) FACT: City of Salem Public Works serves over 177,000 customers.

It's summertime, and lawns are starting to beg for water. Before you haul out the sprinkler, consider reducing the amount of water that you pump into your yard. Some suggestions are simple, like using soaker hoses to conserve 50 percent more water or watering in the early morning to lower chances of evaporation. But truly earth-conscious folks can do a whole lot more. Eugene resident Heather Coburn Flores published a book about how to turn your lawn into a food garden. The book, aptly titled "Food Not Lawns," is definitely one approach to an extreme change in the community.

Another option is to replace your lawn with something that requires little-to-no water. Native plants only require the water that the climate will provide. Don't forget lawn mower use makes up 5 percent of the U.S.'s air pollution. The EPA says that a traditional gas-powered mower produces as much air pollution as 43 new cars each being driven 12,000 miles. The less grass, the less mowing, and the less mowing, the better the world. That's right, you can be lazy and save the planet.

:-)   FACT: The sale of GM's Hummer SUV decreased 29 percent in the first quarter of 2008.

Filling up the tank is painful. We get it. But it's time to get some perspective; the government cannot wave a magic wand and offer low gas prices. Drilling offshore is not an answer. Switching to self-service is also not going to help any.

Instead, Salem, look on the bright side: Hummer sales are down! People are driving less and biking more, which will have a lasting positive impact on the environment. In a perfect world, the prices would have gradually increased across a larger span of time. If we had hit five dollar-gallon gas in 2000, the SUV buying frenzy would not have happened. American-made cars could have led the way in fuel efficiency and kept solid jobs in the country by staying competitive with manufacturers like Honda and Toyota. Road infrastructure nationwide could have been revamped to provide safe biking areas. It's not too late for these things to happen, but we have a lot of catching up to do.