A miraculous cleanup

It took more than 40 years of complaints, and then most of a day of

back-wrenching labor. But a longtime local eyesore at 1918 Dover

Drive is finally starting to show a new sheen.

Those who haven’t read about -- or even better driven by -- the

home that for so long had neighbors holding their noses and turning

their heads, missed quite a sight: a fence made of old doors; a

curious assortment of roof toppings; part of a motor home; plus less

quirky and more disgusting ornaments. All had festered at the

property, where the owner defied repeated attempts by the city to

force cleanup.

Finally in December, Newport Beach had the home declared a public

nuisance. And then the volunteer group Go and Do Likewise stepped in.

Led by president Bud Potter and member Terry Debay, they saw an

opportunity to help both neighbors and the property’s elderly owner.

That help is continuing, with one more Saturday of work planned.

After so many years, some neighbors -- not surprisingly -- are

taking a bit of a wait-and-see attitude toward the final product. But

they had to be encouraged by the Herculean first-day effort that

filled a king-sized industrial trash bin with debris.

Encouraged and maybe just a bit amazed.