Preserving the Pico in our 'Friendly Village'

The Pico Promenade, the popular walkway running parallel to Main Avenue between the Major Market shopping center and the Fallbrook Library, is one of the treasures that tells much about the history of our “Friendly Village.”

Thanks to Jackie Heyneman and dedicated members of Fallbrook Land Conservancy’s Save Our Forest branch, it provides a pleasant stroll past trees planted in 1997, benches, sculptures and kiosks that tell the tale of the old Santa Fe railroad which once linked Fallbrook to Temecula. An earlier rail line, California Western, went through Fallbrook to Barstow via De Luz. After a couple of losses to the line through De Luz, where it was too close to the river bed, it finally ended in Fallbrook. If you haven’t discovered the Pico pathway yet, I recommend that you investigate it.

What a pity that instead of enjoying this lovely walkway, some vandals recently smashed the cover on one of the kiosks, while others have daubed graffiti on the benches and broken trees in this park and others that the Save Our Forest team works so hard to preserve. Heyneman said that for years the Fallbrook Beautification Alliance has talked about putting cameras on the Pico; it would be great if they would also partner in the cost.

In spite of these unfortunate actions, Save Our Forest volunteers are determined not to be intimidated, but the cost of repairs continues to mount as more damage is discovered. Trees and landscaping have been vandalized, a downtown bench stolen and downtown trees have taken senseless “hits.” In Los Jilgueros Preserve, another kiosk cover was smashed. That kiosk lauded the work of Fallbrook Elementary School students under the Save Our Forests Environmental Education program which is dedicated to restoring native growth.

The good work done by these volunteers, young and old, surely outweighs these vicious acts, but the cost of replacement continues to mount. As a dedicated Fallbrook resident, I urge all who appreciate our green and pleasant village to support Save Our Forests’s untiring efforts to preserve it.

Sue Thorne