Ugly, it turns out, isn't against the law.

A Concerned Lakebottom Reader called to ask what can be done about the house at the corner of Richard Street and 18th Avenue, which is apparently unoccupied, he said.

You can barely see the front door, the shrubbery and other undergrowth is so out of control, he said. Vines are climbing up the walls and chimney and along the eaves and facia, which will rot the wood in a heartbeat.

"It's an eyesore for the neighborhood," he said. "But the real problem is the garage out back. It's right on 18th Avenue and it's leaning over badly. Kids walk by there all the time and I'm afraid one of them might get hurt if they went in there."

I drove over there and my reader's description is accurate. The house is indeed an eyesore, but the problem is, being an eyesore isn't against the law, in and of itself. Which might be a good thing, because I have a couple of friends who'd be breaking that law just by walking down the street.

But the small, one-car garage is leaning like an old drunk and looks just as likely to topple over. And it is near the street and could pose a threat to any curious kids who decided to explore it.

"We can condemn the garage," said Rebecca Wiggins, city building inspector. "Let me do a little investigating and see what I can find out."

We'll check back with Wiggins later.

Update

Now for some good news.

Generous and Patriotic Readers responded to last week's call to help out the Coweta Falls chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution with care and maintenance of Revolutionary War veteran Samuel Cooper's family grave plot on Warm Springs Road.

Not only did readers send the SAR over $400 to go toward needed repairs, but two Industrious Readers, Glen Walters and Steve Henry, went over there and did a lot of the work that was needed, Dr. Hugh Rodgers, president of the SAR chapter, told me.

"We've had a very good response, and a couple of fellows have gone out there and helped clean up the place. They secured the fence and painted the flagpole. It's been quite a nice community response," Rodgers said. "Those two fellows really did a good job trimming up the shrubbery and hauling it off."

There's still some heavy duty work left to do, Rodgers said. One of the brick corner posts is unstable, so it needs to be jacked up and a new footing poured underneath it.

"They're volunteering to do that, too," Rodgers said. "It's really a testimony to civic pride and patriotism, for people to respond as they have."

A big Inquirer thank you to all those who donated to the fund and a special nod to Walters and Henry for going the extra mile. Good job, men.

Seen something that needs fixing? Call Glen and Steve. Not really. Contact me at 706-571-8570 or mowen@ledger-enquirer.com.