While Wheatland council reacted to comments from citizens in agreeing to repair the alley along the post office, one resident hoped her voice would ring louder.

"Leave it alone or close it," said Carol Phillips, whose Laird Avenue property is bordered on one side by the alley, which runs between Adams Street and Council Avenue.

Last week, council hired Smith Paving and Construction Inc. to put tar and chip on the alley.

Mrs. Phillips complained of rocks and other debris from the road falling into her yard, and said tarring and chipping the road will make it worse.

"You put that alley in, I'll have twice as much filth in my yard," she said.

Council President David Cusick said too many people have asked council to improve the alley for them to ignore it.

"I'm the only person who lives there," Mrs. Phillips responded. "I have to take in all the filth."

Councilman Robert Davis said the days of dusty tarring-and-chipping jobs are gone.

"They don't do it like they used to," he said. "They did my street and I didn't get any dust."

Mrs. Phillips also complained of the dump trucks and other large trucks that travel on the pothole-marked alley, and said improving it will just encourage people to use it.

Councilman Donald Stinedurf said Mrs. Phillips knew the alley was there when she moved into her house.

"We didn't have a store behind us and a post office behind us when we bought the house," she said.

Council agreed to consider outlawing truck traffic on the alley and putting up stop signs.

Stinedurf also said the borough could run the street sweeper down it.