We got an interesting flier in the mail the other day about the beautiful Pickwick Arms Building at the top of the Grand Concourse. It showed a picture of the gazebo in the courtyard and stated: "The Gazebo in the center courtyard is a masterpiece of design and is a popular neighborhood fixture. Work was supposed to begin in the spring of 2007. But we are still waiting! Don’t let this beautiful piece of architecture be destroyed." A stickie note on the flier added the following: "It’s falling apart, exposed to the elements, and squirrels and birds.You should do a story!"

Ordinarily, this would be intriguing. We’d pick up the phone and call the person who … but, wait! No name or phone number on the flier.

As we’ve stated too many (or maybe not enough) times in this space, problems only get fixed when people who identify them are willing to identify themselves. Neighbors with similar feelings aren’t able to link arms with complainers in the shadows. If this same person even just included their name and phone number so we could call and get more information on the gazebo and why it’s so important to that person and others in the building, we’d have a terrific little story.

We understand when people who write us or call don’t want their name in the paper for one particular reason or another. We often try (and succeed sometimes) in getting that person to let us use their name and we’ll occasionally print a letter with the name withheld when safety is a concern (like when a tenant complains about drug dealers in their building). But this is hardly an issue of personal safety. And it could be a case where a problem brings a building and a community together – if only the person would tell us who they are and how to reach them!