By: Diane Benjamin
Taken this morning:
The next two are from a house just south of Ellsworth
A house in Ellsworth is getting their basement pumped out, not the one in the picture. I hope the hose isn’t from the fire department, that would be an illegal use of public property:
Is there a nearby Creek that has gone over its banks?
No, it is prone to flooding in heavy rains, especially where the first picture is. It is worse than usual.
People are being flooded out and you are worried about a firehose?? really.
If using it is illegal! Are you one of those laws don’t matter people? Are the same people going to pump out EVERY house that is flooded?
WHERE”s the Canadian Geese that are protected?? No ducks either.
I’d say the strawberries ought to have a banner year!
I hope so! I’ve got 2 patches that aren’t under water.
4.9 inches in far NW McLean in about an hour, In about 1854, our County received Federal monies for dredging and drainage. Half of that money was used for that purpose, the other half was used as start up money for ISNU. Hence several flat areas were left as is. Many creeks were moved to the edges of fields and valleys so that those fields could be farmed without the farmers having to cross a creek which was difficult with horses and oxen.
We’ve had 4.2 so far. Enough already!
Well I have been a Volunteer Fireman in a small McLean County “Rural” town. In times of Natural Disasters small community’s, as you should be aware of, use the tools available to help their fellow citizens to survive and get back up on their feet. If this means using a piece of equipment that they help pay to have on hand for emergencies, so be it. But as that same volunteer, how would you look someone in the eye that you had refused aid to and not expect your neighbor to not smile at you? I think the bigger issue would be to refuse to do it and then try and live in that same town the same way as before.
What if both are members of the fire department and nobody else get’s assistance?
Well Diane, I asked you a question that you have not answered, if you don’t mind I’ll hold off while waiting for yours first?
A flooded basement is a natural disaster somebody might not survive? Seriously? You are kidding, right?
By the strict letter of the law, there is no denying Diane is right.
From the more nebulous standard of what is morally acceptable, it comes down more to whether there is an abuse of power. Are the hoses truly treated as and acknowledged as a community resource and shared equitably, not unlike a swing in the local park? Or are they available only to the mayor, for any little thing and regardless of anyone else’s level of need? And a hundred shades in between.
If everyone is reasonably happy with whatever the actual situation is, fine. If not, you need to change things or go to the least abusable approach, the letter of the law.
Since the story came from a tip, not everybody is happy.