Thursday, February 28, 2008
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Thursday, February 28, 2008 |
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Community | Obits | Editorial & Columnists | Society | Sports | Education | Classified Ads | Calendar of Events | Features | Newsbriefs | Legals | Archives | Subscriptions | Photo Gallery |
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Letter To The Editor Will anyone help?: I grew up on Salem Avenue, where there was a faint smell of natural gas in the air at times (my family and I have recently moved back into that house). The smell then was nothing that seemed too dramatic, but when you are a child, something like a natural gas leak would not register in the “I think it can kill me” part of your brain. Now that I am older and raising children in this house myself, the natural gas leak is something to cause much drama. Having gone through the proper channels of complaining and complaining, I have come to this conclusion - the problem does not directly affect anyone else but my family and those who live around us, so therefore, it must not be a city or city school system problem. Several months back, there was something going on at Montrose during the day. One of the attendees noticed the smell of natural gas. When leaving the party, she walked near the easement at the base of our property (the junction of Salem Avenue and the alley) and saw water that had collected bubbling. We were not home, so she contacted a neighbor. They immediately called the Holly Springs Utility Department, who came directly to see about the apparent leak. Bubbling - so it had to have been bigger than a small leak. There happens to be a gas main right on the edge of that easement. Mind you, the gas main is not on the open road - it is on the grassy (muddy now) part of the curb. City school buses travel toward the gymnasium from Salem Avenue, jumping the curb on their adventure. The weight from the enormous buses apparently taps on the gas main every time they jump the curb, slowly but surely loosening it, until once again, there is a leak. “Do Not Enter.” Three small words that say it all, or should. We have recently moved to Salem Avenue, right next door to Montrose. As I am sure everyone is aware, there is a small, one way alley that runs beside our home, as well as beside Montrose. Plainly at the end of the alley facing Salem Avenue, there is a sign that states “Do Not Enter.” The largest word in that conglomeration only has five little letters, “Enter.” The words before it surely cannot be misunderstood, either - “Do Not.” The buses are not the only problem with the alley traffic. Normal people do not even seem to abide by the “Do Not Enter” sign coming off of Salem Avenue. There have been more mornings and afternoons than not when I have met oncoming traffic when I was travelling in the right direction. What do the cars, trucks, etc., do when they see a car coming towards them? They pull into our front yard. With Pilgrimage right around the corner and this house being where it is located, I would like someone to do something about this terrible problem. We will never be able to do anything landscape wise with our yard because of the ruts made by the traffic -- ruts that are deep enough to drown a small child -- ruts not caused by us but by others. I have exhausted all of the chains of command that I know to call - the head of transportation for the City of Holly Springs School District, the Superintendant of Education for the City of Holly Springs School District, a couple of aldermen and the mayor of Holly Springs. My husband attempted to get on the agenda for the last city board meeting to complain about this apparent problem. I was told that it would be handled and that he did not need to go before the board. If not, then who? Who do we complain to about a health issue - the natural gas leaking constantly - and the use of an alley that, truth be known, should not even be in use by the general public in the first place? We need some help here, folks. I wonder if the City of Holly Springs or the Holly Springs School District would foot the bill for a picket fence to be erected in our yard which would essentially block traffic from using our yard as their “road?” I have bids for one. Contact me and I will be glad to share them with you. I refuse to have a yard look like ours does because of the destruction of others. Please help! Mary Clay Brooks |
        
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