Our readers write

City provides
prompt service

To The Editor:
Thanks to the public works department in Union City.
Very recently, we had a drainage problem with our sewer line. I called the public works department and they responded in less than 10 minutes. Within 30 minutes, two men and a large city truck arrived and began working to clear the line. After numerous tries they decided to return early the next day to finish the job.
Early the next morning, the department sent three men and a backhoe that worked to remedy the situation. After digging a hole large enough to hold a VW, they found the problem, corrected it, and refilled the excavation.
I want to thank them publicly for their prompt and courteous service.
Terry Huffstetler
Union City

Support F.D.,
writer urges

To The Editor:
I know the value of rural fire service first hand.
One afternoon in October 2006, I was sitting in my house in the Crockett community when suddenly two things happened: 1. I lost my power; and 2. I started smelling smoke. When I went outside to investigate, I immediately found out why I had lost power and was smelling smoke — 30 yards up the road from me, a power line had burned in two, fallen onto the ground and set the grass and fence row on fire.
Quickly realizing that this was not a job for me and my garden hose, I called 911 and the fire chief from the Rives Volunteer Fire Department came out with their truck that’s rigged to put out brush fires. He quickly put the fire out and the fire chief, myself and another neighbor stood along the road and chewed the fat until the light company showed up.
That incident came to mind when I read Hornbeak Fire Chief Bob Reavis’s statement in The Messenger. Now, I strongly disagree with Chief Reavis on one point: South Fulton should’ve handled this situation better than they did. They should’ve put out that fire and charged the man later for the costs; even putting a lien against his property until he did pay up. If they had done it that way, everyone would’ve been better off and we wouldn’t have had all this negative publicity we’ve gotten now.
It wasn’t just that man’s house that went up in smoke; all of us have been badly burned by this. Trying to put a good face on what happened at South Fulton is like putting lipstick on a pig; No matter how hard you try to pretty it up, it’s still ugly as sin!
I do agree that more needs to be done by the county government to fund rural fire protection. Our county government can find hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to blow on expanding Everett-Stewart Airport, but can’t find one thin dime to help fund rural fire protection. What is wrong with this picture? The main responsibility of any local government is to protect the lives and property of its citizens. The county can and should do more in this area; not keep passing the buck to the local communities and leave them holding the bag for it.
Newspapers and magazines should be funded by subscriptions; not fire departments. Subscription fire services is for the birds and if that’s what the county government is pushing on us, then I’m flat against it.
As a rural homeowner I would support and pay a reasonable fire fee, collected by the county government, instead of a fire subscription.
As I understand it, this is how Dyer County funds their rural fire protection and there is no earthly reason Obion County can’t do the same. It costs something for these towns to maintain a fire department and if we rural folks want them to help us when we need them, then we should help them when they need us.
This is especially true for the Rives Volunteer Fire Department. The City of Rives doesn’t have the tax base that other towns do and I see that department fighting fires outside of Rives more than inside of it. We rural residents of the Rives area should realize that the Rives Volunteer Fire Department is OUR fire department, too, and when they ask for our support, we should give the best we can.
Thank you for taking the time to read this letter.
God bless.
Garry W. Roberts
Crockett coummunity near Rives
Humane society
closes doors
To The Editor:
The Ken-Tenn Humane Society began operation originally in 2000, and was reincorporated in 2002. Since that time, the organization has rescued hundreds of animals, and has helped provide low cost or no cost spay/neuter services for thousands of animals.
As long-time members, we found the work rewarding, heartbreaking and, at the same time, frustrating. We greatly appreciate the support from the citizens of this area. Many of you have given your time and/or your money to help us to provide for homeless and injured animals.
At this time, the members of the organization have decided to disband as of Oct. 31, 2010. Most of our members are now senior citizens and find it hard to provide the care and services we once did.
Some of our members have decided to help other area organizations in less involved ways.
All of us will continue our love and desire to help animals, but we will no longer be able to help you with spay/neuter services, injured animals or needed dog and cat food, shots and other supplies. Earlier this year, we turned over the control of the animal shelter in Union City, Ann’s Place, to another not-for-profit group. It is our hope that they will continue with the operation of this much-needed shelter.
We hope that those who were so quick to give us advice on how to run things are ready to take over for us. There are humane societies in Union City, South Fulton and Dresden. If you need help or services, please contact one of them.
Sincerely,
Lois and John Birk
Fulton

Published in The Messenger 10.13.10

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