I had heard about the big tree that the storm uprooted at Park and Crescent, but the sight of its stump was still shocking to see. Irene was very powerful and the tally of a billion dollars in damage is quite believable when you see even a single leftover effect like this.
The sidewalk is quite impassable and schoolchildren will have to walk in the street until it is cleared and repaired.
Did those high winds shred this flag? Raising and lowering the flag used to be a routine, as required by flag etiquette, but most likely it could not be done with all the other tasks in the storm.
The city has a flag budget. Let's hope a new flag can be obtained before Veterans' Day.
There is still some callaloo and other vegetables to be harvested for donation to local groups and institutions, despite the hit.
According to a report on the radio, volunteers are banding together to make work parties for the hardest-hit parts of the East Coast. I'm sure the victims of the storm will appreciate any such assistance as they try to put their lives back together. Let us keep them in our thoughts and prayers over coming weeks.
--Bernice
I may be incorrect, but I believe that it is now OK to fly the flag 24hrs.
ReplyDeleteMaybe people will start taking care of their trees to avoid the head ache that comes from having to clean up.
ReplyDeleteI have been walking around the city, and many trees fell because they were dead, many because they were not topped off correctly, and far fewer because they were healthy.
It is the owner's responsibility to keep their trees trimmed - how about some Plainfield pride?
To @1:34
ReplyDeleteStreet trees -- those between the street and the sidewalk -- homeowners are not allowed to touch them. If you hire a tree trimmer to trim the street tree in front of your property, the tree trimming company can get fined and big trouble.
I you call the city -- they put you on a list, and it essentially never gets done, because they've got a huge list.
The street trees are supposed to be taken care of by the city. The city doesn't have the manpower to take care of (properly) all of Plainfield's street trees.
The ordinance makes sense -- you have the city manager and properly trim/remove street trees (some of the fly-by-night guys will chain saws could damage your house, the power lines, etc.) But, given budget and manpower constraints, this is not happening -- even years ago.
To 2:24PM, I have heard the same thing as yourself. However, recently, I was told that you can go to the city and get a permit to have a tree trimmer take care of the trees for the exact reason you stated, the city cannot take care of the trees.
ReplyDeleteCan you or anyone else shed light on this?