Letter to the Editor

Letter to the Editor

Friday, July 10, 2009

Jasoville woman wants help with weeds

To the Editor:

I am writing this to tell others about the city of Jasonville, and all of the services we don't get.

I get counted as a citizen, pay city taxes, high sewer bills but I get no service, can't even get lots with grass 5 feet tall mowed with empty houses on the property.

I called the mayor, Roy Terrell Sr., to no avail. He does not return calls.

I was used to Mayor Dorman Clark and the late Councilman Harry Fougerousse who always called everyone right back and took care of any and all problems citizens may have. We don't have any of that anymore.

My thanks to both of them for all the help they gave us in the past. God bless them.

I then called the water company, got the street department number, left a message to come mow these properties, and still haven't heard nothing.

Then I finally got ahold of a lady at the mayor's office. Councilwoman Peggy Sluder told me it was not his secretary or office girl, just someone who helps out at the office.

Anyway, so I assume it's the cleaning staff, but she talked to me like she had the authority to speak for the mayor's office.

When I asked about getting these properties mowed , she said I should hire them mowed!

I said, they aren't mine, then she says, well, the city has problems getting paid for mowing lots and I said, not my problem, I need them mowed.

She then said, the city was too busy to mow them, so I told her I would call Councilwoman Peggy Sluder to see if I could get help there.

Sluder also happens to be Harry Fougerousse's daughter so I figured I would get help. Nope!

She didn't answer calls from her home so I had to call Bloomfield and talk to her at her work. Now, this is getting to be a chore.

Afterall, I am a citizen, they count me and others down here, to get monies for the city of jasonville. I pay taxes, and still I get no services on Railroad St.

The council did two things while in office that I know of, raise water bills and vote themselves a raise, nice move guys!

I now am in the process of trying to get this block removed from the city limits, as we only have one access road to town an have to go east to State Road 59 to get back in town that way, if the railroad has this one crossing blocked.

I do think after my calls to the statehouse and talking to lawyers hoping for class action for health problems that this may come to pass eventually ... God will help.

We don't need to be inside the city limits to watch grass grow and pay city taxes and be counted to help the city get money with no services at all to us and be ignored and probably laughed at.

If you'd like to look at the mess I look at and breathe all the time, come by Railroad St., last road on the left coming in 900 N. on Shanklin from S.R. 59 before you cross the railroad tracks, I am last house on left at end of Railroad St. It runs north and south.

This east/west road is the county line, and used to be Heath St., until the railroad and Jasonville closed the track down. So the property in front and back of my house is grown up, has been all year, so when you go around the Horseshoe Road, take a look at what I look at every day.

I am homebound at the present time and on 24/7 oxygen, and allergic to pollen, and mold, really bothers my breathing an a lot of others down in this neck of the woods as well with the diesel fumes from the engines idling that the city allows inside the city limits in our block. They use our block as part of Latta Yards, since they closed Heath St. down and their track.

I even called Bruce Borders at his Insurance office, his office girl said he'd be back in a few, still haven't heard from him either. So far, I'm batting 100% out in this burg.

It's been proven, diesel fumes causes respiratory disease, asthma and cancer. Look it up on-line.

I turned in all of this information about the fumes to Mayor Clark and he did his best to keep them out, and kept the weeds cut down as well, but hey, does this new Jasonville council care about it's citizens? I think! Not those in my neck of the woods, they don't, and this includes all folks on both sides of the rail line.

Maybe someday they will plow Main St. and plant corn here. I'd like that.

Now you all have a great day, and God bless you towns that take care of their citizens' needs. Thanks for listening!

Roberta S. Harrison

Jasonville