The March 27 Sewickley Herald included a story about the intent of Leetsdale Borough Council to draft an ordinance requiring additional responsibilities on the part of those who open borough streets, primarily for utility work.
With the borough gearing up to do some much-needed street repair and paving (those who regularly navigate the minefield that is Village Drive can appreciate this), the effort makes good sense, especially considering the amount of utility openings some streets have endured - see the photo above.
Borough Engineer Dan Slagle, quoted in the Herald story, made an interesting comparison:
Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
“Whenever there's (an issue), (utility companies) come out, and they'll open up a 4-by-4 hole in your asphalt and say, ‘Oops, it's not here,' They'll go down another 15 feet and open up another 4-by-4 hole,” he said. “Next thing you know, you have about six of these together, and it looks like a quilt".
Judging from the meticulous and exacting nature of Leetsdale's existing street opening permit process, Mr. Slagle has already crafted a solid foundation from which to build new requirements to preserve the integrity of newly paved and existing roadway surfaces. It's a good idea for the borough and its taxpayers.
Find out what's happening in Sewickleywith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Coincidentally, the Edgeworth Water Authority is preparing to undertake a long-planned line replacement project in Leetsdale, which will impact traffic along the entire length of Rapp Street, one of several streets that connect Beaver Street, Broad Street, and Ohio River Boulevard.
According to the person answering the phone at the authority office, contractors will meet later this week, followed by activity in the affected area. This person also added that all area residents who will be affected by any water service or parking interruptions during the work will be notified well in advance. I'll try to find out more, and post updates if I do.
Mr. Slagle's quilt analogy drew my attention to some other things going on in my own life and those of others that involve the extremely social, yet often private art of quilting.
I've come across two seemingly paradoxical examples in recent weeks:
Leslie and I took a trip to the Niagara region of Canada last month to celebrate our anniversary. While the trip was cut short by a snowstorm, we did spend some time on the way back exploring the Volant and New Wilmington areas of Lawrence and Mercer Counties, home to one of the largest remaining communities of Old Order Amish in the region, if not the country.
Prominent along Pa. Route 208 between these two towns is Teena's Quilt Shop, which occupies part of a farm structure behind the house where the proprietor resides. We were greeted by a young girl, maybe 4 or 5, in traditional clothing who spoke no English. Her grandmother (also the operator of the shop) admonished her in the same German-sounding dialect, and then invited us in.
The shop contains some extraordinary examples of local Amish handiwork - the lone photo doesn't begin to cover what is on display. The shop takes cash or checks only, because there is no electricity, phone or computer to process credit cards. The owner apologized for the chilly temperatures inside, adding that she didn't stoke up the shop's wood stove because she didn't think she would get many customers that day. Counting us and (ironically) a family from Canada, she wound up getting more than she bargained for.
We also enjoyed lunch at Alice's Pizza in New Wilmington. A normally active little college town, things were quieter there due to spring break at Westminster. The hospitality and the food didn't skip a beat, however.
Along with the scenic countryside, following the occasional buggy and crossing at least one covered bridge, the area is a quiet diversion and just a few minutes' drive from the commercial wasteland district anchored by the Grove City Outlets. We do hope to return to the area later in the spring or summer.
A decided change of pace was just a short drive away.
I recently found an uplifting article in the latest edition of 9-1-1 Magazine, one of the finer dispatch trade publications, which is celebrating its 25th year.
While now publishing exclusively online, the magazine still puts out lots of relevant, original content by some of the most knowledgeable and forward-thinking leaders in the industry. This relevance is emphasized further in that 9-1-1 Magazine provides a much-needed source for information and opinion outside of that produced by the major dispatch trade associations.
This time, Editor Randall Larson highlighted the efforts of one retired dispatch professional in Washington state to create symbols of support in the form of handmade quilts for emergency dispatch centers, responders, and their families impacted by major critical incidents.
Layers of Hope, along with initiatives such as 9-1-1 Cares and the creation of TERT Teams, which send dispatchers to assist dispatch agencies impacted by disasters, arose not long after the impacts of 9/11 and Hurricane Katrina.
The quilting effort is reaching across the country, in the form of both financial assistance as well as plenty of helping hands now making quilts for responders involved in the lengthy rescue and recovery efforts at the catastrophic mudslide in Oso, Washington. There are links for donation information on the group's blog page.
Later this month will mark National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week. This is largely marked by proclamations, lunches, free swag, and other forms of recognition from the response community, management, and those trying to tacitly court the favor of those who, often just by their tone of voice, can and do influence whether emergency incidents go well...or don't.
From the looks of these and other efforts, the role that these professionals play, and the stressors they are subject to, are garnering increasing attention in the emergency response community. Having plied the trade in some very different parts of the country, I can say that this recognition is slower in coming in some places than it is in others.
Let's hope that the beauty of this artwork can somehow help spread the word.
Enjoy the month ahead.
The opinions expressed in this weblog are solely my own as an individual and private citizen, and do not represent the opinion or policy of my family, my employer, or any other private or public entity.
