Favors required to get DOH to clear roads?



I would like to start by saying, when you go to doctor, they give you a prescription, you can get it filled anywhere you want to have it filled. You do not have to have it filled at the pharmacy at these offices. This is your choice.

Now for the lady who was having to miss a family function because her husband works for Raleigh County DOH and has to clear the snow from the roads, I’m very sorry for you. We all don’t have the luxury to be married to or be a close relative to a DOH worker.

It must be nice to be able to go to Wal-Mart, the movies or even Winterplace on a outing, when the rest of us can’t even get to work, to a doctor’s appointment, or God forbid, have an emergency.

I guess the rest of us need to hire a “hootchie,” to give special favors, so our streets can be cleaned because it looks like we don’t pay enough taxes, or buy enough gas to have our streets cleaned.

As for the snow that fell on Dec. 18, can you imagine being a parent of one of the 31 children on the bus who didn’t make it home? That night a lot of people didn’t get to their destination or it took hours to get there because of a overlooked forecast of a winter storm warning.

Did you know the people who were stuck on the turnpike for 18-20 hours still had to pay the toll to get that thing? Talk about insult to injury.

Surrounding counties had their roads cleared quickly after that snow stopped. Raleigh did not. Surrounding counties cleared all streets as they come to them. Guess what, Raleigh does not. They do select streets. From where I live I can see seven streets. I called the DOH office and asked if while they had a truck in the area, could they please clear our street. I was told we would be put on the list. They didn’t show a truck in our area at that time. I told him that one was here and what street the truck was on, once again, you’ll be put on the list.

You can only wonder what kind of engineering problem they had last summer when it took 11 crew members to clean gravel and chips from a 20-foot bridge. One with a broom, one with a shovel and nine watching. What happened? Did the broom lose a straw? What about the DOH trucks that sit around the county and watch water run across the roads from filled-in ditchlines that have not been cleaned out in years?



Anna Lilly

MacArthur



Help during winter storms appreciated



We would like to say “thanks” to our neighbors, Jeff and Kim Simpson, for their help during the recent snowstorms. My daughter, Debby, had come in from Tennessee on Dec. 18 to go with us to our church cantata, and, of course, that’s the day the big snow came and most everything was called off.

She planned to return to her home on Monday to get ready for Christmas with her grandchildren so we started cleaning off her car and the driveway so she might be able to get out on Tuesday at least. Jeff and Kim came over and helped clear the driveway so Debby decided to load up her car and try to make it to the turnpike. Jeff offered to follow her and made sure she made it, which she did.

Then all through the snows, Jeff helped to clear our driveway and walk. So many thanks to caring neighbors, Jeff and Kim.

Also thanks to my son, Jeff S., who brought us medicines and groceries during that time since our streets were still dangerously covered.



Russell and Eleanor Justice

Beckley