If there is ever serious flooding to occur in any given year, it often happens in January. Our recent bout with high water brought back memories of other January floods. The danger with flooding and then a deep freeze is the ice left behind. As the water recedes, it leaves the ice unsupported and this combination enables you to crash right through the ice.
Despite warnings, cars and trucks continue to drive into floodwaters. As you’ve seen on TV news this can be the worst scenario, affecting directly, the lives of those in these vehicles.
It seems as though the hardest hit areas in severe storms or flooding are the mobile home parks. Many of them are situated in flood plains or on the edge of towns exposing them to direct wind hits.
Drainage of water from residential areas can change over the years as new housing developments are brought into existence. As much as possible is done in the way of engineering new developments. Drainage is a major concern. Site plans for new developments must be submitted to proper authorities before construction can start.
New housing developments are about to begin just east of Ryan’s and behind the Meijer Super Store. Hundreds of single-family condominiums will be built.
Recently approved, was the development of homes on the south edge of the Village of Caledonia. There will be over 100 single family homes built on the south side of Route 309. Annexing of this area to Caledonia will be a factor eventually.
There are many other developments in the offing for the coming years. Careful studies are mandated made to ensure proper drainage. If enough homes are built in certain areas, sewage handling will also become a major topic to be addressed. Sewer district Seven has additional capacity that will be needed. School capacities are another consideration in subdivision development.
For the start of the New Year we are presented with tax bills. Property and income tax are the major fund-raisers for everything governmental. Very seldom do taxes recede. For a substantial number of citizens, tax increases are somewhat compensated by increased income. Those living on a fixed income have to find ways of reducing monthly expenditures to be able to keep up with not only taxes but also health insurance.
In our own case, living on Social Security can be a huge challenge to ones’ existence. We are saving $40.00 a month by dropping subscription TV service. We are back solely on our tower. All we need is a rotor and we will have over fifty UHF stations available.
Most of you have forgotten there is such a thing as an antenna. They still work just fine. Not as many special features are available but for $40.00 less per month we will survive.
What I found interesting, were the offers of reduced monthly fees when you call to cancel you service. They still call us offering tempting packages. This is for satellite service.
All school systems need new taxes, hardly without exception. Sometimes I wonder how America made it with just 8th grade graduates from one-room schools. New buildings have to be heated and now air-conditioned. Drive by any school six nights a week and you will see activities taking place. Are these activities education related to compensate for the additional cost of heating and lighting?
Will all governmental services such as fire and emergency medical begin charging for their services? There are numerous false alarms of all kinds. Will there also be a charge to answer a false alarm? Will the entire county be one fire district down the road with the station nearest the alarm being the one to answer?
If you are on the Internet check the Flying J gas prices on I-71 and Route 37. Sometimes, you could almost fill up there and save enough to make up for the extra gas to run down.
We will never understand the pricing of gasoline.
