Fighting the Good Fight
This last week has been an utter marvel in so many ways. We stand in awe at the incredible power of mother nature during this flood of floods, while at the same time being equally awed by the power of community and compassion.
What a gift to have so many eager volunteers helping to avert this impending catastrophe. We give kudos upon kudos to all those who are fighting the good fight. Whether you’re shoveling sand, bagging, laying, cooking for the team, or carrying out any of the many crucial duties required to save our city, we salute you.
All over the world, TV news viewers are flabbergasted by our community ethic. As individuals, this crisis could hardly be avoided, but united we are Moses parting the Red River. We are Zeus. We are the Walrus.
It is unfortunate, though, that so many homes in the periphery did not receive the same attention and care that those within city limits did. While bus-loads of volunteers and sandbags were being distributed throughout town, those in the outlying areas had to fend mostly for themselves, and many have already lost their homes.
To those who have lost and to those who will lose their homes, our hearts go out to you. Let us hope that our capacity for compassion does not falter at flood’s end. When the tide rolls back, will we forget the benevolence we learned atop six foot walls of sweat and sand? More and more people are becoming homeless, and we cannot turn our backs on them. If you know someone who has lost his/her home, do not hesitate to lend a helping hand.
We’ve done amazing things this last week, and for better or worse, we can all walk away with our heads held high by the empowerment of civic duty. Come hell or high water, we are one hell of a strong community. If we carry this momentum into the future we will be unstoppable.
A volunteer from Holland made an excellent 3-minute documentary on our plight. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/user/sr5nl
You Done Good, Local Government
We love Sheriff Laney’s decision to arrest “water-gawkers.” Anyone who has the time to drive by the levees real slow to do some catastrophe site-seeing damn well has the time to throw some sandbags, and deserves to be jailed for not complying with such a request.
Furthermore, Laney’s words of wisdom on evacuees were appropriate. If you send out a distress call to be rescued, you don’t tell your rescuers to wait an hour while you gather your valuables. That’s just ridiculous.
Also, Fargo Municipal Court Judge Davies’s decision to wave bench warrants for volunteer efforts was a great move. Anyone with outstanding fines or warrants have the opportunity to work off their fines through flood-fighting at $10 an hour. Well done.
Finally, the use of inmates to contribute to the flood effort was well justified. We need every body we can get. Nice work folks.
The Fight Ain’t Over Yet
With the efforts our local government, the titanic mob of students and everybody in between, we have a chance at making it out of this one. The fight is not over, though. The temporary levees are almost completely built, but there is more to be done. As we hold our breath anticipating the Mighty Red’s crest, there is much maintenance to be done on the levees. We need people watching the dikes for leaks at all times, homeless citizens need places to rest their heads, and the crest prediction could very likely rise once more, putting us in quite a perilous spot. Beyond that, there is still a laundry list of things to be done to keep our community safe. We’ve done some amazing things so far, but we cannot run out of steam. We can win this thing.
April Birthdays…
Happy April Birthdays to all the others we know celebrating this month: Jan Ellen Myrdal-Morrell, Modern Man, Aryeh Kobrinsky, Josh Costello, Pamela Sund, Tom Davies, C.T. Hanson, Becky Jones-Mahlum, Maureen Kelly-Jonason, Ben Hill, Matt Haney, Charlie Wilson, Steve Becker, Rick Clayburgh, James Wolberg, Dan Huffman, Vicky Larson-Neuharth, Mike Allmendinger, Nellie Bjelde, Randy Schwartz, Joyce Geddes Simmons, Paul “Spike” McDaniel, Marjorie Morris, Zach Hannestad, Melanie Robinson, Tricia Strand-Jerrich, Jim Christl, Don Kadlec, Tom Hartman, David Stradling, Terry Hanney, Dan Hedrick, Davin Brown, Mike Williams, Kristin Helgeson, Matt Morken, Mark Campbell, Sue Berg-Anderson, Terri Iverson, Mike Vangsness, Mark Altenburg, Jed Bontjes, Billy Delaney, Roy Raaj, Trevor Hirst, Kara Miller, Barb Raetzman, Elise Pallais, Netty Berger, David Ideele, Pete Morsch, Tyrell Scott, Scott Miller, Matt Wiener, Tommy Lund, John Maddock, Russ Quammen, Don Haney, Marty Risky, Joshua Tronier.
Photo by Zach Kobrinsky
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