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Message |
    
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3644
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2004 - 9:25 pm: |     |
Many thanks to the ladies and gentlemen of the MPD and MFD for their quick response tonight to a fire that erupted in our backyard. Since this is the first year in a long time we do not have our trees lit in the back yard we can rule out electrical activity. And the fact that there was also a fire two doors down from us and both houses abut Underhill field and it is rumored that there was laughter eminating from behind the field house around the time of the fires.... to quote Nirvana "It smells like teen spirit". Thanks also to the (expletive deleted) who thought it would be funny to toss flammables over the fence into peoples back yards.
But in all honestly from the time I got off the phone with 911 to the time the fire department and police arrived was under 4 minutes. Luckily no structural damage was done by either fire, only brush but it scared the bejesus out of my son, until he talked to some of the firefighters who made him feel much better.
For a while tonight I didn't care one hoot how much our property taxes were...they were well spent.
Of course the irony is that my son's birthday party is slated to be at the station in January so he will have plenty to talk about at that event.
Anyway thanks to all who helped, neighbors who notified me, others who watched over my son while I futily tried to beat back the flames so they wouldn't jump onto my neighbors garage, to the police officer and fire fighter who helped calm my freaked out son (and admittedly my own freaked out self).
If I have to live in suburbia, I am glad its with and near the people who are here.
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monster
Citizen
Username: Monster
Post Number: 432
Registered: 7-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2004 - 10:27 pm: | |
WOW!
first let me say that I'm glad everyone is okay, I hope your son sleeps well tonight.
Second, I hope they get the little pr*cks, and/or a little justice gets beaten into them. |
Jason & John
Citizen
Username: Johnh91011
Post Number: 158
Registered: 3-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, December 16, 2004 - 11:25 pm: | |
The joys of Underhill field once again. We have set up a committee to try to change the operations of Underhill field which have certainly deteriorated over the last few years. The field is owned by the M/SO Board of Education and they supply no supervision or security except when there is a School Board event. This lets the field to be an open park without any policing. This permits anyone to do anything at any time of the day or night. This needs to change. |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3646
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 7:05 am: | |
Yea, I think you can count on the support of those of us who were scorched last night.
My wife wondered what could be done, and absent constant patrolling I fear its like what happened a few years ago when some kids went around slashing tires. For Sport. And they got all the cars in a two block radius. Kids, oddly like NBA players, feel that rules dont apply to them. And the certainly don't see the danger of what they did or the giggling wouldn't have been heard behind the field house last night. Thats what is even sadder still. If I were a teenager and started a fire that grew to the size of the one in my back yard I would have been scared sh*tless, not lauging about it.
Course if anyone out here wondered why their kids smelled like smoke when they got home, and not cigartette smoke or Mary Jane, then you can tell them they are lucky no one was hurt and outta turn them selves in now to MPD. |
Wendyn
Citizen
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1177
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 8:16 am: | |
Glad to hear you are all ok and the fire didn't reach your new bathroom  . Seriously hope you and little D have recovered and he enjoys the field trip today. He will have a lot to talk about on the bus!
Look forward to the firehouse birthday... |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 4367
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 8:56 am: | |
When we were teens here in Maplewood, Underhill Field was a big hangout after dark, especially on the weekends. We would sneak beers, some of us would smoke cigarettes, and even the occasional joint. But we would be always on the lookout for the cops, who would patrol the field regularly in their cars, and we were petrified of them. We never got involved in vandalism, as that would call attention to us and ruin our hangout. I remember a friend's birthday when we had over two hundred kids under the bleachers and we were so quiet you couldn't hear us 50 ft away. Do the cops patrol there regularly anymore? Would the kids now be as scared as we were?
Also, I used to jog there every night during college breaks. Is it still OK to do that? |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3648
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 4:56 pm: | |
Im with you mem. I hung out at the field too. Different town, different mindset. But it wasn't ever part of our partying to be F**%ing Arsonists. |
Joan
Citizen
Username: Joancrystal
Post Number: 4486
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 6:55 pm: | |
Duncan:
I'm so glad no one was hurt as a result of the fire and that help got to you as quickly as it did. |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3649
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 17, 2004 - 8:35 pm: | |
Thanks Joan. Again, I was really impressed with the speed of their arrival, both the MPD and MFD and the way they helped allay my son's fears after they were done. Good men and women we have working for us. I knew that already from the many visits to the firehouse that we had made, but in action, they are just as good if not better.
I do hope the police find the people who did this. Restitution would be having to rake my yard and trim back all the brush they didn't manage to burn down. |
Cedar
Citizen
Username: Cedar
Post Number: 152
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, December 18, 2004 - 4:05 pm: | |
While this is really not "on topic" this seems like a good place to share a nice deed I witnessed on the part of the FD. A fire truck was driving somewhere, obviously not on a call, and was coming up on a woman walking with two 4-ish (?) children. The truck stopped as it approached and one of the firemen got out and gave each of them one a little plastic firehat. Too sweet! |
mem
Citizen
Username: Mem
Post Number: 4368
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 10:42 am: | |
Duncan,
Thank god you were still awake and it didn't spread to your home. My parents attic caught fire in the middle of the day - and it spread so fast. I had two little sisters that were living in the attic at the time, and if it happened when they asleep it would have been tragedy. These kids are clueless about consequences. I hope they find them, best of luck. |
Duncan
Citizen
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3659
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Sunday, December 19, 2004 - 10:47 am: | |
Thanks mem. I, too, hope they find the people who did it and make em do some community service. I think if they do catch them. They should be ordered to go help the firefighters clean out a burnt up house (after its safe to go in and all) so they can see the ramifications.
}
But we are all fine, and now I just hope to have a phone call from the police saying.. we got em.
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algebra2
Citizen
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 2779
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 10:47 am: | |
Duncan -- how scary. I must add a thanks to the police dept who came in a split second (nearly) to our house Wed night when something set off our burglar alarm. I was quite impressed by their quick response -- and the quick response of Ultimate Security. It was colder than a witches tit out there and they walked around and checked out the back doors where the sensors sensed an intruder. |
greenetree
Supporter
Username: Greenetree
Post Number: 3536
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 11:46 am: | |
Alg- funny you should mention witch anatomy. I used that phrase this morning & TS said that she doesn't know anyone who would actually know how cold that is....
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Wendyn
Supporter
Username: Wendyn
Post Number: 1182
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, December 20, 2004 - 1:16 pm: | |
You should have said "anyone who is married to me". |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3691
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, December 23, 2004 - 7:26 pm: | |
Had an anonymous phonecall telling me who the person thought it was that torched my back yard. How very cloak and dagger. |
algebra2
Supporter
Username: Algebra2
Post Number: 2794
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 24, 2004 - 8:34 am: | |
Do you know the person? |
Duncan
Supporter
Username: Duncanrogers
Post Number: 3696
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Friday, December 24, 2004 - 10:45 am: | |
Nope... wouldn't give her name. Obviously reads the board since she knew my name and what had happened and then found my phone number. But to who ever it was, they have my thanks for the call and my appreciation for the call subsequently made to the police.
We shall see what comes of it all. Still my botton line is that no one got hurt. Arson is a messy business and not something one should enter into lightly (had to make the pun, just had to).
Merry Christmas to those that celebrate it, and have a great weekend to those who dont!!!
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