Dear Editor; I hear that there are some residents unhappy about the small increase the fire department is charging. On the day after Christmas in 2011, I had an experience I pray will never happen to me or anyone again. My oil furnace blew up and put my house on fire. My wonderful neighbors took me next door to their house. As I was going out the door, I looked back and saw nothing but black smoke coming out around my roof everywhere. Thank God, the wonderful guys from the fire department had just got back from another call at Snowshoe. The guys looked like a bunch of black and yellow bumble bees on the roof of the house with ladders and water hoses going full blast. They saved my house, even though I had a lot of smoke damage and it took three months to get it fixed. My house would have burned to the ground if they had not been here to help. I live close to the fire house and unless you see the work these wonderful guys do, you don’t realize what they do for us. Please don’t fuss about a little $25 raise. It’s been at least 25 years since we’ve had one. Do as I did and pay the $25 increase and thank them all for the hard work they do, and pray to God to keep them safe as they volunteer their time for us. Thank you. Louise Barnisky Marlinton
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