: )............
As I stumbled to the kitchen....this morning, and...started to put the 'Coffee'...makin's...together,
I looked out the window...over the sink, and thought...
as, I stared...at what will soon, not be ours, anymore...
{Thanks, to The City of Fairfax. : ) They are taking so Much, of our land...in front of our Home, for a 'walking trail'...
{that, I Pray...No One, will ever use.
I, didn't discover the Total Impact, of our property losses, until Monday. }
{that, I Pray...No One, will ever use.
I, didn't discover the Total Impact, of our property losses, until Monday. }
Should our Home, burn down...we couldn't rebuild...here.
and...
Much...Much....More.
Our Big...Beautiful...Trees,
{most...All...of them }
Buildings...
my
'Song'.
{I started humming, the tune, to the above....song. }
This, all....
reminds me... of getting hit, in the face....with a Baseball Bat.
Have you...ever been hit in the face, with a Baseball Bat?
I, have.
It, surprisingly.... isn't painful, at first.
Your Mind...is so Stunned, after The Bat.... Impacts your Face,
it...Scrambles, to make Sense....
out of what just....happened....
and frantically....tries to assess the Damages.
out of what just....happened....
and frantically....tries to assess the Damages.
"Am I going to stay..on my feet?
Are...my Knees, going to buckle...
Have I lost any Teeth?
Can I 'See'...
{for what seems like, forever...all you can 'see'...are 'stars' }"
You, try...with everything you have, to... keep Standing.
you can't...go down.
If you go Down...
They'll keep Beating...You.
I've been Hit in Face, with a Ball Bat...Once, literally.
I was young.
It prepared me...for,
'These'...
kind of Beatings.
'These'...kind of 'Beatings'...are, so Much...more...Painful,
I can tell you, from much...experience.
: ).........
but, you see...
It's not just...'me', This Time,
I'm takin' the 'Hit'...for.
but, you see...
It's not just...'me', This Time,
I'm takin' the 'Hit'...for.
I know...I Can't go Down.
I'm so.....dizzy, from being...Blindsided, by...so Many...Beatings.
One...after another....after...another.
I've tried...and tried...to make sense, out of all of this.
I, can find...None, for any of it.
I'm sure...there's Money, behind...this 'Bat'.
and...
maybe...
a little more.
: )
I, was talking...to a Woman, the other day...that's taken care....of mine and John's....business, for years.
I, shared...a little of what's going on, with her.
She listened, took a deep breath... and said,
"Barb... This, sounds...a Lot...like 'Harassment'...to me."
I, never...would have thought of that...Truly, until she said it.
I, work all of the time, and...don't have the time, to 'think'...that way.
but....
when I sit still...and 'Look'...at 'This'.
Who...would take, the majority....of the land, in front of someone's Home....and Business, to put walking trail...that, is going to put people's Lives...at Risk, that Hopefully...Folks, will Never...set foot on?
The Mayor...says, The City, may Never put this Trail in, in our Lifetime.
but...
They...are Taking, Everything...from Us, now.
It doesn't seem to bother them, that people, are going to die, it's not 'if', like I told...them....
It's When.
They, say it won't be 'This'...Council, that'll have to deal with it.
{Hmmm... Our Great Grandchildren, instead of our Grandchildren, will be at risk. }
I don't think...it's gonna be long.
Unless The City, pays for this Trail, themselves.
{They won't tell me how much the 'Projected Costs' will be. I've asked, over...and over.
They say, they don't have any idea. : ) }
The IDOT, says it must...be completed, in 5 years.
{If they get Federal funding, for it...of any kind. }
It doesn't seem to bother them, that people, are going to die, it's not 'if', like I told...them....
It's When.
They, say it won't be 'This'...Council, that'll have to deal with it.
{Hmmm... Our Great Grandchildren, instead of our Grandchildren, will be at risk. }
I don't think...it's gonna be long.
Unless The City, pays for this Trail, themselves.
{They won't tell me how much the 'Projected Costs' will be. I've asked, over...and over.
They say, they don't have any idea. : ) }
The IDOT, says it must...be completed, in 5 years.
{If they get Federal funding, for it...of any kind. }
Hmmmm.
Like 'The Song'...Goes.
"If People...are Buying Tears...
I'm Gonna Be a Rich Girl...someday."
: )
I'm posting the opening letter, to the Packet...I presented, to The Mayor, and Council, back in November.
It's based on a Safety Audit, that the IDOT put together.
Facts.
I, don't think...they read it.
I, read this portion to them.
I asked them to make it 'Public Record'...
I, doubt they did that...either.
I asked The Mayor, to Please...
Rescind the Plans...for This Trail.
in the Interest...of Public Safety.
Without blinking...he said...
" No "
For nearly...a year, they had me spinning, in circles.
They told me, during the Council Meetings, that They Wanted No Part...of this Trail.
The IDOT, was Forcing...them.
I...Believed....them.
I...Believed....them.
so...
I spent Hours....Weeks...Months... making phone calls, to Dozens of People...with the IDOT...from Cedar Rapids, to Des Moines, and Ames....then,
waiting...
for the IDOT....to respond.
waiting...
for the IDOT....to respond.
Working Every Other Job...I have to do, to Survive....in between.
It's been...quite a Journey.
They, the IDOT, were actually, being straight with me, when they said...
"Your City....Wants This.
It's Costing Us...a Lot of Money, to Do This, 'Portion'...of the Highway Bridges, and the Grading...for Fairfax's Requested Trail."
It's Costing Us...a Lot of Money, to Do This, 'Portion'...of the Highway Bridges, and the Grading...for Fairfax's Requested Trail."
The Council...basically...called me a liar, when I kept telling them, what I was told.
The funny part is,...I don't know if...the council....knew, they were lying.
but...looking back,
There were People...at Every Meeting, who did....and said..nothing.
The Council...said nothing, to me...when I provided them, with the document...
where THEY REQUESTED This Trail, to the IDOT.
The only, 'defense' they had...., and said....was,
"This...is a 'Wish List"...we never expect to get it all."
Well... seems they got their 'Wish'.
{It's quite a leap...going from
'Never Asking For This'....
'Never Asking For This'....
to...
'Wish List'.}
oh dear.
This...has been a Nightmare.
Constant...beatings.
If...somehow, my Beatings, will save one...Life.
I'll keep takin' 'em.
If...these Beatings, will save an inch...of what John, has worked...so hard for.
I'll keep...takin' 'em.
Pray....for me.
Love, to ya...
Barb C.
Click on the images, to make 'em bigger.
: )
I'm old school, don't have fancy...gadgets.
You might, call The City of Fairfax, Iowa.
They, are supposed to have all of this, on Public Record.
They have gadgets...: )
I, Truly...HATE, doing this. I, Never....complain, to The City, about anyone...or, anything. We, just...live, and let live. : )
This... has me...scared to death. None of it makes any sense. Anyone, who has lived here, for any length of time, knows...putting a trail, 'sidewalk'...whatever, along this highway, is insane. }
They pointed out, a couple of comparisons.
: )
One, is on Edgewood Road. in Cedar Rapids.
: )
One..is on Highway 1.
{You should see that trail, over the bridge. It's NOTHING, like what we'll have. }
Check the Speed Limits,Traffic Counts, Fatalities, Crashes with Major Injuries, Crashes with Property Damages....in Their... 'Comparisons'. : )
That's why... I asked The City, to do their own... 'Safety Audit', before....they put Children, on this.
"No"
: (
{I, lost my temper...at that meeting. : ( }
No one, in our area....seems to know about this 'Trail'.
I, wouldn't have....either, had I not went to the DOT Meeting, a year ago...and saw that our land, was being 'taken'.
It, took me weeks, to find out...it was for a Trail.
I, knew...it wasn't for the Highway.
The DOT, took so Much...of our land, 20 years ago..for that.
{I was hit in the face...with a Baseball Bat, then...too. It was a little...different, then. It was the DOT. These....people, who are doing This, are Fairfax People. Our...People.}
As I sit here....typing, all of this...today.
It's taken me...hours.
I, just...looked up.
See those Tree Branches, that are just...outside, our window.
The Old...Locust Trees.
{about...20 feet, from our Home.}
: )
They'll all.... be gone, along...with Many...Many....more.
This, would Break John's Heart.
: (
The First...time, since..he went away....that 'I'm thankful, John's not here'.
You, all...who, 'know'...me, know...out of All of the 'words'...on this post,
the above...five,
were the Most...difficult, for me to write.
Until all of 'This'...
I would have Bet My Life....
I'd Never...begin to 'imagine'...
those words.
I don't want anyone else...to imagine, this kind of 'Loss'.
but... if this Trail...comes.
It won't be 'if'...
it'll be 'When'.
I, Hope...and Pray,
Others...will Stand Up....
and...Help me, Stop This.
Click on the images, to make 'em bigger.
: )
I'm old school, don't have fancy...gadgets.
You might, call The City of Fairfax, Iowa.
They, are supposed to have all of this, on Public Record.
They have gadgets...: )
I, Truly...HATE, doing this. I, Never....complain, to The City, about anyone...or, anything. We, just...live, and let live. : )
This... has me...scared to death. None of it makes any sense. Anyone, who has lived here, for any length of time, knows...putting a trail, 'sidewalk'...whatever, along this highway, is insane. }
They pointed out, a couple of comparisons.
: )
One, is on Edgewood Road. in Cedar Rapids.
: )
One..is on Highway 1.
{You should see that trail, over the bridge. It's NOTHING, like what we'll have. }
Check the Speed Limits,Traffic Counts, Fatalities, Crashes with Major Injuries, Crashes with Property Damages....in Their... 'Comparisons'. : )
That's why... I asked The City, to do their own... 'Safety Audit', before....they put Children, on this.
"No"
: (
{I, lost my temper...at that meeting. : ( }
No one, in our area....seems to know about this 'Trail'.
I, wouldn't have....either, had I not went to the DOT Meeting, a year ago...and saw that our land, was being 'taken'.
It, took me weeks, to find out...it was for a Trail.
I, knew...it wasn't for the Highway.
The DOT, took so Much...of our land, 20 years ago..for that.
{I was hit in the face...with a Baseball Bat, then...too. It was a little...different, then. It was the DOT. These....people, who are doing This, are Fairfax People. Our...People.}
As I sit here....typing, all of this...today.
It's taken me...hours.
I, just...looked up.
See those Tree Branches, that are just...outside, our window.
The Old...Locust Trees.
{about...20 feet, from our Home.}
: )
They'll all.... be gone, along...with Many...Many....more.
This, would Break John's Heart.
: (
The First...time, since..he went away....that 'I'm thankful, John's not here'.
You, all...who, 'know'...me, know...out of All of the 'words'...on this post,
the above...five,
were the Most...difficult, for me to write.
Until all of 'This'...
I would have Bet My Life....
I'd Never...begin to 'imagine'...
those words.
I don't want anyone else...to imagine, this kind of 'Loss'.
but... if this Trail...comes.
It won't be 'if'...
it'll be 'When'.
I, Hope...and Pray,
Others...will Stand Up....
and...Help me, Stop This.
 |
| The Old....Locust Trees. <3 Peekin' in the window...watchin' me write...and write....and...write. : ) I'll be editing, long...after I post this. It's gonna be a Long, Night. |
 |
| This, and the above document...was submitted by The City of Fairfax, asking....the DOT, to include a walking trail, on the Bridges, and Highway 151, back in 2012, for the DOT, to partner with them, when the DOT replaces this section of 151. |
 |
| This document states, that we....would lose, very little land, if...the Trail, along the highway...and over the bridges, were taken off of the map. |
 |
| Yep... We Need... Sidewalks/Bike Trails/Walking Trails/Recreational Trails... along Federal Highways. This is Highway 63, by Denver, Iowa. I go by this, several times a year. I've never seen a Soul....using it. Thank God. |
 |
| This was last Fall. about a Football Field, away from our Home, in the right of way...on the same side of the road. This car, had to cross over the center line....in the path of oncoming traffic, to land, where it did. There could have been a Trail...right...There. Most accidents, on this Highway, happen...{says the DOT} between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. |
See all the Big Trees?
That's...where we live.
Most All Of Those...Trees, on our property, according to the Packet, I received on Monday...
will be Gone, along the Highway.
{Most of them. They, might....leave a couple. }
Had that car... come off the road, a little sooner, it would have been right where they want a 'Trail'....in front of our home.
When the DOT Graded, our ditches...20 years ago, they did it, in a way...they said....that if a car came off of the highway, it could drive out, and not roll.
That's what Ditches are For....along a Federal Highway.
The roads, were CLEAR, when This happened.
It rained, long...before, the car went in the ditch.
That's Fairfax.
The DOT, wouldn't have done...this audit, if...there wasn't need, for Improvement.
I, won't ever say, who it was...from the DOT, and...you can believe me...or not,
'That' person said... they couldn't believe, Fairfax got this 'Trail'...through.
They must know 'The Powers that Be'.
: (.........
I've said it to the Mayor, and Council....
Living on this Highway, isn't like driving on it.
It's like living next to The Mighty Mississippi.
You, and your Family...learn to Respect it.
The City, plans on linking the existing, safe....walking trail...to this, Horribly...Unsafe, one.
The thing about that...is, People, will assume, since it's linked, it's also....safe.
After, all...they would assume, if it's been put there, by The City....it Must, be safe.
: (
Just like...as I told the Mayor, and Council....
"Ponds...in Nebraska....have Crappies in them.
Ponds, in Florida... have Gators.
A Small Child, from Nebraska.... a couple of years ago....was killed,
while... just standing...next to a Pond,
with his Parents...right there, beside him... by an Alligator.
Can, you Imagine...how Helpless...they felt???
{I, can. }
There were signs...at Disneyland, warning...about Alligators.
but....
you see, like I said...
when you Live...in Nebraska, there's just...Crappies.
Our Friends, and Neighbors...who live near 151, know..all too well, about the Dangers.
Folks, from the new developments....with their Children,simply...walking through, don't.
It will be...
Heart Breaking.
{After, re reading this post...
I thought about... what I read, on Monday...in 'The Packet'.
The part, that said.... "Because of All of the Property The City is Taking...for this 'Insane', 'trail'...
{I put 'Insane' in : ) }
If our Home, should burn down... we couldn't re build, here."
We've built our Lives...
Here.
'Home Sweet Home'
<3
Our Youngest Children... have lived here, All...of Their Lives.
<3
Our, Beloved Pets, are...all buried, here. <3
This...was John's Sanctuary. He worked...his Life...away, for it.
So...have I. {35 years...}
The last thing, some...believe...John, ever saw...
was His Beloved...Old Oak Tree, just...outside the door. <3 <3 <3
and, then... there's the...rabbit hole. <3 <3 <3 : )
After, everything... I've been through, with The City of Fairfax....this, last year.
I wouldn't worry about any...of that.
None...of it.
Not, one bit.
Not...for a Blink.
I, would Never...choose to 'Live'... 're build'... here, now.
Not...the way....'things' are.
Not...the way, I...and others...have been treated, and...will be treated.
{Sorry, my pictures, of the documents, are so poor. Click on them, to enlarge.
I have copies. : )
The City...is supposed to have them, all...on Public Record. ; ) }
I would, miss our Neighbors. <3
I, would...miss...our Bank, and Everyone...who works there, and has. <3
Frankly.... 'They'...would never expect, me to stay, after....all...of this.
They 'See'. <3
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