Dear Editor:
We have just dodged a bullet in that Hurricane Ian took a path that spared our area any serious damage. It did bring an event at my house that emphasized how much praise and appreciation is due for our city employees.
On Thursday morning my electric power went out and I heard a loud noise. I went outside to discover a pine limb had fallen on the power line to my house and pulled the riser off the wall and damaged the meter box. I called the dispatch center and reported the damage and in just a few minutes two Starke Police officers came by to make sure there was no street blockage or damage of that kind.
They told me a city utility crew was on the way and that crew showed up soon after. They disconnected the wiring and told me I needed an electrician to repair the meter box and riser damage. They also told me I could go to the utility yard office and the lady there could give me names and phone numbers of electricians.
I went and got those numbers and began calling some of them and made contact with Prestige Electric and found out they had the materials on hand to make the repairs. They came on out and replaced the meter box and riser, then they called the utility office and reported the work was done. Soon after that call the utility crews showed up and got us reconnected to the system and we had electric power again.
Only in our great little city of Starke can you find such terrific response time from people who look after each other. You do not get this kind of response in larger cities, and not even in all smaller cities. This is one of the reasons that I have enjoyed calling Starke home for nearly 30 years. Our first responders do a tremendous job, including the sheriff’s department, the Starke Police Department, the city utility crews, EMS, and other emergency services. Many thanks and much appreciation to all of you.
James D. Powell
