Letters to the Editor - 6/13/2009
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Editor: Thanks to the Scranton Fire Department for the outstanding job they did in saving my house.
On June 9, at 4:01 p.m., my wife called me, frantic about smoke billowing from the downstairs of our home. She had just hung up the telephone after calling 911 and had gotten herself, my niece and our dog out of the house.
The Scranton Fire Department was on scene at our East Mountain home in less than five minutes. They quickly discovered a malfunctioning clothes dryer had caught on fire in our laundry room. They extinguished the fire, removed the smoldering appliance, and ventilated the residence.
The quick response by Engine 15, Engine 10, Truck 2, Car 21 and Rescue 1, likely saved our house. A few minutes longer would have been the difference between minor smoke and water damage, and our house being fully engulfed.
As a Scranton police officer, I have seen fires quickly turn from a minor smoke condition to a deadly blaze in a very short time. We need every fire company to remain open, as seconds do count.
Thanks to the firefighters who risk life and limb every time an alarm comes in. God bless them and all firefighters for the job well done.
Additional thanks to the calm 911 dispatcher, a vital link who gave the instruction to my family in a time of crisis.
TIM HARDING
Scranton
Lonesome days
Editor: Today, I write about one of the biggest pains a parent can feel in the course of raising a child - an empty nest.
I have two beautiful, intelligent daughters. Shannon is 22 and lives 20 minutes away. She still keeps her room in tact and will spend the night once in a while. Her bed, television and most of her clothes still remain. I thought to myself, "Piece of cake . . . this is easy."
My youngest child, Kelly, is 21 and has been planning on her own apartment for one year. She just moved out. I opened the door to her room and there sat one lonely pair of sneakers in the middle of her empty room.
Memories of sleepovers and her on the phone or doing her homework flooded my thoughts.
I know in my heart that these "lonely sneakers" are a rite of passage to bigger and better things to come, but for today, this does not comfort me. I know this will pass, but I will never forget these feelings.
I want to offer some precious advice to all parents who think their small children are too noisy or their rooms are a mess. Enjoy it, because someday you will miss it.
My daughters know the joy they have always given me. If I have ever yelled at them for leaving "Barbie" in the middle of the living room floor, I apologize.
DENISE D'ANDREA
Moscow
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