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In the 1800's, Batesville was the "Boonies" - there just wasn't too much that came after Batesville. Our Batesville, which was mostly Haddonfield's "black section" until the early part of the 20th century, has now changed to a professional/business category, with doctors and lawyers, a plumber and an exterminator now on the street. Except for the exterminator, and maybe the plumber, you might say it's gone downhill.... |
For years, we've just become used to our old, bumpy street. If a truck hits the manhole right in the
middle of the street, we FEEL it. It's a raceway, too. Everybody tries to get up the hill as fast as
they can - except, it seems, for the people in front of me. We just never gave our old Kresson Road
a thought, certainly never thought that we would get a new street - not in our lifetimes, anyway. Then one day, some fellow pops in the door, hands us a single sheet of paper, and ducks out again. The paper is a notice telling us that they will be re-paving our street in two weeks. Yeah, right. We file it in the round file. Re-paving Day came and went. Re-paving Week came and went. The NEXT week came and went. We didn't even know they came and went because of the notice going into the round file. But then, early on the morning of August 14th, 2001, we have trucks outside, lining up, with strange equipment being unloaded. Re-paving Day, it seems, is here! Strange as it may seem, even though they're doing about a mile of our Kresson Road, they start the whole project directly across the street! At the time, I thought that was strange, but later it turns out it was the best way after all, mostly because of this HUGE tree they are going to have to pull down. More on The Tree later. Since they start right at our front door, I have a window on what they are doing. With my handy-dandy camera at the ready, we're going to find out just how they do this. Doesn't look that hard. A few scruffy-looking guys, some strange looking/smelling equipment.... Hell, we've already got that! I can see it now. "United Paving Company..." Except, I think, they already have a United Paving. Hmmmmm. How 'bout, maybe, "AAA United Paving?" |
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The truck is coming fast. Well, slow, but it seems fast when you're in a panic. In a flurry, cars are moved next door, into the Doctor's Office's lot, where there are more exits further up the street. Nobody believes me when I tell them they won't be stuck. After all, the lady across the street is a nurse and she'll HAVE to get out. But then, I'm really not too sure myself. Fortunately, there's a bed upstairs and they'll have to fight me for it. |
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The nurse across the street, on her own wildly fluctuating work schedule, had to be rescued. Her request goes down the street and within minutes, a bulldozer shows up with a bucket of gravel to bridge the slot. Off she goes to work, and the United office crew is relieved they won't have to spend the night at the office with the boss. |
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Finally, a week or so after Labor Day, 2001, they have chewed out the stump, painted the traffic lines
and, I guess, collected their money. Which, if I remember correctly, was some $338,000. Like I said,
"Easy." AAA United Paving could've done it for $337,000, no problem. Although, truth be told, I think I'd like Mike's job, working in the trees, it looks like the most fun. |
Our brand-new street, all re-paved and striped. What a country! |
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