Be responsible
When strong winds blow across town, whatever isn't nailed down is blown around or away.
Such was the case Friday night when a severe wind storm rattled windows, broke tree branches, and blew off roofs.
It reinforces the importance of being good neighbors and following rules.
Marion city and Marion County have zoning regulations in place to protect us and to assure we protect our neighbors.
Zoning regulations require buildings to meet specific codes and standards. Most particularly, this includes those little storage buildings and metal canopies used as car ports, commonly found in backyards across town.
If those little buildings and carports are not sufficiently anchored, they become flying arsenal and can inflict harm to people and property.
Owners of those buildings probably were advised by city or county officials of the importance of properly tying down the buildings.
Some buildings are in need of repair with loose shingles and hanging roof lines. When strong winds prevail, debris flies — causing damage to neighboring property or maybe even personal injury or, heaven forbid, could actually kill somebody.
We don't always think about these things until something horrible happens.
If something you own needs to be repaired, repair it. If a building is dilapidated and needs to be torn down, tear it down.
Friday night's aftermath should be our wake-up call instead of waiting until something worse happens.
— SUSAN BERG
