Recently the city of Coatesville PA has gotten nationwide press coverage. For those of you not familiar with the area, let me give you a little background. Coatesville was the home of Lukens steel plant for many years. It was the major employer in the area. Lukens has changed hands several times and is now operating at a fraction of its normal production. The residents of the city have survived, some better than others. Some areas of the town have fallen on bad times and the residents do what they can to prevent and/or stay out of the way of drug deals, gun fights, and other crimes. During 2008 Coatesville had 13 fires for the entire year. Since January 1st, we have had 14 fires. The last fire took out 15 houses. Coatesville has 3 full time firefighters, the rest of the department is made up of volunteers. Needless to say, the department is doing the best it can to keep the residents safe. The local authorities are working with state and federal agencies, including the FBI, National Guard,and the ATF to catch the person or persons responsible for setting the fires. My thoughts and prayers go out to the residents who have been displaced by these horrible fires. The fires have all been caused by someone setting fire to trash, furniture or other flamable materials left on porches of homes. Recently, the town has offered to help residents clean up trash or other items that have been left outside in order to remove the fuel for the fires. The town council is recmending a "city wide cleanup." They are also asking for volunteers for town watches to keep an eye out for vandals. It is always a tragedy when people lose their homes or lives to fire. However, if the string of arson's in Coatesville can get the residents to clean up the town, and raise alertness to other crimes as well, perhaps some good will come of this.
The next time you get a chance, thank a firefighter. The next house they save, could be yours. Thank you.
Friday, January 30, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
First but definatly not the last!
As a new parent, I find that firsts take on a new meaning. First smile, first word, first step. Many of these firsts are wonderful, exciting, and sometimes scary. Sometimes, they are absolutely disgusting! Tonight was one of those firsts. Mel and I had finished desert, the kitchen was clean, and Jess was sleeping peacefully in her swing. She was awakened from her nap, and like so many of us, was none to happy to be awake. I don't know what babies dream about, but I love to see her smile when she is sleeping. But I digress. Mel got Jess up and decided to check for known causes of distress. Burp? Check. Hungry? Check. Diaper? Holy S*@t!!! I hear an agonized cry from Mel in the nursery, followed by, "You have got to see this." Houston we have a problem. Diapers by their design are supposed to be absorbent, however, they are not guaranteed. Jess had her first blow out, and I mean OUT! Let us be thankful for small things, the outfit was not a family heirloom, it was bath night anyway, and the swing is machine washable. Before you ask, no I did not take a picture. I'm sure all you parents out there, especially mine, are saying "You have no idea what you're in for" Followed quickly by "you did the same thing to me!" I'm not sure what the moral of this story is, maybe enjoy the firsts while you can. Or maybe, what goes around, comes around. I can't wait for the next first.
Ok enough already
Ok you can all say it, I'm a bad son, brother, grandson, or (insert name here)! I didn't post any pictures lately. I know you were only kidding, (kind of) Well you asked for it and here they are. It has been a busy couple of months here at the Deutsch household. Jess is starting to transition out of the bassinett into her crib. Tonight will be her first night to sleep in her room by herself. I think mom has more trouble with it than Jess does. Jess is also getting ready to start daycare on monday. Again I think Mom has more trouble than Jess. But they are both fighters and I;m sure they will make it thru okay. Jess had a dr appointment on thursday and was a very good patient. She didn't even mind the shots (too much!) She now weighs just under 13 lbs and she's 23" long. Mel just finished organizing all her clothes in the closet, and now has to reorganize to get rid of clothes that are too small and make way for 3-6 month sizes. I know it all sounds kind of plain to most people, but if you are reading this, you will be hanging on every word! As a wise man once said, "That's life in the big green forest."
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