June a time for summer vacations, not so for owner/occupants of Mulberry St.
June 1, 2001 1800 hrs National Weather Advisory issues a flash flood alert for Mercer County!
Mrs. Bertha Sokotoski is not happy with that annoucement and knows it could possibly mean she might have to
evacuate her home early this morning.
Mrs. Sokotoski would not be worried if she was in phase 1 of this mitigation. Because she would had been
bought out and relocated by now. Instead she patiently awaits the storm fearful that now because half
of the people that use to live here are gone. Flooding if it should occur now will place additional stress
upon structures where residents used to live and would be pumping out their basements.
Mrs. Sokotoski is an 83 year old widow living upon a fixed income. Has weathered enough floods to realize
that water pressure in basements can cause structural collapse. She is fearful that the City has been moving
way to slow in settling this mitigation and she might lose all her possessions before its done.
She is not alone. Phase 2 begins at her house 59 Mulberry St. and ends at 21 Mulberry St. The remaining owner/occupants
are in prayer praying that they may survive this with what dignity they have remaining. As they await this City
to take action in concluding this mitigation.
These families are the true victims of commerical over development that has caused the government to state that
addressing the issue (the Assunpink Creek) is not a viable option. And a City government whose trying to hold on
to what ratables remains in Trenton. Never told the owner/occupants that there was never any plans to address the Creek.
Thus perpetuating the notion that meaningful flood prevention was in the works. It was not until the year 2000 when
MSA membership in negoiaitions with the State and City heard the truth finally said by the powers that be, that NO
flood prevention was ever planned for the Assunpink Creek. Putting to an end the over 30 year belief held by
owner/occupants that meaningful flood prevention was in the works
Talks between MSA and City has ceased. The only time the City contacts MSA is to organize this community for
annoucement concerning this mitigation. April 5th was the last official meeting between MSA and City. At this meeting
along with non-MSA members the City provided a staus report upon its progress and offered housing assistance programs.
The City was not prepared nor had the information available to answer many of MSA's concerns. Instead those
concerns were put off because the person who had that information was not at that meeting. The City never made plans
to say when we could acquire the answers to our concerns. In fact MSA still is waiting for those answers in June and
it appears to us that issue has become a null point to them.
Mean while the Lovette family, the Jackson family at 43 Mulberry, the Ponton family, the Owens family, the Olmeda family,
the Miller family, the Jackson family at 39 Mulberry, the Martinez family, the Rosa family, and
the Sokotoski family are together to sweat out yet another hurricane season in hopes that soon our families will not have
to worry about rain anymore. We are MSA and we stand united to point out how wrong a government can be when its citizenry is
taken for granted.
Politics aside MSA sends this urgent appeal to the government. Simply put lets get it over with! 2 years after this mitigiaton
started phase 1 is still not completed! Some progress has been made in phase 2 but it appears this process is far from over. Hurricanes
waits for no MAN every delay, every tactic used, only embraces further loss on both sides!
Mrs. Bertha Sokotoski is not happy with that annoucement and knows it could possibly mean she might have to evacuate her home early this morning.
Mrs. Sokotoski would not be worried if she was in phase 1 of this mitigation. Because she would had been bought out and relocated by now. Instead she patiently awaits the storm fearful that now because half of the people that use to live here are gone. Flooding if it should occur now will place additional stress upon structures where residents used to live and would be pumping out their basements.
Mrs. Sokotoski is an 83 year old widow living upon a fixed income. Has weathered enough floods to realize that water pressure in basements can cause structural collapse. She is fearful that the City has been moving way to slow in settling this mitigation and she might lose all her possessions before its done.
She is not alone. Phase 2 begins at her house 59 Mulberry St. and ends at 21 Mulberry St. The remaining owner/occupants are in prayer praying that they may survive this with what dignity they have remaining. As they await this City to take action in concluding this mitigation.
These families are the true victims of commerical over development that has caused the government to state that addressing the issue (the Assunpink Creek) is not a viable option. And a City government whose trying to hold on to what ratables remains in Trenton. Never told the owner/occupants that there was never any plans to address the Creek.
Thus perpetuating the notion that meaningful flood prevention was in the works. It was not until the year 2000 when MSA membership in negoiaitions with the State and City heard the truth finally said by the powers that be, that NO flood prevention was ever planned for the Assunpink Creek. Putting to an end the over 30 year belief held by owner/occupants that meaningful flood prevention was in the works
Talks between MSA and City has ceased. The only time the City contacts MSA is to organize this community for annoucement concerning this mitigation. April 5th was the last official meeting between MSA and City. At this meeting along with non-MSA members the City provided a staus report upon its progress and offered housing assistance programs.
The City was not prepared nor had the information available to answer many of MSA's concerns. Instead those concerns were put off because the person who had that information was not at that meeting. The City never made plans to say when we could acquire the answers to our concerns. In fact MSA still is waiting for those answers in June and it appears to us that issue has become a null point to them.
Mean while the Lovette family, the Jackson family at 43 Mulberry, the Ponton family, the Owens family, the Olmeda family, the Miller family, the Jackson family at 39 Mulberry, the Martinez family, the Rosa family, and the Sokotoski family are together to sweat out yet another hurricane season in hopes that soon our families will not have to worry about rain anymore. We are MSA and we stand united to point out how wrong a government can be when its citizenry is taken for granted.
Politics aside MSA sends this urgent appeal to the government. Simply put lets get it over with! 2 years after this mitigiaton started phase 1 is still not completed! Some progress has been made in phase 2 but it appears this process is far from over. Hurricanes waits for no MAN every delay, every tactic used, only embraces further loss on both sides!
