In a story we covered early in the week about a stubborn grass fire in the we heard from many excited neighbors buzzed by CalFire helicopters (nice photos, folks) and saw this interesting exchange between neighbors with widely divergent views on emergency services in our area. This has been growing lately and we have found it a little surprising, but anyway here's how these two neighbors regarded the turnout on Monday:
"The fire was in our Lost Valley neighborhood. So glad the fire department was so responsive. It was about a block from my house. I packed a small bag in case I had to evacuate my kids. Very grateful for the wonderful neighbors in the Lost Valley neighborhood." - Jewelz Tucker
"This is the same fire department that harrased my dear friend John D'Angelo who lives at 19 Lost Valley while tending to a "controlled fire". The fire department never did clean up their mess they made even after requests to the fire chief to do so. Your fire department and police departments in Orinda and Moraga are some of the most uncooperative and heavy handed I've ever encountered. Thinking little controlled fires are gonna set the valley ablaze. Talk about paranoia. A former resident..." - Linden Frank
Followed by this riposte:
"I want to thank the Orinda and CalFire Departments for their prompt response in taking care of the fire in the Lost Valley Area yesterday. I live at 17 Lost Valley Drive and this idiot Linden Frank, who was only a border (sic), burnt garbage in the back yard and stunk up the whole Valley last year. Good riddance to bad rubbish. Thank you again Orinda and CalFire and Police Departments for a job well done." - Kathy Petersen
Ouch. Okay, and moving on. In a short little piece we offered featuring the we received only one, but we thought heartfelt, comment:
"I still get chills. And its a Tuesday again." - Zoe Claire (the 2001 attacks were on a Tuesday)
And then there was a short item on a some neighbors felt were a little too pushy -- and inquisitive. One woman found one of the salesmen peering under her doormat when she opened her door to them. The salesmen were lated advised to leave town by police.
"If you're going to sell solar systems, you need to planet better." - Regular Guy
Okay, very funny.
Telephone pitchmen of a different ilk made another successful score in Moraga this week, an unfortunate victim sending $5,000 to a con man in Canada in what we have called the "" because the grifters target the elderly, pose as a grandson or granddaughter and tell the target they need money to get out of a Canadian jail. As we wrote, there must be a lot of bad boy grandsons and granddaughters out there because people are coming up with the money and sending it off to blind addresses with alarming frequency, which prompted one local wag to write:
"Maybe the local city councils could try this tactic to raise money to pay for these road repairs people are always claiming we need." - Ian Lipnicky
