Seek a fix to flooding in Flagler Beach
Regarding your recent article entitled “Flagler Beach seeks drainage solutions,” I hope the City Commission considers the problem in its entirety. That is, I hope they realize the flooding problem affected more than Lambert Avenue; in fact, there was drastic flooding on Flagler Avenue North and all streets under the State Road 100 bridge. Most of these homes were completely flood-inundated necessitating gutting the structures and thousands of dollars in repair costs. .
In the late 1990s a grant was obtained and all swales and culverts updated on Flagler Avenue north of Route 100. These swales have now largely disappeared, thereby reducing retention capacity. Culverts are plugged with vegetation and trash. Since they were constructed, however, I have never observed any city employee maintaining this system. I don’t believe it took the services of a consultant to advise the commission that the system is “clogged by vegetation or blocked by temporary construction features.” Seeking a flooding solution may be as easy as city management walking around these areas. The problem is obvious.
Take a look at your city water bill. On it is an item on flood control that all residents pay. Perhaps some of those funds could be used to correct obvious maintenance issues before we embark on an expensive engineering program.
Longer term, with the inevitable rise in sea levels, it may be time for the commission to consider revising the building code to increase the required level at which new construction is built. Stem-wall construction is one such technique that does not exacerbate the flooding effect.
Ron Vath
Flagler Beach
Demanding dreamers
In regard to the Jan. 20 letter, “Discarding a Dream,” there are many American citizens who have dreams also that cannot be fulfilled — and they are legal citizens, and born in the U.S. Their parents also have dreams for their children — a decent place to live, food on their tables, a great education and a good job. Too many are still waiting!
The gentleman who was put on a plane and sent home to Mexico after 30 years leaving a 10-year-old son, wife and other children is truly sad, but he had 30 years to become a legal citizen. There are no excuses. And for what reason was he put on a plane?
We are decent people and have given so much to those who do not choose to become American citizens. Some are given more than many legal U.S. citizens. Many of these illegal people do not even choose to speak English. American citizens have given them a lot, and where is the appreciation? All that is heard is “want more.” What country in the world can they go to and get what they have received here?
Deborah D’Onofrio
Edgewater