Assistance was appreciated

To the editor,

I just wanted to acknowledge some of your elected officials as well as volunteers of Union County. The recent storms did extensive damage in Grand Tower. There was very little news coverage of our situation with Murphysboro and Carbondale having to deal with the damage as well.

The Ware/Wolf Lake Volunteer Fire Department came to town the afternoon of the storm and worked side by side with our volunteer fire department. Everyone was checking on the well being of people and using their manpower and equipment clearing roads from downed trees. They were in town for the entire evening.

Randy Lambdin, Union County commissioner, was using his own equipment the night of the storm assisting the Shawnee North School principal, Mrs. Leslie Varble, in making sure the school was safe. He was clearing fallen trees from the school property.

David Livesay, Union County sheriff, was in town the night of the storm offering support, encouragement and checking on the safety of the people of Grand Tower. Sheriff Livesay was in town on more than one occasion continuing to check on the needs of those in our community.

The Southern Baptist Disaster Relief group of Dongola and Metropolis were also in town assisting with disaster relief efforts just hours after the storm struck and thru the weekend.

During trying times in our community in Jackson County it was encouraging to see your elected and volunteers personnel of Union County assisting and willing to do what they could for us in Grand Tower. Jackson County officials were no where to be found. Granted there was plenty of problems throughout our county but as we have learned from past experiences in Grand Tower we get little help from the county.

Your county is lucky to have these people showing their compassion and hard work in assisting their neighboring community. Again, thanks from Grand Tower and if I had a vote in Union County I know who would garner my vote.

Signed, David Griggs, Grand Tower