7:30 PM: Enjoying a pleasant spring evening on the deck (65 degrees and sunny!), I was not surprised when smoky air encroached. This is North St. Paul, the "smokiest city in the world". A night without wood smoke would be unnatural in this formerly pleasant town. After sitting in smoky air for a while, I got pissed off, naturally. Who wants to breathe smoky air? Who wants to sit outside and breathe wood smoke with every breathe he takes? Who enjoys that?
So I went smoke detecting. I found the guy with the recreational fire. It took a while because there was little wind to help me locate the source. The smoke hung in the air throughout the entire neighborhood. It reeked! I saw a guy in a wheelchair sitting next to a fire at xxxx First St. N. This guy has fires all the time. I saw him having fires several times last year. Why can't he find something better to do than sit in front of burning wood? Does this guy need to pollute the air for recreational "fun" several times a week? Is polluting the air we all must share fun? Is making the air unbreathable for those with allergies and lung problems good recreation?
I regularly point out the smoky areas of the northern half of the city. Those areas are frequently smoky. By frequently, I mean almost every night. Last summer, the area of 18th & Charles was stomach-turningly smoky every night. It hasn't been smoky over there yet this year. But it is very early in the burning season. It will be much smokier in June, July, and August than it is in April.
It is only mid-April and we've had to contend with smoky air for 7 out of the last 7 days where I am. That's 100% of the days, dear commenter. If we smell wood and grass smoke every day, so do our neighbors and those all around us. I know they smell it, because I've asked them in the past.
Other smoky areas
Since I was out, I decided to check out other areas in North St. Paul. The area of Chippewa & Navajo was smoky. I didn't see any recreational fires. Maybe someone was using a fireplace when it was 65 degrees and nice outside.
The area of Polar & Lake Blvd. was smoky, too. It was smoky two nights ago. I did not see any smoke or fires in this area. Maybe someone here had a fireplace going on a warm spring evening as well.
Maplewood very smoky
I feel sorry for the people living in northern Maplewood. It was sickeningly smoky in the area of Standridge & McKnight. Definitely rritating to the sinuses. It was also very smoky in the area of Lydia & Bellaire/Helen. If you left your windows open in these areas, your entire house would reek of wood smoke. You'd smell smoke every time you inhale. I thought some leaders on your city council were going to so something about the smoke pollution in your city. Did they abandon you lovers of fresh air? Sometimes you've got to keep complaining to these local politicians to enable them to find their back bones.
Your blog's been great -- but posting people's personal info crosses the line. There's a big difference between having an issue-oriented protest blog and being a jerk.
ReplyDeleteThe only way I can allow others to verify my claims is to point out the frequent burners so they can see for themselves. Therefore, I will continue publishing addresses of burners.
ReplyDeleteAs for phone numbers, anybody can look up a phone number using a reverse directory. If it is a published phone number, it is public information.
I am not doing this to be a "jerk". I am doing this to draw attention to this problem. If I have to point out the frequent burners, I will do so. I want everyone to know who is smoking up the air they have to breathe.