Life-or-death situation is nothing to laugh about

Editor:

At this month’s Shelby Town Board meeting, a non-Shelby resident made a political statement or joke – not sure which way he meant to go with it – about an event that happened to the highway supervisor, Mr. Dale Root.

I’m not sure how you take a life-and-death situation and turn it into a political joke, but hey you just keep riding that big man power trip. Maybe you should go to church on Sunday and check your moral compass.

For I was there working the 3.5-ton jack to try to stop 8,000 pounds from coming through the block holding the secondary lift support. I did not find it funny at the time as words and phrases race through my mind that might be the last words that I speak to him.

Even with his wife, grandchild, daughter and son all there and 8,000 pounds determined to come through the block, Mr. Root was able to keep a cool level head to assist us in placing the jack in the correct spot and to assist first responders.

A cooler leveler head than if your favorite flavored whipped cream for your Frozen latte at the local Tim Hortons was suddenly out of stock. But I’m glad that somebody can laugh about it for that means that his grandchildren still have a grandfather.

With that the Root family would like to again thank the first responders and neighbors that came to assist. Also the local NAPA store for not weeks before selling us the new Carlyle 3.5 ton jack that could lift more than 7,000 lb.

In conclusion I would like to end with a public service announcement. Careful what you lay under it could hurt you.

Joseph Root

Shelby