Residents complain about condition of street
By KATIE WHITE
Staff Writer
COLUMBIANA – The condition of South Main Street at the 900 block near Harmony Village is so bad that it poses problems for people using wheelchairs, according to one woman who lives there.
Brenda Bruderly approached council this week with a petition signed by 33 people who live along that portion of South Main Street.
“I am here not only on my behalf. I have 33 names there of people that are in wheelchairs in Harmony Village and our neighbors and people there that also want to walk. Our street is a disgrace. All we have is cracks in the street and lumps of tar. Our wheelchair people cannot even get over it,” she said.
She also pointed out the condition of the street is important, since that area also has no sidewalk for people to walk or use their wheelchairs on and claimed that she fractured her own knee last year after tripping on a lump of tar.
“I have to walk with a (back) brace because I have had five scoliosis surgeries. The last one was a failure, but I don’t give up walking. We deserve a street so the wheelchair people can get out. It’s not fair. You people ought to start looking at the streets that need to be done,” she said.
She also claimed she was “promised” by someone from the city that the street would be repaired last year, but that never happened.
Bruderly presented her concerns to council visibly upset about the situation and at one point became angry when she learned the city could not take any action on her request that evening.
“I don’t know where you are going to get the tar or whatever, but we need it. I told my neighbors and my tenants I am not going to give up,” she said.
Mayor Bryan Blakeman encouraged her not to give up, but said that council is not able to act on anything until the matter is looked into first.
“This is the right forum, but nothing can be done tonight. Council has heard your concern, we will address it and look into it. There is nothing we can do tonight,” he said.
kwhite@mojonews.com