SAC CITY, IOWA - MAY 16, 2010
A viewer asked a question about Sac City’s intentions regarding the cemetery fence. Above is a photo of the fence that I took on May 14, 2010. I’m told that the fence will be reinstalled by Memorial Day.
Copyright (c)2007-2010 Curtis Bloes All Rights Reserved
I personally don't know what the big fuss is all about the fence. #1 The city knows it is a hazard and are knowingly putting a dangerous fence back up. Wonder what their insurance thinks about this, the fence has killed several deer in the few years. But since it is just an animal so who cares? #2 The fence is UGLY and an eyesore, it looks better without it. #3 I am tired of the council giving into the ones that scream the loudest. They have had only a handful of complaints don't the 2000 people that don't complain count? #4 Why don't those that want the fence back up come up with a donation to put a nice looking SAFE fence back up. I say the city is putting a HUGE liability on the citizens by putting this dangerous fence back up!!!!!
ReplyDeleteSo just cut the points off. It is not ugly.
ReplyDeleteThat's one of the best damn looking cemetery fences I've ever seen. It's got that whole Munster/Adams Family thing going. Somehow a soft vinyl fence just doesn't look right. We can't keep tearing down the town's history. I don't recall hearing that in the 100 years? that the fence has been there that anyone has been maimed. Getting out of bed is dangerous; be careful.
ReplyDeleteHave you any clue what that fence is worth? ALOT!
ReplyDeleteI bet someone who approved it to be taken down knows it...just saying....
To Curtis- Whos garage is that laying in. I thought it was being refurbished.
ReplyDeleteTo Anonymous May 16, 2010 9:01 AM -
I agree with all your points. But the fact remains that the fence just disappeared, without council approval. No bids were taken to sale the fence, for either scrap or to some collector.I'm no collector but I would think it would be worth some money.
I see the points are extremely sharp, no doubt from years of Gomez filing them.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous May 16, 2010 2:55 PM,
ReplyDeleteI've been led to believe that it is restored and the puzzle at this point is to figure out how to reconnect it. Apparently the fasteners where so rusted out that it was mostly just leaning against those stone pillars.
The fence in my opinion is a landmark for Sac City. It has been a beautiful part of our cememtery for decades. Many many things are hazards all around us. Cars have killed deer and people! Lack of food killed deer this past winter, hunters kill deer. There is no end where you could go with such a statment about the fence! The point is it is a landmark item, that the cemetery looks vacant without, due to the long history of those who have been around Sac City any length of time. Children have played around this for years, they also play in streets at times, there are potential problems all around us that could injure us! I have a feeling that many people making a negative statement about the fence have not been around Sac City very long. It has a long history, a musuem type history, a part of Sac City. It is special and beautiful and brings back many memories to many. Our Oakland Cemetery is beautiful and the fence is part of that beauty in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with the above comment. It's a good looking fence. As for it being a dangerous fence, well technically speaking ANY fence poses its own set of dangers. Sure it's killed a few deer that chose to jump over it, but I'm sure many more have made the leap successfully. It's kind of like life...every activity takes its toll on some, without imposing harm on most.
ReplyDeleteAnd I have yet to hear of people having been injured or otherwise maligned by the insidious minded fence EVER. Anyone whining about the safety of every damn thing in existence, while you have the right to express your opinion on it, I'd like to assert my right to tell you to quit being such a ninny about it all. The more you coddle everything into a harmless world, the more you ruin those kids you think you're trying to protect.
-Mike Lovell
Easy for you to say you don't live here and won't have to pay for the lawsuit. The fence is an eyesore and will look even worse once they cobble it back together. If the city doesn't do something with the stone pillars they are going to crumble also.
ReplyDeleteTo Commenter #10, it probably will look worse after they? cobble it back together! I hope they? didn't use shiny black paint, the rust lent a nice patina(IMHO). Maybe we could get some volunteers to help point the pillars over a few weekends? Lord knows this is the only piece of real estate in town that has shown any growth over the past 30 years!
ReplyDeleteAs for liability, the swimming pool will probably always be the town's greatest exposure to suit. Even so, I don't want to see it torn down.
(This comment was accidently erased, recovered and reposted. I think it belongs here please let me know if it is intended for a different post-- Curtis)
The big effort was in straightening it out. It was pretty warped. "They?" is the Sac City Maintenance Department.
ReplyDeleteThat fence has been down for 1 1/2 years and I don't believe anyone has snuck out :)
ReplyDeleteAnonymous said...
ReplyDeleteThat fence has been down for 1 1/2 years and I don't believe anyone has snuck out :)
Yes, but people are dying to get in. (just had to do that)
"Easy for you to say you don't live here and won't have to pay for the lawsuit."
ReplyDeleteWhy is it once a safety argument comes into play THIS statement is brought up. Thing is, I used to live there, paid my taxes, etc....I didnt find a problem with it then either.
However, if you still feel that argument is valid, I hope you refrain from holding opinions on anything not directly related to your place of residence, just to avoid the whole hypocrisy thing.
We are a lot more exposed to lawsuits from our crappy sidewalks than that cemetery fence.
ReplyDeleteActually, aren't the sidewalks the responsibility of the property owner? That's how it was where I grew up - the city could ask you to repair/replace them, but it was ultimately the responsibility of the resident to do so.
ReplyDeleteI've once again read over the comments above. Some are actually almost disgusting, while some show true caring about what is going on and sensible realistic ideas. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, of course. However, as I recollect it is some of these unreasonable ideas that have helped and greatly contributed to Sac City not improving in many areas as it could have. We need to maintain and restore our places of historic value that we have that option with. We need to stop preventing the improvment of Sac City when opportunity gives us that chance! We need to make our entire town as clean and neat as we can and make it appealing to show our interest in our town progress and how it appears to others driving through and or visiting, or simply to show our fellow Sac City citizens that we actually care about Sac City!! It could be contagious!!! (Just, for example, look around at some of the junk and mess some of us have in our yards and properties. We need to take more pride in Sac City from one end of it to the other and show our pride by cleaning our own "nests" before we proceed to direct cleaning of other areas, in my opinion!)
ReplyDeleteHow many people have been killed from that fence in the 100 years it has been up???
ReplyDeleteAs a property owner still in Sac, I think anything that can inhance the beauty of Sac City needs to be done. I love Sac City but I'm sick of the retirement town type of mentality people display, and the overall lack of ambition to make things better.
I might be wrong..... But is society so soft and people are so uber worried about silly little things, that an antique fence can't be put back up???
Is there a shortage of deer in Sac City? Last time I checked we have a surplus! I believe the fence serves a necessary function in the community. With that being said I believe we need to either release some wolves or put up the fence.
ReplyDeleteWonder what PETA would say about the fence if they saw the pictures of the mutilated animals hanging from the fence?
ReplyDeleteIf it will upset PETA, I say put the fence back up, and sharpen the points. Maybe even a 2nd fence.
ReplyDeletePETA, what a bunch of loons! Last time I checked, God gave us dominion over ALL the animals..."Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness, and let them rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air, over the livestock, over all the earth, [b] and over all the creatures that move along the ground." Genesis 1:26 NIV. PETA must have forgotten about this, or maybe they just don't care what you or I think, it's all about the animals.
ReplyDeleteI am totally repulsed by the citizens that feel a damned old rusty fence is more important than a life rather it is a human, deer, dog or whatever. Karma is a "bitch" as the ole saying goes.
ReplyDeleteFolks, were getting a little off topic now. Maybe we could move PETA & the holy rollers discussion to another forum? I have five generations of family members in Oakland and believe it should be treated as hallowed ground. We should all do our part to keep this marble park pristine for future generations, while at the same time care for our furry friends living there.
ReplyDeleteBTW, after seeing the Gulf of Mexioil, God may want to retract that statement!
Regardless of one's feelings about the safety or aesthetic value of the fence, antique wrought iron fencing does have some worth (aside from scrap value). (check out http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=2885370) It would appear the fence is more valuable than items the city goes to great length to sell to the highest bidder. Thanks, Curtis, for checking on the status of city property.
ReplyDeleteJust an idea - Put the fence up weld a piece of metal along the top that would match fence. That way the fence would be up, the animals would be safe, and everyone would be happy.
ReplyDeleteI like your thinking of putting another piece on the top. :) I personally think it looks nice, but I also understand the problem people have with the fact that deer die on it. I would think that it would be a reasonable compromise.
ReplyDeleteIt would be damn near impossible to attach any kind of "guard" to the fence without making it look tacky - matching the metals would be difficult at best, and doing so and maintaining the style would be quite the task.
ReplyDeleteDeer are animals. They die. Whether it be on a wrought iron fence, the front clip of a Freightliner, or natural causes... it's going to happen. It's not worth going to incredible lengths to try and prevent. How many deer die each year on the fence? One? Two? Four? How many die on the roadways inside the Sac City limits (this includes the highway and county roads leaving town) A lot more....
Put the fence back, just as it was, and if a deer meets its end on the fence, recover it quickly, process it (there's plenty of people in town that can do this in their garages) and donate the meet to the food pantry/senior's center.
Ah. Good point. It would look awfully tacky.
ReplyDeleteThe fence is not ugly in my own opinion. If it is a safety hazard then yeah, the fence is a problem. It doesn't even fit back together because of rust problems? I think it is time to update the fence, you know....times are changing, and with that...lawsuits are just easier and easier. Its just a matter of time before some body is seriously injured. I am sure the city will love to deal with that.
ReplyDeleteI can't see welding a bar across the top of the fence as a real option. From what I remember that fence was barely holding itself up to begin with. Adding weight at the top would only assure it is going to come back down on its own. I tend to agree with the comment above suggesting the fence be replaced with something that looks good and is safe. The City could sale the current fence and use that are part of the funds to replace it with something better. This would be a great project for one of our local community groups, any lions club, museum, or kiwanis club members listening?
ReplyDeleteWent by to day and it's back up did such a good job you can't see any of the flaws or the the fence at all. I think it looks great!!!!
ReplyDeleteIts up and done! The city guys should be commended for doing such a GREAT job! It was my idea for the piece on top and it was just an idea. Thanks for all the input. Thanks Kirsten for the positive input.
ReplyDeleteI'm so glad that all we have to bitch about in this town is a stupid eyesore of a piece of metal. OPEN YOUR EYES and look at the whole towm!! Hello people!!
ReplyDeleteUmm, there is no "up and done" fence at the cemetery I can see
ReplyDeleteI got curious and went down to take a picture of the "Up and done" cemetery fence. Not up or done.
ReplyDeletetrolls... *shrug*