SHADY ELMS UPDATE

On Thursday we reported that tenants at Shady Elms Mobile Home Park had been without water or electricity since a fire 8 days earlier had destroyed two trailers and a utility pole, and are still without electricity.  On Thursday afternoon, state authorities condemned the park for human habitation, with a 30 day notice.  Friday morning, we spoke with Robert Coots, a long-time resident of the park.  He told us that his understanding was that if conditions could be remedied within the 30-day window, he and his neighbors could continue living at the park.  Coots said that over the last year he has used $6300 of his own money and $2000 worth of his own labor to improve his living situation.  He added that, in the wake of the condemnation, other tenants are joining his efforts to clean up the park so that repairs can proceed.