Annmarie Throckmorton, M.A.
- Jun 30, 2018

Set In Concrete

I almost gave up after ten years of telephone calls and letters complaining to the City of Bloomington, Illinois about the trenches of potholes in the road in front of my house, half a dozen of them up and down the road. The City of Bloomington complained back to me that they “don’t have money for asphalt”, and would only put a shovelful of asphalt into a pothole here and there, from time to time. I also wrote to my state senators regarding this matter, see below for my third letter in as many years. While their staffers were very pleasant when I telephoned, my governmental representatives at this very highest level were completely ineffectual in getting any repair other than another layer of slapdash asphalt road patches, which did not last through the winter, and formed deep new trenches each spring.

I also made numerous calls over the years to Nicor Gas requesting they check the gas levels at my house. They said they checked the levels, and painted my gas meter several times. This year, I again requested that Nicor Gas check the gas levels at my home. The utility serviceman checked my property, he said nothing, but a week later Nicor Gas dug up the road along the entire length of my block, worked under the ground there, then covered the road over with proper patches of concrete. Traffic now whisks by my house like the gentle roar of the ocean. There are no longer any pothole trenches, no more crashings of buses, trucks, and construction vehicles to rattle my house. I believe that Nicor Gas repaired a significant gas leak under the street in front of my house, perhaps along the entire block, and maybe corrected a subsidence problem along the way.

And, Lo and Behold, the very day Nicor Gas that finished their repair work, my ten-year stuffy nose subsided. I can breath better, and my heart is steadier. Did I suffered the effects a big gas leak for ten infuriating, frightening, stifling years? And, was there a risk of a gas explosion?

Letter to my representatives.

Date: March 29, 2016

To: Jason Barickman

Senator for the State of Illinois

M103C Capitol Building Springfield, IL 62706 P 217-782-6597

jason@jasonbarickman.org

Dan Brady

Senator for the State of Illinois

200-8N Stratton Office Building Springfield, IL 62706 (217) 782-1118

dan@rep-danbrady.com

Copy: info@betterroadsahead.org, (866) 832-2705

From: Ann Marie Throckmorton, M.A.

1313 Towanda Avenue

Bloomington, IL 61701

(309) 531-3381

I am writing to you to repeat my request last year for help because the potholes in front of my house at 1313 Towanda Ave., Bloomington, Il (some of which were patched by the City of Bloomington last year). This road has developed entire new trenches of potholes in front of my house. Buses, trucks, and construction vehicles crash over these potholes so loudly that it shakes my house and disturbs my peace. Please, please get these new potholes on the repair list for the City of Bloomington. MY ENTIRE HOUSE SHAKES WHEN LARGE VEHICLES HIT THESE POTHOLE TRENCHES; people visiting me are actually frightened when this happens, which is many times per hour.