The following appeared in my old home town newspaper.
Sort of puts thing in perspective.
Enjoy
Lew ======================================
Horses can get water again in Wooster
By BRYAN SCHAAF
Staff Writer
WOOSTER -- A collaboration between the city and county will afford
Amish visitors to the city the chance to keep horses hydrated.
Councilman Ed Schuch, D-Ward 1, told administration that horses no
longer had a place to get water since the closure of the county's
Discipline & Rehabilitation Center on South Street.
Schuch said he was contacted by the owner of Advertising Ideas on
South Market Street about the problem, as that business also featured an
outdoor drinking facility that was going to be turned off soon.
"The Amish don't spend a lot of money in Wooster, but they do bring a
considerable amount of money in through tourism," Schuch said. "I think
it's inhumane to say their horses are out of luck. Legally, we don't have to
provide those horses water, but I think morally we do."
Mike Sigg, director of administration for the city, said he spoke with
Wayne County Commissioner Jim Carmichael about the potential of
having the water turned back on at the county-owned DRC.
Sigg said Carmichael told him the county could turn the water back on,
but it would only pay for the water used, and not the minimum bill, which,
for a facility with a meter the size of the DRC's, would be more than $100
a month.
"Honestly, we weren't aware that the Amish ever watered their horses
there before," Carmichael said. "They'd just go in, get it and it was never
a problem. So I called Sigg to see if we could get the water turned back
on. ... We're sorry for any inconvenience that the Amish incurred. None of
us were aware that we'd caused a problem."
Sigg said the city agreed to waive the minimum charge on the water bill
for the DRC, and expects to have the facility turned back on by the
weekend.