To the Editor:

Regarding the Fox Creek Market and bridge work in the hamlet of Berne, I read with interest the letters to the editor of Peggy Warner in the July 23, 2015 edition and letters of Phyllis Johnson and Ray Hand and your editorial in the July 30, 2015 edition.

Through no fault of their own, the operators of the Fox Creek Market, Ray and Tammy Weiler, and the owners of The Olde Berne Mill, Steve and Suzanne Lendrum, are facing a perfect storm of events, jeopardizing their livelihood.

Access to both businesses has been reduced, but access to the Fox Creek Market is severely reduced as equipment and material needed for repairs is ongoing and must move directly in front of the store, essentially isolating it from customers and suppliers.

My understanding is that the bridge being replaced was erected in 1972, forty-three scant years ago. I'm not an engineer, but that bridge must have been poorly designed or built with inferior materials or damaged during Tropical Storm Irene.

Because the bridge held and was not swept away by the floodwaters of Tropical Storm Irene, I tend to believe the bridge was reasonably sound and but damaged and weakened by the storm.

If the bridge was damaged by Tropical Storm Irene, FEMA {Federal Emergency Management Agency] officials should be standing on the steps of the store with checkbook in hand eager to help Tammy and Ray weather their financial storm.

If New York State politicians are so concerned about businesses coming and staying in the state (they must be as I have seen countless ads on TV providing tax-free status for a number of years for new businesses), there should be a similar program for existing businesses that have been paying taxes and providing employment so, when those businesses are harmed by extended maintenance to a road or bridge (the Fox Creek Market and Olde Berne Mill are perfect example of this), the economic hardship on them should be eased.

While on the subject of roads and bridges, it seems that every bridge in the area has a severe bump transitioning from the roadway to the bridge. These bone-jarring bumps are dangerous and no doubt a boon to those businesses performing alignment repairs.

Yesterday I was southbound on Switzkill Road; as I approached the bridge by Hunsinger's farm, just south of Route 443, a car traveling north on Switzkill Road crossed the bridge and hit the bump on the north side of the bridge, the car became airborne and the driver’s side of that car landed in my lane, I braked and swerved to the right and barely avoided a head-on collision.

Eastbound on Route 443 just past the intersection of Route 443 and Switzkill Road, the transition from the roadway to the bridge is very severe and should be repaired immediately.

Hopefully, the workers on the bridge in Berne will have good weather and make the repairs more quickly than expected and bring business back to the Fox Creek Market and The Olde Berne Mill.

Let’s also hope that the transition from the roadway and new bridge in Berne is smooth and, if there is enough concrete/blacktop left over, the workers there could bring some of it to the bridges on Route 443 and Switzkill Road.

Bob Motschmann

Berne