Both elevators at Buckeye Towers have been out of service for nearly two weeks, leaving many elderly and disabled residents having to climb stairs or stay in their apartments while firefighters, village staff and volunteers transport food and medicine.
At the Scioto County Commissioners meeting on Thursday, Commissioner Credit Smith rejected the notion that the situation was dire and said repairs were still needed “It will probably take two weeks.” away.
“I was there this week and spoke to the village manager. He said, 'Things are going great there given the circumstances.' “It’s a bad situation, but they’re doing well,” Smith said. He added that New Boston firefighters are helping residents with equipment loaned from Portsmouth Ambulance and that they have “had to help six or seven people” since the outage began.
Smith said he also spoke with the building manager, who told him the part needed was a new board and that the timeline is about two weeks. According to Smith, “There have been no complaints from residents so far because people have basically been there to help them transport their medications and groceries.” He praised the community's support, pointing to a resident who “donated pizzas,” a catering group that planned to provide hot meals this weekend and New Boston cheerleaders and basketball players who volunteered to carry meals upstairs.
“When you get up there and you see it, a lot of good things are happening. A lot of people are volunteering,” Smith said. He added that residents he spoke to told him they had “no problems at all” and “got everything they needed.”
Please support this local business
Regarding fire safety, Smith said the lack of elevators did not pose a new danger because “residents would have to take the stairs anyway since the elevators are closed.”
He also said the elevators “aren’t old” and pointed out that they were installed 2007and suggested “many things [have been] misreported.”
A note of skepticism – without dismissing the help
There is clear evidence that neighbors help neighbors, and that is important. But “no complaints” and “6 or 7 assists” do Anecdotesno complete data. For residents who use walking frames, wheelchairs, oxygen, or simply cannot safely manage multiple flights, an extended outage may be effective lock them in their homes also for food deliveries. This may not be an “emergency” every hour, but it is Is The longer it drags on, the more severe the access problem becomes.
Important questions still unanswered:
- Temporal proof: Who is the repair provider, exactly what part is ordered and is there a confirmed shipping/installation date – not just an estimate?
- Redundancy: What contingency plan is in place if the second week takes longer?
What the officials say works now
- The fire department supports: Smith said New Boston FD helps residents “up and down the steps” with equipment loaned from Portsmouth Ambulance.
- Community support: Food deliveries, pizzas, a weekend hot meal plan and student volunteers carrying meals up to the Buckeye Towers.
- On-site coordination: Smith says the village manager and building manager are engaged and communicating with him.
What we will see next
- Whether the elevator plank arrives and is installed inside fortnightly Window quoted by Smith.
- Any Increase in doctor visits or lifting aids at Buckeye Towers, indicating the situation is overwhelming first responders.
- Why did all residents receive a letter asking how they would like to vacate their homes?
- Why did this happen on the day the building was sold to a new, non-governmental “predatory” company?
- What is the true relationship between this new company and Cardinal Treatment Centers?
- Who are the local lawyers involved in these major purchases and why are they so quiet?
- Who are the real estate agents who have ties to these New Jersey “investors”?
- How much of our county has been quietly sold to mysterious out-of-state companies?