Residence was not a meth lab

To the editor:

I am the owner of the residence that was burned by Christopher Hartman and Merle Badger. The residence never was a meth lab in the 20 years that I’ve owned it. A series of unfortunate events that started with a personal tragedy and ended with the well pump going out in January 2004, and the furnace giving up the ghost a month later, forced my children and myself to leave the home.

It didn’t take long for the local vandals to break all of the windows and take anything of value. I was unable to get out to the trailer myself, but I did have my husband go out and completely board it up.

The morning of the fire, we were contacted by the Mat-Su Borough fire department. We were informed at that time that it didn’t seem to be anything more than drunk kids causing mischief. The mobile home was still fully boarded up (hence the fireman injuring his thumb while trying to get into it) and we were informed that they searched the residence and there appeared to be no drug activity at all or anything out of the ordinary — save the partying these young men and their friends had been doing. Christopher Hartman went to school with my children, he should have known better.

I also think it should be stated here that these young men’s attempt at “community service by burning down a meth house” are very lucky that it wasn’t a meth house. The results of burning a meth house has the potential of releasing chemicals into the air that would have endangered, or possibly killed, emergency personnel (even more than a “standard” arson) and surrounding neighbors.

A simple computer search on the dangers of methamphetamine shows that the drug is extremely hazardous when it isn’t burning. If you suspect a home near you is a meth lab, call the police. It’s that simple. You don’t endanger firefighters, police and neighbors, and you certainly don’t burn something that belongs to someone else then try to play the White Knight card.

Judge Cutler said it best when she said, “You don’t burn down property just like you don’t go into someone’s locker and take their wallet out of their pants. That’s just basic right from wrong.”

Paula Myers

Palmer