I was disappointed by the recent vote in Hadley not to fund a much-needed, new ladder firetruck to replace the one which is 23 years old. Our existing ladder truck has a 75-foot ladder that is too short to safely fight fires that occur in buildings greater than two stories (think of all the barns in town or those buildings and homes w/solar panels on the roof). Not having a ladder truck that can reach these heights endangers our firefighters who risk their lives using equipment that is outdated. The decision not to fund it is shortsighted and will only be more costly for all of us in the future.

Margaret Mastrangelo

Hadley