In the past months, residents in the Wayland community have learned that their safety and the safety of their children will be compromised in the name of profit.

Local residents began to hear rumors of a coal company that had plans to mine in the 28 Hollow area, just above the city park. As months passed, community members began to be concerned about how close the mine would be in relation to the place where most children in the community go to play.

Neighbors began to dig deeper into the issue, only to find out that not only will a sediment pond be located with less than half a mile above the park, but also the company has plans on using Front Street of Wayland as a haul road.

Front Street of Wayland is so narrow that two large trucks would not be able to pass unless one truck stopped to let the other by. However, the most scary part is that houses are located side-by-side and less than 300 feet from the narrow roadway.

This is a grave concern for myself and all my neighbors living along and near this road, considering the town does not even have sufficient sidewalks, so that if needed one could get out of the way of a truck.

Concerned for our safety, myself and other neighbors went to the city council to express our concerns, only to find out that the city leased the land to the company in the first place. Now we are left wondering about our safety and whether or not we will be able to send our grandchildren to the park or even let them play outside.

It has troubled me deeply to think that a dollar amount has determined the worth of myself and my grandchildren. We are left questioning the judgment, or lack of judgment, of our elected leaders in the town of Wayland.