Photo by kconnors via morgueFile.com
At 5:10 p.m., units from Salem Fire/Rescue are responding to a child stuck in a silo at a business in the 11000 block of 258th Avenue, Trevor.
UPDATE 5:13 p.m. — Personnel at scene reports that the child is not trapped and that the silo is empty. Apparently the child climbed to a spot with the aid of a stick or maybe a ladder, which is now broke and they cannot get down. The child told emergency personnel they are not injured.
UPDATE 5:23 p.m. — Child out of silo with no injuries, according to scanner transmissions.
UPDATE 3/26 — From Sgt. Gil Benn, Kenosha County Sheriff’s Department public information officer: “…The investigation determined that a 15-year-old male climbed a tree adjacent to a silo and jumped onto the top of the silo. A tree branch used to bridge the gap, broke, and he was trapped on top. He was not injured. Fire responded with a ladder and he was brought down.”
ah, a 15 year old exploring an old above ground cistern supporting the railroad’s stock yards… and TRESPASSING@!!@#@!@!@
Where are his parents?
Why was he climbing on something that HE DID NOT OWN?
REAL xxplorers ALWAYS LOOK before they leap, always have a way out, always travel with a BUDDY, and
never, ever trespass!
Given normally active pubescent boys are known to find trouble including tresspass, I certainly do hope the parents or guardians of this minor made it crystal clear that ignorance is no excuse from the law!
Cisterns basically collect and store rainwater. Although such a structure does not qualify as a “well” under state regulation that would require proper abandonment, maybe it would be a good idea considering all the potential liabilities this thing has for its owner.
Since Trevor hasn’t had a stockyard let alone a steam-powered locomotive go through for quite some time now, I can’t help but wonder what exactly the monetary value is of this cistern to the owner.
Is it of value for fire suppression during periods of drought in light of the fact the town is developing a high capacity well nearby?
Is there some sort of federally recognized rare and endangered or threatened species nesting or rearing young in it annually?
Is this cistern now just an “attractive nuisance” with trouble waiting to find it?
Does the town’s new property maintenance ordinance exempt such structures from any type of raise order or abatement?
If so, maybe that ordinance should be ammended.
Luckily for the cistern owner this child did not fall and wasn’t 14 years of age and under.
Given normally active pubescent boys are known to find trouble including tresspass, I certainly do hope the parents or guardians of this minor made it crystal clear that ignorance is no excuse from the law! WORD IS THAT THE PARENTS DID NOT SEE IT AS A BIG PROBLEM AT ALL! I DID NOT HEAR THAT AN APOLOGY WAS MADE.
Cisterns basically collect and store rainwater. Although such a structure does not qualify as a “well†under state regulation that would require proper abandonment, maybe it would be a good idea considering all the potential liabilities this thing has for its owner. THIS IS ABOVE GROUND, ON SURFACE CISTERN, ONE OF TWO THAT I KNOW ARE IN TOWN; NOT BELOW GRADE NOR FILLED WITH WATER. IT LOOKS LIKE A SILO ONLY HALF AS HIGH.
Since Trevor hasn’t had a stockyard let alone a steam-powered locomotive go through for quite some time now, I can’t help but wonder what exactly the monetary value is of this cistern to the owner. Given normally active pubescent boys are known to find trouble including tresspass, I certainly do hope the parents or guardians of this minor made it crystal clear that ignorance is no excuse from the law! SOMETIMES MONETARY VALUE ISNT THE ISSUE. THE FACT IS IT IS A PART OF THE HISTORY OF THIS PROPERTY. MUCH LIKE A FARMER MAY WISH TO KEEP HIS SILO, OR A SPRING HOUSE OR A FRACTION OF THE WINDMILL AND MUCH LIKE THE FACT THAT SOME HOME OWNERS LIKE HAVING OLD PLOWS OR FARM WAGONS OR LITTLE DUTCH BOYS AND GIRL STATUARY IN THEIR YARD. IT IS THERE BECAUSE SOMEONE WANTS IT THERE AND FINDS SOME VALUE IN IT.
Cisterns basically collect and store rainwater. Although such a structure does not qualify as a “well†under state regulation that would require proper abandonment, maybe it would be a good idea considering all the potential liabilities this thing has for its owner. THIS OWNER HAS BEEN TRESPASSED. PARENTS NEED TO CONTROL THEIR CHILDREN AND TEACH THEM THAT TRESPASS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE. IN SHORT, IF YOU DONT OWN IT, THEN YOU ARE TRESPASSING IF YOU ENTER. THERE SHOULD BE NO NEED FOR ANYONE TO HAVE TO POST A SIGN no trespassing! AFTERALL, SOME KIDS CANT READ.
Is it of value for fire suppression during periods of drought in light of the fact the town is developing a high capacity well nearby? THE VALUE IS IN THE EYES OF THE OWNER. IT HAS ABSOLUTELY NO VALUE IN FIRE SUPPRESSION, DIDNT WHEN IT WAS IN USE AND COULD NOT BE USED UNLESS TEHRE WAS A GUARANTEE THAT WATER WOULD BE IN ABUNDANCE AND UNLESS THERE WAS A MEANS TO PUMP THE WATER OUT. THERE HAS BEEN A HIGH CAPACITY WELL NEARBY AT THE CAREFREE ESTATES FOR SOME TIME.
Is there some sort of federally recognized rare and endangered or threatened species nesting or rearing young in it annually? THIS WAS USED TO FILL WATERTROUGHS FOR CATTLE, SHEEP AND HORSES. WATER WAS PUMPED INTO IT. IS THERE A RARE OR ENDANGERED OR THREATENED SPECIAES NESTING OR REARING ITS YOUNG? HUMMMM THE CISTERN ITSELF IS RARE.
Is this cistern now just an “attractive nuisance†with trouble waiting to find it? ATTRACTIVE NUISANCE IS NOT TOO MUCH DIFFERENT THAT A SWINGSET IN YOUR BACKYARD. USING IT WITHOUT ASKING IS TRESPASS.
Does the town’s new property maintenance ordinance exempt such structures from any type of raise order or abatement? DOES THIS DETRACT FROM A COMMERCIAL PROPERTY? IS THIS UNKEMPT? IS THIS OR COULD THIS BE CONSIDERED A HISTORICAL STRUCTURE? PROPERTY MAINTENANCE AT THE TOWN PERTAINS TO RESIDENTIAL, NOT COMMERCIAL OR AG.
If so, maybe that ordinance should be ammended. TRESPASS EDUCATION WOULD BE MORE APPROPRAITE
Luckily for the cistern owner this child did not fall and wasn’t 14 years of age and under. LUCKY FOR THE PARENTS THAT THEY HAVENT BEEN PRESSED FOR TRESPASS, DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY. THE BURDEN IS ON THE PARENTS. THIS CHILD IS A YOUNG ADULT. CAPABLE OF REASONING; CAPABLE OF LOCOMOTION TO GET HIMSELF ACROSS A STREET, UP ON A TREE THAT WAS NOT HIS, AND CAPABLE OF KNOWING THAT HE WAS PUTTING HIMSELF IN A QUESTIONABLE POSITION. PERHAPS SCHOOLS SHOULD BE TEACHING SELF-PRESERVATION AND COMMON SENSE.
WHY ARE WE SO WILLING TO DEFEND THE ONE OFFENDING AND TO OFFEND THE ONE WHO WAS DIMINISHED? THERE WAS A TIME, THAT IT WAS THE OTHER WAY AROUND. THERE WAS A TIME, THAT CHILDREN WOULD GET A REPRIMAND RIGHT OUT IN THE OPEN WHEN THEY OFFENDED OTHERS OR JEAOPARDIZED THE LIFELIHOOD OF OTHERS.. TIMES HAVE CHANGED.
I’m not defending ANYONE known to tresspass, child or adult nor am I advocating the demise of anything of historical or sentimental value.
Once upon a time a fence was all that was needed to imply that a property was not to be ingressed without explicit written permission of the landowner.
As we became more urbanized, No Tresspassing Signs with the specific current enforceable state statute upon it became necessary to give a landowner the best chance at getting tresspassing charges enforced against the illegal ingressee.
BUT, People of ALL AGES and differing physical abilities continued to tresspass for their own personal fullfilment by ATVing, snowmobiling, hunting, fishing, wild plant gathering, bird watching, hiking, cross-country skiing, and so forth.
So in the late 1990s, the State of Wisconsin adopted a Recreational Tresspass Law because so many landowners were being sued for huge amounts of money for injuries incurred by illegal ingressees through no fault of the landowner and explicit written permission became maditory in order for illegal ingressee to avoid charges from being impossed and a misdemeanor or criminal public court record from being produced with the ingressee’s name on it.
When I spoke with the State of Wisconsin Insurance Commissioner in the late 1990s because I got sick & tired of finding kids and men in my own backyard, the Commissioner told me he knew of 12 unbonded insurance companies that might provide up to $350,000 liability umbrella coverage at a cost to me of $1600 per year, but such a policy would NOT protect against damages sought in a court of law for loss of life or injuries incurred to those 14 years of age & under even if I had OSHA-quality Danger/ Caution/ Warning and No Tresspass Signs posted and bonafined Hazard Fences erected because such kids lack the maturation and reasoning skills to stay away from what the courts consider “attractive nuisances” such as water, tunnels, caves, unused structures, and dilapidated buildings.
I then consulted an attorney who urged the police be called out each and every time I’m tresspassed and to get a copy of the Incident Report, the officer’s name and badge number, and to send the parents of the minor children IF KNOWN a U.S. Postal Service Addressee ONLY Signature Return Reciept certifed letter putting them on notice that tresspassing charges would be brought and to HOPE the court does not DISMISS the charges. He then wished me luck in getting a sheriff deputy to respond to any tresspass by a child because it is not of high enough priority when their out trying to protect the public from more pressing matters and it was often the result when I made such attempts.
Even though the Wisconsin Supreme Court in a published a legal opinion to case that the insurance company did not want to pay out on stated that adults are expected to act reasonably, prudiently, and with due diligence and if an adult is aware of any dangererous issue on their property that could cause harm and dids not rectify the matter could be held liable for maintaining the nuisance, the burden still rests with the landowner.
Last September, when asked, Sheriff Beth told me there is no such thing as a citizen arrest in Wisconsin. So what’s a landowner to do?
It is said, you can not legislate common sense.
neither, it seems, can one legislate
responsible parenting,
acknowledgement that some children are disrespectful
or that
individuals should be able to enjoy what is theirs without having to defend it against all comers.
as i said, there was a time that people respected the property of others.
I think you too should just call each other and talk. On my farm I use rock salt and a 12 gauge for tresspassers. Thats what farmers used on us we were kids and worked really good. We went back and appologized to the property owner Then we cleaned his barn for week
we do talk.. but we figured that some others would join in on this conversation. What took YOU so long? we have been waitin’ on ya!
I am not so sure you can shoot the varmants tho.. discharging a weapon at a human, even a trespassing human doesnt sound to be very civil…. or much of an example…. do you have your PERMIT? a current one?
I do talk with Linda, and although we both have a passion for history & public libraries, we both agreed we won’t always see eye-to-eye on everything, like me going soft when it comes to kids.
You should know that its the adult men with their own guns out back duck-hunting in the fall or with bow to nail carp in the spring that also nailed the buck whose antlers are now hold my rifle that really piss me off. When these S.O.B.’s are out back, I take one of my Obedience-titled, Schutzen trained dogs and a gun of my own out there since I ain’t that stupid!
That’s because some gringo from Springfield, IL who used to bus tables at Rock-it-North got in my face when my Rotty was on a 2ft. tag-leash. So now,
I just warn aggressive tresspassers that per Wis Stats. 939.48 Self−defense law, I’m privileged to intentionally use force for the purpose of preventing or terminating what the person reasonably believes to be an unlawful interference…to bad for them my deaf dog can’t be called off a “mark” when I let go of the tag-leash (I’ll likely bury the darn mutt with honors). And for fun, know, I do use my power slingshot, paintball marker, and a potatoe launcher which lobs a hefty pay load on compressed CO2 from time to time (my night vision googles from Gander Mountain seem to work best absent moonlight).
And, if the S.O.B. runs past the Korean Retreat farm, they should watch out for my pals who used to train the Cook County Sheriff’s Department in Marksmanship that have infrared motion-sensative cameras! THEY don’t take kindly to tresspassers anytime either.