To the editor:

To say we’ve had a lot of rain is an understatement. It means so many different things, depending on the scenario. What starts off as lush greenery can turn into drowned crops. Soothing water sounds suddenly become thunder crashes and roars, family board games and damp campfires, and unfortunately for us at the Fiddlehead Bistro, it also means the possibility of flooding in our restaurant. It’s one thing to take on water in the lower basement, but if it gets to our food prep areas, we have to shut down. That means disappointed customers, loss of revenue, less hours for staff and massive cleanup for us.

Thankfully, this last bout of flooding was only about 5 inches worth in the lower section, and all we lost were some paper products that were sitting up on bins that floated and tipped — a small price to pay given the possibility of closing. We have our village manager, John Sweeney, and the state Department of Environmental Conservation to thank for this. He worked to make sure that the water level was controlled and gave the river a chance to settle down and keep the flooding within our “comfort” range. We cannot thank him enough for his efforts, and we thank the DEC for listening.

Sincerely,

Shamim Allen and Craig Bailey

Partners at the Fiddlehead Bistro

Saranac Lake