"It takes a special person to answer the call to run towards the fire instead of running away from it," Gysberts said.The company plans to open a museum to display old fire equipment and memorabilia, while a part of the fire company's building is being renovated to house the museum.Blaine Snyder, president of the fire company, said he hopes to have the museum ready by Fire Prevention Week in October.Snyder said about $35,000 has been spent on the renovation, but the company needs more money to finish the project.The total cost of the museum is expected to be in the range of $50,000 to $60,000, Snyder said.Franchot said he will explore the possibility of some state funding for the museum.
"I will have to talk to the local delegation and state leaders to see what their thoughts are," he said. "No guarantees, but you can't score if you don't shoot, and it is a great project."Franchot, who was shown around the building by fire company officials, stopped to look at a hand-pumper, a vintage piece of firefighting equipment that was pulled and pumped by hand, that will be on display at the museum. Louise Holmes has tried soaking the offenders as well as shouting at them from a bedroom window – all to no avail.She says the problem has been going on more than two years.The news this week prompted a Ledbury-based county councillor to say he was "horrified that social behaviour in the town has dropped so much".Mrs Holmes, who lives with her family in Long Acres and whose home backs onto the Recreation Ground, said: "They urinate against my back fence and then it seeps through.
"My children, who are 14, 12 and 10, still have to play in the garden."We've lived here the last eight years but the problem has really got worse in the last two years. The smell that's left is just horrendous."Mrs Holmes says the culprits are of differing ages, adding that some of her neighbours with children have experienced the same problem."These people are too idle to find a toilet," she added."In the past I've shouted out of bedroom windows at them, and even hosepiped them."Last summer, a study by Ledbury's town plan steering group found young children don't feel safe on the Recreation Ground because of the anti-social behaviour of some youths, including drinking and drug-taking. Councillor Peter Watts, a member of both Ledbury Town Council and Herefordshire Council, said he was disgusted to hear of the behaviour.