Dutchtown's unity

The Dutchtown post office is open again.

Last week, residents there held a fund-raiser in conjunction with the 100-Mile Yard Sale.

Dutchtown would rather not be in the news, but when the water rises, so too do the blood-pressure readings of residents there. Nestled in the lowlands, Dutchtown is the path of least resistance when the Diversion Channel outgrows its banks. In the huge flash floods earlier this spring, the water came like residents hadn't seen before.

The flooding was bad enough to make some people think again about selling their land to the government in a flood buyout.

Dutchtown, shown to be resilient, isn't done fighting yet. The fact that the community opened the post office again is a symbol of the desire to cling to the town's roots. Residents are trying again to renew efforts for a levee that would protect the town.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has plans for the levee ready at its Memphis, Tenn., district office. The cost, close to $3 million, requires the town to provide $764,000 in matching funds. Since March, when residents said they either need a buyout or the levee, plans have moved ahead for flood protection.

Dutchtown residents are fighting an uphill battle. Some would argue it's not a fight worth fighting. But no matter how the issue turns out, the residents of this small community are be commended for their strong sense of community and their will to fight for their property.