This week brought the familiar site of various trucks and other vehicles from power companies and cooperatives near and far.

These are people who have left their homes once again to come into our area to repair damage caused by Hurricane Dennis.

Of course, when the time comes, our own local linemen will answer the call and go work elsewhere in return.

This is not easy work.

In fact, it is downright dangerous work.

These men and some women are here working away from their own families, their own concerns and their own lifestyle.

But yet they come and do get the job done.

Just Tuesday, a lineman

died while working to restore power in the Flomaton area.

This struck home when it was determined a couple of his coworkers have been staying here in Greenville this week working with another crew.

The man's name was Ronnie Allen Adams Jr. He was 41 and lived in Winterville, Ga. He was one of about 1,600 employees of Pike Electric, Inc., of Mount Airy, N.C., deployed to Alabama and Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Dennis.

You have to feel for his family and his coworkers.

They are far from home, and now they mourn their friend.

The newspaper in Flomaton set up a fund for donations for Adams' family.

We felt that since we have been rather blessed this time around, that some of you would want to help out this man's family.

You never know; he could very well have been working here.

To donate to the fund, make checks payable to the Ronnie Adams Fund and mail them to Escambia County Bank, P.O. Box 601, Flomaton, AL 36441.

Let's always remember that our police and fire personnel are always our heroes, but that heroes come in many forms.

To the people who needed their electricity restored, Adams was their hero.

And since just 10 short months ago, so many of us were without power, we know all about having that light come back on to take away the dark once again.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Adams and his family.

They go out to all those who are here trying to ease the burden brought on by Hurricane Dennis.

We hope you'll remember this the next time you see a group of these men at a local restaurant or grocery store, and thank them personally.