I live on Baxter Street, directly across from the former J.H. Baxter & Co. plant on Roosevelt Boulevard. The property is one of two that did not get cleaned up before state funding ran out.

Last week, I hung a sign on the bicycle path telling people to NOT eat the beautiful cherries hanging over the fence because of dioxin contamination from the J.H. Baxter site. I hope it draws attention to the situation. There’s a plum tree in the backyard that will be ripped out this winter, such a shame.

My family members that had lived in this house since around 2011 have both died now — my brother-in-law, Jim, in 2024, and niece, Katrina, a few weeks ago.

I have inherited this home, and worry about my own health issues and whether they’ll be exacerbated by the area. I’ll just say the situation stinks, literally.

Kersti Landeck
Eugene