Earlier today, a sinkhole opened up in the backyard of Emerson Valley resident Steven Parker’s property. According to Mr. Parker, he was taking out the garbage when he noticed the swing set that usually adorned his yard was missing. Upon closer inspection, he was met with a gaping hole that had swallowed nearly half of his backyard, including the aforementioned swing set. Mr. Parker immediately contacted the authorities, but they determined the sinkhole was still too unstable to do anything about it.

“We’ve seen something like this before,” said Sheriff Oliver Price, speaking to a small crowd in front of the Parker residence. “About seventeen years ago, a similar issue occurred on the east side of town. The sinkhole opened up without warning and spread to the foundation of the house on the property, causing considerable damage in the process. We eventually managed to stabilize the hole and filled it back in, but the property has sat empty ever since. Fortunately, this sinkhole doesn’t appear to be getting any larger, so there shouldn’t be any danger to the family living there.”

For reference, the sinkhole Sheriff Price referred to was located at the former residence of Ivan Markowitz. After it caused severe damage to the house on the property, Mr. Markowitz moved away from Emerson Valley, effectively abandoning his former home. According to the official records at City Hall, ownership of the property has reverted to the town itself, although no attempts have been made to recover it for use of any kind.

The Sheriff’s Office has asked that if anyone else notices signs of a sinkhole forming on their property, that they contact the sheriff immediately. Although this appears to be an isolated incident, any further sinkhole formations might indicate a more systemic problem. We will keep you updated on the matter as we learn of any new information.

-Sarah Donovan, Editor & Local News, Emerson Valley Gazette

UPDATE (11/16/2019): The sinkhole on Mr. Parker’s property has stabilized, and a crew was dispatched to fill it back in with densely-packed soil.

UPDATE (11/18/2019): While the crew was filling in the sinkhole, they extracted a locked iron chest that was apparently buried in Mr. Parker’s backyard. Mr. Parker and his family have stated they did not put it there, and they don’t know where it came from. A member of the crew has told us he suspects the chest is connected to the Raven Club, as there is a faded insignia resembling their official crest on the surface of the chest.

UPDATE (11/19/2019): President Miriam Rook of the Raven Club has taken possession of the chest found in the sinkhole. She claims it was a time capsule buried by a former member fifty years ago when they lived on the property now belonging to Mr. Parker. Unfortunately, she has declined to share with us the contents of the chest, stating that whatever it contains is privileged information.