Staying up through the wee hours is rarely quite wonderful. The darkness is never utter. There’s a neighbors’ spotlight not perfectly hidden by the trees, the seriously annoying little blue and red appliance lights, and the moon and the stars.

And the silence! It’s broken only by the occasional muffled snore of the other two critters in the house.

That’s nighttime for most of us: Quiet, dark, dreamy.

But elsewhere in the River Valley, the night is brightly lit and noisy. In some neighborhoods in our area, there is more street life at midnight than at noon. Rumford Police Chief Stacy Carter said there are people who are out and about at night and sleep during the day.

You’d have to think, then, that there are more criminal activities going on at night than in daylight hours. This is not necessarily the case, Carter said. In fact, burglaries and break-ins occur about equally between day and night.

Has the crime rate risen over the last several years?

Yes, Carter said. Though the call volume has remained consistent, there has been an increase in burglaries and domestic violence. Joblessness is a contributing factor, no doubt. That and alcohol and drug abuse. His statewide network indicates the increase is widespread.

However, the number of OUIs has decreased substantially, in part because of bar closings and, more importantly, because of aggressive OUI enforcement. Grants from the state have helped that effort.

The chief said there are more complaints coming from tenement blocks like those on Falmouth and Cumberland streets, among others. The contributing factor most likely is the close quarters the tenants live in.

The talk with Carter followed a conversation with Rumford’s full-time town surveyor/code enforcement officer, Rich Kent, who is back after a brief hiatus. The sad condition of many multifamily dwellings in the area — and there appear to be more in Rumford — prompted a call to Rich. He reminded me, dryly, that there is no aesthetics ordinance here. Too bad.

The building at 30 Falmouth St. at the corner of Essex Avenue looked shabby and abandoned in the daylight. An American flag tacked to a second-story corner of the building seemed ironic.

Rich said the man who suddenly appeared on the exterior stairs asking, “Are you looking for someone?” was probably the contractor who is renovating the building for its from-away owner.

Rich, who came to work in Rumford in 2005 and became a full-time employee in 2008, explained that Rumford adopted the national fire safety code in 2008. Twenty-eight streets were identified as having one or more multiunit buildings. Among his many duties is moving down the list till all inspections are completed. He’s done 17 of the streets.

Rich brushed aside another assumption: Aren’t absentee owners tough to deal with? No, he said. Of the 50-plus landlords he’s dealt with, only three or four have presented problems, and those landlords are local.

He emphasized the cooperation of the landlords. “They’ve been very productive,” he said. “Not happy to spend money, but doing it. Ninety percent are doing a great job.”

That brightens the day.

Renovations

The Hannaford store in Rumford is undergoing a major renovation. Always lively during the day, the store is especially so now as shoppers bump into each other trying to find the bread.

Assistant Manager Donna Cunningham acknowledged that it’s a confusing time, but the work will be finished “. . . before the holidays, thank goodness.” Grand opening is Nov. 13.

Mexico’s Walmart store is also being renovated, but details are not available locally.

Linda Farr Macgregor is a freelance writer. Contact her at: [email protected].