Etc.

It does look sturdy, though

If there was a bad pothole in your town and the highway department was ignoring it, would you buy a couple of bags of cold patch and fill it yourself? Would you be prepared for the consequences if you did? If you answered "yes," you may be able to relate to the people of Marginea, Romania. Their village – a tourist attraction because of its distinctive black ceramics – is divided by the Sucevita River. Alas, a flood last July washed away the only bridge, forcing residents to go out of their way to reach the opposite bank. Frustrated that the authorities were making no effort to replace the span, they finally took matters into their own hands. One day last month, some of Marginea's craftsmen left their pottery wheels long enough to rebuild the bridge themselves. They did it well, too, testing until they were satisfied that it would bear up to 2-1/2 tons. They also said they'd take it down again as soon as the county built a permanent new one. But they're now in trouble because they didn't obtain a permit first, and investigators are trying to identify who took part in the project. If found guilty at trial, the do-it-yourselfers could be jailed for three years each or fined $20,800. So is their cause hopeless? Maybe not. Word of the matter has reached Prime Minister Emil Boc, who's from the same region and knows its problems. He hasn't said whether he'd intervene. But he did commend the villagers for their "solidarity."