The town of Danvers and its residents have opened their hearts and wallets to the victims of the Nov. 22 Water Street explosion. The Legislature and governor should demonstrate the same level of concern and compassion by approving the emergency aid rider filed recently by Sen. Fred Berry, D-Peabody.

The up to $2.3 million Berry hopes to tap is money left over from an appropriation that was passed to aid the victims of Hurricane Katrina. Certainly the town of Danvers, which rushed personnel and resources to the scene without regard to cost, is equally worthy.

The Senate was expected to act on Berry's request yesterday, after which the main bill filed by Rep. Barry Finegold, D-Andover, appropriating $15 million to help Bay State hospitals prepare for a possible flu pandemic, goes back to the House. It also needs Gov. Mitt Romney's signature - or that of Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey if the chief executive is out of town - in order for it to become law before the end of the current legislative session on Jan. 2.

The Danvers Community Council, which has spent or committed most of the $100,000 in relief funds it has raised since the 22nd; the federal Small Business Administration, many individual businesses, and, of course, the town itself, have come through in generous fashion for those who lived and worked in the vicinity of the chemical plant where the explsion took place.

Certainly we can appreciate Finegold's concerns that his legislation, which faces a tight deadline and also serves a critical purpose, not become "a Christmas-tree bill," to which others add their pet projects. Berry, the Senate majority leader, has pledged to do everything in his power to see that doesn't happen; and Rep. Ted Speliotis, D-Danvers, is doing what he can to assure smooth sailing on his side of the Statehouse.

This was a catastrophic event and the response by everyone from Town Manager Wayne Marquis to the Police and Fire Departments and others involved in the relief and cleanup operations, has been outstanding.

Since the minute the ground shook and alarms started sounding that morning a little more than two weeks ago, many have been doing little else except deal with the consequences of the accident.

Now the bills - $600,000 for police and fire overtime alone - are starting to come due and the town needs and deserves some help from Boston.