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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 1, 2008)
16 december vernonia’s voice community 2008 Vernonia Flood Stories Part I: One Year After The Flood (continued from page 1) But we also know that there are and shop items. “We were people out there working hard on our making about twenty trips to behalf, continuing to find resources, the dump each day,” he said. develop plans, give assistance, and re- Richardson worked tearing minding elected officials that we still out the high school gymnasi- need help-- to make sure that Vernonia um floor, and was also on the and its recovery are not forgotten. crew that found the lost dog, Over the next few months, Ver- Doobie, and helped return the nonia’s Voice will look back on the last dog to its owners. year-- on what happened, what has been The men talked a lot about be- done, and where we are going. We will ing accepted by the commu- look at our schools, at local city government, at our businesses, at nity. “People were kind of sketchy at first, then later they were our vital services, and most of all, at our people. Because what is a asking, ‘Where are you guys going, are you guys leaving?’” community without its people? said Richardson. “They were asking, ‘Are you coming back The Flood of 2007 had many stories and many heroes. tomorrow?’” said Cowger. “We had people going out buying There were tragedy, loss, and heartbreak everywhere. But there BBQ’s and propane tanks so they could cook us lunch,” added were also sacrifice, courage, dedication, and, in the end, rewards. Cowger Their hard work and willingness to do just about any- In Vernonia Flood Stories Part I: One Year After The Flood, we thing that needed to be done, quickly earned them the respect of revisit just a few of the compelling stories of the people who the residents they were helping. were part of this event in our community. “This really opened my eyes,” said Richardson. “I’ve Oregon Department of Corrections Inmates: Proud learned my lesson by being here (in prison). By going out there, to Help it showed me that I can start over and there are people who will During the clean-up and recovery phase after the Decem- look at me and accept me if I go the right way. I saw that people ber, 2007 flood, many will bring me back into society.” individual volunteers “We were really humbled by the experience, from numerous groups seeing people who had lost everything,” said poured into Vernonia to Hart. “There were so many emotions in- help flood victims. But volved. We built up friendships with people, what has become one and what was so good about it was they were of the most compelling interested in who we were.” “We had people stories of the recovery offering us jobs and contracts when we got effort is that of the Or- out,” said Cowger “I don’t think they even egon Department of looked at us like inmates after the second Corrections inmates, week,” Cowger added. “They were expect- who were brought from ing us to be there.” their minimum-security Ernest Hart, Kirk Cowger, and Steve Richardson at the The men told me stories about inmates prac- Mill Creek Correctional Facility facilities to assist a com- tically begging the crew bosses to let them munity that needed all the help it could get. stay on jobs a few hours longer so they could finish a room and I had the privilege of visiting with three of those inmates make it habitable for a victim, of handing out extra bag lunches (Kirk Cowger, Steve Richardson, and Ernest Hart) in late No- to people in need, and being able to help people stay in their vember, 2008, and had the opportunity to reflect with them homes rather than leave-- and in return, people buying crews about their experiences in Vernonia, Mist and Birkenfeld. I met pizza and soda. A real sense of camaraderie developed. The Cowger, Richardson, and Hart in the cafeteria at the Mill Creek men also talked about being able to use previous construction facility in Salem, where they are still serving out sentences for skills to really accomplish a lot of work, and assist residents burglary or assault, and have anywhere from sixty-seven days with repairs they were trying to do themselves. “We were able to six months of prison time left. to go in with a crew of ten and get done in a couple of hours The men were immediately friendly and talkative. They what would have taken people weeks to do,” said Cowger. “We spoke easily about themselves and their experiences in prison. had guys with skills that were really useful.” But mostly, we talked about what had been accomplished in I asked whether they had experienced any negative respons- Vernonia and their experiences among the citizens here. One es or reactions to working in the community. “No, none,” was the thing was obvious-- they were very proud to have been able to immediate response of all three men. “Considering the circum- help, to be of service to people in need, and to have used their stances they were in and we are in, it was all positive,” said Hart. skills to make a difference. When asked about the personal “At first, people were stand-offish; then, once they saw impact of spending time in Vernon- how everything was working, they started working together and ia, Cowger said he will look at vol- friendships started forming,” said Hart about citizens’ response unteer work differently. “You can to inmates working in the community. “They saw we are really see how volunteer work can make a not any different,” said Richardson. difference.” “This is the first time Richardson worked in Vernonia, and helped do a lot of I’ve ever experienced anything like clean-up in homes; Cowger worked mostly in Mist and Birken- that,” said Hart. “ This opened my feld on home clean ups; and Hart worked in the food service eyes in different areas of life.” area. Richardson and Hart were part of the initial crews to ar- “We’re retired now, we’d like rive and, because they had previous work camp experience, to let you know that.” joked Hart they were tasked with camp set-up. while discussing their sentences, The crews worked inside residents’ homes, tearing out and future plans when they get out damaged carpet, wallboard and cabinets, and removing ruined of the correctional facility. Cowger furniture, clothing and personal items. Cowger worked on a has worked in heating and air conditioning installation, and number of farms and ranches and helped clean up machinery hopes to return to that business. Richardson hopes to find for- estry work, after spending time in the woods while in the prison system. Hart, whose parents are deaf, plans to get certified in sign language interpretation, and also has experience in weld- ing. All three talk about returning to Vernonia to visit friends they made and residents they helped. “I think about one guy, Piz- za Larry we called him, all the time,” said Richardson. “He was just so nice. I want to drive back up there to see that guy.” “They made me feel good about who I am as a person,” said Hart. Hart took the opportunity to say hello from all the inmate crews to the residents of the Vernonia area, and to wish ev- eryone a Merry Christmas. “Vernonia comes up every week around here,” said Richardson. “The people up there are still in our thoughts and prayers,” said Hart. Kerrie Constance: This is Resiliency On Monday, December 3, Kerri Constance woke up to water quickly surrounding her home outside of Vernonia on Sheely Creek Road. It was a rude awakening, and from there, things only got worse. Constance and her husband, Wes, and their elderly friend, Elsie Taylor, live in one of the areas on the Upper Nehalem River that floods first, and the worst. Kerrie was Elsie’s care- taker-- they were also business partners in “Pretty Gifts and Things,” a shop in Vernonia. Kerrie immediately began trying to gather belongings, and quickly headed out in a boat that was brought over by neigh- bor Ernie Smith. Kerrie, Elsie and Wes spent the day with the Smith family, because the road out was already blocked by high water. “I knew we would be safe there, because their house (the Smiths’) was four feet above the high water level from the 1996 flood,” said Constance. “We were sitting around playing cards, eating sandwiches and drinking coffee in the afternoon, when I noticed water com- ing up through the heating vent in the floor,” said Constance, explaining when things starting getting scary. They had Elsie in a recliner and kept lifting her up onto boxes to keep her out of the water. Everyone else sat up on the backs of couches and chairs. They spent the evening and night that way, feet dangling in the cold water. They had lost power, so it was totally dark. At 2:30 AM, something floating in the water hit the house so hard, it twisted it off its foundation. “The windows started explod- ing, then a crack went up the wall. We were all just praying the house wouldn’t be shoved out into the current, and head downstream,” said Constance. With nowhere to go, the neighbors just waited out the night. “By 6:30am, the water had receded enough that the military could get in and rescue us, and they took us over to the fire hall. On the way out, I looked back-- our house had been taken off its foundation, done a quarter-turn, and moved down by our workshop,” remem- bered Constance. It had been a terrifying ordeal for all involved. In the days following the flood, Kerrie and Wes went to stay with friend Alice Zimmerman. Elsie went to stay with family in Forest Grove. Loot- ers went through their property, taking metal and anything else that could be pried loose. On December 12, Wes had a heart attack. Four days later, he came home, but had to be rushed back that same evening and had emer- gency surgery for a blood clot in his intestine. When he returned home, he again had to be rushed back to St. Vincent’s Hospital, this time with internal bleeding. He has finally been able to stay home, but is scheduled for major back surgery in December. (contined on page 17) Birkenfeld Store and Café Home of the 1/3lb. hand-pressed burger! Grocer y and Liquor Store hours: Vernonia Dance Center Presents... The Nutcracker A variation of George Balanchine’s ballet December 18, 2008 7pm Vernonia Community Church Gym Donations Requested Jessica Davis (503) 429~0850 Closed Starting December 21st Re-Opening Early Next Year in Downtown Vernonia at 919 Bridge Street (503) 429-4350 62467 N. Hwy 47 Vernonia, OR Monday-Saturday 8am to 6pm and Sunday 9am to 5pm Café open daily f rom 9am - 4pm 11139 Highway 202 - Birkenfeld (503) 755-2722 West Oregon Electric wishes you all the best this holiday season. Please be sure to call us if your power is out, or you see a tree in our power lines. West Oregon Electric Co-Op 715 Maple Street, Vernonia 503-429-3021