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About Vernonia's voice. (Vernonia, OR) 2007-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 25, 2012)
december25 2012 V E R N O N I A’ S reflecting the spirit of our community volume6 issue24 Dean Schaumburg: A Place To Call Home By Scott Laird Dean Schaumburg’s life changed completely on August 16, 2007. When a tree fell on him while he was working in the woods as a logger, Schaumburg, a long time Vernonia resident in his twen- ties, was severely injured and his recov- ery has been long and slow. Five years later his life is beginning to regain some sense of normalcy, considering every- thing he has been through. Today Schaumburg is living in his own home, thanks to the help of many community members who pitched in to assist him. He lives on his own and for the most part takes care of himself. He is continuing his rehab work and his health has stabilized. He seems reason- ably happy and content and loves his house and the time he spends with his son Sylas. Schaumburg says he is willing to talk about his accident, his recovery and his life, although there are some particulars, due to legal reasons, that he is unable to discuss. “ Questions don’t bother me, I’m an open book,” he says. “if I can I am more than willing to talk about things.” The Vernonia community was devastated when they learned of Scha- umburg’s accident and lack of health insurance and quickly pitched in to help raise funds for his health care. While un- dergoing back and brain surgery as well as surgery to reconstruct his ankle, Scha- umburg suffered a stroke which magni- fied the seriousness of the accident. Today Schaumburg is consid- ered legally blind as he is only able to see out of the top, left corners of his eyes and he has trouble with bright lights. He has full range of motion with his right arm but has trouble gripping with his right hand. He has limited motion in his inside 10 cutright honored 12 vhs forestry 19 celebrating families reconstructed ankle and uses a wheel- sauna. Schaumburg says he tries to walk chair to move around. His speech is on the treadmill every day and is up to al- slow from the brain damage he re- ceived, yet he is very sharp in con- versation and easy to talk with. He has not lost his sense of humor and has a positive outlook on his life. In early December of 2007 Schaumburg’s wife Kendra and one year old son Sylas were get- ting ready for Dean to finally come home from an extended hospital stay and continue his rehabilitation in Vernonia. Instead their rented home was flooded on December 3, and the family lost almost every- thing. In January of 2008, as the entire Vernonia community was trying to recover from the flood, several residents and friends of the Schaumburg family banded to- gether and started a project to build the Schaumburg’s a new home. Mike Pihl Logging donated a 5,000 square foot lot in city limits and Casey Mitchell and Dana Hyde Dean Schaumburg at home with his son Sylas. organized and gathered donations of funding, materials and labor. In the most a third of a mile. “When I’m done spring of 2008 the project was started I’m sweating like a pig,” says Schaum- and moved forward on the backs of vol- burg. “Before I got hurt I didn’t know unteers. any other way to work but to sweat. To After several stops and starts me, if you’re not sweating you are not the home was completed just over a really working.” year ago and today Dean is enjoying The standing machine and a the comforts of a fully ADA accessible wooden wedge allows Schaumburg to home built specifically for his needs. work on the range of motion in his an- All the doorways and hallways are ex- kles. The sauna is good for the neck, tra wide to accommodate a wheelchair. back and muscle pain he still experi- A roll-in shower with bench, a lower ences. He says he would like to add a marble counter top for food preparation, hot tub in the future. He goes weekly for a covered back porch and wide concrete extensive therapy work in Hillsboro. walks around the outside of the house al- Dean and Kendra were divorced low Schaumburg to live comfortably and several years ago. Sylas, who lives in take care of himself. Gaston now, comes and visits every An exercise room is set up with Thursday afternoon and stays with Dean a treadmill, a standing machine and a every other weekend and has his own bedroom and bathroom in the home. “It’s hard not to spoil him,” says Scha- umburg about his time with his son. Dean received a financial settle- ment from his accident and was able to use some of the funds to put the finishing touches on his home, which was almost complete. He installed hickory hardwood floors with three different widths of boards which provide an interest- ing look. “I went with the hickory because of the different tones,” says Schaumburg. “I can’t really see the dirt! I’m really picky so if I could see something on the floor it would really bug me.” High baseboards, wood trim and match- ing wood furniture throughout the home help complete the package. Schaumburg’s love of the woods is evident throughout the home. He has a beautiful dining room ta- ble with benches made from sweet gum wood. A large carved turtle occupies a corner of the dining room. Framed on the wall is a double bladed axe, signed by the entire Verno- nia Ax Men crew from the first season of the popular television series, which was filming at the time of Schaumburg’s ac- cident. Large wide screen televisions in the living room and in both Dean and Sylas’s room make life pretty comfort- able. Schaumburg purchased a 2005 FX4 Ford 150 truck so he can get around when needed. “I bought it so I could go to doctors’ appointments or to therapy,” he says. “It’s a whole lot easier to find somebody with a driver’s license than to find somebody with a license and a car. It’s way easier to find just a driver. If they have a car usually they are working The Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle By Savannah Brown Who do you care about this holiday season? Family and friends are the usual answer to this question, but what about your community? The Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle has been avidly working on their Christmas baskets, teaming up with the Mist-Birkenfeld Volunteer Association for the Share the Spirit toy drive they hold annually. For several years now, the Helping Circle has selflessly assisted numerous families during the harsh winter months, but is actually a very active organization all year and has been since its inception in 1935. The Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle is a women’s community service organization that will be celebrating its 78 th anniversary this coming January. It began with very few members, ten or twelve women meeting in member households every two weeks. Irene Jones, one of the Helping Circle’s life-long members explains, “Meetings would begin at 10:00 AM , and last all afternoon.” They worked on embroidery projects or began stitching on the quilt they auction annually at what was called the Helping Circle Bazaar. Now, the quilt is raffled off at their sole fundraising event, the Fall Festival. Earlier projects included furnishing the kitchen in the Mist Elementary School gym, purchasing chairs for the Mist School, and creating markers for the graves in the Mist cemetery in 1941. The cemetery has always been free continued on page 9 a very central work-in-progress for the Helping Circle. Whether it is the upkeep, painting and replacing the fences, or the purchasing and expanding of the land, it’s always something they are working on. More projects that have lasted throughout the years include street lights erected in 1952 and a $250 scholarship starting in 1982. These have both been an ongoing tradition. The scholarship is awarded to a graduating high school senior in the Mist- Birkenfeld area, now worth $750, and the lights have been running ever since. As the community changes and grows, the group has stepped up to help the residents of the Mist-Birkenfeld community with support and assistance in time of illness, death, and disaster. In times of need, like the floods in 1996 and 2007, the Helping Circle steps up to provide help and provisions those in need. In support of families, funeral luncheons are organized. The Mist-Birkenfeld Helping Circle is a beacon of light in our little town of Mist, and in the surrounding rural countryside. They do so much for the community, in keeping it running and creating equal opportunities for all. With the support of the approximately thirty ladies who keep it going today, there is always room for more. Donations and new members are always welcome! Their meetings will resume in the new year, starting at 7:00 PM at the Mist-Birkenfeld Main Fire Station.
