By Quayl Rewinski
This Friday, August 28, marks the fourth anniversary of Tropical Storm Irene.
Looking back over the past four years, I realize just how much I have learned and how much I have to be thankful for. I would like to thank the many people that came to our (Tim and my) rescue after Tropical Storm Irene tried to take our house (which she ultimately did in the end). The many carloads of people lining Route 100 alongside our property offering to help, bringing shovels, buckets, strong backs, water, food, children eager to help, equipment to pile the debris, trucks to haul it all away and so, so much more! I thank all of you that showed up that day and all the days that followed, the kids that lined up in a human chain from our basement and out through the bulkhead removing all of the wet silt-filled firewood piece by piece and stacking it back outside, people carrying bucket upon bucket of gross, smelly, wet silt out of the basement, helping to wash things, clean up the greenhouse, pile up the fallen trees, the list goes on and on, it was endless. Thanks to those that offered meals and places to stay and hot showers.
There were so many who brought us many cooked meals and provided meals and water during the cleanup; our neighbors hosted our belongings while the waters took everything that wasn't tied down and also provided a safe view with single malt Irish whiskey while watching the river rage on. Thanks to everyone that came to help from as far away as Burlington and to those that stopped by weeks after the "event" had passed to continue to help and check in. Thanks to the Mad River Valley Community Fund and to those that generously donate to this fund for helping us stay on our feet during this time!
As time went on, I learned a lot about insurance policies (what they cover and what they don't) – didn't know I had an "indoor swimming pool," something I thought was a basement (no coverage there!). Or how my "garage" became a shed almost overnight because they "thought it was too small to be a garage" even though I had paid for coverage for a garage for 15 years without any problem. The town of Warren helped us through the very tedious process of the FEMA buyout; many, many thanks goes out to Cindi Jones for all of her time and energy filling out hundreds of papers, answering hundreds of questions from all parties involved (of which there were many!).
Later on it would be thanks to Barb Mitchell for showing us what felt like hundreds of properties without luck and then thanks to Jeff Minkiewicz for showing us more properties and ultimately finding our new home.
Alice and David Olenick and Shelia Getzinger made the transition of "selling" one house and buying another as easy as it could be under such circumstances and looked out for our best interests at all times during this long and tedious process. And the town of Warren allowed us the much needed extra time to move our beloved family of plants to our new yard! Dana and Bob Lisaius were kind enough to take us in while we were homeless between the selling of one house and buying the other house.
As this fourth anniversary approaches I am grateful that this process is now finally complete! The old "homestead" has been flattened as has the garage/shed, the holes filled in and the remaining plants allowed to grow as they may. My hope for the future is that people will enjoy this new swimming spot and that people will respect it and treat it with the care and love that we did for 15 years! Please pack it in and pack it out, keep it beautiful! Good night, Irene; may you finally rest in peace!
