How Just One Vermont Family - Who Lost Everything Except Their Spirit - Exemplifies The Strength and Unity Of “Vermont Strong”
By Dell Hill
I’ve
written of the devastation that impacted Vermont during the onslaught
of Tropical Storm Irene, but the story doesn’t end there...that, in
fact, was just the beginning of an even bigger story. It’s the story of
how hundreds of Vermont families have united to overcome the adversity
of losing everything to a natural disaster. This is my niece's story,
but it’s the very same for many others.
After
the storm and when it was safe to do so, I travelled to nearby
Waterbury, Vermont to offer whatever assistance I might be able to
provide to my niece and her family following the flooding from Irene.
About all I could do was offer my shoulder for her to cry on, and my
arms to hug her.
She
was in a state of shock as she rattled off a long list of personal
possessions, including all of her family heirlooms, photos, and the
things that provided wonderful memories. The pictures of her two
children, her parents, grandparents, and yes, even her favorite uncle,
were all gone. Everything washed away in just a matter of minutes,
leaving her entire family almost catatonic.
I let her release the pent-up emotions for quite some time before saying a word.
As
I looked around, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. I had been to
her home many times over the years and was very familiar with the “lay
of the land” and all of the improvements they had made - such as the
nice deck in the rear of the house that led directly to the side of an
above-ground swimming pool that the kids enjoyed for hours on end.
Somehow, the deck was still there (a tribute to its builder), but the
pool was nowhere to be seen and neither was the four bedroom home that
sat next to it! The exterior shell was all that was left. The contents
were gone; washed away in the flood waters that reached to within a
foot of the ceilings. The two-car garage was still in place...complete
with a high-water mark very close to the top of the windows. It somehow
stayed on its foundation.
As
you could well imagine, the area was a total mess. Tons of silt from
the nearby Winooski River had settled in large mounds around the
property and what can only be described as garbage was everywhere.
My niece was angry, sad, in shock, confused and devastated - all at the same time.
But,
almost from the beginning I sensed her determination to recover. She
was already making diary entries of all of her contacts, including FEMA,
because she didn’t have flood insurance. She was doing all of the
right things, documenting every phone call and personal visit from
insurance company and FEMA representatives, as well as local government
and aid agencies. Being a stickler for documentation, this pleased me.
Over
the course of the next several weeks she suffered the ups and downs of
her recovery efforts - all to be expected. Her car was destroyed, but
FEMA wouldn’t allow her anything for it because they said it was too
old. That, of course, did nothing to help her get back and forth to the
two jobs she held down. Her total FEMA grant came through at less than
she had hoped for, but it was enough to start planning and buying the
necessary materials and labor to start over.
And start over she did.
After
the entire area was cleaned up and the remnants of her former home
burned (it was that far gone!), the process of recovery shifted gears.
37
loads of sand and gravel were hauled in to raise the level of her new
home and provide the necessary base for a new foundation. The camper beside the garage provides a temporary “home” while the work goes on.
Rather
than pay $7,000 for excavation equipment and labor to build a new
foundation, they HAND SHOVELED and raked the site in preparation for
concrete.
Having
a great sense of humor runs in the family. My niece asked me “Do you
know how many butt muscles it takes to dig that by hand?” She instantly
answered her own question - “ALL OF ‘EM!”
Using strong backs and determination that’s difficult to describe, the new foundation has been poured.
Crews then began building the exterior framing (2 x 6 studs to withstand tons of Vermont snow and ice). Home builders with decades of experience pitch in to frame the exterior walls.
From the driveway, which was under six feet of water, you can see the exterior walls starting to reflect the new home. Yup! It sure looks like a new home to me!!
The walls are all up now...and the rafters are in place. Shingles will go on very soon.
Once
it’s closed in, the doors and windows will be installed and the project
will be completed over the winter -- inside, where it will be toasty
warm from the brand new radiation heating system that’s waiting its turn
for installation.
Unfortunately,
appliances and furniture cost a lot of money. Far more than the amount
FEMA granted, so it will take “a while” to come up with the funds for
those necessary household items, but this is a start. No, it’s more
than a “start”...it’s a Helluva Start by just one more family that is
“Vermont Strong”.
Devastated By Irene - Vermonters Find Strength In Unity
By Dell Hill
Full
Disclosure - I’m a native Vermonter, born and raised in Barre, Vermont
and have lived in the Green Mountain State for 61 of my 66 years. “I Am
Vermont Strong” is more than just a slogan to me; it’s a way of life.
Scenes
like this were all too common...and tear the heart right out of any
Vermonter. To watch helplessly as a covered bridge is ripped from it’s
moorings and swept away is more than some could handle. (Mild language
advisory)
And this was the report from WCAX TV just a few days later.
"I
am Vermont Strong." You may have seen it on a volunteer's T-shirt, Gov.
Peter Shumlin, or even on Lt. Governor Phil Scott's race car.
"Strong is both a physical and a mental thing," Eric Mallette said.
"It's more about the message than the logo," Lyz Tomsuden said.
It's a logo heard loud and clear since Tropical Storm Irene.
"I
think Vermont strong to me means everything that this campaign has done
and that's people helping people. To me, that's what Vermont strong is
all about," Mallette said.
Mallette,
an avid social media user, and his girlfriend, Lyz Tomsuden, a graphic
designer, created an icon Monday after the storm which friends quickly
turned into their profile picture.
"All of a sudden we were getting all of these emails and suggestions that we should make T-shirts," Tomsuden said.
So they did.
"And I said wouldn't it be cool if we woke up tomorrow morning and we sold 100? We woke up and we had sold 300," Mallette said.
"We've raised way more than we thought. We thought we could raise maybe $1,000-- sell 100 T-shirts," Tomsuden said.
One month later, 4,000 T-shirts sold and more than $60,000 raised for the Vermont Food Bank-- they've started a company.
"We
see it growing in a number of ways. There's a whole new product line
being developed right now. Other things claiming, 'I am Vermont Strong'
that you can proudly wear or carry," Mallette said.
The company is shipping internationally and plans to work with more nonprofits in Vermont to spread the message of strength.
"It's made me feel even better about where I live," Mallette said.
From two Vermonters who played to their strengths and accidentally started a movement.
There are just three words on the Seal of Vermont - “Vermont Freedom Unity”. It
was designed by Ira Allen, brother of Ethan Allen of the famous Green
Mountain Boys, among the founders of the first State to join the Union
after the original thirteen.
It
is in that spirit of unity that thousands of Vermonters have reacted to
the natural devastation of Irene. From T-shirts to chicken pie
suppers. From bake sales to race cars. Vermonters have rolled up their
sleeves and helped one-another because it was physically impossible to
do it alone.
And
I wasn’t kidding when I said “race cars”. The Lieutenant Governor of
Vermont is Phil Scott, who also happens to be a championship caliber
race car driver. Scott’s sponsors graciously adopted the “I Am Vermont”
theme and the State’s second-in-command raced the car in several events
- including a preliminary event to the NASCAR Sprint Cup race at
Loudon, New Hampshire - letting the world know that Vermont was “open
for business” and the State’s recovery was well underway. Vermont’s Lt. Governor, Phil Scott - A Racing Champion & Vermont Strong
“LOUDON,
N.H. -- Phil Scott is unlike any other stock car driver. He races
because he has a passion for it. It’s his hobby. He goes to Thunder Road
Int’l Speedbowl in Barre, Vt., every week, driving his familiar green
No. 14, with one goal in mind: to win.
But, Phil Scott is also the Lieutenant Governor of Vermont. And today, he races for an entire state. He is Vermont Strong.
After
damaging floods tore through the State of Vermont in the wake of
Hurricane Irene, Scott’s day job took precedent. He had to miss one of
the biggest races of the season at Thunder Road, one he felt he could
win, to be one of the leaders that the state needed.
“[Vermont]
has suffered from the aftermath of Hurricane Irene,” Lieutenant
Governor Phil Scott said. “Some parts of our state were devastated. Many
parts, including many roads and bridges, have not been reopened. We
suffered over a billion dollars in damage. We’re encompassing on our
tourism season. I have to say, with all the rain, we’re going to have
one of the most beautiful fall foliage seasons in a long time. But what
we found, with all the media attention, is that there are many
cancellations.”
Scott,
today at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, is one of 43 competitors to race
in the third edition of the ACT Invitational. But, unlike the other 42,
Scott’s message is clear - Vermont is open for business. Vermont
welcomes you to come and visit them. And that Vermonters are strong.”
Thousands
have been inspired to help by purchasing the “I Am Vermont Strong”
T-shirts and with direct donations of food, clothing, building materials
to put new homes where flooded homes used to stand, and just about
every other conceivable need for survival following a natural disaster. With
profits from the sale of something as simple as T-shirts, the project
has donated over $60,000 to Vermont Food Shelf programs, which were
literally wiped out by the flooding, or totally depleted of food by the
demand for assistance following the flooding.
Progress
has been painfully slow...but, progress non-the-less. Many roads and
bridges, totally destroyed by the storm, are slowly being brought back
to passable condition and not any too soon - Winter in Vermont is no
time to be building roads and bridges.
To the thousands of you who have helped us, we say THANK YOU.
It
was the night before Halloween....In my part of the world that’s
“Cabbage Night”....and quite mysteriously some really wild and whacky
things happen on that night.
I was about 13 years old. Not a good age to let your teenage son outdoors at night, and certainly not on Cabbage Night!
I warned my mother not to let me out, but I sneaked out anyway.
About
a dozen buddies and I thought it would be great fun to climb to the top
of the steepest street in the city and roll tires down the hill. Not
the smartest idea we ever had.
The
first few tires went bouncing down the quarter-mile incline, gaining
speed all the way. (Don’t worry, we made sure no cars were coming UP
the hill when we let each tire roll. Whadda ya think we were, stupid?)
We
saved one special tire for last. It was heavy. Probably because it
still had lots of air in it and it was still mounted on a truck rim!
I had the honors and with a mighty shove, sent it on its way.
I’ve never seen anything roll that fast and bounce that high in my life.
As
it neared the bottom of the hill it hit something and took a crazy
flight sharply to the left, went at least thirty feet in the air and we
watched in horror as it hit the front porch of a house!
The
homeowner said it sounded like an explosion as that big old truck tire
and rim slammed first into his porch railing and then caromed around
from wall to wall just outside the front door.
I don’t believe the police ever found out who pulled that stunt.
And don’t bother calling them. The statute of limitation has run out.
A
recent Facebook post depicting a newborn human baby caused me to do a
mental re-evaluation of my thoughts concerning the much-debated subject
of “when life begins”. I’m not going to preach my opinion here, but I
do have a couple of points that I’ve come to realize that perhaps should
be included in your thinking on the topic.
I
was in my 50’s before I realized that babies aren’t born with bony
knee-caps. I just naturally figured that babies are pretty much like
adults and surely they must have knee-caps. After all, they have two
eyes, two ears, a nose, etc., just like humans; so they must have
knee-caps too.
I’m
not exactly sure what prompted my research, but I looked in to the
question - more to prove my belief that babies have knee-caps than to
prove otherwise. That’s when I realized I wasn’t as smart as I thought.
“While adults normally have 206bones,
babies start out with a skeletal mix of about 300 different bones and
cartilage elements. Various adult bones, such as the cranium, start off
in life as several different fragments. At birth, the cranium has three
unfused plates, allowing for passage of the baby's head through the
birth canal. Over time, these plates fuse into one piece.
All bones start off as cartilage, but many are still cartilage at the time ofbirth. Cartilage turns into bone over time through a process called ossification.
As cartilage develops, a nutrient artery grows into it. This in turn
prompts cells called osteoblasts to develop along the lining of the
cartilage. These osteoblasts in the cartilage begin producing compact
bone, which covers the cartilage. Next, blood vessels begin to spread
throughout the cartilage, branching off the nutrient artery and enabling
marrow and other nutrients to be dispersed throughout the developing
bone. When this occurs, it prompts the development of a primary
ossification center, which will continue producing cells that dissolve
the cartilage and replace it with new bone.
The patella is a sesamoid bone. That means that it's a bone that exists in the middle of atendon, as we discussed earlier. The patella is the largest sesamoid bone in your body.
As such, it takes a little longer than some bones to, well, become bone.
Although it doesn't show up onX-rays,
your baby does in fact have kneecaps. They're just not bony kneecaps.
At birth, these kneecaps are still cartilage, and remain so for a few
years.”
Well! Thanks to the folks at Discovery Fit & Health, I guess that takes care of babies and knee-caps. I learn something new every day.
That
wasn’t the only thing I researched about babies. I started to develop
my own personal theory that birth was simply a level of development in
the life of a human being, similar to physical growth, puberty, aging,
the stages of reproductive organs, the degenerative aspects of growing
older, and finally death.
Some
of those stages of development are critical, and certainly birth is one
of those critical moments. A human being has been developing for about
nine months gestation period and has relied upon its mother for
sustenance that entire time. Breathing, for instance, wasn’t necessary
because the child’s lungs aren’t anywhere near fully developed and
there’s no air to breath anyway! Mom takes care of that, too, providing
oxygen for the babies brain, which in turn allows the entire collection
of vital organs to develop properly. And they will....over time.
A baby doesn’t have teeth. There’s no need for them. The child’s mother “eats for two” and nourishes her child automatically.
What about the other senses? For that we turn to Kids Health.org.
Taste
and smell are the two most closely related of the senses. Research
shows that new babies prefer sweet tastes from birth and will choose to
suck on bottles of sweetened water but will turn away or cry if given
something bitter or sour to taste. Likewise, newborns will turn toward
smells they prefer and turn away from unpleasant odors.
Though
sweetness is preferred, taste preferences will continue to develop
during the first year of life. For now, breast milk or formula will
satisfy your newborn completely!
As
it is to most humans, touch is extremely important to a newborn.
Through touch, babies learn a lot about surroundings. At first, your
baby is looking only for comfort. Having come from a warm and enveloping
fluid before birth, babies are faced with feeling cold for the first
time, brushing up against the hardness of the crib, or feeling the stiff
edge of a seam inside clothes.
Babies
look to parents to provide the soft touches: silky blankets, comforting
hugs, and loving caresses. With almost every touch a newborn is
learning about life, so provide lots of tender kisses and your infant
will find the world is a soothing place to be.
Most
newborns have a hearing screening before being discharged from the
hospital (most states require this). If your baby didn't have it, or was
born at home or a birthing center, it's important to have a hearing
screening within the first month of life. Most kids born with a hearing
loss can be diagnosed through a hearing screening.
Genetics,
infections, trauma, and damaging noise levels may result in a hearing
problem so it's important to have kids' hearing evaluated regularly as
they get older. Even if your child passed the newborn hearing screen,
talk to your doctor if you have concerns about your baby’s hearing.
Your
newborn has been hearing sounds since way back in the womb. Mother's
heartbeat, the gurgles of her digestive system, and even the external
sounds of her voice and the voices of other family members were part of a
baby's world before birth. Once
your baby is born, the sounds of the outside world come in loud and
clear. Your baby may startle at the unexpected bark of a dog nearby or
seem soothed by the gentle whirring of the clothes dryer or the hum of
the vacuum cleaner.
Try
to pay attention to how your newborn responds to your voice. Human
voices, especially Mom's and Dad's, are a baby's favorite "music." Your
infant already knows that this is where food, warmth, and touch come
from. If your infant is crying in the bassinet, see how quickly your
approaching voice quiets him or her down. See how closely your baby
listens when you are talking in loving tones.
Your
infant may not yet coordinate looking and listening, but even while
staring into the distance, your little one is probably paying close
attention to your voice when you speak.
Your
newborn can see best at a distance of only 8 to 12 inches, and focus
when gazing up from the arms of mom or dad. Your newborn can see things
farther away, but it is harder to focus on distant objects. Newborns are
very sensitive to bright light and are more likely to open their eyes
in low light.
After
human faces, bright colors, contrasting patterns, and movement are the
things a newborn likes to look at best. Black-and-white pictures or toys
will attract and keep your baby's interest far longer than objects or
pictures with lots of similar colors. Even a crude line drawing of two
eyes, a nose, and a mouth may keep your infant's attention if held close
within range.
Your baby, when quiet and alert, should be able to follow the slow movement of your face or an interesting object.
Although
your baby's sight is functioning, it still needs some fine tuning,
especially when it comes to focusing far off. Your baby's eyes may even
seem to cross or diverge (go "wall-eyed") briefly. This is normal, and
your newborn's eye muscles will strengthen and mature during the next
few months.
Give
your infant lots of interesting sights to look at. Introduce new
objects to keep your baby’s interest, but don't overdo it. And don't
forget to move your infant around a bit during the day to provide a
needed change of scenery.
In
every single instance there’s one common thread - time and development.
Just as it takes knee-caps time to transform from cartilage to bone,
it also take time for all of the babies body to fully develop...and it’s
NOT fully developed until it’s capable of reproduction, if then.
I’m
quite certain that most of you are aware of the medical facts that I’ve
pointed out here. Experience in child rearing alone is a great
teacher. That, combined with a little research, and we all have a much
better understanding of human development.
At
about 10 PM Eastern time Saturday night I received a tip that the OWS
protesters in Portland, Oregon were prepared to turn a fairly
non-violent event into a “show” when the Jamison Square was closed to
the public at midnight. The plan was to “resist at all costs and there
will be thousands resisting”. As it turned out, only a fraction of the
hardcore protesters actually resisted, and they were the ones putting on
the “show”, not the Portland Police Department.
I
watched the entire proceedings on streaming video, supplied by the
protesters, until 5 AM Eastern and I can tell you from personal
experience that if the protesters had designs on escalating this event
to entice violence, they failed miserably. One only had to monitor the
chat room dialogue directly associated with the streaming video to see
that there was tremendous encouragement toward violence, but the big
talkers who gave long-winded, babbling speeches prior to the curfew
melted into the night as soon as the Portland PD mounted patrol calmly
moved in to arrest those who refused to abide by the law.
Here’s a sugar-coated story posted online today from KATU TV - the television station that supplied the feed for the streaming video.
“PORTLAND,
Ore. (AP) — Police arrested about 30 anti-Wall Street protesters in
Portland early Sunday, dragging and carrying them to waiting vans, after
they refused to leave a park in an affluent district.
The
arrests came after protesters from the Occupy Portland movement marched
to the Pearl District, with some saying they viewed its residents as
part of the wealthy demographic they're protesting.
Hundreds gathered in Jamison Square Saturday evening to defy a midnight curfew to vacate.
As
police moved in around 2 a.m. most of the protesters backed off, but a
core group of 27 to 30 people sat in a circle in the park and awaited
arrest.
An
Associated Press photographer said most of the protesters went limp and
police carried or dragged them away. There was no violence during the
arrests, which took about 90 minutes.
The
protesters — all appearing to be in their 20s and 30s with many were
wearing Halloween-style face paint — were handcuffed before they were
place in police vans and driven off.
"We are the 99 percent," one arrestee continued to chant.
The crowd of supporters thinned out around 3:30 a.m. as the last arrests were made.
Police
said they arrested more than two dozen people on charges that included
criminal trespassing, interfering with a police officer, and disorderly
conduct.
The
showdown came in the shadow of high-rise condos in the middle of the
Pearl District, with some residents watching the events from their
balconies.
At
a meeting earlier in the evening, about 30 Occupy Portland protesters
decided they would intentionally violate the curfew and face arrest.
Shortly
after midnight police on horseback, on bicycles and on foot who had
been at the perimeter of the park began moving closer to the group of
protesters.
The
demonstrators who had decided to risk arrest were seated on the ground.
They were encircled by other protesters who walked around them chanting
"Whose Park? Our Park!" and "Make No Arrests."
Police eventually pushed the supporters of those being arrested to the park perimeter.
Saturday
afternoon, dozens of protesters marched through downtown, across the
Willamette River and back, some of them carrying sleeping bags, saying
they planned to camp out in the Pearl District park.
Some
protesters said they want to camp in the Pearl District because they
view its residents as part of the wealthy demographic they're
protesting.
Police
have allowed the demonstrators to remain in the adjacent Chapman and
Lownsdale parks since Oct. 6 despite policies outlawing camping. The
parks are surrounded by office buildings, mostly for the government.
But
Mayor Sam Adams said last week he would not allow the demonstrators to
take over any more parks. In a letter to demonstrators, Commissioner
Randy Leonard said it would be inappropriate to expand the demonstration
into a neighborhood park.
"We
— the entire city council — are your friends ... at present," Leonard
wrote. "However, our friendship and support are now being unreasonably
tested by the decision to occupy Jamison Square."
Here’s a video from KTVU TV News as a follow-up this morning.
The
report comes off as almost a disappointment that the Portland Police
Department refused to be suckered in to a violent confrontation, while
at the same time using excellent tactics to enforce the law.
That’s a good night’s sleep I’ll never get back. Pffffffffft.
By
his words and actions, it’s difficult to tell the party affiliation of
John Boehner (R-Oh). He’s most certainly NOT a Conservative - not by a
long shot. And his insider dealing with the White House would easily
lead one to believe that he’s a moderate Democrat, rather than a
right-leaning Republican.
Conservatives
gave Boehner a massive Republican victory and undeniable control of the
House of Representatives in 2010. There were great expectations. What
we got in return is just another good ol boy Beltway insider who’d
rather swap political benefits with the White House and play golf with
it’s current occupant.
Mark Levin is non too impressed, and neither am I.
Boehner
is a professional politician; maybe that’s his biggest problem.
Apparently he doesn’t understand that his “leadership” in the
Republican party is NOT getting the job done and it’s not going to earn
him any support, should Republicans maintain control of the lower
chamber next November. In fact, I can safely predict a serious
challenge coming from the Conservative wing and Mr. Boehner can resume
his seat on the back bench with all of the other RINO butt kissers.
Saddle Up TEA Party Patriots - Our Job Here Isn’t Done
One Of The Biggest Lies By One Of The Biggest Liars In American History
By Dell Hill
This
post will be short and sweet because I want you to read and fully
understand what an incredible liar and generational thief Nancy Pelosi
(D-Ca) really is.
“After
years of historic deficits, this new Congress will commit itself to a
higher standard: pay as you go, no new deficit spending. Our new
America will provide unlimited opportunity for future generations, not
burden them with mountains of debt.” — Nancy Pelosi during the gavel acceptance speech,January 2007 By
the end of her tenure as the nation’s 60th Speaker, the national debt
shot up approximately $5 trillion — more than the first 57 Speakers
combined, according toCNS News.
Watch
this CSPAN video. Move to the 6:00 minute mark and just listen to
Pelosi deliver a string of lies one after another as she embarked on the
process of destroying the United States of America.
