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BELOW YOU CAN READ THE LATEST UPDATES ON GREENSBURG, KANSAS......5/5/08
Tornado victims' memorial dedicatedGreensburg memorialThese are the 10 names on the Greensburg memorial. Plans call for the name of an 11th victim, Max McColm, to be added. He died in September from injuries sustained in the tornado. Two other people were killed in a tornado outside Greensburg that night: Robert "Tim" Buckman, 46, of Macksville, and Alex Giles, 84, of Hopewell.Claude Hopkins, 79Larry Hoskins, 51Evelyn Kelly, 75David Lyon, 48Colleen Panzer, 77Ron Rediger, 57Harold Schmidt, 77Sarah Tackett, 72Beverly Volz, 52Richard Fry, 62
GREENSBURG - Claude Hopkins would have felt right at home during the ceremony unveiling a memorial to this town's tornado victims.His granddaughter, Julia Ohlde, who spearheaded the project, served as master of ceremonies.The granite monument she helped design features an etching of the town's old water tower, a western Kansas landmark that Hopkins lived near.And his little red dog, Humphrey -- originally feared lost in the tornado -- was there. Now a pet for Hopkins' two great-grandsons, the Dachshund-pug mix seemed to enjoy himself, except for being a little spooked by a bagpiper playing "Amazing Grace.""Everybody knew Claude," Ohlde said of her grandfather, a retired school custodian who died in the twister. "The hardest part of looking back this past year has been knowing Grandpa wasn't there to offer support."About 500 people showed up to dedicate the memorial, which sits where Hopkins' one-story home, garden and garage-workshop was located before being wiped out by the tornado. Plans call for the memorial to be moved to a permanent site, probably on city property, at a later date.Ohlde, who lives in Larned, came up with the idea of a memorial within days of the devastating tornado.When she contacted Newton signmaker Bill Ryan for a cost estimate, he told her to give him a few days. When he called back, he told her that an organization he belonged to, the Kansas Legion Riders, would raise the money for the monument.Ryan also made the memorial, which stands 4 feet tall and weighs about 700 pounds. The front lists the names of 10 Greensburg residents who were killed in the tornado, under the water tower etching. The back carries an etching of a windmill and a Bible verse from 1 Thessalonians that begins, "Be joyful always."Ohlde said Ryan won't tell her how much the monument cost. At least 100 Legion Riders from across the state attended the ceremony, holding U.S. flags that formed a half-circle around the monument.Greensburg residents were impressed."It's nice," said Gary Panzer of Lewis, whose mother, Colleen Panzer, died in the tornado. "We really appreciate what they did."No one lost more in the Greensburg tornado than Norm Volz. His wife, Beverly, father-in-law Max McColm and the sole employee of his business, Larry Hoskins, all perished.Volz, wearing dark sunglasses and carrying yellow flowers, watched the unveiling from the back of the crowd before stepping forward."It's beautiful," he said.......5/5/08
Recovering Greensburg marks milestone
Bush urges grads to lead lives of service
Greensburg Class of 2008Lane Alan AllisonNatalie Cassandra BlackburnMegan Rachelle BoothJustin LeRoy BrokarDavid Jerome CesmatKasha Marie CharltonKacey Ann FultonMegan Louise GardinerJayvid Franklin Guyette
Lindsey Nicole HeftJoshua Leigh LooneyTracy Marie MartinSara JoAnn McVayJarrett Bert SchaefLogan Jennings WatersJubal WebsterEric David WhiteAaron Lee WidnerSeldom has such a small graduating high school class in Kansas received such a rousing sendoff from such a large crowd or in such strange and evocative circumstances.In the first high school commencement speech he has given, President George W. Bush on Sunday called upon the 18 teenagers of the Greensburg class of 2008 to consider a life of service to others. His speech came exactly one year after the town was leveled by a tornado.Their perseverance in completing school while helping their parents and others rebuild will shape their character all their lives, he told them."I ask every member of the class to devote your lives to a cause greater than yourselves," Bush said. "You can never predict what tomorrow will bring... (but) you can be certain that serving others will always make your life more fulfilled."He commended senior Aaron Widner for his decision to enlist in the Marine Corps, earning a round of applause when he told the young man, "I wish you the best at boot camp, and I look forward to serving as your commander in chief."Bush, in a 15-minute speech in a small, sweltering high school gym filled with more than 1,000 people, reminded them of the many things the students in this class endured since a tornado destroyed most of the town:Graduation last year took place at the golf course just outside town.School was held this year in trailers."And there was the shock of seeing your entire town in ruins."You have given this community stability in a time of desperate need, and today we give you thanks," the president told the students and their parents."We celebrate the resilience of 18 seniors who grew closer together when their world blew apart."Bush's words were echoed in speeches by co-valedictorians Lane Allison and Cassie Blackburn."We are strong," Lane said. "Nothing can keep us from achieving our future."Blackburn noted the class' ability to continue living, calling out Logan Waters, the class clown, for his many antics, and commending the five senior basketball players who led their team to the state tournament."I would not have wanted to brave the world with any other classmates," she said.Bravery, determinationWhile addressing the students, Bush told them also about the bravery of their fellow townspeople.One woman he met when he visited last year told him as he walked up to her shattered home: "I would have invited you in for coffee but I didn't have time to dust."The co-owner of the local John Deere dealership, Kelly Estes, had greeted Bush last year knowing that he had lost $18 million in merchandise, Bush said. But Estes is rebuilding, staying in town, providing jobs and money for the local economy."Often in life you are dealt a hand that you did not expect," Bush said. "The test is how you play the hand."In the past I've seen how people in our country have been dealt some tough hands."He spoke of Hurricane Katrina, the California wildfires, and of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001."I see the same determination in Greensburg," Bush said.An emotional bondBush first came here five days after the tornado, and spent hours comforting people who lost their homes. What he saw evidently touched him.Marvin George, a local minister, said he has heard evidence that the plight of this town struck emotional chords with the president. A woman he knows, with ties to Greensburg, lost her son in the Iraq war. She visited Bush at the White House months ago.She saw a photo hanging on the Oval Office wall, of Bush praying in a prayer circle beside a destroyed church in town. Bush had hung the photo there, he told her.Cheers and a jokeWhen he arrived in the gym Sunday it was to cheers, and with a joke.Greensburg's teams call themselves the Rangers. Bush once owned the Texas Rangers."From one Ranger fan to another," Bush said, "Beat 'em up! Beat 'em up! GHS!"Graduates will return to school for one week. Commencement had been set for May 10, but was moved up to accommodate Bush's schedule.His daughter, Jenna, is getting married May 10."I could have suggested changing the date of the wedding instead," Bush told the crowd, "but I think we all know how that idea would have turned out."Diplomas and photosAfter his speech, the graduating seniors lined up -- boys in blue caps and gowns, and girls in red, the school's colors.Bush stood to the side of the podium, and the seniors received their diplomas from him, stopping long enough for Bush photographers to take a photo of each student with the president.When they stepped away from Bush, every senior got a hug from Principal Randy Fulton.Outside the gym the graduates lined up again to receive the best wishes of their neighbors.Doug Sprecker had come in from Salina to cheer for his cousin, Logan Waters, who had given the class of 2008 so many laughs. Sprecker, 29, said goofball antics run in the family, but that the last year had been tough for his cousin.About the president's speech, Sprecker said, it's definitely something his cousin will remember."I was just telling my girlfriend, I can't remember who the graduation speaker was at my high school graduation," he said."It was good of him (Bush) to recognize them and their continuing effort."A few feet away, Kasha Charlton stood at the front of the receiving line, holding her mortarboard to her chest. Wichitan Emma Grace Smith, 5, stood beside her, taking it all in.Right after the storm, Emma and her siblings took their wagon around their neighborhood and raised money for Greensburg's recovery.The Smiths soon became more personally invested in the town when Emma's mom, Denell, a nurse at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus, helped Kasha's stepdad, Danny Trent, recover from his tornado injuries during the two months he was hospitalized.Emma's dad, Scott, works for McCluggage Van Sickle & Perry, an architectural firm that is designing seven of Greensburg's new buildings.What happened in Greensburg "shows us the true meaning of life," Denell Smith said. Watching the well-wishers, she added, "There's no strangers here."In the fall, Charlton will have a full scholarship to Newman University, Denell Smith said. When she does, she will be closer to her "foster family," including little Emma.As Charlton fielded congratulations and "good lucks," Emma peppered her with questions:"Why are you shaking hands with everybody?""Because they know us all.""Why?""Because this is Greensburg.".........5/2/08 REO Speedwagon got its start in the late 1960s in Champaign, Ill., and its members haven't forgotten their Midwest roots -- as they showed Friday when they did a live concert on The Early Show for the people of Greensburg, Kan. -- the tiny town that was all but destroyed by a massive tornado on May 4, 2007.It was part of the broadcast's weeklong series, "Tragedy to Triumph: Greensburg Rising" -- marking the one-year point in the town's rebuilding efforts."The people of Kansas, the people of the Midwest in general, are the people who put us where we are today," lead vocalist and rhythm guitar player Kevin Cronin told Early Show features reporter and weatherman Dave Price when asked what prompted the band to come to Greensburg when it's used to playing packed arenas in much larger venues. "We owe it all to you guys, and for us to be able to come back and do this for you, it's our honor. We are honored you had us!"They wanted to help celebrate Greensburg's triumph over tragedy.Noting the refusal by Greensburg's residents to give in to despair, and their insistence on rebuilding, Cronin said, "We're Midwesterners -- and the people in the Midwest know how to balance it. We know how to work hard, take care of business and, when the business is done, we know how to party!"Cronin's daughter, 11, was also on hand. When Kevin told her about his trip to Greensburg, she passed the news along to her classmates, who were inspired by the town's story and wrote letters to its residents. In addition, their school had a collection for the town, and Holly presented the letters to Greensburg Mayor John Janssen -- along with a jar with the money in it -- $1,673 -- collected in only two days. And the band matched that amount.REO performed several of their best-selling songs, including, "Can't Fight This Feeling," "Roll With The Changes," and their most current, "Find Your Own Way Home," released in April 2007.....5/2/08
Sunday is the one-year anniversary of the tornado that almost made tiny Greensburg, Kansas. a thing of the past -- but the townsfolk don't look at it with despair. Rather, they view it as a sign of how far they've come in their efforts to reconstruct their structures -- and their lives -- a rebuilding effort with the equivalent in human determination and perseverance of the power and fury the twister brought.And in remaking itself, Greensburg is going green -- hoping to become the greenest town in the nation.On Friday, rockers and fellow Midwesterners REO Speedwagon did a live concert on The Early Show, part of the broadcast's special weeklong series, "Tragedy to Triumph: Greensburg Rising." Lead singer Kevin Cronin told Early Show features reporter and weatherman Dave Price the band was honored to take part.Town officials took part in a ceremony to start three days of anniversary-related events.There was also a special ribbon-cutting to open a "green" playground built in only a few days. Companies donating their time and materials included BNIM Architects, KomPan Playground Equipment, John Deere BTI Dealership, John Deere Landscapes, Hastco Construction, Grass Roots NLS, White Lawn & Landscape, PG Playground, Pueblo Concrete, Bruce Davis Concrete, Henry Dick Digging, Wichita Concrete & Pipe, Bob & Ruth Ann Wedel, Greenleaf Ranch, R-Quip, Heft Concrete, the Kansas State Landscape Architecture Dept. and -- volunteers from Greensburg.Early Show co-anchor Maggie Rodriguez did a report on the plight of some in Greensburg who were ripped off by contractors rebuilding their homes, and home improvement expert Danny Lipford offered tips on finding honest, competent contractors.And co-anchor Harry Smith chatted with Greensburg middle school teacher Josh Dellenbach, who taught his students a lesson they won't soon forget: After a year of receiving donations from all over the country, Greensburg residents were more than touched. Dellenbach encouraged his students to give back, and they decided to raise money for Macon County, Tenn., which was devastated by a tornado in February. Thirty-eight students put together a coin drive. Dellenbach said he'd match whatever they collected. And he's going to have to come up with a pretty penny -- they took in more than $5,500 in their efforts to "Pay It Forward."The money was sent, among other places, to the Macon County Tornado Relief Fund, a foundation set up by a few of the area's banks to help the many victims of the February twister.Sharon Day, an employee of one of the banks that set up the relief fund, received an encouraging letter and the donation from Greensburg a week ago. She didn't know who the donation was from, and decided to wait until Monday to investigate. While getting ready for work Monday morning, Day was listening to The Early Show and heard, "live from Greensburg, Kansas," and stopped dead in her tracks. After watching some of the show's segments, she realized Greensburg had suffered a fate similar to her area, and that Greensburg students had given of themselves to help another town that had suffered as Greensburg had.Very touched, Day called Greensburg and was connected with Dellenbach. The two exchanged stories and tearful thanks and, on the show Friday, Day and Dellenbach met......4/14/08
ONE YEAR SINCE DEADLY TORNADO
3-day event to showcase Greensburg's progressA three-day celebration to mark the day a deadly tornado struck Greensburg will focus on the town's future more than on the disaster, organizers say."Every week, the city changes," said Erica Goodman, tourism chairwoman. "It is growing. You can see it, and it is very exciting."Many of the events planned for May 2-4 will showcase some of that growth, including groundbreaking ceremonies for a new church and a business incubator, and a ribbon cutting for the water tower and arts center.The three days will also include Greensburg High's graduation with President George W. Bush as a speaker and a candlelight vigil to remember the 11 people who died in the storm.When the EF-5 tornado tore through town May 4, 2007, it destroyed almost all of Greensburg."For month and a half, it was a steady stream of trucks in and out of town," said Stacy Barnes, assistant to the city administrator and manager of the Big Well, a tourist attraction.About 80,000 truck loads hauled an estimated 500,000 cubic yards of debris out of town, she said.The city is starting to return, with about 100 homes under construction, Barnes said."This weekend (in May) is about celebration and all of the successes we've had in the last year," she said.The event is dubbed "Tragedy to Triumph -- Greensburg Rising. A Celebration of Community, Progress, Friendship, and Life."A focus on greenWhen the rebuilding began, Greensburg focused on constructing energy efficient "green" buildings. The weekend will be a time to showcase some of those buildings.Among them will be the 5.4.7 Arts Center, 204 W. Wisconsin, which will be a gallery and class space. The center uses recycled material inside and out, is landscaped with native low-maintenance plants, uses passive solar and wind power and has a roof covered with more plants to help with cooling, said Barnes, the center's board president.Before the storm, Greensburg didn't have an arts center, she said."Considering what has happened here, people really need that release -- the ability to create," she said.Also featured will be the Greensburg Cubed Project, four portable cubes measuring 10 feet on each edge designed and built by students in Kansas State University's architecture program. The four projects are "Greenhouse," an information center for Greensburg Greentown; "Litter Box," a composting toilet; "Ice Cube," which will gather and purify rain water for drinking; and "Recycling Bin" to gather recyclables.The weekend will be a chance "to show the world that we are doing something really unique here," said Alanna Goodman, assistant to the director of Greensburg GreenTown, a nonprofit group that supports rebuilding an environment-friendly Greensburg.The cubes will be on display at 204 W. Florida, where GreenTown's permanent offices will be built, she said.The green initiative helped open many doors for the town, said Erica Goodman. It's not just helping Greensburg rebuild but helping it create its "niche in the world."Building businessesOther events include the groundbreaking for a two-story business incubator -- energy-efficient and environment-friendly -- where small businesses can get established.With the old buildings in downtown gone, so are the inexpensive rents that small businesses could easily afford, explained Jeanette Siemens, Kiowa County economic development director, who is working on the incubator.The building, which could be done by September, will let a variety of businesses lease space for up to four years at low rates, she said."It's a place to hatch the business and get it ready to go out on its own," she explained.Siemens expects almost a dozen businesses will be able to use the space. People are already filling out applications. The idea has been used successfully in other towns but hadn't been considered for Greensburg before the tornado, she said."It was such a tragedy, but some of the unique opportunities people are talking about are exciting," she said.Community renewalEven with the excitement and focus on the future, people will have mixed feelings, said Marvin George, pastor at Greensburg's First Baptist Church, and president of the Kiowa County Ministerial Alliance.He and other ministers and counselors plan to be available for people to talk to, George said. But overall the message will be the future."It's a great big statement to our community that the churches have faith in us, in the community and in God to rebuild," said George, whose church will break ground on its new building as part of the weekend's events.Sunday night, at the same time the tornado struck last May 4, the town will hold a candlelight vigil. The site hasn't been set."It's something we'll all be thinking of at that moment," said Erica Goodman. "For us to be together at that time is more important than for us to be sitting at home dwelling on it.........12/27/07
From Udall to Greensburg: Gift of trees
UDALL - Jerrold Hoffman has vivid memories of that night 52 years ago when a tornado leveled this little town, destroyed nearly all its trees and killed 77 people.He saw similar widespread destruction from a May 4 tornado in Greensburg, 120 miles to the west, not far from where he grew up. Something needed to be done to help.Then it came to him -- trees."We think of them as a sister city. I remember how it was with no trees here," he said. "You came to Udall and felt something was wrong."He proposed raising $10,000 for at least 200 trees to give Greensburg residents. The Udall Community Historical Society agreed in June to sponsor the fundraising and put Hoffman in charge. He thinks he's found healthy trees at a good price, though he didn't want to discuss the specifics."We're trying to get it all done with donated funds, but we're coming up short," he said. "I don't want to have to go door-to-door, but I may have to."As Greensburg residents rebuild their shattered town, many welcome Hoffman's idea."It's something we certainly appreciate," said state Rep. Dennis McKinney, a farmer and community leader who lost his home and a dozen trees.The two towns suffered much the same, decades apart. Their downtowns were wiped out, houses and buildings demolished, and trees uprooted and broken. Ten people died in Greensburg, a town of about 1,400. About 2,000 trees were lost."It was a beautiful town. It had big houses and lots of trees," said Natalee Story, who remembers the destruction in Udall. "It really was sad. No trees and no place for the kids to play."But Udall's past creates hope for Greensburg.Not only did its residents rebuild, the town grew from 410 residents in 1950 to 600 in 1960, only five years after the tornado. The population is now 850."Rebuilding is tough, but they stuck with it and 50 years later they are around to help us," McKinney said.Trees won't be heading west from Udall immediately. Money has to be raised, but Greensburg's people also need time to rebuild."We're not going into a vacant lot and put up a tree. We're going to wait until the homes are ready and they can take care of them," Hoffman said.New trees will take decades to mature into full-blown shade trees, but Greensburg can see a little of its future in Udall, which now has scores in its yards."They will grow to be a symbol of friendship and understanding today as well as the years to come," said Udall Mayor Chris Lette, who will be carrying trees to Greensburg in his pickup.Udall's City Council pledged $1,000 and the city's Web site greets viewers with "Plant a Tree for Greensburg" with information about how to make donations.Hoffman said he hopes the first deliveries will be made in October to those who have moved back and are ready for a tree. Plans also call for trips next spring and fall as more houses are rebuilt.Homeowners will be consulted about the type of tree they want and where they want it planted. Hoffman said they won't get pencil-thin saplings but young trees at least 1 ½ inches in diameter and 10-12 feet high."Whatever they want, if we can get it, we will," he said. "We are doing the whole shebang for them."Started as a railroad town in 1881, Udall is now a bedroom community about 20 miles southeast of Wichita. Most people live in middle-class homes, and a few businesses line the main street.When the tornado touched down the night of May 25, 1955, many people had gone to bed, unaware it was heading their way. The power went out. Hail, wind and ice cold rain followed.Hoffman recalled sitting in his car. Lightning flashes allowed him to see a nearby house coming apart."It was very dark and raining. When you could see somebody's face, you hardly recognized them because they were in shock," he said.Five decades later, things look much different."We're getting some good trees, but it's been 52 years. You can build buildings but you can't build trees. You have to plant them and nurse them," Hoffman said.And the message from one tornado town to another?"We knew what they went through," Hoffman said. "We care, and we understand.....12/21/07GREENSBURG'S FUTURE: BIGGER, BETTER
Greensburg leaders offer update on rebuildingA star made by a student decorates Greensburg on December 20, 2007. The students with help from the firefighters from New York who are part of the The New York Says Thank You Foundation placed the decorated stars throughout the town.
NY group plants messages of inspiration
GREENSBURG - City's leaders offer update on rebuildingAs 200 new homes rise from foundations all across town, city administrator Steve Hewitt urged a couple hundred residents Thursday night to think about not what the city will look like one year from now, not 10 years from now, but 100 years from now.Greensburg leaders spoke to residents at a community meeting, bringing them up to date on the progress of rebuilding the town destroyed May 4 by an EF-5 tornado.The city plans to rebuild as a green community -- Earth-friendly and energy-efficient --which Hewitt said could make it a model city for the country."I think we truly do have opportunities, and we must embrace those opportunities," Hewitt said. "This community's coming back."He noted that the Federal Emergency Management Agency pays 75 percent for projects to bring infrastructure back to what it was before the tornado. But the city doesn't want what it had before --it wants more, Hewitt said. Bigger, better, more progressive."We're not going to build it the way it was before," he said.He used the city's water tower as an example. The previous tower held 55,000 gallons, which wasn't enough to serve the needs of the fire department.FEMA will pay 75 percent of the cost to rebuild a 55,000-gallon water tower. But the city needs a bigger tower, so it has joined with other agencies to secure funding to build one that will better serve the city's needs. The tower is one of 75 city projects."Don't think about building back at 75 percent," Hewitt told residents, who clapped loudly.Gene West, a Kiowa County commissioner, asked residents to think back to May 4 -- as most of them surely do every day -- and how "normal" became a thing of the past.But everyone worked together, often out of trailers that became hospitals, city offices and schools, and gradually returned to some semblance of normal.Now it's time to think beyond normal, he said, echoing Hewitt's message of rebuilding bigger and better, such as providing countywide wireless Internet.School superintendent Darin Headrick joked at the beginning of his comments, welcoming residents to the school district's "cafegymatorium." The gym serves as a sports facility as well as cafeteria and meeting place.About 74 percent of the district's population is back to school in Greensburg. It's crucial to get housing for Greensburg's families so children can return to the district they've called home their whole lives, he said.Now housed in trailers, classrooms will be rebuilt to have state-of-the-art technology, Headrick said."One thing we're really doing is making sure we design these classrooms from the inside out. We want to make sure each individual learner" has the best environment, he said.Greensburg's new schools will be built south of their current location, Headrick said. The district hopes to break ground in May with completion in 2009.Residents at the meeting later broke into small groups to discuss their ideas for Greensburg's future.Longtime resident Steve Kirk, living temporarily in Dodge City, plans to return."I got my first bid in the mail today," he said of the new house he plans to build.Kirk likes the idea of building green."I think it's a good deal if we can afford it," he said.As for the future, he said, "I would like to see it be a town bigger than it was before with new businesses coming in and people continuing to be excited about it.".....9/22/07
Greensburg's people facing tough choices......If you had to start over, rebuild your life from scratch, what would you do?If you had no home. No business. If the town where you're raising a family was reduced to dirt, with only scattered remains of buildings and homes. Forget about schools and churches. Nothing's left.Where would you go now, and how long would it take to get there? Would your town be rebuilt bigger and better, as leaders promise, and could you afford to stay around to find out?"You feel so lost. You don't have anything and you don't know where to go," said Kathryn Koerner, explaining how she and her neighbors are feeling. "You can't live on May 5 your whole life....
Residents of Greensburg, a small town on the Kansas Plains, woke up and were slapped with the realization that the lives they had were gone. A massive tornado that killed 10 people erased what they'd worked so hard to build inside this community of nearly 1,500.They still see the leftovers from the devastation brought by the storm's 200 mph winds. But they also see the signs of Greensburg coming back, though nobody knows how many people will.About 90 percent of the debris has been hauled off. The water is drinkable and has been for weeks. Four businesses are up and running, and frames of new houses are cropping up. Permanent electricity across town is expected by the end of the year. The grocery store has confirmed it's rebuilding. Nearly 300 people are living in FEMA trailers and 100 others are in other parts of town.Crews are erecting a temporary K-12 school where the old elementary and junior high used to sit. School started Aug. 15, and soon after kids will even have a temporary auditorium where they'll eat lunch and the volleyball team will practice.And the trees, those mature oaks and maples stripped of their bark and branches during the storm, now are spotted with tufts of greenery. Residents call them "our Chia Pets.""Every day, it gets a little better," said City Manager Steve Hewitt. "We're getting back to normal."But there's also worry, which spreads across this devastated town like the wild sunflowers now growing again. Will the city's red tape only draw out the rebuilding process? And will it frustrate residents to the point they throw up their hands and move on?Danny Coggins said that may have been him, but his daughter wants to graduate from Greensburg High School, where she'll be a sophomore. So he's put up with what he calls "nitpicking" by out-of-town housing inspectors and had patience with officials he said aren't moving fast enough."Quick as I could, I wanted to rebuild. But they don't encourage you," said Coggins, who's among those feeling bogged down by the codes and permits required to build. "There's a lot of rules and regulations people weren't used to.... It's such a slow process."Will people like Paul and Barbara Dean have the time and money it takes to invest in the type of progressive community some envision?They lost everything except two or three pairs of Paul's jeans, a few of his denim shirts, and afghans made by his mother that they found in the fields around their home. They combed those fields for days -- and still do, admits Barbara -- hoping to find more."When you're coming up on 70 years old, and you lost everything you own --"Paul said as he stopped and broke down. "You hope you can rebuild, but you just don't know yet. It's hard to commit when you don't know which way the city is going."A bigger, better townCity leaders say they want one thing: To rebuild a bigger and better Greensburg, a town that draws tourists yet keeps the small-town qualities that have made it special.Why not start over by building the nation's model of an environment-friendly town? Stick to those high building standards put in place before the storm so one day your town is really something."There's a percentage of people who would build the city back exactly the way it was.. ," said new Mayor John Janssen, who inherited the office nearly three weeks after the tornado when Lonnie McCollum resigned. "I see absolutely no point in that.... The bright spot to me was we had a clean slate, we could do something great."The town truly is that clean slate Janssen talks about.Walk down Main Street and you see just one, century-old building still standing. It's there where Janssen would like to see his town memorialized.Make it a place where residents and tourists can go and see what Greensburg used to be. Some like his idea, he said, others not so much."I think we need to trade on the tornado," Janssen said. "Bring people in here, show them what we have.... Like it or not, people are fascinated with terrifying events."Also in the downtown area, there could be a museum for the town's Big Well (the world's largest hand-dug well) and for the pallasite meteorite known as the Space Wanderer found in a local wheat field.Another idea being floated is moving one row of Main Street businesses over a block to make room for an expansive green space where kids could play in a fountain area."What we're trying to do is build a loop around here," Janssen said, standing in the middle of Main Street.Building 'green'Then there's the idea of building "green," creating a town that's environmentally efficient from the ground up."We can't mandate green, but we can encourage it," said Hewitt, the city manager.Many are encouraging Greensburg to go this direction, including Gov. Kathleen Sebelius, who just days after the tornado brought up the notion.And now the Discovery Channel has approached the city about filming a 13-segment reality show on Greensburg rebuilding. "Eco-Town" would show the process of how a town becomes "green."Janssen is almost giddy about the television show and the crew coming in. Actor Leonardo DiCaprio is a partner in the project and could visit Greensburg during the process."Those people have connections we've never thought of and they're bringing them to our town," he said. "We know there are resources out there, but we're so busy fighting the daily fight we don't have time to go get them. They can get them and they can bring it all to the table."Building green, though, can be more expensive."But in the end, it'll be cheaper for a town," Hewitt said.Leading by example will help with that, he said. That's why the town leaders need to "go green" when rebuilding city facilities, Hewitt said."It's pressure, yes, but it's opportunity," he said.It feels good to go homeRobert Koehne is too old to rebuild, a fact he almost apologizes for.He'll soon be 85, and since his wife died of pancreatic cancer 14 months ago, he lives alone. After the tornado, which wiped out his home on Walnut Street, Koehne has lived in neighboring Haviland."It gets lonely," he said.Which is why two or three times a week he makes his way to Greensburg. Here, he wraps his gloved hands around the grips of a wheelbarrow or shovel and helps clear a neighbor's land.He feels he's right where he needs to be -- in a town he said is home."I'm already loving to be back here," Koehne said, wiping sweat from his forehead as other volunteers keep moving around him. "Even though it's sickening to see it all."He lived in Greensburg for the past 14 years.And he's grateful to be helping his town come back together. If he's lucky, he may one day live here again. It's the hope that keeps him going.Across from where he's standing is where the high school used to be. Now, there are plans to build an affordable senior citizen apartment complex.Koehne is on the waiting list for one of the apartments."I'm on the top of the list," he said as a smile swallows his face. "That's what they told me."'We're leaving'Kathryn Koerner still hates to say it. It's as if hearing herself say the words make it that much more final."We're leaving," she said, stepping out of the way of many family members helping load a trailer headed to the Koerners' new home in McPherson, a couple of counties away.The decision, she said, didn't come easy. Her husband, Raymond, was the manager of the local Dillons grocery store.In the days after the tornado they waited to hear if the store would rebuild in Greensburg. They stayed in a hotel room for weeks and waited.When there still wasn't any word, they began looking for a new home in another town. Dillons gave him a manager's job at the McPherson store."You make a decision because you have to at the time, not because you want to.. "Koerner said. "People tell us they understand. We're all in the same boat. Life goes on."It's been tough, though. She and Raymond raised a family here. Two kids graduated from Greensburg High School. They built a home in a great old house that survived an earlier tornado, but succumbed to this one."I'm going to miss the west sunsets," she said, looking at her land. It's tough to tell where their house once stood. "I'll miss the view out here."By the time Dillons announced the store would come back, the Koerners had found a home in McPherson. But they don't plan on selling their property in Greensburg. Not yet.The Koerners will wait to see what the town does. Then, who knows, they may be packing again.Kathryn said, "Maybe we'll be back."......8/16/07Greensburg happy to get back to schoolGREENSBURG - Days after the deadly May 4 tornado took out this town, the superintendent of schools declared they'd have classes come August.Privately, folks in town thought the notion was crazy. No way it would happen, not when virtually everything was gone.Chalk one up for superintendent Darin Headrick.Not only was he right -- classes began Wednesday -- but USD 422 returned about 74 percent of its student body.It doesn't matter that the phone lines still aren't installed and all the computers haven't come in yet. Neither have the classroom boards and many of the chairs. Contractors are still working on the temporary cafeteria-auditorium, so food will be prepared at a nearby senior citizen center and driven over. Kids ate lunch inside their classrooms Wednesday and will for the next several weeks."But we have kids, teachers and textbooks," Headrick said. "We have everything we need to have school."With all remnants of the three school buildings wiped away, Greensburg now has a campus of 28 trailers with new sidewalks and a soon-to-be poured parking lot. The campus is set up just outside the city limits, on land where the junior high and elementary school used to sit.Older students will walk in and out of these units to switch classes with no halls to chat in or lockers to stand by. School life for now will consist of shuffling from trailer to trailer with a backdrop of devastation, and working construction crews, all around.Talk about cool, said Connor Staats, a Greensburg High School sophomore."Walking outside in between classes, that's my vision of what college is like," Staats, 15, said a few days before classes started."...For once, I've been looking forward to school."That's the type of attitude, one swimming in optimism, that permeates this town trying to resurrect itself. Kids don't talk about the schools and possessions they lost, they talk about finally seeing their friends and having some classrooms bigger than their old ones. They talk about all the school supplies people donated and the people who keep giving to their town."Every once in a while you stop and go, 'Wow, people are really nice,' " Connor said. "It's like, 'Thank you, people I don't know.' "Teachers don't care that computers haven't arrived yet, the Internet isn't installed and they still don't have those white boards they need for teaching. It's all about how great it is to do something they know and to be around students and colleagues they know.Amber Campbell, who has taught vocal music to grade schoolers at Greensburg the past seven years, spent her first day of school humming.So, at least in that way, it wasn't out of the normal.The modular building in which she was teaching isn't the best for acoustics, though."Let's just say it sounds really alive," Campbell said. "It's not dampered at all. It's just nice to have a building."The house Campbell shared with her husband, Loren, and their 2 ½-year-old daughter, Blythe, was destroyed by the tornado. They live in what Campbell calls the FEMA compound, just south of where the high school once sat on Main Street."This is an important day for our community," Campbell said. "If the school makes it, I think our community makes it."Greensburg could have had school in another town, merging with another district. But school and town officials knew the importance of teaching students from their home base. It wasn't only what was best for the students, but for Greensburg, Headrick said."We knew if we were going to get people to move back into town, we had to have a school here," he said. "We knew they had to have the motivation to move back."Ringing the school bell Wednesday didn't mean the work was done. It'll be weeks, possibly not until the first of October, until all the loose ends are cinched. The junior high school teacher who spoke Wednesday from a makeshift podium of stacked cardboard boxes may have to use that for a while. The industrial arts classroom won't be erected and ready to use for weeks. Teachers are still waiting for the chairs."... We're just going to make the best of it," said Laura Prosser, who teaches first grade. "That's pretty much our take on it. Taking it one day after another and seeing what comes out."August 9, 2007.......
Warren to help rebuild theater in Greensburg
Larry Burke wandered the streets of Greensburg in shock the night of May 4.Today, three months after a tornado leveled his hometown, the founder of Wichita's Copper Oven Cafe and Bakery is fighting back."I couldn't believe it that night. Still can't believe it," Burke said, shaking his head. "I remember walking west thinking 'Where will all this end, all the destruction?' It never did. You've just got to do something."That something is teaming with his old boss, Warren Theatres founder Bill Warren, on a grass-roots drive to rebuild downtown Greensburg's Twilight Theatre.Burke and Warren aren't talking restoration of the 1917-vintage art deco theater. They're talking bigger and better -- a 500-seat state-of-the-art theater to give back to the community."Greensburg needs a star," Burke said, "a centerpiece to pull people back into downtown. This is what I've got to do."Warren is already in for about $250,000 in projection and sound equipment, interior decor and the services of his Wichita architect, Ron Spangenberg.And Warren said he won't be shy about asking Hollywood for help with a project estimated to cost $1.2 million.He's got one person already on board -- Wichita native Dan Glickman, the president and chief executive of the Motion Picture Association of America."Theaters like the Twilight are not only a place to see movies but a center for social gathering in the community," Glickman said in an e-mail."I plan to donate funds to the worthy cause of rebuilding this historical landmark so it can continue to provide such a meeting place for people in and around Greensburg.""That's just great," said Twilight board member Randy Kelly, a Greensburg accountant. "We're going to need help, and I'm sure they have expertise that we're going to need."The project isn't a business deal for Burke and Warren. They intend to turn the theater back over to the nonprofit organization that has run it for the past 20 years"We're not making money here, we're raising it," Warren said. "And we're not talking about building it back the way it was. We're talking about a first-class theater and stage."I think that what that city needs is something to jump-start their economy again and a regional theater could do that. It can draw people in, get the sales tax coming back in."It's a way to give back to the community where he started his career, Burke said. He worked in the family-owned Burke Restaurant until 1994, then moved to Wichita a year later to run Warren's restaurants."These are self-sufficient people," said Burke, who drove to Greensburg the night of the tornado to check on the safety of relatives. "They work hard, and they clean up after themselves. They're not going to ask for much help."But they're going to need something to set the pace for their economy, to get people back in the notion of coming back to Greensburg. I think a theater that sets the standard is it."The Twilight plans are in the formative stages and can't proceed until the city and the Federal Emergency Management Agency complete a downtown restoration plan, Kelly said."Right now, we don't know where we can build," he said. "But there's going to be a theater, and maybe a community auditorium with it, I can tell you that."The idea today is to create a group of anchor tenants downtown, including Dillons, True Value Hardware, the theater and Fleener Furniture, a longtime Greensburg family business.A theater would be a major economic development boost to Greensburg's recovery, said John Fleener, the retiring president of Fleener's Inc."The theater's going to be very important to us," he said. "It's been a very vibrant theater and the people running it were doing an excellent job bringing in recent movies and drawing people to town."This would really help."******
Mobile home park opens up for Greensburg
7/30/07
GREENSBURG - Residents have begun moving into 300 mobile homes in Greensburg, in what officials hope is a temporary solution for those who lost their homes in the May 4 tornado.Fifty families have moved into the mobile homes, and 30 more were expected to be living in them by the end of the week, said Greg Hughes, a spokesman for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which provided the trailers.Another 220 families were expected to move into the mobile homes in the next several weeks, he said."Contractors have been working 24 hours a day for 70 days and built a small town in a very short period of time," Hughes said.The new 90-foot homes do not have the problems with formaldehyde fumes that have been reported by some Gulf Coast residents who moved into FEMA-provided trailers after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.The structures in Greensburg are mobile homes and are built differently than the trailers used in the Gulf Coast, Hughes said.The Greensburg residents will sign one-year, rent-free leases and have to pay only utility costs. The mobile homes are furnished and the 60-acre area where they are located has unpaved streets. Mail service was expected to start soon.And if another storm threatens the area, mobile-home residents will have 18 underground shelters equipped with electricity -- all no more than a minute away.Hughes emphasized that the units are only temporary housing until families rebuild. He expects the community to shrink a little every month until the homes are not longer needed."We hope everyone is out within the next 18 months," he said.......7/29/07
Greensburg has chance to rebuild green
What does it mean to be green?That's what Greensburg -- its residents and government officials -- and a growing number of out-of-towners are trying to determine as the town flattened by a tornado in May sets about rebuilding.It doesn't have to do only with the environment. It also has to do with politics, philosophy, money and even reality television.For those planning a new Greensburg, green is "all really fuzzy and gray right now," said Tod Ford, an architect with McCluggage Van Sickle & Perry in Wichita. The town hired the firm to help redevelop its infrastructure and commercial buildings.There really is no other "green town" in the United States, said Stephen Hardy, a city planner with Berkebile Nelson Immenschuh McDowell Architects in Kansas City, Mo. The firm specializes in sustainable design and has worked with other towns devastated by natural disasters. It has been hired by the state to do consulting work in Greensburg.But there are many shades of green, "an endless list of opportunities," Hardy said.A greener futureGreen generally refers to areas affecting health and the environment: energy efficiency, waste management, building practices, minimizing water use and improving indoor air quality.It's considered to have environmental, economic and even social benefits, Hardy said.In Greensburg, there is hope that going green would attract green industries and perhaps allow the town to make and export its own energy from the wind and the sun.There has been talk of wind turbines with solar panel backup, or a geothermal unit for the whole city that would run tubes underground to heat and cool buildings with the earth's constant temperature, said Chris Kliewer, president of the Wichita chapter of the American Institute of Architects, who has been involved in the green-up effort.In the social arena, Hardy said, the community could be laid out in a way that would allow residents to walk wherever they needed to go and make it easier to know their neighbors (cul-de-sacs are a thing of the past, he said).The philosophy, Hardy said, "is that every decision you make should insure that you're not compromising the ability of the next generation to be as prosperous or as healthy as you are. Basically you're going to think about everything you do over time."Not for everyoneCity Manager Steve Hewitt says that "absolutely" City Hall will be "as green as we can make it. And we're going to encourage the county and the hospitals and the schools in that direction."He hopes the government's leadership will encourage residents to go green when building their houses, but "I don't think you're going to see the City Council mandate green," he said.The town has been talking with its electric provider, Sunflower Electric, about alternatives, but big electric companies are limited on how much more wind power they can take on, Hewitt said.All of the consultants working with Greensburg say that many of the decisions will be up to the community. Architect Hardy said he has met with a supportive spirit in Greensburg that he has not encountered in any other recovering town. But he said he knows the enthusiasm for green is not universal.Politics can enter into how people perceive green, said Daniel Wallach of nearby Stafford County. He has started a nonprofit group called Greensburg GreenTown to help turn the city into a model.The environmental movement is often seen as the domain of liberals, but Wallach said politics has nothing to do with what should be going on in Greensburg."Breathing clean air and drinking clean water where generations can live and have economic viability are not political issues," Wallach said."I'm finding that the key is education. That once people understand it they say, 'Yeah this is how we want to live.' " In fact, he said, "folks in the rural areas have been doing 'green' for generations. And this is nothing new. It's about bringing new technologies to the values and lifestyles."Cost: A lot more greenBut building in an environmentally conscious way costs more. The higher costs are supposed to be more than offset by energy savings over time, but the up front money still must be paid, said architect Ford."It's going to be a struggle financially," Hewitt said. Greensburg is counting heavily on the Federal Emergency Management Agency to help pay to replace lost infrastructure, but FEMA only pays a replacement cost. For example, it would pay for overhead electrical lines, not underground ones, Hewitt said.The city is talking with governmental and nonprofit entities about getting more money to rebuild in a new way. Wallach said he will pursue grants and gifts from philanthropists. Green is the key to helping Greensburg avoid economic depressions that small towns often experience, he said.One other possible source of money is a cable television show about Greensburg that Discovery Communications plans called "Eco-Town." Shooting a 13-part reality series about rebuilding the town green comes with the promise of help to make it happen."We're still talking to them," Hewitt said this week. "I hope this works. There's still a lot to come out about it -- how it's going to work, so many questions." But, he said, "we have to look at every opportunity."......May 31, 2007 Greensburg Recovery Update:
U.S. Highway 54 into Greensburg, which has been closed to all traffic except emergency vehicles since May 4, will reopen on Monday, June 4. North and south turns from Highway 54 will be unavailable at Cherry, Spruce, Grove, Walnut, Sycamore, Oak, Cedar and Maple. There will be stop signs at U.S. 54 and Main and U.S. 54 and Bay Street.Recovery operations continue in Greensburg as water service has been restored to approximately 50 percent of the town. Electric power is also being restored as fast as possible.More than 75 percent of debris has been removed, involving more than 24,000 loads. Property owners have until June 15 to begin or commit to debris removal for their property. After that date, the city will begin evaluating the properties for possible demolition by the city. Properties would be assessed the costs associated with this removal.The Kansas National Guard still has approximately 40 Guardsmen on duty in Greensburg assisting with debris removal. Additional support personnel are on duty in the State Emergency Operations in Topeka and at the 184th Air Refueling Wing in Wichita.A structural engineer inspection is needed for property owners who wish to rebuild a home or business. This is required before a building permit can be issued. Reconstruction assistance programs are available through the Kansas Housing Resources Corporation - 785-296-5865 or www.kshousingcorp.org..........May 25, 2007 ...Greensburg Recovery Update... Information in this update includes the following: Memorial Day Weekend in Greensburg; Rodeo underway; Infrastructure Improvements; Debris Removal Update; and Safety Precautions for Workers and ResidentsMemorial Day Weekend in GreensburgThe town of Greensburg is preparing for Memorial Day weekend. The cemetery will be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, May 27 and Monday, May 28.....The cemetery routes are U.S. 54 east to U.S. 183, then north to California Avenue, and east to the north cemetery gate or U.S. 54 west to County Road 33, then north to California Avenue, then west to the north cemetery gate. The south gate will be closed.Rodeo underwayThe 43rd Annual Greensburg Rodeo is getting underway. Performances begin tonight, May 25, at 8 p.m. and will also be held tomorrow at 8 p.m. For more information about the rodeo call 620-546-4359 or the KPRA at 580-349-5772.Infrastructure ImprovementsWater, electricity, gas and sewer systems are all in the process of being repaired and services restored. A few areas of town have water and electricity.Debris Removal UpdateThe landfill will be closed Sunday, May 27 and Monday, May 28 for maintenance over the Memorial Day holiday. No one will be allowed to use the landfill during this time. It will reopen Tuesday. An estimated 63 percent of the debris has been hauled out of Greensburg.Safety Precautions for Workers and ResidentsMedical professionals in Greensburg are treating cuts, scrapes and infections from injuries sustained by workers and residents cleaning up the area. Individuals are asked to dress appropriately for the environment to prevent injury. This includes wearing the appropriate shoes, gloves, hats and masks for working in the d
