Local

The cameras were gone, tornado’s path lifted, and birds singing under a clouded spring sky April 23, as the second of two cleanup efforts got underway in Stanley Wisconsin from the December 15 tornado. With winter over and snow melted, it was time for the follow-up.

Gathering in the morning and afternoon at the Stanley Community Center Saturday April 23 and fanning out to their assigned properties to cleanup up on oak, second and fourth avenue, Franklin, and beyond, the community of

Jason and Charlotte Meyer were busy raking with Caden Koepl on Jeuerson Street Sat urday.

Photo by Joseph Back.

From Page 1

Stanley Wisconsin got to work cleaning up the after December 15 tornado. So how’d it go?

“They’re going spectacular,” SCA president Kristi Weiland said when asked ‘how things were going’ just after 11 in the morning. “Tons of people have showed up. We’ve had people from Tilden and Merrill. We got all the residential stuu done. Some of the trees are in places that are too dangerous or we’d do more damage to the yard,” she said. SCA representative Nikki Witt shared that the Rodeo had also gotten involved.

“The Stanley Rodeo Committee donated tickets for a drawing,” she said. The tickets themselves were for a drawing for free tickets to the Stanley Rodeo. Erin Plombon, meanwhile, who helped come up with the idea for free emergency kits, shared her take on the importance of followup after the tornado.

“It’s kind of like a funeral,” she said of dealing with the trauma of a natural disaster like the December tornado. “When you lose someone people want to bring you things, but it’s the time after that people need you to remember the most.”

Turning from the Community Center to go out into the community cleanup, we found volunteers including Jason and Char- lotte Meyer out by Jeuerson Street on the north side. So how were things going?

"Good," the Ward 2 alderman said. "Rain is holding ou. Wet enough as it is.” The rain would return later that day, but given what the forecast could have been it wasn’t bad, a light drizzle with the temperature at 57 degrees. Stanley-Boyd biology teacher Mary McIntyre shared her gratitude for help with cleanup, also on the north side.

“My gratitude cannot be put into words that these people came to help me,” she said, listing Karen and Barry Eslinger along with the Meyers. “They have renewed my faith in humanity,” she said, adding that she didn’t otherwise have a way to move things.

Not to be left out from the list of helpers, meanwhile, student age workers were also at work around town, including Caden Koepl (with the Meyers), Joseph Hendrickson, and others. Su- perintendent Jeu Koenig and Erika Koenig were out working as well, along with several council and school board members, among others. Before long it was back to the community Center for lunch at noon. Included in the ouerings were potato chips, Doritos, hostess twinkies and more, ham and turkey sandwiches, water, Powerade, and Gatorade. The general food area was staued by Lori Peterson of the Salvation Army and Trulena Nel son-Schneider of the Stanley Community Association. So how were things progressing?

“Good,” Peterson said, saying that there had been around 80 volunteers. A check with Kristi Weiland at the registration desk showed 60, but some had just gone out and started helping, she said. Meanwhile, there were trees planted, with results still to come in the years ahead.

Taking time out to dig holes and plant small seedlings Saturday at the Chapman Park Campground were Lance and Lawson Weiland, with “lots of water” underground for the tree roots, courtesy of a rain on Friday (which also cancelled sports that night). Assuming the line of trees along the front of the campground become established, the shade and CO2 conversion in years to come will be helpful. So what about help now that the cleanup day is past? We asked Kristi Weiland back at the Community Center.

“If someone isn’t physically able to do the work themselves, they can email [email protected] and we will attempt to give them help,” she said. “They should not just email because they want help with yard work.” With spring coming on fast, Saturday’s helpers, will soon have their own yard work to do. All in all though, a successful cleanup day.