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How Long Can You Hold Your Breath?

Posted by: Pat Carbonell on September 1, 2011.

People, some outside of the state, some inside, keep holding their breaths and waiting for the insanity to start here in Vermont. They’re waiting for the human vultures to start picking over the unguarded. They’re waiting for the predators to start bamboozling us backwoods hicks. They’re waiting for the looting, the bullying (yes, grown-ups bully too), the rioting, the finger-pointing, the not-my-problem avoidance of responsibility. They’re waiting for us to start screaming that the government isn’t doing enough/anything/the right things. They’re waiting for us to sit on our haunches and wait to be rescued. They are going to be waiting a long time.

Rochester, Vermont (est. 1781, pop. 1,171)

While I have lived most of my adult life in Rutland, I was a child in Rochester in the 1960’s. While there is no sense of comparative damages yet, Rochester is holding the dubious distinction of being the town where they’re trying to recover all the caskets and bodies that were torn out of the town cemetery by its “placid” little brook. Emergency access was just restored yesterday.

The Green Mountains run north-south in this state, creating basically three mega-valleys. One runs up the west side of the state and includes Lake Champlain. One runs down the east side of the state and follows the Connecticut River. The third runs down the middle. That’s where Rochester is, almost the geographical center of the state. Access to the town is north and south on Rt. 100, westward over the Brandon Gap on Rt. 73, and eastward via the Bethel Mountain Road. All four of those routes were cut off by the floodwaters.

Rt. 73 in Rochester (Caleb Kenna)

Of particular concern was Rt. 73, which was also washed out at the Brandon end, leaving the tiny village of Goshen, up on the mountain in between, cut off from both directions.

Now, Rochester had enough to deal with. The flood took out the power substation (CVPS is trucking in a temporary one while they rebuild the permanent one), there was no land or cellular phone service, and with no supermarket in town food supplies were pretty limited. Then there were the floating caskets, damaged homes and so forth. So you want to hear what they did about Goshen?

The people found two massive trees long enough to reach across the river where the Rt. 73 bridge used to be. They cut them down, trimmed them and dropped them across to form a substantial foot bridge. They even put up a handrail.

Then volunteers crossed over and started hiking up the road to check on everybody that was stranded.

Substation Wreckage (Steve Costello)

A photo turned up today on the Vermont Today website of a Rochester man who was actually in his home when the waters ripped it from the foundation and started carrying it downstream. He was pulled from the house by his neighbors.

The bed and breakfast in town has hosted town-wide meals. The grocery store opened its doors and freezers and refrigerators to give away all the perishable foods before they were lost (no power, remember). People with generators who can keep food are letting neighbors without store their food with them. The gas station instituted rationing to keep everyone supplied as long as possible. There seems to be a community meal daily, as people working together to clean up the town stop to eat together, too.

People are getting a little desperate for a shower, though. Once the emergency road was opened, CVPS sent in literally dozens of repair trucks to clear the damage to the substation and lines throughout the town. With the temporary substation, they’re hoping to have power restored by Sunday/Monday to most of the town. Fairpoint announced today the restoration of landline phone service to the center of town. They hope to have streets added to that soon.

Mendon / Killington (est. 1781/1761, pop. 1,059/811)

Killington Wetlands before Irene

I spoke yesterday with a friend who lives on Journey’s End Road, off a section of US 4 east that is cut off to all but emergency vehicles (and they only got through yesterday). It was wonderful to hear her voice, and find out that they were coping just fine. The road, which is technically a dead end, has a road captain who was coordinating with the local emergency management folks. One of Judy’s neighbors is the owner of a local pizza joint, and had hiked out via a trail at the dead end. Yesterday she was taking orders for needed supplies that she would pick up in Rutland, and then people would meet her at the trail head to hike them back in (Judy ordered cat food).

Work at the River Road washout (Toby Talbot, AP)

News hit today that credits the opening of US 4 east, on the other side of Mendon Mountain in Killington, to a local contractor. Craig Mosher (owner of Mosher Excavating, Inc.) and his crew of four, who came in on ATVs, got permission from the state to handle it the best they could. They filled in the road and returned the brook to its original bed, so that the road could be opened to let people leave the Killington area. The first morning, yesterday, there were 200+ cars waiting in line to leave – mostly from out of state. The road will be open for two hours daily for now, one hour going in each direction, between Woodstock to the east and Killington.

Heroes

There are hundreds of heroes across the state, and slowly their stories will be told. For me, not having any credentials to get me anywhere I want to go to see things firsthand, I have two personal heroes right now (not counting Craig Mosher).

The Rutland Herald has had a staff photographer hiking and hitchhiking his way through the devastated areas since Monday. Vyto Starinskos made it into Killington before the emergency crews, and Rochester ahead of CVPS. This guy, who gets to photograph local events normally, is doing the type of boots on the ground reporting that you expect out of a war zone correspondent. He is the source of a lot of the materials I’ve been passing on to you. He deserves our recognition and gratitude.

The second is a website. Vermont Today is a breaking news blog out of the Rutland Herald and Times Argus newspapers. It is hosted live in the mornings by Darren Marcy and Cristina Kumka, supported by state editor Rob Mitchell. Their news is up there, with as little spit and polish as needed, way before AP and Reuters file theirs. It has been my go-to site for days. From what Darren has been saying, they’ve been shackled to their computers practically 24/7 since Irene headed our way. They are providing a fine and needed service to the state, and likewise deserve recognition and gratitude.

Bridge in Ludlow (Joshua Lambert, Burlington Free Press)

So, are you still holding your breath? Really? Have you heard about the Black River High School soccer team and friends that opted to skip practice to go haul soggy furniture and ruined possessions out of people’s houses for them in Ludlow? How about Okemo Mountain Resort turning the final date of their summer music series into a four-band, six hour free benefit concert for folks from that area of the state?

We always hate to disappoint folks, but we are not a state that breeds the helpless. If you’re not talking seven generations of Yankees, you’re talking multiple waves of immigrants, and you’re talking flatland refugees from the sixties and seventies who came here for the simpler life. We are a bunch of contrary, independent, opinionated so-and-sos. We love to argue, excuse me, debate. We have our differences.

But when it counts, they don’t meant squat. We take care of each other, whether we know your name or not. Sometimes it’s hot chocolate and a blanket at 3 am while you wait inside for the tow truck because you missed the curve in the snowstorm, or a shovel and a broom to help you dig out your cellar after Irene.

But ya’ll just keep on holding your breath. I hear that after you pass out, you start breathing again.