On May 4th, 2007 Greensburg, Kansas was hit by a EF-5 tornado 1.7 miles wide with a wind speed of 205 MPH. 95% of the beautiful town was wiped off the face of the map!
I started this page to help the people of Greensburg, Kansas rebuild their town! Most of the residents there lost everything! I am blessed with a beautiful wife, a loving family, awesome friends, a nice home, plenty of food to eat, clothes, a truck to drive around, I have access to doctors and medicine. God bless you!
Mark Howard
Wichita, Kansas, Midway USA.
Music
Movies
Chariots of Fire
Television
Weather Channel, Sports, History Channel, CNN, FOX, MSNBC....
Books
The Bible
Heroes
Jesus! ****** Do you have the peace of sins forgiven, and a hope beyond the grave? We need to be prepared to meet God before it is too late. Are you ready? If you died today, do you know if you would make it to heaven? The heart of the Gospel Message of salvation is found in the Holy Bible in John 3:16. John 3:16: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. You can become a child of God and inherit eternal life in heaven when you die. Ask Jesus to save you today. Romans 3:23: All have sinned and come short of the glory of God. Then where will those that reject Gods plan of Salvation go to get their wages? The answer: Hell! Psalm 9:17: The wicked shall be turned into hell, and all the nations that forget God. Romans 6:23: For the wages of sin is death: but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Matthew 10:28: And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. Romans 5:8: But God demonstrates His love toward us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Are we saved by good works? The answer: No! Ephesians 2:8,9: For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. James 2:10: For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. How to be saved: Romans 10:9: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. To accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior, ask Him into your heart and He will save your soul! "Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. Forgive me of all my sins! I repent of my sins. I believe you died on the cross and rose from the dead on the third day for me. I now receive you as my personal Lord and Savior! In Jesus' name I pray, Amen!" Always remember Jesus loves you and that Satan was defeated at the cross!
About me: On May 4th, 2007 Greensburg, Kansas was hit by a EF-5 tornado 1.7 miles wide with a wind speed of 205 MPH. 95% of the beautiful town was wiped off the face of the map. Many Lives, homes, businesses, vehicles etc..were lost!
The people of Greensburg are rebuilding their town one day at a time. They are strong people going through tough times!
Please pray for them!
....The first tornado warning with this cell was issued at 8:35 p.m. CDT for Clark County, Kansas. Several storm chasers captured the formation of a tornado southwest of Greensburg around 9:30 PM CDT. The tornado apparently strengthened as it neared Greensburg, and at 9:38 PM CDT, storm chasers reported that it had grown to over 1/2 mile (0.8 km) in diameter. Several satellite tornadoes were observed as the monstrous wedge approached the town of Greensburg. The tornado plowed through the city shortly after it was intercepted by storm chasers. It was an estimated 1.4 miles in diameter and producing winds reaching an estimated 205 mph (indicative of EF-5 strength).
The town mayor would later state that 95% of his community had been damaged or completely demolished; Memorial Hospital sustained heavy damage (as many as 30 people may have initially been trapped inside). A motel on the west edge of town, two schools, a tractor supply company, the Greensburg City Hall and other businesses fell victim to the violent winds. The city's water tower was completely toppled and smashed. The Big Well which is the world's largest hand-dug well was also affected with the visitor's center being completely destroyed. Train cars were also reported to be overturned and hazardous materials teams were called to inspect the wreckage. The courthouse and the grain elevator were spared the worst of the tornado's effects. The tornado continued north before dissipating, and by several accounts continued to grow as it left town. In Pratt County the tornado destroyed more homes, including one that was swept off its foundation. The Total path length was 22 miles, and the width of the funnel reached 1.7 miles.
Hours after the tornado hit, the city was fully evacuated as it was judged unsafe. Some of the injuries were transferred to hospitals in Dodge City and in Wichita. The Kansas National Guard was called in to assist in the security measures. Over 100 Red Cross officials were called in while some will work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the recovery efforts. Shelters have been established at the Haviland high school and Barclay College in nearby Haviland, Kansas and the Oddfellow Lodge in Macksville, Kansas. The American Red Cross is maintaining a registry of "Safe and Well" families at their website disastersafe.redcross.org. Kansas governor Kathleen Sebelius and President George W. Bush have declared Kiowa County a disaster area. The tornado was later rated as an EF5 on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
The tornado also affected several other communities in Kiowa County including Trousdale and Macksville. The same supercell spawned additional tornadoes that caused significant damage across Barton County where it affected the towns of Ellinwood and Claflin about two hours after the Greensburg tornado. Another tornado later hit the Holyrood area causing additional damage.
The Greensburg tornado was the first ever EF5 since the Enhanced Fujita Scale was implemented on February 1, 2007. Including when the older Fujita Scale existed, the last F5 to hit the United States was on May 3, 1999 during the Oklahoma Tornado Outbreak, when a tornado destroyed Bridge Creek.For the latest news on Greensburg, Kansas. visit: www.kansas.com, www.ksn.com, or www.kake.com. Kansas Tornado history URL: http://www.kansas.com/news/databases/story/749218.html
Riding the Storm Out .. Add to My Profile | More VideosTornado Destruction .. Add to My Profile | More VideosMay 3, 2009 Wichita Eagle kansas.com
A greener Greensburg grows on Kansas prairie
GREENSBURG - The mayor of Greensburg guides the city-leased hybrid Ford Escape around a corner and pulls to a stop. "Wow, I hadn't seen this," he says. "Another new home going in." Two years after an EF-5 tornado killed 11 people and swept away 90 percent of the town, so much has changed in Greensburg that even the mayor has to stay alert to keep up with it.
"If you don't drive around but about twice a week, you miss what's going on," Bob Dixson says.
Over there, for example, just south of the Kwik Shop on U.S. 54, is an arts center, a glass and wood rectangle that looks like a work of art.
A new business incubator has just opened on the highway. A new City Hall is about to open. A new school is under construction. So are a new hospital and a new courthouse.
New homes, duplexes and apartments have sprung up to form new neighborhoods. FEMAville, the trailer park put up by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, will shut down this week.
Population is on the rise. A year ago, only 700 of the town's original 1,400 residents remained. Now there are 800, including some newcomers, according to the city.
And school enrollment is up.
Meanwhile, the town is following through on its commitment to rebuild "green," using eco-friendly recycled and energy efficient materials.
It already boasts two LEED platinum buildings, the highest rating of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program.
About 40 other "green" projects are under way or are planned.
Silo-shaped, eco-friendly concrete domes built for housing and business are part of the town's new landscape.
Cubed structures designed by architecture and design students at Kansas State University to showcase a variety of green technologies squat behind the arts center.
Greensburg is not so much a small town rebuilding out of rubble as a new form of a community rising naturally from the prairie.
The town is drawing as much on its pioneer past as the technological future in the way it uses and conserves natural resources.
"We are the new pioneers of the 21st century in many ways," Dixson says.
Living laboratory
Greensburg has become a living laboratory in green. Residents are fluent in green-speak. Words like ICF construction, carbon footprint and geothermal wells sprinkle conversation wherever they gather.
The culture of the rest of the country is changing as people lose homes and jobs in the economic downturn and try to figure out how to live within their means.
Greensburg's culture changed in 15 minutes.
Dixson was in his basement when it happened. He usually goes outside when sirens sound. But this time he sensed he should go below.
He and his wife, Ann, pulled rugs over their heads and waited.
The first thing he heard was debris hitting the sides of the 1912 Victorian house above him. Then the windows exploded. Then the house came apart.
Dixson describes the sound this way:
"If you take a crowbar and pull a nail out of a piece of old yellow pine, you know how it creaks? Multiply that about 10,000 times," he says.
The tornado, a massive wedge nearly two miles wide, seemed to Dixson to take forever to pass.
When the wind subsided, he threw off the rug, stood up and hada 360-degree view of rubble.
About a year later, Dixson, 55, lanky and soft spoken, became mayor of the rubble.
The former postmaster felt no pressure leading a town starting over from scratch. The opportunity to build "green" and leave that legacy to future generations is exciting.
"This feeds me," he says. "This is a passion."
'An ongoing process'
Signs of the tornado remain. Across the street from the sleek new art center a pair of concrete stairs lead to nowhere.
City streets still are lined with stunted trees, their branches and bark shorn by the storm.
A few damaged houses fester unattended. Streets remain damaged by the heavy equipment that rumbled over them to clear debris.
And for all the new construction under way, the town still feels empty. Winds blow through unchecked by trees or structures. Sounds of hammers echo from blocks away. The smell of dirt and construction fill the air.
Dixson still sees people on the streets who have what he calls a "tornado in the headlights" look.
It is a look of anger, frustration, impatience, irritation.
"It's a struggle for all of us. We all have our moments when it all comes back," Dixson says. "All we can do is make sure we take care of each other. That's what it's about."
Dixson pulls the hybrid Ford over to a neglected house and sighs for the owners of new homes beside it.
The city is still struggling to get some owners to deal with their damaged houses and clean up the debris.
"It's just an ongoing process," he says.
He points out the streetlights. Greensburg is the first city in the state with all LED (light emitting diode) streetlights. More than 300 of them offer wide arcs of soft illumination to bathe streets in the night.
"In maintenance and energy consumption, it's a savings of around 70 percent from the old ones," Dixson says.
"This isn't academic 'green,' but the real stuff," he says.
Leaders hope the town's greening efforts lure new businesses that want to be part of the movement and trade on Greensburg's brand name.
The town needs jobs.
"Companies are showing interest, but the economy didn't help us," Dixson says.
Some residents have stopped waiting.
Jeff Robinson, 42, who lost his job when the tornado wiped out the Coastal Mart, is packing his silver Ford pickup outside one of the last trailers in FEMAville. He is leaving because it is too expensive to build green, and he has another job in a Kwik Shop in Hutchinson, he says.
Robinson, who has lived in the trailer since August after moving around, says he was "green" before "green" was cool, but the cost of building a house is more than $100,000, and mortgages are too high.
Also "the city promised there would be jobs, but nobody's come," Robinson says.
Jeanette Siemens, Kiowa County economic development director, acknowledges that expectations were to have new jobs by now.
It hasn't worked out. But she still gets calls from businesses showing interest. Among them are a couple of manufacturers and smaller retailers, she says. "We still think it's going to happen. It's pretty much a given."
Small rural towns, as a rule, don't grow. But with new businesses, new jobs, new homes, schools and hospitals, Dixson and other leaders predict the town will reach its previous population of 1,400 in three years, then keep growing.
"I think without question it's going to be bigger," says Daniel Wallach, executive director and founder of Greensburg GreenTown, a nonprofit group helping the city go green. "I may be the only one in town that's concerned about growth planning."
What Greensburg has
Two years after the tornado took everything away, this is what Greensburg has now:
A business incubator at Main and U.S. 54 houses a paint center, a glassworks business, an attorney and several returning businesses.
Actor Leonardo DiCaprio added $400,000 to state and federal emergency funds and corporate donations to construct the $3.4 million building.
Tenants in the eco-friendly building pay modest rent in a start-up phase until they are ready to move into their own buildings.
The town has a new Dillons grocery story, a John Deere dealership that uses wind power, a General Motors dealership, and a new bank, all built with energy efficient construction.
Soon to open is a $3 million City Hall made of recycled brick and wood, designed to be the first LEED platinum city hall in the nation. Tours start this weekend.
It has the 5.4.7. Art Center, designed by graduate architecture students from the University of Kansas and named for the date of the tornado.
The LEED platinum structure is made of wood recycled from the Army depot plant in DeSoto. An outer glass shell protects ultraviolet rays from deteriorating the wood.
A 15-inch gap between the wood and glass allows a natural air flow that keeps the wood cool in the summer.
The center is powered by three wind turbines, has a green roof with plants, and features solar panels and geothermal wells.
"We've had people from all over the United States who saw it on TV and want to see it in person," says Stacy Barnes, the center's director and manager of the Big Well.
Workers are still cleaning the Big Well to make it safe for tours, Barnes says. Funds are being sought for a new museum for the well, which could open by the end of 2010, she says.
More is on the way:
Another bank; a business center with nine store fronts on the first block of Main Street; a $3.9 million downtown streetscape due to be completed in September; a $49.3 million, LEED-platinum school due to open in fall 2010; a $25 million LEED-platinum county hospital expected to be complete in 2010; new eco-friendly churches; and a 10-turbine wind farm that will provide enough power to meet the city's energy needs.
City projects total about $27 million, with funding from FEMA, USDA Rural Development, and the Kansas Housing Resource Agency, as well as insurance and donations.
The city learned Friday that proposed funds from the Kansas Department of Emergency Management for some of the projects will be delayed until the state budget issues are resolved.
Mennonite Housing is helping build energy-efficient homes.
"I'm extremely intoxicated by the effort," says Steve Hewitt, city administrator. "It's been difficult on me and on my personal family life. But as a career-oriented kind of guy... to be a part of so many wonderful projects is really amazing."
"Everything was an unknown two years ago," Greensburg GreenTown's Wallach says. "So to have an entire plan laid out and all these buildings in process, it's a huge, huge step.
"The heart of the community is back."
One green home
South of town, Greg and Lisa Waters have settled into their new two-story home, a traditional-looking house that is one of the most energy efficient in the city.
It is built with insulated concrete forms that fit together like Legos rising all the way to the ceiling line, and uses geothermal heating and cooling.
The temperature outside is 88 degrees, but it is 76 degrees inside and only ceiling fans are on.
Temperatures in the house stay fairly steady all year.
"We don't have to do a lot of raising and lowering the thermostat," Greg Waters says.
The old home, a ranch house built in the early 1960s, had winter heating bills of $500 to $600 monthly, Waters says.
Peak winter bills now won't go over $200, he says. Their most recent bill in their new, larger home, was $160.
Funding for the $340,000 house came from insurance and the Small Business Administration disaster loan program, said Waters, a branch manager and loan officer at People's Bank.
"What I was really excited about was having cement all the way to the roof," Waters said.
He was the only member of the family at home during the tornado, huddling with the dog, Zip, in a basement bathroom.
Not everybody bought in to the green concept, Hewitt says.
"I still think there's some resistance, because you can't make everybody happy," he says, "but overall the majority of the community sees it's better for everybody."
Going green gives the city a fighting chance to survive and prosper, he says, while other rural towns are disappearing.
Greensburg on TV
Two years after the storm took everything away from the town, residents are still watching themselves rebuild it on television.
Several hundred residents gathered in the school gym on a recent night to preview an episode of the second season of the Discovery Network series "Greensburg" on the Planet Green channel. The episodes start today
Before the screening, Allan Butler, the show's executive producer, says the Greensburg story continues to draw more viewer comments than any other Planet Green show.
"I think it's because it's just a story that touches on so many emotional levels of people overcoming long odds," he says.
Butler shows the audience the season's second episode, featuring some of the people in the gym, as well as a tour in November of an earthquake-ravaged province in central China by Dixson, Hewitt and school superintendent Darin Headrick. They signed an eco-development agreement with the Chinese government while they were there.
The audience watches the episode closely and applauds when it ends. Several approach Butler to thank him and to ask how to get copies of the show.
Taylor Schmidt, an 18-year-old high school senior, is in the show. He and other teens are shown gathering scrap metal from the countryside to use as part of a bench made of wood recycled from storm-damaged trees. The bench now sits at the school.
Schmidt is a member of the "Green Club," a growing group of students who share the "green" passion.
"Before the tornado I was ready to get out of Greensburg -- attend a university out of the state, and stay out. After the tornado, it really opened my eyes to what an incredible community Greensburg is, how unique it is," Schmidt says.
He faces a tough decision after he graduates from Kansas State University, he says. He could go elsewhere, but he also could come home. Greensburg is providing opportunities in sustainable development that larger cities aren't, he says.
"Greensburg is a city of miracles. I feel blessed every day to be part of this community," he says.-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dillons store reopens in Greensburg
The Wichita Eagle
Feb 11, 2009
The Greensburg High School marching band played for the grand reopening of the Dillons grocery store in Greensburg. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius and Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano attended the celebration.
Finger on the Weather: Greensburg’s thoughts turn to Lone Grove
Galleries: Greensburg tornado destruction and recovery
GREENSBURG - It looked and sounded like a homecoming pep rally in Greensburg on Wednesday, with more than 100 people crowded together, beaming as the high school pep band played at full throttle.
In a sense, it was Homecoming Day: A grocery store has returned to Greensburg.
A new Dillons -- the south-central Kansas town's largest retailer -- opened Wednesday, about 21 months after a tornado wiped out 95 percent of the town, killing 11 people.
Gov. Kathleen Sebelius returned to the Kiowa County seat, more than 100 miles west of Wichita, for the opening.
She brought along new Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, who wanted a look at Greensburg's recovery efforts.
"You are an example for all of us," Napolitano told the crowd, standing at a makeshift lectern set up next to shelves packed with potatoes, tomatoes and onions.
Napolitano and Sebelius also walked along Main Street, visited the Big Well and looked at the site where the town's new school will be built.
"You are being watched around the country and around the world," for how a town should rebuild after a massive disaster, Sebelius said.
Even as officials ceremoniously snipped a gold ribbon with oversize scissors, residents were shopping inside the new store, which boasts three distinct components: a convenience store, deli and grocery store. It is three times the size of the convenience store that opened early in the town's recovery efforts.
Residents said the store was more than a place to get groceries and gasoline. Perched next to U.S. 54, it's a sign that their town is a survivor.
"Words cannot describe this," local resident Carolyn Irvin said, struggling with her emotions as she spoke. "We have something back that we had before."
Irvin, who works at Kiowa County Memorial Hospital, attended the opening ceremony in her work uniform.
Much like the small limbs sprouting from tornado-ravaged trees around town, signs of recovery are blossoming around Greensburg.
The First Baptist Church across U.S. 54 from the Dillons has stained glass windows in place, the World's Largest Hand-Dug Well is open for visitors again, and there's an entire block of new homes on Morton Street south of downtown.
Greensburg's survival hinged on being able to have a hospital, a grocery store and a school, local officials told Sebelius in the days following the tornado.
One by one, those cornerstones are being laid:
Construction on a new, 15-bed hospital began last fall; the grocery store has reopened; and crews on Tuesday began tearing up the track around the football field, where the new 130,000-square-foot school will be built.
Hospital officials hope to move into their new home in December. School administrators hope to start the 2010-11 school year in their new building, which will have one wing for high school students and another for elementary and junior high students.
"This is not about us," Mayor Bob Dixson said. "This is about the legacy we are going to leave for our future generations."----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
6/15/08
Planet Green's World Premiere Television Event, Greensburg, Chronicles the Rebirth of a Kansas Town
- 13-Part Series, executive produced by Craig Piligian's Pilgrim Films and
Television, Inc. & Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way, Premieres June 15 -
SILVER SPRING, Md. In May 2007, Greensburg,
Kansas was leveled by one of the largest tornados in U.S. history. Very few
structures remained in the aftermath of the deadly EF5 tornado, and the
town lost everything. Inspired by the desire of the townspeople to rebuild
'green,' Planet Green is chronicling the rebuilding of Greensburg into an
environment- conscious town. The epic docu-series is a mixture of
compelling human stories and amazing feats of green building and
engineering that will give the people of Greensburg a new home and a new
town built for the future. GREENSBURG will premiere on Planet Green on
Sunday, June 15 at 9:00 PM ET/PT and will air every Sunday for 12
additional weeks.
With more than 1,500 people displaced by the tornado and waiting to
return to their homes, the series will document the story of a community
coming together and the enormous scope of greening a small city from
climate impact to architecture, building and design to the personal stories
of those impacted by the disaster. "We're starting from the beginning,"
said Steve Hewitt, Greensburg's city planner. "We're creating a town and
building it energy effectively and rebuilding it green."
"The chance to rebuild Greensburg as an eco-friendly community is a
model for the communities throughout the U.S. and throughout the world,"
said executive producer Leonardo DiCaprio. Fueled by their ambitious goal
to create a green community and by experts and leaders such as visionary
John Picard, one of the preeminent energy, technology, telecommunications
and real estate infrastructure advisors in North America and Asia, the
people of Greensburg each have their own personal and compelling stories
through which the overall story of the rebuilding of Greensburg will be
told.
From the high school principal's commitment to make the school green
and sustainable to the single mother trying to support her children, and
who is now uncertain about their housing situation, viewers will see the
aftermath of the destruction and the deep faith and commitment to
Greensburg that keeps the townspeople rooted there.
Planet Green will tell the compelling story of Greensburg in a 13-part
series. Greensburg is also the subject of featured programming on the
Discovery Communications, Inc. sister networks Discovery Channel, Science
Channel and TLC.
Craig Piligian's production company, Pilgrim Films and Television, Inc,
executive produced the series with Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way for
Planet Green. Timothy Kuryak is executive producer for Planet Green.
Planet Green is Discovery Communications' global, cross-company
initiative with a commitment to document, preserve and celebrate the
planet, including the 24-hour television network in more than 50 million
homes. Planet Green speaks to people who want to understand green living
and to those who truly want to make a difference by providing tools and
information to meet the critical challenge of protecting our environment.
About Discovery Communications:
Discovery Communications is the number-one nonfiction media company
reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170
countries. Through TV and digital media, Discovery's 100-plus worldwide
networks include Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, The Science
Channel, Discovery Health and Discovery HD Theater. Discovery
Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Co. (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB),
Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder
and chairman. For more information please visit
http://www.discoverycommunications.com...............
............5/5/08
Tornado victims' memorial dedicated
Greensburg memorial
These 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, 79
Larry Hoskins, 51
Evelyn Kelly, 75
David Lyon, 48
Colleen Panzer, 77
Ron Rediger, 57
Harold Schmidt, 77
Sarah Tackett, 72
Beverly Volz, 52
Richard 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 2008
Lane Alan Allison
Natalie Cassandra Blackburn
Megan Rachelle Booth
Justin LeRoy Brokar
David Jerome Cesmat
Kasha Marie Charlton
Kacey Ann Fulton
Megan Louise Gardiner
Jayvid Franklin Guyette
Lindsey Nicole Heft
Joshua Leigh Looney
Tracy Marie Martin
Sara JoAnn McVay
Jarrett Bert Schaef
Logan Jennings Waters
Jubal Webster
Eric David White
Aaron Lee Widner
Seldom 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, determination
While 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 bond
Bush 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 joke
When 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 photos
After 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 progress
A 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 green
When 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 businesses
Other 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 renewal
Even 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.........
Seeking Musicians to play First Friday!
Wichita's Music Crawl - Launching April 3rd, 2009
Learn more about how to submit by navigating to:
http://www.firstfriday.org/?cat=12
SUBMISSIONS DUE MARCH 15th
12 Venues in Old Town & Pay For All Participating Artists - be a part of it.
Jared Brickman @ ROKICT!
http://www.ROKICT.com
Next Friday, January 30th at 8pm LUCKY BOYS CONFUSION All Ages / 21 or older to drink Tickets on sale now at Ticketmaster.com, and The Rave Box Office - 414-342-RAVE
Today I like to invite you to join my blog http://Blog.MySpace.com/ChristianLamitschka , so I can keep you up to date.
And please help me to promote Country Music. You like to know how you can help?
Very easy, join follow groups of CountryHome Magazine:
CountryHome Magazine / Forum http://Groups.MySpace.com/CountryHomeMagazine
CountryHome Magazine Interviews English http://Groups.MySpace.com/CountryHomeMagazineInterviewsEnglish
Interviews Avec Country Music Stars http://Groups.MySpace.com/InterviewsAvecCountryMusicStars
Country Musik Interviews http://Groups.MySpace.com/CountryMusikInterviews
Please don't forget to publish your country music news and events to CountryHome Forum. Each news and event published to CountryHome Forum will go to my weekly newsletter with more than 30,000 readers.
Warm regards
Christian
CountryHome Magazine Editor Christian Lamitschka An der Pfingstweide 28 61118 Bad Vilbel Germany
Contribute to the growing arts community in Wichita!
*Join the ROKICT! [KCORPS] Volunteer Team*
We have started several teams you might dig:
- Scene Team: Promotes at Events
- MidWestern Arts Bridge: Liaisons to artists inside Wichita and visiting artists.
- Media Team: Photo, Video, and Journalism
- Government Team: Advocacy and Watch Dog
- PR/Marketing Team: Advertising and press relations.
Join the growing ranks of people making it happen!
I look forward to working with you!
Jared Brickman @ ROKICT!
http://www.ROKICT.com
As the magic of the season finds us once again, lights and gifts of love lift our spirits. We find the greatest gift of all is love. May we find peace on earth and good will to all! Let love and joy warm your heart. And blessings from on high fill your home and continue throughout the coming year.
Friends are companions that accept each other for who they are. Cherished when our spirit needs a lift and turning to each other. Partners in wonder, beauty, grace, and delight we bring to one another. Our friendship is a gift of love, making the world we live in a better happier place. I am thankful to have you as my friend.
Might your desires be granted and your dreams come true Allow your rainy days be sunny may you never be blue May your daydreams become reality and your nightmares fade away Let your love be filled with laughter and smiles make your day
Thanks for adding me! Be sure to stop by and download all 20 free tracks on the trueAnthem music player. The widget has a bunch of my solo songs, as well as tracks from my bands Ten Dollar Outfit and Sweet Remains. Thanks and enjoy the free music!
Online Now!
