the emporia gazette
Page 8
‘it just ruin ed this pl ace ’ Editor’s note: Originally published on May 24, 2011 By Monica Springer
springer@emporiagazette.com
READING — Walking down the streets of Reading on Monday morning, the mayor of this small town in northeast Lyon County said everyone in town sustained some type of damage. “Buildings are shredded,” said Lonnie Atchison, mayor. “It just ruined this place.” A metal trash can that was at the elementary school now sits a block away in someone’s yard. Roofs of houses lay on the ground. On some heavily damaged houses people from the street can look into the upper level of the homes and into the attics. Trees have snapped limbs and some trees are completely missing bark. About 40 people gathered inside the basement of the Methodist Church to take shelter from the storm. “It took a wallop,” Atchison said. “It was quite frightening there for a while.” He said also that practically every car in town has damaged or broken
“It was really mixed feelings, resigned to scared to death to screaming.” Atchison
windows. “It (the tornado) just imploded them,” Atchison said. The Reading community has done a lot of work in recent years to improve the town. The city has bought new equipment, including a dump truck, a back hoe and a utility trailer. The community building had been fixed with new siding. The city has also painted buildings in town. The storm came from the southwest and went northeast. Reading Elementary School has broken windows. Large trees are snapped in front of the school. The school lost a section of roof that covered the stage, said Mike Nulton, superintendent of North Lyon County USD 251. The school district is working with firms to address roofing, sid-
The FHTC family supports Bill and Paula Hanlon and the Reading Community. 3301 West 18th Ave. Emporia, KS 66801 800-711-6947 • 620-343-4600 www.fhtc.edu
ing, and window issues. “If we can get the materials and workers in place, I think Reading School will be fully repaired in a few weeks,” Nulton said in an email Monday afternoon. The day before the storm was the last day of school. Atchison said while walking down the streets that he has been near tornadoes before, and he has seen some from the distance, but he has never been in one, “sitting in the basement of the church while it’s getting mangled.” Early Saturday evening, the storm didn’t look that threatening, Atchison said. Storms flared up around Topeka, then a little cell showed up near Emporia and headed Reading’s way. The Methodist Church is the city’s emergency shelter. Atchison was home when the tornado sirens went off. He went to open up the church. There were already seven or eight people waiting to get in, he said. In all 38 people took shelter in the church, including young children. Atchison said the people in the church huddled together in a group. “Some people just crossed their fingers and prayed for the best,” he said. “It was really mixed feelings, resigned to scared to death to screaming.”
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
miracle From PAGE 7 About 10 years ago the town’s only cafe burned to the ground. Citizens banded together to try and form a new place to eat and formed Reading Community Development, Inc. A location was identified. Those who had skills did the remodeling; others with skills did the decorating. Vintage dining sets were donated — dishes, glassware, tableware — and miracle after miracle, a cafe was born in the oldest building in Reading, a house built in 1870, back in Reading’s big railroad days. “Everyone worked and donated tables, chairs, everything,” Jackson said. “It’s called Miracle Cafe because it took a miracle to get it open.” Rep. Peggy Mast (R-Emporia) said losing the cafe is devastating. “The Miracle Cafe has been an inspiration to me, the way it’s operated and it’s been so successful and a benefit to the community.” Mast said she last ate at The Miracle Cafe a month or two ago. That night’s special was already gone. “It’s a real popular spot,” she said. “It’s attracted people from other communities to come. It’s been an inspiration to the community and to the area around it.”