TH
ig r iLi e
Dec. 10, 2008
Volume 49 Issue 11 1015 Division St. Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
Six months after waters recede,
CF still coping with June’s flooding Linden Terpstra Staff Writer
Six months have passed since the flood waters surged through the Cedar Valley, seizing and destroying homes, devasting many locals and leaving them homeless and without necessities. The recovery trails what many residents consider the worst flood they can recall. Nearing the holiday season, many families are just returning to their lives after cleaning up or rebuilding their residence while continuing their frantic and busy lives. Junior Alexis Richter is getting back on track after her home was undertaken by the June flood. “My house’s basement was filled almost completely. I have a 10-foot basement and the water got up to 9-feet 8-inches,” Richter said. “We also had water about waist high in our garage, with a little on to the main floor. We lost everything in our basement—memories from when my brother and I were practically born. Even my mom and dad’s stuff from when they were younger.” The road to recovery, though a long one, is showing significant progress. “We were able to save pictures but not a single one went undamaged. We also went about to finish our basement and had all the drywall and lighting down in the basement,” Richter said. “Things around here are pretty much back to normal. My family all has new (used) cars. The drywall and everything in the garage is back to
Submitted Photo
With the holiday season nearly here, many Cedar Falls students are still stuggling with the lingering effects of last summer’s flooding, like that in this shot from junior Alexis Richter. The Student Senate hopes to help with the recovery by providing holiday gifts for North Cedar Elementary students. normal. Now we just have a pretty empty basement.” The Richter family plans to modernize this Christmas, spicing it up in their own way.
“My family is big into holiday decorating, and we lost all of that—Christmas, Halloween, Easter, Valentine’s Day—all of them gone. You never really realize all the things you have until,
Fall sports earn top sportsmanship honors Andy McDermott Staff Writer
The CFHS athletics recently received the Mississippi Valley Conference Fall Cliff Brees Sportsmanship Award from both their football and volleyball teams combined in the Valley Division. This particular award consists of three different areas: the fans, the team and the coaches. From the volleyball perspective, Cedar Falls received a first in all three of the areas mentioned above. For football, Cedar Falls did not receive a first place in all three areas but did get first for the coaches and the ways they work the players on and off
the field. The CFHS fall athletics has not received this award since 2003. Just focused on the Valley Division, this is only the second time Cedar Falls has received the fall award. If focused on both the Mississippi and Valley divisions combined, Cedar Falls has received five fall sportsmanship awards, one winter sportsmanship award and six in the spring. With the volleyball team finishing strong at districts and the football team finishing 2nd in state with a 12-2 record, the teams, fans and coaches never gave up on supporting the Tigers. Activity Director Gary Koenen said, “I am very proud of the fact
that our teams do well on the field as well as having good sportsmanship. I believe that receiving this award is fantastic, and I am rather thrilled of how well it all turned out.” According to Koenen, just knowing that our school has the most sportsmanship in the conference is an accomplishment itself, and Cedar Falls will continue to show how much sportsmanship it really has the rest of the year, from the winter to the spring sports.
Senior Sam Jones and the rest of the Tiger backers were tops in the MVC for sportsmanship in fall sports according to the Cliff Brees Sportsmanship Award recently bestowed on the school.
well, until it’s gone,” she said. “We lost all of our cars and about the only thing we saved were our clothes, which my grandma washed and washed all of them like it was her job. And our Christmas tree topper. We just made all new homemade Christmas decorations, and I think it looks awesome, especially with the saved tree topper.” With many other families struggling through the holidays, the Student Senate is planning to assist with North Cedar Elementary in providing holiday gifts for the flood victims. Faculty adviser Ryan Flaherty said he is pleased to be involved. “I think it’s a great thing. I am glad they decided to do it because the holidays are a really hard time for the people who are struggling,” he said. He is keyed up about the unity between area schools. I really like it when it’s all of the schools working together: elementary, junior high and high schools,” Flaherty said. Looking passed what she has been through, Richter said she is grateful for the support from all the community. “I know of a lot of people who suffered from this flood. But I also want to thank everyone that helped and continues to help people affected by it,” Richter said. “The way it changed my life the most was learning to appreciate all the little blessings I have in my life like hot showers, electricity, cars and the list goes on and on. All of those things that I know everyone takes for granted.”
Katie Hunt photo