herrin spotlight

2 Thursday, October 29, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

Spotlight on Herrin

•• PPuubblliisshheerr:: Dennis M. DeRossett, [email protected]

•• TToo ssuubbssccrriibbee: Call 618-351-5000 from Carbondale, Murphysboro and DeSoto; 618-997-3356, option 2from Williamson County; or 800-228-0429, option 2, between 6 a.m. and 5 p.m. weekdays, 7 a.m. to 11a.m. Saturday and Sunday.

•• TToo ppllaaccee aa ddiissppllaayy aadd:: Call 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays, 618-529-5454, option 6; from Williamson County,618-997-3356; or toll free: 800-228-0429, option 6.

The Southern Illinoisan (USPS 258-980) is published dailyfor $178 per year at 710 N. Illinois Ave., Carbondale, IL 62901. TheSouthern Illinoisan is owned by Lee Enterprises, Inc. of Davenport, Iowa.

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BY VIC RITTERFOR THE SOUTHERN

Like Dorothy told AuntieEm in “The Wizard of Oz,”“There’s no place like

home.”I wasn’t

born inHerrin, butI’ve livedhere morethan 30years. I thinkthat’s long

enough to call Herrinhome, which I do.And I agree with Dorothy.There is no place likehome.

I believe Herrin isunique to Illinois. We wereincorporated in 1900. Wehave no assets like auniversity or a junior

college; we aren’t at theintersection of two majorinterstates; and we haveno large factories or apenitentiary, which wouldprovide a large number ofjobs.

At one time, we hadhalf-a-dozen plants, butno more. Our last majorplant, Maytag, left inDecember 2006. I thoughtwe were in trouble, but,thank God, I was wrong.

Herrin people are themost resilient people inthe world.

We survived the Maytagclosing and werebeginning to come backwhen the entire U.S.economy went south. But Ihave no doubt we willsurvive this, too.

Herrin is the finest,

most resilient andfriendliest town inSouthern Illinois. Comefor a visit; stay for the restof your life. I did and have

never regretted thatdecision.

VIC RITTER is Herrinmayor.

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 29, 2009 3

Spotlight on Herrin

Ritter

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNThe Robert N. Brewer Family Foundation building features an eye-catching design, a sculpture and beautiful landscaping.

‘There is no place like home’ for Herrin residents

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNHerrin’s new pool was dedicated in June 2007, and AustinBehrens, 7, of Carterville, couldn’t wait to try out the waterslide. It’s at the Harrison Bruce Aquatic Center.

Herrin City OfficialsVictor M. Ritter, Mayor

Marlene SimpsonCity Clerk

Elizabeth IsslerErnie Gwaltney

Aldermen Ward 1

Deon McGuireRobert Craig

Aldermen Ward 2

Stu RidingsPolice Chief

Mike CeruttiCodes Inspector

Mark BrownCity Treasurer

Sam ShemwellMarilyn Orso

Aldermen Ward 3

Bill SizemoreMarilyn RuppelAldermen Ward 4

Mike StehFire Chief

Jody DeatonBudget Director

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Tom SomersPublic Works Director

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The Board of Education Administratorssupport the Herrin Tigers academically

and athletically in all they pursue.

Dr. Mark CollinsSuperintendent

www.herrinunit.org500 N. 10th St.Herrin Illinois 988-8024

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Spotlight on Herrin

BY LIZ ESTESFOR THE SOUTHERN

Herrin businesses arenothing if not tenacious.Through the past few

years of plantclosures,nationwiderecessionsanddevastatingstorms,Herrinbusinesseshave

continued to provideSouthern Illinois withgoods and services andcustomer service that aresecond to none.

Herrin businessescontinue to invest in our

fine city, and our citizenscontinue to invest theirdollars in Herrin daily andwith legacies of Herrin’snumerous foundations.

Leading the charge arebusinesses such as SouthSide Lumber, owned andoperated by Kent Smith ofHerrin. South SideLumber continues to be aforce in Southern Illinois,providing homeownersand contractors withproducts they need andexpert advice from theirexperienced staff.

During the last fewyears, South Side Lumberhas expanded to meet andexceed the needs of itscustomers. South SideLumber is only one

example of the continuedinvestment Herrinbusinesses are making inour community.

The May 8 stormdevastated Herrin’slandscape and wreakedhavoc on the store frontsand roofs of many Herrinbusinesses.

Businesses such asBryan Furniture, Fit forWork, Baldwin Piano andthe Medical Annex ofHerrin Hospital have sincefixed the scattered bricks,broken windows andmissing shingles.

These businesses havecontinued to chooseHerrin and workedtirelessly to repair theirdamages.

Businesses on ParkAvenue have undergonefacelifts, and newconstruction has evenbeen added during the lastfew years. The communityapplauds businesses thathave chosen to re-investtheir dollars into makingHerrin look great.

Rent One has undergonea facelift with a new brickfaçade, Herrin Drug hastransformed its spaceinside and out with a newdrive-through and interiorrenovation, and the newlyconstructed CountryCompanies has added asparkle to downtownHerrin.

The Brewer Foundationhas beautified the area

near the railroad trackswith an architecturallystunning building andlandscaping with an eye-catching sculpture.

Herrin is excited aboutour newest industries,Garon Foods and NaturalEnrichment Industries.Both of these industrieshave found success inchoosing Herrin.

They saw the manybenefits of locating theirindustries here, and welook forward to moreindustries making thesame choice.

Herrin has facedstruggles, as have manyother cities acrossSouthern Illinois and thenation.

The resolve of ourbusiness owners, who haveweathered these storms,shows the true spirit ofour community.

As the businesscommunity of Herrincontinues to rebuild andreinvest, it is importantthat we remember tospend our dollars locallyfirst.

From long-establishedbusinesses like Louie’sP&R to newly establishedWalgreens, Herrinbusinesses serve thecomplete needs of the cityand the region.

LIZ ESTES is executivedirector of Herrin Chamberof Commerce.

Estes

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BY BRENT STEWARTTHE SOUTHERN

At some point duringCarl Ortale’s tenure asexecutive director ofHerrin Civic Center, hewas negotiating with apromoter who wouldn’toffer him quality talent.

Ortale asked thepromoter why entertainerswho had won awardsweren’t on the table, andthe reply was, “Whowould want to come toHerrin?” Ortale respondedby booking a winner or anEmmy, a Grammy, anOscar, a Tony and aPulitzer Prize: ComposerMarvin Hamlisch.

“We know Southern

Illinois is a region, notonly with its own culture;but we don’t fear reachingfor the stars,” Ortale said.

Next year, the civiccenter will aim high byinstituting a Patron Seriesof five acts in a seasonwhich will run spring towinter. The Patron Serieswill be the cornerstone ofentertainment events forthe year, with more showsadded as opportunitiesarise.

“Good qualityentertainment can beappreciated by manypeople from manydifferent walks of life,”Ortale said. “We’re goingto do what we can to growthe volume of entertain-

ment available in SouthernIllinois.”

There are no confirmednames for the series at thispoint. Ortale hopes to havetickets on sale in January.A short list of his dream

acts would include Rockand Roll Hall of FamersBuddy Guy and ChuckBerry.

Herrin Civic Center is a341-seat auditorium, withinfrastructure in place to

expand seating to morethan 500. There’s plenty ofparking, and the civiccenter also has its ownliquor license and can be avenue for parties, weddingreceptions, corporatemeetings and more.

Hamlisch isn’t the onlybig name to have appearedat Herrin Civic Center.The venue has hostedmusician Mac McAnallay,a member of JimmyBuffet’s Coral Reefer Bandand writer of hits forartists such as KennyChesney and SawyerBrown.

“Right now, we like torefer to it as the ‘biggestlittle room in theMidwest,’” Ortale said.

“And we don’t say thatlightly. It’s a very intimateroom. There’s not a badseat in the house.

The civic center also hasscreened movies,including the award-winning documentary,“Prisoners Among Us.” Italso has been a venue forevents sponsored byCarbondale CommunityArts and SI Music Festival.

With the question,“Who would want to cometo Herrin?” still sticking inhis side like a thorn, Ortaleis highly motivated tocontinually ask, “Whynot?”

[email protected]


Spotlight on Herrin

Civic center: The ‘biggest little room’ dreams huge

ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERNHerrin Civic Center seats 341 and can expand to seat 500.

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Spotlight on Herrin

BY LES O’DELLFOR THE SOUTHERN

First there was one.Then others moved in,taking their place nearby.Before long, the area nearthe intersection of Illinois13 and 148 became a hubfor medical andprofessional practices andservices.

Today, the area known asLogan Professional Park ishome to a diverse group ofhealth care providerswhose services range fromgeneral dentistry toanterior cruciate ligamentreconstruction.

“It has really become awhole-wellness park,”Herrin Chamber ofCommerce ExecutiveDirector Liz Estes said.

Tara Deaton,administrator of LoganPrimary Care, a multi-physician practice, saidthat was one of the goalsbehind the project.

“We were the firstbuilding here, and thehope was that othermedical practices wouldmove in as well,” she said.“Now we have all of these

medical buildings aroundus with all of the differentspecialties. It’s turned outgreat.”

One of those otherpractices is SouthernIllinois Orthopedic Center.The location was a perfectfit for SIOC, according toDr. Robert Golz, anorthopedic surgeon withthe center.

“We looked at thecommunities where ourpatients were comingfrom, and this is theepicenter of our servicearea.

“It’s a great location forour patients, especially aswe’ve added otherfeatures, such as therapyand sports medicine,” Golzsaid. “It’s given us achance to offer everythingin one place.”

Accessibility of the areahas been a key to thegrowth of Hughes DentalArts Center since movingto Logan Professional Parkseven years ago. Dr.Christopher H. Hughessaid being on one of thebusiest highways inSouthern Illinois also hasbeen a plus.

“We’re very accessibleto all of the towns inWilliamson and Jacksoncounties. Plus, we’re veryvisible. Being on thehighway gives us lots ofexposure,” he said.

Hughes said his practicehas seen a dramaticincrease in patients sincemoving to the park.

He added that many ofthe providers in LoganProfessional Parkroutinely refer patients totheir “neighbors.”

Golz said he anticipatesthe location will continueto benefit his practice.

“There’s plenty of roomfor expansion and otheroffices as the need comesup. I expect that as theyears go by, we’ll continueto grow,” he explained.

Hughes said he looksforward to the growth ofboth the medical practicesand the park itself.

“I definitely recommendthis location to others. It’sa great place for healthcare providers,” he said.“It is easy to get to, isnicely developed and hasgood roads. It’s a greatopportunity for any

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNHughes Dental Arts Centre in Logan Professional Park is a ‘one-stop shop for all sorts ofmedical needs,’ says Liz Estes, chamber director. One of the first medical practices in the parkwas Southern Illinois Orthopedic Center. Accessibility has been key to success for providers.

Logan Professional Park: A perfect‘hub’ for professionals and clients

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BY SCOTT FITZGERALDTHE SOUTHERN

A Maytag warehouse that has sat vacantsince December 2007 is being consideredas a possible site for a waste steamreforming system that offers boldpromises for future energy needs inSouthern Illinois.

It’s being considered for other uses, too,as economic development leaders hererise from the ashes of a meltdown thatoccurred when Whirpool announcedshortly after its purchase of Maytag that itwas shutting down the longtimemanufacturing plant which, in its peak,turned out 5,800 units a day.

“It closed with 900 employees out ofwork and a $30 million payroll,” saidHerrin economic development teammember Frank Colombo about the Maytagshutdown.

It was a big setback, but Colombo andother economic development teammembers like Carl Goodwin, president ofThe Bank of Herrin, are looking ahead.And they are optimistic about thepossibility of diversified uses for thewarehouse that offers 1 million squarefeet, is accessible by railroad and islocated near an airport and interstate.

The building is not sitting empty. Three

tenants — Walgreens, ABC roofing supplyand NAPA — are currently leasing spaceon a temporary basis and taking advantageof parking and a structurally soundbuilding, Colombo said.

There are negotiations under way for apossible purchaser from California, butdetails can’t be released on thosecommunications yet, said Mark Collins,president of Herrin Chamber ofCommerce and superintendent of Herrinschool district.

Collins said Herrin has much to offer forpeople to settle here and that’s reflectivewith the student population growth.Despite the closing of Maytag and othernearby industries in the last few years, theschool district has grown with 250 morestudents, he said.

The school district superintendent saidhe liked what he heard this summer whenBrent Ritzel, a public education directorwith Equitech International, gave apresentation about housing a 7.5megawatt waste steam reforming systemand 720 kilowatt solar fuel cellregeneration manufacturing center in theformer Maytag warehouse. EquitechInternational is a consortium of energycompanies and other ancillaries, such asarchitectural and engineering firms.

Ritzel and retired Southern Illinois

University Carbondale design departmentChairman Bill Perk, the last owner of theBucky Dome in Carbondale before it wasdonated to a nonprofit group in 2002,gave an informal presentation to chambermembers about the merits of getting ane-macrosystem waste steam reforming

power plant in this area.“A project like this would bring

technology and economic development tothe area,” Ritzel said.

Power is generated by the conversion ofwaste coming from area landfills. Theprocess would be emissions-free. It has

been licensed for two decades and utilizedby various companies, which havecontracted to clean up radioactivematerial at nuclear sites, to processpharmaceuticals and safely disposemedical waste, both infectious andpathological.

The system is capable of producing by-products that could be sold, includinghydrogen, medical oxygen, vitrified glass,fertilizer, metal ingots and fertilizer, Ritzelsaid.

Facility ownership would be throughemployee- and consumer-stock

ownership plans that would keep themoney in the community, Ritzel said.

Equitech is currently negotiating withEast St. Louis and other Metro Eastcommunities for a waste steam reformingsystem that is now in the design phasewith funding for the $70 million projectexpected from government grants andventure capitalist avenues. Thegroundbreaking will be sometime beforeMarch and will take 18 months to build,Ritzel said.

Some tentative projections for such afacility to be built in Southern Illinoiswould cost about $60 million.

Herrin leaders liked what they heardduring the presentation, but have morequestions before a letter of intention isdiscussed or tentatively written.

Herrin Chamber of Commerce boardmember Keith Camarato said, “The ideaof utilizing waste is wonderful. Justrecycling city waste water and sludgewould be a huge asset.”

And Collins said the bottom line of $70million capital being invested here surelywould make the project a worthwhileventure.

[email protected] / 618-351-5076

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 29, 2009 Page 998 Thursday, October 29, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

Spotlight on Herrin

Three-day symposium willconsider the ‘Possibilities’for renewable energy planTTooddaayy:: Public meeting on ‘Possibilities

Surrounding Use of FormerWhirlpool/Maytag Plant Site as AdvancedRenewable Energy System Power Plant &Fuel Cell Bus anufacturing Facility, andCitizen Land Cooperative Ownership’

TTiimmee:: 9 a.m.WWhheerree:: Herrin Chamber of Commerce,

3 S. Park Ave.FFrriiddaayy:: The symposium’s first panel

discussion, ‘Alternate Ways to GoMainstream with Renewable Energy’

TTiimmee:: 1:30 p.m.WWhheerree:: Room A111 of the SIUC Engineering

Building, 1230 Lincoln DriveSSaattuurrddaayy:: Public meeting on the formation of

a Southern Illinois Citizens Land Cooperativeand discussion of Equitech’s current East St.Louis and Metro East waste steam reformingsystem

TTiimmee:: 2:30 p.m.WWhheerree:: Room E122 of the engineering

building, SIUCWWhhaatt eellssee:: Attendees will learn about sharing

ownership in advanced renewable energypower plants and manufacturing facilitiessuch as what Equitech is proposing forHerrin. Terry Galloway, chief executive vicepresident for Equitech will give the keynoteaddress, ‘Innovating a Clean & SustainableFuture’ at 5 p.m. Saturday in Room A111 ofthe engineering building.

Putting energyinto energy

Steam reforming system site, other possibilitiesare opportunities for economic recovery

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNWarehouse space, office space and more are available in the old Maytag factory building. It isbeing considered as the site of a new kind of power plant, which would make a big impact in town.

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNFrank Colombo (left) and Carl Goodwin discuss the possibilities for the Maytag plant. Colombo ison Herrin’s economic development team, and Goodwin is president of The Bank of Herrin.

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNWalgreens, Shawnee Trucking and Napa do business out of the warehouse. The Maytag plant closed down in December 2007.


A Maytag warehouse that has sat vacantsince December 2007 is being consideredas a possible site for a waste steamreforming system that offers boldpromises for future energy needs inSouthern Illinois.

It’s being considered for other uses, too,as economic development leaders hererise from the ashes of a meltdown thatoccurred when Whirpool announcedshortly after its purchase of Maytag that itwas shutting down the longtimemanufacturing plant which, in its peak,turned out 5,800 units a day.

“It closed with 900 employees out ofwork and a $30 million payroll,” saidHerrin economic development teammember Frank Colombo about the Maytagshutdown.

It was a big setback, but Colombo andother economic development teammembers like Carl Goodwin, president ofThe Bank of Herrin, are looking ahead.And they are optimistic about thepossibility of diversified uses for thewarehouse that offers 1 million squarefeet, is accessible by railroad and islocated near an airport and interstate.

The building is not sitting empty. Three

tenants — Walgreens, ABC roofing supplyand NAPA — are currently leasing spaceon a temporary basis and taking advantageof parking and a structurally soundbuilding, Colombo said.

There are negotiations under way for apossible purchaser from California, butdetails can’t be released on thosecommunications yet, said Mark Collins,president of Herrin Chamber ofCommerce and superintendent of Herrinschool district.

Collins said Herrin has much to offer forpeople to settle here and that’s reflectivewith the student population growth.Despite the closing of Maytag and othernearby industries in the last few years, theschool district has grown with 250 morestudents, he said.

The school district superintendent saidhe liked what he heard this summer whenBrent Ritzel, a public education directorwith Equitech International, gave apresentation about housing a 7.5megawatt waste steam reforming systemand 720 kilowatt solar fuel cellregeneration manufacturing center in theformer Maytag warehouse. EquitechInternational is a consortium of energycompanies and other ancillaries, such asarchitectural and engineering firms.

Ritzel and retired Southern Illinois

University Carbondale design departmentChairman Bill Perk, the last owner of theBucky Dome in Carbondale before it wasdonated to a nonprofit group in 2002,gave an informal presentation to chambermembers about the merits of getting ane-macrosystem waste steam reforming

power plant in this area.“A project like this would bring

technology and economic development tothe area,” Ritzel said.

Power is generated by the conversion ofwaste coming from area landfills. Theprocess would be emissions-free. It has

been licensed for two decades and utilizedby various companies, which havecontracted to clean up radioactivematerial at nuclear sites, to processpharmaceuticals and safely disposemedical waste, both infectious andpathological.

The system is capable of producing by-products that could be sold, includinghydrogen, medical oxygen, vitrified glass,fertilizer, metal ingots and fertilizer, Ritzelsaid.

Facility ownership would be throughemployee- and consumer-stock

ownership plans that would keep themoney in the community, Ritzel said.

Equitech is currently negotiating withEast St. Louis and other Metro Eastcommunities for a waste steam reformingsystem that is now in the design phasewith funding for the $70 million projectexpected from government grants andventure capitalist avenues. Thegroundbreaking will be sometime beforeMarch and will take 18 months to build,Ritzel said.

Some tentative projections for such afacility to be built in Southern Illinoiswould cost about $60 million.

Herrin leaders liked what they heardduring the presentation, but have morequestions before a letter of intention isdiscussed or tentatively written.

Herrin Chamber of Commerce boardmember Keith Camarato said, “The ideaof utilizing waste is wonderful. Justrecycling city waste water and sludgewould be a huge asset.”

And Collins said the bottom line of $70million capital being invested here surelywould make the project a worthwhileventure.

[email protected] / 618-351-5076

The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 29, 2009 9Page 88 Thursday, October 29, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

Spotlight on Herrin

Three-day symposium willconsider the ‘Possibilities’for renewable energy planTTooddaayy:: Public meeting on ‘Possibilities

Surrounding Use of FormerWhirlpool/Maytag Plant Site as AdvancedRenewable Energy System Power Plant &Fuel Cell Bus anufacturing Facility, andCitizen Land Cooperative Ownership’

TTiimmee:: 9 a.m.WWhheerree:: Herrin Chamber of Commerce,

3 S. Park Ave.FFrriiddaayy:: The symposium’s first panel

discussion, ‘Alternate Ways to GoMainstream with Renewable Energy’

TTiimmee:: 1:30 p.m.WWhheerree:: Room A111 of the SIUC Engineering

Building, 1230 Lincoln DriveSSaattuurrddaayy:: Public meeting on the formation of

a Southern Illinois Citizens Land Cooperativeand discussion of Equitech’s current East St.Louis and Metro East waste steam reformingsystem

TTiimmee:: 2:30 p.m.WWhheerree:: Room E122 of the engineering

building, SIUCWWhhaatt eellssee:: Attendees will learn about sharing

ownership in advanced renewable energypower plants and manufacturing facilitiessuch as what Equitech is proposing forHerrin. Terry Galloway, chief executive vicepresident for Equitech will give the keynoteaddress, ‘Innovating a Clean & SustainableFuture’ at 5 p.m. Saturday in Room A111 ofthe engineering building.

Putting energyinto energy

Steam reforming system site, other possibilitiesare opportunities for economic recovery

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNWarehouse space, office space and more are available in the old Maytag factory building. It isbeing considered as the site of a new kind of power plant, which would make a big impact in town.

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNFrank Colombo (left) and Carl Goodwin discuss the possibilities for the Maytag plant. Colombo ison Herrin’s economic development team, and Goodwin is president of The Bank of Herrin.

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNWalgreens, Shawnee Trucking and Napa do business out of the warehouse. The Maytag plant closed down in December 2007.

Thursday, October 29, 2009 The Southern Illinoisan

Spotlight on Herrin

STEVE JAHNKE / THE SOUTHERNSeveral days after the May storm, a traffic light remained down at the intersection of South Park Avenue and Maple Street. Several businesses along the avenue were damaged.

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Spotlight on Herrin


HERRIN — Retail ownerBill Barras and his staffhave spent time, moneyand effort through theyears to make BaldwinPiano & Organ Center oneof the premiere retailshowrooms in SouthernIllinois.

Next door neighbor JimHumphrey openedGirolamo Pizzeria sixyears earlier. The pizzeriais one of Herrin’s mostpopular eateries,especially during theweekday lunch hour.

Across the street, LarryFredman has worked hardthrough the years tomaintain a high reputationfor a family-ownedfurniture store, BryanFurniture.

All three of the ParkAvenue businesses indowntown Herrin justabout vanished May 8when a devastatingwindstorm, referred to inweather terms as aderecho, came howlingthrough Southern Illinois,tearing up towns likeHerrin along the Illinois 13corridor from Jackson intoSaline counties.

“All of Park Avenuelooked like a war zone,”Barras said as he describedthe storm’s aftermath,which included a multi-day power outage.

Barras, Humphrey and

Fredman spent timerecently to reflect aboutthe day of the storm, theimmediate aftermath andhow their businesses arefunctioning today.

“It’s amazing fivemonths later how the areahas come back. Everyonestepped up,” Fredman saidabout community effortand other forms of aid thathave helped restore theirbusinesses and howcommerce has returned toits normal flow.

Baldwin Piano andOrgan Center is a family-owned business spanningmore than 40 years thatinitially opened as a tinymusic shop in 1937 beforethe Barrases purchased itin 1965.

The Baldwin showroomsdisplay expensive grandpianos from notedmanufacturers such asBaldwin, Knabe, Ritmullerand Sohmer & Co. It is oneof the oldest Baldwinstores in the United States.

And to add icing to thecake, the massive store islocated in three notedHerrin historicaldowntown buildings — theold Bank of Herrin, Merloand Dell’Era buildings.

On May 8, the stormwinds approached quicklyand store employeesbraced themselves.

“I heard the doors flyopen and glass shatter 75feet this way,” Barras saidfrom his middleshowroom, pointing east.“It was a horrible mess.”

What defined thecritical blow to hisstorefront was the windripping off the roof ofBryan Furniture, locatedacross Park Avenue.

Massive amounts of thatroof went up in the air andeventually crashed intobuildings that houseBaldwin, Girolamo andNatural Med Apothecary.

“We didn’t do thisintentionally,” Fredmansaid, joking about thefreak of nature that usedhis building roof as awrecking ball.

Fredman said sections ofroof that were not able towithstand the winds wereoriginal building roofingand decking.

A gas line ruptured in hisstore. Four airconditioners were lostfrom the damage. A largeamount of store inventorywas lost.

“We were fortunate withthe insurance adjustors wehad,” Fredman said aboutreplacing inventory andrepairing structuraldamage.

Fredman said businessrestoration took twomonths. He described therestoration effort as“phenomenal.”

“We’re back and lifegoes on,” he said.

Across the street,Humphrey and hisrestaurant employees werewrapping up a busy lunchhour. They saw thedecking fall from BryanFurniture and smash carsparked in front of the retailstore. They took shelterimmediately, which wasfortunate because thewind soon shattered theGirolamo storefrontwindow, sending glassshrapnel everywhere.

“The wind tore up mypizza sign. The big

good towndown

You can’t keep a

Park Avenuebusinesses get up,

get better afterMay 8 storm

SEE GOOD TOWN / PAGE 13

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Spotlight on Herrin

ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERNPieces of masonry were salvaged from music center were piled up and used later in rebuilding.

ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERNAfter the storm, Bill Barras examined one of 43 pianos that were damaged.

ALAN ROGERS / THE SOUTHERNGlass and other debris cover the keys of an upright piano in the showroom of Baldwin Piano &Organ Center. ‘We used a snow shovel and took out six huge boxes of glass,’ Barras said.

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The Southern Illinoisan Thursday, October 29, 2009 Page 1133

Spotlight on Herrin

GOOD TOWN: Businesses beat the stormFROM PAGE 11

flashing sign outside ispermanently damaged,”Humphrey said.

What was especiallydamaging for the pizzeriawas the loss of power,which made cookingimpossible and createdfood spoilage.

Fredman hustled to findand purchase temporarygenerators until powercould be restored.

“We made pizza onlyfor the next few days,”Humphrey said, recallingthe storefront windowthat began shaking andhow one of his employeeshad been standing 20seconds earlier in the pathof the soon-to-comeshattered glass before sheluckily hurried to thebasement.

Barras, like other retailowners along ParkAvenue, didn’t sit idle andmope in the storm’s wake.They went to work.

“We used a snow shovel

and took out six hugeboxes of glass,” he saidabout the cleanup effort.

Barras researchedarchitects to help restorethe decorative terra cottastone on the Dell’Erabuilding. The stone hasbeen cut to fit and soonwill be restored. Oncethat’s done, the awningcan be replaced, he said.

Not to be deterred bydamaged merchandise,Barras immediately beganreordering and preparingto have his damagedinventory — 43 pianostotal — replaced.

Patrons walking intoBaldwin Piano & OrganCenter, Girolamo Pizzeriaand Bryan Furniture todayare likely to noticenothing out of place ordamaged.

Herrin Mayor Vic Ritterreported that it took morethan 8,000 truck loads toclean up the city. Heexpresses gratitude todayfor support from IllinoisDepartment of

Corrections that lentmanpower and IllinoisDepartment ofTransportation thatprovided equipment inthe massive stormcleanup.

Most of all, the mayorcredits people like Barras,Humphrey, Fredman andother retail owners alongthe Park Avenuedowntown businesscorridor. They didn’thesitate a moment to getbusy and restore what hadbeen damaged. Theireffort was reflected inrecent businesscommerce numbers thatshowed Herrin didn’thave a massive dip inbusiness during theremainder of May.

“Our sales dollarspretty much stayed at thesame level. It was justamazing to see howpeople worked,” Rittersaid.

[email protected]

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERN‘It’s amazing five months later how the area has come back,’ said Larry Fredman of BryanFurniture. The roof from his business was dumped onto Baldwin Piano & Organ Center acrossthe street. ‘All of Park Avenue looked like a war zone,’ Baldwin owner Bill Barras said.

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Spotlight on Herrin

BY LES O’DELLFOR THE SOUTHERN

Kent Smith will neverforget May 8.

Like many otherSouthern Illinoisresidents, he will alwaysrecall the terrible stormthat rolled through theregion, causing countlessdamage and loss. And, asowner of South SideLumber in Herrin, he willalways remember how hisbusiness was one thatresidents turned to in theaftermath of the storm.

Smith, however, will alsoremember the day becauseof where he was when thestorm rolled through.

“I had actually justarrived at the cemetery

with some of my familyand pallbearers to bury myfather when the stormwent through,” Smith said.“In fact, many peoplecouldn’t even get to thecemetery because of theweather. It’s a day I willnever forget.”

Smith’s father, Claude,was a staple at thelumberyard for more than45 years. The store hadactually closed at 10 a.m.for the funeral. As thewinds picked up, Smithworked with othermourners to secure thetent above his father’sgrave. After the gravesideceremony, he made severalunsuccessful attempts todrive his mother home.

“We couldn’t get back to

my home or my mother’shouse because of treesacross some of the roads,”he explained. “We didfinally get to thelumberyard, where we gotchainsaws and a forklift tocut and move about 40trees out of the way to gether home. It was quiterough trying to getthrough all of it.”

Just after the storm,departmental managersand other employees atSouth Side Lumber knewwhat they had to do.

“Our managers knewthat Dad would havewanted the place backopen to help take care ofpeople, so some of ouremployees went andopened the store so people

could get emergencysupplies,” Smith said.

One of those people wascontractor Steve Seever ofSeever Construction inHerrin.

“We were able to answermore than 20 differentservice calls that day,getting tarps on roofs andmaking some emergencyrepairs,” Seever said. “Iwas able to go to SouthSide within an hour of thestorm and get whatever Ineeded.”

Even without power forfive days, South Sideserved its customers byoffering everything fromtarps and chainsaws togenerators.

Smith arranged for ashipment of emergency

supplies from a distri-butor’s warehouse, whileassessing his store’s owndamage and continuing todeal with the grief from

losing his father.“With Kent’s dad’s

funeral that day, I know hewas really struggling, yethe opened the store. Thatsays a lot,” Seever added.

Smith credits many ofSouth Side’s employees.

“Our employees andmanagers all just jumpedin and started doing thingsthat needed to be done andmaking things available toeveryone,” he said.

Seever said the servicewas another example ofthe store’s dedication tothe community.

“The reliability andservice of South Side isunmatched by any otherlumberyard in SouthernIllinois, in my opinion,” hesaid.

South Side Lumber: Building on serving others — as usual‘Our managers knewthat Dad would havewanted the place backopen to help take careof people, so some ofour employees wentand opened the storeso people could getemergency supplies.’

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Spotlight on Herrin

CHUCK NOVARA / THE SOUTHERNEven without power for five days, South Side served its customers by offering everything from tarps and chainsaws to generators. ‘I was able to go to South Side within an hour of the stormand get whatever I needed,’ said Steve Seever of Seever Construction in Herrin, who also said the service was another example of the store’s dedication to the community.

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