When water damage and the threat of mold forced the post office at North DeKalb Mall to temporarily close in early August, officials said it would reopen by end of the month.
But more than a week into September, customers still have to go into Decatur to send or pick up their mail. There is no word on when the North DeKalb Mall location could reopen.
U.S. Postal Service spokesman Rick Badie said Friday that “repairs as well as air quality tests are being conducted” at the location.
In early August, Badie said crews were testing for “potential mold” due to visual evidence of water damage to the ceiling and walls.
The post office is located on the southern side of the storied retail center. Representatives for North DeKalb Mall have not commented on the condition of the building.
SWAN QUARTER, N.C. — Benny Lacks wanted to help his fellow Ocracoke Island residents, but it wasn’t easy.
He couldn’t drive his new Ford F-150 because the tsunami-like storm surge that tore through this island drowned it up to its steering wheel. He rode his bicycle instead, spotting fish on the washed-out highway as he pedaled in search of neighbors in need.
Because there was no running water, he saved his last bottle for an elderly aunt who needed to take her medication.
He periodically charged his phone at a beer and wine store, one of the few businesses letting residents use their generator.
“We have one general store. That was underwater. We have a gas station that has not opened for years but the pumps operate. That was underwater,” said Lacks, 55. “This is total devastation for most of the island.”
Hurricane Dorian largely spared the southeastern U.S. coast after wreaking havoc on the Bahamas. But it dealt a blow to the string of peninsulas and barrier islands that make up North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The damage was most pronounced on 12-mile Ocracoke, where the seven-foot storm surge flooded homes and left hundreds of residents without power and water.
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The island was under mandatory evacuation, but authorities estimate most of the roughly 1,000 residents stayed behind. Many said they wanted to be there to quickly attend to damage and their neighbors.
The first crews reached the island by helicopter Friday, airlifting several residents with medical problems to mainland hospitals and shelters. Emergency responders arrived Saturday in ferries filled with utility crews, fuel trucks and vans packed with supplies.
“We have Army trucks going around town with men in it — this is so unusual,” said Mickey Baker, a 34-year island resident who spent Saturday drying dozens of shirts from her clothing store drenched by floodwaters. “Usually there’s men driving around pickup trucks with surfboards, dogs and kids in the back.”
Authorities said crews were going door-to-door checking on residents and offering meals and clean water. They urged those who wanted to make donations to call the Hyde County Emergency Operations Center.
North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said many Ocracoke residents are still in a state of shock at how quickly the water inundated the island, flooding areas that no one could remember having flooded before.
“We know how beautiful a place it can be and how it can become a part of your soul, so talking to a person who has lived in a home for 35 years who told me, ‘I’ve lost everything’ — that’s tough,” Cooper said at a news conference after he visited the island. “But then he said, ‘I’m so glad to be alive.’ ”
At least 10 Ocracoke residents left Saturday for the mainland by boat, according to a spokesman for the ferry system. But most stayed behind to start what will surely be a lengthy cleanup effort after the worst storm in decades.
The island’s only town converted its fire station into a makeshift emergency center, where volunteers distributed crackers, bananas and toiletries. Standing water reeked of fuel, sewage and mud. Uprooted cedar trees and debris littered the roads.
In a Facebook message, Ann Warner, who works at an island pub, said her house was surrounded by “doors, decks, piles of different sizes and shapes of wood, chairs, boogie boards, planters, signs, fish, mass quantities of seaweed, just about anything that was swept away.”
Many of the island’s cars were destroyed, making the recovery extra challenging.
Charles Temple, an English teacher at the island school, which also flooded, said he and his fiancee lost their cars to the flood. Now he’s trying to figure out how to relocate two cats, two dogs, a portable fridge and a generator to a temporary home nearby, and made a plea for those who wanted to help to lend their pickup trucks when the island reopens.
“Imagine trying to take something, but you don’t have a car and your neighbor doesn’t have a car and the people who do have cars are getting pulled six ways to Sunday,” Temple, 46, said.
Jerry Jennings, the region’s chief engineer with the North Carolina Department of Transportation, said that crews are working to clear mounds of sand off washed-out sections of Highway 12, which runs the length of the Outer Banks.
Residents who evacuated before Dorian were not allowed to return to Ocracoke and the southern reaches of Hatteras Island on Saturday afternoon.
The causeway leading onto Hatteras Island was lined with debris, piles of spartina grass and lines of utility trucks where crews are replacing the tilted, wrecked electricity line that left this island in the heat and dark.
Residents trying to return to the southern, most damaged end of the island were turned away at a checkpoint by federal officials only allowing repair vehicles to pass.
George and Judy Basnett, longtime residents of hard-hit Buxton on Hatteras, left shortly before Dorian hit. They said neighbors told them their house sitting up 15 feet fared better than most in the neighborhood, but they wanted to get back before any wind or water damage could morph into mold.
It’s one reason people don’t leave, Judy Basnett said. “If you’re there, then you can deal with a minor problem before it turns into a major problem,” she said.
This is the first time the Basnetts decided to evacuate. They drove up the coast to ride out the storm with their children and grandchildren and plan to head back as soon as they can. As they sit in the sun and wait, they’re convinced that wasn’t the right call.
“We’ve been through a lot worse hurricanes than that,” George Basnett said. “Knowing what I know now, I’ll never leave that place again.”
Ross, a freelance journalist, reported from Hatteras Island, N.C.
More than two years after it closed, the future of the Charles Tisdale Library remains up in the air.Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba recently told city council …
The aftermath of water damage is devastating. This is never an easy thing to deal with, and you should not take it lightly, or spend time dillydallying on how to deal with it. That’s why it’s best to be prepared with tactics for dealing with water damage before a storm hits or pipe bursts.
If you’re currently experiencing water damage, remember that waiting won’t make it go away. Scooping it up also only eliminates the visible standing water. Waste too much time – and you’ll have mold or mildew growth all over the affected areas. These pesky black, sometimes white fungi can cause health problems if left unattended.
When affected by water damage, time is off the essence and you have to act quickly. In an ideal situation, water damage restoration services should be applied quickly and effectively within the first 36 – 48 hours of the flooding to make an impact. If you wait too long, the water starts to seep into the walls, carpet and more. Trying to save money by repairing damage by yourself can actually increase the level of water damage and delay your home’s recovery.
Aside from procrastinating when this type of damage occurs, here are some of the most popular mistakes homeowners make during a water damage crisis.
Mistake #1 – They Use the Wrong Tools
It is common to see homeowners using brushes, handheld mops and towels to tackle the standing water in their homes after a flood.
Even if this is the result of a natural impulse, it’s the wrong move.
These household tools only make the situation worse. Using the brushes to push standing water from one place to the other only increases the risk of mold growth, spreading of bacteria, and causes additional damage to unaffected areas.
You also should not be using towels or rags to absorb water. This might work on hard surfaces – not for carpets – it only pushes the water further into the carpet and exponentially increases the potential for mold or mildew growth.
That carpet might never be fully restored again if you don’t act fast after this carpet destroying exercise.
Mistake #2 – They Don’t Assess the Damage Properly
This mistake is common with do it yourself-ers. Once they have some breathing space, they pick up the closest vacuuming machine and start to vacuum all the water away.
That’s a huge no.
It’s a terrible mistake to start the cleanup process without properly documenting the damage. Yes, I understand that the sight of your home filled with water can be a distressing one, and it’s true you want to act fast. But you’ll cause more damage to your finances by not documenting the disaster thoroughly before the cleanup begins.
This is a major reason why you should get a disaster restoration service in immediately. Disaster restoration firms such as AllDryUSA will help with completing the necessary paperwork and any documentation needed if you need to prove the extent of the damage to your insurance company.
Mistake #3 – They Don’t Take Proper Precautions
Fela Kuti, the legendary Nigerian Afrobeat musician once sang, “Water no get enemy” – which literally speaks to how useful or indispensable water is in our lives. That however doesn’t mean you should not take safety precautions after your home is invaded by flood water.
Make sure no one plugs anything into the sockets in the affected areas, and if possible most of the house should be assessed by an electrician before any electronics are plugged in at all.
Bottom Line
Ignoring these mistakes can cause long term damage, so it’s important you act quickly and get in a licensed disaster restoration firm to assess and fix the damage.
Nearly three years after Hurricane Matthew, many residents of the state’s second-poorest county are suffering mentally, physically and emotionally while the state grapples to provide relief funding. And now comes Dorian.
By Greg Barnes
It’s been three years since Hurricane Matthew crashed into Robeson County, causing water to bubble up through the plumbing of Isa Alvarado’s mobile home and leaving behind a mold-infested mess.
Alvarado, 63, didn’t vacate her Fairmont home after Matthew. She said she continued to live there, with her two children and a husband who suffered from cancer and COPD.
Almost three years after Hurricane Matthew severely damaged her Fairmont mobile home, the Robeson County Disaster Recovery Coalition has moved Isa Alvarado into a motel until her home can be repaired. Photo credit: Greg Barnes
Hurricane Matthew knocked out the heating and air-conditioning system, so the family got by with space heaters, a window air conditioner and a small, college-dormitory style refrigerator.
”We didn’t repair,” Alvarado said. “We didn’t have the money. My husband was disabled. I had quit my job to be home with him. I was his caregiver.
“We had to live there. We had no other place to go. I mean what are you going to do? I tried to take it as is, then came Florence.”
Alvardo’s story is all too familiar in Robeson and other counties that were hardest hit by Hurricanes Matthew and Florence.
And now, while people still struggle to recover from those storms, comes yet another hurricane, Dorian, which threatens to leave more damage along the North Carolina coast this morning.
Farther inland, torrential rain is the biggest concern. In Robeson County, officials are keeping an eye on the Lumber River, which was expected to approach flood stage.
Many people who experienced Hurricanes Matthew and Florence have suffered mental and physical health problems that persist today. For some, Hurricane Dorian could make those health conditions even worse.
No money for repairs
Alvarado’s husband didn’t live to experience Hurricane Florence. He died two months before that storm rumbled into Robeson County as a tropical storm September 2018.
Alvarado doesn’t know whether the mold and mildew her family lived with after Hurricane Matthew contributed to her husband’s death. But she’s sure it didn’t do him any good.
Alvarado said Florence knocked out windows, the rain buckling the floors and soaking the furniture. But even then, she said, she and her children continued to live in the home.
“In reality, I just let it dry, because I had no money. I had no money to buy beds, to buy new furniture. I mean, all that smell was there. I just took it as it was, and thank God for it … If I have to go through this in life, let it be. You know, you can’t let nothing take away your happiness.’’
Alvarado said she went to countless places seeking help — the Federal Emergency Management Agency, ReBuild NC, the American Red Cross — before finally being referred to the Robeson County Disaster Recovery Coalition.
In August, the coalition relocated Alvarado and her children to a motel, almost three years after Hurricane Matthew ransacked their home and 11 months after Florence delivered another crippling blow.
Thousands more needing help
Cassandra Campbell, executive director of the Robeson County Disaster Recovery Coalition, said the coalition has assisted about 11,000 people since Hurricane Florence.
The organization did not exist before that hurricane. Its core mission is to develop, coordinate, manage and deliver services to people in need after a disaster. Through its partner organizations, Campbell said, the coalition is working to get Alvarado’s home repaired before new furniture is delivered.
Meanwhile, Alvarado and her children will live in the motel, free of the mold and countless other hardships they had endured for nearly three years.
Campbell said there are thousands of others in the county who need help. Some are still living in conditions that are just as bad, or worse, than what Alvarado experienced. Some, Campbell said, are still homeless because of the hurricanes. Others have moved away.
Campbell said her coalition and other organizations have been canvassing neighborhoods, trying to find people who need help.
“We find out the different individuals out there who are, you know, living in not safe conditions,” Campbell said. “Homes that are, you know, got big holes and damage to trees, and they are still staying there and it’s not safe …. But they have nowhere else to go because of the housing crisis that we know we have, especially with affordable housing.”
Faced with limited options for low-cost housing, many hurricane victims have packed up and fled the county. In August, the Public Schools of Robeson County closed five schools in an effort to address a more than $2 million shortfall caused by dwindling enrollment. A loss of textile and tobacco jobs and an increase in charter schools are partial reasons for the decline in enrollment.
But another, perhaps bigger reason, is the two hurricanes. According to The Fayetteville Observer, enrollment in Robeson County’s public schools has declined by 1,699 students in the past three years, a drop of more than 7 percent.
Where’s the relief money?
Blue tarps still cover roofs in some parts of Robeson County. By and large, those are low-lying areas inhabited by poor people who did not have flood insurance or the means to make repairs themselves. The federal and state governments are supposed to help them get back on their feet, but that hasn’t happened, at least not to a large degree.
Three months after Hurricane Matthew, in January 2017, the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development released $236.5 million in Community Development Block Grant-Disaster Recovery funds to North Carolina Emergency Management, which was at that time responsible for allocating the money to counties.
Much of that money is supposed to be used to pay or reimburse low-income people for repairs of damage to their homes caused by Matthew. The money, much of which was designated to Robeson and three other hard-hit counties, is in addition to millions of dollars that poured into the county from FEMA and other sources shortly after the hurricane.
By December 2018, more than two years after Matthew, the state had allocated only 1 percent of the money — or $3.4 million, according to a report dated May 20, 2019, from the N.C. General Assembly’s Program Evaluation Division. The division found that Emergency Management had unnecessarily spent slightly more money than had actually been used to help people. The report blamed a lack of expertise.
At least partly as a result of the spending issues, the state created the Office of Recovery and Resiliency to oversee the federal block grant funds, which Campbell said are finally beginning to get into the hands of people most affected by the two hurricanes.
An estimated 8 percent of the block grant money has now been spent — or about $19.5 million of the $236.5 million. More than a quarter of the money spent has been in Robeson County, and more than $15 million has been designated to county residents in the form of housing award letters, according to the Office of Recovery and Resiliency. Another $168 million in federal block grant funding became available for Matthew victims in August.
Ernestine Pierce, 62, of Rowland is among those still waiting for assistance.
Hurricane Matthew sent a big tree crashing onto Pierce’s roof, causing $30,000 damage. The house was insured, and Pierce’s family moved into a relative’s camper while repairs were being made.
Two years later, Hurricane Florence again inundated the house, leaving the home’s ductwork lying wet on the ground. Pierce said insurance has declined to pay for those repairs, so she’s waiting on government assistance.
Ernestine Pierce and her 12-year-old granddaughter discuss the effects of living through two hurricanes. Pierce said a tree crashed through the roof of her Rowland home during Hurricane Matthew. She lost her job shortly afterward and still becomes scared anytime a storm approaches. Many people report emotional, mental and physical health effects after a hurricane. Photo credit: Greg Barnes
ReBuild NC, FEMA and other programs, including church organizations and advocacy groups, have done tremendous work getting people back into their homes. But Campbell and others say it’s not nearly enough.
For those still awaiting help, the hurricanes have taken an emotional, physical and mental toll.
Behavioral health study
The day after Hurricane Matthew, Pierce said, she went to the hospital thinking she was suffering a heart attack. The doctor said her rapidly beating heart was caused by stress, nothing more severe. After her heart began racing a second time, Pierce said, the doctor advised her to take it easy for a while.
Two months later, Pierce said, she tried to return to work at a cabinet shop. She said her boss wouldn’t rehire her, so she was forced to retire.
Now she spends a lot of time at home, worrying about the next big storm. As she sat for an interview with NC Health News, then-Tropical Storm Dorian was building in the Atlantic. Pierce was paying close attention.
“When any kind of storm comes up I’ll be watching and I can’t be still because I’m scared something else is going to happen,” she said.
That’s a common reaction among people who have suffered through a hurricane.
A study being led by researchers at East Carolina University and UNC-Pembroke is tracking 261 hurricane victims in four counties — Robeson, Scotland, Columbus and Bladen — to gauge their emotional, physical and mental health months after Hurricane Florence.
Of the 261 victims, 164 are using applications on their cell phones to document their well-being on a daily basis.
NOAA rain intensity map shows where the most precipitation from Hurricane Matthew fell, mostly on already-saturated land. Image: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency
The initial data provide startling insight into the mental and physical health of the participants, said Ashley Batts Allen of UNCP and Heather Littleton of ECU, the study’s two lead authors.
According to data from the study, 73 percent of participants reported mold damage, 46 percent were out of work for two or more weeks, 67 percent developed a new or worsened mental health condition, and 22 percent developed a health condition caused by exposure to mold or contamination. A quarter of children in the survey recorded a new or worsening mental health condition.
More than half of the participants reported that their homes were flooded, and 63 percent said they had lost possessions.
“What we know about some of these really devastating hurricanes is that the aftereffects can linger on for a long time …, essentially that the storms can have longer-term impacts, things related to people losing their job, losing their home, having to relocate, developing a health condition due to exposure to mold or contamination or developing a new or worsening mental health condition,” Littleton said.
Littleton and Allen said the study will be used to try to understand the causes of hurricane victims losing the ability to function normally long after the storm has passed and to develop interventions to keep that from happening after the next storm hits. They plan to present their findings in hard-hit communities in the hopes that the information will help those residents and bring in more resources.
One of Allen’s responsibilities for the study was to recruit members. Because she is a professor at UNC Pembroke, many of her recruits came from Robeson County.
As she went into neighborhoods, Allen said, she found that people were angry after Hurricane Florence. Many had just gotten back into their homes after the damage caused by Matthew, or they were still waiting for their homes to be fixed, she said.
“So having that kind of a catastrophic event impact you twice, in such a short period of time was, I guess you’d say, somewhat defeating for people.”
High waters on the Lumber River following Hurricane Matthews caused the displacement of thousands of Sandhills residents. Photograph by Thomas Goldsmith.
Many of the people affected were renters left to the mercy of their landlords to fix the homes, Allen said. Others were waiting for FEMA assistance, or insurance, or something or someone else to come along and help them.
“It just takes a really long time to get those resources to be able to fix the physical condition, but then, in the midst of that, of course, there’s a lot of daily frustration,” Allen said.
For many, the research by Allen and Littleton suggests, the daily frustrations and substandard living conditions compound into mental and physical health problems.
The state is aware of the emotional roller coaster residents have been on. It allocated $3.5 million to a Department of Health and Human Services program called Hope 4 NC after Hurricane Matthew and $12.2 million after Hurricane Florence.
The program has provided behavioral health services to more than 147,000 people in 27 counties. Of those helped, more than 24,000 were referred for more intensive community-based services, according to a statement from the program in July.
‘At least I had a place’
Despite all she has endured, Isa Alvarado has not been among those who have sought emotional help.
Somehow, she manages to keep a smile.
Alvarado said she is grateful that she is now in a motel and not bitter that it took almost three years to get out of her house.
“As a Christian I know we go through trials, through many things in life, and we have to learn how to face them,” she said. “I started thinking I’m not like other people, that they are out in the street. You see them homeless, hungry.
“At least I had a place, it wasn’t the best … It had damages because of two hurricanes. I have mold, my clothing was smelling, I had concerns about my health, but at least I still had a roof. So I say, hey, I’m not the only one that has been through problems. There’s other people in other places that don’t have nothing.
“So you gotta be happy and just see the positive side, you know.”
Better Business Bureau offers tips to avoid buying flood-damaged vehicles
RICHMOND, Va. – The Better Business Bureau (BBB) is warning Virginians to be on the lookout for flood-damaged vehicles in the wake of Hurricane Dorian.
“Following floods, scammers try to pawn off flooded vehicles as standard secondhand cars,” said the BBB. “Flood-damaged vehicles will no doubt pop up at auto auctions, used car dealerships, and especially in classified ads.
While state law requires water damage to be reported on a vehicle’s title, dishonest sellers can find ways to circumvent the law. More than 325,000 flooded vehicles were put back in use in 2017, according to CarFax.
Water damage can be hidden beyond visible signs like rust and mold. It could also cause a vehicle’s electrical systems to erode and fail over time. Computer sensors could be damaged and safety protections like air bags could fail in a crash, officials say.
The BBB has the following tips for car shoppers:
Ask to see the title. Check the date and place of transfer to see if the car came from a flood-damaged state and if the title is stamped “salvage.”
Carefully check the dashboard and electronic components. Examine all gauges to make sure they are accurate, and there are no signs of water. Look for indications that the dashboard may have been removed. Test the lights, wipers, turn signals, radio, heater and air conditioner several times.
Check the interior spaces. Look in the trunk, glove box, and beneath the seats and dash for signs of rust or water damage. Check for open drainage holes in the bottom of the vehicle. Look for discolored, faded or mildewed upholstery and carpeting. Recently shampooed carpets may be cause for concern.
Get a vehicle history report from a database service. The National Insurance Crime Bureau’s (NICB) free database lists flood damage and other information. But take note: NICB reports are only helpful if the car was insured. If the owner of an uninsured flood-damaged car tries to sell it on the open market, you may never know there’s a problem until things like the electrical system go bad.
Remember to check under the hood. Look for standing water, mud or grit in the spare tire wheel well or around the engine compartment under the hood.
Do a smell test. A heavy aroma of cleaners and disinfectants might be masking problem.
Research the dealer. Always check out the BBB Business Profile of the dealer at bbb.org.
Get an inspection. Before buying any used car, you should get a pre-purchase inspection by a trusted mechanic. Click here for more tips on buying used cars.
Before purchasing a vehicle, customers are encouraged to check the vehicle’s history with the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). By submitting the vehicle’s make, model and vehicle identification number (VIN), the service can identify flood-damaged or unsafe vehicles prior to titling.
The fee for NMVTIS is $12 per vehicle. The service is available online or by visiting a DMV office.
The discovery of mold throughout Live Oak Charter School has been a polarizing issue for a campus entering a period of transition, testing the fibers of the tight-knit community as school officials manage a shrinking budget and possible relocation under new leadership.
Some have also alleged that the previous administration failed to respond in a significant way when concerns over visible water damage were first raised by a former faculty member at the start of winter in 2017.
The Waldorf-inspired K-8 school, which serves nearly 300 students in the Petaluma City Elementary district, has invested at least $50,000 on testing and remediation work this year, according to Board of Directors member Josh Kizner.
School officials strongly defended every dollar spent getting the campus back to normal so classes could safely resume last month.
But for some in the Live Oak community, diverting much-needed dollars to address mold has been hard to support when the school is working through a fluctuating $2.5 million budget.
“Some people look at (the mold issue) and say, ‘It’s not a real problem. It’s a few people who are being oversensitive,’” Kizner said, “and because it’s not affecting their kids, they can say that … but that’s not the right way to look at it.”
In March, environmental specialists found water damage and elevated spore counts in several buildings throughout the Live Oak campus, although not every building was tested.
One building, the former hand-working classroom, was permanently closed in spring 2018 after mushrooms began growing out of the window sill and the wall beneath it had become soft.
The former handwork teacher left the school in December due to mold-related illnesses. Several students have also been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS, an acute illness often caused by exposure to biotoxins in water damaged buildings. Mold at home also played a role for multiple families that were diagnosed.
The parents of children with CIRS and the former handwork teacher were critical of the allegedly inadequate response by former Executive Director Matthew Morgan, who closed off the mushroom-infested classroom months after it had been first brought to his attention at the end of 2017.
They believe more should have been done sooner to curb the amount of daily exposure for students and faculty on a campus that already had vulnerabilities. More than half of the student body is medically-exempt from vaccinations due to some type of compromising illness or condition.
The discussion around mold only became public in March when the school held two public forums, according to a letter to the community sent out on April 9. Some parents said they went months without a response from Morgan, and that the letter only came after a formal complaint had been filed.
Morgan, now the superintendent/principal of Harmony Union School District in Occidental, did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
Live Oak reportedly had a roughly $170,000 deficit for the 2018-19 school year, prompting cuts to various specialty areas to help balance the budget this term.
Additionally, when Live Oak renewed its charter last year, Petaluma City Schools remapped the elementary district, a move that will likely result in the loss of a $200,000 bedrock in state grant funds.
Kizner was adamant that the budget deficit should be separated from a public health issue like a mold outbreak, but some parents said it’s become a wedge in the community.
The smell of smoke still permeates the air around NE 84th and Russell. The majority of the buildings—and all the used cars that once sat on the block, overflow from nearby Cascade Auto—are now hollowed-out shells of their former selves. It’s the result of an August four-alarm blaze that started as a grass fire on a nearby hillside, then surged out of control.
The only structure that survived the four-alarm fire is a tan, concrete building that has, since 2000, been the home to the Grand Avenue Boxing Club. But while the outside of the training center looks relatively unharmed compared to all the rubble surrounding it, the interior tells a different story.
With the electricity knocked out, the two-story space feels dim and dour. The tall ceilings above the gym’s rooms for sparring, hitting the speed bag, and shadow boxing have visible water damage. Another room, a former racquetball court, has a small pile of soggy tiles in the center. The upstairs is even worse, with the early odors of mildew and mold are palpable. As pointed out by Ryan Ottomano—one of the gym’s regulars, who’s also trying to oversee clean-up efforts—the plastic latch on the building’s circuit breaker panel melted from the heat.
It’s one hell of a body blow to a gym that’s been the training ground for up-and-coming pugilists in the area since it opened on the corner of SE Grand and Stark in 1949. But with the sweat equity that its regular crew of boxers and trainers are ready to put into repairs, and with some financial help from a GoFundMe campaign, it’s a hit that Grand Avenue Boxing can hopefully absorb.
“It’s gonna be hectic around here for a while,” says Manny Valdez, one of the gym’s trainers, who was on hand to aid in clean-up work even as he recovered from knee surgery. “This has been a safe haven for these boxers. This is their home. We just need to see if we can get back up again.”
RH
The biggest concern at this point is protecting the building from the rain. Recent downpours have already added to the damage wrought by the fire department’s hoses, and there are fears that more rain might spell the end for the gym.
If Grand Avenue Boxing were to close its doors forever, that loss would be felt throughout the Northwest’s boxing community. The gym is known for its hard-nosed, working-class approach to training that helped mold the careers of future champions like Steve “2 Pounds” Forbes and Molly “Fearless” McConnell. And through 2008, owner Fred Ryan helped fund regular Golden Gloves tournaments, until they became too expensive to manage.
The boxing club isn’t done producing contenders: 141-pound fighter Bryan Sanchez, who got his start at Grand Avenue Boxing, is now considered the top amateur in the state, having won three consecutive regional Golden Gloves tourneys and advancing to the quarterfinals of last year’s national Golden Gloves. The next step is going pro.
“I’ve been coming here for about five years,” Sanchez says. “I love the old-school feel of it. No heat in the winter. No air conditioning in the summer. People have the same mentality as me: They want to be the best. Nothing was sugar-coated. Some places play patty cake with you. Here it was, ‘Let’s get to work.’ I liked that.”
Bryan SanchezLord Blakely
That mentality is what keeps bringing Sanchez to Grand Avenue Boxing, even after the fire. He’s helping remove destroyed carpets and mop up pools of water, but he’s also continuing his training in the gym’s parking lot. He’s not alone in that dedication: Even though the gym has a relatively small number of dues-paying members (around 15 to 20, according to Ottomano), many more young men from the neighborhood swing by regularly, finding a safe haven amid the punching bags and weights.
“Everybody helps everybody, like a family,” says Sanchez’s coach, who goes by JC. “Not only for people that are fighting and have promising careers, but the little kids who can’t play football and basketball. They’ve got somewhere to go.”
For more than three hours on June 21, water had been cascading down the steps of the former choir room at South Knoxville’s Sarah Simpson Professional Development Technology Center, attached to historic South High School.
“The water main had been broken, but there was a failure to notify everybody in the building that the water had been cut off,” said Michael Van Vuuren – assistant to the executive director. “Someone had used the urinal and when the water main was fixed, the water was turned back on at 9 p.m. The valve failed and flooded two rooms above us.”
Van Vuuren inspected the damage the following afternoon. “The old choir room is our ‘overflow’ storage room and it’s set up like an auditorium with steps, and the bottom level was under a foot and a half of water.”
A crew started cleanup and worked through 3 a.m. and ran a dehumidifier for three weeks, but the mildew and mold had already taken hold. Many of the duplicate school annuals, or yearbooks, in the storage room were in cardboard boxes, and the particle board shelving had fallen apart.
The cardboard boxes were a soggy mess, and at least one crate of 16 school annuals – mostly from Powell – were a complete loss.
“The repairs have been made; 12 tiles were replaced in the ceiling of the museum, but the damage to our collection is what we have paid dearly for,” said Van Vuuren. “I’m still assessing the damage even this late. We have pulled a lot out of the room into the hallway.”
A volunteer has stepped up to build storage racks to raise everything off the ground, and all memorabilia will be stored in watertight plastic storage tubs.
So far, $210 has been raised in cash donations through the Network for Good, and Van Vuuren hopes to receive a check soon.
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The South High School class of 1965 celebrates their 45th reunion at The Point in Dandridge, Tenn. Attendees are, seated in front, David Gideon; first row, from left, Dennis Wester, Brenda Leatherwood Flowers, Connie Burleson Moses, Sharon Wallace Cameron, Jack Sanford, David Tucker, Sherry Wallace Barry, Tron Luttrell, Carolyn Loveday Acuff, Ron Monday, Pat Pruett Horner, Marjorie Hensley Presley and Eddie Cate; second row, from left, Donnie Gilbert, Barbara Jackson, Sharon Andre Kniffin, Janice Haynes Houser, Ernest Kuhlo, JoAnne Kuhlo Tucker, Harold Davis, Jack Jones, Larry Long, Peggy Scarbrough Sparks, David Sparks, Sue Ray Holt, Nancy Whaley Bennett, Gayle Walker Peavler, Linda Sharp, Jane Easley Adkisson, Vickie Caylor Holbert and Juanita Hickman Leese; third row, from left, Gary Spangler, Kendall White, Tommy Flowers, Ray Carpenter, Anna Foster Pratt, Vinson Harper, Ron Randles, Charlie White and Mike Knox. 2010 Submitted
“We are still receiving money from individuals, we just don’t know how much of the stuff has been damaged, and restoring books is crazy expensive,” he said. “We will keep the (request for) donations ongoing for the next few months.”
The cause may overlap with other fundraising efforts to expand the museum space.
The Knox County Museum of Education, at 801 Tipton Ave. behind the former South High School, is still encouraging donations from public and private schools in Knox County.
They welcome items such as school yearbooks, class pictures, class rings, football programs, band uniforms, varsity jackets and other school mementos.
“We marvel at what we do have, but I’m also so conscious of what we still have not found,” said Van Vuuren. “We are encouraging people to search and bring in items so other can enjoy them.
“We are also trying to build a reserve of money so that museum can continue to grow and meet the needs of the coming generations because we are very unique,” said Van Vuuren, whose mother, Benna, started the museum 15 years ago and also established the popular “Reading is Fundamental” program.
“At the time there was no central collection, and we have built on our goals of ensuring that great educators and great schools will not be forgotten. Your children and grandchildren can come in and see what they accomplished in the past and that’s ongoing.”
The discovery of mold throughout Live Oak Charter School has been a polarizing issue for a campus entering a period of transition, testing the fibers of the tight-knit community as school officials manage a shrinking budget and possible relocation under new leadership.
Some have also alleged that the previous administration failed to respond in a significant way when concerns over visible water damage were first raised by a former faculty member at the start of winter in 2017.
The Waldorf-inspired K-8 school, which serves nearly 300 students in the Petaluma City Elementary district, has invested at least $50,000 on testing and remediation work this year, according to Board of Directors member Josh Kizner.
School officials strongly defended every dollar spent getting the campus back to normal so classes could safely resume last month.
But for some in the Live Oak community, diverting much-needed dollars to address mold has been hard to support when the school is working through a fluctuating $2.5 million budget.
“Some people look at (the mold issue) and say, ‘It’s not a real problem. It’s a few people who are being oversensitive,’” Kizner said, “and because it’s not affecting their kids, they can say that … but that’s not the right way to look at it.”
In March, environmental specialists found water damage and elevated spore counts in several buildings throughout the Live Oak campus, although not every building was tested.
One building, the former hand-working classroom, was permanently closed in spring 2018 after mushrooms began growing out of the window sill and the wall beneath it had become soft.
The former handwork teacher left the school in December due to mold-related illnesses. Several students have also been diagnosed with Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS, an acute illness often caused by exposure to biotoxins in water damaged buildings. Mold at home also played a role for multiple families that were diagnosed.
The parents of children with CIRS and the former handwork teacher were critical of the allegedly inadequate response by former Executive Director Matthew Morgan, who closed off the mushroom-infested classroom months after it had been first brought to his attention at the end of 2017.
They believe more should have been done sooner to curb the amount of daily exposure for students and faculty on a campus that already had vulnerabilities. More than half of the student body is medically-exempt from vaccinations due to some type of compromising illness or condition.
The discussion around mold only became public in March when the school held two public forums, according to a letter to the community sent out on April 9. Some parents said they went months without a response from Morgan, and that the letter only came after a formal complaint had been filed.
Morgan, now the superintendent/principal of Harmony Union School District in Occidental, did not respond to multiple messages seeking comment.
Live Oak reportedly had a roughly $170,000 deficit for the 2018-19 school year, prompting cuts to various specialty areas to help balance the budget this term.
Additionally, when Live Oak renewed its charter last year, Petaluma City Schools remapped the elementary district, a move that will likely result in the loss of a $200,000 bedrock in state grant funds.
Kizner was adamant that the budget deficit should be separated from a public health issue like a mold outbreak, but some parents said it’s become a wedge in the community.
Damage Mold 