Alex: THANK YOU ALL so much
for all the work you have done on the Web Site.
My father's home is at 2375 Sierra
Ct. His name was Bryson Ahern. My parents
bought that house in 1950 & I still remember being evacuated &
carried to the back of a dumptruck during the flood
of '55. As I recall the Redcross evacuated us either to the gym of
Jordan Junior Hi or Paly Hi. My Dad
stayed behind to mop the water out of our house. He was building
a cabin cruiser in our backyard at the time
so he had to make certain it was docked properly
lest it float away.
I have wonderful memories of living
& playing on that little court, walking across
101 when it was just two lanes & playing in the mounds of dirt they hauled in to begin the freeway construction. I took
swimming lessons at Rinconada, went to Garland
Elementary School and played with Karen Dulet and Diane
and Carol Lose whose families also lived on Sierra Court. Mrs. Patchen was a "new" neighbor in those days.
It was a sweet little street to play in and
a special little neighborhood that felt like my whole world as a little girl. We moved when I began 4th grade
but my parents kept the home as a rental and
moved back into it about 14 or 15 years ago. It was a great
little neighborhood for an elderly couple too, as there was so much life surrounding them, filled with laughter of little
children, skateboarding teenagers and busy
commuters trying to squeeze in moments to jog
and bike ride. The life and energy was good for them, so much better than a retirement community.
I now live about 6 hours north on
Hiway 101 in Humboldt Co. (Arcata, CA to be
specific). Blessedly my Dad passed away only 2 weeks before the flood occurred. I have no idea what we would've done
if he had lived to see the devastation, nor
can I imagine how we could've evacuated him as he was very ill
with lung cancer & bedridden. Altho' knowing my father's dear neighbor and fishing buddy, Dennis McKinsey, "where
there's a will there's a way," and he would've
known what to do (Dennis being the only man I know more
ornery than my Pop).
I and my daughter, Johanna,
stayed with my father for two weeks this past Christmas.
My daughter continued her stay with him for about another 2 1/2 weeks into January 1998 before he passed away. Both
Johanna & I spent time taking walks through
the peaceful streets of your neighborhood when we needed
R&R from the pangs of caregiving. My daughter was intending to live
in my father's home for a few months after
his death, while we were preparing to put
it on the market. She was visiting at my home in Humboldt Co. when we got a call the morning of the flood evacuation.
Even though no one was home at my Dad's house,
thoughtful neighbors took time to call us. My daughter lost
some of her possessions; but the saddest moment for her was when she saw the devastation for the first time, walked across
his front lawn and found his reading glasses
buried in the mud along with the little brass bell he
used to ring when he needed her help. She said she truly began grieving the loss of her Grandpa at that point, when she saw
remnants of her relationship with him strewn
across the muddy front lawn for all to see. She
said his life seemed to be so trashed at that point.
I feel so much more fortunate compared
to so many families on that little street.
I had already "inherited" a lot of the family treasures, photo albums,
furnishings. So our loss was not nearly as great as people who call Sierra Court home. My heart goes out to everyone.
Please keep me on your mailing list.
My brother & I own the home now & are gradually doing repairs.
So we will be "neighbors" for a little while longer. Good luck in your efforts to make changes to the drainage problems
and emergency systems. If I can write or sign
anything, please know I'm happy to do so.
Sincerely, Diane Anderson
(Photo by Kristine & Raymond Hebert)
http://www.afh.com/dsfna1/article.php?story=20030216092558761