As residents, insurance assessors and federal and state officials try to understand the extent of last week’s tornado, another story of a weather related disaster is slowly coming to a close.
Over the weekend, the community of Alstead held an old-fashioned barn-raising with a modern twist.
Friends and framers from across the region came to help rebuild Kmiec’s Garage.
The landmark auto shop is one of the last projects remaining to recover from the October, 2005 flood.
The Keene Sentinel’s Donna Moxley reports.
A crane moves a rafter to the new Kmiec's Garage in Alstead. (Donna Moxley, Keene Sentinel)
(River)
The sun was hot in Alstead Saturday, and Warren Brook flowed obediently within its banks.
It was a different picture almost three years ago
On October 9 2005 11 inches of rain had fallen in 24 hours.
Culverts backed up, and when they let go, a 30-foot wall of water took houses, people, and the landmark Kmiec’s Garage downstream in a matter of seconds.
Four local people died that day.
And many homes that weren’t washed away had to be destroyed anyway.
Cars from Kmiecs were found downstream in fields and buried in the mud of the river bed.
But Garage owner John Rowan didn’t close down.
He’s been running his business out of a former glass storage facility across the street.
On Saturday, he watched as his new garage started to take form.
(from river to construction under)
(John 2) “It’s really been incredible all the different people that have helped out throughout this whole thing, it’s really overwhelming.”
Much of the money for supplies came from local fundraisers.
A local church, for example, is footing the bill for the lifts inside the garage.
And Timberframers from all over New England volunteered to help.
More than 20 of them showed up Saturday for a job some said would normally have required just 5.
Others prepared a feast for a 100 and children gave out water to anyone who passed.
Part of what’s taken this project so long is what Mary Ann Melquist calls the acronym festival of regulation – getting approval from the DOT and the DES …
After all, they’re building this garage in that same flood-ravaged location between the state highway and Warren Brook.
And getting approval to build wasn’t easy.
Meanwhile, Melquist – who’s on the Alstead Flood Relief Committee – helped organize this garage raising..
Melquist: So you know we had to get all the timbers out and we had to get them all back. They all had to be here by last Thursday so the project manager could make sure they were all here. Yesterday was pre-assembly – there’s just a lot.
(river)
Owner John Rowan end up with more debt than he carried in September, 2005, but he figures he’ll have the nicest garage around.
(John Rowan 3) If it wasn’t for all these donations it wouldn’t be possible. But it’s a pretty cool-looking structure, that’s for sure.
(Kmiec ambience)
Brad Kmiec was quiet Saturday as he watched a crane lift rafters, one by one, to rest on the garage frame.
He and his wife Kitty and their kids survived the flood in their home across the street from the garage but had to give up on the house itself.
The flood waters had lifted it off its foundation.
The house Brad grew up in, next to the garage, also had to be demolished.
John Rowan, the current owner of the garage, is Brad’s cousin.
But Brad Kmiec worked at the garage until that day in October when his tools were washed into the Cold River..
(Brad and Kitty)
Yah my father built that place in 53, and I spent most of my life in it. So it’s just, looks good, it really does … (pause, then Kitty) Very, very emotional day. You know this has been three years in the coming and finally it’s happening. You know? It’s just very, very exciting.
It’s hard to find someone at this newfangled barn-raising who doesn’t get a little choked up talking about it.
When that big wave of water washed Kmiec’s garaged down river, Mary Ann Melquist says it seemed to have hit the heart of Alstead as well.
(river under)
People can’t remember this town without it. It was sort of and John hates when I say this but it was kind of like our mutt. You know how every town has that building you’re fond of? It’s one of those places and I’m sure your town has one that when you’re telling someone that doesn’t know how to get to your house, you get to Kmiec’s garage and you go a quarter of a mile and take a left, you get to Kmiec’s garage, and, you know, it was just that spot. It’s just a great thing that’s happening today. It’s, I can’t think of a better day in my life. It’s just a long time coming. But we did it thanks to the generosity of I’d say hundreds of people.
The framing is up, but workers need to install drywall and other details.
But John Rowan hopes to start work in his new shop by the end of September.
For NHPR News, I’m Donna Moxley.
