WASHINGTON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HONOR "COMMUNITY HEROES"

ON TUESDAY JANUARY 11, 2005 THE WASHINGTON

COUNTY COMMISSIONERS HONORED MORE THAN

100 INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS

DESIGNATED BY THEIR COMMUNITIES

TO BE HEROES OF THE SEPTEMBER 17, 2004

FLOOD. 

THIS FLOOD WAS THE WORST NATURAL

DISASTER IN THE HISTORY OF

WASHINGTON COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA.

WE WERE VERY PLEASED TO HAVE

NOMINATED THE AVELLA VOLUNTEER FIRE

DEPARTMENT, FIREMEN ROBERT DILLON

AND MIKE MILVET AND COMMUNITY MEMBER

MARK OLSEN. 

OUR SENIOR CENTER QUICKLY BECAME

SURROUNDED BY HIGH WATER THAT

TERRIBLE DAY.  SIXTEEN SENIORS AND

STAFF MEMBERS WERE STRANDED IN A

VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. 

TOWARD DUSK A BOAT ARRIVED IN THE PARKING

LOT MANNED BY ROBERT DILLON, MARK MILVET,

AND MARK OLSEN.  THEY WERE HERE TO

EVACUATE ALL WHO WOULD GO.  THE SENIORS

WERE TAKEN TWO BY TWO TO THE BOAT UNTIL

IT WAS MARY'S TURN.  SHE HAD NOT WORN A

COAT THAT DAY AND AS IT WAS RAINING

HEAVILY AND BECOMING COLDER WE WERE

CONCERNED.  ROBERT WHIPPED OFF HIS

RAIN SLICKER AND WRAPPED IT AROUND MARY. 

ROBERT AND MIKE THEN CARRIED MARY

CAREFULLY IN HER WHEELCHAIR TO THE

BOAT.  THE SENIORS WERE SAFELY

TRANSPORTED TO THE EMERGENCY SHELTER

AT THE AVELLA HIGH SCHOOL. 

MARY PASSED AWAY A FEW WEEKS LATER

BUT SHE NEVER TIRED OF TELLING EVERYONE

ABOUT THE BRAVE FIREMEN WHO CAME TO

OUR RESCUE AND ESPECIALLY THE KIND

FIREMAN WHO GAVE UP HIS COAT. 

THE COURAGEOUS MEN AND WOMEN OF THE

AVELLA VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT WERE

EVERYWHERE THAT TERRIBLE DAY AND NIGHT

AND IN THE WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT

FOLLOWED.  THEY CONTINUE TO HELP AS WE

ATTEMPT TO REBUILD A DEVASTATED

COMMUNITY.  WE SALUTE THEM!

MAY GOD BLESS THEM ALL!

CROSS CREEK VALLEY SENIOR COMMUNITY CENTER SECRETARY MARY FERRARI WAS ALSO HONORED BY THE COMMISSIONERS FOR HER ROLE IN HELPING LOCAL FLOOD VICTIMS.  MARY COLLECTED DONATIONS FOR VICTIMS IN CROSS CREEK AND INDEPENDENCE TOWNSHIPS.  WE THANK YOU MARY!