Members of Jerry Beyersdoerfer's and Hazel McGovney's family watch the swift Licking River water carry the memorial wreath they tossed-in up the river. These were two of the four families that lost a loved one in the 1997 flood. Photo by Debbie Dennie.

Pictured above is the wreath that was placed in the Licking River in memory of the five people that lost their lives in the "Flood of '97." Photo by Debbie Dennie.

The photo above is of Linda Beyersdoerfer holding a yellow tulip and ribbon from the memorial wreath as she gives Pendleton County Magistrate Stacey Wells a hug. Photo by Debbie Dennie.

Officials discuss the many improvements made since the Flood of '97
Five residents who died in the flood remembered

By Debbie Dennie, Editor

Many residents, family, and friends of five people that died in the 1997 flood gathered this past Saturday at the Assembly Café on Shelby Street in Falmouth to remember and pay tribute to them.

Yes, when it rains hard for a long period of time and the Licking River begins to swell up out of its banks, the residents get an uneasy feeling. For many residents they get in their cars and drive over to the bridge going into Shoemakertown to take a look or they drive over the U.S. 27 bridge to check the level of the rivers.

It's been 10 years since that devastating flood covered 80 percent of the town of Falmouth and many homes in the town of Butler. Many residents in the DeMossville area had to deal with high water.

Former Falmouth City Council Member Jeff Carson introduced the guests present at the program. Falmouth Mayor April DeFalco welcomed all in attendance. She told the crowd of a photo she had seen while she and two other ladies were sorting through flood photos to assemble on several display boards. "A sign sitting along side Highway 27 had the words on it that read, 'Falmouth is a flower that will bloom again.' That sign made me stop and think of all the good things that have happened to our town, the town of Butler and to Pendleton County since that flood," she said. "If it hadn't been for all the volunteers that came to help we might still be trying to get back on our feet."

Butler resident Connie Dunn brought with her a coat that she calls her flood coat and a dog leash. "I just can't seem to get rid of this old coat," she said. "After the flood I got a voucher from the Red Cross and I went to buy me a coat. The pickings were slim in March and this old tan coat with Mickey Mouse lining was all I could find," she said. "It was too big for me but I have come to love it because I wore it everyday after the flood and I want others to know how special my old Mickey Mouse flood coat is. It kept me warm when I had very little to wear." She took the coat and put it on as she was telling the story about it.

The photo of the lady above is of Butler resident Connie Dunn as she tells her story of her flood coat. Photo by D. Dennie.

"You see my home was on Mill Street in Butler and it took the blunt of the water's force raging out of the river banks. My home was destroyed. I remember going to a friend's house the night of the flood and she gave me some dry shoes to wear."

After the flood Ms. Dunn was able to build a new house on higher ground and further back in the city of Butler. "Now as I take my dog Annie out for a walk each evening I pass by the new Butler Fire House and police station that has been built on Taylor Street. Sometimes the firemen are there and they are busy washing the fire trucks or doing other things that need to be done. As Annie and I continue our walk we look and see all the new homes that have been built since the flood and I know that many of those people were affected by the flood. I also see the new growth and changes that have taken place in my city. As we walk by River Valley Nursing Home we can see the new gazebo that was built after the flood and then we can see the old Butler High School that is now under renovation and when it's completed it will house many of our senior citizens. That apartment complex will help a lot of people. As we continue to walk down the streets I look at many of the older houses with the new siding, new doors and fresh paint. Yes, things have changed in Butler. Pretty soon Annie and I have walked down to Mill Street where my old home once stood."

"Today there is a Community Park built where my house once stood for the children to play in and for adults to picnic or just watch the children play. I stand there for a moment and if I look hard enough I can see my old house sitting there and all the mobile homes that use to be there that housed many of my friends and neighbors. You see this helps me to focus on why I love my town and the people that live here, they are my friends and neighbors and that is the reason I continue to live in Butler. It's home to me and I could never leave here."

Mrs. Dunn's story is just like so many other residents that live in the city of Butler and Falmouth who live close to the river. Her story brought tears to the eyes of many as she talked about her love for her community. They know the dangers, but they choose to live where they have always lived.

Judge Executive Henry Bertram told the crowd that our people came back and rebuilt their homes and businesses in Falmouth and Butler. Those are the ones that made our devastated towns communities again. We need to thank those people, the many volunteers that worked in the background trying to save many residents belongings before the flood water could claim them. We need to thank our firemen, Red Cross members, our policemen and other law enforcement officers, our 911 emergency dispatchers, the former Emergency Management Director Craig Peoples, who only had been appointed to his job two days before that nightmare happened. "We need to thank all of these people who worked so hard in the background and we need to thank God Almighty for giving us the strength, the courage, the volunteers and the donations to be able to come back," he said.

Judge Bertram owned and operated a garage and lawn mower business before the flood. The flood hit his business too. "My family and friends showed up afterwards to help me clean out the muddy mess and I am so thankful to them," he replied.

Judge Bertram recognized Senator Katie Stine and Representative Tom McKee, both in attendance for all of the help they have given to our towns and the county.

Rep. McKee told of how he had just been elected to our district when the flood hit and that he had come to town that evening to see what help he could offer. He had stopped and asked the firemen what he could do and he ended up helping some residents move items to higher ground.

"After the flood when I came down and rode down Highway 27 in a humvee with the National Guard and I saw the Dairy Queen.The area looked like a bomb had been dropped on it," he added. "I thought then how will these people ever recover. But you have recovered and you are a better town for it."

Rep. McKee presented the cities of Falmouth and Butler and the county with a Citation from the House of Representatives paying tribute to them for surviving a flood of this massive devastation, over 28 feet above flood stage.

Emergency Management Director Mike Moore spoke to the crowd and told them of the many things that have been accomplished to help give advance warning of flooding or other emergencies that might take place. "We have built a new Emergency Operations Center out of the flood plain, and added an enhanced 911 service. We can now constantly monitor the river level when needed, we have created a flood plan, have back-up generators to restore power if it should be knocked out and have remote radio sites so we can keep communication open, plus we have several ham radio operators ready to help when needed. Our main telephone station has been moved out of the flood plain and a long list of other things put into place."

911 Supervisor Jackie Stephens told those in attendance how much better equipped the county was should another emergency happen.

One new organization that was formed after the flood was the Pendleton County Search and Rescue. These members have been through extensive training and certification and now have been able to go and give back some of the help that was given to residents here to save their lives and property.

"These people are very dedicated to their organization," said Mark Hart, head of the group. "They have used money out of their own pockets to get the training they needed."

Senator Stine also remembered how horrible the flood was and praised the communities and the residents for the strength they had to rebuild.

"When we (Pendleton County) needed state and federal funding these two elected officials were right there to help us however they could," Judge Bertram said.

John Mays of the Northern Kentucky Area Development District was also recognized for his contributions in helping attain funding.

Judge Bertram and Carson recognized the Vision Team that was organized shortly after the flood. Those members worked long and hard to come up with a plan on how our communities could be rebuilt and go on. A fact sheet was put together for the residents to look at and see how many things had been accomplished in our communities since the flood. A huge amount of those accomplishments were things that needed to be done and were from that vision team.

Five members of the Pendleton High School Brass Quintet provided the music for the service. Bro. Harry Crozier led the group. He told those in attendance that he too had lost his home and many belongings to the flood. "I can remember my family and I singing, 'Lord Keep Me Safe Till The Storm Passes' as we crowded into our vehicle and left town that night," he said.

The Brass Quintet closed the service with "My Old Kentucky Home."

Several family members from those who lost their lives were in attendance. After the flood remembrance service, the huge wreath that had been made by Becky's Flower Basket in Falmouth was taken to the boat ramp in Shoemakertown and was handed to each family member present going on down until it reached the last member. Then, it was tossed in the swift, rolling river. Tears rolled down the faces of many of those present for this somber moment.

The wreath had ribbons with the names of each of the five residents who lost their lives, Hazel McGovney, her daughter Crystal McGovney, Jerry Beyersdoerfer, Elizabeth Kraczek and George Florence, Jr.

Looking back on the devastation of the March 1, 1997 flood

By Debbie Dennie, Editor

The rain was coming down hard at times as many residents of Falmouth, Butler, elected officials and others came together, ten years later, March 1, 2007 to talk about how the devastation of the Great Flood of March 1, 1997 affected them.

One of the people recognized by several people talking was local resident Roy Mains. Mains had brought his tractor to Wyatt's SuperValu to help pull freezers of spoiled meat and other items from the store after the flood water had gone down.

"All we had to say was we needed something and Roy went to get it," said Roger Craig manager of Wyatt's.

"We got through the flood by doing what we had to," said Dixie Owens, owner of Wyatt's. "My house was in the flood, I had mother's rental property that was flooded, it was almost too much to handle if you stopped and thought about it." One cute moment she recalled was when her mother Ruby put her boots on and walked into the mud in the grocery store. She got her boots stuck in all the mud and they had to lift her out of the them and carry her out. She tossed up her hands and said, "You all go ahead and get it cleaned up." That moment brought a chuckle from the crowd.

"I know while we were cleaning out everything we were trying to find somewhere to stay and I said something about one of the houses that the late Lillian Hart had for sale in a subdivision south of Falmouth. Well Roy left and he came back awhile later and he told me he had put a quarter down on the house for me. He was just so much help to us and so many others."

Mains brought his fuel tanks to town and placed them near the viaduct on U.S. 27 where fuel could be stored for the emergency vehicles, machinery being used to clean up the mess and kerosene for residents to get and keep warm.

One of the stories that was heart wrenching was that told by Falmouth Fireman Darrin Brown. Still ten years later it brought tears to many eyes.

Brown, like other firefighters, was helping residents get their belongings out of their homes and trying to get them to higher ground.

As the rain kept coming down and the night got later, Brown realized that his own family and home was in trouble. He got in his pick-up truck and took off for his house located on North Liberty Street in Falmouth. When he arrived they loaded up many items and he went to go take them to a friend's house out of harm's way. When he returned to try and get back to his house it was too late. The water was raising too quickly and was very swift. He jumped out of the vehicle and got his four-wheeler down off the truck to take off in. He ran into his wife, mother and son as he was trying to make his way back to his house. Darrin picked his son up and put him on the back of the 4-wheeler and took him to safety. He then started back to get his wife and mother when the water turned his 4-wheeler over and tossed him in the swift moving current. He was able to make it back up the street and found his wife and mother nearby. All three finally made it to a friend's home and they went in.

Darrin Brown, pictured above, is Assistant Fire Chief on the Falmouth Fire Department and a member of Pendleton County Search and Rescue. He talked about helping other residents move items and then having to try and rescue his own family. Photo by D. Dennie.

Brown picked up a claw hammer and a fire poker and carried them with him as the water kept coming in and moving them up to the second floor of the home. Step by step the water came up and the three would go higher. Finally he said they were out of room and Darrin took the claw hammer and the poker and managed to tear a four by four hole in the roof of the home. The three of them climbed up on top of the roof.

"It was so scary and somber as I turned to my wife and mother and told them that if the water washed us from the roof that they needed to find something and hold on to it with all their might," he said.

"I remember yelling and screaming for someone to help us to the other firemen that were up on the viaduct," Brown said. "When I would stop yelling for help you could hear many other people yelling for someone to come get them. It was horrible holding on to the roof and not knowing if help would arrive in time or not."

Help did arrive sometime around 4 a.m. the next morning. Campbell County Rescue brought boats and personnel and were able to rescue them from the roof top.

It was stories like this that residents stood up to tell about.

Falmouth resident Hilda Angel tells of how the 1997 flood completely washed her home from its foundation. She never found any of her house. Photo by D. Dennie.

Falmouth resident Hilda Angel lived on Pendleton Street in Falmouth. After the flood water went down and the natural gas lines were capped off residents were loaded on a school bus and taken through the town. When the bus came near Pendleton Street Miss Angel saw the foundation where her home had once set. "That was all that was left of my home I had lived in for so many years," she said. "It was gone and we never found it."

For more of this story, see this week's Falmouth Outlook

DANNY MOORE

Danny Moore chosen Outstanding Citizen

By Roger McKinney, Reporter

What was planned as a luncheon celebration of good citizenship ended up as a memorial to a man described as an inspiration, a cut-up, a friend and a flirt.

Falmouth's NorthKey Community Workshop held its second annual Neal Russell Awards Luncheon on February 23, 2007. The late Danny Lee Moore was chosen as Outstanding Citizen by his peers at the workshop.

Moore was chosen by his co-workers to receive the award in January, and was looking forward to the luncheon. But on February 5, Moore lost his life to muscular dystrophy, the debilitating disease that left him wheelchair bound. He was 21 years old.

Accepting the award for Mr. Moore was his sister, Angie Moore.

Pictured above: (l-r) Angie Moore, sister of the late Danny Moore, accepts the Outstanding Citizen Award from Ginny Turner at the Neil Russell Awards Luncheon held at NorthKey. Photo by Roger McKinney.

Everyone at the Falmouth workshop who stood to talk about Danny Moore, and many did, choked back tears as they recalled the man who never let his disability get him down and who always put others before himself. Many individuals spoke to the gathering and expressed their love for this lost friend. It was repeatedly stated that Danny was a pure joy, and that he was witty and mischievous.

Mr. Moore's friend, Bill Bennett, quoted Danny as saying, "I can't walk now, but I will walk in Heaven." Mr. Bennett said, "As a rule, when we die, we aren't buried wearing shoes, but in Danny's case, his friend, John Peoples, placed shoes on Danny's feet. Now, he can walk in Heaven."

The Outstanding Citizen Award was created in the name of Neal Russell, a NorthKey client/ employee for over 20 years who was loved deeply by the Falmouth community. Russell died in January 2005.

Council to ban skateboarding from streets and sidewalks

By Roger McKinney, Reporter

Over the past year, members of the Falmouth City Council have received a great number of complaints regarding the operation of skateboards within city limits and especially in the Downtown Renaissance area. After discussing the issue at length, the council determined that the use of a skateboard as a vehicle, except in designated locations, was a potential danger to its operator and to city pedestrians.

On February 28, 2007 the Falmouth City Council met in special session at 7:30 p.m. in the Kennett Tavern. City Clerk Terry England gave a first reading to an ordinance, which bans the operation of skateboards, roller skates, roller skis or inline skates, and scooters on all sidewalks and roadways of the city.

At some point in the near future a second reading of the ordinance will be performed. After the ordinance is passed into law the operation of skateboards upon the sidewalks and streets of Falmouth will be illegal.

Countywide broadband is now available

For the past few months several residents of the county have been helping to test the new countywide broadband system that is county assisted by Blue One. The Beta testing period is over and Blue One will be offering the internet service to those who want to subscribe to it.

Anyone interested in obtaining the internet service should attend the meeting at 7 p.m. on Thursday, March 29 at the multi-purpose building at Kincaid Lake State Park.

Many of those folks who have been involved in the Beta test will be on hand to tell you how much they like the service. Residents will be able to ask questions and sign up then.

L-r: Mike Martin presented Jim King with the Lifesaver Commendation Award for his heroic action during the Flood of '97 at the Trinity Southern Baptist Church on February 28. Photo by Jackie Vaughn.

Jim King receives Lifesaver Commendation Award

By Jackie Vaughn, Reporter

Jim King of Falmouth was presented with the "Lifesaver Commendation Award" by Mike Martin, Captain of Pendleton County Search and Rescue, in front of family and friends at Trinity Southern Baptist Church on Wednesday, February 28.

This special recognition award was given to Mr. King for the bravery and heroic action he showed during the "Flood of 97."

The "Lifesaver Commendation Award" is a 2 foot bronze eagle statue that has the inscription: "In appreciation and recognition of courageous action without regard for personal safety which saved a human life."

Mr. King and Mike Martin were responsible for rescuing several families from various areas throughout town that were nearly or completely underwater.

"Jim went beyond the call of duty to help out during the flood," stated Mike Martin. "Not only did he provide his boat to use but also assisted with the rescue efforts until the members of our community were safe. He deserves to be recognized and commended for everything he did and the lives he helped save."

Additional articles this week:

Locals attend County Official Day

Governor Fletcher and Transportation Cabinet annnounce computer upgrades

Board of Education holds groundbreaking

Terrific night for Terrible Two and Lady Saints

Wildcats denied by Harrison County at Districts

Ladycats season comes to disappointing end

and more!!