REFLECTOR: Welcome back

[Scott Baker]

Thanks!  It's nice to have the house somewhat near normal - power was
restored late last week after 12-days without lights, running water, or
telephone.  I feel so very fortunate, though.  Our home came through
"Frances" with minor screen damage and a dozen or so lost shingles.  Many of
my neighbors lost all of their roof shingles and had major water leaks from
the wx.  Not good.  Lots and lots of branches and debris on the ground.  My
neighbor jokingly said, "Boy, this place looks like a hurricane hit it!" ...
yep.  I don't know of any home in this area that went through the storm
without some damage.  You know, though ... through it all, this storm has
brought people in this area together.  My immediate neighbor, who I've had a
passing "How you doing?" kind of relationship over the years - developed
into a "How can I help you?" and more like, how can we help each other kind
of attitude.  He was low on propane, and I was able to help.  He had access
to plenty of ice, and so I was able to keep the cooler full.  Everyone
(except for the lady folk!) were shirtless - sweaty - and dirty throughout
the week as we cleaned up yards and helped neighbors who just couldn't
physically "get out there" and work with chainsaws and rakes.  There was a
certain calmness and good feeling through it all.  People everywhere were so
polite - at intersections that lost STOP signs, at fuel stations where the
lines were 10 to 15-cars deep with folks buying fuel for their generators,
offering thanks to the literally hundreds of out-of-town utility workers who
came to this area help restore power and phones.  The Sebastian Airport
served as the "motor pool" location for about 200 utility trucks.  I saw
trucks from Texas, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania.  The area hotels were
knocked out of commission - so the workers were housed in Orlando - about a
1+30 drive away.  The county hired bus lines to take the workers back and
forth from the Sebastian Airport to their hotel rooms in Orlando.  It was
quite an operation.
Somehow "big" problems don't seem so big any more.  We are facing a lot of
challenges with getting the factory up and running.  The telephones and
facsimile still are not working.  Motors are burned out from brown-outs and
moisture - we are a month behind schedule, and our bookkeeper and machinist
just quit.  Bonnie Swing saw me with a smile on my face and asked if I was
happy with everything.  I told her, "No, not really - but it's nothing to
get upset about - we're here and we're getting things back together one
piece (problem) at a time".
Thanks to everyone for keeping us in your thoughts.  Thanks for your
patience as we work to get Velocity operations going 100%.
SB



----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Scott Derrick" <scott at tnstaafl.net>
To: "Velocity Aircraft Owners and Builders list" <reflector at tvbf.org>
Sent: Tuesday, September 21, 2004 12:52 PM
Subject: REFLECTOR: Welcome back


> Hay Scott Baker,
>
> Welcome Back!!!
>
> Scott D.
>
> "Those who sacrifice freedom to get security, deserve neither."
> - Benjamin Franklin
>
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