6A NEWS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAS
WEDNESDAY,OCTOBER4,2006
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Family prepares for new home
BY DANAE DESHAZER
For three years, Mindy Mies, a 34-year-old Lawrence resident who is visually impaired, has lived in a duplex that's so small she doesn't have room for a seeing-eye dog. Mies has to trust in herself when she takes care of her three-year-old twin sons in their two-bedroom duplex.
"When we moved, I gave up my dog. I gave up my freedom," Mites said.
But in February, Habitat for Humanity approved the Mies family for a new home. Comfort Neighborhood, the new Lawrence Habitat project, is coming to life. Volunteers have started building two sponsored homes. But with the rising cost of materials and supplies to build a house, Habitat for Humanity is having more trouble finding sponsors to finance the costs.
"After Hurricane Katrina, the cost of building materials has increased so much that it now takes $60,000 to build a home," said Ginger Ratzlaff, chair of fund development for Lawrence Habitat.
In 2004, the cost to build a Habitat house was $40,000. By July 2005, the
cost was $50,000 and it increased to $60,000 this year. Because building a home is more expensive, families are taking longer to find sponsors. Habitat will spend $385,000 to build the projected seven houses, and $540,000 to complete the neighborhood.
Since purchasing the four-acre site in 2004, developers have spent $520,500 preparing the 16-house neighborhood. Originally, construction for the first house was supposed to start in Spring 2006, but preparations took longer than expected. By August, the neighborhood was finally ready for development.
Aug. 19 marked the first nail-driving ceremony for the Comfort Neighborhood. Volunteers started construction on the second house on Sept. 16. Habitat needs to complete seven houses by June 30, 2007, and finish the remaining nine by Summer 2008.
Habitat will also spend more time building the Comfort Neighborhood homes than other houses. These houses are not being "blitz-built," which means that from the first nail-driving to the finishing touches, volunteers build the house within about seven days. These houses will take 12 to 14 weeks each
to complete. Ratzlaff said.
Mark Brooks, construction manager for Lawrence Habitat for Humanity, said that he does his job because of the amazing people that he encounters every day. Brooks is in charge of design and construction for the Comfort Neighborhood builds. Each house has the same design, with three bedrooms, one large bathroom, kitchen, dining area and living room. The homes are about 1100 sq. feet. Although the homes don't have garages, Brooks designed sheds for storage space. All sheds are 10 feet by 12 feet, which is the largest size of a building that does not need a building permit.
Volunteers start working at 9 a.m. on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Anywhere from six to 35 people help out. Brooks also hires professionals, such as electricians, plumbers and cement layers, to make sure everything is perfect. Families also contribute to their home. Each family member must donate 225 hours to Habitat for Humanity, including 150 hours on his own house. Mies will do most of her hours in the Habitat office because of her visual impairment.
"This shows that Habitat is a continual process. We are all helping out each other," Brooks said.
Mary Gordon of the Lawrence Noon Lions Club, an organization that provides care for the visually impaired, is Mies' mentor. The pair have been together ever since Mies' eyes were removed as a toddler. The Lawrence Lions Club is helping to sponsor the Mies' new home. All 58 clubs in the Northeast Kansas district are raising $13,500. Lions International will match $11,500 of donations. Habitat will double its efforts as well, Gordon said.
"Mindy is like a daughter to me. We want to help her in any way we can." Gordon said.
Mies hopes that construction will start in January. "We are just so crowded. The older the boys get, the bigger they get. We really need room to stretch out," Mies said. "If we get this new house, I'll be able to have a dog again. I want ownership and a sense of community."
Kansan correspondent Danae DeShazer can be contacted at editor@kansan.com.
- Edited by Jackv Carter
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"I was putting away tractor equipment, just in case it rained," he said. "Then, next thing I know, I see this wall of dirt coming across the field."
BUSINESS
Pendleton recalls the morning of the storm as if it were just another day.
"This kind of damage gives us an opportunity to make changes we wouldn't have made," Pendleton said.
Pendleton then went into the market and dove under a desk, seeking shelter.
Local country market uses microburst damage as excuse for upgrading
BY JARED DUNCAN
Though the damage was severe, owner John Pendleton still manages to look on the bright side.
One of the business' that suffered the most damage from the March microburst was Pendleton's Country Market, 1446 E. 1850 Rd.
After the storm had passed. Pendleton was left with acres of rubble where much of his farm used to stand.
Damage included two demolished 60-foot silos, a green house destroyed by debris, a grain bin and a 30-by-50 farm shop that were both blown away and a 50by-130 roof carried away by the storm.
Six months after the storm, John and his wife Karen are still cleaning up and rebuilding the 80-acre farm. But with only half of the $150,000 damage covered by insurance, the family has a long way to go.
"We had neighbor ladies cooking casseroles and kids dragging nail magnets around," Pendleton said.
To help with the astounding amount of clean up, the community quickly came to the aid of Pendleton's. Around 300 friends, neighbors and community service groups showed up the day after the storm to aid in the cleaning.
"The clean up is costing more than we have," Karen Pendleton said. "No one ever comes out ahead when insurance is involved."
Some volunteers kept coming out to the farm until every piece was picked up.
"The clean up took at least a month," said Matt Kirby, a friend who helped with the clean up. "But it was a gift to go over and help. They're good people."
The market was able to open on schedule on April 1.
Kirby recalls driving miles away
In addition, Kirby's musical group, The Alfred Packer Memorial Band, will be performing at the Barnstorm Benefit, a fundraiser on Oct. 15 at the Pendleton's farm to raise money for repairs.
from the farm two weeks after the storm and still picking up sheet metal.
"They're really good people and have done a lot for the community," Maria Anthony, benefit organizer, said. "A lot of people came out to help clean up, so hopefully they'll come out again and have some fun while helping out."
"The right thing for us to do is to go over and help these people, and I'm glad we did," Kirby said.
The Pendletons have taken their own steps in making up for the damage, as well. People can rent a portion of the farm for parties, including a large party deck. Prices range from $100 to $1,000 and can include a bonfire, tent setups and hayrides.
The Butterfly Bio-Villa is another new venture the Pendletons hope will draw customers. Measuring 20 feet by 100 feet, the Bio-Villa cost $5,000 to put together. Those who pay $2 to get in can observe and learn more about butterflies in an enclosed environment.
"We needed an attraction to replace what was blown away," Pendleton said.
"With this type of damage, we can look at the operation very critically and see if this business has a future," he said. "Fortunately, I think it does."
Kansan correspondent Jared Duncan can be contacted at editor@kansan.com.
On the wall inside of Pendleton's, a sign encourages customers to visit Davenport's Winery just a few miles away. Much like Pendleton's, the winery saw a lot of damage that halted business for a brief period.
"It put us behind in all our work," owner Greg Shipe said. "We got behind in the crops."
Edited by Mindy Ricketts
Unlike Pendleton's, though, Davenport's damage amounted to $12,000 and was completely covered by insurance.
With the benefit, Pendleton hopes his business can fully recover, but said that he didn't know what lies ahead.
Saturday, October 7, 2006 Kansas Union Lobby 8:30-10:30 a.m.
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