Grilling out in midst of rubble
HALLAM - Disaster has a smell, defined by all that's dismantled, and it has been particularly easy to detect it here across the railroad tracks on the east edge of town.
Grain scattered from twisted, stove-in bins lies there, adding a pungency to the aroma of splintered lumber that blankets the town.
Heading west on Friday, however, the fringes of a south wind carried something oddly refreshing - burning beef.
"How much did we bring?" Dave Trichel hollered to a friend manning a grill on the corner of Main and Harrison streets. "Three-fifty?"
"Yeah, 350 hamburger patties and 260 hot dogs," Trichel said after he got a response.
The soldier stationed at Offutt Air Force Base turned quickly back to his grill and started flipping patties with military efficiency.
The corporate crew from the Excel packing plant in Schuyler matched his deftness, aided by three massive, propane-powered grills that flamed some of the 500 pounds of hamburger they hauled to Hallam.
"We're cooking them medium to well-done," said Butch Long, a burger flipper who described himself as "retired from the meat biz."
Hundreds of emergency personnel, volunteers and residents of the town, which was shredded by Saturday's tornado, were expected to refuel with the protein and nutrients from other picnic fare. It was organized by the Salvation Army, which has fielded many calls from groups wanting to provide food.
"If you're feeding the body, you're feeding the spirit," said J.J. Kuzma, disaster director for the western division of the Salvation Army. "It's one less thing they have to worry about."
By noon, the line leading to a table filled with burgers, hot dogs, fruit, cookies, chips and all the rest was a few dozen deep. A survey of the group revealed most were emergency workers and volunteers, not Hallam residents.
"People are so busy having to clean up, they just haven't had time," village clerk Vicki Polak said.
Gary Oltman, whose Hallam apartment was destroyed by the tornado - he salvaged only a washer, dryer, dresser and table - agreed. He was able to come Friday because he had already found a place to stay in Wilber.
"They're busy looking for a place to live," Oltman said of fellow Hallam residents.
Late Thursday, Lancaster County Emergency Management issued a statement that more volunteers are still needed to help clean up Hallam, where 158 homes were destroyed. Kuzma said there was enough food to dole out about 1,500 meals a day, but how many of those go to Hallam residents, volunteers or emergency workers is unknown.
Many, but not all, of those on hand Friday were with organizations. Philip Tetreault drove to Hallam from McCool Junction by himself soon after hearing about the tornado.
In between bites of a 2-inch-thick burger, the former firefighter and Massachusetts resident compared the tornado damage that caused by hurricanes he has witnessed on the East Coast.
"This is 10 times worse than hurricane damage," he said.
Driving into town with three fellow players on the Nebraska B.E.A.R.S. football team of the North American Football League, Kenneth Browder said he didn't spend time gawking. Instead, they hustled to the corner and began grilling meat they helped buy with money left over from a recent spaghetti feed held to raise money for other players.
"We did the 'Ooh, aww,' stuff in the car," Browder said, "but I didn't want to drive around looking. These people don't have anyplace to live - that's not my thing. We'll leave that stuff to somebody else."
Reach Nate Jenkins at 473-7223 or njenkins@;journalstar.com.
Grain scattered from twisted, stove-in bins lies there, adding a pungency to the aroma of splintered lumber that blankets the town.
Heading west on Friday, however, the fringes of a south wind carried something oddly refreshing - burning beef.
"How much did we bring?" Dave Trichel hollered to a friend manning a grill on the corner of Main and Harrison streets. "Three-fifty?"
"Yeah, 350 hamburger patties and 260 hot dogs," Trichel said after he got a response.
The soldier stationed at Offutt Air Force Base turned quickly back to his grill and started flipping patties with military efficiency.
The corporate crew from the Excel packing plant in Schuyler matched his deftness, aided by three massive, propane-powered grills that flamed some of the 500 pounds of hamburger they hauled to Hallam.
"We're cooking them medium to well-done," said Butch Long, a burger flipper who described himself as "retired from the meat biz."
Hundreds of emergency personnel, volunteers and residents of the town, which was shredded by Saturday's tornado, were expected to refuel with the protein and nutrients from other picnic fare. It was organized by the Salvation Army, which has fielded many calls from groups wanting to provide food.
"If you're feeding the body, you're feeding the spirit," said J.J. Kuzma, disaster director for the western division of the Salvation Army. "It's one less thing they have to worry about."
By noon, the line leading to a table filled with burgers, hot dogs, fruit, cookies, chips and all the rest was a few dozen deep. A survey of the group revealed most were emergency workers and volunteers, not Hallam residents.
"People are so busy having to clean up, they just haven't had time," village clerk Vicki Polak said.
Gary Oltman, whose Hallam apartment was destroyed by the tornado - he salvaged only a washer, dryer, dresser and table - agreed. He was able to come Friday because he had already found a place to stay in Wilber.
"They're busy looking for a place to live," Oltman said of fellow Hallam residents.
Late Thursday, Lancaster County Emergency Management issued a statement that more volunteers are still needed to help clean up Hallam, where 158 homes were destroyed. Kuzma said there was enough food to dole out about 1,500 meals a day, but how many of those go to Hallam residents, volunteers or emergency workers is unknown.
Many, but not all, of those on hand Friday were with organizations. Philip Tetreault drove to Hallam from McCool Junction by himself soon after hearing about the tornado.
In between bites of a 2-inch-thick burger, the former firefighter and Massachusetts resident compared the tornado damage that caused by hurricanes he has witnessed on the East Coast.
"This is 10 times worse than hurricane damage," he said.
Driving into town with three fellow players on the Nebraska B.E.A.R.S. football team of the North American Football League, Kenneth Browder said he didn't spend time gawking. Instead, they hustled to the corner and began grilling meat they helped buy with money left over from a recent spaghetti feed held to raise money for other players.
"We did the 'Ooh, aww,' stuff in the car," Browder said, "but I didn't want to drive around looking. These people don't have anyplace to live - that's not my thing. We'll leave that stuff to somebody else."
Reach Nate Jenkins at 473-7223 or njenkins@;journalstar.com.
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