PROCTORSVILLE, Vt. – It’s been almost four months since the July flooding that ravaged areas of Vermont including our local area. The last weekend of October, residents of Proctorsville and Cavendish decided it was time for a celebration.
With tongue in cheek signs reading “the forgotten street is closed to thru traffic” and “welcome to our own little apocalypse,” the street was blocked off by Red Vault Productions’ large white work van, Pastor Abe Gross’ tractor, and the red truck everyone knows so well belonging to Jeremiah Tyrrell. The Proctorsville Fire Department even showed their support for the street by dedicating a fire truck and crew to also block each end of the street, complete with flashing lights.
And with that, the first post-flood Depot Street Block Party celebration was underway and open to all members of the community. There was rock painting with positive messages, a slide show to showcase all the volunteers and community members who helped after the flood, live music donated by Jill Sachs, a home cooked meal, and even a relay race where the winning team won gift cards donated by Goodman’s American Pie.
Partygoers could also get a #floodlife T-shirt made special for the occasion.
“This was a celebration of community and our resilience together,” said Wendy Reynolds, one of the residents still not back in her home. “We still have a lot to do, as do a lot of Vermonters who were affected, but we wanted to do a little something to acknowledge the bonds that came out of a tragedy. We are so blessed to have this community.”