Maryland Newsline

• Volunteers key to cleanup effort.

Correction Maryland Newsline incorrectly identified the Maryland Emergency Management Agency and the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the first edition of this story. The agencies have been correctly identified below.

By Gloria Son
Maryland Newsline
Tuesday, May 7, 2002; updated May 8, 2002

LA PLATA, Md. - Susan Janyszek was listening to a tornado report on the radio April 28, fearful for the safety of her two children, who were staying with their father in La Plata. She eventually reached them and found out they were OK. But her worries weren't over: The radio reported that the building housing her 5-year-old business had collapsed.

That same night, Paul Facchina was consoling the chief financial officer of his company, The Facchina Group. The CFO's home had been destroyed by the tornado. 

Facchina began to wonder what would happen to the many businesses slammed by the storm. He decided he would find a way to help. 

La Plata Mayor William Eckman (right) talks about plans for restoring the town while businessman Paul Facchina listens. (Photo by Gloria Son)

Facchina met last week with La Plata Mayor William F. Eckman and Town Manager Douglas R. Miller, offering to donate a plot of his land on Centennial Street and set up a 21-unit structure that would be leased to local businesses to allow them to quickly reopen. 

The businesses will be allotted space for up to two years to "get back on their feet," he said. Corporate sponsors will help those in need of financial support, he said.

The importance of this plan, he said, was to make sure that "La Plata remains a destination point, and not a ghost town." He feared if La Plata lost the businesses to surrounding towns, they might not return.

By Friday, a day after a town meeting announcing his proposal, all 21 modular, trailer-like units had been reserved, Facchina said. 

One spot went to Janyszek, who owns Custom Kitchens by Design.

"He basically saved my business," she said. "I can't thank him enough on doing such an incredible job. He's just taken on this cause and  is running with it."

She said she plans to move in within the next two days.

Some others planning to take advantage of Facchina's space are a hair salon, an employment service for nurses and a mosque. Carol Bowie's hair salon, Creative Image Hair Designs, should be ready for business by next week, she said. 

"I don't want to lose my customers, and I don't want my customers to lose me," said the hair salon owner. "Facchina's been very generous."

His plan will cost him at least $720,000, said his spokesman, Kyle Johnson.
County and state officials have embraced Facchina's plan and are confident that focusing on the businesses will benefit the town.

"We need to get back into business," said state Sen. Thomas McLain Middleton, D-Charles County.

Facchina said he took on this task because when he went into business 15 years ago, he had a lot of people helping him out. Everyone who helped him told him the same thing: "Give back." 

"It's a personal satisfaction knowing that you're helping," he said. 

Dash-In, a local convenience store and gas station in La Plata, was roofless after the April 28 tornado. (Photo by Gloria Son)

The tornado that hit the town was an F5--the most powerful -- with winds gusting from 260 to 318 mph, the National Weather Service reported. A smaller tornado formed on its heels, crossing the Chesapeake Bay and running into Dorchester County.

The tornadoes killed three people in Charles County and two in Calvert County, and left many out of work and without homes. Charles County was hardest hit: Nearly 200 businesses and 800 homes were damaged  or destroyed.

In Calvert County, 160 homes and a business were damaged or destroyed, while in Dorchester County, a home and a barn were destroyed, officials said. 

All utilities have been restored in Charles County, all roads cleared and all schools re-opened, officials said.

Facchina's plan is the only one established to help businesses right away, said county spokeswoman Nina Voehl.

President Bush declared the affected counties a federal disaster area, and Gov. Parris N. Glendening pledged $3.1 million in state funds to Charles, Calvert, Dorchester and Cecil counties for rebuilding efforts. Cecil County was struck by a tornado on Friday. 

"I can't even guess on the estimate of damages," said Maryland Emergency Management Agency spokesman Quentin Banks. But he added the federal disaster declaration request that is being looked over by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that will be presented to Bush is for $4.2 million.

"But that number has a lot of caveats -- lots of guesses, estimates and numbers  left out," Banks said.

Despite the magnitude of the damages, many residents and businessmen expressed gratitude over what was spared. 

"The saving grace of all of this is that we can always rebuild buildings, but we can't rebuild lost lives," said state Sen. Thomas McLain Middleton, a Charles County Democrat.

County Commissioner Allan Smith, a Waldorf Republican, agreed. "Although the buildings have been lost, the real La Plata hasn't been lost," he said. "The real La Plata is the people of La Plata."

Signs were put up around La Plata to keep spirits high. (Photo by Gloria Son)

Morale-boosting signs -- such as "After 80 years we will rebuild" and "La Plata community spirit is alive even after an F-5" -- have been popping up on buildings and homes. 

"It wasn't something I asked for,"  Bowie said of the disaster. But she's hoping her hair salon will bring in more customers now, with all the attention the town has been receiving, she said.

Copyright © 2002 University of Maryland College of Journalism

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