WATERBURY, Vt. -
In Waterbury today residents were carving out a public art project. A circle of bricks will hold together a garden and art display outside of the local forensics lab and members of that community will be leaving a trace of the feelings they had after Irene.
Putting down the impact of Irene in a word isn't easy. Especially one that will be etched in brick forever. But maybe this Waterbury community was a cut above what the storm had to offer.
"I played a tiny little part," Waterbury resident Mike Coakley said.
"And like my wife she did a ton and I don't know. Just glad we could help out. That's it."
Mike Coakley and his wife Cassandra left their print on the community effort to rebuild this town. Coakley's landscaping company "A cut above" went to neighbors and friends to fix what the storm had broken.
"I know of a lot of other landscaping businesses that donated time and effort and resources to help too," Coakley said.
"I mean if you look around Waterbury today you wouldn't even know that it happened."
Now the same people are putting their mark on this garden and art display designed by Dan Gottsegen. His plan for the project was due the day after Irene so it was only fitting that he add a piece of it into his project.
"I said we really need a way to commemorate Irene for the community," Gottsegen said.
"Get the community involved and have a kind of healing for them and that's where this brick pathway idea came up."
Just like every line of a letter is needed to make a word, every person in Waterbury was needed to rebuild the community. But an art project like this aren't just about rebuilding, but remembering.
"The way people pulled together was," Gottsegen trails off looking for the right words.
"You know you imagine it would happen anywhere but I think Vermont is a very special place."
"It was pretty amazing," Cassandra Coakley said.
"And that's part of the reason I love living in this community and love living in Waterbury and you know really love this community."
"And we'll never leave," Mike says as he and Cassandra laugh.
That's a lot for one brick to say but add three hundred of them that beare the names and words of people of this town? That's a feeling that will last forever.
