Leading the way to recovery

When disaster strikes a small town - or a large one, for that matter - the best thing that can happen to it is to have a good leader at the head of its local government. And so was the good fortune of Runge a couple of weeks ago when Hurricane Claudette came barreling in from the Gulf of Mexico, ranking the town and its neighbors with unexpected rains and powerful winds. The unusual thing about this particular storm was that it took very few lives and seemed to concentrate on ravishing the environment. Trees seemed to be its favorite target, and during the height of this rascal's misdeeds, we sat at a window for several hours watching it slash, twist, bend, and break the limbs and trunks of beautiful trees, reducing them to debris and then dumping the residue on houses, out-buildings, streets, fences, utility transmission lines and the other property that happened to be in its path.

When it completed its mischief and moved on to other targets, it left many of the communities in this area looking like battlefields. After this, it was time for leaders to step forward, take charge, and restore order in the chaotic surroundings areas. Among these people was Mayor Jack Roberson, who is serving his second term as Mayor of Runge. Hardly had the wind stopped blowing and the rain stopped falling when he jumped in his car and started riding the street, surveying the damage and assessing the needs of the people. He seemed to be everywhere as he encouraged the citizens to "pitch in" and start cleaning up the city. How successful he was could be attested to the very next morning as men, women and children took to the streets with chain saws, axes, trucks, etc., cutting up trees, picking up broken lumber, gathering twisted tin, and piling it in orderly stacks along the curbs, to await the coming of trucks that would haul it away. Jumping in at the same time were crews from the utility companies, who restored to the homes such modern-day necessities as electricity, telephones, and T.V. While there was very little need for such other things as food and shelter, folks still were standing by to help with such things, when needed. As a result of the joint efforts of many people - too numerous to name - the city has been freed of most its wounds, and returned to its normal way of living.

We are proud of all the residents who stepped in and made this possible. And we are proud of the inspirational leadership that was provided by Mayor Jack Roberson, all along the way. Not only was he available to organize and give directions as needed, but he also used his office to bring in additional help, equipment, and supplies as needed. And on numerous occasions, we saw him riding backhoes, tractors, driving pickups, pitching limbs on dump trucks, and continually answering questions for various citizens.

His behavior during this storm in Runge is just one example of the many good things Mayor Jack Roberson has accomplished for Runge during his short tenure. We already know who we are going to vote for as "Man of the Year".  And it wouldn't hurt a bit if you also would stop him on the sidewalk or drop by City Hall and say "thanks".