Comfrey students come home

Refurbished

building is

pride of

community

By TONY ZIEBOL

Journal Staff Writer

COMFREY -- Homecoming means more than royalty and a football game to students in Comfrey.

For the first time since a tornado heavily damaged their school on March 30, 1998, students in Comfrey returned to the classroom Monday -- in their hometown.

After starting the year in nearby Sanborn, Comfrey's 170 students in kindergarten through senior high came home to a new educational environment. They attracted the attention of state-wide media as they participated in a celebration to recognize the homecoming.

The decision to rebuild the school is considered by many to be the reason Comfrey returned to life after the tornado practically destroyed the town of 425 residents.

The school, originally built in 1917, lay in ruins. For days afterward, rain pelted the town, flooding exposed hallways and classrooms.

Some wondered if the school and the students would ever come back. About two-thirds of the old building still stands, but almost everything had to be refurbished.

During Monday's opening ceremony, a local announcer played the crowd-friendly "YMCA" by the Village People.

Short speeches welcomed everyone back and recognized the people who helped make building the new school possible.

More than 200 green balloons (the school's colors are green and white) were released at a morning ceremony.

Everyone appeared in good spirits, enjoying the occasion.

Most importantly, the kids were back in classes -- back in Comfrey.

On opening day, the students first eagerly found their lockers and then looked for their friends' lockers, said Superintendent Robert Meyer.

"Once they got that figured out, they went on to bigger and better things," he said. "I think it was very exciting, for the kids more so than myself."

Carol Hayes, who teaches 6th and 9th grade math, shared the excitement.

"It was like starting over a new year," she said. "We got off to a rousing start."

The new surroundings pleased the students.

"They were impressed with the new school," Hayes said. "They were very well-behaved today."

An anticipated opening of the new school on Sept. 1 was delayed because the facility was not ready.

"For a project this size, we were a little opportunistic there," Meyer said.

The school, which has an estimated finishing cost of between $8 million and $9 million, features a few major differences than the previous building.

It has a geo-thermal heating and cooling system that makes it more energy efficient. Locker rooms were relocated to make them more handi-capped accessible. In fact, with the new elevator, the entire school is handi-capped accessible.

A day-care center was added, with hopes of drawing young families to the community. The old stage was torn down, the gymnasium expanded. The town's library has been moved into the school.

Despite the day's activities and the excitement of moving into a new facility, Meyer didn't want to completely turn attention away from the immediate task at hand -- educating the students.

"We tried to make it as close to normal as possible," he said.

Normal would be a relief. Nothing seems normal since the March 29, 1998, tornado left the previous school in ruins and heavily damaged the town -- changing Comfrey forever.

Fortunately, the tornado struck on a Sunday and school was not in session.

The new school isn't the only source of pride and hope in the community. Much of the old business strip has been rebuilt, and more is on the way.

A few weeks ago, ground was broken for a new Lutheran church, to replace two churches that were battered by the storm. And plans are in the works for a new bar and restaurant.

But residents will never forget the tornado.

Meyer is already finishing the plans for fire and tornado drills. "I hope tornadoes stay away," he said.

Hayes agreed.

"We've had ours," she said. "It doesn't strike twice in the same place, does it?"

Information form the Associated Press was used in this report.

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