ALEX PAJUNAS — The Daily Astorian Flowers, stuffed animals and hand-written messages to the families damaged by Monday's plane crash line the wall and stairs that lead to the crumbled entry of the historic Gearhart home Wednesday afternoon.
GEARHART - The street, littered with broken glass for two days, has been cleared and opened to through traffic again, but little is as it once was in Gearhart after the plane crash that killed five people Monday.
In his office Wednesday, Gearhart City Administrator Dennis McNally, who has acted as the public information officer since Monday morning, said it would take time for things in Gearhart to return to a semblance of normalcy.
"Today is worse than yesterday," said McNally.
He described Monday as a difficult day, but said Tuesday was worse because there was time to reflect upon what had happened, and Wednesday provided more time for reflection.
In some ways the reaction of the community, with compassion and sorrow, has made the event all the more challenging.
"Monday and Tuesday, it was a crash site and the site of a fire," said McNally. "Today it's a memorial."
Late Tuesday and early Wednesday, crews worked to clean the glass off the street on north Marion with Gearhart bringing in Seaside's street sweeper to remove the bulk of the glass from the roadway. Gearhart Public Works crews then scraped the shoulder and applied new gravel to remove glass shards. McNally said the crews also worked to remove debris that had ended up in trees and along the street, including blinds and other items that were once in the house.
When the street was opened, visitors began depositing flowers, candles and other memorial items on the steps of the house. The first memorial items were deposited near the site at the base of a telephone pole near the house Monday and after the on-scene investigation was completed yesterday, McNally, Gearhart Police Chief Jeff Bowman and Gearhart Reserve Officer Jim Waddell moved the items to the steps of the house.
"The people in town have been great," said McNally. "They've been very supportive."
The support from those in Gearhart has extended to the fire fighters that were on scene Monday, with Gearhart Grocery providing food and drink for responders and city staff. Mike and Brian McMenamin, according to McNally, have donated a room as well and food and beverage items for a second debriefing session to be held next Wednesday for all responders, emergency personnel and paramedics wishing to receive crisis and trauma support after the crash.
An initial debriefing was conducted Monday and next Wednesday's session will be a follow-up, particularly aimed at those having trouble processing what they saw.
"I think things will start getting back to normal next week," said McNally. "Except for the families. That's never going to be normal."
