4- The MorrisvHle and Preston Progress, Wednesday, June 21,1995
Community’s outpouring helps Ward family recover from mishap
Continued from page 1
mental task of putting their lives
back in order. And again, the com
munity was there to pitch in.
"We were overwhelmed"ihey
came out of nowhere offering child
care, bedding, food, clothes. We
knew no one, yet everyone was so
kind," Kim said.
The couple was especially
touched by the effcHts of a local
resident who organized her church
and friends to set up drc5)-off points
for donations.
That first night, the family stayed
at their empty house at 203
Benedetti Ct. TTie Jimmy V Golf
Classic, in town for the weekend,
had drawn crowds of out-of-
towners and hotels within a five-
mile radius were booked solid.
But as neighbors learned of the
accident, they brought over glasses,
plates, forks, air mattresses, and
cooked meals for the family.
The next morning, Mike called
the Triangle Guest House, where he
had previously rented quarters
while his family was moved, to in
quire if furnishings could be rented
for their home.
By the afternoon, appliances, fur
niture, and other household essen
tials had arrived.
Soon after, Mike started the
tedious process of listing the fam
ily’s possessions. On the kitchen
bar, be placed a piece of notebook
paper for each room of their house
in New Jersey.
As they mentally went through
each drawer, cabinet, closet, they
listed the items they could remem
ber. Months later, they were still
adding to the lists.
The couple split themselves up.
Kim took over putting back togeth
er the family’s physical lives. Mike
focused on the financial aspects,
writing letters to attcmieys and in
surance companies.
While he was faxing and phon
ing, she was out shopping.
The children were her first con
cern. To lessen the blow, the Wards
took Blair and Brianne to Toys R
Us and told them to buy anything
they wanted to replace the special
things they lost.
Other things were replaced as the
need arose. On a rainy day when
Blair used a garble bag to cover
his head while waiting for the
school bus, Kim thought about
slickers.
When the first chilly day of
autumn arrived and the kids, still
wearing shorts, began to shiver, she
thought of buying fall clothes.
Adding to the couple’s anxiety
was not knowing how much money
they would get from the insurance
companies. "We were flying blind,"
Kim said.
The loss has been tough
psychologically.
"When people lose a spouse, I’ve
heard them say they still expect to
bear the garage door open, and see
the person walk in. Now I under
stand that The mind doesn’t com
prehend finality," Mike said.
"You go to the closet reach for
the Dirt Devil-it’s not there. But
you know it’s on the tq? shelf be
cause it’s always been.
"Or you go to the medicine cabi
net to get a band aid, where a box
has always been, or open the cabi
net to turn on the stereo-only it’s
not there," Mike said.
It has been easier for Mike than
Kim to replace clothes. He went to
Belks, bought six pairs of Chinos,
two pairs of loafers, six Polo shirts.
But Kim ccsnplains she has noth
ing to wear. "I have to go to 10
stores to find anything," she said.
The Wards said the stress had
also taken its toll on their bodies.
Mike sweats a lot and feels ner
vous. Kim has noticed she is losing
more of her hair.
RECOVERING
FINANCIALLY
The Wards feel fortunate that
they have been able to rely on their
homeowners insurance to replace
their possessions.
A policy on their hcane in New
Jersey was still in effect when the
accident occurred and a policy on
their new home had started just a
day prior.
The couple had believed their
possessions would be fully covered
by Allied during the move. A
driver bad even assured Kim their
coverage was for the full replace
ment value of their possessions.
But to their astonishment, it was
not.
Mike said Allied later offered to
pay 25 percent of the value of their
possessions, a little less than 30
cents on the dollar but with the
stipulation that once the agreement
was signed, the company would be
released from any future claims.
On the advice of attorneys, they
turned down the offer. Since then.
Allied has made no other offers.
Mike said the couple’s legal op
tions remain open. If they sue, any
settlement would go to the insur
ance companies, he added.
Through it all, Mike said he had
been most disappointed with
Allied’s refusal to do what he
believes is right.
Kim said she would hke to tell
Allied executives that "it’s people’s
lives, not furniture, that they move
everyday.”
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STARTING OVER-One of the few things to sur- Kim Ward bought the day the movers came. It
vive the crash was an antique fireplace mantle was loaded at the back of the van.
It has been within the past two
weeks that the insurance companies
have settled on an actual value of
what the Wards lost.
"It took a lot of work just to final
ize agreements there was
coverage," Mike said.
PUBLICITY
Interviewed by a New Jersey
newspaper last fall, Kim said she
was gl^ the accident happened in
North Carolina. "In New Jersey,
they would have looted us," she
said.
A radio station picked up on the
story and Kim’s comment She re
members standing by her quote
when a talk show host called up
and engaged her in his show.
STILL NOT QUITE HOME
The house is sparsely furnished.
A dining room and living room
remain empty except for a large
artificial pl^t and an antique fire
place mantle which was one of the
few things surviving the crash.
Inside the den, a green and white
plaid couch cheer the room. Rc-
tures in decorative frames add
wannth.
"It’s pretty," Kim said, looking
around. "But we don’t feel owner-
ship...We don’t get the feeling
we’re home."
Mike thinks moving to their new
home now under construction a
short distance down the subdivision
will help. There, things are sup
posed to feel unfamiliar, he rea
sons.
Mike has joked with neighbors
that when the lime comes to move,
he plans to take away everyone’s
car keys, block off the street, call in
a police escort for the movers.
If she had to do it all over again-
knowing then what she knows
now-Kim said she would answer
"yes," in spite of all that’s hqj-
pened.
When asked the question eight
months ago. she answered "no."
"We’re past that huge monumen
tal task. I know (moving here) was
the best decision," she said.
Mike’s thoughts turn to the more
practical side of the experience.
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9th Annual
APEX JAYCEE CHARITY
"-?»s CAR SHOW ,,
' JUNE 25, 1995
APEX HIGH SCHOOL
BENEFITS GO TO THE BOYS’ HOME OF NORTH CAROLINA
CAMAROS o'* ' STREET RODS
MUSTANGS >, 7 CHEVELLES
OFF-ROAD \ STREET MACHINES
VANS W , G 'l./y.L,tJ 4X4'S
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AWARDS: 4:00
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Vendors' Fee - $25.00 day of show
ADMISSION
$3.00 eaJ 2 for $5.00
NO ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES PERMITTED
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I
f
you own," he offers as general ad
vice to everyone.
He said the accident had also
changed the way he felt about the
statement: What are the chances?
"That holds no weight anyone," he
said. "I know the chances."
The Wards said the children seem
to be adjusting quite well.
At an end-of-school-year meet
ing, Blair’s teacher, who knew
what her pupil had been through,
commented on how well she fell he
bad adjusted.
When she asked Blair how his
family was doing, he said: "We’re
all okay. It was just stuff."
Town board
writes off debt
for water bill
The Morrisville Town Board of
Comissioners voted June 12 to
write off $1,562.06 in bad debts for
water and sewer bills, but not be
fore one of the bills was questioned
by Commissioner C.T. Moore.
Moore asked why services had
not been cut off before Denise
Jenkins ran up a bill of $394.50.
Town Finance Officer Julia
Powell explained that the bill
reached that amount in 1994 before
the town set the 25th of the month
as the deadline for cutting off ser
vices for non-payment of that
month’s bill. The bill, which was
three times the amount of the sec
ond highest writeoff, was for two
months of service.
The writeoffs averaged $53.86
for 29 customers. The lowest
amount due was 17 cents.
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