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lilt
<br /> businessman aids twister vict - S' ; r
<br /> Continued from Page A3
<br /> Wy LEE WEISBECKER county's (emergency response)
<br /> plans."
<br /> Staff Writer
<br /> k •"Another lesson is that the
<br /> HILLSBOROUGH—At 65,James S. private sector needs to have more
<br /> R.
<br /> the of a defined role in emergencies.
<br /> Russell is still very much a pbrt of r can do a lot of
<br /> s The private sector uccessful printing company he founded
<br /> here 25 years ago and then turned over things county agencies can't, and o.I
<br /> the county should do more to
<br /> to his son,Jeff.
<br /> Two p l.ants;75 employees;an annual include business in its recovery
<br /> L plans."
<br /> payroll of$1.2 million;daily deliveries
<br /> and pickups; a long-term business With use of the A&P center
<br /> strategy—these are the concerns that winding down, Russell is now
<br /> phasing himself back into his own
<br /> called for the undivided atten-
<br /> routinely c, specializes in the
<br /> Lion of the wiry New Jersey native. business,which
<br /> priMhpgl'7f business forms,letter-
<br /> Then came the Hillsborough disaster x S ;x,`. rw,x w .�s a ,tr,,1.36 �, i �" 1 .'. head labels, and similar office
<br /> of Nov.23,1992:a tornado that left two .. ...... ......... 4", piodu fts�j
<br /> people dead and scores homeless, an
<br /> B'ut he doesn't feel his work as a
<br /> earlymorning twisterthat passed within
<br /> t. relief coordinator will be com-
<br /> two-tenths of a mile of Russell's largest center until the entire stock of the
<br /> plant-
<br /> It just skipped over us,"the business- center has been,distributed. And
<br /> man said in an interview this week."It for that reason,the doors of the old
<br /> A&P have been thrown open to any
<br /> clime so very close.But when I went out one in need,whether victimized by
<br /> into the neighborhoods and saw all the
<br /> the tornado or not.
<br /> damage that it had left,I knew I had to 'What's left over on the 31.st will
<br /> do something.I felt I had to put sorne-
<br /> service arganiza-
<br /> be given over to
<br /> thing back into the community that's gi- s like the Salivation Army,the
<br /> L tion
<br /> ven me so much.": and church
<br /> Vietnam veterans
<br /> Russell's way of helping?
<br /> To turn his back an the daily deliveries groups," he said.'I can leave h��e
<br /> thinking our primary mission ILIS
<br /> and business planning and to plunge
<br /> been met.flit worst of all by this
<br /> himselffull-time into the job of recovery. TORNADO RELIEF = James S_ Russell arrangeP Hillsborough.Russell,a businessman,dropped his daily disaster were people who did riot
<br /> Not waiting for an invitation to become furniture at the tornado relief distribution center In chores to help victims of the twister. even have an average standard:of
<br /> involved, he made his way to the old living.At least we can say that we
<br /> ,abandoned A&P store on U.S. 70 and who undertook a huge,huge task.We've turned my business over to my son Jeff swer has nothing to do with sentimental helped then)get back to where they
<br /> took ever, converting the dark, cold made many, many referrals to him." and went to work.' observations about how good it makes I were."
<br /> building into a disaster relief center to Russeb's major contribution was orga- Along with his wife,Marilyn,who de- you feel to help other people.
<br /> distribute clothing,furniture,toys,beds, nizational. When former Hillsborough signed how the distribution center No,his conclusions are rooted in the
<br /> mattressrs and hundreds of other things mayor Fred Cates offered the use of the would be set up (ladies department, practical. The county, he concludes,
<br /> it takes to make a household. old A&P building,Russell rounded up men's department, furniture here,toys should rethink its emergency response
<br /> At last count,more than 70 families the contractors to restore the lights and there),Russell has spent the last month plans to natural disasters because an ini-
<br /> and 500 individuals have made their hearing and to build the racks that hold III army of portarit piece of the recovery puzzle has
<br /> and a half supervising the small
<br /> way through Russell's distribution cen- literally thousands ofarticles ofclothing. volunteers who greet tornado victims been left.
<br /> ter, which is set to close Jan. 31. He then won agreements from Orange and others in need at the service center His major points are:
<br /> "There's no question that Jim Russell Congregations and Fairview Baptist door to help them find a pair of shoes •"The[A&P]relief center just sort of
<br /> wasonecifthe moving forces behind this Church, which played a key recovery that fit,i wirmcoatoramattreqsto sleep came together after this disaster. No-
<br /> community's recovery," said Orange role in the early days after the storm,to on. body had thought of it beforeli-nd,but
<br /> County manager-John Link."Andhe did center all immediate-needs relief in the Meanwhile, the business mail at his events showed it was badly needed as a
<br /> it because he cares, not because lie old grocery store site. two firms, Major Business Forms and way of meeting immediate needs.That
<br /> wanted to be praised for it." "It seemed to me that the recovery ef- Major Short Run,have been accumulat- we need a place like this after large na-
<br /> Says Judith Cox,tornado relief coordi- forts were fragmented," Russell said. ing in his in-baskets, unopened. tural disasters should be written into the
<br /> nator for Orange Congregations in Mis- "What the situation needed was a full- Ask Russell to sum up the experience,rience,
<br /> siow"He'sa man with very large heart, time organizer to pull it together.So,I to say what it's meant to him,and the an- ),See RUSSELL, Page AIO
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