Bye, bye, bucket
<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Sally Richards, with ElderHelp of North Idaho, stands in the bedroom of Larene "Billie" Stone's home where a leaky roof caused a portion of her ceiling to collapse. ElderHelp of North Idaho coordinated efforts with the Precision Roofing, Creekside Construction and the City of Post Falls fix Stone's roof and ceiling.</p>
<p>JEROME A. POLLOS/Press Larene "Billie" Stone lives alone in her Post Falls home and has had a bucket next to her bed on rainy days to catch water dripping through her roof.</p>
POST FALLS - Billie Stone said goodbye to the bucket at the end of her bed Tuesday.
Good riddance, too.
"I won't need that anymore," the 88-year-old said with a big grin.
No more listening to the sound of water dripping into the metal bucket at night.
No more worries about the ceiling caving in.
And yes, that's quite a relief for the Post Falls woman.
"I'm so grateful you guys are doing this," she said.
John Corcoran, president of ElderHelp of North Idaho, organized a warp-speed volunteer effort to replace the leaky roof on the small Fourth Avenue home.
Since April, when the drywall collapsed, Stone's 650-square-foot house has been under siege by Mother Nature's wind, rain and snow. The kitchen ceiling, too, cracked and the flooring was damaged.
Living on a limited income, Stone couldn't afford to fix her home of 20 years, so she called the fire department, which applied plastic to the roof as a temporary fix.
Homeowner's insurance, too, declined to pay for a new roof due to a previous claim.
A grant application to fund the project was denied, too.
Meantime, the water kept coming.
Enter ElderHelp.
Corcoran quickly fired off emails explaining the situation, and asked for donations and labor contributions.
It was covered within a week.
"Nobody does what we do," Corcoran said Tuesday as he stood outside the home.
Precision Roofing agreed to do the work as long as materials were provided.
CareNet of North Idaho and others pitched in around $1,500 for the roofing supplies.
The city of Post Falls waived the building permit fee.
Creekside Construction agreed to take care of the drywall repair, for free, and Builders Design Showcase offered to assist with flooring repairs.
The response didn't surprise Corcoran.
"In my heart, I believe people want to help other people," he said.
Zeke Smith, a seven-year employee with Precision Roofing, said they would have the roof finished by Tuesday night.
They replaced plywood, sheeting and shingles.
The roof, he assured, will not leak.
"Five-year guarantee on that one," Smith said as he and another employee worked on the 30-degree day.
Stone, raised in Wallace, was delighted as she sat in her living room and chatted with some of those involved in the project.
"What color is it?" she asked.
When told the roof was black, she cringed.
"Oh no," she said. "I wish it was blue or something."
But a moment later, she was chuckling.
"A roof is a roof," she said, noting that the black roof will go well with her white house. "I'm very appreciative of what they've done."
No matter the color, the new roof will ease her fears. She recalled the night she was sitting in the living room, watching TV when she heard "this big loud thump."
"I ran in to see what was wrong and there was this whole ceiling falling down," she said.
And the water continued to creep in.
While the bucket was strategically placed to catch the drops, some ended up on the floor, too, causing more problems.
Stone smiled and her eyes were wide open as ElderHelp's Sally Richards carried the bucket from the bedroom and placed it outside.
Where it should be.
"I'm thankful for that," Stone said.