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Relief Fund Information
portion of "PARADISE LOST"
as it appeared in the Spring issue
of vc Life & Style magazine.
Written by Amy Jones- All rights reserved ©2005
By now, the world knows about the tragedy in Southern
California: On January 10, 2005, the rain soaked hillsides of La
Conchita gave way, sending 400,000 tons of liquefied mud surging
toward the ocean. From aerial shots, the homes of the colorful beach
community appeared tiny and helpless in the path of the slide. Ten
people died, injuries ranged from critical to moderate, 13 homes
were obliterated, and 19 homes red-tagged. The community that represented
a last coastal outpost of true California living was devastated.
IN LOVING MEMORY
From the Womack-Wallet Household:
Charlie Womack – age 51
Mechelle Wallet– age 37
Hannah Wallet– age 10
Raven Wallet – age 6
Paloma Wallet– age 2
Vanessa Bryson – age 28
Tony Alvis – age 53
Christina Kennedy – age 45
John Morgan – age 56
Patrick Rodreick – age 47
Many beloved dogs, cats, birds, bunnies and other animals
Everyone in the surrounding communities had a connection to the
mourning families at La Conchita, and a desperate relief effort
was launched: Musicians played benefit concerts; people donated
money, clothing, or use of homes. There was even a hair-cut-a-thon.
The hardest hit family was often the center of life at La Conchita.
It was headed by Charlie Womack whose legendary kindness and generosity
helped to create a free-spirited household filled with art and music.
Charlie, a single father of four, never turned anyone away. His
youngest daughter, Tessa and sons Isaiah and Orion lived with him
along with Isaiah’s fiancée Brie Brazelton and her
twin sister, Annie and her boyfriend Griffin. Also in the house
were the Wallet family – Jimmy, Mechelle, Hannah, Raven, Paloma
and Jasmine, who lived part-time in Ventura.
Surviving members of the Womack-Wallet family hope their hillside
at La Conchita will be painted this spring with a sea of wildflowers
from the seeds they planted. They visit La Conchita often, going
together when they don’t know where else to go. For the last
three months, they’ve worked to create a work of art in their
lives that will be beautiful enough to eclipse the ugly disaster
that stole their loved ones, five from the same household. The life
they knew and every material possession associated with it –
gone. It’s a kind of devastation one usually only sees in
wartime.
Those hardest hit are still stumbling around in a fog of loss, grasping
for peace and a higher truth that will help them sleep at night
and give them strength to start over. The real battles often begin
long after the headlines and continue in ever increasing isolation.
Relief funds dry out. Assistance begins to wane, but need aches
on.
This story is printed as a plea to Ventura County to continue its
efforts. Nobody that went through this kind of hell should be sleeping
on the floor. This story is a collection of first hand memories
and perceptions. It is not intended to represent an exhaustive investigative
report of all events, nor is it intended to dismiss the efforts
of rescue personnel who faced the challenges at La Conchita with
bravery and honor. It is the voices of the hardest hit family, and
their desire to share what happened on their hill. For them, it
is as if it all happened just yesterday.
Jimmy Wallet, who lost his wife and three daughters said, “Most
media edits what you say; they put whatever they want. I almost
knocked out Geraldo [Rivera]. It would really feel good to sit down
and tell our truth.” The chaos was a bitter no-win situation
for anyone involved. Besides the stricken residents of La Conchita
who showed courage, ingenuity, and resilience, numerous agencies
– sheriffs, fire & rescue teams, and L.A. prisoners toiled
in the mayhem against disaster protocols, fear and tragedy alongside
La Conchita residents.
Jimmy Wallet explained how the Womack-Wallet households came to
live together: “I met Charlie in Hawaii when I went to work
for him, and we were immediate friends. He was Grateful Dead; I
was punk rock, but we loved each other. We all ended up moving back
to the Ventura area, and when me and Mechelle had a hard time with
money, Charlie, had his house in La Conchita and said, ‘Come
on up.’ We were all so happy together.”
Brie reflected on life in La Conchita: “Many people ask why
we stayed…I’d been there my whole life, and I always
wanted to stay. Charlie and Isaiah built me a beautiful kitchen.
I loved cooking for friends and family there. It was my favorite
place to be, and I really miss it. Sometimes now I cook too much,
because there are so many people missing from the table…Nothing
compares to growing up in La Conchita. You knew where your kids
were and everybody took care of each other. Beach days on Sundays;
block parties, huge birthdays every year. Music, dancing and art.
Life there was beautiful. Neighbors came over for coffee in the
morning, and we often cooked big dinners for everyone at night.
It was a huge extended family. The only way I can think of to describe
the suddenness of the loss is to think of a bunch of butterflies
on a branch, being shaken off so violently and unexpectedly, you
never see them again … I still don’t dream of that house
with the banana trees, and the beautiful bamboo, and the jasmine
climbing up the trellis Isaiah built for me. I dream of La Conchita,
but not that house. It was like heaven – the teepee, our bus
painted for the music room…”
Jimmy Wallet met his wife Mechelle on her 15th birthday. “She
was my only love; we were soul mates. No one else in our group believed
in spirits except for us, and I remember being in separate houses
when we started dating and I would send her my soul… I was
16, and one night we prayed and cried and hugged and kissed for
like two hours about when we were going to have a family. We were
going to be artists and live out in the country…This past
Christmas was the best we had in all of our marriage and as a family.
We were broke, but we were together. One morning during the holidays
Charlie and Jasmine and me sat on the front porch checking out our
paradise surrounded by creativity, green growing things, birds and
butterflies. The music, the people, the dancing, the energy and
the love of our home together were incredible. People pulled off
the freeway to check it out. Mechelle and I had never been more
in love. When we saw the tsunami, we cried, because we felt so bad
for those people. We hugged each other and asked, ‘What would
we ever do if one of us lost the other?’ Man. I never imagined…
I still don’t know baby.”
Jimmy remembers the morning of the slide, “I woke up first,
then Mechelle; Charlie was already up watching the tornado warnings
on TV. It was 5 am, and we were like, ‘WHAT?’ I yelled
to everyone, ‘Hey come downstairs; we’re going to Oz!’
The tornado never came, but the morning was very calm and the birds
weren’t vhirping… Nobody could work, so we planned to
barbeque and take the kids to look for arrowheads. My kids were
excited. I went to get them some ice cream; I’m told I get
my kids too much ice cream. You can never have enough. At the store,
Brie and Isaiah were sitting on the car planning the day. Just a
few minutes later, cars honked and someone yelled, ‘The hill!’
We looked around, and the hill was pouring down so fast; it looked
like chocolate milk with swirls of green. And, the crackling of
trees, knowing your family is in there, and you’re running.”
As Jimmy ran toward the hill, the mud flow was going down a different
lane. “We thought it wasn’t going to hit our house,
but we were still going full speed to get them out…I watched
as the slide hit the retaining wall and veered straight for our
house. It was funneled right to the bedroom my wife was in, and
it shot hard.” Brie was behind Jimmy as they ran towards their
home. “By the time I got to my front fence, I saw the slide
hit the back of the house. I had to run the other way even if I
didn’t want to. It was hard that first day with all the sheriffs
and the media. The sheriffs kept trying to push us away.
I had to sneak past them to get to my dad’s dogs; most of
our
other animals were killed. Only my bird Chico got out…We were
in
La Conchita for the 1995 slide; it was so much slower, and we had
time to prepare. They told us it was going to happen. This time,
they estimated that the slide reached 200 mph. You could see it,
hear it, feel it, and it came so fast. People didn’t have
a chance.”
Isaiah and Orion ran toward the slide with Brie and Jimmy. “Earlier,
there had been mudslides, one just north of us and one south that
covered both sides of the freeway, so we were locked in there. There
was a girl named April who was stuck on the side of the freeway.
She wanted to get out, but they sent her from her car back to her
house, and she got crushed. So there was authority there, and we
trusted them, and they told everyone trying to leave, ‘Get
back to your house. GO BACK TO YOUR HOUSE!’ When the hill
went, it looked like flowing water; it wrapped my truck around a
telephone pole and formed an instant 30ft. high wall over our home,”
said Isaiah.
Jimmy described the world moving in slow motion as he stood
watching the tragedy unfold in front of him. “I was thinking,
'This can’t be.' The slide took cars, houses, telephone poles,
trees, and when it hit our house, in my heart, in my mind, I knew
everyone was in there, my wife, my kids, Charlie. I tried to dive
inside the mud, and it was like the Matrix flying past me, a blur
of wood, muck and mire. I jumped, and the mud lifted me up on the
roof. The mud was above the roof line. I didn’t know what
to do. I grabbed mud; it was like concrete. It solidified immediately
when it stopped. I screamed their names.
I pulled back a piece of metal, and that’s
when I found Isabelle with like a whole house stacked on her. ‘Oh
baby,’ I said to her. I tried to lift the house off of her
but couldn’t budge it, and I saw a cop, a huge strapping guy
in the alley not 30-feet away. I yelled to him, ‘Hey, I found
someone right here.’ He wouldn’t come, so I slid down
and said, 'You’re not gonna come up here?' And, he said, ‘No;
it ain’t my job; you have to wait for the rescuers.’
And, I’m thinking, ‘I’m gonna eat your heart when
I get back mister.’ By that time, there were a bunch of camera
guys swarming over. I’m like, ‘Hey, why don’t
you drop your cameras and help me dig?’ They stood there snapping
pictures.”
Isaiah said, “When the cop turned his back on Jimmy, me and
my
brother Orion started digging out Isabelle so Jimmy could look for
his girls. We were digging her out for twenty minutes or more before
a crew came up. Orion kept telling Isabelle that he saw the rescue
team on its way, even if he didn’t so she would hold on. You
could tell she was barely alive. When the rescue crew got there,
we went back to looking for Mechelle and the girls. It took about
an hour and twenty minutes from the time Jimmy asked that cop for
help before Isabelle could get out. She was blue.”
Jimmy Wallet described a situation of total chaos.
“If there’s a hell, that’s what it looks like.
I can’t explain exactly how it felt, because I don’t
know. Something just took over. When the mud hit the houses, it
sounded like dynamite going off in every room – POP. POP.
Mud filled the houses like water balloons until they exploded; you
could hear splintering and cracking. You could smell gas and earth.
Walls, roofs, and dirt just flying everywhere. Pieces of houses
mixed together. A tree came down with such force; it split our house
in two, so that it flew in opposite directions.
“I knew where I left my kids, but the house was spread out
all over the place. You don’t know what that does to you.
I didn’t know how anyone could survive this…but I kept
looking. You gotta hope. Your mind won’t let you accept it.
So I’m looking around and see a chair from our living room
where I left Raven painting a picture. Pieces of the fireplace from
that room were on top. I tried to reach through, but Raven wasn’t
in there, and then I see a shoe she was wearing jammed in the mud.
“The first night, when it got dark, the rescue crews left
and took the
lights and tools. We were trying to dig with our hands, pieces of
wood, anything, but that stuff was so heavy. After an hour we hadn’t
gotten anywhere. I left to get help and tools in Pierpont.”
Isaiah said, “I was amazed that they shut down the rescue.
I know it’s their lives too, but leave us with no shovels,
no picks…That was unbelievable, because we had a lot of people
wanting to help, and they only let in press, who did nothing. You
should have seen how long people were standing around.”
The search was suspended at 9pm after the county geologist said
the area was too dangerous and unstable for authorities to keep
digging. It was a difficult decision for some of the rescuers to
accept, one that haunts surviving family members...
...If you would like to read the entire 10 page story- please pick
up a copy of vc Life & Style magazine at Natalies Eclectables
on Main street in Downtown Ventura and State of Mind on State street
in Santa Barbara.
To send relief donations to the Womack-Wallet family contact:
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
The Womack and Wallet Memorial Fund
Established by Matt Russell, Charlie Womack's brother-in-law.
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
vc Life & Style printed a limited number of La Conchita special
relief editions with a $25.00 price to raise money for the Womack-Wallet
family. 100% of the profits will go directly to the family. The
relief editions may be purchased by contacting vc Life & Style
at 805.641.9303 or at Natalie’s Eclectibles at California
and Main Streets in downtown Ventura.
La Conchita Mudslide Tragedy Relief
Fund Information
vc Life & Style suggests that people wishing to make donations, contact the
funds or banks to which they wish to make their donation to confirm
account information and standing.
La Conchita victims are welcomed to provide their relief fund information
or notices that will direct people on what they need or where to
donate to vc Life & Style Magazine – 805.641.9303.
vc Life & Style is selling the special relief edition of their
Spring issue for $12.00, and donating approximately $8.00 of every
issue to the Wallet/Womack family. You can pick this issue up at
Natalies Ecclectibles on Main Street in Downtown Ventura, corner
of California & Main, and you can also pick it up at State of
Mind on State street in Santa Barbara. Call us for details.
Information
Funds for individual families
Numerous separate memorial funds have been set up for individuals
and families. Make checks payable to the *EXACT* name of the family
fund when sending checks.
Womack and Wallet Memorial Fund
Five members of the Womack-Wallet household died at La Conchita.
Their home was destroyed and they lost all of their possessions.
Established by Matt Russell, Charlie Womack's brother-in-law.
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Charlie Womack Memorial Fund
Established by Jessica L. Lunsford
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Charlie Womack Memorial Pictures are at www.illuminatrix.net.
...or PayPal to llamatribe@gmail.com
Tony Alvis Family Memorial Fund
Established by Dan Alvis
Tony Alvis died in the slide; Surfer, Sespe Pack Guide. See www.lospadresoutfitters.com
for pictures of him working. If you would like to make a donation
to help pay for the care, feeding and upkeep of Tony's horses &
mules (31 head) you can do so by contacting: Santa Barbara Bank
& Trust, Debbie Crump (805)684-4566, Account:
Tony Alvis Memorial Fund
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Christina Delgado-Kennedy Memorial Fund
Christina Kennedy died, leaving her son Chase Kennedy.
Established by Jessica L. Lunsford
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Vanessa Bryson Memorial Fund
Established by Jessica L. Lunsford
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Wallet Family Memorial Fund
Jimmy and Jasmine Wallet lost four members of their family including
Jimmy’s wife Michelle and three daughters – Hannah,
Paloma and Raven.
Established by Stan Wallet
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Wallet Family Memorial Fund
Established by Karen and Scott Townsend
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
Jasmine Wallet Educational Fund
Jasmine Wallet is 16-years-old and lost her mother and three little
sisters.
Ventura Unified School District
255 West Stanley
Ventura, California, 93001
For information call El Camino High School at (805) 289-7955
Tessa Womack Educational Fund
Tessa Womack is 15-years-old and lost her father Charlie Womack
who was her sole guardian. Her brother, Isaiah Womack is currently
going through the legal process to be her legal guardian.
Established by Matt Russell, Charlie Womack's brother-in-law.
Santa Barbara Bank & Trust
P.O. Box 427
Carpinteria, CA 93014
John and Jerry Worthy-Franco Relief
John and Jerry Worthy-Franco’s home was condemned. If you
wish to help them directly, please mail a check to:
Jerry Franco c/o Sea Rose Salon
919 Maple Ave
Carpinteria, CA 93103
Daniel Powel Relief Fund
Daniel Powel lost his girlfriend, Vanessa Bryson along with all
personal belongings. Commission Junction is collecting funds on
his behalf which will be deposited directly into his bank account
at Montecito Bank & Trust. To make a donation to help him, please
send a check or come into
Commission Junction
c/o Daniel Powel Relief Fund
1501 Chapala Street
Santa Barbara CA 93101
Nadine Bunn Relief Account
Nadine Bunn was buried in the La Conchita mudslide and then recovered.
She sustained extensive injuries and has undergone numerous surgeries.
Her Washington Mutual account requires that you visit any Washington
Mutual branch and tell them that you wish to deposit funds into
account number #180-308-2584.
The WaMu customer service number is 1-800-788-7000.
Videographer and Social Activist, Chrissy Strassburg
is currently producing a video about La Conchita. She has donated
her time and resources to the production. Visit her site www.girlmanmedia.com
for more information on the La Conchita project of for more information
on the Womack-Wallet family
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