House sliding into creek to be razed
The Morphys’ home is scheduled to come down early Saturday, and the owners don’t want to be around when it happens.
“It’ll be emotionally excruciating for us,” Jody Morphy said.
In April, the Morphys lost their Amherst home and most of their property to a sudden, catastrophic landslide that sheared away huge chunks of earth and dropped them into Tonawanda Creek.
Since then, the couple has been removing belongings from the destabilized house, arranging for razing the structure and trying to raise money to help pay for demolition costs and living expenses.
The effort has been tiring for Jody Morphy and her husband, Chris. But Jody Morphy said they remain grateful for the huge amount of monetary and personal support from friends and strangers.
A major fundraiser last month brought in more than $15,000 in donations, she said, and other fundraisers organized by the Good Shepherd Parish/St. Augustine Campus in Pendleton and Chris Morphy’s co-workers helped bring in a similar amount.
That money was supposed to defray demolition costs, but the four companies involved in tearing down the house, hauling away the debris and ensuring environmental compliance have since agreed to donate their services to the high-profile project.
“Once they start clawing into it, emotionally, I’m not going to be able to deal with it,” Jody Morphy said. “I just can’t handle it, and Chris can’t, either. It’s just your whole life going down in the rubble.”
The couple plans to leave the property shortly after demolition work begins and come back once it has been completed, she said.
Morphy again expressed her deep gratitude for the outpouring of support she and her husband have received — both in money and personal assistance. She said many people with their own heap of personal problems have given time and money to lend a helping hand.
“That’s what [is] getting us through,” she said, choking up. “People made incredible sacrifices.”
The couple’s letter of thanks to the community will go up on the family’s Web site and has been sent to the media.
Since the demolition work is being donated, the money raised through fundraisers will offset the cost of storing their belongings and adding fill to the foundation, putting permanent fencing around the property, as well as rent.
Morphy said she expects some money may be left over for a down payment on a new house, possibly within six months.
As demolition day approaches, she has been sorting through her stored belongings, while her husband continues to try to salvage items around their property.
“My life is now in four storage units,” she said. “It’s fairly amusing to see something I used Tuesday morning in a bag of stuff I haven’t seen in 20 years. . . . Sometimes it’s like a treasure hunt, and sometimes you go in there and go, ‘Oh my God, what are we going to be able to do with our lives?’ ”
She expects to sell or give away many of their possessions.
The demolition of what had been the couple’s dream home at 4250 Tonawanda Creek Road will involve a joint effort by Jim’s Truck and Paving and Mark Cerrone Inc., both of Niagara Falls; CEM Environmental of Grand Island; and Allied Waste Management.
If conditions are right, Morphy said, the demolition of the house where she and her husband had spent 24 years building a life should take a mere hour.
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