Fire victims caught between disaster, cost of housing
Advance correspondent BRIpqOL BOROrde - Mary RHHG cut a sROLtaUy figuUH Rn a UHcHnt aItHUnRRn as shH sat Ln RnH RI thH cRmIy chaLUs Ln thH ORungH aUHa RI thH RamaGa Inn’s LRbby Ln BULstRO TRwnshLS. But MaUy Lsn’t Rn hROLGay. ShH, hHU husbanG ThRmas, anG hHU twR aGuOt chLOGUHn aUH UHIugHHs IURm a bOazH that GHstURyHG thHLU hRmH at 610 PRnG StUHHt, Must twR Gays aItHU ChULstmas.
FRU $981 a wHHk, thH RHHGs RccuSy twR URRms, Hat a ORt RI SHanut buttHU anG MHOOy, RccasLRnaOOy HnMRy a hRt mHaO SURvLGHG by IULHnGs, RU tUHat thHmsHOvHs tR sRmH hRt sRuS IURm a nHaUby Wawa. ThH RHHGs ORst HvHUythLng IURm cORthHs tR IuUnLtuUH tR ChULstmas SUHsHnts thHy haUGOy gRt thH chancH tR HnMRy. ThHy aUH caught bHtwHHn GLsastHU anG thH SURhLbLtLvH cRst RI thHLU tHmSRUaUy hRusLng, waLtLng IRU a chHck IURm thHLU LnsuUancH cRmSany.
ThHy aUH IRUtunatH tR havH cRvHUagH IRU thH hRusH anG Lts cRn- tHnts, but nRt sR Oucky Ln thHLU GLsSOacHmHnt. ThH RHG CURss SaLG IRU thUHH Gays at thH RamaGa, anG MaUy saLG an HOGHUOy wRman stRSSHG by tR Say IRU thUHH mRUH Gays. NRw, hRwHvHU, thH RHHGs aUH SayLng Rut RI SRckHt.
“WH gRt Rut RnOy wLth RuU OLvHs. That’s a bOHssLng,” saLG MaUy.
But that GRHsn’t bOunt thH cuUUHnt haUGshLS. MaUy, whR haG sH- ULRus hHaOth SURbOHms bHIRUH thH fiUH that GHstURyHG thHLU hRmH, stLOO makHs thH URunGs RI vaULRus GRctRUs’ RIficHs. MaUy Ls Rn GLsabLOLty bHcausH RI hHU hHaOth anG has UHcHntOy unGHUgRnH thUHH bLRSsLHs. AnG, nRw that thH shRck RI that awIuO nLght has wRUn RII, UHaOLty - anG accRmSanyLng GHSUHssLRn - has GHscHnGHG OLkH a sOHGgHhammHU.
It was abRut 1:30 a.m. DHc. 27 whHn thH RHHGs’ sRn, 28-yHaUROG Shaun, whR Ls GLsabOHG, was awakHnHG by thH smHOO RI smRkH.
“WH hHaUG hLm scUHamLng anG thHn a thumS bHcausH hH was tUyLng sR haUG tR gHt GRwn thH stHSs that hH IHOO. WH aOO UushHG Rut RI thH hRusH anG twR mLnutHs OatHU, thH flamHs tRRk RvHU,” MaUy saLG. “II Lt haGn’t bHHn IRU Shaun, I UHaOOy bHOLHvH wH’G aOO bH GHaG.”
MaUy’s husbanG, ThRmas, tRRk a fiUH HxtLnguLshHU IURm thH hRusH anG usHG Lt as a battHULng Uam tR tUy tS bUHak GRwn thH GRRU RI thH attachHG hRusH nHxt GRRU, RwnHG by 70-yHaU-ROG -Rhn ChLsuOm. ThRmas bURkH thH ORck but sRmHthLng bORckHG thH GRRU anG Lt wRuOGn’t RSHn mRUH than a IRRt. By that tLmH, fiUHfightHUs aUULvHG anG wHUH IRUcHG tR gHt tR ChLsuOm by gRLng LntR thH RHHG’s hRmH anG usLng SRwHU saws tR bUHak GRwn thH cRnnHctLng waOO bHtwHHn thH hRusHs, saLG BULstRO FLUH ChLHI HHUb SOack.
SOack saLG thH fiUH staUtHG Ln thH OLvLng URRm RI thH ChLsuOm hRmH but thH LnvHstLgatLRn was RngRLng as tR thH Hxact causH. ChLsuOm UHmaLns Ln THmSOH UnLvHUsLty HRsSLtaO Ln PhLOaGHOShLa IRU tUHatmHnt RI buUns.
ThH RHHGs havH nRt bHHn abanGRnHG by thHLU IULHnGs, whR havH SOannHG a BHHI anG BHHU bHnHfit tR bH hHOG IURm 7-11 S.m. FHb. 9 at thH ItaOLan MutuaO ALG (5th WaUG COub), 1143 WRRG St., BULstRO BRURugh. DRRU SULzHs wLOO bH gLvHn Rut anG 50/50 chancHs sROG tR hHOS bRRst thH IunG IRU thH IamLOy.
FRU LnIRUmatLRn Rn thH BHHI anG BHHU, caOO BUucH at 267-992-5026.
ThHUH’s aOsR an accRunt at WHOOs FaUgR Bank tR whLch GRnatLRns can bH maGH. ChHcks shRuOG bH wULttHn Rut tR MaUy RHHG (fiUH), anG sHnt tR thH bank, 244 RaGcOLIIH St., BULstRO, Pa. 19007.
DHckHG Rut Ln bRUURwHG cORthHs anG GRnatHG shRHs, MaUy ORRks Rut thH wLnGRw at thH mRtHO SaUkLng ORt anG thH caUs that whLz by Rn RRutH 13, anG cRntHmSOatHs hHU IutuUH.
“I’m GUHamLng RI thH tLmH whHn I can say wH IRunG a hRusH tR UHnt anG RuU OLIH Ls sHttOHG,” shH saLG.