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FREMONT, Wis. — Large waste containers and vehicles from restoration services are a common sight in Fremont these days.
So are smaller tools — like rags and hammers.
Chuck Alsberg said he and staff are working to get The Boathouse open again by Friday despite flood-related losses.
“Everything downstairs,” he said Tuesday. “The water pump. The water heater. The walk-in cooler. The ice maker. We got most of the inventory out before the flood, so fortunately we saved some of that. A lot of it we couldn’t save. We’ve disposed of that. Obviously, no one wants to drink beer that’s been underwater.”
Alsberg said The Boathouse will reopen with limited choices but he’s more focused on helping his staff get back to work.
“The business will survive but the people need the work and the income,” he said.
For homeowners along the Wolf River, like Dave Thurber and his wife Paula, the huge task of making repairs and rebuilding is already underway.
“Everybody thinks carpeting, flooring. It’s not that. It’s appliances. Furnaces … your plumbing,” he said. “You’ve got to tear your vanities and your showers apart. Everything. Wherever you have dray wall, you have to tear it out.”
Thurber said the couple will continue to make their home on the river.
“We’re hoping to be back in here by the end of summer,” he said. “If we are, that’s great. If we’re not, we’ll just keep going.”
Alsberg said he’s looking forward — and making a few changes.
“The ice maker, the walk-in cooler, all the inventory, we’re going to stay out of the basement,” he said. “Hopefully, it will never happen again at this level, but Mother Nature can be a real devil.”
