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"Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" 14 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, January 25,1994 Local woman happy to survive Los Angeles quake By Julia Dempsey Port Perry Star Sherrie (Casteels) Luhtala, a former Port Perry resident, and her husband Bob are thankful to be alive after losing most of their possessions as a result of the earthquake which devastat- ed Los Angeles last week. "They feel thankful that they are alive and well, and that they were extremely lucky, com- pared to the losses that were suffered by some of their friends and a lot of others," Mrs. Luhta- la's sister Brenda Casteels told the Star recently. The Luhtalas were awakened at 4:30 a.m. on January 17 by what sounded like an atomic bomb exploding. Realizing what was happen- ing, the couple rushed from their apartment and huddled in the building's stairwell until the quake subsided. They then returned to their apartment and quickly grabbed some clothes and a few undam- ageditems. But the damage was severe. Shattered glass from the win- The Port Perry Star Complete coverage of all your Community events. SPORTS « LOCAL NEWS . PHOTOS EDITORIALS - FEATURES + COMMUNITY CORRESPONDENTS - - COMPREHENSIVE CLASSIFIED & REAL ESTATE SECTION Port Perry native Sherrie (Casteels) Luhtala and her husband Bob lost most of their belongings when the earthquake struck Los Angeles last week. Sherrie (centre) is pictured with her sis- ters Brenda and Tracy during a visit by the sisters to Los An- geles in September. See story for details. dows and plaster from the walls laid scattered across the floor with the broken remains of their personal possessions. The force of the quake at their two-storey, 20-unit apartment building in Sherman Oaks, lo- cated three miles from the epi- centre in North Ridge, was so forceful it threw the Luhtala's refrigerator to the opposite side of the kitchen. THUNDERBIRD GOLF & & COUNTRY CLUB "Sherrie tells me they have never been so terrified in their lives and that you have an utter feeling of helplessness and all you can do is wait for it to end," Ms. Casteels said. Outside the building, tenants huddled together being careful to stay away from downed hy- dro lines. Risking his own safety, Mr. Luhtala turned off gas lines, disconnected water and hydro sources, and helped free neigh- bors who were trapped in their homes. After doing all they could for Over 25 years experience with bridal and banquet catering. Landscaped bridal path and gardens for those special photographs. All meals are prepared on premises by our chef. Fully air-conditioned rooms with panoramic view of the golf course. We still have dates available for 1994. 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Always fearing the next after- shock will be another big quake, the Luhtalas, like everyone else, have resorted to sleeping in their clothes -- if they sleep at all. As of Thursday, the couple had not returned to their apart- ment. ) "They will have to stay in Bev- erly Hills for at least another week," Ms. Casteels said, ex- plaining that the utilities and windows at the apartment are expected to be repaired by that time. Their neighbors in two adja- cent buildings were not so lucky. Their apartment com- plexes were condemned. Mrs. Luhtala, who co- manages Roots clothing stores in Santa Monica and Beverly Hills, has been to the stores to clean them up as best as possi- ble. The Capitol Records building where Mr. Luhtala conducts much of his business as a repre- sentative of Canadian rock groups like Slick Toxic and I Mother Earth, suffered major damage, while the building where he had his office was con- demned. Despite the damage to their home and businesses, the Luh- talas have no immediate plans toreturn to Canada. "Yes, they have discussed coming home to Canada, but for now they have to salvage what they can and get on with life," her sister said. Ironically, Ms. Casteels had entertained the idea of moving to Los Angeles after travelling there in September for her sis- ter's wedding. por Perry is pretty dull com- pated to Los Angeles, but I've changed my mind," Ms. Cas- teels said. "I'll put up with all this snow." News of the earthquake had Mrs. Luhtala's family pretty shaken up. "After seeing the news Mon- day evening, we were pretty scared," Ms. Casteels said, add- ing she didn't hear from her sis- ter until early Tuesday after- noon. "They had been constantly trying to get through to family members to let them know they were unharmed. Everyone in the family had tried repeatedly tocontact them, with no luck." "I was scared to death," Ms. Casteels said, still visibly shak- en by the ordeal. "I felt so help- less. She was so faraway." Despite having trouble con- tacting each other because of the limited phone service in the area, the sisters have talked daily since the day after the quake. "She says talking to us helps keep her sane,". Ms. Casteels said. > Stonemoor Day Care Centres Inc. 399 Queen St., Port Perry 985-0800 et "CHILD ENRICHMENT PROGRAM" for children 18 months to 9 years VVVVVVVVVVY Full time & part time available ¢ Hours 6:30am to 6:00pm AAAAAAAAAAAAL We provide our patients: ® State-of-the-Art Care ® Comfortable atmosphere ® Relaxation techniques 4 ® Nitrous Oxide (gas) ® Cosmetic Bonding * Emergencies welcomed ® Insurance assignment {we collect from insurance companies) | DR.A.CHIA #%| DR.J. COTTRELL DR. M. GARFAT DR. J. HARDY | for the whole family New patien ts a lways welcome! DR. T. KING (Orthodontist) PORT PERRY DENTAL CENTRE 238 QUEEN ST. - PORT PERRY 985-8451 a ER ney Td a ok ie TSN Th GE pi