Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Frank Ruzomberka, 71, has been working daily to get his Grant Bar & Restaurant in Millvale back in business following the flood. He was able to do some painting on an unseasonably warm day last month. Click photo for larger image.

There's no denying that the Sept. 17 flood was a terrible tragedy. But something wonderful has arisen from the muck -- communities that stand strong in the face of adversity, turning ordinary people into everyday heroes.

As North Hills Community Outreach's newest employee, Ginny Giles, 26, of West View, works in the Millvale satellite as its flood relief resource specialist. She marvels at the resiliency of the community.

"I came into this position in January with a desire to help, and I've been awed and humbled by what people have given of themselves. It's so inspiring," she said.

It's been nearly six months since the flood devastated homes and businesses, and its victims have begun to rebuild their lives -- and their livelihoods -- with a lot of help from their friends.

"A couple of days after the flood, people were coming into the store and sending me checks with notes that said, 'For all the years you helped me, I want to help you get up and running as soon as possible,'" recalled Jennifer Cohen, who co-owns Lincoln Enterprises with her three sisters.

Started in 1928 by Oscar and Joe Cohen, Lincoln Enterprises operates three businesses out of a building on North Avenue in Millvale: Lincoln Pharmacy, P&G Diner and Lincoln Care, an industrial pharmacy. All were damaged by the flood.

"I sent those checks back, because we were fortunate in the respect that there's a team of us. Our employees came in and moved stuff and cleaned up the mud," Cohen said.

She recalled seeing her pharmacist grope through the mud to find and remove drugs that might have harmed people in the cleanup.

"It was unbelievable how everyone showed up, no questions asked," she said.

The sisters had been planning to remodel their building to reflect the '40s era before the flood hit.

"We had boxes of pictures and memorabilia that were destroyed by the flood," said Cohen, 48, of Regent Square in Pittsburgh. "I broke down and cried at first, but then I realized that nobody was hurt and we would salvage whatever was left because that history is still here."

The Cohen sisters decided to proceed with their previous plans as they rebuilt their legacy, and something surprising happened.

"The community started coming here with photos of my family," Cohen said. "One man came in, and I told him how I lost a lot of pictures. He said he had a bunch of old pictures [of my family] and brought a stack of them into the pharmacy. We're constantly receiving pharmacy memorabilia from customers, and I'm getting a new history of my family. It continues every day."

Many more businesses in Millvale, Etna and Sharpsburg are beginning to reopen their freshly painted doors to customers, but they've only just begun, according to Don Breitbarth, North Hills Community Outreach's flood relief small business and employment caseworker.

In January, the community outreach and the Northern Allegheny Chamber of Commerce formed the Business Recovery Advisory Committee, also known as the Business Flood Relief Advisory Group.

Breitbarth said the advisory committee helps provide volunteers and donations to small businesses affected by the flood.

"We have made cash donations to certain businesses, but we're also going to try to connect them with professionals who can help them see around the corner a little bit."

So far, the advisory committee has provided aid to at least 25 businesses that are in various stages of comeback.

Breitbarth said the tasks of cleaning, drying out, refinancing, buying new equipment and furniture and rebuilding were only the beginning in a series of challenges facing small businesses in their efforts to regain their footing.

"In Millvale [and Etna], there's a pretty high percentage of people who aren't there anymore," Breitbarth pointed out. "As they open, local businesses are finding that their customer base has diminished, and it's possible that some of their regular customers have developed new patterns."

	Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Mary Ann Tomaro cuts Barbara English's hair at her salon in Etna. English, of Shaler, was Tomaro's first customer when the shop reopened after the Sept. 17 flood. Click photo for larger image.

Mary Ann Tomaro, 51, owner of Mary Ann's Hair Salon and Day Spa on Grant Street in Etna, was able to reopen Feb. 7. However, her loss of customers has become a major source of frustration.

"I did lose about seven regular customers," Tomaro said. "They found other places to go in the five months that I was closed, which made me feel bad, because I didn't cause this to happen."

Tomaro also lost her family's home behind the salon and continues to face many challenges in funding her businesses' comeback, but she's been pleasantly surprised by the support she's received from North Hills Community Outreach, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, friends, family and employees.

"It was heartwarming to have people really come to my aid," she said. "Even people I didn't think cared were there. That felt good. Now that I'm open, I wish they'd all come here and see how it looks."

Through the Business Recovery Advisory Committee, Breitbarth is planning to get Tomaro and others like her professional help to bring in more customers.

"Mary Ann is a survivor," Breitbarth said.

"She didn't have as large a staff as other businesses, but she is open and she's making money. She's one of those businesses that will have to think outside the box and grow her business."

The advisory group will hold its third meeting tonight to discuss ways to connect businesses crippled by the flood with all types of professionals, including accountants, lawyers and business consultants.

"We're looking for professionals who have the time and the inclination to try to help these businesses get a handle on what they need to do to market themselves and service their new debt," Breitbarth said.

He noted that even flood-damaged businesses that have reopened are at the forefront of helping their neighbors get back to work.

"Jennifer Cohen of Lincoln Enterprises is on the advisory committee. She's fine, she's making money, but she's still fighting to get these businesses open. She's a big advocate for the businesses of Millvale and keeps us on task."

Breitbarth mentioned Frank Ruzomberka, owner of the Grant Bar & Restaurant on Grant Avenue in Millvale, as another example of neighbors helping neighbors.

	Bob Donaldson, Post-Gazette Frank Ruzomberka is restoring his Grant Bar & Restaurant in Millvale after it was devastated by the Sept. 17 flood. He once thought of closing but now plans to reopen in early March. Click photo for larger image.

"Frank is a linchpin in Millvale," Breitbarth said. "I asked him how I could help, and he said, 'I'm OK right now. I'll pass your cards to my employees because they're working without pay. Help them. I'll be fine.' That really made an impression on me."

Ruzomberka's family has owned the bar since 1933. "I was cleaning the brass rails when I was 6 years old," said Ruzomberka, 71, of Shaler. "[The business] has always been a part of my life."

The flood destroyed his building and left him in tears. "We took in four feet of water on our first floor," he recalled. "The flood took all of my furniture, my equipment, and even the walls were ruined."

However, Ruzomberka quickly found out the worth of his business when employees, customers and friends showed up the next day to help him rebuild the bar. He plans to reopen this month.

"I was shocked when 35 [current and former] employees -- every employee I ever had, plus customers -- showed up the next day to start cleaning. It took us five weeks to get the mud out, and I've had 10 to 15 employees come down to help every day since the flood. It's been one big family. I have waitresses in here now washing down walls while we paint. Everyone is involved."

Brietbarth finds the outpouring of help in the community "astounding."

"It leaves you breathless that there are so many good people who will take the time to help others, and that's been the silver lining to the dark cloud," he said.

"It's so rewarding to be part of this project, and it speaks to the spirit of the people of Pittsburgh. You can knock them down, but you can't keep them down forever. There are a lot of survivors out there and it's gratifying. Some won't make it, but the ones who do will come out stronger and wiser."