Editorial: Rustic Ridge carries on

It can be hard to move forward after a tragedy.

There is a kind of triage aspect. Address the actual problem in front of us. Take care of what is happening right now. That is the priority. It has to be.

That is what happened with Rustic Ridge.

The priority was the devastation caused by the August explosion that claimed six lives, destroyed three homes and severely damaged about a dozen others. It was the outwardly spreading damage to the people who survived and the nearby homes that were damaged.

The next thing on the list was investigating to discover what happened. It was supporting a community literally rocked by the blast.

But moving forward also is important. It’s how the people individually and the community as a whole recover from the unthinkable. Normalcy might have been a distant memory in August, but normalcy would inevitably return. It would be different, but there would be a new way to get up every day and carry on.

That happened, in part, on Tuesday when the Plum borough council took two actions.

First, it acknowledged Greg Renko, president of the Rustic Ridge Homeowners Association, for the courage and caring he showed from the moment the blast occurred.

No one expects an HOA president to be a first responder in a crisis, but he was — probably because he also is an Allegheny County Police officer. He jumped into action, pulling victims to safety.

The explosion occurred at the home of Paul and Heather Oravitz. Heather was among the first casualties, but Renko rescued Paul, who died four days later. Those were four precious days for the family to say goodbye.

Renko’s commitment to the people continued as he supported Rustic Ridge with everything from information to hugs to coordinating donations. Council honored him with a proclamation for his selfless work.

Then there was Dave Soboslay, the Plum assistant manager who became interim manager when the explosion claimed the life of his boss, Michael Thomas.

Since August, Soboslay has carried on doing the work necessary to keep the whole borough functioning. Until that day, the work was done by a manager and an assistant manager, and that was without a cratered neighborhood.

It is understandable that officially replacing Thomas could be difficult under the circumstances.

“He was always working for the community, working for the people,” Soboslay said.

Heather Oravitz was the borough’s director of community development. Her position also has not been filled, although it has been included in this year’s budget.

Confirming Soboslay as the manager, honoring Renko, even replacing Heather Oravitz does not disrespect the victims. It acknowledges moving forward is part of healing — and a community that carries on is the best way to remember the people who were lost.