The weather crisis that affected much of the country this month didn’t spare the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow (WCDH). The two-week run of below freezing temperatures coupled with ice and snow made for a trying week. WCDH Executive Director, Michelle Hannon said, “We had a furnace go out and frozen pipes in both buildings, our parking lots were treacherous, and the roads were awful. There was one writer-in-residence from New York City, John Oakes. He was an absolute trooper. The poor guy had to feed himself all week because Chef Jana couldn’t get here.” Although the taps were left running, a pipe in a bathroom burst and flooded the office. When staff arrived for work on Wednesday, February 17, they found standing water in the office and water gushing from a burst pipe in a bathroom.
The crisis required WCDH to close until water service was restored to the building. Although more repairs are needed and the office floor was a total loss, WCDH is scheduled to re-open for residencies on February 26. Meals will be delivered to writers’ suites or served at 505 while the office floor is under construction. Hannon said, “Insurance will cover the bulk of the repairs, but if you’d still like to help, we appreciate donations, reservations for future writing retreats, and wishes for an early spring.”
The Writers’ Colony at Diary Hollow would like to thank Colony Coordinator and expert bailer Chad Gurley, the Eureka Springs DPW, the Board of Directors, local contractor James Wicker, and writer John Oakes for their help and support during the winter weather emergency of 2021.
Since opening its doors to writers in 2000, the Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow has made a lasting impact on the arts and literary communities by providing uninterrupted residency time for writers of all genres, including culinary, composers, and artists, without discrimination. The WCDH has hosted over 1,600 writers from 48 states and 13 countries. For more information, please visit www.writerscolony.org or call Michelle Hannon (479)253-7444.
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