[Noah Adams:] Parts of the Midwest have been struck repeatedly by tornados this spring -lately, Iowa, Minnesota, Kansas. Rebuilding usually starts right away, but perhaps not ever in the town of Picher, Oklahoma. Picher was hit back on May 10th. Homes and businesses were leveled. Picher, once a prosperous lead mining town of 20,000, has long been a Superfund cleanup site. The government's been offering people money to get out of town completely because of contamination from the pile of lead tailings called chat and the threat of collapsing underground mines. Now comes the tornado. Gary Linderman is the owner of Ole Miners Pharmacy in Picher. Welcome, Mr. Linderman.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Good afternoon, sir. I'm glad to be here.
[Noah Adams:] What was the situation when the tornado came through? How much damage did you have?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Okay, I was very fortunate. I was on the north part of town, and the only thing I suffered was some hail damage, which was the size of softballs, to my roof.
[Noah Adams:] Now you must know that many people consider Picher to be a very hazardous place to live, and especially to raise children.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] That's correct. Yes. Uh-huh.
[Noah Adams:] What do you think about that?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Like in any mining situations, there's always hazards. I have been here since I was in 1975, when I started school of pharmacy. And the biggest concern is possible sink holes from the old mines. But that can happen anywhere in the country, you could say.
[Noah Adams:] You have these piles of chat, the tailings from the mining around town?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Oh, yes. They're like little mountains. Yes, sir. Uh-huh.
[Noah Adams:] Mountains, almost.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Uh-huh.
[Noah Adams:] And you're saying the mining's been underground. That all could collapse.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Oh, very possible. That's correct. Yes.
[Noah Adams:] Well, why not take the money and get out of town?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Well, I'm very happy here. We've been here for so long, it's home to us. And they've been saying this for so many years. It hasn't happened yet, but they're calling for it.
[Noah Adams:] But on top of that threat, you've got the tornado...
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] That's right.
[Noah Adams:] ...and more than a hundred homes destroyed.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Oh, yes. A third of our town. Yes. Incredible.
[Noah Adams:] You have been called Lights Out Linderman.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Yes, sir.
[Noah Adams:] Why is that?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Well, my minister started that a year ago, and I told people as I'm telling you right now and the listeners that either I or the city government will be the last ones out of town, and we'd be the ones to pull the main power main.
[Noah Adams:] Shut it down on the way out, right?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] On the way out be it either I or them. So that's why the Lights Out Linderman got attached to me.
[Noah Adams:] Now with so many people leaving and especially now, because people will be taking buyout money, not rebuilding, just leaving you're not going to have many people around. How are you going to make income for the pharmacy?
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] Most of the people who are moving to the closest towns are eight to 10 miles away, and I have always been able to mail medicine to people, or I make home deliveries, also. Then as time goes out, with the gas prices and everything else, I might have to move. But as long as I can able to do this and till my patients and friends gets resettled again, I'll have to wait till that point in time.
[Noah Adams:] Gary Linderman is a pharmacist and the owner of Ole Miners Pharmacy in Picher. Thank you for talking with us, sir.
[Mr. Gary Linderman:] My pleasure. And thanks for calling.