Friday’s front page depicted a cruel irony of fire and water. Much of Benton County lay water-logged due the effects of the most rain ever to fall in 31 days, and the most flooding since 1996. Gov. Ted Kulongoski has declared 24 of Oregon’s 36 counties disaster areas, including Benton and Linn counties. Damage estimates are well into the billions. People long will remember the floods of 2006, and where they were.

Yet for the 200 people who depended on the Cornerstone Associates Inc. for their livelihood, Thursday’s fire will be remembered as the more personal and professional catastrophe. Cornerstone is a not-for-profit organization that provides employment for people with disabilities

Workers discovered a fire about 9:30 a.m. in the storage area of the large warehouse-like building on Crystal Lake Drive. They tried to put it out, but the fire quickly went out of control, leaping to a two-alarm blaze that ultimately required fire crews from four engine trucks and two ladder trucks to knock down the flames.

The fire is a setback for an organization that had just reached its stride after the 2001 merger of Bonney Enterprises and Open Door Inc., producing Cornerstone, which places its clientele at a greenhouse, Taylor Street Ovens, Cornerstone Wood Products and B&J Bookbinding.

Yet both the flood and the fire have a lot to say about the side of humans that is at its best when things are worse; a sense of humor was evident Friday when a chilly winter sun came out, and a woman downtown raised her face to it, noting, “Mmm. Bikini weather.”

Optimism and a sense of renewed effort were evident at Cornerstone on Friday. Some operations were moved, but only nine employees had to take a day off due to the fire, and all soon will be back to work.

Corvallis is fortunate that we escaped the worst of the fire and rain; no one was injured in the fire, and there were no local flood fatalities.

Yet with forecasts for better weather for all of us and a new start for Cornerstone, we can breathe a little easier for now.