Books On Hurricane Recovery

As I have time, I'll be posting more links to books regarding the rebuilding of Pearlington, Waveland, Bay St Louis, Kiln and the rest Hancock County. If you know of any, please let me know.

I've long held I wouldn't advertise anything that was a for-profit endeavor, but I think at this point, they need to be shown in an effort to prove rebuilding has yet to be complete.

The first is Pat Holt's Rebuilding Pearlington. She's a lady from basically all over the nation, having served in the military and after retiring, took up photography. I wish her memoir included many more of her photographs, but perhaps she is working on a separate book for those.

I do have a few others, which will be posted in the appropriate blog, and then all will be collected on the KatrinaNetworking blog

The Bay Looking at New Jail

http://208.62.60.4/40/article_1031.shtml

400-bed jail proposed for downtown Bay St. Louis
By DWAYNE BREMER
Mar 9, 2007, 15:57
The Hancock County Board of Supervisors is caught between a rock and a hard place. Last week, the board learned that FEMA determined the Hancock County Jail was less than 50 percent damaged.
The board is now tasked with the duty of restoring the jail at its current Court St. location, and last week it voted to move forward with plans to restore the jail, however, meeting federal guidelines and satisfying future concerns may be more difficult than originally expected.
"We have a dilemma," Board President Rocky Pullman said at a workshop Thursday. "We can rebuild what we had prior to the storm for $3 million, but we have a sheriff who says its going to cost $4 million or $5 million for what we need. Where are we going to get the money? At the end of the day, we just can't afford it."
The purpose of the workshop was for board members to discuss funding sources for all public buildings with FEMA and MEMA officials.
MEMA official Walt Rode told supers the jail was declared 38-percent-damaged.
The determination of the jail being less than 50-percent-damaged means that FEMA will not fund the county to build a new facility.
The county will receive $629,902 from FEMA and the county has already collected $1.79 million in insurance for the jail.
Sheriff Steve Garber said Thursday that the money may restore what the county had, but it will not be enough.
"Before we jump up and do something, there are things we have to address," he said.
Garber said the jail capacity was at 132 inmates before the storm, but at times he had more than 150 inmates. He said parking was always a problem, as well as office space, and federal guidelines will mandate certain things in the jail be upgraded.
"Nothing has changed," he said. "We need to fix these problems while everything is still tore up. On the jail, you have no choice. The federal government is not going to allow you to just put back what you had."
Garber said he expects the inmate population to increase over the next five years and he suggested expanding to a 200-bed facility.
FEMA officials went a step further and said with the expected growth in the county, the sheriff may want to consider a facility as large as 400 beds.
Supers asked FEMA officials if updating to federal standards was covered by FEMA.
FEMA official David Smith said the 50 percent number is only "sticks and bricks."
He suggested the county try some creative funding sources.
One suggestion was to make the jail an "improved project" which would make the county eligible for federal grant money, Rode said.
One way to better use the square footage of the current jail is to move the daily operations of the sheriff's office out of the building.
Garber said the county may want to inquire about purchasing adjacent properties on Court St. or taking property by means of eminent domain.
"We were renting 5,000 square feet of space before the storm," he said Friday. "We need to get that space back somewhere."
Supervisor Jay Cuevas suggested the county inquired about the vacant City Hall Annex just two doors down from the jail.
Supervisor Steve Seymour said he just wants to get things fast tracked on all county buildings.
"We've got to get this done," he said. "I'm tired of getting asked by the public and not having any idea. The people are dying to know there is light at the end of the tunnel."
Pullman said raising taxes is not an option.
"The general public cannot have any more put on them," he said.
Pullman said the sheriff needs to sit down with engineers and give them a "wish list" of what would be needed.
He said once the county knows what they are looking at, then it will try to make it work.
"We got to have a vision," he said. "We don't need a Cadillac, but we do need something that will meet the future needs."
Supervisors consultant Janell Tompkins said the National Institute of Corrections has offered the county a free training program on jail design as well as offering expert assistance in the restoration.
Garber said he would meet with officials from Compton Engineering and report back to the supervisors within a month.

Photos Jan 24, 07

All photos courtesy of, taken by and copyrighted by, Robb Tilley (2007)



Abandoned Apartments on Waveland Ave, BSL

Abandoned House on Waveland Ave

Tree Roots From Storm Wash in Fire Dog Saloon's Parking Lot.

Fire Dog Saloon from Big Daddy's Side. They say they'll rebuild, but likely not at this site. However, no new word on if they truly are.

Debris From Destroyed Home on Main Street.

FEMA on Private Land. Too common of a site. Rebuilding is a slow process.

Abandoned Nursing Home at Ulman and Beach. Where are their elderly supposed to go?

Abandoned home on Nicholson. Check the roof - a bite was taken out of it.

Abandoned home on Court Street. They gave up.

More Politics In The Bay

Turmoil in Bay St. Louis government is escalating right up to the top level.
The city's long-time attorney, John A. Scafide Jr., is tossing in his towel. And City Council has refused to appoint the mayor's pick for chief of police, Deputy Chief Tom Burleson.
And while some say development in the city is spiraling literally out of control, Mayor Eddie Favre is being blasted for failing to hire a new chief building official. The slot has been empty since William R. Carrigee quit, under fire, in September.
Scafide refused to be interviewed Tuesday on his decision to leave his post as top legal eagle after 22 years in that key position. He apparently wouldn't have mentioned his departure at all, but for the fact that Ward 2 council member James C. Thriffiley III shot a sudden question directly at Scafide about it during a meeting.
Asked his intentions and status, Scafide said simply he would be gone by the end of March. Later, he said he might leave at the end of February.
There had been some quiet talk in recent weeks that Scafide was considering retiring or resigning – what he's doing is not clear. But his abrupt departure comes at a critical juncture in the city's history, no matter which it is.
The son of a former mayor, Scafide is seen as an expert in the areas of city and county zoning, subdivision regulations, real estate law and the municipal code. He has an incredible reservoir of personal recollections about the city's history.
The city is under fire to zone the newly annexed area, adopt a new comprehensive plan, change the old zoning and subdivision regulations and adopt a redistricting plan. Plus, there's a new historic preservation ordinance in the wings, all of which would have come under Scafide's scrutiny after hired outside planners come up with recommendations.
He gets paid a $500 monthly retainer, and charges $75 an hour for additional work for the city.
When it once appeared that Scafide might be in a conflict of interest situation due to proposed casino development in the early 90's, the city hired attorney Donald J. Rafferty to staff all casino-related matters.
In recent years, Rafferty has assumed a much broader role than that, however, taking over some of the workload Scafide otherwise would have had.
Meanwhile, council went behind closed doors for about a half hour at 11 p.m. Tuesday night to debate the mayor's proposed appointment of Tom Burleson as chief of police. Favre had told the Sea Coast Echo several weeks ago he would elevate Burleson from deputy chief to the top slot, once Frank McNeil's retirement became effective.
Favre said Burleson deserved a shot at the chief's job, having climbed through the ranks and amassed great experience, including training at the FBI academy. Moving him to the top slot set off a round of proposed personnel shifts just below him – and triggered some fury in the process.
Some say they expect a civil action to be filed by at least one unhappy officer who saw plans to promote lesser experienced officers ahead of him.
Since executive sessions are closed, it's not clear what prompted council to set aside Burleson's appointment. But it's generally believed council members had wanted a broader consideration for the top post than automatically elevating Burleson.
In the Fire Department, Favre had to launch a full fledged investigation recently to quell discontent among the personnel there. At one time, half the fire fighters were said to be ready to call it quits over personnel actions internally.
And the vacancy at the top of the Building Department came with the chief building official's resignation, along with several of his staffers, amid widespread controversy.
In a rare display of anger and frustration Tuesday, the usually calm, reserved Ward 4 council member Bobby Compretta demanded action. "It's so important...We need to do something about the Building Department."
Compretta said Favre's chief assistant, Harold "Buz" Olsen is too busy, wearing too many municipal hats to be effective in leading the building department. And Compretta said if the city needs to up its $48,000 salary level of the job, so be it. He demanded to see a list of pay comparables in this area.
And meanwhile, Compretta said the city simply has forgotten or ignored its moratorium on condominium construction, leaving it wide open to happen.
The city has no code provisions governing condominium construction. "I make a motion to extend the moratorium for six more months Let's do something!" he almost yelled. His motion passed unanimously, quickly and without debate.
Earlier in the meeting, Compretta's predecessor in office Tad Black, told council he's glad he's no longer among them.
But Black said lack of Building Department oversight has left the city pockmarked with junk, illegal billboards and trailers being stacked up on pilings, without permits. Buildings are being built without site plan reviews, he said, providing no required screening or green space.
Black served two terms as Ward 4 council member, then lost a bid for mayor.

Casino in Old Town

Developers plan Old Town Casino
By GEOFF BELCHER
Jan 12, 2007, 17:18

Bay St. Louis developer Hester Plauché and Marrero, La.-based contractor Pete Vicari plan to go before the Bay City Council Tuesday night to unveil plans for an ambitious $100 million "boutique" casino, hotel, restaurant and retail project they say will reinvigorate the hurricane-ravaged Old Town area, restore its long-lost historic charm and – most importantly – bring back the downtown merchants deprived of their livelihoods by Katrina.
"You won't see the glitz and glamour, no neon," Plauché said Thursday. "You will see the original architecture of Old Town."

Designer Al Fiori’s concept for the Old Town Casino, shops and renovated A&G Theater in downtown Bay St. Louis at Main St. and Beach Blvd. The project, planned by local developer Hester Plauché and Marrero contractor Pete Vicari, is scheduled to go before the Bay St. Louis City Council on Tuesday evening.
The project encompasses three full blocks of the Bay's beachfront, from State St. to the railroad tracks, and includes 40,000 square feet of gaming space – comparable to Hollywood Casino – wrapped inside quaint, old-style retail shops, art galleries and restaurants. The pair also want to build a parking garage on Court St., between the beach and the Hancock County Justice Facility, which would also act as a buffer between the railroad and the adjacent shopping areas. Plans also include a 400-room hotel similar to the old Pickwick Hotel, which burned to the ground circa 1917. Everything, Vicari said, will be based on the town's original architecture, with nothing over four stories – and completely in the spirit of plans produced during the Governor's Commission's "charrette" process.
Vicari is an award-winning New Orleans-area contractor, specializing in historic restoration and preservation projects, such as the work done at the old U.S. Mint in the French Quarter. He was also recently featured on the ABC Television program "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.
"In planning the Old Town project, "Pete spent a lot of time at the (Hancock) Historical Society, looking at pictures" from before the turn of the 20th century, Plauché said."
Every time there was a hurricane, when they built it back, something changed. We want to take it back to what it was, " Vicari said. "A lot of what was there (prior to Hurricane Katrina) really wasn't that architecturally pretty. I'm trying to step it up a notch."
"When we do this, we don't want high-rises," Plauché said. "This needs to be a place of assembly for the people."
The gaming facility will be necessary in order to draw enough revenue to rebuild Old Town's lost charm without forcing rent and real estate prices too high to attract merchants and restaurants. In effect, a casino would subsidize the properties, making their prices reasonable and affordable for small business.
"When we say a boutique casino, we're talking about something in between what's done in the classier (American) casinos and a European casino," Plauché said.The casino itself wouldn't have a gift shop or restaurant, leaving that open to downtown merchants. All the shops would face the street, Plauché said, with the casino tucked subtly in the center. It would be an upscale facility, filled with work by local artists.
"There are people away from here that the only thing they know Bay St. Louis to be is Second Saturday and the little shops," Vicari said ... . "This facility is going to be heavily influenced by local artists."
"We're losing our artists," Plauché said. "We're losing crafts people, and when you start losing 'em, it's hard to get 'em back. If this doesn't happen as quick as it can, what's going to happen to the rest of Bay St. Louis?"
The plan also calls for the renovation of the old A&G theatre building, which would be restored, rather than torn down, and offered for use by the Bay St. Louis Little Theatre and school and arts productions. The Hancock Bank building would remain in its current location.The beach front would remain open for public access. Hopefully, Plauché said, later on, the city could build an amphitheater for outdoor festivals and events.
If the city council greenlights the project, Plauché said, "We won't have to worry about a condo popping up on the beach or somebody building a shack. ... This will be something the people of Bay St. Louis can be proud of."
"Our slogan's going to be 'Come on home,'" Vicari said.Plauché said the financing, plans, construction crew and management team are already in place, all under the auspices of his and Vicari's holding company, PV Acquisitions. The two men have already talked to most of the neighbors and about 95 percent of the property owners who would be involved. Most of the work could be done in a year's time, from start to finish, Vicari said.The area is already zoned C-2 commercial. The only obstacle at this point, Plauché said, is whether the Bay St. Louis City Council will endorse the project, allowing a variance of the town's 25-acre casino district requirement.
"Old Town is what brought people here (before Katrina)," Plauché said. We thought if we could bring Old Town back, it would have a lot of positive effect on the community."

Building Inspector Resigns

Bay St. Louis building chief resigns post
By MARY G. SEILEY
Jan 12, 2007, 17:13
Another high-level official in the Bay St. Louis Building Inspection department has resigned.
Officials confirmed Thursday that William Breeden had submitted his resignation. Known as "Little Bill," Breeden had worked under chief building official William Carrigee.
Carrigee quit last fall, amid controversy over his work for the county as a consultant while on the payroll as full time building inspector. At the time of his resignation, at least two others on the city building department payroll resigned as well.
Mayor Eddie Favre said Tuesday the city has had troubles keeping the department staffed. "We hire and lose. Hire and lose..." the mayor said. The city continues to take applications for the top slots, he said.
Meanwhile, the department's ranks are dwindling. Asked who's in charge of the department right now, city administrator Buz Olsen said, "Me." Olsen said the city still has plenty of staff to handle the daily operations and review building plans. It's also getting some help from Jerry Beaugez, a county building official who's offered assistance, Olsen said.
Breeden resigned to take a better paying job in Pascagoula, according to Olsen.
In other matters Tuesday, there was continued alarm voiced over the city decision to allow two huge mobile trailers to locate on Hancock Street, next to the St. Stansilaus graveyard.
Favre said he personally okayed the trailers, giving the school's brothers a place to stay while their living quarters are rebuilt. He said such trailers are reviewed after six months.
Real estate agent Camille Tate said the "horrible looking" trailers look like they're permanently set up on the property, and she questioned whether they were properly permitted.
Meanwhile, council discussed a larger problem of mobile homes setting up in the city without permission, and the need to review who's living in them and why.
Aside from individual trailers rolling into town, council is upset that the FEMA trailer park on Highway 90 and Drinkwater has become a revolving door complex for anybody who wants to live there.
Originally, council agreed to the park only if the trailers would be removed as soon as the temporary residents who occupied them moved out. According to some, however, the trailers are being occupied by out-of-towners as soon as the original tenants move out.
In other matters council:
• Reappointed Cheryl Ladner to a five-year term on the school board.
• Agreed to seek prices on new furniture for the council chambers, recently relocated to the former Coast Electric conference center.
• Authorized a call for bids on new traffic and street signs in the older part of the city.

Photos December/January

A house rebuilt by the Presbyterians


Elevation change to comply with new codes


A house in a Pearl River development


One House gave Right of Entry, the other did not. ROE allows the National Guard come in and remove debris, but not the house. (From Gary - ROE allows the Corps of Engineers to come in and remove debris, or tarp the roof. In some cases they would remove demolished buildings and large debris a homeowner could not normally clean up.)


A newly rebuilt house with a well supported heat exchanger (AC unit). Most are only strapped to the house.


Steel structural support still waiting to be rebuilt

Bay Waveland Merger Shelved

Bay St. Louis-Waveland merger study shelved
Financial outlooks still grim

By RYAN LaFONTAINE
rlafontaine@sunherald.com

HANCOCK COUNTY - Researchers have stopped work on a study of the potential benefits of merging Bay St. Louis and Waveland into one city, according to the government think tank overseeing the survey.

The two cities began discussing a merger sometime last year, after Katrina annihilated most of their taxable incomes and infrastructure.

Although the merger review has been shelved, a report released last week shows just how dismal the financial outlooks really were, and still are, for Bay St. Louis and Waveland.

"We have suspended the (merger) study and it was what we thought would be best for the two cities at this point," said Marty Wiseman, who runs the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University, which launched the study in March.
Katrina washed or blew away nearly 65 percent of homes countywide and with them went the governments' property-tax revenues. The casino and other giant retailers that had generated so much of the sales tax used to form the cities' operating budgets are slowly returning.

When revenue streams turned into trickles last year, Coast leaders were left to find money to rebuild infrastructure- sewerage, roads and public buildings - and create competitive salaries for the staff needed to maintain city services, all while funding their daily operations.

"To the outside observer having two municipalities wiped off the map presents an opportunity that the cities may not have otherwise, but to the citizens in those cities, (talk of a merger) would present a very chaotic situation that they just don't need right now," Wiseman said.

Why stop?

Several elements contributed to the study's suspension: Researchers believed data collection was getting in the way of storm recovery and trying to engage locals consumed with repairing their own lives into a government-merger discussion would be difficult.

The two cities recently settled an annexation dispute, adding hundreds of new properties that won't appear on tax rolls until next year, which Wiseman said "drastically changes the property-tax dynamic."

Also, Waveland was in the midst of a sizzling election to decide who would lead the city for the next four years, but Wiseman is quick to say the decision to stop the research was made only by the Stennis Institute.

"I want to make it clear that we were not asked by Mayor Tommy Longo nor Mayor Eddie Favre to stop the study," he said. "We made that decision ourselves."
But had a completed study been published around election time suggesting a merger was the only means of ensuring survival, it would have instantly created the single largest campaign issue.

Waveland candidates mostly debated issues of future development, building codes, money spending and transparency at City Hall, but top government experts
advocating an all-out merger with the Bay would have spawned where-do-you-stand questions no candidate could have avoided.

"We certainly didn't want to influence anyone's campaign whatsoever," Wiseman said.

At one point last year, Bay St. Louis and Hancock County leaders sounded as if their governments were lashed to the railroad tracks, counting down the days, hours and minutes to unavoidable insolvency. Local leaders have since received some federal and state backing to barely stay afloat.

But though the Bay, Hancock and other Coast governments were spreading a dark message of despair and pleading for help - mainly financial - from anyone who would listen, political leaders in Waveland continued to portray an almost-thriving city that was leading the storm-recovery race with its deep pockets.

Longo was criticized by some of his opponents for being out of touch with the fiscal realities of post-Katrina government.

To his credit, the city did have a $3 million cash reserve to live on after the storm, but Longo bashers have said with an annual budget more than double the reserve, that money ran out long ago.

Despite Longo winning last week's mayoral election, a study favoring a merger for the betterment of the two cities could still shove the mayor into a corner.

According to state law, the mayor of the largest municipality, based on population, would become the mayor of the newly formed city, which means Longo would likely have to walk away from a seven-year career at Waveland's City Hall.
'Struggling to survive'

According to a 70-page report published last week by the Stennis Institute, Waveland and Bay St. Louis are still "struggling to survive."

The report is part of a three-year study by the Stennis Institute and New York's Rockefeller Institute to determine Katrina's effect on Coast governments and their budgets.

The initial report from interviews with local leaders shows sales taxes in Bay St. Louis dropping from about $1.5 million to about $400,000, property taxes being cut in half and the city's annual budget sliced by nearly 80 percent of its pre-storm level.
Most of Waveland's $6.5 million budget was supported through sales taxes, which the report says are staggering back to their pre-storm level.

From July 2005 to the same time in 2006, Bay St. Louis lost $349,279 of its state sales-tax transfers, and Waveland saw a 30 percent drop, losing $678,281.
Gulfport, by contrast a much larger municipality, saw a 39 percent drop in diverted sales tax that accounted for more than a $7 million loss.

A lot of the financial bleeding on the Coast has been slowed by state and federal grants, private donations and loans.

The Bay has borrowed nearly $8 million since the storm and has applied for an additional $10 million to cover operating and recovery costs. City leaders are hopeful most of the loans will be "forgiven" or turned into grants.

Wiseman, who is expected to soon discuss potential cityhood with community leaders in Diamondhead, said he expects to restart the Bay-Waveland merger study within the next 12 months or "when the time is right."

Local Artist on NPR

http://thekatrinacollectionbylorikgordon.blogspot.com
http://lorikgordon.blogspot.com

2/12 Hey y'all-It has been a very busy-and productive-three months since I last emailed. First, I was able to move my studio to its new location in an old barn on Pinetucky Road (really!) in the beautiful community of Henleyfield, Mississippi. Although it means an hour one-way commute for me, the simple fact that I have electricity in my studio, for the first time since the storm, makes it worthwhile. What a luxury.This fall, I traveled to Washington DC for a terrific show in Georgetown, and a piece of The Katrina Collection was purchased for inclusion in the Safeco Corporate Art Collection in Seattle. An image from The Katrina Collection was included on the holiday card from the Southern Arts Federation, and the Mississippi Humanities Council again honored my work by choosing an image for the cover of their Annual Report. I hosted a very enjoyable workshop in Ocean Springs, MS recently and was invited to join the featured artists at the Walter Anderson Museum of Art, also in Ocean Springs. I began writing feature articles on other artists on the coast for South Mississippi Living, and finally, the State of Mississippi commissioned me to create twenty pieces of The Katrina Collection as gifts from the state to journalists from six Western European nations. The next few months look to be busy as well; towards the end of this month I will leave for a road trip back to the DC area, where I will be participating in a show in Alexandria, VA and teaching a workshop in the same location. From there I will fly to Midland, Texas for the opening reception of The Katrina Collection in their 2007 Contemporary Artist Series. April will see another show in Richmond, VA and in May, Cairo and I will make the drive to Minneapolis for a show at Frank Stone Gallery. In June I will be teaching a workshop for children at Lynn Meadows Discovery Center, and another workshop is scheduled in July in Bay St. Louis. In September, I have been invited back for the annual Art for the Sangres Show in Colorado. In between trips, I have been working up at the barn on Pinetucky, creating a bunch of new pieces of The Katrina Collection. I have just finished updating the website, so please take a look, and if you are inclined to forward the site on to your mailing list, I would be very appreciative. The new work is all posted towards the top of the site. Hoping that the New Year is bringing good things to all of you-

12/11

Hey y'all-
I have finally updated the blog for The Katrina Collection with several new pieces. The past three months have involved so much traveling-Colorado, Louisiana, Washington DC, Jackson, New York City-that I have not had any time to be working on the collection. It's good to be home again for a few weeks, and doing what I love.
While I continue to work on The Katrina Collection, I am also creating small, very affordable (starting at $20) collages created from handmade, hand painted papers and polymer clay. While I have several ongoing series, the most popular collages this holiday season are the works which feature bas relief images of Russian icons. The molds for these pieces were created directly from exquisite bronze Russian icons which are estimated to be two centuries old. The images translate beautifully into the polymer, which I then paint with acrylics. I choose a variety of handmade and/or hand painted papers to complement the iconographic images and include an interpretation of the icon, written by an authority on the Byzantine tradition, with each piece. Other pieces in the series are created around giclee reproductions of painted icons and incorporate ancient text images which I acquired from one of the Smithsonian galleries on a trip to Washington, DC last week.
At 4 pm today and again on Saturday and Sunday, I will be gifting a collage from this collection. Stop in at The Artists of 220 Main in Bay St. Louis and enter your name in the free drawing. For those of you who are out of the area, please visit one of the two blogsites listed below, scroll down to the end and email me the confirmation number, and I will enter your name in the drawing.
On December 2nd, I will be spending the day with my friends in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Lynn has invited me back to Birdman Coffee and Books for their annual Christmas in the Country, and I hope to see many of you there in this most delightful of southern communities. Again at this location, I will be gifting a piece from The Icon Series.
One last note. Our Mississippi premiere screening of The Art of the Storm was very well received. I'd like to remind all of you to visit http://www.theartofthestorm.com/ to purchase one of the documentaries. The film follows the stories of several coast artists as we struggle to rebuild our lives and careers in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, and at $20, it is another very affordable Christmas gift.
Here's hoping that you all have a great holiday season-
Take care,
Lori
http://collagebylorikgordon.blogspot.com/
http://thekatrincollectionbylorikgordon.blogspot.com/

9/13 - Just got in From Lori

Hi everyone-The feature story on The Katrina Collection is scheduled to air on the CBS Evening News tomorrow-Thursday the 14th. So unless we get bumped, see you then!

Lori

9/1

The last couple of weeks have been a very busy time down here. I am pasting on a few links to some recent coverage of The Katrina Collection. There will be more coming, as I spent yesterday morning with some wonderful people from the CBS Evening News. I will send along an email when that interview is due to air. For now, here are the links-the first is to an Associated Press story which just came online yesterday, and the second is an interview which I did with National Public Radio. In addition, I just returned from a trip to Minneapolis for the premiere screening of a documentary by Watts Up Productions. "The Art of the Storm" follows the journey of several Gulf Coast artists in our efforts to recover from the storm. Please go to http://www.theartofthestorm.com/ for more information about the film. If you wish to be removed from this mailing list, please let me know- Take care,Lori

http://asap.ap.org/stories/834056.s

All Things Considered, August 5, 2006 ·
In Bay Saint Louis, Miss., artist Lori Gordon has quite literally picked up the pieces in the wake of Hurricane Katrina... and is trying to make sense of the storm with bits of the rubble left behind.
Gordon's "Katrina Collection" is full of mixed-media collages that are meant for wall space in living rooms or display space on bookshelves. They're attempts to draw meaning and order from hurricane debris.
As early as a week after the storm hit, she began combing through muck and mud for pieces of her life and the lives of her neighbors. She found a copper frying pan bought in Mexico, smashed flat as a tortilla. She found bits of furniture, the bleached appendages of dolls, scarred and twisted metal, a pastoral sketch of a tree-lined country road turned ghostlike by sludge and mold.
Gone were the coastal landscapes Gordon painted before Katrina. But she began to see artistic promise and peril in the massive piles of debris that remained.
"I started doing this out of some kind of psychological desperation," she says. "I was so desperate to be doing something productive."
She says her series is about "rebirth" and "rebuilding" and "taking whatever it is you have left -- even if you have lost everything -- taking whatever it is you can find and starting again."

Our Lady of The Gulf Church

http://www.olgchurch.net/

3/18/07 To volunteer through OLG, go to the site they have set up just for this!
http://www.olgv.org/
Cindy Lederer at 414-828-5905 or
cindy.lederer@gmail.com

Harold Lederer at 414-828-7655 Brian Milner at 228-216-0707 or
brian@olgv.org
Calendar of volunteers:
http://www.olgv.org/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=4

Their March '07 Newsletter:
http://www.olgv.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=13&Itemid=6

6/28/06 - From the Sea Coast Echo
Our Lady of the Gulf is "Still Crabbin'" – the theme of the 23rd annual Crab Festival, representative of the church's dedication to keep Crab Fest going. It will run June 30-July 2, from 11 a.m.-11 p.m. daily. It will be held at the usual festival grounds on South Beach. Parking will be available at the St. Stanislaus school. Over sixty vendors have already registered, and more are signing up each day, event Chairwoman Pam Metzler said. The festival will feature rides and other attractions, as well as cotton candy, live music and plenty of seafood."It's huge; Crab Fest is one of the biggest outdoor events on the Coast. The food's going to be better than ever."All proceeds will benefit the purchase of new equipment for Our Lady, as all of the equipment it had was lost or destroyed."Any proceeds go to what we have to replace, because we lost all of our equipment," Metzler said. Despite many factors caused by Katrina, Metzler said she has high hopes for the festival's turnout.

5/28 - Our Lady of The Gulf has fully revamped their website! Very cool. The following is a site they made through MyRegistry.com for parishioners' needs to be placed. You can sort by single, married, family, etc. if there is a specific demographic you'd like to assist.
http://www.myregistry.com/katrina/FindFriend.aspx
The following is for Parish Campus - I hope the link comes through ok. It's pretty long...
http://www.myregistry.com/Visitors/welcome.aspx?sid=FFB0260B-9971-43C0-9CEA-E2ABE4C450A7

Needs List

CASH - Cash donations are always accepted. When submitting a cash donation, please let us know what you would like your donation to be used for by selecting an option from the list below.
Tuition assistance for a child.
Putting a new roof on a house.
Other building supplies.
Feeding a family for a week/month.
The OLG parish rebuilding efforts for building/grounds.
Refueling propane tanks for FEMA trailers.
Other _________________________
VEHICLES - Do you have a car sitting around that you no longer need? If so, please consider donating it to a family that no longer has a working vehicle. Pick-up trucks and/or used jeeps are also extremely valuable for hauling debris and rebuilding materials.
HOUSING - Do you have an RV you're not using, a rental unit that is available? Temporary housing is still needed and very much appreciated.
To donate directly to Our Lady of the Gulf parish, contact: Fr. Mike Tracey, Pastor. Email:
mtracey1@bellsouth.net
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it 228-567-0123

Gifts for Parishioners - myregistry.com

You can find out how to help a SPECIFIC family in need. Once you have chosen a family, click on the "Gift List" tab on the top tool bar to view their list.

The Press Release Re: the My Registry Set Up.

MyRegistry.Com Announces Donation Registry for Katrina Victims
Eight Months Later, Help Still Needed to Rebuild Lives

New York, NY (PR WEB) – May 2, 2006 -- Eight months after Katrina, MyRegistry.com, the ultimate global gift registry, announced today a new way to help victims of the storm, who continue to need substantial assistance to rebuild their towns, schools and homes. “The Gift of Hope” Registry (www.MyRegistry.com/Katrina) matches needy individuals and institutions with potential donors using state of the art gift registry technology.

MyRegistry.com formed a partnership with Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Mississippi to help those living in the region devastated by Katrina. Together they worked with local volunteers to create registries for victims to inform the public directly of their needs and their personal situations. Through the web site, donors can purchase items directly for those who
need them the most.

Similar to a bridal registry where visitors select a gift from a registry and purchase it online, visitors to “The Gift of Hope” Registry can select a family or person to help, review their registry and purchase a gift online. From mattresses to circular saws, towels, to even refrigerators, the Gift Lists are personalized and needed. Gift Lists also include Parish needs for the Church, the Girls and Boys High Schools, Elementary School and Community Center.

For people that want to help residents of the Mississippi Gulf Coast rebuild and who may not be able to volunteer in person, the site simplifies and personalizes the process of giving. More than 130 families are participating and have created gift list registries.

“I want to thank MyRegistry.com and all the people that enabled this program,” said Fr. Michael Tracey, pastor of Our Lady of the Gulf Church, “starting with Mr. Berkowitz, founder of MyRegistry.com, and the volunteers that spent untold hours registering and helping some people use technology for the first time. This project has been one more example of the
goodness of people, and the work we can do together.”

“I loved this idea from the moment the Parish contacted us,” said MyRegistry’s Founder, Oded Berkowitz. “Gift registries are not just for weddings and baby showers, but for any gift giving occasion. We can tell the world exactly what these families need, and people can help them without a middle man, right at this moment. I think that is the kind of charitable giving that anyone can relate to, and I am happy that MyRegistry.com can participate and help”

About MyRegistry.com

MyRegistry.com is the ultimate online registry for all gift-giving needs, where users can add items to their registry from literally any store in the world. It is ideally suited for weddings, baby showers, graduations, confirmations, birthdays, bar mitzvahs, sweet sixteen parties, or any occasion one can think of! Easy to navigate and fun to use, MyRegistry.com is the perfect way to register for all the important events in your life!

About Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church

Our Lady of the Gulf is a Catholic Community of 2,000 families (pre-Katrina) within the Diocese of Biloxi, with a tradition of faith and endurance since its founding in 1847. Inspired by this heritage, we accept God’s call to grow as a community of faith, love and compassion, modeled on the ministry of Jesus Christ. By caring for the spiritual needs of all parishioners and embracing new members to our Parish family, we endeavor to put our Catholic faith into action through service to each other and our community.

Media Contacts
Our Lady of the Gulf Church
Laura Field
312-961-5054
laurafield@earthlink.net

MyRegistry.com
Oded Berkowitz
Oberkowitz@myregistry.com

Any gift cards to Lowes, Home Depot, etc. will be most appreciated.
Please Mail them to:
228 South Beach Blvd.
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520-4320

If you personally would like assist in the rebuilding of this community, here’s what you do…Contact either:

Dan Quinn at either
danquinn.j@gmail.com
This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it
or 412-996-9670

Brian Milner at either
brian@olgv.org
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or 228-216-0707

You’ll need to bring some ‘stuff’ with you.

Clothes: Depending on what time of year you go, it could be shorts and t-shirts, or it could be coats and hats. And be sure to have appropriate working clothes if possible, sturdy shoes, gloves, long pants and raingear.
Food:There are now a few local restaurants open including Sonic, Wendy's, Sicily's pizza Buffet and a few local family restaurants. Please plan for your own meals, we do enjoy some pot lucks when we can! A Wal-mart Express recently opened with the basic food necessities and two convince stores are open.
Camping supplies:There is a large area on the OLG campus that is now barren and can be used for a camping area. There are working restrooms on the grounds, and you’ll be close to where the help is needed.
Personal hygiene:You’ll have access to a shower, but it’s located in the gymnasium of the school. The shower water is no longer ice cold! But you’ll need a towel and soap etc…
Tools:The tools needed depend on what skills you are bringing with you. Dan Quinn, the onsite coordinator, will be able to provide additional insight on what you’ll be working on when you’re down there.
Spirit:A smile and a cheery hello will make someone’s day down at Bay St. Louis. These people have NOTHING to smile about, so give ‘em one of yours!

St. Rose de Lima Church

ST ROSE DE LIMA CATHOLIC CHURCH
301 SOUTH NECAISE AVENUE
BAY ST. LOUIS, MS 39520
Tel: 228-467-7347/467-7357
Fax: 228-467-7740
E-mails: strdc@bellsouth.net, office@strosedelima-bsl.org
Website: www.strosedelima-bsl.org

“In that day I will restore David’s tent.
I will repair its broken places, restore its
ruins, and build it as it used to be”(Amos 9:11)

Gift Cards are also appreciated...
http://katrinanetworking.blogspot.com/2006/02/stores-to-buy-gift-cards-through.html

3/18/07
Shrimp po-boy sale sponsored by the Booster Club, will be held on Fri., March 23rd, 11:00a.m.- 2:30 p.m.

8/23 Relief and Recovery Effort Progress and Status
(Taken from their Newsletter)

Completed Remaining
Roofs 68 153
Drywall 32 310
Electrical 41 229
Plumbing 30 200
Interior Paint 20
Carpentry 12
Debris Removal 96

Average Funds Needed For Roof And Drywall Work: 4670.00

Money Raised - 552,000 Money Used - 433,000

Appliance Drive Received Needed

Refrigerators 85 308
Stoves 67 244
Washers 79 256
Dryers 60 126
Dishwashers 13 30

Coming Soon:
2007 Calendar with photos of church community, volunteers and the recovery efforts. Available at St. Rose for $10 in late September. Proceeds to be divided between Relief Effort and St. Rose Education Fund.

New Housing Location:
Since the school is going to be returned to its orginal use, there is hope of repairing the Retreat Center at St. Augustine Seminary. Hands On will be assisting with the repairs and St Augustine will be furnishing the materials, with use being able to use the building to house volunteers for an 18 month period.
Until then, we have rented a 7 bedroom house for volunteers.

Schedule
Major Volunteer Weeks:
October 13-22
November 17-26
December 8-17
January 5-14
February 9-18

A FEW FACTS

Time after time we have heard people say: “we did not know” ; “this is nothing like what we saw on TV or what we read….”No TV coverage or report can do justice to the reality of destruction.” We have witnessed many people breaking into tears as they see the level of destruction and how people are struggling to cope with the new stresses of life.

Post-Katrina life remains a challenge on a daily basis. Most individuals and families at St. Rose and in the Bay St. Louis-Waveland community are displaced residing in tents, temporary FEMA trailers or with multiple families or neighbors in single-family dwellings that are in ill repair. Many parishioners and residents have lost employment and health care benefits due to the destruction of local businesses.

Access to health care remains very limited. Our local hospital was severely damaged due to the hurricane.

Fortunately, the National Guard set up a large M.A.S.H. unit and doctors and nurses from across the U.S. provided immediate health care to residents of our county as well as to displaced persons from New Orleans. Recently, the hospital was able to reopen the emergency room but can only admit 26 patients to the facility. When the school system re-opened in November only 39% of the pre-Katrina students returned. Hancock County was reduced to ground zero. Of the 400 + local businesses, only 5% of them are back in operation.

The community is down to two operational gas stations, one grocery store, a couple of restaurants, one bank and a few much-needed hardware stores. The rebuilding process is going to be a long and tedious endeavor. As the majority of our people have experienced considerable problems with their Insurance Companies and FEMA, a number of Churches and Faithbased organizations have shown the face of God, brought a Spirit of Hope to our People, empowering us to continue our journey of faith.

Our Lady Academy Girls School

www.OurLadyAcademy.com
Photos - you can see the before and after very graphically:
http://www.ourladyacademy.com/main-photos.html

Donations can be made through our website and PayPal or send check or money order to:
OLA Katrina Fund
222 S. Beach Blvd
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.
Attention: Connie Chevis.

3/18 CHEF’S FEST – SUNDAY, MARCH 25TH! COME ONE, COME ALL!

St. Joseph Hall
We have contacted Guild and Hardy Architects to design St. Joseph Hall. Taylor Guild was the architect for McAuley Hall and his firm has done the drawings for the new OLG Rectory and Parish Offices. Thus, he knows our area and school well. His first task is to complete a site plan, establishing where future construction for Holy Trinity and for OLA will be located, making sure there is room for everything that both schools anticipate needing in the near future. Then, he will begin work on St. Joseph Hall. We hope to be deep into working drawings by the summer. FEMA and MEMA are “on board,” and the Diocese has given its blessing. Let the project
commence!

12/3 December News Letter

DECEMBER 2006 NEWSLETTER FROM SR. JACKIE
Wendy's Heisman Award
It is my pleasure to announce that Victoria Romano has been named a state finalist in the
Wendy's Heisman Scholarship Program. This award is based on athletic prowess,
academic excellence, and exhibited leadership skills. Victoria will attend a dinner in
January in Jackson where those moving on to the next level in the competition will be
announced. Congratulations, Victoria!
National Young Leaders Conference
OLA junior, Emily Vaughn, recently returned from a week in Washington where she
attended the National Young Leaders Conference. She spent some time with Harriet
Miers, President Bush's former Supreme Court nominee. She spent a day in Congress,
sitting in Gene Taylor's seat in the House of Representatives. She also was able to visit
the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, and the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial, among others. I think it was a fabulous experience for Emily!
OLA Swimming
Not to be out-done by the OLA state volleyball champions, the OLA swimmers took to
the pool several weeks ago and competed in the state meet. Swimmers, Samantha
McLeod, Madeleine Loftus, Nikki Vaught, and Alyssa Walter set school records in the
200m medley relay and the 200m free relay. Alyssa set a NEW STATE RECORD of
2:08:64 in the 200m Individual Medley. She shaved over 2 seconds off the old state
record, which she also held. Congratulations, Alyssa! Congratulations, swimmers!
Safety and Security
Like you, I have been reading about the recent rash of guns in schools in South
Mississippi. Although I have little fear of such a thing happening at OLA, I think safety
must be uppermost in all our minds. To that end, I have decided to secure all doors in
Mercy and McAuley Halls immediately after school begins in the morning EXCEPT the
front door, by the office. Thus, if you need to come to school, you need to use the Union
Street door, by the main office. Also, the only door to Johnson Hall that will be left open
is the door that leads to the parking lot. I'm afraid that this will inconvenience you some,
but a little inconvenience is a small price to pay for safety.
Mother's Prayer Group
Do you know that we have a group of mothers and teachers that meet to pray for OLA,
SSC, and Holy Trinity on the first Wednesday morning of every month? This month, the
gathering is on Wednesday, December 6th, at 9:30 AM in OLA room 16. Prayer will last
about 40 minutes. Please join us!
Financial Aid Workshop
OLA and SSC will jointly sponsor a college financial aid workshop at 5:30 PM on
Tuesday, December 5th. This is a MUST meeting for all junior and senior parents who
hope to apply for financial aid for their daughter's college education. I attended this
meeting last year and it was full of wonderful hints as you walk with your daughter
through the maze of the college admission and financial aid process. The meeting will be
in the Resource Room at SSC.
Youth Legislature
Twenty-three young ladies from OLA participated in Youth Leg this year. Carly Johnson
was named Outstanding Committee Chair; Ansley Blalock, Ashley Derenbecker and
Carly Johnson were named Outstanding Representatives. OLA had five bills passed:
Emily Vaughn and Lauren Poncet, Kathryn McDonald and Samantha McLeod, Carly
Johnson and Madeline Vosbein, and the combined bills of Amber Favre, Jennifer Roy,
Nikki Vaught, and Kaitlyn Stovall.
Cross Country
The OLA Cross Country team placed third in the state meet. Amelia Simpson and
Lauren Seal received medals for being selected to the All-State Team (the top 14 runners
in the state). The entire team finished in the top 40, out of 89 runners. Congratulations,
Coach Hull. Congratulations, ladies!
MS State Band Clinic
Megan Gargiulo was selected for the MS State Band Clinic. The gathering will be in
Tupelo from December 7-9. She is one of only French Horns selected for this event.
Megan has also been selected for membership in the Long Beach Youth Commission.
This is an advisory board of youth to the city council.

8/5 OLA's summer fundraiser, the Race To Rebuild, was held Saturday morning, July 1st, at 7:00 am in Bay St. Louis, and was very successful! Not only was it a fun event for the community, but the funds raised will support OLA's rebuilding and recovery expenses since Hurricane Katrina.
Thank you to all who did so much work to plan the event, as well as everyone who supported and participated in it. Photographs and more details of the event in action will be posted here shortly. We are especially grateful to OLA Class of '84 Alumna Michelle Van Peski Ridder for serving as the event coordinator, and to Connie Chevis who provided key assistance.
We are also very grateful to our sponsors.
This will be an annual event, so plan to attend next year!

School Update

Textbooks are in - almost $100,000 worth! So.. you will have a great teacher, a room, a blackboard, a textbook, and a roof over your head. You just won't have a desk for the first two days of school; they are scheduled for delivery on August 14th. But.. there will be brand new carpeting in all classrooms; you will survive! The floor isn't so bad! Also, technology will be late in arriving. We are ordering almost $150,000 in computers, servers, printers, copiers, etc. It will be GREAT, but it will arrive LATE. GREAT and LATE - isn't that the story of our lives recently?I just got off the phone with the finance department at Bay-Waveland. The Displaced Student money that we have all been waiting for has been approved in Jackson. Bay-Waveland will approve the disbursement of it at their monthly school board meeting at the end of the month. We should receive a check in the middle of August; Sister Anna Louise will then issue a check to you; you should get it by the end of August. (I was hoping to have it for you at final registration on August 7th, but it looks like it will be a week or so later than that.)

From Jeannine, May 6

Just want to thank you for all the prayers, love and support you have given us at Our Lady Academy this school year. Thanks to your prayers, the grace of God has blessed us abundantly this year.

By the end of January, over 80% of our student body had returned with a promise of more to come in the fall. At the end of May, our students will have completed a full school year in seven months, doubling up on classes every day. Despite living in campers, without computers, libraries, and equipment, they have worked amazingly hard to complete all their assignments in a timely manner and excel in all areas, from academics to sports! One of our seniors has achieved a full ride to Princeton and our sports teams have all made it at lease to district playoffs. Our soccer team came out second in the state (they were state champs six years running) despite the fact that they didn't even have a field to practice on!

Our retreats have been awesome experiences! The retreat team, who puts on retreats for 7th, 8th and 9th grade retreats managed to prepare grace-filled, memorable experiences for all of the students despite the fact that they had little meeting time at school. The leadership that was displayed was awesome! The upperclass retreats were a gift for all of us. Our girls were in the worst of circumstances, sleeping on floors, roofs and walls being put on the buildings we were in (you can't stop volunteers!) and no plumbing and showers in one facility (it was amazing to watch the girls adapt to that!) God was so good to all of us!

We had intramurals, big sister/little sister ceremony and our first talent show. Since there is not much to do for entertainment around here, these activities provided lots of fun for all concerned! The inventiveness and creativity of the girls has been amazing!

Our buildings are coming along. In January we moved into five classrooms in McAuley Hall. There is talk of our science labs being replaced soon. Most recently, a roof went on to Mercy Hall - the most badly damaged building. Volunteers are rebuilding Johnson Hall. Both buildings should be ready by August when we begin a new school year. Our beloved St. Joseph Hall is gone and we are going to take out a loan to replace it, but that is down the road.

People who come to volunteer from all over the world, have been amazed at the joy they see in the faces of our girls! Every volunteer says the devastation is beyond anything they imagined from the pictures they had seen. And, yet, our girls have risen above adversity to live the joy of the Lord. In this Easter Season, we have much to be grateful for knowing our God is leading us to Resurrection here in South Mississippi!

Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for us. Know you and your students remain in our prayers daily. Thanks especially for the prayers, they lift us up each day. Keep them coming, especially over the summer months.

Sincerely,
Jeannine Burch

Any donations would be greatly appreciated.

For More Information and Updates on The Buildings -

http://www.ourladyacademy.com/main-fundraising.html

The greatest is the selection of one of our volunteer groups as an award winner of the “Make a Difference Day” contest. This group has been at OLA from the very beginning and continues to help. We are inspired by their generosity! We also have much to report as our students have jumped into the swing of things and are once again making great accomplishments, we are so proud of them.

“Make a Difference Day”.
In October, 2005, our friends from Pope John Paul II High School of Hendersonville, TN brought down the first “18-Wheeler” filled with equipment and supplies for OLA. They also worked for several days gutting and cleaning one of our teacher’s homes. After returning to JPII, they submitted a recount of how they helped in the efforts to rebuild OLA to the USA Weekend Magazine contest called “Make a Difference Day”. The newspaper was very impressed and selected JPII as a winner. The story will be published on Sunday, April 23, 2006 in USA Weekend or PARADE Magazine.
Check out: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2006603220312.

The award includes a $10,000.00 check which they will donate to the OLA Rebuilding effort. JPII has helped our school so much by sending funds, supplies, materials, volunteers and many prayers. We at OLA are so appreciative of everything they have provided. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU AND MAY GOD BLESS YOU!

Scholarships.

Margaret Hadden is a finalist for the Coca Cola Scholars Foundation. This award is evaluates academic, community service and school involvement. 75,000 students from across the nation applied and Margaret has made it to the final 250 students. She is guaranteed a $4,000.00 scholarship. She will be flown to Atlanta on April 6 for the final competition. If she is selected as one of the final 50 recipients, she will receive a $20,000.00 scholarship. Let’s keep her in our prayers.

May 28,

I just got word that Margaret received the Coke scholarship! Woo - way to go!

GREATEST NEED. OLA has 2 buildings which still need major repairs (Mercy Hall and Johnson Hall). Through the donations of so many, funding is available to complete the rebuilding of Johnson Hall ($150,000.00) and most of Mercy Hall ($300,000.00). The estimate on rebuilding Mercy Hall is coming in at about $420,000.00. The roof is $64,000.00, the roof decking is $47,000.00, doors are $42,000.00, etc. We still need $150,000 to be able to finish Mercy Hall.

OTHER NEEDS
Tuition assistance. Many of our students lost their homes and their parents are rebuilding their lives, businesses, etc. Some are even paying mortgages on the previous homes which have been reduced to concrete slabs. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a student this is an area of need. Tuition for one student is $4350.00 per year. Of course, partial sponsorship is possible - every little bit counts!

St. Joseph Hall.
St. Joseph Hall was so badly destroyed by Katrina the building had to be bulldozed. This building will need to be replaced. Preliminary estimates are $500,000.00. OLA may have to take out a loan to replace this building. This is a very scary proposition to those making the decisions because we will be burdening future parents with a large financial obligation. OLA has been very, very prudent and frugal and has always operated “in the black”.

Donations can be made through our website and PayPal or send check or money order to:OLA Katrina Fund
222 S. Beach Blvd
Bay St. Louis, MS 39520.
Attention: Connie Chevis.

*Please designate on check if intended for tuition.

Our school is a very special place and “Katrina may have CRUSHED our School but Not our SPIRIT.” Please keep us in your prayers, stop by, visit us and see why we love this school so much.

God Bless you. Thank you for your help and prayers.

Connie Chevis
Teresa Romano
Sr. Jackie Howard