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

Blog Index

Items in RED are NEW
Items in GREEN are UPDATED

Other Sites Related to BSL Relief
Katrina Networking Site
Hancock County Agency Information
Pearlington
Waveland
Gulf Coast Artist Relief Blog
Gulf Coast Emergency Services Relief Blog
Real People Relief

Volunteer Information
For Agencies and Organizations
Katrina's Angels
For Non-Profits and Municipalities - Reorganized and added to
Assistance For Schools - Reorganized and added to
Grants for Non-Profits
Grants For Communities
Citizen Action Team
Community Gardens Effort All 3 installments linked at top
City Action Partnership
Gulf Coast Civic Works Project - please support
MS United Methodist Disaster Response
UMCOR Response
Safety Guidelines For Volunteers

For Individuals
Resource Pages
Grandfamily/Single Parent Resources
Family Resources
Medical Resources
LA Family Resources
Education Assistance
Businesses
Mortgage Resources
Furniture and More
Home/Utility
Elderly
Resources for Children/Childcare
Disabled
Grants for Individuals - does not include homeowner or repair grants
Dental

Articles, etc.
Article Index
Pictures and Videos Collected
Blogs To Follow
FEMA Information

City Information
City
Department Locations
City Police Needs
City Fire Department Needs

Children and Schools
Our Lady Academy Updates
Mommy 101 - Baby Shower for the County
Hope Haven Childrens Shelter
Bay/Waveland School District
Our Lady Academy Needs Lists
Bay Catholic School
Community Organization
Boys and Girls Clubs

Churches
Our Lady of The Gulf
St Rose de Lima
Lagniappe Presbyterian
Powerhouse of Deliverance Church

Other Local Agencies
Coastal Family Health Clinics
Foundation Hope
Gulf Coast Recovery Corp

Organizations to Volunteer With
Eight Days of Hope
Impact Ministries
City Team Ministries
Heritage Conservation Network
KenTenn
Mission From Minnesota
Kansas East United Methodist Conference
Port Townsend Sister City
Presbytery Disaster Assistance
HANDS

Helping Without Going Down

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.

Favre, council plan $16 million ‘make-over’ for Old Town BSL

Bay St. Louis officials have called for bids for a total utility make-over downtown -- a project expected to take two years to complete and cost up to $16 million.
So anxious to get the wheels in motion, City Council members bypassed an offer to view the detailed engineering plans, and opted to put the project out for bids immediately.
Meanwhile, the administration reported that there's a $3.5 million gap in how the city would like to reconstruct the Beach Boulevard roadway in the business district and what federal officials are willing to fund.
The utility work initially involves the area bounded by the CSX tracks, Necaise Street, Highway 90 and South Beach Boulevard. Complete replacement of the hurricane-ravaged natural gas lines, water and sewer pipes, roadway and sidewalks are included.
"We can't tear up all of Bay St. Louis at once, but there will be some significant disruptions," said William D. Lancaster, senior project manager with Neel-Schaffer engineering. Once the work begins this spring, the construction tab will run some $600,000 to $700,000 per month, he said.
His firm has already billed over $109,000 in fees to design the utility replacements.
Meanwhile, Mayor Eddie Favre and Municipal Clerk Harold "Buz" Olsen told council there's a huge disparity between what the administration wants to have Beach Boulevard look like, and what's being funded through the Mississippi Department of Transportation.
There's a firm completion date set of July 2008 for the new Beach Boulevard, said the mayor, "But what it's going to look like, that's still up in the air."
Olsen said federal officials are willing only to replace the roadway destroyed in Katrina. The city wants a wider, more sensible layout.
Also up in the air is funding for the seawall replacement – and whether there will be a temporary one constructed to accommodate the new roadway.
"We're still on target for a July ‘08 completion date, but we have no idea what it's going to be," Olsen said.
Council president James C. Thriffiley III said the uncertainty and wait are costing millions – retailers can't get loans to rebuild under such confusion, and the city is missing huge sales and property tax revenue in the meanwhile.
In a related matter, council saw the final application for $7.8 million in federal Community Development Block Grant funds to re-do and revitalize the waterfront business district. The city is almost assured of getting the grant at this point.
Jimmy Gouras Urban Planning is charging the city $10,000 for the detailed application.
Project components include buying property at the foot of Main Street – or a city land swap to acquire it. A terraced promenade and beachfront park would be built there.
The city also plans to build a two-level parking garage next to the former Fire Dog Saloon, and tuck it behind retail shops.
(Pictures of the Fire Dog Saloon - 45h and 5th down:
http://baystlouisrelief.blogspot.com/2007/02/photos-jan-24-07.html)

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.

Art In The Bay

By BENNIE SHALLBETTER
Feb 9, 2007, 17:22

In addition to today's usual Second Saturday fare will be work by Indiana wood carver Dayle K. Lewis and Louisiana carver Amy Canada. The duo will be set up on the corner of Second St. and Main St. in Bay St. Louis all day.
Carvings are made from local, storm damaged wood, mainly pine, pecan and live oak, said Lewis. The pair, along with Lewis' wife Gayle have been working for several days to create wood statues ranging from alligators, to bears, to angels, to fleur de lis. They will also be working at the site on Saturday. You can bring your own wood.
Dayle Lewis, above, and Amy Canada, below, carve sculptures out of trees felled during Hurricane Katrina as part of the KatRita Wood Project. The artists will in Old Town today for Second Saturday.
Canada said she hopes to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Leetown Fire Department towards their building fund. Lewis joined in because, he said, he had planned to come down as a volunteer anyway and the chance to help and do what he loves worked out well. This is his second trip to the area.
The idea for using the felled Katrina wood for a carving project came about as a result of the need Canada said she felt to stop the enormous waste of wood after the storm. She first looked into milling the wood for lumber but came to dead ends, she said.
A website gave her the idea to recruit carvers. She posted a message and within five minutes answers came in by email and by phone. People were interested.
Since then Canada has organized several 'carve-ins."
With a chain saw, blow torch, grinder, sander, stains and a little paint Lewis, and Canada, can create just about anything your heart desires.
This week the group gathered behind the old Ruth's Cakery on Court St. to work for three days before setting up shop today. Prices set on pieces are suggested donations that will cover costs, Canada said.
Using his art to help others is nothing new to Lewis. He donates several thousand dollars worth of hand carved sculptures for fundraising events each year. Right now he is involved in a project to raise funds for a soup kitchen in Richmond. To do so he is creating a series of angels.
When he is not working at his home on 4 acres in Richmond, Indiana Lewis travels around the country to various festivals to create and sell his wares. He also works on commission orders, both at his home and the home of his clients. As he puts it, "I make house calls."
"The thing I like the most is to go in a back yard and watch the people's faces as they watch the transformation from a stump to a creation," said Lewis.
Lewis was raised on a dairy farm in Pratt, Kansas and trained as and Industrial Engineer. He started carving, by hand, in 1992 and with a chain saw in 1996. He went full time into carving in 2002 when he was laid off from his engineering job due to downsizing.
It was scary, at first, Lewis said, but now he loves the freedom. He also teaches classes in wood carving.
"It's creative, it's fun and you get paid – that is everybody's dream," said Lewis. He gives ultimate credit for his creativity and gift to God's inspiration, he says.

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.

FEMA Paying For Water Meters

FEMA to Pay $1.08 Million to Bay St. Louis for Water Meters
» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina
BILOXI, Miss. -- The City of Bay St. Louis will receive a grant of more than $1.08 million from the Department of Homeland Security's Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to replace and provide future protection for water meters damaged by Hurricane Katrina.
Large amounts of debris, salt water flooding, and uprooted trees following Katrina severely damaged the city's drinkable water system. The grant includes more than $697,000 to replace 3,400 water meters that were lost or damaged and nearly $510,000 to storm-proof the meters, ensuring similar damage does not occur in the future. Ninety percent of the total $1.2 million project cost will be covered by the FEMA grant.
"FEMA has to look ahead to make sure that solutions are sustainable," said Alec Watson, chief of staff for the Biloxi Transitional Recovery Office. "That means close attention to mitigation and prevention as well as immediate relief."
In addition to the $1.08 million grant, FEMA previously disbursed a grant of $18.3 million to Bay St. Louis to bring certain potable water lines in the area to current codes and standards.
"Public Assistance grants play such a large role in the recovery process," said Mike Womack, Director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA). "In order for residents to return and rebuild along the coast, repairing and improving the city's infrastructure is essential."
FEMA has already obligated nearly $2 billion in grants to Mississippi through the Public Assistance program. MEMA administers the program and allocates the money to the applicants.
The grant comes from FEMA's Public Assistance program, which provides financial assistance to state and federal governments and eligible non-profit organizations for disaster-related cleanup and rebuilding to pre-disaster condition. The state of Mississippi and the applicant pay a share of the costs for projects that are not fully funded by FEMA.
FEMA manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident, initiates mitigation activities and manages the National Flood Insurance Program. FEMA works closely with state and local emergency managers, law enforcement personnel, firefighters and other first responders. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.
Last Modified: Tuesday, 09-Jan-2007 11:12:39

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

Fire Dept Shake Up

1/10
Favre explores Bay fire dept. controversies
By MARY G. SEILEY
Jan 10, 2007, 09:07

Bay St. Louis Mayor Eddie Favre is holding one-on-one interviews with everybody in the Fire Department, launching an investigation he said is largely based on concerns revealed in a recent Sea Coast Echo story. And when he's done with the Fire Department, Favre said he plans on top-to-bottom interviews throughout all the other city departments as well.The Fire Department interviews come in the wake of a story describing turmoil among personnel there that has left the department highly demoralized.
The controversy swirls around promotions, demotions and reported threats of dismissals, in accounts gathered by the Echo from numerous sources. It also involves accusations that some in the department were kept on the payroll full time after Hurricane Katrina, but rarely showed up for work over a period of several months.
Fire Chief Bobby Gavagnie said any discontent in the department is a natural outcome of personnel shuffles to expand the department. He said he refuses to employ the "good ol' boy" system or mere longevity to promote within the ranks, but rather taps the most qualified personnel to elevate.
It is not clear at this point exactly what criteria is being used for promotions in the Bay Fire Department. Gavagnie suspended the department's official promotion process indefinitely, in a June 2004 memo recently obtained by the Echo.
Favre said he was aware of that action, and Gavagnie was within his rights to repeal the promotion process that was in the department's handbook. All department heads, he said, develop their own promotion policies and operating rules – but subject to the mayor's approval.
The June 14, 2004, memo, said Favre, was issued because fire fighters were upset over new rules and standards that had been imposed in the department at that time. As recently as December 2006, Gavagnie approved a reorganization proposal involving three firefighters, but he gave his deputy chief, Pam San Fillippo, full authority to amend it or implement it. The chief said he's following standard military-style command in such matters.
Even as the investigation is underway, Favre repeated his previous stand that no personnel changes will be in effect until he personally approves them. That includes three recent "promotions" to the rank of lieutenant which occurred last week, Favre said.
So far, no complaints, appeals of personnel actions, or requests for promotions have come to Favre's personal attention, he said Monday. Neither have there been any complaints filed through the city's Civil Service system, Favre said. But the mayor said he's hopeful that all the concerns will be aired with him this week, leading to a full understanding of what's going on inside the department. What happens next depends on "what comes out" in the interviews.He said he's promising total protection to the personnel, with "no retaliation" possible. "There never has been and never will be any retaliation."
He said he would deal quickly with "whatever" the situation that comes to light. Meanwhile, the internal discontent has escalated to the point that up to half the department's personnel were, this week, said to be ready to resign unless the internal problems are resolved.
Favre indicated a deep concern overt the situation on Monday, and his hope that the personnel will be candid with him.. The mayor also said he plans to hold such interviews in coming weeks within the other departments, hoping to produce a clear picture of the state of the city's personnel and any concerns that may need to be addressed within the municipal workforce.
"The key is just to sit down with these (employees), all the way through, from top to bottom and bottom to top, and see what their concerns are. Strictly one-on-one. Hopefully, all will feel free to talk."
There has been unrelated controversy in recent months concerning doings within the city's Building Inspection Department. In that matter, the chief building official resigned in the face of an uproar over his "moonlighting" for the county while on the city staff full time.
Questions concerning that department have been forwarded by City Council and the mayor to the Attorney General, State Auditor, State Ethics Commission and the state Real Estate Commission for investigation.

Bay F.D .employee shake-up under fire
By MARY G. SEILEY
Dec 22, 2006, 14:51
The Bay St. Louis Fire Department is ablaze with internal strife. The mayor said Thursday he's aware of the problems involved and is investigating the situation.
Sources tell the Sea Coast Echo that a series of developments within the department – dating from the wake of Katrina to as recently as last week – have created serious demoralization in the ranks of the department.
Mayor Eddie Favre said he's aware of most of the controversies mentioned in an interview for this story, and has an investigation underway to get to the root of the problems. He said the last thing the city wants to have happen is to lose experienced firefighters.Troubles within the Fire Department are the third significant departmental difficulty the administration is having to address.
The city has lost two of the top three high-level experienced police officers in recent months, but those resignations are attributed to better paying offers from state law enforcement agencies.
A fourth significant resignation is said to be pending, but its status is not clear. And the police chief has confirmed he's considering retirement, but said it's due to his age rather than the loss of some top officers.
Earlier this year, the city also saw the resignation of its chief building officer and some of that department's employees, in a swirl of controversy that quieted only after council agreed to ask for state investigations of the issues involved there.
The unrelated Fire Department controversy concerns promotions, demotions, threats of demotions, the fairness of disciplinary actions and a supposed breakdown in the general chain of command within the department.
There are also allegations from several sources that at least two personnel within the Fire Department showed up for work only sporadically for months in the wake of Katrina – but remained on the payroll as full time employees.
Meanwhile, Favre said none of the personnel promotion or demotion actions at issue have been finalized, because they have not crossed his desk, and there have been no formal protests filed through him or to the Civil Service System in place. There is a lot of verbal protesting otherwise, however. Some who were willing to confirm the internal doings of the department did so only by relaying their information through others, for fear of retaliatory actions.
Aside from the concerns inside the department, there is worry afloat that if the situation escalates and drives seasoned fire department personnel from the force, the city's fire insurance rating could be damaged.
The controversy swirls around not only who's getting promoted or demoted, but whether the city's own rules are being followed in that process.
Some say Fire Chief Bobby Gavagnie has offloaded too much responsibility, turning it over to his immediate subordinates. In a Dec. 7, 2007 memo obtained by the Echo, Gavagnie effectively gave Deputy Chief Pam San Fillippo a free hand to deal with several specific controversial personnel matters as she sees fit.
The chief said he accepted the pertinent recommendations of Fillippo and Assistant Chief Louie Prendergast, made in November, with no changes.
But later in the memo, he also told Fillippo: "Should you wish to amend the proposal in any way, or implement it as submitted, you have my full support." Two promotions to the status of lieutenant recently were awarded by Fillippo, with a salary boost of some $5,000 each, passing over more seasoned firemen who thought they were in line for the jobs.
Neither of those who were promoted had fulfilled the city's traditional three-year probationary period, sources say.
Meanwhile, the fire fighters have witnessed a "couple of very unfounded demotions," according to one source. The uproar comes as the department is realigning internally to expand services to the newly annexed area. Now with a staffing level of 21, the department will be growing in upper- and lower-level positions, to fully staff shifts in the new and old city departments. Who gets promoted, and what criteria is being followed, is part of the controversy. In addition, some firemen who are seasoned veterans of the force reportedly have been threatened with demotion, outright dismissal, or probationary status. "We all fear for our jobs," said one in the middle of the mess. "But we've got to stop this. It's getting out of hand."
Another said the strife is "ripping us apart." Some say minor infractions of general protocol have been blown out of proportion for certain personnel, while similar or worse infractions by others have been totally ignored or forgiven.
Favre said some of the internal shift changes to accommodate creating another station in the newly annexed area is causing regrettable but necessary upset among firefighters.He said the departments' employees are like a "family" that does not give in easily to splits. He said there will need to be new lieutenant positions created, but not new captain slots to staff the new station.
"This has caused some concerns and I can understand that...The whole department is a family."
Favre said that has caused some – but not all – of the morale dip in the department.
"We are looking into it," the mayor said of the concerns outlined to him by the Echo.
"Once we find out what the concerns are, we will address them"
Favre literally lived in the fire Department for three months after Hurricane Katrina, forming what he said was a close link with the personnel. Several within the department acknowledged that bond, and had praise for the mayor.
© 2005 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.

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."

New Site Being Established

9 Families from Hancock County So Far - 2 from The Bay

Bay St Louis
Pat
http://realpeoplerelief.blogspot.com/2006/12/pat.html
Yvonne
http://realpeoplerelief.blogspot.com/2006/12/yvonne-t.html

Questionnaire For Inclusion On Real People Relief

Information Posted on Your Page
Name: - I would like first and last, but please note what you feel comfortable having posted for all to see.

Email: - only contact information public will have about you. You will decide if you want them to know your full information by emailing them.

Location: - where you were; where you are; where you plan to be in a year.

Number in Household: - Please include pets. First names, sex and age of each person.

Situation: – brief paragraph of what you’ve been through, who you’ve applied for help with, what has happened in the last year.

Current Living Arrangements: - FEMA Trailer, Apartment, House, Tent?

Help: - what help, if any, have you received thus far?

Photos: - Up to current photos – can be rotated through as new images are sent.

Needs: Please list preferences; if you’re going to want, you might as well want what you want! Below are examples and in the categories to be listed under.
Foods – non-perishable only
Paper Products – Napkins, Toilet Paper, Paper Towels, etc.
School Supplies – notebooks, pens, pencils, folders, etc.
Computer Supplies – paper, ink (give specific cartridges)
Clothing – list sizes and style color preference
Cleaning Supplies – Windex, Dishwashing liquid, Laundry detergent, etc.
Household Supplies – light bulbs, kitchen supplies (pans, pots, etc.)
Stores you shop at – for possible gift cards or gift registry

Information Not Posted
Full Name
Mailing Address
Phone Number

What I Need from you
Twice monthly updates: - The more often I can update your information, the more frequently your information will be reviewed. People view blogs like an ongoing story. They get hooked on new little tidbits. If I don’t receive regular updates, the information will be pulled after 8 weeks.

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."

Impact Ministries

IMPACT Ministries 375 Robinson Rd Mooresville, NC 28117 704-507-6579
info@citiimpact.org

12/9 CHRISTMAS in the GULF COAST REGION

Writing to you, I am renewed in my inner being of the vast greatness of the Lord our God.
His mercies truly are new every morning. He is long-suffering and through Jesus full of grace and truth. Let the whole earth sing His praises. Join with us in the Spirit of our Lord and lift Jesus up high during this season in our hearts, our homes, our churches, our communities and across the face of this earth. Joy to the world, the Lord has come!

The Christmas season in the Gulf Region will see thousands of children and their families being ministered to with compassion, counseling, prayers, Bibles, food, and toys.
The various Kingdom strategic partners with IMPACT will be providing these ministries in various sites in Mississippi and Louisiana. Toy for Tots has again generously asked us to serve as a primary distribution agency for their benevolence. We shall do more than just give out toys, though. We are providing a direct pathway to the Hope of the Ages, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords....JESUS. We also have implemented follow-up systems to track the families served with and through various churches.

We'll give you some results of this around the end of this month. Pray with us for the Lord to continue to show HIMSELF mighty and faithful, the Holy One of Israel.

Strategic Partner Progress

Lake Charles, Louisiana Volunteer Center for IMPACT
This is the location one of our newest volunteer center. We are able to house up to 200 people at a time in teams. We provide hot meals, showers, and laundry is available. The strategic partnership there includes local and national ministries and churches. With needs assessments in place, and project coordinators leading work assignments we are able to give teams meaningful experiences as they serve a 5 county (parish) area. There are thousands of people living in FEMA parks, and sub-standard housing. MOST of them have no or little resources to rebuild their lives, much less their houses. We, together, offer them Hope from the giver of all HOPE.

H & R Block Referral Program - Supports IMPACT
Posted to our web site will be link for information, and a download form. This form when filled out and taken to YOUR local H & R Block Income Tax Office for them to do your taxes, will result in IMPACT receiving a $25.00 donation. To qualify the taxpayers only restriction is that the taxpayer did NOT have their taxes prepared by H & R Block for 2005. Please forward this information to everyone you know. This will be an easy way to support the ministry while getting your taxes done!
We'll send some more information on this to you soon, or email us with your questions.

Hancock County, MS- A new Volunteer Center for IMPACT
Announcing the opening of a volunteer center for IMPACT Teams in Hancock County, MS; near Bay St. Louis, Waveland and Pearlington. The site has showers, bunks, a kitchen and convenient access to work sites. Teams serving here have good projects to work on for construction. The needs are assessed and verified and the resources gathered to build and do major repair on 64 houses before July 2007.
Come serve with us!

K-LIFE FM radio,
Christian radio from San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara,, California
Watch for the link on our site to listen to music online from this great Christian radio partner from California. Even as I write this, the founders, Dan and Karen Lemburg, are serving with us in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana.
Listen for IMPACT updates there and encouraging information about the Kingdom of God.
In the meantime, you can sign in to listen by clicking here:
K-LIFE FM :: Music :: Listen Online Now!
http://klife.org/music/listen.html

11/24 Impact Ministries Has a Blog for Monthly updates -http://www.citiimpact.blogspot.com/

Friends,

Our family started a new Holiday tradition three years ago. We decided to forego the traditional Christmas letter and instead do a Thanksgiving letter in which we each share the things for which we are thankful. We then have asked friends to mail back the enclosed leaf after writing on it what they are thankful for. We read each leaf with the kids and pray for the family who sent it. The leaves then go on our “Tree of Thanks” to make a beautiful visual reminder of friends and gratitude. Unfortunately, time got away from me this year. Yet, this is the year that we have perhaps learned the most about giving Thanks, not taking things for granted, and appreciating the small things. Although you are not receiving this in the mailbox this year, – we ask that you would still participate with us.

Most of you know that we have been doing disaster relief since Katrina hit fifteen months ago. For those of you who have not been to the Gulf Coast, I cannot adequately describe the suffering that still exists. So many of the modern day conveniences that we have grown to believe are essentials are now nonexistent for these folks. Things such as a warm shower in the morning or a comfortable bed at night are no longer guarantees. Electricity was just restored to most places in St Bernard Parish this August.

Imagine living in a tin box (FEMA trailer) in 99 degree temperatures and no air conditioning. Still both water and electricity are undependable at best. Everyone has to go to the Laundromat. People with doctorate degrees are forced to get food from our distribution tents because their jobs and savings are gone. Nothing is familiar anymore. The storm took it all: landmarks, historical sites, places of worship, grocery stores, schools, neighborhoods, and even neighbors.

As a mother, the most heart wrenching losses are the things that you can’t ever replace: the family photos that have chronicled weddings, births and birthdays, first days of school and simply days when laughter, smiles, and fun were natural. Then there are the piles of artwork made special for mommy with love, usually drawings of their houses and happy family. Now, the children have no place to play. If they get to draw it is often of the wind and flood and the nightmares that won’t end.

Families are cramped together. Few children have their own bed, let alone their own rooms or toys. Everyone knew someone who died and many saw the dead bodies of their friends, family, and neighbors piled in the high school gym as they waited for the waters to recede. It is no wonder that suicide, , divorce, and drug and alcohol abuse are near epidemic.

Yes, this disaster has brought out the worst in some. There are those who have taken advantage of the generosity and kindness of others. Yet, there are many that when they gather with their family this Thanksgiving, they will say, “Thanks”. They are grateful for the thousands who have come to help, with whom some now share life long friendships. They are thankful for their new sense of empathy and an awareness of what is truly important in life and for life itself. They are grateful for the things that no wind can blow away and no flood can drown.

These are amazing people, whose faith has stood. JD and I have had so many tell us, “Thank-you”. Yet, we do not at all feel deserving. First of all, all thanks goes to God for everything comes from Him. Second, we are honored, humbled, and so very thankful to have been able to walk this journey with them and with all who have come to help. We have seen The Church of America unite together like no other time in history. We have met some modern day heroes of Faith as well as some everyday humble folks, who have blessed us more than we could ever bless them.

Those like Nolan and Denise who lost their home, yet were more worried about their neighbors than themselves. Those like Wilbur and Steve who lost their wives yet still find the strength to go on. Those like Alva, Greg, Gabe, Vicky, and Jen who have chosen to live without toilets for more than a year so they could help those with no choice. Those like Sue, Kathy, John and Sandy, and James and Mary who completely uprooted and are willing to live there for as long as is needed. Those with the “Aloha” spirit in Hawaii who just keep on giving. Those who knew God called them to come to help and we saw their Faith soar as He provided. Those like Pastor Randy who drove 90 minutes twice a day for a year to help his community rebuild. Those like Lynn and Russell who despite all kept their dignity. Those who risked their own lives in the flood to save others. Those like Charlie who find no value in the things of this world but just in relationship with others. Those like the sweet little boy at Christmas, who didn’t want anything for himself, just a bike for a family friend so he could get to work. We give thanks for each of them and the countless others who left imprints on our hearts that will last forever.

LITTLE THINGS

Dear Heavenly Father, as I thank You this day
And, humbly, I bow my head to pray
I really must think of Katrina, recanted
And all that, before then, I took for granted
At the end of August, two-thousand and five
The winds and rain, they came alive
Seawater swelled, and it seethed, and roared
Devouring all, with such greedy hoard
And there, in a flash, the world, it was changed
All that we knew was to be rearranged
Lord, We fled in a panic for our very lives
Separated husbands, children, and wives
The winds grew quiet and the water calmed down
Revealing stagnant death that once was our town
Strangers gathered to help us regroup
With love, giving blankets, supplies, and warm soup
At first we were numb, Lord, as we fled to the shelter
When reality struck, it was just helter-skelter
Huddled there with the lost, the sick, and some dying
Kids were screaming, adults were stunned or crying
Before Katrina, Father, I remember the days
With accessible schools, with sports and school plays
Little things in our lives that are now gone for good
A pile of debris where our house once stood
And, no more green grass, where our children once played
Or, pictures, when Grandma and Grandpa once stayed
No mementos to hold, except in our mind
Nothing of Momma’s or Dad’s was I able to find
Lord, please forgive me because I didn’t know
The riches, upon me, you thought to bestow
Little things like a place just to cut my hair
And, a peaceful night’s sleep, without the nightmare
Days where the children don’t fear wind and rain
When loss was much smaller, not connected with pain
I’m sorry I never said thanks for toilets that flush,
Safe water to drink, and my own toothbrush
I see people scurry with cell phones, acting nervous
What a blessing it was to have basic phone service
I never imagined the long lines for groceries and supplies
Or, the unsanitary conditions that burn our eyes
Though I thanked You for food, and that we were able,
I never said thanks, Lord, for us to all sit at the same table
Some day, I pray, that again I can provide
For my family who still stand close by my side
And, Lord though it’s hard to depend upon others
We might not have made it without loving sisters and brothers.
Lord, your work here is not done, for some it’s just started
So please bless the people who still give, open hearted!
Amen
By: Vicky Robbins, 2006

Instead of a leaf on our “Tree of Thanks”, we would like your help this year to grow a whole “Forest of Giving”. Please talk with your family about the “little things” in your lives that you may take for granted but couldn’t imagine living without. Then if you could write it down either as a prayer or as an encouragement to those who have done without this year we will deliver them this Holiday season. In addition, if you are able to include a monetary donation or gift card (Walmart, Home Depot, or Gas cards) we will purchase a supply of these “little things” to give to those in need. If you want to specify what you would like it to be spent on we will honor that the best we can (i.e. toys for kids, ornaments, family photos, construction materials, food, water, etc). For more information on specific needs you can visit our website. Please feel free to pass this on to anyone else that you think would like to participate in the “Forest of Giving”.

May we never again grow complacent about the common, but instead rejoice in the luxury that “little things” bring.

With Thanksgiving,

The Smith Family
JD, Toni, Caleb, and Abigail

IMPACT Ministries
www.citiIMPACT.org
375 Robinson Rd
Mooresville, NC 28117

11/11
hey Leslie,
Hope this is a little encouraging to you.
We shipped 800 frozen turkeys today to 4 places in Mississippi and Louisiana. They will be put together with all the fix-ins and delivered to those in various "food deserts" in those two states. It certainly is not enough to cover everyone, but it will help the ONES it does get.
Be blessed as you continue your service of information to the masses.
Hope deferred is a bad thing. Hope fulfilled is glorious, and HE is!
JD SmithIMPACT Ministries

OCTOBER 29, 2006 – YES, WE ARE STILL HERE . . . YES, WE STILL NEED YOU!

Praise God that He kept away the Hurricanes this year.
The national weather service initially predicted an even stronger Hurricane season than last year. Thankfully and miraculously, NO major hurricane hit the United States this year. This was a relief to the thousands still living in FEMA trailers from Katrina and Rita. However, they still have a long way to go. IMPACT Ministries is committed to helping as much as we can for as long as we can. Of course that means we need your help. We need volunteers, supplies, funding, and of course prayers to continue.

Here are areas of critical need:
1. Volunteers and supplies for Christmas Outreach on Dec. 9th in St. Bernard Parish. See: IMPACT Ministries - Events
2. Construction Supplies and/or Funding to purchase supplies for those who have no insurance to rebuild.
3. Skilled labor
4. Volunteer Teams
5. Construction/Team Coordinator in New Orleans
6. PRAYER

The following are answers to prayer:
1. God’s Katrina Kitchen found a new home in Gulfport, MS. From there we continue to serve the areas of Gulfport, Pass Christian, Waveland, Pearlington and Long Beach.
2. The camp near Hattiesburg, MS, has officially been turned over to IMPACT. We will be announcing ways you can partner with us in providing inner city camps, retreats, family camps and pastoral nurturing through this facility.
3. John Blake (he and his wife, Sandy, moved to MS in May to assist IMPACT Ministries) is recuperating at home after a short hospital stay. This could have been much worse as it turned out John was dangerously close to a heart attack and/or stroke as a result of seriously high blood pressure and severe blockage to an artery. Thankfully, they caught it in time. Please continue to pray for his recovery.
4. Two wonderful ladies from New Hampshire will be moving to the gulf region to help IMPACT with teams, organization, and whatever else God lays on their hearts! We are so thankful for Sue Fish and Kathy Billings and look forward to a fruitful partnership in ministry. Amazingly enough, we have yet to meet these ladies in person. However, the Lord has knit our hearts over the last six months. Pray for them as they make this leap of faith.

In The Works:
1. First Response Initiative to provide local on-site training weekends – We shall go to your communities to help prepare “The Church” in your area how to mobilize and respond to a disaster either locally, nationally, or internationally. Through Katrina we all learned that we should not depend on Red Cross or the government to meet these needs. Rather, it is the call of The Church to take care of the poor and needy. It is also a huge opportunity for us to share the gospel through being His hands and feet. We need to be ready. These trained teams would then be the first groups we would turn to if another 9-11 or Katrina were to hit. Please let us know if your church community is interested and we will get your area on the schedule.
2. Partnership with Habitat for Humanity – IMPACT Ministries and Habitat for Humanity are in the development stages for a strategic partnership in the Gulf region that will facilitate and accelerate the rehabilitation of thousands of homes, the construction of thousands of new homes, and the development of multi-economic communities in some locations. Our partnership will combine resources and volunteers to folks who have been qualified, verified and processed for the need. The desire is to help those who cannot help themselves. The process of restoration is expected to take several years to complete and your continued partnership with IMPACT Ministries will be vital and fruitful.
3. Church Plants – We will be launching some house churches in the Gulf region soon. We shall also launch a church in the French Quarter of New Orleans, and one in Mississippi soon. Over the next few years we expect to partner with others to launch many new churches as we continue to help with existing churches in the recovery and restoration processes. We will keep you posted as these develop. Let us know if you have interest in partnering in anyway. We shall need teams, leaders, and of course much prayer.
4. New Strategic Partnership in Lake Charles, La.-IMPACT Ministries has formed a new partnership with the Long Term Recovery operation in Lake Charles, La. Soon IMPACT Ministries will begin sending volunteer groups there to work along side the Churches and community leaders to help rebuild their communities. The needs are great there even after all these months.
5. Multiple Volunteer Center locations-Over the last year, the local partners of IMPACT Ministries as well as partners from all over America have joined forces to facilitate long term recovery and restoration for the Gulf Coast. As 2007 approaches, thousands of volunteers from across America are continuing to respond to the great legitimate needs of so many people. These volunteers are being scheduled into the region in many places where IMPACT Ministries has strategic partnerships with local churches and other ministries. The people NEED YOU, and we can help you help them. It is our honor to serve you as you serve them. How can we serve you in coming to the region?
**An Easy Way to Help**
Need Your Taxes Done?? H & R Block has made IMPACT Ministries a generous offer for a strategic partnership. For everyone who did not have their taxes done by H & R Block in 2005 and uses H & R Block for 2006 taxes, H & R Block will donate $25 to IMPACT Ministries. We will be sending out more information soon but we wanted to get you thinking about it. Please consider sharing this information with your family members, congregation, neighbors, etc. This could be a way that many people could partner with IMPACT Ministries in a substantial way! All you need to do is take the flyer we will be sending to you to your local H &R block anytime between January 1st and April 15th. It saves you the headache of doing your own returns and benefits the victims of Katrina. Also keep in mind that any contributions made directly to IMPACT Ministries is tax deductible, as IMPACT Ministries is a non-profit 501(c) 3 entity.

With Gratitude,
JD and Toni Smith
IMPACT Ministries

Front Line Sites:
Bourg, LA New Orleans,LA Slidell,LA Bay Saint Louis,MS Diamond Head ,MS Gulfport/Biloxi,MS Lakeshore, MS Long Beach,MS Metairie,MS Pass Christian, MS Pearlington, MS Picayune,MS Waveland, MS
Volunteer Centers:
Gulfport/Biloxi, Pass Christian, Long Beach, New Orleans, Waveland
Distribution Centers:
Gulfport/Biloxi,MS New Orleans, LA Pass Christian, MS

We need both skilled and unskilled people (if they are in good health and able to follow directions). Skilled people in areas of: plumbing, electrical, construction, mechanical, roofers, concrete, painting, big equipment, cooking, counseling, youth, children, business development, administration, fund raising, and grant writing.
With the costs of meals, utilities, gas, insurance, and overhead it costs approximately $25 per person per day to operate the Volunteer center. Any contribution that you, your team or your church can give to help meet this need is appreciated.

We had a team from Oregon and one from California that were combined to work on Lynn and Russell’s house in Waveland. This family survived the storm on top of their roof with their two year old granddaughter. When the water receded they climbed down and scooped the mud out of their car to sleep in. They had no food or water for three days. Their dream house was completely destroyed. They are a very integris couple and hated to ask for help. Yet they knew they couldn’t do the work on their own. They decided to start by converting the garage into an apartment. The team came to help and Russell acted like the general contractor. The team and the family became very close that week. Lynn cooked them lunches most everyday. As the team leader for The Church on The Way, Debra Snell led the team to pray for and with them daily. Lynn and Russell have now said that they would like to house teams at their house! We hope to get some skilled groups in to finish out their home and sample Lynn’s famous cooking! As more is done on it we will be able to house more folks there to reach out to more of the residents.

The Recovery Continues – (despite not keeping up the news page!) Much has gone on in the last few months. Currently, teams are busy trying to get as much done as they can before the 2006 Hurricane season starts on June 1st. Speaking of which we would like to ask you and your church to consider signing up as a “First Response Team” if another disaster of such magnitude hits in the coming years. There needs are still staggering in MS and LA, yet we need to look ahead and prepare. We would like to have teams ready to mobilize quickly. Please email us if you want to form such a team.

The biggest need at this time is Teams of Volunteers. We can use 200 people a day for the next year. Please see "teams" page for more info.

Other Immediate Needs:
****NEW*** - WATER – both in gallons and individual. Also Water Purification Units, and refer trailers
Administrative help (This can be done from your home if you have good computer and communication skills.)
Two 15 person passenger vans or mini-buses to transport teams
Utility Trailer
1 Mini Van
1 One Ton Dually Truck
1 Dump Truck
1 Bobcat
2 Fork Trucks
Gas Cards
Gift Cards (Lowes, Home Depot, Walmart, Target)
Air Miles
Contacts with manufacturers and distributors of food, household goods, construction supplies
Funding for Projects and Construction Supplies
On-site supervisors - volunteer month or more at a time
These can be donated outright and IMPACT will provide a Gift-in-Kind receipt. Or you can donate money designated to meet a specific need.
Note: We are no longer advising people to buy items and ship them into the region. We can find almost everything locally (with the exception of drywall). Your funds would be better stewarded if you could just donate them directly to IMPACT. We have found local distribution places where we can leverage the funds greatly. However if you have contacts with businesses or manufacturers who can donate the items we can offer gift-in-kind tax deductible donations.