BILOXI MAYOR CUTS HIS OWN PAY

"You have to give this Mayor high marks for doing such an honorable thing, such a helpful thing for the beautiful city of Biloxi. In times like these or any other, it's not often that people in power care enough to do a good and "right thing" such as Mayor Holloway has done. He has always been high on my list of people I admire, but he's just moved on up that list for sure.

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Mayor Holloway Reduces His Salary by Nearly 80 Percent

" 'When City Council members begin reviewing Mayor A.J. Holloway's proposed budget for the Administration Department on Tuesday, they'll notice the mayor has cut his own pay by nearly $90,000.

"Instead of drawing his $115,900 annual salary, Holloway has reduced his city pay by nearly 80 percent to about $27,000 a year.

"To be honest, it's a win-win situation,' Holloway said. 'I've been paying into the state retirement system for nearly 34 years at this point, and tax-wise, it works out better to begin drawing some of my retirement funds -- better for me and better for the taxpayers of Biloxi. This move saves the city nearly $90,000 a year, which is significant in these budget times.' "And, the mayor said, he plans on showing up for work every day, regardless of the pay.

" 'Frankly, I enjoy the work,' Holloway said, 'and we have a great deal more to accomplish. I could go for another six to eight years.' "

Released by Vincent Creel, Public Affairs Manager, City of Biloxi
(from "Bmail" - Newsletter from the City of Biloxi)

BILOXI MEMORIAL PHOTOS

Fifth annual Katrina memorial observance (Aug. 29, 2010)

    http://biloxi.ms.us/gallery/08292010/

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[Via iPhone]                                      

FIVE YEARS AGO

IN MEMORY OF ALL WHO SUFFERED AND / OR LOST THEIR LIVES AND LOVED ONES

FIVE years ago. . . This morning I remember everything: every sound, feeling, thought, worry, tear and fear that I went through here at my house.

It's ironic that this morning is so quiet and peaceful feeling: The Cardinals are making their chipping sounds, misty rain is barely wetting the sidewalk, there is no wind, and a strange calmness is all around - such a contrast from what was here, in Oxford, 366 miles North of the totally devastated Mississippi Gulf Coast.

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[Via iPhone]

KATRINA :: INSURANCE ISSUES

INSURANCE WOES remain post-Katrina priority problem: Finding affordable insurance remains a critical issue five years...

Link: http://bit.ly/dtmVoi

(via Twitterriic / @WLOX)

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[Via iPhone]

ALL YACHT CLUBS BACK

BUT PEOPLE'S HOMES ARE NOT!
Shows what's important and what's not.
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"South MS yacht clubs come back from Katrina:

Five years after Katrina, all of the yacht clubs on the coast are back..."

Link: http://bit.ly/c6uMsl

(via Twitterriic / @WLOX)

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[Via iPhone]

KATRINA OBSERVANCE - BILOXI

From Biloxi Mayor A.J. Holloway's 

B-Mail Newsletter:

City's Katrina observance planned for Sunday morning on Town Green

Four local high school students will read the names of the 170 south Mississippi victims of Hurricane Katrina during the city's memorial observance Sunday morning, the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic storm striking Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

The hour-long service, which will be conducted at the Katrina memorial on the Biloxi Town Green, will feature Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Gene Taylor, MEMA Director Mike Womack, Bishop Roger Morin, and the Our Mother of Sorrows Choir, but Mayor A.J. Holloway expects the reading of the names of the victims to be the most poignant portion of the ceremony.

"So much has been made of the storm's devastation, the wind and the water, and the recovery, but I think this is also an appropriate time for us to remember those who were taken by the storm," Holloway said.

Reading the names of the victims will be seniors Nichole Radich and Garrett Reeder of St. Patrick Catholic High School, and Michaela Moore and Carlton Warnberg of Biloxi High School.

All 170 of the names have now been added to the Katrina memorial

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Just wish I could be there. I was there for the First Anniversary and it was truly an amazing experience. "Hands Across the Coast" then was very moving.

God Bless the Coast. I love you.

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[posted Via iPhone]                                      

MISSISSIPPI'S GREAT VOLUNTEERS

Volunteers commit to helping rebuild after Katrina: The sheer magnitude of volunteers we've had in the past five years.

Link: http://bit.ly/c14zU1

(via Twitterriic / @WLOX )

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[posted Via iPhone]

176 FEMA TRAILERS STILL IN MS

"The FEMA travel trailer became a symbol of the housing crisis that persisted after more than 200,000 homes were damaged by Katrina's powerful storm surge and winds, including more than 60,000 residences that received major damage or were destroyed. More than 45,000 temporary housing units were occupied in Mississippi after Katrina."

Link: http://bit.ly/cZZPQj

(via Twitterriic / @WLOX )


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[posted Via iPhone]                                     

PEARL RIVER REBUILDS COLLEGE

Pearl River Community College rebuilds facilities lost in Katrina

Link: http://bit.ly/98ZGSF

(via Twitterrific / @wdam

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[posted Via iPhone]

DOUG deSILVEY'S KATRINA LOSS

This was one of the most heart-wreching stories that I remember seeing on TV. Cried and cried as I did for all losses.
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Doug deSilvey recalls the storm that took his loved ones away: More than 160 coast residents died during Hurricane Katrina.

Link: http://bit.ly/bYqk01

(via Twitterrific / @WLOX )

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[posted Via iPhone]

DIDN'T "THEY" SAY "OIL IS GONE" ?

GOVERNMENT NOW WANTS TO SAMPLE OIL THROWN ONTO COAST BY ANY POTENTIAL HURRICANE HIT :: 

  

WHAT was that "THEY" were saying last week???  "THE OIL IS GONE" ??

Well, apparently NOT --- which anyone with logic and a brain would know was /is a LIE --- AGAIN.

- Bluecat

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"If a hurricane hits the Gulf Coast and whips up oil from BP's massive spill, cleanup workers will not be able to swoop into action to fix the mess. A new Obama administration edict requires that the oil be tested before it can be cleaned, according to a response plan obtained by The Associated Press.

The extra step is supposed to make it easier for the government to get reimbursed if a hurricane slings oil from the Gulf of Mexico into backyards, neighborhoods and wetlands." 

Link:  ( sorry it's a "fox" story but via AP )

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/08/09/govt-plan-assess-costs-delay-gulf-oil-spill-cleanup-event-hurricane/


[posted via iPhone]

4.9 MILLION BARRELS of OIL in GULF

This is just beyond comprehension and there is no justification for
BP's lack of logic, common sense, intelligence, and concern for safety
precautions in general!

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Roughly 4.9 million barrels of oil have seeped from BP's ruptured well
in the Gulf, scientists said ...

Link: http://on.cnn.com/cWjRsR

(via @IBRRC /Twitterrific)

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[posted via iPhone]

DRILL SPILL KILL :: To Sen. Wicker

. . . AND ALONG WITH WEAK INFRASTRUCTURE ON LAND, WE HAVE MORE SPILLS. . . MORE DEATH.

THE "GOOD OLE BOY" SYSTEM of GREED, STUBBORNESS AND SELFISHNESS ARE KILLING JOBS, PEOPLE'S CULTURES, AND 

MORE INNOCENT ANIMAL LIFE THAN I CARE TO THINK ABOUT !!!

ALL THE WHILE YOU TALK OF THE "OTHER SIDE'S AGENDA." THAT IS A WASTE OF PRECIOUS TIME - TIME FOR CHANGE AND NEW TYPES OF JOBS - JOBS IN

AMERICA FOR AMERICANS. STOP TALKING  ABOUT AGENDAS!!! LOSE THAT WORN OUT WORD! 

IT IS TIME FOR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY, NOT MORE DESTRUCTIVE DRILLING, BROKEN DOWN PIPELINES, GAS EXPLOSIONS, LOSS OF CULTURES, OIL SOAKED ANIMALS, AND DEATH!

WAKE UP - CHANGE HAS ALREADY HAPPENED - HORRIBLE CHANGE. 

IT WILL BE DECADES BEFORE OUR GULF IS BACK TO A VIABLE PLACE FOR MANY LIFE FORMS, NOT TO MENTION, IN PARTICULAR, THE PEOPLE OF LOUISIANA. 

NOW IS THE TIME TO MAKE CHANGE A POSITIVE, SAFE, 

AND ENVIRONMENTALLY AND PEOPLE FRIENDLY FORCE. THE FUTURE MUST BE DIFFERENT! 

LIFE DEPENDS UPON IT.

Gara Gillentine

Oxford, MS     

  

                                      

HURRICANE EVAC CHECKLIST

Good advice for a hurricane evacuation. Print it. Save it. Hope you don't have to use it: 

     Plan your route. Check the Internet or listen to the news to find out about road closures and the storm's predicted path.

Last-Minute Shopping List

Gallons of water Flashlights Batteries Non-perishable food Manual can opener First-aid kit Medications and prescription Pack emergency supplies for two to three days. Bring one gallon of water per person, per day, food that won't spoil, prescription medications, clothing, and a blanket or two for each person.Prepare the car. If you are driving, fill up the gas tank as soon as possible. Check your car's emergency gear, such as a flashlight, spare tire, and jumper cables.

• Stay in touch. Grab your cell phone charger, a portable radio, and extra batteries. If you have access to a national weather radio (NWR), bring it along, too.
• Make an A.T.M. stop. Get some cash to take care of expenses along the way, as stores may be unable to accept checks or credit cards after the storm.
• Collect insurance information and important papers. Collect your auto and homeowners or renters insurance policies. Bring your household inventory, if you have one, in case you have to file a claim. Don't forget health insurance cards, and bring copies of your bank and investment account numbers, since you may not be able to access these accounts online and may need to call instead.
• Seek refuge. Call organizations like the Red Cross, Salvation Army, or FEMA to find out where official shelters are located and how to get there.
• Inform your extended family. If possible, let a family member in another city or state know about your planned destination and route.
• Contact your employer. Notify your employer's emergency contacts.
• Grab or create a first-aid kit. If you don't have one on hand, fill a small bag with basic medical supplies, such as bandages, pain relievers, and antiseptics.
• Pack your pets. If your pets cannot travel with you, call local animal shelters to see if they provide emergency shelter for pets. Most evacuation shelters won't allow pets due to state and federal health and safety regulations, but they may be able to stay in certain hotel or motel chains for an additional fee

(via @Katrina5th 

 Link:  http://bit.ly/dC93Z2 )

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[Posted via iPhone]                                      

BAYOU LA BATRE PROTEST / ARRESTS

Fishermen arrested in Bayou La Batre after blockade protesting little
oil cleanup work:

http://bit.ly/c9wEt2

(via Twitterrific - @GulfOilCleanup)

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[posted via iPhone]