PREPPING FOR DISASTER - INJURED/ OILED BIRDS

MISSISSIPPI COAST PREPARING FOR YET ANOTHER DISASTER


The following came to me today via my Facebook page from my dear Katrina friend in Ocean Springs, MS. She asked me to pass this info along and I am more than glad to be a tiny part of helping out in this possible upcoming scenario of disaster. As if Katrina didn't do enough damage to the fragile eco-systems of the coast from Mississippi to Louisiana, now we have the OIL SPILL!

The Pascagoula Audubon Center is now on stand-by to conduct another oiled bird workshop in conjunction with partner, Chevron, to teach public who wish to assist. The workshop won't be at the center, but we are taking people's names and phone numbers who wish to participate and are in the Mississippi Coast area. Please call for information: 228-475-0825.

If you find an injured/oiled bird, call the Oiled Bird Hotline at 1-866-557-1401. Be prepared to give the following information: 1 - exact location where animal was found, 2 - your name, 3 - your phone number, 4 - your address.

If all coastal folks would please pass along the above via their FB status, FB email or regular email to others in coastal areas. Thanks! AND... " DO NOT TOUCH THE INJURED BIRD!"
- Lisa Wesson, Cruising the Wild

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And I will add, if you TWEET, this is the perfect time to pass along this and other info concerning the BIG OIL MESS... TWEET FOR THE BIRDS and OTHER ANIMALS who will be suffering.


As of this morning, the length had spread to 100 miles and was less than 20 miles from the Louisiana coast. St. Bernard Parrish is in line to be hit by this mess. Another Katrina. Mississippi is in line to as the weather is in process of changing as I write this. A High will be moving further East and as it does so, it will change the wind direction to onshore from the South. Winds are expected to be 20-30 mph.

As of this evening: Leading edge of oil is expected to reach the Mississippi River Delta by tonight (Thurs. April 29)!

DO NOT TOUCH THE INJURED BIRD!


LINKS:

Pascagoula River Audubon

Deepwater Horizon Incident, Gulf of Mexico Updated each evening. This is a NOAA site for the Emergency Response to the OIL SPILL DISASTER in The Gulf

Mississippi Canyon 252 Overflight Map

OBAMA ON KATRINA RESPONSE

"UNCONSCIONABLE INEPTITUDE"

Finally someone with enough guts to call it what it is, has been, and continues to be!! Obama vows to mend Bush’s broken Katrina promises.

In addition, the article states that Senator David Vitter re-stated his position on the response to the storm by saying that “On the Friday morning after Katrina, I said publicly that I would grade the initial government response at all levels – local, state, and federal – an F. I stand by that assessment," . . . "I look forward to working with President Obama to continue the reforms I have been working on at the federal level from the reform of FEMA and immediate response protocols to ongoing recovery work, certainly including vital corps projects to provide a much higher level of protection."

The White House website vowed “President Barack Obama will partner with the people of the Gulf Coast to rebuild now, stronger than ever.”

I was always taught to say what you mean and mean what you say. We all can only hope this will be true of our new president.

CASINOS - HOW MANY MORE?

ASTUTE VULTURES OVER MS GULF COAST
astute - being able to assess situations or people and turn this to one’s advantage : an astute businessman.

It appears that south Diamondhead, MS hasn't gone through enough trouble with the on-going devastating effects of Katrina.

The local community Kings of Zoning and Re-Zoning have made it plain that they care nothing for the local person who lost everything and is now having to deal with their neighborhood being made available to out-of-state casino/hotel/spa/la-dee-da developers! The City "Fathers" and the developers (of course) claim that casinos are just what the coast needs more of in order to supply "jobs" and of course more tax revenue. What about supplying some housing for those who STILL don't have a home???

The thing that stinks the most about the south Diamondhead issue is the attitude. The Colorado-based developer, Jacobs Entertainment Inc., has magically acquired a majority of the shares in property known as Harbor House and is now planning to make it into "single-owned town homes, not rentals." According to the Bay St. Louis newspaper, The Sea Coast Echo, "Jacobs officials said that Hurricane Katrina caused several changes to the area including blight, crime, and less residency." What an astute observation! I guess rezoning land to build casinos for tourists and condos for purchase should take care of that little matter! And this is supposed to be a "positive effect" on the community . . .

SOCIAL INJUSTICE IN HOUSING ISSUES

THE THANKSGIVING and CHRISTMAS SEASONS are UPON US and the
MARCH 31, 2009 DEADLINE for REMOVAL OF MEMA COTTAGES

Coast Housing Director Gerald Blessey was appointed by Gov. Haley Barbour to help solve the ongoing Katrina housing crisis. When Blessey met with Bay St. Louis City Council, it came to light once more that the city does not like the cottages and does not want them to remain within "regular" housing neighborhoods. One councilman expressed "concern" that it seemed the MEMA rules for the cottage time line keep trying to be changed as each deadline for removal approaches.

From the very beginning of the idea of the cottages coming into play as a viable option for temporary housing to replace the constricting and formaldehyde-ridden FEMA trailers, councilmen in general have slammed the cottages as being little more than another form of trailers and said they belong in trailer parks and not where "real" houses are. This thinking is just plain prejudicial, narrow minded, and ridiculous.

One councilman wanted to know what to tell concerned citizens who are fortunate to live in a house, i.e. "real home" that a MEMA cottage was going to be next door. More unacceptable "thinking."

Another councilman said he didn't see any need for the cottages! I suppose he lives in a nice comfy house with no worries of where he will be living or what he'll be living in nor any sympathy or compassion for those who, through no fault of their own, have worried since August 29th. 2005 when everything they had was washed away.