BAY ST. LOUIS- NEEDS GROCERY STORE

WLOX story - BAY ST. LOUIS LEADERS OK FUNDING FOR GROCERY STORE STUDY

On my trips to Bay St. Louis and Waveland, I found that the only place to buy grocery items was at Wal-Mart in Waveland. It's not that long of a drive, if you're already close in to town, but it's quite a hassle with all of the traffic.

If you think about it, it seems quite pathetic if your very own city doesn't have its own grocery store. For one thing, I'd assume that it would mean loss of taxes to the city itself. Certainly puts a strain on time management issues for the Bay folks when they need groceries. Perhaps this new "study" will confirm the need.

COTTAGES IN WAVELAND?

WHAT'S SO HARD TO UNDERSTAND?

According to The Sea Coast Echo, Waveland's city leaders said that "the MEMA definition may affect the city's position."

MAY affect??? What part of "a MEMA COTTAGE IS a MODULAR HOME" do they not understand?

As if to warn people and instill yet more apprehension into them, Waveland Building Official Brent Anderson said that people who have a cottage or want a cottage will have to go through the same building and zoning processes like anyone else.

According to Waveland's Mayor, Tommy Longo, "This will allow the people who truly need these cottages to possibly keep them."

POSSIBLY??? Again, playing a little more hard ball and injecting apprehension into the people. Longo continued on, "They will have to follow the same rules as anyone else, but by acting now while FEMA and MEMA is involved they will also have to meet all of their requirements as well."

What are they going to come up with next?

AFFORDABLE :: SUSTAINABLE :: & RENTAL HOUSING CRISIS

GULF COAST NEWS - KATRINA RECOVERY in HANCOCK CO. as of 11-17-08

This is a report filed by Kathleen Johnson at the request from the Federal Coordinator for Gulf Coast Rebuilding and published in the very excellent, ongoing Katrina update news site, Gulf Coast News.

"Four years in the aftermath of Katrina there has been the realization that failure to provide affordable rental housing is critically impacting not only the recovery of the residents – but recovery of the region economically. Only 8.5%/60 units of the housing rental market in Hancock County is deemed affordable." - Kathleen Johnson

KATRINA RELIEF : VOLUNTEER - DONATE

KATRINA RELIEF – a disaster relief operation in Hancock County, Mississippi.


Recycling Left Over Construction Supplies

There are approximately 12,000 damaged homes in Hancock County - if after the construction was complete on 30% of those homes they found they had a left over 2x4 and they donated that piece of lumber to a volunteer construction camp - we would have 3,600 2x4's to build approximately fourteen more homes.

If you have any left over building supplies - sheetrock, lumber, shingles, plumbing and electrical supplies, paint, paint brushes, rollers, nails, screws - we desperately need those and any other construction items to help others build their homes. Call us at:
(228) 466-4630.


CONTACT:
Kathleen Johnson, Director of Katrina Relief, Director of Field Operations of the Waveland Citizens Fund a registered 501 (c) 3 non profit / Located at 700 Tabor St., Waveland, MS 39576

Email: KathleenJohnson@ReliefVolunteers.com

Phone: (228) 466-4630
Fax: (228) 466-4638
Cell: (228) 344-8616

POSTCARDS FROM DESTRUCTION – Waveland, MS

CROSSING THE INFAMOUS RAILROAD - WAVELAND - FEB. 2008

CSX railroad tracks at Waveland Ave. - The CSX railroad extends from border to border along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and were the benchmark of total devastation. "South of the tracks" was the marker phrase used by everyone who tried to describe what had happened to neighborhoods and business districts on that side of the tracks.

Waveland Ave. – formerly a tree lined street that formed a neighborhood.


Waveland Ave. – Mississippi Cottage (on right) replaces FEMA trailers, but it is still temprary housing. House on left is raised per FEMA Flood Map requirements.


Waveland Ave. Landscape


Caught in Time Warp. Some recovery is in process, but all in general is slow. FEMA trailer in front of house and Mississippi Cottage in foreground.


At Day's End. A half block from the beach, sunset on Oak Blvd. is a continuous reminder of the breadth of destruction to the environment. Here, as elsewhere, pine trees were once thick and together with massive Live Oaks, provided cooling shade in summer and continuous green in winter. Now there are dead and dying trees all along the coast. Some Live Oaks continue to cling to life with only a few of their branches. Most pines along the beach area look like decimated sticks in the ruined earth.