Everything And Nothing

Biloxi lighthouse repairs to begin

Photo via Flickr/Michael Fontaine 

Hopefully, the Biloxi Lighthouse will be ready for touring again by next spring. Restoration work is set to begin in May and is slated to be finished by the end of the year. Hurricane Katrina washed out part of the brick interior and completely destroyed the electrical system.

Built in 1848 as a "working lighthouse," the 61-foot cast-iron tower has long been a draw for tourists and locals alike (partly because of the spectacular view from the top).

Along with restoring the lighthouse itself, there are plans to build a new visitor's center on the north side of U.S. 90 directly across from the tower.

Housing still biggest issue in Katrina recovery on Coast

Housing remains the most critical issue facing Mississippi, according to a progress report Gov. Haley Barbour released Aug. 29 (on the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina).

Fort Pike open to the public again

Fort Pike State Historic Site is open to the public once again. It is the last property operated by the Louisiana Office of State Parks to be reopened after Hurricane Katrina caused massive damage in 2005.

In 1972 it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Specialist hired to treat aged oaks along the Coast

Bob Fulgham has been hired by the Sand Beach Authority and Preservation Oaks Beach Park to rehab some of the beautiful old oaks along Beach Boulevard. (Older oaks along Hwy. 90 are not faring well as poor soil, sparse rain and ongoing road work threaten root systems. Good dirt was washed away by Hurricane Katrina.)

Long Beach arborist Rob Crawford told Kat Bergeron of The Sun Herald "we're not going to see many large trees in the future if we don't take care of them." The Sand Beach Authority is using grant money to try and improve the soil.

Fulgham brings his patented mobile subterranean aerator to the job. His machine injects "forest floor extract" into the soil with a pipe into the ground, which creates a "soil wave" to break up compacted ground.

New Orleans opens bicycle lane through Katrina-hit areas

New Orleans' first bicycle lane opened recently, taking riders through neighborhoods scarred by Hurricane Katrina - but also representing the progressive thinking hoping to bring people back to hard-hit areas.

The three-mile bike path winds along St. Claude Avenue, through the Lower 9th Ward and to the St. Bernard Parish line. The lane added $93,000 to the cost of a refinancing project and was paid for with state and federal funds. They hope to boast 50 miles of dedicated or shared bike lanes in the city within the next five years.

The Gators of Beauvoir

Hurricane Katrina deposited four alligators in Beauvoir's Oyster Bayou. But now that the grounds are open weekdays for limited tours again, the gators must go. It is currently undergoing restoration and will reopen fully in June.

Three trappers arrived in Biloxi last week to capture, tag and release the gators into the Pascagoula River Basin. (They left emptyhanded, however, in the first attempt.)

Richard Forte Sr., who heads Beauvoir and its board of directors, named the largest gator Beauregard after P.G.T. Beauregard, a snooty general who always questioned Jefferson Davis' authority. (Beauvoir is the last home of Jeff Davis.) The second largest alligator is Beau Jr.

(I guess they didn't want to name the last two for fear they'd become attached!) ;)

[ via Kat Bergeron, The Sun Herald ]

FEMA agrees to test trailers, mobile homes

The Federal Emergency Management Agency on Feb. 22 agreed to requests from hurricane victims to test government-provided housing for dangerous levels of formaldehyde. FEMA has contracted with Bureau Veritas to test 200 travel trailers and mobile homes each week. The first tests began this week.

Testing in Louisiana trailers found elevated levels of formaldehyde (some up to five times higher than normal). Since the findings were announced on Feb. 14, FEMA said 334 occupants have requested testing - and their trailers will be tested first.

About 38,000 FEMA trailers and mobile homes still house hurricane victims in Mississippi and Louisiana. Residents of FEMA emergency housing in New York, Pennsylvania, Florida, New Mexico, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas and Minnesota will also be eligible for the test.

If you want your unit tested, call FEMA's Formaldehyde Call Center at 1-866-562-2381.

Katrina unearths art

It took Hurricane Katrina for valuable paintings of the late Romolo Roberti to be taken out of the closet and put on public display at the Robert Henry Adams Fine Art Gallery in Chicago.

Romolo Roberti painted mostly midwest scenes, but retired to Gautier, Miss., in 1988 to be near family. He told the family to put his paintings away - as he said an artist's work isn't appreciated until after his death. And so they put his 250 paintings away...until Hurricane Katrina hit and they lost their homes. (But the storage building with the paintings survived.)

Roberti worked in the maintenance department at Cornell University. He eventually moved to Chicago and enrolled in the Art Institute of Chicago for formal training.

The exhibit of works is on display until Jan. 8, 2008. It includes a 52-page catalog outlining his work. There are 36 works included in the exhibit.

National Park Service to begin rebuilding parts of Ship Island

Next spring, the National Park Service will begin rebuilding parts of Ship Island that were destroyed during Hurricane Katrina.

Plans include a new concession stand, public restrooms and overnight accommodations for law enforcement and tour guides. Power and water service will also be restored. The total price tag is about $4 million.

FEMA creates financial program for displaced

The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Oct. 15 it is creating a reimbursement program for people who relocated because of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita if they have not already received funds from any other subsidized travel home program.

Applicants must have been displaced from their primary residences in a disaster-declared area as a result of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and have incurred travel expenses. The expenses must have occurred between Aug. 29, 2005, and Feb. 29, 2008, for Katrina, or Sept. 24, 2005, to Feb. 29, 2008, for Rita.

Eligibility criteria include:

• People returning to their pre-disaster state who did not use a hotel or motel or housing provided by FEMA are eligible for relocation assistance.
• FEMA will pay moving expenses to a FEMA-funded rental resource anywhere in the continental U.S. for people who already are living in their pre-disaster state in FEMA travel trailers or mobile homes.
• However, FEMA will pay for an in-state move only if the new location is greater than 50 miles from the present location of the applicant. The program will reimburse eligible applicants for relocation expenses up to $4,000 during the designated time period.

For more information, call 1-800-621-FEMA (3362).