Imagine you are alone in your house on Halloween and after tossing and turning restlessly you decide you may as well get up. You reach for your bedside lamp and flip the switch to on and find it doesn't work. You grope your way to the hallway bathroom and the same thing happens. You begin to hear strange fluttering noises as you continue searching for light. Your imagination begins to run wild, you are sweating and your heart is racing. You remember this is Halloween ... the night of the dead and hideous monsters. Can you think of anything more terrifying than thinking you might have to face DRACULA in total blackness??? At last, you find one small lamp to cast a little light as you count the passing hours waiting for this night of darkness to end. Prepare this Halloween, be sure all the lights in the house are in working order. Turn them ALL on at dusk as he (Dracula) ONLY carries out his "bloody" evil under the cover of darkness!!

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Weather

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Weather: " South Mississippi Forecast
Hi 75 F
Lo 47 F Cool overnight with a chilly start for the beginning of the workweek. Then mostly sunny skies for Monday with a high temperature in the mid and upper 70's.
Sunrise 6:08 AM Sunset 5:10 PM"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Fountain And His Clarinet Ignore His Post Katrina Stress Issues

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Fountain And His Clarinet Ignore His Post Katrina Stress Issues: "When Pete Fountain steps on stage, he should feel like he's home. He's performing in the same room where he entertained casino guests before Katrina.

His real home is a mile from the Hollywood Casino. And it was center stage when the hurricane slammed into Bay St. Louis.

'I've been there maybe three times since the storm,' he admitted.

Moments after making that comment, the jazz legend wet his reed, smiled, and said, 'The Hollywood Blues.' He took a deep breath. Suddenly a harmony of blues notes flowed from his clarinet. And to him, it sounded as good as it did six decades ago, when a 15-year-old Fountain first performed in public."

Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans?

Fountain's Fascination Medley

The Sun Herald | 10/29/2006 | FEMA gives aid update

The Sun Herald | 10/29/2006 | FEMA gives aid update: "FEMA released figures of its nearly $9.3 billion dollar disaster aid as of Oct. 20.

Of the peak 49,000 temporary housing units in place earlier this year, nearly 15,500 households have found other living accommodations. Temporary housing units are returned to FEMA at a rate of approximately 250 units per week.

Approximately $1.1 billion has been approved in Public Assistance categories, not including debris removal.

To date, Mississippi has disbursed $873 million to PA applicants for rebuilding projects including bridges, public buildings and utilities: $315 million for emergency protective measures, $364 million to repair public facilities, $295 million to restore public utilities, $55 million to restore public recreational facilities such as state parks, $29 million to repair roads and bridges and $1.6 million to repair water control devices such as reservoirs and irrigation channels."

Happy Birthday Yvonne!

My granddaughter, Yvonne, celebrating her 3rd birthday appears a little overwhelmed by the festive table and the presents. Baby Emily only had eyes for the balloons on the table. Despite Katrina we have observed all the events and go on with how our lives are at the present time.

Dave and Anita received their grant assistance check and the "concrete" floors will soon be in the past.

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Appliance Donations Light Up Lives in South Mississippi

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Appliance Donations Light Up Lives in South Mississippi: "Washers, Dryers, Refrigerators. Those are just some of the appliances that have been on the wish list of many Katrina victims for more than a year. The group Mississippi Home Again made some of those wishes come true Thursday for residents of Magnolia Park Apartments in Gautier.

'It's been over a year, you know, and I never expected I would be getting help from them,' Mellie Parker said.

'We all know what it's like to have a bad day. But what's this, 423 days after Katrina? Something like that? That's a lot of bad days in a row. How are you supposed to get though that without any help?' Annie Card, founder of Mississippi Home Again, asked. "

The Sun Herald | 10/27/2006 | Keeping EMPATHY alive

The Sun Herald | 10/27/2006 | Keeping EMPATHY alive: "Have people of faith forgotten the story of the Good Samaritan? If memory serves, he rescued an injured traveler (love your neighbor as yourself) without knowing or caring about the man's name, his country, his beliefs.

It would seem a simple enough question to answer in light of recent experience. Any South Mississippi neighborhood can confirm the goodness of volunteers who swarmed over the area after Katrina.

On the other hand, read or watch the news and count the reports of angry confrontations - between people of different faiths, different ethnicities, different political persuasions.

Every perspective seems to be distorted by an inflexibility that leads not only to disagreement but to outright hatred.

As one acquaintance observed, 'If you don't believe what they do, they want to kill you.'

We asked a few people whose professions require of them extra helpings of empathy and understanding and found they are mostly hopeful, not despairing, of finding more similarities than differences among us."

LOST

I would think that many of you have been watching the above depicted series on ABC since it first aired. As for me, my daughter and her husband are always looking for ways to entertain themselves and, since Katrina took away most of our enjoyment, they passed it on to me. I have finished the first season and will soon start the second season. I have enjoyed each episode. All of us have things in our past that probably wouldn’t measure up to goodness if it was brought to the surface like it is on this series. Maybe something we completely forgot. I have my thoughts on what this series is about but will not voice my opinion at this time.

In the evening, before I settle in my recliner to watch an episode, I get a small flame going in the fireplace i.e. if the temp is low enough. Each of us probably decide which character we most closely identify with. Since I haven’t robbed a bank or murdered anyone, the closest I could come was identifying, not with what this person was guilty of, but the dilemma she found herself in. She along with her husband and crew were on a scientific expedition when their ship was wrecked. After events unfold she found herself marooned for 16 years all alone on this island. This is where I draw a parallel and relate to what happened to us with Katrina. When Flight 815 crashed on September 22, 2004, the survivors were also confident that they would be rescued, each day they waited as we did after Katrina. For us, eventually help did come but I see a similarity between the years passing as all the necessary things that need to be done here are 10 years or more into the future. As I watch the episodes I can’t help but think that we who are living on the Coast of Mississippi and New Orleans, Louisiana are more lost than they are. The island they are stranded on is beautiful and resembles a paradise while what was once beautiful to us now has homeless people, destruction and a mind destroying “waiting game” that is slowly taking away our hope for recovery. I refer to the long awaited grant assistance as no more than an elusive dream.

“Lost” is the most exciting and interesting series that I have ever seen and that’s saying heaps because I am very hard to please. So tonight think of me as I watch yet another episode that, although fictitious, has captured the reality of our existence!

New Homes Built to Survice Future Hurricanes

New Homes Built to Survice Future Hurricanes: "While officials across the Coast are scrambling to find a way to help people rebuild their homes lost from Hurricane Katrina, some beachfront homeowners are building back, but it is clear that the new build heights and concerns over future hurricane storm surges are being considered. The towering concrete home in the photo (right) is in Gulfport a block off the beach

Take the link above to see some of the new construction in Gulfport and Pass Christian area.

New Construction - Pascagoula

Wiggins Circle

Washington Avenue

Market Street

The Sun Herald | 10/24/2006 | Teen dies in accidental shooting, two other shootings reported

The Sun Herald | 10/24/2006 | Teen dies in accidental shooting, two other shootings reported: "A teenager has died of an accidental gunshot to his abdomen.

The teen shot himself shortly before 7 p.m. Monday and died at a hospital, said Deputy Police Chief Alfred Sexton. Police identified him only as a 17-year-old."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Congressional Staffers See Post-Katrina Progress

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Congressional Staffers See Post-Katrina Progress: "Some Congressional staffers were in South Mississippi Tuesday to see first-hand the progress South Mississippians have made since Katrina. The group toured several different areas and talked with volunteers helping with rebuilding efforts.

'It made me feel really good because I feel they were listening to what I had to say and they were happy to be here,' said AmeriCorps worker Rebekah Brown.

The new Operation TLC Volunteer Center in Pascagoula was the first stop on Tuesday's tour."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Audubon Society Dedicates Pascagoula River Center

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Audubon Society Dedicates Pascagoula River Center: "'It's a very unique river system. It's a large river system. There's now over 170,000 acres protected here on the river,' said Benny McCoy, as he and brother Lynn directed a boat tour along the lower Pascagoula River system.

The McCoy brothers operate a tour boat business that shows off the beauty of Pascagoula River. They gave Audubon Society members and supporters a tour of the river and joined them in dedicating a new nature center on Bennett Bayo"

The Sun Herald | 10/24/2006 | 421 days

The Sun Herald | 10/24/2006 | 421 days: "It has been 421 days since Hurricane Katrina stormed ashore. There is nothing particularly significant about that number. Unless...

Unless you are one of the tens of thousands still without a home or a job or a sense of security.

Unless you are one of those who shudders at the thought that there is still more than a month left in hurricane season.

Unless you still find yourself thinking about going to a favorite restaurant or shop or friend's house, only to realize that it is gone. And may never return.

Then, without pausing to consult a calendar, you know it has indeed been a long, long time since Katrina. But not long enough to forget. Or get over it."

I haven't been posting pictures of Pascagoula's progress as there hasn't been any significant change. The city is rebounding but from the very beginning of my blogging, my interest has centered on the people. Many are still in the FEMA trailers and have been told they have to be out by December. Poplarville, MS which is in Pearl River County has had an influx of 20,000 people (outsider came to my mind) and I sort of bristled as I remembered. You see, we maintained a residence at Lake Hillsdale which is technically Pearl River County but our mailing address was Lumberton, MS. We were six miles from Poplarville and six miles from Lumberton. For 5 years we had land there with a 800 sq. ft house sitting on the property. We called it a fishing cabin. In 1983, we made a permanent move and the house soon expanded to 4200 square feet. I visited a jewelry store in Lumberton to buy a gift for someone and the owner began chatting with me. She said to me, "The people will never accept you in the area." I asked, "Why?" Her response was, "Because you are an outsider." If you have no kin here then you will never belong." She continued, "I have been here 10 years and they have never accepted me." She wasn't being mean spirited, she told me the truth. So, although for the 25 years we spent there and were never accepted, we enjoyed our home. There is a point to what I am writing .... the people on the Coast are literally being forced out of their homes. The Coast is a "melting pot" of different people with different cultures and everybody is accepted. Inland culture is close knit and most people won't be able to adjust to such a change. We were happy there because we had each other but when we wanted human contact, we left home to go home..... the Coast.

In my opinion, it is inhumane to savagely uproot the citizens of the Coast and send them away only because at this moment they can't help themselves. God Bless Us All!

gulflive.com: NewsFlash - Loyd Star student injured with knife by another student

gulflive.com: NewsFlash - Loyd Star student injured with knife by another student: "LOYD STAR, Miss. (AP) — A 17-year-old female student at Loyd Star High School has been charged with aggravated assault for stabbing another student."

The Sun Herald | 10/23/2006 | 18-year-old in custody, accused of striking six juveniles with vehicle

The Sun Herald | 10/23/2006 | 18-year-old in custody, accused of striking six juveniles with vehicle: "GULFPORT - Kreshandra Pruitt, 18, of Gulfport, is in custody after she allegedly struck six juveniles with her vehicle on Bonita Drive before school this morning.

Police charged Pruitt with six counts of aggravated assault after the juveniles, ages 12 to 17, were taken to a hospital for treatment. Their injuries aren't believed to be life-threatening, said Deputy Police Chief Alfred Sexton.

Pruitt is related to one of two male teenagers who were fighting in the 3500 block of Bonita Drive and somehow learned of the altercation, Sexton said. She drove a 1990 Honda Accord into the crowd around 7:15 a.m. and fled, he said."

Coast Skyline Changing

Coast Skyline Changing: "Just over a year has gone by since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Mississippi Coast destroying almost everything along the Beach highway. But construction of new high rise condominiums is moving rapidly, changing forever the look and feel of the area.

All along the beach in Biloxi there are towers rising. The huge concrete structures will easily take the most powerful storms. These are just a few of the towers that are rising from the sand. Many more are already approved in Biloxi. There are also several in Gulfport, two at the Biloxi/Gulfport boundary. However, most of the condo's will be built along Biloxi's beachfront as Biloxi has the water and sewer infrastructure in place to support the highrise buildings."

Teenagers

I would like to comment on the last two posts I blogged. I personally went to myspace without having to sign in. I read vulgarity in language and saw nude pictures of girls on the main page. To enter a chatroom I would have had to register and give full name etc. I didn't! To give credit to myspace, they didn't seem to be trying to hide anything ... it is there for you to see. I can only imagine what goes on in the chatrooms. I don't think the predator percentage is high but I believe the percentage that can influence a teen towards drugs, alcohol and sex ranks higher.

Most parents of today do not want to control their children as they say. I don't consider being a parent one of a controlling nature ... I see the role as parental guidance. I raised three teenaged daughters in the late 70's and their father and I were right there with them all the way. Did they hate us? Probably! Did they get in trouble? You bet! All three were born in the 60's when it was the "in" thing to "Let It All Hang Out" so we weren't ignorant to the fact that we might have some difficulties raising them. The saving grace was that the good times outweighed the bad times. Today they have a family of their own and they are doing exactly what we did.

My last daughter was born in 1971 ..... we knew we had an angel this time! We thought since she will be a teenager in the 80's that all would be well. She made excellent grades in school, was fun to be around and had a totally different outlook on life. Most importantly she thought her Dad and I were really "cool" to spend time with. But ..... we found out once again that all teenagers because of just being teenagers can goof at least one time. She was 15 at the time. We worked in Gulfport and commuted an hour each way and we would alternate between vehicles. The daughter, can you believe it, would ride the school bus home. I told you she was an angel didn't I? At the time, I had a 78 Thunderbird and her Dad had a F150 pickup. Since we alternated between vehicles ... it happened the day my car stayed home. I am the one who took the call at work to hear a stranger say, "Your daughter had a fender bender but she is okay." I said, " You have the wrong number." She then said are you Mrs. so and so. Still not believing I asked, "What make of car and what color?" She gave the correct answers and then I completely lost it. All the way home I kept crying, "George she's dead don't you see, the caller knew we would panic and didn't want to tell us." When we neared our home we turned on a road that has pasture land on both sides. On the left I saw my car that had literally jumped the fence and landed all crumbled in the pasture. My saying over and over increased. "She's dead, she's dead!" I wouldn't get out of the car when we arrived home. My husband signaled that it was okay. I entered the house and my beloved daughter was sitting on the sofa with a girlfriend beside her. I asked, "Are you okay?" When she answered "Yes" I hit her on the top of her head. "Were you drinking?" "No" For some reason, I thought that deserved another light tap on her head. I was out of my mind at the time, consumed with the love that I had for this child and that because of her foolish choice she could have died. That's a parent! The majority of parents love their children but please remember that they can do foolish things and the incident I spoke of happened twenty yrs. ago. Today the kids have some really bad situations to contend with. Stay by their sides for the long haul. Would I do it again? Raise children? Of course I would!

The Sun Herald | 10/22/2006 | mad about myspace

The Sun Herald | 10/22/2006 | mad about myspace: "With an estimated 120 million accounts, the online virtual community 'MySpace' seems to be the place to be. And, if you're a teenager, that is especially true.

'One of the main reasons I use MySpace is to keep in touch with friends from all over,' said Brittany Spears, a student at Bay High. 'It's an easy way to keep in touch with friends and family.'

The site's popularity with teens, however, has been the source of a major backlash.

Several issues in the media, such as controversial message postings and predatory activities, have raised concerns among many parents and adults.

Some parental concerns are understandable, but parental reactions are not uncommon when teenagers are involved in activities not fully understood by adults. For example, there was panic over the advent of television, the rise of jazz, the onslaught of rock 'n' roll and, in the early 1800s, reading novels."

The Sun Herald | 10/22/2006 | ALIENS FROM SPACE

The Sun Herald | 10/22/2006 | ALIENS FROM SPACE: "HANCOCK COUNTY - In the old days, high-school sweethearts passed love notes in the hallways, bullies used bathroom graffiti to launch personal attacks and news of weekend parties came via the rumor mill.

Those days are long gone.

Today's bullies have gone high-tech, partygoers use cell-phone text messaging and the old after-school hangouts have been replaced by social-networking Web sites in a whole new world, a teenage cyberland."

In Memory

I will spend the day remembering the times shared with my husband who passed away December 3, 1999. Today, he would have celebrated a birthday. The sharp pain is gone but the wonderful memories linger.

See you soon!

Above graphic from

LaPointe-Krebs House gets $250,000 grant for repairs

LaPointe-Krebs House gets $250,000 grant for repairs: "PASCAGOULA -- One of the state's oldest buildings will receive a share of a $26 million grant to restore historic structures affected by Hurricane Katrina.

The Mississippi Department of Archives and History awarded a $250,000 grant to help restoration efforts at La-Pointe-Krebs House in Pascagoula, also known as Old Spanish Fort. The money will be used for interior, exterior and foundation repairs.

The house and accompanying museum are situated on Krebs Lake on the East Pascagoula River. The house was built in 1721 by French-Canadian carpenter Simon de LaPointe and is said to be the oldest existing private building in the Mississippi Valley."

The Sun Herald | 10/19/2006 | Florida city manager visits Pascagoula

The Sun Herald | 10/19/2006 | Florida city manager visits Pascagoula: "PASCAGOULA - City Manager Michael Sheraton of Fort Orange, Fla., is visiting Pascagoula this week along with five other officials from various cities and counties in Florida as part of ongoing relief efforts following Katrina."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Mayor Says Gulfport Harbor Plans Moving Forward

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Mayor Says Gulfport Harbor Plans Moving Forward: "Gulfport Mayor Brent Warr considers the harbor redevelopment project as the 'economic match head' for the city of Gulfport. But in order to spark new development, it's going to take a lot of hard work, time, and money.

As Jones Park sits barren more than a year after Katrina, plans are in motion to transform it into a thriving park complete with an amphitheater, fountain, and green walkways.

Mayor Warr says, 'What we've created is a park where you're no longer using the finest and the largest park on the Mississippi Gulf Coast as a parking lot.'

Instead, a new space off a broadened 20th Avenue will provide twice as much parking for the small craft harbor as before. Adjacent to the parking, would be a Fisherman's Village, which the mayor says would be a lease space for restaurants and shops.

Warr knows the big question on many minds is, where's the money coming from? He's says he's concerned about that, too.

'We've put up some up front money - about $3.1 million, which is a lot of money - but it's not enough to finish the projects. So we are going to be asking and pleading with the government to help us with the community block grant money that's coming down.'"

I have decided that maybe Moss Point is out to get me. In March of this year the garbage truck broke a lamp at the end of my drive and after several calls to the city and no action taken by them ... I finally gave up. Eventually, a neighbor repaired the lamp for me. Once again, they have struck! Yesterday they came and picked up the bagged leaves and trimmings from three small azalea bushes that I had at the curb.. They not only took the bags with them, they also took the dirt from the lawn with them!


It is obvious that whoever did this has no respect for another's property. At one point, a little damage was apt to occur with all the debris we had but there is no excuse now. I thought of buying an iron rake and spreading the dirt around but soon discovered there was no dirt to spread. I intend to call the City on this newest incident with hopes that they at least replace the dirt. Oh well! That's how it is here ... one step forward, three steps backwards!

My daughter, Anita, gave me a Halloween decoration today and I hung it on the fence and now I am having second thoughts about doing that because of what it signifies.......

TRICK or Treat!!!!!!

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Saucier Couple Says Of Gunman: "It Was Him Or Us"

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Saucier Couple Says Of Gunman: "It Was Him Or Us": "A gun battle in Saucier ended with an armed robbery suspect dead and an elderly couple lucky to be alive.

Beth Greer, 73, and her husband Tommy Greer, 60, say they returned home from work shortly before 11pm Monday night. Within minutes, they were staring down the barrel of a gun.

The blood stains have dried but the memories are still fresh in Beth Greer's mind. She says one moment she was unloading her car, the next she was asking a gunman to spare her life.

'Out of nowhere to my right there was this voice that said 'Hey.' So I turned around and looked and it was this masked man. He had a mask on and a jacket that all seemed like it blended together and he had a gun in his hand pointed at me,' Beth Greer said."

The Sun Herald | 10/17/2006 | City seeks control of money

The Sun Herald | 10/17/2006 | City seeks control of money: "PASCAGOULA - City officials told Jackson County supervisors Monday they want more control of how county money is spent in Pascagoula.

They want the road taxes paid in Pascagoula to fund only city projects and a portion of seawall funds collected in Pascagoula to stay there. They also want to form a city/county partnership to maintain Old Spanish Fort and they asked to use city land adjacent to Operation TLC Volunteer Center for parking.

'Just about every street in the city of Pascagoula's been damaged since Aug. 29, either as a direct result of the storm or of the heavy equipment,' Pascagoula Mayor Matthew Avara told supervisors.

He proposed that the county release paving funds to the city in an effort to expedite some of the work."

A Hurricane That Was Different!

Having lived on the Mississippi coast for most of my life, I have experienced many hurricanes. The first remembrance that I have of a hurricane was one that made landfall in 1947 on September 18th ... my birthday was exactly one week away. My parents, my two brothers and a sister took shelter at our maternal grandmother's house as it was considered very sturdy and would be a safe place. When the hurricane made landfall and the howling winds began and a deluge of rain began to fall, I could sense fear in the adults. They began to speak in hushed whispers so as not to frighten us children. Most houses in that period of time had tin roofs and when the tin roof began peeling back their concern for our safety became very vocal. "We better get out of here and get to a shelter!" I have no memory of how we got to Pascagoula High School (PHS) but that's where we were doing the storm as were hundreds of other people. Like any child I couldn't sit still very long so I was free to roam around inside the school and at one point I found a window that wasn't boarded up and I was able to peer out. There were two people walking outside making their way to the shelter. The water was to their thighs and they were walking in a bent position against the fierce wind and blowing rain. The pine trees seemed to follow suit to protect themselves as they bowed toward the ground. It would be an unforgettable memory to see trees as tall as pines capable of bending themselves in half. Of course, after the storm passed there was, even in a child's eyes, a lot of damage. Biloxi took a hard beating from that storm as I recall. The 1947 storm was called "Ole Double Eye" by the locals.

So the years passed, I grew up, married and had three children of my own. We resided in Gulfport, MS when a lady named Camille paid a visit on August 17/18, 1969. In an earlier post I talked about my experience with that storm and it was the most frightening "we are going to die feeling" that I wouldn't wish anyone would ever have to go through. The WIND of Camille, the inward bowing windows of the house, the vibrating walls, the sound of trees crashing to the ground, the tornadoes passing overhead are imprinted forever in my mind. The devastation was mostly confined to the south side of the railroad tracks and inland was mostly roof damage.

Maybe I attract the really bad hurricanes .... 36 yrs later another lady named Katrina paid us a visit. I was then back in my hometown of Pascagoula, MS and rode out the storm with my daughter, her husband and small children. After experiencing the two named storms mentioned above and many lesser hurricanes over the years, I found Katrina did not fit the criteria of what I call a "normal" hurricane. It was cold that morning, we had sweaters on, we heard an eery rumbling sound, the wind was gusty not sustained and there was very little rain. We spent much of our time standing on the front porch and substantial wind would have blown us off the porch... wouldn't you think? Dave, my son in law and I were on the porch when the water began rushing down the street. We hesitated in taking immediate action as we were trying to figure out where the water was coming from. To this day, I am still trying to figure out what happened here. Most importantly, we survived the onslaught but the aftermath is much more difficult to survive!

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Job Training Initiative Includes Free Construction Classes

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Job Training Initiative Includes Free Construction Classes: "So much to build and not enough builders. Governor Haley Barbour says rebuilding here is suffering because of a tremendous shortage of qualified construction workers. That's why on Monday the governor threw his support behind an initiative called 'I'm GREAT.' GREAT is an acronym for Gulf Rebuild: Education, Advancement and Training. The goal is to train 20,000 Gulf Coast residents from Texas to Mississippi in basic construction over the next three years."

3 teens charged with murder

3 teens charged with murder: "3 teens charged with murder
Sunday, October 15, 2006
By BRAD CROCKER

MOSS POINT -- Lakeisha Henderson never believed a murder would happen in her quiet Moss Point neighborhood, especially next door.

But on Friday, shortly after arriving home from school and falling asleep, Henderson awoke and found police and ambulance units next door at 3520 Kimberly Drive, where Yvette Dott, 19, had been shot and killed.

Three teenage suspects were arrested Friday and a fourth suspect, considered armed and dangerous, is being sought by Moss Point police in connection with Dott's death."

Woman beaten, left for dead

Woman beaten, left for dead: "ORANGE GROVE -- Clues are scarce in an aggravated assault Friday of a woman who was found beaten and nude in the Orange Grove community.

The attack occurred sometime between 3 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. Friday, Jackson County sheriff's investigator Tamara Mims said Saturday.

The unidentified 27-year-old victim from Pascagoula was found on a dirt path off Pollock Ferry Road -- which runs off of Old Stage Road in Orange Grove -- by a passersby.

The woman exited a wooded area covered with blood. She had been struck in the head 12 times with an unknown object, and the fractures and injuries she sustained are life-threatening, Mims said."

Homeowners, officials reach boiling point over slow grant program

Homeowners, officials reach boiling point over slow grant program: "'I feel helpless, because I tell people (Barbour) is working on it,' McKay said. 'There's nothing we can do. It's on a state level. It makes me feel bad for people who need money. We have no way of improving the process. It's just telling people to wait and wait. That's frustrating.'

'The whole point of doing this was to give people hope so they wouldn't have to sell their house or be foreclosed upon or just walk away and lose everything,' Taylor said. 'The whole idea was to give them hope that someone was going to come to their help and that they could stay in their houses. And taking this long is hurting those hopes.'

As more than 15,000 Coast homeowners continue to wait for their grant checks, the Mississippi Development Authority advises patience with the Homeowner Grant Program, an unprecedented undertaking that has become much more manual than first expected.

For Taylor and McKay, patience has worn thin.

For their constituents, it's worn out."

Most of you who have been coming to my blog for months now knew that you would probably find news about south Mississippi and how we are recovering from Katrina. Lately, you may have noticed,I have become more personal in relating my struggles as well as those of my daughter and her family also. In all honesty, there is not one person that resides here that is not having problems. They seem to go on and on without an end in sight. Volunteers have been slacking off in coming to our assistance. Over a year has gone by and surely we are well on our way to recovery right? Wrong! I spoke earlier of a domino effect and that's what is happening here. If any of you think the majority of the people can rebuild their homes without an assistance grant and, in some cases, further assistance beyond the grants, you would be incorrect. Realistically, if you use yourself as the measuring stick, could you do it? Most people can't. It usually takes a lifetime to live in a home dreaming of one day celebrating by "burning" the mortgage. Mortgage companies,in some instances, have been lenient with the payments but when, and if, the grant assistance reaches the people, they will have to make all the back payments... the lenders can't pardon the mortgages without jeopardizing themselves which is understandable. So the "catch 22" continues for most of us in the area. The people are stymied and cannot take what used to be appropriate action.

Crime has increased in the area as has substance abuse (alcohol included). I posted an article from the Sun Herald on a 15 yr. old boy who brought a 22 caliber gun to school and hid it in a trash can in the restroom at Resurrection High School in Pascagoula. I graduated from that school when it was known as Our Lady of Victories (OLV). To think something like that could happen there is unbelievable. Domestic abuse is rampant also. The violence I have mentioned did not rise in this area because of Katrina, it is happening all around the Country. It's time we wake up and realize that something bigger is occuring. We have rules that should curtail every act of violence but they are not working. Perhaps we should appeal our case to a higher power.

On a lighter note, I spent the day cleaning the yard. I don't mean raking a leaf or two... I mean backbreaking work. Dave and Anita were here and lent welcomed hands in the weeding and the trimming of overgrowth. It is looking better and since the grass is going dormant for the winter, I can relax more! See you again when I have something to say. You can count on it!

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Former Sheriff's Major Charged With Murder

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Former Sheriff's Major Charged With Murder: "A recently retired major with the Jackson County sheriff's department is in jail this morning, charged with murder. Gautier police say it happened about 7:30 last night at a home on Cockleshell Lane."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Race Balloon Makes Surprise Landing In Harrison County

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Race Balloon Makes Surprise Landing In Harrison County: "Bulldozers cleared a path, deep in the woods of Harrison County. They were trying to reach a bright, yellow gas-powered balloon, that was stuck about 50-feet high in the trees.

'We had to knock some trees down and we had to get the flammable Helium out of the balloon', says Harrison County Fire Marshal George Mixon.

Harrison County firefighters got the distress call around 11:00 am Thursday.

'34 years of public safety, and I've never seen anything like this,' says Mixon.

The pilot and his co-pilot had no intention of dropping in on South Mississippi when they took off from Albuquerque Tuesday night.

'We were in a cross country balloon race,' says the pilot Brian Critelli. 'And as with any kind of air sport, you typically run out of fuel at some point, and we got low on fuel and decided to land.'"

We have a beetle infestation on the Coast that has attacked the pine trees. My neighbor has two dying ones in his yard and has no interest in taking them down as neither will fall on his house. One poses a threat to my home. Today as I was working in the yard, I actually would say aloud, "Please don't let it snap today." You know, like it's okay to fall tomorrow, right? I didn't want it to fall on ME while I was raking!!! There is no shortage of problems in this area. It seems when a problem finally resolves itself, another is waiting to take its place. I have pictures below and the house you see is mine. The oak to the right of the picture is in my yard. You be the judge!

The Sun Herald | 10/12/2006 | School finds gun. Boy, 15, arrested

The Sun Herald | 10/12/2006 | School finds gun. Boy, 15, arrested: "School finds gun. Boy, 15, arrested
By MARGARET BAKER

PASCAGOULA - Resurrection High School was under lockdown for less than an hour Wednesday after school officials learned that one of their students had a gun.

Principal Darnell Cuevas reported the incident to the Pascagoula Police Department at 11:40 a.m.

Cuevas told authorities they had gotten information about a student carrying a gun on the campus on Watts Avenue.

Pascagoula Police Officer Brian Montgomery got to the school within minutes and by then, school officials had already discovered a .22-caliber handgun in a garbage can in one of the school restrooms."

The Sun Herald | 10/12/2006 | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

The Sun Herald | 10/12/2006 | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: "Posted on Thu, Oct. 12, 2006
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Knocked down by Katrina; finished off by bureaucracy

The Mississippi Gulf Coast is dead! Years from now when anyone asks 'What happened?' the appropriate reply should be: 'Katrina knocked it down and bureaucracy strangled it.'

While Katrina dealt us a mighty blow, it was far from fatal; the mortal wound came at the hands of government. From the lowest level local public servant to the highest ranking office in the Republic, government failed us in every way.

I do not believe that government should take care of our every need, but it would greatly assist us in our recovery if it would just get the hell out of the way!

You can't simply take care of your own recovery either because every step of the recovery is regulated, mandated, legislated and formulated to require government permission before any forward progress can be attempted.

The largest stumbling block that I've personally encountered is local planning/development/permitting departments. I have dealt with Harrison County, Jackson County and the city of Biloxi and each of these entities and the people that serve in them are obstacles to the Coast's recovery. Here's why the Coast will soon draw its last breath:

• It shouldn't take five months to get site approval for a dental clinic.

• When you make numerous calls to your Jackson County supervisor he should call you back - even if you have to wait until he gets out of jail.

• Civil servants should remember to be both civil and of service.

• It shouldn't take three months to get a letter approving a variance from one department to another.

The final nail in the Coast's coffin, though, will be the absurd insurance costs. New insurance rates went into effect on Oct. 1, and I can tell you this: my wife and I can no longer afford to live here or work here.

According to the information I received, no company is writing new wind insurance in the six coastal counties and all homeowners seeking new coverage will go into the wind pool. This will shut down the real estate market on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. What we need is an elected official to guard the taxpayers from the unscrupulous insurance companies... oh, wait, we have such an official... and he too failed us miserably.

Will the last person to leave the Coast please drop the keys off at the front desk of the nearest casino.

BO RAY
Biloxi"

Airplane crashes into Manhattan high-rise - CNN.com

Airplane crashes into Manhattan high-rise - CNN.com

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Moss Point Rec Center in "Wrecked" Shape

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Moss Point Rec Center in "Wrecked" Shape: " What was once a place for basketball, pool, dances, and summer camps, now plays home to hundreds of trash cans. Keli Rabon takes us to a landmark of recreation in Moss Point that was destroyed by Katrina, and over a year later, has still gone untouched.

'A facility for garbage cans, a dump.' "

SunHerald.com | 10/10/2006 | All of New Orleans finally has safe drinking water

SunHerald.com | 10/10/2006 | All of New Orleans finally has safe drinking water: "NEW ORLEANS - The entire city of New Orleans now has safe drinking water for the first time since Hurricane Katrina, officials say.

Tap water was declared safe Monday by the state health department in the northern section of the Lower Ninth Ward where thousands of homes have been without potable water for more than a year, said Marcia St. Martin, executive director of the Sewerage & Water Board."

Butterfly in Picture ... Cousin to Monarch

I have admired the beauty of flowers since I was a child and have always had flowers in any home I have lived in. In August 2005 when Katrina devastated our area, I couldn't recapture the love I had for flowers as I had to prioritize many issues that couldn't take a backseat to something so inane as gardening. Sure I was in the yards after the storm and remained there for six months cleaning up the "mess" that was now my yard. The season that I love best, Fall, that year was hard labor and no matter in which direction I turned the scene before me revealed only devastation. To escape the overwhelming feelings rising up in me I decided to do something about the situation. What could I do? When my daughter gave me a digital camera, I knew! So with all the pictures I have taken I hope I have enlightened you to what happened to us in Mississippi. Yesterday is gone and we are still struggling to live in what we have left today.

I returned to working in my yard Sunday and have been getting it back in shape as a thing of beauty not a chore. The leaves are falling and there will be lots of raking but maybe this time it won't be so difficult to find help to do the harder yard jobs for me.

We are still slithering at the pace of a snail as far as progress goes but eventually we will get there. So now I have returned to my Garden and soon I will buy me a rod n' reel and go back to another love of mine.....FISHING!!

The Sun Herald | 10/10/2006 | Former Gautier resident being treated for wounds suffered in Iraq

The Sun Herald | 10/10/2006 | Former Gautier resident being treated for wounds suffered in Iraq: "OCEAN SPRINGS - A soldier who attended high school in Gautier has been hospitalized in Washington, D.C., for treatment of wounds suffered last week in Iraq, according to his grandparents.

Spc. Bradly Davis, 23, received injuries to his shoulders, chest, stomach and hips during a mortar attack by insurgents in Hit, west of Baghdad, said his grandfather, Jason Noble of Ocean Springs.

Davis, whose duties included transporting troops to and from combat areas, had stopped with several other soldiers to repair their armored vehicle when the attack happened, Noble said Monday."

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Moss Point Rec Director Promises Fun for All Ages

WLOX-TV - The News for South Mississippi: Moss Point Rec Director Promises Fun for All Ages: "The city of Moss Point can soon begin to expect fun events and activities for citizens off all ages. It's part of the vision that the new director of Parks and Recreation has for the community. Keli Rabon has more on this new addition to the city's staff, and the big plans she has for the city.

'Today I guess really is a sigh of relief. Because I've been anticipating getting in, getting started. We've got a lot of work to do,' Moss Point Parks and Recreation director Donna Joseph said.

It's Donna Joseph's first day on the job as Moss Point Parks and Recreation director, and she's already brimming with ideas. "

Hazards In The Roadways

In the news lately there have been fatalities caused by hazards on the highways. Interstate 10 is our only route to get to the coastal cities so there is always a great amount of traffic. With all the construction taking place in our areas there are many open bed trucks carrying materials and debris. Sometimes, unfortunately, things will fall off these trucks creating a dangerous hazard for those traveling the interstate.

We should be more aware of our surroundings and be alert to the conditions of the roads around our own cities also. The incident I encountered Saturday was quite different. Whenever I go visit my daughter and family, since she lives in close proximity to the beach, I usually take a ride to look for new construction. I had just turned right onto Washington Avenue and saw a man walking to my right and I instinctively moved left to give a wide berth to the pedestrian. It was then too late to avoid a long metal strip laying in the road..... I ran over it. As of today, everything seems fine with the car. My husband used to ask me if I aimed for the pot holes and whatever was in the road.

Further down Washington I saw where the metal most likely came from. I can only imagine how the truck incurred the damage as I didn't witness it. So all of you please take extra precautions ... I will!

Contractors sought for Beauvoir work - The Clarion-Ledger

Contractors sought for Beauvoir work - The Clarion-Ledger: "The last home of Confederate President Jefferson Davis, which drew 75,000 to 100,000 visitors annually, was heavily damaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. It has been closed since. Restoration of the National Historic Landmark, expected to cost millions, will take both public and private support.

Bids will be for restoration of Beauvoir House only, with the hope of a grand re-opening June 3, 2008, Davis' 200th birthday. The building will be restored to the period 1877-89, when Davis lived there.

A prequalification committee of representatives from FEMA, Mississippi Department of Archives and History, board of Beauvoir and Albert & Associates Architects will approve a general contractor with the experience and capability to work on a heavily damaged national landmark."

River Road Moss Point

It was difficult to take good pictures as there were many people that would walk in front of the camera but I captured enough to show you what has been a celebrated occasion for 10 years. Of course, they didn't come last October as they wouldn't have been able to get around the debris. This year they came knowing there wasn't much left of the Coast as they knew it. In 2003, we drove over to Biloxi and it was really exciting to ride down Hwy 90 beside these old cars with the V8 engines.







There were many more cars that we didn't get pictures of but we decided we had enough and went back into the park and sat at a picnic table. William immediately said, "Give me $2.00 for a cold drink." It wasn't what he said but the demanding way he said it that made both Anita and myself say that we didn't have any money and go see if he and George could find water at the Red Cross booth! William came back without George and said they didn't have any. He didn't know where George was when we asked. We gave William money to go get the cold drinks for all of us. After about 20 minutes we went to find George and saw him walking proudly carrying a small cardboard box. He took us literally with what we said and he went to a booth and told them that his family was very hungry and didn't have any money to buy food. They gave him two hamburgers, two hot dogs and four cold drinks .... $20.00 worth of food. We almost fainted but instead we decided to go pay for the food. We heard a couple of other performers sing but hadn't known when we came that Charlie Daniels wouldn't be performing until 8:00 0'clock and decided to leave because ALL the people in the park would be swarming to the shuttles and we wouldn't get back home until probably after midnight.

It was a great day and I am proud of Pascagoula ... they were a great host to all of us!

Cruisin' the Coast - Pascagoula

A step back in time! Let's get to the cars now!

I drove a new 1957 Chevy down all the streets of Pascagoula.... I really thought I was something! I can only imagine how I would have felt had I known I was driving a classic. My father co-signed for me to buy the car. I really wanted the hardtop but I couldn't afford it so I had a two toned blue sedan. A really sharp car! I paid $600 down and $78.36 a month for 3 1/2 years. Do the math .... do you know how little I payed for the car. Nothing near the prices of today. My father would ask me each month, "Did you pay the car note?" I was young enough to wonder why he kept asking me.

In 1978, we bought our then three teenaged daughters a 1967 Mustang to gad about in. My husband bought me a 1978 Thunderbird that was not anything like the Birds of the 50's but Boy!! ...could it go! Looking at all the cars brought memories of all the cars that we had.

I have more pictures to show you on next post!

My daughter, Anita, and her two boys, George and William, accompanied me to Beach Park to see the old vintage cars. Anita as a parent told the boys that proper behavior would be required ... absolutely no touching the cars. I added, "Do not embarrass your Nana!" With all that said we started on our way. We had to be at the school near Anita's house and leave my car parked with hundreds of other cars and be shuttled to the beach as no vehicles were allowed in the beach area except those of the "Cruisin' the Coast" people.






Since I have many more pictures, I will have to post maybe two more times to show you some of the old cars. See you then!

"Cruisin' the Coast"

Today Pascagoula is very much alive, as all the old cars make their presence known. The weather was perfect as Dave, Anita, myself and their kids drove around earlier today to watch the old cars as they drove around Pascagoula. The traffic is heavy which is exciting as I wasn't sure if I would ever see that again. Almost fourteen months later there are cars everywhere. Many, many new ones that replace the thousands that were flooded but the spotlight today is on the ones from years long ago. We will try to make it to Beach Park tonight as Charlie Daniels will be entertaining us. In case you don't know, he is the one who made popular "The Devil Went Down To Georgia". I will let you know in a later post how it all turns out. Hope to get more pictures to show you!