I'm in the process of having my Katrina chairs reupholsetered. You might think that over a year after Katrina that it would be a new point, a great cleansing time, or a way to feel good about movving on.
I am not sure that we do move on. We don't have a choice, so we pick ourselves up and get back to living. At the same time, we know there is a void, that our very innocence about our safety has been struck to the quick. When yours and the neighborhoods of nearly a million other people have been permantely altered, it's not pleasant and you don't feel resilient. You don't feel lucky, you do feel the pit where your emotions used to be.
You wonder why people care deeply about those in Iraq while your life has been completely devastated. You wonder why you are so insignificant while one square mile in NYC still makes an entire country weep. Meanwhile, multiple zipcodes in southern Louisisana, yes, Louisiana is in the United States, are as devasted as either scenario.
It seems to be, although we continue to play the 5 stages of grief like someone might play the flute, that we need to go back, to linger, on the stage of anger. We haven't been angry long enough to get results. We felt guilty to ask for help. We felt appreiciative that someone donated their 1980s clothes to us, was there a tax deduction? To a government, you pick a branch, that so successfully failed us. We don't have the energy perhaps, we are too drained, we have too much pride, but in the end, we deserve better treatment, you pick from where. I want my own license plate, similiar to POWs, vets, or EMTs. I wnt people to buy special katrina plates so that we are recognized for the horror that we have gone through. We now deserve a pass for a very long time and since no one has done it so far, we need to channel our anger into our just desserts.
If you can build a monument to a killing field in New Youk or sink trillions into the greatest debachle in our history, Louisisana deserves that multiplied by ten. Step to to the United States. It's about time.
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Katrina: Life a Year Later
I wrote the following days after Hurricane Katrina hit our lives. I think it's still important enough to republish. Sadly, I was more optimistic then than I am today.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings, This is a relatively quick note to let you know that we are fine. My 86 year old mother, my dog, and I evacuated from the New Orleans area on Sunday morning. We left at 5 am and wound up in Chicago at 8:30 at night. The biggest irony was that this is my week of vacation and we were going to spend it in Pass Christian, MS, just about where Katrina hit landfall. The area was underwater for awhile and I can only assume that we would not have survived had we gone there. Initially, we were going to wait out the storm in Oxford, MS, about 2 hours south of Memphis. At a Sunday 10:30 am press conference, the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told citizens to mandatory evacuate and not to return for five days. That was enough for us; we called a good friend in Chicago and found out how long it would take to get there. We are now safe and comfortable and plan to go to Stevens Point for the next month or two while we try to regain control. To be honest, this is still beyond my comprehension. I’m sure once I actually know more about my apartment, I’ll either break down or know how to handle this. Right now, you just don’t know… Although I can assure you that this means we will not try to rebuild our lives in Louisiana. Instead, to me, my thoughts are—at least at this moment—we will remain in the Midwest and try to rebuild our lives here. We have only been there a little over a year and have not really put down roots, so I’d prefer to be where we really do belong (in spite of the cold weather up North!). How you can help: If by chance you have access to information, I’d really appreciate you forwarding it to me. It is really, really difficult to find out details. We are assuming we are underwater, but I’d love some more knowledge. Specifically, we lived in Metairie, Jefferson Parish (county), between Cleary and Clearview on Lake Villa Dr., one block from Veterans Parkway. I’m five miles between the City proper and the Airport. I keep hoping to recognize something with the fly-over shots from the national press. Moreover, before you give those household appliances, TV sets, etc. to the Salvation Army, please consider hanging on to it for a month or two. We don’t know if we own anything anymore and may need your compassion, but I am holding out hope that at least some of our family mementos have been spared. Probably the only thing I am hoping for is that my Diploma for my Doctorate survived. BTW, we don’t have flood insurance. Again, many thanks for those of you who have tried to call us. The phones are out and access to any basic service in the NOLA area is, at best, limited. I do have access to my email accounts, mainstreet921@hotmail.com and susan.simkowski@gmail.com so feel free to touch base. I really appreciate your concern and prayers on our behalf. Keep us in your prayers. Susan M. Simkowski
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Greetings, This is a relatively quick note to let you know that we are fine. My 86 year old mother, my dog, and I evacuated from the New Orleans area on Sunday morning. We left at 5 am and wound up in Chicago at 8:30 at night. The biggest irony was that this is my week of vacation and we were going to spend it in Pass Christian, MS, just about where Katrina hit landfall. The area was underwater for awhile and I can only assume that we would not have survived had we gone there. Initially, we were going to wait out the storm in Oxford, MS, about 2 hours south of Memphis. At a Sunday 10:30 am press conference, the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, told citizens to mandatory evacuate and not to return for five days. That was enough for us; we called a good friend in Chicago and found out how long it would take to get there. We are now safe and comfortable and plan to go to Stevens Point for the next month or two while we try to regain control. To be honest, this is still beyond my comprehension. I’m sure once I actually know more about my apartment, I’ll either break down or know how to handle this. Right now, you just don’t know… Although I can assure you that this means we will not try to rebuild our lives in Louisiana. Instead, to me, my thoughts are—at least at this moment—we will remain in the Midwest and try to rebuild our lives here. We have only been there a little over a year and have not really put down roots, so I’d prefer to be where we really do belong (in spite of the cold weather up North!). How you can help: If by chance you have access to information, I’d really appreciate you forwarding it to me. It is really, really difficult to find out details. We are assuming we are underwater, but I’d love some more knowledge. Specifically, we lived in Metairie, Jefferson Parish (county), between Cleary and Clearview on Lake Villa Dr., one block from Veterans Parkway. I’m five miles between the City proper and the Airport. I keep hoping to recognize something with the fly-over shots from the national press. Moreover, before you give those household appliances, TV sets, etc. to the Salvation Army, please consider hanging on to it for a month or two. We don’t know if we own anything anymore and may need your compassion, but I am holding out hope that at least some of our family mementos have been spared. Probably the only thing I am hoping for is that my Diploma for my Doctorate survived. BTW, we don’t have flood insurance. Again, many thanks for those of you who have tried to call us. The phones are out and access to any basic service in the NOLA area is, at best, limited. I do have access to my email accounts, mainstreet921@hotmail.com and susan.simkowski@gmail.com so feel free to touch base. I really appreciate your concern and prayers on our behalf. Keep us in your prayers. Susan M. Simkowski
Friday, August 18, 2006
Spike Lee Hates White People
Just read the review of the Spike Lee version of Katrina. He said telling the story of 67% of the people is good enough. Evidently, he forgot that the area deluged by the Katrina Saga is more than just the city itself. There were at least five parishes and 1.1 million people in Louisiana that felt the impact, both residually and directly. That means that he is telling the story of 350,000 or a little less than a third. A third is still an important number, but like any statistics, it's not as meaningful as the majority. Add Mississippi and the numbers continue to decrease.
We should not be surprised. Like any good Hollywood director, Spike Lee tells the story he wants. Please keep in mind, however, his version is a story.
We should not be surprised. Like any good Hollywood director, Spike Lee tells the story he wants. Please keep in mind, however, his version is a story.
Sunday, July 09, 2006
More katrina truth
Greetings.
Just came back from another Whirlwind post-Katrina trip. I went down again to NOLA with a very good friend to pick up the remainder of my stuff. Lucky for me it was from my office on the twentith floor of the World trade Center (yes, there is more than one WTC). FYI NOLA's WTC was the first one built!
In any event, there was progress, if that's what you want to call it. In other words, about 80% of the debris was actually out of the street. This is not to say it's gone, it's been conveniently moved. The people down there are trying to feel better about themselves. they are not completely the walking wounded or Zombies that I saw when I was last down there in February. I feel so sorry for everyone. Regardless of your own situation down there, you are living and driving through Hell daily. It's more than a drag; more than an inconvenience: no one in America deserves to live like that. It's like being in the Middle East. And like the Middle East, no one back in America really cares.
the sad thing is, how do the locals take care of it?I can barely cut my grass, let alone build a house. Now multiply that by 100,000. It's just too much.
When I finally moved away, someone said that in about a year, more people would follow. He was right. More people have either taken their insurance money or not gotten insurance money and can't hold out any longer, so they have moved (or trying) to move on. I, like the people I left behind, want to be nutured, recognized, and taken care of. I want some security and feel that I've worked hard enough that I don't have to work harder than the next group.
Although this wan't originally played as the great equalizer, it was the poor that got the shaft, etc. I think all would agree that ALL of us down in Louisiana truly got screwed, black, white, rich or poor. Katrina brought my style of living down considerably and my estate will be paying my debts after I'm gone. Of course, I could win the lottery, but I'm going with the high debt factor instead. I'm genuinely sick of people telling how lucky I am to have the ability to be in debt. It's an incredibly stupid thing for people to say. But that's the American way, build a positive out of a negative and move onto the next commercial.
Just came back from another Whirlwind post-Katrina trip. I went down again to NOLA with a very good friend to pick up the remainder of my stuff. Lucky for me it was from my office on the twentith floor of the World trade Center (yes, there is more than one WTC). FYI NOLA's WTC was the first one built!
In any event, there was progress, if that's what you want to call it. In other words, about 80% of the debris was actually out of the street. This is not to say it's gone, it's been conveniently moved. The people down there are trying to feel better about themselves. they are not completely the walking wounded or Zombies that I saw when I was last down there in February. I feel so sorry for everyone. Regardless of your own situation down there, you are living and driving through Hell daily. It's more than a drag; more than an inconvenience: no one in America deserves to live like that. It's like being in the Middle East. And like the Middle East, no one back in America really cares.
the sad thing is, how do the locals take care of it?I can barely cut my grass, let alone build a house. Now multiply that by 100,000. It's just too much.
When I finally moved away, someone said that in about a year, more people would follow. He was right. More people have either taken their insurance money or not gotten insurance money and can't hold out any longer, so they have moved (or trying) to move on. I, like the people I left behind, want to be nutured, recognized, and taken care of. I want some security and feel that I've worked hard enough that I don't have to work harder than the next group.
Although this wan't originally played as the great equalizer, it was the poor that got the shaft, etc. I think all would agree that ALL of us down in Louisiana truly got screwed, black, white, rich or poor. Katrina brought my style of living down considerably and my estate will be paying my debts after I'm gone. Of course, I could win the lottery, but I'm going with the high debt factor instead. I'm genuinely sick of people telling how lucky I am to have the ability to be in debt. It's an incredibly stupid thing for people to say. But that's the American way, build a positive out of a negative and move onto the next commercial.
Monday, May 22, 2006
Quote of the day
"They don't get the uniqueness of New Orleans, they don't really get what really happened during Katrina — all they saw was those awful images."MAYOR C. RAY NAGIN, of New Orleans, asked what he would say to those who were surprised at his re-election on Saturday.
Thursday, May 18, 2006
the truth about New Orleans from Sports Ill
the truth about New Orleans
I know you come to this column to read about football, sports and otherthings. I'll get to the regular Tuesday fare, your e-mails, in a fewparagraphs. First, there's something a little more significant to discuss.
I sense that we in this country have Katrina fatigue. The New York Times reported as much recently, saying that people in some of the areas thatwelcomed Katrina evacuees last September are sick of hearing about thehurricane, the flooding and the aftermath.Well, my wife and I were in a car last Wednesday that toured the hardest-hitarea of New Orleans, the Lower Ninth Ward. We worked a day at a nearbyHabitat for Humanity site on Thursday, and we toured theBiloxi/Gulfport/Long Beach/Pass Christian gulf shore area last Friday. Andlet me just say this: I can absolutely guarantee you that if you'd been inthe car with us, no matter how much you'd been hit over the head with theeffects of this disaster, you would not have Katrina fatigue.What I saw was a national disgrace. An inexcusable, irresponsible,borderline criminal national disgrace. I am ashamed of this country for theinaction I saw everywhere.I mentioned my outrage to the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, on Thursday.He shook his head and said, "Tell me about it.'' Disgust dripped from hisvoice.What are we doing in this country?"It's been eight months since Katrina,'' said Jack Bowers, my New Jerseyfriend and Habitat for Humanity guide through the Lower Ninth Ward, as hetook us through deserted streets where nothing, absolutely nothing, wasbeing done about the wasteland that this place is. "Eight months!" he said. "And look at it. When people talk to me about NewOrleans, they say, 'Well, things are getting back to normal down there,aren't they?' I tell them things are a long, long way from normal, and it'sgoing to be a long time before it's ever normal. And I tell them they'venever seen anything like this.''Our Mississippi guide, Josh Norman of the Biloxi Sun-Herald, put it thisway: "People outside of here are tired of hearing about it. They've moved onto the next news cycle.''How can we let an area like the Lower Ninth Ward sit there, on the eve ofanother hurricane season, with nothing being done to either bulldoze theplace and start over, or rebuild? How can Congress sit on billions oflooming aid and not release it for this area?I can't help but think that if this were Los Angeles or New York, that 500percent more money -- and concern -- would have flooded into this place. AndI can't help but think that if the idiots who let the levees down here go toseed had simply been doing their jobs, we'd never have been in this mess inthe first place -- in New Orleans, at least. Other than former FEMA directorMichael Brown, are you telling me that no others are paying for this withtheir jobs? Whatever happened to responsibility?Am I ticked off? Damn right I'm ticked off. If you're breathing, you shouldbe morally outraged. Katrina fatigue? Hah! More Katrina news! Give me more!Give it to me every day on the front page! Every day until Washingtonrealizes there's a disaster here every bit as urgent as anything happeningin this world today -- fighting terrorism, combating the nuclear threat inIran. I'm not in any way a political animal, but all you have to be is anoccasionally thinking American to be sickened by the conditions I saw.The Lower Ninth Ward is a 1.5-by-2-mile area a couple of miles from thecenter of New Orleans. It is a poor area. I should say it was a poor area.Before the storm, 20,000 people lived there. Fats Domino lived there. So,formerly, did Marshall Faulk. And now you drive through it and see nothingbeing done to fix it or tear it down, or to do anything. In Mississippi, we drove through one formerly thriving beach town that hastwo structures left. We drove past concrete pads with litter and shards ofwood around them. Former houses. The houses, quite literally, have beeneviscerated. Hundreds of them. This is what nuclear winter must look like, Ithought.I'm a sportswriter. It's not my job to figure how to fix what ails the GulfCoast. But the leaders of this society are responsible. And they're notdoing their jobs. I could ignore everything I saw and go back to my nice NewJersey cocoon, forgetting I saw it. And I know you don't read me to hear myworldviews. But I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't say something.On Saturday, at the Saints' headquarters for the draft, I watched the dayunfold with a friend of the team, New Orleans businessman and presidentMichael Whelan. I told him what I'd seen, and asked him what he thought."We spend all this money on the war in Iraq and we can't take care of ourown cities?" he said. "You get out of downtown, and it's like a war zone ina lot of neighborhoods still. The government has been a huge letdown. I'veheard billions of dollars are going to be sent here. Where are they? Nothingis taking place. I certainly think that now it's back-page news; thegovernment is sweeping it under the rug.''[The remainder of the story is about sports and may be viewed here:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/peter_king/05/02/mmqbte/index.html]
I know you come to this column to read about football, sports and otherthings. I'll get to the regular Tuesday fare, your e-mails, in a fewparagraphs. First, there's something a little more significant to discuss.
I sense that we in this country have Katrina fatigue. The New York Times reported as much recently, saying that people in some of the areas thatwelcomed Katrina evacuees last September are sick of hearing about thehurricane, the flooding and the aftermath.Well, my wife and I were in a car last Wednesday that toured the hardest-hitarea of New Orleans, the Lower Ninth Ward. We worked a day at a nearbyHabitat for Humanity site on Thursday, and we toured theBiloxi/Gulfport/Long Beach/Pass Christian gulf shore area last Friday. Andlet me just say this: I can absolutely guarantee you that if you'd been inthe car with us, no matter how much you'd been hit over the head with theeffects of this disaster, you would not have Katrina fatigue.What I saw was a national disgrace. An inexcusable, irresponsible,borderline criminal national disgrace. I am ashamed of this country for theinaction I saw everywhere.I mentioned my outrage to the mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, on Thursday.He shook his head and said, "Tell me about it.'' Disgust dripped from hisvoice.What are we doing in this country?"It's been eight months since Katrina,'' said Jack Bowers, my New Jerseyfriend and Habitat for Humanity guide through the Lower Ninth Ward, as hetook us through deserted streets where nothing, absolutely nothing, wasbeing done about the wasteland that this place is. "Eight months!" he said. "And look at it. When people talk to me about NewOrleans, they say, 'Well, things are getting back to normal down there,aren't they?' I tell them things are a long, long way from normal, and it'sgoing to be a long time before it's ever normal. And I tell them they'venever seen anything like this.''Our Mississippi guide, Josh Norman of the Biloxi Sun-Herald, put it thisway: "People outside of here are tired of hearing about it. They've moved onto the next news cycle.''How can we let an area like the Lower Ninth Ward sit there, on the eve ofanother hurricane season, with nothing being done to either bulldoze theplace and start over, or rebuild? How can Congress sit on billions oflooming aid and not release it for this area?I can't help but think that if this were Los Angeles or New York, that 500percent more money -- and concern -- would have flooded into this place. AndI can't help but think that if the idiots who let the levees down here go toseed had simply been doing their jobs, we'd never have been in this mess inthe first place -- in New Orleans, at least. Other than former FEMA directorMichael Brown, are you telling me that no others are paying for this withtheir jobs? Whatever happened to responsibility?Am I ticked off? Damn right I'm ticked off. If you're breathing, you shouldbe morally outraged. Katrina fatigue? Hah! More Katrina news! Give me more!Give it to me every day on the front page! Every day until Washingtonrealizes there's a disaster here every bit as urgent as anything happeningin this world today -- fighting terrorism, combating the nuclear threat inIran. I'm not in any way a political animal, but all you have to be is anoccasionally thinking American to be sickened by the conditions I saw.The Lower Ninth Ward is a 1.5-by-2-mile area a couple of miles from thecenter of New Orleans. It is a poor area. I should say it was a poor area.Before the storm, 20,000 people lived there. Fats Domino lived there. So,formerly, did Marshall Faulk. And now you drive through it and see nothingbeing done to fix it or tear it down, or to do anything. In Mississippi, we drove through one formerly thriving beach town that hastwo structures left. We drove past concrete pads with litter and shards ofwood around them. Former houses. The houses, quite literally, have beeneviscerated. Hundreds of them. This is what nuclear winter must look like, Ithought.I'm a sportswriter. It's not my job to figure how to fix what ails the GulfCoast. But the leaders of this society are responsible. And they're notdoing their jobs. I could ignore everything I saw and go back to my nice NewJersey cocoon, forgetting I saw it. And I know you don't read me to hear myworldviews. But I couldn't sleep at night if I didn't say something.On Saturday, at the Saints' headquarters for the draft, I watched the dayunfold with a friend of the team, New Orleans businessman and presidentMichael Whelan. I told him what I'd seen, and asked him what he thought."We spend all this money on the war in Iraq and we can't take care of ourown cities?" he said. "You get out of downtown, and it's like a war zone ina lot of neighborhoods still. The government has been a huge letdown. I'veheard billions of dollars are going to be sent here. Where are they? Nothingis taking place. I certainly think that now it's back-page news; thegovernment is sweeping it under the rug.''[The remainder of the story is about sports and may be viewed here:http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/peter_king/05/02/mmqbte/index.html]
Saturday, February 18, 2006
Katrina Response from WI Senator
February 1, 2006
Dr. Simkowski:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I value thecorrespondence I get from people back home in Wisconsin, and Iwould like to take this opportunity to address your concernsregarding the rebuilding process in the Gulf Coast. As you know, when Hurricane Katrina came ashore onSunday, August 28th, its high winds and heavy rains devastatedareas along the Gulf Coast in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.In its wake, Katrina has displaced thousands of Americans,destroyed homes and businesses and left entire towns literallyunderwater.
In the wake of the Hurricane, I, like many Americans, wasdisappointed with the scope and effectiveness of the FederalEmergency Relief Administration's (FEMA)'s immediateresponse. The potential for the destruction of the complex levysystem, and especially the need to protect New Orleans, wasknown on all levels of local, state, and federal government. Failureto adequately prepare for a disaster on the level of HurricaneKatrina resulted in preventable loss of life and billions of dollars ofdamage.
In spite of these problems, and as the priority of saving thelives of those affected by Katrina continues to be addressed,FEMA is helping those affected by the storm get back on their feet.FEMA offers temporary shelter, clean drinking water, food, ice,gasoline, and power generators to help ease the burden on thosepeople whose lives have been hurt by the storm. It will certainlytake years for the people of the Gulf Coast to fully recover fromthis tragic storm, and FEMA has committed to providing servicesfor as long as is necessary.
It is now time for Administration, with the help ofCongress, to analyze FEMA\'sfailures before, during and after the Hurricane, and come up with away to repair and improve this important agency so that acatastrophe such as this may be avoided in the future. In theaftermath of the storm, we must do all we can to help. I amcommitted to working with my colleagues to ensure that thisproblem is addressed, as well as assuring sufficient funding forthese important and ongoing relief efforts.
Thank you very much for voicing your concern overHurricane Katrina. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to allthose affected by the horrific storm. Thank you again forexpressing your views on the rebuilding process. I will certainlykeep them in mind as Congress continues to work on thisimportant issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I canbe of any further assistance in this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Herb Kohl
Dr. Simkowski:
Thank you for taking the time to contact me. I value thecorrespondence I get from people back home in Wisconsin, and Iwould like to take this opportunity to address your concernsregarding the rebuilding process in the Gulf Coast. As you know, when Hurricane Katrina came ashore onSunday, August 28th, its high winds and heavy rains devastatedareas along the Gulf Coast in Alabama, Louisiana and Mississippi.In its wake, Katrina has displaced thousands of Americans,destroyed homes and businesses and left entire towns literallyunderwater.
In the wake of the Hurricane, I, like many Americans, wasdisappointed with the scope and effectiveness of the FederalEmergency Relief Administration's (FEMA)'s immediateresponse. The potential for the destruction of the complex levysystem, and especially the need to protect New Orleans, wasknown on all levels of local, state, and federal government. Failureto adequately prepare for a disaster on the level of HurricaneKatrina resulted in preventable loss of life and billions of dollars ofdamage.
In spite of these problems, and as the priority of saving thelives of those affected by Katrina continues to be addressed,FEMA is helping those affected by the storm get back on their feet.FEMA offers temporary shelter, clean drinking water, food, ice,gasoline, and power generators to help ease the burden on thosepeople whose lives have been hurt by the storm. It will certainlytake years for the people of the Gulf Coast to fully recover fromthis tragic storm, and FEMA has committed to providing servicesfor as long as is necessary.
It is now time for Administration, with the help ofCongress, to analyze FEMA\'sfailures before, during and after the Hurricane, and come up with away to repair and improve this important agency so that acatastrophe such as this may be avoided in the future. In theaftermath of the storm, we must do all we can to help. I amcommitted to working with my colleagues to ensure that thisproblem is addressed, as well as assuring sufficient funding forthese important and ongoing relief efforts.
Thank you very much for voicing your concern overHurricane Katrina. Our hearts and prayers continue to go out to allthose affected by the horrific storm. Thank you again forexpressing your views on the rebuilding process. I will certainlykeep them in mind as Congress continues to work on thisimportant issue. Please do not hesitate to contact me again if I canbe of any further assistance in this or any other matter.
Sincerely,
Herb Kohl
Thursday, February 09, 2006
New Orleans Redux
This is a quick note while I am in New Orleans. The weather is great, but everything else is still a struggle. We went to Biloxi yesterday to see what we could. If you weren't familiar with it, you'd assume it was just a remote, uninhabited place. Everything is gone. There is so much that needs to be done down here and I"m not sure that these people can help themselves. There are still so many of the walking wounded. I visited a friend's flooded home yesterday. They have sort of emotionally and mentally "shut down" have not done dealt with renovations yet. It's so overwhelming that I'm sure that they don't know where to start.
I'm staying in Algiers Point with another friend. I've never really explored that neighborhood and didn't realize how lovely it is. The houses are sooooo pretty. I wish I could transplant this place to somewhere safe.
I'm staying in Algiers Point with another friend. I've never really explored that neighborhood and didn't realize how lovely it is. The houses are sooooo pretty. I wish I could transplant this place to somewhere safe.
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Wisconsin WInterland
Hey y'all,
Well, we've been back in Wisconsin for--what?--five months now. Really? Well, it'll be five at the end of the month. We are so pleased to be in one place. Can you imagine that we've been in five places in about the same amount of months. If it wasn't for those of you that have helped us, I just don't know...
We've moved back into our commercial building in Stevens Point. Why didn't we do that right away you ask? It wasn't suitable for a residence so we found a contractor to make it one. 8-) NOW when we have to run away from something we at least have a place to do it! I'm sure it's hard to understand why this took this so long. Consider combining the five stages of grief with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: I was in denial that we were at the survival stage (snare drum please!). Finally, I think we both feel safe. I doubt that I said this out loud before, but I was very afraid what the stress of such catastrophic event would do to an elderly person. Thanks to you, I played it safe and didn't try to overdo it, such as too much moving all at one time, too much hype
or too much trying to get back to LA. To be sure, I didn't expect this all this change. I thought that we'd spend a week in Chicago, maybe a month away. And now all of that has changed for so many people.
Well, we've been back in Wisconsin for--what?--five months now. Really? Well, it'll be five at the end of the month. We are so pleased to be in one place. Can you imagine that we've been in five places in about the same amount of months. If it wasn't for those of you that have helped us, I just don't know...
We've moved back into our commercial building in Stevens Point. Why didn't we do that right away you ask? It wasn't suitable for a residence so we found a contractor to make it one. 8-) NOW when we have to run away from something we at least have a place to do it! I'm sure it's hard to understand why this took this so long. Consider combining the five stages of grief with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: I was in denial that we were at the survival stage (snare drum please!). Finally, I think we both feel safe. I doubt that I said this out loud before, but I was very afraid what the stress of such catastrophic event would do to an elderly person. Thanks to you, I played it safe and didn't try to overdo it, such as too much moving all at one time, too much hype
or too much trying to get back to LA. To be sure, I didn't expect this all this change. I thought that we'd spend a week in Chicago, maybe a month away. And now all of that has changed for so many people.
Tuesday, January 10, 2006
A CHANCE TO RENEW AND RESTORE
Dear Friends,
It certainly has been a daunting road to recovery for the City of New Orleans, our member institutions, and NOETC, Inc. Faculty and staff have been displaced, learning has been disrupted, lives lost, and buildings and equipment have been ruined.
At the World Trade Center, our office took very little damage. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina eliminated most of our external equipment, satellite dishes, transmitters and towers. As to the satellite dish, and various EBS antennas, damage was significant. While site surveys have shown all of the transmit antennas, located at the various university campuses, are still in tact, there has been varying degrees of damage which will need to be repaired. This damage ranges from radio boxes inundated with water, to broken waveguides. Antennas at the NOETC facility (WTC rooftop) did not fare well. All receive antennas at that location sustained significant damage, with the exception of Tulane University’s antenna. The steerable receive antenna, which services UNO, Nunez, Delgado, and Xavier was lost completely. The antennas remain intact, but the steerable unit they are attached to is a total loss. This equipment was fabricated specifically for NOETC, and our vendor is in the process of working up an estimate for replacement. The C/Ku Band satellite unit was a total loss. Moreover, our own head-end renovations were almost complete prior to Hurricane Katrina. It appears that being without electricity and air-conditioning did little damage to our electronic equipment. The renovations have been scheduled and should be complete by the end of the winter season. As you can imagine, this will take a considerable amount of funds.
Because of this turn in circumstances, we are requesting your help through your contributions. New Orleans Educational Telecommunications Consortium’s Rebuild and Restore Fund will help us accomplish our current and future goals while helping us rebound from Hurricane Katrina. NOETC is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to providing technology resources to our member institutions. Further information can be found at our website, noetc.org Contributions are tax deductible.
Through the fund, your gift will make possible supplemental services and educational support that is crucially needed for students, faculty and staff through the initial months of rebuilding.
Additionally, your gift will aid in preserving and upgrading equipment, learning resources and facilities, especially when other means are insufficient.
Please donate today.
Gifts may be mailed directly to:
New Orleans Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc.
2 Canal Street, suite 2038
New Orleans, LA 70130
As we move forward through this tumultuous time, please let us know how NOETC may be of service. Please contact us at 504-524-0350 or susansim@noetc.org.Let's pray that 2006 is a successful year.
Susan M. Simkowski, Ed. D.
Executive Director
It certainly has been a daunting road to recovery for the City of New Orleans, our member institutions, and NOETC, Inc. Faculty and staff have been displaced, learning has been disrupted, lives lost, and buildings and equipment have been ruined.
At the World Trade Center, our office took very little damage. Unfortunately, Hurricane Katrina eliminated most of our external equipment, satellite dishes, transmitters and towers. As to the satellite dish, and various EBS antennas, damage was significant. While site surveys have shown all of the transmit antennas, located at the various university campuses, are still in tact, there has been varying degrees of damage which will need to be repaired. This damage ranges from radio boxes inundated with water, to broken waveguides. Antennas at the NOETC facility (WTC rooftop) did not fare well. All receive antennas at that location sustained significant damage, with the exception of Tulane University’s antenna. The steerable receive antenna, which services UNO, Nunez, Delgado, and Xavier was lost completely. The antennas remain intact, but the steerable unit they are attached to is a total loss. This equipment was fabricated specifically for NOETC, and our vendor is in the process of working up an estimate for replacement. The C/Ku Band satellite unit was a total loss. Moreover, our own head-end renovations were almost complete prior to Hurricane Katrina. It appears that being without electricity and air-conditioning did little damage to our electronic equipment. The renovations have been scheduled and should be complete by the end of the winter season. As you can imagine, this will take a considerable amount of funds.
Because of this turn in circumstances, we are requesting your help through your contributions. New Orleans Educational Telecommunications Consortium’s Rebuild and Restore Fund will help us accomplish our current and future goals while helping us rebound from Hurricane Katrina. NOETC is a nonprofit consortium dedicated to providing technology resources to our member institutions. Further information can be found at our website, noetc.org Contributions are tax deductible.
Through the fund, your gift will make possible supplemental services and educational support that is crucially needed for students, faculty and staff through the initial months of rebuilding.
Additionally, your gift will aid in preserving and upgrading equipment, learning resources and facilities, especially when other means are insufficient.
Please donate today.
Gifts may be mailed directly to:
New Orleans Educational Telecommunications Consortium, Inc.
2 Canal Street, suite 2038
New Orleans, LA 70130
As we move forward through this tumultuous time, please let us know how NOETC may be of service. Please contact us at 504-524-0350 or susansim@noetc.org.Let's pray that 2006 is a successful year.
Susan M. Simkowski, Ed. D.
Executive Director
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