Making Sense Out of Nonsense

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 ...

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.

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 t...

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 a...

Dave's version of the Night before Christmas 'Twas the night before Christmas, let me give you the scoop. Not a creature was stirring, cause they all fled the coop. No G-Ma in Lakeview, no Joe in Chalmette, No Towanda on St. Claude, no one's heard from her yet. No Boudreaux in Waveland, no Jacque in Grand Isle, No Jean in Slidell, man that girl makes me smile. The place it was emptied by Katrina's great tide. They all headed north, now they're spread far and wide. As I sat there alone, I wondered out loud, What Christmas would bring without the usual crowd. And I questioned how Santa would find all my friends, Now they're gone cross the country from beginning to end. So I sat at my desk, which was no more than a book, Cause all of my stuff damn Katrina done took. And I wrote me a letter, crafted with care, Made my list for St. Nick, a New Orleans prayer. I start, "Pere Noel, you know times are hard, And I guess fun and laughter, well they're not in my c...

'Twas de night before Katrina, when all tru da state Not a gas pump was pumpin', Not a store open late All da plywood was hung, on de windows wit care, Knowing dat a hurricane, Soon would be dere. Da chilren were ready wit deir flashlight in hand While rain bands from da hurricane covered over our lan And Mom wit her Mag-lite, and me wit my cap Has jus filled da battub for flushing our crap.. When out on de lawn, there arose such a clatter I sprang from da closet to see what was de matter The trees on da terrace, and de neighbor's roof torn, We feared we'd be dyin' in dis terrible storm. Wit a little wind gus, so lively and quick, I membered quite clearly our walls was not brick More rapid than Eagles, her courses they changed! And she whistled and wafted and surged all the same. Off shingles! Off sidings! Off rooftops! Off power! Down trees! Down fences! Down trailers! Down towers! On da street of New Orleans, s he continued to maul, Screaming Blow away! Blow away!...

N A T I O N A L I S S U E S: Let's FLOOD WASHINGTON - Demand a Commitment to Louisiana's Coast andCommunities with the Gulf Restoration Network's quick link petition An excerpt from Aaron Viles' message "New Orleans and South Louisiana must haveCategory 5 hurricane protection. This protection must integrate an effectivelevee system with marsh restoration and protection of coastal forests (that arethe first buffer from storms' impact). If businesses are to have the confidenceneeded to return and revitalize the city that gave the world Louis Armstrong,seafood gumbo, and America's best Mardi Gras, we must give New Orleans theprotection it deserves." http://healthygulf.org THE LEVEES: GOVERNMENT ENGINEERS CONFIRM the findings of LSU Team Louisiana engineersshowing that the 17th Street Canal levee pilings were "short-sheeted" - drivendown only 10 ft below sea level, instead of the 17.5 ft that the Army Corpsdesigns required. The Corps has not been...