HomeMy WebLinkAbout2006-10-16; Parks & Recreation Commission; 1006-5; Katrina Relief Waveland MississippiPARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION - AGENDA BILL
AB# 11006-5
MTG. DATE: J10/16/06
STAFF: SPICKARD
CITY OF CARLSBAD
KATRINA RELIEF
FOR WAVELAND, MISSISSIPPI
|NFQ
ACTION
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
Receive a report on the efforts that the City of Carlsbad and its employees made to support
Waveland, Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina struck.
ITEM EXPLANATION:
In August of 2005, Hurricane Katrina hit land and devastated many Southern Gulf States. As the
news spread of this massive disaster, some City of Carlsbad employees felt a need to help our
neighbors. A small committee was formed which represented several city departments. The
committee decided that they would like to assist another city that had a similar make up as
Carlsbad. Efforts to make contact in the affected area were difficult. Ultimately, Waveland,
Mississippi was selected to be the City that would be the recipient of Carlsbad's relief efforts.
Initially it was hoped that City of Carlsbad employees could help rebuild a park at the entrance to
the City of Waveland. After some time it became quite evident that this was not going to be
possible as communication with the area continued to be a challenge and Waveland had much
higher needs than a park at the time.
As the holidays approached, our sadness for the citizens of Waveland grew. A "Dear Santa"
campaign was developed. Every family (50+) that wrote a Dear Santa letter received gifts and gift
cards.
City staff donated over $5,000 towards the relief effort. City Council gave authority for surplus
items such as a police car, and office equipment to also be donated. A playground slide was
donated by one of the City's playground equipment vendors. Many other items to benefit the
Police Department were also donated. A local truck rental firm provided a truck so that all of the
items could be transported to Waveland. On April 18, 2006 two Police Officers headed to
Waveland with all of the donations. Upon arriving in Waveland, the Officers went to a local Home
Depot and purchased trees, flowers, etc. to be planted in an area of a park now known as the
"Carlsbad Corner."
After staff returned from Waveland, the Committee still had approximately $1,400 left from
employee donations. Several weeks ago the Committee agreed to make arrangements so that
every Waveland employee would receive a turkey for Thanksgiving. We are continuing to accept
donations in hopes that enough money will be raised so that some additional traditional
Thanksgiving "fix'ins" can also be provided. Donations will be accepted at several Carlsbad
events, such as the Fall Festival at Leo Carrillo Ranch.
EXHIBITS:
1. Copy - North County Times Article, September 11, 2006- Carlsbad park project "thriving" in
Mississippi
n 101 Cruise event
"This is great," Daley said.
"We didn;t expect this much
participation. And everyone
seemed to be having a good
new time."
laid- This event is called a "rolling
igh- car show" because owners drive
vin- their cars and trucks by the on-
hot lookers — instead of parking
nile their cars for event judges and
ly. spectators to stroll past,
fea- Participants who registered
hot their vehicles in the show were
g to entered in a raffle to win either
tley, a $500 first prize or one of five
101 $100 prizes.
the In addition, awards given in
various categories, such as the
be- "Cruiser that Gidget Would
[igh- Choose," the "Best 1940-1950 Ve-
side hide" and the "Best Cruiser on
the 101."
Two of the best sites to watch
the cruise were at The Strand
near the Oceanside Pier, and the
Del Mar Racetrack. Awards
were given at the racetrack.
Two of the judges, Lamar
Parks of Vista and Randy Reams
of Temecula, said they were im-
pressed by the cars they saw at
the event.
The pair are car aficionados
who are launching a free publi-
cation, Horsepower Trendz Mag-
azine, in November.
Parks said the main criteria
he used in judging the vehicles
in Sunday's cruise were the lines
of the body, the paint and atten-
tion to detail.
"I search for a unique look
> CRUISE, B-7
irner VP
any chores
om players for success
tice and game fields, high
school athletic directors,
football coordinator
Mike Sommers
and cheerleading
coordinator
Sarah Rivera,
board members,
coaches and par-
ent volunteers, do-
ing what he can to de-
flect attention from himself.
But those who work with
the league's first vice presi-
dent are equally as quick to
sing his praises.
"Jasen is invaluable to
> TACKLES, B-6
DON BOOMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
Jasen Boyens is vice president of San
Marcos Pop Warner, a position that puts
him 'in charge of nothing.' he said.
uiego
where stui
local histi
years EXHIBIT 1
Activiti
as an Eagl
terHaproL,
ing students.
The boxes hold not only ancient arti-
facts, but also early examples of tribal pot-
tery, along with gold-rush-era treasure.
When young explorers uncover some-
thing significant, they are given the chance
to speak with a real archaeologist such as
Margaret Hangan, in charge of Cleveland
National Forest's Heritage Resources, and
Jim Whitaker, the lead collection specialist
> DIG, B-7
Carlsbad park
project 'thriving'
in Mississippi
BARBARA HENRY
STAFF WRITER
CARLSBAD — The hurricane-damaged
city park in Waveland, Miss., that Carlsbad
city employees refurbished six months ago
has grown into a beautiful spot. ..••<•,
"Every time I pass by there I think of
you guys," Waveland's donations coordina-
tor Kathy Finn said in a telephone inter-
view, referring to the Carlsbad workers who
tackled the project in December.
Rain has fallen nearly every day since
July in the Gulf Coast community, and "the
plants are thriving," s}ie said. The live oak
trees and the magnolias — plants that grow
wild in the region and are known for their
beauty — are doing particularly well, she
added.
The shouts and laughter of children have
also been present in the park. An influx of
some 300 youths celebrated the start of
softball season earlier this summer, she
said.
A small community some 50 miles out-
side New Orleans, Waveland gained nation-
> PARK, B-6
fi
ON
lent tor nocks Florida
Magnitude-6.0
earthquake strikes
Gulf of Mexico.
See The Back Page.
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PARK
Continued from B-l
al media attention last fall be-
cause many of its police de-
partment employees survived
Hurricane Katrina by clinging
to a bush outside their build-
ing. Hearing of the town's dev-
astation, Carlsbad employees
decided to informally adopt
Waveland last fall.
They signed up for a pay-
roll deduction program, par-
ticipated in a "Dear Santa" ef-
fort and convinced the City
Council to donate a bunch of
surplus office equipment.
This newspaper is
printed on
recycled paper.
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In December, the city sent
a moving van packed with of-
fice furniture, computers, a
drafting table and other items
to Waveland. Behind the
truck, they towed a donated
police car.
Cash donations have to-
taled $5,739, said Julie Clark,
Carlsbadls human resource di-
rector.
Most of that money has
been distributed, but $1,459
remains in the fund and city
officials will be discussing
what to do with it in the com-
ing weeks, she said.
Many challenges remain
for Waveland. Nearly all of
the city's infrastructure — its
pipes, its roadways,and its
government buildings —
need to be replaced, Finn
said. And many residents are
still living in temporary trail-
ers provided by the federal
government.
In an e-mail she sent to
Carlsbad officials in mid-July,
Finn wrote that they are all
"getting a little weary, not
weary enough to give up, just
weary enough to not be as ef-
ficient as we'd like." :'
The situation "in some
ways seems harder than those .
first few weeks," she added.
She mentioned that a Har-
vard psychologist recently
told them that they were now
in the "disillusionment stage"
of recovery from the disaster.
'"I couldn't agree more,"
she wrote, adding that chal-
lenges the community faces
range from delays in getting
housing reconstruction loans
to the challenges of removing
huge fallen trees.
"A small town usually has
small town problems. We are
now faced with 'world-class
problems,' "she wrote.
Earlier this month, she
said the town's biggest need
is for building materials. Do-
nations of gift cards to The
Home Depot or Lowe's Home
Improvement are particularly
welcome, she added.
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