It is Halloween, and I have gone with what came most naturally: the snobby Frenchman. Note among other things the conspicuous placement of Sartre. Perhaps inevitably, I ran into an actual French couple. They seemed to enjoy it.
Halloween is here. So soon! Just a few days ago, it was 80 degrees and sunny. Today it is… well, it is 73 degrees and sunny, but I promise, we had a few pretty chilly days there. As usual, I haven’t prepared a costume, but something may develop later on. Meanwhile, Nadene, Sarah, and Kristen have masterfully carried off their cunning plan: The Jason Pressgrove costume! Jason no longer works here, but he was a mainstay of the studio since its beginning. And look, there’s one of his houses on the cover of Architectural Record! The real Jason:
On October 9, Project Rehab finally dedicated the house they have been building for Hung and his family on Crawford Street. Hung, his wife, and their three young children are very excited to be moving in. The best thing about it is seeing the work Hung has been doing in the few short weeks since he has moved in. He’s added gates at the stairs, created a brick patio and storage area below the house, built shelving for plants on the porch, and added a shed roof over part of the back roof. Sadly for me, I’ve never been happy …
The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio has a feature article in the October issue of Architectural Record! It even has a photo with the back of my head! Biloxi Clues: The Gulf Coast Community Design Studio provides a model for rebuilding after Katrina October 2008 By James S. Russell Full article Almost three years after Hurricane Katrina pushed a 30-foot-high surge of water through East Biloxi, Mississippi, tall weeds grow along streets once lined with houses. Biloxi’s casinos have been reconstructed, larger than their former selves. Many residents have returned to neighborhoods that missed the worst of the flooding. But …
[Originally posted on http://handsongulfcoast.blogspot.com/]. Last Saturday’s panel discussion focused on the past, present and future of the volunteer movement in Biloxi and along the Gulf Coast. I took some notes which I’d like to share. Most quotes are paraphrased. First, let’s introduce our panel: Dorothy Noorbaar, Habitat for Humanity of the Mississippi Gulf Coast / AmeriCorps VISTA Nelson Walker, Hands On Gulf Coast / North Gulfport Community Land Trust Craig Snow, Project Coordinator, Hope Force International Juanita Gaines, Moore Community House Johnis Ross, Hope Coordination Center Moderator: Caitlin Brooking, Director of Programs, Hands On Gulf Coast Why do you volunteer? …
Wow. “It’s not based on any particular data point,” a Treasury spokeswoman told Forbes.com Tuesday. “We just wanted to choose a really large number.”
WLOX reports today on Hands On Gulf Coast’s transition to local non-profit status. And it’s a first look at our new executive director, Lillian Jenkins! Video (should open a pop-up window).
Fun with press releases! Make sure to get out and do some community service this Saturday for the National Day of Action. Hands On Gulf Coast to hold panel discussion The panel and discussion also will help identify the needs and opportunities for volunteer service. The event is part of a National Day of Action organized by ServiceNation, a national grass-roots movement advocating volunteerism and community service. A “Volunteers in Long-Term Recovery” panel and roundtable discussion will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at Hands On Gulf Coast, 2113 Pass Road, behind the Beauvoir United Methodist Church. …
Edit [12/26/08]: See these photos and more at my Flickr page. If you haven’t heard of the fine folks at KaBOOM!, they travel the country building playgrounds for neighborhoods that need them. Their goal: a place to play within walking distance of every child in America. Friday and Saturday, I helped prepare and lead the construction of a shade structure as part of a KaBOOM! build at the Isiah Fredericks Community Center in North Gulfport. The shade structure was designed by Jessie Zenor and built by Hands On and the North Gulfport Community Land Trust; it incorporated hundreds of tiles …
Biking to work this morning, I thought the low-lying area near our office looked especially swampy. I soon found out that this was no backed-up storm drain but in fact a very high tide due to water being pushed by Hurricane Ike. The water has receded a little for now, but this morning I estimate it peaked at 5 1/2 to 6 feet above normal sea level. High enough to cover the beach all the way up to the seawall, close parts of US 90 and other streets around Biloxi. NORTHEAST TO EAST WINDS WILL INCREASE TO 25 TO 35 …