Our Homeowners Respond to Naperville
Becky Hollis of the Naperville Public Library recently coordinated another shipment of AV. To date the library has shipped more than 6,000 items. "I hope you will let me know when 'enough is enough'," said Hollis. Hollis said it may be possible to provide an internship for a MLS student in the Naperville Public library. Here's the reply:
Thank you so much for continuing to remember us! It definitely makes life easier (our tax base is not recovering very well, so there isn’t much budget money). Y’all have been a Godsend! The internship is an interesting idea!! Keep me posted! Our Southern version of Fall (drier weather and some cooler evenings) crops up, then summer comes back for a few days! Thanks again for thinking of us!
---Sally James, Posted October 16, 2007
Naperville City Councilman visits Pass Chrisitan two years after Hurricane Katrina
Sept. 13, 2007 ... Councilman Wehrli visits with Wayne Ford, one of the recipients of a Naperville Responds house, and Pass Christian Mayor McDermott.
McDermott explains the fishing industry in Pass Christian.
Shellfish have been plentiful this season.
Mayor McDermott and Councilman Wehrli at another 1,200 sq. ft. home, built on stilts to comply with local permitting after Hurricane Katrina.
Photos by Ron Daley
"While it has been quite some time since the hurricane hit, this town still has a long way to go. They are rebuilding, but it is going at a much slower pace than I had thought. Looking at the destruction that took place I am in awe of the spirit that remains strong here."
---Grant Wehrli, 4:40PM, Thurs., Sept. 13
Upon his return to Naperville, Councilman Wehrli has had ideas to assist commerce in Pass Christian. Stay tuned.
My Dear People of Naperville:
Thank you.
I grew up in Pass Christian, Mississippi in the 40's and 50's. I attended then St Joseph’s School. I married and left the coast of Mississippi in 1962. I still have family and friends there. Over the years I have visited many times and stayed in touch with my home town.
Needless to say when Katrina came I was hurt and saddened that yet another tragedy had come upon the land. I remember the 1947 storm and of course Camille. Each time the good strong people of Pass Christian and the entire Mississippi Gulf Coast picked themselves up and began the long road of recovery. This time the devastation was so complete that I worried that it might not be possible.
Although the Pass will never be the same sleepy little fishing village that I remember, it is going to be better in so many ways. Amid the death and destruction came wonderful kind generous human beings from everywhere. They were there to help in any and every way. The heroes of Naperville, Illinois were there and are there. I suppose they will be there for some time to come. You are good people. I send a huge hug to each and every one of you and say Thank You, Thank You, Thank You.
Sincerely,
Phyllis Sellier Campbell
P. S. One of my classmates at St. Joseph’s was Ron Daley. We stay in touch. He keeps me up to date on hometown news.
Naperville Responds help folks make connections!
I'm watching the introduction of players for the women's basketball final's and discovered that the best female player in the country right now and maybe ever hails from your town, Naperville. Candace Parker is playing for Tennessee.
---Ron Daley, Submitted on April 3, 2007
One of our wonderful volunteers, Mrs. Ginny Lohre, gets the supreme honor of opening all boxes from Naperville. One came on Thursday and she opened it while we and a number of patrons hovered over it.
Thanks for the new DVD and VHS and music CDs ... which by the way have become quite popular . The local folks like the high brow stuff and the volunteers love it all. Many come only with music CD players.
What a surprise, like Christmas for older people! Any duplicates are going to a library in our system.
...Stay in touch.
---Sally James, Director, Library of Pass Christian, Miss.
Editor's Note: Thanks to Becky Hollis and all the staff at the Naperville Public Library for keeping this initiative alive and well.
Ron Daley is retired and works part time at The Oaks golf course in Pass Christian, Mississippi. We also count on his photos to keep us apprised of the progress of Naperville Responds. We definitely couldn't keep track if Ron didn't make the rounds.
Built with funds from Naperville Responds, the Wayne Ford house on Market Street was dedicated on August 19, 2006.
---Photo by Ron Daley, February 2, 2007
"I would like to thank the Rotary Club of Pass Christian, all its members, all the Mennonite Disaster Service workers that gave their time and their sweat, and the people of Naperville that helped make this possible. But the biggest and foremost thanks goes to God almighty for those people, for what he put in their hearts. And they opened their hearts and allowed him to put this love in their hearts. It means a lot to me, but I can never thank you enough and the thanks will come from the father to his children that he did his will and did his bidding. I thank you all so very much."
---Wayne Ford, Native of Pass Christian, Miss.
Recently, the folks at Naperville Responds thanked Ron Daley for his photos.
Here's his reply:
"I appreciate the note, but keep in mind that I'm aware that Naperville has done a lot more for my town (Pass Christian) then I could ever do for Naperville. So, if you ever think of something I can do here to assist you . . . . please get in touch. I can't pick up heavy objects, but can run errands and take photos.
---Ron Daley, January 28, 2007
A new Mexican restaurant will be opening soon in Pass Christian.
---Submitted by Ron Daley on Jan. 14, 2007
On Sunday, December 31, the Salvation Army took down their home on Church Street near the railroad tracks.
---Ron Daley
Naperville Responds:
Several friends have forwarded newspaper articles to me reporting on the efforts of Naperville Responds. These stories were of particular interest to me as my youngest son is a resident of Pass Christian. I have spent a significant part of this year in Pass Christian and have seen first-hand the impact of Katrina. While the media focused primarily on New Orleans, LA, and Gulfport, MS, the areas most affected, in my opinion, were the small cities of Pass Christian, Bay St. Louis, and Waveland, MS.
I am currently in Pass Christian. While many streets are still lined with debris and some areas still do not have sewer and water service, a few homes are going up and there are signs of recovery. Undoubtedly, your organization is kept well informed of the progress of the rebuilding efforts here; however, that is not the purpose of this letter.
Rather, I would like to share with you my experience when I visited the Pass Christian Library. Shortly after I entered the double wide that is temporarily housing this city's library, my son announced that I was from Lisle, IL, which borders Naperville. Hearing the name of your city had a powerful effect on staff and patrons alike. Jaws dropped; folks stopped in their tracks. One felt that there was almost a reverence associated with your city. The staff expressed immense gratitude for everything you provided; you were their sole source of library materials until just recently. While at the library, I met Roseta Daniels. She informed me that she was the recipient of one the homes you provided, and added that she was also going to receive bikes for her two children for Christmas from a gentleman from Naperville. She profusely expressed her appreciation for Naperville's generosity. You are truly making a difference both in Roseta's life, and in that of an entire community.
I will be returning home shortly for Christmas and the birth of my daughter's first child, but am planning on returning to "The Pass" in February. If there are any items I can transport or if I can be of assistance in any other way, please do not hesitate to contact me. Pass Christian, MS, is very, very fortunate to be aligned with Naperville, Il, as a "partner city."
Best wishes,
Mary O'Neill
Dec. 17, 2006
Rotarian D.H. Short, the Naperville Responds connection in Pass Christian, forwarded this photo of Wayne Ford, one of the first three homeowners to receive a new home built by the Mennonites with funds from Naperville Responds.
Pass Christian Rotary President Trey Campbell suggests the appropriate caption
would be, "On DH's framed pic I put a brass tag that said 'A Thousand Words.'
"
---Submitted Dec. 20, 2006
The new office of the Gazebo Gazette, a weekly newspaper for residents
and friends of Pass Christian, Miss., which was launched by journalist
Evelina Schmukler in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is now open.
To visit, go to www.gazebogazette.passchristian.net.
Photo courtesy of
Ron Daley, Nov. 30, 2006
The following letter from Librarian Sally James was sent to Becky Hollis
at Nichols Library
Dear Friends in Naperville,
You have supplied us, completly, with our
biggest check-out items, can you guess what that may be? The DVD's are
out hottest item! We are getting new books, slowly, from our Amazon
account. We allow the volunteers to check out the audios and the videos.
Americorps has about a dozen young people still here in Tent City. God's
Katrina Kitchen has moved to west Gulfport, but, their regulars come
all the way down here for books, videos, etc. Friday is Christmas in
the Park, we decorated the old "doublewide" today for the occasion.
Will take photos for you. We hope that you will approve of us sharing
duplicate items with our sister libraries, who, while not as extensivly
damaged, still can not buy any new items for their collections. Stay
in touch...keep those audio/visuals coming!
Tommorow, 20 or so Foriegn
journalists will be in the Pass, guess who they're coming to see.
Love,
Sally
---Submitted on Nov. 30, 2006
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Ford Home built by Naperville Responds
---submitted by Ron Daley on November 29, 2006
Photographer Ron Daley sends this photo and caption from the Gulf Coast. "The ice house is coming along and will be selling ice in the spring for shrimp season. The fuel storage tank in the picture holds 20,000 gallons and will be selling fuel soon. The tank before the hurricane held 10, 000 gallons and they were always running out, I'm told.
Right now there's federal fund that's giving shrimpers 250 bucks a day. To get that they have to go out, drop their nets and make a drag. They also have to have proof that they had shrimping licenses in 2004 and 2005." ---Submitted Nov. 3, 2006
"The smokestacks in the background...that's DuPont. I used to wonder about what's going to happen around here because of the air. Now I wonder what would happen around here if they weren't there. They are feeding a lot of people."
---Ron Daley, Pass Christian, Miss., Sept. 21, 2006
We have a golf tournament this coming Monday at The Oaks Golf Club here in Pass Christian with the profits going toward the purchase of a new fire truck for Pass Christian. Evelina Smukler, the editor and chief of The Gazebo Gazette is spearheading the drive. (The Gazette is our local paper, thanks to Evelina)
Many, many thanks to you guys in Naperville. I personally, never knew a town like Naperville existed still sounds a bit too good to be true.
---Ron Daley, Pass Christian, Submitted on Sept. 15, 2006
Kate Houlihan of the Naperville Sun made it to Pass Christian on Aug. 17, 2006. "We wouldn't mind if she decided to move here," said Ron Daley, who snapped the photo and sent it up to Naperville.
Naperville Responds is making life easier for a family. The lady moving into this house told me today that the target day (for move in) is August 18 with a ceremony planned. I think I'll be there.
Ron Daley, Pass Christian, Miss
Submitted Aug. 1, 2006
Football is in the air in Pass Christian, too!
Ron Daley
Submitted Aug. 1, 2006.
Naperville at work here...The Wayne Ford house on Market Street as of today (July 11, 2006) taken a block away on Clark in Pass Christian, Mississippi.
Ron Daley
Pass Christian, Mississippi
Bless You. I just want you to know that your name is all over our town. (Pass Christian, Mississippi)
Thanks,
Ron Daley
Monday, June 26
“Contractors can fix our houses.
Volunteers can fix our hearts.”
---Rev. Terry Lynn Hillard
Pass Christian Methodist Church
Sunday, June 25
To the congregation at Grace United Methodist Church in response to the mission groups from Grace, Community, Wheatland/Salem and Wesley United Methodist Churches who recently volunteered in Naperville’s domestic Partner City.
Your friends (from Knox Presbyterian Church) brought all the art supplies (collected by the Naperville Art League with the help of Julie Corwith) to our Rotary Community Trailer and we distributed them after the art meeting that Saturday. It worked out great! Thank you so much! The books caused quite a stir. Two of our members are rediscovering the screen printing and want to do a work shop ---when they figure it all out again!
It's really great having the big rolls of paper! Especially knowing where they came from! Thank you again and hope we see you again soon. Let me know when another group is down!
---Kathie Short
I just pulled up a map of Naperville and it doesn't look like it could be real. I've never seen so many golf courses in my life. I work at http://theoaksgolfclub.com in Pass Christian. My retirement job for free unlimited golf.
---Ron Daley, Pass Christian, Mississippi
July 17, 2006
Thank you so much for what all of Naperville is doing to help the Pass. I'm going to write up something this week about your efforts, and get a photo from Ron Daley.
Thanks again,
Evelina Schmukler, Publisher of the Gazebo Gazette in Pass Christian
July
17, 2006
Wheaton Resident Helps Naperville Responds
This past May I went down to volunteer with some Katrina relief in
Pass Christian, MS. One of the houses that I helped was sponsored
by the Naperville Rotary (and Naperville Responds). Anyway, I
live in Wheaton and have lived in Naperville, so I thought it was pretty
cool. The gentleman whose house we were working is a 6th generation
commercial fisherman in Pass Christian. He lost everything. Even
though his house was moved about 100 yards from its foundation, it remained
somewhat together. However, when the residents were finally allowed
to go back to their homes to see what was left, he found his house bulldozed.
He worked on his house and other peoples' homes when his was not being
worked on. He is a great man and I thought you all might think it was
fun to know about him since you made this possible.
Kerma Upton
Edited for space. Submitted July 25, 2006
I didn't know how to solve the problem of noting the Sister Cities because some are not rendering continuing support. But I created a Links page that handles Naperville Responds and two other cities with Web sites.
The "Partner City News" page in the new "RECOVERY" Web site will stay posted only for one month as current news, but will also be posted to the original Partner City page in the Katrina site as archives.
Dan Ellis, Web Master, http://recovery.passchristian.net
Submitted July 28, 2006
The Pass is still in a world of hurt; but we are on the mend ..thanks to good friends from Naperville, Ill and so many others. What is not captured in the brief video is the incredible joy that flowed to the three needy families; and thereby us all. There wasn't a dry eye in the room! Naperville responds handed three families the keys to their new, free home; built in partnership with Naperville Responds, Mennonite Disaster Service and Pass Christian Rotary Club. For many, it was the happiest days ever; and especially since Katrina.
Best regards,
Rotary Club of Pass Christian
Trey Campbell
Submitted on August 21, 2006
President 06-07
Past President 97-98