Pass is Navy's new partner
City becomes branch home; $1.8M facility in works
By J.R. WELSH
jrwelsh@sunherald.com

PASS CHRISTIAN ---This town has always been a boater's haven, but it became even a bit more nautical Wednesday when U.S. Navy personnel cruised into the harbor aboard a sparkling 46-foot boat that will become a permanent presence here.

A crowd of residents and Mayor Chipper McDermott waited dockside to meet representatives of the Naval Oceanographic Office at Stennis Space Center who symbolically pulled into town aboard the boat. Their arrival signaled the beginning of a new partnership between the city and the Navy, which is building its boat operations branch at the harbor.

"Today, we turn a new page, a new chapter - one we've never had before in 309 years of this town," McDermott said.

Several Navy craft will eventually be berthed in the harbor, including the 46-footer, a 34-foot hydrographic survey launch and a rigid-hulled inflatable boat. They will be used to train Navy personnel and civilian employees on complex scientific equipment used in surveying ocean bottoms.

The Navy presence will include a 1,700-square-foot building to be constructed harborside at a cost of $1.8 million. Until Hurricane Katrina, the boat operations branch was headquartered at Gulfport Harbor. Since then, the Coast Guard expanded its Gulfport station, leaving no room for the Navy facility.

The boats have since been without a permanent home, and have often been docked up the Pearl River. "It's been a long road from Katrina," said Capt. John Cousins, commanding officer of the Naval Oceanographic Office.

The office also trains hydrographers from the navies of other nations. More than 500 foreign officers have come through the program with the boat operations branch, Cousins said.

The Navy has been a presence at Stennis for 38 years, and also operates a fleet of seven oceanographic survey ships that map ocean bottoms worldwide. The smaller craft at Pass Christian are equipment microcosms of the larger, ocean-going craft, and serve as a training ground for more than 300 workers with seagoing jobs.

Barbara Reed, production management director for the oceanographic office, said important scientific tests have been performed by the boat operations branch through the years, including development of Global Positioning Systems and ship-to-shore data transfer.

McDermott ended the greeting ceremony in his inimitable stye: "Mi casa es su casa," he told Cousins. "You come back any time you want and we'll have the party."

Published in the Sun Herald, May 15, 2008

 

Pass Mayor Announces Wal-Mart Coming Back
Posted: Feb 15, 2008 11:56 AM CST
Updated: Feb 15, 2008 06:05 PM CST
WLOX 13 / Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula

Mayor Chipper McDermott says people in the Pass will see a lot more building in 2008.

"The big horse is back in town I can tell you that," Mayor Chipper McDermott told the crowd.

That big horse is Wal-mart, which made it official Friday - the company will rebuild in Pass Christian.

"It's out the bag. We've scored a touchdown," an excited McDermott announced.

The Wal-Mart corporation does plan to rebuild in its previous Pass location, across from the beach on Highway 90, but it will be a slightly smaller store.

"It's 150,000 square foot, I think the one before was about 225 or 230, so it will be just a shade shorter," McDermott said. "They were 70 percent of our sales tax. Our sales tax was about $110,000 a month, and they were 70 percent of it."

McDermott expects Wal-Mart to begin getting building permits in about a month. The store will open in August 2009.

The mayor said the city also now has the $3.5 million to rebuild City Hall. The new building will be a replica of the one built in 1926.

"We want to take the facade of this and we want to put it up there."

A new library will go up behind the new City Hall. Construction on both should begin later this year.

The mayor says sometime after that, a new police station and EOC office will be built on Espy Avenue. McDermott believes that location will be much safer than the old sites.

"God forbid, if we have anything at all where they have to go into emergency mode, they'll be in a safe place rather than be stuck where they were before and almost lost their lives. That's the reason we want the EOC in there."

New gas, sewer and water lines on Scenic Drive are about 99 percent complete. The mayor says that's a huge part of Pass Christian's recovery, and an important building block for the future.

"This, other than the Bay Bridge, is the greatest thing to happen from Katrina. It took 300 years to build this town, it took six hours to tear it down. It will take a little more than two and a half years to get it back, but when it comes back, it will be back."

Mayor McDermott also announced that $8.2 million has been approved by the Governor's office for downtown revitalization.

By Al Showers

http://www.wlox.com/Global/story.asp?S=7574563

 

Picking up, moving on in Mississippi
By Amy Boerema | Daily Herald Staff
December 20, 2007

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. --Signs of life grow stronger each day in this small resort town, two years and four months after one of the deadliest and costliest storms in U.S. history almost completely destroyed it.

A new bar, Shaggy's, has become the hub of the town's nightlife.

A Chevron gas station will be the area's first along the coast when it opens in a few weeks.

People are fishing. Workers building. Emergency volunteers leaving. Tourists arriving.

Slowly, and often painfully, Pass Christian residents are picking themselves up from the wreckage and reassembling their lives.

"You start over," resident Blaine Ashley says. "It's just that simple."

But simple isn't always easy.

Katrina took almost everything -- all of the town's public buildings and businesses and about 80 percent of the homes in a town with a pre-hurricane population of 6,500. Even its gas, water and sewer lines were lost.

Along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the hurricane claimed the lives of more than 230 people and caused billions of dollars of damage.

But from those depths of despair came a courageous spirit among residents, many who were bolstered by their faith in God and from the kindness of volunteers.

Towns throughout the nation, including Naperville and Buffalo Grove, partnered with Pass Christian, donated funds and resources to help rebuild. Buffalo Grove firefighters, for instance, have collected funds to buy fire engines.

A group called Naperville Responds has raised about $1 million since the fall of 2005 to build 20 new homes.

The group visited in August 2006 to see three families move into their houses. This past weekend, six members returned to the area to be honored for their efforts at a ceremony in Biloxi.

While there, they stopped by Pass Christian to check on its progress.

Rebuilding mode

Since Naperville Responds' last visit, there has been no miracle makeover.

Many people still are tussling with insurance companies or waiting on government checks.

Hundreds still are displaced. City hall, the police department and library still operate out of trailers.

The first year after the storm was pure "survival mode," Mayor Leo "Chipper" McDermott says.

Now it's rebuilding mode.

Aldermen have issued more than 1,700 building permits, most in the past year. People are coming back; despite that, the town is only half its former size, with about 3,500 people.

Rebuilding of the city's infrastructure is about two-thirds complete.

Though there's a way to go, the progress is palpable.

"It's beautiful," Naperville Mayor George Pradel says.

Pass Christian, like the rest of the hurricane-ravaged coast, is a study in contrasts -- brand new homes intertwined with shredded framework and weed-ridden concrete slabs. Everywhere, buildings are in various stages of construction.

New businesses are opening. A Mexican restaurant. A bank. An insurance firm.

The new Adolph Bourdin perhaps typifies the effort. The tiny, but tidy, building serves as what its owners hope will be a temporary headquarters for their family-owned heating and air-conditioning business.

"It's not as fast as we'd like," McDermott says. "But we are making progress."

On their last trip, Naperville visitors handed Roseta Daniels the keys to her new home. On this trip, the group stopped by for a quick visit.

Daniels lives in her new -- and elevated -- home with her children Halle, 11, and Alex, 13. A Christmas tree stands in front of the house.

"It's been great," the single mom says of the now-furnished home. "I thank God every day for it."

Halle's room is adorned in pink, the kind of "princess-like" room Daniels says she dreamed for as a girl.

Many of these houses were built for necessity, not luxury, Pradel says, but the family has made it warm and cozy.

"To know that one family is secure and snug in their home is just very rewarding," he says.

Water in, water out

The town's growth has been slowed by many challenges. Funding. Bureaucracy. Zoning and code issues.

Attracting retail has been tough with no anchor -- such as the Wal-Mart that used to be here -- to draw smaller shops in. Few merchants can afford the higher insurance rates that followed the storm.

Residents and city leaders argue about the appearance and character of the new town. Some think the riverfront space should be preserved as is; others, including the mayor, say developing it is crucial to sparking redevelopment.

McDermott's main goal, he says, is to get businesses open and housing built along the coast -- even if they're condos, which many residents oppose. At this point, anything to get people in, he says.

"The water put us in this mess, and the water is what's going to get us out."

Finding home

After living through Katrina, Ann Kelly knows no matter what else happens in her life, she'll deal with it.

Last summer, the artist was living in a trailer on the beach with her three teenage children. She had just fallen in love with a neighbor, Tom.

Much has changed since then. Tom, who had "kept her laughing" in the storm's aftermath, died of cancer in May. The same month, she settled with her insurance company for damages.

With that money, she bought a new home, now decorated with art pieces and colorful patterns. "It has a good feeling to it," she says. "I feel like I'm home."

Her girls sometimes even miss trailer life -- mostly the beach parties they'd host.

"It wasn't totally negative," she says. "They did a lot of bonding in that small space."

Heart of the town

After 5 p.m., it's nearly impossible to find a seat at Shaggy's Harbor Bar & Grill.

A former bait shop, the casual eatery opened in August and has become the hottest spot along the coast, fans say.

On a warm afternoon last week, a sign at the entrance reads, "Welcome Naperville."

The group was treated to seafood appetizers as they caught up with town leaders.

The seafood often is caught only hours earlier, says chef and co-owner Thomas Genin.

"It's as real as it gets," he says.

Another reality is that owners couldn't get insurance for their restaurant, which admittedly makes them nervous. But they knew this was needed -- for morale if nothing else.

"We were willing to roll the dice," Genin says.

And he's optimistic about the future. The city yacht club will be built in six months. The Bay Bridge, linking two counties, has opened.

So far, his gamble has paid off. The place has seen as many as 2,500 guests a week, and owners are well ahead of projections.

Profit aside, Genin knows what his bar means to the town.

"This place gives it a heartbeat," he says.

'This is home'

Blaine Ashley sits along the coast, fishing for the first time in two years. That's how long it took to rebuild the wharf.

The beachfront looks different now. He misses the gorgeous antebellum mansions that once lined the coast, as well as other things.

"It's the small stuff you overlook," he says. "You don't pay attention to that tree with the pretty sign on it. One day, it's not there. And you're like, 'Man, I miss that tree.' So you gotta find another pit tree."

That's his philosophy. Pick up. Move on. Life, after all, goes on.

Many older people, especially, are having a hard time, he says. They don't know where to start. It's easier to ask questions -- why did this happen to me? What does it mean?

It doesn't mean anything, he says. "It's a natural disaster. You can't be mad at nature."

Blaine, who lost his 70-year-old home just after he finished a $100,000 remodel, has family on both coasts and in Europe who beg him to come live near them.

But then he thinks about the town he's grown up in, the site of countless beach bonfires and fishing lessons with Dad.

And he tells them he can't leave.

"No," he says. "This is home."

 

Naperville group gets a big thank you
By Amy Boerema | Daily Herald Staff

HARRISON COUNTY, Miss. -- The last time Jack Persin visited Pass Christian, about six months after Hurricane Katrina hit, the ground debris still hadn't been completely cleared away.

During last week's visit to the Gulf Coast town, he was heartened to see at least that had been taken care of.

Persin and five others from Naperville Responds, a nonprofit group formed to help rebuild homes in Pass Christian, visited to attend a thank you ceremony for their work.

They were among 20 Chicago-area volunteers who were flown to there by American Eagle Airlines Inc. officials for a reception at the Beau Rivage Resort and Casino in Biloxi. The group received gift bags and saw a slide show chronicling their efforts.

The ceremony also celebrated the Gulfport airport's nonstop Chicago service, which began last week.

"Southern hospitality takes a back seat to Midwestern hospitality," Pass Christian Mayor Leo "Chipper" McDermott told the crowd of the Naperville efforts.

Much of the area's progress has been the result of volunteers, said Kathy Cargile, American Eagle regional sales manager, and officials wanted to honor them.

To learn about the ongoing efforts, she typed the words "Katrina," "relief efforts" and "Chicago" into a search engine.

"It pulled up a list a mile long," she said. "And it kept coming back to Naperville."

In the past year, Naperville Responds reached its goal of raising roughly $1 million to build 20 new homes.

Houses nine and 10 are being built now, and No. 11 will break ground in January. Persin and his company, Ryan Hill Realty in Naperville, will return to the area next month to help.

The recent visit shows residents they aren't forgotten, Persin said. That was a main goal of the group -- to not just build homes, but form long-lasting friendships.

"I'm proud of what we've done, and of the community we found," he said. "We've given them some hope."

How to help

Send checks to:
Naperville Responds c/o DBC&W
123 N. Water St.
Naperville, IL 60540-8604

Visit:
www.napervilleresponds.org to donate online or learn more about future fund-raisers and volunteer opportunities.

 

 

Seeing progress first hand
Mayor, Naperville Responds members tour rebuilding efforts in Pass Christian, Miss.
December 14, 2007
By Jennifer Golz, Staff writer
Naperville Sun

BILOXI, Miss. -- Naperville Mayor George Pradel is the first of many things: The first four-term mayor of the city and the first "hottest mayor" as declared by Eric & Kathy's morning show listeners on The Mix.

And on Thursday he added another first to his list as a passenger on the first direct American Airlines flight from Chicago to Gulfport, Miss.

He was accompanied by members of Naperville Responds, the nonprofit organization that has been instrumental in the rebuilding of Pass Christian, Miss., and surrounding areas after the devastating effects of Hurricane Katrina.

The inaugural flight left from O'Hare International Airport on Thursday morning and arrived at Gulfport-Biloxi International Airport a short two and a half hours later to a fanfare welcome by local media and airline staff.

But the celebration didn't stop there.

Pradel and crew, including Naperville Responds president Kevin Gallaher and vice president Stephanie Penick, as well as co-chairman Bill Brestal, were honored during a VIP reception that evening hosted at the Beau Rivage Resort & Casino in Biloxi.

"What these people have done for us - southern hospitality takes a backseat to Midwestern hospitality," Pass Christian Mayor Leo "Chipper" McDermott said.

Although the trip was a celebration of the volunteers and donors who have contributed to the area's regrowth, the devastation caused by the Category 5 hurricane in 2005 can still be seen.

The Chicago contingency toured the area Thursday afternoon stopping at one of the homes nearing completion that Naperville Responds has funded. The nonprofit organization raised enough funds to build 20 homes in Pass Christian, and Mennonite Disaster Service is providing the labor, building to the city's new height requirements - 16 feet above sea level.

"It doesn't look good now, but it doesn't look terrible," said Mennonite volunteer Mike Stuckey, an Ohio farmer who was just ending a three-week shift working on the Naperville Responds home in Pass Christian.

"We can't even imagine what it looked like two years ago," Stuckey said.

 

Daily Herald
Creative ways to raise money still helping Pass Christian
Oct. 16, 2007
by Stephanie Penick, Daily Herald Columnist

Our community knows no boundaries when it comes to creative ways to meet unmet needs.

For instance, after Hurricane Katrina battered the Gulf Coast two years ago, Naperville Responds surfaced as an idea from Ron Wehrli and a bunch of men sitting around playing cards.

Bill Brestal, one of the men at the table, pitched a plan that if every resident donated $10, our community could help Pass Christian, Miss., rebuild at least 20 homes.

As residents learned how Naperville Responds might help, folks tried to imagine our hometown without its landmarks.

We tried to understand indiscriminate torrents that destroyed homes, bridges, city hall, official records, schools, the library, churches, communication, the post office, grocery stores, parks, ball fields and playgrounds -- everything, sometimes as far as six miles inland.

Ray Kinney got the ball rolling with "snowflake" ornaments, "Bridging Two Communities," that brought in $10,000. By mid-December, ornaments decorated a "Giving Tree" in front of Jimmy's Grill, topped with an angel representing another $25,000 gift from Ryan-Hill Realty.

Sue Omanson came up with the slogan "$10 for 20" and designer Tom Tortorich created a logo -- all pro bono.

At the Naperville Public Library, Becky Hollis organized collections of DVDs, books and videos for the makeshift Pass Christian Library, set up in a large trailer until a new library replaces the one twisted to rubble.

Naperville school children donated new and gently-used books; so many that Pass Christian Librarian Sally James shared them with other Gulf Coast communities, too.

Until recently, Naperville recognized Pass Christian as its "domestic Partner City."

According to Rich Mikolajczyk, who serves on both the Naperville Responds board and the Sister Cities Commission, in order to distinguish the relationship from the International Sister Cities program -- a people-to-people initiative started in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower to help build friendship and commerce with an exchange of culture and finances -- Naperville now calls Pass Christian our "Partner City."

Early on, church mission groups, the Naperville Art League, service clubs, Scouts and the Weed Ladies found ways to partner. And more than $800,000 in individual gifts and pledges followed to fund homes now finished or under construction.

A month ago, Councilman Grant Wehrli visited Pass Christian. After touring the city and the local seafood industry with Mayor Chipper McDermott, Wehrli is exploring ways to assist commerce.

"While it's been quite some time since the hurricane hit, this town still has a long way to go," Wehrli said. "Rebuilding is slow. They need local businesses to return. Yet, after seeing the destruction, I'm in awe of the spirit that remains strong there."

Cheers for Charity

The second annual Indian Prairie Unit District 204 Middle School Faculty Softball Game will swing into action at 4:15 p.m. Friday at Frontier Park.

Unlike last year when faculty squared off for charity to top off a week of friendly competition between Crone and Scullen middle schools that raised $17,657.28 for a Pass Christian middle school, all six District 204 middle schools -- with roughly 7,000 students -- are participating.

Ironically, officials broke ground on a new K-8 school in Pass Christian last Wednesday.

This year, students hope to hit $42,000, the cost of materials to build one Naperville Responds home since skilled labor is provided by the Mennonites Disaster Services.

The weeklong competition, which ends Thursday, charts which school can raise the most money per student.

According to Crone Principal Stan Gorbatkin, students will emcee a brief pre-game ceremony that will feature a saxophone quartet, highlights of the endeavor, unofficial totals, introductions of special guests and gratitude.

Mayor McDermott will be represented by David James, an Elmhurst resident who was born and raised in The Pass.

"I wish I could be there to say thanks," McDermott said.

Janet Buglio, communication services coordinator, is confident that no matter how much is raised, everybody will win.

Considering how the horrific natural disaster reshaped lives, neighborhoods and towns, Buglio said, "…(Katrina) also reshaped the lives of millions of people not directly affected who stepped forward to get involved with efforts to help their fellow man in need."

 

The good life and perseverance define living here
By KAT BERGERON
kbergeron@sunherald.com

Living on the Mississippi Gulf Coast is both a delight and a challenge.

The good life comes from the same elements that have lured residents and visitors for three centuries - gorgeous coastal and pineywoods scenery, enviable nine months of good weather, seafood, strong sense of place and friendly people with a laissez-faire attitude.

The challenges are mostly the aspects of planning and rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina - so many decisions to make, reshaped neighborhoods and towns, finding the right trades people and labor force, learning to wait. The biggest challenge is change, especially for a region noted for an unharried, casual disposition now on rebuild speed.

"Our people are strong, resilient, self-reliant," Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour says of the people who live here. "They're not whiners; they're not into victimhood."

Katrina was not the first bad storm and it won't be the last, historians and weather professionals tell us. The secret to living on the Coast is realizing this, building wise and strong, and being personally prepared so that fear does not rule.

More than a century ago, a travel writer to this region observed, "The climate is not perfect, and the man who is looking for perfection on this Earth had better get religion and die."

In light of what Gov. Barbour and so many others have observed, if one word could be tacked onto the people who choose to live on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, it would be perseverance.

Obviously one word is not enough, but it denotes the basic tenacity that fuels the people who live here, be they newcomer or long-termer. Each time natural or man-made forces reshaped this region, we have bounced back.

That is what the six southernmost counties of Mississippi are doing again. It is our nature. It is our history. It is our future.

The national media calls the response to the latest challenge "The Mississippi Miracle," a reference to the determined attitude to not "throw in the towel" when Katrina ravaged the Coast's length and breadth.

Living here today is much like looking into a kaleidoscope, with its dark and light prisms, of so many hues and such quick change. On Aug. 29, 2005, the kaleidoscope did a cataclysmic twirl and it hasn't stopped yet as the Coast rebounds from "The Storm," a term used often and without need for explanation.

Admittedly, this is a time of excitement and exasperation as the people and their leaders examine the best of the old and the new - and the possibilities.

Recovery of the Coast people is akin to the old "glass is half-empty or half-full" adage. It is the nature of most of us to become the half-fullers, once we've dusted ourselves off and asked "OK, what next?"

 

Daily Herald
Naperville: Folks in Pass Christian salute you
By Stephanie Penick
Naperville/Daily Herald
Posted Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Early birds, turtles and conservation were among topics of conversation last week.

“Is this too early?” asked cheerful Mayor Chipper McDermott of Pass Christian, Miss., when he called first thing last Monday.

A year ago, 11 of us from Naperville met McDermott during a visit to The Pass on Aug. 19 for the “Presentation of the Keys” to owners of the first three houses built by the Mennonites with funds raised by Naperville Responds. To date, the all-volunteer initiative has collected cash and in-kind services to build 20 homes in the aftermath of devastating Hurricane Katrina.

In May, when McDermott was here for the Naperville Responds fundraiser at the grand opening of the Pavilion at Meson Sabika, I had the privilege of giving him tours of our city.

This Saturday Pass Christian has slated a “Salute to 39571” in their War Memorial Park to recognize first responders. McDermott wants all local residents to know he considers Naperville among them.

During the tribute, the mayor will give a state of the city address titled “Two Years Later.” He’ll also cut ribbons for new businesses ready to open.

Plus, he said, Pass Christian native Robin Roberts, co-anchor of “Good Morning America,” is scheduled to be on hand to celebrate their progress along the Gulf Coast.

The raging tropical storms stirring up havoc over the weekend gave me pause for prayers and concern.

Bird watchers

I also found myself chuckling at the thought of Chipper and Robin.

A couple days before the mayor’s call, Mary and Chuck Corrigan hosted the West Suburban Irish Family Picnic in their backyard among nesting birds and a birdhouse. All of us guests discovered their youngest son’s interest in feathered friends — and the family’s support. This summer, they launched the Kev Kev Birdwatch Club, featuring a Web site, www.kevkevbirdwatch.org, for family and friends who enjoy observing and photographing birds.

I’m now a card-carrying member.

When a press release arrived Monday from Jill Johnson at The Conservation Foundation, I followed up with information about the new bird watching club, an innovative parent and child project that falls in line with the “No Child Left Inside” initiative promoted regionally through Chicago Wilderness.

“This kind of thing is the exact goal of that project,” Johnson replied, noting that she and The Conservation Foundation served on the steering committee for www.kidsoutside.info. “What a great story!”

P.S. for pop tabs

Julie Corwith replied to last week’s column about collecting pop tabs from beverage cans to fund overnight stays at Ronald McDonald Houses for families with seriously ill children.

“We have church friends who have a son with leukemia,” she e-mailed. “He’s now in remission, but while he was undergoing treatment they stayed at a Ronald McDonald House, saving them hours of travel and energy. It was a big help.”

Corwith went online to find where to drop off pop tabs.

“Maybe a P.S. to your column stating that Great Clips (hair salons) are pop tab collectors would be helpful,” she suggested.

Making connections

A friend and I recently sat on a bench in front of Main Street Promenade wondering about the significance of turtles as featured in the 2007 United Way Under the Sea Exhibit.

As we admired “Franklin, the 5-Star Turtle,” painted in sepia tones by artist Marianne Lisson-Kuhn and sponsored by the Naperville Area Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Naperville Alliance, we noted the sculpture reflects our city’s rich history with images of progress. Franklin is an inspiration for anyone who has ever ruffled feathers with a good idea.

“Consider the turtle: he only makes progress when he sticks his neck out,” she joked.

Naperville United Way Immediate Past President John Schmitt has an idea for this year’s auction on Sept. 14 at Bobak’s Signature Events in Woodridge. Schmitt wants to attract Naperville’s snowbirds because he thinks the colorful sea creatures will be great additions to winter homes in Florida.

Friday I also observed a large box turtle in our backyard. Have you ever noticed how a turtle uses its head and strong neck to right itself when it flips on its back?

You never know what you’ll connect when you pay attention in our topsy-turvy world.

 

Daily Herald
Naperville Responds raises $450,000 for Katrina
By Amy Boerema
aboerema@dailyherald.com
Posted Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Naperville Responds kept its promise.

Thanks to a wildly successful fundraising event over the weekend, leaders of the volunteer group have reached their goal of raising enough money to build 20 houses along the hurricane-ravaged Gulf Coast.

In one night, they pulled in roughly $450,000, which will be used to build the remaining 11 homes in Naperville’s Partner City of Pass Christian, Miss.

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina almost completely devastated the small fishing village, community leaders in Naperville pledged to raise money to help rebuild.

In late 2005, they formed the nonprofit Naperville Responds, promising Pass Christian to provide enough money to build 20 homes. Before this weekend, they were working on their ninth.

Though donations initially came in quickly, fundraising eventually slowed. By late 2006, the group had raised only about $345,000, enough for seven homes.

“It’s been very frustrating,” co-founder Bill Brestal said at the time. “There’s always needs for everyone. But our town has committed to this town.”

Jump ahead to Saturday night, when about 250 residents celebrated the opening of the $8 million Ashwood Park Clubhouse in southern Naperville.

The state-of-the-art facility, which has three outdoor pools, an indoor basketball court, fitness room, conference room and kitchen facilities, serves 700 homes in the Ashwood area.

Leaders had hoped the fundraiser would bring in enough for two, maybe four homes at most. Eleven simply blew them away, they said.

“It went so well, we’re still kind of recuperating from it,” said Responds co-founder Ron Wehrli.

The group has raised about $840,000 to date, said Wehrli, who founded Crestview Builders, which built the Ashwood subdivision.

The efforts were helped with an anonymous donation of $300,000. A live auction brought in another $70,000. Items included a puppy, an Idaho condo vacation and a catered pork-chop dinner at Wehrli’s Oswego home — that went twice for $13,000 each. The remaining funds came from admission, drink sales and corporate pledges.

On Monday, Wehrli extended thanks to everyone in Naperville who was involved with the effort.

“For people to do that two years after the fact, and while giving to other charities at the same time,” he said, “that’s really good.”

Several Pass Christian residents attended the clubhouse opening, including two recipients of homes Naperville Responds helped build.

Wehrli said the group will talk about future goals at a coming meeting.

Leaders said they will continue their relationship with Pass Christian residents.

“There’s still a lot being done down there,” Wehrli said.

Gulf Coast neighbors continue to extend their thanks, too: In a letter to the people of Naperville sent on Monday, Pass Christian native Phyllis Sellier Campbell wrote: “Amid the death and destruction came wonderful, kind, generous human beings from everywhere. The heroes of Naperville, Illinois, were there and are there.”

“You are good people,” she wrote. “I send a huge hug to each and every one of you and say thank you, thank you, thank you.”

(Web master's note: Look throughout this Web site to find Phyllis Sellier's letter in its entirety. Also click on "We did it!" to find more about THE FUN Raisin' Party the helped fund the 20 homes.

 

Naperville Sun
Donor responds with $300,000 gift
Now group will be able to finish rebuilding houses in Mississippi
June 26, 2007
By KATIE FOUTZ Staff writer

A mystery person has given $300,000 to Naperville Responds - enough to finish all 20 houses the group pledged to rebuild in hurricane-ravaged Pass Christian, Miss.

"We're putting a sign out on Washington Street: 'We did it! Naperville has responded,'" said Bill Brestal, a Naperville attorney and the group's co-founder.

Richard Loth carries his mailbox, found blocks from his home in Pass Christian, Miss. He and his companion are still hunting for belongings scattered by 2005's Hurricane Katrina.
(AP file)

ON THE WEB

Naperville Responds: www.napervilleresponds.org

Brestal made the announcement at the end of a private fundraiser Saturday night.

The single donation nearly doubles what the nonprofit group has collected in two years. Since October 2005, Naperville Responds has raised more than $350,000 for nine homes to be built in Pass Christian, a Gulf Coast town almost destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Naperville Responds and the Pass Christian Rotary Club pay for construction materials, and Mennonite Disaster Services donates the labor.

Saturday, Naperville Responds held a $100-per-person dinner and silent and live auctions at the Ashwood Clubhouse, where individual donations raised money to build four more houses in "the Pass," as locals call it. To symbolize the effort, group co-founder Ron Wehrli, a Naperville builder, presented four large keys with red, white and blue ribbons to Pass Christian residents who attended.

Then Brestal said he had a surprise: An anonymous donation from a friend of his would build another seven homes. The room erupted.

"It was a lot of hugs and crying and tears," Brestal said.

The gift will put real keys in the hands of people like Roseta Daniels, a 46-year-old cafeteria worker and a single mom. She and her two young children rode out the hurricane in a school shelter and escaped rising waters by retreating to her sister's friend's house. After that, home was a tent, then a government-issued trailer - until last summer when the family moved into a brand new home built on stilts and money from Naperville Responds.

The gift also will benefit people like commercial fisherman Wayne Ford, 62, who shared a home with his developmentally disabled son. The house survived Katrina, windows and all, but it floated to the middle of Pass Christian's Market Street. Between two and five days after the hurricane hit, someone flattened his house with a bulldozer. He and his son, 40-year-old Jeffery, moved into a Naperville Responds home in August.

Both attended Saturday's fundraiser with D.H. Short, a cardiologist and president of the Pass Christian Rotary Club who has visited Naperville to speak about the challenges of rebuilding the Pass.

In all, the event raised about $440,000. Wehrli said there are too many people to thank by name. But the person who plunked down $300,000 wants to go unnamed.

"I would like to personally thank everybody from Naperville," Wehrli said. "To do something like this two years after the fact is pretty incredible."

According to Brestal, the work might not be done.

"We don't mind doing a 21st home, but we met our goal," he said.

 

City's charm reminds Southern mayor of home
Pass Christian leader even sees a little Bourbon Street in us
May 25, 2007
By Kate R. Houlihan Staff Writer / Naperville Sun

The sound and look of water can be a calming influence - and a connector.

Naperville Mayor George Pradel and Pass Christian, Miss., Mayor Chipper McDermott stood Thursday afternoon at the edge of the Riverwalk, taking a moment to enjoy the warm weather and sight of City Hall.

The last time the two were together was on a hot Mississippi day last August, looking at the Gulf of Mexico during dedication weekend for the first three Naperville Responds houses in the hurricane-ravaged city.

"Yes, this is really nice," McDermott said. "There's nothing like water: river water, lake water, gulf water."

McDermott and Joe Piernas, Pass Christian second ward alderman, made the journey Thursday to Naperville for the latest Naperville Responds fundraiser, which tied in with the ribbon cutting and grand opening of the Pavilion at Meson Sabika. Naperville Responds is a not-for-profit group with a goal of building 20 homes in partner city Pass Christian, hit hard in 2005 by Hurricane Katrina. The eighth house is on its way up and half of the funds needed for the ninth have been collected.

McDermott and Piernas received a tour of City Hall, looking awestruck at council chambers. The Pass Christian city hall was leveled by the storm and later torn down, with city government operating from a large trailer. They also walked on the Riverwalk, munched on po' boy sandwiches and jambalaya at Heaven on Seven over conversation about sports, travel and rebuilding efforts, and took in the sights of the public art murals.

"This is the kind of building you love to have," McDermott said, pointing at 48 W. Chicago Ave., which plays host to Rosebud restaurant. "This is nice."

Looking down Chicago Avenue at various bars and grills, after being told about how busy it gets at night, Piernas laughed and said, "It's kind of like Bourbon Street."

"This surpassed all my expectations," McDermott said. "They talk about Southern hospitality. I think the Midwest has got us beat."

For more information on Naperville Responds, visit www.napervilleresponds.org.

Naperville Responds lines up fundraisers
by Amy Boerema
Posted Thursday, May 24, 2007 / Daily Herald

Hossein Jamali is known around Naperville for his willingness to give.

The local restaurateur even has been honored for his extensive charity work.

But Jamali, who owns Meson Sabika in Naperville and Tapas Valencia in Bloomingdale, says his motivation to give back has nothing to do with accolades.

It has everything to do with awareness, he said, and knowing others may not be as fortunate.

“The only way to sleep comfortably at night is knowing you’re doing something about it,” he said.

Jamali’s next effort will help the people of the Gulf Coast whose homes were destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. He’ll host an open house from 5:30 to 9 p.m. today at the Pavilion at Meson Sabika, 1025 Aurora Ave.

For $35, guests can sample sangria and appetizers including stuffed mushrooms, sauteed beef tenderloin and Spanish vegetable omelets. Call (630) 983-3000 for reservations.

All proceeds benefit Naperville Responds, a group working to raise money to rebuild Gulf Coast homes that were destroyed by Katrina.

“Not a lot has improved since the disaster,” Jamali said. “The condition of living for so many is just beyond belief.”

Responds members currently are raising money to build their ninth home in Naperville’s domestic Partner City, Pass Christian, Miss. Their ultimate goal is to build 20.

Besides the Meson Sabika Open House, other events are scheduled to benefit Naperville Responds:

•Golf outing: Belgio’s Catering will host a scramble at 7 a.m. June 11 at Country Lakes Golf Club, 1601 Fairway Drive in Naperville. The cost of $75 per person includes breakfast at 7 a.m., golf at 8 a.m., lunch and awards. Sponsor opportunities are available. For details, call Tim Belgio at (630) 369-6100.

•Texas Hold ‘Em: The poker event will be June 21 at Aurora’s Hollywood Casino, 49 W. Galena Blvd. First prize is $10,000 or payment for a seat in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas. Space is limited to 80 players; there’s a $500 registration fee. Details forthcoming.

•Ashwood Park Clubhouse opening festivities: A celebration in honor of the opening begins at 6 p.m. June 23 at 103rd Street and 248th Avenue. The event is $100 per person for dinner and wine.

For information on Naperville Responds or its upcoming events, visit www.napervilleresponds.org.

Tech of the Town
New meets old in downtown development
By PRISCILLA FRULLA
pfrulla@sunherald.com

New building technology and historical details, including a 19th century-style lighthouse, will be used to create a mixed-use development in downtown Pass Christian.

A group of business people headed by Skip Negrotto and Steve Planchard makes up Harbortowne Development, the company building the project.

"A look from the early 1900s is the kind of look we are trying to get," said Negrotto. "We are trying to preserve as much as we can of the historical architecture. At the same time, we are trying to design the buildings south of Scenic Drive in a way that doesn't obstruct the view."

City officials granted conceptual approval Tuesday for Harbor Town at the Pass, a development with more than 40,000 square feet of retail space under 150 condominium units. Plans also call for a two-story parking garage.

The conceptual approval is conditional because the city must first finish transect maps to go along with its recently adopted SmartCode before Harbortowne can receive preliminary plat approval and get a building permit. Negrotto said he expects construction to begin in June and the first units to be ready for occupancy by the end of the year.

The project will be on the west side of Market Street extending from U.S. 90 to Second Street. The development will overlook the harbor on property that was home to John Ellis Real Estate, Harbor View Café, Domino's, Tigrés and other businesses before Hurricane Katrina.

"We are trying to bring some of the old history of Pass Christian back and the lighthouse is part of that," said Negrotto.

He said company members found plans from the 1800s for a lighthouse the city had planned to build. A smaller lighthouse was later built, Negrotto thinks due to financial considerations, but was subsequently destroyed. Harbor Town's new lighthouse is not expected to be functional, he said.

Negrotto said the commercial spaces will probably be filled with restaurants and shops. He said several people who were in business in Pass Christian, Long Beach and Bay St. Louis before the hurricanes have expressed interest in coming to Harbor Town.

Condos will be sold starting around $300 per square foot and more depending on location, said Negrotto. The number of condos may change after the developers determine how many one-, two- and three-bedroom units are needed, but Negrotto expects them to range between 600 and 2,300 square feet.

Negrotto said what's unique about the development is the construction.

"It's what is called concrete monolithic modular," he said. "The contractor uses a huge mold and puts in rebar and pours the concrete. They lift the concrete box out of the mold and set it in place."

Negrotto said he believes it is the first time this construction technology will be used in Mississippi. The contractor, Eagles Three of Jacksonville, Fla., has used the method in Florida and architect William Deemer designed Harbor Town with the building method in mind, said Negrotto.

It is also cheaper and faster than traditional construction, said Negrotto. The contractors will have four molds on the site and each mold will produce one unit a day, he said. Within 20 weeks from the start day, all the units will be in place, said Negrotto.

Negrotto said the first phase of the project, on the north side of Scenic Drive, will cost $23 million to $25 million. The second phase, south of Scenic Drive, will cost $8 million to $10 million.

"We want to infuse some revenue into the local economy," said Negrotto. "People are so anxious for something to happen in Pass Christian right now."

Naperville Responds partners to build homes in Pass Christian, Miss.
Positively Naperville
February 2007

The next monthly meeting of Naperville Responds will be at 9AM, Tues., Feb. 6, at Texas Road House on North Aurora Ave., just east of Route 59. The main agenda item will be to discuss an opportunity to partner with the new Naperville restaurant to build a home or two in Pass Christian, Miss.

Several months ago Scott Moore of the Texas Road House met with the Naperville Responds board to link ways to help build 20 homes in the hurricane-ravaged town. Now the management wants to meet with the all-volunteer group to discuss its "house-in-the-box project" and the possibility to provide opportunities for local residents to prepare a house up north that will be shipped and assembled along the Gulf Coast.

So far, Naperville Responds has funded seven homes in partnership with the Rotary Club of Pass Christian and the Mennonites Disaster Service.

Most recently, the group also welcomed a large gift from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church to help build a home for Lucenda Isabelle, a 77-year-old widow and great-grandmother who lost everything in the storm. Pastor Gary Olson talked of the partnership created by his church’s mission to link with a Gulf Coast community, one of some 50 missions locally, nationally and internationally that has attracted Good Shepherd’s dedication.

As part of the Promise and Purpose Campaign, the pastor said the church had $15,000 to donate to a family displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Church members Marv Keplinger and JoAnn Dunbar identified Naperville Responds as a good fit for their mission.

In late January, Pass Christian photograph Ron Daley sent several photos of Naperville Responds houses, now in progress.

“It is great to see a picture of Lucenda as it deepens the reality of our mission,” said Keplinger. We are blessed to have God use us to help with his Grand Plan.

Keplinger added that he will attend the next Naperville Responds meeting at the Texas Roadhouse.

“I’m curious as to how this will be accomplished as we had initially wanted to do the same thing.”

Thanks to many generous donations in recent weeks, the nonprofit group is preparing to approve funds for the eighth home within the framework of its partnership with the Rotary Club of Pass Christian and the Mennonites.

For more information, visit www.napervilleresponds.org.

Sister cities duke it out over Bears, Saints matchup
By Amy Boerema
Daily Herald Staff Writer
Posted Thursday, January 18, 2007

Roseta Daniels is really grateful to Naperville.

After all, its residents raised funds to build her a new house in Pass Christian, Miss., after Hurricane Katrina roared through town and destroyed hers.

But on Sunday, the Saints fan won’t be thinking about that.

In fact, when the Bears and New Orleans battle for the NFC championship title, it’s a good bet all partnerships will be off — at least for the day.

“Thank you very much (for all your help), but don’t expect us to cheer for the Bears!” resident Ken Austin said.

For fans in Naperville’s partner city, the Saints’ Cinderella season couldn’t have come at a better time.

Rebuilding after Katrina has been a painfully slow process, and the team’s success has provided a much-needed morale boost along the Gulf Coast.

The Saints are a team of destiny, say many fans from Pass Christian, about 60 miles from New Orleans.

Daniels, for one, even sees the fact that Saints head coach Sean Payton is from Naperville as a sign of fate.

“I said, ‘Yes!’” Daniels said after learning about Payton’s roots. “The Saints are going to win because Naperville has helped me before!”

Spreading hope

Katrina left Pass Christian, once a charming fishing town, in shambles.

Two-thirds of its residents left and 80 percent of its homes and businesses were gone.

Naperville became a Partner City and organizers of a group called Naperville Responds hoped to raise enough money to build 20 homes. They’re now on house number seven.

The city also has sent library materials, art supplies and more to Pass Christian.

“It’s been a long road, but we’re beginning to see a lot of progress,” said Austin, who lost his home, business, car and boat in the storm. “People believe. We know it’s gonna take a long time to come back.”

The Saints fan is used to waiting. His team has had a mostly dismal 40-year history and finished last season with a woeful 3-13 mark.

“Everyone (here) loves them to death, and everyone always expects them to do well each season … then we’re let down, and we say, ‘Maybe next year,’æ” Austin said.

In other words, it’s like being a Cubs fan.

So it’s not hard to understand why residents of the Mississippi town are feeling an “incredible high” after the Saints turnaround season and their playoff victory over the Philadelphia Eagles.

“For a lot of people, it’s given us hope and changed the focus from the negative of Katrina to the positive of the football team,” said Charlie Delaune, who lost his home. “For a lot of us, that’s the only thing we’ve got going.”

He and his wife, Jan, live in a mobile home and have no plans to rebuild.

The Saints, simply, are a team of divine inspiration, he said — their success came out of nowhere.

“Absolutely no one, and I would dare say not even Sean Payton, expected this,” he said. “It’s incredible. And it’s done tremendous good … for the entire region.”

His wife agreed.

“All the people came together in the Superdome and everyone was for one thing,” Jan said. “It was for the Saints.”

Naperville ties

Residents are well aware of Payton’s Naperville ties.

They call such strange connections “Jesus sightings,” resident Sally James said.

“I couldn’t get over that,” she said.

While noting the irony, Austin’s less impressed.

“Everyone’s from somewhere,” he says. “As long as he’s here, we don’t care where he’s from.”

They have other things to worry about, anyway — like gearing up for Sunday.

Though Pass Christian residents have been overly kind and gracious to outsiders since the hurricane, they’re also not above a little trash talk.

“I hate to disappoint you Chicago fans,” Charlie Delaune says, “but Rex (Grossman) is gonna fold under the pressure.”

Jan Delaune’s more direct.

“I hope ya’all lose!” she says gleefully.

Letter to the Editor
Published Christmas Day in the Daily Herald

During the December meeting of Naperville Responds, a local organization that is raising money to help rebuild hearts and homes in Naperville's partner city, Pass Christian, Miss., we received an $85 donation from a group of kids who worked this summer selling lemonade at their lemonade stand. While the $85 donation does not rank in the Top 10 contributions, it does rank near the top of rewarding stories. I thank the following kids for making a difference: Garrett Gregory, Justin Geisler, Griffin Geisler, Miles Churchill, Stephanie Bobb, Nicholas Bobb, Spence Debrock and Kelly Hennessy.

---Steve Chirico
Secretary, Naperville Responds

Pass Christian
Gazebo Gazette
Dec. 1, 2006
www.gazebogazette.com

D.H. Short Named Citizen of the Year;
Robin Roberts Receives Special Award

Dr. D.H. Short, past president of the Pass Christian Rotary Club, was named the city's Outstanding Citizen of the Year at a ceremony on Wednesday evening in recognition of his work helping to rebuild Pass Christian after Katrina.

For only the second time in its 53-year history, the committee granted a special award to a citizen from the city who is not longer living here: Good Morning America co-host Robin Roborts, who went to junior high and high school in Pass Christian.

Ms. Roberts has helped keep Pass Christian in the national spotlight, "she was a star student then, and she is one of the brightest stars of Pass Christian," said Rotary President Trey Campbell. "We're so proud of her."

Ms. Robert's sister Dorothy accepted the award on her sister's behalf.

This year's honoree, Dr. Short, has spoken to 120 Rotary Clubs in 11 states and helped raise $300,000 to support the recovery of Pass Christian. In large part due to his efforts, the Rotary, along with support from Naperville Responds and the Mennonite Disaster Service, has been able to rebuild homes throughout Pass Christian---they're currently working on their ninth house.

---Evelina Shmukler

Naperville Responds to raise the roofs on 2 more Gulf homes
November 15, 2006
Sun staff

Naperville Responds, a group dedicated to building up to 20 homes in Pass Christian, Miss., recently approved funds for the fifth and sixth homes. On Aug. 19, the keys to the first three houses were turned over to their owners. A fourth house is nearing completion, expected to be ready before the Christmas holiday.

Located along the Gulf Coast, Pass Christian, with a population of 6,500, was practically leveled by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005. Shortly thereafter, the city of Naperville established a domestic partner city relationship with the community and Naperville Responds was established as a nonprofit organization. One hundred percent of funds raised by Naperville Responds go to build new houses for qualifying residents.

In the beginning, builder Ron Wehrli, who founded Naperville Responds with attorney Bill Brestal, estimated that it would cost approximately $100,000 per home to rebuild. The goal was set to raise about $2.5 million.

As partnerships were developed with the Rotary Club of Pass Christian Foundation and the Mennonites Disaster Service, the cost per home was adjusted and budgeted at $60,000 per house.

Thanks to the construction management by the Mennonites, their efficiencies of purchasing and their contribution of skilled labor, the actual cost per house is averaging about $45,000. During the November monthly board meeting, Treasurer Jack Persin announced the organization had enough in its coffers to begin two additional houses.

For information about progress, a comprehensive list of gifts at all levels, photos and an event archive with the history of Naperville Responds, visit www.napervilleresponds.org.

Middle school students take charity challenge
by Stephanie Penick
Daily Herald
Naperville / Lisle Neighbor
Tuesday, October 17, 2006

On Oct. 6, I attended the second annual softball face-off between the faculties of Crone and Scullen middle schools, a fundraiser to assist Hurricane Katrina survivors. Last year, the schools raised nearly $18,500.

Since that horrific hurricane, Naperville Responds, a group raising funds to rebuild hope and homes in Pass Christian, Miss., has organized and our community has identified the Gulf Coast town as its domestic Partner City.

During this year's weeklong charity challenge, the Crone Panthers and Scullen Sharks competed to see which school could raise more money per student to benefit Pass Christian Middle School.

With my trusted camera in hand, I was quite the dinosaur among the Panthers and the Sharks. While shooting cheering fans, more than one student asked, "Can I see the picture?"

Like a broken record, I answered, "This isn't digital."

My roll of film captured hundreds of good sports having fun for a worthy cause - a generous spirit I hope never becomes outdated.

I recognized Kathryn Birkett volunteering as the game's umpire. A Shark mascot and Scullen supporters with banners lined the south side of the baseball diamond. A Panther mascot and enthusiastic Crone fans packed the east side.

Families of the respective PTSAs donated treats and beverages for the concession stand. Students from Scullen ROCS (the PTSA students' community service group) assisted with sales.

Scullen nudged ahead in the first few innings, surging to a 12-4 victory.

"I must admit that Stan (Gorbatkin, Crone principal) and I are very proud of our students!" e-mailed Scullen Principal Kathy Kosteck, explaining that the "losing" principal agreed to donate $100 toward the "winning" school's total.

But in the end, both principals contributed to the other school because "it was a great week and the students did a terrific job of raising an incredible amount of money," said Kosteck.

Crone's donation per student came to $6.25 ($7,528.51 divided by 1,204 students). Scullen's donation per student is $6.91 ($9,420.57 divided by 1,363 students). Oh, so close!

Vision

During Naperville's 175th anniversary festivities Saturday, which focused on the future, I ran into Janet Buglio, Indian Prairie Unit District 204's communication services coordinator.

I noted that news and photos of their charity softball game would be posted on www.napervilleresponds.org. She said the schools already are considering next year's friendly competition.

When I visited Pass Christian in August, officials anticipated it would be 10 to 12 years before their town is back on its feet. It's great our schools have kept Pass Christian in their Vision for a Vibrant and Healthy Community.

Weed Ladies

Mary Beth Kludac is a new member of the Weed Ladies. She volunteers with members of the Naperville Heritage Society to raise funds for Naper Settlement by creating and selling one-of-a-kind dried and silk flower arrangements in the Daniels House.

A former resident of Pass Christian, Kludac moved here a few months before Hurricane Katrina hit.

She attended a recent Naperville Responds meeting to share her heartfelt story of appreciation for helping to rebuild the Pass.

Kludac also told how her new friends supported purchasing house gifts from the Weed Ladies for the first four owners of Naperville Responds homes.

I stopped by the Weed Ladies show and sale Sunday at Naper Settlement.

"Mary Beth came up with the thought," said Weed Ladies Co-chairman Lynn Rogala, surrounded by Dottie Krejci, Cathy Schumacher and Barb Smart in the back room. "We're all pitching in to purchase four arrangements to add a little warmth to the holiday season. Mary Beth's heart is truly in this because her friends and family lost so much."

Now the challenge is to find a way to transport the boxed up arrangements with care.

If you're headed to the Gulf Coast and have room in your vehicle, or if you'd like to contribute funds for shipping items donated from nonprofit groups such as the Weed Ladies, Scouts and the Naperville Art League, visit www.napervilleresponds.org.

Otherwise, every penny donated to Naperville Responds goes toward building homes. Donations in any amount can be mailed to Naperville Responds, 123 Water St., Naperville, IL 60540.

One more thing: The Weed Ladies will host another show and sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Nov. 3-4. After Sunday's preview of their creative seasonal and holiday silk decorations, I'm going back.

For information about custom work, call (630) 305-5289.

Golfers dig deep for Naperville Responds
by Tim West
Naperville Sun
September 15, 2006

The weather, like his constituency, is usually pretty kind to Naperville Mayor George Pradel.

Unfortunately, into each life a little rain must fall – even when you're as sunny a guy as our mayor.

For the first time that I can remember, the mayor's annual golf outing was almost entirely rained out.

Oh, I think that there may have been one, maybe two, instances over the years when showers caused some delay, but Mother Nature served up enough rain to turn a green into a water hazard this year.

The Monday morning group never got off at all, and the deluge didn't let up until the afternoon. Eventually, some hardy golfers got nine holes in toward the end of the day, but for the majority, the outdoor part of the day at White Eagle Golf Club was washed out.

Naperville Responds netted some $1,769 that was deposited in mason jars placed on each table at the dinner.

Naperville Responds is an ongoing effort to raise money to help rebuild the town of Pass Christian, Miss., which was pretty well flattened last year by Hurricane Katrina.

The goal is to raise money to build 20 houses for people who can't afford to rebuild in that Gulf Coast city.

Naperville residents and businesses are donating the money to buy building materials, while Mennonite volunteers are physically building the homes.

This is a long-term effort, but so far three houses have been built and a fourth is on the way.

This is a good start, but it's just that – a start.

I've bugged you about this in the past, and I will undoubtedly continue to do so until the plan is completed.

The next fundraiser is a Gospel Brunch on Oct. 1.

For information about the brunch and the campaign in general, visit www.napervilleresponds.org .

It has become painfully obvious over the past year that governments can't do all that is necessary to rebuild the Gulf Coast – that some of the most important efforts will be those made by private citizens.

It is ironic, though, that the water basically drowned New Orleans and other cities, including Pass Christian, and on Monday the rains came down on an effort to raise funds for the Naperville Responds campaign.

No matter.

Naperville, and America, will prevail.

An interesting article in last Friday's New York Times told the tale of a young woman who had already made elaborate plans for her wedding reception when she learned that her beloved was cheating on her.

She canceled the wedding but was stuck with paying for the 180-guest reception costs, a block of hotel rooms and various other expenses.

So, she decided to turn the reception into a charity event.

She revamped the guest list to reflect people interested in her favorite charities and asked the guests to enjoy the dinner and then make a donation to the charities.

A truly happy ending. A louse gets the boot, and charity gets the bucks.

New homes bring hope for future to survivors
By Robert Rhodes
Mennonite Weekly Review
Last Updated August 28, 2006

PASS CHRISTIAN, Miss. — People entering Brenda Payne’s new house a few blocks from the Gulf of Mexico paused at the top of her elevated porch to remove their shoes.

For some, it seemed to spring from habit and good manners, a way to keep Mississippi’s ubiquitous red dirt out of Payne’s fresh carpeting.

But it also seemed a holy gesture. Entering Payne’s home — a serene island of gentle light and air-conditioning on a blazing August afternoon — was akin to stepping into territory blessed by the many Mennonite Disaster Service volunteers who had toiled to raise this place from the mold and ocean-sodden ruins left a year ago by Hurricane Katrina.

Payne’s new house and two others recently completed by MDS were dedicated Aug. 19.

“My house went into my neighbor’s back yard,” the slightly-built grandmother remembered, pointing into the bushes.

Today Payne, who shares her home with her young grandchildren, can stand in her new master bedroom and see a neighborhood slowly recovering from the hurricane.

On Aug. 29, 2005, the deadly Category 3 storm leveled large parts of several communities along the Mississippi Gulf Coast, from Waveland and Bay St. Louis to the west, to Gulfport and Biloxi to the east.

Though high winds devastated buildings hard by the coast, it was Katrina’s nearly 30-foot storm surge that did the more pervasive damage and that lifted and propelled Payne’s former home into an adjoining lot.

Few houses in Pass Christian — which was severely damaged when Hurricane Camille came ashore here in 1969 — were spared at least some damage by Katrina.

Though she fled Katrina, Payne said she rode out the compact, fast-moving Camille in her house, which was damaged but not destroyed.

But while Camille packed 240 mph winds, Katrina’s storm surge was higher and reached farther inland to destroy property that Camille’s slightly shallower tide had missed.

“This is a lot worse than Camille,” said MDS volunteer Bob Bender of Goshen, Ind.

* * *
Wayne Ford and his family live in another of the houses recently dedicated by MDS. A seventh-generation Gulf Coast shrimper whose family has lived at the same address on Market Street for more than 100 years, Ford has the muscular arms and sun-cured skin of a man who has spent his life on the sea.

Ford believes his family’s home fell victim as much to the chaotic aftermath of Katrina as to the storm itself.

“It could have been saved with very little effort,” Ford said of the structure, built after Camille destroyed an earlier house constructed by Ford’s great-grandfather.

When Ford returned to the house following Katrina, he found it had floated off its foundation and come to rest in the middle of the street. Other than some minor water damage, the house was totally intact, Ford said, without even a broken window. It seemed too good to be true, especially in the face of far worse damage nearby.

“It was just like it was built there,” Ford said. An extensive antique gun collection and an oil painting of one of his shrimp boats by Biloxi boatbuilder-turned-artist Joe Moran survived the storm.

After being told by local authorities that the house would be left alone until he could retrieve his belongings, Ford left. When he was allowed to return three days later, the house and everything in it had been bulldozed — by whom, no one seems to know.

“Nobody has admitted to it,” Ford said. “But whoever did that left us with nothing.”

Though his family had the resources to rebuild their home after Camille, Ford said his storm coverage was invalidated this time because the house had been bulldozed before an insurance adjuster arrived. As a result, Ford found himself and his family with no means to rebuild and with few possessions.

Though MDS was able to help him, Ford said there are many others in the region who lost their homes, or at least salvageable possessions, under similar circumstances.

“This is not just my story,” he said, clearly angered at the losses he sustained but grateful for the help he received. “I’ve left this to be settled by a higher authority.”

The three houses completed by MDS — the third was for Roseta Daniels of Pass Christian and her two children — were constructed in partnership with the Pass Christian Rotary Club and Naperville Responds, an initiative by residents of Naperville, Ill., who have donated money to help Pass Christian rebuild.

D.H. Short, a local physician who has been helping marshal relief resources in Pass Christian, said MDS has been a godsend to the community.

“What the Mennonites have allowed us to do in Pass Christian, I can’t thank them enough,” Short said.

More than just a photo op
Devastation, triumph leave lasting impression
Stephanie Penick
Posted Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Daily Herald

A week ago Monday, still blurry-eyed from a 30-hour whirlwind visit to Pass Christian, Miss., I took Karl, the girl dog, out for her morning walk.

That weekend, the Rotary Club of Pass Christian and the Mennonites Disaster Service dedicated the first three new homes built in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina with private funds collected by Naperville Responds.

We’d been invited to see the results of teamwork in the hurricane-battered community during the “presentation of the keys,” a special ceremony and part of tradition in the Mennonites’ recovery assistance. Thirteen of us, including several members of the local press, took the trip.

As I walked our dog, a neighbor stopped and said, “Oh, you went down for the photo op.”

I guess you could say I did. Yet, that morning I was still reeling from the emotional stories of survival and the stifling humidity and heat that had drained me.

I was still trying to assess the devastation, not only in the Gulf Coast town Naperville selected as its domestic Partner City, but for miles and miles along the coast.

A photo opportunity — a snapshot in time — will never replace the scrolling images now emblazoned in my mind.

My respect for every person who has unselfishly served on mission trips or donated private dollars grew insurmountably that weekend.

While I’m not extravagant in my tastes, I’m not the camp-in-nature-type, either. Weeks on end — by choice of service — without basic amenities and flexibility would be difficult for me.

But I hope I’m decent at simply communicating the hope, faith, love, smiles and appreciation we found in Pass Christian from a diverse group of residents who found the wrath of the hurricane didn’t discriminate. And ever since, Pass Christian’s people of means who lost everything have been trying to help less fortunate residents who also lost everything.

During my visit to Pass Christian, I could only compare pre-Katrina photos online to what I discovered: plenty of lush green beachfront property overlooking a white sandy beach and calm blue waters.

The simplicity and tranquility fooled me initially until a reality check reminded me that a year ago, Hurricane Katrina destroyed the commerce and homes once there, where people went about their business.

And a canopy of swamp oaks used to line the scenic coastal highway. Now the mighty oaks are mostly barren, with a few limbs beginning to show new growth.

Closer to the railroad tracks, trailers, tents, half-standing homes, a boarded up post office and commercial signs for businesses that are now slabs of concrete overgrown with weeds created a landscape that appeared to be more of a shanty town than a historic resort community proud to house, formerly, the second-oldest yacht club in America. The closest gas station was six miles away. Ice chests in town were locked on Saturday and Sunday. Yard signs say “We Love The Pass! We’re Coming Back!”

That weekend, Naperville Responds members Mayor George Pradel, Bill Brestal, Ron Wehrli, Steve Chirico, Rich Mikolajczyk and I saw the damage for the first time. Diane Persin, who’s served on several mission trips to the Pass with St. Raphael Church, returned with us.

Progress is slow, but the momentum is beginning to build — literally.

Since we left a week ago, the remnant walls of city hall finally have been razed. Friday I received photos of a new Internet cafe going up with pre-cast concrete on East Second Street. The need for communication is as key down there as it is everywhere. They need so much, but they also need a link to their friends and family in the rest of the world.

Our 25-year-old son, Tep, helped with much of the driving in a comfortable van lent to us by Nick Ryan. Six of us wouldn’t have taken the trip otherwise.

And what an amazing adventure of lessons for life it turned out to be.

Monday afternoon, as I drove Tep back to his apartment in Chicago, we considered our view of the most pressing needs in Pass Christian.

People need to return, we agreed. At the same time, they need commerce.

In Naperville, we talk about good public schools in our community and how they attract residents.

But without business investment and a thriving economy, our public schools would not be recognized among the best.

People, commerce, infrastructure, civil services, an emergency response plan — some basic economics come first.

Even when Joe Naper, at age 23, arrived along the banks of the DuPage River in 1831, commerce and roads topped his list as he planned the settlement.

Here’s hoping as we set our lofty goals in this community, we educate our children about the basics that provide the resources to support our dreams.

Here’s hoping we’ll all consider the many lessons that can be learned from that devastating hurricane a year ago.

As Tep unloaded his overnight bag and a cooler of Gulf Coast shrimp on ice (to help support a local fisherman, he purchased 45 pounds of shrimp at $3 a pound), I asked what he’d learned from the faithful people we met in Pass Christian.

“Life is beautiful,” he said. “You can always find the good in life if you look for it.”

Don Culpepper Reports On Illinois Towns Help In Pass Christian
by Don Culpepper
Click here to view the story on the WLOX website.

The Pass Christian Rotary Club began the initiative.

"Housing is the greatest unmet need," says Rotary Club President Trey Campbell. And we're doing everything we can to see that need is met."

Mennonite Disaster Service joined the effort as soon as the hurricanes fury has subsided.

"We provide volunteer labor," says Jerry Klassen of Mennonite Disaster Service. "But really don't have a lot of resources for materials and the money that's needed to put together a home for someone."

And the town of Naperville Illinois have taken on the role of financier.

"Our Philosophy is to go out and get money," says Bill Brestal, Co-Chaiman of Naperville Responds.

They've done just that, and now town officials and volunteers with Naperville Responds have made their first trip to their adopted partner city to see for themselves what their 250 thousand dollars has bought.

"We've come together to share a blessed time with 3 families in this community," Jerry Klassen tells the crowd. Three financially strapped families received keys to 3 new homes of their own. Roseta Daniels says it will be the first real beds she and her family have slept in since the storm.

"Without this, I don't think it would have been possible for a long time," says Daniels. "Thanks everybody."

Brenda Payne read from a prepared statement, fearing her emotions would get the better of her.

"I will never forget the way all of you pulled together to help my family and others in our community," says Payne.

"And Wayne Ford says a heartfelt thank you is all his family has left to give.

"It's not enough to thank them but that's all I've got right now," says Ford.

But a thank you is enough for their neighbors from Naperville.

Naperville Raises Funds For Hurricane Relief
Mike Puccinelli Reports for Channel 2 TV News
February 4, 2006

Click here to read article and view video.

Park District supports Naperville Responds' effort to raise funds to build homes

The Naperville Park District is supporting Naperville Responds efforts in its $10 for 20 campaign. The purpose of the campaign is to raise enough money to build 20 homes for victims of Hurricane Katrina living in Pass Christian, Mississippi. The idea is that if every Naperville resident contributed just $10 towards the effort, 20 homes could be built.

Although it's been nearly one year since the hurricane struck, many residents of Pass Christian are still living in FEMA trailers and the city's infrastructure slowly is being rebuilt. So far, Naperville Responds has raised enough money to build 4 new homes in Pass Christian, 3 of which will be completed by mid-August.

A simple way to support this fund is to check the box on the Park District's registration form when signing up for Autumn programs. The form can be found in the Naperville Park District's Autumn 2006 Program Guide, which was distributed beginning July 13.

All funds donated through the Naperville Park District will be forwarded to Naperville Responds.

Those interested in donating also may mail contributions directly to Naperville Responds, c/o DBCW, Ltd., 123 Water St., Naperville, IL 60540. Naperville Responds also has set up a website to accept donations at www.napervilleresponds.org.
----Submitted by the Naperville Park District, July 18, 2006

Naperville Responds kicks Katrina aid up a notch
Naperville Sun, May 22, 2006
by Kate R. Houlihan

It was a New Orleans-style party with a purpose.

Close to 110 people gathered amid the spices and photographs that act as a backdrop in the Heaven on Seven restaurant in downtown Naperville on Sunday.

But casual weekend diners these were not.

Behind the yellow, green and purple balloons, past the red Mardi Gras beads spread all over tables and worn around necks was a slide show showing pictures of a devastated Pass Christian, Miss. – which is still showing the effects nearly seven months after Hurricane Katrina.

Those pictures reminded people with each bite that the fundraising dinner prepared by Heaven on Seven's Jimmy Bannos was all for a cause – helping Naperville Responds continue in its quest to build 20 houses in Pass Christian.

"I feel after seven to nine months people are forgetting a little bit," Bannos said, pausing for a moment as he went from table to table explaining the different dishes. "People are forgetting about the (Gulf) Coast and Mississippi." Bannos doesn't intend to see that happen, and neither does the Naperville Responds leadership. Three houses are already under construction with a fourth to begin being built soon, group President Kevin Gallaher said.

A little more than $6,100 was raised at the event, called "Feed Me, Jimmy." Guests were treated to five courses, starting with gumbo, ending with chocolate brownie blasters and in between enjoying halibut on tomato salad, creole spiced chicken breast and roast beef tenderloin.

"It's a small world," said Mayor George Pradel, noting the connections different people at the event had with the Gulf Coast. "You've got people helping people in a positive way, while having fun."

And enjoying some tasty eats. For friends Barb Kossak of Westmont and Jean Sullivan of Hickory Hills, some Cajun-style cooking hit the spot.

"We're very concerned about Katrina victims," Kossak said.

For DuPage County Judge Ted Duncan and his wife, Jane, the motive behind the event hit close to home.

"My aunt lost her home in Pass Christian," Ted Duncan said. "I wanted to come here and support (the group)," he said. "I'm very proud the community turned out to support this effort."

Naperville Responds foun-der Bill Brestal was adamant about the group's goal. "We've got to get 20 (homes)," he said.

Naperville Responds has adopted a new motto, "$10 for 20," to encourage Naperville residents to give $10 to the effort and show that a donation such as that from everyone could make a big difference in the form of 20 houses.

"If people could just put 10 bucks in, we could do a lot more down there," Brestal said.

Gulf Coast town is seeing best of city’s organizations
Daily Herald, Posted Tuesday, May 23, 2006
by Stephanie Penick

Early in the planning stages of the Naperville Responds domestic Partner City initiative — and mindful of traditions and generous community spirit during Naperville’s 175th anniversary year — board member Nina Menis suggested 2006 offered a historic bent for the new organization.

As we celebrate the founding and development of Naperville, our community also can help rebuild hope — and up to 20 homes — in Pass Christian, Miss., in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, she said.

Now with three homes in progress and a fourth about ready to begin, momentum picked up last week when the nonprofit group received a $12,000 boost from the Naperville Junior Woman’s Club. The group contributed proceeds from its “Viva Las Vegas” fundraiser held in April.

Donations of more than $7,500 also came from the Naperville Jaycees, including the final tally from the club’s Mardi Gras Silent Auction and $1,000 from its allocations committee.

Further, after Sue Omanson pitched the slogan idea of “Ten for Twenty” during the first general meeting in May, graphic artist Tom Tortorich turned it into a design.

“Ten for Twenty” is based on the challenge created by Naperville Responds founders Bill Brestal and Ron Wehrli that if every local resident donates $10, Naperville could build 20 homes in the Gulf Coast community ravaged by the storm. Details about “Ten for Twenty” are now posted on the group’s Web site, www.napervilleresponds.org, hosted and designed pro bono by Stargate.

Board member Don Welbourn of Stargate also posted on the Web site a long list of individuals, businesses and service clubs that have contributed to the cause.

In Partner City-style, many Naperville churches, schools, service clubs, libraries and the Naperville Art League have made connections with Pass Christian in recent months.

Becky Hollis of the Nichols Library connected with Pass Christian librarian Sally James about six months ago. Hollis has been coordinating delivery of audio/visual materials to the temporary library in Pass Christian ever since.

Last Wednesday, Hollis accepted 12 large boxes with approximately 1,500 videos and books collected by 65 members of Junior REACH at Washington Junior High School. When students Emily Schuler, Chelsea Malley and Ali Wojcikiewicz dropped off the boxes, they said they’d purchased 78 new books with $250 they raised at their REACH fundraiser.

Over at the Naperville Art League, 508 N. Center St., Julie Corwith began coordinating a collection of art supplies a couple months ago after she contacted Pass Christian artist Kathie Short and learned the Pass Christian art club and most of its members lost everything in the hurricane.

After last Thursday’s general meeting, Corwith said she and Rachel Bryan loaded her trunk with “four large brown grocery bags of stuff,” which will be sent to Short for distribution.

Boxes of art books, stretcher frames and frames also have been left at the gallery, she said.

Since every single penny donated to Naperville Responds goes toward building homes, funds for shipping supplies have been raised by groups such as the Naperville Exchange Club.

What’s more, early Friday morning, Naperville Responds event organizer Roxanne Lang rushed an e-mail to me and all other members of the organization.

“This is so exciting!” Lang wrote at 6:28 a.m. “For all of you who aren’t early risers, Chef Jimmy Bannos of Heaven on Seven was just on Channel 5 News promoting our ‘Feed Me, Jimmy’ event and Naperville Responds! Totally awesome!”

Sunday’s event at Heaven on Seven in downtown Naperville welcomed more than 100 patrons to a five-course New Orleans-style meal prepared by Bannos. After dessert, Bannos, who said he’s on a mission to remind people not to forget about the devastation along the Gulf Coast, presented Brestal and Wehrli with a check for Naperville Responds in the amount of $6,100.

If your group would like to participate in this domestic Partner City initiative, visit www.napervilleresponds.org and send your ideas to President Kevin Gallaher via “contact us.” Or, attend the next meeting at 9 a.m. June 6 in the council chambers at the Naperville Municipal Center.

Pass Christian still needs your help
Editorial from the Naperville Sun, Tuesday, May 23

Naperville Responds wants to make sure residents keep the victims of Hurricane Katrina on the front burner of their minds and hearts.

The group was formed to help with reconstruction efforts of Pass Christian, Miss., a Gulf Coast town devastated by the hurricane.

The once flourishing 6,500-resident community lost most of its tax base because of the flooding in the wake of the hurricane. Stores, public buildings, houses were all demolished.

Pass Christian lost 75 percent of its homes and 99 percent of the downtown area.

Naperville Responds is an ongoing, community-wide effort to raise funds to rebuild Pass Christian.

The organization intends to raise at least $2.5 million, with the aim of rebuilding 20 homes for people of modest incomes who cannot afford to rebuild their homes.

So far, Naperville Responds has three homes under construction with a fourth to follow soon.

To fund the effort, Naperville Responds has been holding fundraisers and seeking donations.

On Sunday, a fundraiser at Heaven on Seven in downtown Naperville raised some $6,100 at an event called "Feed Me, Jimmy," with Jimmy being restaurateur Jimmy Bannos.

Similar efforts among Naperville organizations intended to raise funds for the Pass Christian effort have also been held.

But the main difference between the devastation that struck the Gulf Coast and normal fundraising and work efforts is the scope of the tragedy and the years it will take to rebuild.

As a community, we can't let this effort slip to the back of our minds.Help will be needed for a long time.

To contribute to Naperville Responds or for information, visit www.napervilleresponds.org or call Sue Banks at (630) 355-5800. Donations are tax deductible.