New Orleans, Louisiana is a magical place.
Aug. 29, 2005. The wind blew and the water rose. Most of the world watched as Hurricane Katrina made land and turned that land into a sea of broken dreams for many of the people of New Orleans.
Even those whose homes were not affected by flooding found themselves evacuated as they had no electricity. With that came no source for food, water, telephones and more of the items the rest of us take for granted.
For 30 days or more the people of New Orleans were displaced, discouraged, disillusioned.
That was three years ago. Some folks say they will never return. Others are trying hard to rebuild their lives. For many, that means rebuilding their homes.
I fell in love with the people of New Orleans — the artists, the musicians, the guy on the street, the homeless family living at the shelter, the lady at the gas station. Every one of them has something valuable to share with the world. And they will if you let them.
I spent a week with the Minnesota Katrina relief team helping to rebuild the city, one house at a time, volunteering through Operation Helping Hands, Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of New Orleans. As we worked on our assigned projects some of the folks from the neighborhoods would stop to visit.
They were old and they were young. They were curious and they were grateful. They were receptive and they were kind. They were inspiring.
The people in those broken neighborhoods most touched my heart. Their houses and entire neighborhoods may have been broken, but their spirit was not.
A house represents security, a place to start the day and a place to finish the day. A home is comfort, family, friends and love. When the people of the flood damaged parishes of New Orleans say to you, “Welcome to my home,” it is empowering to them. They have accomplished much.
To be a small part of that, is awesome. One week of volunteering was more fulfilling than almost anything I can think of that I have done in my life so far. We were not polishing diamonds in the rough, we were doing something real. By rebuilding homes we were changing lives. As Jenny Orsborn, our group leader, said, we are saving the world one house at a time.
To look at the changes that have been made in the last three years is inspiring. To see a community come together and know that I was a tiny part of making someone's dream come true is amazing. More important than the progress you can see with your eyes is the progress you can feel in your heart.
NOLA is a magical place. The city has a pulse. You can feel it reverberating in your bones. The architecture is beautiful. Artists from all venues are everywhere, in studios, galleries and on the street. And the music . . . ah, the music . . . is alive.
What makes the heart beat of the city is the people. The people of NOLA are strong, spirited and soulful. And those who can, are coming home.
Peace.
p.s. Please read my story in this weeks edition of the Mille Lacs Messenger on sale at news stands tomorrow, April 30.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 26, 2008
I love my Jeep
It is hard to believe it is April 26. I woke up this morning and looked out the window to find about 3 inches of snow. That's not so bad, I thought. It wont last long. The plows will be out shortly and the rest of it will melt soon. It was a nice thought.
I had an appointment to get my tires rotated, fix a slow leaking tire and check the breaks. All something I had been putting off for quite some time. But the leaky tire was starting to leak faster, so I had to keep the appontment. When it came time for me to leave home to go into town (25 miles) I looked out the front window and could not even see across the lake. I couldn't even see the island in the middle. The snow just kept on snowing. And blowing.
But I had to go, so go I did.
The highway wasn't so bad going into town. It did not appear the plows had been out, but traffic kept a path pretty clear.
Once in town, the roads were fine. Wet and sloppy, but better than the highway.
Got my Jeep taken care of. The breaks are fine. The tire is fixed and they were all rotated. Good for another 6,000 miles or so.
The DJ on the radio said it was clearing up. Pearing through my windshield it appeared to be worse. Of course, the radio station is on the other end of town, so I will cut her some slack.
Driving back home east on hwy. 18 the road had not been plowed. And it was white out conditions. I am not kidding. I could not see 50 feet in front of me for a long time. The scary part was when all of the sudden a plow heading straight for me appeared out of nowhere!
So, I took the first chance I could and hit the back roads.
Now, here, it was clear that while the highway was not great, apparently plows had made a pass or two. Compared to the back country roads, which indeed had not been plowed. The snow was piling up close to at least 6 inches with drifts on the sides about 2-feet.
That's the best thing about a Jeep. My Jeep loves the snow! I felt like I could have been in a Jeep commercial even.
As I drove through the drifting snow it was spraying up the sides, blowing back in the wind. I would hit a pothole coverd in snow and muddy globs of snow covered the windshield, hood and side windows.
With a swipe of the wiper blades and a little blue juice, me and my Jeep just kept on going. Up and down the rolling hills and winding dead-end road we just drove. Still close to white out conditions when I passed a field, but in the woods it was near Jeep Nirvana.
It was almost sad to make it to the end of the road and into my driveway. My little adventure was over. Its a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand.
I kicked the built up snow off from all the wheel wells and chipped away the ice build up on the wiper blade. I put my friend -- my Jeep in the garage and bid farewell for the day.
Oh, but in about an hour, I will have to leave again. I have a couple of weekend assignments for the paper. One is a the annual Smelt Fry at the VFW and the other is the Onamia Senior Prom grand march. I feel bad for the girls who must be dissappointed they might have to wear their Uggs instead of strappy little sandals to the dance tonight.
Naw, what am I thinking. This is Minnesota. The girls will wear their strappy little sandals tonight. Cripes, they wear them all year long anyway.
It is April 26 and this snow too will melt. But for now, I am going to grab some fresh coffee and just enjoy it for a while. And then head out into the wide white yonder. Only in a Jeep.
Peace.
I had an appointment to get my tires rotated, fix a slow leaking tire and check the breaks. All something I had been putting off for quite some time. But the leaky tire was starting to leak faster, so I had to keep the appontment. When it came time for me to leave home to go into town (25 miles) I looked out the front window and could not even see across the lake. I couldn't even see the island in the middle. The snow just kept on snowing. And blowing.
But I had to go, so go I did.
The highway wasn't so bad going into town. It did not appear the plows had been out, but traffic kept a path pretty clear.
Once in town, the roads were fine. Wet and sloppy, but better than the highway.
Got my Jeep taken care of. The breaks are fine. The tire is fixed and they were all rotated. Good for another 6,000 miles or so.
The DJ on the radio said it was clearing up. Pearing through my windshield it appeared to be worse. Of course, the radio station is on the other end of town, so I will cut her some slack.
Driving back home east on hwy. 18 the road had not been plowed. And it was white out conditions. I am not kidding. I could not see 50 feet in front of me for a long time. The scary part was when all of the sudden a plow heading straight for me appeared out of nowhere!
So, I took the first chance I could and hit the back roads.
Now, here, it was clear that while the highway was not great, apparently plows had made a pass or two. Compared to the back country roads, which indeed had not been plowed. The snow was piling up close to at least 6 inches with drifts on the sides about 2-feet.
That's the best thing about a Jeep. My Jeep loves the snow! I felt like I could have been in a Jeep commercial even.
As I drove through the drifting snow it was spraying up the sides, blowing back in the wind. I would hit a pothole coverd in snow and muddy globs of snow covered the windshield, hood and side windows.
With a swipe of the wiper blades and a little blue juice, me and my Jeep just kept on going. Up and down the rolling hills and winding dead-end road we just drove. Still close to white out conditions when I passed a field, but in the woods it was near Jeep Nirvana.
It was almost sad to make it to the end of the road and into my driveway. My little adventure was over. Its a Jeep thing. You wouldn't understand.
I kicked the built up snow off from all the wheel wells and chipped away the ice build up on the wiper blade. I put my friend -- my Jeep in the garage and bid farewell for the day.
Oh, but in about an hour, I will have to leave again. I have a couple of weekend assignments for the paper. One is a the annual Smelt Fry at the VFW and the other is the Onamia Senior Prom grand march. I feel bad for the girls who must be dissappointed they might have to wear their Uggs instead of strappy little sandals to the dance tonight.
Naw, what am I thinking. This is Minnesota. The girls will wear their strappy little sandals tonight. Cripes, they wear them all year long anyway.
It is April 26 and this snow too will melt. But for now, I am going to grab some fresh coffee and just enjoy it for a while. And then head out into the wide white yonder. Only in a Jeep.
Peace.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Instincts - the beast within us
“Good instincts usually tell you what to do long before your head has figured it out.” -- Michael Burke
It amazes me that even while 90 percent of the lake is still covered in ice, the loons know when to come home. Instincts are amazing.
I heard the loons last Saturday. Actually, Charlie said he heard them a few days earlier, but I didn't hear them myself until then. On my way to work driving around the north side of the lake yesterday I saw two of them. The were peacefully floating along in the 15 to 20 feet of open water along the shoreline and diving under the ice.
It is a sure sign of spring, even when we are expecting 3 to 6 inches of snow tonight, I know it will not be long until the lake is completely free from ice.
Animal instincts lead the loons to water and tell them when to fly to the sun in the fall. Instincts tell the robins where to dig for worms. Instincts tell the bears when to wake up and when to crawl into a soft bed for the winter. Instincts tell a lone wolf how to find a pack or when to move on.
People have instincts, too. Like a voice within us, our instincts give us that gut feeling when something just feels so right that it can't possibly be wrong. Our inner voice tells us when it is time to move on, or when to dig deeper. If something just doesn't feel right, a trigger goes off, telling us so.
The difference between animal instincts and human instincts are that we humans have a few things that set us apart from the animals. Besides opposable thumbs, we can feel. We can think. We can rationalize. We can dream. We can love.
Our instincts can also become clouded by those very things that set us apart from the wild and free animal kingdom. The noise from everyday life can become so loud that we cannot hear that tiny voice within. Sometimes we feel trapped like a caged animal, or boxed into a corner with no way out except the way we came in.
But the clouds can blow away. We can shut out the distracting noises. We can free ourselves from the trap we set for ourselves.
It all goes back to the basics. We need to know when to listen to the voice and we need to trust our instincts.
“As the traveler who has lost his way, throws his reins on his horse's neck, and trusts to the instinct of the animal to find his road, so must we do with the divine animal who carries us through this world.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Peace.
It amazes me that even while 90 percent of the lake is still covered in ice, the loons know when to come home. Instincts are amazing.
I heard the loons last Saturday. Actually, Charlie said he heard them a few days earlier, but I didn't hear them myself until then. On my way to work driving around the north side of the lake yesterday I saw two of them. The were peacefully floating along in the 15 to 20 feet of open water along the shoreline and diving under the ice.
It is a sure sign of spring, even when we are expecting 3 to 6 inches of snow tonight, I know it will not be long until the lake is completely free from ice.
Animal instincts lead the loons to water and tell them when to fly to the sun in the fall. Instincts tell the robins where to dig for worms. Instincts tell the bears when to wake up and when to crawl into a soft bed for the winter. Instincts tell a lone wolf how to find a pack or when to move on.
People have instincts, too. Like a voice within us, our instincts give us that gut feeling when something just feels so right that it can't possibly be wrong. Our inner voice tells us when it is time to move on, or when to dig deeper. If something just doesn't feel right, a trigger goes off, telling us so.
The difference between animal instincts and human instincts are that we humans have a few things that set us apart from the animals. Besides opposable thumbs, we can feel. We can think. We can rationalize. We can dream. We can love.
Our instincts can also become clouded by those very things that set us apart from the wild and free animal kingdom. The noise from everyday life can become so loud that we cannot hear that tiny voice within. Sometimes we feel trapped like a caged animal, or boxed into a corner with no way out except the way we came in.
But the clouds can blow away. We can shut out the distracting noises. We can free ourselves from the trap we set for ourselves.
It all goes back to the basics. We need to know when to listen to the voice and we need to trust our instincts.
“As the traveler who has lost his way, throws his reins on his horse's neck, and trusts to the instinct of the animal to find his road, so must we do with the divine animal who carries us through this world.” -- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Peace.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
The right to remain silent
"There are times when silence has the loudest voice.” -- Leroy Brownlow
The people of Mille Lacs County are still questioning some issues in the case of the Mille Lacs County Undersheriff misplacing his county issued law enforcement weapon while on duty. The weapon was found in a public restroom, right where the undersheriff left it. The Glock was found by a concerned citizen, who turned it in to the Milaca Police chief later that day. The citizen has chosen to remain anonymous.
"We the People ... "
Those are the first three words in the Constitution of the United States. It was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789. The United States Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government.
For over two centuries, the Constitution has remained in force, in part due to the ability to adapt to meet the changing needs of an evolving society. Thereby came amendments to the Constitution.
The fifth amendment says in part, "no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury ..."
Ok, so what that means is people have the right to remain silent. In fact, the fifth amendment became ingrained into common law legal systems following the American Revolution. The case of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966 established the now famous Miranda Warning which extends the fifth amendment to include pre-trial questioning and investigations.
Every person has the right to not answer questions from any government agent. That includes law enforcement officers. Of course, there is the chance that by not answering questions, one might question the reasons why and suspicions might arise.
Mille Lacs County Sheriff Brent Lindgren has been quoted in the Mille Lacs County Times saying, "An investigation does not make a criminal. It only reveals the truth."
That sounds good on paper. But the next line he says, "If you haven't done anything wrong, the investigation will prove that, so there is no reason not to cooperate."
My thought is except that you have the right not to answer any questions, if you so choose. The Constitution gives you that right.
Lindgren added, "If the police chief and the individual don't cooperate, it makes you wonder what they are hiding." He later said if the police chief does not cooperate with the investigation that "he (the police chief) becomes judge, jury and executioner."
OK, hold on. Is that the kettle calling the pot black (or however that saying goes). It appears to me that he has already judged the individual who found the gun and turned it in. He has decided a crime has been committed by that individual and he is ready to throw a book at him. He is also ready to arrest the police chief for aiding in a crime.
The Constitution says, "We the people of the United States ..." That means everyone. The guy who found the gun, the sheriff, the police chief and the deputy who lost the gun. You and me and everyone else, too. We are the people. We have rights.
Calls to the sheriff have gone unreturned. Perhaps Lindgren is exercising his right to remain silent. Oh, except it doesn't work that way for public government officials.
Minnesota statutes 13.03 and 13.82 say that public officials must disclose a certain amount of information promptly. Even when using the phrase "within a reasonable amount of time" I feel that a week and a half of unreturned phone calls, three times per day, is not prompt, nor reasonable.
The sheriff is investigating a crime. The crime as he sees it is the theft of a gun. The gun which his undersheriff left behind in a public mens rest room. Lindgren said the deputy will be disciplined for misplacing his gun, but he can't be disciplined until the investigation is complete.
Where should the investigation be?
Investigate all you want, Sheriff. That is your job. But don't stomp on the Constitutional Rights of the People of Mille Lacs County. "We the people..."
I'll leave you wiht this quote I found to be quite interesting:
“The story of Little Blue Riding Hood is true. Only the color has been changed to prevent an investigation.” -- Stan Freberg
Peace.
************************************
p.s. Just in case you want the real words to the Constitution, the Fifth Amendment and the Miranda, keep reading. Otherwise, this is the end for today.
The Constitution of the United States
"We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ..."
The fifth amendment:
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
The Miranda:
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."
The people of Mille Lacs County are still questioning some issues in the case of the Mille Lacs County Undersheriff misplacing his county issued law enforcement weapon while on duty. The weapon was found in a public restroom, right where the undersheriff left it. The Glock was found by a concerned citizen, who turned it in to the Milaca Police chief later that day. The citizen has chosen to remain anonymous.
"We the People ... "
Those are the first three words in the Constitution of the United States. It was written in 1787, ratified in 1788, and in operation since 1789. The United States Constitution is the world’s longest surviving written charter of government.
For over two centuries, the Constitution has remained in force, in part due to the ability to adapt to meet the changing needs of an evolving society. Thereby came amendments to the Constitution.
The fifth amendment says in part, "no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury ..."
Ok, so what that means is people have the right to remain silent. In fact, the fifth amendment became ingrained into common law legal systems following the American Revolution. The case of Miranda v. Arizona in 1966 established the now famous Miranda Warning which extends the fifth amendment to include pre-trial questioning and investigations.
Every person has the right to not answer questions from any government agent. That includes law enforcement officers. Of course, there is the chance that by not answering questions, one might question the reasons why and suspicions might arise.
Mille Lacs County Sheriff Brent Lindgren has been quoted in the Mille Lacs County Times saying, "An investigation does not make a criminal. It only reveals the truth."
That sounds good on paper. But the next line he says, "If you haven't done anything wrong, the investigation will prove that, so there is no reason not to cooperate."
My thought is except that you have the right not to answer any questions, if you so choose. The Constitution gives you that right.
Lindgren added, "If the police chief and the individual don't cooperate, it makes you wonder what they are hiding." He later said if the police chief does not cooperate with the investigation that "he (the police chief) becomes judge, jury and executioner."
OK, hold on. Is that the kettle calling the pot black (or however that saying goes). It appears to me that he has already judged the individual who found the gun and turned it in. He has decided a crime has been committed by that individual and he is ready to throw a book at him. He is also ready to arrest the police chief for aiding in a crime.
The Constitution says, "We the people of the United States ..." That means everyone. The guy who found the gun, the sheriff, the police chief and the deputy who lost the gun. You and me and everyone else, too. We are the people. We have rights.
Calls to the sheriff have gone unreturned. Perhaps Lindgren is exercising his right to remain silent. Oh, except it doesn't work that way for public government officials.
Minnesota statutes 13.03 and 13.82 say that public officials must disclose a certain amount of information promptly. Even when using the phrase "within a reasonable amount of time" I feel that a week and a half of unreturned phone calls, three times per day, is not prompt, nor reasonable.
The sheriff is investigating a crime. The crime as he sees it is the theft of a gun. The gun which his undersheriff left behind in a public mens rest room. Lindgren said the deputy will be disciplined for misplacing his gun, but he can't be disciplined until the investigation is complete.
Where should the investigation be?
Investigate all you want, Sheriff. That is your job. But don't stomp on the Constitutional Rights of the People of Mille Lacs County. "We the people..."
I'll leave you wiht this quote I found to be quite interesting:
“The story of Little Blue Riding Hood is true. Only the color has been changed to prevent an investigation.” -- Stan Freberg
Peace.
************************************
p.s. Just in case you want the real words to the Constitution, the Fifth Amendment and the Miranda, keep reading. Otherwise, this is the end for today.
The Constitution of the United States
"We the people of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. ..."
The fifth amendment:
No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation.
The Miranda:
"You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to be speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense."
Thursday, April 17, 2008
More to the story of the lost gun - temporary theft?
I recently wrote two articles published in the Messenger Publications issues of March 19 and April 9. The stories are about a Mille Lacs County deputy who misplaced his law enforcement firearm in a public restroom. The gun was found and turned over to law enforcement. That is it in a nutshell. But there is more to the story. There always is.
I just finished reading the Brainerd Daily Dispatch and this week’s issue of the Mille Lacs County Times. That is something we do in the newspaper business. We read newspapers. A lot of different newspapers. Every day.
I read the Times article by Dawn Slade, “Forgotten gun incident leads to investigation.”
This is the first mention of the “forgotten gun” in the Times paper. The article states, “Recently the Mille Lacs Messenger broke the story after obtaining an internal document from the sheriff’s office, which Sheriff Brent Lindgren says was obtained illegally. Lindgren called it a breach of security. That’s a separate crime that’s occurred,’ Lindgren said.”
I wrote the articles mentioned by the Times. That paragraph mentioned above (from the Times article) leads readers to believe that I obtained the document illegally, that I committed a crime. That is simply not true. I do have a copy of the document and it was in no way received illegally.
The Times has access to the same incident reports that I have. They are emailed to both papers weekly. The first report of the “forgotten gun” was mentioned in the sheriff’s report as a theft from Unclaimed Freight. I received the report a week after the fact because they are weekly reports. I started investigating the incident.
It took time. Several phone calls were thwarted by comments like, “No comment.” “It is under investigation.” So I continued to do my job. I asked a lot of people questions. The funny thing is when you are a reporter, you talk to a lot of people who know something, but don't want to go on record, but may know someone who does. So you ask some more. I kept asking and looking for answers.
We ran a story on the incident as soon as I had tangible proof on record. After that, I confidentially interviewed the person who found the gun and turned it in. We ran that story, too.
The Times article says Lindgren is trying to find out who the man is who “took” the gun, because that is a crime.
Whether or not a crime was committed by the person who found the gun and turned it over to police, is not my position to say. I have read statute 609.52 which in part says for an act to be considered a theft, one must have “intent” to permanently deprive another of their property. The man who found the gun said he had every intention of getting it to police. Which he did.
As for why I am not telling the Sheriff who the man is who found the gun, is because I told the man I would not and that his wishes to remain anonymous would be kept — at least by me. Should he at some point decide on his own to come forward that is up to him. But I stand by my word. And Minnesota statute 595.021 — otherwise known as the Free Flow of Information Act, or the Shield Law — says I do not have to reveal confidential sources or unpublished notes.
“The Minnesota shield law, which was revised in 1998, explicitly recognizes the public's interest in protecting the free flow of information provided by the news media. The law protects those persons "directly engaged in the gathering, procuring, compiling, editing, or publishing of information" from revealing sources or unpublished information." (Student Press Law Center.)
Journalists take the Shield Law seriously and do not use it lightly. We discussed the issue at length in the office and contacted our attorney before the interview was even conducted. We also discussed with our attorney the information on how I obtained the now infamous document.
I can assure you, everything I did was legal. And ethical.
As for Milaca Police Chief Mike Mott not revealing the name of the man who found the gun, Mott gave HIS word he would not. He is standing by his word. Integrity.
One last note, I also wonder what a “temporary theft” is. The Times article states, “Lindgren added if the person is found guilty of temporary theft and the police chief aided the offender, he could also be charged with a crime.” What is a temporary theft? Is that a crime? What does that mean? Does that mean there can be temporary murder? Temporary rape? Temporary arson? Temporary assault? Or just temporary insanity?
Just something to think about.
Peace.
p.s. if you are interested in the articles in the Messenger, try these addresses. Copy and paste into your browser. click enter.
http://www.millelacsmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=18168&TM=64159.87
http://www.millelacsmessenger.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=18011&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1
I just finished reading the Brainerd Daily Dispatch and this week’s issue of the Mille Lacs County Times. That is something we do in the newspaper business. We read newspapers. A lot of different newspapers. Every day.
I read the Times article by Dawn Slade, “Forgotten gun incident leads to investigation.”
This is the first mention of the “forgotten gun” in the Times paper. The article states, “Recently the Mille Lacs Messenger broke the story after obtaining an internal document from the sheriff’s office, which Sheriff Brent Lindgren says was obtained illegally. Lindgren called it a breach of security. That’s a separate crime that’s occurred,’ Lindgren said.”
I wrote the articles mentioned by the Times. That paragraph mentioned above (from the Times article) leads readers to believe that I obtained the document illegally, that I committed a crime. That is simply not true. I do have a copy of the document and it was in no way received illegally.
The Times has access to the same incident reports that I have. They are emailed to both papers weekly. The first report of the “forgotten gun” was mentioned in the sheriff’s report as a theft from Unclaimed Freight. I received the report a week after the fact because they are weekly reports. I started investigating the incident.
It took time. Several phone calls were thwarted by comments like, “No comment.” “It is under investigation.” So I continued to do my job. I asked a lot of people questions. The funny thing is when you are a reporter, you talk to a lot of people who know something, but don't want to go on record, but may know someone who does. So you ask some more. I kept asking and looking for answers.
We ran a story on the incident as soon as I had tangible proof on record. After that, I confidentially interviewed the person who found the gun and turned it in. We ran that story, too.
The Times article says Lindgren is trying to find out who the man is who “took” the gun, because that is a crime.
Whether or not a crime was committed by the person who found the gun and turned it over to police, is not my position to say. I have read statute 609.52 which in part says for an act to be considered a theft, one must have “intent” to permanently deprive another of their property. The man who found the gun said he had every intention of getting it to police. Which he did.
As for why I am not telling the Sheriff who the man is who found the gun, is because I told the man I would not and that his wishes to remain anonymous would be kept — at least by me. Should he at some point decide on his own to come forward that is up to him. But I stand by my word. And Minnesota statute 595.021 — otherwise known as the Free Flow of Information Act, or the Shield Law — says I do not have to reveal confidential sources or unpublished notes.
“The Minnesota shield law, which was revised in 1998, explicitly recognizes the public's interest in protecting the free flow of information provided by the news media. The law protects those persons "directly engaged in the gathering, procuring, compiling, editing, or publishing of information" from revealing sources or unpublished information." (Student Press Law Center.)
Journalists take the Shield Law seriously and do not use it lightly. We discussed the issue at length in the office and contacted our attorney before the interview was even conducted. We also discussed with our attorney the information on how I obtained the now infamous document.
I can assure you, everything I did was legal. And ethical.
As for Milaca Police Chief Mike Mott not revealing the name of the man who found the gun, Mott gave HIS word he would not. He is standing by his word. Integrity.
One last note, I also wonder what a “temporary theft” is. The Times article states, “Lindgren added if the person is found guilty of temporary theft and the police chief aided the offender, he could also be charged with a crime.” What is a temporary theft? Is that a crime? What does that mean? Does that mean there can be temporary murder? Temporary rape? Temporary arson? Temporary assault? Or just temporary insanity?
Just something to think about.
Peace.
p.s. if you are interested in the articles in the Messenger, try these addresses. Copy and paste into your browser. click enter.
http://www.millelacsmessenger.com/main.asp?SectionID=1&SubSectionID=1&ArticleID=18168&TM=64159.87
http://www.millelacsmessenger.com/main.asp?Search=1&ArticleID=18011&SectionID=1&SubSectionID=&S=1
Re-adjusting to reality
Pastor Chris summed up the trip to New Orleans in two words: powerful experience. It truly was powerful.
When I walked down my driveway feeling a bit fatigued on Saturday, I was greeted with the biggest flying grizzly bear hug an 11-year-old boy can possibly give. My son ran up the hill with a big smile full of teeth, cheeks blushing and arms spread wide open. "I missed you so much, Mom. I love you all the way up to heaven and back infinity times," he said. He didn't let go for a long long time.
Next came the dogs — all three of them. Running towards me and Charlie like we were holding chunks of raw meat or something. It looked to me as though they were smiling, too. I know at least Anna was. She whimpered and wagged her little tiny tail so hard her butt shook. She wouldn't leave my side for two days.
Now I am back at my desk in Isle, Minnesota trying to re-adjust to reality. Its not easy for me. Things have changed a lot while I was gone. Or maybe it is the way I look at them.
We all go through our daily tasks as if they are the most important thing in the world. Our issues — home, family, work, friends, taxes, politics — are all that matter. While those certainly are important items to deal with, they are, by far, not the only important things in life.
Witnessing the aftermath of natures furry just blew me away — no hurricane pun intended. Neighborhoods are still in shambles and people are still living in gutted out houses. I met William Johnson in the ninth ward. He is living in his gutted out house with no running water. There are four walls and a roof with holes in it. When I asked him why he lives there, he simply said, "Where else am I going to go? I can't live under the bridge. People die there."
Many homeless people have set up camp under a few of the many bridges in the city. The crime rate is tremendous. "Those people have guns and knives and will kill you if you have something they want," he said. They will kill for something as simple as a ziplock baggie.
Violence under the bridge aside, William said, "And this is my home. It is all I have left."
I talked with Danny in Pontchartrain Park. I didn't get his last name, because he had to go to work and said he would come back later. But we moved to another area the next day and I never saw him again. But in the 20 minute conversation we had, he told an amazing story of survival during the flooding. It was a test of faith for him, and in reality, he said that Katrina saved his life.
"See that house over there?" he pointed across the street. "We were sitting in that house during the hurricane drinking and getting high. We didn't care. I went to bed and woke up with water on the floor. ... By the time I got to the front door, the water was up to my neck. The water had a life of its own and a current rushed through my house."
He made it out the door of his house. "I swam and swam and swam. I didn't see nobody. I thought everybody was all dead. I couldn't hear anything at first but the water. There were no birds. And then I heard the screaming. People crying and yelling for help. And I went to find them."
Danny said he saved a lot of people in his neighborhood. "But I couldn't save them all," he said as a tear escaped his right eye.
"I believed in God before, I mean I knew there was one. but now, I really believe in God. I was saved so that I could help people," Danny said. "I have a purpose."
Arle Thomas, Jr. is 30 years old. He spent 4 days on the I-10 bridge with everything his family owned in a 2-foot rubber box. Violence was everywhere. When his family finally got off the bridge they were shipped off to Texas to live at an air force base. "We were treated like second class citizens. Worse even. I thought I was an American. They called me a refuge."
The people there have experienced the pain of losing loved ones. Some even saw their bodies floating. They lost their homes and treasured trinkets, family photos. They experienced shame in some of the worst ways imaginable by ordinary standards. All of this is clear when you look at their faces and see into their souls.
William, Danny, Arle and all the others we met, Robert, Marc, Chad, Steve, CJ, the lady at the gas station and more all thanked us for helping to re-build their city. Even though we were not directly helping them, the look in their eyes when they said thank you came from deep inside their hearts. For what we were doing by simply being there was giving them hope.
Hope is something we all need.
The people we met said we were helping them. What really happened is they were helping me.
There will be a story in an upcoming issue of the Mille Lacs Messenger. and there are sure to be a few more blogs as I reflect back on the trip. I am also putting a slide show together and will give a presentation sometime in the near future.
Peace.
When I walked down my driveway feeling a bit fatigued on Saturday, I was greeted with the biggest flying grizzly bear hug an 11-year-old boy can possibly give. My son ran up the hill with a big smile full of teeth, cheeks blushing and arms spread wide open. "I missed you so much, Mom. I love you all the way up to heaven and back infinity times," he said. He didn't let go for a long long time.
Next came the dogs — all three of them. Running towards me and Charlie like we were holding chunks of raw meat or something. It looked to me as though they were smiling, too. I know at least Anna was. She whimpered and wagged her little tiny tail so hard her butt shook. She wouldn't leave my side for two days.
Now I am back at my desk in Isle, Minnesota trying to re-adjust to reality. Its not easy for me. Things have changed a lot while I was gone. Or maybe it is the way I look at them.
We all go through our daily tasks as if they are the most important thing in the world. Our issues — home, family, work, friends, taxes, politics — are all that matter. While those certainly are important items to deal with, they are, by far, not the only important things in life.
Witnessing the aftermath of natures furry just blew me away — no hurricane pun intended. Neighborhoods are still in shambles and people are still living in gutted out houses. I met William Johnson in the ninth ward. He is living in his gutted out house with no running water. There are four walls and a roof with holes in it. When I asked him why he lives there, he simply said, "Where else am I going to go? I can't live under the bridge. People die there."
Many homeless people have set up camp under a few of the many bridges in the city. The crime rate is tremendous. "Those people have guns and knives and will kill you if you have something they want," he said. They will kill for something as simple as a ziplock baggie.
Violence under the bridge aside, William said, "And this is my home. It is all I have left."
I talked with Danny in Pontchartrain Park. I didn't get his last name, because he had to go to work and said he would come back later. But we moved to another area the next day and I never saw him again. But in the 20 minute conversation we had, he told an amazing story of survival during the flooding. It was a test of faith for him, and in reality, he said that Katrina saved his life.
"See that house over there?" he pointed across the street. "We were sitting in that house during the hurricane drinking and getting high. We didn't care. I went to bed and woke up with water on the floor. ... By the time I got to the front door, the water was up to my neck. The water had a life of its own and a current rushed through my house."
He made it out the door of his house. "I swam and swam and swam. I didn't see nobody. I thought everybody was all dead. I couldn't hear anything at first but the water. There were no birds. And then I heard the screaming. People crying and yelling for help. And I went to find them."
Danny said he saved a lot of people in his neighborhood. "But I couldn't save them all," he said as a tear escaped his right eye.
"I believed in God before, I mean I knew there was one. but now, I really believe in God. I was saved so that I could help people," Danny said. "I have a purpose."
Arle Thomas, Jr. is 30 years old. He spent 4 days on the I-10 bridge with everything his family owned in a 2-foot rubber box. Violence was everywhere. When his family finally got off the bridge they were shipped off to Texas to live at an air force base. "We were treated like second class citizens. Worse even. I thought I was an American. They called me a refuge."
The people there have experienced the pain of losing loved ones. Some even saw their bodies floating. They lost their homes and treasured trinkets, family photos. They experienced shame in some of the worst ways imaginable by ordinary standards. All of this is clear when you look at their faces and see into their souls.
William, Danny, Arle and all the others we met, Robert, Marc, Chad, Steve, CJ, the lady at the gas station and more all thanked us for helping to re-build their city. Even though we were not directly helping them, the look in their eyes when they said thank you came from deep inside their hearts. For what we were doing by simply being there was giving them hope.
Hope is something we all need.
The people we met said we were helping them. What really happened is they were helping me.
There will be a story in an upcoming issue of the Mille Lacs Messenger. and there are sure to be a few more blogs as I reflect back on the trip. I am also putting a slide show together and will give a presentation sometime in the near future.
Peace.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
The Thank You Blog
While on the trip to New Orleans, not a day went by that we were not busy. As it turned out there was not enough time to find Wi-Fi, let alone write. Until the last day when we found out that St. Ramonds actually had free Wi-Fi right at the sight. Crystal said to me, "Why didn't you say something?" and I took a step back and thought to myself, yeah, why didn't I just ask? I would have if I were at home. Maybe it was because I felt a bit like a guest at someone's house. I maybe thought I could figure it out on my own, as I so often try to do. But, in the end, all I can say is c'est la vie.
There are many things I didn't get the chance to share while on the road. I will get to many as time allows. But one thing I cannot put off any longer is the list of thank yous.
First, I need to thank God for our safe travel and guidance along the way and helping to keep us focused. For all the new friends we met and for the wonderful people at OHH. They are doing good work there. I am thankful He gives them strength to continue. There is so much more work to be done.
I thank everyone who donated spiritual, financial and in-kind support. As much as our Minnesota Katrina Relief Team was a part of rebuilding the city of New Orleans, you were a part of it, too. We could not have done what we did without your help.
We would simply had a difficult time surviving without the generous amount of water donated by Grand Casino Mille Lacs. Thank you Kevin for making that available. Mike Schneider who collected food and protein water and snacks from Kelloggs. And all the stuff you got from other vendors. Thank you to Shelly and Mike at meat on Mille Lacs for the Jerky tht helped sustain us on our 24 hour journey in a van. It was delicious and appreciated. We ate very well -- almost too well -- everyday. The food was much appreciated.
For financial contributions I thank Ginny and Jim Hill, Anne and Richard Manly, Chris and Sandy Hill, Darlene and Joe McNally, Little Jim, Eric North, Mark Tadych, Haddie Hadachek, Chris Klause and everyone else who put cash in my hand at Light of the Cross Church. If I have left any names out, I assure you it is unintentional and your gift was appreciated no less. Your generosity was heartwarming and at times overwhelming. Thank you.
I thank Mary Erickson and Pastor Chris Hill for helping to spread the word about the trip and making it possible at the last minute. I thank everyone at Light of the Cross Church for your support and prayers. You are indeed a great source of strength and love. I appreciate all of you in my church family.
Thanks to Kevin Anderson for allowing me the time away from the office to be a part of this truly remarkable experience.
Susan and Win Carlson, Mike Nelson, Michael Fox, Rocky Bona, Tammy, Katie, Julanne, thank you for your constant energy, friendship and encouragement.
To my new friend Robert McKinney who opened his giant New Orleans heart and welcomed a bunch of odd Yankees from Minnesota into his home and fed us southern hospitality and a fabulous meal of real New Orleans crawfish -- and all the rest of that food prepared by your chef friend Chad Bourg. To all the rest of your wonderful friends, CJ Florent, Steve Campbell, Arle Thomas Jr., Marc Carter and Steve Abadie, Thank you for showing us the "real" side of Nawlins and sharing your amazing stories. You are good people.
Last but not least I thank my mom and dad. You have always been there to support me in every adventure I have ever found and the adventures that found me -- the good the bad and the in-between. This one just happened to be one of the good. Thanks for your unconditional love. The same to all the rest of my family, who have never let me down. I love you all.
I am certain I have forgotten a name or two. But to everyone who thought about us on this mission, or wondered what life is like down in New Orleans, three years after the storm, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
God bless you all.
Peace.
Que sera sera
There are many things I didn't get the chance to share while on the road. I will get to many as time allows. But one thing I cannot put off any longer is the list of thank yous.
First, I need to thank God for our safe travel and guidance along the way and helping to keep us focused. For all the new friends we met and for the wonderful people at OHH. They are doing good work there. I am thankful He gives them strength to continue. There is so much more work to be done.
I thank everyone who donated spiritual, financial and in-kind support. As much as our Minnesota Katrina Relief Team was a part of rebuilding the city of New Orleans, you were a part of it, too. We could not have done what we did without your help.
We would simply had a difficult time surviving without the generous amount of water donated by Grand Casino Mille Lacs. Thank you Kevin for making that available. Mike Schneider who collected food and protein water and snacks from Kelloggs. And all the stuff you got from other vendors. Thank you to Shelly and Mike at meat on Mille Lacs for the Jerky tht helped sustain us on our 24 hour journey in a van. It was delicious and appreciated. We ate very well -- almost too well -- everyday. The food was much appreciated.
For financial contributions I thank Ginny and Jim Hill, Anne and Richard Manly, Chris and Sandy Hill, Darlene and Joe McNally, Little Jim, Eric North, Mark Tadych, Haddie Hadachek, Chris Klause and everyone else who put cash in my hand at Light of the Cross Church. If I have left any names out, I assure you it is unintentional and your gift was appreciated no less. Your generosity was heartwarming and at times overwhelming. Thank you.
I thank Mary Erickson and Pastor Chris Hill for helping to spread the word about the trip and making it possible at the last minute. I thank everyone at Light of the Cross Church for your support and prayers. You are indeed a great source of strength and love. I appreciate all of you in my church family.
Thanks to Kevin Anderson for allowing me the time away from the office to be a part of this truly remarkable experience.
Susan and Win Carlson, Mike Nelson, Michael Fox, Rocky Bona, Tammy, Katie, Julanne, thank you for your constant energy, friendship and encouragement.
To my new friend Robert McKinney who opened his giant New Orleans heart and welcomed a bunch of odd Yankees from Minnesota into his home and fed us southern hospitality and a fabulous meal of real New Orleans crawfish -- and all the rest of that food prepared by your chef friend Chad Bourg. To all the rest of your wonderful friends, CJ Florent, Steve Campbell, Arle Thomas Jr., Marc Carter and Steve Abadie, Thank you for showing us the "real" side of Nawlins and sharing your amazing stories. You are good people.
Last but not least I thank my mom and dad. You have always been there to support me in every adventure I have ever found and the adventures that found me -- the good the bad and the in-between. This one just happened to be one of the good. Thanks for your unconditional love. The same to all the rest of my family, who have never let me down. I love you all.
I am certain I have forgotten a name or two. But to everyone who thought about us on this mission, or wondered what life is like down in New Orleans, three years after the storm, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.
God bless you all.
Peace.
Que sera sera
Monday, April 14, 2008
Back home
Well, we all made it home safe and sound. Actually, three of our group are staying an extra week. That is what happens sometimes -- the act of helping gets in your blood. There is so much work to do a person feels compelled to stay to continue the good work that is being done at Operation Helping Hands.
Leaving NOLA was a mixed bag of emotions. Tears filled my eyes as I said good by to the long term volunteers and all the people of OHH at St. Ramonds and again when I said good-bye to my new friends in the group.
Thanks to all of you for sending your prayers and energy. It was a truly remarkable experience. There is sure to be an article in an upcoming issue of the Messenger that you wont want to miss.
For now, I have to get back to the daily tasks of everyday life and help get the paper out today.
Laissez le bon roulement de périodes!
Peace.
Leaving NOLA was a mixed bag of emotions. Tears filled my eyes as I said good by to the long term volunteers and all the people of OHH at St. Ramonds and again when I said good-bye to my new friends in the group.
Thanks to all of you for sending your prayers and energy. It was a truly remarkable experience. There is sure to be an article in an upcoming issue of the Messenger that you wont want to miss.
For now, I have to get back to the daily tasks of everyday life and help get the paper out today.
Laissez le bon roulement de périodes!
Peace.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
p.s. And thank you to all yall
I thank each of you for your comments and support. I don't have a lot of time to write individually, but to each of you, or as they say in Nawlin's, thanks to all yall.
Maintaining hope for the people of NOLA
Well, folks, it is harder to find free Internet service than I had anticipated. I could find it at every truck stop along the way, but when you get to the city, they want a credit card. Not going to happen from me. The downtown district is totally free wi-fi, but getting downtown is not easy. Nor have we had the time.
So, it is Thursday. WOW! The week has gone by so quickly. We have accomplished much, but I feel like I could, or should stay for a long time. Many of these volunteers do end up coming back, again and again.
The places I have seen and the people I have met are simply amazing. I haven't quite found the right word to sum it all up. And maybe there isn't one. Not just one word anyway.
The people:
The volunteers who work here, day in and day out are incredible. There are people here from all over the United States. They come and go and from very different walks of life. But they have a few things in common. At the forefront is empathy and caring. Many of the volunteers here OHH have come for a week and either returned to volunteer for several months or a year at a time, or just never left. A lot of them are young -- 18 to 27 or so. They all have different stories.
The people of New Orleans who live here are also incredible. They have such spirit that seems to come from deep inside their hearts. Everywhere I go, every person I have talked to has a different story. We all do, after all, everyone has a story. But I have never been more moved than listening to the people who lived through the storm tell their stories.
I have met so many. I don't know where to start. So, rather than try right now, I will wait.
The work we have done so far is good. I cannot say that at times, I have not been frustrated, for various reasons, but our Minnesota team has almost completed one house.
Her neighborhood was badly damaged. It is near Pontchartrain lake, actually called Pontchartrain Park, near Gentilly Woods. I met a man who lived thru it the Hurricane and the aftermath. His name is Danny. The water came quickly and had a life of its own, he said. There will be more of Danny's story sometime. But just to give you an idea of how bad the damage is right there, he told us the water was up on the roof tops and the sustained water level was about 5 to 6 feet high for months.
Several people lost there lives in that neighborhood. In the house 2 doors down, one died. Kiddy corner to that another, and down the block another. then there were 3 who lost there lives a bit further and in another, an entire family of 8.
The woman who will return to her home, is in her 80s. She lives alone. Her name is Evelyn. Apparently, she lost her husband a few months ago, not related to to Katrina, as far as I know. I wish we could meet her before we leave, but it does not appear that will happen.
Half of us went to another house today, while half stayed at Evelyn's house. I was on the crew who went to the second home.
It is a big house near the Garden district. Although the homes did not receive flood damage, the roof was blown off and sustained much water damage. We were fortunate to meet Connie, the home owner. The look on here face when she said thank you to us, touched my heart so deeply, I will never forget her.
Tomorrow is another day. It is our last day. Helping these two families is one small step to putting the city back together. But what I have found by being here is we, as volunteers from all over the United States, are doing so much more for the city by simply being here. People every where we go, not only the people whose homes we are are working on but everyone we meet, thanks us. Mostly for giving them hope. And showing them that people care and have not forgotten.
Peace.
So, it is Thursday. WOW! The week has gone by so quickly. We have accomplished much, but I feel like I could, or should stay for a long time. Many of these volunteers do end up coming back, again and again.
The places I have seen and the people I have met are simply amazing. I haven't quite found the right word to sum it all up. And maybe there isn't one. Not just one word anyway.
The people:
The volunteers who work here, day in and day out are incredible. There are people here from all over the United States. They come and go and from very different walks of life. But they have a few things in common. At the forefront is empathy and caring. Many of the volunteers here OHH have come for a week and either returned to volunteer for several months or a year at a time, or just never left. A lot of them are young -- 18 to 27 or so. They all have different stories.
The people of New Orleans who live here are also incredible. They have such spirit that seems to come from deep inside their hearts. Everywhere I go, every person I have talked to has a different story. We all do, after all, everyone has a story. But I have never been more moved than listening to the people who lived through the storm tell their stories.
I have met so many. I don't know where to start. So, rather than try right now, I will wait.
The work we have done so far is good. I cannot say that at times, I have not been frustrated, for various reasons, but our Minnesota team has almost completed one house.
Her neighborhood was badly damaged. It is near Pontchartrain lake, actually called Pontchartrain Park, near Gentilly Woods. I met a man who lived thru it the Hurricane and the aftermath. His name is Danny. The water came quickly and had a life of its own, he said. There will be more of Danny's story sometime. But just to give you an idea of how bad the damage is right there, he told us the water was up on the roof tops and the sustained water level was about 5 to 6 feet high for months.
Several people lost there lives in that neighborhood. In the house 2 doors down, one died. Kiddy corner to that another, and down the block another. then there were 3 who lost there lives a bit further and in another, an entire family of 8.
The woman who will return to her home, is in her 80s. She lives alone. Her name is Evelyn. Apparently, she lost her husband a few months ago, not related to to Katrina, as far as I know. I wish we could meet her before we leave, but it does not appear that will happen.
Half of us went to another house today, while half stayed at Evelyn's house. I was on the crew who went to the second home.
It is a big house near the Garden district. Although the homes did not receive flood damage, the roof was blown off and sustained much water damage. We were fortunate to meet Connie, the home owner. The look on here face when she said thank you to us, touched my heart so deeply, I will never forget her.
Tomorrow is another day. It is our last day. Helping these two families is one small step to putting the city back together. But what I have found by being here is we, as volunteers from all over the United States, are doing so much more for the city by simply being here. People every where we go, not only the people whose homes we are are working on but everyone we meet, thanks us. Mostly for giving them hope. And showing them that people care and have not forgotten.
Peace.
Monday, April 7, 2008
End of day one
So here we are after Pingie fixed my computer, just a quick note about our day.
Orientation was very informative. Dave Harms, I think he said his name was, I am going without notes now, anyway, Dave gave us some sad statistics about the recovery process here. In a nut shell, it is slow. Very slow. I will get all the numbers and facts from my notes when I get back to our house at OHH and fill you in later.
At first glance driving through NOLA appears to be nearly normal. The traffic is heavier than it was last year, so that means people are coming back. But from what I remember Dave saying, it is only about 60 to 70 percent back.
Driving through the neighborhoods getting a closer look, one will find a home in good repair standing right next door to a home in shambles. There is grass, or moss, or whatever it is growing from the roofs of some homes. Not just growing, it is covering some of them making them look like a grass hut out of Hanzel and Grettel.
We arrived at our project house in the Gentilly Woods neighborhood. With the firs glance, I was saddend by the way the neighborhood appears. Empty houses, unkept yards line every street as far as I could see. But a closer look, I found the homes are being repaired. Slowly. Just as Dave had said. And were were a part of that today.
Some homes are complete in Gentilly. Not many, but a few. And people are living in them. right next door to our project house, in fact was a nice many, who let us use his electricity for our extension cords.
Our assignment is the flooring. This home had been gutted, by OHH. The painting is almost complete. Again, by OHH. Now we step in to finish the flooring. And soon, a family will be able to return.
My team doing the living room -- at least we think that is the living room -- was Anne, Gary, Carry and me.
I have never installed laminant flooring before, but after a training session with Ron, the four of us pounded out that living room in the afternoon. We finished.
What a good feeling it is to have completed an entire room. Granted, it is not very big, but we did it.
We are tired, but not too terribly tired that we may not try to see some other sights tonight. But, I have a whole new respect for guys (and women) who install flooring. My knees are VERY sore -- even tho I was wearing knee pads.
Before returning to the center for dinner, we drove through the lower ninth ward. The traffic has definately increased since last year. Again, it means the people are coming back.
But the homes are still not there. There are signs that it is recovering. We stopped to talk to some of the people who live in the ninth ward and lived through the flooding.
I will tell you about that later.
All for now, it is my turn for the shower. And every one here needs a shower! Just trust me on that one.
Peace.
Orientation was very informative. Dave Harms, I think he said his name was, I am going without notes now, anyway, Dave gave us some sad statistics about the recovery process here. In a nut shell, it is slow. Very slow. I will get all the numbers and facts from my notes when I get back to our house at OHH and fill you in later.
At first glance driving through NOLA appears to be nearly normal. The traffic is heavier than it was last year, so that means people are coming back. But from what I remember Dave saying, it is only about 60 to 70 percent back.
Driving through the neighborhoods getting a closer look, one will find a home in good repair standing right next door to a home in shambles. There is grass, or moss, or whatever it is growing from the roofs of some homes. Not just growing, it is covering some of them making them look like a grass hut out of Hanzel and Grettel.
We arrived at our project house in the Gentilly Woods neighborhood. With the firs glance, I was saddend by the way the neighborhood appears. Empty houses, unkept yards line every street as far as I could see. But a closer look, I found the homes are being repaired. Slowly. Just as Dave had said. And were were a part of that today.
Some homes are complete in Gentilly. Not many, but a few. And people are living in them. right next door to our project house, in fact was a nice many, who let us use his electricity for our extension cords.
Our assignment is the flooring. This home had been gutted, by OHH. The painting is almost complete. Again, by OHH. Now we step in to finish the flooring. And soon, a family will be able to return.
My team doing the living room -- at least we think that is the living room -- was Anne, Gary, Carry and me.
I have never installed laminant flooring before, but after a training session with Ron, the four of us pounded out that living room in the afternoon. We finished.
What a good feeling it is to have completed an entire room. Granted, it is not very big, but we did it.
We are tired, but not too terribly tired that we may not try to see some other sights tonight. But, I have a whole new respect for guys (and women) who install flooring. My knees are VERY sore -- even tho I was wearing knee pads.
Before returning to the center for dinner, we drove through the lower ninth ward. The traffic has definately increased since last year. Again, it means the people are coming back.
But the homes are still not there. There are signs that it is recovering. We stopped to talk to some of the people who live in the ninth ward and lived through the flooding.
I will tell you about that later.
All for now, it is my turn for the shower. And every one here needs a shower! Just trust me on that one.
Peace.
We are here!
Blog 5
We arrived! Here is a brief run down, in fragmented sentences.
It is somewhere around 81 degrees, sunny and some humidity.
All in all, much better than 35 degrees and 12 inches of snow they are getting back home.
24 hours and 20 minute.
Five drivers trading off driving straight through.
Seven stops, not all for gas.
Two restaurants: Country Kitchen for dinner in Hannibal, Missouri and the Waffle House in Byram, Mississippi for breakfast.
I found out I do not like grits. Maple syrup helps.
At first glance driving through the city things appear to be back to normal. The office and retail buildings mostly have been repaired, painted or bulldozed and replaced. Things look pretty good compared to even last year at this time.
However, Chrystal, the volunteer coordinator here said the 9th ward, where we will be going tomorrow is still in very rough shape. I asked her how much work is yet to be done down here and her honest answer, “A whole crap load.”
We are here at Hope Haven, run by Catholic Charities. There are several buildings here. All very old with Spanish influence. Arched doorways and balconies give them character. The tile roof adds color to the off white stucco exterior. They are in need of repair, but functional. One of the buildings is strictly for volunteers – like us – to stay. Then one building is a home for wayward boys ages 9 to 18. Juvies mostly.
Another building is a homeless shelter and a food shelf.
There is of course a chapel and some other buildings that I don't know what they are.
We have all finally showered and feel much better. We are about to go to dinner and then maybe check out some of the nightlife. But truth be told, we are all a little tired.
Tomorrow we meet for orientation. But what we think so far is we will be working on finishing the interior of one or more homes. This project is focusing on homes for elderly and disabled.
We will be laying tile, laminate flooring and painting.
There are two kids here at OHH house. Rene has been here for a month and will be staying three more she said. And Jack, a friend of hers has been here for a week. He will be leaving on Tuesday. Both are 18 years old from Bloomington, Indiana and have interesting stories. I will tell you about them a bit later. But they are nothing short of some of the coolest kids I have ever met.
Jack played guitar for us for a while as we sat outside enjoying the gorgeous weather and trying to relax after the long trip.
It is now 7:30 pm and I have yet to be able to post these blogs due to unforeseen Internet problems. But Michele and I are going to walk 6 blocks to the local Starbucks and try it there. And then we will be off to dinner.
Peace.
We arrived! Here is a brief run down, in fragmented sentences.
It is somewhere around 81 degrees, sunny and some humidity.
All in all, much better than 35 degrees and 12 inches of snow they are getting back home.
24 hours and 20 minute.
Five drivers trading off driving straight through.
Seven stops, not all for gas.
Two restaurants: Country Kitchen for dinner in Hannibal, Missouri and the Waffle House in Byram, Mississippi for breakfast.
I found out I do not like grits. Maple syrup helps.
At first glance driving through the city things appear to be back to normal. The office and retail buildings mostly have been repaired, painted or bulldozed and replaced. Things look pretty good compared to even last year at this time.
However, Chrystal, the volunteer coordinator here said the 9th ward, where we will be going tomorrow is still in very rough shape. I asked her how much work is yet to be done down here and her honest answer, “A whole crap load.”
We are here at Hope Haven, run by Catholic Charities. There are several buildings here. All very old with Spanish influence. Arched doorways and balconies give them character. The tile roof adds color to the off white stucco exterior. They are in need of repair, but functional. One of the buildings is strictly for volunteers – like us – to stay. Then one building is a home for wayward boys ages 9 to 18. Juvies mostly.
Another building is a homeless shelter and a food shelf.
There is of course a chapel and some other buildings that I don't know what they are.
We have all finally showered and feel much better. We are about to go to dinner and then maybe check out some of the nightlife. But truth be told, we are all a little tired.
Tomorrow we meet for orientation. But what we think so far is we will be working on finishing the interior of one or more homes. This project is focusing on homes for elderly and disabled.
We will be laying tile, laminate flooring and painting.
There are two kids here at OHH house. Rene has been here for a month and will be staying three more she said. And Jack, a friend of hers has been here for a week. He will be leaving on Tuesday. Both are 18 years old from Bloomington, Indiana and have interesting stories. I will tell you about them a bit later. But they are nothing short of some of the coolest kids I have ever met.
Jack played guitar for us for a while as we sat outside enjoying the gorgeous weather and trying to relax after the long trip.
It is now 7:30 pm and I have yet to be able to post these blogs due to unforeseen Internet problems. But Michele and I are going to walk 6 blocks to the local Starbucks and try it there. And then we will be off to dinner.
Peace.
trying to connect
Due to unforeseen circumstances, and computer operator error, it took a while to figure out how to find free wi-fi in NOLA. We walked over 6 blocks last night to the Starbucks to find I had messed something up on the configuration screen. Luckily, there is a Best Buy clos to where we are staying, and a nice kids at the Geek Squad, Pingie is his name, helped me out.
So I will post the last couple things I wrote so you can cathc up.
Peace.
So I will post the last couple things I wrote so you can cathc up.
Peace.
almost there
Blog 3
Driving into Louisiana on I-55 was pretty amazing. The bridge over the edgewaters, or whatever they are called is miles long. Not the 24-mile bridge that goes straight across the middle, but there is a bridge (I-55) that sort of skirts the western edge. To the right, or east was an area that appeared to be like a wildlife preservation area, or state park back home, with a few major exceptions.
There is first, water. Everywhere. But with trees growing out of the water. I believe the trees are called banyan trees mostly. Or something like that. I know there are a lot of those cool looking banyan trees inland, but I am not sure what they are in the water areas. There are also bushes that looked like short palm trees. Some trees are dead protruding out of the water like skeletons dried and old. There are long tangly strands of some organic material hanging from the bony limbs.
Little alleyways of water run through the wooded area. Every once in a while, there was a boat with anglers casting into the shore. Egrets were perched in a few trees close to shore and an eagle perched in another. I could only imagine an alligator swimming down the eerie water way.
Signs hung on the shore every so often say keep out, and no trespassing.
After a while, houses appeared on the shore of this sort of spooky island like area. A good portion of them were on stilts, or appeared to be floating. There were several house boats as well. And a slew of big off shore fishing boats.
It was a feast for my imagination and I had to try to soak it all in. We were driving too fast to take a picture, so I will just have to remember.
Driving into Louisiana on I-55 was pretty amazing. The bridge over the edgewaters, or whatever they are called is miles long. Not the 24-mile bridge that goes straight across the middle, but there is a bridge (I-55) that sort of skirts the western edge. To the right, or east was an area that appeared to be like a wildlife preservation area, or state park back home, with a few major exceptions.
There is first, water. Everywhere. But with trees growing out of the water. I believe the trees are called banyan trees mostly. Or something like that. I know there are a lot of those cool looking banyan trees inland, but I am not sure what they are in the water areas. There are also bushes that looked like short palm trees. Some trees are dead protruding out of the water like skeletons dried and old. There are long tangly strands of some organic material hanging from the bony limbs.
Little alleyways of water run through the wooded area. Every once in a while, there was a boat with anglers casting into the shore. Egrets were perched in a few trees close to shore and an eagle perched in another. I could only imagine an alligator swimming down the eerie water way.
Signs hung on the shore every so often say keep out, and no trespassing.
After a while, houses appeared on the shore of this sort of spooky island like area. A good portion of them were on stilts, or appeared to be floating. There were several house boats as well. And a slew of big off shore fishing boats.
It was a feast for my imagination and I had to try to soak it all in. We were driving too fast to take a picture, so I will just have to remember.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Hannibal, MO
We have driven about 500 miles so far. It is 8:30 p.m. and we have stopped for dinner at a Country Kitchen in Hannibal, MO.
Driving through Iowa was pretty for a while. And then everything looked the same. The same fields, the same cows, the same silos and barns. If not for the occassional decorative water tower I would have been convinced we were going in circles.
We crossed over the border to Missouri and things changed. There were hills and trees and different structures to look at.
But the most fun has been the conversations.
It has been an informative ride so far. Getting to know new people is always intersting. Listening to people tell their stories of who they are and what they do. It starts out slow for some people, before they really open up. Others will jump right in and tell all.
We have taken turns driving about 3 hours shifts. I will be in the drivers seat at about 1 a.m. I am a little nervous about driving that, um, bus. I am telling you -- that thing is ginormous! At least is will be late at night and there shouldn't be many vehicles on the road.
It's all good.
By the time I write next, we should have been through a couple more states. From here we are going to Arkansas, Tennessee and then Mississippi. By the time the sun comes up, we should be in Jackson, Mississippi. (I just love typing that word! Mississippi.)
Dinner is here. All for now.
Peace.
Driving through Iowa was pretty for a while. And then everything looked the same. The same fields, the same cows, the same silos and barns. If not for the occassional decorative water tower I would have been convinced we were going in circles.
We crossed over the border to Missouri and things changed. There were hills and trees and different structures to look at.
But the most fun has been the conversations.
It has been an informative ride so far. Getting to know new people is always intersting. Listening to people tell their stories of who they are and what they do. It starts out slow for some people, before they really open up. Others will jump right in and tell all.
We have taken turns driving about 3 hours shifts. I will be in the drivers seat at about 1 a.m. I am a little nervous about driving that, um, bus. I am telling you -- that thing is ginormous! At least is will be late at night and there shouldn't be many vehicles on the road.
It's all good.
By the time I write next, we should have been through a couple more states. From here we are going to Arkansas, Tennessee and then Mississippi. By the time the sun comes up, we should be in Jackson, Mississippi. (I just love typing that word! Mississippi.)
Dinner is here. All for now.
Peace.
Ready to save the world
So here I am riding in a van with people I am just getting to know. We are about two hours into a 20 hour road trip.
Where are we going? We are on our way to New Orleans to volunteer with Operation Helping Hands. Yes, there is still work to do in the recovery of the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Operation Helping Hands is working through Catholic Charities. They said I could come along, even though I am Lutheran. I am most concerned that perhaps Catholics don't drink as much coffee as Lutherans. So, I was very worried over whether I will have coffee in the morning. A couple of the people admitted to the java vice, so we will have to see how this scenario plays out. (I wish you were here, Java Queen!)
So anyway, I got in this van this morning with a bunch of people I don't know. We are going somewhere I have never really been. I do not know where we will be staying and I am not sure where we will be working. Exactly. Right now, all I know for sure is I am exactly where God wants me to be.
I have been to New Orleans before. Almost a year ago exactly, Kevin, Jamie and I were in the city for a newspaper convention. Which is how I came to feel drawn to come back. What I saw in the Lower Ninth Ward last year – even two years after the storm – has left a vision I can never forget. I have an overwhelming feeling – a c evenalling almost – to help the people who are still without homes.
We left Elk River at 11:31 this morning. There are 8 of us right now. We will be picking up one more for our group in about 45 minutes. Here is the run down: driving this van is Gary Keifenheim of Elk River. Sitting in the front passenger Carrie Bang of Elk River. The middle row of the van is holding me and next to me is Anne Shields of Onamia. Jeanette Lange of Elk River, as well. Did I mention this is a 15 passenger van.
Actually, the sign on the side of it says it is a “Bus -- bus not a school bus” whatever that means. It looks like a sentence to serve government issue van.
We are following a Suburban carrying three people. They are Dave Castle of Anoka, Ron Olson of St. Micheal, Jenny Orsborn of Zimmerman.
Jenny is the group leader. When I arrived at the church she jumped up and introduced herself with a hug. “We do a lot of hugging in this group,” she said. “Are you ready to save the world?”
Mother Theresa said, “If you can't feed 100 people, feed just one.”
If you break it down to a real life-like scale, by feeding just one person, you are – perhaps – changing that one person's world. Maybe we are not saving the world globally for the people we will be helping in New Orleans, but we may be changing or saving a piece of the world for one family, or one person.
That is something huge.
So that's the run down. We have just passed through Rochester right now on our way to pick up one more for our group in Harmony. After a little pizza we will continue on our journey.
I hope to be able to blog often and let you know what I am seeing and what is going on. Right now, it is a little hard to try to listen to conversations and get to know these seemingly awesome people and drive. Well, ok, I am not driving, That would certainly not be safe to drive and blog at the same time. Especially since Carry spent some time telling us stories this morning about passenger safety and seat belts. Carry is now retired, but used to work for Minnesota Institute of Public Health. Part of her job was education of seat belts.
We just stopped for lunch and picked up Michelle. We have crossed the Iowa border and have been driving on county hwy's. We have passed several Amish buggies and are surrounded by corn fields. I haven't found a wireless connection yet, but when I do, this will go live.
Bye for now.
Peace.
p.s. we are actually in Riverside, Iowa by the time I found free Wi-Fi.
We have driven 324 miles.
Stay tuned...
Where are we going? We are on our way to New Orleans to volunteer with Operation Helping Hands. Yes, there is still work to do in the recovery of the city devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
Operation Helping Hands is working through Catholic Charities. They said I could come along, even though I am Lutheran. I am most concerned that perhaps Catholics don't drink as much coffee as Lutherans. So, I was very worried over whether I will have coffee in the morning. A couple of the people admitted to the java vice, so we will have to see how this scenario plays out. (I wish you were here, Java Queen!)
So anyway, I got in this van this morning with a bunch of people I don't know. We are going somewhere I have never really been. I do not know where we will be staying and I am not sure where we will be working. Exactly. Right now, all I know for sure is I am exactly where God wants me to be.
I have been to New Orleans before. Almost a year ago exactly, Kevin, Jamie and I were in the city for a newspaper convention. Which is how I came to feel drawn to come back. What I saw in the Lower Ninth Ward last year – even two years after the storm – has left a vision I can never forget. I have an overwhelming feeling – a c evenalling almost – to help the people who are still without homes.
We left Elk River at 11:31 this morning. There are 8 of us right now. We will be picking up one more for our group in about 45 minutes. Here is the run down: driving this van is Gary Keifenheim of Elk River. Sitting in the front passenger Carrie Bang of Elk River. The middle row of the van is holding me and next to me is Anne Shields of Onamia. Jeanette Lange of Elk River, as well. Did I mention this is a 15 passenger van.
Actually, the sign on the side of it says it is a “Bus -- bus not a school bus” whatever that means. It looks like a sentence to serve government issue van.
We are following a Suburban carrying three people. They are Dave Castle of Anoka, Ron Olson of St. Micheal, Jenny Orsborn of Zimmerman.
Jenny is the group leader. When I arrived at the church she jumped up and introduced herself with a hug. “We do a lot of hugging in this group,” she said. “Are you ready to save the world?”
Mother Theresa said, “If you can't feed 100 people, feed just one.”
If you break it down to a real life-like scale, by feeding just one person, you are – perhaps – changing that one person's world. Maybe we are not saving the world globally for the people we will be helping in New Orleans, but we may be changing or saving a piece of the world for one family, or one person.
That is something huge.
So that's the run down. We have just passed through Rochester right now on our way to pick up one more for our group in Harmony. After a little pizza we will continue on our journey.
I hope to be able to blog often and let you know what I am seeing and what is going on. Right now, it is a little hard to try to listen to conversations and get to know these seemingly awesome people and drive. Well, ok, I am not driving, That would certainly not be safe to drive and blog at the same time. Especially since Carry spent some time telling us stories this morning about passenger safety and seat belts. Carry is now retired, but used to work for Minnesota Institute of Public Health. Part of her job was education of seat belts.
We just stopped for lunch and picked up Michelle. We have crossed the Iowa border and have been driving on county hwy's. We have passed several Amish buggies and are surrounded by corn fields. I haven't found a wireless connection yet, but when I do, this will go live.
Bye for now.
Peace.
p.s. we are actually in Riverside, Iowa by the time I found free Wi-Fi.
We have driven 324 miles.
Stay tuned...
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