St. Bernard Parish was one the most Katrina-devastated parishes in Louisiana. MSNBC has an article about their efforts to rebound and rebuild.

Henry “Junior” Rodriguez, parish president, is leading the rebuilding effort from the kitchen table in his double-wide trailer. Tired of FEMA doubletalk, bureaucracy, and bumbling, the 12,000 of 67,000 residents who have returned are rebuilding the place themselves.

While other parishes waited for housing help from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Rodriguez brokered a deal with a private source for 6,500 trailers. Empty lots were transformed into home fields.

Score one for St. Bernard!

Junior has some words regarding FEMA’s “help”, too:

Rodriguez scoffs at the notion of federal assistance.

“They haven’t given us anything,” he says. “They’ve loaned us money. I can get a loan at the bank.”

St. Bernard leads, 2-zip.

The parish schools are getting into the act, as well:

In addition to trailers, residents needed schools. Struggling to reopen them, the school board looked to FEMA.

“They couldn’t possibly do it till March,” says Wayne Warner, principal of St. Bernard Unified Schools, “and that was unacceptable.”

In November the parish opened a trailer campus around the hull of the high school. Seniors to preschoolers — they’re all here.

3-0, St. Bernard.

I love the independence and the energy of these folks. When it comes to a crisis, the only dependable ones are yourself and your community.

-k-

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