Update from Pearlington Project Coordinator, Tom Dalessandri

Hey Pearlington Fans,

The first and most important news is that Dos Gringos in Carbondale is hosting a benefit for the Pearlington Project on Saturday Feb. 17th from 7:30 until ?. For $15.00 at the door, you’ll get beads, gumbo and live jazz music by Acoustic Mayhem, Craig Curry's group who first contacted me about the benefit. Proceeds go to our project. Since this is notice, please spread the word. We’d like a big turn out. They will also have the best costume contest with a prize, and Nelson (Dos Gringos owner) promises great hurricanes.

I’m providing genuine alligator from Mississippi that Nelson's chef will prepare as a tasty treat. We don’t have a lot of it so come early for your sample.

Jeanne Ford Artaz joined us this morning (Sat) at Dos Gringos for an interview. She will be broadcasting the interview and promoting the concert starting tomorrow (sun) and through out the week to help us get the event advertised.

CRMS is nearly set for their trip and they will be leaving March 10th for Pearlington.

Denise Swanson's house is nearly framed in with the roof being put on this week. Camp Coastal is sponsoring that construction and we will pick up the finishing work later.

Yesterday, I spoke with the Hancock Co. bldg inspector and we discussed Sandra Merle's building permit. I have a meeting with him next Thursday afternoon, oh yea, I’m leaving for Pearlington again on Thursday. I’ll be working with John Livingston's crew and another group over the weekend from Linda Edwards to help on both theirs and our projects. We hope to get more done on several homes.

On Tuesday, I’ll be looking at some bedroom furniture being donated by Susan Beckerman of Aspen. As we move closer to completing homes, furniture will become important. We were approved and I have ordered a 17’ cargo trailer down in Mississippi. That will be an important tool for hauling furniture and materials in the future.

I met with Hilary and Susan Berdahl from Pitkin County. Susan is working on the Bush/Clinton grant.

Ron, Hilary, and I met a week earlier to go over planning for the March trip. It looks like we will have some good skilled help to compliment the CRMS group.

We are in the planning stages with the Mississippi Medical Reserve to hold an emergency disaster drill in Mississippi sometime in May. Designated volunteer groups who have been participating in the planning for a future emergency response will attend to further coordinate emergency response in the Pearlington area in the event of another storm.

I’ve spent the past couple of weeks on the phone coordinating our activities for the next few months. Now through May are shaping up to be very busy and my hope is that we will get a lot accomplished. Keep spreading the word, the project is alive and well and very much in need of assistance.

That’s it for now, attached are a few new pictures

Please plan to attend the FAT TUESDAY party at Dos Gringos on SATURDAY FEB 17- 7:30pm to whenever. I’m having beads sent straight from New Orleans to be handed out at the door…ya bedda be there!

Tom