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Subscribe to City LineAugust 28, 2009
From the office of Mayor George Schloegel
As I write this letter to you, people from all along our Coast are preparing to mark that day in history when the forces of nature so violently touched our shore.
At dawn on August 29, 2005, none of us could fathom how greatly our lives would be altered in the coming hours.
Today, outside my window at City Hall, the air is cool and there’s a gentle breeze blowing, but four years ago at this moment, the water and winds were growing furious.
When the storm finally relented and only destruction remained for as far as the eye could see, we didn’t panic and we didn’t fall victim to self-pity. Instead, we collectively decided to rise and stand together in a giant undertaking unparalleled in American history.
As much as we would like to forget the horrors of that day, we must forever remember the impossible valor of those heroes who rushed into the rolling waves to rescue a family stranded atop their SUV, the survivors who desperately clung to tree limbs and floated on broken rooftops, the benevolent volunteers who came to our aid at the hour of our greatest need, and the hundreds of victims whose names are now etched in history and the two whose names the world may never know.
We lost so many things on that day, but we did not lose everything.
We are united today by what united us four years ago, the same resolve, the same strength and perpetual spirit that have fueled our commitment to rebuilding our Coast and to showing the world that there is no test too great; no mountain too steep, when South Mississippi climbs together.
There is much work still to do. Although we have come a long way in just four short years, there are still properties to clean, buildings to open, jobs to create and lives to rebuild, but I have no doubt that the people of Gulfport and the people of South Mississippi are more than capable of completing this great rebirth of our Coast.
The work that lies ahead will be difficult, the challenges will be daunting, but the future doesn’t belong to the timid; it belongs to the brave.
I am inspired by the laborious tasks and new possibilities the next four years will bring. So today, let us reflect on the tragedy that we have shared, but let us also renew our commitment to rise above Katrina bigger and better than we were before.
Sincerely,
George Schloegel
Mayor
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Small biz grants available
The Gulfport Chamber currently is accepting applications for its Small Business Grant Program.
Chamber business members operating in Gulfport with 50 employees or less may be eligible for grants up to $2,500. The deadline to apply is Friday, Sept. 11.
To download an application, visit mscoastchamber.com, or call 604-0014.
Office of Public Information - rlafontaine@gulfport-ms.gov - Phone: 228-868-5782
P.O. Box 1780 Gulfport, MS 39502-1780 - FAX: 868-5800
