Each month we will feature a Club
or Clubs of the month. We will attempt to feature one Motorcycle or
ATV club and one Four Wheel Drive club or Association each
month.
We encourage ALL OHV enthusiasts to join a club or association in
their area. Not only will you make lifelong friendships but it is
important we join together to support our sport for the
future.
SEPTEMBER 2005 OHV Club of the Month
For the month of September, I would like to
dedicate this space to the people who have been devastated by
Hurricane Katrina. The amount of damage is just unreal. Hopefully,
the areas that have been hit hard can recover quickly. But,
according to the news, that doesn't look like a possibility. In
some of the clubs I have been in, we assisted or trained search and
rescue teams when an event like this occurred. I am sure the people
in organizations, like 4-wheel drive clubs, like the ones we
promote on Off-Road.Com, are doing everything in their power to
assist people in need. That is one of the benefits we have with our
stock or modified rigs: we can go where other vehicles
can't.By now, we have all seen the damage
the has/is occurring in the hardest hit areas. For this month, I
will showing pictures of the areas before Katrina unleashed her
wrath on the towns, cities, counties, parishes and states on the
northern Gulf of Mexico coast.I never did get a chance to visit the French Quarter in New
Orleans (Nahlins, as the local accent makes it sound). The French
Quarter does sit on the highest spot in the city. Hopefully, it
will recover in one piece and be restored to its historic luster
and grandeur that made the French Quarter known worldwide. Once it
is cleaned up and opened to the public, I will make it my next
vacation spot.Pictured above is the city hall
for Biloxi, Mississippi. M-i-s-s-i-s-s-i-p-p-i. It's funny how one
learns of things in this world. I am sure if you look back,
sometimes WAY back, you remember things that seem to amaze others.
I was stationed twice in Memphis while serving my country for 9
years in the Navy. That is where I learned how to spell the name of
our 20th state. For those who have never been to the south, it
definitely has some of the most beautiful architecture that has
made this country what it is today: a diverse collection of ALL of
the world's traditions and customs. No matter where you go in the
United States of America, North, South, East or West, you will find
architecture that sets it apart, with a combination of cultures,
like none other in the world.I am not an
expert on anything. Just ask me and I'll tell you. I understand
that there are countless areas that have been adversely affected by
the events over the last week. My heart goes out to all of them.
One of the places that really grabbed my attention was Waveland,
Mississippi (remember how to spell Mississippi...there will be a
test at the end of this article) sticks in my mind the most. This
town of around 7,000 people was basically erased off the face of
the Earth. The only good news about this whole nightmare is the
fact that there are survivors. No buildings, just survivors to go
on and rebuild. If you can, read about the bush outside the
Waveland Police Department's building. Waveland took the brunt of
the storm with winds over 140+ mph winds and a wall of water that
left nothing but mud and debris. Do the math. It all equals
OUCH!!!Above is the skyline of Mobile, Alabama.
The city was on the east side of the eye of the hurricane and took
a beating. One of the things that happened here is the oil rig that
broke loose of its moorings and got pushed up the Mobile River
until it was stopped by a major bridge. It is unimaginable truly
understand the sheer power and destruction of wind and water unless
one has witnessed it firsthand.Most of the
areas that are the hardest hit are at or below sea level. Add a
20ft+ storm surge, with high waves on top of that, and you are now
seeing how that power was exerted.For the
victims of this natural disaster, please do what your heart tells
you to do. Donate money to charities, volunteer time to assist
collecting supplies to be sent to those areas, do what you can.
These fellow countrymen need our help and support.I wish the people who have been touched by this
disaster the best of luck and a speedy recover to normalcy.Godspeed to all.
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