June 2, 2009

by Beau and Cheryl Kring
Co-Chairs, Mississippi PPEHRC /Wave watchers

Tonight at the City meeting we all came to an agreement and we get to
keep our cottages on our property's. We (8 Families) sued the City of
Waveland for the right to keep our cottages on our property. It has
been a long 6 months, but after a few court battles (Which we won) and
arguing at meetings, we finally got the answer tonight. At first they
wanted us to agree with their 16 counts on the 1st. MOU. If we had
NONE of us would have been able to keep our cottages on our own
property. They droped 15 of the counts and kept one in this new MOU.
We all agreed, and signed notarized paper stating that we would never
rent the cottage out to anyone and it has to be our primary resident.
We can sell our property or will it to a family member with the
stipulation that they can never rent it out and it has to be their
primary resident. I feel there are NO losers here. We are all winners.
We get to keep our homes on our own land, and the City gets to keep
their residents, and that means there tax base's. There's not many
people here in Waveland. Very few south of the tracks. There is only 5
houses on our street.
After the meeting was over, there were lots of hugging. We all went
home. I got home and cryed. The overwelming feeling I am having that
it is finally over. My GOD, to know this house is going to finally be
ours. Now the next step is to buy the cottage. Our elevation and
survey has already be done. All we need to do is sign papers and hand
over money. Then MEMA will raise us as high as we need to go. I want
to thank everyone who had a hand in helping all of us keep our homes.
But mainly I want to thank GOD, because without him we would have
never met Andrew Canter and the Mississippi Center for Justice. They
are a wonderful team with great hearts. Thank You, Thank You, Thank
You.

Labels: Beau Kring, Cheryl Kring, Cottage, FEMA, MEMA, Mississippi, MS PPEHRC, Waveland

Labels: Cheri Honkala, Human Rights Hearing, Mississippi

Dear Friends,

We need your help. On a trip to the gulf of Mississippi,
we listened to story after story of a preventable storm
about to come to Mississippi. People are going to return
to homelessness after experiencing the devastation
caused by Katrina. Some are hopefully, gonna be able to
hold on to their cottages now after the residents fought
to hold on to them. But they are not completely safe yet.
Only time will tell what other stipulations they will put on these families.
Not to mention what will happen when the FEMA/MEMA
and section 8 money is gone. Many of these families have
a timeline as early as Jan. 31st others until March.
But the time to rally around these families is now!!!
Please join us in a prayer vigil and rally to save
the homes of the families in Mississippi January 26th at
11 am on the corner of the park at Waveland Ave. and
Central Ave.



These photographs are the faces of amazing men, women
and children who are in the fight to hold on to their homes and
the homes of others. The Sargent in the photo is Sargent Kring
and his wife Cheryl and son Andrew. Sargent Kring is the man
responsible along with his family for setting up camp Katrina
in the Kmart parking lot that provided shelter for over 100
residents. He is an Iraq veteran as well. He and his family now have
to deal with the stress of not knowing if they'll have a home or not.

Mary Thorton is another leader in this process helping to
organize the rally. She is a single mother and a real fighter
as well.

Another photograph is of D. McFarland who is a retired Doctor who is
86 years old, says he delivered most of the babies in the county
than lost his wife shortly after Katrina and now may lose his
cottage. When talking to him he was more worried about the
90 year old couple down the road.

Waveland, Bayside, Pass Christian Katrina hit hard. 100 percent
was lost. These families ALL lost their homes. Many of them have
lved on their land all of their lives. 3 and a half years ago they lost
everything. Lets make sure this doesn't happen again.

Thanks for your help.

National Organizer
Cheri Honkala
Poor Peoples Economic Human Rights Campaign

Labels: FEMA, Katrina, MEMA, Mississippi