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WINCHESTER — Like many organizations, the Winchester-Frederick Community Services Council used the majority of its monthly meeting on Thursday to celebrate the holidays. But at the same time, the group was gearing up for its annual awards luncheon. Last year, the council had to move the awards event from January to March due to inclement weather, said Chairman Mia Franklin. The event will be held from noon until 2 p.m. on Jan. 18 in the Clement Board Room at Shenandoah University. The awards recognize an individual, a human services agency, and a business or civic group for their contributions to the community. The Winchester-Frederick County Chapter of the American Red Cross was last year’s outstanding human service agency, while Clear Channel Communications of Winchester was named the outstanding business group.
Mississippi will receive more than half of the money available for housing projects to develop alternatives to Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers, FEMA announced Friday. The state landed two of the five projects - totaling more than $280 million - through the Alternative Housing Pilot Program. "This is a giant step forward for Mississippi's recovery and rebuilding effort," said Sen. Trent Lott, R-Miss. "It hastens the day when daily FEMA trailer and camp-style living will be just a distant memory to those who've coped with Hurricane Katrina's lingering effect for 14 agonizing months." Congress set aside $400 million in the Emergency Appropriations Act for the alternative housing program. Five states - Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and Alabama - were eligible to apply for funding between September and October.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - About 50 people demonstrated in front of Mayor Ray Nagin's house today, demanding the reopening of public housing in New Orleans. Nagin was not present for the demonstration, which capped off a week of several major developments concerning public housing in the city. Before Hurricane Katrina, where were about three thousand apartments that typically rented for 85 dollars a month. During the week, Nagin sent a letter to the Department of Housing and Urban Development, asking Secretary Alphonso Jackson to immediately place a thousand units into service and open an additional thousand units with in 90 days. Nagin also asked that 750 scattered sites, possibly using modular homes, be set up. On Friday, the National Housing Partnership Foundation announced it would build three thousand units in the New Orleans area by 2009 to help with the housing crisis.
"It was a spectacular fire in regards to how fast it moved across the area," said Venos who compared it to the 2002 Ryan Fire. "The rate of spread was just phenomenal."'Got pretty close'Sonoita-Elgin and Patagonia firefighters secured nearby homes and other structures that were threatened by the fire. "The fire got pretty close on a couple of structures, but we were able to protect them," said Venos, who added that livestock was moved away ahead of the fire.At this point mutual aid was requested from the state, which in turn brought in firefighting crews from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Whetstone, Huachuca City, and the National Forest Service. Air support was requested, but there were no planes available in the area. Approximately 30 personnel and 13 apparatus were utilized to fight the blaze.Firefighters had the blaze under control by 7 p.m.
Hi-Rail Modular Train Club will meet from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 2 and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at Boys & Girls Club of Lake Station, 4700 Central Ave. Members hail from Indiana and Illinois and the public is welcome to attend and see the display of three rail model trains running together. FYI: Visit www.thethreerailscale.org. DECORATING CONTEST | Lake StationLake Station Chamber of Commerce sponsors it's annual Christmas Decorating Contest, with judging Dec. 16. Citizens interested in having their homes placed on the list to be judged are asked to call the mayor's office at (219) 962-2081 and leave their name and address. There will be cash prizes awarded to first-, second- and third-place winners and Honorable Mention certificates distributed. There will also be a separate contest for the businesses.FYI: Call Eleanor Vanderlin at (219) 962-3805.MUSIC NIGHT | LowellListen and dance to bluegrass, gospel and country music from 6 to 10:00 p.m.
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