Hattiesburg - Day 1 & 2

We arrived safe and sound late Saturday late afternoon after a 20-hour bus ride.

We were greeted by Sarah Newton, Project Manager of the Hattiesburg High School project from Albert & Associates Architects and two Forest County Sheriff patrol cars.  The bus was then escorted down Highway 49 by the two patrol cars on the way down to the VFW camp where we will stay for the next week.

Due to a very heavy down pour, the group made some introductions on the front porch of the men's cabin.

The luggage was quickly unloaded from the bus in a steady downpour of rain.  The women had a small caravan of pick up trucks and patrol cars transporting them over to their cabin.

The group settled into the cabins and unpacked some of their gear.  The cabins are very clean and truly amazing. Men are sleeping four to five to a room, and the womens group, being smaller, are sleeping three to a room in our smaller cabin. We all gathered together back at the mens cabin and had a spectacular barbeque dinner.

Sunday morning included a tour of the school and breakfast onsite.

We were glad to discover that the amount of debris was much less than we expected.  After touring the school, the group broke off and took a leisurely stroll through downtown Hattiesburg.

Much of the debris and damage from the hurricane has been cleaned up in the downtown area.  However, there are still areas that have significant damage and are under construction.

The group gathered again for lunch and some training on safety and historic preservation.  We then loaded back on the bus for a trip down to the coast.  We stopped in Gulfport to view some of the hardest hit areas in Mississippi.  Much of the damage had been cleaned up, but there aren't words to describe the amount of devastation that has occurred in much of the coastal areas. It's eerily quiet in these areas.

We returned to downtown Hattiesburg to tour the old Coca-Cola bottling plant. This building is under going renovation and being retrofitted to be a two story bar and restaurant.  Here, we also had the opportunity to meet many of the Mississippi State Main Street team.

Monday began with a press conference with Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree of Hattiesburg and many of the project team members.

The Oakland County crew is working to clear much of the debris. We are being assisted by local college students, Hattiesburg volunteers and men from nearby Camp Shelby to get the site cleaned out and ready for the next stage of renovation.

There truly is something to be said about Southern Hospitality.  We have been welcomed with open arms and smiles everywhere we go.  Even though one of the worst hurricanes has hit this town and caused so much damage and devastation, the spirit and ability to move on is felt everywhere in town.

- Kristin Wiltfang, Main Street Oakland County Hattiesburg Assistance Team