[StBernard] Parish Starts Removing Flooded Trailers, and More

[Westley Annis]

Parish Starts Removing Flooded Trailers, and More 

November 22, 2005

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Parish starts removing flooded trailers; about 200 residents sign up to have
homes demolished; Katrina death toll up to 126; West Judge Perez Drive
entrance to parish is now open.

St. Bernard Parish President Henry "Junior'' Rodriguez took matters into his
hands on Monday after complaining the Federal Emergency Management Agency
hasn't followed through on contracts to remove flooded homes in trailer
parks and replace them with travel trailers.

Rodriguez and a trailer park owner in Violet began removing flooded out
trailers from the park and crushing them. The work started at Christian's
Trailer Park, 5648 East St. Bernard Highway.

"FEMA is stuck on stuck,'' Rodriguez said disparingly of the federal agency
that is supposed to be setting up travel trailers for returning residents to
live. The agency has failed to remove old trailers and has been slow to get
travel trailers into the parish for the public, he said.

Rodriguez said he hoped to get the attention of FEMA officials. "We're
actually helping FEMA by getting these trailers out.''

Removing damaged trailers from St. Bernard's 10 trailer parks and replacing
them with travel trailers would allow 800 or more residents to move back
into the parish, Rodriguez said.

"I'm trying to help people move back into this parish,'' Rodriguez said. 
"What the hell don't they understand (at FEMA).''

But there was no response from the federal agency on Monday.

Arnold Rodriguez, no relation to Junior Rodriguez, is owner of the trailer
park where the trailers were removed Monday. He said e signed at a contract
Oct. 21 with FEMA but hasn't seen the agency follow through and remove any
of te flood-damaged trailers at his site that eld more than 30 trailers.

He has residents who would like to return if trailers were brought in for
them by FEMA, Rodriguez said. He also said other people who didn't live in
the trailer park have also told him they would move there if FEMA would
provide travel trailers. Rodriguez also has another trailer park site.

Jimmy Licciardi, a former member of the parish Police Jury, which was the
forerunner to the Parish Council system, was on the scene Monday and said he
owns two trailer park sites that had 150 occupants. Licciardi said FEMA
hasn't moved to remove any trailers at his site since signing a contract
with him in October.

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Parish officials said about 200 people signed up Monday to have their homes 
demolished in St. Bernard, the first day a list was being kept.

The sign-up period will go on indefinitely.

The parish also is notifying the owners of 320 homes that are in the first 
batch of residences deemed to have 100 percent damage and must be 
demolished, according to Mike Hunnicutt, director of community development.

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The body of an 81-year-old woman was found in her home on Elizabeth Court in

Violet on Saturday, bringing the death toll in Hurricane Karina to 126 in 
St. Bernard Parish, officials said.

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The Sheriff's Office has opened the West Judge Perez Drive entrance to the 
parish in Arabi, however, the bridge over the Industrial Canal on North 
Robertson Street in New Orleans remains closed and it hasn't been announced 
when it will reopen, sheriff's officials said.