[StBernard] House Gutting Lottery Winner Finds Wedding Band in Rubble

[Westley Annis]

House Gutting Lottery Winner Finds Wedding Band in Rubble 

January 28 , 2006

By: Steve Cannizaro


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Susan Howard of Chalmette was a double winner on Saturday, Jan. 28:  Her
house was selected to be gutted on the first day of the "Neighhor to
Neighbor'' lottery program sponsored by parish government and then, in the
process, the missing wedding band her husband had searched weeks for was
found in the rubble.

"My husband, John,  had been looking with a metal detector and didn't find
it,'' Howard said of the wedding band that was located in a pile of debris
outside their home, still attached to a figurine it had been hanging from
when flood waters covered the first floor of the home at 3724 Karen Drive in
Chalmette. The couple, married 18 years, have been living in Houston and
coming back to Chalmette on weekends to salvage things and start tearing out
walls

"They've been wonderful'' Susan Howard said of the volunteers who worked on
her home. "This is helping so much.'' "We came in from Houston to get a lot
done this weekend'' and leave Sunday, she said. "Little did I know I would
get picked'' to have others help.

John Howard, who is in the National Guard and was stationed in Iraq when
Hurricane Katrina struck, said he appreciated the help at his home.
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The Howards have lived on Karen Drive for about 10 years, they said. Susan
Howard said, "I plan on putting it (the house) together'' but doesn't know
when they would move back.

Six volunteers participated in the gutting after the Howards' home was
chosen in a lottery at the parish government building. The program will be
held each Saturday at 8 a.m., according to Council member Craig Taffaro Jr.,
who announced the program last week and took part in the gutting.

Taffaro said the "Neighbor to Neighbor'' program "is a chance for St.
Bernard residents to help ourselves, a sign we are involved in our own
rebuilding.'' He said Saturday's
effort "was a good start.''

The lottery, Taffaro said, is a supplement to the free parish program being
offered in which volunteer groups from across the nation, such as Habitat
for Humanity and Samaritan's Purse, have been coming to St. Bernard to help
remove storm-damaged debris from residents' homes. Eight homes were cleaned
of debris in the first eight days of the program. And more volunteers are
expected soon.

Any resident can register for the free debris removal either on the
second-floor of the parish government building at 8201 West Judge Perez
Drive or by going online to the parish government website at www.sbpg.net.

Through Friday, more than 3,200 residents had signed up for the free
government-run program.