Hurricane Katrina, Help Greenwood, MS
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MEMORANDUM
September 1, 2005
TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Council Member Dan Nicholson
SUBJECT: Hurricane Katrina
I have served on National League of Cities' committees with Mayor Harry Smith of
Greenwood, Mississippi. I contacted him after Hurricane Katrina.
Mayor Smith says that his town of 18,000 people was not significantly damaged by
Hurricane Katrina. He did say that there are 2,000 refugees seeking shelter in his town,
and 300 of those are school-age children.
I would like to propose that Dubuque create a sister city-type relationship with
Greenwood, Mississippi, and encourage citizens of Dubuque to donate money to help
these refugees.
DN/ksf
cc: Michael Van Milligen, City Manager
Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
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,09/02105 FRI 08: 53 FAX 6014557635
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____ CITY OF GREENWOOD
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CITY OF GREENWOOD
HARRY L. SMIm
Mayor
September 2. 2005
Office: (662) 453.2.246
Fax: (662) 455-7635
Mr. Daniel E. Nicholson
City Council
Dubuque. Iowa
Fax: 563-589-0809
Dear Dan,
I can't teU you how much all of us in Greenwood including the refugees from Katrina
appreciate your efforts. on our behalf, and any support the good people of Dubuque can
give us. We are truly honored that you would consider making us a Sister City. But,
based on my one visit to your beautiful city and the people J met there I have to say that 1
am not surprised by your kindness and decency.
Greenwood was incorporated in 1844 on the site of Williams Landing, a trading post for
many years near the junction ofthe TaUahatchie and Yalobusha Rivers, which fonn the
Yazoo River, a major tributary of the Mississippi River. Our town is slightly over 18,000,
having lost population from a high of around 23,000 more than 25 years ago. We have
always been primarily an agricultural community, but now have a good industrial base.
Some of our major businesses are Viking Range Corporation, Milwaukee Electric Too~
and Staplcotn Co-op (which is one of the largest cotton marketers in the world). All of
these are international in scope, as is John Richard Collection, a home-grown home
furnishing business with factories and offices in Asia and Mexico. Greenwood is also the
birthplace of Viking Range Corporation and is their international headquarters.
Since Katrina hit we have become hosts to an estimated 2000+ refugees from south
Mississippi and Louisiana. Most of these people left home with two changes of clothes at
best, and they are running out of money and everything else. Some are already looking
for jobs because they have lost everything and have to start over.
We are taking care of all these people as best as we can. Emergency shelters are open and
we are providing basic services such as food and health care. But it's not enough. It is
heart-breaking to listen to the people trying to find out about their families - not their
property, just their loved ones.
101 WEST CHURCH. P.O. BOX 907. GREENWOOD. MS 38935-0907
. 09/02/05 FRI 08:53 FAX 601455i635
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____~ITY OF GREENWOOD
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Weare looking at a very long-tenn situation - not the few days that most expected when
they left home. I imagine you have seen the pictures. I believe almost every part of our
state was damaged. We are over 250 miles from the coast, and we don't have aU our
electric utilities restored yet. Almost every highway in South Mississippi is closed to
anything other than emergency relief traffic.
I don't know yet how many children have come into Greenwood, but we are getting them
into our schools with proper supplies and clothing, and we are going to give them as
normal a life as possible. That's important to all of us - that we minimize the trauma,
especially for the children, oftros event.
I'll be happy to talk with anyone about what we are doing and what we need to help these
people. We are blessed in Greenwood that property damage was minimal. that we had no
loss of life, and that we can help those less-fortunate. We are doing that, and we will
gladly accept any help anyone wann to offer. I can't imagine there's anything we don't
need, but if we have surplus, I will personally make sure that it goes where it is needed.
Again, thank you for any help, and for your concern for your fellow man.
Sincerely,
b~
Harry L~h
Mayor
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