Since my last post on this subject, I have confirmed from several sources some additional information about the “deal” that Gov. Bobby Jindal struck with lawmakers in connection with the much-maligned legislative pay raise. None of what follows conflicts with the facts as set forth in my last post, but it does shed some additional light on what happened — and when.

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You know you’ve been filling sandbags all day when you start getting picky over the kind of bio-degradeable bag’s you’re given. There are flavours from China, Indonesia and India (at least). I’m biased towards the Chinese version which require a separate twist tie.

The only skills required for sandbagging are digging and counting to two. Even YATS can handle that. Once filled the bags are taken to suspect levee locations which have been given names, eg Dead Dog, Pole, Horseshoe, Miller’s Corner. I’m trying to find someone who can tell me if we’re presently winning or losing the war. More rains north of us expected - not good news.

It’s pushing 90′ here in Hull along heavy humidity. Just like home!

The folks here went thru this drill during the great floods of 1993.
Which brings us to yet another similarity. That year Corps of
Engineers waited too long to blow the levees down river, allowing much
greater damage than could have been avoided.

Sandbagging is a bit of an art. A team of five is ideal: one shoveler,
two baggers and two to tie the bags. Two shovels full makes for a
perfect bag. Once our pile has hit critical mass, a flock of National
Guardsmen descends to fill up the front loader. Then it’s off to the
levee for reinforcing.

The presence of New Orleanians here is quite the spectacle. Most
everyone has recognised us from last night’s newscast. The folks here
are delighted - really taken aback - that we’ve pulled away from our
own issues to come up river and lend a hand during their time of need.

The Annunciation-Broadmoor team managed some sleep, then up at 6a to
start our day. We were led to the Quincy Civic Center which is the
epicenter of sandbagging. Last week this mostly volunteer operation
loaded and shiped 1,000,000+ sandbags.

I was struck immediately by the mayor being on hand to greet the
volunteers and help lead them to their assignments. Part of my
assignment here is to observe differences between Quincy and New
Orleans. Major difference number one: their mayor is present, engaged
and appears to know what’s going on. And … he skipped a meeting
Florida to be here for this crisis.

Some things, however, are the same. When one of our team asked, “How
is FEMA doing here?” the response was “We haven’t seen them yet.”

The sandbagging operation is a fascinating sight. There are convicts,
Mennonites, the elderly, police and firemen, kids of all ages and on
it goes all pitching in. A group of Mennonites from Iowa who lost
everything in the floods are down here helping try to save others.
Yesterday the convicts had a race with the National Guard to see who
could fill the most bags. Convicts won going away.

They still have their infrastructure in tact so it’s all amazingly
smooth and efficient. The New Orleanians forgot to sign in so we
screwed up their entire intake process. Big surprise.

We’ve just learned that a critical levee in the
town of Hull is in jeopardy so we’re racing there to lend a hand with
the reinforcement efforts which are going on 24/7. More later.

Editor’s note: Father Jerry Kramer is the pastor at the Free Church of the Annunciation, an Episcopal church in Broadmoor. Since the levee failures, Kramer’s church has ran one of the Gulf Coast’s largest Katrina relief centers, serving more than 85,000 people to date. Kramer would be the first to admit that this assistance wouldn’t have been possible without the thousands of volunteers that have come to New Orleans rescue.

One of the biggest contributor’s to Annunciation’s efforts has been the Diocese of Quincy, Illinois, which made more than 20 trips with volunteers to the New Orleans area. The volunteers brought much-needed supplies, rehabilitated homes and have donated 10,000 books to Broadmoor’s Rosa Keller Library. Last week, Quincy suffered its own disaster when the Mississippi River overflowed its banks and flooded the town. Yesterday, Kramer and three others from the church left New Orleans to travel to Quincy. This will be the first of many trips for Kramer to Quincy as he and flock return a favor and lend a hand to those in need.

The following is Kramer’s journal of the trip. For more information about Annunciation’s mission to Quincy and New Orleans programs, please visit www.annunciationbroadmoor.org

Wednesday, June 25

Arrived in Quincy, Illinois at 10:30 p.m. after fourteen hours on the road. With me are Sonya, Mark and Mike. But I feel as though the entire community is with and behind us on this journey. It feels like it’s part pilgrimage, part mission trip, part doing what Louisianans do and part adventure into a piece of our own past.

Signs of high water began to appear as we approached St. Louis; ballparks under water, could see just the tops of the backstops. Some of my church members wanted to make the trip but feared their PTSD might flare up when seeing high water; they may well have been right. I’m not sure yet how I’m going to handle all of what might lie ahead. Nearly three years post Katrina I still often dream at night of crying.

We’re staying in the home of a delightful senior couple. The spry woman told us not to make our beds in the morning, her job was to “wait on us.” Sandbagging starts at 6a in these parts.

While the area floods, people are taking a break from filling sandbags to fill the corner bars. We’ve been promised beer and music Friday night when our work is done. This would appear to be the perfect fit and sister city for us.