Children Express Concern for Sea Animals Among Oil Spill

MOSS POINT – Their questions showed deep concern for sea life endangered for the past three months by an offshore oil well spilling millions of gallons of crude into Gulf Coast waters.

Today marks 100 days since a gas explosion April 20 aboard the Deepwater Horizon oil rig killed 11 workers and damaged the well that has soiled shorelines in Louisiana, Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, and Texas.

Children attending the Environmental Expo at Sue Ellen Gymnasium on Tuesday plied representatives from British Petroleum with questions about the safety of birds and turtles, when residents could start fishing again, and when would the oil crisis finally end.

“We've been doing our best to clean it up,” said Ruth Rendon, director of community relations for BP.

Before the questions, she spoke to the hundreds of children and their parents present about the oil spill, explaining what happened, and finding out what the children already knew about the problem.

“When can we fish?” asked a youngster named Dalton.

“You can fish today,” said Ronden. “It's recreational fishing. You can catch and throw it back.”

Department of Marine Resources personnel at the expo said local bays and bayous are open for recreational catches, but commercial fishing is still not being allowed.

“How long will the spill last?” asked another child.

Ronden said that there is not much left, and hopefully that will be cleaned up soon.

Peter Hoar, an environmental specialist with Ecology & Environment Inc., said the coastal ecology has two systems – the beaches and marshlands and each is affected differently. “We simply don't know how long it's going to take for each system to recover.”

Several children asked how many animals had been saved from the oil spill, which was capped after leaking millions of gallons of crude oil into the gulf for more than 85 days.

Katie Bright with BP community outreach said 69 oiled birds have been rehabilitated and released back into the wild, and 82 are still at facilities across the coast.

One child wanted to know what “little people” can do to help.

Ronden said there are a lot of rules about cleaning up an oil spill, and numerous volunteers have been trained to do that. She told the children not to touch any soiled birds because they already are in distress.

'If you see oil, report it,” she said. “Don't touch, take a picture of it and report it.”

The questions from among hundreds of children, who along with their parents, attended Tuesday's Environmental Expo sponsored by the Moss Point Visionary Circle. The expo was the final presentation of a two-week summer etiquette program, which is in its second year at the Moss Point Recreation Department. .

Darlene Carter, president of MPVC, encouraged and praised the children for their questions. She said the point of the expo was to bring in experts who could talk to the children about the oil crisis and allow them to voice their concerns.

“The children are going to be the ones who have to deal with this in the next 10, to 15 to 20 years,” said Carter .

Several agencies displayed exhibits and included the Department of Marine Resources and Department of Environmental Quality. Carter recognized community groups and businesses that helped sponsor the expo.

“I enjoyed it. It was very knowledgeable,” said Christina Gardner. “I hate that it (oil spill) happened, but accidents happen all the time. It's good they've got it under control now.”

She said the oil spill has hurt her hair care business. Some women are not coming to she shop as much now that their husbands are not working.

A health clinic offered blood pressure checks and body mass index readings.

LaShunda Tate, 13, had a pressure reading of 110/60, which is very good, according to nurse Callie Marshall with MPVC. “I wanted to see how my blood pressure is going, have my body mass checked.”

Parents and students present also received free backpacks filled with school supplies.

Michelle Obama's Speech for Christening of Stratton

The White House, Office of the First Lady

PASCAGOULA (July 23) 11:15 A.M. CDT

MRS. OBAMA: Thank you all. Thank you. Thanks so much. Mike, thank you for that very kind introduction. I think you gave me a few promotions along the way, but that’s okay, I’ll take them. (Laughter.)

And to you and all of the shipbuilders and their families who are here today -- congratulations on this truly magnificent ship. It is amazing.

Here in Pascagoula, you have been building ships for centuries. It’s in your blood. It’s a proud tradition passed on from generation to generation. Your hands have given us some of the greatest ships in the United States Navy and Coast Guard. So whether you’re a welder or a fitter or a burner -- whatever your craft -- today is also a tribute to you and your families, and we thank you, as a grateful nation. (Applause.)

Secretary Napolitano; Admiral Papp and Linda, and all our outstanding Coast Guard leaders, personnel and their families -- especially those of you from Coast Guard Station Pascagoula; members and friends of the Stratton family; First Lady Marsha Barbour; Representative

Taylor; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen:

It is an incredible privilege to be

with you today. And I thank you for the great honor of being the first First Lady to sponsor a United States Coast Guard cutter. (Applause.) And believe me, I am humbled that its namesake is the first woman to serve as a commissioned officer in the United States Coast Guard -- one of the true pioneers in American history -- Captain Dorothy C. Stratton. (Applause.)

The christening of a ship is a

tradition that I hear goes back thousands of years. And according to some legend, one sponsor’s aim was so bad that the bottle hit someone in the audience. (Laughter.) So fortunately, these days the bottle is tied tight and we’re way over there. So all of you in the front row can breathe a sigh of relief.

Today is a wonderful celebration of an extraordinary life and the meaning that it holds for all of us. Like most of you, I wasn’t fortunate enough to know Captain Stratton personally. But I have come to know her story. And as a woman, and as a mother of two daughters, as an American, I stand in awe of her life of service. And after all these years later, all of us -- whether you’re a woman or a man, Coast Guard or another service, whether you’re military or civilian -- every American can be inspired by her example.

Because Captain Stratton taught us first about love of country. See, she didn’t come from a military family. And she certainly didn’t dream of wearing the uniform. Instead, she distinguished herself first in academia. But what happened? Pearl Harbor was bombed, and our country was at war. So she volunteered. And when a colleague at Purdue University said -- and this is a quote -- “Dorothy, you can’t afford to do this,” her reply was simple. She said, “I can’t afford not to.”

Captain Stratton also taught us about perseverance. See, for all its opportunities, the SPARs were still limited. T

hey couldn’t give men orders, which is an absolute problem. (Laughter.) They couldn’t serve overseas, or even go to sea. Later in life, she would say, “I’m sometimes referred to as the commanding officer of the SPARs. Actually, I had no command authority. All I had was the power of persuasion.”

And that’s just how Captain Stratton taught us about the power of a single individual to bring about real change. She traveled the country, giving speeches, recruiting other women, including, for the first time in the Coast Guard, African American women. To so many of those young women, she became their mentor, she became their champion and their inspiration. And she built them into a proud 11,000-strong Coast Guard Women’s Reserve. (Applause.)

And Captain Stratton taught us what’s possible when people are given the opportunity to show their potential. The SPARs were designed to free up men for the war. But it also freed a new generation of women to believe in themselves -- as radio operators, air traffic controllers, parachute riggers and machinists. These women were strong, independent, confident. As Captain Stratton said, “All we asked was for the Coast Guard just to give the women a chance. They gave the women the chance, and the women made good.” (Applause.)

And perhaps -- perhaps most remarkably, Captain Stratton broke all of these barriers in just four short years. Yet those four years gave birth to a legacy that lives on even today.

Her legacy lives on first in the love of her family, including those who join us today, who I’m looking forward to meeting -- her niece Barbara, her nephew Richard, and their families, and Captain Stratton’s dear friend, Sally Watlington. We want to thank you all for being here, for keeping her memory alive. Thank you so much. (Applause.)

But her legacy lives on in the admiration of her fellow SPARs -- these amazing women who marched and drilled and trained and proved themselves more than worthy of America’s uniform. And as one of them said with pride, “We were full-fledged and we were salty. By gosh, we were Coast Guard.”

And while most of those original 11,000 are no longer with us, we are truly honored to be joined today by more than 20 surviving SPARs. They have traveled, I understand, from all across the country to be with us. And again, I’d like to join in a tribute to you all. Thank you so much. You are extraordinary women -- part of the Greatest Generation. (Applause.)

The legacy of Captain Stratton and her SPARs lives on in all those who followed in their footsteps. After World War II, it would be another 30 years before women started to be fully admitted to the Coast Guard and other services. But ask any of those women -- including those here today -- and they’ll tell you that it was Captain Stratton, the SPARs and the women of World War II who opened the door so that they could walk through and proudly serve this country.

Today, women not only serve on ships, they command them; serve as Vice Commandant of the Coast Guard. They have proven their courage in battle in Iraq and Afghanistan. I was proud to welcome to the White House some of the women who broke that “brass ceiling” -- including Army General Ann Dunwoody, the first woman in American history to achieve the rank of four-star general. (Applause.) So today -- today it is absolutely clear for all to see that women in uniform are indispensable to American military.

We see it in today’s Coast Guard -- men and women, officer and enlisted, Active, Reserve -- succeeding together as one team -- “Team Coast Guard.” And true to their motto, they are “Always Ready” -- securing our coasts; protecting our ports; stopping drugs that would end up on our streets; responding to disasters, as we saw in Haiti; and serving in every one of America’s wars, including Iraq and Afghanistan.

We’ve seen this same spirit right here in the Gulf Coast. Our Coast Guard men and women were the first on the scene when that rig exploded, and they have been here ever since. And I had the pleasure of meeting with some of them this morning. They make us proud. They come from all over the country to help with the largest response of its kind in American history.

And it’s important to know that many of them are reservists, so they got their orders, they kissed their families good-bye, they deployed on very little notice. And they are making a difference every day, and they’re keeping even more oil off the beaches. So along with all our men and women in uniform who are lending a hand, they deserve our thanks. We are so proud as a nation of what you all are doing. (Applause.

We’re all relieved that the leak appears to have been stopped for now. And today, I can share some more good news. About one-third of the federal waters in the Gulf that were closed to fishing -- more than 25,000 square miles -- have been reopened. (Applause.) Also, the seafood from these waters has been tested and it is safe to eat. (Applause.) But I want you to know that the President, his administration, they are doing everything they can to get you all back fishing right here in Mississippi, too. (Applause.) And our Coast Guard, our country, we are going to stand with you as long as it takes to clean this up and to help this region recover.

But, of course, this is not over. In Pascagoula and all along the coast, I know that you and your families are still hurting. So I want the whole country to know what I’ve been saying -- there are beaches down here, and they are open, and they are beautiful. And even though there may be some bad weather in the next few days, the best way that this country can help this region is to come down here, right, come here -- (applause) -- visit, support these communities. And, yes, in fact, the President and I, we are going to come on down. (Applause.) We’re happy to announce yesterday that we’ll be coming down to the Gulf. I’m not sure where, because that’s another life -- they plan my life and they send me off. (Laughter.) But we’re going to come down for a little family vacation next month. And we can’t wait. (Applause.)

The point is, we are all together in this. We have to be. Here in Pascagoula and the Gulf Coast, you guys already know this. Over the years, you’ve seen some really tough times and some terrible storms. But you have always pulled through because you’ve always pulled together. We can’t do it alone. You know that as neighbors, as Americans, we all have a responsibility to each other.

So, too, when it comes to one of my defining missions as First Lady, and that is supporting our incredible men and women in uniform and their families.

I have issued a national challenge -- a challenge to every sector of American society to mobilize and take action to support and engage our military families. It’s a challenge not just to government, but to the private sector, to communities, and most importantly, to every single individual citizen. See, one percent of Americans may be fighting in our wars and protecting our country, but 100 percent of Americans need to be supporting our troops and their families. And, see, the thing is -- (applause) -- everyone can do something. Everyone can play a part.

And Captain Stratton knew this, because it was the story of her life -- an amazing 107-year life. For as long as she could, she was still giving back. She was still finding ways to serve her country; still encouraging and engaging with the Coast Guard that she loved; still inspiring the next generation -- serving as a role model, not just to our daughters and our granddaughters, but, yes, to our sons and our grandsons, too.

And the thing is, that may be her greatest legacy of all. And if you’ve ever been to our nation’s capital, you can see this for yourself. There’s -- right there at the entrance at Arlington National Cemetery, where so many of America’s fallen heroes rest, stands this beautiful tribute -- it’s the Women in Military Service of America Memorial. It’s beautiful. It honors the service of all those brave women who have served to keep us free.

And if you climb the granite steps and you stroll along the curved walkways, you’ll come across words etched forever in glass. And they are the words of Captain Dorothy C. Stratton, and they read: “We wanted to serve our country in times of need. The Coast Guard gave us this opportunity and we did our job well.”

So, to the SPARs who join us today, thank you for your job done so very well. (Applause.) To the Coast Guard and to the crew of the Stratton, thank you. Thank you for the honor of being associated with you and your families, which I will treasure for the rest of my life. And thank you to all of you. Thank you for the job that you all do every day to keep America and its ships so strong and so proud.

God bless you all. God bless America. And Semper Paratus!

Thank you so much.

Main Street To Hear State Program Director

MOSS POINT -- The city's Main Street program will serve as host for its Main Street 101 at 6 p.m. Monday, July 19. The event will take place at the Jackson County Small Business Incubator.

Stacy Pair, director of Program Services for the Mississippi Main Street Association, will be the speaker.

“The basic programmatic structure of Main Street will be discussed. There will be some explanation as to how the four points work and what each committee does,” Pair.

The four points of Main Street consist of design, promotions, organization and economic restructuring.

Lindsey Presley, Moss Point Main Street coordinator, said, “Moss Point has such great potential to have a dazzling downtown. The Main Street program will give Moss Point the direction it needs to move forward.”

“Main Street helps build a long-term vision and work plan for historic business districts. It also offers long-term organization and management of the execution of that work plan,” said Pair.

Presley said, “This class will be great for everyone that is interested in the Main Street Program. People in attendance will get a better understanding of what Main Street is about and how it will help downtown Moss Point.”

If you are interested in learning more about the Main Street Association you can visit www.msmainstreet.com.

OIL SPILL STOPPED !!

ACCORDING TO NEWS REPORTS, BP HAS CONTAINED THE SPILL, AND OIL IS NO LONGER GUSHING INTO THE GULF OF MEXICO.

THANK GOD FOR BIG THINGS!!

THIS NEEDED A MIRACLE. WE ALL SAW DURING MORE THAN 70 DAYS THAT HUMAN INTELLIGENCE AND HARD WORK WERE JUST NOT ENOUGH ALONE.

LET'S HOPE IT HOLDS.

Birding Class for Kids This Weekend

MOSS POINT -- The second session of the summer Kids Birding Class will be held Saturday at the Pascagoula River Audubon Center on Griffin Road.

The class is set for 9 a.m. to noon July 17 and on July 24.

Director Mark LaSalle said Audubon personnel are excited about the birding class for elementary and teenage students.

He said the class is designed to introduce young kids, ages 10 to 14 years old, to the wonderful world of birding. Enthusiastic youngsters and older teenagers also are welcome, but adult supervision is required for the younger children, and a special interest in birds is preferred.

"Participants will learn basic bird identification skills and get hands on experience identifying birds in the field," said LaSalle. "Students will also learn valuable information on feeding and attracting birds to backyards."

Students will receive a “young birders” field guide of Eastern North America and take a trip on the Pascagoula River.

Cost of the course is $50. Class size is limited to 12 students.

To register, call the Pascagoula River Audubon Center at 228-475-0825, or email Mozart Dedeaux at mdedeaux@audubon.orghttp://pascagoulariver.audubon.org/

BILOXI, Miss. – MDEQ staff through aerial surveillance with the Mississippi National Guard, MDEQ response staff, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT) have observed the following Wednesday evening and sent to Unified Command for review and appropriate response:

Flight information:

• No significant amounts of oil or sheen observed.

More Information from MDEQ staff:

• Sporadic tar balls along the beaches in Jackson County. Cleanup crews were present on the beach.

• In Harrison County, sporadic tar balls with less than one percent coverage along the beaches. Cleanup crews were present on the beach.

• Sporadic tar balls with less than one percent coverage along the beach in Hancock County. Clean-up crews present on the beach.

• A 15 to 20 foot patch of tar patties approximately six to eight inches in diameter in Biloxi near St. Charles Avenue. (N30 39.275, W88 92.974)

• Sporadic tar balls with less than one percent coverage and patchy tar balls with up to 20 percent coverage in the Upper-Inner Tidal Zone located between N30 18.4984, W89 14.204 and N30 20.216, W89 10.156. Cleanup crews were present in the area.

• SCAT team performed beach assessment at Pascagoula Beach with reported sporadic tar balls with less than one percent coverage. Small amounts of pooled oil were noted on the riprap south of Chevron. (N30 19.207, W88 29.680).

• SCAT team performed beach assessment along the shoreline west of Bayou Caddy to the east end of Beach Boulevard. While performing the assessment west of Bayou Caddy, the team observed staining and coating of marsh grass and mousse patties ranging from one to five cm with 20 percent coverage. The following were observed east of Bayou Caddy to train bridge over St. Louis Bay:

  1. The team noted 5 to 20 meter bands containing less than one percent to one percent coverage of tar balls. The bands spanned from the Lower Inner-Tidal Zone to the Upper Inner-Tidal Zone with sections of findings in the Super-Tidal Zone.

  2. Marsh areas were found with staining, coating, and debris. Total oil coverage in the marsh areas averaged 20 percent to 25 percent. Deposited mousse patties were also observed ranging from one to five cm. The marsh areas were protected by boom.

  3. Riprap was observed with less than one percent coverage of deposited oil.

  4. Marsh areas inland of storm water culverts, north of Beach Boulevard, were found to be stained and coated heavily.

More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill response are available at www.deq.state.ms.us/oilspill and www.dmr.state.ms.us/DMR/oil-spill.htm. Water sampling information available at: http://opcgis.deq.state.ms.us/oilspillmap and air monitoring data at: http://gulfcoast.airnowtech.org.

Join MDEQ on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/MDEQ/118172664880239?v=wall. Follow MDEQ on Twitter: http://twitter.com/MDEQ.

MDEQ Update

BILOXI, Miss. – Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ)  staff through aerial surveillance with the Mississippi National Guard, MDEQ response staff, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams (SCAT)  have observed the following Tuesday (as of 7:00 p.m.) and sent to Unified Command for review and appropriate response:  Flight  information:     ·    Area  of  sheen  approximately  one-half mile in diameter containing  small amounts of tar patties no more than 1 foot in diameter off West Ship Island (N 30 14.64, W 88 59.68).     ·    Small  area  of  approximately  50  by 200 yards of widely-dispersed emulsified oil patties ranging in size from a few inches to 5 feet in  diameter located south of West Ship Island (N 30 12.11, W 88 58.13).     ·    Large concentration of tar balls of varying size south of the eastern tip of Horn Island (N 30 10.16, W 88 35.15).     ·    Area approximately 5.8 miles long by one to six feet wide located 2.4 miles  southwest  of  the  western  tip  of Horn Island consisting of emulsified  oil  with  1  percent  coverage  tar patties and possible organic  material  intermixed (N 30 13.26, W 88 50.05;  N 30 12.17, W  88 44.39).     ·    Large  area  of light to heavy sheen with widely dispersed tar balls with  less  than  1  percent  coverage  (N 30.07.99, W 88 44.13; N 30 07.99, W 88 35.51; N 30 09.00 W 88 35.00; N 30 09.00, W 45.00).  Other information:     ·    Tar balls along Hancock County Beach ranging in size from one-quarter  to  one-half  inch.   Heaviest  concentrations  were  found along the Waveland  Beach  area.   Cleaning  crews  of approximately 120 to 150       people were onsite working intermittently due to stormy weather.     ·    A  SCAT team started east of the Highway 90 Bridge at Pass Christian and continued   east   to  the  Long  Beach  Pier.   They  observed approximately one tar ball every ten meters in the segments where tar balls were found.     ·    A  SCAT  team  conducted  assessments  by  foot  along  the southern coastline  of  Deer Island with moussed oil observed in trace amounts (less  than  1  percent)  in  the  vegetation.  No  other significant      observations were noted.     Patches of tar balls and weathered oil are skimmed and corralled by Vessels of Opportunity and BP contractors. Skimming is used to remove  streams of emulsified oil, tar balls, and tar patties.  Tar balls and    mousse patties on land are removed with shovels and rakes.     More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill  response are available at www.deq.state.ms.us/oilspill and  www.dmr.state.ms.us/DMR/oil-spill.htm.

MDEQ Update on Oil Material in Mississippi

BILOXI, Miss. – MDEQ staff through aerial surveillance with the Mississippi National Guard (flights were grounded due to weather Monday), MDEQ response staff, and Shoreline Cleanup Assessment Teams have observed the following Monday -- as of 6:00 p.m.-- and sent to Unified Command for review and appropriate response:

• Approximately 20 tar balls and 12 pieces of oiled debris on beach in Hancock County.

•Moussed oil on Cat Island along a line of assessment (N 30 13.817 W 88 06.264 to N 30 13.832 W 88 06.809) that was not fresh and has been reported by previous SCAT teams. Sections of vegetation oiled up to 70 percent.

Patches of tar balls and weathered oil are skimmed and corralled by Vessels of Opportunity and BP contractors. Skimming is used to remove streams of emulsified oil, tar balls, and tar patties. Tar balls and mousse patties on land are removed with shovels and rakes.

More information and links about MDEQ’s and DMR’s roles in oil spill response are available atwww.deq.state.ms.us/oilspill and www.dmr.state.ms.us/DMR/oil-spill.htm.

"Charm School" to Offer Female Social Etiquette

Special from Darlene Carter

MOSS POINT -- The Moss Point Visionary Circle will offer Female Social Etiquette workshops for middle school aged girls during the month of July. The program is hosted by the Moss Point Department of Parks and Recreation Summer Camp, and classes will be held at Sue Ellen Gym.

The program was nicknamed "Charm School" by its participants last year. This is the second summer the Visionary Circle has offered the program, and each year it has grown. Women in the community donate their time and talent in their particular areas of expertise. They represent the United States Air Force, City of Moss Point Police Department, Moss Point High School Alumni, Professional Visionaries, Divine Women in Action, and are employees of Singing River Health Systems, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, and Keesler AFB to name a few.

Topics this year include technology etiquette, etiquette for dating, how to build a positive self-image and promote self-confidence, leadership and self-esteem development, first impressions, personal hygiene, image enrichment, table manners and dining etiquette, public safety, and environmental protection.

MPVC CHARM SCHOOL 2010 CALENDAR

Date	Presenter	Topic
July 6 10am	Darlene Carter MPVC Founder/CEO	Mind Your Technology (computer, cell phone, texting, social networking etiquette)
July 7 1pm	Charlotte Brown MPVC, Mary Kay Business Owner	Etiquette for Dating
July 9 TBA	Yolanda & Mae Moulds	Table Manners and Dining Etiquette (Do’s & Don’ts)
July 12 1pm	Natasha Boyd	Me-Ology (Leadership and Self Esteem Development)
July 14 TBA	LaDaysha Jackson	STDs/Teen Pregnancy
July 15 1pm	Callie Marshall Director, Professional Visionaries	Personal Hygiene
July 19 TBA	Tabbitha Mosely Divine Women in Action	Image Enrichment (Cover Up - what your attire says about you)
July 21 1pm	Khrysthal Fountain Professional Model	Modeling 101
July 23 TBA	Ada Collier Captain USAF	First Impressions (Introducing yourself to others, handshakes, eye contact, body language)
July 28 1pm	Sheila Smallman Chief of Police Moss Point Police Department	Women in Law Enforcement/Public Safety for Youth
July 29 1pm	PROGRAM WRAP-UP	Women in Science (Environmental Protection/How the youth can help)

The Moss Point Visionary Circle is a non-profit 501(c)(3) community service organization dedicated to the Economic Development and Revitalization of Southeast Mississippi post Hurricane Katrina. For more information on how to get involved visitwww.MossPointVisionary.com or email mosspointvisionary@gmail.com.