|
At 12:08 PM -0400 10/16/99, Elaine Bennett, Hope Town Community Association wrote: Dear Rick: Thank you for your kind letter. We would appreciate any help we can get to aid in the rebuilding of Hope Town. Our Hope Town Assoc. Relief Fund is going very well and we are so pleased at the wonderful response we have had from so many kind people. We will be leaving Canada and returning to Hope Town next week, arriving in Hope Town on Saturday, October 23rd. Then we will be meeting with our Hope Town Community Assoc. Board, which is headed by Vernon Malone, and at that time we will be able to try and decide what our priorities will be. At the moment, they are still having trouble with phone lines. The power was off again in the Settlement last weekend. I don't believe they have restored power to the North end or the South end of the Island yet at all! We think our biggest push will be to try and save whatever dune we have left. Without the Dune's protection Elbow Cay is in great jeopardy from the winter storms which undoubtedly will happen. I am enclosing our Relief Account information for you and we will try and send you an update of how things are progressing once we reach home. Sincerely, Hope Town Association Relief Fund These funds are for the benefit of Elbow Cay as decided by the Board, chaired by Vernon Malone. The Association has existed for over 10 years and has a solid record of providing help where most needed on Elbow Cay and in the surrounding communities. Donations of any amount made directly to the Miami Account either by mail or wire will be available immediately to the Fund. All donations will be acknowledged but only those passed through Mr. Joe Shrier and PERC Inc. (minimum $250) will receive USA tax deductible IRS 501 (c) (3) receipts.
Thank you for
your help, Elaine Bennett, Secretary-Treasurer, Hope Town Association Posted by Elaine Bennett on October 08, 1999 at 14:50:00: Thank you all so much for the great response we have received with the request for funds. The fund raising is going very well and it is so gratifying to know so many people care and are willing to help. We have accounting for all deposits received and will send individual acknowledgments when feasible. If you have any specific concerns as to whether your donation has been received, please contact me at HTAsc@aol.com. We have positive reports back from folks in Elbow Cay and also from those that have visited. It is amazing what has been done in three short weeks. There is great concern about the damaged and destroyed dunes; as all of Elbow Cay, including the Settlement, is dangerously exposed to the Atlantic Ocean. The Hurricane Season is not over until November 30. Following that threat is the season for winter gales in the North Atlantic that can also send large ocean swells in our direction. The task force is working very hard to get the defences in place but it is going to take a lot of money. Hopefully we will also receive donations of heavy equipment, manpower and vegetation to bind the dunes. At 11:47 PM -0400 10/6/99, Justin wrote: Elbow Cay, Abaco, Bahamas was hit very, very hard by Hurricane Floyd. Over 30 of homes were destroyed or seriously damaged. The Bahamian Government has declared Elbow Cay as one of the areas most affected by this terrible storm. We need YOUR your financial support to help rebuild the island. PLEASE-every little donation counts ! Please send what ever you can afford to :- The Hope Town Association Relief Fund, c/o Royal Bank of Canada,Miami Agency,801 Brickell Avenue,Suite 2100, Miami, Florida 33131 or send by bank wire transfer to: Royal Bank of Canada,Miami, Florida ABA # 066010694 Account: The Hope Town Association Relief Fund Account # 100-321-9 Thank-you, by your generosity, you can guarantee that you will have made a difference. At 9:56 PM 10-6-99, Tanny Key Rentals in Hope Town, Abaco wrote: All the rental homes will be available as of November 1, l999, with the exception of Windward House and Puff House. Until regular phone numbers are working Tanney Key Rentals can be reached, as of October 15, l999 at 242-366-0599. The gift shop "El Mercado" will also be open as of October 20, l999. At 6:22 AM -0400 10/1/99, Club Soleil and Hope Town Marina wrote: One week before Hurricane Floyd, at Small Hotel Conference in Nassau, Club Soleil Hotel was classified as a "Small Treasure" Hotel by the Ministry of Tourism. We are working to restore and offer greater comforts to our guests in spite of our unwelcome visitor, Floyd! Right now as we are writing the generator is providing power for the computer and Rudy is busy connecting a new telephone cable. The lines have some static and are still very undependable! The volunteers for BEC (the electric company) who came from Antigua left only a small section of the island with power. As they connected certain sections the power lines and transformers blew up like fire works in the night. After working hard and diligently for two weeks, they decided they wanted to go home! So here we are! Working while we wait for power. Club Soleil Hotel, apartment, residence house and restaurant suffered comparably minor damage: roof coverage and water damage. There was no structural damage to the buildings. The new office stood firm with no leaks! On the other hand, sadly, after 23 years of Rudy's hard labour, and loving care of his Marina, the greatest damage was done to Hope Town Marina docks. The docks were mostly destroyed. The pilings remained and all the moorings because of Rudys caution to have no boats at the Marina or on Hope Town Marina moorings. As I am sure you have heard, many houses on the northern end of Elbow Cay, and many homes along the ocean ridge were destroyed. Others are sitting on very precarious ledges as the ocean carved away the dunes. Hope Town has always responded to helping others in times of need, and now the town is most appreciative of the outside support it receives as all have been affected to one degree or another. No man is an island. And despite the fact that each resident has had their share of damages to repair and replace, all have been helping each other in the good old Hope Town fashion. Local businesses are hard at work to ready themselves for the upcoming season. The government has assisted the recovery effort by lifting the import duty for 60 days, which we are hoping, will be extended. Efforts are being made to allow foreign labour to assist the local, but very limited, work force. The Hope Town Association is accepting donations to assist in the rebuilding effort. So if you might be in contact with any organizations or groups that have the resources to assist us, it would be most appreciated. In Florida Brian Malone, who was to manage Club Soleil Restaurant, is busy assisting a Floyd Relief Fund at 561-712-6351. We plan to keep you informed by email. Please send us your address to: Clubsoleil@oii.net and check our wesite at http://www.clubsoleil.com From all of us at Club Soleil and Hope Town Marina FACILITY and ACCOMMODATIONS UPDATES - BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT REPORTS - 1 October 1999: Please note that the FOLLOWING REPORT(S) have been provided to The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism directly by the manager and/or owner of each hotel or resort. In every instance the information has been provided in writing by the manager attesting to the status of his/her property. Where no such written documentation has been provided the status is recorded as "information pending". Updates are made on the basis of further written documentation combined with personal visit to the property to verify this information. Parts of northern and southern Abaco sustained extreme damage. The airports at Treasure Cay and Marsh harbour are open. Power is available in some locations and telephone service has been restored in a limited number of locations. Abaco Inn, Hopetown Hopetown Harbour
Lodge, Hopetown Hopetown Hideaways
Ltd., Hopetown Hopetown Villas,
Hopetown Lighthouse Rentals
Marina, Hopetown Sea Spray Resort,
Hopetown Turtle Hill Villas, Hopetown |
|
STORM DAMAGE, RELIEF AND REBUILDING REPORTS: REPORT FROM DAVE and KATHY RALPH - PUBLISHERS OF The bi-monthly Abaconian newspaper (for Abaconian subscription information, please Click HERE): I think Elbow Cay was damaged the worst. The building at Abaco Inn is still standing but from there, much of the way to Sea Spray Resort is just a lovely beach with sand all the way to Sea Spray resort in White Sound. Houses are all gone, including Steve Dodge's and the water was flowing across the area into White Sound. The North End suffered badly also. The beach is eroded badly. Steve Gale owned one of the houses behind the ball park. I gather several houses in that area are gone and others on Elbow Cay toward north end are precarious and will not last. Some lots are no more, just beach and sea water. I understand the sand is washed out so there is nothing but a big cliff there now. Hope Town ocean front houses are ... bad. Abaco Inn is standing with serious damage and a couple more close by, but the remaining distance to Sea Spray is entirely flat with a beautiful ocean beach there now, as one person said, a good shelling beach low enough for the water to flow over during the hurricane. 5 REPORTS from Paola Alvino Malone Hope Town Command/Elbow
Cay Restoration FIRE FOLLOWS FLOYD IN HOPE TOWN A fire in Hope Town last night destroyed three homes in the centre of town. Residents who have been working night and day to restore the island following Hurricane Floyd battled side by side to contain the fire in the early hours of the morning. At least 40 people - many of whom arrived within minutes of the call going out on VHF radio - managed to control the fire in just over an hour. Hope Town Fire & Rescue coordinated three "attack" teams, supplementary safety officers and volunteers while the fire tore through historic wooden homes just yards from the fire station. Precious minutes ticked by as crews struggled to establish a water supply directly from Hope Town Harbour, since there is no municipal water supply on the island. Palm Beach County fire lieutenant Joe Bartlett, who flew to Hope Town this morning to help assess the damage, was full of praise for Hope Town Fire & Rescue and volunteers who left their beds to help. "I think the people who fought the fire, especially in reference to the exposures and potential for more fire did one hell of a job. "When you consider the conditions they were under with no water supply, and the stress already caused by Hurricane Floyd, they really excelled themselves. Everyone should be very proud of themselves, and the citizens should be very proud of their firefighters," he added. The three homes destroyed in the blaze belonged to Courtney and Sandra Bethel, Robert Malone and Flossie Albury. HURRICANE FLOYD DOES NOT DETER HOPE TOWN TOURISTS Hurricane Floyd has failed to stop tourists who are lining up to book vacations in Elbow Cay. Although property managers are currently focusing on restoration and relief aid, they have vowed to be (back in) in business in the coming weeks. Some families have been visiting Elbow Cay for generations, and many visitors are long-term repeat guests who refuse to let the hurricane stop their vacation tradition. Bookings for 2000 are still coming in thick and fast. "My family is very close, " explained Don Strube, Jr of Orlando, FL. "and I believe the reason is our quality vacations in Abaco with my parents. I have introduced my wife and four daughters to this special island and they love it too. I am spearheading volunteers in our area to help all the people of Abaco. I can't imagine not going there." Club Soleil and Hope Town Hideaways, which have opened their doors to accommodate volunteer helpers, are both aiming to accept visitors again by mid-October. "We were very lucky to have just lost part of our marina and some landscaping," said Peg Thompson, owner of Hopetown Hideaways. "And with our generator providing full power we are able to accommodate volunteers who are working hard to restore Elbow Cay. The restoration effort has been so effective that we're expecting Elbow Cay to look even better when the clean-up is finished!" Hurricane Floyd devasted much of the Atlantic-exposed side of Elbow Cay, but created a brand new beach in the process. "It is almost peaceful because it is so lovely," claimed one homeowner as she looked at the now double-wide sandy beach where her $500,000 home formerly stood on a 75-foot dune. "I can't help enjoying the natural beauty. Elbow Cay's beaches are wider and more beautiful than I have ever seen anywhere." The real draw of the Abacos has always been the water, natural beauty, simple lifestyle and friendly locals. Hurricane Floyd took none of this away. The high tourist season does not begin until mid-December and if the work intensity continues, Hurricane Floyd will be just a bitter memory. THREE MAJOR GROUPS COMBINE TO CREATE ONE FUNDRAISING Three high profile relief aid groups in Elbow Cay have combined budgets in the wake of Hurricane Floyd. The Hope Town Association, Hope Town Fire and Rescue and the Local Government Board have created the Elbow Cay Restoration fund to continue their efforts to ensure all people of Abaco receive aid. So far the three groups have used their resources separately to provide generators, food and water, temporary tent housing, medicines, bug repellents, bedding and clothes to less organized, smaller villages in other parts of Abaco. The Restoration Fund will continue to provide life-sustaining food & water, quality medical supplies and attention, restore all community services and stabilize the Elbow Cay dunes. Comprised of locals and second home residents, the Hope Town Association is dedicated to improving the quality of life on Elbow Cay. Past donations have funded dune protective beach accesses; free children's summer camps; extensive garbage removal programmes; beautifying projects and programmes to help individuals in crisis. Hope Town Fire & Rescue is by far the most effective group of volunteers in Elbow Cay, and has received widespread acclamation for its fire protection, medical assistance and community-benefitting projects. Training programmes set up by the group include crisis management, health care assistance, first aid, medical evacuations, etc. In the aftermath of Hurricane Floyd, the group has worked non-stop to clear roads, remove rottening food, gather debris, pile sand, and more. The Local Government Board of elected Elbow Cay residents is responsible for liaising with the Government to provide a budget for upkeeping and restoring the settlement. To send funds specifically to Elbow Cay, make cheques payable to Elbow Cay Restoration. For wiring, send to the Marsh Harbour, Abaco, branch of CIBC, account number 100104538. This is not a tax-free fund. To make larger, tax-free donations, make cheques payable to PERC Inc, care of Joe Shrier, 19300 Story Road, Rocky River, OH 44116. Attach a cover note specifying that Elbow Cay Restoration is to receive the funds. An official letter acknowledging the gift will be sent to the donor for tax purposes. DONATING TO ABACOS IS NOW TAX-DEDUCTIBLE A Florida-based not-for-profit corporation has now been established as a conduit for US tax payers who want to make large donations to the Abacos. Set up by longtime Abaco homeowner and US attorney Joseph Shrier, the fund - Preservation, Environment, Recreation, Community (PERC Inc) - has a US Internal Revenue Service 501 (c) (3) designation. Shrier, who has volunteered to monitor the account and disburse funds to designated recipients, said cheques should be made payable to PERC Inc, care of Joe Shrier, 19300 Story Road, Rocky River, OH 44116. A cover note should also be attached specifying the organization to receive the funds, i.e. Elbow Cay Restoration Fund, Hope Town Fire & Rescue, Methodist Church, Catholic Church, etc. An official letter acknowledging the gift will be sent to the donor for tax purposes. Smaller gifts of $1,000 or less should be sent to the Elbow Cay Restoration Fund. Make cheques payable to Elbow Cay Restoration. For wiring, send to the Marsh Harbour, Abaco, branch of CIBC, account number 100104538. For further details, contact Hope Town Hurricane Command Centre on 242 366-0224 or Palm Beach Emergency Operations Centre on 561 712-6351/6332. ISLAND WIDE CLEAN-UP STARTED Now that the first stage of Elbow Cay emergency relief work has been completed (ie immediate problems concerning the community), we have moved into Stage Two. This involves island-wide cleanup, further consultation on the White Sound road and restoration of businesses involved in the tourism industry. The focus is now less on Hope Town Command and more on local government, different groups/individuals with specific responsibilities and the businesses themselves. Hope Town Command/Elbow Cay Restoration will continue to be the information and public relations centre. But we envisage local government starting to take a more active role, and a local government office is in the process of being set up in the Administrator's building. Currently at Hope Town Command there is myself (Paola Alvino Malone) as information coordinator. I deal with all hurricane relief email correspondence and the flow of information between the various organizations/individuals/groups now involved in relief work. Volunteer Kerry Ferguson, who did an excellent job in coordinating the initial hurricane relief effort in Hope Town, will continue to coordinate ongoing post-hurricane/relief issues, including donations and managing day-to-day operations. We are encouraging Clay Wilhoyte, who has truly been the key figure in the restoration effort to date, to step down, wind down, and unburden himself of the huge amount of stress that has piled on his shoulders. We have a young volunteer, Olivia Patterson, who is acting as secretary for Hope Town Command, answering the phones, typing and coordinating the stockpile of equipment that is accumulating and available for loan. A government clean-up crew is being organized by Michael Myers, responsible for clearing the entire island of debris. Mr Haines has been compiling a needs assessment list which we will forward to the Emergency Operations Centre in West Palm upon receipt. Debbie Patterson is treasurer of the new Elbow Cay Restoration fund. The nurse is now in Hope Town every day at the clinic to take care of medical problems. Stafford Patterson is chief of Hope Town Fire & Rescue, which has now resume usual operations. Mark Malone has conducted a building assessment to pinpoint unsafe buildings. Owen Sweeting is in charge of utilities, particularly minimizing electrical problems due to water damage. David Darville has been overseeing work on the White Sound road. We have yet to appoint a staging/distributions volunteer. When the local government office is set up in the Administrator's building, we anticipate Suzanne Bethel will be chief coordinator of Elbow Cay Restoration/Command Centre. Paola Alvino Malone - Hope Town Command/Elbow Cay Restoration |
