Four local high school students will read the names of the 170 south Mississippi victims of Hurricane Katrina during the city’s memorial observance Sunday morning, the fifth anniversary of the catastrophic storm striking Biloxi and the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The hour-long service, which will be conducted at the Katrina memorial on the Biloxi Town Green, will feature Sen. Roger Wicker, Rep. Gene Taylor, MEMA Director Mike Womack, Bishop Roger Morin, and the Our Mother of Sorrows Choir, but Mayor A.J. Holloway expects the reading of the names of the victims to be the most poignant portion of the ceremony.
“So much has been made of the storm’s devastation, the wind and the water, and the recovery, but I think this is also an appropriate time for us to remember those who were taken by the storm,” Holloway said.
Reading the names of the victims will be seniors Nichole Radich and Garrett Reeder of St. Patrick Catholic High School, and Michaela Moore and Carlton Warnberg of Biloxi High School.
All 170 of the names have now been added to the Katrina memorial.
The program for the city observance:
Katrina memorial observance
at the Biloxi Town Green,
Sunday, 8 a.m.
Pre-program music by Our Mother of Sorrows Choir.
Welcome by Vincent Creel, City of Biloxi public affairs manager
“Star-Spangled Banner” by Ronny Broussard
Opening prayer by Bishop Roger Morin of the Catholic Diocese of Biloxi
Remarks: U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, U.S. Rep. Gene Taylor, MEMA Executive Director Mike Womack
Musical selection by Our Mother of Sorrows Choir
Reading of the names of the victims by students from Biloxi High School and St. Patrick Catholic High School
Prayer for volunteers by Lori Beth Susman
Remarks by Mayor A.J. Holloway
Closing prayer by Deputy Chief John Jennings, chaplain of Biloxi Fire Department
“This Little Light of Mine” by Our Mother of Sorrows Choir
Katrina news and notes
‘The Gulf is Back’ on The CW: That TV special filmed the other day at the Coast Coliseum, “The Gulf is Back,” airs this evening at 7 on The CW Network. Besides stars such as David Hasselhoff, Dean Cain, Shannon Elizabeth and B.B. King, look for our own sculptor, Marlin Miller, to give a tour of the Katrina sculpture trail. For more on the program, click here.
‘Katrina & Biloxi’ on cable: Watch the award-winning documentary “Katrina & Biloxi” on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., 8:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Cable 13 on Cable One on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. To learn more about the documentary and a companion photo album, click here.
Webcasting: Mayor A.J. Holloway discusses Katrina and the recovery on this week’s City Desk webcast. To listen to the program, click here.
Other news and notes
A new tradition at BHS: You can be a part of the “Indian walk” at Biloxi High School’s home-opener tonight against St. Martin. To learn more about the new Indians football tradition, click here.
Weekend preview: To see this weekend’s lineup of things to see and do, click here.
Budget talks: The Biloxi City Council will continue budget talks during a public meeting on Tuesday at 9 a.m. at City Hall. Besides discussing its own budget along with those of the adminsitration and court departments, the council is scheduled to vote on the Land Development Ordinance and its regulations involving adult businesses.
