A week ago I sat in a packed convention hall and listened as two former U.S. Presidents put aside political differences to chart a plan to reconstruct New Orleans. I watched as weary travelers waited patiently for airport shuttles. It was a week of $40 tips for $20 cab fares. New Orleans was host to the largest convention in the city since Katrina hit.
Mostly, it was a week of inspiration led by New Orleans Times-Picayune writer and NAREE member Greg Thomas (shown at left below)...
... a week when bus drivers and bellmen and waiters and military brass enjoyed the same bountiful measure of dignity and respect.
There is speculation that the Katrina story has run its course, but there was abundant evidence to the contrary. That's Mary Umberger from the Chicago Tribune with Greg Thomas. She is one of many national writers who will keep this story alive for many days to come.
The Times-Picayune Living Section Editor James O'Byrne held NAREE members spellbound as he shared his personal recital of events following Katrina. He lost his home and 45 of his neighbors died in the storm. He has continued to write, and he is building a new home.
Newly installed NAREE president Lois Weiss told members about a recent trip she took to Dubai, where roads and bridges are built quickly and efficiently. She blasted federal officials in Washington, D.C. for a stunning record of failure and demanded that they get the job done immediately in New Orleans.
... and it was a week when a United States Army General endeared himself even to old hippies (including the one behind the camera). -- Frances Flynn Thorsen
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