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| Habitat "Green" Conference in Bay |
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By J. R. Welsh
Jan. 15, 2010
Hancock County and Greensburg, Kansas have a lot in common: We had Hurricane Katrina, and the southwest Kansas town had a disastrous tornado.
At 9:45 p.m. on May 4, 2007, Greensburg was hit by a tornado that was nearly two miles wide and traveled for 22 miles. Winds of 205 miles per hour destroyed 95 percent of the town of about 1,600 residents, killing 11 people.
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Greensburg, Kansas
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| Katrina brought a nearly identical crisis to South Mississippi, but that's where the similarity ends. The rebuilding effort here has been sporadic and sometimes haphazard; under a decision by the Greensburg City Council, that town is being uniformly rebuilt as a "green city." |
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On Jan. 26, Greensburg City Administrator Steve Hewitt will share the experiences of his city and its historic effort at the second day of a green building conference in Bay St. Louis.
The conference takes place Monday and Tuesday of that week at Hollywood Casino. It features hands-on sessions focused on how to build "green housing" - a method of designing and constructing buildings that are energy efficient, use recycled materials as often as possible, and reduce negative impacts of construction on people and the environment.
There will be two days of program tracks at the conference. Track One begins Jan. 25 and will focus on practical aspects of green building. The program features Mike Monegon, of Habitat for Humanity International.
The session will be of special interest to architects, builders, Habitat workers, planning and zoning officials, and others who want to know more about sustainable building on the Gulf Coast.
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Steve Hewitt
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The Tuesday track headlines Hewitt, who has been featured on "Greensburg," Planet Green's reality TV show.
That day will also feature a panel discussion and breakout groups to develop an action plan for green building on the Mississippi Coast.
The Tuesday sessions should be helpful to community leaders, elected officials, activists, Habitat staff members, and others. |
Both daily events begin at 8 a.m. with a continental breakfast. Sessions start at 9:30 a.m.
The cost to attend the Monday track is $45, and the cost for Tuesday is $25. Both days include lunch.
Affiliates of Habitat for Humanity will be charged only $20. The conference is cosponsored by Habitat for Humanity Bay-Waveland Area, the Live Oak Alliance, The Home Depot Foundation, and Habitat for Humanity.
Interested persons can register for either or both of the days online at habitatbw.org, or by calling 467-9699. However, registrants "don't have to pay until they come to the sessions," local Habitat spokesman Dave Walker said. "We've got a big room booked, so we can handle lots of folks." else.
© Copyright 2009 Bay St. Louis Newspapers, Inc.
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