Last week marked the six month anniversary of Hurricane Katrina in Bay St. Louis and Waveland. And things are beginning to look more cleaned up. Granted, the lots that look clean once had a house on them. And people lived in those houses, had their things -- mementos, pictures, clothes, appliances, furniture, some even pets and loved ones. But now all that is gone.
We here are striving to keep our heads up, think positive and begin the road to recovery and rebuilding. Then, you get smacked in the face. I found out today that CVS Pharmacy, currently in two trailers, is closing its doors Friday, March 10, never to return. They began gutting their building and things were looking up. Then, today they started telling customers that their prescription files would be moved to Rite Aid and they would close their doors.
You know, if we cannot even have the businesses return, what are we striving for? We need the businesses as much as they need us. And the Chamber of Commerce here did a survey that shows that not that many people are still gone. I am sure that there are still some people who have remained in other cities and states until their children complete the school year. But I will bet you that 90 percent of those people return home with their children. The library system here is still planning its annual Summer Reading Program. Normally we see 700-plus children register, and we are still banking on at least 500 children.
So for CVS to close is rather discouraging. We still have no grocery store and that is discouraging. People here are strong and resilient and usually pretty easygoing. But this sort of thing just rips at the strength of our resolve to make things better. You get up every morning and think that it will all be back to normal, but it's not. Some days are very discouraging, others aren't. My niece, a nurse in Mobile, told me two weekends ago that we are all probably clinically depressed and need to be on Lexapro. And she is probably right. But the depression seems to be normal now. You get accustomed to riding down the beach road and seeing no houses or piles of debris on streets that have not been cleared yet. It is nothing to enter a restaurant that has nothing but concrete floors, since the wet carpet has been removed. That is normal to us. Or to not have a movie theater or a movie rental store like Blockbuster.
So, on to better things. The Corps is scheduled to demolish my house this week. Freeway (the cat) will be lost, because most of the time, he sits under the house where it is raised up, watching the world go by. But the demolition of my house is a good thing, because, once it's gone, there is light at the end of the tunnel. I still have to find the money to rebuild, but I have hope. I still have to find people to come do the work, but I have hope -- hope that the future is getting a little brighter, a little better, and hope that I will soon (relatively) be able to get out of the FEMA trailer and go home.
Out with the old, in with the new
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I hope you can go home soon....take Freeway with ya too....best wishes...to ya Mary
andy,ms (Sent Mar 8, 2006 10:15:44 PM)
CVS was probably not doing that great before the storm, they really are probably doing the same business now. They were probably able to get out of their rental contract so now they can run. That is very disappointing and lets remember them if they return in a few years.
I am very proud of all the local owned companies that have opened back up or are in the progress. That makes me very proud of being from Bay/Waveland.
You have to have that southern heart and frame of mind to want to stay here, to love it here. Obviously CVS Corporate offices do not even know what that is. We will survive and again lets remember when they come back to make that buck!
Lady Bay, Bay St Louis (Sent Mar 9, 2006 10:34:02 AM)
The rumour has it that the owner of the shopping center will not get aid in cleaning out the units. Again rumour has it is that he has told individuals to clean their own units. We were hoping to get a grocery store in that complex but heard that the intereted parties had to clean and repair building on their own. What's up with that? We will never be able to come back if this is the attitude of building owners. Every other town has a free standing CVS. Why can't this happen in Bay St Louis? I have lived in the neighborhood behind CVS for most of my life and we used CVS and the grocery store. Now I am shopping in Harrison County in order to get what I need.
Maddog45 (Sent Mar 9, 2006 11:26:01 AM)
Dear Mary, the loser in this is CVS. One couldn't find a better place to live and do business than on the MS Gulf Coast, especially in Bay-Waveland. I was always a little homesick for the Bay, but since Katrina the feeling never leaves me. I am already anticipating being with family and friends of the Bay again in April and over the summer. There are many people behind you. I hope that you can keep your spirit up and that you will be blessed with the necessary assistance to rebuild your home.
Carol Wahler, Falls Church, VA (Sent Mar 9, 2006 7:09:08 PM)
Let us have very long memories - the local businesses, resturants, and shops who got open early, stayed here and offered us comfort, convience and hope. The local shop owners who gave us Second Saturday in a debris field and allowed volunteers to see what we had been before Katrina. I will remember and I will patronize those beautiful industrious folks. I will remember the chains that still are not open and I will make a concerted effort to avoid them. And yeah, I used to complain that Wal-Mart was too big - but guess what, they put up a tent and serviced our community. CVS can fold its tent and fade into the night - we will prevail and and we will celebrate - let those of little faith take their negative karma and go far far away.
The heart of our town was and still is the small business, shop, gallery and eatery. Now it appears that they are also the backbone. They need our support now and in the future - they did not run out on us.
My heartfelt thanks for their efforts and I encourage each of you to let them know when you patronize them. We all need an "atta boy".
Peggy MacAniff, Bay St. Louis/Diamondhead (Sent Mar 10, 2006 1:25:52 AM)
CVS corporate officers need to make a trip to the Bay-Waveland area. If that doesn't melt their hearts then who would want them there anyways. I just returned from a volunteer mission to the area and I can't wait to go back and help rebuild a place I never laid eyes on before the storm. The people of your area have been dealt an incredible blow with what must seem like a new slap in the face each day you wake up. I may be just one person but I'm doing my best to get the focus of people on your area and then push them to lend their hands. I pray for y'all everyday.
Diane DeAngelo, Greenville, PA (Sent Mar 10, 2006 8:24:19 AM)
As an manager with CVS in Kansas City I can tell u that they have been trying to get rid of the strip mall stores and plan to rebuild in a free standing store. Plus CVS has just bought Osco Drug and Save-On to take over then end of June so that will make a difference for them. I do feel sorry with all u and everyone else has gone through but things get worse before they get better. Good Luck and God be with you all
Jarred, Mission, KS (Sent Mar 10, 2006 11:26:39 AM)
My heart is broken at the loss of CVS. Sure, it is a "corporate store", but the people who work there have been here for years. Becky Bass has been my pharmacist since I moved here over 14 years ago. Mary is right. It is a slap in our faces. I called the CVS regional office, and they never called back. It is a sad day in the USA when Wal-Mart looks like the model corporate citizen because they committed to us from the very beginning.
Angela Sallis, Bay St Louis (Sent Mar 10, 2006 11:53:02 AM)
Hang in there Mary. We miss HOME and pray each and every day for all of our fiends there. You know from experience that those who stay around to help and rebuild are the people who will become our kind of folks. CVS has certainly lost my respect. Look at the bright side - now we may get a Walgreens. Take care and keep the faith.
Linda V formerly of the Bay, now in Tampa, FL (Sent Mar 10, 2006 2:04:08 PM)
God bless you, Mary and thank for continuing to write and keep us updated. My parents, long-time residents of BSL, unfortunately cannot return, but their hearts are still in the Bay. I am myself moving from the West Coast to Florida to help them get back on their feet and will continue to check up on all of you. We pray every day for your health and strength and that the money will come for all of you.
Amy Jaquith, San Francisco, CA (Sent Mar 10, 2006 3:24:54 PM)
I try to get all the news I can from your area. A friend of mine that lives in the Pass sends me information and everyday I check WLOX.com and Sunherald. com. Everytime I see that a restaurant or store has reopened I send up a prayer of gratitude. When school lets out for the summer I will be back and look forward to getting over to Bay/Waveland to see my friends. The one thing that really upset me was when I viewed the video on WLOX about the animal shelter in Waveland (animalrescuefront.net). What is going on here? I know that so much has been so awful for everyone but these animals are victims also, they are pets that have lost their family. How can the citizens of Hancock County be allowed to have their animals treated so badly?
mindy, Decatur, AL (Sent Mar 11, 2006 12:53:24 PM)
I live only a few streets over from CVS Pharmacy and will miss them. However, I do have to commend them for placing trailers there in the parking lot so soon after Katrina and being open for business. We really needed them then and that was good. Their leaving could very well be due to the building owner. Who knows, maybe they do plan to return and build a free standing building. Rumor has it that they're waiting on city building officials to tell them what sort of building will be allowed. However, let's not forget our locally owned and operated businesses. BAY PHARMACY has reopened its doors for business and they have great service. Let's support these folks!
aimbsl, Bay St. Louis, MS (Sent Mar 12, 2006 3:58:27 PM)
Why does everyone always just jump to conclusions that it is CVS fault and they are the losers? How quickly we forget that the building they were in was in a shopping mall and CVS was leasing the building from a local businessman. Maybe he hiked up the price of the lease on the building? This is the very same man that had a fit about the Red Cross setting up in his parking lot and asked them to leave right after Katrina hit. It is really terrible that Mary mentions the closing and MSMBC jumps on it and titles her Diary using it and everyone jumps to the defensive, passes the blame quickly and could possibly being unfair to
CVS and for the real reasons why they are pulling out.
Jane Doe, BSL (Sent Mar 13, 2006 10:58:29 AM)
I saw a show on T.V. where CVS gave a girl who had to have brain surgery a card to get her medications free with....I thought that was cool....if their that humanitarian....I'll bet they will be back....hopefully in anew store with more employees!!!
andy,ms (Sent Mar 16, 2006 10:34:37 PM)
I would like to add a nice remark concerning CVS. Although corporately they had already contributed big $$$ to help all of us who lost everything (material) to Katrina, CVS joined in with dozens upon dozens of other kind and caring souls here in Austin and assisted in one part of a mission trip (coordianted with Hope Haven back to Hancock county this past December. When I asked, they gave and took part in "Trees for Trailers" helping to spread some Christmas cheer and faith. Thank you CVS and all glory to God.
Jane Anderson, Austin, TX (formerly- Waveland, MS) (Sent Mar 19, 2006 3:25:55 PM)
O.K. MSNBC....update us .....PLEASE
andy,booneville ms. (Sent Mar 23, 2006 9:58:28 PM)
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