Beaumont Enterprise Ike 09-24

Inside: District tries to get kids back to normal by getting them back to school Page 3A  WEATHER: Partly cloudy, Highs: 80s, Lows: 60s/2A 

WEDNESDAY

The tastiest bits of Southeast Texas are on

SEPTEMBER 24, 2008 at beaumontenterpris com

V OL . CXXVIII , N O. 324 

 50 Cents

 THE ADVOCATE FOR SOUTHEAST TEXAS SINCE 1880 

Housing scramble is on Trailers? Cruise ships? Mobile homes? Where will government put hurricane victims this time? By RYAN MYERS

THE ENTERPRISE

Dave Ryan/The Enterprise (Photo taken with family’s permission)

If not FEMA trailers, then maybe cruise ships. Tired of waiting on FEMA to provide housing for thousands of Southeast Texans unable to live in homes ravaged by Hurricane Ike, state and local officials are reaching for alternatives. “We’re in a battle with FEMA

right now on getting some of these trailers out here,” Rep. Joe Deshotel said by telephone Tuesday. “But we’re also looking at a number of cruise line, cruise ships.” The cruise ships could be docked in the Sabine-Neches Waterway, providing local housing to allow residents to work and repair their homes. But at about $6,000 per month per room,

Deshotel said the ships might be too expensive. FEMA officials have said a solution is in the works, but blamed the delay on state and local officials. “A lot of those manufactured homes will be showing up as we get to work with those local communities and figure out when

SpeakUP ◆ What temporary housing solution would you prefer: Survey at BeaumontEnterprise.com

INSIDE ◆ How to sanitize your home after a hurricane dirties it: 1B ◆ Shipping containers become temporary housing: 6B

HOUSING, page 4A

The casket of Victor J. Rogers is brought out of Temple Emanuel.

Rogers’ life full of love

Rita hit Sabine Pass 3 years ago today; look at it now

Mourners describe noted Beaumont businessman’s importance as family man By RYAN S. CLARK

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT — Having love for family is a priority and having love for others is a must. That was one of the many teachings Rachel Firestone learned from her grandfather, Victor J. Rogers. Tuesday, that teaching came to life with Temple Emanuel filled ONLINE with Rogers’ famiSE Texas ly and friends mourns attending his Victor J. funeral. Rogers: The 87-year-old Beaumont died Saturday at Enterprise. Methodist Hospicom tal in Houston. Rogers will be buried at Kol Israel Cemetery in Beaumont. He was the last survivor of the iconic Rogers brothers who founded Texas State Optical in the 1930s. Ben, Sol, Nate and Vic Rogers eventually sold the business, moving into real estate and playing an instrumental role in Beaumont by donating land for parks, the Minnie Rogers Juvenile Correction Center, and building Parkdale Mall. None of those ventures mattered at his funeral as family and friends spoke fondly of a man Rabbi Barbara Metzinger called “Mr. Twinkle Toes.” Firestone, one of three grandchildren, was the last person to speak as she stood in front of the temple and tearfully recalled times with her grandfather. “Whenever he came out to L.A. we always went to his favorite deli, Junior’s,” she said. “Even if we wanted to go or not.” She also made a reference to how



Tammy McKinley/The Enterprise

Raymond Lilley sits on the deck of the house he has been working on a few weeks away from the final inspection when Hurricane Ike hit. since Hurricane Rita destroyed his first home in Sabine Pass. He was The RV he was living in was reduced to its frame by Ike.

Not again

On anniversary of catastrophe, town cleans up after another one By CHRISTINE RAPPLEYE

THE ENTERPRISE

Skeeters thrive



SABINE PASS — Mountains of debris line many roads. ONLINE Lawns and driveways are Video filled with what was salof home vageable after the storm damage: surge left a trail of broken Beaumont homes, debris and mud Enterprise. through the community of com Sabine Pass. Spray paint from search and rescue teams marks every building. Almost everyone wears rubber boots and

Hurricane creates mosquito incubator By SARAH MOORE

THE ENTERPRISE

BEAUMONT — Oklahoma utility lineman Dale Arbuckle was impressed by the size of Southeast Texas mosquitoes. “Yeah — they’re huge,” he said, pausing briefly from his work in the backyard of a house

ROGERS, page 4A

PESTS, page 4A

INSIDE Advice & TV......2B Body & Mind ....1B

Business ..........6B Classified ........4C Comics ............4B Markets ..........5B

Guiseppe Barranco/The Enterprise

Jerry Hinson changes the oil on a Cessna that is used to spray for mosquitoes.

Obituaries ......10A Opinions ........13A Puzzles ............3B Sports ............1C

Dow Nasdaq -161.52 -25.67

Tractors Starting AS LOW AS $6,995.00 * $ Cash h Rebates s$

(BX 1850)

or 0% APR for 36 months on select New Kubota’s

Down, 0% A.P.R. financing for terms up to 36 $0 months on purchases of new Kubota ZD, F, BX, B, L, M, CE,TLB Series form available inventory at participating dealers through September 30, 2008. Example: a 36 month monthly installment repayment term at 0% A.P.R. requires 36 payment of $27.78 per $1,000 borrowed. 0% A.P.R. interest is available to customer if no dealer documentation preparation fee is charged. Only Kubota and Kubota performance-matched Land Pride equipment are eligible. Inclusion of ineligible equipment may result in a higher blended A.P.R. Dealer charges for document preparation fee shall be in accordance with state laws. Not available for Rental, National Accounts, or Governmental customers. Financing is available through Kubota Credit Corporation, U.S.A., subject to credit approval. Some exceptions apply. See us for details on these and other low rate options or go to www.kubota.com for more information.

AGAIN, page 5A

Average price of a gallon of regular gas in Southeast Texas: As of Tuesday morning

$3.61

Sources: AAA, Oil Price Information Service

Beaumont Tractor Co. 4430 College Street • Beaumont

(409) 866-3360

BeaumontTractor.com

◆ Section designed and copy-edited by Vic Odegar, Christopher Clausen, Tammie Hodges and Megan Kinkade, (409) 880-0795 ◆

Everything You Value