My Friend Kenny B, Part 1
N.O. cyclist becomes guide for Guard unit
Monday, 5:07 p.m.
When word of Hurricane Katrina's destruction arrived, Kenny Bellau, a
professional racing cyclist from New Orleans, was nearing the end of a
French Guianna tour, the Caribbean answer to the Tour de France.
He finished the race, then raced back to New Orleans, furious about the early
reports of chaos in official efforts to help storm victims, and worried
about his home town.
"The main reason I wanted to come back here was because of all the
confusion I saw on the news," he said. "I honestly didn't see anybody
doing the right thing."
Bellau, 37, a Brother Martin High graduate, arrived two days after
Katrina hit the city and plunged headlong into rescue work. Gathering
acquaintances' requests for help in locating loved ones, Bellau attached
himself to Alpha Company of the California Army National Guard, working
out of Sophie Wright School on Napoleon Avenue. He offered boat-driving
skills and an intimate knowledge of city streets and neighborhoods.
For most of the last two weeks Bellau has served as the Guard unit's
native guide, visiting house after house in Uptown and Central City
enclaves, helping pull out survivors.
"He had beads on people in their houses, people who were in need, he
saved us a lot of time," said Capt. Gerald Davis from the California
unit. "Every day he would come out and take care of us."
Bellau said he has seen too much death and misery. He is not one to
cry, but has cried every day since he returned to New Orleans.
"These are people's grandmothers, people's grandfathers. We pulled a
Mardi Gras Indian out the other day," he said. "It just hurts to see the
fabric of the city torn apart and know it'll never be the same."
Bellau, who is staying in his powerless house on Constance Street
Uptown, is glad that his mother evacuated to Tylertown, Miss., before the
storm, but her eastern New Orleans home is now destroyed. He paddled to
the brick house, on Perelli Drive, a few days ago, finding it filled
with five-plus feet of water, amid so many houses suffering the same fate.
"I was just overwhelmed at the destruction, the totalness of the
destruction."
Monday, 5:07 p.m.
When word of Hurricane Katrina's destruction arrived, Kenny Bellau, a
professional racing cyclist from New Orleans, was nearing the end of a
French Guianna tour, the Caribbean answer to the Tour de France.
He finished the race, then raced back to New Orleans, furious about the early
reports of chaos in official efforts to help storm victims, and worried
about his home town.
"The main reason I wanted to come back here was because of all the
confusion I saw on the news," he said. "I honestly didn't see anybody
doing the right thing."
Bellau, 37, a Brother Martin High graduate, arrived two days after
Katrina hit the city and plunged headlong into rescue work. Gathering
acquaintances' requests for help in locating loved ones, Bellau attached
himself to Alpha Company of the California Army National Guard, working
out of Sophie Wright School on Napoleon Avenue. He offered boat-driving
skills and an intimate knowledge of city streets and neighborhoods.
For most of the last two weeks Bellau has served as the Guard unit's
native guide, visiting house after house in Uptown and Central City
enclaves, helping pull out survivors.
"He had beads on people in their houses, people who were in need, he
saved us a lot of time," said Capt. Gerald Davis from the California
unit. "Every day he would come out and take care of us."
Bellau said he has seen too much death and misery. He is not one to
cry, but has cried every day since he returned to New Orleans.
"These are people's grandmothers, people's grandfathers. We pulled a
Mardi Gras Indian out the other day," he said. "It just hurts to see the
fabric of the city torn apart and know it'll never be the same."
Bellau, who is staying in his powerless house on Constance Street
Uptown, is glad that his mother evacuated to Tylertown, Miss., before the
storm, but her eastern New Orleans home is now destroyed. He paddled to
the brick house, on Perelli Drive, a few days ago, finding it filled
with five-plus feet of water, amid so many houses suffering the same fate.
"I was just overwhelmed at the destruction, the totalness of the
destruction."
posted by Gary Z at
6:24 AM
1 Comments:
I only know Kenny from my sister Melissa who has been friends with Kenny for quite some time. We were having dinner last night, talking about Katrina and how this storm and devastation has affected so many lives, and Melissa talked about what Kenny did after the storm and how we could see info on this on the website. I just want to say how impressed I was to hear of Kenny's loyalty, dedication and committment to his Family, Friends and the City of New Orleans, when he returned to do whatever he could to help those in need. We need more people like Kenny in the World! God Bless you Kenny!
Cathy
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10:46 AM
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