EvanL
05-15-2004, 02:12 PM
Visiting crew of USS Mount Whitney pitch in to repair hurricane damage
By PATRICIA BROOKS / Staff Reporter
One of Halifax's treasures got a spit-shine from some American visitors Friday.
About two dozen sailors from the command ship USS Mount Whitney hit the Public Gardens early in the morning, armed with wire brushes and ready to help.
"It's an opportunity to show our appreciation for the community," the ship's chaplain, Lt.-Cmdr. Jim Pittman, said during a work break.
"We're visiting but we want to be good neighbours."
The sailors, based in Norfolk, Va., arrived at the gardens at 7:30 a.m., hoping to do more than just scrape the wrought iron fence around the park. But with the rain and cold, Mother Nature had other plans.
"We were going to paint but the weather doesn't lend itself to that," JAG (judge advocate general) Officer Steve Gallotta said as he scraped peeling paint and rust off the fence bordering South Park Street.
With most of the sailors wearing only sweatshirts, some headed to a Spring Garden Road coffee shop for their break to warm up and read newspapers.
For many of the younger ones, it was their first visit to Halifax. But others had been here before, including JAG Officer Gallotta, who last visited the port about 15 years ago.
"It's a beautiful town and it's a beautiful park," he said.
And after seeing the devastation a hurricane caused in Virginia last September, he was only too happy to help here.
"We had a hurricane (Isabel) in Virginia Beach and you can still see signs of it all around," he said.
"This is just part of the friendship. We're very close to Canada, physically and psychologically. And it's fun to do this."
William Kennedy, staff chaplain with the U.S. Second Fleet, helped recruit volunteers for the community project, something the vessel tries to do in every port.
People who stopped to talk to the sailors "have been very generous in their thanks and appreciation," he said.
"It's a chance to talk to people about how important the garden is to the community and how badly it got affected by the hurricane.
"It's nice that as they're getting to put it back together, that we can help."
Dawn Sloane, regional councillor for Halifax Downtown, visited the Mount Whitney on Friday and planned to give the sailors Halifax pins in appreciation for their work.
"Everyone loves the Public Gardens, and to see another country pitch in is a wonderful thing," she said.
The Mount Whitney and its crew of 881 men and 226 women will be in port until Monday.
http://www.herald.ns.ca/2004/05/15/photos/1075.jpg
Petty Officer 2nd Class Lavell Glover helps scrape paint from the iron fence at Public Gardens on Friday as crew members of the United States navy's high tech command ship, USS Mount Whitney, lent a helping hand with the spring cleanup of hurricane Juan damage at the popular Halifax park.
By PATRICIA BROOKS / Staff Reporter
One of Halifax's treasures got a spit-shine from some American visitors Friday.
About two dozen sailors from the command ship USS Mount Whitney hit the Public Gardens early in the morning, armed with wire brushes and ready to help.
"It's an opportunity to show our appreciation for the community," the ship's chaplain, Lt.-Cmdr. Jim Pittman, said during a work break.
"We're visiting but we want to be good neighbours."
The sailors, based in Norfolk, Va., arrived at the gardens at 7:30 a.m., hoping to do more than just scrape the wrought iron fence around the park. But with the rain and cold, Mother Nature had other plans.
"We were going to paint but the weather doesn't lend itself to that," JAG (judge advocate general) Officer Steve Gallotta said as he scraped peeling paint and rust off the fence bordering South Park Street.
With most of the sailors wearing only sweatshirts, some headed to a Spring Garden Road coffee shop for their break to warm up and read newspapers.
For many of the younger ones, it was their first visit to Halifax. But others had been here before, including JAG Officer Gallotta, who last visited the port about 15 years ago.
"It's a beautiful town and it's a beautiful park," he said.
And after seeing the devastation a hurricane caused in Virginia last September, he was only too happy to help here.
"We had a hurricane (Isabel) in Virginia Beach and you can still see signs of it all around," he said.
"This is just part of the friendship. We're very close to Canada, physically and psychologically. And it's fun to do this."
William Kennedy, staff chaplain with the U.S. Second Fleet, helped recruit volunteers for the community project, something the vessel tries to do in every port.
People who stopped to talk to the sailors "have been very generous in their thanks and appreciation," he said.
"It's a chance to talk to people about how important the garden is to the community and how badly it got affected by the hurricane.
"It's nice that as they're getting to put it back together, that we can help."
Dawn Sloane, regional councillor for Halifax Downtown, visited the Mount Whitney on Friday and planned to give the sailors Halifax pins in appreciation for their work.
"Everyone loves the Public Gardens, and to see another country pitch in is a wonderful thing," she said.
The Mount Whitney and its crew of 881 men and 226 women will be in port until Monday.
http://www.herald.ns.ca/2004/05/15/photos/1075.jpg
Petty Officer 2nd Class Lavell Glover helps scrape paint from the iron fence at Public Gardens on Friday as crew members of the United States navy's high tech command ship, USS Mount Whitney, lent a helping hand with the spring cleanup of hurricane Juan damage at the popular Halifax park.