<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" ><tr><td valign="top" style="font: inherit;"><DIV id=yiv1350648124>
<DIV> Dear FoCHAT Members,</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>Here is news that speaks for itself about a Senate Subcommitte hearing where I testify tomorrow and my public records request case.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" color=#c00000><STRONG>Please don't forget to do the following (we have 70 emails or faxes so far and they are so eloquent and convincing!). Keep them coming. I will continue to send them to the Congressmen.</STRONG></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00" color=#c00000><STRONG></STRONG></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><FONT size=5>Please send an email to:</FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><FONT size=5></FONT></SPAN></B> </DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><FONT size=5> <A href="mailto:chatlra@yahoo.com">chatlra@yahoo.com</A> </FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><FONT size=5></FONT></SPAN></B> </DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><FONT size=5>Insist that there be no more delays in a fair investigation of the Road Home Program by the HUD Office of the Inspector General. Our complaint was accepted for investigation but suddenly put on the back burner.</FONT></SPAN></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"><FONT size=5></FONT></SPAN></B> </DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"></SPAN></B> </DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"></SPAN></B> </DIV><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt"></SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; BACKGROUND: yellow; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'">CHAT recommends you write your email like this:<BR></SPAN></B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: black; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><BR>Dear Sens. Landrieu, Vitter, and Lieberman and Rep. Olver, <BR><BR><I>Use your own words to urge that the HUD OIG conduct a fair investigation of the Louisiana Road Home Program without delays. Please tell why this is important. Give a personal example if you like.</I> <BR><BR>Yours truly,<BR><BR>YOUR NAME AND ADDRESS </SPAN><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; COLOR: #660000; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt; LINE-HEIGHT: normal"></o:p></SPAN>________________________________________________________ </DIV></DIV>
<DIV> <FONT color=#007f40>(5 min per speaker and then questions by the Senators. I have deposited 8 files of data for the Congressional website)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#007f40> </FONT></DIV>
<P align=left>
<DIV><I><FONT size=3>Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Disaster Recovery </DIV>
<DIV>of the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs </DIV></I></FONT><B><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=5><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=5>
<DIV>The Role of the Community Development Block Grant Program in Disaster Recovery </DIV></B></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">Wednesday, May 20, 2009 </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffff00">2:30 p.m. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV>Dirksen Senate Office Building, Room 342 </DIV></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3>
<DIV>WITNESS LIST </DIV>
<DIV>Panel I </DIV></B></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>DOMINIQUE DUVOL-DIOP </DIV>
<DIV>Senior Associate </DIV>
<DIV>PolicyLink </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>DR. MELANIE EHRLICH </DIV>
<DIV>Founder </DIV>
<DIV>Citizens’ Road Home Action Team </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>KAREN PAUP </DIV>
<DIV>Co-Director </DIV>
<DIV>Texas Low Income Housing Information Services </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>REILLY MORSE </DIV>
<DIV>Senior Attorney </DIV>
<DIV>Mississippi Center for Justice </DIV></FONT></FONT><B><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3>
<DIV>Panel II </DIV></B></FONT></FONT><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3><FONT face="Times New Roman,Times New Roman" size=3>
<DIV><BR>FRED TOMBAR III </DIV>
<DIV>Senior Advisor to the Secretary for Disaster and Recovery Programs </DIV>
<DIV>U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>GOVERNOR HALEY BARBOUR </DIV>
<DIV>Mississippi Governor </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>PAUL RAINWATER </DIV>
<DIV>Executive Director Louisiana Recovery Authority </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>CHARLIE STONE </DIV>
<DIV>Executive Director </DIV>
<DIV>Office of Rural Community Affairs </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV>________________________________________________________</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><A href="http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1242624008109530.xml&coll=1">http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/metro/index.ssf?/base/news-34/1242624008109530.xml&coll=1</A><o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><A href="http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/05/watchdog_suing_lra_for_road_ho.html#comments" target=_blank>http://www.nola. com/news/ index.ssf/ 2009/05/watchdog _suing_lra_ for_road_ ho.html#comments</A><o:p></o:p></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"> <o:p></o:p></DIV></TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt"><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-outline-level: 2; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 18pt; COLOR: red; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt">LRA is sued for its records<o:p></o:p></SPAN></B></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Watchdog seeking Road Home data</SPAN></B><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Monday, May 18, 2009 <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">By David Hammer <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><B><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Staff writer</SPAN></B><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"> <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">A leading advocate for Road Home applicants is suing the Louisiana Recovery Authority for public records, some of which she requested nearly 11 months ago. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Melanie Ehrlich, co-founder of the Citizens Road Home Action Team, or CHAT, first sought information from the state on July 1, 2008, about key Road Home policy changes. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Ehrlich, who is scheduled to testify about continuing Road Home problems before a U.S. Senate committee in Washington on Wednesday, followed the July request with two more in October and December, seeking more information about appeals processes and applicant rights. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN lang=IT style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: IT"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Last month, she filed suit in East Baton Rouge Parish, demanding the state comply fully with her requests. But a hearing scheduled before Judge Kay Bates on April 24 was canceled, and now each side blames further delays on difficulties contacting the other's lawyers. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">The state is paying outside lawyers $175 an hour to represent LRA Executive Director Paul Rainwater in the case, agency spokesman Christina Stephens said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Bates could not be reached this week to explain the delays, and no further hearings have been set. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">The Road Home is a state-run, federally financed program designed to compensate Louisianans whose property was damaged by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">In court filings, Ehrlich cites e-mails from state officials promising to address her requests right away, but she alleges months passed with limited or no response. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">State law gives the LRA three business days to turn over documents or to give a reasonable explanation for why the request can't be fulfilled. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Stephens said the state needed more time to address some of Ehrlich's far-reaching and occasionally vague requests, adding that since July, Ehrlich has expanded and complicated her requests.<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><SPAN style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </SPAN>"Had we had to take (LRA attorney) Dan Rees off what he was working on, such as insurance settlements for Road Home applicants and this contract transition (from one program administrator to another), key functions of the program would have stopped," Stephens said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Rainwater has often said Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is trying to streamline the convoluted Road Home processes it inherited from former Gov. Kathleen Blanco's administration. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">But Ehrlich's lawsuit challenges Rainwater's leadership, naming him both in his official capacity and personally. It also demands specifics about his promised reforms and written proof for policy explanations. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">In July, Ehrlich asked for all rules, communications and other written documents concerning the Road Home's new appeals process and the new state appeals panel, including a list of who sits on it. She said she received just one name, Lara Robertson, and minimal information about the timing of appeals. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">In October, she asked for several documents and received some of them. But the LRA didn't turn over written criteria for deciding state appeals cases, she said. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">The December request, which focused on documents the state is supposed to produce whenever it changes Road Home policies in the middle of the process, went completely unfulfilled, the lawsuit says. Such changes have been common, often to applicants' detriment. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Ehrlich, a biochemist whose highly technical familiarity with the Road Home's fine print can make her lines of questioning hard to follow, has been one of the most consistent and strident critics of the program over the years. As a citizen member of the LRA's housing task force, she has been a constant thorn in Rainwater's side. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">But with the once-laggard program finally managing to pay most of its money, Ehrlich has gone from leading a choir of thousands of disaffected homeowners to being largely ignored. She remains convinced that the state is trying to low-ball applicants. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Her watchdog efforts were on display when she got Rainwater in February to agree to offer certain applicants a new chance to appeal if they had not done so in 30 days because they were stuck in a discarded process known as "dispute resolution." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">As promised, the LRA posted this on its Web site: "For many months we have heard of people who . . . were never able to exercise their right to appeal because their case was stuck in the 'resolutions' process, which ended earlier this year." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">The post promised further review of such cases. But the state was overrun with telephone calls and e-mails, and Ehrlich's initial victory came to naught. <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">Ehrlich produced an e-mail from the LRA's Ty Larkins that seemed to revise history: "Unfortunately, there are no exceptions to the 30-day rule, as Mr. Rainwater did not say he was opening appeals to applicants who have gone pass (sic) the deadline. His comments were directed at serving persons who were in appeals who 'fell through the cracks' and therefore, never had their matters resolved." <o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA">. . . . . . .<o:p></o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal style="MARGIN: 5pt 0in; mso-layout-grid-align: none"><SPAN style="mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA"><o:p> </o:p></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">David Hammer can be reached at dhammer@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3322.</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">______________________________________</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Thank you for your support,</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Melanie Ehrlich</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA">Founder, Citizens' Road Home Action Team (CHAT)</SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"><A href="http://chatushome.com">http://chatushome.com</A></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: 'Times New Roman'; mso-fareast-font-family: 'MS Mincho'; mso-fareast-language: JA; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA"></SPAN> </DIV></FONT></FONT></DIV></td></tr></table>