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September 6, 2005Michigan gears up to helpCamp Grayling could receive overflowFROM STAFF AND WIRE REPORTSTRAVERSE CITY - As many as 7,000 evacuees ravaged by Hurricane Katrina could be housed temporarily at Camp Grayling, but that will be the second phase - if that many ever come to Michigan. A military base near Battle Creek transformed itself Sunday into a welcome station for about 289 evacuees that arrived at Fort Custer Training Center Monday, with more possibly flying into Battle Creek Air National Guard Base in the next few days. Maj. Dawn Dancer, a public affairs officer, said the Battle Creek base could handle 1,500 people temporarily. Camp Grayling would be used once Custer filled. "We're quite a ways away from that, but it could change quickly and it won't take long to prepare Camp Grayling if it does," she said. "A lot of this will be based on the evacuees themselves. Michigan is so geographically far away." Volunteer cooks were set up in a mess hall Sunday at Camp Custer normally used by the Michigan National Guard and other military personnel from Ohio, Illinois and Indiana. Rows of tables were stacked with towels, toiletries, T-shirts and other clothing and essentials. Medical personnel stood by to help, and clergy and attorneys were on call. Folding paper travel maps of Michigan were also stacked on tables, as Gov. Jennifer Granholm said she expected the displaced people would stay at Fort Custer barracks an average of three to seven days. From there, evacuees would find temporary homes across Michigan, with that shelter lasting six to nine months if necessary. The public school district in Lansing, for example, has offered to house victims in empty school buildings. Granholm said the goal is for evacuees to eventually find housing that would be their own. The Battle Creek community was rallying to support the Katrina relief effort. Meijer Inc. donated truckloads of basic necessities and foods, Best Buy provided TVs and electronic equipment, Sam's Club brought pallets of bottled water. The Fort Custer base was established in 1917 as a training center for World War I. It is named after Gen. George Armstrong Custer. The 7,600 acre center can house up to 1,500 people. It has a medical facility and a fitness center. Military officers were organizing fishing trips and other outdoor activities for children and other evacuees. A room was set up offering 24-hour Internet access to help victims find their family members. State Sen. Mark Schauer, D-Battle Creek, said the state Legislature could approve a supplemental appropriation of $1 million to $4 million to help with Katrina-related efforts. Those expenses would be repaid by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Schauer and Granholm said. Granholm said Friday that Michigan was willing to accept up to 10,000 men, women and children displaced by the hurricane. Also Sunday, the state announced the deployment of an additional 48 Michigan National Guard members to the Katrina disaster area. Civil engineers and support personnel from the 110th Fighter Wing in Battle Creek were traveling to Gulfport, Miss., in three C-130 transport planes. Their duties could include establishing temporary housing and fighting fires. Six Lansing-based soldiers departed for Louisiana with two light armored vehicles that will be used to help local law enforcement officers. Michigan has 524 Michigan National Guard members deployed to or en route to Louisiana or Mississippi. Another 100 National Guard members are on duty in Michigan to assist with deployments.
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