106 years of heritage to give way to casinos

BILOXI, Miss. -- It took five minutes for crews to tear down what was left of Kenny Barhanovich's home.

It was one of only three structures still standing on First Street after Hurricane Katrina wiped out this section of Biloxi.

In 40 minutes, crews had taken all of the debris, wiping the area clean. In 45 minutes, 106 years of Barhanovich family history was gone.

There's been a Barhanovich living at this spot since 1900. Drawn here by the sea, they came to Biloxi to work in the seafood industry. Many settled in an area known as Point Cadet, or just "the Point," if you're local.

There's not much left on First Street now.

St. Michael's Church, known as the fisherman's church, is the only original building here. The rest are mobile homes.

Katrina cut through the bottom of St. Michael's stained-glass windows and stole everything inside, except for the cross that hung from the ceiling. It remained untouched.

Plywood still covers Katrina's redecorating job, but the church is open for business.

It's packed every Sunday.

"I go there on Sundays, and I cry," Barhanovich said. "I cry for Biloxi."

A winter worshiper before Katrina, Barhanovich has missed Mass only four times since Katrina.

After the storm, when offers started coming in for his property, Barhanovich decided to sell.

It's prime real estate. If you looked out what used to be his back door, you'd be blinded by the lights from the casinos. In October, the state legislature gave the green light for the industry, heavily damaged after Katrina, to move ashore. That made Barhanovich's property, unlike so many others, desirable.

The price for his land reached into the six-figures.

"I just wanted enough money to get by," he said. "I knew this was going to be a lean year."

Barhanovich, like his ancestors before him, lives by the sea. A charter boat captain since 1960, he's seen his business ebb and flow over the years. This year the fish are biting but the tourists aren't. He normally books between 150 and 180 charters a year.

"This year, I'll be lucky if I do 50."

His business had built up over time. Most were repeat, longtime customers from out of state.

"My office was up here," Barhanovich said, pointing at what was once a corner of his former house. "My son-in-law and I looked for days and we couldn't even find a scrap of paper. I couldn't call anybody to let them know I was back in business."

He lost more than receipts and phone numbers. His father, known to everyone in Biloxi as Yankie, was a well-known community activist. A stadium here is named for him. The Salvation Army is now using it as a staging area. In the 1960s, Yankie Barhanovich also booked entertainment acts for dance halls and clubs. Katrina took the pictures of long-dead starlets and country western stars. The storm also took Barhanovich's gun collection.

"I told my wife, I'm never going to collect anything again," Barhanovich said.

His boat, Miss Hospitality, was safe in dry dock during the storm. Barhanovich and his wife of 40 years waited out the storm at his mother's place in another part of the county. They are living in a cramped apartment that seems to get smaller each day.

But he's made an offer on a home that he hopes will be accepted soon. He's given his wife carte blanche to buy any furniture and do whatever decorating she wants. She deserves it, he says.

"They better do it soon. My wife's been buying the heck out of furniture," Barhanovich said, laughing. "I don't know where we're going to put it if we don't get that house."

Barhanovich, like so many others, is still waiting on a settlement from his insurance company. The grants the state government promised are just starting to trickle in. FEMA is a dirty four-letter word to most people, Barhanovich said.

Biloxi has seen tough times before, Barhanovich said. In the 1980s, Biloxi was nearly bankrupt. And then came the casinos in the 1990s and rapid growth.

As long as native Biloxians stay here, this city still has a shot, Barhanovich said.

"We can't help but be successful," Barhanovich said. "We've got the friendliest people in the world."