Evacuee calls Utah 'perfect'

Bill Martin is a meticulous man. He keeps important information in neatly labeled file folders, binder clips holding relevant paperwork together. He makes decisions based on research and a careful weighing of options.

It is most interesting, then, that he found his way to Utah through a series of haphazard events — a devastating hurricane, two insistent policemen, an empty seat on a helicopter, a chartered flight to an unknown destination.

Still, if he had selected a new hometown systematically, as is his way, Martin suspects he still would have ended up in Utah's capital city.

"This place just happens to have the right combination of everything that makes it the perfect place," said the 65-year-old man.

After exactly 12 weeks in Utah, Martin knows Salt Lake City better than many lifelong residents. He reads the local news religiously, remarks on the politics of Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. (he's impressed with both) and quizzes locals with little bits of Utah trivia.

During his stay at Camp Williams, Utah's temporary home for nearly 600 Hurricane Katrina evacuees, Martin came downtown daily, first taking the bus to Sandy and then TRAX. He shunned organized trips to local attractions, wanting instead to "get to know" Salt Lake City.

What he found, he said, was friendly people in a clean, beautiful city with a healthy respect for architecture — important for a man who made his living in that field. "I was determined that Salt Lake was the right place."

So much so that Martin convinced his nephew, also a victim of Hurricane Katrina, to move to Salt Lake City a little over a month ago. Marty Smith called his uncle from Memphis, Tenn., where he was staying with friends and asked what his new town was like.

"I just told him I absolutely love Utah and started listing the reasons," Martin said.

Smith made his way to Utah shortly afterward and has since found a downtown apartment through the Housing Authority of Salt Lake City, as did Martin, and a job at a local restaurant.

"It's absolutely gorgeous," Smith said of Salt Lake City. "The people have been very, very nice. A lot different from New Orleans."

Unlike many of the Louisianians forced from their homes by this summer's devastating hurricanes, Martin was ready to leave New Orleans. However, a new marketing business, which was on its way to marking its first profitable month, and valuable industry contacts kept him on the Gulf Coast.

"I knew that I should have gotten out of New Orleans years ago," Martin said. "As far as I'm concerned, it's a dying city."

And that, he said, was before Hurricane Katrina had its way with the town. Now, Martin believes there is no future for the town that he called home for 26 years.