Angel in a Hummer

[PARAGON]

To the rescue ...

SANTA CLARA WOMAN SET FOR NEW HUMMER TRIP

By Joe Rodriguez

Mercury News


After rescuing dozens of New Orleans residents from Hurricane Katrina, the ``Angel in a Hummer'' was back home in Santa Clara, dead tired and sitting at her kitchen counter. A freakish, humid rain fell hard on her patio. Another powerful hurricane, Rita, roared on the television set behind her.

The angel stared at a piece of paper with this airline quote: $1,224 for each person returning with her to the Gulf Coast on another mission.

``I can't do it, or I'll spend every penny we have.'' The thin, fit mother of four rose to her feet, turned to the five men surrounding her and said, ``Boys, that means we're driving. Get me a list of the things we need.''

Rena Salomon was rolling out again.

Two and a half weeks ago, the tough, determined business owner jumped into her black Hummer with her son and two friends and drove to Louisiana. Once there, they drove through barriers, kicked down doors, rescued the willing, cajoled the reluctant, passed out water and food to the absolutely belligerent and ended up, in little more than a week, delivering about 84 people to safety.

Like almost everyone in America, she had watched in horror how thousands of helpless victims had been stranded, and help wasn't arriving fast enough. Instead of simply wringing her hands she went into dedicated action -- and even brought three strangers back to California.

On Tuesday, two of them were sitting on a long couch in Salomon's home making furious plans to return with her to the Gulf Coast on another personal mission of mercy.

``I'm the one who gave her the nickname, `Angel in a Hummer,' '' said Wendell Paul, a tall man given to wearing sunglasses indoors. ``She saved us and now we're part of the family.''

Reggie Melancon, wearing a New Orleans Saints cap, agreed. He said the two bellmen employed by the Hotel Le Chateau in the French Quarter found themselves wading in water ``up to our necks'' when they saw a black Hummer driving their way on a higher road.

``She asked us if we needed water and a ride,'' Melancon said.

``Hell yes,'' Paul answered.

They jumped in and headed for the Algiers neighborhood, only to learn later their families had been picked up by helicopters and boats. Rather than stay in a shelter, the two men took up Salomon's request to help save others. The two men and Melancon's wife, Jewel, came back with her a week ago to Santa Clara.

Once here, Salomon arranged for donated dental work for Paul and long-needed facial surgery for Jewel. She figured her team party would return this week by plane to help reunite the Paul and Melancon families, scattered in shelters from Austin to San Antonio. They'd also look up others they had rescued.

Salomon estimated she spent about $15,000 on the first trip and suffered over 100 insect bites. She held up a notebook with meticulous notes, phone numbers and photos.

You could say a woman who owns a window and door company, is a single mother of three children, ages 7 to 16, at home and who has lived in the same house for 37 years, is risking a lot. Why not stay home and raise money for relief aid like everybody else?

``Listen,'' she said, ``I really don't want this kind of attention. I'm not doing this for the glory of the Hummer.''

One night 19 years ago, doctors said her infant son, Peter, had a 50-50 chance of surviving leukemia. They told her to hold him through the night. Salomon said she prayed and cried, and when Peter pulled out of it the next morning she promised God she'd repay the favor by helping to save others.

``I'm a person who believes in the path of God and serving my faith,'' she said. ``It's an overwhelming feeling inside, I don't really know how to describe it. When people need help -- for me, it's not just a response. It's a lifestyle. It's my lifestyle.''

Meanwhile, the television said Hurricane Rita was approaching Category 3 status. The mayor of New Orleans, Ray Nagin, was talking about further evacuations.

``But who's going to go in there and convince people to leave?'' Salomon asked the mayor.

Then the television said Rita might hit Texas hardest. She turned to Wendell Paul.

``That's where your family is, and now a hurricane is coming after all those people in shelters in Texas. Who's going to help them?''

Exasperated, tired, frustrated and suddenly full of energy, the `Angel in a Hummer' said, ``We're leaving tomorrow morning.''