NorthWest Carrollton

For the last year I have made the same phone call to Entergy. The conversation, when I finally get a human on the phone is eerily redundant. “We have low gas pressure, it is getting worse by the day, we have no hot water as well.” The only modification I have to make is for the weather. So my newest addition is, “We have no heat and it is really cold, much colder than you can imagine where ever you are phone person”

Then they tell me they will send someone out, and they do..and the someone comes out and tells me I have low gas pressure,and I do. And then after sucking a few drops of water out of my gas line they tell me they have to “send a truck”

SEND A TRUCK I am not sure what it is code for but the truck never arrives, my flicker of gas turns into a wisp. My heat,hot water and cooking fuel evaporates. We get some takeout,get under a pile of blankets and I call again.

and again,and again.

We have had a number of fires around here started by other members of the freezing cold human race. While Entergy fixing the gas may not alleviate the homeless problem, it may prevent some space heater fires.

Looks like microwave T.V. Dinners for Thanksgiving

If there has been one consistant theme post storm it is Garbage. The subtle and not so subtle diferences.

I stumbled across this story about Boy George and thought perhaps we need to appoint a Commisioner of Garbage. Someone who can explain to people that in spite of the fun of tossing your trash out the window of your car and hitting the parked cars, it is just bad manners.

Maybe our elected officials could each spend a day actually picking up trash instead of talking trash. I say to our elected officials “set your sights lower” Forget about ridding the City of graft and corruption, try working on rats and garbage.

Unlike Boy George I commited no crime, but much like Mr. Boy I spend my spare time picking up garbage on the street.

hat tip: ashley

Here is a great photo of a proud Broadmoor resident at City Council.When we were told to watch the plans for our Neighborhood and to make sure they were being honored I am glad to see even the youngest of our New Orleanians is taking it to heart.

I saw Matt Mc Bride, the Hardest Working Man in Drainage at City Council as well.

We have copies of the Neighborhood plan on disc if anyone would like to see it let me know.

There are more planning meetings, and I will post the times and dates later.

Yesterday was an interesting day at City Council with many emotional issues coming forth. From Neighborhood Planning to the Inspector generals position.

There is a rundown of several of these issues at Think New Orleans

I would encourage you to go and leave comments there with your opinion about the myriad of issues facing us.

DEQ has hauled away more than 10,000 vehicles, mostly cars, and some
boats, all from public rights of way. Now the department is turning
its attention to the cars that remain on private property.

Property owners must first request the service. “We will be able to
come out and pick up their abandoned vehicles and all that they have
been trying to get off their property,” says DEQ spokesman Bruce
Hammett.

Property owners must sign a right-of-entry form. The forms are
available for download from the web site http://www.deq. louisiana. gov.

I have been doing a lot of work on my other project Squandered Heritage

This house was under Fema review for demolition.

While there are many homes that are liable to be demolishes there are many that could be saved and returned to commerce.

It looks as if the shed behind Mrs. Berthalots went up first, there were lots of paint cans and debris in the shed. Fortunatly the Fire Station is next door and they were able to get the fire under control.

One of the projects I worked on while living in Mexico was Embroidered Retablos.

Most commonly retablos are hung in churches to give thanks for divine intervention.

“I dedicate the present retablo to the Holiest Virgin of San Juan de los Lagos for having saved me from a Texan who tried to carry me off. I hid under a tree by the side of the road with my little brother.”

The ExVoto is a public display of an answered prayer, and often the names retablo and ex votot are interchagable.

The women I worked with were mostly illiterate. They lived on outlying ranches and about 75% of the men in the community worked in the U.S. The project had started as a way to taking a traditionally male trade, retablo painting and using a female craft, textiles.

There were many bumps in the road. The issues of the narrative, since these women were for the most part, illiterate they had to tell their children the story, and the kids would write in pencil on the fabric. The issues of privacy, as soon as these women realized that they were creating a narrative record of their lives they became very bold and at times sordid.

Historically these paintings told a dramatic story, and that was that.

But with my ladies the stories were a source of income, I had a store and I sold them. I knew who sold faster, who had a better narrative sense and who was a master at needlework. The work was uneven but always entertaining.

Some of them even began to resemble the ubiquitous comic books that are read by adults all over Mexico.

When I first came to blogging Alan Gutierrez the Executive Director of Think New Orleans, a nonprofit that helps neighborhoods use the Internet to organize, seemed pretty determined to create a blog for my neighborhood and I went along with it. Whenever it would lay fallow he would call and demand that I publish.

And then like my Ranch ladies I began to understand that what I was doing was creating a historical time line, a chronicle of events as they happened. It sounds simple and obvious but for some reason I had never connected the two things.

What would those women do if they had a blog? What kinds of narrative voices are we missing for lack of, what? Not for lack of stories.

And here in New Orleans, the idea of a collective story of the city where multiple Neighbors and Neighborhood write the Recovery is a very exciting prospect. Where we could check on what other folks are doing across the City.

If anyone is interested let me know in the comments section.

I alwasys have to say thanks to the New Orleans Bloggers.

The Ugly issue of Dollar General has raised it’s head again here in Northwest Carrollton.

In spite of the fact that we, as a Neighborhood Organization have requested that a perfectly good house not be demolished to make way for this crime magnet

These stores are designed to have minimal employee, square footage ratio, as well as minimal security. Often these stores are manned by young employees.

Here is a quote from a Florida newspaper

While low prices bring in customers, low security may put them in danger. In just the last few weeks, nine Family Dollar and Dollar General stores have been held up in Lake, Volusia and Polk counties.

The developer is attempting to peddle it as a grocery store, just what we don’t need is a promise with out proof. We have been shown no supporting documentation.

We have fought the demolition and will continue to do so.

At this point in time we feel that there is an undue burden being placed on Neighborhood Organizations. We are people who are working to generate a positive future for our City, not one where developers are preying on us. And that is the case here.

“People are beginning to feel more emboldened in their roles,” Gadbois said. “Everyone’s very
aware that we are living history and our fates are still undetermined in terms of the city and the community.
“Our city could be dying before our eyes. We’re not sure. So what we’re trying to do with these blogs is ask specific questions that only a specific audience would be interested in. And that’s going to help the whole city.”

Read the whole article online

Friends of New Orleans invited several Neighborhood Organizations to the premier of All the Kings Men.

If you find the status of pumps and The Army Corps fascinating ;and here in New Orleans we do, please visit Matt McBrides new Blog.

There you will find the latest information and analysis.

Also Becky Houtman has written a post about Entergy. If Entergy has their way we will be sitting in the dark soon.

Please attend the City Council Meeting and show your concern for this HUGE issue

The City Council Utility Committee will discuss rate increases at their
meeting on Thursday, September 14 beginning at 10 am in the Council
chambers (although the important rate issue matters may not come up
until after 11 am. Rebuilding Entergy New Orleans’ infrastructure is
the great untold story in New Orleans’ recovery. While tremendous
attention has been given to planning efforts and individuals, in my view
the City’s recovery efforts will completely collapse if crushing utility
rate increases are put into effect.

The question is whether existing ratepayers should bear the burden of
rebuilding the electric and gas infrastructure in the devastated parts
of the City. Entergy is proposing up to 140% increase in rates to cover
this cost if this cost is not covered by CBDG funds. The rate increase
to be discussed on Thursday is just the first of many rate increases if
CBDG funds (or Entergy) do not pay for the rebuilding.

If you are interested please post a comment here or go to the Wiki.

One of our fellow bloggers need some help with her House Gutting. This is a good chance to see what Geeks do with Tools.

I invite the people of New Orleans to take some time out to think about the political history of New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana.

New Orleans has always been Louisiana s largest city.
We are not anymore. We are now 3rd behind Baton Rouge and Sherveport.

The rest of the State of Louisiana, especially those above the South Louisiana Cajun/Catholic line, has always had a love-hate relationship with the City of New Orleans. We in the New Orleans area were different, our faiths, our racial mix, our culture, our flavors, our music. We are different from other areas in Central & North Louisiana. We are different from the rest of “the South”. The relationship has always been a little uncomfortable. Historically the New Orleans generated significant tax revenue for the State of Louisiana and there has been more than on occasion when New Orleans had to fight to have that tax revenue returned to provide services, because once that tax revenue got into the state coffers it belongs to the whole state, regardless of where it was generated.

Take a look at the LRA.
Why is Orleans parish the only parish that has been required to have a master plan before the dollars that the Federal Government has provided to assist recovery can begin to flow and allow repairs to essential services? In December, the federal government provided recovery dollars to the people of South Louisiana who were affected by Katrina and Rita. Why is it that the State of Louisiana is still holding on to the money? Perhaps the are those in power in Baton Rouge that are hoping that the victims of Katrina and the Corp of Engineers will give up trying to jump through all the hoops the LRA puts before us and then the recovery dollars can end up in the hands of other Louisiana cities.
Nah, our government wouldn’t do that to us.

Come see what he has to sayUPDATE
And here is what he had to say..Not much
please visit this website to keep track of him

Notice!!!!

Mayor Nagin has called his First District B Community Meeting

Saturday, September 9, 2006

10:00am

Allie Mae Williams Auditorium

2020 Jackson Avenue

New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, LA (September 6, 2006) – On Thursday, September 7, 2006, the Mayor’s Office of Planning and Development will host a press briefing at 11 a.m. to update the public on the Code Enforcement phase of the Good Neighbor Plan. The press briefing will take place at the Amoco Building located at 1340 Poydras St.

Who: Donna Addkison, Director of Planning and Development, and Penya Moses-Fields, City Attorney

What: Press briefing to update citizens on the code enforcement process of the Good Neighbor Plan

When: Thursday, September 7, 2006 at 11:00 a.m.

Where: 10th Fl. Conference Room, Amoco Building, 1340 Poydras St., Suite 1000, New Orleans

I found this qoute on the LRA website:

We are dedicated to creating quick and equitable solutions to help renters and homeowners alike rebuild their lives, said LRA Housing Task Force Chair and Board Member Walter Leger. These clarifications provide a clearer picture for how this program will be implemented and represent our commitment to de-concentrating poverty , a critical step on our road to recovery.

Seems a little late in the game for the LRA to use quick in any context.

UPDATE
Blanco has said that the Louisiana Recovery Authority, which oversees the program, expects eligible homeowners to begin getting checks by late summer

Of what year?.

Today is Labor Day

I took a ride around and saw folks with the BAr-B-Que pits going.Most of them had on work clothes as they labored in their yards and gutted homes.

I have been thinking of Rebuilding and how much the residents of the City are doing and have done.

I found this article in the Witchita Herald.

There were a couple of things that stood out,
“We’ve been lied to all these years by the federal government,” Robinette said in an emotional interview.

That comment about government failure should remind us of our own good fortune.

I’m talking about the building of the Wichita-Valley Center Flood Control Project, what East-siders and Squinters alike call the Big Ditch.

It seems to me that a lot of undeserved bad press has come our way, but if you look you will see people who get it, who get that mucking out your house and cleaning out your storm drains, are hard work. That no one has spare time anymore. That New Orleans is citizen participation 24/7.

People who understand that will and determination are vital but that expecting attention from our Federal Government should not be seen as a weakness.

Mark McCormick goes on to say:

Yet we have government precisely because there are things we can’t do on our own.

Say what you will for a plucky, can-do spirit, for bootstraps and for hard work, but all of us depend on government at times to protect us in ways large and small from the school resource officers we need in our schools, to better fire protection in south Wichita, to joint local and federal efforts like the Big Ditch.

Saturday I had the privlidge of helping a Family gut their home.

I wasn’t sure of what to expect, how could anyone be? When my own home was gutted I was unable, for health reasons to return. It costs us 11 thousand dollars to gut our house. We were not overcharged. When I was able to return to look at my house in November the downstairs had been swept clean. There was nothing to salvage, all the hard decisions had been made for me.

Not so in this case. Every piece of furniture was destroyed, but what was above the water line was spared. So just imagine that you are going to remodel your home and that 3/4 of your possesions need to be stored, where do you place them?

How do you organize and edit? How do you decide if the mold and water stained dishes are worth saving? How can a stranger take place in a very private moment ? Fortunatly we were “led” by Brian and Sheik of the Arabi Wrecking Crew. everyone was focused and patient, all hands were hard at work and The Jordan Family was an inspiration, almost the entire Family has lost their homes in New Orleans East.

That is a lot to lose, and for New Orleans the loss of the Jordan Family would be a grave loss indeed.

So while we wait and wait for the Road Home Program, we are also lending a hand.

Whatever it takes,as long as it takes.

Ray and Alan and Schroeder where among the many that made Saturday go by as painlessly as possible. Please consider spending a day with the Arabi Wrecking Krewe, you will feel better for it.

Black Men of Labor

There has been a war on the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne. The enemy has shifted at times, and there was never a Peace or Resolution. Just an uneasy cease fire.

Our Neighborhood was never much of a player in this war. We live in the Territory but we had always figured it was someone elses fight. That we were powerless to effect a change and that the outcome would be one that we would have to live with.

As is said so often “Katrina changed everything”, it changed our landscape and it reinvigorated our desire to save our Neighborhood.

Jenel…..One of the quickest thinkers ever, she walked the Neighborhood and passed out flyers till she assembled the beginings of a Team. She wrote the letters and spoke up when perhaps Silence was what was expected.

Scott… One of the first ones back, no gas, no hot water, no heat. His first fight was with Entergy and our then Council Person. He is The Architect, and the quiet force who balances our strident yells with a quiet firm no.

Kim…. The Bow Tie Man, he is the Yin to our Yang and flew the Flag. Before we met I would silently salute the Flag on the front of his house on Carrollton. “DON’T GIVE UP THE SHIP” it said. He has taught me a lot.

Morrey…. The passionate pragmatic actress. See her now at Southern Rep. [shameless plug] She kept us on point with paperwork and membership and remebering to dot the i and cross the t. It made all the diffrence.

Our last recruit. Debi…. She lives at the corner of Blight and Despair. Her house overlooks the 4 Corners. When we met she was worn to the nub from this fight and sure that the outcome would be one that was inevitable. She brought reality to the situation. When ever I thought that the fight was over I drove to the Parking Lot and looked at her house. I thought about being a single mother and trying to make a home for a 11 year old. As the piles of trash and gas tanks and flooded cars grew I thought about what it was like to live there. As I write this I am listening to “Room with a View [of the Blues} by Johhny Adams. That is her theme song.

Me…All I know is that there is a right way and a wrong way, and my list of gratitude is long. Alan at Think New Orleans he pointed me in a the direction of Civic Activism that has forever changed the way I see things. Maitri the Magnificent and Ray from New Orleans relocated to Austin and back again with a shovel and broom.

All of this is an introduction to the announcement this week that Walgreens will be working with the City, and the residents of our Flooded City. They are planning on building according to the Carrollton Overlay and including a much needed Grocery in the equation. Marc Robert is on board with this and we are as well.

For the first time in a long time the residents of the 4 corners are working together for a better community.

We have Shelley Midura to thank for that. Shelley did not even have time to hang her hat in her City Hall office, and she was meeting with us, and other residents in the area. She and Alex Morgan worked tirelessly and dogedly to resolve this issue. At a time when there are nothing but issues, she gave this one her full attention and we can not say enough about her even handed approach.

So Thanks to all those who made it happen. Walgreens, Gordon Kolb, Justin Schmidt, Marc Robert and all those that care about the future of this City. And not to forget, Mid City, Neron Place, Marilyn Barbera [The Sage], Richard Layman in D.C. Michelle and Peter, for gas when I was running low.

I have probably forgotten to thank you, my mind is now hampered by chemo and Double Post Traumatic Stress, and the relentless sound of jack Hammers in my Neighborhood.
So Thanks…

WE ARE NOT OK

Here is a quote from the New York Times

In the neighborhoods, New Orleanians are skeptical. Why does it seem that every time someone swoops in to help us, it winds up being a mess ? asked Jenel Hazlett, of the Northwest Carrollton Civic Association, a neighborhood group. They keep moving the players around, and we as citizens keep getting jerked around.

Read the entire article in The Sunday Times

A few weeks ago Roy Bragg was in town from San Antonio

He came in to write one story and left with another, I think he did a great job of capturing what the struggles are here right now.

Here is the view out the window one year later

The Tide seems to been rising still

And Peter tries to escape