Gambit: March 14, 2023

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Loadedforbear

Radical Buffoons present ‘Exit, Pursued by aBear’

KYLEMAYHAVETHOUGHTHISMAN SHEDWOULDBEMOREFUN.It’sbarely furnished,and theshedbehind hisand Nan’srural Georgiahome mostly holdsjunkand outdoor gearreflectinghis interest in hunting. Thereisn’t muchfurniture,and therolling chairwould be more comfortable if he weren’tduct taped to it.

Nanhas turned thetables.As Lauren Gunderson’s“Exit,Pursued by aBear” begins,Nan hasdecided she’shad enough of Kyle’s abuse Afterknocking himout andtaping himtothe chair,she’splanningon having thelast word

Thedrama is starkand at times darklycomic.Torey Haywardand TenajJackson areco-directing it forthe RadicalBuffoonsatthe Fortress of Lushington from March 19 to April 7.

“Insummer,after Roev.Wade (was overturned), we knew we wanted scripts with strong female leads,” Haywardsays. “That’show theconversationstarted.”

Gundersonisone of themostproducedcontemporary playwrights in theU.S.Manyofher worksfocus on womencharactersand exploringtheir power. Locally,The NOLA Projectpresented herdrama “The Revolutionists,” setduringthe French Revolution and featuring MarieAntoinette,assassin Charlotte Cordayand afictional French Caribbean womaninspired by the Haitianrevolution

Gundersonalso co-wrotethe muchmorelighthearted“Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley,” whichthe nowshuttered Southern RepTheatre mounted at Loyola University.Ittakes Jane Austen’s characters from “Pride and Prejudice”and imaginesthem yearslater,focusingonmiddle daughterMaryBennetasanintellectually curiousfigureless caught up in thenovel’sconcernswith socialstanding.

“Exit, PursuedbyaBear” is not bookishatall.It’sa far morevisceral whirlwindofaone-act drama in whichNan wantsvengeance. She’s planningtouse some of theremains of arecentlykilled deer carcass to attractbears to theshedwhere she’srestrained Kyle.It’sfarfetched, and even comically so,but that humorjusthelps gettothe point.

Some of thehumor is strangely seriousand offbeatatthe same time. Nanoccasionally recallsthe

words of formerPresident JimmyCarter. Gunderson is a native of northernGeorgia, wherethe play is set. Nanand Kyle lead a humble life not toofar from Atlanta, though it comesacross as ascary metropolis to them

by Will Coviello

Super Sunday

BLACKMASKINGINDIANSSHOWOFF

THEIRNEWSUITS andmarch in Uptown on Sunday,March 19 Tribes gather beginningat11a.m at A.L. DavisParkwherethere will be livemusic,foodvendors and more.The Indians will parade beginningat1 p.m. andcirclethe neighborhoodbeforereturning to thepark.

“People doingthe play oftenlean into comedic caricaturesof thesepeople,versustelling these honest stories,”Jackson says “Which part of them would kill a man,orwould abusea person for so long andnot feel remorse until they’rebeing threatened with abear?”

Nanenlists twofriendsfor support.Sweetheartisastripper whoimitatesKyle. Simon is a friend whoappears in acheerleader outfit

“Exit, Pursued by aBear” premiered in 2011,and although that predates theexplosion of the #MeToomovement in 2017,itfeels right in line withsomeofthe movement’stenets. Kyle hasn’tchanged. Nanhas.She hasdecided to putan endtohis variousforms of abuse. She’stired of everything from his indifference to her feelings to his verbal andphysicalmistreatment

She’salso tiredofhim blaming her forhis cruelty

“The wayabusive menare seen nowhas changedinthe last 10 years,”Hayward says ButNan also neverleftKyle. She mayfindredeemingaspects to him, and he definitely hasconvinced her to forgivehim and stay before Nanalso isn’tjust tellingKyle howbad he’s been.She hasher twofriends theretohelpshow him. Both from theirown memories andwithNan’s direction, they actout episodes. At timesthat blurs whether thescenesare factual or projections

Thosereenactments arealmost aplaywithinthe play,and that also reflects Gunderson’soriginal impetus. Whilethe action is immediateand visceral,the dramawas

inspired by astagedirection written by Shakespeare.

Theplaygetsits name from somethingaudiences witnessin Shakespeare’s“TheWinter’sTale.”

In that story, theKingofSicily tasks Antigonus withtransporting and abandoninga baby,which he does. Although thegirlsurvives, Antigonus meetsapromptand grisly end. It does, however,take placeoffstage Gundersonaimstoput theaction at center stage. Shealso aims to tell some of her storythrough theconventions of stagedirections. Here, thoseelements aremadeexplicit. In herscript, they’resupposedtobe projectedastextatvarious points Haywardand Jackson have found theirown approach.

While Gundersonhas very specificstagedirections, thedirectors have room to maneuver.They’ve alteredthe settingslightly.The script callsfor theplaytohappen in thecouple’s livingroom with Kyle strapped to aLa-Z-Boyrecliner They’vealso updatedsomeofthe costuming andattitudes, even though theplayisjust morethan 10 yearsold.But thecentral dynamic of confrontingabuse hasn’t changed at all.

“There aresomethingsthatring tone-deafnow that we’redoingit in 2023,” Haywardsays. “But abuse and thesense of justicehaven’t changedsince Shakespearewrote thestagedirection.”

Visitradicalbuffoons.com for ticketsand information.

NOLAonTap

THEBEERTASTINGFESTIVALTOBENEFITTHELOUISIANASPCA is Saturday, March18, in Lafreniere Park in Metairie. Thereare multiple entertainment stages,beer from breweriesand homebrewers, acanine drag show,wrestling shows,pet adoptions andmore. Themusic lineupfeaturesGeorge Porter Jr.& Runnin’ Pardners, Choppa, TheRumble,Jon Clearyand the Absolute Monster Gentlemen, LeTrainiump, Marc Stonewith John Mooney andmore. There aremorethan 30 participating breweries, including localones like Zony Mash Beer Project, AbitaBrewing Co.,Urban South Breweryand NOLABrewing Co., as well as California’sLagunitas BrewingCo. andMichigan’s Bell’s Brewery. Therealso arehard cider, spiritsand otherbeverages Attendees canbring well-behaved dogs, butnoone under 21.Gates open at 3p.m., or 2p.m.for VIP and earlyadmission.Tickets are $55,and thereare early admission and VIPpackages. Forinformation,visit nolaontap.org.

Wednesdayatthe Square

THEFUNKANDR&BBANDWATER

SEEDKICKSOFF theWednesday at

PHOTO BY BRIANEGLAND/ COURTESYRADICAL BUFFOONS

PHOTO BY MAXBECHERER/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE MardiGrasIndianqueensAllyssa(left) andFaithparadetoA.L.DavisParkon SuperSunday2022.

THUMBS UP/ THUMBS DOWN THE COUNT #

3

TheNOLAArtistIncubator, a nonprofit focusedoneducation,art andsustainability initiatives, received a$10,000 grantfromCommunity ResourcesConnection,Inc.to expand itsGalvezGarden. The community garden in theSt. Roch neighborhood will now beabletoramp up effortsto mitigate food insecurity by purchasingadditionalgarden bedsand trellises, seeds, soil and fertilizer, fruittrees and other produce

Councilopensinvestigationof Cantrellmailerandlobbyingfirm connectedtoVitter,Scalise

GlassHalfFull, thegrassroots glass recycling operation, has announced anew partnership with thecitytopickupglass wasteatthe ElysianFields Avenue drop-off site.The organizationwill continue to processglass and convertit to sand forcoastal restoration projects andmore. In addition to other GHF-run drop-off sites, thecity-owned Elysian Fields site is open 8a.m.to1 p.m. on Saturdays.

THENEWORLEANSCITYCOUNCIL MARCH8LAUNCHEDFORMALLY OPENINGANINVESTIGATION into amailertouting MayorLaToya Cantrell’s work in office and whether shehired apublic relations firm representedbyformer Republican Sen.David Vitter and aformer topaidetoHouse Majority Leader SteveScalise

Themailerwas part of the mayor’slatest PR campaign. It wassenttothousands of city voters in late Januaryand early Februaryattaxpayerexpense as organizers of acampaign to recall themayorfaced aFeb.22 (Ash Wednesday) deadline.

Themailerappears to violate severalstate laws,including a prohibition of usingpublic funds to produceads that featurean electedofficial’snameorlikeness

and otherstoturnoverdocuments andother information.

THE NUMBEROFPEOPLE WHOHAVEBEEN HIRED FORNEW ORLEANSPOLICE DEPARTMENT CIVILIAN JOBS SINCE SEPTEMBER 2022.

That’s awhopping47fewerthanthe recommendationgiven to former police chiefShaunFerguson, whoagreed to supplement theforce withcivilian workers. TheTimes-Picayunereportedthatas of March8,the police department hada total of 944officers, includingrecruits— 30 fewercopsthan when Ferguson first announced thehiringinitiative.

Cityofficials have broken theirpromise to restoreRoyal Street’s statusasa pedestrian-friendlycorridor where street artistscan thrive in the French Quarter. Verite News reported March7thatthe city hasyet to barricade five major intersections on thestreet, leavingthem open to vehicular trafficand creating safetyconcernsfor both performersand gathered crowds

Last week,Council PresidentJP Morrelland budgetcommittee chairJoe Giarrussoinformeda localprintingcompany implicatedinthe inquirythatthe council would open an investigation. In alettertoprinting companyMPress, which printed themailers,theysaidthe investigationfollows thecompany’s refusaltovoluntarily turn over emails relatedtothe mailer

Theunanimouspassage of athe formal investigationresolution provides thecouncil with subpoena powers to compel MPress

Morrell’sproposedresolution authorizes thecouncil to investigate“anyother office, departmentorboardfacilitatingorinvolvedinany waywith communications coveredbythe Investigation, includingwithout limitation theOfficeofthe Mayor as well as anycredible allegations of criminalactivity,violations of theState and/orCityethicslaws, or anyother misconduct by any City employeerelativetothe substanceofthe Investigation.” Cantrell is notspecifically named in theresolution.However,it doesname ChiefAdministrative OfficerGilbertMontano,Director of Intergovernmental Relations Arthur Walton,mayoralspokespersonGregoryJosephand allother employees of themayor’s communications office,aswellasMPress.

Theresolutionalsonames MercuryPublic Affairs, aNew York PR firm at which Vitter is apartner,though it doesnot appear Vitter or Scalise’s former aide worked on themailer.

Mercurydeclinedtocomment on thenature of theworkthe companydid forthe city.However, accordingtotwo drafts of thecontractbetween thecityand Mercury obtained by Gambit,Mercury was paid$15,000 to designthe mailer

C’EST WHAT ?

11.5%

6.5%

MayorLaToyaCantrell

PHOTO BY CHRISGRANGER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

42.6% SHETHOUGHT LEE ZURIKWAS RIDING

Under both drafts,Mercury wasto “workwith theCity’scommunicationsteamtoidentifykey messaging …constructnarrativestobecommunicated to constituentsthrough adirectmailprogram …assistthe City to identify key wins (including neighborhoodspecific accomplishments), upcomingprojects, achievements,and availableresources theAdministrationhas delivered …refinemessaging accordingto demographic considerations,includingrace, ethnicity, age, andgender …[and]write anddesignall direct mail piecesand printmaterials for the City’s review and approval.”

Although thedrafts also contain language indicating thecity would pay$35,000 formailers and consulting fees,itappears that mayhavebeenerroneouslycut and pastedintothe contractsand neverdeleted

Thecontractlater notes, “The maximumaggregateamount payable by theCityunder this Agreementis$15,000.00.”Thatis standard language used in certain contractswhich do notrequirea public bid process as part of an officialrequest forproposals or “RFP”frompotential contractors. Whether thecontractwas ever formalized remainsinquestion.According to CouncilVice PresidentHelenaMoreno, there is no record of thecontractbeing signed, and it doesnot appear to have been sent to thecity’slaw office,which reviewsand signs off on contracts. Cantrell’s spokespersondid notreturnarequest for commentbeforepress time.

Gambit submittedapublic records request fordocuments relating to MercuryPublic Relationsand any contractsorpayments associated with thecompany on March3

As of presstime, thecityhas not responded to Gambit’s request.

Whilethe city has notyet provided Gambit with documents relatedto anypayments that mayhavebeen made to Mercury, Montano,who overseeshow thecityspends the public’s moneyfor Cantrell,has addressed thecostofthe mailer and hasacknowledgedthe city spentat least$50,946.02onit.

In aFeb.23lettertoMoreno and Morrell, Montano wrote, “Based on therecords available thus far, paymentfor postagetotaling $32,623.07 has been madeto MPress (sic)out of theGeneral Fund,with asecondpayment for the printing of themailertotaling $18,322.95 scheduledtobepaid no laterthanFebruary 24,2023.” Montano also notedinthe letter that the“Office of Communications has reported that therecipients were chosen by thevendor.”

OPENING GAMBIT

It is unclearwhether Mercury’s paymentisincludedineither of thosetranchesoffunds Montano’suse of “vendor”when discussingwho themailerwentto is unclear,and in theorycould be referringtoMercury

However,MPress largelyonly prints andmails materials for clients,and it is unclearwhether costsfor printing and mailingcould totalanywherenear$32,623.07.

It is notuncommon forlocal officials to send outmailers andnewsletterstoconstituentstoinform them of theiractivities,aswellas theactivities of theirlocal agencies. Although thosesorts of communicationsare similartothe mailer, thelanguageusedinit, particularly itsrepeated praise of Cantrell and tyingher directlytogovernment actions, is moresimilar to thesort of election campaignmaterials contractors like Mercuryproduce

Local, state andfederal laws all havevarying degreesofcontrols on howpoliticianscan communicate withvoters, though allinclude relatively strict— and straightforward —provisions regarding the useofpublic fundsbyincumbents

Meanwhile, according to asource withMercury,Vitterneither played arole in developing themailernor knewthe companywas working forthe city Mercuryisa massivePRfirm with various divisions which work with corporations,state, federaland localgovernments, campaigns andothers. Although accordingtothe company’swebsite Vitter “leads thedevelopment of Mercury’sGulfSouth operations,”the mailer washandled by a separate armofthe company.

Similarly, theMercury source says JamesMessner,who untilthe end of 2022 worked forScalise on U.S. Houseelectioncampaigns,also played no role in themailer. Like Vitter,Messner appears to notbe in thesame armofthe company. Additionally,hedid notstart with the companyuntil late January, after thecompanyperformed itswork.

However, thefactthatVitter and Scalise’sformer toppolitical aide areeventangentially makingmoney from themailercould prove problematic forCantrell.The mayorhas used theinvolvementof Republicansinthe recall —including localTrumpdonor Rick Farrell, who hasalmostsingle-handedly funded it —tocastthe entire effort as a racist, sexist and politically motivatedattack. Even as abit playerin this latest drama, Vitter andMessner could muddythe waters forCantrell —JOHNSTANTON

Recall’sleadingactors haveturneditintoafarce

OVERTHELASTMONTH,SOMELEADING NEWORLEANSPOLITICOSANDPUBLIC

OFFICIALS have putona master class in hownot to communicate with citizens,earnthe public’s trust andotherwise go aboutthe business of beingresponsible caretakers of ourdemocracy That has transformed theeffort to recall MayorLaToyaCantrell whichshould be oneofthe most serious undertakings in ademocraticsystem—intoachaotic, farcicalcircus.

Let’sstart with recall organizers They repeatedly refusedtoprovide themedia with copiesoftheir signed petitions —asrequired by statelaw —and have also refused to sayhow many signaturesthey obtained.Evenafter they agreed to aconsentjudgment requiring them to turn overcopiesoftheir petitions,theyrenegedwhen the deadline came.Thatneedlessly delayedtheir compliancewith the lawand cast moredoubt on their claims of garneringenough validsignatures.

Recall organizers also failed to file statefinancialdisclosure reportsina timelymanner.Given that they have received almost alltheir fundingfromRepublican mega-donorRick Farrell—afact whichCantrell hasexploitedinthis Democrat-majoritycity— those delaysfeed other suspicions about theirtrueintensions

SecretaryofState Kyle Ardoin likewise hasn’t been forthcoming about hisdecisiontounilaterally lowerthe recall’s signature threshold by quietlysettlinga lawsuit filedbyrecallorganizers. The lawsuit raised significant questions about theintegrityofOrleans Parish’s voterregistrationrolls When therecallers settledwith Ardoin anddismissed theirclaims against Orleans ParishRegistrar of Voters Sandra Wilsonwithnopublicexplanation,theyand Ardoin deprived citizens of aresolution to thedoubtstheyraised. Those doubts remain

Forhis part,Ardoinoffered no concrete factual or legal basisfor agreeingtoreduce theofficial tally of “active” voters on theOrleans Parish rollsby25,000.Thatsettlementeffectively reducedthe number of signaturesrequired on therecallpetitionby5,000 —even though Ardoin says no voters will be reclassified.Thatkindoflegal

fiction, though cloakedinlegitimacy by ajudge’ssignature,looks like aMachiavellian attempt to move thegoal poststogivethe recallersa last-minutevictory.Ata minimum, it sets adangerous precedent. If Cantrell challenges the settlement,asexpected, theensuinglitigationwill only prolong the public’s agony— and frustration.

Cantrell,aDemocrat, has sought to paint therecallasa Republican effort to oust thecity’sfirst Black woman mayor. Theinvolvement of Farrelland other Republicans mayappear to supportthatclaim

At thesame time, however, the mayormakes no case forher continued tenure.Infact, herclaims ignorethe validconcernsofthe women andBlack voters who signed thepetitionbecause they arefed up with Cantrell’s record of stickingtaxpayers with the tabfor her official extravagance whileviolent crimeand other ills continue unabated.

Cantrell also inappropriately(and perhapsillegally)usedcityfunds to produceanti-recall mailersin thewaningdaysoforganizers’ push to collectpetitionsignatures. Heradministrationlikewise has

withheldfromthe City Counciland thepublic significant information relatedtothe cost of themailers, includingwho producedthem and whether Team Cantrell illegally used public fundstopay forelectioneering.Now,the council has opened aformal investigationand is expectedtobegin subpoenaing her aides andthe city contractors before themiddleofMarch

Wilson, theOrleans registrar, meanwhile, hasalso shownan aversiontotransparency.She has refusedtotellthe mediaand the public what processshe and her staffare usingtovalidate—and invalidate —petitionsignatures, as well as what stepsshe hastaken to safeguardthe petitionssince she received them Feb. 22

Finally,CivilDistrictCourt Judge Jennifer Medley,who presided overthe recall organizers’ lawsuit seekingtolowerthe signature threshold, inexplicably failed to disclose to theattorneys and litigantsinthatcase— particularly Ardoin andWilson— that she herselfsignedthe recall petition on Dec. 19.Medley’ssignature on the petition came to light only because TheTimes-Picayunesuccessfully

sued recall organizers to geta copy of thesignedpetition, which, as we notedearlier,isbylaw a public record

Thereare so many things wrong withMedley’sactions andfailures as ajuristinthismatterthatthey defy enumerationinthisspace (see ClancyDuBos’columnonp.9for more).Suffice it to saythatMedley ultimately maysingle-handedly save Cantrell from politicaldoom by giving themayor apowerful political cudgelwith whichto beat down therecalleffort, even as Medley inappropriately (ifnot unethically) concealed her ownill-advisedeffort to help therecallsucceed

Recalling ahigh-rankingelected officialisone of themostdramatic stepsvoterscan take to reclaim controloftheir destiny. Butwhen literally everyleading actorinthat dramabetrays voters’ trust,it’sno wonder so many NewOrleanians have lost allfaith in thefunctionalityofour city.Wesuspectifvoters could recall them allatthe same time, they would

SandraWilson,theOrleans Parishregistrarofvoters.

PHOTO BY MATT SLEDGE / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Judgemaybetherecall drive’sonlyofficialcasualty

OFALLTHEIRONIES ARISINGFROM THERECALLDRIVE against Mayor LaToya Cantrell, this onestands out: When allis said and done, theonlyelected officialwho may be held to account is ajudge who signed thepetition.

That judge— Jennifer Medley of CivilDistrict Court— signed the petition on Dec. 19 That alonecould land herinhot waterwith the Louisiana JudiciaryCommission, which serves as thedisciplinary armofthe stateSupreme Court. Medley’s potentialproblems don’t endthere.

Tenweeks aftershe signedthe petition,Medleyfailedtodisclose that facttolitigants and attorneys before shepresidedoveralawsuit aimedatlowering thenumber of votersignatures(includingher own) neededtoforce areferendumonCantrell.

HadMedleymade that disclosure, defenseattorneys representing Secretary of StateKyleArdoin and Orleans Parish VoterRegistrar SandraWilsonnodoubt would have sought to recuse her from thecase. Medley also could have obviated recusalmotions by recusingherself.But at aminimum,she should have disclosedher signature

When Medley’spetitionsignature came to light,the media soughtopinions from attorneys on theobvious question of Medley’s impartiality

Attorneyswho representjudges in such mattersdutifully served up alawyerlyequivocation. “It’s notillegal”was theirbottom-line defenseofMedley— and they were correctinthatMedleysigning therecallpetitiondid notviolate anyspecific statute

This is nota matter of legal-versus-illegal, however.It’sa matter of ethical-versus-unethical —and appearances. On that metric, Medleyhas aproblem.

TheCode of Judicial Conduct sets forththe dosand don’ts of judges’ behavior.Canon 1states, “A judgeshall upholdthe integrity and independenceofthe judiciary.”

Canon 7states, “A judgeor judicialcandidateshall refrainfrom inappropriate politicaland campaign activity.” It furtherexplains that judges shallnot “publicly endorse or publicly oppose” candidatesfor office.

ParagraphFofCanon 7gets to bottom line:“Ajudge shallnot engageinany other partisan political activity except on behalf of measures to improve thelaw,the legalsystemorthe administration of justice.”

Attorneysand judges will undoubtedlyparse thecanons’ language, draw distinctions and argue thefiner legal points,but such dissections miss thebigger picture. TheCodeexiststoguaranteefairness and impartiality by judges and therebysecurepublic confidence in thejudicialsystem— and judges.Our democracy rests onsuchconfidence.

So let’ssee ashowofhands

HowmanythinkMedleysigning therecallpetition— and then not disclosingthatfactbeforepresidingoveracasethatpotentially determines thesuccess or failure of thepetitiondrive —upheldthe integrityand independenceof thejudiciary,avoided inappropriatepolitical andcampaign activity, andinspired public confidence in thejudiciary’sfairness and impartiality?

Ultimately,the only show of handsthatmatters is one that may occuramongthe sevenmembers of theLouisiana SupremeCourt.I can’timaginethe justices sittingon theirhandsonthisquestion

PHOTO BY PHOTODISC/ GETTY IMAGES

Veterans Blvd., Metairie LA |504.888.2300 |nordickitchens.com

embroider y

@GambitBlake

HeyBlake, TheGravierPlaceApartmentsbuilding downtownatGravierandBaronnehas anothernameaboveoneoftheentrances: RichardsBuilding.What’sthestory?

Dearreader, THESTORYOFTHERICHARDSBUILDING,NOWKNOWN ASGRAVIERPLACE,actually beginsasthe Union Building,orthe UnionIndemnityBuilding.

The14-storyofficebuildingopened in 1925.It wasnamed forthe UnionIndemnityCompany, an insurer with officesinthe original building. Some of theother tenants were General Electric,Hartwig Moss insurancecompany, StandardFruit andSteamship Co.and theItalian HomesteadAssociation

In 1933,amidthe GreatDepression, theUnion IndemnityCo. wasplacedintoreceivershipand thebuildingwentintoforeclosure

In 1943,E.V.Richards Jr.purchased thebuildingfor $1.6 million. Thebuildingwas renamed theRichards Building.Richards co-founded and served as presidentofthe Saenger movietheater chainand supervisedthe construction of the SaengerTheater on Canal Street,which opened in 1927.Itwas oneof200 theaters across theU.S. and LatinAmerica bearingthe Saengername. Richards diedin1960. Hisfamilywenton to developClearviewShoppingCenter,

which opened in Metairiein1969.

In 1986,the Richards Building wasrenamed the FidelityHomestead Building.According to aJan.18, 1986, articleinThe Times-Picayune, FidelityHomestead Association (now knownasFidelity Bank)had been a tenant in thebuilding since1939.

Thebank leased the nameofthe Richards buildingfromthe building’snew owners, agroup of investors ledbylocal lawyer anddeveloperWilliamF.Ryan. In 1985,the grouppurchased thebuildingand thenearby First National Bank of Commerce building on Baronne Street from the Richards family.

Both buildings were sold again in 1996, purchased for$1.7million at auctionbyBaronne DevelopmentLLC,a partnership of Historic RestorationInc., Kailas Developmentand local attorney BlakeJones.The partnersredeveloped theupper floors of thebuildingintoGravier Place apartments and condominiums

ASWECELEBRATEALLTHINGIRISHONST.PATRICK’S DAYTHISFRIDAY (March 17), we rememberthe contributions to NewOrleans made by the SistersofMercy.The Catholic religious orderof nuns wasfounded in Dublin,Ireland,in1831

TheSisters first came to NewOrleans in 1869, ministeringtoresidents of theIrish Channel and other partsofthe city during Reconstruction. Keyamongtheir earlyservicesoffered to Civil Warwidowswerejob training programs,an employmentofficeand child care.Theyalso ministered to victims of yellow fever.

TheSisters begantheir teachingministryatSt. AlphonsusSchoolinthe IrishChannel.Beginning in 1909,theyalso taught at Holy Name of Jesus Elementary School,addingahighschoolthere in 1933.Itbecame MercyAcademy, whichclosed in 1992.Overthe years, thesisters also taughtat St.Francis Xavier,RedemptoristGirls High School and OurLadyofPerpetual Help in Kenner

In additiontoeducating localstudents, the SistersofMercy also establishedMercy Hospital in 1924.Originally on Annunciation Street,it movedtoMid-Cityin1953.Owned by theSisters until1996, it waslater called Mercy-Baptist MedicalCenterand then LindyBoggs Medical Center.Flooded by Hurricane Katrinaand the federal leveefailuresin2005, thehospitalsits abandonedand still awaits redevelopment.

Today, theSisters operateMercy Family Centers,which offeroutpatientservicesand counselingfor children andadults, as well as theMercy Endeavors SeniorCenteron Jackson Avenue.

ARCHIVEPHOTO BY THETIMES-PICAYUNE TheUnionBuilding photographedin1938; thebuildingatGravier andBaronneisnow knownasGravierPlace.

MUTUALLY ASSURED SURVIVAL

BY JAKE CLAPP

IN THE DAYS LEADING UP TO Hurricane Ida’s landfall at the end of August 2021 and for weeks afterward, the Mutual Aid – New Orleans (MANO) Facebook group buzzed with activity

There were people asking for help with financial assistance, for things like getting gas or renting a hotel room, or seeking guidance on how to navigate federal assistance programs. Others came looking for advice on how to deal with Entergy or a hand with clearing debris from their yard

More often than not, what they found were just as many users freely offering whatever help they could give: ice delivery, food and supplies from out of town, fundraising for devastated communities along the coast and in the Bayou Parishes

As the days and weeks crawled by, MANO page administrator Alexandra Murcia realized some areas of the city were lagging behind others, particularly when it came to getting the power back on Unsurprisingly, they were usually neighborhoods that are traditionally majority Black and with older

residents. They also were more often than not the areas furthest from emergency resources and home to many people who lacked transportation

“I highlighted those maps and made a post saying, ‘Hey, we need drivers, we need people to pick up ice, we need people to drop off ice and water and MREs from the [National Guard] hubs around the city,” Murcia says

MANO members responded, and in short order Murcia had volunteers working to get supplies to those most in need

“Not having to go through a big volunteer process and coordinate things, just making it very organic and decentralized, made the biggest impact,” Murcia says “It was very quick in getting resources from these hubs to people where they’re stationary.”

MANO was just one of a number of grassroots groups, Indigenous tribal councils and individuals who in the aftermath of the storm worked tirelessly to provide disaster relief to the city and devastated parts of the region

“There is a need to scale [disaster response] down, to make it human-sized, to

make it accessible,” says Erica Chomsky, the founder and former executive director of Culture AID NOLA, a nonprofit that started in the early months of the pandemic to offer barrier-free groceries.

New Orleans has a long history of mutual aid and neighbors looking out for each other, but both frustration with government response and the move to a more community-based approach isn’t unique to the city

Frustrated by slow and particularly for marginalized communities, often nonexistent responses from government, people in New Orleans and across the country are increasingly taking disaster relief aid into their own hands. Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the city has seen a surge in the number of grassroots organizations, from decentralized mutual aid groups to small nonprofits, focused on offering help after disaster strikes.

“Human-sized, locally led, ground-truth informed I think, again and again, we try and do things according to the playbook, according to what we think is best,” says Chomsky, who has a back-

HOW DISASTER AID IS BEING REMADE FROM THE GRASSROOTS UP

PROVIDED PHOTO St.CatherineofSienaparishioners, studentsandparentsrecentlycookedand servedmorethan2,500mealstopeople affectedbyHurricaneIdainLaPlace.

PHOTO BY SCOTT THRELKELD / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Volunteerspassoutfishfryandjambalayamixduring aCultureAidNOLAdistributionofhurricanesupplies duringhurricaneseasonin2022.

SpringForward SpringForward

ground in emergency management anddisaster response. “But thereisabsolutely no substitutefor localknowledge and localleadership.”

THEREARE VERY OLDPRINCIPLES behindgroupslikeMANO, ImagineWater Works’ Mutual AidResponseNetwork and the countless individualsworkingin thereliefspace.Socialmedia and other technologicaladvances allowthemtobepracticed in newways, butthe pointofneighbors helping neighbors during a disaster is aconstant of history, and formalized mutual aidhas happened forcenturies

As TanyaGulliver-Garcia, directoroflearningand partnershipswiththe Centerfor Disaster Philanthropynotes,mutual aid is notcharity— theact of solving problems for people —but rather it is aboutsolving problems with people

“Inthe U.S.,formalized mutual aidarisesfromtraditions that date back centuries,” Gulliver-Garcia explained in acolumn forNon-ProfitQuarterly,atrade publication. “Itisaprocess steeped in anti-capitalism, an-

ti-racism, unions,democracy and anti-authoritarianism.”

Mutual aidhas aparticularly strong historyamongBlack Americans, atradition which canespecially be seen in New Orleans’history of benevolent societies,formed to share financialassistanceand cover funeral expenses forBlack residents. Organizationslikethe BlackPanthersorganized mutual aid, includinginNew Orleans’ housing projects.And mutual aid hasbeencentral to anarchist and socialistorganizing.

Although in the20thcentury mutual aiddeclinedasNew Deal safety nets were built and, later, thenonprofitsectorwas born, that’s beguntochangeinrecent yearsasthe safetynet hasitself eroded andthe nonprofitindustrycalcified

Andthen came COVID-19 AccordingtoGulliver-Garcia,the pandemic hasbeenaturning pointfor howcommunities deal withdisaster,awayfromgovernmentand institutionalnonprofits and back toward community.

“I’ve really seen it sinceCovid, coming up and beingmore visible in NewOrleans,but also around theworld,” shesays.

“After 2020,there seemed to

PROVIDED PHOTO

be moreofanunderstanding that everybodyhad something to offerand everybodyneeded something, and sharingresources mightactually help us get throughthe pandemic.”

That’s due to acombination of factors, Gulliver-Garcia says Therewas alot of confusionand uncertaintyinthe earlydaysof thepandemiclockdowns —it wasn’teasytotrust what governments were saying

“I also thinktherewas somethingaboutjust beingathome,” Gulliver-Garcia says.“We saw people revertingtothingslike makingbread and sewing and knitting and growinggardens. It had abit of like awar-time relief effort to it.Wewereall in this together andtherewas asense of community that Ithink we hadn’t seen as strongly before.”

Themurders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor by police and thesummerprotestsagainst whitesupremacy and racist policing also helped galvanize mutual aidgroups.

“We’re increasingly talking aboutrootcausesand equity,”

Gulliver-Garcia says

She also notesthatthe pandemic“laid bare”the health inequities Blackpeople andmarginalized groups faceinthe country.

“All of asudden we were hearingthatBlack people,Indigenous people,Hispanicpeople were gettingCovid at higher rates and dyingathigher rates than whitepeople,” shesays. “And so therewas arecognitionthat maybethingsare notactually OK in theU.S.”

Youcan seethose dynamics inhow communitiesresponded.Manysimplytook action on theirown to help theirneighbors whileothersbegan formingnew grassroots groups,operatingina rangeofstructures, from decentralized mutual aidtomoretraditional nonprofits. Amongthose taking root,along withMANO, include SouthernSolidarity, a Blackqueer woman-organized groupserving theunhoused community,and HouseofTulip, whichcenters on housingfor transgenderand gendernonconformingpeople

IF THEPANDEMIC HELPED expose health inequities,italso made clearhow tenuousmostAmericans’ food security is —and how badthe governmentand large institutions were at addressingit.

Some established groups in NewOrleans,likethe post-Katrinagroup Lowernine.organd theSankofaCommunity Development Corporationopened

or expandedfood pantries and free kitchen operations.Likewise,Black MaskingIndiantribes cooked mealsand distributed supplies in theirneighborhoods

Butthe needswereimmense, and soon neworganizations begantopop up.One of the biggest at thetimewas Feed theFront Line, an initiative by theKrewe of RedBeans which raised fundstohireshuttered NewOrleans restaurants to cook mealsfor hospital and frontlineworkers

Theprogram ultimately spun offFeed theSecondLine, which carriesontoday and focuses

on supporting thecity’sculture bearersand creating astrong safety netfor musiciansand artists. AfterHurricane Ida, Feed theSecondLinehired local companiestorepairmorethan 150roofs forculture bearers and employedmusicians to deliver anddistributesuppliesin bayoucommunities.

“I thinkitwould be good to startasking thequestion, ‘How canwecreatesystems where ourstate’s response to disaster is more internally focused?’” says DevinDeWulf, whofounded Feed theSecondLine. “I think that would be alot better forour

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE Avolunteerhelpsstirthealligatorsaucepiquant

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE DuaneCruse,Jr.,aMardiGrasIndianwiththeWild Magnolias,helpsservefreemealsalongthebayoua coupleweeksafterHurricaneIdainMontegut,La

Mar

economy and our community to really be thoughtful about who we’re hiring and how people find jobs that come with a disaster.”

Another food-focused nonprofit, Culture Aid NOLA began by offering meal kits to New Orleans cultural and hospitality workers in partnership with groups like the Music and Culture Coalition of New Orleans, the Musicians’ Clinic and No Hunger NOLA and quickly shifted to twice-weekly, no-barrier grocery pickup. Within its first year, Culture Aid distributed more than one million pounds of food and served around 100,000 people through its music-filled, no-reason-needed events

Culture Aid helped “fill the fridge” with grocery distributions following Hurricane Ida, and then, last summer, gave out free hurricane prep kits, which included canned water, shelf-stable food, buckets, cleaning supplies and other post-hurricane essentials.

Culture Aid gave out 2,000 kits, but the need was so high, organizers had to turn away cars before the drive-through event even got rolling

“We started with the concept that the best way to pre-stage resources is not in warehouses several hours away across a lake,

it’s in people’s homes,” Erica Chomsky said last year “Resilience begins at home.”

THERE IS A CLEAR NEED TO RETHINK

disaster aid and recovery today. The federal government and large NGOs, while the best resourced, are slow and full of red tape Many federal programs and other large relief initiatives come with conditions that block people who most need help And as climate change makes disastrous storms more frequent, faster and stronger, there is less and less time to wait around for government to respond.

For instance, after Ida the National Guard and national nonprofits moved literal tons of supplies into the city Ranging from food to ice to diapers, they distributed them through hubs located across New Orleans But per person limits and other regulations ostensibly designed to avoid graft and make distribution more orderly and centralized also meant that an individual couldn’t pick up supplies for their neighbors or block.

So when Murcia organized folks to help distribute goods, MANO volunteers ran into red tape and

obstacles: Only one of the hubs would allow them to pick up ice and supplies and bring them to other people who didn’t have cars, Murcia adds. Still, they were able to organize and make it work

“If we accept the premise that the future of disaster response is going to be by necessity grassroots-based because there’s just too many disasters then we do start to think about that old-school, block-by-block organizing style,” Chomsky says “You have got to know who you are trying to help before you start. Otherwise, it’s just a waste.”

FEMA, governmental agencies and other large groups will be necessary to coordinate first responders, evacuations and other “very large interventions” that cannot be done by smaller organizations, Chomsky says But grassroots groups are vital in a lot of the heavy lifting and they are the groups in the community still there six months, a year or decade later.

“You need to have a high-water vehicle to deliver help to people stuck. Somebody’s got to do it And at the same time, you need the woman with the grill on the corner, who knows exactly which lady needs some help and

PHOTO BY SOPHIA GERMER / THE TIMES-PICAYUNE DanBingler,oftheGreaterNewOrleansCaringCollective andSouthernSolidarity,walksthrougharoomfullof donateditemsatFirstUnitarianUniversalistChurchof NewOrleansfollowingHurricaneIda

needssomeone to checkonher,” Chomsky says.“Youneed both, and youneedthem both to work to theirhighest potential.”

Likewise,inher column,Tanya Gulliver-Garcia warned that “even if budgetsare increased, new resourcesalone won’tbeenough Rather,theremust be aradical transformation in oursystemof disaster assistance.”

Thereisaneedfor more fundingonthe locallevel to help withpreparedness andmitigation,Gulliver-Garcia told Gambit Municipalitiesalso need to study thebarriersfor people to evacuate— howcan residents, especiallythose withdisabilities,be supported? Whatobstacles are in placepreventingpeople from accessingextra medicineahead of ahurricane?

“A city plan that’s developed by city officials, it’s notgoing to do alot if youdon’t include folks from thehousing projects,from theLowerNineorBroadmoor or other placesinthe city that are goingtobeaffectedbyadisaster differentlythan folksinthe Irish Channel or theGardenDistrict,” GulliverGarcia says.“If youdon’t include folkswithdisabilities to talkaboutevacuation…that’s localknowledge,local expertise. We knowwhatweneed.You

have to have that diversity ofpeople at thetable who know what they needtohave thoseconversations.”

Thosechangesare already occurring. Increasingly disaster relief expertsare acknowledging notonlythe role mutual aidand smallnonprofit groups play in helpingpeople survivedisasters, butalso thefundamental limitations of thelarge institutions upon which we’verelied.

As have communities:InFlorida, mutual aidgroupssprung into action afterHurricane Ian hit lastyear, helpingprovide food, waterand other supplies in the immediateaftermath.Likewise, mutual aid groups,including Facebook-based groups similar to MANO, were centraltothe survival of manyresidents of Buffalo, NewYork, aftera massiveblizzard crippled thecityfor weeks.

“Weare surroundedbysystems that have alot of redtape— schoolsystems,state or federal systems— that,especially in a moment of crisis,can be almost toodebilitating to even attempt to work through,”Murcia says.

“Havinga both non-judgmental and also red-tape free spacelike this allows forthatsolidarityto come throughand for[people]to do thework.”

PHOTO BY MAXBECHERER /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE AsignalongLA24thankspeoplewhocameto helpthearearecoverafterHurricaneIda

We PutBig Smiles on LittleCampers

Camps. Swimming. Fitness. Gymnastics &Tumbling. Fun.

Ochsner FitnessCenter’s fun and fit summer programs are designed forkids to get active, have fun and enhancetheir self-esteem in apositivegrowth environment.

Fun and Interactive program designed to introduce 8th-12th Grade students to concepts and careers in Digital Forensics, Incident Response and Cyber Security.

NO COSTFOR TUITION Meals and RTAPass are included

CAMPERS CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING DATES:

JUNE 19 -2 NE 3* DELGADO CITYPARK CAMPUS

No experience necessary! Secure

JUNE 26 -30* -3 DELGADO WESTBANK CAMPUS

*+ONGOING CAREER ACTIVITIES

SUMMER U CAMPS

ofLocalmuseums foferprograms anryoungartists dhistorians

BY JENNYPETERSON

ArtAppreciation

Localmuseums offer summer programs forkids

CAMPSATLOCALMUSEUMS give buddingartists and curious younghistoriansopportunities to get creative,honevarious skillsand makenew friends during thesummermonths. At severalart hotspo in theNew Orleans area,childrenand teensget to team up with experts, gainbehind-the-scenes access to exhibits and partakeinactivities that are both entertaining andenriching.Mostsessions sta in earlyJune.

NewOrleans Museum of Art

At theNew Orleans Museum of Art, young artists canexplore variouscreativeavenues,including drawing, writing, movement,sculpture,painting and more— allunder theguidanceofprofessional teaching artists.

Summer camp sessions areinspired by the museum’s artcollection, specialexhibitions and theoutdoor Besthoff SculptureGarden. Campers explore thegalleries andgardentoengageinconversations aboutartwork as alaunching-off pointto connectwithothersand deepen personal identity and creativity

Eachweek-long,small-group experience is devotedtoa single agegroup at atime: risingfirst through thirdgraders (ages5-7), rising second throughfifth graders (ages8-10),and a one-week PreteenIntensive formiddleschoolers (ages11-13).

“Art-makingispaireddirectlywithexplorationin thegalleries to sparkconversations and develop

PHOTO BY FRANKL AYMAMIIII /PROVIDED BY THE NATIONAL WORLDWAR II MUSEUM

Thisworld-renownedmilitaryhistorymuseum offersfourthemedcampsthissummer fordifferentagegroups.

SUMMER CAMPS

critical thinkingskills,”saysCharlie Tatum, directorofmarketing with theNew Orleans Museum of Art. “Our summer camp is an interdisciplinaryapproach that is nottiedto onemediumorone skill.”

Sessionthemesinclude fashion, humannature,and mirrors and windows. Eachcamp culminates in ashowcasewithcampers’ artand other worksondisplay. Find outmoreatnoma.org.

WWII Museum

This world-renowned military historymuseumoffersfourthemed campsthissummerfor different agegroups.

Allcamps at TheNational WWII Museum aimtospark interest and explorationintotopicsrelated to WorldWar II.Inbetween team-buildinggamesand activities, camperstourexhibits, listento presentationsand then askquestions to museum professionalsfrom variousdepartments

At thepopulartwo-week-long Boband DoloresHopeTheater Camp,campers willperform a varietyshowfor theirfriends and families.AtSpy Camp,campers participateinactivities like an obstacle courseand code-breakingpuzzles

ASTEM InnovationCamp with thetheme “The PowerofMedicine” delvesintoengineering challenges and activities involved in innovationsduringWWII. Anew camp this year,Storytelling and Mixed MediaCamp,isconnectedtoa new specialexhibit,“TheWaltDisney Studios and WorldWar II,” where campers learnhow media and animation were used during thewar Find outmoreat nationalww2museum.org

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art

TheOgden Museum of Southern Arthas severalsummercamp offerings,includingFashionCamp, wherecampersenteringfifth througheighthgradeswill learn aboutsustainability in fashion and developsewing and design skills. Thecampculminates in the creation of an outfit fora fashion showthathighlightsthe students’ designprocess

Eachcampsession at theOgden drawsinspirationfromSouthern worksofart and givescampers thechancetolearn from professional artists.

Fora moretraditional artexperience,the Ogden also features a Fine Arts FundamentalsCamp for campers entering second through

AttheNewOrleansMuseumof Art’ssummercamp,kidscan exploreartthroughoutthe SydneyandWaldaBesthoff SculptureGarden,including

fifthgrades, wherekidscreatea varietyofprojectsfroma rangeof innovative materials. This includes sculpture,painting, drawing, mixed media, bookmaking, printmaking and more

Aspecializedphotography camp forcampers entering 6th-12th gradesteaches aspiring photographers of alllevelshow to captureand construct powerfulphotographs.

Find outmoreat ogdenmuseum.org.

The Historic NewOrleans Collection

TheHistoric NewOrleans Collection’sweek-longMuseumLab summer camp givesteens ages 1318 behind-the-scenesaccess to the storiedFrenchQuarter museum

Campers will learn what goes into curating andshowcasingthe museum materials, whichpreservethe historyand cultureofNew Orleans and theGulfSouth

Young curators will also participate in daily workshops, learn skills and shareideas on howto bring amuseumtolife. In additionto exploring TheHistoricNew Orleans Collection, campersalso visitfour other museums in theFrenchQuarterduringthe week.Eachday there is something newtosee Find outmoreathnoc.org.

2023Camp Dates:June5-Aug 4

AGES

4LOCATIONS: HAMMOND: OAKKNOLL CUNTRYCLUB NEWORLEANS: UNO,CITYPARK, AND ENGLISH TURN COUNTRYCLUB

Forspecific details per location, visit www.futuretennis.com (985) 634-6229 |tennis4duphooy@hotmail.com

PHOTO BY MAXBECHERER/ THETIMES-PICAYUNE

thepopular“MirrorLabrynth” byJeppeHein.

VOTED BESTTENNIS CAMP IN LOUISIANA

KidComforts

Summer essentials for happycampers

HipsterKid wayfarers

$20from LittleMiss Muffin (766 Harrison Ave.,504-482-8200; 3307 Severn Ave.,Metairie,504-4551444;shoplittlemissmuffin.com)

PHOTOPROVIDEDBYLITTLE MISS MUFFIN

Seafoodconstellation T-shirt

$22from DirtyCoast (1320Magazine St., 504-766-0752;5415Magazine St., 504-324-3745; dirtycoast.com).

UnicornDreams lipbalm

$10from LittleMiss Muffin

Customized lavender ombrewater bottle

$26.50 from Pottery Barn Kids (3301VeteransMemorialBlvd., Metairie, 504-219-0168; potterybarn.com)

PHOTOPROVIDEDBY POTTERYBARNKIDS

Bonfolksnowballsocks

$19.99from Aliceand Amelia (4432Magazine St., 504-5026206;shopaliceandamelia.com).

Orugasandals

$85from Maisonette (maisonette.com)

PHOTOPROVIDEDBYALICE

Quick-drying Patagonia shorts

$22.50 from Massey’sOutfitters (509 N. Carrollton Ave.,504-6480292;masseysoutfitters.com).

PHOTOPROVIDEDBYMASSEY’SOUTFITTERS

Mini Bloom mineralsunscreen

$17from Anthropologie (333 Canal St., 504-592-9972; anthropologie.com).

PHOTOPROVIDEDBY

ANDAMELIA

PHOTO PROVIDEDBYDIRTY COAST

PelicanState of Mind T-shirt

$22.50 from FleurtyGirl (Citywide fleurtygirl.net)

PHOTOPROVIDEDBY FLEURTYGIRL

Customized reptile waterbottle

$20.99 from PotteryBarnKids

PHOTOPROVIDEDBY POTTERYBARNKIDS

Padded backpack

$38from Little Miss Muffin

GAMBITSTAFF PHOTO

Dipdye Havana sneaker

$9 from DirtyCoast

PHOTOPROVIDEDBY DIRTYCOAST

Sharkbitelip balm

$5 from Little Miss Muffin

PHOTOPROVIDEDBY LITTLEMISSMUFFIN

Bonfolk alligator socks

$13.99 from Aliceand Amelia

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Flexible wellies

$45from LittleMiss Muffin

PHOTOPROVIDEDBYLITTLE MISS MUFFIN

John James Audubon’s PaintedBirds

Creature Camp

Summer programs foranimal enthusiasts

WHETHERYOURCHILD is an equestrian, an aspiring zookeeper,afutureveterinarian or simply just hasa love foranimals,several NewOrleans-areacampsoffer up-close encounters with allsorts of creaturesgreat and small. Thesecampsoffer funwaystolearn about furryfriends andteach kidsabout the importanceofanimalcareand conservation —all whilefostering agreater appreciation of thenaturalworld

SugarRoots Farm

SugarRoots Farm,aformerpetting zoo, is anonprofit,workingfarmonthe West Bank that hostsstudent fieldtrips throughout theyearand provides produce to localrestaurants.

Thefarmoffersseveral weeklong farm-orientedsummer camps, which include upcloseencounterswithhorses,goats,pigsand piglets, apony, cow, chickensand atortoise. Thecampsare forchildrenages5-12, andup to 40 kids canjoin eachsession.

Thecamp is held mostly outdoors(in the shade), and campershelpout with farmwork,likecollectingand decorating eggs, groomingand riding poniesand growing theirown food.Eachday has atheme;some days leanmoreheavily on gardening and sowing seeds, whileother days aremore farm-oriented

In addition to outdoor activities,SadeAtkinson,general manager,saysthereis“water

| BY JE NN YP ET ER SO N

PHOTO PROVIDED BY SUGARROOTS FARM

CampersatSugarRootsFarmhangoutwithfarm animalsandlearnaboutsustainablefarmingpractices.

PHOTO BY SUSANPOAG /PROVIDED BY THEAUDUBON INSTITUTE

AtAudubonZoo’ssummercamp, kidsgettoexperiencetheCool Zoo,itson-sitewaterpark.

City Park

Movement & Art

Summer Day Camp and Weekly Classes DANCE

day” on Fridayswhere kids letloose on thefarmand enjoyabounce house during theculminationof thecamp sessions.Other activities include clay-making and learning to make simple recipeswithfresh produce,likehomemadelemonade. Sessions start June 5.

Sign up throughthe link in theInstagram bio@sugarrootsfarm

Audubon Zoo Summer Camps

TheAudubon Zoooffersyoung nature enthusiastsa fauna-filled summer camp experience with exciting scienceinvestigations, zooexplorations,artsand crafts, nature-themedactivities and a dayatthe “Cool Zoo,”its on-site waterpark.

Eachweekhas atheme. For example,during“wildlifeexplorers” week,campers donbinoculars and discoveranimals from closer angles

For“caring forcritters” week,they divide into agegroups(4-5, 6-10 and 11-13) to go behindthe scenes and seehow thezoo’s largestanimals arefed.The oldercampers— called the“ZooKrewe”—will delve into immersiveconservationtopics and learn about careersthathelp protectanimals and theirhabitats. Find outmoreat audubonnatureinstitute.org/camps.

Arden Cahill Academy

This privatepreschooland K-12 schoolissituated on asprawling 12 acresonthe West Bank and is open to kids ages 3-13 during thesummer whowanttoexperiencea taste of farmlife.

Thefarmhas an alpaca,sheep, bunnies, chickens, five horses, twoponies andducks.Campers gettofeed andhold theanimals, and horseback-ridinglessonsalso areavailable

“Whenmyparents founded the school, they wanted to developthe whole child and have them experience nature around them,” says ownerKelly Cahill.“They wanted to have horses,theywantedtohave a barn …Our students areabletogo to thebarnaspartofacurriculum forhorsebackriding, andduring camp,it’suniquebecause every dayaspartoftheir rotations,they spendtimeatthe barn.”

Other activities at ArdenCahill camp include archery, swimming, indoor science-based projects,as well as theaterclasses,camp-wide parties and team gamesatthe gymnasium.Apopularevent each

AudubonZoo’ssummercamp sessionsarefilledwithhandsonscienceinvestigations, zooexplorations,up-close animalencounters, artsandcrafts,andnaturethemedactivities.

year includesa lock-insleepover (which is aseparatefee from camp), asummer kick-off that also gives kids achancetowitness howthe animalsbehaveatnight

Theentirecamp runs for10 weeks, with twofive-week sessions that have anew themeeach week.Campersmust signupfor a five-weekminimum session. There is also child care before and after camp hours

Find outmoreat ardencahillacademy.com

CascadeStables

Children 5and older whoare interested in horses maywanttotry theweeklong campsatCascade Stables at Audubon Park.There, campers canlearn aboutcaringfor horses,and,ofcourse, mounting up and riding. They’llalso learn about groomingand tacking, horseequipment, ridingskillsand more.

Allexperiencelevelsare welcome; campers with moreadvanced experiencewill be able to learn additional mountedskills. Thefullday includescrafts,equinetrivia games andmore. Thereare eightavailable weeklong sessions.

Find outmoreat cascadestables.net.

SUMMERTEEN THEATRE WORKSHOP 2023

WEEKDAYS,JUNE5-16 | 9AM-3PM

Ages 12-16, $275

TWOPERFORMANCES ON SATURDAY,JUNE17

PerformersattendingtheinauguralGretnaKidsPlayhouseSummer TeenTheatre WorkshopwillparticipateinaproductionofDonZolidis’hilariousplay,The BrothersGrimmSpectaculathon,underthedirectionoflocaltheatreartistand educator,CammieWest.

Workshopdaysconsistofrehearsalsandmini-sessionsfocusedonhoning actors’comedicskillsandlearningaboutworkingcollaborativelyasanensemble GretnaCulturalCenterfortheArts

4THS

Emailkidsplayhouse@gretnacca.comformoreinformation www.facebook.com/GretnaKidsPlayhouse

PHOTO PROVIDED BY THEAUDUBON NATURE INSTITUTE

BOYS +GIRLS: RISING TODDLER 3-K

GIRLS: RISING 1ST-8TH GRADES

SUMMER CAMPS•SCHOOLS ACTIVITES•SERVICES

5342 St. Charles Ave., NOLA 3747 W. Esplanade Ave, Metairie nojcc.org/camp

SCHOOL OF ROCK

1907 Veterans Blvd., Metairie schoolofrock.com/locations/metairie/ music-camps

School of Rock music camps give students the opportunity to play in aband together in asafe and fun environment, learning Rock songs in awide variety of styles. All camps culminate in aLIVE performance!

May 22 -May 26,2023

Rookies Rock Summer Camp

Jun 5-Jun 9, 2023

Rock 101 Summer Boot Camp

Jun 12 -Jun 16, 2023

Classic Rock Rewind Camp

Jun 19 -Jun 23, 2023

Best of the 90s Rock Camp

Jun 26 -Jun 30, 2023

Rock 101 Summer Boot Camp

Jul 10 -Jul 14, 2023

Rookies Rock Summer Camp

Jul 17 -Jul 21, 2023

Metal Camp

Jul 24 -Jul 28, 2023

Beatles Camp (Northshore)

For camp info call 504-618-ROCK or visit www.schoolofrock.com/locations/ metairie/music-camps

Located Uptown and in Metairie, JCC camps pack summer days with fun! Our early childhood and general day campers enjoy adiverse mix of age-appropriate activities including pool time and American Red Cross certified swim instruction for ages three and up, plus sports, art, drama, music, cooking, science and yoga. The Uptown JCC’s Sports Camp focuses on game fundamentals, skills and rules, as well as sportsmanship and teamwork. Campers learn basketball, baseball, football and soccer,play recreational games and enjoy free swim. Our staffensures campers have endless opportunities to exploretheir interests, discover new ones, and develop meaningful friendships.

CHRIST EPISCOPAL SCHOOL

80 Christwood Blvd., Covington, LA christepiscopalschool.org

Summer at CES includes three options: theater, sports, and/or the traditional summer camp experience, and all areguaranteed to provide weeks of summertime fun!

Summer Drama options include Aladdin Jr.(ages 9-16), Aladdin Kids (ages 7-9) and Tuck Everlasting (ages 11-19).

Wildcat Sports camps (grades 1-8) include boys flag football/speed and agility,boys and girls soccer, boys basketball, volleyball, and wrestling.

Creative Cats is all about fun for children entering Pre-k through 8th grade! Arts, crafts, music, movement, canoeing, science, chess, robotics, and more! Visit christepiscopalschool.or/summer-camp/

CRESCENT CITYCHRISTIAN SCHOOL

4828 Utica St., Metairie crescentcitychristian.com/cccs-summer-camps

Crescent City Christian School 2023 Summer Camp offers afun and safe environment for your kids. Activities include weekly field trips, arts and crafts, waterslide, swimming in an Olympic size indoor pool, hands-on Stem sessions, Lego club, cooking lessons, and much more. Before&aftercareare included. Camp runs May 30 –July 28, Monday through Friday 6AM-6 PM. Summer camp is on aweek-by-week basis. Registration is now open; spaces arelimited. Camp Ages: 3-14 (must turn 4by9/2023 &potty-trained required.) Camp Cost: $185 per week. Multi-child and other discounts are available. Visit crescentcitychristian.com/cccs-summercamps/ for moreinformation.

CEDARWOOD CAMPS& AQUATICS

607 Heavens Dr. Mandeville |985-845-7111

cedarwoodschool.com

Cedarwood’sseven-acrecampus is the setting for exploration, creativity,and discovery Cedarwood Camp will integrate creative arts and drama, robotics, and STEAM (Science, Technology,Engineering, Art and Math), music and movement, and aquatics in the Jr.Olympic pool. The discovery that STEAM learning delivers has been proven to benefit and position children for success in the future. Swimming lessons areavailable for campers and non-campers.Register online at cedarwoodschool.com

ECOLE BILINGUE

821 General Pershing St., NOLA ebnola.com

Summer at Ecole Bilingue keeps growing with the new additions this year of chess camp and reading camp. The day camp infuses French language and cultureascampers exploreart, movement, cooking, and other activities, while the chess camp and reading camps areinEnglish and focus on strategy building and English reading enrichment. Campers as young as Pre-K 3and potty trained up through age 14 can enroll in single or multiple weeks throughout June and July.NoFrench background required. Registration is now open. Visit ebnola.com for information and to register

CULINARYKIDS

915 Marigny Ave., Mandeville culinarykidsns.com

If school is out, Culinary Kids is in! Our day camp adventures serve children ages 5–12. We guide kids as they cook their own meals, perform wild science experiments, enjoy indoor and outdoor games and exercises, make crafts, enjoy our gardens, feed our chickens, and meet guest visitors! We offer one-day camps throughout the year and week-long, full-day sessions for spring and summer breaks. Visit culinarykidsns.com to learn more!

VAMONOS

600 EleonoreSt., NOLA amilia.com/store/en/vamonos-nola/shop/programs

Vamonos is amom-owned and operated summer camp that provides asafe, engaging, and loving environment for children to explorelanguage. Since 2014, they have been offering camps and classes to kids aged 5-10. This summer,the camp’stheme is aLatin American tour,visiting nine different Spanish speaking countries, with activities such as music, dance, theatre, crafts, and water play.Vamonos’ play-based curriculum focuses on dual language learning and social-emotional development, creating a transformative and enriching experience for children. With nine weeks of fun and learning from June 5toAugust 11, Vamonos is the perfect choice for parents seeking an unforgettable summer camp for their children.

Dates: July 10-14 ,July 17-24, July 24-28 ,July 31-August 4th

Tuition: $325/week. Tuitionincludes t-shirt, registration, and one instrument rental

Campers choose eight programs each week: Acting, Piano, Voice, Guitar,Drum, Violin. Jazz Band, Rock Band, Composition, Chorus, Wind, Brass, Musical Theater,Ballet, Hip Hop, Tap.

ARTS &INNOVATION CAMP

Call 504-738-3050 or 985-674-2992

ENROLL NOW Grades 1-8

Three weeksofsummer fun incorporating innovation andthe arts!

June 5–June 23

www.willowschoolNOLA.org

Usingthe history of WorldWar II as ajumping-offpoint,campers have thechancetoengageinfun,creativeactivitiesthat will ignite theirimaginations!Whether your camper enjoyscreativeexpression, scientificpursuits, storytelling, or theart of deception—orperhaps allfour—TheNationalWWIIMuseumoffers avariety of options forsummer-time learning andexploration

SUMMER CAMPS•SCHOOL S•ACTIVITES•SERVICES

CYBER SLEUTH

Delgado City Park Campus Delgado Westbank Campus

cybersleuthlab.org

The Delgado GenCyber Cyber Sleuth Camp is an inclusive, fun, free and informative program designed to introduce 8th-12th grade students in the Greater New Orleans Area to the field of Digital Forensics, Incident Response (DFIR) and Cybersecurity.Participants will develop hands-on investigation skills by solving realistic cases with professional forensics tools and techniques. Students will also learn practical cyber self-defense skills and explorecareer opportunities in the dynamic fields of Cybersecurity and DFIR! No prior experience is required.

TwoCamps will be held. June 19-23 at Delgado City Park Campus &June 26-30 at Delgado Westbank Campus. Space is limited. Register now at cybersleuthlab.org/2023/02/25/gencybersummer-camp-delgado-community-college/

CAMP ROCKMONT

375 Lake Eden Rd., Black Mountain, N.C. rockmont.com/nola/

ASummer of Adventure. ALifetime of Friendship.

At Rockmont, campers get to experience the wildness of being aboy outdoors, the welcoming embrace of aloving community,and the wonder of being alive. What makes Rockmont different is Age Progressive Programming. As your son grows, so will his camp experience! And our incredible counselors and staff arewith him every step of the way.Skills become moreadvanced, activities grow to be moreexpansive, campouts add elements of wildness -and our phenomenal counselors and staffare along the journey with him every step of the way!

For $300 offa2023 Camp session, visit rockmont.com/nola/

LOUIS ARMSTRONGJAZZ CAMP

Loyola University New Orleans Campus louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com

The mission of the Louis “Satchmo” Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp is to honor jazz in the place of its birth and to foster greater appreciation of this art form through music education. LSASJC is one of akind: it’sthe only summer program in New Orleans with acomprehensive curriculum that includes instrumental and vocal music, dance and Hip Hop. The program includes three weeks of intensive music education classes M-F from 9:00am to 3:00 pm. June 19th through July 7th. Twoweeks of swing dance and Hip Hop from June 26th through July 7, 2022.

LSASJC accepts students ages 10-21 years old, with housing available for students 15-21. Free lunch is provided for all students. Register now! Visit louisarmstrongjazzcamp.com for moreinformation.

LAAPA

Mandeville School of Music &Dance

105 Campbell Ave. #3 |Mandeville, LA (985) 674-2992

River Ridge School of Music &Dance

2020 Dickory Ave. #200 |Harahan, LA (504) 738-3050

laapa.com

With achoice of over 40 instrumental, vocal and dance programs, this summer camp provides children ages 5-14 with the opportunity to try out up to eight programs of interest. The goal of each class for beginning students is to provide an introduction and basic foundation in afun and relaxed environment. For experienced students, the goal is to provide the inspiration and motivation necessary to take their skills to the next level! Camp is held from 9AM -3PMMonday -Friday and includes aLAAPAt-shirt and one free instrument rental.

MOUNTCARMEL ACADEMY

7027 Milne Blvd., NOLA mcacubs.com/camp

Choose your adventureatMount Carmel’sSummer Camp! Campers customize their summer fun by picking their favorite activities from adiverse and exciting selection. They will enjoy being artists, scientists, dancers, athletes, cheerleaders, chefs, detectives, designers, actresses, and so much more! Campers will exploretheir individual interests and uncover new talents as they make friends and have ablast!

Girls entering grades 2-8 June 5-30, by the week

Morning Sessions: 9a.m.-12 p.m.

Afternoon Sessions: 1-4 p.m.

Beforeand after careavailable

ON VEWTHROUGH MAY7 VIE ROU AY 7 GH M W TH

SUMMER CAMPS•SCHOOL S•ACTIVITES•SERVICES

ABRIE DU PLOOYTENNIS ACADEMY

City Park Tennis Center,The University of New Orleans, English Turn Country Club futuretennis.com

GRETNAKIDS PLAYHOUSE

Gretna Kids Playhouse’ssummertheatreworkshops focus on foundational skills, confidence-building, and empowering young actors as artists. Performers of all experience levels, aged 12-16, areencouraged toattend. The workshop will run weekdays, June 5-16, 9:00am-3:00pm, and will culminate in two performances of Don Zolidis’ hilarious play,The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon, on Saturday,June 17.Spectaculathon is awild, fast-paced retelling of over 200 classic fairytales! Email kidsplayhouse@ gretnacca.com for info. Find us on FB, www.facebook.com/GretnaKidsPlayhouse.

CITY PARK MOVEMENT AND ARTS

City Park Movement and Art offers half-day arts intensives and weekly classes June -August. Young Artists ages 5–18are invited to join us for one- or two-week arts intensives for Musical Theater,Dance, Visual Arts, and more. Young Artists ages 3-adult arealso invited to join us for aweekly class in dance or musical theater.AtCPMA we know that summer activities can be both enriching and FUN! Come learn, grow,get creative, and continue your training with us this summer.Join us for ahalf day intensive and or aonce weekly class!

THE WILLOWSCHOOL NEW ORLEANS

As an Arts Schools Network Exemplary School, The Willow School offers arenowned arts-integrated academic program at its Uptown campuses. Willow’s Summer Arts and Innovation Camp offers three weeks of fun incorporating STEM and the arts for grades 1-8 at its middle school campus. Elementary school campers participate in ARTS SPARK! with classes in design, visual and performing arts, science and more. For grades 5-8, young artists and explorers areintroduced and prepped for conservatory and design-oriented high school programs. Classes have included theatre, music, visual art, media arts, dance, science, robotics, culture, karate, coding and more. For moreinformation go to www.willowschoolNOLA.org.

Play and learn tennis with the best! Campers will have fun and learn skills from world-class professional coaches. Voted“Best in Louisiana” for the sport, our academy provides well-rounded instruction, covering skills including point-specific drills, tracking, technique, sportsmanship, endurance, tournament toughness, nutrition, and warm-up methods. Snacks will be provided, and all campers will be eligible for prizes! Camp dates: June 5th -August 4th. Ages 5-18. All levels. View our Rafa Nadal Camp, June 12-16 on the website -the camp ran by Rafas coaches from Spain. For moreinformation visit futuretennis. com or call 985-634-6229.

ARDEN CAHILL ACADEMY CAMP CORRAL

3101 Wall Blvd., Gretna, LA ardencahillacademy.com

Voted #1 Summer Camp in New Orleans by Gambit readers for three years, Cahill Camp Corral offers two sessions comprised of 10 themed weeks of on-campus activities such as horseback riding, swimming, art, theater,sports, game room, petting farm, archery,riflery,STEAM and more. Space, Dinosaur and Adventureweek arealways ahit, while blue and white days, rodeos, theatre productions, and the overnight camp“in” arenot to be missed. Academic enrichment classes are offered as session options. Conveniently located in Gretna, 10 minutes from the GNO Bridge. For moreinformation or to register now,visit Cahill Camp Corral online at ArdenCahillAcademy.com.

740 4th Street., Gretna, LA facebook.com/GretnaKidsPlayhouse

5624 Freret St., NOLA willowschoolNOLAorg

SUMMER CAMPS•SCHOOL S•ACTIVITES•SERVICES

UPTURN ARTS

1719 Toledano St., NOLA UpturnArts.org

Upturn Arts is afun and creative program that teaches children in the New Orleans community to exploreand build confidence in themselves as artists. We strive to increase the expressive confidence of every child, regardless of artistic talent or ability

NEW ORLEANS DANCEACADEMY

5956 Magazine St., NOLA neworleansdancelessons.com

Give your child the gift of dance and register today! The New Orleans Dance Academy is now offering afreetrial class and free registration for Summer and Fall, if you mention ‘Gambit.’ Choose from group classes in ballet, tap and jazz dance, or private lessons. Established in 1990, the New Orleans Dance Academy has had over 30 years of excellence in dance. Students of NODA love the small class sizes and supportive, non-competitive atmosphere. Parents love the accessible staff, complimentary recital tickets, and no-hassle costumes. To enroll or for moreinformation, call (504) 899-3780 or email info@thenoda.com

OGDEN MUSEUM OF SOUTHERN ART

925 Camp St., NOLA ogdenmuseum.org/summercamps

Register your child today for Ogden Museum Summer Camp! Through aseries of small, specialized camps, kids in grades 2through 12 can explorephotography, painting, printmaking, mixed media, fashion design and more! Each session draws inspiration from Southern works of art and gives campers the chance to learn from professional artists. Our offerings include Fine Arts FUNdamentals, Fashion Camp and Photography Camp. Camp space is limited, so be suretoreserve your child’sspottoday.Ifyou have questions, contact education@odgenmuseum.orgor(504) 539-9608.

If your child is creative, curious, and afan of Field Trip Fridays then they will LOVE our summer lineup of dance, music, theater,and visual art—becoming true ART-adVenturers! Twelve themed sessions areavailable for ages 4-12 on asliding scale. Tuition includes breakfast, lunch, performances, and field trips. Visit UpturnArts.orgtoregister

URSULINE ACADEMY CAMP U

2635 State St., NOLA uanola.org/camp-u

Boys and girls: rising toddler 3 through kindergarten

Girls: rising 1st -8th

June 5–July27, 2023

www.inspirenolacharterschools.org

ACADEMY OF THE SACRED HEART SUMMER CAMP

4521 St Charles Ave., NOLA ashrosary.org/summer

Let Your Fun Shine at Sacred Heart! Campers will enjoy awide variety of festive and fun summer activities and enrichment opportunities including the return of FIELD TRIPS, water fun, indoor and outdoor games, music, dance, cheer,sports, visual arts, and more. Lunch will be offered by Pigeon Catering for an additional fee, and after-care is available for all camps, which take place June 12-July 21, 2023. For moreinfo, visit ashrosary.org/summer or call 504.269.1230

$260/week

At Camp U, campers will enjoy activities in both STEM and the arts, while building friendships and making memories. Ursuline’sinnovative environment inspires campers to explore hands-on projects with their interests in mind and keeps them engaged with challenging concepts. Through fun teamwork and immersive, hands-on, creative problem solving, campers will exploreinnovative STEM projects, as well as art, cooking, sewing, creative writing, music, water play, and more. Sign up for Camp Uthis summer by visiting uanola.org/camp-u.

SUMMER CAMPS•SCHOOL S•ACTIVITES•SERVICES

LOVE SWIMMING

Love Swimming was founded in 2002 with aphilosophy and passion to provide the most effective, fun lessons for swimmers of all ages. Students often say their lessons arethe high point of their week! Love Swimming’swarm indoor pool hosts lessons for all swimmers: from as young as 6months to adults and those with special needs. With safe, small classes, they provide astrong foundation for a lifetime of long and respect for the water.For moreinformation and to enroll, visit loveswimming.com

ARKIDTECTURE CAMP AT THE BK HISTORICHOUSE &GARDEN

1113 Chartres St., NOLA bkhouse.org/summer-camp

This week-long summer camp will explorethe past and present day architectureofNew Orleans through avariety of fun and engaging, hands-on activities that include games, art, building, and more!

Camp will take place in the Historic BK House &Gardens,a home that was built almost 200 years ago and serves as an architectural marvel of the 19th century.While learning about the master craftsmen responsible for building this house and others, campers will participate in live demonstrations and take numerous field trips around the French Quarter

This camp is for students ages 8-13. Beforeand after carewill be available as an add on. Therewill be four,one week sessions offered: June 12-16, June 26-30, July 10-14, or July 24-28. After registering through bkhouse.org, parents will be sent acamper registration form.

LOYOLA SCHOOL OF COMMUNICATION AND DESIGN

Monroe and Communication Buildings at Loyola University |6363 St. Charles Ave., NOLA cmm.loyno.edu/scdexperience

The School of Communication and Design (SCD) will host the 2023 SCD Summer Experience, acomprehensive boot camp that exposes high school students to careers in motion design, graphic design, book arts, UX design, photography,design thinking, game design, journalism and film. High school students from across the region areinvited to register and learn from top-notch educators and industry experts about the endless professional opportunities. It’s ahands-on workshop designed to challenge and inspire high school students to exploreavariety of methods and media, while engaging in aprocess that is collaborative, thought-provoking, and imaginative.*Scholarships available. For moreinformation email scdexperience@loyno.edu or visit cmm.loyno.edu/scdexperience.

ACADEMY OF OUR LADY

Academy of Our Lady offers asummer filled with excitement and adventure. With awide variety of activities, such as daily swimming and waterslide, arts and crafts, on-campus field trips and stem activities, we have acamp for all. AOL is aplace wherecampers can explorenew things, discover new talents and create lasting friendships. For more information, visit our website at theacademyofourlady.org/ summer-camp or email camp@theacademyofourlady.org.

NOLAVORE

Baronne St., NOLA nolavore.net/cooking-camps-and-classes.html

2139

Come cook up some fun with us this summer! Our oneweek summer camps cover important basic kitchen skills, such as kitchen safety and sanitation, knife skills, sauteing, grilling, frying, roasting and more! No two sessions are alike! Enrolment is limited to provide asafe, constructive learning environment. All sessions arefor kids entering 3rd-7th grade. Four one-week sessions areavailable beginning June 5th, plus two End of Summer encores sessions starting July 31st and August 7th. Camp hours are 9:00am-12:30pm, M-F.Snack and lunch provided. Campers also receive aNolavoreapron and aself-assembled recipe book of all dishes prepared during the week.

5501 Westbank Expressway |Marrero, LA theacademyofourlady.org/summer-camp

5221 S. Front St, NOLA loveswimming.com

SUMMER CAMPS•SCHOOL S•ACTIVITES•SERVICES

HERMANN-GRIMA +GALLIER HISTORIC HOUSES

ATONEMENTLUTHERAN

6500 Riverside Dr., Metairie, LA alcs.org/our-church/summer-camp

Join us for Summer Camp 2023 at Atonement Lutheran!

Camps run May 29th -August 4th. Youdonot have to attend our church or school to participate in campAll arewelcome! We have camps available for students in PreK -8th grade! Choose from awide variety of camps like soccer,basketball, slime, cooking, art, cheer,and more! Call Rose at 504-887-0225 to register or for questions!

KIDSPORTS

1200

AT OCHSNER FITNESS CENTER

Kidsports Summer Camp, held at Ochsner Fitness Center -Harahan, offers asummer’sworth of fun filled, structured, and engaging activities for kids ages 3-12. Run by atrained andexperienced staff, kids are separated into small groups based on age, to enjoy friendship, fun and fitness.

Campers will get achance to engage in sports, obstacle courses, artist-led crafts, field trips, water fun, interactive gaming and more! Camp dates areMay 16th -August12th. To register or for moreinformation, call 504.226.8033 or visit kidsportsnola.com

Looking to immerse yourself in the world of animation and video games? Join Academy of Interactive Entertainment at one of our week-long Summer Camps for ages 12-18! Our camps will teach you the programs used in Video Game Art and Design and Game Programming. Participants learn about softwareand basic techniques used in the industry

Learning AND Fun in the French Quarter! Hermann-Grima +Gallier Historic Houses will hold 3campsessions this summer during the weeks of June 19, July 10, and July 31. Each weeklong camp engages children ages 7-12 through project-based learning, crafts, and games with ahistoric focus. Campers will exploreboth historic houses and 19th-cent. life through art, cooking, horticulture, and other elements of New Orleans culture. Drop offand pick up will take place at the Hermann-Grima House (820 St. Louis Street) each day,and beforeand after careare available all week. Register now at hgghh.org/kids-and-families.

NEW ORLEANS GLASSWORKS

New Orleans Glassworks &Printmaking Studio’sSummerTechnical Workshop for Young Adults is ahands-on experience wherescience meets art! Students may attend the Three-Week Session, Weekly Sessions, or both to learn Glassblowing, Glass Torchworking/Flameworking, Metal Sculpture& Welding, Printmaking, Screen Printing, Stained Glass, Ceramics, Architectural Sculpture&Float Building, and more! No two weeks arealike, and attending multiple weeks allows students to progress within these disciplines and create custom multimedia projects. Limited to 25 students per week, all students receive individualized instruction to help them find their inspiration and tap into their creativity!

820 St. Louis St., NOLA Hgghh.org

S. Clearview Pkwy. Harahan, LA |kidsportsnola.com

Frenchtouch

Tonti’sHandFrench Bistroopens in Algiers by Beth D’Addono |

JULIACHILDANDJACQUESPEPIN’S INFLUENCES have settlednicelyin AlgiersPoint.

Themaster chefsare twoofthe primaryinfluences chef Freddy Augustin is channelingatTonti’s Hand French Bistro.The restaurant opened in November at 323Verret St., thelatest additiontothe dining scene in thehistoricneighborhood

Augustin,a Floridanativewho hasspentthe last 11 years in New Orleans, worked at Atchafalaya for three yearsand most recently as a privatecheffor afew locals in the film industry.One of hisclients,an investor in therestaurant, tapped himfor thetop chef job.

Though he’s been in kitchenssince he was15, Augustin wasn’t formally trained.Instead,hetook cues from chefslikePepin and Child. “I learned from theirwords,doingwhatthey didonTV,”saysthe 38-year-oldchef.

Augustin’s commitmenttoclassic Frenchfareisapparentindishes like hisonion soup. Thechefspends threedaysmakingone of thebest localversionsofthisFrenchclassic Roastedbeefbones simmer fortwo days to developastock with layers of rich flavor. He slowly caramelizes twokinds of onions into justthe right balanceofsweetness over five hours.Itall comestogether with butter anddry sherry,atoasted slice of French baguetteand an excellent Gruyere, meltedintooozygoodness.

“Wearen’ttryingtoinvent somethingnew,” Augustin says.“The menu is designedtoworkinour compactkitchen.Wewill add specials into themix onceweget more staff.Wealready have alot of regulars.The neighborhood lovesus.”

Therestaurantoffersits French bistro menu from 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Thursdaythrough Monday

It’s acompactmenuthatincludes options forvegansand vegetarians.

Theshort list of starters includes aspinachsalad topped with black lentilsand awarmmushroomvinaigrette.AshavedBrusselssprouts saladgetschewfromdried currants, crunch from toastedalmonds and bright notesofcitrus from a champagnevinaigrette

Therealso is acharcuterie andcheese board, apot of Prince Edward Island mussels in saffronand whitewinebroth and escargot swimming in garlickyparsleybutter.

Troutamandineis simply sauteedinsherry brownbutterand topped with ascatteringofalmonds

Thevegetarian mushroom bourguignon, which canbevegan if served withoutthe

butterycauliflower

rice,isanumami-rich dish built with shiitake,maitake andkingtrumpet mushroomssimmered in redwine withplentyofgarlic. There’sa traditional salad niçoise with asousvide piece of tuna,haricot verts, Kalamata olives andhardcooked eggs

Meat lovers will appreciate the L’Smashburger, dressedwith cheese,duckfat aioliand pickled onions.Acrispyroastedhalfchicken is seasoned with blackgarlicand comeswith steakfries.Sides include shoestring fries,peas and carrots andBrussels gratin.For dessert, thereare acouple of classics: crème bruleeand chocolate mousse.

Theinviting55-seat restaurant haslotsofnaturallight andapretty whiteand bluecolorpalette. A wall of vintageFrenchadvertising posterssetsanartsy tone. There aretwo tables outsideand patio seatingisinthe works.

PartnerA.J.McAlear, whohas morethan 35 yearsofhospitality and fine dining experience,left hisposition as Antoine’sgeneral manager to open therestaurant. Although he worked in theFrench Quarterfor decades, thechanceto partnerinaplace just stepsfromhis home wastoo good to passup.

“I’vebeenin(Algiers) Pointfor morethan 10 years,”McAlear says.

“I love this neighborhood.”

TherestaurantisnearConfetti Park,which McAlear’smother lives behind.The restaurant donates $1 from everyConfettiParkcocktail

to thepark. It’s ariffona French 75 made with whiterum,Crème de PechedeVigne, citrus anddry sparklingwine, served in aglass rimmed with locally made lavender sugar.

At atimewhen $20cocktails are becoming more common, McAlear’s barprogram has more affordable options.Thereare $5 French beers, $10-$12craftcocktails and food friendly house winesfor $6.50aglass McAlear’s compactall-Frenchcellaris priced at $35orless perbottle.

“I don’t have aCalifornia cab, and we aren’t going to getone,”he says.“We have onegoodvodka We don’tneed 14.”

Thebistroisnamed forHenri de Tonti, aFrenchgeneral and contemporaryofBienvilleand Iberville. Tonti’sHand refers to theprosthetic hook andglove that earned himthe nicknamethe Iron Hand.Animage of agauntletadorns themenu.

McAlearhopes thename’sobscurity will prove memorable,although theonion soup is alreadydoingthat job. Therestaurantdoesn’ttake reservations,and McAlearwants it to be geared toward locals

“Weare servingour neighborhood,” he says.“Locals don’t want a destinationrestaurant. They want a placetheycan go to multiple times aweek andfeelcomfortable.”

FORK +CENTER

Emaildining@gambitweekly.com

Cleoreturns

FORYEARSCLEO’SMEDITERRANEAN CUISINEHASBEENRELIABLE forlatenightFrenchQuarter mealsthat don’t tastelikelast resorts.

Itsoriginal incarnationcombines aMiddleEasternrestaurantwitha corner storestocked with imported candy, snacks and an arrayof soft drinks.The standards are higher than thecasual settingand 24-hour schedule wouldsuggest, and ownerTarek Madkoureven worked in some dishes specific to hisEgyptian heritage.

Buthealwayswantedtodomore withthe cuisine of hishomeland, so in 2019 he opened asecondlocation at 117DecaturSt. as afull-service versionwitharesplendent dining room

That spacehas been closed for nearly threeyears in thepandemic, butitisnow back,rejoining themore casual editiononCanalStreet, albeit withsomewhatcurtailed hours

Themenu,which is halal, has changed significantly forits return. Madkoursayshe’sadjusting to what he’s learned aboutthe French Quartermarket, andwhathis new staffcan consistently field.

Pita sandwiches areservedat dinner nowinadditiontothe more elaborateplates, and there’smuch moreseafood,withavariety of sautéed fish served withhummus and yellow rice.

Theseare seasoned withalight dashofkebab spices, foranearthy, slightly pepperywarmth. They pair well with specialtysauceslike zhoug, athick garlicand herb sauce (similar to pesto) or toum,the soft, whipped garlicspread Thestaples still getextra attention in thekitchen.Hummus bowls aregarnished with edible

ExecutiveChefFreddyAugustinand GeneralManagerA.J.McAlear atTonti’sHandinAlgiersPoint.

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER /GAMBIT

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY /THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Aneighborhood spot with classic French fare

flowers,which adda subtle rose petal flavortothe dip.Hummus bowlswithfried cauliflower, fried chickenorza’atar shrimp can stand in as entrees.

Therestaurantmakes itspita bread in house and hasmany vegetarian dishes.Thatincludes theEgyptianbreakfast, which brings an assortmentofdips, fried eggplant,fetaand falafel.

Theaddress waspreviously home to thelongtimeItalian restaurant Café Giovanni,which closed in 2017.The spacehas been lushlyre-imagined witha modern Middle Easternmotif,witharabesque patterns worked into the walls, thelight displays and even thecustom tabletops.

This second Cleo’salso hasa specialtyfood storenextdoor, withimportedcandyand snacks and awallofsoftdrinks.The restaurant doesnot servealcohol, butcustomerscan bringtheir own.

This full-serviceCleo’shas not resumed itsprior 24-hourschedule, insteadserving lunchthrough dinner hours Tuesdaythrough Sunday.The location at 940Canal St.keepsverylatehours,until 6 a.m.,but nowcloses forafew hours in themorning.With morestaffing thoseschedules could expand in thefuturetoreturn to 24-hour service. —IAN McNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

TwoMorrows

LARRYMORROWCAMETOTHE

RESTAURANTBUSINESS afterbuildinghis nameinentertainmentas aproducerand promoter.He’s broughtadifferent lens to the idea of acasual NewOrleans restaurant,first with Morrow’s in Faubourg Marigny,and then withMondayRestaurant+ Bar in Mid-City Nowhehas twoprojectsinthe worksthatwill bringa steakand seafoodrestauranttothe CBD and an Asian-American restaurant andbar with ahip-hop beat to the French Quarter.

Morrow’s Steak &Seafood is takingshape at 1001 JuliaSt. in theStandard, an apartment towerthatispartofthe South Market development

It is taking theplace of Otra Vez, amodernMexican restaurant.Morrow’sSteak &Seafood is slated to open in thespring.

Primesteak will be partofthe menu,but don’t expecta traditional steakhouseatmosphere.

“It’snot fine dining, butelevated,”Morrowsays. “It’schef plates,seafood,curated cocktails.And it’s aboutthe vibe. I want peopletocomehereand

feel like they hada full experience.”

Morrow’s company, theMorrow Group, is working withSouth Market developerthe

Domain Cos. on the newrestaurant.

In aseparate project, Morrow will openSun Chong at 240DecaturSt.

It’s namedfor his grandmother,who wasborninKorea and immigrated to theU.S

Morrow describes theconceptas“an AsianAmerican restaurantand bar heavily influenced by hip-hop culture.”Thatincludesclassic hiphoptunes on thesound system, and thedécor anddesignwill flow from Korean styles

“It’smuchmorethan thefood,” Morrow says.“It’s celebratingthe legacy of my grandmother and telling that story.”

SunChong is expectedtoopen in March.

Morrow’s family tree includes both Blackand Korean heritage, and this blend hasplayedout in hisfirst restaurants

Heand hismother,Lenora Chong,openedthe original Morrow’s at 2438 SaintClaude Ave. in 2018,witha stylishfeel and auniquemix on themenu, withchar-grilled oysters, gumbo, Korean bulgogiand lettucewraps

Last summer Morrow took over thelarge Mid-City patiorestaurant that wasinitially called Trep’s,at 4327 Bienville St.Herebranded it Monday Restaurant+Bar,and it hasproventobeapopulardraw.

Morrow first made hisname as apromoterand producer.He says translatingthose relationships to thehospitalityrealm has been abig part of hisprogression in thebusiness.Manyofthe performersheworkedwith early on make apointofvisitinghis restaurants today.

He also started Treehouse,the Central City lounge and events venueat1840ThaliaSt. He’s seen howpeopleliketocombinevisits, diningathis restaurantsand then continuingthe nightatTreehouse

Now, he’s diversifying thetypes of businesses underhis company

“I travela lotinthe states and abroad,and Isee ideasthatwe aren’t doinghereyet andI want to bringthattoNew Orleans,” he says.— IANMcNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Casabonita

CASABORREGAWASANEARLYBRIGHT SPOTALONGORETHACASTLEHALEY BOULEVARD during effortstorevitalize this historic commercialcorridor in Central City.Sonewslast spring that it wasshuttingdown felt like aparticularblowamong a rash of restaurantclosings

Now, owner Hugo Monterohas re-openedCasaBorrega forregularservice,withlunch and dinner throughthe week andlivemusic on weekends.

Afterhis father died, he went to hisnativeMexicoand spent severalmonthswith hisfamily. Reconnecting with thestreet food of Mexico City andthe culture of hishometownrevived hisdeterminationtobring Casa Borregaback.

“Itwas neverjust aboutbeing arestaurant,”Montero says “I also want to showcaseour culture here.”

To bringCasaBorrega back, Monterostreamlined forasmaller staffand afocus on what he believescan makeCasaBorrega a destination. It’s nowcounter service with ashort menu of taqueria styledishes.

Therealso arespecials,likehuaraches,named forthe elongated, shoe sole shape of itstortilla, whichwas made in house from bluecornmasa, and topped with beansand chicharrónes.

Casa Borrega’scocktailmenu, with itslarge selectionoftequila and mezcal,isback. Live musicreturns Friday and Saturday evenings.

Thespirit of Casa Borrega now, he says,is“thethree B’s: bueno,bonito,borracho,”which translates to good,beautiful and drunk.—IAN McNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

Thebaranddiningroom atCasaBorrega.

PHOTO BY IANMCNULTY / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

BrittneyLain

Chef by Will Coviello

BRITTNEYLAINANDNICHOLAS FLOWERSLAUNCHEDTHEIRFEDNFULL FOODTRUCK during thepandemic

They createdtheir ownmix of dishes they dubBlack-A-Nese cuisine, which appearsonthe side of thebrightly coloredtruck. The truckappears at locationsaround town,fromschooleventsinNew Orleans East to Gentillytothe WarehouseDistrictand weekend nights outsidethe Harrah’s Casino Formoreinformation,visitfednfullfoodtruck.comor@fed_n_fullfoodtruckonInstagram

Howdidyoulaunch yourfoodtruck?

BRITTNEY LAIN: Iworked10 yearsinthe food industry —inhospitals and dietary,atcolleges, and in restaurants around town.Mylast jobwas with True Food Kitchen.I wasthere abouta year and ahalf. My husbandwas working forcontractors.Iwas alinecook.I worked at theoven, andI made pizzas, pita breadand flatbreads.Imade doughfromscratch and waited for it to proofovernight andthenslidit into theoveninthe morning

We kind of startedlookingat differentinvestments. We looked at inflatables. We startedrenting outbouncehousesand space walksand waterslides. That putusintothe parkswith(New Orleans Recreation Development Commission) during thepandemic NORDCdidn’thave anyconcession stands, buttheywerestill hostinggamesthroughout theweek

We gotthe opportunity to serve snowballs to thekidswhen it was hotduringthe summer.Wehad all sortsofflavors andput condensed milk on top. We also didcrawfish nachosand chili-cheesehot dogs

We raised enough moneytobuild thekitchen inside thetruck.

So we invested in thefood truck and started doingparties andgigs and parksfor footballgames with snowballs and things. Then we came up with aname, aconcept and amenutogofullblown

Howdoyoudescribe yourconcept?

L: FedN Full is thename of the food truck. We cook Black-ANese cuisine.

“PaidinFull” is amovie we like We just incorporated thefood part.Black-A-Nese cuisinewas

WINE OF THE WEEK

somethingwecame up with.We wanted to step away from what everybodyelse wasdoingand cook something different. When it comestofood that’s prepared by Blackpeople,a lotofpeople like to call it Southernfood or fusion. NoteverythingwedoisSouthern, and fusion is kind of exotic forme. Sowecame up with theconcept of Black-A-Nese cuisine, andit’s ourown thing. We do chicken and cabbage eggrolls,and insteadof shrimp friedricewedodirty rice. That’s theBlack part aboutit. It’s notsometypeofAsian cuisine, it’s ourstyle of jambalayaand dirty rice and things of that nature. We like wings withsweet and spicy flavors.Insteadofsweet and sour,it’ssweet heat.Nickloves dirty rice,sothat’sone of ourmain sides. Theegg rollsand empanadas aregood.Wemakeshrimp, steak,chicken andoystertacos

We maketacos alot at home,so that wasaway to incorporatethat on themenuaswell, butwitha differentstyle of shell. Idoa softshelltaco, butI fryit. With fried oysters, we putthatonafried soft taco shellwithour house sauce —that’sa sweetand spicy sauce and we add lettuce, cheese,green onions andthen another layerof thesauce

We have specials likecrawfish nachosfor people whowantfinger foodsorthingsfor kids.

Wherehasthe truckattractedfans?

L: We startedonDesireStreet in the9th Ward around ourhouse

wheretherewas alot of foot traffic. Then we had theopportunity to go to parkslikeJoe BrownPark doingsnowballs

Oursecondlocationisata strip mall at 4001 Frenchmen St. The[Contemporary Arts Center] invitedustocomeout.Theywant to do food trucks on different days,and we were oneofthe first ones they invited. We suggested they do arotationofdifferent trucks.Wejust did theMardi Gras season there.

We also do nights at the Harrah’s Casino.Weset up at Canal andSouth Peters (streets) on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.That’sour most consistent spot.We’re thereevery weekend. We startedduringthe pandemic when therewerenorestaurants open around there.

We do events at Ashe Cultural Arts Center. We were therefor a convention. We go to Livingston high schoolinNew Orleans East We’retherefor theirfestival days They like to treattheir kidsgood. We’llbethere on Thursdayor Fridaysduringlunch

We also do specialrequests. ForMardi Gras,wecatered for theKrewe of Themis.Wedid a breakfast menuofgrits,eggs, sausage andthingslikethat beforetheyboarded thefloats in themorning

19 Crimes

Cali Blanc Sauvignon Blanc

Delicate herbaland bright citrus flavors supporta core of honeydew melon with aunique and distinct floralfinish

DISTRIBUTED BY

NicholasFlowersand BrittneyLainstartedthe FedNFullfoodtruck.

PHOTO PROVIDED BY BRITTNEY LAIN

Out 2Eat is an indexofGambit contract advertisers. Unlessnoted, addresses arefor NewOrleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: Email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

8FreshFoodAssassin — 1900 N. Claiborne Ave.,(504) 224-2628; Instagram, @8freshfoodassassin Chef MannyJanuary’smenuincludes grilledlambchops,T-bone steaks, salmon,crabcakes,deepfried ribs, friedchicken andchar-grilled or seafood-loadedoysters,aswellassides like collardgreensand mac andcheese. No reservations.Deliveryavailable

Lunchand dinner Tue.-Sun $$

Acorn— 12 HenryThomas Drive, (504) 218-5413;acornnola.com— Thecafe at theLouisiana Children’s Museum haskid-and adult-friendly menu Blackenedshrimpfill atriooftacos topped with arugula,radish, pineapple-mango salsa andcilantro-lime sauce.Noreservations. breakfastand

lunch Wed.-Sun $$

AngeloBrocato’s— 214N.Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-1465;angelobrocatoicecream.com This sweetshop serves itsown gelato, spumoni, Italianice, cannolis,biscotti,fig cookies, tiramisu, macaroonsand othertreats. Lunchand

dinner Tue.-Sun $

Annunciation— 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245;annunciationrestaurant.com ThemenuhighlightsGulf seafoodinCreole,Cajun and Southern dishes.GulfDrum Yvonne is served with brownbuttersauce with mushrooms andartichoke hearts.Reservations recommended.DinnerThu.-Mon. $$$

Banana Blossom— 5009th St.,Gretna, (504)500-0997; 504bananablossom

com JimmyCho’s restaurantserves classic andcreativeThaidishes

Smoked pork belly and pork meatballs areservedina lemongrass brothwith egg,green onion,cilantroand crispy garlic.Reservations accepted forlarge parties except Friday and Saturday nights.Deliveryavailable.Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat $$

TheBlueCrabRestaurant andOyster Bar— 118Harbor View Court, Slidell, (985)315-7001; 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504)284-2898;thebluecrabnola. com Themenuincludessandwiches, friedand boiled seafood andmore. Basinbarbecue shrimp areserved overcheesegrits withacheesebiscuit. Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreservations.Lakeview: lunch anddinner

Tue.-Sun.Slidell: lunch Fri.-Sat., dinner

Wed.-Sun $$

Broussard’s— 819Conti St.,(504) 581-3866;broussards.com Themenu includesCreole andcreativecontemporary dishes.Rainbowtrout amandine is served with tassoand corn macque chouxand Creole meunieresauce Reservations recommended.Outdoor seatingavailable.Dinner Wed.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

Cafe Normandie— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining The menu combines classicFrenchdishes and Louisiana itemslikecrabbeignets with herb aioli. No reservations

Breakfastand lunch daily $$

TheCommissary — 634OrangeSt., (504)274-1850; thecommissarynola. com Thecentral kitchenfor Dickie Brennan restaurants offers graband-godishes and adine-in menu of sandwiches,saladsand shareable plates.Ahouse-smokedturkeybreast

$ —average dinner entrée under $10 $$ —$11-$20 $$$ —$20-up

sandwich hasbacon,tomato jam, herbedcream cheese,arugula andherb vinaigretteonBellegarde honey oat bread.Noreservations.Outdoor seatingavailable.LunchTue.-Sat. $$

Curio— 301Royal St.,(504) 717-4198; curionola.com— ThecreativeCreole menu includes blackenedGulfshrimp served withchicken andandouillejambalaya.Reservations accepted.Lunch and dinner daily $$

Desire Oyster Bar— RoyalSonesta

NewOrleans,300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300;sonesta.com/desireoysterbar

Themenu highlightsGulfseafood in Creole dishes.Char-grilled oysters aretopped with Parmesan andherbs Reservations recommended.Breakfast, lunchand dinner daily $$

Dickie Brennan’sBourbon House— 144 BourbonSt.,(504) 522-0111; bourbonhouse.com Theseafood restaurant hasaraw barand alarge selectionof bourbon.Redfish is served withlemon buerreblanc.Reservations accepted

Lunchand dinner daily $$$

DragonflyCafe— 530Jackson Ave., (504)544-9530; dragonflynola.com

Thecasual cafe offers breakfastplates, waffles,salads, coffee drinks and more. Braisedrib is served on greens withcornbread.Deliveryavailable Reservations accepted.Breakfast and lunch Wed.-Sat $$

El Pavo Real 4401 S. BroadAve., (504)266-2022; elpavorealnola.com—

Pescado Vera Cruzisasauteed Gulf fish topped withasauce of tomatoes, olives, onionand capersand served withsteamed rice andstringbeans.The menu also includestacos,quesadillas, enchiladas,carnitas and more.Outdoor seatingavailable.Noreservations

Lunchand early dinner Tue.-Sat. $$

Felix’s Restaurant&OysterBar — 739 Iberville St.,(504) 522-4440; 7400 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 304-4125;felixs com Louisiana oystersare served raw or char-grilled withgarlic,Parmesan andbreadcrumbs. Themenuincludes seafood platters,crawfish etouffee, po-boys andmore. No reservations Lunchand dinner daily $$

FreySmoked Meat Co.— 4141 Bienville St.,Suite 110,(504) 488-7427; freysmokedmeat.com Thebarbecue spot serves pulled pork,ribs,brisket, sausagesand more.Fried pork belly poppers aretossedinpepperjelly glaze.Noreservations.Lunch and dinnerdaily $$

FrootOrleans 2438 Bell St.,Suite B, (504)233-3346; frootorleans.com

Thereare freshfruit platters and smoothie bowlssuchasa strawberry shortcakeand more usingpineapple, berries,citrus andmore. No reservations.Outdoor seatingavailable

Breakfast and lunch daily $$

Juan’sFlyingBurrito — 515Baronne St.,(504) 529-5825;2018MagazineSt., (504)569-0000; 4724 S. Carrollton Ave.,(504) 486-9950;8140Oak St., (504)897-4800;juansflyingburrito.com

TheFlying Burritoincludes steak, shrimp,chicken,cheddarjackcheese, blackbeans,rice, guacamole and salsa. Themenu also has tacos, quesadillas and nachos. Outdoorseating available No reservations.Lunch and dinner Thu.-Tue $$

Katie’sRestaurant— 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582;katiesinmidcity.com

ACajun Cuban hasroasted pork,ham, cheese andpickles on buttered bread. TheBoudreauxpizza is topped with cochon de lait,spinach, onions and garlic.Deliveryavailable.Reservations accepted forlarge parties. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun $$

Kilroy’s Bar— HigginsHotel,480 Andrew HigginsBlvd.,(504) 528-1941; higginshotelnola.com/dining Thebar menu includes sandwiches,flatbreads, salads and more. ALouisiana peach flatbread has prosciutto,stracciatella cheese,arugula andpecans. No reservations.DinnerWed.-Sat. $$

Legacy Kitchen’s CraftTavern 700Tchoupitoulas St.,(504) 6132350;legacykitchen.com— Themenu includesoysters,flatbreads, burgers, sandwiches,salads and more.A NOLAStyle GritsBowlistopped with bacon,cheddar anda poachedegg Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch anddinner daily. $$

LegacyKitchenSteak &Chop 91 Westbank Expressway,Gretna, (504) 513-2606;legacykitchen.com— The menu includes filets mignons,bone-in rib-eyesand topsirloins, as well as burgers, salads andseafood dishes Reservations accepted.Outdoor seatingavailable.Lunchand dinner

Mon.-Sat $$

MartinWineCellar— 714Elmeer Ave., Metairie,(504) 896-7350;3827Baronne St.,(504) 894-7444;martinwine. com Thespirits shop’s deli serves sandwiches, salads andmore. The Senasalad includeschicken,raisins, bluecheese, pecans andgreenswith Tabascopepperjelly vinaigrette.No reservations.Lunchdaily $$

Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881;mikimotosushi.com— TheSouth Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki,avocado and snow crab. The menu also hassushi, sashimi,noodle dishes,teriyakiand more.Reservations accepted.Deliveryavailable.Lunch

Sun.-Fri., dinner daily $$

Mosca’s— 4137 Highway90West, Westwego,(504) 436-8950;moscasrestaurant.com This family-style eatery serves Italiandishes and specialties including chicken alagrande. Bakedoysters Moscaismade with breadcrumbsand Italianseasonings

Reservations accepted.Dinner Wed.Sat. Cash only. $$$

Mother’s Restaurant— 401Poydras St., (504)523-9656;mothersrestaurant.net

This counter-servicespotisknown forpo-boys and Creole favoritessuch as jambalaya, crawfish etouffee and redbeans andrice. Deliveryavailable No reservations.Breakfast, lunchand dinnerdaily $$

Neyow’sCreole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St.,(504) 827-5474;neyows.com The menu includes redbeans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as seafood platters,po-boys,char-grilled oysters, pasta,saladsand more.Noreservations.Lunchdaily,dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$

Nice Guys Bar&Grill 7910 Earhart Blvd., (504) 302-2404;niceguysbarandgrillnola.com Char-grilled oystersare toppedwith cheese.The menualso includeswings,quesadillas,burgers, sandwiches,salads,seafood pasta and more. No reservations.Lunchdaily, dinner Mon.-Sat $$$

Orleans GrapevineWine Bar&Bistro — 720 Orleans Ave.,(504) 523-1930; orleansgrapevine.com— Thewinebar

hascheeseand charcuterie boards, shareableplatesand afullmenu. Creole pasta features shrimp and andouille tossed withpappardelleintomato creamsauce.Reservations accepted for largeparties.Outdoor seatingavailable

Dinner Thu.-Sun $$

PeacockRoom— KimptonHotel

Fontenot,501 Tchoupitoulas St., (504) 324-3073; peacockroomnola.com

Blacklentilvadouvancurry comes withroasted tomatoes,mushrooms andbasmati rice.The menu includes smallplates, aburger, saladsand more Reservations accepted.Dinner Wed.Mon.,brunchSun $$

Rosie’sonthe Roof— HigginsHotel, 480AndrewHiggins Blvd., (504)5281941;higginshotelnola.com/dining— The rooftopbar has amenuofsandwiches, burgers andsmall plates.Noreservations.Dinnerdaily $$

Tacklebox— 817Common St.,(504) 827-1651;legacykitchen.com— The seafoodrestaurantservesoysters, seafood,burgers,saladsand more. RedfishSt. Charlesisservedwith garlic-herbbutter, asparagus, mushrooms andcrawfishcornbread Reservations accepted.Breakfast, lunch anddinnerdaily $$

Tavolino Pizza&Lounge— 141 Delaronde St.,(504) 605-3365;tavolinonola.com The menu features thin-crust pizzas,salads, meatballs and more.ABehrman Hwy. pizzais toppedwith pork belly,caramel, carrots, radishes,jalapenosand herbs.No reservations.Outdoor seatingavailable

Dinner Tue.-Sat $$

Theo’sNeighborhoodPizza — 1212 S. ClearviewParkway,Elmwood,(504) 733-3803; 2125 VeteransMemorial Blvd., Metairie,(504) 510-4282; 4024 Canal St.,(504) 302-1133;4218 Magazine St.,(504) 894-8554; 70488 Highway21, Covington,(985)2349420;theospizza.com— AMarilynn Pota Supremepie is toppedwith mozzarella,pepperoni,sausage, hamburger,mushrooms,bellpeppers and onions.Therealso aresalads, sandwiches andmore. Deliveryavailable Lunchand dinnerTue.-Sat. $

Tito’sCeviche &Pisco — 1433 St. CharlesAve., (504) 354-1342;5015 Magazine St.,(504) 267-7612;titoscevichepisco.com— Peruvian lomo saltado features beef sauteedwith onions, tomatoes,cilantro, soysauce and pisco, served withfried potatoes andrice. Outdoor seatingavailable on Magazine Street.Deliveryavailable.Reservations accepted.Lunchand dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

TheVintage 3121 Magazine St., (504)324-7144; thevintagenola.com

The menuincludesbeignets, small plates,sandwichesand flatbreads Theveggie pressed sandwich has avocado,onions,arugula,red pepper, pepper jack cheese and lemon. No reservations.Deliveryand outdoor seatingavailable.Breakfast, lunch anddinner daily. $$

ZhangBistro— 1141 DecaturSt.,(504) 826-8888;zhangbistronola.com

ThemenuincludesChinese and Thai dishes.The Szechuan HotWok offers a choiceofchicken,beef, shrimp or tofu withonions, bellpeppers, cauliflower, jalapenosand spicySichuan sauce Reservations accepted.Lunchand dinner Thu.-Tue. $$

ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT

theSquarespringconcertseries on Wednesday, March15. Chief Joseph Boudreaux’s MardiGras IndianfunkbandThe Rumble also performs. Theeventsalso feature food anddrink vendorsand an art marketinLafayette Square. The free concerts run on Wednesdays through May17from5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Visitylcwats.com fordetails

Downtown Irish Club Parade

THEDOWNTOWNIRISHCLUBHOLDSITS

ST.PATRICK’SDAYPARADE on Friday, March17. Theparade beginsat WashingtonSquareat6:30p.m and makesseveral stops, including at Molly’s at theMarketand Ryan’s IrishPub before endingatthe Ugly DogSaloon, whereitholds itsafterpartywith musicbyThe Crescent Kings.For information, visitdowntownirishclub.com

PattiLaBelle

PATTILABELLE’SSUCCESSASASOUL ANDR&BSINGER earned her a spot in theGrammyHallofFame and helped her find herway into movies andTV. Despite decades of performingand numerous hits,she’s best knownfor the AllenToussaint produced “Lady Marmalade.”She performs at 8p.m.Friday, March17, at SaengerTheatre.Findtickets viasaengernola.com.

LouisianaIrishItalianParade

THELOUISIANAIRISH-ITALIAN PARADEFEATURESFLOATS,WALKINGCLUBSANDMORE in Metairie on Sunday,March 19.Rock’n’ Bowl owner John Blancher and JeffersonParishCouncil Member Deano Bonano arethe grand marshals.The processionstarts near ClearviewCityCenterand goes down Veterans Memorial Boulevardwithaloop on Severn Avenueand ends at Martin BehrmanDrive.The parade starts at noon.For details, visitlairish-italian.org.

Loki Moon

ASLOKIMOON,ASHLEYEDWARDS ANDDAVISJONESHARMONIZE their vocals oversynthesizersand aim foralush,sensual vibe despite minimalistproduction. Whisper Party! andDJOttoalso perform. At 9p.m.Thursday, March16, at ToulouseTheatre.Tickets $20 viatoulousetheatre.com

Parker Millsap

SINGER-SONGWRITERPARKER MILLSAPHASBEENNOMINATED forEmergingArtistofthe Year and Albumofthe Year at the

AmericanaMusic Honors & Awards and performed with Shovels &Rope, JasonIsbelland Lake Street Dive.While hiswork overthe yearshas been firmly rooted in storytelling folk and rootsrock, he lately hastaken on more popinfluences. Hissixth studio album willbeout in May. He plays Chickie WahWah at 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, March15. Tickets are$16 in advancevia chickiewahwah.comand $20onthe day of theshow.

GetawayMusic Fest

NEWORLEANSROCK‘N’ROLLERSTHE BLOOMIESANDSURFPUNKMASKED

WILDMENDAIKAIJU headline the two-day GetawayMusic Fest at theDrifter this weekend. Along withThe Bloomies, Saturday, March18, featuresWhisper Party!, Crush Diamond,Lisbon Girls, Shakespeareand theBlues,The Main Entrée and Glen Parks. The Sheem,LeTrainiump,Bakey’s Brew,AlfredBanks,SharkAttack andTwo-ToneMerigold join DaikaijuonSunday, March19. Aleck Woogmaster hosts, and therewill be craftvendorsand food pop-ups. Thefest startsat11 a.m. each day, and ticketsare $20 viathedrifterhotel.com

Nakatani, Freilich, Kunkel &Odom

PERCUSSIONISTTATSUYANAKATANI, GUITARISTSJONATHANFREILICHAND ROGERKUNKELANDBASSISTSTOO

ODOM —who playedwithKunkelin thedesertrockbandThinWhite Rope —playa free-form, improvised, concertat8p.m.Monday, March20, at ZeitgeistTheatre &Lounge. Ticketsare $10-$20 sliding scale at thedoor.Find informationatzeitgeistnola.org.

Fest Italia

THEBKHISTORICHOUSEWILLCELEBRATEST.JOSEPHDAYANDITALIAN CULTURE with atraditional St. Joseph altar, an Italianwineand food pairing eventand aconcert.The wine andfoodevent, at 6p.m.Thursday, March16, will feature Italianwines andVenetian tapas-style platesfromchefGlen Hogh.Tickets are$50 and limited to50people. Thehouse’s St Joseph altarwill then open to visitors 10 a.m.to 3p.m.March 17-19. And at 6p.m.Sunday, March19, theYat Pack will perform aSalute toItalian Crooners with songs by Frank Sinatra,DeanMartin, Louis Primaand more.Tickets forthe concertare $40. Find more information at bkhouse.org.

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MUSIC

FOR COMPLETE MUSIC LISTINGS AND MORE EVENTS TAKING PLACEIN THE NEW ORLEANS AREA, VISIT CALENDAR.GAMBITWEEKLY.COM

To learn moreabout adding your event to the music calendar,please email listingsedit@gambitweekly.com

Note:DuetoCOVID-19,eventsmayhavecertainrestrictionsormaybepostponed;werecommendchecking outavenuessocialmediasitesorcallbeforeyougoforthemostuptodateinformation

TUESDAY14

BAMBOULAS —The Four Horsemen of Jazzfest, 1:15 pm;Golden Compass Trio, 5:30 pm;AndyJ.ForestBlues Band,9 pm

BLUE NILE —Turbine6,Los Pescados-All Pisces Band,DJEyeV- PiscesDJ, The Yemayayas, 8pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —DinosAurchestra, 6pm; Soul Brass Band,9 pm

DOSJEFES —Tom Hook,8:30pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB —Richard"Piano"Scott, 12:30 pm;Colin Myers Band,5pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8pm

GASA GASA —Teen Mortgagewith Panama Papers,9pm

SANTOS —VisionVideo withThen Comes Silence, 9pm

THERABBITHOLE —Rebirth Band At theRabbit Hole,10pm

ZONY MASH BEERPROJECT —Pearl Earl and System Exclusive, Midriff, 8pm

WEDNESDAY15

BAMBOULAS —Giselle Anguizola, 1:15 pm;Swingin'with John Saavedra, 5:30 pm;Roule andthe Queen, 9pm

BLUE NILE —New BreedBrass Band,9pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —JamesSingletonTrio, 6pm; JoyClark,9 pm

DMACSBAR &GRILL —Sam Price& Friends,9:30 pm

DOSJEFES —JavierGutierrez,8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB —Richard“Piano”Scott, 12:30 pm; BourbonStreetStars,5pm; Fritzel'sAll Star Band,8pm

HOTELPETER &PAUL —Helen Gillet,7:30pm

LONGUE VUEHOUSE ANDGARDENS Cast Iron Cactus,5:30 pm

MADAME VIC'S —Dr. RedwineTrio, 8pm

SANTOS —Swamp Moveswith Russell Welch,9 pm

THEBOMBAYCLUB —Harry Mayronne andNanciZee,8 pm

THURSDAY16

ACEHOTEL NEW ORLEANS —Helen Gillet,8pm

BAMBOULAS —Sigridand theZig Zags, 1:15 pm;Cristina Kaminisand theMix, 5:30 pm;Wolfe John's BluesBand,9pm

BLUE NILE —WhereY'atBrass Band,9 pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —JohnBoutté, 7 pm;Zoomst,10pm

DOSJEFES —MarkColemanBand,8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

Richard“Piano”Scott, 12:30 pm;Doyle Cooper Band,2:30 pm;JohnSaavedra Trio,6 pm;Fritzel's AllStarBand,8 pm

GASA GASA —CathedralCeilings with Pricked, Bullshit Machine, 9pm

LE BONTEMPS ROULE —SoulRebels, 11 pm

MADAMEVIC'S —OtraQuartet,8 pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE

Father Ron, 9pm

ORPHEUMTHEATER

"Scheherazade",7:30pm

PAVILION OF THETWO SISTERS

Thursdays at Twilight ReturnstoPavilionofthe TwoSisters,6 pm

SANTOS —Nebula with TheAtomic Bitchwax,WizardDick,and JasonKane &The Jive,9 pm

SIDNEY'S SALOON —MSPAINT,Public Opinion, The Nancies, 9pm

SOUTHPORT HALL —Powerman 5000,7:30 pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —Funkin' It Up withBig Sam, 7:30 pm

FRIDAY17

BAMBOULAS —504 Goodies, 2:15 pm; LesGetrexNCreole Cooking, 6:30 pm; Bettis +3rd Degree Brass Band,10pm

BLUE NILE —The CaesarBrothers, 7 pm;KermitRuffins andthe Barbecue Swingers,11pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM —Trumpet Slim &Brass Flavor,10pm

BYWATERBREW PUB —Freddie Blue & theFriendship CircleBand,5 pm

CARROLLTON STATION —Bon BonVivant +Sweet Magnolia Brass Band,9 pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —Corey Ledet, 9 pm;79ers Gang,11pm

DMACSBAR &GRILL —Kamara Landry, 8pm

DOSJEFES —Ashley'sOther Animal,9 pm

GASA GASA —Renaissance\Renaiddance, 9pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE —Pious, Woorms,Gaslight Empire, 8pm

KERRYIRISH PUB —Crescent& Clover, 12 pm

MADAMEVIC'S —PleasureLovesCompanywith DaphneParkPowell,8 pm

MRB BAR&KITCHEN —Patrick Cooper,7 pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE —Damn Hippies!!!!,7:30 pm;Daniel Thompson, 9pm

NOLABREWING TAPROOM —Flogging NOLA, 6pm

PIROGUE’SWHISKEYBAYOU —Bogue Chitto,8 pm

PUBLIC BELTATHILTONRIVERSIDE PhilMelancon, 8pm

SANTOS —Brian Sella ,8pm; NOLADNB,9 pm

THREEKEYSATACE HOTELNEW ORLEANS —Them People,9 pm

TIPITINA'S —HayesCarll,Melissa Carper,9 pm

SATURDAY18

ART CONSCIOUS —APrettyGood Alibi, 8pm

BAMBOULAS —New Orleans Swinging Gypsies, 2:15 pm;Johnny Mastro Blues, 6:30 pm;PaggyPrine, 10 pm

BLUE NILE —George BrownBand,7pm; Corey Henryand theTreme Funktet, 11 pm

BLUE NILE BALCONY ROOM —The MarignyStreetBrass Band,10pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —AuroraNealand's Wood FloorTrio, 3pm; d.b.a

Allstars,6 pm;Big Chief Monk Boudreaux&the Golden Eagles,10pm

DOSJEFES —Betty Shirley, 9pm

GASA GASA —Antibroth withShmoo, Wesley Wolffe,9 pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE —Mrz Crowley, 8pm

MADAMEVIC'S —Margie Perez andHer Trio Latino,8 pm

MAPLE LEAF BAR —EricBolivar's 50th BirthdayBash, 10 pm

NEUTRAL GROUND COFFEE HOUSE —Elise Bourg, 7:30 pm;RichardBienvenu,9pm

PIROGUE’SWHISKEYBAYOU —WashboardChazBlues Trio, 8pm

PUBLIC BELTATHILTONRIVERSIDE PhilMelancon, 8pm

THEDOMINO —Harry Mayronne, Yvette Voelker, Dave Ray, 7pm

THEJAZZPLAYHOUSE —The Nayo JonesExperience, 7:30 &9pm

THREEMUSES —Mia Borders, 5pm

SUNDAY19

BAMBOULAS —MattRhodyand theJasmine, 1:15 pm;MidnightBrawlers, 5:30 pm;EdWillsBlues 4Sale,9pm

BK HISTORICHOUSE ANDGARDENS —The YatPack: ASalute to Italian Crooners, 6pm

BLUE NILE —The BakedPotatoes, 7pm; StreetLegendsBrass Band,10pm

D.B.A. NEW ORLEANS —AuroraNealand's Wood FloorTrio, 3pm; Palmetto BugStompers,6pm; Treme Brass Band,10pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB BanjoonBourbon with Seva Venet, 12 pm;Joe KennedyBand,2 pm;Marla DixonBand,5 pm;Fritzel's AllStar Band,8pm;

GASA GASA —The Convalescence, CasketRobbert, Ignominious,Witch Burial, Konstricted,8pm

HIDEAWAY DEN&ARCADE —ALL AGES ROCK SHOWw/OctoberLights&Led Pencilz, 4pm

NOLABREWING TAPROOM —Sean Riley, 3pm

SANTOS —BNSKRK,Jamie Lynn Vessels, 5pm

SOUTHPORT HALL —Gemini Syndrome, 7pm

THEMAISONRESTAURANTAND MUSIC CLUB —MarkBrooksand Friends, 4pm

TIPITINA'S —SierraFerrell,Jaime Wyatt, 8pm

MONDAY20

BAMBOULAS —The Jaywalkers,1:15pm; TheMelatuan's, 5:30 pm;Crawdaddy T'sCajun/Zydeo Review, 9pm

D.B.A. NEWORLEANS —SecretSix Jazz Band,6 pm;Gyasi,Green Gasoline, 9pm

DOSJEFES —John Fohl,8:30 pm

FRITZEL'SEUROPEAN JAZZ CLUB

MondayAfternoon AllStars,12:30 pm; LeeFloyd andThunderbolt Trio, 5pm; Richard"Piano"Scott and Friends, 8pm

GASA GASA —Boy Jr.with Calamansi,9 pm

SANTOS —KingPari, Letrainiump,TV Pole Shine, DJ C'estFunk, 8pm

SIBERIA —VeryCherry,MoonKissed, VonLaRae, 9pm

SIDNEY'S SALOON —The Amazing Henrietta, 6:30 pm

ZEITGEIST THEATRE —TatsuyaNakatani,Jonathan Freilich,RogerKunkel and Stoo Odom,8pm

StoptheRoyalStreetstandoff

by John Stanton|Gambit editor

LASTWEEKVERITE NEWSREPORTEDTHAT DESPITEASSURANCES FROMCITYHALL

nearly ayearago that theRoyal Street pedestrian mall would be partially closed to cars to allowmusicians and other buskers to perform,the popularthoroughfareremains open to traffic, puttingperformersand their audiences at risk.

Thetwistsand turnsofthe saga over themall’sreopeningfollowing itspost-Hard Rock collapse closure arealmostasconvolutedasthe myriadexcuses city officialshavehad foritremaining closed.It’sthe New Orleans Police Department’sfault No,no, it’s theLevee Police. It’s this antiqueshopowner’s fault,orpossiblythe onenextdoor.The mayor’s dogate thememo reopeningit.

Fora rundown on itshistory whichdates back at leasttoa 1971 statute formalizingthe mall— be sure to read Verite’s story, and theexcellent March7Twitter thread by theMusic and Culture Coalition of NewOrleans.

Sufficeittosay,when we last wroteabout thepedestrian mall nearly ayearago,we—and many of thecity’smusicians whomakea livingonit— thoughtMayorLaToya Cantrell’s administrationwas finally makinggood on itspromise to resume themall.

Unfortunately, we were wrong

To this day, officials notonlyrefuse to block offthe mall from cars,the variouspoliceforcesoperating in theQuarter have harassed and threatenedmusicians who’ve tried to do it themselves.Ofcourse, it will come ashocktoabsolutely no one that whilethe city andNOPDclaim they simply can’tfigureout howto enforcethe pedestrian mallrules, they areabsolutely willingand able to ticket cars parked on thestreet during itshours of operation.

As we notedlast year in our storycelebratingour city’s busker culture, thepedestrian mallisa critical source of money formany musicians. Andthat’snot just the struggling young clarinetistor up-and-comingcountry crooners Many “established”musicians who playgigsatbrick-and-mortar venuesand go on tour across thecountryand theglobe continue to rely on busking to makeendsmeet. As

hasalwaysbeenthe case,the music industry maybea multi-billion-dollarbusinessbut almost nobody playing an instrumentisevergoing to getrich doingit.

It’s notjust theindividual performerswho aresuffering,and will continue to do so,fromthe pedestrianmallremaining closed.Music is at theverycoreofeverything that makesour city so special. You cantasteitinour food,see it in ourart andfeelitinour legendary hospitality. Notonlyisitone of the key engines that driveour culture, butmusic is also oneof, if notthe most,importantthings that draw tens of millions of tourists to New Orleanseachyear.

In acitywhose economyis quiteliterally built on thebacks of musicians, this treatmentisshameful. Andthatisnot hyperbole:Our city’s musiccommunity,the French Quarterand thepedestrian mall have been used routinelyinadvertising materials producedbythe city andNew Orleans &Co.

That thecityinone breath would askperformerstosmile pretty for thecameraand in thenextinsist they risk theirlives whilesimplytryingtomakeone is beyond thepale. That’s partially whywe’vestarted to seefewerand fewermusicians and other buskersonRoyal Street,as well as in other partsofthe Quarter.

If what city leaders aretruly doing is aslowwar of attritionagainst the musiccommunity,it’sworking.But if they’reatall interested in doing what’s rightfor performersand ourcity, they’llend this stand-off and permanently reopenthe Royal Street pedestrianmall.

Musiciansplaynearthe intersectionofRoyalandSt.Peter streetsintheFrenchQuarter.

PHOTO BY RICHARDA.WEBSTER / THETIMES-PICAYUNE

CANNABIS WITH DRAWA L Research Study

If you are18to55years of age and want to stop using cannabis, you may qualify for anew research study.

● No-cost study-related care

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WORDS

Withoutatrace

by WillCoviello

ANNIECRAWFORDISNOTA NAMEMANYNEWORLEANIANS

REMEMBER,and it wasn’t easy fortrue crimewriterKate WinklerDawsontofindthe Crawford family plot in St. PatrickCemetery No.3.But just morethan acentury ago, Annie Crawford made newspaper headlinesacrossthe country. She wastried forthe murder of her sister,Elise.

That opened abig question:Did she have anything to do with the deaths of herparents andanother sister,all of whom diedwithinthe previous twoyears?

Dawson exploresthe Crawford family case in theeighthseason of her podcast “Tenfold More Wicked,” which releasesthe first episodeonMonday, March20.

TheCrawfordfamily lived in a home on ChestnutStreet.Onlyone of thefivedaughters married, and shemovedtoTexas.Beginning in 1910,the family seemed to be hitby profoundmisfortune. In June,Mary AgnesCrawforddied, allegedly of meningitis. Threeweeks later, father Walter Crawford died, seemingly of illness with hiskidney. In afew more weeks, themother died.Then EliseCrawforddied, anddoctors suspectedmorphinepoisoning AnnieCrawfordworkedina drug dispensary at what would become Presbyterian Hospital.She was arrested andtried Many questions remain about what actually happened, andit’s just thetypeofstory Dawson likestoexplore.

“Thereare really good explanationsfor allofthese deaths,” Dawson says.“Oneofwhich is that she’sa serial murderer.But she mightnot be. Oneyou canprove waspoisoned, butitmight have been accidental.The other three aredebatable.Inthistimeperiod, poison mimicked naturalthings that happened to people’s bodies because of badfood, badwater, badair,bad health care.”

Dawson interviewedfamily descendants in Texas, whereAnnie Crawford lived in her lateryears.The six-episode season of thepodcast is dubbed“Morphine Murderess.” In it,Dawsonexploresthe case and wadesthrough thecomplications.

“Thisisa time periodI love because it’s atimewhen poisons and medicineand what we know as really dangerousmedicinethatshould be illegal is runningrampantand is

available to anyone whocan find amagazineand order it,” Dawson says.“Toxicology and theforensics fieldhadn’treally caught up yet.”

She also likes casesinvolving womensuspects

“I do like agood femalekiller,” she says.“Ithink it says alot aboutsociety. It says alot about howwomen areviewed. Femalekillersare oftenseenasafemme fataleora nutcase, like KathyBates in ‘Misery,’ or like NurseRatched,a tormenting mother figure.Thereisadisbelief that womencould kill forthe same reasons men could kill.”

She notesthatprofiles of serial killersare distortedinthe media, despite thefactthattheyare actually rare.And most arenothinglikenotorious figuressuchas John WayneGacy and TedBundy “Women psychopathspresent very differently,”she says

Other media narratives also may have influenced thecase. Annie wasdescribed as awkwardand a spinster,and newspapers dwelton her physical appearance

Dawson has looked at maleand femalemurderers from theU.S.and theU.K.inpreviousseasons and in her books, including“American Sherlock: Murder,Forensics and the BirthofAmerican CSI” and“Death in theAir.” Late in March, she’ll releaseanaudiobooktitled“The GhostClub,”about an actual club that includedCharles Dickens, Harry Houdiniand Arthur ConanDoyle Thegroup mettodiscuss investigationsofthe paranormal, andfor awhile,itwas ledbyHarry Price, Britain’smostfamousghost hunter Generally,however,Dawsonprefers lesser known figures.

“I like freshstories that give us a freshperspective,” shesays. Formoreinformation, visitkatewinklerdawson.com. Herpodcastscan be found at

PROVIDEDPHOTO BY PAEPIN GOFF

PREMIER

JOINED FOR A PURPOSE

By Frank A. Longo

ACROSS

1Wish-granting spirits

7Greek vowel

12Records file

20Punch combo

21Splotchy GI garb

22He played Al Bundy on TV

23Planners of campus events

25Often-pickled red vegetable

26Atop, in poems

27Lena of “The Reader”

28Latin “I love”

30Patron saint of sailors

31Brotherhood

39Capital of a Mexico state

40Hard to find

41Burdened

42Travail

44Political campaigners for a particular issue

50Wonderment

53Dragon in “The Hobbit”

57Suffix with racket

58Not at all tight

59Medieval protectors of trade

63Icebox

65Boise’s state

66Gel in a lab

67By means of

68Claimed psychic gift

69Regulators of a moral code

76Bath fixture

79Printer fluid

80Years on end

81More devious 85Surfs the internet, e.g. 88Fighters of animal cruelty

92Madison Ave. contact 93Sea, in Paris

94Corrective eye surgery

95Pitching star

96It consists of 13-player football teams

100 Aspirin target 103 Japanese alternative to massage

whole lot

DOWN

1Become lenient

2Intestine: Prefix

3Of axons and dendrites

4“— be my honor”

5Ram’s mate

6Prince, e.g.

7Eye-related

8Philippine capital

9One-sharp musical key

10Sticky gunk

11Hit — (run into some trouble)

12Urbane

13Fruity drink

14Foot part

15Busy crawler

16Artsy cap

17Garlicky mayonnaise

18Replay speed, briefly

19“Your Song” singer John

24Whole lot

29Ice cream drink

32“Tsk!”

33— -friendly

34She was Mrs. Gorbachev

35Stephen of “Still Crazy”

36Nuptial oath

37Buddhism branch

38Point of view

43K-O linkup

45Toon frame

46Fish eggs

47Seep out

48Wields

49Crime doer

50French bud

51Join nuptially

52Pitching stat

54Sharp as

55Popular Aussie boots

56Avocado dip, for short

60Fidel’s cohort

61Sweltering

62“... sad and dreary

everywhere —”:

Stephen Foster

63Suitable 64Disloyal

Lot530:French LouisPhilippe Carved Walnut Marble TopCommode, 19th c.,H.- 37 3/8in.,W.- 49 1/4in., D.-211/2 in.Est.$600-$900

UPCOMING

Lot527:Large French LouisXVI Art NouveauStyle Carved OakMirror, late19thc., H.-81in.,W.- 62 in.,

AUCTION SCHEDULE

Thursday,March 16th at 10 am, Lots 2001-2240

Fri, March17that10am, Lots 1-350

Sat, March18that10am, Lots 351-736

Full color catalog available at: www.crescentcityauctiongallery.com

WATCHAND BID LIVE ONLINE FROM THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME!

Lot576:American AestheticGiltand GessoOvermantelMirrorand Marble TopConsole Table, c. 1880,TotalH.-113 3/4in.,W.- 72 in., D.-143/4 in.Est.$1,000-$2,000

Walnut Ormolu MountedMarbleTop Commode, 19th c.,H.- 36 in., W.-511/2 in., D.-233/4 in.Est.$800-$1,200

Lot593:PinoCastagna (Italian, 1932-2017), “Canneto,”1998,Murano glasssculpture,approximate H.-393/4 in., W.-6 in., D.-6 in.Est.$1,500-$2,500

Jewelry Includes Diamonds,Rubies, Emeralds,Tanzanites, Morganite, Sapphires, SouthSeasPearls,etc

Lot561:RobertMalcolm Rucker (Louisiana,1932-2001), “Oak at Sunset,” 20th c.,oil on canvas board, H.-3in., W.-5inEst.$400-$800

Lots 211-220: MardiGrasIncludesBall Favors, Costume Designs,etc

Lot638:French LouisXVStyle Carved Walnut Four Piece BedroomSuite,late19th c., consistingofa double door armoire,adouble bed, amarble topdresser, andamarbletop nightstand,Est.$700-$1,200

Lot543:Seventy-Two Piece SetofGorhamSterlingFlatware,20thc., in the “Fairfax”pattern,Wt.-72.67 Troy oz.(72 Pcs.)Est.$1,000-$2,000

Crescent City AuctionGallery,LLC 1330 St.Charles Ave, NewOrleans,La70130 504-529-5057 •fax 504-529-6057 info@crescentcityauctiongallery.com

25%BuyersPremium

Fora complete catalog, visitour websiteat: www.crescentcityauctiongallery.com LA AucLic AB-411,1354, 1529

Lot471:

1745-1806), “Portraitofa BoyinRed with hisDog,” 18th/19thc., pastel on paper laid to canvas, unsigned,H.- 19 1/8in.,W.- 15 1/28 in.Est $600-$1,200

FavrileGlass Lamps, c. 1910,one with apatinated bronze body,H.- 15 in., Dia.-7in. Provenance: Christie’sNew York,Est.$3,000-$5,000;and aFavrile GlassExample,H.- 15 in., Dia.-7in. Est. $2,000-$4,000

Dureau(NewOrleans,19302014), “ElViaje Dorado,” 1970,oil on canvas,H.- 59 5/8in.,W.- 53 1/2in. Est. $8,000-$12,000

Lot568:TheodoreFonvilleWinans (Missouri/Louisiana,1911-1992), “PlantingOysters,” 1938,silver gelatin print, signed anddated lower right, H.-8 in., W.-97/8 in.Est.$1,200-$1,800

Lots 443-445: American Carved Walnut Rococo RevivalMarbleTop Three Piece BedroomSuite,19thc., consisting of adresser, washstandand nightstand,Est.$1,000-$2,000

Lot381: French Empire StyleCarved

Lot591 &592:Two TiffanyStudios

Lot52: ClarkHulings (Florida/ NewMexico, 1922-2011),“View of theCapital from thePark,”1945, watercolor, H.-13in.,W.- 14 1/8in. Est. $1,500-$2,500

Lot132:Lorenzo Scott(American/Georgia, 1934-),“Christ andDisciples,” oilon canvas, H.-171/4 in., W.-343/4 in Est. $1,000-$2,000

Lot386:French ProvincialCarvedOak Farmhouse Table, 19th c.,H.- 30 in., W.-82 1/2in.,D.- 10 1/4in. Est. $800-$1,200

Lot564:GeorgeValentine

Lots 551-554: NewcombPottery by LeonaNichols; George OhrIncludes Puzzle Mugand Potteryitems

John Russell,RA(English,

D.-5in. Est. $1,000-$2,000

Lot544:One Hundred Fifty-OnePiece SetofSterling Flatware,byGorham, in the“Old EnglishTipt” Pattern, Wt.- 179.11 Troy Oz.Est.$3,500-$4,500

Lot456:EnglishQueen Anne Walnut SecretaryBookcase, 19th c.,H.- 84 in., W.-40in., D.-231/2 in.Est.$1,000-$2,000

Lots 491-493: Russian Iconsand ItalianGilt Framed Triptych

Lot458:Inthe Manner of John Jeliff (1800-1899,New Jersey), American SixPiece Parlor Suite, 19th c.,Est.$600-$1,200

Lot641: French Provincial Louis XV Style Carved Cherry Sideboard, 19th c.,H.- 43 in., W.-395/8 in., D.-261/4 in.Est.$700-$900