Gambit: July 6, 2021 by Gambit New Orleans

July 6-12 2021 Volume 42 Number 27

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With the outbreak of COVID-19, we have moved our adoption process to appointment only. Fill out the adoption application on our website, www.la-spca.org, and a staff member will call you back within 24 hours to schedule your appointment.

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CONTENTS

JULY 6 — JULY 12 , 2021 VOLUME 42 || NUMBER 27

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT San Fermin in Nueva Orleans

Sweet sounds Louisiana CajunZydeco Fest series opens Friday

P H OTO B Y B R E T T D U K E / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

BY JAKE CLAPP

The procession of San Fermin

LIKE A LOT OF NEW ORLEANS EVENTS MAKING THEIR COMEBACK AFTER THE PANDEMIC-prompted pause of 2020,

the annual Louisiana Cajun-Zydeco Festival looks a little different this year. The festival, which is one of several produced by the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, in recent years took over a part of Louis Armstrong Park for a two-day celebration of Cajun and zydeco music. This year, the Cajun-Zydeco Fest will feature eight nights of music spread across the month of July on an outdoor stage at the George and Joyce Wein Jazz & Heritage Center, a couple of blocks down N. Rampart Street from Armstrong Park. Performances take place from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights starting July 9. The trio Sweet Cecilia kicks off the festival on Friday, and Corey Ledet & His Zydeco Band play Saturday, July 10. Lafayette Cajun band The Magnolia Sisters and swamp funk accordionist Chubby Carrier and his group The Bayou Swamp Band play July 16 and July 17, respectively. Nathan Williams & The Zydeco Cha Chas and Dwayne Dopsie & The Zydeco Hellraisers are scheduled for July 23 and July 24. And the final weekend will feature Dikki Du & The Zydeco Krewe on July 30, and BeauSoleil avec Michael Doucet will close the series on July 31. That’s three Grammy awards and 17 nominations — including 11 from BeauSoleil alone — among this year’s festival lineup. And Williams is still waiting for his nomination, Recording Academy. Along with the music and dancing, each night will feature local food vendors. Admission is free, but attendees are encouraged to reserve a ticket via Eventbrite.com. When Sweet Cecilia kicks off the series Friday, the trio — sisters Laura Huval and Maegan Berard and their cousin Callie Guidry — will play a mix of the Cajun standards they grew up with in Cecilia, near Breaux Bridge, Huval says, along with a handful of originals, which dip into an Americana and country style. Last year, right before the world shut down in March, Sweet Cecilia released “A Tribute to Al Berard,” a selection of

THERE WON’T BE A PAMPLONA-STYLE BULL RUN, but there will be roller derby bulls at the San Fermin in Nueva Orleans fiesta. Mannie Fresh headlines the entertainment lineup, and there will be a blessing by San Fermin Pope Andrew Ward, performances by Lucha Krewe and other groups, a live auction and more. At 6:30 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at The Sugar Mill. Tickets are $25 at nolabulls.com.

‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’

seven songs honoring the renowned Cajun fiddler Al “Pyook” Berard, Huval and Maegan Berard’s father and Guidry’s uncle. Berard died in 2014 at the age of 53. To help record the album, Sweet Cecilia brought in Dwayne Brasseaux and Keith Blanchard, two of Al Berard’s bandmates from The Basin Brothers. Accordionist Adrian Huval and fiddler Kyle Hebert also are featured, and Tony Daigle produced the record. The “bones” of the album, Laura Huval says, were recorded in her father’s studio behind the house she grew up in. “Just being in the studio and feeding off the spirit in that studio was really special, and partly a healing experience as well,” she says. “We were able to get two of the original Basin Brothers and hearing their stories about how ‘Jump the Fence’ was written … Just some small-town guys from St. Martin Parish, spreading Cajun music throughout the United States for them was huge.” Proceeds from “A Tribute to Al Berard” benefit The Al Berard Memorial Music Fund at Community Foundation of Acadiana. The fund provides instruments to students and music scholarships. Sweet Cecilia released the album in February 2020. “We really did nothing [around the album], we weren’t able to have any kind of show,” Huval says. “But I tell you getting a Grammy nomination was

P H OTO B Y B R A D B O W I E / T H E AC A D I A N A A DVO C AT E

Sweet Cecilia

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a pretty sweet surprise. It was quite a blessing, and definitely some divine intervention for sure.” “A Tribute to Al Berard” was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Regional Roots Music Album, along the New Orleans Nightcrawlers, Cameron Dupuy and The Cajun Troubadours, Native American drum group The Black Lodge Singers and Hawaii’s Na Wai ‘Eha. The Nightcrawlers won for their album “Atmosphere.” “What a beautiful tribute to our dad in many ways,” Huval says. “It was beautiful just to be able to celebrate together, because we couldn’t go to Los Angeles, so we had a little celebration here in Cecilia.”

GARY RUCKER DIRECTS ANDREW LLOYD WEBBER AND TIM RICE’S “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” at Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts. The musical follows the Biblical tale of Joseph, who is sold into slavery by his brothers and reveals a gift for interpreting dreams. The show features the songs “Any Dream Will Do” and “Go, Go, Go Joseph.” It runs Thursday through Sunday, July 8-11 and July 15-18. Find tickets and schedule at rivertowntheaters.com.

Etana and the Roots Riddim Band JAMAICAN-BORN REGGAE SINGER SHAUNA MCKENZIE, who performs as Etana, combines jazz, funk, soul and reggae. Etana and the Roots Riddim Band kicks off “Roots of Music,” a monthly concert series at Paradigm Gardens exploring the links between reggae, blues, jazz, funk and soul. Johnny’s Jamaican Grill will offer food and there’s a bar in the urban garden. At 7 p.m. Sunday, July 11. Tickets $40 at paradigmgardensnola.com.

Cha Wa MARDI GRAS INDIAN FUNK BAND CHA WA caught national attention with its Grammy-nominated 2018 album “Spyboy” and then showed the world what it could do on its folPAGE 28

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Fats Domino will have the

The number of public parks — currently named for white supremacists — in New Orleans that will soon bear new monikers to honor Black leadership.

Lower 9th Ward street in front of his former home renamed in his honor. City Council last week approved new names for parks in the French Quarter, Leonidas and Algiers as well as renaming Caffin Avenue for the influential rock ‘n’ roller. The Fats Domino House at Caffin Avenue and Marais Street has been a neighborhood landmark since the 1960s and was Domino’s home until Hurricane Katrina, after which Domino moved to Harvey until his death in 2017.

Washington Artillery Park will be renamed for Oscar Dunn, the first elected Black lieutenant governor. Palmer Park will be renamed Marsalis Harmony Park for the late musician Ellis Marsalis Jr. Behrman Park in Algiers will soon be named for Morris F.X. Jeff Sr., a civic leader who established educational and recreational opportunities for young people. These parks are expected to be followed by 34 more name changes for streets and other public places as part of a renaming push that began amid the nationwide protests against systemic racism last summer.

P H OTO B Y M A X B E C H E R E R / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

Vaccinations in Louisiana have gone up by 14% since the state launched the Shot at a Million lottery on June 21. The lottery will award $2.3 million in cash and scholarships later this month to people who have received the COVID-19 vaccine. In its first week, 26,086 people received a shot, compared to the 22,842 people who got the poke the week before, The Advocate reported. More than 460,000 people registered for the lottery in its first week.

Louisiana lawmakers are inching closer to holding a veto override session after Gov. John Bel Edwards blocked a pair of bills banning transgender athletes from competing on teams matching their gender identity and allowing people to carry concealed firearms without a permit. The anti-trans athlete measure is a gross violation of Louisianans’ human rights, and the gun bill is opposed by much of the public and law enforcement officials.

HOT TRASH, SUMMER IN THE CITY WITH TRASH PILING UP ACROSS NEW ORLEANS, the city coun-

cil Thursday afternoon began consideration of a plan to suspend monthly sanitation charges in August, in an effort to cool the tempers of citizens increasingly upset over the collapse of sanitation services in recent weeks. The measure, sponsored by Councilmember Jared C. Brossett, was added to the calendar to be voted on in two weeks. “My office is fielding constant complaints from residents regarding trash collection,” Brossett said in a press release. “The inconsistent pickups have a direct and harmful impact on our quality of life. Mounting trash piles attract flies and rodents, among other concerns,” he said.  Councilmember Joe Giarrusso, chair of the Public Works, Sanitation and Environment Committee and Quality of Life Committee, said his office has received a plethora of complaints from every part of their district.  Giarrusso said people are understandably frustrated because they expect a service they pay for to be done in a timely manner. “The two major companies in our district have had personnel issues. Two weeks ago, we started to receive consistent complaints, even on the weekends when we typically tend not to,” Giarrusso said.  The lack of consistent trash pickup has been a problem across the city for weeks. On June 30 James Karst took to Twitter to share his frustrations. “I never know when to put my trash out anymore because it never gets picked up on the days it’s supposed to get picked up,” Karst said.  Karst isn’t alone. A Times-Picayune article identified that most complaints were coming from Little Woods (219 calls), St. Claude (124 calls) and Lakeview (96 calls). Other complaints were in the downtown area around St. Roch (78 calls), Holy Cross (76 calls), Lower 9th Ward (76 calls) and Bywater (73 calls).  PAGE 11

C’est What

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OPENING GAMBIT In his press release, Brossett urged the Cantrell Administration to take appropriate measures to determine if any vendors are failing to meet their contractual obligations to New Orleans citizens. “Residents deserve financial relief from the serious quality of life issues they have been forced to endure while garbage and recycling sits on the curb for days on end without collection,” Brossett’s Chief of Staff Domonique Dickerson told Gambit. Brossett also called on the city to determine if any vendors are in violation of the City’s Living Wage Ordinance, and to take appropriate action if they are. “The Living Wage Ordinance applies to contractors with $25,000 or more in annual city contracts, recipients of city financial assistance of $100,000 or more, and employee time that is spent on city contracts or projects involving city aid. Importantly, city contract jobs include sanitation hoppers and garbage truck drivers,” Brossett said.  The council Thursday voted unanimously to increase the living wage to $15 per hour, up from $11.19 an hour. Metro Service Group refused to comment for this story. However,

they have informed Giarrusso they are planning to start supplementing their service with subcontractors in about a week. On June 30 Metro began advertising for truck drivers, waste collectors and heavy equipment mechanics and technicians. Richard’s Disposal, meanwhile, has told Giarrusso it has already begun supplementing their service with additional help. Giarrusso noted there are more sanitation providers in the city outside of Metro and Richard’s Disposal, which may be why some areas of the city haven’t been affected. “There may be parts of the city that are unaffected at this point, but we are getting a lot of complaints from residents across the city,” he said. — DOMONIQUE TOLLIVER

Council unanimously votes to temporarily block Cantrell’s Congo Square plans The New Orleans City Council July 1 unanimously approved a motion to temporarily block Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s controversial efforts to move City Hall into the abandoned Municipal Auditorium in Armstrong Park.

In authoring the “Protect Treme Interim Zoning District” legislation, Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer said it safeguards the Treme neighborhood from uses that would be detrimental to its historic structures and culture. The auditorium, which overlooks Congo Square and was formerly a site of Carnival balls, sporting events and concerts, has been shuttered since Hurricane Katrina severely damaged it in 2005. The city must soon figure out what to do with the auditorium if it does not become the seat of government. Palmer’s motion lays a foundation for a public review process with residents and the City Planning Commission. FEMA will provide $38 million overhaul the auditorium, but Cantrell has said the city needs to obligate the money before the end of the year to remain eligible. — SARAH RAVITS

Oh, Canada! A search of a Canadian website for “New Orleans” turned up at least 125 instances of shirts branded with the name, logos, images or identical fonts of New Orleans restaurants and bars like Molly’s, Toups,

Buffa’s, Compere Lapin, Brennan’s, BB King’s, Willie Mae’s and La Petite Grocery, among others. The site also offers Saints themed shirts, though they are careful to only refer to the “New Orleans football team” and only use player last names and numbers. New Orleans isn’t the only city whose restaurants and bars were featured on the site. For instance, Jaleo, a Washington, D.C., restaurant owned by renowned philanthropist, humanitarian and allaround gentle soul Jose Andres, was one of dozens of establishments that show up when you search for “Washington.” Those shirts have also been removed. The site did not respond to a request for comment. However, at some point before the moose bugle welcomed the morning June 30, the website took the shirts down, but a bevy of Saints-themed shirts are still for sale. Because apparently Canada is more afraid of pissed off New Orleans bartenders than of the NFL. — JOHN STANTON

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Remembering the indefatigable Jimmy Fitzmorris — ‘Mr. Dynamo’ LOUISIANA LOST ONE OF ITS MOST DEVOTED and admired public

servants on June 30 when former Lt. Gov. Jimmy Fitzmorris died at the age of 99. I had the honor of knowing “Jimmy Fitz” from an early age. He and my dad were friends for more than 60 years, so I heard his name many times long before I entered the world of political journalism. In a state known for colorful political characters, Fitz was known for having great character. Even his adversaries — he had no enemies, just temporary rivals when he ran for office — spoke of his personal and professional integrity. Voters knew it, too, even if they didn’t always vote for him. He also had tremendous compassion for those less fortunate, an unflinching faith in God, a deep love for his city, state and country — and a sincere desire to serve at all levels, regardless of whether he held political office. Like many in his generation, Fitz’s career began with military service in World War II. He left his job with the Kansas City Southern Railroad (where he started as a messenger and later rose to vice president) to join the Army. In typical Fitz fashion, he started as a private and rose to the rank of major. As a politician, Fitz is perhaps best known for having seen equal measures of resounding victories and cliffhanger defeats. He served on the New Orleans City Council at the district and at-large levels in the 1950s and 1960s, but lost two close elections for mayor — first to Vic Schiro in 1965 and four years later to Moon Landrieu. Through it all, Fitz remained upbeat, and he never carried a grudge. He and Landrieu were close friends before and after their hard-fought race in 1969. Fitz often said that the real measure of a man is not how many times he gets knocked down but how many times — and how quickly — he picks himself back up. Nobody picked himself up more, or faster, than Jimmy Fitz. Just two years after his heartbreaking loss to Landrieu in the 1969 mayoral contest, he won the lieutenant governor’s race in 1971 — the same year Edwin Edwards won his first term as governor. At that time, the lieutenant governor had the prerogative of

presiding over the state Senate, a role Fitz relished — perhaps too much. When delegates drafted the 1974 Constitution, they wrote that role out of the lieutenant governor’s duties, leaving him with literally nothing to do. Fitz turned it into an opportunity to serve in another capacity. He convinced Edwards to put him in charge of Louisiana’s economic development efforts. The job suited him perfectly. A businessman and salesman at heart, Fitz threw his boundless energy into promoting Louisiana as a good place to do business. In many respects, he became the father of our state’s modern economic development efforts, creating both a template and an example for his successors to follow. In all his roles, Fitz was indefatigable. His energy level became legendary early in his career, when he earned the nickname “Mr. Dynamo.” As lieutenant governor, he exhausted succeeding teams of State Police troopers assigned to his security detail. One of them told me he took the job thinking it would be a cushy assignment, only to learn otherwise. “Fitz literally wore us out,” he told me in a text. “He would always kid us about our struggling to keep up with him.”

In a state known for colorful political characters, Fitz was known for having great character. He began his political career in the era of segregation, but he recognized the realities of the changing times. He befriended Dutch Morial, New Orleans’ first Black mayor, and he served as co-chair of Dutch’s son Marc Morial’s first campaign for mayor in 1994. In that role, Fitz brought tremendous heft and credibility to the younger Morial’s campaign, particularly

among white voters, which made a huge difference. His legacy runs wide and deep — and it reaches far beyond his service in public office. Many in succeeding generations knew him as a generous mentor who passed along his values the only way he knew how — by example. His mentees all cite the same lessons he imparted to them: the importance of hard work, discipline, and treating others with fairness, respect and honesty. With Fitz, you never had to wonder what he was up to. His only agenda was public service. Less public, though far more important to Fitz himself, was his devotion to his family and his Catholic faith. He was perhaps the biggest booster that Mount Carmel Academy (his daughter Lisa’s alma mater) had ever known. For years he was a fixture at St. Piux X Catholic Church on Sunday mornings, always at the end of the same rear-row pew, dressed impeccably in a suit and tie, and serving as an usher. I often made a point of sitting in that section of church just so I could tell him hello when I arrived for Mass. He always had a firm handshake, a warm smile and

P H OTO B Y T E D J AC K S O N / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

Jimmy Fitzmorris

his hallmark “Hiya, pal” greeting whenever I saw him. Years after he became unable to attend Mass in person, I still looked to that same pew hoping to see him there — and missing him. I like to think that shortly after he left this world, with its victories and defeats, Jimmy Fitz stood at the gates of heaven and gave St. Peter that same handshake, that big smile, and a “Hiya, pal” on his way in. In many ways, his life was summed up before he was born in Rudyard Kipling’s enduring poem “If,” particularly the lines, “If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster And treat those two impostors just the same…” Jimmy Fitzmorris treated his victories and his losses exactly the same — with humility and determination to meet whatever challenges and opportunities lay ahead. He leaves a legacy of service, mentorship and values rarely seen in today’s politicians. That’s the biggest heartbreak of all. So long, Fitz. We’ll miss ya, pal.

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The downtown hotel has had four names in its 128-year history. It opened in 1893 as the Grunewald Hotel, built by Bavarianborn businessman Louis Grunewald. The hotel, which opened with 250 rooms, expanded in 1907 with a 14-story annex. The Cave, a club located in the basement at the Grunewald, is considered by many to be the city’s first modern nightclub. It was decorated to look like a cavern, complete with waterfalls, fake stalagmites and stalactites. A group of investors including the Moss brothers and Joseph and Lucca Vaccaro bought the Grunewald in 1923. The Vaccaros were Italian immigrants who became well-known in the fruit business. Their Standard Fruit Company (later sold and renamed Dole) was — along with United Fruit — the major importer of bananas throughout the 20th century. On Halloween 1923, the hotel’s name was changed to the Roosevelt Hotel, to honor President Theodore Roosevelt, who had died in 1919. “The (Vaccaro) brothers recalled that Roosevelt did more for New Orleans than most any other man because he promoted the Panama

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Canal, a project that opened up a vast trading territory in the South and Central Americas,” reported The Times-Picayune. There is no record of either Teddy or Franklin Roosevelt ever staying at the hotel, although both visited the city. One of FDR’s rivals, Louisiana Governor and later U.S. Senator Huey P. Long, kept a suite at the hotel and was close friends with its owner, Seymour Weiss. The Fairmont hotel company of San Francisco bought the hotel in 1965. It became known as The Fairmont-Roosevelt before changing again to The Fairmont in the 1970s. Hurricane Katrina shuttered the hotel in 2005. In 2007, a developer bought it and contracted with the Hilton Hotel Corp. to add the hotel to its Waldorf-Astoria portfolio. After a $135 million renovation, the hotel reopened as The Roosevelt in 2009.

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back at the building’s history. When it opened in 1930, the $2 million, fivestory building was hailed as a “building of magnificent surprises” by The Times-Picayune. “This building is our city’s playhouse. It was built with your money and is intended to be used in any way that may add to your profit and pleasure,” Mayor T. Semmes Walmsley said at the opening ceremony. Over the years, the 75,000-square-foot auditorium would host Carnival balls, graduation ceremonies, school dances, circuses and sporting events. Many A-list entertainers performed there over the years, including Frank Sinatra, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Mahalia Jackson, Bob Hope, Ella Fitzgerald and Hank Williams (who got married at a 1952 show there). In 1994, the building was renamed the Morris F.X. Jeff Sr. Municipal Auditorium, honoring the local recreation department leader. That same year, the building also became a temporary Harrah’s casino. An ice rink was installed so it could host the New Orleans Brass hockey team from 1997 to 1999. The building has sat vacant since 2005 and Hurricane Katrina and the federal levee failures. FEMA has offered $38 million to help renovate the building. Mayor LaToya Cantrell’s administration proposed relocating City Hall there, but that idea has generated considerable opposition. Its future remains in doubt, with the city now seeking proposals to redevelop it.

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marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching arching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching marching Months after the Nationaltogether Federation marching together marching together marching of the Blind’s abuse scandal, marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching marching Months after the Nationaltogether Federation marching together of the Blind’smarching abuse scandal,together marching marching together marching together marching marching together marching together marching

TOGETHER

B Y K AY L E E P O C H E

Editor’s note: A longer version of this story appears online.

ALYSSA MENDEZ SAT DOWN IN HER APARTMENT one evening early last December, opened the Notes app on her phone and began drafting a Facebook post. Though she’d thought about telling the story of her 2018 assault before, it had never felt like the right time. But things had begun to change. Rumors about her were spreading, she said. And online, attitudes within the blind community seemed to be shifting, with more and more people beginning to tell their own stories of abuse. “I had wanted to talk about it for a while, like for a few months,” Mendez said. “I felt more comfortable because it seemed like conversations were starting ... it felt like people were ready to hear it.” The story spilled out, alleging how at 16, she’d been assaulted by an instructor at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. How the abuse and harassment had allegedly continued for much of the next year. How other counselors had allegedly reported seeing inappropriate conduct, but nothing had been done. A movement against sexual misconduct and abuse within the National Federation of the Blind and affiliated centers like LCB had been underway

survivors want accountability

for some time. But it had mostly been behind the scenes and had gotten only so far. She sent the draft to her friends for feedback. A few days later, with her roommate by her side, Mendez hit the post button and her story went out into the universe. The response was almost immediate. The post was shared, commented and reacted to more than 100 times each. Before long, more people began sharing their stories of abuse and allies began expressing support for them under #MarchingTogether. Now, there was a public face to put to what some members had been hearing about and experiencing for decades. Four days after Mendez’s post, the NFB president released a statement acknowledging the long history of abuse and assault of children and adults and vowing to take aggressive steps to address the issue. By mid-January news outlets, including Gambit, the Des Moines Register, the Washington Post and others, began covering the growing scandal. It seemed, at first, that there was momentum for real change and accountability as well as healing. “I felt like I had a lot of support from people,” Mendez said. “It was also really tough, realizing that it happened to so, so many other people.” In the months since, more incidents of abuse and misconduct have been

“I felt like I had a lot of support from people,” Mendez said. “It was also really tough, realizing that it happened to so, so many other people.”

uncovered and thus far little in the way of accountability or systemic change has happened, either at NFB or at organizations with close ties to the federation. That, in turn, has led to growing anger and frustration among survivors. “I think that a lot of work needs to still be done,” Mendez said. “I don’t think there’s anything ... they can say that would make me trust them immediately again. It will probably take just time and showing that they are

actually going to do the right thing.” NFB spokesperson Chris Danielsen, who speaks for both NFB and LCB as well as individual officials with both organizations, declined to answer specific requests for comment on this story. But the organization did release a 60-page internal report last week in which it said it has received 69 complaints alleging a total of 55 incidents of misconduct since December. “The Interim Report documents how, in carrying out that role, we have not always handled allegations and incidents of misconduct in the most effective, empathetic, and trauma-informed manner,” the NFB Board of Directors said in a statement. “We are deeply sorry for that.”

WHEN MENDEZ IN 2018 FIRST ARRIVED at LCB’s summer program, it didn’t take long for Michael Ausbun, then 23 years old and the vice president of NFB’s National Association of Blind Students division, to begin grooming her, she said. In the first few weeks, he shared personal details about his life with her, and started hugging her and touching her shoulders and hair — sometimes in front of others, sometimes when they were alone, she said. PAGE 18

TOGETHER

B Y K AY L E E P O C H E Editor’s note: A longer version of this story appears online. ALYSSA MENDEZ SAT DOWN IN HER APARTMENT one evening early last December, opened the Notes app on her phone and began drafting a Facebook post. Though she’d thought about telling the story of her 2018 assault before, it had never felt like the right time. But things had begun to change. Rumors about her were spreading, she said. And online, attitudes within the blind community seemed to be shifting, with more and more people beginning to tell their own stories of abuse. “I had wanted to talk about it for a while, like for a few months,” Mendez said. “I felt more comfortable because it seemed like conversations were starting ... it felt like people were ready to hear it.” The story spilled out, alleging how at 16, she’d been assaulted by an instructor at the Louisiana Center for the Blind. How the abuse and harassment had allegedly continued for much of the next year. How other counselors had allegedly reported seeing inappropriate conduct, but nothing had been done. A movement against sexual misconduct and abuse within the National Federation of the Blind and affiliated centers like LCB had been underway

survivors want accountability

“I felt like I had a lot of support from people,” Mendez said. “It was also really tough, realizing that it happened to so, so many other people.” uncovered and thus far little in the way of accountability or systemic change has happened, either at NFB or at organizations with close ties to the federation. That, in turn, has led to growing anger and frustration among survivors. “I think that a lot of work needs to still be done,” Mendez said. “I don’t think there’s anything ... they can say that would make me trust them immediately again. It will probably take just time and showing that they are

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PAGE 17

Ausbun’s lawyer Eric Johnson declined to comment on the story. A representative from Johnson’s office said Johnson did not want to bring “additional publicity” to the case. According to Mendez, two of the other staffers at LCB noticed and reported Ausbun’s behavior to LCB leaders. Then when students and staff went to the NFB’s national convention in Orlando that year, two sighted LCB staff members took a picture of Ausbun touching Mendez and sent it to center leadership, who talked with him, she said. Still, when they returned from the convention, Ausbun was allowed access to Mendez and the abuse escalated to assault, Mendez said. Two staffers who had previously voiced their concerns to Guillory talked to him again, she said. Even after she finished the program, the abuse allegedly continued. He continued contacting her and became friends with Mendez’s mother, Kimberly Banks, who didn’t yet know what had occurred, she said. That December, Ausbun was in town, and Banks invited him to stay with them and help Mendez practice cane travel. Shortly after he arrived, he abused her again, Mendez said. Banks, who had been active in the NFB’s parents’ division, said she found out and immediately reported the abuse to center leadership. Ausbun was still able to attend the national convention in Las Vegas the following year, where Mendez said he followed her and her friends around. In October 2019, Mendez said she formally reported the alleged abuse through the NFB’s Code of Conduct. Eight months later, in June 2020, NFB concluded the investigation,

and President Mark Riccobono told Mendez and her mother that Ausbun would be suspended from the NFB for five years, according to Mendez and Banks. “[Riccobono] told me on the phone that they came to that conclusion because of Michael’s marital status. I’m not really sure what that meant,” Mendez said. “They also told me that he had some guidelines that he had to follow in order to come back into the organization, but ... that those were confidential and that I didn’t get to know what they were.” Following the decision, Mendez said she felt the consequence was not severe enough and called NFB First Vice President and LCB Executive Director Pam Allen to discuss it. “I remember saying that ‘I know that it could be worse,’ ” Mendez said. “[Allen] told me that it could be a lot worse and that he could have gotten like no time.” “I remember that I was pretty upset,” she added. “I didn’t really understand why we couldn’t all agree that five years wasn’t enough and why we would even want him to be able to come back (to the organization).” Banks felt similarly. “I was really disappointed because I felt like this person assaulted a child at an NFB training center while he was their employee and all he got was a fiveyear ban,” she said. “I couldn’t really comprehend what someone would have to do to be banned for life from the NFB.” As the months went on, Mendez began to feel compelled to share her story, especially when she began to realize she wasn’t the only one who said they experienced abuse within the organization.

“I was really disappointed because I felt like this person assaulted a child at an NFB training center while he was their employee and all he got was a five-year ban,” Banks said. “I couldn’t really comprehend what someone would have to do to be banned for life from the NFB.”

“I thought when it happened to me that it had never happened to anyone else before in NFB,” she said. “I felt alone, and I didn’t really want other people to feel that way.” A month after Mendez made her Facebook post, she reported her alleged abuse to the Ruston Police Department. In April, police began their investigation, and on June 2, he was arrested on the charge of molestation of a minor. A grand jury then decided late last month that there was enough evidence to bring Ausbun to trial for the 18 counts of molestation of a minor by an educator.

FACEBOOK POSTS LIKE MENDEZ’S were the tipping point for NFB and LCB to begin publicly acknowledging the history of abuse within their organizations, but they didn’t happen in a vacuum. Like virtually every space women find themselves in, there had long been a whisper network among blind people who were members. For decades, that network had been filled with warnings about staff within the group and other men associated with it. Out of that network a small group of whistleblowers and activists had begun working to change the culture at NFB and its affiliates. Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter, who was active in the NFB for more than a decade and previously served as the president of its Omaha, Nebraska, chapter, said in 2016 she started hearing from friends stories of sexual misconduct and abuse they experienced within the organization. They also described having negative experiences when reporting incidents to NFB leadership. Around 2017, people started talking about their experiences in a private Facebook group called Disability Wisdom, where people with disabilities and allies discuss topics related to disability. “Several people started sharing stories about experiences of all levels of sexual harassment that had happened to them at NFB events and programs,” she said. “For me, that’s when it kind of started becoming real clear (that) this is a bigger problem than I realized.” Kuenning-Pollpeter said those posts were the catalyst for her to email Riccobono with her concerns, adding that she would like to work on addressing the issue. “The tone of his response and his defensiveness and, in my opinion, lack of willingness to address this, I felt like that probably wasn’t going to be the best route to go,” she said. Similarly, vocal whistleblower Stacy Cervenka, a longtime member of NFB and former director of public policy for the American Foundation for the Blind, first began ringing alarm bells about sexual abuse in

2018. A survivor herself, Cervenka had been hearing an increasing number of stories of misconduct and decided to approach NFB’s Allen and Riccobono. The timing seemed perfect: the #MeToo movement had just taken off in fall 2017, and activists within the blind community had successfully lobbied NFB to establish a new Code of Conduct in January 2018 which outlined the organization’s anti-sexual harassment and non-discrimination policies and a complaint procedure for reporting violations. In September 2020, Cervenka emailed Riccobono and Allen and discussed with Allen instances of assault and other misconduct. According to Cervenka, it was clear leadership was aware of the incidences and seemingly sympathetic to her concerns. But nothing ever came of it. Then last December, Cervenka discovered that an instructor who had been accused of misconduct had been essentially shuffled around non-NFB affiliated facilities across the country. Worse, he had been certified by the National Blindness Professional Certification Board, a Ruston-based group that shares an address with LCB and has longstanding institutional connections. For Cervenka, it was the final straw. “Raise your hand if you don’t think that serial sexual predators should rotate between structured discovery training centers,” she wrote on Facebook the night of Dec. 4. The next day, she put out a call asking for people to share their stories of sexual and emotional abuse in the blind community for a potential article. The feedback was immediate, and her phone was flooded with an overwhelming amount of voice messages, written accounts and calls all pouring in. The article fell through, but she continued spending a solid month single-handedly responding to the influx of calls. “So many people were contacting me,” Cervenka said. “Literally, I had to turn off on my phone the notifications from Facebook Messenger and texts because in the middle of the night, I was getting so many pings. I stayed up three full nights … with survivors. I was in a constant state of being on my laptop in my room.” Many people didn’t want to come forward with their stories, either by reporting them through the NFB’s code of conduct, talking with reporters or going to police. Cervenka tried to refer some to mental health professionals but some didn’t feel comfortable talking with a stranger. “I didn’t have good boundaries,” she said. “So then I would say, ‘OK, you can tell [your story] to me,’ but then they wouldn’t want to move forward with anything. And then I was stuck with all these stories, and I still am.” In January, Gambit broke the story

INITIALLY, IT SEEMED THE EFFORTS to force accountability and change within their community’s institutions had paid off. In January, Riccobono announced the NFB was partnering with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) to create ongoing anti-sexual harassment training programs for staff, volunteers, leadership and training center students, as well as to make policy suggestions relating to the handling of sexual misconduct and abuse. On March 23, RAINN began a series of 10 initial training sessions that, according to NFB spokesman Chris Danielsen, was “offered” to all NFB employees, members, leaders and students. He said 745 people participated in this training, which “covered the impact and complexities of sexual misconduct, strategies for encouraging healthy boundaries, consent, bystander intervention, and trauma-informed support for survivors.” At the same time, NFB also established its Survivor Task Force, made up of six involved NFB members who experienced sexual misconduct, to advise the organization on policies, training, communication and oversight to create “a meaningful organizational culture shift.” The members NFB selected for the task force were not the ones who had been vocal online about the #MarchingTogether movement. The NFB also created a special committee of NFB leaders to oversee internal investigations of sexual misconduct and how leadership responded to allegations. It hired Maryland law firm Kramon & Graham to conduct interviews with survivors and advise the committee. NFB also temporarily extended the time frame in which survivors had to file Code of Conduct complaints, and they have hired Baltimore employ-

SCR E E N S H OT OF AD BY O ’ M A R A L AW G R O U P

Alyssa Mendez, 19, is at the center of an upcoming class action lawsuit against the National Federation of the Blind.

ment attorney Tonya Bana to investigate complaints. LCB has been following NFB’s lead in its response to allegations of abuse, including its partnership with RAINN, investigation of Code of Conduct complaints and policy review. What started as a conversation about sexual misconduct and abuse has developed into a discussion about verbal and emotional abuse. Several former LCB students have said there was a “toxic culture” at the center and have described staff and students making sexist, racist and anti-LGBTQ comments. Others complained of harsh methods they said instructors used at the center. LCB has since announced its trainings will cover not only trauma, abuse and consent, but also diversity, equity and inclusion. In addition, there will be training for instructors on “teaching methods, theories and techniques.” NBPCB, the national certifying body in Ruston, also is revising its policies for what would trigger an investigation into someone the board certified or is considering certifying if that person has been accused of sexual misconduct. That policy review comes after leaders at all three state-run training centers it certifies sent a letter to NBPCB expressing concerns about its nearly impossibly high threshold for investigating misconduct claims.

EXPERTS AND SURVIVORS ALIKE have raised serious questions about the adequacy of those steps. Elissa Perry, a psychology professor at Columbia University, said she has found in her research that anti-sexual harassment trainings like those being organized by RAINN are

not necessarily effective in changing the culture of an organization and preventing future misconduct — though some training types have been found to be more effective than others. For instance, some experts are proponents of bystander intervention training, in which people are encouraged to say something and get involved if they witness inappropriate behavior. “I think there’s a knee-jerk reaction a lot of times to say, ‘We need training,’ ” Perry said. “That might be true, but training really addresses individuals. You can train people to know what sexual harassment is, but if you never follow through in your organization on punishing people that do it, then all the best training in the world isn’t going to change anything.” As is often the case with mandatory training, Cervenka said she’d heard some NFB members grumble about having to attend RAINN anti-sexual harassment trainings and diversity trainings. “Here in Nebraska, everyone was complaining about it,” she said. “From what I’ve heard from people who were there, they were saying, ‘Why do I have to attend this diversity training? It’s against my religion.’ ” Though Danielsen said the NFB retained Kramon & Graham only to report to the internal committee and “not for the defense of the National Federation of the Blind,” Mendez’s lawyer Mark O’Mara told Gambit he was concerned about whether the information survivors gave the Kramon & Graham representative would be used against them. “They are reaching out to survivors and sort of saying, ‘Here, let us help you,’ ” O’Mara said. “But

“I had to turn off on my phone the notifications from Facebook Messenger and texts because in the middle of the night, I was getting so many pings,” Cervenka said. “I stayed up three full nights … with survivors. I was in a constant state of being on my laptop in my room.”

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on the #MarchingTogether movement, survivors’ open letter to the NFB and the National Blindness Professional Certification Board also located in Ruston, and the NFB’s response to allegations of misconduct. Then, our April 6 cover story detailed allegations of sexual, verbal and emotional abuse occurring at LCB spanning decades. Though many of the people who came forward originally attended LCB, it quickly became clear misconduct was an issue spanning blindness training centers — both those affiliated and not affiliated with the NFB — around the country. In several cases, the NBPCB, which certifies people to teach skills such as Braille and cane travel at training centers, failed to decertify instructors credibly accused of sexual misconduct. Instructors fired from one training center for misconduct were able to get jobs at training centers in other states.

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they’re not reaching out to help them against the NFB or to hold the NFB responsible. They’re sort of trying to minimize the NFB’s exposure or damage.” But Danielsen said the report would not include “names or other identifying details of victims or survivors who spoke to the investigators.” Perry said given the misconduct that NFB leadership acknowledged has occurred in the organization for decades, it’s no surprise that some survivors are questioning who to trust. “That is the consequence of leadership not being responsive, like that’s the cost and that repair is a lot of work,” Perry said.

“Having one person, the president, be responsible for making sure that those that are suspended or expelled are not attending is next to impossible,” Shaham said. “Appointing a special counsel that you say is independent is going to raise questions for people — given they couldn’t trust you to identify the problem in the first place — to wonder whether it really, truly is independent.”

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PERHAPS THE BIGGEST RED FLAG ABOUT NFB’S RESPONSE, however, has been the relative lack of consequences either for abusers or leadership. Some people with allegations of misconduct against them have

quietly been removed from the organization after investigations, but the top leadership of NFB, who many report knew about alleged abuse for years, remains the same. Even in instances where someone has been suspended or banned from the NFB, the organization does not send out communications to all its leaders. Fred Schroeder, who was previously an NFB vice president, was suspended from the organization for five years on June 2 due to “a Code of Conduct complaint and the subsequent findings of an independent investigation” but the notice was only sent to state affiliate presidents and division presidents two days later. Schroeder did not respond to a request for comment. This was not the first time NFB leadership was made aware of potential misconduct by Schroeder. According to the special committee’s internal report, leadership knew about allegations against him since at least 2002. Schroeder is the only one of the 52 people accused of misconduct to be named in the report, a rare departure from the NFB’s policy of not commenting on specific allegations. In the fall of 2014, then-newly elected President Riccobono and Allen were made aware of at least one additional allegation against Schroeder, according to the report. Riccobono said he met with Schroeder, and Schroeder resigned from the NFB board and as president of its Virginia affiliate. But he continued to hold positions on the boards of the World Blind Union and NBPCB, speak at the NFB events and become WBU president with support from NFB. In 2019, during a national convention in Las Vegas, when Schroeder got up to speak in place, dozens left because many had heard of allegations of sexual misconduct against him spanning decades, according to the report. On June 13, Schroeder resigned from his position as president of the WBU, according to a statement the organization released. “The World Blind Union (WBU) is sad to announce the early resignation of Dr. Frederic K. Schroeder from the position of WBU President,” the statement read. “Dr. Schroeder, who was elected President of the WBU in 2016 during the last General Assembly, resigned on 13th June, 2021 due to personal circumstances that prevent him from carrying out his responsibilities in this role.” “WBU is committed to respecting and upholding the highest standards of transparency and ethical behaviour,” said incoming WBU president Martine Abel-Wil-

“There has to be

The Louisiana Center for the Blind in Ruston

accountability throughout the organization,” Daniels said. “And that includes punishing those on staff who don’t report, who receive a report and don’t do anything with it. There have to be consequences for failure to act.”

liamson in a statement. Edward Shaham, a former president of the NFB of Connecticut, said only sending out the names of suspended or expelled members to state affiliate and division presidents makes the bans hard to enforce. Many events the NFB and its affiliates host are open to the public and can draw hundreds of people. “Having one person, the president, be responsible for making sure that those that are suspended or expelled are not attending is next to impossible,” he said. “I don’t believe it’s fair to even ask a volunteer to take that enormous responsibility of ensuring that someone doesn’t get raped or molested.” Shaham said several state affiliate and division presidents have been advocating for a system where the names of people suspended or banned from the organization due to allegations of sexual misconduct would be sent to all NFB members. Additionally, while Allen and Riccobono both were aware of allegations — in some cases for years — long before they took action, thus far they both remain in

their leadership positions, and are helping steer reforms within NFB. Deborah Daniels, a lawyer in Indianapolis who made a report of recommendations for USA Gymnastics to adopt following its sexual abuse scandal in 2017, said that accountability is one of the most critical steps an organization should take if it’s serious about changing its culture. “There has to be accountability throughout the organization,” Daniels said, “And that includes punishing those on staff who don’t report, who receive a report and don’t do anything with it. There have to be consequences for failure to act.” In both the NFB and USA Gymnastics, there was a culture where survivors were scared to come forward with complaints, leaders and instructors or coaches were revered and where people were dependent on the organization professionally. According to Daniels, in the last few years, USA Gymnastics has hired a new CEO, revised its board and board selection process and hired many new staff members. She described the previous board as “very insular” and full of mem-

bers who “were all trying to protect the reputation of the organization.” “Changes can be made, but there has to be a commitment on (the part of) our leadership to do it,” Daniels said. “And sometimes that requires some of the leadership to step down. That was a very painful process in the gymnastics setting, but that’s what happened.” While some alleged abusers have been kicked out, Elissa Perry, the Columbia professor, said for there to be systemic change in an organization, there also needs to be a focus on the role the organization played in allowing abuse to occur — an approach targeting the “bad barrel” rather than the “bad apples.” “The truth is that the climate in which the organization cultivates plays a role in whether sexual harassment is permitted,” she said.

MENDEZ IS NOW AT THE CENTER OF A CLASS ACTION LAWSUIT against the NFB that her lawyer Mark O’Mara is preparing to file in the coming months. The law firm is

putting out video advertisements featuring Mendez in hopes of adding more people to the suit. “It seems to us as though not only was the sexual abuse somewhat pervasive, but that there was some cover up,” O’Mara said. “We’re finding that these people who abused children were not reported, by the way which they should have been, but yet were sort of moved around and moved over and sometimes moved up in the organization.” At the same time, the NFB is about to hold their annual convention virtually this week and make public recommendations made by an internal committee to root out sexual misconduct and abuse within the organization and its affiliated training facilities. Ultimately Mendez, her mother and other survivors want lasting change within the organization and ongoing support for survivors of abuse and trauma. “Just because I am talking about it doesn’t mean I am better,” Mendez said. “It’s important to continue to support survivors, even when it isn’t constantly being talked about.”

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S C R E E N S H O T TA K E N FROM GOOGLE MAPS STREET VIEW

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P O W E R E D

B Y

Vote for your local favorites in Gambit’s Best of New Orleans 2021 Readers’ Poll FOOD AND DRINK

Best new restaurant (opened October 2020 or later) Best new bar (opened October 2020 or later) Best Kenner restaurant Best Metairie restaurant Best New Orleans restaurant Best Northshore restaurant Best St. Bernard Parish restaurant Best West Bank restaurant Best bakery Best barbecue restaurant Best burger restaurant Best Caribbean restaurant Best Chinese restaurant Best doughnut Best drag brunch Best food hall Best French restaurant Best Indian restaurant Best Italian restaurant Best Japanese/sushi restaurant Best Latin American restaurant Best locally owned coffee house Best Louisiana-made food product Best Mexican restaurant Best Middle Eastern/ Mediterranean restaurant Best pizza restaurant Best restaurant for vegetarians/vegans Best seafood restaurant Best sno-ball stand Best steakhouse Best Thai restaurant Best traditional Louisiana restaurant Best Vietnamese restaurant Best gumbo Best fried chicken Best king cake Best outdoor dining Best place for desserts Best place to get frozen desserts Best place to get a po-boy

2 0 2 1 CATE G O R I E S : Best place to get boiled seafood Best place to get breakfast/brunch Best place to get poke Best place to get a sandwich Best place to get tacos Best restaurant for romantic dining Best balcony for dining and drinking Best bar for cocktails Best bar for day drinking Best beer selection Best casino Best distillery Best dive bar Best dog-friendly bar Best LGBTQ bar Best strip club Best happy hour Best hotel bar Best live music venue Best local brewery Best local music artist/band Best local theater company Best movie theater Best neighborhood bar Best place to get a bloody mary Best place to get a glass of wine Best place to get a margarita Best place to get a martini Best place to get a traditional Louisiana cocktail Best rooftop bar Best sports bar Best twenty-four hour bar

LOCAL LIFE

Best nursery/preschool Best grammar school Best high school Best local college/university Best apartment community Best assisted living/ retirement community Best art gallery Best golf course Best high school band

Best marching g roup Best Mardi Gras parade Best museum Best nonprofit Best place to get married Best summer camp (virtual or IRL)

MEDIA

Best local investigative reporter Best local radio personality Local TV news anchor Best local TV station Best local TV sportscaster Best local TV weathercaster Best radio station Best New Orleans-based podcast

POLITICS

Best Congress member from LA Best New Orleans City Council member Best Jefferson Parish Council member Best member of the LA Legislature Best person for Mayor of New Orleans 2021 Best new location for City Hall

GOODS AND SERVICES

Best Jefferson neighborhood grocery Best New Orleans neighborhood grocery Best Northshore neighborhood grocery Best antiques store Best auction house Best bank/credit union Best barbershop Best bicycle shop Best Black owned small business Best car dealership Best costume store Best day spa Best dry cleaner Best florist Best garden store

B ESTOFN E WORLE ANS .COM/2021

Best hair salon Best health club/fitness studio Best hospital Best hotel Best law firm Best liquor store Best local shop to buy lingerie Best locally owned bookstore Best locally owned bridal shop Best locally owned children’s store Best locally owned jewelry store Best locally owned kitchen design store Best locally owned men’s clothing store Best locally owned music store Best locally owned pet supply store Best locally owned pharmacy Best locally owned shoe store Best locally owned women’s boutique Best pet boarding/day care business Best pet grooming business Best place to buy adult toys Best place to buy CBD oil products Best place to buy eyewear Best place to buy a gift Best locally owned store for home decor/accents Best locally owned furniture store Best place to buy vintage/ consignment furniture Best store for vintage/ consignment clothing Best place to buy wine Best place to get a manicure/pedicure Best place to get a massage Best place to get waxed Best real estate office Best Smoke Shop Best tattoo/piercing parlor Best thrift store Best vape shop Best veterinary/animal clinic Best woman-owned small business Best yoga studio

VOTING OPEN FROM JULY 1-31, 2021

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WHO IS THE Best?

EATDRINK

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Clamming up An elegant new Italian restaurant in the Lower Garden District BY B E T H D ’A D D O N O WHAT A DIFFERENCE A CLAM MAKES.

The fresh linguine vongole on the menu at San Lorenzo restaurant in the recently opened Hotel St. Vincent is revelatory. Beyond the housemade pasta — and beyond the heft of the toasted garlic in buttery sauce topped with ribbons of parsley and fried breadcrumbs — there are those clams. Although littleneck clams are usually the stand-ins for this dish, it’s the manila variety that brings the wow to San Lorenzo’s version. “It’s about really good clams and we use manilas,” says Jedd Adair, vice president of culinary operations for McGuire Moorman Lambert Hospitality, the Austin, Texas-based restaurant and hotel operators behind St. Vincent. “Manilas have more natural clam juice, more subtle brininess, which makes our vongole brothier.” These small sweet clams, notable for their striated shells, are tender morsels of briny delight. Dining at San Lorenzo feels like an Italian holiday and that’s no accident. Its menu of coastal cuisine was inspired by the likes of Le Sirenuse in Positano, Italy, and the white tablecloth design, with its carved columns and wood paneling, channels Da Giacomo in Milan, one of the owners’ favorite restaurants. The menu is seafood-centric, with an emphasis on seasonal, line-caught and bycatch fish. Oysters are available raw or grilled and topped with Parmesan butter. A rotating menu of bivalves is featured, harvested from waters in Prince Edward Island, Canada, Maine and the Gulf Coast. Raw and rare fish are offered several ways: in snapper tartare served with a swirl of avocado mascarpone crema and nibs of truffled croutons;

as a crudo plate dressed simply with olive oil and capers; and with a grilled yellowtail carpaccio served Sicilian-style with mint, crushed pistachio and tangy bottarga (salted fish roe). Another notable pasta dish is the fresh squid ink chitarra, a squared off version of spaghetti. The dish surprises with a winning combination of fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, sweet uni and crabmeat, which complement the natural earthiness of the pasta. There’s an arrabbiata made with lobster, a simple pomodoro spiked with eggplant and ricotta salata and two types of risotto, one scampi Milanese version and a summer styling with truffles, morel mushrooms, peas and mascarpone. Steak lovers won’t be disappointed by the bistecca alla Fiorentina, a 24-ounce dry-aged porterhouse from Meats by Linz of Chicago. “That dish is all about the brown butter,” Adair says. “It’s a great piece of meat grilled over oak, served with a whole roasted confit garlic and a good amount of brown butter on a really hot plate.” A squeeze of fresh lemon is the finishing touch. Sides include Parmesan truffle fries, crispy marble potatoes with rosemary and Calabrian chilies, and a dish of warm escarole topped with fried croutons and just a hint of anchovy and lots of lemon. For dessert, there’s blackberry pavlova, cannoli and seasonal crostata. The Doberge-style olive oil cake is tough to turn down, bright with fennel pollen and lemon curd and not-too-sweet buttercream frosting sweetened with local honey. Chef de cuisine Christian Hurst, formerly a corporate sous chef for the Link Restaurant Group, directs the kitchen, working under the hotel’s executive chef Matthew Ridgway, who worked at Cooks & Soldiers in Atlanta prior to taking the job at Hotel St. Vincent. He’s also an experienced butcher, at one time

WHAT

WHERE

St. Vincent Hotel, 1507 Magazine St., 504-350-2450; saintvincentnola.com/dining

WHEN

5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tue.-Sun.

HOW

Email dining@gambitweekly.com

Once more with Feelings

P H OTO B Y C H E R YL G E R B E R

San Lorenzo serves Italian dishes such as linguine vongole.

running his own artisanal charcuterie business called PorcSalt. San Lorenzo is situated in an attractively renovated hotel. The red brick building that houses the hotel was constructed in 1861 as The Saint Vincent’s Infant Asylum by Irish immigrant Margaret Haughery, a bakery owner and philanthropist celebrated for her humanitarian services in New Orleans. There’s a statue of her and children on the neutral ground on Camp Street. St. Vincent’s was just one of Haughery’s philanthropic projects. The orphanage was open into the 1970s, and also served as a home for unwed mothers. It was used as a hostel and fell into disrepair before local developers including Zach Kupperman partnered with MML Hospitality for the $22.2 million project. Many of St. Vincent’s original architectural elements were preserved, including a grotto with a statue of the Virgin Mary that greets guests at the entrance, and now it’s a welcome refuge for local diners.

? San Lorenzo

FORK CENTER

Dine-in and outdoor seating available

CHECK IT OUT

Elegant Italian fare in a new Lower Garden District hotel restaurant

MIMI’S IN THE MARIGNY, one of the best-known bars in its namesake neighborhood, is planning to make its comeback in one of that neighborhood’s landmark buildings. Mimi Dykes confirmed that she plans to open a new version of Mimi’s in the Marigny in the former home of Feelings Cafe at 2600 Chartres St. She hopes to open by the fall. That address is just down the street from the building that Mimi’s in the Marigny called home for nearly two decades until the pandemic, one of many shake-ups rippling across the local bar business through the crisis. Feelings Cafe was a restaurant. Dykes says her new Mimi’s in the Marigny will be a bar with food, like the original. At this new address, Dykes says she is out to reconnect with her neighborhood and many of the people who once worked for her at the bar’s first home. “It will be Mimi’s again,” she says. The kitchen will be led by Matthew Kopfler, who has made a name around town for his pop-up L’Enfant Terrible. Over the years, he’s developed a style for casual food with a fresher,

P H OTO B Y V E R O N I C A D O M I N AC H / T H E T I M E S - P I C AYU N E

greener edge, incorporating lots of farmers market vegetables in the mix. Kopfler says he plans to use a similar style at Mimi’s in the Marigny. Dykes says she thinks this approach will bring a menu of small plates that go beyond standard bar food. “I tell him, ‘don’t worry about calling it tapas, just do what you do and what makes you happy and that’s going to be the best,’ ” she says. PAGE 25

The old Feelings Cafe building has many small rooms spread over two floors, with a courtyard in the center and open-air walkway looking down into it. Dykes currently is working out plans for where different bars will be situated inside, and where to put a new pool table. Dykes co-founded the bar that bears her name in 2003. It became a neighborhood mainstay and also a cross-town destination. It was known for its tapas menu and latenight kitchen, led for many years by chef Heathcliffe Hailey. While Mimi’s in the Marigny was closed during the pandemic, Hailey became chef at Pluck, a new wine bar and restaurant in the Warehouse District. Bars were especially hard hit by the economic tumult of the pandemic, and some have changed hands while others closed outright. While the bar was closed, Dykes and her partners in the business parted ways. Dykes sold her stake in the bar and retained rights to the name Mimi’s in the Marigny. In June, a new bar debuted in its former address. The new Anna’s, is a sibling to the Lower Garden District bar Barrel Proof in a company started by Liam Deegan and Robert LeBlanc, who is a partner in the restaurant group LeBlanc + Smith. Anna’s had begun development under the name Mimi’s, which prompted Dykes to file a lawsuit to block the use of that name. Feelings Cafe’s property dates to the 1700s and became a restaurant in 1979. With a Creole menu and a lush ambience, it had a reputation for romantic dinners and mimosa-soaked brunches. A bar off the courtyard became popular with a crowd of local artists and performers. Over the years, segments of the restaurant had been repurposed. At one point it had a yoga studio upstairs while another room served as a series of pop-up concepts. The property changed hands more recently, each time reopening as Feelings Cafe with different operators and menus. The restaurant closed again in 2018 and returned later that year as a different concept called Cru by Chef Marlon Alexander, which closed early in the pandemic. — IAN McNULTY/THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Beignets in the park BEIGNET FEST IS THE LATEST ANNUAL event to announce come-

back plans, returning to the New Orleans City Park Festival Grounds on Sept. 25. Beignet Fest gathers an array of vendors serving traditional and creative beignets, including plenty of savory editions. It is a project of the Tres Doux Foundation, a nonprofit that

EAT+DRINK supports local autism programs. Proceeds from the festival help fund its grants. Last year, event organizers were able to hold a socially-distanced version of the festival with various restaurants and other vendors serving special beignets at their own locations. Find event details at beignetfest.com. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

Lucky 13

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THE RESTAURANT AND BAR CALLED 13 , a longtime late-night

destination for food and drinks on Frenchmen Street, is back open and has a new owner. Local restaurant operator Brian Mullin took over 13 and has begun putting his own stamp on the place. The kitchen has rolled out the new menu. 13 was created by the family behind the Decatur Street bar Molly’s at the Market. It served sandwiches and late-night food long amid the bustling stretch of music clubs and bars. One specialty is a dish called “tater tachos,” potato tots served like nachos with a variety of toppings. Those will remain a centerpiece of the menu, and the new 13 is adding more options for them, including a dessert version made with sweet potato tots. The rest of the menu has been overhauled with a focus on pressed po-boys, with versions like hot sausage and roast beef debris pressed and served hot, in the style of a Cuban sandwich (which is also on the menu). Chargrilled oysters will also join the line-up. “There’s a diversity on Frenchmen, everyone’s doing something different down here, that’s what I like and we want to add our own thing to it,” Mullin says. The new operation will keep late hours, serving food until 2 a.m. Mullins got his start in the local restaurant business not long before the pandemic, opening the Little Easy, a tavern at 634 Julia St., in the former home of La Casita. Last fall he took over the longtime home of Johnny White’s on the corner of Bourbon Street and Orleans Avenue, which had closed in 2020. Here, he opened Local 718, a bar and restaurant pitched as a locals hang in the middle of the tourism hub. Eying future projects, he formed a new company called River Restaurant Group, named for his young granddaughter. 13 is its latest addition. Mullin also plans to add DJ nights in the future. — IAN McNULTY/ THE TIMES-PICAYUNE

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Royal Bell Aloha NOLA Chef ADVERTISE WITH US

ROYAL BELL DEVELOPED AN INTEREST in cooking when he

Call Sandy Stein (504) 483-3150 or sstein@gambitweekly.com

moved to New Orleans from Chicago, after living in places including Hawaii and Seattle. He now runs the pop-up Aloha NOLA, a fixture at BJ’s bar and venues along St. Claude Avenue. He rotates the menu, but familiar dishes include ginger chicken, pulled pork and lomi lomi salmon, which is cubed and mixed with sweet onion, tomato, scallions and cilantro. The next Aloha NOLA pop-ups are July 10 at BJ’s Lounge and July 17 at Creepy Fest at Sidney’s Saloon.

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How did you start Aloha NOLA? ROYAL BELL: I started a few years ago at BJ’s. My friend was starting a bartending shift over there and wanted to draw more people in, so I decided to do some Hawaiian food. I grew up partially in Hawaii, and then in moving to New Orleans, I found there are a lot of similarities. There are a lot of immigrants that came to Hawaii in the 1800s, so there’s a huge mix of cultures. There’s Japanese, Chinese, Puerto Rican, Filipino and Portuguese [influences]. When you go get plate lunches there, you’ll see five, six or seven ethnicities represented in one place. One of the things people know the most [about Hawaiian food] is musubi — it’s like a Spam sushi roll. You have rice, seasoning and a slice of Spam wrapped in seaweed. I thought people are maybe scared of Spam, but they seem to like it. We also do pulled pork and cabbage. People are more open to different flavors in New Orleans — and not just with Cajun and Creole stuff. [Aloha NOLA] is a way to show them something new.

How did you get into the culinary scene?

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B: I was born in Seattle, and my mom is Hawaiian and grew up [in Hawaii]. She was always taking me back there for Christmas, and we ended up moving there. I finished high school there and moved on to other places. I also used to live in Chicago and worked at Kuma’s Corner. I was like the owner’s personal assistant, and he’d always have me go out and grab food from all over the place, so I got an insider look at food and

P H OTO B Y T I A R E M A U M A S I

Royal Bell of Aloha NOLA

restaurants. Then when I moved down here in 2012, I wanted to try something different. I had been a bouncer and a barback, so I thought I’d try my hand at food. I started working at the Canal Place theaters, in the kitchen, then moved over to Juan’s [Flying Burrito], and Markey’s [Bar] and I also worked at La Boca. So, no formal training but I got a lot of firsthand experience.

What do you think of the pop-up scene that’s developed during the pandemic? B: I think New Orleans can continue it, because everyone is so lax when it comes to permits and doing things out of your house, whereas in Chicago, where I lived for 12 years, there’d be no way I’d be able to have this pop-up without paying tons of fees. Some of the best cooks are not in restaurants. I plan on doing it for a while longer. One of the things I like about it, and the reason I don’t want to do a brick and mortar, is that I do a lot of other things. So to have that flexibility to do it whenever I can and whenever I want to is more freeing than knowing I have to pay rent every month at a place. — SARAH RAVITS Follow Aloha NOLA on Instagram: @alohanola_hawaiian

Contact Will Coviello wcoviello@gambitweekly.com 504-483-3106 | FAX: 504-483-3159 C O M P L E T E L I S T I N G S AT W W W. B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M Out 2 Eat is an index of Gambit contract advertisers. Unless noted, addresses are in New Orleans and all accept credit cards. Updates: email willc@gambitweekly.com or call (504) 483-3106.

$ — average dinner entrée under $10 $$ — $11 to $20 $$$ — $21 or more

Notice: Due to COVID-19, dining at restaurants is impacted. Information is subject to change. Contact the restaurant to confirm service options.

MID-CITY/TREME CARROLLTON Mid City Pizza — 6307 S. Miro St., (504) 509-6224; midcitypizza.com — See MidCity section for restaurant description. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Mikimoto — 3301 S. Carrollton Ave., (504) 488-1881; mikimotosushi.com — The South Carrollton roll includes tuna tataki, avocado and snow crab. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch Sun.-Fri., dinner daily. $$ Pyramids Cafe — 3151 Calhoun St., (504) 861-9602 — Diners will find Mediterranean cuisine featuring such favorites as shawarma prepared on a rotisserie. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

CITYWIDE Breaux Mart — Citywide; breauxmart.com — The deli counter’s changing specials include dishes such as baked catfish and red beans and rice. Lunch and dinner daily. $

FAUBOURG MARIGNY Kebab — 2315 St. Claude Ave., (504) 3834328; kebabnola.com — The sandwich shop offers doner kebabs and Belgian fries. A falafel sandwich comes with pickled cucumbers, arugula, spinach, red onions, beets, hummus and Spanish garlic sauce. No reservations. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Wed.-Mon. $

FRENCH QUARTER Desire Oyster Bar — Royal Sonesta New Orleans, 300 Bourbon St., (504) 586-0300; sonesta.com/desireoysterbar — The menu features Gulf seafood in traditional and contemporary Creole dishes, po-boys and more. Char-grilled oysters are topped with Parmesan, herbs and butter. Reservations recommended. Takeout available. Breakfast, lunch and dinner daily. $$

GENTILLY NOLA Crawfish King Seafood & Barbecue — 5321 Franklin Ave., (504) 571-5038 ; crawfishking.com — The restaurant specializes in boiled seafood and barbecue. The Gentilly Reuben features housesmoked brisket pastrami, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese and house sauce on marbled rye. No reservations. Takeout and outdoor seating available. Lunch and early dinner Wed.-Sun. $$

HARAHAN/JEFFERSON/ RIVER RIDGE The Rivershack Tavern — 3449 River Road, (504) 834-4938; therivershack-

tavern.com — This bar and music spot offers a menu of burgers, sandwiches and changing lunch specials. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 1212 S. Clearview Parkway, Elmwood, (504) 7333803; theospizza.com — There is a wide variety of specialty pies and toppings to build your own pizza. The menu also includes salads and sandwiches. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $

LAKEVIEW The Blue Crab Restaurant and Oyster Bar — 7900 Lakeshore Drive, (504) 284-2898; thebluecrabnola.com — The menu includes sandwiches, fried seafood platters, boiled seafood and more. The Blue Crab platter has fried shrimp, oysters, catfish and crab claws and either fried stuffed crab or soft-shell crab. Outdoor seating available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Lakeview Brew Coffee Cafe — 5606 Canal Blvd., (504) 483-7001; lakeviewbrew.com — This casual cafe offers coffee, pastries, desserts, sandwiches and salads. Tuna salad or chicken salad avocado melts are topped with Monterey Jack and Parmesan. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery are available. Breakfast and lunch daily. $

METAIRIE Andrea’s Restaurant — 3100 N. 19th St., Metairie, (504) 834-8583; andreasrestaurant.com — Chef Andrea Apuzzo’s speckled trout royale is topped with crabmeat and lemon-cream sauce. Capelli D’Andrea combines house-made angel hair pasta and smoked salmon in cream sauce. Curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily, brunch Sun. $$$ Chef Ron’s Gumbo Stop — 2309 N. Causeway Blvd., Metairie, (504) 835-2022; gumbostop.com — The Seafood Platter comes with fried catfish, shrimp, oysters and crab balls and is accompanied by fries and choice of side. Delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Kosher Cajun New York Deli & Grocery — 3519 Severn Ave., Metairie, (504) 888-2010; koshercajun.com — This New York-style deli specializes in sandwiches, including corned beef and pastrami that come from the Bronx. Takeout available. Lunch Sun.Thu., dinner Mon.-Thu. $ Mark Twain’s Pizza Landing — 2035 Metairie Road, Metairie, (504) 832-8032; marktwainpizza.com — Mark Twain’s serves salads, po-boys and pies like the Italian pizza with salami, tomato, artichoke, sausage and basil. Takeout and curbside pickup are available. Lunch Tue.-Sat., dinner Tue.-Sun. $ Nephew’s Ristorante — 4445 W. Metairie Ave., Metairie, (504) 533-9998; nephewsristorante.com — Chef Frank Catalanotto

Angelo Brocato’s — 214 N. Carrollton Ave., (504) 486-1465; angelobrocatoicecream. com — This sweet shop serves its own gelato, spumoni, Italian ice, cannolis, fig cookies and other treats. Window and curbside pickup. Lunch and dinner Tue.Sun. $ Brown Butter Southern Kitchen & Bar — 231 N. Carrollton Ave., Suite C, (504) 6093871; brownbutterrestaurant.com — Sample items include smoked brisket served with smoked apple barbecue sauce, smoked heirloom beans and vinegar slaw. A Brunch burger features a brisket and short rib patty topped with bacon, brie, a fried egg, onion jam and arugula on a brioche bun. Dine-in, takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Wed.Sat., brunch Sat.-Sun. $$ Katie’s Restaurant — 3701 Iberville St., (504) 488-6582; katiesinmidcity.com — Favorites include the Cajun Cuban with roasted pork, grilled ham, cheese and pickles pressed on buttered bread. The Boudreaux pizza is topped with cochon de lait, spinach, red onions, roasted garlic and scallions. Takeout, curbside pickup and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Mid City Pizza — 4400 Banks St., (504) 483-8609; midcitypizza.com — The neighborhood pizza joint serves New York-style pies, plus calzones, sandwiches and salads. Signature shrimp remoulade pizza includes spinach, red onion, garlic, basil and green onion on an garlic-olive oil brushed curst. Dine-in, takeout and delivery available. Lunch Thu.-Sun., dinner Thu.-Mon. $$ Neyow’s Creole Cafe — 3332 Bienville St., (504) 827-5474; neyows.com — The menu includes New Orleans favorites such as red beans with fried chicken or pork chops, as well as grilled or fried seafood plates, po-boys, raw or char-grilled oysters, pasta, salads and more. Dine-in and takeout available. Lunch daily, dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Nonna Mia — 3125 Esplanade Ave., (504) 948-1717; nonnamianola.com — A Divine Portobello appetizer features chicken breast, spinach in red pepper sauce and crostini. The menu includes salads, sandwiches, pasta, pizza and more. Curbside pickup and delivery are available. Dinner Tue.-Sun. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4024 Canal St., (504) 302-1133; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

NORTHSHORE Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 70488 Highway 21, Covington, (985) 234-9420; theospizza.com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $

UPTOWN CR Coffee Shop — 3618 Magazine St., (504) 354-9422; crcoffeenola.com — The selection includes Coast Roast coffees made with beans roasted in antique roasters, and the sweet vanilla cream cold brew is a signature item. There also are pastries and snacks. Indoor and outdoor seating, online ordering and delivery available. Open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. daily. $ Joey K’s — 3001 Magazine St., (504) 8910997; joeyksrestaurant.com — The menu includes fried seafood platters, salads, sandwiches and red beans and rice. Sauteed trout Tchoupitoulas is topped with shrimp and crabmeat and served with vegetables and potatoes. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.Sat., brunch Sun. $$ Red Gravy — 4206 Magazine St., (504) 561-8844; redgravycafe.com — Thin cannoli pancakes are filled with cannoli cream and topped with chocolate. The menu includes brunch items, pasta dishes, sandwiches, baked goods and more. Takeout available. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 4218 Magazine St., (504) 894-8554; theospizza. com — See Harahan/Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Tito’s Ceviche & Pisco — 5015 Magazine St., (504) 267-7612; titoscevichepisco.com — The Peruvian menu includes a version of the traditional dish lomo saltado, featuring beef tenderloin tips sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce and pisco, and served with fried potatoes and rice. Dine-in, outdoor seating and delivery available. Lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat., brunch Sun. $$$

WAREHOUSE DISTRICT Annunciation — 1016 Annunciation St., (504) 568-0245; annunciationrestaurant. com — The menu highlights Gulf seafood in Creole, Cajun and Southern dishes. Fried oysters and skewered bacon are served with meuniere sauce and toasted French bread. Reservations required. Dinner Thu.-Sun. $$$ NOLA Caye — 898 Baronne St., (504) 302-1302; nolacaye.com — The menu features Caribbean-inspired dishes and Gulf seafood. Seared ahi tuna is served with mango, avocado, mixed greens, citrus vinaigrette and sesame seeds. Takeout, delivery and outdoor seating available. D daily, brunch Sat.-Sun. $$$

WEST BANK Asia — Boomtown Casino & Hotel, 4132 Peters Road, Harvey, (504) 364- 8812; boomtownneworleans.com — Restaurateur Tri La’s menu serves Chinese and Vietnamese dishes. The Lau Hot Pot for two comes with choice of scallops, snow crab or shrimp. Reservations accepted. Dinner Fri.-Sun. $$ Mosca’s — 4137 Highway 90 West, Westwego, (504) 436-8950; moscasrestaurant.com — This family-style eatery serves shrimp Mosca, chicken a la grande and baked oysters Mosca, made with breadcrumbs and Italian seasonings. Curbside pickup available. Dinner Wed.-Sat. Cash only. $$$ Specialty Italian Bistro — 2330 Belle Chasse Hwy., Gretna, (504) 391-1090; specialtyitalianbistro.com — The menu combines Old World Italian favorites and pizza. Paneed chicken piccata is topped with lemon-caper piccata sauce served with angel hair pasta, salad and garlic cheese bread. Takeout and delivery available. Lunch and dinner daily. $$

27 G A M B I T > B E S T O F N E WO R L E A N S . C O M > J u ly 6 - 1 2 > 2 0 2 1

OUT EAT

is the namesake “nephew” who ran the kitchen at his late uncle Tony Angello’s restaurant. The Creole-Italian menu features dishes like veal, eggplant or chicken parmigiana, and Mama’s Eggplant with red gravy and Romano cheese. Reservations required. Dinner Tue.-Sat. $$ Theo’s Neighborhood Pizza — 2125 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, (504) 510-4282; theospizza.com — See Harahan/ Jefferson section for restaurant description. $ Short Stop Po-Boys — 119 Transcontinental Drive, Metairie, (504) 885-4572; shortstoppoboysno.com — The menu includes more than 30 po-boys along with other Louisiana staples. Fried Louisiana oysters and Gulf shrimp are served on a Leidenheimer loaf with lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. No reservations. Breakfast, lunch and dinner Mon.-Sat. $

low-up “My People,” released in April. The band’s third album is filled with tight horns, muscle and dedication to New Orleans traditions. “A lot of bands can play New Orleans music — you’ve got to have your own sound,” vocalist Joseph Boudreaux Jr. told Gambit. “‘My People’ is just a representation of the Cha Wa sound and how we can take New Orleans music and what we do with it.” Cha Wa plays Howlin’ Wolf at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 10. Tickets are $20 and available at thehowlinwolf.com.

Bo Dollis Jr. & The Wild Magnolias THE TITLE “HORNS & FEATHERS” may give you an idea of the mix of New Orleans funk and Mardi Gras Indian traditions to expect when Big Chief Bo Dollis Jr. and The Wild Magnolias play the Broadside on Friday, July 9. You’ll also likely get a preview of new music — Dollis has an album, “My Name is Bo,” due out in August. It will be his first release since his father died in 2015. Tickets are $20 at broadsidenola.com

Emo Night IT’S NOT A PHASE, MOM. Republic NOLA’s Emo Night is back Saturday, July 10, for the first time since the

pandemic. Get your eyeliner and studded belts ready because Drop Dead Dre and Sad Boi Chris will be supplying all the moody tunes to scream along to starting at 10 p.m. Anyone without proof of vaccination is required to wear a mask. Tickets start at $6.66 (because of course they do) and can be purchased at republicnola.com.

Faubourg St. John Bastille Day Block Party THE FAUBOURG ST. JOHN BASTILLE DAY BLOCK PARTY HAILS FRANCE’S DAY OF NATIONAL CELEBRATION with music, food, drinks, a craft market, a costume contest for the best Napoleon and Marie Antoinette and a singing of “La Marseillaise” at 5:30 p.m. The event is from 4:45 p.m. to 9:45 p.m. Saturday, July 10, on the 3100 block of Ponce de Leon street. Free admission.

BLU, Kr3wcial, LeTrainiump, Dominic Scott and $leazy EZ — all part of the GLMBL WRMNG collective — and DJ sets by ANTWIGADEE! and Malik Ninety Five. Food and drink vendors will be set up at the outdoor venue and alternative performing arts organization Young Starz of NOLA will be the party’s featured community organization. Tickets are $15 in advance, $20 at the door. Find more information at broadsidenola.com.

Matt Owens COMEDIAN MATT OWENS IS THE PRODUCER OF STAND UP NOLA and has opened for Louis CK, Hannibal Buress and Mark Normand. He headlines a show also featuring Bobbi-Jeanne Misick and hosted by Alex Bureau. At 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 9-10, at Comedy House NOLA. Tickets $25 at comedyhousenola.com.

‘SOULidarity’

The DJ vs The Violinist

THEM PEOPLE PRODUCTIONS, the cultural events company run by GLBL WRMNG’s Nate Cameron and Krystle Sims-Cameron, is launching a new series, “SOULidarity,” showcasing Black, New Orleans-based musicians and performers, vendors, food trucks and community organizations. The series kicks off at 8 p.m. Saturday, July 10, at the Broadside with performances by

FOR AS LONG AS HIPHOP CULTURE HAS BEEN AROUND, there’s been crossovers — the melding of rap and live jazz, metal or other forms of music. Which are awesome, of course. But DJ PK 1 and violinist Shaun Ward Xperience are putting a new spin on the genre this week in The DJ vs The Violinist. Described as a “Live Performance/Game Show,” the two will per-

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form with the help of the crowd, who will “curate the vibe,” according to the duo’s Facebook page. Friday, July 9. 8 p.m. till 2 a.m., at Cafe Istanbul at the New Orleans Healing Center. Tickets available through Eventbrite, and for more information check facebook. com/thedjvstheviolinist.

Burlesque Bingo BURLESQUE PERFORMER LEFTY LUCY got her start learning fire eating at Coney Island and now hosts a biweekly bingo event at The AllWays Lounge. Her third show will take place Wednesday, July 7. The winner of each round of bingo gets a prize and gets to DJ one song for Lefty to strip to. Tickets are $5. More information can be found at theallwayslounge.net.

Khris Royal and Dark Matter IN ANOTHER WELCOME RETURN TO NORMALCY, Tipitina’s is running its “Free Fridays” summer concert series. This week brings funky saxophonist Khris Royal and Dark Matter. Crystal Hot Sauce picked up the sponsorship for the summer events, which run through Sept. 3. Royal takes the stage at 10 p.m. Friday, July 9. Find information at tipitinas.com.

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FILM

THERE’S PLENTY OF INCREDIBLE MUSIC

in Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson’s directorial debut, “Summer of Soul.” But what’s stunning about his documentary about the Harlem Cultural Festival of 1969 is how he distills the intersection of music, culture and politics at a time of extraordinary social change and awareness. The Harlem Cultural Festival took place from late June through August in Mount Morris Park and featured performers including Stevie Wonder, Sly and the Family Stone, the Staple Singers and many more. The festival was recorded by Hal Tulchin, but after he didn’t find an outlet for the footage at the time, he left it in the can. Though there has been some restoration of the sound and film, the original 40 hours of tape was very well preserved, and it’s hard to imagine how it wasn’t previously broadcast. A young B.B. King sings with amazing power. Stevie Wonder looks like the model for Prince —in stylish outfits with ruffled shirts and wide collars — and he’s a bundle of irrepressible energy on drums and keyboards and singing. How the footage didn’t quickly find a broadcast audience is alluded to in the

BY WILL COVIELLO

film’s subhead, “Or When the Revolution Could Not be Televised,” a reference to Gil Scott-Heron’s poem/song “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised.” The Harlem Cultural Festival had been dubbed “Black Woodstock” — Woodstock took place in mid-August 1969 in Bethel, New York. Performances and some speeches called attention to the civil rights movement and the race politics of the time. Although New York Mayor John Lindsay addressed the audience from the stage, New York police had a limited presence, and the organizer enlisted the Black Panthers to protect some performers. Many residents of Harlem were accustomed to being ignored by the city and national politicians. After Apollo 11 astronauts landed on the moon in July, TV reporters went to Harlem for reactions, and many people said government resources would be better spent fighting poverty and hunger. Thompson connects popular music and aesthetics to the politics of the moment, including issues of Black identity and representation. It is evident in the fashions onstage and in the crowd. At the time, many male

Motown groups favored sharp suits. The festival shows a burst of change, with dashikis, long fringe-draped clothes, colorful velour, open chested outfits and changes in hairstyles. Sly and the Family Stone blew up the old looks while it infused R&B with funk and soul. The festival also featured many gospel singers, notably the Edwin Hawkins Singers, who performed their hit “Oh Happy Day,” with a huge chorus of women in lime-green full-length dresses. But the film’s peak involves Rev. Jesse Jackson, who discusses Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination the previous summer, calling on Mahalia Jackson (in a brilliant fuchsia dress) to sing “Take My Hand, Precious Lord,” which she often had done for King. Mahalia turned to Mavis Staples to help her, and the two deliver an emotionally and musically powerful rendition. Thompson manages to squeeze much more into the film’s two hours, including noting the performances and role of Puerto Rican musicians and the population of East Harlem; the social and musical messages of artists Herbie Hancock (who performs “Watermelon Man” with Mongo Santamaria) and

P R OV I D E D B Y M A S S D I S T R AC T I O N

Sly and the Family Stone performed at the Harlem Cultural Festival.

Hugh Masekela, who notes comparisons to South African apartheid. The film gives Nina Simone a sort of last word in a brilliant sequence of songs ending with “To Be Young, Gifted and Black.” It’s an amazing archive of great performances, and while it’s not clear who performed when, Thompson’s arrangement is brilliant. “Summer of Soul” screens at The Broad Theater, Prytania Theatres at Canal Place, AMC Elmwood Palace 20 and AMC Westbank Palace 16.

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FILM

Outdoor movies BY WILL COVIELLO IT MAY COME AS A RELIEF TO KNOW

that filmmaker Angela Tucker describes her short film “Migration” as a time piece. In the film, a New Orleans woman named Pepper stays inside during the coronavirus pandemic. From her window, she waves at masked neighbors passing on the sidewalk. She talks to her daughter in an online meeting but her restless young grandchildren don’t want to sit still for a video conference. But that’s all got a distant feeling. “It’s a pandemic piece,” Tucker says. “About a moment deep in the pandemic when we were all still washing our groceries and people were wearing masks everywhere. It’s acknowledging a feeling (of detachment) that we all had.” For Pepper, it’s about recovering a sense of normalcy. She may have to settle for some distance, but she is determined to find a way to reconnect with the world. “Migration” is the first of three short films in series called “The Trees Remember,” which Tucker completed in recent months. The outdoor company REI partnered with Tucker’s TuckerGurl production company to create the films and increase the visibility of people of color in outdoor activities and settings. The trio premiered online in early June. The New Orleans Film Society presents a screening of the films at the Broadside at 7 p.m. Thursday, July 8, and Tucker and cast and crew members will participate in a Q&A afterward. There also will be music before the screenings by Cassie Watson and Gladney. The three films all have distinct time periods, and all focus primarily on Black women characters and outdoor settings. They’re all polished pieces and take patient, nuanced approaches to their subjects and the concept of nature as a healing force. “Maintenance” is about a couple whose relationship needs some attention. Franklin is distracted by his work, and on a trip to New Orleans, Nia signs them up for a ranger-led hike to explore local flora and fauna. He’s not excited about the outdoors, but other people on the hike help smooth the rough spots. It’s set in the 1990s, and hikers carry cameras instead of smartphones.

P R OV I D E D B Y T U C K E R G U R L

Angela Tucker’s ‘Movement’ is part of her collection of short films, ‘The Trees Remember.’

“Movement” is set in the 1960s, and it focuses on a mother spending time with her daughter. They get in their car, and JoJo is disappointed to find out they’re not going to a store on Dryades Street to shop for a dress. They’re going fishing. Carmella has decided it’s time to have a talk with her daughter, but they’re both ready to rock the boat a little. “It feels evergreen,” Tucker says. “It’s letting her daughter know things are going on in the world.” Tucker is an Emmy-nominated producer, director and writer. The native New Yorker moved to New Orleans in 2015. Last year, she left a teaching position at Tulane University to get back to making films full time, though there ended up being little film production going on during much of the pandemic. Her documentary work includes “(A)sexual,” about people who do not experience sexual desire. She produced the PBS series “Afropop: The Ultimate Cultural Exchange” and “Black folk don’t…” as well as other projects. Tucker currently is writing a feature film for Paramount+. She’s also working on a documentary about Barbara Jordan, the civil rights leader who became the first Black woman to serve in the Texas senate. She’s excited that the film and TV industry are getting back to normal. “Things are coming back and now all of these projects are trying to go,” she says. “You have to figure out how to get to the front of the line.”

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PREMIER CROSSWORD PUZZLE MAY THE FOURTH BE WITH YOU By Frank A. Longo

32 “Carrie” star Spacek 35 Mutineers 37 2012 Robert Pattinson film based on a Maupassant novel 39 Chou En- — 40 Fictional “Warrior Princess” 41 Lax in duty 44 British remake of “That ’70s Show” 50 Say for sure 51 Trepidation 53 Fathered, as a horse 54 Start of many rapper names 55 Realities that are tough to face

58 “E-e-ew!” 59 Vodka brand, informally 61 Reply to “You are not!” 62 Fulfill, as standards 65 Wiseacre 69 River to the Rhine 70 Hint at 71 “That’s impossible!” 74 Reagan adviser Edwin 76 Flooring units 77 “... bug — feature?” 78 Identity before turning over a new leaf 83 City in Oklahoma 84 Trig function 86 Away from the wind, nautically 87 Non-iron club

88 Revealing interference with the contents, as a package 92 Key related to D major 94 Saharan 95 Oct.-Dec. link 96 Creek, e.g. 99 Garbage collectors 102 Very easy thing 104 “Back in Black” band 105 Italian monk’s title 108 Runner Sebastian 109 Really eager 111 With 114-Across, source of the phrase formed by the ends of eight answers in this puzzle 114 See 111-Across 118 Is identical to 119 Famed French mime 120 Interfere 121 Nuanced 122 Places in categories 123 Flip one’s lid 124 Plant with prickly leaves DOWN 1 Hot bar food 2 Roman love 3 Fat avoider Jack 4 Sage, e.g. 5 Items of food 6 Closes tightly again 7 Suburb of D.C. in Maryland 8 “Am — late?” 9 Cries weakly 10 In a ribald way 11 —Kosh B’gosh 12 Notice 13 Phone button abbr. 14 Novel kind 15 Not absent 16 “— Gang” 17 River to the Rhone 18 Stairway post 19 Low cards 25 Banjoist Clark 27 Genetic helix 33 More cheeky 34 Stuff in sand 36 “Humbug!” 37 Avian creature 38 Boise’s home 40 1960s Jaguar model

41 Team booster 42 Actress Longoria 43 Sea, to Gigi 45 “— longa ...” 46 Vexes 47 Flee to wed 48 Sediments 49 Writer T.S. 51 Showed rage 52 UFO fliers 56 “— Andronicus” (Shakespeare play) 57 Locomotive supporter 59 Singer Bob 60 Yank 62 Actress West 63 “I’m here to help” 64 Bit of artifice 65 Join, as a table 66 Peak in W. Turkey 67 Happy as — 68 Fish eggs 69 Run out on 72 Tube lover’s punishment 73 57-Down vehicles 74 De-feathers 75 Prior to, poetically 78 Team booster 79 Exercise in a pool 80 Long time

ABR, CRS, GRI, SFR, SRS

81 Leicester lav 82 WWII prez 84 Recoil from 85 Multivolume Brit. lexicon 89 Dawber of “Mork & Mindy” 90 Amazon Kindle, e.g. 91 Dodgers 92 Recuperation by lying down 93 Asian monkey 97 Natural gift 98 Rival of Sony 99 In — (not just sleeping) 100 Big couches 101 Many future kings 102 Long time 103 Tubular pasta 105 Edicts 106 Esther of “Good Times” 107 Photographer Adams 110 Creative work 112 CI doubled 113 Big brass instrument 115 Sarge, e.g. 116 Sports org. with skaters 117 Scooby- —

ANSWERS FOR LAST ISSUE’S PUZZLE: P 2

PUZZLES

ACROSS 1 Dryer’s partner 7 Neither-here-nor-there states 13 Not straying off topic 20 Get in the way of 21 “You may relax, soldier” 22 One looking something over 23 “The Delta Force” actor Chuck 24 Question after a chat interruption 26 Latched on firmly 28 Space balls 29 San Luis —, California 30 Mount, as a jewel 31 “Diane” star Turner

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