E E FR
Community Voices Orchestrating Change May/June 2010
Issue #3 Volume 4
Arts, Music and Culture Issue
Neighborhood Spotlight: Faubourg St. John
What's Inside: The Trumpet Bi-Lingual Q and A with Nora Independent Artists Spotlight Build a Flood Kit
Neighborhoods Partnership Network’s (NPN) mission is to improve our quality of life by engaging New Orleanians in neighborhood revitalization and civic process. 4902 Canal Street, Room 301, New Orleans, LA 70119 • Office (504)940-2207, Fax (504)940-2208 • thetrumpet@npnnola.com
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Letter from the Executive Director: New Orleans is a city that is famous for our culture. Our food, music and way of life has captured the hearts and souls of the people who call it home, and those who visit for only a minute. Yet I never took into consideration how drastic a change my life would take if all I knew was suddenly gone. Like the funeral services of a dear loved one I first learned how to hold onto that intangible freedom - culture, the first time I moved away from home. I recall a time while living in the suburbs of Maryland, the first time I went to a crab boil and discovered that the seasoning was on the shell of the crab verses my experience of boiling crabs in the seasoning. You can only imagine my response on whether I was supposed to eat the shell. Something as simple as a boil placed me in the Oz of missing my version of Kansas. During this time I learned that culture is not only specific and tangible ,but it is the heart and soul that speaks to the core of your existence and livelihood. In New Orleans there are freedoms and beliefs that are natural to only us. Over time, some have found our culture to be peculiar or demeaning or exhilarating, but none can dismiss it from being part of the fabric that has made this one of the great American cities. Many times I question, why does it take New Orleanians so long to embrace our differences? Why does it take outsiders to steal, it bring it somewhere else, for us to know that it is good? Why do we only celebrate us in the past and not see the beauty of our present and await with anticipation for our future? So let us not limit or place our culture in a silo. It is all that makes New Orleans unique. New Orleans is a beautiful garment made up of rich, colorful, and tightly woven fabric with a multitude of beautifully diverse threads from uptown, to downtown, “back of town,” and “out east.” This is a city in love with its neighborhoods including the Irish Channel, French Quarter, and Treme; the waterfront neighborhoods of the Marigny and Bywater; the Lakefront; the deeply traditional neighborhoods of the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th wards; and the vibrant Uptown, Mid-city, and newer neighborhoods of New Orleans East, all shaping the cloth of democracy that will bring our city into its new found destiny. Our culture is a pot of red beans and rice for Monday’s dinner, seafood on Friday, and who cares what the rest of the week’s dinner might be. Our culture is where you get your snowball can indentify your section of town, and our high schools are more than just a place we spend four years of academic learning, but the societal fabric for our future. Our culture is not only the jazz of Louis Armstrong, Wynton Marsalis, and Kermit Ruffin but it’s also the “Bounce” music of Gregory D., T.T. Tucker, and Juvenile. Our culture can be seen on front porches hosting seafood boils and at roaming block parties that we call second-lines. Our culture is more than just the festivals and traditions that outsiders have come to love and enjoy, but it is those things that vary from family to family, and neighborhood to neighborhood. Our culture begins with recognizing that our way of life comes from the soul of the people… poor, rich, black, white, natives and newcomers. . New Orleans is a fascinating city —perverse, complex, sometimes maddening, sometimes startlingly beautiful, and full of culture whose stories are told through its music, food and livelihood. This is my home, my city, and the cloth that will clothe me through my travel.
Timolynn Sams, Executive Director, NPN
NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans. Find out more at NPNnola.com
NPN board members: Julius Lee, Board Chair, River Timbers Victor Gordon, Vice Chair, Pontilly Neighborhood Association Tilman Hardy, Secretary, Leonidas/Pensiontown Neighborhood Association Angela Daliet, Treasurer, Parkview Neighborhood Association Leslie Ellison, Tunisburg Square Civic Homeowners Improvement Association Vaughn Fauria, Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association Davida Finger, Carrollton Riverbend Association Sylvia Scineaux-Richards, New Orleans East, ENONAC Benjamin Diggins, Melia Subdivision Sylvia McKenzie, Rosedale Subdivision Katherine Prevost, Upper Ninth Ward Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association Wendy Laker, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Board Robert Sullivan, Central Carrollton Association
Third Party Submission Issues Physical submissions on paper, CD, etc. cannot be returned unless an arrangement is made. Submissions may be edited and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. By submitting any notes, information or material, or otherwise providing any material for publication in the newspaper, you are representing that you are the owner of the material, or are making your submission with the consent of the owner of the material, all information you provide is true, accurate, current and complete. Non-Liability Disclaimers The Trumpet may contain facts, views, opinions, statements and recommendations of third party individuals and organizations. The Trumpet does not represent or endorse the accuracy or reliability of any advice, opinion, statement or other information in the publication and use of or reliance on such advice, opinion, statement or other information is at your own risk. Copyright Copyright 2010 Neighborhoods Partnership Network. All Rights Reserved. Any copying, redistribution or retransmission of any of the contents of this service without the express written consent of Neighborhoods Partnership Network is expressly prohibited.
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May/June 2010
Table of Contents 2............... 3............... 4............... 5............... 5............... 6............... 7............... 8............... 9............... 10............ 11............ 12............ 12............ 13............ 14............ 18............ 19............ 22............ 22............ 23............ 28............ 30............
Letter from the Executive Director Get Connected Letter to the Editor The Soul Rebels Nolalicious Behind the Footlights Save Our Schools Build a Flood Kit From the Ground Up Green Orleans Volunteer Resources Special Olympics News Q and A with NORA House of the Rising Sun Neighborhood Sotlight: Faubourg St. John Local youth take health into their own hands Feature: New Orleans Independent Artists CPP: Demystified What’s going on in Jefferson Parish? The Trumpet Bi-lingual Transgender community claims police abuse Neighborhood Meetings
*Cover Photos by Charles London
Get Get Co Connected onnected
tto o the New New Orleans Ne Neighborhood Network Post news & events for your organization online Create a free proďŹ le at NPNnola.com
The Trumpet Editorial Board: Megan Hargroder, Editor, Lakeview Neighborhood megan@npnnola.com Robert Sullivan, Chair, Central Carrollton Association aiglefort@hotmail.com Aretha Frison, Jefferson Parish, AFrison@jeffparish.net Barbara Blackwell, Gentilly Sugar-Hill Neighborhood, bblackwell@lajao.org
To receive weekly updates, sign up for our e-newsletter or send an email to
newsletter@npnnola.com
Brian Opert, Mid-City Neighborhood, bopert@sterlingcommercialcapital.com John Koeferl, Holy Cross Neighborhood, judicekoef@cox.net Jeff Kugler, American Red Cross Liaison , JKugler@arcno.org Jermaine Smith, Uptown Neighborhood, jermaine.lejuane@gmail.com Ray Nichols, Carrollton Neighborhood, raynichols@cox.net
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PARTNERSHIP NETWORK
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Letter to the editor:
ALLIED WASTE OF NEW ORLEANS WILL BE HOSTING A MONTHLY RECYCLING DROP OFF OPEN TO THE PUBLIC EVERY 1ST SATURDAY OF THE MONTH
I want to compliment the Uptown churches. They are doing a wonderful job feeding meals to the homeless during this economic recession. The Saint Henry Episcopal Church on Saint Charles Avenue is feeding the homeless three times a week, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday. Their meals and support are in great need. The Saint Stephens Catholic Church on Napoleon Avenue is also doing a fine job giving grocery items to those in need. I recently came back to the city since Hurricane Katrina and greatly appreciate these humane efforts. God Bless them all. Darby Beattie-Miller Katrina Survivor
Items Accepted: Paper, Cardboard, Newspaper, Magazines, Junk Mail, Aluminum Cans, Plastic Soda & Water Bottles, Liquid Detergent and Bleach Bottles, Milk Jugs, Tin, Steel & Metal Cans No Glass Accepted WHEN: The first Saturday of every month WHERE: 804 L & A RD., Metairie, LA 70001 TIME: 8:00AM-1:00PM DIRECTIONS: Take Airline Drive to LaBarre Road, turn towards the Mississippi River, then turn left on L & A Road, go approximately 1.8 miles. We are on the right side of L & A Road. Please call us for any Commercial & Industrial needs at 504.837.8950 ext 245
Write, Submit, Share YOUR Story!
Events, Poems, Neighborhood Updates, Opinions or Photos Contact us with submissions or comments: Email: thetrumpet@npnnola.com Call: 504-940-2207 Snail Mail: The Trumpet Magazine 4902 Canal St., Room 301 New Orleans, La 70119
Submission Guidelines: Please include the author’s full name and neighborhood. If you submit photos, include all credits of photographer. Submissions can be made in any format and any word count.
2010 Deadlines
For January issue: December 20th For March issue: February 25th For May issue: April 25th For July issue: June 25th For September issue: August 25th For November issue: October 25th
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May/June 2010
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The Soul Rebels: A Build of Talent By: Kimberly Fomby It is April 15 at “Le Bon Temps,” a small bar on Magazine Street, and the “Soul Rebels” brass band, is preparing for another routine performance. Every Thursday night, hundreds of New Orleanians pack inside of this space which seems to fit less than 40 people. Though seeming like a sweatbox or something similar to a can of sardines, enjoying an intense fusion of jazz, rhythm and blues, hiphop, and other genres of music, as well as occassional shouts and calls, is absolutely worth it to fans. But this eagerness and sacrifice of personal space to enjoy the “Soul Rebels” vibe did not sprout overnight. The band of seven members, which includes Lumar LeBlanc, the president of the band, Derrick “Oops” Moss, the vice-president, Tannon “Fish” Williams, Winston Turner, Marcus “Red” Hubbard, Erion Williams, and the most recent addition Edward Lee, has used plenty of opportunity to market the sound of the “Soul Rebels.”
There’s a joke in New Orleans that we have a party scheduled every day of the year, with doubles on days ending in “y.” At Nolalicious, we bring you the best of these events, mixing tourist “must-dos” with notes from underground, keeping our ear to the wall for the most interesting ways to spend your Saturdays (or Sundays, or Tuesdays). We mix these events with Shortly after, the name “Soul Rebels” local jobs and travel info, for real people who call this great city home. Below, seemed to suit them best. find a sampling of our picks for summer. Keep getting our take by signing up for our weekly e-newsletter, authored with the “eye of a tourist, soul of As time progressed and after a native.” You can also friend us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @ numerous acts at the very popular NOLAliciousness. nightclub called Tipitina’s, they began opening for more well known names around the country. According to Williams and Soulrebelbrassband. com, the ensemble has taken advantage of opportunities to open for Bootsy Collins, A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots, The Gap Band, Digital Underground, The Fugees, Better Than Ezra, Brand New Heavies, and Robert Plant and Jimmy Page. Each year the “Soul Rebels” also makes appearances on the Jazz and French Quarter Festival stages.
This July 3, for the first time in history, the “Soul Rebels” will be performing at the Essence Festival. As many people in New Orleans know, this is [EAT] Reduced workloads and “summer hours” make these months a perfect time to revive the three-martini lunch. Consider restaurant Bacco a major accomplishment. your enabler and accomplice: the celebrated Italian establishment offers tenThe group whose influences range cent martinis Monday through Saturday, with purchase of any lunch entree. from John Coltrane to Earth, Wind, Order from the menu of hearty offerings – like panko crusted veal scaloppine, and Fire, to Michael Jackson, is not or flash fried calamari creole – to sop up the effects of your libations. Or just ready to slow it down anytime soon. take the rest of the afternoon off, we won’t tell. Lunch entrees $11 - $19. 310 Travelling to Greece, the United Chartres St. Kingdom, Italy, Africa, and France is not enough. This year, Canada, [GO] Has your sunburn healed from Jazz Fest? No? Consider that your According to Erion Williams, the France, and Brazil is on the agenda. “base tan,” and head back to Mid-City for Bayou Boogaloo, a free outdoor band’s saxophone player who has been with the band for five years The next time they are back in their festival held on the banks of Bayou St. now, “The band is 19-years-old. hometown, make an attempt to John. This festival stands out for the cool activities it offers alongside the They began in 1991.” check them out. requisite music, art and food: pedal During this time, the band went For more information on the multi- carefully at Saturday’s bicycle pub by “Eightball,” the name of an old instrument and sometimes vocal crawl, or enter this year’s new rubber cocktail. But while peforming as an sound, visit soulrebelbrassband.com duck race. Second Harvest sponsors opening for Cyril Neville of the Neville for calendar dates. Their seventh the race, promising minimal bayou Brothers, Neville passed opinion album released in 2009, entitled controversy and fabulous prizes. Free. that the name should be changed. “No Place Like Home: Live in New May 21 - May 23, Bayou St. John. “He felt that the name promoted Orleans” is also available in music [EAT] Snowball stands, take note: gourmet popsicle shop Meltdown Pops negativity and that band was more stores now. promises to take a mouthful out of the frozen dessert market. The locally like a group of rebels,” Williams said. owned shop offers weird and wonderful flavor concoctions, like chocolate lavender, pineapple cilantro and strawberry basil. Get there early – the most popular flavors often sell out by late afternoon. For true devotees and addicts (okay, that’s true of most customers), insider information on the day’s flavors can be found on Twitter (@meltdownpops). $3 per popsicle. 508 Dumaine St.
The Trumpet Blog
http://npntrumpet.blogspot.com Visit our blog for updates on community events happening throughout New Orleans
[DO] What do we love as much as good food? Having something great wash it down with. On June 5th, grab several cold ones the sophisticated way at the annual WYES International Beer Tasting. Featuring more than 200 international, craft and home brews, the tasting will help you finally sort out the difference between an ale and a lager, or at least find something impressive to order next time you’re at the Bulldog. Discounted tickets are available if you can rope in five of your buddies for the group package. $30 group, $35 advance, $40 door. UNO Lakefront Arena.
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
T h e
BeHIND
F o o t l i g h t s
Welcome to “Behind the Footlights,” our new performing arts education column for The Trumpet. As the founder/ executive director of the Crescent City Lights Youth Theater, I have the joy of watching children from many different backgrounds from across New Orleans come together and discover the magic of performing onstage.
By: Julie Condy People frequently ask me, “What do the kids get out of being in a musical? Sure, the kids have fun but what else do they learn?” Well, I can tell you that while what they learn certainly increases their skills in acting, singing and dancing, they learn a multitude of skills that are valuable throughout their life. Over the next several editions, I’ll help you discover what additional valuable skills children learn through theater. Throughout the process of putting on a show, children learn how to communicate on many different levels. First, they learn how to reach an audience in a performance so that they are comfortable performing in front of a large group. If a child can get up on a stage, then they have the skills to stand in front of their class and read a report or handle Throughout the process of putting on a show, a reading in front of their church children learn how to communicate on many different levels. congregation. The young cast members also learn how to effectively communicate with the theatre staff and their fellow cast members so that work gets done quickly and efficiently. (There is never enough rehearsal time in any show.)
to direction all the time. One of the comments I hear most from parents of cast members is that their child pays attention to their direction at home more. I’m sure that spills into their school work as well.
Being a part of a theatrical production means that you have to be there. You have to be motivated to get to each and every rehearsal and performance on time (or even better, early).
Being a part of a theatrical production means that you have to be there. You have to be motivated to get to each and every rehearsal and performance on time (or even better, early). You have to commit your time to the show and live up to that commitment. Our NORD CCLYT cast members learn that success comes to those who commit to the task at hand. That’s a great attitude which can be transferred to school, home, church activities and beyond. The NORD Crescent City Lights Youth Theater presents the New Orleans’ premiere of Golly Gee Whiz!, a fun and frolicking family musical based on the classic Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney films of the 1930’s with shows from July 1 through July 11 at the NORD Ty Tracy Theatre, Gallier Hall, 545 St. Charles Ave. Auditions for the show will be held on Monday, May 17 and are by application and appointment only. Call 504-598-3800 or visit www.crescentcitylights. org for more information.
The art of listening is keenly cultivated. Children can be dreamers lost in their own world of dreams. When a child is part of the theater cast, their undivided attention is needed at every moment in rehearsal. At NORD CCL, We look forward to seeing you in front of the footlights at NORD Ty Tracy we accomplish much in a small span of time, so everyone has to pay attention Theatre in July!
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May/June 2010
S a v e
O u r
S c h o o l s
New Orleans
By: Angela W. Daliet, Founder & education system. Executive Director, Save Our Schools NOLA Save Our Schools NOLA (SOSNOLA) and other local organizations believe Even with major facility that parents, students and residents improvements, increased per-pupil must be armed with information, spending measures, and a slew of filled with capacity, and actively other reforms like standardized engaged in public school decisioncurriculums for key grades, making efforts so that educational expanded after-school programs improvements and reforms are and lengthened school days, most relevant and sustainable and address local public schools still struggle to the needs of all families. Simply put, meet state-mandated performance we must be included in defining and benchmarks. The current student graduation rate in New Orleans is only about 50%, and according to last year’s School Performance Scores (a federally mandated program to rate schools based on specific indicators), over 65 percent of schools were still deemed academically unacceptable. Meanwhile, there are clear signs of unequal access to educational programs and resources across the city and those few schools showing academic gains often have “selective admission” criteria, further exacerbating the gap between resources and results. For parents and students seeking better options within New Orleans, our complex educational system is difficult to navigate, particularly for families with limited resources who are less able to understand the options and utilize them to prioritizing problems, as well as in their advantage. helping to develop solutions. As a public school parent, I am disenfranchised from the decisionmaking process and my concerned voice is often overpowered by school administrators, district planners and state education leaders. I beg to question: Who can better know what the issues are and who has more motivation to make improvements than those that rely upon these very schools to provide the foundation for their family’s future and prosperity, the students and parents walking the hallways? Some good news is that our incoming mayor has shown interest in engaging the public in his policy priorities. My hope is that we begin to see this trend with those leaders that have control over our
runs on community support. It is key to turn the tide on community driven decision-making and we at SOSNOLA are trying to do just that. The Shindig has fast become an anticipated event in large part because of the unique opportunity the festive party offers students and those attending. The highlight of the evening is an engaging presentation by approximately 20 public school students—designed to engage and
given the opportunity. They just need a sacred space where the process can be nurtured, guided and transformed into its magnificent end result.” The workshops are of extraordinary value; they are a transformative step to helping our most important public education stakeholders advocate for themselves Student participants of our workshop series gain critical training and support that empower them to identify, articulate and deliver their aspirations for the future of local public education. They meet for three hours every Saturday afternoon at Bayou District’s Columbia Parc (former St. Bernard Housing Complex) and work with various volunteer mentors who are leaders in creative arenas such as song, dance, visual art, music, theatre and poetry. Mentors like Toure, NOARC’s executive director actor Shanda Quintal, poet and author Nik Richard, artist Michael Dingler founder of NoLARising, founder of New Orleans Love for the Arts Project dancer and choreographer Jarrell Hamilton and many others help students tap into and develop skills and talents for the original production that they will write, create, and ultimately perform.
Guest of our Shindig will be treated to a unique and moving presentation by the students plus will also enjoy enlighten the audience of parents, food, drinks, teachers, school officials, city and complimentary state leaders—that reflects on their musical entertainment by Fredy In our current charged education public education experiences and Omar Quartet and McDonogh 32 climate, there is frequent discussion expresses their hopes and dreams Charter School marching band, a raffle and silent auction. Anyone of blame and too little celebration for the future. interested in attending SOSNOLA’s of our students, schools and community. The student presentation is vital to Shindig Fundraiser & Community Celebration can purchase tickets at the success of our Shindig. http://sosnolashindigcelebration. SOSNOLA is gearing up for its second annual fundraiser on Saturday, May The presentation stems from eventbrite.com. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. at Generations SOSNOLA’s Student Workshop Series Hall to benefit our advocacy efforts, “Finding Our Voices.” The workshops Another way to support the work of programs and workshops. The are sponsored by Bayou District SOSNOLA is to vote for them at www. The Shindig Fundraiser & Community Foundation’s Columbia Parc and remembernola.com/sosnola. Celebration serves as that rare New Orleans Actors Resource Center grassroots nonprofit is participating opportunity to celebrate what is (NOARC), and led by SOSNOLA youth in a competition to win $50,000 going right in our public schools and coordinator and recording artist from People to People Ambassador to strengthen our constituency to Voice Toure who says, “Children Programs through their Remember build on this success. Too often, this are bursting with creativity and Nola campaign. Learn more about important work to build the capacity intelligence and possess an innate SOSNOLA at www.sosnola.org. of citizens is overlooked and mostly capacity to marry the two when
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Red Cross urges residents to prepare for floods, build kit Submitted by: Rebekah Cain Southeast Louisiana is prone to seasonal flooding, and the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross (ARC) urges residents to take steps now to stay safer when floods threaten. As with any disaster, preparation can be the difference between life and death. The American Red Cross recommends that individuals and families prepare for floods by creating and practicing a “Disaster Plan”, assembling an “Emergency Preparedness Kit”, heeding flood warnings, and relocating during flood warnings. On creating a “Disaster Plan”, talk to everyone in your household about what to do if a flood occurs. Decide where you would meet and
who you would contact in case of flooding. Assemble and maintain an emergency preparedness kit. Be prepared to evacuate your family and pets at a moment’s notice. Listen to area radio and television stations for possible flood warnings and reports of flooding in progress. “By preparing together for floods, we can make our families safer and our communities stronger,” Kay W. Wilkins, CEO of the Southeast Louisiana Chapter said. “Now is the time to create a flood preparedness plan, before our community is threatened by excessive rainfall.” “Emergency Preparedness Kits” should contain a first aid kit and essential medications, foods that don’t require cooking or refrigeration and manual can opener, bottled water, flashlights
and a battery-powered radio with extra batteries, copies of important documents and other emergency items for the whole family. As always, volunteer & paid staff at the Southeast Louisiana Chapter are available at our Red Cross Store (2640 Canal Street in New Orleans), Monday through Friday from 9am to 4pm, to help you assemble your kit. Make sure to listen to your local radio and TV stations for updated flood information. A flood WATCH means flooding or flash flooding is possible in your area. A flood WARNING means flooding or flash flooding is already occurring or will occur soon in your area. When a flood or flash flood warning is issued for your area, head for higher ground and stay there.
If the situation may arise, stay away from flood waters. If you come upon a flowing stream where water is above your ankle, stop, turn around and go another way. If you come upon a flooded road while driving, turn around and go another way. If you are caught on a flooded road and waters are rising rapidly around you, get out of the car quickly and move to higher ground. As we saw with the December flooding throughout our area, flooding can happen quickly and with little warning. If you are prepared before a flood occurs, you can ensure that the families in your neighborhood know where to go and what to take with them.
For more information on flood preparedness, contact the Southeast Louisiana Chapter of the American Red Cross at 504-620-3105, visit www.arcno.org, become a fan at www.facebook.com/RedCrossSELA or follow us on twitter: @RedCrossSELA. We urge you to share these Red Cross flood preparedness tips with every member of your neighborhood, because the best protection is to be prepared ahead of time.
May/June 2010
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From The Ground Up A monthly Q&A column for home buyers and owners on home rebuilding in New Orleans, by Brian Opert
Q - My home was flooded and I am going to renovate my home soon. Do I have to elevate my house above the required flood level? A – The answer is “No.” FEMA regulations require only new construction to be built with the top of the floor at or above the particular Base Flood Elevation (called BFE) for that neighborhood. Renovations, even if substantial, to existing homes, do not require elevation. Q – I think my house is filled with Chinese drywall. What do I have to do to clean up this situation? A- Regretfully, the entire house must be gutted, as the chemical in the drywall will not only make the occupants ill, the chemicals destroy all metals – wiring, iron pipe, security systems, and probably appliances too (aside from your own valued possessions.) This will cost between 55 cents and 70 cents per square foot of living area (a 1,500 3 bedroom 2 bath house will cost between $82,500 to $105,000 for the renovations alone.) There are law suits being filed, and new legislation has been proposed, but no financial resolution has yet been identified to assist the homeowner victimized by this poisonous sheetrock. Stay current with news reports. Q – I plan on building a new house on my lot in Orleans Parish. Can I re-use my existing ground level slab? A – Not likely. We don’t know what foundation system exists under the slab and if it is sufficient to support a new house, and, anyway, the floor must be raised above the BFE (see A above). Raising the existing slab is costly too, so much so that it may be less costly to demo the slab and start fresh. Q – I am very handy, and would like to do most of the renovation work on my flooded home. As a homeowner, can I pull a permit and do the work required? A – Perhaps. You as homeowner can pull a renovation permit, but it all depends on the scope of work involved. (Define “scope” as the full list and total dollar amount involved if you were to contract it all). Also, for some of the renovation work, a license is required: for example, electrical, plumbing, and perhaps more. The easiest way to get an idea of what you are permitted to do yourself is to draft a scope of work with estimated prices, visit the Dept. of Safety and Permits on the 7th floor of City Hall, and meet with an inspector or assistant. Perhaps they can answer many of your questions so you know where to start. “From the Ground Up’ is a monthly column dealing with the full range of home renovation, construction, purchasing and ownership questions. Send your questions to: info@FromtheGroundUp.com, and your question may appear in next month’s column. Be sure to include your name and contact information so we can respond.
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Green
Orleans
An Environmentally Responsible Form of Consumerism:
Shopping in The ReUse District
By: Beth Stelson of The ReUse District and The Green Project
the awareness and appreciation of reused materials.
According to the Sierra Club, the average American will purchase 53 times more products than the average person from China. American industry produces 4,000,000,000 pounds of toxic chemicals annually. Here in New Orleans, our consumption practices are even more distressing because of our lack of disposal options. We have no municipal recycling program, and our landfills are quickly becoming filled as a result of the 35-years worth of flood-damaged materials that we dumped in them.
The initiative also hopes to make these materials more accessible, and by joining forces, we believe that we can increase the convenience of shopping in The ReUse District. Operating similarly to an arts district, we firmly believe that recognizing the importance of reused products is essential to creating an environmentally and economically responsible neighborhood and city.
Our consumption and disposal habits are alarming, but, as quaint as it sounds, individuals can make a difference. While it may sound “old-fashioned,” using reused and reclaimed materials not only prevents these materials from ending up in our landfills, they also decrease the demand for the manufacturing of these new items and the subsequent energy consumption that they require. Essentially, reuse is the purest form of recycling. A number of New Orleans’s reuse organizations and businesses have recently realized the importance of their work and have now come together to form The ReUse District in the 7th Ward, Bywater, Marigny, St. Claude, and St. Roch neighborhoods. Spearheaded by The Green Project, Habitat for Humanity Restore, Marigny Green, Preservation Resource Center, Rebuilding Together New Orleans, and St. Claude Main Street, The ReUse District aims to increase
The ReUse District currently has 21 member organizations, ranging from reuse building supply stores, to used bookstores, to an urban farm constructed entirely from reclaimed material. Reused materials can be used in all aspects of our lives, and the diversity of the District’s members reflects their uses. The ReUse District and its participating businesses and organizations fosters a new, environmentally responsible form of consumerism—and one that is more affordable for individuals. Yes, we will need more “stuff ” in the future, but that does not necessarily mean that we must create more “stuff.” By using the materials we already have, we can and must consume more responsibly. For more information about The ReUse District, its members, and reuse in New Orleans visit www. thereusedistrict.org and The ReUse District Facebook page. Also, The ReUse District will be having its allday kick-off, ReFest, on May 15th. ReFest includes workshops, live music, film screen, pub crawl—all centered around reuse.
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May/June 2010
HandsOn New Orleans: Your Source for Volunteer Resources
Music: Good for the Soul and Your Health In the morning, I listen to music to help me relax during my meditation – during the day I listen to music to stay focused and keep my spirits high…at night, I crank up the music on my iPod to work up a sweat during cardio and to push out my last reps. There is no doubt in my mind that music has a big impact on the intensity of my workouts. Wouldn’t you agree? Doesn’t music make going to the gym, running and working out a lot better? The positive effects of music have been well documented and researched for decades, even centuries. Research has shown that music has a profound effect on your body and psyche. Music can release stress, decrease anxiety, help you fall asleep, lower blood pressure and increase your energy. Music is a great tool to improve focus and has the amazing power to cheer you up. In fact, there’s a growing field of health care known as Music Therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who practice music therapy are finding a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are beginning to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many
other benefits that music and music therapy can bring.
Do you need tools to complete the finishing touches on a community garden box? Are you looking to connect with other local volunteers to take on projects in your neighborhood? HandsOn New Orleans offers the assistance you need to strengthen and rebuild your community. We offer local and visiting volunteer support in the form of tools, training, housing and volunteer recruitment, in order to contribute to the revitalization of New Orleans.
It’s rather fitting that Loyola University was one of the first universities to offer undergraduate music therapy programs. Founded in 1957, it’s an endorsed education program of the American Music Therapy Association, Inc. New Orleans is after all the birthplace of Jazz and a city founded on music! Music surrounds us here in New Orleans; from marching bands, smoky blues bars and brass bands, music festivals and street performers to the plethora of venues that offer live performances of all kinds - we are immersed in a sea of feel good vibes. Every note that fills the air has the power to increase or decrease your heart rate, bring a smile to your face, and give you the opportunity to get your groove on. This month, try to pay extra attention to how the music you listen to affects your mood, heart rate, stress levels and overall well being. Also, please be sure to take the time to say “thank you” to our local musicians who are creating this splendid environment that is benefiting our health. They are the cities’ unofficial therapists and Dr. Feel Good!!
We provide: Daily Volunteer Opportunities - Access our online project calendar of flexible volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups by logging on to www.handsonneworleans.org. Volunteer Leader Trainings - Receive free training to help you plan and lead projects that meet critical needs in your neighborhood. Non-profit Orientations - Help your non-profit utilize the HandsOn New Orleans project calendar and other available partner resources (volunteers, trainings, tools, etc.). Monthly Volunteer Orientations - Learn more about meaningful volunteer opportunities and non-profits in your community. Tool Lending Library - Take on a project of your own, without investing in expensive power tools. More than 4800 tools are available to New Orleans residents, non-profits, and volunteers for planting community gardens, repairing homes, beautifying area schools and parks, and more. Volunteer Housing - Stay at our HandsOn New Orleans bunkhouse while giving back to the city. To locate a volunteer opportunity, borrow tools for a neighborhood clean-up, or learn more about leading volunteer projects call (504) 483-7041 or visit www.handsonneworleans.org.
Sarah Cook working out at Anytime Fitness
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Special Olympics News:
Q and A with NORA
(New Orleans Redevelopment Authority) The New Orleans Redevelopment Authority is the local agency responsible for administering the “Lot Next Door Program”. NPN recently asked NORA to provide answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about “Lot Next Door”.
What is the Lot Next Door program? The New Orleans City Council created the Lot Next Door program. It is a program designed to allow residents to purchase either a NORA owned or Louisiana Land Trust (LLT) owned property immediately next to their own.
Who is eligible? Saints running back Lynell Hamilton with Special Olympians
By: Aretha Frison The Special Olympics Louisiana is preparing for its opening ceremonies of the summer games by having a number of fundraisers and events. On April 18, more than 100 local agencies, organizations, clubs, celebrities, former NFL players and New Orleans Saints players participated in the Super SOL Bowl for Special Olympics Louisiana at the Colonial Lanes in Harahan. Saints’ players such as Robert Meachem and Lynell Hamilton bowled with Special Olympians Willie Turner, Kenneth Bolden, Jonathan Carsillas, Rhonda Pierce and Tam Bernard representing Orleans and Jefferson Parishes. “I’m excited about the Saints players out here today,” Bolden said before he posed for a photo with WWL-TV’s Lucy Bustamante, WDSU’s Randi Rousseau and Scott Walker who also bowled on teams at the event. Special Olympics Louisiana provides year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports for 13,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities. It gives a number of athletes continuing opportunities to develop physical fitness, courage and joy to share their skills with other Olympians in various communities. This month, many law enforcement agencies across the state will participate in the annual Olympic Torch Run that will precede the opening ceremonies for the state summer games in Hammond on May
21, 7 p.m. at Strawberry Stadium on the campus of Southeastern University. The money raised from the Torch Run each year enables more children and adults to participate in Special Olympics. The event is free and open to the public.
In order to be eligible for the Lot Next Door program you must: -Have a current homestead exemption -Live directly to the right or to the left of the NORA owned property and share a property line with the adjacent property -Currently comply with city building codes and health and safety ordinances on all property you own in Orleans Parish -Be current on taxes on all property owned in Orleans Parish -Be prepared to pay NORA the appraised, fair market value of the property -Plan to hold ownership of the subject property for at least five years or pay a penalty
How many properties are available through the program?
For more information on becoming a Special Olympics volunteer, visit the There are currently over 4,500 NORA owned and Louisiana Land Trust website at www.laso.org. properties in our inventory. Visit www.laso.org for more What neighborhoods are the properties concentrated in? information on the following events: Our properties are not concentrated in one specific area. The properties in Tuesday, May 18, 2010 our inventory are located through out Orleans Parish. Special Olympics Law Enforcement Torch Run Fundraiser Can I purchase a Lot Next Door property if I live behind the lot? Time: 8 a.m. No. You must live immediately to the left or right of the property and share The Orleans route will start at the an adjacent property line with it. foot of Canal Street, left on Loyola Avenue, right on Tulane Avenue, On average, how much do the properties cost? Tulane Avenue turns into Airline Drive and ending at the Parish Line. The properties are appraised for fair market value, taking into consideration the neighborhood and the condition of the property. Wednesday, May 19, 2010 Jefferson/Delta-Jefferson How long will the process take? Time: 8 a.m. This run will begin at Victory The process of purchasing a Lot Next Door may take approximately 60 -120 Assembly 5708 Airline Hwy. Then days. travel WEST on Airline Hwy, NORTH on Williams Blvd, and WEST on What happens to properties that receive no interest from “next Veterans Blvd. The team will then door” neighbors? travel west on Veterans Memorial Blvd and end at the Kenner Police Properties that receive no interest will then be offered through RFP’s or Department. Phase II programs for the neighborhoods they are located in. 5/21/2010 - 5/23/2010 If there is a structure on the property, who is responsible for 7 p.m. nightly State Summer Games demolition? - The State Summer Games will be held at Southeastern Louisiana If the property is owned by the Louisiana Land Trust, there is state funding University in Hammond, LA. in place for demolition if the buyer chooses to have a property demolished. If the property is a NORA owned property, it is purchased “as is”.
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May/June 2010
House of the Rising Sun By: James Martin
The Breakdown
New Orleans music is overflowing with classic standards from its rich musical history. A fact often dismissed is how these songs have developed into what we hear today. After almost every show my band Happy Jack Frequency performs, I am asked the question by an audience member “how were you able to combine House of the Rising Sun and St. James Infirmary into one song?” The answer is simple; both songs derived the same seventeenth century ballad from England known as “The Unfortunate Rake.” Artists such as Bob Dylan and members of the Animals have claimed authorship to “House of the Rising Sun,” but the song had already been recorded in its modern form as early as 1937 by folklorist Alan Lomax, in 1941 by Woodie Guthrie, and in 1948 by Huddie Ledbetter. “St. James Infirmary” was made famous by a 1929 recording by Louis Armstrong. Another song closely related is called “The Streets of Laredo” popularized by artists such as Joan Baez and Johnny Cash. Not only do all songs rely on a very similar minor chord structure and melody, but the stories of premature death and tragedy from a morally lacking lifestyle are parallel.
New Orleans is truly a gumbo, and the pot it is cooking in; has been collecting flavors for centuries, not only in New Orleans, but in the European and African homes of our grandfathers and their grandfathers. It melts culture and history into the beautifully rich beat that is prevalent on every corner of every street in the city New Orleans. Happy Jack Frequency is the solo project of New Orleans musician James Martin. Still in his early 20’s, James has earned his stripes by performing on three different continents and forty-two of the fifty states in the United States of America. In addition to his experience, James also has had the advantage of working alongside greats such as Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, and Lenny Kravitz, to name a few. Happy Jack Frequency will be performing May 12 at the Wednesday at the Square series in Lafayette Square.
“The House of the Rising Sun” lyrics are changed to accommodate a less descriptive demise than the original lyrics of “The Unfortunate Rake” which tell of a story that leads to a terminal venereal disease. Other similarities include six pall bearers and six female singers. In “St. James Infirmary,” the pall bearers are gamblers as opposed to soldiers in the original “Unfortunate Rake” and cowboys in “The Streets of Laredo.” While, the real St. James Infirmary (which is mentioned both in “The Unfortunate Rake” and “St. James Infirmary”) is located at the St. James Hospital in London, little is known about the location of the actual “House of the Rising Sun.” Speculation and mystery have tainted this discussion for many years and my guess is that it will always be so. After all, the metaphor of a “House of the Rising Sun” is potent enough to stand alone without a real physical location. The evolution of these songs shed light on our culture and history and is far more important than having a physical location.
Write, Submit, Share YOUR Story!
Events, Poems, Neighborhood Updates, Opinions or Photos Contact us with submissions or comments: Email: thetrumpet@npnnola.com Call: 504-940-2207 Snail Mail: The Trumpet Magazine 4902 Canal St., Room 301 New Orleans, La 70119
Submission Guidelines: Please include the author’s full name and neighborhood. If you submit photos, include all credits of photographer. Submissions can be made in any format and any word count.
2010 Deadlines
For January issue: December 20th For March issue: February 25th For May issue: April 25th For July issue: June 25th For September issue: August 25th For November issue: October 25th
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Neighborhood Spotlight:
Faubourg St. John
What I like about my neighborhood By: Mona McMahon I see Bayou St. John as a source of transportation, a place that God keeps water, and a home to ancient animals such as alligators, waterfowl, and turtles. These animals are pretty much dinosaurs and each time I walk the bayou, I look in the water half expecting to see something evolving. The Bayou is its own environment. Its flora and fauna create a happy hustle and bustle that envelops the observer and creates a feeling of reverence that persists throughout the day. That said, the inhabitants of my little neighborhood tend to be drawn to the bayou. A quiet joyousness emanates from the bayou environment that permeates
community. De Blanc’s Pharmacy pays the water bill for Alice Fortier Park and the Park is entirely maintained by volunteers. Fairgrinds Coffee Shop and Café Degas are little social hubs where neighbors gather for any reason, or no reason. Liuzza’s is open for every Saints game whether it would normally be open or not. Swirl sponsors a water stop for the Crescent City Classic. Around noon, the front of Canseco’s grocery is shaded in time for lunch. Terranova’s grocery store acquires fresh vegetables from local farmers. Lux Day Spa features locally made jewelry and apparel. Twice yearly, the merchants sponsor block parties.
“We are a caring, involved community.”
Esplanade Ridge in Faubourg St. John. On warm mornings, a little mist reaches out from the bayou carrying the scent of plants and flowers. There always seem to be people sitting on porches and people bustling by on their way to work or working in the various area “Mom and Pop” shops and restaurants. Consequently, we tend to know, and get to know most everyone in the neighborhood. We are a caring, involved
A few years ago at my neighbor’s yearly Jazz Fest party, strangers walked into the party by accident. Now they come back every year. How the boisterous and calm coexist so well in this neighborhood is a mystery to me. I don’t know if all of the characteristics of my community can be attributed to proximity to Bayou St. John. I just know that when I am away from my little bayou, I feel I am without a necessary, primordial comfort and protection.
Faubourg St. John Artist featured on Treme The television series Treme has just begun and is proving to be quite popular. Recently, the set designer for the Treme series noticed Henry Artigue’s photos hanging in a local coffee shop and inquired about them. The set designer met with Henry and purchased 11 of his photos! Henry says you’ll be able to see them in episode 10 of the Treme series. You can see two of Henry Artigue’s photos purchased for the Treme television series below:
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May/June 2010
Welcome to...
PUB TBD INS TBD MA 04-
Faubourg St. John By: By Dar Wolnik What if your neighborhood could have a pharmacy that delivered, two grocery stores, a fair trade coffeehouse, four restaurants, a wine shop, and a laundromat all locally owned and operated and within walking or biking distance? Welcome to Faubourg St. John (FSJ). With the opening of Canseco’s at the old Whole Foods, FSJ has the chance to show itself off as the epicenter of local commerce in the Crescent City. What it will take is a commitment from the residents to resist the garish lights and massive aisles of Sav-A-Center at midnight and surreptitious trips to Veteran’s Memorial Boulevard. Instead, to walk, bike, or drive to Esplanade Avenue at dusk a few times a week. If the residents also speak up when the new grocer misses an item and continues to support our old friends across the street, such as the Terranova family, we can keep both stores open and successful so that we never have to spend our money elsewhere. Also, for those of you who pine for your Thursday Farmer’s Market, please know that our vendors are climbing back to financial viability in our first two re-opened markets. We look forward to the day we can have some of them back with another market. In the meanwhile, know we are working to get their products in these stores, so help by asking for them. So if you can make it on a Saturday morning once in a while, the farmers and fishers would love to see your faces again. Let me illuminate with my own choices... Some things I have already bought at Canseco’s: hot foods (enjoyed the red beans
and rice!) aspirin cheese dog food juice local produce on a Thursday or an extra bag of lettuce after I ate all of my farmers market produce in record time. (Canseco’s: Call me to “hook you up” as the kids say) Here’s a few items on my list that I will continue to buy from Terranova’s: Cool Brew beer cereal soy milk (they started carrying it when WF closed, even when they didn’t sell a lot, so I will remain loyal) Hubig’s pies (how smart to leave on the counter!) local produce (check those labels!) or, yes even me, a bit of produce from “away”- every once in a while. flowers from Gregory salad dressing from our local farmers, Jack and Allison Cousin some Chisesi ham
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Here’s what I will buy from Swirl: white wine (picked with the help of the attentive owners) From the New Orleans Food Community buying club born and run on North Rendon, online at nolafoodcoop.org: agave nectar Seventh Generation paper products assorted vitamins and natural foods And then, end my trip at Fair Grinds with Robert, Elizabeth, and their great crew with a cup of tea and a bowl of Gary’s lentils.
Visit fairgroundsracecourse.com to find out more or call (504) 948-1285 to allow our event staff to help you plan a memorable event for any occasion.
And when the day is unbelievably beautiful and I cannot bear to be at home, brunch with Chef Ryan Hughes at Degas. Wonderful.
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Let us praise Faubourg St. John visitor was walking through City Park with me in the morning, and when I said hello to a guy leaning into the lagoon pulling out trash and empty bottles, he asked, “Who’s that?” And I said, “Tom McDermott” and the next day we went to see Tom and Evan Christopher at Donna’s and he kept saying over and over again, “I can’t believe how lucky you are to live here!”
By: Rachel Dangermond
Most people who have been raised around water their whole lives will tell you that they cannot live elsewhere. Having spent my entire life growing up near a body of water, whether the ocean, a river, a lake or even a pond, I fall into this category. That is why when I was sitting in my craftsman cottage in Marin County, Calif looking out at a mountain and a friend called to say a small cottage on the bayou had come up for sale, my heart leapt. The call came on a Sunday. On Monday, I telephoned the owner, the third generation to live in the house. On Tuesday, I overnighted a $6,000 check. On Wednesday, I owned a house on Bayou St. John. Why leave the cornucopia of the Bay Area, the Wine Country, San Francisco? The house was not much to look at in photos, but it looked out at the bayou and it fit my criteria of wanting to come home to New Orleans, live on the water, and stop my rambling. Let us just forget about the fact that it was May 2005 when this happened and New Orleans was about to undergo a sea change, for lack of better words. I moved into the house, nicknamed “ The La La”, in February 2007 and hung a Dr. Bob sign up over the threshold that reads, Be Nice or Leave. And each and every morning, I would wake up and throw open the shutters and be amazed at how damn lucky I was to see Bayou St. John outside my window.
Water is a powerful element and as New Orleanians know now more than ever before to live near a body of water, to be surrounded by water, means you/we have the wherewithal to handle such a mighty force. I was so impressed with having made the journey home, albeit a much rougher road than I anticipated having to travail, and that I had been able to buy a house on the bayou, I paid little attention to anything else about my new neighborhood. And then friends from out of town started coming to visit. The first visitor was a huge fan of Astral Project from a visit to New Orleans. During my stint in California, I told her to check out Snug Harbor, and she wound up here the night they were playing. She was sitting on my porch and said, “I can’t believe I could throw a rock and hit James Singleton’s house across this bayou.” The next
the music. “Is it possible?” one visitor exclaimed, “is that Dr. John I hear?” as we were walking around at the Fortier Park Festival one year.
And me? Here I was living with an embarrassment of riches. I’d moved away from the wealthiest place in the United States, Marin County, California, and arrived in a community where the currency It started dawning on me that is art, music, food, friends, as well peppered among the houses of as our beloved bayou. This life Faubourg St. John were many made a mockery of the riches of musicians, some world class, and I California, and I now realize that our sort of took that for granted. Then abundance here sets us apart from other friends began visiting and were any neighborhood in the world. To intrigued by the photographs in my think this is “after” Katrina is mind house by Marc Pagani, or the ceramic blowing. fish on the bayou by Peggy Bishop, or the jewelry I wear by local artists, In December, we adopted a son or the fact that most of my friends who will inherit these wonders, are poets, writers, artists, musicians, these riches, and this life. So these chefs and they are engaged, mornings, when I awake and open passionate, and vibrant. These were my shutters, I see beyond the blue ordinary days; on extraordinary bayou and, in the words of one of ones, visitors during Jazz Festival New Orleans’ finest, “I see skies were blown away by the breadth of of blue … clouds of white. Bright music, art, and food right down the blessed days … dark sacred nights. street, not to mention returning to sit And I think to myself … what a on my porch in the gloaming, when wonderful world.” the light from the houses across the bayou casts a warm golden glow Amen Faubourg St. John. across the water and a guitar and a conga were brought out to continue
May/June 2010
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
At Langston Hughes Academy,
Young Scholars Take Their Health Into Their Own Hands By 2009-2010 Schweitzer Fellow Schweitzer Fellow.. Alice Williamson Student, LSU School of Medicine The Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) is a national nonprofit that “That’s not real!” one kindergartner works to address health disparities said in awe while I was cutting by developing “Leaders in Service” and passing out fresh fruit to his who are dedicated and skilled class. Each student – or scholar, as in meeting the health needs of Langston Hughes Academy Charter underserved communities. Each School refers to its students – in this year, ASF selects and supports over kindergarten class received half of an 200 graduate students in designing apple, half of an orange, and half of a and implementing yearlong service banana. The scholar reacted as if he projects, all on top of their usual had never seen freshly cut fruit until professional school responsibilities. that very moment, which said to me There are now more than 2,000 that he (and likely many of his peers) Schweitzer program alumni— did not eat fresh fruit very often, if Fellows for Life—working to address ever. Perhaps fresh foods were too health disparities in their careers as expensive for his family, or maybe service-oriented professionals.
Louisiana’s Grade Level Expectations of Health Education as a foundation of topics to teach. I also spent a few weeks with the scholars, delivering sessions on several health topics to gauge their learning levels and styles. I spent time speaking with teachers and staff, discussing their concerns and ideas for a health class. After all this research, I was able to successfully create an exciting, fun, educational curriculum that not only teaches the state’s expectations, but also teaches basic health skills, like how to wash hands and to how to cross the street. Each lesson had some form of post-lesson evaluation, ranging from a traditional worksheet to the students creating a skit and other hands-on activities. The favorite lesson was by far the hand-washing lesson. Being a medical student, I wore my scrubs and titled the lesson “How to Scrub Like a Doctor.” I taught the scholars about the germs that live in the environment, get on their hands, and can cause them sickness. I then taught them how to wash their hands “like doctors.” A few weeks after the lesson, a staff member approached me smiling and said she was going to send me the school’s increased water bill because the students were now taking time to wash their hands well.
his parents were never taught the importance of feeding children fresh foods. Regardless, it was in that very moment that I began to grasp the depth of the problem that our community’s young generation is unknowingly battling – the problem of uneducated health choices. Langston Hughes Academy (LHA) Charter School was born from the aftermath of the storms and floods of 2005. Its mission is to educate scholars, free of tuition and regardless of race, class, or prior academic performance. The scholars at LHA are some of the sweetest kids I have met and I knew LHA was the place I wanted to carry out my yearlong service project as a
As a member of the second class of New Orleans Schweitzer Fellows, I set out to develop a Schweitzer project called Healthy Kids 2010: a health curriculum created specifically for low-SES children in a local public school. Having already selected LHA as my project site, I knew I wanted this project to be sustainable, and to continue impacting the lives of health of children even after my initial year of service was completed. I also knew that my approach to creating the curriculum needed to be unique to my audience. To create Healthy Kids 2010, I used
Even though my initial year of service as a Schweitzer Fellow is coming to an end, my role at LHA as a Schweitzer Fellow for Life will continue to grow: I will be working with the school as their volunteer Health Director. I look forward to helping LHA’s scholars continue to learn how to make healthy life choices. In addition to volunteering with LHA, I will continue my medical education as an intern at Tulane University in both Internal Medicine and Pediatrics. I hope to continue to mix and mold my education and outreach to create a healthier community for the children at LHA, and to empower children at other schools to grow up making better health – and life – decisions.
schweitzerfellowship.org. To support the New Orleans Schweitzer Fellowship Program, visit www. schweitzerfellowship.org/giving.
Pasta Fiesta! Created by Alice Williamson for families at Langston Hughes Academy Ingredients: 1 lb. extra lean hamburger 1 bag multi-color pasta 2 cans diced tomatoes or 4 freshly diced large tomatoes 2 cans yellow corn or 5 ears of freshly cut corn (briefly cooked in skillet or steamed) 1 packet of hamburger meat taco seasoning 1 large can black olives, sliced 1 can fat-free refried beans 1 can black beans 1 bag shredded cheese 1 can of salsa
Steps: 1. Boil water in a large pot. Add pasta when water begins to boil. 2. While pasta is cooking, brown the hamburger meat, adding taco seasoning as directed on seasoning packet. 3. When meat is browned, add both cans of beans (to warm them). 3. When pasta is done cooking, drain water. Keep pasta in pot. 4. Add cooked/seasoned meat and beans to the pasta pot. Drain the two cans of corn (to decrease unnecessary salt intake), then add the corn, tomatoes, and olives to the pot. Mix ingredients.
5. Serve Pasta Fiesta!, topping each serving with salsa and shredded For more information about The cheese Albert Schweitzer Fellowship (ASF) and the New Orleans Schweitzer Fellowship Program, visit www.
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May/June 2010
Independent artists: The unsung creative force behind the rebirth of New Orleans By: Kalen Wright Writer’s note: The idea for this story came from the fact that in my day-to-day life, I’m surrounded by local art. It graces the walls of my home and the places I frequent, finds me at random moments on street corners, and is a part of my wardrobe and the jewelry I wear on a daily basis. For me, what makes New Orleans particularly unique is that art, by definition, is always a part of my life in this city. Please allow me introduce you to some of the independent artists who help to make this part of life something we enjoy as regularly as great music or a fine meal.
photography jewelry, she decorated windows and showroom floor space at Hurwitz Mintz on Royal Street. “I loved playing dollhouse every day -- it was so much fun! But I needed to do something on my own, even though (at the time) I had no idea what that was going to be. On weekends I would walk around New Orleans and shoot photographs of landmarks and icons, or spend time at the library digging in the archives, or visit the Historic New Orleans Collection.” While walking on Magazine Street one day, her fiancé asked, “What are you going to do?” She replied simply, “I’m going to start making jewelry with my photographs.” Her first products were ribbon pendants (featuring her photographs on one side and a bit of an ancestor’s love letter on the reverse); she became a vendor at the Bywater Art Market in 2003 (the only market of this sort at that time). “I wanted to create some thing that was beautiful and evocative of New Orleans.”
Rex Dingler 5’ X 9’ - mixed media on canvas
meeting people who’d lost so much; it compelled me to push myself even harder for these people who had lost everything -- family, pets, every worldly possession.”
Fleur de Lis night light by Heather Elizabeth
Heather’s appreciation for the presence of the artists’ community during that time is evident. “Artists were here and working like Heather Elizabeth is a fifth gangbusters. November 2005 on generation New Orleanian. Her through 2007 was crazy-busy; it company, Heather Elizabeth Designs, Inc., was formed in 2002. Prior to During Hurricane Katrina, Heather was a wonderful, beautiful time. being the first to create New Orleans evacuated to Oklahoma, where Many artists were able to grow their she lived with her sister for three businesses into full-time gigs, and it and a half months. During was emotionally rewarding -- what that time, her website we were making was important for continued to draw everyone in this city. It was both customers; during the first bittersweet and rewarding.” week of September 2005, she was receiving orders “I wonder if we [the artists’ “from around the country.” community] will ever experience She’d only evacuated with a that level of success again -small amount of stock, but although I certainly hope we never her mother had returned experience another catalyst like to New Orleans to pack up Hurricane Katrina. Before the her studio “in two huge The ‘Ain’t Dere No More’ bracelet by Heather Elizabeth suitcases that she shipped storm I was a historic tour guide, preaching this gospel of New to me. I set up in my sister’s Orleans to anyone who would listen, bedroom and started and making my jewelry, stringing filling the orders, sending along and just barely getting by. We 10-12 packages around are all so vulnerable here in New the world daily.” Heather Orleans. Because of the storm, our returned to New Orleans neighborhoods moved forward with for Thanksgiving 2005, and a resurgence of passion and energy! hit the ground running at Rebirth and renaissance occurred art markets in December in this city because neighborhoods of that year, becoming a took things into their own hands, regular presence at the starting art markets as part of the Bywater Art Market, the rebuilding, reclaiming our identity Midcity Art Market (now and providing venues for artists to known as Arts Market of show and sell their work.” Heather’s New Orleans), and Festivus jewelry and home accessories can in the Central Business be found at several art markets and District. “It was a very through her website at http://www. emotional time; people hedesigns.com/ would pick things up from my table and start crying. Rex Dingler of Nola Rising threw I felt that I was almost himself into art post-Katrina to a therapist sometimes,
“Smile” by Rex Dingler
“find my own center of balance and soul. I was creating hundreds upon hundreds of pieces, and I started putting them up around town, pieces made from salvaged wood and other materials.” Rex was working in the 9th Ward almost a year after Hurricane Katrina and was amazed by how little had been accomplished. “I was all f*cked up myself, trying to figure out what my place in the city was, asking myself, ‘Why am I here?’ I began to put my signs up around town to make myself feel better by creating art and hoping that it would make others feel better about being in this city.” Rex noted with pride that, Before Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans had the second-largest “free artist” population (after Paris) in the world. “I think that, since Katrina, we’ve definitely gotten back to having those numbers. We had a large influx of from New York and people helping out any way they could -- multiple cultural influences flowed into in this ideal melting pot of New Orleans.” “In all aspects of New Orleans culture, because of Katrina, we’ve had nowhere to go but up. The kill point that was Hurricane Katrina brought people on an individual emotional level down to such a
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE Katrina New Orleans also influenced Claudia’s art greatly; she realized that “The Spanish are back, I’m going to have a skeleton in every house!” Her art can be found gracing the walls of many local gathering spots and eateries, such as her current exhibition at Surrey’s Cafe & Juice Bar, and a recent showing at Schiro’s Balcony Guest House. She also raffles off of one of her paintings each week during the community viewings of HBO’s “Treme” at the Hi Ho Lounge on St. Claude Avenue.
Jonathan Pretus, New Orleans born and point that they needed to rebuild working together, we benefit each to give it to me because I didn’t steal raised, sees himself it! And thus began my first post- as a journeyman guitarist, singer, themselves and the city -- the other.” Katrina painting!” Renaissance has sprung from that songwriter, and post-Katrina artist. momentum. Renaissance came after Claudia Gehrke, an artist since While driving around the recovering the Dark Ages, and New Orleans age six, known by the moniker of Her focus on the “Day of the Dead” city after his return, he started has had the ultimate Dark Age -- “Mardi Claw,” is a self-described themes and imagery started in finding guitars in trash piles, “beat homes damaged or destroyed, no “post-Katrina Dia De Muerte” artist 1990 after her father’s death. “I was to hell, on the side of the road -- I grocery stores, a handful started looking for them and of restaurants, friends found more.” Although he’d struggling and losing “...displaying art had become a way of sharing our pride in our city. You painted during college and health -- there was a ton after for his own enjoyment of emotional energy tied don’t miss your water ‘til the well runs dry; I think we cherish it more at home, it was without now.” - Jonathan Pretus into it.” any real intent until about six months after the storm. “When I first started After the Hurricane Katrina, putting pieces up, they would whose creations include paintings, mourning and I couldn’t get it off my creating art instilled him with a disappear and it pissed me off... paper-mâché and ya ya pieces. After mind. I started painting skeletons into sense of pride; Jonathan realized Someone I know has a ton of my Hurricane Katrina, her psychic sister my stuff to try to get at the humor that “every house has at least one pieces in his house! It was a way for told her, “People are going to start in it. After periods of mourning or thing that is NOLA-centric; displaying me to make forward momentum handing you things -- pay attention! grieving loss, we can come out of art had become a way of sharing our it really strong and with energy. pride in our city. You don’t miss your and my own Katrina therapy; many Someone’s telling you something!” Skeletons became my signature.” water ‘til the well runs dry; I think we people let me know how it [his work] The changing population of post- cherish it more now.” Shortly after this revelation, she affected them in a positive way.” stumbled across a cache Rex’s street art pieces are a public service and are shipped all over the of discarded art supplies in the St. Mark Neighborhood: world to other street artists. paintbrushes, canvases, and Rex is currently working on a paint. Just up the street from vibrant collection of murals in the Schiro’s Cafe in the Marigny, courtyard of the Half Moon Bar & there was a huge stretched Restaurant, located at 1125 Saint canvas sign nailed to a Mary St.; patrons can now relax telephone pole reading, “Please and enjoy themselves in a patio don’t steal our dogs -- We’re area surrounded by lively street art. home!” Claudia knocked on the “It was wasted space, a dumping door and asked, “’What’s up ground for old refrigerators with with that?’ Someone had stolen ugly brown walls -- we wanted to do their pets and had held them it because this place is like our living for ransom; the culprits were room. We offered to do this because arrested in a sting operation otherwise it would have been tagged when the ransom payment up.” The murals at Half Moon are a was made. I joked with them, collaborative effort; Rex adds “I love saying ‘Someone’s going to to bring people in and do different steal that canvas -- can I make projects with a number of different you another sign so that I can people. My general philosophy of have that canvas?’ I went home art is that I feel I’m going to learn and they later brought me something from the artists I’m the canvas; they’d made the “Set ‘Em Up, Let ‘Em Fall” by Jonathan Pretus participating with and it makes the decision that they were leaving Photo by: Julia Pretus Guitar by Jonathan Pretus space we create really ours -- by New Orleans and had decided Photo by: Sandra O’Claire “Krewe of 6t’9” By: Claudia Gehrke
“Fiddle de Dawg” By: Claudia Gehrke
May/June 2010 “I think the storm was a catalyst for linking up a lot of people’s creative impulses.” Jonathan discovered he “liked having my fingers in the paint, getting into it. I started doing a lot of abstract, colorful things. One day I thought, ‘I should do something with this found guitar. I’d thought that it was neat to hang onto, that it’d be interesting to hang onto over time.” What was considered ruined and destined for a trash heap became a work of art that is distinctive, colorful and rich in character. He has also painted several cityscape scenes, including a particularly iconic piece titled “Set ‘Em Up, Let ‘Em Fall,” inspired by driving “on Earhart Boulevard, the view of the city over that final little overpass. I realized after the fact that the painting isn’t accurate -- it was my putting down that image in some way from my mind’s eye. The image is somewhat mirrored, with the sky above, but not exactly; it represents a duality of sorts, how things can look one way when we see them at one time, and different the next” (for example, the Louisiana Superdome appears above and a bridge is seen below). He sees a distinct relationship between music and the art he creates: “I listen to music all the time at home, and what I’m listening to affects the attitude of what I’m doing -- where the music takes me comes into what I’m creating.” “Set ‘Em Up, Let ‘Em Fall” comes from the lyrics of the song “King of New Orleans” by Better Than Ezra. “I see life as being a series of moments, and sometimes the song plays you. While painting, if I’m working on a cityscape, it’ll turn out differently depending on the mood I’m in, in the choices I make for the colorscapes. When I feel that it’s done (and I work fairly fast), I rarely go back to it. It captures that moment, that day, that time for me.”
and selling his work at neighborhood art markets.
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people felt they could connect.” This website can be visited at http:// www.neworleanscraftmafia.com/
Margaret sees art as inherently being a part of the fabric of life in New Orleans: “With costuming and Margaret (Mags) Coble, also known parading being so much a part of life as “artbymags,” is a co-founding Margaret returned in the summer in this city, it grows out from there. member of the New Orleans Craft of 2008. Her rent had doubled, and For me, the art I was making after Mafia. “The Craft Mafia was actually getting the necessary repairs made the storm wasn’t just about making formed before Hurricane Katrina; we to her home wasn’t an easy process. a living or to keep myself afloat co-founded the group in June 2005. She was also caring for her elderly financially; creating art was also selfWe were still in the phase of defining father, who had evacuated with her, therapy, a way of trying to cheer the group and planning our inaugural and there were ongoing concerns myself up, keep my spirits up, and ‘coming out’ party for September regarding his access to health care. being able to share that with other 2005. We spent the whole summer She first returned during October people. My work has always been working it out, making plans and 2005, and thereafter every four to colorful, and I like making things getting prepared for a party that six weeks, driving from Louisville, from recycled materials, using my didn’t happen. Many of us were Kentucky. hands to do it.” She adds, “Before Katrina, I really didn’t make a lot of New Orleans-themed art; after the storm, I got it. I now see the flower motif as being a symbol of rebirth, renewal, regeneration -- after Hurricane Katrina, I connected more with the symbolism of the city.” Particularly in the visual art slice of independent/crafts art markets, Margaret fears that “we may have succeeded too much -- there are multiple markets and so many options these days, and we’re all still trying to make a living doing this. It’s hard to determine if this because of a decline in the post-Katrina fervor for New Orleans-themed art or the recession; a natural cycle of attrition is also a possibility.” Margaret’s next appearance will be at the Bayou Boogaloo; the Craft Mafia will be hosting a t-shirt recycling demonstration booth as a service to the community. She is enthusiastic about “teaching people how to recycle and create!” Her art can also be enjoyed via her website at http://www.artbymags.com Art and photos by Margaret Coble (a.k.a. “artbymags”)
displaced, some of us longer than others; some involved did not return to New Orleans.”
“Neighborhood art markets really picked up during that time frame and I was coming back to participate with Coming back after the storm, the the Craft Mafia in the markets, as Craft Mafia “gave us something to well as to do our own events. I knew rally around, something to get us that I wanted to be back, but only if it back and to make us feel like we were was with my partner, that she would His paintings and t-shirts featuring contributing. Our focus shifted from be coming with me” (Margaret’s a few of his images are currently the party idea to an online presence partner was also able to make the displayed and available for purchase to showcase our work. Our web move by becoming a graduate at the Fleurty Girl Store at 8611 Oak store became a way to showcase student at Tulane University). “I was St. He’s secretly pleased “when they members (based a model started transitioning from a writing life to sell a piece when I’m out of town and in Austin, TX) before Etsy existed; the arts and crafts life, supporting I have no idea who the buyer was, it was unique for marketing craft- myself by selling my stuff; my goal because I didn’t want my art to only style art at the time. The collective was to figure out how to come back be bought by people who had a bias website allowed us to reach many full-time. It turned out that 2006 in favor of me because of the band” people across the country who became the best year in terms of (Jonathan’s a member of Cowboy might be interested in ‘our thing’ income from my art for supporting Mouth). By the end of the year, -- New Orleans related crafts and this transition.” Jonathan hopes to begin displaying art. Buying our stuff was a way that
In order to help our city’s artists to continue making a living through their art, an open-mindedness and receptiveness to folk/craft/ independent art as a regular presence in our shops/galleries would be welcomed. Currently there is a sort of “Neverworld” between “hip and cool folk/craft art and formal gallery art.” Recognizing that both have appeal and help to reinforce and further our collective identity will be crucial to the continued success of our artistic community as a whole.
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
What’s going on in
CPP Project: Jefferson Parish? Demystified
By: Aretha Frison
New Senior Volunteer Station: Metairie Senior Center Recently, the Metairie Senior Center, located at 265 N. Causeway became a RSVP volunteer station. JeffCAP RSVP has over 800 senior volunteers, ages 55 and older who serve at 25 volunteer stations throughout Jefferson Parish. The center houses 22 active volunteers, provides meals, classes and elderly services to Metairie seniors. The two-story facility has a library, several meeting rooms and a multi-purpose room to celebrate birthdays, holidays and monthly bingo events. The Jefferson Council on Aging (JCOA) operates the Metairie Senior Center, which is responsible for advocacy and coordinating a variety of services that are available to 80,000 persons, ages 60 and older in Jefferson Parish. To become a Metairie Senior Center volunteer, contact Amber Martinez, RSVP clerk at 504.736.6165.
Compiled by: Breonne DeDecker
The essence of what a CPP is and does is simple: It allows citizens The mission of the New Orleans to have a greater say in city Citizen Participation Program (CPP) government decision-making and is to enable citizens to effectively priority setting, allows citizens and participate in city government’s businesses to track and monitor priority-setting and decision-making, development proposals and project, and to give government officials a and it gives government officials an clearly defined way to communicate effective means for communicating with the people. CPP is a tool to with the people. A CPP does establish a continuing dialog between not replace existing aspects of communities, neighborhoods, government, nor does it replace and city government, taking into existing neighborhood networks or account the rights and needs of all community groups. It simply offers communities and striving toward a an additional tool for both citizens consensus-based decision-making and city officials to communicate structure that benefits the city as a with each other and work together. whole. In November 2008 the city charter Since 2002, the Committee for a was amended to include a new Better New Orleans (CBNO), in mandate for the establishment or concert with partners including adoption of a New Orleans Citizen the City Planning Commission and Participation Program following a the Neighborhood Partnership similar recommendation made in Network, has worked to develop the final Unified New Orleans Plan a model CPP for our city. In 2007, Document. Implementation of the process to draft a NOLA-CPP the CPP will require passage of a model was reestablished to get city ordinance by the City Council broader feedback from residents in followed by Mayoral approval. Once hopes that collectively they would approved and funded, the CPP could improve upon the success of the address any issues facing the city. original proposal. Particularly since Hurricane Katrina, city residents The current draft model for Citizen have expressed a renewed desire Participation can be found at www. to be more engaged and involved in nolacpp.wordpress.com. This the decisions they care about most. model explains how the CPP will work, and how your neighborhood For the past two years, a dedicated can participate. NOLA-CPP would be group of city residents has led an glad to come to your neighborhood effort to design a formal citizen or community meeting and speak participation system. The process is more in-depth about the CPP, and based on input gathered from public answer any questions you might meetings, surveys and individual have. To set up a meeting, please conversations with community call Project Administrator Breonne leaders and national experts. DeDecker at 267-4665.
JeffCAP designated President’s Volunteer Service Certifying Station Recently, Jefferson Community Action Retired Senior Volunteer Program (JeffCAP RSVP) was accepted as a certifying organization for the President’s Volunteer Service Award. This year at our annual RSVP Volunteer Recognition Brunch in September, we will present this award to three volunteers and one volunteer station based on the number of volunteer hours accrued from July 2009 to July 2010. Recognizing and honoring volunteers sets a standard for service, encourages a sustained commitment to civic participation and inspires others to make service a central part of their lives. The President’s Volunteer Service Award recognizes individuals, families, and groups that have achieved a certain standard measured by the number of hours of service over a 12-month period or cumulative hours earned over the course of a lifetime. We encourage all station supervisors to recognize their outstanding volunteers during National Volunteer Week, April 18-24 and promote the President’s Volunteer Service Award. It is the highest honor and most prestigious volunteer award directly associated with the White House and one that all Americans can aspire to achieve. Such a nationalized display of recognition during our annual luncheon will not only leverage the nation’s focus on service, but also establish a direct link with the projects and activities at our volunteer stations and align them with a prestigious national award. For more information, contact Aretha Frison, information specialist at 504.736.6165.
New Family Home Day Care Coordinator The newest member of the JeffCAP team is Darcel Florence, the new Family Day Care Homes coordinator. Florence was hired after the retirement of the former coordinator June Williams. Florence will be responsible for the daily management of program participants who operate a home-based child care program in Jefferson Parish. Participants receive reimbursements through the National Association for Family Child Care and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Day Care Homes program. To apply, a Family Day Care Home must sign an agreement with a sponsoring organization in order to participate in the Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP). The program provides reimbursement for meals served in day care homes. USDA’s statistics show that almost 3 million children receive nutritious meals and snacks through CACFP. The USDA’s Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) administers CACFP through grants to participating state programs through the educational agencies. For more information on our JeffCAP program, please contact Darcel Florence, JeffCAP Family Day Care Homes coordinator at 736-6165 or and email dflorence@jeffparish. net.
May/June 2010
BILINGUAL by Kimberly Fomby The focus of this month’s Trumpet Bilingual is the cultural influence of Latin-America on the historic New Orleans. Flip through to see how the Latin-American community views and contributes to the city we call home.
por Kimberly Fomby El enfoque de este mes de Trompeta Bilingüe es la influencia cultural de América Latina en la histórica Nueva Orleáns. Hojea para ver cómo la comunidad Latinoamericana puntos de vista y contribuye a la ciudad que llamamos hogar.
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
New Orleans was Once Home to Several Languages by Rafael Delgadillo
New Orleans was once a real cosmopolitan place. Some would say that it still is. But the modern New Orleans does not compare well to its past. French, the language of New Orleans’ founding fathers was spoken widely until the 20th century. Spanish, though not dominant during Spain’s colonial era in Louisiana, has endured until the present day. Various African languages of enslaved Africans would either become extinct over time or were incorporated, minutely, into the local French Creole dialect. Yet, the city’s development in the decades after the Louisiana Purchase show that it was one of the world’s true polyglot societies where multiple languages thrived at once. This society was made possible by the large waves of immigration in the 19th century.
city’s fortifications and a population of barely 10,000. By 1830, the population of New Orleans had grown to 46,000. 10 years later, in 1840, the city had more than doubled in size to over 102,000 residents.
However the physical expansion of the city was not so dramatic. As the city of New Orleans did not adopt a formal master plan until the present day, the city’s rapid population growth throughout the 19th century outpaced the expansion of its footprint. Down river from the French Quarter, Faubourg Treme, Faubourg Marigny and parts of the Bywater were developed. Upriver, New Orleanians settled Faubourg Saint Mary (the modern day CBD and Warehouse District) and the Irish Channel. But even this expansion was not enough to reduce the population New Orleans experienced a rapid density. The result was that Creoles, growth in the early decades of the American migrants, and foreign 19th century. In the aftermath of immigrants were far from isolated the Haitian Revolution, over 8,000 from one another. These diverse émigrés from the former French communities were in constant colony in St. Domingue settled in New contact with each other. Modern Orleans between 1808 and 1810. The ethnic and cultural barriers are newly minted American city went rather blurry in New Orleans largely from a population of approximately due to the heavy concentration in 17,000 prior to the arrival of the 19th century’s settlement patterns. émigrés to over 25,000 in a few short years. Émigrés were white, black, Unfortunately, the population density slave and free. In the early years of had negative effects on the city and the city’s Americanization, this group its residents as well. Throughout rejuvenated the city’s French Creole the 19th century, New Orleans was culture and ensured that French a repeated victim of yellow fever remain the city’s main language for epidemics. The disease is spread generations. by mosquitoes, which dominated the humid, swampy climate of New English, however, would continue to Orleans. Reports indicate that the challenge francophone supremacy 1853 epidemic claimed up to 10% of in New Orleans. As Americans the city’s population. continued to migrate into the region after Louisiana’s statehood, Though there are several immigrant the English language was bolstered groups in the area today, English by Irish immigrants who flooded is by far the dominant language in to the Crescent City throughout New Orleans and other languages the first half of the 19th century. are, more or less, spoken in isolation. Accompanying the Irish were large Such a thing was impossibility in waves of Germans, Italians, and the 19th century. It is possible now Sicilians. These groups solidified the because modern innovations such multilingual flair in New Orleans. By as air-conditioning, the automobile, the later decades of the 19th century, television, the suburbs, and the newspapers of various languages internet keep us tucked away and circulated throughout the city. The isolated from the stoops, the streets, Daily States, one of the major English- and each other. Yet, the city’s language newspapers of the day, multicultural past has remained distributed smaller publications in resilient, even though the space French, Spanish, and German. Italian in which it was created is vastly publications circulated throughout different. the city as well. At the time of the Louisiana Purchase, the city was little more than the modern day French Quarter with some scattered plantations and small settlements beyond the
Nueva Orleans fue el Hogar a Varios Idiomas por Rafael Delgadillo
Nueva Orleáns era un lugar cosmopolita real. Algunos dirían que lo sigue siendo. Pero el moderno Nueva Orleans no se compara bien con su pasado. Francés, el idioma de los padres fundadores de Nueva Orleans se hablaba hasta el siglo 20. Español, aunque no dominante durante la era colonial de España en Luisiana, ha perdurado hasta nuestros días. Varias lenguas africanas de los esclavos africanos o bien se extinguiría con el tiempo o se incorporaron, minuciosamente, en el dialecto local francés criollo. Sin embargo, el desarrollo de la ciudad en las décadas posteriores a la compra de Luisiana muestran que fue una de las sociedades del mundo verdadero políglota en varios idiomas a la vez prosperó. Esta sociedad fue posible gracias a las importantes oleadas de inmigración en el siglo 19. Nueva Orleans experimentado un rápido crecimiento en las primeras décadas del siglo 19. A raíz de la Revolución Haitiana, más de 8,000 emigrantes de la antigua colonia francesa en Santo Domingo se estableció en Nueva Orleans entre 1808 y 1810. La ciudad de nuevo cuño estadounidense pasó de una población de aproximadamente 17,000 antes de la llegada de los emigrados a más de 25,000 en pocos años. Emigrantes fueron blanco, negro, esclavo y libre. En los primeros años de la americanización de la ciudad, este grupo rejuvenecido la cultura francesa de la ciudad criolla y aseguró que siguen siendo francés lengua principal de la ciudad para las generaciones. Inglés, sin embargo, siguen desafiando la supremacía de habla francesa en Nueva Orleans. Mientras los estadounidenses siguieron emigrando a la región después de la condición de Estado de Louisiana, el idioma Inglés se vio reforzado por los inmigrantes irlandeses que están inundados a la ciudad de la Media Luna Roja en toda la primera mitad del siglo 19. Acompañando a los irlandeses eran grandes olas de alemanes, italianos y sicilianos. Estos grupos solidificado el ambiente multilingüe en Nueva Orleans. En las últimas décadas del siglo 19, los periódicos de varios idiomas distribuido por toda la ciudad. Los Estados diaria, uno de los principales diarios en idioma Inglés del día, distribuidas más pequeñas publicaciones en francés, español y alemán. publicaciones italianas circulan en toda la ciudad. En el momento de la compra de Louisiana, la ciudad era poco más
que la de hoy en día el barrio francés con algunas plantaciones dispersas y pequeños asentamientos más allá de las fortificaciones de la ciudad y una población de apenas 10,000. En 1830, la población de Nueva Orleans había crecido a 46,000. 10 años después, en 1840, la ciudad había más que duplicado en tamaño a más de 102,000 residentes. Sin embargo, la expansión física de la ciudad no fue tan dramático. En la ciudad de Nueva Orleans no ha adoptado un plan maestro formal hasta el día de hoy, el crecimiento de la ciudad acelerado de la población en todo el siglo 19 superó la expansión de su presencia. Río abajo del barrio francés, Faubourg Treme, Faubourg Marigny y partes de la Bywater fueron desarrollados. Río arriba, de Nueva Orleans reiterada Faubourg Saint Mary (la de hoy en día CDB y distrito Warehouse) y los irlandeses del Canal. Pero incluso esta expansión no fue suficiente para reducir la densidad de población. El resultado fue que los criollos, los migrantes de América, y los inmigrantes extranjeros estaban lejos de ser aislados unos de otros. Estas diversas comunidades estaban en contacto constante con los demás. Moderno barreras étnicas y culturales son bastante borrosa en Nueva Orleans en gran parte debido a la fuerte concentración en los patrones de asentamiento de siglo 19. Por desgracia, la densidad de población tenido efectos negativos en la ciudad y sus residentes. A lo largo del siglo 19, Nueva Orleans era una víctima de repetidas epidemias de fiebre amarilla. La enfermedad es transmitida por mosquitos, que dominó el clima húmedo, pantanoso de Nueva Orleáns. Los informes indican que la epidemia de 1853 reclamada hasta el 10% de la población de la ciudad. Aunque hay varios grupos de inmigrantes en la zona hoy, el Inglés es, con mucho, el idioma dominante en Nueva Orleans y otros idiomas son, más o menos, habla de forma aislada. Esta circunstancia ha sido imposible en el siglo 19. Ahora es posible porque las innovaciones modernas como aire acondicionado, automóviles de la televisión, los suburbios, y el Internet nos mantienen escondido y aislado de la rebaja, las calles, y entre ellos. Sin
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May/June 2010
Page 24 Continued embargo, pasado multicultural de la ciudad se ha mostrado resistente, aunque el espacio en el que se crea es muy diferente. My Observation of New Orleans por Daniel Aguilar
New Orleans Hispano-America Expresses Latin Culture Through the Art of Dance by Ronald M. Avila There was a point in my life when I did not love New Orleans. I did not want to have anything to do with my adopted city which, with all its faults, took me in and raised me from a young age. I did not want anything to do with Mardi Gras nor the parties in the French Quarter. I did not even want to eat any of the famous foods that this city has to offer. So, I decided to leave.
My experience in this city of New Orleans has given me the opportunity to see very attractive places, meet very loving and friendly people of different countries and enjoy great food such as gumbo and jambalaya I went to the north, the cold of among others. Ithaca, N.Y. where I pined for my hometown. I felt nostalgia for the Also, the city has given me the traditional King Cakes, so much so, opportunity to observe something that I asked my family to send me with a lot of admiration: the positivity one for every Carnival I was away. of the people of New Orleans. I exchanged the swampy, humid, and hot climate for one of snow, The ravages of Hurricane Katrina mountains, and opacity—both have been very difficult but thanks mental and environmental. to the Lord, the city has gradually rebuilt itself. I do not, however, want to give you the wrong impression—I enjoyed In conclusion, I would say that immensely the years I spent at Cornell throughout the years, I will take University. But there is nothing like with me many fond memories of coming home. Although I was about the beautiful people and city of New to decide to remain in the Northeast Orleans. for the rest of my life, or at least the rest of my youth, I opted not to. With each passing Summer break that I Mi Observacion de spent at home, I felt more and more tied down. At first it was my high Nueva Orleans school friends, those of whom were por Daniel Aguilar my closest friends back then, who Mi experiencia en esta ciudad decided to return to New Orleans de Nueva Orleans me ha dado after their voluntary exile to different la oportunidad ver lugares muy colleges all over the country. atractivos, conocer gente amable y muy cariñosa de diferentes países Then, I decided I wanted to become y disfrutar deliciosas comidas como an attorney. However, I also gumbo y jambalaya, así como otras. conjectured that I would have to study law in Louisiana. Since the Además, la ciudad me ha dado la laws of this state are so unique and oportunidad de observar algo con un I wanted to begin my career close to montón de admiración: la positividad home. Finally, it was the food that convinced me. Sure, every region de la gente de Nueva Orleans. has its particular cuisine with its own Los estragos del Huracán Katrina, ha unique flavor, but I know no other sido muy difícil pero gracias a Jehová, seafood like the fried or boiled and la ciudad se ha reconstruido poco a seasoned fare of New Orleans that is so delicious. poco. Como conclusión, quisiera decir que atraver de los años, voy a llevar conmigo muchos gratos recuerdos de la linda y bella gente y ciudad de Nueva Orleans.
With the dual purposes of not only bettering the city but also to bring some joy to the region, I started dancing with a dance group along with my sister. Back then, maybe I wanted to relieve the stress of living in a trailer, with the first floor of my mom’s home destroyed. Or maybe it was about meeting more girls. Either way, it was not too difficult for my sister to convince me so that I would
Sargent, we now also perform the most recognized modern latin dances—Salsa, Merengue, and Bachata. Our instruction is completely free of charge, our members are volunteers, and our earnings come from the charitable donations of the performances in which we take part. As much as our object is to entertain,
The New Orleans Hispano-America dance group before a performance El Nuevo Orleans Hispanoamérica grupo de danza antes de una actuación
dance Honduran folklore. My only reservation was that I did not know how to dance anything very well, and even worse, I did not know what it was to dance Honduran folklore. It did not take long for me to get used to it. Within the space of four or five years, I found a new hidden talent of mine—to dance and teach Honduran folkore.
the purpose of NOHA is to display the Latino culture through the medium of dance. As much as our object is to educate the community about the diversity of cultures of Latino/ Hispanic America, the vision of NOHA is to unite all of these cultures with that of New Orleans. In that way, we can begin to not only rebuild the culture of New Orleans but also better the relationships between all I did not begin as a dance instructor, of the members of this community. though. First, my sister Belinda, together with some other friends Nuevo Orleans with whom she had danced for a Hispanoamérica while, and I, founded New Orleans Hispano-America (NOHA) dance Expresa la Cultura group. The NOHA dance group Latina por el Arte de began to practice at Saint Jerome Catholic Church and perform at Danza various events throughout New por Ronald M. Avila Orleans. Under the instruction of We all have our Katrina story; I also various individuals, NOHA has grown Hubo un tiempo en mi vida en que yo have mine, but I will reserve that and continues to stand under its no quer is nada de su comida famosa. story until we know each other message of community unity. Clarissa Y entonces me fui. Me fui para el frío better. It is enough for me to say Guzman, NOHA’s director maintains norte de Ithaca, N.Y. donde añore that outside of seeing another fault that the importance of this message por mi ciudad. Sentí nostalgia por after the incredible catastrophe is camaraderie or friendship. (Define los King Cakes, tanto, que pedí a mi that the storm caused, instead I saw this word) familia que me mandara uno en cada opportunities. Not only did I see the temporada de Carnaval. La humedad opportunity of bettering my lot in At present, we have more than 20 y la calor rodeada por los pantanos y life, but I also saw the opportunity active members and five styles of el agua por donde quiera la cambié to effect positive change for other dance. I am in charge of teaching por un clima Latinos in New Orleans. I continue Honduran folklore. The Mexican to consider that it is not enough to twins, Julio Cesar and Juan Carlos simply rebuild, but also to better our teach Mexican regional dance. And home, our New Orleans. under the direction of Samantha
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d e nieve, montañas y opacidad--tanto mental como ambiental. Tampoco quiero que se equivoquen-los años que pase en Cornell University los disfrute intensamente. Pero no hay nada como regresar a su hogar. Aunque yo estaba a punto de quedarme en el noreste de los Estados Unidos para el resto de mi vida, o por lo menos el resto de mi juventud, no lo hice. Cada verano que pasaba en casa, algo mas me ataba a esta ciudad. Primero fueron mis amigos de high school, cuales, los que fueron mis aleros mas cercanos, decidieron regresar a la ciudad tras sus exilios voluntarios a varias universidades del país. Después decidí que iba a ser abogado, pero que talvez tendría que estudiar en Louisiana ya que las leyes de este estado son tan únicas y mi ambición era iniciar mi carrera cerca de mi hogar. Finalmente la comida me termino de convencer. Claro, cada región tiene su cuisine y paladar único y bonito, pero no hay nada que ver con los crujientes mariscos fritos, hervidos, y sazonados tan sabrosos como en Nueva Orleans. Todos tenemos nuestro cuento del huracán Katrina. Yo también tengo lo mío, pero reservo esa historia para cuando los conozca mejor. Es suficiente con decir que, fuera de ver otra gran deficiencia tras la catástrofe que causo esa tormenta despampanante, yo estación oportunidades. No solo vi la oportunidad de mejorar mi estación de vida individual, sino que también vi la oportunidad de efectuar un cambio positivo con respecto a mis hermanos latinos dentro de la ciudad de Nueva Orleans. Yo sigo pensando que no es suficiente reconstruir, pero sino también mejorar nuestro hogar, nuestra Nueva Orleans. Es con ese mismo propósito de no solo mejorar sino también de alegrar el ambiente regional de la ciudad que me metí a bailar en un cuadro de danzas con mi hermana. En ese entonces talvez estaba mas preocupado en aliviar un poco la presión de vivir en un trailer sin una cocina formal en el primer piso destrozado en casa de mi mama. O tal vez era porque quería conocer mas chicas. De todos modos, mi hermana no me tuvo que convencer mucho para que yo entrara a bailar folklore hondureño. Mi única protesta era que yo no podía bailar muy bien, y aún mas no sabia que era lo que es bailar folklore. No tomo mucho tiempo para que me acostumbrara. En el espacio de entre cuatro y cinco años hallé un nuevo
NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE talento mío--el de bailar y enseñar a bailar folklore de Honduras. Pero no empecé como instructor. Primero, mi hermana Belinda, junto con otros amigos con quien había bailado por un tiempo, y yo, formamos el cuadro de danzas, New Orleans Hispano-América (NOHA). Conocido por sus siglas, el grupo NOHA comenzó a practicar y presentarse en varios eventos latinos en todas partes de Nueva Orleans. Bajo la instrucción de varios individuos, NOHA ha crecido y sigue adelante con su mensaje de unión comunitaria. Hoy en día contamos con mas de 20 miembros activos y cinco estilos de danza y baile. Yo desempeño la instrucción de danza folklore de Honduras. Los gemelos mexicanos, Julio Cesar y Juan Carlos son instructores de danza regional de México. Y bajo la instrucción de Samantha Sargent, también tenemos los bailes mas reconocidos hoy en día a través del mundo que son la salsa, el merengue y la bachata. Nuestra instrucción es completamente gratuita, los miembros son voluntarios, y nuestras ganancias están a la merced de las donaciones caritativas de las presentaciones en las cuales participamos.
This Issue’s Highlight: Supermercado Las Acacias This month, the Latin-American convenience store “Supermercado Las Acacias” will celebrate its two year anniversary. According to Eldridge Scott, he and another store owner Alba Sanabria noticed that there were not any convenience stores in the Freret area of New Orleans. A a result, both owners thought it would be a great idea to be the first to open up a store, “to accommodate Latin-Americans and other locals,” said Scott. They immediately gave the idea a shot. Since then business has flourished and they have been successful ever since. The store offers a plethora of goods such as spices and seasonings, dairy products, beverages, snacks, household supplies, and more. When time allows, stop by and show some support. “Supermercado Las Acacias” is located at 4725 Freret St. For more information call 504-896-2251
Tanto como entretener, el propósito de NOHA es de lucir la cultura latina por medio de la danza y el baile. Tanto como educar sobre las diversas culturas de Latino/Hispano-América, la visión de NOHA es de unir todas esas culturas con la cultura de Nueva Orleans. De ese modo, podemos empezar a reconstruir no solo la cultura de Nueva Orleans, pero Owner of “Supermercado Las Acacias” Eldridge Scott (right) and employee Naun también a mejorar las relaciones Ferrufino (left) entre todos los miembros que forman parte de esta ciudad única. Maio. Ut venis moluptu ribustis sunt This Issue’s Highlight: parciun tinimo quo tem et qui in rerum facero evel is nam con exerum Supermercado Las Acacias escit utecatecusci ut exceseque ium Este mes, la tienda de conveniencia de América Latina “Supermercado Las quaest odictem hillor atem aut et Acacias” celebrará su segundo aniversario. voluptaspiet derae experiostrum qui de et oditem quamus. De acuerdo con Scott Eldridge, él y otro dueño de la tienda Alba Sanabria Nissi blab in res ipid ut ea natus cuenta de que no había tiendas de conveniencia en el área Freret de dolupieni omnis qui nulparu Nueva Orleans. Un resultado, ambos propietarios pensaron que sería una mquamento imagnis il minis eatibus gran idea para ser el primero en abrir una tienda “, para dar cabida a los distrumquia el magnis sitis volorera latinoamericanos y otros locales”, dijo Scott. nisit, conectu restrum iusanis di berumet harit erum verum in De inmediato dio la idea de un tiro. Desde entonces negocio ha florecido y pellorest, eum nullandebis eum di han tenido éxito desde entonces. ipiet lab isim harcit dendi utempor mosti deri officia ndisqui duntenis La tienda ofrece una plétora de productos como especias y condimentos, deste dicto mo enissim nus nihicto productos lácteos, bebidas, snacks, artículos de uso doméstico, y mucho vere nonsedi pictatque solecus ium más. explabo ribusam usdaes et, quos digentin necupta temquo blaute Cuando el tiempo lo permite, y por dejar de mostrar algo de apoyo. “Supermercado Las Acacias” se encuentra en 4725 Freret St. Para más información llame al 504-896-2251
May/June 2010
Latin-American Supermercados in New Orleans La Costena 504-485-5601 3500 Tulane Avenue New Orleans, La
Supermercado Las Acacias 504-896-2251 4725 Freret Street New Orleans, La Musica Latina 504-895-4227 4714 Magazine Street New Orleans, La Sabor Latino 2 504-301-3060 4902 Canal Street New Orleans, La Ideal Discount Market 504-822-4804 2436 Ursulines Avenue New Orleans, La Ideal Discount Market 504-821-8878 2201 Canal Street New Orleans, La Ideal Discount Market 504-483-7773 3340 Orleans Avenue New Orleans, La Ideal Discount Market 504-822-8861 250 South Broad Street New Orleans, La Union Supermarket 504-366-3604 1933 Stumpf Boulevard Terrytown, La La Estrella 504-348-2944 837 Barataria Boulevard Marrero, La Jalisco Supermarket 504-340-5253 3511 Ames Boulevard Marrero, La Spanish Grocery 504-361-4645 2209 Lapalco Blvd #Kk Harvey, La Latino Express Grocery 504-304-9736 61 Westbank Expressway Gretna, La Supermarket El Caracol Latino 504-324-6506 2012 Manhattan Boulevard Harvey, La
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Transgender Community in New Orleans Claims Abuse and Discrimination by Police By: Jordan Flaherty
her as she walked down the street, rushed into her apartment, and arrested her in her own home. “Within the last four or five months, New Orleans’ Black and transgender I’ve been to jail eight or nine times,” community members and advocates says Keyasia. “All for something I complain of rampant and systemic didn’t do. Because I’m a homosexual, harassment and discrimination from that means I’m a prostitute in their the city’s police force, including eyes.” Expressing the frustration in sexual violence and arrest without the room, she adds, “I want to go cause. Activists hope that public to the French Quarter and hang out outrage at recent revelations of and have cocktails just like everyone widespread police violence and else. Why can’t I?” corruption offer an opportunity to make changes in police behavior and Diamond Morgan, another of practice. the women, says she has faced a pattern of harassment from police On a recent weekday evening, a that begins, she says, “Once they group of transgender women met in discover my transgender status.” the Midcity offices of Brotherhood She says she has been arrested and Incorporated, an organization that sexually assaulted by police and by provides healthcare and fights employees of Orleans Parish Prison, the spread of HIV and AIDS in low- who are part of New Orleans Office income Black communities. When of Criminal Sheriff. She details her the conversation turned to the own personal experience of assault, police, the mood in the room turned and those of friends, adding that to outrage, as each woman had Orleans Parish Prison is a site that a story of harassment and abuse. many women she knows speaks Tyra Fields, a health worker who of as especially abusive. She says facilitates the meeting, told a story that sexual assault of transgender of being arrested without cause one women is common at the jail, and night as she walked into a gay bar. other women in the room agree. “They never give us a reason they are arresting us,” she says, explaining Tracy Brassfield, a transgender sex that being Black and transgendered worker activist also attending the is often enough reason for arrest, meeting, has dedicated herself generally on prostitution-related to fighting against discrimination. charges. Originally from Florida, Brassfield moved to New Orleans because she A young and soft-spoken fell in love with the city. “But when I transgendered woman named got here,” she says, “I started running Keyasia tells a story of being into problems with the police.” These persecuted by police who followed problems included what Brassfield c a l l s d e l i b e rate harassment f r o m officers who she says are targeting B l a c k transgender women not because of any crime they’ve committed, but just because of who they are. “They say, you’re Photo: Women with a Vision
transgendered, you’re a fag, you’re a punk, you’re going to jail,” she says.
likely than others arrested in similar circumstances to be charged with a “crime against nature,” a felony Brassfield decided to fight back and charge. The law, which dates back to organize: “I was raised in an activist 1805, makes it a crime against nature family,” she says. “I know my civil to engage in “unnatural copulation” rights.” She has contacted local -- a term New Orleans police and social justice and legal advocacy the district attorney’s office have organizations such as Women With interpreted to mean soliciting for anal A Vision, Critical Resistance, the or oral sex. Those who are convicted ACLU of Louisiana, and the Orleans under this law are issued longer jail Public Defenders, seeking allies in sentences and forced to register as her struggle. She has also reached sex offenders. They must also carry out in the community of transgender a driver’s license with the label “sex women. “My thing is put it out there, offender” printed on it. The women’s get it exposed,” she explains. “This health care organization Women is not just about me, this is about With A Vision has recently formed a everyone.” coalition with several advocacy and legal organizations to attempt to Patterns of Violence fight this use of the sex offender law. Both local and national attention is currently being directed on the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). In recent months, the city has been rocked by revelations of police murder and cover-ups, with the justice department and FBI investigating at least eight separate cases, and signs that the federal government is headed towards a takeover of the department. Mayorelect Mitch Landrieu is engaged in a national search for a new police chief, telling reporters that the department needs “a complete culture change.” Although the current federal investigations have not looked into police treatment of the Black and transgender community, advocates hope that the justice department will also look into these complaints. Members of the city’s larger gay community complain about unwarranted arrests and a criminalization of sexuality, with police specifically targeting bars in the gay community. “If a gay man wants consensual sex, the undercover officer lies and says money was offered,” says John Rawls, a gay civil rights attorney who has spent decades in New Orleans fighting on these issues. Advocates and community members also say that once gay men transgender women are arrested for offering sex, they are more
Stories of Abuse Wendi Cooper, a Black and transgender health care worker, was charged under the law almost ten years ago. Although Cooper only tried prostitution very briefly and has not tried it again since her arrest, she still faces harassment from the police. She is frequently stopped, and when they run her ID through the system and find out about the prostitution charge, they threaten to arrest her again or sometimes, she alleged, they demand sex. “Police will see that I been to jail for the charge,” she said. “And then they’ll try to have me, forcefully, sexually…One I had sex with, because I didn’t want to go to jail.” Thinking about her experiences with police over the years, Cooper got quiet. “Sometimes I just wanna do something out the ordinary, and just expose it, you know?” She sighed. “They hurt me, you know? And I just hope they do something about it.” In response to the allegations of abuse, New Orleans Police Department spokesman Bob Young responded, “Persons are charged according to the crime they commit.” He encouraged anyone with complaints to come file them with the department, adding, “the NOPD has not received any complaints against
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May/June 2010 plain clothes officers assigned to the vice squad.” The New Orleans Office of Criminal Sheriff did not respond to requests for comment. However, a September 2009 report from the US Department of Justice (DOJ) found that, “conditions at OPP violate the constitutional rights of inmates.” The DOJ went on to report; “Inmates confined at OPP are not adequately protected from harm, including physical harm from excessive use of force by staff.” And documented “a pattern and practice of unnecessary and inappropriate use of force by OPP correctional officers.” This included “several examples where OPP officers openly engaged in abusive and retaliatory conduct, which resulted in serious injuries to prisoners. In some instances, the investigation found, the officers’ conduct was so flagrant it clearly constituted calculated abuse.”
issues. But will he be willing or able to try to change the culture of the New Orleans police? Advocates say change will not come easy. “You can do a million police trainings,” adds Nepon. “But in general, that doesn’t have an impact on rampant police homophobia.” Many advocates believe federal oversight can make a difference in these patterns of police abuse. They are also pressing for an end to the use of the Crime Against Nature statute, as well as a general shift from charging people with nonviolent offenses. Attorney John Rawls, who is generally supportive of current Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro, believes the DA understands that the current use of the sex offender statute invites discrimination.
However, adds Rawls, it will be hard to get his office to stop charging people under the statute. “People Abuse Starts at Young Age who hold powerful offices have many motives, and one of them is Wesley Ware, a youth advocate at they love being powerful,” he says. Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana, “Prosecutors get their power from says that harassment against those criminal statutes. The more statutes who are perceived as gay or gender they have, the more ways they can noncomforming begins at a young prosecute someone, the more power age, and can include hostility from they have.” If activists are going to their parents, fellow students, and challenge this power, they will need often from school staff. According to utilize the current public outrage to Ware, this leads many of these for far-reaching reforms, says Rawls. youths to bring weapons to school to defend themselves. “Gay and Back at the meeting at the bisexual boys and young men are Brotherhood Incorporated offices, four times more likely to carry a Brassfield urges women to stand weapon to school,” he says. “Of up and fight back. “We need to homeless youth, 50% identify as document,” she says. “What you lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. want to do is illustrate a pattern of Of kids in youth detention, 13% are harassment and abuse.” She hands LGBT.” Ware adds that many of these out flyers and phone numbers youth face an unsympathetic court, for Women With A Vision, Critical including judges who think that they Resistance, and a sympathetic will help “cure” gay youth by sending lawyer. “We have to look out for each them to juvenile detention. “Ninety other,” she says. “I want to organize, nine percent of the kids in youth just what we’re doing now. The girls detention in New Orleans are black,” got to stick together.” adds Ware. “So obviously what were talking about is youth of color.” Jordan Flaherty is a journalist, an editor of Left Turn Magazine, and “This community is facing systemic a staffer with the Louisiana Justice discrimination in pretty much Institute. He was the first writer to every system they deal with,” says bring the story of the Jena Six to a Emily Nepon, a staff member of national audience and audiences the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a around the world have seen the legal organization that fights for television reports he’s produced transgender racial and economic for Al-Jazeera, TeleSur, GritTV, justice. According to Nipon, women in and Democracy Now. Haymarket this community deal with intersecting Press will release his new book, forms of oppression. “High levels FLOODLINES: Stories of Community of employment discrimination, and Resistance from Katrina to the housing discrimination, overpolicing, Jena Six, this summer. He can be profiling that leads to higher reached at neworleans@leftturn. incarceration rates, and higher levels org. of abuse within prisons.” Mayor elect Mitch Landrieu calls criminal justice one of his signature
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
Neighborhood Meetings
Algiers Point Association Every 1st Thursday of the month @ 7pm Holy Name of Mary School Cafeteria
Broadmoor Improvement Association 3rd Monday of every other moth @ 7pm St. Matthias Church 4320 S. Broad Street
Bunny Friends Neighborhood Association Every second Saturday of the month Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N Claiborne Ave
Bywater Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Ave.
Neighborhood Association Central City Renaissance Alliance (CCRA) Saturday, September 19 @ 2p.m. 1809 O. C. Haley Blvd. http://www.myccra.org
Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association
Carrollton United
Every second Monday at 5:00 P.M. every other month St. John Missionary Baptist Church, corner of Leonidas and Hickory
Central City Partnership
Every last Friday of the month @ 1p.m. Allie Mae Williams Center 2020 Jackson Ave.
Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month @ 6:00p.m. True Vine Baptist Church 2008 Marigny St
Quarterly Meetings, time and date TBA Jewish Community Center 5342 St. Charles Ave
Garden District Association
Downtown Neighborhood Improvement Association (DNIA)
Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (GCIA)
Every 3rd monday of the month @ 7p.m. Musicians’ Union Hall 2401 Esplanade Ave (entrance through parking lot on Bayou Road and Rocheblave Street)
Carrollton Riverbend Neighborhood Association DeSaix Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month Parish Hall of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Corner of Carrollton and Zimple
Every 2nd Monday @ 7p.m. 3201 Orleans Avenue http://www.fsjna.org
Every 2nd Saturday of the month @10a.m. St. Leo Church 2916 Paris Ave.
East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Committee (ENONAC) Every 2rd Tuesday of each month @ 6 p.m. St. Maria Goretti http://www.enonac.org
1 annual meeting per year, time/date/location TBA
General Membership- Every 3rd Saturday of the month 10am Board Meeting - Every 3rd Wednesday of the month 6:30pm Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Ave.
Faubourg St. John
Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 5:30pm Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church 3327 Toledano Street
Hollygrove Neighbors
Quarterly- Saturdays at noon January 9 April 10 July 10 October 16 St. Peters Church 3424 Eagle St. Eage St and Edinburgh St
Holy Cross Neighborhood Association
Every Thursday @ 5:30 Center for Sustainability, Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church 5130 Chartres, Lizardi and Chartres http://www.helpholycross.org
Gentilly Heights East Neighborhood Association Lake Bullard Homeowners Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 6p.m. Dillard University Dent Hall – Room 104
Gentilly Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 6:30 p.m . VOA – 2929 St. Anthony Ave.
Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association
Faubourg Delachaise Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Wednesday of the Quarterly meetings, time/ date/location TBA
Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association
month @ 7pm Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters St. http://www.gentillyterrace.org
Association Every Saturday @ 3p.m. Cornerstone United Methodist Church 5276 Bullard Ave. http://www.lakebullard.org
Lake Catherine Civic Association
Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 7 p.m.
Lake Willow Neighborhood
Every 2nd Saturday of the month @ 10a.m. St. Maria Goretti Church
Lower Ninth Ward
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May/June 2010
Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA)
Every 2nd Saturday @ 12 noon NENA – 1120 Lamanche St. http://www.9thwardnena.org
Melia Subdivision
Every 2rd Saturday of the month @ 5 p.m. Anchoren in Christ Church 4334 Stemway Drive
Mid-City Neighborhood Organization
Board Meeting – Every last Tuesday of the month 6 p.m. General Meeting - Every 1st Monday of the month 6:30 p.m. Grace Episcopal Church 3700 Canal Street http://www.mcno.org
Oak Park Civic Association Every 3rd or last Tuesday of the month
Paris Oaks/Bayou Vista
Neighborhood Association Last Saturday of every month @ 4p.m. Third District Police Station 4650 Paris Avenue
Tall Timbers Owners Association
Semi-annual meetings: 2nd Wednesday of October & April 7p.m. Board meetings: 2nd Pensiontown of Carrollton Wednesday of every other Neighborhood Association month 7.p.m Every 1st Saturday of the Tunisburg Square month @ 2p.m. Homeowners Civic Leonidas House Community Association, Inc. Center (under renovation) Every 2nd Monday of the 1407 Leonidas St Temporarily housed at St. Paul month @ 6:30 p.m. http://tunisburg.org AME Church 8540 Cohn St (corner of West Barrington Leonidas and Cohn)
Pontilly Association Pontilly Disaster Collaborative
– Every 3rd Wednesday of the month General Meeting – every 2nd Saturday of the month http://www.pontilly.com
Rosedale Subdivision
2nd Friday of Every Month
Association
1st Tuesday of every month @ 6 p.m. Holiday Inn Express 70219 Bullard Avenue
Send your neighborhood meeting details to: web@ npnnola.com
Ask City Hall District A
Shelley Midura City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504)Joshua 658-1010 Cella Fax: (504) 658-1016 Rethink Summer Intern Email:smidura@cityofno.com
District B
Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658 -1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 Email:shead@cityofno.com
District C
James Carter City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 Email: jcarter@cityofno.com
District D
Cynthia Hedge-Morrell City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 E-mail: chmorrell@cityofno.com
District E
Cynthia Willard-Lewis City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 E-mail: cwlewis@cityofno.com
Council Member-At-Large
Arnie Fielkow City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email: afielkow@cityofno.com
Council Member-At-Large Jacquelyn Clarkson City Hall, Room 2W50 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077
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NPN’s THE TRUMPET MAGAZINE
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