The Trumpet September 09

E E FR

Community Voices Orchestrating Change September 2009

Issue #3 Volume 3

The Invisible Children of New Orleans...

Kids ReThink New Orleans: Dignity in Schools Free after school music program keeps kids off the streets Candidates Weigh in on Investing in our youth

How are YOU investing in our youth?

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 300, New Orleans, LA 70119 • Office (504)940-2207, Fax (504)-940-2208 • thetrumpet@npnnola.com

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Letter from the Executive Director “I am invisible, understand because people refuse to see me. “ Ralph Ellison Invisible Man I can’t really remember the first time I disappeared. I know that I was school age, probably as young as six. It wasn’t magic, nor was it a David Copperfield show. I was just a middle child from an even larger extended family. Nothing was really special about me upon sight (so I thought). The only way I was given any attention is when I demanded it through bad behavior such as throwing my own versions of a temper-tantrum. This became an issue for me when I entered Lusher Elementary school in the fall of ‘79.

My kindergarten year was very challenging and I remember my mom saying that was provided an option one of which was to have me tested for the Gifted and Talented program. I was tested the following year and in addition to my regular classes I was admitted to Talented in Theater (TAT). My teacher was the famed local artist Wanda Rouzan Brazile. Ms. Brazile was AMAZING. She was beautiful with her well polished nails and jazzy style. Two days of the week I would be taken out of class which would make me feel special. Ms. Brazile’s revelation of the world of theatre to me was my reality show where I played the main star. Those special days where we walked the halls to the gym/theatre I would shed everything I was experiencing as a child in my own childlike language. She would listen attentively and take much interest in what I was saying. Her ability to take my words and feelings then apply them to what the lesson for the day would be was refreshing. I thought she was amazing. I was her only student for four of the six years in her class. It was those one-to-one times that I treasured the most. During her classes I learned about the Harlem Renaissance, and had my first viewing of the Alvin Ailey dance troupe. Ms. Brazile was famous for making the simplest things seem larger than life. It was with Ms. Brazile that my daddy’s old jazz albums became more than just noise we had to listen to on Sunday mornings as we prepared for church, but became historical stories that connected me to the past and allowed me to dream about the future. Most importantly she taught me how to express myself and take ownership of my behavior especially when I chose to express those feelings outside of the guidelines that were created by the powers that be (I’m still growing in this area). Later as an adult, Wanda Brazile and I would reconnect when I worked as the Director of Alumni & PR at her alma mater Xavier Prep. Again she revealed a world to me that I only had preconceived beliefs about and taught me how I had the ability to affect my world and that I could do it through my skills and talents.

This world is not filled with many Wanda Rouzan Brazile’s. Many decisions that are made on behalf of the children are not made in the best interest of children. In November 2008, New Orleanians voted in favor of having the Orleans Parish Law Enforcement District issue $63.2 million in bonds to pay for infrastructure projects in the New Orleans criminal justice system, yet our budget for NORD programs have been cut below $10 million since 2005. Where is the uproar? Why are we so encouraged that jails are more of the answer than recreation and education for our youth? Everyday the media reminds us that our “un-usually suspects” are not what our criminal justice system had in mind when they were creating the laws.

I have no doubt that there were many times that I could have been one of those kids that you see on our local news. Trust many adults wrote me off which is why I have always revered and held close to my heart the investment that Ms. Brazile placed in me and other students. It is that investment which I have witnessed that convicts me to invest in children beyond my own child. In this issue of the Trumpet I hope that you are challenged, inspired and compelled to engage in the conversation on how you are investing in the children of New Orleans.

Timolynn Sams, Executive Director Neighborhoods Partnership Network

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July 2009

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Letter From the Editor In every issue of The Trumpet Magazine,members of the editorial board meet to talk about themes or issues they feel need to be addressed. During our last meeting, we discussed “education” and “crime,” and the correlation between the two.

“But WHAT is the issue?” asked one board member.

“We’re not investing in our youth,” replied another.

And that’s how we arrived at the theme for the September Trumpet.

In this issue, we take a look at how the city of New Orleans is investing in our youth. From Brian Opert’s open letter to the Mayor, pg. 8 (which he hopes will start a letter-writing campaign from other citizens), to mayoral candidates weighing in on what they think about investing in our youth. From the triumphs of the 9th Ward Field of Dreams to the symphonies of the Roots of Music, this magazine offers a snapshot of both the issues facing young people in New Orleans, and the initiatives that we at the Trumpet Editorial Board hope to see grow and flourish.

Letter from the Executive Director of NPN Table of Contents/NPN Board Letter to the editor/Poem for Seniors Red Cross: Safety Neighborhood Prep.

List of Emergency Pick-up Points How to Ask the “Right Question” Capacity College Completes Semester “Our Young Men are Dying,” A Letter to Mayor Nagin Charity Hospital: It’s Time Sincerely, Megan Hargroder Neighborhood Bandit Signs Editor-in-Chief Neighborhood Spotlight: What’s Wrong with New Orleans East?

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The Roots of Music: After School Program Strikes Major Chord 9th Ward Field of Dreams Kids ReThink New Orleans: Dignity in Schools Tutoring in the Lower Ninth Ward CAndidates Weigh in: Investing in Youth New Orleans Index NPN Board Nomination Info Trumpet Awards Neighborhood Meetings Schedule

NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans.

Find out more at NPNnola.com EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR: Timolynn Sams COMMUNITY PROGRAMS MANAGER: Gill Benedek COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR: Megan Hargroder MEMBERSHIP COORDINATOR: Kelly Landrieu

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 2008/2009 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.

FOUNDING BOARD MEMBERS Julius Lee, Board Chair, River Timbers Victor Gordon, Vice President, Pontilly Neighborhood Association Patricia Jones, Board Treasurer, NENA Lower 9th Ward Benjamin Diggins, Melia Subdivision Dorian Hastings, Central City Renaissance Alliance Tilman Hardy, Leonidas/Pensiontown Neighborhood Association Sylvia McKenzie, Rosedale Subdivision Latoya Cantrell, Board Secretary, Broadmoor Improvement Association Katherine Prevost, Upper Ninth Ward Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association Bill Waiters, Holy Cross Neighborhood Association Wendy Laker, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Board

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Letter to the Editor Trumpet: I was heartened to see your articles regarding the Master Plan. The bill’s passage in November received only the tiniest summary blip of attention which was duly drowned out by the fanfare surrounding Obama’s election. Since then, the process of drafts and community meetings have been all but invisible in the news, despite its being the one “tangible” political process which most directly effects the lives of all New Orleanians. Though I am more skeptical of the Planning Commission’s underlying machinations than the stories’ authors, I do agree with the over-arching premise: that everyone needs to get informed and have their voice heard in both the planning process and its implementation.

Nathan Tempey

A Poem for Seniors “In the Form of a Letter” “I was inspired to write this poem for a Senior Citizen event held in the Bywater Neighborhood...”

Hello Seniors!

How are you feeling today? on arising from your bed, did you remember to pray? Did you thank God for allowing you to behold this beautiful day? No, no, it was not your strength that got you started on your way! So, thank God today. It matters not whether the skies are cloudy or blue; thank Him for each blessing that has been showered down on you! Are you happy to be alive, or are you depressed because you have reached the age of 60 or 65?

As a senior, you can take the time to smell the roses! Take time to stroll through the park, perhaps you’ll find someone who needs to talk.

Plant a garden and watch it grow; take time to learn some things you did not know!

As I conclude my letter to you today my senior friends; “Let us leave the world a better place than we found it!”

Yours truly, Your Senior Friend,

Sis. Beulah Carey

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July 2009

The 411 on Safety in Neighborhood Preparedness Have a communication plan. response to ensure the safety of the Develop a neighborhood people affected. First responders notifi cation network and play a vital role in securing the develop an emergency phone or environment and communities, while communication tree. supporting agencies, like human services agencies and the Red Cross, Develop a list of emergency contact information and indirectly protect and prevent harm ikipedia defines public safety by sheltering people away from community resources, so that the as “the prevention of and the danger and providing food. association or individual residents can seek and provide information protection from events that could and referrals. endanger the safety of the general All disaster response is local. public from significant danger, injury/ That’s why neighborhoods and Identify a core group of people to harm, or damage, such as crimes or the residents living within them serve as a disaster team that can help direct neighbors to safety disasters (natural or man-made).” are critical to the system for before a disaster impact. disaster response and recovery.

When the City of New Orleans plans Account for any damaged for disaster response, it includes “Organized neighborhoods can help homes and displaced families, many agencies in the planning such responders like the Red Cross to and provide information to as: the Office of Homeland Security identify those at risk and affected in responders. and Emergency Preparedness, law a disaster, and expedite assistance,” enforcement, fire response, and public Bill Salmeron, emergency services The Red Cross supports the health and human services agencies, director of the American Red Cross, provision of basic needs during as well as the American Red Cross. Southeast Louisiana Chapter, says. disaster: emergency shelter and food.

By: Ruth Davis, Community Outreach Program Manager and Jacqueline Chadwick, FaithBased and Government Outreach Coordinator of The American Red Cross

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Cross. These may be community centers or faith-based facilities that can serve as safe havens in an emergency. Safe, sanitary shelter for even a few days can protect against injury or loss of life.

“For a shelter, a facility with adequate interior multi purpose space would suffice,” Salmeron says. “If a facility does not have abundant interior space, but large parking space, then a point of distribution would be a potential option.” Points of distribution are used to distribute goods like cleanup kits and other supplies, or may be used to set up a mobile feeding site in an area where grocery stores and restaurants may not be available.

Neighborhood disaster readiness planning can help residents survive any disaster with the least possible suffering, loss of life, and damage to Neighborhood-based groups can be Whether a single home fire or flooding How can neighborhoods be homes and businesses. Emergency that impacts an entire neighborhood, organized to support public valuable eyes and ears to identify response agencies need neighborhood a disaster event triggers a coordinated safety during disaster response? potential shelter facilities for the Red participation to fully achieve this goal.

In the event of a mandatory city-wide evacuation, 17 bus stops will be converted to “pick up points.”

General Population

* Smith Library Bus Stop (Lakeview) * Palmer Park (West Carrollton) * McMain High School (Broadmoor) * Lyons Community Center (Irish Channel) * Dryades YMCA (Central City) * Warren Easton High School (Mid-City) * Municipal Auditorium(Treme) * O. Perry Walker High School (Algiers) * Stallings Community Center (Bywater) * Sanchez Center (Lower 9th Ward) * Gentilly Mall Parking Lot (Gentilly) * Walgreen’s: Lake Forest & Read Blvd (New Orleans East) * Mary Queen of Vietnam Church (New Orleans East)

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Fill your car’s gas tank.

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Keep a battery operated radio and extra batteries (listen to NOAA).

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Develop a family communication plan. Identify a friend or relative in another state or city to serve as a point of contact in case family members are separated.

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Plan routes to local shelters, register family members with special medical needs as required and make plans for your pets to be cared for.

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Make copies of personal documents (medication list and pertinent medical information, proof of address, deed/ lease to home, passports, birth certificates, insurance policies, wills, family records, credit and identification cards) and put them in a waterproof, portable container.

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Gather enough nonperishable food items and water to last for at least 3 days (don’t forget a can opener)!

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Gather crucial supplies such as a week’s worth of medication, extra eyeglasses, hearing aid batteries, baby formula, antibacterial soap and syrup of ipecac.

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Shut off all utilities (natural gas, water, electricity).

Special Needs Pickup Locations

* Aurthur Monday Senior Center (Algiers) * Central City Senior Center (Central City) * Mater Dolorosa (Carrollton) * Kingsley House (Central City)

Regional Transit Authority bus drivers will pick-up evacuees at these locations from dawn until dusk while the CAEP is activated.

Visit www.evacuteer.org for a map of these locations

Don’t Forget!

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Brain Trust Kickoff: How to ask the “Right Question” Story by: Megan Hargroder Photos by: Kelly Landrieu

others ask the right questions.

Attendees were split into three groups for the majority of the workshop to break down major issues (such as housing) into more specific issues and then proposed solutions and policies to address those issues through a process of asking the right question and then developing strategies for decision-making.

On July 17th and 18th, Neighborhood Partnership Network hosted the NPN Brain Trust, facilitated by the Right Question Project. The purpose was to form a leadership cadre that will play a key role in responding to the master plan. This particular workshop focused on tools and strategies for asking the right questions in The second phase of this project order to make good decisions. is in effect now: neighborhood

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he first convening of The Brain Trust, held at The Urban League of New Orleans was in the form of a course titled “Tools for effective participation and decision making,” but the setting was no ordinary classroom.

leaders are taking what they learned back to their own organizations and dispersing knowledge to their neighbors.

This is expected to help promote productive dialogue within each neighborhood and also between neighborhood associations.

“This strategy is 20 years of work, trial and error. It is simple, it makes sense and it can be passed on.”

-Dan Rothstein, Co-Director of The Right Question Project Neighborhood leaders were invited to not only listen, but to participate in discussions that were related to issues in their own neighborhoods.

Most members of the group knew exactly what they wanted to get out of the experience: identifying root problems, formulating effective questions, effect outcomes through persuasive discussion and to help

“As a leader, you have to be a facilitator and participant - you have to move the conversation but not dominate it. It’s give and take and there’s a fine line; sometimes you have to step back and get them to talk,” said Debra Joseph, President of Gentilly Sugar Hill

Neighborhood Association.

For more information about the Brain Trust or the Master Plan, please visit www.npnnola.com or call the NPN office: 504-9402207. For more information on The Right Question Project, please visit www.rightquestion.org.

“Asking the right questions comes with experience and training rather than higher education...it takes practice.”

-Dan Rothstein, Co-Director of The Right Question Project

Close-ended v. Open-ended questions Close-ended questions can be answered with “yes” or “no” or with a one word answer. This type of question can help you get specific information. Close-ended questions usually begin with:

IS, ARE, DO, CAN

Open-ended questions need more explanation than a

Some of the things leaders said “yes” or “no” answer. This type of question can help they learned during the two-day you get more information. Open-ended questions course included: the difference usually being with: between open and closed WHY, HOW, WHAT questions and how to effectively use each, self-reflection, how to gauge and manage the climate of a room and how to understand Information provided by The Right Question Project Inc. www.rightquestion.org non-verbal cues to be able to tell how people are thinking.

July 2009

Capacity College Completes Spring Semester

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“The Capacity College teaching fellows are local leaders who provide insight and guidance that can only come from local experience. The participants recognize and respect the expertise and support that comes from within our own city.” (staff person, New Orleans Food and Farm Network)

Kysha Brown Robinson, Neighborhood Educator Fellow, shares asset based strategies at the first Capacity College class, “Getting Started.”

By: Gill Benedek, Programs Manager for NPN

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uring the first Capacity College, “Getting Started,” Neighborhood Fellow Kysha Robinson shared with the enrolled resident leaders that she hopes residents “use the skills you find helpful and the rest you can leave behind.”

With over 90% of enrolled resident leaders citing they will “definitely use the skills from their classes,” Ms. Kysha Robinson does not need to worry skills that will be left behind. As Alicia Vance from New Orleans Food Farm Network attests “The Capacity College Fellows are local leaders who provide insight and guidance that can only come from local experience. The participants recognize and respect the expertise and support that comes from within our own city.”

The inaugural semester of NPN’s Capacity College brought together over 70 residents from 14 neighborhoods to share, learn and work together on their neighborhood goals and projects. Enrolled residents work together to practice the essential organizing skills. Each class was taught by two local neighborhood leaders, NPN Neighborhood Educator Fellows, teaching their organizing strategies such as “Asset Based Planning” and “Partnerships for Common Goals.” The 2009 Capacity College Spring Semester also connected six nonprofits, the Good Neighbor Partners, with ten groups to establish long-term partnerships to support the neighborhood projects.

The Regional Planning Commission is currently working on customized maps for seven neighborhoods, while Louisiana Appleseed is seeking legal support for groups such as Gentilly Heights East Neighborhood Association.

Yet it was not just the course material and training that left a mark.

Pax Bobrow, resident of Carrollton-Riverbend Neighborhood Association shared with NPN that she has “...personally gotten to know and share ideas, dreams and frustrations as well as as contact information with members of other neighborhood advocacy groups from all over the city.”

The Neighborhoods Partnership Network is preparing for the next semester of Capacity College. Are there specific skills you want to develop? We are working to improve the content of our Core Classes as well as providing at least two new 102 level classes. If you want more information on classes, the Educator Fellowship or sponsorship opportunities call Gill Benedek, Community Programs Manager at 504-940-2207.

“We’ve learned the importance of surveying the people we serve, making personal contact with our constituents and how to deal with the inefficient and less than well documented bureaucracy of our city government when advocating for our neighbors in the legal system...... Most importantly, however, I have personally gotten to know and share ideas, dreams and frustrations as well as as contact information with members of other neighborhood advocacy groups from all over the city.” (resident, Carrollton Riverbend NA)

Spring Semester 2009 – Impact Snapshot Feedback from Class Participants

* 92% of participants said they will “definitely use the skills from the class.” * 90% of participants will “definitely” share the Capacity College information with their neighbors. * 91% of participants believe they will be able to translate the Capacity College skills into action. * Fully half of enrolled neighborhood groups are still working with their Good Neighbor Partners on projects from creating customized maps to working on holistic neighborhood covenants.

Citywide Impact

* City of New Orleans seeking to support “Citizen Capacity.” NPN applying for City RFP that seeks a nonprofit to create a “Capacity College.” * Coverage from Times-Picayune and Cox Communications

Core Class Ratings

* Getting Started: Workshop rating 4.2 out of 5 (40 respondents) * Developing Your Gameplan: Workshop rating 4.32 out of 5 (40 +respondents) * City Hall 101: Workshop rating 4.14 out 5 (36 respondents) * Partnerships for Common Goals: Workshop rating 4.4 out 5 (25 respondents) * Neighborhood Economics: Workshop rating 4.25 out 5 (27 respondents)

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Open Letter to Mayor C Ray Nagin

RE: Our Young Men are Dying D

ear Mr. Mayor,

The young men of our City are being murdered – and we need your help. But this letter is more than just a plea for help, is it an

outline of our concerns and a suggested plan that may bring about changes in attitude that are so desperately needed in New Orleans today.

As you probably know, over 350 African American men between 17 and 24 years of age have been killed in the last 3 years in New Orleans. Recently, it has grown worse. Now our 13, 14, 15 and 16 year old African American boys are being killed, as well as their girlfriends and even their family members. These dead kids are not out of town strangers; not just statistics – they are New Orleanians and each is a member of someone’s family.

Do you know that there is a challenge to a New Orleanian kid who actually gets a hand gun and doesn’t use it? He is “dissed” - insulted - for not using the gun to kill someone right away! His manhood is challenged. This only adds to an already desperately bad situation.

Discussion among therapists and counselors confirms that the problem of these killings has become endemic to the families of these young men. It is pathological – the families of the murdered young men are setting forth on their own vendettas to revenge the killings. They want nothing to do with the police. They want to seek their own version of justice.

We all agree that we cannot arrest our way out of this. Police can only arrive after the fact – there is no advance intervention. Surviving family members and friends will not talk to the investigating police, so there are few leads to follow after a killing. So anger, frustration and revenge ensue.

And on it goes - for years now.

There is limited success shown by religious, political and social leaders. There have been a few marches, impassioned speeches, and sermons from lecterns. And in most cases, our leaders simply are ignored – they just don’t appear to speak the language of these young killers, their surviving families, or even the community generally, given the facts surrounding these circumstances. There simply is no dialogue.

Admit it. Strategies are failing, and our children continue to die. We will be a community with no young men alive within the near future! This is just not acceptable.So we have an idea, and perhaps you are the best suited person in our City to act on this thought.

We have a President who is perhaps the best suited individual in the world today to bring the right focus on these young disenfranchised men as well as their families. He represents someone they do identify with – certainly better than anyone else. Perhaps he can speak their language better than anyone here can. (The speech he gave when he visited New Orleans during his election campaign was so profound many thought he actually lived here! Remember?)

We believe that if President Obama was brought up to date on the horrible situation impacting our young Black men and their families, and asked to bring the full force and power of his Office, as well as his personal manner and style with a visit to New Orleans.This may result in a direct and personal dialogue with our youth and their families. Perhaps he can slow if not stop the uselessness of these killings. Frankly, if he can’t, then perhaps we will lose this war.

Mayor Nagin, pick up the phone, and reach out to President Obama. We are confident that he will take your call, and we are equally confident that he will respond to your invitation. (Remember he visited that Midwestern town when invited by a 12 year old girl a few months ago?)

We beseech you Mayor Nagin. You are also the father of young African American men. You understand exactly the fear and frustration of other New Orleans African American families. You could be a pivotal and enormous help in resolving this crisis.

-Brian Opert

July 2009

Charity Hospital: It’s Time

By : Eli Ackerman and Jonah Evans

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onsider all of the different struggles the city of New Orleans has endured since the fall of 2005. There have been countless individual victories – a home gutted, sheetrock hung, a family returns – but there remains a

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Clearing Your Neighborhood of Bandit Signs Ugly bandit signs posted on telephone poles and neutral grounds in New Orleans add to neighborhood blight. Bandit signs often promote borderline or outright scams, and considering that thousands of small businesses do not post illegal signs, bandit signs punish law-abiding companies by giving an edge to the law-breaking companies.

Many people do not realize that bandit signs are illegal under the New Orleans City Code (Sec. 66-284-a), and that the City Code specifically permits citizens to remove and throw away illegal signs (Section 66-284-d).

If there are bandit signs on your street or in your neighborhood, pull them down and toss them in the trash where they belong.

-Anonymous Submission

dissatisfaction with collective efforts to obtain accessible, honest, and responsive representation from local government.

The strength of neighborhood organizations and community groups has proven invaluable in efforts to refocus the attention of elected officials on the issues that matter. Yet when it comes to big, systemic change, it has been a challenge to organize across a truly broad-based coalition to reorient our politicians to articulate a just and sustainable vision for this city’s future. In the absence of that consensus vision, citizens and community organizations A $600,000 study, commissioned by the Louisiana Legislature and conducted have been forced to combat individual initiatives that seem to come out of

by RMJM Hillier and the Foundation For Historical Louisiana, found Charity left field. Rather than working with our politicians to secure a positive future, Hospital to be structurally sound. The study found that, by gutting New Orleans residents are too often forced to fight against politicians to prevent harmful proposals.

In the ongoing controversy surrounding the abandonment of Charity Hospital, and the proposal to demolish 70 acres of Lower Mid-City to make way for the LSU/VA medical campus, New Orleans is again entrenched in the fight for transparency, public participation, and a diligent planning procedure.

The process thus far has been characterized by closed-door decision-making, an unwillingness to hold public hearings on the hospital issue and a stubborn refusal to evaluate the viable alternatives. While LSU spent years arguing over board appointments for a medical complex they cannot afford to build, our city suffered (and continues to suffer) from the lack of health care facilities, squandered job opportunities and economic investment, and the looming threat of another neighborhood destroyed by poor city planning.

and rebuilding Charity, we could construct a world-class hospital for less money, in less time, and in a less destructive manner. This alternative plan has been embraced by one of the more diverse coalitions of individuals and organizations we’ve seen over the last several years.

Supporting the plan to save Lower Mid-City and build a cutting-edge medical facility inside Charity Hospital directly aids the larger push for sounddecision making in recovery decisions across the board.

As we mark the fourth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, essential questions remain about our city’s future. Will New Orleans be a city that values public and community participation? Will we demand openness and transparency of our elected officials?

New Orleans voters will soon have the opportunity to elect a new Mayor It’s time to insist that the secrets stop, that decisions that affect our city are and City Council. Yet local, state and federal officials remain out of touch made through an open and public process, and that our city gets the hospitals on the hospital issue. A recent public opinion poll conducted by political it so desperately needs. It’s time to consider the Charity Hospital plan. scientist Edward F. Renwick found that 83 percent of New Orleans voters supported holding public hearings on the hospital controversy, 71 percent For more information on this initiative, please visit: believed there should be independent analysis of the competing proposals and, by a clear two-to-one margin, voters support the Charity Hospital plan.

www.savecharityhospital.com

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Neighborhood Spotlight:

What’s

The following is a collection of excerpts from conversations and meetings with residents of eastern New Orleans over the past several months. While it may seem negative at times, it is meant to instill hope in our future and challenge each of you to do your part in bringing our area up to its full potential. These issues are not new to any of us who live in the area, but we should begin to view these issues differently. Instead of repeating them over and over in our meetings, we should try to develop a solution to at least one of these issues. It doesn’t matter how small the solution may seem—it could be as small as writing a letter—but bring it to a meeting, and be ready to galvanize the support of your neighbors in completing that particular task.

By:Lisa G Stafford Editor-in-chief of NOELA News The Eastern New Orleans Newsletter About 15 minutes east of downtown New Orleans lies a community of approximately 40 neighborhoods, devastated by flooding associated with breached levees in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. In New Orleans East, or “the East,” as it is commonly called, the majority of the homes in the area received four to six feet of water from the storm surge and broken levees. The immediate cry of the politicians was for the area-roughly 100 square miles, and before Katrina, about 40% of the city’s tax base--to become green space. The area, politicians argued, was too far gone, and at too great of a risk for future damage from storms, to rebuild.

Today, that community has largely rebuilt itself. Residents in the area received few of the Road Home grants that were made available, so with insurance money, savings and/ or personal loans, these residents rebuilt their lives. Although the politicians no longer publicly speak of turning the area into green space, one has to wonder if that still isn’t

the plan. It is estimated that the majority of the previous 90,000 residents have returned, but there are still few signs of economic recovery.

While other parts of the city bask in the shadows of cranes rebuilding damaged buildings, or assembling entirely new structures, there is little development in the East. There is only one major grocery store to service the entire area, and only recently, a Lowe’s home improvement store joined the lone Home Depot store that existed prior to Katrina. A plethora of granite, cabinet and flooring stores abound in the area. Methodist and Lakeland hospitals sit desolate, though it is believed that they could be operational with minimal effort.

Lack of economic development is frustrating enough, but that frustration is compounded by the fact that residents are frequently told that feasibility studies must be completed before change can take place.

Residents find it hard to understand why millions of dollars should be spent for someone to say that we need services when it is obvious that they are needed because none exist.

Bayou Sauvage Entrance, New Orleans East

Children playing at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East

History

Although New Orleans East is lagging in disaster recovery, many of its problems began long before Katrina. In the seventies, developers had a vision of creating a middle class suburban area east of downtown New Orleans. This fresh, new territory would be called Orlandia, though the effort was later abandoned. In spite of this, upscale homes sprang up around seven lake communities in the area, and a large mall, complete with a skating rink and posh stores served the residents of this new suburbia. Several local businesses provided jobs to inhabitants of the East, which offered convenient places to live for highly skilled workers like engineers and computer programmers at locations such as NASA, Martin Marietta and the USDA’s National Finance Center.

But this tide of prosperity began to recede. The eighties brought a double blow to the East in the form of a slowing economy related to the oil slump, and a disproportionate amount of subsidized rentals in the area, relative to the rest of the city.

Unfortunately, the high concentration of subsidized housing lowered the

economic base of the area, and additionally, many of the originally beautiful apartments, became poorly maintained eyesores.

Businesses began to leave the area in droves. The Plaza mall lost its edge as a unique shopping center when the skating rink shut down. Soon, the majority of the businesses in the mall seemed to cater solely to young urban shoppers. Upscale clothing stores were replaced with large numbers of hip hop urban wear and athletic shoe stores, which were of little interest to middle-aged shoppers.

For years, residents sat helplessly by while businesses left the area and slum lords neglected many of the massive apartment complexes. These complexes were reduced to ruins right before the eyes of its powerless neighbors, and said to all who passed through the area on Interstate 10 that New Orleans East was a community of widespread blight.

Then Katrina Hit

Although no one believes that Katrina was good for the area, there was a widely held belief that it provided the opportunity to correct some past mistakes. Maybe now those neglected and crumbling apartment complexes

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July 2009

Wrong with New Orleans East? could be removed once and for all. Maybe now we could enforce building codes so that the owners of those complexes still in existence could be required to maintain those properties. Maybe now economic development could be planned instead of thrown together in a haphazard manner.

Maybe multi-family housing density could be reduced.

That hope was dashed as again, residents sat by powerless while other communities, some that were not even damaged by the ravaging winds of Katrina or the rushing flood waters that followed, received recovery dollars that should have gone to the areas most devastated.

Over three years after Katrina, some New Orleans East streets still sit dark after nightfall. There is no library, an unfinished park, no fire stations, and few restaurants.

In meeting after meeting with city representatives, inadequate explanations are given for the slow pace of rebuilding in New Orleans East, and the paltry amount of dollars that have been spent on our projects.

Orleans groups who make the same mistakes. If you do not live in the arguments against such housing are East, learn about the area and tell criticized and labeled as “elitists”. others about the treasures found here.

Take a detour from your normal route Eastern New Orleans is often seen and drive through the area. What as the area’s dumping ground – for you see along I-10 is not all there is proposed projects like crowded, to the East. New Orleans East has: poorly maintained apartments; landfills and garbage dumps, a * Enviable real estate--from newly juvenile prison, and most recently, built or refurbished apartment to quiet familya halfway house for rehabilitating complexes, substance abusers and drug friendly subdivisions with modest dealers. Waterfront properties are yet beautiful homes, to gated prized throughout the country, subdivisions filled with palatial yet ours goes virtually ignored. mansions—many nestled among the largest number of lakes of any other Eastern New Orleanians are not community in the metropolitan area. whiners and complainers, as many *Recreation and entertainment venues believe. But when, after almost four in the form of Bally’s Casino, Six years, the public library, hospitals, Flags and Lincoln Beach, certainly in police stations, fire stations, the park, need of work to get them to their full the mall, the schools, major retail potential, but capable of attracting centers, and apartments are in need locals and tourists alike, just the same. of major repairs or demolition, while * Forty percent of the city’s tax base other parts of the city are thriving, and 60% of the city’s land mass. residents of the East understandably * One of the highest per capita incomes feel left out and neglected. in the New Orleans metropolitan area. * Joe Brown Park, one of the What Residents Are Doing largest suburban parks in the nation, complete with tennis courts and Residents have not given up, an AAU-sized swimming pool. though. Rather than walk away * Historical sites, such as Fort from beautifully renovated homes, Pike and Fort Macomb, integral many of whom have no mortgages, to the area’s rich history. residents have chosen to stay and * The Louisiana Nature Center fight. In an effort to support those and Bayou Sauvage, large nature businesses that have returned to refuges teeming with exotic wildlife. or established themselves in the * The most culturally diverse area area, organizers have coordinated in the city, with one of the nation’s a campaign to shop in the East, largest Vietnamese communities. and only in the East, on the fourth *A7,000-acre industrial park, Fortune weekend of every month. This can be 500 employers, and ample retail space. a major sacrifice for residents when * Multiple modes of transporting clothing is needed, or a meal from a people and goods–from an popular restaurant chain is desired. airport, to major roadways, railways and waterways.

Neighborhoods have organized homeowner associations, and It is understandable that the groups like the Eastern New French Quarter and all of its Orleans Neighborhood Advisory tourist attractions are considered Commission meet regularly to learn New Orleans’ crown jewel, of resident issues and work to find but New Orleans East is most solutions.

Groups are working certainly the city’s diamond in together to dispel the ill-conceived the rough, and with so much notion that New Orleans East is a unrealized potential, it definitely to be renewed. crime-ridden, low-income slum area. deserves

Community groups must constantly be on guard for unscrupulous developers, many of whom are nonLouisianians, who build housing that does not fit the fabric of the neighborhoods in which they build.

Some feel that developers should be required to live in areas in which they build--that way they could experience what residents experience. Although the city has drafted a Master Plan, there seems to be no overall plan for development in the East. This is evident when outside developers continue to build apartments for which there is no demand, based on the significant number of vacancies in existing complexes. These developers, driven by government tax credits, continue to build high concentrations of “affordable” multi-family housing in one area, instead of disbursing such housing throughout the metropolitan area.

Although other parishes, and even communities in Orleans Parish, have openly stated that they do not want We hope that you will do your subsidized housing, Eastern New part also. Let’s not make the same

Sylvia Scineaux-Richard President of ENONAC Sylvia has been President of ENONAC from 2008 to the present. She was Second Vice President of ENONAC from its beginning in 20072008.

Sylvia has been an eastern New Orleans resident since 1994. She was also Assistant Professor, Medical Technology at Southern University at New Orleans, and retired in May 2009 after 30 years. She has been a Real Estate Associate Broker with Prudential Gardner Realtors for over 30 years, and is a member of Neighborhood Partnership Network (NPN).

Sylvia says “I am passionate about the East New Orleans community maintaining its attraction to families, young professionals and retired individuals. After the devastation of Hurricane Katrina we have been given another opportunity to get our community back, with state of the art hospital services, updated schools and curriculum, family parks, new library and an economically driven shopping mall. New Orleans East residents can accomplish these tasks because we have the determination, skill and the support of each other.”

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

The Roots of Music:

After-school music program strikes a major chord Program Director, who has the drive and talent to steer the program on a day-to-day basis and is currently learning to play the flute along with the middle school-aged students; The ReBirth Brass Band, with a 26year history that places them among the world’s top brass bands and is also a hands-down favorite among the younger generation; and Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews, whose musical family and participation in school marching bands helped give rise to his current career and critical acclaim. The program has been teaching its students since May 2008.

By: Kalen Wright

W

ithout the benefit of music programs or lessons, many of the songs of our city that we collectively celebrate and enjoy -the ones that undeniably define the experience of New Orleans -- simply would not exist. Music education programs are crucial because they create an appreciation for the arts, teach discipline, inspire teamwork and breathe life into a tradition that shaped our city’s cultural foundation.

In the post-Katrina educational system, the options for this area of education are limited. The Roots of Music works to address this deficit as a single parent, New Orleans’ only free, year-round, As city-wide after school music education Ms. Reinhardt is aware of the need program for students ages 9 to 14. for quality after-school programs.

The program’s creation started in October 2007, founded by Derrick Tabb as its Executive Director (ReBirth Brass Band’s snare drummer for almost 12 years with six years’ of middle school instructional experience as a marching band drum instructor); Allison Reinhardt, Co-Founder/

Baritone & Mellophone Section Marching at Jazz Fest

its middle school participants are required to maintain a minimum 2.5 grade point average while overall improvement is consistently

poor grades. When they enter the Roots of Music program, their academic performance improves dramatically.” Eighty-five percent of the students currently participating are from single-parent (generally fatherless) households, and students have direct access to teachers inside and outside of the classroom. “Our educators are mentors, fathers, disciplinarians and adults our students can -- and do -- call for when they need help.”

“We need to have more positive role models for the children of our city instead of what they see in music videos or when watching street hustlers. Children don’t realize that when a hustler drops out of sight, they’re most likely locked up or dead -- they do not see firsthand the consequences or repercussions of that life.

This program gives them a different way to see what it’s like to be in the spotlight and these children know that they do not want that life of crime and trouble.”

Christopher Rankin

“Derrick & I started this because we wanted something for our children and many music education programs no longer existed after Katrina.”

Another part of the program’s mission was to bring talented musicians back to New Orleans as educators, instructors and mentors for the program, “so that they’re able to provide for their families as well.”

Allison Reinhardt’s enthusiasm for the program is infectious: “Children in this city are drawn to music in a way unlike other places in the United States. In New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, programs are struggling to attract children; in New Orleans, we have a waiting list!” While participation in the Roots of Music program is free of cost, attendance is mandatory and

encouraged. If a student’s academic performance falters, their activities in the program are redirected with greater emphasis on school work as the first priority. “The structure and routine of participating in this program provides benefits to other areas of life, and the reward is the music.”

She adds, “Music is a great way to develop talent, to express oneself creatively, to learn discipline, to make friends and to stay off the streets, away from violence and drugs.”

“We provide round-trip transportation and instruments, and it’s the only city-wide program where no prior musical background is required -- we welcome any child between the ages of 9 and 14 who’s interested in learning.

Most kids come in and want to play the trumpet or the drum; most kids usually try at least two instruments before they find their niche.”

“Several of our students come from disadvantaged backgrounds or are at-risk youth; many were always at the Principal’s office and getting

Ms. Reinhardt recognizes that, in the greater New Orleans area, there is a continuing trend of the perpetrators of crime (and often also the victims) as being increasingly young. “We need to have more positive role models for the children of our city

13

July 2009 instead of what they see in music videos or when watching street hustlers. Children don’t realize that when a hustler drops out of sight, they’re most likely locked up or

personal reward of $20 to those waiting, and the need for support to students who earn straight-A’s. Last year she paid $140 out-of-pocket and is hopeful that this year it will be $280 or more. Other performance

“The most important thing we need to attend to in New Orleans is our children. If we do not provide for and take care of our city’s children today, then it will cost all of us in the long run....” dead -- they do not see first-hand the consequences or repercussions of that life. This program gives them a different way to see what it’s like to be in the spotlight and these children know that they do not want that life of crime and trouble.”

During the school year, participants are picked up by the program-provided transportation at their school location (when school is not in session, they’re picked up from home). From 4:00 to 7:00 PM Monday through Friday year-round, program participants receive homework assistance tutoring from local university students, then continue with music instruction and marching practice, and end each day sharing a hot meal made with food provided by the Conwill Family Foundation, Second Harvest and other donors. Students’ parents take turns preparing and serving these meals. “Eating together allows them to have time to be kids with each other and develop friendships,” says Reinhardt, who also notes that this also provides a tremendous benefit to the students’ mostly singleparent households. At 7:00 PM, the bus drivers then take each child directly home to his or her doorstep, providing a level of service that earns enthusiastic praise from Reinhardt.

Three buses currently provide transportation for students living in Algiers, Uptown, Gentilly, and New Orleans East; however, a fourth bus is needed to provide this service for children living in the more central areas of the 6th through 9th Wards.

Her pride for the accomplishments of the students is evident: “Our students are a bright, strong-minded bunch of kids; they’re so amazing and wonderful! They love to be nurtured with support and positive reinforcement; they come running to me to show me their report cards with A’s and B’s! ‘Miss Allison!

Look!’” Ms. Reinhardt offers a

rewards have included field trips to the Audubon Zoo and the Louisiana State Museum, activities the majority of the students had not otherwise had the opportunity to experience.

The Roots of Music Crusaders allcity band marched for its first time at Mardi Gras as part of the 2009 Orpheus parade and also performed at the 2009 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Jazz and New Orleans standards are a core component of the repertoire the students practice, and “When the Saints Go Marching in” was noted by Ms. Reinhardt as being a particular favorite. Students are also working with more contemporary songs, adapting them for marching band performance, such as “Closer”

by Ne-Yo, Earth, Wind and Fire’s “Fantasy” and, most recently, Michael Jackson’s “I Want to Rock with You.” Former performances include the “Old School in the Park” event on Sunday, 9/6/09 from 2:00 to 7:00 PM at Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park (with all proceeds benefiting the program at this event hosted by “Old School” 106.7 FM) and future performances include the 2009 Voodoo Experience Festival.

“Our top priority is stepping up funding to get kids off the street. Our students are tired and sometimes even worn out at 7:00 PM! They don’t have the time to engage in street activities -- they are encouraged to go home to spend time with their families and to complete their homework.” While there are currently 103 students in the program, there are more than 400 children on the waiting list.

It’s those four on the waiting list (for every student currently participating) who may not have the opportunity to participate if they become older than the program’s age limit while

Marching at the CACs “Jammin on Juilia” event continue the growth of the program and to allow for greater participation is clear. “The most important thing we need to attend to in New Orleans is our children. If we do not provide for and take care of our city’s children today, then it will cost all of us in the long run. We have such an incredible population of children in this city and it is our responsibility to rescue them.

If we are not part of that solution, then we are part of that problem. The Roots of Music is a way to invest in our future and prevent youth crime.”

You can begin voting online for Mr. Tabb, Executive Director of the Roots of Music, as CNN’s Hero of the Year” beginning October 1st (the awards show is aired on Thanksgiving weekend) by going to this address: http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/ cnn.heroes/archive09/derrick. tabb.html

Wayne, Brandon, Kevin

For more information about the objectives of the Roots of Music program orto make a contribution to support the its growth, please visit the program’s website: www.therootsofmusic.com

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

9th Ward Field of Dreams

requirements. evident in our athletic circles, where teammates can regularly be found In addition to teaching, I have spent encouraging one another to attend class the past nine months leading a and study. Athletes know that they campaign to raise $2 million for a must maintain acceptable academic By: Brian Bordainick state-of-the-art football facility in the records in order to play. Period.

These kids are just many of the most talented young 9th Ward. To date, the 9th Ward Field troublemakers.” “They have no people from all over the United of Dreams project has attracted over Thus, a culture of high expectations one to show them right from wrong.” States are foregoing prestigious Ivy $1.5 million in donations. Anyone permeates the academic-athletic League scholarships and lucrative who doubts the impact that education spectrum at Carver. Students have As someone who works on a daily Wall Street jobs to come to New and athletics can have on crime need bought into the idea of scholastic basis with high school students in Orleans, of all places, in the hopes of only take a look at Carver High. growth; and athletes have rallied New Orleans, I am all too around the possibility of a familiar with such dismissive real-life Field of Dreams. appraisals of this city’s Consequently, suspensions “troubling” youth.

The have decreased at an alarming perception of the public rate – almost 50% over the at large – both inside and course of a single year. outside of the city – is that New Orleans is full Students in New Orleans of young people who are are not beyond hope – they violent, mischievous, and are not inherently and incapable of success. As the irreversibly destined for perception goes, moreover, criminal life. This city lacks this supposed state of affairs neither mentors nor hope. As is irrevocable – a systemic Carver and dozens of other status quo stemming from, schools illustrate, education among other things, a lack and athletics, when anchored of parenting, failing schools, with relentless dedication and an absence of mentors. and a commitment to facilities, can add an Having spent the past two element of structure that years as a teacher and may otherwise be missing athletic director at Carver from these students’ lives.

Coach Shyrone Carey rallies the Carver Rams before a game. Carey believes that in this environment, High School in the Lower athletics are necessary to set students up for long-term success. Bordainick and his Field of Dreams I’m reminded of a wellhope to build a catalyst for recovery in the still devastated 9th Ward.

9th Ward, I have witnessed known line from the movie a revolution taking place in “Field of Dreams”: “If you making a difference. And, speaking the educational landscape of New build it, they will come.” Sure, this from personal experience, I can Suddenly, our school’s most at-risk Orleans – one which completely say that the results are staggering. students are conducting themselves holds true for things like brand new defeats the notion that some kids as role models.

Regardless of school buildings and state-of-the-art are simply “beyond saving.” One During my first year at Carver, the fact that they come from dire sports facilities. What’s more, it also of the greatest gifts arising out of roughly 13% of juniors passed GEE socioeconomic situations – and holds sway in a much more abstract the Hurricane Katrina tragedy was (Graduate Exit Exam) on their first also the fact that their school is sense. If you build expectations, that countless numbers of talented attempt. Attendance and general comprised of FEMA trailers – these confidence, and a culture of individuals felt compelled to investment were lackluster, at best. kids recognize the success that has achievement – if you fill kids with the come to New Orleans in hopes of This past year, thanks to the efforts been realized in partnership with belief that you are willing to invest rebuilding the city. Of all the social of countless devoted teachers (and a supremely dedicated faculty and in them – then they will come. After avenues available, none received coaches), over 50% of juniors passed staff. Everyone wants to be a part of that, the possibilities are endless. more attention than education. the GEE on the first try; and only one the change, and no one wants to be -Photos below of Abandoned Carver senior at Carver failed to graduate the “weak link.” This intensity is also Through a variety of rich programs,

“

because

of

GEE

July 2009

15

Kids ReThink New Orleans: Dignity in Schools By: Orissa Arend, a psychotherapist, With expert guidance, foundation community organizer, mediator, and support, and professional input from writer. architects, engineers, and research scientists, Rethinkers have become an “A school should not feel established part of the reform dialogue like a prison. A school with clubs now at five schools and should feel positive, plans for more. For them it has been safe, and welcoming. A both a learning experience and deeply school should feel like a empowering. New Orleans Recovery second home. As I walk School District Superintendent Paul through the doors of Vallas commented at their 2008 my school, I want to be news conference, “A lot of people treated with dignity.” come to me with problems; very few come with answers. The Rethinkers

Rethinkers at Samuel J. Green Elementary School during Rethink’s 4th annual summer program. Photo by Colin Lenton, 2009

These are the words of Vernard come to me with solutions and I Carter, a rising tenth grade have no choice but to listen to them.”

Rethinker at a well-attended press conference held July 23, 2009. SCHOOL OF OUR DREAMS The Rethinkers – or Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools – know how to zero in on the basics. First (in 2007 and 2008) they tackled bathrooms and lunches, with marked success, and now they are addressing safety and dignity. What could be more basic?

Rethink began in June 2006 as families staggered back from a year in exile to re-enroll their children in a city school system, ailing before Hurricane Katrina, and now on life support. The New Orleans public schools had been largely taken over by the state and there was much talk of “reinventing” them. What better time for the primary stakeholders themselves, public school children, to claim a voice in the school shakeup and to create a culture of civic engagement among middle school youth in New Orleans and beyond.

The July 2009 press conference started out with a tour of the “school of our dreams” in which metal detectors are replaced with mood detectors (people). There is a “chill-out zone.”

to resolve the problem. This fosters understanding, shared accountability, and allows negative emotions to shift into something better, dramatically decreasing out of school suspensions.

In the “school of our dreams”, student lunches include ingredients from the garden cooked by people with love. No Styrofoam trays or sporks - that useless fork/spoon combination. Students understand and respect the whole food system – animals, farmers, and the

The Rethinkers start every day sitting in a circle, where they play games and discuss issues. Photo by Colin Lenton, 2009

environments, as well as the consumer.

Teachers are purposeful and business-like, but not oppressive, They have high expectations, like Rethinker Terrianna Julien’s sixth grade teacher Mrs. Roberts. They know that motivation comes from patience and understanding. They don’t talk on their cell phones (as did

serve at-risk student populations and none currently has metal detectors. They’ve switched from zero tolerance policies where certain behaviors trigger severe, mandatory responses, to policies administered by educators with authority and responsibility. This takes discipline out of the hands of police personnel.

Strong and compassionate leadership, clear lines of authority and open lines of communication between administrators, teachers, police personnel and students have produced good results.

These schools have achieved a significantly higher than average attendance, student stability and graduation rates, as well as a dramatically one of Terrianna’s teachers during lower than average incidence of a LEAP test) or use disrespectful crime and school suspension. language toward students. And In their report Safely with students get a chance to evaluate Dignity: Alternatives to Overtheir teachers and their schools using benchmarks meaningful to them. Policing of Schools, NYCLU found that zero tolerance doesn’t Pie in the sky, you are thinking? work and that it contributes to the Touchy/feely wishful thinking? Think School to Prison Pipeline. It states: “Children who are removed from

“A lot of people come to me with problems; very few come with answers. The Rethinkers come to me with solutions and I have no choice but to listen to them.”

- New Orleans Recovery School District Superintendent Paul Vallas (“If teachers get lounges, we should too.”) Sounds of running water, trees, and flowers soothe frayed nerves.

Peer leaders (“our friends”) assist in a resolution circle to help resolve conflict where everyone can share their side of the story, discuss what happened, why it happened, and what everyone would like to see happen

again. All of us need to be Rethinkers.

This group has results, stats, and research verification to show that these solutions are not only possible and reasonable, but practical and cost effective as well. For instance, the Rethinkers cited the New York Civil Liberties Union (NYCLU) Summary of Findings and Recommendations from its examination of six New York City public schools that are successfully maintaining safety while simultaneously promoting a nurturing school environment. The schools all

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

the learning environment for even a few days are more likely to drop out, use drugs, face emotional challenges, become involved with the juvenile justice system and develop criminal records as adults.”

Paul Vallas agreed with and expanded the student-generated report card idea and supported the idea of peer mediation and making students part of the security solution. Although he did not agree to the Rethinker recommendation, “optional use of The NYCLU recommends metal detectors in elementary school,” mandating alternatives to harsh he did agree to continue giving some discipline: “The New York latitude to principals regarding their Department of Education should use. The Rethinkers will probably mandate trainings for all school staff ask for some clarification on that. in restorative justice practices – a conflict resolution method that focuses Vallas plans to implement a

Rethinkers discussing what makes a good teacher. From left to right: Arieanna McKnight, Joshua Cella, Leon Cooper, Jada Cooper, Jane Wholey, Mekayla Chisom. Photo by Colin Lenton, 2009.

on providing opportunities for all sides of a dispute to define the harms caused by an act and devise remedies – and implement such programs in all city schools.” Fortunately, New Orleans has a burgeoning network of restorative justice practitioners, trainers, and mediators who have experience working in schools, courts, and neighborhoods. For more information about these, contact Community Mediation Services at 504-865-1619. More statistics about the efficacy of restorative practices in schools in the U.S., Canada, and Great Britain can be found at the International Institute for Restorative Practices website www.iirp.org.

student bill of rights, a student constitution including responsibilities for students and families. Attorney Tracie Washington is helping with that. Although he can’t afford to hire more social workers right now, he’s using many paraprofessionals – AmeriCorps, CitiYear and graduate students from many universities to help teachers. Vallas says that all teachers will be required to take on counseling responsibilities, organize clubs and enrichment activities, and serve as advisors. The goal is that every adult in a school will follow 10-15 students with all of their problems. “Give us some guidance and direction,” Vallas says to the Rethinkers, “about how we can IMPACT AND RESPONSE improve school security,” noting that The new food provider contract “Rethink recommendations can be is a done deal, with provisions implemented within the resources more palatable to Rethinkers. The we already have. Attitude and culture Rethink architectural designs for a are more crucial than money.”

21st Century “green” bathroom and cafeteria were accepted as part of So please, Rethinkers, continue to the Public School Facilities Master dream big, to act boldly, and to remind Plan for the City of New Orleans. us that leadership means power among peers, not power over them.

At the July 2009 press conference, Yea, truly, the children shall lead us.

What is OPEN?

conversations on the future of public education in the City of New Orleans. Each group communicated In June, the Orleans Public their visions and thoughts to State Education Network (OPEN) Superintendent of Education Paul introduced itself to the community Pastorek, who sought the assistance at a retreat in beautiful of Bill Rouselle, a longstanding Bayou Segnette State Park. advocate of public education and In this quiet, natural setting, the media consultant to unite both groups. retreat introduced the notion of authentic collaborative work, Collaboratively, they spent a which requires the releasing of substantial amount of time working pre-conceived thoughts, ideas through trust, race and class issues, and biases, thus providing an which promoted a synergy of environment to be “open” to OPEN. camaraderie and fostered open communication without barriers.

While some participants may The local groups --- Children’s have attended the retreat out of Defense Fund, Committee for a curiosity, by the end of the first Better New Orleans/Metropolitan day, the different philosophies Area Committee, Cowen Institute and schools of thought managed at Tulane, Greater New Orleans to find considerable common Education Foundation, Louisiana ground. In particular, participants Justice Institute, the Urban League identified the need to “change of Greater New Orleans, and the conversation” on education, other civic, community-minded as well as the importance of individuals collectively represented continuing to work for change that the demographic and geographic will have a definite and positive diversity of New Orleans, as well impact on public education. This as bringing substantial expertise diverse group of people embraced and experience in the totality of something different, expressing a public education issues to the table. willingness to work collectively National partners further supported on building a community-driven this expertise: the Kirwan Institute at process that will ensure quality Ohio State University, the University public education for every child. of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Policy Link. This eclectic group experienced OPEN has linked with local firsthand the struggles of working and national organizations and through deep-seated sensitive professionals to plan activities for issues that have and continue to ongoing community involvement plague our nation, state and city. in public education in New These conversations prepared Orleans. The activities include them for the journey to convene a Fact Finding Forums, which will comprehensive, citywide process for present research and best practices the people of New Orleans to come on key issues such as school together to develop a shared vision choice, finance/funding, testing, of excellence, equity, quality and and governance, to name a few; sustainability for public education.

(2.) Discussion Gatherings, which will provide various points of view The Orleans Public Education on subject matter; and (3.) a series Network is not seeking to advance of Community Conversations, a particular educational intervention which will provide opportunities model. Instead, the objective is to to share information on New build an informed and cohesive civic Orleans educational landscape and voice on high quality public education opportunities to speak on specific as defined by the community. issues of concern. OPEN believes that these activities will foster new Participants are being invited alliances and collaborations, while not to be a part of something, creating trust and a shared sense of but to create something-not to responsibility. In addition, they will join OPEN, but to be OPEN. bring together various schools of thought in order to inform decision making, promote awareness and create an impetus for change. To get more information on the upcoming events, please visit the The Orleans Public Education website at www.open@;orleanspublic Network (OPEN) is a collaboration educationnetwork.org or Call Sabrina of local and national partners. Mays-Montana at (504) 523-9801 or Initially, it began with two similar Gilma Pavon at (504) 523-9800.

July 2009

“St. Walgreens:”

Tutoring in Lower Nine By: John Koeferl

R

ev’d Lonell Wright, the vicar, was out welcoming a new parishioner when I pulled into the old Walgreen’s parking lot, now that of All Souls Church, at St. Claude and Caffin I followed as we made our way through large open spaces-in-progress, where he managed a late-lunch sandwich and introduced me to workers approaching him for direction. Soon we were face to face talking about children.

This 2009 summer 20 to 30 kids ranging from 3 to 16 years in age were in the church for tutoring in math, language and music from 9 to 5 every weekday. These were not just any kids, though any were welcome and many came. Pastor Wright said he targeted kids most in need, namely, those from large single parent households. Often the only income in these households is minimum wage or part-time work, and this creates stresses that affect education. ”Of all kids, these are getting the least amount of positive attention and instruction at home, and having the hardest time in school.”

All Souls’ fall program is shaping up. By mid-September tutoring will go from 6 to 8pm with the help of volunteer tutors to go over the 3 R’s. Many kids come right to the church after school by 4:30 for snacks, others get picked up at home.

There is a “strings” program in the summer that now has acquired more violins, violas, cellos, and increased help of qualified tutors. This will enable instruction every Saturday from 9 to 1 for 15 to 20 students. “Music not only offers diversion and a life skill but increased ability to learn math, Most importantly, it brings discipline.”..

“You should see their faces when they ‘get something’ that has eluded them” the vicar said. “We are showing them how to think positively about themselves. They are learning to add, multiply and spell. We are showing them how to study. We preface things with ‘when you go to college,’ and tell them they are learning habits that will get them there.. We are creating a self-fulfilling prophesy.”

The pastor said his north Louisiana grandmother taught him the skills that empowered him raise his own family successfully, and instilled him with the mission to pass this on to others. Then he said “I am old.” He paused to let me take this statement in, then continued.

17

“When I was seventeen I fathered a child. I was young, selfish, looking out for myself, yes. I did not take responsibility for raising this child. And where is this child of mine today? He is in prison for life.. This I have no doubt I could have changed if I had taken more responsibility for this child then, or later when I had another chance. But I didn’t. And I have regretted it.. I tell this to parishioners here, and to these young people, because this is real and I want to bring it home to them. . I want them to see me not just as “old” or “up there” but as dealing with life too .It’s about responsibility The tutoring for these programs has been supported largely by grants from Episcopal Community Services and the Gaudet Fund, but there are others.

Trinity Wall Street sent ten two-year-old computers that volunteers are hooking up now, and a first batch came from St. James in Baton Rouge along with a sizeable donation for strings.. The hope is that soon these children will be on their way with many skills.

All Souls does assessments before and after programs to judge progress.

“We are giving these children discipline they need and do not get elsewhere”, Pastor Wright says. “We are getting into the middle of the poverty cycle. Three out of four kids at risk in the community are in single parent households. The more kids for that one parent, the more risk. That’s where we go. We get them clothes and school supplies if they need that, because we want them to succeed.”

It is quiet and dark when we finish talking, even in the midst of folks coming in and out with reports, getting keys, directions, counseling, and assistance while we say goodbye.

This building and this parking lot I have been in many times before, for this was our community’s drug store before the storm. It has been a long day and a long four years. Repeating the name us locals have given it, “St. Walgreen’s,” was the best grip I had on it before tonight.. Now after an hour at All Souls I find myself glad for those kids, their families, and all of us. My own drive home may be a little lighter even at this hour.

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Candidates Weigh in:

The Trumpet asked Austin Badon and James Perry for their take on “investing in our youth” Here is what they said... *The Trumept made every attempt to contact ALL candidates who will reportedly be running for mayor in 2010. No other replies were recieved.

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s a State Legislator, one of the hardest parts of my job is annually raising the budget of the Department of Corrections. Unfortunately, our society has individuals who break the law, sometimes continuously and violently.

I serve as the Chairman of the House Education committee and I hear the pending legislation every session designed to curtail the violence in our schools and on our streets. In the city of New Orleans, statistics show that the majority of crime is committed by black males in their teens through their thirties. I firmly believe that education begins at home, not at 8AM through 3PM, Monday through Friday from late August through the end of May. We cannot expect teachers, principals or superintendents to raise our children. They are educators and administrators!

As the next Mayor of New Orleans, I will use the “Bully Pulpit” to support our schools. I will increase funding for the New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) and will solicit the legislature to fund a character education program in Orleans parish. I will establish parenting classes and work tirelessly to provide economic opportunities for our youth and young adults. I have spoken to many young men about involvement in crime and have received many letters from Austin Badon, State Representative young men in jail. As a victim of a crime, I reached out to the young man who burglarized my home. Speaking with these young men I hear one common theme: they would rather be doing something more positive. They see their friends District 100 shot and killed or incarcerated. They know that crime doesn’t pay but they feel that they have no other alternative.

As the Mayor, the youth of our city will have a friend who understands their problems and who will work to offer alternatives to a life of crime. However, I will be a Mayor who is consistently tough on crime because I believe that people have the choice of free will and one must suffer the consequences of poor choices. We live in the greatest economic, military and social country in the world. Opportunities are available if you work toward a goal. But no one is above the law. Whenever I speak to our youth, I stress that you must be a leader and not a follower. As Mayor, I will have compassion for those who are addicted to narcotics. I will support the funding of more beds to help people with addiction and dependency issues. We cannot arrest ourselves out of a problem. It starts with the parents. Education begins at home. In my opinion, I feel that there is a lack of respect for oneself. If you don’t respect yourself, it’s very unlikely that you will respect others. Our society needs parents to step up and take charge of their children. I have always said that “If you can lie down and make a child, you need to stand up and raise that child.”

I remember just a few years ago how upset I was when a young man in my family came around wearing a jacket with the likeness of the legendary gangster Al Capone. I was even more angered at his parents for allowing him to wear such a demeaning garment. I explained to him that the same person he was glorifying would have spat on him and called him the “N” word. Capone was a murderous criminal who only used people for his own personal gain. Violence and the gangster culture are glorified in lyrics and on screen, but there is a difference between fiction and reality. When an actor is shot and killed, he gets up and makes another movie. In reality when someone is shot and killed, it’s over. Many of our young people are easily led astray; they can’t comprehend the difference between fiction and reality. As the next Mayor, I intend to reach out to the youth of our city to show them that someone cares about them and that taking a life is not part of life. n 1993, in response to national findings that crime decreases when cities implement serious summer programs Isixteen for youth, New Orleans opened many new pools and recreation centers. Youth responded. Teenagers older than were eligible to receive a job at a pool. Younger kids were eligible to be campers. Like many of my peers,

I responded immediately to the opportunity to make a little money and have something productive to do every day, and I became a lifeguard at St. Roch Pool.aOn my first day I met a guy named Eric. He was the one who taught me how to rescue drowning swimmers. We worked together all summer. Eric lived in the neighborhood and we became friends. But when the summer program ended, we both went our separate ways. The City had allocated funds for summer programs, but not the money to pay for after-school programs. So we had to make our own way once the school year began.

After school began, I would page Eric with no success. Eventually, I asked a mutual friend about him. He told me Eric had been shot and killed just down the street from the St. Roch pool. Most likely, he was killed by someone he knew, by another young man who had few opportunities and made poor decisions. Eric’s death is not just another story or another number- it is personal. We have lost too many young men and women to the streets because there James Perry, Executive Director of GNOFHACD were no alternative programs and facilities to keep them occupied.

In 1994, as the murder rate steadily declined, the budget for the New Orleans Recreational Department (NORD) was ten million dollars. In 2007, the budget was 3 million, and in 2008, it was 5 million. This summer, NORD reported that it would not open many of the pools they originally planned to open. One of these pools was the St. Roch pool.

Today our youth do not have the opportunities that I once had. There are neither the facilities nor the programs to supplement their educational experience.

For students who feel alienated from their schools, after-school programs are invaluable. Many of the teenagers who wind up in our criminal justice system are illiterate or have severe learning disabilities. With all the progress made in the school systems, we still do not have enough resources for special education. Many kids are falling through the cracks.There are some programs in New Orleans that are working to address these problems, and we need to give them additional resources. The Youth Empowerment Program works with many juvenile offenders to teach GED and literacy courses. The United Way and the Greater New Orleans After-School Partnership are working hard to find more resources and funds to keep after-school programs alive and well-funded, but they need more support from the city and state. The Alliance for Affordable Energy and the Sierra Club have begun programs preparing youth for the Green Job Sector, but they do not have the sufficient funds to reach a larger population. When we invest in programs that provide the job skills for our 21st Century economy, fewer youth wind up in our criminal justice system.

Since Katrina, those involved in youth programs have been meeting regularly to discuss their initiatives and not duplicate services. Without a strong investment from the city, these programs will only be able to reach a portion of our youth. Other cities have Departments of Youth and Recreation Services that are capable of bringing stakeholders together, allocating substantial resources, and ultimately, providing youth with the complementary programs to their basic education that prepare them for life.

We have failed to invest in our youth. Researchers have found that, for every dollar invested, successful juvenile programs can save taxpayers $7-$10 dollars (Times-Picayune- May 18, 2009). We pay close to $100,000 dollars to jail a teenager, while barely $10,000 to educate them. Our priorities must change.

July 2009

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How’s it Going Down There in New Orleans?

Furthermore, new rental and homeownership opportunities appear to be sparking moves from one neighborhood to another. Since last summer, twelve neighborhoods have lost more than 50 active residential addresses.

Meanwhile, five neighborhoods with new housing developments— McDonogh, Algiers Point, Central Business District, Gert Town, and St. Thomas (or “River Gardens”)—have more active addresses than they did in June 2005.

Luckily, the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center has the answers you need in our special fourth anniversary edition of The New Orleans Index.

A relatively strong job market, a rebounding population, and new housing opportunities: That’s the good news. On the flip side, our city also faces some significant challenges from massive blight, unaffordable housing, and flood-vulnerable neighborhoods.

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bet you’ve been asked that question a hundred times by friends and family living outside the area. It’s not always easy to answer, especially if you’re involved in day to day recovery efforts in your own neighborhood.

We’ve summarized the key information on population, economy, housing and infrastructure in short paragraphs, and compelling graphs and maps. By popular demand, we also produced a 10-minute YouTube briefing on the status of our recovery that you can share at your neighborhood meetings, or with colleagues, board members, family and friends. And if you are a hard core data person, we’re now publishing a downloadable spreadsheet with the 56 data tables and thousands of data points that we use for our analysis.

And just how is New Orleans doing these days?

So far, the New Orleans area economy is weathering the national recession relatively well due largely to post-disaster recovery spending and avoiding the worst of the foreclosure crisis. Between July 2008 and July 2009, the metro area lost less than one percent of total jobs, compared to a four percent loss for the nation. During the same period, FEMA paid over $800 million for infrastructure repair projects in the five-parish area, and nearly $2.5 billion more is slated to be spent.

And although the local unemployment rate has increased in recent months on account of a growing local workforce, it remains far lower than the national rate.

The area’s growing workforce is reflected in recent population numbers. Population growth accelerated in the city of New Orleans in the last year, reaching 77 percent of pre-Katrina households receiving mail in August 2009, and 90 percent for the metro area.

Retaining these new residents may be more difficult, as data suggests that most are singles and childless couples who tend to be mobile.

Neighborhood-level population indicators reveal a more interesting story, and an uneven recovery. As of June 2009, nine neighborhoods have less than half of the active residential addresses they did before Katrina. But three of these—BW Cooper, Florida, and St. Bernard—are home to public housing sites that have been demolished and are in the process of being redeveloped.

New Orleans has 65,888 unoccupied residential addresses—nearly as many as the economically ravaged and much larger city of Detroit. Yet there is a bit of good news here too because the number of unoccupied residential addresses is declining in New Orleans as homeowners rebuild and lots are cleared.

Fair market rents are 40 percent higher than preKatrina for all sizes of apartments. Typical rent for an efficiency apartment is $733 per month, unaffordable for food preparation, health care support, and retail sales workers who are vital to our economy. Again there is a bit of good news here. Data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests that rent prices are stabilizing as new and old housing units come back online.

Finally, a timeline recently released by the Army Corps of Engineers indicates that they are behind schedule in completing the Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction System by 2011. While the levee system will be improved when finished, additional protective measures and land use provisions will be necessary to protect the city from Katrina-strength storms.

Local leadership is needed to prioritize flood mitigation with improved storm water management infrastructures like the Dutch have, and to build strong federal and state partnerships around flood protection, affordable housing, and school reform.

Visit www.gnocdc.org to access the fourth anniversary issue of The New Orleans Index, download the data tables, watch the 10-minute video, and much more.

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

LET’S GET COOKIN’ Taste of New Orleans Neighborhoods Cookoff, Saturday November 7

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on’t miss this opportunity to have your neighborhood be a part of the first annual “Taste of New Orleans Neighborhoods” cookoff during the Crescent City Celebration, which will also include the Trumpet Awards. The cookoff will take place on Saturday November 7, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The categories for neighborhood association recipes are: best entree, best dessert and best overall. The cookoff will be judged by a variety of local celebrities. Prizes will be awarded to an association representative at the end of the day. We know that some of the best chefs in New Orleans don’t exist in our fine restaurants, but are tucked away in every corner of the city. So let your inner chef come out and shine.

Registration to participate in the cookoff for member neighborhoods of NPN will begin on Wednesday, October 14 at our next Membership meeting, which will also be election of board members. All that is required is that someone from your neighborhood come to meeting, cast your vote for the election and pick up a registration form. Registration forms will also be available after the meeting, for a limited time; but we strongly encourage you to come in and cast your vote. So now is the time to start thinking about that special dish that will make your neighborhood the winner, and give you bragging rights for a year.

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July 2009

Calling all New Orleans Neighborhood Associations:

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t’s time again for Board elections, and these will be important. Believe it or not, NPN was founded 3 years ago, and many of the founding board members are cycling off. We feel that continuity and continuing commitment to New Orleans neighborhoods is as important now as in the months after Hurricane Katrina, and we have been soliciting nominations to build a board as committed and dynamic as the previous.

In building a new board, the current board’s primary concerns are continuity and building a board that can facilitate neighborhood leadership. The criteria for board nominations are geographic diversity; commitment to neighborhood engagement and citywide unity; and professional experience. As for duties, the board meets quarterly for a term of 3 years, and the expectation is that members will serve on one of the committees or task forces.

According to its bylaws, the NPN Board is composed of those who are members of their neighborhood association, which must also be a member of NPN. If your association would like to join now and nominate someone for the board, it is not too late.

Elections will be held at the next Membership Meeting, Wednesday, October 14, at the offices of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, 2322 Canal Street, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

These are the neighborhood leaders who have accepted nomination so far: Paul Barricos Central Carrollton Association, Planning District 3 Paul Baricos is a resident of New Orleans and Executive Director of the Carrollton-Hollygrove Community Development Corporation. Prior to Hurricane Katrina, Paul served as the Technical and Financial Support Manager of New Orleans Neighborhood Development Collaborative and was responsible for managing NONDC’s multi-tiered grants and technical assistance programs for neighborhood-based community development corporations. He is a founding member and currently serves on the board of the Central Carrollton (Resident’s) Association.

Leslie Ellison Tunisburg Square Civic Homeowners Improvement Association, Planning District 12 Leslie A. Ellison is currently the Administrator of Gideon Christian Fellowship International, a multicultural inner-city church in New Orleans. Leslie is also a member of Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Algiers Economic Development Foundation Board of Advisory and the Black Alliance for Educational Options. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Southern University at New Orleans Vaughn Fauria Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association, Planning District 4 Vaughm Fauria is CEO of NewCorps, which works with minority businesses and community nonprofits. She has been a dynamic driver of small business and minority business opportunities Davida Finger Carrollton Riverbend Association, Planning District 3 Davida Finger is an attorney at Loyola Law Clinic in New Orleans where she teaches the Community Justice clinic and Law and Poverty course and was a fellow with NPN’s inaugural Capacity College program.

Felicia Kahn Baronne St. Neighbor Association, Planning District 3 Felicia serves on the Orleans Parish Democratic Executive Committee. Last year, she was an elected delegate to the National Democratic Convention and served on the CBD Historic District Landmarks Commission, and on the Voters Service committee of the League of Women Voters.

Robert Desmarais Sullivan Central Carrollton Association, Planning District 3 Robert is the board-secretary of the Central Carrollton Association among other things, and will serve as CCA representative to NPN meetings.

Sylvia Scineaux-Richard New Orleans East, ENONAC, Planning District 9 Sylvia has been President of ENONAC from 2008 to the present. Sylvia was also Assistant Professor, Medical Technology at Southern University at New Orleans, and retired in May 2009 after 30 years. She has been a Real Estate Associate Broker for over 30 years, and is a member of Neighborhood Partnership Network (NPN).

Vera Warren Williams Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association Planning District 4 Owner of the Community Bookstore

Email nominations to-: membership@npnnola.com OR snailmail to: 4902 Canal St., Rm. 301 New Orleans, La 70119

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET

Excercise YOUR Right to Vote for the 2009 TRUMPET AWARDS! Nominations will run from September 15 - 30

Voting will run from October 1-15; ballots will be sent out via e-mail

Vote Here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx? sm=S9XTwglr73r_2bYhOz18VWEA_3 d_3d

Nominations are open to the entire community.

You do not need to be a member of NPN or of your neighborhood association . Voting will be members only.

Categories: 1) Good Neighbor of Neighborhoods

(The neighborhood group that best supports others by sharing their knowledge, serving as a valuable resource for other neighborhood organizers.)

2) Neighborhood Phoenix

(The neighborhood that has had the greatest transformation in the past year, rising from the ashes to renew itself.)

3) Best City/ Neighborhood Partnership

(This category celebrates an excellent partnering between the city and a neighborhood that allows the neighborhood and the city to grow and prosper together)

4) Model Citizen

(An individual that works so hard and so tirelessly that he or she becomes an example of what is possible for our community.)

5) Best Education Advocate

(An individual or group who exemplify what it means to advocate for children in our public schools.)

6) Best Recovery Source

(The Organization that has the information, tools and/or volunteers you need when you need them, and are key to recovering.)

7) Best Community Beautification Program

(This award recognizes the best program wherein a group comes Don’t have internet access? together to bring more beauty to a community) Use ours!

8) Best Business/Neighborhood Partnership NPN is located at 4902 Canal St. (Partnership between a local business and neighborhood association.)

Room 301 9) Most Outstanding Youth Group We are open M-F; 9-5 (A student group who works to reform the public school system and advocate for themselves.)

10) Best Faith-Based Community Initiative (A Church that offers opportunites for connection and leads its neighborhood in the recovery process.

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July 2009

Neighborhood Meetings NPN Membership Meeting October 14th, 2009 The Urban League 6p.m. - 8p.m.

Zion Missionary Baptist Church 5130 Chartres, Lizardi and Chartres www.helpholycross.org

Bunny Friends Neighborhood Association Every second Saturday of the month Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N Claiborne Ave

Lake Bullard Homeowners Association Every Saturday @ 3p.m.

Cornerstone United Methodist Church 5276 Bullard Ave. www.lakebullard.org

Bywater Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Ave.

Lake Catherine Civic Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 7p.m.

Central City Partnership Every last Friday of the month @ 1p.m.

Allie Mae Williams Center 2020 Jackson Ave. www.centralcitypartnership.org Central City Alliance (CCRA) Saturday, September 19 @ 2p.m.

1809 O. C. Haley Blvd. www.myccra.org DeSaix Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Saturday of the month @10a.m.

St. Leo Church 2916 Paris Ave. Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month @ 6:00p.m.

True Vine Baptist Church 2008 Marigny St 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 Every 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 7pm Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters St. www.gentillyterrace.org Holy Cross Neighborhood Association Every Thursday @ 5:30 Center for Sustainability, Greater Little

Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) Every 2nd Saturday @ 12 noon NENA - 1120 Lamanche St. www.9thwardnena.org Melia Subdivision Every 3rd Saturday of the month Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Board Meeting - Every 4th Tuesday of the month General Meeting - Every 1st Monday of the month www.mcno.org Pontilly Association Pontilly Disaster Collaborative - Every 3rd Wednesday of the month General Meeting - every 2nd Saturday of the month www.pontilly.com

Rosedale Subdivision 2nd Friday of Every Month Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Inc. Every 2nd Monday of the month @ 6:30 p.m. http://tunisburg.org Oak Park Civic Association Every 3rd or last Tuesday of the month East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Committee (ENONAC) Every 2rd Tuesday of each month @ 6 p.m.

St. Maria Goretti www.enonac.org West Barrington Association first Tuesday of the month @ 6p.m Holiday Inn Express, located at 7049 Bullard Avenue

NPN Membership

Meeting, Wednesday, October 14, at the offices of the Urban League of Greater New Orleans, 2322 Canal Street, 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Don’t see your neighborhood association on the list?

E-mail thetrumpet@npnnola.com. Please include location, date and time.

Ask City Hall District A

Shelley Midura City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016 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 E-mail: jbclarkson@cityofno.com

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NPN’s THE TRUMPET