Kids
February 15, 2007
New Orleans
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The mission of the Neighborhoods Planning Network is to provide an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in the New Orleans planning process.
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NPN’S THE TRUMPET
NPN Staff
Table of Contents
Nathan Shroyer Mario Perkins
“The Last Quiet Mardi Gras in Mid-City” Emily Zeanah -3-
Writer Executive Director
Gill Benedek Emily Zeanah Development AmeriCorps Volunteer
Poetry “For Someone Renewing Something Somewhere” Shana Dukes -4Neighborhood Voices “An Opportunity No Other City Has” Nathan Shroyer -5-
Advertising, Writer AmeriCorps Volunteer
Editor, Writer AmeriCorps Volunteer
Travis Leger Adrienne Crumpton Editor-in-Chief AmeriCorps Volunteer
Editor UNO intern
Correction Section
“AALP Proposes Formation of Citizens Recovery Coalition”
Nathan Shroyer -5-
From “Today’s MLK Day” (Jan. 15th issue): •
Lolita Burell contacted us to inform us that Kids For Community has always been named as such, and was never called Kids for Clean—that was the name of the event they participated in right before Katrina. The mission of Kids For Community is “to instill a sense of community, ownership, and responsibility in children and providing them with the leadership skills to support their achievements in these areas.”
•
We also neglected to mention one of the major organizers of the MLK day activities, both at John McDonough High School and at the Homecoming Center was City Year, a new organization in New Orleans who works with volunteers from all over the country.
“Your 3 Minutes” Mario Perkins -6“Gun Control In New Orleans” Leigh Taublib-Kiriat -6Recipes -7Under the Spotlight “Trinity Christian Community: A Heart for Hollygrove and New Orleans” Kevin Brown -8“A Leader Born In Hollygrove” Kathleen Nacozy and Ana Menezes -9-
Community Events -9Photo Album Hollygrove Neighborhood -10The People In Your Neighborhood “Tolerating the Storm” Nathan Rothstein -11“PNOLA” Erin Walker -11“Kids Re-thinking New Orleans” An Interview with Jane Wholley by Ashley Nelson -12-
THE KATRINA INDEX: Now locally produced The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center is now partnering with the Brookings Institution to monitor the recovery of New Orleans. Since December 2005, Brookings has tracked 40 indicators of New Orleans recovery and distributed this Katrina Index to national media, federal officials, nonprofit organizations and private sector groups. Starting in January 2007, the Data Center will infuse local knowledge into the Index as well as new data sets to help local decision-makers and nonprofit organizations better assess the progress and nature of the recovery. From open bus routes, to number of passengers through our airport, to unemployment rates, to average wages, The Katrina Index is an independent, fact-based, one-stop resource. With the Data Center's local expertise, The Katrina Index will now include new data sets such as Road Home closings and school enrollment data. And some of the information will be mapped to visually demonstrate the extent to which different parts of the city are benefiting from various aspects of recovery. The Katrina Index will be published monthly, and each month THE TRUMPET will include a feature from The Katrina Index. Watch this space for selected Katrina Index graphs and maps that demonstrate the pace of the recovery. And go to www.gnocdc.org to read the full Katrina Index each month.
NPN’S THE TRUMPET
The
Last
Quiet
Mardi Gras in
Orleans Ave. as it will appear this Mardi Gras Photo by Travis Leger
Mid City by Emily Zeanah AmeriCorps Volunteer, Neighborhoods Planning Network
Like so many neighborhoods in New Orleans, Mid-City has been working hard to recover in the wake of Katrina. In early 2006, Mid-City’s Economic Development Committee, a subcommittee of Mid-City Neighborhood Organization (MCNO), established Endymion’s return to Mid-City in 2007 as an economic priority. Though the “superkrewe” traditionally carouses through Mid-City to the CBD, last year—while MidCity was still drying out—Endymion paraded along the St. Charles route. This year, much of the population has returned. Bars, restaurants, grocery stores, churches, offices, are open for business. Mid-City is alive and ready to open their doors and offer their sidewalks, neutral grounds, food and drinks to a population much in need of celebration. Unfortunately, Mardi Gras 2007 will not be the opportunity Mid-City residents hoped it would. But as a result of the hard work of Jennifer Weishaupt and other active members of MCNO, the city council voted unanimously on January 19th in support of a resolution that “strongly endorses” Endymion’s return to Mid-City “beginning in 2008 and going forward into perpetuity.” In early Fall, 2007, the New Orleans Police Department claimed that a shortage of officers would make it too difficult to have Iris and Tucks parade uptown and Endymion in Mid-City on Samedi Gras. As a result, NOPD proposed that Iris and Tucks parade in Mid-City. Krewe captains Joy Oswald (Iris) and John Frischertz (Tucks) were not very pleased with this proposal: in a Times-Picayune article from October, Oswald is quoted as saying, “We’ll do anything not to go out there. All my members are calling me, very upset. They bring all their children up, and they don't want them in that area. Their families will not go into that area. The area is dilapidated. It hasn't come back at all." Eventually, the idea of Iris and Tucks moving to Mid-City fell off the radar. New concerns were raised by the mayor and
Endymion as it once was Photo courtesy of CNN Police Chief Riley, not about a shortage of manpower, but about the safety and security of Mid-City itself. In November, Police Chief Riley is quoted as saying, “The MidCity area, with all its blight and with the abandoned houses, makes it a lot harder to control what’s going on.” Weishaupt, vice-president of the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization and coordinator of the Economic Development Committee, led the struggle to return Endymion to Mid-City in 2007, as mandated by MCNO’s recovery plans. The Economic Development Committee knew that Endymion played a major role in the neighborhood’s economy, but the research illuminated the importance of the parade to Mid-City businesses and citizen organizations. Weishaupt’s group conducted phone surveys with 10% of the open businesses about Endymion’s economic impact. They learned that the difference between Endymion parading in Mid-City versus uptown is the difference between the best day of business of the year and the worst day. Some businesses estimate that Endymion Saturdays generate a 500% increase over an average Saturday in Mid-City. On the other hand, when Endymion goes uptown, many businesses shut down. But it is not just businesses that are affected. Much of the non-profit sector, which includes Volunteers of America, Ronald MacDonald House, and more, use the parade as a fundraiser. One church, Grace Episcopal, estimates that they raise approximately 7,000 dollars on Endymion Saturday.
Jennifer pointed out that even with all of the data collected, it was nearly impossible to determine the full economic impact of Endymion. For instance, property value goes up when a house is located on or near the parade route. She also told the story of a friend who owns a commercial plumbing business. While the company does not raise money during the parade itself, her friend throws a big party for the employees and get the word out about their business. It’s difficult to put a price tag on the economic and cultural impact of a celebration that brings so much of New Orleans to Mid-City. To address the city’s safety concerns, Weishaupt’s group drove the parade route and found that approximately twelve buildings needed work to make the parade safe. They created a petition and gathered roughly 600 signatures for their campaign from area businesses. They wrote letters and emails, made phone calls, spoke before the city council, and set up meetings with Police Chief Riley and council members to let the council know how important Endymion is to the Mid-City community. MCNO garnered support from nearby neighborhoods, such as Park View and Faubourg St. John. Through MCNO’s online discussion group, active members were able brainstorm and give updates about the status of Endymion on a daily basis to keep the dialogue alive. For Weishaupt, the struggle was about more than a shortage of police officers. Uptown parade officials’ sputtering statements about Mid-City’s recovery were backed up by front page newspaper articles and reinforced by city officials. In the end, Mid-city was fighting for more than bringing
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Endymion back. They were fighting for Midcity to be acknowledged as a historically significant, economically viable, reborn community deserving of Endymion’s bright lights and festive floats. “At this moment do I believe that Mid-City could host Endymion in 2007?” said Weishaupt, “Absolutely. Do I believe that the NOPD could have worked to make this happen in 2007? Absolutely. I believe Chief Riley orchestrated this outcome, beginning in October when he told Iris and Tucks that they had to ride in Mid-City, knowing that they would put up a fight. He continued this political play by refusing to speak to or work with the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization, by failing to attend meetings called by Councilmembers, by failing to appear in front of City Council, by putting pressure on Endymion to agree to the Uptown route, and by making emotionally-charged statements in the press.” Many New Orleans communities have struggled to obtain a captive audience in City Hall. Whether trying to get regular trash pickup or more police patrols, citizens feel overwhelmed, their voices lost in a wash of citizen outcries. Such a climate can be discouraging, so it is important to highlight the instances in which a community’s concerns do get heard and acknowledged, even if they are less than happy with the results. While Endymion did express a preference to parade in mid-city, the impetus to bring the parade back came from the neighborhood itself. For the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization, getting the major Mardi Gras parade back on its Mid-City route for Mardi Gras 2007 proved an uphill battle. In the end, Endymion will still parade uptown, but thanks to people like Weishaupt and countless others who work hard to ensure their neighbors get heard, Endymion’s future in Mid-City is secure, and they have word from Riley that NOPD will provide them with the tools to make it happen in 2008.
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NPN’S THE TRUMPET
Poetry For Someone Renewing Something Somewhere by Shana Dukes Broadmoor Poet/Writer
“I am responding to the request for submissions for the February issue of "The Trumpet". For this issue I am choosing to submit a poem which focuses on the survivor's personal journey to wholeness after loss. (Possibly and most likely a hurricane related loss story). “I chose to submit a poem rather than an article or short story this time for a number of reasons, but mainly because I think that the arts and literature are vital to our community's well being during this time of rebirth. I also don't think that our city has enough magazines featuring poetry or meditative prose work. I would like to see the Trumpet go in a direction which focuses on rebuilding the life of the mind as well as the infrastructure of the city. One can't happen without the other. “I think that the piece I have chosen to submit conveys both a message of sadness in loss and a hope and drive for renewal. I hope you will agree. Thanks for the opportunity, and I look forward to hearing from you.” -Shana L. Dukes Bio: I have been writing for well being for over 10 years. I had a poem called "Spoon" published in a National Poetry House collection called "Hearts of Glass" in 1998. I have yet to submit work for publication since, though i continue to write obsessively. I am a member of Connecticut’s Long Ridge Writer's Group, and have studied English Literature and Education at Millsaps College, Jackson, MS. I have lived in New Orleans since 2002, and think of the city as my true home.
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It is a dreary, hazy day. the kind of day that would, (and should), provoke a mass Exodus of bodies desperate for reassurance. (Or vitamin D.) I will worship the next warm, sunny day at a mild seventy-three to seventy-five degree pace with a slow, easy wind snaking its way from the Gulf, to the River, to the Trees. Well, I will worship the Day Giver with the Day as my Church. Tree filtered sunlight is stained glass. Often as I worship I am troubled by the smallest, lightest tap on my shoulder, coming from beneath the bone. the Yearning, the Greed, the impossible to name Whole of Fragments that break away and Lodge themselves into parts of my BEING that can no longer make use of pieces of Rebels or Flags. New tissue must form. And, it had better be tougher. Taps resonate beneath the Bones.
I could go on, about the people I miss. I could start the retreat to come back to this. My heart is a question mark with a disconnected dot. We don't know one another. We haven't met. We travel separately on the same bus. Sit next to strangers and discuss the Weather. The Song plays beneath the background and never intrudes on the conversation. Once I brought the song up, and scared the tone def children away. The parents became angry, as if I had robbed them of some Eden paradise that they'd never had, but could just see as their eyes mounted the hilltop. What could I mend? The bus was leaving the station, A shepherd leading its sheep from overgrazed pastures. I wanted to kiss the children Goodbye, but they bore their teeth.
Drifters enjoy this rhythm in passing, as I enjoy the sound of tires Treading Water beneath my bedroom window.
I promised my dreams I'd be more careful with the Song. I boarded, leaving travelers who could never move on with me.
If i never needed cigarettes then I'd never leave this place. The Place has Greater Vision. He'd pick up speed and the pieces and do it for me. He only patronizes aesthetics. He is not the Song Born on the Wind and Water itself. That's just his voice....
Yes, I mourned the long, painful deaths. In Another Place I buried my hopes for them. I sought fertile ground. Sought the dirt of my Next Life.
Now he's asking me to give this rhythm, this Song away. though I have given it refuge. Here, I thought I was making some sort of Home. Tears have no hands with which to hang on. Still, the leave the water marks, don't they?
Still, there are pieces of the Old. I try throing them away, but I only find them price marked at someone's garage sale or flea market. In between, I wait for the ground to turn Green again. Again. As the garbage man collects fifty cents, selling some old version of dead things, only the Drifters can hear the Song.
NPN’S THE TRUMPET
Neighborhood An
Opportunity No Other
City Has by Nathan Shroyer The last time I went to a US Senate hearing at the Supreme Court building on Royal Street, there were exactly three other citizen activists in the room. We waited some hours for two delayed senators to arrive, and, while waiting, a fairly open dialogue emerged. People were allowed to speak and be heard. Of course, this was mostly because just one Senator had made it. Later, a Republican Senator, Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, dared to speak what all of us thought was possible,
"New Orleans has an opportunity out of this tragedy that no city in America has." Still we wait for the opportunity Senator Alexander spoke of to emerge... At the recent Homeland Security Senate Subcommittee hearing (January 29,2007) on Disaster Response, I did not arrive with anything else than the hope for opportunity that Sen. Alexander had spoken of in the earlier hearing. Seeing Susan Roesgen, a former
New Orleans anchorwoman now Gulf Coast Bureau Chief of CNN, (there were also at least eight other news reporters milling about) I was pleased to know our story was being covered nationally. I remembered what she had told me the last time we talked, “CNN is only interested in stories that outrage the American people.” There were a number of small protests outside the hearing trying to engage interested citizens and leadership about what they thought was dysfunctional. They ex-
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Voices
pressed outrage! I kept questioning my surroundings, are we not creating outrage? All of New Orleans IS outraged! This day was not that hot summer morning when very few of our citizens had thought to show up. By the time I rode up on my bike at 8:30 there was a line all the way up the stairs and bending down the sidewalk. Later, I quickly surmised that this was a hearing in which, while a good number of citizens had shown up to wait it out in the cold, our elected leaders would not show the same passion for turning the tragedy of Katrina into a public lesson for all of our country. I caught sight of this as, occasionally, the line would spring leaks and powerful and well-connected professionals were separated out and ushered inside the courts. Somewhere along the line, citizen participation had emerged in New Orleans as a voice that demanded accountability; and, now it was being frozen out. For this article, I had hoped to report on how these senators were here to ensure that opportunities we have all hoped for would be their mission. To report on the meeting though, I have to rely only on what was reported on the evening news. I think Mary Landrieu got it best describing a supposed pipeline of resources aimed at the Gulf Coast when she said, “The pipeline from
Washington DC was built with more holes in it than Carter has liver pills.” I don't know if Carter is a famous Landrieu family member, or, if she was maybe referring to the former president, but, I got what she meant. Senator Obama got it right, without knowing it his comments kept echoing what I had heard protesters chanting this cold morning, "Fire the LRA! Fire the ICF!". Obama asked when, if everyone admits that the ICF/Road Home program is not getting resources to New Orleans, will the managers be fired? What, he asked, are the penalties in place if the managers are failing us. Walter Leger, LRA Board Member, said he could think of none.
But the news from our political leaders was again a backdrop to the real news story I discovered in freezing temperatures this cold January day: That the citizens are engaged. Pitting themselves against the cold, against a system that doesn’t follow its own rules, but allows those in positions of privilege and access to poke holes in our resource pipeline, still they stand, outraged, awaiting the opportunity to speak truth to power. Or, must we tune and play our horns of outrage, to harness and perfect our chops of outrage, until we hit that high note of fine tuned and directed outrage, until the world has heard our bluesy song?
AALP Proposes Formation of Citizens Recovery Coalition by Nathan Shroyer On Saturday, February 03, 2007, in the chilled confines of Saint Maria Goretti Church in New Orleans East, a group of people gathered in response to the call of the African American Leadership Project’s (AALP) proposal to form a Citizens Recovery Coalition. As our city takes the next steps in restoring the lives of its citizens— rebuilding of businesses, retaining of indigenous culture, ensuring basic standards of infrastructure, promoting healthy environments, and maintaining safety—the coalition will work to ensure that the voice of impacted communities be a primary representative in the newly forming Department of Recovery and the City Council Recovery Committee. Meetings such as the one in New Orleans East are percolating at all levels of our city. Many neighborhoods are sensing the
need to unite immediately; to ensure that the people on the ground, the neighborhood voices, are not muted in this phase of recovery work. Among others, the AALP recognizes this moment as an opportunity for the citizens to turn common ground into collective coalitions. The seven points of the proposed mission and purposes of the citizen’s recovery coalition are listed below: To serve as the public voice of the most impacted populations and the most devastated neighborhoods in recovery planning and implementation To serve as a primary Citizen representative that interacts with and advocates for the department of recovery, and the Recovery Committee promoting and advancing the Recovery and Rebuilding agenda.
To develop appropriate policies and programs that benefit devastated neighborhoods and impacted constituencies and advocating for same before public entities
Recovery Department and Recovery Committee to insure transparency, and to maintain the Citizen’s responsibility to offer alternative views and constructive criticism.
To foster cooperation, collaboration, and mutual support between citizen stakeholders such as neighborhood organizations, public housing residents, rental dwellers, displaced residents and other recovery advocates and organizations during the plan implementation process.
To assist the broader Citizen public with better understanding of recovery issues by engaging in public forums and discussions, and to cooperate with other citizen organizations to advance the recovery of the city.
To engage in organizing and advocacy efforts that support and promote the Recovery Agenda, inclusive of policy analysis, direct action, mobilization and litigation. To periodically review the results and deliverables of the
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NPN’S THE TRUMPET
NEIGHBORHOOD VOICES
Your 3 Minutes... by Mario Perkins
Citizens normally get three minutes at City Council to make public statements about policy. At the Community Support Organization at City Hall on Thursday Jan. 25 citizens came forth with concerns about UNOP implementation from Community Congress III. I attended both the Community Congress and the CSO and the main difference between the two was that Community Congress III was more of an anonymous submission of public opinion whereas the CSO was not at all anonymous. Hot topics at the CSO were temporary facilities like schools and clinics, restoration of public services in under populated areas of the city, whether clustering would work in every neighborhood and improving public education. There was plenty of informative commentary. I could give you individual quotes but in general all concerns pointed to this…
We cannot afford to anonymously submit our opinions about UNOP implementation at this point in the game.
We are at critical stage because UNOP is quickly moving from planning to implementation at the city level. The community must stay actively involved, informed and aware. We need continuing active participation from you the community to make sure that each district is properly served by the UNOP plan. Our participation will make the difference. We must stay involved, demand information and updates about the plan. We must go to our local public library and take a look at the UNOP plan or browse it online. We must stay actively involved with our neighborhood associations about the district-level implementation. If we wait for the plan to roll out at the city level without proper community input it will be too late. The community will merely comment passively on a process that has already taken place. Not everyone gets three minutes at City Hall and rarely do those three minutes get published in the newspaper. Three minutes in THE TRUMPET is an opportunity to share your suggestions and questions that affect decisions being made about NOLA from your neighborhood and beyond. Many NOLA citizens are concerned with how the plan will RENEW our neighborhoods rather than merely patch them up. Will we make a
difference? The UNOP implementation needs oversight and active community participation. Where will that come from? Who should drive the input and recommendations to City Hall and the City Planning Commission? The UNOP Recovery Office Monitoring Committee needs public participation. How do we coordinate it? How does the community work with Ed Blakeley’s office
during recovery? How does New Orleans incorporate city-wide Neighborhood Council models? How do we institute a legal Community participation model? Should there be a Community Participation Advocacy Program? These are our three minutes to make New Orleans a better place to live. Please stay active and involved.
Gun Control in New Orleans by Leigh Taublib-Kiriat
In Post-Katrina New Orleans, more than a year after the devastation that uprooted thousands of residents, Mayor Nagin and his administration are still trying to bring their city back to its former glory. One of the most pressing and concerning problems is the rising number of gun-related deaths. This is obvious to both residents of New Orleans, the primary victims in these crimes, as well as throughout the country, as the soaring crime rates in New Orleans have recently been reported on the front page of the New York Times and other media publications. However, unlike citizens of most major US cities, New Orleanians are unable to regulate gun control, as only the state government can pass such laws in Louisiana. In spite of this, all is not lost for the Big Easy. Average citizens can play a huge role in influencing change in their government, and can put pressure on local officials to make their city safer and violence-free. One crucial thing New Orleanians can do is to form a citizen’s organization which works to keep the pressure on about the problem of gun violence and perhaps becomes part of the States United to Prevent Gun Violence, an association of 27 statebased gun violence prevention groups. The aim of the association is to share legislative, funding and program ideas to keep their cities safe and New Orleans could benefit from lessons learned and experiences from metropolises across the country. In addition, community members can put pressure on local law enforcement submit all guns used in crime for tracing and work with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) to go after suppliers and gun traffickers who sell to criminals and young people. Even in cities with strong gun control laws, police have a tendency to not pursue the source of the weapons. This is a vital
issue that New Orleanians could start lobbying for, in order to keep gun control at the forefront for local politicians and law enforcement. This advocacy could be complemented by city or community marches against violence, which was recently successful in New Orleans and could be an effective way to reach politicians and the media. Mayor Nagin belongs to New York City’s Mayor Bloomberg's Coalition Against Illegal Guns and could benefit from their ideas to improve law enforcement programs in addressing illegal guns. New Orleans could also work with the Legal Community Against Violence (LCAV), a public interest law center dedicated to preventing gun violence. For the past 14 years, LCAV has offered free nationwide assistance to state and local organizations in the drafting of gun control legislation. One law that organizations are working on is a state law to require background check on the sale of every gun. Presently, such background checks are only required if the sale takes place at a licensed gun dealer. Since only about 60% of gun sales take place at licensed dealers, the sale of almost 40% of guns are made with no background checks on the buyers at all and hence it is all too easy for a criminal or underaged buyer to get a gun. Both citizens and politicians of New Orleans have the responsibility to keep their city safe. Murder and crime rates will only continue to rise if gun control laws are not modified, and the sale of guns remain unregulated. It is a long and difficult path ahead, but the necessary first step is to work and advocate with city officials, prosecutors, the ATF and law enforcement. They are critical in both keeping guns off the street today, as well as ensuring that the city remains safe for the next generation of New Orleanians.
NPN’S THE TRUMPET
Twelfth Night's Cake WARNING - This is not an easy recipe!! It may take many Mardi Gras' to perfect. INGREDIENTS: • 8 cups of all-purpose flour, sifted • 6 brown (farm) eggs • 1 cup dominos sugar • 1 pound butter or shortening • 2 cups Barbes whole milk, scalded then cooled to lukewarm • 1/2 ounce yeast (2 1/4-ounce packages, or about 4 1/2 tsp) • 2 teaspoons salt Purple, Yellow, and Green Candy Sprinkle, and Cherries to decorate PREPARATION: To make the cake take 6 cups sifted flour, and put it in a large mixing bowl. Make a hole in the center of the flour, and put in a half-ounce of yeast, dissolved in a little warm water. Add the 2 cups milk. , while adding the milk with the other. In another bowl, combine remaining 2 cups flour with the salt; set aside. In another mixing bowl, beat eggs with butter and sugar until light. Add to dough, kneading lightly with your hands, and adding more eggs if the dough is a little stiff. Let the dough rise until doubled in bulk, then add the reserved flour and salt. Knead the dough by turning it over on itself three times and set to rise again, covered with a cloth for about an hour. Take it up and work again lightly, and then form into a ring. This is a large amount of dough, so it may be divided and baked in two or more King's Cakes. Pat gently and flatten a little. Have ready a lard greased parchment paper or silpatlined baking pan, and set the ring in the middle. Cover the pan with a clean cloth, and set the cake to rise for an hour longer. When well risen, glaze the loaves lightly with a beaten egg. Place in 325° oven; let bake for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or less if making smaller loaves. Decorate with colored icings, cherries, and decorator candies, as desired.
Mardi Gras Morning Breakfast Punch 4 tbsp rosewater or orange flower water 1/2 (64-ounce) bottle red fruit punch or 1 (6 ounce can concentrate, thawed) 1 (6-ounce) can frozen limeade or lemonade concentrate, thawed 1 (6-ounce) can frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed 1 2/3 cups New Orleans light rum 1 2/3 cups New Orleans dark rum 1/3 cup Myers Rum Garnish with dried pineapple and mango topped with cherries, lime and lemon wedges. Stir together all ingredients. Serve in chilled Tom Collins glasses over crushed ice. Yield: 8-10 cups
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NPN’S THE TRUMPET
Under the Spotlight
Photo courtesy of Kevin Brown
Chantel Dunn, JP, Sandy and TCC Executive Director Kevin Brown
Trinity Christian Community: A Heart for Hollygrove and New Orleans Founded in 1967, Trinity Christian Community has a long and storied tradition of serving the poor, fighting injustice and striving for racial reconciliation. In recent years the focus has been upon developing leadership especially among at-risk youth. Working in Hollygrove schools and in our community center, youth were engaged during school, after school and throughout the summers. On August 27, 2005 we had just put the finishing touches on our program for the new school year. With materials purchased, volunteers in place, schools on board and neighborhood young people excited about the new year, we were ready! And then on August 29, we awoke to find our schools out of operation, our youth and families relocated and our program materials ruined. It was time for a new plan. Kevin Brown, the Executive Director, was homeless. Along with his entire staff he faced the uncertainty of a different New Orleans. Either their programs had to be retooled or the organization was defunct. In the early days it seemed hopeless. Ever the visionary, Kevin recognized that the new landscape would need social entrepreneurs who would be there for the long haul. In the week after the storm, boating through streets where he once
played, it became apparent that the mission of Trinity Christian Community was going to change, at least temporarily. Initially Kevin contacted his staff and convinced them to return. Most did. They contacted friends across the country and found places for evacuees to relocate, jobs to welcome them when they arrived and a mentor to help them acclimate. From Springfield, Ohio to Fresno, California people drove, flew and took chartered buses to move from shelters to homes. But that was only the beginning. Approaching the Louisiana Serve Commission and the Corporation for National and Community Service, Kevin and his staff of displaced New Orleanians began to cast vision for a new kind of AmeriCorp member, one who would engage in disaster relief and recovery. Eventually the State and Federal governments agreed to place 100 members in the city to help rebuild. Then came the challenge of recruiting and deploying a team of 100 eager workers in a city where there were few people and almost no place to live. Partners like the Neighborhood Planning Network, Phoenix of New Orleans, Catholic Charities, the Mardi Gras Service Corps, Light City Church and Common Ground became an
invaluable part of the process. Together these organizations found the workers and places for them to stay. We also quickly learned how to gut homes and treat them for mold. In the early days our work took place in the coffee houses and borrowed office space, anywhere with a phone and internet hookup. Then we erected a tent behind the devastated Trinity Christian Community Center. Once Kevin Brown’s family home was repaired, the offices moved there. It wouldn’t be until 15 months after the storm that operations moved back into the TCC offices. For over a year the dedicated staff lived wherever they could find a bed. Even today only half the staff of 11 are back in their own homes, the rest are living in trailers and rented apartments awaiting final word on insurance, FEMA and Road Home monies to determine when their homes can be rebuilt. Mary Gilliam, our Chief Operating Officer is back in her home after completely rebuilding. Rev. Earl Williams, our Chief Financial Officer lives in a rented apartment in another neighborhood but is ready to build a new home in Hollygrove on the lot where his old one was lost. Evelyn Turner purchased a Hollygrove flooded home after losing hers in the ninth ward and is using volunteer labor and donated materials to rehab it.
Garden
John Paul and Rosalind Bartley had just purchased their first family home in Hollygrove three months before Katrina (a former crack house that we completely rehabbed) and will be rebuilding here. Other staff decided to move into the neighborhood too, some in rented space, others in trailers behind our community center. This is a unique sort of dedication and service; these folks are giving their lives in the face of tremendous adversity, to rebuild others’ homes, lives and community. This dedicated team has helped 6 organizations develop sufficient capacity to become vital forces in the rebuilding of our city. And the work has been amazing! To date 621 homes have been gutted and treated for mold, almost 4,300 volunteers have come to the city and donated 97,552 hours, almost 3,500 individuals have been helped and 12 houses have been completely rebuilt. In addition we have hosted a series of neighborhood charettes, beginning even before the city planning process began. We have established the Carrollton Hollygrove Community Development Center. We have raised over $2,500,000.00 of funding to assist our efforts. And we have a beautifully renovated community center with space to house our volunteers. Yet there is much work yet to be accomplished. We envision Hollygrove becoming a beautiful neighborhood. Centrally located, just a short drive or bus ride from all major amenities, in the backyard of major universities, this is a neighborhood with
Rebuilding
Photos by Emily Zeanah
Computer room after the storm Photo courtesy of Kevin Brown
UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT amazing potential. Already new houses are being constructed here. Each day more families return. There is a “can do” spirit here, passionate people are taking matters into their own hands and rebuilding even before the government decides how much help to offer. This spirit leads us to believe our neighborhood will soon be a community vital to New Orleans’ future. And with the opening of our community center we begin something that we once thought may never happen again: our after school program. Our library is restocked, we have new school program materials, we’ve rebuilt our computer laboratory, and even replanted our community gardens (with the help of the New Orleans Food and Farm Network). Already the kids have been coming, some of them from homes that we have rebuilt. The worst natural disaster in American history dealt us an awful blow. But Hollygrove is emerging stronger and better thanks to the sacrifice of a team with a heart for Hollygrove and New Orleans.
NPN’S THE TRUMPET
A Leader Born in Hollygrove by Kathleen Nacozy and Ana Menezes, NPN volunteers
As an eighteen-year-old fresh out of high The job was difficult. Pre-Katrina, school, Chantel Dunn was not sure what to Chantel worked with students in the New do with her life. She was working at Orleans public school system, focusing on McDonald’s in Hollygrove, where she was those who needed the most help. She would born and raised, when an unexpected opporspend 15-20 minutes with each student, readtunity came her way. ing and encouraging them to do well in While participating in a bible study school. group at Trinity Christian Community CenBut the school system did not seem ter, Executive Director Kevin Brown sugto care about the gested she join Ameristudents, she said. Corps. She promised Her second him she would give it year of AmeriCorps some thought. she gutted houses. “Should I “I hated it. work at McDonald’s for Going there every the rest of my life or single day…but I should I join Amerididn’t want to start Corps?” she asked hersomething and not self. finish it,” she said. This was not a She stuck difficult decision for her with it. Now she is to make. She signed up an Assistant Program for AmeriCorps and Manager, a role that began work there in Chantel Dunn at work requires her to organSeptember 2004. ize AmeriCorps volPhoto courtesy of Kevin Brown
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unteers. Post-Katrina, that means working to rebuild. “We couldn’t go back into the schools after Katrina. In order to keep the program going, we had to find something to do. We have started rebuilding; we’re focusing on Hollygrove,” she said. Rebuilding her own neighborhood has been rewarding, “I know about half the people here,” she said. She’s glad to see so many of her neighbors have not given up on Hollygrove. Chantel encourages other young people to join AmeriCorps too, not only for the job experience but for the opportunities it can open up. AmeriCorp volunteers who complete their service receive a $4,725 education award to pay for college, graduate school, or to pay back student loans. “It’s a good opportunity to get to know your neighborhood even more and to have an opportunity to go to college because if you stay at McDonald’s you won’t get to go,” she said. Chantel sees herself returning to what made her stick with AmeriCorps in the first place: working with kids. She hopes to become an elementary school teacher and someday own her own nursery.
Community Events NPN WEDNESDAY FORUMS NPN Forums are held from 6-8pm on Wednesdays twice a month at: Musicians Union Hall 2401 Esplanade Ave. New Orleans, LA 70119 FEBRUARY 28th – Starting with Safety: A roundtable discussion of successful neighborhood initiatives and available resources to strengthen assets in communities. MARCH 14TH – Leaders of Today: Collaborating with our student population for projects and ideas from around the city. MARCH 17TH— Volunteers and Neighborhoods Uniting MARCH 28TH – Brick by Brick: A workshop on housing issues with non-
profit organizations, special discussion building CDC's, and neighborhood associations.
MID-CITY RECOVERY PLANNING COMMITTEES First Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m., in the chapel of Grace Episcopal APRIL 4TH – Neighborhood Updates: Measuring Church, 3700 Canal St. success and passing barri- Call (504) 905-9713. May 26th--Bayou Bungaers. loo (neighborhood festival) APRIL 25TH – Got CulHOLY CROSS COMMUture?: Combining New NITY MEETINGS Orleans cultural and hisThursdays, 5-7 p.m., at torical assets with Holy Cross High School, neighborhood projects. 4950 Dauphine St. Use Chartres Street entrance NPN FESTIVALS to the large white trailer on MAY 4TH – Jazz Fest the left. Mini-Festival UPLAY - KABOOM'S COMMUNITY EVENTS OPERATION PLAYGROUND Three day training that BYWATER provides all the resources NEIGHBORHOOD and knowledge you need ASSOCIATION MEETto build great playspaces INGS Tuesdays, 7 p.m., at Holy in your community. Find out more Angels Concert Hall, upwww.kaboom.org or stairs, 3500 St. Claude 202-659-0215 Ave.
ERACISM DISCUSSION GROUP Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m., at 3606 Magazine St. Topic: race relations in New Orleans. Call 866-1163.
Every Monday & Thursday From 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. All age groups are welcome! For more information contact: Lashundal Moore at (504) 569-9070
District 6 Community SEABROOK NEIGHBOR- Council (D6CC) HOOD ASSOCIATION [Gentilly] Feb. 6, 6 p.m., at Holy Meets every other TuesComforter Chapel, 2220 day Lakeshore Drive. Next meeting 2/27/07 E-mail: 6:30 pm seaUNO old Business Admin brook.place@yahoo.com. Bldg Room 211 Topic - Education CommitSISTAS MAKING A tee reports accomplishCHANGE ments An Inner-city Wellness & Health Project Using Cul- March 13th, Tuesday the ture to Promote Wellness meeting after next & Healthier Lifestyle. Pro- Topic - Land Use and Zoning Committee reports acgrams are held at Ashe Cultural Center 1712 Ore- complishments tha Castle Haley Blvd., New Orleans, LA. Phone: (504) 569-9070, Fax: (504) 569-9075
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NPN’S THE TRUMPET
Photo Album: February
HOLLYGROVE Hollygrove Neighborhood is working hard to recover. Although many of the houses are still in need of work, there are signs of hope all around, that people are starting to return...
A view down Dixon Street in Hollygrove
People coming back to Hollygrove
Progress is slow but steady
Some houses still waiting...
The unmistakable canal that runs through the middle of Hollygrove
TCC’s brand new playground is ready for use!
Park shows signs of life...
The Olive Street Meat Market is open for business!
A modular home in Hollygrove
Get to know the neighborhoods of New Orleans. Each month, we will feature a different neighborhood in the city in photographs. The pictures can come from anyone, and we strongly encourage you to submit pictures from your neighborhood. We want the good the bad and the ugly. We want to not only say who we are but show it too!
THE PEOPLE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD
Tolerating the Storm From the blog Today and Tomorrow in Tulane/Gravier (rothsteinyear-after.blogspot.com)
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PNOLA by Erin Walker
by Nathan Rothstein, PNOLA AmeriCorps Volunteer
Thursday, June 22, 2006
NPN’S THE TRUMPET
ily, he continued to work at the school. Now, almost nine months later, he was using his work skills for personal reasons. It was just after eight in the morning, but the New Orleans sun was already beating down, yet Keith was walking in an out of his house, taking out the debris. The house had been gutted, and with the help of Phoenix of New Orleans volunteers, the remains of his interior were being brought to the exterior. Wheelbarrow after wheelbarrow full of debris was brought in and out, not seeming to run out. If it had been gold, Keith would have been a very rich man, because the amount was endless. Since we had provided him with a lot of manpower, he bought us lunch, and at noon we sat together to take a break. With
The trash piles up on Palmyra Street. There is broken glass. Actually, there is a lot of it. The southern skies are cloudy; sometimes dropping large pellets of rain. Everywhere is shady except there is nothing blocking the sun except for a few clouds that act as a weak buffer-at times. At other times, the sun seeps into your skin, my white skin, punishing me for being light because everything else in this city makes you feel like the punisher. The people in the neighborhood are skeptical. Often, in large, gas-guzzling SUV’s white men drive slowly on small, forgotten streets. What they want, I do not know, but their faces are similar to the ones that you see on the news and don’t trust. Sooner, but much later, they are gone. Palmyra Street had been a drug haven before the storm, but people are hoping that the wrath and ferociousness of Katrina drove them away, but not all the junkies are gone, and if they are still willing, the crack/ heroin/syrup is still able. Photo courtesy of Nathan Rothstein The picture is grim yet people are coming back. The homes that are being renewed look elegant, fried chicken being stuffed Tonti St. and very comfortable. Today, Keith, a midin our faces, Keith and I thirties black man, walks in and out of his got a chance to speak. The large “shot gun house.” He is on South Tonti recent murder spree was fresh on everyStreet, which is off Palmyra. He is a big, body’s mind, and it came up in conversation sturdy man, with a soft, sensitive demeanor. quickly. He understands the pain, has endured the Keith leaned back in his plastic wrath of the storm and years of neglect, but chair, and then moved it closer to me, is still happy to laugh amongst the young “ One of the biggest problems now is nobody volunteers. is willing to report a crime. I could shoot you Early Sunday, August 28th, Keith right here, and nobody would do a thing, if it evacuated to Mississippi with his family. A didn’t affect them.” few weeks later, he returned to the home on Somebody was being shot in front Tonti Street that he had just bought several of you, and it didn’t affect you? I imagined months earlier. It had been completely dev- somebody running around naked in a campus astated. The waters had run through the quad, and nobody realizing what they were house tearing everything in sight. doing, or taking notice. I think if my On that day, in mid-September, he neighbor was shot, it would affect me. Just a had turned off what was left of his electricity little bit. and went away again. A month later, the city “It wasn’t always like that. When I allowed residents to move back in, and he was kid, if we did something wrong, everycollected what remained of his home. Before body in the neighborhood knew it, and told Katrina, he had worked maintenance at Dil- on you, but now…nobody is stepping up and lard University. A historically Black college, saying this won’t be tolerated.” with most of its students from Louisiana, but But today was an example of people some from Texas. Luckily, the school had not tolerating a disaster assistance program kept its records in the attic. It was all safe on that has not provided relief. Today was anAugust 30th, after Katrina had decided it was other day, and another house was one step done for the day, but the other school build- closer to its residents moving in. And Keith ings were not. In addition to helping his fam- and I could tolerate that.
The Phoenix of New Orleans (PNOLA) was founded on November 28, 2005, to provide direct gutting and housing recovery services to residents after Hurricane Katrina. Also, PNOLA acts as a community organization which serves as a portal for neighbors to play an active role in rebuilding, so that long-lasting social change is attainable. The Tulane/Gravier, a neighborhood devastated by years of social inequity, blight and now immense damage from 5 feet of flood water caused by Hurricane Katrina, is our home. We seek to deal with the immediate and physical issues of recovery, as well as addressing the socioeconomic and quality of life issues that plague so many areas in New Orleans. Since PNOLA’s inception, we have gutted and cleaned mold from over 50 homes and also acted as a strong advocate for our neighbors. We have developed a strong 7 person board of residents and work with 25 staff members composed of AmeriCorps members, interns and long-term volunteers. Throughout the winter, we expect between 10-20 weekly volunteers who will add great force to our projects. We operate on a $5000 monthly overhead budget and
still depend on donations month-to-month. We seek major long-term funding, but continue to push the envelope, even as we struggle to sustain ourselves for the future. We are confident that our work will bring the necessary support to this community. Over the next 5 years, we hope to transform this area into a beacon of sustainable, affordable self-reliance in the face of major disaster and difficult urban blight. PNOLA and Tulane/Gravier residents are organizing a Community Meeting & Social on March 3rd at the German House: Speakers, music, food and socializing will give the community an opportunity to create stronger relationships and work together towards a sustainable future. We will provide updates about this event on our website: www.pnola.org and look forward to further contact with our fellow non-profits.
From Problem Identification to Consensus Following are some helpful hints in managing your planning-related problem solving and moving your group to consensus. 1.
Establish the desired outcomes you are pursuing.
2.
Make sure at all times everyone understands what is being said.
3.
Put all of the issues on the table and openly discuss them.
4.
Make sure everyone has all available information and more important, that they have reviewed it in advance. (People generally do not review pre meeting information before coming to meetings.)
5.
Make sure everyone takes part in the discussions. The silent members usually sandbag the process near the end.
6.
Cover all important questions before you begin brainstorming potential solutions.
7.
Review the potential future implications for the alternatives you are considering.
8.
Review the alternatives to be considered in terms of your vision, mission, goals, objectives, operating principles and organizational culture. Do they fit all?
9.
At this point, attempt to reach tentative consensus. This step will assist in preventing the group from making a decision before all of the alternatives have been explored and discussed.
10.
Once tentative alternative(s) have been identified, ask if you have all pertinent data or should there be additional research.
11.
Ask the group if all different points of view have been aired and given ample consideration.
12.
Put the alternative to the decision test:
Does it fit our mission? Does it fit or vision? Is it fundable? Can we do it? Can we sustain it? Will it really make a difference?
Remember that reaching consensus requires negotiation, openness and compromise.
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The
NPN’S THE TRUMPET
People Neighborhood in
Your
Kids
New Orleans
Today starts the first in a series of monthly interviews by Kids Rethinking New Orleans’ Schools, or Rethink.
An Interview with Jane Wholey by Ashley Nelson Rethink Writing Mentor 19-year-old Ashley Nelson is a graduate of John McDonogh High School and a freshman at Degado Community College. She is the author of The Combination (A Neighborhood Story Project Book), and acts as Rethink’s writing mentor. Ashley: Ms. Jane, you founded Rethink, so maybe we should start off this Trumpet interview series by interviewing you. Jane: I guess that makes sense. Ashley: So tell me about Rethink – Kids Rethinking New Orleans’ Schools – and “the Rethinkers.” Jane: Rethink is an amazing group of middle school kids, mainly African American, and from all around Orleans. “The Rethinkers,” as they call themselves, are dreamers, photographers, watchdogs, spokespersons and activists rolled into one. Their goal is to see that “every kid in New Orleans gets a great public school education – rich or poor, no matter their grades or the color of their skin.” Ashley: How long have these kids been rethinking? Jane: Since last June. We went public at the end of July when Rethink held a big news conference. Twenty kids were sitting in desks outside the Sherwood Forest School in the East. The building was abandoned – shattered windows, garbage strewn around, mold everywhere. So behind them was this sad, sad school, but on either side were books they had painted and a sculpture they had built to show their dreams about great New Orleans schools. Ashley: Yeah, I remember that day very well. Every TV station in town was there. Later we were in the Times Picayune and the
Christian Science Monitor and on Nickelodeon News….. Jane. I continue to read the testimonies the kids read that day. Every time I read them I feel the anger rising inside me. Here are a few of their statements: “Katrina drowned my old school, and 85% of all the public schools in the city. I’m not sad about losing my school. It was a raggedy, dirty school, and it did not have enough books. Me and my friends, we didn’t like it, but we thought that was just the way the schools were.
•
“We’ve got signs in our bathrooms that read, ‘Don’t forget to wash.’ How can we wash when there is no soap and the water from the fountain is brown?” • We are not asking for the greatest schools in the country, just ones where we can learn.” • I evacuated to Texas after Katrina and I attended a school that made me realize I was cheated out of an education back home.” I never had a backpack. I didn’t need one. No one ever gave me any books.” Ashley: I put up with a whole lot at John McDonogh and so did all the Rethinkers at their schools. Many of the schools up and running after Katrina are still really bad. So tell me again about the goal of Rethink. Jane: As I see it, we have several. One is to change the public schools in New Orleans so every kid has a great education. The second, and every bit as important, is to grow a group of kids who make their voices heard loud and clear about public schools postKatrina. Kids need to understand that when it comes to schools, they are the client, they are the experts. No one deserves a place in the current debate about public schools more
than the students. Ashley: What are some of the things the Rethinkers are involved in now?
Rethink photography staff
Jane: We have a couple of big projects going between now and June. Photo by Jim Belfon One is evaluating some Gulf South Photography Project of the public schools and another is writing a book called, Our New Orleans Schools Before and After Katrina. to youth. The Rethinkers are studying photography with the Gulf South Photography Project and Ashley: But how will kids know how and learning to do dynamite interviews with you. when to use that tool? The book will be a collaboration between Rethink and GSPP. Jane: It’s our job as adults to teach them. At summer school, the kids studied public Ashley: Is that about it? speaking and news conference design. The People’s Institute came in and gave them a Jane: Actually no. The Rethinkers talk on two-day anti-racism course. With all that panels and they take part in direct action. under their belt, they were able to speak very Like for instance on January 18, the Rethinkeffectively in front of the television cameras. ers went by bus to Baton Rouge. Their older brother and sister activists in the Fyre Youth Ashley: So what do you think about the kids Squad were testifying before the BESE Board in the Rethink program? (Board of Elementary and Secondary Education) and holding a news conference. The Jane: The Rethinkers are the best, each and Rethinkers went there to support the Youth every one of them. Some of the kids are Squad kids and to take pictures. only in 5th grade and they’re already powerful people. I expect that New Orleans will Ashley: Will there be another summer hear from them for a long time to come. program? Jane: Absolutely. And we’ll be adding ten kids to the Rethink family, making us a total of 30. We are hoping to dream, draw, and design big time. Maybe even design some real rooms for an abandoned public school that will reopen in a year or two. At the end of the program, the Rethinkers will hold their second national news conference, so as Mahatma Ghandi said, they can “tell truth to power.” I believe that “telling truth to power” is one of the greatest political tools available
For more information about Rethink, visit rethinknola.com or call 528.9871.
Contribute to the next THE TRUMPET Submissions due March 5