ke Ta
T
M
E E
rumpet
FR
The
November/December 2012 • Community Voices Orchestrating Change • Issue 6 Volume 6
NEIGH BORH SPOT OD LIGHO T BR
OADM
OOR
INSIDE • Bringing Agriculture to Main Street • Neighborhood Bus Tour • Innovative Broadmoor Workspace • Will Climb Trees for Food • St. Roch Natatorium Project
Neighborhoods Partnership Network’s (NPN) mission is to improve our quality of life by engaging New Orleanians in neighborhood revitalization and civic process.
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
1
N E I G H B O R H O O D S
Letter From The Executive Director Photo: Kevin Griffin/2Kphoto
The Trumpet
Nothing New Under NOLA’s Sun
NPN provides an inclusive and collaborative city-wide framework to empower neighborhood groups in New Orleans.
L
ike every teenager before and after me, there came a time when I wanted to make my own way. I had been a babysitter for quite some time, but I wanted to get a good ole fashion job because that’s what all the other teenagers were doing. Besides, babysitting did not cut the bill when it came to acquiring the type of cash I wanted flowing through my hands. It wasn’t until my mom’s colleague, in the midst of desperation searching for childhood entertainment for her five-year-old daughter’s party, that I stumbled upon a gift that would serve both her worry and my desire simultaneously. I was a theater student who had studied theater since age seven, but most importantly I was a clown. Not just any clown, I was RAVIOLLIO the clown. I had performed many times around the city at festivals and fairs, but always as class projects, never seeing the opportunity to benefit from this skill I had acquired. The innovative thought that I could earn $75 for one party in less than an hour was amazing to me, but more importantly it was the beginning of self assessing who I am and what I have to impact my needs. I was being innovative and didn’t even realize it! Innovation is about bringing ideas to life, using creativity to look at, and even try something different. New Orleans has always been a forward moving, or in new terms a “smart city.” It has always been cosmopolitan in comparison to other Southern cities that only imitated the lifestyle and traditions that are God given to our communities. When describing the neighborhoods of NOLA we boastfully proclaim the distinction of all 73 neighborhoods with their peculiar characteristics and features that make the fabric of our fair city multi-colored and beautiful. Post Katrina we witnessed some of New Orleans brightest minds working on its biggest challenges, and many of those hurdles got smaller thanks to innovative approaches to neighborhood revitalization. Neighborhoods are using innovative and transformative solutions to impact the decay and disinvestment of their communities in ways that were never conceivable before. Neighborhoods like Village De L’Est, Hollygrove, St. Roch, Irish Channel and Pontchatrain Park through aggressive outreach, dynamic programs, and impassioned, determined leadership are redefining the future of their neighborhoods. Expanding and growing this into a citywide conversation of “Making all New Orleans neighborhoods Great places to live,” has been the prophetic vision that NPN has lived by since 2006. It is our belief that by providing the skills, knowledge and disposition to engage in civic processes, neighborhoods can improve their communities, building collaborations and partnership that improve and impact the entire city. I invite you and your neighbors to take a self assessment of what makes your neighborhood uniquely different. Create the civic structure for your neighbors to engage with one another around concerns and opportunities that you face as a community and instill an awareness of why your place matters in this great American city.
Find Out More at NPNnola.com
NPN Board Members Victor Gordon, Board Chair, Pontilly Neighborhood Association Angela Daliet, Treasurer, Parkview Neighborhood Association Benjamin Diggins, Melia Subdivision
5 2012 Trumpet Awards Recipients 7 Ya You Ride 9 Bringing Health Home 13 Join a Fix-Mix 19 Community Engagements 21 New Orleans Youth Mix it Up 23 Self Esteem 25 NOLA Fatherhood Consortium Spotlight 29 CeCe’s 20 Thoughts
Katherine Prevost, Upper Ninth Ward Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association
N E T W O R K
Contents
25
NOLA Fatherhood Consortium Spotlight Wyman Diaz, Jr., and his son Christian
20
16
Leslie Ellison, Tunisburg Square Civic Homeowners Improvement Association Sylvia McKenzie, Rosedale Subdivision Tilman Hardy, Secretary, Leonidas/Pensiontown Neighborhood Association Wendy Laker, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization Darryl Durham, St.Anna’s Church Rashida Ferdinand, Sankofa CDC Sylvia Scineaux-Richard, ENONAC Karen Chabert, Irish Channel Neighborhood Association
NEIGH BORH SPOT OD LIGHO T BR
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 2012 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.
OADM
OOR
The Trumpet Editorial Board
The Trumpet Editorial Staff Scott Bicking, Art Director
Jewel Bush, SEIU Local 21 LA
Tara Foster, Policy and Advocacy Editor
Christy Chapman, Author Rashida Ferdinand, Sankofa CDC
Melissa Garber, Editor
Heidi Hickman, Resident
Julia Kahn & Greg Lawson, Associate Neighborhoods Editors
Elton Jones, New Orleans Rising
Nora McGunnigle, Local History Editor
Naomi King, Prevention Research Center Mike Madej, Resident Linedda McIver, AARP Louisiana Emily Miller, Sankofa CDC Ray Nichols, Maple Area Residents Inc. Valerie Robinson, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation Melinda Shelton, Xavier University School of Journalism
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
Join a Fix-Mix
Jim Belfon, Gulf South Photography Project
Brian Opert, Talk Show Host, WGSO 990AM
Timolynn Sams
2
P A R T N E R S H I P
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
4902 Canal Street • #301 New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com 3
2nd Annual Social Change Film Festival & Institute 2012 November 28 – December 2, 2012 5 Venues • Several Free Forums & Workshops Early Bird Registration Now Open New Orleans community members are strongly urged to attend in order to have the opportunity to share real issues and solutions via SCFFI’s global online screening room during the live broadcast of all workshops, forums, and screenings, – as well as the re-broadcast of all the key programs and films/shorts on SCFFI’s partner cable/satellite TV station, Channel G, over the course of three months following the festival to an estimated 20 million viewers. The Southeast Louisiana Water Challenge 2013, The Gulf Restoration Network, Charitable Film Network, Press Street, First Peoples Worldwide, Ford Foundation and more are just some of SCFFI 2012’s key partners.
Please visit the SCFFI website (www.socialchangefilmfestival.org) for program schedule updates, film screening selections, and registration. If any New Orleans community group is interested in becoming a community partner, please contact jocelyne@socialchangefilmfestival.org
Announcing the 2012 Trumpet Award Recipients This year we had some incredibly stiff competition for all categories, especially the Model Citizen category — so much so, that we decided to award two of the nominees this year! Congratulations to all the award winners. Thank you for all the work you do and know that it DOES make a difference. Good Neighbor to Neighborhoods Award recognizes the neighborhood group that best supports others by sharing their knowledge, serving as a valuable resource for others. Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association – The Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association has proven to be a good neighbor by partnering with several other neighborhood associations, resources, and faith-based organizations to create a holistic neighborhood. Neighborhood Phoenix Award recognizes the neighborhood that has had the greatest transformation in the past year, rising from the ashes to renew itself. Home First Neighborhood Association – Over the course of this past year, a handful of active leaders have worked hard to bring smaller block clubs and localized campaigns in the pocket of Central City between Harmony Oaks and the Guste together under the umbrella of one neighborhood association. Their efforts have created a unified group with the enthusiasm and the capacity to make their neighborhood a better place. Best Neighborhood Councilmember is awarded to the council member who is involved and responsive to community groups in his or her district. Councilmember Kristin Gisleson Palmer is very energetic and passionate about improving the district quality of life. She is responsive to constituents’ issues and attends community meetings on a regular basis. Best Education Advocate honors an individual or group who exemplifies what it means to advocate for children in our public schools. Orleans Public Education Network – In 2012, OPEN has tackled difficult fundamental issues affecting the city’s public education system by convening a variety of educational leaders, parents, and neighborhood leaders to facilitate community voices in creating an agenda for the future of school governance in the city. OPEN has provided leadership in facilitating this conversation with only the agenda that the community be informed and exercise their power and voice to bring about excellence and equity in our public schools. Best City-Neighborhood Partnership celebrates an excellent partnering between the City of New Orleans and a neighborhood that allows the neighborhood and the city to grow and prosper together. Carrollton-Hollygrove Community Development Corporation Greenline Project is an exemplary model of a partnership between the Sewerage and Water Board (S&WB) and neighborhood associations. This project identified property that divided the community and refocused it to serve as meeting space and a stage for ecological enhancements within the Carrollton-Hollygrove Community. The Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) is the first of its kind for neighborhoods to become more energy efficient with underutilized property owned by S&WB.
4
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
Best Recovery Resource identifies the group who has the information, tools and/or volunteers residents need, and are key to the recovery of our community. Youth Rebuilding New Orleans (YRNO) does a great job mobilizing local youth volunteers to build homes for teachers in New Orleans, having a triple affect by supporting youth, re-building homes, and offering cheap homes to teachers so they can stay in New Orleans. They have the expertise to work with both local and out-of-town volunteers. Best Community Beautification Project recognizes the best program wherein a group comes together to bring more beauty to a community. Faubourg St. Roch Project has worked for several years to incorporate an Art Walk along St. Roch Ave. The project will include large-scale civic art projects and is a way to focus and build neighborhood pride. Most Outstanding Youth Group is the youth group who works to reform the public school system and advocate for themselves. Kids Rethink New Orleans Schools – Kids Rethink works not only to reform the public school system in New Orleans, but also works to empower students to take it upon themselves to reform their public school system. Best Faith-Based Community Initiative honors a church, synagogue, mosque, or other religious or faith-based organization that offers opportunities for connection and leads its neighborhood in the recovery process. The Micah Project is a faith-based organization established in 2007 by clergy who wanted to see real change in their communities. Micah works with its 16 member congregation to create innovative solutions to the plethora of problems faced by those living in the Greater New Orleans area. It has convened several hundred leaders and residents on several issues including blight elimination, candidate forums for local elections, and others. The Micah Project is at the forefront of faith-based institutions improving the quality of life for all New Orleans’ residents. Model Citizen Award is for an individual who works so hard and so tirelessly that he or she becomes an example of what is possible for our community. Minister Willie Muhammad works within the community as a facilitator for New Orleans Peace Keepers, working to curb violence in the community. He has consistently dedicated his efforts, skills and scholarship to the advancement and uplifting of our community, particularly in regards to the youth. Willie is a strong activist working in the City of New Orleans to stop the violence that is occurring at an alarming rate. Mrs. Cheryl Diggins is an outstanding community leader; she has worked tirelessly with the Melia neighborhood association, and has spearheaded and assisted with many revitalization projects in her community. She is a committed member of NPN and several other organizations. On November 1, she and her husband Ben received commendation as a neighborhood leader and activist by Cynthia Hedge Morrell and the entire New Orleans City Council, who issued a beautiful proclamation in their honor.
5
Ya You Ride
T
Rashidah Williams, Urban Conservancy board member and Broadmoor resident; Kelli Wright, Broadmoor Improvement Association commissioner; Santiago Burgos, executive director of the Broadmoor Development Corporation and Latoya Cantrell, Broadmoor Improvement Association president.
Honoring Broadmoors’ Urban Hero’s
T
Napoleon Avenue, declaring “Broadmoor Lives!” Through the leadership he Urban Conservancy honored the residents of Broadmoor as of BIA president LaToya Cantrell, the neighborhood became a national and one of their 2012 Urban Heroes at its annual “You Are Here” global recovery model. It forged partnerships with the Clinton fundraiser on Saturday, October 20. The event Global Initiative, Harvard University, and many others. It brought celebrated the unique aspects of New Orleans’ “Our theme in thousands of outside volunteers, secured millions of dollars in urban fabric—its local culture and economy, its this year is investment and its redevelopment plan has been written about low-impact transit options, and its distinct historic buildings ‘Make Your Mark’,” and studied extensively. and walk-able neighborhoods. All while showcasing said Dana Eness, “When our community wrote its redevelopment plan, we individuals and organizations that share The Urban wanted to remember the past and use it as a basis for making the Conservancy’s commitment to fostering these assets. Executive Director, neighborhood better than before,” said Cantrell. “We focused on “Our theme this year is ‘Make Your Mark’,” said Dana The Urban public education and our community assets—school, library and Eness, Executive Director, The Urban Conservancy. “The Conservancy. historic buildings—and how we could improve them and bring residents of Broadmoor have indeed made their mark by our friends and families back home.” contributing to revitalizing New Orleans post-Katrina in profound ways the entire community can enjoy every day.” Today, Broadmoor is a model for innovative, holistic neighborhood Broadmoor was a well-established multi-racial community by the time the revitalization that boasts: Broadmoor Improvement Association (BIA) was incorporated in 1970. Since • A new library/community center 2005, the BIA has become a grassroots powerhouse working continuously to • A $29 million renovated charter school improve the neighborhood. • An under-construction health center When Hurricane Katrina and the levee failures decimated Broadmoor • A lower blight percentage than the city average seven years ago, the residents of this close-knit neighborhood rose to the challenge to rebuild and to reclaim their collective future. In 2006, a city Broadmoor is now truly “Better Than Before” and a model for innovative, commission suggested the area be transformed into a drainage park. Within holistic neighborhood revitalization. days of that announcement, the neighborhood responded with a rally on
You can learn more at broadmoorimprovement.com. 6
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
his past October I had the pleasure of attending the Broadmoor Neighborhood Festival to table along with dozens of food, craft, and non-profit vendors. All of our tables were set up in a row behind the impressive Rosa F. Keller Library and Community Center. A lady spotted me at my table from a few yards away and yelled, “Oh, you’re the bike people!” She ran up, saw one of our free Bike Maps on the table, grabbed it and exclaimed, “I see you guys now everywhere!” As it turns out, with our growing programs, like free Bike Valet at music festivals and events, Community Bike Safety Workshops, and the release of our Free New Orleans Bike Map this summer, Bike Easy has grown exponentially in the last few years. But, it’s not just us – naturally, with our flat terrain, and endless tourist attractions New Orleans has always been easier and more enticing than most U.S. cities to bike around. As noted in Louisiana’s Health & Fitness Magazine, “New Orleans now boasts more than 50 miles of bikeways, including bike lanes, shared lanes and shared-use trails, compared with around 11 miles worth in 2005. The continued expansion of bike facilities and of bicycling and walking are goals elected leaders including Mayor Mitch Landrieu and City Councilwoman Kristen Palmer, chair of the Council’s transportation committee, have thrown their support behind.” But, despite how naturally biking fits into the New Orleans landscape, changing the streetscape to become more bike friendly is no easy task. Road conditions are one big factor, and trying daily to advocate that by biking, not only are people saving money at the pump, but they are creating a healthier life for themselves and their community, sometimes feels more like an uphill climb with a lot of challenging gear shifts. Many times the issue people have is a heavy load – their sense of safety. Too many times people just don’t feel like they could take on notoriously bad driver behavior, or know of a safe route to take to school, work, or just to go out shopping without getting lost in areas they’re unfamiliar with. In fact, on my way to the Broadmoor Festival, I needed to navigate myself by bike from my house in Treme over to Broadmoor. Just even a few months ago, it would’ve had to been word of mouth or trial by error to navigate my way over there. But, this past summer, we finally flipped the switch from making biking a harrowing experience, even for the regular bike commuter, to one that is simple and easy for everyone. Along with the release of the free Bike Easy 2012 New Orleans Bike Map and Guide for Safe Cycling (made possible with the generous support by the UNO Transportation Institute and Regional Planning Commission),
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
By: Marin Tockman, Development Director, Bike Easy
Bike Easy collaborated on a Good Idea For New Orleans challenge in partnership with Neighborland and Ride New Orleans (formerly Transport for NOLA). A team of innovated planners, artists, and web developers launched a great website called BikeBus NOLA (http://bikebusnola.com/). It is also a free service for mobile phones and provides step by step directions on how to get between any two points in the city by bike and/or bus. The BikeBus NOLA mobile website can be accessed from most internet-enabled mobile phones. If you don’t have a smart phone, you can get directions via SMS text message by texting 504-322-4900. Along with creating a great mapping tool, the Bike Team also created a great new place! It’s called the Broad to Bayou Bikeway. The team hung DIY signage from S. Broad and Washington in Broadmoor up to the Jefferson Davis overpass and down to the Bayou St. John neighborhood. Each sign indicates turns and distances from important locations like City Park or downtown – and shows traffic directions. This corridor between Broadmoor and Bayou St. John is a heavy trafficked corridor for bike commuters, and now that Bicycle Superhighway has a name. As team member Kathleen Onufer said, ”Once it has a name, it’s more of a place. And once a place is actually a place, you can start showing it more love.” Certainly we know that people all over New Orleans love their neighborhoods and want to see them continually grow into safer and more vibrant places to live. We’re glad to be a part of connecting people to their sense of home and paving new ways to make it safer, easier, and more fun to get around by bike everyday.
To find out more about Bike Easy go to www.bikeeasy.org or join them for the fun family-friendly Po Boy Fest Bicycle Second Line on Sunday, November 18, 2012 starting at Palmer Park. To find out more about the Broad to Bayou Bikeway, like their Facebook page at facebook.com/BroadToBayouBikeway. 7
AMPS Co-Founders Kevin Morgan-Rothschild (L) and Douglas Jacobs (R)
Photo credit: 2012 PBurch/Tulane Publications
Bringing Agriculture to Main Street USA By: Kevin Morgan-Rothschild, Co-founder, AMPS
Imagine a city that grew all of the salad greens and other vegetables it consumed. This vision may not be worlds away thanks to a New Orleans-based urban agriculture company. AMPS (Aquaponic Modular Production Systems) goal is to build and operate hydroponic farms close to points of food consumption. AMPS was founded by Douglas Jacobs in 2011.
B
enefiting from its success in developing and managing the “Roots on the Rooftop” aeroponic system at Rouses Supermarkets, AMPS has become a major player in both the local and national urban agriculture scene. This program provides rooftop herbs to the produce department, eliminating the need for long distance transport while conserving water and energy. In addition to this project, AMPS has begun working with local schools, restaurants, a housing development, non-profits and a community market, to create a sustainable source of local food produced on-site for its clients. Rooftop aeroponic gardens provide a revenue generating ‘green roof,’ which can recapture rainwater and grow fresh produce for its clients. AMPS provides both consulting and system installation services to its clients as well as ongoing maintenance service.
Get connected to the Neighborhoods Partnership Network. 8
As one of the first tenants to move into the Propeller Social Innovation Incubator opening this December, the team will have the opportunity to work side by side with other social innovators. AMPS owes much of its success to the support of the New Orleans entrepreneurial scene, participating in the Idea Village Water Challenge last spring and the Propeller Accelerator program, as well as assistance from the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. The company’s founders are still in the planning phase in the development of more commercial farm sites through out the city of New Orleans, but will not make any formal announcements until all plans are put into place.
For more information check out ampsnola.com
Post news & events for your organization at NPNnola.com THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
Schematic drawing of South Broad Community Health and inset of its construction.
South Broad Community Health
Bringing Health Home By Michael T. Heaney
A
lack of information about health issues impacts people’s wallets as much as their blood pressure. After Hurricane Katrina, residents of New Orleans were forced to take a hard look at the healthcare situation in their own communities. The city’s recovery had to address inaccessibility to healthcare facilities and a widening knowledge gap about their community’s own health and wellness issues. To this end, residents of five neighborhoods in Uptown New Orleans joined together in what became South Broad Community Health (SBCH). South Broad Community Health started as a mechanism for the community to address healthcare needs and take the reins of their own wellness. SBCH’s goal is to keep people healthy and independent in their own communities, putting them in charge of their own health by connecting the dots between education, health and economic opportunity. The result will be people of all demographics and backgrounds sharing in the convenience of a more walkable landscape and healthier resources while preserving the area’s unique cultural identity. The groundwork for SBCH was laid out by a Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) grant, awarded to assess the healthcare needs of the surrounding communities and identify specific at-risk populations. The study confirmed that what was obvious to the community was also measured in the statistics. What was equally clear was that resources for providing the types of health services the community needed were not readily available. If SBCH was going to address its community’s diverse and dire need for wellness it would have to get creative.
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
This road led SBCH to develop as an innovative concept on the cutting edge of healthcare trends, forging unique public/private partnerships focused on bringing healthcare home in a sustainable manner. Funding cuts and decentralization of healthcare has radically changed the landscape of wellness throughout the entire country. To increase community access to primary medical care and improve levels of health knowledge, SBCH has partnered with government entities including the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority, academic institutions such as Tulane University School of Medicine, and private companies like Green Coast Enterprises. SBCH partnerships utilize financial tools such as Historical and New Markets Tax Credits with an emphasis on collaboration to attract additional funding. To better fit into the community’s cultural heritage, SBCH’s clinic site occupies a historic former pharmacy on the corner of Washington Ave and South Broad St. The site is currently being renovated to LEED energy standards. Many communities face similar health access difficulties like transportation constraints, lack of insurance and knowledge of where to turn for help. What would an organization like SBCH do for your community? SBCH is about re-establishing the connection between health, community and cultural activities. By linking with existing community resources like schools and parks, SBCH seeks to weave health into each resident’s everyday life through education, accessibility and outreach. Wellness goes beyond increasing access to doctors, true wellness completes the circle and makes health an essential part of the community’s fabric.
If South Broad Community Health was going to address its community’s diverse and dire need for wellness it would have to get creative.
9
Stepping Up Our Civic Engagement
“Connecting the Neighborhoods” Bus Tour By: Patricia Ann Davis
Patricia Ann Davis at the Hollygrove Market and Farm.
The idea for a tour of New Orleans neighborhoods started with a mini-grant from NeighborWorks America. Neighborhoods Partnership Network (NPN) and residents of the Gulf Coast area received training from NeighborWorks Gulf Coast to gain the tools necessary to apply for the mini-grant.
AARP executives join Hollygrove residents to officially cut the ceremonial grand opening ribbon of the association’s first community resource center in the CarrolltonHollygrove community. Standing left to right: Council member Susan Guidry, Gracie Atkins, Nancy Stockbridge, Joan Ruff, Ruth Kennedy and Hop Backus.
AARP Moves to Carrollton-Hollygrove By: Denise Bottcher, Communications Director, AARP Louisiana
You may have noticed a new neighbor in the Carrollton-Hollygrove neighborhood. Nestled in the Carrollton Plaza Shopping Center where Firestone anchors the corner, AARP’s first Community Resource Center opened in late September with a grand opening ceremony.
D
ozens of residents, AARP members and volunteers, and AARP staff joined to open AARP’s first Community Resource Center in the country. “This is an historic event in the life of our organization and this city. Our hope and expectation is that this center will be a model that will be duplicated in other states,” said Joan Ruff, Board of Directors, AARP. The Community Resource Center increases AARP’s physical presence and outreach to communities where they serve. AARP will continue to have a strong presence in Baton Rouge at the state capitol but it will also have a unique presence in communities like Carrollton-Hollygrove where members live. “This new center on the border of the Hollygrove neighborhood symbolizes AARP’s commitment to working and supporting our members and people who are 50 plus right where they live,” said Nancy McPherson, State Director, AARP Louisiana. People throughout the New Orleans area can get information about issues important to them. We can help them access benefits and services that support them in living their best lives. Our volunteers can also connect them with meaningful and fun opportunities for social and civic engagement.
10
“Here in New Orleans we work alongside our members to help them discover their ‘what’s next,’” said Brenda G. Hatfield, Volunteer State President, AARP Louisiana. “Hundreds of folks have joined a Soul Steppers walking club in their neighborhood, walking to a healthier lifestyle and meeting new people. We’ve also started a Biking for Boomers for those who enjoy cycling but haven’t ridden in a while.” And, of course, the popular Driver Safety Program and Tax-Aide will be offered at the center too. Stop by and see us at the new Community Resource Center and discover your what’s next!
AARP Community Resource Center Carrollton Plaza Shopping Center 3502 S. Carrollton Avenue • New Orleans 504-485-2164 Monday – Friday •10am-5pm
A
s a result of the funding, the Gulf Coast Residents Leadership was developed. They came up with an action plan to engage residents of the Greater New Orleans area that involved touring five neighborhoods to report on blighted property and education access. They identified blighted property and the successes and failures of the residents and city to address the blight. They identified schools, or lack thereof, in each neighborhood, noting that children from neighborhoods without schools have to be bussed outside of their community. The tour concentrated on neighborhoods that NPN Neighborhood Liaisons have connected with through providing resources and conducting assessments. The route taken was through Carrollton-Hollygrove, Broadmoor, Melia/ Rosedale/Pine Village, Upper Ninth Ward and the Seventh Ward. The bus tour took place a few days before the seventh anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. It was short in time as well as distance, but the residents were thoroughly engaged. First, residents recognized that a good strategy to reduce blight involved neighborhoods and organizations putting effort into the enforcement of codes and crime prevention. For example, on November 23, 2010, the Carrollton-Hollygrove Neighborhood leaders presented the number of blighted properties in their community to the Mayor’s office . With the assistance of Councilwoman Susan Guidry, the properties were addressed by demolition or renovation. Residents toured the Hollygrove Market and Farm, a community garden shared and managed by the market and residents. There are no public schools in the neighborhood since the demolition of Paul S. Dunbar Elementary School. This has resulted in the bussing of neighborhood children to other schools. As the tour approached Conrad Park in the Carrollton-Hollygrove neighborhood, the KaBoom Playground stood out as a place for children to gather and offered a space of community ownership. Just a few blocks away is the cleared site for the new Multipurpose Senior Center that will serve as a
landmark for resident engagement. As the tour departed from the residential area of Carrollton-Hollygrove, the Daughters of Charity Health Services was noted as the medical home offering services for Carrollton residents. The Broadmoor community was the next tour stop, a neighborhood that has quickly become an educational corridor. The Rosa Keller Library and Community Center is a hub of the community with abundant resources like a coffee shop, yoga classes, ballet classes, parental classes, a wellness center, and more. Besides the recently refurbished Rosa Keller Library, the corner of South Broad Street and Washington Avenue will soon be home to Green Coast Enterprises $8 million development. It includes Propellers’ Social Innovation Incubator -HUB NOLA, a 10,000-square-foot facility for shared manufacturing and office space for social innovation companies, and three other buildings with retail and office space according to Carolyn Kolb of New Orleans Magazine. The tour participants were thoroughly impressed. As far as education access, Andrew H. Wilson Charter School is located in Broadmoor. And in response to post Katrina blight, residential leaders went through the neighborhood block by block and contacted property owners to repair or rebuild their homes. Later, the tour traveled down Chef Menteur Highway in East New Orleans. Residents shared their history of coming together as one, and standing strong to have their voices heard. Residents in East New Orleans have constantly engaged in New Orleans City Council meetings addressing blighted property and the lack of neighborhood schools. This has resulted in yet another community where children are bused to schools outside their neighborhoods. In response to blight, the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority have built homes where blighted property once existed. At the home of Benjamin and Cheryl Diggins in the Melia subdivision, residents were met by Timolynn Sams, NPN Executive Director, who provided “food for thought.” Sams encouraged residents to “feed” on each other’s success stories by connecting neighborhood resources, engaging in NPN Capacity College courses, which provide valuable education on civic engagement, as well as engaging with the Committee for a Better
“The Broadmoor community was the next tour stop, a neighborhood that has quickly become an educational corridor.”
continued on page 12
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
11
New Orleans. Melia/Rosedale/Pines Village subdivisions are adjoining neighborhoods that have worked diligently to restore their neighborhoods from a once blighted and devastated community to a livable community. The work continues as they come together to get a walking path and to continue the beautification of the neighborhood. The tour continued through the Ninth Ward where residents had a chance to see Bunny Friend Park hosting an event. Due to the strong engagement of residents, community events are a common sight in the Bunny Friends neighborhood. Next, the tour stopped at the Sankofa Market Place. Sankofa Executive Director, Rashida Ferdinand, gave a brief history of the farmers market and residents learned about(and eagerly purchased) the local vegetables and fruits. Sankofa is at Arise Academy on St. Claude Avenue. The location was deemed convenient for residents to meet vendors and purchase goods. Blight has been addressed in this area by the strong leadership of involved residents. City workers walked through the neighborhoods and actually listed the number of houses blighted. Reports were submitted to the Code of Enforcement and great attempts were made to contact the owners to address
the blighted property for demolition or renovation. Leaving the Sankofa Market Place, the tour swiftly passed the blighted St. Roch Market, also on St. Claude Avenue. The building was seriously damaged by Hurricane Katrina, but concerned residents have continued to advocate for renovation of a market place that will serve not only New Orleans residents, but tourists as well. The struggle continues as residents engage to restore their community through constant involvement with city government. Finally, the tour traveled through the Seventh Ward. Lisa Collins, a former Seventh Ward resident, gave an overview of the numerous buildings that had existed and areas where those buildings were no longer present, all the while remembering life in this historic neighborhood. Special acknowledgements to NeighborWorks America, Gulf Coast Residents of the Greater New Orleans Area, Neighborhoods Partnership Network members and staff, Committee for a Better New Orleans, Louisiana Public Health Institute: Healthy NOLA Neighborhoods, Cottage Catering, New Orleans Tours Transportation and the private residence of Benjamin and Cheryl Diggins.
Join a Fix-Mix
New Folks, New Ideas, New Ways to Create Community By: Rosalie T. Torres, Secretary, NOLA TimeBank; Owner, New Orleans Green LLC
A Panel members at the NPN Fall Membership meeting discuss the future of education in New Orleans and Louisiana. left to right: Tracy Guillory, principal of Gentilly Terrace Elementary School; Rose Drill-Peterson, Director of Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools; Deirdre Johnson Burel, Executive Director, Orleans Public Education Network; Kathleen Padian, Orleans Parish School Board Deputy Superintendent of Charter Schools; Caroline Roemer Shirley, Executive Director, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools; Ben McLeish, Parent, community leader, and board member for The Plessy School.
NPN’s Fall Membership Meeting
The Future of Education in New Orleans and Louisiana By: Nora McGunnigle, Local History Editor
“The Future of Education in New Orleans and Louisiana” was the theme for this fall’s NPN Membership Meeting held on October 30, 2012 at Gentilly Terrace Elementary School. NPN’s Membership Committee partnered with Orleans Public Education Network (OPEN) to host a lively panel discussion and conversation with NPN members. The panelists in attendance were: Rose Drill-Peterson, Director of Eastbank Collaborative of Charter Schools; Tracy Guillory, Principal; Gentilly Terrace Elementary School; Ben McLeish, parent, community leader, and board member for The Plessy School; Kira Orange Jones, 2nd District Representative, Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education; Kathleen Padian, Orleans Parish School Board Deputy Superintendent of Charter Schools; Dana Peterson, Deputy Director of External Affairs State of Louisiana Dept. of Education; and Caroline Roemer Shirley, Executive Director, Louisiana Association of Public Charter Schools.
12
Even though the Orleans Parish School Board had another engagement across town that evening, a good number of them showed up to talk to our members, including: Brett Bonin Cynthia Cade, District 2; Jason Coleman, District 6; Karran Harper Royal, District 3; Heidi Lovett Daniels, District 1; Nolan Marshall, Jr, District 7; Thomas Robicheaux, District 7; Kwame Smith, District 7; and Ira Thomas, District 1. With the skillful panel moderation of Deirdre Johnson Burel, Executive Director for OPEN, the panel engaged each other and the audience, listening to each others’ concerns and answering frankly and honestly. The OPSB candidates took a few minutes at the end of the night to address the audience about why they were running for the school board. Keep an eye out for the next Membership Meeting in May, and please contact NPN if you would like to be involved in the Membership Committee (which plans and organizes the Membership Meetings), the Advocacy Task Force (which will be focusing on education issues in 2013), or to sign up as a member!
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
s many readers may know, New Orleans recently topped the list of the fastest growing cities in the country based on U.S. Census data. And it’s not just former residents returning after Katrina, there are plenty of “new” folks - approximately one in nine that account for the surge - according to a Kaiser Family Foundation study. Gretchen Zalkind joined the growing list of newcomers and moved here two years ago from Oregon. She is a great lover of New Orleans, and she brought with her a passion for building a sense of community and “fixing broken stuff.” Every second Monday evening of the month she shares those passions with others at the Rosa F. Keller Community Center where she coordinates a “Fix-Mix.” The basic idea, which is trending elsewhere in the nation after beginning in the Netherlands, is for folks to bring broken objects to a community location where others who have fix-it inclinations (not necessarily professionals) work with you to mend a garment, rewire a lamp, or fix (or attempt to fix) just about anything you can haul in. As Zalkind puts it, “You save money, you build community, and you don’t go to the mall. Pull something (broken) out from the back of your closet and have that be (the basis for) your social event.” At these two-hour sessions, from 6-8 pm, there are “fixers” and “fixees.” The fixers are typically members of the NOLA TimeBank who bring their tools and talents to Broadmoor’s Keller Community Center. They set up shop in the spacious and well-lit main room where “fixees” bring items for repair. There are a variety of tools, glues, screws and nails, and fitting for the Keller building - a 1917 historically significant bungalow - a vintage sewing machine that still goes strong.
Both groups reap a variety of benefits: the satisfaction of helping others and putting a broken possession back to use, saving money, keeping broken items out of the landfill, and building relationships. Most “fixees” who come to Fix-Mix for the first time return again. At the Fix-Mix, you can also sign-up and get an orientation to be a member of the NOLA TimeBank. The TimeBank is yet another way to build community. Members share their skills by offering and receiving services. Every hour that is spent giving a service equals an hour in the “bank” that can be redeemed for an hour’s service received. Membership is free. “New Orleans attracts people who see old things, can fix them up and make them wonderful again,” Zalkind explained. She should know, in addition to starting the NOLA TimeBank, Zalkind also moved into and renovated one of New Orleans’ own historic residential gems. New Folks, New Ideas, New Ways to Create Community in Town: We Like It.
Do you have a passion for fixing? The Fix Mix welcomes fixers who would like to share their time and talents. Learn more, go to nolatimebank.org or call 504.484.9058 NOLA TimeBank Fix Mix Second Mondays from 6-8 pm Keller Library Community Center 4300 S Broad St www.nolatimebank.org
NOLA TimeBanking Basics First Saturdays from 1-2 p.m. Freret Neighborhood Center 4606 Freret St www.nolatimebank.org
NPN needs bloggers Sign up at: thetrumpet@npnnola.com THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
13
We at BoC hope to offer some respite amidst the crisis, and care for those that continue to give despite it all. Taking Care of Education, our on-going initiative seeks to do just that. It takes the form of a participatory documentary that centers around Care Events where unemployed, underemployed and work-weary educators receive gestures of care. The last Care Event took place on October 28, 2012 at Flexspace Studio in Bywater. Flexspace Studio was transformed into an ad hoc care center that offered relaxing therapies like massages, tea service, kitten playtime, tuning fork therapy and luxury bubble baths. At the event, educator-participants shared their experiences and were photographed to acknowledge their individuality. The event engaged the public through a community arts happening that generated an archive of audio and photographic documentation. The documentation showcased personal facts and perspectives relevant to the contemporary education crisis. Collected materials formed the basis for media installations intended for art and cultural institutions. These installation provide historical perspective and reflective experience, as well as a webbased archive-presentation that makes use of media sharing sites for broad distribution and immediate impact. One of these installations is on display at Gravier Street and Magazine Street, in the window gallery of the Urban Sidewalk Installation Space (USIS). It is important to the members of BoC to note that the participatory performance of care-giving is the primary objective of the Taking Care of Education initiative. The documentation and display of the care rendered is our attempt to share these personal experiences with a broader audience outside of the New Orleans art community. We encourage all of those involved in the education of New Orleans children— teachers, counselors, nurses, bus drivers, or janitors—to attend and receive these simple gestures of care, whether they prefer anonymity or the opportunity to share their story. Our goal is to humanize, publicize, and support the plight of Louisiana’s teachers.
To learn more about BUREAU of CHANGE and Taking Care of Education, visit www.facebook.com/BUREAUofCHANGE
An Innovative Workspace in Broadmoor By: Thomas Rush, Managing Director, Propeller Social Innovation Incubator - HUB NOLA LLC
The Propeller Social Innovation Incubator is slated to open December 1, 2012. The facility, a two-story, 10,000 square foot space will represent a giant leap for the City of New Orleans toward providing social entrepreneurs a collaborative environment for social innovation and greater impact.
P
ropeller Social Innovation Incubator, located at 4035 Washington Avenue, adjacent to the Broadmoor neighborhood, will promote social innovation by providing 16 private offices, 10 open-area desks, 30 plus co-working spaces, two conference rooms, a prototyping workshop, a kitchen, and off-street parking. The Incubator’s mission is to provide a collaborative, inspirational space for entrepreneurs, existing small businesses, and nonprofits. Within the facility, Propeller will operate its highly successful Social Venture Accelerator and yearround workshops (PR & Marketing, Quickbooks, Finance 101, Fundraising, etc.) supporting for-profit and non-profit social ventures in their efforts to provide widescale social impact for communities, job creation, and financial sustainability. The building will provide workspace to 60-100 social entrepreneurs in the city – from social innovation startups to more established organizations. “Propeller is excited for the creative synergy and collaboration that will occur when like-minded people are working in proximity to solve our region’s most pressing social and environmental challenges. The Propeller Incubator project represents the tremendous growth and continued potential of social entrepreneurship since Hurricane Katrina,” said Andrea Chen, Co-Founder and Executive Director of Propeller: A Force for Social Innovation.
Turning Teacher Gratification into An Art Form By: Annabelle Grimes, Creative Research and Development Associate, BUREAU of CHANGE
W
e have all heard the numbers on the shortcomings of the current education system. I could rattle off statistics about the disheartening situation facing us in New Orleans until I am blue in the face. Many have done just that for years, most notably since the system overhaul in 2004. I fear a bombardment of the numbers from the media, though initially shocking, can cause a depersonalization of the education crisis in our city. Turning children and educators into percentages for comprehensiveness and immediacy is one thing, but to leave them as such offers no solution. BUREAU of CHANGE (BoC), a newly-formed artist collective, seeks to put a face back on one aspect of New Orleans education: the educators themselves. We believe that somewhere in the ensuing chaos after the 2004 education reform, the focus on the well-being of those who are most important to a child’s education has been lost. Despite various programs that support and recruit driven and compassionate individuals for our schools, the ability of these programs to help maintain the spiritedness of educators still leaves something to be desired.
14
Archon Information Systems’ CivicSource® platform is a leading provider of: • delinquent tax collection, • online property tax auctions • and tax collection software We provide all levels of governmental agencies with comprehensive tax and treasury management solutions at no cost to the department. If you have questions about any of our services please contact us at 504-267-0065 or info@archoninfosys.com We are a proud supporter of Neighborhoods Partnership Network and the Trumpet.
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
To learn more, contact trush@gopropeller.org
Broadmoor Neighborhood History By: Nora McGunnigle, Local History Editor, NPN
Photo By: Colin Roberson
The Propeller Social Innovation Incubator will help revitalize an economically depressed area near the geographic center of the city. The development of Propeller’s Social Innovation Incubator is part of a fourbuilding project in Broadmoor that will restore four vacant, historic buildings, putting them back into commerce and creating community benefit. Green Coast Enterprises has led this development project and helped bring Propeller’s neighbors and partners in this New Orleans renaissance to the area, including Laurel Street Bakery and South Broad Community Health Clinic. The area has excellent transit access, with four major bus lines serving the intersection. Planned street improvements will bring additional bike and pedestrian traffic, enhancing multi-modal accessibility. The space is planning to offer competitive lease rates and co-working memberships to social innovation startups, existing small businesses, and nonprofits. Through Propeller, organizations will gain access to resources and services that are typically difficult to obtain for startups with limited capacity.
L
ess than 200 years ago, Broadmoor was a 12 acre lake extending from one of the four streams that branched off Bayou St. John. In 1834, most of what is now Broadmoor was mapped as “Vacant Land,” although portions of it were owned by L. Pierce and D.F. Walden. By 1873, maps indicate that the area above Broad Street was owned by Barthelemy and the rest was recorded as “Public Land.” By 1885, city maps recorded numbered blocks in the area as well as drainage canals dug along Claiborne and Toledano, and a proposed canal along Broad. In 1903 the first pumping station at Melpomene and Broad opened and many more drainage canals throughout the neighborhood were proposed. As a result of the canals extending into the Broadmoor neighborhood, the area had a small population included in the 1910 census, primarily between Broad and Claiborne and Napoleon and Upperline (population was still very, very sparse above Broad and upriver from Jefferson). Real Estate advertisements in the Times-Picayune in the mid 1910’s describe growth in the area. At the same time, St. Mattias Church was established. Development increased significantly in the 1920s, and the Andrew Wilson School opened in 1922. By 1939, only 10 percent of the neighborhood remained vacant. In the 1940s, single family homes comprised 60 percent, with the remaining 40 percent being two-four family homes, with 50 percent of those owner occupied. It became a very stable neighborhood, with a good housing stock of double shotguns along with Spanish and Mission Revival houses. The boundaries were determined to be Toledano St., Eve St., S. Jefferson Parkway, Nashville Ave., S. Tonti St., Jefferson Ave., and S. Claiborne Ave. The Broadmoor Civic Association, the area’s first formal neighborhood association, formed in 1922. The Broadmoor Improvement Association (BIA) was created in 1969 following the decline in the late 1950’s and 60’s that plagued many other New Orleans neighborhoods. Construction began on Chevra Thilim Synagogue in 1948, which brought
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
NEIGH SPOTBORHOOD LIGHT BR
many Jewish families to Broadmoor. Tokay Tea Ball Park was the scene of semi-pro baseball for many years. Nearby was an area known as “Aviation Field” because early planes would land there looking for Wendell-Williams Air Field. The Rosa Keller Public Library, previously a private home built in 1918 and sold to the City of New Orleans in 1990, was dedicated to a New Orleans civil rights activist in 1993. It was destroyed during the flooding subsequent to Hurricane Katrina and has been rebuilt as a state of the art, LEED-certified community center, with the historic original building restored rather than replaced. It officially reopened in March 2012. Because of Broadmoor’s origins as a lake area before drainage and pumping, the levee failures caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005 flooded Broadmoor very badly. An average of 10ft of water flooded the neighborhood. The “Bring New Orleans Back” Commission originally proposed that Broadmoor be kept as green space, making that community one of the dreaded “green dot” neighborhoods. In response, the BIA sprang into action to save their neighborhood, rebuild, and bring its residents back home. In 2006, they developed a plan, “by the residents, for the residents.” By June of 2010, 76 percent of residents had returned, with many more since then. Development in Broadmoor is in full swing, with an education corridor being built at S. Broad and Washington, and many other community and economic improvements. With a residential and business community as involved and impassioned as Broadmoor’s, there is no limit to the improvement to this neighborhood!
OADM
OOR
15
16
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
17
Community Advisory Team
NORDC
CAT priorities are submitted to the NORDC CEO, who determines next steps
CAT members submit items for vote. CAT priorities are determined by membership vote.
NORDC CEO Decision
Community Advisory Team
Forging Lasting Partnerships Among The U.S. Attorney’s Office, Enforcement Partners, and Our Citizens By: Shane Jones, Community Outreach Specialist, U.S. Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Louisiana
President VOTING
Community Advisory Team
SUBMISSION
Priorities
Vice President
NORDC CEO
Secretary
DISTRICT (when needed)
Communitiy Advisory Council
NORDC
Sub-Committees
NORDC
Sub-Committees
NORDC
Full-Committee Decision
NORDC
Full-Committee Decision
This chart illustrates the NORDC NPP decision making process.
Getting the Neighbors Involved in NORDC By: Mike Madej
What is the NORDC NPP? “Our goal from day one has been to create and institute effective processes that enable all New Orleanians to contribute to the future success of our City and its residents,” explained Lucas Diaz, Director of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office. As you may or may not know the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) along with the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office is working to finalize a community engagement process known as the NORDC Neighborhood Participation Process (NPP) or NORDC NPP for short. This bottom up approach will develop three location-based Community Advisory Teams (CATs) in each council district, creating a total of 15 CATs citywide. Throughout the last two months the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office has been working with NORDC and community members to gather input in developing this process.
Building Community Advisory Teams (CATs) Each CAT will be made up of community members interested in improving local recreation programs, policies and facilities. All CATs will consist of a leadership structure determined by their members. It will be mandated that CATs follow inclusive practices to allow an equal opportunity for every individual (young and old), organized group and entity expressing an interest in recreation policies, programming and facilities to have the ability to participate in prioritizing local recreation needs. By producing a well vetted list of prioritized recreation needs the NORDC CEO and Commissioners will have the needed insight to make more effective decisions.
Improving Effective Public Participation “The idea is to provide an avenue for the entire community to engage in the process,” explained Roy Glapion, NORDC Chairman. Currently, the public participation process for NORDC is confusing and messy. Citizens and program participants have few outlets to officially express recreation concerns. Additionally, the NORDC CEO and Commission may not be clear if the concerns expressed represent the entire community or just a particular individual.
18
Community Engagements
The NORDC NPP is designed to create effective public participation by providing an official space to deliberate and reach consensus on community and city-wide recreation issues before submitting suggestions and ideas to the NORDC CEO or Commission. Since recreation needs may vary from park to park and community to community, each CAT will prioritize recreation issues for designated parks within their community. This process will allow recreation opportunities to meet the growing and changing needs of each community.
Engaging in the NORDC NPP Although the NPP is still being developed it is imperative that community members interested in recreation issues understand how to engage in the NPP. This goal is to provide coaches, youth, participants, parents, booster clubs, community members and organizations an official outlet to advocate for improvements to recreation in New Orleans. Implementing the NORDC NPP will not be an easy task but with the help and input of people concerned about recreation issues in the city, the NPP can begin to build a more effective and transparent decision making process for improving the programs, policies and facilities of NORDC. Citizens interested in learning more about the NPP and other NORDC related issues are encouraged to attend the full commission meetings held every first Tuesday of the month in the City Council Chambers beginning at 5pm. The next meeting is Tuesday, December 4, 2012. To find out more about the NORDC NPP you can contact either the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office or NORDC at the websites listed below: Neighborhood Engagement Office: http://new.nola.gov/neighborhood-engagement/ NORDC: (504) 658-7806. http://www.nola.gov/Residents/NORD/
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
In the spring of 2004 New Orleans suffered unacceptably high waves of violent crime and homicides. As U.S. Attorneys grasping for ways to make a positive difference wherever we could, I, along with our law enforcement partners, reached out to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in Washington for solutions. The DOJ Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) Office responded with a solution.
I
was offered an opportunity to try something relatively new – a strategy based not on funding or resources, but on human capital and building partnerships. The program focused on team building and strategy sessions led by former inner city law enforcement professionals acting as “facilitators.” The facilitators brought together disparate elements of the community to form not only a consensus about short-term solutions that would lead to a reduction in crime, but long-term partnerships that could hopefully sustain and advance any gains made in the initial phase. The B.W. Cooper Housing Development was selected as the target area and we met with community leaders, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) and Safe Streets Task Force members from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). We identified the most critical problems and challenges in the B.W. Cooper, focusing on the culture of violent crime and homicides driven by a street-level drug trade that terrorized the citizens and created an unsafe environment for the children. But eradicating those problems were – and are – long-term goals, and far too strategic for a short-term introductory partnership like the Community Engagement. Our initial task was to collectively identify the “low-hanging fruit.” After collaborating toward a common goal, we reached true consensus. We set out to fix, in 90 days, some basic problems impacting quality of life. Challenges like unkempt, dirty, littered areas; extensive violent gang graffiti; unattended, overflowing dumpsters; sprawling, untrimmed trees and shrubs; broken lights; and uncut grass all made the area unpleasant and unsafe for citizens. We conducted weekly meetings in the B.W. Cooper. We made daily calls to city departments, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, NOPD, and other subdivisions of local government to negotiate for assistance. Our NOPD partners introduced us to residents and we got to know the people we work for. With the help and leadership of the NOPD, ATF, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and a Boy Scout troop that changed light bulbs, we successfully achieved our goals in 90 days. By the end of those 90 days we passed walls wiped clean of gang tags, and courtyard “cuts” no longer strewn with discarded furniture, garbage, overgrown trees, and high grass. And most of all, crime dropped precipitously – just about 40 percent on the front end. Unfortunately, as we prepared to enter phase two, the establishment of a Public Safety Explorer Troop, Katrina hit and we were back to square one. Fast forward to 2011. With the help of Tawana Waugh, a member of the DOJ COPS Office, we re-generated our COPS Community Engagement. We sat down with NOPD Superintendent Ronal Serpas and came up with three targeted communities: St. Roch, the New Orleans East lakefront subdivision, Edgelake and Central City/Hoffman Triangle Community.
Faubourg/St. Roch Last November, the first of the forums kicked off in a two-day engagement at the Healing Center, directly across from St. Roch’s historic Market Building on St. Claude Avenue. The St. Roch team identified and agreed to seek three goals, all of them mid to long-term:
By the end of those 90 days we passed walls wiped clean of gang tags, and courtyard “cuts” no longer strewn with discarded furniture, garbage, overgrown trees, and high grass.
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
1. The Youth Initiative – Identifying, approaching, and re-guiding disenfranchised, truant or out-of-work young people. 2. The Corner Store Initiative – Reducing the likelihood that a local convenience store would attract loitering and troublesome conduct by local individuals; and 3. The Blight/Abandoned Property Reduction Initiative
Led by Reggie Lawson, a community activist, and St. Roch resident, the group weathered slow starts and lulls with sheer commitment, staying power, and enthusiasm. Punctuated by regular meetings, the St. Roch Community Engagement push has continued forward with laudable goals. In the Youth/Education Project, disenfranchised or troubled youth (ages 16-24) are targeted for recruitment into a GED program to re-start their educations. We gave the last $50k of our remaining discretionary funds to the Youth Empowerment Project, increasing their capacity to educate our young people. Our team has also generated intake forms for young people as well as an intake process for mentors to lead them through. To date, we have identified a number of partners who are willing to serve as mentors – complete with training – and others who have stepped forward to provide apprenticeships for these candidates once their GEDs have been completed. The Corner Store/Retail Outlet Initiative partnered with city and state agencies to address loitering, unusual store hours, and the sale of certain products from Jack’s Meat Market. This initiative has transformed a sometimes tense relationship between the owner of Jack’s Meat Market, and the citizens, to a positive and productive one. Not only has State Alcohol and Tobacco Control successfully carried out satisfactory inspections, but the owner attends monthly neighborhood meetings and continues to partner with the group. Finally, the Blight/Abandoned Properties Initiative relies on community members and city officials to tour and survey sectors of St. Roch. The members are now well-acquainted with the blight elimination process and routinely make productive suggestions to the city government to improve the system. One of the most promising suggestions would be to require registration of vacant houses with the city. This assists NOPD by preventing unwanted occupancy and reducing criminal activity. To date this committee has completed a survey of the entire Faubourg/St. Roch neighborhood. continued on page 20
19
Landrieu recently announced that all street lights in the city will be operational by the end of the year.
And, following the involvement of the State of Louisiana Alcohol, Tobacco Control Officers in the Corner Store Initiative, the City of New Orleans, together with NOPD and the City Council, has announced an effort to crack down on city-licensed alcohol vendors who are out of compliance with their permits.
Central City/Hoffman Triangle
New Orleans East Since the first community engagement in Edgelake Subdivision, participating citizens have attempted to bridge the pre-existing gap between neighborhood members and city agencies. This has come with some success thanks to both citizens and the proactive city government, as well as the NOPD. Collaborating with Quality of Life Officers in NOPD to address issues like blighted housing, damaged/nonfunctional street lights, and overgrown lots, the team has had tangible success. Since the initiative, Mayor Mitch
By the time this article appears in print, the third in our series of community engagements – targeted at Central City/Hoffman Triangle, scheduled for August 25, 2012 – will be well underway. It is our hope and belief that together we have within our grasp the potential and power to solve or at least ameliorate our community challenges. Neither our Community Outreach nor our Victim Witness Programs could be successful without the extraordinary leadership of Victim Witness Coordinator Donna Duplantier, together with Community Outreach Specialists Shane Jones and Quinn Smith, Lisa Stewart and Tawana Waugh and her DOJ Cops Office team.
In a world that seems to get more complex by the minute, there is something to be said for
clarity of purpose.
New Orleans Youth Mix it Up
Every once in awhile an idea comes along that is so straightforward, so clear in its purpose and outcome, that it feels like
a breath of fresh air.
Will Climb Trees for Food
F
or me, the New Orleans Fruit Tree Project (NOFTP) was that moment. NOFTP is a network of fruit tree owners, volunteers and organizations that feed the hungry, an urban harvesting program that is a community response to food insecurity. In New Orleans, many families struggle just to put food on the table, much less a well-balanced diet of fresh fruits and vegetables. Certain neighborhoods, classified as “food deserts,” have little access to affordable fresh fruit, while just down the street there are fruit trees -satsumas, oranges, grapefruit and more - owned by people who simply can’t consume or pick all the fruit their trees produce. Rather than let all that bounty go to waste, NOPTP mobilizes volunteers to collect the excess fruit and distribute it through Second Harvest Food Bank. Last year, NOFTP was able to harvest and distribute over 10,000lbs of fresh fruit. NOFTP was founded in 2011 by Megan Nuismer. At the time she was serving as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Hollygrove Market and Farm. Nuismer, who earned her Master’s in Public Health from Tulane, adapted the model from a similar project in Portland, Oregon. It didn’t take long for the New Orleans’ version to take on a life of its own with a unique local flair.
20
By: Ben Brubaker
There is a lot to be said for expanding on a good idea. We don’t always need to reinvent the wheel, but just make sure the treads can handle the local terrain. So far the New Orleans community has embraced the project with open arms, from volunteers seeking to get involved in weekend “gleaning” projects, to local residents signing up to donate the excess fruit in their own backyards. If you are interested in joining NOFTP’s network of supporters there are a number of ways to get involved. First, sign up to volunteer, you will learn the ropes of fruit tree gleaning while reconnecting with the natural source of your favorite fruits. Second, if you are a fruit tree owner, sign up to donate your excess fruit. NOFTP will come with its own equipment and volunteers to clear the fruit and transport it for distribution to those in need. Finally, if you are unable to volunteer or donate fruit, you can visit www.nolafruit. org to help NOFTP raise funds for essential equipment and personnel to support their mission.
Learn more about NOFTP by visiting www.nolafruit.org or by following them at facebook.com/nolafruit and Twitter @NolaFruit THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
NOLA MIX is a new music education program that provides training, mentoring and performance opportunities for aspiring DJs of all ages and skill levels. NOLA MIX was created in 2011 by New Orleans artists Ben Epstein (DJ Yamin) and Jerald L. White, with support from two local non-profits: Press Street and Charitable Film Network.
S
tudents learn about the history of DJ-ing, basic mixing, scratching and beat making, and they produce a group music CD. Students are also exposed to new DJ technology including Serato Live software, and art activities that reinforce their emerging DJ skills. NOLA MIX DJ classes are currently held in Central City, Uptown and neighborhoods along the St. Claude Avenue Corridor. Students who complete the four to six week DJ training receive a Certificate of Achievement, a NOLA MIX t-shirt, and are invited to perform at community events throughout the city. “I want each NOLA MIX student to grow personally and professionally,” explained Epstein. “Our hands-on training and mentoring gives students a good foundation for DJ-ing at block parties, schools and other community events. We give our students real DJ work opportunities to build their confidence, and teach them how to entertain an audience.” NOLA MIX graduates DJ RaRa, DJ Class Clown, DJ S, Dead Noise, and DJ Glitz were featured on WGNO’s “News With A Twist,” and recently performed at the New Orleans Film Festival. “I definitely think I want to make this a career. I’m glad I’m learning the skills to do it right now,” said Hampton Callais, aka Dead Noise. “DJ Yamin has been a great mentor for me.” “We’ve accomplished a lot in a short period of time,” said White. “We’ve successfully launched five DJ training programs in the city, hired a Marketing and Communications Coordinator and a former student to serve
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
as our Outreach and Performance Coordinator. But at the end of the day we need community support to make things happen.” What’s next for NOLA MIX? The organization will launch a Kickstarter campaign in November to raise funds for new equipment, and its youth DJs will perform at “Framing the Future,” a PhotoNOLA art exhibit illuminating the interaction between people (particularly youth) and the urban environment. The exhibit will be held at Stella Jones Gallery on December 1, 2012 at 5pm, and will feature artwork by youth in the Louisiana Green Corps. NOLA MIX programs are made possible with support from the Arts Council of New Orleans, Ashé Cultural Arts Center, Charitable Film Network, Dancing Grounds, Freret Neighborhood Center, International House of Blues Foundation, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Foundation, Press Street’s Antenna Gallery, and 1239 Congress Street Gallery.
For additional information about NOLA MIX DJ classes, booking workshops or performances, and sponsorship opportunities contact nolamixdjs@gmail.com or visit nolamix.com and facebook.com/nolamix. 21
Beauty Shop Talk
Self-Esteem
By: Christy “CeCe” Chapman
Hey Ladies, “Beauty Shop Talk” is a corner only for us. In our everyday lives we work hard. We are mothers, wives and caregivers to the world, but never take a minute to just breathe and reflect on the things we face daily. This corner will also allow you to share things that you may not feel comfortable sharing with your girlfriends or your better half. So learn to make a cocktail, relax and reflect for a few. Domestic violence is something that affects both women and men. Domestic violence can happen in the form of mental, emotional or physical abuse. It is the willful intimidation, physical assault, and or abusive behavior by an intimate partner against another. This is something that affects women of all races, age, religion, economic status and educational background. The results of this abuse are physical injury, psychological trauma and sometimes death. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, one in every four women will experience domestic abuse in her lifetime. An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year. Eighty-five percent of domestic victims are women. Young men who witness violence are twice as likely to abuse there partner. Almost one-third of female homicide victims that are reported in police records are killed by an intimate partner. Victims of intimate partner violence lose almost eight million days of paid work because of the violence from current/former boyfriend or husbands. It is one of the most unreported crimes due to fear or embarrassment. If you are in an abusive relationship there is help. Have courage and believe that you deserve better. For more information or to get help, please call The National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233.
Life Isn’t About Finding Yourself, Life is About Creating Yourself By: Peter T. Stevenson, Director of Recreation, Health and Wellness at Dillard University
If you would like to ask a “Beauty Shop Talk” question email beautyshoptalkNPN@rocketmail.com
Health-Focused, Holistic Neighborhood Spaces
The St. Roch Natatorium Project By: Tara Foster, Policy and Advocacy Editor
R
eggie Lawson has been a resident of the St. Roch neighborhood since 1993, devoting much of the last nearly 20 years to activism and leadership within his community. Many New Orleanians know Lawson from his work with the Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association (FSRIA), but perhaps less widely known is how he is leading the charge, along with other dedicated residents, in efforts to build a Natatorium in the St. Roch Park. The project, which received a funding commitment from the City’s Capital Projects department in April of this year, takes into account the neighborhood’s holistic vision for itself. In addition to offering St. Roch residents a space for recreation and exercise through the pool, the Natatorium will also house multipurpose rooms and a “pool patio,” where neighbors can gather, meet and offer additional community programming. Lawson and the project’s supporters envision this facility as a worldclass haven for downtown New Orleans’ residents, “a source of pride for Faubourg St. Roch, a focal point for young people to have some diversity in a
well-rounded fitness program, and a destination for seniors to address a low impact fitness program.” While the City has allocated funds for this project, they are not nearly enough to actualize the vision that the St. Roch neighborhood aims to produce. Lawson and his action group continue to seek out other funding sources, keeping in mind the annual operating budget that a project of this scale will require. There is a great need in our city for holistic, community-developed projects like the St. Roch Natatorium to come into fruition. In the St. Roch neighborhood alone, 25 percent of the population is under the age of 17 and 13 percent is over the age of 65, according to 2010 census data analyzed by the Greater New Orleans Data Center—which is to say nothing of the surrounding neighborhoods that will also serve to benefit from such a facility. A health-focused, multi-purpose space like the Natatorium will help support intergenerational recreation and community building in Faubourg St. Roch, and further enhance the neighborhood asset that is St. Roch Park.
To learn more about the Natatorium, as well as to contribute to the project’s fundraising efforts, stop by the next Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association meeting. The group meets monthly on the second Thursday of every month at 6pm. in the True Vine Baptist Church, 2008 Marigny Street.
S
elf-esteem is a sense of positive self-regard, producing feelings of self-respect, self-worth, self-confidence, and self-satisfaction. People with high self-esteem tend to feel good about themselves and their lives, respond to challenges in resilient ways, have optimistic outlooks on life, capitalize on opportunities, and even enjoy better physical health. Self-esteem also promotes healthy, fulfilling relationships with others. Self-esteem is largely developed in childhood as a result of the relationships we have with our parents, peers, and caregivers. A child who feels loved, valued, and listened to is more likely to have higher self-esteem later in life. Alternately, if a child is abused or feel unloved or ignored, that child may develop poor self-esteem that continues into adulthood. During our formative years, successes and failures in school, athletics, friendships, intimate relationships, our jobs, and every other aspect of life subtly shape our beliefs about personal worth and abilities. These beliefs in turn become internal influences on our psychosocial health. Our self-esteem is a result of the relationships we have with our parents and family during our formative years; with our friends as we grow older; with our significant others as we form intimate relationships; and with our teachers, coworkers, and others throughout our lives. So how can you build up your self-esteem?
Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself.
Here are some tips: • Take care of yourself. Eat healthfully, exercise, and make sure you leave time in your schedule for fun. Don’t wait for others to take care of you you are your own best caretaker. Healthy eating and exercise can help you feel better about yourself. Your health depends largely on what you eat, how much you eat, and the amount of exercise that you get throughout your life. • Pat yourself on the back. Notice when something you’ve done turns out well, and take a moment to congratulate yourself. If you always wanted to start walking and you walked today, give yourself a pat on the back because you got up and took the first step. • Practice positive “self-talks.” If you criticize yourself in your head, stop. Instead, make a habit of complimenting yourself, or repeating positive affirmation. Today I made the choice to exercise and I did it. I look good and with moderate exercise, I will look better. I can do it and I will.
NPN needs bloggers Sign up at: thetrumpet@npnnola.com 22
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
your closet. Get a couple of them done each week. You’ll be reminded of how much you can accomplish and feel less distracted by loose ends. Exercise maybe one of those tasks on your list - start a 30 minute exercise program.
• Stretch your abilities. Decide to learn something new, whether it’s a school subject that seems intimidating or an activity you’ve never tried. Give yourself time to learn your new skill piece by piece, and then watch your talents grow. I’ve always wanted to roller blade; well today is the day I learn. • Tackle your “To Do List.” Think about tasks you’ve been putting off, like calling a relative you haven’t spoken with in a while or cleaning out
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
• Listen to yourself. What do you really want, need, and value? If you want others to listen to you, you need to understand and respect your own thoughts and feelings first. Ask yourself, do you value your health and well being? If your answer is yes, then listen to your mind, body and soul and make the necessary plans to start eating healthy and exercising daily. • Reach out. There is no simpler, or more generous way to build self-esteem than doing something nice for someone else. You’ll both benefit. Participating in volunteering activities is a great way to boost selfesteem. Volunteer for a charitable organization that will make you feel good inside and your friends will see it on the outside.
When dealing with self-esteem we need to understand how it affects our emotional health. Emotional health has been described as the capacity to live life to its fullest in ways that enable a person to realize his or her own potential. Emotional health begins with a person’s true understanding of how he or she feels about himself or herself. Emotionally healthy people have high self-esteem. A person with high self-esteem has confidence, a sense of positive self-regard, and belief in self. Self-esteem has been called the blueprint for behavior, as it guides what a person thinks he or she can do. Remember when dealing with self-esteem issues one of the most important things is to pay attention to your own needs and wants. Listen to what your mind, body, and soul is telling you. Go ahead and make that list of things that make you happy, but this time follow through with it. Do something on that list every day that will make you happy. Do things that you are good at and enjoy the satisfaction in a job well done. Acknowledge that you are a great person by rewarding yourself regularly. You are great and you should not wait until someone comes along and rewards you. Spend time with people who make you feel good about yourself. Avoid people who treat you poorly or make you feel bad. Display or keep close items that you like and take time to reflect on your achievements, your true friends, or special times. One other thing to remember “Life isn’t about finding yourself, life is about creating yourself.” References Personal Health; Perspectives and Lifestyle by Patricia A. Floyd, Sandra Mimms and Caroline Yelding Choosing Health by April Lynch, Barry Elmore, Tanya Morgan Access to Health by Rebecca J. Donatelle
23
The New Orleans Fatherhood Consortium Community Spotlight
City Hall: November 1, 2012
Benjamin and Cheryl Diggins Proclamation Whereas, President Harry S. Truman wrote: “There is enough in the world for everyone to have plenty to live on happily and to be at peace with his neighbors;” and Whereas, Benjamin and Cheryl Diggins continue to live at peace with their neighbors, treating the Melia Neighborhood as family, and taking care of them as such; and Whereas, following Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, the Diggins initially assisted neighbors by putting on blue tarps on their roofs; and Whereas, following Hurricane Isaac, the Diggins, because they had a generator, offered neighbors the opportunity to stay in their home. Ben Diggins once again tarped a roof of a neighbor in an attempt to prevent additional roof damage; and Whereas,, Cheryl Diggins, together with friend and neighbor Johnetta Jackson, walked the Melia neighborhood and spread poison for rodents while residents gutted
their homes. Both ladies are credited with organizing the Melia Neighborhood Association; and Whereas, the Diggins have attended numerous meetings since 2006 keeping residents informed of the important issues of rebuilding the community. In 2008, they were very instrumental in restoring Digby Park; and Whereas, Ben Diggins is currently President of the Melia Neighborhood Association and a board member of NPN, and a member of Community Legion and Cheryl Diggins serves on the ENONAC board; and Whereas, although Cheryl Diggins in currently undergoing treatment for an illness, she continues to assist the neighborhood and can be seen passing out flyer and attending community meetings; Whereas, the Diggins are diligent in making the Melia Neighborhood and Eastern New Orleans a better place to live for all residents; now therefore
At the request of Councilmember Cynthia Hedge Morrell Be It Proclaimed by the Council of the City of New Orleans that This Council honors and applauds Benjamin and Cheryl Diggins and will forever remember them in the writings of the Bible, Proverbs 27:10: “Better is a neighbor that is near than a brother far off.”
24
would not be to his son what his father was to him. He decided to put his dreams of pursuing a career in video game design on hold so that he could provide for his son. He got a good-paying job and an apartment that his son could comfortably call his home. For Diaz, fatherhood has not come without its challenges. From the struggles of finding a good job and housing to the struggles of a strained relationship with his son’s mother, Diaz’s commitment to fatherhood has been tested. He does not have a car and often travels by bus. At times, that can be a significant challenge, but one that is easily put in perspective when Diaz compares it to the opportunity to be in his son’s life in a meaningful way. He takes his son to and from school every day. Christian especially likes to ride the street car. They attend church together every Sunday. They watch football, play video games, and attend Hornets games. “I don’t need fame. I’m perfectly happy being a father,” Diaz added. He believes that setting life goals and having his son see him reach those goals helps him to teach Christian to never give up on the dreams that grow in his life. Diaz takes advantage of every opportunity to have a positive influence on the person that Christian will become. Considering the widespread violence among young black males, he finds it is extremely important to have fathers who spare no expense in teaching their sons and daughters what it means to be a responsible citizen. We need to be more intentional about lifting up men like Diaz for their example of responsibility, sacrifice, and leadership. Fatherhood is not an exact science, it involves a mixture of good times and bad times. However, the true measure of a father is in his dedication to being involved, active and accessible to his children and his family. At the New Orleans Fatherhood Consortium, we are proud to tell the world about Diaz, and all the other fathers who so often show us their work but seldom tell us their story. Please take the time to tell your father or any father you know how much you appreciate his time, love, and sacrifice – you never know if or when he will hear it again!
Advertise In
T
The
rumpet
The Trumpet is New Orleans only community newspaper written by neighborhood residents, for neighborhoods, and about New Orleans neighborhoods. The bi-monthly newspaper, with a circulation of 5,000 copies throughout greater New Orleans, has over 110 contributors from our network who are fulfilling our vision of “community voices orchestrating change.”
And, We Would Like to Invite YOU to Be a Part of This Symphony! As an advertising partner, can choose from either a quarterpage, half page, 3/4 page or a full page. Whether you want to write something “article style,” or use the full space for a single graphic to highlight a serviceor event, you are welcome to shape your advertising space to best communicate your message. In addition, you will also have access to our other communication outlets, including our website, www.npnnola.com, The Trumpet Blog and our weekly newsletter, Trumpet Tidbits, which currently reaches 3,500 readers.
To Advertise email melissa@npnnola.com THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
Wyman Diaz, Jr. and his son Christian
“I Don’t Need Fame. I’m Perfectly Happy Being a Father” By: Gregory Rattler, Jr.
E
very day, Broadmoor resident and 26 year-old father, Wyman Diaz, Jr., wakes up early to get his three year-old son Christian to day care. He adds two early morning hours to his daily routine so that he can get in some quality time with his son before bringing him to daycare and then heading to work. When speaking about his first thoughts on fatherhood, Diaz recounted, “I cried, cried, cried when I found out that Christian was coming to me. I was so overjoyed that I didn’t know what to do. I was a little concerned because I didn’t know what to do but I knew that I was going to do whatever I had to do to be a good father.” What is not difficult to describe is the sense of pride and responsibility that Diaz feels about being a great father to young Christian. As a young man growing up with a father who was in and out of his life, Diaz is determined to set a different example for his son. He described several examples of why his father was not a man that he could look up to. Even as his understanding of his father grew, he found himself not able to look to his father as an example. “To me, being a father is all about responsibility. Becoming a father was what taught me how to be a man. I had to make so many sacrifices so that he could have a better life than I do.” Diaz explained. He knew that he
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
25
Family Services of Greater New Orleans
NOLA Dad’s Program By: Mary Rickard
Twenty-four million kids – a third of all U.S. children – live apart from their biological fathers. In African-American communities, two out of every three live in homes with no dad.
T
he consequences of growing up without a father present go far beyond lack of a role model. Children in father-absent homes are five times more likely to be poor and poverty is statistically linked to almost every social ill. Recent studies have shown that children who grow up without a father at home are more likely to get involved with high- risk behavior and to experience educational, health and emotional problems throughout their lives. In several New Orleans neighborhoods, the odds of growing up without a father at home are even greater. For example, in New Orleans East, Central City and the Ninth Ward, 70 percent or more children live in a house with a mother, grandparents or other relatives – but no father. Young men need training and education to change this multigenerational pattern of abandoning responsibility for their children. In 1994, The National Fatherhood Initiative was founded to improve the wellbeing of all children by increasing the numbers of involved, responsible and committed fathers. In 2007, the New Orleans Fatherhood Consortium was formed to bring stakeholders together to address the needs of lowincome fathers. Fifteen non-profits were trained to use curricula developed by the Fatherhood Initiative. Family Service of Greater New Orleans, a non-profit with the mission of strengthening the emotional health and fostering the self-sufficiency of local families, is launching the NOLA Dads Program to nurture young men in the development of fatherhood skills. Weekly sessions will help young men learn to become nurturing parents, obtain employment and become positive, contributing members of their families and communities. “A dad’s positive involvement is like a tree with many branches that provides for, protects and nurtures the child,” said Ron McClain, Family Service CEO. “A father’s presence and engagement with a child includes many positive, quality interactions that yield long-term positive effects.” “It is clear that when fathers are closely involved in their children’s lives, there are positive outcomes in the children’s health and their social, emotional and cognitive wellbeing,” he added. Many young men often become fathers before graduating from high school and before they fully mature. Their own needs can be identified and met through NOLA Dads and provide them with new coping tools. Young dads must receive emotional support and develop the motivation so that they, in turn, can provide emotional and financial support in their children’s lives.
The effectiveness of the program is dependent on every young man experiencing self-esteem through a close social work relationship with his counselor. The social work relationship breaks down the feelings of isolation and provides role models, not just as fathers or men, but individuals worthy of respect. Family Service’s long history supporting individuals and families make it an ideal organization to undertake NOLA Dads. With 37 full-time staff and 22 part-time staff, the organization already provides a wide range of counseling services to families and children. In collaboration with the Louisiana Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Behavioral Health, Family Service’s Child Adolescent Response Teams provide crisis counseling to children and their families to prevent unneeded psychiatric hospitalizations. Family Service works with the Jefferson Parish Children’s Advocacy Center to provide counseling to sexually abused children and has partnered with New Orleans’ Charter and Public Schools, as well as Recovery Schools to provide school-based mental health counseling. Surveys completed by clients and school social workers and counselors showed 92.4 percent were satisfied with their work with school children. Fifty-five young men, ages 15-18, who are already parents, will be recruited from schools in and around the Central City area. Family Service will offer classes through local high schools, Families in Need of Service (FINS), the Office of Juvenile Justice (OJJ), and other community organizations. A common theme heard from young men involved in the criminal justice system is that their fathers were never involved in parenting. Family Service hopes to change that by motivating young fathers and giving them the tools they need. The 24/7 Dads curriculum has already been successfully used by more than 500 organizations across the country. The program has received funding from the Children’s Trust Fund of Louisiana, Rite Aid Foundation and Sean Payton’s Play it Forward Foundation. Thanks to these organizations, Family Service is able to provide the service at no charge to the clients. The best news is that there has been a four percent improvement in the numbers of U.S. homes with present fathers since 2004.
Steps to Take During Medicare Open Enrollment By: Nicole Duritz, Vice President – Health, AARP Education and Outreach For those of us with Medicare, the fall season means more than watching the Saints and serving up gumbo. October 15 through December 7 is also Medicare open enrollment season. Medicare open enrollment is the only time of year when Medicare recipients can review and make changes to their coverage. There are many reasons why someone might want to changes plans. Personal circumstances – such as a change in health status or drugs needed—or changes in what’s offered in the plans from year to year are some reasons people switch. “Of course, you don’t have to change if you don’t want to,” explained Linedda McIver, Multicultural Outreach Director, AARP Louisiana. “But it’s important to make sure you are getting the most out of your Medicare by knowing all of your options. You’ll want to find out if another plan might be better for you.”
26
Simple steps to take: 1. Find the Medicare plans available in your area by logging onto the Medicare Plan Finder www.medicare.gov/find-a-plan and enter your zip code. 2. Compare the costs benefits and quality of each plan. 3. Choose the plan that’s best for you. The Senior Health Insurance Information Program is also a good resource to use during Medicare open enrollment. A counselor can be reached by calling 1-800-259-5301 and pressing 2 on your telephone key pad. “The more you learn about your Medicare choices, the better prepared you will be to make the choice that’s right for you,” said McIver.
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
SweetCakes & Candy Emporium creates the most beautiful and delicious cakes, pies, cupcakes, & candy for your personal needs. We also offer the following services for local businesses, organizations & associations.
• Business gift giving programs • Special occasion dessert catering services (holidays, birthdays, client recognition, & customer development days) •Very interactive & engaging dessert cooking classes (which serve as great team building activities) • Custom orders (we can create cakes that match your organizations events & themes)
Give us a call at 504-383-4059 or www.sweetcakesandcandy.com to place an order &/or to book a date.
Your Personal Baker...For All Your Baking Needs THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
27
CeCe Gets k c a l B y d e e K from
By Christy “CeCe” Chapman, the author of the book, 20 Thoughts Every Woman Should Have. She is a New Orleans native who is “twenty something years of age.” Follow her on Twitter at @CeCetheAuthor.
New Orleans is known for all types of music, but we have one genre lately grabbing attention all over the country - bounce. We have artists like Big Freedia, DJ Jubilee, Sissy Nobby and the late Magnolia Shorty, but allow me to introduce New Orleans Hottest Female Bounce Artist: Keedy Black. Black is known for hits such as “Hammer” and “Rock my World.” 1. How did you come up with the name Keedy Black? It was a name given to me by cousin Magnolia Levee. I didn’t like it at first, some people would call me “Keedy” for short and “Black” for my color, so my cousin put it together and it’s a name that just stuck. 2. How did you get into music? I’ve been doing poetry since I was a child, but I used to get everyone hyped in high school and make a beat by beating on the desks in class and walls in the hallway just for fun. 3. How was it growing up in the Magnolia Housing Development? I was always known to bring life to the party. I made lifelong friends, it was sometimes fun. My mom was in and out of my life which made it hard because I had younger siblings I had to care for and I was only 14 myself, but I made the best of it. 4. Before Magnolia Shorty’s death she was in the process of bringing female bounce music to the next level, but who was she to you? Shorty was my cousin, we played as kids, we sang nursery rhymes, she was my choir partner, she was my friend, my sister, everything to me. 5. How did her untimely death affect you? It was so unexplainable to me. I woke up and went to sleep crying everyday for about two years. It weighs heavy on my heart. She didn’t deserve to be murdered, especially like that. It played a big part in my everyday living, that’s how and why I started the Stop The Violence (STV) march every year. 6. What company are you with? I am an independent artist, but I collaborate with Nuthin But Fire Records for a lot of things. 7. What artists have you collaborated with? I have worked with Sess 4-5, 8-9 Boyz, Lost Dogg, Ms.Tee and T’Cherell to name a few.
28
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
8. What separates you from other bounce artists? It would be my style. I really rap. I do more verses rather than the repeat, chopped lines that some artists do. 9. You just took home two awards from the NOLA Hip Hop Awards at The Joy Theater, how did that feel? Excited, it shows that my work is being recognized. It feels good when people acknowledge my hard work and success. 10. How do you stay focused on your music career? I think about Shorty. I want to take this to the next level for Shorty as well as for myself. I have kids that I have to provide for, so if you don’t work, you don’t eat. 11. What obstacles have you faced to stay in this music industry? Magnolia Shorty’s death still haunts me. It is hard for me to perform in cities or venues where she has performed. Sometimes I feel like she should be the one still performing instead of me. It is hard , because I remember the times I would be with her when she would perform, it’s hard to do it at times. 12. What else, other than Shorty, motivates you? Everything I have been through. I have to step out on faith and keep myself motivated. I have to make this work, I have to make a way, failing isn’t an option. 13. Do you have any regrets? None really, my past has made me the woman I am today. My past made me stronger. With the circumstances I had, I beat the odds and the stats. 14. How do you give back? I mentor young ladies between the ages of 8-17 in schools with my mentoring group “Black Dolls.” I give free dance lessons, I feed the homeless, I volunteer at nursing homes and every year I host my “Stop The Violence” march.
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
15. Where are some of the events that you have performed? Jazzfest 2012, Summer Jams 2011-12, Nola H.H.A. 2011-12, Ladies of Louisiana Concert, Southern University Homecoming. I have opened up for Rick Ross, Trina, Meek Mills, and 2Chainz. 16. What event was that “moment” for you? Jazz Fest without a doubt. I cried. It was such a big, universal event that people all over the country look forward to. I had never attended it before, so performing was the first time I experienced Jazz Fest. So many different people got to see me and I felt the love back. 17. Tell us two things that you wish you could change or have? My son’s father was murdered in 2005. I wish I could bring him back. It is hard trying to raise a boy into a man. There are certain things that I can’t teach him. Also I want to give back to the youth and my community. 18. What do you envision for your career? To travel to different regions and perform, not just in the south, but brand myself as a business woman, own things. There is a lot in the works, I am so optimistic and ready. 19. What’s something that you want our readers to know about Keedy Black? That I am a God fearing woman. I hold high belief in God that he does things for his own reasons. I am a poet. I am a single mom that loves my kids so much. One thing in particular, I love to draw and design fashion. I am very good at it and I want a boutique. 20. In closing, give us two words that describe you. Independent and determined, I have to make a way. You can follow Keedy Black on Twitter @IAMKEEDYBLACK. For booking contact 504-994-0133 or keedyblack@gmail.com
29
Algiers Point Association Every 1st Thursday of the month @ 7 p.m. Location changes each month www.algierspoint.org Broadmoor Improvement Association 3rd Monday of every other month @ 7 p.m. Andrew H. Wilson Charter School Cafeteria 3617 General Pershing St. New Orleans, LA 70125 http://www.broadmoorimprovement.com Bunny Friends Neighborhood Association Every second Saturday of the month Mt. Carmel Baptist Church 3721 N Claiborne Ave Bywater Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Ave. www.bywaterneighbors.com Carrollton Riverbend Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month Parish Hall of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church Corner of Carrollton and Zimple Carrollton United Every second Monday at 5:00p.m. every other month St. John Missionary Baptist Church, corner of Leonidas and Hickory Central City Partnership Every last Friday of the month @ 1 p.m. Allie Mae Williams Center 2020 Jackson Ave. http://www.centralcitypartnership.org
Neighborhood Meetings
Neighborhood Meetings
Neighborhood Meetings
Central City Renaissance Alliance (CCRA) 1809 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd. http://www.myccra.org Chapel of the Holy Comforter Every 4th Thursday of the month @ 6:30p.m. 2200 Lakeshore Drive Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association Quarterly Meetings, time and date TBA Jewish Community Center 5342 St. Charles Ave Downtown Neighborhood Improvement Association (DNIA) Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 7p.m. Musicians’ Union Hall 2401 Esplanade Ave (entrance through parking lot on Bayou Road and Rocheblave Street) DeSaix Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Saturday of the month @10a.m. Langhston Hughes Academy 3519 Trafalgar Street http://danadesaix.org East New Orleans Neighborhood Advisory Committee (ENONAC) Every 2rd Tuesday of each month @ 6 p.m. St. Maria Goretti Catholic Church http://www.enonac.org Faubourg Delachaise Neighborhood Association Quarterly meetings, time/date/ location TBA http://fdna-nola.org
Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association Board Meeting: Every 2nd Monday 7p.m. Holy Rosary Cafeteria 1638 Moss Street General Membership: 3rd Wednesday, every other month 6:30 p.m. Black Gold Room at the Fairgrounds http://www.fsjna.org Faubourg St. Roch Improvement Association Every 2nd Thursday of the month @ 6:00p.m. True Vine Baptist Church 2008 Marigny St. Filmore Gardens Neighborhood Association (meet the 4th Thursday of each month) Rouse’s Food Market (Leon C. Simon & Franklin Avenue) 6:30p.m. to 8:00p.m. (No meetings in Nov. and Dec.) Garden District Association 1 annual meeting per year, time/date/ location TBA Gentilly Civic Improvement Association (GCIA) General Membership- Every 3rd Saturday of the month 10am Board Meeting - Every 3rd Wednesday of the month 6:30p.m. Edgewater Baptist Church 5900 Paris Ave. Gentilly Heights East Neighborhood Association Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 6p.m. Dillard University Dent Hall – Room 104 Gentilly Sugar Hill Neighborhood Association Every 3rd Monday of the month @ 6:30p.m . VOA – 2929 St. Anthony Ave. (meetings on hold until further notice)
Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association Every 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 7pm Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters St. http://www.gentillyterrace.org Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 5:30 p.m. Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church 3327 Toledano Street Hollygrove Neighbors Association Saturdays at 12:00 (noon) St. Peter AME Church 3424 Eagle St. (Eage St. and Edinburgh St.) www.neighborhoodlink.com (type in 70118 and click on “Hollygrove Neighbors”) blog us at http://www. hollygroveneighbors.blogspot.com/ Holy Cross Neighborhood Association Every 2nd and 4th Thursday @ 5:30 p.m. Center for Sustainability, Greater Little Zion Missionary Baptist Church 5130 Chartres, Lizardi and Chartres http://www.helpholycross.org Irish Channel Neighborhood Association 2nd Thursday of the month at 7p.m. Irish Channel Christian Fellowship 819 First St. http://www.irishchannel.org Lake Bullard Homeowners Association See website for meeting schedule Cornerstone United Methodist Church 5276 Bullard Ave. http://www.lakebullard.org Lake Catherine Civic Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 7p.m.
Get connected to the Neighborhoods Partnership Network. Post news & events for your organization at NPNnola.com 30
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
Lake Willow Neighborhood Every 2nd Saturday of the month @ 10 a.m. St. Maria Goretti Church Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Empowerment Network Association (NENA) Every 2nd Saturday @ 12 noon NENA – 1120 Lamanche St. http://www.9thwardnena.org Melia Subdivision Every 2rd Saturday of the month @ 5 p.m. Anchoren in Christ Church 4334 Stemway Drive Mid-City Neighborhood Organization General Meeting – Second Monday of every month @ 6:00 p.m. meet-and-greet @ 6:30 p.m. Neighborhood Meeting Warren Easton High School 3019 Canal St. http://www.mcno.org Milneburg Neighborhood Association Chapel of the Holy Comforter 2200 Lakeshore Dr. 6:30 p.m. Monthly meetings are every 4th Thursday of the month
Oak Park Civic Association Every 3rd or last Tuesday of the month Paris Oaks/Bayou Vista Neighborhood Association Last Saturday of every month @ 4p.m. Third District Police Station 4650 Paris Avenue Pensiontown of Carrollton Neighborhood Association Every 1st Saturday of the month @ 2p.m. Leonidas House Community Center (under renovation) 1407 Leonidas St. Temporarily housed at St. Paul AME Church, 8540 Cohn St. (corner of Leonidas and Cohn) Pontilly Association Pontilly Disaster Collaborative – Every 3rd Wednesday of the month General Meeting – every 2nd Saturday of the month http://www.pontilly.com Rosedale Subdivision Last Friday of every month @5:30 Greater Bright Morning Star Baptist Church, 4253 Dale Street
Ask City Hall
Seabrook Neighborhood Association Monthly meetings are every second Monday Gentilly Terrace School 4720 Painters Street Tall Timbers Owners Association Semi-annual meetings: Second Wednesday of October & April 7p.m. Board meetings: Second Wednesday of every other month 7 p.m Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Inc. Every 2nd Monday of the month @ 6:30 p.m. http://tunisburg.org Village de l’Est Improvement Association General Meeting - Every other first Tuesday of the month @ 7pm Einstein Charter School 5100 Cannes St West Barrington Association 1st Tuesday of every month @ 6p.m. Holiday Inn Express 70219 Bullard Avenue
Send your neighborhood meeting details to: melissa@NPNnola.com
Neighborhood Partnership Network 4902 Canal Street • #301 New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 TheTrumpet@npnnola.com
THE TRUMPET | NOVEMBER/DECEMBER | 2012
District A Susan G. Guidry City Hall, Room 2W80 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1010 Fax: (504) 658-1016 Email: sgguidry@nola.gov District B Diana Bajoie City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 District C Kristin Gisleson Palmer City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 Email: kgpalmer@nola.gov District D Cynthia Hedge-Morrell City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 E-mail: chmorrell@nola.gov District E Ernest F. Charbonnet City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 E-mail: efcharbonnet@nola.gov Council Member-At-Large Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658 -1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email: shead@nola.gov 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 Email: jbclarkson@nola.gov
31
NEIGH SPOTBORHOOD LIGHT BR
OADM
OOR