September/October 2011 Economic Development by Neighborhoods Partnership Network

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September/October 2011 • Community Voices Orchestrating Change • Issue 5 Volume 5

INSIDE • AEDF Catalyst for Economic Development • Algiers: The Westbank Community of New Orleans • A Mother’s Art Brings Attention to Wrongly Convicted Young Men • The History of Algiers • CeCe Gets 20 Thoughts • Culinary Corner with Simone Victoria at The Kitchen

NEIGHBOR OOD SPOTLIGH HT

Algiers

Neighborhoods Partnership Network’s (NPN) mission is to improve our quality of life by engaging New Orleanians in neighborhood revitalization and civic process.

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Shopping local carries a big ticket price tag Letter From The Executive Director Remember when every neighborhood had a grocery store, hardware store, barber shop, two drugstores a tailor, and several corner stores? I do.

emember when every neighborhood had a grocery store, hardware store, barber shop, two drugstores, a tailor, and several corner stores? I do. Most of those businesses disappeared in the following decades, as public transit was dismantled, families acquired cars, and shopping migrated out to supermarkets and, later, malls and big-box stores. When I first moved back home I was committed to my decision of only shopping in New Orleans/ Orleans parish. Often teased by my friends and family who knew I had to have my “fixed” dose of mall life, but it was my belief that if I was going to help rebuild New Orleans I should be dedicated to it wholly and that included my retail shopping. I always knew of and was fond of Oak, Maple, Ferret and Magazine Street shopping. I grew up in the Uptown area of the city, but I now lived in Gentilly and wanted to stay loyal to my new neighborhood. Yet, in my new quest to serve my community through my local shopping I still had a need for some fashion name brand shopping, being the “shoe queen” that I am. How disappointed I was to learn that as much as I wanted to support the city I loved, the city and its policies were not willing to support me. New Orleans is a desert in many more ways than just food and although food, shelter, and safety take precedence over shoes not having decent retail still affects many of our residents’ quality of life. I have found myself in various conversations with diverse residents about the availability of retail in the city with many of my neighbors asking “I just don’t understand why we can’t get stores? Do THEY not think New Orleanians SHOP?” These statements can sometimes lead to dialogues about how all of New Orleans neighborhoods are valued and how economic investment happens in neighborhoods. This also grants space for questioning the equity that exists throughout the city. In addition to the lack of retail options located throughout the city and the lack of adequate transportation we were recently hit with the concept of paying for parking on Saturdays. All of these factors can shape the views of how a resident can view customer service and the decision to buy local. Recognizing and appreciating the idea that patronizing a local business means that my city keeps revenue that could benefit our city’s NOFD, NOPD, NORD and other infrastructure; I repeatedly ask how my city shows me that I am appreciated, when I am constantly being hit in this unstable hard economic time. This is why holistic community dialogues must exist. No longer can the government, the business community or the neighborhood associations hold conversations in silo because the decisions that are being made are pitting us against each other versus building a healthy neighborhood. As we approach the 6th year post Katrina, I encourage you to step out on your front porch and engage your WHOLE neighborhood in building a great place to live. Sincerely,

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

Find Out More at NPNnola.com

NPN Board Members Victor Gordon, Board Chair, Pontilly Neighborhood Association Angela Daliet, Treasurer, Parkview Neighborhood Association Benjamin Diggins, Melia Subdivision Katherine Prevost, Upper Ninth Ward Bunny Friend Neighborhood Association Leslie Ellison, Tunisburg Square Civic Homeowners Improvement Association Sylvia McKenzie, Rosedale Subdivision Sylvia Scineaux-Richards, ENONAC Tilman Hardy, Secretary, Leonidas/Pensiontown Neighborhood Association Vaughn Fauria, Downtown Neighborhoods Improvement Association Wendy Laker, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization 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 2011 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.

Timolynn Sams

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

N E I G H B O R H O O D S

P A R T N E R S H I P

Contents

The Trumpet

4 12 14 15 16 18 20 21 24 26 30

Trumpet Theme Stories News & Culture Community Health HealthyNOLA Neighborhoods Neighborhood Spotlight Neighborhood Spotlight Organizations Public Policy Government & Politics Education Arts & Features Neighborhood Meetings

Healthy NOLA Neighborhoods

N E T W O R K

Community Health (the restoration of Passebon Cottage of Treme’ Villa)

16 Neighborhood Spotlight: Algiers

On the cover: Algiers home — photo by Scott Bicking

The Trumpet Editorial Board

The Trumpet Editorial Staff

Brian Opert, Talk Show Host, WGSO 990AM

Aretha Frison, Editor

Becki Chall, Global Green, USA

Scott Bicking, Art Director

Jessica A. Goins, Spears Consulting Group

Kathleen Burns, Copy Editor

John Koeferl, Holy Cross Neighborhood

Nora McGunnigle, Local History Editor

Linedda McIver, AARP Louisiana

Lakshmi Sridaran, Policy & Advocacy Editor

Melinda Shelton, Xavier University School of Journalism

Patricia A. Davis & Tia Vice, Associate Neighborhoods Editors

Ray Nichols, Maple Area Residents Inc. Rocio Mora, Puentes Lindsay Nash, HandsOn New Orleans Zoé Belden, Creative Industry

Special thanks to Mimi DiMassa for her photos

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4902 Canal Street • #301 New Orleans, LA 70119 504.940.2207 • FX 504.940.2208 thetrumpet@npnnola.com www.npnnola.com

Economic Development

Wednesdays on the Point: Wednesdays on the Point (WOTP) concerts launched in 2008 to bring more visitors to Algiers Point during the summer months and to increase awareness about Algiers. More than 1,000 individuals attend each weekly concert. This year, AEDF added a special Fourth of July concert to the WOTP series, which complemented the annual fireworks show. More than 2,500 individuals attended.

AEDF

Catalyst for Economic Development and Conduit for Collaboration It’s no minor slip of the tongue but a major announcement: There are currently more than $1billion worth of “economic development” projects currently under way in Algiers, with more to come.

t is a fact that the Algiers Economic Development Foundation (AEDF) trumpets as a result of strong partnerships with businesses, community involvement, regional partners and elected leadership. And for the last 20 years, AEDF has thrived as an innovator and collaborator among all. “In the last two years, AEDF has been busy working with three key economic development elements. First, AEDF has been focusing on industry support infrastructure. AEDF’s Movie Industry Committee, the first of its kind according to the City’s Department of Film and Video, is assisting businesses in taking advantage of Algiers’ greatest asset: its location. AEDF is also working with public and business leaders, including the new NOLA Business Alliance, to attract new retail to Algiers, as General DeGaulle Drive, General Meyer Avenue and the Federal City corridors are ripe for significant retail investment,” says AEDF Board President Christopher J. Kane. Kane adds, “AEDF continues to work with the medical industry to increase medical services in our community. As a result, we have seen significant investments to construct or revitalize a new urgent care facility, a new medical services facility and an elderly care facility in the last two years. These sectors represent only a portion of the efforts that AEDF works with on a regular basis.”

In August, the AEDF wrapped up its third annual “Wednesdays on the Point” (WOTP) Algiers riverfront concert series, which has become a jewel for Algiers businesses as well as local artists and vendors. The family-centered events drew about 1,000 persons each week and continued to serve as an economic bolster for Algiers businesses during the slow summer months. As an NFL Grassroots grant recipient, AEDF is currently working in partnership with the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, the City of New Orleans, NORD, New Orleans City Council Member Kristin Gisleson Palmer of District C and New Orleans City Council President Jacquelyn Clarkson to enhance the field at Behrman Stadium. Rodrick Miller, president and CEO of the New Orleans Business Alliance, recently said, “The story unfolding in Algiers is an exciting one. With the new developments in Federal City and a diverse and engaged population of residents, the Algiers community is proving itself as an unstoppable force for driving economic improvements. The impact of this work will be felt throughout New Orleans and regionally — AEDF and others in the Algiers community cannot be applauded enough for their efforts.”

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Economic Development

Algiers Stands Alone on the “Westbank” of New Orleans By Valerie Robinson, Robinson Marketing & Public Relations

It’s only a five-minute ride on the ferry or a one-mile trip across a bridge, but many New Orleanians tend to think of Algiers as a world apart. In some ways, it is.

ucked into the curve of the Mississippi River, the entire area – from the tip of Algiers Point to the Plaquemines Parish line -once consisted of plantations, farm land and forests. Before the Mississippi River Bridge was constructed, Algiers was fairly isolated from the rest of New Orleans. Although known as the “Westbank” of New Orleans, it isn’t west at all, which is particularly evident at sunset, when you can stand on the Algiers levee and watch the glowing orb sink into the horizon as you face the CBD. The early French settlers referred to it only as La Rive Droit de Fleuve, meaning the “Right Bank of the River.” Another myth is that Algiers is one big neighborhood. In fact, it features three distinct sections: Old Algiers, which was established in 1719 and grew and prospered through the early part of the 20th century; Greater Algiers, where post-WW II residential developments offered

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a suburban lifestyle; and the pastoral and wooded land beyond the Intracoastal Canal in what is referred to as Lower Coast Algiers. Each has its own character, charm and challenges, yet residents are united in their praise of Algiers’ cultural contributions to New Orleans, its proximity to the delights of downtown and the French Quarter and the abundant opportunities for growth and prosperity in the future.

Old Algiers If you ask residents what’s currently driving development, most will likely respond that it is Federal City, a phoenix rising from what was once a bustling Naval Support Activity base situated between Newton Street and the river at Hendee Street. The facility, which had been a military installation since WWI, was to be closed as a result of the 2005 Base

Economic Development

Realignment and Closure (BRAC) process. Local, state and federal levels rallied support for the federal office park concept that has become the largest economic development project in the State of Louisiana. The Marine Force Reserve moved its national headquarters and 1,200 service men and women from aging facilities on Poland Avenue to the 400,000-square-foot building fronting Opelousas Avenue in June. Plans call for other armed forces command centers that will employee up to 10,000 persons to relocate to the complex over the next 15 years. Additional development, including retail stores, military housing and a new military and maritime high school building, is planned. But this is far from all that is happening “across the river.” Bracketed porches on shotgun houses, Victorian-style gingerbread on camelback doubles and straightforward lines on Arts and Crafts bungalows are some of the fine architectural features seen throughout the National Register of Historic Places district that runs from the river, (at Brooklyn Avenue) to Atlantic Avenue and from around the bend of the river on Patterson to Diana Street. However, there are still plenty of residential and commercial properties that need more than just a cosmetic makeover. Plagued with blight well before Katrina, parts of the Algiers Riverview neighborhood continued to decline after the storm passed. Many properties were abandoned, and many were demolished. A plan to construct highrise condominiums along the riverfront went “belly-up” when the financial world crashed. While not supportive of the height and density of the proposed development, the Riverview community would have benefited from a $2 million community benefit agreement, which was to be used for upgrading of the historic community. With the support of the Jaeger Foundation, the Riverview community was able to hire a neighborhood planner – no funds were allocated for Algiers for planning or development at the neighborhood level in the post-Katrina UNOP plan – to develop a vision for the community. Finally,

this year, through a partnership between the Algiers Redevelopment Foundation and the Salvation Army, 25 homes are being constructed for low- to mid-income homeowners. Another 40-plus lots are available for development by the Jaeger Foundation. School improvements are a highlight for Old Algiers. With the Algiers Charter School Association posting impressive numbers across the board since Katrina, Behrman Elementary School has been one of the brightest shining stars with its arts-infused curriculum and its top-ranked performance on high-stakes tests. Harriet Tubman Elementary School, formerly part of the Algiers Charter School Association, was acquired by Crescent Charter School this year. Located directly across from the Federal City complex, it opened with some 550 K-8 students in August, under Principal Julie Lause. “The physical transformation has made it neater, cleaner and brighter,” said CCS President Kate Mehok, who added that all bathrooms were renovated, the air conditioning upgraded and, thanks to some 200 volunteers, every single wall was repainted. In terms of programming, she said that they will provide a core curriculum but also art, music and gym for a “well-rounded education.” While this is the first school for the new CCS, Mehok said it is the flagship, as they hope to expand the model in the future. Yet another elementary school received a renovation this year as the International School of Louisiana, building on its success on Camp Street, took over the historic structure that housed Holy Name of Mary School until 2009. A total makeover -- new paint, carpet and kitchen -was completed on the inside. Volunteers from Rebuilding Together helped spruce up the fence line, play yard and garden before school opened. International School of Louisiana opened with 75 kindergarten students in its Spanish immersion program. Chinese immersion will be added in the 2012-2013 school year. By 2016, school officials anticipate a K-5 school with 468 students.

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Economic Development According to school official Pamela Stewart, the demographics of the issues. Presidents of all neighborhood associations in Algiers serve on the students and teachers are diverse. Teachers and administrators hail from Presidents’ Council, where issues are discussed at the district-wide level. the Dominican Republic, Washington, D.C., Mexico and New Orleans. There are many major projects taking place in this section of Algiers. “Surveys of incoming families tell us that, overwhelmingly, parents are A new hotel project, Noble Outreach Hotel, held a groundbreaking this choosing ISL for its international perspective and language learning year and is slated to open in 2012. The 124-room extended-stay hotel opportunities,” Stewart said. will also feature WOW Wingery and Café and office space. Older students have their choice of high schools with the state-ofThe Lakewood Golf and Country Club, site of many PGA tournaments, the-art L.B. Landry High School, one of the Recovery School District’s is undergoing a transformation into a mixed-use development “quick start” schools that opened last year on the featuring golf, retail, restaurants, a hotel and same site that housed the first African-American condominiums. A mile away on General Meyer The Lakewood Golf high school on the Westbank. In poor condition Avenue, a sports metropolis featuring an AAUbefore Katrina, it suffered severe damage in rated soccer stadium will bring athletes and and Country Club, the storm and was replaced with a $54 million families from beyond New Orleans. site of many PGA campus featuring energy-efficient architecture In this part of Algiers, there are also exciting tournaments, and engineering, an on-site health clinic, two school projects. In addition to Edna Karr and gymnasiums and a 650-seat auditorium. O. Perry Walker high schools, other schools in is undergoing a Opening its doors in August 2011 with 106 the Algiers Charter School Association include transformation into freshmen cadets, (and more enrolling daily), the Eisenhower Academy of Global Studies, a mixed-use New Orleans Military and Maritime School is Algiers Technology Academy and Alice Harte, currently housed in the old Murray Henderson perennially one of the city’s top-rated elementary development Elementary School on L.B. Landry Dr. ,(Murray schools. Alice Harte will be housed on the former featuring golf, retail, Henderson Elementary moved in 2010 ---last year--Jo Ellen Smith campus on General Meyer Avenue. restaurants, a hotel to the former St. Julian Eymard Catholic School, until a brand-new school is built in its old location and condominiums. but will have its own $7.8 million state-of-the-art on Eton Street, St. Andrew the Apostle next door facility on the grounds of Federal City next year. serves the Algiers community as its only Catholic The school is being financed through Community school. Development Block Grants [CDBG] and historic and new market tax credits.) There are also the Westbank branch of Delgado Community College As a public charter school, New Orleans Military and Maritime on the western end and Our Lady of Holy Cross College on the eastern School offers a rigorous curriculum with advanced courses in cyber end at Woodland Drive. A sizeable Vietnamese community has lived in engineering and robotics. The Cyber Innovation Center and Louisiana the immediate vicinity since the 1970s. Tech University have partnered with the school to help teachers learn And construction on the badly damaged Algiers Regional Library new ways in which the STEM, (science, technology, engineering and commenced recently. The technology-driven public library, which will offer mathematics), emphasis can enhance the education experience. a variety of learning and reading experiences, is slated for completion in Col. Bill Davis, commandant, said that the cadets are about 60 2012. The historic Hubbell Library in Old Algiers, a Carnegie building percent male and 40 percent female and come from Orleans, Jefferson, dating back to the early 20th century, also suffered from Katrina damage Plaquemines and St. Tammany parishes. All students must enroll as JROTC and long-term neglect. The city has finally approved a plan and budget cadets, and according to Davis, once the cadets are trained, they will that hopefully will be enough to complete the work. In the meantime, that take part in activities such as parades, public drills and competitions. branch is operating out of temporary facilities in the old Carriage House Rich in culture and history, the area boasts many community behind the historic Algiers Courthouse on Morgan Street. organizations and non-profits such as Algiers Riverview Association, Lower Coast Algiers Algiers Point Association, Old Algiers Main Street Corporation, Preserving Historic Algiers Community Corporation, and The Village and Once you go up and over the Intracoastal Canal Bridge, road Heritage. These groups focus on the architecture with the annual Algiers improvements have made it easier to reach the area called Lower Coast Point Home Tour, the holidays at the Algiers Bonfire, Holidays on the Algiers. But, as soon as you come to the intersection of River Road, Point and Noël on Newton. Jazz music and local culture are featured at you find it hard to believe that you are still in New Orleans. Dense Old Algiers RiverFest and community development is sponsored through development turns to wide-open acreage and the scenic environs of the P-HACC and OAMSC. They work in concert with other organizations, upscale English Turn development. It is so named because the land is such as Algiers Economic Development Foundation, (AEDF), the city near the point where the young American armed forces were able to council and the Mayor’s Office to gain support for projects that enhance make the English turn back, or retreat, during the War of 1812. Currently the history and preserve the culture of the area. under development, The Arbors is an environmentally sensitive residential

Greater Algiers A ride down General De Gaulle Dr. takes you the breadth of the Greater Algiers section of the community. The wide boulevard is currently undergoing a drainage overhaul plus road improvements estimated at $30 million. The major commercial corridor of Algiers, it features the bulk of shopping, dining, health care and other services that spill out along other arteries such as Holiday Dr./Behrman Hwy, MacArthur Blvd., Kabel Dr. and General Meyer Avenue Redevelopment of the 95,000-square-foot Village Aurora Shopping Center will soon provide more retail options. The many subdivisions in this area offer everything from starter homes and fixer-uppers to luxurious residences overlooking parks, golf courses and wooded areas. Most have active homeowner associations work on issues ranging from blight to drainage to education and other community

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development nearby. After that, there are miles of open land along the winding river road, some citrus groves and a few horse farms. Eight acres of bottomland hardwood forest house A Studio in the Woods, an artist residency and environmental education program that is now part of Tulane University. A Woodlands Trail has been established for horse riding and other recreation, and at the very end of the road sits the Audubon Nature Institute’s Species Survival Center, a world-renowned research center. In less than an hour, you can literally ride through history, from the earliest days of New Orleans to the most current community development projects, and enjoy a vista of architectural styles and scenery that is not found in any other section of the city. That’s why it’s often referred to as not the Westbank but the “Best Bank” by those who choose to live and work in Algiers.

It’s Possible to

Economic Development

Take on the World By Rob Wilbanks

t may be difficult for a small business owner to see himself or herself as “international.” The daily tasks of running a business and of sustaining it can end up being the focus of the entrepreneur and staff. This can be especially true in New Orleans, a city that often seems to be a completely self-sustaining metropolitan area, capable of producing everything it needs and living off its own resources. This city is proud of all of those resources, and rightly so – however, the city also has a long history of being one the most important areas for international trade and development not just in the United States or the Western Hemisphere but the entire world.

Forming That Global View Making the connection between international trade, either importing or exporting, and the day-to-day running of a small- or medium-sized business might seem daunting, but the reality is that most of these companies already buy or sell products made outside of the U.S. and should think of themselves as “international.” The World Trade Center of New Orleans – the world’s first World Trade Center, which dates back to 1943 – and other trade-focused organizations see this reality every day as they assist Louisianians grow their businesses and become more efficient and effective while making connections around the globe. Many businesses in the greater New Orleans area are already international, simply due to the number of foreign visitors we welcome each year. Every continent on the planet is represented among customers that frequent our shops, boutiques, restaurants, hotels and taverns. Keeping products in stock from these countries creates a built-in market for tourists looking for a small touch of home – and also creates challenges for local merchants. Finding the best overseas partners, establishing credit with suppliers, making sure that the logistics of moving goods around the world run smoothly – there are dozens of issues that can affect a small business’s attempts to serve its customers. Growing a business by catering to an international clientele can initially seem like a simple idea, but it can soon feel overwhelming.

Other retail businesses in our area also import products from around the world, not only to serve their many tourists but also to cater to the eclectic and international tastes of their local customers. From galleries on Royal Street to antique shops up and down Magazine Street, from international groceries to Uptown wine merchants, items can be found for sale that have been made in every corner of the globe; and moving them to the storefront involves customs, taxes, insurance – not to mention time. Suddenly, terms such as “foreign agent” and “foreign trade zone” can become as important to a small business as “payroll tax” and “OSHA.”

Understanding How International Business Is Done Knowing how best to navigate the complex waters of international trade can boost a small company’s bottom line and save hours of labor. Reaching out to a locally-based customs broker/freight forwarder and relying on his or her expertise, networking with other business owners who have already undertaken the challenge or attending classes and briefings provided by the World Trade Center are all ways to minimize the impact of dealing with international trade regulations. Owners will need to evaluate each situation individually, but taking the opportunity to begin doing business on an international basis offers them new opportunities for growth that can have far-reaching impact. There are also hundreds of businesses across our region that would like to export their goods, and there is a great demand for “Made in Louisiana” products across the globe. Local artists, musicians, food producers, craftsmen, jewelers, writers—all of them can speak to the fascination that the world has with our culture. Thinking of a business as international when perhaps it’s just a one- person operation might seem far-fetched, but with the marketing tools available, and the incentives and assistance on offer from the federal government, becoming a truly “global enterprise” is never far out of reach. As one of the great port districts on earth, southeast Louisiana offers a unique opportunity for local businesses to think about expanding into foreign markets. In addition to the World Trade Center (www.wtcno.org),

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Economic Development local entrepreneurs can work with the Commerce Department’s U.S. Export Assistance Center (www.export.gov/Louisiana) and the Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov/about-offices-content/2/3119). Producers of food products can also receive help from the Southern U.S. Trade Association (www.susta.org). New Orleans’ proximity to the Caribbean and Latin America gives an export-minded business owner advantages that are the envy of most cities in America.

Mobilizing to Grow Business and Jobs The combination of opportunity, willingness, experience and spirit will continue to drive the growth of Greater New Orleans, especially in the area of international trade. Job growth in America has long been linked to the producing and exporting of goods and services – every dollar spent by a foreign tourist in our city counts toward our export total. Every bottle of hot sauce or hand-crafted fleur de lis necklace sold on the internet does, too. New Orleans is one of America’s great exporting cities. As such, it is no surprise that the federal government has paid special attention to it in recent months, with visits from the Secretaries of Labor and Commerce, the Director General of the U.S. and Foreign Commercial Service, and the Director of the Small Business Administration’s Office of International Trade. A recent report by the Brookings Institution titled “Export Nation: How U.S. Metros Lead National Export Growth and Boost Competitiveness” stated that from 2003 to 2008, New Orleans was one of only four metropolitan areas to double the value of its exports. Other studies cite the area as one of the best in the nation for high-tech job growth, which will be sure to attract international business investment and visitors. International corporations such as Blade Dynamics, a U.K.-based manufacturer of turbines designed to harvest wind energy, have chosen to locate their operations in the city. Incentives also abound that make it attractive for digital media- and film- and television-related companies to

set up operations here. It’s safe to say that New Orleans and the region are experiencing a true renaissance in terms of international trade and development. What this means for our neighborhoods may not always be apparent with a superficial glance, but there are deep and longlasting effects, especially in the area of exports. Jobs tied to exports pay significantly higher wages – even for those workers without a high school diploma. The impact of those jobs can translate to renewal at every level -from education to housing to the health of the individuals working in them.

Mr. Wilbanks has worked in the area of international trade and development in Louisiana since 2007. The World Trade Center of New Orleans moved its offices to the Canal Place tower in June 2011. The website is wwwwtcno.org.

Mayor Listens, Responds at Algiers Budget Meeting By Valerie Robinson

ayor Mitch Landrieu fielded questions from Algiers and other District C residents for about an hour on Aug. 17, then fired back answers to those gathered to provide input into the 2012 City of New Orleans budget. Landrieu touted the accomplishments of the past year: 28,000 potholes filled, seven miles of roads paved in District C, 735 blighted properties demolished, 3,600 inspections completed, 17 teen summer camps and 12 swimming pools open. He said he knows these numbers because everything is tracked in order to provide a more efficient manner of accomplishing goals. “I am proud of our accomplishments, but we have a long way to go,” he said, as he explained that he wants to improve both customer service and the delivery of service to the consumer. District C Councilmember Kristin Palmer and Councilmember-at-Large Jackie Clarkson, both from Algiers, attended the meeting along with Mayor’s Office staff and representatives from assorted city agencies, who offered one-on-one counsel prior to the meeting. Constituent comments ran the gamut from street lights that need repair, catch basins that need to be cleaned and potholes waiting to be filled to questions about ethics and transparency in government. By far, the largest number of complaints came from homeowners in areas where the streets are in what was described as “deplorable” condition...places such as Behrman Heights, Somerset Drive, Old Behrman Highway and Gen. Meyer Avenue. But one resident said she just wants a street of some kind in the Elmwood subdivision off the Old Behrman

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Highway. This area was developed without paved streets or drainage several years ago. Transportation was also a common theme, whether it was bike paths, better access roads or ferry service, which is subsidized by the tolls on the Crescent City Connection and set to expire in 2012. The mayor explained that he is in favor of the keeping the tolls because it is a dedicated source of funding to maintain the bridge and keep the Canal Street and the Algiers ferry operating. Landrieu and many attendees in the room agreed that pedestrian tolls could offset the deficit on the ferry. “The impact of the global economy is that within 5, 10 to 15 years, our economy will get smaller. Government will be forced to get smaller too. As the federal and state governments contract, at the local level we will have to be smaller, leaner, faster and more efficient,” he said. “If we want to keep moving forward, we will need to find other ways to pay for it.” Connie Burks, representing Friends of the Ferry, suggested integrating the ferry service into the Regional Transit Authority system so that it connects to other modes of transportation. Although neither the ferry nor the RTA is operated by the City of New Orleans, having such discussions brings the city closer to a solution, Landrieu said. And solutions are what he hopes are the outcome of the meetings he is holding in each councilmanic district prior to the presentation of the budget to the city council in October. “We need your help finding solutions to the problems the city faces,” Landrieu said. “We want your input into how we spend your money, because at the end of the day, you are going to hold us accountable.

Water Challenges?

News & Culture

Water Opportunities

By Steve Picou, LSU Agriculture Center Sustainable Housing Agent, & Grasshopper Mendoza, Horizon Initiative Water Management Committee

s we recognize the sixth anniversary of the failed levees during Hurricane Katrina, our lives and neighborhoods continue to change. Elevated houses show the promise of dedicated homeowners who rebuild and restore, while empty lots reflect the scars of loss we all bear. But we are here and we are stronger. We did not let the water drive us away. The flood suspended life in New Orleans and made us all realize that we are helpless when water overcomes our efforts to manage its course. Today, after billions of dollars of investment in Army Corps of Engineers improvements to our levee systems, we have regained much of our confidence that we can live here with this bountiful and powerful force. But, unlike us, water does not react with emotion to our attempts to control it. Water does what it must to go where elevation, gravity and wind drive it. It scours and chews at our muddy soils, requiring us to throw concrete and steel in its way as well as pumps to redirect it away from our streets and structures. To live here, we must continually invest in these systems or water will suspend our lives again. The high cost of protecting our region has been borne by our government and by taxpayers across America. This spending didn’t happen because of the wisdom or sense of urgency of our leaders. It took a tragedy and the loss of nearly 2,000 lives to prompt this action. Economically, this investment produces jobs and commerce as people, equipment and resources are recruited to complete the massive protection structures that now surround us. This financial infusion continues to help our region avoid many of the impacts of the recession by keeping the wheels of our economy rolling in businesses and households across our area. We are in what author Storm Cunningham calls a “restoration economy.” Our region is an example of how investment by government in infrastructure produces jobs and strengthens the country. It is a lesson that is badly needed in today’s anti-tax, anti-government climate. As we rebuild and restore, we are learning that water is more than just something from which we need protection. It is, as Director Mark Davis of the Tulane Institute on Water Resources Law and Policy says, one of our greatest assets. We are not alone in our quest to learn from the lessons of Katrina. Among the many countries that reached out to us in our time of need, the Netherlands felt the most kinship. They also are threatened by water and have built massive structures to manage it to protect their people. And they, too, undertook this effort after lives were lost in a tragic flood. Working with local leaders such as architect/activist David Waggonner and U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, the Dutch continue to study our region and assist in helping us learn to live with water. Graduate students, architects, engineers and scientists are contributing new ideas for how we can manage our water resources and how we can build our infrastructure and our communities to work with Nature in a more harmonious, integrated fashion. Another tragedy is producing hundreds of millions of investment dollars in our water systems. Penalty money from last year’s massive Gulf of Mexico oil spill will be directed to coastal and ecosystem restoration, again producing jobs and commerce that strengthen Louisiana’s economy.

Our political, community and economic leaders recognize that we are in a unique position to capitalize on these tragedies. They are working together to help Louisiana become a globally recognized hub of water businesses. And many organizations are actively tapping the economic potential of water. The Horizon Initiative Water Management Committee, a diverse group of water experts working on ways to implement integrated water management principles to improve our infrastructure and build our economy, has been meeting for the past three years. This group developed the Neighborhood Drainage Solutions Workshop and is a catalyst for many progressive water issues. Regionally, a team led by David Waggonner and coordinated by GNO Inc. is developing a Water Management Strategy to help us improve how we design and operate our drainage and water systems. This effort will open doors of opportunity for planners and entrepreneurs to create new ways for us to live with water in a more harmonious and productive fashion. Many other regional organizations are hard at work developing plans for spending hundreds of millions of dollars on coastal restoration and are helping us to build new business models that can be applied to coastal zones around the world. Louisiana is truly a leader in water opportunities because we are recognizing the power of where we live. The Mississippi River is one of the world’s great watersheds. It drains a large part of the North American continent. At its delta, the river provides a rich feeding ground for an incredible number of species. It is why New Orleans is here today and why we will be here in the future. The waters that surround us are the source of our existence here. They can serve us and they can destroy us. As we learn to live in harmony with this complex system, water is proving to be our greatest asset and a dominating driver of our economy. Thanks to our growing awareness of how water works, we, too, may find that our efforts will continue and will provide us with businesses and jobs that ensure our future.

Recognizing that the entrepreneurial ecosystem for water needs stimulation, the Greater New Orleans Foundation and The Idea Village launched the “Water Challenge,” a business competition that discovers and nurtures up-and-coming entrepreneurs working on business ideas involving water. The “2012 Water Challenge” is open to applicants via The Idea Village website at www.ideavillage.org now through October 3. Eight finalists will be announced on October 19 to participate in a six-month business mentoring and accelerator program. During New Orleans Entrepreneur Week next March, the finalists will pitch their ideas in front of an audience and a special panel of judges. The winner will receive up to $50,000 in funding to grow their business. THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

A Mother’s Art Brings Attention to Wrongly Convicted Young Men

News & Culture

Son was a rapper, sentenced to 30 years. Art proclaims his innocence By Jordan Flaherty This article first appeared on the website www.loop21.com on August 9, 2011.

s the date approaches for the 10th anniversary of her son’s conviction, Sheila Phipps is hard at work completing a powerful and moving series of paintings that tell the stories of wrongly-convicted young men in the U.S. prison system. Phipps, a self-taught artist in New Orleans, has been selling and displaying her work for more than 20 years. Her son is On Feb. 22, 2000, after a concert in Slidell, Louisiana, a fight Mckinley “Mac” Phipps, the legendary New Orleans rapper who was broke out and a young man named Barron C. Victor, Jr., was shot and convicted of manslaughter in 2001 and sentenced to 30 years in prison. killed. Phipps, who helped book her son’s shows, was there that night. In collaboration with the Innocence Project, Phipps contacted prisoners According to her, Mac was nowhere near the altercation. “Mac was in across the nation and researched their cases. Once she read enough the corner signing autographs,” she says. “When the shots we’re fired, he evidence to convince her of their innocence, she communicated with the hit the floor like everyone else.” prisoner and then painted an image of him. According to Phipps, Mac ran out of the club, but then came back in Now, Phipps is unveiling a series of 10 works for a show called with a gun drawn. The reason? Phipps says he was trying to rescue her. the “Injustice Exhibition.” Her use of color and framing varies with the “He heard the gunshot and didn’t know what was going on,” she says. inspiration, ranging from muted portraits to bright explosions of color, “All he knew is, I gotta get my momma out of there.” often capturing small details like focusing on a subject’s feet or hands. Although ballistics tests showed that Mac’s gun, (which he had In the portrait of her son, she highlights the gentle a license to carry), had never been fired, he was features of his face. charged with second-degree murder. Another man Seeing her son locked away caused Phipps’ to “To be honest, I didn’t came forward and said that he had killed Victor, but use her art in another way, as both activism and as prosecutors said they found his story unreliable. Mac know what else to release. was sentenced to 30 years behind bars. It was his first do,” says Phipps. “To be honest, I didn’t know what else to do,” says offense. “I’ve had four lawyers. Phipps. “I’ve had four lawyers. One of the lawyers said “Before this happened to my son, I thought when she don’t even think the judges read the appeals we’ve people went to jail that they were supposed to be there,” One of the lawyers written.” The hope is that her art will wake up people to says Phipps. “Going to trial, I see how these DAs twist said she don’t even the lives being wasted in prison -- not only her son’s, but stories just to get a conviction. Then they go home and think the judges read sleep at night while innocent people are just sitting there all lives. the appeals “Art is a way to express yourself,” she says. “So behind bars.” why not express yourself by raising awareness?” Mac’s story continues to inspire outrage. A we’ve written.” Phipps started painting in the 1980s, using art as documentary about his case, called The Camouflaged a way to relax from the strain of raising her six Truth, is currently in post-production. Last year Dee-1, children. She quickly caught the attention of Sandra Berry who runs the an up-and-coming conscious New Orleans rapper with several videos in Neighborhood Gallery, a New Orleans arts institution. “Her work is rotation on MTV networks, organized a benefit concert to raise awareness absolutely wonderful,” says Berry. “There is a sensitivity and a motherabout Mac’s case. For Sheila, every day that Mac is locked up is a like compassion in her work that she brings to every subject.” struggle, but she plans to continue fighting. “I want to travel with the The subject for whom Phipps’s compassion is most concentrated is exhibit,” she says. “Just to shine light on the prison system and how they her son Mac, who started rapping at the age of seven. At 11, his talents railroad people. I hope that this will open up a lot of people’s eyes.” won him a contest held at New Orleans’ Superdome, for which he won a record deal. He released his first album, featuring production work by former Cash Money Records artist Mannie Fresh – who would later Jordan Flaherty is a journalist and staffer with develop the sound that made Cash Money Records famous – at age 12. the Louisiana Justice Institute. Readers may By the age of 22, Mac had released two more albums and was one view photos of Sheila Phipps’s work at www. of New Orleans’ most popular rappers. His collaborations included tracks loop21.com/content/images-injustice-exhibit. with Master P, Snoop Dogg, and Mystikal. According to Phipps, Mac For more about Mac and his case, see www. stayed grounded, despite his success. “He’s a very humble person,” she free-mac.org. Readers can contact Sheila at says. “He doesn’t even smoke and drink, if you can believe that in this sheilaphippsstudio@yahoo.com. day and time.”

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

What’s next after retiring?

A story of one woman’s reflection and revelation

Almost a year to the day after her retirement from a high pressure job with the City of New Orleans as its Chief Administrative Officer, Brenda Hatfield started her “what’s next”. The “what’s next” after achieving a successful career of nearly 45years in public service and corporate business, and active involvement in the community. What’s next for Brenda meant taking a full year to reconnect with friends and family before taking on a new adventure. “I really had never taken time to be free and relax without having a schedule or boss,” said Brenda. “The idea of retiring really frightened me because I had always worked. I’m energetic and goal oriented. The joke with my family was ‘she’s really not going to retire.’ Brenda isn’t alone when it comes to planning life after retirement and taking time to be with friends and family. According to a recent AARP survey of over 400 Louisianans 50+, many said they too wanted to reconnect with loved ones. 38 percent said they were looking forward to planning vacations and traveling, and 20 percent said there were looking forward to pursuing their hobbies and interests. While Brenda was cleaning out a drawer, she came upon pages of notes she had written outlining her personal vision. She unfolded the paper and reflected upon what she had written some time ago. Enjoy my home. Community involvement. Education.

“That’s when I started looking on line for opportunities in Gonzales where I live. Late one night I opened my email and saw an opportunity from AARP Louisiana. It was a recruitment piece to become Louisiana’s next volunteer state president. I said, ‘that’s it!’ I immediately started writing my cover letter,” said Brenda. After a competitive process, AARP appointed Brenda as Louisiana’s State President, the top volunteer leadership position representing nearly 500,000 members in the state. “I’m honored to have been chosen to lead the volunteer efforts in Louisiana for AARP,” said Hatfield. “AARP has been a long-time trusted partner and advocate for the 50+ population in Louisiana on issues such as health care, long-term care, economic security and livable communities. I’m excited to work with AARP and help all Louisianans live their best life.” Hatfield will serve an initial two-year appointment and will lead AARP’s Executive Council as its Chair. The council, in collaboration with Louisiana’s State Director and staff, develops the framework for the state’s strategic plan and implements planned activities and legislative initiatives in the areas of economic security, health, and livable communities. “I was serious when I said I wanted to find something meaningful. And I’ve found it,” said Brenda. Do you have a story to tell about your “what’s next?” Please share it with us at www.aarp.org/shareyourthoughts

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

News & Culture

This article was first published on August 6, 2011 by Charlie London at Charlie’s Neighborhood News. See Charlie’s Neighborhood News at www.katrinafilm.com.

The Whole Foods Application for Change Sparks Controversy By Betsy Stout

hole Foods has applied to change the ordinance that regulates their operation. Uptown residents believe that this ordinance and its provisos were carefully crafted by land use and transportation professionals, including the staff of the City Planning Commission and national land use expert Dan Mandelker out of St. Louis, and were more than happily agreed to by Whole Foods and by property owners Hixon and Sarpy. The purpose of the provisos was to mitigate the impact of a large grocery store operation that extends into a residential neighborhood with no buffer between it and the residences. The provisos also helped level the playing field as much as possible between this large commercial operation and the small local businesses it adjoins on Magazine Street. Whole Foods’ explanation that their customer base has grown such that they have to ask for this expansion of their operation is answered by asking them to please open another Whole Foods location – thus reducing congestion at this location and better serving the community. We would like to suggest that they consider the vacant Lower District location on Annunciation Street where Schwegmann and then Robert stores used to operate. This would serve the lower Magazine Street neighborhoods, the Warehouse District, (which has no grocery store at all), and is very close to the bridge to the Westbank, convenient for people who work downtown but live on the Westbank. They are requesting increased 18-wheelers, when even the trucks that come now cannot make the turn from Magazine Street onto narrow, residential Arabella. There have been at least four different sinkholes this summer alone in this block of Arabella. We have offered a solution to their delivery problems that would reduce the impact of their trucks and delivery hours – that is, to revisit an original design that recognized that the streetcars and buses in the old barn also used Magazine Street. Although they would not want to reconfigure the entire store at this late date, they could place a loading dock on the Magazine Street apron and unload trucks there all night long, (when Magazine Street is empty of traffic), without any increased impact on our streets or residents.

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They are asking to have permission for live music, both inside and outside the building, which, together with their already being an Alcohol Beverage Outlet (ABO), makes them an entertainment venue. Changes to the ordinance or title run with the property forever and cannot be written to restrict the use to one tenant such as Whole Foods. Text changes that attempt to restrict the live music to the tenant of Whole Foods are unenforceable according to the staff of the planning commission and the opinion of land use attorneys we have consulted. Whole Foods has managed nicely to have music whenever they wish to date, by applying for a permit for the band. We have no objection to this as it does not create a permanent change in the permitted use of the building as a music hall. Changes to the ordinance that allow Whole Foods to have displays of flowers, and other items, on the apron of the building give Whole Foods an advantage over other small flower shops along Magazine – one in the very next block even – that are prohibited from having sidewalk displays. The mystique of Whole Foods exercises a zombie-like influence on some of the young people who live close by – mostly all newcomers to New Orleans, who will agree to anything that will increase their Whole Foods-lifestyle experience. These mostly young folks make up the board of Audubon Riverside Neighborhood Association (ARNA), which is now actually in the process of changing its by-laws to reflect their aim to give bigger businesses free reign on Magazine Street and within the neighborhood. They voted to allow live music and restrict it to Whole Foods, despite the warning from Council member Susan Guidry’s representative Kelly Butler that such wording was not enforceable. Fortunately, another neighborhood organization, Burtheville Association of Neighbors, is fast becoming the neighborhood association of record and will oppose these changes.

The CPC was scheduled to consider this application on August 23. Check www.katrinafilm.com to learn more about this issue.

Tremé Pride from Past to Future

Community Health

The Road to Rebuilding a Healthy Community

By Patricia A. Davis, Community Health Editor

n the 1800s, free people of color and slaves fled from the island of Haiti (San Dominique) to New Orleans. It was here that the culture of the Faubourg Tremé was born, including whites and slaves. This historic community formed their own society consisting of musicians, artists, craftsmen and those who were able to acquire property. To truly see a piece of history in Faubourg Tremé, the New Orleans African American Museum of Art displays offer a wonderful picture. As one enters the grounds of Tremé Villa, the exquisite landscape is in itself a work of art. The striking structured building, the New Orleans African American Museum, which stands as a mansion in the Tremé Villa, captures the attention of the young and old. On a cold day in January 2011, city officials, community organizers, area residents and other interested residents of New Orleans gathered under a tent on the grounds of the New Orleans African American Museum of Art or the Villa Meilleur, as it is otherwise known by historians and the like. An exciting and long-anticipated declaration was complete which would gratify not only the city of New Orleans but, most importantly, Tremé, the world’s most celebrated Creole community and the oldest surviving Black community.

The new year brought in good news to the Faubourg Tremé community. It was then that Mayor Mitch Landrieu announced the New Orleans African American Museum of Art would receive $3 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) money to renovate buildings located on and near the Tremé Villa. The restoration of historic buildings in the Tremé community will begin soon. New Orleans deserves the finest, with its unique culture and the recognition of what makes a community a community – that is, relationships, revitalization, community engagement and remembering our ethnicity with a work of art, whether it is a building, sculpture, painting or housing for our ancestors.

The mission of the New Orleans African American Museum of Art is to preserve, interpret and promote the African American cultural heritage of New Orleans, with a particular emphasis on the Tremé community.

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Sankofa Farmers Market

New Location, Growing and on the Move! By Rashida Ferdinand, Sankofa CDC Executive Director, and Megan Burns, Sankofa Farmers Market Manager

he weekly Sankofa Farmers Market has moved to the Holy Angels Complex at 3500 St. Claude Ave. (at the corner of St. Claude Ave. and Gallier St.) in the Ninth Ward. This relocation will allow the market to meet the needs of the vendor and market-goer communities, continue to provide a space for local farmers and fishers to sell their products and offer access to fresh, healthy foods to residents of the Ninth Ward and neighboring areas. Sankofa Farmers Market will keep the tradition of its monthly “2nd Saturdays”, offering live music, health screenings, nutritional cooking demonstrations and children’s art activities in addition to the usual array of fresh local foods. A variety of community organizations also join the “2nd Saturdays” at the market to share information and services with marketgoers. The market is proud to host three vendors who are growing in the Lower Ninth Ward, all of whom farm using organic practices without synthetic pesticides or herbicides. Calvin and Nathalie Alexander and Happy and Connie Ward, along with the Lamanche Urban Farm of www. lowernine.org, will supply the market with Ninth Ward-grown produce and plenty of advice on developing one’s own backyard plot. School gardens are also represented at the market by Langston Hughes Academy students who attend monthly as vendors to sell produce they have grown. Thanks to master griller Richard Shelling of Grilling Shelling, the market is a destination not only for shopping but also for having a hot lunch with friends. The aroma from Grilling Shelling’s turkey and hamburgers, ribs and stuffed chicken breasts has been known to stop cars passing by on St. Claude Ave. and lead folks right into the Market! Regular customers have made a habit of enjoying lunch at the Market before or after picking up fresh ingredients to prepare at home. Pastry chef and owner of Sugar’s in the Bywater, Clare Loughran is another popular Sankofa vendor. The array of sweet and savory baked goods from Sugar’s in the Bywater is a reflection of Louisiana seasonality. Clare incorporates fresh fruits and vegetables from fellow Sankofa vendors in her delicious creations, such as blueberry breakfast bread, carrot cake and peach tarts. As part of the Louisiana Farmers Market Nutrition Program, Sankofa Farmers Market accepts EBT SNAP benefits, WIC coupons, senior coupons and credit cards. Residents from neighborhoods throughout New Orleans frequent the market. In addition to the Farmers Market, the Sankofa Community Development Corporation (CDC) also operates the Sankofa Gardens, an economic opportunity program for community development in New Orleans’ Ninth Ward. The Sankofa Garden at KIPP Renaissance High School at Frederick Douglass, located a few blocks from the Farmers

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Market, provides an educational garden space for Renaissance students to learn about gardening and the nutritional benefits of consuming fresh produce. Through this program, Renaissance students will also manage a student-run booth at the Farmers Market to sell the produce from their school garden. Sankofa CDC is also in partnership with the New Orleans Redevelopment Authority (NORA) to transform a vacant lot at 27 St. Claude Ct. in the Lower Ninth Ward into a community garden space which will grow fresh local produce for Ninth Ward residents and host community-based youth enrichment programs.

For more information, including a complete list of Sankofa Farmers Market vendors and the calendar of events, call 504-875-4268, email sankofafarmersmarket@gmail.com or visit www.sankofafarmersmarket.org. The Sankofa Famers Market is supported by the United States Department of Agriculture Farmers Market Promotion Program, the Milagro Foundation, the Healthy Heart Community Prevention Project and the Holy Angels Complex. The Sankofa Community Development Corporation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization which serves as a catalyst to revitalize the New Orleans Ninth Ward. The organization provides opportunities through economic advancement, community engagement, healthy food access, arts and culture, education, and organizational partnerships.

HealthyNOLA.org – Get info. Take action. Interested in learning about the types of neighborhood-level data, community building, promising practices, strategies and more soon to be available to you as residents and community leaders? Contact Tia Vice at 504-940-2207, tia@npnnola.com, or Ashley Burg at 504-301-9811 or aburg@lphi.org to learn more.

Algiers

History of the Westbank Communities in New Orleans By Nora McGunnigle, Neighborhood History Editor Algiers is the only part of Orleans Parish located on the Westbank. It was founded as the town of Algiers in 1840 and annexed by New Orleans in 1870. However, long before its incorporation as a town or district, Algiers was an important part of early New Orleans history. From the time the land that is now known as Algiers was granted to Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Sieur de Bienville, the founder of New Orleans, it has been an important area for agriculture (notably sugar plantations) and shipping. It was also the location of New Orleans’ slave corral, a powder magazine, and a slaughterhouse. In fact, for a while, Algiers was known as Slaughterhouse Point. During the Civil War, in the face of the oncoming invasion by Union troops, Confederate soldiers destroyed property that could be used to benefit the enemy. This created a riot that led to looting of goods, including weapons from the powder magazine, before the Union Army arrived. More destruction occurred in the fire of 1895, when most of the buildings and residences were burned to the ground. There are several neighborhoods that make up the district of Algiers: Algiers Point, McDonogh, Whitney, Old Aurora, United States Naval Support, Behrman, Tall Timbers/ Brechtel and Fischer Development.

The first area to be developed was Algiers Point. At the turn of the 19th century, it was mainly occupied by the Duverje Plantation. However, eventually Algiers Point’s proximity to the Eastbank of New Orleans drew large settlement numbers after the Algiers ferry was established in 1827. As the dry dock industry, iron foundries, railroads, shipyards and lumberyards grew in the area, and the Eastbank became more and more populated, New Orleanians started settling in areas of Algiers away from the Point. John McDonogh is best known in New Orleans as the benefactor of 35 schools throughout the entire parish. He arrived in the city in 1800. By 1815, John McDonogh had settled into what is now the McDonogh Neighborhood – he called it “McDonoghville” – with the goal of creating a model society and preparing the selected slaves he held to return to Liberia. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the area was very attractive to Irish, Italian and German immigrants who sought to make a home on the less-crowded Westbank. McDonogh faced across the river to the Eastbank, making it desirable and convenient to the newly arriving immigrants. Continued on page 18

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Whitney is another of the older neighborhoods in Algiers, which is predominantly a lower- to middle-class African-American neighborhood. Whitney’s development was heavily influenced by the Southern Pacific Railroad yard that was located there. Immigrants from Ireland, Italy and Germany as well as African Americans began settling around the tracks and the yard at the turn of the 20th century, and heavy settlement occurred in the post-World War II era. By the mid-1970s, the majority African-American population saw its share of racially charged incidents and inequality. In November of 1980, the most infamous police brutality event in Whitney, known as “The Algiers Shooting,” was a result of the shooting death of a white NOPD officer. In the wake of this tragedy, the residents of Whitney became the victims of extreme racial profiling, being harassed and rounded up like prisoners of war. It came to a head when police, based on information obtained by torturing two African-American men in a swamp by conducting a mock execution, stormed the home of James Billy and Reginald Miles, killing them both in addition to Miles’s girlfriend, Sherry Singleton, who was attempting to hide from the gunfire in the bathtub. Although eventually three officers were sent to prison for abusing Algiers residents during this period, no charges were ever brought for the murders of Billy, Miles or Singleton. Next to Whitney is the Fischer Development Neighborhood, which in 1965 was the last conventional public housing project to be built in New Orleans. Under the Housing Authority of New Orleans, the original buildings were demolished between 1996 and 2008 to make way for lowincome housing in the style of the former St. Thomas Development area. It is in the final stage of development and, according to the HANO website, “It includes 124 single-family dwelling units, consisting of 70 affordable rental units, 10 public housing units, and 44 affordable homeownership units.” When completed, the development will be renamed “Crescent Estates.” The Behrman Neighborhood is primarily African American and Hispanic; before Hurricane Katrina, Behrman had the second-highest population of Hispanics in the entire parish. Behrman was named for the popular and longest-serving New Orleans Mayor Martin Behrman, who was raised and lived in Algiers. The Algiers branch of Delgado Community College is located in Behrman, and it is the only public institution of higher education on the Westbank.

Neighborhood Spotlight Organizations

U.S. Naval Support Area Neighborhood, as its name suggests, is where the U.S. Naval Base was built at the turn of the 20th century and still stands today. After its use as plantation land owned by Jean-Baptiste Lemoyne, Sieur de Bienville, and subsequently as railroad land, (like most of Algiers), the United States government purchased the area in 1849 and the base was built in 1903, after the Naval Dry Dock had been established. In 1966, the U.S. Army Base was transferred there, so the Navy and the Army share the facility. Much of the surrounding housing is occupied by service members. Old Aurora, contrary to its name, was not one of the originally settled areas of Algiers, but it does boast the highest median income of the area ($63,547). It consists primarily of two subdivisions: Walnut Bend and Huntlee Village, as well as a hospital – Jo Ellen Medical Center – that is well known to offshore divers and SCUBA divers; the Edna Karr High School, a magnet school, which was one of the first six public schools to reopen after Hurricane Katrina; and Our Lady of Holy Cross College, founded in 1916 and the only four-year college on the Westbank. The Tall Timbers/Brechtel Neighborhood is the most recently developed in Algiers. As the Southern Pacific Railroad brought more employees to the area, the drainage system known as the Wood Pump cleared away underwater areas, and the Mississippi River Bridge built in the 1950s permitted more and more people to access this area. The population is mixed income, and Tall Timbers and Brechtel are the two subdivisions that make up the neighborhood. While Tall Timbers contains primarily residential property, Brechtel Neighborhood has Brechtel Memorial Park and Lakewood Country Club within its boundaries. Algiers was the first major area of the parish to reopen to residents after Katrina, allowing people back on September 26, 2005. It escaped the flooding of Katrina but sustained significant wind damage, which continues to affect the community. For example, the Algiers Regional Branch of the New Orleans Public Library system is still closed due to storm damage. However, according to the GNO Community Data Center’s analysis of the Valassis Residential and Business Database, all of the neighborhoods in Algiers have made a significant residential comeback, ranging from 72 percent in the U.S. Naval Support Neighborhood to 108 percent in Algiers Point as of June 2010. Tall Timbers/Brechtel is at 87percent recovery, Behrman at 95 percent, the Fischer Project at 97 percent, Old Aurora at 98 percent, Whitney at 100 percent, and McDonogh at 101 percent.

Algiers

Algiers Economic Development Foundation www.algierseconomic.com Algiers Point Association www.algierspoint.org Algiers Riverpoint Homeowners Association www.algiersriverpointhoa.org

Algiers Historical Society www.algiershistoricalsociety.org ARTinA https://sites.google.com/site/ artinaneworleans2/home 18

Algiers Riverview Association http://www.npnnola.com/associations/ neighborhoods/view/164/algiers-riverviewassociation Algiers Redevelopment Foundation http://www.algiersredevelopmentfoundation.org THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Neighborhood Spotlight Organizations

Algiers

Bocage Civic Association http://www.bca.no.com/ Tunisburg Square Civic Homeowners Improvement Assoc. http://tunisburg.org/

Old Algiers Main Street www.oldalgiersmainstreet.com Confetti Kids http://confettikids.org/ Friends of The Ferry www.friendsoftheferry.org

Algiers Neighborhood Presidents Council https://sites.google.com/site/anpcnola/home Friends of The Algiers Courthouse www.friendsofalgierscourthouse.org

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Real Economic Development Comes with

Economic Inclusion By Lakshmi Sridaran

efore arriving at Neighborhoods Partnership Network, I worked in New Orleans as an economic development consultant for the California-based national research and action institute, PolicyLink. PolicyLink has produced many publications through their work in several cities around the country showing how equity is the superior growth model and how inequality is bad for the economy. In New Orleans, Director of PolicyLink’s Center for Infrastructure Equity, Kalima Rose and I have been working on a report to show the promise for greater economic equity in our region through infrastructure investments and the construction industry. This article is an introduction to this report, which will be published later this year. There will be an opportunity for community input when the report is released before developing the final recommendations.

Employing Minority Firms will grow Economic Development A deep history of racial inequality in Louisiana and particularly the Greater New Orleans region has profoundly influenced the regional economy and the economic well-being of the residents of the region. With upcoming major investments of infrastructure recovery dollars in hospitals, schools, and public housing, and new federal investments in transit, transportation and coastal recovery projects, it is crucial to address the endemic racial disparities that have long characterized the labor force in the New Orleans region. The stimulus and hurricane recovery contracts provide a unique opportunity for minority firms and workers to economically benefit from the long-term investment in their communities. Structuring these contracts to increase the participation of local and minority firms and the workforce they hire can potentially achieve a triple bottom line by: 1)bridging the racial inequities found in the regional labor market; 2)increasing job and training opportunities for minority workers and businesses;

Public Policy 3)engaging those who live in communities with the greatest need for infrastructure repair to benefit economically from infrastructure construction work.

Certifying Minority Firms Collectively, businesses owned by people of color, women, or those who can demonstrate historic social and economic disadvantage are known as Disadvantaged Business Enterprises or DBE’s. The federal government’s process for certifying a business as a DBE, known as the Unified Certification Program (UCP) is race and gender conscious while the state of Louisiana’s certification process, known as the State and Local Disadvantaged Business Enterprise program (SLDBE) is race and gender neutral, meaning that the business owners must show history of social and economic disadvantage. Many public agencies in New Orleans certify and recognize businesses in only one of these programs. Often the certification process can take several months because there is a single committee that meets once a month to approve certification applications from all public agencies. And, many times they are unable to get through all of the applications in one meeting. To address this backlog, the city’s Office of Supplier Diversity will be hosting a series of technical assistance workshops to help DBE’s complete the application process.

Local and State Policy Mayor Mitch Landrieu obtained passage of significant city contracting reforms one month after taking office in May, 2010 to help implement the 2009 city council ordinance, which calls for the city to utilize 35% DBE firms and 50% local firms in annual contracts. However, by law this can only be a goal and not a mandate, therefore making it difficult for this alone to significantly improve minority-contracting opportunities. In 2008, through the efforts of the late Senator Hudson, the state of Louisiana passed the Hudson Initiative. This program encourages contractors who receive contracts from the state to engage in food faith efforts to utilize “small entrepreneurships” which are businesses certified by the state. Again, this is not a mandate and contractors are rarely asked to document their good faith efforts. There have been no consequences or true measures built into contracts that reward firms for utilizing small, local, and disadvantaged businesses and no pipeline to grow these businesses into primary contractors. The promise for economic parity has yet to be met because implementation, enforcement, and the development of structural supports have been weak or nonexistent. It is time for us to create policies that help grow DBE firms into larger and stronger businesses as well as open up the contracting network. It is only through economic inclusion that New Orleans can fully realize its potential for economic development.

Public Policy & Advocacy NPN seeks to assist neighborhoods to advocate for change through local public policy. NPN’s advocacy committee meets monthly to discuss issues important to neighborhoods. The purpose of the committee is to help neighborhoods develop a framework for issues and effectively engage city government officials to address them. Please visit the NPN policy blog at http://npnpolicyspotlight.blogspot.com/ to read articles and current events concerning all policy issues. To contribute to this blog, email your requests to lakshmi@npnnola.com. 20

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

From Heroes to Villains

Government and Politics

NOPD Verdict Reveals Post-Katrina History

This article was first published on www.colorlines.com on August 8, 2011. By Jordan Flaherty

n an historic verdict with national implications, five New Orleans police officers were convicted on Aug. 5 of federal civil rights violations for killing unarmed African Americans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and could face life in prison when sentenced later this year. The case, involving a grisly encounter on the Danziger Bridge, was the most high profile of a number of prosecutions that seek to hold police accountable for violence in the storm’s wake. The officers’ federal court conviction on all 25 counts, (on two counts, the jury found the men guilty but with partial disagreements on the nature of the crime, which could slightly affect sentencing), comes nearly six years after the city was devastated by floodwaters and government inaction. The verdict helps rewrite the history of what happened in the chaotic days after the levees broke. And the story of how these convictions happened is important for anyone around the U.S. seeking to combat law enforcement violence. The results of this trial also have national implications for those seeking federal support in challenges to police abuses in other cities. New Orleans is one of four major cities in which the Department of Justice has

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

stepped in to look at police departments. Any success here has far-reaching implications for federal investigations in Denver, Seattle, Newark, and other cities. The Danziger Bridge case begins with Hurricane Katrina. As images of desperate survivors played on television, people around the world felt sympathy for people waiting for rescue after the storm. But then images of families trapped on rooftops were replaced by stories of armed gangs and criminals roaming the streets. News reports famously described white people as “finding” food while depicting black people as “looting.” Former Chief of Police Eddie Compass told Oprah Winfrey that “little babies (are) getting raped” in the Superdome. Former Governor Kathleen Blanco announced she had sent in troops with orders to shoot to kill, and the second in charge of the police department reportedly told officers to fire at will on looters. Evidence suggests that the NOPD acted on these instructions. On Sept. 2, just days after the storm, a black man named Henry Glover was shot by a police sniper as he walked through a parking lot. When a good Samaritan tried to help Glover get medical help, he was beaten by

Government and Politics

officers, who burnt Glover’s body and left it behind a levee. The next day, a 45-year-old man named Danny Brumfield, Sr., was killed by officers in front of scores of witnesses outside the New Orleans Convention Center when he ran after a police car to demand that they stop and provide aid. The following morning, two families were crossing New Orleans’ Danziger Bridge, which connects Gentilly and New Orleans East, two mostly middle-to-upper-class African-American neighborhoods. Without warning, a Budget Rental truck carrying police officers arrived and cops jumped out. The officers did not identify themselves, and began firing before their vehicle had even stopped. Officers had heard a radio call about shootings in the area, and according to prosecutors, they were seeking revenge. James Brisette, 17, called studious and nerdy by his friends, was shot nearly a dozen times and died at the scene. Many of the bullets hit him as he lay on the ground bleeding. Four other people were wounded, including Susan Bartholomew, a 38-year-old mother who had her arm shot off of her body, and her 17-year-old daughter Lesha, who was shot while crawling on top of her mother’s body, trying to shield her from bullets. Lesha’s cousin Jose was shot point-blank in the stomach and nearly died. He needed a colostomy bag for years afterwards. Further up the bridge, officers chased down Ronald Madison, a mentally challenged man, who was traveling with his brother Lance. Ronald was shot in the back by one officer and then stomped and kicked to death by another. Lance was arrested and charged with firing at officers, and spent weeks behind bars.

At the time, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reported that officers “sent up a cheer” when word came over police radios that suspects had been shot and killed. A cursory investigation by the NOPD justified the shooting, and it appeared that the matter was closed. In fact, for years every check and balance in the city’s criminal justice system failed to find any fault in this or other officer-involved shootings from the days after the storm. Eddie Jordan, the city’s first black district attorney, pursued charges against the officers in late 2006. When the cops went to turn themselves in, they were greeted by a crowd of hundreds of officers who cheered for them and called them heroes. Before the case could make it to trial, it was dismissed by a judge with close ties to the defense lawyers, and soon after that Jordan was forced to resign. After the dismissal of Jordan’s charges, the story of police violence after Katrina remained untold. Jordan believes an indifferent local media bears partial responsibility for the years of cover-up. “They were looking for heroes,” he says. “They had a cozy relationship with the police. They got tips from the police; they were in bed with the police. It was an atmosphere of tolerance for atrocities from the police. They abdicated their responsibility to be critical in their reporting. If a few people got killed that was a small price to pay.” Other elected officials, like the city coroner, went along with the police version of events. For example, the coroner’s office never flagged Henry Glover’s body, found burned in a car, as a potential homicide. But the Madisons, the Bartholomews, and the Glovers, along with

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Government and Politics family members of other police violence victims, refused to be silent. They continued to speak out at press conferences, rallies, and directly to reporters. They worked with organizations like Safe Streets/Strong Communities, which was founded by criminal justice activists in the days after Katrina, and Community United for Change, which was formed in response to police abuses. Monique Harden, a community activist and co-director of Advocates for Environmental Human Rights, helped to bring testimony about these issues to the United Nations. Another post-Katrina organization, Peoples Hurricane Relief Fund, presented the charges to an international tribunal. Activists worked to not only raise awareness of specific issues of police violence, but to say that these problems are structural and that any solution must get at the root causes. “This is about an entire system that was completely broken and in crisis,” says former Safe Streets Co-Director Rosana Cruz. “Everyone’s job in the criminal justice system depends on there being a lot of crime in the city. The district attorney’s office doesn’t work on getting the city safer, they work on getting convictions at any cost. As long as that’s the case, we’re not going to have safety.” Former District Attorney Jordan feels that investigators should pursue charges up to the very top of the department, including Warren Riley, who was promoted to police chief shortly after Hurricane Katrina and served in that role until 2010. “Riley, by his own admission, never even read the report on Danziger,” Jordan points out. “It’s so outrageous, it’s unspeakable. It’s one of the worst things that anyone can do. It’s hard to understand why he’s not on trial as well.” “Fish starts rotting at the head,” adds Jordan. “This was all done in the backdrop of police opposition at the very top. It’s not surprising that there was a cover-up. You just have to wonder how far that cover-up went.” In 2008, journalist A.C. Thompson did what New Orleans media had failed to do, and seriously investigated the accusations of police violence. His reporting, published on the ProPublica website and in The Nation, spelled out the shocking details of Glover’s killing and pointed toward police coordination with white vigilantes in widespread violence. It brought national attention to the stories that had been ignored. Activists took advantage of the exposure and lobbied the Congressional Black Caucus and the Justice Department for an investigation. In early 2009, a newly empowered Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Justice Department decided to look into the cases. Federal agents interviewed witnesses who had never been talked to, reconstructed crime scenes, and even confiscated NOPD computers. They found evidence that the Danziger officers had radically rewritten their version of what happened on the bridge that day. When FBI agents confronted officers involved in the Danziger case, five officers pleaded guilty and agreed to testify about the conspiracy to cover-up what happened. They revealed that officers had planted evidence, invented witnesses, arrested innocent people, and held secret meetings where they worked to line up their stories. Before last week’s verdict, the Justice Department had already won four previous police violence convictions, including of the officers who shot Glover and burned his body, as well as of two officers who killed Raymond Robair, a pre-Katrina case in which officers beat a man to death and claimed (with the support of the city coroner) he had sustained his injuries from falling down. About half a dozen other investigations are ongoing. The Justice Department is also looking at federal oversight of the NOPD, a process by which it can dictate vast changes from hiring and firing to training and policy writing.

The Danziger trial has been the most high-profile aspect of the federal intervention in New Orleans, and this verdict will have far-reaching implications for how the effectiveness of federal intervention is perceived. The convictions and guilty pleas in the case reveal a wide-ranging conspiracy that reaches up to sergeants and lieutenants. Marlon Defillo, the second-in-charge of the NOPD, was recently forced to retire because of his role in helping cover up the Glover killing. Most importantly, the verdict has helped shift the narrative of what happened in those days after Katrina. The defense team for the Danziger officers was steadfast in describing their clients as heroes. Attorney Paul Fleming described the cops as “proactive,” saying, “They go out and get things done. They go out and get the bad guys.” Police attorneys in the Glover and Danziger trials also sought to use the so-called “Katrina defense,” arguing that the exceptional circumstances following the storm justified extra-legal actions on the part of officers. With these convictions, the juries have definitively refuted this excuse. In her closing arguments, Bobbi Bernstein, deputy chief of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, fought back against the claim that the officers were heroes, saying the family members of those killed deserved the title more. Noting that the official cover-up had “perverted” the system, she said, “The real heroes are the victims who stayed with an imperfect justice system that initially betrayed them.” Officers went out with a mission to deliver “their own kind of postapocalyptic justice,” she added. “The law is what it is because this is not a police state.” In comments immediately after the verdict, family members of those killed on the bridge expressed gratitude for those who had helped them reach this point, but stressed that their pain continued. Speaking outside the courthouse after the verdict, Sherrel Johnson, the mother of James Brisette, said that the officers, “took the twinkle out of my eye, the song out of my voice, and blew out my candle,” when they killed her son. Jacqueline Madison Brown, the sister of Ronald Madison, told assembled press, “Ronald Madison brought great love to our family. Shooting him down was like shooting an innocent child.” Commenting on officers who had testified for the prosecution in exchange for lesser charges, she added, “We regret that they did not have the courage and strength to come forward sooner.” Kenneth Bowen, Robert Gisevius, Anthony Villavaso and Robert Faulcon, the officers involved in the shooting, could receive life sentences. Sergeant Arthur Kaufman, who was not on the bridge, but was convicted of leading the conspiracy, could receive a maximum of 120 years. Sentencing is scheduled for December but will likely be delayed.

“Fish starts rotting at the head,” adds Jordan. “This was all done in the backdrop of police opposition at the very top. It’s not surprising that there was a cover-up. You just have to wonder how far that cover-up went.”

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Jordan Flaherty is a journalist and staffer with the Louisiana Justice Institute. His award-winning reporting from the Gulf Coast has been featured in a range of outlets including the New York Times, Al Jazeera, and Argentina’s Clarin newspaper. He is the author of FLOODLINES: Community and Resistance from Katrina to the Jena Six. He can be reached at neworleans@leftturn.org. More information about Floodlines can be found at www.floodlines.org. For speaking engagements, see www.communityandresistance.wordpress.com. 23

Education The Political Theatrics of False Community Engagement

Who’s Playing Whom in Education Downtown? Karran Harper-Royal By José Torres-Tama, Guest Columnist This article appeared on the website www.edutalknola.com on July 28, 2011.

t a recent education summit at The Healing Center on St. Claude Avenue, Ms. Karran Harper-Royal, an education advocate, spoke frankly about the false community engagement that has become the norm in the post-Katrina education reform environment and the battles between public schools controlled by the Recovery School District (RSD) and Orleans Parish School Board (OPSB). She was critical of public forums that were simply staged to check off the community engagement box while closeddoor decisions had already been made concerning what neighborhood was going to get what school. She addressed the frustrations of false processes that have exhausted many communities across the city, where they have been told that their engagement was crucial to the decision-making procedure for schools in their neighborhoods — only to learn that a charter model not of their choice was moving in. For community members in attendance from the St. Roch, Marigny, and Bywater neighborhoods, her comments could not have been more sobering. Many concerned families in these three historic neighborhoods have been struggling with the RSD over what charter model was going into the Colton School building, which is under reconstruction. Describing the actual rebuilding at Colton as a “renovation” is a stretch. Sadly, the historic building is undergoing a destruction process, and it has been literally stripped to an empty concrete shell of its once-regal red brick imposing and historical characteristics. I live two blocks from Colton on St. Claude Avenue, and it breaks my heart every day I pass the destruction site. However, that’s another story altogether. This story continues with another educational gathering concerning the Colton site and the corporate-for-profit educational behemoth know as KIPP, whose acronym stands for Knowledge is Power Program. Apparently, KIPP is not only all-powerful but also all-knowing of the future to come because it blatantly claims the Colton facility on its website as its own — as a done deal. The flyer distributed at its recent Monday, July 25 meeting, where the new RSD Superintendent Mr. John White spoke, claims it again. It literally states, “Colton will house KIPP New Orleans Leadership Academy and Primary (KNOLA), temporarily operating in the Frederick Douglass Building (alongside KIPP Renaissance High School) in 2012. At KIPP, we believe that communities and schools are partners in serving children.”

It continues, “Altogether, families living near Colton are choosing a KIPP education, making the voice of the community clear: KIPP operates schools that the people in the neighborhood want.” It looks like the KIPP corporate leadership team forgot to tell that to Mr. White, who clearly stated that before making a decision on Colton, he was also open to hearing from a neighborhood group that was creating their own charter. He candidly opened by saying, “I think in the past my organization has not always done the best job of being transparent.” He expressed “deep regrets” about questionable decision-making processes that have affected neighborhood families and their children. Quite convincingly, he portrayed himself as a leader committed to hearing all sides before making any decisions on what school gets what facility. So who is playing whom here? Was Mr. White putting on a public show, and did he not see the flyer that KIPP distributed to all who entered the Douglass Building presentation hall? Was this just another episode of false community engagement? For all his seemingly genuine talk about listening to all sides from the community at large, and after more than half an hour of numerous orchestrated testimonials from KIPP parents proclaiming how great the school was for their children, Mr. White finished by saying that he was open to hearing from other community members in attendance, but that only three minutes were left. Mr. White’s charismatic and candid approach had me convinced he was a new breed of RSD leader, but when he left all of three minutes for anyone else to question KIPP or him, it was obvious that the community was being played. Unfortunately, it became even more apparent when I asked a critical question about whether KIPP hires novice non-union teachers who are unprepared, and in doing so have helped to cripple the African American Teachers’ Union in New Orleans. I directly asked a hard question because these are hard times. Our children’s future demands hard questions about who is properly prepared to take on the monumental responsibility of educating them. Mr. White’s mood turned. His lips became pursed, and he was dismissive of my question by simply asking the KIPP crowd, “Do you have good teachers here?” They roared a resounding yes. It was expected like an eerily orchestrated event, where questioning the all-mighty KIPP was not part of the community engagement process. I continued with my line of questioning and referred to an article in the American Independent, which quoted a Southern Poverty Law Center study about many charters’

Mr. White’s mood turned. His lips became pursed, and he was dismissive of my question by simply asking the KIPP crowd, “Do you have good teachers here?” They roared a resounding yes.

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Education suspect security measures. KIPP was the biggest culprit, with draconian punishment of their students written into their guidebook. Mr. White responded abruptly, “You are bringing politics into an environment that’s about kids and parents, and it’s an unfortunate occurrence.” Dismissively, he looked away and ended the three minutes for the community to ask questions. He made a political choice to shut down any line of questioning that challenged KIPP, whose educational practices he applauded time and time again during his ample time professing his more “transparent” strategy to hear all sides of the educational debate. How is it not a political struggle when the article I referenced is from a section called “State Politics in Context,” and the renowned SPLC, whose civil rights and social justice practices are about challenging the bad politics that affect people of color? The RSD itself is a state governance agency from Baton Rouge, and it is making political decisions on education reform in New Orleans post-Katrina. The questions were concerned with accountability of a corporate charter that is awarded millions in public funds generated by the taxes collected from homeowners like myself. Mr. White’s job is to develop just policies on what charters get what facilities. It sounds like politics, but it is looking more like the same dubious politics that we, the people, have struggled with since the RSD took control of our neighborhood

schools. Colton is two blocks away from the home I own with my wife and two little boys, and the KIPP corporate charter model is not the type of school I want in my neighborhood. The taxes I pay will go to support them, whether I want them or not. The families in the immediate area of Colton envision a different charter model, one dramatically in contrast to KIPP and the offensive presumption that “all people in the neighborhood” have chosen them. The KIPP propaganda flyer is attached [at the www. edutalknola.com website]. Read for yourselves and forward it to Mr. White. Post it on your Facebook accounts and distribute it to your own cyber communities. We are being played all over again. This is not a time for civility. This is a time for outrage. This is a time to demand that policy makers like Mr. White give us more than three minutes and the theatrical politics of public lip service as part of more false community engagement.

We are being played all over again. This is not a time for civility. This is a time for outrage.

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Note: This is a guest blog from a gentleman I met at a community meeting in July. I am very pleased to have inspired Mr. Torres-Tama to write this piece. This is exactly the kind of community push-back that we need to truly reform our public education system. We can’t allow “Fake Community Involvement” to go unchecked. Thank you very much, Mr. Torres-Tama. – Karran Harper-Royal

CeCe Gets

Arts & Features

. G . Y t s i t r A p from Hip-Ho

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.

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Culinary Corner with Simone Victoria at

The Kitchen T

Arts & Features

4801 General Meyer Ave., Suite E, New Orleans he Kitchen has been open for two years and is managed by Chef Bruce Rollins, an Algiers native. This restaurant offers exciting menu items like seafood nachos, crabstuffed chicken wings or molasses-glazed pork chops. My favorite is to begin with Tilapia Orleans topped with creamy Chardonnay sauce and end with Chef Bruce’s brown sugar and rum sauce atop warmed bread pudding. Do you have too many options? You can’t go wrong with the “chef’s inspiration” of the day. Rollins first got his start at the Plimsoll Club in the World Trade Center. With 16 years of experience, he brings a taste of New Orleans with a twist to his menu. It’s a great place for lunch or dinner. Rollins also offers an exquisite catering menu with original creations for all occasions. Located next to Ace Hardware in Algiers, The Kitchen is on its way to becoming a favorite hot spot for locals. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Monday and is closed only on Tuesday.

Advertise in The Trumpet The Trumpet is New Orleans only community magazine written by neighborhood residents, for neighborhoods, and about New Orleans neighborhoods. The bi-monthly magazine, with a circulation of 5,000 copies throughout greater New Orleans, has over 110 contributors from our network who is 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, you will help us shape each issue’s theme, which also contributes to the news and stories that affect our city, neighborhoods and residents. You can choose from either a 1/2, full or 3/4 page, which you will own for the entire year, (six issues). Whether you want to write something “article style,” or use the full space for a single graphic to highlight a service or 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 e-newsletter, Trumpet Tidbits, which currently reaches 3,100 readers.

To advertise, email thetrumpet@npnola.com THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Horseback Riding and Outdoor Adventures Serve City Youth

Arts & Features

By Brian Opert

Crescent City Cowboy Ranch is everything inside of the blue line, and all the land to the northeast as far as you can see! That’s what about 850 New Orleans children and teens discovered when they visited this summer.

omething special often happens when a youngster comes face to face with a 2,500-pound horse. While horses can be large, they are intelligent, alert, curious, trainable and fun. They are also loving, sensitive, responsive and easy to interact with. This makes them very special – like a big, overgrown puppy. And that’s only some of what this adventure promises. This is not your typical organized summer camp! In the lovely English Turn region of New Orleans, over the bridge and near the Mississippi River, more than 40 acres at Crescent City Cowboy Ranch are all level and grassy, with a large pond and numerous shade trees. Each pasture is fenced. There are 14 stables. Most horses are turned out and wander freely in the pastures. And this is still within New Orleans! Usually, from 10 to more than 300 youngsters and their parents, counselors or chaperones acclimate quickly to the animals and the great outdoors. They spend the day (or several days) at the ranch, enjoying the countryside, the fresh air, the quiet and the smell of the horses. They sit together under the trees at the wood picnic tables; walk the area and explore nature; investigate the various pieces of farm machinery and even ride a farm tractor. They may have a horse assigned to them to care for – to clean, brush, feed and walk; help clean and organize the saddles and bridles; learn to ride using the fenced riding ring or even take a supervised trail ride with a volunteer ranch hand. Or they may do nothing but enjoy watching their friends trying to learn about horses and riding! Kids can attend an evening cookout with a nearby campfire to make the entire trip most memorable.

Crescent City Cowboy Ranch Goes Back Many Generations Horse rancher Dave Williams was “born in the saddle.” He comes from generations of horse folk and is an expert rider and instructor. Routinely, he is hired to break horses for area families. He owns the horses on the ranch. He is also the “Horse Whisperer” of this region. Cowboy Dave participates in annual Mardi Gras parades with his Crescent City Cowboy Club. Maybe you’ve seen the black and gold Crescent City Cowboy float he sponsors.

Horses: Beautiful, Healthy and in Very Great Condition There are more than 25 horses of all sizes and varieties, from ponies to muscular thoroughbreds, from quarter horses to Western saddle horses. All of the horses are broken, friendly and can be ridden. They don’t bite! Each one will nuzzle a child’s hand looking for a treat or just a friendly pat. Each horse will also stand quietly while being brushed. Everyone rides – from four-year-olds to the teens to their chaperones! Riders with experience or promise have the opportunity to ride on the trail by arrangement.

There are goats, a fierce ram, geese, ducks and chickens on the ranch, too! Children can pick eggs, feed the ducks (bring bread), and the goats will eat virtually anything. Visitors bring along some dry dog or cat food, which is great for the goats and the ducks! There are also fish in the lake, so they bring rods and some bait. Play equipment, such as a Frisbee, softball, football or volleyball, is welcome, too. The idea is to enjoy the wide open spaces.

Basic Information for Summer 2012 Crescent City Cowboy Ranch is open all summer, from when school gets out in the spring until the next school year begins. It is just a 30minute drive from the CBD. Permission: Any age, from four years old and up, is allowed! Under 18 requires a signed written permission slip from the parent or guardian. Youth over 18 sign the proper paperwork at the ranch. These forms are supplied before the visit or on site. Cost: It’s free to ride and play! For up to 20 guests, a day at this ranch is free to all participants – free to just hang around or free to ride, and everything in between. For 21 to 50 guests, there is a charge of $50 for portable toilet rentals, payable by check or cash on the day of the visit. For 51 to 100, a charge of $100 is required. Unless otherwise arranged, the ranch rents all portable toilets. Insurance: The ranch maintains a $1 million liability insurance policy. Certificates of insurance are provided on request. Equipment: Electricity and water are provided, along with picnic tables and barbeque grills. Dates: Bookings are on a first-come basis, and these can be any day excluding Sunday. Hours are from 10 a.m. until dusk.

Visitors will request or provide; • • • • • •

Round-trip transportation Portable toilet for over 20 guests Bottled water, meals, snacks Charcoal for the grill Snacks for horses – carrots, apples Bread for goats, ducks and chickens

Clothing: Jeans and boots (over the ankle) are recommended for riders. Soft-soled sneakers are not recommended. Remember, horses routinely fertilize the grounds, so visitors usually expect to step in something before the day is over! Light gloves may also be preferred. A cap or hat may be needed, too. Are you already dreaming about next summer? “Howdy, partner!”

For more information, contact, Brian Opert at 504-250-7115 or brian@wgso.com. Brian volunteers at Crescent City Cowboy Ranch. He is also the host of “From the Ground Up,” the WGSO 990 AM weekly Crime Fighting Live Radio Show in greater New Orleans.

Other Activities 28

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

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 | September/October | 2011

Neighborhood Meetings

Algiers Point Association Every 1st Thursday of the month @ 7pm Holy Name of Mary School Cafeteria Broadmoor Improvement Association 3rd Monday of every other month @ 7pm 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 7p.m. Holy Angels Cafeteria 3500 St. Claude Ave. 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 @ 1p.m. Allie Mae Williams Center 2020 Jackson Ave. http://www.centralcitypartnership.org Central City Renaissance Alliance

(CCRA) Saturday, September 19 @ 2p.m. 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 6:30pm 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 School 4720 Painters St. http://www.gentillyterrace.org Hoffman Triangle Neighborhood Association Every 2nd Tuesday of the month @ 5:30p.m. Pleasant Zion Missionary Baptist Church 3327 Toledano Street Hollygrove Neighbors Association Quarterly- Saturdays at noon January 9 April 10 July 10 October 16 St. Peters Church 3424 Eagle St. Eage St. and Edinburgh St. Holy Cross Neighborhood Association Every 2nd and 4th Thursday @ 5:30 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.

Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association Every 2nd Wednesday of the month @ 7pm

Get Connected to the New Orleans Neighborhood Network. Post News & Events for Your Organization at NPNnola.com 30

THE TRUMPET | September/October | 2011

Neighborhood Meetings

Lake Willow Neighborhood Every 2nd Saturday of the month @ 10a.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 @ 5p.m. Anchoren in Christ Church 4334 Stemway Drive Mid-City Neighborhood Organization General Meeting – Second Monday of every month@ 6:30p.m. Grace Episcopal Church 3700 Canal Street 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

Ask City Hall

Rosedale Subdivision Last Friday of every month @5:30 Greater Bright Morning Star Baptist Church 4253 Dale Street 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 7p.m Tunisburg Square Homeowners Civic Association, Inc. Every 2nd Monday of the month @ 6:30p.m. http://tunisburg.org West Barrington Association 1st Tuesday of every month @ 6p.m. Holiday Inn Express 70219 Bullard Avenue

Send your neighborhood meeting details to: web@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 | September/October | 2011

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@cityofno.com District B Stacy Head City Hall, Room 2W10 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658 -1020 Fax: (504) 658-1025 Email: shead@cityofno.com District C Kristin Gisleson Palmer City Hall, Room 2W70 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1030 Fax: (504) 658-1037 Email: kgpalmer@cityofno.com District D Cynthia Hedge-Morrell City Hall, Room 2W20 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1040 Fax: (504) 658-1048 E-mail: chmorrell@cityofno.com District E Jon D. Johnson City Hall, Room 2W60 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1050 Fax: (504) 658-1058 E-mail: jdjohnson@cityofno.com Council Member-At-Large Arnie Fielkow City Hall, Room 2W40 1300 Perdido Street Phone: (504) 658-1060 Fax: (504) 658-1068 Email: afielkow@cityofno.com Council Member-At-Large Jacquelyn Clarkson City Hall, Room 2W50 1300 Perdido Street New Orleans, LA 70112 Phone: (504) 658-1070 Fax: (504) 658-1077

Algiers

Photo By: Scott Bicking

NEIGHBOR OOD SPOTLIGH HT