Reach out for New Orleans

Check out Josh Charles - download a song, help rebuild New Orleans through the Preservation Resource Center

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 04:53:00 +0000

My friend, Kim, hooked me up big time tonight with Josh Charles, a musician helping out New Orleans through his music. When you download his song "Healing Time", 100% of the proceeds go to the Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans. I just learned about the PRCNO tonight, too, and will definitely visit their site for more information about their outreach.

Please check out his work and tunes at
Josh Charles. Spread the word. Download the song. Thank you!

Just got word from Josh himself about Healing Time Video Cover Contest. I wish that I could sing.

Interview: Visionary Entertainer Josh Charles

Josh Charles on Tavis Smiley - Interview and Song

Chris Williams, professional photographer, New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 06:31:00 +0000

I've just discovered an amazing professional photographer out of New Orleans. I found Chris Williams through the U2.com website. It's nice to have found a fellow fan who's also a photographer in New Orleans. Check out some of his imagery.

It's also good news to see organizations having their conferences in New Orleans. Keep the heart beat of the city pulsing strong by continuing to visit. Thank you.

I especially like that there will be charity portrait sessions for the families who survived the devastation of the levee failures. I remember working with the children in Renaissance Village and how thrilled they were to use the camera to take pictures of one another. It's reassuring to know that maybe that feeling will be generated again with this outreach.

Invitation - Blues Symposium at the Manship

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 18:56:00 +0000

I just received info about Tabby's Hoodoo Party and 21st Century Blues Symposium . I'm especially interested in checking out "New Orleans Music in Exile" by filmmaker Robert Mugge.

Check out a video of the opening of the film.

Check out this clip featuring the Iguanas. This was my introduction to the band, and I definitely want to check out more of their groove. Very cool.

3rd Anniversary - The Saints are Coming and Music Rising

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 07:17:00 +0000

3 years ago, on Sept. 25, 2006, the Superdome reopened and Music Rising raised NOLA's voice high. It was such an awesome event and outreach! It was an honor to be there on the field that night celebrating New Orleans' rebirth, strength and courage. Thanks to everyone involved, and to those who continue to care about NOLA's music culture.

NYTimes corrects reporter's "Katrina Shorthand"

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 02:15:00 +0000

Read about the NYTimes correction, and I encourage you to read John Mcquaid's write up as well. Especially tune into the follow-up comments posted by New Orleanians.

Please do it. Speak of the disaster factually, get your mind out of that crazy blame game towards the NOLA citizens, and help shift understanding towards the truth.

New York Times issues correction to reporter’s description of New Orleans’ flooding

The New York Times has issued a correction to one of its reporters’ rendition of what happened in metro New Orleans on August 29, 2005.

This is important because a prominent news source like the New York Times has much influence over what America understands about New Orleans.

It seems that on August 13, reporter Timothy Egan employed some overly brief, thus inaccurate wording to describe what caused the 2005 flooding. Such shorthand can lead many to believe New Orleans was simply overwhelmed by a natural disaster rather than the truth – that metro New Orleanians were mainly victims of structural engineering failures.

So the next day, the New York Times editorial board received a massive batch of letters from Levees.org supporters pointing out the unethical and harmful use of “Katrina shorthand.”

And two days later, noted author John McQuaid, co-author of Path of Destruction , joined in the rollicking discussion. “This is not a minor semantic point,” he correctly observed.

The NYTimes’ book review section’s editor issued a correction on September 6.

The correction was satisfactory. And it was significant.

And we hope this is the first of many such corrections to be issued by major news sources all across the country.

Because to say Katrina flooded New Orleans is like saying traffic wrecked the Minneapolis bridge.

Both revealed structural flaws. Both revealed blatant civil engineering incompetence.

Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue performs in Vancouver

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 06:49:00 +0000

A photographer friend of mine who lives in Canada got to check out Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at a music festival this past August. Not only did she attend two performances, she also interviewed and photographed them. It's a wonderful connection since she's been so supportive of New Orleans recovery. She did a great job projecting the energy of the band. Thank you, Donna!

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

by ThePortal on Aug.23, 2009, under Concert Reviews

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue

Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival, BC

August 15+16, 2009

by Donna Mair

I first heard of Trombone Shorty from my New Orleans friend Irene, who volunteered much of her time doing cleanup after Hurricane Katrina. As a volunteer she was invited to participate in the Half-time show for the re-opening of the Superdome where she met Trombone Shorty (Troy Andrews). She was so smitten with his performance and personality, that she made me promise to go listen at his Myspace. I did and I was just as smitten.

Flash forward four years later, and I hear that Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue are coming to Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Fest, and I’m so excited; I can hardly believe it!

So… what was the show like? What is Trombone Shorty like? Incredible. Amazing. Hip. Stunning. Professional. Young!

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue performed early Saturday evening on the Main Stage to a packed out audience, and as the music permeated the Fair Grounds, more and more people wandered over to find out where the party was. The music was snappy; Jazz, New Orleans style, but with a youthful Rock/Funk exuberance to it that attracted many people that might not otherwise appreciate Jazz. Instrumentals are combined with lyrics in some songs, improptu Scat singing in others to create a style of music unique to this band.

It’s not just about the music though; it’s a complete performance. When I spoke with the band later that evening, Trombone Shorty explained that they often go out on stage with only a few definite songs in mind, and fill in the setlist as they perform- gauging the audience’s reaction to know which direction to take and what sort of performance to gift them with.Each audience is unique; why should each performance be the same, is their philosophy.

Our show included a very cool ‘duel’ between Peter ‘Rabbit’ Murano on guitar and Mike ‘Bass’ Ballard on bass, which ended with Mike flat on his back (still playing exceptionally, I might add), and Trombone Shorty and Trixzey (Clarence Slaughter/sax) in the background in stitches. Drummer JoJo (Joey Peebles) got into the action by standing up to watch the exchange, pounding the kit to maintain a perfect backbeat for the two to work off of. It was an unexpected finale that left me (and the crowd) wanting more.

I was fortunate enough to catch two Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue shows at the Salmon Arm Roots and Blues festival - the band played Sunday afternoon on the Blues Stage - and just as they had stated the night before; the setlist was not the same, nor was the performance of the band - how could it be? The audience vibe and reactions were completely different than the evening before! This time, the show was brass heavier, with Trombone Shorty switching easily between trombone and trumpet, and more sax by Trixzey with the band at one point all dancing the same moves and Trombone Shorty easily getting the audience to it’s feet to join in the dance moves. The show culminated with a New Orleans style procession of brass - Trombone Shorty and Trixzey jumped out into the audience to wind their way through the crowd, picking up followers along the way, then jumped back on stage to finish it off as only they could - each band member traded his instrument with someone else - Trombone Shorty on drums, drummer Jojo on lead guitar, Peter ‘Rabbit’ moving to saxiphone, Trixzey giving up his sax in favor of bass guitar and Mike hitting the trombone - and the amazing thing is they sounded ‘almost’ as good!

This band has been together since 2000, since high school. They play together, jam together, travel together, and you can cleary see they enjoy being on stage with each other. This was their third time in Canada in less than three months; on average, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue play 100-160 shows a year nationwide.

Jojo, Peter 'Rabbit', Trixzey, Trombone Shorty, Mike

You can find more info about Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue at the links listed below. And you can listen (for free) on their Myspace so be sure to check them out.

Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue website

Trombone Shorty Myspace

New Orleans Thanks You

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 06:51:00 +0000

This is a golden find out of the Crescent City. http://www.neworleansthanksyou.com/Thank_You.html

As a volunteer, I had always felt the need to thank those we were working with for returning to the devastation to rebuild their lives. It takes a lot of courage, faith, and trust to do so, and it's not to be underestimated. The appreciation is truly mutual.

Celebrity iPod Auction Benefits Music Rising

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 18:22:00 +0000

There's a Tonic auction happening right now through the summer to benefit Gulf Coast musicians through Music Rising. Over 57 celebrities, including Bill Clinton, Scarlett Johansson, Edge, Bono, and Sean Penn, to name a few, autographed iPods loaded with their favorite tunes to go up for auction. Right now Bill Clinton's is up with a high bid of over $1126! The auction proceeds help Music Rising continue their good work and outreach in the Gulf Region.

If you're wondering, yes, support is still needed for the recovery and strengthening of musicians, and music programs in churches and schools. I've met some who've been assisted and they say that they wouldn't be around if it weren't for programs like Music Rising. They're so, so appreciative.

Thanks for spreading the word.
Irene

Check out Tonic and auction info.

Calendar of auctions.

The Music Rising Team's blog about the event.

Saturday, February 21, 2009

Celebrity iPod Auction Benefits Music Rising

Tonic Introduces Celebrity iPod Auction Series
to Benefit Music Rising

Tonic to Auction off 60+ Autographed iPods from A-List Celebrities from Music, Television, Film and Fashion

New York, N.Y. (February 12, 2009) Tonic, (www.tonic.com) the leading media and ecommerce site focused on effortless activism and social good, announced today the launch of an exciting and extraordinary auction series. Leading celebrities from the worlds of music, film, television, and fashion have contributed an autographed iPod loaded with their personal playlist to be auctioned off by Tonic, with all proceeds benefiting Music Rising, an campaign founded in 2005 to replace lost or destroyed instruments of musicians in the Gulf Coast Region after the hurricane disasters. re of the

Over sixty celebrities will participate in the auction series including U2’s the Edge, former President Bill Clinton, Donna Karan, Warren Buffett, Christy Turlington, Britney Spears, Michael Stipe, Gwen Stefani, Mariah Carey, Ben Affleck, Ellen DeGeneres, Estelle, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood, Scarlett Johansson, Pete Wentz, Randy Jackson, Kevin Bacon, Gisele Bundchen, Marc Jacobs, Ed Burns, Samantha Ronson, Nick Lachey, Petra Nemcova, Mandy Moore and many others.

Each celebrity was given a new iPod which they each autographed and Tonic pre-loaded with a playlist of ten to twenty of the celebrities’ favorite songs. Beginning February 12th between one and five separate iPod auctions will simultaneously launch every week on eBay; playlists will be revealed to the public on both tonic.com and eBay when auctions are launched. To learn more about the series, see the complete list of celebrities and auction calendar, or bid on a current auction, visit www.tonic.com.

“Everyone who has ever wondered what songs their favorite celebrities listen to in their home or on the road won’t have to wonder much longer,” said Pankaj Shah, CEO and Founder of tonic. “We’ve compiled pre-loaded, autographed iPods from countless iconic celebrities to share with the public. By bidding on an autographed iPod, you’ll be helping to aid in the continued rebirth of the Gulf Coast Region. The Celebrity iPod Auction Series is tonic’s first major campaign of 2009 to offer consumers an opportunity to create social good and we’re thrilled to rally people behind a great cause.”

About Tonic:
Tonic is the leading media, ecommerce, and community site focused on effortless activism and social good, making it easy for people to do good things every day. Founded by entrepreneur Pankaj Shah, Tonic is supported by a diverse and impressive Board of Creators including Island Records founder and Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee Chris Blackwell, son of legendary investor and businessman Warren Buffett and musician Peter Buffett, fashion designer and philanthropist Donna Karan, music industry executive Phil Quartararo, Efficient Frontier Chairwoman Ellen Siminoff and Whitney Williams, Founder & President of Williamsworks.

About Music Rising:
Music Rising, is a campaign launched in 2005 to replace musical instruments lost or destroyed by hurricanes in the Gulf Region. It has since launched a second phase dedicated to the aid of schools and churches. Music Rising was formed by U2’s the Edge, legendary producer Bob Ezrin, Gibson Guitar Chairman and CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. Partners of the campaign represent the most diverse partnership in the entertainment industry and include MusiCares, Guitar Center, Musician’s Friend, Live Nation, Kennedy/Marshall, Ticketmaster, Hard Rock International, VH-1, MTV, Real Networks, ABC News Now, The NFL, Rolling Stone, Mr. Hollands Opus, Juliens Auctions, ACT and the Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund. Music Rising is the recipient of the prestigious 2005 HALO Award for Cause, the 2006 Billboard Humanitarian Award and the 2008 PRISM Award and has been recognized around the world by various media organizations. Music Rising is administered by the Gibson Foundation. For more information go to www.musicrising.org and www.gibsonfoundation.org

Music Rising at Sundance Film Festival 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:44:00 +0000

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Music Rising is at Sundance Film Festival

Hi All, its been way too long since we posted to the blog here for Music Rising. We wanted to let you know that Music Rising is front and center at the Gibson Lodge this year at the Sundance Film Festival. Sting, Billy Morrison and The Doors stopped by today to sign special edition Music Rising Epiphone guitars which will be auctioned for Music Rising and the proceeds will continue to go straight to the Gulf Coast Region in the campaigns promise to help everyone who needs our aid. Three years after the hurricane disasters we know that there is still work to be done and we are committed to standing the test of time. Take a look at some of the press coming out this week at Sundance and you will see some very special photos and stories on how Music Rising is present there amidst the many musicians and actors who are willing to give us their support. In this new year we are thankful for our many friends who visit this blog and who continue to write and tell us their own personal stories. Make sure to visit often as we will be announcing more news this year. All the best and blessings in 2009!

Labels: Music Rising at Sundance Film Festival 2009

posted by Musicrising at 6:16 PM

Praise song for the day - Elizabeth Alexander

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 05:09:00 +0000

This inaugural poem is more than appropriate here in Reach Out for New Orleans. It takes us to a place of greater unity and compassion, and just one step closer to the solution of continued Post-Katrina struggles. You can insert images of individuals and families effected by the hurricane, as well as those using their hands, hearts, and hopes to a livable return. Please read it aloud thoughtfully and join me in the transformation.

Praise song for the day.

Each day we go about our business, walking past each other, catching each others' eyes or not, about to speak or speaking. All about us is noise. All about us is noise and bramble, thorn and din, each one of our ancestors on our tongues. Someone is stitching up a hem, darning a hole in a uniform, patching a tire, repairing the things in need of repair.

Someone is trying to make music somewhere with a pair of wooden spoons on an oil drum with cello, boom box, harmonica, voice.

A woman and her son wait for the bus.

A farmer considers the changing sky; A teacher says, "Take out your pencils. Begin."

We encounter each other in words, words spiny or smooth, whispered or declaimed; words to consider, reconsider.

We cross dirt roads and highways that mark the will of someone and then others who said, "I need to see what's on the other side; I know there's something better down the road."

We need to find a place where we are safe; We walk into that which we cannot yet see.

Say it plain, that many have died for this day. Sing the names of the dead who brought us here, who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges, picked the cotton and the lettuce, built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of.

Praise song for struggle; praise song for the day. Praise song for every hand-lettered sign; The figuring it out at kitchen tables.

Some live by "Love thy neighbor as thy self."

Others by first do no harm, or take no more than you need.

What if the mightiest word is love, love beyond marital, filial, national. Love that casts a widening pool of light. Love with no need to preempt grievance.

In today's sharp sparkle, this winter air, anything can be made, any sentence begun.

On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp -- praise song for walking forward in that light.

Corps of Engineers caught red handed using gov computers for spin campaign

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 04:12:00 +0000

Would someone at the Corps step up to the plate of accountability?...I just received this email tonight. Please check out the information and video. Thank you.

Levees.org has solid evidence that the US Army Corps of Engineers is using government computers to send crafted messages designed to re-write the history of the New Orleans flooding.
Using free internet software, we caught the Corps of Engineers red-handed in systematically shifting blame for the flooding away from the civil engineering profession and onto the citizens in the New Orleans region.
Click here for the story on Channel 4 EyeWitness News. Please comment on it, rate it and favorite it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jDwuMBOPrrQ
Please do this by 8pm Wed Dec 17.

If enough people watch this story, it could earn a spot on the homepage of YouTube!

Click here and help New Orleans!

Here is an example:

"Sure, blame the corps for the floodwall failures, but who do you blame for your own stupidity for putting your families in such a situation. That's like letting your child play in the street and then complaining when a speeding car kills him...."
Behavior like this, by the Corps of Engineers, illustrates the need for a truly independent analysis of the levee failures in metro New Orleans. Behavior like this is further reason we need the 8/29 Investigation Act!
Thank you!
Sandy Rosenthal
Founder, Levees.org
www.levees.org

-

Levees.Org is your source for information about levees and flood protection in New Orleans and nationwide.

Acorns of Hope - Save the Gulf Coast!!

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:19:00 +0000

I've had the honor of meeting Bob Thibodeaux and having Bob's Tree team of experts work to save the Live Oak on our property. His Acorns of Hope project kicks into its second year of riding to plant Live Oak saplings along the Gulf Coast. As these young trees strengthen over the years to protect the coastline from erosion, our own personal involvement and education is critical in the preservation success. Please visit the links below to learn more about the work. Be sure to tell plenty of your friends and support the project. Thanks!

Last week Bob visited La Printaniere Montessori School here in Baton Rouge to teach the children about the mighty Live Oaks. I attended, and The Advocate was there reporting too. I was so excited to see the story was published today in the People section.

Acorns of Hope

Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING/
Church Point arborist Bob Thibodeaux answers a question from Chase Henderson, 8, about growing live oaks to replace ones lost in recent hurricanes.

Arborist planting trees along coastal Louisiana with help from bicyclists
By ED CULLEN
Advocate staff writer
Published: Nov 13, 2008 - UPDATED: 11:23 a.m.

Church Point arborist Bob Thibodeaux practices tough love at his 100-acre tree farm northwest of Lafayette.

His live oaks grow without the benefit of fertilizer or water, other than rainfall. If a tree in Thibodeaux’s stock at Bob’s Tree Preservation blows over, Thibodeaux doesn’t set it back up. He yanks it.

“They only get watered at the time I put them in the ground,” Thibodeaux said. “Now, boy, sometimes I’m praying for rain.”

Thibodeaux’s trees go through the equivalent of Marine boot camp. If a tree makes it out of his nursery, it will survive in nature.

After many old live oaks were blown down in hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, Thibodeaux dedicated himself, with the help of volunteers, to planting 2,000 trees a year for the next five years across coastal Louisiana.

Full story

Country Roads Magazine
November 18 - November 23
Knowing Nature
Acorns of Hope
Statewide, La

Cycling arborists will pedal across Southwest Louisiana for the tree planting and education initiative, Acorns of Hope, which features various events along the way. Led by Cajun arborist Bob Thibodeaux, an array of tree advocates including elected officials, 4-H'ers, community volunteers and the cycling arborists plan to plant two thousand live oaks during a 250-mile bicycle ride ride along hurricane-damaged coastal Louisiana. Doubing in size in its second year, the ride will feature daily stops to help restore ecosystems in the following cities during the tour: Grand Couteau (November 19), Abbeville (November 20), Morgan City (November 21), and the Houma-Terrebone area (November 22 and 23).
Everyone is invited to wish the cyclists well at the kickoff November 18, starting with breakfast at Opelousas General Hopsital at 7:30 am, and followed by an 8 am departure to Seven Sisters Live Oaks in Washington. Opelousas will hold activities that day including public tree education and planting. Due to the recently damaged cycling paths, organizers had not quite pinned down all of the details by this writing, so to find out more, call (337) 232-8733 or go to www.bobstree.com.

God's Groundskeeper
The message for those called to serve comes in many forms. For Bob Thibodeaux it was a pecan in his pocket.
Melinda Walsh
MARCH 2008

Henry Rollins: Uncut in New Orleans

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 18:19:00 +0000

My dear friend Max just made me aware of this documentary, so here I am checking out Henry Rollins reporting on the healing and suffering of New Orleans three years post-Katrina. I remember that fire in me of years past listening to Henry with Black Flag, and now that fire stirs in the context of my New Orleans connection. It powers an outward evolution of my relationship to the city that brings me back in deeper with my friends there, and the city's people, causes, and life.

Henry Rollins Uncut: New Orleans
Next on IFC
Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 8:00 AM EDT
Wednesday, Nov. 12 at 2:15 PM EDT

Henry Rollins Uncut: New Orleans Episode Details
IFC Episode Synopsis
2008 | 55 min. |

Three years after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina, Henry Rollins ventures to New Orleans to examine the city’s current condition first hand. Avoiding the tourist centers, Henry is overwhelmed by the lack of progress being made in the surrounding areas. In his search for answers, Henry instead discovers a fresh slate of devastating problems that now threaten this community post-Katrina. Even as tourism approaches pre-storm levels, tens of thousands of residents find themselves dealing with the depression of a city still living with the wreckage of the levee’s breach and current victimization by a surge in violent crime. Through exclusive interviews with author Jed Horne (Editor of leading New Orleans newspaper, the Times Picayune, during Katrina), city officials like Cecile Tebo (Mental Crisis Coordinator, NO Police), and Jim Bernazanni (FBI), it becomes glaringly obvious New Orleans still needs help. Henry’s stage performance at the legendary Tipitina’s music venue is thus a tribute to the people of New Orleans who continue to persevere. Henry also has the opportunity to meet with music legend Irma Thomas, the “Soul Queen of New Orleans,” who explains how the music community has been affected and the role they continue to play in the aftermath.

Find out more at the official site.

Check out clips 1-5.

Trouble the Water - The film is out now

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 06:29:00 +0000

While reading up on human rights issues for the Gulf Coast at Amnesty International USA I learned about the documentary Trouble the Water. Visit http://troublethewaterfilm.com/, check out some background and their "Take Action" page, and see the film if you can.

Landrieu v Kennedy debate - submit your 8/29 Investigation question

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:34:00 +0000

I just received this email from Levees.org. Let's put on the pressure to have this issue addressed by the congressional candidates tonight.

October 15, 2008

Tonight there is an hour long debate between incumbent
U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu and her challenger State Treasurer
John Kennedy.

Let's make the 8/29 Investigation a debate issue!

Click this link and let the organizers know you want to hear
about the status of the 8/29 Investigation and how each
candidate will get the legislation passed.

http://www.wdsu.com/news/16115024/detail.html

WDSU NewsChannel 6 anchor Norman Robinson will
moderate the live debate on Wednesday, Oct. 15, at 6 p.m.
from the auditorium at UNO.

Thank you,
Sandy Rosenthal
Founder levees.org

Post Gustav Baton Rouge - 3 weeks later

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 05:48:00 +0000

I was away for Gustav and wish that I had blogged to let the world outside of Baton Rouge and Louisiana know how bad it was. Many people thought that 'cause New Orleans was okay that Louisiana was okay. Some didn't even think beyond New Orleans borders to learn how others dealt with Gustav. We all took a sigh of relief for our dear friends in NOLA, but know that hurricanes have a mind of their own. While they may forsake some, one turn and shift can destroy others.

Well, Baton Rouge was hit hard. Gust winds came through at 90 mph toppling trees and power lines, dropping them on homes, closing streets, stores, schools and businesses, and put many into shelters. The entire city was without power the night after, and electricity returned over the past few weeks. There were two deaths due to a tree fall on a house, and it's miraculous that not more were hurt or killed. All of our friends and contacts in our community made it out okay so we're grateful.

Our return this week put us into the shock that many have gotten beyond in their recovery. The neighborhood streets, and I can safely say that probably any neighborhood with trees, are lined with piles and piles of tree debris. It's unavoidable in my neighborhood giving me a clue to the sounds and sights experienced when Gustav roared through. Our friend's son is still traumatized by the whole thing, crying when he has to take a drive through the areas hit hard. It really must have been horrible for him.

We're fortunate and didn't have damage to our home, but did have our largest pecan tree come down. It didn't come down immediately but sat at a forty degree angle for days. One night it came crashing to the ground while my husband was awake to hear.

I do have some quick pictures of what we see now, and it will take some time for the clean up work to be completed.

It's due time to pay attention.

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 07:03:00 +0000

3 years down the track from Katrina hitting the Gulf Coast and the failure of the levee system. This post is from Bruce, for Bruce, and for his efforts, as well as the many out there, taking care of New Orleans. The city breathes and it's not going away no matter the struggles she endures.

Love ya NOLA, love your people, your heart, your resilience and dear folk like Bruce who put themselves out there for you.

I had received this content in an August 4, 2008 email from Bruce, editor in chief of the New Orleans News Ladder. He consistently steps up and out for New Orleans, and I was moved to post it here. He knows it, feels it, says it. I so appreciate that about him.

Tim Ruppert,
regarding your propaganda piece in today's Times Picayune: 100-year protection level? Not enough
Your dog just won't hunt. We are sick of your spin.
Please cease and desist your Public Relations Spin 101 of Your employer's flood control policy.
It is unethical at best to have not stated that you work for the Corps of Engineers, but rather led readers to believe you are an esteemed leader of Civil Engineers at large. Many many civil engineers across the country would beg to differ with such presumptuous hubris.
ASCE, as plainly exemplified by Ray Seeds letter to Your group as well as the vociferousness of your ad campaign does not represent the consensus on Civil Engineering in the United States. That issue is very much up in the air, despite your misinformation campaign today in the Times Picayune, and despite your groups plans to form a tax-exempt political action committee.
Not On My Tax Dollar.
You have no right to publish such misdirecting tripe in a paper of record without reveling your employment with the Army Corps of Engineers. Your faux article smacks of charlatan fuckmookery.
"But our leaders must be honest and open about the risks of living here and work to properly describe those risks.

The hurricane protection system should not be designed simply to satisfy the requirements of an insurance program. It must be designed, built and maintained with full realization that it protects lives -- thousands and thousands of lives."
That is a lie and blatant misdirection "Our leaders" have Nothing to do with this 100 Year figure. That is totally a fiction to divert the public view away from your employers engineering failures Today --not a century from now. It is not the Insurance Industry who came up with this Misnomer either. It is Your Leaders at the Corps who came up with the Hundreds Year Score --as is plainly stated in several studies from the Corps with your name at the bottom.
This lying misdirection will Stop. You have been found out and will not succeed in framing the Corps Narrative in advance of their Liability Trial if We the People have anything to say about it. You and your ilk at ASCECORPS must release the IPET report finally. Your delay and obfuscation on that extremely expensive, tax payer funded study is heinous at best, cynical at second best and down right sinister at its worst. This paltry missive today will not protect you from true peer review.

Piece,
Bruce Biles
Editilla~New Orleans Ladder

On August 8, I was hooked up with this. Of course it's taken me forever to post it, but you know, timing worked to give me a block on the 3rd Anniversary of Katrina.

OpEdNews

Original Content at http://www.opednews.com/maxwrite/diarypage.php?did=8531

August 8, 2008

ASCECORPS~Everywhere you want to be.

By Bruce Biles

My response in the New Orleans Ladder to the ongoing crisis in our still failing, Leaking Levee System in New Orleans, 3 years after Katrina missed the city.

Happy Anniversary Y'all!

Posted under the pseudonym: Editilla O'rilla d'Aphasia.

Galette l'infamie!

::::::::

ASCECORPS Ethics report's results will remain secret~Mark Schleifstein
~Editilla laments the line~ Don't think so Creepo.
That fraggle'bark may work for the Exquixotic Corps of Engineers, under the 'Flood Control Act' Sand Bag--but not in The City That da'Corps Forgot.
Thanks to Ace Reporter Schleifstein here, we see that ASCECORPS all but admits conspiracy in investigating itself. Hence badge of dishonor: ASCECORPS.
Brownie'nose was already taken.
It is unfortunate that our dogged gumshoes at the Picayune can only find this much to print given the Gravity of the Threat at hand. And, the situation is Indeed at hand as Gravity pulls Water at an increasing rate Beneath the 17th St Canal Levee Breach "Repair". But as we have said before, in PR 101: If one cannot respond with even a smidgen of the Truth regarding one's role in this crisis of man-made disaster, then say nothing. Offer The People no rope'dope on which to hope one hangs.
That tactic may work in ASCECORPS' tilted CandyMan World of Public Relations. But in the real world, this Real World of Flooded City's and Croplands, where We The American Taxpayers have footed the bill to the tune of $35,250,000 (at least) for answers since that storm missed our city and our levees failed...
~In Our World We Deserve Answers.
And We Will Have Our Answers!

Composted from blogofneworleans.com
That Dog Will Not Hunt! No!
WHERE IS THE GODDAMNED MONEY, ASCECORPS!?!?!

Did they spend it here? How about here? Orrrr maybe here
to fund the ASCE Task Force on Political Involvement?
Here's one answer I find interesting because the President of ASCE says he cannot provide updates on the Dr. Seed inquiry nearly a year after they were filed, but of course, he has member updates back in January, and even offers refutations.
Sooo, if the ASCE inquiry is still in process today where did this Bozo get his conclusions way back in January? Editilla jus'axin.
I mean, such an open letter, even from da'Ace of ASCE amongst general "members" rather contradicts this statement today by ASCECORPS regarding the confidentiality this Inquiry:

"Because of the confidential nature of the inquiries the Committee reports its actions and findings only to the Executive Committee of the Board at the conclusion of any case, No report will be released to anyone else."~ASCE Committee on Professional Conduct spokesman Rich Hovey

Oh! But wait! There more. Here is yet another answer.
Damn! This freak's got answers all over da'place.
But no report, eh? Da'Prez backs the "report" on the Report?
What Report? Who's on First? No. Who's on 2nd. What is on First.
Still nothing for We The People. No Soup fo'da People!
Got any Answers on Flood Safety? GO FISH!

We need to stop this game in its tracks right now.
ASCECORPS is Not our boss. Not even our Straw Boss.
No. This dog will not hunt.
We regret that ASCECORPS has a problem with citizen engineering groups like levees.org attempting to stay on top of and follow the trail of leaks in their failing levee system repairs, but it is when one of their own, Dr. Raymond Seed, comes to our rescue that this sort of feces hits the fan, eh?
But stalling for time to form a PAC on our tax dime to pay their lawyers to defend ASCECORPS from Ethics Violations Questions would be cynical at best, sinister at 2nd best and downright evil at its worst. Must we get their fingerprints when ASCECORPS issues a statement about Anything? Must we require signatures on hard copy to verify that they said what they said?
No. We The People will have our redress.
Our Lady of New Orleans looks great in Red.
Where Is The Money?
Are they paying Attorneys to defend themselves from
Dr. Raymond Seed's 42 pages of Ethics Complaints?

Are they using this money to lobby Congress?
Oh yes, they want us to wait…perhaps even after the elections, so they can have Time to use their ASCEPAC's tax-exempt donations to work for the defeat of our Senator Mary Landrieu, who authored: S. 2826, The 8/29 Investigation Team Act.
Next would come our Congressman Melancon, who introduced it in the House of Representatives.

We must remove these dominoes from the game. They cheat.

Oh yes, it would also serve ASCECORPS well to delay the release of this IPET report as long as possible because their draft report has been ripped like kitty litter by other Member Engineers, to wit: Dr. Raymond Seed as well as Dr. Robert Bea <--who is plantiff’s expert engineering witness in the imminent, unprecedented MRGO liability lawsuit.
Editilla gotta toll'yaz~ and it shan't be told'nuff.
If the Exquixotic Corps loses this MRGO lawsuit then plaintiffs attorneys have stated that the Corps is then liable for damages at the 17th Street Leak for permitting SWB to dredge the 17th Street Canal--thereby weakening the levee to the point of failure.

New Orleans attorney Joe Bruno, the plaintiffs' representative on a committee helping plan for trial of all Katrina-related case on Duval's docket, said the MR-GO case ruling will be useful for court challenges to more than 100 corps-built levees around the nation that a recent study deemed unsafe.
But in the near term, Bruno said, Friday's ruling in the MR-GO case could buttress his plans for a new federal lawsuit aimed at holding the corps responsible for the 17th Street Canal floodwall break that left 80 percent of New Orleans flooded after Katrina.
Bruno said the suit will claim that the corps gave the city Sewerage & Water Board a permit to dredge the 17th Street canal, work that allowed water to undermine soil beneath the floodwall, ultimately causing the wall to break.

Not only has the State of Louisiana joined this tea party, but also City of New Orleans ($77B), Entergy ($655M) and Serwage and Water ($460M).
Yes, we have a lot of dominoes in play here, eh?
And Yes, they gonna fall...oh yeah.
They gonna'fall one piece at a time.

Ethics Matter Here.
Ethics can be stolen and spin’filtrated into whatever meaningless flim’flam that ASCECOPRS would have it to become or it can be the Foundation of our American Psyche that Real Engineers Made It and to which those Engineers will have it returned.

One of the last things my father, a Ramblin Wreck from Georgia Tech Civil/Electrical Engineer/Lt. Col Air Force Ret, said to me after Katrina about the Greatest Civil Engineering Failure In History is this: “Son, Nothing is more Dangerous than a Lying Engineer, because that means then we are no longer dealing with an Engineer.
Then we are just dealing with a Liar.”
Thanks, Pop. I took that to heart.

Editilla O'rilla d'Aphasia~ New Orleans Ladder

UpDate: It would appear that the President of the ASCECORPS reads OpEd News!
Or the Times Picayune. Or the New Orleans Ladder...HA!

And yer oh'so humble Editilla ain't'sayin this has aaanyt'ing to do with Levees.org biting ASCE on Its Bovine Ass like Our Beloved Catahoulah,
--Not Letting Go until The Bull Comes to Heel? Naaaaah~HA!!!

But Oh Our Dog Sho'nuff Hunts, eh?
Ace Reporters Schleifstein and Grissett deserve Editillero Awards too, fo'doggin these bastads, makin'em cry Uncle'Daddy to'da Corps!

The Catahoula temperament is not well suited for everyone; these dogs are very protective of their territory and family, but are kind and gentle toward other dogs when on neutral ground.

THANK YOU OP'ED NEWS!!!

Authors Website: http://noladder.blogspot.com/

Authors Bio: I've learned, written & performed my own impressionistic southern folk blues for over 20 years with care to look and listen and practice practice. I write literate songs. I sing play harmonica & guitar percussively, no picks. I believe that Goddess takes care of fools & errant troubadours. Funk Organica. I live for fiction, particularly that written by scientists but also in the vein of Dick, Stephenson, Gibson & Sterling, though I cut my teeth on Faulkner & Pynchon. And not so ironically, I don't enjoy fantasy. If you could put me in a church before you nailed the doors shut and burned it down the altar would hold the tao te ching inside a building built of dharma surrounded by sprawling grounds of Secular EcoHumanism and ringed by a 4 dimensional wave-like seething perimiter of gorrilla cyberpunk rail-tail futurist hyper-level social view. nolafugee on the back hand path... om mani padme hum

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Music Rising's Icons of Music Auction II

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 18:18:00 +0000

It was a very successful night for Music Rising's second annual Icons auction. As the rock n' roll memorabilia went up for bidding, the big dollars kept coming in. I was overwhelmed not only by the amounts of money, but more so by the generosity and interest of many involved. NOLA believers help keep the music pulse alive.

$2,367,143.75!!!
Check out the auction results.

Renaissance Village Closes

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 21:46:00 +0000

I'm in NJ visiting with family right now, and my husband just called me while driving from New Orleans to let me know that NPR was reporting about Renaissance Village.

I knew that I'd be away for the official closing of Renaissance Village, and I knew that I'd be tender hearted about it. From what I know most of the families of the children I know have found some sort of housing and shelter, and I'm not sure if any remain. According to reports , FEMA will not forcibly remove any that remain.

Interestingly enough, as I wrote this my fellow volunteer friend Michael called me. He wanted to know if I'd like to share the sacred space service with the UU congregation in Lafayette. I'll be sure to include the story of the Ren Village families as they continue to recover and heal.

Here I will collect articles about the closing.

Holdouts Test Aid’s Limitations as FEMA Shuts a Trailer Park It appears as if the New York Times will feature reports about those who have left Ren Village.

FEMA Trailer Park Closes This is what my husband heard on NPR and called me about.

FEMA's Trailer Parks Closed For Good

Moving day looms at FEMA trailer parks The photos taken in a Port Sulfur, LA trailer park for this USA Today article are troubling.

Displaced by Katrina and edged out of FEMA trailer parks

Renaissance FEMA park set to close

A storm brought them in then kicked them out

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Sun, 18 May 2008 12:12:00 +0000

I'm sitting here working on selecting photos for the Ren Village scrapbooks. We were supposed to meet as a staff this week to work on them, but as of right now I don't know when we'll be able to do that.

Last week we had two days of solid rain and storms, and on May 15 I received this from Mary LeBlanc:

"...Ren Vill was closed down yesterday evening and a bunch
of families moved to hotels and motels because
trailers sustained big time damage.

The Galmons' trailer windows blew out, so poor Wanda
is at a motel with six kids!

We're having to regroup and revamp our plans..."

I remember sitting through that same storm safe in our house with Grace thinking about the children and wondering how they were doing. I imagined the mud, the thunder and lightning, and all the kids faces and feelings throughout. Never did I think that it was that bad that the trailers couldn't protect them.

Imagine the trauma of being the last of families left in the trailer park before the 5/31/08 closing to be forced out a week before your scheduled move. What is it like to have to leave your Katrina refuge because of another storm? How do they feel inside as they look for a place to be?

Renaissance Village Set to Close

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Thu, 01 May 2008 03:38:00 +0000

Renaissance Village set to close (Video 4/29/08 Ch. 2 News)

Move out day is getting closer for Renaissance Village residents. At the end of the May, the state's largest FEMA trailer park will close. Many families have already moved out, but for the 148 families that are left, the deadline is coming fast.

I've also just found this April 8, 2008 Times-Picayune article about the deadline and difficulties.

FEMA to close Renaissance Village trailer site May 31

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE -

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:32:00 +0000

This Times-Picayune article below was written about the children I know from Renaissance Village. Finally some positive information is being shared about their trailer park experience. This gives a tiny glimpse into the progress the children have made while living there and attending the after school program.

I worry that once the children are dispersed throughout Baton Rouge and other locations with resources in far to reach places, that the solid ground beneath them will shift. I've fallen in love with these children, and within the haven of the after school program, they have taught me lots about resilience and joy.

Mary LeBlanc, the director of the education program, is working her tail off to make the after school programs accessible to them in their new locations. There's talk of relocating Rosie's trailers and the playground in the Gardere region where many of the children will be, and Baker will also have after school programs available.

Photos taken by the children can be seen at http://seemeseenew.blogspot.com

A LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Renaissance Village in Baker gave New Orleans families more than shelter from Katrina: educational opportunities. But now it's closing.

Monday, April 28, 2008

By Sarah Carr

Staff writer

BAKER

At first, after hundreds of New Orleans children settled into FEMA trailers in the small town of Baker, it was a case of the 504s against the 225s.

Many of the 504s arrived at Renaissance Village trailer park angry and sad, their lives abruptly upended.

The 225s watched, sometimes warily.

Describing the children by their area codes was a way to evoke the palpable divide between the newcomers, exiled to this rural corner of Baker, and the children who had lived there all their lives. It took months, in some cases years, for the 504-225 distinctions to fade.

"Today I don't think you would really know who the kids from New Orleans are," said Sarah Henry, the principal of Progress Elementary School, which many of the Renaissance Village students still attend.

In some respects Renaissance Village, near Baton Rouge, serves as an unintentional social experiment: A captive audience of extremely poor children and families was provided an array of social services, all within walking distance: Early Head Start, Head Start, an after-school program, a teen center, counselors and health care. Most of the programs would still be available to the families if they lived outside the trailer park gates, but it would not be so easy, or obvious, to take advantage of them.

When FEMA announced that Renaissance Village would close May 31, it sent many of the families still there into a panicked frenzy to find affordable permanent housing.

"From 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., you had a safe place to bring your child, which gives you the time to get skills to improve yourself," said Cynthia Vance, the program manager for kindergarteners through fifth-graders at the park. "It was free and within walking distance. I think that will be one of the reasons a lot of residents might wait until the last minute to leave."

Crucial support network

In many respects Renaissance Village represents a failed response to the 2005 storms and flooding: Hundreds of the poorest of the poor -- almost all from New Orleans -- were placed in trailers, indefinitely, as Baton Rouge-area shelters began to close down. Residents were far from relatives, friends or other support networks. No one had any real plan for getting them out of the trailers and into homes.

If there's a silver lining to Renaissance Village, many residents and educators say it can be found in the support system that has gradually emerged for the approximately 100 school-age children still living there. It's a support system rooted in row of simple buildings housing the Head Start and after-school programs and located in the back of the park.

As the families disperse, residents and workers at the park are trying to preserve some of that support network, even as the trailers themselves get forklifted away: Teachers in the after-school program regularly drive across town before dawn to pick up former trailer park children who want to continue at current schools. Parents of school-age children say they are planning to stay in the Baker-Baton Rouge area. Local leaders are talking about trying to replicate some of Renaissance Village's programs for children in the Gardere neighborhood of Baton Rouge, where many of the families are moving.

"I believe those buildings should be taken out of the trailer park and put somewhere where they could do the most good in Baker or Baton Rouge," said Sam Sammartino, disaster response director for the Diocese of Baton Rouge. "You could bring in child-advocacy groups, people who deal with families in crisis, mental health counselors. There is a spectrum of things that go on in those buildings that could help people move on with their life and out of poverty."

Wanda Galmon's family highlights that potential.

Every morning Galmon, 25, walks her two youngest children to Early Head Start and Head Start buildings on the opposite end of the trailer park. There they soak up early reading and social skills in a place where their mother can easily visit. Three of Galmon's middle children attend nearby Progress Elementary School, including Timothy, a mischievous, talkative 8-year-old who gets into less trouble at school than he did a year ago. During the months the family lived in Houston immediately after the storm, Timothy refused to speak and earned all D's and F's in school.

The oldest, Leonard, 11, attends Crestwood Middle School. Leonard, always bright, has grown into an older brother with fatherlike tendencies, who can often get his five younger siblings to sit down and read. Between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m., the four older Galmon children work on homework in the after-school program and then run sack races or play dodgeball until sunset. Galmon, who has worked several fast-food jobs and is seeking another, already has strong reason to believe her children will surpass her 10th-grade education level. One afternoon Leonard returned from school with mixed feelings about a challenge posed by his teacher. She suggested the boy, an aspiring scientist, enter a science fair for Crestwood's seventh- and eighth-graders, even though he is just a sixth-grader. The boy wanted to examine airplane speed, but he worried he didn't have the time and the supplies.

That afternoon a counselor at the trailer park took Leonard to buy supplies. She stayed with him through the evening as he worked feverishly to create the display, building model airplanes and then using their size, shape and diameter to calculate velocity. He finished near midnight.

The next day, his science project won first place at Crestwood.

Making progress

Although not all children have excelled like Leonard, the principal at Progress and several trailer park workers say they have seen several of the youngsters thrive with the extra stability and support. Initially, Henry said, many of the Renaissance Village children attended only sporadically, and their grades and behavior reflected the trauma they had been through.

Now, she said, their attendance, grades and behavior are on a par with the rest of the students. "Academically, they have really kind of shocked me," she said.

Just as the new bonds strengthened, though, they are ending.

With the deadline looming and through the help of her mother, Galmon found a Baton Rouge home for her family for $865 a month. Trusting her mother, she signed a lease without seeing the place herself.

Though Galmon plans to visit family in New Orleans regularly, she has no desire to move back, worried about crime and that the city will not be the same.

"It wouldn't feel like home anymore," she said. "I've gotten used to it here."

Galmon attended Woodson Middle School and Cohen High School in New Orleans, dropping out after her sophomore year. She had Leonard when she was 13. The mother has serious health problems, including chronic asthma, but always planned to look for a job at a fast-food restaurant in preparation for when the FEMA-HUD rent subsidies for former trailer park residents end in 2009. Last week, she accepted a job as a housekeeper in a large hotel.

She cannot wait to leave the trailer, where she lacks the wiggle room even to make up the bed. But weeks before the scheduled move, Galmon said she knew little about her new neighborhood or how to get around Baton Rouge, by bus or car. She was unsure where her youngest children will attend Head Start, or where the schools her older children will attend are located.

She has few friends in Baton Rouge.

Such uncertainties frighten the staff who work with the families at Renaissance Village.

"What's the difference between May 31 and Aug. 31 if we can make sure residents are in permanent housing and they will be able to stay there?" said Arcenia Crayton, who runs the teen center.

FEMA officials have described the situation as an opportunity for flood victims to marshal self-reliance, help from caseworkers and the financial boost from the HUD-FEMA Disaster Housing Assistance Program to get on with their lives.

Many are. Every day at Renaissance Village, newly vacant trailers are towed away and children scatter along with their families.

Galmon learned in mid-April that she can move into her new home in a week.

"I'm ready to go," she said.

Though desperate to leave, she decided to sleep with her family in the trailer a little longer, through April at least, so they will not have to leave their schools mid-month.

Watching the six children play outside the after-school center one evening around supper time, she lingered before heading back to the trailer. Leonard bragged about his big new school binder. Timothy, the moodiest of the children, smiled. Lorenzo, the youngest, stopped pestering her, at least for a few moments, and scampered off to play with the big kids.

. . . . . . .

Sarah Carr can be reached at scarr@timespicayune.com or at (504) 826-3497.

Great news! - Trailer free sleeps for Augusta!

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 16:49:00 +0000

The walls are done!! :)

Augusta is in her rebuilt house and out of her trailer!

Congratulations to Augusta and everyone who helped make it happen. Augusta, your courage and dedication to return are recognized. It's a privilege to have worked by your side.

Many blessings to your renewed space.

New Orleans' epic housing crisis

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 05:52:00 +0000

This article appeared on my daily "human rights" google search list. I can't help but think about the children and families of Renaissance Village and their continued search for a safe place to live. The affordable housing situation in Baton Rouge for them is also desperate.
May 31, 2008 is the deadline for their move out of the trailer park.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/mar/20/hurricanekatrina.usa?gusrc=rss&feed=networkfront

New Orleans' epic housing crisis

Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed nearly 52,000 rental units in the city and the homeless population has doubled to about 12,000, writes Ethan Brown

This article was first published on guardian.co.uk on Thursday March 20 2008. It was last updated at 17:10 on March 20 2008.

BW Cooper housing project residents in New Orleans. Photograph: Mario Tama/Getty Images

On February 28, United Nations human rights experts proclaimed that New Orleans' plans to demolish four massive public housing complexes would deny its "predominantly African-American residents … [their] internationally recognised human rights."

The UN declaration came far too late - in December the city council voted unanimously to approve the demolition of 4,500 apartments at BW Cooper, CJ Peete, St Bernard and Lafitte – and the UN human rights experts have been criticised for issuing the statement without visiting New Orleans. Yet while the UN's condemnation of the demolitions - and the riot just outside city hall that preceded the city council vote - has received most of the attention, the loss of these units is just one part of an epic housing crisis in New Orleans.

Hurricane Katrina damaged or destroyed nearly 52,000 rental units in the city and the homeless population has doubled to about 12,000. Meanwhile, rents in most sections of the city have increased by nearly 50% and thousands of homes that could have been rehabilitated are being demolished by the city under an ordinance passed in the storm's wake that allows for razing homes that pose a "serious, imminent and continuing threat to the public health, safety and welfare".

"The city is not encouraging people to find the means and methods to rehabilitate their homes," said Karen Gadbois, a New Orleans activist whose website, Squandered Heritage, tracks demolitions. "The attitude is 'You want to demolish it, fine.' This policy is defacto dis-investment."

A lawsuit filed by Loyola University law professor Bill Quigley in federal court on behalf of about a dozen plaintiffs charges that city officials inflated the damage estimates of nearly 2,000 homes in New Orleans to expedite the demolition process (by city law, any property that is deemed to have been damaged by 70% or more may be torn down without the approval of the Housing Conservation District Review Committee, or HCDRC). Under a settlement brokered by the city, property owners who believe that their houses should not be subject to demolition can appeal to an independent body.

The settlement may stall the demolition of some private homes and a January 14 decision by the HCDRC to reject nearly one third of the 91 demolitions requested by the Nagin administration proves that the committee is becoming more circumspect.

Yet the demolition process remains Byzantine. "It's like an octopus," Gadbois said. "Just when we think we have a firm grasp of how this works, out comes another tentacle." Plus, HCDRC hearings often are scheduled when homeowners are unlikely to attend. One took place on New Year's Eve.

There are few incentives for landlords to renovate their rental properties. The Louisiana Recovery Authority's "Road Home" program offers incentives for "small rental property owners" but it is not popular with mom-and-pop landlords, according to Annie Clark of progressive policy and research institute PolicyLink.

"A landlord says, 'Yes I am going to rehabilitate my rental units,'" Clark explained, "but then he or she has to get a bank loan which is then paid back by Road Home. Banks are very hesitant to give loans to people this way."

Clark added that Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has rehabilitated only about 1,500 units of the 4,600 units it has set aside for seniors, the disabled and poor working families in New Orleans. "HUD really has shirked its responsibility in these units," Clark said. Gadbois has been tracking abandoned HUD scattered site housing on Squandered Heritage and the results are astonishing: usable housing that could be rehabilitated left to rot.

The "mixed-income" goals pursued by HUD in New Orleans have fared little better. When the St Thomas housing projects in the Lower Garden District were bulldozed pre-Katrina and replaced by the mixed income "River Garden" apartments, only about 130 affordable housing units were made available of 1,500 total. The UN's human rights experts predict a similar fate for the units that will replace those lost at Lafitte, BW Cooper, CJ Peete and St Bernard: "only a portion of the new housing units will be for residents in need of subsidised housing and the remainder will be offered at the market rate."

Just weeks after the demolitions of these public housing complexes were approved, it appeared that the wrecking ball would fall on many more units than expected. Demolition permits have been filed with the city for nearly one dozen buildings in the Lafitte housing complex that were not approved for demolition on December 20.

A surprising aspect of the debate was the anti-public housing reporting by the local paper, the Times Picayune. On December 16 the Times Picayune ran a pro-demolition news piece headlined, "Demolition protests ignore some realities," that said protesters' asserted "public housing residents have no place to live," and characterised such claims as "demonstrably false". It was a caricature of the anti-demolition forces who acknowledged the often-neglected state of public housing but argued that the projects could and needed to be rehabilitated. New York Times architecture critic Nicholas Ouroussoff wrote that the buildings slated for demolition "rank among the best early examples of public housing built in the United States, both in design and quality of construction" and that the drive to destroy them "reflects a ruthless indifference to local realities".

The Times Picayune also charged: "the rhetoric has planted a perception that the scheduled demolition of the aging complexes is a result of Katrina, in reality it stems from a national policy shift launched well before the flood." That is precisely the protesters' lament - namely that the demolitions represent an extension of HUD's projects such as "HOPE VI" public housing redevelopment program that has according to a 2002 report "False HOPE" by the National Housing Law Project played "upon inaccurate stereotypes about public housing to justify a drastic model of large-scale family displacement and housing redevelopment that increasingly appears to do more harm than good."

Perhaps its support for HUD's purported "mixed income" approach might explain why a December 20 Times-Picayune editorial supported Louisiana Republican senator David Vitter's refusal to support the "Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act" (co-sponsored by Louisiana Democratic senator Mary Landrieu and Connecticut Democratic senator Chris Dodd) which would require that demolished public housing units be replaced on a one-to-one basis.

The Times Picayune's stance is baffling as Louisiana's Republican governor-elect Bobby Jindal supports the legislation and Vitter's stance is widely seen as a political move meant to deny Landrieu a legislative victory.

"The fact that Mary Landrieu is widely identified as the most vulnerable Democrat coming into the next election cycle, you certainly don't want to give her big victories in helping the state," Louisiana State University political science professor Kirby Goidel told Congressional Quarterly recently. "[Vitter] probably feels safe enough to hold it up as long as it's not too obviously political and he has some policy-related cover."

The ugliness of national politics pales in comparison to the nastiness of the racial politics surrounding the debate. A Times Picayune photo of Sharon Jasper, a former resident of the St Bernard projects who is living in a subsidised unit in the Fauborg St John neighborhood, brought howls of "welfare queen" from the newspaper's online commenters because Jasper was pictured in her living room next to a big screen TV. The Atlantic Monthly's Ross Douthat pointed to Jasper as proof that Reagan's use of "welfare queen" rhetoric was not racist but an objective critique of abusers of the dole. Douthat denounced Jasper as a "welfare duchess." New Orleans bloggers fought back. The Dangerblond blog captured the ludicrousness of the outrage over Jasper's supposed good fortune best: "Elderly black woman caught with TV: Lacks proper level of humility and appreciation."

As the demolitions of the projects began in February, even its most enthusiastic supporters must concede that it is difficult to believe HUD's pledge that it will provide adequate public housing for the poor because the agency and HANO (the Housing Authority of New Orleans, which is controlled by HUD) has long failed to bring real relief to public housing residents and perhaps more importantly, has been mired so deeply in scandal.

In the spring of 2006, HUD Secretary Alphonso Jackson declared to a meeting of minority executives in Texas that he would never give a contract to someone who did not like President Bush. In November 2007, National Journal reported that federal investigators are looking into Jackson's role in securing lucrative contract work at HANO for a friend and golfing buddy named William Hairston. National Journal reported that Hairston, a Hilton Head, South Carolina-based stucco contractor, received $485,000 for working as a construction manager at HANO for 18 months; on top of that, a Georgia company associated with Hairston was paid approximately $186,000. Allegations of HUD's impropriety have recently spread far beyond New Orleans: on March 1, Philadelphia Housing Authority Director Carl Greene charged that Jackson threatened the agency's funding when it refused to award a lot worth nearly $2m to Universal Community Homes, a real estate development firm with ties to Jackson that is run by none other than Kenny Gamble of famed soul songwriting team Gamble and Huff.

The mix of crony capitalism, tasered protesters and a complacent corporate media is sheer Shock Doctrine. Indeed, Naomi Klein herself the public housing demolitions as "the shock doctrine in action". When I told Gadbois that recent events seem to be pulled straight of the pages of Klein's bestseller, she replied: "My only question is: what chapter are we on?" For New Orleanians suffering from woes ranging from a sky-high murder rate to a bulldozed public and private housing, it seems, unfortunately, that the post-Katrina tale of hardship and struggle has only just begun.

Can I hold her...can I hold her?

noreply@blogger.com (Irene) — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:46:00 +0000

Today, 2/29, I returned again to Ren Village with both Eve and Grace. Grace had not been there since her last visit in December so she was very excited to see the people and place again. If anything it would reassure that it hasn't closed yet and disappeared. She's been anxious about that over the past two months, so I looked forward to helping her feel a bit more settled.

Upon arrival the children were outside playing Dodge Ball again. She jumped out of the car ahead of me, and was greeted by the shouts of "Grace, Gracie...hello!" It was good to hear their welcome, and I imagined that she was relieved too to see that not all of her friends had left the place yet.

When Eve and I stepped on the playground it was a similar welcome, and even though they had met her last week they were just as excited about holding her again. "Can I hold her? When can I hold her?" Today we'd head inside first before passing her around.

While outside I did share the pictures that were taken the week before and gave them their own copies. Kaya and Dontrese loved seeing themselves and really wanted the pictures, and Timothy was beyond happy to see his beautiful picture with Eve. When I let him know that it was his to keep, he jumped up and down and announced that he was going to go home and put it on the wall. Wow. Jordan suggested that she put it in a frame for him and he agreed so it wouldn't get messed up in his pocket. I thought it was a great idea and wished that I had enough little frames for each of the children's special photos.

After watching Grace conquer the monkey bars we head back inside. We took pictures with Eve, and Timothy even wanted one with Grace. She said no and I sensed that she was feeling a bit shy at the moment. It was still a sweet request that I hope helped her continue feeling good. I was touched once again at how each child was so tender and happy with little Eve. It was almost as if she was a gift for each of them.

As it started getting later, Cynthia started shooing the children home to their trailers. After they all left she sat down with me and answered my questions about what was happening for the remaining families. There are a number of challenges and frustrations in the transitions, and I was left with the knowledge that life outside of the trailer park for many would be difficult. I want to get into more details about everything, but I want to clarify them with her or Margaret first. Basically, inconsistencies in FEMA and HUD's protocal for placement were leaving many without furniture, an apartment in a dangerous location, and not as much money for rent as originally indicated by the agencies. I let her know that once I clarify and summarize what's happening, I'll bring it to the new RESULTS chapter that I'm a part of to see if there's something we could do.

I can only do what I can and hope that there will be some solid rock for them to stand on during the transition. Their May 31 deadline is not that far away.