Bike and Bash December 12

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A Bike and Bash event will be held on Saturday, December 12th from 3pm-6:30pm.   The event will start in Lemann Park (628 N. Claiborne Ave) with arts & crafts and a safety talk.  Then everyone will walk or bike to Parkway Bakery for a party.   The Friends of Lafitte Greenway hope to host monthly events for health and wellness.

greenwaybash

Celebrate the opening of the Lafitte Greenway with a free community ride and party!

3:00 Gather at Lemann Playground
628 N Claiborne Ave / Greenway at Claiborne Riverside
Live Music by James Andrews, Bike Decoration Station, Hula Hooping, Fun for the Family!
Bring your bike or walking shoes.

3:30 Community Bike
1.5 Mile Ride & Walk to Parkway Bakery

4:00 Bash at Parkway Bakery and Tavern
538 Hagan Ave
Musical Entertainment by James Andrews, DJ Hunter King, $5 Po’Boys; Specialty Food Items, Refreshments, Bike Easy Bike Valet

HOSTED BY FRIENDS OF LAFITTE GREENWAY IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
New Orleans City Councilmembers Jared Brossett, Latoya Cantrell, Susan Guidry, Nadine Ramsey
NORDC
Parks and Parkways
Bike Easy
New Orleans Regional Traffic Safety Coalition
Hey Now Hooping

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY
Parkway Bakery and Tavern
IATSE Local 478
Mid-City Market
Whole Foods Market
People for Bikes
Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
New Belgium Brewing
Coca-Cola Foundation

WHEN:
December 12, 2015 at 3pm – 6:30pm

WHERE:
Lemann Playground to Parkway Bakery
628 N Claiborne Ave
New Orleans

Google map and directions

Greenway Construction Should Start Soon

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CITY OF NEW ORLEANS SELECTS CONTRACTOR FOR CONSTRUCTION OF LAFITTE GREENWAY, SETS PUBLIC MEETING DATE

The construction of the long-awaited Lafitte Greenway, overseen by the City’s Department of Public Works, will be completed by Durr Heavy Construction, LLC.

 New Orleans, LA – February 24, 2014

 baby-boyz-lafitte-hike1aThe City of New Orleans has officially awarded the construction of the Lafitte Greenway, a 2.4-mile linear park and bike path to be built from Mid-City to Treme, to Harahan-based Durr Heavy Construction, LLC. The City received five bids from Greater New Orleans-area contractors ranging in amounts from $5.5M to $7.9M. Durr Heavy Construction submitted the lowest bid.

The City of New Orleans will hold a public meeting with Durr Heavy Construction for the purpose of communicating important information about how the construction will take place, as well as for public input and questions. The public meeting will take place on Wednesday, March 19 at 6pm, and will be held at the Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, located at 2200 Lafitte St, New Orleans.

 Friends of Lafitte Corridor (FOLC) is reaching out to the residents and businesses along the Corridor about the meeting to encourage community members to get clarification on any questions they may have about the construction. “While the City’s bid documents are specific about certain aspects of construction, such as the time for completion and the amenities to be included in this initial build, there are also important aspects which are left to the contractor’s discretion, such as where on the Greenway construction will begin,” said FOLC Chair Samuel Spencer. “For this reason, this single public meeting is an important event, particularly to those residents and businesses along the Lafitte Greenway and greater Lafitte Corridor. FOLC will compile questions and also live tweet the meeting, so if you cannot attend, you can still submit questions to [email protected] and follow the meeting at twitter.com/folcnola.”

 The funding available for the construction of the Greenway comes from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and will allow for the construction of a 12-ft-wide asphalt bike path from Basin Street to N. Alexander Street through currently-vacant city-owned land, once the site of a canal and railway. The construction will also include lighting, new trees and native plants, softball/baseball backstops, soccer goals, a walking path, bike racks, and rain gardens. The City currently anticipates the construction to take one year.

 Friends of Lafitte Corridor is a member-driven nonprofit organization, founded in 2006, devoted to revitalizing Lafitte Corridor by working to build, program, and promote the Lafitte Greenway as a great public space.

 

 

Lafitte Greenway Gazette

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carondelet-basin-mapA Contractor for Christmas: Lafitte Greenway Timeline 

By Sophie Harris, FOLC Program Director, [email protected]

The city posted the Lafitte Greenway bid documents on November 7th. Contractors are preparing their bids for the December 10th bid opening date. If all goes well, the contractor will be selected in mid-December and start construction the last week of January, 2014. The public will have an opportunity to discuss the construction process with the contractor at a public meeting in January; this meeting is not yet scheduled. We expect to be out walking, biking, and riding the Greenway in February, 2015!

 
 
Source: Bike Easy
New Orleans’ Burgeoning Bicycle NetworkBy Sam Spencer, Friends of Lafitte Corridor Chair, [email protected]
For the growing number of us who ride bikes in New Orleans, there is an extra item on our list of things to be thankful for this season: a dramatic expansion of the city’s network of bike lanes. For a city that had virtually no modern bike accommodations ten years ago, the fact that New Orleans will approach 80 miles of bikeways by the end of 2013 is a spectacular achievement, and one that bodes well for the long term sustainability and public health of our city.Upon completion of its initial buildout in 2015, the Lafitte greenway will become a critical piece of New Orleans’ burgeoning bicycle network, the backbone of our cycling skeleton. Read more.
 
 
Source: Austin Shea
 

2013 Urban Heroes: Greening New Orleans

By Dana Eness, Urban Conservancy Executive Director

The Urban Conservancy honored its 2013 Urban Heroes at the Propeller Incubator on Friday, November 22nd for their visionary leadership in developing innovative strategies to address New Orleans’ enviromental and economic challenges.  The evening included great local food and drinks, and live music provided by the Cajun-English indie band Sweet Crude.  

David Waggonner of Waggonner & Ball Architects was recognized for helping New Orleanians to rethink their relationship with water, which has led to the development of the Greater New Orleans Urban Water Plan. Katrina Brees was recognized for her campaign to create a network of local vendors and manufacturers to provide locally made throws to carnival Krewes.  And Emelda Paul of the Faubourg Lafitte Tenants Assocation and Lafitte Greenway Steering Advisory Committee was recognized for her advocacy for the Lafitte Greenway and Corridor Revitalization plan.  In keeping with the “greening of New Orleans” theme, honorees each received a Where Ya Rack bicycle rack with a commemorative plaque to be installed at a location of their choosing.

 
 
 

Play Streets: New Orleans’ First Cyclovia!

By Annalisa Kelly, FOLC Community Engagement Chair, [email protected]
 
On Saturday, Oct 26th, Friends of Lafitte Corridor joined local organizations for New Orleans’ first cyclovia, a pedestrian- and cycling-focused event in which streets are closed to cars, and neighborhoods reclaim the streets for traffic-less fun and games. The event, dubbed “Play Streets,” was organized by Bike Easy and brought together families, neighbors, cyclists, and pedestrians to engage in activities in the streets of Esplanade and Bayou Road between Claiborne and Broad.

Friends of Lafitte Corridor was one of several local organizations to join in on the fun. FOLC hosted “Greenway trivia,” quizzing participants on questions about green transportation, local New Orleans history, and the Greenway itself for free FOLC t-shirts, and partnered with local artist Ashlee Arceneaux, who drew a beautiful rendition of the Lafitte Greenway and invited participants to draw what they wanted to see on the Greenway. 
 

 
We were most of all thrilled to share the upcoming news of construction and overall excitement about the Greenway with the neighborhood and participants. Thanks to all who came out!  
 
Source: Rails-to-Trails Conservancy
Rails-With-Trails: A Safe Option for New OrleansBy Sophie Harris, Friends of Lafitte Corridor Program Director, [email protected]​The portion of the Lafitte Greenway that will be constructed next year—Basin Street to North Alexander—is a rails-to-trails project, a conversion of a former rail corridor into a multi-use path. Ultimately, FOLC envisions a Greenway that extends past North Alexander to Canal Boulevard. The challenge is that the Canal Boulevard-North Alexander segment remains privately-owned active rail corridor.The Rails-to-Trails Conservancy recently released the America’s Rails-with-Trails Report. Rails-with trails projects are shared-use paths located on or directly adjacent to an active railroad or light-rail corridor. Surveying 88 trails in 33 states, the report finds that rails-with-trails are “safe, common, and growing.” There are 161 rails-with-trails in America, a 260% increase since 2000, and an additional 60 rail-with-trail projects are currently in development across the country. Out of the tens of thousands of fatalities on railroad corridors in recent decades, only one involved a trail user on a rail-with-trail. Read more.
 

 
 

All Things Local

By Sophie Harris, Friends of Lafitte Corridor Program Director, [email protected]

On Saturday November 9th, FOLC was pleased to appear with host Kevin Fitzwilliam on WGSO 990 AM’s All Things Local, a weekly radio hour focusing on New Orleans’ local economy, food system, artisans, and craftsmen.
 
The theme of the November 9th broadcast was sustainability. FOLC Chair Sam Spencer spent the entire hour with Kevin discussing the latest Lafitte Corridor news–the ongoing bid process and future groundbreaking, the potential of the Greenway to help restore the city’s tree canopy (along with Hike for KaTREEna President John Carriere), and the opportunity to retain stormwater on the Greenway. In case you missed this lively conversation, not to worry, you can still stream the podcast.
 
All Things Local airs every Saturday from 8-10AM on WGSO 990AM in New Orleans. For information about each week’s show, click the links above, visit their Facebook page, or email [email protected].
 

 
Keep in touch with the Urban Conservancy via
Facebook: UrbanConservancy
Twitter:  @UrbanConserv
Web:  urbanconservancy.org
Keep in touch with FOLC via
Facebook:  folc.nola
Twitter:  @folcnola
Web:  folc-nola.org
Email:  [email protected]  
Friends of Lafitte Corridor | P.O. Box 791727 | New Orleans, LA 70179

 

GO HIKE YOURSELF

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TakeAHike

We’re on for Saturday! Join us as we Hike the Lafitte Corridor (and future Lafitte Greenway) on Saturday, May 18, 2013 starting at 10 am at Louis Armstrong Park’s Congo Square! The Hike is FREE and open to the public with a suggested donation to help us to continue this annual event. Please register in advance here: http://folchike2013.eventbrite.com/

Saturday May 18:

9:00 AM: Bike Easy will host a FREE bicycle safety workshop in Congo Square at Louis Armstrong Park! Please pre-register for this workshop by selecting the FOLC Hiker & Biker ticket type.

9:30 AM: Meet at Congo Square to complete registration.

10:00 AM: Hear from speakers and start the hike! The hike will be guided by FOLC Greenway Ambassadors, who will lead groups and share the history of the Corridor area and future of the Greenway.

11:30 AM – 12:30 PM (approximate): Lunch stop! Parkway Bakery & Tavern will provide po-boys for participants and we’ll have music by Warren Easton.

1:00-1:30 PM: Finish at Bud’s Broiler at City Park Avenue across from Delgado! We will have a shuttle bus to bring folks back down to Congo Square — or you can walk/bike back to the Bayou for some Bayou Boogaloo fun!

The annual hike is roughly 3 miles long, and parts of the path are overgrown and weedy. Please dress accordingly (i.e. no flip-flops!) and bring sunscreen. Water will be available throughout the hike. As in previous years we will offer free bike valet. It is also possible to walk your bike the length of the hike!

Questions? Call 504-373-9191.

FOLC’s Hike the Lafitte Corridor event has been made possible thanks to our generous Community Sponsors: Bud’s Broiler, Faubourg Lafitte, Louisiana Himalayan Association, Parkway Bakery & Tavern, Sojourner Truth Neighborhood Center, and Stirling Properties. Plus many thanks to Massey’s, Coca-Cola, People United for Armstrong Park, Bike Easy, and Urban Conservancy for their support!

bike

Bike Easy Presents: Community Bicycle Workshop at the Friends of the
Lafitte Corridor 9th Annual Hike!

Bike Easy will be hosting our Community Bicycle Safety Workshop at the Friends of the Lafitte Corridor 9th Annual Hike!

Participants are invited to bring their bikes and learn to ride safely and confidently for health, transportation, and recreation before leaving on guided walks of the Lafitte Greenway.

Our instructors will be there to answer questions about riding safely with traffic, bike fit, and basic maintenance. We will also have Bicycle Valet, and can keep an eye on your bike while you hike!

When: Saturday, May 11, 2013 | 9-10am: Bicycle Workshop | 10am: Guided walks along the greenway begin

Where: Armstrong Park – Meet at Congo Square | North Rampart and Saint Peter Street

For more information about the workshops, visit www.bikeeasy.org

To register for the FOLC Hike, visit http://folchike2013.eventbrite.com/#
***
TakeAHike

SAVE THE DATE: Friends of Lafitte Corridor will be hosting their ninth annual Hike the Lafitte Corridor on Saturday, May 11th at 10 am starting at Louis Armstrong Park and ending at City Park Avenue.

The annual hike is free to the public and a great way to meet fellow Greenway enthusiasts and to learn about the history of the Corridor and the future plans for the Lafitte Greenway. E-mail [email protected] if you want to get involved as a FOLC Ambassador or sponsor.

Lafitte Corridor Gets Green Room Funding

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LOCAL, NATIONAL RETAILERS SHOW COMMITMENT TO LAFITTE GREENWAY

NEW ORLEANS, LA – On Saturday, September 22, local sporting goods store Massey’s Professional Outfitters and national outdoor clothing manufacturer Merrell will present a donation to Lafitte Corridor Greenway advocacy groups in support of the “Green Room” construction on the neutral ground at North Carrollton Avenue near St. Louis Street. The Green Rooms are innovative way-finding informational structures that mark the location and importance of the greenway. The presentation will take place at noon on the neutral ground in front of Massey’s, 509 N. Carrollton Ave., in conjunction with the build.

“While many cities throughout the US have put more and more effort into alternative transportation and outdoor recreation, New Orleans has really just begun to get fully behind it,” says Blake Gill, Massey’s grassroots marketing coordinator/cycling buyer. “The greenway will only help to solidify New Orleans as one of the nation’s greatest cities because it will promote outdoor recreation.” National retailer Merrell became familiar with the Lafitte Greenway project through its relationship with Massey’s. Merrell relies on their local retailers to keep their “ears to the ground” for causes such as the Lafitte Greenway that they can help support. “Merrell is a strong believer in community involvement and feels that this project in particular will help change the landscape of New Orleans in a huge way, so they are happy to contribute to its fruition,” says Gill.

“The Lafitte Corridor and Greenway promises to be an economic driver as well as a recreational amenity for New Orleans,” says Dana Eness, Urban Conservancy director. “The support from outdoor enthusiasts like Massey’s and Merrell as well as a diverse array of local businesses like FutureProof, Laurel Street Bakery, and Woodward Design+Build who recognize that ‘the Greenway means business’ has been critical to our ability to raise awareness about the Greenway through our Green Room projects.”

The Urban Conservancy and local sustainable design firm FutureProof oversee the project. The Carrollton Green Room is the third structure to be built to date; other kiosks are located at Jeff Davis Parkway at the foot of Bayou St. John, and South Galvez Street near St. Louis Street. All are built barn-raising style by volunteers over a few days using repurposed scrap materials.

The Lafitte Corridor and Greenway is a stretch of land running between the Mid-City and Tremé neighborhoods of New Orleans. The Corridor, a largely derelict strip of land, is to be converted by the City of New Orleans into a public linear park and trail system. The public can learn more about the Lafitte Corridor and Greenway, and view and comment on project documents at www.lafittecorridorconnection.com. To learn more about greenway volunteer opportunities, visit www.folc-nola.org or contact the Friends of Lafitte Corridor at [email protected].

Are You FOLCsy?

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Friends of Lafitte Corridor Board Nominations
By Bonnie at MCNO on January 18, 2012

Call for nominations to the Friends of Lafitte Corridor Board
It is time for the election of Friends of Lafitte Corridor (FOLC) Board of Directors. FOLC’s Board can consist of up to twenty-one directors that can hold office for three-year terms with no consecutive terms. You can see the current board on the FOLC website. Currently, there are seven positions available. We are seeking nominees for board members with the following qualities:

• Interest in developing the Lafitte Corridor as an urban trail with multiple activity uses

• Willingness to promote FOLC at meetings, events, and other venues

• Willingness to assist or lead fundraising efforts to support FOLC operations

• Ability to attend monthly FOLC meetings (missing three consecutive meetings results in automatic dismissal)

If you or someone you know possess these qualities, please feel free to nominate yourself or another person to be included on the ballot for Board elections. Send all submissions to [email protected] The 2012 FOLC Board of Directors nominees are voted on by the attending membership at our next monthly meeting to be held on Thursday, January 26th at 6:30PM. The meeting location is yet to be determined, but please continue to send your submissions to [email protected], and you’ll receive an update as soon as the location is solidified. Additionally, you can follow us at our website and on twitter @folcnola for updates. Thank you, Friends of Lafitte Corridor www.folc-nola.org

Day Tripping

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article and photos by Charlie London

Those over 50 likely remember the Beatles’ song Day Tripper.
If you don’t, click on the video below.

My day trip started with my wife giving me a ride to City Hall so I could participate in the public commentary on the location of the Skate Park that drink manufacturer Red Bull is donating to New Orleans.

Mr. Vincent Smith, Capital Projects Administrator for the City of New Orleans basically repeated the information you can find in my previous blog post in the link below:
https://fsjna.org/2011/12/skate-park-meeting-at-city-hall-wednesday/

There were large poster boards explaining the selection criteria which you can see in the link below:
https://fsjna.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Skate-Park-Site-Selection-Criteria.pdf

I asked if the Skate Park would have a fence built around it. Mr. Smith replied that it would not and added that the preference for the Skate Park is for an area that already is “secure”. Meaning that parks that already have gates and regular opening and closing times would have preference.

That would almost certainly disqualify the Lafitte Corridor as it is open 24 hours each day. So, if you are interested in a Skate Park in Mid-City you should likely get busy asking for it.

I asked about better public input. I work at night so I have the luxury of attended a few daytime meetings. Most people don’t. With meetings that begin at 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. that leaves most folks out of the planning process for the Skate Park. Mr. Smith indicated that people should be able to comment by phone and on the internet soon.

There were about 10 people who attended the meeting. Michael Homan, his son Gil and myself were there on behalf of the Lafitte Corridor. Councilmember Jon Johnson and several others were there to promote the Skate Park going in at Joe Brown Park in New Orleans East and a couple of people were there to try to get the Skate Park in Martin Behrman Memorial Park in Algiers.

Regardless of whether you are for or against a Skate Park make your opinion known to Councilmember Guidry at [email protected] *** Follow Gil Homan’s lead and make your voice heard.

My day trip continued with a walk from City Hall down Loyola where I encountered this new and innovative bus stop at Tulane and Loyola. It’s been there about one week.

I continued my day trip to Canal Street where I waited for the streetcar to take me all the way to Esplanade Avenue by the museum. The newly restored Joy Theatre was across from the streetcar stop and the first performance will be by Irma Thomas tonight.

If you have the time, I highly recommend riding the streetcar downtown from or to the museum. And, don’t forget you can get on the Esplanade Bus at Fortier Park which will take you right to the French Quarter. Both the busses and streetcars are very clean.

It’s only $1.25 each way and sure beats paying much more to park your car, that is… if you have the time. The streetcar and bus schedules are getting better but aren’t quite up to running exactly on time.

(courtesy youtube user kouran92)

Skate Park Meetings

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The City and the New Orleans Recreation Development Commission (NORDC) announced that three public meetings will be held to review proposed locations for a skate park. In October 2011, a skateboard ramp was donated to the City and NORDC.

The proposed locations for installation are Joe Brown Park, Behrman Memorial Park, or the Lafitte Greenway.

The three public meetings will be held in the New Orleans City Council chamber, 1300 Perdido Street, 1st floor, on the following dates:

Wednesday, December 21, 2011; 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Wednesday, December 28, 2011; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 noon
Wednesday, January 4, 2012; 3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Citizens are encouraged to attend and provide their input. Please write to Councilmember Guidry at [email protected]

Skate Park Site Selection Criteria

Map of NORD Parks Recreation Facilities December, 2011

Lafitte Greenway News

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The next round of meetings about the Lafitte Corridor will take place near the end of February, 2012.

The Lafitte Greenway & Corridor Revitalization Plans will be available for public viewing by visiting http://www.lafittecorridorconnection.com/
or two physical locations:
SoJourner Truth Community Center, located at 2200 Lafitte Street and the New Orleans Public Library (main branch), 3rd floor in the Louisiana section.

Lafitte Corridor One of Seven to Receive National Attention

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Photos by Charlie London

Katie Moore / Eyewitness News

NEW ORLEANS — U.S. Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar made a special stop in New Orleans during his visit on Wednesday.

He announced that the Lafitte Corridor has been chosen as a priority project for scarce federal funds.

Trains once carried cargo from the river to the lake on it, but it could soon carry people.

“Right now, this is an abandoned rail corridor. It’s basically just wasted space,” said Bart Everson, president of the group Friends of the Lafitte Corridor.

The Lafitte Corridor runs 3.1 miles through the city and is now slated for the development of a hiking and biking trail.

“We fully expect to break ground on phase one in 2013. So, in short order we can actually expect to see a trail being built. Now, it’ll be a very basic trail to begin with,” Everson said.

The project already has $7.5 million in Community Development Block Grant funds from Katrina.

“Because this project has been selected as one of the seven priority projects in the United States of America, and that’s a pretty big place, you will have priority in the funding even during these tough times,” Salazar said.

It puts the Lafitte Corridor on the short list for federal dollars as part of the “America’s Great Outdoors” initiative.

“We don’t know what the dollars will be at this point, but it will add to the assistance and the funding that we’re getting,” said Councilwoman Susan Guidry.

Even the hope of additional funding is welcome for those who have fought for years now to make New Orleans a great place to live, bike and even hike.

http://www.wwltv.com/news/lafittecorridornationaldesignation-135617473.html

article below by Alex Woodward of GAMBIT WEEKLY

Ken Salazar, U.S. Secretary of the Interior, met with Friends of the Lafitte Corridor today on the banks of Bayou St. John, flanked by a post office and Parkway Bakery & Tavern. Salazar announced the Obama Administration’s prioritized commitment to the to the Lafitte Corridor project via the Urban Waters Federal Partnership, led by the Interior, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Agriculture, and coordinated by the White House Domestic Policy Council. It also partners with local communities, specifically for outdoor and parks projects like the Lafitte Corridor. (To clarify a previous post: Salazar’s mention of $7 million is from an already-in-place Community Development Block Grant from the Louisiana Recovery Association, allocated to the Lafitte Corridor.)

“This is part of the revitalization of New Orleans,” Salazar told Gambit. The project will break ground in 2013.

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar walks along the future Lafitte Corridor with Bart Everson, president of the Friends of the Lafitte Corridor.

Bart Everson, president of the Friends of the Lafitte Corridor (FOLC) group advocating for the project, said despite the project being “down in the weeds,” the “greenway” will “reclaim the space left behind,” rejuvenating a corridor formerly used as a shipping canal, a railway, and now for drainage, and open the space to its communities and visitors. It has the potential, Everson said, “to reconnect the city to its natural landscape.” Community meetings on the project’s design plans wrapped up this year.

More than 400 million people visit the United States’ 397 parks each year, Salazar said. “We are the envy of the world.” The administration’s three goals through the initiative are “preserving the crown jewels of America,” like the Everglades; protecting and preserving the country’s rivers systems; and, where the Lafitte applies, preserving the “great urban parks,” one of President Barack Obama’s highest priorities, Salazar said.

The Lafitte project is one of only seven parks projects nationally the administration is taking on. “Literally thousands could’ve been taken on,” Salazar said, adding the administration will work closely with Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s office and New Orleans City Council. (District A councilmember Susan Guidry said she wants the greenway to connect communities to the rebirth of Lake Pontchartrain.) The National Parks Service also will promote the greenway nationally.

“We don’t quit,” Salazar said to the crowd. “The best days of New Orleans are still ahead of us. … Ten years from now (the greenway) will be one of the iconic places (in New Orleans) and will look very different from what it does today.”

http://www.bestofneworleans.com/blogofneworleans/archives/2011/12/14/sec-of-interior-gives-greenlight-to-lafitte-corridor-greenway

Dec 14: Important Fed Visits Lafitte Corridor

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Secretary of the Interior, Ken Salazar, will visit the Lafitte Corridor on Wednesday, December 14th at NOON.

Friends,
It appears the Department of the Interior is taking an interest in the Lafitte Corridor greenway project. The Secretary of the Interior (Ken Salazar) will be here Wednesday (Dec. 14) and would like to meet the Friends of Lafitte Corridor. Please come join us at noon at the very end of Bayou St. John, where the corridor intersects Jeff Davis Parkway. There will be time for some Q&A as well as a brief stroll on the site of the future greenway. The whole thing will be over by 1 PM. I’m sure you have many more questions. So do I! Unfortunately at this time I don’t know more than what I’ve spelled out here. It’s all come together rather quickly, and I hope to learn more Wednesday. Please join us.

Bart Everson
President
Friends of Lafitte Corridor

Kick Offs

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photo by Charlie London

Hello volleyball friends, neighbors and cyclists,

Due to the New Orleans Hash House Harriers Red Dress Run tomorrow, Mid-City Volleyball Group will play volleyball on Sunday rather than Saturday this weekend. This will be our first annual Dirty Red Dress volleyball game. Ya heard me… wear your red dress from the day before to the pick-up volleyball games along Bayou St John! We’ll set up across from the Mid-City post office around 9am and play for most of the day. You can even sleep in your dress if you like…

On a more serious note, Mid-City Volleyball Group will be holding its next quad grass volleyball tournament two weeks from tomorrow on Saturday August 27. It will roughly be the six year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, so we hope to feature hurricanes as the drink of the day while we commemorate the past and celebrate the present. This event will be a corporate challenge, so local businesses both small and large are invited to put together teams for a little friendly neighborhood rivalry. Businesses can sponsor a team with a mixture of employees, regular customers or friends, and more serious volleyball players are encouraged to rally support among coworkers or stop by their favorite neighborhood joint to see if they can help represent that business. This ought to be fun! Registration information is already available on our website at www.midcityvolleyball.org.

Speaking of rallying support, Design Workshop is holding a series of meetings all next week to collect suggestions from the public regarding the design of the proposed Lafitte Greenway. More information about the meetings is given below, and Monday’s topic is particularly relevant to MCVG. Susan Lavie and I will meet at Mandina’s Restaurant this coming Monday (August 15) around 7:00pm, and we’ll walk one block to Grace Episcopal Church by 7:30pm. We will, as always, be advocating for sand volleyball courts along the greenway ideally in Mid-City. If you’re interested in helping Susan and me generate enthusiasm for sand courts in the heart of the city, please join us!

Have a great weekend,

Peter Hickman
President of Mid-City Volleyball Group

Highest priority for participation:
Lafitte Corridor Connection Kick-Offs
To provide an opportunity for the general public to hear about the project, comment on initial analysis, and express interest and concerns about the project. Keypad polling devices will be used to collect public feedback.
Monday, August 15th – 6PM to 8PM
TWO LOCATIONS (Attend Nearest You): Sojourner Truth Community Center, 2200 Lafitte Street and Grace Episcopal Church, 3700 Canal Street

Lafitte Corridor Connection General Community Meeting
To provide the public with a chance to comment on proposed plans, recommendations and strategies. Keypad polling devices will be used to collect public feedback and determine preferences and priorities.
Saturday, August 20th – 9:30AM to 12:00PM
Delgado Community College, City Park Campus – Student Life Center 615 City Park Avenue

Other opportunities provided to accommodate varied personal schedules:
Lafitte Corridor Connection Topical Discussions
To provide an opportunity for the general public to provide input on issues and opportunities relative to the specific topic. Only necessary to participate if unable to communicate ideas and concerns during the kick off or other opportunities.
Daily August 15th-19th – 4:30 to 5:30PM
Aug 15: Recreational Activities and Programming AND Education, Employment and Job Opportunities
Aug 16: Greenway Arts and Interpretive AND Transportation, Stormwater, and Infrastructure
Aug 17: Land Use and Urban Design AND Housing and Economic Development Strategies
Aug 18: Financing, Operations and Maintenance
Aug 19: Health and Environment
Sojourner Truth Community Center, 2200 Lafitte Street

Lafitte Corridor Connection Greenway Design and Land Use Chip Game
To provide an opportunity for the general public to play the Greenway Design and Land Use Chip Game – a tool for drawing out public preference and priorities for the greenway, greenway park, and corridor.
August 15 – 19 11:30am – 12:30pm
August 16 – 18 5:30pm – 7:00pm

Lafitte Corridor Connection Open Studio
To provide flexible hours for the general public to stop in and view progress on the project. Only necessary to participate if unable to communicate ideas and concerns during the kick off or other opportunities.
August 15 – 19 10 am – 5:30 pm

Thanks for your ongoing support and interest in the project!