Book Fest Today

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New Orleans Book Festival

Saturday, November 15, 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.

Hear stories read by your favorite authors… Grab a sweet treat or tasty snack…. Listen to some funky live New Orleans music… Enter the City Park map contest… and get FREE Books! Just a few of the many fun activities you can enjoy at the New Orleans Book Festival TODAY!

Facebook: facebook.com/nolabookfest
Twitter: @NOLAbookfest
Instagram: NOLAbookfest
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Authors
Stage 1: Adults Stage
10:45 – Opening Remarks: Cheryl Landrieu
11:00 – Presentation/Reading #1: Wally Lamb, We Are Water
12:00 – Presentation/Reading #2: James Carville & Mary Matalin, Love and War
1:00 – Presentation/Reading #3: Bryan Batt, She Ain’t Heavy, She’s My Mother Susan Schulman, Backstage Pass to Broadway
2:00 – Presentation/Reading #4 – Cooking Panel- Southern: Sam Irwin, Louisiana Crawfish Addie K Martin, Southeast Louisiana Food: A Seasoned Tradition Ian McNulty Louisiana Rambles Poppy Tooker Louisiana Eats
3:00 – Presentation/Reading #5: Peter Yarrow, Peter Paul and Mary: Fifty Years in Music and Life 4:00 – Presentation/Reading #6: Lauren Kate, Waterfall Amy Christine Parker, Astray 4:45 – Closing Remarks/Entertainment: Mardi Gras Indians

Stage 2: Kids
11:00 – Presentation/Reading #1: Trombone Shorty 12:00 – Presentation/Reading #2: NOMA StoryQuest 12:30 – Presentation/Reading #3: Grace Millsaps & Ryan Murphy, What the Sleepy Animals Do at the Audubon Zoo
1:00 – Presentation/Reading #4: Steve Guttenberg, The Kids from D.I.S.C.O.
2:00 – Presentation/Reading #5: Celebrity Readers – Saints/Pelicans
2:30 – Presentation/Reading #6: Student reading from classroom competition
3:00 – Presentation/Reading #7
4:00 – Presentation/Reading #8: William Joyce, A Bean, a Stalk, and a Boy Named Jack

Stage 3: NOMA Auditorium
11:00 – Panel #1: George Bishop, The Night of the Comet Zachary Lazar, I Pity the Poor Immigrant: A Novel Laura Lane McNeal, Dollbaby
12:00 – Panel #2: Lawrence Powell, The Accidental City Richard Campanella, Bourbon Street: A History Oliver Houck Downstream Toward Home
1:00 – Panel #3: Gary Krist, Empire of Sin: A Story of Sex, Jazz, Murder and Battle for Modern New Orleans
2:00 – Panel #4: Russ Kick, The Graphic Canon of Children’s Literature: The World’s Greatest Kids’ Lit as Comics and Visuals
3:00 – Panel #5: M.O. Walsh, My Sunshine Away Amy Conner, The Right Thing Michael Pitre, Fives and Twenty Fives Michael Farris Smith, Rivers
4:00 – Panel #6: Tina Freeman & Morgan Molthrop, Artist Spaces: New Orleans Valorie Hart, House Proud James Wade, Pitot House Bonnie Warren, New Orleans Historic Homes

Stage 4: Storytelling Tree 1
10:30 – Reading #1 – Costumed Character: The Very Hungry Caterpillar
11:15 – Reading #2: Ryan Adam, Love and War
12:00 – Reading #3: Cecilia Dartez, L is for Louisiana 12:45 – Reading #4 – Costumed Character: Madeline
1:30 – Reading #5: Brock Boutte & Christy Boutte, Gris-Gris and the Cypress Tree
2:15 – Reading #6 – Costumed Character: Where the Wild Things Are 3:00 – Reading #7: Freddi W Evans, The Battle of New Orleans
3:45 – Reading #8: Cornell Landry, Oh Touro Baby, All the Things You Will See

Stage 5: Storytelling Tree 2
11:00 – Reading #1: Kenny Harrison, Hide and Seek Harry
11:45 – Reading #2: Deandrea Green, The Who Dat Movers: Jump Team
12:30 – Reading #3: Mary Beth Touzet & Rene Hemel, Fleurdelee
1:15 – Reading #4: Jean Cassels, Two Bobbies
2:00 – Reading #5: NOMA STORYQUEST II
2:45 – Reading #6: Denise McConduit, DJ and the Jazz Fest
3:30 – Reading #7: Christine Audler, What Lou Can Do
4:15 – Reading #8 – Costumed Character: The Cat in the Hat

Stage 6: Outdoor Panel Area
11:00 – Time Slot #1: Ann Benoit, New Orleans Best Ethnic Restaurants Suzanne Pfefferle, Vietnamese Cuisine in New Orleans Kit Wohl, New Orleans Classic Creole Recipes Jeff Young, Around the Table with the Catholic Foodie
12:00 – Time Slot #2: James Cobb, Flood of Lies
12:30 – Time Slot #3:
Alan Gauthreaux, Italian Louisiana: History, Heritage & Tradition Laura Kelley, The Irish in New Orleans Stephen Rea, McCool’s Football Club
1:30 – Time Slot #4: David Spielman, When Not Performing
2:00 – Time Slot #5: John Kemp, An Artist’s Vision of New Orleans
2:30 – Time Slot #6:
Jilly Lagasse & Jessie Lagasse Swanson, Lagasse Girls’ Big Flavor, Bold Taste–and No Gluten!: 100 Gluten-Free
3:30 – Time Slot #7: Paul Oswell, New Orleans Historic Hotels
4:00 – Time Slot #8:
Phillip & Riki Collier, Making New Orleans: Products Past & Present Andi Eaton, Orleans Style Tom Piazza, Why New Orleans Matters

*Author line-up subject to change

Saturday Book Fest for Kids

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bookfest

Click on the image above for more.

Twinkle, Twinkle | A Night of Music Inspired by Children’s Literature

Friday, November 15, 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Twinkle, Twinkle is a special performance by the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestras in celebration of the 4th Annual Children’s Book Festival. On the evening of Friday, November 15th, the Youth Orchestra will perform music inspired by children’s literature. Bring picnic blankets and baskets for a night of music and magic under the stars!

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Come out Saturday for a day full of fun, including free books, face painting, free food, storytelling, book signing, art activities, Molly the Pony, Clifford the Big Red Dog, and much much more!

Saturday, November 16, 2013

10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at the Latter Branch Library at 5120 St. Charles.

 

Join us for the 4th Annual New Orleans Children’s Book Festival on November 15 & 16, 2013. This year, we’re kicking off the year of imagination in partnership with City Year! City Year will help keep the spirit of the New Orleans Children’s Book Festival alive all year long. The free festival features storytelling, live music, food, and fun activities for kids of all ages!

First Lady Cheryl Landrieu and Ruby Bridges both believe strongly in literacy and in the power of education. They also believe in the powerful effect that learning can have in bringing children together. This event affords children from all backgrounds the opportunity to get to know one another through the love of books and learning.

The festival offers unique opportunities for children and parents to interact with exceptional writers and storytellers and to enjoy an inspiring variety of book-related activities, exhibitions and demonstrations.

The food, fun, books, and stories are FREE!

For more information, please contact info@rubybridgesfoundation.org.

 
 

Free Stuff for Computer Users

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free-software-iconThere’s a lot of free software out there, but actually identifying programs that will meet your needs can be difficult and time-consuming.

Worse yet, some software may include spyware that compromises the security of your organization’s network.

Below are a few carefully selected applications:

7-Zip

7-Zip is a utility to compress and uncompress files and supports a variety of formats.

Company or Source: Igor Pavlov

Platform:

  • Windows

Requirement(s): Windows 98/Me/2000/XP/Vista/7

Download it here

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FileZilla

Filezilla is a fast and compact file transfer protocol (FTP) client and server application.

Company or Source: FileZilla

Platform:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux

Requirement(s): Windows XP/Vista; Mac OS X; for full system requirements, see this page.

Download it here

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ImgBurn

ImgBurn is a free utility to burn image files (ISOs) to a CD/DVD or create an image file to be burnt later.

Company or Source: ImgBurn

Platform:

  • Windows

Requirement(s): Windows 9x/ME/NT/2000/XP/2003/Vista/7

Download it here

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OpenOffice.org

OpenOffice.org is an open-source, multiplatform, multilingual office suite compatible with all other major office suites. The product is free to download, use, and distribute.

Company or Source: OpenOffice.org

Platform:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux

Requirement(s): Windows 2000/XP/2003/Vista/7; Mac OS X

Download it here

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Firefox

Firefox is a free web browser for many platforms.

Company or Source: Mozilla Foundation

Platform:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Android

Requirement(s): Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7; Mac OS X 10.5 and later; Linux; mobile app available for Android.

Download it here

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Skype

Skype is a program that lets users talk and exchange instant messages over the internet.

Company or Source: Skype

Platform:

Windows | Mac | Linux | Mobile

Requirement(s): Windows XP/Vista/7; Mac OS X 10.5 and later; Linux; mobile app available for a variety of devices.

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Evernote

Evernote is note-taking and productivity software.

Company or Source: Evernote

Platform:

  • Windows
  • Mac
  • Linux
  • Mobile

Requirement(s): Compatible with most operating systems; mobile apps available for iOS, Android, Windows Phone, Blackberry, and other devices.

Download it here

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Click on any image in the slider to learn more.

FREE Thursdays in City Park

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New Orleans City Park Botanical Garden


Three free concerts included as part of the general admission to Celebration in the Oaks
Concerts begin at 7:00 p.m.

Thursday, December 6 – Benny Grunch and the Bunch – Benny and all of the 12 Yats of Christmas will make this a memorable concert in the Park. Don’t miss it.

Thursday, December 13 – Christmas with the Boutté Family Progénitures – Tanya Boutté, Arsené DeLay and Vance Vaucresson are all part of an extended Boutté musical family that will brighten the holiday night for you.

Thursday, December 20 – New Orleans great musicians, John Rankin, Don Vappie, Leah Chase, and Cindy Scott all share their talent to bring an assortment of songs that will get you in the holiday spirit.

Presented by the The Robert and Shirley Haspel Fund

Desoto Street Library

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photo by Eric Bouler
photo by Eric Bouler

photos and article below by Missy Dalton

Click on the flyer for a larger view.

Please visit the newly-installed Little Free Library at 3100 DeSoto St. Take a book, bring a book or just come by and check out our new neighborhood book exchange!

Linda and Lee Prout and their wonderful Boy Scout crew erect the post for the Little Free Library

Please visit below to learn more about the “Little Free Library” program.

http://www.littlefreelibrary.org/index.html

Back in early March, Bill & Melissa Dalton took action after reading a message on the Faubourg St. John yahoo group about the Little Free Library program and an opportunity to win one.
Bill says:
My wife put together the one page flyer/letter above. Well, this gave us our prize. And even though we were told we won back in mid April, the box was to be constructed by the original maker of the “Little Free Library” up in Madison Wisconsin. Due to regional interest in the program, our library was help for multiple appearances and interviews.

Anyway, IN THE MEAN TIME, due to the interest, the organizer of the contest (and Algiers’ first little free librarian, Linda Prout) applied for a grant from the mayors office. This grant was awarded and allowed a church on the west bank to construct 12 other boxes. Linda and Lee Prout then recruited boy scouts to go around town last week to dig the post holes and cement in the posts.

All this lead up to this weekend when 13 little free libraries popped up across the city!!!

Each one has a small wood plaque engraved with the number of the library. Ours is number 1759.

Missy (my wife) has started a facebook page http://www.facebook.com/DeSotoStLittleLibrary and she hopes to post updates here and there to either call for donations or announce when large batches of new content is on the shelf.

FREE Protection

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USE YOUR BRAIN CLEAN YOUR DRAIN!


If you think the City of New Orleans is going to clean the catch basin in front of your home please rethink that plan. If you don’t clean the catch basin in front of your home it is you who will suffer the consequences. Please consider cleaning the catch basins in and around your home NOW!

Click here for EPA recommendations for catch basin cleaning.

A catch basin, which is also known as a storm drain inlet or curb inlet, is an opening to the storm drain system that typically includes a grate or curb inlet at street level where storm water enters the catch basin and a sump captures sediment, debris and associated pollutants. Catch basins are able to prevent trash and other floatable materials from entering the drainage system by capturing such debris by way of a hooded outlet. The outlet pipes for catch basins on combined sewers (sanitary waste and storm water in a single pipe) are also outfitted with a flapper (trap) device to prevent the backflow of any unpleasant odors from pipes. Catch basins act as pretreatment for other treatment practices by allowing larger sediments to settle in the basin sump areas.

Click here to see catch basin guidelines from Connecticut.

It is important to maintain catch basins to prevent storm sewer blockages and minimize the amount of pollutants entering storm sewers which may eventually discharge into local streams and waterways such as Lake Ponchartrain. Clogged catch basins can also result in the ponding of water along streets and parking lots causing a nuisance to motorists, pedestrians and businesses.

How you can help: When you are clearing your sidewalk or driveway, dispose of waste in trash receptacles instead of sweeping it into the gutters or catch basins.

If leaves or other debris are blocking a catch basin near your house or business, remove and dispose of the debris properly.

Article from:
http://www.bwsc.org/PROJECTS/Maintenance/catchbasin.asp

Faubourg St. John has been asking its residents to “clean their drain” for several years. The City of New Orleans is following our lead and will be instituting a “Catch the Basin” campaign city-wide over the next few days. Below are links to Faubourg St. John’s reminders just in 2011…
Feb 28, 2011: https://fsjna.org/2011/02/use-your-brain-clean-your-drain/
Sep 1, 2011:https://fsjna.org/2011/09/do-you-enjoy-flood-water-in-your-home/
Dec 22 2011: https://fsjna.org/2011/12/santa-says-clean-your-drain/

THE CITY IS ASKING THAT YOU CALL 311 FOR
CATCH BASINS THAT NEED MECHANICAL EQUIPMENT TO CLEAR


If you have questions, or if your catch basin requires mechanical cleaning or maintenance, call 311 to report the problem.

Catch_The_Basin

HERE’S HOW YOU CAN HELP:

1) Clean litter and debris from the catch basins near your house. Also, clean the surrounding curb area, because any litter, leaves, or grass on the street or sidewalk can end up in the catch basin. Do not lift the drain cover or attempt to disassemble the catch basin; just clean what you can see. All you need is a pair of work gloves, a shovel or small rake, and a trash bag. Remember: If your neighbor is elderly or disabled, please help clean their catch basin too.

2) Dispose of trash and lawn clippings in trash cans. Do not sweep or blow yard waste into the gutters and catch basins. Remember: Trash in our streets ends up as trash in our lake!

3) Construction sites or sites with hazardous materials must take special precautions to properly dispose of their paint and chemicals. They should not sweep, blow or hose waste into the catch basins. Report any improper actions to the City of New Orleans by calling 311.

2012 Bayou Boogaloo Poster

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The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo Festival is hosted by the MotherShip Foundation, a non-profit (501c3) organization dedicated to encouraging social change by bringing forth a higher quality of life for all Louisiana and New Orleans residents through the promotion of arts, culture, and recreation. You are invited to become an integral part of this unique celebration and help make the 7th Annual Bayou Boogaloo a bigger success than ever!

More at: http://thebayouboogaloo.com/

Keep the Bayou Boogaloo Free!

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Join the Krewe of Boogaloo  

VIPpassesJoin the Krewe
of Boogaloo and receive a VIP pass for added comfort and hospitality.  Perks include
a signed, limited edition “Artist Proof” 2012 Bayou Boogaloo poster by Isabelle Jacopin, VIP
parking for one car the entire weekend, access to shaded VIP area at Orleans Stage, air conditioned ‘people pleaser’ restrooms,  and more.
Tickets are on sale now, prices will increase on April 1st, so get yours today!

The festival remains FREE to the general public with a suggested donation at the gate.  However, the MotherShip Foundation is offering fifty VIP passes to public and only a few remain.  Your donation is tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Join the Krewe

Call To Volunteers

Volunteers are critical to making this event, a reality. Help is needed in a variety of areas from stagehands
to parking to trash. All areas are critical to a smooth running festival.  If you’re interested, please e-mail
volunteers@thebayouboogaloo.com.
 
Volunteers receive a t-shirt, water and a snack during the festival.
Please feel free to pass along the volunteer request to your friends and co-workers.  Thanks again for helping out.

Spread the Word

We need your help to spread the word about this wonderful festival that has become New Orleanians favorite events before the long days of summer set in. Visit our website for banners that can be placed on your personal social media sites by simply copy and pasting the image. There are several sizes available to fit your specifications.

Follow or Friend us TODAY!

Your support helps us continue the mission to encourage social change by improving the quality of life in New Orleans through the promotion of arts, culture, and recreation.

We will continue to provide you with updates about our progress with monthly community announcements.

Sincerely,

–The Team at MotherShip

Lips and the Trips

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Faubourg St. John neighbor Mark Fowler would like you to know, “Lips & the Trips are back at neighborhood favorite Fairgrinds Coffeehouse for a free set or so Friday, July 20 from 7:30 – 9:00 pm!

Back at Fairgrinds Coffeehouse for a big July Birthdays Party! Lips & the Trips – “Let them eat cake!” All our friends with July birthdays (including Lips and me) – should drop on by. Friday July 20 (the day after my birthday). 7:30pm

Build a Bike and Make a Difference

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RESTORE | RENEW | RECYCLE


The New Orleans Community Bike Project exists to promote the use of bicycles and other human-powered transportation; to assist all bicyclists in learning to maintain their vehicles; to provide a space for sharing community resources and fostering community education; and to promote the reuse of materials that might otherwise be thrown away.

Plan B is a community-run bike project that functions as an open workspace for bicycle building and repair. The workspace makes an array of professional bike tools available for use to the public for free while volunteers offer free help and instruction in bike repair. The bike project makes donated parts available at low cost. Additionally, complete used bikes are also available at reasonable, fair-market prices. All of the proceeds from sales are used to keep the project running and allow us to offer free stand time, tool library use, and bike education programs to the general public.

Shop: 1024 Elysian Fields | New Orleans, LA 70116
Phone: 504-272-PBNO (7266)
Email: nolabikeproject@gmail.com

Click on the bike to learn more.

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2239 Piety St in the Upper 9th Ward | New Orleans
(at the corner of Piety and N Tonti)

RUBARB is an all volunteer run space, which means no bosses, no workers and no pay. We all participate in making the space, tools and parts organized and accessible, and any money that is received goes toward tools and parts and all other basic needs of the shop. Our primary goal is to provide adequate tools and competent help to meet the needs of those who desire to build and repair bikes. RUBARB is an educational space where we all can share and learn from each other’s skills and experiences.

To meet these goals we currently offer:

Ways to build or get your own bike – start with a bike that needs a little repairing and a donation for all the needed parts and a person can finish the bike and make it their own. Work trades are also a welcomed way to get a bike and contribute to the shop. We also have a few bikes ready to ride, which we ask a $40 – $80 contribution for.

the EARN-A-BIKE program – after completing a series of 4 steps, which include learning basic maintenance and bike building skills, youth earn bikes that they take home with them.

step #1: fixing a flat. this is a basic skill that every bike owner should be able to do! kids learn to patch a punctured tube and should then be able to fix their own if experiencing a flat on their bikes.

step #2: overhauling a wheel. this step requires the earn-a-biker to take apart a wheel, regrease it, and put it back together. not only does overhauling a wheel make it ride smoother and last longer, but kids get a chance to see what’s inside a hub, how it works, and how it goes together.

step #3: overhauling a bike. this is the time when kids pick out a bike to earn and begin working on it. some of our bikes are in various states of disrepair, so s/he may not only be overhauling the bottom bracket and wheels, but adjusting the headsets and brakes and piecing together parts such as handlebars and seats.

step #4: help beautify RUBARB. in this final step, the earn-a-bike participant does something to help brighten, organize, or simply make the shop a more enjoyable space. so far kids have made t-shirts, painted a mural, created a sculpture out of bike parts, organized our tubes, and painted ornaments for our tree made out of rims.

download the earn-a-bike flyer here

Free Trees for Arbor Day

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Entergy Corp. is providing 10,000 free trees to its customers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Texas to help them save energy.
The trees, offered on a first-come, first-serve basis, are part of the Arbor Day Foundation’s Energy-Saving Trees program which hopes to conserve energy through strategic tree planting. The foundation says trees provide shade and thus helps lower utility bills.

The trees can be reserved using an online tool —http://www.entergy.com/arborday — that estimates the amount of energy each tree will save in different locations.

Some types of trees available include sourwood, bald cypress, red maple and crape myrtle.