Broaden Your Horizons

May 2, 2015 by Charlie London

by jeffrey schwartz | m.c.p.
executive director | broad community connections

jeffschwartzNo one would mistake Broad Street for Magazine Street.  We’re OK with that!  While we love Magazine and all of our fellow retail corridors–after all, commercial corridors make up the backbones of our great neighborhoods–we are head over heals for Broad Street. 


Broad is a big, buzzing urban commercial district.  Broad is broad!

But while the neighborhoods along Broad Street are among the most vibrant, beautiful, and culturally resonant communities in the city, Broad Street doesn’t always live up to the beauty and pedestrian-friendliness of the Tremé, Faubourg St. John, and Mid-City.

All of which is to say: Broad Community Connections has been working tirelessly for over six years to help Broad look the part of one of the great avenues in our fair city.  We’ve been beautifying Broad and making it more of a pleasant corridor to which to drive, walk, bike, or take transit.

Like the bicycle lanes on Broad above Orleans?  We advocated for those, and are working to connect them to Tulane Avenue, and over the overpass to Washington and Napoleon.

How about streetscape enhancement projects that bring landscaping, trees, and improvements to the pedestrian infrastructure along Broad?  We’ve been advocating for the recently-completed project on Bayou Road for over five years, and are continuing to work with the city and surrounding property owners for the enhancement project at the Lafitte Greenway and on St. Louis Street.  Did you notice that we planted over 40 trees on Bayou Road last year?

We are currently working with the Regional Planning Commission to create an overall streetscape enhancement strategy for Broad that will bring improved pedestrian, cycling, transit, water management, and landscaping infrastructure and amenities to Broad Street.

And who can forget about the Lafitte Greenway?  Since we began, we’ve been working tirelessly with our partners at the Friends of Lafitte Corridor and the City of New Orleans to make sure the Greenway not only happens, but that it becomes the amenity for the surrounding communities, residents, and business owners that it should.  As if that wasn’t enough, we are partnering with the Arts Council of New Orleans on a National Endowment for the Arts-funded project called BROAD+WATER to bring a water-based art installation to the Greenway at Broad Street.

If you would like to continue to see a more beautiful Broad, please support BCC on GiveNOLA Day on Tuesday, May 5th!


nola-white-letters1

Filed Under: Featured, More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou st john, broad, broad community connections, esplanade, faubourg st john, jeff schwartz, New Orleans, orleans

Thanks Tommy!

September 2, 2014 by Charlie London

cvunola-orleans-mossphoto courtesy http://cvunola.org

Artist Lindsey Postaski works on her artwork on the utility box on the neutral ground at Orleans and Moss.

This art was made possible by neighbor Tommy Crane who donated $1,000 to make this happen here and on the utility box at Banks and Jeff Davis. Thanks Tommy!
***
Click on the photos below by Charlie London for a larger view.
orleans-moss-cvunola
orleans-moss-cvunola1

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: art, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, faubourg st john, moss, New Orleans, orleans

Election Results

January 26, 2014 by Charlie London

Mayor: Landrieu (64 percent), Bagneris (33 percent), King (3 percent)
Sheriff: Gusman (49 percent), Foti (29 percent), Thomas (29 percent), Brown (3 percent)
Clerk of Criminal District Court: Morrell (72 percent), Keen (28 percent)
Coroner: McKenna (48 percent), Rouse (32 percent), Culotta (20 percent)
Councilmember at Large Division 1: Head (62 percent), Green (38 percent)
Councilmember at Large Division 2: Hedge-Morrell (44 percent), Williams (39 percent), Charbonnet (17 percent)
Council District A: Guidry (67 percent), Ward (10 percent), Coleman (9 percent), Capasso (8 percent), Gordon (6 percent).
Council District C: Clarkson (45 percent), Ramsey (45 percent), Moran (5 percent), E. Williams (2 percent), C. Williams (2 percent)
Council District D: Brossett (50 percent), Bouioe (42 percent), Savwoir (8 percent)
Council District E: Gray (53 percent), Willard-Lewis (41 percent), Kelly (6 percent)

 Sheriff   (Select 1)
#1 Other
#2 Democrat
#3 Democrat
#4 Democrat
Clerk Criminal District Court  (Select 1)
#5 No Party
#6 Democrat
Coroner   (Select 1)
#7 Democrat
#8 Democrat
#10 Democrat
Mayor City of New Orleans  (Select 1)
#11 Democrat
#13 Democrat
#14 Democrat
Councilmember at Large Division 1  (Select 1)
#15 Democrat
#16 Democrat
Councilmember at Large Division 2  (Select 1)
#17 Democrat
#18 Democrat
#19 Democrat
Councilmember District A  (Select 1)
#20 Democrat
#21 Democrat
#22 Other
#23 Democrat
#25 Republican

You have the right to vote in a Louisiana election if you are qualified to vote in the current election, qualified to vote in the specific precinct and you are the person whose name is in the precinct register.

The polls open at 7 a.m. for Saturday elections and close at 8 p.m. The polls open at 6 a.m. for Tuesday elections and close at 8 p.m. Voters in line at 8 p.m. will be allowed to vote.

You may vote early 14 days to seven days prior to any scheduled election, on election day day or absentee by mail.

Know which precinct you are registered to vote in, and its location if you are voting on election day. Be prepared to provide photo identification to vote early or on election day. You can obtain a free Louisiana special identification card by presenting your voter registration information card to the Office of Motor Vehicles. Do not bring or wear any campaign paraphernalia to the polls or to vote early.

There is an app for iPhone and Android devices. Download the free GeauxVote app. Information available on mobile devices includes voter registration information, voter districts information and information about upcoming elections such as voting dates and times, voting locations and sample ballots.

Notify your parish registrar of voters of any changes to your registration. Failure to update your residential address may result in an inactive registration status. Inactive voters must verify their residential addresses prior to voting, which may be done on election day at the precinct, in person at the registrar’s office, online or by mail through a voter registration application.

To qualify to vote you must:

  • be a U.S. citizen;
  • be at least 17 years old, but must be 18 years old by the next election to vote;
  • not be under an order of imprisonment for conviction of a felony;
  • not be under a judgment of full interdiction for mental incompetence or partial interdiction with suspension of voting rights; and
  • reside in the state and parish in which you seek to register.

Vote by Mail

In Louisiana you must have a reason to be eligible to vote by mail, unless you are a military or overseas voter. Senior citizens and persons with disabilities may apply for an automatic mail ballot.

Vote Early

All registered voters may vote early at the registrar of voters office or at an alternate site designated for early voting. You do not need a reason to vote early.

The early voting period is from 14 days to seven days before each election, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (except Sundays and legal holidays).

Vote on Election Day

You may cast your ballot on election day by:

  • voting on a machine;
  • emergency paper ballot if the only voting machine in the precinct fails; or
  • provisional paper ballot (federal election only) if you certify that you are eligible to vote in the election and your name does not appear on the precinct register.

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: ballot, faubourg st john, New Orleans, orleans, sample ballot, vote

VOTE TODAY

November 16, 2013 by Charlie London

vote2013nov16VOTE TODAY!

WHY YOU SHOULD VOTE


Voting is a way to speak your mind and let your voice be heard!
Your vote is your voice. When we vote, we are actually telling elected officials and
lawmakers how we feel about education, public safety, social security, health care, and other important issues.

One voice, one vote really does count!
Remember: there is power in numbers, and when we vote and get our family members to vote, we can truly make a difference. If you don’t vote for what you believe in, others will-and you may not like the outcome.

Our children are depending on us to represent their voices too!
Because our children can’t vote, we have to do it for them. That’s how we make our concerns about schools, safety, housing, and other issues heard. When we vote, we are looking out for our kids, and their futures.

Voting changes communities!
Do you ever wonder why one neighborhood gets passed over for things it needs, while another seems to get it all? One big reason is voting. When we vote, we can get results that we can actually see.

Vote to effect change!
It was through elections that we voted in officials who were champions for civil rights. Voting is our chance to make a difference in our own lives and within the world.

Believe it or not, voting is a way of honoring our history!
A s long as our country has existed, there have been people who didn’t want us to vote. There were several freedom fighters that stood up for the right to vote. Well, those times may seem ancient, but there are still people today who don’t want us to vote.  It’s now our turn to stand up and vote to preserve the honor of those who went before us.

Last but not least, because it gives you credibility!
Often times, we voice our concerns to elected officials, but if we aren’t voting, our concerns may not matter at all to them. Voting can actually give you the credibility to make your concerns a top priority for legislators.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Election Day Voting
    • Where do I vote?
    • What are the hours?
      Election day voting hours for Saturday elections are from 7 am to 8 pm
      Election day voting hours for Tuesday elections are from 6 am to 8 pm
    • What do I need to bring?
      You will be asked for a picture identification card to vote at the polling place. This can include a Louisiana driver’s license, a Louisiana Special ID card, or other generally recognized picture identification card with your name and signature. If you do not have a picture ID, you will be asked identifying questions by the poll worker and asked to sign an identification affidavit before voting.
  • Provisional Voting
    • What is Provisional Voting?
      Provisional voting provides a fail safe procedure for voting in federal elections when a person appears to vote and is not listed as an eligible voter. A provisional voter must certify in writing on the ballot that he is a registered voter in the parish and is eligible to vote in the election for the federal office before voting. More information on Provisional Voting is available here.
    • Click to check provisional ballot status.

Adobe Acrobat Viewer is needed to view the pdf links on this page.

  • Who are my elected officials?
  • What voting districts do I live in?
  • Who is my Registrar of Voters?
  • Where is my Registrar of Voter’s office(s) located?
  • How do I change my voter registration information?
  • How can I subscribe/unsubscribe to receive election reminders via Email or Text Message?
  • How do I print my voter information?
  • What is a ballot?
    A ballot is a list of candidates for public office for voters’ consideration in an election. It could also include constitutional amendments and/or propositions.
  • What’s on my ballot?
  • What is the status of my mail ballot request?
  • Was my mail ballot counted?
  • Where can I find candidate details?
  • What are the upcoming elections in my parish?

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: New Orleans, orleans, vote

Faubourg St. John Cultural District is Official

July 1, 2013 by Charlie London

FSJ-CulturalDistrict-2013
FSJ-cultural-district

Click HERE to learn more about CULTURAL DISTRICTS.

FSJ-cultural-district-map
guidelines1
guidelines2
guidelines3

Many thanks to Pierre Gautier Walker, III for doing the work
to make the Faubourg St. John Cultural District a reality!


***

Click on the logos below to visit the websites of Faubourg St. John businesses where you can purchase one-of-a-kind works of art that are exempt from state and local sales tax.

AlexaPulitzer
cafe-degas1
cc-coffee
FairGrinds
JacksonHill
JenniferZdon
liuzzas
LOLAs
pitot-house1
SANTAFE
swirl
trumpet

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: art, bayou, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, esplanade, faubourg, faubourg st john, fsjna, neighborhood, New Orleans, new orleans best neighborhood, orleans

Orleans Levee District

July 11, 2012 by Charlie London

report by Charlie London

Many thanks to Mr. Louis Capo of the Orleans Levee District and his army of hard working associates who mowed the grass on the bayou and edged the curbs along Moss Street today!

We all knew they were there but today’s mowing and edging project by the Orleans Levee District revealed numerous nutria holes all along the bayou today.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, board, District, edge, faubourg, faubourg st john, levee, louis capo, mow, New Orleans, orleans, orleans levee board, orleans levee district

GROW DAT

June 15, 2012 by Charlie London

Grow Dat Youth Farm, Broad Community Connections, Neighborland.org, and the Tulane Community Health Center are excited to host a Pop-Up Farmers Market this Saturday, June 16 featuring Grow-Dat’s delicious produce. The market will be hosted at Tulane University’s brand-spanking-new Ruth Fertel Community Health Center. There will be free watermelon juice, cooking demonstrations, and plenty of shade. Come on out to Broad Street and make some groceries!


WHAT: Grow Dat Pop-Up Farmers Market
WHEN: Saturday June 16, 2012
TIME: 10AM to 2PM
WHERE: Tulane University Ruth Fertel Community Health Center
711 N Broad Street at Orleans Avenue

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, broad, clinic, faubourg, faubourg st john, food, fresh, grow dat, New Orleans, orleans

Tour Faubourg St. John

June 11, 2012 by Charlie London


Capture New Orleans from a different perspective. Kayak on Bayou St. John as we guide you along our historic waterway running through the city. We’ll keep with the pace of the city—nice and easy, taking in the southern scenery, hospitality and weather.

The bayou itself was a key component in establishing our city. The Native Americans showed early explorers (Iberville and his brother, Bienville) the bayou as a way to access, at the time, a potential future city from the Gulf of Mexico without having to fight the Mississippi River’s strong currents. While kayaking, you will see some of the older city structures, like the Spanish Custom House and the Pitot House, both built in the late 1700’s. You might hear and catch a glimpse of the happenings at Fair Grounds Race Course, one of the oldest horse tracks in the United States, as well as the site of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. You will be paddling along side beautiful City Park, which houses centuries-old live oak trees. You’ll see New Orleans Museum of Art as you pass the grand entrance of the park. St. Louis Cemetery #3 will be visible from your kayak. The elaborate above-ground tombs are pretty spectacular.

There is plenty of wildlife to observe. It isn’t uncommon to spot a blue herring perched on an old piling or a pelican diving into the water after a fish. At sunrise or dusk you might notice one or 15 of the notorious nocturnal nutria venturing out for a swim and a snack.

Bayou St. John flows through many thriving neighborhoods. You’ll have the opportunity to observe (and maybe interact with) the other wildlife. Folks do all sorts of things on the banks of the bayou—exercise, play, picnic, tag, etc. You’ll certainly get a feel for New Orleans through the local community.

A variety of foliage surrounds Bayou St. John—cypress trees, oak trees, magnolia trees, crepe myrtles, etc. The locals living along the bayou build colorful festive gardens that can be seen while touring.

This experience will bring balance to many things: You’ll find nature in an urban setting, visit history in the present, have a few active hours among several decadent ones, and feel local while vacationing.

Kayaking tours on historic Bayou St. John

Rent a kayak and paddle yourself into paradise!

Take a walking tour of the area!

Rachel Dangermond submitted the information below:

City Park and Bayou St. John
The intersection of Esplanade Ave. at Bayou St. John and
City Park Ave. is one of the points of higher elevation in the
city. Bayou Metairie flowed into Bayou St. John here. Bienville
is supposed to have found the Indian village of Tchou-Tchouma
in 1718 where the Esplanade Ave. bridge is now located. In the
18th and 19th centuries Bayou St. John provided an important
second water route to the city. The mouth of the bayou at
Lake Pontchartrain was protected by a fort built by the Spanish.

Ocean going vessels were able to travel as far as the present
end of the bayou. From this point goods were carried to and
from the city by portage during the 18th century along Bayou
Road. In 1805, a canal was dug, following an earlier canal by
Spanish governor Carondelet, which brought the ships to a
turning basin just behind what is now the Municipal Auditorium
at Basin St.

Statue of Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
(May 28, 1818 – February 20, 1893) was a Louisiana-born
American author, civil servant, politician, inventor, and the first
prominent general for the Confederate States Army during the
American Civil War. Beauregard was trained as a civil engineer
at the United States Military Academy and served with
distinction as an engineer in the Mexican-American War.

His arguably greatest achievement was saving the city of
Petersburg, Virginia, and thus also the Confederate capital of
Richmond, from assaults by overwhelmingly superior Union
Army forces in June 1864. However, his influence over
Confederate strategy was marred by his poor professional
relationships with President Jefferson Davis and other senior
generals and officials. In April 1865, Beauregard and his
commander, General Joseph E. Johnston, convinced Davis
and the remaining cabinet members that the war needed to
end. Johnston surrendered most of the remaining armies of
the Confederacy to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, including
Beauregard and his men.

Following his military career, Beauregard served as a railroad
executive and became one of the few wealthy Confederate
veterans because of his role in promoting the Louisiana
Lottery. Today he is commonly referred to as P.G.T.
Beauregard, but during the war he rarely used his first name
and signed correspondence as G.T. Beauregard. Nicknames
were The Little Creole, The Little Napoleon, Bory, Felix

Place of birth: St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana ontreras”
sugar-cane plantation in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana,
about 20 miles (32 km) outside New Orleans, to a white
Creole family, the third child of Jacques Toutant-Beauregard
and Helene Judith de Reggio Toutant-Beauregard. He had
three brothers and three sisters. Beauregard attended
New Orleans schools and then went to a “French school” in
New York City. It was during his four years in New York,
beginning at age 12 that he first learned to speak English.
He trained at the United States Military Academy at West
Point, New York. One of his instructors was Robert Anderson,
who would later become the commander of Fort Sumter and
surrender to Beauregard at the start of the Civil War.

In 1841, Beauregard married Marie Laure Villeré, the daughter
of Jules Villeré, a sugar planter in Plaquemines Parish and a member
of one of the most prominent Creole families in
southern Louisiana.

Marie was a paternal granddaughter of Jacques Villeré, the
second governor of Louisiana. The couple had three children: René,
Henri, and Laure. Marie died in March 1850, while giving
birth to Laure.

Ten years later, the widower Beauregard married Caroline Deslonde,
the daughter of André Deslonde, a sugar planter
from St. James Parish. Caroline was a sister-in-law of John
Slidell, a U.S. senator from Louisiana and later a Confederate diplomat.
She died in Union-occupied New Orleans in March
1864. They had no children together.

On first meeting, most people were struck by [Beauregard’s] “foreign”
appearance. His skin was smooth and olive-
complexioned. His eyes, half-lidded, were dark, with a trace
of Gallic melancholy about them.

His hair was black (though by 1860 he maintained this hue
with dye). He was strikingly handsome and enjoyed the
attentions of women, but probably not excessively or illicitly.
He sported a dark mustache and goatee, and he rather
resembled Napoleon III, then ruler of France—although he
often saw himself in the mold of the more celebrated
Napoleon Bonaparte.

Place of death: New Orleans, Louisiana and was buried in the Tomb
of the Army of Tennessee, Metairie Cemetery, New Orleans

City Park is a beautiful and well maintained
urban park, the largest in the city and fifth largest municipal
park in the United States and, at this writing, is reported to
be one of the safest. In 1854, the first section of the park
was acquired by the city. This tract of land, fronting on
Bayou St. John and present City Park Ave., was part of the
Allard Plantation. The first improvements to the park were
made in the 1890’s. The park is laced with lagoons (the
lagoons along City Park Ave. are part of old Bayou Metairie,
seven miles of them which contain bass and bream), and
trees typical of the region such as magnolias and live oaks
(the dueling oaks are named for the duels that were supposed
to have taken place from 1804 to 1830).

The amusement park area has a fine old carousel dating from
1904. The Casino, dating from about 1914
is the center for information, rentals, and refreshments
(domed band shell and Beaux Art style pavilion were built in
the 30’s). The park has three 18-hole golf courses. Major restorations
and all of the paving of roadways, construction of bridges, drainage
and other improvements in a large area of the park were done under
WPA in the late 30’s.

copy of the Pitot Housec. 1940
800 Moss Street
A modern Pitot House (see 1440 Moss Street) facsimile. One
of the original Pitot House mantels still survives in the newer residence.

Louis Blanc Housec. 1798
924 Moss Street
Formerly the plantation and home Louis Antonio Blanc. The
second story gallery has slender colonnettes and the
French window, jalousies and steep roof are characteristic of
Louisiana colonial plantation houses; similar to Parlange
and Homeplace Plantations elsewhere in the state.

Spanish Custom Housec. 1784
1300 Moss Street
A small-scale typical Louisiana Plantation hose. Various
reasons have been given for the name of the so-called
“Custom House” although there is no real tradition that it
ever functioned in this manner. Probably built for Don
Santiago Lloreins when the land formed part of his
plantation.

Evariste Blanc House
(Holy Rosary Rectory)
c. 1834
1342 Moss Street
Some Greek Revival alterations have been made in this
Bayou St. John plantation house, although evidence of an
earlier style including slender colonnettes and round arched
doors, is plainly visible.

Cabrini High School1964 – 1965
1400 Moss Street

Morel-Wisner House
c. 1850’s
1347 Moss Street
Mid-19th century, possibly constructed as a residence
for the attorney Christoval Morel in the late 1840’s after
he purchased a large tract of land on the Bayou St. John
in 1847. The house served as New Orleans’ first Fencing
Club in the 1880’s and one time as a rowing club. From
1935 until her death the house served as the home of Dr.
Elizabeth Wisner, an original member of the faculty and later
the dean of the School of Social Work at Tulane University.

Christoval Morel’s father, Pierre L. Morel dueled under the
oaks in City Park while his wife (Victorine de Armas) was
pregnant with Christoval. The Duelling Oaks in City Park
have seen some of the most colorful scenes in New Orleans’ history.
For years sword clanged against sword and bullets streaked between
the ancient trees.

An article in the Times-Democrat, March 13, 1892, said,
“Blood has been shed under the old cathedral aisles of
nature. Between 1834 and 1844 scarcely a day passed
without duels being fought at the Oaks. Why, it would not be strange
if the very violets blossomed red of this soaked grass!
The lover for his mistress, the gentleman for his honor, the courtier for
his King; what loyalty has not cried out in pistol
shot and scratch of steel! Sometimes two or three hundred
people hurried from the city to witness these human baitings.
On the occasion of one duel the spectators could stand no
more, drew their swords, and there was a general melee.”

In early Creole days more duels were fought in New Orleans
than any other American city. Creole honor was a thing of intricate delicacy,
to be offended by a word or glance. The Duelling Oaks were a favorite setting
for these affaires d’honneur, with pistol, saber,
or colichemarde, a long sword with a broad forte and very
slender foible, a favorite duelling weapon since the
seventeenth century.

Creoles were expert swordsmen and often delighted in any
and every opportunity to exhibit their art. Duels were fought
over real and trivial insults, were sometimes deliberately
provoked by young men anxious to display their skill. A quarrel between rival lovers,
a fancied slight, a political argument, a difference of opinion regarding an opera,
any one of these things was ample excuse for a duel under the oaks. In his
History of Louisiana, Alcee Fortier states that on one Sunday
in 1839 ten duels were fought here.

In 1855 the police began to enforce the laws against duelling,
but it continued surreptitiously for many years, despite
frequent arrests and prosecutions. Finally, however, the law
began to have some effect and there seems to have arisen a simultaneous
loss of interest in the affairs. At last the time
came when a man challenged to defend his honor with the
sword or pistol, suffered no stigma by refusing an invitation
to the Oaks. By 1890 duelling was only history.

The house is a frame one and a half story Greek Revival style structure raised
off the ground on six-foot-high piles. The large half story created by the gabled
roof is broken by two fine dormers on the Bayou St. John façade. The roof which
extends outward to form a gallery across the bayou façade
is supported by six square wooden columns resting on the
brick piers below.

The entrance façade is five bays wide with the front door
placed at the center. The façade is covered with ship-lap
siding while ordinary weatherboards cover the solid brick
exterior walls. The rear, which once contained a gallery and
two cabinets, has been converted to a kitchen/den/breakfast area.

The house is very similar to raised houses in the Bayou-
Lafourche area. However, by the 1840’s the traditional
Creole plan with no hall had been replaced with the
increasingly popular center hall plan favored by Americans.
As such, this house is an important example of two
different building styles. Morel house is a New Orleans
landmark. New Orleans Designated Landmarks

Pitot House
c. 1796 – 1799
1440 Moss Street (Formerly 1370 Moss Street)
In 1964 as a result of a trade with Cabrini High School
the Pitot House, threatened with demolition, was moved
about 200 feet and is now located in a corner of the
Desmare Playground. It is another fine Moss Street example
of the Louisiana plantation house on a fairly small scale.
While the upper part of the present structure is totally
original, some of the older brick columns were either re-used
or rebuilt after the move. Restored under the auspices of the
Louisiana Landmarks Society. Open Thursday 11 am – 4 pm.

Musgrove-Wilkinson Housec. 1850’s
1454 Moss Street
A large, extremely simple Greek Revival residence, with wide central
hall and plain interior mouldings.

New Orleans Museum of Art1911
City Park
1971 Additions: Stern Auditorium, Wisner Educational Wing
and City Wing – August Perez & Associates, Architects and
Arthur Feitel, Consulting Architect.

The Degas House
Historic Home,
Courtyard & Inn
 2306 Esplanade Avenue 
New Orleans,
Louisiana 70119 
(504) 821-5009 
www.degashouse.com

Filed Under: HISTORY, More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, bike, city park, desoto, esplanade, faubourg, faubourg st john, fortin, grand route, history, New Orleans, orleans, ride, site seeing, st. ann, tourism, tours, Ursulines, walk, walkable, where is faubourg st. john

Tulane Community Health Center Dedication

June 5, 2012 by Charlie London

The Ruth U Fertel / Tulane Community Health Center will be dedicated this Thursday at 1:00 at the old flagship Ruth’s Chris on the corner of Orleans and North Broad.



The new community health and healing center at the corner of N. Broad and Orleans Avenue represents the transformation of a Katrina-battered site into a community centerpiece. The facility will offer medical care and community services to the neighborhood and is a living tribute to the memory of two caring and compassionate women, Ruth Fertel and Mary Jane Brinton. Watch more in the video.

Filed Under: HISTORY, More Great Posts! Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, broad, clinic, community, faubourg, faubourg st john, health, New Orleans, orleans, tulane

2012 Bayou Boogaloo Poster

April 26, 2012 by Charlie London

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/

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou, bayou boogaloo, bayou st john, dance, faubourg, faubourg st john, festival, free, fsjna, jeff davis, New Orleans, orleans

Fair Grinds Gets Jazzed Carts

April 2, 2012 by Charlie London

by Wade Rathke

I am writing this from Tegucigalpa having just returned from three days in the coffee mountains of Honduras in the world famous high altitude growing regions of San Juancito and Marcala. We have been meeting with lots of small and large cooperatives that grow organic and fair trade certified coffee to see if we can negotiate the “next step” improvement in the relationships between producers and consumers: direct trade.

In direct trade all sides benefit by cutting out the middlemen brokers who suck up a huge percentage of the “profit” benefitting neither side of the chain. We are getting a good reception and bringing back 30 pounds of coffee from various cooperatives (COMUCAP, RAOS, and COMISAJUL for example) so that our roaster can test them for our special Fair Grinds Coffeehouse blends. Then we will try to make a final deal, which won’t be easy, and in fact might not be possible this season except in a micro-lot for our own store, which unfortunately might make the whole proposition more expensive, since we would only be buying 2 tons of coffee for Fair Grinds. (Yes, you drink some coffee every year and more every day – muchas gracias!). We are hoping to find some partners to buy more and lower the price, but we will see. I’ll have more to report on this in coming weeks. It is very exciting, hugely educational, and heartwarming and heartbreaking experience, but the devil is in the details when our limited resources are part of the equation along with our desire to hold on to our prices to our community of coffee drinkers.

Katie put a postscript on a report the other day that, yes indeed, the new turkey sandwich is flying off the shelf. Many of you have probably noticed that we expanded the number of quiches and enlarged the empandas to make them a more substantial meal. Our suppliers have been our heroic partners in helping make Fair Grinds rock on the food side!

In April get ready for some surprises around Fair Grinds Coffeehouse and the greater New Orleans community as we debut our coffee “pop-ups” around the city and for Jazz Fest. We had two new coffee carts built, and we are finishing the last touches on the branding and so forth, and then rolling them out to areas where our customers have told us about “coffee deserts” that are desperate for Fair Grinds coffee at different times of the morning and afternoon. Hoping this works! We’re jazzed!!! Oh, and, yes, to accommodate the Jazz Fest crowd and our usual customer load, we’re going to have both carts set up in the patio and out front so we can operate several lines during the Festival and keep the crowds caffeinated and moving.

April again also looks like it’s going to be a musical month. Here’s the tentative schedule of coming musical attractions including local groups and talent from this area as well as folks from around the country. Check the Fair Grinds calendar at www.fairgrinds.com for more details on each performance.

Laura Stevenson and the Cans (Seattle) — Monday, April 2nd 8PM
Tom Maron and Daron Douglas – Friday, April 6th 8 PM
Open Mic with Robert Eustis – Thursday, April 12th 8PM
Jonathan Roniger – Saturday, April 14th 8PM
Joe Barbara – Thursday, April 19th 7:30 PM
Lips & Trips – Friday, April 20th 7:30 PM
Snail Party (Canada) – Saturday, April 21st 8 PM
Gallivan Burwell – Friday, April 27th 8PM
Kim and Sharon Apres-Fest (Mass) – Sunday, April 29th 8PM

Gotta run! One last cooperative meeting in minutes, so crossing my fingers that the price is right, because I love this group and its manager!

Stay well and see you soon at Fair Grinds!

Saludos!
Wade

Ps. You are missing something if you are not seeing the updates on our website and Facebook sites where we keep folks current! New features on history of coffeehouses and the real story behind chicory should be up in April along with MORE!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: america, bayou, bayou st john, beans, carts, coffee, fair, Fair Grinds, faubourg, faubourg st john, fsjna, New Orleans, orleans, ponce de leon, rathke, rolling, south, trade, wade, wade rathke

Foreign Species Invades Bayou St. John

April 1, 2012 by Charlie London

by Steve Mardon

An aggressive, invasive fish called the Rio Grande cichlid threatens to overwhelm native species in Bayou St. John and other New Orleans waterways, researchers say.

The Rio Grande cichlid was once found only in waterways in northern Mexico and southern Texas. Popular among aquarium hobbyists thanks to its iridescent blue and green markings, adult cichlids typically grow 6 or 8 inches long but can reach a foot.

Also known as Rio Grande perch, the first cichlids were spotted in Bayou St. John a little over a decade ago, most likely after owners emptied their fish tanks into Lake Pontchartrain.

Cichlids multiply rapidly and are surprisingly aggressive, threatening native largemouth bass, bluegill and redfish, said Tom Lorenz, a researcher at the University of New Orleans’ Pontchartrain Institute for Environmental Sciences who monitors invasive species.

“Cichlids are very mean and territorial,” he said. “They outcompete other fish of a similar size in every way, from eating their food to finding the best places to hide from predatory birds to taking over the best breeding spots. They also eat other fishes’ eggs as well as other fish — we sometimes find fish scales in their stomachs.”

Cichlids have already eliminated several small fish species from parts of the bayou, including least killifish and sheepshead minnows, according to Lorenz. The pests probably would have overwhelmed several midsized species as well if the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries didn’t routinely restock them.

The cichlid population in New Orleans skyrocketed after flooding in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, which spread the fish to lakes and ponds in City Park and the canal system. Lorenz estimates that there are now “tens of millions, or even billions,” in New Orleans.

Bayou St. John resident Joe Adams, who has fished in the bayou since 2001, has seen the fish’s aggressiveness and proliferation firsthand. “You can tell when you’ve got one, because they fight like the dickens,” Adams said. On a typical outing, Adams said he catches about a dozen fish, half of which are cichlids.

“They will eat just about anything,” he said. “I know one guy who catches them with French fries on a handline (a hook on a single fishing line). I’ve caught them with pieces of a hot dog and pieces of canned corn.”

Although Adams doesn’t eat fish, plenty of other people relish the cichlids. “They’re the same family as tilapia,” he pointed out. “I’ve fried them up in a pan for friends, and they just assumed it was speckled trout. They said it was delicious.”

The cichlid population in New Orleans dropped a bit the last two years following back-to-back cold winters, Lorenz said. But with this year’s mild weather, he expects the population to soar.

In recent months, Patrick Smith, a colleague at UNO who tests Bayou St. John monthly, has observed more cichlids breeding and more nests and eggs than ever.

Although there’s no chance of eradicating the Rio Grande cichlid from New Orleans’ waters, the most feasible way to keep its population in check is to stock the bayou and City Park’s lakes and ponds with rivals, Lorenz said. Possibilities include green sunfish, warmouth and gar.

Another tactic — encouraging people to fish for the pests — probably doesn’t have a huge impact, but every little bit helps.

For his part, since learning recently that cichlids threaten other bayou species, Adams has switched from throwing his catch back to tossing it in his freezer.

“My wife breeds box turtles,” he says. “Every few days, I take a couple cichlids out and chop them into pieces, and she feeds them to the turtles. I figure it’s my duty to catch as many as I can.”
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Click here to view the original article as it appeared in the Times Picayune.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, cichlids, faubourg, faubourg st john, fish, fishing, fsjna, New Orleans, orleans

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