Lights, Cars, and Holes

March 4, 2016 by Charlie London

3streetlights-GrandRtStJohn-2016mar4

If you see potholes, streetlights, abandoned vehicles, etc., please get as much info as possible.

Correct addresses are very important. Make, model and license number of abandoned cars are mandatory. Each light pole has a unique number attached to it, so be sure to note that in your communications to [email protected]

Things that need to be repaired or corrected are the main focus. However, all issues affecting quality of life are important such as: parking, neighborhood access, illegal vending, and crime.

potholes-2014apr21-danner Please report issues to [email protected]

Filed Under: CRIME, Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: 311, abandoned car, bayou, bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, faubourg st john, jazz fest, Jimmy Fahrenholtz, New Orleans, pothole, renew, repair, replace, report issues, streetlight

Valuable Information for 1st Time Renovators

January 8, 2016 by Charlie London

firsttimerenovatorFirst Time Renovator Training: Buy Right
Buy Tickets Now

This training includes two sessions:

Session 1: Tuesday, January 12 · 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Session 2: Tuesday, January 26 · 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

At the Preservation Resource Center located at:
923 Tchoupitoulas St. (in the Warehouse District)

GoogleMap

Prepare to take on your first renovation project with this two-night course.

Topics covered will be an analysis of the pros and cons of renovating, how to select a project that is right for you and your budget, and financing options including 203(k) renovation loans and rehabilitation tax credits.

This training is helpful for anyone trying to purchase their first home on a limited budget, as well as anyone who is thinking of renovating for the first time who wants to do the best job possible and maximize their renovation budget.

First Time Renovator: Buy Right is Underwritten by Tricia King- Gardner Realtors.

EVENT COST
$40/$35 for PRC members.

Become a Member
For more information or to register, click on “buy tickets now” or contact Suzanne at 504.636.3399 or [email protected]

Space is limited · Pre-registration required.  Buy Tickets Now

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bayou st john, best neighborhood in New Orleans, best neighborhood website, buy right, faubourg st john, learn, New Orleans, prc, preservation, preservation resource center, purchase a home, rebuild, renew, restore, tchoupitoulas

[email protected]

March 31, 2015 by Charlie London

swb-truck
Hi Neighbors,

It’s that time of year again. JazzFest is fast approaching. This year, we will attempt to fill Vincent Booth’s shoes and address issues surrounding the event as well as he did. It should be noted that it will take two of us to fill those shoes, and that I will be ably assisted by Ms. Susan Roth.

swb-truck1Should you know of potholes, streetlights, abandoned vehicles, etc., please get as much info to us as possible.

Correct addresses are very important. Make, model and license number of abandoned cars are mandatory. And each light pole has a unique number attached to it, so be sure to note that in your communications with us.

Things that need to be repaired or corrected are our very first focus. However, we will be addressing parking, neighborhood access, illegal vending, crime, the NAT line and other issues in the next couple of weeks.

potholes-2014apr21-dannerShould you need to contact me or Susan, please write to [email protected]

Jimmy Fahrenholtz

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: 311, fix, jazz fest, Jimmy Fahrenholtz, renew, repair, Susan Roth

News from the PRC

October 23, 2014 by Charlie London

Preservation Resource Center of New Orleans

What’s in This Issue:
Stained Glass Tour:  Celebrating Local History
First-Time Homebuyer Training:  November
Historic House Specialist Seminar for Real Estate Agents
Calling for Holiday Home Tour Volunteers
Absolute Auction:  130+ Homes and Residential Lots
Save the Dates for PRC’s Upcoming Events


Renovators' Happy Hour Goes Uptown

Stained Glass Tour:  Celebrating Local History

Sunday, Nov. 2 · 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Tour begins at Our Lady of Prompt Succor
$16 for PRC members / $20 for non-members
Advance ticket sales close at noon on Friday, Oct. 31. On the day of the tour, all tickets are $25.

Sally downriver for a unique Stained Glass Tour in Chalmette and St. Bernard Parish!


First-Time Homebuyer Training:  November

First-Time Homebuyer Training:  November

Four sessions are required for completion of this course:
Monday, Nov. 3 · 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 4 · 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Nov. 5 · 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 6 · 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.
At PRC, 923 Tchoupitoulas St.
$75 per individual / $90 per household
$50 for ASII individual members / $75 for ASII household members


Historic House Specialist Seminar for Real Estate Agents

Historic House Specialist Seminar for Real Estate Agents

Thursday, Nov. 6 · 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
At PRC, 923 Tchoupitoulas St.
$75 for PRC members / $85 for non-members

Attention real estate agents:  Bolster your knowledge of historic house types, New Orleans neighborhoods, and financial incentives for homeowner renovations.


39th Annual Holiday Home Tour

Calling for Holiday Home Tour Volunteers!

Sunday, Dec. 14
9:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.
In the Garden District

We enlist over 200 volunteers to work as docents in the tour homes throughout the Holiday Home Tour weekend. Not only will you enjoy an “insider’s view” of one of the incredible tour homes, but you will also receive one FREE ticket to the tour ($45 value) in exchange for your time. Volunteer now before all the shifts are taken!

If you have any questions, please contact Bette Painter at 504.636.3397 or [email protected].


Absolute Auction:  130+ Homes and Residential Lots

Absolute Auction:  130+ Homes and Residential Lots


Save the Dates for PRC’s Upcoming Events:Sunday, Nov. 2
Stained Glass Tour:  Celebrating Local History
View event details.

Monday, Nov. 3 through Thursday, Nov. 6
First-Time Homebuyer Training:  November
View event details.

Thursday, Nov. 6
Historic House Specialist Seminar for Real Estate Agents
View event details.

Friday, Dec. 12
Holiday Home Tour Patron Party — SOLD OUT
View event details.

Saturday & Sunday, Dec. 13 & 14
39th Annual Holiday Home Tour
View event details.

Click here for PRC’s Calendar of Events.


For more information about Preservation Resource Center,
please call 504.581.7032 or visit www.prcno.org.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: bayou st john, faubourg st john, historic renovation, New Orleans, prc, preservation, rebuild, renew

Bayou St. John Wetland Creation Project

May 16, 2013 by Charlie London

UPDATE: June 23, 2013.
http://theadvocate.com/news/6316273-123/habitat-restoration-project-underway-in

Habitat restoration project underway in Bayou St. John

By AMY WOLD | Advocate staff writer

Water quality improvements and habitat restoration as well as service as an educational tool seem like a heavy load of responsibility for a half-acre marsh restoration project, but that’s what the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is building on Bayou St. John.

It’s not a huge project, but it’s a great location, said John Lopez, executive director of the foundation.

Work to improve the quality of the bayou running along the edge of City Park in New Orleans has been going on for more than 10 years, he said. Residents of the area, the foundation and others have been working to reconnect this historic bayou with the lake, and recently, some important progress has been achieved.

In December, an old flood-control structure was removed to help facilitate water flow from Lake Pontchartrain to the bayou for the first time in decades, thanks to money and work provided by the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and others.

A newer flood-control structure has been operating on the bayou for about 20 years and the old one wasn’t needed, or even working properly.

Now, in a separate but connected project, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is starting to use material dredged from the bayou to build a half-acre of marsh on the lake side of the control structure.

We think it will recruit species into the bayou, Lopez said. It also benefits Lake Pontchartrain.

The concrete seawall that runs along the south shore of Lake Pontchartrain means there’s no longer a marsh fringe that provides habitat for young aquatic species, such as fish and crabs, he said. Creating some new marsh in this area sets up something unique on the south shore, he said.

We think it will enhance the fisheries and ecology of the lake, Lopez said. It’s not a huge marsh, but it’s a rare habitat now.

There is dredging work underway as part of a water quality project at the bayou. The work is designed to help open up a channel that has silted in. Some of that dredged material will be used to fill large bags, a little larger than typical sandbags.

The bags will be stacked and secured to form the outline of where the material dredged from the bayou will be deposited to create the new marsh area. The next step calls for other dredge material to be pumped into the area between this retaining wall and the bulkhead onshore by Anders Construction, the same company doing the channel dredging, Lopez said.

It’s an opportunity for Environmental Management Solutions LLC, also known as EMS Green, to showcase its Deltalok technology while helping to create the marsh platform.

For the past three years, we’ve been working diligently to get on some of these coastal projects,” said one of the group’s three partners, Jay Loprano. Although EMS Green has done a few self-funded projects, this will be the first time the company will be building a project for another party, he said.

The ultimate funding goal is for the foundation to raise $100,000 to cover the cost of the project’s construction and maintenance while also developing educational programs, which could help demonstrate marsh restoration and ecology.

On Friday, the foundation received a $68,000 donation from Kinder Morgan, a company working with the foundation as it builds a pipeline across Lake Pontchartrain.

There are some other financial commitments that have been made, Lopez said, but the Kinder Morgan gift is by far the largest received to date and will help cover construction and maintenance for a few years.

The Restore the Earth Foundation will be working with the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation this fall in planting the newborn marsh area with grasses to help hold everything in place.

In the meantime, the foundation is looking for volunteers to help out with the project in the coming weeks so as to keep construction costs down.

For instance, anyone who is able to do heavy manual labor, such as moving 40-pound sandbags, is asked to contact the foundation at [email protected]….

The work should be completed, weather permitting, in four to six weeks.

http://theadvocate.com/news/6316273-123/habitat-restoration-project-underway-in
***

Click the link below to donate to the
Bayou St. John Wetland Creation Project

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bayou-st-john-wetland-creation-project/contributions/new
***
waterfall-dam-viewofbayoufromstructure

The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) is excited to announce the Bayou Saint John Wetland Creation Project, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build ½ acre of native marsh in the city of New Orleans. LPBF is a non-profit group that has been working for southeast Louisiana’s people and environment since 1989 under the banner, “Save Our Lake, Save Our Coast.” http://saveourlake.org

We came up with the plan to build wetlands as an add-on to a dredging project that was already scheduled for this spring. This opportunity came up quickly, and we have scrambled to draft plans, secure permits, and find partners before construction starts in mid-May 2013.

We are reaching out to everyone who loves New Orleans and cares about the vanishing Louisiana coast. Together we can rebuild a patch native habitat and bring some nature back to the Big Easy.

To learn more about the project, visit: http://saveourlake.org/PDF-documents/our-coast/BSJ/BSJ-Wetland-Project-May2013.pdf

What we need:

We feel so strongly about this project that we committed to it without having all funding in place. We are raising money to cover construction costs, and then to fund ongoing maintenance and monitoring. If we raise more than we need for immediate costs, we will do more scientific research and add signage, wildlife viewing access and other improvements. Our ultimate goal is to make the Bayou St. John marsh a destination for education, recreation, bird watching and fishing.

This project will give lots of benefit for relatively low cost. Since it piggybacks on an existing dredge project, the earth moving is free. Construction uses all local materials and new technology that is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional methods. Several partners are providing material and technical support, including the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Restore the Earth Foundation.

Why are we so excited about this project?

Building wetlands where there is now a concrete wall will benefit the local wildlife, the city’s residents and visitors, and the imperiled Louisiana coast.

•Improves aquatic habitat for fish, crab and waterfowl.
•Traps sediment and improves water quality.
•Protects adjacent bulkhead and levee.
•Enhances the historic urban waterway and the Lafitte Corridor.
•Provides a living classroom and wildlife viewing in an urban area.
•Demonstrates new nature-based technologies that can help restore the Louisiana coast.
Every dollar donated will go directly into constructing, maintaining and enhancing these wetlands, and then studying them scientifically and developing them as a resource. This is an opportunity to help build something tangible that you can visit to experience nature in the city. The habitat you help build will support more birds for you to see and fish for you to catch.

Please consider helping build the Bayou Saint John wetlands. Tell everyone who loves New Orleans about this opportunity to restore its environment and support its culture.

https://fsjna.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BayouStJohnWetlandCreationProject.pdf

Partners:

http://www.restoretheearth.org/
http://emsgreen.com/
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
http://saveourlake.org
***

http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2013/05/new_wetlands_near_mouth_of_bay.html

New wetlands near mouth of Bayou St. John will lead to more fish in area
Todd Masson, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation is planning to install two sections of wetlands near the mouth of Bayou St. John that will provide nursery grounds for fish in the historic bayou.

The project is part of an on-going effort to improve water quality in Bayou St. John and reconnect it with Lake Pontchartrain.

The Orleans Levee Board has already removed a dysfunctional gate near Robert E. Lee, and will next week begin dredging the bayou north of that site. As part of the foundation’s plan, the dredged material will be placed into Deltalok bags that will stabilize the shoreline and provide the base for the new wetlands.

“It’s going to be very cool,” the foundation’s John Lopez said. “Anglers will be able to cruise the dredged channel in a kayak, and cast to the wetlands along the bank.”

The constructed wetlands will be on either side of the bayou between the current water-control structure and the Lakeshore Drive bridge.

The water-control structure has sluice gates that will allow water to flow through once the channel is dredged, but the large gates currently remain closed. Lopez said that will change soon.

“The gates will be opened as long as a storm isn’t threatening, and we believe we’ll see recruitment of fish, crabs and shrimp into the bayou,” he said.

The new wetlands will give the juvenile fish, baitfish and crustaceans a place to grow, Lopez said.

“It will be a lot more productive than if you had just flat mud banks,” he said.

Andy Baker, a coastal program scientist for the foundation, agreed.

“This is going to lead to a noticeable improvement of fishing in the bayou,” he said.

The foundation is hoping to raise money to complete the project. Lopez said the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries has already purchased the Deltalok bags, but it will cost $28,000 to pay the contractor doing the dredging to fill them.

“We have a good bit of that, but we’re looking to raise the rest,” Lopez said. There is also a cost to maintain the wetlands.

Dredging the bayou and filling the bags should be completed within the next few weeks, Lopez said, but the major part of the wetlands planting won’t occur until October. He said the soil needs time to compact, and the plants will do better if they’re placed in the ground during the cool months of the year.

The foundation has created a website to receive donations from residents who support the project. The address is www.indiegogo.com/projects/bayou-st-john-wetland-creation-project.

http://www.nola.com/outdoors/index.ssf/2013/05/new_wetlands_near_mouth_of_bay.html
***

Click the link below to donate to the
Bayou St. John Wetland Creation Project

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bayou-st-john-wetland-creation-project/contributions/new

Filed Under: Featured, HISTORY Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, best, best neighborhood in New Orleans, creation, eclectic, faubourg st john, neighborhood, New Orleans, new orleans best neighborhood, rebuild, renew, restore, restore our wetlands, wetland, wetlands

Big Party December 1st

August 25, 2012 by Charlie London

by Mary-jo Webster

REBRIDGE Fall Gala
December 1, 2012

What: The important fundraiser of the year for the REBRIDGE effort.
A lavish and exciting evening along the banks of Bayou St. John!

When: Saturday, December 1, 2012

Where: 1001 Moss Street in beautiful Faubourg St. John in New Orleans

Who: This year’s gala will be at the extraordinary home of Eric Hess and Judge Frank Thaxton III, ret.

Ti Martin is again graciously donating food for the event, so whether it is Commander’s Palace or the wonderful new SoBou, the food will be divine!

More details will be coming soon, but please hold the date and plan to attend the Second Annual REBRIDGE Gala on December 1st!

***

Dear neighbors and Re-Bridge enthusiasts,

What follows is a long-overdue update about our efforts to rehabilitate the Dumaine Street and Magnolia bridges. Although I have not sent out an email recently, much work has been going on, and our progress is on track!

As a preface, I want to emphasize my great appreciation for the amazing support that has been offered and maintained, and without which this project would have died a long time ago:

~ The core group of Re-Bridge worker-bees that stays the course and gets it all done!

~ The Regional Planning Commission, who welcomed our initial proposals, contributed money and expertise, and continues to guide the project through a seemingly bewildering landscape!

~ Councilmember Susan Guidry, who has supported this project from the very beginning and continues to facilitate necessary conversations and collaborations!

~ The Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association, who encouraged the project to launch, provided initial seed money, and has been there to help, support, contribute, attend, participate, and advocate in whatever manner is needed!

Magnolia Bridge

Feasibility Study (completed) $10,000 Funded by the Regional Planning Commission (RPC)

Completed by Volkert, Inc in 2011. This study informed the application for Federal Transportation Enhancement Funds (TE), and in November, 2011 $844,400 was awarded for this project.

Environmental & Historical Analyses (current phase) $67,000 Funded by RPC, to which Re-Bridge has contributed $13,400 in matching funds.

Completed by Volkert and forwarded to State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for review in July. SHPO considers the impact of proposed work from an historic and archeological perspective and their review and approval is required prior to being able to spend any federal money on a project. A response from SHPO is expected soon, after which all documents will be forwarded to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) for approval.

Engineering Design and Permitting (next phase) estimated at $200,000. TE funds cannot be used for this phase.

We have asked the City of New Orleans to provide funding for this phase, and we are awaiting final confirmation that money from an upcoming bond sale will be earmarked as such.

Construction (final phase) estimated at $888,750. The $844K in TE funds will be applied to this phase, leaving a match requirement estimated at $44,450.

The match dollars can be provided from any source: Re-Bridge, the City, or grant funding (as yet unidentified).

Dumaine Street Bridge

Re-Bridge contributed an engineering inspection (thanks to Jim Danner!) in 2011, which concluded that no structural damage exists.

The Department of Public Works inspects every bridge in the City every two years, and they have agreed to use the upcoming inspection of Dumaine to generate a scope of work and budget for beautification.

With a reliable estimate of cost, and once we understand what portions of the scope require professional v. volunteer services, Re-Bridge will pursue a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) with the City of New Orleans. This CEA will allow Re-Bridge funding to fulfill a City-approved scope of work for cosmetic repairs and beautification.

Re-Bridge needs and welcomes community support! If you have some time, resources, money, or talent that you would like to contribute to the cause, please email me directly.

Many thanks to all of you,
Mary-jo Webster, Re-Bridge Chair
[email protected]

Filed Under: HISTORY Tagged With: bayou, bayou st john, bridge, bridges, clean, community, donate, faubourg, faubourg st john, festive, fun, gala, groups, help, historic, neighborhood, New Orleans, news, paint, party, preservation, re-bridge, rebridge, rebuild, renew, renovate, repair, restore, save our bridges, volunteer, ways to help New Orleans

Kennedy Park Saturday

June 21, 2012 by Charlie London

flyer by Linda Landesberg

Click here for a PDF of the flyer.



Come for coffee or come to help for a while! Help your neighbors, gab and laugh and plant or rake and sweep or mulch and play. Bring the kids to play, everyone is welcome!

FREE COFFEE, SNACKS AND FUN


Please bring a rake, broom, shovel or pruners and help give Kennedy Park a face lift.

Check out the Times Picayune’s coverage of the last park cleanup…
http://blog.nola.com/new_orleans/2012/06/families_get_involved_in_proje.html

Filed Under: More Great Posts! Tagged With: broom, coffee, gab, garden, help, june 23, kennedy, mow, park, pruners, rake, renew, replace, restore, shovel

Build a Bike and Make a Difference

December 21, 2011 by Charlie London

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: [email protected]

Click on the bike to learn more.

***


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

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: b, bike, bikes, earn, free, help a kid, New Orleans, overhaul, plan, project, recycle, renew, reuse, rhubarb

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