Apparently Bobby Jindal can really pick 'em.
Curt Eysink, executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, placed in this job by Jindal, thinks the problem is that Louisiana has TOO MANY COLLEGE GRADUATES.
I know you can't believe that someone would actually say this. But I promise I am NOT making this up. Randy Newman said it best: "College Boys from LSU went in dumb came out dumb too." Maybe since this genius graduated from LSU we should just cut funding to LSU.
4-year college graduates a surplus in Louisiana
But occupational jobs are abundant
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 By Jan Moller Capital bureau
BATON ROUGE -- Louisiana has a "surplus" of college graduates getting traditional four-year degrees and needs to steer more people into community and technical college programs to meet future job demand, the state's top labor official said Monday.
Curt Eysink, executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission, cited occupational forecasts that show the state will produce 10,312 more four-year graduates than there are jobs to fill between 2008 and 2016, while at the same time there are 3,892 more jobs available requiring associates' or technical degrees than there are people to fill them.
"We're producing a workforce that we cannot employ in Louisiana," Eysink told the Louisiana Postsecondary Education Review Commission, which is looking for ways to overhaul the state's higher education system.
The panel was created by the Legislature this year and is expected to deliver a plan to the Board of Regents by Feb. 12 outlining proposed changes to the state's colleges and universities. Gov. Bobby Jindal has directed the group to identify $146 million in possible budget cuts as the state prepares for years of likely budget shortfalls resulting from stagnant revenues and rising costs.
Eysink cited forecasting models that show the state's top-growing occupations to be low-skilled, service-industry jobs such as ticket-takers, cashiers and customer service representatives, as well as more skilled occupations such as nurses, teachers and trades such as welders and carpenters.
Several commission members were unhappy with the perspective, as Louisiana already trails the rest of the South and the nation as a whole in nearly every educational indicator, including the percentage of the population with college degrees. Only 21 percent of Louisiana residents ages 25 to 64 have a four-year degree or higher, compared to 26.4 percent for the South and 29 percent of the nation as a whole.
Saying a state has too many four-year graduates "is like telling a rich guy he has too much money," said Artis Terrell of Shreveport, a principal in the Williams Capital Group. "Can you ever have too many four-year degrees?"
Others said the state needs to improve at providing the jobs that would keep graduates from pursuing jobs in other states.
"Louisiana loses a lot of its best-educated folks because it doesn't have the jobs that are most attractive to them," said commission member David Longanecker, president of the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in Boulder, Colo.
The commission Monday elected Sen. Ben Nevers, D-Bogalusa, as its chairman and Belle Wheelan as vice-chair. Nevers is chairman of the state Senate Education Committee, and Wheelan is president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools in Decatur, Ga.
. . . . . . .
Jan Moller can be reached at jmoller@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5207.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Issues Meeting Tuesday September 29th
District "A" Councilmember Shelley Midura and District "B" Councilmember Stacy Head, in conjunction with the Claiborne-University Neighborhood Association and the Broadmoor Improvement Association, will host a joint area community meeting on to discuss issues related to neighborhoods in both Districts"A" and "B". The meeting is open to the public and citizens are encouraged to attend.The items on the agenda include:
- Taxing Districts
- Dogmoor Dog Park
- Signage issues in Claiborne-University and Broadmoor neighborhoods
- Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Flood Control drainage improvements
- Truck parking issues
- Nashville Avenue improvements
- General Area Concerns
When: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Free Church of the Annunciation 4505 S. Claiborne Avenue
- Taxing Districts
- Dogmoor Dog Park
- Signage issues in Claiborne-University and Broadmoor neighborhoods
- Southeast Louisiana (SELA) Flood Control drainage improvements
- Truck parking issues
- Nashville Avenue improvements
- General Area Concerns
When: Tuesday, September 29, 2009 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Where: Free Church of the Annunciation 4505 S. Claiborne Avenue
Adjudication Hearing - 8425 Apple - 9/29/09 9:15AM
The Bureau of Administrative Adjudication
in the Office of Recovery & Development Administration, City of New Orleans,
is scheduled to hear the following case at 1340 Poydras St., Suite 1100.
8425-27 Apple St.
Crystal L. Rivet
P.O. Box 113583
Metairie, LA 70011
09-003243
9/29/09 9:15 AM
The purpose of these hearings is to determine if the properties at the locations listed below should be declared blighted pursuant to the provisions of Section 28-38 of the City Code or a public nuisance pursuant to the provisions of Section 28-37, et seq., of the City Code. If the property is declared blighted, it is eligible for expropriation and if the property is declared a public nuisance, it is eligible for demolition.
And the verdict is:
Guilty $500 plus $75 Court Fees.
30 days to address issues starting TODAY or fines of $500 a day accrue.
in the Office of Recovery & Development Administration, City of New Orleans,
is scheduled to hear the following case at 1340 Poydras St., Suite 1100.
8425-27 Apple St.
Crystal L. Rivet
P.O. Box 113583
Metairie, LA 70011
09-003243
9/29/09 9:15 AM
The purpose of these hearings is to determine if the properties at the locations listed below should be declared blighted pursuant to the provisions of Section 28-38 of the City Code or a public nuisance pursuant to the provisions of Section 28-37, et seq., of the City Code. If the property is declared blighted, it is eligible for expropriation and if the property is declared a public nuisance, it is eligible for demolition.
And the verdict is:
Guilty $500 plus $75 Court Fees.
30 days to address issues starting TODAY or fines of $500 a day accrue.
Friday, September 25, 2009
DO NOT GIVE TO PAN HANDLERS!!!!
WWL-TV: Beware those panhandling for 'charities' in New Orleans -- they may be scamming you
By Times-Picayune Staff
September 25, 2009, 8:24AM
Beware panhandlers who claim to be collecting money for a legitimate charity on New Orleans street corners -- unless they can produce a credential when you ask them to, they are most likely scamming you out of money, according to a WWL-TV news report.
A WWL-TV report warns that panhandlers claiming to be collecting money for charity are probably lying to you if they can't produce a credential when you ask them to.A reporter for the station found that two panhandlers -- a woman on the corner of Earhart Boulevard and South Carrollton Avenue supposedly collecting for the battered women and children of "United Ministries," and a man on the corner of Elysian Fields and Interstate 610 supposedly collecting for the battered women of "United in Christ Ministries" -- couldn't produce the city Finance Department permits they need to legally collect money for charities.
The reporter had a Better Business Bureau representative check the names of the two charities against those that appear two separate databases of legitimate charities. Neither name appeared.
The Better Business Bureau representative said in the report that all people wishing to donate money for charity should check with them before handing any money over to any charity.
Begging for money from motorists is illegal in New Orleans. Legitimate charities can petition money from motorists but need a permit from the city government to do so.
____Related Report _____________________________________________________________
Donation seekers on street not always legit
11:48 AM CDT on Friday, September 25, 2009
Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News
pmurphy@wwltv.com
NEW ORLEANS – Stop at some intersections in New Orleans and you better hold on to your wallet. Panhandlers come up to your window with a bucket and a story and ask for money.
Video: Watch the Story A woman named Veronica at the corner of Earhart and Carrollton told Eyewitness News, she was collecting for a charity named "United Ministries."
A man on another corner, Elysian Fields and the I-610, who did not want to give his name said his donations were going to the “United in Christ Ministries.”
Similar sounding organizations, two different street corners, but the same pitch.
"It's a ministry for battered women and children," the man said. "We help children. We help women that have been in troubled. That have been battered and everything. We raise money to help them take care of their needs and get them back into society."
"It's a battered women's shelter," said Veronica. "We're starting up a ministry. We've been going for about eight years. We take in battered women, children, addicts."
"Those are some key words of course and when people hear those words, "UNITY", "battered women" anything of that sort they are more easily to dig into their pocketbooks or their wallet," said Cynthia Albert of the Better Business Bureau.
Albert checked two separate databases of legitimate charities and said the organizations mentioned by the roadside solicitors were not listed.
"There's so many sound alike, so called charities," said Albert. "They'll get one that is legitimate and they may change just one word. And, people will think it's the real one and contribute."
The panhandlers have something else in common.
"Do we all have a permit? No, at the moment, no we do not," said Veronica.
The man at Elysian and 610 also admitted he did not have the proper paperwork.
"We also have applied with the permit at City Hall," he said. "That's all I'm going to say at this point at this time."
In New Orleans you must have a permit from the city finance department to collect money on city streets. Each solicitor must also obtain an identification card.
The BBB says if the person who comes up to your window can't produce the ID card, you're probably being scammed.
"If you give your money to someone who has no credentials, that is not really a charity, when a good one comes along, you may not be able to afford it," said Albert.
The BBB says before you give, check the website, http://www.give.org. It can tell you the charities that pass the smell test and the ones that don't.
By Times-Picayune Staff
September 25, 2009, 8:24AM
Beware panhandlers who claim to be collecting money for a legitimate charity on New Orleans street corners -- unless they can produce a credential when you ask them to, they are most likely scamming you out of money, according to a WWL-TV news report.
A WWL-TV report warns that panhandlers claiming to be collecting money for charity are probably lying to you if they can't produce a credential when you ask them to.A reporter for the station found that two panhandlers -- a woman on the corner of Earhart Boulevard and South Carrollton Avenue supposedly collecting for the battered women and children of "United Ministries," and a man on the corner of Elysian Fields and Interstate 610 supposedly collecting for the battered women of "United in Christ Ministries" -- couldn't produce the city Finance Department permits they need to legally collect money for charities.
The reporter had a Better Business Bureau representative check the names of the two charities against those that appear two separate databases of legitimate charities. Neither name appeared.
The Better Business Bureau representative said in the report that all people wishing to donate money for charity should check with them before handing any money over to any charity.
Begging for money from motorists is illegal in New Orleans. Legitimate charities can petition money from motorists but need a permit from the city government to do so.
____Related Report _____________________________________________________________
Donation seekers on street not always legit
11:48 AM CDT on Friday, September 25, 2009
Paul Murphy / Eyewitness News
pmurphy@wwltv.com
NEW ORLEANS – Stop at some intersections in New Orleans and you better hold on to your wallet. Panhandlers come up to your window with a bucket and a story and ask for money.
Video: Watch the Story A woman named Veronica at the corner of Earhart and Carrollton told Eyewitness News, she was collecting for a charity named "United Ministries."
A man on another corner, Elysian Fields and the I-610, who did not want to give his name said his donations were going to the “United in Christ Ministries.”
Similar sounding organizations, two different street corners, but the same pitch.
"It's a ministry for battered women and children," the man said. "We help children. We help women that have been in troubled. That have been battered and everything. We raise money to help them take care of their needs and get them back into society."
"It's a battered women's shelter," said Veronica. "We're starting up a ministry. We've been going for about eight years. We take in battered women, children, addicts."
"Those are some key words of course and when people hear those words, "UNITY", "battered women" anything of that sort they are more easily to dig into their pocketbooks or their wallet," said Cynthia Albert of the Better Business Bureau.
Albert checked two separate databases of legitimate charities and said the organizations mentioned by the roadside solicitors were not listed.
"There's so many sound alike, so called charities," said Albert. "They'll get one that is legitimate and they may change just one word. And, people will think it's the real one and contribute."
The panhandlers have something else in common.
"Do we all have a permit? No, at the moment, no we do not," said Veronica.
The man at Elysian and 610 also admitted he did not have the proper paperwork.
"We also have applied with the permit at City Hall," he said. "That's all I'm going to say at this point at this time."
In New Orleans you must have a permit from the city finance department to collect money on city streets. Each solicitor must also obtain an identification card.
The BBB says if the person who comes up to your window can't produce the ID card, you're probably being scammed.
"If you give your money to someone who has no credentials, that is not really a charity, when a good one comes along, you may not be able to afford it," said Albert.
The BBB says before you give, check the website, http://www.give.org. It can tell you the charities that pass the smell test and the ones that don't.
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Support NOPD 2nd District
Join us
on October 17, 2009
at Lafayette Square
for the 13th annual Walk the Beat
sponsored by AT&T and the New Orleans Police and Justice
Foundation (NOPJF). Walk the Beat raises essential funds for
training, technical equipment and crime fighting supplies for our
police officers.
The need for these crucial supplies has only increased as most were either destroyed or washed away in Katrina’s flood waters. Effective crime fighting requires 21st century equipment. We need your help to insure that our police are using the most up to date and state of the art supplies to help deter and stop criminal activity in our city.
After the 5k run, keep your feet moving at Lafayette Square as we kick off the 4th annual Crescent City Blues and Barbecue Festival sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. After the run, 1000’s of people participate in the Blues Festival which celebrates the heritage of New Orleans through Blues music and down-home foods associated with the New Orleans region.
Walk the Beat and the Crescent City Blues and Barbecue Festival are designed to encourage appreciation for local music and culture while bringing attention to the needs of our police officers.
Entry fee is $25.00 includes a tank top and entrance to blues fest.
Call Edgar @874-5969 to register.
on October 17, 2009
at Lafayette Square
for the 13th annual Walk the Beat
sponsored by AT&T and the New Orleans Police and Justice
Foundation (NOPJF). Walk the Beat raises essential funds for
training, technical equipment and crime fighting supplies for our
police officers.
The need for these crucial supplies has only increased as most were either destroyed or washed away in Katrina’s flood waters. Effective crime fighting requires 21st century equipment. We need your help to insure that our police are using the most up to date and state of the art supplies to help deter and stop criminal activity in our city.
After the 5k run, keep your feet moving at Lafayette Square as we kick off the 4th annual Crescent City Blues and Barbecue Festival sponsored by the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation. After the run, 1000’s of people participate in the Blues Festival which celebrates the heritage of New Orleans through Blues music and down-home foods associated with the New Orleans region.
Walk the Beat and the Crescent City Blues and Barbecue Festival are designed to encourage appreciation for local music and culture while bringing attention to the needs of our police officers.
Entry fee is $25.00 includes a tank top and entrance to blues fest.
Call Edgar @874-5969 to register.
Friday, September 18, 2009
S&W Problems reported in 8400 Block of Apricot
This leak has been festering for months.
It is in front of a lovely restored shotgun double and across the street from one of the houses that recently sold in NorthWest Carrollton.
This HOLE has been on the corner of Apricot & Cambronne for almost a year. The first time S&W addressed the problem they literally dropped one of their marker barrels into the hole; it disappeared because the hole was so deep. Now the problem is covered with boards and has a marker barrel. But it is still not fixed.
See the old barrel rim in the bottom of the hole.
Many grade school children walk past this dangerous hole everyday on their way to Lafayette School on Carrollton Ave. The problem NEEDS permanent repair.
It is in front of a lovely restored shotgun double and across the street from one of the houses that recently sold in NorthWest Carrollton.
This HOLE has been on the corner of Apricot & Cambronne for almost a year. The first time S&W addressed the problem they literally dropped one of their marker barrels into the hole; it disappeared because the hole was so deep. Now the problem is covered with boards and has a marker barrel. But it is still not fixed.
See the old barrel rim in the bottom of the hole.
Many grade school children walk past this dangerous hole everyday on their way to Lafayette School on Carrollton Ave. The problem NEEDS permanent repair.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Open House for Sale on Apricot
This SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 20th from 1PM - 4PM
Open House
8211 Apricot Street
See ths article from the Times Picayune which highlights the whole block and this Flickr Set which shows other houses for sale in NorthWest Carrollton. Since May, 3 houses have sold in NorthWest Carrollton and 6 new, historically appropriate, houses have been built.
Open House
8211 Apricot Street
See ths article from the Times Picayune which highlights the whole block and this Flickr Set which shows other houses for sale in NorthWest Carrollton. Since May, 3 houses have sold in NorthWest Carrollton and 6 new, historically appropriate, houses have been built.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
She can't fix a pool but she wanted to be MAYOR of the City of New Orleans
The owner of this pool apparent owns a property uptown on Cadiz worth quite a lot of money..... $338,400. Too bad she doesn't care about the other property she purchased AFTER Katrina in NorthWest Carrollton!!!!
Can you believe this woman had the gall to run for MAYOR?
Owner Name DEDAIS SONJA M
Address 1114 CADIZ ST
City / State / Zip NEW ORLEANS LA 70115
Property Address 1109 CADIZ ST
Unit
District 6
Assesment Area 14
Subdivision
Square 291
Lot 18
Book 02
Folio 072
Line 016
Tax Bill Number 614206914
Instrument Number 000256080
Notarial Archive Number 03-18060
Sale Date 01-APR-03
Sale Price $0
2010 Preliminary Assessment
Appraised Land 56,000
Appraised Building 282,400
Appraised Total 338,400
Assessed Land 5,600
Assessed Building 28,240
Assessed Total 33,840
Homestead Exemption Amount 0
Assessment Frozen NO
Special Tax District
Exempt Code
Assessment Change
Values History
Tax Year 2009
Assessed Land 5,600
Assessed Building 28,240
Assessed Total 33,840
Homestead Exemption Amount 0
Property Description
Line 1 Description
1 SQ 291 LOT 18 CADIZ 28X100
2 1109-11 CADIZ ST
3 DU-W
4 FILE #85313 4/03 SUCN
Can you believe this woman had the gall to run for MAYOR?
Owner Name DEDAIS SONJA M
Address 1114 CADIZ ST
City / State / Zip NEW ORLEANS LA 70115
Property Address 1109 CADIZ ST
Unit
District 6
Assesment Area 14
Subdivision
Square 291
Lot 18
Book 02
Folio 072
Line 016
Tax Bill Number 614206914
Instrument Number 000256080
Notarial Archive Number 03-18060
Sale Date 01-APR-03
Sale Price $0
2010 Preliminary Assessment
Appraised Land 56,000
Appraised Building 282,400
Appraised Total 338,400
Assessed Land 5,600
Assessed Building 28,240
Assessed Total 33,840
Homestead Exemption Amount 0
Assessment Frozen NO
Special Tax District
Exempt Code
Assessment Change
Values History
Tax Year 2009
Assessed Land 5,600
Assessed Building 28,240
Assessed Total 33,840
Homestead Exemption Amount 0
Property Description
Line 1 Description
1 SQ 291 LOT 18 CADIZ 28X100
2 1109-11 CADIZ ST
3 DU-W
4 FILE #85313 4/03 SUCN
Blight - Emergency Reset
2 Properties in NorthWest Carrollton need to be reviewed again.
Their owners have done the minimum required.
The property at 8300 Fig now has the grass cut reasonably regularly. BUT now it is also easy to see the missing weartherboard. The blue roof is completely gone.
The property at 2933-35 Dante (corner Fig) AGAIN has an open gate to the pool which is REFILLING with water. It appears that the board that was secured to the fence got water logged in the recent rainy weather and literally fell off.
The windows are open or broken so the house is not completely secure.
These 2 property owners
MATTHEW A DENT
8302 FIG ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
AND
Sonja DEDAIS
1114 CADIZ ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70115
continue to be "bad actors".
Their owners have done the minimum required.
The property at 8300 Fig now has the grass cut reasonably regularly. BUT now it is also easy to see the missing weartherboard. The blue roof is completely gone.
The property at 2933-35 Dante (corner Fig) AGAIN has an open gate to the pool which is REFILLING with water. It appears that the board that was secured to the fence got water logged in the recent rainy weather and literally fell off.
The windows are open or broken so the house is not completely secure.
These 2 property owners
MATTHEW A DENT
8302 FIG ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
AND
Sonja DEDAIS
1114 CADIZ ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70115
continue to be "bad actors".
Plan for the 21st Century
The City’s Plan for the 21st Century is available at www.nolamasterplan.org
Hard copies of the Plan will be delivered to New Orleans Public Library locations on Wednesday, September 16th including our NOPL Nix Branch (1401 South Carrollton Avenue/Hours: 10am-6pm M-F, 1oam-7pm T, W, Th).
You are invited to see the Draft Plan’s highlights and bring any comments or questions to the Open House taking place Saturday, September 19th from 9 am to 2 pm at the Dryades YMCA, 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
We encourage your participation in the September 19th Open House and your active involvement in the Public Hearings that will take place on October 13th and 16th before the City Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is scheduled to make a recommendation on the Plan at its October 27th meeting. The New Orleans City Council will then deliberate the Plan and conduct additional Public Hearings. A final decision on a Plan is expected early in 2010.
Hard copies of the Plan will be delivered to New Orleans Public Library locations on Wednesday, September 16th including our NOPL Nix Branch (1401 South Carrollton Avenue/Hours: 10am-6pm M-F, 1oam-7pm T, W, Th).
You are invited to see the Draft Plan’s highlights and bring any comments or questions to the Open House taking place Saturday, September 19th from 9 am to 2 pm at the Dryades YMCA, 2220 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd.
We encourage your participation in the September 19th Open House and your active involvement in the Public Hearings that will take place on October 13th and 16th before the City Planning Commission. The Planning Commission is scheduled to make a recommendation on the Plan at its October 27th meeting. The New Orleans City Council will then deliberate the Plan and conduct additional Public Hearings. A final decision on a Plan is expected early in 2010.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Requests taken to Quality of Life Officer at September NONPACC Meeting
8330 Apple
8330 Owner PORTER JANIENE C
2500 GOLDEN POND LANE
SPRING HILL TN 37174 (how nice for her)
Perhaps Janiene & Eugene are related?
PORTER EUGENE
8332 APPLE ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8501 Apple (@ Joliet)
The trailer ON THE SIDEWALK is a NEW DEVELOPMENT.
The debris will harbor rats.
8501 Apple (@ Joliet - REAR)
The trucks in the rear have been there for many months.
OWNER : S.O.W.N. REALTY
8531 S. CLAIBORNE
NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8321-25 Nelson
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8401 S. Claiborne Ave
Owner Name WILLIAMS ELIJAH
Address 8415 S CLAIBORNE AV
City / State / Zip NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
8330 Owner PORTER JANIENE C
2500 GOLDEN POND LANE
SPRING HILL TN 37174 (how nice for her)
Perhaps Janiene & Eugene are related?
PORTER EUGENE
8332 APPLE ST
NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8501 Apple (@ Joliet)
The trailer ON THE SIDEWALK is a NEW DEVELOPMENT.
The debris will harbor rats.
8501 Apple (@ Joliet - REAR)
The trucks in the rear have been there for many months.
OWNER : S.O.W.N. REALTY
8531 S. CLAIBORNE
NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8321-25 Nelson
_____________________________________________________________________________________
8401 S. Claiborne Ave
Owner Name WILLIAMS ELIJAH
Address 8415 S CLAIBORNE AV
City / State / Zip NEW ORLEANS LA 70118
Homeownership Preservation Workshop
THE METRO NEW ORLEANS HOMEOWNERSHIP PRESERVATION COALITION RESPONDS TO FORECLOSURES
Group to hold Homeownership Preservation Workshop for troubled homeowners
on September 19th, 2009
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at Ben Franklin High School,
2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans.
Two general information sessions will be held at 10:30AM and 12:30PM.
New Orleans, LA; September 15, 2009: With the specter of increasing foreclosures looming over the metro area as a result of the downturn in the economy and the lifting of post-Katrina moratoriums, a group of local non-profits and their community development partners are banding together to keep people in their homes. The Metro New Orleans Homeownership Preservation Coalition will be holding a workshop for residents concerned about foreclosure on Saturday, September 19, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ben Franklin High School, 2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans.
"There's a lot of confusion out in the public about what to do if you're behind on your mortgage or are facing a crushing increase in your monthly payments. People are scared of losing their biggest investment, the roof over their head, and don't know where to turn for help or advice. Maybe they've had bad experiences with their lender or servicer and are feeling hopeless about a resolution," said Lauren Bartlett, staff attorney at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, a non-profit organization providing legal assistance to low-income residents in the metro area. "We want people who are facing foreclosure to know that the worst thing you can do is to ignore the calls and the notices. There's a whole team of experienced counselors and attorneys that are ready, willing and able to provide good counsel and help you through the maze of options that are available."
The Homeownership Preservation Fair will include two general information sessions at 10:30 and 12:30 that will discuss the foreclosure process and financial and legal options available to help homeowners prevent foreclosure.
After the sessions, the attendees, at their request, will be matched with an experienced housing counselor to begin the process of identifying solutions for their situation. All of the non-profit organizations participating are HUD-approved agencies specially qualified to offer this kind of one-on-one, individual counseling and are supported by grants or other funding to provide assistance at no cost to the homeowner. Refreshments and children's activities will be provided on-site.
"We're starting to see a rise in mortgage rescue scams in our communities. It's important that homeowners know that there are many organizations that don't charge up-front fees and have experience and training in resolving complicated foreclosure problems," said Nancy Montoya, Community Affairs Manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and a coalition partner. "That's why the Federal Reserve is involved in helping to coordinate events like this that can help save somebody's home."
For more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Seth Weingart at (504) 596-2100.
Group to hold Homeownership Preservation Workshop for troubled homeowners
on September 19th, 2009
from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
at Ben Franklin High School,
2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans.
Two general information sessions will be held at 10:30AM and 12:30PM.
New Orleans, LA; September 15, 2009: With the specter of increasing foreclosures looming over the metro area as a result of the downturn in the economy and the lifting of post-Katrina moratoriums, a group of local non-profits and their community development partners are banding together to keep people in their homes. The Metro New Orleans Homeownership Preservation Coalition will be holding a workshop for residents concerned about foreclosure on Saturday, September 19, 2009, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Ben Franklin High School, 2001 Leon C. Simon Drive, New Orleans.
"There's a lot of confusion out in the public about what to do if you're behind on your mortgage or are facing a crushing increase in your monthly payments. People are scared of losing their biggest investment, the roof over their head, and don't know where to turn for help or advice. Maybe they've had bad experiences with their lender or servicer and are feeling hopeless about a resolution," said Lauren Bartlett, staff attorney at Southeast Louisiana Legal Services, a non-profit organization providing legal assistance to low-income residents in the metro area. "We want people who are facing foreclosure to know that the worst thing you can do is to ignore the calls and the notices. There's a whole team of experienced counselors and attorneys that are ready, willing and able to provide good counsel and help you through the maze of options that are available."
The Homeownership Preservation Fair will include two general information sessions at 10:30 and 12:30 that will discuss the foreclosure process and financial and legal options available to help homeowners prevent foreclosure.
After the sessions, the attendees, at their request, will be matched with an experienced housing counselor to begin the process of identifying solutions for their situation. All of the non-profit organizations participating are HUD-approved agencies specially qualified to offer this kind of one-on-one, individual counseling and are supported by grants or other funding to provide assistance at no cost to the homeowner. Refreshments and children's activities will be provided on-site.
"We're starting to see a rise in mortgage rescue scams in our communities. It's important that homeowners know that there are many organizations that don't charge up-front fees and have experience and training in resolving complicated foreclosure problems," said Nancy Montoya, Community Affairs Manager for the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta and a coalition partner. "That's why the Federal Reserve is involved in helping to coordinate events like this that can help save somebody's home."
For more information on this topic or to schedule an interview, please call Seth Weingart at (504) 596-2100.
Monday, September 14, 2009
House for Sale - Illegally parked vehicle
This lovely piece of construction equipment is illegally parked - trespassing - on the drivway of the property for sale at 8415 Pritchard Place.
The only way to have this equipment moved is for the property owner to contact owner of the equipment (who we hear lives next door at 8405 Pritchard Place) and/or request that it be moved or to contact the city and have the owner of the equipment cited for trespassing.
The property might stand a better chance of selling if there wasn't construction equipment in the driveway.
The owner of the property is listed on the Assessor's website as
LOUISIANA COASTAL VI LLC.
5721 MAGAZINE ST STE.219
NEW ORLEANS LA 70115
The only way to have this equipment moved is for the property owner to contact owner of the equipment (who we hear lives next door at 8405 Pritchard Place) and/or request that it be moved or to contact the city and have the owner of the equipment cited for trespassing.
The property might stand a better chance of selling if there wasn't construction equipment in the driveway.
The owner of the property is listed on the Assessor's website as
LOUISIANA COASTAL VI LLC.
5721 MAGAZINE ST STE.219
NEW ORLEANS LA 70115
Sunday, September 13, 2009
HELP!!! Please move this TRUCK
Officer Eddington,
PLEASE help move this truck out of our neighborhood.
It has been on the street like this for many months.
It is directly across the street from a lovely house for sale at 2621 Dublin.
We can not help but think that part of the reason this lovely house is NOT selling is because the junk truck is directly across the street.
Since May and in the current economy we have had 3 houses sold in NorthWest Carrollton - TO HOME OWNERS! There have also been 4 new houses constructed in our neighborhood. We are recovering and the neighborhood organization is triving and doing our best to work with NOPD to fight crime.
We would very much appreciate having this truck tagged, ticketed and towed.
PLEASE help move this truck out of our neighborhood.
It has been on the street like this for many months.
It is directly across the street from a lovely house for sale at 2621 Dublin.
We can not help but think that part of the reason this lovely house is NOT selling is because the junk truck is directly across the street.
Since May and in the current economy we have had 3 houses sold in NorthWest Carrollton - TO HOME OWNERS! There have also been 4 new houses constructed in our neighborhood. We are recovering and the neighborhood organization is triving and doing our best to work with NOPD to fight crime.
We would very much appreciate having this truck tagged, ticketed and towed.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Alarming Realizations - Home protection tips and tricks
Make your home hard for intruders to hit
Published: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 5:00 AM
Updated: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 5:11 AM
It actually took me a minute to snap to the fact that something was wrong.
I opened my front door, turned off the burglar alarm and noticed papers strewn on the floor. Oh, well, I reasoned, a stack of books and magazines could have fallen. Then I noticed a table's drawers hanging open. Then I realized my dog, Bob, wasn't there to meet me, and called out his name.
Crash! There were heavy footsteps upstairs.
I was definitely in trouble.
I closed the door, beat a hasty retreat to my car and called 911. Looking up, I saw that the door to the second floor balcony was open -- maybe the route for someone else's hasty retreat?
The drama was all over in about an hour. The police came pretty quickly, checked out the house, found no one, and let me tour the three bedrooms upstairs. All trashed. Every drawer pulled open, every mattress tossed, every closet open. In the middle bedroom, a half-eaten banana was on the floor. My son came home from work to survey the damage and start the cleanup. Adding insult to injury, sticky black fingerprint powder was all over everything.
Where was the dog? Bob had apparently been making new friends, lured upstairs by one of his favorite toys. Some defender of the hearth he turned out to be.
Our family has lived in the same Uptown house for 22 years. This was our fourth break-in, so we are all weary veterans of the process -- the discovery, the police visit, the sense of violation, the cleanup, the worry, the rush of adrenaline followed by exhaustion.
This time, the burglar removed a large pane of glass from the back door, leaving it in one piece, and carefully left it in the yard. He (they?) entered through the large opening, which didn't set off the alarm.
"That's a new one, " said the cops.
"That's a new one, " said the sales rep from the security systems company.
"Never seen anything like that, " said the installer of the new sensors. "And I've been doing this for 28 years."
Too traumatized to admire the intruder's ingenuity, I could at least be grateful for one thing. He left the glass in one piece. Make that three things. My contractor, Francisco Solorzano, was there in less than an hour. The door was repaired and boarded up by the afternoon's end. The burglar alarm company sent someone out later that afternoon.
The irony in all this? The intruder didn't seem to have taken anything, or else I scared him (them?) off quickly. There was no secret stash of cash in any of those drawers. Far from it. No drugs or guns either.
"Look on the bright side, " my son said. "We still have Dad." And yes, the bronze urn containing his father's ashes had not been disturbed. Eventually we even found my wedding rings in one of the piles on the floor.
Problem solved? Not quite. There was still the matter of rebuilding a new sense of home, a sense of security.
We started by updating our alarm system with motion detectors that can overlook the family pet. The saleswoman gave us an estimate of $200, petted the dog, and said, "See you later, Vicious."
The actual installation would have made a wonderful reality show. The installer and my son Dash and I hid out of range of the sensor, throwing dog toys and trying to put Bob through his paces. Everything seemed fine until we went out to dinner that night, and a call from the alarm company reached us as soon as we'd ordered our food (but not in time to stop the cops from coming).
We went home, found a Greek chorus of sympathetic neighbors on the street, and everything in order. When this happened a second night, we called the alarm company, who set us up with better pet-immune sensors at no additional charge. There are also sensors that detect breaking glass, obviously the vulnerable area in our house.
"These are really what you should have had in the first place, " the installer said, explaining that the new sensors would detect Bob's heat and mass as well as movement.
More games of fetch followed. The dog looked at us as if we were crazy.
Throughout all this, the cleanup was under way.
That yucky banana was pretty gross. "Why do I always get burglars who want a snack?" I asked a friend, who wisely replied, "Because people who do this are starving -- they're hungry in every way."
"You know what?" my son asked. "We have too much stuff."
Once you've picked up all your stuff off the floor, you might be inclined to agree.
For the next week, we undertook a thorough campaign.
When we picked up each item off the floor, we decided whether we wanted it or needed it. After we reorganized drawers and closets, we gave away a carload of clothes to Bridge House. (I washed everything we kept.) Dash finally organized the big closet in his room, access previously blocked by a telescope.
We recycled four out-of-date computers at Best Buy and sent off two boxes of old floppy disks to an e-waste recycling business Dash found online.
We sold things, unloading clothes and old costume jewelry at Funky Monkey. Dash sold all his old textbooks online, racking up more than $100 and getting them out of the house.
My daughter Casey came home for a few days and dove into the remains of her childhood, packing away things for the next trip, when she'd have a car to take them back.
"Does it hurt your feelings that the burglar didn't think any of your jewelry was good enough to steal?" she asked.
"Not really, " I said. "I still have it."
Now, more than a month later, we're back at home in every sense of the word. I admit that I still open the door with a little trepidation. I'm always relieved to see the dog, and I don't pretend he's a good alarm system. We have started calling him "Vicious."
"I can't believe I don't feel worse about this, " I told a friend.
"Why should you?" she said. "That's what we do here. We clean up. The city floods. We clean up. The bad thing happens. We move on." And so we do.
For the first time, I gave some thought to getting a bigger, meaner dog, maybe a personal firearm. I settled for a better security system, outside lighting, and changes in landscaping.
It's a tradeoff, but it's still home.
. . . . . . .
Book editor Susan Larson can be reached at slarson@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3457.
KEEPING BURGLARS AT BAY
1. Walk around your house and try to evaluate it from a burglar's point of view. Look at the landscape that both hides and reveals the interior of your home. Look at the lighting, both exterior and interior, and consider exterior lighting with motion-sensors, mounted high so they are easily disabled. Giving your neighbors an unobstructed view of your property is a good deterrent.
2. Be sure all doors and windows have adequate locks. Then use them! Consider gravel outside your windows (it's noisy) and bushes or trees with thorns or prickly leaves.
3. Don't leave out tools that can be used as weapons. A burglar can use a piece of debris to smash a window or a garden trowel to chip out a pane of glass.
4. Do your homework before meeting with an alarm company. Evaluate the paths of motion through your house; be sure to place alarm panels strategically both for ease of access and occasionally for visibility. If a burglar can look through a glass door and see a red light indicating the system is armed, it may cause him to think twice. And make sure you have a phone by your bedside.
5. Don't hide keys under doormats or leave notes on doors. If you must have a key outside, bury it, or leave it with a neighbor.
6. A barking dog is a great asset, but remember that dogs react to fear, and many burglars are dog lovers.
7. Replace hollow-core exterior doors with solid wood, fiberglass or steel. Put the hinges on the inside rather than the outside -- where an intruder could remove the pins and then the door. Install peepholes.
8. Don't leave valuables in sight through windows.
9. If you have double-hung windows, put in a removable bolt that joins the upper and lower sashes together, or insert a metal bar in the track to prevent opening.
WHEN YOU'RE AWAY
1. One of the best deterrents is a house sitter. While this may seem expensive, remember that it could save on pet boarding costs.
2. Stop mail and newspapers if no one will be checking on your home, or ask a neighbor to pick them up.
3. Don't announce your plans on your answering machine or your Facebook page, but do let trusted neighbors and friends know how to reach you.
4. Don't leave potted plants to wither and fade on the front porch. Have someone mow the lawn. Leave curtains slightly parted, so the house doesn't look vacant. And leave a car in the drive, if possible.
5. Put lights and radios on timers; and don't forget to put your television on a timer as well. That blue glow, combined with the sound of voices, is often a good deterrent to intruders.
6. Get to know your neighbors. If there's a Neighborhood Watch Program in your community, join it. If there's not, start one. Report any suspicious people or vehicles to the police.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING AN ALARM SYSTEM
In more than 40 years in the home security business, Larry Frilot, owner of the local Alarm Protection Systems, has seen remarkable advances, from "pet-immune" motion sensors to glass-break detectors (set off by the sound frequency of glass breaking), to closed-circuit cameras, to new wireless technology.
Now, he adds, for a generation virtually without land lines, technology that combines wireless devices with cell phones is a rapid growth area.
Underlying it all, safety can boil down to a sobering bottom line, he says: "How much are you willing to pay to keep your family safe?"
Though APS and other local alarm companies work with clients to develop personalized systems, Frilot says installation of the average basic system, "runs from $2,000 for a pretty good system in a 2,000-square-foot house."
Add to that the monthly monitoring fee, which usually starts around $20.
Here are some questions Frilot suggests considering when selecting a security provider:
- How many years has the company been in the business?
- Is it a local company?
- Is the central station, the operation that monitors your alarm and calls for emergency service, locally based? Does the company own its central station or use a third party, and what responsibilities does the third party have with that company?
- If the signal doesn't go through, who's responsible?
- What kind of training has the salesperson had? How many years of experience does he have? Is he knowledgeable, or is he trying to sell "what we call 'an address' -- two doors and a motion detector?"
- Does the company do its own installation, or use third-party installation?
Most of us have seen a basic alarm system, with magnetic detectors on doors and door frames that send a signal to a monitoring company when the circuit is broken. These are basic perimeter protection.
Buyers also should consider interior protection, such as motion detectors, for vulnerable areas.
"Our goal is, when you come home, " Frilot said, "no one is inside your house."
But, he added, burglary isn't the only threat to a household: "I can't say enough about fire."
"You need to have a smoke detector in each bedroom, each hallway, one on each level of the house."
And maintenance should be more than those battery changes we're reminded of when daylight saving time begins and ends: For fire alarms built into a security system, there is a definite shelf life.
"After 10 years, " Frilot said, "you have to replace them."
Published: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 5:00 AM
Updated: Saturday, September 12, 2009, 5:11 AM
It actually took me a minute to snap to the fact that something was wrong.
I opened my front door, turned off the burglar alarm and noticed papers strewn on the floor. Oh, well, I reasoned, a stack of books and magazines could have fallen. Then I noticed a table's drawers hanging open. Then I realized my dog, Bob, wasn't there to meet me, and called out his name.
Crash! There were heavy footsteps upstairs.
I was definitely in trouble.
I closed the door, beat a hasty retreat to my car and called 911. Looking up, I saw that the door to the second floor balcony was open -- maybe the route for someone else's hasty retreat?
The drama was all over in about an hour. The police came pretty quickly, checked out the house, found no one, and let me tour the three bedrooms upstairs. All trashed. Every drawer pulled open, every mattress tossed, every closet open. In the middle bedroom, a half-eaten banana was on the floor. My son came home from work to survey the damage and start the cleanup. Adding insult to injury, sticky black fingerprint powder was all over everything.
Where was the dog? Bob had apparently been making new friends, lured upstairs by one of his favorite toys. Some defender of the hearth he turned out to be.
Our family has lived in the same Uptown house for 22 years. This was our fourth break-in, so we are all weary veterans of the process -- the discovery, the police visit, the sense of violation, the cleanup, the worry, the rush of adrenaline followed by exhaustion.
This time, the burglar removed a large pane of glass from the back door, leaving it in one piece, and carefully left it in the yard. He (they?) entered through the large opening, which didn't set off the alarm.
"That's a new one, " said the cops.
"That's a new one, " said the sales rep from the security systems company.
"Never seen anything like that, " said the installer of the new sensors. "And I've been doing this for 28 years."
Too traumatized to admire the intruder's ingenuity, I could at least be grateful for one thing. He left the glass in one piece. Make that three things. My contractor, Francisco Solorzano, was there in less than an hour. The door was repaired and boarded up by the afternoon's end. The burglar alarm company sent someone out later that afternoon.
The irony in all this? The intruder didn't seem to have taken anything, or else I scared him (them?) off quickly. There was no secret stash of cash in any of those drawers. Far from it. No drugs or guns either.
"Look on the bright side, " my son said. "We still have Dad." And yes, the bronze urn containing his father's ashes had not been disturbed. Eventually we even found my wedding rings in one of the piles on the floor.
Problem solved? Not quite. There was still the matter of rebuilding a new sense of home, a sense of security.
We started by updating our alarm system with motion detectors that can overlook the family pet. The saleswoman gave us an estimate of $200, petted the dog, and said, "See you later, Vicious."
The actual installation would have made a wonderful reality show. The installer and my son Dash and I hid out of range of the sensor, throwing dog toys and trying to put Bob through his paces. Everything seemed fine until we went out to dinner that night, and a call from the alarm company reached us as soon as we'd ordered our food (but not in time to stop the cops from coming).
We went home, found a Greek chorus of sympathetic neighbors on the street, and everything in order. When this happened a second night, we called the alarm company, who set us up with better pet-immune sensors at no additional charge. There are also sensors that detect breaking glass, obviously the vulnerable area in our house.
"These are really what you should have had in the first place, " the installer said, explaining that the new sensors would detect Bob's heat and mass as well as movement.
More games of fetch followed. The dog looked at us as if we were crazy.
Throughout all this, the cleanup was under way.
That yucky banana was pretty gross. "Why do I always get burglars who want a snack?" I asked a friend, who wisely replied, "Because people who do this are starving -- they're hungry in every way."
"You know what?" my son asked. "We have too much stuff."
Once you've picked up all your stuff off the floor, you might be inclined to agree.
For the next week, we undertook a thorough campaign.
When we picked up each item off the floor, we decided whether we wanted it or needed it. After we reorganized drawers and closets, we gave away a carload of clothes to Bridge House. (I washed everything we kept.) Dash finally organized the big closet in his room, access previously blocked by a telescope.
We recycled four out-of-date computers at Best Buy and sent off two boxes of old floppy disks to an e-waste recycling business Dash found online.
We sold things, unloading clothes and old costume jewelry at Funky Monkey. Dash sold all his old textbooks online, racking up more than $100 and getting them out of the house.
My daughter Casey came home for a few days and dove into the remains of her childhood, packing away things for the next trip, when she'd have a car to take them back.
"Does it hurt your feelings that the burglar didn't think any of your jewelry was good enough to steal?" she asked.
"Not really, " I said. "I still have it."
Now, more than a month later, we're back at home in every sense of the word. I admit that I still open the door with a little trepidation. I'm always relieved to see the dog, and I don't pretend he's a good alarm system. We have started calling him "Vicious."
"I can't believe I don't feel worse about this, " I told a friend.
"Why should you?" she said. "That's what we do here. We clean up. The city floods. We clean up. The bad thing happens. We move on." And so we do.
For the first time, I gave some thought to getting a bigger, meaner dog, maybe a personal firearm. I settled for a better security system, outside lighting, and changes in landscaping.
It's a tradeoff, but it's still home.
. . . . . . .
Book editor Susan Larson can be reached at slarson@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3457.
KEEPING BURGLARS AT BAY
1. Walk around your house and try to evaluate it from a burglar's point of view. Look at the landscape that both hides and reveals the interior of your home. Look at the lighting, both exterior and interior, and consider exterior lighting with motion-sensors, mounted high so they are easily disabled. Giving your neighbors an unobstructed view of your property is a good deterrent.
2. Be sure all doors and windows have adequate locks. Then use them! Consider gravel outside your windows (it's noisy) and bushes or trees with thorns or prickly leaves.
3. Don't leave out tools that can be used as weapons. A burglar can use a piece of debris to smash a window or a garden trowel to chip out a pane of glass.
4. Do your homework before meeting with an alarm company. Evaluate the paths of motion through your house; be sure to place alarm panels strategically both for ease of access and occasionally for visibility. If a burglar can look through a glass door and see a red light indicating the system is armed, it may cause him to think twice. And make sure you have a phone by your bedside.
5. Don't hide keys under doormats or leave notes on doors. If you must have a key outside, bury it, or leave it with a neighbor.
6. A barking dog is a great asset, but remember that dogs react to fear, and many burglars are dog lovers.
7. Replace hollow-core exterior doors with solid wood, fiberglass or steel. Put the hinges on the inside rather than the outside -- where an intruder could remove the pins and then the door. Install peepholes.
8. Don't leave valuables in sight through windows.
9. If you have double-hung windows, put in a removable bolt that joins the upper and lower sashes together, or insert a metal bar in the track to prevent opening.
WHEN YOU'RE AWAY
1. One of the best deterrents is a house sitter. While this may seem expensive, remember that it could save on pet boarding costs.
2. Stop mail and newspapers if no one will be checking on your home, or ask a neighbor to pick them up.
3. Don't announce your plans on your answering machine or your Facebook page, but do let trusted neighbors and friends know how to reach you.
4. Don't leave potted plants to wither and fade on the front porch. Have someone mow the lawn. Leave curtains slightly parted, so the house doesn't look vacant. And leave a car in the drive, if possible.
5. Put lights and radios on timers; and don't forget to put your television on a timer as well. That blue glow, combined with the sound of voices, is often a good deterrent to intruders.
6. Get to know your neighbors. If there's a Neighborhood Watch Program in your community, join it. If there's not, start one. Report any suspicious people or vehicles to the police.
THINGS TO CONSIDER BEFORE BUYING AN ALARM SYSTEM
In more than 40 years in the home security business, Larry Frilot, owner of the local Alarm Protection Systems, has seen remarkable advances, from "pet-immune" motion sensors to glass-break detectors (set off by the sound frequency of glass breaking), to closed-circuit cameras, to new wireless technology.
Now, he adds, for a generation virtually without land lines, technology that combines wireless devices with cell phones is a rapid growth area.
Underlying it all, safety can boil down to a sobering bottom line, he says: "How much are you willing to pay to keep your family safe?"
Though APS and other local alarm companies work with clients to develop personalized systems, Frilot says installation of the average basic system, "runs from $2,000 for a pretty good system in a 2,000-square-foot house."
Add to that the monthly monitoring fee, which usually starts around $20.
Here are some questions Frilot suggests considering when selecting a security provider:
- How many years has the company been in the business?
- Is it a local company?
- Is the central station, the operation that monitors your alarm and calls for emergency service, locally based? Does the company own its central station or use a third party, and what responsibilities does the third party have with that company?
- If the signal doesn't go through, who's responsible?
- What kind of training has the salesperson had? How many years of experience does he have? Is he knowledgeable, or is he trying to sell "what we call 'an address' -- two doors and a motion detector?"
- Does the company do its own installation, or use third-party installation?
Most of us have seen a basic alarm system, with magnetic detectors on doors and door frames that send a signal to a monitoring company when the circuit is broken. These are basic perimeter protection.
Buyers also should consider interior protection, such as motion detectors, for vulnerable areas.
"Our goal is, when you come home, " Frilot said, "no one is inside your house."
But, he added, burglary isn't the only threat to a household: "I can't say enough about fire."
"You need to have a smoke detector in each bedroom, each hallway, one on each level of the house."
And maintenance should be more than those battery changes we're reminded of when daylight saving time begins and ends: For fire alarms built into a security system, there is a definite shelf life.
"After 10 years, " Frilot said, "you have to replace them."
NorthWest Carrollton participates in Code Enforcement Workshop
The addresses below were on the final 10 Worst List that we submitted to Code Enforcement. If city inspections find these properties violate Section 26 then they will be part of a mass adjudication hearing hear November 9-13 at Maria Goretti Church 7300 Crowder Blvd New Orleans East
8300 Block of Apple @ Dante : In the hope of a better use for a historic building
8200 Block of Apricot : Single Property Owner Multiple Properties - Jefferson Parish Owner.
8300 Block of Nelson : To show houses that can be demolished AND houses that should be saved.
8400 Block of Apple , both sides of the street : Supporting local businesses and artists and fighting crime
8400 Block of Apricot: car repair lot, crime, drugs, dogs - now vacant.
8502 Pritchard Place: The Road Home is definitely part of the problem.
These Properties must be handled through other channels because they are occupied:
8300 Block of Fig : Too many code violations to count
8100 Block of Apple : Fighting drug dealers
8200 Block of Nelson : Fighting drug dealers
8117-19 Belfast : Showing sometimes the blight is in the back of the house
Because this property is a vacant lot it is handled by another department AND NOT part of the adjudication hearing process.
Corner of Joliet & Fig : The Container Problem & missing sidewalks
And then there is the parking problem.
8300 Block of Apple @ Dante : In the hope of a better use for a historic building
8200 Block of Apricot : Single Property Owner Multiple Properties - Jefferson Parish Owner.
8300 Block of Nelson : To show houses that can be demolished AND houses that should be saved.
8400 Block of Apple , both sides of the street : Supporting local businesses and artists and fighting crime
8400 Block of Apricot: car repair lot, crime, drugs, dogs - now vacant.
8502 Pritchard Place: The Road Home is definitely part of the problem.
These Properties must be handled through other channels because they are occupied:
8300 Block of Fig : Too many code violations to count
8100 Block of Apple : Fighting drug dealers
8200 Block of Nelson : Fighting drug dealers
8117-19 Belfast : Showing sometimes the blight is in the back of the house
Because this property is a vacant lot it is handled by another department AND NOT part of the adjudication hearing process.
Corner of Joliet & Fig : The Container Problem & missing sidewalks
And then there is the parking problem.
Green the Block
Victor Reed is a NorthWest Carrollton resident and owner of GreenPro. He is working with New Orleans Job Corps and others to encourage Green Jobs.
Read the article from Saturday's Money Section. I'll have to scan the photos.
GREENER PASTURES
Job Corps students learn from industry experts that environmentally sound renovations can help put an end to poverty, tooSaturday, September 12, 2009 By Molly Reid Staff writer
Using Friday's anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a backdrop, "green" building contractors told carpentry trainees in a local workforce development program that they could be part of the emergence of industries that promote alternative energy sources and building practices sensitive to the environment.
The trainees can participate in an unprecedented effort to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil, the contractors said.
Five carpentry students with the New Orleans Job Corps, a job training program for low-income young adults financed by the state Department of Labor, met with representatives of Brotherhood Way, a weatherization contracting firm, at a blighted Hollygrove house that will undergo an energy-efficient renovation later this fall.
Giving the trainees a glimpse of the kinds of new jobs that green-building advocates hope to see explode in the next few years, the contractors called the industry shift a "path out of poverty."
"Reducing our dependence on foreign oil . . . our soldiers fought for our right with that," said David Weathersby with Brotherhood Way. "Now it's our job to make the community aware of the green, clean economy.
"It's a positive change for young minds. We're trying to get the local community involved so we can give them these green jobs."
The event was part of the New Orleans Job Corps' participation in Green the Block, a national day of service hosted by Green For All, a national nonprofit that promotes the creation of green jobs, and the Hip Hop Caucus, which works to involve young urban adults in important political and environmental issues. The Job Corps was the New Orleans area's only participant in the national event.
In addition to bringing some carpentry trainees together with contractors, the Job Corps hosted an informational fair for the rest of its 250 trainees in carpentry, medical assistance and culinary arts programs. Representatives of local environmental and workforce training groups such as Global Green and the Louisiana Green Corps offered information about the green economy and the potential for new jobs, said Job Corps liaison Randy Savoie.
Read the article from Saturday's Money Section. I'll have to scan the photos.
GREENER PASTURES
Job Corps students learn from industry experts that environmentally sound renovations can help put an end to poverty, tooSaturday, September 12, 2009 By Molly Reid Staff writer
Using Friday's anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, as a backdrop, "green" building contractors told carpentry trainees in a local workforce development program that they could be part of the emergence of industries that promote alternative energy sources and building practices sensitive to the environment.
The trainees can participate in an unprecedented effort to reduce the country's dependence on foreign oil, the contractors said.
Five carpentry students with the New Orleans Job Corps, a job training program for low-income young adults financed by the state Department of Labor, met with representatives of Brotherhood Way, a weatherization contracting firm, at a blighted Hollygrove house that will undergo an energy-efficient renovation later this fall.
Giving the trainees a glimpse of the kinds of new jobs that green-building advocates hope to see explode in the next few years, the contractors called the industry shift a "path out of poverty."
"Reducing our dependence on foreign oil . . . our soldiers fought for our right with that," said David Weathersby with Brotherhood Way. "Now it's our job to make the community aware of the green, clean economy.
"It's a positive change for young minds. We're trying to get the local community involved so we can give them these green jobs."
The event was part of the New Orleans Job Corps' participation in Green the Block, a national day of service hosted by Green For All, a national nonprofit that promotes the creation of green jobs, and the Hip Hop Caucus, which works to involve young urban adults in important political and environmental issues. The Job Corps was the New Orleans area's only participant in the national event.
In addition to bringing some carpentry trainees together with contractors, the Job Corps hosted an informational fair for the rest of its 250 trainees in carpentry, medical assistance and culinary arts programs. Representatives of local environmental and workforce training groups such as Global Green and the Louisiana Green Corps offered information about the green economy and the potential for new jobs, said Job Corps liaison Randy Savoie.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Neighborhood Meeting September 9th
Come meet your neighbors and discover what's going on in
NorthWest Carrollton
When: Wednesday, September 9th 7:30pm – 8:30pm
Where: Incarnate Word - 8326 Apricot Street
Where: Incarnate Word - 8326 Apricot Street
After 3 years of being meeting location vagabonds
we now have a permanent home @ Incarnate Word.
Many thanks to Catholic Charities.
AGENDA
GUEST SPEAKERS
New Orleans Food & Farm Network - Ariel Wallick-Dorfman
Learn about how your garden can be your grocery
Other Topics
Successes
PRC's SELLebration, Volunteer Projects & Night Out
Tree Planting November 14th! Time is running out to request a tree
Green Activities on Apple September 11
Carolling on the steps of Incarnate Word Church December 12th 4:30-6PM
Discussion of any other neighborhood issues important to you!
AGENDA
GUEST SPEAKERS
New Orleans Food & Farm Network - Ariel Wallick-Dorfman
Learn about how your garden can be your grocery
Other Topics
Successes
PRC's SELLebration, Volunteer Projects & Night Out
Tree Planting November 14th! Time is running out to request a tree
Green Activities on Apple September 11
Carolling on the steps of Incarnate Word Church December 12th 4:30-6PM
Discussion of any other neighborhood issues important to you!
Landis Construction adapts a landmark for its new headquarters
As published in the PRC's Preservation in Print, September 2009 Page 13
with photographs from the neighborhood flckr account.
Landis Construction returns to New Orleans after 35 years in the suburbs and adapts a landmark for its new headquarters.
A Contractor’s Dream Finds a Contractor
By Mary Fitzpatrick
A 100-YEAR-OLD chewing gum factory has morphed into a dream headquarters for Landis Construction Company, full of windows and the natural light that employees had missed in their Jefferson, Louisiana home.
President and CEO Jim Landis, the second generation behind the family business, operates a $100 million enterprise that is well known in the world of preservation and historic revitalization for renovations such as Ralph’s on the Park in Parkview, the Newcomb Art School and Temple Sinai Uptown, the W Hotel in the CBD, Trinity Lutheran Church in Algiers Point and Lusher Charter School in Carrollton.
So it was professional instinct that led Landis and his partner, Executive Vice
President Jim Lewis, to adapt the mostly vacant three-story, heavy timber and brick, American Chicle Building at 8300 Earhart Blvd. into their offices. With its open space, abundant light, exposed beams and columns, high ceilings and wide pine floors overlaid with oak, the Italian-style building is “a contractor’s dream,” says Anne Teague Landis, one of the third generation to work at the company.
Creed Brierre of Mathes Brierre Architects worked with Jim Landis to honor the National Register listed building, which is so beloved in the neighborhood — near the intersection of Earhart and Carrollton — that it served as a model for a nearby Walgreen’s and Robert’s grocery store.
The company was able to retain 95 percent of the wood flooring in the 27,000-square-foot structure. The large windows on all four elevations were weatherized and most didn’t even need replacing. In creating private work spaces separated with Sheetrock walls topped by horizontal wood beams and glass transoms, the design allows for privacy as well as a wonderful flow of light.
Federal historic rehabilitation tax credits are a significant factor in making the project possible, as they have been in 20 other Louisiana commercial adaptive reuse projects so far in 2009. “We would not be in this building without the tax credits,” says Anne Teague Landis. With the estimated final expenditures at $2.4 million and tax credits calculated at up to 26 percent, that could mean an approximate savings of $620,000 once the project is approved by the National Park Service, according to Alison F. Saunders, tax incentives director, Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation.
Although there was not time to qualify for LEED certification in the headquarters build-out — from purchase to move-in, the entire project took just six months — Landis made every effort to follow LEED standards. The company has several LEED accredited staff members on its team. Landis collaborated with Global Green for a LEED Platinum project in the historic Holy Cross neighborhood, and currently is renovating four buildings and constructing a new one to create the first LEED Silver film studio in the United States. Second Line Stages, a project of Susan Brennan, will cover an entire block in the historic Lower Garden District and be the first Hollywood-standard soundstage complex in New Orleans. Landis is also the design-builder on a new LEED Gold Student Center at Dillard University.
For the renovation of the American Chicle Building, Brierre and Landis incorporated dozens of environmental elements including FSC-compliant wood, high solar-reflective index roofing over the arcade, low-VOC paint, and motion-activated lighting. However, the most important way Landis Construction reduced the company’s carbon footprint, as we know, was by reusing an existing building.
Congratulations on a job well done.
with photographs from the neighborhood flckr account.
Landis Construction returns to New Orleans after 35 years in the suburbs and adapts a landmark for its new headquarters.
A Contractor’s Dream Finds a Contractor
By Mary Fitzpatrick
A 100-YEAR-OLD chewing gum factory has morphed into a dream headquarters for Landis Construction Company, full of windows and the natural light that employees had missed in their Jefferson, Louisiana home.
President and CEO Jim Landis, the second generation behind the family business, operates a $100 million enterprise that is well known in the world of preservation and historic revitalization for renovations such as Ralph’s on the Park in Parkview, the Newcomb Art School and Temple Sinai Uptown, the W Hotel in the CBD, Trinity Lutheran Church in Algiers Point and Lusher Charter School in Carrollton.
So it was professional instinct that led Landis and his partner, Executive Vice
President Jim Lewis, to adapt the mostly vacant three-story, heavy timber and brick, American Chicle Building at 8300 Earhart Blvd. into their offices. With its open space, abundant light, exposed beams and columns, high ceilings and wide pine floors overlaid with oak, the Italian-style building is “a contractor’s dream,” says Anne Teague Landis, one of the third generation to work at the company.
Creed Brierre of Mathes Brierre Architects worked with Jim Landis to honor the National Register listed building, which is so beloved in the neighborhood — near the intersection of Earhart and Carrollton — that it served as a model for a nearby Walgreen’s and Robert’s grocery store.
The company was able to retain 95 percent of the wood flooring in the 27,000-square-foot structure. The large windows on all four elevations were weatherized and most didn’t even need replacing. In creating private work spaces separated with Sheetrock walls topped by horizontal wood beams and glass transoms, the design allows for privacy as well as a wonderful flow of light.
Federal historic rehabilitation tax credits are a significant factor in making the project possible, as they have been in 20 other Louisiana commercial adaptive reuse projects so far in 2009. “We would not be in this building without the tax credits,” says Anne Teague Landis. With the estimated final expenditures at $2.4 million and tax credits calculated at up to 26 percent, that could mean an approximate savings of $620,000 once the project is approved by the National Park Service, according to Alison F. Saunders, tax incentives director, Louisiana Division of Historic Preservation.
Although there was not time to qualify for LEED certification in the headquarters build-out — from purchase to move-in, the entire project took just six months — Landis made every effort to follow LEED standards. The company has several LEED accredited staff members on its team. Landis collaborated with Global Green for a LEED Platinum project in the historic Holy Cross neighborhood, and currently is renovating four buildings and constructing a new one to create the first LEED Silver film studio in the United States. Second Line Stages, a project of Susan Brennan, will cover an entire block in the historic Lower Garden District and be the first Hollywood-standard soundstage complex in New Orleans. Landis is also the design-builder on a new LEED Gold Student Center at Dillard University.
For the renovation of the American Chicle Building, Brierre and Landis incorporated dozens of environmental elements including FSC-compliant wood, high solar-reflective index roofing over the arcade, low-VOC paint, and motion-activated lighting. However, the most important way Landis Construction reduced the company’s carbon footprint, as we know, was by reusing an existing building.
Congratulations on a job well done.
The Bubblegum Factory
As published in PRC's Preservation in Print - September 2009.
The American Chicle Company operated at 8300 Earhart Blvd. (actually the entrance was on FIG) from 1911 to 1918, producing chewing gum made with latex harvested by Latin American chicleros from the sapodilla tree. Chewing gum began as the hope of an exiled Mexican president who wanted to regain power. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna brought a stash of chicle from Vera Cruz and worked unsuccessfully for months with New York inventor Thomas Adams to create a rubber substitute. Left with lots of chicle and no invention, Adams noticed a child chewing paraffin wax gum, and it struck him that chicle would be the perfect ingredient for this treat. Chicklets, he called them. A few years later William Wrigley added sugar and flavor to the chicle and Juicy Fruit was born. By WWII, when gum was included in every soldier’s ration kit, chicle was in such demand that a synthetic substitute was invented, and the chicleros — and many Mayan towns where chicle was the sole income — were out of business.
The American Chicle Company operated at 8300 Earhart Blvd. (actually the entrance was on FIG) from 1911 to 1918, producing chewing gum made with latex harvested by Latin American chicleros from the sapodilla tree. Chewing gum began as the hope of an exiled Mexican president who wanted to regain power. Antonio Lopez de Santa Anna brought a stash of chicle from Vera Cruz and worked unsuccessfully for months with New York inventor Thomas Adams to create a rubber substitute. Left with lots of chicle and no invention, Adams noticed a child chewing paraffin wax gum, and it struck him that chicle would be the perfect ingredient for this treat. Chicklets, he called them. A few years later William Wrigley added sugar and flavor to the chicle and Juicy Fruit was born. By WWII, when gum was included in every soldier’s ration kit, chicle was in such demand that a synthetic substitute was invented, and the chicleros — and many Mayan towns where chicle was the sole income — were out of business.
Friday, September 4, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Walgreens on Carrollton & Canal can do better
Take an opportunity to read the editorial distributed by Urban Conservancy in their recent e-newsletter
We all know Walgreens:
- is focused on using a standard model (its cheaper and easier to build the same box everywhere)
- wants to have the largest footprint possible in the neighborhood
- does not want to make room for others
- follows the letter of the law but not the spirit,when it comes to zoning and following code
- is willing to hire local guns to work areas where they get resistance to their standard models and corporate solutions.
MidCity needs to stand firm in their request for BETTER.
Walgreens can and should do BETTER than the standard square box, biggest gorilla approach.
We all know Walgreens:
- is focused on using a standard model (its cheaper and easier to build the same box everywhere)
- wants to have the largest footprint possible in the neighborhood
- does not want to make room for others
- follows the letter of the law but not the spirit,when it comes to zoning and following code
- is willing to hire local guns to work areas where they get resistance to their standard models and corporate solutions.
MidCity needs to stand firm in their request for BETTER.
Walgreens can and should do BETTER than the standard square box, biggest gorilla approach.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Make your Own Vinegar
Frugal Pantry Series:
Making Your Own Vinegar
September 5, 2009
2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
$5 SoFAB members and $15 for non-members
At the Southern Food and Beverage Museum
As part of our Frugal Pantry series, this workshop will show home cooks how to make their own vinegar from scratch. With the mother culture provided by Liz Williams, you can learn how to create a variety of different flavored vinegars, including apple cider, cane syrup, and wine. Different techniques and uses will also be discussed. With this class you will soon be on your way to crafting your own favorite vinegar.
Please bring a jar to take home your own “mother” culture to start you off. Call 504-569-0405 or email info@southernfood.org for more information.
Making Your Own Vinegar
September 5, 2009
2 P.M. to 4 P.M.
$5 SoFAB members and $15 for non-members
At the Southern Food and Beverage Museum
As part of our Frugal Pantry series, this workshop will show home cooks how to make their own vinegar from scratch. With the mother culture provided by Liz Williams, you can learn how to create a variety of different flavored vinegars, including apple cider, cane syrup, and wine. Different techniques and uses will also be discussed. With this class you will soon be on your way to crafting your own favorite vinegar.
Please bring a jar to take home your own “mother” culture to start you off. Call 504-569-0405 or email info@southernfood.org for more information.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)