Earhart Traffic Cameras

This article in the Times Picayune says the Traffic Cameras at Earhart and Carrollton are OFF.
And they were during the Earhart Construction that took place during much of 2011.....
BUT the construction is complete AND have no doubt that they will be turned back on.
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.....

And please keep an eye out for the Photo Enforced signs...
The city has to tell you they are going to take a photo. So be smart and slow down.

See the graphic from the Times Picayune article below.
I know of at least one camera (Prytania between Jackson & Washington) that is NOT shown on the graphic.  IF there is one then there are others and cameras are added all the time.

Praise for Complete Streets

So can we get bike lanes and crosswalks painted on Earhart????

NorthWest Carrollton would like to see Earhart become THE template for how Complete Streets could tranform a street and the surrounding neighborhoods and by extension the city..... all for the better.

From Times Picayune - December 23, 2011 - by Bruce Eggler

Many ordinances passed by the New Orleans City Council attract little notice beyond other offices in City Hall. But it didn't take long for an ordinance approved this month on the subject of "complete streets" to begin attracting compliments. Tributes to the council's wisdom rolled in from sources such as the Louisiana Public Health Institute, Tulane University's Prevention Research Center and the University of New Orleans Transportation Institute.

The basic premise of the growing "complete streets" movement is that city streets should not be designed only with cars and other motorized vehicles in mind. Instead, advocates say, designers and engineers ought to consider everyone else who uses the streets, including bicyclists, pedestrians, people in wheelchairs and transit riders.

The goal, according to the National Complete Streets Coalition, is "road networks that are safer, more livable and welcoming to everyone."
The ordinance adopted 7-0 by the council on Dec. 15 at the urging of Kristin Gisleson Palmer, chairwoman of the council's Transportation Committee, says the city's complete-streets program will require that "all transportation improvements are planned, designed and constructed to encourage walking, bicycling and transit use" as well as moving people and freight in cars and trucks.
In practice, the law says, that means streets should be designed and constructed to include features such as "sidewalks, bike lanes, bike racks, crosswalks, traffic calming measures, street and sidewalk lighting, targeted pedestrian and bicycle safety improvements," plus measures to facilitate access for transit riders and people with disabilities. It also calls for an emphasis on "street trees and landscaping, drainage and storm water management, and street furniture and other amenities."
The Department of Public Works and the City Planning Commission are directed to "develop goals and metrics" for the program, which is to be "fully implemented" by December 2012.
Exceptions are authorized for roads on which walking and cycling are prohibited, those where there is no demand for such activities and those where accommodating all users would raise a project's cost by more than 20 percent. The law also does not require broad redesign for minor street repairs such as filling potholes. But whenever a street is overlaid or rebuilt, the new rules apply.
The ordinance was endorsed by Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant, who oversees all infrastructure and capital projects for the Landrieu administration, and recently hired Public Works Director Mark Jernigan.
Jernigan said the new policy represents a "fundamental leap" in the way the city will approach the planning, design, construction and maintenance of streets. It puts New Orleans "on the cutting edge of industry practices," he said. Noting that 24 miles of bike paths have been constructed in recent years, he said, "A lot more are on the way."
Palmer said Louisiana has one of the best statewide complete-streets policies in the country but that New Orleans is the first town or city in the state to adopt its own policy.
Public health advocates favor complete-streets policies because they promote activities such as walking and bicycling.
"Research shows that people take opportunities to be active when intersections, bike lanes and sidewalks are not only available but also well maintained and safe," said Kathryn Parker-Karst, assistant director of the Prevention Research Center at Tulane.
"By creating safer environments for our citizens, we're also creating a healthier lifestyle for many," said Joseph Kimbrell, CEO of the Louisiana Public Health Institute. "The passage of this ordinance is another sign our community is become more forward-thinking for us and future generations."
Palmer said the new approach also can help lower-income people save money by taking public transit or cycling to work. New Orleans already ranks sixth in the country in the percentage of people who ride bikes to work, she said.
The City Council was not the only legislative body embracing complete-streets principles this month. The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation passed a federal transportation authorization bill that includes a measure for the "safe accommodation" of all users in federally financed street projects.

•••••••

Bruce Eggler can be reached at beggler@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3320.

Not quite Goi Du Du

Salad above is a modification of another reciepe.

The trick is to have just little more papaya then carrot.
1 medium (from our papaya tree in the backyard)
5 medium carrots (from the store)

Chop and julienne the papaya (different cuts make the salad more interesting)

In a large bowl
Soak the larger chopped bits of payaya in the lemon juice.
Add the rest of the papaya
and then sprinkle with kosher salt
Mix papaya and salt
Add carrot & mix

Into another small bowl
Squeeze out the exta lemon juice (the papaya will soak most up)
Add 1/4 teaspoon Habanero Sauce = Habaneros (from the backyard) mixed a blender add salt an a tiny bit of vinegar
Mix well adding a little extra lemon juice to ensure mixing.
Pour over payapa & carrot in the larger bowl and Mix well and Quickly!

Julienne at least a dozen medium Fresh Basil leaves (from the backyard) and add to the papaya & carrot mixture.

Lightly Toast about 1/4 - 1/2 cup of roasted pine nuts (I like more!) and add to the salad and serve.

Replacement Trees for Claiborne promised

Please note that we will remember that this was promised:
"Once construction is complete, the corps will put in new landscaping, said spokeswoman Sarah McLaughlin. There likely will be two or three times as many trees planted, with wider, mature trees being replaced inch-for-inch with younger trees, she said."
Can someone please show us the line in the SELA implementation plan and the associated budget so that we will KNOW that this promise (like the one made for Dublin Street) doesn't end up BROKEN?

Also please note that, while the TREES can be replaced, NOTHING has been said or done (or if it has it has not been communicated to the neighborhood organizations that raised the question) regarding the Monticello Canal and the constriction at Airline which will cause all the water that is expected to flow faster down Claiborne from other areas in Uptown to potentially back up into the areas around the Monticello Canal.  Taking Water from wealthier areas and funneling it into less wealthy areas. 

See full article from Times Picayune below:Claiborne trees lost to Drainage Project

New Orleans Times Picayune

By Mark Schleifstein

 An Army Corps of Engineers contractor has removed 73 trees and dozens of shrubs from the Claiborne Avenue neutral ground between the Jefferson Parish line and Cambronne Street as part of a massive project to improve drainage in the area.

The work, which was completed this week, was the first step in a $27.1 million contract to build about 2,500 feet of covered canal adjacent to the existing canal underneath the neutral ground.
The 38-month project is aimed at improving drainage in the Carrollton area to handle 9 inches of rain in 24 hours, or a 10-year rainfall event.

Once construction is complete, the corps will put in new landscaping, said spokeswoman Sarah McLaughlin. There likely will be two or three times as many trees planted, with wider, mature trees being replaced inch-for-inch with younger trees, she said.

The clearing work was coordinated and approved by the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board, which is the local sponsor of the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Damage Reduction Project, and by the city’s Department of Parks and Parkways, said corps spokesman René Poché.

Poché said corps officials discussed with the city agencies possibly relocating some of the trees, but it was decided to use all the money set aside for landscaping on restoring the neutral ground after the new canal work is completed at the end of 2014.

He said a similar strategy was used in restoring parts of the neutral ground along Napoleon Avenue after completion of a new canal there several years ago.

Uptown - University Area Crime Wave... Not NorthWest Carrollton BUT...

But not that far either.... So pay attention!!!

Knowing your neighbors is the BEST way to protect yourself.So this holiday season.... say HELLO and Happy Holidays.  It's friendly, nice and it helps keep you safe too.


http://www.fox8live.com/news/local/story/Wave-of-crime-hits-Uptown/soV3XZhc_EmknokyEr5reQ.cspx

5th Annual Caroling in Palmer Park

Sunday, December 11
5:30 PM

Led by Metairie School of Music

Please bring cans of non-perishable foods to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank

(Boxed Macaroni & Cheese,

Peanut Butter, Tuna Fish are an expressed need)

Thank You to our Sponsors & Neighborhood Partners:

Central Carrollton Association, Carrollton United,

Carrollton Riverbend Neighborhood Association,

Friends of Palmer Park, Fontainebleau Improvement Association, Holly Grove Neighborhood Association,

Maple Area Residents, Inc.,

Northwest Carrollton Civic Association,

Palmer Park Neighborhood Association &

Uptown Triangle Neighborhood Association

Roberts

Walgreens

Take 5

5th Annual

Caroling in Palmer Park

Another cry in the wilderness for parking enforcement!

Clear the Walkways: Letter to the Editor

Published: Monday, November 28, 2011, 1:15 AM   Times Picayune / Nola.com

I have two questions.

First, is blocking a sidewalk with a parked car unlawful? If so, the city's budget could be balanced by tickets on Tchoupitoulas Street alone.

Recently, I was jogging on Tchoupitoulas, and I stopped to attend an elderly woman in a wheelchair who was crying. She was trying to visit her grandchild at Children's Hospital, but she was blocked by heartless people who parked their vehicles on the sidewalk. I had to step out in the street to hold up traffic so that she could cross the street and continue to the hospital.

What good is handicap access at intersections if sidewalks are blocked?

Second, is driving through crosswalks unlawful? Drivers ignore the crosswalks on Magazine Street connecting the zoo and the park. Someone is going to be injured or killed.
At least, we need signs to instruct drivers to brake for pedestrians.

Come on, 2nd District police! Remove those cars and trucks blocking the sidewalks on Tchoupitoulas! Enforce the crosswalks on Magazine!

Ronnie Davis
New Orleans

Federally recognize the United Houma Nation

Read more about the United Houma Nations struggle for recognition here.

The White House promised to review the United Houma Nation's petition for federal recognition if 25,000 signatures are acquired. At this time yesterday, the count was 4868. Late last night, it passed the 5000 mark. At this pace, the number of signatures will only get to about 6500 by the December 1st deadline. We can all play a role in making this happen if we ask our friends and family to sign.

So click on this LINK to White House.Gov Petitions

CREATE an Account. 
Yes it is a pain to have to create an account. But people must create an account to register themselves as REAL people are signing the petition.
Once you create your account you will get an eMail and you will have to click on the link to validate the account and sign in.  

ONLY then can you actually sign the petition.

It's pointing and clicking.... and a few minutes of your time.

The United Houma Nation has been waiting a long time.

"The United Houma Nation has sought federal recognition for decades. The tribe has been recognized by state and foreign governments as an Indian tribe. In fact, Houma children were forced to attend a segregated Indian school until the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Located along Louisiana's Gulf Coast, the Houma Indian culture and community depend on the wetlands. The BP spill has devastated the Houma. However, BP denied the Houma's claim because they are not federally recognized.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) recommends the United Houma Nation be recognized to preserve the Houma’s culture. An NAACP report stated the oil industry lobby is blocking their request because they want access to lands that would be protected under the federal designation."

---Below is a sample of the Email you will get requiring you to confirm your account---



-----Forwarded Message-----
From: "Whitehouse.gov"
Sent: Nov 12, 2011 5:30 PM
To: Your Email address
Subject: Almost done! Verify your WhiteHouse.gov account

You're only one step away from creating your WhiteHouse.gov account. Just 
click on the link below to confirm this is a working email address:

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/user/validate/5411635/1321140545/d40494472XXXXXXXa1e4ba5070c43cc

IMPORTANT: If you created your account in the process of signing a 
petition on We the People, you still need to click on the "Sign this 
Petition" button on the petition's webpage.

Here is your WhiteHouse.gov account information, including an automatically 
generated password:

https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/user
e-mail: yourEmailaddress

password: theWebGeneratedPassword



More information about WhiteHouse.gov accounts is available in the  
WhiteHouse.gov's Privacy Policy (http://www.whitehouse.gov/privacy) and the  
Terms of Participation  
(http://www.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/how-why/terms-participation) for We  
the People.

-------------------------------------------------------
This email was automatically sent by WhiteHouse.gov because someone attempted  
to create a WhiteHouse.gov account using the address YourEmail@YourServiceProvider.xxx

Buy Local this Holiday Season!!!!

Birth of a New Tradition (for you mom!)

As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high
gear to provide Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods, and merchandise that has been produced at the expense of American labor.

This year will be different. This year Americans will give the gift of genuine
concern for other Americans. There is no longer an excuse that, at gift
giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American hands. Yes
there is!

It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in
a shirt box, wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper? 

Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates
from your local American hair salon or barber?

Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some
health improvement.

Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned
detail shops and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a
book of gift certificates.

Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down
the Benjamines on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift
receiver would like his driveway sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or
driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local golf course.

There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift
certificates. And, if your intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about
a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast joint. Remember, folks this
isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your home town
Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.

How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or
motorcycle, done at a shop run by the American working guy?

Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a
local cleaning lady for a day.

OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin
their own wool and knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery
and beautiful wooden boxes.

The Art Market is at Palmer Park on

Saturday November 26 & Sunday November 27

Saturday December 17 & Sunday December 18

Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave
your server a nice tip. And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at
your hometown theatre.

Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.

Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese
lights for the house? When you buy a five dollar string of light, about
fifty cents stays in the community. If you have those kinds of bucks to
burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.

You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that
China can build another glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about
US, encouraging American small businesses to keep plugging away to follow
their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care about our
communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition.

This is a revolution of caring about each other, and isn't that what Christmas is about?

Enforcement .... Really???

Clipped from the Times Picayune article (in full below):
"Another component of the initiative will be strict enforcement of existing laws, from the ban on parking on sidewalks to hours of operation to responsibilities for cleaning up outside business establishments, the mayor said."

Ok so finally.... neighborhoods have been CRYING for Parking Enforcement forever and NOW that the mayor has linked enforcement to tourism.... and it's his idea... maybe, just maybe we'll get some.   When the infrastructure we do have so so precious and under-maintained we need to do everything possible to keep it functional.  This means *NOT* parking on sidewalk or over curb cuts, not trashing our drains... Good luck Mitch! Let the enforcement begin.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu

launches initiative against litter in the city 

(November 15, 2011 by Frank Donze)

As New Orleans prepares to host an array of high-profile sporting events, Mayor Mitch Landrieu rolled out a new public awareness campaign Monday designed to spruce up the city in advance of the onslaught of visitors.

The city on Monday announced a new public awareness campaign to encourage residents to keep New Orleans clean in advance of several major events. 

"All eyes will be on New Orleans, and it will be once again our time to shine," Landrieu said at an afternoon news conference where he asked locals to embrace the "Don't Trash Dat" slogan that will adorn buses, streetcars, garbage cans, billboards and bumper stickers.
Other similar motivational messages will follow in the coming months.
While the keep-it-clean push will focus on the French Quarter and other downtown "hospitality zones," the mayor said he wants the anti-litter spirit to spread across the city.
"We can clean up, but if you don't throw it down we have less to do. And we need everybody to do their part," Landrieu said. "If you see something on the ground, pick it up. If you see one of you neighbors throw something out of their car, let them know about it."
In January, New Orleans will be home to college football's championship game, followed in the spring by the NCAA Men's Final Four, college basketball's premier weekend. In 2013, the Super Bowl will be here along with the Women's Final Four.
New Orleans also will be the inaugural stop for a three-year celebration of the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812 in April, serving as home to a fleet of international Tall Ships and U.S., Canadian and British naval vessels.
Those events will join the city's annual lineup, which includes Mardi Gras, the Essence Music Festival, the Bayou Classic, the Sugar Bowl, the French Quarter Festival and the Jazz Fest, among others.
"If there was ever a signal that people needed to know whether New Orleans was back, this is it," Landrieu said.
Another component of the initiative will be strict enforcement of existing laws, from the ban on parking on sidewalks to hours of operation to responsibilities for cleaning up outside business establishments, the mayor said.
Kurt Weigle, president of the Downtown Development District, said the crowds of visitors will offer "a great opportunity to show the world how much we respect and love our hometown" and "to change our own hearts and minds about how we treat our city."
Landrieu also served notice that the clock is ticking on the Occupy NOLA encampment that's been established across from City Hall in Duncan Plaza.
"We think that we have been a great host to Occupy NOLA," he said. "They have been there in a peaceful way. But at some point in time, we've got to say 'Look, you've worn out your welcome.'
"At some point in time, it's going to get beyond just a First Amendment expression."
While Landrieu did not offer a timetable, he said the protesters likely will be asked to leave "sooner rather than later."

••••••••

Frank Donze can be reached at fdonze@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3328.

Improved Roadways should get Painted Bike Lanes.

Quote from article below:
"With improved road surfaces, dedicated bike lanes and a wealth of resources for cyclists, the city that was once perceived of as blatantly antagonistic to riders now has a bike-friendly reputation nationwide."

So given the improved road surface on Earhart and Carrollton.... what's holding up PAINTING SOME BIKE LANES on Earhart & Carrollton... maybe even Leonidas..??? This seems a very EASY step to make.

If you want something to happen....
"The City Council has set a goal of attaining "gold" status by 2018."
You have to make a space for it!  Painting bike lanes does just that....

Full Article from Times-Picayune Sunday November 6, 2011 by R. Stephanie Bruno

Six years ago, bicycling from Canal Street to Poland Avenue would have been a ride fraught with challenges, including dodging traffic and avoiding cavernous potholes. But in the years since Hurricane Katrina, conditions have improved so dramatically that bikers are turning out in record numbers -- so much so that New Orleans has been designated a bronze level "Bike Friendly City" by the League of American Bicyclists.

Local advocates say two prime factors have boosted the city's bike-friendly profile: the post-storm resurfacing of numerous roads, and the striping of several major roadways, including Marconi Drive, Crowder Boulevard, MacArthur Boulevard, St. Charles Avenue and Harrison Avenue.
Thanks to millions in disaster aid from the federal government, many miles of roads have been improved since 2005. The city footed the bill for adding bike lanes to the repaired roads, quadrupling its bike-lane mileage from 11 miles in 2005 to 44 miles today, with an additional 15 miles planned.
Studies conducted by Kathryn Parker of Tulane University's Prevention Research Center show that ridership along St. Claude Avenue increased by 57 percent after bike lanes were added in 2008. On South Carrollton Avenue, the number of cyclists jumped a whopping 225 percent after bike lanes were striped in 2010.
Richard Campanella began biking from his Bywater home to Tulane University, where he works as an urban geographer, nine years ago.

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"My decision then was largely pragmatic," he said. "It boiled down to an utter frustration with urban driving, jockeying in traffic and trying to fit a car through tight spaces."
Thirty thousand miles later, Campanella can testify to the fact that many more commuter cyclists are on the streets. Although road conditions are a key reason, there are other factors motivating bikers as well, he said.
"There is an increasing appreciation nationwide of a simpler lifestyle involving biking and walking," Campanella said. "There's a rising interest, especially among young people, in sustainability and concern about global warming. And there is also a recession and high gas prices."
In New Orleans, 18 percent of households in the city don't own a car, a statistic partly responsible for fact that New Orleans ranks sixth among like-sized cities in the percentage of workers who commute to work by bike, according to the 2010 U.S. Census Bureau's 2009 American Community Survey.
Bart Everson, who has been commuting to work by bike for eleven years, said he started doing it to save money, but soon became hooked by the "sheer pleasure" biking brings.
"I carry a camera with me and I stop to take photos of interesting things, things I would never see or be able to appreciate in a car, much less be able to stop for," he said.
Everson is a major force behind the effort to create a 3.1-mile bike path along the derelict Lafitte Corridor, which will connect the French Quarter to Canal Boulevard, linking seven neighborhoods along the way.
Whether cyclists are spurred by economics, philosophy, health goals, pleasure or frustration, they now have a bounty of resources available to them that didn't exist a few years ago.
If they need a place to "park" a bike downtown or elsewhere in the city, they can rely on as many as 69 bike racks installed by "Where Ya' Rack?" an initiative of the Young Leadership Council. If they need a map of dedicated bike routes and lanes, they can log on to the web site of the nonprofit Bike Easy and find one.
If they're curious about biking conditions on a favorite back street, they can access "Chain Gang," a detailed map of street conditions generated by NolaCycle from data collected by volunteers. If they need inexpensive parts to repair a bike, they can visit Plan B, a bike co-op in Faubourg Marigny.
And if they plan to ride to a local event but don't know where to safely stash a bike, Bike Easy provides "Bicycle Valet" service at some events -- such as the Oak Street Po-Boy Festival, Wednesdays at the Square and the Lafitte Corridor Hike -- where bikes are stored in secure "corrals."

With improved road surfaces, dedicated bike lanes and a wealth of resources for cyclists, the city that was once perceived of as blatantly antagonistic to riders now has a bike-friendly reputation nationwide. But bronze level recognition just isn't good enough for some: The City Council has set a goal of attaining "gold" status by 2018.

Amount of money held in metro banks remains high

Lest you think it doesn't matter... this is what will helpNew Orleans survive and become a 21st Century City

See Full Article below:

Published: Sunday, October 30, 2011, 9:20 AM 

By Rebecca Mowbray, in the The Times-Picayune
Thousands of homes have been rebuilt, businesses have reopened and levee improvements are substantially complete, yet six years after Hurricane Katrina, local banks are still awash in cash. After Hurricane Katrina, the amount of money held at local banks rose sharply as people deposited their insurance checks in bank accounts while making their rebuilding plans. It was a fairly expected occurrence.

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Economies recovering from disaster often see a buildup in bank deposits as a result of the insurance payouts. The funds are usually spent in the months following the disaster.
But despite all the rebuilding that has taken place since Katrina, the amount of money on deposit at local banks hasn't dropped to anywhere close to where it was before the storm. In fact, after declining slightly from 2006 to 2008, the amount of money held at local banks has again been climbing over the past few years. As of June 30, metro area bank deposits totaled $29.2 billion. In June 2005, area bank deposits amounted to $20.1 billion, or $23.3 billion in today's inflation-adjusted dollars.
Why the puzzling pattern? Bankers, economists and other experts say it's a mix of the local story of the long path of hurricane recovery, changes in the New Orleans economy after the storm, and a bit of money from BP. The economic anxiety about the future that is gripping the nation may also be encouraging consumers to keep money in their bank accounts.
High levels of bank deposits don't necessarily mean that it will be easier for consumers to get loans. Credit and underwriting standards are still tight after the 2008 financial crisis, and banks say that consumer and business demand for loans is weak. But bank deposits are a window into people's saving behavior and how the flow of money has changed in the New Orleans area in recent years.
Karl Hoefer, president of IberiaBank's Louisiana market, said that lots of insurance money flowed into the New Orleans area after Katrina, and people spent it rebuilding homes and businesses. But the money didn't stop flowing a few years after the storm: insurance disputes that ended up in litigation took several years to get resolved, the city has only recently settled some of its disputes with the Federal Emergency Management Agency over rebuilding payments, and projects such as replacing school buildings across New Orleans and construction on the University Medical Center complex are just beginning.
When the financial crisis hit in 2008, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. increased the amount of bank deposits it would insure to $250,000 per account and came up with several other programs to protect money in banks. In the process, Hoefer said, the FDIC created a safe haven where people could store more of their money and protect it from the whims of a turbulent stock market at a time when there were few other investment opportunities.
Economic uncertainty
Three years later, the stock market remains volatile, and even though individuals and businesses aren't earning much interest on their deposit accounts, they're more keen to preserve their capital rather than risk it all in the stock market. Individuals are conserving cash because they're worried about job losses, and companies are sitting on money in case they need to draw on their own liquidity if they can't get the credit to expand, take advantage of an opportunity in the downturn, or plug a hole if something goes awry in their business, Hoefer said.
Meanwhile, the April 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil disaster again gave people reason to be fearful about the future and cautious with their money. As of Oct. 24, the Gulf Coast Claims Facility, the organization set up to make reparations to people outside of court, has paid nearly $1.7 billion in Louisiana, putting more money in people's bank accounts.
Loren Scott, professor emeritus of economics at Louisiana State University, said the amount of money people have been paid by BP is probably more than many people would have earned fishing, since some payments are designed to take care of the possibility of economic dislocation extending into the future. In addition, increased economic activity from the cleanup efforts could have generated other earnings that could allow people to put money in the bank.
Rising incomes locally
Meanwhile, Scott said, even though the population of New Orleans is smaller after Katrina, the people that remain are earning more money than they used to. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average annual salary in the New Orleans area was $32,750 in May 2005. In May 2010, the most recent figures available, the average local salary was $41,000. One reason the amount of money on deposit remains elevated, Scott said, is that the New Orleans area economy has a different mix of people with different earning power than before the storm.
But Brian Bowling, vice president in bank supervision, regulation and credit risk management at the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, said the story of robust bank deposits in New Orleans since 2008 is really the same thing that's happening nationally. "It's just the uncertainty. People are holding more and conserving more in cash, both consumers and businesses," Bowling said.
Bowling believes that's the case because the ramp up in deposits in New Orleans over the past three years looks just like the increase in deposits in other cities such as Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Ala., and Tampa, Fla., even though they didn't face Katrina or the brunt of the oil spill.
Hoarding cash
Furthermore, national economic anxiety is readily apparent in bank deposit numbers from this summer, when the European debt crisis was getting worse and Congress was deadlocked over raising the debt ceiling. According to figures from the Federal Reserve, the amount of money on deposit at U.S. banks grew fairly consistently in 2009 and 2010, but this summer, as concern was building over Europe and the debt ceiling was mounting, deposits nationally grew at an annualized rate of 8.3 percent in June, then jumped to 18.9 percent in July, before falling back to 8 percent in August and 2 percent in September.
All of that makes Bowling pretty certain that businesses and individuals in New Orleans are hoarding cash just like their counterparts elsewhere in the country. "All of those things would lead me to believe that New Orleans doesn't look out of line with any other market or the national numbers," Bowling said.
Steve Hemperley, greater New Orleans market president for Capital One, the area's largest bank, said he agrees with Bowling, that the recent uptick in deposits is all about economic uncertainty.
"Many banks are flush with deposits," Hemperley said. "People feel more comfortable preserving their liquidity. Even though they may not be earning a whole lot of money, they may not be losing a whole lot of money."
Rebecca Mowbray can be reached at rmowbray@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3417.

 

Polling locations 17-10 & 17-12 return to NorthWest Carrollton!

This is a BEAUTIFUL Picture
 
for the FIRST TIME since Hurricane Katrina
polling locations 17-10 and 17-12 have returned to the neighborhood.

Bike Lane advocate 2011 Urban Hero - J. Ruley

Bike Lanes shouldn't be a second thought. 
Many people use transportation other than cars, trucks, motorcycles.   Some people walk, take the bus, or ride a bike.  Complete Streets acknowledges this. And this is why NorthWest Carrollton as asked and will keep asking for bike lanes on Earhart and down Carrollton Avenue.

A favorite quote from the Nola.Com article below: “Recreational riders stay out of traffic,”  
Other cyclists ride for transportation and THAT is what we need our planners and Public Works staff to understand and advocate.  Non-recreational riders, pedestrians are as important as cars. Jennifer Ruley gets it.   Hands clapping Jennifer. 


See FULL ARTICLE below from Nola.com
When Jennifer Ruley was growing up in Algiers in the 1980s, smack in the middle of seven siblings, her busy mother didn’t have time to drive all the kids to school. Jennifer, like most children in the neighborhood, biked or walked to Alice Harte Elementary School.

John McCusker / The Times-PicayuneJennifer E. Ruley advises the city of New Orleans on cycling issues. The Intersection of Filmore and St. Bernard is now the hub of bike lanes in Gentilly Wednesday, October 12, 2011

Today, as a bicycle and pedestrian engineer advising New Orleans City Hall, Ruley, 41, works to make the city safer and more accessible for walkers and bikers of all ages. For her efforts, Ruley will be recognized Saturday as the Urban Conservancy’s 2011 Urban Hero.
“I always think of her when I see the bike icons on the street,” said Dana Eness, executive director of the Urban Conservancy. “She really embodies everything we are trying to do in terms of creating a better connected, more walkable, pedistrian-friendly city.”
Ruley came to the city “on loan” from the Louisiana Public Health Institute through a public health grant in 2004. With a master’s degree in civil engineering and a decade of experience in the public and private sectors, her job was to help New Orleans neighborhoods become more walkable and bikeable.
That work later included helping the city implement new bikeway and pedestrian safety projects under the 2005 $240 million, five-year capital bond issue, which represented the first time bike and pedestrian projects would be explicitly funded through the city’s capital improvement plan, said Ryan Berni of the Mayor’s Office.
Hurricane Katrina gave the process a jolt, as major and minor roads all over the city had to be repaired, Berni said. Meanwhile, attitudes toward bikers and walkers were becoming more welcoming.
Ruley acknowledged that New Orleans is considered walkable because it’s compact and has commerce woven into the fabric of neighborhoods. But better sidewalks, curb ramps and signals can take a city to the next level: pedestrian-friendly.
“With time, this has become much more mainstream,” Ruley said. “It’s about people. It’s about health.”
It’s a topic that’s close to her heart personally, as well as professionally. As a college student and then a young professional in Baton Rouge, Ruley biked for recreation, riding up to 80 miles a week along trails and in parks. “Recreational riders stay out of traffic,” she pointed out.
Then she started biking to work. “Commuters are a whole different animal,” sharing the road with sometimes-grudging drivers, Ruley said.
Before Ruley leaves her Bayou St. John home, she straps on a helmet. She’s had a couple of close calls when cars turned in front of her or swerved as if they were deliberately trying to hit her. She’s lived — and biked — in many areas of the city, including Gentilly, the university section, Bywater and her home turf, Algiers. On a busy road, a designated bike lane is safer and “legitimizes that user,” she said.
“It is rewarding to see the large number of people using these new facilities and the positive comments I’ve heard from the community,” Ruley said. “Bicyclists and pedestrians can be a tough crowd to please. So it’s nice to know when we get it right.”
With the goal of improving health, City Hall has seen a golden opportunity to add bike paths, bike ways and walkways without adding huge costs, Berni said. Since the storm, the city has quadrupled the miles of bike-friendly asphalt in the city, he said.
The engineer commutes to the CBD in her work clothes — a short-sleeved polo shirt, corduroys and loafers on a recent day. She locks her black “commuter clunker” right outside the front door of City Hall while drivers jockey for expensive downtown parking spots. She also hops on the bike to inspect road construction around the city, making sure that bike lanes or walkways are built correctly and channel users as intended.
If it rains, “I get wet,” she shrugs.
In her free time, Ruley walks her beagles, Linus and Humphrey, on the banks of Bayou St. John, and volunteers with an animal rescue group. She also travels the world and has found ideas to make streets more accessible to walkers and bikers.
Eness, of the Urban Conservancy, says the roadwork is making an impact. “Once you have safe, easy ways for people to travel by something other than car, and you pair that with accessiblity with bike racks, you see those bike racks being used. Every single bike rack is chock-a-block full of bikes,” she said. “That either means people are getting there who couldn’t before, or you are getting relief in some of those congested parking areas.”
••••••••
Jennifer Ruley will be recognized as the 2011 Urban Hero at the Urban Conservancy’s 10th anniversary fundraiser, “You Are Here” at the Icehouse, 2803 St. Philip St. in Mid-City. There will be silent live auctions of local products, along with “street baskets” featuring items reflecting the character of local commercial corridors. There will be live music, and a pedicab company will offer complimentary rides. For event information, contact Keely Hill at 504.561.7474 or keely@staylocal.org. Tickets may be purchased online at www.youarehereforapurpose.eventbrite.com or at the door.
•••••••
Annette Sisco is community news editor. She can be reached at asisco@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3310.

5th Annual Palmer Park Halloween Party

Friends of Palmer Park ~ FOPP

5^th Annual Halloween Party!

 

Come join us as we celebrate the culmination of everyone’s hard work in the park. Time to have fun!

 

"!"

6-9 p.m., Saturday, Oct 29

 

 

Park party kicks off in the park near the new play-set

 

 

Each family is asked to bring their drinks (we have coolers with ice) and a

spooky dish to share.

 

FOPP will provide tables, tents, paper products, music, etc…

 

This magical neighborhood event is FREE however, for those that can afford it, a suggested donation of $5.00 helps pay for event expenses and future park projects.

Bank Robber Nabbed in MidCity Carrollton @ Canal

The New Orleans Police Department- Public Information Office

New Orleans Police Nab Suspect in an Attempted Early Morning Bank Robbery on Carrollton

The New Orleans Police Department in conjunction with the FBI arrested 49 - year- old Calvin Johnson in connection with an attempted Mid City bank robbery. The incident occurred around 10 this morning at the Capital One Bank located in the 4100 Block of Canal Street. 

Detectives reported Calvin Johnson entered the bank and handed a bank teller a note with the words “No bait” written on it. Johnson became startled at which time he   grabbed the note and walked out of the bank. Officers on proactive patrol in the 4300 block of South Carrollton Ave observed a subject matching the description of Calvin Johnson.  The officers brought Calvin Johnson back to the bank where the FBI agents made a positive identification.

Calvin Johnson currently has outstanding warrants for Forgery and Theft from an incident in 2010. New Orleans Police will book Johnson with the outstanding warrants while the FBI will book him with the Attempted Bank Robbery.

The New Orleans Police Department, under the leadership of Superintendent Ronal W. Serpas, is engaged in a complete transformation in its approach to ensuring that New Orleans is a safer place to live, work and visit. The police force, which currently employs dedicated men and women, is committed to transparency, accountability, collaboration and integrity. To learn more about the NOPD and our services, visit http://www.nola.gov/GOVERNMENT/NOPD and visit us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pages/New-Orleans-LA/New-Orleans-Police-Department-Official/133853236665761

                                                                                                ###

Officer Frank B. Robertson, III

Night Out Against Crime - Palmer Park

Click here to see pictures

Palmer Park

Tuesday, October 11, 2010

5:30PM - 7:30PM

Invited Guests include

CM Susan Guidry; Sen. Karen Carter Peterson; Rep. Neil Abramson

2^nd District NOPD Leadership and Officers

Music by

Shocking Blond

Plum Street Snoballs + Crêpes à la Carte + Fruit Sensations

Prize Wheel + Fire Engine Exhibit

Hot Dogs for $1.00 Donation

(NOPD 2^nd District & NOFD Fire House at Carrollton & Claiborne)

bring your donations

Fire House needs - Gift certificates to Robert's Fresh Food Market

NOPD 2^nd  District needs - Gift Certificates to Office Depot

organized by

Carrollton  Area Network

Sponsors

Robért Fresh Market      5 Minute Oil Change     Walgreens 

&

Carrollton Riverbend Neighborhood Association; Carrollton United; Central Carrollton Association; 

Fontainebleau Improvement Association; Maple Area Residents Inc.; StateStreetDrive.com;

Northwest Carrollton Civic Association; Palmer Park Neighborhood Association;

Participating Partners

Daughters of Charity; AARP; Entergy

Visit our Facebook page - http://facebook.com/CANOAC

James Gill GETS it.... Thank you Mr. Gill

Now all we need is for the city to figure what to do about the blighted properties Toris Young has left in our neighborhood.

Toris Young is under indictment and in trouble with the law.... Again.

Toris Young is Bibleway.  Bibleway owns 3 consistently Blighted Properties with code violations in NorthWest Carrollton.
These empty lots do not eliminate blight they only create a different kind. Please see the photos in the links:


http://nwcarrollton.blogspot.com/2011/09/bibleway-blight-its-everywhere.html
Location Address 2940 JOLIET ST
Owner: BIBLE WAY BAPTISTCHURCH Mailing Address P O BOX 850341 NEW ORLEANS, LA 70185
This location has Permitting & Safety Issues. The sand is piled too high on the lot and has covered the drains and the sidewalks.


Location Address 8419 S CLAIBORNE Ave
Owner: BIBLE WAY BAPTISTCHURCH Mailing Address 1829 HAMILTON ST NEW ORLEANS, LA 70118


http://nwcarrollton.blogspot.com/2011/09/bibleway-blight-abandoned-cars-on-apple.html
Location Address 8325 & 8523 Apple
Owner: Greater Bibleway Housing CDCL
Mailing Address 2936 Joliet St. New Orleans 70118


2925 Joliet is also a Bibleway Property but it has an unoccupied house on it.
8515 Pritchard Place is also listed as a Bibleway Property. This property has a house on it.


The city's blight stat meetings focus on number of houses demolished as a measure of success.  We will measure success when these vacant lot properties are consistently cleaned up and the houses are renovated and occupied.  We've been asking for help addressing these issues for YEARS.  All we've seen is James Gill's opinion columns and Toris Young repeatedly in jail.  What can the city do to help with this issue? 

See Opinion by James Gill in the Times Picayune >>>
Pastor Toris Young racking up indictments: James Gill

The effrontery of our thieving pastor Toris Young is something to behold. According to his latest indictment, Young screwed the federal government out of close to a million bucks while awaiting trial for running up large bills on credit cards in other people's names.

Rusty Costanza, The Times-Picayune archive The Rev. Toris Young.

Young, who had been indicted for fraud and identity theft just before Katrina, wound up in the penitentiary after pleading guilty in 2006. Meanwhile, the feds now allege, Young took the Small Business Administration to the cleaners for imaginary reconstruction of a church and ancillary buildings destroyed in the storm.

The SBA transferred the last installment to Young's bank account on the very same day he began his sentence for the earlier scam.

We already knew that Young is not the most circumspect of crooks. He had been out of prison for less than a year when he pulled a bank fraud in Mississippi. Last year, he pleaded guilty to that one too, and is now back inside. A perusal of his most recent indictment suggests that it will be many more years before he is at liberty again.

If a smart crook does not draw attention to himself, far less do his utmost to get his name in the newspapers, Young must be deemed a pretty dumb one. As soon as he got out of the joint, he was to be found pushing his way to the front wherever the cameras gathered. In 2009, he was a leading light in the drive to recall then-Congressman Joseph Cao, which was pretty stupid, considering the law does not allow a congressman to be recalled. Meanwhile, he joined Corey Miller in a campaign to stop "senseless murders" on the streets of New Orleans.

Miller is something of an expert on the subject on murder and was under house arrest awaiting trial for one at the time. His stage name as a fairly successful rapper was C-Murder, so this was not a crime-fighting duo with much credibility. Miller got life.

Young, meanwhile, held himself out as the head of a vast ministry built up since his ordination in 1987 by "a council of International Pastors under the Auspices of The Spoken Word Ministerial Alliance of Greater New Orleans." According to his website, his empire, with its "main sanctuary" on Joliet Street, included a children's church, a computer lab, a school, a cafeteria, administrative buildings and two housing complexes for the poor and elderly. Young had been undaunted by Katrina; his church remained "live and full of the "Holly Spirit." No, it wasn't Christmas; Young meant that the Paraclete had descended on Joliet Street.

Well, he didn't find much there. Certainly yours truly did not when paying a visit in 2009. Where the array of glorious buildings purportedly stood, a few scruffy and vacant lots were all that was to be seen. The address given for one of the housing units did not exist, and the other was a pumping station.

It was not because of a shortage of cash that Young's ministry no longer existed, if, indeed, it ever had. He did not let the grass grow under his feet when Katrina struck, claiming extensive damage to church property and applying on Sept. 10, 2005, for a low-interest federal loan.

According to the indictment just handed up, Young extracted $923,000 from the SBA on the strength of forged construction invoices. All the money went into Young's pocket, and the feds now want it back. Good luck on that one.

Oct. 12, 2006, was a decidedly mixed day for Young in his relations with the federal government. While the marshals carted him off to the pen, the SBA credited his bank account with the balance of the loan, $463,900. He had little chance to spend the loot right away, presumably, but he was evidently hard up a few months after his release.

In the fall of 2009, he was up to his old tricks, opening a bank account in Mississippi with someone else's Social Security number and stolen money orders. A Mississippi federal judge gave Young 27 months in January last year, but, since he was still on probation at the time, U.S. District Judge Lance Africk tacked on another 24.

Now that he has been indicted again, Rev. Young is in what can only be described as a holy mess.

••••••••

James Gill is a columnist for The Times-Picayune. He can be reached at jgill@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3318.

Polling Locations return to Incarnate Word

Yeah!!!!!!

We are HOME from our PostKatrina voting exile at Xavier University.

Xavier was nice and very good to us but it is better for everyone to be able to walk to the polls.

Thanks to all the government services for the followups and follow throughs that made this happen.

6 years was long enough!!!!!!

17/10, 17/12     changed    TO    

Incarnate Word Head Start, 8326 Apricot St., New Orleans, LA

SELA Phase 1 - dumping into Monticello's bottleneck

The article in the Times Picayune today (in full below)  indicates that Phase 1 of our nightmare is starting. 

We all know, from conversations with representatives at the Corps of Engineers, this means that eventually more water will get dumped faster into the Monticello Canal.  This means that the Monticello (which *already* fills during heavy rainfall) will fill faster.  We also know that without an increase in the capacity at the railroad tracks (near Airline) that this will backup in Monticello and eventually backup into the houses in Hollygrove and Carrollton and Broadmoor and Fountainebleau.   When there are very high water levels in the Monticello the drains in the streets start backing up.

Don't believe us. Ask the Corps of Engineers and S&W about the restriction (narrowing) of the Monticello at the railroad tracks near Airline. They will tell you it is real. They will tell you it is a potential problem.  They will tell you that they were working with Joseph Cao when he was in Congress to get monies to address the issue.

So our question is: where is the money to eliminate the restriction?  Without this money and a plan all that is being done is moving water from Uptown into Hollygrove, Carrollton and Broadmoor.  Our understanding was that Congress was being lobbied to provide funding to allow for the restriction to be removed.  Can anyone provide an update on the comprehensive plan for the SELA projects and how the Monticello drains (or doesn't because of the restriction) into the flow also coming from Palmetto and into the 17th Street Canal?

The article from the Times Picayune today (in full below)
The Army Corps of Engineers has awarded a $27.1 million contract to increase drainage for the Carrollton area with improvements to an underground concrete canal along South Claiborne Avenue between Monticello Avenue and Leonidas Street. The project, part of the Southeast Louisiana Urban Flood Damage Reduction Project, is aimed at allowing the drainage system to accommodate runoff from a 10-year rainfall event.

A 10-year rainfall  in New Orleans represents 9 inches of rain in 24 hours, a corps spokeswoman said.
The 38-month project will be built by Louisiana-based Cajun Constructors Inc., and includes about 2,500 feet of covered canal and the relocation of sewer and water lines to accommodate the project. A notice to proceed will be issued to the company this month, and the job is expected to be completed in the winter of 2014.
The new canal will parallel an existing canal in the South Claiborne Avenue neutral ground and will tie in to the existing Monticello Canal and to a similar new canal to be constructed under the South Claiborne Avenue Phase 2 contract at Leonidas Street. The new canal will be built in the traffic lane closest to the neutral ground in the west-bound roadway, and will require the closure of adjacent traffic lanes at times.
The New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board will brief the public on the project at a meeting that is not yet scheduled. The S&WB will brief residents along Napoleon Avenue about a similar project at a meeting Oct. 18 at 6 p.m. at The Salvation Army, 4526 South Claiborne Ave.
The second phase of the Claiborne project, including canal improvements on Claiborne between Leonidas and Lowerline streets, will be awarded next spring.
This is the 13th SELA contract awarded in New Orleans, financed with money made available by Congress in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, with 35 percent of the cost borne by the S&WB.

Resilience and Opportunity

Dear friends and colleagues,

 

Have you heard about Resilience and Opportunity: Lessons from the U.S. Gulf Coast after Katrina and Rita? We gathered more than 20 local scholars to document our collective learnings post-Katrina and pulled all of this knowledge together in a book.

 

Published by Brookings Institution Press, Resilience and Opportunity appeared on book shelves on the sixth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina just one month ago.

 

This book will be invaluable to new students at our local universities or anyone else who's recently arrived and getting involved in New Orleans’ rebuilding efforts, and to those of us that have been watching and contributing to our community’s progress since the day we returned home.  Moreover, it is in hot demand from decisionmakers all over the world who are grappling with recent disasters hitting major population centers.

 

What's in the book?  You can get a taste by watching this 3-minute video featuring some of the authors who contributed. Check it out at:

http://e2ma.net/go/10764521685/3938373/110083780/7852/goto:http://www.gnocdc.org/TheNewOrleansIndexAtSix/ResilienceAndOpportunityVideo.html

 

Sincerely,

The GNOCDC team

Melissa Schigoda, Allison Plyer, Ben Horwitz, Charlotte Cunliffe, Elaine Ortiz, and Susan Sellers

 

@@@

 

The Greater New Orleans Community Data Center is a product of Nonprofit Knowledge Works and is supported in part by United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area, Community Revitalization Fund of the Greater New Orleans Foundation, Baptist Community Ministries, Metropolitan Opportunities Fund at the Greater New Orleans Foundation, and data users like you.

Fight Fraud. Shred Instead!

What:	Fight Fraud. Shred Instead!
When:	Saturday, October 8, 2011 10 am - 1 pm
Where:	Daughters of Charity parking lot 3201 South Carrollton Ave. New Orleans  Dear Neighbor, It's estimated that every year more than eight million Americans fall victim to identity theft, losing over 40 billion dollars annually.  How do criminals do it? They steal your personal information. Fight fraud. Shred instead! You're invited to a free shredding event hosted by AARP and Shred-It, a secure document destruction company. Bring your financial statements, cancelled checks, credit card statements and pre-approval offers, payroll stubs, insurance forms and out dated medical records for shredding.  Protect yourself from identity theft and shred old documents that contain personal information. You can shred up to five bags or one medium sized box.  This free event is for individuals only -- companies not allowed. AARP staff and volunteers will be on hand to help you with your materials and provide information about identity theft and consumer fraud. Powered by nearly 500,000 members, AARP Louisiana is a champion for all generations to live their best lives, independently, in their own homes and communities.  Discover more of what AARP and its army of volunteers do in Louisiana at www.aarp.org/LA.