ENVIRENEW PROGRAM TO BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS

From: Envi RENEW
To: recovery@envirenew.org
Subject: The Salvation Army Launches $10 Million EnviRenew Program

ENVIRENEW PROGRAM TO BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS:
$10 Million Salvation Army Program Releasing RFP
on Friday 20th November in Riverview at 10am

The Salvation Army program EnviRenew will release its Request For Proposals (RFP) on Friday, November 20th at 10am. The release will take place at a groundbreaking at 1213-1217 Leboeuf Street in the Riverview neighborhood on the West Bank. The groundbreaking will witness the public release of the RFP to interested neighborhood organizations, developers and homebuyers.

EnviRenew is an initiative by the Salvation Army focused on promoting long-term affordability for homeowners by advocating for a comprehensive green building standard for households and neighborhoods. Prompted by ongoing recovery efforts in New Orleans, the program focuses on achieving long-term affordability by increasing energy efficiency and thereby lowering owner occupancy expenses. Lower utility bills and maintenance costs enable greater long-term savings for low-income households. Furthermore, by building environmentally sustainable homes and strengthening community capacity, the program serves as a model for neighborhood renewal and recovery.

Event Details
Who: The Salvation Army EnviRenew Program
What: Groundbreaking and RFP Release
Where: 1213-1217 Leboeuf Street, New Orleans, 70114
When: Friday, November 20th at 10am

Sincerely,
Lindsay Jonker
Director, EnviRenew

DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CONFERENCE

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS TO HOST DISADVANTAGED BUSINESS ENTERPRISE CONFERENCE

On Thursday, November 19, 2009,
the City of New Orleans will host a Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) and Small Business Conference designed to engage the city's small and disadvantaged businesses in the rebuilding and growth of the City of New Orleans.
The conference will be held at Gallier Hall,
545 St. Charles Avenue, from 8a.m. - 5p.m.

The conference will focus on relevant topics for current and potential DBE's and small business owners in recovery related industries such as design and construction. Workshop session include;
· How to find a skilled workforce
· How to become a certified DBE
· Small business financing, including joint venturing, access to bonding and capital
· The benefits of "Green" building and construction training
· 1p.m. - 4p.m.-one/one DBE certification assistance

Loan applications will be processed on site by local banking institutions and steel framing certification will also take place on site.

Individuals can register at www.cityofno.com and click on the "DBE Small Business Conference" tab located on the right side of the City's homepage. Registration ends on Wednesday, November 18, 2009 at 5:00p.m. The link to register for the DBE and Small Business Conference is also available at the following websites:

Urban League of Greater New Orleans : http://www.urbanleagueneworleans.org/

New Corp, Inc: http://www.newcorpbac.net

New Orleans Regional Black Chamber of Commerce: http://www.norbcc.com


All questions about the conference can be directed to
Ms. Pamela Dorsey at 504-658-8450 or e-mailed to DBE2009@cityofno.com

8300 Block of Claiborne

In the 8300 Block of Claiborne 2 problem properties sit side by side.



The first house, a double, at 8315 & 8317 S. Claiborne can still be saved. But it has open windows and trash and high grass. And surprise, surprise, it has a Metairie-based owner:
KATHRYN P BORDELON
3408 CLIFFORD DR
METAIRIE LA 70002

The next house a single, at 8325 S. Claiborne seems pretty hopelessly rundown and unstable.

The assessor's web site says the owner lives here. We don't see how anyone can or should live in this house.

The lot next to this house is consistenly covered with high grass and weeds.

Ramped corner to no where - Fig & Joliet

We have more than one lovely sign indicating that minor streets and sidewalk repairs are underway in our neighborhood. This is good news. For the most part, any infrastructure repair in our neighborhood is good news. Especially since we are in a part of the city where some streets have curbs and drains and some streets have neither. Am I the only one who wonders why that's not the case in Lake Vista or the Garden District? But I digress.

FEMA did the initial assessment on sidewalk damage. And we all know how logically FEMA works. So I'm sure this one thing contributing to the arbitrary nature of the repairs.

But folks this is ridiculous.

We've complained to the City, for literally years, about this empty lot with its illegally high mountain of sand, an abandoned car and container. But so far nothing has happened.
EXCEPT that the sidewalk repairs have created the equivalent of a "Road Cut" on the Joliet side of the mountain of sand. What we are guaranteed is that this new sidewalk will very shortly be covered over with sand... again and that this sand will be making its way to covering over the storm drain... again.

But wait there's more.

The repairs on Joliet have exacerbated the problem on Fig. The repairs have created a ramp to no where. You can't see the sidewalk on Fig because of its has been overwashed with sand and now new sand from the "Road Cut" made into the mountain of sand is covering up the grass.

When is something going to be done about this Vacant lot? Vacant lots are blight too. This lot is blighted and owned by infamous Toris Young's BibleWay Baptist Church.

But wait there's even more. What we were told when we asked about having the owner of the lot fined and the sidewalk restored was that sidewalk repairs are the responsibility of the property owner. Now if this is the case why isn't it the property owners responsibility to get the dollars from FEMA to repair the sidewalk? Why is the city "doing this for us" if the city has no responsibility for sidewalks? I don't know. Apparently I'm not smart enough for the bureaucracy.

Could someone at City Hall PLEASE, PLEASE, do something about the Lot on the corner of Cambronne and Fig. One day we'd like to see the rest of the sidewalk. Even it it isn't as lovely as the sections of sidewalk provided to us by FEMA.

Blight Properties in the 8300 Block of Claiborne

From: NorthWest Carrollton
To: "AHolbein@cityofno.com" , RXFogarty@cityofno.com, jodom@cityofno.com, kaphillips@cityofno.com, kphillips@cityofno.com, aefaciane@cityofno.com, whreid@cityofno.com, lsmith@cityofno.com, wptaylor@cityofno.com
Cc: BOARD
Subject: Problem Properties 8300 Block of Claiborne
Date: Nov 17, 2009 4:06 PM

In the 8300 Block of Claiborne 2 problem properties sit side by side. NorthWest Carrollton requests that inspectors be sent to the properties shown below for Blight assessment.

The first house, a double, at 8315 & 8317 S. Claiborne can still be saved. But it has open windows and trash and high grass. And surprise, surprise, it has a Metairie-based owner:
KATHRYN P BORDELON
3408 CLIFFORD DR
METAIRIE LA 70002


The next house a single, at 8325 S. Claiborne seems pretty hopelessly rundown and unstable. The assessor's web site says the owner lives here. We don't see how anyone can or should live in this house.


The lot next to this house is consistenly covered with high grass and weeds.

Your attention to this is greatly appreciated,

Jenel Hazlett for NorthWest Carrollton

Want to reduce your electricity bills?

Have you ever wondered what type of insulation is best for your home?

Global Green's "Build it Back Green" program is hosting a
Home Insulation Panel Discussion
to help homeowners and other interested parties learn more.

Choosing the correct type of insulation for our hot, humid climate can be a daunting task, but we have invited several vendors to discuss their product in a format that will allow us to learn more about the qualities of their product. Whether it be cellulose, fiberglass batts, rigid foam board, or spray foam, this will be an excellent opportunity to learn more about how to reduce your electricity bills through properly insulating your home.

The Home Insulation Panel Discussion will take place
at our Green Building Resource Center
at 841 Carondelet St.
on Tuesday evening, November 17th from 6:00-8:00 pm.

This event is free and open to the public and refreshments will be provided.

We look forward to seeing you then! For those unable to make it, feel free to stop by our Resource Center on Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm and Saturdays by appointment.

For more information please contact Heidi Jensen by phone at 504-252-2121 or email hjensen@globalgreen.org.

Tree Planting Volunteers Needed

THANKS! to EVERYONE who helped.
We planted 59 TREES in NorthWest Carrollton this past Saturday.

Hike for KaTREEna is helping NorthWest Carrolton plant more than 50 trees this

SATURDAY

NOVEMBER 14th

Starting at 9AM

we're meeting at the corner of Pritchard Place and Carrollton Ave.

This is a bring your own shovel party.

Many of our neighbors are not able to plant their own trees

so every strong arm and shovel is appreciated.

Arts & Gardens Event

New Orleans Botanical Garden and KK Projects Life is Art Foundation
team up to unveil Sculptures from International Artists,
A part of arts+gardens+new orleans

Special Preview Event November 12, 2009
6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m.

The New Orleans Botanical Garden has partnered with the KK Projects Life is Art Foundation to present a series of large-scale art works for public viewing inside the Garden. The sculptures first gained attention while they were on view during last weekend's VOODOO Experience in City Park, and have now been brought into the Botanical Garden where they will stay through January.



Some of the larger-than-life pieces include the Cone by German artists Hans Sachs and Manuel Kretzer, a light based sculpture that rotates with human force. Watch your Eyes, by Elliott Coon, and Light Harps, by Jen Lewin will also be on display. Additionally there is a piece commissioned by City Park from Eric Ehlenberger called Venusian Swamp Lily that will hover above the Botanical Garden's renowned Lily Pond. All of the sculptures are lighted, and some are kinetic, and interactive. All of the sculpture will be on display and open to the public for Celebration in the Oaks which runs from Friday November 27th to Wednesday December 30th.

The sculptures will be on exhibit for a special preview event at the New Orleans Botanical Garden on Thursday, November 12, from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. The Garden encourages members of the artistic, gardening, and cultural community to view the sculptures and take part in the ongoing vitalization of New Orleans as an arts and gardens destination.

Welcome Home Open House

Rosalie's Open House


8223 Nelson Street
10am to 2 pm
Saturday, November 7th

CITY COUNCIL BUDGET HEARING SCHEDULE - 2010

CITY COUNCIL HEARINGS ON 2010 PROPOSED BUDGET

The Council will hold hearings on the Mayor’s proposed 2010 budget, beginning on Friday, November 6, 2009 at 9:30 a.m. in the City Council Chamber. Hearing dates for individual departments and agencies are in the schedule below

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 6
BUDGET OVERVIEW – CHIEF ADMINISTATIVE OFFICER
TAX LEVY
CAPITAL BUDGET
REVENUE BUDGET

PANEL DISCUSSION – PENSION SYSTEMS:
POLICE PENSION
FIRE PENSION
MUNICIPAL EMPLOYEES RETIREMENT SYSTEM

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
PANEL DISCUSSION – JUDICIAL & PAROCHIAL OFFICES, PART 1:
MUNICIPAL COURT
TRAFFIC COURT

PANEL DISCUSSION – JUDICIAL & PAROCHIAL OFFICES, PART 2:
CRIMINAL SHERIFF
CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT
CRIMINAL DISTRICT COURT, CLERK’S OFFICE
DISTRICT ATTORNEY
CORONER

PANEL DISCUSSION – JUVENILE JUSTICE
JUVENILE COURT
HUMAN SERVICES

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10
PANEL DISCUSSION – QUALITY OF LIFE, PART 1:
HEALTH (EXCL. EMS)
SANITATION
MOSQUITO & TERMITE CONTROL BOARD

PANEL DISCUSSION – QUALITY OF LIFE, PART 2:
PARKWAY
RECREATION
N.O. MUSEUM OF ART
N.O. PUBLIC LIBRARY

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 11
PANEL DISCUSSION – PUBLIC SAFETY:
POLICE
FIRE
HEALTH (EMS ONLY)
ORLEANS PARISH COMMUNICATION DISTRICT

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12
PANEL DISCUSSION – INFRASTRUCTURE & MAINTENANCE:
PROPERTY MANAGEMENT
PUBLIC WORKS

PANEL DISCUSSION – LAND USE REGULATION & PERMITTING:
CITY PLANNING COMM.
HISTORIC DISTRICT LANDMARKS COMM.
VIEUX CARRE COMM.
SAFETY & PERMITS

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 13
PANEL DISCUSSION – ADMINISTRATIVE & SUPPORT SERVICES:
CHIEF ADMINSTRATIVE OFFICE
FINANCE
CIVIL SERVICE
LAW
INSPECTOR GENERAL

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16
Note: Hearings on the proposed budgets of the following outside agencies, enterprise funds, and special districts may be re-scheduled to a later date)
PANEL DISCUSSION – NON-CITY AGENCIES:
ALGIERS DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT
REGIONAL TRANSIT AUTHORITY
N.O. TOURISM MARKETING CORPORATION

PANEL DISCUSSION – ENTERPRISE FUNDS & SPECIAL DISTRICTS:
DELGADO ALBANIA PLANTATION CORP.
MUNICIPAL YACHT HARBOR CORP.
FRENCH MARKET CORP. & UPPER PONTABLA BUILDING RESTORATION CORP.
PIAZZA D’ITALIA CORP.
RIVERGATE DEVELOPMENT CORP.
CANAL STREET DEVELOPMENT CORP.
N.O. BUILDING CORP.
N.O. AVIATION BOARD
N.O. BUSINESS & INDUSTRIAL PARK
DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17
CHIEF ADMINISTATIVE OFFICER PRESENTATION:MISCELLANEOUS/ CIVIC AFFAIRS
REGISTRAR OF VOTERS
MAYOR’S OFFICE (ALL DIVISIONS)
COUNCIL & ALCOHOL BEVERAGE CONTROL BOARD

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 18
AS NEEDED FOR BUDGET COMMITTEE

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20
AS NEEDED FOR BUDGET COMMITTEE

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30
AS NEEDED FOR BUDGET COMMITTEE

NorthWest Carrollton Resident plays at VooBoo Fest

The McGehee School Orff Ensemble will play VooDoo Fest's children's area, called VooBoo Fest, on Sunday November 1 at 11:00am.

Lagnaippe Rocky Horror Review

Courtesy of JPASJust in time for Halloween, JPAS stages 'The Rocky Horror Show, ' starring Richard Hutton, center, as Dr. Frank 'N Furter, and featuring, clockwise from top, Chris Wecklein, Marlene Thian, Helen Jane Planchet, Lara Grice and Diana Macera.

ROCKY HORROR SHOW

What: The musical cult classic finds a naive couple stumbling into the lair of the "sweet tranvestite from Transexual, Transylvania." Costumes encouraged for the 10:30 p.m., especially on Halloween.

When: Fridays at 7:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 7:30 and 10:30 p.m. through Nov. 7.

Where: Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, 177 Sala Avenue in Westwego.

Tickets: $30 for adults, $27 for seniors (65 and older) and $20 for students. No children's tickets will be sold due; parental discretion is strongly advised. Call 504.885.2000, or visit www.jpas.org.

Under the direction of Jerry Lee Leighton, the musical's ghoulish characters continuously gyrate and swirl around the perverse master of the house (Richard Hutton), a rakishly regal transvestite from the planet Transsexual who eventually seduces his two unwary houseguests. Every conceivable sci-fi and horror-story device, from hacksaws to lasers, from outer-space aliens to a laboratory-concocted muscle man, are compiled into this madcap Hitchcock-gone-haywire plot, set to boisterous rock ' n' roll.



'70s campy cult classic does the time warp again in Westwego
By The Times-Picayune
October 30, 2009, 5:00AM

A naive young couple's car breaks down on a desolate road. Who do they turn to for help? Why, to the same mad transsexual scientist who has been "helping" stranded innocents for three decades, of course.

Dr. Frank-N-Furter, along with his cast of campy miscreants of "The Rocky Horror Show" have taken to the stage at the Westwego Performing Arts Theatre, and judging by opening-night audience reaction, the 36-year-old spoof of 1950s B-rated horror movies hasn't lost any luster.

Richard O'Brien wrote "The Rocky Horror Show" book, music and lyrics for the original, 1973 stage production at the Royal Court Theatre Upstairs in London. The show had a U.S. preview at the Roxy Theatre in Los Angeles before a short Broadway run in 1975. Later the same year, "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" movie was released and became a cult hit.

The innocent couple wanders into a creepy castle where a transsexual convention happens to be taking place. Janet (Lucy Adair Faust), our Kewpie doll-faced, pony-tailed heroine, is initially reluctant to become drawn into the decadence. Her nerdy, bespectacled fiancé, Brad (Matias Grau III), is more game, if only for the chance to call for roadside assistance.

Like New Orleans college freshmen experiencing their first Mardi Gras, Brad and Janet are at first astonished and later liberated from their inhibitions.

Noting the silver-haired, conservatively dressed crowd at the Jefferson Performing Arts Society's early-bird show, I doubted I'd witness the essential audience participation that has traditionally accompanied both film and stage versions of "Rocky Horror." Since 1977, audiences have joined in by costuming, shouting favorite lines and doing the "Time Warp" again.

But I was wrong. Before Brad and Janet even stepped out into the stormy night, a rowdy, costumed group of 20-somethings, wearing black eye makeup and carrying props, jump-started the action. At the top of the second act, the theater's front row began denigrating the play's narrator (Jerry Lee Leighton). By the finale, the entire audience was on its feet, enthusiastically doing the pelvic thrust in a reprise of the "Time Warp" dance.

"The Rocky Horror Show" would not reach its comedic zenith without the strong performance of Hutton as the delightfully wicked Dr. Frank-N-Furter. He magnificently struts around the stage, outfitted in a black patent leather corset, pearls, fishnet stockings and crimson high heels, belting out "Sweet Transvestite." He displays a more dignified decadence than Tim Curry's lascivious screen personification, but delivers the carnal punch nonetheless.

His lively sidekicks Columbia (Lara Grice) and Magenta (Marlene Thian), handyman Riff Raff (Chris Wecklein) and the exceedingly buff Rocky (Brandon Sutton) contribute their own comically horrific hijinks.

An excellent small band with musical direction by Alan Payne keeps cast members rockin' and rollin'. A simple set with effective lighting and playful black costumes set the stage for chaotic madness.

The result is a lot of campy fun, no matter whether you're reliving youthful indiscretions or experiencing this nonsensical show for the first time.

-- Mary Rickard, The Times-Picayune

NOPD - Preventing Auto Theft - newer vehicles

There have been a few cases in the last several months where people were victim's of an Autotheft or Burglary after they believed they locked there vehicles.

It has come to our attention that some newer model cars will not lock and/or trunk will not close if you have a valet key or a remote key fob inside the vehicle. Please be cognizant of the fact and check to see if your vehicle has this feature.

Sex Offender Notification

Russel Counterman
Male - Caucasian - 5'8" - 180 lbs - Brown Hair (bald) - Hazel eyes - 48 years old

8422 Nelson St Apt 2

Offence
Date: 5/17/2006
RS Code/Description: 14.81.1 - Pornography involving juveniles
Federal Conviction - Possession Child Pornography - 18 USC 225(a)(4)(B)

City Budget Suggestions

My personal suggestion is that we cut garbage pickup to ONE DAY a week and cut the Sanitation Contracts in half. It takes our family 2 weeks to get close to filling the behemoth garbage can.

BGR Report - Master Plan - Citizen Participation

Click here to read the BGR's report

Key points in the BGR that I personally agree with:

- Develop a participation system that connects neighborhoods directly to the City Planning Commission.

- Redraw the planning district boundaries (as necessary) to better reflect neighborhood boundaries and interconnections.

- Deploy planning staff in a strategic manner. (AMEN! HALLELUJAH!, especially if this means that neighborhoods get a planner who will know the neighborhoods and the people and understand hot button issues and hopes because there is an existing direct relationship - see the first bullet)

- On matters that affect two or more neighborhoods, bring the relevant neighborhoods together. (We're probably talking to each other already, but YES please bring the affected neighborhoods together!)

- Require an official response to neighborhood concerns. (Yes, please make this required. It happens sometimes. It would be great if it were consistently done.)

- Either extend the comment period for the draft master plan or remove the community participation program from the draft plan. (Yes... a new layer of semi-elected, unofficials scare the bejessus out of me! Let the CPC work directly with concerned citizens and neighborhood groups. I know they, CPC, know how to do this.)

Thanks very much but the one thing that we have PROVEN, REPEATEDLY is that we can quite effectively speak for ourselves.

Jenel Hazlett

Nola Stat - reducing waste in the City Budget

From: Brian Denzer
Subject: [NolaStat] How do we live within our means without cutting essential city programs and services?
Date: Oct 27, 2009 10:38 AM

The public was been invited to City Council chambers last night to comment on what the city's budget priorities should be.

From my own analysis of the "Budgeting for Outcomes" process over the last two years, I intend to make the comment that the process of yearly performance reviews as part of an annual budget cycle is insufficient for managing government performance. We certainly will have to balance the budget this year, but severe budget imbalances are predicted for the foreseeable future. We have to ensure that budget adjustments don't adversely impact essential city services, or community priorities.

No family could ever live within a budget or fulfill its goals if it only reviewed its finances and priorities once a year. Government is no different.

How do we live within our means without cutting essential city programs and services?

Achieving annual performance goals while observing fiscal discipline requires regular review as part of a weekly or bi-weekly process. This is the lesson from a dozen other cities that have implemented “stat” processes. It's also essential that the entire community be invited to participate in an inclusive process of setting priorities.

Baltimore's CitiStat process reduced waste by $350 million over seven years. CitiStat didn't just reduce wasteful expenditures. It allowed mayors Martin O'Malley and Sheila Dixon to reinvest resources in improving access to affordable housing, reducing violent crime, moving blighted houses back into commerce, reducing lead poisioning in children with abatement activities, faster street repairs, building modern schools, improving equity in the city's economic progress, greening the city, and increasing drug treatment programs. And in order to keep the public informed of agency performance, all reports compiled for CitiStat meetings are posted on the city's Web site for the public to view.

Washington, D.C.'s CapStat process went even further, posting agency data on the city's Web site. Public access to city data became the basis for Apps for Democracy, allowing the community to tap city data to build new ways to inform themselves about government operations, including an iPhone application that alerts neighborhood residents of all building permit applications to help eliminate surprise land use changes.

I have been conducting policy research over the last several months to advance a NolaStat policy reform for New Orleans. NolaStat is envisioned as a process to manage the performance of city agencies, and to improve public access to city data. It is a policy that is completely consistent with community participation in the budget process, and that fulfills the vision of the Master Plan to improve community input in land use decisions. In short, a NolaStat reform offers New Orleanians the opportunity to create a better and more participatory government. It isn't just about changing the people we elect to office, but instead, it's about changing the operating system of New Orleans.

My hope is that all candidates for municipal office in 2010 will adapt their platforms to include the creation of a NolaStat policy, using the best practices in other cities to model a solution for New Orleans that improves the performance of city agencies, and that improves public access to city information.

Regards,
Brian Denzer
http://NolaStat.org

This is my personal favorite part of Brian's report:
1) Many offices have no measurable outcomes indicated other than a description of what the office does. There were 62 offices in which no outcomes were offered. Instead, a disclaimer was used as a placeholder, “Measures to be developed in 2009.”

He is RIGHT. How can we know what to cut and where in the budget
IF we don't really know what each department does?

Rocky Horror Review

A review by Bradley Troll at theatrebelowsealevel

I was a Sophomore in college the first time I watched the movie version. My best friend Julie brought over this VHS with a big pair of lips on the cover, and she promised that my life would never again be the same. I settled in and watched–determined to find the meaning, understand the symbolism and waited for that moment when every odd thing I was watching would suddenly be explained, make sense. I didn’t heed Frank-N-Furter’s advice; I didn’t simply “give myself over to absolute pleasure.” When it ended, I was perplexed. I watched it again the next week, didn’t think too hard, and something finally soaked in. Julie was right; my life was never the same.

Forgive the indulgence of that story, but I promise it relates ot my most recent theatrical excursion–over to see JPAS’s production of Richard O’Brien’s The Rocky Horror Show. Now I’ve been avoiding the stage play for many years because the movie (you know, with the additional word “Picture” in the title) is so unique and specific and special to me. And even though I knew the play was the predecessor and deserved artistic respect as such, I always believed that any staged production that I would see would attempt to recreate the movie experience and, ultimately, be a big disappointment. But on opening night at JPAS, I gave myself over to absolute pleasure once more and left with something unexpected: an entirely new love of the story.

At this point in the review, I usually try to give a brief synopsis of the plot, but for this story, I find that to be a somewhat unusual talk. What can I say? I could tell you, if you’re unfamiliar, that it is the tale of a young couple, a transvestite alien, and the creation of a human monster sex toy. Or I could say that it’s a mix of B-movie parody, rock musical, science fiction, and tragedy. Then again I could say it’s a fable, illustrating the consequences of unabashed hedonism. Or is it the ultimate story of self-acceptance? Perhaps it would suffice to say that it’s glam comedic theatrical spectacle overload. Let’s just leave it at this: if you don’t know the story by now, shame on you!

There are a few choices to make when staging something that has been made iconic by film: recreate the movie, do something entirely new and different, or find a happy medium between the two. Director Jerry Lee Leighton makes the latter choice in his production–a wise move. He captures the spirit of the cult film by incorporating just enough of the familiar to keep us connected (even encouraging audience participation) and just enough of the new to keep us surprised. Several audience members who had come prepared with costumes, props, and a rowdy spirit played along with what they knew and were delighted by the unfamiliar.

Leighton, aside from directing, leads us through the tale in the role of the Narrator, and serves as a wonderful guide. His irreverent sarcasm sneaks in through his academic rhetoric, making him a delightfully cantankerous storyteller who isn’t afraid to shoot the bird to the audience when they accuse him of having no neck; you don’t get that in the film. As the young lovers Brad and Janet, Matias Grau III and Lucy Adair Faust become progressively corrupted by the scandalous Dr. Frank-N-Furter. Grau goes full-force in his portrayal of Brad, cleverly pushing the nerd to the absurd. Faust, though she has a beautiful singing voice, is unfortunately a bit more subtle, and I’m not sure her transition from goody-goody to… well, you know what they call Janet… ever really happens.

Iconic characters Magenta (Marlene Thian), Riff Faff (Chris Wecklein), and Coumbia (Lara Grice) are played a bit differently from the film version, and we feel as though we’re meeting them for the first time. Wecklein, especially, creates a more sinister servant than one might expect and follows through with wonderful comedic timing and a great singing voice. Grice’s Columbia is wackier than the girl you may remember, and the zaniness fits her well. However, it is Armando L. Leduc who comes through as a real scene-stealer in his dual roles of Eddie and Dr. Scott. Especially in the latter role, Leduc puts a bad-boy intellectual spin on the stodgy character that makes for unexpected laughs; you will leave talking about it.


In the film, the doctor’s muscular creation, Rocky, had all of his dialogue removed from the script. For this reason, it was nice to see Rocky come to spoken life through the near-nude Brandon Sutton who gave Rocky a rarely-heard voice. And it would be a crime not to praise the amazing ensemble of Transylvanians that make this world truly come to life. Often draped around the set as voyeuristic eyes, each member creates a character for him/herself that is distinct and interesting. Beyond that, they nail the harmonies and rich tones of the deceptively simple musical score that is executed wonderfully by the orchestra/band under the direction of Alan Payne.

But of course the big question remains: what about Frank-N-Furter? In the make-it-or-break-it role of the show, Richard Hutton does not disappoint. His performance is reminiscent of Tim Curry , but he doesn’t set out to duplicate or imitate–if anything it is an homage. Completely comfortable in his skin-baring fabulousness, Hutton is funny, shocking, and ultimately heartbreaking as he sings of going home.

Minor technical issues aside, such as some microphone buzzing and auditory issues due to the onstage band, JPAS’s The Rocky Horror Show makes me a believer in the possibilities in tackling the iconic. With JPAS’s signature hospitality and encouragement of good-natured chaos, a time-warping trip to Westwego makes for an evening of near-absolute pleasure and the rediscovery of a classic.

The Rocky Horror Show runs through November 7 with Friday and Saturday showings at 7:30 and Saturday late-night showings at 10:30. For more information, call (504) 885-2000 or visit www.jpas.org

Districts A and B Budget Town Hall

CALL TO ARMS!

Districts A and B Budget Town Hall

Tuesday, Oct. 27 from 7 to 9 p.m. in City Hall Council Chambers!

Goals

- Educate citizens on 2010 Budget Crisis
- Encourage public engagement in budget process
- Elicit public input on priorities for budget expenditures and revenues
- Galvanize support for a democratic budget process

The Model City for the 21st Century

Shaping our image post-Katrina.
by Scott S. Cowen, President of Tulane University and co-founder of the Fleur de Lis Ambassadors program.


October 24, 2009, 7:00AM
Next summer, New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region will commemorate the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. This anniversary is likely to be the last one to garner considerable national visibility as Katrina fades from the American consciousness.

It is crucial that we take the time now to think about how we want others to perceive our city and our rebuilding efforts, and take the necessary steps to ensure that the anniversary message we send is the one we want people to hear.

After President Obama's recent visit, Amy Liu of the Brookings Institute aptly stated that the fifth anniversary of Katrina will be a major milestone in the city's projected long-term recovery. She asked: What will be the community's unified message about its progress and vision for the future? How we answer this question will shape the perceptions others have of New Orleans and establish expectations about the city's future.

Personally, I hope our message is that New Orleans is not only en route to a full recovery but is thinking beyond recovery, with the aspiration to become "The Model City for the 21st Century," a city defined by its resiliency and by a commitment to community transformation and civic activism.

New Orleans has the potential to become such a model. It has retained its distinctive characteristics while dramatically transforming itself in ways that can serve as an example for other cities. New Orleans has been resilient and is demonstrating the power of citizen activism as it converts tragedy into opportunity and positive change.

By the fifth Katrina anniversary, we must articulate a vision and describe it in an inspirational and credible set of powerful messages both for ourselves and the world. We also must hold ourselves accountable for achieving the vision.
If we do, we can proudly say that Katrina did not defeat us; it made us stronger and better as we went beyond recovery to community renewal.

During his visit, President Obama told us "change is hard, and big change is even harder." New Orleans knows this well.

The improvements in public education and ethics reform prove that we are capable of significant, positive change. Likewise, our desire to improve health care, the criminal justice system, neighborhoods, transportation, wetlands restoration and flood protection show that we recognize what is important as we look to our future.

Sadly, this opportunity for civic transformation would probably not have occurred absent Katrina. We owe it to those who suffered and sacrificed to take Katrina's tragedy and transform it into sustainable positive change.

If tragedy leads to a substantially better future for all of us, New Orleans will be "The Model City for the 21st Century" because our experiences -- positive and negative -- can inform others around the country committed to community revitalization. It will demonstrate our character as New Orleanians.

The key to defining, communicating and realizing our vision and community message lies in superb leadership throughout the community. With capable leadership, anything is possible. Each one of us has the responsibility to exhibit exemplary individual leadership in whatever we do and to support deserving political and organizational leadership in others. Let's embrace the people who can help develop a vision for our city, and who can passionately and persuasively communicate this vision to others while also demonstrating the courage and administrative experience to make the vision a reality. We should expect no less of ourselves and those who represent us.

Let's commemorate the fifth anniversary of Katrina as the rebirth of a city, a celebration of resilience, and a desire to succeed no matter the odds.