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Sunday, December 1, 2013

Arts Market @ Palmer Park - shop local!

http://www.artscouncilneworleans.org/article.php?story=artsmarket.facts

The Arts Market of New Orleans takes place from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. the LAST Saturday of every month.
Special Holiday two-day show Saturday December 21 and Sunday December 22nd .

What kind of art is featured at the Arts Market? 
The Arts Market features handmade, affordable art from local and regional artists and artisans. Styles of art include Painting, Photography, Ceramics, Glass, Jewelry, Wood, and Printmaking, plus handmade clothing, soap, and other delights. Between 75 and 135 artists display and sell their wares each month.


Map to the Arts Market of New Orleans in Palmer Park
Corner of S. Carrollton and S. Claiborne Ave.
 

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Private Property Rights and your backyard

·         Clearing of trees: As the law stands now, one only needs approval of the City before trees are removed from public space (such as the right-of-way adjacent to the street). Removal of trees on private property is not regulated.

·         Paving: As the zoning ordinance is written now, the only limitation on paving is within the required front-yard. Beyond the 40% limitation in the required front-yard area one is free to pave their entire lot.

o   The draft zoning ordinance (CZO) speaks to more extensive paving, but that ordinance is probably about 6-months from adoption.

o   Additionally, the Sewerage and Water Board is proposing to create a mechanism to have people pay for the impact of their paving on the City’s stormwater system. The hope is that this will create an incentive to have more permeable surfaces in our urban environment.

o   Even though there is no limitation on paving, one is not allowed to shed water to a neighbor’s property. The property owner will have to accommodate their own water either through grading the lot to channel water to the street or installing drainage.

Tuesday, November 19, 2013

2013 Po-Boy Fest

Abita Beer presents the 2013 Oak Street Po-Boy Festival

7th Annual Oak Street Po-Boy Festival
presented by Abita Beer


Sunday November 24th, 2013
10am-7pm
Oak St at Carrollton


No Saints Game! The Saints will have defeated the Falcons the Thursday before.

Named "Best Food Festival of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012" by Gambit Weekly

S.O.S. Volunteers needed!



Pitch in for 3 hours of your time and get a free Oak Street Po-Boy Fest T-shirt and an invitation to an exclusive Volunteer Thank You party.

The Oak Street Po-Boy Festival is an excellent opportunity to get involved in the community, and experience the rich culture of New Orleans. Here's how you can help on fest day: set up, host, greet, distribute maps, take surveys, staff VIP/Hospitality area or Kid's World, bus tables, hang signs, clean up, break down, and more.

To volunteer, please fill out our handy form at www.poboyfest.com/get-involved



Details for the Fest are shaping up!


Check our website for all the latest menus, schedules, and information!

The menus are out! Check out the delicious po-boys that will be served up by OVER 30 PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS! Experience the best po-boys in the city all in one place for one day only. Save room to try multiple varieties - Shrimp, Oysters, Roast Beef and all manner of classic as well as unique taste combinations.



Music throughout the Fest!


The Main Stage will be located at the corner of Oak & Eagle and will feature Los Po-Boy-Citos, Flow Tribe, Johnny Sketch & the Dirty Notes, Rebirth Brass Band & More!
NEW: Saloon Stage at the Maple Leaf Bar—Lineup TBA soon!
+ Brass Bands on Leonidas Street & Plum.



History Center is back!


Poppy Tooker will host the traditional telling of Gendusa & Martin Brothers Po-Boy family stories this year! Join us at the Mater Dolorosa Parish House.
Panels will showcase the saga of the po-boy all day kicking off at noon.

12:00 to 12:30: First Families of the Poor Boy: Martin and Gendusa
Celebrate the 83rd anniversary of the Poor Boy with the two families responsible for its creation following the 1929 streetcar strike. Family members tell stories about the founding fathers of the poor boy sandwich and the poor boy loaf: restaurant owners Bennie and Clovis Martin and baker John Gendusa.
Featuring: Gendusa& Martin family members
Moderator: Poppy Tooker, Host of Louisiana Eats!, WWNO 89.9
Free Tasting Samples: Gendusa Poor Boy Bread (Donated by John Gendusa Bakery)

12:30 to 1:00: Louisiana Eats! The People, the Food, and Their Stories
You listen to Poppy’s weekly radio show, now discover her new book. Poppy Tooker talks about Louisiana Eats! The People, the Food, and Their Stories and shares stories about Louisiana food culture.
Featuring: Poppy Tooker, Host of Louisiana Eats!, WWNO 89.9
Author book signing sponsored by Blue Cypress Books immediately afterwards in History Center



Families, don't miss the Kid's World hosted by St. Andrew's Episcopal School on their beautiful, spacious campus.



More better fest!


We're always improving and this year will prove no different!
This year's festival is designed for a much smoother pedestrian flow. Plan on exploring the entire 8 blocks from Carrollton to Eagle and down Leonidas to Plum Street! We’re adding a new Food Truck Village on Leonidas and there will be brass band music at the corner of Plum & Leonidas St. This year we’ll have multiple new eating areas/beverage centers just steps off Oak St. for you to sit and enjoy your sandwiches. Look out for the main dining area + Parkway Tavern, Bratz Y’all and Bayou Girls Po-Boys in the Advocacy Center parking lot on the corner of Oak & Cambronne St.

Thirsty? Just like last year, drinks come to you via roving beer vendors.



Getting to Po-Boy Fest


The streetcar tracks from Napoleon to Carrollton Ave are still under construction but don’t fret! If you are catching the streetcar downtown, NORTA will have a shuttle available at Napoleon Ave where the street car line ends that will drop you off on Oak & Carrollton Ave. Simply let the streetcar driver know you’ll need a transfer for Shuttle 13.

Bike to the fest! Bike Easy will manage a bike parking corral just steps away from the fest.

This festival proudly supports the Oak Street Merchants; many will be open festival day. For a complete listing check out the Shop Oak page on the website.
 

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Reading your Entergy Bill

The Alliance for Affordable Energy says:
 
Your bill will not have all of the charges listed below. Each company has different ways of charging but this is a pretty good list to start with!

Customer Charge: Fixed part of customer's bill, regardless of energy usage.  The charge covers maintenance of service lines, customer's meters, and service locations. For residential, it is between $7-8/month regardless of your energy use.

Fuel Adjustment fee: The cost that it took to make the energy that you used. This includes the cost of fuel (natural gas, coal, etc) and the cost of transporting that stuff to the power plant (barges, trains, etc).

Energy Charge or Base Rate Charge: Non-fuel costs of providing electricity, including cost of wires, poles, power plants, and service trucks. The total amount of money needed to provide these services is divided up among all bill-payers and we pay for the portion based on the amount of energy we used.

Municipal Franchise Fee: This reflects fees charged by municipalities for municipally owned electric lines and infrastructure.

Louisiana PSC Case Credit/Charge: This may be either a credit or charge tied to a Federal Energy Regulatory Commission order that balances the production costs of all Entergy's Operating Companies in Louisiana. The credits and charges equalize production costs from one Entergy service provider to the Entergy family of companies. They are based on the prior year and appear on bills from June through December.

LURC Hurricane Charges: This is your utility company insurance plan. Insurance companies refuse to insure storm vulnerable areas like South Louisiana. Hence, the Public Service Commission authorized the Louisiana Utilities Restoration Corporation (LURC) sold bonds for Entergy to pay for system restoration costs after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005 and Hurricane Gustav in 2008. Customers will pay fees on 2005 bonds until 2018 and 2008 bonds until 2022. 

Storm Reserve Rider: The Storm Reserve Rider is similar to the LURC but allows Entergy to charge customers upfront for costs expected to be incurred due to storm damage. The Storm Reserve is capped at $75 million.

Federal Mandated EAC Rider: This charge is federally mandated to comply with the EPA's Clean Air Interstate Rules that reduce and cap asthma-causing air pollutants including nitrous oxide (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

kWh(kiloWatt hour) Metered: This number reflects the amount of energy you used in a month. This is how the utility knows what to charge you. See chart below for how you can spend a kWh:

 

Device
Wattage
Hours used
kWh
medium window-unit AC
1000 watts
one hour
1 kWh
large window-unit AC
1500 watts
one hour
1.5 kWh
small window-unit AC
500 watts
one hour
0.5 kWh
42" ceiling fan on low speed
24 watts
ten hours
0.24 kWh
light bulb
100 watts
730 hours
(i.e., all month)
73 kWh
CFL light bulb
25 watts
730 hours
18 kWh



To figure out how much a device will cost you use this formula:
wattage   x   hours used  ÷  1000  x  price per kWh  =   $ cost of electricity

Friday, November 8, 2013

Tree Giveaway

Native Trees Giveaway 

Thanks to grants from Apache and ACTrees, Parkway Partners is giving away 400 Native Trees.  Limit 2 per household to Orleans Parish residents.

Where:
Parkway Partners
1137 Baronne St.
NOLA 70113

(at corner of Clio in Central City)



When:

This Saturday, November 9

Gates are open from 9am-noon



Why:

Parkway Partners' numerous programs supporting urban trees are all part of an effort to re-forest New Orleans.  We are the most de-forested city in the U.S.! All proceeds from 2nd Saturdays go directly back into the 2nd Saturday Educational Program.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Entergy Urges Customers to Watch for Phantom Power Users

Simple steps such as using power strips or unplugging chargers can make a difference

 

New Orleans, La. – With Halloween practically on our doorsteps, Entergy New Orleans is encouraging its customers to be on the lookout for phantoms – phantom power, that is.

Phantom power – also known as standby or vampire power – is the energy used by certain appliances and electronic devices, even when they are turned off. A variety of products and appliances, such as televisions, microwaves and cell phone chargers, use phantom power. While it may seem trivial, the amount of wasted energy can add up over time and show up on monthly utility bills.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, appliances and home electronics can account for as much as 20 percent of a typical monthly bill. And approximately 75 percent of the electricity used to power those products is consumed when the products are turned off.

“Phantom power can be compared to having a leaky faucet,” said Melonie Stewart, director of customer service for Entergy New Orleans, Inc. “A few drips may not seem like a big deal but they can add up to a larger water bill over time. Similarly, appliances and electronics that draw power even when you aren’t using them can add to your monthly power bill. Fortunately there are some simple ways to control phantom power and help you save money.”

Anything with a plug, a glowing light or a display can be a phantom power user. The most common culprits include electronics with remote controls, built in clocks or timers and instant-on features such as televisions, computers, printers, video game consoles and DVD players.

A study by the National Resources Defense Council showed that some cable TV boxes, which are often left on all day, can use as much power as a refrigerator.

Other common phantom power users are appliances and household items that are charged through a wall plug such as digital cameras, power tools, cell phones and MP3 players.

Here are some simple steps that can help you fight phantom power:

·         Purchase an advanced power strip and plug appliances into it.

·         Turn off televisions and computers when not in use.

·         Unplug small transformers (battery chargers and power adapters) when products are fully charged or not in use. Small transformers come with many electronics such as cell phones and electric shavers and plug into standard wall outlets.

·         Check the label. If purchasing an Energy Star-labeled product, choose the model that uses the least amount of phantom power. If the amount isn’t listed on the label, visit the U.S. Department of Energy’s online database to view manufacturer-supplied data by category.

 

For more information on energy conservation and a variety of money saving tips, visit www.EntergyNewOrleans.com/savemoney.

Entergy New Orleans, Inc. is an electric and gas utility that serves Louisiana’s Orleans Parish. The company provides electricity to more than 169,000 customers and natural gas to more than 100,000 customers. Entergy New Orleans is a subsidiary of Entergy Corporation, which celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2013.

 

-30-

 


Tuesday, October 29, 2013

More Trees for New Orleans

On Nov. 14, 2013 from 7-10pm, MotherShip Foundation will host a 
fundraiser and auction benefitting the Restore the Bayou Canopy 
Campaign. The event will take place at Pearl Wine Co. in the American 
Can Building and will feature entertainment by local artists. In 
addition to the musical entertainment, Marlin Miller—the artist who 
carved the public art sculpture out of the dead oak tree on the corner 
of Orleans Ave and Jeff Davis Pkwy—will also be at the event to share 
his story and auction off a few or his one-of-a-kind sculptures. 
Tickets, which include wine and food, are $50 for individuals or $75 
per couple—with one hundred percent of the proceeds benefiting the 
Restore the Bayou Canopy Campaign.

On Saturday, November 16th, all are invited to witness and celebrate 
the major tree planting on Bayou St. John.

http://fsjna.org/2013/10/trees-on-the-bayou/

Vehicle Burglaries 8200 Block of Fig

EVERY CAR WAS UNLOCKED..... Come on people.... BE SMARTER!!!!


Type Description Case # Location Agency Date Map It
Vehicle Break-In/Theft SIMPLE BURGLARY VEHI J3622813 8200 BLOCK OF FIG ST New Orleans Police 10/26/2013 1:04:00 PM Map It
Vehicle Break-In/Theft SIMPLE BURGLARY VEHI J3620413 8200 BLOCK OF FIG ST New Orleans Police 10/26/2013 12:33:00 PM Map It
Vehicle Break-In/Theft SIMPLE BURGLARY VEHI J3617713 8200 BLOCK OF FIG ST New Orleans Police 10/26/2013 12:09:00 PM Map It
Vehicle Break-In/Theft SIMPLE BURGLARY VEHI J3591113 8200 BLOCK OF FIG ST New Orleans Police 10/26/2013 7:13:00 AM Map It

Sunday, October 27, 2013

Neighborhood Halloween Party

Neighborhood Halloween Party

Palmer Park

This Saturday, Saturday, Oct 26

6:30-9:00 pm

Here’s what you do:

1. Let us know you are coming. Drop off a small donation to the Ribka's mailbox at 8217 Neron Place. (This helps with party expenses. Include your family name and contact info if you wish to be added to our email list)

2. Dress up in your favorite costume (optional of course)

3. Show up at Palmer Park at 6:30 (after the Arts Market)

4. Bring a dish to share with your neighbors

5. Have FUN!!!

Front Belt - Back Belt - Middle Belt

There are 3 Railroad BELT systems in the New Orleans area:
Front Belt - Railroad System that skirts the Mississippi River and goes through Oak Street and parallels Press Street

Back Belt - Railroad System that goes through Old Metairie and parallels I-610 and goes through New Orleans East. The Back Belt has moved trains through Old Metairie since the very late 1800s when Old Metairie was a very sparsely-populated area. There is a consistent local story which indicates that this section of track was only "allowed" temporarily in reaction to WWII needs and was supposed to be removed.

Middle Belt - Railroad System that has been primarily, but not solely, used to get the Amtrak Trains into Union Station.  These tracks parallel Airline and go through Hollygrove. "But currently and for the last four decades have only been used by passenger trains - one daily (in both directions) and one about every other day - and a short, nocturnal local freight train (delivering news print to THE TIMES-PICAYUNE) one-to-three nights weekly". This route does not and will not have any grade crossings, meaning that there are no grade crossings & associated automobile traffic problems. NOUPT and ex-KCS-now-CN tracks are already exist in this area.

This article and the current preferred proposal for addressing the issues associated with increased train traffic on the critical East-West rail system that moves freight through New Orleans requires:
- eliminating the Old Metairie portion of the Back Belt
- building "the Carrollton Curve" (formerly considered an engineering implausibility)
- moving train traffic onto the section of the Middle Belt that has been used primarily to as a passenger train route
- the construction of new track a very narrow strip of land between Airline Highway and affecting the residences on the southern side of the track.


Middle Belt
Published in Times Picayune


Trains would be stored/parked would be along Earhart just into Jefferson Parish.


Friday, October 25, 2013

Wildlife Habitat in NorthWest Carrollton

Send email to nwcarrollton@mindspring.com if you are interested in turning your yard into a Certified Wildlife Habitat.  We already have one Certified Wildlife Habitat in the neighborhood and would love to add more.


The information below is taken directly from National Wildlife Federations Website

Autumn brings dramatic changes in the bird life of any North American backyard. As many of the feathered residents that visit your yard during summer go south, migrants from regions to the north will pass through. Some will make brief stopovers while others will spend the winter.
You can make the most of this seasonal avian passage by making some adjustments to your property that will attract greater numbers of different birds in the fall—and help them thrive. Consider the following ideas:
 1. Provide running water:
 The sound of running water in a birdbath or pond will be heard by migrating birds from some distance, and will draw them to the bath for a drink, and possibly a quick dip. Most migrants that visit birdbaths with running water eat insects. These include warblers, vireos, flycatchers, thrushes and thrashers. In addition, the juveniles of summer resident birds are likely to spend more time at the pool before moving to more southern climes.
Tip: Running water can be created in a single pool birdbath by installing an electric mister or bubbler, available from bird supply stores. A small pump will move water in a multiple-tiered birdbath, causing the water to make a splashing noise as it recirculates from top to bottom.
2. Leave sugar water feeders out:
Don’t take down sugar water feeders as soon as local hummingbirds and orioles start leaving in the fall. There are huge numbers of hummingbirds and orioles that have spent the summer farther north; as they migrate through your area, they will recharge themselves at the feeders. And juvenile hummingbirds, the last to abandon nesting grounds, feed on sugar water long after their parents have gone south.
3. Clean out birdhouses:
Early fall is a good time to clean out and make necessary repairs to birdhouses in preparation for hosting species that roost during fall and winter. The old nests usually attract insects and parasites and should be removed before winter residents move in. In many areas, bluebirds, chickadees, nuthatches and winter wrens may take up nightly residence in birdhouses to keep warm and safe.
4. Create brush piles:
Save your fall clippings of branches and twigs and pile them in a corner of the yard (where they will be less intrusive) to create cover for birds. Most birds that prefer habitat on the ground—such as dark-eyed juncos, tree sparrows and white-throated sparrows—will use brush piles for roosting at night and for protection from predators.
Tip: Fallen evergreen trees, placed along the border of the yard, create more cover that will last throughout the winter.

 5. Plant evergreens:
There is no better natural cover for birds in fall and winter than evergreens. Planted near feeders and birdbaths, they will attract migrants and provide cover (and thus increase the safety factor) for many birds after deciduous trees lose their leaves.
6. Increase the number of feeders:
Autumn is a good time to double the number and kinds of feeders you put out for the birds. Starting with the first cool fall days, the consumption of bird food will increase and continue to increase as the average daily temperatures drop.
Tip: To attract the greatest number and variety of birds, provide a variety of seed and suet feeders. Northern cardinals, for example, prefer tray feeders, where they can perch on a ledge, while chickadees are more adept at landing on small perches or clinging to wire netting that surrounds feeders. Other birds, including several species of sparrow, feed on or near the ground, while woodpeckers are drawn to suet hanging from tree trunks.
7. Move the action closer:
One of the main reasons for feeding birds is so that you can enjoy watching their behavior in a natural environment. If you move your bird feeders and birdbaths closer to the house, you can get close to the creatures without disturbing them.
 Tip: If there is not enough natural cover just outside the windows, plant some or place potted evergreens around the feeders and baths. The birds will adapt to being close to the house quickly.
8. Provide foods for insect eaters:
Many birds that frequent backyards will not eat seeds, but they will eat insects and fruits. Cedar waxwings, American robins, northern mockingbirds, some woodpeckers, and migrating thrushes, thrashers and tanagers will feed readily on chunks of apples, berries and jellies from containers. Bluebirds, robins, mockingbirds and some woodpeckers will eat live mealworms (available at pet supply stores) served in a tray feeder.
9. Bring bird sounds indoors:
With the arrival of cooler weather, people tend to close their doors and windows, blocking out the pleasant sounds of birds singing, scolding and chattering. If you like those sounds, consider installing a wireless baby monitoring device outside, and send the sounds of nature inside to a well-placed receiver.
10. Protect birds against collisions:
More birds collide with windows during fall than any other season of the year. Often migrating birds that are not familiar with the terrain will see the reflections of a woodland in a windowpane and fly right into it. If the reflection can be removed or muted with soap, netting, screening or by hanging streamers on the outside, the birds will veer away from it.
Tip: Whatever technique you use, do it on the outside of the pane. Pulling drapes inside will enhance the reflection on the outside. Pasting silhouettes of birds of prey, such as hawks and owls, may also help deter flying birds.

Adapted from "Avian-Attractions " by George Harrison, National Wildlife , October/November 2003.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Filming in Palmer Park

Heads Up!
You might notice tents and lots of filming trucks in and/around Palmer Park starting tonight through Friday. This is for the ABC Family series Ravenswood. You can catch the 1st episode of the 1st season tonight on ABC Family. The filming is actually taking place at 2000 Carrollton but the crew is calling Palmer Park "home" for the next few days... Welcome!

NOPD Convictions

Seems that the TP did not run the stories on these two murder convictions. Not sure why, they are very positive stories on the good work by NOPD Homicide Detectives...

On 10/16/2013 in CDC section G, Daniel Holmes was convicted in the killing of Tyrez Williams. The crime occurred in the 6000 block of Chef Menteur Hwy in the 7th District. The lead detective was Richard Chambers.

The same day in CDC section I, Larry Haynes was convicted in the killing of Teira Reynolds. The crime occurred in the 2800 block of S. Roman St. in the 6th district. The lead detective was Liz Garcia.

Zoning Ordinance Meeting

We are up against a City Hall deadline to send in our comments on the Proposed Zoning Ordinance before November 30, 2013. 
The City had a public presentation and a Q&A of the proposed Zoning Ordinance last week.  Some of us were present.

Some of the proposed changes have an influence on the quality of life in the Carrollton Area.

Please go to this CPC website http://www.nola.gov/city-planning/comprehensive-zoning-ordinance/.  This 575 page document will give you a lot of details.

Some of the most important changes in favor of residents is the Citizen input and storm water management issues (paving of yards, etc). 

When adopted anyone needing a variance must meet with neighborhood before they submit to the City.

 

Please become familiar and attend a meeting to hear and discuss some of the issues with other Carrollton residents . 

This not a meeting organized by the City and may not have people from City Hall. 

This is a meeting to develop consensus and exchange opinions of what we all understand the new rules will / may be / what we may wish to have CPC change.

TUES, OCTOBER 29th

 

                                                ST. ANDREW’S PARISH HALL

                                                            8017 ZIMPLE ST.

                                                   enter under the red awning

                                                               6:30 – 8:30pm     

Your active participation is welcome.

Friday, October 18, 2013

8237-39 Apricot

Security Development Company, LLC to Melissa Lopez for $12,000.

This is the burned out and essentially empty lot.

Transfer Tax - a VOTE FOR is actually a vote AGAINST Transfer Tax

Transfer Tax - Nov. 19th Ballot

If you vote "No" the tax will be implemented!

Reminder - 98% of the people in Louisiana are NOT familiar with this tax
on the ballot for Nov. 19 . This is a tax that both buyers and sellers of
a home in Louisiana will pay
at the time of sale of their home if this tax
is ever passed . As an example, if you sell your home for $250,000, both
buyer and seller will each pay to Louisiana $4,925.00 as a transfer tax.
And, if this tax is ever passed, it would most likely be raised again in
subsequent years.

This is the tricky part: Most people who are not aware of this tax will
just click "NO" on the ballot thinking they are voting against the tax.
But, they will then be voting FOR the tax. The Amendment starts out with
"To prevent....tax" so vote "FOR "

Voting "YES" prohibits any new real estate transfer taxes in the state.
(Orleans parish already has a transfer tax). Voters must vote "YES" which
means "stay tax free".

We would encourage everyone who lives in Louisiana to go to the following
website: http://www.staytaxfree.com/ On the home page there is a
calculator that figures the tax you will pay at closing if this tax is
ever passed.

This is an excellent website with great info. This website is sponsored by
the Louisiana Realtors Assn which is our watchdog for new taxes. I hope
everyone will look at this site and figure what their tax to Louisiana
could be just for buying or selling a home . You are just one click away.
http://www.staytaxfree.com/


Please pass on to your families and friends who live in Louisiana and
probably know nothing about this tax.

40 additional Project NOLA Crime Cameras in West Carrollton

According to an article in Uptown Messenger
"The anti-crime nonprofit Project NOLA received a $10,000 grant Wednesday from the Westway Group to expand its network of private surveillance cameras by 40 locations in the west-Carrollton neighborhood..."
 
But will we get any in NorthWest Carrollton? 
If we were to get cameras, any suggestions as to where they should be located?

NorthWest Carrollton is part of the West Carrollton-Leonidas neighborhood.

Why the name NorthWest Carrollton?

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Guidry Town Hall Meeting - Monday

Councilmember Susan G. Guidry would like to invite you to
the Uptown Area Town Hall meeting.

City department officials and other groups will be on hand to provide updates about ongoing work in your neighborhood and address your questions and concerns one-on-one.
Photographs and documentation of any issues are highly encouraged.


Where

Audubon Tea Room
6500 Magazine Street


When 

Monday October 21st
 5:30-8 p.m.




The following organizations will be in attendance:
 
Sewerage & Water Board
Department of Public Works
NOPD
NOFD
Paths to Progress
Project NOLA
Energy Smart
NOLA Wise
Tulane University
Regional Planning Commission
Regional Transit Authority
 


If you need more information call (504) 658-1010

Friday, October 11, 2013

Municipal Districts.... NorthWest Carrollton in in the 7th

http://www.nola.com/homegarden/index.ssf/2013/10/new_orleans_seven_municipal_di.html

Written by Richard Campanella, a geographer with the Tulane School of Architecture and a Monroe Fellow with the New Orleans Center for the Gulf South, is the author of "Bienville's Dilemma," "Geographies of New Orleans," and the forthcoming "Bourbon Street: A History" (2014). He may be reached through rcampane@tulane.edu or @nolacampanella on Twitter.
map-municipal-districts.jpg
(NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune)
 
Consider the map on this page. You've seen it many times: the boundaries of the seven municipal districts of New Orleans, those bureaucratic spaces through which real estate transactions and tax assessments are organized. What could be more mundane?
What seems mundane, though, oftentimes reveals more about history and culture than landmarks or museum pieces. What you're seeing in this map is 200 years of tumultuous local machinations.

Let's start with Districts 1, 2 and 3, which are separated by Canal Street and Esplanade Avenue. Into the mid-1800s, the Francophone Creole population generally settled at the riverside end of what are now Districts 2 and 3, that is, the French Quarter, faubourgs Treme and Marigny and some of present-day Bywater.

Most members of the incoming English-speaking Anglo-American population, meanwhile, settled in what is now District 1, which was called Faubourg St. Mary at the time and now is the Central Business District.

Cultural differences between the Creole and Anglo populations, each of which developed alliances with various immigrant groups, led to economic and political tensions, which in turn led to a draconian solution: instead of learning to get along, why not get a divorce?

New Orleans in 1836 thus divided itself into three semi-autonomous municipalities, each with its own council, police, schools, port, services and amenities, ostensibly united under a single mayor and a general council. Each even had its own seal.

Because Canal Street roughly separated Anglo and Creole neighborhoods, it became the logical dividing line for the two new municipalities. The mostly Creole area from Canal and Esplanade was labeled the First Municipality, while the Anglo-dominated area from Canal to Felicity (New Orleans' upper edge at the time) became the Second Municipality.

Locals semi-jokingly described the spacious Canal Street median as a "neutral ground" between the rival ethnicities, borrowing an old colonial-era term for disputed regions between imperial claims. The term caught on and is now used to describe medians citywide.

Because Esplanade Avenue divided the Creole area into two roughly equal halves, that wide thoroughfare became the line between the First and Third municipalities. Farthest from the urban core and downstream from its pollutants, the Third Municipality found itself on the losing end of most local maneuverings and the recipient of several unflattering nicknames: "The Old Third," "The Poor Third," "The Dirty Third," and, sarcastically, "The Glorious Third."
 
The municipality system was a spectacularly terrible idea. It wasted resources, pitted neighborhoods against each other, confused visitors and wreaked havoc on the city's bond rating.

"Had the Legislature sought, by the most careful efforts, to create a war of races, to make distinction between Creole and American, they could not have chosen a better means...than the present division," wrote the Third Municipality's Daily Orleanian in 1849.

The municipality system finally was abandoned in 1852, and the city was reunified -- but only after the Anglo contingent had established alliances with German and Irish immigrants and, as the new electoral majority, started winning elections.

The 1852 reunification entailed some confusing renaming: the old First Municipality became the Second Municipal District, the Second Municipality became the First, and the Third remained the Third.

Also that year, New Orleans successfully annexed the neighboring City of Lafayette out of Jefferson Parish, an expansion that pushed Orleans Parish's limits from Felicity to Toledano Street. Why there? Because that's where four old French long-lot plantations -- belonging to the Ursuline nuns and the Panis, Livaudais and Delassize families -- had been previously subdivided into streets and parcels. Now as part of New Orleans proper, these lands became the Fourth Municipal District, today's Irish Channel, Garden District and Central City.

Eighteen years later, an opportunity arose for New Orleans to annex Algiers on the West Bank, as well as the east bank City of Jefferson, which is the heart of today's Uptown.

Proceeding in numerical order, Algiers became the Fifth Municipal District and the former City of Jefferson -- between Toledano and the lower line of the old McCarty plantation (hence Lowerline Street) -- became the Sixth.

Finally in 1874, New Orleans annexed the Jefferson Parish City of Carrollton, which pushed the parish line from Lowerline to Monticello (the upper line of the old McCarty plantation), where the city limit remains today. This final expansion made Carrollton the Seventh municipal district.

One major, final change awaited the municipal district map. When first sketched in the mid-1800s, authorities felt little need to extend the district boundaries too far into the back swamp, because hardly anyone lived there.
But after the drainage system was installed in the late 1800s, and its pumps, pipes and outfall canals ejected runoff and lowered the water table, new development spread in the early 1900s. With it came the need to administer thousands of new real estate transactions.

Thus authorities extended the First, Second, Third and Seventh district lines to the shores of Lake Pontchartrain, and used existing political or physical boundaries -- the Jefferson Parish line, the New Basin Canal and Bayou St. John -- to separate them.
The Fifth Municipal District on the West Bank, meanwhile, was extended downriver to encompass the rural lower coast of Algiers.

Why not extend the Fourth and Sixth? Because the concavity of the Mississippi River's meander meant that those wedge-shaped districts -- the products of 15 slender, colonial-era plantations -- converged around present-day Gerttown, and never reached any further lakeward.

Thus, our municipal districts trace our urban expansion over the last 161 years. Why, for example, is today's Third District so large? Because the eastern half of the parish was once very lightly peopled, which made delineating all of its meager population into one gigantic district seem like a good idea -- though it no longer does today.
Think how different the metro area would be today had New Orleans not annexed present-day districts Four, Six and Seven out of Jefferson Parish.

Consider also the impact of these lines on modern city life. Each district's autonomous or semi-autonomous heritage fostered the development of a certain level of parochialism, which persisted long after the 1852 unification and the last annexation in 1874.

Until just a few years ago, each of the seven districts elected its own assessors, who staffed their own offices and assessed taxes independently -- a system unique in the nation. It took civic intervention after Hurricane Katrina to finally consolidate those political redundancies.

Plantations, faubourgs, Creoles, Anglos, competition, expansion, drainage, politics, taxes: embedded in that seemingly mundane map are sundry episodes in the human geography of New Orleans, going back 200 years.

Monday, October 7, 2013

Help find Louie

LOUIE
This is Louie.    He is missing from 8224 Pritchard Place.
 
He is an orange male tabby with a scratchy meow and a purple collar.
 
If found call Robin at 512-619-2043

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Apple and Leonidas Arrest

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
10/01/2013
 On Tuesday October 1st, Detectives Malo and Weir arrested Mr. Ishmel Wiltz (B/M 10-24-1995) at Apple and Leonidas after the detectives observed Mr. Wiltz throw down a bag of marijuana and began to run from the detectives. As Wiltz was running the detectives observed him to be holding his waistband in a manner consistent with carrying a weapon. Wiltz was apprehended by Detectives Malo and Weir behind a residence in the 2600 block of Leonidas. A fully loaded handgun was recovered from where Wiltz was located. Mr. Wiltz was charged with Possession of a CDS Substance and Carrying a Concealed Weapon violation.

Friday, September 27, 2013

8437-39 S.Claiborne Ave.

Margaret Boh Rienhard and Robert John Rienhard
to
Arialda Swift Helgeson and McGarry and Dennis James McGarry
for $217,000.

Congratulations Margaret on the phase....

NorthWest Carrollton wouldn't be NorthWest Carrollton without your efforts!
Many, Many thanks.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Carrollton Night Out Against Crime

Carrollton Night Out Against Crime is scheduled for Tuesday October 15, 2013 at Palmer Park 6:00 - 8:00PM.

Come to a planning meeting on Thursday September 19, 2013 at 6:30PM -
St. Matthew United Church of Christ - 1333 South Carrollton Avenue
(corner of Willow and South Carrollton).

See link to working edition of the flyer

Saturday, September 14, 2013

How to build community


Start a tradition....

like Night Out Against Crime in October (check)

Carolling on Palmer Park in December (check)

Fall Tree Planting with Hike for KaTREEna (check)

It would be wonderful if this could be a regular event in NorthWest Carrollton
http://nwcarrollton.blogspot.com/2010/11/lady-buck-jumpers-in-northwest.html

Friday, September 13, 2013

Carrollton Area Town Hall Meeting

  

Councilmember Susan G. Guidry Invites You To

The Carrollton Area Town Hall Meeting

 
If you are a first-time homebuyer or looking to patch-up some properties we may have the help you need.  Also, please bring your questions and concerns to present to the proper City departments and groups who may be able to help with your issues. Please bring pictures and documents to help better understand your requests.

Where

Central St. Mathew United Church of Christ
1333 South Carrollton Avenue
New Orleans, LA 70118
 

When 

Monday September 16th
 5:30-8 p.m.



The following organizations will be in attendance:
The Sewerage & Water Board
City Attorney's Office
Energy Smart and NOLAWise
Office of Community Development
Own The Crescent
Finance Authority of New Orleans
New Orleans Redevelopment Authority
NOPD
Hollygrove Greenline
Regional Planning Commission
Project NOLA
Tulane University
Carrollton-Hollygrove CDC

If you are unable to attend this event, I hope you can join me at a second town hall meeting on October 21st at the Audubon Tea Room from 5:30-8:00. If you need more information call (504) 658-1010 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (504) 658-1010 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting .