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Friday, August 30, 2013

Hi Officer Eddington:
 
It's been quite awhile since I sent a list like this but unfortunately the cars have piled up again.   Please work your magic and get these tagged and dragged as fast as possible. Thanks!!!!!!!  

 
FIG STREET

8200 block of Fig/Right at corner of Fig and Dublin

Dark Blue Acura

MISS plate #LXE221 (it's inside the car)

wrecked and abandoned


Vacant Lot next to 8518 Fig 

White Plymouth Voyager

LA plate #OGL723



PRITCHARD PLACE

8524 Pritchard Pl

Red/White Ford F1500

LA plate W536384



BELFAST STREET

8434 Belfast St

Green Ford Explorer

No Plate


8423-25 Belfast 

Bronze Chrysler Seabring

LA plate #WHW225


Vacant Lot corner Belfast/Cambronne

Maroon Mitsubishi

No plate


8311-8309 Belfast (across the stree from this address)

Brownish GMC Suburban

No Plate



APRICOT STREET

8239 Apricot Street

Black Pontiac Granad

LA plate # XAU458


8404 Apricot Street

Utility Trailer Full of Trash and Garbage

No Plate



NELSON STREET

8333 Nelson Street

Blue Silverado

AL plate # 2B79M27

 

8228 Nelson Street

Green Chevy Malibu

LA plate # SIL512



JOLIET STREET

2514 Joliet Street

Bronze GMC Truck

No Plate


2517 Joliet Street

Faded Black Toyota Camry

No Plate


2438 Joliet Street

Green Toyota Camry LE

No Plate

 

Across from 2816 Joliet Street

Greysih Town and Country Chrysler Van

No Plate



CAMBRONNE STREET

Corner of Cambronne and Belfast Streets

White/Black United Cab

No plate

Already marked for tow #3492678

 
 
Corner of Cambronne and Belfast Streets

Red Ford Van and Utility Trailer

LA plate # TGH509

 

2621 Cambronne Street

White Saturn Vue

LA plate #RID162



DUBLIN STREET

2924-26 Dublin Street

Dark 2 door Dodge Stratus

LA plate # OIK095

Thursday, August 29, 2013

New Second District police station will be in Gert Town

Read about it in The Uptown Messenger

"The new Second District police station — meant to replace the crumbling century-old building on Magazine Street — will be in Gert Town, likely in combination with a new Gert Town pool and possibly other facilities..."

"A number of plans for a new station have been put forward for years. Last year the city allocated $400,000 to purchase land for the station, and the capital-projects request for the coming year calls for another $550,000 for designs. But the first task, city officials have said, was choosing a new location.

Now, the city has a destination in mind. Responding to a question from a Gert Town resident at Wednesday night’s meeting about the coming year’s budget, Landrieu said that the city intends to replace the Gert Town pool, closed after the flooding following the levee breaches after Hurricane Katrina and demolished in 2011, and that the city is also looking at the same location for the new Second District station.
“We intend to build it in Gert Town,” Landrieu said of the new police precinct.

The site would be around the former location of the Mary Church Terrell school, said Deputy Mayor Cedric Grant after the meeting, and the city has already begun discussing its possible acquisition with the Orleans Parish School Board. There are two squares of property there, one for the pool and one for the police station, Grant said, and it would offer police officers easy access to Earhart Boulevard and from there around the Second District. It would also be more centrally located, Grant noted.

The police department redrew district lines at the beginning of 2012 to reflect population shifts and crime trends. The Second District had previously run from the Jefferson Parish line to Louisiana Avenue, but after the redistricting much of the line stopped at Napoleon Avenue. In fact, a separate block had to be cut out of the new line to keep the Second District station inside the new Second District.

“Response times would be great for the whole district,” Grant said.

Other possible sites have been discussed, such as in Hollygrove or around the Ochsner Bapist complex near Freret, but Second District Commander Paul Noel has said that the Gert Town location would be the best logistical choice for his officers. It offers plenty of room for them to park and convenient access to the major roads that serve the rest of the district.

Further, Noel told Second District residents at a community meeting in July, officers spend their entire shifts on patrol, not at the station, and they are usually dispatched to 911 calls from somewhere on the road anyway. The placement of the station won’t affect their patrol assignments, he said.

“Moving into Gert Town would be good,” NOPD Deputy Superintendent Darryl Albert, who formerly led the Second District, said at the budget meeting. “They have to move to a larger location.”

The real task before the city now, said District B Councilwoman LaToya Cantrell, is finding the best way to maximize the benefit from the public investment. The city has $7.3 million for the pool, but she hopes that by combining it with the police station, the city can find even more grants or resources for the complex, such as an additional community center. Additional partnerships with entities like Xavier University may also be possible, she said.

“We want to look at every resource available,” Cantrell said."
We've heard the story about a new location for the 2nd District before. With all the budget woes, we'll have to wait and see how this actually plays out.

Dear newcomers... Hurricane Advice

http://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2013/08/hurricane_tips_food_advice_and.html#cmpid=nwsltrhead
Article below snipped in full from NOLA.COM link above by Judy Walker
Dear newcomers: Welcome to high hurricane season. Think of this as the price you pay to live in the land of inexpensive shrimp, Mardi Gras, brass bands and all of the other reasons you moved here.

Geographer Richard Campanella estimates a few thousand young urban rebuilding professionals moved here after 2005, and he estimates a second post-Katrina wave of another 15,000 to 20,000 -- and counting. So we have two populations: the untested and those who have lived through the nightmare of Katrina and other storms.
This year, we asked newcomers, what are your concerns? The material here is from our resident storm expert, personal experience, previous stories and interviews and the storm-hardened general population.

"Much of my life has been lived in areas threatened by hurricanes, so I thought I knew the drill," wrote reader Karen Montjoy of New Orleans in a series we published on storm advice.

"Have on hand batteries, flashlights, candles, Sterno, bottled water, canned soups and other nonperishable foods, a portable generator and gas for it, keep the car gassed up, fill tubs, sinks and other containers with water. But if the BIG ONE is headed your way, get out and get out early.
"For hurricane-prone areas like the Gulf Coast, this knowledge is all elementary. Katrina, however, added a post-graduate level to my education."
The key is having a plan. You need to make one now, along with a grab-and-go bag. At the very least, you need to write down things you will put in your grab-and go bag. When a storm is in the Gulf of Mexico, you may be too freaked out to think. Don't ask me how I know this.
The hardest thing about planning is that each storm is different, and may require a different response. You must prep for the wind event, but the aftermath is just as crucial. Some of the advice here will apply to your situation, and some will not.

Today we take a detailed look at food preparation and planning, and then we hear dozens of tips from experienced readers. Please do not despair over the length of this list, as it covers many eventualities.

First, we answer questions from followers of the NewinNola.com blog and Twitter feed. At meet-ups, the group has already discussed this topic.
The answers are from resident hurricane expert Mark Schleifstein of the Times-Picayune/NOLA.com.

NewinNola question: How do you decide whether to stay or evacuate?
Mark Schleifstein: A news conference of elected public officials will tell you if they are recommending or ordering an evacuation. Your best bet is to listen to them.
If you do evacuate, how far do you need to go?
MS: This will depend on where the hurricane makes landfall, and how large it is, and whether you are inside or outside the levee systems. You should decide now on a location far enough north to be out of the way of storm surge. Remember, if a major evacuation is ordered, the closest motels may be outside Louisiana.
What is 'contraflow'? I just heard this term.
MS: Contraflow is an evacuation plan to use all lanes of the Interstate in one direction. On the east side of New Orleans, all lanes will funnel all traffic east, and all traffic on the west side to go west. Interstate 55 will be one-way north.
If I evacuate, what do I need to do before I leave?
MS: Determine if you can turn off your electricity, natural gas and water. If you can, do so.
Is there anything I can do to prevent possible flooding of my home? Sand bags around the doors? Where do I get them?
MS: Again, this is location-dependent. In parishes outside the levee systems, sand bags may be available in advance of some storms. Inside the levee systems, it will be difficult to get sand bags, unless you make them yourself.
Do I need to board up my windows? If I'm in an apartment,is it my responsibility or my landlord's to do the hurricane prep?
MS: If you are able to board your windows, it can prevent damage from high winds. If you are in an apartment, you should check with your landlord. Now.
If I do stay, what do I need to have?
M.S.: If public officials tell you to leave, leave. If you don't have transportation, contact your local emergency preparedness office.
Does the water go out during a hurricane?
M.S. The water can go out if the power fails at your water treatment plant.
If not, is the water safe to drink?
M.S. Yes.
Will the toilets flush during a hurricane?
M.S. Until the water pressure disappears, yes.
Tips for getting in touch with people? Text, call or email?
M.S. Text messages will go through when phones won't ring. Also: Facebook instant messaging. (Sign up now.)
What about pets?
M.S. Make provisions now. However, at least in New Orleans, the emergency plan will include transport of cats and dogs to a shelter out of the area. Animals must have proper inocculations.
What about my older neighbor?
M.S. Folks who are elderly or have special needs should contact local emergency managers if they or their family are unable to make arrangements on their own. Those arrangements should be in place at the beginning of the hurricane season.
* *

Before we get into food preparation, here are my three top general tips.
One: Get a good manual can opener with big ergonomic handles. Do not get one of those old-fashioned little metal ones or a cheap metal one with handles. They suck. Lots of things will suck after the power goes out. Getting into the nonperishable food does not have to be one.
Two: During hurricane season, do not let the gas gauge in your car fall below half full, and if a storm is in the Gulf, top off your tank every day.
Three: If you don't own one, get a car charger for your cell phone now.
If you have to evacuate, you will need a full tank of gas, as gas stations may be closed for 150 miles or more. If you stay in town and the power is out, you can charge your cell phone in your car - and run the air conditioner in it, too.

FOOD AND WATER
Most emergency planners advise that you stock enough nonperishable food and water to last for two weeks per person. The Red Cross and FEMA say that every household should have a three-day supply of one gallon of water per person per day, plus more for any instant foods that require water for preparation (such as instant oatmeal, dry milk, soup mixes, etc.).

Don't just fill up your bathtub. Fill up clean liter-size soda bottles, trash cans, big bowls, ice bins and any other clean containers.

FOOD SHOPPING/STORAGE
This amazing note from Mojofearless was posted last hurricane season on a post about adding unusual foods to your food supply.
"Canned french butter - available at Hong Kong Market on the west bank. Vodka. Lychee juice to go with my vodka. Table top ice maker to chill my lychee juice and vodka (only have to run the ginny a few hours a day, and voila! Ice for the next 24 hours). Shelf stable milk - Parmalat, to be precise. French press coffee maker - no sense in having bad coffee during a disaster. Shelf stable bacon. Shelf stable cheese. Wasabi peas. Powdered falafal mix. Three gallons of homemade trail mix - with bing cherries, blueberries, pineapple, papaya, almonds - all sorts of fruit and nuts, plus mini M&Ms, because they don't make a mess when left in the heat.
"The list could go on for hours. We start gathering hurricane supplies in January, just one or two things every trip to the store. By season, we're pretty set to fed four for one month. And then when Voodoo Fest rolls around, we start eating/rotating the supplies, and we start all over again in January.
"It's a fine art."

For NOLA newbies, here are more basics besides lychee juice.
The Red Cross advises a three-day supply of nonperishable food per person in your household. The LSU AgCenter's list of nonperishables that require little or no cooking, and no refrigeration, includes single-serving cereal packages, crackers, granola bars, canned fruit, canned juice, packaged drink mixes, raisins, apple sauce, canned vegetables, canned soups or chili, tuna, canned chicken, beef jerky, peanut butter, canned milk or other shelf-stable milk, shelf-stable cheese, hard candy and chocolate.
Dorignac's has a lot of single-serving cereals.
Avoid salty foods, which will make you thirsty. Buy low sodium crackers.
You may not have any way to heat food or refrigerate it. Buy single-serve portions, when possible, to avoid leftovers.

*Select foods you like and normally eat. Don't waste money on food you or your family won't eat. But now may not be the time to be choosy. Pass the Pop-Tarts.
If you don't have a way to boil water when the power is off, do not include instant foods that will require hot water. Keep in mind foods that require water also will consume your water supply quickly.

Have disposable plates, bowls, cups and utensils, so you don't have to use much of your water supply washing dishes.

Remember baby food, special dietary requirements and food for your pets.
If the power goes out, several refrigerated items will still be good at room temperature: Catsup, mustards, jams, jellies, peanut butter, oils, butter; unopened salad dressing or other condiments; hard cheeses, barbecue, soy and Worcestershire sauces.

The healthiest emergency foods: beans, canned seafood, instant oatmeal, peanut butter and nut butters, powdered and boxed milk.
The most versatile canned vegetables: tomatoes, potatoes, corn, green beans, artichoke hearts, garbanzo beans, red bell peppers, asparagus.
Many vegetables and fruits last several days at room temperature: Apples, cabbage, potatoes, carrots (not the processed baby ones), peppers, melons and more. Lemons are priceless for perking up bland dishes and drinks. Onions and sweet potatoes are great for grill cooking.
Good and not on the usual lists: Cryovac-packed fish and meat, which is more expensive than canned, but great quality; canned coconut milk, shredded coconut; Boboli, pizza sauce in a squeeze bottle, summer sausage, dry salami, Parmesan cheese; instant rice; bulghur wheat to make tabouli, which does not require cooking. Those with adventurous palates (I'm looking at you, ex-Brooklynites) can check ethnic food stores for shelf-stable and small-size nonperishables. International Market in Metairie has a big variety of canned fish and meats.
Also good: low-salt broth; canned, chunk high-quality ham; Dijon and Creole mustard; real bacon bits to flavor bland dishes; instant pudding; dried fruits; unsalted nuts; tortillas and other bread; individual tea bags that don't require hot water; small jar of instant coffee plus creamer packets; small packets of condiments.

***Coffee: Starbucks Via packs are excellent and dissolve in anything. (Ignore the expiration dates.)
Try canned sardines now, if you haven't, to see if you like the strong flavor. Some of us prefer sardines over Spam or vienna sausages.
Parmesan cheese in the green can does not have to be refrigerated. Neither do whole, hard cheeses. However, they have a high salt level.
Soft cheeses (cottage cheese, brie, cream cheese, etc.) are very perishable and should be one of the first things you eat out of a failing refrigerator.
Herbs stirred into canned foods are a huge taste-brightener. Pick leafy herbs before the storm and keep fresh with the stems in a jar of water at room temperature.
Harvest any vegetable garden produce before bad weather; never eat or pick any vegetables touched by flood water.

***Foil is the emergency cook's duct tape. Have at least one roll of heavy-duty foil in your emergency cooking kit. Foil pans are good for cooking and baking on a grill.
Besides the foil, your excellent manual can opener, plastic cutlery and paper plates and bowls, an emergency cooking kit for home or on the road should include: a cast-iron skillet for cooking over a camp stove or on a grill; a pot for boiling water; waterproof matches; scissors or knife to cut open packages; gallon-size plastic zip-top bags; and a jar with a screw-top lid, to blend foods by shaking; paper towels. Dedicated cooks can add a cutting board and two knives, plus small containers of essentials such as oil, vinegar, mustard, seasonings, etc.

***If you have a grill, stock up on propane or charcoal before the storm. Communal grilling is a great non-power pastime, to use up freezer contents.
Other ways to heat food: Small, inexpensive portable grill plus charcoal; a camping cookstove plus fuel; or in a candle- or Sterno-fired fondue pot, chafing dish or candle warmer. Food can also be heated in a working indoor fireplace, but be sure to open the flue.
Boiling water: You can boil water on a grill in your cast-iron skillet or any heavy pot. An old pot is good. You can use everyday cookware on a grill, but it may discolor permanently.
If you evacuate to a motel, consider taking an electric skillet or other versatile small appliance, such as a rice cooker.

Tragedies to avoid: Under no circumstances should you try to use a charcoal or gas grill indoors. The same goes for generators. NEVER run a gasoline engine in, or near your garage or living/sleeping space. Sadly, carbon monoxide kills people in every disaster area.
Some people consider wine, beer and alcoholic beverages essential emergency foods. (Which would you enjoy at room temperature?) Beer may be useful for bartering.

Granola and baked goods can be made ahead of storms for evacuation or power-free dining and snacking.
A twenty-something we know swears by GoPicnic snack boxes, which she has found at Walgreen's as well as online.

COOLERS, FREEZERS, FRIDGE
Lots of locals limit food in their freezers during hurricane season. Start cooking meals now from the contents of your freezer, before storms come.
How long will things last in a refrigerator when the power goes out?
Anecdotally, the most common uses of generators are to run refrigerators and fans.
Highly perishable contents of your refrigerator will stay fresh for only four to six hours after the power goes out. This includes leftovers.
As a general rule, an unopened full freezer will keep food safe to eat for about 48 hours without power; a half-full one for 24 hours.
If freezer contents still have icy crystals inside them, they can be refrozen, although texture may be affected.
Several variables affect how long food will stay cool or frozen. Chest freezers may keep contents safe longer than upright ones. Also, the hotter the area where the appliance sits, the sooner the food inside will warm, too.
The American Red Cross suggests keeping an instant-read thermometer to check the temperatures of foods. Or test by feeling the package of food. The temperature you want is 40 degrees (refrigerator temperature) or below.
If food is refrigerator-cold or if it has been above that temperature for less than two hours, it probably is safe to use. In general, perishable food held above 40 degrees for more than two hours (at a picnic, on a buffet table or in a refrigerator without power) may be unsafe to eat, because bacteria can multiply rapidly between 40 and 140 degrees.
If you put 30 pounds of dry ice inside your refrigerator or freezer in anticipation of a power outage, your food should be safe inside for at least a couple of days, according to the LSU AgCenter's Food Safety After Power Outage publication, which is available online. (Dry ice should never be touched with bare hands; place it on cardboard or empty shelves in the freezer.)
If the power has been off for an extended period and food inside the freezer feels cool enough to be "refrigerator temperature," cook the most perishable food, seafood and ground meats, first, as soon as possible.
If you don't have a cooler, check outdoor stores for coolers that guarantee they will keep contents cold several days. Your cooler may be your best friend if evacuating or staying. You may want to spend the money and get a big one, or one that can be powered by your car battery.
Realize ice may be scarce, or nonexistent, if the power is out.
Open the freezer/refrigerator as seldom as possible.
If a hurricane is coming and you have large cuts of meat, cook them and slice to use as sandwiches for evacuation.
The food in your freezer will last longer if the freezer is full. If the freezer's not full, shove all the food in it close together. Fill any empty space with liters of water or water in freezer bags, which you can also use as ice in coolers. The bigger the piece of ice, the longer it will last, so consider freezing water in cleaned milk cartons.

***NO. 1 TIP MENTIONED BY READERS: Before you evacuate, put all food in the freezer inside black plastic garbage bags, then put it back in the freezer. If the power goes out, all you have to do to remove the thawed mess is throw out the bag.
At the very least, put ice pops or ice cream, in original packing, inside plastic bags closed with twist ties.
Place a clear plastic pitcher with whole ice cubes in it in the freezer. When you get back home, if the electricity is still off, throw away the food in the bag. If the electricity has gone off and come back on, you will be able to tell how much has defrosted by looking at the pitcher of ice. If it is a solid block of ice then you know that everything has defrosted. If the ice cubes were partially melted but many of them are still in the shape of ice cubes, you know it was not a total defrost job.
If you evacuate to friends or family, take the good seafood and meats with you to cook for your hosts.

TAKE WITH YOU LIST 
Prepare a grab-and-go bag with: Medications, extra eyeglasses, contacts and prescriptions, prescription sunglasses, insurance papers, immunization records, Yellow and White pages, bank and credit union records, school records, health records.
Every evacuation handbag or backpack should carry a roll of toilet paper, wet wipes, hand sanitizer, gum or hard candy to help quench thirst, breath freshener for when you can't brush your teeth, painkillers of choice.
Survival list: Full gas cans, full propane tanks, camp stove fuel, and lamp oil with unsafe (strike anywhere) matches; batteries, flashlights, candles, Sterno, insect repellent.

SANITATION
Showering suggestions: Get baby wipes. Or look at drug stores in the adult-diaper section for the waterless washcloths home health-care aides use to bathe patients. These moist washcloths clean without water, and the moisture evaporates quickly without leaving a residue.
If you have a good supply of water, use a small amount (say, half a gallon) and use the old get-wet-soap-up-rinse-off drill while sitting in the tub. Use a plastic throw cup to pour water over yourself for wetting and rinsing.
Several readers have written about portable or camping toilets. An impromptu one: medium-sized lidded bucket or garbage can, tall plastic bags for liners and crumpled newspapers for absorbency -- plus toilet tissue.

PREPARING YOUR HOME
Container plants, outdoor furniture and outdoor decor may fly around during hurricanes. Move loose outdoor items into a sheltered space, such as a garage or indoors.
Roll up good rugs and move them, and furniture, to the second level of your home as much as possible. Alternately, elevate furniture on blocks, etc.

ABOUT YOUR CELL PHONE
Recharging your cell becomes a top priority when you are powerless. Last year after Hurricane Sandy, several tech sites published info on apps and ways to reduce the power drain on your phone so the battery lasts longer.

EVACUATION WITH CHILDREN: ADVICE FROM A MOM
Never try to evacuate without the portable DVD player. People who say parents shouldn't use TV as a babysitter never sat in a car for 14 hours in one spot on the interstate with screaming kids who have nothing to do. Ditch the plastic DVD boxes. Keep all the DVDs in a large book with a zip closure and handle -- no DVDs falling out in the car.
Give kids their own snack bags for when they get the hungry in the car. This gives them some independence. Also, sometimes they don't scream when they're eating. If they do, it muffles the sound.
Let them help before you go. Even if they're little. Even if it takes them three hours to find the one thing you sent them to get. Give them something "important" to do to help them feel in control.
Let them pack a few of their most precious things. What we think is important to them isn't always the most important. Asking them helps them feel a little more in control and helps them cope, and the less anxious they are, the less stressed you'll be.
Let kids pack their school backpacks full of what they want to do in the car (with supervision of course). That way, you don't have to look for their bag, they can recognize it right away and everything's not in one bag for all the kids.
Pack board games for later. Throw the board in the bottom of the suitcase, put the small pieces in a Ziploc bag and ditch the box. Pack a couple of decks of cards.
If your child is in special education, don't forget a copy of your child's last IEP and evaluation with your important papers and the Web site for the Special Education Reporting System with the State Department of Education to verify your child's eligibility for special education services (www.doe.state.la.us/lde/pair/1213.html). Your children are entitled to their education even without the paperwork, but it goes much smoother if you have it.
The tolerance typical kids have for riding in hot cars for long distances is cut by 50 percent or more for kids with disabilities. . . . Stop often, let them walk, move around and get out of the car.
And, once you're there, turn off the news and play a board game with the kids. You'll feel a lot better.

PETS
Plan for a week of pet food, medication, etc., and have cages and carriers.
Test your animals on tranquillizers before the big event...learned the hard way that the meds made my 90-pound dogs rather surly.
One thing that worked well during Katrina was a "Travel Litter Box" for our cat. I bought a large plastic bin with a very tight cover. With the cover on, we had a "ready-in-an-instant" litter box in case our trip to safety took, oh, say, 12 hours or more in bumper-to-bumper traffic. The litter box can be quickly sealed back up after use with all its contents.

SPECIAL TRICKS TO KNOW
Fill a water bottle half way and freeze it standing up. Then lay in down in your freezer. If it melts during a power outage and refreezes, throw out the freezer contents.
If you have fruits, yogurt, milk in the fridge, blend all of it to make a smoothie to reduce the volume of foodstuffs in your fridge, then fill several twist-lid storage containers with it. Fill each about 80 percent to allow for expansion. Stack them in the freezer, wait a day, and you have a block of smoothie that you can use as ice in a cooler, and you can drink as it melts.

Have a push-button, land-line telephone for hurricanes. Land-line service is usually restored quicker than cell phone service.

In evacuation, bring the CPU of your home computer, or a flash drive with your backed up files.

Check your tires. And the spare. NOW.

If you run a business in the city, take your occupational license with you when evacuating. It could help you get back in the city.

Have an emergency account set up with a national bank so when you cannot access money from your local bank, there is a back-up fund.

Tell your family and friends where you are going and work out a "contact person" on the outside, who can give your information to worried friends and family

If you still have a landline and a non-electronic answering machine lying around, plug it in before you evacuate. If it comes on when you call, your power is on.

Get neighbors' contact information, so you can get updates from each other.

Take photographs of everything in your house in case you have to file an insurance claim.

Don't forget to take your blank checks with you. We had our checkbooks but didn't think about all the extra checks. We had to call and cancel them. It's a good thing we did: Returning home we discovered minor storm damage but major looting .
I was in such a state of shock following Katrina that my memory was impaired. I could not remember all the different Internet log-ons and passwords that I use to access my credit cards, bank account and investments. Now I have these written down by code in my pocket telephone directory. I believe the code would prevent a thief from knowing what I've written should the directory be found. You may want to develop your own security system for protecting this info. The point is to have some safe place for referral.

NEVER leave a car behind even if you don't want to be separated from family. The car is what you need the most!

HANDY THINGS TO HAVE
***You will be so happy if you have a flashlight mounted on a headband.
Reader suggestions on other evacuation things to bring: Pillow, a sweater, Xanax, most important jewelry, good bottles of wine saved for a special occasion, inflatable mattress, bedding.

A weather radio that operates on batteries that can be recharged by cranking a handle. Some units have TV/radio/flashlight that operates the same way.
Buy a good pair of walkie-talkies with 5-mile range for the road to communicate between family cars. Cell phones are worthless when a storm approaches

We brought the solar powered garden lights inside and used them as "candles." We would put one in each room inside of an empty 2-liter bottle and they lasted for hours. They especially came in handy for the bathroom! There was no need for batteries and no risk of children burning themselves. You just have to remember to place them outside the next day so they can recharge.

You know how people always say they have a credit card "just for emergencies"? I had gotten a gas credit card a few months before Katrina for that purpose and it turned out to be a life saver.

After spending years in Africa, I wasn't caught off-guard by the aftermath of Katrina. (I stayed.) Some things that helped: a small battery-powered fan, a screen-covered rain barrel for extra wash water, blocks of ice made in plastic containers and, for the time when sewers weren't working, a bag of cat litter to go with the plastic bags.

Go NOW to buy a long-distance calling card -- my cell phone was as useful as a brick when trying to make a call after Katrina, and having the card eliminates your host's landline being charged for your calls. Get one with lots of minutes on it as you will be on hold for most business calls should the worst happen again.


Get a Louisiana state map and a Mississippi state map. Paper ones. The state roads are in decent condition and you can make stops. Stay off the interstate.

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

DO YOU WANT TO WORK IN THE MOVIES?

The Mayor’s Office of Cultural Economy announced a series of film industry trainings in partnership with Film New Orleans, the New Orleans Video Access Center (NOVAC) and the St. Bernard Parish Office of Film & Television.

Starting in September, as part of NOVAC’s Ready Set Film! workforce program, three low-cost film industry trainings will be provided to aspiring production assistants, assistant directors and production accountants to work on feature film and television productions. The Ready Set Film! fall series will train 54 local residents through classes led by practicing professionals and will also offer job placement support to participants.
“We are pleased to continue our series of film industry training programs and once again to be partnering with NOVAC and St. Bernard Parish,” said Scott Hutcheson, advisor to Mayor Landrieu for Cultural Economy. “These programs will help to deliver a highly skilled regional workforce which is necessary to support the continued growth of the film industry in the area.”

Trainings will include:
Production Accounting Intensive – On Saturday, September 14, 2013 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at NOVAC’s training facility, Melissa Wiseman of Entertainment Partners Financial Solutions will lead exercises in Movie Magic Budgeting, the standard production accounting software for feature films. She will also cover cost reporting, labor laws, tax credits and more. This training is open to ten Louisiana residents on a first come, first serve basis at the rate of $50 for Orleans Parish NOVAC members, $100 for non-Orleans Parish NOVAC members and $155 for new members. Candidates can visit novacvideo.org/productionaccounting to learn more and register for the course.

Assistant Directing Intensive – On Sunday, September 15 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. at NOVAC’s training facility, AD Jared Hopkins will lead exercises in Movie Magic Scheduling, the preferred scheduling software for film professionals. He will also cover script breakdowns, production boards, set management and more. This training is open to ten Louisiana residents on a first come, first serve basis at the rate of $50 for Orleans Parish NOVAC members, $100 for non-Orleans Parish NOVAC members and $155 for new members. Candidates can visit novacvideo.org/adintensive to learn more and register for the course.

P.A. Bootcamp – On Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. at the Contemporary Arts Center, NOVAC will offer a two-day production assistant training led by Quixote’s renowned P.A. Bootcamp training academy. This training is open to 30 Orleans Parish residents and four St. Bernard Parish residents on a competitive basis. Candidates should visit novacvideo.org/pabootcamp to download an application and submit it with a résumé to workforce@novacvideo.org by Saturday, September 7. There is a $75 acceptance fee.

Film New Orleans assists productions with the City’s permitting process, connects productions with local crews and resources, and facilitates communication between productions and the local community.

For questions about filming in New Orleans, please contact Film New Orleans at (504) 658-0923 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting (504) 658-0923 FREE  end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit http://www.nola.gov/film.

Sunday, August 25, 2013

Historic Homes... quality construction

Great article on the value of purchasing an older home... they are built to withstand what Mother Nature throws at them... much higher quality than what is built with today's material.....

Because the house was .... raised up on brick piers, the surge water hadn’t made it to the high plastered ceilings but had filled the house up with several feet of sea water before finding its way back out through doors and wall openings. Studying the hand-planed, tall single-board trim around the floors and the water mill-sawn framing, it was clear the structure had been built in the very early 19th century. Katrina was clearly not its first hurricane rodeo.

the reality became clear that the best insurance they had was how they were built. The lime-based plaster walls with cypress lathe held up totally intact after an extended period submerged in flood water, compared to homes that had been re-muddled with modern drywall and were covered with wide bands of black mold. The quarter-sawn heart-pine floors were still pristine under a layer of mud, while the modern replacement floor systems were swollen and buckled beyond salvage. The reality that the older homes were built for disasters, decades prior to the introduction of homeowners; insurance in the 1950s, was becoming glaringly obvious. How quickly we forget how and why we should build to withstand the forces of nature. In today’s world, images of neighborhoods demolished by natural disasters are commonplace, but how many people realize that the real reason we see higher and higher damage estimates has largely to do with how substandard so much of what we build today is when subjected to the powerful forces of nature? In truth, building codes were created for the most part to protect mortgage and insurance companies, but why is the bar set so low? As my builder friend John Abrams once said, “When someone says that everything they build meets code, what they are really saying is that if they built it any worse, it would be illegal.”

8429 APPLE ST

Joliet Street corner Apple Street, square 377, lot C
sold by Cameron Landry to Caleb D. Ford
for $175,000

This property is right next to the Ashton Theatre.

Apple @ Joliet

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Carrollton Connection to I Have a Dream speech

 
Carrollton Trivia - ".... 50th anniversary of MLK's "I Have a Dream Speech." However, it would not have been given without prompting from Mahalia Jackson, who grew up in the Black Pearl section of Carrollton. Dr. King had finished his prepared remarks given from the Lincoln Memorial and was about to sit down when Jackson called out, "Tell them about your dream, Martin." You can hear this clearly in the background of recordings made at the time. WIth that, King kept speaking extemporaneously and the rest is history."
 

Monday, August 19, 2013

Racial Dot Map

Take a look at the Racial Dot Map : http://demographics.coopercenter.org/DotMap/index.html


Here's the Legend: Demographics Legend

Here's it zoomed in as far as it will go on the NorthWest Carrollton Area.
Demographics
Note:
The cluster of red dots at the Notre Dame Seminary
The blank area of Palmer Park and Walgreens/Roberts and Harrell Park

Here's a broader city view......
Demographics Nola

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Night-Out Against Crime Planning Meeting

The City’s Night-Out Against Crime is likely going to be Tuesday October 8, 2013.
 
We will meet at 6: 30PM on Monday August 19, 2013 at Central St. Matthew United Church of Christ – 1333 South Claiborne Avenue (corner of Willow and Carrollton)
The meeting is the initial planning meeting for Night-Out Against Crime event.
Your presence and active participation is welcome.

Friday, August 16, 2013

How to build community

The price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men. Plato

So if something isn't "right" speak up!

Send us an email at nwcarrollton@mindspring.com

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

New Orleans 8 years later... still has potential

Check out the link..

"New Orleans area median household income dropped 8 percent from 1999 to 2011, to $44,404. But the United States as a whole fared worse, dropping 11 percent. The national median income was $50,502, still higher than New Orleans but with a narrowing gap."

"
Entrepreneurship rates in the New Orleans area sustained a growth pattern that started after Katrina and before the recession, beating national results and the model cities, with 501 of every 100,000 adults starting businesses in the three-year period ending with 2012."

"Although the minority population dropped after Katrina, the share of all businesses with minority owners rose, reaching 27 percent, which topped the national 21 percent, but receipts to minority-owned businesses were stagnant, indicating small enterprises that might be struggling to grow, Plyer said."


 "It's also unusual, she said, for longtime fading cities to achieve such a turnaround.

"Katrina caused a break in the status quo," she said, with a flurry of public policy reforms and economic development opportunities."
New Orleanians have an odd and wonderful way of finding the silver lining.

Saturday, August 10, 2013

8330, 8330 1/2, 8332 & 8332 1/2 Pritchard Place

Sonia Maret Kenwood to Clifford M. Kenwood and Edward B. Kenwood, no value stated, donation.

Clifford M. Kenwood to Edward Kenwood for $175,000

Friday, August 9, 2013

Home Prices in NorthWest Carrollton 70118

Red Prices PreKatrina Black Prices PostKatrina Nola.com August 9th Untitled

Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Expensive Security Districts...

Click on the link to see a map of the 28 Security Districts of Orleans Parish

Total annual cost to taxpayers: $7,500,000! 

We're still glad that NorthWest Carrollton stuck with Neighborhood Watch and communication with out Quality of Life Officer and NOPD.

With thanks to Tim Garret for bring this to our attention.




Sunday, August 4, 2013

Monticello Canal .... options.... but no dollars


Read the whole article at Uptown Messenger:

"Rainfall should be diverted out of Uptown via the Mississippi River instead of carrying it all the way to Lake Pontchartrain, and major drainage ditches like the Monticello Canal should be expanded into interior floodplains and water-storage features, according to two recommendations that illustrate how New Orleans should be better managing its water instead of just pumping it away."


Waggoner Monticello Water Management Option

Saturday, August 3, 2013

2517-19 Dante

Steven D. Harpham and Hal Patrick Watson Hooper to Don Maffettone for $144, 200.

Friday, August 2, 2013

Costco Grand Opening September 21st @ 7AM

You can sign up for your Costco Membership
Monday – Friday
at the Xavier Police Station parking lot on Carrollton
where Costco Reps are available to assist.

Or you can sign up online at www.costco.com .

Thursday, August 1, 2013

New Orleans - Aspirational City - Brain Gain

http://www.newgeography.com/content/003852-aspirational-cities-us-cities-that-offer-both-jobs-and-culture-are-mostly-southern-and-modest-sized

"Both No. 1, Austin, Texas, and No. 2, New Orleans, are places where people can enjoy the cultural amenities and attitudes of “progressive” blue states but in a distinctly red-state environment of low costs, less regulation, and lower taxes. These places have lured companies and people from more expensive regions, notably California and the Northeast, by being not only culturally rich but also amenable to building a career, buying a home and, ultimately, raising a family in relative comfort."

"No big economic region outperforms Houston, a metropolitan area of more than 5 million people that boasts arguably the strongest big-city economy in the nation. Not only the global hub of the energy industry, it also boasts the nation’s largest medical center and has dethroned New York City as the nation’s leading export center. Other strong performers include No. 7, Salt Lake City; No. 8, Oklahoma City; and No. 11, New Orleans, all of which have enjoyed strong job growth over the past five years."

"Our methodology concentrates on three metrics: domestic migration, growth of foreign-born population; and growth in the number of college-educated people. These groups reflect what may be thought of as “the canaries in the coal mine”—indicators of where people seeking a better life are choosing to settle. This factor seems to jibe with our overall rankings more than any other component."

New Geography 2013 Brain Gain


"In thinking about the future, then, it is important to recall that not long ago some of the cities near the top of today’s aspirational list were facing seemingly irreversible economic decline, demographic stagnation, and even loss and deterioration of basic infrastructure."   <<<< No one knows this more than a New Orleanian (especially a PreKatrina New Orleanian).

Entergy .... small reduction in costs

http://www.nola.com/business/index.ssf/2013/08/entergy_new_orleans_customers_2.html As reported on Nola.com by Bruce Eggler... Entergy customers on the east bank of Orleans Parish can look forward to slight reductions in their electricity bills in coming months, a New Orleans City Council committee was told Thursday afternoon. Entergy New Orleans officials and the council's legal and technical advisers on regulating the company agreed last week on a "formula rate plan" settlement that will reduce base electricity rates by 2.5 percent, retroactive to October 2012. That amounts to $6.5 million, the council's Utility Committee was told. Gas rates will not change. Because the change applies only to the base rate, not to fuel adjustment charges, customers' monthly bills will drop by less than 2.5 percent. Technical adviser Joe Vumbaco told the committee that a typical residential customer's bill will fall by 1.55 percent, from $104.63 to $103.01 a month. Commercial customers' bills will be reduced by about 1.64 percent and industrial customers' bills by 1.39 percent. Vumbaco said $3.8 million will be refunded to electricity customers through bill credits over four months, September to December, to make up for overcharges since October 2012. The changes do not affect Entergy Louisiana customers in Algiers. Entergy had put higher rates into effect in October totaling about $1 million for electricity customers and another $1 million for natural gas customers, even though the council advisers' review of the company's books for 2011 suggested that decreases of more than $10 million were called for. Under a 2009 agreement, customers' electricity and gas rates are adjusted annually to the midpoint of approved ranges of rates of returns on the company's equity. After months of legal proceedings, the two sides decided that a $6.5 million reduction in electricity revenues was in order, meaning that the entire electricity rate increase put into effect in October will be refunded with interest, in addition to a lower base rate going forward. The Utility Committee endorsed the settlement Thursday, and the full council is expected to follow suit next week. Clint Vince, the council's chief legal adviser on regulating Entergy, said the 2012 rate settlement is the fifth consecutive year in which action by the council and its advisers has resulted in rate reductions. Cumulatively, the reductions have saved Entergy New Orleans customers $215.5 million since 2009, he said. Councilwoman Susan Guidry called the latest agreement "totally amazing," and Forest Bradley-Wright of the Alliance for Affordable Energy said it was "incredibly wonderful." Real Estate