Catch Basins and Leaf Blowers

Is it legal to use a leaf blower to blow leaf litter and grass cuttings into the street?

NO!  

and if you don't believe me, below is the ordinance prohibiting this practice. 

Please remind your friends and neighbors who use yard maintenance contractors so that this practice does not occur.  And if you do it yourself, you should probably cut that out.

Sec. 66-287. - Sweeping from premises and sidewalks to be taken up.

The owner, his agent or occupant, of all premises shall be responsible to take up or cause to be taken up all aggregate sweeping of garbage, trash, litter, grass cuttings, leaves and all other waste materials from the premises, sidewalks and abutting property including the space between the property line and the curbline in front, extending 1½ feet from the curbline into the street or roadway and in the rear and alongside thereof of such premises owned or occupied so that such sweepings shall not under any circumstances reach the drains, gutters, streets or roadways. The owner, his agent, or occupant shall be responsible to have all sweepings placed into containers sufficient to prevent such sweeping from being scattered by the wind and placed out on the days designated for collection.

(Code 1956, § 28-19)

Sec. 66-287.1. - Use of leaf blowers to transfer or direct debris to public drains prohibited.

(1)

Definitions.

Leaf blower. A mechanical, battery-operated or gasoline-powered device which projects pressurized air forward to cause movement of leaves, grass or other debris commonly associated with grass cutting, lawn care, gardening or yard maintenance activities.

Public drain. Includes catch basins or gutters located parallel to public rights-of-way, open segments of city subsurface drainage conduits, flood control and water path canals or drains located on public property and incorporated into the public infrastructure for wastewater management or scipening.

(2)

Use of leaf blower to impede or restrict drainage or water flow prohibited. Use of leaf blower for private or commercial use in any manner which causes or results in the transfer, movement or directing of grass, leaves, yard debris, debris derived from yard maintenance, lawn care or any activities whereby debris is accumulated and projected to public drains or results in impeded water flow of public drains or restricts the public designated purpose of such drains is prohibited by law. Violators shall be subject to citation or administrative adjudication by duly authorized code enforcement officers or duly authorized law enforcement officers.

(M.C.S, Ord. No. 21912, § 1, 4-7-05)

Louisiana Irises in the Costco landscaping

When you see Louisiana Irises in the Costco landscaping... this is the back story.
I guess this is what they mean when they say the power of social networking.

These Costco folks are pretty amazing.
Can't wait for the store to open!

From: NorthWest Carrollton
Sent: Jun 2, 2013 11:58 AM
To: Susan Guidry - Council District A, Stacy Head, Ann McDonald - Parkway & Parks
Subject: Irises at Costco and Washington & Carrollton streetscape

Dear Council Members and Parks & Parkways;

This weekend there was an interesting post and conversation on Facebook regarding the streetscape at Washington & Carrollton regarding Louisiana Irises.

Here is the link that started the conversation:http://southeasternarchitecture.blogspot.com/2012/10/lost-louisiana.html

and here is the quote that created the idea to have Costco (and Parks & Parkways) include native Louisiana Irises in the landscaping. 

" 'During the past twenty-five years, I have witnessed the most frightful destruction amongst the irises within the city limits of New Orleans and adjoining parishes, even worse than that of the Frenchmen Street location. At the junction of Washington and Carrollton Avenues, there was a patch of several acres, which when in bloom appeared to be a solid mass of iris; today not one remains. At the site of Newcomb College there was a fine stand of Iris fulva. This has disappeared entirely.' "
As a result of this conversation, we are asking if it would it be possible to request that Costco ( and Parks & Parkways) use Louisiana Irises in their landscaping. These are local, native plants and when it rains their blooms explode. It could be a nice nod to the location and honor the site's history. Additionally large clumps of irises don't require as much maintenance and could be more cost effective long term.

Respectfully & hopefully,
Jenel Hazlett
Elaine Leyda
(with thanks for the e-conversation that included Cathe Mizell-Nelson, Kiki Reinecke, Timmie Reinecke Cass Cairns, Barb Masinton)

The email above got us a contact at Costco and we wrote a second email

Mr. Fuller;

We are looking forward to having Costco so centrally located and close to our neighborhoods. This Saturday our City Council Representative Susan Guidry participated in the ribbon cutting for the streetscape at Washington and Carrollton. Today there was an e-conversation regarding the lost of Louisiana Irises in the New Orleans streetscape.  Given the synchronicity, we are writing you with the hope that Costco might be interested in an idea that bubbled up among neighborhood leaders this morning on Facebook to have Costco use Louisiana Irises in the landscaping at the new New Orleans location.   As the article in the link below indicates  "At the junction of Washington and Carrollton Avenues, there was a patch of several acres, which when in bloom appeared to be a solid mass of iris; today not one remains."  We are hoping that you will bring this idea forward to the team responsible for the New Orleans site.  We feel it would be a nice nod to our history and could even long term be cost effective landscaping as once established irises require very little maintenance. We also contacted our city council representatives to see if we can't encourage the city to use irises in their portion of the streetscape.

Sincerely;
Jenel Hazlett
Elaine Leyda
residents of the Carrollton neighborhood in New Orleans
http://southeasternarchitecture.blogspot.com/2012/10/lost-louisiana.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisiana_Irises

And within 6 days we had this answer from Costco

Jenel and Elaine,

Thank you very much for your recent e-mail concerning the Louisiana Iris and our new Costco.

 

We have identified a few areas on our site where we can substitute scheduled plant material for Louisiana Iris.

These areas would be at our site corners and entrances at Dixon and Carrollton, Dixon and Dublin and at the entries along Palmetto.

Please see the attached PDF with the areas highlighted in pink. 

I hope that this effort meets the spirit of your request, and regret that we can not provide additional coverage due to the fact that the majority of the plant material has already been ordered or purchased.

 

We are looking forward to our first Louisiana location joining the neighborhood.

 

Sincerely,

Todd Thull

Vice President

Costco Construction

Slow Food's gain is New Orleans loss.

Slow Food's gain is New Orleans loss.

Richard McCarthy, who helped transform New Orleans Food Markets
and provide a bright spot in out Post Katrina recovery, is headed for the Big Apple.

http://www.nola.com/food/index.ssf/2013/01/slow_food_usa_names_new_orlean.html

"Katherine Deumling, Board Chair of Slow Food USA, said McCarthy was a perfect fit for Slow Food USA because of 'his deep understanding of both food producers and consumers and his proven success in creating more joy and justice in communities around the U.S.'"

This is also what made him a perfect fit for New Orleans Farmers Markets.

In his own words:
"If the market isn't there for everyone, if you have the inability to accept food stamps, good food is only available to people who can afford it," McCarthy said. "It was all about social justice."

What he has learned is that New Orleans is not part of what he calls nomadic America. "In New Orleans, we're last on every list," he said. "Oddly, we've got a lot to teach the rest of country."

Yep.... so far behind, we're ahead.

Hollygrove Market & Farm

just across Earhart from NorthWest Carrollton
@ 8301 Olive Street, New Orleans, LA 70118

You have got to love a city where all this
Fresh produce, Duck, Free Range Chickens, Ground Lamb, Wild caught Shrimp
is just blocks away....
support your local farmers & fishers, shrimpers, crabbers....

Japanese Magnolias bloom after Issac

NorthWest Carrollton with help from Hike for KaTREEna planted a number of Japanese Magnolias.

If your tree is blooming after Tropical Storm Isaac apparently you should not be surprised. Dan Gill says that this is a common occurrance.  "We think that the dormant buds already on the tree are triggered to bloom when the high winds remove most of the foliage."  The flowers that bloom after a hurricane are paler thant when they bloom in the spring.  But blooming after a hurricane reduces blooming in the spring.

Not quite Goi Du Du

Salad above is a modification of another reciepe.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Snow Pea Harvest

It doesn't get any more local than your back yard.
Why bother to cook them when they taste so good right off the vine?





Look like Sweet Peas...
they have to be planted at the same time as Sweet Peas in late fall/early winter.