November 29, 2006...Recovery Update

On a casual afternoon drive around the neighborhood, this evidence of inaction reveals the fact that New Orleanians are rebuilding the City, individually, as homeowners, renters, and business people.  New Orleanians deserve a voice in how and who will rebuild our neighborhoods and begin to fulfill the planning we 've done together.

   City Hall Annex on Canal Street  in downtown New Orleans

  and also around the back, this neglect reveals how well the City of New Orleans deals with property recovery and rebuilding.                          

Although there are some exceptions, many residents must travel considerable distances, even outside of the Parish, for grocery and pharmacy services, a sad irony with vacant and gutted national chain properties of many prominent street corners in every neighborhood.

     National corporate chains disappoint us all over New Orleans   

      Even this facility appears neglected. Although the State had the area gutted and the grass cut once, a few weeks later and it once again is

                       trashed and over-grown   

   State Troop "B" sits at the Veterans Memorial Blvd gateway to Orleans Parish.

  Unsecured property is dangerous. Debris piles fester.

And even the property of the Archdiocese of New Orleans remains unrepaired and dirty. 

Thus far, the recovery of the City of New Orleans is being driven privately by returning residents, and they, our City's great resource, should be heard on how the redevelopment proceeds.  

One Year Later...August 26, 2006

8/26/06          One year ago with draining Katrina floodwaters

Our former LaRoots and Lagniappe Consulting office on Canal Street in Mid-City

is now our family home.  We moved in last April with the help of friends including

Mike Stagg who drove in to be on our first "gutting" work crew

Vicki Lancaster and Barbara Davidson who helped us paint and

Pastor Jose who helped Alan with the carpentry.

 Remembrance observances are everywhere in the area. 1,464 Louisianans lost their lives,

and 135 are still missing.  Over 200,000 homes were destroyed, and 1.4 million applied

for some sort of housing assistance, according to FEMA. 

  The Times-Picayune lists over 100 events during the week of August 29, 2006.

                  In Lakeview, some homes remain untouched, some are gutted.

             Promises and reality sit side by side  

On Bluebird Street, we worked last year to salvage some treasures 

We recently demolished the Bluebird Street residence.  This was not a sad event. 

In clearing the lot, many burdens of the Katrina destruction have been handled.

The open space prompts us to envision possibilities for our future there.