Beyond Katrina

Storm Alert For Cultural Individuals and Organizations in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast

August 28, 2008 –  

The Office of Lieutenant Governor Mitch Landrieu and the Department of Culture, Recreation and Tourism urge you to take every precaution to protect yourself and property in the wake of Hurricane Gustav. The Cultural Assets Rescue (www.crt.state.la.us/culturalassets) website was developed in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita to serve as a clearinghouse and information center for artists, individual cultural workers, cultural organizations and businesses. It contains valuable information to assist in relocation, restoration and recovery from disasters.

Please use the resources provided here and register your contact information in the Directories section. For direct communication click the feedback link to generate an email message or call 225-342-8200.

 

Susan Brunner

Chair

Louisiana Parntership For The Arts

Like somebody has kicked over an ant pile in Louisiana today

yes. all hell has broken loose here in Baton Rouge and elsewhere across the state today. 4:45 Bobby Jindal is holding a press conference - I am told he will talk about evacuations of special needs patients and people in low lying areas. contra flow from NOLA to Baton Rouge on Saturday. My blog posts here are becoming decidely short and twitter-ish given to the sheer volume of information that is pouring in...we've heard the shelves are empty at Wal-Mart. I'll make my run this evening to stock supplies - i have never bought supplies five days before a storm that may not even come here. People this time out would rather be over-prepared...

Jewish New Orleans undergoing dramatic transformation

Three years since Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast, the face of Jewish New Orleans is undergoing a dramatic transformation. The traditional Southern community that was nearly destroyed by the hurricane on Aug. 29, 2005 has been energized by an influx of young newcomers and has a new pioneering spirit, community leaders say. Continue>>>

Three Years After Hurricane Katrina, Unidentified Victims are Memorialized and a City Reflects on Presidential Promises of Recovery in Jackson Square

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 26 --          The City of New Orleans and the New Orleans City Council will host three city-wide events on Friday, August 29th in observance of the third year since the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and the failed levees devastated the city and caused the city's first ever mandatory evacuation.

    "August 29th will forever be remembered in this region as the day that changed millions of lives. We are working as one community to restore our beloved city and all the richness of its culture. But in the midst of this historic undertaking to move toward a better future, we cannot and must not forget those who lost their lives in the storms and floods. It is in this spirit of reflection that we continue to move with great determination to secure the resources and funding needed to fully rebuild our city," said Mayor C. Ray Nagin.

    "On this third anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, we come together as one community to remember those who lost their lives and reflect upon the progress we have made," said New Orleans City Council President Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson. "Three years after the devastation of these storms, our citizens continue to move forward rebuilding their neighborhoods and communities. Although we have made great strides in our recovery efforts, there is still much to do. We will continue to do whatever it takes to fully rebuild this great City that we call home."      

                  

      

          Beginning at 8:00 a.m., the New Orleans Forensic Center Coroner's Office will sponsor a New Orleans traditional jazz funeral and symbolic burial memorializing the unidentified victims of the storms and flood. The site of the memorial ceremony and final resting place for the unidentified victims will be the newly constructed Hurricane Katrina Memorial housed at the Charity Hospital Cemetery, 5056 Canal Street.  A groundbreaking ceremony for the Katrina Memorial was held on August 29, 2007.

    The jazz funeral will travel a total of eight (8) blocks down Canal Street to the Hurricane Katrina Memorial. City dignitaries, citizens and visitors, lead by The Young Men Olympia Benevolent Society, Treme Brass Band and Storyville Stumpers Brass Band, will proceed to the Katrina Memorial for the burial.

    The Katrina Memorial is a burial ground honoring the victims of Hurricane Katrina and the flooding. The memorial design incorporates the actual shape of Hurricane Katrina taken from a satellite image. The approximate construction cost of the monument is $1.5 million.

    Following the jazz funeral and memorial, Mayor Nagin and Mrs. Seletha Nagin will be joined by community members and elected officials as they ring ceremonial bells signifying the series of levee breaches that occurred throughout the city.  Bells will ring for two minutes (9:38 a.m. - 9:40 a.m.). Simultaneously, members of the New Orleans City Council will lay wreaths on levees throughout the city in their respective districts.

      

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 26 --             Concluding the day at 7:30 p.m., the City will again host a candle light vigil in Jackson Square, the location where President Bush in 2005 declared to "do whatever it takes" to rebuild New Orleans and the devastated region. The vigil will feature the city's first responders -- the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), New Orleans Emergency Medical Services (NOEMS) and the New Orleans Fire Department (NOFD).

    SCHEDULE OF COMMEMORATIVE EVENTS
    Event: Traditional Jazz Funeral
    Time: 8:00 a.m.
    Location: Procession to begin at corner of Canal Street and Carrollton
              Avenue
    Event: Ceremonial Bell Ringing
    Time: 9:38 a.m.
    Location: Katrina Memorial Cemetery/Charity Cemetery, 5056 Canal Street      

    

              

      

          Event: Candle Lighting Ceremony     Time: 7:30 p.m.     Location: Jackson Square

IMPORTANT INFORMATION REGARDING MEDIA CREDENTIALING PROCESS AND MEDIA CENTER

     OPERATION DURING THIRD COMMEMORATION OF HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA

    MEDIA CREDENTIALING

    The City of New Orleans is hosting a virtual media credentialing site for events planned for the commemoration of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

    To register for media credentials, go to www.progressinlouisiana.org and complete the virtual application. Media can also visit www.cityofno.com for information regarding the events.

    Media credentials may be picked up at the Anniversary Media Center beginning at 8:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, August 28th at Gallier Hall located at 545 St. Charles Avenue.

    MEDIA CENTER BRIEFINGS

    The City will conduct briefings regarding the recovery and rebuilding in the region on Thursday, August 28th. A media briefing schedule will be posted in the Media Center and on the City's website.

    For more information visit www.cityofno.com.
     CONTACT: LESLEY EUGENE, (504) 416-7694;
              [email protected]

              JAMES ROSS, (504) 906-9123
              [email protected]

              CHARELL CHARLESTON, (212) 219-7106
              [email protected]

SOURCE  City of New Orleans      

   

   

Media Center On-site Contacts: Lesley Eugene, +1-504-416-7694, [email protected], James Ross, +1-504-906-9123, [email protected], Bill Rouselle, +1-504-638-8244, [email protected], or Lisa Posey, +1-646-831-7974, [email protected],

   

   

Hurricane Katrina 3rd Anniversary Events in NOLA

Source: The Bayou Buzz (It's a great pub - check it out!)

Darling Readers,

 

Post your events and see what is 'happening in Louisiana.

 

 

                        This is going to be a very special week since we are commemorating the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina on the 29th and it also marks the Labor Day weekend when so many people from all over the country comes to celebrate and participate in the Southern Decadence Festival - Aug. 27 to Sept. 1.
                        
I am looking forward this Tuesday, August 26 to attending the very special dinner that has been prepare by Louisiana Cookin' in honor of five promising Chefs to Watch. The award dinner will take place at the Theatre at Harrah's. The guests will enjoy a cocktail reception starting at 6:30 pm and a five-course dinner paired with complimentary wines at 7:00 pm. This year’s winners are Chefs David Bridges, Bella Fresca, Shreveport, Justin Devillier, La Petite Grocery, New Orleans, Spencer Minch, Emeril’s Delmonico, New Orleans, Jude Tauzin, Catahoula’s, Grand Coteau and  Susan Zemanick, Gautreau’s, New Orleans.

 

                        The event will be emceed by well-known WWL news anchorman Eric Paulsen and will showcase the five

Louisiana

chefs at work creating their signature dishes. Tickets for the event are $125.00 per person or $1250 for a table of ten. Seating is limited, so reserve your tickets today! The net proceeds of this event will benefit Café Reconcile. For more information on the event and to order tickets simply go to http://www.louisianacookin.com/ or call 504-482-3914.
                        
                        This Tuesday, there will be as usual a Wine Tasting  of American Varieties and Blends from 6 to 8 p.m.at DOS JEFES UPTOWN CIGAR BAR,5535 TCHOUPITOULAS ST. N(504) 891 8500;dosjefescigarbar.com. FREE FOR LADIES and $10 for the gentlemen.. Entertainment at 9:30 p.m. by talented CARL LEBLANC + ELLEN SMITH
                        
Experience an evening of cultural indulgences at the JW Marriott Lobby Lounge this Wednesday, August 27, 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. when the local artist will be Lashun Beal-"Celebration of Women" (Mixed Media, Reliefs on Wood, Acrylics on Canvas.) Entertainment by RICCARDO CRESPO (Brazilian musician, singer and songwriter who plays acoustic guitar and harmonica) Complimentary Wine Tasting and Hors D’oeuvres.
                        
                        
                        

New Orleans

' favorite artist, cartoonist Bunny Matthews, opens a NEW show, 'Da Eve o' Destruction,' at Vega Tapas Cafe,

2051 Metairie Road

, on Thursday, August 28 at 5:30 pm. The public is invited to attend the opening party. Complimentary wine, sangria, and tapas will be served. Bunny will display new original drawings and paintings, many featuring his signature
characters, Vic & Nat'ly. Bunny Matthews' works will be on display and available for purchase through the end of October.

 

                        LEVEES..ORG commemorates third anniversary of Katrina with film debut, "The Katrina Myth: the Truth About a Thoroughly Unnatural Disaster" on Thursday, August 28 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Touro Synagogue, 4238 St. Charles Avenue, uptown New Orleans. The event is free and open To The Public and will feature Cocktails & hors d'oeuvres with live jazz band Some Like It Hot.
                        
“Tipsy Tini Thursdays Happy Hour Celebration” at the Ritz Carlton is a celebration that you do not want to miss.. You can get 2 for 1 Rain Vodka Martinis for $14 with complimentary Sushi Tasting from 5:30-7:30 p.m. You can dance the night away every Friday through September at the French Quarter Bar from 7:30 p.m. on. Dance lessons starting at 8 p.m. $30 cover charge for General Admission; $50 VIP includes lesson, 1 ticket for signature drink and valet parking. Reservations required at 504-670-2828. You can reserve a table but there is $50 per person minimum bar tab.

 

                        Renowned Latin vocalist Fredy Omar and guitarist Pepe Coloma are playing every Thursday from 8-11 p.m. at the Columns Hotel,

3811 St. Charles Avenue

.

 

                        The New Orleans Botanical Gardens’ “Music in the Garden Series” continues with “Thursdays at Twilight" presenting on Thursday, August 28: John Rankin, considered by many as

New Orleans

’ best acoustic guitarist. ,  Pavilion of the Two Sisters, New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Park-5–8 p.m. Performance begins at 6 p.m. $6.00 Adults, $2.00 Children-5-12.
                        
                        The Ogden After Hours presents multi-instrumentalist L.C. Ulmer in collaboration with Ponderosa Stomp Foundation (R&B) 6-8 p.m. at Lobby Atrium of The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, 900 block of

Camp Street

opposite the

Contemporary

Arts

Center

. While there, I urge you to visit the new exhibits at the museum.

 

Ingrid Lucia, Trio - Women in Jazz will be performing at the Mystick, Royal Sonesta Hotel,

300 Bourbon Street

from 9:00 p.m. to 12 midnight. No Cover

 

The Polo Club Lounge at the Windsor Court Hotel is jazzin’ it up every Friday and Saturday with the hot entertainment series, "Playin’ At The Polo," featuring popular local musicians performing a repertoire of sophisticated jazz. See the schedule below:
                        Fridays, August 29, Ed Perkins 9 p..m.–12 Midnight

 

Saturdays, August 30, Leah Chase 9 p.m.- Midnight
                        Sunday – Wednesday, Pianist Jim Harris 6–10 p.m.

 

Polo Club Lounge Entertainment & Afternoon Tea, Thursday-Saturday, Pianist Michael Pellera. 7 –11 p.m. Thursdays;7–9 p.m. Fridays; 6–9 p.m. Saturdays. No cover charge. Sunday Champagne Jazz Brunch in The New Orleans Grill presents the Christopher Kohl Trio.

 

 

Glitz- The Art of Impersonation is back by popular demand! Thursday, August 28 through Sunday, August 31.

 

Starring Roy Haylock as the infamous Bianca Del Rio and performing as

Cher

! Glitz includes a full cast of female impersonators performing as Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Diana Ross, Liza Mannelli, Judy Garland, Tina Turner, Marilyn Monroe, Paris Hilton and Carol Channing! This show also features a brand new country segment with Reba McIntire and Dolly Parton! Get tickets now, call the box office at 504-533-6600. The show start at 9p.m.

 

 

 

RETHINK, RENEW, REVIVE” -Third Anniversary of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita Program-August 29,2008
                        Program
                        8 a.m. Traditional Jazz Funeral
                        Procession begins at the corner of

Canal Street

and

Carrollton Avenue

ending at the

Charity

Hospital

Cemetery

,

5056 Canal Street

. This event will commemorate the official final resting place for the unidentified victims of Hurricane Katrina.
                        9 a.m. Katrina Memorial Wreath Laying Ceremony -N. Claiborne Avenue and Tennessee Street
Participants will then march across Claiborne Avenue to the top of the bridge for a wreath laying ceremony at 9:38 a.m.
                        9:38 a.m. London Avenue Canal Wreath Laying Ceremony-Corner of Mirabeau Avenue & Pratt Drive
                        9:38 a.m. Ceremonial Bell Ringing -Katrina Memorial/Charity Hospital Cemetery, 5056 Canal Street
For two minutes, a ringing bell will signify the series of levee breaches that occurred throughout the city.
                        10 a.m. Hurricane Katrina Memorial Ceremony Gulf Coast Bank,

848 Harrison Avenue

, 2nd Floor
                        10 a.m.. Humane Society Pet Memorial Dedication -City Council Chambers, City Hall, 1300 Perdido Street
                        11 a.m. Lake Area High School Groundbreaking -6026 Paris Street
                        7:30 p.m. Candle Lighting Ceremony -Jackson Square
Citizens will light candles to commemorate and participate in a vigil to remember the victims of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

 

 

There will be a Lakeview Katrina  Recovery Celebration  Sponsored by The Beacon of Hope,

St. Paul

's

Homecoming

Center

, and the Lakeview Civic Improvement Association on Friday,August 29th, at St. Domenic School Yard at 8 a.m.

 

8:30 AM-* Celebratory Mass at St. Dominic Church
10:00 AM- Press Conference with Councilwoman Shelley Midura and Community Leaders at Gulf Coast Bank & Trust,
                        848 Harrison Avenue, New Orleans LA,  2nd Floor .

 

 

The Faulkner Society will observe the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina  on August 29 with MEET THE AUTHOR event, celebrating publication of books of fiction related to Katrina by two

New Orleans

authors, Tom Piazza and Amanda Boyden. Piazza's new novel, City of

Refuge

, and Ms. Boyden's debut novel, Babylon Running take place in

New Orleans

. The Faulkner House on Pirate Alley will be the setting for the event from 6 to 8 p.m. It is free and open to the public., RSVP are requested and you could reserve signed copies by calling 504-524-2940 or e-mailing [email protected]
                         
                        
                        From August 27 to November 2, the New Orleans Museum of Art will present Coping with Katrina: Artwork from the Hyogo-NOMA Children's Art Therapy Initiative, an exhibition of artworks by children who lived through the 2005 hurricane and subsequent flooding. A public reception in honor of the participants will be held at the Museum on Wednesday, September 3, from 6-8 p.m.

 

Every Wednesday, the New Orleans Museum of Art is featuring special program to highlight the Hispanic culture and this Wednesday, August 27, there is SALSA DANCE LESSONS and  a film on Katrina :  Last Things in New Orleans (Please note that this film begins at 7 p.m.)

 

The Official Marigny Decadence XXXVII Kick-off Party will be on August 27 at Tomatillo's,

437 Esplanade Ave

from 11 p.m.

 

 

Sippin' in Stilletos -an evening of shoes cocktails food and fun will take place this Thursday from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at Belli Baci Lounge at Cafe Giovanni,

117 Decatur Street

.
                        
                        The Humane Society of Louisiana, a New Orleans-based  humane organization whose facility was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina, has created the first national monument that will pay tribute to the  animals lost during the 2005 storm season and to the people who aided  them. It is estimated that more than 50,000 animals were saved by rescue groups, some of them with only a small staff or a few members. During a ceremony in the chambers of

New Orleans

City Hall

(August 29, 10 a.m.), Councilwoman Stacy Head will accept a sculpture to honor those heroic groups and their actions. The sculpture, which will remain on permanent display in the foyer of City Hall, is a bronze, life-sized statue of a cat and dog trying to stay afloat during the  flooding of

New Orleans

. A reception will be held at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel immediately after the unveiling of the statue.  A concert benefit for the Humane Society of Louisiana will follow at Tipitina's, located at 501 Napoleon, one of

New Orleans

’ most renowned nightclubs. Tickets are $10 at the door   which open at 9:00 pm.  Music by Billy Iuso and Restless Natives.
                        
                        The New Orleans Opera Club is pleased to announce a fund-raising wine dinner at Peristyle’s Restaurant,

1041 Dumaine St.

(corner of Rampart in the Quarter) at 7PM on August 29.  Valet parking will be available. The menu designed by Tom Wolfe, owner/chef of Peristyle’s, is a
This delicious six course dinner will be complemented by wines .the price is $125 per person including tax and gratuity.  Part of the cost will be tax-deductible as a donation to the Opera Association. Sitting is limited. Please contact Gina Klein at the Opera Office, 529-2278 x227.
Talking about food and chefs, WYES' Season of Good Taste is continuing at one of my favorite restaurant:,Latil's Landing at Houmas House - Friday, August 29, 7 PM (Bus $10.00 per person)
                        Please visit our website at http://www.wyes.org/ for menus. Dinners are $85.00 per person tax and gratuity inclusive. Reservations will be accepted, via phone at (504) 840-4886, on a first come first served basis.

 

                        This Friday, August 29, the weekly meeting of the Obituary Cocktail Society will chill out at the Oasis Bar at the Pool in the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Chef Peter Page will be grilling specially selected menu items from 6 to 8 p.m. Guests will  experience the cool Latin rhythms of Riccardo Crespo's music as you settle in to enjoy informal modeling by Hemline presenting stylish fashionable trends. Not to be missed!

 

 

Armand St Martin appears solo on the Steinway every Friday and Saturday night at the Ritz Carlton Cigar Bar on the 3^rd floor from 6 to 11 p.m. $25/per or private membership.

 

 

My darling fellow Realtor MaryFlynn Thomas is performing every Saturday at Chef Andrea Apuzzo's beautiful new lounge, Capri Blu Lounge at Andrea’s Restaurant in

Metairie

.

 

 

 

 

The Chateau Sonesta is hosting on Saturday, a pool party and fashion show  to benefit Project Lazarus from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call 586-0800.
                        
                         Saturday, August 30 at 2 p.m., Chef Frank Davis will be signing and discussing his book "Making Good Groceries" at the Southern Food and

Beverage

Museum

better known as SoFAB at the Riverwalk. Books available for purchase in the museum store. Members enjoy free admission to weekend programming.

 

Take a "Staycation" with a tropical flair at the Arts Market of New Orleans on Saturday, August 30th in Palmer Park. Visit the perfect destination to be a tourist in your own hometown. Dress loudly and lightly to cruise colorful art by inspired local artists. Presented by the Arts Council of New Orleans, this monthly open air festival of creativity features art influenced by the exotic array of plants, flowers, wildlife, and scenes to be found in our port city and surrounding bayous.
                        
                        Sway to the sizzling sounds of Riccardo Crespo & Sol Brasil at 1:00 pm, followed by Rudy's Caribbean Funk Band at 2:30 pm in the Music Tent. In the Kids Tent, see the Porta-Puppet Players performance of "Pork in Teams" the comedic courtroom drama of the Three Little Pigs. Children will make their own Sock-a-Saurus puppet after the show.
                        
                        The Arts Market of New Orleans is Saturday, August 30 in Palmer Park (the final stop of the

St. Charles

streetcar) at the corner of Claiborne and Carrollton Avenues, 10 am - 4 pm. Enjoy foods sold to satisfy any craving. Free. Visit artscouncilofneworleans.org or call 504.523.1465.

 

As a part of the 3rd Anniversary commemoration of the Katrina disaster and its aftermath, the AALP will host its 3rd "Hands Around the Dome Ceremony" on Saturday, August 30, from 1 pm to 3:30 pm at the Louisiana Superdome (plaza level and parking is free).

 

A second benefit for Humane Society of Lousiana( HSL), entitled "Yappy Hour New Orleans," will take place at the Ritz-Carlton, 921 Canal, on Saturday, August 30, from 5-7 p.m. Ms. Diamond and her traveling canine companion, Lucky, will also be the recipients of the Humane Society of Louisiana's International Animal Ambassador Award, for her work to promote the humane treatment of animals throughout the world. Cost of the event is $50 per person. For information, please call 1-888-6-humane.
                        
                        
                        Krewe of Boo is having their first Black-Tie Soiree this Saturday, August 30 at Blaine Kern's Mardi Gras World in

Algiers

. There will be a "Silent Auction" to the Soiree's agenda in which guests will be able to bid to be part of the inaugural Krewe of Boo Royal Court, including the opportunity to become the first annual King, Queen, Count or Countess. Royal Court positions are available to both members and nonmembers.  Entry to the Soiree' for nonmembers (not accompanied by a member) is $50 at the door. An additional 40 fantastic

New Orleans

items are also included in the auction. Payments may be made by check or credit card upon auction closings and item(s) must be taken at the end of the night. The auction tables will open at 8:00 pm and bidding will end at 10:00 pm.  Black Tie or Official New Orleans Police, Fire, or EMS Uniform preferred for entry.

 

If you haven’t made plans yet for Labor Day you’re in luck! Saturday August 30th at 5pm is the

BOURBON STREET

EXTRAVAGANZA! It is a free outdoor concert held on the corner of

Bourbon Street

and

St. Ann

. This year’s concert boasts a great line up with headliners:
                        Deborah Cox, (“Nobody’s supposed to be here”)
                        Kimberly Locke , (from American Idol Season 2)
                        Thea Austin, (“Rhythm is a Dancer”)
                        and Jeanie Tracy (Everybody Up).
                        Opening the show will be Carlos Saenz (a top 25 finalist in the casting for the band O-Town)

 

Capricious Production present at the The Basement Theatre of St. Paul Lutheran Church,

2624 Burgundy Street

the play  "

Camp

Winnetka

"  on Saturday, August 30- 7 p.m.  and Sunday, August 31- 3 p.m. For  more information, call 504-945-3741.
                        
Put on your calendar that on September 3, at the Prytania Theatre, there will be a premiere of documentary "Walking on Death Fish" at 7 p.m. to be followed by a party at Handsome Willy's, 218 S. Robertson.

 

                        Have a great week.
                        
                        Margarita

Bergen

, Realtor

 

LATTER & BLUM,INC

 

811 Marigny Street

, Unit C

 

New Orleans

,

Louisiana

70117

 

Tel/504-947-0555 Cell 504-495-9181 Fax/504-940-6201

                        
                        
                        
                        

Architecture is a political act: Three years after the storm

From Architecture for Humanity:

Dear readers,

It is a busy week in America. Tomorrow some bloke is giving a speech in a football field, then next week some other guy speaks in some convention center. Kidding aside, if you truly care about the natural and built environment it is vital for you to take note of whose policies will affect the United States. With crumbling education facilities, neglected infrastructure and outdated housing policies, put down your morning coffee and please register to vote.

This week marks the third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Many families are still in trailers and crossing their fingers Hurricane Gustav does not hit this weekend (currently projected as a Cat. 3 heading for New Orleans). We are committed to seeing our last projects get built including The Guardians Institute. While there is so much to be done, we'd like to give a special thanks to all those community members and those who came to the coast and helped rebuild. These families would not be home without you.

Gulf Coast Retrospective

For everyone working on the Gulf Coast, the last three years have gone by quicker than a Jamaican Olympic track star. We've gotten to know and respect so many of the people and families we worked with in the rebuilding effort. Willie Maes Scotch House restaurant (awesome video), one of the very first projects we helped through a grant to Heritage Conservation Network to preserve this historic property and gathering place, is up and running. We slept on floors, in car parks, in cars (that one made it on Car Talk), in tents and sofas to help families home. All in all thousands of families lives were touched by Architecture for Humanity volunteers, design fellows and architects.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who contributed to rebuilding along the Gulf Coast. Here's a few of the projects, made possible by your time and your talents:

Housing Recovery:
Parker Residence, Biloxi, MS by Brett Zamore Design
Desporte Residence, Biloxi, MS by CP+D Workshop
Robinson Residence, Biloxi, MS by Huff & Gooden Architects
Odom Residence, Biloxi, MS by GCCDS with Jeanne Gang Architect
Tyler Residence, Biloxi, MS by Marlon Blackwell Architect
Tran Residence, Biloxi, MS by MC2 Architects
Nguyen Residence, Biloxi, MS by MC2 Architects
Guillen Residence, New Orleans, LA by David Briggs AIA
Mona Lisa Saloy Residence, New Orleans, LA by Maureen Nes, John Dwyer and Tracy Nelson
Ms. Kathy's Laundry Room, Waveland, MS by University of Minnesota

Community Design Studios and Construction Workshops
Gulf Coast Community Design Studio, Biloxi, MS led by Mississippi State University
Mike's Construction Workshop, Biloxi, MS led by Mike Grote, Architecture for Humanity and Hands On Network
Hands-On Preservation Workshops, led by Heritage Conservation Network
Design Studio at NENA, New Orleans, LA, led by John Dwyer, AIA

Community Rebuilding:
John Henry Beck Red HouseBiloxi, MS by GCCDS and Hand On Network
Biloxi Shade Structure by AFH Austin
Calhoun McCormick Gallery and Studio by Shelter Architecture
Calhoun Residence and Back House by Shelter Architecture
Guardian Institute, New Oreleans, LA by Rockwell Group

Even after completing all these projects, it's humbling to realize how much is left to do. Please take a moment, to help families buy furniture, household goods, and finish rebuilding their lives by making a donation. Note "Gulf Coast" in the designation field and we'll make sure it goes where it should. 

Many other groups are also rebuilding on the Gulf Coast and have shared their work on the Open Architecture Network. To see just a few of the projects, see the sidebar to the right.

Rebuilding After Disaster
Hurricane Katrina
The Biloxi Model Home Program

Design is only innovative, if it is shared. One of the projects we learned the most from was the Biloxi Model Home Program. So, we thought we'd share some of the hard won lessons of that project in a book. This 100 page book covers the birth, development and construction of the Biloxi Model Homes--from family selection and financing to sheer walls and windows. It's an honest look at what it really takes to rebuild after disaster. The first edition is ONLY available by pre-ordering from our website and newsletter. Proceeds will go towards the rebuilding effort.

Many thanks to all the participants who helped put these lessons on paper. We are grateful to you.

Over the summer we have written a book dedicated to the lessons learned in rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina and what communities can do to prepare themselves if disaster strikes. The first edition of the book will ONLY be available online and can be pre-ordered below. If Design Like You Give A Damn was a compendium of humanitarian work, this new publication is a field guide manual in getting it done.

As always there are plenty of ways to get involved, volunteer (see below) or donate. Even If you don't have two pennies to rub together, you can help by nominating us for the AmEx Members Project. We need to break the top 25 and we are currently in 33rd place with 990 votes and only 4 days left. So close... ...will we make it?

Finally for those in San Francisco next month we will be holding a design event for kids as part of the Architecture and the City Festival. If you are in San Francisco and have young'ins drop by our office at 848 Folsom St. on September 6th. Cookies and Creativity abound.

Cheers,
All of us at Architecture for Humanity

Three-Year Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina Brings Renewed Commitment to Help Rebuild and Revitalize New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and the Gulf shore, people around the country and across the world generously donated relief funds and volunteered their time to help. This week marks the third anniversary of that devastating day -- and a reminder that help and contributions are still very much needed to bring this region fully back on its feet.

So much has been accomplished in these past three years, though so much more is yet to be done. This summer, leading up to the anniversary this week, Patron tequila has partnered with New Orleans' St. Bernard Project and Preservation Hall to create a national fundraising initiative called the Music in Motion tour (http://www.musicinmotiontour.com/). The initiative is one of many such programs currently under way to help complete the important work of revitalizing the region. The centerpiece of this program is a vintage 1927 train car, the Patron Tequila Express, which is riding the rails from city to city collecting donations and offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for people who raise the most money to ride the train to attend music-related events. The train departed from New Orleans last month and has already visited such cities as Chicago, Indianapolis, Cleveland, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Washington, Baltimore, Boston, Pittsburgh (and all points between).

This week, the train car is in Denver at the Democratic National Convention, where a reception is planned to honor the St. Bernard Project, a recipient of a Friends of New Orleans "Hero of the Storm" award. Friends of New Orleans is a nonpartisan membership group of people from across the U.S. and abroad who care about the New Orleans region. From there, the train will travel to the Republican National Convention in Minnesota for similar events.

"Our rail car was actually used quite often by political dignitaries, a good many of them from Louisiana, back before air travel became commonplace," says Pam Dzierzanowski, director of national events for The Patron Spirits Company. "The Patron Tequila Express train car, which has been completely refurbished to its original 1920s grandeur, has a historical tie to New Orleans, having been based there for several years. It's truly the perfect vehicle for our Music in Motion tour, to spread the word across the U.S. that New Orleans still needs our support."

To participate in the Music in Motion tour, people simply log on to http://www.musicinmotiontour.com/ and select one of the two participating local charities: St. Bernard Project or Preservation Hall. The site will then direct visitors to set up a fundraising page through FirstGiving.com, where they can invite friends and family to start donating. People who raise the most funds will be eligible to win prizes, including the opportunity to ride the train with their friends to attend music events throughout the country. The next major prizes on the tour are an all-expense-paid trip for two to the 2008 Video Music Awards in Los Angeles in early September (including a visit to the exclusive celebrity-attended Style Villa lounge atop the Thompson Beverly Hills Hotel), and a red-carpet event in New York the week of September 15 that includes an auction of one-of-a-kind music memorabilia. Most important, all money raised directly benefits efforts in New Orleans to rebuild homes and help bring music and musicians back to the city.

The St. Bernard Project is a community-based organization that began in August 2006 to rebuild homes that were damaged by floodwaters from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in St. Bernard Parish. St. Bernard Parish is a uniquely tight-knit, working-class community adjacent to New Orleans' Lower Ninth Ward, the area hardest hit by the storms. To date, the St. Bernard Project has rebuilt 131 homes and is currently working on more than 30 others. Using volunteer labor, skilled supervisors and donations for building supplies, it takes an average of 12 weeks and $12,000 worth of materials to completely rebuild a house.

Preservation Hall is the best-known and most respected music organization in New Orleans. Founded in 1961, Preservation Hall is a sanctuary dedicated to protect and honor New Orleans jazz. The hall's mission, to perpetuate the musical and cultural traditions of New Orleans, took on an increasingly important urgency post-Katrina. Through Preservation Hall's music education programs, the organization is ensuring the future of the city's great musical legacy through student/musician lessons with jazz veterans, after-school mentorship and cultural awareness.

Partners on the Patron Music in Motion tour include Gibson, Fiji Water, and Zazzle. For more details about the tour, please visit http://www.musicinmotiontour.com/. For information about The Patron Spirits Company and its portfolio of ultra-premium spirits (Patron tequila, Pyrat rum and Ultimat vodka), visit http://www.patronspirits.com/.

    Contact:    Greg Cohen    The Richards Group    214-891-3544 office    917-714-8237 mobile    [email protected] 

Patron Music in Motion Tour

CONTACT: Greg Cohen of The Richards Group, +1-214-891-3544, mobile,+1-917-714-8237, [email protected], for Patron Music in Motion Tour

Web Site:  http://www.musicinmotiontour.com/

http://www.patronspirits.com/

CUE THE CLUSTERF^(#

By: Rick Portier

It happened just as the third story of the day slipped through my sweaty fingers. Governor Bobby the Reformer called a press conference.

know what you're thinking. Big deal. Politicians are always summoning news crews to spout some innanity or another. But this presser was official. Even the out of town crews trundled their giant satellite trucks up the highway and onto the lot at the state's office of ememgency preparedness.

9 cameras, five live/satellite trucks. A couple print guys and a radio reporter or two jockeyed their mics for position on the governor's podium. For something this big, it's important the folks back home see your mic flag and know you were there.

Then he said it. If he'd been in Indianapolis, it would have sounded like, "Gentlemen start your engines." Under the portico of the state building, it was more like, "Katrina's coming back and she's pissed."

Bobby the Reformer was quick to point out, and repeat adnausem that Hurricane Gustav was still many days away, but it was time to start preparing. According to the governor, the state is doing its part. And now is the time for the folks at home to do theirs.

In newsrooms across the boot-shaped state, news directors, stackers, and other house boys salivated on cue. (There's nothing like covering a cat. 3-4-5 hurricane from the confines of the turd factory where it's always sunny and 72 degrees.) Then they removed their station's well thought-out ememgency plan from under the foot of the news director's desk (where it was being used to keep the damn thing from wobbleing everytime the head suit touched the keyboard). Blew off a thick layer of dust and chucked it out the window.

Who needs a plan when there's hype to spout? So from now till the killer storm lands somewhere near New Orleans's doorstep, it'll be all Gustav all the time. And just in time for the third anniversary of Katrina.

But seriously, I remember the lack of preparation around the state three years ago. Things sound a lot more organized this time around. And the station is using all the stuff we learned during our Katrina coverage to fine-tune our plans.

This morning, it's looking like we'll be in evacuation/contraflow mode by Saturday. And we'll all be eating soggy Moon Pies and MRE's soon after that. Cue the clusterf^(#!

Rick Portier is a television news photographer in Baton Rouge. For more of his unique stories and interesting rants see his personal blog at http://turdpolisher.blogspot.com/

New Amsterdam Records to Release Composer Ted Hearne's KATRINA BALLADS in Honor of Hurricane Katrina's Third Anniversary

In recognition of the 3^rd Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, New Amsterdam Records will release a digital version of Ted Hearne's powerful work "Katrina Ballads" on August 29. 

 

Composer and "Katrina Ballads" singer Ted Hearne says: "It is my hope that setting primary-source texts from the devastating week in 2005 when Katrina hit will help us keep this time active in our memory, challenging us to cut through the spin that followed, and bringing us closer to an understanding of the true aftermath. New Orleans has long been a musical epicenter and a real crossroads of culture. The musical influences present in Katrina Ballads are plentiful and diverse. In that sense, this work is a tribute to the life of music, and its ability to shape and inspire us."

 

The work has 11 instrumentalists and 5 singers and is very much about American music as a homage to New Orleans, as is evident in the variety of musical styles of the singers featured in the recording. Some of the instrumental performers are staples in the NYC classical music scene while others hail from South Carolina and are predominantly jazz players. The singers are a mix of contemporary classical, gospel, R&B, and musical theater performers. There are influences of gospel, jazz and spirituals in the work, along with an operatic feel at times. All of the lyrical content in Katrina Ballads comes from primary-source texts, such as the famous quote by Kanye West "George Bush doesn't care about black people."

 

Here are some of the things reviewers have said about its performances in South Carolina and Connecticut:

 

"Hearne, a sophisticated composer with a songwriter's instincts, draws on blues (naturally, in a piece about New Orleans), gospel, grunge, electronic processing, and chance music, with homages to Varese, Glass, and New York's downtown new music scene. In Hearne's capable hands, somehow it all makes sense—it's really good stuff." --Charleston, South Carolina Spoleto Overview (June 2, 2007)

 

"Baritone Anthony Turner brought me to tears with the lament 'Hardy Jackson: 8.30.05.' His rich tone was like heavy cream as he sang, 'My wife, I can't find her body, she gone…' Semmes closed with 'Ashley Nelson,' a gripping meditation from an 18-year-old New Orleans resident that brought me to tears, again."—Charleston Post and Courier (June 1, 2007)

 

"For Katrina Ballads, Hearne sets primary-source texts — quotes taken from New Orleans residents, government officials, journalists, and celebrities (including a large chunk of rapper Kanye West's oft-quoted tirade against the portrayal of blacks in the media) during the harrowing days following Katrina's landfall — to his stirring, diverse original compositions, resulting in songs like the unsettling, staccato "Brownie, You're Doin' a Heck of a Job," in which Hearne repeats and cuts up the infamous sentence spoken by George W. Bush, to rousing effect." –Charleston City Paper (May 30, 2007)

 

"Composer and singer Ted Hearne led a performance of his "Katrina Ballads" that electrified his New Haven audience and powerfully reminded them that the tragedy in the Gulf Coast is far from over… The audience…gave the performers a standing ovation. The applause trailed off and then burst out in another long round of enthusiastic clapping and hollering." –New Haven Independent (March 6, 2008)

 

You may listen to the album here (not for duplication or sale):

http://newmusiccollective.org/katrinaballads/media_kit/press.html

Three Years After Katrina While Republicans and Democrats Gather and Celebrate, A City Still Searches for Recovery

By Jordan Flaherty
http://www.leftturn.org

While much of the media focuses on conventions and running mates, the third anniversary of Katrina offers an opportunity to examine the results of disastrous federal, state and local policy on the people of New Orleans.  Several organizations have released powerful reports in the past week, examining the current state of the city; while grassroots activists have plans to broadcast their message from the streets.  For those who have heard only uplifting stories about the city's recovery, the facts on the ground offer an urgent reminder of the ongoing disaster.

According to a study by PolicyLink, 81 percent of those who received the Federally-funded, State-administered Road Home grants had insufficient resources to cover their damages.  The average Road Home applicant fell about $35,000 short of the money they need to rebuild their home, and African-American households on average had an almost 35% higher shortfall than white households.

More than one in three residential addresses – over 70,000 - remain vacant or unoccupied, according to a report by the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center. While workers with Brad Pitt's Make It Right project are working on overdrive to finish the first of their scores of planned houses in the notoriously devastated Lower Ninth Ward, the neighborhood overall ranks far behind other neighborhoods in recovery, with only 11 percent of its pre-Katrina number of households. The same report notes that since the devastation of the city, rents have raised by 46% citywide (much more in some neighborhoods), while many city services remain very limited – for example, only 21% of public transit buses are running.

Race and Class

Its not only radicals that speak of race and class divisions in New Orleans. A poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 70% of residents feel we're divided by class and/or race.  The Kaiser survey also found unity among New Orleanians: we're united in feeling forgotten by the rest of the US. Eight out of 10 said the federal government has not provided sufficient support. Nearly two-thirds think that the US public has largely forgotten about the city.

The survey found large percentages saying that their own situation has deteriorated.  Fifty-three percent of low- income residents report that their financial situation is worse today than pre-Katrina. The percentage of residents who say they have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness such as depression has tripled since 2006.

There is a continuing debate about how many people live in the new New Orleans, with no definitive figures until the next complete census.  But last year, the census bureau estimated a population of 239,000.  Other analysts – and Mayor C. Ray Nagin – estimate the population to be nearly 100,000 higher.  By any measurement, the growth in that number has stagnated, while even optimistic figures report that 150,000 - 200,000 former residents (out of a former population of nearly 500,000) have been unable to return.  The once nearly 70% African American city is now estimated to be less than 50% African American, a change reflected in the changing face of electoral politics statewide. While Republicans have been losing across the US, Christian Coalition candidate Bobby Jindal was easily elected Governor last year, and in the city, decades of Black-majority city council shifted to a white majority.

Blank Slate or Burial Ground

Much of the change in the city is led by a new strata of the city's population – planners, architects, developers, and other reformers.  Many of them self-identify as "YURPs" – Young, Urban Rebuilding Professionals - in their work with countless nonprofits, foundations, and businesses.  Some have spoken of New Orleans as a blank slate on which they can project and practice their ideas of reform, whether in health care, architecture, urban planning, or education. What this worldview leaves out, according to some advocates, is the people who lived here before, who are the most affected by these changes, and have the least say in how they are carried out. "It wasn't a blank slate, it was a cemetery," says poet and educator Kalamu Ya Salaam.  "People were killed, and they're building on top of their bones."

The vast majority of New Orleans' new professionals have come here with the best intentions, with a love for this city and a desire to help with the recovery. However, many activists criticize what they see as token attempts at community involvement, and a paternalistic attitude among many of the new decision makers.

For example, our education system was in crisis pre-Katrina, and certainly needed revolutionary change.  Change is what we have gotten – the current system is in many ways unrecognizable from the system of three years ago – but this revolution has been overwhelmingly led from outside, with little input from the parents, students and staff of the New Orleans school system.

Shortly after the post-Katrina evacuation of the city, the entire staff of the public school system was fired.  Not long after that, school board officials chose to end recognition or negotiation with the teachers' union – the largest union in the city, and arguably the biggest outlet of Black middle class political power in the city.  Since then, the school landscape has changed remarkably – from staff to decision-making structure to facilities. According to Tulane professor Lance Hill, "New Orleans has experienced a profound change in who governs schools and a dramatic reduction of parent and local taxpayer control of schools."

The school system used to consist of 128 schools, 124 of them controlled by the New Orleans School Board.  Now according to Hill, 88 have opened for the fall, and "50 of them are charter schools (privatized management) governed by self-appointed, self-perpetuating boards; 33 are run by the State Department of Education through the Recovery School District; and only five are governed by the elected school board."

"There are now 42 separate school systems operating in New Orleans," Hill continues, with their own "school policies, including teacher requirements, curriculum, discipline policies, enrollment limits, and social promotions.  Publicly accountable schools in which parents have methods for publicly redressing grievances are limited to only five schools (5.6% of the total)."

Several recent articles have expressed excitement and admiration for the new school system, including pieces in the New York Times and the New Orleans Times-Picayune.  For school reformers, who came to New Orleans with a desire to try out the changes they had imagined, this represents a dream come true.  They have media support, federal, state and city officials on their side, and a massive influx of cheap (and young, idealistic) labor. Teach for America supplied 112 teachers last year, has committed 250 this year, and a projected 500 next year, while tens of millions of dollars in funding is coming through sources such as the Gates and Walton foundations.

There is no doubt that some students receive an excellent education in the new school districts, but critics are concerned that the students that are being left behind, are those that need the most help – those without someone to advocate for them, to research and apply for the best schools.  According to New Orleanian Kalamu Ya Salaam, who is director of a school program called Students at the Center, the new systems represent "an experimentation with privatization, and everything that implies."

Although the new charter schools have been able to choose from the best facilities and have used methods such as state standardized tests to pick only select students (including 40% fewer special education students), there are still serious questions over the extent to their much-heralded success.  G.W. Carver School, the subject of a fawning NYTimes piece last Spring, received an 88% failure rate for English and an 86% failure rate for math on state standardized tests.

Anniversary and Commemoration

August 29, the anniversary of the devastation of the city, falls between the Democratic and Republican conventions. While the Democratic and Republican parties crown their nominees, activists on the ground will be on the streets, still fighting for a just recovery. "It ain't to rain on Obama's parade," says Sess 4-5, a New Orleans-based hip hop star and activist, "but the people down here need the world to understand that its still a tragic situation. The rent has tripled, the health care system is in shambles, we have less access to education for our kids. The working class and poor are being exploited, while everyone at the top is getting fat off our misery."

"We think August 29 should be holy day, not a day for business as usual," explains Sess, who is one of the organizers of a Katrina March and Commemoration, starting Friday morning in the Lower Ninth Ward, and marching into the 7th Ward.  That march is one of two activist commemorations in the city that day, the other starting uptown, near the BW Cooper development, one of the major housing developments torn down this year.  "The Mayor announced to the world that New Orleans was 'open for business' but we're here to tell you that it is closed for families," declares former public housing resident Barbara Jackson, who will be part of the demonstration at BW Cooper, called Sankofa Day of Commemoration.  "Five thousand demolished homes.  Eight thousand new jail beds. This is their one for one replacement plan for us."

Taking to the streets is not the only agenda of local activists.  In New Orleans, people have been organizing at the grassroots, working together to build a movement.  In the aftermath of the US Social Forum last year in Atlanta, a broad coalition of social justice organizations began meeting monthly to combine efforts.  This group, called the Organizers Roundtable, is an important spot for collaborations and community building.

It's been community, not foundations or government, that has led this city's recovery at the grassroots. Bayou Road - a street of Black-owned, community-oriented, businesses in New Orleans' seventh ward – has rebuilt post-Katrina to more businesses than they had before the storm.  It hasn't been government help that has enabled these businesses to come back, but the effort of community members coming together. It was also local support that brought back the membership of many cultural organizations, like the network of Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs, the century-old Black community institutions who organize secondline parades nearly every weekend throughout the year, as well as benefits for causes such as school supplies for students.

Nationally, the Right to the City alliance (RTTC), a coalition of organizations that focuses on urban issues such as health care, criminal justice, and education, sees the continuing crisis on the Gulf as central to their work, referring to New Orleans as "the front lines in the struggle against displacement and gentrification in the US."  They are co-sponsoring the march in New Orleans, as well as actions in seven other cities, including Los Angeles, New York City, Oakland, Providence, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and Miami.

The work of RTTC deserves special notice, as a coalition that has worked to support the struggles of the people of New Orleans, and to bring that struggle and solidarity home to their own communities, while taking guidance from voices on the ground. In this time of many competing visionaries struggling to reshape this city, that willingness to listen to the people who lives are being affected, and to take that struggle and those lessons home to their own communities, may be the radical change New Orleans needs most.


Jordan Flaherty is a journalist based in New Orleans, and an editor of Left Turn Magazine.  He was the first writer to bring the story of the Jena Six to a national audience and his reporting on post-Katrina New Orleans has been published and broadcast in outlets including Die Zeit (Europe's largest circulation newspaper), Al-Jazeera, TeleSur, and Democracy Now.


Resources for Information and Action:
Reports:
Greater New Orleans Community Data Center
http://www.gnocdc.org/
Kaiser Family Foundation Poll
http://www.kff.org/kaiserpolls/7789.cfm
Policylink Report:
http://www.policylink.org/threeyearslater
Activism:
Right To The City Alliance
http://www.righttothecity.org/
Katrina Information Network Schedule of Commemoration Events:
http://www.katrinaaction.org/node/339
Sankofa New Orleans March
www.sankofanola.org
Katrina March and Commemoration
http://katrinacommemoration.ning.com
Safe Streets Strong Communities
http://www.safestreetsnola.org
INCITE! Women of Color Against Violence
http://www.incite-national.org
Families and Friends of Louisiana's Incarcerated Children
http://www.fflic.org
New Orleans Workers' Center for Racial Justice
http://www.neworleansworkerjustice.org/
Justice for New Orleans
http://www.justiceforneworleans.org/
Color Of Change
http://www.colorofchange.org
Media and More:
Left Turn Magazine:
http://www.leftturn.org
Grit TV, hosted by Laura Flanders – Week of 8/18 featured excellent coverage of New Orleans
http://lauraflanders.firedoglake.com/
Kalamu Ya Salaam
http://www.kalamu.com/

 

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