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St. Anthony’s Garden’s archaeological dig and garden

The high winds of Hurricane Katrina managed to displace two large oak trees in St. Anthony’s Garden behind the Cathedral, dislodging 30 feet (9.1 m) of ornamental gate, while the nearby marble statue of Jesus Christ lost a forefinger and a thumb.

Restoration of St. Anthony's Garden at St. Louis Cathedral..

The garden restoration is finally underway….This video link tells its fascinating history (albeit a bit hokey with the fuzzy recreations) and about 14 minutes in, tells about the dig that started the restoration. Nice to know it was a flower market at one point, and how many toys they found in the excavation…And that the earliest structure in the French Quarter ever found in a dig was uncovered. And that fruit trees and native plants are being used.

<http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docid=5507649944314471148&hl=en&fs=true

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Tree Maps

Mapping is a great way to show both what is available and what could be. Maps can also be the best way to literally show context. My own awareness of the city and region I live in is largely based on 2 things: anecdotal accounts from individuals, and old maps and ephemera.
I began thinking of mapping the French Quarter a few years ago and did the first one (Cheap Drinks, Bookstores and Extra Bathrooms, also known as CDBB) this year to show both local and tourists something new about the old city. It can be downloaded from this site, by searching in the mapping category.
After that map, I began thinking of other ways to surprise and came up with mapping the tree canopy and best native trees.
I walked every block of the Quarter to map the canopy of trees experienced in the public areas and then asked for volunteers among my friends to double check my work and add to it-and got 4. Greg and Jennifer had already helped with the CDBB map, and so stayed on for this one too. Beth and Marcela came to it with their own interest; Beth probably because she’ll help any organizer friend of hers and Marcela because of her passion and knowledge on native planting.
So, am currently working on finding an artist to refine my map, then will have the Tree Canopy map ready by end of year. The native tree piece is still being worked on by Marcela, and I am adding a link to her beginning, entertaining work:

Native

and stay tuned for more.

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Time Banking

TimeBanking.

What is it? How does it work?

There are hundreds of TimeBanks around the world. TimeBanking is based on the belief that our communities work better when all of our contributions are valued. It rejects the notion that we belong in separate classes of “givers” and “receivers” and establishes a way to reward all types of work — caring for our children, elders, and others who need it, building community, helping out our neighbors.

TimeBanking is about spending an hour doing something for somebody in your community. That hour is counted as a TimeBank Hour that you can spend on having someone in the network do something for you. You earn TimeBank Hours for each service you perform. Instead of members “owing” the one person who helped them individually, we can choose to give and receive the many talents and skills of all the members.

TimeBanking connects you to the best in people because it creates a system that connects unmet needs with untapped resources. It provides ways for us all to contribute and benefit.

Timebanking can be a very effective way to bridge gaps across different demographics, bring people together as a community, build a resource base to solve problems or realize dreams, connect people with needed goods and services, and give people a way to feel valued and do what they like to do.

How do we start a TimeBank?

For an opportunity to learn more about timebanking and have your questions about about the process of participating in a timebank answered, join Stephanie Rearick, co-founder of Dane County TimeBank in Madison, Wisconsin (www.danecountytimebank.org), as she speaks to us about her experiences!

When? Monday, September 26 at 7 p.m.

Where? LHA Community Center, 621-623 N. Rendon (in Mid-City, btwn. St. Peter and Toulouse)

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Lucky break that it wasn’t broken down and carted away…

Turns out the owners of this property could have demolished the whole thing. Uh, oops City Hall.
I guess there is no substitute for knowledge, even at City Hall. I agree with Councilperson Palmer’s acknowledgement of the problem, but do not believe that one-stop permitting would entirely alleviate bad clerical work.
Best to beef up signage and posting so that savvy neighbors (of which there are many in the old city) can catch the mistakes. And maybe, have someone they can call over the weekend when they see illegal demo or repair activity.

WDSU story

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Southern Decadence Parade Will Go On As Planned Today

(September 4, 2011)- Despite the rain, Southern Decadence Parade organizers say the parade is still on for this afternoon.
The parade is slated to begin at 2pm, lining up on Royal and Barracks Streets. It’s expected to wrap up around 4pm at Bourbon and Dumaine Streets.
It’s important to note that this year’s parade is strictly for walkers. No floats or vehicles will be included in the line-up.
The parade route is the same as was originally laid out by organizers, and is in today’s Times Picayune. The only major street that may need to be blocked off for up to 15 minutes is North Rampart. During that brief time, RTA buses that run on that street will be temporarily stopped until the parade has left the area and moved into the French Quarter.
NOPD is ensuring ahead of time that all streets along the route are free of standing water or other hazards so paraders and parade-goers will have a safe, enjoyable time.

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New Orleans Police Department

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Tennessee On Sale


Since the New Orleans heat isn’t ending anytime soon, we’re extending our Summer Ticket Special.

Book your VIP All-Access Pass by September 16 to enjoy our special rate of $395. That’s a savings of more than $100 off the regular price of $500! The All-Access Pass is your VIP ticket to all the weekend’s panels, master classes, and theatrical events. Plus, you’ll be invited to exclusive non-ticketed soirees, where you’ll mingle with the Festival’s literati over cocktails.

While we’re on the subject of future planning, we recommend booking your Festival accommodation now. Special rate rooms at our host hotel, the Hotel Monteleone, are filling up fast. Book now to receive the discounted room rate of $179 a night available for March 21 through March 25, 2012.

TWLF

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Not so Fresh Quarter

The ongoing marsh fire in New Orleans East is menacing many elderly and asthmatic citizens of New Orleans and may continue for another day. Rain is forecasted over the weekend, but this is a not a simple brush fire, but one that exists above and below ground, making it harder to extinguish.
This is not the first time in recent memory smoke or smells have hit the old city hard, and is at least the third major event since August 2005 (warehouse fires during the levee breaks on the waterfront and the oil spill on the Mississippi in 2008) and of course, who can forget BP’s destruction of the gulf, endangering health far and wide when their shoddy oil rig exploded in 2010.
Interestingly though, the city’s air is quite clear and clean most of the time, which makes the overwhelming smell and sight of thick smoke this week even more unbearable, especially in the drip of summer.
The French Quarter seemed to get a whole bunch of the smoke and made those old houses useful as chimneys for a few hours. Lucky for the residents of the Quarter, there are plenty of air-conditioned bars and restaurants in which to escape…
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