Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Isaac --- August 28 2012

After Isaac: Still a Ghost Town
http://www.weather.com/video/after-isaac-still-a-ghost-town-38554

Meanwhile, Mr. Gourgues drives down Louisiana 39 almost every day from his temporary home in Meraux to his damaged home in Braithwaite. Only about one-third of the town's 1,000 residents have returned so far.
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Mr. Gourgues longs to get back. "When your home is your home, it's your home," he said. That is an emotion everyone in this part of Louisiana can understand.

http://www.nola.com/opinions/index.ssf/2013/08/katrina_and_isaac_a_double_ann.html

TEAM BRAITHWAITE FOUNDATION

https://www.facebook.com/events/409044935811781/

The state allocated $8 million in federal funds to Plaquemines Parish, originally intended to either buyout or elevate homes that received significant water damage in Hurricane Isaac, according to Plaquemines Parish President Billy Nungesser.
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But so many people applied for a buyout that the state advised the parish to scrap that program and use the funds to elevate homes instead.
http://www.wwltv.com/news/local/Braithwaite-Park-remains-a-ghost-town-one-year-after-Hurricane-Isaac-221421231.html

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

if trees could speak

A loving tribute to residents who planted trees, making this one of the loveliest neighborhoods in St Bernard Parish.

If Trees could speak .......a loving tribute to the residents who planted trees.

And these are just the large Oak trees in a small section of the neighborhood. There are many many more. Residents worked out an agreement with Murphy Oil to leave the trees when the buy-up houses were demolished. It makes for one of the loveliest neighborhoods in St Bernard Parish.

http://s786.photobucket.com/user/concerned_citizens_2010/slideshow/If%20Trees%20could%20speak

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

DRAFT Comprehensive Land Use Plan

St Bernard Parish Louisiana

The Planning Commissioners to conduct public meetings in each councilmatic district to discuss a proposal on the Comprehensive Land Use Plan.

DRAFT Comprehensive Land Use Plan
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/160437704/St-Bernard-Parish-DRAFT-Comprehensive-Land-Use-Plan

DRAFT 2 (October 2013)

http://www.docstoc.com/docs/162004198/St-Bernard-Parish-Comp-Plan-Draft-2

Planning Meeting

http://sbpg.pegcentral.com/player.php?video=a4edf6b24d9842d645939ab9e3cbf641

Appendix
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/160437706/St-Bernard-Parish-DRAFT-CP-Appendix

Master Streets Plan
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/160437715/St-Bernard-Master-Streets-Plan

Monday, July 22, 2013

community gardens

COME GROW WITH US

Volunteer to construct garden beds and irrigation or sponsor the funding of the projects.

Plant garden beds with your neighbors. Work days: "Build and Fill" days, starting August 17th and August 24th.

The Lacoste Community Garden on Mumphrey Road is rapidly progressing towards the construction phase and we are looking for sponsors to complete the funding of the project. Total material cost for the 16 plant ready, raised beds is $3,200.00. We have commitments for half the cost and are looking for help in raising the balance of project cost. If you or someone you know would be interested in being a sponsor please refer to the attached flyer and donation form. Neighbors and friends can form a sponsor group and will be entitled to have a bed for planting, $200 per bed sponsorship.

Friday, July 12, 2013

good fences and beautification

In April 2013 ExxonMobil was notified of certain code violations at the pipeline property which abuts a residential neighborhood. ExxonMobil allows Valero Energy to park on top the crude oil and hydrogen pipelines. According to information from a public records request, the parties agreed to submit a site plan for compliance by end of June 2013; the site plan has never been received.

Residents await the Administration's support to preserve the integrity of the neighborhood; an easy, inexpensive solution was suggested in 2009 and the children's and grandchildren's safety is too important to ignore.

… there is no landscaped buffer or fence between the parking area, the parking area was paved without meeting necessary application requirements, and there appears to be a building located less than 100 feet from the property line......

Local Zoning Code Chapter 22-4-3.1 (4) Along the lot lines of the parking area abutting on the residential district there shall be established and maintained a landscaped area having a minimum width of four (4) feet which shall be maintained in a healthy growing condition. A privacy fence which screens the parking lot from the public view shall be erected and be no less than six (6) feet nor more than seven (7) feet in height. Lighting facilities when provided shall be so designed that light is reflected away from residential properties.

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

Learning from Mr Go

Our documentary, MRGOing, Going, Gone (working title), will premier this fall on WYES-TV, Ch. 12. Begun 10 years ago, our intent was to alert the public – again – about the potential consequences posed to Greater New Orleans by the MRGO. Then, catastrophically, Katrina happened, and we no longer have to foretell that story. The documentary will walk the viewer through pre- and post-Katrina concerns and attitudes of St. Bernard activists and politicians, the Port of New Orleans and its clients, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and a bevy of concerned citizens. We attempt to show how the human error argument could continue to exist in spite of a plethora of warnings, while Mother Nature clearly, predictably, suffered.

Mississippi River Gulf Outlet Misgivings

Learning from “Mr. Go”

guest editorial written by Robert A. Thomas, Director of Loyola University’s Center for Environmental Communication, and Kevin McCaffrey, owner of e/Prime Media

http://www.myneworleans.com/New-Orleans-Magazine/July-2013/Mississippi-River-Gulf-Outlet-Misgivings/