The Journey Forward

This week the Super Bowl Champion New Orleans Saints will play the first pre-season game against the New England Patriots. There is much hope and excitement about the upcoming season. President Barack Obama welcomed the winning team at the White House on Monday. The Saints presented the President with a customized Obama #44 Jersey.

“Plenty of cities carry their sports teams though a tough season; it’s a rare thing when a sports team carries a city through tough times."

President Obama continued

“Look, I’m a Bears fan. I’m not going to lie, but this was a big win for the country—not just New Orleans—because five years ago this team played its entire season on the road. It didn’t have a home field. The Superdome has been ruined by Hurricane Katrina. The heartbreaking tragedies that unfolded there when it was used as a shelter from that terrible storm lingered all too fresh in a lot of people’s minds. And back then, people didn’t even know if the team was coming back. People didn’t know if the city was coming back. Not only did the team come back, it took its city’s hands and helped its city back on its feet. This team took the hopes and the dreams of a shattered city and placed them squarely on its shoulders.”

Mayor Mitch Landrieu just marked his 100 days in office. As promised before the election, he is moving forward to correct the disaster created by the previous administration. He has cooperated with a federal investigation of the NOPD. His appointment of Ronal Serpas as NOPD Chief showed a positive change in a department that has been plagued with corruption. He continues to push BP to provide $75 million to the city over a three year period to finance an advertising campaign to recover from the oil disaster. On Wednesday, his administration announced the return of a recycling program for residents. Residents can drop most recyclables including cardboard and plastic bottles at 2829 Elysian Fields Avenue between 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. starting this Saturday. Glass recycling is not available, but is projected to be added in the future.

NPR featured a story on New Orleans this week. “Five Years Later, The Big Easy Pushes Forward” by Alan Greenblatt. http://npr.org/templates/story According to Mr. Greenblatt,

“New Orleans has become a magnet for educated newcomers, attracting mostly younger professionals in areas such as law, teaching and the arts. The city has attracted hundreds of teachers from out of town, as well as young professionals who are buying up condos in its warehouse district – turning it into their playland on Friday nights.”

Tom Piazza, author of Why New Orleans Matters published in 2005, is quoted

“I don’t think there are many places in the country where you could have drowned 80% of the city and have it more full of restaurants, more full of music and home to the Super Bowl Champs.”

One of my favorite non-profits, www.evacuteer.org was recently featured on Cooper Anderson on CNN. This group recruits and trains volunteers who will mobilize in the event of an evacuation to move the thousands of stranded New Orleanians without transportation to safety. Robert Fogerty of Dear New Orleans is driving force behind this much needed entity. Fleurty Girl continues to produce cute, creative, historical shirts with “yatitude.” Owner Lauren Thom is also civic minded about the city she loves. Her shop offers a Rescue Me shirt where 100% of net proceeds go to the Audubon Institute Louisiana Marine Mammal and Sea Turtle Rescue Program. The NOLA>Hurricane shirt is available and $5.00 from each shirt is donated to the Safe City; Strong City campaign to support evacuteer.org. There is also a wonderful quote from Chris Rose available on a shirt where $2.00 from each sale goes to support evacuteer.com. This week Lauren read that the Algiers Food Bank was closing its doors due to shortage of food donations. She posted on her Facebook page a plea for people to drop non-perishable items at her shops. Within days, she was able to deliver enough food to keep the doors open. Now that is one amazing woman..You go Lauren! Her stores are located at 8611 Oak St. and 3117 Magazine St. and you can check her out at http://fleurtygirl.net .

In closing, I want to share an amazing description I read this week on Facebook. This was written by Kristine Rizzuto:

“In any other city in any other place, he would have passed through our lives without so much as a not, but here we celebrate the dirty, the not quite right, and the downright insane. We can find the beauty in a broken down house and the wisdom in an old soul. May we never forget that these are the things, and the people, that make us what we are here. And the next time you pass someone on the street, someone you may never have spoken to in a different place, remember; You are here, in our place, and it’s ok to talk to strangers.”

Peace

A Safe City is a Strong City

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"A Safe City is a Strong City" is the slogan for a great non-profit I discovered in New Orleans. Evacuteer.org is a non-profit organization that helps car-less New Orleanians evacuate during a hurricane. They are seeking to raise $112,000.00 in private and corporate donations by 8/29/10. I attended a fundraiser for this group on June 17th, "Hello, Hurricane Season." I was fortunate to meet the founder, Patrick Fogerty. Patrick has a photography business in the city, but founded this non-profit to help people in need. The event took place at capdeville, one of the hippest bars in the city. Check out this group at evacuteer.org.

"Shirts with a Yatitude", is a clothing line founded by New Orleans native Lauren Thom. She has opened a store called Fleurty Girl. the store is located at 8611 Oak St.(504) 309-1889 and on-line at www.fleurtygirl.net . This amazing woman is also giving back in support of many groups. She has created a shirt in support of Evacuteer.org with a NOLA > Hurricane Icon shirt. Fleurty Girl will donate $5.00 from each shirt sale to the non-profit. Also available is a Chris Rose Quote shirt in support of Evacuteer.com. Fleurty Girl will donate $2.00 from each shirt sale. the quote is "We dance when there is no music. We drink at funerals. We talk too much, live life too large and, frankly we are suspicious of those who don't." Check out all the fun items available and support a local business.

Now I know everyone in the world is watching the oil disaster in the Gulf and seeing that it is not getting any better. Bill Nungesser, Plaquemines Parish President, has become the voice of every person affected by the disaster. ABC News named him the "Person of the Week." According to ABC -- "Bill Nungesser is the first to sound the alarm on the scope of this disaster." Billy continues to voice his opinion and not allow this man-made disaster to fade into history. Follow Bill on Facebook, he currently has over 4,000 followers. Our marsh lands are destroyed, our brown pelican is now back on the endangered list. Countless numbers of fishermen, tourism, and restaurants are suffering. New Orleans refuses to be beaten and many groups have formed to help those suffering. A group of chefs from New Orleans' finest restaurants have made two trips to Plaquemines Parish to feed those who normally supply the ample fish and seafood to our restaurants. Concerts are being staged by local musicians and national stars like Jimmy Buffett and Kenny Chesney. We are a tenacious group and will overcome anything that comes our way.

This week in New Orleans, the French Quarter police decided it was time to enforce a antiquated noise ordinance that shuts down street musicians at 8:00 p.m. Now it may just be me, but in a time when we are still rebuilding from Katrina and the recent disaster in the Gulf should we really choose to enforce this ordinance? We need tourists to continue to visit and help our economy. What is the French Quarter without live music? It's just not our city, we are all about the music. A group was formed on Facebook called, "Don't Stop the Music, Let the Musicians Play. To date they have more than 13,000 followers. City Council is listening and the Mayor promises a compromise. Chris Rose from Fox eloquently voiced what we all know about the city I love.
"Two people. Could be from anywhere. They come to New Orleans. they visit museums and art galleries, take a cemetery tour, shop for antiques, ride the streetcar, go to a world class restaurant and hit a world class music club. What a great day. What a New Orleans day. And then, on the way home, dog-tired and stuffed full of food and drink, they come upon a spectacle at the corner of Bourbon and Canal Street. A band is playing. Eight, maybe ten guys, they look like teenagers, are wailing. It's a human musical bonfire; it's smokin' hot jazz. The music booms and echoes off the buildings. They've never seen or heard anything like it in their lives. There's a crowd on the corner, clapping, laughing, and dancing. So the two people, they start to dance too...right there on the sidewalk. This something they have never done in their life. People don't dance on the sidewalk where they live. Yet here here they are, dancing in the moonlight; just like that song. It's the closest they have every been to a Cialis ad, but instead of sitting in bathtubs on a beach, they're dancing on the street in New Orleans. Maybe it's the fatigue. Maybe it's the wine they had at dinner. Whatever it is, it feels like magic in the air. Turns out, when they get home, it's the only thing they didn't take pictures of, because they were so lost in the moment But, five years later, what is it about New Orleans that these two people remember most? The restaurant was amazing and the antiques were magnificent and the cemeteries were cool but, through time and over the miles, what makes them smile, laugh...maybe even blush? What memory makes them want to come back as soon as they can? I have a slogan I want to sell to the New Orleans Tourist Commission: What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but what happens in New Orleans stays in your heart forever. Mister Mayor, City Council Member, View Carre Commission:
Whoever's in charge, Don't Stop the Music, Don't Stop the Magic, Let the Band Play On"

Peace

People, Places and Reasons for Being

I just returned from a fabulous weekend in Natchez, Mississippi. I was in town to attend a Steamboat Reunion. Last year during French Quarter Festival, the first-ever Steamboat Reunion was organized. By the time we sailed on Friday evening aboard the Natchez Steamboat, 120 friends reconnected and we realized we are a family, not just friends. Over this past year, this family has grown stronger thanks to social networking on Facebook and word of mouth. Our beloved steamboats are no longer in operation, which is a tragedy of historic proportions. The Mississippi Queen sits in a shipyard in Harvey, LA waiting for her end as scrap. The Delta Queen is dying a slow death docked as a hotel in Chattanooga, TN and the American Queen is in Texas with a skeleton crew keeping her alive. She is the final hope of being sold and giving America a piece of history back. I had not see most of this group of fellow steamboaters for more than 15 years before our reunion last year. It was great to see old friends and meet new ones over the weekend. More on the reunion in this blog later this week.

You know, sometimes we don't know why certain circumstances come our way. As we are trying to figure it out, we might get smacked with something out of left field and we finally realize our reason for being. It can be a friend who just received frightening news or a friend who is facing the end of a marriage or a friend who is graduating and moving on to the next step into adult life. Getting back to New Orleans was a passion for me and everyday I am thankful to be here. I now find myself here for more important reasons and that is to be support for my family here. And when I am in need of support, my family will be here for me. My life journey has taught me many lessons. Life is not to be taken lightly, it can end in a split second, so it's important to keep a positive outlook, find inner peace and let the people in your life know how important they are.

Our marsh lands and our beautiful Gulf Coast will never be the same, but we are a strong people who will persevere, re-build, replenish our environment and support each other along the way. So when you read about a fundraiser to assist our fellow Louisiana families, support them. The New Orleans Saints are doing just that by raffling off a Super Bowl ring! Go to Saints.com and purchase your tickets. And to that I say, "Bless You Boys!"

This blog is dedicated to my sister Laurie who left my life 14 years ago, RIP my friend.

Peace,

The People of New Orleans

It's been two weeks since I came home to the city I love. My new job is great and I work with amazing people. Since returning I have had the opportunity to meet new friends all born and raised here. All weathered Katrina and still bear battle scars, some are still trying to rebuild. I live in a quaint neighborhood in Mid-City. My dear friends Sharon and Phil offered me a place so I could become reacquainted with the city and decide on where to live. Mid-City is a neighborhood, the kind that Dr. Ray Oldenberg speaks of in his book "The Great Good Place". Neighbors watch out for each other, we share laughter, food, beer, wine and anything else. We sit on our stoop and talk about our days, the oil spill and what music we want to see during the week and weekend. We listen to WWOZ broadcasting from the house across the street. Last weekend the HBO Series Treme hosted a crawfish boil to thank the neighborhood for the inconvenience of the film crew. We all agreed that neighborhood block parties need to be organized so we know everyone from our surrounding streets not just our quaint block. We have dogs and cats. We walk the pets if our neighbors can't or if we just feel the need to have some doggie time. From the Friday I arrived, I was considered a part of the family. You don't find this in most American cities today, this makes New Orleans stand out.
As I shop, work and re-explore the city I am hearing personal stories of Katrina and the coming back of the community. The stories are heart wrenching and touch deep down into my soul, but they also inspire me. The people of New Orleans are a tenacious group. No matter the beating,they will come back stronger than ever. They love life, food, beverages, festivals and always have a reason to parade and celebrate. Yesterday, I met a cashier who was commenting I was purchasing a lot of coat hangers. When I mentioned I had just moved back because I can't imagine living anywhere else in the world, she started to get teary. She told me she lived in lakeview and that Katrina destroyed her home and it still is not rebuilt. She left the city for 11 months, but was so homesick she came back and struggles with nightmares but it's home. I told her that after Katrina I knew I wanted to come back and be a part of the revitalizing of the city. She said, "we need more people like you!" Now, that brought tears to my eyes and I gave her the biggest, tightest hug I could and told her, "Welcome Home, we will make a difference."

Peace

Homeward Bound

Determination, dedication and devotion does pay off in life. For the last year, I have networked and searched for a job in New Orleans, the city I love. This Friday, the second phase of my life begins...I am moving to New Orleans for an amazing job opportunity that is rewarding in more ways than one. I will be working as an economist assistant at a local engineering firm. This firm has the Army Corps of Engineering contract to rebuild to levees. I can not imagine a more rewarding job for me to be a part of revitalizing the city.

For anyone who has a dream, never give up and put your passion into everything you do and the you will succeed. I hope to inspire everyone to reach for the stars.

Peace,

French Quarter Festival 2010

I know its Jazzfest weekend, but I just have to write about my amazing weekend at French Quarter Fest, April 9 – 11. Along with hearing some great musicians who are friends, I also had the privilege to be introduced to some new musicians who literally knocked me out. Now, we all know New Orleans musicians are the best in the world but seeing them up close and having an opportunity to talk to them makes the experience that much richer.
As I mentioned in my last blog, Tom Hook was out and about all weekend playing. He presented a tribute to Louis Prima on Friday afternoon in Dutch Alley and by the time I arrived, you couldn’t get in the room. People were five deep out the door. Luckily Tom performed for those in and outside and we enjoyed a great tribute. Louis Prima’s daughter was in attendance, what a treat for her to hear some of her dad’s favorite songs. Keep your eye out to see if he’s doing it around town, it’s a must for any Louis Prima fan! Each evening I ended the Fest with a nice trio with Tom at Scarlett O’Hara’s on Decatur St. This is a nice small restaurant located right next to the firehouse. Tom will be playing a regular gig here, so check it out.
Sunday morning I was invited to join Sharon and her sister-in-law Kathy at the Royal Sonesta for Glen David Andrews and a Gospel Hour. Kathy and Sharon tell me Glen led the “Aint’s Funeral Second Line” after the Superbowl. He’s an amazing trombone player who played his heart out and took our hearts with his moving lyrics and high energy. He featured British pianist John Richardson, Dewon Scott on drums and a kick butt virtuoso on the Sousaphone Julis McKee. Glen David Andrews has a facebook and myspace page, I encourage everyone to check him out and support another great New Orleans musician. Sunday afternoon Rick Trolsen and the New Orleans Po-Boys took center stage in the French Market. Rich has assembled an amazing group of musicians and the crowd responded with a full dance floor. A big congratulation goes out to Rick on his Big Easy Music Award for World Music!
I spent a weekend with great friends, great music in a great city..what more can you ask for?

Peace,

French Quarter Festival

French Quarter Fest is this weekend and I’m ready for a good time! Be sure to check out my good friend Tom Hook on Friday from 3-4 in Jazz Park. A Musical Tribute to Louis Prima,

“Under the direction of pianist Tom Hook, this forty five minute performance will include an eight piece band, plus a vocalist, for a swinging set of Louis Prima favorites.”

You can also catch him from 5-6 in Jackson Square the WWII museum presents “The Victory Belles & The Victory 6”. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday you can catch him at Scarlett O’Haras in the quarter from 7-11pm. You’ll find me wherever Tom is playing because he is “My Favorite!”

My pick for the start of the festival on Friday is 11 – 12 in Jackson Square where Connie Jones & the French Quarter Festival All-Stars kick off the festival with some great traditional New Orleans music. You can’t go wrong with the Jackson Square stage on Friday, all great acts and lots of room to stretch out on the lawn.

Saturday, I’ll be starting off from 11-12 in Jackson Square listening to Tim Laughlin. I’ll be catching Tom McDermott & His Jazz Hellions from 1-2 on Bourbon Street. From 4-5, I’ll be in Woldenberg Riverfront Park listing to Kermit Ruffins and the Barbeque swingers. Closing the day will be Bonerama in Woldenberg Riverfront Park.

Sunday, 1-2 the Pfister Sisters are in Jackson Square. My good friend Rick Trolsen & the New Orleans Po-Boys will be playing in the French Market from 4-5 followed by Astral Project at the Louisiana State Museum (Old U.S. Mint).

I’ll be all over the quarter everyday enjoying a festival that is truly a New Orleans spirit. Only local musicians are selected to perform and this shows the tourist just what makes the city special.

I’ll also be checking out a new Wine Bar & Courtyard while in town. Vine & Dine at 141 Delaronde Street in Algiers Point is opening a Wine Bar & Courtyard. I met owner Vanessa Thurber when I was last in town. She has a wonderful selection of reasonably priced wines. I picked up a very nice French Champagne for my friends Barb & Rick Trolsen’s wedding anniversary. You can contact Vanessa at 504-361-1402 or check out the website at www.vine-dine.com

I look forward to seeing y’all this weekend.

Peace