New Orleans, LA

Specifically, 10 Headlines From New Orleans’ Past. From the newly opened, NY Times archive, I present 10 headlines from 1851-1980. Anything before 1922 is freely available. Anything between 1922 and 1980 will cost you to read more than a brief abstract.

I love this stuff. If you like this kind of thing, drop me a note and I’ll do some more. If you include a topic list (like Mardi Gras, Shrimp, Flood, etc), I will do a list of old headlines with about that topic.

October 7, 1851, Wednesday

LATEST INTELLIGENCE; Arrival of the Georgia at New-Orleans from Havana–Release of Capt. Ellis, one of the American Prisoners.

The steamship Georgia has arrived at this port in forty-seven hours from Havana. Her news is of no importance, further than the fact that Captain Ellis, one of the recent invaders, has been released from prison. The U. S. steamer Saranan, and ships Albany and Decatur, were at Havana. She brings a large number of passengers and the California mails of September 6th.

October 10, 1851, Wednesday

FATAL AFFRAY IN NEW ORLEANS.–Quite an excitement has been produced in New Orleans, by the death of Alderman William Laughlin, on Sunday evening last, In a rencontre with Ex-Alderman William Silk. Both of the gentlemen were highly respectable. It appears that they met at. Kathman’s Coffee-House, at the corner of Bienville and Marais-streets, and got into an altercation, when harsh words were exchanged.

July 4, 1853, Wednesday

The Wreck of the Ship William and Mary–A Passenger’s Statement.; From the New-Orleans Picayune

May 15, 1927, Sunday

THE LONG BATTLE TO SAVE NEW ORLEANS; Herculean Labors and Costly Strategy Used to Check the Mississippi

LAST to receive the impact of the crest of the heaviest flood that ever swept down the Mississippi will be the levees that half encircle New Orleans. Will they hold? The eyes of a nation are focused on these man-made embankments that hold the fate of the gay and lovely metropolis of the South, our chief foreign trade port after New York.

September 20, 1947, Saturday

NEW ORLEANS HIT, HURRICANE HOWLS ON TO ARKANSAS; 90-Mile Winds Batter the City as Tidal Waves Flood Bayou Area — Fury Is Dropping SIX DEAD AND 400 HURT Gulf port Destruction Is Heavy — Thousands Are Homeless Along Stricken Coast HURRICANE HOWLS ON TO ARKANSAS DESTRUCTION LEFT IN WAKE OF HURRICANE AT NEW ORLEANS

A devastating hurricane was centered in mid-Louisiana early today moving in a northwesterly direction toward Arkansas. Six persons were reported dead along the Gulf Coast and some 400 injured in its wake

April 10, 1955, Sunday

NEW ORLEANS RELIVES ITS CREOLE DAYS; Author of “Bayous of Louisiana,” “Queen of New Orleans” and “Plantation Parade.”

Today, Easter Sunday, marks the traditional opening of New Orleans’ “rival to the Mardi Gras” in its appeal to thousands of travelers–the annual Spring Fiesta. For ten days, through April 20, Orleanians and visitors will join in commemorating the Creole-American civilization which saw its golden days in and about the river city a hundred years or so ago.

September 11, 1965, Saturday

New Orleans Loss In Storm Heavy; 23 Dead in 3 States; STORM LOSS HIGH IN NEW ORLEANS Floodwaters Swirl in Southern Cities After Pounding by Hurricane

Hurricane Betsy dashed itself against lower Louisiana and Mississippi early today and ended a destructive journey that began 15 days ago in the Atlantic Ocean.

November 14, 1960, Monday

U. S. COURT BARS LOUISIANA’S MOVE TO SEIZE SCHOOLS; Enjoins Legislature After It Votes to Call Troopers to Prevent Integration SHOWDOWN DUE TODAY New Orleans Board Plans to Defy State and Admit 5 Negroes to White Classes — U.S. COURT BARS LOUISIANA MOVE

A special legislative session approved steps tonight to forcibly prevent desegregation of the New Orleans public schools.

April 9, 1971, Friday

Plan for Domed Stadium Stirs New Orleans Resistance

Louisiana officials are going ahead with plans to build a $150 - million air - conditioned sports arena in downtown New Orleans amid allegations of “boondoggle,” “swindle” and “kickbacks.”

August 9, 1957, Friday

New Orleans Laymen Asks Pope Bar Integration in Archdiocese; POPE GETS APPEAL FOR SEGREGATION

The Association of Catholic Laymen of New Orleans, bypassing its Archbishop, today asked Pope Pius XII to stop racial integration in the church.

new orleans, history, new york times, archive, headline, headlines, news, newspaper, story

I couldn’t resist commenting on this news. From Workers World (tag line: Workers and Oppressed Peoples of the world unite!), comes the headline: Immigrants testify on exploitation in New Orleans. Excuse me, I have to snicker.

Ok. I’m back.

I agree that the government should have done more than it did. I agree that it is a tragedy that after two years New Orleans is in the state that it is in.

But, oppressed? Come on. Exploited? Please. Let’s get the ACLU and the NAACP and the Rev Sharpton to cry me a river.

Later, after he got out of the situation, Dennis stood on the corner at a Home Depot looking for work. Managers from the store called the police on the workers and armed police arrived in five patrol cars. The workers were not only arrested, Dennis described, but police stole $200 from him. In jail, he said, the Latin@ workers were terrified.

This article boggles the mind. Some dipstick head’s to New Orleans from a foreign country expecting to gouge the locals as day laborers. And we should feel sorry for him because he did not get what he was promised?

The recruiter promised the workers a good home, with a swimming pool, a television and telephone service. “But when I arrived,” Daniel said, “the reality was totally different.”

Duh! Ya think? A large portion of the local population was living in freaking fema trailers and you expect to have a good home and a swimming pool? Who’s exploiting whom?

The ruling class has successfully managed to drive down living conditions for the most oppressed workers in a way that can make heads spin. In addition, in every single facet of life, the community of New Orleans and all the Gulf Coast is being brutally and inhumanely hit. The horror the world saw in August of 2005 continues today in the wake of “Hurricane U.S. government.”

OH MY GOD. My mom and the rest of my family must be part of the oppressed. The man is keeping them down.

Ack. I need to stay away from rags like this.

commies, socialists, stupid

Stephen Sabludowsky of the BayouBuzz got a very honest and heartfelt interview with Soledad O’Brien. I’m not sure what I expected in the interview but it was very honest and sort of moving. She made a couple of comments that would not have expected from a journalist.

You can view the videos at the bayoubuzz, Interview With Soledad O’Brien. I get the daily email from the Bayoubuzz. While I don’t always agree with the editorial viewpoint, I do like the site.

I’ve got this interview bookmarked. I’ve always liked Soledad and she makes a few comments that should be mailed to all of the politicians at all levels. “It’s about justice and fairness” should be the Rebuild New Orleans tag line.

new orleans, katrina, soledad obrien, interview, bayou buzz

Joshua Clark, author of Heart Like Water, recently told me about a new Katrina news site. The site is HurricaneKatrinaNews.org and it is a very comprehensive news story site.

The name of the page is Hurricane Katrina 2007, your go to page.

This is the description:

We present here the latest articles of note, and include a brief synopsis and quotes from each below its link, so you need not go any further unless you want to delve deeper about a particular subject. This is not a site not of outdated, archived news items. These pieces include breaking news, highlighting the ongoing debates, resources to better understand the hurricane—what we can do about both healing its wounds and preventing a future disaster—as well as resources for those still in need. Sadly, despite the fact that the storm’s second anniversary is approaching on August 29, 2007, Hurricane Katrina’s devastation is far from over.

Katrina made landfall just before dawn on August 29, 2005, seventy miles south of New Orleans. Largely because the wetlands that make up Louisiana’s coast had been eroded, the storm surge pushed unabated into southern Louisiana, breaching New Orleans’ levees at multiple points, leaving 80 percent of the city submerged, tens of thousands of victims clinging to rooftops, and hundreds of thousands scattered to shelters around the country. Many have yet to return. The devastation to Mississippi and Louisiana by hurricanes Katrina and Rita has been called the greatest disaster in our nation’s history.

The images of anguish and anger from Hurricane Katrina have been forever burned into the hearts and minds of all Americans. They must be the catalyst for change. Prevention of a future disaster of similar proportions is both possible and practical. But the United States must act now to restore the wetlands.

There are links here to current Katrina-related news stories, a Katrina info central with timelines and graphics, a lessons learned section (including myth busters). The page also has links to additional resources, important phone numbers, and some very impressive details on the Louisiana wetlands and what has been happening to them.

This site is a bookmark for sure.

new orleans, katrina, rebuilding, news

I am feeling somewhat melancholy and homesick today. More so than last year. I’m not sure why. Things have gotten better in New Orleans but for some reason I am more depressed this year as the anniversary rolls around. Maybe it’s because two years later and things aren’t further along.

My mom is moving out of her trailer at the end of this month. Housing is outrageous. My nephews have jobs. I have two less siblings this year than I did two years ago. I didn’t think it was possible for New Orleans to have fewer IT jobs than it did several years ago but that is the unfortunate truth.

So, today, I will leave you with two NPR stories. You can follow the links to hear the recordings.

The first is titled: Dear New Orleans: I’m Leaving You. This is the story of a reporter, a non-native, who had adopted New Orleans as her home. A female representative of Generation K. Eve from K-Ville. Maybe that makes her a native.

The story isn’t so much about her as it is about the sadness and the crime permeating the city two years after Katrina. The big easy that is less easy. Her feelings about New Orleans seem to be a lot like mine:

They don’t understand that I’m in love. I talk to friends about New Orleans like a dysfunctional romance. I gush over it one day, then call up bawling and heartbroken the next. Why can’t it change? Stop being self-destructive and violent? It has so much potential.

I don’t live in New Orleans anymore. I don’t know if I ever will. But I am still a local. I always will be. There is something about New Orleans that forces that on you. Even through the embarrassment of re-electing Nagin, I will forever be a child born in Mercy Hospital.

The reporter, Eve, is leaving New Orleans after a friend being murdered, after friends being mugged, after being mugged herself. I wish her the best. Go to the link above and listen to the audio. It’s worth a few minutes.

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Fox and NOLA.com have gotten together and you can watch the k-ville premier right now. Go to the NOLA Entertainment section to see it.

Spoiler Alert: I am discussing the new K-Ville show on Fox and I have seen the ending. If you have not seen the premiere (the link above) and don’t want to be spoiled, do not continue reading. You’ve been warned!

Unless you’ve been under a rock (or have absolutely no interest in New Orleans topics), you have heard of K-Ville. If you haven’t heard, it’s a cop drama in New Orleans about two years after Katrina hit. New Orleans now. Crime drama. Just like real life. Only here the bad guys are rich white women and mercenaries that work at casinos. And I thought there was enough crime with the scum bag murderers, gang bangers, dopers, pimps, etc.

From the blurb on fox.com:

From writer and executive producer Jonathan Lisco (“NYPD Blue,” “The District”) comes K-VILLE, a heroic police drama set – and filmed – in New Orleans. Two years after Katrina, parts of the city are still in chaos, but hope has emerged. Battling an upsurge of violence, understaffing of police forces and a lack of crime labs and other facilities, the cops who remain in the New Orleans Police Department have courage to burn and a passion to reclaim and rebuild their city.

MARLIN BOULET (Anthony Anderson) is a brash, wry, in-your-face veteran of the NOPD’s Felony Action Squad, the specialized unit that targets the most-wanted criminals. Even when his partner deserted him during the storm, Boulet held his post, spending days in the water saving lives and keeping order. Now, two years later, he’s unapologetic about bending the rules when it comes to collaring bad guys. The stakes are too high, and the city too fragile, for him to do things by the book.

Boulet’s new partner, TREVOR COBB (Cole Hauser), was a soldier in Afghanistan before joining the NOPD. He’s tough and committed, but if he’s less than comfortable with Boulet’s methods, it’s because he’s harboring a dark secret. Cobb has come to New Orleans seeking redemption, but redemption can be dangerous. Will Boulet be able to trust him? Will Cobb’s past endanger them both?

Rounding out the crew are wisecracking JEFF “GLUE BOY” GOODEN (Blake Shields), the team’s comic relief; tough-as-nails GINGER “LOVE TAP” LeBEAU (Tawny Cypress), the only female on the squad; and CAPTAIN JAMES EMBRY (John Carroll Lynch), who wrangles the eclectic personalities of his squad with equal parts humor and tenacity.

Through its no-holds-barred crime stories and dramatic personal stories, this intriguing series will take viewers from the Victorian mansions of the Garden District to the rubble of the Lower 9th Ward.

K-VILLE, executive-produced by Lisco and Craig Silverstein (BONES, “Standoff”), is produced by 20th Century Fox Television. Deran Sarafian (HOUSE, “CSI”) directed the pilot.

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Obama’s got a plan. I’ll try not to be cynical and give him the benefit of the doubt. He’s a fairly new politician so maybe he actually means what he says.

From the NY Times, Obama’s Plan to Restore New Orleans. His planned approach is a welcome one:

The Gulf Coast restoration, Mr. Obama said, has been weighed down by red tape that has kept billions of dollars from reaching Louisiana communities. As president, he said, he would streamline the bureaucracy, strengthen law enforcement to curb a rise in crime and immediately close the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet in order to restore wetlands to protect against storms.

As is his plan to appoint a czar (let’s not call it an overseer):

Mr. Obama, according to details provided by his campaign, said he would appoint a chief coordinating officer to “cut through bureaucratic obstacles” and a chief financial officer “to minimize waste and abuse.” Only about 40 percent of the money allocated by FEMA to rebuild schools, hospitals and other infrastructure has reached Louisiana communities, he said, which could be improved upon with better coordination.

I honestly think that one is the most significant.

He also wants to start a drug enforcement agency in New Orleans and start a “Cops for Katrina” program to hire more police and prosecutors. I wonder how all of this will be paid?

LewisC

new orleans, obama, politics, katrina

Kim left this as a comment but I thought it was good enough to post as entry by itself. Alas, I will not be there. I will be in Tampa. Blech.

The second annual Rising Tide conference will be held August 24-26, 2007, at the New Orleans Yacht Club. This is a NOLA blogger-organized and supported conference featuring speakers, panels, breakout sessions, and other dialogs on the future of the city of New Orleans.

This year’s emphasis is on ground-level, grass-roots efforts. It has become clear to those of us in south Louisiana that we will have to watch the watchmen, as well as take the upper hand in setting the city back on track. To that end, there will be presentations on local politics and how to influence them, making civics sexy, sustainability, levee engineering, and media outreach.

The keynote speaker is Dave Zirin, author of Welcome to the Terrordome, published by Haymarket Press, a columnist for SLAM Magazine, a regular contributor to the Nation Magazine, and a regular op-ed writer for the Los Angeles Times. Timothy Ruppert, president of the Louisiana Section of the American Society of Civil Engineers, will give a comprehensive report on the status of our levee protection two years after the failure of the federal levees brought catastrophe to New Orleans. Matt McBride of Fix the Pumps will present via video conference. Panelists will include community activists Karen Gadbois of Squandered Heritage, Bart Everson of B.Rox, and Peter Athas of Adrastos, muckraking blogger Mark Moseley of Your Right Hand Thief, New Orleans political sage Michael Duplantier and author Joshua Clark (Heart Like Water).

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On August 29, from 10am to 4pm, the convention center will be the site of an event involving prominent business, civic and entertainment organizations. The intent is to mobilize Americans in the hope that it will force the government to begin a true reconstruction along the lines of the Marshall Plan. The Marshall Plan was the US government dedicated rebuilding of Europe after WWII.

I hope it works but I don’t have much faith in the US Government doing anything for New Orleans. They are wiling to spend $1 trillion dollars (the current estimate of what the Irag war will cost us), but getting a few billion to rebuild New Orleans just seems to be out of reach.

“Enough is enough!” said Taylor, during the Essence Music Festival in New Orleans. “It’s the shame of the nation,” she said before tens of thousands gathered in the Superdome, “that the people of New Orleans and

the Gulf Coast have been abandoned and are suffering without the most basic necessary supports while our tax dollars are directed toward war.”

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I was browsing around the web today and stopped by the Tucson, AZ site. There’s a new article that is as pertinent to New Orleans as it is to Tucson, The Housing Bubble Has Burst. The author, Amber Curtis, describes a market that sounds a lot like N.O. pre-katrina. Even after Katrina, the housing prices went nuts for a while.

The reasons for the bust a pretty universal also:

Part of the reasons given includes the risks taken when lending to the segment of the population with poor credit histories. During the boom there was a lot of creative financing to get just about anyone into a home. Now that the pressures of paying for those homes has hit many can’t make the payments they thought they could.

She also mentions a local (to AZ) mortgage lender would no longer be funding loans. That’s bad for everyone. Give the article a read.

LewisC

tucson, az, housing, real estate

Justice has been served in a racism case that was watched across the US. In 2003, incoming District Attorney Eddie Jordan, who is black, fired over 50 white employees and replaced them with black employees. In 2005, a court found the DA guilty of violating the employees’ civil rights.

Jordan appealed, and just this week, the appeals court rejected all points of the appeal and said that Jordan must pay almost US$ 4 million to the defendants and pay court costs for the appeals. The original case found that Jordan’s office must pay back pay and damages (minimal from the looks of it). With the appeal, interest has accrued and that’s bumped the dollar amount up.

Since Jordan was sued as the N.O. DA, the tax payers will have to pay the money. That part of it sucks but I am glad this instance of racism was brought to light and that the fired employees get back pay. I think they should also get their jobs back, Eddie Jordan’s replacements should be fired and Eddie impeached for racism. La doesn’t have a stellar record of keeping crooks out of office though.

Racism from the block New Orleans politicos shouldn’t surprise anyone. Nagin and his “Chocolate City” comments were the shot heard round the world. Where is Rev Jackson? Where is Sharpton? Where is the NAACP? Shouldn’t all of these “fighters for equality and justice for all” be cheering this verdict? Or are they bigots and racists?

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Dooky Chase’s to reopen after $500,000 in repair. According to the New Orleans City Business news, Leah Chase has been able to get the requires repairs funded and implemented. We’re coming up on the two year anniversary and while the article says no date is yet set, I hope it’s on the anniversary. That’s the kind of message the world needs about New Orleanians. The job will get done.

I watch Leah on PBS when I see that she’s on. Her show is “Creole Cooking with Leah Chase” and it’s a hoot to watch. She is one spunky lady. The article above says she is 84 and wikipedia says she was born on January 6, 1923.

She’s a local. She was born in my mom’s home town of Madisonville on the north shore. Even now, Madisonville is fairly rural (growing lot’s of very large homes right now, though) so I can imagine what it was ike in the 1920s. When I was kid, many of the roads were made up of little river rocks (and I’m not that old).

She moved to New Orleans when she was 18 and got a job at Colonial Restaurant . In 1945 she married Dooky and, after starting a family, she began working at his family’s restaurant, part-time. She soon took a more direct involvement and eventually changed the menu and became chef. The rest is history.

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It’s bad enough that Katrina took away people’s homes and livelihoods but to have greedy businessmen ruin what’s left, and worse, have the local politicians ignore it, is reprehensible.

I read an entry on craigslist about a Chalmette businessman named Sidney Torres. This businessman has opened an industrial waste removal facility in a suburban neighborhood. The property is zoned as commercial but not as industrial.

According to the web site, StopSDT.org, port-a-potties and human waste removal trucks are stored right outside of people’s homes. There are photos on the site and even videos showing the waste facility in action.

Apparently, the residents of this neighborhood have even gotten a cease and desist order but local government officials refuse to enforce it.

These people do not want to live across the street from a waste center, especially human waste. Would you? Better yet, would Mr. Torres?

On a positive note, the site was updated yesterday with this information:

8/8/08 Update - Today we met with Television reporters and news cameras at our home on Virtue Street. Sidney caught wind of this and personally showed up at his waste facility. He quickly shut down the entire facility so the news cameras couldn’t catch his dump in action. Can you say “I’m GUILTY!!!”???

Go to the web site, StopSDT.org, browse around and let other people know about this.

LewisC

chalmette, new orleans, katrina, st. bernard, stopsdt.org

Just when you think you’ve heard it all, you catch wind of a story that makes you smile again.

A Slidell City Court seems to be causing quite a stir over a controversial protrait of Jesus that hangs on the wall inside the courthouse. The picture shows Jesus holding a book of scriptures and includes a biblical quotation in Russian. A sign below the picture reads: “To know peace, obey these laws.”

ACLU attorneys are arguing that this picture and sign gives the impression that only Jesus Christ believers will receive justice in the city court.

A large group of protestors gathered, in support of leaving the portrait hanging in the court hall. Who knew Jesus could cause such a stir in 2007?!

So what say you? Should they leave the picture hanging in the courthouse? Or should these attorneys be permitted to have the picture removed? What are your thoughts and why do you feel the way you feel?

New Orleans, New Orleans news, city of New Orleans, NOLA, Jesus, picture of Jesus, Jesus in the courtroom

NOLA.com reports today that 11 teams of scientists in Louisiana are recommended to share more than $27 million in federal grants. This money is slotted for things like research into Louisiana’s coastal wetlands and development of an institute to study and fight infectious illnesses.

This money has been recommended to be used for various purposes, all of which are meant to benefit Louisiana in some form or fashion; mostly to help rebuild New Orleans in a commercial sense.

For more information, the full story, and a list of what the grants will pay for, click here.

New Orleans, rebuilding New Orleans, news, New Orleans news