news, suggestions, & opinions
the most recent info is at the top

Neighbors,

Greetings from the 'hood!

Many of the nice aspects of the neighborhood are returning and there is quite a bit of activity in the area of demolition, rebuilding, etc.  There are more and more people moving back in, and lawns are taking shape.  The weather has been generally nice, but way too dry and getting hot very quickly.

Many homes are going up for sale and many appear to be selling. 

My home at 4146 went on the market last week via http://tommycrane.com

I'm going to put a custom sale page in the near future and I would be willing to do the same for anyone that would like one, complete with detailed pictures and specs...on this site.  Remember this site is for the neighborhood and can be used for many many purposes.

I took a set of neighborhood pictures yesterday at

http://www.vendomeplace.org/pictures/vendome060306/vendome060306.html

Remember the Broadmoor Improvement Association at

http://broadmoorimprovement.com

...and there are other linkages at

http://vendomeplace.org/links.html

In case you haven't been keeping up on the politics and levee issues, you can find a catalog of many notable press releases at

http://vendomeplace.org/press.html

On the subject of crime you can check the forum I created to hold all the crime news at

http://nocrime.boardcity.com/

And we have a neighborhood forum in case you want to use it at

http://vendome.boardcity.com/

You register FREE of charge and then you can post whatever you think is relevant.

Additionally, as you know, I will be leaving for Austin in midsummer.  If anyone wants to take up the torch to maintain the site and send out neighborhood emails, please let me know.  Website work is pretty easy with editors like FrontPage.

...until next time!

Jim Z

Greetings from beautiful Marlyville-Fontainebleau!

The neighborhood is steadily improving and restoring.

Yes, there are a fair number of homes for sale, but property values remain high especially for restored properties.

I took a quick photo-survey this morning:

http://www.vendomeplace.org/pictures/vendome042906/vendome042906.html

As far as I am aware, there has been no crime in our neighborhood lately, but please chime in if you have experienced any.

Please remember the neighborhood forum at

http://vendome.boardcity.com

You can post on any subject that you find deserving of public attention.  Meet your neighbors, suggest improvements to the neighborhood, talk about politics, report security issues, etc.  Let me know if you would like to add a major topic to the forum and please post with informative titles to your posts.

You can also go to the forum at the excellent Broadmoor Improvement Association site:

http://www.broadmoorimprovement.com/

or

http://www.broadmoorimprovement.com/forum/

Take care and enjoy jazz fest.  The only problem is that jazz fest increases traffic on our street dramatically.

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Also Kristi Trail sent this in:
 

This event is supported by St. Charles & St. John Parishes as well as the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality and several industries.

The attached flyer outlines the two collection locations, as well as what materials are accepted, and what is not.  Come properly dispose of hazardous materials you may have around your property, such as paint, automotive batteries, aerosol cans, and used oil.

Page 1 (details):  http://riverparisheshospital.com/photos/1143471516.pdf

Page 2 (maps):  http://riverparisheshospital.com/photos/1143471770.pdf
 

Sentiment of the day

"Each day that passes makes some of us feel less and less like fighting to rebuild New Orleans. It's getting harder and harder to remember a time when this city felt comfortable; when its uniqueness and history and beauty compensated for its many problems." (from NOLA.com forum)

The Corruption of Judge Charles Elloie

I hope everyone finds this judge's alleged behavior as unethical as I do:

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_03_22.html#123865

...and from 2005:

Crime group blasts judge's record
12:52 PM CST on Monday, March 14, 2005
WWLTV.com

A local watchdog group says one Orleans Parish judge is responsible for the overwhelming majority of bond reductions in the parish and that many of the suspects released following the reductions have gone on to commit other crimes.

The Metropolitan Crime Commission said Judge Charles Elloie is responsible for 83% of the bond reductions in the parish. The rest of the judges combined only lowered bonds in 17% of the instances. The Commission study found that 2,900 defendants got back on the streets following the bond reductions between July 2003 and July 2004. Of those out on lowered bonds, 27% went on to be charged with additional crimes.

"Judge Elloie's nine years on the bench are littered with horror stories of people that were victimized because of Judge Elloies' releasing these people from jail," said Metropolitan Crime Commission Chief Rafael Goyeneche. Elloie did not comment to WWL-TV, but in a published report in the Times-Picayune, he indicated that he would revisit his methods after seeing the report.

Here is his contact info:

The "Honorable" Charles Elloie, Judge
Phone: (504) 827-3490.
Fax: (504) 827-3497
email: celloie@criminalcourt.org

If New Orleans can rise from the ashes, judges like this need to be removed in my opinion.

He's already been censured by the La Supreme Court:

http://www.lasc.org/opinions/2006/05O1499.pdf

Is there something that can be done from a grassroots movement?

I have emailed Judge Elloie, the NYTimes, La. State Supreme Court, and WashingtonPost.com .

Please contact your friends in city, state, and federal government!

Neighborhood Update

Demolition and rebuilding activity in the neighborhood is continuing to increase. This activity is easy to trace because as soon as demolition debris is cleared, new piles appear. This will probably be a ongoing theme for sometime. Several folks have installed sod and their St Augustine grass looks wonderful. I'm probably going to join the sod-club soon, and will have to buy a new lawnmower.

There are a few more "For Sale" signs appearing also.

My hat is off to Dr Mayer (corner Grape and Vendome) who has raised his A/C units to about 10 feet off the ground.

Spring weather has been unseasonably warm. There is a distinctly different flora of insects that have embraced our new environment. Small nonstinging gnats or fruit flies have proliferated along with large mosquito-ish (nonbiting) insects. The gnat-like insects have the propensity to appear indoors and these insects love to fly around one's head apparently attracted by warmth and/or breath. This is a nuisance. There are more and more birds re-appearing. Possibly due to our feeders, we have a plethora of doves coo-ing around constantly.

There is a new garbage pick-up day: Wednesday, I believe. You can verify this on this link which is in Adobe PDF format:

http://www.vendomeplace.org/garbage_collection031306.pdf

I walked through the neighborhood and took another set of survey photographs this AM:

http://www.vendomeplace.org/pictures/vendome031906/vendome031906.html

I also took down most of the spurious signage on telephone poles and medians, leaving all the yard signs, of course. I left the neighborhood organization signs, and I actually moved a couple to the median on Fontainebleau which is at the end of Vendome. These signs now block the ability of people to cross over the median (illegally) to Vendome.

I understand that our security guard may be back on duty at night.

My personal future is rather uncertain due to the fact that I work for the State of Louisiana. I may have to find another job and/or residence in the near future. I also have some doubts about near term Category 5 protection as well as the political status of our city which are shaping my decision making process.

My main request this time is to email me and share contact information for any contractors with which you have had a good experience. I need someone to hang sheetrock and put in an inexpensive ceiling and floor in my "basement."

Jim Zachary
4146 Vendome

A new garbage collection schedule map can be obtained by clicking HERE [Adobe PDF format]

from www.broadmoorimprovement.com BIA General Meeting - Feb. 15

A general meeting on Wednesday, February 15 for all residents of Broadmoor and surrounding areas will be held at Loyola University at Louis Roussel Hall, corner of Calhoun and St. Charles beginning at 6:30 pm. The speaker will be Mr. Walter Baumy, Chief of Engineering Division, New Orleans District, Task Force Guardian for the US Army Corps of Engineers. Mr. Baumy will address the issue of the levee's and the safety of the Broadmoor community moving forward in rebuilding the neighborhood.

There is a lot of activity in the neighborhood. After the debris was cleared recently by the Corps, yesterday I noticed that probably 60% of all homes had a fresh pile of debris including demolition and massive amounts of dead vegetation.

I have found it somewhat bizarre and aggravating that despite the street being relatively unparked, people are parking directly in my driveway several times per week. It's as if some people do not have a clue what a driveway is. I noticed a nonresident photographing some homes the other day, and I took his picture which resulted in him questioning ME as to whether I needed anything from him. I replied that a photograph was enough.

I would encourage anyone who is back to keep your digital cameras ready and near your door and to photograph any suspicious activity.  A picture is worth a thousand words.

Additionally some rude dog owners have returned allowing their canine to poop on my driveway. I guess Katrina can clear the city out, but it cannot cure rude, careless people. Sorry to be so negative, but the whole situation is so frustrating sometimes and then to have new literal crap added on top can be aggravating.

Anyway, I have been very busy keeping the site up and even adding a new "How To Prepare and Respond to Disaster Situations" section including online document storage and mold remediation:

http://www.vendomeplace.org/howto.html

There are a LOT of new press clippings:

http://www.vendomeplace.org/press.html

Krewe de Vieux was a lot of fun last night although it was very cold and windy. I'll post some pictures in the future. Their theme was "C'est Levee" and floats such as "Home is Where the Tarp Is" were hilarious. "Chirac Please Buy Us Back" was another good one:

http://www.vendomeplace.org/pictures/krewedevieux021106/krewedevieux021106.html

Also Canal Place re-opened last week. The cinema and several restaurants and stores have reopened with Saks and others to follow slowly.

On a personal note, my job is guaranteed until June only. After that, I may be cast adrift. So I am preparing for the worst and keeping my ear to the ground.

It will probably be another couple of weeks before you hear from me again. Take care.

Mold Remediation: Fact vs Fiction

Mold remediation can consist merely of spraying a weak solution of chlorine bleach plus or minus a surfactant onto mold-infected surfaces.

Mold is not harmful to humans despite all the hype UNLESS you inhale large amounts of it or eat it. The spores of the mold may have toxins in them but the spores do not remain airborne. They are so heavy that they fall directly to the ground.  It is very unlikely that "sick building syndrome" has anything to do with "toxic black mold."

Read more...

Emergency Preparedness: Online Document Storage

I have been actively implementing another aspect of my personal emergency plan: online storage of documents and presentations.

If one stores their documents online, the necessity to be near a specific computer or file cabinet at the time of an approaching disaster becomes much less important. You can access all of your important documents from any internet-connected computer anywhere you are (unless you are already dead.)

I am currently storing all of my licensure information, board certifications, automobile and home insurance information, titles, CME, health information (I created a self-generated medical summary), presentations, papers, articles, valuable photographs, financial information, birth certificates, tax records, etc. Just about anything that you would put in a physical file can be uploaded.

Read more...

The neighborhood is bright and sunny today so I'm feeling a bit upbeat.

Personally I'm leaving my basement unfinished until I find out about the situation with the levees this hurricane system. I'm going to go with a bare industrial look - only enclosing the basement bathroom in industrial plastic and replacing a few doors. I'll also touch up my paint job later this year. The yard was pruned of all the dead boxwood and lagustrums leaving my home (4146 Vendome) more exposed than in the past 15-20 years. Surprisingly it doesn't look half bad. I'll also be updating my kitchen just a tad.

I'm pleased to report that quite a bit of reconstruction work is going on especially on the 4000 and 4100 block with work seeming to taper off toward the far end of the 4200 block. There are 4-6 or more FEMA trailers on the street now. There are probably 6-8 homes occupied on at least the upper floors also. Electrification is continuing to progress as one can assess by driving down the street at night. It gets pretty dark at the far end of the 4200 block.

Cox, Bellsouth, gas, electricity, water, sewage are all available in case you don't already know that. Garbage collection took place on Thursday and left a thin layer of styrofoam peanuts all over the vicinity. That's always nice.

The street was cleaned up by the Corps of Engineers recently and it looks semi-respectable. Of course, more debris has been stacked up since that time.

I'm not aware of any security issues except that someone was shooting fireworks last week on Groundhog Day. Someone on Vincennes was shooting fireworks on New Years Eve; I went over to ask them not to do so and got a very negative reaction as well as some low level threats. They claimed that they were not aiming the rockets over homes although quite clearly some rockets had been launched toward my home and those nearby. The recent fires at the theatre on Thalia and in the Marigny underscore the risk with anything incendiary. However, there is no way to control the situation without a show of force which unfortunately is not available. My understanding is that the NOPD will not assist with these issues.

The NOPD's new tact that I have observed is to park their cars near intersections with their lights flashing while they talk on cell phones.

When the weather is beautiful like today, I feel upbeat. When the neighborhood is strewn with debris and the weather is wintery, I feel somewhat less so.

There are new pictures at

http://www.vendomeplace.org/pictures/vendome020506/vendome020506.html

They provide a quick photo tour of our street. Some are not very well exposed due to the morning backlighting from the sun.

Please take the time to do the following:

1. provide me with contact information for any contractors, electricians, roofers, plumbers, demolition people, floor people, etc., that you have had a good experience with

2. provide me with any information that may be useful to our neighborhood

3. check out the petitions that are linked from my website regarding the levees and the levee boards and PLEASE forward these links to all of your friends and family http://www.vendomeplace.org/links.html

4. send me any email addresses that you would like me to add to these updates

5. send me any press clippings that you would like to have included on the site

6. consider putting up a bird feeder at your home. The poor birds are having a hard time with the absence of vegetation and insects. I've put out about 200 pounds of seed this Winter so far.

Let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Jim Zachary 4146 Vendome Pl

All - We had a GREAT Meeting last night. Thanks to those of you that attended. We are really excited about our next big project - a HUGE neighborhood clean-up on Feb. 11.

The New Orleans Revolution is working hard, but we still need your help! Please help by promoting this great event. Attached is a flyer to pass out to EVERYONE you know!!

We also need volunteers on Feb. 11 to help us CLEAN the neighborhood, and also to help with our post clean-up party (we'll have jambalaya and refreshments). Please let us know if you can help us out. You can contact us here or by calling 504-231-8214.

The New Orleans Revolution

Become a Part of the Revolution
http://www.theneworleansrevolution.org

The New Orleans Revolution will be holding a general membership meeting on Thursday February 2.  Please make plans to attend!  The meeting will be at 6 PM at the home of Harry Fuselier (5518 Coliseum St.).  We’ll discuss our  next big clean-up to take place on February 11 in the Broadmoor / Fontainebleau area.  Also - we will have a guest speaker.

You may reply to this e-mail if you have any questions although RSVP is not necessary.  We look forward to seeing you.

And please check out these upcoming area events listed below!!

Thanks,
Kristi Trail
theneworleansrevolution(at)hotmail.com
The New Orleans Revolution
Become a Part of the Revolution!
http://www.theneworleansrevolution.org

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Mayor Nagin’s Bring New Orleans Back (BNOB) Commission: Economic Development Committee Final Report Friday, January 27, 2006 at 1:00 PM; Sheraton Hotel, 500 Canal Street, Room TBD

KATRINA Krewe: Saturday, Jan. 28th 9am to noon. Washington and S. Broad, meet on the corner at the Spur. With enough people we can branch off in 4 directions, so come in full force! Jazz band around noon. Look for Katrina Krewe signs and safety cones. For more info.
check out http://www.cleanno.org

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR ORLEANS PARISH ELECTIONS
Individuals who would like to become certified to serve on election day as paid poll commissioners for elections in Orleans Parish should contact the Orleans Parish Clerk of Court's office at telephone 504-962-5522, fax to 504-962-5537, or send an email to clerkofcourt1@hotmail.com. In order to serve they must attend a 2 hour training and certification class and pass an open book test at the certification class. There are classes on Jan. 28th & Feb. 4 at the Jewish Community Center (5342 St. Charles at Jefferson Ave. - Uptown) at 8am, 10am or 12pm. Individuals serving as commissioners will receive $100 per election and must be registered to vote in Orleans Parish. Their current residence is not an issue as long as they have not changed their voter registration to an out-of-parish address. They must be at least 17 years old and not have been convicted of any election offenses.

Fontainebleau Improvement Association – Meeting Monday Feb 6 at St. Rita’sSchool (2729 Lowerline St). Councilman Jay Batt will attend. For moreinformation, please contact jdemar@sohold.com or 504-865-7651

Citizens for 1 Greater New Orleans - Rally in Baton Rouge
Monday, February 6, 2006 from 12 Noon - 1 p.m.
Opening Day of the Special Legislative Session. Buses depart from Audubon Zoo at 9:30 a.m.
Whether going by bus ($10 per person) or car a count of participants is needed. Make rally reservations for bus and cars at www.citizensfor1greaterneworleans.com or call 504-891-6415.

Desire NOLA will be hosting a large fundraiser at the end of March 2006.
More information will be announced via a press release in the near future. If you are interested in volunteering for this event, please contact chris.kane@desirenola.org.

And be sure to check out these sites – cool stuff!
http://www.lakeviewcivic.org/LakeviewPride.html
http://www.bluedogrelief.com/index.htm

On Saturday, January 28th Broadmoor residents will meet on the neutral ground on Napoleon Avenue. Our mission is to place a flyer on every property in Broadmoor inviting ALL Broadmoor residents to attend their first Sub-Group Planning Meeting (A, B, and C) the week of January 30th -February 4th. Broadmoor has had great attendance at the rally and meeting. Now it's time to take take the future our great neighborhood into our own hands.

Please join us as we hit the streets running Saturday morning. Residents will meet on Napoleon Avenue at 9:30 am. Walk and distribute from 10 a.m. to 12 noon. Music and Pot Luck lunch at end of the flyer distribution back at the original Napoleon Avenue meeting spot.

Residents from each Broadmoor Neighborhood Subgroup are responsible for placing flyers within their own neighborhood subgroup. You can view and download the map of Broadmoor subgroups at http://broadmoorimprovement.com/node/22

Maggie Carroll
Acting BIA Secretary
broadmoormaggie(at)gmail.com

Click HERE for City Garbage Collection map indicating day of the week that garbage will be collected.

Click here for the flyer.

Click here for pictures.

14 jan 2006

Recovery Perspective

On August 29, 2005, I believe we witnessed the death of old New Orleans.

Old New Orleans was a generally pleasant place to live if you ignored the large run-down drug-infested neighborhoods, the ultra-high crime rate, the political corruption, the lack of civic and personal pride/responsibility, the drunken tourists common in the French Quarter, and the infernal summer weather.  New Orleans was a smaller city where it was easy to get around and get things done with a minimum of hassle, cost, and time.  It was cheap to live in New Orleans, but just like anything else, you get what you pay for ultimately.  

Read more...

Brad, an electrician recommended by Blake, is now rewiring my basement.  We just noticed that as soon as the electrical repairs are completed, we will get an electrical inspection and can be hooked back onto a functional electrical grid.  Our outside power meter shows that power is available to our house!  Hopefully that can be done in the next week or so.  Unfortunately all our major appliances including a brand new a/c unit were destroyed.  However, that will soon be remedied also.  I will be replacing my gas dryer and hotwater heater with electrical ones so that I do not have to wait for the return of natural gas AND electricity in the future.

http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx

The zipcode 70125 info is as follows:

http://www.nola.com/forums/midcity/index.ssf?initial=true

The forums can be informative and entertaining at times.

http://www.entergy.com/content/Corp/EmergencyCtr/NOLA_detail_content.asp

It appears pretty grim for Vendome Place.  I hope it is incorrect or I am interpreting it incorrectly.

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_10_03.html#084458

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tporleans/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tporleans/archives/2005_10_02.html#084315

Its by some staff writers at the Times-Picayune on Nola.com.  Just click on the link above.

Zipcode 70125

Sewer: East Bank sewer system is inoperative
Water: Water for fire protection only – 52 days until potable water
Elect: Assessment 85% complete
Gas: Assessment 100% complete, system 90% secure
Debris: Phase 1 Completed
EMS: Green w/Mutual Aid;
Medical: E. J, Ochsner and W. Jefferson Hospitals open; Touro E.R. in progress; Kindred open for immunizations and some emergency care.
Transportation: Roads Inspected 25%; Signals Operational 0%; Temporary Stop Signs 0%; No bus service; no gas stations open
Fire: Low water pressure; delayed response
911: Fully operational Sept. 26
Housing & Building Inspection began on Sept. 27
Food: State Health Department must evaluate before re-opening for food service (3-4 days). Two 10-person teams available next week.
 

Go to http://www.nola.com/cityofno/ for more info on other zipcodes.
 

Please email Jim at vendomeplace(at)gmail.com [substitute @ for (at)] with your current contact information in this format:

Name(s):
Pre-Katrina Address:
Landline number:
Cell phone(s) number:
Email address(es)

This information will not be publically available.  It will be made available to only verified neighborhood residents or other people that you specify.

Anyone that would like to contribute to the costs incurred (about $100) with this website can donate via PayPal to me via the Donate button below: