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Visit Sankofa Marketplace This Spring!

Sunday Photo: Second Line Marching Up St. Claude Bridge

"Second Line Marching Up St. Claude Bridge". Photo by Darryl Malek-Wiley

Rain, rain go away...Making the Case for Better Drainage in Holy Cross

Flooding of another kind has returned to the Lower Ninth Ward due to a deteriorating storm drainage system – a problem long before Katrina paid an unwelcome visit four years ago.

According to Marna David, a Holy Cross resident who lives with her husband J.W. on some of the area’s highest ground near the river…

“It has seemed like "monsoon season" here for a week and some of us are now ready to organize a push for better drainage. We'd like to ask for EVERYONE with drainage problems to photograph them and send name, location and photo to me @ jtatum7@cox.net. We'd like to create  documentation to submit to every relevant entity regarding this overwhelmingly neglected situation. Anyone reading this who has problems themselves (or know someone with these problems), please do  contact me. Our neighborhood is a Recovery Area. Let's start  recovering from this long-standing (pun intended) reality.

PS: These photos are taken along Douglass Street which has NO storm drains along any of the residential blocks (only around the warehouse at  the end of the block).”

Toy Giveaway at Saturday's Sankofa Marketplace

SANKOFA MARKETPLACE OF THE LOWER 9th WARD

Saturday, December 12

Come celebrate with us during this holiday season on the next second Saturday, December 12 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. This month's Sankofa Marketplace will host a variety of activities for the entire family to enjoy, including a toy giveaway, visits with Santa Claus, a model car assemblage competition for children, the Ujamaa Project fresh fruit & vegetable nutrition program, and a health fair.  There will also be youth performances by the Martin Luther King Jr Marching Band and the  Platinum Girls Dance Team, along with sounds from DJ Action Jackson.

• 2:30 p.m.: Toy Giveaway, sponsored by Talk to Me New Orleans

DJ Action Jackson and Nicole of Talk to Me New Orleans present their annual Christmas toy giveaway at the Sankofa Marketplace of the Lower 9th Ward. Come to the Marketplace with your children to pick up toys.

Donations of the toys for the giveaway can be received by Nicole Howard, Producer of Talk to Me New Orleans by calling 504.344.9877. You can also donate toys for the giveaway at the following drop off locations:

- Lower 9th Ward Health Clinic at 5228 St Claude Ave

- On Fire Records at 1840 N Claiborne Ave.

• 1:00-2:00 p.m.: Musical Performance by Martin Luther King Jr Charter School Marching Band
• 2:00-2:15 p.m.: Platinum Girls Christmas Dance Performance
• 2:15-2:30 p.m.: Model Car Giveaway and Assemblage Competition

A fun and educational activity organized by Stanley's Custom Service Shop, through which children are introduced to the mechanics of auto body assemblage and repair. Children can sign up to receive model cars, with the task of assembling them for  display in a model car show at the January 9, 2010 Sankofa Marketplace.

• 1:00-4:00 p.m.: Sankofa Marketplace Health Fair

Visit the Sankofa Marketplace Health Fair Tent and receive a US Census canvas tote bag. Free health services and informational material will be provided by the organizations listed below.

• 1:00-4:00 p.m.: Ujamaa Project at Sankofa Marketplace Youth Tent

Children meet Sankofa Marketplace produce vendors and learn about different types of vegetables and fruits. They get to recreate their favorite vegetables and fruits through printmaking and sculpting activities.

Shout-Out to the Levee Crews!

ALL PHOTOS: Marna David

I want to give a shout-out today to the gang that mows our levees. That's right...the Levee Board mowing crew. There are only 21 of them to tend all the city's levee green spaces. They are underfunded, undermanned and over-worked. Today these tractor-cowboys (and one cowgirl) whipped our pride and joy into shape and even mowed a savage lot (that I don't even think is theirs), just because I asked them to. Afterwards, they also took a chainsaw to a couple of errant trees (ours). I was so grateful to them that I baked ‘em cookies. All they asked for was a thank-you. Thanks guys.

Marna David of Holy Cross

Louisiana’s “Greenest Grocery” Coming to New Orleans ’ Historic Lower Ninth Ward

Jim Hatchett

Jim Hatchett, longtime supermarket entrepreneur and developer from Chicago, Max Amenta of Amenta Enterprises, students at the UNO School of Business, LaSalle University and LSU, and the people of the Holy Cross and Lower Ninth Ward neighborhoods have something in common. All are working hard to establish a supermarket at the historic corner at St. Claude and Caffin Avenues. Hatchett and Amenta were brought together through a student economic development competition sponsored by Chase Bank. UNO, Lasalle and LSU partnered with the Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development and made it to the final round.

The plan calls for Louisiana’s first LEED certified grocery in New Orleans ’ greenest community. The grocery will be sized appropriately for the neighborhoods served, will hire from within the community and will feature fresh, healthy foods and produce.

• WHAT: Come and meet JIM HATCHETT, an experienced, successful grocery store developer. Jim is ready, willing and able to establish and run a grocery store at St. Claude and Caffin and needs to know what YOU want
• WHERE: The Lower Ninth Ward Village, 1001 Charbonnet St.
• WHEN: 6 p.m., Wednesday, November 18, 2009
• CONTACT: Lower Ninth Ward Center for Sustainable Engagement and Development – Warrenetta Banks, 504-324-9955, or Pam Dashiell, 504-430-9041, Orleans2007@yahoo.com, pamdashiell@gmail.com

Kathy Muse, who’s lived in the Holy Cross neighborhood for more than 30 years, said: “Residents have been working to bring a store here for decades, and we need it now more than ever. It will serve both the Upper and Lower Ninth Wards and Arabi. That Jim is committed to hiring from the community is wonderful. I want to shop in my own neighborhood.”

Sunday Photo: Fruit Trees in the Guerrilla Garden

"Fruit Trees in the Guerrilla Garden". Photo by Jenga Mwendo

Sunday Photo: Wounded House Crowned With Purple Heart Takes Flight In Recovery

"Wounded House Crowned With Purple Heart Takes Flight In Recovery". Photo by Kathy Muse

Sunday Photo: Verse Two

 
"Verse Two". Photo by Marna David

Sunday Photo: Neighborhood Watch

 
"Neighborhood Watch". Photo by Kathy Muse