April 28, 2016 | From City of New Orleans

Get to Know Your Neighbor: Spotlight on Mona Lisa Saloy

How long have you lived in the 7th Ward?

I was born and raised in the 7th Ward. I moved out west where I completed my undergraduate and early graduate education, but I’ve lived here longer than anywhere else, and I continue to love it.

What do you love about your neighborhood?
 

I love the folks who are so creative--just hard-working, earnest folks, carving a living and a life, the way we take time for each other; the rich culture makes life here sweeter, vivid, and I’m thankful for it.

What successes have you had in your organization?
 

In our first big effort, we helped to coordinate the rebuilding of Hunter’s field, successfully proposed the lovely mural by neighborhood fine artist Richard C. Thomas and 35 young artists. We hold annual nights out against crime. Last year, we, with a grant from First Books, gave almost 400 books to teens and tweens in the neighborhood. We also learned to make rain barrels, deter standing water, and studied growing food. This year, we hope to bring LEH’s Prime Time Family Reading Time into our neighborhood, host demos of native Craftsmen demonstrating the old-world artistic crafts for which we are known, and to publish a tour booklet.

Do you have any upcoming events or projects?
 

Yes. We are now part of the Treme/7th Ward Cultural District; and with Treme, we are hosting the first ever T7 Fest, the Treme/7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival, which will be held Memorial Day weekend with Friday panels on the historic Architecture, Foodways, Building Trades at The Autocrat Social & Pleasure club.  Saturday will be a concert and festival under the Claiborne Avenue overpass, and Sunday culminates in a musical brunch with local choirs, St. Raymond/St. Leo the Great and other guests.

What advice would you give to other neighborhood leaders?

First, I consider myself a good neighbor, then an author & educator & Folklorist.  My role is to listen, communicate what I learn, and help in what ways I can to represent us, so that someone is at the table when our area is discussed; mostly, I work to encourage active citizenship.

Our goals are, as our mission states:

We aim to enhance and improve the quality of life in the 7th Ward, to promote active citizenship, and to preserve and promote the art, culture, environment, and heritage of our neighborhood, for the enjoyment and safety of its members and residents.

August 29, 2016 | From City of New Orleans

Get to Know Your Neighbor: Spotlight on Jacob Rickoll from Tulane-Canal

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

I purchased my home at on the 2300 block of Conti Street in April of 2015, but I was born and raised in New Orleans. I’m proud to be a resident of the Tulane-Canal Neighborhood Association (TCNA).

What do you love about your neighborhood?

I hate driving! I love being in the Mid-City area because it’s close to everything. I’m a nursing student at LSU HSC and am employed at Crescent Care Clinic and Tulane Hospital, both of which are just minutes away. I also love being close to City Park and the Lafitte Greenway, because I love to run. The Greenway’s paths to the park are well-lit and heavily trafficked with other bikers and runners. I can feel safe while enjoying my run. Being able to walk to the French Quarter or Broad Street Theater is priceless to me. I also love the diversity in the people of my neighborhood. It’s one of the reasons that I always wanted to stay in NOLA. I love that I can look down my street and see both young professionals and retired elderly. Everyone contributes something special in their own way.  

What successes have you had in your neighborhood association?

So when my partner, Jason, and I purchased the home last April, we just assumed that we were part of the Mid City Neighborhood Association (MCNO). One day, we were volunteering at a trash pick up event along Lafitte Greenway and learned that the MCNO boundary was actually Broad Avenue. After more research, I learned that no neighborhood association even existed for my area, the boundaries of which consisted of Broad Ave., Saint Louis St., Claiborne Ave., and Poydras St. So my partner and I then reached out to neighbors, mostly through social media like Nextdoor and Facebook, and met for coffee. What started with just 6 or 7 of us has grown to an official neighborhood association with monthly meetings with attendance averaging in the 30s to 40s. I’m currently the President of TCNA. While I have the best of intentions, I’m certainly not very experienced with running a neighborhood association. Fortunately, Councilwoman Cantrell’s office and the Mayor’s Office and even surrounding neighborhood associations like MCNO have been tremendously helpful and are coaching me patiently and lending to me every available resource. While still in our infancy, our neighborhood has had several successful neighborhood cleanups, partnered on several NPPs with local businesses, and appropriately advocated for local residents in City Hall Chambers. 

Do you have any upcoming events or projects?

We do plan to host something for the “Night Out Against Crime” in October. Once the weather cools, we also will be having more neighborhood cleanups. We just had a “Mixer” at Avery’s Restaurant on Tulane Ave. last week with our neighbor, MCNO. It was fun but also a great networking opportunity for neighbors, so I look forward to more of those. We are working with the "Welcome Table New Orleans" on some upcoming projects and are always thrilled to support the ReFresh and Lafitte Greenway folks with all the things they have going on. Meanwhile, however, the residents remain acutely focused on resolving the bigger problem of our area, which is still blighted property. We have so many overgrown lots and abandoned buildings that harbor unhealthy behavior and dangerous activity. While it is refreshing to see spots of progress, it is not nearly reaching the potential that it should. 

What advice would you give to other neighborhood leaders?

My best advice to other neighborhood leaders is to learn the resources of your community. New Orleans is a terrific city with amazing people. Get to know them and find out what they can contribute. Everyone is useful in their own way. Help others realize their potential to improve the community and that everyone’s opinion matters. Don’t be scared to think outside the box. Listen to the concerns of your neighbors, but listen to understand. Don’t just give them time to speak and move on with your own agenda. When you disagree, and there will always be disagreement amongst neighbors, remind your neighbors to attack the issue, not the group. Criticize the policy, not the official. Condemn the behavior, not the person. The rest is just time management and staying organized. 
 

October 5, 2016 | From City of New Orleans

Get to Know Your Neighbor: Spotlight on Brenda Lomax-Brown

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

I moved into the Hollygrove-Dixon neighborhood in early 2006. My mother lived in the neighborhood for many years. After the storm, she wanted to return home. Because she could no longer live by herself, I left my Westbank neighborhood of 26 years and returned back to the city.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

I love the size and location of Hollygrove-Dixon. We are one of the smallest yet centrally located neighborhoods in the city. It's like going to the suburbs after a long day of hustle and bustle​. Our neighborhood is sandwiched between Airline Highway and the Pontchartrain Expressway. We are a 15 minute drive to the airport going west, and to Lake Forest going east. We are 5 minutes from the Superdome, City Hall, and the new medical complex on Tulane Ave. We are 10 minutes from Lakeside Mall and Oakwood Shopping Center.

What successes have you had in your neighborhood association?

One of our greatest successes was stopping a builder from building death trap houses. He has built several of these houses in the neighborhood. They are called "death trap" houses because there is only one door used as the entrance/exit. Although only 2 stories, the house is elevated. The base of a window on the first floor is more than 6'. One of these structures caught fire. The upstairs resident had to throw her children out of the window to the catching hands of neighbors. When she jumped, she broke both legs. The association president spoke with the builder about putting in a rear door, but the builder refused. He continued building these houses throughout the city. On his last attempt to build another on land acquired through NORA, we were able to stop his plans. He was then required to submit new architectural plans and include rear exits to the structure.

Do you have any upcoming events or projects?

We have several plans on the drawing board, i.e., a community garden and a playspot for our children. There are no playgrounds or parks. The park assigned to our neighborhood by NORDC is on the other side of an eight lane highway. Our greatest achievement has been an answer to the many, many, prayers for a Life Transformation Center or commonly called a community center. There were so many obstacles in our way but we continued to press forward, and will be moving into our center in the very near future.

What advice would you give to other neighborhood leaders?

My advice is "no matter how hard the battle gets or no matter how many people DON’T believe in your dream, never give up!” It’s difficult to wait, but more difficult to regret.

May 2, 2017 | From City of New Orleans

Get to Know Your Neighbor: Spotlight on Katherine Prevost

 

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

Gosh, I’ve been here since I was 16 years old. A long time. 50 years almost. 

What do you love about your neighborhood?

I love everything about my neighborhood. People take care of each other and look after each other. I love the people, everything is really close so I can walk to it. It’s clean, but we’ve got some blight issues we’ve got to figure out. I find myself trying to figure out how to bring this neighborhood back in the right way. 

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

After Katrina, we helped create and rebuild houses in this neighborhood. I felt that keeping homes affordable was very important. Katrina made me want to do things and get active in the neighborhood. 

Based on your successes in Bunny Friend, what advice would you give to other neighborhood leaders?

I think it’s important that we listen to what’s going in the neighborhood to see how we can make necessary changes. When residents have concerns, it’s important to make sure we can make everybody happy in the community. 

Why do you love New Orleans?

I love everything about New Orleans. I love the way people greet you when you see them on the street, regardless of who you are. I love hanging out with my family and friends. It’s a different kind of culture than anything you can imagine. My husband was in the Navy for 22 years so I’ve seen all parts of the world, and there is nowhere like this place. 

 

 

November 11, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Adam Kelly

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

11 and 1/2 years, since February, 2013. Plus I renovated my house for a year before moving in (I met a lot of my neighbors during that time).

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

I heard about our neighborhood association from a neighbor, and attended a meeting, I think it was a December holiday party. Then I became friends with the president at the time, Debby Pigman, and started volunteering. I soon became the (unofficial) vice-president and then eventually ran for president when Debby retired.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

We are a very diverse neighborhood in so many ways, so many different personal stories. Neighbors here are friendly and take the time to introduce themselves and get to know each other. It's amazing, even after many years it seems like a couple times a week I meet a new neighbor or someone who just found out ahd wants to join our next meeting!

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

We've done well on getting out the word about our meetings and encouraging neighbors to attend and communicate with our mayor's office and city council liaisons to address issues. I think we've had a nice string of successes over the past year, which is encouraging. We've also done well with getting street lights fixed, getting catch basins cleared, reporting potholes (and getting a few fixed), and debris removal after Ida and now Francine.

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood? 

We're working to increase pedestrian and bicycle safety on Magazine Street and to add traffic controls, such as stop and slow down signs, at locations within the neighborhood where some drivers speed through. We're also thinking about doing a beautification project, maybe at street corners or around the Lyons Center property.

Any words of advice for other neighborhood leaders and change-makers?

Don't just rely on word of mouth or e-mail lists to communicate with your neighbors. People are busy, e-mail in-boxes get full, and people sometimes just forget. There's no substitute for putting out signs around the neighborhood to advertise a couple weeks before your meeting. Sending or hand-delivering postcards about your neighborhood association is also a good idea. There's no such thing as "too much information" when it comes to getting out the word about your group!

September 9, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Clark Thompson

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

I’ve lived in New Orleans my whole life, but only moved across town into the Bayou St. John neighborhood 7 years ago 

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

I was involved in Boulingy Neighborhood Association previously.  When I moved, I attended a meeting and was recruited to the board.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

There is a lot to love, the bayou, the shade, lots of people out walking in the street.  It’s the best neighborhood in town for casual cycling.  

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

Renaming our park for Walter “Wolfman” Washington was a win, and our “stop for pedestrian” signs have noticeably calmed violent driving on Esplanade. 

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood?  

We persuaded the DPW to do a traffic study on Moss St. and its speed is being reduced soon. I really want to see Moss become a calm place for people with strollers or wheelchairs to feel safe. That is a constant effort, but most of the people in our neighborhood want that, so I have faith we will get there with patient effort.

I’m also working to calm Claiborne Ave. between St. Louis and Lafitte. There is a lot of pedestrian traffic there with the Greenway and the Ujamma development under the elevated expressway. It’s a real test of patience to press LaDOTD to take action to save lives here.  

I’m also part of the SWB Community Advisory Committee, which helps me to keep my neighbors informed. 

Any words of advice for other neighborhood leaders and change-makers?

Change does not move as fast as you think it should, and there is a lot of moving parts that you and I are not aware of.  When you are pushing for change, be prepared to be reasonable and patient. And be prepared to keep on pushing.  

It’s very helpful to know the jurisdictions and interests when pressing for change.  For instance, at Claiborne and Lafitte, you have LaDOTD, DPW, Ujamma, Lafitte Greenway, NORD, Treme Neighborhood Association, and Parks and Parkways.  That’s a lot of potential partners or obstacles to making changes. It pays to know that landscape and seek out those with common interests.

August 12, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Freddie Leslie

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

I was raised in the lower ninth ward, where I graduated from George Washington Carver Senior High. I lived in the ninth ward over thirty years.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

My activeness in my community began during the time of Mayor Ernest Dutch Memorial. I also became involved with other stake holders in my community and some nonprofit organizations to improve the status of our neighborhoods.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

The lower ninth ward consisted of a vibrant community that had doctor’s offices, pharmacies, supermarkets, restaurants, movie theaters, gas stations, corner stores, funeral homes, schools, parks, etc. It will never be what it once was, but it can be better.

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

The success there was in this community was being involved in neighborhood meetings, meeting with council members, mayor-liaison code enforcement, and other stake holders. Progress has been made with drains getting repaired, streets being worked on, abandoned homes being demolished, and empty lots with high vegetation being cut.

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood?

Currently, I am working on the continuation of trying to make the ninth ward and the lower ninth a vibrant and safe community to live in again. I also would love to see more individuals in their neighborhood to become more involved.

Any words of advice for other neighborhood leaders and change-makers? 

 I am a strong believer that people can make a change. Let your voices be heard!

 

July 5, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Dr. Sonya Forte Duhe

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

I’ve lived here for 16 years. 

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?         

I volunteered to serve on the Lakeshore Property Owners Association Board some years ago and have remained on it ever since.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

Lakeshore is one of the safest neighborhoods in New Orleans. It is beautiful and steps away from Lake Pontchartrain which is such a lovely area. Our residents are friendly, generous and work together to make it an even better place to live. 

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

After joining the board, one of the first projects we completed was to create a more interactive web site where residents can join the association, pay dues, donate, find links to city and state offices, view a calendar of events and access a member directory. The web site also features gorgeous photos from our friend and professional photographer David Mora. Go to lakeshorenola.com to check it out. 

The upgraded, interactive website is a critical tool that allows neighbors to learn more about LPOA, know who we are and access information about our association.

As part of our plan to continue to improve and beautify our neighborhood, with the help of grants from the Nola Tree Project under the leadership of Connie Uddo, the Garden Study Center of New Orleans and Burke Brokerage Real Estate, we planted 22 live oaks, replacing trees lost to storms and disease.   

A 2023 Mayor’s Neighborhood Enrichment grant - a green infrastructure and beautification initiative - allowed the LPOA to plant eight more trees to make 30 live oaks added to our beautiful tree canopy.   

We didn’t stop there. Our beautiful oaks have been neglected for decades and funds from the New Orleans Recreation and Culture Fund sponsored by Councilman Eugene Green served as seed money to start a major pruning/cleanup effort for our oaks in our public spaces. Residents have stepped up as well and joined the board in donating to the “Love Our Oaks” campaign. 

We have developed a plan for pruning every tree in our public spaces withing a four-year span.  

Through generous donations from residents, we have beautified our entry ways, restored signage, enhanced lighting and cleaned and painted our bus stops, making our neighborhood entrance a more beautiful, environmentally sustainable and ecofriendly area.  

Partnering with the Lt. Governor’s ‘Clean the Boot’ project, The LPOA hosted a successful spring cleanup and social. Neighbors came together to remove weeds and pick up litter and tree debris, collecting more than 100 large bags of trash and stacks of waste. We completed our day with food and music in one of our beautiful parks where we’ve sponsored a dog show, Night Out Against Crime, Halloween social, a chili cook-off with our Lake Oaks neighbors, a Santa Claus visit for families and children and wine socials prior to our general membership meetings. All events are an opportunity for neighbors to get to know each other better.

This fall, our board is planning another clean up and social, a Love our Oaks fundraiser and more planting to replace trees that have died. Of course, we’ll host a number of social events culminating with Santa in the Park in December, where we also work with the United States Marine Corps to collect items for their Toys for Tots campaign. We continue to strive for enforcement of our building and legal restrictions and work with city officials to suppress any nuisances. Councilman Green has given considerable support to LPOA and we have one of the best quality of life officers in the city, SPO Mary Lou Agustin. 

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood? 

In early August, we’ll host local arborist, Roger Mattei, from A Perfect Cut at a neighborhood social to discuss the health of oak trees throughout the city and in our neighborhood. We are also working on “Love our Oaks” fundraisers and informative gatherings to educate residents about our beautiful oaks and native plantings.

While we do have the capability for electronic newsletters, we are adding text messaging to our communications efforts. We continue our efforts to increase membership to keep residents informed and make Lakeshore an even better place. There will be numerous opportunities to meet and greet at fall and winter social events.

Any words of advice for other neighborhood leaders and change-makers?

We have a wonderful team of board members who care deeply about our neighborhood and city. Get to know your city leaders, your council representative, participate in neighborhood engagement events and ask for help from your residents and city officials. If you have the opportunity, sign up for the New Orleans’ Civic Engagement Class where you’ll get to know and learn from other city and neighborhood leaders.

June 7, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Robert Conger

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

We bought our home in February 2021.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

As soon as we learned about the neighborhood improvement association, we started attending meetings and participating in events. When the time came to elect a new board, the former President asked me to run and I did.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

Our beautiful oak lined neutral ground is a great place to walk our dog, catch up with neighbors and meet visitors who have come to see our equally beautiful St Roch Cemetery. 

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

Litter and pollution continue to be a challenge. I started doing a weekly trash pick-up on the neutral ground as soon as we moved in.  Initially neighbors would thank me. As time has passed there are a few neighbors who have started a similar trash pick-up routine. It really has made a difference. 

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood?

We have an ongoing issue with speeding and reckless driving along N. Claiborne and N. Robertson, which we have been trying to get addressed for over a year. We have had well over a dozen accidents at those intersections since we moved in. Three of which involved cars going into homes (including ours). The St Roch neutral ground is a place where families walk their dogs and children. But the speeding is so bad that it makes it very dangerous for anyone crossing those two intersections. 

Any words of advice for other neighborhood leaders and change-makers?

Be empathetic. Be honest (with yourself and others). Be persistent. But most of all be patient. 

May 10, 2024 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Molly Vigour

What New Orleans neighborhood do you live in? / Where did you grow up? 

I have lived in West Riverside since 1999. My area of the neighborhood became a part of the Bouligny Improvement Association (BIA) a few years ago. While I'm not a native Mississippian, I had the privilege to grow up in the wonderful small town of Winona. 

Describe your job to us!

I am the corporate counsel for a family-owned company in Metairie that provides business services to many local and regional businesses.

Tell us about your career path.

I am a proud Tulane Law School graduate.

What aspects of your job do you enjoy the most?

I enjoy helping business owners navigate legal and regulatory issues so they can focus on running their businesses.

What challenges do you find to be the greatest in your role?

I enjoy being part of the Bouligny Improvement Association board so we can enhance the quality of life for our residents in partnership with the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office, Cm. Lesli Harris and her staff, and other City agencies, as well as bring our BIA neighbors together throughout the year.

What is your favorite thing about New Orleans?

My favorite thing about New Orleans is  my neighborhood, which I like to call the center of the universe.