July 13, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Michael Shlenker

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I was born in Lakewood North and our family moved to Lakewood South in the 70’s.  I bought the family home after Katrina and then moved back to the neighborhood, so I have lived here 40 years (was uptown in District A for the missing years).

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I initially took over the social media page for the board and then became an active board member after that.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Everyone has great pride in their homes and continues to make our neighborhood a wonderful place to live. We’re also less than fifteen minutes to anything in New Orleans in a vehicle.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Our biggest event that pulls everyone together is our annual Halloween party. It unites all our families in a big street party.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We are working diligently with Cox Communications to investigate poor service which has been an ongoing issue for years. 

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Just do your best to make your neighborhood a better place than when you started your position. Get as many people involved so you will have your total community support to move issues forward.

March 9, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Glenn Braud

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have been living in the same house in this neighborhood for 44 years.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I helped to resurrect the Donna Villa Neighborhood Association (DVNA) back in 2013 but subsequently dropped out when it appeared the resurrected organization wasn’t ready to make a serious impact within the community.  After receiving an invitation and confirmation that some of the DVNA membership was now ready to get serious about improving the community, I once again got involved with the DVNA in 2019 and was subsequently elected as president of the DVNA in 2019.  

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Our neighborhood has all the components necessary to be a strong neighborhood association. Within the geographical boundaries of our association we have two schools, one private and one public, a church that has all the facilities we need to accommodate the needs of our community and the church leadership opens its doors for us to do so.  We have a police and fire district located just outside the perimeter of our association’s boundaries. Winn Dixie serves as the community’s market place and various other stores such as AutoZone, O’Riley’s, UPS are located on the southern boundary of the DVNA.  We also have vacant stores available for new vendor opportunities.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We have had successful clean up initiatives, sponsored respectable Night Out Against Crime events, and in 2019, we officially incorporated all six subdivisions located within the Donna Villa Property Tax Assessment Area into the Donna Villa Neighborhood Association.  We were recently notified that the DVNA was awarded a $1,000 opportunity grant for CleanUp NOLA.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

After receiving notice that we were awarded a $1,000 grant, CleanUp NOLA is our most pressing project now, however, getting more of the 900 plus property owners and renters within the boundaries of our association to get involved with the DVNA is very high on our list of things to do for without their input we are truly unable to act on yet unidentified weaknesses and opportunities of concern to our community.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Don’t assume you know what is best for the community.  Get the community to identify and document the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats within their respective blocks, prioritize actions needed and bring the community and partners together to execute strategic documented plans to bring closure to all open issues.  Hold each other accountable. Condemning, critiquing and complaining does not generate results.  Defining the root cause of every issue, suggesting possible solutions, compromising, strategic planning, execution and accountability brings about positive change.  

 

February 6, 2020 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Dr. Lisa Saloy

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Most of my life, 51 years.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

From the start, at five years old, I was Miss Hardin Park. I was a medaled swimmer for Hardin Park through teen years and did water ballet across the city with the Hardin Park swimmers; later,  a Lifeguard in summers; once returned from the West Coast for college, finishing graduate school at LSU finally and returned to my neighborhood where my neighbor, Mr. Charles Barnes, ran the London Avenue Neighborhood Association; he passed, then Katrina.  It took me two years of attending neighborhood meetings to figure out how to continue the work Mr. Charlie did, so I invited folks from the 7th Ward, and they came.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I love our glorious culture, home of the BIG 7 Social & Pleasure Club (those brothers can dance!) and many others -- the Yellow Pocohantas Black Indian crew, the Hard Head Hunters too. Fitchfield Recording Studio artists such as Richard C. Thomas, Charlie Johnson, Luise Mouton, Cynthia Ramirez. Musicians [such as] Germain Bazzle, Dwight & Connie Fitch, DeeLo, John Fitch, my family and so many great neighbors like Poree family of plasterers and artists, Blacksmith Darrell Reeves.  Our history too uncovers Civil Rights icon A.P. Tureaud, and filmmaker Royce Osborne: All on a Mardi Grad Day -- (now passed). Too many to name here but certainly Jelly Roll Morton and Joe Jones, Jazz drummer and composer. Current movers and shaker include Royce Duplessis, LA State Representative (District 93), and long-time home of The Louisiana Weekly, where even in jim crow days, Black people could see themselves positively in the world.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Last year, we ran outreach to neighborhood churches, and with the help of the Mayor's Office of Community Engagment, held a TriCentennial Praise Fest at Dillard University's Lawless Chapel. We linked historic Martinez Black Creole School with United Methodist Church for after-school programs. We support the neighborhood Pharmecia, a garden and people space in process. We've had annual book give-a-ways to support literacy for families with the help of the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities & First Books. Most importantly, soon after we began, we held the largest 300+ volunteer park rebuild at Hunter's Field and commissioned our own Richard C. Thomas to paint a lovely mural on play, and he trained and paid some 30 kids to do the work. What a joy-filled day that was. We even had healthy food eating and growing lessons from LSU AG Center and Dillard University's Ray Charles Program in Material Culture. Since then, we've cleaned catch basins, planted free trees with S.O.U.L. (Sustaining Our Urban Landscape), built French Drains and Water Gardens with WaterWise South, even rain barrels too. 

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

Gaining consistent participation, getting more folks to meetings, that is, working on outreach to more neighbors, encouraging folks become active to plant trees, get rain barrels, or rain gardens. We are in the bowl, and folks' efforts pay off.    

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Be good neighbors by being there to share information (Thank YOU Mayor's Office of Community Engagement), remain at the table to stay informed, keep learning, and love this life we are blessed to have together.

November 11, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Susan Brady

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I’ve lived in my neighborhood (Bywater) for 42 years.

WHAT NEIGHBORHOOD DID YOU GROW UP IN? /WHERE ARE YOU FROM?

I grew up in Treme, I lived on Ursuline Ave, across from A. J. Bell Jr. High School. I was born in McComb, MS and we moved to New Orleans when I was 5 years old. After graduating from high school we moved to the Bywater neighborhood.

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

In 2012, I was approach by a neighbor at an NONPACC meeting, about starting a neighborhood association that would include Bywater/St. Claude neighbors, businesses, and rental residences.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have some of my very best memories of Dorothy & Euel Bennett Sr. (my parents), my teenage/adult life, my eight siblings, my marriage, the birth of my beautiful daughter, all my nieces and nephews, shooting hoops and playing volleyball at Stallings, and walking down St. Claude  to Tina’s for breakfast. In my youth, whether day or night I felt safe and had no fears or concerns.

 

I also admire the resilience of my neighbors. We lost a few, but many of us who came back after Katrina to rebuild our homes. We have many new neighbors that are involved and partners in making our neighborhood safe for every family. These are just a few of the things I love about my neighborhood.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

The founding of New St. Claude Association of Neighbors “NSCAN” and creating a strong working relationship with Councilperson Kristin Gisleson Palmer, Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office (Ray Bolling), Mandy Pumilia (former president of BNA), a mentor and very dear friend.

The partnership/relationship between NSCAN and BNA is also a success. Together we bridged the two sides of St. Claude to work on common issues important to us both. We partnered on the design and rebuild of Stallings St. Claude, the proposal to bring St. Claude streetcar down to Poland Ave.(former naval base), creating the St. Claude Art & Cultural district, back to school events, voter registration drives, feeding families in neighborhood, a fundraiser to rebuild a neighbor’s home, and built collaborative relationships with Bunny Friend, St. Roch and Sankofa organizations, etc.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

We are working to address affordable housing issues, encouraging neighbors to apply for the Mayor’s Owner-Occupied Rehab loans and soft second mortgage programs. There are also some safety issues. We are having issues with petty theft, auto burglary and keeping drug selling and usage out of the area.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

My advice would be very simple. If you love where you live get involved with your neighborhood organization. If you do not have one, start one. And last but not least “Get to know your Neighbors”.

October 7, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Ryan Kropog

 

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

10 years. I grew up in Kenner. 

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

A few years ago, I became concerned about the level of crime we were seeing in our area. I began attending neighborhood association meetings in an effort to see how I could help address this problem. 

The president at the time, Lou Volz, was gracious enough to welcome me in and show me the ropes. From there, I became inspired and energized about the change I could enact as a volunteer, not just with crime, but all levels of civic engagement.

WHAT DO YOU LOvE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

The people! The LGD has such a diverse group of people that embrace NOLA living. I also love the walkability. Our neihgborhood has the best restaurants, bars and shops, as well as countless beautiful historic buildings. It never gets old.

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I'm proud to say that I've recently been a part of two major volunteer-driven initiatives that have improved the quality of life in the LGD. In 2016, our association raised nearly $100,000 to restore and maintain Lafon Fountain in Coliseum Square Park. In 2017, I also lead an initiative that raised nearly $20,000 and saw our association partner with Project NOLA. That partnership lead to the installation of 30 live-monitored security cameras in the LGD.

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR Neighborhood?                   

Over the past two years, I've helped our association organize its membership database by implementing a CRM that automates membership correspondence and tracks payments. Gone are the days of manually updating a spreadsheet!

We are also constantly involved in representing the neighborhood at the city level in land use cases.

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

Two things. New Orleans is a unique city with unique challenges. It takes an 'all hands on deck' mentality to enact the change we want to see. We can't wait for someone else to do it. 

Secondly, when it comes to leading a group of volunteers, I feel it is important to foster and maintain a positive atmosphere. Encourage and support. Connect the dots, make introductions, and welcome those who wish to get involved. Make it a positive experience for those looking to help be part of the community.

September 9, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Suzi Cobb

HOW LONG HAVE YOU LIVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have lived in my family home since 1951, 68 years

HOW DID YOU GET INVOLVED IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I joined the City Park Neighborhood Association when it first formed in the 1980’s. Now that I am mostly retired I have the time to work for positive change in my neighborhood.                                 

WHAT DO YOU LOvE ABOUT YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

I have always loved my neighborhood. The close proximity of City Park and Bayou St. John excites me and I am so pleased to see the festivals coming to the bayou area. We are within a 10-15 minute car ride to any part of the city and we have wonderful restaurants, grocery stores, and pharmacies within walking distance.                                                     

WHAT SUCCESSES HAVE YOU HAD IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD?

After Katrina our association disbanded and almost two years ago we tried a resurrection. I am very proud of how far we have come in forming an association full of interested and interesting people.     

WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW IN YOUR Neighborhood?

Right now our neighborhood is trying to save our neighborhood school, John Dibert. We are all of the opinion that a school is necessary for the stability of a neighborhood.                                          

ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR OTHER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS AND CHANGE MAKERS?

My only advice for others trying to organize a neighborhood group, is knock on doors, introduce yourself, invite people to a meeting in your home to talk about what is good in your area and what needs to be improved. Listen to everyone’s ideas and work together. When people know that they have been heard and acknowledged, they feel empowered and are willing to put forth any amount of effort to effect positive change.

August 9, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Rev. Willie Calhoun

How long have you lived in your neighborhood?

My parents have been in New Orleans since 1949, and I have been here all my life, over 60 years.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

I started getting involved in high school. I’m a proud graduate of George Washington Carver Sr. High School. I got involved with a group of students, and we formed the Youth Core Group.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

I have always loved the Lower 9; this is home for me. I enjoy the comfort of knowing the people in my neighborhood and living a block away from my childhood home.

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

The resiliency to return and rebuild after Hurricanes Betsy and Katrina. To be able to carry itself economically, the unification of the Lower Nine and the formation of the Lower Ninth Ward Neighborhood Association. The Regional/Urban Design Assistance Team Program in 2018 and the building of MLK High School on the old Lawless High School site. We are proud to be a part of these movements in Lower 9. In my opinion, our accomplishments are many in spite of the many challenges we face down here.

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood?

We are working on the Table Connect group that consists of four tables that discuss – housing, infrastructure, economic development, and culture.

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

Unification! Let everyone be on the same page and learn how to listen to each other.

July 8, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Mr. Danny Kiper

How long have you lived in Gentilly Heights East?

I purchased my house on Touro St in February of 2002.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

I met everyone at our Night Out Against Crime after Katrina and was voted President that November.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

I absolutely love my neighbors, everyone knows each other and is always willing to help out.

I can recall when I bought my house I had to do a lot of renovations. I would always stop work early so

I wasn’t making too much noise with the saws, hammers, and nail guns. I can remember my immediate neighbors coming over one afternoon and telling not to worry and work as late as I wanted, so I could move in sooner. They would bring me dinner and cold lemonade almost every day. I knew I was in the perfect neighborhood.

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

We were extremely successful with getting rid of most of our blight early on after Katrina, with the help from the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement. We were also able to get developers to come in early to begin getting vacant lots remodeled with new houses. We still have some work to go to get back to our pre-Katrina status but we are definitely on pace to get there soon. We are now one the fastest growing areas in the city with new home ownership.

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood?

We just had a very long traffic survey completed to have some stop signs reversed on strategic street corners to prevent speeding down neighborhood streets when the school zone speed cameras are out on the main thoroughfares.

We are also starting the planning for our 2019 Night Out Against Crime. Our Night Out Against Crime always draws a big crowd, so we like to make sure our neighbors have a great time. We also have our neighborhood clean-up day in the works. We get neighbors together in the morning to pick up trash, clean out catch basins, and some larger debris that needs to be removed. We also get the Orleans Parish Sherriff’s Office to come out and help with any larger debris.

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

My advice would be to never give up no matter the obstacles that are in your way. Rally your neighbors and dig in and fight for your neighborhoods, because when you start to see the results of all those meetings, planning sessions, neighborhood cleanup days, city council meetings and hard work from everyone involved, it’s the most wonderful feeling in the world.  All of those efforts will bring your community closer together than you could have ever imaged, so stay the course.

June 6, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Ms. Yvonne Mitchell-Grubb

Ms. Yvonne Mitchell-Grubb

President, Walnut Bend Civic Association

How long have you lived in the New Orleans area and Walnut Bend?

I’m originally from Birmingham and have lived in the Walnut Bend neighborhood for what will be forty years in July.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

I think the first thing I started doing was attending the neighborhood association meetings. I volunteered to deliver newsletters. Then, I joined the board as a general member. From the beginning, it seemed like the people on my street, especially, were involved. My neighbor two doors down was the founder of the association and a past president. I just went to the meetings and started getting more involved. There were also more people involved in the association at that time. Our last big turnouts were after Katrina.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

I would say we have a lot of good people and neighbors. It’s basically a very quiet neighborhood. It’s truly a residential type neighborhood. For those people who are involved, they want the same things everyone else wants. They’d like for it to be a good place to raise kids. And, they’d like a place where they can feel safe. We have people who care about their homes and the entire neighborhood in general. We have a lot of elderly and longtime residents which indicates that people feel it’s a good place to be.

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

Our Night out against Crime is very successful. It’s usually the best attended event of the year. We have had a lot of people get involved in the neighborhood in some way. Participation in our neighborhood watch has been very successful. We do need to get some more participation, but have been able to maintain the entrances to our neighborhood.

We have managed to get a few electric boxes painted by Community Visions Unlimited.

After Katrina we were able to effectively communicate with neighbors. Both those who were out of town and those who came back immediately. We let them know how things were in the City and neighborhood.

The distribution of our newsletter has been very good. We have residents in different quadrants who pass them out. In addition to this, we have at least 2/3 of our neighborhood on Nextdoor.We do a great job of keeping neighbors informed about what is going on, both through Nextdoor and our website. It was one of our residents in WB who started Algiers One. Also we have a good relationship with our elected officials. They attend our meeting when requested. They see Walnut Bend as being one of the more active neighborhoods.

What are you working on right now in your neighborhood?

We’re working on now we need to do more work on our signs and restore some of our signs. Uploading our neighborhood history to the website. We have it on CDs. We want people to be aware of the neighborhood. And, we want to see if we can increase our participation at the meetings. We now meet quarterly. We are also trying to encourage people to participate more on Nextdoor and other social media tools. We can keep people more up to date than in the past.

Even though we don’t have a green space in Walnut Bend, we want to work on Lambert Park so that we can make it a place where folks can take their kids. We have a couple of neighbors working on efforts to start focusing on the parks. Having this would be a good selling point for families moving in. We are getting more families with small children which is always good to keep the neighborhood vital.

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

I would say continue to get involved and don’t get discouraged if there are some things that you’d like to see happen that don’t immediately happen. If you keep working, you’ll get more positive results than not. Be tied into your elected officials and your surrounding neighborhoods. There’s strength in numbers. The Algiers Neighborhood Presidents Council has been successful in that. Algiers is one of the few areas that has councils for the association presidents. Don’t believe that there’s not something you can do about a situation. There’s always something you can do. Even if you don’t get the results tomorrow.

Share some fun facts about yourself!

a. I did run for school board many years ago. I believe the people should be involved in and learn something about politics.

b. My mother was Condoleeza Rice’s kindergarten teacher. Her father was our church pastor in Birmingham until they moved to Denver.

c. I play both the flute and the piano. After Katrina I would sometimes play the organ at my church.

d. I went to college in Minnesota. It was really cold up there!

May 7, 2019 | From City of New Orleans

Neighborhood Spotlight: Ms. Carol Bebelle

Carol Bebelle 

Co-Founder & Executive Director
Efforts of Grace, Inc./Ashe' Cultural Arts Center

How long have you lived in the New Orleans area? Where did you grow up?

I am a native New Orleanian. I spent the first 12 years of my life in the 7th Ward before moving to the Uptown/Carrollton area.

How did you get involved in your neighborhood?

Both of my grandfathers were Baptist ministers, while my paternal grandmother and my mother taught me to be a helper of family, friends, and neighbors. Being involved in my neighborhood became natural for me, just like being a part of your family.

What do you love about your neighborhood?

It’s in the heart of the City and in the middle of everything. The people are warm and friendly. I have lifelong, personal and professional relationships here. It’s still an authentic community although its authenticity is threatened by gentrification.

What successes have you had in your neighborhood?

Working along with neighbors and like-minded organizations, we have locked arms and arms to revive the historic Dryades Street Corridor now called Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard. Importantly, we have built Ashe’ Cultural Art Center which has been a central feature to that revitalization.

Any information about your neighborhood that you'd like to share?

1st Friday’s are active on the Boulevard with events and activities happening from the Jazz Market, YEP, restaurants, Ashe’ Cultural Art Center (Ashe’ CAC), Central City Renaissance Association (CCRA), Goodwork Network, Cure Violence, etc. Central City is the community where you can catch a concert, theatre, a poetry slam, boxing, see movies, eat food from Mexico, Italy, China, authentic New Orleans food, good old Soul Food, talk with walking history and young minds that are interested in continuing the legacy that history and learn about the African diaspora. You can find fellowship, good food, and inspiration in sanctuaries almost on a daily basis. In other words, Central City is naturally New Orleans, full of community, culture and commerce. Sure as I tell you!

___________________________________________________________________________

Extended Bio

 

Carol Bebelle (a.k.a. Akua Wambui) is a native New Orleanian who was born and raised in the 7^th ward and grew into womanhood in the Carrollton area of New Orleans.  She spent over 20 years in the public sector as an administrator and planner of education, social, cultural and health programs.

 

By 1995, Bebelle realized that the cultural and creative heartbeat of New Orleans was an un- and under-tapped resource on the landscape of community development.  She realized that the power of culture and creativity combined could help to unleash progress, improvement, and economic inclusion for many of the under-represented members of the New Orleans community.

 

In 1998, Bebelle and Douglas Redd founded Ashé Cultural Arts Center in Central City, New Orleans.  Ashé, as it is familiarly known, is a pivotal force for the revitalization and transformation of Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard, formerly known as Dryades Street, into an African and Caribbean cultural corridor.  Bebelle and Redd became active members of the Central City community and the organizations at work to develop that community and its vision. 

 

Known affectionately as “Mz. B” and “Mama Carol” in the community and around the world, Bebelle is a published poet and writer. She has to her credit a book of original poetry “In a Manner of Speaking,” and is represented among other New Orleans writers in the anthology “From a Bend in the River,” edited by Kalamu ya Salaam.  She has several published interviews, testimonies and a chapter in the publication “Civic Engagement in the Wake of Katrina” edited by Amy Korit PhD. and George J. Sanchez PhD.  She also joined a group of notable authors for the art exhibit catalog “Ashe to Amen.”  Her most recently published work appears in “Didn’t Wash Us Away:  Transformative Stories of Post Katrina Cultural Resilience,” edited by Charlie T. Johnson and Louise Mouton Johnson.  

 

She serves on several boards in the community and around the country, and is a frequently sought-after panelist and keynote speaker. Bebelle is a recipient of several local, national and international awards and commendation. But, she prizes most the role she plays being a cultural and racial healer and a contribution to the overall development and evolution of her community.