For the last few months I have been working on a project to create an online data driven investigative news source. I have been incubating this under the umbrella of “The New Orleans Institute”:http://www.theneworleansinstitute.org/ and we have been making some steady progress to that end. Last week we were chosen by the “Zeitoun Foundation”:http://www.zeitounfoundation.org/ to […]

One of the most traumatic events of my life was being diagnosed with breast cancer in May of 2005. Being uninsured and throwing Katrina into the mix was pretty stressful and I am grateful that I lived to tell the tale. This piece “says it best”:http://campaignsilo.firedoglake.com/2009/07/01/stand-with-breast-cancer-survivors-of-north-carolina-ask-kay-hagan-to-support-a-public-plan/ *Please call* Senator Landrieu’s D.C. office line: (202)224-5824 New […]

“Part 1”:http://www.squanderedheritage.com/2009/06/16/bread-crumbs-to-follow/ ..Or how many days do you have to clean up the mess you left behind after the City demolished the houses you have neglected for years? I think when I die the addresses of these 2 houses will be the last words uttered, like “Rosebud”:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citizen_Kane, but instead it will be Belfast.. Here is […]

Here is his church as “advertised”:http://www.greaterbiblewaychurch.org/ on his website Well maybe not actually as advertised. They don’t mention that it is a sandlot. But that does not deter Rev. Toris Young, who has been convicted of “identity theft and fraud”:http://blog.nola.com/jamesgill/2009/03/cao_critic_has_own_worries.html perhaps the fraud was actually raising funds to build a church that does not exist. […]

Here is a photo of this house as it stood 2 years ago. Somehow the owners managed to avoid fines for not maintaining it, or cleaning it out and the end result is this Makes you wonder…. The mystery of how this family has been able to continue to perpetrate blight was made a little […]

This house has been the subject of interest from the neighborhood for almost 4 years. The owners are also responsible for the mess on the first block of Apple St.. They are, repeat offenders. 2 days ago the house collapsed. The owners had tried to obtain a FEMA funded demolition, sometimes called Free Demo, free […]

I remember the first time I met Herman Beasley. It was at a community event at Xavier. There were very few people, in fact the meeting was held in a second floor boardroom. At the time the distrust was acute, people were still shell shocked and struggling to come home. We were being thrust into […]

It is interesting that Congressman Cao led a tour of Charity today to illustrate the damage done to Charity by the storm. I was watching the “NCDC meeting”:http://www.flickr.com/photos/prc-advocacy/sets/72157618430626904/ interested to see what would happen to these 2 properties which were on the agenda. and this gem Sale Date 22-JUN-07 Sale Price $40,000 Both of these […]

One of my favorite neighbors and community activist Herman Beasley had a stroke this weekend. He is in the ICU and responding well. Take care Mr. Beasley..we miss you.