Mid-City Neighborhood Organization

This morning, someone posted to the MCNO Yahoo! Group about a “shooting” in the 3500 block of Palmyra. From the comments, it appeared to be a question of something that sounded like shots being fired, not necessarily a shooting. This opened up a dialogue about the relative merits of continuing to live in the city. I welcome anyone else’s thoughts. Here are mine, and they come down firmly on the side of staying.

Living in New Orleans today comes down to an issue of risk tolerance. Those with little risk tolerance may have a hard time justifying their continued residence here. However, there has never been a better time in New Orleans’ history to exercise risk tolerance, because we are slowly, incrementally, but assuredly making strides in the way this city is run and the recovery managed.

I believe the next administration will only accelerate the progress, provided that we are very, very careful to support a citizen-friendly candidate who respects transparency and accountability and has zero tolerance for corruption and graft.

Someone may prefer Cedar Rapids to New Orleans. If that is the case, I would say that person’s risk aversion far surpasses their sense of joie de vivre. And that is their right and their decision.

With that in mind, we need every able-bodied person on board for this train ride, so if you can raise your risk tolerance a bit, I would hope you stay. Consider that Outdoor Magazine named New Orleans #3 in its list of best places to begin a rewarding new adventure (by moving here to live and help rebuild.)

New Orleans has long been a city of adventurers with high risk tolerance. In the mid 1800s, the city lost a third of its population on several occasions to yellow fever, something we no longer have to worry about. Yet, the city endured and thrived, because the people who lived here felt the rewards of staying outweighed the risk.

To me, that makes today’s risks seem negligible in comparison. As a local architect told me in an interview, “We will not go quietly into the night.” Neither will our city.

Christopher Cyrus, b/m, 07/24/1986, 6′ 0″, 150 lbs.
Wanted for attempted aggravated rape and aggravated burglary.
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The next Mid-City Security District meeting is scheduled for this Wednesday, 11/17/2008 at 7:30 PM. The meeting will be at the new Old City Building Center at 341 N. Hennessey St. This meeting is open to the public and we encourage participation!

The agenda includes, but not limited to:

1. Creation of a resolution for an expected budget for 2009 to be sent to City Council for approval.
2. Bylaws we need to establish some rules of order for facilitation of meetings (possibly Roberts Rules of Order or similar)

Best regards,

Angela E. Brenneke
Commissioner, Mid-City Security District

Tuesday, August 7, is the National Night Out. In Mid-City we know of at least four events. You’ll want to consult our zone map to make sense of these locations.

• Zone A – Mid City Yacht Club (440 S. St. Patrick) will host a Zone-wide event. St. Patrick Park is across the street so feel free to bring the kids and dogs. They will have a grill and will be cooking hot-dogs. If anyone would like to bring a side dish it would be appreciated. Contact MJ Sauer for more information mj@urbanvisionproperties.com 504-251-3045 cell
• Zone B – 200 Block of South Alexander will host a Zone-Wide event – Potluck – Contact cbgannon@bellsouth.net for more information
• Zone B – Intersection of S. St. Patrick & Palmyra for surrounding blocks – Potluck – Contact booliebumpskie@yahoo.com for more information
• Zone D – Hosted by Ms. Alene Peake, 6:30 pm 4501 Toulouse St. (Corner of N. Murat)
• Zone G – 200 Block of South Pierce Street will host a Zone-Wide event – Potluck – Contact vbviolet@aol.com for more information
• Zone M – Parkway Bakery & Tavern will host a Zone-wide event

If you are planning an event please let us know by posting a comment.

You can now download the form for reporting suspected criminal activity for the 3rd District here:

http://mcno.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/3rd_district_hot_sheet.doc

Both the 1st District & 3rd District Hot Sheets are on their own page on this site. Go to the navigation bar on the right and find Police Hot Sheets. Click there and you’ll find these in Word format.

Click on the following link to get a form for reporting suspected illegal activities in your neighborhood:

http://mcno.org/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/hot-sheet.doc

From our friends at Silence Is Violence:

SilenceIsViolence an anti-violence campaign City Walk #3: Mid-City to Gert Town Sunday, April 15, 7pm SilenceIsViolence City Walks are weekly evening strolls from one New Orleans neighborhood to another. The walks take place each Sunday evening and are intended to establish a positive, sustainable anti-violence presence in our neighborhoods. We walk 1-2 miles each week and hold a small reception at our destination establishment. Transportation is provided back to the departure establishment.

City Walk #3 will take place on Sunday, April 15, departing at 7pm sharp!

START: Parkway Bakery and Tavern, 532 Hagan Ave. at Bayou St. John. Proceed up Jeff. Davis Pkwy. to Tulane Ave. Walk across the overpass; at the bottom, turn RIGHT onto Drexel Dr. Walk across Xavier University campus on Drexel Dr. Turn LEFT onto the last footbridge and cross the canal. Cross Washington Ave. and continue straight on Pine St. Turn RIGHT onto Stonelitz and LEFT onto Short St. Continue up Short St. to Earhart; cross Earhart to Daquiri Island.

STOP: Daquiri Island, 7908 Earhart Blvd. (2 miles total) Reception with music by the Soul Rebels Brass Band. Transportation will be provided back to Parkway between 8 and 9pm

The following update comes from Silence Is Violence:

We held our first City Walk this past Sunday, walking from the Marigny to the Seventh Ward. It was truly invigorating to bridge these two neighborhoods on foot and to bring our two communities together at Seal’s Class Act in the Seventh Ward. This Sunday we will start back at Seal’s and walk into Mid-City. If you are a resident of the Seventh Ward and/or Mid-City, please join us, whether along the route or for the reception at Parkway Tavern, where the Rebirth Brass Band will perform. (Of course, all are welcome, whether from these neighborhoods or elsewhere!)

Here is the complete route:

START: 7pm, Seal’s Class Act (2169 Aubry St., at the intersection of N.Miro and St. Bernard). Cross St. Bernard on N. Miro; follow N. Miro to Esplanade Ave. Turn RIGHT on Esplanade and LEFT onto Broad St. Continue on Broad to Dumaine St.; turn RIGHT and follow Dumaine to Bayou St. John. Turn LEFT at the Bayou and LEFT onto Toulouse St. STOP: 8pm, Parkway Bakery & Tavern (538 Hagan Avenue); reception with the Rebirth Brass Band. Transportation will be provided back to Seal’s between 8 and 9pm.

It is remarkable how strong the impulse is to reclaim the streets of our city by walking. Mayor Nagin, for instance, has begun a series of crime walks in different sections of the city on alternating Fridays. And just as we began our SilenceIsViolence City Walks this past week, Pastors Raphael (New Hope Baptist Church) and Gabriel (Progressive Baptist Church) were starting their own series of walks through Central City. The Central City walks will take place every evening through late April. They begin at 5pm at New Hope (1809 LaSalle St.) and move through different parts of the neighborhood each day, ending with a prayer circle at the intersection of Felicity and South Robertson at 6pm. Please go out and support Pastor Raphael’s walks one of these evenings if you canand whatever neighborhood you live in, re-assert your right to sit on your stoop, to stand on the sidewalks, and to walk through the streets of our city. We must send a message to criminalsand to each otherthat we will not be chased from our own streets.

Last night, our good Capt. Colin staged a drug bust at 3031 Banks Street.

Six people were arrested. A shotgun, pistols, cash, pot and 75 rocks of crack were seized. This was combined effort of DEA, FBI and NOPD.

Capt. Colin gets a big round of applause. Standing ovation.

Capt. Colin and I are working on bringing civil actions to shut down drug properties and to force the owners to post bond of up to $10,000 as insurance to prevent the property owner from continuing to rent to criminals.

However, in order to make a case against these landlords, we need your assistance.

At 3031 Banks, despite Capt. Colin receiving numerous complaints about the property which led to this undercover operation and raid, when he went NOPD’s complaint register he found only one call. He was very surprised.

In order to put on a case against the bad landlords, Capt. Colin has asked that you notify him, but also that you call NOPD’s non-emergency number to report drug activity, prostitution or whatever criminal acts that you might see — however minor.

We need a record of complaints to introduce into evidence in court.

The number to call is 821-2222.

The City Council has called the Superintendent and the District Attorney to appear before them to answer some questions. I hope that concerned neighbors can make this meeting on Monday, February 12, to show that the community is paying attention.

Here’s the fax: (more…)