It's time for the last Blogging New Orleans podcast. Each week I record a podcast about all things New Orleans on Tuesday evening and upload it for all of you to listen to on Wednesday afternoon. Comments, questions, concerns? Comment on this post or contact us via the tips link on the site. This week I give my podcast good byes and interview the most important expert I know, my dad. Mark Schleifstein is the co-author of Path of Destruction: The Devastation of New Orleans & the Coming Age of Superstorms (note: I am the current webmaster of the official book site and Mark is my dad) and a reporter for the Times Picayune who covers environmental issues and hurricanes (and more).

• Welcome
• Good byes and the reasons for the delay
• the interview with my dad
• The future of New Orleans
• The Levees
• Lakeview, Gentilly and the Ninth Ward
• Katrina and Rita's effect on the Ninth Ward
• Politics
• Sports
• A bright future with new engineering projects and lots of jobs
• Thanks

Thanks for listening to the last 35 episodes of this podcast. Its been great telling you my thoughts every week and talking about the city.

Update: there was an error in the filename of the podcast, fixed now.

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[Terra Nola documents the long-distance love affair between a New Yorker and New Orleans.]

Well, if I hadn't read it with my own eyes I would not have believed it (not that we should believe everything we read). Looks like there is to be a second Camellia Grill, this one in Destin, Florida, beloved by teenagers on spring break everywhere.

As I said to Kelly Leahy, co-blogger here at bloggingneworleans, there can be only one. Even if the reopened version in Nola is doing well enough, the new owner is messing with some pretty serious karma to try and duplicate his success outside of the Crescent City. It was a miracle the Camellia Grill reopened at all given the devastation and destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Why tempt fate?

But, that said, if you're going to tempt fate, you might as well do it in the pan handle. If a greasy spoon operation is going to make it anywhere, it can make it in Destin. Not that Destin is lacking in diners--to the contrary, they're everywhere.

Last Saturday, the Common Ground Health Clinic in Algiers Point celebrated its second year of providing free health services to thousands of New Orleanians since its formation in the week after Katrina struck. Clinic supporters organized a block party at the corner of Teche and Socrates where the Clinic is located, serving up a barbecue and music and offering tours of the recently refurbished clinic (see photo below).

In a city with an international reputation for low-quality health care post-Katrina, the two Common Ground-sponsorerd free clinics -- the first in Algiers, the second on St. Claude St. in the Lower 9th Ward -- are much-needed community institutions that have served thousands of people since opening. Ancillary programs like the Latino Health Outreach Program, a spinoff project that serves the needs of non-English speaking residents and workers, also spread the tattered net of social services in New Orleans a little wider.

A staff member at the Algiers Clinic informed me that the Algiers Clinic sees between 20 and 50 people per day of operation; due to limited resources and red tape, the clinic is open on a limited schedule four days out of the week (Monday through Wednesday at various hours, and Saturday 12 - 3 pm). Despite ongoing shortages of medical services in the area, and despite the tremendous need for basic health care in the city, the Common Ground Clinics have had to fight for everything they have.

Judging by the state of medical services here two years after the traumatic events of 2005, it looks like their struggle to provide free, basic health care to neglected or impoverished populations will remain an uphill battle. But the anniversary party demonstrated that the community still needs and supports the services they offer.

At last week's "International Tribunal on Katrina and Rita," one of the more striking parts of the event was the presentation of the second witness on the subject of Women's Rights. Ms. Stephanie Mingo, a resident of New Orleans for 40 years, lived in St. Bernard Housing project prior to Katrina. After the storm, she evacuated with four children and one grandchild in tow. Her mother died on the Gentilly bridge, unable to survive the physical and mental anguish of the storm's aftermath. Ms. Mingo's testimony was powerful and informative.

Ms. Mingo and her family evacuated, returned, and are now staying in the Iberville project. She doesn't like it there and wants to move back into her St. Bernard home. She has worked for the Orleans School Board for ten years -- "not that long" Ms. Mingo says -- and is determined to stay in her home town.

Her stubbornness in staying in a project known as much for trouble as for housing might seem odd to those of us who have never stayed in government housing, but it's the home that she wants to come back to. She loves her job as a food services technician at a local school, and isn't afraid of hard work. As Ms. Mingo said from the witness seat while testifying to the court, "When I tie these shoes, I'm not too proud to do anything." Her home and community were humble, but she managed to raise and put through college three of her kids, and the fourth is college-bound.

Public housing may be the upscale-white developer's nightmare, but a lot of hard-working, disciplined people lived there before Katrina, and want to return to their homes and communities which they are trying against all odds to preserve.

I managed to get by the International Tribunal for Katrina and Rita a couple of times last week, and sat in on the proceedings. The five-day event was meant to draw accountability for federal and local failures and abuses of power in the immediate aftermath of the storms, and was hardly an impartial hearing. Tears shed on the witness stand were many, as those testifying before the panel of judges found that, even two years after the tragedy, the emotions from those days of grief, confusion, and all too often death, are still very fresh.

The witness's testimonies related to a range of issues that affected people during and after the storms of 2005. Organized by the People's Hurricane Relief Fund and sponsored by dozens of local and international activist organizations, the Tribunal was kind of a political dog-and-pony show insofar as it had no pretense of being an impartial assessment of the facts. On the panel were respected leftist activists, including the notorious Ward Churchill (whose remarks about 9/11 led to his July dismissal from a professorship at the University of Colorado) and others from Europe, Africa, and South America.

The tribunal was predicated on the assumption that the government was culpable for much of the chaos and loss that happened after the storms, and the testimonials from each witness -- with no oppositional questioning -- were very personal and direct. Each was angry about something that has affected her or his life since Katrina, whether it's a lack of public housing, a crushed teachers' union, armed vigilantism in Algiers, police brutality, or de facto voting disfranchismement of New Orleanians. To hear the witnesses was to be reminded anew of the anguish that people endured after the storm, and the hardships that many citizens bear every day in the effort to rebuild.

In truth, the government at all levels is responsible for many of the tragedies of fall 2005. Poorly built levees, relief supplies tied down with red tape, lethargic federal financial assistance, opportunistic seizures of schools and rebuilding contracts; for these and many more, the federal, state, and city governments need to be held accountable and procedures put in place to avoid the recurrence of any such tragedy.

The Tribunal didn't claim to have answers for the questions the testimonies raised. Many of the "justices" on the judges' panel sympathized -- lengthily -- with many of the witnesses whose testimony had been particularly harrowing. Some related, through translation, their own experiences in addressing the problems revealed in the testimonies.

I don't mean to sound as if I thought the Tribunal a waste of time, or too politically skewed to have any value. It was very slanted, but it gave people a chance to relate their experiences to an international audience (make that an international left audience) and it offered something more than simply commemorating the anniversary of Katrina and getting back to work. I learned a good bit about how voting rights have become something of a joke in the area, as the displaced tens of thousands of evacuees still can't cast their ballot, for a number of reasons from the practical to the ridiculous.

In other places, such tribunals often look into delicate times in the past, such as the South African commissions regarding apartheid. In Greensboro, North Carolina, a recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission was empaneled to collect witness testimony regarding the 1979 killing of five labor organizers by the Ku Klux Klan (caught on tape, and for which no Klansman ever went to prison). The effect these commissions have on larger patterns of justice may remain an open question, but I personally support each of them. It's quite easy for those in positions of power to want to forget the past, but for the victims of yesterday, there can be no forgetting.

The men and women trapped for days on the I-10 overpass, denied entry to Gretna across the bridge and kept under conditions of martial law, won't be able to forget their ordeals anytime soon. It behooves us all to remember their stories, though, and to learn from their experiences.

Whether or not the International Tribunal will contribute to a restored sense of justice in New Orleans has yet to be seen. We can always hope, right?

If you're still looking for something to do tonight, I highly recommend dropping by Flanagan's Pub (625 St. Philip Street in the French Quarter) between 8pm and midnight to join in the fun of the Stinkin' Linkin Send Off Party. Some friends have been working on restoring and revamping this flooded-out Katrina car for months and they're finally headed out to Utah for race week at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

You can read more about the whole thing in Chris Rose's recent column or on their website, but basically they've been rebuilding a 1998 Lincoln Mark VIII car that soaked in floodwaters for weeks after Katrina and they've turned it into a racing machine. They're actually driving this car out to Utah, all 2,000 miles, which is pretty unheard of.... virtually all of the vehicles that participate in these sort of time trials arrive at the salt flats on a trailer pulled by another vehicle. This whole thing has been a labor of love...most of the crew's members are bartenders and they've been using tip money to get this thing built. You can help support them and give them a great send-off this evening (remember to buy lots of drinks and tip well...they need all the gas money they can get!). They'll even have the car there for viewing. Here's a shot of the gang and the car itself:

Last weekend I drove across town to the Latter Library on St. Charles for it's twice-weekly booksale. As an on-going fundraiser, that branch hosts a sale on Wednesday and Saturday, 10 am to 2 pm. I got a bag full of great books for $7, and afterwards I went back to use one of the library computers.

My computer has been down, so I've been relying on public-access computers -- a somewhat frustrating experience, to say the least. Most public access computers are of limited use, as their advanced functions (like allowing photos to upload, or programs to download) are limited to adminstrative access, not "guest" access.

I'm not complaining about public access computers, mind you. Hundreds of people use public computers here every day, myself included. It's just that my personal use of the machine demands more than basic access (so I haven't been posting too many photos lately...).

So, in the upstairs computer cluster of the Latter Library, the computers are located beneath a part of the ceiling where the plaster is flaking off. The dust coats the processors and terminals, and looks to be fresh. I worked for a while without having any more of the ceiling chip off, and I was going to say something to the staff there, but I figured they already know what the problems are. All the same, they could vaccuum their computers once in a while.

At the main branch of the NOPL, staff there seem pinched all the time. Workers in the archives are understaffed, and even when they have enough people, there are plenty of impediments to researchers and the librarians who support them. Some items are misplaced, some confusingly labeled, and the limits on staff keep them from being able to sort out these difficulties.

I'm a big supporter of the public library system, so I encourage readers who haven't checked out the libraries lately to do so. Use the free wireless available in every NOPL branch (except Alvar Street and the Algiers location, for some reason). And drop by the Latter Branch this weekend and check out the books for sale. The books are mighty inexpensive, and you'll be supporting the library in a continued time of need.

Houses in the Lower 9th Ward aren't considered the priciest or most luxurious homes in the area, but they still have a lot of character. Older houses built by skilled craftsmen of an earlier time benefited from numerous decorative touches that made a house unique. The cornice work, the under-eave brackets, everything was done to make the house stand out.

In the hidden corners of the Holy Cross neighborhood, it's still easy to find these distinctive touches, but after Katrina architectural thieves struck the city in force, ripping out valuable features and rare wood details that gave many homes their charm. Most of these houses survived at least two floods -- Hurricane Betsy in 1965, and, of course, Katrina forty years later -- but it was greed that caused the owners of these homes such headaches.

Here in the photo is the front eave over a house near Jackson Barracks. You can see the discolored spot where the finely detailed brackets used to be, and the hole where there used to be a metal vent cover. The owner of this home replaced the missing parts with cut plywood, but it might be a while before he or she finds a craftsman up to the task of replicating the stolen goods.

Thanks for reading my posts all day. This blogathon helped me write out some of the emotions I've been dealing with over the past year. If you have the means, I'd really recommend it. In the mean time, how about a round up of all my posts from the last day:

12:02 AM - Another 24 hour Katrina anniversary blogathon
1:02 AM - Shelley Midura calls out the president on Katrina
2:02 AM - Louisiana AP Editor's plea for his city
3:02 AM - Six part presentation on the current and future state of our levees
4:02 AM - New Orleans rising through NOLARising public art project
5:02 AM - Dial 2-1-1 for help getting through today
6:02 AM - NOLAvid: Going Back to New Orleans by Deacon John via AOL True Stories
7:02 AM - Times Picayune columnist on Katrina coverage
8:02 AM - "Brownie's Law" by candidate John Edwards
9:02 AM - Watch the pilot for K-Ville online, right here, right now
10:02 AM - NPR's Katrina coverage may make you cry
11:02 AM - How far behind are we, really?
12:02 PM - Sounds of a post Katrina New Orleans
1:02 PM - If you don't drive how do you evacuate?
2:02 PM - Refreshing honesty from Gov. Blanco
3:02 PM - Thank you Weblogs, Inc
4:02 PM - Our recovery is a volunteer backed one
5:02 PM - Memories of Katrina on the Mississippi Gulf Coast
6:02 PM - Time for a Katrina baby boom?
7:02 PM - Times Picayune give the Pres what for too
8:02 PM - Remembering Katrina 2 years later around the NOLA blogosphere
9:02 PM - A.D. New Orleans After the Deluge, a Katrina webcomic
10:02 PM - Oprah's people try to hold down Chris Rose, or not
11:02 PM - New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) is available

"Are you sick of seeing 'two years later' news stories yet?" my father asked me today.

"No," I replied. "You forget that I didn't see much of the footage as it was happening as I was without power for two weeks." But that's not really true. I think I've seen my fair share of footage. I was glued to CNN for weeks after I did get access to cable. So why am i not sick of today's coverage? Why am I currently watching pretty-boy AC stand in front of a group of Americorps volunteers somewhere in the city? Probably for the same reasons anyone in the country is watching. It's partly voyeuristic and partly the guilt that I have for not feeling connected enough -- for perhaps getting off too easy.

That might sound strange from someone who lives here and lived here before Katrina but being part of the lucky 20% that didn't flood means that I could open the door of my home and pick up relatively back where I started. Also, because I am not a native, I don't have to deal with the loss of roots. Now, that's not to say that Katrina didn't affect me greatly. It doesn't mean that my marriage and psyche have not been pushed to the limit. It just means that I've had it easier than the other 80%.

So, I'll continue to watch the coverage and record features of interest through the evening. It's important for me to see how the city is portrayed and there is an excellent chance that i might learn something.

The post title is probably obvious, but I think it bears repeating in this post Katrina New Orleans. At Rising Tide 2 this weekend I was struck by the keynote speaker's mentioning of a lack of after school and summer sports programs in major cities. But what about NORD, I wondered. Aren't they a major well-established city run after school and summer sports program for kids? Apparently NORD has been going strong all summer with arts programs, sports programs and a whole lot more. Anyone can sign their kids up. All ages are welcome. No kid should have to be on the street this summer or after school. And yes I'm sure these programs aren't easy to get into, but nothing is stopping you from helping out. We need to show are support for NORD and to encourage its development so this program that has been around since I was a kid will be around for the foreseeable future.

What's going on here? Why am I posting so much? Today, in honor of Katrina I am attempting another 24 hour 24 post blogathon.

I've pulled together some of my Katrina pics to share today. The strange thing is that although I tend to take a lot of photos, I was in such shock upon returning that I didn't take as many shots as I should have. There are still so many reminders with us today; the flood lines, demolished buildings, and empty homes that photos can never do justice to the vacant feel that this city still has.



The National Guard told us by their marks how many dead people were inside the houses. The SPCA told us how many animals -- with exclamation points, no less.

Today's Chris Rose column in the Times Picayune featured everyone's favorite columnist talking about a possible Oprah appearance. It seems that the big O wanted Rose to appear on her program as an example of local depression and surviving the effects of Katrina. She refused to allow him to pimp his book (though that makes no sense to me since the reason people will know about him is the columns contained in the book) and wanted to force him to sign away his rights to write about the experience. Needless to say he refused and we got a very entertaining feature on his experience (and what could be seen as an extended ad, if most of us didn't already own the book). Unfortunately for Rose, he wrote the column before the show was finalized and he doesn't realize that Oprah's website not only mentions the book, it links to it as an official 'Books seen on Oprah' book. I wonder if the column went to O's people before publication? Enjoy the sales Rose, careful about the apology in next week's installment.

What's going on here? Why am I posting so much? Today, in honor of Katrina I am attempting another 24 hour 24 post blogathon.

Earlier this year I wrote up the outstanding webcomic A.D. (New Orleans After the Deluge). I wanted to give them another ping and say how great their story and their format is. You should definitely read the entire thing when you get the chance. The creators of the comic wrote up their Katrina-nniversary remembrance today and offered thanks to all who agreed to have their story told in this format. Just so you know, the story is not over yet and you can definitely get back into it via RSS and more. The comic also features some semi regular audio postings with interviews of the main characters and news about the current state of the recovery.

What's going on here? Why am I posting so much? Today, in honor of Katrina I am attempting another 24 hour 24 post blogathon.

I've pulled together some of my Katrina pics to share today. The strange thing is that although I tend to take a lot of photos, I was in such shock upon returning that I didn't take as many shots as I should have. There are still so many reminders with us today; the flood lines, demolished buildings, and empty homes that photos can never do justice to the vacant feel that this city still has.



There were so many sites that became "normal" after my return. One of which were all of the boats that were left deserted on sidewalks and on the neutral grounds of New Orleans. This one sat on Earhart for months. I even remember one being on the grassy median of I-10 for quite some time as well.