Mid-City Neighborhood Organization

The following comes from our “neighboring neighborhood” of Parkview. The property in question is right on the border of Mid-City Neighborhood Organization’s boundary. We encourage all concerned residents to take action on this matter.

Neighbors,

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT. WE HAVE A REAL CHANCE TO KEEP ANOTHER INAPPROPRIATE BAR FROM OPERATING AT 3841 ORLEANS AVENUE. ON BEHALF OF OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, I AND OTHER NEIGHBORS HAVE WORKED HARD ON THIS BEHIND THE SCENES. WE NOW NEED YOU TO SUPPORT OUR EFFORTS AND OUR NEIGHBORS WHO HAVE HAD TO LIVE NEAR THESE BARS BY ATTENDING THE HEARING IN BATON ROUGE NEXT WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 27, AT 10 A.M. PLEASE DO WHAT YOU CAN TO ATTEND. IF YOU CAN NOT ATTEND, PLEASE SEND A LETTER, AS STATED BELOW.

On June 20, 2008, a company named “Scotto’s Cafe, LLC” posted signs on the door and window of 3841 Orleans Avenue, the former site of Lyric’s Cafe and Tyler’s, announcing that Scotto’s had applied for a high and low alcohol content permit. The city application states that Scotto’s planned to begin operation by July 18, 2008. We originally went to the city with our objections, which at least seemed to slow the city permitting process down. Councilmember Shelley Midura’s office assisted in setting up a meeting with one of the owners of the property and someone who is supposed to “operate” the business. The owner of Scotto’s did not attend. This meeting confirmed that yet another bar was in the making, despite the fact that the application is for a restaurant, not a bar. However, the city officials at the meeting indicated that they might not be able to stop the new business from getting a city permit.

So, we turned to the state. On behalf of PNA, on July 24, 2008, I filed a Petition with the State Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control stating our opposition to the state granting a liquor permit to Scotto’s Cafe. Among other grounds, I allege that the property has been run by a number of “businesses,” but that the property owner is the true operator, and that the people seeking the permits are not really operating the business. This is against state law. I also stated the history of Lyric’s and Tyler’s with illegal live entertainment, illegal parking and noise, and customers loitering, intimidating neighbors, causing property damage and selling drugs, etc.

The state has subpoenaed the owner of the property, the owner of Scotto’s Cafe, LLC, and the intended “operators” to appear and provide evidence that Scotto’s is a valid company that will operate a restaurant at the location. I must also provide evidence that the facts that I allege in the Petition of Opposition are true.

We need your support. If you experienced any of the problems with Lyric’s and Tyler’s, if you have any knowledge of the number of operators that have been involved, if you attended any of the meetings between the owner, previous operators, neighborhood organizations and/or the city, please reply to this email and take the time to attend this hearing. If you did not experience these events, but want to show your support for your neighbors’ struggle on this serious quality of life issue, please reply to this email and attend to show our solidarity. If you can not attend, please send a letter by fax or mail to Commissioner Murphy J. Painter at the below address. The fax number is 225-925-3975.

The public hearing will be held at the Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control, 8585 Archives Ave., Ste. 220, Baton Rouge, Wednesday, August 27, 10:00 a.m.

Thanks to all who helped get us to this point and to all who will help us going forward.

Susan Guidry
President
Parkview Neighborhood Association

From Virginia Blanque:

Thanks to everyone who attended the public scoping meeting hosted by the VA on Monday August 11th. The purpose of this meeting was to seek public input on VA’s consideration of the Lindy Boggs site for their new Medical Center. There were more than 300 people in attendance (by my estimate), and approximately 30 people made comments or asked questions. I continue to be impressed by the insight, engagement and passion that Mid-City residents and business owners bring to the table regarding issues of recovery.

Presentations were made by VA, Victory Real Estate Investors, Dr. Ed Blakely, Councilmember Midura and Councilmember Head. This was followed by more than 90 minutes of comments and questions from the audience.

Some of the facts that were established:

* The Lindy Boggs site as offered by Victory is 39.8 acres, spanning from Jeff Davis to Carrollton, and from Bienville Avenue to Toulouse Street which is a light industrial and medical use zone.

*The Lindy Boggs site was offered as a response to the Section 106 meetings, in which any viable alternative sites can be proposed.

*The Victory offering excludes the city block that Mid-City Center sits on. It excludes the properties that Victory owns south of Bienville and West of Carrollton Avenue.

*The VA’s premise for the project is a 1.1 million square foot medical complex including a hospital and outpatient clinics spread over the ~17 block area. The tallest building would be the hospital at 6-7 stories. The VA refers to the design of the medical center as “campus-style”.

*The existing Lindy Boggs Hospital and office building is approximately 500,000 square feet on 2 city blocks.

*The total square footage of existing buildings (hospital, offices, warehouses, retail) on the proposed site is 980,000 square feet.

* Dr. Ed Blakely stated that the City will not assist VA in any way if they choose the Lindy Boggs site. The package of CDBG funds and other incentives offered by the City would not be offered for this site.

*Residents of Mid-City/Lower Mid-City who spoke at the meeting were overwhelmingly in favor of the Lindy Boggs site.

*Veterans who spoke at the meeting are in favor of whatever decision will get them quality healthcare in New Orleans faster. They are suffering from the lack of available quality care at this time.

Some additional information that was not presented in the Scoping Meeting but has been discussed either directly with Victory/VA or in the Section 106 meetings:

*VA is aware of the plans for the Lafitte Corridor Greenway. They have invited Friends of Lafitte Corridor to join the Section 106 process as a Consulting Party. There initial response was that they liked the idea of this planned greenspace and could work with it in their design.

*Victory has stated that if the project goes through at the Lindy Boggs site, they have arranged for Rouse’s to move across the street to the Bohn Ford site with new construction. We have not yet independently confirmed this with Rouse’s.

*VA confirmed that they are able to move forward with the project without funding from the City.

*LSU confirmed that they will move forward with their plans for a downtown location even if VA chooses the Lindy Boggs site.

*National Trust stated the Lindy Boggs site would NOT require the more extensive EIS (environmental impact study) that the RPC site.

*Lindy Boggs site would not require the demolition of a single home because there none in the footprint.

*Aside from the Downtown site and the Lindy Boggs site, there are two other options that VA is considering: Ochsner site in Jefferson Parish and No Action (meaning they would not build a large Medical Center in the area).

Latest articles:
TP: Letter to the editor in today’s paper
TP: Hearing tackles VA med center location
Advocate: N.O. crowd protests VA hospital site
for maps and additional information: www.valsumedcenters.com

Again, thank you for participating in the Federal process of a public hearing on the topic. It aligns with our Mid-City Plan which is why we support it for healthcare and economics.

Virginia Blanque
VP, Mid-City Neighborhood Organization

There is a change to tonight’s agenda!

The Veterans Administration has announced its consideration of the Lindy Boggs hospital site as an alternative site for the proposed VA Medical Center. The VA is hosting a public meeting next Monday August 11th at 7pm for this purpose.

MCNO will therefore postpone our main agenda item, Energy Costs, to allow sufficient time to educate our members and neighbors about the VA proposal and how it fits into the Mid-City Plan.

The agenda is now:

Agenda

1. Welcome

2. VA Consideration of Lindy Boggs Hospital as Alternative Site

3. Crime Update

4. Neighborhood Information Sharing

Update from MCNO Board Members on Progress of projects
Announcements of Night Out Against Crime events to be held Tuesday August 5th throughout Mid-City
Guy Fournier - Update on the New Orleans Faith Health Alliance Project
Linda Stone & Raymond Breaux of Global Green - Brief on Green Schools & the Build it Back Green program

The Zoning Committee of Mid-City Neighborhood Organization (MCNO) is holding a meeting on Monday, July 28th to consider a requested variance for the Office Building at 3400 Bienville (Bienville and N.
Jefferson Davis Pkwy) to:

1) Reduce the required off street parking from 17 to 14.
2) Reduce the required set back from 20 feet to 0 feet on the front
3) Reduce the required set back from 10 feet to 0 feet on the sides
4) Reduce the required set back from 10 feet to 5 feet in the rear

There is a sketch of the proposed building.

[click to enlarge]

More detailed plans will be available at the meeting.

The architects will present the plans for the building at the meeting. Neighbors are encouraged to attend and express their opinion.

The meeting is Monday, July 28th at 6:30 pm. Location is the Bayou Coffee House at 326 N Jeff Davis.

If you are unable to attend or if you want more information, you can leave a comment on this post.

For more information about what’s happening in your neighborhood, contact the Mid-City Neighborhood Organization at www.mcno.org or come to the monthly meetings on the first Monday of each month from 6:30-8:30 at Grace Episcopal Church at 3700 Canal St.

On Friday, July 11, MCNO Housing attended a briefing regarding the Lot Next Door (LND) program. At this time, we only have the information in hard copy format, but as soon as we get a digital version we will post it on the MCNO Web site.

In the meantime, here is the synopsis:

NORA has identified over 2000 homeowners, citywide, who are eligible to purchase Road Home Buyout (RHB) or previously blighted, expropriated properties through the LND program. Only those residents on either side of a property will be eligible – you will NOT be notified or be eligible to acquire RHB properties behind you.

Letters will be going out to those homeowners this summer. If you receive a letter and are interested, please contact NORA as soon as possible and copy housing@mcno.org with your email so we can update our database. There is also a “Letter of Interest” you must send to NORA via email or regular mail within 30 days of receipt of the letter. We will post that document on MCNO.org as soon as we have the digital file. We will also have copies available at the next neighborhood meeting on August 5.

You MUST have a current homestead exemption to be eligible, so if you have lost yours since Katrina but are now eligible and have not refiled, you should do so immediately. Also, notify NORA of that fact when you send them your letter of interest. If you have purchased another property and are taking the exemption there, you will not be eligible for the LND program. You also must be up to date with any taxes and code enforcement fines/liens for all properties you own – anywhere in Orleans Parish – to be eligible. If you are behind and pay these taxes or fines this summer, keep your receipts to show NORA as the records may not be updated right away.

If you purchase a property, you must file with the city to alter the dimensions of your property (and pay associated fees) and hold the property for a minimum of five years before you can resell it. If there is a home on the property, you will need to renovate it or be prepared to face code enforcement fines from the city. If you take possession of one of these properties, you may be eligible for greening and fencing credits to offset the cost of beautification and site improvements.

If you wish to tear the property down, it will have to go through the normal demolition review process unless you can prove that it is in imminent danger of collapse. If you renovate it, you can make it a rental. However, be aware that if it was originally zoned as a double or single and was converted into a multiplex before Katrina, it will now have lost its non-conforming use and NOT be eligible to be renovated as a multi-unit property. (This is true for all abandoned properties. Please inform MCNO Housing and the City of New Orleans Safety and Permits Department of suspected non-conforming renovations ASAP.)

These properties will be sold at fair market value (FMV), and the new owner will be required to pay $1000 in closing costs. Upon receipt of your letter of interest by NORA, the agency will order an appraisal and send it to you. At that point, to reserve the property you must pay a 20% deposit within 60 days. (You can also release your interest if the appraisal is higher than you want to pay for the property.) As soon as NORA acquires ownership of the property, you will pay the FMV of the property, less any credits you receive.

If you are interested in acquiring a property you believe is blighted and you do not receive a letter, please send the information and address to housing@mcno.org. We are currently amassing a list of properties that we want NORA to expropriate. Provided the property meets the city’s blight criteria, we will include your request in our list. Also, if you know ANYONE who is interested in acquiring an abandoned or blighted property, please encourage them to email housing@mcno.org. NORA has a very limited budget and will be more willing to acquire a property for resale to a resident if it has confidence that it will be able to recoup its outlay quickly. WE NEED RESIDENTS TO GET THE WORD OUT ABOUT THE ABILITY TO PURCHASE BLIGHTED PROPERTIES SO WE CAN GET THESE HOMES BACK INTO COMMERCE!!!!!

If you have further questions specific to the Lot Next Door program, please direct them to lotnextdoor@noraworks.org. This is all the information MCNO Housing has at this time. If you have any other questions related to MCNO’s housing recovery programs, or want to notify us of problem properties in your area, please feel free to contact us.

The July 7 general membership meeting had a main agenda to address housing issues. Virginia Blanque, VP of MCNO effectively facilitated the meeting. The valuable content and contact information as provided by the several speakers is herein summarized for the benefit of people who were unable to attend. (The equally important topics of the security district work midcitysecuritydistrict.org by Angela Brenneke and reports of armed robberies are not covered as this summary is only on housing.)

Speakers and Topics

Jennifer Farwell –MCNO Housing Chair: The MCNO housing survey–Progress and call for volunteer surveyors

Carla Gendusa—office of Stacy Head: New measures to return abandoned/blighted property to commerce by fining property owners

Margaret Doyle-Johntson –Office of Arnie Fielkow mdjohnston@cityofno.com: The resource of at-large council as a route for enforcements of code and housing laws

Darren Martin — HANO Community Relations damartin@hano.org: The “Housing Choice Voucher Program” rights, rules and responsibilities of tenants, owners, HANO, and neighbors.

Miles Trapolin: New approaches to force landlords to shut down rental properties that house criminals

The MCNO housing survey is a comprehensive evaluation and photographic record of all 3700 residential properties in our boundaries. It is creating a database that will eventually monitor and track progress and problem resolution for a variety of quality of life issues. Its first “task” is to help us identify blighted and/or abandoned housing that is adversely impacting resident’s quality of life. For this project, having all the properties documented helps put the blighted properties into context so that we can determine patterns of both blight and recovery and target heavily the recovering blocks where people working to rebuild. The MCNO housing program is connected to the efforts of the City Council on code enforcement sweeps, the New Orleans Recovery Authority (NORA) and real estate development and marketing of properties. We believe that we (MCNO) offer a path to collectively access city resources and prioritize code enforcement efforts, to collaborate with NORA in marketing property they now own and to encourage home buyers to move into Mid City. The MCNO housing survey sets criteria for volunteers to record the condition of houses in Mid City. Coordinated follow up activities to contact owners and apply code laws will follow from an accurate neighborhood-wide database. WE NEED MORE SURVEYORS. We also need better sources of owner addresses as some tax records are not reliable. Contact info is housing@mcno.org.

Ms. Margaret Doyle-Johnston spoke on behalf of Councilperson Arnie Fielkow on the importance of using the office of Council at Large to support our housing recovery efforts. The city employees and elected officials are all accessible by their Internet connected BlackBerries and that is the best way to get a response. Follow-up and action are enhanced by contacting the appropriate District Council Person and the Councilperson at Large. Every person at the meeting was given Ms. Doyle-Johnston’s business card.

Carla Gendusa from Councilperson Stacy Head’s Office spoke about the recently passed ordinance which created a legal process to “return abandoned housing to commerce”. The approach is for a citizen or MCNO to report houses that are abandoned, the code enforcement office will contact the owner and schedule a hearing. The hearing will result in either 1) a resolution of the code violation within 30 days or fines up to $500 per day, 2) assessment of the fines on the property tax bills, and 3) eventual liens on property and judgments that can lead to Civil Court auctions of property.

The speaker from HANO seemed to draw the highest level of response from our members in attendance. Several persons commented on rental houses that they believe are a problem and they suspect that the renting of the houses is through the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Darren Martin effectively described the “partnership” nature of the Section 8 housing program. The agreements between the tenant, landlord, and HANO are designed to 1) “train” tenant applicants on what the community expects from residents living in their neighborhood, 2) set lease agreements that prohibit sub renting or voucher use while residing in another place, 3) require property owners to provide rental units that meet minimum defined standards for human habitation, and 4) provide a path to remove tenants/landlords from the program who violate the agreements. Much more information should be read at hano.org or hud.gov for people who believe that problem houses in their neighborhood should be reported. Since the addresses of all property under the HANO Voucher program are confidential, the best approach is to report ALL problems—calls to police for suspected tenant criminal activity, code violations/blight conditions, and suspected violation of lease agreements to HANO, just in the event that these properties are Section 8 rental units. Mr. Martin agreed that he would acknowledge the emails and his intended follow up if the reported addresses were under the voucher program. damartin@hano.org

Miles Trapolin reported on his extensive work with the City Council that has led to a means to remove rental property from the neighborhood if neighbors can demonstrate a history of criminal activity at an address. A group of 7 neighbors can now file a civil suit against an owner who has a history of renting to persons engaged in drug or other felony crimes. The key to success is that neighbors get documentable evidence of reports of criminal activity on or immediately near to an address—police reports, arrest records, complaints. The group of 7 neighbors who feel that the property is adversely affecting their property can file a suit and the owner can suffer the consequence of a penalty that includes removal of the property from rental use for six months and a day to longer. The six month penalty will end the non conforming use on many problem properties presented rented as 4 plexes or even 8 plexes in areas where two family zoning applies. Ms. Trapolin provided copies of the types of letters that she has sent in documenting property with a history of criminal activity.

In conclusion, this summary is very much abbreviated and is best used as a guide to sources of more detailed information. In one sentence, we the residents must exercise our power to keep problem housing out of our neighborhood by hitting at the wallet those property owners who have either abandoned this neighborhood or are using their substandard properties as income sources and harboring illegal activities. We have the power to stop their violations of laws and rules and improve our quality of life.

[Thanks to MCNO Board Member Ben Claassen for compiling these notes.]

On July 7th at the neighborhood meeting, we will be debuting our housing recovery program, which targets property owners that have not returned with the aim of getting the house back into commerce through a variety of means.

We will be offering information (and asking help) on how you can improve the quality of life in your blocks.

A representative from Stacy Head’s office will be on hand to discuss the new code enforcement fining system, whereby people who do not remediate their properties can be fined and potentially lose their properties. We will also have some building and renovation-oriented companies on hand to provide information if you need it.

Not only are abandoned houses a problem for many of you, but so are owners who are rebuilding illegally and landlords who are renting to unsavory tenants. We will also have information on what you can do about that – it was discussed at the last meeting, but we will also discuss it here.

On a separate note, we are surveying the entire of MCNO and identifying houses that have been abandoned as well as those that appear to have been renovated illegally or be in violation of zoning ordinances.

We need YOUR help to identify some of these properties early enough in the process that we can stop it. For example, were you aware that any property not renovated yet has now reverted to its original zoning? That means that if an historic double had been cut up into apartments without obtaining a zoning variance, the landlord cannot now legally come back and make it into a multi-plex again.

If you see this sort of activity going on, we need to know.

PLEASE ATTEND THE JULY 7TH NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING TO LEARN WHAT WE ARE DOING AND HOW YOU CAN HELP!

Spread the word to your neighbors, and bring written lists of the worst offenders in your block, whether it is blight, crime, or suspected illegal building or zoning activity, with brief explanations of the problem. Optionally, email them to housing@mcno.org.

Working together, we can rebuild ALL of Mid City to be the prime neighborhood it deserves to be.

Jennifer Farwell
Housing Chairman
Mid City Neighborhood Organization

Meeting Time and Place:

July 7, 6:30 pm, Grace Episcopal Church, 3700 Canal Street

The former home of Christian’s Restaurant, located on Iberville at the corner of South Scott, will again become a church! The sale took place last week, and a non-denominational church has already begun renovations with a large number of volunteers.

View Larger Map

I’m sorry to see Christian’s go, but very happy to know that this beautiful icon of Mid-City will be restored to a use that will benefit the community.

What: The Preservation Resource Center’s Renovation Happy Hour
Home of : Will and Donna Tregre
Address: 4419 St. Ann (near City Park/Orleans Ave)
Time: 5:30-7:00pm (informal talk to begin at 6pm)
Cost: $5, includes refreshments

On Thursday, June 26th the popular PRC program, Renovator’s Happy Hour will feature a Mid-City Home near City Park. Husband and wife, Will and Donna Tregre, an architect and interior designer, respectively, will open their renovation in progress for viewing and an informal discussion. They have done a wonderful job maintaining the historic integrity of the house, but have updated it for modern living. A $5 admission will benefit the PRC and includes refreshments. Socializing begins at 5:30pm, with a loose presentation to begin at 6pm.

We installed three more signs Saturday. All the signs are now up — a grand total of six. See if you can spot them all around the neighborhood.

From left: Ben, Mike, Jac and Goofball

More sign photos here.

The first signs have gone up. There will be six at various points around the neighborhood. See if you can spot them all!

From Charlie London:

http://katrinafilm.com/schedule.pdf

Please consider volunteering to help with the Bayou Boogaloo.

The Bayou Boogaloo is a free festival where the profits from food and merchandise sales go to help benevolent causes in New Orleans.

Plus the Bayou Boogaloo only hires local talent. All the money stays right here in our area.

This year, the Bayou Boogaloo is raising money to restore two play areas on the Jefferson Davis Parkway neutral ground.

A volunteer application is available at the link below:

http://katrinafilm.com/volunteerapp.pdf

Please consider helping out with the Bayou Boogaloo.

You’ll be glad you did!

These signs are coming soon to the Mid-City neighborhood.

Thanks to Mercy Corps for underwriting this project, to Ben Claassen for taking over from Bart Everson (who’s busy with a newborn child) and also to Madeline Faust for the design and Grafitti Graphics for fabrication.

Mid City Housing Fair – May 18 noon-5pm
Map of stops available at the three major tour stops and HERE

(A printable map with all stops on one page will be posted Sunday morning and copies will be available at all major tour stops.)

This Sunday, Mid City will open its houses and its hearts to welcome New Orleans residents and visitors who wish to see the progress in Mid City and learn about its attractive housing and renovation opportunities. At all three major stops, visitors can obtain a copy of the map, as well as information about the benefits of renovating an historic home and flyers listing housing and renovation-related vendors and homes for sale in Mid City (not offering Open Houses).

Doggy Dog World Dog Daycare will give half-off daycare that day to anyone presenting a copy of the map. Ruby Slipper and Bayou Coffeehouse (both listed on the map) are offering food and drink specials.

Major tour stops are:

636 S. Alexander Street
326 N. Jeff Davis Pkwy (Bayou Coffeehouse)
3438 Cleveland Street

Press release follows.
Read the rest of this entry »

The Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo schedule has been announced.

Remember, the Boogaloo is on the Jefferson Davis Parkway neutral ground where Orleans Avenue meets Moss, on May 23rd (5-9 pm) and May 24th (10am-9pm).

The Boogaloo features live local and nationally renown bands with an eclectic mix of music and fun. The Boogaloo will feature an art market, children’s entertainers and activities, community info along with consumer resource booths, and canoe races. Plenty of food, drinks, and wonderful merchandise will be available for sale. Find out more at http://thebayouboogaloo.com

Free admission!

More info: 504-488-3865

News Release
Mid City Neighborhood Organization
P.O. Box 791023
New Orleans, LA 70170

www.mcno.org

Contact:
Jennifer Weishaupt, 504-729-0888

MID-CITY NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATION RECEIVES NATIONAL AWARD FOR LOCAL GREENWAYS ACHIEVEMENT

[New Orleans, LA ( May 7, 2008)]—The Mid-City Neighborhood Organization (MCNO) has received a national honor accompanied by a grant from the Kodak American Greenways Awards Program. The $1000 grant will help in the implementation of the Carrollton Avenue to Jefferson Davis Parkway portion of the Lafitte Corridor Greenway. In addition to receiving the grant award, MCNO will be showcased as a national model for its innovative efforts to develop a greenway in post-Katrina New Orleans.
Read the rest of this entry »

Every Thursday at the American Can Company [map] from 3-7 PM.

www.midcitygreenmarket.org

If you have a home related business, here is an opportunity to promote it to the community and potential customers. Also if you have a restaurant or beverage outlet, you too can participate. See details below. Deadline to participate is near. Lynn McLean–Member MCNO Economic Development Committee

FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
Monday, April 28, 2008
Contact housing@mcno.org

Mid-City Neighborhood to Hold
Housing and Renovation Fair and Tour

May 18, 11-4pm

New Orleans, Louisiana – On Sunday, May 18, from 11-4pm, a Spring Housing and Renovation Fair and Tour will take place in the Mid City Neighborhood. The tour, designed to promote the Mid City Neighborhood as an attractive place to become a homeowner, will have numerous stops hosting special events, informational activities, and instructional demonstrations. Visitors will be able to pick up maps of all tour locations at participating destinations.

The Mid City Neighborhood Organization (MCNO), which is helping to coordinate the event, is currently seeking companies and individuals to participate. The only requirements for application are that participants must either live or have a business in Mid-City and the activity or information offered must be home-related. Restaurants or beverage outlets that wish to offer a related special that day can also receive mention on the map.

Companies outside Mid-City that do a substantial portion of their work in the area will be considered as well. However, participation is limited and all applicants may not be accepted.

If participants have a location where they can hold some sort of event, they will be included on the map. If they wish to provide information only, they can bring a table and set up at one the stops on the tour or optionally, have their name and address listed in a vendor directory.

Types of events/participants sought include:

• Open houses of ready-to-sell properties;
• Individuals or companies who are engaged in renovations of historic homes and would let visitors see what a “renovation in progress” looks like;
• Craftsmen and other construction professionals who talk about or demonstrate their trades. Craftsmen with knowledge of the historic building trades are especially welcome;
• Companies that sell building materials or build/manufacture homes with an historic flavor.

Participants are not required to serve refreshments or give away prizes, but these types of value-added activities will increase visitorship.

The Preservation Resource Center, MCNO, Domain Companies, and numerous housing-related professionals have already committed to participate. If you are interested in participating, please email housing@mcno.org as soon as possible, as the remaining available tour stops should fill this week.

About The Mid-City Neighborhood Organization (MCNO)

MCNO is dedicated to making its neighborhood a rewarding place to live, work and raise a family. For more information about MCNO, including additional community-oriented events and membership information, please visit www.mcno.org.

There’s still time if you or your company would like to help out with the Bayou Boogaloo. Jazz Fest is this weekend and next. Then the Bayou Boogaloo will be held on May 23rd and May 24th. Check out the great businesses helping the Bayou Boogaloo…

Join them and make the Bayou Boogaloo an even bigger success this year. Profits from the Bayou Boogaloo will restore the playgrounds on Jefferson Davis Parkway in Mid City.

EDEN FEST: A Celebration of the Earth in the Arts, takes place this Saturday, April 19th, 12 - 5 p.m., @ 3401 Canal, at corner of Canal and Jeff. Davis Parkway, on the Canal streetcar line.

Co-organized by First Grace United Methodist Church and The Neighborhood Gallery. There will be an art gallery showing by Neighborhood Gallery artists, info. tables from Ecological Organizations, Musical, Dance and Poetry performances, including music by Fredy Omar con su banda, Crafts-people, Good Food and MUCH Family Fun (including a space walk and activities for children!).

Come on out to EDEN FEST this Saturday afternoon to celebrate the Earth in the Arts!

Contact people: Anne Daniell 504-872-9970, Jennie Hammatt-Milchenko 504-919-6706, Sandra Berry, Director, The Neighborhood Gallery 504-861-7792