schools

Lusher still exploring options for students at JCC campus

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As progress moves forward on stabilizing both the Willow Street elementary campus and the Fortier campus for upper grades on Freret Street, Lusher Charter School officials are also deliberating on what, if any, changes will be made for the 100 students who remain at the satellite campus at the Jewish Community Center on St. Charles Avenue. The JCC campus opened in the fall of 2010 for two sections of kindergarten, intended as an expansion of the four sections per grade available at the Willow Street campus. Two more sections of kindergarten were admitted at the JCC in the fall of 2011, using up the total of four classrooms available there, but in 2012 Lusher officials announced that they would not be accepting new students at the JCC until a larger space could be found. The students already there, meanwhile, advanced a grade in their current location and now represent two sections of first grade and two of second grade this year.

arts, books and music

Food, shopping and free music at Freret Market

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The Freret Market will bring its eclectic assortment of food stands and local art and clothing vendors to the corner of Napoleon Avenue from noon to 5 p.m. today (Saturday, March 2), along with free performances by Mardi Gras Indian blues band Chawa, Miss Claudia Baumgarten’s Singalong Americana and New Orleans rock band Coot.

crime

Gunman forces his way into Robert Street home

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A man armed with a gun forced his way into a Robert Street home in the Freret area on Wednesday evening in a robbery attempt, police records show. Shortly after 5 p.m., the gunman forced his way into a home in the 1800 block of Robert Street, according to initial police reports. He ordered two men in their 20s to the floor and demanded money, but then left without getting any, the report states. No additional information was immediately available.

business

Now open: Wayfare on Freret, Charcoal on Magazine; Noodle & Pie coming soon to former Reginelli’s spot

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The long-awaited Charcoal’s Gourmet Burger Bar on Magazine Street and the new Wayfare deli on Freret have both opened, and the original Reginelli’s location at Magazine and State is now slated to become a restaurant called Noodle & Pie. Charcoal distinguishes itself in a crowded burger scene with meats that range from antelope to salmon on a choose-your-own-adventure menu. Wayfare offers a likewise adventurous version of a deli, with sandwiches and salads that draw inspiration from Cuban, Vietnamese and other cuisines, reports Gambit’s Ian McNulty. On the horizon, Noodle & Pie hopes to open in mid-May in the space left open when Reginelli’s moved across Magazine Street, reports Susan Langenhennig of The Times-Picayune. The concept began as a pop-up in Dante’s Kitchen and combines a specialty ramen shop with homemade pies, Langenhennig reports.

city government

Construction to block Freret at Napoleon on Wednesday

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Freret Street motorists will not be able to cross Napoleon Avenue on Wednesday amid ongoing construction of the new drainage canal there, officials said. Freret will be closed on both sides of Napoleon from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m., though Napoleon Avenue drivers will still be able to proceed through the intersection, according to a statement from Boh Bros.

city government

“Where did the water go?” NOAA investigates unusually heavy band of Isaac rainfall across Uptown New Orleans

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For many New Orleanians, Hurricane Isaac will be remembered for the long week without power and the maddening uncertainty as to when it would return. But for a group of National Weather Service researchers, Isaac has proven interesting for what did not happen — street flooding — despite their discovery of what appears to have been a band of abnormally heavy rainfall right across Uptown New Orleans. “Our biggest question is, ‘Where did the water go?'” said emergency-response meteorologist Tim Erickson during a recent trip to Freret Street to investigate. Most weather stations in the New Orleans area recorded 10 to 15 inches of rain during Isaac, but researchers have verified four gauges that recorded significantly higher amounts. One in Gretna recorded 23.96 inches; one at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers office in Carrollton recorded 21.14 inches; another nearby at Audubon Park recorded 21 inches as well; and a station atop Andy Brott’s 43-foot tall home on Freret Street recorded 27.38 inches.

business

Sandwich shop on Freret plans February opening; Italian pop-up on Magazine

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The Wayfare sandwich shop on Freret Street hopes to open Feb. 1; Martinique Bistro is launching an Italian pop-up on Mondays; and Cafe Luna on Magazine Street recently changed hands, according to recent reports. Wayfare will offer “artisan meats and cheeses” and include a selection of high-end groceries inside the former location of the Freret Gym, and intends to open next weekend, according to a post at nola.eater.com. Also next week, Martinique will begin hosting its down-the-bayou sibling restaurant, Cristiano Ristorante in Houma, for Italian cuisine on Mondays, when the Magazine Street restaurant is normally closed, according to a post by Ian McNulty of Gambit. Finally, Elizabeth and Greg Firneno have bought Cafe Luna at Magazine and Nashville from former owners Ernesto Montano and Sara Mayeux, according to another report by Gwendolyn Knapp of Eater.

good works

Midway Pizza hosts fundraiser to help Uptown resident with cancer treatment

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Midway Pizza will donate a portion of proceeds all day Wednesday (Jan. 16) to help with medical costs for Becky Batchelor, an active member of the Faubourg Marengo Neighborhood Association and Lusher staff member, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. For information, see the announcement forwarded through the Faubourg Marengo Neighborhood Association:

Please join us on Wednesday, January 16th for a fundraiser to help support our dear friend, Becky Batchelor, a Lusher staff member. Becky was recently diagnosed with colon cancer and will be undergoing treatment for the next year. As many of you know, Becky was already facing a difficult situation before this recent set back.

events

Neil Hamburger headlines Comedy Arts Festival with two performances

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Nationally-known comic Neil Hamburger will headline the New Orleans Comedy Arts Festival with two performances this week at La Nuit Comedy Theatre on Freret Street, according to the website. The festival features different shows at 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. each night from Wednesday (Jan. 16) to Friday (Jan. 18), and other headliners include Nick Vatterott from Comedy Central, Ashley Barnhill and DJ Douggpound, according to the festival website.