elections

Danae Columbus: New PRC exhibit celebrates Pontchartrain Park

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The Preservation Resource Center opens a new exhibit tonight on the history of Pontchartrain Park, the city’s first suburban-style subdivision for middle-class and affluent African-American residents. Featuring historic neighborhood ads and newspaper clippings, information about architectural style and neighborhood design, as well as incredible personal family photos and stories from some of Pontchartrain Park’s founding residents, the exhibit is being mounted as a celebration of a joint submission to the National Register of Historic Places. The PRC and the Pontchartrain Park Neighborhood Association collaborated on the application for designation. “Pontchartrain Park was our Mayberry,” said neighborhood association president Gretchen Bradford, referring to a 1960s American television program that epitomized life in a small town. “I have lived in the Park my entire life; it’s the only neighborhood I’ve ever known.”

The concept for an African-American subdivision came from local civil rights activist Rosa Keller.

Featured

Uptown Public School Series: Diversity, Community, and Warmth at Hoffman

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In this second of our ten-essay series by parents of students at public schools Uptown, Anna Derby and Rodolfo Machirica write about their children’s experience at John W. Hoffman Early Learning Center. Uptown, like New Orleans as a whole, has many public school options for families—from college preparatory schools, to three different language immersion programs, to a Montessori program, to a technology career pathway school. In this series, we hear from parents themselves on why their child’s school is right for them. Diversity, Community, and Warmth at Hoffman
By Anna Derby & Rodolfo Machirica
We have two young children: Gabriel is three years old, and Elijah is four months. Both as educators and as parents, we care deeply about where we send our kids to school, and we know these early years matter.

arts, books and music

Ashé Cultural Arts Center announces new executive director

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Ashé Cultural Arts Center’s board of directors, Efforts of Grace, has appointed Asali DeVan Ecclesiastes as the new executive director of Ashé. She will take her post Jan. 1, 2020, succeeding founding executive director Carol Bebelle, who will retire from the organization at the end of December. Ecclesiastes was selected after a rigorous search, said board President Beverly Guillory Andry.  “Ms. Ecclesiastes comes to the organization with vast experience and knowledge in the field of culture and arts, as well as an understanding of its transformational power in the community,” Andry said. Efforts of Grace is the sponsor of Ashé Cultural Arts Center, a leading community-based cultural arts organization.

Featured

Uptown Public School Series: Excellence, Rigor, and Diversity of Options

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The Right School for CJ
By Christopher Dobney, Parent
In the first essay of this ten-part series by parents of students at public schools Uptown, Christopher Dobney writes about his son CJ’s time at Benjamin Franklin Elementary Mathematics & Science School. Uptown, like New Orleans as a whole, has a wealth of public school options for families – from college preparatory schools, to three different language immersion programs, to a Montessori program, to a technology career pathway school. In this series, we hear from parents themselves on why their child’s school is right for them.  My son Christopher, or CJ, is eleven years old. He and I are close.

business

City launches affordable health care initiative for hospitality workers

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Mayor LaToya Cantrell and the New Orleans Tourism Marketing Corporation (NOTMC), in partnership with 504HealthNet, have launched a program to provide New Orleans hospitality workers access to high-quality, affordable health care at over 50 sites around the city. The new Healthy Hospitality Initiative debuted on Tuesday, August 6, after tourism and health care agencies collaborated with hospitality workers over the past year to ensure the program addresses their needs. The initiative includes a new website, extended clinic hours, and a dedicated team that works directly with the city’s hospitality workers. There are 17 participating health care organizations, operating 58 clinic sites, and one hospital system with five sites that are a part of this initiative. Here are the Healthy Hospitality Initiative sites in the Uptown area:

Daughters of Charity (Carrollton)
3201 South Carrollton Ave.

events

French ambassador to celebrate Bastille Day in New Orleans

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The newly appointed ambassador of France to the United States, Philippe Étienne, has chosen Louisiana for his first field trip since his arrival at the Embassy of France in Washington, D.C., on June 17. During his July 15 visit to New Orleans, a Bastille Day reception will be held at the Résidence de France, 2406 Prytania St. His New Orleans visit will start at the Degas House, 2306 Esplanade Ave., with a presentation by the ambassador and the consul general of France, Vincent Sciama, at 3:15 p.m. The Degas House will be officially presented with the Maison des Illustres, an award created by the French ministry of culture to honor places that represent French culture around the world. The Degas House was the Creole estate belonging to the family of French impressionist artist Edgar Degas, whose mother was born in New Orleans. The painter spent five months in the home from 1872 to 1873.

colleges

Xavier receives grant to support community college student pipeline

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From Xavier University of Louisiana

Xavier University of Louisiana has received a three-year, $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support initiatives designed to expand its community college student pipeline and to establish a new summer bridge program. The grant will fund ongoing university efforts to engage and enroll more community college students by streamlining its transfer administrative process, clarifying course and major requirements, and reducing any course-related hindrances to graduating in four-years. It will also fund a new pilot summer immersion program, Mellon Humanities Summer Scholars Initiative at Xavier, which will provide potential community college transfer students an opportunity to “test drive” the university prior to matriculating. During the six-week residential bridge program, specifically target potential transfers in the humanities, participants will benefit from experiential classroom learning, an introduction to research, mentoring by college faculty, counseling, and career development. Upon successful completion of the program, the students are guaranteed conditional admission to Xavier after completing their two-year degree requirements.

public safety

Photos: A final salute for Second District Commander Doug Eckert

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The New Orleans Police Department held a final salute for retired Commander Doug Eckert on Friday in front of the Second District station. Eckert passed away June 10. Eckert ended his 22-year career with the NOPD at 56 on June 9 as commander of the Second District. He had worked his way up through the ranks since joining the department in 1997. He became a sergeant in 2002, a lieutenant in 2012 and commander in 2014.

arts, books and music

Three Xavier alumni return as doctors, authors, and commencement speakers

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For decades, Xavier University has ranked first in making African-Americans into medical professionals. This status led three young men to study at the university twenty years ago. Xavier’s 2019 commencement featured alumni Dr. Pierre Johnson ’02, Dr. Maxime Madhere ’02, and Dr. Joseph Semien, Jr., ’01 as keynote speakers and honorary degree recipients. The three—who formed a brotherly bond at Xavier—now practice medicine and have co-authored a book about their journey to success. Since leaving the university in the early 2000s, the three gained doctorates in medicine and their own practices in three different cities. Dr. Johnson got his doctoral degree from University of Illinois and practices in Chicago, IL.

business

GiveNOLA Day 2019: $5.9M raised for New Orleans nonprofits

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750 local nonprofits received more than 50,000 donations and over $5.9 Million during the 2019 GiveNOLA Day. The Greater New Orleans Foundation’s Center for Philanthropy presented their annual giving event on May 7. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, Uptown’s Louise S. McGehee School, and the Louisiana Children’s Museum received the highest dollar amounts, while GiveNOLA’s Lagniappe Fund, Team Gleason, and McGehee School had the most donors. Here is a preliminary breakdown of GiveNOLA Day’s leaderboard. Most Funds Raised

The Ogden Museum of Southern Art raised the most money with $364,009–$130,000 more than second place.