Neighborhood Groups
Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association
Planning District:
4
Ward:
6
Zip Codes:
70119
Boundaries:
Orleans to Onzaga and North Broad to North Carrollton
Council Representative:
Susan Guidry
State Representative:
Nick Larusso
Police Precinct:
1
Mission:
The Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association (FSJNA), organized in 1977, is a benevolent group interested in continuing improvements in this historic New Orleans neighborhood through its people, children, historic waterway, public spaces and other environs.
FSJNA has participated in numerous beautification efforts throughout Faubourg St. John from Parks and Playgrounds to simple street plantings. A few examples of this are Desmare Playground, rebuilt by FSJNA in the early 90’s with continued plantings thru this year, the maintenance and care of Fortier Park, the beautification of the median on Esplanade Avenue and plantings along Bayou St. John. FSJNA worked in conjunction with KABOOM to restore the children’s’ play area at neighborhood Stallings Playground, which was negatively impacted by Hurricane Katrina. After playground equipment was installed FSJNA obtained a loan to purchase additionally needed rubberized safety tiles for the area. FSJNA also continues to apply for grants to support these activities, our Keep Louisiana Beautiful grant allowed us to obtain benches and garbage cans for local parks FSJNA works to keep its membership informed. The http://FSJNA.org website (available to anyone) is a library of the events, benefits, and programs FSJNA is involved with. Additionally FSJNA.com is a resource for paid members (dues are $10 per year) this is a “yahoo group” website where members can exchange ideas, get neighborhood information, and even get hurricane updates. During our recent barrage of hurricanes over the last few years, this site was a welcome source of information from people who stayed in the neighborhood to those who evacuated. It can be very reassuring to know the status of your home when you are away.
While zoning matters can be contentious, they are a necessary function of an involved neighborhood organization. FSJNA has successfully negotiated and worked with most of the neighborhood businesses to protect the quality of life and increase the appeal of the area for those businesses and residents through limiting traffic and noise pollution, helping with the elimination of blight and providing safer streets.
FSJNA also works with and reaches out to other non-profits and bordering neighborhood organizations by participating in area festivals, cultural events, community workshops and informational seminars. Future work will continue to focus on building partnerships with local non-profits and community organizations to help retain the historic character and positive quality of life we enjoy.
Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association, Incorporated EIN 74-2633439
A 501©(3) non-profit organization
Past and potential fundraising activities include solicitation of private donations by members through email and in person, applying for grants and matching government funds, and holding special events such as a historic home tour, continued involvement with the Esplanade Holiday Fest, Fortier Fest, Bayou Boogaloo, and FSJNA’s annual fundraiser, Voodoo on the Bayou. The money raised is used to support implementation of community programs and advocacy throughout Faubourg St. John. All of the FSJNA board members always have and continue to serve on a voluntary basis.
Links:
Additional information about the activities of the Faubourg St. John Neighborhood Association, Inc. is available online at:
Our Yahoo Group website: http://fsjna.com/.
Our public website is located at www.fsjna.org.
FSJNA works to maintain the parks and playgrounds in our community, helping a cash-strapped city to stay beautiful. The links below features some of what we have been able to do:
Fortier Park:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/katrinafilm/videos/15/
Trees planted in 2007 and play equipment at Desmare Playground:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRWkzNX3TOY
Olive Stallings Playground Play area:
http://www.viddler.com/explore/katrinafilm/videos/59/
Current Priorities:
- Blight and Code Enforcement
- Cultural and Community Facilities
- Economic Development
- Parks and Natural Resources
- Public Education
- Quality of Life, Preservation, and Zoning
- Re-population and Membership
Partners:
Broad Community Connections
For More Info:
May 17th 2013
Sculpture Yields Firewood
Sculpture taking shape. Lightning struck tree on Bayou St. John being transformed into local landmark. iPhone photo taken by Charlie Lonodn at 6:15 a.m. on May 14, 2013.
You can thank the Mothership Foundation which is the force behind the Bayou Boogaloo for contacting artist Martin Miller who made this happen. Jared Zeller is the Director.
***The old dead oak on Bayou St. John is being transformed into a local landmark. Look for seagulls to be part of the sculpture soon!
This sculpture by Martin Miller is a project of the Mothership Foundation which produces the Bayou Boogaloo. Jared Zeller is the Director.
Work on the sculpture produced a lot of cut up oak logs and branches free for the taking!
Click on the photos by Charlie London for a larger view.
***
below by Doug MacCash
Friday’s endless rain didn’t help artist Marlin Miller. Miller, a Florida wood sculptor has begun carving a dead oak tree on Bayou St. John near Orleans Avenue. As of noon Saturday (May 11) Miller had transformed one branch of the tree into a flying egret. He plans to carve more birds, plus a few musical instruments into the tree in time for Bayou Boogaloo, which takes place May 17 to 19. Bad weather tightens his already tight schedule.
Though Miller and I had never met, I knew some of his work. Those wooden wildlife totems along the coast road leading to the Ohr-O’keefe Museum of Art in Biloxi are Miller’s. Since Hurricane Katrina, he’s specialized in chain sawing dead coastal trees into monumental statues.
Standing in the soupy grass beside the bayou, Miller said his art was part of a campaign, sponsored by Bayou Boogaloo, to restore the trees along the historic waterway. Miller said that his 30- ft. tree had been killed by lightening strike during Hurricane Isaac. As I left, Miller used a mechanical man lift to elevate himself into the lower limbs. The sound of a chainsaw rattled in the bayou breeze.
Stay tuned for project updates.
http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2013/05/sculptor_martin_miller_transfo.html
***
Chain saw artist Marlin Miller transforms tree for Bayou Boogaloo, New Orleans
Doug MacCash, NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune
on May 13, 2013 at 11:34 AM, updated May 13, 2013 at 1:13 PM
I have a certain criteria and this tree right here just absolutely capped every one of my criteria — Marlin Miller
Wood chips flew like sparks as sculptor Marlin Miller used the tip of his roaring chain saw to carve feathers into the wings of an oaken seagull. As he worked, Miller stood in the basket of a yellow spiderlike mechanical lift – the sort of thing used to change street lamp bulbs. The coarse saw dust from his carving fell at least 30 feet before it settled on the damp grass beside Bayou St. John. On Sunday afternoon (May 12), Miller, who lives in Florida, had less than a week to finish his oak tree sculpture in time for the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, a neighborhood festival that takes place May 17-19.
Miller, wearing mirror glasses, hazard orange work pants and a T-shirt advertising the chain saw company that sponsors him, said he was born into an artistic family. His mother, grandfather and great-grandfather were painters, he said. But he was drawn to sculpture.
“I was always, like, three-dimensional,” he said. “I messed around with clay and wire sculpture and I got involved with wood and I just kept taking it to a higher and higher and bigger level. It’s what moves me.”
Miller said he has a thriving career selling portable wooden sculptures from several galleries, but producing monumental carvings from trees that remain deeply rooted in the earth is his passion. Since Hurricane Katrina in 2005, he said, he has had plenty of opportunities to transform trees killed by the storm and flood into sculpture. Anyone who’s traveled U.S. 90 through Biloxi, Miss., has seen his works rising from the median.
The tree Miller is carving on Bayou St. John did not die in 2005. It had survived the wind and water of Katrina, only to be killed by lightning during Hurricane Isaac in 2012. Money raised during the upcoming Bayou Boogaloo celebration will be used to plant more replacement oaks around the somewhat bare south end of the bayou – a few young trees already are in place. Calling in Miller to produce a carving from the remaining dead tree is meant to focus attention on the replanting.
“I get offers from all over the country many times a year,” he said. “I’m unfortunately not able to do most of the those projects. But I have a certain criteria and this tree right here just absolutely capped every one of my criteria. It’s got to be a big tree. It’s got to be an oak or a hard wood. It has to be on a public piece of property in a highly visual area, and the last thing it has to have is, it’s got to have some emotion. That’s this tree perfectly described.”
The emotion of the tree had to do with the history of the area in the distant and more recent past, Miller said. He had been told that almost 300 years ago, the bayou was the entryway for the French founders of New Orleans. He had been told that small boats used to move supplies along the waterway. He had been told that a helicopter had crashed not far from the tree during the 2005 flood evacuation. All true. Someone will certainly mention that the tree is a witness to the splendor of Mardi Gras Indians, who gather in its shadow for annual parades.
Miller said that other chain saw artists might have chosen to lop the large branches off of the top of the tree at the start of the project, using the massive trunk alone as raw material for a totem-like carving, but he wanted to “keep this sculpture looking like a tree.” To take advantage of the relatively narrow branches, he chose to carve delicate birds in flight.
“I decided to leave the branches (in place) and put in a lot of the birds that are indigenous to this area, the seagulls, the herons and the cranes and egrets, and a pelican. I think I might be able to sneak a little owl in there somewhere. And if I have time, I’m actually going to try to incorporate a school of trout in the base of the trunk.”
Miller said he had been told that the ecosystem of the bayou was changing since it had been better opened to Lake Pontchartrain, which raised the salt content of the water, possibly allowing trout to ply the waters.
Miller, whose face is perpetually coated in feathery wood residue, said the chain saw company that sponsors him covers his expenses, and he donates the art-making for free. The old oak, he said, is almost as hard as rock. He has 100 spare chain saw chains. His first day of work, Friday (May 10), had been completely rained out. He said he was blessed with a cool breeze and an overcast sky on the second day, as he stripped the tree of small branches. By Sunday, the sun was beginning to peek through the clouds, promising hot work ahead. The process is a labor of love.
“This is way too much work for money,” he said. “You have to have something way more powerful than money behind you to climb up a tree, 35 feet, and deal with these conditions.”
High in the branches of the tree, Miller petted the splintery surface of a diving gull as he explained that the coarse chain saw carving was only the beginning. Later, he would return to each bird, burning the carved lines with a torch to produce dramatic shadows. Then he would use a wood grinder to smooth the carving and brighten the surface of his enormous sculpture. He planned to varnish the entire tree and to treat the base with termite repellant to lengthen the life of the sculpture.
As Miller descended in the mechanical lift, a man appeared on the far side of the bayou, shouting and gesturing enthusiastically in his direction. When the man got close enough to be heard, he announced that he, too, was a chain saw operator, who had worked on construction sites across the city. The shouted conversation wasn’t about art; it was about the bond between chain saw aficionados everywhere.
Lots of people pass by the tree to offer Miller encouragement. Many, Miller said, recount their storm, flood and recovery experiences. Most probably appreciate Miller’s efforts to give the old oak a few more years.
“It makes me feel really good as an artist that maybe we can stick something out here that maybe people can reflect on.”
http://www.nola.com/arts/index.ssf/2013/05/chain_saw_artist_marlin_miller.html?fb_action_ids=10151615242019841&fb_action_types=og.likes&fb_ref=s%3DshowShareBarUI%3Ap%3Dfacebook-like&fb_source=aggregation&fb_aggregation_id=288381481237582
May 16th 2013
Old Police and Fire Stations Up for Grabs
Buy this May 17th 2552 St. Philip
article courtesy City Business
Six city properties will be sold at auction next week, with officials looking to put unused real estate back into commerce.
Four former fire stations, a former police station and a visitor’s center are included in the auction set for 10 a.m. May 17 at City Council chambers, 1300 Perdido St.
Registration for bidders begins at 9 a.m.
An open house for all the properties will be held from noon to 2 p.m. Saturday. Interested parties must bring valid ID and sign a “hold harmless” agreement with the city.
The fire stations on the auction block include 4877 Laurel St., 200 N. Alexander St., 6038 St. Claude Ave. and 7311 Chef Menteur Highway. The police station is at 2552 St. Philip St., and the community center is at 7450 Paris Road.
The city said in a release that it has determined the properties are no longer needed for public purposes. All properties are vacant and in poor condition. Most suffered damage during Hurricane Katrina and have been declared blighted properties.
The city’s Home Rule Charter requires the properties be sold at public auction. The purchaser will be required to rehabilitate the property in a timely manner, taking into account any historic elements.
Winning bidders must deposit 10 percent of the winning bid amount with the city’s Real Estate and Records Division within one hour of the auction’s completion. The deposit must be in cash, certified check or money order and is non-refundable. Additional costs over the winning bid must be paid to complete the sale, including appraisal, clerk of court costs, city notary fees and possible resubdivision fees.
Upon purchase of the property, the new owner must clean and repair the property within 60 days. A certificate of occupancy from the Department of Safety and Permits must be received within 18 months.
To learn more about the properties being auctioned off, click here.
Reporter Robin Shannon can be reached at .
http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2013/05/08/city-to-auction-off-former-nopd-station-five-other-properties/
May 15th 2013
ANIMAL ORDINANCES
The New Orleans City Council recently passed legislation regarding animal ordinances in Orleans Parish. The updated laws went into effect on March 22, 2013 and include pertinent information for any pet owner in Orleans Parish. The ordinances are currently being enforced by the Animal Control division of the Louisiana SPCA.
Highlighted below are some of the new ordinances that may directly affect you as a pet owner or resident of Orleans Parish.
The updates to Chapter 18 Animal Ordinances include:
•Updated fees for Intact Dog Permit
•Annual license requirements for pets
•New definition to know: Community Cats
•Revised rabies vaccination requirement
•Expanded laws regarding animals in vehicles
•Stray hold period for animals brought to the shelter is reduced from 5 to 3 days
•Expanded definition of illegal owning of exotic animals which includes roosters
•Unlawful tethering (chaining) of dogs prohibited unless done in a humane and specified manner
•Requirement that privately owned indoor/outdoor cats must be microchipped or ear-tipped
•Protection of pets required during extreme weather advisories which include heat, freezing, tornado, tropical storm or hurricanes
To view and/or print the full list of ordinances regarding animals in Orleans Parish or to see Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to the revised legislation, please visit www.la-spca.org/ordinances.
A hard copy of the ordinances can be requested by writing to Louisiana SPCA, 1700 Mardi Gras Boulevard, New Orleans, LA 70114. Please send $2.00 for printing and postage.
Woofs and Wags,
Ana Zorrilla
CEO
Louisiana SPCA
