News Shelley Midura has called a "Town Hall" meeting for June 28th, Wednesday, 7:00 pm, in the City Council chambers. The purpose of the meeting is to discuss the proposed Robert's / Walgreen's development at the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne Avenues. Your FIA board strongly supports the proposal because it will give our neighborhood a much-needed grocery store. We have
fought Walgreen's for more than five years regarding development on that
site, but now that a "Robert's Fresh Market" grocery store is part
of the proposal, we strongly support it. Please try to attend the meeting to
show your support for a grocery store in our neighborhood. "Meet Me at Home" With the disturbing return of criminals to our area (see page six), please remember that when you return to your home at night, you may call the Fontainebleau Security Patrol and arrange for a patrol officer to meet you when you arrive. Simply call the patrol officer’s cell phone number (listed in your monthly Security Patrol bulletin) and let the officer know when you expect to reach your house. An armed police officer will be waiting for you with their patrol car to ensure your peace of mind while unloading packages, carrying groceries, or simply walking from your car to your door after nightfall. This is a
routine service of the patrol; you do not need a “special occasion” to
call. Simply remember to take the patrol officer’s cell phone number with
you and call when you’re returning. An officer will be happy to meet you
at your home. Terry Walker New FIA President Terry Walker has long made significant contributions to our neighborhood. Many FIAers know Terry for his primo grilled burgers and hotdogs at the annual FIA block party. A past block party chair, Terry has also chaired the FIA’s Quality of Life Committee, the Nominating Committee, and was FIA president in 1998. He was instrumental in securing funding and obtaining bids for renovating the Fontainebleau arch in 2000. A native New Orleanian, Terrence E. Walker is a 1959 graduate of Fortier High School and remains active in helping plan class reunions. In 1965 he earned a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi and has been in the insurance industry since 1978. In 1987 he founded Aparicio, Walker and Seeling, Inc., an insurance, mortgage, risk management, and benefits firm. He is a Certified Insurance Counselor, a member of the Professional Insurance Agents of Louisiana, and has chaired the CNA insurance agent’s advisory council. In addition to his work with the Fontainebleau Improvement Association, Terry’s other civic activities include serving on the board of Relocate New Orleans, a nonprofit organization devoted to encouraging businesses, families, and individuals to move to our city.
Thank you, Patrick Jones At our February general meeting, FIA recognized and thanked Patrick Jones for his service to our neighborhood during Katrina’s aftermath. Flooding cut off access to computers, software, and internet access required to update the FIA website. Patrick stepped into the breach by creating a sophisticated web-based message board to which he posted current, reliable information. It also allowed neighbors to share information and photos, contact friends and relatives, and better plan their return. Fontainebleau residents relied on Patrick’s website for neighborhood information. “[Patrick’s website] provided a real lifeline to those of us who were too far away to easily return to check on our homes for an extended time,” said Sheila Reed, a resident of Nelson Street. JD Demarest, FIA immediate past president, said “I discovered it during our evacuation and found it enormously helpful in alleviating the uncertainty caused by not knowing what was going on in our neighborhood.” Patrick, a resident of Nelson Street, owns Fontainebleau Technology Solutions, LLC, a technology services company. Patrick’s message board was an invaluable resource, “a real lifeline,” during the crisis. Patrick, thank you for contributing your expertise, interest, and concern to Fontainebleau.
FIA General Membership Meeting Set for Monday, February 6 at 7PM The Fontainebleau Improvement Association has scheduled the next General Membership Meeting for Monday, February 6 at 7:00 pm at the St. Rita School Auditorium. You do not have to be a member of FIA to attend this meeting. Any and al l residents in the area are invited. Our main speaker for the evening will be District A Councilman Jay Batt, who will speak to area residents about the Hurricane Katrina recovery effort, and what improvements we in the Fontainebleau area can expect to see in the coming months. FIA Fall Beautification Award The FIA Fall Beautification Award was presented to Donald and Cathy Espenan of 54 Fontainebleau Drive. Donald and Cathy, who are new to the neighborhood, made a remarkable comeback after Hurricane Katrina, inspiring us all to get out there and clean up our bruised and battered yards. Thanks, Donald and Cathy. Your yard looks great!! Come to the June 7 FIA Neighborhood Association Meeting, 7:00 PM, Lafayette Elementary School Auditorium Our featured speaker will be Mr. Elmer Darwin, the Principal Traffic Engineer for the City of New Orleans Department of Public Works. Mr. Darwin, a graduate of UNO, has worked for the city for thirty-one years. He will discuss several traffic matters relating to our neighborhood, including our request that Short between Walmsley and Fontainebleau be made one-way and our hope for a dedicated left turn lane at the corner of Carrollton and Claiborne. Councilmember Jay Batt has also been invited to attend, so it should be an excellent meeting.
Help Your Neighborhood by Helping a Child Learn The Fontainebleau Improvement Association has entered into a cooperative relationship with Lafayette Elementary School. It began with FIA coordinating the donation of several trash receptacles, and has continued with the FIA holding a meeting at the school with several FIA members volunteering to serve as mentors and tutors to Lafayette students. FIA also coordinated the donation of a pair of basketball goal and a dozen basketballs. Plus, the annual FIA block party netted $370 in donations to the school. Learn more about how FIA and Lafayette school are cooperating to improve our neighborhood in the January 2005 FIA newsletter.
Block Party October 10 a Delight for Young and Old. The rain from the day before stopped, the sun came out, and the weather turned beautiful for FIA's October 10 block party. CLICK HERE to see pictures from the event!
The FIA's many wonderful sponsors also helped make the event special. With Papillon, Jojo, Plum Street Snowballs, ponies, face-painting, a mini-carousel for children, plenty of food and drink, and more, the afternoon was thoroughly enjoyed by everyone. Many, many thanks to everyone who made the block party such a success, especially Joy Monahan, 2004 Block Party Chair. Thank you, Joy!
FIA General Membership Meeting Held Tuesday, October 4, at Lafayette Elementary School Principal Wanda Guillaume and School Board Member Una Anderson Spoke Meeting in Lafayette School gave Fontainebleau residents an opportunity to see the neighborhood institution and meet the school's newly appointed principal, Wanda Guillaume, and some of the teachers. Ms. Guillaume sp0ke about the new initiatives she is implementing in the schools and engaged the audience in a discussion of ways the community and school can cooperation and ideas for for what the school can do for the community. Ms. Guillaume is a former student of Lafayette Elementary, having grown up just across Carrollton Avenue on Cambronne Street. Joining Ms. Guillaume was Una Anderson, who was recently reëlected to the Orleans Parish School Board, representing District 6. A Harvard graduate, Ms. Anderson served as a staff member for City Council District B, where she helped develop tutoring and mentoring programs at Myrtle Banks Elementary School and revitalization projects for the Holy Ghost neighborhood. Sprint has proposed building a cell phone tower on the grounds of St. Nicholas Church at Nelson and South Carrollton. Sprint proposed disguising the 80-foot cell tower as a flag pole. In a letter to the Louisiana State Division of Historic Preservation, the FIA board went on the record as officially opposing the tower as "harmful to the historic and cultural character of our area....This monstrosity will look totally out of character with the charm of our neighborhood and the surrounding neighborhoods in the area." The Louisiana State Division of Historic Preservation conducted a review based on the Protection of Historic Properties section of the National Historic Preservation Act, and concluded that the proposed tower would "adverse affect historic properties within the District. We base our opinion upon the proposed tower's effect upon the Carrollton Historic District's viewshed." A final decision has not been reached. You may contact the State Division of Historic Preservation at PO Box 44247, Baton Rouge LA, 70804-4247. The FIA has created information packets for new neighbors. The packets include information about our neighborhood association, the security service, elected officials for our area, ward and precinct information, city services (such as when trash is picked up and emergency phone numbers for utilities), and other information that can help new neighbors more easily become part of the Fontainebleau neighborhood. The packets are kept by the FIA's membership committee co-chairs, Frank Leo & Joe Marrione. If you have a new neighbor, please call Frank or Joe at 945-4599 and they will drop off a packet to them. Or, pick up a packet from Frank and Joe yourself and drop it off with your new neighbor. It will be a wonderful excuse to say hello and to welcome them to Fontainebleau.
Parkway Partners Drops Plans for Coffee House in Palmer Park On June 30, Parkway Partners informed the Fontainebleau Improvement Association that they were dropping their plans to build a coffee pavilion on the Carrollton and Claiborne corner of Palmer Park because of prices increases in steel and lumber. Instead, the the money will be reallocated toward greater improvements to the park itself. Parkway Partners will update FIA with more specific information soon.
Pigeons are Invading the Area If you have noticed fewer songbirds this Spring, it may be because the FIA board has received reports of pigeon flocks invading parts of the Fontainebleau neighborhood.
They also create unsightly messes, damage property, lower property values, and chase songbirds out of our neighborhood. Pigeons (actually, European Rock Doves) are a noble bird and feeding them at Fontainebleau Palace is one thing; but having to repaint your car because of acid burns, or not being able to push your baby stroller down the street because of droppings from pigeons on Fontainebleau Drive, is another issue entirely, one that speaks directly to our neighborhood's quality of life. Fact-Filled January 20 Meeting Matt Konigsmark, the city's first marketing director, spoke on the "Care Again" campaign. The campaign is a new initiative by Mayor Ray Nagin to instill personal pride in the city and promote individual responsibility through volunteerism.
The campaign includes the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service, the Louisiana State University Agricultural Center, and the New Orleans Mosquito and Termite Control Board. The Audubon Institute fills an important educational role. Click on the logo to learn more about Operation Full Stop. At the meeting, FIAers also elected their 2004 board. Select "Leadership" above to learn the names of your 2004 FIA board members and officers. Fontainebleau Arch Damaged in Car Crash Late December 29, a young male driving on Fontainebleau Drive toward Carrollton Avenue lost control of his vehicle and crashed into the lakeside pier of the Fontainebleau arch. A preliminary inspection indicated that the arch is not in danger of collapse but needs immediate repairs. The driver's insurance company has sent the city a check to cover repairs, and repair work to restore the arch should begin soon. FIA advised City Councilmember Jay Batt's office of the incident, and Councilmember Batt is helping coordinate repair efforts with the city's Property Management Department and the City Attorney's Office. FIA also contacted Bill Sewell, head of the city's Maintenance Division. For close to a century, the arch has graced the main entrance to Fontainebleau. In recent years, FIA has assisted the city in maintaining the arch, most recently organizing a $30,000 restoration effort that included the abatement of lead-based paint, a fresh coat of marine-quality paint, and the installation of lights illuminating the arch and the two lions that have steadfastly watched over our homes since 1912.
FIA 2003
block party Noted Louisiana musician and storyteller Papillion presented a delightful interactive show of Cajun and Zydeco music and stories for the young and young at heart. Dozens of FIAers enjoyed the beautiful evening, which was enhanced by the support this year of over a dozen sponsors. Special thanks to Joy Monahan for arranging the festivities. FIAer's enjoy star-studded quarterly meeting On Tuesday, October 7, FIAers enjoyed presentations by 2nd District Quality of Life Officer Sam Palumbo, Council Member Jay Batt, State Representative Alex Heaton, and Parkway Partners Executive Director Lisa Sibal . . . all in one meeting!! As Quality of Life Officer for the 2nd Police District, Officer Palumbo serves as liaison between the public and city services. He told the audience to feel free to contact him with any city problem, including sanitation, potholes, sewer and water, or police protection, and he will make sure your concern is routed to the proper office. Officer Palumbo also encouraged attendees to call the police non-emergency number (821-2222) to report not only obvious criminal intent but any suspicious activity. As examples, he mentioned persons unknown to you walking repeatedly back and forth down your block or non-neighborhood persons walking down the street carrying tools. Often, such people are "casing the neighborhood" to plan a robbery, or have stolen tools from a shed. The police will immediately send a car to check out the suspicious activity. Even if no criminal activity has yet occurred, Officer Palumbo said that seeing a police car will spread the word that Fontainebleau is a neighborhood where neighbors are alert to what's going on around them and will call the police if they have any suspicions. Lisa Sibal, Executive Director of the Parkway Partners Program, updated FIAers on the renovation of Palmer Park. She said bids should go out soon and the park renovations should be completed by next summer. Council Member Jay Batt was gracious enough to attend despite the fact that the meeting was held on his wedding anniversary (and our thanks to Mrs. Batt for her forbearance). Mr. Batt updated us on several area projects, including the successful completion of the Walmsley Avenue renovation, the status of the grocery store at Carrollton and Claiborne State Representative Alex Heaton reviewed the October 4 election and its implications for New Orleans (and our heartiest congratulations to Representative Heaton on his sweeping victory in that election!). He also reviewed several state-level projects affecting our neighborhood, including possible lane changes to the intersection of Carrollton and Claiborne, future plans for the Earhart Expressway, and a community center in a nearby neighborhood. And, once again, Representative Heaton is helping sponsor our annual block party. This was an outstanding meeting. You do not have to be a member of FIA to attend our quarterly meetings and everyone is welcome. See you next time! FIA Board Opposes Slots at the Fairgrounds
The FIA board opposed this proposition as part of its commitment to preserving the residential quality of New Orleans neighborhoods. The measure passed, but the racetrack still has several regulatory hurdles to cross before it can begin installing the machines. We encourage you to visit the following two sites for more information: Message Board Do you have news you would like to share or issues you would like to discuss? Our message board makes it easy to share information with neighbors. Try it out today. Fontainebleau
Patrol Dues Were Due July 1 To join the patrol service, all that's needed is your name, address, phone number, and check for $144 (twice a year). In addition to the assurance of increased protection, you will receive:
Palmer
Park Meeting Held June 3 The conceptual design has been prepared by Perez Architects. Parkway Partners made the conceptual design available for public review June 3 in the Parish Hall of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church. About thirty neighborhood residents discussed the plans with the architect, the head of Parkway Partners, and a representative from RTA. The plan is moving along more quickly than expected because of several driving forces:
NOPD Announces New Web Site Finally, the New Orleans Police Department has a decent web site. From it you can make online incident reports (reports of crimes that are that are less serious in nature and with no known suspects), report a problem directly to your local police district, review crime maps, pay parking tickets online, find brake tag stations, and more. Check it out at http://www.nopd.org/.
May 2003: The general membership meeting of the Fontainebleau Improvement Association was May 20. Marseyas Fernandez, Geographic Information Services (GIS) Project Manager with the Mayor's Office of Technology, spoke abut the range of technology initiatives introduced by Mayor Ray Nagin's administration, including a host of city services that are now available online, such as the online payment of parking and traffic tickets. May 2003: There has been a spate of thefts from backyards and sheds. The thefts have been primarily garden equipment but thieves have also stolen several bicycles. Please keep your backyards secured, your yards well-lit, and your sheds locked. It is crucial that all crime -- even petty crime, vandalism to a residence or property, suspicious persons, or evidence of trespassing -- be reported to the police at 821-2222 as soon as it occurs or as soon as we become aware of it. Call Peggy Demarest, chair of the FIA Security Committee, at 865-7651, to report any security problems or concerns.
The $3.3 million project will rebuild:
“We need to get these projects moving so our neighborhoods and our economy can start to feel the impact,” Mayor Nagin. The construction project includes 5,538 feet of street repairs and improvements to the sewer, water and drainage systems located below the street. Barierre Construction Co. LLC of New Orleans is the general contractor and C&S Consultants of New Orleans is the design consultant. The project is expected to be completed within 210 working days.
January 2003: FIA members elected new officers and board members. Visit the leadership page to learn who are your new officers, board members, and committee chairs. January 2003: At the January 28 General Membership Meeting, FIA members approved a changed to the bylaws that allows a member to serve as a director for up to six consecutive terms. The previous limit had been three consecutive terms. November 2002: The Winter Beautification Award went to the Caughlins of 2521 Fern Street. The Coughlins noted this was the second time they had won the award, the first time being about eight years ago after they had moved into their Fern Street home. Congratulations, and thanks for your years of contributing to the appearance of the neighborhood.
Three cheers for the ever-reliable Terry Walker and his many block party helpers who once again put on a great evening. Thanks also to the many friends and businesses that helped make the block party such a success, including:
October 2002: In response to an increased number of calls from neighborhood residents, your Fontainebleau Improvement Association has formed a Quality of Life Committee. Chaired by FIA board member Terry Walker, this new committee will address neighborhood issues such as abandoned cars, neglected properties, and similar issues. Terry and his committee hope to work closely with the NOPD’s Second District Quality of Life Officer. Care to help? Have a suggestion? Give Terry a call at 865-7100. He looks forward to hearing from you. |
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Back by popular demand
was noted Louisiana musician and storyteller
Also
appearing was
The
Fontainebleau Improvement Association board encouraged everyone to vote
against the Orleans Parish
ballot proposition that would allow the Fairgrounds to add up to 700 slot
machines. The proposition could potentially allow 24/7 gambling in the heart
of one of our most important and historic residential neighborhoods. To the
best of our knowledge, this would be the only 24/7 casino in a residential neighborhood in the country.
