Thursday, February 1 @ 9:30 p.m.
SELECTIONS FROM THE 2006 RURAL ROUTE FILM FESTIVAL at Zeitgeist at Barrister's Gallery 1724 Oretha Castle Haley
The Rural Route Film Festival was created to highlight works that deal with rural people and places. The festival, held in New York City, showcases rural themes in an urban environment, features award-winning narrative, documentary, and experimental films as well as music videos. Zeitgeist gives city folks a chance this Thursday to see what’s going on in the rest of the world, and bring a sense of home to country folk that have relocated to the city.
Check out zeitgeistinc.net or call 504-525-2767 for more details of this one night event!
Essays, links and visuals highlighting an alternative, resilient place at the strategic crescent of one mighty river.
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Saturday, January 27, 2007
Pride and Prejudice
I haven't written much about my neighborhood project and my neighbors, cuz I wanted to give them some courtesy of privacy. But I am now breaking the rule a bit to talk about the latest victory of Musa and Veda's...
If you are aware of our little end of the bayou, you may realize that we really lie between 2 neighborhoods; MidCity and Bayou St. John. Both of those neighborhoods have strong neighborhood associations, but neither really organize in our few blocks. The lines stop before they get to us in both cases, although at times, (when convenient for them to do so) both orgs claim our area.
As a result of these turfs, it is clear that we are pretty much on our own when fighting for city services. Before the levee breaks, we spent a great deal of time working with the SWB, Entergy, Parks and Parkways and others with middling success.
Since the flood, we are fighting for the present and the future, with planners (Musa and Veda have bravely battled the UNOP process on our and other underserved people's behalf), and with Waste Management, neighboring businesses, levee boards, landlords and anyone else we need to.
And, by the way, we find out what people want here by.... asking. Not calling meetings, or setting up email listserves, but by stopping and asking and listening. It is clear that scale is important; because we view our area as Orleans to Lafitte and the bayou to Broad, we can know most of our neighbors, and find them. I do wonder how neighborhood associations that stretch for blocks and blocks and across dividers really serve the entire area?
Isn't a group of 500-1000 enough to know and organize?
But, I digress. I wanted to talk about some things that have been happening here in our self-styled Upper Bayou St. John Neighborhood, so called because we have been asked on most occasions what org we represent. We shrugged our shoulders and said..okay we'll give you a name, although we know that the name means nothing to us and everything to the bureaucracy that we must work with.
The parking lot where the Tharp/Sontheimer Funeral Home used to be is slated to become 14 new homes with real people living in them, building a new community. No major developers have been involved, no large corporation had to organize this, just a few neighbors and some nice experts who find time to explain stuff to us.
These 14 new homes will fit in with the scale of the neighborhood, some will be using the latest available energy efficient methods and all will be filled with neighbors who want to anchor this area, and stay.
wait til you see...
On the recent front, due to some skillful and persistent phone calling and visits to city hall, we have 4 new garbage cans on our very heavily traveled end of the bayou! Our neighboring groups couldn't seem to help us, and our city officials were mostly confused and unable to find a few garbage cans for people who wanted to pick up trash, but Musa and Veda perservered and got it thru someone's head that this is an important step.
The garbage cans are an important addition as are the doggie bag holders that our neighbor, The Eye Animal Hospital, donated to our end. Since most dog walkers use the end we are on, and again, our neighboring association didn't see the use in putting those holders over on the "other" side of Orleans, it was done in the lagalou method that this blog champions.
Kudos also to Jonathan and family with their addition of a new oak tree planted on the bayou. His girlfriend's son will be able to bring his grandchildren and sit under it someday..
So, when walking to Parkway or to the convenience store or to the bayou end, use the bags, pick up trash and say hello as we pass so we can add your face to our list of those who understand Margaret Mead's words:
"Never doubt that a small, committed group of people can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."
If you are aware of our little end of the bayou, you may realize that we really lie between 2 neighborhoods; MidCity and Bayou St. John. Both of those neighborhoods have strong neighborhood associations, but neither really organize in our few blocks. The lines stop before they get to us in both cases, although at times, (when convenient for them to do so) both orgs claim our area.
As a result of these turfs, it is clear that we are pretty much on our own when fighting for city services. Before the levee breaks, we spent a great deal of time working with the SWB, Entergy, Parks and Parkways and others with middling success.
Since the flood, we are fighting for the present and the future, with planners (Musa and Veda have bravely battled the UNOP process on our and other underserved people's behalf), and with Waste Management, neighboring businesses, levee boards, landlords and anyone else we need to.
And, by the way, we find out what people want here by.... asking. Not calling meetings, or setting up email listserves, but by stopping and asking and listening. It is clear that scale is important; because we view our area as Orleans to Lafitte and the bayou to Broad, we can know most of our neighbors, and find them. I do wonder how neighborhood associations that stretch for blocks and blocks and across dividers really serve the entire area?
Isn't a group of 500-1000 enough to know and organize?
But, I digress. I wanted to talk about some things that have been happening here in our self-styled Upper Bayou St. John Neighborhood, so called because we have been asked on most occasions what org we represent. We shrugged our shoulders and said..okay we'll give you a name, although we know that the name means nothing to us and everything to the bureaucracy that we must work with.
The parking lot where the Tharp/Sontheimer Funeral Home used to be is slated to become 14 new homes with real people living in them, building a new community. No major developers have been involved, no large corporation had to organize this, just a few neighbors and some nice experts who find time to explain stuff to us.
These 14 new homes will fit in with the scale of the neighborhood, some will be using the latest available energy efficient methods and all will be filled with neighbors who want to anchor this area, and stay.
wait til you see...
On the recent front, due to some skillful and persistent phone calling and visits to city hall, we have 4 new garbage cans on our very heavily traveled end of the bayou! Our neighboring groups couldn't seem to help us, and our city officials were mostly confused and unable to find a few garbage cans for people who wanted to pick up trash, but Musa and Veda perservered and got it thru someone's head that this is an important step.
The garbage cans are an important addition as are the doggie bag holders that our neighbor, The Eye Animal Hospital, donated to our end. Since most dog walkers use the end we are on, and again, our neighboring association didn't see the use in putting those holders over on the "other" side of Orleans, it was done in the lagalou method that this blog champions.
Kudos also to Jonathan and family with their addition of a new oak tree planted on the bayou. His girlfriend's son will be able to bring his grandchildren and sit under it someday..
So, when walking to Parkway or to the convenience store or to the bayou end, use the bags, pick up trash and say hello as we pass so we can add your face to our list of those who understand Margaret Mead's words:
"Never doubt that a small, committed group of people can change the world. In fact, it's the only thing that ever has."
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Friday, January 19, 2007
coffeehouse musings
Coffea Haiku #1
chris lane gwen andy
your cousin dimitri there
anne churchill with hat
Coffea Haiku #2
3-4 computers
3-4 books open on laps
pancake order up
Coffea Haiku #3
see passing fritter
tacos and hot tea for me
gwen on break outside
Coffea Haiku #4
carnival music
wind and rain from open door
hungry line forming
chris lane gwen andy
your cousin dimitri there
anne churchill with hat
Coffea Haiku #2
3-4 computers
3-4 books open on laps
pancake order up
Coffea Haiku #3
see passing fritter
tacos and hot tea for me
gwen on break outside
Coffea Haiku #4
carnival music
wind and rain from open door
hungry line forming
Wednesday, January 17, 2007
from Paul
Hello,
Somehow, I am managing to get by. Since the day Helen died, I have been
surrounded by friends and family and this has been so helpful to me. I
am trying keep busy. I am very grateful for your letters and e-mails and
love and support.
Our little son Francis Pop is 2 years and 3 months old today. He is
simply the most precious and most important thing to me now. He is so small,
but he is a very strong, good boy. Francis is coping extremely well. He is
able to play and to enjoy the people here who so clearly love him. We are
trying to fill what we know is a hole in his little heart, having lost his most
important person, his protector and number one playmate, his beloved
Mama. I honestly am convinced that he is doing so well because Helen was such a
fantastic mother, and provided him with a very deep trust in others and
security in himself.
I will have a hand surgery next week and physically I know I will be
fine.
Sometime after that I'll bring little Franny to be with my family in
North Vancouver for who knows how long.
Becky and Kevin, Helen's parents, wanted to thank you all for your
generosity and your kind thoughts.
Pauly.
Somehow, I am managing to get by. Since the day Helen died, I have been
surrounded by friends and family and this has been so helpful to me. I
am trying keep busy. I am very grateful for your letters and e-mails and
love and support.
Our little son Francis Pop is 2 years and 3 months old today. He is
simply the most precious and most important thing to me now. He is so small,
but he is a very strong, good boy. Francis is coping extremely well. He is
able to play and to enjoy the people here who so clearly love him. We are
trying to fill what we know is a hole in his little heart, having lost his most
important person, his protector and number one playmate, his beloved
Mama. I honestly am convinced that he is doing so well because Helen was such a
fantastic mother, and provided him with a very deep trust in others and
security in himself.
I will have a hand surgery next week and physically I know I will be
fine.
Sometime after that I'll bring little Franny to be with my family in
North Vancouver for who knows how long.
Becky and Kevin, Helen's parents, wanted to thank you all for your
generosity and your kind thoughts.
Pauly.
Thursday, January 11, 2007
letter sent to Nagin
As one of the working class, I will be hard at work while my fellow citizens march. However, please know that I am as angry about my friend's death- and as angry about the other deaths in my city- of people I have never met.
All of them are my fellow New Orleanians.
All of them deserve a better chance to live a long quality life.
We need efforts to change the system that has existed for too long here; a better education system, more meaningful jobs, less cruelty and indifference from our police force.
You do not act for me when you stop innocent people in checkpoints, or have our police force follow African American young men in their cars to pull them over at will. You will not catch killers in your checkpoints, and you know that.
You know what has to be done. Work round the clock on new strategies for bringing health care to our city, reduce the broken street lights and piles of trash that allow our youth to believe no one cares about their neighborhood.
It's time for you to get to work.
All of them are my fellow New Orleanians.
All of them deserve a better chance to live a long quality life.
We need efforts to change the system that has existed for too long here; a better education system, more meaningful jobs, less cruelty and indifference from our police force.
You do not act for me when you stop innocent people in checkpoints, or have our police force follow African American young men in their cars to pull them over at will. You will not catch killers in your checkpoints, and you know that.
You know what has to be done. Work round the clock on new strategies for bringing health care to our city, reduce the broken street lights and piles of trash that allow our youth to believe no one cares about their neighborhood.
It's time for you to get to work.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
Helen, Paul, Francis and Rosie
In the middle of writing a book about the people who have returned to rebuild New Orleans, I have received news that one of us has been murdered, and her partner wounded. One that I knew and admired greatly- Helen Hill.
The murder seems even more shocking as she and husband Paul were among the most childlike and innocent people I knew, with an infant son Francis recently added to their family, a quiet and happy grouping that included their pot bellied pig Rosie, both of whom were unharmed in the crime.
Helen was a filmmaker, (god, I have to use the term was) and Paul is a doctor who has spent his life working among the indigent and needy. They seemed 2 halves of a whole; and when Francis was born, it seemed as if they had done another good deed for the world, since a child born of these gentle souls would only bring good.
I had seen them soon after they returned to New Orleans this year from Canada. They had been part of an artists studio tour in the Marigny and the Bywater; I was more than pleased to see them; I felt as if another piece of the rebuilding was in place, since they added another family, another creative partnership, another caregiver in Paul’s work, and not least, more positive cheerful, welcoming faces to come upon on a trip to the coffeehouse, an art event or at the park.
Ironically, they were worried about the safety of their family returning to New Orleans only as it related to the quality of air and water; they had made their decision to return even with those concerns because they loved their adopted city.
I mourn the loss of their household. I worry that Francis will fear the city that took his mother’s life and took part of the peace from his father. I worry that bitterness will seep in, and take away the untouched beauty Helen represented to us.
I took a walk on a newly created labyrinth that friends and I made on New Years Day and thought about this tragedy, and about Helen herself. I came out of the labyrinth with 2 thoughts; to find a way to remember and honor Helen in a way that will keep her spirit alive among us that are left, and a promise to keep fighting the darkness that is touching us all by creating more positive space and moments together for our tragic, yet extraordinary city.
and from Robert:
News has just arrived of the murder and shooting of two of the most
kind and generous people who this community has ever seen. I met
HELEN HILL at our coffeehouse community space where she was teaching
class for the New Orleans film collective. I've never met a more
pleasant person. She now lies dead from being shot in her Marigny
home. Dr. Paul Gailiunas was also shot while carrying their newborn
child. The child is unharmed, but Paul is seriously injured, but
likely to survive. Paul's clinic saw many poor people, including some
of my employees in an Esplanade clinic. He has received numerous
Community Awards for his work with homeless and under priviledged.
His band, "The Troublemakers" entertained with a progressive
political commentary, a testament to love and action against injustice.
These people didn't deserve this! We don't deserve this! When will
this insanity stop? A lifetime of love snuffed for who knows what. I
wish Paul and Helen had made the selfish decision and stayed in
Canada or wherever...how could we waste their gift...and this is the
fifth murder in the last 14 hours. I can't believe this couple wants
our bowed heads or silent prayers. What they would want is action. I
can't take this anymore. Does anyone else feel this level of outrage?
Does anyone else feel we must get the guns off the streets, we must
eliminate priviledged and underclasses, we must stop drug
exploitation, we must not tolerate racism, violence, hate...
I for one believe that unless we do something to make fundamental
changes, we have pulled the trigger and fired the shots that have
killed and destroyed these beautiful beings. I'm taking this one
personally.
Robert Thompson
From Dave Cash:
fieldsofgarlic (fieldsofgarlic) wrote,
@ 2007-01-10 12:56:00
A Helen Hill Song
Like many people I know, I'm spending a lot of my time lately thinking about Helen Hill and her senseless death. There are so many aspects. First, there is Helen herself and the waves of loss that hit her husband and son the hardest, then her family and close friends, then her acquaintances, then those who only met her or whose children played with her son. The ripples go out farther and farther, their impact diminishing as they go, but being felt nevertheless. There will always be a painful emptiness where Helen once was.
Beyond Helen herself, there was the incredible impact she'd had and was continuing to have. Her good work for needy people was something many of us wish we would do, but don't. And her art, her films, her whimsical (and sometimes gently tricky) expressions were also worthy of aspiration. Luckily, we still have all this, her legacy and our memories; it's the part of her that didn't and won't ever die.
And then there's the crime. My mother is terribly worried for my safety. She wonders why Ana and I can't live somewhere safer. If I really didn't care about my beloved New Orleans, I would probably pack up and go. But some things are worth fighting for. When I moved to this city in the early nineties, crime was brutally high then too. But things changed and the crime rate came down. I know it can happen again. I refuse to live in fear, but it still tugs at all of us who live here now.
Behind the crime, there's the sad fact that while many of us in society can and do weave a beautiful, if imperfect, fabric of trust and interdependence, there are some--a growing number, I fear--who are not a part of this. There are far too many reasons for this. In every neighborhood, children are disenfranchised every day, in many ways. Their hearts harden at a young age and before long they are isolated--not in our arms, as they each should be. I don't know how, but if we don't find a way to reach these children, it will be at both their peril and ours.
Today is Helen's memorial service in South Carolina. For the last few days, I have been working on a song about her. Here's a quick recording I made of it:
"Helen Hill" by Dave Cash (2:08, 2.2Mb)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.
The words and chords are as follows:
Helen [Am]Hill was shot and [C]killed
In her [Am]own home last [F]night
On the [C]fourth day of a [G]new year
That [E7]still seemed so [Am]bright
Her [F]dreams were cut [C]short
When that [E7]nightmare creeped [Am]in
And [F]took sweet [C]Helen
From her [G]family and [C]friends
Helen [Am]Hill was shot and [C]killed
For no [Am]reason we [F]know
She [C]fought and she [G]pleaded
But he [E7]still laid her [Am]low
[F]Down went the [C]kindness
[E7]Down went the [Am]care
[C]Out went the [G]love
With her [F]last breath of [Am]air
I [Am]dreamed I [C]saw
[Am]Helen Hill last [F]night
She was [C]smiling and [G]shining
Like a [E7]heavenly [Am]light
Bright [F]words she was [C]sewing
Right [E7]into the [Am]sky
[F]Flickering in [C]starlight,
"[G]I didn't [C]die."
Helen [Am]Hill was shot and [C]killed
A dear [Am]mother and [F]wife
The [C]last thing she [G]ever did
Was to [E7]save her boy's [Am]life
So [F]what are we [C]made of
If we [E7]don't do our [Am]best
To [C]reach into the [G]darkness
And [F]save all the [Am]rest?
The murder seems even more shocking as she and husband Paul were among the most childlike and innocent people I knew, with an infant son Francis recently added to their family, a quiet and happy grouping that included their pot bellied pig Rosie, both of whom were unharmed in the crime.
Helen was a filmmaker, (god, I have to use the term was) and Paul is a doctor who has spent his life working among the indigent and needy. They seemed 2 halves of a whole; and when Francis was born, it seemed as if they had done another good deed for the world, since a child born of these gentle souls would only bring good.
I had seen them soon after they returned to New Orleans this year from Canada. They had been part of an artists studio tour in the Marigny and the Bywater; I was more than pleased to see them; I felt as if another piece of the rebuilding was in place, since they added another family, another creative partnership, another caregiver in Paul’s work, and not least, more positive cheerful, welcoming faces to come upon on a trip to the coffeehouse, an art event or at the park.
Ironically, they were worried about the safety of their family returning to New Orleans only as it related to the quality of air and water; they had made their decision to return even with those concerns because they loved their adopted city.
I mourn the loss of their household. I worry that Francis will fear the city that took his mother’s life and took part of the peace from his father. I worry that bitterness will seep in, and take away the untouched beauty Helen represented to us.
I took a walk on a newly created labyrinth that friends and I made on New Years Day and thought about this tragedy, and about Helen herself. I came out of the labyrinth with 2 thoughts; to find a way to remember and honor Helen in a way that will keep her spirit alive among us that are left, and a promise to keep fighting the darkness that is touching us all by creating more positive space and moments together for our tragic, yet extraordinary city.
and from Robert:
News has just arrived of the murder and shooting of two of the most
kind and generous people who this community has ever seen. I met
HELEN HILL at our coffeehouse community space where she was teaching
class for the New Orleans film collective. I've never met a more
pleasant person. She now lies dead from being shot in her Marigny
home. Dr. Paul Gailiunas was also shot while carrying their newborn
child. The child is unharmed, but Paul is seriously injured, but
likely to survive. Paul's clinic saw many poor people, including some
of my employees in an Esplanade clinic. He has received numerous
Community Awards for his work with homeless and under priviledged.
His band, "The Troublemakers" entertained with a progressive
political commentary, a testament to love and action against injustice.
These people didn't deserve this! We don't deserve this! When will
this insanity stop? A lifetime of love snuffed for who knows what. I
wish Paul and Helen had made the selfish decision and stayed in
Canada or wherever...how could we waste their gift...and this is the
fifth murder in the last 14 hours. I can't believe this couple wants
our bowed heads or silent prayers. What they would want is action. I
can't take this anymore. Does anyone else feel this level of outrage?
Does anyone else feel we must get the guns off the streets, we must
eliminate priviledged and underclasses, we must stop drug
exploitation, we must not tolerate racism, violence, hate...
I for one believe that unless we do something to make fundamental
changes, we have pulled the trigger and fired the shots that have
killed and destroyed these beautiful beings. I'm taking this one
personally.
Robert Thompson
From Dave Cash:
fieldsofgarlic (fieldsofgarlic) wrote,
@ 2007-01-10 12:56:00
A Helen Hill Song
Like many people I know, I'm spending a lot of my time lately thinking about Helen Hill and her senseless death. There are so many aspects. First, there is Helen herself and the waves of loss that hit her husband and son the hardest, then her family and close friends, then her acquaintances, then those who only met her or whose children played with her son. The ripples go out farther and farther, their impact diminishing as they go, but being felt nevertheless. There will always be a painful emptiness where Helen once was.
Beyond Helen herself, there was the incredible impact she'd had and was continuing to have. Her good work for needy people was something many of us wish we would do, but don't. And her art, her films, her whimsical (and sometimes gently tricky) expressions were also worthy of aspiration. Luckily, we still have all this, her legacy and our memories; it's the part of her that didn't and won't ever die.
And then there's the crime. My mother is terribly worried for my safety. She wonders why Ana and I can't live somewhere safer. If I really didn't care about my beloved New Orleans, I would probably pack up and go. But some things are worth fighting for. When I moved to this city in the early nineties, crime was brutally high then too. But things changed and the crime rate came down. I know it can happen again. I refuse to live in fear, but it still tugs at all of us who live here now.
Behind the crime, there's the sad fact that while many of us in society can and do weave a beautiful, if imperfect, fabric of trust and interdependence, there are some--a growing number, I fear--who are not a part of this. There are far too many reasons for this. In every neighborhood, children are disenfranchised every day, in many ways. Their hearts harden at a young age and before long they are isolated--not in our arms, as they each should be. I don't know how, but if we don't find a way to reach these children, it will be at both their peril and ours.
Today is Helen's memorial service in South Carolina. For the last few days, I have been working on a song about her. Here's a quick recording I made of it:
"Helen Hill" by Dave Cash (2:08, 2.2Mb)
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.5 License.
The words and chords are as follows:
Helen [Am]Hill was shot and [C]killed
In her [Am]own home last [F]night
On the [C]fourth day of a [G]new year
That [E7]still seemed so [Am]bright
Her [F]dreams were cut [C]short
When that [E7]nightmare creeped [Am]in
And [F]took sweet [C]Helen
From her [G]family and [C]friends
Helen [Am]Hill was shot and [C]killed
For no [Am]reason we [F]know
She [C]fought and she [G]pleaded
But he [E7]still laid her [Am]low
[F]Down went the [C]kindness
[E7]Down went the [Am]care
[C]Out went the [G]love
With her [F]last breath of [Am]air
I [Am]dreamed I [C]saw
[Am]Helen Hill last [F]night
She was [C]smiling and [G]shining
Like a [E7]heavenly [Am]light
Bright [F]words she was [C]sewing
Right [E7]into the [Am]sky
[F]Flickering in [C]starlight,
"[G]I didn't [C]die."
Helen [Am]Hill was shot and [C]killed
A dear [Am]mother and [F]wife
The [C]last thing she [G]ever did
Was to [E7]save her boy's [Am]life
So [F]what are we [C]made of
If we [E7]don't do our [Am]best
To [C]reach into the [G]darkness
And [F]save all the [Am]rest?
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