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New Orleans State
The New Orleans Blues, the Spirit and All That Jazz
[New Orleans, July 29, 2008] At the turn of the twentieth century as the palatial plantations up and down the Mississippi River became only a memory, thousands of former workers migrated to New Orleans as did immigrants, seamen, trappers, gamblers, hustlers, scholars and musicians. This convergence with the native population set the stage that birthed the free spirit of Jazz and opened a new frontier.
The Eagle Saloon, built in 1875 and known as the 'delivery room' of Jazz, had its roof blown off during The Storm of 2005. The second and third floors were ruined, but the original tin tile ceiling and Spanish tiled floors survived and the blues, the spirit and all that jazz re-ignites every Tuesday night lit by the New Orleans Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Blues and Jazz Band, featuring Guitar Slim, Jr., a showman extradonaire.
The son of Eddie "Guitar Slim" Jones, Jr.'s first release earned him a Grammy nomination. Last Tuesday night, Jr., along with Blues Boy George on lead guitar, Anthony on bass and Milton on drums, received multiple standing ovations during their three-and-a-half hour nonstop renditions of BB King, Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Ray Charles, Motown, Marvin Gaye, Prince, gospel and more, during a private party at the Eagle which was arranged as a thanksgiving service by Pastor John E. Pierre, of the Living Witness Church of God in Christ on Oretha C. Haley Blvd, a three minute drive to the Eagle Saloon at 201 South Rampart Street.
Pastor Pierre and many in the heart of the Central City neighborhood, once a haven for drug dealers and prostitutes, demonstrated their gratitude and love for two teams of volunteers who had come to work in the heat of July alongside recovering addicts to demolish the old so as to bring in new opportunities for the formerly homeless men who commit to a year long residential boot camp known as the Nehemiah Restoration Project, just one of many community outreach programs provided by Living Witness.
The teams of committed Christians came on their own dime from the Crossings Church in Clermont, Florida and Cedar Brook of Wisconsin. It was the first mission trip for the newly established Crossings, but some from Wisconsin were on their sixth and eighth work pilgrimage of service to a community that The Storm of 2005 wrecked havoc upon. The volunteers all work alongside the men in recovery who are now building a barbershop and beauty parlor next door to the Living Witness Church of God.
The regal and patient Pastor Pierre informed me, "The bottom line for us is getting families back together and in strengthening the family. We have found that the effects of Hurricane Katrina have become a unifying source. The churches in this neighborhood came together when this area became a ghost town. My family had been evacuated to Houston and it wasn't until October 2005 that my Deacon and I were able to return through the back door; by coming through the West Bank, [the area was still under Marshall Law and no freedom of movement was allowed]. It was stinking smelly all over the block; our roof had been torn apart when a tree fell upon it. There was phone and electricity, but still no water.
"I received a call from the Federal Government Health and Human Services Department and was informed that a pre-Katrina grant for Compassionate Capitol had been granted. I had forgotten all about it!
"Half of our church membership has been displaced and decent and affordable housing is still not up to speed. Then there is that double edged sword of the tourism and convention concerns claiming New Orleans is back for they paint a false picture. The French Quarter and St. Charles areas where the tourists go, didn't receive much damage, but where the people live, the community that is New Orleans is stuck in a time warp. Our Government did not keep its promises."
After the levees broke and President Bush spoke in Jackson Square, it was lit up by a generator, and when he was through; boom, boom, out went the lights again!
Ask NOT what our Government will do for the under served people who are the spirit of New Orleans, but what we the people of these United States can do to help heal them.
To have a great time and book a gig with the New Orleans Music Hall of Fame and Museum's Blues and Jazz Band, call Popagee at 504-861-2675 or 504-301-7088 and learn more:
http://www.nomhf.org/
To offer hands, feet and hearts to those who struggle with addictions and learn more about the program that has serviced over 900 men:
http://lwcss.org
Eileen Fleming, Reporter and Editor WAWA:
http://www.wearewideawake.org/
Author "Keep Hope Alive" and "Memoirs of a Nice Irish American 'Girl's' Life in Occupied Territory"
Producer "30 Minutes With Vanunu" and "13 Minutes with Vanunu" Article Source: ArticlesBase.com
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What would you like to see in the Federal Budget?
We all pay taxes. How should our president and Congress spend it? What things are important to you personally?
Health care reform?
Rebuilding New Orleans?
State aid?
Military?
Renewable energy?
Homeland security?
Civil works?
Environmental protection?
Agriculture?
Education?
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Why do the hospitals in New Orleans have to eat the cost when illegal immigrants get hurt or have babies?
A story on the local news in New Orleans stated that the crippled healthcare system there can't afford to support them any longer, is it fair that tax payers have to pay for their healtcare, and yes we are paying every thing that the hospital supplies to them we pay for
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New Orleans - State of repair?
I keep hearing how the residence of new orleans still feel they aren't getting the help they need with millions of tax dollars pouring into the effort. When does personal responsibility for group community cleanup with gov't assistance start and too much reliance on the goverment stop? Is it just me or was it the same people who relied on government subsidies the same people who ended up in the superdome because they are way to reliant on being taken care of and getting hand outs? And are the same people to re-elect Mayor Nagin, who was a major factor in why all those people suffered for days with no help. He could have had pallets of water and food delivered to that dome before the storm at the very least! No need for rude answers, I'm trying to understand the thought process.
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do they represent obamas hope and change or is it scam and hide?
NEW ORLEANS ? State investigators raided ACORN offices on Friday, taking away computer hard drives and documents as part of a probe into alleged embezzlement and tax fraud when the organization's national headquarters was based in New Orleans.
"This is an investigation of everything ? ACORN, the national organization, the local organization and all of its affiliated entities, specifically as it relates to any potential violations of Louisiana law," Assistant Attorney General David Caldwell said.
ACORN staff on the scene declined to comment, but an attorney for the group said in a statement the raid was prompted by allegations that former ACORN employees had removed or altered electronic documents and may do so in the future.
Attorney Pamela Marple said ACORN was cooperating and called the raid exhaustive, saying investigators wanted "virtually every document in the possession of ACORN and any related entity."
The raid was the latest development for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now. Videotapes released recently showed ACORN employees offering tax advice to two people in Baltimore posing as a prostitute and her pimp. The videos led Congress and state governments to cut funding for ACORN.
State prosecutors said their probe into the New Orleans offices stemmed from allegations made last year by board members involving embezzlement at ACORN nearly a decade ago.
ACORN last year settled an internal dispute and a lawsuit involving accusations that Dale Rathke, the brother of the group's founder, Wade Rathke, made around $948,000 in improper credit card charges in 1999 and 2000. The Rathke family and a donor repaid the money and no charges were ever brought.
Last month, Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, the father of David Caldwell, said he would step up an investigation into allegations that the embezzlement may have been as high as $5 million.
ACORN said the $5 million figure was "a worst-case scenario" for what the embezzlement potentially could cost the group.
For 33 years, ACORN's national headquarters was based in New Orleans after Wade Rathke moved here in the 1970s from Little Rock, Ark., where he started the organization. The embezzlement scandal led the organization to move its headquarters to Washington, D.C., earlier this year, a move that allowed the national organization to distance itself from the Rathkes.
David Caldwell said he did not know which former ACORN employees removed the computers.
"We're going to grab the stuff, make copies," he said, "and get it all back to them so whatever entities are doing business with them are able to do so."
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Associated Press writer Janet McConnaughey contributed to this report.
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