At the end of block a set is being constructed for the new movie in the Planet of the Apes franchise, Dawn of the Planet of the Apes. A block of Carondolet Street has been closed to vehicular traffic though pedestrians are still allowed through, and yesterday my daughter and I toured the faux destruction. As it happens, she’s just started taking an online class on post-apocalyptic literature. Though maybe not literature, the Dawn of the Planet of the Apes certainly strives for post-apocalyptic.

Near Saratoga and and Seventh streets in New Orleans it can get a little desolate. There's a couple adjacent blocks dominated by cemeteries and lots of blighted housing and cement and little shade. There's been some effort at whimsical public art, which I appreciate, and the area is dotted with sleek, modern-looking houses. On Saratoga there's also a "Green lot," "a vacant land demonstration project" by the Jericho Road Episcopal Housing Initiative in conjunction with the Tulane City Center. I take it that it's meant to serve as a model for other vacant, overgrown lots.

The green lot creates "an edge around the site to give it a sense of ownership," rebuilds "the urban tree canopy along street edges and in areas that may shade a future building," all the while leaving the interior of the lot clear for future development. Further, ground cover is established to prevent soil erosion and/or prevent drainage problems.

Unfortunately, someone saw fit to dispose of a mattress on the pristine lot.

I recently received this message for Karen Gadbois with The Lens:

Dear Journalist and Writer Friends,

As many of you know a group of Deb Cotton’s friends have put together a fund to help with living and medical medical expenses incurred as a result of the Mothers Day Second Line shooting here in New Orleans.

Deb was working that Sunday documenting the parade for her website, New Orleans Good Good ,when she was caught up in the violence that erupted injuring 20 people.

Deb also blogged at nola.com and produced some classic post Katrina commentary there, taking on then Mayor Nagin as well Sanitation Director Veronica White and then Nagin again...and again .

She was self employed at the time of the shooting and although she has medical insurance we are unsure at this time what the uncovered medical costs will be. It seems she will be out of work for some time to come.

In order to relieve some of her financial burdens we are hoping to raise enough to cover her expenses for at… Continue reading →

I snapped this picture of a Department of Safety & Permits "Stop Work Order" posted on a house a block away from ours. I'd never seen such an order before, despite one being issued on my next door neighbor's house earlier this year. I remember when that Stop Work Order was posted, Dr. Jared Munster, Director of Safety & Permits, explained in an email that what mattered the most was not the removal of the order but the halting of the illegal construction work:

The Order is supposed to remain posted on the property until the issue is resolved, but people often take them down and bring them to City Hall when they come to remedy the issue. As long as work does not continue it’s not particularly a problem that the notice is not posted on the structure.

I was cleaning out my email inbox and I came across this message from July 24, 2012 where the Office of the Mayor engages in much happy talk about the city's consent decree with the feds agreeing to overhaul the New Orleans Police Department:

Now, of course, Landrieu is trying to weasel out of this agreement. I just wanted to remind people that the mayor actually was quite pleased with the decree back when he signed it.

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