Casket Girls

Dr. Charlotte Pipes is presenting a one-hour lecture on French Colonial Louisiana to the monthly meeting of the Genealogical Research Society of New Orleans.

Monday, May 20, 2013
Whitney Bank – Metairie Rd. branch
1441 Metairie Road
Metairie, Louisiana.
The meeting starts at 7:30pm and is free and open to the public.

The topic will be “A Casket Girl of New Orleans.”
Casket Girls arrived in New Orleans from France in the early 18th century.
They came here to become brides for Louisiana settlers.
Charlotte traveled to France (no, not to become a bride)
but to document exactly the process by which young women in France
signed contracts, boarded sailing ships and crossed the Atlantic to marry.

www.grsno.org

CITY AUCTION PRODUCES MIXED RESULTS

$368,000 for 200 North Alexander to bidder #5. A well-known Faubourg St. John resident who lives on the bayou and a man from Chicago were rumored to be the back-n-forth bidders.

$280,000 for the Laurel Street Firehouse by bidder #21.

No bids were received for the other 4 properties in today’s City auction.

Buy this May 17th (TODAY)
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 robin.shannon@nopg.com.

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2013/05/08/city-to-auction-off-former-nopd-station-five-other-properties/

Old Police and Fire Stations Up for Grabs

Buy this May 17th (TODAY)
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 robin.shannon@nopg.com.

http://neworleanscitybusiness.com/blog/2013/05/08/city-to-auction-off-former-nopd-station-five-other-properties/

Bayou St. John Wetland Creation Project

Click the link below to donate to the
Bayou St. John Wetland Creation Project

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bayou-st-john-wetland-creation-project/contributions/new
***

The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation (LPBF) is excited to announce the Bayou Saint John Wetland Creation Project, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to build ½ acre of native marsh in the city of New Orleans. LPBF is a non-profit group that has been working for southeast Louisiana’s people and environment since 1989 under the banner, “Save Our Lake, Save Our Coast.” http://saveourlake.org

We came up with the plan to build wetlands as an add-on to a dredging project that was already scheduled for this spring. This opportunity came up quickly, and we have scrambled to draft plans, secure permits, and find partners before construction starts in mid-May 2013.

We are reaching out to everyone who loves New Orleans and cares about the vanishing Louisiana coast. Together we can rebuild a patch native habitat and bring some nature back to the Big Easy.

To learn more about the project, visit: http://saveourlake.org/PDF-documents/our-coast/BSJ/BSJ-Wetland-Project-May2013.pdf

What we need:

We feel so strongly about this project that we committed to it without having all funding in place. We are raising money to cover construction costs, and then to fund ongoing maintenance and monitoring. If we raise more than we need for immediate costs, we will do more scientific research and add signage, wildlife viewing access and other improvements. Our ultimate goal is to make the Bayou St. John marsh a destination for education, recreation, bird watching and fishing.

This project will give lots of benefit for relatively low cost. Since it piggybacks on an existing dredge project, the earth moving is free. Construction uses all local materials and new technology that is cheaper and more environmentally friendly than traditional methods. Several partners are providing material and technical support, including the Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Restore the Earth Foundation.

Why are we so excited about this project?

Building wetlands where there is now a concrete wall will benefit the local wildlife, the city’s residents and visitors, and the imperiled Louisiana coast.

•Improves aquatic habitat for fish, crab and waterfowl.
•Traps sediment and improves water quality.
•Protects adjacent bulkhead and levee.
•Enhances the historic urban waterway and the Lafitte Corridor.
•Provides a living classroom and wildlife viewing in an urban area.
•Demonstrates new nature-based technologies that can help restore the Louisiana coast.
Every dollar donated will go directly into constructing, maintaining and enhancing these wetlands, and then studying them scientifically and developing them as a resource. This is an opportunity to help build something tangible that you can visit to experience nature in the city. The habitat you help build will support more birds for you to see and fish for you to catch.

Please consider helping build the Bayou Saint John wetlands. Tell everyone who loves New Orleans about this opportunity to restore its environment and support its culture.

http://fsjna.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/BayouStJohnWetlandCreationProject.pdf

Partners:

http://www.restoretheearth.org/
http://emsgreen.com/
http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/
http://saveourlake.org

Click the link below to donate to the
Bayou St. John Wetland Creation Project

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/bayou-st-john-wetland-creation-project/contributions/new