Dear friends,

Here's wishing you a Happy New Year of 2024 that finds you in good health and brings you increased prosperity.

I know of many successful New Orleanians who have invested in education, businesses, homes, and other properties, doing well for themselves and their families. They know that in addition to unfavorable news stories, there are very good news stories that often don't generate enthusiasm but carry an impact. Optimists: 2023 was a good year for City Council District D, with much to do moving forward.

In 2023, in City Council District D alone, the residents of the Gordon Plaza subdivision were relocated from the toxic dump on which their homes were built. Terviva announced its investment of $25 million in a manufacturing plant along the Inner-Harbor navigational waterway following the granting by the City Council to the project an Industrial Tax Exemption. The City Council announced an investment of $3 million in the Ninth Ward Stadium that will be built in the Desire community, joining the state and federal government's investments to make possible this catalytic project that will break ground in 2024. 

Canseco's $5 million great-looking new Filmore Avenue grocery store opened to great fanfare and is doing well, with the assistance of the District D Council office relative to securing certain permits and a needed zoning adjustment. Throughout District D, scores of blocks of major street infrastructure repairs were completed, including stretches of Clouet Street, Paris Avenue, Elysian Fields, Press Drive, Broad Street, and in Voscoville, Gentilly Woods, Pilotland, Milneberg, the Seventh Ward, DeSaix, and much more, with more work ongoing.

Hynes Charter School started construction on its new UNO campus, the National Fried Chicken Festival experienced great success at its new lakefront location, Immanuel Community Church on Elysian Fields moved into a new structure, and One Hope Church moved into a newly renovated building on Paris Avenue.

My Council District D Office awarded and facilitated awards of grants to over 120 organizations in 2023, totaling $1,120,642.00, with the overwhelming majority of them headquartered in District D. The organizations will be doing work on not only District D-based projects but also on citywide community enhancement activity. 2024 will be a year of substantial community organizational activity, much of which will be highlighted in this newsletter.

Scores of new home and residential construction starts in 2023 in District D, with single-family and modest multifamily permits granted to projects in the Desire community throughout Gentilly, Edgewood Heights, St. Roch Bend, Pine Village, and more.

Violent crime is down, in double digits, in major categories throughout New Orleans. This impacts District D, as, for example, in the expansive Third District of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD), there have been stretches of no violent crime activity over significant periods of time. We congratulate and thank the officers, investigators, and leadership of the NOPD, including the Third, First, Fifth, and Seventh District whose officers work in Council District D, for the work amidst the challenges.

Recognition and appreciation are also due to the United States Marshalls, the Louisiana State Police, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Attorney, and others for necessary operations, investigations, and arrests that have made many people feel more at ease in their homes and businesses. We see the work. In 2024, more who choose the wrong paths will choose to occupy the good open jobs that abound in our city.

Scores of abandoned vehicles were removed from District D streets in 2023, and at least one blighted property was demolished every ten days due to Department of Code Enforcement work, despite the legal complications. Cleanup of illegal dumps, especially under the elevated expressways of the Seventh Ward, occurred regularly, resulting from the work of the Department of Sanitation. 2024 must be the breakout year where enforcement and compassion mix to greatly reduce the criminal dumping that is an insult to the hard-working people of these communities ... but strides were made in 2023.

The new Desire - Florida Multi-Purpose Center opened to significant fanfare in a rebuilding community, offering meetings, event space, amenities like free dance and ballet classes, and much more. The Desire Community, Housing Development Corporation, commenced with the clearing of land at the long-neglected and weed-overgrown intersection of Piety and Florida Avenue in preparation for its $15 million commercial and community building construction. The ground was broken, and construction started in January on the long-awaited Mirabeau Water Gardens project, part of the City's $141,000,000 Gentilly Resilience District green infrastructure project.

We see the challenges. We see the potholes that must be filled, the illegal dumps that remain, the people running red lights, the blighted properties still ignored by owners, the lights out on the interstate, the people pulling on door handles at night, people who put up those tents in any neutral ground, and some infrastructure projects that seem to be moving a bit slowly, and more. We forward information on quality-of-life issues daily to representatives of relevant City departments and have received good responses from Cantrell Administration representatives. However, we also see in 2023 a year that resulted in tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure repair projects being completed, public safety enhanced, tens of millions of dollars in new public and private business residential investments, more families moving into District D, and overall enhancements in the quality of life in District D that portend well for the future.

There's more. In fact, I didn't go into the work being done by the District's six institutions of higher education and its eight high schools, some in conjunction with the work of the District D office, information on which will be shared in January. There is much going on in City Council District D and much to do.

On a somber note, the New Orleans Saints might consider establishing a branch office in District D. Such might help them close deals. We lost leads in previous games, and we must now, essentially, beat both the Buccaneers and the Falcons and hope that the now 3-12 Panthers beat the Bucs in Week 17. Darn ... but who would have thought that Lake Oaks, Owens Boulevard, Spanish Fort Blvd, and Clouet Street infrastructure work would ever be completed? Right? Hope springs eternal. :-) Go, Saints!

Bonne Année! Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Councilman Eugene J. Green, Jr. 

CITY AND NOPD EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

There are over 350 vacant positions at City Hall. All positions offer health and retirement benefits, and all pay well above minimum wage. To learn more about open positions and apply, please click here.

In addition, over 250 of the unfilled city positions are within the New Orleans Police Department. One can join the NOPD as young as 20 years old, and there are few restrictions on older applicants. Apply, and take the civil service examination. Visit joinnopd.org.

Over $20,000 in Recruitment Incentives await those who join the NOPD from other departments across the state! There are also guaranteed pay raises and other excellent benefits.

Click here to view the NOPD 3rd District September Newsletter.

NEW CONSTRUCTION IN DISTRICT D

Welcome to new investments and families in Council District D. In 2024, we will actively work to enhance street safety and complete additional infrastructure projects.

STREET ENHANCEMENTS & REPAIRS IN DISTRICT D

Repairs to North Roman Street in the 7th Ward are long-awaited, and comprehensive work has commenced. The area should soon be less subject to street flooding, and residents' patience is appreciated.

BLIGHT REMOVAL IN DISTRICT D

The Big Easy does not mean that anything goes. Please assist with the overdue cleanup of abandoned vehicles from our communities at nola311.gov.

DISTRICT D NEIGHBORHOOD ORGANIZATIONS

Congratulations to the District D neighborhood organizations that applied for and received funding through the Neighborhood Enrichment Grant program of the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement. Eighteen organizations received funding for projects that will enrich their communities with green infrastructure and beautification projects. The grant recipients are as follows:

• Dillard University Community and Church Relations
• Lakeshore Property Owners Association
• People for Public Art
• Youth Rebuilding New Orleans
• Earthseed’s BIPOC Youth Garden
• Bunnyfriend Neighborhood Association
• Filmore Gardens Neighborhood Association
• Woven Roots Community Center
• NOLA Artist Incubator
• Material Institute
• Girls Play Tennis
• Bywater Neighborhood Association
• Pontchartrain Park Neighborhood Association
• Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association
• Gentilly Terrace and Gardens Improvement Association
• Edgewood Heights Association
• Abundant Life Tabernacle
• Speak Easy Farm

DILLARD UNIVERSITY'S NEW STUDENT LIFE CENTER

Dillard University's Director of Facilities Management Marion Bracy has released renderings of the new Student Life Center. Construction has commenced at the St. Anthony Avenue site.

NEW TUITION-FREE CATHOLIC SCHOOL COMING TO DESIRE AREA AFTER GAYLE BENSON DONATION

A tuition-free Catholic elementary school in the 7th Ward will soon open a second campus thanks to a substantial donation from New Orleans Saints and Pelicans owner Gayle Benson. 

The Good Shepherd School, now in Gentilly, was founded in 2001 by the Rev. Harry Thompson, S.J., then-pastor of the Immaculate Conception Church in the Central Business District, to serve underprivileged children. 

The pre-K-7 school moved to its current Gentilly campus in 2018, and two years ago, announced plans to build a second elementary at 3601 Desire Parkway. Please click here to read the full story from NOLA.com.

1ST QUARTER NEIGHBORHOOD LEADERS' ROUNDTABLE ON JANUARY 20

ZULU BALL 2024

District D's iconic Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club has announced its spectacular Mardi Gras Ball will take place on Friday, February 9. Twelfth Night, marking the start of the Mardi Gras season, is Saturday, January 6, 2024. The George Rainey Lundi Gras Celebration is set for Monday, February 12, and Mardi Gras Day falls on Tuesday, February 13. For more information, visit https://www.kreweofzulu.com/.

DILLARD UNIVERSITY EVENTS

NOLA BALLET ASSOCIATION: TUITION-FREE DANCE CLASSES

The NOLA Ballet Association offers free classes at the Desire - Florida Multi-Purpose Center. Call (504) 522-0996 or visit NOBAdance.com.

CITY OF NEW ORLEANS ENCOURAGES RESIDENTS TO PARTICIPATE IN ITS ANNUAL CHRISTMAS TREE RECYCLING PROGRAM TO REBUILD

The City of New Orleans reminds residents it will continue its Christmas tree recycling program this holiday season to help restore and protect the Louisiana coastline.

Residents are asked to place their trees curbside before 5 a.m. on their regularly scheduled trash collection day from Jan. 8 through Jan. 13, 2024.

Residents in the French Quarter and Downtown Development District should place their trees curbside before 4 a.m. on Thursday, Jan. 11 only. Trees cannot be flocked or have remnants of tinsel, and all ornamentation should be removed before placing them on the curb. Missed collections should be reported to 311.

NOPD LAUNCHES PILOT CADET PROGRAM FOR HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS

The NOPD has launched a pilot cadet program for juniors and seniors, which will provide a pipeline for new officers or civilians once the cadets graduate from high school.

The students will be paid as part-time civilian employees as they provide various services to the NOPD and learn about various aspects of the department, including what it's like to be a commissioned officer. 

While the program aims to be an important tool in recruitment, it offers NOPD the chance to invest in our young people and the community.

Please click here for more information.

NORD PRESENTS: HOLIDAY IN THE PARK THROUGH TUESDAY, JANUARY 2

NOPD, NHTSA REMIND DRIVERS: 'TIS THE SEASON TO DRIVE SOBER OR GET PULLED OVER

During this busy winter holiday season, the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) is teaming up with the NOPD to urge drivers to think twice before drinking and driving. NHTSA and the NOPD want all drivers to remember this lifesaving message: Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over. Drivers will see officers working on a special high-visibility enforcement campaign from December 15, 2023, through January 1, 2024, to spread the message about the dangers of drunk driving.

Please click here for more information.

SMALL BUSINESS LOAN PROGRAM

The Small Business Loan Program is a lending program to assist disaster-impacted small businesses with non-construction expenses. The purpose of this program is to aid in the recovery of small businesses located in eligible areas that were affected by Hurricanes Laura, Delta, Ida and/or the May 2021 Severe Storms.

The state will provide program assistance to eligible businesses and/or non-profit organizations through participating non-profit lenders, who will implement and administer a lending program to assist impacted businesses and non-profits. The state will enter into subrecipient agreements with implementing partners including local community development organizations such as non-profits, community development financial institutions, local credit unions and other eligible organizations.

The deadline to complete the program application is December 31, 2023.

Please click here for more information.

FEEA'S SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM NOW OPEN

It's National Scholarship Month, and FEEA's 2024 Scholarship Program launches today with the opening of our application period. Students can start an application anytime and must submit it no later than our deadline: Thursday, March 14, 2024, at 3:00 pm EDT.

Eligible students are:

• Children or step-children of federal employees. Students may be high school seniors or already in college and must be under age 25 and unmarried. (Grandchildren are eligible for NARFE and BIG-sponsored scholarships only)
• Spouses of federal employees
• Federal employees

All students must:

• Have an unweighted, cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher;
• Be in or entering a degree-granting program at an accredited institution;
• Be a full-time student (only feds may be part-time) and;
• Federal employee sponsors must have at least three years of service by the application deadline.

Visit our website at feea.org/scholarships for complete program information, downloadable program instructions, and a link to the application.

ONGOING NORD PROGRAMMING AND SERVICES

CLICK THE IMAGES FOR MORE INFORMATION

Councilman Green with Louisiana State Representative Mandy Landry, District 91, Trey Caruso, The Mayor's Director of State Relations, and Governor Jon Bel Edwards. The Governor signed into law Rep. Landry's House Bill 247 (Act No. 403), which provides a $500 tax credit toward the purchase of gun sale storage devices. 

Councilman Green, Congressman Troy Carter, Eugene Green, III, Lionel Scott, Durrell Laurent, Darrell Saizan, and former Speaker Pro-Tem of the Louisiana State Legislature Sherman Copelin gathered at Congressman Carter's reception, during which toys were collected for distribution to children in our region.

The New Orleans City Council acknowledged the DePaul Community Health Center for its significant and continuous investments in healthcare facilities and services in the New Orleans region, with Dr. Michael Griffin serving as the President and CEO of DePaul.

Councilman Green with members of the Orleans and Jefferson Parish State legislative delegations network at a holiday reception. Legislators will soon commence with two Special Sessions called by Louisiana Governor-elect Jeff Landry.

Great news! District D resident Roderic Teamer is the new Chairman of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors. Mr. Teamer, an executive with Blue Cross of Louisiana, follows in the footsteps of his father, Charles Teamer, a former Vice President at Dillard University in Gentilly, who served as the Chairman of the Chamber Board. In the photo, Mr. Teamer is joined by his daughter, Tai Teamer.

Mayor LaToya Cantrell swore in Chief Anne Kirkpatrick. Welcome and congratulations, Chief Kirkpatrick, New Orleans Police Department.

Our neighbor, the Zulu Social Aid, and Pleasure Club held its annual toy distribution on Saturday, showcasing the generosity of both the members of the historic North Broad Street agency and its supporters. Thousands of toys were distributed. A special thanks to the many individuals who donated gifts and to the United States Marines Toys for Tots program for their support.

These young individuals, accompanied by their parents, guardians, and others, were treated to a game by the New Orleans Pelicans and Owner Gayle Benson to recognize their representation of the City of New Orleans at the NAACP National Convention in Boston. All of these young people were finalists on a local level in the NAACP ACT-SO competition (Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological, and Scientific Olympics). They were photographed outside the Smoothie King Center.

The Energy Fest was held at the Milne Recreation Center, drawing a sizable crowd and facilitating the exchange of valuable information. Among the participants were STEM NOLA representatives, Deanna Rodriguez, CEO of Entergy New Orleans, Attorney Nyka Scott, Entergy General Counsel, and other key figures.

The Treme Fall Fest 2023 occurred on the grounds of the historic St. Augustine Catholic Church in the 1100 block of Henriette Delille. Congratulations to Terence Osborne, an artist and entrepreneur, and to Louis Charbonnet, the longtime owner of Charbonnet Labat Funeral Home and a Treme community improvement activist, who was honored at the Treme Fall Fest patron party.

The majestic exterior of Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in District D's St. Roch community.

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