People are wearing pins on their lapels, a large crescent on which are the words “I know what it means,” underwhich is a heart with a fleur de lis inside, underneath that is “New Orleans.” It’s a song, you no doubt remember: “I Know What It Means to Love New Orleans.”
Love is something you do, Scripture teaches. When David Crosby came as pastor of the FBC of N.O. 10 years ago last month, he led the congregation to post banners up and down St. Charles Avenue with their theme: “Love This City.” These days that church is leading out in a hundred ways toward the rebuilding of this city, particularly in the Baptist Crossroads project of erecting 40 new Habitat homes in the Upper 9th Ward. Thousands of our friends from all over the country are giving much of their summer to make this a reality.
Meanwhile, other churches are on the front line doing all they can. Keith Maddox at West St. Charles Church in Boutte wants you to know that they have facilities for housing groups up to 50 with showers and everything. After the present group leaves, they’ll be ready for your team. Boutte is some 20 miles west of New Orleans on U.S. Highway 90; that was my seminary pastorate 40 years ago and I do love this church. Churches like Oak Park, Metairie, and Highland are also capable of housing groups. Anyone needing contact information on these churches may call our associational offices at 504/282-1428.
Today, Saturday, is the kickoff for the Volunteer Village, a wonderful site for housing groups of church workers coming to help. We’ve spoken of this before (www.joemckeever.com; scroll down a couple of days), and continue to be excited about their capacity to put up 500 people at a time, three meals a day, etc. Maybe the most attractive thing about the VV is that it’s at the foot of Canal Street, right on the river, meaning that when volunteers come in and get their showers, they are close to great restaurants, the Riverwalk shopping center, the Aquarium of the Americas, a movie theater, and some great antique shops.
A fellow named Ricky Graham is tickling the funny bones of locals, teasing us about our accents and mannerisms. Anyone knowing this city and enjoying it for any reason will get a kick out of some of his insights.
“We’ve been through hurricanes, floods, fire, Kimberly Williamson-Butler–what else can we take? Locustses?”
Locustses. Graham points out that the natives around here have a way of doubling plural words, giving us locustses and swampses. He says we “enhance” words, too. The woman wearing those “stretchified” pants? She looks like she’s “trying to shove New Orleans into Algiers–and Algiers is looking bad!” You’ll hear about “evaporation” instead of “evacuation,” of somebody’s “dysfunctionated family,” and the way locals turn syllables around, giving us “Viet-manese,” for instance. He said, “New Orleans people just take a word and make it sound more betterer.”
Graham says, “Katrina made some strange bedfellows, did it not? Now everything I tell you is true, but this is particularly true. Out on Metairie Road there’s a jewelry store and in the window there’s a sign that says, ‘Diamonds and concrete.’ On Jefferson Highway there’s a business that does photocopying and stump grinding.” He said, “City Hall–a great sign there would be ‘Elected officials and common sense.’ Now, that’s a sign I’d like to see.”
He pokes fun at the mixed ethnicity of the city. “If you’re from New Orleans and you’re an Italian, you got an Aunt Rose and an Aunt Frances, an Aunt Frances Rose, and an Aunt Rose Frances, right? And Li’l Ant’ny is 10 years old and weighs 195 pounds.”
He laughs, “New Orleans people are good sports. They don’t mind being made fun of. That’s a real special thing about us.”
They’re not laughing in Houston. Big article in Saturday’s paper about the residents of the fourth largest city in the country wanting the New Orleans deadbeats to either take jobs or go home. The unemployment rate is so low in Houston, “You have to work at it not to have a job,” one city leader said.
Closer to home, they’re feeling the pinch also. On the North Shore, just above Lake Pontchartrain, the sheriff of St. Tammany Parish has brought down the ire of the ACLU for saying that the crime of New Orleans is spilling over into his area. The quote that got him in trouble was this line: “I don’t want to get into calling people names, but if you’re going to walk the streets of St. Tammany Parish with dreadlocks and chee wee hairstyles, then you can expect to be getting a visit from a sheriff’s deputy.” Uh oh. Racial profiling, critics said. Sheriff Jack Strain says he never threatened to arrest them, just to check them out. I have no idea what a chee wee haircut is, but I’m going to remember to tell Tony not to give me one next time I’m due.
The ACLU says they plan to meet with local NAACP leaders soon to discuss their concerns.
I wonder about an organization that is more concerned about someone’s sensitivities being offended than they are about curbing crime.
“The largest roof job in American history,” they’re calling the work on the Superdome. By the end of July, a new, glisteningly white hurricane-proof top should be finished. A company in College Station, Texas, is doing the work. For those who like numbers, try these: 10,463 pieces of galvanized fluted metal decking; 270 feet high; 500,000 gallons of foam to cover the entire surface; 125 workers; the project costing $32 million, making it arguably the most expensive roof in the country.
Will it be hurricane proof? Project Manager Tom Keller says this roof will stand up against the worst hurricane possible. “Category, 3, 4, 5, it doesn’t matter to us. We’re extremely confident this roof is going to stay on.”
The roof is only one part of a reconstruction of the Dome costing $185 million. The Superdome is expected to be “football ready” by September 25, the Saints’ first home game, but more work will continue inside through August of 2007.
Anyone interested in rebuilding their home will want to pick up a free book being provided by the Louisiana Recovery Authority. This 92 page manual, “Louisiana Speaks: Pattern Book,” has drawings, photos, and tons of advice designed to keep homeowners from bad decisions and poor choices. They’re giving out 100,000 free copies of the book in stores all over the metro area. Those outside the area may go to www.louisianaspeaks.org. Lowe’s Home Improvement Stores all over the metro area have them, too.
Recently I mentioned here that French Quarter merchants and residents complain about the 3 hour calliope concerts every morning being piped from the Steamboat Natchez docked nearby on the river. Saturday, the musician who plays that august instrument defended her work in a lengthy letter to the editor. Debbie Fagnano wrote: “I have been the full-time calliope player on the Steamboat Natchez for almost 17 years. I am deeply offended when someone ignorant of the facts criticizes us.”
She continues, “Since the 19th century, calliope concerts have been a steamboat’s traditional means of advertising and welcoming passengers aboard. I’ve been thrilled to be the one keeping this tradition alive…. Our calliope is played for 30 minutes prior to boarding, once or twice during the day. This was increased from the previous 15 minutes. Calliope music prior to the dinner trips has been added for about 20 minutes.”
“All of this does not add up to 3 hours a day. We have never played the calliope on Sunday mornings out of respect for Sunday worshipers….. I can’t tell you th number of people who have commented to me that hearing the calliope for the first time since they’d evacuated and returned to the city made them feel welcome and once again at home.”
I love it myself. Of course, I don’t have to listen to it blasting into my neighborhood for hours a day, six days a week.
Incidentally, here’s another New Orleans oddity. We have a downtown street named Calliope. And it’s pronounced to rhyme with canteloupe. (Kally-ope)
I love this city.