Dear Friends,
I hope you all enjoyed a lively and safe Mardi Gras and St. Patrick’s Day. As the cleaning trucks have cleared the streets of debris, the city is poised for spring festivals and blooms!
St. Augustine’s Coach Barthé receives Proclamation for his leadership and excellence as a coach.
Yesterday, I was so pleased to welcome the St. Augustine basketball team to Council Chambers before the start of our regular meeting. The Purple Knights recently won the Class 5A state champion title, making them role models for classmates and students across New Orleans. Led by Head Coach and Athletic Director Cliff Barthé, top-seeded St. Augustine won the championship against second-seeded Scotlandville from Baton Rouge with a score of 67-43. High school students derive so many useful life lessons from sports, and this win will no doubt teach the team what it feels like to work hard to win.
While you all probably know that sports are near and dear to me, you may not know that I am also passionate about the accessibility of fresh foods. My grandparents were in the wholesale produce business in the Midwest, instilling in me an awareness of fresh food availability. In 2007, I authored a resolution strongly supporting the creation of a Food Policy Advisory Committee (FPAC) to provide recommendations for programs and policies to alleviate the problem of fresh food inaccessibility in many New
The Louisiana Chapter of the Peace Corps receives a Proclamation to recognize the Peace Corps’ 50th anniversary.
Orleans neighborhoods. Since then, the FPAC has met regularly and updated the Special Projects and Economic Development Committee. Members of that group were in City Hall this week when the Mayor announced the launch of the New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative (FFRI), a program that will award $14 million worth of forgivable and low-interest loans to supermarkets and grocery stores that are located in, or plan to locate in, underserved areas of Orleans Parish. Citizens in low-income neighborhoods, many of whom don’t have a car, should not be located miles from a grocery store that sells fresh produce. It leads to poor eating habits, which in turn can lead to serious health problems like diabetes and heart disease. I look forward to seeing grocers cropping up in these under-served areas.
Yesterday, the Council received an enlightening and sobering report by the Department of Justice. The DOJ’s Civil Rights Division works closely with police departments around the country to improve their operations and administration. After several months of studying the NOPD, their honest assessment outlines in detail the problems within the department. In addition, the DOJ is also offering to be part of the solution. With the full weight of the federal
St. Baldricks receives a Proclamation for raising money and awareness for childhood cancer research.
government behind us as we face this challenge, New Orleans will have the tools to create the best crime mitigation program for our city. However, we must all take part in effectively using these tools to make our streets safe. We must all be part of the change.
While we tackle critical problems like crime, we are also spending energy on keeping New Orleans vibrant and unique. Click here to access the 2011 Festival Guide published in today’s Lagniappe. The list is long, and there is sure to be something for everyone!
Your City Council President,
Arnie Fielkow
