Coffe on Your Corner is Back, 3 Feb 2022

Got this from Henry Walther, who is the District A Neighborhood Liasion. Henry.Walther@nola.gov  |  504.329.2870 (mobile)

“Just another reminder of next Thursday’s community meeting in Uptown. Join the Mayor’s Neighborhood Engagement Office at PJs Coffee (6501 Maple St.) to hear about City programs, initiatives, and operations directly from City officials and representatives. In an effort to accommodate residents who are less inclined to attend public meetings in the evenings outside of their communities, we’ve created Coffee on Your Corner to bring City government to you. All COVID-19 protocols for indoor dining will be followed. In this iteration, we will be discussing Green Infrastructure and Transit with leaders from the Department of Transportation and the Department of Resilience & Sustainability.”

To attend, please register at nola.gov/neoevents

Where: PJs Coffee, 6501 Maple St.

When: Thursday, February 3rd, 10AM – 11AM

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Native Plant Initiative of GNO

This is a great group doing wonderful things (such as the Rosa Keller library native landscaping).

Check out their website and FB page for info about native garden plans, seed collecting, birding, and projects underway, like the UNO Woodlot planting going on today. You can also get info about the Louisiana Certified Habitat program.

Website: https://www.npi-gno.org/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/npigno

Comments to DEQ re: Magnolia Power Plant, due 4:30, 1/31

The deadline for submitting public comment to the DEQ is Monday, 4:30, Jan 31. It only takes a minute. Make your voice heard.

You can get more info and compose and submit your comment using this link: https://www.all4energy.org/watchdog/submit-comments-before-the-deq-hearing-on-the-air-permit-for-the-magnolia-power-gas-plant 

ALSO, here’s the Sierra Club info (copied below): https://www.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2022/01/magnolia-power-s-proposed-gas-power-plant-will-pollute-baton-rouge-region

Magnolia Power’s proposed gas plant will release more than 2.5 million tons of greenhouse gases annually into the Baton Rouge region’s air, including hundreds of tons of harmful particulate matter, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic compounds, and carbon monoxide. The permit fails to demonstrate how emissions will comply with the Clean Air Act, lacks supporting documentation necessary to fully and independently review the availability of industry standard emissions controls, and inadequately identifies the potential and real adverse effects from the proposed plant on the surrounding community and on communities of color.  

Magnolia Power has also promoted the power plant could co-burn hydrogen, however the permit does not evaluate hydrogen infrastructure, how it can corrode existing gas pipeline infrastructure, or risks of pipeline leaks or accidental releases. Meanwhile, the Climate Initiatives Task Force appointed by Governor Edwards will submit its final report on February 1, 2022. The task force calls for immediate action to minimize the impacts of our changing climate due to burning fossil fuels.

BioDistrict meeting: 31 Jan 22, 6:30

This coming Monday (31 Jan 2022) is a meeting about the BioDistrict CEA, hosted by Mid City Neighborhood Organization. The meeting is both via Zoom and in person at Warren Easton (masks required). The link to register is below.

This is an important matter, and is under the umbrella of the BioDistrict plan that was put into place after Katrina and that resulted in many things, including the VA. So far, it will affect Gert Town, MidCity. The CEA is for 20 years. This may well affect other parts of the City, so it’s wise to understand what’s going on. A fact sheet is here: https://mcno.org/biodistrict-new-orleans-forum-thursday-january-20-2022-630-830pm-warren-easton-high-school/

Biodistrict- MCNO Public Meeting 

When: Jan 31, 2022 06:30 PM Central Time (US and Canada)
Register in advance for this meeting:
https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwodu-hqD8rHNVfrQ-yvmrqN2xB52Y83mkK

Redistricting: TLA Zoom meeting Mon 31 Jan

Please register to attend the Together Louisiana Zoom meeting, to be held Monday, January 31 at 8:30 a.m. 

Register here to attend. After you register, the Zoom link to join will be emailed to you. 

Monday, in preparation for the redistricting special session that begins February 1, our statewide redistricting team will frame our strategy toward ensuring the district lines redrawn this session are fair, racially proportional and representative of our communities.

Leaders will share reports from regional redistricting team meetings and invite us to engage around the issue locally throughout the session.

We’ll also hear an update from leaders on the Together Louisiana pollution monitoring and life without parole reform teams how we can get involved in next action steps.

Mon 24 Jan 2022, 5:00, SWB and Justice & Beyond forum (Zoom & phone)

JUSTICE & BEYOND WEEKLY FORUM MONDAY, JANUARY 24TH 5PMON ZOOM VIDEO & PHONE
SEWAGE & WATER BOARD; ABOVE BOARD THE PEOPLE SPEAK OUT.

Guests: Ghassan Korban & Rene Gonzalez (of SWB), Oliver Thomas, Lesli Harris, and Debra Campbell (community leader). You can contact justiceandbeyondlouisiana@gmail.com if the link doesn’t come through.


https://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001b5bOvO_yQQ7S0cjAAixvfnWAhNvqnP24O2cYHazT3fmo6thAZRiL661f_2cK1axKZreqcu-d7o2k9YC3mo9AjNXQX2WG6VixFBJsVOYn6tYNDncx0oKmEm1-22gsL7qUBWbWbmwJRg9Z6L1PFeMu6UJHzQOnWy3U&c=zYlnPuAeyzs9NcxxRKFMJ6cbaQT8MwyFHyZzcrGhH5ymmG2jWJORsQ==&ch=ooU-khJsg67a7n8FjLi2ZNuC7xNfqwaAKBV3FszDlKVT8zRb3pqYqA==

CRNA Vice President, Betty DiMarco

Many, many thanks to Bill Ives for his years serving as CRNA Vice President, and we’re glad that he’ll remain on the Board.

Congratulations to Betty DiMarco, now CRNA Vice President!

BioDistrict Presentation from 14 December 2021

This was presented at an Ad Valorem meeting of the City Council on 14 December 2021. The link opens to a page that include a link to the slideshow. http://cityofno.granicus.com/GeneratedAgendaViewer.php?event_id=7cd71686-b088-40ff-b41e-1c68ffe3790b

BioDistrict article in 1/23/22 Advocate

Here is a paywall-free link to Ben Meyers’ article about the BioDistrict proposal: https://advocate-la-app.newsmemory.com/?publink=1aa6a06ec Gambit and MidCity Messenger appear to be silent on the subject.

Biodistrict Fact Sheet

This is a BIG DEAL that may well affect other neighborhoods. We’re keeping up with what’s going on with the Biodistrict CEA (Cooperative Endeavor Agreement) and will have more info in a day or so. The CEA is not yet finished. See the attached link for the fact sheet about it and why we’re supporting our friends in Mid City in their work on it.

NOTE: The 1/20 meeting has been canceled. The Fact Sheet has good info, so have a look: https://mcno.org/biodistrict-new-orleans-forum-thursday-january-20-2022-630-830pm-warren-easton-high-school/