Jackson Free Press

Starting a new topic here so as not to hijack the "What to Donate" thread.

Realistically, the city should be relocated, with the historic French Quarter -- the original town, built on higher ground -- which escaped serious damage, left as a tourist attraction or theme park. A Williamsburg of the Gulf.

That's ridiculous and it betrays an ignorance of what New Orleans was.

The French Quarter was what it was because it was an integral part of a living, lively city. It would be an insult to preserve it like a fly in amber and charge people to look at it like flippin' Disneyland, for chrissakes.

Previous Commentsshow

This is a good thread to start. Thank, Tim. And if it gets some activity, I'll move it to the KatrinaBlog, and its comments.

DonnaLadd

Sep 5 2005

NEW ORLEANS LIVES!!!!! THE WATER IS BEING PUMPED OUT FROM THE 17TH STREET CANAL! Bush and Jakes and Blanco at Bethany World Center. Air Force One should be in Mississippi right now, if not already come and gone. General Honore is in charge of the operation and cooperation between state and local & national government. He's a three star general from Pointe Coupee Parish, La., across the river from Baton Rouge. Folks are takeing people in like crazy. Ray Nagin has allowed, his beleagured sity workers to take a break. The wounded and elderly are being evacuated like we know they should, be. God bless Mississippi-Louisiana Connection, Remember; the Greatest Societal Need is that everyone would treat everyone the Same. You could here in Blanco's Voice the rift was over. Both Laura and George Bush with Bishop T. D. Jakes in tow, in Baton Rouge praying with folk. "All we are saying, Is Give Jesus a Chance" Prophet

Prophet

Sep 5 2005

I'm just afraid that it'll be difficult to restore New Orleans to even a shadow of what it was now that the US government has so thoroughly trashed it. :-( I hope, though, that the damage isn't as severe as I imagine from this distance and that within a few years, New Orleans can be on its feet again and be a fun place to live and to visit.

Tim Kynerd

Sep 5 2005

Galveston, Texas was rebuilt and is better than it ever was. I think that Cane was over 40 years ago. If they engineered that marvel 40 years ago. What are we able to do now. Plus, New Orleans is a "miracle city" anyway. That's the mystic draw to the Cresent City. I don't attend Mardi Gras. But when Big Chief Montana of the mardi gras Indians fell dead in the N. O. Council Chambers over a police harassment and brutality issue, earlier this year, I knew something was gonna happen. The Spirit World is a big deal in N.O., and the Gulf Coast. I Love Dixie. Jefferson Davis had his Capitol in the Gulf Coast of Mississippi. And Yes! according to the census organism, I am black; and if any thing on that line "still a negro" (don't keep changeing my racial designation), however the actual designation is Cane River Creole. I've traveled from east central Louisiana through Natchez, on my way to Biloxi and Waveland. Oh, the beauty of the people, that is Waveland. Man, makeing that final curve on 90, and takeing in that breath taking exspanse of the Gulf, stareing at you like a diamond in the rough! DON'T LET 'EM, NOT REBUILD 90. REBUILD 90. REBUILD 90! This land is my land, this land is your land. This land was made for you and me! Think it not strange, that the landfall was Buras, La., the birthplace of N.O., and then on to that awesome direct Biloxi, Gulfport, Pascagoula Hit. By the way we still have family we have not heard from there in Pascagoula. Latricia Richardson, Lonnie Richardson (sister & brother) and three of Latricia's children, and one child of Lonnie. We got tears, in our eyes still for South of Jackson to the Coast. From New Orleans upward. My estimate: 2 Million people displaced in the Miss-Lou. Yes, the Mississippi-Louisiana Connection! Prophet

Prophet

Sep 5 2005

New Orleans can be restored. The Egyptians built the pyramids. With what kind of machinery. Come on people now, let's join together. Everybody come together and make our world a better place. New Orleanians will capitalize on the "people that were", in the future. They will say stuff to future tourist, (and mean it) the people that died on the street and afterwards, are roaming around N. O., trying to find their loved ones. You see, New Orleans is a "haunt" for old souls they say. That's part of the draw. I keep seeing that make shift grave, with the white covering, that's New Orleans. I Have Never Been to a traditional Jazz Funeral, but the first one, next; I got to be there! ME, I can release a lot of PAIN and disgust at such an event. Bring it On New Orleans, excised of the demons of depravity. Prophet

Prophet

Sep 5 2005

A little perspective here, New Orleans was not leveled. A lot of broken windows, looted stores, flooded homes. But is is still standing. The historic Architecutral record is 95 percent in tack. There is alot to work with. I would say brace yourself for a building boom the likes of which it ain't never seen. Buy stock in a gypsum mine, they will need a lot of wall board. The faster they get the water out the more that can be saved. Reality is to the east, now that is the American "Dresden". 200 years of culture and building are gone from Pass Christian to Pasgagoula, nothing, nada, a Moonscape. Gulfport and ole (which now will be new) Biloxi must now be the site of a great deal of top notch planning. There is absolutley no reason for anyone to be allowed to rebuild a stick frame anything on that Gulf Frontage. Look where it got them. The only thing standing are the steel and concrete structures. Meaning the hotels and the few midrise condo buildings that are there. See the implications? The historical context is for the most part gone. Turn Beach Boulevard into the the new Collins (Miami) drive. Except more magnificent with frontage on 90, the live oaks, palms, and landscaped set backs. The sweeping views of the Gulf over HyWy 90. It can be done. A real Riviera can be made of this place. It was already started with hotels like the Beau Rivage (still standing and for the most part unscathed). Let it continue. You can't replace 200 years of architecure. Oh sure we can re-build historic downtown Biloxi and harbor to look like Lost Rabbit (that reservior thing) or some "ole town" city center but that needs to be contained to the bay. Those beach front houses would be cost prohibitive to replace with equal and they would just be leveled again. The gulf frontage is for concrete. steel, wrap around balconies, glass and "deep pilings". Also put the casinos on the land. The barge mentality is too "redneck" now. Thanks for this thread......................Tim & Ladd.

ATLExile

Sep 5 2005

I want to see highrise condos built in Biloxi and Gulfport identical to what they are building here in Atlanta. Except they will be filled in Gulfport and Biloxi. Water attracts big investment and it would be hard to glut a market like that. The trouble was that all of the choice land had a gas station, bungalou, or old church sitting on it. Well.....even me the "die hard" preservationist sees potential with all of this gone. You can't replace history with nothing left to work with. Like a Phoenix up from ashes.........! Or sand as it were.

ATLExile

Sep 5 2005

Yeah! AtlExile! That's the Spirit. Spread it around. Rise again, to the maxx, my beautiful southland. How embracing you are land of the gulfbreezed upon from point to point. Prophet

Prophet

Sep 5 2005

ATLExile, I'm not sure what you're saying should be done with the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Although here's one point I'd like to make: A real Riviera can be made of this place. ... You can't replace 200 years of architecure. Oh sure we can re-build historic downtown Biloxi and harbor to look like Lost Rabbit (that reservior thing) or some "ole town" city center but that needs to be contained to the bay. It should be noted that the charm of the Riviera is, in fact, that it is a string of eminently walkable towns with beautiful seafront views. A set of Lost Rabbits, if you will (although really better than that). Not a bunch of car-oriented cookie-cutter suburbs that happen to have water next to them. The devastation of the Gulf Coast at this time (when we know more about functioning urban form than we did in, say, 1969) presents an opportunity to rebuild it in a more balanced fashion, and I would certainly like to see that happen.

Tim Kynerd

Sep 6 2005

New Orleans will be back- anyone remember the Easter flood of '79? Hard to find any sign of it now... And the Coast will come back. Hurricane Andrew was nature's own urban renewal project in Miami- it changed the landscape a little, but for the most part it looks better than it ever did before the storm...

Rico

Sep 6 2005

New Orleans will be back- anyone remember the Easter flood of '79? Hard to find any sign of it now... I remember it well, with 25% of the city under water. But that's a lot less than 80-85%. I hope you're right, though. Best, Tim

Tim Kynerd

Sep 6 2005

Yes Tim that's what I am saying. And it can be done and worked in well with the remnants that are left. Yes I remember 1969, I was nine and was with my mother and father at he Edgewater Gulf hotel that fateful Sunday Morning when we bumper to bumpered all the way back to Jackson. I remember the sites when my Father took me back down there in late October. Point is, we know alot more about urban planning today and there is also a lot more money down there now than there was in 1969. The full potential was just beginning to be tapped. I think the next decade is going ot be big, really big on the Gulf coast, an incredible time of healing for everyone down there. With all of this said, I think we all need time to grieve. There's alot of work to do before any of this can get to a starting line.

ATLExile

Sep 6 2005

ATLExile, good to know we're on the same page with this. You also make a good point about there being more money down there now than there was 36 years ago; I hadn't thought about that -- I just hope all the money doesn't flee after this disaster. Here's hoping we get some truly sustainable and walkable development down there this time. Best, Tim

Tim Kynerd

Sep 7 2005

It won't Tim, meaning the money. We are going to see an unprecedented building boom in Biloxi and Gulfport. I am sure the Architects and Planners are at it now, reweaving the shredded fabric or at least planning. The casinos are not going to be successful, as rebuilt, sitting in the middle of a moonscape. They have to get the "charm" and "sense of place" back in there. As relates tothe topography, from the looks of it a great many of the live oak have survived. Those trees are incredibly resilient. They will leaf out over the next two years. We will see the landscape heal itself with a little help from Man. As realtes to what has survived, it is amazing what can be done with restoration and replication these days.

ATLExile

Sep 8 2005

I personally cannot wait to see what will come of this, I mean who knew what the coast would grow into after Camille, and now we have Katrina to make way for even bigger better things. The Casinos will be back, but this time hopefully we will be in a better position to accept them onto our land instead of on our water. What really scares me is that Mississippi has a bad habit of letting the ìmoral majorityî make its decisions for it, and we have in turn lost several sources of income because of this. Iím already hearing about how some religious groups are calling Katrina an act of god to wipe out the sinful Coast and New Orleans, I just hope that if they call for us not to allow the casinos to move to land, that we do not listen, I mean Mississippi is not in a financial state to allow ourselves to loose so much money, we are one of the poorest states in the union, and we need to turn our attention to getting the money to better ourselves.

S-R

Sep 8 2005

funny about the sinful coast. The same churches that were leveled during camille were leveled during Katrina and even more of them. Las Vegas has never been leveled nor any of it's churches. Hmmmmm.....Maybe it's because it's on the coast and that's where Hurricanes go. And when tidal surges hit wood frame, well let's all just look around at those results. The only sin I see is losing one million dollars a day in tax revenue. Revenue the Great State needs for all manner of projects. Now as for these "churches", how much tax revenue do they kick in? But then again "reason" is not the cornerstone of fundamentalist religion. "Fear" is the corner stone of fundametalist religion. Angry vengeful "god is gonna git um" religion. It's time to stop blaming God. God is off the hook. He's got his bulldozer and back hoe out also and wants to pitch in. But He can't as long as He is being blamed (He just being an assignment and not a sex). Remember, Blame is anytime we assign responsibility be it good or bad. OK enough..........now back to the real resurrection (the Gulf Coast). You know one of my worst fears was and always has been that something like this would slam into my Mississippi and do horrible damage, remembering when I was nine and Camille devestated my childhood memories. Well it happened, my favorites are all gone. Now I can stop being afraid and look to a bright new day for the Gulf Coast.

ATLExile

Sep 9 2005