Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tv. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
WDSU on the Kennedy Talk
I'm not sure why the news spot starts out by showing shots of the VA medical center...because Kennedy was talking specifically about the proposed UMC hospital.
The continued confusion about the distinction by local news outlets is cause for concern.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Oaken Mishap
Some incident involving a live oak tree, various utility wires, and a large truck unfolded yesterday evening just outside the VA Footprint at S. Rocheblave and Banks, in front of the S.W. Green Mansion.
Neighbors reported a loss of various services, including cable television.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
House Speaker Tucker on the UMC
WWLTV carries an interview with the Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives entitled
"LSU's plan...isn't sustainable...and isn't financeable"
"N.O. teaching hospital in limbo"
"LSU's plan...isn't sustainable...and isn't financeable"
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
"in the event Treme decides not to Treme itself, it will wholly get it wrong. Completely. They’ve written themselves into our recovery. Period."
Will HBO's Treme ultimately cover its own presence in New Orleans as the tv timeline and the real world timeline collide?
Jean-Paul Villere lays out the strange possibility of "Davis potentially watching Davis then watching Davis."
It's an interesting conundrum, the documentarian's dilemma. And it's one that gets even weirder as you ponder how Treme touches on the LSU/VA Footprint. Here are some photos of the shoot in the LSU Footprint from a few weeks ago that never made it onto the blog:
As you can see, the filming required use of some of the now-vacant property in the LSU Footprint - contradicting what the location manager contact told me (that only the streets would be used). The filming actually required messing up some of the lots that had been fully cleared:
It gets interesting when talking LSU/VA because the greater hospitals controversy - not just the geographic setting as stage - seems to be working itself into the show. This past Sunday, for example, the show's viewers saw a developer talking briefly about a map...which turns out to be the LSU/VA hospitals area.
And recent scenes this season, set in 2007, were actually shot in late 2010 in the VA footprint...including a shot near Outer Banks Bar that I watched as it was filmed, (and documented here).
So, at some point in later episodes, if the LSU/VA footprint/Charity theme continues...will viewers ultimately see the show depicting its own crew filming earlier episodes of the show in the crumbling VA or LSU footprints as residents attempt to move out? And if the LSU Footprint is still largely vacant at that future date (which would be no surprise to many of us), will the show's crew return there to shoot/recreate such a scene? The possible convergences of film, reality, and time are almost too much to handle all at once.
As Villere puts it: "Treme must Treme itself. Why? Because the whole point of the show is to tell New Orleans’ story post Katrina, and whether you want to admit it or not the diurnal tedium of our lives will forever be impacted by the concept and execution of this show paralleling and in effect documenting the fabric of our culture."
Jean-Paul Villere lays out the strange possibility of "Davis potentially watching Davis then watching Davis."
It's an interesting conundrum, the documentarian's dilemma. And it's one that gets even weirder as you ponder how Treme touches on the LSU/VA Footprint. Here are some photos of the shoot in the LSU Footprint from a few weeks ago that never made it onto the blog:
As you can see, the filming required use of some of the now-vacant property in the LSU Footprint - contradicting what the location manager contact told me (that only the streets would be used). The filming actually required messing up some of the lots that had been fully cleared:
It gets interesting when talking LSU/VA because the greater hospitals controversy - not just the geographic setting as stage - seems to be working itself into the show. This past Sunday, for example, the show's viewers saw a developer talking briefly about a map...which turns out to be the LSU/VA hospitals area.
And recent scenes this season, set in 2007, were actually shot in late 2010 in the VA footprint...including a shot near Outer Banks Bar that I watched as it was filmed, (and documented here).
So, at some point in later episodes, if the LSU/VA footprint/Charity theme continues...will viewers ultimately see the show depicting its own crew filming earlier episodes of the show in the crumbling VA or LSU footprints as residents attempt to move out? And if the LSU Footprint is still largely vacant at that future date (which would be no surprise to many of us), will the show's crew return there to shoot/recreate such a scene? The possible convergences of film, reality, and time are almost too much to handle all at once.
As Villere puts it: "Treme must Treme itself. Why? Because the whole point of the show is to tell New Orleans’ story post Katrina, and whether you want to admit it or not the diurnal tedium of our lives will forever be impacted by the concept and execution of this show paralleling and in effect documenting the fabric of our culture."
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
"the money is in hand": An Open Response to Bobby Jindal's TV Appearance This Morning
No, Governor, the money is not in hand for the proposed University Medical Center in New Orleans. It most definitely is not.
I have so many issues with the Governor's appearance on WWLTV this morning that I don't know where to begin. And that's coming from someone who had high hopes for Bobby Jindal as a smart new kind of thinking conservative at the outset of his term as governor.
Watching the interview and Jindal's eyes-down, driving delivery ("It's absolutely going to happen."), it's almost as if he's simply trying to will the hospital into being, despite all the very real obstacles that remain. That lines up with the state's approach on the ground for much of 2010.
Let's run through a few of the claims made in the tv appearance:
1. Shared services. The whole premise of the "LSU/VA" hospital being co-located for synergy was long ago revealed as bunk. And yet people continue to talk as if the hospitals are a joint venture. Jindal says backroom facilities will still be shared. What does that mean? The host didn't push for any details. I won't believe it until I hear concrete specifics. The two facilities will open at such vastly different times at this rate that I don't know how either one could rely any any critical joint functions, unless the UMC is going to rely on VA services and not the other way around.
2. A number of possible funding sources to make up the financing gap - What exactly are these mysterious sources? In the late fall, it was very clear from consultants at a UMC Board meeting that if HUD did not approve the application from the UMC, the private bond market wouldn't touch the $400 million gap with a ten foot pole. HUD's process is rigorous and does not guarantee funding to applicants by any means - and UMC still hasn't procured mortgage insurance from HUD. In fact, HUD had a number of concerns about the initial UMC application - on major issues like design. The money is not in hand.
3. The vast majority of demolition will be done by April. Perhaps - the state was demolishing movable, recently occupied, historic homes through the fall and winter, getting far out ahead of the financing, as noted by a UMC Board consultant. But not all of it will be demolished by the end of April, that's for sure. The state said it was going to move houses off the site, and that has yet to happen. Really, it's good that the Governor corrected himself after saying that all demolition will be done by April. There are still some major legal issues to deal with - and some big time parties, like OPSB and the Blood Center.
4. They can start construction today - Really? Wouldn't that jeopardize the critical HUD funding? Aren't houses being moved off the site first? What about the fact that streets necessary for completing the project have not yet been revoked by the city? It's important to note that the WWLTV shots of construction that served as part of the story were shots from the VA Footprint - not the UMC Footprint, where things are on hold.
5. They continue to buy properties - And expropriate them. Just remember that. Bobby Jindal has some issues when it comes to respecting property rights. Never once did he mention that the state is using its power of eminent domain to take private property, despite the alternate sites that were and are available. I hope he talks to the small business owners of the Canal Street Guest House, for example, who are being driven out to make way for the project.
Overall, I would have hoped for far more searching follow up questions from Mr. Paulsen. The only positive was the Governor's mention of working with the city to save McDonogh No. 11, which would be good. I'm genuinely glad that the state recognizes the building's importance. But, as I've laid out here earlier, it's premature to talk of moving the building when the money is not in hand. And when it may cost less to change the design and incorporate the building...than to move it.
I have so many issues with the Governor's appearance on WWLTV this morning that I don't know where to begin. And that's coming from someone who had high hopes for Bobby Jindal as a smart new kind of thinking conservative at the outset of his term as governor.
Watching the interview and Jindal's eyes-down, driving delivery ("It's absolutely going to happen."), it's almost as if he's simply trying to will the hospital into being, despite all the very real obstacles that remain. That lines up with the state's approach on the ground for much of 2010.
Let's run through a few of the claims made in the tv appearance:
1. Shared services. The whole premise of the "LSU/VA" hospital being co-located for synergy was long ago revealed as bunk. And yet people continue to talk as if the hospitals are a joint venture. Jindal says backroom facilities will still be shared. What does that mean? The host didn't push for any details. I won't believe it until I hear concrete specifics. The two facilities will open at such vastly different times at this rate that I don't know how either one could rely any any critical joint functions, unless the UMC is going to rely on VA services and not the other way around.
2. A number of possible funding sources to make up the financing gap - What exactly are these mysterious sources? In the late fall, it was very clear from consultants at a UMC Board meeting that if HUD did not approve the application from the UMC, the private bond market wouldn't touch the $400 million gap with a ten foot pole. HUD's process is rigorous and does not guarantee funding to applicants by any means - and UMC still hasn't procured mortgage insurance from HUD. In fact, HUD had a number of concerns about the initial UMC application - on major issues like design. The money is not in hand.
3. The vast majority of demolition will be done by April. Perhaps - the state was demolishing movable, recently occupied, historic homes through the fall and winter, getting far out ahead of the financing, as noted by a UMC Board consultant. But not all of it will be demolished by the end of April, that's for sure. The state said it was going to move houses off the site, and that has yet to happen. Really, it's good that the Governor corrected himself after saying that all demolition will be done by April. There are still some major legal issues to deal with - and some big time parties, like OPSB and the Blood Center.
4. They can start construction today - Really? Wouldn't that jeopardize the critical HUD funding? Aren't houses being moved off the site first? What about the fact that streets necessary for completing the project have not yet been revoked by the city? It's important to note that the WWLTV shots of construction that served as part of the story were shots from the VA Footprint - not the UMC Footprint, where things are on hold.
5. They continue to buy properties - And expropriate them. Just remember that. Bobby Jindal has some issues when it comes to respecting property rights. Never once did he mention that the state is using its power of eminent domain to take private property, despite the alternate sites that were and are available. I hope he talks to the small business owners of the Canal Street Guest House, for example, who are being driven out to make way for the project.
Overall, I would have hoped for far more searching follow up questions from Mr. Paulsen. The only positive was the Governor's mention of working with the city to save McDonogh No. 11, which would be good. I'm genuinely glad that the state recognizes the building's importance. But, as I've laid out here earlier, it's premature to talk of moving the building when the money is not in hand. And when it may cost less to change the design and incorporate the building...than to move it.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
McDonogh No. 11 on TV
Gina Swanson from WDSU heads into the LSU Footprint to share more information about the fight to save the historic school.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
From the Press Conference
A number of clips from yesterday's McDonogh No. 11 press conference made their way onto last evening's newscasts. Here's a succinct one ABC26 that gets the point across in a nutshell:
ABC26- WGNO
ABC26- WGNO
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Roundup: Footprint-related News Items
+ Times-Picayune: "Early 20th Century home of prominent African American relocated from VA hospital footprint"
This piece does a good job of digging into the life of S.W. Green, covering the mechanics of the move, and noting that the building was not accounted for in the federally mandated Section 106 process - it was a citizen-sparked effort that saved the house. Still, after opening with the lines "In a victory for local preservationists" - the piece doesn't quote a single preservationist. Or tell the story of how the diamond in the rough actually came to be rescued.
+ The Lens: "Transplanted medplex houses in need of life support"
I'm a supporter of the house moving effort that happened in the VA Hospital Footprint, as you'll know from reading this blog. Ideally the neighborhood would have been left intact. Ideally, as a fallback, individuals would have moved with their homes to acceptable locations. Most of the concerns about the house moving as it played out, though, tie back directly to the poor site selection for the VA hospital and the timeline imposed on all the parties that worked to pull off the house moving effort. I'm thankful to Builders of Hope, Tim Clark, Orleans Shoring, the City of New Orleans, and partner groups like Providence Community Housing - they worked within a set of major constraints to make this incredibly complex undertaking work.
My opening quote in the piece, like my second quote, was in reference to one property - the red house from S. Galvez that is now on Palmyra near S. Dorgenois - not the entire house moving effort, just to be clear. While I had concerns about salvage and preparation, most houses had salvage conducted. I recognize that getting the houses back up to speed will be a process, and I hope that all the parties involved can move to get all the homes re-roofed as soon as possible. Many of the moved houses do look a bit better than some of the ones portrayed in the piece (which are admittedly in rather tough shape in the interim) and a good number now have roofs on. There's also a great chance to improve with the LSU Footprint moves, as Ms. Stokes noted.
In the end, I'm glad The Lens is keeping an eye on the undertaking. In the LSU/VA affair, there's certainly a need for greater oversight and public attention to the many aspects that weave into it - both positive and negative.
+ Fox8 News: "Concern historic houses were jeopardized"
This TV news piece complements the article from The Lens.
This piece does a good job of digging into the life of S.W. Green, covering the mechanics of the move, and noting that the building was not accounted for in the federally mandated Section 106 process - it was a citizen-sparked effort that saved the house. Still, after opening with the lines "In a victory for local preservationists" - the piece doesn't quote a single preservationist. Or tell the story of how the diamond in the rough actually came to be rescued.
+ The Lens: "Transplanted medplex houses in need of life support"
I'm a supporter of the house moving effort that happened in the VA Hospital Footprint, as you'll know from reading this blog. Ideally the neighborhood would have been left intact. Ideally, as a fallback, individuals would have moved with their homes to acceptable locations. Most of the concerns about the house moving as it played out, though, tie back directly to the poor site selection for the VA hospital and the timeline imposed on all the parties that worked to pull off the house moving effort. I'm thankful to Builders of Hope, Tim Clark, Orleans Shoring, the City of New Orleans, and partner groups like Providence Community Housing - they worked within a set of major constraints to make this incredibly complex undertaking work.
My opening quote in the piece, like my second quote, was in reference to one property - the red house from S. Galvez that is now on Palmyra near S. Dorgenois - not the entire house moving effort, just to be clear. While I had concerns about salvage and preparation, most houses had salvage conducted. I recognize that getting the houses back up to speed will be a process, and I hope that all the parties involved can move to get all the homes re-roofed as soon as possible. Many of the moved houses do look a bit better than some of the ones portrayed in the piece (which are admittedly in rather tough shape in the interim) and a good number now have roofs on. There's also a great chance to improve with the LSU Footprint moves, as Ms. Stokes noted.
In the end, I'm glad The Lens is keeping an eye on the undertaking. In the LSU/VA affair, there's certainly a need for greater oversight and public attention to the many aspects that weave into it - both positive and negative.
+ Fox8 News: "Concern historic houses were jeopardized"
This TV news piece complements the article from The Lens.
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Channel 26 Story from Last Night
TV News Story.
Glynn Boyd's story, including an interview with Greg Guth, puts the demolition today into some perspective.
If you can't find the piece, search the videos for "Mid-City Bar Owner Is Appealing To The State Supreme Court Saying The Taking Of His Business Was Illegal-Glynn Boyd Reports 1/11"
Guth makes a good point in the course of the interview. LSU's power to take property for a public purpose would seemingly be dependent upon a demonstrable linkage to the ultimate public purpose. Yet the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) that comprised that linkage between the City and the State (basically a contract type agreement)...expired in August of this year, and has not, from what I can tell (especially after two public records requests in the fall) been renewed or replaced.
Very briefly (this is an overly simplistic illustration), the way things work on the VA site is as follows:
In the LSU Footprint, it's just LSU and the State (with the UMC Corporation Board to oversee the ultimate hospital) with contractors below. The house moving effort on the VA Footprint side of the project followed its own chain under Jacobs (with many attendant parties involved at various levels):
I welcome any comments that help to clarify these relationships, but as I said, this is just a highly reduced illustration to give people a sense of what's going on.
Glynn Boyd's story, including an interview with Greg Guth, puts the demolition today into some perspective.
If you can't find the piece, search the videos for "Mid-City Bar Owner Is Appealing To The State Supreme Court Saying The Taking Of His Business Was Illegal-Glynn Boyd Reports 1/11"
Guth makes a good point in the course of the interview. LSU's power to take property for a public purpose would seemingly be dependent upon a demonstrable linkage to the ultimate public purpose. Yet the Cooperative Endeavor Agreement (CEA) that comprised that linkage between the City and the State (basically a contract type agreement)...expired in August of this year, and has not, from what I can tell (especially after two public records requests in the fall) been renewed or replaced.
Very briefly (this is an overly simplistic illustration), the way things work on the VA site is as follows:
+ VA - Federal Agency - Ultimate Beneficiary, wants cleared site to build on
|
+ City of New Orleans - Obligated to clear and prepare site for VA under an agreement
|
+ LSU/State of Louisiana Div. of Facilities and Planning Control - City outsourced its obligations to clear and prepare to this entity; this entity does the actual acquisition and expropriation
|
+ Chief Contractor - Jacobs Engineering, works for State/LSU, oversee site preparation and clearance on the ground
|
+ Subcontractors - work on various aspects such as demolition, contamination or hazard removal, etc.
In the LSU Footprint, it's just LSU and the State (with the UMC Corporation Board to oversee the ultimate hospital) with contractors below. The house moving effort on the VA Footprint side of the project followed its own chain under Jacobs (with many attendant parties involved at various levels):
Builders of Hope
|
Tim Clark
|
Orleans Shoring
I welcome any comments that help to clarify these relationships, but as I said, this is just a highly reduced illustration to give people a sense of what's going on.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
"From 6 a.m. until dark, you've got land movers going up and down the road, you've got dump trucks, you've got crews walking up and down the road, and, they're doing their job, but I wish they could do their job once I'm gone."
WWL-TV does some of the best reporting yet on the mistreatment of residents of Lower Mid-City who are still trying to resolve legal issues surrounding their properties even as the neighborhood is demolished and utilities start to get cut.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"Have you ever played for a house moving before?"
*Photo courtesy of Steve Lemoine
Uncle Lionel Batiste, leaned up against a house on Conti in the shade with the rest of the Treme Brass Band, nodded and wheezed in the affirmative as I shook his hand.
Down the row, people dotted the stoops on each bracketed facade as the train of four old houses crept cautiously along toward their new locations on Bienville. Batiste may have played for a house moving at some point, but this one was clearly out of the ordinary for the folks on Conti Street.
Orleans Shoring, one of the chief contractors involved in the moving process, brought a crew of employees down to the Footprint on Friday for a second line as the latest set of houses moved out. The company had a film crew on hand to shoot a tv ad, and I can't say I blame them - the process makes for quite an unusual backdrop.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
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