Portraits of the Stalwarts: Derrick Morrison

Brad V:  Originally, how did you come to be involved in the Charity Hospital/LSU/VA fight?

Derrick M:  I got involved because I felt that it would be easier to get Charity open after Katrina than some of the other struggles going on - because it had been cleaned out, because it had basically been readied for operation, and because of the fact that, initially, the City Council and the state legislature were asking that Charity were asking for it to be re-opened on a temporary basis.  So it seemed like it would be easy to get Charity re-opened.  But as it turns out, it was not that easy.  It's gonna take...a lot more effort to get Charity re-opened.

Brad V:  At this point - I know you've been very active in the neighborhood and in the adjoining neighborhood - what do you think of the state of affairs of the LSU/VA project today?

Derrick M:  Well the LSU/VA project, right now, basically...the campaign right now is for justice for the people who were given unfair property appraisals by the LSU Board of Supervisors - to get LSU to fork over some more money for them.  Also, to get the VA to do right by the adjacent neighborhood - Cleveland Avenue, Palmyra Street.  Also, the effort to save McDonogh No. 11 School is uppermost in my mind.  It's clear that LSU doesn't know how big this project is going to be.  The whole effort now should be to save the school in light of the fact that LSU's plans are probably going to be changed.  And even if they aren't changed, LSU is still only using half the area - so the school should be saved.  The big thing now is to force LSU to redesign its design to save McDonogh No. 11 School.

Mid-City Neighborhood Organization - Opposes LSU Footprint Street Revocation

This letter to Stacy Head from MCNO is encouraging:

According to Derrick Morrison of the Committee to Re-Open Charity, here's how things stand on the LSU Footprint street revocation after the City Council Meeting on Thursday:

"At the May 05 New Orleans City Council meeting, an ordinance, prepared by the City Attorney's office and based on Property Disposition 1/11 (PD 1/11) of the City Planning Commission, was accepted by the Council. The CC has to wait 21 days before taking any action, meaning that, at the earliest, the ordinance won't come up until the Thursday, June 02 meeting."

Outer Banks goes to Court this Week

Details via Mr. Derrick Morrison of the Committee to Reopen Charity:

At 10am, Thursday, on Nov 04, Atty./business owner Greg Guth will step into Civil District Court, Division A, Rm 202, to defend himself against the unjust eviction notice handed to him this week by LSU/State Office of Facility Planning and Control. Atty. Guth owns the building that houses the Outer Banks Bar at S. Tonti and Palmyra. Nicole, who manages the business, will also be there to defend herself against the same notice.