Former President Clinton and Brad Pitt met with hundreds of volunteers in the Lower 9th Ward at the site where a foundation headed by Pitt plans to begin building affordable homes for Hurricane Katrina victims.
"We hope to see a huge change here in the next six months," Pitt told a group of residents as he posed for pictures Sunday and signed autographs.
The 44-year-old actor and Clinton walked a street as hundreds of volunteers on either side, wielding shovels and rakes, prepared the land for homes. For hours, they cleared overgrown grass and weeds that were covering street drains and sidewalks. (source)
Make It Right Ground-Breaking, March 16, 2008, Led by Brad Pitt and Bill Clinton
(source)
The Latest on Construction
When I revisited the Lower Ninth on October 10th and 12th, what I saw were the initial six houses of the project nearing completion, five houses on Tennessee Street and one on Deslonde. When I talked to Tom Pepper of Common Ground Relief right across the street from the MIR construction on Deslonde Street, he stated that they would be breaking ground on another 12 to 15 houses soon, so they may already have done so as I write. The latest progress will eventually be reported on Make It Right's website, which you can access at http://www.makeitrightnola.org/ . This is a fascinating website with multiple links that let you get into the nuts and bolts of the entire project in all its facets, full of photos, 3-D renditions and video links, and an easy way to donate money if you are moved to do so. Underwrite the house if you're a Hollywood mogul loaded with cash, or just adopt an oak tree, the landscaping, a refrigerator, ceiling fan, toilet, showerhead, the environmentally friendly paint, or just give straight cash; anything is accepted.Below is a photo I took of one of the almost completed homes on Tennessee Street:
An almost completed MIR home. Note the solar panels and raised foundation.
(photo by Mac McKinney)
Still the Wetlands
Although Brad Pitt and his amazing MIR team and affiliates are doing fantastic things in the Lower Ninth Ward, there is still another great, underlying challenge facing not only New Orleans, but all of Louisiana, and that is the restoration of the wetlands. Without the natural protection of the wetlands against storm surges, hurricanes will continue to do far more damage than they should. Everybody down in the Ward knows this, and that is why they are keen to see the nearby Cypress Triangle replenished, replanted and nourished back to full health. Malik Rahim and Common Ground Relief are working on this and the Army Corps of Engineers has put it high on its list of projects under consideration for full funding, under the title "Bayou Bienvenue Restoration Project". We should all encourage the Corps to go for it.
Dieu bénisse le Lower Ward neuvième et la restauration des zones humides.
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In Part Six we will look more at the Lower Ninth as well as Common Ground Relief's wetland restorations projects throughout the state of Louisiana.
