Anyway, today is Lemonade Day and kids all over the city will be setting up stands on sidewalks and in front yards, tempting you with a sweet, cool drink.  The timing is perfect, since it’s already hot in New Orleans.

One stand will be at the corner of Alix and Belleville in Algiers Point.  The kids are donating a portion of their profits to the Confetti Kids park, so if you are out and about, please stop and grab a glass.

Our youth need all of the encouragement they can get while doing something for others and learning how to be entrepreneurs!

Here’s a list of the properties on tour this year:

• 517 2nd Street
• 423 10^th Street (Café Etienne)
• 701 Huey P. Long Ave (Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church)
• 338 Lafayette Street (Neeb’s Hardware)
• 412 Lavoisier Street
• 532 Newton Street
• 620 Newton Street
• 418 Weidman Street
• 927 Weyer Street

Need more information?  Call 504.363.1580.

Start your own Gretna home search here

The kids usually bring a box or large piece of cardboard for levee sledding while the grown ups are dancing and visiting with folks they might not have seen since last year.  It’s a great kick off to the St. Patrick’s celebration, so don’t forget to wear your green.

Friendship Day starts at 11:00 am this Sunday (March 11th) and continues through the afternoon until 6:00 pm.  Don’t forget to turn your clocks forward an hour on Saturday night or you’ll be late!!

If you are heading to the parades, keep safety in mind.  Don’t put ladders right by the street (they should be as many feet back from the curb as they are tall), keep an eye on the kiddos and don’t drink and drive.  Pace yourself and stay hydrated.  A full day of parades can be exhausting, so don’t forget to bring food and drinks to keep your energy up for waving and yelling and catching some of the really cool throws that the krewes are tossing.

WEATHER NOTE:  Keep an eye on the news, since there is a good chance of rain on Saturday which could change the schedule and result in the cancellation or rescheduling of some parades.

Here’s the schedule of upcoming parades:

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17th

• Divine Protectors of Endangered Pleasures (DIVA) French Quarter 1:30 p.m.
• Knights of Hermes Uptown 6:00 p.m.
• d’Etat- Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
• Krewe of Morpheus Uptown 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18th

• Iris – Uptown, 11:00 a.m.
• Tucks – Uptown, 12:00 p.m.
• Endymion – Mid City, 4:15 p.m.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19th

• Okeanos – Uptown, 11:00 a.m.
• Mid-City – Uptown, 11:45 p.m
• Thoth – Uptown, 12:00 a.m.
• Bacchus- Uptown, 5:15 p.m.

LUNDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 20th

• Proteus- Uptown, 5:15 p.m.
• Orpheus – Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
• Lundi Gras Celebration

MARDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 21st

• Zulu- Uptown, 8:00 a.m.
• Rex – Uptown, 10:00 a.m.
• Elks Orleans – Uptown, 11:30 a.m.
• Crescent City – Uptown, follows Elks

You can find a map of all of the parade routes here.

Have a safe and happy Mardi Gras!!

My first king cake of the year

In the event that you prefer to wait for your first slice, don’t miss the King Cake Kick off party on Sunday, January 29th from 12:00-4:00p.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church in Algiers Point.

There will be hot dogs & chili, baked beans, king cake (of course!), soft drinks, local beers and live music from Benny Grunch and Da Bunch.  Open to the public, it’s a family friendly event perfect for a Sunday afternoon.

Trinity Lutheran is located at the corner of Eliza & Olivier Streets

Bids will be taken shortly for the planned extension of the bike and walking path in Algiers.  With construction expected to begin this spring and be completed before the end of 2012, the path that currently runs from the Gretna ferry landing to the Algiers ferry landing will be extended all the way to the Chalmette ferry landing on the West Bank.

Plans include benches, water fountains, places for people to clean up after their pets and historic markers that share some of the history of Algiers.  There is already a shell path on the top of the levee, but the addition of a 10 foot path and several access ramps along the route will make your walk, run or ride even more enjoyable.  Additionally, the section of the levee that was closed to restrict access to the Naval Base is now open and will be included in the path construction.  Just that one change makes the entire path more appealing since it no longer dead ends into a restricted area, which forced people off of the levee and around the base.

I can’t wait to see the new improvements as they are completed!

Recent article about the bike path at nola.com

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas and the city of Gretna is getting in the holiday spirit with the annual lighting of their tree this weekend. Starting at 6 pm on Sunday, December 4, 2011 at the Gretna Visitor’s Center on the corner of Huey P. Long Avenue and 4th Street, there will be refreshments, caroling, visits with Santa and the official lighting of the city’s tree.

Open to the public, it’s a family friendly way to kick off your holiday celebrations!

This weekend is the annual Orange Festival in Plaquemines Parish and I’m looking forward to getting out to Fort Jackson in Buras LA to explore, eat, listen to live music and just enjoy the sights and sounds of another local tradition.

The carnival starts on Friday with pay-one-price armbands available.  The full festival opens on Saturday, with the raising of the colors at 10am.  Get there early for the  Ride and Bike Rodeo Saturday morning with registration starting at 7:30 am or the 5k Run, also on Saturday morning, starting at 9 am and a full slate of live musical entertainment the whole weekend.

Hope we see you there!

Orange Festival website

From the Hubbel Library:

The Hubbell Library’s annual Christmas Tree and Holiday Gift sale will take place Saturday, November 26^th from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday, November 27th, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.  This event is a major fundraiser for the historic Algiers Point library, and it features absolutely beautiful trees and wreaths fresh from North Carolina.  The trees are great value, and 100 percent of profits support the library.

Algiers Point’s beautiful Cita Dennis Hubbell Branch is the oldest library in the city, a New Orleans treasure.  It’s 104 years old, and part of the Carnegie legacy.  Due to termite damage and lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina, the library has been closed for years.  Friends of the Hubbell Library have been working hard to make it possible for this very special branch to be restored and reopened, and the tree and gift sale is a big part of that effort.

Because the library is closed, this year’s sale will take place three blocks away, at Gulf Pizza, the old Gulf Service Station at 446 Pelican Avenue in Algiers Point.  The Gulf station, at the corner of Pelican Avenue and Verret Street, was the site of the first tree sale held to benefit the library, over thirty years ago.

In addition to gorgeous Christmas trees, wreaths and garlands, the sale will feature a terrific selection of holiday gifts – cookbooks and other great local-interest books from Pelican Publishing, jewelry from local artists, plus other local arts and crafts.

Special events include:

• Photos with Santa
• An Arts Market
• Trees, wreaths and garland available while they last, 9am to 9pm Saturday and 9 to 7 Sunday

This is a great opportunity to support our neighborhood library – help us ensure that it will be repaired and reopened – while getting the most beautiful Christmas trees and great holiday gifts from local artists and businesses.  Plus, it’s a fun event right in the middle of Algiers Point, where you can also sample our great restaurants, cafes and bars, as well as Rosetree Glass – another source of great Christmas gifts.

 

For more information, please contact Amy Hubbell at 504-322-7479 or amyhubbell@aol.com.

The Sunshine Club has been helping the needy since the early 1930′s and they continue that tradition today, providing baskets of food during the holidays.

Their annual fundraiser is a Turkey Bingo.  If you haven’t seen folks playing bingo in an attempt to win a turkey, you haven’t seen a really fun bingo game yet.  A family friendly event, this year the bingo will be Tuesday, November 22nd at the KC Hall in Gretna (475 Franklin Avenue) starting at 7:30 pm.  Food, drinks and sweets will all be available for purchase during the event.  Feeling extra generous?  Bring a sweet to donate to the table!

In addition to the bingo games, the club is raffling off a 19″ flat screen TV and a turkey fryer.  Raffle tickets are just $1 each or 7 for $5 – what an inexpensive way to not only take a chance on what would be a great Christmas gift for someone on your list, but also to help a neighbor that might otherwise go hungry.

As we all prepare to sit down to a table full of food this week, don’t forget that part of being a member of a community is reaching out a hand to those who need one.  The Sunshine Club excels at this and I hope that they are able to help more people than ever this year.

For raffle tickets, please contact Rody Landry at 504-368-9440.