No, I Wasn't at Mardi Gras

Yes, I have poor timing. If I'm going to spend over 5 weeks altogether in New Orleans - from 6 or 7 trips - within the past 3 months, you'd think that I'd be there for the culmination of Mardi Gras on Tuesday.

Well, I did talk briefly that morning with Gwen Hawkins, the president of the Gentilly Heights Vascoville neighborhood in Gentilly. We are exploring how to take mapping to the next level in a way that's even more impact to neighborhoods and puts additional power and information in the hands of residents. I may be back in New Hampshire (for now), but a portion of my spirit's still in Nawlins : )

Today as I write, there's a group of over two dozen people from a United Unitarian volunteer group mapping the Holy Cross neighborhood in the Lower Ninth Ward. Jo is managing the mapping and data entry of the volunteers from the NENA office on St. Claude Avenue.

There's more stuff building up - the conference, potential project collaborations with NYU and UNC Chapel Hill, and another extended visit to New Orleans in March. I'll leave more of that for future blogs...