Theatergoers of all ages filled Dillard University’s Cook Theatre for Goat in the Road Productions’ fourth annual Play/Write Showcase on Tuesday. Everyone was there to see five local theater companies — Cripple Creek Theatre Co., Dillard Theatre Ensemble, Junebug Productions, NEW NOISE and Night Light Collective — give professional treatment to the staging of 10 one-act … Continue reading →

Using turf taken from the Mercedes-Benz Superdome after it was used for Super Bowl XLVII in February, the New Orleans Recreation Department renovated Harrell Stadium, celebrating its grand reopening on Friday. In addition to the championship turf, there were renovations to the basketball court and installation of a new stadium scoreboard and public address system. Continue reading →

At the Green Project, they believe there’s value in the battered doors, dusty glass and short boards that home renovators toss out. Respect for the value of old things is the reason the building supply recycler is in business. “We’re going to try to price things below retail, but we don’t give things away,” executive director Phyllis … Continue reading →

When my daughter was born 19 years ago, her grandmother sent her a handmade quilt. “Bunny ears,” as it came to be known, bears the scars of many years of love and comfort. But what a comfort it was to a little girl. A group of ladies at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mandeville is quite familiar … Continue reading →

Sal Serio, curator of the American Italian Research Center at the East Bank Regional Library in Metairie, will lead a series of 12 genealogical seminars for beginners starting next week. The sessions are designed as introductions to basic genealogical research and are free and open to the public. The programs will be held Wednesdays beginning this … Continue reading →

Patrick F. Taylor Science & Technology Academy in Jefferson held its 2013 graduation ceremonies May 11 at the Alario Center in Westwego. The school has two valedictorians: Alexandra D. Baldassaro and Tiffany J. Lou. It does not designate a salutatorian. Other graduates are Sara E. Adoue, Nathalie Y. Aleman, Fatmeh T. Ali, Krishna C. … Continue reading →

Memorial Day weekend is here, and many of us will be heading to the beach. Before you decide to pack up the dog and head for the sand and sun, please keep these tips in mind: 1. First and foremost, make sure the beach you are visiting is dog friendly. If you are staying overnight, make sure … Continue reading →

The Department of Theatre Arts at Loyola University New Orleans will team up with Southern Rep to host three new theater camps this summer. Registration deadline for the first camp is May 27. The camps will take place in the Lower Depths Theater, located in the Communications/Music Complex on Loyola’s main campus. Each camp will produce … Continue reading →

Big brothers- and sisters-to-be learn what to expect when a new baby enters the family in a free class at Touro Infirmary, designed for children 4 to 11, Saturday from 10 a.m. to noon. The class covers what happens when mom goes to the hospital, what … Continue reading →

MUSIC AT TRINITY: The Navy Ceremonial Band New Orleans will perform a concert to honor Memorial Day at 5 p.m. Sunday at Trinity Episcopal Church, 1329 Jackson Ave. NEWCOMB ART GALLERY FAMILY DAY: Newcomb Art Gallery on the Tulane University campus welcomes families from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday for Family Art … Continue reading →

This past weekend Cancer Crusaders, the all volunteer-based nonprofit organization, held one of its major fundraisers of the year. The Crusaders’ elegant dinner dance took place in the grand ballroom of the Chateau Golf and Country Club as more than 200 Cancer Crusader patrons enjoyed a gourmet buffet with all the trimmings. Continue reading →

METAIRIE — The U.S. Small Business Administration has selected four Jefferson Parish-based businesses as Louisiana Small Business Champion Award winners. According to the SBA, the awards highlight the impact of top entrepreneurs and small business owners from all 50 states and U.S. territories during National Small Business Week. One winner, public relations firm owner … Continue reading →

CHALMETTE — The Vietnam Veterans of VFW Post 3798, the National Park Service and The National World War II Museum will honor America’s fallen service members during Memorial Day weekend at Chalmette Battlefield and Chalmette National Cemetery, 8606 West St. Bernard Highway, Chalmette. Both sites are part of Jean Lafitte National … Continue reading →

With more than 20 children’s story times and many children’s activities held each week throughout our 14 library locations, the library is a wonderful place for kids to develop a love of learning. But the library doesn’t stop providing those opportunities once children become teenagers. We offer a wide range of teen activities including book clubs, movie … Continue reading →

All branches of the East Jefferson Parish Library will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day. FREE COMPUTER CLASSES: Call (504) 838-1144 STORY WITH CRAFT: 11 a.m. Thursday. Continue reading →

St. Tammany Parish readers 12 to 18 are invited to join the summer reading program “Beneath the Surface” at their local public library. The program continues through July 17. Register online at http://www.sttammanylibrary.org and click on the Summer Reading icon or register at the library. Teens will keep track of the minutes they have … Continue reading →

Einstein Charter School will present the school’s musical ensemble and jazz band in performances and host special appearances by notable New Orleans musicians from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at the school, 5100 Cannes St. Admission is $5, and tickets are available at the school. Food … Continue reading →

NEW ORLEANS — Students from two New Orleans after-school programs collected and presented more than 600 dozen recycled Mardi Gras beads to Arc of Greater New Orleans, along with two art pieces made out of beads. The beads were collected by the Community Works after-school program at the International School of Louisiana and … Continue reading →

Jack Mierl, an 11th-grader at Mandeville High and a student in the creative writing department of the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, won first place in the Southern University Pinkie Gordon Lane Poetry Contest for his poem, “We Walk Down Rosemary Beach.” Jack was competing with more than 60 other Louisiana high school students. Continue reading →

Mount Carmel Academy was named best overall school Tier 1 in the foreign language competition held recently at Southeastern Louisiana University. Categories and winners were: French prose: Level 1, Diana Vazquez, third place; Level 2, Sabrina Langlois, first place; Level 3, Alexia Tadros, first place; Level 4, Georgie Bourgeois, first place. French poetry: … Continue reading →

Benjamin Franklin High School senior William J. McGrew and Aidaana U. Amanbekova of Mount Carmel Academy have been named to the 49th class of U.S. Presidential Scholars, among 141 high school seniors nationwide recognized for their accomplishments in academics and the arts. Every year, the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, appointed by the president, selects … Continue reading →

The Community Section this week includes photos from local civic, community and school groups and highlights recent events around New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany parishes.

Jeanette Bell has a dream for every New Orleanian, and she’s not afraid to get dirty to see it come true. “I want three things for everyone in this city,” she said as she stood on a vacant lot in Mid-City squinting into the sun. “I want everybody to have better quality food to eat in … Continue reading →

Booklovers will be in bibliophile heaven at the 60th annual Symphony Book Fair this weekend, as more than 100,000 items are arrayed for their selection. Marlene Jaffe, who handles publicity for the sale, said that number includes “art, puzzles, CDs, DVDs and sheet music, but is mostly books.’’ The fair will be in the Student … Continue reading →

In the middle of the Hollygrove neighborhood of New Orleans, behind the Carrollton Station post office and across from a well-used youth baseball complex, is a lush scrap of Eden called Hollygrove Market & Farm. Hollygrove is an urban farm and community garden, at 8301 Olive St., that also serves as a market for locally raised produce, … Continue reading →

The Westwego Farmers and Fisheries Market will sponsor its fourth annual crawfish cookoff from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at the market, 484 Sala Ave., Westwego. Tickets are $12 per person in advance and $15 the day of the event. Children 10 and under will be admitted free. In addition to the cook-off, there … Continue reading →

If you have never been to the charming town of Abita Springs, or if you have never been to the Abita Springs Opry in the charming town of Abita Springs, this Saturday might be the time to go. The Abita Springs Opry brings old-fashioned acoustic music to the stage at Town Hall during fall and spring … Continue reading →

Spring and summer are for outdoor fun with your pet. But with rising temperatures, heat stroke becomes a real risk. Heat stroke — the medical name for the inability to regulate body temperature — can cause temporary or permanent organ damage, and is, at minimum, extremely uncomfortable for either cat or dog. Keep pets cool … Continue reading →

The 10th annual 1-mile, 5K run/walk through historic Metairie Cemetery attracted more than 800 entrants this year, but at first the weather didn’t cooperate. Forced to postpone the event to the last Sunday morning of Jazz Fest, organizers were pleased that more than 600 runners still turned out to compete in a variety of different categories … Continue reading →

PORCH DOGS: The Garden District Book Shop presents Nell Dickerson, discussing and signing her book, “Porch Dogs,” from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Garden District Book Shop, 2727 Prytania St., New Orleans. “Porch Dogs” combines fine-art portraits of man’s best friend with beautiful architectural documentation of the Southern porch. The Louisiana Society for … Continue reading →

For more than 56 years, the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library has helped the city of New Orleans build, maintain and service its libraries. Founded in 1957 to raise funds and public awareness for the building of the Main Library, the Friends group has consistently supported all of the city’s library branches. Resources … Continue reading →

FREE COMPUTER CLASSES: Call (504) 838-1144 STORY WITH CRAFT: 11 a.m. Thursday. BASIC MICROSOFT EXCEL 2010-PART 2: 6 p.m. Thursday. LOUISIANA ASSOCIATED GENERAL CONTRACTORS: 6 p.m. Thursday. … Continue reading →

More than 60 Coca-Cola employees from across the country recently joined members of the Dillard University community to host a rain barrel workshop and break ground on a new school garden for Medard H. Nelson Charter School. The garden is the first of three that the Dillard University Office of Community Relations is sponsoring in the local … Continue reading →

The Jane Austen Society of Louisiana invited high school students in southeastern Louisiana to participate in the Jane Austen Literary Round Table, an essay contest that will conclude with a roundtable discussion of the 10 best papers. Students are invited to submit essays until Aug. … Continue reading →

MARRERO — Register now to take part in BioBlitz 2013, a 24-hour species count and biodiversity festival, Friday and Saturday at Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve. Sponsored by the National Park Service and the National Geographic Society, BioBlitz 2013 is part scientific endeavor, part festival and part outdoor classroom. Continue reading →

The Community Section this week includes photos from local civic, community and school groups and highlights recent events around New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and St. Tammany parishes.

Every month, comedians go to three New Orleans metro area hospitals with one goal: making sick youngsters laugh. It’s a goal that unites philanthropists and performers in the city, the region and beyond under the banner of Funny Bones Improv. Founder Jolene Fehler brought the nonprofit Funny Bones with her from Chicago to New Orleans about … Continue reading →

Babies and toddlers with colorfully painted faces walked, crawled and stumbled through the Touro Family Birthing Center on Saturday to reunite with the nurses and doctors who helped them in the first few days and months of their lives. All these children had one thing in common: They had been cared for in the neonatal intensive care … Continue reading →

It’s natural for kids to want to play in the water when it gets hot. That’s why it’s so important to teach them to be safe around it. The Ashley Marie Kelly Swim Program, in partnership with the American Red Cross, the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Foundation and Tulane University, provides a week of free daily lessons in … Continue reading →

Valerie Englehardt, of Madisonville, has loved everything about being a mother: being pregnant, nursing babies, healing hurt knees, driving children here and there, and watching her children grow into good men and women. She has loved motherhood and lived it so well, in fact, that she has been chosen for the Regina Matrum, or “Queen of … Continue reading →

The Rivertown Theaters for the Performing Arts will present the musical “Gypsy” from Friday through May 26 at the theater, 325 Minor St., Kenner. The show is directed by Gary Rucker. The musical director is Kyle Aucoin and the choreographer is Frannie Buchtel. Tickets are $30 to $35 per person with discounts for seniors, students and … Continue reading →

Adding a new dog to the family is a big decision and a lifelong commitment. It is especially important to consider the pets you already have in the home when deciding to bring in a new addition. Once you’ve decided to get another pet, you’ll want to make the introduction with a minimal amount of stress. … Continue reading →

The strength of a community is never more apparent then when one among them is in need. Recently, friends and supporters of the Townsend family gathered at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Lakeview with a very special mission as their objective: to raise much-needed funds to help offset medical expenses associated with a 2-year-old boy’s heart transplant. … Continue reading →

HIKE THE LAFITTE CORRIDOR: The Friends of the Lafitte Corridor will host its annual three-mile hike at 9:30 a.m. Saturday beginning Congo Square in Louis Armstrong Park and finishing at Bud’s Broiler, 500 City Park Ave. Bike Easy will hold a bike safety workshop at 9 a.m. in Congo Square and transport bikes … Continue reading →

I am excited to announce that early sign-up for our much-loved annual Summer Reading Program is scheduled to begin May 15, with kickoff parties scheduled at each of our 14 library locations on May 31 and June 1, depending on the library location. Early signup and details on the kickoff parties can be found by … Continue reading →