Down in the Big Easy this week...

"Zombie Boat, March 2006, Ninth Ward" by Tara Parrish

Last week, I was offered the opportunity to fly to New Orleans and participate in a volunteer program by The Student Hurricane Network. Rabbit Ears Media is covering the volunteer work of law students on their spring breaks, who are researching emergency response effectiveness in the case of natural disasters. I'm videotaping the work of Disaster Accountability Project, an watchdog group that is working to "improve the nation's disaster management systems through public accountability, citizen oversight and empowerment, whistle-blower engagement, and policy research."

So, I'll be out of the loop in Hartford for a week. Keep me posted on the goings on; send emails to helder(@)mirahartford.net and I'll post them

As if I haven't been a lazy blogger lately, now I have a whole new set of excuses to blog late! Will try to improve the blog and get things back on a better schedule. Promise!

The above photo is one of my favorite photos from post-Katrina New Orleans taken by Tara Parrish. Check her other NOLA photos on flickr.

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Silent Wishes

"KooKoo Nutie's wish" rock sculpture

Pic of the day: This is one of the rock sculpture's from the Silent Wishes sculptures in a vacant lot on Albany Avenue. The rocks are engraved with 'wishes' by Hartford gang members who have been killed. It is a very solemn site. I chose this image because of the quote and how many in Hartford can relate to this sentiment at times. See more rocks from this series in the set on my flickr page.

The rock sculpture series is by an artist whose name currently eludes me. (horrible blogger!)

This particular quote seems to reach out to many people for many different reasons; I've wrestled with variations of that wish often enough, and recently. But then I remember that there is quite a lot of work to do in Hartford to improve it for all. Of course, then I get overwhelmed by it and just want out. Quite the cycle.

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