Amid Piles of Rubble, Crane Crews Lift Spirits in New Orleans
On the way from my home near City Park, just off of Esplanade Avenue, I passed the monumental debris heap that rises at least three stories high and fills the huge median on West End Boulevard. Every time I see it, I try to find the appropriately astounding adjective for this unprecedented pile of waste and am stymied. Where once Lakeview neighborhood residents could be seen tossing a Frisbee, walking their dogs or rollerblading, cycling or jogging along decoratively-paved paths, the green space lining the way to Lake Pontchartrain has been replaced by the remains of their lives � the material part anyway.
Approaching the bridge that traverses the 17th Street Canal poses a bit of a challenge. Although the flood waters are long gone, broken trees, garbage, furniture, flooded out cars and even boats still hinder the driving lanes of Old Hammond Highway. Safety markers block entrance to the bridge and a signal bearer directs traffic around a tree-trimming truck.