[times Picayune] A Changing Church 002

TO D AY’S PARADES Orpheus, 7 p.m., Mandeville Selene, 6:30 p.m., Slidell

CASE DROPPED First plaintiffs withdraw suit against Allstate

LIVING

Aquila, 7 p.m., Metairie Jason, 7:30 p.m., Metairie Hermes, 6 p.m., Uptown D’Etat, 6:30 p.m., Uptown Morpheus, 7:45 p.m., Uptown

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Marching band carries on for slain director

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t Threat over A CHANGING CHURCH debt

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ST. TAMMANY EDITION

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2007

171st year No. 26

Demo bills cut state’s recovery costs

being probed

Legislation waives, forgives $1.8 billion

Councilwoman gets grand jury subpoena

By Bill Walsh Washington bureau

By Charlie Chapple St. Tammany bureau

Stung by criticism from within their own ranks that they have abandoned the Gulf Coast, House Democratic leaders filed long-awaited legislation Thursday to relieve hurricane-battered Louisiana of nearly $1.8 billion in recovery costs. They also promised that mo re he l p i s c om i ng ne xt month. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., also established a “working group” of Gulf Coast lawmakers to develop hurricane recovery legislation and assigned staffers from key committees to write and monitor bills. The action came a day after Rep. Charlie Melancon, D-Napoleonville, criticized his party’s leadership for what he said was a failure to fulfill campaign promises to speed relief to the Gulf Coast, which is still coping with severe damage from the 2005 hurricane season. “I think it was a wake-up call,” Melancon said after an hourlong impromptu meeting with Pelosi, other Democratic leaders and committee heads Thursday afternoon. Earlier Thursday, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer endorsed Melancon’s criticism. “You’re right,” Hoyer said to Melancon at a morning news conference. “You know, we have not done what we need to do,” the Maryland Democrat said, pounding the podium. “There is a great deal of frustration on the Gulf Coast about the recovery effort, and that frustration WASHINGTON —

Federal authorities are investigating a Madisonville resident’s revelation last month that Town Councilwoman Bonnie Fruge, in an effort to collect a business debt, threatened to u s e h e r elected posit io n to sh ut down const ru c ti on of the man’s new home. Bonnie Fruge Councilwoman U.S. Attorguilty only ‘of ney Jim Letlosing her cool,’ t e n o n lawyer says We d n e s d a y would neither confirm nor deny an investigation. But Mayor Peter Gitz this week said he and town building inspector Steve Benton recently were questioned by FBI agents and have been subpoenaed to testify before a federal grand

See PROBE, A-6

State education leader dies Cecil Picard directed accountability efforts

STAFF PHOTOS BY DAVID GRUNFELD

Workers with Concrete Busters of Louisiana demolish St. Genevieve Catholic Church near Slidell on Thursday. Demolition of the church, which has served as a rallying point for the devasted Bayou Liberty area, should be complete today.

uilt in 1958, St. Genevieve Catholic Church near Slidell is being demolished this week, nearly 18 months after Hurricane Katrina toppled its steeple and swamped the sanctuary, leaving behind 2 feet of The facade of St. Genevieve Catholic Church near Slidell was made with brick from St. Joe Brick near Slidell. Many parishioners stopped muck. In the months after by to pick up a brick or two for a keepsake as the church was being the hurricane, Mass was said torn down. outdoors under a 300-yearold, storm-battered live oak, where services were held more than 100 years ago before the first church was built on the picturesque site along Bayou Liberty. The congregation now meets in the renovated fellowship hall. “The church is not the building, but the people,” the Rev. Roel Lungay said. “We are the church.”

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I Feds won’t give state a break on state match for infrastructure repair, A-7

By Darran Simon Staff writer

Cecil Picard, Louisiana thirdlongest-serving superintendent of education, who was widely respected for creating the state’s accountability system and largely credited with shepherding the takeover of New Orleans’ failing public schools, d ie d Th ur sday. Cecil Picard Author of more Picard was than 50 pieces 68. of education Picard died legislation from complications of Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, at Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center in Lafayette. His wife, Gaylen David Picard,

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See PICARD, A-4

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Tornado gives victims a case of destruction déjà vu Carrollton resident Darren Brooks holds his sleeping 2-yearold daughter, Ella, Thursday outside their brokenwindowed Zimpel Street home, which sustained $45,000 in damage in Tuesday’s tornado. The Brookses, who lost their Magazine Street home in Katrina, moved into this house two weeks ago.

Many were rebuilding from losses in Katrina By Coleman Warner Staff writer

STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL DeMOCKER

Classified Comics Deaths

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Editorials Living Money

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Television Washington Louisiana

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More than 16 months ago, Hurricane Katrina blew down Darren Brooks’ Magazine Street home and a bar he owns near the Fair Grounds. Two weeks ago, after a meticulous restoration, he and his wife moved into a home in the Carrollton neighborhood, thinking their post-storm life finally had stabilized. Until Tuesday’s tornado. The 37-year-old former commercial diver has joined the

ranks of New Orleanians recovering from a second weatherrelated disaster, after the earlymorning tornado landed a blow to his new home. The tornado damaged or destroyed more than 200 residences across the New Orleans area. Brooks is unbowed and unbroken. Instead, he is among many who are displaying resilience, thanks to doses of good humor and help from others. “That’s life. Everybody has good things and bad things happen to them — mine was just concentrated in a year-anda-half period,” Brooks said with a laugh Thursday as he surveyed wall cracks and freshly repaired windows in his home,

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