Something Positive...

From nola.com, The Times Picayune's website:

Raymond Kleinpeter has found normalcy right where it has been for 17 years, on his own little plot of ground. On Wednesday, the retired phone company officer, clad in a white T-shirt and straw hat, rhythmically swept leaves in front of his 1950s white brick ranch house on Topaz Street in East Lakeshore. Like many whose property survived the storm untouched, Kleinpeter says he feels guilty he was spared when so many others weren't. That's why he's decided to open his home to relatives and
friends in need of temporary housing while they rebuild their lives. "This is a
test for me, to be sure I'll be generous and share," he said.

Kleinpeter said his homeowner's insurance company mailed him a $3,000 check after the storm to help with expenses. When the adjuster showed up last week, Kleinpeter handed him back the check, not a dime spent." I almost kissed him," he said. It's all about moving forward, he said. Making a good neighborhood better. Making a great city greater. "If I get a chance, I might even cut my grass today," he chuckled.

Thank you, Mr. Kleinpeter. You are the New Orleans I remember and love.