"Make It Right" does it right

When Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, it became clear that the Louisiana state government had made a mess of protecting the city. US federal government decisions after the storm did a lot of harm, too. Not only did the home owners in the Lower 9th Ward, the district hit hardest by the storm, lose everything; they were also not allowed back into the area to collect their things. This made a lot of the locals angry. So Brad Pitt, a resident of New Orleans, made up his mind to help make things right with his "Make It Right" housing development project.

As Brian Gauvin writes in "Good to be home" (Spotlight 9/2009), Pitt seems to be doing everything right to help build a sustainable future in the area. For one thing, the new houses themselves, using the best in green design and architecture and each one unique and attractive, are making the point that the future lies in energy-efficient, liveable and affordable housing. The project has made an effort to find financing that's affordable to the low-income residents, who have a hard time making ends meet, even when times are good.

In the grammar exercise on the next page, we study idioms with do and make to review the great work the project has been doing and the progress it has made.

Anne Hodgson