New Orleans

AS NEW ORLEANS turns from a natural disaster to a human disaster, some are asking the farsighted question: Should the city be rebuilt? House Speaker Dennis Hastert yesterday told a suburban Illinois newspaper that on the issue of federal assistance in rebuilding New Orleans "We ought to take a second look at it. But you know we build Los Angeles and San Francisco on top of earthquake fissures and they rebuild too. Stubbornness. " Hastert is now facing some harsh criticism for suggesting that the Big Easy should be allowed to remain a big pond.

Ben Crenshaw converted a fast start into a 5-under-par 67 and a 2-stroke lead yesterday in the third round of the $500,000 USF&G Classic in New Orleans. Crenshaw birdied three of the first five holes, sinking a 20-footer on the 5th. He also dropped a 25-footer for a birdie on the 10th, then played the last eight holes in par. Ronnie Black was second after shooting a 69 for a 203 total. Tom Watson, a two-time winner in New Orleans, moved up with a 66 that put him in a four-man group at 204, 3 shots back going into today's final round.

Cardinal John Krol was hospitalized in New Orleans on Sunday when he suffered "a weak spell" after celebrating a Baccalaureate Mass that morning at Xavier University, aides said. Cardinal Krol, 76, leader of the Philadelphia archdiocese's 1.35 million Catholics, was listed in stable condition yesterday at Hotel Dieu Hospital, where he was undergoing tests, hospital spokeswoman Kathleen Brown said. "I am authorized to say only that he is in stable conditon," Brown said. "He came in because of weakness.

MANY OF the plans for rebuilding the Gulf Coast beg the question, who decides? Who pays is also important. And so is who gets paid. But the fundamental "who decides?" question will determine the answers to all the others. Pundits have now offered just about every possible option for the rebuilding, including exactly as it was, no rebuilding at all, a Key West or Venice tourist museum, a 21st-century model city. I favor the Venice strategy. It seems the best way to face all the competing realities, including preserving the historic areas, which were least affected by the flooding and will be the most missed by the world; creating, largely from scratch and on higher ground, a modern economic metropolis to exploit the advantages of sitting between the Mississippi and the Gulf of Mexico, and restoring the Delta ecosystem to help tame the consequences of the next big storm.

Levan Alston, the point guard who helped Simon Gratz win the Public League boys' basketball championship last season, yesterday signed a letter of intent to attend the University of New Orleans. Another area player, Kevin Lewis, a 6-foot, 11-inch senior at Glen Mills, will sign a letter of intent tomorrow to attend the University of Rhode Island, Glen Mills coach Tom Mann said yesterday. Lewis played only three games for Germantown High last year before leaving the team and has yet to play a game for Glen Mills; he attracted college attention while playing in the Sonny Hill League this summer.

Spike Lee's When the Levees Broke may not be the most joyous gift you could give this holiday season, but it might be one of the most important. The three-disc set is not only the most personal account of the unnatural disaster that hit New Orleans, it is also the most complete. Lee's documentary, shown on HBO, is as much an indictment of local, state and federal officials as it is a tribute to the people of the Big Easy and their endurance in impossible and horrific circumstances.

We're planning to visit New Orleans soon, and have two questions: How can we tour the cemeteries there, and what's the weather like at this time of year? B.S., Elkins Park New Orleans' cemeteries are famous for their above-ground crypts, necessary because of marshy ground in the delta city. The structures and inscriptions can be very interesting, and some of the cemeteries hold dignitaries. Among them are St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, 400 Basin St., with the remains of Etienne de Bore, the city's first mayor, and Marie Laveau, a 19th-century voodoo queen.

"The Big Easy," a suspense drama starring Dennis Quaid, Ellen Barkin and Ned Beatty. Directed by Jim McBride. Screenplay by Daniel Petrie Jr. Running time: 96 minutes. A Columbia release. At area theaters. The Big Easy" is New Orleans. You know, the town where "dancing's a way of life. " The town where "folks have a certain way of doing things. " The town that's "a marvelous environment for coincidences. " When characters in a movie are as dead set on defining their city as the ones in "The Big Easy" are, you know you'd better pay attention; chances are that the town's supposed characteristics are meant to tie into the theme of the movie.

RE: COKER Roberts Jr.'s Sept. 20 letter: It wasn't only the wealthy who received tax cuts. Everyone, without regard to class, got them. As a matter of fact, did Mr. Roberts know that the top 80 percent of all federal income tax is paid by the top 20 percent of wage earners? And creating good, well-paying jobs for the poor only works if these people are willing to work, which many are not. Hopefully, there will be plenty of work to go around for the displaced residents of New Orleans, but keep in mind that the areas most affected by Katrina were home to some of the least-educated and skilled people in the country, precluding them from many of the jobs available in the rebuilding process.

DERRICK ROSS scored a touchdown with 5 seconds left as the Soul rallied to beat visiting New Orleans on Saturday, 65-56. The Soul forced a safety on the ensuing kickoff to cap the scoring. "I have to give credit to New Orleans," Soul head coach Clint Dolezel said. "They played a great game. However, this game is 60 minutes. We were able to fight back in the second half and come out with the win. " Ross rushed for a season-high four touchdowns and quarterback Dan Raudabaugh threw four touchdown passes for the Soul (6-5)

Saturday at 7:05 p.m, Wells Fargo Center TV: The Comcast Network. Records: Soul, 5-5; VooDoo, 2-8. About the Soul: The Soul lead the series, 4-2, and have a four-game win streak against New Orleans that includes last year's first-round playoff win. . . . The Soul's rush defense has allowed an average of only 17.1 yards per game, third in the Arena Football League, and has given up 12 rushing touchdowns, the second-fewest in...

CHARLOTTE BOBCATS owner Michael Jordan is changing his team's name to the Hornets, said a person familiar with the situation. The person said Jordan will detail the timetable for the change to be completed at a press conference the Bobcats have scheduled today. The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the name change has not been publicly announced. NBA deputy commissioner and COO Adam Silver previously said it would take "about 18 months" for the Bobcats to change their name.

Hope Against Hope Three Schools, One City, and the Struggle to Educate America's Children By Sarah Carr Bloomsbury. 336 pp. $27 Reviewed by Martha Woodall   In Hope Against Hope , veteran education reporter Sarah Carr takes a penetrating look at what happened to schools in New Orleans after the city was ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Instead of giving a broad overview of the city's altered educational landscape, the former New Orleans Times-Picayune reporter offers a more personal, ground-level perspective.

NEW ORLEANS - Two brothers with a history of drug arrests and suspected ties to a neighborhood gang each face 20 counts of attempted second-degree murder in a shooting that brought a sudden bloody end to a neighborhood Mother's Day parade. The arrests by police and U.S. marshals came less than four days after gunfire scattered the crowd and wounded 20 people - 19 hit by bullets and one while trying to flee. Akein Scott, 19, was arrested without incident late Wednesday at an eastern New Orleans residence.

Credited to Steve Earle & the Dukes (& Duchesses), The Low Highway is the first album in 23 years on which Earle has shared billing with his backing ensemble, a measure of his affection for what he called "the best band I've ever had" on the stage of the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville Friday night. That band, featuring husband and wife multi-instrumentalists Chris Masterson and Eleanor Whitmore - who played a brief opening set as the Mastersons - alongside longtime rhythm section Kelley Looney and Will Rigby, lived up to the compliment during a two-and-a-half-hour show that mixed the entirety of The Low Highway with songs from Earle's long and varied career.

Enter to win a $100 Amazon gift card by picking the first round of the NFL Draft:  Play the Daily News' Draft Challenge.  (Use promo code F73W.) THERE IS WHAT the Jimmy Johnson draft trade chart says, and then there is what teams actually get when they trade draft picks. Here are all the trades in the top 5 of the NFL draft over the past 15 years. * 1998: Cardinals traded second overall pick to Chargers, who drafted QB Ryan Leaf. Arizona got RB Eric Metcalf, LB Patrick Sapp, the third overall pick, which it used on DE Andre Wadsworth, plus the eighth overall pick in 1999, used on WR David Boston, and a second-rounder in '98 (S Corey Chavous)

DARRELLE REVIS walked into the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' weight room and received a round of applause from some of his new teammates. The three-time All-Pro may have left the New York Jets feeling underappreciated, but he's a welcome addition to a defense that ranked last in the NFL last season and is expected to help transform the Bucs into a playoff team. And, the well-paid Revis is confident he's up to the task. "We're going to make a lot of noise. Don't worry about that," the seventh-year pro said Monday.

NEW YORK KNICKS forward Rasheed Wallace retired again from the NBA on Wednesday after he was unable to recover from a left foot injury. Wallace tried to make it back for the playoffs, but knew after a brief stint Monday against Charlotte that it was over. "We all wish we can play forever but that's just not the case," Knicks coach Mike Woodson said. "Some play longer than the others and in this case he had a long career, man, and he tried to come back and it just didn't work and he's going to move on with his life.

NEW ORLEANS - A political brawl has broken out between the mayor and a sheriff who runs the city jail, which has come under scrutiny for a video showing inmates using drugs, drinking beer, and handling a gun. Mayor Mitch Landrieu asked a judge last week to take the extraordinary step of placing the jail under federal oversight, effectively wresting control away from Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman. Landrieu is upset over an agreement Gusman reached with the U.S. Justice Department to reform the jail, saying the city, which funds the jail, can't afford the potential expense.