New Orleans CityBusiness articles from April 2006

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from April 2006

Red Nose Relief coming to St. Bernard.
April 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness staff report Red Nose Relief, a non-profit organization devoted to bringing smiles to children in the aftermath of natural disasters, will perform for students in St. Bernard Parish, one of the areas hardest hit by...

Zephyrs motto for 2006: "Proud to call New Orleans home".
April 3, 2006... Byline: Tommy Santora The only game in town is aiming for the fences.When the first pitch of the new season is thrown at 7 p.m. Thursday at Zephyr Field, the New Orleans AAA affiliate of the Washington Nationals will put on display eight...

N.O.-based Coldren Oil and Gas Co. will invest $91M in 20 projects.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet Coldren Oil and Gas Co., New Orleans' newest exploitation and development drilling firm, will spend an estimated $91 million on 20 projects in 2006.Coldren oil came online in August 2005 with a $100-million investment...

Tivoli Place Apartments in N.O. evictions being challenged.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster Maynard Cecil "M.C." Brown, a 76-year-old Korean War veteran, lives in a van underneath the Interstate 10 overpass off St. Charles Avenue.It wasn't always this rough for the former Marine.Seven months ago, Brown...

Upcoming events in New Orleans.(Calendar)
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff April 3Doncaster Clothing Trunk Show, through April 7, by private appointment only at the North Shore home of Cleon Boone. For appointments call (985) 892-0040 and visit www.doncaster.com to preview the spring...

N.O. Health Care Briefs: April 3, 2006.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Tommy Santora Report shows sleep loss costs employers $18 billion each year Mattresses in cubicles and employee nap times may be good company perks after all. According to the Washington, D.C.-based National Sleep Foundation,...

Orleans Parish Prison medical doctor recounts heroic experience.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster Around 6 p.m. Aug. 28, one day before Hurricane Katrina landed, Orleans Parish Prison Medical Director Dr. R. Demaree Inglese and Dr. Gary French felt the first drops of rain. They were driving to the jail when...

Interview with Jamie Schlottman: President of Humana Health Benefit Plan of LA, Inc.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Craig Guillot In October 2005, Jamie Schlottman, a 13-year veteran of the health care insurance industry in Louisiana and Mississippi, was promoted from Humana's vice president of sales to the president of Humana Health Benefit...

Commentary: Katrina will be top story until true recovery occurs.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Mark Singletary I had a friend ask me last week, "When are you going to stop writing about Katrina?"It's been seven months since the storm hit and I am still acting like there is no news except Katrina news. Why can't I move on?It...

Loyola Corps helps N.O. businesses, nonprofits rebound post-Katrina.
April 3, 2006... Byline: April Capochino Before Hurricane Katrina, the Gumbo Shop served an average of 700 people per day and survived on a robust tourist base of conventioneers and cruise ship patrons eager for a bowl of chicken andouille gumbo or a plate...

'Hospitality Village' beckons service ranks in N.O.
April 3, 2006... Byline: April Capochino Daron Davis lives in a trailer in the parking lot behind Drago's Seafood Restaurant in Metairie.It's miles away from his flooded South Roman Street home in New Orleans and hours from Alexandria, where he evacuated...

Kicking N.O. while it's down?
April 3, 2006... Byline: April Capochino Renee Christenson's office on the 25th floor of the Place St. Charles building on St. Charles Avenue overlooks most of New Orleans and she's happy to share the view with visitors."The streetcar just began running on...

Temporary trailers to trigger faster hurricane evacuations.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet This hurricane season, more New Orleans metropolitan residents are living in travel trailers and mobile homes, which means more face greater danger.Trailers are considerably less sturdy than single-family homes so...

N.O.-based Energy Partners Ltd. dry hole to cost $8M.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Energy Partners Ltd. came up dry on an $8-million well tested on its Louisiana State Lease 15016 in the Denali prospect in East Bay. It has been plugged and abandoned as a dry hole. EPL will recognize about $8...

University of New Orleans consolidation could cut classes.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The University of New Orleans wants to reorganize by combining programs and possibly reducing employees, university officials said. UNO will ask the Louisiana State University Board of Supervisors for help with...

LA Attorney General Foti to probe Red Cross fraud.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Attorney General Charles Foti Jr. is investigating allegations volunteers with the American Red Cross engaged in widespread theft after Hurricane Katrina.The inquiry comes on the heels of information and reports...

SBA loans top $4.1B in Louisiana.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Small Business Administration disaster loan approvals have surpassed $4.1 billion in Louisiana and $6.5 billion in affected areas throughout the Gulf region, a record for the agency.Louisiana continues to lead...

FEMA offers help with evacuation plans for Louisiana.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Nearly two months before hurricane season starts June 1, FEMA is focused on evacuation planning.Gil Jamieson, deputy director of Gulf Coast recovery, said a major initiative between the Federal Emergency...

Storm-battered Delta shows signs of life.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts On a sunny, chilly March afternoon, David White guided the steering wheel of a boat as he surveyed the Mississippi River delta zipping by.Nearly eight months had passed since Hurricane Katrina pushed a 25-foot wall of...

Low-profile Pelican Club in N.O. back in top form after long hiatus.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris The Pelican Club suffered a nasty malaise many restaurants in older buildings experienced from Hurricane Katrina, which kept otherwise ready-to-go eateries closed for months.The problem was the Pelican's walk-in...

Championship LSU efforts timed perfectly.
April 3, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Louisiana State University basketball has never been better and its timing is perfect.It's remarkable the LSU men and women crashed the Final Four in the same year as just the seventh school to...

Commentary: Endorsements should help readers choose a candidate.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Terry O'Connor Got into an e-mail debate with a fellow news knucklehead last week over newsroom endorsements. He said a newspaper has no business endorsing candidates. I say it's one of our most rigorous responsibilities.A...

Ochsner Clinic Foundation changes brand name.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Ochsner Clinic Foundation has been renamed Ochsner Health System and given a new tagline and logo.CEO Dr. Patrick Quinlan said the new brand identity establishes a more emotional connection with patients...

Louisiana program for seniors, disabled expands to 42 parishes.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Due to increased demand for services and information since hurricanes Katrina and Rita, the federal government is expanding the Louisiana Aging and Disability Information Station program to assist older...

Southern University at New Orleans to assist with small business tax preparation.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Southern University at New Orleans' Small Business Development Center will hold a free business seminar from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at SUNO's Press Drive campus to help people with small business...

Motorcyclists in Jefferson Parish say automobile drivers main hazard.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Motorcyclists in Jefferson Parish say they understand the dangers involved with riding but they say the problem boils down to automobile drivers' lack of education. A 2005 study of claims data by...

Commentary: Endorsements should help readers choose a candidate.
April 3, 2006... Byline: Terry O'Connor Got into an e-mail debate with a fellow news knucklehead last week over newsroom endorsements. He said a newspaper has no business endorsing candidates. I say it's one of our most rigorous responsibilities.A...

Young Leadership Council cleanup project targets Central City.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Young Leadership Council volunteers cleaned up a Central City neighborhood this past weekend and will continue its "Neighborhood Renaissance Project" in Central City from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. April 15 and...

Baton Rouge shuttle on new route.
April 3, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report LA Swift, the free bus service that transports displaced residents, workers and job-seekers between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, will be running on a different route and schedule starting this week.The new...

French Quarter Business Association mayoral forum set for Thursday.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The French Quarter Business Association's second "French Quarter Forum" will feature a two-hour debate for the top mayoral candidates beginning at 5:30 p.m. Thursday in the North Ballroom of the Royal...

Louisiana legislators try to roll back repeal of ethics reform.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A bill aiming to repeal a major ethics reform that restricts campaign contributions during legislative sessions is scheduled for a hearing on Wednesday. The law prohibits campaign contributions to...

Textron Marine & Land returns to pre-Katrina production levels.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Textron Marine & Land, an operating unit of Textron Systems, announced its production and delivery of the M1117 Armored Security Vehicle to the U.S. Army has been fully restored at its facilities in New...

Louisiana's voting machines pass April 1 test.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Secretary of State Al Ater, who certified the results of the Saturday's elections today, said Louisiana has taken the first step in implementing a new voting system.The state purchased a new $39-million...

New Orleans businesses hoping to serve a global market should expect obstacles and opportunities.
April 4, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet Businesses in New Orleans hoping to serve a global market should expect to encounter obstacles and opportunities, says a shipping executive.Greg Rusovich, president and CEO of Transoceanic Shipping Co., told members...

Senator Mary Landrieu threatens to slow White House nominees.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, threatened to prevent consideration of all executive appointments until significant progress is made to secure White House commitments to levee protection and coastal...

Ninth Ward Job Fair set Saturday.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A business expo aimed at helping employers from New Orleans'Ninth Ward recover is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday.State Rep. Charmaine Marchand will play host to the Ninth Ward Business Recovery...

Brooks Brothers, Lee Michaels open at Canal Place in New Orleans.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Brooks Brothers and Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry reopened Saturday at The Shops at Canal Place, and by the fall nearly 90 percent of all stores and eateries will reopen, mall officials say."Of about 40...

Animal relief workers return to New Orleans to train others.
April 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Individuals who participated in the Hurricane Katrina animal relief effort last fall will return to New Orleans this week to better prepare local authorities and residents to care for animals when disaster...

Friends of the Labyrinth at Audubon Park organizers to make Easter dedication.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Friends of the Labyrinth at Audubon Park will hold two days of special events in conjunction with the formal Easter Sunday blessing and dedication of the first permanent labyrinth in New Orleans.A...

E. Jeff General Hospital Job Fair is Thursday.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report East Jefferson General Hospital will hold a career fair from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday at the EJGH Conference Center, 4200 Houma Blvd. More than 280 positions are available.For more information, call...

Jefferson Alliance backs Ed Muniz for Kenner mayor.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Jefferson Alliance voted Monday to endorse Ed Muniz for mayor in the April 29 Kenner runoff. Muniz is trying to unseat incumbent Mayor Phil Capitano.The endorsement was announced by Brian Behlar,...

Social justice group wants to restrict access to GO Zone funding.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A social justice group wants to restrict access to $14 billion in federal funds earmarked for businesses affected by Hurricane Katrina and deny the money to companies already working on sizeable recovery...

Survey: Most employers stood up to Katrina.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than 90 percent of employers maintained staff and benefits and 33 percent provided living assistance in the week of Hurricane Katrina.Salary.com surveyed companies across six states most affected by...

Bureau of Governmental Research, Public Affairs Research Council unsure of city bankruptcy option.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Would it be better for Louisiana governments struggling financially in the wake of last year's hurricanes to file for bankruptcy or not?That's the central question explored in a joint report released today...

Judge denies H. Sophie Newcomb College's request for an injunction.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A federal judge has denied a request from H. Sophie Newcomb College to keep Tulane University from moving ahead with plans to keep the two colleges separate while a lawsuit against Tulane University is...

Report: N.O. one month from bankruptcy.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report New Orleans is going bankrupt fast.New Orleans sales tax revenues in 2006 are expected to decline 54 percent from 2004, according to a joint report released today by the Bureau of Governmental Research and...

Sen. George Allen to visit N.O.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sen. David Vitter, R-Metairie, today announced Sen. George Allen, R-V.A., will visit the New Orleans area this Friday to see the impact of Hurricane Katrina.Vitter has tried to bring all Senate colleagues...

Hewlett-Packard helps bring recovered photos back into focus.
April 5, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts It was bad enough when John Broggi learned his St. Bernard Parish home was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina.But it was salt in the wound when Broggi, 71, uncovered irreplaceable wedding photos of his daughters streaked...

Harrah's poker showdown draws N.O. this weekend.
April 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Bravo's Celebrity Poker Showdown, the nationally televised $1-million tournament where celebrities play for their favorite charities, will be filmed at Harrah's New Orleans, from 12:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m....

Gold futures for June delivery top $600.
April 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gold for June delivery hit a high of $601.90 in overnight trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange. The contract was last traded at $597.May silver also reached its highest mark since June 2004. It sold...

Commentary: Bankruptcy options differ for city of N.O. and Orleans Parish School Board.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Mark Singletary In a really cool move last week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and the Bureau of Governmental Research combined resources and published a policy paper on the fiscal health of several...

Port of New Orleans looks at bids for $5.5M repaving project.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Daily Journal of Commerce Staff Report The Port of New Orleans will open bids Thursday for a $5-million renovation to the 4.8-acre Nashville Avenue Marshaling Yard.Previous bids were scuttled due to Hurricane Katrina. The original...

Denny's restaurant to reopen Monday in Metairie.
April 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The 104-seat Denny's restaurant will reopen Monday at 5910 Veterans Memorial Blvd. The 4,723-square-foot restaurant has been closed since late August for renovations necessary after Hurricane Katrina. It...

New Orleans Saints to kick off Monday Night Football against Atlanta.
April 6, 2006... Byline: Tommy Santora The New Orleans Saints need to change the date on the billboard in front of the Superdome.The Saints will return to the Louisiana Superdome for the first time since Hurricane Katrina in primetime fashion when they...

Algiers Charter School Association in need of school principals.
April 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Algiers Charter School Association needs principals and assistant principals for six West Bank schools it hopes to reopen next school year, ACSA officials said."The greatest strength of our schools...

Architect envisions larger New Orleans.
April 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Southeast Louisiana residents living in low-lying communities might want to relocate to a more densely populated New Orleans, a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects said today.Kevin...

Commentary: Boneheaded Morrell bill hopefully buried.
April 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Editorial State Rep. Arthur Morrell, D-New Orleans, apparently has thought better of one of his worst ideas.He had state Rep. Charles Lancaster Jr., R-Metairie, voluntarily defer his House Bill 668, which would...

Jefferson Parish Council members demand 17th Street Canal details.
April 7, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet Flood protection along the 17th Street Canal or the lack thereof was on the minds of Jefferson Parish Council members who question the status of the levees and pump stations at the Orleans-Jefferson parish line with...

French Quarter Fest to begin with second-line Parade.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness staff report French Quarter Festival weekend begins at 10 a.m. April 21 with a second-line Parade beginning at the 100 block of Bourbon Street.The Hurricane Brass Band will lead the parade, which ends in Jackson Square...

City Councilmember Jay Batt gains two endorsements.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness staff report City Councilmember Jay Batt today was endorsed by the Police Association of New Orleans and Athe Association of Community Organizations for Action Now. The organizations cited Batt's dedication and...

PHI Inc. prices stock offering at $35.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report PHI Inc. today priced its public offering of 4,287,920 shares of non-voting common stock at $35 per share. The offering was made pursuant to a shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and...

Commentary: Louisiana envy is sign of recovery.
April 7, 2006... Byline: Terry OConnor Even though I moved away from the state for good in 1988, I went to Omaha, Neb., in early April visiting old friends and family as I usually do this time of year. I can tell you Omahans envy Louisianians for their...

Harrah's New Orleans opening Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown".
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Harrah's New Orleans opens the Bravo's "Celebrity Poker Showdown" today with celebrities playing for their favorite charities. Local media are invited to cover the celebrity event on Friday, April 7,...

Sen. Landrieu encouraged by recovery coordinator's call on levee fixes.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Sen. Landrieu, D-New Orleans, said today she was encouraged by a phone call with federal hurricane recovery coordinator, Donald Powell.Landrieu had promised earlier this week to place "holds" on...

Jefferson Parish property auction set for May 20.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Parish of Jefferson will sell 160-plus adjudicated properties at 10 a.m. May 20 at a public auction conducted by Gilmore Auction & Realty Co. of Kenner at the Jefferson Parish Government Building, 200...

Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development issue Easter travel advisories.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness staff report The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development today advised motorists of upcoming work schedules for interstate and major road projects throughout Louisiana for Easter weekend.Johnny Bradberry,...

Ron Forman gains two new endorsements in race for mayor New Orleans.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Orleans Parish Recorder of Mortgages Desiree Charbonnet and state Sen. Derrick Shepherd today formally endorsed Ron Forman, chairman of the Audubon Nature Institute, for mayor of New Orleans. "I have seen...

Planners see big opportunity in New Orleans area, post, Katrina.
April 7, 2006... Byline: The Journal Staff Report A different perspective is emerging out of the setbacks in the New Orleans area following Hurricane Katrina. Rather than lament the loss of what was, some are viewing the aftermath as an opportunity to...

Baker Bill backers ready to release study.
April 7, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Baker Bill is not yet dead. A group of economic development authorities and Rep. Richard Baker, R-Baton Rouge, will try to price it Monday.Mark Drennen, president and CEO of Greater New Orleans Inc.,...

Rep. Bobby Jindal to hold FEMA fraud hearing Monday in N.O.
April 8, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Metairie, will participate in the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Subcommittee field hearing on "Katrina and Contracting: Blue Roof, Debris Removal, Travel...

Factory-built homes attract impatient displaced residents.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts Michael Brown's company has been building homes slower lately.It can take up to six months to build a home, roughly twice the time it took before Hurricane Katrina, due largely to demand and difficulty in finding...

Watchdog groups unsure of bankruptcy option for Louisiana cities.
April 10, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Would it be better for Louisiana governments struggling financially in the wake of last year's hurricanes to file for bankruptcy or not?That's the central question explored in a joint report released last...

LSU Health Center's Dr. Nicolas Bazan's research yields blindness breakthrough.
April 10, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Dr. Nicolas Bazan, Boyd professor and director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans, believes fish oil can keep you from going blind.Bazan's findings on...

FDIC: Louisiana banks still in recovery mode.
April 10, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Weak unemployment recovery and falling profitability marked the FDIC's spring analysis of Louisiana banks.The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp., which regulates the banking industry, noted the rebuilding...

Survey: Most employers stood up to Katrina.
April 10, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports More than 90 percent of employers maintained staff and benefits and 33 percent provided living assistance in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.Salary.com surveyed 119 companies across six states most affected...

Kenner resident receives overdue trailer removal.
April 10, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports After waiting more than a month, Harriet Powers no longer has to look at her federally issued trailer.Powers, 60, said The Shaw Group Inc. of Baton Rouge took away the trailer provided by the Federal...

Commentary: Offbeat food choices multiplying on North Shore.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris It's never been as easy to find a great meal on the North Shore as it is on the South Shore. That remains true post-Katrina but for new reasons.The Mandeville-Covington area has experienced much new restaurant...

Look Who's Talking: Sandy Feraci, president of the Apartment Assn. of Greater New Orleans.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Craig Guillot Drawing on 16 years experience in the multifamily housing and apartment market, Sandy Feraci, second-year president of the Apartment Association of Greater New Orleans, said lasting post-Katrina effects on the...

April 10 - 16.
April 10, 2006... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports April 10Pacifica Quartet, Dixon Hall, Tulane University, 8 p.m. Tulane students admitted free with a student ID. For information call 895-0690. April 10-12Easter at Place St. Charles, 201 St....

Wreck or Protect: Preservation of historic homes in New Orleans is a question of safety.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Angelle Bergeron As the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins demolishing the first wave of 125 homes in Orleans Parish, preservationists say historic homes are being destroyed.The Corps says the interest of public safety have to be...

New Orleans Construction Briefs: April 10, 2006.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts The city's lead planning agency identifies strongly with New Orleans residents feeling left out of post-Hurricane Katrina neighborhood planning.The City Planning Commission was not involved in Mayor C. Ray Nagin's...

Cash-strapped city, school board must weigh options.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Mark Singletary In a really cool move last week, the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and the Bureau of Governmental Research combined resources and published a policy paper on the fiscal health of several...

Extended '05 tax season filled with nuances for Katrina victims.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet Hurricane Katrina complicated nearly every facet of life in New Orleans. The 2005 federal income tax filing brings its own set of complexities causing New Orleans accountants to advise taxpayers to hire a professional...

New Orleans' Memorial Medical Center gradually coming back after Katrina.
April 10, 2006... Byline: Kathryn Jezer-Morton New Orleans' struggling medical infrastructure is welcoming the gradual comeback of Memorial Medical Center. Several facilities have already reopened and more are scheduled to return by the end of the year....