New Orleans CityBusiness articles from December 2006

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from December 2006

N.O. needs effective economic developers.
December 1, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Editorial NEW ORLEANS -- Fifteen months after Hurricane Katrina, the corporate exodus from New Orleans continues unabated. Floodwaters are gone from the streets but one CEO after another said corporate plans...

Entergy New Orleans still experiencing natural gas problems from Hurricane Katrina.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Problems continue from conditions created when Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters inundated approximately 800 miles of Entergy New Orleans natural gas pipelines. Entergy New Orleans removed more than 4...

Louisiana governor sets new goal for the contractor overseeing housing grant program.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has a new goal for ICF International, the contractor overseeing The Road Home housing grant program: Notify at least 25,000 homeowners by the end of December of the aid...

Early New Orleans CityBusiness poll results favor state Rep. Carter over incumbent Jefferson.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff With more than 200 votes tallied in the CityBusiness Question of the Week, challenger state Rep. Karen Carter has been favored by a nearly 4-to-1 margin over incumbent Rep. William Jefferson, D-New...

New Orleans-based Energy Partners Ltd. being pursued by numerous buyout and/or merger offers.
December 1, 2006... Byline: Matthew Penix New Orleans-based Energy Partners Ltd. could choose a suitor from the four or five buyout or merger offers on the table by Jan. 15, CEO Richard Bachmann said Thursday at the fifth annual Louisiana Energy Conference at...

Investigators make strong push against contractor fraud against hurricane survivors.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff State and federal investigators are making a strong push against "unprecedented" levels of contractor fraud committed against survivors of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. And though the number of fraud...

Winter storm causes travel delays at New Orleans International Airport.
December 1, 2006... Byline: Jaime Guillet Wintry weather around the country and 4,000 international cruise passengers are inflicting hectic travel delays at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. LANOIA officials say snow storms in the Midwest and...

New Orleans public relations firm relocates.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Bright Moments Inc., a public relations firm, has moved to 615 Baronne St., Suite 304. "We're in the Stirling Properties Building," said Bill Rouselle, president and founder of Bright Moments....

Vote on legislation for offshore oil royalties to take place on Tuesday.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A vote on legislation to bring Louisiana hundreds of millions of dollars in energy revenues will come before the full House of Representatives Tuesday. The bill, which will be on the suspension...

Commentary: New Orleans students deserve better protection.
December 1, 2006... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff On the subject of school violence, New Orleans-area administrators admit they don't have all the answers necessary to solve the mounting problem. We suggest they do more homework. Start by researching...

Sugar Bowl in New Orleans roots for Arkansas-Notre Dame match.
December 1, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster The calls started more than a week ago, said Andrea Thornton, director of sales and marketing for the Hotel Monteleone. Crazed University of Arkansas Razorback fans in search of rooms for the Allstate Sugar...

Unified New Orleans Plan holds five-city meeting.
December 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than 2,000 New Orleanians - at home and displaced - were projected to attend the second planning meeting today for the Unified New Orleans Plan. New Orleans residents in the city as well as those...

Xavier science student tests business waters.
December 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report It's not unusual for college students majoring in biology to participate in a summer internship. But an internship in Business? That's how Xavier University of Louisiana biology senior Stephanie Mays of...

Valero buys St. James crude facility for $140M.
December 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Valero LP has completed the purchase of the St. James Crude Oil facility from Koch Supply and Trading LP for $140 million. The acquisition will be financed under the partnership's revolving credit...

Commentary: Insurance crisis has state looming 'over the falls'.
December 2, 2006... Byline: Dan Juneau At a certain point above Niagara Falls, there is a barricade that stretches across the Niagara River. It forms a safety line, letting boaters know that, if they go beyond that point, they are virtually sure to go over...

Governor Blanco, Louisiana Recovery Authority Chairman lobby for GO Zone extensions.
December 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Louisiana Recovery Authority Chairman Norman C. Francis Saturday renewed their push for Louisiana's congressional delegation to support extending several key provisions...

Royal Caribbean return completes cruise ship turnaround.
December 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Royal Caribbean International returned its 2,400-passenger Grandeur of the Seas to the Crescent City Saturday making complete the return of all three cruise lines home-ported at the Port of New Orleans...

GNO Inc. joins chorus calling for special session delay.
December 2, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Business leaders in New Orleans are urging Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco to postpone her proposed holiday special session due to the announcement that Traveler's Insurance will no longer renew any...

Algiers Riverfront plans unique condo project.
December 3, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts The team planning to convert 13 acres of Algiers riverfront property into housing and commercial space will use federal incentives to finance the project. But the developers of the property owned by the family of Mardi...

8,000 crowd into reopening of New Orleans Fair Grounds.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report After $16 million in renovations, the Thanksgiving tradition of horse racing returned to New Orleans Nov. 23 and a record crowd of 8,732 turned out. One winning trainer, 73-year-old Larry Robideaux Jr., is...

City Park reopens light-filled Celebration in the Oaks.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report City Park has opened the light-filled Celebration in the Oaks just as it did last year despite damage from Hurricane Katrina. The event reopened Nov. 24 for the walking tour only. The driving tour will not...

Queen Elizabeth 2 makes visit to New Orleans.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report International tourists flowed into the Crescent City on Monday when the 40-year-old Queen Elizabeth 2 luxury cruise ship docked at the Port of New Orleans for 12 hours. The 963-foot British ship and its...

New Orleans nuns receive grant from business community to rebuild their convent.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Stephen Maloney Amid the gray dreariness of Lakeview's post-Hurricane Katrina environs, a group of dedicated nuns is busy piecing their convent back together with a nearly $30,000 boost from the business community. The Servants of...

New Orleans-area hoteliers hail Sugar Bowl's sweet return.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster The calls started more than a week ago, said Andrea Thornton, director of sales and marketing for the Hotel Monteleone. Crazed University of Arkansas Razorback fans in search of rooms for the Allstate Sugar...

New Orleans-area owners allege 'gruesome' pet slayings.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster "It was a massacre," said Mark Steinway, co-founder of Pasado's Safe Haven, an animal welfare refuge in Sultan, Wash. "Dogs were shot in the hindquarters, shot in the gut, shot in the feet, in the mouth. It was...

Dec. 4-10.
December 4, 2006... Byline: From CityBusiness Staff Reports The following calendar of business meetings and events is for Dec. 4-10. The deadline for submissions to the business calendar is 10 days prior to publication date. Dec. 7 American Marketing...

Urgent need for affordable housing in New Orleans.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts When David Miller's apartment complex on Oretha Castle Haley Boulevard began advertising units earlier this year, he found out how in demand affordable housing is in New Orleans. He yanked down his advertising after...

Algiers Riverfront plans unique condo project.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts The team planning to convert 13 acres of Algiers riverfront property into housing and commercial space will use federal incentives to finance the project. But the developers of the property owned by the family of Mardi...

Interview with Michele Shane L'Hoste, president of First Lake Properties.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Craig Guillot Age: 44 Hometown: New Orleans Family: husband, Randy; and stepchildren, Scott L'Hoste and Robin Laborde Education: bachelor's degree in business administration, Loyola University Michele Shane L'Hoste is president...

Commentary:Rotarians set example with City Park entryway work.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Mark Singletary How about some good news for a change? City Park, our beloved, beleaguered and nearly forgotten oasis of live oaks and bayous, is getting its front entryway spruced up by the Algiers Rotary Club. This small but...

Lafayette Academy on Carrollton Avenue overcomes its problems and classes begin.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Stephen Maloney It's downright prehistoric at Lafayette Academy on Carrollton Avenue. First-grade students huddled in a cave made of leftover packing paper read history books under finger-painted sketches of wild animals adorning...

Royalty bills in U.S. Senate and House reach critical crossroad.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Matthew Penix After decades of lobbying, the Senate offshore oil revenue sharing bill is in position for congressional approval Tuesday, which would pump $210 million into Louisiana's coastal restoration efforts over the next 10...

Why Stay? Founder of alternative music magazine Antigravity stays in New Orleans.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster Founder Leo McGovern and the staff of the monthly alternative music magazine Antigravity threw a party Aug. 19, 2005, to celebrate two momentous events -- the rental of their first office, a small apartment above...

ICF International adds help to move The Road Home along.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports ICF International today added two more firms to join its efforts in dispensing The Road Home funding to Louisiana residents. The new companies will be paid from ICF's contract with The Road Home. HGI...

New Orleans-area shoppers charge on Black Friday.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports New Orleans-area malls reported heavy volumes on "Black Friday," the day after Thanksgiving -- one of the biggest shopping days of the year. More Lakeside Shopping Center stores opened at 5 a.m. than in...

$24M Soniat Canal drainage deal struck.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers awarded a $24-million contract to improve rainstorm drainage on a stretch of the Soniat Canal parallel to David Drive in suburban Metairie. The contract is part of the...

Dept. of Interior's MMS: 14 companies pay royalties in kind.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports More than 12.7 million barrels of crude oil and condensate from federal leases in the Gulf of Mexico were sold to six companies as part of a royalty in kind sale, the Department of the Interior's Minerals...

Louis Vuitton makes grand New Orleans re-entrance.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Louis Vuitton reopened its boutique in Saks Fifth Avenue New Orleans after being closed since August 2005. The store has a new wood facade and will add sunglasses to its original offerings of leather...

Senator Mary Landrieu raps drilling misinformation.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, said oil and gas rigs drilling in the Gulf of Mexico are environmentally safe and naysayers who exaggerate the environmental impact are hurting Louisiana's future....

Louisiana's Road Home approval high from participants.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Reports Based on post-appointment surveys completed by The Road Home applicants, 93 percent rated their experience as "excellent" or "good." Satisfaction was lowest in Orleans and Jefferson parishes but remained...

Child care options scarce for returning New Orleans work force.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Stephen Maloney Like many dedicated small business owners along the Gulf Coast, Perlie Harris thought of her workplace when she learned of Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Royal Castle, the child care facility Harris has run for...

Hurricane Katrina spurs visitor drought for ecotourism businesses.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts To Gordon Stevens, the southeast Louisiana swamps once wrung cash from tourists hungry to see alligators and bayous. Since Hurricane Katrina blew most tourists away, the Westwego swamp tour business is barely afloat....

Commentary: Chain operation overshadows Gulfstream's good food, service.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Tom Fitzmorris Gulfstream $$$$ 1755 St. Charles Ave., Uptown Continuous lunch and dinner daily. About 20 years ago, a friend and I bought new cars at about the same time. Mine was an Oldsmobile Firenza. His was a Cadillac...

Gingrich urges passage of Landrieu's oil royalty bill.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich today urged the House of Representatives to pass the Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, S. 3711, which would open additional territory in the...

Insurance forum in New Orleans coincides with special session open.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A storm victim is organizing an insurance forum from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Musicians Union Hall, 2401 Esplanade Ave. Activist Paige Rosato has signed on with United Policyholders, a nationwide...

Louisiana BankNet to open wireless service to rural areas.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Rural areas of Louisiana will have easier access to wireless Internet connections thanks to upgrades the banking industry is making to its broadband network. ERF Wireless, a League City, Texas-based...

Assurant reaches exclusivity deal with Alderwoodse funeral homes.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Funeral homes in the Alderwoods Group Inc. will no longer offer life insurance policies through the Mayflower National Life Insurance Co. starting next year. Alderwoods' parent company, Service Corp....

Three historically black area colleges in New Orleans could gain $1M apiece.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Nationally syndicated radio host Tom Joyner will be on Dillard University's Gentilly campus at 2 p.m. Thursday to announce a new initiative aimed at helping restore the campuses of three historically black...

'Death of a President' to open limited run in New Orleans.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A controversial movie that depicts the assassination of President George W. Bush will begin a two-week run at the Zeitgeist Multi-Disciplinary Arts Center, 1724 Oretha Castle Haley Blvd., Dec. 8-21. Winner...

Book Review: Valued employees power best companies.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Growly Leo Durocher said "nice guys finish last" but his theory is not true in today's corporate world. Companies known for treating employees well - UPS, Fed Ex, General Mills, and Yahoo - are the...

Covington wins federal OK for road enhancement.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report COVINGTON -- The city of Covington today announced inclusion of its shared-use path extension to the new Recreation Park in the Louisiana Department of Transportation & Development's Transportation...

Commentary: Students deserve better protection.
December 4, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff On the subject of school violence, New Orleans-area administrators admit they don't have all the answers necessary to solve the mounting problem. We suggest they do more homework. Start by researching how...

Commentary: Killer sharks circling in N.O. city streets.
December 4, 2006... Byline: Terry O'Connor As the toothy terror in "Jaws" begins gobbling up every tasty swimmer foolish enough to summer at Amity Island in 1975, Mayor Larry Vaughn (Murray Hamilton giving a wonderfully greasy caricature of a tourism...

Meridian Resource Corp. resumes production at Bayou Gentilly.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Meridian Resource Corp. has resumed production at the Delacroix et al No. 1 well on its Bayou Gentilly prospect located on the southern edge of the Biloxi Marshland. The well, which was originally...

Motel 6 reopens three properties in New Orleans area after $6M renovation.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Accor North America, oa large hotel chain owner based in Carrollton, Texas,, is reopening three Motel 6 properties and one Studio 6 property in greater New Orleans. They are: * Motel 6 in Slidell, 136 Taos...

Marine Corps Forces Reserves Band performs for Toys for Tots event.
December 5, 2006... Byline: City Business Staff Report The U.S. Marine Corps Forces Reserve Band will perform at the Alario Center, 2000 Segnette Blvd., at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 13 for the holiday spectacular, "Santa Meets Sousa." The music selection will include...

NFL Youth Education Town Center in New Orleans reopening.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The New Orleans Police Department is teaming with the Boys & Girls Club and the National Football League on a kickoff party reopening of the NFL Youth Education Town Center at North Broad Street and...

S&P upgrades New Orelans debt status to 'stable'.
December 5, 2006... Byline: Deon Roberts In its second upgrade for New Orleans since Hurricane Katrina, credit rating agency Standard & Poor's on Monday raised its outlook on general obligation debt to "stable" from "developing." General obligation debt is...

Louisiana environmental scientists lobby D.C. for closure of Mississippi River Gulf Outlet.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Louisiana environmental scientists today briefed Capitol Hill lawmakers about the damaging effects of the Mississippi River Gulf Outlet and the necessary steps to close it. Scientists such as Louisiana...

St. Bernard State Park back online in time for Christmas.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report After being closed for more than a year by Hurricane Katrina damage, St. Bernard State Park will reopened with a 4 p.m. ceremony Dec. 19. A holiday tree will be lit, choirs will perfom holiday songs,...

Rep. Steve Scalise's war chest gains $100,000 boost.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report A Nov. 16 fundraiser at the VFW Hall in Metairie helped state Rep. Steve Scalise, R-Jefferson, top $100,000 in funds raised this year as he prepares to run for the state Senate in 2007. Scalise will run...

New Monopoly game features French Quarter property.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report One of the world's most popular board game just got a 21st century makeover. Monopoly Here & Now, newly designed for multiperson play on cell phones, features new game pieces such as a hybrid car, laptop,...

The Road Home program travels to speak to disaster-affected Louisiana groups, churches.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Members of The Road Home Community Outreach team have been on the road since August answering the questions of homeowners and community leaders and assisting applicants in signing up for the program....

New recovery czar joins University of New Orleans staff.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Mayor C. Ray Nagin introduced Ed Blakely, a professor at the University of Sydney (Australia), as the New Orleans recovery czar. Today, Blakely accepted an appointment as a Visiting Professor in the School...

Hornets lose third starter to injury.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Guard Bobby Jackson has been diagnosed with a cracked left rib and will miss approximately two weeks. Jackson, who sat out Friday's game vs. Chicago, originally suffered the injury during the Nov. 28...

U.S. House leadership cancels vote on oil royalty sharing.
December 5, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The leadership of the House of Representatives today canceled a planned vote on S. 3711, the Domenici-Landrieu Gulf of Mexico Energy Security Act, which would open new acreage to oil and gas production in...

Louisiana construction costs increasing.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report At construction sites across the region, project managers and superintendents are grumbling about unprecedented wage increases and the shortage of skilled craftsmen. "Construction worker wages in the...

Fair housing advocates allege HANO, River Garden broke laws.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center filed a lawsuit Monday against the Housing Authority of New Orleans and River Garden apartments alleging the two groups have broken federal housing laws....

Galatoire's Restaurant seat auction raises $54,000 for two N.O. charities.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Galatoire's Restaurant raised $54,600 Monday in a little over an hour for two New Orleans charities -- Covenant House of New Orleans (www.covenanthouseno.org) and Children's Hospital (www.chnola.org)....

SBA wants feedback on Home Loan Disaster Program.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Small Business Administration will hold a community forum discussion with new Administrator Steven Preston from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Monday at Windsor Court Motel. The forum will allow Preston to speak...

Covington gains 86-room Homewood Suites by Hilton.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Homewood Suites by Hilton has opened an 86-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton hotel in Covington. Owned and managed by B St. Tammany Extended Stay Hotel LLC, the new facility joins a roster of more than 191...

Teen drivers are deadly in Louisiana.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report According to 2005 statistics compiled by the LSU Highway Safety Research Group, drivers aged 18 to 20 in Louisiana had the highest fatality crash rate of all age groups, followed by drivers aged 21 to 24....

Entergy Corp. withdraws one market listing.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Utility company Entergy Corp. today withdrew its voluntary securities listing on NYSE Arca Inc., formerly the Pacific Exchange, to save duplicate administrative costs, the company said. Entergy Corp.'s...

Seminar to address nursing shortage, opportunities.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The School of Nursing at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center in New Orleans will hold an open house and information session for prospective students about nursing career opportunities and...

Unified New Orleans Plan meets Thursday in City Council chambers.
December 6, 2006... The Community Support Organization of the Unified New Orleans Plan will hold a public meeting in the New Orleans City Council Chamber on from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday. The CSO is a nine-member advisory committee created to guide the UNOP...

More Road Home replies received; just 56 applicants paid.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Since last week, almost 2,000 homeowners have made their selections and mailed back their Benefit Option Letters to The Road Home. However, just 56 of 85,256 applicants have been paid. The average claim...

Gov. Blanco 'disappointed' in GOP for oil royalty delay.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Tuesday delay by Congress on voting on the bill to increase offshore oil royalties for Louisiana dismayed Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. "I am very disappointed that the Republican leadership in the...

Wink Cos. plans new office space in St. Tammany Parish.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report Wink Cos. LLC, which began nearly 30 years ago in a small office above founder Joe Wink's garage, announced plans to open a 25,000-square-foot office on 6.58 acres in the Tammany Middle Business Park in...

Two indicted in St. Bernard Parish for alleged pet executions.
December 6, 2006... Byline: Richard A. Webster A grand jury in St. Bernard Parish today indicted former St. Bernard Parish Sheriff deputy Mike Minton and deputy Chip England for aggravated cruelty to animals. The felony charges carry up to 10 years in prison...

Major leaguers to help Ninth Ward after school program.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Milestone/Sabis Charter School in the Ninth Ward will receive $80,000 from the Volunteers of America and the Major League Baseball Players Trust at 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The donation, which will benefit...

Whitney Plantation land deal valued at $7.3M.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report John Cummings and the family of Don Robert bought 1,700 acres of Formosa Chemical Corp. property for $7.3 million on the Whitney Plantation site, APC Realty Co. of LaPlace announced today. The Robert...

N.O. native produces documentary 'Reconstructing Creole'.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report More than two years since a devastating fire gutted the historic Laura Plantation home in Vacherie, its restoration is nearly complete. A new documentary, "Reconstructing Creole," chronicles the careful...

$8M airport project to brighten N.O. terminals.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report The Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport today launched an unprecedented $8-million maintenance campaign to clean and improve the environment for guests arriving at and departing from the New...

Louisiana residents believe state is stabilizing into old ruts.
December 6, 2006... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Report After a calm hurricane season, more Louisiana residents say the state is heading in the right direction but express increasing concern about pre-hurricane issues. The Fall 2006 Louisiana Survey released by...