New Orleans CityBusiness articles from January 2004

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from January 2004

Baton Rouge-based Verge Wireless Networks offers high-speed "Wi-Fi" services in New Orleans.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Business travelers in the Warehouse District will soon have wireless Internet connections. Verge Wireless Networks Inc., based in Baton Rouge, is erecting a series of high-speed "Wi-Fi" antennas throughout the...

Securities analyst says troubled Tenet Healthcare Corp. could cut holdings in half in 2004.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler An investment analyst covering Tenet Healthcare Corp. expects the troubled company to downsize by about half in the next couple years. Balaji Gandhi, a securities analyst with Deutsche Bank Securities in...

Negative WTC hotel report fails to deter New Orleans City Council from approving its lease.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts While the World Trade Center hotel project awaited final New Orleans City Council approval in the fall, experts hired by the Metropolitan Crime Commission were examining the lease in detail. City officials say some...

New Orleans-based Camellia Grill forced into filing Chapter 7.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Camellia Grill, an Uptown diner popular for late bites and greasy burgers, has been forced into involuntary bankruptcy. Camellia Grill Inc., located at 626 S. Carrollton Ave., filed for Chapter 7 Bankruptcy protection...

Elmwood-based Penta Corp. provides communication system for MetroRail.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County unveiled its 7.5-mile MetroRail light-rail line last week. Penta Corp., headquartered in Elmwood, provided the communications system for MetroRail. "We furnished the...

'Simple Living' television series to visit New Orleans.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans packrats and collectors, come on down. A new PBS television show wants to check out your vintage treasures. "Simple Living," a new television series with host Wanda Urbanska, will visit New Orleans this week...

$500M upgrades at Chicago-based Bank One allow ATM deposits in all states.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Dawn Joseph Bank One is living up to its name thanks to a $500 million consolidation of seven computer systems. Until the upgrade, Bank One customers with accounts in Louisiana could not make deposits at any of the...

Commentary: Amato, Nagin need to succeed for New Orleans New Year to be happy.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor The New Year offers extraordinary business potential in New Orleans and elsewhere. Economic conditions converging at this time are virtually unprecedented. Rarely in U.S. economic history have a combination of...

Commentary: Sugar Bowl scores $250M for New Orleans economic impact.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor This year's Sugar Bowl was the biggest collegiate football game in its 70-year history. Yes, even bigger than the 7-0 win over Clemson in 1959 that cemented the LSU's first national title. By far. That's because...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Unpaid college athletes deserve more NCAA consideration.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary As I recover from watching all of the great college football bowl games, I can't help but ponder a story we ran last week about college athletes and money. The dynamics of college sports, student-athletes and...

New Orleans-based Standard Mortgage joins industry giant through merger with Atlanta business.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller In 1964, Edgar A.G. "Pepper" Bright Jr. quit his career as a stockbroker to buy Standard Mortgage Corp. on the advice of his father-in-law. After 40 years of quiet success in the Southeast, his gamble is going...

Gretna wish list covers $9M in overdue public improvement projects.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts More than $9 million in public improvement projects are slated for Gretna as city officials make a wish list of long-overdue repairs to the city's aging infrastructure. Faulty water meters, deteriorating sewer...

Mark Romig's success as director of 1984 La. World Exposition resulted in federal VIP aide post.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Mark Romig turned his experience at the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition into a career as a renowned go-to guy. Romig was director of protocol and guest relations for the fair. He did everything from writing...

1984 Louisiana World Exposition's last-minute permit approval added to organizer's worries.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Jim Brandt, vice president of planning for the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition, wasn't absolutely sure the fair would go on until opening day. New Orleans city officials had listed 19 provisions the fair had to...

Executive suites and expansion project planned for New Orleans-based Generation Hall.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts A major expansion is in the works at a performance and meeting venue mere footsteps from the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Tucked in an ideal location to cater to business travelers, Generations Hall in the...

Trade officials say companies should export more to Japan.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Japan's trade representatives say security is one industry Americans should hop on in looking to do business in one of Asia's strongest economies. Home Automation Inc., a security system manufacturer and...

New Orleans-based Seasons Grief Center provides support for bereaved individuals and families.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler The twinkling lights of last week's Christmas holiday didn't cheer everyone. This season can pain those who are grieving over the loss of family members or friends as memories of past holidays are revisited. For...

Look Who's Talking: Alden J. McDonald Jr., first chairman of New Orleans Chamber of Commerce.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Michael Giusti As the New Year's ball fell over Jackson Square, the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce officially merged with MetroVision to form Greater New Orleans Inc. The absorption of the regional chamber left a business...

Northrop Grumman wins $419M Navy contract.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Northrop Grumman Ship Systems won a U.S. Navy contract for more than $419 million to build an Arleigh Burke class Aegis guided missile destroyer. Avondale shipyard is part of the Ship Systems sector. The destroyer is the...

Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now wins $125M settlement.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now recently won a settlement worth up to $125 million against Household International Inc., a subsidiary of London-based HSBC Holdings. ACORN filed a national...

King of Prussia, Pa.-based Universal Health Services to buy Lakeland Medical Center in New Orleans.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Universal Health Services Inc. has agreed to buy Lakeland Medical Center from Nashville, Tenn.-based Hospital Corporation of America Inc. Located on Bullard Avenue in eastern New Orleans, Lakeland offers 156 beds and...

Southeastern Louisiana Univ. starts instituting heightened admission standards.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Southeastern Louisiana University in Hammond is jumping ahead of schedule in instituting new admission standards that will be required statewide by the state Board of Regents in 2005. The university won approval from the...

19 New Orleans groups receive clean-up grants.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff BFI Waste Systems and the city of New Orleans awarded $2,000 grants to 19 New Orleans community groups to encourage them to continue cleaning up the city and promote recycling. The grants are part of the city contract...

Louisiana Economic Development Corporation awards grant to Port of New Orleans.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Economic Development Corporation awarded a $700,000 Economic Development Award Program grant to the Port of New Orleans for infrastructure improvements that will help expand Trinity Yachts, a yacht manufacturer...

Opponents of the Wal-Mart/St. Thomas redevelopment project request injunction to halt construction.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Opponents of the Wal-Mart/St. Thomas redevelopment project took another stab at stalling the project by requesting an injunction from the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to halt construction. The Coliseum Square Association, the...

Louisiana Technology Council moves to more central location in New Orleans.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Technology Council has moved to 1215 Prytania St., Suite 301, with the objective of creating a central location for new and growth-oriented technology companies. The LTC plans to assist up-and-coming technology...

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture continues to investigate Holstein cow infected with mad cow disease.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The U.S. Department of Agriculture continued its investigation into Holstein cow from Washington found to be infected with mad cow disease. The discovery sparked a sell-off in some commodity markets. Beef prices fell 15 cents...

U.S. Dept. of Housing and Urban Development awards construction education grants to two La. parishes.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development awarded $800,000 in grants to Washington and Madison parishes for on-the-job homebuilding training and education as part of HUD's Youthbuild Program. Orleans and 61 other...

Covington-based Stirling Properties Inc. launches a new Web site.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Stirling Properties Inc., based in Covington, has launched a new Web site at www.stirlingproperties.com. The new site, which features music, quotes and graphics, is markedly different from the company's old site. Stirling,...

Dreamland Bar-B-Que to open three franchises in Louisiana.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff Dreamland Bar-B-Que, a restaurant best known for its pork ribs, is branching out to Louisiana. Donnie Jarreau of Donnie Jarreau Real Estate in Baton Rouge will open franchises in New Orleans, Baton Rouge and one other...

Regional Transit Authority initiates summit to educate employees on Americans with Disabilities Act.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Regional Transit Authority announced that Transportation Management of Southeast Louisiana, in service with the RTA, recently initiated a summit to educate and train all employees on Americans with Disabilities Act....

New Orleans-based Iron Rail Book Collective opens to the public.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Iron Rail Book Collective, a nonprofit reading room and lending library, is now open to the public. Located in the ARK at 511 Marigny, the Iron Rail Book Collective also sells new and used books and magazines.

Louisiana Dept. of Labor reports unemployment falls to 5% in the New Orleans area.
January 5, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Department of Labor reports unemployment fell to 5% in the New Orleans area in November from 5.1% in October. The employment rate increased slightly with 577,900 employed in November compared with 577,500 the...

N.O. school officials not sure about cost of lead cleanup in system's schools.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts New Orleans public school officials don't know how much they have spent or how much they will need to spend to remediate the lead contamination in the system's schools. Lead testing has been conducted at Audubon...

Wireless providers ring up number portability gripes.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Amber Bethel Jerl Kershenstine, who runs his business out of his pocket, thinks wireless number portability is a godsend. But the Federal Communications Commission says the process of changing wireless providers while keeping...

N.O. undecided on $50K study for possible base closures.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts The military community in New Orleans still doesn't know if the city will pay $50,000 to prepare the region for possible base closures. A month ago, the state Department of Economic Development asked Mayor C. Ray...

Camellia Grill rebuts bankruptcy petition.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The Camellia Grill isn't ready to give up its status as a New Orleans hotspot for late-night omelets and burgers. The diner last week filed a countersuit against three creditors who want to force Camellia Grill Inc. into...

Bruno's bar owner may build eatery on Maple.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The owner of Bruno's bar, 7601 Maple St., has backed away from plans to build a large bar/residence in the Uptown neighborhood. David Melius withdrew his request for a conditional use permit to build a three-story,...

'Shocking' tennis shoes absorbed in N.O.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff High-heel tennis shoes hit the market 10 years ago. They weren't big hits nor were they practical. Now, a new shoe in New Orleans has a similar look with a real purpose. Z-Coil shoes are designed with automobile...

New French Quarter eatery mixes N.O.-style BBQ with zydeco music.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff A new restaurant in the French Quarter is smokin'. ZydeQue - a new eatery by Gary Wollerman and Tenney Flynn, co-owners of GW Fins - mixes New Orleans-style barbecue with zydeco music. The restaurant opened Dec. 22 at 808...

Tulane doctors snaps record in cure search.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff A Tulane doctor broke a world record in the name of charity and an ailing student. Dr. Tyler Curiel, chief of hematology and medical oncology at Tulane University School of Medicine, ran more than 108 miles during a...

Idea Challenge helps shape new concepts for business.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Dan DiLorenzo wants to develop an implant to treat neurological disorders such as Parkinson's disease and epilepsy. DiLorenzo, a neursosurgery resident at Tulane University Hospital and adjunct professor in...

Commentary: Americans can forgive almost any transgression if asked.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary When Richard Nixon stood before me and the rest of America and said he wasn't a crook, he was mistaken. Nixon resigned as our president in August 1974 after we found out he was, indeed, a crook. Bill Clinton...

Magazine St. proprietors target malls for expansion.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer A handful of Magazine Street shops are expanding into the malls to take on national competitors and find new customers. Jean Therapy, a New Orleans-based store that custom fits blue jeans, is the latest to join the...

Regional power grid mgr. idea fizzles so far but Entergy continues study.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Amber Bethel Utilities have pulled the plug on a first effort to establish a regional power grid manager in the Southeast, something regulators say would have improved dependability for the nation's electricity system. But...

Commentary: N.O. faces WTC criticism after hiding critical report.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor CityBusiness was the first New Orleans newspaper to report on a Metropolitan Crime Commission report, which harshly criticizes the World Trade Center deal. It took CityBusiness reporter Deon Roberts months to gain...

Occupancy rates steady, rents on the rise for multifamily housing.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts The New Orleans multifamily housing market appears stable, according to the latest 2003 Greater New Orleans Multifamily Report. The report, issued jointly twice a year by Metairie firms Larry G. Schedler &...

New Orleans Restaurant Briefs January 12, 2004.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Vega Tapas Cafe at 2051 Metairie Road was sold last month. Longtime General Manager Glen Hogh bought the nighttime restaurant from founder Alison Vega for an undisclosed amount. Hogh said he will maintain...

Louisiana florist licensing test spurs second lawsuit.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana's response to a federal lawsuit against the state florist licensing program stinks, according to the Institute for Justice, which filed another lawsuit Dec. 18 against the Louisiana Horticulture Commission in Baton...

Hancock Holding completes Magna Insurance deal.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Hancock Holding Co., parent company of Hancock Bank, has completed the purchase of Magna Insurance Co., a subsidiary of Memphis-based Union Planters Corp. Harrison Life Insurance Co., a Hancock subsidiary established in...

N.O. Tours offering new Magazine St. shuttle.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans Tours now offers a shuttle between Audubon Zoo and the French Market. "We feel that Magazine Street has a lot to offer visitors to the metropolitan area," said Natica Chapman, marketing manager for New...

Sonic lands restaurant site in N.O. airport.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport officials added a new fast food choice for travelers last week by opening a Sonic restaurant. CA One Services owns the Sonic franchise, the first in the New Orleans...

Harry Connick Jr. honors mom and dad.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Harry Connick Jr., renowned musician, singer, composer, actor and three-time Grammy award winner, is also a considerate son. Connick is honoring his parents, Harry F. Connick and the late Anita Connick, by establishing a...

Interview with director of La. Music Commission.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller The Louisiana Music Commission, an agency within Louisiana's economic development department, turns 25 this year. The LMC works to promote musicians and preserve music history. Bernie Cyrus, director of LMC since 1992,...

N.O. Police Dept. reports city's first murder of 2004.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Police Department reported the city's first murder of 2004. A man was shot Jan. 6 in the 2700 block of Frenchmen Street in the 7th Ward and died at the scene. New Orleans reported 275 murders in 2003.

Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal complex receives first vessel.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The $101 million Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal complex received its first vessel, the Lykes Motivator, on Jan. 9. The terminal will be operated jointly by Ceres Gulf and P&O Ports of Louisiana, operators that have...

La. Dept. of Health and Hospitals receives $2.8M.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals received $2.8 million from the state to begin construction on a new Office of Public Health laboratory. The project will begin in April after 15 years of requests for money for...

Mayor dedicates N.O. Recreation Dept. Community Center.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Mayor C. Ray Nagin dedicated the New Orleans Recreation Department Community Center in Algiers. Councilwoman Jacquelyn Brechtel Clarkson, whose district includes Algiers, and other city officials were also present at the...

City of N.O. kicks off carnival season.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The city of New Orleans kicked off the Carnival season with a king cake party Jan. 6 at Gallier Hall. Twelfth Night signifies the 12th day after Christmas and is the official start of the Carnival season leading up to Mardi...

McGlinchey Stafford PLLC opens new office in Albany, NY.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff McGlinchey Stafford PLLC has expanded again, opening a new office in Albany, N.Y., the firm's eighth. The addition expands McGlinchey's national consumer finance group to 37 attorneys dealing with consumer lending, mortgage...

Shell Exploration beginning production at Princess Field subsea wells.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Shell Exploration & Production Co. is beginning production at its Princess Field subsea wells approximately 140 miles southeast of New Orleans in the Gulf of Mexico. Production continues to increase and is flowing from one...

New Jefferson Parish City Council sworn in.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The new Jefferson Parish City Council was sworn in Wednesday at the John A. Alario Sr. Event Center in Westwego. Aaron Broussard, the new parish president, took the oath of office along with Sheriff Harry Lee, Clerk of Court...

Gov.-elect offers State Farm Insurance officials $33M incentive package.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Gov.-elect Kathleen Babineaux Blanco offered State Farm Insurance company officials a $33 million incentive package to keep an operations center in Monroe with the possibility of expanding the facility instead of downsizing...

Former gubernatorial candidate endorses senatorial candidate.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff Former gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal has endorsed Rep. David Vitter for the Senate. Jindal received 48% of the vote in the runoff before losing the election to Kathleen Babineaux Blanco. Vitter is serving his third...

Director of La. State Museum announces retirement.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff James F. Sefcik, who directed the Louisiana State Museum for 17 years, announced his retirement. During his term, Sefcik, 61, saw the burning of the Cabildo and conducted a campaign that raised more than $2 million to rebuild...

New Orleans Saints donates $10K to city of Ville Platte.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Staff The New Orleans Saints donated $10,000 to the city of Ville Platte in honor of Tim Fontenot, the 2003 winner of the Parade/New Orleans Saints Community Quarterback Award. The award is part of a partnership between Parade...

Clearview Mall still has room to expand.
January 12, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer After bouncing back with a bang two years ago, Clearview Mall is now studying what to do with its remaining 80,000 square feet of leasable space. Target occupies two floors and 160,000 square feet. The former...

$27M Tournament Players Club of Louisiana expected to make West Bank a world-class golf destination.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Holly Miller Officials at a new golf course in Avondale say they've hit an economic development hole-in-one. The new $27 million Tournament Players Club of Louisiana at Fairfield, set to open April 22, is expected to transform...

Financial analysts predict 2004 to be a good year for Metairie-based funeral services provider.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Ellen Boyer Financial analysts say 2004 should be a good year to take care of the dead. The funeral industry stands to benefit from a stronger stock market, a projected boost in consumer confidence and the specter of more...

Lead scares spur inquiries from Orleans Parish homeowners but not much residential work.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts As Orleans Parish addresses lead contamination in its schools, metro area companies specializing in lead testing and cleaning are answering many more calls from concerned homeowners. Yet many abatement companies...

Officials believe J.P. Morgan's $58B Bank One buyout will be good for New Orleans region.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Staff J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., the nation's second-largest bank, acquired Bank One Corp. for $58 billion in stock last week. John Kallenborn, president of Bank One's New Orleans region, said the news is good for New Orleans....

La. Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals raises awareness of dog fighting in New Orleans.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Staff Dog fighting is big business in some Southern states. The fights are lucrative enough to drag people across state lines, which is apparently what happened when approximately 20 Louisiana residents were arrested Jan. 10 in...

New Orleans-based M.S. Rau Antiques offers rare collection of paintings.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Staff Rarely do major paintings leave museums for private galleries. But M.S. Rau Antiques on Royal Street has acquired a collection of 19th and early 20th century paintings by 10 artists: John Atkinson Grimshaw, John William...

Business owners use various approaches for dealing with overflowing file cabinets.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Michael Giusti Mountains of paperwork don't have to morph into monuments of mess for business owners. As young companies fill file cabinets with paper documents, experts say wise business owners establish a prudent document...

Publisher's Notes: Bizarre Iowa caucus structure confuses candidates, columnist.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary All day today, delegates in approximately 2,500 political precincts in Iowa will gather to select and rank their favorite candidates for president. The Democratic caucusers will make a selection from among the...

Tulane professor invents way to use children's playground equipment as new source of power.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Amber Bethel Generating electricity can be child's play, according to one Tulane professor. Raj Pandian, a professor of engineering and computer science at Tulane University, has designed a way to bottle the energy children...

Residents of Carrollton and Riverbend neighborhoods want a moratorium on new projects.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts First, it was a private school expansion, then a condominium on Dublin Street, followed by a large bar on Maple Street. Now, residents of the Carrollton and Riverbend neighborhoods are taking on Tulane University's...

Louisiana's lieutenant governor calls for regional tourism partnerships among Southern states.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Louisiana should form coalitions with other Southern states in order to profit most from international tourism. That was the message Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu gave a conference of tourism professionals last...

Commentary: Orleans Parish school system losing track of finances again.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor It's illustrative to compare the way two organizations with the same problem are going about paying for a solution. The Archdiocese of New Orleans and the Orleans Parish school system each discovered lead paint...

Entergy Louisiana wants $167M rate hike to cover rising operating costs.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Amber Bethel Entergy Louisiana wants to raise electricity rates, but the company claims lower fuel costs mean consumer bills should not increase. The company, which serves most of the state, petitioned state regulators to...

Children's Hospital in New Orleans to open its new $3.5 million hematology/oncology wing.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Children's Hospital doctors and young cancer patients anxiously await the opening of a new $3.5 million hematology/oncology wing in New Orleans. After working on the hospital addition for two years, officials...

Look Who's Talking... Frederick Barton, vice chancellor/provost for the University of New Orleans.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Amber Bethel Frederick Barton is a fiction writer, a longtime film critic and now the vice chancellor for academic affairs and provost for the University of New Orleans. Barton, who has been part of the UNO faculty since 1979, was...

Ochsner Clinic Foundation of New Orleans opens new $9 million surgery center.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Staff Ochsner Clinic Foundation officials last week opened a new $9 million surgery center at their main campus on Jefferson Highway. The 26,000-square-foot Merrill Hines Surgery Center offers six new operating rooms and a two-room...

Hibernia Corp. reports 3% increase in net income for 2003.
January 19, 2004... Byline: Staff Hibernia Corp. reported 2003 net income of $258.3 million, up 3% from $249.9 million in 2002. Earnings per diluted share were $1.64, up 5% from $1.56 in 2002. Loans at the year's end totaled $12.9 billion, up 12% from $11.5...