New Orleans CityBusiness articles from June 2005

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from June 2005

Commentary: Legislature should protect TOPS from HB 619 tampering.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor House Bill 619 by state Rep. Joe Salter, D-Florien, would allow universities to increase tuition without the two-thirds approval vote of the Legislature now required. Removing this necessary check on the power of...

Commentary: Tusa to make triumphant return with $1.5M Crazy Lobster concept.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor When A.J. Tusa Jr. opens his $1.5 million Crazy Lobster restaurant July 1, the 59-year-old proprietor will have completed an eight-year journey that was supposed to have been spent comfortably in retirement. Tusa...

$4.3M prostate cancer system helps Slidell Memorial Hospital gain precision.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster When Slidell Memorial Hospital purchased the $4.3 million Trilogy image-guided radiotherapy system in October, it was the equivalent of removing a blindfold from the eyes of the medical staff, said Dr. Thomas...

New Orleans business leaders tout magnet schools as economic asset.
June 6, 2005... Byline: April Capochino The Jefferson Parish school system made a historic decision last year in creating its first magnet school. In doing so, the district ended years of debate on the idea in hopes of reaping the benefits other parish...

China becomes top market for Louisiana exports.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Chris Price For the first time, Louisiana is looking a little farther into the Far East to export most of its merchandise. China became the top market for Louisiana exports in the first quarter of 2005. And the state's port and...

Louisiana's senators disappointed after losing royalty debate.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Although a provision granting Louisiana a greater share of offshore drilling royalties was stripped from a Senate version of the Energy Bill, the move wasn't a total loss for Louisiana. However, a little-noticed...

Commentary: Deep Throat deeds felt deep in heart of Texas.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary When Max Felt revealed himself to be the infamous Watergate Deep Throat last week, I admit I was caught up in all the hoopla. Serious flashbacks rifled through my brain. I couldn't help myself; Watergate defined...

Wireless Amber Alerts increase child abduction deterrence.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky According to a 1997 study by the state of Washington's Office of the Attorney General, 74 percent of abducted children who are murdered are dead within three hours of the abduction. When a child turns up...

New Orleans Saints $50M in charity work lost in deal-making debates.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Tom Benson says he's no Grinch even though the New Orleans Saints owner has threatened to move the city's favorite toy if the state stops subsidizing the team. Critics often pan the $187 million, 10-year deal Benson...

Residents of New Orleans-area subdivision anticipate battle over commercial rezoning.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Residents of the Whitney Heights subdivision vow to fight a commercial rezoning of the Tolmas tract, two blocks of vacant land on Veterans Memorial Boulevard near Causeway Boulevard. "There's not going to be any changes,"...

LA-commissioned study suggests state should discontinue funding for proposed regional airport.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff A state-commissioned study strongly suggests Louisiana should discontinue funding the Louisiana Transportation Center, a proposed regional airport that would include rail and shipping facilities, a trucking distribution...

Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans expects busy summer.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center projects summer attendance will be at its highest since 2001. From June through August, the Convention Center is expected to play host to 25 events and more than 156,000 attendees. That...

Two LSU grads win World Series of Poker Circuit's championship at Harrah's New Orleans.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Two Louisiana State University graduates split more than $1 million in prize money as the top finishers in the World Series of Poker Circuit's championship event at Harrah's New Orleans. Baton Rouge resident Walter...

Metairie insurance firm takes business national.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Nationwide Appointment Program Alliance in the Galleria building in Metairie is going national. "The move will create up to 100 jobs with as many as 20 internships in our Metairie home office," said Paul Sampson, vice...

New Orleans Hospitality Briefs: June 6, 2005.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster A young couple from Napa Valley, Calif., reopened Restaurant Indigo last Wednesday, curious as to whether their California-culinary mentality would translate in this Mid-City neighborhood. Owner Michael...

Interview with Ron Meastri, Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer of New Orleans Zephyrs.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Already a member of the New Orleans Sports Hall of Fame, Ron Maestri returned to baseball by joining the New Orleans Zephyrs in March after working five years with the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation as executive...

New Orleans School Board members sue president to force hiring of school finance firm.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff More than a week after four Orleans Parish School Board members voted to hire an outside firm to take over the district's finances, the same Board members voted Tuesday to sue President Torin Sanders to force him to sign the...

Orleans Parish School Board to close five schools in effort to save $3.3 million.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Orleans Parish School Board voted Tuesday to close five elementary schools, move three schools and restore the district's failing middle schools in an effort to save $3.3 million. Members questioned the cost of the...

Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee to hold education summit.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Committee for a Better New Orleans/Metropolitan Area Committee will hold an education summit June 19 in an effort to rally community support to improve education in the city. The summit will enlist nonprofits in New...

Base Realignment and Closure Commission to come to New Orleans in June.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Base Realignment and Closure Commission is coming June 17 to New Orleans. The city will also be the site of a July 12 regional BRAC Commission hearing at the D-Day Museum in the Warehouse District. The BRAC...

Exec VP of Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans resigns.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Scott Coulombe, executive vice president of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans, has resigned. His last day will be June 30. He is moving to Naples, Fla., to be executive vice president of the Collier...

Commercial banks/savings institutions insured by FDIC report $32.3B in net income for 4th quarter.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Commercial banks and savings institutions insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. reported $34.3 billion in net income for the first quarter, eclipsing the previous quarterly record of $32.4 billion in the third...

FDIC to audit community reinvestment standards of three New Orleans-area banks.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Three area banks will have their community reinvestment standards audited between July and September. First Bank and Trust and Gulf Coast Bank and Trust of New Orleans and Mandeville-based Resource Bank are on the Federal...

J. Ray McDermott wins ExxonMobil's 2004 Contractor of the Year Award for safety performance.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Middle East fabrication operation of McDermott International Inc. subsidiary J. Ray McDermott won ExxonMobil Development Company's Contractor of the Year Award for 2004 for safety performance on the RasGas Offshore...

Duke Power awards $500M contract to retrofit coal-fired generating units at N.C. power plant.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff The Shaw Group Inc.'s Shaw Stone and Webster unit, along with its consortium partner Alstom Environmental Control Systems, was awarded a $500 million contract by Duke Power, a unit of Duke Energy, to retrofit coal-fired...

Louisiana drivers rank No. 39 among states in knowledge of rules of the road.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Louisiana drivers rank No. 39 among states in basic knowledge of rules of the road and safe automobile operation, according to a report by GMAC Insurance. The study shows that one in 10 drivers, nearly 20 million...

Louisiana and 10 other southern states gain access to free credit reports.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Louisiana and 10 other southern states gained access to free credit reports starting June 1 as part of a campaign to address the causes of poverty. State leaders have endorsed the effort to heighten the awareness of...

New Orleans-area volunteer group donates 21,000 hours of time reading and tutoring students.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Start the Adventure in Reading had 425 volunteers donate more than 21,000 hours of their time reading and tutoring students this past school year. STAIR is a nonprofit that provides free after-school tutoring in reading...

New Orleans Regional Business Park adds new businesses and expands existing operations.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts The unfortunate former NOBID acronym for the New Orleans Regional Business Park was fodder for jokes before the Louisiana Legislature changed it last summer. It's been nearly a year since Senate Bill 545 renamed...

New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers faces $71.2M in federal cuts.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts In fiscal year 2006, the New Orleans district of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is bracing for a record $71.2 million reduction in federal funding. It would be the largest single-year funding loss ever for the...

LA Public Service Commission to develop rules regulating ratepayers' costs for exec bonuses.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky J. Wayne Leonard, CEO of New Orleans-based Entergy Corp., received $2.9 million in long-term incentive payouts in 2003 as part of his compensation package. Robert Glynn, CEO of San Francisco-based PG&E Corp.,...

Tulane professor touts new book on U.S. tour.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Tulane University Professor Doug Brinkley embarked this week on a national media tour promoting his new book, "The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Ronald Reagan, D-Day, and the U.S. Army 2nd Ranger Battalion." Brinkley revisits...

Frequent power outages may change Terrebonne Parish's no-claim policy.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Terrebonne Parish residents whose appliances were damaged by power surges may be shocked to hear the parish policy of denying all power-surge claims. Repeated power outages energized residents of Houma's East Woodlawn...

Tulane fellow's tea study sheds light on cancer fight.
June 6, 2005... Byline: Staff Tulane University's school color, green, is fitting for researcher Christine Palermo. The Tulane post-doctorate fellow's research on green tea is shedding light on how the brew might fight cancer. Her research could lead...

Commentary: It's time to admit Cuban embargo has failed in advancing U.S. goals.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor The Cuban trade embargo has been a poor idea ever since President John F. Kennedy expanded the 1960 partial trade restrictions put in place by President Dwight Eisenhower to a full-blown blackout in 1963. In more...

Travel insurance popularity grows along with global uncertainty.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Travel insurance is becoming as common among globetrotters as passports and luggage, according to a recent study. More than 17 million Americans spent better than $1 billion on travel insurance in 2004, according to...

University of New Orleans report shows healthy N.O. economy.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The New Orleans-area economy ended 2004 with solid economic indicators in employment, tourism, gambling and port cargo, according to the "Metropolitan Report" released by the University of New Orleans. Compared with...

Northrop Grumman names Philip Teel corporate VP and president of Ships Systems sector.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Northrop Grumman Corp.'s board of directors elected Philip Teel corporate vice president and president of the company's Ship Systems sector in Avondale, effective July 1. He will report to Ronald Sugar, Northrop Grumman's...

Hibernia Bank name change expected in 2006.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The brand name of New Orleans' oldest bank could be removed from the city landscape by early 2006. Hibernia Bank CEO Herb Boydstun said Capital One, the McLean, Va.-based credit card company acquiring Hibernia, let him...

Orleans Parish School Board rejects health insurance bids.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The Orleans Parish School Board unanimously rejected all health care insurance bids at Tuesday's meeting and told administrators to start over. Coventry Healthcare, the school district's provider, was working under a $50...

Construction begins on Kenner fire station.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Kenner's new, 4,900-square-foot, $560,000 fire station could be completed as early as October, said Roy Frischhertz III, vice president of Roy Frischhertz Construction Co. Inc. in Jefferson. That would be four months...

Interview with Jim Robbins, CEO of Cox Communications.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Jim Robbins joined Cox Communications in 1983 as vice president of operations in New York. He was named president of Cox in 1985 and became CEO in 1995 when the company went public. Cox Communications provides...

Buyer selected for former Whole Foods building at 3135 Esplanade Ave. in New Orleans.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff A buyer was selected for the former Whole Foods building at 3135 Esplanade Ave. Whole Foods narrowed the field to two bidders: Charles Ciaccio, who owns Lakeview Fine Foods at 801 Harrison Ave., and Cosimo Matassa, whose...

United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area donates more than $10.7M last year.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area donated more than $10.7 million to help more than 610,000 people in the New Orleans area last year. The United Way funding was distributed in the following parishes:...

Pan-American Life Insurance Co. names Carlos Mickan executive vice president and CFO.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Pan-American Life Insurance Co. named Carlos Mickan executive vice president and chief financial officer effective June 20. Mickan previously served as senior vice president and CFO of Principal International Inc., the...

Xavier Univ. ranks first for awarding science undergraduate degrees to African-American students.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Xavier University ranked first for awarding biological and biomedical science undergraduate degrees and physical science degrees to African-American students for the 10th year in a row this year, according to the "Top 100...

La. governor and Orleans school board to resolve hiring of NY firm to manage district finances.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco agreed to work with the Orleans Parish School Board to resolve concerns raised by Board President Torin Sanders about hiring a New York firm to manage district finances. Sanders refused to...

Liberty Bank of New Orleans recognized as third-largest African-American-owned bank in U.S.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Liberty Bank of New Orleans was recognized as the third-largest African-American-owned bank in the United States. Black Enterprise Magazine's annual listing of the nation's top African-American businesses placed Liberty...

Intellectual property law firm of Sieberth & Patty to lease executive suite in New Orleans.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The intellectual property law firm of Sieberth & Patty will lease an executive suite in the Poydras Center at 650 Poydras St. adjacent to the U.S. Court of Appeals. Attorney Drew Patty will serve as the partner-in-charge...

Omni Energy Services of Carencro to sell fleet of helicopters to Rotorcraft Leasing in Broussard.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff Omni Energy Services Corp. of Carencro will sell its fleet of 20 helicopters, spare parts and related equipment, as well as one fixed-wing airplane for $11 million to Rotorcraft Leasing Inc. in Broussard. Closing is expected...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Politicos protect freebies, attack junk food.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary I drove to Baton Rouge last week to watch the Legislature at work, hoping for some substantive action. The politicians didn't let me down. In separate actions, one by a House committee and one by a Senate vote,...

Proponents of Cuba trade concerned by dropoff in La. exports to island nation.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco's controversial trade mission to Cuba in March was echoed by a dramatic dropoff in Louisiana exports to the island nation 90 miles off the coast of Florida. Louisiana's first-quarter...

Orleans Parish School Board moves forward with hiring of NY accounting firm.
June 13, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Crunch time came last week for the Orleans Parish School Board to address its troubled finances. School Board President Torin Sanders, who had called on the governor for help while refusing to ratify an...

Louisiana contractors affected by federal budget cuts.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts When HDR Inc., an architectural and engineering firm out of Omaha, Neb., opened an office in New Orleans last year, company officials expected 60 percent of the work to come from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. ...

Fathers and sons reflect on their experiences as co-workers.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Although he has a college degree, Chance Miller, 34, chooses to work in his father's Metairie homebuilding business. After earning a degree in sports management from Tulane University in 1993 and living in Florida...

U.S. Department of Defense reveals reasons for New Orleans base closing.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The U.S. Department of Defense expects to save $276.42 million over 20 years by closing the Naval Support Activity base in New Orleans. That's according to a much-anticipated DOD report on the cost savings expected by...

Fair Grounds awaits New Orleans City Council approval for 16-hour-a-day slots play.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Staff The New Orleans City Council is expected to vote Thursday on Churchill Downs Inc.'s plans to add slot machines at the Fair Grounds Race Course. The Council will vote on whether CDI can add up to 700 slot machines;...

Oil industry experts warn of problems with nation's refineries.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky In the FX Network's movie "Oil Storm," a hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico, a tanker collision and a terrorist attack combine to push oil prices to nearly $200 a barrel and gas to $8 a gallon. Riots break out across...

Le Grand Executif: Irvin Mayfield works to preserve and uplift jazz in New Orleans.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Irvin Mayfield says he is not a businessman and does not want to be a businessman. "People always say I have business sense. That's some (nonsense)," Mayfield said. "I've been out here playing for 10 years and...

Le Grand Executif: New Orleans trumpeter uses jazz as reform tool.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky In the fall, Irvin Mayfield will walk into Orleans Parish Prison where 84 inmates await. He will arrive armed with nothing more than a team of teachers and his love of music. Mayfield's mission is simple: Use...

Le Grand Executif: Irwin Mayfield mentors reflect his eclectic sense of style.
June 13, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Mentors for a jazz musician are not usually the police superintendent, the president of a Fortune 500 utility company or the former owner of a National Basketball Association franchise. Unless you are Irvin...

Top Public Companies: Precarious finances afflict top N.O. interests.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor Nineteen of the 22 publicly traded New Orleans-area businesses turned a profit in 2004, including a tidy double-digit percentage net income increase in 10 cases. On the surface, the overall performance is even...

Essence Fest in New Orleans bank tops $800M.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Since its inception in 1995, the Essence Music Festival has contributed more than $800 million to the New Orleans economy. Sal Sunseri, president of the French Quarter Business Association, said Essence is a...

Mr. Bill says 'Noooo!' to Louisiana's wetlands campaign.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff "Saturday Night Live" star Mr. Bill is withdrawing his support for a public awareness campaign aimed at saving Louisiana's wetlands. Walter Williams, the creator of the animated clay figure, is...

Southern Louisiana sinking faster than first thought.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Much of southern Louisiana may sink into the Gulf of Mexico by the end of the century, according to a report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The coast of the northern Gulf...

National Consumers League report farm work, construction are worst 2 summer jobs.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Babysitting may be a boring summer job but it's a lot safer than other jobs teens are choosing, according to the National Consumers League. The NCL rated this year's top five worst jobs as: 1,...

Brink's offers $25,000 reward for N.O. armored car holdup information.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Brink's Inc., the Richmond, Va.-based transportation security company, is offering a $25,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of suspects in a May 17 robbery at a Carrolton Avenue bank. ...

Commentary: Lawmakers should let priorities, not politics, dictate spending.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary I sent out a survey last week hoping to find out the most important thing our Legislature should be thinking about. I know it's hard to believe but the No. 1 concern was money. The survey wasn't scientific but...

Drug testing expense cuts business interest in U.S.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster The prevalence of drug testing in the American workplace has spawned a cottage industry of products designed to avoid dirty results. Everything from clean samples of urine to masking agents and an...

Venezuela: Trade with U.S. worth the risk.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Despite strained relations between the U.S. and Venezuelan governments, day-to-day business goes on. New Orleans oilfield service companies, including fleet operator Tidewater Inc., have been doing business in...

Louisiana representatives still hope to add to successful Cuban trade.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Louisiana Economic Development Secretary Michael Olivier is pushing the Bush administration to change 45 years of U.S. policy by lifting the economic and trade embargo on Cuba. But Olivier's efforts have raised the...

New Orleans school principals study leadership.
June 20, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Robin Morris is one of 24 New Orleans principals accepted into this year's School Leadership Center of Greater New Orleans, which means she's agreed to spend part of her summer vacation learning how to improve her...

Racism on Bourbon Street spurs discrimination decision in New Orleans.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts The Greater New Orleans Fair Housing Action Center, which started a decade ago to stop housing discrimination, is at a crossroads. "It's a unique time for the organization. We're making a difficult decision about...

Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission's tech project receives land lift.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission expects to officially receive a July 1 donation of 40 acres for the 500-acre technology park planned for the West Bank of Jefferson Parish. ...

Essence Music Fest not only summer draw for tourists to New Orleans.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The summer tourism and convention season picks up speed with the Essence Music Festival at the Louisiana Superdome July 1-4, which is expected to attract 50,000 attendees and fill 10,000 hotel rooms....

New Orleans Hornets add premium seats for next season.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The New Orleans Hornets are catering to high-income basketball fans while using high-tech assistance to boost ticket sales. The Hornets will add 43 premium sideline seats at the New Orleans Arena,...

Reserve chemical company acquired by Swiss firm.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Clariant Oil Services, a division of Baselland, Switzerland-based specialty chemical maker Clariant Ltd., has purchased the business and primary assets of Data Chem Inc. in Reserve. Purchase price was...

Delgado Community College deal OKs SUNO credit transfers.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Students attending Delgado Community College can now transfer credits to Southern University at New Orleans, according to an agreement between the two colleges. Delgado students who complete...

Hurricane-battered businesses rely on interruption insurance.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Nine months after Hurricane Ivan's 115-mph winds and 13-foot storm surges leveled the Flora-Bama Lounge in Perdido Key, Fla., the famous Gulf Coast haunt is still closed. But co-owners Pat McClellan and Joe...

St. Bernard Parish housing authority would work to clean up slums.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky In St. Bernard, the words "Village Square" are synonymous with blight. But parish officials are hoping a bill in the state Legislature will pump new life into the five-block stretch of deteriorating apartment...

Interview with: Randy Waesche, president of Resource Management, Inc.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Randy Waesche is president of Resource Management Inc., a firm he joined in 1977. The company was founded by Judith Zabalaoui in 1975 and manages more than $600 million in assets. Resource Management Inc. is the...

Tulane University alum appointed to U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Staff Tulane University Law School alumni William H. Pryor Jr. was appointed to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit this month. Pryor graduated magna cum laude from the law school in 1987, was editor of the Tulane Law...

President of JEDCO resigns after six months.
June 20, 2005... Byline: Staff After six months as president of the Jefferson Parish Economic Development Commission, Brian Freese resigned June 10. JEDCO began looking for a successor at a two-hour emergency board meeting last Tuesday. His resignation is...

Orleans Parish School Board begins negotiations to hire N.Y. firm to fix finances.
June 20, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Negotiations began Wednesday in Baton Rouge involving the Orleans Parish School Board, the state and Alvarez and Marsal, a New York firm contracted to fix the district's finances. After refusing...