New Orleans CityBusiness articles from May 2005

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from May 2005

N.O.-based VanillaSoft's expansion plans spur interest from Canadians.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Tommy Santora A small business technology company in New Orleans plans to add more than 200 jobs and exceed $88 million in revenue in the next five years. It just might not all be done here in New Orleans. Crescent...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Public school closings offer opening for change.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary What a great chance for economic development. That wasn't exactly my first thought but as I think about it more and more, it might work out. I'm talking about last week's announcement from New Orleans...

Papal retail sales in N.O. spurred by changing leadership.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Chris Price The succession of the pope sparked worldwide interest in the lives and writings of popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI. New Orleans-area bookstores and gift shops can't keep up with the demand for papal merchandise. ...

'Unfair tax' stimulates N.Y. coffee trade over its rivals.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Chris Price A movement is percolating to filter out a tax on coffee stored in New Orleans. Coffee imports have slipped over the past few years and Port officials blame a 1.25-cent-per-pound tariff on warehoused beans for...

Meth lab menace shadows rural Louisiana.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Louisiana is becoming a Mecca for making methamphetamine, a cheap drug cutting a swath of addiction and crime through the rural South. "This drug is destroying rural communities that at one time had no crime...

Suit claims Jamster's ad lures children into costly contracts.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky When New Orleans resident Jessica Chanson signed up on the Jamster.com Web site, she thought she would receive a free ringtone for her cellular phone. When her Cingular Wireless bill arrived the next month, the...

MTBE liability protection not seen as energy deal breaker in U.S. Congress.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky A provision that doomed previous attempts to pass comprehensive energy legislation in Congress appears once again in this year's version of the bill. This time, however, proponents are confident a compromise...

Louisiana ranks low in health insurance coverage compared to other states.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A new report on health insurance coverage finds Louisiana lacking in almost all categories compared with other states. Louisiana ranked second-worst in the uninsured adult rate at 26.4 percent,...

New Orleans residents would lift police rule.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Staff Most Orleans Parish residents say it's OK for their police officers to live outside the parish, according to a survey from the New Orleans Police Foundation. The survey, conducted by the University of New Orleans, shows...

City of N.O.'s Job 1 director resigns over 'different vision'.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff After three years as director of Job 1, Andrala Walker resigned effective last Friday, city officials said. "Her philosophy, vision and goals were different than the philosophy, vision and goals...

New cookbook features N.O.'s-based Arnaud's menu.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff More than 150 recipes from the kitchen of Arnaud's Restaurant have been adapted for home use and compiled into a cookbook, which went on sale last week. The Arnaud's Restaurant Cookbook costs...

Louisiana advertising industry to have $76B impact.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Staff The advertising industry will help generate $76 billion for the Louisiana economy next year, according to a study by Waltham, Mass.-based research firm Global Insight. The economic activity generated by advertising -...

Proposed federal Perkins loan trims would cut into student aid.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts A major form of college financial aid would be expelled under President Bush's plan to increase reliance on other forms of college financial assistance. Bush targets the federal Perkins loan program for elimination...

Tulane law program keeps musicians in tune with legal issues.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster With access to free legal and professional advice, New Orleans musicians should all have their acts together, said Lucas Davenport, keyboardist and vocalist for the New Orleans band Triple Delight. Through...

Interview With Sandra Gunner: CEO & president N.O. Chamber of Commerce.
May 2, 2005... Byline: April Capochino In April, Sandra Gunner celebrated her one-year anniversary as president and CEO of the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce. Gunner focused her efforts last year on rebuilding the formerly defunct chamber and recruiting...

N.O. Our Lady of Holy Cross College hires new dean.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Our Lady of Holy Cross College hired the Rev. Anthony De Conciliis as the 12th dean of the Catholic, coed liberal arts college on the West Bank. Holy Cross hired De Conciliis after a nationwide...

Orleans Parish School Board approves search for a new superintendent.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Orleans Parish School Board approved $5,000 to start a search for a new superintendent that school officials say could take more than a year. Deputy administrator Ora Watson will replace...

Orleans Parish School Board member qualifies to run for State senate.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Orleans Parish School Board member Una Anderson qualified to run for the state Senate seat vacated by state Sen. John Hainkel, R-New Orleans, who died April 15. Anderson qualified last Wednesday at the...

N.O.'s Tulane University dedicates new auditorium.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Tulane University dedicated a new $900,000 auditorium April 29. The 250-seat Collins C. Diboll Auditorium Complex is in the Tidewater Building at 1440 Canal St. The Collins C. Diboll Private Foundation...

N.O.-based J. Ray McDermott S.A. awarded $12M contract.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff P.T. McDermott Indonesia, a subsidiary of ,J. Ray McDermott S.A., was awarded a $12 million contract by Saipem Asia Sdn. Bhd. in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, to fabricate drilling platforms and bridges for...

'Three Share' health care solution could help cure what ails LA.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor Small-business owners face a big challenge in paying for and providing decent health care coverage for workers. Small businesses, the heart of the state's economy, are already choked with enough state taxes, fees...

Costly victories for the New Orleans Hornets.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Chris Price The New Orleans Hornets enter the offseason looking to improve the return on their investment. The team payroll totaled $56.5 million last season, 14th highest of the league's 30 teams, according to USA Today. With...

Pain clinics nationwide feel big pinch from critics.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Unregulated pain management clinics are coming under fire by critics calling them "pill mills" and "medical crack houses." Some have called for moratoriums on the clinics until greater national oversight can be...

Expected N.O. Naval Support Activity base closure would have ripple effect.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Editor's note: This is the first of a two- part series on the Base Realignment and Closure process, which threatens to cost New Orleans thousands of jobs and millions in economic impact this summer. Next week: What...

Crown Royal mixes with N.O. barbershop.
May 2, 2005... Byline: Staff Have a haircut with your whiskey. The Boss Soul Aquarius barbershop is remodeling its 1101 N. Broad St. location as part of a barbershop makeover program sponsored by Crown Royal, which spent more than $10,000 outfitting...

Tulane University study finds minorities receive highest rate of C-sections.
May 2, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A Tulane University study found that not all women who have Cesarean sections need them. The study, based on 2001 data, showed 11 percent of mothers had potentially unnecessary first-time...

Proposed cap on tax credits would be harmful for La.'s film industry.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster "Thief," filmed primarily in New Orleans, is the first television series to be shot in Louisiana in more than five years. Cable network FX ordered five episodes in March after viewing the pilot. Dama...

N.O. planning shortchanges critical superintendent search.
May 9, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Equipped with a newly organized search committee, a $5,000 budget and a desperate need for change in a corruption-infested and cash-strapped school district, the Orleans Parish School Board begins its search for a...

Naval Support Activity based fate tied to organized effort of rival bases.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts Editor's note: This is the final story in a two-part series on the Base Realignment and Closure process, which threatens to cost New Orleans thousands of jobs and millions in economic impact. By Deon Roberts Staff...

Federal Energy Regulatory Commission investigates Entergy activity.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission will investigate whether Entergy Corp. and five other utilities gave affiliates preferential access to the transmission grid. If found in violation of the standards,...

Restaurant industry honors Galatoire's.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff At a May 2 ceremony at the New York Marriott Marquis, the James Beard Foundation named Galatoire's the S. Pelligrino Outstanding Restaurant for 2005. The S. Pelligrino is awarded to the restaurant that...

German e-mail virus worms into N.O.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A mass-mailing computer worm that originated in Germany began infecting computers in the New Orleans area this week. It is not known how many computers were affected by the virus. The virus, called Sober.P,...

N.O. server piercings not a concern for city eateries.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster As some states consider enacting health codes banning food workers from wearing rings through their noses or bars through their eyebrows, Louisiana restaurant owners remain free to set their own policies. ...

Commentary: It's Mary Landrieu's turn to play critical Senate role.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, was in town last week and I had the opportunity to visit with her about current events. To say our state's senior senator has a grasp of the big picture is an understatement. ...

Funding snags place callers to 211 service line on hold.
May 9, 2005... Byline: April Capochino A three Digit help line can link callers statewide with a slew of nonprofit services ranging from marriage counseling to a place to sleep for the night. Callers dialing 211 access phone operators who help find...

Big Oil profits trickle down to service firms.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky While Big Oil companies have been reporting record profits for several quarters, the gravy has just begun trickling down to service companies. Oil prices topping $50 per barrel are boosting independent driller...

Invisible gas leaks detected by new camera for La. DEQ.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky For years, locating leaks in gas pipelines was handled much like finding a hole in a bicycle tire: Coat the pipe with soapy water and look for the bubbles. Developing hand-held detectors, or "sniffers," made the...

Priceless graduation traditions inflate 'Pomp and Circumstance'.
May 9, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Dressed in a floor-length white gown, Tina Rodriguez steps out of the dressing room at Yvonne LaFleur, an Uptown dress shop, and onto a platform for her last measurement. Her big day is May 14. At first glance,...

GM betting midsize Hummer puts sluggish sales in reverse.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Chris Price General Motors wants to triple sales of its Hummer sport utility vehicles within the next three years despite high gas prices causing U.S. motorists to pinch pennies at the pump. GM's sluggish sales resulted in a...

2005 Sugar Bowl scores $210M for New Orleans economy.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The 2005 Nokia Sugar Bowl produced an economic impact of $209.92 million for the city and state, according to a study by Tim Ryan, economist and chancellor at the University of New Orleans. The event produced...

Newpark Resources names new chairman, CEO for Newpark Environmental Water Solutions.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The board of directors of Newpark Resources Inc. is searching for a new CEO after James Cole, Newpark's CEO since 1976, has been promoted as chairman and CEO of Newpark Environmental Water Solutions, a wholly...

Airport ridership continues to climb at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Ridership ascended again in March at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport with 468,138 people boarding planes, 3.5 percent more than in March 2004. "There really weren't any major events in New...

James Business Park awaits building permits.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Construction on the $40 million, 88.6-acre James II extension to the James Business Park in St. Rose has been stalled for lack of proper permits. Officials hope construction on the project, which borders the...

Louisiana has few illegal immigrants.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff A study by the Pew Hispanic Center gives Louisiana one of the lowest populations of illegal immigrants in the United States. Between 2002 and 2004, Louisiana was one of 11 states to average between 20,000 to...

Uninsured health care problems can devastate Louisiana workers.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster It was around 4:30 a.m. Feb. 2 when Eric Ratcliff returned home after a long bartending shift at Club Decatur in the French Quarter. It was pouring rain and he was exhausted, but his dogs needed to be walked...

Employers use health savings to stitch costly coverage gap.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Chris Price More than 845,000 Louisianians -roughly 19 percent of the state population - are uninsured. About 642,220 of those uninsured work for businesses that don't or can't offer health insurance. But businesses struggling...

Interview with new executive director of the Port of South Louisiana.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Joel Chaisson served as general counsel to the Port of South Louisiana the past five years under former executive director Joseph Accardo, who left April 15 to become executive director of the Ports Association of...

American Style magazine readers rank N.O. as No. 1 arts destination.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff American Style magazine readers ranked New Orleans the No. 1 arts destination among mid-sized cities in the country. The poll also designated Louisiana Artworks, a project of the Arts Council of New Orleans, a...

Two Orleans Public School Federal Credit Union employees plead guilty to stealing funds.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Two employees of the Orleans Public School Federal Credit Union face prison time after pleading guilty April 27 to stealing nearly $30,000 from dormant accounts and more than $97,000 in a clearing house scheme....

Hornbeck Offshores elects new chairman of the board.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Hornbeck Offshore Services Inc. announced Todd Hornbeck, 36, was elected chairman of the board May 4 at its annual stockholders' meeting. Hornbeck will remain president and CEO. Bernie Stewart, 59, Hornbeck...

Mineral Management Service's Gulf drilling centered in deepwater.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff The Mineral Management Service's annual report confirms drilling and exploration in the Gulf of Mexico has centered in the deepwater. The report, "Deepwater Gulf of Mexico 2005: Interim Report of 2004...

Community Coffee raising wholesale prices on 1-pound bags.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Grocers will soon pay more to stock Community Coffee. The Baton Rouge coffee maker raised wholesale prices on 1-pound bags by 20 cents effective May 9. Matt Saurage, CC vice president, attributed the price...

Community Shares of Louisiana raised nearly $40K for N.O. charities last year.
May 9, 2005... Byline: CityBusiness Staff Community Shares of Louisiana, a federation of nonprofits targeting social reform, raised nearly $40,000 for New Orleans charities last year. More than 14,000 employees from the city of New Orleans, Tulane...

Commentary: Fat cat taxpayers try to gut La.'s effective Stelly tax reform.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor Fat cat taxpayers and feeble legislators will try to gut the Stelly Plan this legislative session. It should not be allowed. Studies show the plan benefits nearly 80 percent of Louisianians. Not surprisingly, the...

Commentary: Tourism renaissance requires Saints to stay in New Orleans.
May 9, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor As the World Trade Center towers came down Sept. 11, 2001, few knew or cared the U.S. tourism business model that had worked for decades was also being demolished, too. Long after the dust settled and the dead...

New "Star Wars" movie stirs excitement for New Orleans theater operators.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky Despite his more than 60 years in the movie business, the final chapter in the "Star Wars" saga was a first for Prytania Theater operator Rene Brunet. Last week, an unidentified man walked up to the theater's...

Metairie office space regains premier rates.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts It's been seven years since Bruce Sossaman could cut a deal for Metairie office space at $21 a square foot. But with occupancy rates above 90 percent, the New Orleans leasing director can now ask that much for...

Rivals of the new Whole Foods market in Metairie expecting business lift.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Chris Price Whole Foods Market opens its 53,000-square-foot Metairie megastore Wednesday and neighboring retailers are already taking inventory of the expected overflow. Store managers near Whole Foods' new $9 million 3400...

Foreign worker visa tangle is worked out.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Ponchatoula chocolate maker Elmer Candy Corp. is worrying less about worker shortages these days. President Bush signed the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act last week, which enabled Elmer...

Louisiana State Rep. Bruneau tosses idea of tax-free throws.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Carnival throws might cost less next year. State Rep. Peppi Bruneau, R-New Orleans, filed a bill in the Legislature to allow Carnival krewes to sell throws to members without charging state and...

Al Davis to write tell-all book on Orleans school system.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A tell-all book of what it was like to work for the New Orleans Public School system is in the works for Marine Col. Al Davis, superintendent of New Orleans Public Schools from 1999 to 2002. When...

Whole Foods in New Orleans competitor shops store's former site.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff When Michael Zarou closed his grocery store and deli four months after a Whole Foods Market opened on Magazine Street in 2002, he blamed Whole Foods for stealing his business. Now, Zarou hopes...

Word is getting out that Louisiana is open for foreign financial institutions to open in state.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Greg LaRose Louisiana legislators tweaked state banking laws last year to allow foreign financial institutions to open branch operations in the state. There has been no surge in interest from international banks yet, but the...

Tougher bankruptcy laws include consumer counseling clause.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Greg LaRose Unemployment, unforeseen medical expenses and broken marriages are the most common reasons clients of Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater New Orleans give for needing its services. Tom Collins, CCCS vice...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Partisan commentary is tired 'lounge act'.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Mark Singletary As I was getting my weekly dose of current events last Sunday, I was stricken with the notion it is way past time for some new personalities to emerge. It was 9 a.m., time for "Meet the Press" and the principal...

Bionic relief available for chronic back pain.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster For years, chronic pain crippled Alfred Purcell. He couldn't carry the garbage to the end of the driveway without his back seizing into a ball of twisted nerves. His legs routinely gave out on him,...

Port of New Orleans relaunches container-on-barge delivery.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Chris Price The Port of New Orleans is establishing a burgeoning container-on-barge delivery service after almost 20 years of studies and planning. Beginning this month, CSG Co. LLC in Leetsdale, Pa., will offer a...

Colleges urge students to consolidate federal student loans.
May 16, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Interest rates on federal student loans will increase nearly two points July 1 and college students stand to save thousands by consolidating Stafford loan debt now. But with final exams and graduation at hand,...

Cutting film tax incentives in Louisiana now is short-sighted state proposal.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Terry O'Connor As Louisiana's profitable film industry threatens to ripen into full-blown maturity, it would be premature to restrict the tax incentives that make it all possible. The film industry impact has blossomed from a...

Revolving club atop World Trade Center starts new spin Saturday.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster Altitude 33, the latest incarnation of the massive revolving lounge atop the World Trade Center in New Orleans, opens Saturday. Ray Wooldridge, former minority owner with the New Orleans Hornets and the sole...

Hard-line New Orleans Saints' stance hasn't sacked merchandise sales.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Chris Price The New Orleans Saints are leaning on the loyalty of their longtime fans in their new marketing campaign: "You Gotta Have Faith." For the past 39 years, that meant faith that the Saints would one day be winners. But...

Supercomputers will help solve U.S. energy blackout equation.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Deon Roberts With 2.6 million customers in four Southern states, Entergy Corp. has no desire to experience a widespread blackout. Tulane University and Entergy are working together on "supercomputers" to short circuit that...

Entergy storm boss worried about N.O. hurricane complacency.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Richard Slawsky When a hurricane is forecast to hit New Orleans, Entergy Corp. workers begin moving company trucks and equipment to higher ground. The equipment exodus is part of Entergy's plan to restore any lost power as soon...

New Transportation Study: New Orleans gridlock far from worst.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff A new study on urban traffic found New Orleans stuck in the middle of the pack. The Texas Transportation Institute ranked New Orleans No. 54 out of 85 major urban areas in annual delay time per...

NASA center adds 500 jobs in Stennis, Mississippi.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The National Aeronautics and Space Administration selected Stennis Space Center in Mississippi for its new NASA Shared Services Center. The NSSC will consolidate administrative support functions...

Omni Bank of New Orleans plans $2.7M in restorations.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Staff Omni Bank of New Orleans has a lease-purchase agreement to renovate the 70-year-old Western Union Telegraph building at the corner of Carondelet and Gravier streets. CEO Jim Hudson says the bank outgrew the space it has at...

Two N.O. schools make improved list.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Two New Orleans public elementary schools credited with raising state performance scores were honored Wednesday by the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry. Robert Moton Elementary...

Jindal wants more protection from terrorists.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The U.S. Department of Homeland Security needs to do more to protect the country from possible terrorist attacks, said Rep. Bobby Jindal, R-Metairie. The country does not have a plan "solely...

Nonprofit aims to cure what ails uninsured artists in N.O.
May 16, 2005... Byline: Richard A. Webster In June 1999, Jonathan Ferrara presented a show at his gallery on Baronne Street with revered New Orleans "outsider" artist Roy Ferdinand. Ferdinand, 38 at the time, had lost 75 percent of his stomach to a...

Nonprofit Spotlight: Covenant House New Orleans.
May 16, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Covenant House New Orleans is home for young mom Alicia Blatcher and her 4-month-old daughter, Aisha. Blatcher, 21, has been there the past three weeks. Two years ago, she spent two months there. This time,...

Interview with Barbara Kaplinsky, 31-year career with the Greater New Orleans area United Way.
May 16, 2005... Byline: April Capochino Barbara Kaplinsky has made a 31-year career out of working for the United Way. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Mich., Kaplinsky, the vice president of campaign, marketing and public relations for the United Way...

N.O. Mayor C. Ray Nagin gives his third State of the City address.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin gave his third State of the City address at Xavier University. Nagin focused on areas where improvements are needed. Violent crime, a struggling public education...

Report shows property tax exemptions, under-assessments in N.O., cost Orleans Parish $172M annually.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff The Bureau of Governmental Research released a report pointing out how much money tax recipient bodies lose due to property tax exemptions and under-assessed property. The report, "Unfair...

Orleans Parish to receive federal grant money for the school district.
May 16, 2005... Byline: New Orleans CityBusiness Staff Orleans Parish School Board President Torin Sanders announced the school district will have enough money in its budget through the end of June to pay its employees. Sanders attributed the...