New Orleans CityBusiness articles from November 2003

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from November 2003

Ritz-Carlton New Orleans offers hotel guests free two-hour spin in luxury car.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff Guests staying at the Ritz-Carlton New Orleans before Nov. 21 can borrow a luxury car to go with their fancy hotel room. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company LLC of Chevy Chase, Md., partnered with Mercedes-Benz USA of Montvale,...

Bobby Jindal plans to help Louisiana's economy by removing impediments to business.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Megan Kamerick Bobby Jindal has never held elected office but he is no stranger to public roles with political overtones. He likes to emphasize that he is a problem solver - not a career politician. This sets him apart from...

Donation from Churchill Farms spurs 500-acre tech park project in Jefferson Parish's West Bank.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts By the end of this year, Jefferson Parish officials hope to own the first piece of the West Bank's future 500-acre corporate/technology park.Parish officials are planning to accept a donation of 40 acres of land off...

New Orleans banks resort to old tactics to attract today's customer.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Bank giveaways in New Orleans have come a long way since the days of the free toaster.In an effort to entice customers, banks are offering stuffed animals, digital cameras and even free food as perks.When Birmingham,...

Commentary: Orleans School Board must take ownership of accounting woes.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Mark Singletary The Orleans Parish School Board is in a pickle.As we all should know by now, the school system's payroll department is a mess. The board is going to have to clean things up. That is where the pickle juice starts...

Louisiana congressional representatives gain support from military for completion of Interstate 49.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer In the mid-1950s, President Dwight Eisenhower paved the way for a comprehensive, major road system connecting the Unites States' military bases in case of emergency mobilization.While many developers today look to...

New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin expects fees to help fill $37M shortfall.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Nonrecurring revenues and projected increases left the administration of Mayor C. Ray Nagin with a mathematical puzzle to solve for the 2004 fiscal year: How to plug a potential $37 million gap?Increasing fees and...

Calpine wary about Entergy plan to pay for transmission line upgrades.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel Calpine Corp. officials say they're not opposed to participant funding, which means benefiting companies pay for transmission line upgrades.The independent power plant company is concerned about how participant funding...

$108M Huey P. Long Bridge project to dislodge 23 businesses.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Keith Kiraly knows widening the 68-year-old Huey P. Long Bridge is long overdue.But while the $108 million widening project will benefit motorists, it will cost Kiraly his prized location near the bridge where he moved...

Experts at New Orleans Media Experience discuss digital video's place in future of film.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller A new generation of storytellers is tossing celluloid in the can - the trash can.As the Robert E. Nims Center for Entertainment Arts and Multimedia Technology in Elmwood prepares to build one of the first digital...

Oshsner Health Plan rewrites its Medicare+Choice program for 2004.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff Blaming federal funding shortfalls, Ochsner Health Plan rewrote its Medicare+Choice program for 2004. The health maintenance organization first reduced the benefits and increased the cost of its original Medicare+Choice plan,...

EPA wants 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to retract approval for emissions.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff The Environmental Protection Agency last week asked the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals to cancel approval EPA had given to a state emissions plan. The state Department of Environmental Quality had received the approval from the...

President Bush signs Check Truncation Act to authorize use of electronic check images.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff President Bush signed the Check Truncation Act last week authorizing the use of electronic check images in place of paper checks. Also known as Check 21, the act allows financial institutions to clear and process all checks...

New Orleans software developer keeps Northrop Grumman.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff Northrup Grumman Ship Systems is riding a big wave these days from New Orleans software developer Resurgence Software's Wave 4.5 ship maintenance software, an upgrade from Wave 4.0. Northrop Grumman Ship Systems has signed an...

InterContinental New Orleans launches new Instant Service so guests can make requests to real person.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff In these days of voice recognition software, it's rare to dial "O" on a telephone and hear a live person answer. One of New Orleans' biggest hotels aims to return to an earlier era with a human touch as it launches a new...

New Orleans officials boost area's case for homeland security base.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Louisiana's homeland security officials tout the state's vulnerabilities as the main reasons why the U.S. Department of Homeland Security should tap New Orleans as a regional leader.Security and technology professionals...

'Dead Man Walking' author encourages PR professionals to stay positive.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel Sister Helen Prejean, author of the book "Dead Man Walking" said if a nun can get the word out to the world, PR professionals can, too.But their ethics - not their corporations -should guide the words they're...

New Orleans' Consumer Credit Counseling Service offers free counseling to credit card holders.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Buying gifts and lavish meals for Christmas cheer can cause buyer's remorse when heavy credit card statements arrive in January. Officials at Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Greater New Orleans Inc. want to...

Look Who's Talking ... William Deville, director of New Orleans' public transportation department.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler After nearly 20 years with the Regional Transit Authority, William Deville began steering the city's public transportation department last year. He's about to bring one new streetcar online with negotiations for...

Northrop Grumman nearly doubles its income during the third quarter.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff Northrop Grumman Corp., which counts Avondale shipyard as part of Northrop Grumman Ship Systems, nearly doubled its income during the third quarter. Los Angeles-based Northrop Grumman reported $224 million in income from...

New Orleans gains 5,600 jobs in Sept., continuing year-long employment trend.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans metropolitan area gained 5,600 jobs in September, continuing a year-long employment trend throughout the region, according to the Louisiana Department of Labor.The largest gains were in educational services...

New Orleans offers free lead testing for parents, students, and employees of Audubon Montessori.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff After receiving a grant in October from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the city of New Orleans last week offered free lead testing for parents, students and employees of Audubon Montessori. New Orleans...

Commentary: New Orleans should add tolls to its interstate tax equation.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor The interstate transportation needs of New Orleans will not go away. Nor will such needs be addressed by a combination of state and federal largesse - at least not in our lifetime.It's time for New Orleans and the...

New Orleans Mayor Nagin's budget contains police, city employee raises.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Staff Funding for 200 more police officers and pay raises for officers and city employees are among the budgeted items presented by New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin for fiscal year 2004.The city's $594.7 million budget is banking on...

La. gubernatorial candidate outlines plans for the state.
November 3, 2003... Byline: Michael Giusti Louisiana's most pressing problems can be answered through teamwork, and Kathleen Babineaux Blanco says as governor she would rally the teams needed to solve those problems."I think I can do for the general economy...

Group pushes to add bike lanes to Canal Street.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer New Orleans should be the perfect place to cycle. The city is blessed with miles and miles of flat land and a moderate climate.But not one mile of roadway has a designated bike lane. Advocates are hoping to change...

Fore!Kids faces biggest crisis in its 45 years.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Fore!Kids Foundation Inc. in New Orleans landed in the rough this year when Hewlett-Packard Co. announced it would walk away as the title sponsor of the group's main fund-raiser after 2004.Executives at the...

Superior Energy 3Q hints at big future move.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor Superior Energy Services Inc. of Harvey quadrupled its earnings in the third quarter despite the multimillion-dollar loss of one of its ships.Superior Energy's $128.3 million in revenues resulted in net income of...

American Cancer Society wants smokers for lung cancer trial.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff The American Cancer Society wants current and ex-smokers - even those who long ago converted their ash trays back into penny dishes - to sign up for a major lung cancer trial. Applicants accepted into the National Lung...

Mayor Nagin announces gubernatorial endorsement.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Bobby Jindal has been made an offer he's likely to refuse. At a press conference last Monday when New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin endorsed the Republican candidate for governor, Nagin made a cosmetic request of Jindal."If I...

Urban Conservancy gains cable niche.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff A New Orleans preservation group is moving its message from cyberspace to the airwaves. The Urban Conservancy, an urban planning watchdog group, made its on-air debut last week with "Dispatch from the City." The show, which...

New Orleans restaurants say labor pool is lacking.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Good help is hard to find - especially in the New Orleans restaurant market.Several fine-dining managers in New Orleans say the existing pool of experienced servers and hosts won't meet the growing demand for...

Sterilization processes help oystermen avoid costly ban.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Technology may be the pearl the Gulf Coast oyster industry needs to stay afloat.California's recent ban on Gulf Coast oysters, citing potentially harmful bacteria, has already cost New Orleans area companies millions...

Commentary: Pigeonhole politics ignores the nuances of Louisiana's issues.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Mark Singletary Are we a Red State or a Blue State?In the wake and analysis of the presidential elections of 2000, these colors are used to describe voter control and patterns that may shape our politics for years to come. When we...

Trio of projects should propel Northrop profit next fiscal year.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Three major contracts are expected to propel Northrop Grumman Corp.'s economic growth spurt and one will add about 300 jobs in New Orleans next year.The world's largest defense contractor, headquartered in Los Angeles,...

Embattled Artist Resource Kollective struggles to remain afloat.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller The ARK, which runs several volunteer programs, is in danger of sinking.Financial struggles, building code violations and neighborhood opposition threatens the Artist Resource Kollective in Faubourg Marigny. Organizers...

Stiff premiums force workers to pay more for insurance.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Grumbling heard in offices nationwide signaled the beginning of open enrollment for company-based health insurance.Premiums climbed 15% to 25% last year, according to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana, one of the...

'Last honest analyst' tells Tulane students integrity still counts.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Megan Kamerick A woman lauded for integrity has a message for business students: Values count.Students should create a sense of core personal values and adhere to them, said Sally Krawcheck, chief executive officer of Smith Barney....

Pay-and-display parking meters begin trial run in New Orleans.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts New Orleans motorists could soon see a sweeping change in the metered parking system.The city is testing a new pay-and-display system, which allows motorists to purchase parking time at a street-side kiosk and use it...

Bookstar's exit creates demand for book stores in Vieux Carre.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer French Quarter booksellers are rewriting a chapter on Vieux Carre retail as they position themselves to fill the vacuum left by an exiting giant.Bookstar closed its doors on North Peters Street in August, causing a...

New Orleans Hospitality Briefs Nov. 10, 2003.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler As steak prices continue to rise, some New Orleans restaurant patrons will have to start asking: "Where's the beef?" The weighted cattle price per 100 pounds for live steers hovered at $101 in the first week in...

Interview with renowned painter.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller Peter Max, who burst onto the art scene in the 1960s with his psychedelic style paintings and bold colors, appeared this weekend at the Hanson Gallery to present his "Colors of a Better World" exhibit and to auction a...

Bowl Championship Series debate arrives for N.O. discussion.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Presidents and athletic directors from Division 1-A schools across the nation will meet Tuesday at the National Symposium on Athletics Reform to continue discussions on the fairness of the Bowl Championship Series in...

'Digital Delta' details N.O. region's tech assets.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff The New Orleans metro area has developed a "Digital Delta" resume for its technology sector, which details the region's corporate presence, public-private partnerships, regional emphasis on work force development and...

Regional Transit Authority test drives plush coach bus.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Park-and-ride commuters traveled in plush comfort last week when the Regional Transit Authority of New Orleans tested a coach bus on its regular route from eastern New Orleans. From Nov. 4 through Nov. 7, the authority...

Study shows risks associated with working in poultry plants.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff After reading this, workers may be too chicken to work in poultry processing.Eric Johnson, a Tulane University occupational epidemiology researcher, reported in the October issue of Occupational & Environmental Medicine that...

U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security gives $37M in grants to La.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff The U.S. Dept. of Homeland Security allocated $37 million in grant funding from the Office for Domestic Preparedness to Louisiana. Of that amount, $28 million will be available under the State Homeland Security program to pay...

Commentary: Candidate's potential presents chance to join New South.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor This Saturday we will elect a new governor. This governor should help Louisiana become a leader in the New South.This governor should represent the person who gives Louisiana the best possible chance of reversing the...

Commentary: Sports Foundation deserves help from 2004 Legislature.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor The Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation had the most incredible stretch of its 15-year history in 2002 when it helped put on Super Bowl XXXVI in January followed closely by the basketball Four of the National...

Energy Partners of New Orleans announces net income of $5.8M.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Energy Partners Ltd. of New Orleans announced net third-quarter income of $5.8 million, or 18 cents per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $3.4 million, 12 cents per diluted share, in the same quarter a year ago. Cash...

McDermott International reports income of $10.1M.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff McDermott International Inc. reported income from continuing operations of $10.1 million, or 15 cents per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2003 compared with a loss of $366.3 million, or $5.91 per diluted share, for...

Canal Barge Co. forms bulk chemical storage and distribution entity.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Canal Barge Company Inc., a New Orleans-based marine transportation and management service company, formed Canal Terminal Co., a new bulk chemical storage and distribution entity, in Joliet, Ill. The terminal is a liquid...

Court says Blanchard and Co. can proceed in suit against Barrick Gold and J.P. Morgan Chase.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana ruled New Orleans-based Blanchard and Company Inc. can proceed with its case against Barrick Gold Corp. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. The court denied motions to...

MetroVision announces partnership with La. Tech. Council.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff MetroVision announced last week a partnership with the Louisiana Technology Council to create a "Proof of Concept" seed fund, which will involve an information pipeline between regional university researchers and industries...

Globe Bancorp announces decrease in net income.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Globe Bancorp Inc., holding company of Metairie-based Globe Homestead Savings Bank, announced a 46.5% decrease in third-quarter net income to $31,000 or 12 cents per share, compared with $58,000 or 19 cents per share, in the...

Children's Hospital joins provider network.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Children's Hospital, a 200-bed nonprofit medical center in New Orleans, joined Ochsner Health Plan's provider network last week. The health maintenance organization's network now includes 69 hospitals in Louisiana.

Port of New Orleans lands breakbulk shipping service.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff The Port of New Orleans landed breakbulk shipping services from Brazilian ocean carrier Bossclip Ltd. The MV CEC Confidence made its first New Orleans port call Oct. 27 at the Alabo Street Wharf. Bossclip will make 12 to 18...

Regional Planning Authority conducting survey.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff The Regional Planning Authority started conducting a comprehensive survey of bus and streetcar use. The survey will help determine the need for a shuttle RTA is considering for the Central Business District and French...

Delgado Community College to pick new chancellor soon.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Delgado Community College will likely pick its new chancellor by Nov. 12 at the Louisiana Community and Technical College System board of directors meeting. The three finalists are: Alex Johnson, president of Metropolitan...

New Orleans mayor, civil sheriff announce partnerhsip.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin and Civil Sheriff Paul Valteau announced their partnership to pursue delinquent sales taxes has resulted in more than $90,000 in recaptured taxes in a three-month span. Nagin said businesses...

U of New Orleans appoints new chancellor.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Timothy P. Ryan has been appointed chancellor of the University of New Orleans. He succeeds Gregory O'Brien, who announced his resignation after about 16 years of leadership. The Louisiana State University System's board of...

N.O. Jazz and Heritage Foundation exec. director steps down.
November 10, 2003... Byline: Staff Wali Abdel-Ra'oof announced he is leaving his position as executive director of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Foundation after 13 years.

Proposed Ochsner broker pay plan spurs state probe.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler Ochsner Health Plan officials rocked the New Orleans insurance industry when they said they would change the way they pay independent insurance brokers. Like many health maintenance organizations, Ochsner...

3 N.O. military command posts threatened.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Nearly 500 U.S. Navy jobs in New Orleans could be out the door soon. As the Navy consolidates its recruiting efforts and realigns its human resources offices, thousands of military jobs across the country will be...

La. State Univ. hauls in 2nd Plane Pull win.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff LSU's School of Allied Health had the most pull at the airport in a Nov. 8 fund-raiser for disabled children and adults. LSU's team won the Special Olympics Plane Pull for the second year in a row. LSU's team pulled the...

The Gumbo Krewe to serve soldiers in Iraq.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff Military rations grow old fast for soldiers who grew up on rich New Orleans foods such as gumbo and red beans. So, a group of volunteers plans to hand deliver a taste of home to 6,000 soldiers stationed in Iraq. The Gumbo...

Big Tobacco targets Louisiana delegation.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff For the first six months of this year, the tobacco industry spent about $10.6 million to lobby Congress. Of that, Big Tobacco gave $36,500 - comparative pocket change - in contributions to the Louisiana congressional...

'Star Search' offers N.O. performers a shot.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff New Orleans crooners received a shot at the spotlight when "Star Search" hit town last week with an open call for performers at the Hyatt Regency Hotel. Contestants were asked to sing two cover songs of their choice...

STD study reveals preference for pills.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff Some folks prefer taking antibiotics to using condoms to ward off syphilis, according to a study released in the Sexually Transmitted Disease Journal this month. Tulane University community health researcher Tom Farley...

Airport's Perishables Center thrives on flying fresh food.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Michael Giusti Before customers can bite into specialty salads during a power lunch at Lilette on Magazine Street, a key ingredient must make a fast-paced journey through the center of what airport officials hope is the future of...

Commentary: Election winners should not forget to fulfill campaign promises.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Mark Singletary Congratulations to all the winners and my condolences to all the runners-up in Saturday's election. Let's get to work. I want each of you to pretend that all my fellow constituents and I wrote down every...

Southwest cuts marketing jobs nationwide, including N.O.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer High-flying Southwest Airlines is grounding its marketing operations in New Orleans and elsewhere. Dallas-based Southwest will close 25 marketing offices nationwide to consolidate them into seven district offices,...

Officials debate how to answer bitter bidders over deviations.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Public bid law interpretations are at the center stage of the budding controversy surrounding construction of the fourth phase of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. Differing interpretations of bid documents...

Steel tariffs choke off Louisiana grain exports.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Ellen Boyer Tariffs on imported steel are stealing big bucks out of New Orleans, say maritime and trade executives. The steel tariffs are reviving the steel industry, officials say, but have left mixed feelings among businesses...

Commentary: CityBusiness proud to salute remarkable Women of the Year.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Terry O'Connor One of the highlights of the year for CityBusiness is selecting its Women of the Year. This is the fifth year CityBusiness has evaluated nominations from their business peers and bestowed this distinction on a...

Tulane president: BCS opponents unlikely to settle antitrust claim in court.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Holly Miller The pressure to reform college football's Bowl Championship Series was turned up another notch in New Orleans last week with Congress watching from the sidelines. Tulane University President Scott Cowen and four...

Univ. of New Orleans professor helps engineering students get internships and part-time jobs.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts About a year ago, Russell Trahan, an engineering professor from the University of New Orleans, got more than a quick meal at a Subway sandwich shop near the campus. Trahan, dean of the college of engineering since...

Landscape business has grown in Louisiana during past decade.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Deon Roberts Landscape architects, sometimes referred to as "stewards of the land," have increased in Louisiana over the past 10 years. From 1993 to this year, the number of licensed in-state landscape architects grew by about...

Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra provides symphonic opportunity for students.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Elisabeth Butler When 9-year-old Jenna Sherry first sat down to play violin for the Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra, her feet dangled above the floor. She had been playing music for three years when she joined the orchestra for...

Look Who's Talking: Tim Ryan, Univ. of New Orleans Chancellor.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Amber Bethel University of New Orleans Chancellor Tim Ryan learned how to manage by first doing dirty work. He learned the ropes of his father's company, United China, when his father gave him a summer warehouse job during his...

President Bush declines invitation to attend La. Purchase bicentennial celebration.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff President Bush declined Gov. Foster's invitation to attend a New Orleans ceremony in honor of the Louisiana Purchase bicentennial next month, citing a busy December schedule. President Jacques Chirac of France and Spain's...

Sizeler Property Investors announce increase in revenues.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff Sizeler Property Investors Inc., announced an increase in operating revenues and a decrease in stock share values for the third quarter. Operating revenues were up about 1.7%, to $13.28 million from $13.06 million the same...

ERA Stirling Properties opening new residential office.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff ERA Stirling Properties in Covington is opening a new 1,000-square-foot residential office at 3001 Ormond Blvd. in Destrehan. The location marks the seventh residential office in Louisiana for ERA Stirling, a division of...

Bayou Steel Corp. to file reorganization plan.
November 17, 2003... Byline: Staff Bayou Steel Corp. in LaPlace announced intentions to file a stand-alone reorganization plan with the U.S. Bankruptcy Court. President Jerry Pitts said he hopes Bayou Steel will be able to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy by...