New Orleans CityBusiness articles from November 2004

New Orleans CityBusiness archives from November 2004

Delta Air Lines' financial future in doubt.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Increased ridership at Louis Armstrong New Orleans International has airport officials buzzing about potentially record-setting totals for the year. The one major cloud hanging over this high-flying scenario is...

Feds still haven't heard from N.O. on 2005 round of Base Realignment and Closure.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Chris Price In six months, the New Orleans area will know whether any of its military operations and thousands of related jobs will be in the crosshairs of a nationwide slashing of unnecessary infrastructure. As the window for...

Liquefied natural gas doubter claims benefits are overblown.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky A national energy expert recently cast aspersions on the future of liquefied natural gas and its potential economic benefits but no one seems to believe him. Fereidun Fesharaki, a senior fellow with the...

Sen. Landrieu, TV host Hannity clash on Fox News talk show.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Following an Oct. 20 interview with Vice President Dick Cheney on the Fox News show "Hannity & Colmes," Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-New Orleans, debated with conservative host Sean Hannity. Hannity, who invited Landrieu to...

Endangered whooping crane returns to Audubon Zoo.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Audubon Zoo is welcoming back a noisy guest that left more than 30 years ago. The newest exhibit at the Audubon Zoo features the whooping crane, North America's most endangered bird, numbering less than 500 in zoos and...

Number of commercial banks declines while number of branches increase.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Greg LaRose There is a good chance the bank where you opened your first account no longer has its original name. Outside of old-line entities such as Hibernia and Whitney, many financial institutions in the area have been through...

Communication important when embarking upon estates, trusts.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Tommy Santora Financial planner Cheryl Bragg has a saying: "A day without a CPA and a lawyer is like a day without sunshine." Bragg, a certified personal and business financial planner for Cheryl J. Bragg & Associates in...

Commentary: The American right to vote is more a responsibility than privilege.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary The first presidential election I remember anything about is the 1960 race between Richard Nixon and John F. Kennedy. I recall most of all the incredibly long lines my parents had to wait through to cast their...

N.O. rockers need place to play after last call at Mermaid Lounge.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster Independent rock clubs are a rare and dying breed in New Orleans. Last year saw the demise of two relatively new but popular venues: the Shim Sham Club and El Matador. Come Dec. 31, the Mermaid Lounge will join...

Beechgrove Apartments to rise from ashes.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster A Sept. 30 fire at Beechgrove Apartments in Westwego destroyed a 16-unit building. No one was killed in the blaze, which interrupted an $18 million redevelopment of the blighted, historically crime-ridden...

Proliferating multifamily moratoriums anger realtors.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Real estate agent Conchita L. Sulli specializes in helping Hispanics find New Orleans-area housing. Sulli, like other real estate professionals, says the metro area is in dire need of more low-cost housing. That's...

Westwego, St. Tammany plan playgrounds with disabled access.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Parks and playgrounds are areas where children can cut loose, be themselves and enjoy physical activity. But for 5 million children with disabilities in the United States, public playgrounds can be impossible to enjoy....

Completion of oil tanker could mark end of era for Avondale.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky When the 895-foot-long Polar Enterprise, a double-hulled oil tanker, sails out of Northrop Grumman's Avondale shipyard in 2005, it could signal the end of an era. The delivery of the tanker to Polar Tankers...

Kentucky casino operator to buy Bally's Casino New Orleans.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment Inc. announced last week it will sell Bally's Casino New Orleans to an affiliate of Columbia Sussex Corp., a hotel, resort and casino operator based in Fort Mitchell, Ky., for...

N.O. Chamber pushes affordable health care.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Last week, during a health care summit at the Astor Crowne Plaza Hotel, the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce released the results of a survey supporting the need for affordable health care for businesses and their employees....

Construction under way on $15M Houma apartments.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Phase One of an upscale major apartment complex in Houma is nearing completion. Houma Highland Apartment Homes, a $15 million upscale apartment complex at 461 South Hollywood Road off Louisiana Highway 311, took in its...

Berth swap is step toward Poland Ave. cruise terminal.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff U.S. Maritime Administrator Capt. William G. Schubert and Port of New Orleans President Gary LaGrange signed a preliminary agreement to switch berths along the Poland Avenue Wharf last Wednesday, paving the way for...

Program offering free HELP for homeless seeking a lawyer.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster In a back room inside the Harry Tomson Center at Immaculate Conception Church on Baronne Street, five lawyers from some of the city's top firms huddle with their client. The client explains his case and the...

Interview with director of Ray Charles biopic, "Ray".
November 1, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster Director Taylor Hackford filmed his most recent movie, "Ray," in the New Orleans area. It was released nationwide Friday. Hackford's long and celebrated directorial career includes the films "An Officer and...

Satchmo SummerFest hits record numbers.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff The fourth annual Satchmo SummerFest hit record numbers. Attendance figures from the Aug. 4-8 festival reached 46,000, according to French Quarter Festivals Inc., the nonprofit that produces the event. The University...

Overnight travel in Louisiana increasing.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana is proving popular among overnight travelers. During the first half of 2004, overnight travel increased in Louisiana by 8.7 percent compared to the same period last year, Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu announced....

N.O. mayor picks up endorsements for bond issue.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin picked up two major endorsements for a $260 million bond issue that will be on the Nov. 2 ballot. The New Orleans Chamber and the New Orleans Business Council came forward with strong support...

Hotel industry expecting to benefit from booming convention run.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff The hotel industry is expected to reap the benefits of a booming convention run during the next 36 months with 13 new meetings confirmed to take place over the next three years, the New Orleans Metropolitan Convention and...

Bollinger Shipyard opens new research and development engineering office.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Bollinger Shipyards opened a new research and development engineering office in St. Rose last Tuesday. The 7,000-square-foot facility will house Bollinger's satellite research and development engineering office, the company's...

Superior Energy Services makes Forbes magazine list.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Forbes magazine listed Houma-based oilfield service company Superior Energy Services at No. 170 overall among the 200 best small businesses in Forbes' November issue. Superior ranked No. 158 in five-year average return on...

Louisiana unemployment rate for September below national rate.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana's unemployment rate for September was 5.3 percent, marking the second consecutive month the rate has been below the national unemployment rate. The U.S. rate for September was 5.4 percent. The state's September...

Businesses eligible for $12M in federal tax incentives.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Staff Orleans/Jefferson Renewal Community announced last week businesses will be eligible to claim up to $12 million in federal tax incentives this year through the Commercial Revitalization Deduction program. Under the...

Commentary: Horrifying nursing home abuse justifies surprise state probes.
November 1, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor The horror stories regarding nursing home physical abuses are mind-numbing: * A 19-year old employee at a Lafayette Parish nursing home admits raping a 92-year-old woman suffering from dementia. * An elderly...

Conquest Beverage leaders serve up grape expectations.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Greg LaRose A trio of New Orleans businessmen, all with backgrounds in the premium beverage business, are hoping to introduce the next Fat Bastard to America. Their 7-month-old company, Conquest Beverage Group, has reached...

Hornets and New Orleans City Council disagreement threatens landing 2008 NBA All-Star Game.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Chris Price The new practice facility being built for the New Orleans Hornets could help the Crescent City score the 2008 NBA All-Star Game. But a disagreement between the Hornets and the City Council over its location is...

Eastern New Orleans residents upset that their Superfund site is taken off EPA priorities list.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts In Bettee Wilson-Lockett's front yard, glass bottles and other trash rise from underground like out-of-control weeds. The 65-year-old retired teacher and her friends congregate in the street to talk about their...

New Orleans' underground music industry backs amendment to existing film tax credit program.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster A static New Orleans music industry hopes to cash in on the Louisiana film explosion. On any given Friday night, 145 night clubs in the city have at least two bands playing, said Quint Davis, president of...

$8.5M mineral lease sale second-best in 10 years, say state of Louisiana officials.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff October's mineral lease sale was the year's highest and the second-highest in 10 years, according to State Mineral Board Chairman and Department of Natural Resources Secretary Scott Angelle. The lease sale generated $8.5...

CBS movie about Canal Street brothel doesn't fare well in television ratings war.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Housewives beat out hookers for TV viewers' attention last week. The CBS movie "The Madam's Family: The Truth about the Canal Street Brothel," filmed in New Orleans, earned mixed reviews Halloween night. Critics panned...

Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans creates menu options for U.S. convention planners.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Tommy Santora When the Astor Crowne Plaza New Orleans was selected to help design a national pilot program to give convention planners meeting menu add-on options, it created an indulgent option that best represents the food...

Commentary: Publisher's Notes: Louisiana may join ranks of 'New South' after results of election.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary It appears Louisiana has taken a huge step toward joining the New South. We now have to determine whether that is good for business. Last week, our national political representation, with a new Republican...

Energy execs foresee shift from oil to gas in 21st century.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky The country's shift to a natural gas-based energy supply is inevitable, experts say, and liquefied natural gas will be a part of the shift. "Most of the numbers that you would see from a variety of studies...

New Orleans Police Dept. study shows little support for residency law.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts The spotlight is on the New Orleans City Council in the wake of a study that shows most residents don't care whether the city's police officers live in Orleans Parish. The study released last week by the New...

Port of New Orleans' plan to build $650M power plant awaits approval by Entergy.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Port of New Orleans President Gary LaGrange is planning to build a new power plant in eastern New Orleans he says would lower the Port's industrial utility costs and residential rates across the city. But Entergy,...

Commentary: Shinn should not be held hostage to practice site location comment.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor The standoff between the New Orleans City Council and George Shinn, owner of the Hornets, is starting to look a lot like an earlier showdown between Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco and Tom Benson, owner of the Saints....

Commentary: Editor's Notes: New 'It's Happening Here' theme not just happy talk in Jeff Parish.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor You've got to hand it to Jefferson Parish President Aaron Broussard and John Young Jr., the Jefferson Parish Council chairman. Those attending their joint State of the Parish address Oct. 28 at the Pontchartrain...

Tulane University symposium proposes taking business approach to social issues.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Greg LaRose Scandal these days seems more likely to bring attention to a chief executive rather than business achievements. But Tulane University is trying to bring the focus back to positive corporate leadership. Tulane...

Recent oil and gas price rise gives stock indexes a boost.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Higher oil and gas prices pushing key stock market indexes to record levels are helping some oilfield service companies see black ink on the bottom line for the first time in years. The top three indexes...

Louisiana's governor calls for plan to combat state poverty.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana has the highest poverty rate in the nation, according to the U.S. Census Bureau and Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco has prepared a statewide effort to reduce it. The governor's first Solutions to Poverty Summit...

Developer plans $2M RV resort two blocks from New Orleans French Quarter.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Recreational vehicles could soon be heading to a new RV resort near the French Quarter. Developer Mac Bauer plans to build a $2 million resort for "high-end RV owners" along the 500 block of North Claiborne in Treme on...

Ridership at New Orleans International Airport declines after busy storm season.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport had its first dip in ridership in 12 months as 33,926 fewer passengers boarded planes in September when compared with the same period in 2003. Airport officials attribute...

Baton Rouge-based fast food restaurant Raising Cane's to expand in New Orleans area.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Raising Cane's is set to expand its presence in the New Orleans area with three new locations. Renee Trusty, director of marketing, said the Baton Rouge-based fast-food restaurant is embarking on a major expansion. ...

Diesel interests to meet in New Orleans to discuss EPA's low-sulfur fuel regulations.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky A coalition of diesel fuel refiners, pipeline operators, truckers and fuel retailers are working with the Environmental Protection Agency to head off potential supply disruptions when new regulations on sulfur...

Louisiana churches forge evacuation plan for homeless during hurricanes.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster In 1992, after Hurricane Andrew devastated Florida, Red Cross officials in Louisiana realized they had a problem. "It was too late for the Red Cross to evacuate its shelters," said Kay Wilkins, chief...

Interview with Peggy Scott, vice pres. and CFO at Pan-American Life in New Orleans.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Greg LaRose Peggy Scott, executive vice president of operations and finance and chief financial officer at Pan-American Life in New Orleans, has been named the Financial Executive of the Year by the recruiting firm Robert Half and...

New Orleans voters pass $260 million bond issue for infrastructure improvements.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans voters passed a $260 million bond issue for infrastructure improvements. Mayor C. Ray Nagin's administration plans to spend $163 million on streets, $43 million on parks and recreational facilities and $54 million...

Torin Sanders defeats incumbent Elliot Willard in election for the Orleans Parish School Board.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Torin Sanders defeated Elliot Willard, an incumbent on the Orleans Parish School Board, in a runoff election for the 7th District seat. Willard had served since 1998. Cynthia Cade, who will represent District 2, was also...

James Perdigao, formerly of the New Orleans law firm Adams & Reese, arrested for mail fraud.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff James Perdigao, formerly of the New Orleans law firm Adams & Reese, was arrested on federal mail fraud charges, U.S. Attorney Jim Letten announced. The fraud amount was described as "significant." Perdigao was charged...

New movie about Ray Charles filmed in New Orleans earns $20.1M for first weekend.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff "Ray," the new biopic on Ray Charles filmed in New Orleans and starring Jamie Foxx, earned $20.1 million to open the Oct. 29 weekend in the No. 2 slot for box office receipts behind "The Grudge" at $22.4 million. "Ray"...

La. Production Capital LLC makes joint venture agreement with La. Film & Television Credits.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana Production Capital LLC entered into a joint venture agreement with Louisiana Film & Television Credits LLC. The venture will operate under the name Louisiana Production Capital. Will French will be president of the...

First Cultural Economy Conference to take place in New Orleans.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu announced the first Cultural Economy Conference will take place in New Orleans Dec. 9-10 at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. The event will involve leaders in the arts, business, government,...

University of New Orleans scientists receive $1.1M grant to develop nano particles.
November 8, 2004... Byline: Staff University of New Orleans scientists received a $1.1 million, four-year grant from the National Science Foundation to develop uses for super-tiny materials or "nano-level particles." The particles, smaller than the width...

La. lawmaker decides not to push for increase on alcohol taxes.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff A state lawmaker who called for a study on alcohol taxes in Louisiana said he has no plans to push for their increase. The results of the study Rep. Rick Gallot, D-Ruston, requested last year were discussed Nov. 9 in a...

Expectation exceeded in La. in enrolling uninsured children in health program.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Gov. Kathleen Babineaux Blanco exceeded her own expectations in enrolling uninsured children in the Louisiana Children's Health Insurance Program. In June, Blanco set a short-term goal of enrolling 25 percent of the...

La. treasurer stresses need to fund early childhood education.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Louisiana Treasurer John Kennedy stressed the need to fund early childhood education in his annual report on the Louisiana Education Quality Trust Fund. State law requires the fund to be split 50-50 between higher education...

N.O. dredging firm awarded $21.5M contract.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff New Orleans dredging firm Bean-Stuyvesant LLC was awarded a $21.5 million contract to pump offshore sand onto Alabama beaches raked by erosion during Hurricane Ivan. The company will extend the beach about 200 feet starting...

Port of New Orleans' Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal wins award.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff The University of New Orleans College of Engineering recognized the Port of New Orleans' Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal with the first John Noll Crisp Award for Technical Excellence on Friday at its 10th annual...

Baton Rouge-based Lamar Advertising to restate earnings.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Lamar Advertising, a Baton Rouge-based outdoor advertising and logo sign display operator, is restating its 2003 earnings to change how the company accounts for outdoor advertising structures. The accounting changes won't...

U.S.'s port security is subject of criticism.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Chris Price Presidential candidate John Kerry made the lack of adequate container surveillance a major issue in his homeland security platform, claiming 90 percent of the 8 million containers that come into the United States each...

Nov. 2 N.O. election called 'catastrophe'.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster Beth Butler woke up at 5 a.m. on Nov. 2 nervous but confident about the prospects of a fair election in Louisiana. Public officials had promised to rectify the problems of the Sept. 18 elections while...

Fatty foods fill out low-income eating options.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Richard A. Webster A family living off St. Charles Avenue in Uptown can shop at a variety of grocery stores. They can drive to two nearby super-size locations - Winn-Dixie and Sav-A-Center on Tchoupitoulas Street - or they can shop...

N.O. woman nets $1.26M from Social Security fraud.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff A New Orleans woman was sentenced to nearly four years in prison last week for creating false identities and siphoning $1.26 million from Social Security into phantom bank accounts. Margaret McGinnis, 47, worked for the...

N.O. Zephyrs GM arrested after domestic disturbance.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Dan Rajkowski, New Orleans Zephyrs vice president and general manager, was arrested Wednesday night at his home in Destrehan on charges of domestic violence. "The New Orleans Zephyrs organization was saddened to learn of...

Belle Chasse-based Barnett Marine socked with $100,000 DEQ fine.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Officials with Belle Chasse-based Barnett Marine Inc., a barge rental and repair company, pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the federal Solid Waste Disposal Act last month in connection with the company's storage and...

St. James Parish plantation nets $585,000 in auction.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Buhler's Auction Gallery of Baton Rouge auctioned the historic Poche Plantation in St. James Parish and its entire collection of antiques and furnishings Nov. 6. Mark Anderson, a Gonzales businessman, and his wife,...

Smaller shipyards follow trend of reliance on military work.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Greg LaRose The last vessel in a contract for new double-hulled oil tankers is under construction at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems in Avondale. It marks the shipyard's last significant work related to the oil industry. The...

Commentary: Advice from an old boss enhances business relationships.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Mark Singletary Every so often something happens that makes me contemplate the future by recalling some memories. When that happens at work, I usually think about advice given me by my first boss, Bob Holtzclaw. Bob died a...

N.O. mayor revisits idea of selling Huey P. Long Bridge to state.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts For people interested in buying a bridge, New Orleans Mayor C. Ray Nagin has one for sale. Like other mayors before him, Nagin is floating the idea of selling the Huey P. Long Bridge, built in the 1930s to connect...

Retailers say more shopping will increase holiday sales.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Chris Price It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas at New Orleans area shopping malls and retail centers. Retailers, aided by an extended shopping period of 29 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, are anticipating a...

La. parishes' rig tax exemption benefits years away.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Jefferson and Plaquemines parishes joined the ranks of several other Louisiana parishes last week when their voters approved referendums to exempt oil rigs in port for repairs from property taxes. However the...

Commentary: Pat Taylor's legacy will survive through brilliant tuition plan.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Terry O'Connor The poor kid from Beaumont, Texas, left home at age 16 with 35 cents in his pocket and grew up to be Louisiana's only billionaire. He was as pugnacious and tenacious as they come. A successful oilman, 67-year-old...

Talk radio returns to local issues after Republican sweep.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Richard Slawsky Now that the election's over, what's left to talk about? Political talk radio in New Orleans rode a wave of election-year excitement to gain listeners over the past year but the trick now is to find fresh topics...

Louisiana delegates opposed to CAFTA's expected passage.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Chris Price The Central America Free Trade Agreement is President Bush's largest international trade initiative entering his second term, and Republican gains in Congress following the November elections may make CAFTA's passage...

Oilman, Tuition Opportunity Program for Students creator dies at age 67.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Patrick F. Taylor, founder, president and sole owner of Taylor Energy Co., died Nov. 5 of a heart infection at Touro Infirmary. He was 67. Although Taylor made his fortune in the oil business, he was best known as the...

Louisiana ArtWorks project faces further delays.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff Construction on Louisiana ArtWorks, the oft-delayed interactive arts workshop, suffered another setback when the state delayed funding for the project. Scott Hutcheson, chief operating officer of the Arts Council of New...

N.O.'s Sugar Bowl Committee to present Manning Award.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff In honor of the college football accomplishments of Archie, Peyton and Eli Manning, the Sugar Bowl Committee is announcing the creation of the Manning Award to be presented annually to the nation's best college quarterback....

Louisiana's financial reporting named among tops in U.S.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Staff The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada has awarded Louisiana a certificate of achievement for its 2003 fiscal year annual report. The GFOA, a nonprofit professional association of...

Michoud facility pins satellite launcher hopes on debatable rocket design.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts Lockheed Martin Space Systems is counting on a hybrid rocket design to land a coveted U.S. Air Force contract that could mean more jobs at its eastern New Orleans facility. Lockheed's Michoud Assembly Facility is...

N.O.'s convention Center controversy returns to center stage Tuesday.
November 15, 2004... Byline: Deon Roberts The Ernest N. Morial Convention Center Board this week is appealing a lower court's ruling that its $300 million contract to expand the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center should go to a certain bidder. The case is...