Sunday Survey: Who should be appointed to the vacant City Council seat?

 Posted by at 11:04 am  city government, elections, politics
Jun 032012
 

Errol George, Stacy Head's nominee to fill her former District B seat on a temporary basis, appearing in a video during her campaign for the At-Large seat. (via vimeo.com)

With the 30-day deadline expiring last week for the City Council to choose a temporary successor to Stacy Head for the District B seat, the job falls to Mayor Mitch Landrieu. Who should he pick?

Express your own choice in our survey, and add your thoughts in the comments.

Broadmoor neighborhood leader announces candidacy for District B seat

 Posted by at 5:59 pm  city government, elections, politics
May 312012
 

LaToya Cantrell (courtesy of the candidate)

Citing her experience with crime, quality of life and development issues as leader of a neighborhood that has been emblematic of the city’s recovery, the president of the Broadmoor Improvement Association announced her candidacy this week for the District B seat on the City Council.

“Based on the great training ground of Broadmoor in terms of working with a diverse community on every level, I would like to expand my scope of leadership to the next level, which is district wide,” said LaToya Cantrell in a telephone interview Thursday afternoon. Continue reading »

Allan Katz and Danae Columbus: NOPD walking beats returning, but will they make a difference?

 Posted by at 10:07 am  city government, crime, opinion, public safety
May 312012
 

Allan Katz and Danae Columbus

Earlier this week, Allan and Danae taped one of our “Louisiana Newsmaker” TV shows with Police Chief Ronal Serpas, who spoke optimistically about New Orleans’ chances of shaking the title of “America’s Murder Capital.”

But just 30 minutes after the chief’s upbeat TV interview, he was racing to Simon Bolivar Avenue where three gun-toting young men fired a fusillade of shots into a birthday party for a 10-year-old, killing a 5-year-old child and a 33-year-old woman who was driving her car three blocks from the birthday party and was hit by a stray bullet. Wounded were a 10-year-old boy, and two men, ages 20 and 24. Continue reading »

Next steps in the Tulane Stadium debate soon to begin

 Posted by at 2:28 pm  city government, colleges, politics
May 302012
 

A rendering of the proposed Tulane stadium. (via TulaneStadium.com)

The second round of debate over the Uptown football stadium proposed by Tulane University is slated to start soon, with the university meeting with the community over design issues next week, and the New Orleans City Planning Commission studying the interim zoning district the week after that. Continue reading »

Civil rights memorial, palm-lined walkways, better lighting planned for South Claiborne

 Posted by at 12:50 pm  city government, transportation
May 252012
 

An architect's rendering of the new civil rights memorial on South Claiborne.

A new memorial honoring nine slain civil rights activists, palm-lined walkways and better lighting are all among improvements to a mile-long stretch of South Claiborne Avenue included in a $2 million upgrade slated to start in June, officials announced. Continue reading »

Guest column: Tulane stadium — There must be a better way

 Posted by at 9:08 am  city government, colleges, neighborhood groups, opinion, politics
May 252012
 

A rendering of the proposed football stadium on Tulane's Uptown campus. (via TulaneStadium.com)

By Nick Kindel

Perhaps it is inevitable that there will be tensions – and even friction – when a major institution is located in a residential area.  But is it really necessary for this to rise to the level of acrimony and divisiveness that currently characterizes the Tulane University stadium proposal? Continue reading »

Second District police to hold anti-crime march through Freret area

 Posted by at 10:30 am  business, city government, crime, neighborhood groups, public safety
May 232012
 

Second District police officers play with two local children during an anti-crime march in June of 2011. (UptownMessenger.com file photo by Sabree Hill)

The NOPD Second District is planning its monthly anti-crime march on Freret Street tonight, and neighborhood groups are urging residents and business owners to come out and support the event. Continue reading »

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Donors sought to reimburse IOUs to gun owners after buyback runs out of cash

 Posted by at 9:32 am  church, city government, crime, good works, public safety
May 232012
 

The committee that organized a recent gun buyback at an Earhart Boulevard church needs to raise $13,000 to reimburse 173 gun owners who turned in weapons after the event ran out of money, according to a report by Monica Hernandez of our partners at WWL-TV. A total of 400 guns were surrendered, and committee member Rafael Goyeneche says that if even one violent crime was averted, the $23,000 event still cost less than a single emergency room visit.

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City promises Costco $2 million in street, sidewalk upgrades

 Posted by at 8:57 am  business, city government
May 232012
 

“Mayor Mitch Landrieu’s administration has agreed to spend $2 million on street and sidewalk repairs, new traffic signal and other infrastructure upgrades. The administration will reimburse Costco for costs linked to meeting flood mitigation requirements,” writes Jennifer Larino of New Orleans City Business in a blog post about Hollygrove neighbors’ hopes that a requirement the Costco hire locally be included in the deal.

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Coliseum Square Association opts for signs before tickets to curtrail canine excesses

 Posted by at 6:39 pm  city government, elections, neighborhood groups, politics, sports and recreation
May 212012
 

The Coliseum Square fountain flows in the background during a crawfish boil fundraiser for it this past Saturday. Coliseum Square is currently debating how to rein in the behavior of dogs at the park. (photo courtesy of Jim McAlister)

In hopes of reining in the worst-behaved dogs without making a prominent Uptown park hostile to responsible pet owners, the Coliseum Square Association plans to begin exploring new signs that will encourage better sharing of the space. Continue reading »

Owen Courreges: More highway robbery

 Posted by at 5:30 am  city government, opinion, public safety, transportation
May 212012
 

We keep on hearing it again and again, like a bad refrain: “If you don’t want a traffic camera ticket, don’t break the law.”

I’ve written so many columns criticizing the traffic camera program in New Orleans that I’ve frankly lost count. Every time I write one, somebody implies that the only people with anything to fear are those who speed or run red lights. Only scofflaws oppose the cameras, we’re told. Continue reading »

Hedge-Morrell, Johnson: Allowing Stacy Head to choose temporary successor would give her two votes

 Posted by at 12:36 pm  city government, elections, politics
May 202012
 

Errol George

In a radio interview Sunday, City Council members Cynthia Hedge-Morrell and Jon Johnson said their repeated absences from recent meetings naturally evolved from their frustration at the failure of a change the proposed to the city’s election practices, according to a report by Dominic Massa and our reporting partners at WWL-TV. The effect of that walkout — blocking Stacy Head’s nomination of Errol George to fill her previous District B seat on a temporary basis — seemed acceptable to Hedge-Morrell and Johnson, however, as they complained about the possibility of George serving as a second vote for Head on the council.

Peterson rewrites “hospitality zone” proposal with more infrastructure money, less bureaucracy

 Posted by at 10:35 am  business, city government, state government
May 182012
 

State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson

State Sen. Karen Carter Peterson, who represents Uptown-based District 5 in the Louisiana Senate, rewrote a controversial proposal for a new “hospitality zone,” shifting more of the tax money it would generate to infrastructure improvements placing control of it with the City Council instead of a new unelected “advisory board” stocked with tourism leaders, according to reporting by Bill Barrow of The Times Picayune. The changes took city officials promoting the original bill “by surprise” and did not receive a warm reception from them, Barrow writes.

Landrieu urged to support council’s nominee for interim District B seat

 Posted by at 3:59 pm  city government, elections, politics
May 172012
 

District B nominee Errol George addresses the New Orleans City Council on Thursday. (image via nolacitycouncil.com)

If two New Orleans City Council members successfully block Councilwoman Stacy Head from nominating her choice of successor to a temporary term representing Uptown-based District B, Mayor Mitch Landrieu ought not reward their efforts by selecting someone different, several Council members said Thursday. Continue reading »

Allan Katz and Danae Columbus: When will cooler heads prevail?

 Posted by at 9:13 am  city government, colleges, politics
May 172012
 

Allan Katz and Danae Columbus

Allan and Danae would have liked to written this week about the continued fallout of President Obama’s support for gay marriages, the ongoing impact of Greece’s debt on the European Union (Danae is of Greek descent) or the importance of the first bowling alley to the recreational needs of the worn-torn citizens of Kabul Afghanistan (Johnny Blancher please take note).

But we can’t get to any of that because of the ongoing local controversies involving the proposed downtown taxing district (which the French Quarter residents hate and Mitch says he needs to get ready for Super Bowl and beyond), the proposed new stadium at Tulane University and the big mess (let’s all admit it – it’s a mess that everyone is to blame for) that has gotten way out of hand at the City Council. Continue reading »

Tulane sues to stop city review of stadium, plans university-led public input sessions instead

 Posted by at 11:46 am  city government, colleges, court, sports and recreation
May 162012
 

A rendering of the proposed Tulane stadium. (via TulaneStadium.com)

Tulane University has filed suit to block an Interim Zoning District that gives the City Planning Commission authority to review its plans for a new stadium, and is proposing a series of three university-led community forums on different aspects of the project, officials announced. Continue reading »

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