Viewpoint: Don’t rush to hire a lawyer to help with your insurance claim

Many members of the legal community are aggressively marketing their services in the wake of Hurricane Ida to assist businesses or homeowners and renters with getting the money they deserve from insurance companies. After all, most of us pay thousands of dollars annually for coverage and should be compensated whenever legitimate claim arise. Not so fast, say other lawyers. At least two local attorneys, Megan Kiefer and Sal Brocato, are advising that citizens retain lawyers only if they feel their insurance carrier is not operating in good faith. “It’s premature to hire a lawyer right now,” Kiefer said.

Cavan Restaurant closes after five years on Magazine Street

Acclaimed Uptown restaurant Cavan announced its closure Thursday after five years on Magazine Street. The decision came after 18 months of struggling during the Covid-19 pandemic. Robert LeBlanc⁠ of local restaurant operator LeBlanc+Smith announced the closure on social media. “In the wake of Hurricane Ida and after a prolonged period of instability in our industry, we have made the decision to close Cavan Restaurant and Bar,” he said in a statement posted on Instagram. He noted the historic building at 3607 Magazine St.

Audubon Park attractions are reopening Saturday

 

Audubon Park is reopening on Saturday (Sept. 18), although the jogging paths are open now for limited use. Bicycles will not be permitted until the entire park opens. The Audubon Nature Institute announced a two-phase plan for reopening its facilities following closures due to the impacts of Hurricane Ida. The Uptown park is in the second phase.

Storm recovery updates: City details ongoing Hurricane Ida relief efforts

On Wednesday (Sept. 8), Mayor LaToya Cantrell lifted the curfew for New Orleans residents and the Army Corps of Engineers began installing its blue roofs, two signs that recovery from Hurricane Ida is progressing. Waste water treatment operations have returned to normal, the Sewerage & Water Board has announced, so residents can do their laundry, run their dishwashers and take long showers again. Trash continues to fester in front of homes, however. The city is issuing an emergency contract to bring more trucks and hoppers onto the streets, said Ramsey Green, the city’s infrastructure chief, at a press conference Wednesday.

Viewpoint: Returning tourists drive New Orleans business recovery

City College of San Francisco biology professor Jonathan Siekmann was enjoying his visit to New Orleans when he spotted Meyer the Hatter, known to be the South’s largest hat store. Within minutes, Siekmann was sporting a new Panama-style straw to shield him from the Louisiana sun. “The pandemic has been a struggle. It was the worst business climate I’ve ever seen in my 46 years selling hats,” said Paul Meyer, a fourth generation hatter. “We depend on tourists and, until recently, there just weren’t any.”

Meyer’s great-great grandfather Samuel H. Meyer started the business in 1894 on St.

Viewpoint: Displaced hospitality workers can learn medical-industry skills through Goodwill

Like many New Orleanians, Tiffany Turner has been having a tough time during the pandemic.  She was eager to train for a different career when she saw a Facebook post about Goodwill Technical College’s new Hospitality to Healthcare program for displaced tourism industry workers. “As a driver for Uber and Lyft, I am used to making a good living taking passengers to and from the airport, but it got much harder to make a profit,” she said. Armed with a love of accounting, Turner quickly realized that Goodwill could help her achieve her goal of transitioning to a well-paying job in medical billing without expensive college loans. “I am so thankful for this opportunity,” Turner said. 

According to the Louisiana Workforce Commission, 56,000 individuals in the state have been displaced during the pandemic. More specifically, about 25,000 workers in New Orleans are faced with a difficult decision to pivot current skills into other sectors and career pathways, according to Goodwill.

Viewpoint: Who will help build a more equitable New Orleans?

As America come to grips with the inequities that have held back our country and many of its citizens, individuals, educational institutions and businesses large and small are beginning to envision what they can do to help right historic wrongs and build a more vibrant economy. Visionary leaders like Michael Fitts, president of Tulane University, have stepped up with promises of scholarships and meaningful programs. Late last week, Fitts and his wife agreed to donate $100,000, a little less than 10% of his annual salary, to fund scholarships for students who show leadership in racial equity and diversity activities. Fitts also pledged that Tulane would take transparent, measurable steps to further anti-racist goals including a race equity education initiative, develop a new hiring and management strategy aimed at the recruitment and retention of minority faculty members and establish a Health Equity Institute. On the national level, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings and his wife Patty Quillin recently unveiled a $120 million gift to two historically black universities and their parent organization, which is headed by former Dillard University President Dr. Michael Lomax. St.