Mardi Gras festivities will go ahead at New Orleans

[cycloneye]

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/11/23/nawlin ... index.html

But the festivities will be more short than the normal Mardi Gras events are.But it is a sign that New Orleans is comming back to a normal life slowly bur surely.

[sunny]

It will be a shorter celebration. The city is on the verge of bankruptcy and is having trouble finding the money to pay for security. Four krewe's have dropped out already, with other krewes eying Jefferson Parish to roll in.

Micheal Keaton will the Bacchus 2006.

[WXBUFFJIM]

Well I will tell you that alot of what happens in New Orleans will have to start downtown then work it's way out to the suburbs. To not have Mardi Gras in New Orleans is like losing a city and a tradition. There are perfect ways in coming together and bringing a city back to life, and Mardi Gras is one way to make it work.

While the city won't be the same after Katrina and Rita, there can be a brighter future and a better outlook and Mardi Gras is one way of getting that job done.


Jim

[MGC]

I'll make a special trip to NO this Mardi Gras. New Orleans will be back despite what the nay sayers are saying......MGC

[CajunMama]

I agree MGC. New Orleans will be back. She'll be back stronger and better than ever. To have a chance to even start over, correct mistakes from the past...what a wonderful city she will be.

[Sean in New Orleans]

Actually, I'm expecting huge crowds for this Mardi Gras. I live Uptown, just one house off of St. Charles Ave. and we have all of the parades right by us....I think we are going to have huge crowds. I've talked to several people in different parades and it's a big "GO." Many krewes have record number of riders and some are adding floats over what they had last year. Friends I have in the hotel industry are saying the rooms are filling to capacity quickly and occupancy should be over 95% for Mardi Gras (same as last year).....

[Lindaloo]

I'll make a special trip to NO this Mardi Gras. New Orleans will be back despite what the nay sayers are saying......MGC

There is no nay saying about it. Truth is truth no matter how you sugar coat it. Fact is, it is going to take a LONG LONG time for New Orleans to recover. Most people are leaving and not going back. They are rebuilding their lives somewhere else. I certainly hope you do go to Mardi Gras and then report back to me as to what ya see. Thank ya.

Sean, UPtown did not see the devastation other areas saw.

[conestogo_flood]

I'm actually thinking about going down with a couple friends for Mardi Gras 2006. I think it would be a neat experience, the first Mardi Gras since New Orleans fell down to the bottom of the pit.

[f5]

Katrina may have not put NO in the same category as Atlantis but she destroyed alot of property with water.This Hurricane was smart she used water instead of wind.the difference between wind and water is that with wind damage the building can be replaced but with wtaer if it gets halfway up the wall you minus well bulldoze it beacuse afterwards there will be toxic mold

[Sean in New Orleans]

I'll make a special trip to NO this Mardi Gras. New Orleans will be back despite what the nay sayers are saying......MGC

There is no nay saying about it. Truth is truth no matter how you sugar coat it. Fact is, it is going to take a LONG LONG time for New Orleans to recover. Most people are leaving and not going back. They are rebuilding their lives somewhere else. I certainly hope you do go to Mardi Gras and then report back to me as to what ya see. Thank ya.

Sean, UPtown did not see the devastation other areas saw.

I'm quite aware of the devastation New Orleans suffered, as well as the Gulf Coast. I had friends that lived in Gentilly, Lakeview, New Orleans East, and my parents lived in St. Bernard Parish. I visited all of the homes. And I had friends that lived on the coast in Ocean Springs who's house was leveled to nothing but two by fours. Here, in New Orleans, we are well aware of the challenges that await us and we are certainly up to task. One change we can expect in New Orleans is "vertical housing." The immediate solution to our residential problem will be Downtown highrise residential construction. Later, maybe towards the Summer, we will see some rejuvination of the devastated areas, but, there are issues to deal with...in the meantime, here are two projects that are scheduled to begin construction in Downtown New Orleans in early 2006:

[Ixolib]

Actually, I'm expecting huge crowds for this Mardi Gras. I live Uptown, just one house off of St. Charles Ave. and we have all of the parades right by us....I think we are going to have huge crowds. I've talked to several people in different parades and it's a big "GO." Many krewes have record number of riders and some are adding floats over what they had last year. Friends I have in the hotel industry are saying the rooms are filling to capacity quickly and occupancy should be over 95% for Mardi Gras (same as last year).....

Sean - My brother and his family lives in your neck of the woods (Valence Street) and is counting his lucky stars like everyone else in that neighborhood. Quite a stark contrast to some of the areas north and east of you...

He finally returned to town last week and got his power back the day after Thanksgiving. His only loss was the contents of his fridge.

In relation to the supposed "vertical housing", too bad the less affluent folks who lived in the Ninth and elsewhere - and who lost everything - won't be among the residents at the new crown jewel of N.O. $350K is a bit beyond most of their means....

[Lindaloo]

Well said Ixolib!

[sunny]

They can't even bring these people back to live yet! Good God! I know people who are LIVING on cruise ships. It has been three months, what progress have you seen? Huh? They have turned my Walmart into a "dormitory" to house workers to TRY to get things up and running. Have you seen the tent city's in Kenner where the Mexican workers are sleeping? Do you see children in New Orleans? I work at One Shell Square, where occupancy is around 30%. Three months and that is all they have back here.

Sean, while I admire your optimism and enthusiasm, you have to face it, we are LIMPING here. This is my city, too. I want nothing more than to see her come back stronger than ever. But it ain't happening. And I am not sure that Mardi Gras rolling this year is a good idea. Don't know about you, but I am VERY concerned about the security issue. YOU KNOW we have problems when things are normal here. We are running with a police force that has 300 officers less this year.

[cycloneye]

They can't even bring these people back to live yet! Good God! I know people who are LIVING on cruise ships. It has been three months, what progress have you seen? Huh? They have turned my Walmart into a "dormitory" to house workers to TRY to get things up and running. Have you seen the tent city's in Kenner where the Mexican workers are sleeping? Do you see children in New Orleans? I work at One Shell Square, where occupancy is around 30%. Three months and that is all they have back here.

Sean, while I admire your optimism and enthusiasm, you have to face it, we are LIMPING here. This is my city, too. I want nothing more than to see her come back stronger than ever. But it ain't happening. And I am not sure that Mardi Gras rolling this year is a good idea. Don't know about you, but I am VERY concerned about the security issue. YOU KNOW we have problems when things are normal here. We are running with a police force that has 300 officers less this year.

300 less police force in that city is not good Cindy.Do you know the total number of police in the city? Yes it may be a concern when the festivities arrive and not a sufficient force may not be there.

[sunny]

We now have 1,442 officers on our force, Luis. Before the storm the department had almost 1,700 officers.

[f5]

the blacks /colored/african americans whatever you want to call it is say the whites want to take over the city that expensive condo just adds fuel to the fire.also why are we taking about building pricey condos when we got others issues like fixing the FAULTY levee system

[CajunMama]

the blacks /colored/african americans whatever you want to call it is say the whites want to take over the city that expensive condo just adds fuel to the fire.also why are we taking about building pricey condos when we got others issues like fixing the FAULTY levee system

The levee repairs are made by the Orleans Parish Levee Board, ACO or some government entity, i'm not sure which. The high rise condos are back by a private investor. Two entirely different types of financial backing. You can't even compare the two.

Where did find the information on the blacks/colored/african americans? I didn't see it in that article. I didn't see it in that article.

[f5]

the article is about the condo.the seidment of course isn't going to be in the article beacuse its an advertisement.Frist of all N.O is crippled right now the last thing on the folk's mind is a wealthy condo

[CajunMama]

it wasn't just the poor that lost their homes...many middle class and wealthy people did too. They have to live somewhere also.

[f5]

it wasn't just the poor that lost their homes...many middle class and wealthy people did too. They have to live somewhere also.

the wealthy and the middle class had CARS that made all the difference as far as survivors go