NEW ORLEANS UPDATES 2006

November 8, 2006

Cancer research at Tulane University will be among the beneficiaries of funds raised at a gala reopening celebration on Wednesday, Nov. 15, at Saks Fifth Avenue New Orleans, located at Canal Place, 301 Canal St.

The store was severely damaged by a fire that broke out after Hurricane Katrina, but it has been completely remodeled and will soon open its doors to the community.

Carolyn Elder, general manager of Saks New Orleans, said the gala will benefit the NOCCA Institute, the Contemporary Arts Center, the New Orleans Museum of Art; the Preservation Resource Center and the Louisiana Cancer Research Consortium, a cancer research partnership between the Tulane University and Louisiana State University health sciences centers.

Elder is a member of Tulane Cancer Center's Community Advisory Board and the cancer consortium's Co-Directors' Council. Saks Fifth Avenue has raised more than $416,000 for cancer research in New Orleans since 2001.

The patron party starts at 6 p.m. and the gala at 7 p.m. on Nov. 15, featuring food, beverages and entertainment throughout the store. To pre-order tickets, which are $100 for the gala and $250 for the patron party, call 504-522-7995.

November 2, 2006

• Students Honored. The student-run NOLA Hurricane Fund took home the "Best Post-Katrina Technology Story" award at the Louisiana Technology Council's eWARDS celebration.

The fund was founded after Hurricane Katrina by Tulane students Adam Hawf, Kevin Lander, Stephen Richer and Aaron Rubens.

Their organization has raised funds for hurricane relief and rebuilding efforts, such as an entrepreneur class for high school students, a computer skills program for New Orleanians and a school renovation program.

• Conference for Nonprofits. Several Tulane faculty members are participating as speakers in a conference on Friday (Nov. 3) called "Translating Research Into Action: Nonprofits and the Renaissance of New Orleans." The meeting is sponsored by the Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations.

The conference, to be held from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, will draw leaders of nonprofit organizations and businesses as well as policymakers. Registration and information are available online.

Among the guest speakers will be Amy Koritz, English professor, part of the "arts and culture" panel; and Doug Meffert, deputy director of the Center for Bioenvironmental Research at Tulane and Xavier Universities, part of the housing and neighborhood development panel. Both panels will discuss research, service delivery strategies and best practices. best practices.

October 27, 2006

The Tulane University Marching Band will perform Sunday during halftime at the New Orleans Saints-Baltimore Ravens game at noon in the Louisiana Superdome. Barry Spanier, director of bands, said the group was invited for a special presentation inducting new members into the Saints Hall of Fame. ame.

October 19, 2006

Exhibit. Mardi Gras celebrations in New Orleans are months away, but the New Orleans Museum of Art is offering an international look at the pre-Lenten festival with its new ¡CARNAVAL! exhibit, opening Saturday (Oct. 21). It will be on display through Jan. 21.

Carnaval, carnival, fasnacht, entroido — the annual festival most people in the United States know as Mardi Gras — is celebrated in cities and rural villages throughout Europe and the Americas. This major exhibition of paintings recreates the dazzling sights, sounds and pageantry of carnival celebrations in Europe, Latin America, the Caribbean and North America.

The museum is now open five days a week — Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at One Collins Diboll Circle in City Park. Admission is free for all Louisiana residents, sponsored by the Helis Foundation. Admission for non-Louisiana residents is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors (age 65 and older) and full-time students (with ID), $4 for children ages 3-17, and free for children younger than 3. For details, call 504-658-4100.ll 504-658-4100.

October 5, 2006

• Pro-Basketball on Campus. Reily Center members can get a sneak peek at the 2006–07 New Orleans Hornets this weekend as the National Basketball Association team holds practice sessions in the main gym from 11 a.m.–2 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 7 and Oct. 8).

The practices are not open to the public. Reily Center members who are at the facility during those times are welcome to watch.

• "Transitioning From a Pediatrician to an Adult Physician," a free workshop, will be held Saturday (Oct. 7) 10 a.m. at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave. in Metairie. The session is part of a workshop series in pediatric care presented by Tulane-Lakeside Hospital.

The guest speaker will be physician Tracy L. Conrad, clinical assistant professor of medicine and pediatrics at Tulane.

The final workshop in the series will be Nov. 4, 10 a.m., when physician Meera Ramayya will discuss "Short Stature and Growth Delay in Children."

While both presentations are under way, members of the Child Life Center team from Tulane Hospital for Children will provide children's activities to emphasize developing a healthy self image in the nearby arts and crafts room.

August 30, 2006

On Tuesday (Aug. 29), Tulane University President Scott Cowen was among a group of invited officials from all segments of New Orleans, as well as U.S. Senators David Vitter (R-LA) and Mary Landrieu (D-LA), to attend an address by President George W. Bush and Laura Bush.

Held at Warren Easton High School, the first public high school in New Orleans and now a charter school, the address focused on the re-emergence of the public education system in New Orleans and the Bush Administration's continued commitment to the future of the city and region following Hurricane Katrina.

August 24, 2006

Tulane University will help sponsor an important engineering conference this fall to discuss the renewal of the region after Hurricane Katrina and new technology that could help reconstruction efforts.

"Rebuilding the New Orleans Region: Infrastructure Systems and Technology Innovation" will be held Sept. 24-26 at the Omni Royal Orleans Hotel, 621 St. Louis St. in New Orleans.

The forum is jointly sponsored by Tulane, the Georgia Institute of Technology, Louisiana State University, the University of New Orleans and the American Society of Civil Engineers.

Organizers want the experts who attend the conference to address the "broad infrastructure systems needs of New Orleans and the region within a social, economic and public policy context" and to identify short-term and long-term actions, including technology innovation, needed to assist and guide the rebuilding efforts. They also want to "identify technology-related lessons learned from the Katrina experience that can be applied in other locations and for other natural disaster/infrastructure disruptions."

More information is available from Lynn Durham at 404-894-8261.

August 17, 2006

 As a response to Hurricane Katrina, A Studio in the Woods has created four-week "restoration residencies" for New Orleans visual artists, musicians, composers, writers and performing artists who lost their homes, studios or work in the hurricane and are either displaced in other communities or back home in New Orleans without resources.

The application deadline is Sept. 25 for the residency that begins in November. Residencies provide lodging, food, studio space and uninterrupted time in the studio's rustic natural setting on the Westbank of New Orleans. The residency also includes transportation costs to and from New Orleans and within the city, a $2,000 stipend and funding for materials. Application guidelines and information are available online or by calling 504-392-5359.

A Studio in the Woods is a program of Tulane University.

August 2, 2006

The Tulane University Community Health Center at Covenant House, which was created following the catastrophe of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, celebrates its one-year anniversary today (Aug. 2) with a health fair from 9:30 a.m.–2 p.m. at 611 N. Rampart St.

"Health Care Here and Now" is the theme of the clinic. The public is invited to join in the festivities, with free screenings for blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and post-traumatic stress disorder. There also will be activities for children.

The Community Health Center at Covenant House, which has provided care for more than 7,500 patients, aims to improve the health of New Orleans neighbors by providing a medical home where the community can receive preventive and primary care, a team-based approach to chronic disease treatment, health education and support and mental health services, all supported by a state-of-the-art electronic health record.

July 24, 2006

Twelve pianists from eight countries will take the stage at Loyola University this week for the 2006 New Orleans International Piano Competition, which begins today (July 24) and continues through Sunday (July 30).

The opening of the competition will take place at 7 p.m. tonight at Loyola's Roussel Hall, a half-block down St. Charles Avenue from the Tulane University campus. Three finalists will compete for the top prizes during the final round at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

Chosen from a field of 134 applicants, the 12 finalists will compete for cash prizes and performance fees totaling more than $30,000, including future performances with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra, the Acadiana Symphony Orchestra and the Baton Rouge Symphony Orchestra, as well as a recital at London's Wigmore Hall.

Tickets are now available online or by calling 504-899-4826.

July 13, 2006

If the stresses of recovery from Hurricane Katrina are getting you down, consider a free Trauma and Stress Relief course being offered in New Orleans by the International Association for Human Values, an organization that works closely with the United Nations in the area of trauma relief.

"As a group, we are very interested in raising awareness about our work among Tulane University students so that they might benefit from our programs," said Melissa Ann Gaul, an IAHV volunteer. "We are currently teaching courses at Common Ground, Canon Hospice and Xavier University, among others."

Among the courses being offered by IAHV are a five-day stress-relief workshop; a course on community empowerment and trauma relief; training in meditation; and courses for youths providing tools to handle stress and emotions and build relationships.

The organization aims to develop a more peaceful, just and sustainable world through creating and promoting programs of personal development while encouraging everyday practice of human values. It also offers community education programs that cultivate awareness of shared values among diverse cultures.

Visit the website for a detailed listing of courses and programs, or call 504-994-4990.

July 10, 2006

Anyone involved in day-to-day work with the survivors of Katrina and Rita could benefit from a two-day professional development workshop sponsored by Tulane University on "Disaster and Crisis Intervention: Facilitating Psycho-Social Reconstruction." The sessions, which are free of charge but have limited seating, are planned Friday and Saturday (July 14 and 15) at the Elmwood Campus of Tulane's School of Continuing Studies, 800 E. Commerce Road, Suite 100, in Harahan. Sign-in opens at 8:30 a.m. and the workshop begins at 9 a.m.

Interested participants should e-mail seat reservations no later than tomorrow (July 11) to Paul Forbes.

The workshop is presented by the school's Professional Development Institute and Global Facilitators Service Corps: Nola Network. A similar workshop was held in June.

Workshop sessions are designed for professional facilitators, mental health and social service professionals, trainers and others engaged in group disaster recovery, so that upon completion they can deliver the workshop or share workshop learning to assist others who work with disaster survivors.

June 26, 2006

An exhibition of photographs by Ansel Adams, drawn from the Lane Collection—the largest holding of works by the artist still in private hands—will be on view at the New Orleans Museum of Art from June 3 through Sept. 24, 2006. Entitled "Ansel Adams," the exhibition captures Adams's poetic vision through 125 black-and-white photographs spanning 50 years of the artist's career, with particular emphasis on his early work—from classic landscapes and views of national parks to intimate still lifes and abstracted, modernist works. Highlighting many rare and unpublished photographs, the exhibition also reveals a little-known side of Adams' work, including his striking architectural and urban views, portraits of artist friends, and photographs of Native American pueblos. The works on view have been drawn from the Lane Collection of American modernist photography, which is currently housed at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, and includes nearly 500 works by Adams purchased directly from the artist by the late William H. Lane and his wife, Saundra, in the 1960s and 1970s.

The garden and the museum are now open Wednesdays through Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Both the museum and garden are free to Louisiana residents.

For information, visit the NOMA website.

May 9, 2006

The chief investment officer for J.P. Morgan in New York will be the featured speaker for the 5th annual Tulane Family Business Center Wealth Management Seminar, to be held Thursday (May 11) from 1:30 to 5:15 p.m. at the Hotel InterContinental New Orleans, 444 St. Charles Ave.

Registration begins at 1 p.m. for the free event. Seating is limited, so anyone interested in attending should respond by e-mail or call 504-862-8482.

Peter Wall will be speaking on "Economic Insights and Market Opportunities." He oversees investment policy and asset allocation strategies for J.P. Morgan Private Client Services and Retail Investment Services segments within J.P. Morgan Chase.

Break-out sessions also are planned on such topics as developments in retirement plans and executive compensation, planned giving, changes in estate taxation and knowing what your business is worth.

John N. Cannizaro, real estate manager with J.P. Morgan Chase, will discuss "Pertinent Issues Affecting Homeowners and Investors in New Orleans and the Greater Metropolitan Area."

The Family Business Center is part of the A.B. Freeman School of Business at Tulane University.

May 2, 2006

Parents and children across the nation are digging into toy chests and pulling out their LEGO bricks to help children in New Orleans imagine and rebuild for the future. LEGO Systems has issued the nationwide challenge, and is planning to collect the bricks and make a brick-for-brick matching donation to New Orleans schools. Some of the bricks will be used to construct a model of New Orleans in the future, as envisioned by New Orleans children, which will be donated to the city as a public work of art.

To donate your LEGO bricks to children in New Orleans and, in return, receive a LEGO Builders of Tomorrow wristband, mail one or more LEGO bricks, along with a plain, 3-by-5-inches piece of paper on which you have typed or hand printed your complete name, street address (no P.O. boxes), city, state and zip code and wristband size (kid or adult).

Mail cardboard or padded envelopes to: LEGO Wristband Offer, P.O. Box 5735, Blair, NE 68009-5735. Mail boxes to: LEGO Brick Collection #5797, c/o DL BLAIR, 1548 Front Street, Blair, NE 68008. Offer requests must be sent via First Class Mail and must be received by Aug. 15, 2006.

April 27, 2006

LeMieux Galleries of New Orleans is hosting an international benefit photographic exhibition titled "New Orleans Our Hometown: Photographs From a World of Admirers." The show will open with a reception tonight (April 27) from 5 to 8 p.m. at the gallery, 332 Julia St. Musical entertainment will be provided by local jazz band VaVaVoom.

All entries to "New Orleans Our Hometown: Photographs From a World of Admirers" will be reproduced and made available for purchase, with 100 percent of net profits donated to A Studio in the Woods, which is a program of Tulane University, and the studio's Restoration Residency program. This program offers studio space, stipends, travel and supply money to New Orleans artists displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Read here for more information.

Gallery hours are Monday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. or by appointment. Donated photo entries will be accepted throughout the exhibition. For more information, to submit work or to view the works online, visit their website.

March 16, 2006

One of the South's premier literary celebrations, the Tennessee Williams Festival, will be held from March 30 to April 3 at venues around the French Quarter of New Orleans, showcasing national and regional scholars, writers and performing artists. Festival programs include panel discussions, theatrical performances, a one-act play competition, lectures, literary walking tours, musical performances and a book fair.

Several experts affiliated with Tulane University are participating in the events. Dale Edmonds, associate professor in the English department, will lead a session on April 2 entitled, "A Book Club Named Desire: The Third Edition of The Tennessee Williams/New Orleans Literary Festival Book Club."

Author John Barry, who has been a visiting scholar at Tulane, will participate in a discussion on April 2 called "Stronger than a Glass Menagerie: Writers' Responsibility and the Art of Post-Katrina New Orleans," along with writer Andre Codrescu.

Douglas Brinkley, author and Tulane history professor, will take part in two sessions on April 2—"The Making of the Presidents: Bringing History Alive on the Page" and "In the Wake of Destruction," which will explore the growing genre of post-Katrina literature.

The complete festival schedule and ticket information are available from the festival box office at 504-581-1144, or online.

March 15, 2006

The premier public showing of “Katrina Stories,” featuring Tulane Law School students, will be held on Tuesday, March 21, at Le Chat Noir Theater, 715 St. Charles Ave. in New Orleans.

The theatrical production weaves together the stories of more than 50 law students and faculty as they cope with the chaos and struggles of evacuating, living in exile and returning to New Orleans. Playwright Mary Nagle, a first-year Tulane law student, powerfully blends the hardships faced by all New Orleanians during Katrina with caricatures of national media personalities and political figures.

“Katrina Stories” debuted to an audience of 200 law students in January and a public performance has been in the planning ever since. For the March 21 presentation, doors open at 7 p.m. and the show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $13, including a $5 bar credit, and can be purchased by calling Le Chat Noir box office at 504-581-5812.

March 2, 2006

• NOMA Reopens. The New Orleans Museum of Art will reopen its doors on Friday (March 3) with a weekend celebration of the arts called “The HeART of New Orleans.”

The festivities begin on Friday with a ribbon cutting and press conference at 10 a.m. Writers Richard Ford and Ernest Gaines will discuss “Arts, Culture and Louisiana After Katrina and Rita: Now What?” Music will be provided by Bryan Batt and Shades of Praise. Activities on Saturday and Sunday will highlight all aspects of art including the visual, performing and literary arts. Admission is free.

• Jazz Fest Is Back. Heralding the comeback of New Orleans music and culture, organizers of the 2006 New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival presented by Shell announced a music lineup filled with hundreds of New Orleans’ most beloved musicians and an array of superstars at the first post-Katrina event on April 28-30 and May 5-7. Fats Domino, Jimmy Buffett, Lionel Richie, the Dave Matthews Band, Paul Simon and Bob Dylan will be among the performers.

• Quarter Revelry. The 23rd annual French Quarter Festival will be held April 21-23, heralded as the largest free music festival in the South. Fifteen music stages will showcase the best in New Orleans music, representing every genre from gospel to jazz, from Latin to classical, from Cajun and zydeco to brass bands, while local restaurants serve up New Orleans cuisine.

January 4, 2006

If you enjoy being a New Orleans night owl, this news is for you. Mayor Ray Nagin has lifted the curfew for much of the city.

Getting back to normal in New Orleans means no longer having to worry about the 2 a.m. to 6 a.m. curfew in the Central Business District, the French Quarter, Mid-City, Gentilly, Uptown and Algiers. The city had been under a curfew for almost four months, since Katrina made landfall.

Areas east of the Industrial Canal, including the Lower Ninth Ward, will continue to adhere to a curfew from midnight to 6 a.m. until further notice.

Nagin’s announcement, made Dec. 23, is important for the city’s entertainment and tourism industry, especially owners of bars, clubs and restaurants.
City officials originally put the curfew into place to ensure the post-Katrina environment in New Orleans was safe. Warren Riley, police superintendent, now says he is confident that the city will be secure without one.