Business Recovery Grants

from Bayou Buzz dot com

More than 2,000 checks have been distributed so far to recipients of the Business Recovery Grant & Loan Program created by the Louisiana Recovery Authority (LRA) in partnership with and administered by Louisiana Economic Development (LED). Award letters were mailed to more than 3,400 grant recipients in early April. Many have already returned their signed Terms & Conditions documents and are receiving the first 50 percent of their grants. The program will grant more than $63 million in this first round, with an average award amount of $18,100.

Of businesses receiving grants in this first round,
- More than 85 percent have 10 or fewer employees
- 85 percent were located in the most devastated parishes: Cameron, Orleans, Plaquemines, St. Bernard
- 53 percent were woman- or minority-owned firms

Community-based financial institutions played a major role in helping to spread the word and walk participants through program requirements. LED staff and these local partners hosted more than 25 workshops across South Louisiana to educate business owners about eligibility rules and the application process.

Once the business owner has submitted original receipts, invoices marked "paid," or other evidence of payment for usage of the first 50 percent of the grant, the second half will be released. Recipients can download the reimbursement form to request the second haf of funding. Grant recipients may use the funds for operating expenses and inventory from the date of their award letter forward. Current debt incurred for past business expenses may also be paid down with the grant.

LED and its community-based partners will begin distribution of the first round of loans in the coming weeks.

Those applicants who were not eligible for grants in this round (e.g. because they did not meet revenue decline requirements) will be automatically considered in the next round. LED expects to begin the second round of funding this summer following a series of meetings with business groups, elected officials and other stakeholders to help design the program.

Applicants who wish to appeal the grant decision can submit the electronic appeal form available on LED's website, LouisianaForward.com.

For Round 2 of the Business Recovery Grant & Loan Program, the State is in the process of reallocating $68 million, plus funds remaining from Round 1. The allocation between grants and loans will be determined during the program design phase following meetings with small business representatives across the state.

New Orleans Neighborhoods

The Times Picayune Video essays exploring the regrowth of neighborhoods in NOLA


So far they only have four neighborhoods: MidCity, Broadmoor, 9th Ward & St. Bernard Parish.

I think they're done well. Hope they add more to this series.

We are owed

In answer to all those who believe people affected by Katrina are whiners and aren't deserving of help, this is from Maitri

Thanks, Maitri.

take that, Allstate

From the Times Picayune, April 17, 2007:

Jury awards Slidell couple $2 million in case against Allstate

NEW ORLEANS -- Allstate Insurance Co. must pay a Louisiana man who lost his home to Hurricane Katrina more than $2.8 million in damages and penalties, a federal jury decided Monday in a case that hinged largely on whether it was wind or storm surge that wiped out his house.

Allstate spokeswoman said the company will appeal.
Allstate is shocked with the jury verdict in favor of the plaintiff. I guess they thought that they
could get away with screwing people forever.
Allstate believes it acted in good faith throughout the entire claims process said the Allstate spokesperson.
The verdict included a $1.5 million penalty for the company's failure to pay the claim quickly enough.
In good faith. Pffft. Yes, there is justice.
The Allstate lawyer......said in closing arguments that Katrina's winds were not strong enough to do the damage.
Excuse me? According to the City of Slidell website

The Weather Service reports that Slidell had sustained winds of 176 mph and gusts of 190+ mph during Hurricane Katrina. In addition, Slidell was hit by a 23' - 26' storm surge that devastated much of the city.

I stupidly stayed for the storm and listened to those winds. I saw the damage immediately after the storm. Lawyers. Pffft.
A surveyor/engineer who inspected the house for Allstate...states that wind may have destroyed the home before the surge of water washed away its remnants. He later backed off that conclusion, and deferred to the engineering consultant
The consultant, who wrote the final report on the home for Allstate, convinced the surveyor that storm surge demolished the house. The consultant didn't personally inspect the property until after he wrote the report. He said he based his conclusions in part on evidence gathered by other Rimkus engineers -- a practice he described as common.
Thanks for the info, Mr. Consultant. Perhaps it's time to rethink your processes.

2007 French Quarter Festival

Went to the French Quarter Festival on Friday. It was a beautiful day for a festival! Here are views of the first day of the 07 FQ Fest

click on photos for full-size versions





Things were just getting started when we arrived at 11:30. It was breezy but sunny and warm. Perfect festival weather.




The Steamboat Natchez had its calliope playing full throttle.




These two dogs were excited to be part of the fun. But they had to be on leashes



Jackson Square from the Moonwalk.




The Easter Bunny decided to stay over a week longer to see F.Q. Fest



Throughout the square were food and drink vendors.



St. Louis Cathedral's spires are beautifully done



This laid-back baby seemed to be enjoying herself. Must've been people watching.
There sure was a lot to watch.



The stage set up in Jackson Square was playing "Do You Know What It Means..." as we came in through the gates. Gave me goose bumps.



After sampling Shrimp Cakes and Shaved Prime Rib Sandwiches, we tried some of the
fare offered in the Square. The BBQ Shrimp was delish...



The setup of the booths throughout the Festival was well orchestrated. All signs were consistent and easy to read. All of the vendors were very polite and professional.


Mrs. Wheat MeatPie....the BEST!



The blackened Catfish Poboy was a disappointment, IMHO. Too much blackening, which overpowered the flavor of the fish.



Crepes filled with nutella and fresh sliced strawberries. Very tasty!



Nuns on the run....to the fest, I assume.



Huge blue cat sign on Royal Street.



I like the lines in this picture. New Orleans is extremely photogenic



Ah, so HERE is where their studios are!



Rodrigue's Gallery on Royal.



Coco Robichaux on stage.



While we were watching Coco Robichaux, several jets from Belle Chasse Naval Air Station provided some fun flyovers for the crowd



Roast Beef Debris Poorboy.



Spring Rolls. They were wonderful. The peanut sauce went well with the cilantro.



This cat was walking through the crowd like dog!!! Not afraid of crowds or noise at all.








Whever else you eat, you MUST sample the desserts at the Flour Power booth.

RIP Kurt Vonnegut

Kurt Vonnegut has died at the age of 84. One of my favorite authors, creator
of Kilgore Trout.

Rest in peace.

Outside of NOLA

A little over 50 miles south of New Orleans is Thibodaux, Louisiana. My daughter attends Nicholls State University there. A few weeks ago, as I was driving to pick her up, I spotted this little beauty
click on images for full-sized versions




Thirty miles north of New Orleans is my postage-stamp sized backyard. It hasn't really been lovingly touched since the storm. This year I will resume "playing" in my yard. The first thing to do is to give this little angel his wing back


A mile away from my home is Bayou Liberty. There is a new bridge under construction, to replace the old, hand cranked bridge



Katrina swamped St. Genevieve Church which stood on the banks of the Bayou.


Here is the Church in 2003


Here is where the new Church will be built.



The Church was ruined, but the oaks survived and look beautiful this year.

Twenty miles from here is the tiny fishing community of Irish Bayou. Katrina slammed this area. Although it's coming back, several houses still look like this, 18+ months PostK.

"The drugs got boys dropping like flies."

TP story about the runaway-train crime spree happening in New Orleans
Some quotes from the story:

I'm just praying it's not me next time the bullets fly
I ain't never seen anything like it……….The drugs got boys dropping like flies.
People buy their drugs on this side, run back to their side. But we get all the problems that come with it.

A wooden sign hanging from the service station roofs warns: "No Loitering, No Crack Selling, No Cat Selling," a reference to prostitution, said proprietor Joe Peters

Here's another story in today's paper about the killing of a 14 year old kid who was in the wrong place at the wrong time:

Jazman had to see something he wasn't supposed to see…..That's the only thing that makes sense


What is it going to take to stop this craziness?

From Metroblogging
a resident in the Quarter talks of trying to help a homeless derelict in his neighborhood and how difficult it is to get
any kind of help .

We're living in an asylum.

A message for Mr. Blakely

Once again Ashley oh-so-eloquently-in-his-own-way responds to Ed "czar" Blakely's comments regarding New Orleans.



Thanks, Ashley.

USS Hurricane Camile

Seawitch has a post about the fate of the USS Hurricane Camille, the 72-foot tugboat East Point that was pushed ashore in August 1969 with its bow facing west on property owned by the Moody family. The boat survived two of the worst storms in U.S. history. It survived the casino invasion of the 1990s and it even outlasted some of the largest gambling barges on the Coast; but today its days seem numbered.
The owner of the property is in her 60s and has no plans of reviving the iconic vessel or the gift shopthat used to operate from the boat..

Still Not Okay

19+ months after Katrina, the Gulf Coast is
still
NOT
even close
to being okay

But some folks don't worry about that. They're too busy
driving fast and wanting to get away with it or
trying to do anything to avoid taking the blame for NOLA's slow recovery.

Nope, not okay by a long shot.