New Orleans Life
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Times-Picayune: Ashton Phelps memo to staff
Posted by Kevin Allman on Thu, May 24, 2012 at 10:01 AM
The new plan, which will be executed under the name "NOLA Media Group," will leave New Orleans without a daily newspaper. The original Picayune originally published in 1837.
A memo under the name of outgoing publisher Ashton Phelps went out to staff this morning stating "Many current employees of The Times-Picayune and NOLA.com will have the opportunity to grow with the new organizations, but the need to reallocate resources to accelerate the digital growth of NOLA Media Group will necessitate a reduction in the size of the workforce."
The result, according to the memo, will be "a more robust newspaper." (Insert hollow laugh here.)
Phelps, whose family has steered the T-P for five generations, is being replaced by Ricky Mathews, publisher of the Mobile Press-Register and president of Advance Alabama/Mississippi.
AnnouncementSent: Thursday, May 24, 2012 8:21 AM
To all employees:
We wanted to make you aware of a news story that will be posted on NOLA.com regarding the future of the company, and to alert you that we will be scheduling meetings to discuss it with groups of employees today.
Wednesday, May 23, 2012
Casting Confederacy
Posted by Kevin Allman on Wed, May 23, 2012 at 12:36 PM
Confederacy is one of those books that people sometimes describe as "unfilmable" (I think a four- or six-hour HBO miniseries would be better than a regular movie), but trying to cast it is a fun, fantasy-footballish exercise. Here's my list (note: Spud McConnell has aged out of Ignatius territory, at least in the movies):
• Philip Seymour Hoffman as Ignatius
• Jessica Lange as Irene Reilly
• Estelle Parsons as Miss Trixie
• Becky Allen or Amanda Hebert as Santa Battaglia
• John Reilly as Patrolman Mancuso
• Jessie Terrebonne as Darlene
• Patricia Clarkson as Lana Lee
• Damon Wayans Jr. as Jones
• Neil Patrick Harris as Dorian Greene
• Zooey Deschanel as Myrna Minkoff
Any better ideas?
(Here's our recent cover story on Confederacy and Butterfly in the Typewriter, the new biography of Confederacy's author, John Kennedy Toole.)
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Landrieu's 2012 State of the City address
Posted by Kevin Allman on Tue, May 22, 2012 at 10:51 AM
Mayor Mitch Landrieu is scheduled to deliver his midterm 2012 State of the City address at 2 pm this afternoon at the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts in Armstrong Park. Last year's SOTC was held against the backdrop of the traffic-camera controversy and a soaring murder rate. This year's speech is expected to have more details on new plans to reduce the murder rate — and, of course, there's also the question of whether the New Orleans City Council will be there in toto.
We'll be liveblogging here from around 1:30-1:45 pm until the end of the mayor's speech. Join us.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Y@ Speak: Voodoo camping, prison escapees and more
Posted by Lauren LaBorde on Mon, May 21, 2012 at 12:13 PM
Monday, May 14, 2012
Y@ Speak: Post-Jazz Fest depression edition
Posted by Lauren LaBorde on Mon, May 14, 2012 at 11:34 AM
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Public Transit Tuesdays: St. Charles Avenue Shuttle
Posted by Megan Braden-Perry on Tue, May 8, 2012 at 7:03 PM
Remember how I said I wasn't going to blog anything on the St. Charles streetcar line because of the problems it poses for wheelchair-bound citizens? That's still the case, but thanks to preventative rail maintenance, I was able to ride for a few blocks on the St. Charles streetcar line, via the St. Charles streetcar shuttle. Too bad I only have a few more months to ride it...
Monday, May 7, 2012
Y@ Speak: Jazz Fest weekend 2 edition
Posted by Lauren LaBorde on Mon, May 7, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Monday, April 30, 2012
Y@ Speak: Jazz Fest weekend 1 edition
Posted by Lauren LaBorde on Mon, Apr 30, 2012 at 11:41 AM
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
More on the Marigny ball pit house
Posted by Kevin Allman on Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 4:20 PM
When I stopped by the site of the proposed Marigny ball pit house today, the project's leader, Josh Ente, was grabbing lunch. His friend Matt, who was visiting from San Francisco, was busy helping take down the back of the blighted Creole cottage to the wall frames. When they're done, they plan to wrap the whole structure in batting-cage plastic and dump plastic balls on the floor four feet deep. Then anyone — adults, kids, whomever — who wants to jump in is welcome.
Yesterday's blog entry about the ball pit project drew some serious (and sometimes scathing) discussion both on Gambit's website and Facebook page. Ente said he'd read it all, including the "Brooklyn-goes-to-Bywater" remark. Turns out that, yes, he is from Brooklyn (I had no idea), and, yes, he's lived in the Marigny-Bywater for fewer than two years. Ente is a filmmaker whose recently directed Big Freedia's music video "Y'all Get Back Now."
"I understand the concerns about privilege," he said, referring to comments like the one that accused him of "hipster Romper Room BS." As we talked, behind him, in an overgrown lot marked with HANO signs and discarded tires, a woman played with a young pit bull. Whatever you think of the project, it's true that Ente has put more sweat equity into a property he doesn't own than the city has put into adjacent property it does own.
The conversation only got really awkward once ...
New Orleans trying to decide where to build new dog parks
Posted by Kevin Allman on Wed, Apr 25, 2012 at 1:33 PM
Mayor Mitch Landrieu's administration is surveying citizens and holding meetings about the development of dog parks in New Orleans. More than 1,400 residents have responded to an online survey aimed at determining the needs of dog owners (you're welcome to do so; the survey closes Friday). This week, the city’s Office of Neighborhood Engagement is holding a series of six public meetings last week (one in each council district; two in District C) to explain the fact-gathering process and get more community input. Tonight's meetings are at 6 pm at Holy Angels Church (3500 St. Claude Ave.) and the Cut-Off Recreation Center (6600 Belgrade St.).
“The goal is to put one dog park and one dog run in each council district,” explained Vince Smith, director of capital projects, to a group of about eight people gathered at the District A meeting last night at the Robert E. Smith Library in Lakeview. Smith said the city had identified 23 unofficial dog parks across the city — 10 of which are in District A — in addition to “City Bark,” the membership-only dog park in New Orleans City Park. Dog owners pay $43 per year for a permit to use the 4.3-acre off-leash park, a fenced area with amenities that include a dog wash and a smaller fenced-in area for little dogs.
It’s not only the sites that are unknown right now — it’s the funding. “We have no dedicated funds,” Smith said. “This is a site-selection process only.” Smith explained that the city isn’t sure yet whether any dog park monies would come from the capital operating budget or from New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD) funds, so there’s no timetable on building.
Those who can't make the meetings can still provide feedback to the city at dogpark@nola.gov.
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Re: Times-Picayune: Ashton Phelps memo to staff
3 days a week makes for a more robust paper? Whoever wrote the letter for…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
Having the print edition delivered was one of the things I looked forward to upon…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
Dad, really sad. Ibordered delivery of the Sunday paper to my daughter in Covington and…
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on May 24, 2012
via mobile
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
Here's an idea, how about Gambit hire some of these folks away and publish it…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
This is the same kind of thing that happened to radio stations starting in the…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
What I would like to know is are my subscription rates going down now. If…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
So now, NOLA.com will get even worse? TP reporters censoring comments to…
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on May 24, 2012
via mobile
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
the bad thing about this is that Ricky Mathews and Advance Alabama/Mississippi. (Advance Publications, the…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Casting Confederacy
Great minds think alike Tara!
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Casting Confederacy
Great, but I think John Goodman would be better to play Ignatius and he lives…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Public Transit Tuesdays: Kenner Local
I had to laugh at the vision of you, in your floral dress, kicking in…
- on May 24, 2012
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Re: Times-Picayune employees in shock as extent of Newhouse cuts begins to emerge
Personally, I'm glad they are printing the paper less. I think it is a waste…
- on May 24, 2012
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