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Like dozens of racetracks around the country, the New Orleans Fair Grounds has an official chaplain ministering to the men and women on the horse racing circuit.
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Courtesy of New Orleans Fair Grounds
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Hey Blake,
A
buddy of mine says that the Fair Grounds Race Track has a chaplain. I think
he's kidding, but he claims he really exists. We have a wager on this. What
do you know?
Betting Man
Dear Betting
Man,
I
hope you didn't bet the farm because you lose. When the Fair Grounds opens this
month, I'll certainly be glad to see Les Riggs again, the official chaplain.
Last year, Chaplain Les became a member of the executive committee of the Race
Track Chaplaincy of America (RTCA).
This organization is composed of 35 chaplains
serving more than 65 racetracks across the country. The program actually began
with Salty Roberts, a man who worked at Gulfstream Park in Florida. Salty believed
that the men, women and children that he worked with at the track needed spiritual
guidance. So in 1969, he found the Rev. A.D. "Al" Dawson who soon became the
chaplain at Gulfstream and proceeded to conduct services during the racing season.
When other racetracks saw this good work,
they, too, wanted chaplains. So in 1971, the RTCA was organized with its first
Board of Directors and became incorporated in 1972. It was not long after that
the first full-time paid chaplain was appointed at Calder Race Course, also
in south Florida.
Today, with the enthusiastic support of horsemen's
associations and racetrack management, the chaplains of the RTCA provide so
many benefits for the unique group of men and women and their families, who
often live a transient life.
If you are at the Fair Grounds Race Track
with your buddy, you can ask anyone who works there to introduce you to Les
Riggs. Wearing his official chaplain's cap, he seems to be everywhere at the
same time, but he's often to be found in the paddock before each race. Les enjoys
photography, so he is also usually carrying a camera.
And when you are a winner, remember Les and
the good work he is doing.
Hey Blake,
Any idea what the correct
spelling of Zimpel Street is? It's spelled Zimple and Zimpel on the street signs.
When I look it up on the U.S. Postal Service Web site, they list it as "Zimpel."
James Wilson
Dear James,
Yes,
of course. The correct spelling is Zimpel. But it is spelled incorrectly on
the street sign at the intersection with Broadway.
The gentleman for whom the street was named
was Charles F. Zimpel, a surveyor, engineer, mapmaker and architect of some
repute. He most likely came to New Orleans from Germany in the early 1830s when
he was hired by Laurent Millaudon, Samuel Kohn and John Slidell, real estate
promoters of Carrollton and co-owners of the New Orleans and Carrollton Railroad.
This railroad -- now the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line -- ran through the
plantation of Louis Bouligny. Millaudon and Kohn had managed to acquire a half
interest in the faubourg and brought in Zimpel to subdivide the land into squares
and streets.
This subdivision was laid out in 650-foot
squares, and naming rights for the streets were bestowed on the purchasers.
In fact, Zimpel himself liked the area so much that he also bought property.
So we have a street bearing his name -- sort of. In 1845, 12 years after Zimpel
completed his work, the subdivision was incorporated into the city of Carrollton.
Zimpel was a busy man during his brief stay
in New Orleans. As surveyor of other areas as well as Carrollton, he was responsible
for the naming of Napoleon Avenue and other streets connected with Napoleon's
victories. He also named streets in honor of Napoleon's field marshals such
as Bernadotte, Cambronne, Murat and Ney.
And if all that subdividing and naming of
streets weren't enough, Herr Zimpel was also the architect for four buildings
in the 1830s -- the Bank of Orleans, Banks Arcade, Bishop's City Hotel and Orleans
Cotton Press.
Zimpel left New Orleans less than 10 years
after he arrived, but he left a fine legacy.
