News and information from the New Orleans area
Mardi Gras Parade
ZULU’S ELECTION OF 2012 KING IS CONTESTED
015 years
Zulu member
Zulu Coconut 2010 Ambassador
This was bound to happen for many reasons. In a system that cheerfully embraces the concept of “vote-buying,’’ it was probably only a matter of time before charges of election day irregularities marred the annual selection of a monarch to reign over the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club.
While many old-line Carnival organizations rely on lineage and social pedigree to choose their royalty under a shroud of secrecy, Zulu has used a democratic process to pick its Carnival personalities ever since the group was born in 1909.
And Zulu encourages would-be kings to wine and dine their subjects with good food, libations and occasionally gifts.
The whole case boils down to a dozen missing absentee ballots. The 2nd place finisher is contesting the election. He may have any excellent case if the missing ballots cannot be produced.
The contest to name the 2012 King Zulu took place Sunday, with lawyer Elroy James emerging as the unofficial winner in a five-way battle.
But before James can claim the crown, it looks like he must withstand a challenge from second-place finisher Jay H. Banks, who reportedly lost by seven votes.
Should be very interesting!
Barry Kern Lawsuit Hearing Set For Friday
015 years
The dominant float building company in New Orleans continues to air its dirty laundry publicly. A hearing has been scheduled for Friday in the civil suit filed by Barry Kern, who once again, is suing for control of the New Orleans float-building enterprise that his father, Blaine Kern Sr., founded.
Blaine Kern
Barry Kern
This is the biggest float production company in New Orleans, and possibly the world. They build Rex, Bacchus, Endymion, Muses, Orpheus, Alla, and many other parades. They travel around the world building floats and props for a myriad of uses and users.
Barry Kern, the president of Blaine Kern Artists, is seeking an injunction to keep his 83-year-old father “from interfering with the management of the company,” said Randall Smith, the younger Kern’s attorney. Barry Kern must be awfully upset to sue his octogenarian father. When you sue your elderly parent, you generally lose the public relations battle before it starts.
This is the latest chapter in a feud that went public last fall, when Barry Kern filed a suit alleging that Blaine Kern Artists was a company in fiscal crisis. He laid much of the blame at the feet of Holly Brown Kern, the elder Kern’s fourth wife, saying she was responsible for a big increase in her husband’s spending, often with company money.
Now I have some experience with Holly Brown Kern from before she was married to Blaine, and she controlled him pretty good back then. I am sure Holly is pulling a lot of strings behind the scenes now.
That dispute was settled in an agreement between the Kerns that was witnessed by leaders of three major Carnival organizations: Bacchus, Endymion and Rex, who also are longtime Kern clients.
But in the suit filed this week, Barry Kern claimed his father had not lived up to the pact, in which he agreed to sell his stock in the company to his son and attend a shareholders meeting where Barry Kern, 48, would be elected president. Whoever failed to live up to these terms would have to pay $100,000 plus attorneys fees to the other Kern, the agreement stated.
“We need to resolve who’s running the company so that customers can feel comfortable about paying their bills and move forward with planning for Mardi Gras 2012,” Smith said.
Judge Kern Reese will conduct the 9 a.m. hearing.
BARRY KERN SUES HIS DAD AGAIN!!
015 years
Barry & Blaine Kern
The most renowned and biggest Mardi Gras float builder is feuding publicly again. The family organization that builds Rex, Bacchus, Orpheus, Endymion, and Zulu, among other icon parades in New Orleans has their dirty laundry out for all to see.
The son of famous Mardi Gras float designer Blaine Kern has once more filed suit against his eighty three year old father, this time claiming the elder Kern has reneged on an agreement they made in October.
Barry Kern filed suit against his father Blaine last year in an attempt to oust him from the family float business, but local Mardi Gras krewe captains built a truce. When Barry last filed suit, key Mardi Gras Captains forged a truce which was they believed was forever but…
Barry Kern announced Thursday that he is again suing his father. Here’s the lawsuit.
“No one is more saddened than I that my father has refused to honor the agreements we publicly made on October 5, 2010,” said Barry Kern in a statement. “I have been trying for six months to have him do so, but we cannot wait any longer. I love my dad, but I have been forced to act to protect him, my family, our company, our employees, and the best interests of Mardi Gras.”
In the suit Barry Kern alleges that Blaine Kern has interfered with his son’s managerial control in several ways, including: firing his other son, Brian Kern; demanding payments for personal expenses; reducing a contract with a client that put it below the amount needed just to meet costs; and appearing at the cash register at Mardi Gras World, demanding cash.
The original suit in October, 2010, contended that Blaine Kern had mismanaged the business, leaving it “technically insolvent.” Blaine Kern replied at the time that he had fired his son as company president for running the business into the ground.
Blaine Kern said this evening he had not seen the lawsuit and could not comment.
Blaine and Holly before marriage
LONGEST PARADE DAY IN MANY YEARS BEGINS!!
015 years
I’m hosted by icorp.net, and they have an historic Mardi Gras site at carnivalneworleans.com, and have an old web cam in the French Quarter:
Web cam on Bourbon St. located at Tropical Isle!!
5:22 & Bacchus is nowhere in sight. WDSU’s Parade tracker is still messaging me about Thoth. Time flies when you have 5 parades in a row, including two very very large Super Krewes ending up the whole shebang! 5:36, Bacchus is rolling, according to WDSU-TV’s parade tracker service.
Endymion gave up its beloved Canal Boulevard route for the traditional St. Charles Avenue. They will follow Bacchus for a very long day of parading, starting with Okeanos, Mid-City, & Thoth! Thoth runs a long route, and takes over 3 hours to run. If Bacchus starts roughly at 3 pm, Endymion can begin at Bacchus’ old time of 5 pm. Then the night wouldn’t run by very much, if things go smoothly, which they probably won’t. Without being unduly pessimistic, the parading night with probably run into the wee wee hours of the night!!
This is the 2nd time since Katrina (2005) that Endymion has changed routes and it’s not very popular with the legions of Mid City Endymion fans that LOVE the 1 major parade that doesn’t go down St. Charles Avenue! Plus, a ton of businesses count on the Endymion business boost their business through the roof temporarily.
Okeanos has begun, as has Mid-City. Thoth will follow, then Bacchus and Endymion. The longest parade day in recent history is underway!
Endymion
Elijah Wood as Bacchus
Bacchasaurus
Endymion is arguably the largest krewe in the whole New Orleans Mardi Gras, and to roll last after Okeanos, Mid-City, Thoth, then Bacchus before starting must have been quite a blow of weather reality to swallow. As it’s pouring at 1:30 pm a few hours before Endymion was supposed to roll, it looks like the move to skip a day was wise. Only tomorrow will tell, but from today’s downpour, it looks wise indeed.
PORT-O-LETS ALL OVER NAPOLEAN AVE. NEUTRAL GROUNDS
015 years
You never saw so many groups of a dozen or more, all with big labels, CITY OF NEW ORLEANS, and at least 3-4 groups of toilets between St. Charles Avenue and Annunciation Avenue. Big change and very welcome! Thanks to the City of NOLA, the Mayor of NOLA, the City Council of NOLA, and sanitation of NOLA.
No private Port-o-lets were removed along Napoleon Avenue as of 9:30 pm on Saturday, March 5.