Archive for June, 2010

R.I.P. Jerelyn ‘Pixie’ Naquin

3
14 years
by in Carnival, Carnival New Orleans, Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Parade, Mardi Gras parade

I always admired Pixie. I remember when I first met her when I was interviewing Blaine Kern in the early 1980s for a Mardi Gras story on float builders.  Pixie had been with Blaine for about 20 years by that time. When I interviewed Blaine, Pixie was present, and Blaine referred to her regularly to get me this material or that file. I worked with Blaine for about 3 years at this time, and Pixie was fantastic, a real hero of Mardi Gras, and truly Blaine’s right hand woman. As his business grew in an international direction later in the 1980s, Pixie was a whiz at keeping the lid on Kern Enterprises, pacing Blaine who really needed it as he was overdoing it badly at this time. Blaine’s kids were young  and weren’t part of the company yet. She kept Kern Enterprises on a steady keel as the company grew and grew.

Kern does the float building for all the Super Krewes- Bacchus, Rex, Endymion, Orpheus, Zulu. I learned from Pixie just how Blaine acquired all those top parades, and it’s a secret I’ll have to take to my grave, because Pixie only told me if I swore I would never tell a soul.  As the business grew overseas, Pixie ran that for Blaine also.

Whatever Blaine got into, Pixie was there, always graceful when others were losing their heads due to the pressures of adding the overseas division at the same time maintaining good will and contracts with all the reigning Super Krewes.

Mardi Gras parades in Slidell should pay their own way, krewes are told

0
14 years
by in Carnival, Mardi Gras, Mardi Gras Parade, Mardi Gras parade

Meeting with Slidell krewe captains on Tuesday, the city’s events committee proposed that krewes pay the city 25 percent of their parade costs in 2011, with their contribution increasing to 50 percent the second year and to 75 percent in three years.

“Everyone calls Mardi Gras the largest free party in the world but it’s not free,” Slidell City Councilman Bill Borchert said.

After krewe captains noted that many of their members have already paid dues for next year, the committee agreed not to have any new fees go into effect until the 2012 Carnival season.

“We’re getting to the point where we can’t afford it anymore,” Slidell Councilman Landon Cusimano said. “It’s this or nothing at all.”

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