Carnival New Orleans News
News and information from the New Orleans area
Confusion Over Terrorist Group’s Name Forces Mobile’s Order of Isis to Change Theirs!!
010 years
Isis Ball 2013
The public relations problem first became apparent when T-shirt-wearing members were accosted in public, according to one OOI member.
One member was harassed at Sam’s Club, she said. She had a gentleman come up to her, asking a lot of questions … and she said we are a Mardi Gras organization, the OOI member recounted. He didn’t understand us having ‘Isis’ on our clothing.
Another member who works in a doctor’s office also got attention for her shirt, the member said.
As we all know know, ISIS is the name of a middle eastern terrorist group that our military is fighting on a daily basis.
This just shows how current world events can impact a innocent Mobile, AL Mardi Gras Krewe in a serious manner.
One of Mobile’s newest parading groups, a ladies’ organization, the Order of Isis was formed in 2008, held its first ball in 2009, and staged its first parade in 2010. They have 115 members. Henceforth they will be known as OOI.
Order of Isis Royalty
When OOI was formed, the name was chosen because we were founded on friendship, and Isis is the goddess of friendship and love, the OOI member said.
We’re just hoping that we can be OOI for a couple of years until all of this dies down, and then we can go back to our original name, she said.
The decision was also difficult because the group had already ordered throws and T-shirts this year, an OOI board member said. Some cups, footballs and koozies have already been printed, but there may be time to change other orders, she said.
Metairie Krewes Get Legal Reprieve!!
010 years
Due to infractions during the 2014 Carnival season, two Jefferson Parish krewes lost their parade permits. Both went to court to see redress and both received relief. The krewes are Zeus and Adonis.
Adonis permanent revocation was reduced to a $500 fine, and has asked to parade in Terrytown in 2015 before withdrawing their application after an email campaign was largely negative. The parish attorney said if Adonis has any new infractions, their permit will be revoked. I’ve written before about Jefferson Parish losing parades.
Here’s another story about Zeus backing off their St. Charles Parish application.
Krewe of Zeus
Zeus revocation was reduced to a one year suspension. The krewe is considering appealing that ruling. Zeus has traditionally paraded on Lundi Gras, but would lose that date after their one season suspension was served. Zeus started parading in 1958, making them the oldest Jefferson krewe.
Both krewes got into trouble with a 2009 Jefferson Parish ordinance that set standards for Mardi Gras parades. For the first time, krewes were required to field a minimum number of floats, bands, and riders. Zeus lost their permit because of four violations after their 2014 parade. Adonis didn’t have enough riders for their 2014 parade, which caused the city council to act.
The krewes think they were victims of an overzealous city council and went to court for relief. The court was accommodating, and obviously felt along the same lines as the krewe. I kind of agree, and think all krewes deserve a serious warning or two before their permit is pulled, a draconian measure to say the least. Of course, it’s more draconian in Orleans Parish than Jefferson, since Orleans has a moratorium on new parades and Jefferson doesn’t.
Either way it’s up to both krewes to show the court and the people of Jefferson they are viable parading krewes in 2015 and beyond.
Tucks Can Keep Throwing Toilet Paper!!
010 years
New Mardi Gras rules were passed by our esteemed New Orleans city council this week. Among the highlights- no more generators on truck floats, instead power inverters that run off the engine are required. No children under the age of 3 can ride on a float. Tougher fire codes were enacted for flambeaux and floats. A limit on the number of parade permits was instituted. No more than 30 permits can be issued annually, though if you have a permit now, you can keep it. 33 organizations have permits at this time. Attrition will eventually lower the number of permits to 30.
Krewe of Tucks Toilet Paper
But the most important regulation allows Tucks to continue to throw their beloved icon throw, Tucks Bathroom Tissue!! Councilwomen LaToya Cantrell said it wasn’t really a safety issue. When these rules were first proposed, Tucks paper was tossed. Eventually after a strong outcry, Cantrell changed her mind and removed the ban from the bill. Good for her, she knows what’s important to the people of New Orleans.
Tucks Tissue Paper
This is the second package of Carnival rules pushed through by the council this year. The last bill contained updated regulations about throwbacks, ladders and sectioning off space on the neutral ground. Cantrell said she is working on an additional measure, one ending the practice of throwing packs/bags of beads and very heavy beads. Many float riders hand these off, but that’s not always possible, especially for 2nd story riders on double decker floats.
Tossed from Metairie, Krewe of Zeus Withdraws their St. Charles Parish Application!
010 years
Update! Zeus has withdrawn their parade application after the solicited email response was 70% against the new parade.
After losing their parade permit from Jefferson Parish, the Krewe of Zeus may surface in St. Charles parish. St. Charles doesn’t has a new parade ordinance with teeth like Jefferson or Orleans.
The krewe had just two marching bands in its 2014 parade, three shy of the minimum, and it also had too few floats, Jefferson parish officials said. Jefferson’s ordinance requires Carnival parades to have at least 10 floats, not including those for the captain, grand marshal or royalty. Zeus’ initial 2014 plans indicated 12 floats, but it rolled with only 11, including those for the king and grand marshal.
Zeus Logo
Five years ago, Metairie had 14 parades, today there is only 9.
The Krewe of Zeus has applied for a permit to parade on River Road and Ormond Boulevard.The parade’s proposed route would travel west from Ormond Plantation on River Road to Ormond Boulevard, then north to Greenwood Drive, where it would turn around on Ormond Boulevard and retrace the route.
Zeus 1967 Wooden Nickel
The following is from the Krewe of Zeus site-
Founded in 1957 at Gennaro’s Bar from the minds of 6 drinking men and a pair of dice. In 1958, the Krewe of Zeus would stage the first night parade ever in the burbs “The Realm of Mother Nature”. And with rented costumes, and rented floats, and led by search lights in the sky with William Dwyer (co-founder) as King, the Krewe of Zeus would roll down Metairie Road with 150 members.
The parade would last some 5 and 1 half hour long, the men stopping to toast at every drinking establishment along the way. And from this all male Krewe would emerge an unparallel Metairie tradition & Celebration that has lasted over 5 decades in the heart of Jefferson Parish. From the first viewing stands for children with special needs, and the Drachma; to the predominate start of the Irish Italian Parade and the only Metairie Krewe to stage two parades in one season.
The men of Zeus have shown innovations (often copied, but never duplicated) that truly earn them their motto: “Second To None” And after 55 years, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better group of guys with love & loyalty for their Krewe!
The Times Picayune’s headline yesterday states the Krewe of Zeus wants to leave Metairie route. Nothing could be further from the truth. Zeus lost their spot in the Metairie parade schedule. They aren’t banned from parading in Metairie in the future, but they must correct their deficiencies first.
Council Passes New Mardi Gras Ordinances!!
011 years
The New Orleans City Council put through a new set of rules governing Carnival in New Orleans. Prior to the 2014 Carnival season, the council passed regulations that affected parade goers. This time, new rules make changes for the parading organizations.
2014 New Orleans City Council
The Mayor’s Mardi Gras Advisory Council has been formed, and is made up of representatives from each Carnival organization that paraded the year before. This committee reports directly to the mayor and will consider new krewe applications.
No more than 2 parades can roll on the same night, but with a grandfather clause allowing krewes that paraded that night the previous year. The city will issue no more than 30 permits annually, 4 fewer than in the past. However, if all requirements are met, any krewe that paraded last year will be allowed to parade the following year. The number of parades will be reduced by attrition only until 30 permits are left.
Each parade must have at least 14 floats. The maximum number of floats has been increased from 27 to 44 pull units, defined in the ordinance as a single tractor or mule pulling a float or a tandem float.
No more letter designations for royalty and specialty floats, all must have a unique, sequential Arabic number from now on. The definition of a tandem float has been updated. Now it means two or more floats, attached to one another and pulled by a single pull unit.
If a parade has 14 to 27 pull units, a minimum of 7 bands must participate. Those with 28 to 36 pull units must include 10 bands. 14 bands are required if you have more than 36 pull units. The old ordinance required a minimum of 7 bands per parade.
The schedule listing when each parade would run if bad weather caused rain-outs has been dumped, and the mayor now makes these decisions. The bad weather schedule sometimes led to several long parades in a row, leading to finish times of 12 am or later. Security is reduced greatly after midnight along the parade route, so this was partially a safety issue.
Night parades begin at 5:15 pm, a marching band is officially sanctioned and must be a middle, junior, high school, college, military or university band with no fewer than 30 musicians.