Posts tagged Orpheus

Blaine Kern Faces Foreclosure, Continued Court Fight With Son

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REX New Butterfly Float 2012

REX New Butterfly Float 2012

Since April, Blaine Kern Sr, Carnival legend and founder of Mardi Gras World, was heading down the slippery slope of foreclosure. Blaine Sr has been embroiled in a nasty law suit with his son, Barry Kern.

As readers of this blog already know, I always preach one axiom when discussing this case- never sue your parents, it won’t work out in the long run no matter what you believe at the time. This is a time honored axiom that can’t be overcome or changed.

When the first Super Parade was born in 1967 with Bacchus, who was the float builder who made Captain Augie Perez’s dreams come true? Blaine Kern Sr. He’s been the float builder of record for Rex, Orpheus, Endymion, Muses, Bacchus, Alla, and Caesar, all the Super Krewes of note in recent Carnival history

Traditional Jester Float of REX, the King of Carnival!

Traditional Jester Float of REX, the King of Carnival!

Blaine sought national accounts, and landed Disneyland and MGM as major clients, among other big businesses. He’s represented the great traditions of Mardi Gras in the best New Orleans tradition of service and quality. I personally helped grow it (Mardi Gras) into a billion-dollar industry, says 85-year-old Blaine Kern, nicknamed “Mr. Mardi Gras”. I’ve been doing this for 74 years.

The Algiers Point house he bought with his fourth wife, Holly Brown-Kern, is slated for the auction block in two months, according to a foreclosure notice filed this week by Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman’s office.

The notice lists a May 3 auction date for the Abalon Court property in the Algiers Riverpoint subdivision. Whitney Bank sued Kern in January over a $283,849 debt on the house, which the couple bought five years ago for $290,000, according to public records.

 

Kern’s Movie Credits Used to Build Floats!!

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Mardi Gras World
Mardi Gras World

This is the second entry that goes on both my blogs- Watchopp and my Mardi Gras blog as well. We can thank the Legislative Auditor‘s office for this one, they released the report that the Kerns used the movie tax credits to build floats in 2006 instead of their unfinished documentary, Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras: Building of the Greatest Free Show on Earth. The Kerns own Mardi Gras World, a New Orleans institution. They build REX, Bacchus, Orpheus, Endymion, Muses, and Alla, among others.

Barry and Blaine Kern in Happier Times
Barry and Blaine Kern in Happier Times

Barry Kern’s huge response to the Auditor report states that the practices the Kerns followed were somewhat widespread at the time among live entertainment documentaries that applied for the tax credit during the same time period. Those productions include Jazz Fest, Voodoo Fest and Essence Fest. That’s pretty esteemed company for the Kerns to be keeping. I guess French Quarter Festival kept their nose clean on this live entertainment documentary mess. Good for them!!

Barry Kern thinks his dad, Blaine Kern Sr., notified the Legislative Auditor about the tax credit situation. That made Barry Kern very mad. If Dad’s objective was to make Barry mad, it worked. The Kern family is in the middle of well known legal battle for control of the Kern empire. Barry started the legal feud, and Blaine is doing his best to continue it. This is the juiciest, saddest public legal family battle we’ve seen in quite some time. My condolences to all involved.

Kern's REX Parade on Mardi Gras Day
Kern’s REX Parade on Mardi Gras Day

The big news in the case is at the end of February 2012, the Louisiana Appeals Court overturned the lower court and gave Kern Sr. back control. They threw out the deal the Kerns brokered with the key Mardi Gras Captains, and lifted the temporary injunction against Kern Sr.

That means the lawsuit, in which Barry Kern accused his father of ruining the company, will go back to Orleans Civil District Court for a full hearing.

Barry Kern now has 14 days to appeal the ruling to the full Fourth Circuit bench for a rehearing.  Otherwise, the case will be sent back for trial before Judge Kern Reese.

So if the elder Kern is back running the business, why would he contact the Legislative Auditor and draw attention to the possible misuse of tax credits? To embarrass Barry for sure is probably the only reason. The elder Kern oversaw the building of those floats, not his son, more than five years ago.

The Kerns’ movie was billed as a look at the history, design, building and production of Carnival and Mardi Gras floats, with a focus on the 2007 season, according to the Legislative Auditor’s report.

Saturday’s Parades Changing Days!

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Update! Endymion will be foregoing the Canal Street loop because of inclement weather.

The threat of heavy rain and thunderstorms on Saturday evening has forced NOMTOC, Tucks and Iris to switch days to Sunday and Monday. Endymion and Chewbacchus are still planning to roll today. Depending on how the weather fares this afternoon, Endymion could switch to Sunday night, following Bacchus.

Libation Dispensing R2D2

Libation Dispensing R2D2

Endymion on Canal Street!

Endymion on Canal Street!

As it stands now, NOMTOC and Iris will roll before Okeanos early tomorrow morning, and Tucks will roll before Proteus on Monday at 3 pm, followed by Orpheus.

Endymion has announced they plan to roll at 5:30 pm today on their traditional Canal Street route.

The Democratization of Carnival!!

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Chewbacchus costs $42 for an adult, and $21for a child. My own Krewe du Vieux is under $200. I don’t know what costs, but I know it’s very cheap.

What all this means is you can have one hell of a time from the inside of Mardi Gras krewe for not too many shekels. That’s real democracy in action!

Back in the day, krewes were both exclusive and costly. A super krewe such as Bacchus, Orpheus, and Endymion cost a small fortune, just for the throws. Is it more enjoyable to ride with a big, expensive krewe?  I think not, since I have ridden with Tucks several times and with KdV more than that.

All krewes are fun, and there are all kinds of krewes. Depending on your budget, there’s a lot of fun to be had. In my opinion, it’s a lot of fun to experience Carnival from a spectator’s vantage point, but it’s even more fun to ride or walk with your own krewe.

Float 4, Krewe du Vieux 2012

Float 4, Krewe du Vieux 2012

Tit Rex Float

'tit Rəx Float

Krewe of Chewbacchus Inaugural March Participants

Krewe of Chewbacchus Inaugural March Participants photo Ian McNulty

 

 

2012 Orleans Parish Mardi Gras Parade Schedule

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Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans

Mardi Gras Parade in New Orleans

As I’ve gotten older, I’ve cut down on the parades on the North Shore, West Bank, Metairie, etc. I focus on the myriad of parades in my own backyard, Orleans Parish, my home since I was a Senior at Cornell. Here’s the schedule for Orleans Parish-

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 10th

  • Krewe of Cork at 3pm in the French Quarter
  • Krewe of Oshun Uptown 6:00pm

SATURDAY FEBRUARY 11th

  • Krewe of Pontchartrain Uptown 2:00 p.m.
  • ‘tit Rəx Bywater 5:30 p.m.
  • Knights of Sparta Uptown 6:00 p.m.
  • Krewe of Pygmalion Uptown 6:45 p.m.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 12th

  • Krewe of Carrollton Uptown 12:00 p.m.
  • Krewe of King Arthur Uptown 1:15 p.m.
  • Mystic Krewe of Barkus French Quarter 2:00 p.m. This parade is all for dogs.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15th

  • Krewe of Ancient Druids Uptown 6:30 p.m.
  • Krewe of Nyx Uptown 7pm

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 16th

  • Knights of Babylon, Uptown 5:45
  • Krewe of Chaos, Uptown 6:30
  • Krewe of Muses, Uptown 6:30

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 17th

  • Divine Protectors of Endangered Pleasures or DIVA French Quarter 1:30 p.m.
  • Knights of Hermes Uptown 6:00 p.m.
  • D’Etat- Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
  • Krewe of Morpheus Uptown 7:00 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18th

  • Iris – Uptown, 11:00 a.m.
  • Tucks – Uptown, 12:00 p.m.
  • Endymion – Mid City, 4:15 p.m.
  • Intergalactic Krewe of Chewbacchus, Central City and CBD, 5:00 p.m.

SUNDAY FEBRUARY 19th

  • Okeanos – Uptown, 11:00 a.m.
  • Mid-City – Uptown, 11:45 p.m.
  • Thoth – Uptown, 12:00 a.m.
  • Bacchus- Uptown, 5:15 p.m.

LUNDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 20TH

  • Proteus- Uptown, 5:15 p.m.
  • Orpheus – Uptown, 6:00 p.m.
  • Lundi Gras Celebration

MARDI GRAS, FEBRUARY 21st

  • Zulu- Uptown, 8:00 a.m.
  • Rex – Uptown, 10:00 a.m.
  • Elks Orleans – Uptown, 11:30 a.m.
  • Crescent City – Uptown, follows Elks
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