Carnival krewes and city officials in Slidell have agreed to use a single route for most parades during the 2011 season
Meanwhile, the two sides will continue to discuss the imposing of clean-up fees on krewes, as well as plans to shorten the length of Slidell's eight-parade season by two weeks. Large krewes will begin their parades at 1 p.m. at Fritchie Park, roll on Pontchartrain Drive, Front Street and Gause Boulevard, and disband in a new manner, Public Works Director Mike Noto said. Floats will turn onto Lindberg Drive, which will be closed to traffic, with float riders disembarking at the commuter parking lot on that street. The method in which float riders will receive passes to park their vehicles at the lot is still being hashed out. - NOLA.COM
Mystic Krewe of Shangri-La will continue as the "Mystic Krewe of Shangri-La Social Club"
Mary Katherine Lonatro-Tusa, Captain of the Mystic Krewe of Shangri-La, announced that Shangri-La would cease parading in the City of New Orleans after a successful 37-year run. Mrs. Tusa stated that Shangri-La has been an integral part of the New Orleans Mardi Gras scene since 1973 and would continue as the Shangri-La Social Club. While the 2011 French Quarter Carriage Parade & Stroll has been cancelled, the philanthropic efforts of the krewe will not end! - MARDIGRASPARADESCHEDULE.COM
The Gretna City Council has refused to issue the Krewe of Bes a permit to parade on Mardi Gras 2011
Officials warned the Krewe of Grela that it
could be next on the chopping block. The council
declined Bes' permit application at its June
9 meeting, citing the crew's inability to
meet city standards for parades on Mardi Gras.
Officials awarded Grela a permit for next
Mardi Gras; however, Councilman Vincent Cox
warned the krewe that this was likely the
last year Grela would be allowed to parade
on Fat Tuesday because he believes the city
isn't getting enough return on its investment
in the parade. - NOLA.COM
Mardi Gras parades in Slidell should pay their own way, krewes are told
Saying that the cash-strapped Camellia City can no longer afford to
shoulder the financial burden associated with parade season, Slidell
municipal officials are asking parade krewes to share in the costs for
staging, security and cleanup. - NOLA.COM
Zulu coconut lawsuit thrown out on appeal
In this personal-injury lawsuit, the injuries include a cut to the forehead, a loss of interest in Mardi Gras and nightmares of airborne coconuts. Daisy Johnson Palmer, a 74-year-old retired Orleans Parish public schoolteacher, wants the Zulu Social Aid and Pleasure Club to pay for the bloody cut, and ensuing trauma, she says came from a coconut lobbed in her direction Feb. 28, 2006, as Zulu paraded down Canal Street. Twenty-three years ago, Louisiana added coconuts to the list of official Mardi Gras throws protected from personal injury lawsuits, ordering that the public assumes the risk of being struck "by any missile" traditionally thrown, tossed, or hurled by krewe members. But lawsuits persist, challenging the definition of "gross negligence" by a float rider -- the only exception to state law that provides immunity from liability in connection with Mardi Gras and other types of parades. - NOLA.COM
Float builders would get new civil suit immunity under House bill
The House Commerce Committee voted without dissent Tuesday to expand existing immunity from Mardi Gras-related civil lawsuits to include float builders and other service providers to krewes. Current law protects krewes or other parading organizations and their members from any civil actions arising from any loss or injury suffered during a parade except in cases of a "wanton act or gross negligence" or in cases where the defendant was driving a motor vehicle during the parade. House Bill 902 by Rep. Jeff Arnold, D-Algiers, would add "any service provider" of the krewes to the list of protected individuals and businesses. - NOLA.COMHouse approves bill 73-21 - NOLA.COM
