From westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 08:15:10 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:15:10 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] St. Bernard's Gladiators might roll on Mardi Gras Message-ID: <0bb101ca66be$d31a0e40$794e2ac0$@com> St. Bernard's Gladiators might roll on Mardi Gras By Bob Warren, The Times-Picayune November 16, 2009, 4:45AM It's been nearly two decades since St. Bernard Parish last had a parade on Mardi Gras. But if one local krewe has its way, parish residents might once again head to the neutral ground in Chalmette or Arabi with coolers and grills on Fat Tuesday. The Krewe of Gladiators, a longtime parish parading group forced to cancel last season's ride because of the economic downturn, wants to return this Carnival season with a parade on Feb. 16, Krewe Capt. Bill Egan said. It would mark Gladiators' 34th ride, but its first on Carnival Day. "We'd love to bring back Mardi Gras day to St. Bernard Parish,'' Egan said. "It's been such a long time.'' St. Bernard Parish has not had a parade on Mardi Gras since 1990, the last ride of the Mystic Krewe of Carnival. The Krewe of Arabi had paraded in the parish on Fat Tuesday for decades, but disbanded in 1987. "We want it to be like the old days - a family-affair-type thing with barbecue pits on the neutral ground,'' Egan said. The St. Bernard Parish Sheriff's Office said that the krewe has a permit in hand to parade on Feb. 16. Egan said the krewe has also covered the other logistics of getting floats, insurance, etc. Now, he said he's trying to put together the needed 150 riders to make the parade a go. "That would give us 15, 16 floats,'' he said, adding that ridership would be open to families or other groups interested in teaming up to ride on a float. Egan said the krewe plans a 10 a.m. start time in case viewers are interested in making it out to other parades in Metairie or New Orleans later that day. "I'd say it's a semi-done deal,'' he said. "We've taken all the preliminary steps. If we get the response (from riders) I'm hoping, then it's a done deal.'' The parish's lone other Carnival parade, the Knights of Nemesis, plans its annual ride on Feb. 6. While Egan is optimistic of the krewe's chances, the area's Carnival calendar has gone through several changes in recent years for varied reasons. Gladiators was forced to cancel its parade in 2009 because several of its longtime members had to back out for financial reasons, citing the downturn in the economy. And earlier this week the Krewe of Rhea in Metairie canceled its 2010 ride because the Sunday it parades, Feb. 7, would pit it against the Super Bowl. Riders interested in Gladiators can call Egan at 504.342.2445 From westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 08:25:15 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 07:25:15 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Early morning apartment fire in Chalmette leaves 19 families homeless Message-ID: <0bb501ca66c0$3c4095a0$b4c1c0e0$@com> Early morning apartment fire in Chalmette leaves 19 families homeless By Martha Carr, The Times-Picayune November 16, 2009, 6:45AM Three apartment buildings near Plantation Drive and Palm Avenue in Chalmette caught fire early this morning, leaving 19 families homeless in one of the largest blazes in St. Bernard's recent history, according to fire department officials. Every truck and on-duty firefighter was dispatched to the 3-alarm fire, said Kristy Artus, fire communications officer. The department also sent out 19 off-duty firefighters. Red Cross is also on the scene. A local television station is reporting that the fire began in an abandoned building and that officials believe it could have been set by an arsonist. Artus, however, said details about the nature of the blaze will be released after the fire is extinguished. As of 7 a.m., the blaze was under control but not out, she said. From Westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 21:05:11 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:05:11 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Morning Bell: A Deathblow for Obamacare Message-ID: <0e5a01ca672a$65335230$2f99f690$@com> MONDAY, NOV. 16, 2009 A Deathblow for Obamacare Standing in the Rose Garden on November 7th, President Barack Obama celebrated the passage of the House health care bill claiming : ?The Affordable Health Care for America Act is a piece of legislation that will provide stability and security for Americans who have insurance; quality, affordable options for those who don?t; and bring down the cost of health care for families, businesses, and our government, while strengthening the financial health of Medicare.? Recent Entries Video: Pelosi Says Jail ?Very Fair? Punishment For Not Buying Health Insurance Obama to Copenhagen but No Berlin? Obama?s Public Option for Gitmo President Obama?s Trade Failure The Logic of Obamacare Quite a bold statement if true. But a report released Friday by the non-partisan and independent Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services , the agency in charge of running Medicare and Medicaid, blows the lid off of every one of Obama?s claims. All of the following quotes are from the report itself: Health Care Costs Increase: ?In aggregate, we estimate that for calendar years 2010 through 2019 [national health expenditures (NHE)] would increase by $289 billion, or 0.8 percent, over the updates baseline projection that was released on June 29, 2009.? In other words, Obamacare bends the cost curve up, not down. Millions Lose Existing Private Coverage: ?However, a number of workers who currently have employer coverage would likely become enrolled in the expanded Medicaid program or receive subsidized coverage through the Exchange. For example, some smaller employers would be inclined to terminate their existing coverage, and companies with low average salaries might find it to their - and their employees? - advantage to end their plans ? We estimate that such actions would collectively reduce the number of people with employer-sponsored health coverage by about 12 million.? In other words, Obamacare will cause millions of Americans to lose their existing private coverage. Millions Pay Fines Yet Remain Uncovered: ?18 million are estimated to choose not to be insured and to pay the penalty associated with the individual mandate. For the most part, these would be individuals with relatively low health care expenses for whom the individual or family insurance premium would be significantly in excess of the penalty and their anticipated health benefit value.? In other words, 18 million Americans will either face jail time or be forced to pay a new tax they will receive no benefit from. Millions Lose Medicare Advantage: ?Section 1161 of Division B of H.R. 3962 would set Medicare Advantage capitation benchmarks ? We estimate that in 2014 when the MA provisions would be fully phased in, enrollment in MA plans would decreased by 64 percent (from its projected level of 13.2 million under current law to 4.7 million under the proposal).? In other words, 8.5 million seniors who currently get such services as coor?dinated care for chronic conditions, routine eye and hearing examinations, and preventive-care services would lose their existing private coverage. Millions Placed on Welfare: ?Of the additional 34 million who are estimated to be insured in 2019 as a result of H.R. 3962, about three-fifths (21 million) would receive Medicaid coverage due to the expansion of eligibility to those adults under 150 percent of the FPL.? In other words, more than half the people who gain health insurance will receive it through the welfare program Medicaid. Seniors Access to Care Jeopardized: ?H.R. 3962 would introduce permanent annual productivity adjustments to price updates for institutional providers? Over time, a sustained reduction in payment updates, based on productivity expectations that are difficult to attain, would cause Medicare payment rates to grow more slowly than and in a way that was unrelated to, the providers? costs of furnishing services to beneficiaries. Thus, providers for whom Medicare constitutes a substantive portion of their business could find it difficult to remain profitable and might end their participation in the program (possibly jeopardizing access to care for beneficiaries).? In other words, the Medicare cuts in the House bill are so out of touch with reality that hospitals currently serving Medicare patients might be forced to stop doing so. Thus making it much more difficult for seniors to get health care. Poor?s Access Problems Exacerbated: ?In practice, supply constraints might interfere with providing the services by the additional 34 million insured persons. ?providers might tend to accept more patients who have private insurance (with relatively attractive payment rates) and fewer Medicaid patients, exacerbating existing access problems for the latter group.? In other words, those 21 million people who are gaining health insurance through Medicaid are going to have a very tough time finding a doctor who will treat them. Reacting in part to Friday?s CMS report, Robert J. Samuelson writes in today?s Washington Post : The disconnect between what President Obama says and what he?s doing is so glaring that most people could not abide it. The president, his advisers and allies have no trouble. But reconciling blatantly contradictory objectives requires them to engage in willful self-deception, public dishonesty, or both. There is a reason why as more Americans learn about Obamacare, the less popular it gets . QUICK HITS Commenting on President Barack Obama?s meeting with Emperor Akihito of Japan, an academic with expertise about the Japanese Empire tells ABC News : ?The bow as he performed did not just display weakness in Red State terms, but evoked weakness in Japanese terms?.The last thing the Japanese want or need is a weak looking American president and, again, in all ways, he unintentionally played that part.? Thanks to conservatives in Congress, President Obama has been ?hobbled? in his search for a global warming treaty. The government paid more than $47 billion in questionable Medicare claims including medical treatment showing little relation to a patient?s condition, wasting taxpayer money at a rate nearly three times that of the previous year. Former Assistant Secretary of Treasury and Deputy Assistant to President George W. Bush Tony Fratto explains why President Obama?s trip, and his ?new engagement? with Asia, ignores the achievements of many past U.S. presidents. After $111 billion in bailouts for Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the Federal Housing Administration is also close to a taxpayer bailout . From Westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 21:11:29 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:11:29 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Children and grandchildren Message-ID: <0e5b01ca672b$47474c30$d5d5e490$@com> ? Thought you would all get a kick out of this!!!??? ? ________________________________________ Children and GRANDCHILDREN To those of us who have children in our lives, whether they are our own, grandchildren, nieces, nephews, or students... here is something to make you chuckle. Whenever your children are out of control, you can take comfort from the thought that even God's omnipotence did not extend to His own children. After creating heaven and earth, God created Adam and Eve. And the first thing he said was "DON'T! " "Don't what? " Adam replied "Don't eat the forbidden fruit." God said "Forbidden fruit? We have forbidden fruit? Hey Eve..we have forbidden fruit! " "No Way! " "Yes way! " "No Way! " "Yes way! " "Do NOT eat the fruit! " said God. ? "Why ? " ? "Because I am your Father and I said so! " God replied, wondering why He hadn't stopped creation after making the elephants. A few minutes later, God saw His children having an apple break and He was ticked! "Didn't I tell you not to eat the fruit? " God asked. ? ? "Uh huh," Adam replied. ? "Then why did you? " said the Father. "I don't know," said Eve. ? "She started it! " Adam said. ? "Did not! " ? "Did too! " ? "DID NOT! " ? Having had it with the two of them, God's punishment was that Adam and Eve should have children of their own. Thus the pattern was set and it has never changed. ? BUT THERE IS REASSURANCE IN THE STORY! If you have persistently and lovingly tried to give children wisdom and they haven't taken it, don't be hard on yourself If God had trouble raising children, what makes you think it would be a piece of cake for you?? ? THINGS TO THINK ABOUT ! 1. You spend the first two years of their life teaching them to walk and talk. Then you spend the next sixteen telling them to sit down and shut up. ? 2. Grandchildren are God's reward for not killing your own children. ? 3. Mothers of teens now know why some animals eat their young.? 4. Children seldom misquote you. In fact, they usually repeat word for word what you shouldn't have said. ? 5 The main purpose of holding children's party is to remind yourself that there are children more awful than your own. 6. We childproofed our homes, but they are still getting in. ? ? ADVICE FOR THE DAY: Be nice to your kids. They will choose your nursing home one day. ? AND FINALLY: ? IF YOU? HAVE A LOT OF TENSION AND YOU GET A HEADACHE, DO WHAT IT SAYS ON THE ASPIRIN BOTTLE: ? ? "TAKE TWO ASPIRIN" AND "KEEP AWAY FROM CHILDREN"!!!!! Quick, send this on to ten people within the next five minutes. Nothing will happen if you don't, but if you do, ten people will be laughing From Westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 21:26:24 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:26:24 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Three gym grand openings - Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday! Message-ID: <0e6601ca672d$5c5712c0$15053840$@com> St. Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro, Jr. Cordially invites you to a series of Grand Openings To celebrate Growth and Recovery for Recreation In St. Bernard Parish Cypress Gardens Gym Wednesday, November 18 at 5:00 p.m. 2818 Blomquist Street in Chalmette Cypress Gardens Gym is behind Davies Elementary School. Gauthier Gym Thursday, November 19 at 9:00 a.m. 2214 Bobolink Drive in St. Bernard Gauthier Gym is behind Gauthier Elementary School. Paul Noel Gym and Fuel Youth Center Saturday, November 21 at 10:30 a.m. 210 East Moreau Street in Chalmette Noel Gym is behind the School Board Administration Building. Sent: November 16, 2009 For more information: Karen Turni Bazile, Executive Assistant to the President St. Bernard Parish 504-278-4280, 504-874-0980 or kbazile at sbpg.net From Westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 21:27:47 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:27:47 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] State Offers Hundreds of Millions to Further Strengthen Homes against Future Storm Damage Message-ID: <0e6701ca672d$8db0bd80$a9123880$@com> State of Louisiana Offers Hundreds of Millions to Further Strengthen Homes Against Future Storm Damage Individual Mitigation Measures Program Offers up to $7,500 for Road Home Applicants to Install Additional Safety Measures BATON ROUGE, La. - Thousands of Louisiana homeowners affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita can now apply for grant funds of up to $7,500 to take small-scale measures to protect their homes from loss in future storms, including installing roof-tie downs and storm shutters. "In the aftermath of the great damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, preventing future home damage and loss is one of Louisiana's top priorities, which is why we are offering grants to help homeowners pay to install common sense protection like storm shutters," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "In Louisiana, we already have put more than $846 million on the ground to help our residents raise their homes, and these grants of up to $7,500 will help make homes even safer and stronger than they are now. Individual Mitigation Measures have always been considered the final phase of our rebuilding program and we are happy to be in a position to extend additional funding opportunities to those who wish to protect their homes." The Individual Mitigation Measures program, originally a component of the state's Road Home program, is now administered using Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Beginning this week, the state is mailing forms to more than 100,000 Road Home applicants who selected "Option 1" to rebuild or repair their homes, requesting that they opt-in to the IMM program by March 10, 2010. Homeowners can also use this form to choose to participate in the Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit's HMGP Elevation program, which offers eligible homeowners up to $100,000 to elevate their homes. Homeowners will work with mitigation analysts from the OCD-DRU Hazard Mitigation program, and not the Road Home program, for this funding. Homeowners who need information about Individual Mitigation Measures should call 1-877-824-8312, not the Road Home hotline. Because of FEMA regulations surrounding how HMGP funds can be used and because these funds are offered as reimbursement, homeowners should not install or start work on Individual Mitigation Measures until speaking with a Mitigation Analyst and their home has been cleared by the program. Homeowners who already completed Individual Mitigation Measures that they think are eligible for reimbursement should collect copies of receipts and invoices for the work, which will be necessary to move forward with the program. The state will base individual grant awards on the type of Individual Mitigation Measure a homeowner takes. Because of federal law, the state also must ensure that it is paying homeowners for actual unmet needs and not duplicating a benefit already provided for the same purpose. WHAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL MITIGATION MEASURE? IMMs are small scale improvements homeowners can make to their properties to protect their investments in the event of future storms. Some examples of eligible work include: * Strengthening doors; * Protecting windows, including by installing storm shutters; * Bolting roofs to walls and walls to foundations; * Elevating electrical panels or air conditioning units; * Raising washers, dryers, hot water heaters or furnaces; * Anchoring propane tanks or heating fuel tanks. Mitigation Analysts can provide homeowners with more detailed information about eligible mitigation activities. DEADLINES Homeowners must notify the state of their interest in the IMM program and the HMGP elevation program by March 10, 2010. To show interest, homeowners must return their forms to the state postmarked by March 10, 2010. FOR MORE INFORMATION Homeowners who need information can call the IMM hotline at 1-877-824-8312 or e-mail hazardmitigation at la.gov. Information is also available online at http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dr/hmgp/hmgp.htm . ### From Westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 21:36:07 2009 From: Westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:36:07 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] More Mitigation money to homeowners of Road Home Option 1 Message-ID: <0e6c01ca672e$b7b1f490$2715ddb0$@com> BATON ROUGE, La. - Thousands of Louisiana homeowners affected by hurricanes Katrina and Rita can now apply for grant funds of up to $7,500 to take small-scale measures to protect their homes from loss in future storms, including installing roof-tie downs and storm shutters. "In the aftermath of the great damage caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita, preventing future home damage and loss is one of Louisiana's top priorities, which is why we are offering grants to help homeowners pay to install common sense protection like storm shutters," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "In Louisiana, we already have put more than $846 million on the ground to help our residents raise their homes, and these grants of up to $7,500 will help make homes even safer and stronger than they are now. Individual Mitigation Measures have always been considered the final phase of our rebuilding program and we are happy to be in a position to extend additional funding opportunities to those who wish to protect their homes." The Individual Mitigation Measures program, originally a component of the state's Road Home program, is now administered using Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) funds provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency in the aftermath of hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Beginning this week, the state is mailing forms to more than 100,000 Road Home applicants who selected "Option 1" to rebuild or repair their homes, requesting that they opt-in to the IMM program by March 10, 2010. Homeowners can also use this form to choose to participate in the Office of Community Development - Disaster Recovery Unit's HMGP Elevation program, which offers eligible homeowners up to $100,000 to elevate their homes. Homeowners will work with mitigation analysts from the OCD-DRU Hazard Mitigation program, and not the Road Home program, for this funding. Homeowners who need information about Individual Mitigation Measures should call 1-877-824-8312, not the Road Home hotline. Because of FEMA regulations surrounding how HMGP funds can be used and because these funds are offered as reimbursement, homeowners should not install or start work on Individual Mitigation Measures until speaking with a Mitigation Analyst and their home has been cleared by the program. Homeowners who already completed Individual Mitigation Measures that they think are eligible for reimbursement should collect copies of receipts and invoices for the work, which will be necessary to move forward with the program. The state will base individual grant awards on the type of Individual Mitigation Measure a homeowner takes. Because of federal law, the state also must ensure that it is paying homeowners for actual unmet needs and not duplicating a benefit already provided for the same purpose. WHAT IS AN INDIVIDUAL MITIGATION MEASURE? IMMs are small scale improvements homeowners can make to their properties to protect their investments in the event of future storms. Some examples of eligible work include: Strengthening doors; Protecting windows, including by installing storm shutters; Bolting roofs to walls and walls to foundations; Elevating electrical panels or air conditioning units; Raising washers, dryers, hot water heaters or furnaces; Anchoring propane tanks or heating fuel tanks. Mitigation Analysts can provide homeowners with more detailed information about eligible mitigation activities. DEADLINES Homeowners must notify the state of their interest in the IMM program and the HMGP elevation program by March 10, 2010. To show interest, homeowners must return their forms to the state postmarked by March 10, 2010. FOR MORE INFORMATION Homeowners who need information can call the IMM hotline at 1-877-824-8312 or e-mail hazardmitigation at la.gov. Information is also available online at http://www.doa.louisiana.gov/cdbg/dr/hmgp/hmgp.htm. Louisiana Recovery Authority Press Release) From westley at da-parish.com Mon Nov 16 21:48:25 2009 From: westley at da-parish.com (Westley Annis) Date: Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:48:25 -0600 Subject: [StBernard] Chalmette apartment fire displaces 19 families; arson suspected Message-ID: <0e7101ca6730$6f55de30$4e019a90$@com> Chalmette apartment fire displaces 19 families; arson suspected By Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune November 16, 2009, 5:59PM A fire ripped through a mostly abandoned, decrepit collection of apartments in Chalmette early Monday, badly damaging the one occupied apartment complex in the area and leaving 19 families temporarily homeless. The fire in the Village Square area was the second major blaze to damage the Palm Garden Apartments in less than three months, heightening concerns about lingering blighted buildings in St. Bernard Parish's largest tract of hurricane-damaged properties. "These vacant buildings have to come down before they kill one of our firefighters," Fire Chief Thomas Stone said. No one was injured in the blaze. Officials with the Southeast Louisiana chapter of the Red Cross were on the scene Monday, offering food, clothing and hotel vouchers to those in need. Authorities believe the fire is arson. The incident closely mirrored an Aug. 31 blaze in the same area: both happened on a Monday morning, and both were set about 1 a.m. Both fires started in abandoned buildings near the Palm Garden apartments and soon spread to the inhabited units. St. Bernard Parish government has aggressively demolished homes across much of the parish, but many of the apartments in Village Square remain untouched. Since Hurricane Katrina, parish government has tried to buy out and redevelop the area. As officials have wrestled with various plans to finance the buyout, the mildewed, decaying buildings in the area have remained as monuments to Katrina's destruction. Monday's fire started at an abandoned building on Palm Avenue and quickly spread to the adjacent Palm Garden apartments, the only occupied complex in the area. Firefighters had to cut their way into the attic of the apartment building with chainsaws to prevent the flames from spreading to the other three inhabited apartment buildings nearby. The fire was reported at 1:15 a.m., and under control by 4:30 a.m. Steve Whitehead, a vice president with Renola Homes, which owns the Palm Garden apartments, said all of the families will be relocated to vacant units in the 91-unit complex. The entire building - about 20 units - was damaged, and will have to be demolished, Whitehead said. "The first one was hard. This one: I don't have any words I can describe what we've gone through," he said. "We wonder, 'Why don't they knock them down?' ... They're knocking buildings down all over the area. Why not safeguard the one structure that people live in?" The parish plans to turn most of the area into green space. Parish President Craig Taffaro did not reply to a request seeking comment, but he has previously said that most of the buildings could come down by the beginning of next year, as soon as FEMA reimbursement for demolition costs are worked out. Stone said the fire showed how thin the department is stretched. The fire came a day after parish voters struck down a proposed $20-per-household fee for fire protection and sanitation, $10 of which would have gone toward hiring more firefighters. "We couldn't have handled another fire this morning," he said. "We didn't have enough apparatus to cover the parish. We'd have had to break people loose from this one."