VOL. 15, NO. 12 KENNER’S COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER SINCE 1991 DECEMBER 2006 Kenner residents donate tons of food for needy households By TROY BROUSSARD all the residents of Kenner for a successful food bank and for supporting their commu- Last month, Ochsner Medical Center- nity,” said Paolo Zambito, chief executive Kenner (OMC-K) teamed up with Kenner’s officer of OMC-K. letter carriers, Branch 4342, to pick up non- “I would like to thank Ochsner, the perishable food items during the course of postal carriers and all residents in the city of their regularly scheduled routes in bags pro- Kenner who gave their time and resources to vided through the November edition of the the food drive,” says Diane Plauche, super- Kenner Star. In a remarkable display of hol- visor of Kenner’s Food Bank. “They have all iday philanthropy, Kenner residents donated helped a lot of needy people who otherwise over seven tons of food that will help feed as would not have had a Thanksgiving.” many as one thousand families through the Plauche also said that December is also Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. a month that sees an increased demand from “We would like to extend a heartfelt needy families and donated food items are thank you for the additional work the mail still welcome. Kenner letter carries collected donated food for five days in November to help the Kenner carriers did and also a sincere thank you to continued on page 14 Food Bank. Mosquito bites in December? City gives two grass-cutting contracts Yes, it’s true, here’s why By ALLAN KATZ Code Enforcement Department. Code Enforcement Director Keith Chiro said the two firms selected are Leroy Danor By ALLAN KATZ Still hampered by a shortage of public works employees, Maintenance and Services, who will trim the grass at aban- the city of Kenner has given two grass-cutting contracts to pri- doned residential properties, and J. Calderara and Co., who If you’re wondering why mosquito bites keep showing vate firms that will trim abandoned properties damaged by will trim the vacant lots. Both contracts are capped at $60,000. up on your ankles and knees in December, there is a rea- Hurricane Katrina as well as vacant lots. “These companies really have their work cut out for them,” sonable explanation although it probably won’t make you “Given the labor situation, it’s still really difficult for the said Chiro. “There’s nothing easy about these assignments. feel any better. city to hire all the wo r kers that we need,” said Emile These lots, in most instances, haven’t been trimmed in a year. “Hurricane Katrina and some subsequent high tides left Lafourcade, the city’s public information officer. “As a result, Grass and bushes are badly overgrown. But the only way to the mud and grass in the St. Charles Parish marshes barren the administration and the city council have decided to hire restore Kenner to the way we want it to look is to get to work, and ideal for nurturing mosquito eg g s ,” says Steve two experienced private firms to help us out. We have to return and we just don’t have enough public works employees to han- Pavlovich, an entomologist at Mosquito Control Inc., the the city to the high level of good care that Kenner residents dle their regular assignments and these other problems as well. company that is responsible for Jefferson Parish’s mosqui- expect, and many of the residential sites damaged by Katrina So, we’re going to lean on Danor and Calderara to do the work. to control program. “The combination of marshes ripe for and the vacant lots that haven’t been trimmed in a year just Our inspectors will be right behind them, but these are experi- mosquito development and a warmer than usual first half look terrible. So, we’re addressing the problem.” enced firms with good reputations so I’m sure they’ll get to continued on page 28 The grass-cutting contracts will be overseen by Kenner’s work and, soon, we’ll all notice a big difference.” H If you don’t really need it, it’s time to say “goodbye” to that FEMA trailer By ALLAN KATZ Denapolis said some homeowners are even renting out their trailers. He said some of those keeping their trailers More than a year after Hurricane Katrina, the city of are under the mistaken belief that FEMA will sell them to Kenner is growing weary of FEMA trailers, especially the homeowners at a sharp discount. those that are no longer really needed. Kenner’s law regulating trailers says the trailers can be The Kenner City Council wants the city largely free of occupied only by the homeowner if the homeowner’s resi- trailers by May 1, 2007. The council unanimously passed dence is uninhabitable. Under Denapolis’ ordinance, those an ordinance that will crack down on people illegally wishing to keep their trailer must be able to prove to the hanging on to their trailers even though their residence has city’s code enforcement department that their home is still been repaired and is now habitable. uninhabitable and that the homeowner will be the one The original intent of the approximately 3,600 FEMA residing in the trailer. trailers in Kenner was to give homeowners a place to stay At present, according to FEMA officials, it takes them while they were repairing damage to their homes inflicted about five weeks to come and remove a trailer when the home- by Hurricane Katrina. But District 5 Councilman Kent owner informs the federal agency that it is no longer needed. Denapolis, author of the trailer removal ordinance, said too District 2 Councilman Joe Stagni says now is the time Kenner Mayor Ed Muniz, his wife, Peggy and Kenner Police many Kenner residents are hanging on to their unsightly, that Kenner has to become aggressive in enforcing its Chief Steve Caraway participate in the opening of the city's ugly trailers, even after their homes have been repaired. Christmas Village in Veterans Park. continued on page 18 2 DECEMBER 2006 KENNER STHR KENNER STHR DECEMBER 2006 3 4 DECEMBER 2006 KENNER STHR H Community H Two national AAU basketball ITALIAN, SEAFOOD, tournaments coming to Kenner, combined & STEAKS value to city could top $4 million By ALLAN KATZ Kenner, we will have to address the prob- lem of building more facilities now. It is The city of Kenner has continued its important to note that during an average $$ tradition of landing national AAU girl’s AAU tournament over 3,000 hotel room 20 FREE b a s ketball tournaments for the nights are booked. Industry standards trans- 20 FREE late that into about a $2 million dollar GIFTGIFT CERCERTIFICATIFICATETE Pontchartrain Center, with 75 teams of 11- year-olds headed this way in the summer of injection of cash into a tournament city’s With $100 Gift Certificate Purchase 2007 and a similar number of nine-year- coffers. Our job at the KCVB is to get olds coming to Kenner in 2008. But it may money such as that into the city and we have trouble landing more in the future. want to continue to do so.” O F F E R I N G S Forrest “Bucky” Lanning, who started Mayor Muniz said, “We are pleased to OVERSTUFFED POBOYS AND MUFFALETTAS the Kenner Angels girls’ basketball pro- have the honor of hosting these prestigious events in 2007 and 2008. Just like Super Meatball Ham & Cheese Veal Parmigiana gram in 1989, is now vice president and Bowls and Final Fours, it is getting more Chicken Parmigiana Italian Sausage Shrimp, Fish, Oyster sports director for the Kenner Convention and Visitors Bureau (KCVB). Using con- competitive at all levels to win bids to host M O N D AY & TUESDAY: CLOSED tacts he developed while heading the athletic events. I am sure the gracious hos- W E D N E S D AY & THURSDAY: Angels’ program, Lanning has taken the pitality the city of Kenner will extend to the 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. lead in bringing A AU events to the many visitors for the 2007 and 2008 tour- F R I D AY: Pontchartrain Center. Lanning, who also naments will only encourage AAU officials 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. was a Kenner city councilman before retir- to continue to want to come to our city. I S AT U R D AY: 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m. ing from politics, is no longer associated look forward to joining with Ke n n e r S U N D AY: 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m. with the Angels. Lanning says the beauty of Recreation Director Ken Marroccoli and bringing AAU national tournaments to the others in my administration in meeting with V I D E O P O K E R Ponchartrain Center is that the teams and officials of the KCVB to help bring more their families also fill up every hotel in AAU tournaments to Kenner in the future.” 3525 Williams Blvd. Another aspect of the AAU tourna- (1 block North of West Esplanade) Kenner, eat at Kenner restaurants and shop in Kenner stores. “Each of the 75 teams ments is that they bring out the best in the 466-5550 brings players, coaches and the players’ Kenner Angels’ athletes who have won nine families to Kenner,” says Lanning.