Jul 30
Poll Results Invalidated: It figures this would happen.
The blog’s records indicate that one unique visitor voted for Alice Hammond over 120 times, completely invalidating the results.
The “winner” of this poll was Mr. Jacques Roy, who received approximately 145 unique votes or 56%.
Not Exactly Related To Anything Important But Still Interesting (Some Would Say Obvious). Time Warner: Mel Gibson Goes On Anti-Semitic Tirade After Mid-Morning DUI Arrest
Apparently, Mr. Gibson has apologized for his “belligerent remarks,” stopping short, however, of admitting they were anti-semitic. NYT.
Jul 29
Jul 26
Godard: Video Blog with Mayoral Candidate Delores Brewer
Mrs. Brewer answers questions concerning the Alexandria Housing Authority, the need to clean house downtown, Charles Fredrick Smith’s opposition in the race, and the televised dispute she had with Bridgett Brown.
A Transcript of the Exchange Concerning Bridgett Brown.
MG: Explain to us your seemingly non-truth (didn’t say lie) regarding the meeting with the lawyers from Baton Rouge. Or why did the mayor leave you hanging on a clarification matter?
DB: Well you know, that happened a few weeks ago, and I think that maybe it was just a figure of speech. The mayor went down. He wanted to go talk to his lawyers. He has every right to talk to them. I was with him. We had a great meeting. Good information was gathered that he didn’t know before. So you know, it’s just a figure of speech. I don’t know what people think as far as the mayor a day or two later saying that there was a meeting. There was a meeting.
MG: So there was a pre-planned meeting?
DB: Absolutely.
MG: But when you answered at the Council meeting it sounded like it was just happenstance. You happened to be there. It was characterized like that.
DB: I understand that, and you know, maybe I misspoke. I think that it was a figure of speech, and I probably should have clarified that more. But the bottom line is that we did have a meeting and good information came from the meeting.
Mrs. Brewer also says we need to investigate the AHA, and in answering a question concerning whether or not she would hire Bridgett Brown, she states that if she were elected mayor, anyone who is not doing their job would be fired immediately.
The blogs have been down on Mrs. Brewer recently; many people (most of whom probably work for the other candidates) have even suggested that she’ll be dropping out of the race. It’s so transparent it’s not even funny. Others have written about her son getting into an altercation one night downtown, implying that Mrs. Brewer used her political connections to hide this story. Let me answer that personally: I was there the night of that incident. I even spoke with the girl in question. (She was very bizarre and confrontational). I can guarantee that Mrs. Brewer’s son was the victim of this girl’s sociopathic behavior. She was the instigator. End of story.
(And I completely expect to be maligned by the very people who published these lies. But that’s okay. I’m not the story here).
I understand that this type of rumor-mongering is a part of every political campaign, but considering this is our most important election in twenty years, I hope that we’ll stop allowing the discussion to be dictated by people who persistently publish anonymous, off-topic lies. Yes, they may be scandalous and interesting, but guess what? They’re lies, and they shouldn’t matter.
And no, I haven’t decided who I’m going to vote for. Honestly. I don’t know. I’m waiting for the debates.
Jul 25
Poll Numbers, Old News, Developing Story
The Town Talk:
Shown below are the unofficial results of a recent poll gauging respondents’ choice for Alexandria mayor. The results were relayed over the telephone from someone who had seen a copy.
The rest were undecided. The poll also revealed something else. Asked about how things are in Alexandria, such as quality of life: 64 percent had favorable responses; 21 percent unfavorable; 15 percent had no opinion. Qualifying for all fall elections is Aug. 9-11. The general election is Sept. 30. The runoff, if necessary, is Nov. 7. Jacques Roy, who has been approached by Alexandria Democratic heavyweights to run for mayor, said Friday he has “gone from possible to probable” in running.
Is councilman running? Myron Lawson, at-large councilman always rumored to be running for mayor, said last week, “I have no interest in running,” though he never would come out and say definitely that he wasn’t running. Martin Johnson has said unequivocally he isn’t running. The banker, who works at Capital One, said he has been approached every day in the past week. “It was definitely worth taking a look, but there are others who are better suited.” Johnson also is a member of two economic development groups: the Greater Alexandria Economic Development Authority and the England Authority.Good quality of life
Qualifying coming up
ROY probably running
Banker not running
A Letter To CenLamar:
Dear CenLamar,
I’ve been following the mayor’s race for the City of Alexandria intently, because I believe our community is currently in a major turning point. We need to make sure that the leader we elect understands the full consequences of his or her tenure. I write to you as a 29 year old black male with a stake in the future of this city, and I hope that you will publish my comments on your blog.
There are many reasons to think we are in trouble with the current bunch of candidates.
Roosevelt Johnson is a nice person. I have met him a few times…. nice guy. However, he’s not fit to be mayor. It’s a serious position that demands qualified intelligence, passion, and understanding. As nice as Roosevelt is, we all must face the fact that he does not possess the breadth of intelligence required to become mayor.
Charles Fredrick Smith is a shady businessman, plain and simple. I’m not even sure why anyone is backing him.
Delores Brewer is a liar…. so is Bridgett Brown. What’s the difference? I consider them to be opposite ends of the same problem. They may think this is a black and white, us versus them type of struggle, but really it’s just two different people with two related yet selfish agendas who will manipulate the public for whatever they can earn. I hope Brewer pulls out of the race.
John Sams thinks this is a part time job because he has a tremendous ego and a destructive disdain for everyone in government. He’s being quiet and polite right now….. and perhaps that’s fooling people into thinking that he is something he is not……..but if you’ve ever followed this guy, you know that he is just an opportunist with a big ego. His heart may be in the right place, but we need someone who is motivated to do good as a full-time job.
Will someone else come forward? Or will we be left chosing between the lesser of two evils?
Sincerely,
Ronald J.
Jul 22
Jacques Roy for Mayor?
Chuck Wagner for Sherriff?
Election Season Just Became Much More Interesting.
Jul 20
C’mon, You Know I Have To: Bringhurst Golf Course Makes Headlines
Jul 19
Landmark Pawn Shop and Nail Salon
No one’s mentioned this story yet, but it attracted a lot of attention during yesterday’s Council meeting. Jimmie DeRamus is attempting to persuade our local government to change the zoning status of a home he recently purchased on Horseshoe Drive. The home is located very close to the entrances of Cherokee Village, Tennyson Oaks, and Landmark. Mr. DeRamus would like to build a 9,000 square foot commercial building on the property, housing, among other things, a nail salon and a pawn shop (correct me if I am wrong).
The neighbors aren’t too happy. And I’m just bewildered. I can understand wanting to tear down the house. The home site is apparently three acres, and that’s a lot of land in the middle of town. But a pawn shop?
Update: This has obviously attracted a lot of attention, including direct responses from Mr. DeRamus himself, who claims that his intentions have been misstated. Yesterday, I spoke with Mr. DeRamus on the phone in order to hear his version of events. I also apologized to Mr. DeRamus for any role I had in facilitating the disparaging remarks that were made toward his family. Mr. DeRamus indicated that his family is undergoing a lot of stress, and I can certainly understand that, sometimes, when we are stressed out, we say things we don’t mean.
I want to state clearly that I relied on five independent sources, three neighbors and two individuals with close ties to local government officials. Obviously, we’re still unclear about what this property would be used for if it is, in fact, rezoned. The use of this property is the central question behind the validity of the zoning change. Dollar General was mentioned as a potential buyer, and Mr. DeRamus claims this will not be allowed. Others, including my sources, assumed that Mr. DeRamus would be expanding his pawn business to this location. Mr. DeRamus claims this is also untrue. I refer to my initial post, in which I wrote that I should be corrected if I was wrong about my impression of the facts. It seems that a nail salon is a possibility, but a pawn shop is not.
I also apologize to my readership for my delay in correcting this mistake. I am currently out of town, and this is the first opportunity I’ve had to access my blog. (I made the previous comments on a cell phone).
End of story.
Jul 16
River Ranch in Lafayette Featured in Today’s New York Times
Jul 16
Robert Wolf Responds:
Rezoning shouldn’t happen
Your Mail
The Thursday Town Talk front page story by Jim Leggett lacked objectivity and accuracy. The article also unjustly hinted of racial bias, which may sell papers but plays no roll in fully understanding or resolving the present conflict. The Sisters of The Holy Family began their search for housing in Alexandria earlier this year assisted by Realtors Pattie Deville, Charles Deville and others. The Realtors and other representatives of the buyers and sellers contacted Glen Couvillion, Alexandria’s zoning control officer, prior to the sale. Couvillion advised the interested parties that they could buy and operate a ‘group home” in Single Family-2 or other single family zoned neighborhoods. This action was based on an opinion by former city planning director Darrell Williamson after a controversy concerning a group home in Plantation Acres. None of the above was disclosed publicly and the city code was not changed. It turns out that the advice of the zoning control officer was wrong. The “group home” theory used in the purchase and use of both the 3000 Elliott St. and George’s Lane houses was not valid. When I found out about this, the nuns had already purchased both homes and were occupying them. Mr. and Mrs. Brooks Harris sold the house to the nuns. They did not speak to their neighbors about the sale and they did not have to. He did contact the city zoning office prior to the sale, according to Couvillion. All of the adjoining property owners of the above property, except Dr. Michael Menache, objected to rezoning. Many other property owners, including myself, were and are opposed to the properties being rezoned, but not opposed to the nuns’ use of the property. After the problem surfaced and it became apparent that there would be some action either by the city or by a civil suit, Ellis Saybe, I have been told, began contacting and negotiating with residents of Georges’ Lane, excluding myself. We do not want the old Roy O. Martin Jr. property rezoned to allow bed and breakfasts, cemeteries, clubs, lodges, day cares, golf courses, libraries, museums and other public buildings or philanthropic institutions. We do not want to displace the nuns, but expect them to sell the property when they have recovered from the Katrina disaster. I along with others would be happy to donate money to help them recover. It is most important to maintain the essence of, quality and feeling of all neighborhoods. A residential neighborhood should remain just that unless it is affected by uncontrollable or inevitable change usually emanating by outside forces. Alexandria’s zoning codes must be updated and enforced to protect all neighborhoods. At this time I am resolved to working with Kelvin Sanders, the city attorney, and others to resolve this problem for the benefit of all Alexandria. Robert A. Wolf Today’s issue of the Town Talk also featured a letter from the previous home owner, Brookes Harris, in which he quotes scripture that implies Mr. Wolf could be “godless.” Geez.
More on how to misunderstand and malign a man in thirty minutes:
Alexandria
Jul 16
Louisiana Native Making Strong Showing At World Series of Poker
My college roommate and good friend Nath Pizzolatto is making a splash at this year’s World Series of Poker. This evening, he won second place in his first ever event, taking home nearly a quarter of a million dollars. You can keep track of Nath’s progress on his blog, Nath Plays Poker.
Jul 14
The Man Who Cried Wolf. Who’s Afraid of Robert Wolf? Wolf Attacks in Cenla.
-or-
How to Misunderstand and Malign a Man in Thirty Minutes
The Town Talk and KALB are both running with this story about Robert Wolf’s opposition of a proposed ordinance to create a special zoning exception for a couple of single family homes in the Garden District.
Personally, I think this is much ado about nothing, as long as they can define the exception in very narrow, limiting language. And considering the way the Town Talk first reported this story, it seems like Mr. Wolf doesn’t mind his new neighbors; he just wants to make sure that a change in zoning wouldn’t compromise the value of his home.
If I recall correctly, the city set up stringent zoning codes for the building that houses the Adult Emporium on Masonic Drive, and I believe there is even a line in there about the city’s first right of refusal on a change in the lease agreement (or something like that. Maybe someone else can clarify this). If they can do this for the Adult Emporium, they can certainly do this for those two properties.
Mr. Wolf is completely within his rights as a neighbor, a concerned citizen, and an experienced real estate broker and developer. This isn’t a story about Mr. Wolf taking on a bunch of nuns, though I can certainly understand why it would be played that way. “I am opposed to rezoning,” Wolf said. “I’m not opposed to nuns using the project. They are good neighbors.”
But it’s important to understand that a change in ownership could affect the neighborhood unless the proposed ordinance provides safeguards against this.
There’s another story here. The Town Talk’s website has given this story its own thread in which readers are encouraged to e-mail their responses, which are then posted by a moderator. The original story, written by Jim Leggett, was very clear on the facts. The headline, which I understand is typically written by an editor, may have been a little misleading (“Hurricane-displaced nuns fighting to stay in new Alexandria homes”), because the possibility of these nuns being kicked out of their new homes is extremely remote. But the article was deliberate. Mr. Leggett writes, “Wolf said he doesn’t object to the nuns, but he does object to the way the city has handled the matter.” Perhaps this is actually a story about government incompetence. Either way, it’s highly unlikely these nuns will be forced to sale; a compromise seems inevitable.
That’s why the online story and thread are reckless. The headline (“Should New Orleans nuns be allowed to stay in their home on Georges Lane?) implies that a resident of Georges Lane, Mr. Wolf, is attempting to kick them out of their own home. Remember, there’s another home on Elliott Street; this isn’t just about Georges Lane. Readers have been pouring in support for these nuns all day long. Everyone supports the nuns. Of course. I support the nuns. Mr. Wolf supports the nuns. But because the Town Talk has set up this battle between Robert Wolf and these nuns, their readers have been writing in and slamming Mr. Wolf, and the Town Talk has faithfully published a number of these comments, some of which are anonymous. (Remember Sound Off, anyone?). Now, I know the Town Talk isn’t responsible for what other people chose to say, but it is their responsibility to clearly explain this story to the public. Mr. Leggett’s story seemed pretty balanced, but the follow-up story and thread are irresponsible.
Jul 13
By the way, has anyone noticed that Israel and Hezbollah are launching bombs at one another?
