RSS Feed
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Editor's Notes
We were down days before Christmas for the Sunbelt Conference Bowl game between Troy University and Rice University. It was Troy's first trip ever to a bowl game and they did a great job, thumping Rice 41- 17 in the Superdome. The Troy Trojans have made remarkable strides since moving to college ball's Division 1. They've gotten their behinds beaten by some of the top teams but they have won a few too and scared the daylights out of some of the big boys. Coach Larry Blakeney can be credited with much of the progress. He is a good coach. Too bad Alabama can't find one like him instead of insisting on some hotshot big-name coach who will have to have $2 million or so a year.
Driving in along Interstate 10, you notice the subdivisions on either side of the road, empty hulls of houses for the most part with windows either out or boarded over with plywood. Only occasionally do you see one that is occupied with a car or truck parked in the front yard. I understand that the Lower Ninth Ward, one of the city's poorest neighborhoods, remains a virtual war zone. You can take tours of the area, just like you can tour the French Quarter or Garden District. I thought about going but decided I didn't really want to go and gawk at someone else's misery. I understand the people who live there don't really appreciate the tour buses rolling through every day showcasing their misfortunes and I don't blame them. I understand that New Orleans' population is less than half what it was before the storm. Louisiana's population has diminished to the point that the state may likely lose a congressional seat in the next reapportionment. I like New Orleans. I've always said it is like having a European country only a four-hour drive away. Of course, the city has always had its problems of corruption, ineptness and, as I noted earlier, poverty. Still, like a favorite black sheep cousin, you overlook the flaws and love them anyway. If you used to go to New Orleans but haven't been in a while or maybe are afraid to go, I'd urge you to make the trip. Most of the great restaurants are doing business as usual and there are other entertainment venues, if they suit your fancy. (I've gotten too old and settled for the other stuff- all I want to do is eat now!). New Orleans can certainly use your money and I think you would enjoy the trip.
Jim Cox is editor and publisher of The Democrat.
|
for larger version       |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
)
