Culture

NEW ORLEANS, LA – Today, Mayor Mitch Landrieu, the Hope Enterprise Corporation and The Food Trust announced major funding from the New Orleans Fresh Food Retailer Initiative (FFRI) for the historic Circle Food Store. The Circle Food Store, located at 1522 St. Bernard Avenue (corner of St. Bernard and North Claiborne Avenues), was first incorporated in 1938 and for years was a pillar of the community before it closed following Hurricane Katrina. The total estimated cost for The Circle Food Store to re-open is $9.2 million, with the FFRI offering a loan of $1Million, with a forgivable amount of $500,000. The FFRI loan will allow the store to re-open. This project will create an estimated 75 new jobs, many directed to residents of the Seventh Ward and bordering Treme neighborhood.

Creative Alliance of New Orleans is currently accepting applications for Creative Capital’s Core Curriculum Workshop presented on March 9-11, 2012. This one of a kind opportunity has been described as a “crash course in self-management, strategic planning, fundraising and promotion” for artists of all creative genres.

The residents of Saranac Lake, a picturesque town in the Adirondacks, are a hardy lot — they have to be to withstand winter temperatures that can drop to 30 below zero. But since the local Ames department store went out of business in 2002 — a victim of its corporate parent’s bankruptcy — residents have had to drive to Plattsburgh, 50 miles away, to buy basics like underwear or bed linens. And that was simply too much.

The Hotel Monteleone is a French Quarter landmark celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. Its unmistakeable sign, the Carousel Bar and rooftop pool explain why it’s one of the premier destination hotels for tourists and professionals, and it has a rich history behind it making it the beacon of hospitality it has become. The hotel is a great example of the impact that Italian immigrants have had on New Orleans in general and the French Quarter in particular.