Diner en Blanc New Orleans Rescheduled for October 7
Le Dîner en Blanc (DEB) New Orleans organizers have announced the event’s new date of Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, following its first-ever postponement due to the threat of severe weather associated with Tropical Storm Alberto.
“The process of rescheduling an event as large as DEB is very complicated and involved, which we are learning as this is our first time rescheduling the date,” said Cleveland Spears, III, host of DEB New Orleans. “We have over 4,000 registered guests, our venue is over 250,000 square feet and we take every (bus the motor coach vendor) owns for this event. That being said, we were tasked with finding a date where all of those assets would be available again.”
After three weeks of consideration, several factors contributed to the new date’s selection including record-breaking temperatures expected this summer and the unpredictability of future weather and tropical events during the peak of hurricane season. The new date, which occurs the Sunday of Columbus Day weekend, is an off day for the New Orleans Saints who are set to play on Monday, October 8.
All registered ticket purchases will be honored for the new date. Any out-of-town guests who traveled to attend or those unable to attend on the new date will be refunded, with the exception of membership fees to DEB International and PayPal processing fees).
Library Foundation Awards $150,000 to NOPL
The New Orleans Public Library Foundation today (June 8) announced the awarding of $150,000 in unrestricted funds to the New Orleans Public Library System for its programs and initiatives. All of this money is available for use in 2018.
The Library Foundation, under the steady leadership of its Board of Directors (Bob Brown, Darlene Kaftan, Cleveland Spears and Barbara Waiters) has taken aggressive steps to reduce operational costs, restore fiduciary integrity and accountability, recapture funds inappropriately removed from Library Foundation accounts and rebuild the corpus of the Library Foundation’s financial holdings. The result of this two yearlong effort is the increasing health of the Foundation’s investment portfolio and a return to its core mission-providing external financial support to the New Orleans Public Library System.
The Library Foundation remains focused on updating its bylaws, restoring the confidence of past donors, expanding its donor base and Board of Directors and serving as an indispensable asset to the Public Library System and the people of New Orleans.
“This has been a long, tough road for us, and we’re so happy to get back to the worthwhile things that the Library Foundation should-and now can, be doing for the citizens of New Orleans,” said Bob Brown, Library Foundation president. “We are pleased that the New Orleans Jazz Orchestra has been consistent with the terms of our Memorandum of Agreement in making the first two installment payments as scheduled. This has been very helpful in getting us back on sound financial footing.”