THE FIRST DECADE, CONTINUED...

The advent of Dom Carlone in the Bards of Bohemia led to a behind-the-scenes struggle for control of the krewe.  Because of the ever-increasing costs of parding, the legitimate Captain of Bards and his officers decided to cease marching, even if it meant losing their slot on the Orleans Parish schedule.  However, Mr. Carlone felt that the krewe should parade (especially since he had invested substantially in the krewe the previous season.)  In an unprecedented move, Mr. Carlone privately petitioned at least half of the krewe members to march with him and even obtained a permit to march from the city, claiming himself as the krewe's captain.   This led to a private legal battle the details of which are as yet unknown to your humble Professor.  Ultimately, the Bards of Bohemia returned to their legal ruling body and Mr. Carlone's Mardi Gras supply enterprise Accent Annex filed for bankruptcy and closed.
However, the dangers introduced by Mr. Carlone's actions are still with us and may once again threaten Carnival.  Had Mr. Carlone's gambit gone uncontested, or had legal proceedings allowed Mr. Carlone to retain control of the Bards, it would have set down a precedent by which anyone could take control of any krewe, including corporations.  As you know, corporate sponsorship of krewes and parades is strictly forbidden in Orleans Parish.  However, if Mr. Carlone had taken control of Bards, it would have allowed the representatives of any corporation to take control of any krewe or krewes in much the same way; it would have provided a legal loophole for these corporate sponsors to take over a krewe and fill its membership from within the corporations' rosters.  If this were to happen, it would permanently alter Carnival and all of its precepts.

Carnival has now had to face a far more destructive force than any legal precedent could match.  On August 29th, New Orleans was dealt a severe blow by Hurricane Katrina, which made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane at Pass Christian, Mississippi.  While it was not a direct hit on the city (the majority of Pass Christian was obliterated completely, as was the nearby community of Waveland,) it was sufficiently destructive to close the city down.  Several hotels and older buildings in the downtown area suffered serious damages and at least 4 buildings in the Vieux Carre collapsed. At first, though the damage the day after the hurricane left Louisiana was massive, it was generally accepted that the city had escaped a fatal blow...until the levees at the 17th Street Canal and at the London Canal breached and flooded the city to an extent which has never been seen.  All of St. Bernard Parish was destroyed, including the historical city of Chalmette and the villages of Mereaux and Violet.  The Lower 9th Ward was also decimated, reducing century-old neighborhoods to piles of rubble and debris.  Severe damages were also seen in the neighborhoods of Lakeview, Carrollton, and in Mid-City.  However, the historic Garden District and the heart of the city, the Vieux Carre escaped relatively unscathed, which provided hope for the nearly 500,000 residents displaced around the country after the disaster.

2006 was not only a banner year as the first Carnival post-Katrina, but is fondly remembered as the best Carnival celebration since the police strike of 1979.  The funny side of the disaster were featured in many krewe's, some of whom decided to showcase what have now become New Orleans icons; blue tarp, MRE's (Meals Ready to Eat, the cuisine du Katrine in town after the storm,) and discarded refrigerators were very, very popular.  Displaced locals returned home for the celebrations, many of whom had normally fled the city during Mardi Gras.  The fact that the city did hold Carnival stirred controversy across the world.  Critics could not believe that the city, still devastated by Katrina, would go to the expense and trouble of holding a "big party" seen by many as irresponsible and frivolous.  Of course, these critics have no real comprehension of how connected the fate of the city is to Carnival, no concept of our very culture being based on this "party."  When the party not only went on with stunningly successful results but provided the city with a much needed boost of financial reserves and renewed spirit, the critics fell silent...for the moment.  Some gun violence along the Mardi Gras Indian parade route garnered some national attention which helped fuel the fires of contention.

2007 continued apace with the Reconstruction.  Some krewes that had not marched after Katrina were able to return to their regular schedule, while some others had to stop marching.  Unfortunately, the season was marked by muggings, beating, and other violent crimes.  The Thursday before Mardi Gras, a spate of gun violence resulting in 2 deaths and 7 injuries put a pallor on the celebrations and once again brought unflattering press to the city.  On a personal note, 2007 was the first year I was to call the Krewe of Morpheus parade at Gallier Hall on St. Charles Avenue, which was a grand affair.

AND LAST YEAR?

2008 was greeted with the blessing and the curse of an early Gras, Feb. 8th.  With just over one month to do it all, for the first time in over a generation the city actually saw krewe balls happening before and after Christmas Day.  Twelfth Night arrived amid a flurry of activity around the city, only made all the more hectic by severe weather during the parades.  A mean slate of stormy weather caused a number of parades to either cancel entirely or reschedule.  The Friday before Mardi Gras saw the parades of d'Etat, Chaos, Morpheus, and Muses all take to the Uptown route in one night, rolling on until past 2am!  Fortunately, Mardi Gras arrived sunny and ready  for another visit from The Day God, the King of Carnival.