Subj : Re: Children of... To : Roger Nelson From : Marc Lewis Date : Sat Jun 24 2017 22:32:11 Hello Roger. [snip] RN> NOPSI in our day would have the Germans jealous. ML> To clarify for non-New Orleanians reading, NOPSI was New Orleans ML> Public Service, Inc., a private, for-profit, public utility ML> company exclusively serving the metro area of Orleans Parish with ML> lights, natural gas and public transportation. At one time, their ML> bus service had the most daily runs per line of any other city in ML> the USA, save New York's subway system. ML> There is actually a new hotel that's about to open in New Orleans ML> called "NOPSI", but it's not yet been unveiled to the public. It, ML> fittingly enough is located in the old NOPSI main building at 317 ML> Baronne Street in downtown New Orleans. You can bet on one thing, ML> it won't be cheap. :-) Further note, I just saw the pictures of some of the rooms there... First class all the way. Really nicely done. Can't wait to visit and see it first-hand. I'll make a point of it come July 4th week when I'm there for summer vacation. ML> A side note: The Regional Transit Authority took over the ML> transportation in New Orleans and for the last decade and a half ML> have been intensively restoring and renovating the Perley Thomas ML> street cars. The craftsmen are doing an awesome job that includes ML> manufacturing from scratch many parts that have been obsolete for ML> MANY years. Worth a trip to New Orleans just to ride them. RN> I miss riding the street cars of yesteryear, and while it may be a RN> novelty to tourists, I won't go back to New Orleans as long as a RN> Landrieu lives there. Landrieu, what a piece of work he is... And I'm practicing Christian Charity with that statement. But Landrieu or not, I'm going to enjoy my coming visit; after all, I spent the great majority of my life there until Katrina. ;-( Were I financially independent, I'd move back in a heart beat. I miss my city... A LOT. RN> When I was in grade school, I was riding a school bus to and from RN> Gentilly to McDonogh #9 on N. Tonti (of the Iron Hand), but when I RN> graduated to high school, my mother gave me 40 cents per day to RN> ride the bus to and from high school and the extra 26 cents I RN> could spend on whatever I wanted, as in lunch -- usually Mrs. Drake RN> sandwiches and a soft drink. Grade school lunch was free. Three high schools for me: De La Salle, St. Paul's (Covington) and Alcee Fortier (which was close to home.) Grade school at St. Francis of Assisi. Lunch was like ten cents and 2 more cents for an extra milk. Glazed donuts were 6 cents at the little confectionery down the street from my house. Hubig's pies were a dime. A HUGE slice of apple cake was a dime too. First Friday breakfast after Mass at school was a half-pint of Borden's Dutch Chocolate milk and a donut (free.) Tuition was $2.00 a month. RN> I keep waiting for Hubig's to reopen because I like their pies, but RN> now I'm thinking it won't happen. As popular as those pies were all across the southern states, I'm really surprised that they've not re-opened after that fire. RN> My favorite bakery is gone from there too. Lawrence Aiavolasiti's RN> (Mr. Wedding Cake) on Elysian Fields in Gentilly. The old boy RN> passed away some years ago and he apparently didn't pass on his RN> knowledge to his heirs or they wanted nothing to do with it. A RN> real shame. There is an Aiavolasiti's bakery listed in Folsom, but RN> I don't feel like driving up there. I should call first. Good Lord, I can remember seeing those commercials, both in print and TV... Along with Dick Bruce hawking McKenzie's bake shop's donuts. :-) (Tastee Donuts has taken over the McKenzie line of pastries, including their awesome cinnamon and hot-cross buns.) This is really making me feel OLD and very homesick. Best regards, Marc --- timEd/2 1.10.y2k+ * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS-Huntsville,AL-bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45) .