Along the Avenue

They put on their party clothes, got out and danced, sang, cheered and made merry!

You can’t say folks in and around the city, on the South and North Shores, haven’t been doing their bit for the economy! And now it’s Super Bowl time and the Carnival season has begun, so our wacky, wonderful world moves into 2010 with glee!

If you haven’t been, put the new addition to The National World War II Museum on your list of things to do this year.

Sgt. Major Leward “Buddy” Adams USAR, lovingly known as “The Mayor of Oak Street,” put down his shears and whooped it up at the grand opening where he was a very special guest. Buddy, the barber to Carnival kings and folks less grand, has been clipping and buzzing the city’s gentry since the dashing Aidan Gill was a tike.

Lynn and Peter Ives double-dipped, hosting a holiday party that coincided with their 40th wedding anniversary.

There was music and singing, and friends making merry, plus a photo album for review for the nostalgic. Another 40th milestone: George Clark celebrated his birthday taking diving lessons on board the newest cruise ship to disembarks from New Orleans to Belize, where the diving is great, and other points of interest abound.

Every one knows former Carnival queens gather for luncheons to reminisce; their names and faces usually appear in fellow society columnist Nell Nolan’s column. But their gallant kings are rarely revealed. That doesn’t stop them from hosting a cup to their fellow crown wearers. Scattered around this column are photos of more than a few former kings, some of whom gathered at places like Brennan’s, Antoine’s and the New Orleans Country Club to salute and toast and eat what they like most. See how many you can spot!

Bill Treadway knows how to please a crowd. At a recent Christmas luncheon at the NOCC he scrapped plans for both a holiday skit and red-and-green décor in favor of big screen TVs, black and gold balloons and pom-poms (which interior designer wife Frances pulled together in record time). Shaking their pom-poms and generally having a good time were the likes of Susan and Jimmy Gundlach, Dot and Charlie Heidingfelder, Bob and Mary Coyle and other notable Saints fans. Treadway, ever the perfect gent, invited the staff, cooks, busboys, bartenders and a group of ladies in the Founder’s Room attending a baby shower to join in and cheer as Brees breezed through another one!

Every club, restaurant and hotel seemed booked for holiday parties … and then there are those with their annual gatherings. The Friday before Christmas found Henrietta “Henri” Hall and group at Arnaud’s, Janet Tallerine holding forth at Antoine’s, Nina Gensler at Dominica and those charitable high bidders at Galatoire’s, where even with new management things seem the same – David Gooch was at his usual perch near the kitchen.

The NOCC, New Orleans Museum of Art, Orleans Club and venues far and wide were the scene of debutante parties that kicked off at Thanksgiving and rocked on past New Year’s Eve … but more of that next month.
 

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