As some of you may know from Gambit Weekly’s recent article, “Yours, Mine and Ours,” Feb., 12,  the New Orleans Food Co-op is recruiting founding members, to reach a goal of 300 by May 1st. For those of you not yet sure if you’d like to join, here’s an encouraging update:

— As of March 21 the food co-op had a current total of 162 founding members, with 24 new members having joined that previous week alone.
— You can now join the co-op online via PayPal at www.nolafoodcoop.org;  and
— Entergy has officially granted the group $25,000 for things like a market study and developing a business plan

For those interested in joining, as well as current members, there will be another monthly informational meeting held TONIGHT in the Treme neighborhood at the Holy Faith Temple Baptist Church, 1325 Gov. Nicholls, 6:30 pm

by Sam Winston

Senator Larry Craig of Idaho will not seek re-election. That leaves Senator Vitter alone in the spotlight of national politicians remaining in office following a sex scandal. Calls for Vitter’s resignation were renewed last week when Governor Eliot Spitzer stepped down, also putting Governor Jindal in a rather awkward position for his contradiction on the two affairs.

But there’s more. Senator Vitter’s assumed public defense was that he never admitted to a crime (avoiding comparisons to Craig), but that may no longer be valid. The “state-lines” offense that threatened Spitzer with being charged with a more serious crime may also threaten Vitter and his involvement with the DC Madame Jean Palfrey, according to Bayoubuzz’s latest analysis of a Newsweek article. The statute of limitations on Vitter’s admitted offense is still valid (10 years according to the reports cited), meaning he could still be charged for a crime.

by Sam Winston

Al Copeland dies but his legacy lives on, even in Korea (see above).

David Brooks’ New York Times column discusses the good and bad from today’s modern do-gooders, those ambitious social entrepreneurs types like the ones that have flocked to New Orleans. Read the rest of this entry »