Ormond residents express concerns about planned parade at meeting

By Mason Miller

After a town hall meeting on Tuesday night in Ormond, Krewe of Zeus members met with much backlash from Ormond residents who are against plans for a proposed parade that will run through Ormond Boulevard.

While the original parade route was altered over the summer to maximize residential safety by allowing emergency vehicles to access more of the Ormond area during the parade, residents still feel there are many issues compromising the appeal of the route.

Among the concerns, Ormond residents feel the parade would disrupt the flow of traffic through the small subdivision, along with bringing an unwanted amount of litter and alcohol consumption to the area.

“There’s no way they’re going to be able to control the crowd.” Ronda Herkes, 25-year resident of Ormond, said. “They can’t even control them in Metairie or New Orleans.”

Despite the overwhelming number of issues raised by Ormond residents at the meeting, some still feel the parade will be a better alternative to Metairie and New Orleans ones, as a result of it’s convenience for locals and appeal to families.

“Going out to Metairie is iffy, especially if you have little kids,” Ormond resident Bryan Bergeron said. “You have a canal on one side of the river and you have a very small walkway on the other side. When the big floats come through it pushes everyone out.”

Bergeron feels the intimacy of the proposed Zeus route will make it easier to keep track of his two children, preventing unwanted parade anxiety for parents.

During the meeting, Sheriff Greg Champagne, who wields authority over the approval of the parade’s permit, weighed in.

“For a community that is totally residential, I have advised the krewe that unless they can show me there is an overwhelming consensus of support for this parade, I am not going to force it on people that don’t want it.”

Inside the crowded Jerusalem Shrine Temple, Champagne’s comment was met with mostly applause.

With the fate of the parade still undecided, and it’s potential permit approval looking increasingly doubtful, the Krewe of Zeus captain, a role that traditionally goes unidentified, was still not despondent.

“What we do is bring frivolity and fun to families and that’s all we’re trying to do here,” he said. “I think there’s still hope.”