| BY BOB WARREN | Staff writer |
Orleans Avenue is baaack: Captains of the city’s parade krewes gathered this morning with Mayor LaToya Cantrell to officially kick off the 2023 Carnival season. The event was highlighted by an announcement about Endymion’s parade route and an invitation to police agencies across the nation to help secure the city, Doug MacCash writes. (Here’s Arthur Hardy’s take on the importance of restoring full parade routes.) Police presence: The New Orleans Police Department this morning offered some details on how it plans to better secure the parking areas around the Superdome and Smoothie King Center. Multiple fans have left Saints and Pelicans games to find their vehicle windows smashed -- including Wednesday night -- and the teams' brass have publicly asked NOPD and the city for help. Tulane magic: By any measure, Tulane's football season was the stuff of dreams. A run to the Cotton Bowl and a stirring victory their against the favored USC Trojans? Wow, didn't see that coming! Columnist Jeff Duncan offers this coda to the Green Wave's "magical" season. 'This Property is Condemned': It's almost the weekend, so how about something fun? Robin Miller spent some time in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where a walking tour draws fans of a certain Natalie Wood-Robert Redford movie that was filmed there eons ago. Thanks for reading Lunch Line. Hope you have a great day. Bob | 