New Orleans Economic Development, Saints/LSU Talk, Snowballs & Memorial Day | Mark Romig Show Ep. 17

In this episode of The Mark Romig Show, we celebrate New Orleans leadership, sports, food, history, culture, and connection.

Mark’s featured guest is Kim Boyle, Chair of Greater New Orleans, Inc. and a labor and employment attorney with Phelps Dunbar. Kim shares her perspective on regional economic development, inclusive growth, entrepreneurship, the Louisiana International Terminal, workforce opportunity, supplier diversity, and why collaboration across Greater New Orleans is essential to the future of the region. She also reflects on her role with the Super Bowl LIX SOURCE Program and the importance of creating real opportunities for local businesses to participate on major stages.

Kim also joins Mark for the Official New Orleans Questionnaire, sharing her favorite po-boy, her love of Jazz Fest, her Saints Mount Rushmore, her favorite New Orleans song, and why, in her words, “the people make us who we are.”

On Move The Chains, legendary Louisiana football analyst Mike Detillier breaks down the New Orleans Saints, the NFL Draft, the Saints’ offseason moves, Tyler Shough, LSU football, Lane Kiffin, the transfer portal, and the storylines fans should be watching as football season gets closer.

On On The Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods, Mark welcomes Ashley Hansen of Hansen’s Sno-Bliz. Ashley shares the story behind one of New Orleans’ most beloved snowball institutions, the difference between a snow cone and a true New Orleans snowball, the legacy of her family’s 87-year-old ice-shaving machine, and why Hansen’s continues to bring joy to generations of locals and visitors.

In 5 Minutes With, presented by New Orleans & Company, Mark sits down with Stephen Watson, President and CEO of The National WWII Museum, for a meaningful conversation ahead of Memorial Day and the anniversary of D-Day. Stephen discusses the museum’s founding, the legacy of Andrew Higgins, the remastered Beyond All Boundaries experience, the importance of preserving the voices of the Greatest Generation, and why Memorial Day is such a powerful time for reflection and remembrance.

April Dupre returns with This Week in New Orleans, sharing where to eat, drink, and play during Memorial Day weekend, from barbecue and frozen cocktails to Greek Fest, City Park, Bayou St. John, and The National WWII Museum.

And in Positively New Orleans, Mark highlights the success of Amtrak’s Mardi Gras Line between New Orleans and Mobile, celebrating the return of passenger rail along the Gulf Coast and the powerful connection it brings to communities across Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Segments in this episode include:
Featured Guest: Kim Boyle
Official New Orleans Questionnaire
Move The Chains: Mike Detillier
On The Table: Ashley Hansen of Hansen’s Sno-Bliz, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods
5 Minutes With: Stephen Watson of The National WWII Museum, presented by New Orleans & Company
This Week in New Orleans with April Dupre
Positively New Orleans: Amtrak Mardi Gras Line

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Blue Runner Foods
New Orleans & Company
Visit The Northshore and their podcast, All The Waves

The Mark Romig Show is a weekly podcast and vodcast celebrating the people, culture, food, music, sports, history, business, and civic life of New Orleans and the Gulf South.

Host: Mark Romig
 Executive Producers: Glenn Haggerty and Keith Haggerty
 Producer / Editor: Kal Landry
 Filmed at the LOVE NOLA TV Studio inside the New Orleans & Company Building

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The Mark Romig Show is produced by LOVE NOLA TV, the official tourism and visitor information channel of New Orleans, seen in thousands of downtown hotel rooms and locally across all major digital platforms.

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Transcript

SPEAKER_07 0:00

And you have to dig really deep to get a bunch of all those flavors. But to me, that would be like the epitome of an Ashley Hansen star. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 0:09

I care about what happens to this city. I care about what happens to this region. I'm a native New Orleans, as are you, and we care.

SPEAKER_05 0:18

All right, our featured guest this week is someone helping shape the future of Greater New Orleans every single day through business, civic leadership, and economic development. From workforce initiatives to regional growth and major events like Super Bowl 59, Kim Boyle has played an important role in many of the conversations driving our region forward. She currently serves as chair of Greater New Orleans, Inc. while also practicing as a labor and employment attorney with Phelps Dunbar. Kim, welcome to the show. Good morning, Mark.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

I am thrilled to be here.

SPEAKER_05 0:48

It's great to see you again. And you've been involved in so many civic initiatives across the region. For viewers who may not know, what is GNO, Inc., what and what is the focus right now?

SPEAKER_01 1:03

Okay, GNO, Inc. is basically the regional economic development nonprofit that really operates in a 10 parish region, which includes Jefferson, Orleans, St. Tamity, St. John, St. James. I'm leaving several out, but this local 10 parish region, and we are truly focused on regional cooperation and regional business development, regional business retention, but also creating the appropriate environment for businesses to be successful in this region.

SPEAKER_05 1:38

Yeah, so what do you see as those areas of growth and development? What what's what's on the horizon?

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Well, really, where we are now and what continues to be on the horizon, we're focused on energy transition. We're obviously focused on trade and logistics. As you know, Mark, based upon all of your work over the last um few years. Lit, Louisiana International Terminal, that's the thing. We've got to be focused on that because bottom line is the Port of New Orleans will continue to lose business to competing ports in other areas unless we can get lit actually done. So we are all in with the Louisiana International Terminal, and we are clearly focused upon entrepreneurship. It's not just about bringing businesses that already exist to this region, to New Orleans, to Jefferson Parish, but it's also about the incubation, building up businesses that are here, building up the moms and pops, building up family-owned businesses, putting in an environment where someone who just graduated with a business degree can start their own business and be successful in this region.

SPEAKER_05 2:51

So is it an advocacy role? Are you at the legislature? What's the work that happens, the day-to-day work?

SPEAKER_01 2:58

It's all that. It's all that. As you probably know, Mark, we are at the legislature right now. Uh Jasmine Brown, who is our senior VP policy officer, is in Baton Rouge every day that the legislature meets. And we try to make sure there's certain things we don't officially come out and advocate for, but we try to work with the legislators to make sure that they're aware of our position on certain issues. Some things we do come out and advocate for as it relates to the infrastructure banking bill that just I think is going through the ranks as we talk about right now. The executive committee of GL Inc. actually does a fly-in in Washington every September. So those of us who are able to do so, we fly up to DC and we try to meet with the members of the Louisiana delegation from a senatorial standpoint as well as from a House of Representatives standpoint to let them know these are the things that we believe are important for economic development and growth in the state of Louisiana and particularly in this region. And as you know, Mark, we have an excellent working relationship with the Louisiana Economic Development Agency in Baton Rouge. Susan Bourgeois, as you know, is a former chair of GNO Inc. Rachel Schills works there who worked at GNO Inc. for a number of years. So we work in collaboration with LED, and that has basically been extremely beneficial, we believe, for both organizations.

SPEAKER_05 4:31

Yeah, and it's a people centered organization who've got some great talent. We do uh on staff. You want to go.

SPEAKER_01 4:37

Starting with Michael Heck. I mean, you know, is there a better CEO? Is there a better CEO? Michael Better Advocate for the region. Better advocate for the region. Michael is smart, he's focused, but he actually advocates for what's important in this region. And what's great about Michael is he's an excellent cheerleader on top of it. Anything that's great that goes on, he is telling the public about it. So you know he kind of does his GNO Inc. Sunday night highlights. And that keeps all of us surprised as to all the great stuff going on in this region because we think it's important for us, those of us who live here, to be positive about the great things going on as opposed to sometimes we get a little negative. Let's focus on the positive so we can continue to improve. Yeah, thank you for that.

SPEAKER_05 5:29

We hear for the phrase inclusive economic development a lot. Yep. What does that actually look like in practice for our region?

SPEAKER_01 5:36

Well, bottom line is I think inclusive economic development means that we want everyone to be successful. We want everyone to be prosperous. You know, rising tide lifts all boats. And I use this analogy when we spoke about it during the annual luncheon on February 27th. Bottom line is I use Jazz Fest as the analogy. When we're at Jazz Fest, people of all types are hanging out together. You have CEOs hanging out with school teachers, you have people that drive buses, hanging out with entrepreneurs. All races, all ethnicities, all ages, all professions, everybody is hanging out and having a great time. That level of diversity and inclusion is what makes this region so great, as you know, Mark. That's who we are. We are diverse, we are inclusive. So we want to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to benefit from economic prosperity. And I'll use a quote from Dr. Norman C. Francis. As you know, we lost Dr. Francis the day after Mardi Gras this year, but he was an iconic leader in every way possible. And he one time, he once said, we have to be able to make decisions about who needs certain things to live a life, go to school, or anything else that is a part of living. And I think that sums it up as to what we're talking about with inclusive economic development.

SPEAKER_05 7:15

Dr. Francis, I'm I'm so glad you you quoted him. Um there's a specific example I want to speak to now. Super Bowl 59. Yes. You were very, very much involved, especially around supplier diversity and creating opportunities for local businesses. Why was that such an important focus, particularly for you?

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Well, one, I was honored when um J. Cicero, who's the CEO of the Greater New Orleans Sports Foundation, and I am honored to serve on that board and that executive committee, and Marcus Brown, who you know did an amazing job as chair of the host committee when they asked me to chair the source program or supplier diversity. That's something I believe in. I believe in racial diversity, I believe in ethnic diversity, I believe in economic diversity, but I also believe that our businesses who are in this region should have an opportunity to have an economic benefit when major events like the Super Bowl come to New Orleans or come to the state. So what was great about the Source program is businesses that were in that 10 parish region, kind of the same region that GNO Inc. covers, these businesses were able to participate in the program, apply, be certified. If they were selected to be a part of the program, then they went into a directory. And that means all of the top contractors were able to look at that directory as the source, hence, source program, and say, you know what? I can get my floor arrangements from company A. I can get um barricades and fences from company B. And these were local companies in this region who had an opportunity to perform on a worldwide stage, and they did, and they did an amazing job, Mark.

SPEAKER_05 9:04

And instead of these companies coming from out of town to do this, we've got we've got the resources, the assets here to make it happen.

SPEAKER_01 9:11

We always have the resources and the assets. We have to stop thinking we can't compete with everyone. We put on the biggest shows in the world, and we do it seamlessly. So we have to continue and remind ourselves of that every day. We are the best, we can do the best, and I'm proud of us.

SPEAKER_05 9:32

And I think we're sort of a role model for the NFL. But back in 2013, I believe, was uh another aspect of the uh diversity program. Absolutely, when we had the Super Bowl before. Trevor Burrus, Jr. And you were involved back in the uh in those days as well.

SPEAKER_01 9:46

I I try to be involved. To be honest, Mark, I'm getting a little gray hair now. So as we move forward, I will probably not be as involved. You've written the book.

SPEAKER_06 9:55

I know, as we have been.

SPEAKER_01 9:57

But bottom line is I care about what happens to this city, I care about what happens to this region. I'm a native New Orleanian, as are you, and we care.

SPEAKER_05 10:06

Yeah. You know, you have helped um role model, uh, I'll use that phrase again, um about community leadership. You know, you've really stepped up on so many uh areas of involvement in our region. How do we create more pathways for the next generation?

SPEAKER_01 10:24

Sometimes well, first of all, I'm a huge believer in mentorship. Um I try to mentor on a day-to-day basis, not just at my law firm, but with young people that I work with in other organizations or bluntly young people who just call me out of the blue. They may see me speak somewhere, or they may meet me at a reception, a function, or whatever the case may be. I also try to speak every year at the Women's Leadership Academy. You know, our good friend Tanya Tetlow started that when she was president of Loyola University. So I speak every year there to kind of create opportunities for people to recognize we all are leaders and we all have the capacity to be leaders. But also once we mentor younger people that are coming up, we also have to start getting out of their way. We can't just continue to occupy space as Mark, you and I get a little bit more gray hair. These young people are talented, they're smart, they're aggressive, they know what they're doing. So we also have to start pulling, getting out of the way, and creating a path for them to step up and be the true leaders that they are.

SPEAKER_05 11:32

That's good, that's a good thing for all of us to remember. Um you, let's talk about you as a leader. You've been a trailblazer, Kim, uh, in so many different uh things legal profession, civic leadership. Uh what inspired you for serving like this?

SPEAKER_01 11:48

I would probably say the main thing that inspired me for at least trying to serve um are my parents. Um similar to you, Mark, and I think you met my parents before they passed away. I had the most amazing and phenomenal parents in the world. I'm a little biased, but not that biased. And my mother was a public school teacher for 30 years, brilliant. My father was a postal clerk, but they really pushed my brother and I to accept the mantra of to whom much is given, much is expected. And we did not grow up with a lot of money, but we grew up in a loving household with encouragement, support, um, a focus on education from an entire family standpoint. And my parents truly believed, and I truly believe, that it takes a village. So I had support from everyone as I was coming up, and I believe I have an obligation to try to give a little bit of that back, maybe to some younger people who don't have necessarily the same support network. So I really believe in that.

SPEAKER_05 12:55

Yeah. It's I'd like to ask you what's your favorite nonprofit that you've worked with, but that'd be like asking what's your favorite child, I know.

SPEAKER_01 13:02

Yeah, it kind of would be. Now, right now, every nonprofit I work with is my favorite nonprofit. But and and clearly, GNO Inc. is always gonna be at the top because of the impact that GNO Inc. has with the entire region.

SPEAKER_05 13:19

Yeah, you're affecting so many lives. Uh directly and indirectly. Um I'd love to ask how do you experience New Orleans? Now we're gonna get to the official New Orleans questionnaire shortly. But you know, you're out and about so many different things, but how does New Orleans come alive for you uh in the culture, the music, the restaurants? What's the Kim Boyle New Orleans like?

SPEAKER_01 13:41

All of that. As I just told you before we started, Mark, I don't cook at all. Anyone who knows you don't cook? I don't cook, Mark. I don't even buy food that can be cooked. So I don't cook at all.

SPEAKER_05 13:54

You're like a great restaurant patron, would you?

SPEAKER_01 13:56

I eat out all the time, and that's one of the ways in which I'm able to stay close to my friends and hang out. We try different restaurants.

SPEAKER_05 14:07

And feed the economy, too.

SPEAKER_01 14:08

And feed the economy. I was just at Castera, um Spanish restaurant on Britannia on Friday night. I go to Houston's all the time, I go to Chapter Four all the time, I go to Dickie Chase all the time. I like to try new restaurants. Um I was at Doris Metropolitan just this past week. So I eat out all the time, but I'm a huge music person, as you know, Mark. So I'm going to the juvenile concert on Friday night. All right. Um I was at the Queen's concert, what, a week and a half ago? Um Patty LaBelle, Gladys Knight, Stephanie Mills, Shaka Khan. It was quite the concert. You know I was at Jazz Fest. So I went from the Eagles on Saturday, which was one of the hugest crowds I have seen. It looked like it might have um come close to the stones.

SPEAKER_05 14:59

I saw some of the drone footage. Yes. And it was amazing. It was amazing. It spilled out over into Gentili Boulevard.

SPEAKER_01 15:07

I think it was out on the street. And remember, that's the first time I ever heard of the foundation cutting off selling tickets on Saturday, that last Saturday. They I think they stopped selling tickets at like 230 or 30.

SPEAKER_04 15:22

They reached their capacity.

SPEAKER_01 15:23

They reached capacity. And of course, I was there for Earth, Wind and Fire, the Elements of the Universe on Sunday. So I'm all in on the music and the culture.

SPEAKER_05 15:32

I'm all in, Mark. 365. 365 all day, every day. Love it. Um, you spend so much time focusing on the future of the region. What do you see right now and get that gives you that confidence for the future of uh of the region and GNO Inc. and what it's doing?

SPEAKER_01 15:49

Well, what I see right now, one, is a lot of optimism. And I think that people's feelings about where they live actually has a positive impact in moving us forward. So I see a lot of optimism. I see us continuing as we have always done, because I push back against the idea that we do not support our city and we do not support our region. You and I saw this after Katrina. How we as a region and city came together to rebuild when people were telling us we were not coming back. We said we're coming back. I see that now. We want this region to be better, we want this region to be prosperous. I see us continuing to come together. You see a lot of the students that are graduating from our local universities. Tulane just had its graduation Saturday. Dillard and Xavier had its graduation on Mother's Day weekend. You see a lot of these kids saying, you know what? Instead of moving to D.C., instead of moving to Chicago, instead of moving to New York, I can make a difference here. So we see our young people being invested in this region and what we can accomplish. And I see the collaboration. We see New Orleans working with the surrounding parishes. Mayor Moreno has been very specific about saying she believes in collaboration. So she and the other parish presidents have been meeting on a regular basis to try to talk about how we can collaborate to bring in big business as opposed to all of us competing against each other and possibly losing those opportunities. It raises all boats. Absolutely. Rising tide raises all boats. Well, you are the best cheerleader. Well, thank you so much. I'm honored to be a cheerleader.

SPEAKER_05 17:39

All right, so we're gonna go to the official New Orleans question there. Are you ready? Okay. All right, here's the first one. What is the best poor boy?

SPEAKER_01 17:52

Best poor boy, Bukerson's hot sausage, poor boy, Jazz Fest.

SPEAKER_05 17:59

We had Vance on the show. You gotta be kidding. But a couple of weeks ago, and the only thing I I failed to do was ask him to bring a sample. Okay. All right, so you have an opportunity to see one New Orleans musical artist, dead or alive, in concert. Who would it be and where would you see that?

SPEAKER_01 18:14

And they have to be from New Orleans, though.

SPEAKER_05 18:16

New Orleans musical artist.

SPEAKER_01 18:18

Okay. I just saw the show that Trombone Shorty has at the Sanger, first weekend of Jazz Fest. It was his birthday show. I think he turned 40. That show is amazing because he brings in everybody. So you would do that again? Absolutely. He had Mavis Staples, he had Jill Scott, he had Kermit Ruffin open for him. It was an amazing production. Love it, love it, love it. I'm all in. But Juvenile is a close second. Juvenile and Manny Fresh, close second.

SPEAKER_05 18:46

You can have you can have one, two, and three. Okay. All right. What is your favorite New Orleans smell?

SPEAKER_01 18:51

Oh, wow. Ooh, smell? I don't know. Um, I'm sure some type of indigenous flower or plant. Okay. Because New Orleans smells can kind of go off the rail a minute, Mark. So I'm not sure how to answer that.

SPEAKER_05 19:11

We've had some really interesting answers to this question.

SPEAKER_01 19:14

Okay, I you threw me off on that one.

SPEAKER_05 19:16

But let me go with like you're thinking about it like um chamellia or yes, that works for me. All right, very good. That works for me. All right, Monigram or Jazz Fest? Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest, Jazz Fest. All right, gotcha. What is your Saints Mount Rushmore look like? Who's on that Mount Rushmore for the Saints?

SPEAKER_01 19:34

Oh, wow. I mean, all these guys, I mean, Deuce, Drew Brees, Kamara, I mean Cam Jordan, the current crop. Um, going back, obviously, you have to go back to people like, you know, Archie Manning before we got him there. I mean Willie Rolfe. Yeah, Willie Rolfe. I mean, all these guys. It can't be a huge mountain. Exactly. And these guys just gave it their all. They're so committed to the city and so committed to the Saints. All right. Chicken or seafood gumbo? Seafood all day, every day. We live in New Orleans, Mark. All right.

SPEAKER_05 20:13

Yes, ma'am. All right. Yes, seafood. What is your favorite New Orleans movie or TV series?

SPEAKER_01 20:20

Oh, that's a tough one. Um, I guess probably Tremay from a TV series standpoint, particularly, you know, coming on the heels of Katrina.

SPEAKER_04 20:33

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:33

And we had so many amazing actors from New Orleans in that. So I guess probably Treme. And I have to give shout out to my schoolmate from Ben Franklin, Wendell Pierce. Brilliant, brilliant, brilliant, very good New Orleans actor.

SPEAKER_05 20:52

Very good. All right, here's one neutral ground or sidewalk side?

SPEAKER_01 20:57

Neutral ground.

SPEAKER_05 20:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

Gotta hang with the neutral ground.

SPEAKER_05 21:01

All right. What's your earliest memory of visiting the French Quarter?

SPEAKER_01 21:06

Oh, I know my earliest memory of visiting the French Quarter. As I said, my father was a postal clerk and he worked at the main post office. And he used, remember the old Woolworths?

SPEAKER_04 21:17

Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:18

He used to get Canal Street. Yes, the hot donuts from the old Woolworths. Remember, I'm almost 64.

SPEAKER_06 21:26

Oh wow.

SPEAKER_01 21:26

And he would bring us into the quarter. I used to shop with my mom. Remember when there was Krausis? Remember when there was DH Holmes on Canal Street, Maison Blanche. Oh, yeah. We used to get dressed up to shop back then, Mark. So I had my little purse, my little patent leather purse, and my little gloves and a cute little dress. So those are great memories of being with my parents and being able to experience this city. That's beautiful.

SPEAKER_05 21:58

Thank you. Dead or alive, who is The one person you'd like to take to lunch, and where would you take them in New Orleans?

SPEAKER_01 22:06

Now the person doesn't have to be from New Orleans.

SPEAKER_05 22:08

Uh it doesn't have to be from New Orleans, but and it can be a live person or pass a person who's passed, but we'd want you to take them to New Orleans restaurant, where would you take them? Who would it be and where would you take them?

SPEAKER_01 22:19

Okay, this is probably based on the fact that I recently took a trip to South Africa.

SPEAKER_06 22:25

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:25

Which was transformative to me. And the person I always wanted to meet was President Nelson Mandela.

SPEAKER_06 22:33

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 22:33

So if I had had the opportunity to know President Mandela when he was alive, I would take him to Dickey Chase restaurant.

SPEAKER_05 22:42

Oh, okay. That would be special.

SPEAKER_01 22:44

That would be extremely special.

SPEAKER_05 22:46

And he would have loved it. Yeah. What is your favorite New Orleans song? It's either a song about New Orleans or a song by a New Orleans artist.

SPEAKER_01 22:56

My favorite New Orleans song is it's more from a New Orleans artist. It is Louis Armstrong, what a wonderful world. Doesn't get any better than that. My dad, whenever we would go to Commander's Palace or any of the other local restaurants for brunch when my parents were alive, he would always ask the jazz trio to play that.

SPEAKER_05 23:20

That's special. What is the one New Orleans food item you cannot live without? Oysters.

SPEAKER_01 23:27

All day, every day. And red beans, which I'm gonna have tonight.

SPEAKER_05 23:31

All right, but tell me your oysters are raw. Are they baked? Are they broiled?

SPEAKER_01 23:37

All of the above. I had raw oysters Saturday for lunch. I love charbroil oysters from Drago's and Neo's. And I love a phenomenal fried oyster pullboy, but the oysters have to be fried hard, great, French bread, buttered, pickles, hot sauce. Doesn't get any better market. Oh, and I had a great oyster pull boy during Jazz Fest. It was amazing. Oh wow.

SPEAKER_05 24:08

All right. Here's your last one.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_05 24:10

In five words or less, why do you love New Orleans?

SPEAKER_01 24:14

The people make us who we are.

SPEAKER_05 24:17

Beautiful. Thank you. Kim, thank you so very much.

SPEAKER_01 24:20

Thank you, Mark. Thank you for having me. This was one.

SPEAKER_05 24:29

And with your enthusiasm, we just have everywhere to go now. This is terrific.

SPEAKER_01 24:35

Thank you, Mark, for having us. You've always been a cheerleader and you've always supported everything going on in this city. So thank you, my friend.

SPEAKER_05 24:41

Well, you're most welcome. You know, the the people that you work with and the partnerships that you've created and the momentum that you're bringing to uh Great New Orleans Inc. in in the region uh is something that we should all uh be very thankful for. So have a great day.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

I will try my best on the Monday. See you soon, yes? Absolutely. We'd love to come back.

SPEAKER_05 25:00

Thank you so very much. Kim Boyle, ladies and gentlemen, and with that, we'll be right back with more of the Mark Roaming Show. Still ahead on the Mark Roamick Show, we'll sit down with Ashley Hansen for On the Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods, as we talk about New Orleans snowballs and a family legacy. Then on Move the Chains, Mike De Tilier joins us to break down the latest Saints offseason storylines and what fans should be watching as we get closer to football season. And in five minutes with, presented by New Orleans and Company, we're joined by Stephen Watson, the president and CEO of the National World War II Museum, to talk Memorial Day, D-Day, in preserving the stories of the greatest generation. Stay with us. There's more to come on the Mark Romick Show. Move the Chains. All right, it is time for Move the Chains. And when it comes to the NFL draft, the Saints, LSU football, few people know it better than this guest. He's legendary, he's got a scouting voice, NFL analyst, and a familiar face and voice to sports fans across Louisiana. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Mike DeTilier. Thank you, Mark.

SPEAKER_02 26:11

Pleasure to be here. The voice gives me a weight.

SPEAKER_05 26:16

I have listened to you on the radio for so many years, and I always feel smarter after I hear your voice.

SPEAKER_02 26:24

Well, thank you. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_05 26:26

All right, let's start with the big picture. After looking at the Saints' entire draft class, what's your biggest takeaway?

SPEAKER_02 26:32

What I do is I look at the whole picture with it. Not only draft, but also free agency. It's the old Ronald Reagan line from 1980, but you condense it. Are you better off today than you were four years ago? Are you for the Saints? Are you better off today than you were at the end of the season? And the answer is yes. You better off. And you've built around what you think is going to be your premier quarterback. And, you know, take on by picking up Travis A. Chan, uh, who I covered in high school. Wow. Uh David Edwards, who's a really good offensive guard, um, Ty Chandler, who will help you, backup running back, return game, Noah Fant at tight end. So many of these, you know, 13 personnel, now today, three tight ends. And then you pick up Jordan Tyson, Oscar Delp. You're better off today. Now, how quickly you can assimilate all that together is the key. And that's the key in free agency, not only in pro sports, also in college athletics. You better you're better off today, and you think about Ryan Wright coming in at punter. That was an issue with this team. You pick up Barry and Brown. He returned six returns in college for touchdowns. And uh that is uh a huge part of this game, setting up field position. And when you traded Rasheed Shahid, you knew you were gonna lose that element. Defensively is where the question marks come in. Uh, I think Caden Ellis is a really good player. Is he as good as DiMario Davis? No. But is the locker room presence, the leadership? Yeah. And Elante Taylor. I think that's the big question mark at that star position inside in the slot. But are you better off overall today? You better believe it.

SPEAKER_05 28:30

Was there one particular pick where you thought, ah, that's a classic Saints move, whether by fit or value or the need that we had?

SPEAKER_02 28:39

Second round, Christian Miller. Uh, because I have seen him from his high school days all the way through college. And he was always used as a run stuffer. But he he's a really good athlete and can blow up the launch pad of a quarterback. I think that's crucial in this league to get pressure from inside. Love the Christian Miller pick. And I think Oscar Delp, his roommate or teammate at Georgia, he'll end up being a better pro player than he was a college player at Georgia at tight end. And now with three tight ends, that that's the vogue thing now in the NFL. Uh Sean McVay did it in LA because he had to. Oh, my receivers got hurt. I got three big tight ends. Then you can't substitute on me. If you get small, then I'll mash you. I'll run the football. But then I got three tight ends that are six foot four plus. Match up with that.

unknown 29:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 29:38

And so everybody wants to do it.

SPEAKER_05 29:40

Every draft has a surprise or two. Was there one that surprised you? For the Saints?

SPEAKER_02 29:46

Uh, I was surprised that Lance from North Dakota State lasted as long as he did. Um tall, linear receiver. Yeah. Um averaged over 21 yards a catch. And you're like, whoa, big play guy there. And um so he was the surprise. But this draft's always going to be looked at at the with the first round pick. And the question mark was not Jordan Tyson's talent, it was the injuries uh with him. Uh had he been healthy, he would have been the fourth pick, and Cornell Tate would have likely been there when the Saints selected. But because of the injuries, I think it um and it does even for me, doing this all issues. It there's always a question mark. And uh I'll talk to Dean Kleinsmith, always tells me, uh, Michael, I'm the guy who flunked Thurman Thomas from being a New Orleans Saint. Coach Mora and Jim Finks wanted him. And they were like, Dean, you gotta pass him physical. He said, uh, he flunked it physical. His knee is too loose. Uh he heard it in a pickup basketball game uh at Oklahoma State. He's like, uh, he didn't miss a lot of time in the NFL. So sometimes the medicals don't always work out that way. Theremith Thomas is in Pro Football's Hall of Fame.

SPEAKER_05 31:11

Yeah. Well, we're hoping the best for Jordan Tyson. Because he is immensely gifted, Mark. You know, we're always focusing on the draft picks, but sometimes the undrafted free agents end up sticking. Is there a name Saints fans should start paying attention to?

SPEAKER_02 31:25

Had he not had some off-the-field issues, and he had foot surgery right at the combine, is Xavier Harris, the big defensive tackle from Ole Miss. You know, a lot of human beings that are six foot seven and three-quarters, 320 pounds, uh, I think he's got an 86-inch wingspan. Wow. So he can play to run. Uh he's got to get better technically, and I think if he's mature, that's a spot for him on this football team. On offense, CJ Donaldson from Ohio State, uh, he's a big thumper back. He I watched him at West Virginia and he transferred. So when it was third and one, they gave it to Donaldson, he gets three yards. They get in the red zone. He led Ohio State and touched scored touchdowns last year rushing. I think that's a spot for him on this football team.

SPEAKER_05 32:17

So you you believe we've addressed the biggest weaknesses for the most part.

SPEAKER_02 32:22

I would still like to get one, I want I want Cam Jordan back on this football team. Uh because I think you've not gonna replace his production and his leadership. Secondly, the slot corner uh is something of a concern for me that I would like to get a guy who's versatile, that could play corner, could play the nickel, could play safety. Uh that would be the one area that I would really like to upgrade. Still.

SPEAKER_05 32:51

Yeah. All right, so we get through um camp starting the season. What's the storyline going into the season for the season?

SPEAKER_02 32:59

Easy development of Tyler Shuck. Because doing this all these years, sometimes you have the Drake May syndrome, second year, everything works out. And there's a lot of similarities between Drake May physically and Tyler Shuck physically. But he had he had good guys around him. And man, they caught lightning in the bottle last year. That won't happen this year. Way too many distractions off the field. But um I flip it, Jaden Daniels was great in year one. Everybody got a good look at him. Uh, even before the injuries, uh, he wasn't the guy that we saw in year one. His development is the key to this football team. There is no question about it. Because you can see the immense talent. He's a leader, he can handle everything around the vortex of the tornado that comes with playing quarterback. And um I think that's gonna be the key this year. The second thing I would throw out is in the last three years, this football team has been 10 wins, 15 losses at home. That has to change. You have to get back that dome field advantage and winning at home. You can't win 40% of your games at home uh and expect that you can make a playoff run. Yeah, so I think Shuck's development, winning at home, getting the fans pumped up. That little word, they got it now. Yeah, I hear it everywhere I go, hope. Because Tyler Shuck, because they haven't seen nothing like that. You know, the plan didn't work when Drew Brees left. Yeah, didn't work, but it might now.

SPEAKER_05 34:47

It might. We sense that enthusiasm. No question. Everyone that we're speaking with. All right, let's switch over to LSU football, Coach Lane Kiffin. How are you feeling?

SPEAKER_02 34:57

Well, they spent over $40 million in the uh portal, so uh it better work. He got a nice contract. Uh he is used of the NIL portal world. Because he jumped in it before most coaches did. Yeah, uh, he was not knee deep, he was thigh deep in it. I mean, he was way up in it. I have not seen a run like LSU. Uh I was way too young, but I heard my dad and grandfather and uncles talk about what Johnny Vaught did, late 50s into the 60s at Ole Miss. We haven't seen that until Kiffin comes in. And then now what he's got. Uh Sam Levitt is the key on offense. Uh, but uh I think they found a big thump runner in Dylan Jones from Wisconsin. They got a great football player in Trey Dazz. Uh there ain't a lot of six foot-seven tight ends that can run like him. Um their offense will be okay. The thing is, can you get a pass rush? I don't this is just my feeling from doing this 40 years plus. Nothing wins more games in the fourth quarter than a pass rush. So you go out, you get Francois Human Meelen from Ole Miss, Justin Ross from Tennessee, Sick'em. Get after the quarterback. And the health of Whitweeks, uh, who was there already. Right. But um I think everybody is bullish on LSU that they can get into the 12 team championship run in year one. And uh you got a coach that is used of everything happening around and dealing with young players, there is no coach in any profession that has used social media like what Lane Kiffin has. He relates to that. See, people like us, we didn't grow up with it, so we don't get it. But if you 15, 17, 19 years old, man, like the coach Fallershoe is on social media and he he's kind of I can relate to that, yeah. Talk talking trash a little bit to another guy. Yeah, hey, they understand that.

SPEAKER_04 37:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 37:15

But we didn't, because we didn't grow up with that.

SPEAKER_05 37:18

Yeah, I know you and Coach O are close, right? How instrumental was he in getting Coach Kiffin to leave Ole Miss, do you think?

SPEAKER_02 37:26

Had nothing to do with it. Nothing to do. Nothing to do with it. That really was a connection. I think the guy I think that tied the uh everything together was Nick Saban. Uh Verge Osbury and Nick go back a long way, and I think it was Coach Saban.

SPEAKER_05 37:42

Because they had a relationship when Coach Saban was at LSU. Yeah, at LSU and Verge was there.

SPEAKER_02 37:48

And so I think there is no doubt in my mind, had that Nick Saban told him don't take the job, he wouldn't have. I think he told him, hey, this is the spot for you. If you're gonna move, this is the place. And you, you know, when you have the blessing of the governor of the state of Louisiana, that does help you too.

SPEAKER_05 38:11

Sure. Um, so with the transfer portal, do you think the Tigers have addressed their needs, or is there still somebody out there that they're gonna be able to do?

SPEAKER_02 38:19

I always think like a coach, I always would want another defensive lineman, another cover guy. Yeah uh I just maybe because I got coaches in my family and I've done this for so long that I always look at that. But I think for the most part, he's addressed a lot. The thing is continuity, how quickly this comes together. And I will say this, and doing this for a long period of time, if they beat Clemson and win game two, and Ole Miss beats Louisville and wins game two. That third week of the season, you would have to basically put your house up for sale to get tickets to that game of LSU Ole Miss, and you better have security.

SPEAKER_05 39:08

And where are they playing that game?

SPEAKER_02 39:09

And they're playing it in his old place. So uh yeah, uh Deuce has the line about uh he came home with me one day. He's like, Mike, I got something to say before you ask me something. I was like, give it to me, Deuce. He said, I'll have no tickets, no condo, so no one asked me about uh LSU Ole Miss.

SPEAKER_05 39:26

And you're not even gonna be able to put a tent somewhere in Oxford at that point.

SPEAKER_02 39:29

Yeah, but and it's gonna be a good one. And it's gonna be game day. It is gonna be a crazy atmosphere, and you think later in the year, everybody talks about LSU, Alabama, and LSU, Texas. They do play Tennessee. The last time Lane went over there, man, they had golf balls and mustard bottles thrown at him. So um that ought to be quite an adventure, too.

SPEAKER_05 39:55

All right, speaking of prognostications, um, how do you see the Saints in in uh LSU this year?

SPEAKER_02 40:01

I think LSU's a nine-win football team. And I think they can maybe squeeze in. Maybe squeeze in. Yeah. Uh for the Saints, uh Vegas has it at it at six and a half. It went to seven. It's on the verge of seven and a half. Uh I think this team is I think this team will either be a eight and nine team or a nine and eight team.

SPEAKER_05 40:28

And I think south has you hitting the tape all at the same time.

SPEAKER_02 40:33

The Panthers, the Bucks, Saints. I'm really not sure what the Falcons are doing. And trying to piece something together. And I do know one thing, uh Tua Tonga Valor is gonna be their starting quarterback. It's not gonna be Michael Penix, it's gonna be Tua. They didn't bring him there to hold a clipboard, you know, and give advice. He's there to be the starter. So I think they all hit the tape at the same time. Those games late and how it's set up. And if I'm the networks, I know exactly what I'm doing. I'm gonna have that Saints, you know, Carolina, Saints Tampa, Saints Atlanta down the stretch. Three out of the last four games.

SPEAKER_05 41:18

NFC South is gonna be uh in in play.

SPEAKER_02 41:21

Yeah, and hopefully uh I I think the X factor for the Saints, too, is I'll throw this out, is the health of Eric McCoy. Because for two years, uh he's been down for a huge portion of both seasons. This team is much better up front with Eric McCoy. He's one of the top three to four centers in the entire National Football League. And with a young quarterback, I take over making the calls up front, especially when they blitz me inside, and I can pick that up. I can relay that to the two guards, the two tackles, the tight ends. I can relay all that. His health is a huge factor in the Saints this year. He plays 17 games. I would say they're a nine-win team. That's how important he is and how good he is uh for the Saints.

SPEAKER_05 42:18

Yeah, exciting. Um tell us what your summer is going to be like.

SPEAKER_02 42:22

Other than doing um three camps, that's local where I live at Manning Passing Academy, Louisiana Lion Camp with 84-year-old Pete Jenkins running the camp. And then um Dr. David Elias with Arthur LA, he has the pro football combine. Uh, all at Nichols State University. So that'll be a big part of my summer, along with doing sports talk uh virtually daily, I say. Virtually daily. Virtually daily. Yeah, yeah. I'm better than Abear. I'll show up on Monday through Thursday. Uh he he takes a he takes time off. He got to calm his nerves for the football season.

SPEAKER_05 42:59

Y'all, y'all are great partners. Thank you. I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_02 43:02

And we and we uh we enjoy doing it and uh and we got stories.

unknown 43:07

Yes.

SPEAKER_02 43:07

Most of them we can't tell on the air, but we got stories.

SPEAKER_05 43:09

We got good stories. Have both of y'all on the show one day when schedules are working.

SPEAKER_02 43:15

Yeah, uh and I might get a word or two in when he slows down. He's like the record, eventually it stops.

SPEAKER_05 43:21

Well listen, we look forward to um everything that you're bringing to the game. Uh and just it helps us understand the game so much better. Well, I appreciate that. Saints or LSU and um have a great summer and let's let's get those wins.

SPEAKER_02 43:34

Let's get it, because uh people are so much happier when the Saints and LSU and and now, you know, uh Tooling fans too. I mean, you know, because you went through that run with Coach Summer all and now it's like, oh, he's in Florida now. But if I take up you know, my vehicle to go to Mississippi on Mondays, I can tell if the Saints LSU win. You know, because if they don't win, nobody comes up to me, Mike, man, what do I? But if they win, oh, hey, is you saw what Tyler Shuck did? Yeah, you know, and Alice, you got to get rid of the coach.

SPEAKER_05 44:13

Mondays are always sweeter.

SPEAKER_02 44:14

Oh, much, much better. And uh uh Dilla Berta used to always tell me, buddy used to always say, Mike, I'm gonna tell you something about losing. It gets people all riled up, so we get a lot more callers that way. But you enjoy doing sports talk when they win, not when they lose.

SPEAKER_05 44:29

Exactly. Well, thanks for being with us, Mike.

SPEAKER_02 44:32

Appreciate it.

SPEAKER_05 44:37

Okay, y'all, it's time for On the Table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods. And you know, with summer now upon us, today we're gonna cool things down as you can see in front of me here with one of New Orleans' most iconic sweet treats. Hanson's Snow Blitz has been serving up these legendary snowballs for generations. And today we're joined by Ashley Hansen. Thank you, Ashley, to talk flavors, family, and New Orleans tradition. Welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_07 45:04

Thank you for inviting me.

SPEAKER_05 45:06

And you brought product. I brought some cold treats. This is fantastic.

SPEAKER_07 45:11

Air conditioning for your tummy.

SPEAKER_05 45:12

Yes, I can't wait to get into it as as the crew will want to get into it as well. Um for people who may not realize it, there is a big difference between a snow cone and a snowball.

SPEAKER_07 45:23

Right. Talk about the side. We get this question a lot at the stand. And it's mostly people from out of town will say, I'd like a snow cone, and we immediately know to ask, where are you from? And um we explain that what we do is very different here in New Orleans. We uh finely shave the ice um to these like high quality standards of fluffiness, and then we drench the snow with simple syrup of all kinds. And so I think really the difference between a snow cone and a snowball is a con a fluffy confection made with uh sugar, water, ice, and love. And then a snow cone you can justify anywhere else in the right.

SPEAKER_05 46:15

I'm getting closer and closer to these six beautiful products here. Um y'all are an iconic New Orleans institution. Uh you're carrying on a family tradition. Talk to us about uh the that tradition, how it got started and and your role.

SPEAKER_07 46:32

So uh the snowball stand is 87 years old. Um my grandfather made the first electric ice shaving machine in 1934. Um he made his first prototype. Uh it was it's made of wood on the inside and wrapped in sheet metal. And if you put on a motor on it today, it would probably still run. Um once he assembled this contraption uh and figured out they figured out that it was gonna work really well, he set to build the one that we use today that's on the counter, and the machine that we use today is 87 years old.

SPEAKER_05 47:08

Oh wow. So you're carrying on the tradition now.

SPEAKER_07 47:13

Yes, I um grew up in the snowball stand. I've been making snowballs every summer since I was 15. And um I got to know my grandparents very well working with them, and um they were everything to me.

SPEAKER_05 47:31

Yeah, you know what's so important too is uh detail and in any successful operation, and y'all really pay attention to the details. I mean you're legendary syrups, right? But that's so unique. What is that process like, the creativity around it?

SPEAKER_07 47:46

Well it's a group, it's a group project, it's a group effort. Um I am nothing without my my team at the snowball stand. Um I I count on them and we have an understanding of what goes the hard work that it takes to produce a delicious snowball. And everyone at the stand feels the same way. We're all obsessed with the quality of the snow or what this would taste like with this, and and um not to mention customer service is super important. So we try to give um five-star customer service at even just our cinder block building on Chapatullah Street, just like my grandparents would have done.

SPEAKER_05 48:31

Yes. It you know, you pass it and there's always a line. But the line moves fast. Sometimes I don't know.

SPEAKER_07 48:42

That's a really good question.

SPEAKER_05 48:44

A lot. A lot. A lot of colors.

SPEAKER_07 48:46

Over, I mean, over 50, maybe 90. I don't know. Yeah. I don't know.

SPEAKER_05 48:51

There's a there's a flavor, I can tell you, there's a flavor for every taste. Yes. Truly there's a flavor for every taste.

SPEAKER_07 48:57

Well, I think that also reflects the diverse and dynamic community that we serve.

SPEAKER_06 49:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 49:03

Like just we have such a range of customers, old, new, young, um, that it's just fun to meet the customer where they are at the counter. And I know that sounds hokey, but to be to ask them what they like, that's where it all begins. Right. You know, like they're like, well, what's the best? And we always say, well, the best is what you like. You know, and then we go from there.

SPEAKER_05 49:26

Yeah, if someone's visiting New Orleans for the very first time and they're now on Chapatula Street, they're in front of your um your legendary establishment, and they're only gonna get one snowball, one Hanson snowball, do you advise them? Or do you is it more of like, well, what's your flavor palette and what color do you like? Or is it like you gotta eat the strawberry?

SPEAKER_07 49:47

No, I try to describe certain aspects of our menu because it's overwhelming. You walk in and there's I don't know the last time you've been there, but there's stuff everywhere. Um, and so a lot of customers walk in and they're like, help me.

SPEAKER_04 50:03

Where do I start?

SPEAKER_07 50:04

Yeah, how do I order? Like, where do I begin? And so usually we start by describing um some of the flavors and intuitively talk to them about what they like. And uh so like you have hard candy sweet flavors like the wild cherries and the lifesaver style flavors, and then you have like the tart flavors that are super sour, like lemonade and setsuma, limeade, and then um, and then you have the freshly juiced or steeped flavors like passion fruit, watermelon, honey lavender, hibiscus, and um and so on. And then you have what my grandmother really loved were are our cream flavors. And then um that's like gonna be your more traditional cream of nectar, you know, what it means to be in New Orleans is like to have a cream of nectar snowball with condensed milk. And so a lot of times I just start there. Like if they if customers try to order banana and they're from San Francisco or someplace, I'm like, maybe not banana. Like, what do you think about how do how would you feel about this?

SPEAKER_04 51:17

Or do visitors um order differently than uh than uh citizens, locals?

SPEAKER_07 51:23

I think locals have a more discerning palate. Like they n they uh are willing to try something different, uh something more unique, more refreshing. Um I feel like visitors are are um not as adventurous, someone not as adventurous, but some are.

SPEAKER_05 51:47

Yeah. Why do you think snowballs have such a deep connection to New Orleans?

SPEAKER_07 51:52

Well, I think snowballs are it it hits the spot when the temperatures start rising.

SPEAKER_06 51:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_07 52:00

You know, there's nothing like something cold to sip on or eat, and it really does bring your body temperature down. Like almost like jumping into a pool, you know, like diving into a pool. Uh is how I feel about having a snowball in August. Yeah. Um my grandfather would say it's air conditioning for your tummy.

SPEAKER_05 52:22

What what's something about Hansen's that surprises people the first time they walk in?

SPEAKER_07 52:28

Um I think a lot of people say, God, you didn't change anything. And so you can really feel like the history and the past, and it um it it it harkens back to a simpler time, you know. Um where less complicated. Yeah, it's flip-flops and stickiness and uh you know, it's just nice. That's it's New Orleans.

SPEAKER_05 52:57

Now you brought some uh of your snowballs here. Can you can you walk through what you have here?

SPEAKER_07 53:02

Um so this is ginger cayenne.

SPEAKER_05 53:05

Ginger cayenne.

SPEAKER_07 53:06

Um uh it's made with freshly juiced ginger, some lemon to make it zing, and a little bit of spiciness, because in New Orleans you're gonna add like Tabasco or cayenne or alcohol to just about anything, you know. Um and then cream of ice cream, cream of nectar, um, because those are traditional, and then passion fruit satsuma, which is one of my favorites, and then freshly juice watermelon, and then pandan and coconut milk.

SPEAKER_05 53:38

Wow, beautiful works of art, each one.

SPEAKER_07 53:42

They taste even better than they look.

SPEAKER_05 53:44

Um final question. If Ashley Hansen was building the perfect snowball from scratch, what's gonna go in that cup?

SPEAKER_07 53:53

Okay. So I've thought about this and I've experienced it, and I've lived to tell the tale. So you first start with passion fruit and setsuma. Okay, and then you layer in ice cream, and then more setsuma, more passion fruit, more snow, and then on top you add condensed milk, crushed pineapple, marshmallow, and a cherry. And you have to dig really deep to get a bunch of all those flavors. But to me, that would be like the epitome of an Ashley Hanson snow. Yeah. Yeah. It's like funky and delicious and tart and New Orleans-y and yum.

SPEAKER_05 54:38

All right. Well, tell the viewers, if you would, um, your hours of operation, uh, address, and uh any special surprises this summer.

SPEAKER_07 54:50

Um let's see. We're closed on Mondays.

SPEAKER_05 54:52

Okay.

SPEAKER_07 54:52

Uh we open at noon, we close at 6. And um And you're located on Chapatula Street. We're located at 4801 Chapatulla Street.

SPEAKER_05 55:01

4801 on the corner. Yes. All right.

SPEAKER_07 55:04

Um corner of Bordeaux.

SPEAKER_05 55:06

Very good. Bordeaux on Chapatula. And the surprise will be when it hits your palate surprise of joy.

SPEAKER_07 55:14

I don't know what if we have any surprises coming up.

SPEAKER_05 55:16

I'll just say it's a surprise of joy. You bring you bring joy to so many people.

SPEAKER_07 55:21

Thank you.

SPEAKER_05 55:21

And so many visitors. You know, with New Orleans and company um has a number of media that come in and out of town, and it seems like they're always bringing them through and just seeing that operation.

SPEAKER_07 55:32

We um we love uh I mean we love New Orleans. You know, like this is home, it's the best place on earth. There's no place I'd rather be. And uh I and you know what really makes up I mean, the people is what makes up New Orleans. Yeah. And so at the snowfall stand, you know, greeting everyone and like to me that's just you have to you have to taste our culture, but you have to like shake hands with our culture. You have to like get into the city and meet people and you know, and I think that's what New Orleans is different than any other place. So well put. And that's why the snowball stand is different, you know. Thank you. Because we talk to people.

SPEAKER_05 56:16

Yeah. Well, we thank you, and we thank everyone. Does that make sense? It does make sense, and it's beautiful in the way you I mean and you create influencers and ambassadors uh who go around the world talking about their experiences in New Orleans. And it starts sometimes with a snowball.

SPEAKER_07 56:33

Right. It's uh it's the ripple effect, right? Like you make a snowball, you make someone smile, and then they make someone smile.

SPEAKER_05 56:40

Thank you. We appreciate you being here um on on the table, sponsored by Blue Runner Foods. And the fact that Hansen's Snow Blizz brings joy to so many people so many days.

SPEAKER_07 56:50

Thank you so much for thanks to Blue Runner.

SPEAKER_05 56:53

Yes. Well, and thank you for bringing snowballs for me and the crew. So we we will jump into those as soon as we um uh take a break. Thanks, Ashley.

SPEAKER_06 57:03

Cheers.

SPEAKER_05 57:09

All right, y'all. It's now time for five minutes with, and this is presented by New Orleans and Company. As Memorial Day approaches, and the anniversary, of course, of D-Day Nears, it's an important time to reflect on the stories, sacrifices, and history that helped shape our nation. And a few places preserve that around the country, but no one, no one does it better than the National World War II Museum right here in New Orleans. And joining us today is Stephen Watson, President and CEO of the Museum. Stephen, it's great to be with you. Great to be with you. Thank you for having me. Thank you so very much. Um it's a very uh important time uh in history uh for us to reflect. Uh but for those who don't know the full story of the National World War II Museum and how it came about and how it became probably the one of the most important museums across the board in the country, give us a little background on that.

SPEAKER_03 57:59

So, short version of the story is um two history professors uh that you uh know well, knew well, uh Dr. Stephen Ambrose and Dr. Nick Mueller, leaders at the University of New Orleans, um, had an idea one afternoon in 1989 that um there needed to be a place in this country to remember and honor the World War II generation. Uh, originally focused on D-Day, I think, for two reasons. One, that was the focus of Dr. Ambrose's work, his research, his oral histories, and importantly, the second reason was an entrepreneur and a boat builder from New Orleans called Andrew Higgins, who built 20,000 landing craft in various sites around New Orleans. Um, one of the key innovations of World War II, um, Ike, who was the supreme commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, said uh the reason we won the war. Um so that's how we got started. And I think uh over the course of 11 years, a lot of ups and downs, the D-Day Museum opens, and I think almost immediately the public, the veteran community, government leaders, donors, our board said, you cannot stop with D-Day. You must go on and tell the whole story of this epic war that literally changed the world. So for 25 years now, or almost 26 years, uh, that's what we have been doing. And the campus that exists today is largely um the vision that was laid out over 20 years ago when we decided to go from being the D-Day Museum to the National World War II Museum.

SPEAKER_05 59:40

There was a moment, though, uh, when Congress actually delineated this museum as the national. What was that moment like?

SPEAKER_03 59:48

Huge moment, huge moment, and uh a lot of credit to our our local delegation and two World War II uh two veterans that were serving in Congress, uh Ted Stevens from Alaska and Daniel Linaway from Hawaii, Medal of Honor recipient. Um they wanted to help. And they knew that um they needed to send a message to the rest of the country that this was the place to tell the story of America's involvement in World War II. So in 2004, with the help of many members of Congress, uh they helped pass um an act of Congress designating us as America's National World War II museum. Critically important. You can imagine traveling to California, New York, even Texas, you know. Um they think why is this museum in New Orleans being able to have that congressional designation as we built a national board, raised money across the country, um, was hugely, hugely important right at the beginning of this expansion. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:00:50

You know, somebody who visits could take several days actually to go through all the exhibits. There's one that always uh gets people talking among so many other ones, and that's the uh Beyond All Boundaries. Uh talk a little bit about that film and who's behind it. And recently it just went through a, I guess, a renovation of the of the film itself. I think technically we're calling it a remastering. Remastered. We had a meeting about that. So that was the word. That's the word you use? Yeah. I sat through the uh one of the uh the first showings of the remastered version.

SPEAKER_03 1:01:21

It is unbelievable. It's spectacular. And and look, I give a lot of credit to Nick Mueller. Um he wanted there to be a big wow show as part of this expansion. And uh he first approached Steven Spielberg. Actually, I think 60th anniversary of D-Day, 2004 in Normandy, he had a conversation with Spielberg about this, and Spielberg told him you need to go talk to Phil Hadema. Phil was the creative genius at Universal Studios for many years, had started his own company, and uh Nick got in touch with Phil and uh the two of them and many others over a five-year period brought to life what is still 17 years later, after it opened, one of the great multimedia museum experiences of any kind in the world. And uh yes, we have given it new life through its remastering from the basic things like new seats and new carpet to new CGI animation, new speakers, new sound system, new rigging. Um it's amazing. It really truly is amazing. And what it does is in an hour, if you don't have a lot of time, it gives you the big picture, the big story of World War II.

SPEAKER_05 1:02:32

Yeah, from start to finish, and then the promise of what the uh what the the meaning of the if there's a meaning to war, what it leaves you with. That's right. What's the next steps? That's right. Um you know we say happy Memorial Day a lot, but at its heart it's really a solemn day of remembrance. Uh we're coming around to that just this um uh just past it, actually.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:55

Uh uh what do you hope people think about when they think about Memorial Day? Uh I say it's the most important day of the year at the museum. Um, you know, 414,000 Americans were killed uh during World War II. There are still 70,000 World War II veterans mission missing in action. I mean, to me, it gets to the essence and the meaning of our mission um at the museum. Uh we often thank veterans for their service on Veterans Day. But Memorial Day is a day dedicated to those who gave their life protecting the freedoms and the democracy that we all enjoy today. And I think that is at the core of who we are and what we represent. And I think our liberation pavilion, you know, which was the last permanent exhibition to open three years ago, I think starts by giving the visitor a sense of the cost of our victory. You know, we want you to understand why we fought the war, how we won it, and I think liberation gets to uh why that should matter. And part of the reason, and a big part of the reason why it should matter, is that um our victory and the freedom was hard won. And 414,000 Americans lost their lives. So Memorial Day is a day to really reflect on that, and I think another important aspect of that is acknowledging the families, the families who lost loved ones, um, the gold star families who every day feel the burden and the weight of the sacrifice that one of their loved ones made. So it's a heavy, important day. Um, and it's always uh wonderful to see the many thousands of people that come to the museum that day to pay their respects. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:04:45

Um it's it's you know, it's uh a lot of people think it's a weekend of quote celebration, but it's really needs to be a weekend of remembrance. That's right. And speaking of remembering, uh D-Day's coming up, the anniversary of D-Day, June uh June 6th. Um, what does that story still um uh mean to you?

SPEAKER_03 1:05:02

And how here we are 80 plus years since. How does it resonate? Uh it's the most important day in the 20th century, in my opinion. Um the pivotal moment in the war. Um, just a huge epic uh day, a huge epic battle, uh turned the tide of the war in Europe, and I think for generations to come will be an event and a and an action that we reflect on. So, yes, it's the 82nd anniversary uh this year. It's goes back to why we are here in New Orleans. And uh I think you know we actually um took the original D-Day exhibit offline earlier uh this winter and are working right now to bring that back to life um next year. Um maybe even on D Day, we'll see. So that's in the original Louisiana book. That's right, in the same location, um, literally. You know, bringing it back to life from from the ground up. So it is uh a huge part of the World War II story, the pivotal battle uh and Europe, and uh I think the complexity of it, what was at stake, um, will always continue to have uh resonance. Yeah.

SPEAKER_05 1:06:16

You have many of the um the greatest generations' voices uh um have come through the museum. Um we're losing those uh j great voices. That's an urgent mission to to keep their memories alive. What are you doing to to do that?

SPEAKER_03 1:06:31

Yeah, I mean I think there were sixteen point one million men and women that served. We have maybe thirty thousand World War II veterans uh alive at this point. I think uh it makes our job and our mission even more important. We're the storyteller as we move forward. And we've spent 25 years building this museum, importantly collecting 12,5,000 of their oral histories so that their voices will always be heard. Um, one of our relatively new exhibits I'm very proud of is Voices from the Front, that in the midst of the pandemic, when no one was traveling, we found a way to get 16 members of the greatest generation to California in a custom-built studio, sat each of them down for three days, asked them 1,800 questions. Now I I don't think I could answer 1,800 questions, but you know, these were men and women at 100 years old, plus or minus. And you can come to the museum today and you can select one of those 16 individuals. One of them is Woody Williams, who was the last surviving Medal of Honor recipient from the war, and you will see Woody sitting in a chair much like this, and you can ask Woody a question and he will answer you in his own words. So it's one thing that we will have at the museum that will allow our visitors, long after we're gone, to continue to have dialogue with World War II veterans. But preserving their voices, preserving their story, um, and making sure that as they pass, the war continues to be in the public consciousness is a huge part of the responsibility that we have. Trevor Burrus, Jr.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:09

And the gift also to their family, family members, you know, their grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:16

Yeah, I was actually a funny story in a way. Um the grandson of Woody Williams came to the museum um about six months after we opened that exhibit. And his first question to his grandfather was, Who was your favorite grandson? Um he didn't get the answer he wanted, but um uh we've tried that in this show with my mother.

SPEAKER_05 1:08:41

She would not give me the answer to her favorite child. Yeah. Um but it it's an amazing opportunity for people to directly touch the people who made the the uh America what it is. That's right. That's right. Um speaking of America, we're coming on our 250th anniversary. The National World War II Museum uh is a bulwark of of freedom. Um if you would reflect on that uh anniversary coming up and how how the museum uh stands as a part of that.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:13

Well, sure. I mean I think if you think over the course of the last 250 years, there have been moments when our democracy and our our freedom and our way of life have been tested. Um and I think that World War II is one of those moments that brought out the best in us. And uh, you know, there's a saying that Stephen Ambrose used to talk about, we're all in this together. Um so I think uh World War II over the last 250 years in our country and in the world was one of those moments where freedom prevailed and democracy uh prevailed. And I think um it's gonna be great to have uh Sale 250 here in the next week or two, and and we've got a couple of things we're doing as part of that. And uh we've had a couple of programs over the last year, one with Rick Atkinson, who did a wonderful um presentation. Um and uh yeah, it's an important moment for our country.

SPEAKER_05 1:10:10

Yeah. I I think as people come to celebr celebrate our freedom in America 250 and also commemorate Memorial Day uh this weekend, they're gonna visit the museum. What's the one thing you want them to leave with? What's what's that message, the most important message for people to leave when they they they leave the museum?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:30

That we have the privilege of living in a great country. We have the privilege of being participants in democracy and enjoying freedom, and that um that freedom has been hard fought and earned. And uh put your phone in your pocket, come spend a day at the museum, and I think you'll be inspired by what we as Americans have achieved, um, the importance of it, and I think uh reflect on that and and think about it through the lens of your own life, through your family that perhaps served, and I think you will leave feeling inspired uh and encouraged and and hopeful for the future. Thank you for that.

SPEAKER_05 1:11:12

Uh the museum has been very fortunate to have a number of of um uh sponsors, um contributors. I think about Boise Bollinger and what he's done with the uh uh his uh philanthropy creating a beautiful canopy. Uh can you give a little background on how that came about?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:30

Yeah, so uh yeah, we have been blessed with so many supporters. In fact, I just the other day we're in a meeting and we've had almost 900,000 people support this museum over the last 26 years. But Boise's at the top of the list. Um when we did the architectural design competition to go from being the D-Day museum to the World War II museum, some of the greatest architects in the world participated. All of them, bar one, designed one big building to house the entire campus. Bart Vorsanger, uh, our architect who ultimately we picked, came down, met with Nick and Boise and a few others, and I think had the sense that um these uh well-intentioned folks from New Orleans may not be able to raise all the money in one phase. So he designed a campus that was going to be a series of pavilions interconnected by bridges, and he believed that there needed to be some open space, a parade ground, a military-style parade ground, and that the significance of our mission and and the importance of the museum was such that it needed an iconic element, something to give the can't the campus a visual identity, and that was the canopy. And there was a lot of debate and discussion about that over the years. When you're raising money for education programs and exhibits, you know, can you really justify an architectural element? That discussion ended when in a board meeting, Boise uh said, Well, I'm I'm gonna pay for it. It's part of the design that we signed up for, it's part of this campus master plan. This is what we believed in. And I think it is, and I think it's a crucial and important part of the campus. And we're grateful for Boise's support of that and so many other things that he's done over the years as well.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:19

Yeah, it's become an architectural masterpiece as people look at the the skyline of the city. It's it's absolutely beautiful, as is the entire campus. And the the Higgins Hotel, the the addition of the uh the uh hotel across the street on Magazine Street has been huge, huge major piece of it.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:36

Yeah, you know, we fill about eighty-five percent of our visitors come from out of state. And about half of those out-of-state visitors are coming to New Orleans with the museum as their primary reason for visiting. So by our math, that's twelve hundred hotel rooms every single night are being filled in New Orleans by the museum. So and as the campus has grown, uh multi-day visits are you know much, much more than they used to be. Like I said earlier, a couple of days at least. At least. Um our educational programs, our groups, our our military training programs that we host there. So the Higgins has become everything that we hoped it would be when we decided to push forward uh with this and uh and really an integral part of the whole mission into campus.

SPEAKER_05 1:14:25

Great. Well congratulations uh on your stewardship and your leadership and uh bright days ahead as we commemorate and remember those that uh fought for our freedom and how we can learn from them. Thank you. Thank you for being with us. Appreciate it. All right, ladies and gentlemen, that's Stephen Watson, President CEO of the National War With II Museum. We'll be back with more of the Mark Romick Show. And now for this week in New Orleans, we go to April Dupree. April, what's happening?

SPEAKER_00 1:14:57

Thanks so much, Mark. Here's where to eat, drink, and play this week in New Orleans. Memorial Day weekend is here. Time to fire up the barbecue pits or let one of these spots do it for you. If you're looking for some of the best classic barbecue, the joint in the bi water, blue oak barbecue in mid-city, and central city barbecue are always good spots. Over New Orleans East Walker's barbecue has built a loyal following around in Coach and Delhi, boy, a season festival favorites. Everyone gets most of the attention of the barbecue and you always go to over Josh and Barbecue is doing all the smoke favorites. There's something coaching in the world. There's no easy for seven. This week for spacing. Or classy flozy. And if you want a good situation, and by the very nice with a frozen check out there, or if you want something a little fancier, and something's heading up for this second little nice for the end, one of the best things in the city. This weekend with a lot of music, great dancing, shopping towards, and one of the most fun, atmospheres in the city. Yes, there's great food and drink. Half of the fun is just wandering around with a lot of music in the background. If you're looking for something a little bit more expensive this Memorial Day weekend, the National World War II Museum is always worth the visit. It's one of the most powerful and well-done museums in the country. And if your perfect holiday weekend involves finding a good spot to relax outside, grab a blanket and head to City Park, The Fly, or alone by USA. For more information on where to eat, drink, and play this week, visit New Orleans.com. Back to you, Mark.

SPEAKER_05 1:17:16

Thank you, April. And now, something positively New Orleans. The success of the Mardi Gras line between New Orleans and Mobile is far more than a transportation achievement. It is a celebration of connection. With more than a hundred thousand passengers, which is a record already riding the line, this service is helping reconnect Gulf Coast communities with new energy, opportunity, and excitement. And what a journey it is. Passengers can step off the train in Bay St. Louis and enjoy its charming old town, art galleries, beaches, and welcoming restaurants. In Gulfport, families can experience beautiful waterfront attractions, shopping, entertainment, and thriving tourism destinations. Biloxi offers world-class hospitality, casinos, seafood, and a deep maritime history. Ocean Springs, known for its creative spirit, local art scene, and coastal beauty. And Pascagoula reflects the hardworking maritime and shipbuilding traditions that have long powered the Gulf Coast economy. And of course, Mobile brings its own incredible history, culture, architecture, and Mardi Gras traditions that connect so naturally with New Orleans. The line is also creating something special for sports fans. During football season, this rail connection gives New Orleans Saints fans across the Gulf Coast an exciting and convenient way to come into New Orleans for a game, to experience the energy of the Caesar Superdome, the restaurants, the music, and the unmatched spirit of Saints football without the stress of highway travel. This success did not happen overnight, though. It came through years of dedication, advocacy, and belief in the future of passenger rail. We salute the hardworking men and women of Amtrak who operate this service every day with professionalism and care. And we especially thank John Spain and the Southern Rail Commission, along with elected leaders, transportation officials, and community advocates who labored tirelessly for years to make this vision a reality. Because this line is about more than trains. It is about economic growth. It is about tourism. It is about regional pride and bringing people together across state lines and communities that share so much history and culture. The Mardi Gras line reminds us that the Gulf Coast is strongest when we are connected. And that every great journey begins by bringing people together. And that's Positively New Orleans. That's our show for this week. Thanks to our incredible guests and to all of you for watching and listening. And a special thanks to our sponsors, Blue Runner Foods, New Orleans and Company, our friends at Visit the North Shore, and their podcast, All the Waves. Go check it out. And don't forget to subscribe and hit that notification bell for all of our new videos. We'll see you next week.