KreweNews

Arena Bowl: Special Offer to NCSL Delegates

The Arena Football League is holding its annual championship game on Sunday, July 27, one day after the NCSL 2008 Legislative Summit officially concludes. Their championship weekend starts off with a Saturday night concert featuring Huey Lewis and the News. Check out the league's special NCSL flyer below for the full details of the offer and other special events happening that weekend.
Download arenabowl_xxii_flyer_ncsl.pdf

Webinar Summary of Summit Program Available Online

Looking for a great overview of the 2008 Legislative Summit in New Orleans? Today, we recorded a free, online event highlighting the program, the tours, social events, kids program and some great information about the city of New Orleans.

At only 36 minutes long, the presentation features NCSL staff and a representative of the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau. All you have to do is grab your favorite beverage, go to your computer, turn on your sound and click on the link found on this page that says "encore presentation." The event, called a Webinar, will play out on your screen.

We welcome your feedback. Post a comment below and let us know if you have any questions that we didn't answer at today's event. And, if you haven't yet, go ahead and register for the meeting!

A Great Place to Visit in New Orleans

by Meagan Dorsch

When we traveled to New Orleans a few months ago to create our NCSL video on the places to visit during the 2008 Legislative Summit, I had to do a little research. Of course I had heard of Jackson Square and Cafe du Monde, but for Commander's Palace, I turned to the Internet, the New Orleans Convention and Visitors Bureau and colleagues for help.

The video is now up on NCSL's website and you can see for yourself what options are available to explore. But I am going to attempt to give you some background and insight into these places based on my recent experiences.

Let's start with the first place we feature on the video, Jackson Square. This is the first image of New Orleans that comes to my mind anytime the city is mentioned. It is steps away from the Mississippi River and Cafe du Monde.

Originally called the Place d'Arms (thank you Ms. Brown, my 4th grade teacher), Jackson Square is a historic park located in the French Quarter of the city. I will stop with the history lesson and pass along a tip. If you want a great picture of Jackson Square, make sure to cross Decatur Street and climb up to the Mississippi River boardwalk, also known as the Moon Walk (named after the former Mayor that had it built (thank you Internet). You can see the entire square from this vantage point and it makes for a picture perfect memory of New Orleans. Who else has this picture framed at home? Only me?

Also, this is a great place to buy local art. We saw everything from paintings to jewelry. The prices are reasonable, depending on what you want to buy. Just a note, more artists showed up as the day went on. We started and ended our day in Jackson Square and there was more to choose from in the afternoon compared to the morning.

There is so much to see and do in New Orleans! I can't wait to fill you all in on our adventures in the days to come!

Bipartisan Bike Ride

Take a seat for democracy. At least give it some wheels.

You may or may not forgive the puns, but you won't forgive yourself if you wait too late to sign up for our annual Bipartisan Bike Ride at NCSL's 2008 Legislative Summit in New Orleans. Louisiana state Representative Patrick Connick and Texas state Senator Rodney Ellis are teaming up to host this year's event, which will take participants through the charming streets and greenways of the Crescent City. They'll provide the bikes, helmets and advice. All you have to do is register.

The ride takes place Thursday, July 24 at 6:30 a.m. It's sponsored by Allied Waste Services and Wal-Mart, and coordinated by NCSL, BikeTexas and New Orleans Metro Bicycle Coalition.

Not sure if this is for you? Look over our photo gallery from the 2007 bike ride and Boston. It sure looks like everyone is having fun. 

Registration is required and space is limited, so sign up today!