Looking into the future the Pelican feeding its young from a self-induced wound in its own breast (as depicted, mysteriously, on the state flag of Louisiana) is accepted as an appropriate symbol of both self-sacrifice and rebirth. Through his selfless efforts, man is raised from the slavery of ignorance to the condition of freedom conferred by wisdom. Given the current state of affairs in Louisiana, one hopes that the understanding of the Pelican as a symbol shall point the way towards a new consciousness of ourselves as a whole, and lead us to face our futures with strength, grace, wisdom and faith, to learn from our mistakes and carry our successes and zest for living to future generations.

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For Levee Tour, Inspectors Plotted Their Every Mousse

Records show lunch was carefully planned

Dec. 01, 2005
By Frank Donze
Staff writer
The Times-Picayune

When engineers and Orleans Levee Board officials gather twice a year to tour the city's floodwalls, records show that the inspection requires less planning than the day's final event: lunch.

Participants acknowledge that the five-hour survey of the 125-mile levee system amounts to little more than a drive-by. Not so for the post-inspection lunches of crab cake with champagne dill sauce topped off by a dessert of white chocolate mousse with a raspberry coulis.

In advance of the meals, Chief Engineer Stevan Spencer, the board's top flood protection administrator, has personally tended to menu selection and travel arrangements for Levee Board commissioners and other guests, records from 2003 and 2004 show. And when it comes time to settling the check, Spencer has made it his job to seek reimbursement from the Levee Board and hand-deliver payments to restaurants.

Agency records show that attendance during the past two years has ranged as high as 56 people with lunch bills ranging from $682 to $973. At the October 2003 luncheon, 32 of the 39 guests chose the prime rib, at $18.50 a pop.

The guest list for the event, held annually in late spring and early fall, typically includes representatives of the Army Corps of Engineers and the state Department of Transportation and Development as well as Levee Board staff members.

Eateries of choice the past two years have been the Red Maple Restaurant in Gretna and Lama's Seafood Restaurant in eastern New Orleans.

A week before the Oct. 15, 2004, levee tour, Spencer sent a memo to board members that included an inspection agenda along with a copy of the Red Maple menu.

But his request was all about the eating: "Please let us know if you will be able to attend the inspection, and what your entree will be if you can attend, " Spencer wrote.

Levee Board commissioners needing "to be picked up to join the inspection at any point" were instructed by Spencer to call him or Levee Board Police Chief Richard Lewis "and arrangements will be made."

After the October 2004 event, Spencer sent a written request to the Levee Board's finance department seeking payment "as soon as possible" for the Red Maple.

In closing, he wrote, "I will deliver their check to them."

In defending the annual inspections last week, Spencer said there are other informal checks of the levee system that take place throughout the year.

"On a daily basis, our people are out in the field cutting the grass, doing work on floodgates, greasing them, that sort of thing," Spencer said. "Most of their supervisors have been here 25 or 30 years, so they know what a good levee looks like and what one with problems looks like. If there's a problem, it's looked into further."

Frank Donze can be reached at fdonze@timespicayune.com or (504) 826-3328.