Hornets Schedule

The New Orleans Hornets will open the 2008-09 regular season on the road on Wednesday, Oct. 29, when they take on the Golden State Warriors. The Hornets will battle Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash and the Phoenix Suns on the road the following night on Thursday, Oct. 30 in a nationally televised game on TNT. The Hornets first home game comes on Saturday, Nov. 1 against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

“From the players to the coaches to the front office staff, our entire organization has set our sights on being a champion this season” said Owner George Shinn.  “We are eager for the 2008-09 season to get underway and for our wonderful fans in New Orleans and the state of Louisiana to experience the thrilling, non-stop excitement of Hornets basketball in person at the New Orleans Arena”

After starting the season on a two-game road trip, the Hornets will play five of their next six games at home. Included in those match-ups are games against Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat on Saturday, Nov. 8 and MVP Kobe Bryant and the Western Conference Champion Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday, Nov. 12.

“The schedule coming out creates a whole new excitement and anticipation for the upcoming season,” said Head Coach Byron Scott. “We look forward to carrying the momentum that began last season into the beginning of this season. The high hopes for this season will bring a wave of excitement and passion that even exceeds last year’s run.”

The Hornets will appear on national television a record 13 times this season, including a Thanksgiving night game on the road against Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets on Nov. 27 on TNT and a Christmas day battle on the road against Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic on ESPN. Other national TV highlights include the Hornets first return back to Oklahoma City on Friday, Nov. 21 on ESPN, a road game against Kevin Garnett and the World Champion Boston Celtics on Friday, Dec. 12 on ESPN and a home game against Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks on ABC on Sunday, Apr. 12. Overall, the Hornets will appear on ESPN nine times, TNT three times and ABC once. The television schedule for NBATV will be announced at a later date.

The Hornets will play 18 of their 41 home games on Friday (7), Saturday (6) or Sunday (5) night.  Their most frequent game night will be Wednesday (15).

All home games will tip off at 7:00 p.m. with the following exceptions: Wednesday, Dec. 17 vs. San Antonio; Monday, Jan. 19 vs. Indiana; Sunday, Jan. 30 vs. Golden State, Sunday, Feb. 8 vs. Minnesota, Friday, Feb. 27 vs. Milwaukee, Sunday, Mar. 22 vs. Golden State, Sunday, Apr. 5 vs. Utah and Sunday, Apr. 12 vs. Dallas. The Spurs and first Warriors game will tip off at 8:30 p.m., while the Timberwolves, Bucks, Warriors and Jazz games will tip off at 6:00 p.m. The Pacers will tip off at 2:30 p.m. in honor of Martin Luther King Day and the Mavericks game will tip off at 12:00 p.m.

The Hornets’ longest road trip will be two four-game swings, while the longest homestand is five games. The five-game homestand takes place Mar. 16-Mar. 25 (with games against Houston, Minnesota, Memphis, Golden State and Denver).

The Hornets will play Southwest Division rivals (Dallas, Houston, Memphis and San Antonio) four times each (twice at home/twice on the road). The same holds true for Pacific and Northwest Division teams, with the exception of LA Clippers (one home game on Jan. 9), Minnesota (one road game on Jan. 23), Phoenix (one road game on Oct. 30) and Utah (one home game on Apr. 5).

Season tickets are available by calling (504) 525-HOOP or by logging on to Hornets.com.  The team’s preseason schedule, on-sale dates for individual game tickets for both preseason and regular season games and the Hornets’ local television schedule will be released at a later date.

(Hornets Press Release)

LEAP

Almost 8,000 fourth and eighth graders will be advancing to the next grade level based on test scores released by the Louisiana Department of Education Monday. They will be joining more than 68,000 students who passed the LEAP test in the spring. Education leaders say the combined spring and summer test scores indicate Louisiana's fourth and eighth grade students are continuing to improve their performance on the high-stakes exam, signaling progress.

"The increase in the number of students who are able to meet the requirements of the LEAP exam suggests we're improving teaching and learning in Louisiana," State Superintendent of Education Paul Pastorek said. "Clearly we still have substantial challenges to overcome, but this sustained improvement tells us we're headed in the right direction."

LEAP, or the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program, is designed to ensure that before students advance to a higher grade level, they are adequately equipped with the knowledge and skills they need to achieve success in their academic futures.

In 2008, of the 93,941 fourth and eighth grade students who took the LEAP test in the spring and/or summer, 76,225 or 81 percent successfully passed the exam. More than 7,800 of these students scored high enough to ! advance to the next grade level by attending summer courses and sitting for at least a portion of the exam a second time in June.

Overall, the combined test results for spring and summer 2008 indicate fourth graders are more prepared than eighth graders to advance. In 2008, 84 percent of the State's tested fourth graders passed the LEAP test compared to 78 percent of the State's tested eighth graders.

An analysis of last year's test results also reveals that, while a larger percentage of both grades passed the test in 2008 than 2007, the gains were proportional with both grade levels showing an increase of 1 percent. In 2007, 83 percent of the fourth graders who were tested passed the test compared to 77 percent of the eighth graders.

The progress is positive news to State education leaders as they work to create a world-class education system for all students.

"Even in those years when the standards have been raised, we've seen overall progression in terms of the goals we've set," State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education President Linda Johnson said. "As we embark on a new school year, I hope our teachers and students are proud of what they accomplished during the 2007-2008 school year and will use it as motivation to continue improving."

Students who take the LEAP exam do not simply receive a pass or fail grade. Whether they are allowed to advance to the next grade level is based on the achievement ratings they receive on the various sections of the LEAP test. There are five achievement ratings: Advanced, Mastery, Basic, Approaching Basic, and Unsatisfactory. To advance to the next grade level, students are required to score at least Basic in one of two subjects - English or Math - and at least Approaching Basic in the other subject. Fourth graders have had to meet this standard since 2004. Since 2006, eighth graders have had to meet this same requirement.

Test results distributed to schools today include scores for students who participated! in test ing this summer. Parents can obtain their student's summer LEAP scores by contacting the school where their student was enrolled.

The attached tables shows the combined number and percent of students meeting the promotional standards in 2008. This data reflects students who were tested in the spring and/or summer.

(press release)

Elderly Care 

Louisiana’s efforts to improve the quality of care for aging and elderly citizens took another step forward on August 1,2008 with the opening of a second location offering PACE services.

PACE, or Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, offers seniors a variety of services to address medical, social and personal care needs.

The Baton Rouge program is made possible by a three-way partnership between the Department of Health and Hospitals (DHH), Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

PACE offers flexibility in providing the medical and support services necessary for a senior citizen to maintain independence in their home for as long as possible.  The program provides needed preventive, primary, acute and long-term care services so that older individuals can continue living in their community.  Many services are delivered in an adult day health center, which offers a place for seniors to go during the day for medical care, occupational therapies and companionship.

Without these services, seniors may be less likely to receive attention for chronic conditions.  This can result in deteriorating health, an increased use of hospitals and emergency rooms and, ultimately, a need for care in an institutional setting.

Transportation is provided to and from the PACE centers, which are open from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.  The centers have doctors, nurse practitioners and registered nurses on staff and in-home care can also be arranged if needed.

The new PACE site opened its doors to clients on the morning of August 1, though the center has been accepting enrollments since July 1.  The center is currently operating out of the St. Francis House Adult Day Care Center on Silverside Drive while a new facility is under construction.  The new building is expected to open at its Bishop Ott Drive location in November.

“The PACE model of care is shown to be one of the most effective options to help our seniors maintain self-sufficiency while still being able to receive the care they require,” said DHH Secretary Alan Levine.  “The emphasis is on enabling participants to remain in their community and enhancing their quality of life.” 

The first PACE site opened in New Orleans in September, 2007.  The program has a further expansion planned for the Monroe area slated for early next year.

“The Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System, and particularly Our Lady of the Lake in Baton Rouge, has a long history of leadership in providing care for the elderly,” said Karen Allen, executive director of PACE Baton Rouge. “PACE is an innovative model of comprehensive care that expands the programs we have historically offered to those most in need. We are excited about the opportunity to work collaboratively with DHH and CMS to make this new approach a reality in Baton Rouge and in other Louisiana communities.”

For more information on PACE, call (225) 765-6497 or visit http://www.ololrmc.com/body.cfm?id=384. 

Road Home Sessions

The Road Home program will hold community outreach sessions across South Louisiana in the month of August to assist applicants affected by upcoming deadlines in the program.

During the community outreach sessions applicants can turn in documents, complete benefit selection forms and ask questions directly of program staff, without scheduling an appointment, on a first-come, first-served basis. State staff will be on hand to make decisions about extensions and unique cases.

"We must make sure homeowners are moving forward and actively working with the program so that all eligible applicants can to go to closing and get the money they need to rebuild," said Paul Rainwater, executive director of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "Our goal is not to force anyone out of the Road Home program. We know many people have complicated cases involving title and power of attorney issues. We will be notifying these applicants of their next steps by letter in the coming weeks."

"We are happy to work with homeowners who still have documents to turn into the program," Rainwater said. "These outreach events will allow homeowners an easy way to sit down and meet with program advisors and state officials face-to-face."

Dates for outreach events are:

August 5
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Houma Terrebonne Civic Center
346 Civic Center Boulevard 70360
Houma, LA

August 7
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Lake Charles Civic Center
900 Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601

August 9
10 a.m. - 3 p.m.
UNO Lindy Boggs Conference Center
2045 Lakeshore Drive
New Orleans, LA 70122

August 12
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Alario Center
at the Bayou Segnette Sports Complex
2000 Segnette Boulevard
Westwego, LA 70094

August 14
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Crystal Palace
10020 Chef Menteur Highway
New Orleans, LA 70127

August 19
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
North Shore Harbor Center
100 Harbor Center Boulevard
Slidell, LA 70461

August 21
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Holiday Inn-New Iberia
2915 Highway 14
New Iberia 70560

August 24
Noon - 5 p.m.
Lake Charles Civic Center
900 Lakeshore Drive
Lake Charles, LA 70601

August 26
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Location to be announced in Orleans Parish

August 28
11 a.m. - 7 p.m.
St. Patrick's Church
28698 Highway 23
Port Sulphur, LA 70083

The state of Louisiana announced a September 5, 2008, deadline that will affect several thousand Road Home applicants, including those who:

• Have not completed and returned a "Benefit Selection Form," commonly called the "yellow letter;"
• Have yet to provide documents proving they occupied their homes at the time of the storms;
• Have yet to provide ownership documents;
• Have files that are missing other documents, such as social security cards.

Applicants should watch the newspaper for reminders of dates, locations and times for these outreach events. The Road Home will also send reminder post cards with information about outreach events.

Applicants' pending appeals will not be affected by this deadline. Applicants with questions can contact the Road Home at 1-888-762-3252 (TTY: 1-800-566-4224) or go online to road2la.org.

RoadHome—
As of August 4, 2008

·         These numbers are reported as of July 31, 2008.

Workforce and Jobs

Employers and jobseekers can call a single toll-free number to reach any of the 11 Business and Career Solutions Centers in the eight-parish greater New Orleans region.

The number is 1-877-LAWORK1 (1-877-529-6751).

Callers can be connected with staff at any Region One Business and Career Solutions Center located in the eight-parish area, including Orleans, Jefferson, Plaquemines, St. Bernard, St. Tammany, St. James, St. Charles and St. John the Baptist.

The four Workforce Investment Boards that comprise the greater New Orleans region work together with the Louisiana Workforce Commission to serve job seekers and businesses on a regional level and to collaborate on regional activities.

Employer services provided at no charge include recruitment and applicant screening; posting of job vacancies; labor market information; training for new and current employees; career fairs; and specialized hiring events.

Job seeker services at each center include career planning, occupational information, résumé assistance, interview preparation, basic skills upgrades and tuition assistance for high-demand occupations for those who qualify.

Salaries

Results from the 35^th Annual WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey, the largest survey of its kind, show pay budgets growing steadily from 2008 to 2009 in the U.S. and Canada. The actual increase in salary budgets was 3.9 percent in 2008 and is projected to rise again by another 3.9 percent in 2009 across all employee categories, regions and industries, according to the survey.

Key survey findings:

• Among U.S. major metropolitan areas, organizations in Washington, D.C. report the highest 2008 salary budget increases for all employee categories and industries: 4.0 percent. On the low end, employers in Cincinnati, Detroit, Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, and St. Louis report average pay budget increases of 3.7 percent. (See Table 1)
• U.S. organizations in nine states are increasing salary budgets at the national level of 3.9 percent; the rest are reporting below average increases. (See Table 2)
• In Canada, employers in the major metro areas of Calgary and Edmonton report the highest actual 2008 salary budget increases: 4.0 percent; employers in Montreal and Quebec report the lowest actual pay budget increases: 3.6 percent. (See Table 3)
• Nine out of ten employees (91 percent) in both the U.S. and Canada can expect to receive base pay increases this year.
• High performers can expect raises over 5 percent while below average performers can expect 2 percent or less.

“Pay increases are only one way an organization attracts and retains talent regardless of the overall economy," said Anne C. Ruddy, CCP, president of WorldatWork. “Organizations continually evaluate the attractiveness of their entire rewards package and develop new programs accordingly. They are investing in other areas of total rewards, such as employee development, training and work-life balance. For example, the number of organizations offering telework as a flexible work program is up significantly (40 percent) compared to a year ago.”

After seeing salary budget increases sink to historic lows in 2003 and 2004 and climb slowly from 2005 through 2008, this year’s study confirms that the growth in salary budgets is holding steady, an indication that labor markets are stable. The WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey is the most comprehensive salary budget survey with more than 2,700 organizations representing 13.6 million North American employees.