SaveAudubonPark announces its 2002 Birdie Awards, summarizing the good, the bad, and the indifferent in developments in Audubon Park.

Birdie	Par	Bogey	Double-Bogey
Public outcry saves Hurst Walk Although it initially planned to close the lagoon bridge and erase Hurst Walk, the Audubon Institute was obliged by strong public opposition to keep the walk open. The 3000 citizens who signed our petition and the hundreds who showed up at public meetings on behalf of the park each deserve a birdie for this one! Clubhouse Site Compromise Demonstrating that, contrary to the Institute's claims, public input can indeed improve aspects of an ill-conceived project, Institute plans to build the new clubhouse on the golf course side of the live oak grove, requiring the construction of wide roads and cart paths throughout this large and untouched stand of gracious trees, were altered at the eleventh-hour. Similiar compromises on the size, height and function of the new buildings were NOT forthcoming. Esley Hamilton In '"Improvements" Cause "Controversy"', Mr Hamilton writes that "the golf course itself has been radically reconfigured ...erasing the meadow effect Olmsted wanted." Since Audubon Institute spokespeople insist that the new landscape is "consistent with John Charles Olmsted's concept" (see Dale Stastny), it is worth noting that Mr Hamilton's article was printed in the magazine of the National Association of Olmsted Parks. Chris Rose on the Hyams Fountain Times-Picayune columnist who accurately opined: "...one could easily get the suspicion that the caretakers of Audubon Park nurture only the income-generating assets of the park and leave the rest to general infirmity..." Gambit Weekly Readers Awarded an "honorable mention" to SaveAudubonPark in its "best activist website" category. City Park Conservatory In contrast to the sad plight of the Heymann Conservatory in Audubon Park, which was demolished to make way for golf-course parking, a beautiful new Conservatory has opened in City Park. But it's galling to compare its cost of $2 million in mostly private money with the $6 million of mostly public money that went to build the golf course, and its $5 admission fee ($2 for children) with the $18-$25 fee (what, no golfing discount for children?) for using the golf course. And it begs the question yet again: Why is the Audubon "Nature" Institute in the golf business instead of the conservatory business?	Scott Shea Helped engineer a compromise in the bus-barn development, but declined to take a similiar stand on behalf of the local community in the golf course controversy. Did speak on the campaign trail of the need for more public input in Audubon Institute plans, and co-sponsored with Councilman Gusman R-02-192, which requested the CPC to review the golf course redevelopment plans. Since he wasn't re-elected, we can't tell if he would have continued his support when back in office (see Jay Batt). Bruce Eggler Times-Picayune reporter who has extensively covered the golf course debate and reported on Audubon Commission/Audubon Institute and City Council meetings. Generally balanced, but with a tendency to take Audubon Institute pronouncements and factoids, even the blatantly absurd ones, at face value. As a reporter, he claims to not pass judgement on the issues and people he writes about... except perhaps, when describing SaveAudubonPark as "devoted to criticizing practically everything done by the Audubon Commission and Audubon Nature Institute" - a comment that Tulane media arts instructor Michael Depp described as "brazen reader manipulation". Still, he has given the Audubon Park controversy the space it deserves, unlike say, the Gambit. City Planning Commission Made all the right noises all along the way about the value of public input, but nonetheless repeatedly declined the opportunity to ensure public review of the Audubon Park golf course redevelopment, claiming that CPC review of the plan would be "redundant and unneccessary". How "redundant and unneccessary" is the CPC itself, if it will not support a public review and expert analysis by its own trained staff, of a project that was authorized by a city commission that contains no professional planning staff and has never shown any commitment to the principles of public input that the CPC claims to cherish?	New Website for City of New Orleans For renaming our historic Audubon Park as "Audubon Institute Park". Ouch. Angus Lind Times-Picayune columnist, a golf-at-any-cost kind of guy, and strong promoter of the Audubon Institute's "vision", which includes "wide concrete cart paths" and "sparkling white sand traps" (these are good things?). Mr Lind recently described SaveAudubonPark as "misguided" and described the new course as "the most fabulous golf course to open in New Orleans since English Turn". Well, we have a newsflash for Mr Lind: English Turn may be fabulous, is certainly expensive and "private" too, but it's NOT part of a public park. Chris Rose interviews Ron Forman When Mr Forman referred to "personal attacks, vandalism, graffiti and destruction" from critics of his commercial development of Audubon Park, Mr Rose asked -Has that happened? -Yes. I think they see themselves as eco-terrorists. Say what? Was Mr Rose's follow-up question to Mr Forman, "What kind of zoo animal are you", a non-sequitur or not? Tut Kinney, Attorney-at-Large As attorney for both the Audubon Institute AND its client, the Audubon Commission, Mr Kinney is not content with merely threatening park-lovers trying to protect Audubon Park; he also fights hard against the little guy by representing HUD/HANO against the lower garden district residents in the WalMart controversy. And surprise! He's paid by the city with our tax dollars to do it! Gambit Weekly Maintained a tight-lipped reporting silence throughout the entire controversy, then opened its mouth only long enough to award a "Brickbat" to SaveAudubonPark for reporting Institute CEO Ron Forman's $292,000 pay increase in 2000 "without noting that the money was a one-time payout for unused sick and vacation days". Even if such a large payout is justified by the annual leave rules of the ANI, keep in mind who writes those rules. Some corporations give interest-free loans to their CEO's, others provide huge "unused leave payouts". But neither the Gambit nor the Times-Picayune has ever bothered to ask how many days this enormous sum represents, or whether or not he really "never took a vacation in 30 years". Mr Forman, who made $380,000 in 2000 even without the so-called "payout", has received other such "payouts" in the past. He also manages to serve on so many extracurricular boards, committees and associations that it's a miracle he ever sets foot in his ANI office at all.	"Private" Golf Course? Despite 100 years of peaceful coexistence between the old Audubon golf course and the non-golfing users of the park, the Institute seems intent on pursuing an aggressive private-property policy for park-users straying onto the course. Even if the course isn't even open at the time! "Clubhouse" Restaurant The motive for the golf course redevelopment project, and seen by the ANI as a way of making an end-run around the zoning regulations forbidding restaurants and cocktail lounges in parks. Despite the fact that the golf course was sadly in need of attention for a decade or more, and that the $2 million needed for its renovation had also been in place for years, it wasn't until the Audubon Tea Room opened in the spring of 2000 and the budget for anticipated catering revenues TRIPLED, from $578,000 in 1999 to $1,866,000 in 2000, that the ANI recognized the full impact of the money to be made from catering and banquet facility rentals. So they decided to build a country club style meeting and banquet facility in the heart of Audubon Park, and call it a "clubhouse". The golf course is incidental, and only time will tell if it will make a profit. Dale Stastny Institute COO and winner of the "PT Cruiser Authenticity Award", for his claim that the ambiance of New Orleans and the heritage of John Charles Olmsted are preserved by promoting the landscaping and architectural vision of an Atlanta suburb. Jay Batt After shaving by Scott Shea by a few hundred votes, broke his election promises to support community involvement in development projects and to encourage the city council to "take another look" at this project. Shanked R-02-192 right into the water (see Scott Shea). Days after a post-campaign fundraiser hosted by Sally (Mrs Ron) Forman at the Audubon Tea Room, Mr Batt decided that the overriding issue was no longer one of public input and AC/ANI accountability, but was instead the acquisition of "the name(s) of the person or people responsible for the editing, oversight, and upkeep" of the "reprehensible" SaveAudubonPark website. Audubon Commission For abdicating their responsibility to protect and maintain Audubon Park. Ron Forman Because he thinks he's always right, and anyone who disagrees with him is wrong, wrong, wrong.