March 25
March 25, 2009
Vernal Oliver Sr.
March 27, 2009
Months before Carnival season, the Krewe of Tut’s organizers visited Scotlandville Magnet High School’s band director Robert Lewis.
“They said Tut was Houma’s first black krewe in 50 years and that they wanted to make the day big,” Lewis said.
The Hornets inked a contract to perform in the Mardi Gras parade. And, on Feb. 24, krewe president Cordell Moore wrote Lewis a $1,200 check for the band’s services.
A week later, Lewis heard from a fellow band leader at Baker High School, whose band also marched in Tut, that the check was likely no good.
“We’re lost as to what to do about the situation,” Lewis said. “In all my years with a band, this has never, never, never happened before.”
Scotlandville is among four schools reportedly paid with a worthless check. Band leaders with Baker and McKinley Senior High and Jackson (Miss.) State University bands also confirmed receiving bad checks.
Lewis said it was disheartening because the monies due were to go toward purchasing uniforms and musical instruments.
“This is what we do,” he said. “We march to help buy equipment for needy students. This really hurts.”
The musical performers were not the only ones left holding worthless checks. Two Houma vendors, the Golden Corral Restaurant and Artistic Embroidery, have also turned NSF checks over to Terrebonne Parish District Attorney Joe Waitz Jr.
Golden Corral manager Clinton DeHart said his restaurant was shorted more than $2,600, the tab for feeding the visiting Jackson State band.
“That may not be much to some, but for a small business, it’s a pretty big chunk of change,” he said.
Artistic Embroidery owner Shelly Toups said she provided the krewe more than $2,000 worth of Mardi Gras cups and other items. Days later, her check was returned.
“It’s sad. It hurt those children (in the bands) and local businesses,” she said. “Now it’s making our little community not look good. I feel bad for the schools and the vendors who got shorted.”
Waitz told the Associated Press that his office is investigating the checks and the krewe because of the number of complaints to his office.
Cordell Moore, the president of the Krewe of Tut, said Monday that his organization is working to repay the vendors and bands still owed money.
Moore said Tut fell victim to one of it’s members “who turned against the krewe for selfish personal reasons.” He did not name the person.
“I think it really taints us as a Mardi Gras krewe,” he said. “However, from what I understand though, we are not the only krewe that has gone through this kind of situation.
“To our disadvantage,” he added, “we should not have had people going to the newspaper and releasing information.”
Parish President Michel Claudet toasts Krewe of Tut King Zane Brown Jr. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
