[StBernard] KNIGHTS OF NEMESIS PARADES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6

[Westley Annis]

KNIGHTS OF NEMESIS PARADES SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 6

Pre-parade concert open to the public at noon adjacent to the Civic Center
in Chalmette

 

 

The Knights of Nemesis Fifth Anniversary Parade is scheduled to hit the
streets of St. Bernard Parish on Saturday, February 6 at 4 p.m., marking the
first night parade of the organization as well as for the parish since
Hurricane Katrina.  This year's parade will feature 20 floats with 30
marching units and 250 riders.  The riders will be throwing a special parade
T-Shirt, Medallion Beads, Cups, FEMA Beads and other novelty items.  

 

New this year, the Knights of Nemesis is proud to sponsor a pre-parade
concert that is opened to the public on the Jean Lafitte Parkway side of the
St. Bernard Civic Center from noon to 3 p.m. with music by The Wiseguys.  An
official toasting of our Royalty will take place at 3 p.m., and the parade
will roll at 4 p.m.

 

Goddess Nemesis V, Melissa Showalter Jurisich, and Royal Knight V, Craig P.
Taffaro, Jr., will be throwing a special medallion bead from their floats.

 

This year's Goddess Nemesis V, Melissa Showalter Jurisich, is a life-long
resident of St. Bernard Parish and is the daughter of Susie Showalter and
founding board member Robby Showalter.  Melissa resides in Meraux with
newly-wed husband Nick Jurisich and their two Labrador retrievers, Diogi and
Stella.  Melissa currently works for The Gambit Magazine as an Advertising
Account Executive.  In 2004, she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications
with a concentration in Advertising and a minor in Graphic Arts from Loyola
University of New Orleans, where she was a member of the Wolfpack volleyball
team, the Ad Club of New Orleans, and the Theta Phi Alpha Sorority.  A 2000
graduate of Archbishop Hannan High School, Melissa was a two sport athlete,
President of the Student Council, Homecoming Queen, a member of the National
Honor Society, and a Eucharistic Minister; among other activities.

 

This year's Royal Knight V, Craig P. Taffaro, Jr., is a lifelong resident of
St. Bernard and has been St. Bernard Parish President since January 2008.
Before that, he served as the District D Parish Councilman from 2004 to 2008
and from 1996 to 2000. Craig lives in Meraux with his wife Debbie and their
eight children, Meghan, Craig III, Emma, Grace, Paolo, Mollie, Luca, and
Antonio.  He spent over 20 years as a Licensed Professional Counselor and
Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. He also held a Faculty Appointment
in Psychology at Nunez Community College, was the Founder of Straight Street
Group Home and Non-Profit Counseling Organization and the Treatment Director
of St. Bernard Parish Drug Court. Craig graduated from Holy Cross High
School, earned a Bachelor's Degree from University of Louisiana-Lafayette
and a Master's Degree in Counseling Psychology from the University of
Southern Mississippi. As an active resident of St. Bernard, he is a member
of Our Lady of Lourdes Church in Violet and several community organizations.
As Parish President, Craig has initiated hundreds of recovery projects.
Under his tenure, the parish has completed five fire stations and there are
five brand new ones under construction. There are now two new gyms and two
repaired gyms in addition to four renovated ball parks.  The Val Reiss
Complex project Phase I is completed with four new fields, a new
concession/restroom building, new bleacher and visitor covers, new lighting,
and a new walking/jogging path under construction, with Phase II which
includes four additional fields, an additional concession/restroom building
and climate controlled bistro, additional bleachers and visitor covers,
additional parking, lighting, and batting cages.  Improvements to a vacant
and blighted Hannan Complex began and now include new lighting, three new
football fields/five new soccer fields. Torres Park and its restroom
facility have been restored; a Youth Center for newly established youth
group, Fuel, and the Fred Sigur Civic Center in Chalmette is nearly repaired
as is massive improvements at the Islenos Museum Complex. More than $65
million of roadway construction and $6 million of repairs to sewer lines is
underway. In addition to public works projects, Craig has overseen programs
that eliminated blight from about 1,500 overgrown properties with an
aggressive grass cutting program, demolished over 30 additional commercial
structures and demolished more than 8,500 residential properties. 

 

Nemesis will follow the traditional Carnival route, with the parade starting
at Dr. Meraux Boulevard. It will travel west to Rowley in Arabi and head
east to Campagna Drive, where it will turn and head west back to the Civic
Center.

 

For more information, contact Billy Showalter at 504-583-3998 or visit
knightsofnemesis.org <http://www.knightsofnemesis.org/> .

 

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