The 411 On Lake Charles’s Water Drainage and Sewer Systems

By Nancy Correro
The Times of SWLA




When it rains excessively in Lake Charles, we experience some flooding on roads and sometimes we may see sewer refuse coming up into the streets.

When the city of Lake Charles works on low drainage problems, they evaluate and grade the projects and use several factors to determine where they will replace drainage systems and sewer lines.

John Cardone, City Administrator
“One is roadway conditions—the condition of the road, traffic congestion, and the need for drainage water and sewer improvements. So, throughout the year we monitor those different variables and when it comes time to do our calendar budget we grade it and the road projects that need the most improvements those are the ones that we recommend to the city council,” said John Cardone, City Administrator of Lake Charles.

In addition to road and drainage projects, the city puts a certain amount of money each year just into drainage improvements.

“The year before last we put a million dollars into it and this past year we put $900,000 in it and so we continue to build a plan and put improvements into maintaining the drainage system,” said Cardone.

In the more mature areas of town, the system is older and it may be undersized for the development in the area. The streets are the drainage and there are no catch basins—that is the way it was done 40 or 50 years ago.

Development can also alter drainage in an area.

“I’ll give you an example. As McNeese develops, and it continues to build buildings and pour concrete, you have less surface area on the ground for water to go to so it goes into the street quicker. As areas develop, the drainage system may not be sized large enough to handle all of the development or anticipate all of the development,” said Cardone.

Some streets in the City of Lake Charles are state roads.

“Ryan St. is a state roadway. It doesn’t mean there is failure it just means those are older areas,” said Cardone.

Because Lake Charles is surrounded by an abundance of water, if the waterways get full or reach flood stages, there is nowhere else for the water to go accept for our streets.

“What I do try to remind people of is that all of our drainage systems drain into drain laterals or navigable waterways and when we have heavy rains and these waterways and drainage laterals fill-up—like Contraband Bayou, English Bayou, Calcasieu River— those areas back-up, our drainage system and even areas outside the city drain into these areas,” Cardone said.

Low lying areas and low streets will experience flooding. It happens all of the time because the system drains into Contraband Bayou and other laterals. These areas that crest and reach their maximum and all the other drainage systems draining into it will then back-up in the low areas.

“If you happen to be in that low area your street is going to flood more. Ideally you want the water to go down quick enough so you can move traffic along that roadway, but there are streets within the city limits that the drainage system continues to be re-done—Lake Street for example—was a major drainage lateral from Sale Road to I-210.

That project, we 4-laned Lake Street, we put new water lines in, sewer lines in, and a major drainage system to help drain the entire area. So, as we go through and do these projects we continue to upgrade the sewer and drainage systems,” Cardone said.

With the bond issue, the city put $21 million aside for water and sewer improvements and they’ve spent about $16 million up to this date on water and sewer improvements. They’ve spent $5.3 million on water and $11.4 million on sewer under the bond issue for making improvements.

“Under the road projects under bond issues from Sale Road to Country Club Road, we made drainage improvements on that roadway. We made improvements to the intersection of Lake Street and Sallier Street and when we did the intersection improvements, drainage systems were put in. So, we try to identify those areas that are major drainage laterals and try to make those improvements because the other areas drain to it,” said Cardone.

It would seem that the heavy hurricane activity the city has experienced would erode or undermine the infrastructure.

“I don’t think the infrastructure gets eroded because of the hurricanes. What happens is you have debris that not only gets into our drainage system, but also you have debris—downed trees, limbs, and branches—in those navigable waterways and drainage laterals,” said Cardone.
Those areas are stopped-up and they do not drain as well and then the systems that drain into it won’t drain as well. The goal after a hurricane is to clean those major waterways and also to clean out the drainage system.

“We brought a company in and we cleaned out all of the debris out of our catch basins and drainage systems,” said Cardone.

Every-so-often the City will put a notice out in the paper or advise people not to blow their leaves, grass, and debris into the drainage system. When people blow debris into the street it then gets into the catch basin system. If those areas fill-up, it’s going to slow down the drainage system.

“We want to remind people that when they do that it’s having an impact on the drainage of areas that are not even next to them. We try to advise [the community] of that quite often. Our crew spends a lot of time cleaning out the street gutters and the catch basins to try and remove this debris from there.

During heavy rains or when the rains are coming the crews are out in the field and these areas that are starting to block-up because of debris, they try to get out there and take it out of the drainage system. It’s an ongoing process,” said Cardone.

Outside the city limits there are open ditches and all of those drainage systems connect together. A lot of the areas in the parish drain into Lake Charles and the debris in those open ditches make its way into the drainage system.

“Anything, including trash that gets into our drainage system affects the area when there is heavy rain. You may not see it as much with a small rain, but when you have a heavy rain that comes, like 2 or 3 inches in several hours, you want your drainage system to be draining the best it can be and be clear of all of that debris,” Cardone said.

The Tank Farm Road Sewerage Plant is running at partial capacity right now.

“It should be complete I think in the next 15 to 30 days,” said Cardone.

“We do put money aside each year to make these improvements with our road projects, but also with our drainage, water and sewer. Since 2005, under our capital and bond projects, the City of Lake Charles has spent around $35.2 million in street and drainage projects, $48.4 million in sewer line and plant improvements, and $13.3 million in waterline extensions. So, you can see it is serious and we do put a lot of money aside and we do have an ongoing maintenance and improvement program for all three.”

One of the complaints in some areas of Lake Charles would be that of sewage coming up out of the drainage systems into the streets. Cardone explains how this can happen.

“If you have some older sewer lines, and that goes back to infiltration, it can be a city line or on private property, and if you experience flooding, it gets into our system and when it gets into our system, it overloads the system. So, we continue to put money aside for sewer rehab, we identify those areas that are older and either replace those lines or line an existing sewer line to keep the water from getting into the system.”

Residents are encouraged to correct any leaks they may have on their property because it can leak into the system.

“We encourage residents that know they have leaks in their lines to fix it because if not when the rain water gets into our sewer system it still gets into our system and causes issues,” said Cardone.

The city has a continuous maintenance program for our drainage system.

“It will be ongoing probably forever. That is just the way it is. Now, if we continue to grow, we’ll need to put more money aside to maintain the systems.”

Bus Cameras Ordinance Passed

By Nancy Correro
The Times of SWLA



At the September 17, 2009 Police Jury meeting, an ordinance to allow video cameras on school buses was passed on a 9-5 vote. The ordinance allows the school board and sheriff’s department to place video cameras in school buses to ticket motorists who illegally pass.

There were several Jurors at the September 17th meeting that were seeking a delay. Mr. Syas wanted a 30 day delay.

“It would come back to me that I made a decision on this when I don’t know the meaning of it and so that’s the part I’m having a hard time with,” Mr. Syas said, at the September 17 Jury meeting.

There were others that didn’t see the validity in adopting the decision. Those Jurors who voted “no” were Syas, Hassien, Scott, Spell and Farnum.

A private company will be operating the program and will be getting most of the share of money collected from the tickets.

"I'm all for safety of children, but I think we've been blinded by safety of children and this is about profit. And that's what I have the biggest problem with," said Juror Ellis Hassien.

Those Jurors who voted for the ordinance to put cameras on school buses were Brame, Landry, McMillin, Andrepont, Collins, Griffin, Guidry, Treme, Stelly, and Mackey.

There will be a safety company that will provide and install the cameras.

“There are safety companies all over the state and that is what they do. They make money off of safety related items or they provide this technology. That’s what makes the world go around. We’re not making any money,” said Juror Chris Landry.

The Sheriff’s department has tried a number of ways to keep people from passing buses. They have had people ride the buses and it still did not work.

“The sheriff’s department said this looks like this might be something that’s different and will work and that is why they asked us to do it. I don’t see a problem with it. If you don’t pass the school bus when you are not supposed to, then you’re not going to get a ticket and it won’t take your picture,” said Landry.

Other municipalities in the parish have been contacted by the Police Jury about the cameras on the buses. School officials say the company isn't willing to invest in a camera system on the buses unless the ordinance is a sure thing.

“It’s a safety issue. You have bus drivers telling you it happens on country roads and it happens in the city; it happens on two lanes and it happens on four lanes, five lanes, it doesn’t matter it happens all the time. Now there are some routes that are worse than others,” said Landry.

Not long ago, there was a car placed in Sulphur that took photographs and then there were citations handed out. Sulphur was not happy with this and voted it out.

“A while back there was a deal in Sulphur where I guess the city of Sulphur had a car parked and they were giving people citations by using the camera. It was a big issue in Sulphur. They didn’t want it. In fact, it was put on the ballot. They wanted the car removed. I think there may be some people trying to make the connection between the two. There is no connection. It’s a completely different issue,” said Landry.

“It passed. So we’ll see. Now they have to go to the other municipalities to try and get them on board. Just don’t pass a school bus; if you do, it’s probably going to be expensive.”

Chennault Tenant, Northrop Grumman, Awarded Contract—More Local Jobs

By Nancy Correro
The Times of SWLA



While we are still in the doldrums of a recession, there is an upswing in the job market for Lake Charles at the Chennault International Airport. The U.S. Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman Corporation a nine-year contract to provide Contractor Logistics Support for its fleet of KC-10 Extender refueling tanker aircraft.

This came as a blow to Boeing who lost out on the $3.8 billion contract.

The award will bring with it jobs. The latest number mentioned is 300 workers.

“The 300 jobs will be over time. It won’t be overnight. As far as I know, they have already started hiring. I know they [Northrop Grumman] can’t talk about this right now and probably we are not supposed to do a whole lot of talking about it either. We can’t talk on their behalf, but as far as I know they have probably already started,” said Randy Robb, Executive Director of Chennault International Airport.

The skilled job recruitment will be pulled from the local community and elsewhere. There will be some local people trained through Sowela specifically for these jobs.

“The jobs will be skilled jobs pulling from both here and elsewhere. In a press release they said that Sowela will be training to their standards quite a few folks. It costs less to train local folks than to bring in a whole lot of people from out of state,” said Robb.

Northrop Grumman will provide supply chain management, depot-level logistics integration and support, engine maintenance, aircraft maintenance and modifications for the KC-10 refueling tanker.

The tanker/cargo aircraft is part of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command arsenal and has supported anti-terrorist and humanitarian operations around the globe.

The work will be performed at Northrop Grumman's Lake Charles Maintenance and Modification Center here in Lake Charles and at teammate TIMCO Aviation Services' facility in Greensboro, N.C.

"We are excited to partner with the Air Force on the KC-10 CLS program and are committed to working with the Air Force to ensure the KC-10 is ready to support air mobility requirements anywhere, anytime," said Ronald D. Sugar, Northrop Grumman chairman and chief executive officer. "This award further demonstrates Northrop Grumman's important role as a premier provider of air mobility solutions."

Under the terms of the contract, Northrop Grumman will provide supply chain management, depot-level logistics integration and support, engine maintenance, aircraft maintenance and modifications for the KC-10 refueling tanker. The tanker/cargo aircraft is part of the Air Force's Air Mobility Command arsenal and has supported anti-terrorist and humanitarian operations around the globe.

"Our clear focus now is to conduct a flawless phase-in that will facilitate the superior program performance that both the U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman demand, which is also what is required to support the great men and women of our armed services serving this country proudly across the globe protecting freedom's frontier," said James Cameron, corporate vice president and president of Northrop Grumman's Technical Services sector.

Northrop Grumman is a tenant at Chennault International Airport along with Aeroframe, Louisiana Millworks, and Million Air.

Northrop Grumman has been actively building the Joint STARS aircraft for the United States Air Force at Chennault for 12 years. The Chennault International Airport Authority has worked closely with Northrop Grumman throughout its tenure in Lake Charles.

Aeroframe Services has operated at Chennault since 2000 as a commercial aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul company.

Million Air is Chennault's Fixed Base Operator for charter operations and business and general aviation services with several amenities.

Louisiana Millwork supplies many products to the independently-owned retail lumber and building material companies throughout its expanding market area.

“We are so proud to have a quality company here like Northrop Grumman,” Robb said. And also quality companies like Aeroframe, Million Air, and Louisiana Millworks, here at Chennault; we think we are performing our mission here to promote jobs.”

District Attorney John DeRosier Talks New Tax

By Nancy Correro
The Times of SWLA




District Attorney John DeRosier has called for a ten year 0.75 mill property tax so that he may give raises and benefits to the employees of the District Attorney’s office.

The tax will be on the November 14 ballot if the State Bond Commission approves it.

“I know that now is not a good time to ask for a tax of any kind even though it is the smallest tax in history, but I don’t have any alternatives,” said DeRosier.

John DeRosier is proud of the people at the Calcasieu Parish District Attorney’s Office. He says that in order to keep a highly qualified staff, he needs to raise their salaries to reflect the salaries of other comparable parishes.

“Lafayette Parish District Attorney starts their misdemeanor secretaries at $2210 a month, Baton Rouge—$2000 a month, Shreveport up in Caddo Parish—$1750 a month, St. Tammany over in Slidell they start theirs at $1750 a month. What do you think we start our misdemeanor secretaries out at over here? $1333 a month. There is a big difference.”

DeRosier said that some of his workers have second jobs just to make ends meet because often they have a family and children and this is their only source of income.

“We have a number of our misdemeanor people here, particularly misdemeanor secretaries who have second jobs. I know because I go to some of the restaurants where they work at night and it really makes me feel bad that I can’t give them a raise.”

The felony prosecutors that have been here ten and twelve years make $65 to $70,000 a year, but they can go into the private sector and make $100,000 to $170,000 a year.

One of the first things DeRosier did after he got elected was form the Calcasieu Full Force. That involved every law enforcement agency in the parish.

“We all participated in DWI [driving while intoxicated] check points. That is why we have had such a significant increase. In the last 4 years we have almost doubled the number of DWI’s that are going through this office. Now, I don’t think that that is because we have that many more people drinking and driving in Calcasieu Parish, I think that is because we are catching a whole lot more,” DeRosier said.

They have Assistant District Attorneys and support staff that go to these check points along with law enforcement. They learn about it from every different direction. They learn about it from the people who actually have to take the test and they learn about it from the perspective of the police officers that have to enforce it. In 1999, the DA’s office handled about 450 DWI’s. Last year they handled 1,523.

“I myself go out to most of the check points and we’re there until midnight or one or two o’clock in the morning lots of times. All of our young prosecutors that prosecute DWI’s—we make them go out there—they actually have to not only watch, but take the field sobriety test out there in the field in the middle of the night,” DeRosier said.

The old 3.16 mill tax that passed about 24 years ago has five years before it is renewed.
DeRosier thinks the 24 year old mill tax was a good thing at the time.

“As a result of that tax the parish does not have to support us. The parish does not contribute anything to the operations of the district attorney’s office. The parish furnishes us with a building and utilities and that’s it. And 24 years ago, the tax was enough money for us to do what we needed to do—now it does not do that.”

DeRosier wants a separate formula by which he can generate the smallest amount of money necessary to have a firm pay plan.

“When you look at the whole plan you will realize you wouldn’t call this a pay raise. It’s not that much of a pay raise because our people who are starting off at $16,000 a year, under the new pay plan they would start off at $18,000 a year. Not exactly a bonanza, but at least it shows them that we care enough in this community to pay them as much as we can reasonably do to ensure good quality people in the criminal justice system—and that is what it is really all about,” DeRosier said.

The DA’s Office handles thousands of cases here a year. DeRosier said that the felonies and misdemeanors that they will receive will probably be around 23,000 new charges for the calendar year 2009. Some of those are 2 or 3 charges against the same individual, but basically they are going to handle about a thousand charges a week.

“And a lot of those, by the way, are juveniles. Some of the most horrendous sexual assault cases are juveniles. A lot of them—more than you would ever think. When I first got here we had one lawyer doing juveniles and now we have three. We have three judges doing juvenile court and now I have three prosecutors doing juvenile court,” DeRosier said.

“It’s just a tremendous volume and it is serious business. You’re talking about aggravated rape, and not just one or two a year—a lot of them and it’s just in the juvenile justice system.”
He said that we have a tremendous number of homicides in Calcasieu Parish. Two years ago we had 19.

“Fortunately, it’s dropped a lot. In the last two years we haven’t had that many. We’ve got to prosecute all of those cases. Those are all bad guys.”

There are a lot of molestation cases in the adult criminal justice system. DeRosier said, “It takes a special kind of prosecutor to prosecute those for a long time. Prosecutors are very quickly burned out doing those kinds of cases and if I were to show you some of the photographs of some of the cases we have, you would cry. It takes a bright person that can practice law, go to court, and handle a trial of that magnitude.”

Those “special kinds” of prosecutors, those “bright” people could easily make more money in the private sector and not be tortured by such difficult cases.

“These prosecutors could make a heck of a lot more money than they are going to make here in the DA’s office. But what I’m trying to do is give them some hope anyway, some light at the end of the tunnel.”

Senator Morrish On the Shrimper's Troubles

By Nancy Correro
The Times of SWLA



Shrimpers went on strike August 18 to protest low shrimp prices on the state Capitol steps. Governor Jindal sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce and the International Trade Commission. The letter requests an investigation of possible violations of trade practices by foreign countries adversely affecting Louisiana's shrimping industry.

“There is a disconnect somewhere. When shrimpers are getting 65 cents a pound for jumbo shrimp or any size shrimp for that matter and they are selling for $8.99 in the store, something is wrong. I don’t know if a strike fixes that or not, but it brings attention to it,” said Senator Dan “Blade” Morrish.

Louisiana leads the country in domestic production of shrimp, with fishers hauling in 57.8 million pounds last year, but that is less than 5 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States. More than 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States is from imports.

“I’m a big believer in market driven prices. I’m also a believer in a level playing field and I don’t think there is one here. I think there are issues on a federal level that are allowing an unprecedented amount of foreign shrimp—Chinese or Vietnamese or whatever—being allowed into this country and being sold as domestic shrimp and indeed they are not,” said Senator Morrish.

On the 31st of August, Governor Jindal issued an Executive Order creating the Louisiana Shrimp Task Force. The mission is to address factors adversely affecting Louisiana's shrimping industry, and forming strategies for boosting the economic vitality of the Louisiana shrimp industry. One of the items the task force will investigate is shrimping industries cultural significance to the State of Louisiana, and its economic impact.

“I mean right now it’s not good. These folks are losing their homes. I mean some banks are calling in some homes. That is pretty serious. At 65 cents you can’t pay for your fuel much less pay for anything else. This is a way of life. This is what these shrimpers have done all their life. It’s who they are. And that is what bothers me the most,” said Senator Morrish.

The task force will also look at global markets. The global markets slowing down may be a contributor to the low prices.

“Unfortunately, there is not anything that I can do or the state legislature can do individually that’s going to make the price go up. I think there are a lot of things federally that can be done and the Governor has sent some letters and has been in contact with the appropriate people in DC to begin that process,” said Senator Morrish.

The Governor’s task force will look into the health and safety concerns of foreign produced shrimp and they suggest that plans or policies should then be developed that will confront these issues.

“The other issue is food safety. The rice industry which I’m very much involved in, we had a small genetic situation here a year ago and Europe refused to accept any of our rice. We had a major downturn in the exports of rice from Southwest Louisiana because of some genetically grown rice that got into ours mistakenly and Europe wouldn’t take our rice for about six months or longer. It caused a big glut in the rice market.

Yet we are not doing the same thing to shrimp that are artificially harvested, you know pond grown shrimp that are coming into this country. There have been all kinds of issues with that. If you talk to the food safety group in DC and read some of their literature it will scare the heck out of you,” said Senator Morrish.

The labeling of the shrimp can be deceptive.

“I went to a meat market in Baton Rouge the other day and they also have a seafood market there too and there was jumbo gulf shrimp. It didn’t say Gulf of Mexico shrimp and it didn’t say Louisiana shrimp. It said gulf shrimp. I’d like to look into that and see if there is truth in labeling. Now, I’m not accusing that market of falsifying the advertising, but I’d like to know,” said Senator Morrish.

Locally, there could be ways to help the shrimping industry.

“I think there are some things we can do locally-the Louisiana Seafood Promotional Board,” said Senator Morrish. “The oyster task force in this state has done a real good job of coming together—east and west—with real initiatives that have done very well for the oyster industry.

The shrimp industry has not been as cohesive in being one voice. I think if anything is good in this it’s that they’ll come together with one voice.”

Cameron Parish: Recovering And Ready

By Nancy Correro
The Times of SWLA




After Cameron Parish rebuilt from Hurricane Rita, Hurricanes’ Gustav and Ike hit in 2008 and destroyed most of the recovery work. Recovery has been steady and you can see the progress that has been made when you travel through Cameron.

With hurricanes spinning off the coast of Africa now, our attention is naturally drawn to our weather channels to be sure those storms don’t make it into the Gulf of Mexico.

How would Cameron fair if they were hit by another hurricane? “Cameron Parish residents are proficient at hurricane preparedness and hurricane evacuations. We are well practiced in that arena,” said Stephanie Rodrigue, Superintendent of the Cameron Parish School Board.

Ryan Bourriaque
Ryan Bourriaque, Assistant Planner for Cameron Planning and Development, works with all of the recovery projects from Rita and Ike and with some of the Coastal Restoration Projects. “I would say yes because it’s happened before. The previous generation went through Audrey and there were over 500 lives lost.

So keeping things in perspective, Rita, although it caused a lot of physical and emotional and financial damage it didn’t cause the long term pain and anguish that residents down here had already gone through. Sadly, people down here are becoming conditioned to it,” said Bourriaque.

There is still some work to be done, but everything is moving along at a steady pace now.
“Unfortunately, those that lost homes or experienced severe damages for the second time, knew the system. Becoming proficient because of repeat performances is not an area of expertise that we really desire to master, but we are pretty good at it.

Overall, the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security (GOHSEP) and Emergency Preparedness, as well as Louisiana Public Assistance and FEMA, have made great strides in four years and that has been evident since Ike,” Rodrigue said.

One area that is still in a flux would be the FIRM maps. “FIRM maps are the official map of a community on which FEMA has delineated both the special hazard areas and the risk premium zones applicable to the community,” according to the FEMA website.

“Our firm maps are still in appeal. So if any funding source goes according to the FIRMS then we are in a bind because 86% of the Parish is in a v-zone,” said Bourriaque.

V zones are “areas along coasts subject to inundation by the 1-percent-annual-chance flood event with additional hazards associated with storm-induced waves,” according to the FEMA website.

“Basically what they measure is storm surge, velocity data, and they tell you where you shouldn’t live basically. And the whole Parish is a v zone except for one little area in the tip top North of Sweet Lake and a little bit of Hackberry—everything else is a v-zone even though we have ridges down here and we have higher elevation—my grandparents have a higher elevation than people on the lake in Lake Charles,” Bourriaque said.

The v zone affects the money that the parish can receive. This is also on an individual basis as well.

“A v zone affects federal funding. Like our recovery money, if they stick with the v-zone issues—not one of our recovery dollars can be spent in the v-zone—and that is including individual assistance. There are certain exceptions,” Bourriaque said.

Overall, FEMA has had some obstacles to overcome in the recovery process, but recently there has been improvement.

“For the first couple of years after Rita, there was a constant turnover of staff and we were constantly starting over from scratch. That has since all changed. Our federal and state leaders have worked diligently to make that happen. LRA Director Paul Rainwater and his staff are doing an awesome job in transitioning so many projects into fast-forward,” according to Rodrigue.

As for insurance after the storms, there are still some issues and some red tape to go through. The Cameron Parish Schools have had a difficult time dealing with Rita’s damage. “Cameron Parish School Board had horrendous issues after Rita that were finally legally settled this calendar year, after two court-ordered mediation attempts. We are in the process of assessing damages versus insurance paid from Ike, at this time. So, the jury is out on that topic, so to speak,” Rodrigue said.

There are still some people ironing out the details with insurance. “I know rates have gone up on insurance, but they’ve gone up for a lot of folks. I would say that the majority are doing okay as far as insurance goes. Flood insurance is fairly reasonable, but wind and hail goes up astronomically almost—they are directly correlated but on the negative side,” Bourriaque said.

A recent trip I made to Cameron’s Saltwater Fishing Festival showed off a beautiful new building and pier. There were several people fishing on the pier and the jetties. I was mistaken for a local when someone from Lafayette complemented me on the progress Cameron had made since the hurricanes.

“The Saltwater Fishing Festival was an extra-special celebration. The ribbon-cutting and blessing of the Police Jury’s newly completed Jetty Pier was the opening event. Karl Krielow, owner of KAS Construction of Jennings, was in attendance. KAS is the same contractor who built Prien Lake Park.

The new Jetty Pier makes the same kind of public recreational statement of excellence. Engineer Lonnie Harper’s design is perfect for the function of the facility. The Lion’s Club’s annual event was quite a success, as well as a social event for the community.

The funds raised will be used to support youth and community endeavors, as well as academic scholarships,” said Rodrigue.

Cameron Parish is here to stay and the people have a passion and a commitment to their home and land that no force of Mother Nature can squelch.

“You would never know that we had gone through all of that. We are so thankful for other things that the impact of the storms just wither away. Storms only last for so long. This place is worth saving to us,” Bourriaque said.

This is a community that has recovered. So, if by chance another hurricane comes their way, they will pick themselves up again. It is a way of life for coastal communities according to Stephanie Rodrigue.

“As now deceased Bishop Maurice Schexnayder’s Hurricane Prayer says, ‘we live in the shadow of a danger over which we have no control.’ People ask, ‘why do you live there?’ We live here because it is peaceful, small and unique...we live here because we know that just as we pray for a reprieve from the weather, we also know that our prayers for recovery are being heard and answered. And, they will be answered again.”

McNeese Budget Cuts

By Chaney Ferguson
Editor, The Times




McNeese is beginning this academic year with a 13 percent reduction in state appropriation. Last December the university’s budget received a cut of $1.9 million. The current total of the budget cut, including the one in December, comes to $5.6 million.

The university’s main concern is for students to carry on without noticing the impact of the cuts.
“We hope that students will not noticeably see an impact from the reductions. We did reductions based off what would least affect the students and classroom instruction,” said Candace Townsend, Director of Public Information and Communications at McNeese State University.

Reductions were made to the various areas that are least likely to affect students.

“Offices and non-academic areas or academic support areas will have a bigger hit to their budget than say academic departments and labs,” said Townsend.

In order to avoid layoffs and elimination of academic programs, reductions have been made to academic support areas such as operating services, supplies, equipment purchases, and student work-study jobs.

Other areas receiving reductions include non-teaching graduate assistantships, part-time instructors, funds for general maintenance, facility repairs and athletics.

“Through significant reductions to all areas of the budget, holding merit raises and 70 vacant positions, we are not eliminating any academic programs, we are not planning layoffs of full-time faculty, nor salary reductions or unpaid furloughs for support staff this year,” said McNeese President Dr. Hebert.

McNeese is focusing on its highest priority, its commitment to academics.

In order to achieve this goal, employees are taking on extra classes to cover the vacant positions. Faculty members are reducing their time for research and other scholarly activities.

“We are all having to work with less. By losing release time and working full loads, we won’t have as much time to commit to projects, but it has also allowed us to freeze merit pay and we have not had to layoff any full-time employees,” said Townsend.

Although reductions have created a strain on employees, the community is responding in a positive way by showing how important McNeese is to the area.

“Even before the budget cuts were finalized, the McNeese Foundation informed us that over their past fiscal year that there has been an increase of 34 percent in donations. Those donations are mainly for academic scholarships,” said Townsend.

A report was conducted in March by an impartial corporation out of Baton Rouge. Townsend said the results of the report confirm what many at McNeese knew to be true already.

The report states:
The University of Louisiana System by Applied Technology Research Corp. shows McNeese State University has a $335 million annual economic impact on Louisiana.

McNeese employees contribute $55 million directly to the economy while McNeese retirees spend an additional $11 million.

McNeese students spend $145 million in areas such as housing, food, entertainment, telecommunications and transportation, while visitors to McNeese events expend an additional $47 million.

Overall there is an $8 return for every $1 the state invests in higher education.
Graduates of McNeese contribute to the local workforce.

The report reveals the impact:
• Approximately one-third of the engineers working in the local petrochemical industry are McNeese graduates.
• Nearly 80 percent of all the nurses working in Lake Charles and the surrounding communities are McNeese graduates.
• School districts in the five-parish area rank among the state’s top 10 districts in high school graduation rates and more than 70 percent of the educators in the five-parish area earned a degree from McNeese.
• Nearly 70 percent of the public four-year college degrees earned by residents of Southwest Louisiana come from McNeese.
• Over the last 10 years, close to 13, 000 students have graduated from McNeese and added $640 million to Louisiana’s economy.

Governor Jindal is taking a look at higher education by forming the Tucker Commission. The commission is looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the system.

“At this time we don’t know what the impact will be. We are looking within, to our own strengths and prioritize our resources,” said Townsend.

With the next couple of years looking economically grim for higher education, Townsend says that McNeese is vigilant about cost-saving methods so they can prepare for whatever the future will bring.

Where Are They: Keeping Tabs On Sex Offenders

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA



Sheriff Tony Mancuso said Calcasieu Parish has between 260-280 registered sex offenders.
Over the past year, a single registry database called Offender Watch has allowed the state to streamline sex offender information, reducing the problem of tracking and registering sex offenders.

“The registry is something that we always used. We had to pay for it. Now the state requires that we have that system and they actually fund it for us,” said Detective Scott Miller with the Sheriff’s Department’s Sex Offender Compliance and Awareness Program (CAP).
“We have been doing that since about ten years ago. We are ahead of the game in that area,” said Mancuso.

Miller said the registry is still a work in progress, but believes it will all work out once all the parishes get in line with the registry.

“We can look at each others sex offenders and if they move from one parish to our parish it automatically sends us an email stating that this guy is moving to our area and we need to go find him,” said Miller.

Governor Bobby Jindal said the registry is a critical step towards enforcing new laws instituted since he took office.

“By having a program that allows various law enforcement agencies to share, streamline, and enforce the sex predator registration and monitoring process, our law enforcement officials are better prepared to track down these predators and protect our children,” said Governor Jindal.
There are two ways to deal with sex offenders. First, the investigation, how law enforcement pursues the case and ultimately gets a conviction. The next stage is keeping track of them when they get out of jail.

“The legislature has changed some of the laws. They look at a sex offender differently if they are a rapist or if they are a pedophile,” said Mancuso.

There are different tiers to being a sex offender. These tiers or levels of offense determine how often the offender has to check in with law enforcement.

The first tier requires check in every year for a felony of carnal knowledge. The second tier involves molestation of a juvenile or anything involving minors. The second tier requires check in every six months.

The third tier is aggravated assault which means the assailant used a weapon during the crime. The assailant has to check in every three months and register for life as a sex offender.

“When the offender is checking in they give their phone number, place of employment, address, vehicles that they drive, any tattoos that may have changed, hair style, and picture,” said Miller.
Miller and others in CAP conduct regular compliance checks in the parish.

“We will pick an area and have every offender checked within a three month period,” said Miller.
“If they are not in compliance then he files the necessary charges with the District Attorney’s office. If they are on parole we notify their probation officer and try to get a warrant for their arrest for either probation violation or just the violation of not notifying us that they had changed addresses or locations,” said Mancuso.

Miller said a lot of the current problems are people coming from other states.
“In January of 2008, we came in line with the Adam Walsh Act and Texas hasn’t come in line with that yet,” said Miller.

The Adam Walsh Act calls for state conformity to various aspects of sex offender registration, including information that must be collected, duration of registration requirement for classifications of offenders, verification of registry information, access to and sharing of information, and penalties for failure to register as required.

“We are getting a lot of offenders coming from Texas. We aren’t being notified about it. A lot of them have absconded and come over here. We aren’t getting them until we get them on a traffic stop or something like that where we run their name and they come up as a sex offender from another state,” said Miller.

Mancuso said all states need to be on the same page.

“The Adam Walsh Act is trying to make sure that we don’t just do it in Louisiana, but we do it nationwide so we can have better tracking,” said Mancuso.

In the future, serious offenders may have to wear GPS tracking systems so law enforcement knows where they are at all times.

“That hasn’t evolved as fast as we would have liked it to,” said Mancuso.

The Sheriff’s Department website www.cpso.com has a sex offender registry.

“You can enter your address and see what sex offenders live in your area,” said Miller.
The registry provides pictures and gives a reason for conviction.

“If there is a sex offender living on your street show the picture to your child. You don’t have to explain to them what he was convicted of, just tell them he is a bad person and to stay away form him,” said Miller.

“We will go out and speak to civic organizations if there is a concern. We will meet with them and explain how the program works,” said Mancuso.

Deputy Joanne Pape works in the CAP unit promoting awareness. Pape speaks to communities and does neighborhood watch.

Miller and Pape teach some classes around the state. Mancuso said other cities use Calcasieu Parish as a model for what is going right.

“We feel like we are doing right. We are trying,” said Mancuso.

Is A Career Diploma the Answer?

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA





A new curriculum designed to prevent high school dropouts has some people questioning if the possible solution will help or hinder Louisiana’s educational system.

Senate Bill 259 includes the new curriculum and was signed by Governor Bobby Jindal in early July.

Students who fulfill the curriculum will graduate with a “career diploma” instead of the standard academic diploma involving college-prep classes.

The Legislature’s conflict over the bill highlighted the national debate over high school graduation standards.

Advocates of the new curriculum believe it will help the struggling students prepare for community college or a career by focusing on technical training.

The opposition argues that the participating students will be shortchanged in the future since the new curriculum does not prepare them for a college education—which most future careers will require.

Legislators are not the only ones who are split on the issue.

A recent report put out by Civic Enterprises, a public policy fellows program, reveals fifty-nine percent of teachers and forty-one percent of principles believe there should be an alternate track for students who are not college bound to receive a diploma.

Louisiana will be one of the few states to offer the option of a career diploma.
In the past several years, Louisiana has raised academic standards and graduation rates simultaneously. From 2001 to 2007 graduation rates rose from sixty-one percent to sixty-six percent.

While supporters of the diploma point towards the one in three dropout rate, the diploma is not without its opponents.

A letter written in early June by Michael Cohen, president of Achieve, Kati Haycock, president of Education Trust, and Marlene Seltzer, president and CEO of Jobs for the Future, cites concerns over SB 259 and two other additional bills with common intentions.

The letter states that the creation of a new career readiness diploma as a less rigorous alternative to the Louisiana Core 4 diploma is particularly worrisome.

The letter continues to reveal potential problems that will arise due to the bill.

“In attempting to design a work readiness path for students, you may inadvertently re-create the type of tracking system that leaves many students, particularly poor and minority students, unprepared for good careers and for further education after high school.”

Cohen, Haycock, and Seltzer address the issue of the career diploma benefiting those students planning to pursue a career rather than college.

“The idea that students bound for the workplace need a lower level of education that those bound for college is a flawed premise that is not supported by research.”

“In fact, the latest research shows just the opposite: a convergence around a core set of knowledge, skills, and competencies that all high school graduates need to be prepared for the postsecondary training and education that will open doors to well-paid, family-sustaining jobs and careers.”

Despite concerns some educators believe the new option will interest students that may struggle with the standard curriculum.

“I am always supportive of any initiative that allows students with varying learning styles to achieve at their maximum potential,” said Stephanie Rodrigue, Superintendent of Cameron Parish schools.

Rodrigue states that school systems are aware of the career diploma legislation but are awaiting policy and guidance which she understands to be forthcoming.

“We are fortunate that we currently have a very minimal number of dropouts in Cameron Parish and we are addressing that by implementing a grade recovery program this school year to further decrease the probability of dropouts,” said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue remains hopeful that the career diploma will be a viable option for students who are career bound, immediately following high school, but struggle with the Carnegie credit requirements.

Roger Creel, Director of Career and Technical Education in the Calcasieu Parish School System is another local supporter of the career diploma option.

“We are hoping that it helps us with our dropout rate because there are a number of students that just get frustrated because they can’t pass the classes or the exit exams,” said Creel.
“So it is going to give us a chance to help some of them at least get that diploma and provide them with a trade or a skill,” said Creel.

Rita Mann, Superintendent of the Beauregard Parish School Board said the Beauregard Parish School System recognizes the need for students to be prepared to meet their future goals, whether earning a degree, completing technical training, or entering the job market.

“We maintain a close working relationship with McNeese State University and surrounding Career and Technical Colleges in order to provide dual enrollment credits and certifications. Student participation in these courses indicates there will be interest in the Career Diploma program,” said Mann.

Mann acknowledges that the program does require further guidance from the State Department of Education, which may result in postponing its implementation until the 2010-2011 school year.

Whether the new option will help or hinder the states dropout rate remains to be seen. The effects of the career diploma will largely depend on how school districts implement the new curriculum and how students respond.

Lake Charles Tapped As Alzheimer’s Study Site

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




Nearly a year ago Lake Charles was chosen as an Alzheimer’s study site. A team located in Memorial Hospital, led by Dr. Kashinath G. Yadalam, is working with volunteers (age 55 to 89) to test if a new drug, bapineuzumab, will slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s. Dr. Yadalam is a MD, a Certified Physician Investigator and Medical Director of Lake Charles Clinical Trials.
“It is important to state clearly that bapineuzumab may slow the disease process in Alzheimer’s, but whether it can help more remains to be seen” said Dr. Yadalam.

The trial lasts thirteen months with an optional follow-up treatment and it involves extensive assessment of cognitive function (memory, reasoning, judgment, etc) along with frequent MRIs of the brain. The participant and the caregiver are asked questions at each visit to assess the progress of treatment.

In 1987, Dr. Yadalam was part of a team that conducted the first drug study in Alzheimer’s. His previous research experience at the Medical College of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia is the reason why Lake Charles was chosen as a site (among many others across the country and the globe) to conduct the study.

Alzheimer’s is often misunderstood. Dr. Yadalam uses the following example to explain some of the common misconceptions involved with Alzheimer’s. “Say someone has a cough. The cause of the cough could be anything from a mild infection to even cancer. The cough alone doesn’t tell you what the disease is, it is a symptom,” said Dr. Yadalam. “Similarly, dementia is a syndrome i.e., a collection of symptoms, such as, short-term memory loss, confusion, language problem, and even aggression. Many have dementia, but not everybody who has dementia has Alzheimer’s. It is not possible to diagnose the type of dementia just by talking to the patient” said Dr. Yadalam.
There are two ways to diagnose Alzheimer’s: the definitive diagnosis is by examining a sample of brain tissue (upon death) or by doing a PET-scan. These scans are very expensive, so the physicians diagnose most often by blood tests, MRI of the brain and disease exclusion.

“The cause of this disease is not known yet but, many brain abnormalities have been identified. A prominent abnormality is the accumulation of a protein called beta-amyloid” said Dr. Yadalam. Currently, it is not known if there is an increased production of beta amyloid or if the affected brain is less efficient in eliminating this protein.

“Bapineuzumab, the compound we are testing, aims to remove amyloid from the brain thereby relieving the adverse effect it has on the brain. We will know more about its overall effectiveness once the trial has been completed at all sites and the data analyzed. Hopefully, we are getting closer to reaching our goal.” said Dr. Yadalam.

The treatment is a double-blind study, meaning that some patients receive a placebo, while others receive the drug. Neither patient nor Dr. Yadalam knows what each patient receives. This protects the study from being compromised.

Sharon Garrett, Mary Long, and Therese Novak along with other staff work with Dr. Yadalam in this study at this research facility. “Assessments, cognitive testing and dependence scales are administered to understand the extent of the disease,” said Garrett. “We also rely on caregiver questionnaires,” said Long.

“The double-blind portion of the trial lasts thirteen months. During this period they receive six intravenous infusions of bapineuzumab and undergo MRIs six times. Each visit we spend a lot of time assessing their level of functioning using various standardized rating scales and we also ask caregivers detailed questions about their observations. As you can see, we spend a lot of time with them and they are monitored very closely,” said Dr. Yadalam.

“During the course of this trial, we learned that people who have the Alzheimer’s gene require a different treatment approach than non-carriers of the gene. This distinction is not made in current clinical practice.” said Dr. Yadalam. People who are carriers of the disease receive a lower dose of the drug than non-carriers because when given an identical dose of this compound, the carriers suffer greater and more severe side effects. Dr. Yadalam identifies the carriers by conducting a genetic test. “We take a blood sample and send it for testing. If the APO-E4 gene is found then they are carriers,” said Dr. Yadalam.

Dr. Yadalam said that some patients may have side effects from the drug such as confusion and worsening of symptoms. “When the protein is removed from the brain some suffer a microscopic bleed which can be seen by MRI but most patients don’t have any symptoms.” said Dr. Yadalam. “But, microscopic bleeding is sometimes seen in patients who are not even receiving any treatment. That is why we need to conduct these studies to identify what is causing these problems,” said Dr. Yadalam.

Participation in the treatment program does not cost anything. Caregivers must be willing to bring in the patients and participate in the assessments to rate the patients. Patients and caregivers participating in the trial are reimbursed for their time and travel and transportation is provided to those who have no means.

Although there is no cure currently, hopefully this study being conducted in Lake Charles Clinical Trials will lead to future discoveries in Alzheimer’s treatment.

Is Our Water Safe?

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




Recently residents received a card in the mail informing them of coliforms found in the water. The information card explained the reporting period during the month of May “violated the maximum contaminate level of coliform bacteria.” The regulations are stated in the State and Federal Primary Drinking Water Regulations.

“We can have up to four samples test positive for coliform. Which is not out of the ordinary, but anything over four throws us out of compliance,” said Russell Buckels with the City of Lake Charles Water Division.

As a result of the violation the water division had thirty days to inform customers through a public notice or direct mail outs.

“This time it was unusual because when we took 20 samples in one week 10 came back positive for total coliform. We immediately re-sampled all those sites and upstream and downstream from each site so for the 10 that were positive we picked up 30 plus a house on either side,” said Buckels.

When taking samples upstream and downstream the idea is to figure out if the contamination is localized or spread out.

“It’s an additional check,” said Buckels. “So if there was contamination we may see what direction it is coming from.”

According to Buckels, all the additional samples came back negative.

The water division believes contamination occurred either at sampling out in the field or running them back in to the lab.

“We think that because all of the additional samples came back negative, but since we went over our limit the first time we had to send out a public notice,” said Buckels.

When taking a water sample Buckels says there must be a good lab procedure and sterile sample bags. Samples are not taken when the weather causes drizzling, high humidity or dew because of how the moisture can get into the sample bags.

“When we get back to the lab we are taking that sample and running it through some filter media. There can be contamination there if the glassware isn’t sterilized and lots of other possibilities,” said Buckels.

“When the samples come back positive for coliform additional tests are made to look for more harmful bacteria such as fecal coliform,” said Buckels.

Coliform is considered an indicator organism for more harmful bacteria. It is a natural bacterium in the environment.

“Coliforms are real prevalent in the environment. You have them all over your hands and they are all over my desk,” said Buckels.

Two years ago five coliforms within a month were found in the water and a notice was sent out.
“Other than that I don’t think we’ve ever had a violation like that, but we do find coliform from time to time; it’s not unheard of,” said Buckels. “We normally don’t find that many because we have chlorine in the water.”

According to Buckels most people think that since you have chlorine in the water the water is sterile, but you have organisms that can grow in the water.

“I guess the best example I can give is if you have a gallon of milk and you never open it, it goes bad. That’s because the pasteurization process uses an air range of temperature where most of the organisms grow so they pasteurize it at that temperature, but any organisms that can grow on a lower or higher temperature are still in the milk because they are not considered harmful,” said Buckels.

Those organisms grow even though the milk is never opened because it goes bad. The same thing is true of water. There are organisms out there not harmful to people but they do produce some odor complaints for the water division and coliforms are found from time to time.

“We don’t want our customers to be alarmed because everything was fine. They don’t have to boil the water or do anything. If they have a concern they can give us a call and I can explain it further and give additional information,” said Buckels.

Everyone will soon be receiving the water quality report from the water division which covers last year and states where the city gets its water.

“It is kind of ironic that I have to send out a notice like this and it is coming at the same time as our report for last year,” said Buckels.

The water division is required to test approximately eighty bacteriological samples a month to meet regulations.

If any of the additional samples test positive for harmful bacteria Buckels is required to immediately notify the public through radio and television announcements.

“I know what is going on with the water system, and I let my family drink the water. I wouldn’t do that if I thought something was wrong with it,” said Buckels.

Energizing Downtown With the New City Courthouse

By Chaney Ferguson The Times of SWLA




Downtown Lake Charles has made great strides in drawing in businesses and creating an area people want to spend time enjoying. Lori Marinovich, executive director of the Downtown Development Authority, says building the new city courthouse downtown will only bring in more foot-traffic.

“We wanted to maintain their presence in downtown Lake Charles. Some of the benefits of just having that type of activity downtown is of course that the nature of their business brings people into the downtown area,” said Marinovich.

According to Marinovich, when the city court was originally interested in the Sears Automotive site, city owned property, the DDA helped shepherd the interest in the district.

“We worked specifically with that piece of property and it helped get all the issues to the forefront. We were able to develop a cooperative development agreement which spells out the roles and responsibilities of each party as we move through this development process.”

Marinovich shares that one of the court’s strongest points made in the discussion to build a new courthouse was that many times this is the only time a visitor ever has an experience in court.
“These are usually your minor traffic violations, things like that,” says Marinovich.

According to Marinovich, current courthouse conditions are just not what people would want to put in front of the public.

“It needs some improvements especially if that is the only and the first time someone ever has a court experience. There are also some security issues with the actual environment” Marinovich said.

Recently a new option has become available for the courthouse. The parish acquired new land at 901 Lakeshore Drive. Presently the DDA and the court systems are reviewing all the needs.
Marinovich explained: “We simply asked before we made a commitment to build a whole new structure to look at our judicial needs in a more holistic view and say okay the parish has certain needs. Are they going to need to build a new structure? Can the needs of the city court be accommodated by a structure that may be vacated?”

Marinovich went on to say that they just wanted to have a period of time to explore all of those options and that is why they have the December deadline. “We will use the next several months to work with the parish and city court needs and see what we can determine in a more holistic way,” Marinovich said.

According to Marinovich the court system brings foot traffic into the downtown area.
“It brings interest because people stop and have lunch. They may stop and see the new residential components.”

Marinovich says it helps people have a good experience downtown.

The need for the new city courthouse to be located downtown also serves the local businessmen.
“We have a lot of law offices, engineers, abstracters that have business downtown. Their jobs really relate to a judicial need. So they feed and add additional people into the downtown,” says Marinovich.

The goal of the DDA is to recruit businesses and activities downtown which brings in people. Marinovich believes the courthouse is part of that process.
“It is all about growing the downtown and growing to our capacity.”

Rebuilding Cameron: One Step at a Time

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




In September of 2008 Hurricane Ike destroyed much of the progress Cameron had made from rebuilding after Hurricane Rita. Clifton Hebert, Emergency Preparedness Director of Cameron Parish is taking baby steps to a full recovery.

“We are just beginning to make some progress,” said Hebert. “We have made baby steps and that is what we have to take after getting hit twice in three years.”

According to Hebert the nature of the damage between the two hurricanes was the difference between wind and flood damage.

“We experienced a lot of the flooding from the surge during Ike,” said Hebert. “We had a little less wind damage, but the surge was a lot greater in the northern part of the parish than what we had for Rita.”

Even though recovery is slow the parish is beginning to see progress in the public buildings. A new school board administration office is in the process of being built, and South Cameron High School has a completed foundation with red-irons being put up.

“The east annex which will be housing the district attorney’s office and the parish assessor is well on its way up,” said Hebert. “We have several fire stations that are now in process of being built.”
Hebert says the main issue contributing to slow progress is insurance and red tape caused by being hit by two hurricanes so close together.

“We had insurance issues pertaining to Rita and now we have insurance issues pertaining to Ike,” said Hebert. “On top of all that we have the federal and state assistance. It’s really a complicated web.”

Before rebuilding can begin in some areas the issue of the D-FIRM maps has to be settled. FEMA will not pay for buildings to be built in certain areas unless certain elevations are put in place.
“The D-FIRM maps are the new digital elevation maps,” said Hebert. “What happens is it has converted 80% of our parish to a V-zone or a high-velocity zone.”

Hebert and others in the parish have protested the new maps.

“We think we have some very good scientific evidence to be able to protest it to have these things swapped and changed out a little bit because some of the data was bad input,” said Hebert.

The maps also affect residents in the parish as they rebuild their homes. According to Hebert, building with the new regulations in mind can add as much as $50,000-$100,000 to a new home.

“It’s killing our community,” said Hebert. “People are deciding to save their money and just live elsewhere.”

Stephanie Rodrigue, Superintendent of the Cameron Parish School Board lost everything during Hurricane Rita. She and her husband decided that Cameron was where they wanted to stay, and they built their home with the new elevation codes in mind.

“We are elevated above the new projected maps so we are above both elevation policies,” said Rodrigue. “We are above the D-FIRM maps.”

Elevation is not the only facet of the new home. Rodrigue’s home incorporates many hurricane-resistant aspects, such as breakaway walls, flood vents, hurricane strapping and clips.
“We have elevated heating and AC systems,” said Rodrigue, “An elevated on- demand water heater and impact resistant windows.”

According to Rodrigue they have a pre-wired generator that supports the house, and they are also awaiting an order for hurricane shutters.

“We have blown in insulation that strengthens the house as well as being energy efficient,” said Rodrigue.

Rodrigue and her husband began building March 8, 2008. The house was a six month project completed two weeks before Hurricane Ike.

“We had $12,000 worth of damage to the bottom level but the flood vents work,” said Rodrigue. “We lost our mechanical sewer system, but those are all on-ground issues and if we had been living in the house we could have moved right back in, but we hadn’t put our furniture in yet.”
Rodrigue advises others in the area to build on pilings and build as high and as strong as possible from an engineering standpoint. If this hurricane season brings an evacuation Rodrigue feels comfortable leaving assets upstairs and only taking what is irreplaceable.

“We will not have as much that we need to take because we feel that our belongings will be well-protected,” said Rodrigue.

As the next hurricane season approaches Rodrigue has confidence that her new home will be able to withstand a storm.

Hebert reminds people that each storm is different with its own characteristics. “Just because a building made it through Ike doesn’t mean it would make it through another Rita.”

Hurricane season begins June 1 and Hebert stresses the need for people to heed an evacuation.
“My main concern is human life,” said Hebert. “We can always rebuild a building, but you can’t rebuild a human life once it’s gone.”

Blueprint Louisiana: Reforming the Agenda

Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA





In the spring and summer of 2007, the original agenda for Blueprint Louisiana was formed. It is a citizen-driven endeavor to pinpoint and execute necessary changes to improve Louisiana.

“Blueprint Louisiana was developed a couple of years ago, actually, the year before the last election cycle in the hopes of getting legislators to sign on to an agenda for good government ideas,” said Dennis Stine, President and CEO, Stine Lumber Co. Stine is also a member of the Blueprint Louisiana steering committee.

“The thought process is if enough signed on we would have a majority or super-majority of legislators supporting agenda ideas when they ran for office,” Stine said. “Once they got elected they would support those items.”

Stine states that in 2007, approximately 82% of the members of the State Senate and 71% of the members of the House of Representatives signed the original contract to support the Blueprint Agenda.

In addition to pursuing the original agenda, Blueprint will advocate for the “New Economy” section: Create a Knowledge-Based, Innovation-Driven Economy.

According to www.blueprintlouisiana.org, Louisiana must begin now to build and position its economy to grow and thrive in the years and decades ahead. This involves two steps.
The first step targets education: A shift to a performance-based formula to fund higher education to reward the results we need to transform our economy.

“I think in the entire state, higher education is currently funded by what they call a student credit hour system where if students enroll and they take so many credit hours the university is funded by receiving funds for how many credit hours they have in particular programs,” Stine said.

According to Stine, all universities, including McNeese, have a very low graduation rate after five or six years. A student enrolls in a particular program, but due to various reasons, does not finish that program.

“We want to create an incentive program that says let’s put the emphasis on getting people degrees and certificates so they can go make a living and support their families,” Stine said.
“What we want to do is develop a program in our state that’s a performance based funding system. It gives credit to universities for having folks that go into the higher educational system, finish programs or attain some type of degree certificate,” Stine said.

Stine thinks that although a change of that nature will have to be phased in, it will bode well for the citizens of our state.

“It’s not simply about getting the individual into college it’s about helping them finish their program,” said Stine. “It’s about success for the individual.”

The second step is: create a Louisiana Research Alliance (modeled after highly successful research alliance organizations in other states) to guide state investments to support diversification and growth of Louisiana’s economy.

The agenda states that in today’s world, economic development and postsecondary education must be directly linked.

“We are looking for centers of excellence in one of our programs and in that center of excellence we are looking for our area to be known for energy production,” said Stine. “If anyone in the state wants to be involved in the energy field of our state they would come to Southwest Louisiana to have their training.”

BlueprintLouisiana.org outlines a solution for implementing step two. The key is to efficiently use state resources to build new innovative sectors which require investments in targeted growth areas.

Specifically, Louisiana must recruit world-class researchers who will bring and attract federal research funds and talented graduate students. These researchers will develop technology that can be licensed to new and existing companies.

Finally, the state must invest in systems to move new technology from university labs into Louisiana companies.

“The second section is recommended to be a study this year enabling legislation to create that study group and monitor its progress,” Stine said.

Funding for the program will come from the state and businesses. “It’s everyone working together to create jobs in our state,” said Stine.

Blueprint Louisiana is exactly what its name says. It is a blueprint to outline incentives for the state to follow.

“I know Mayor Randy Roach talks about success in a region, and if a region can improve then the city improves,” said Stine. “The same can be said about our state. If the state can improve then each region improves.”

Stine stated that if Louisiana has good government reform then each region will be better for it, and begin to see those improvements. Blueprint Louisiana is looking to implement those reforms through the original agenda items and the two new additions. The members of the organization will push for the “New Economy” component in the upcoming legislative session.