VISION WEST
West Baton Rouge Parish - Community, Growth, Possibilities
October, 2007
A quarterly publication for West Baton Rouge residents by your public agencies
Calendar of Events
NOVEMBER
Nov. 3
Rose Mary Thornton to speak at
WBR Museum (see page 2)
Nov. 6
Veterans Day Parade
Nov. 9
WBR Chamber Holiday Gala
Nov. 11
Mary Ann Sternberg to speak at
WBR Museum (see page 2)
Veterans Parade rolls Nov. 4 in Port Allen
Veterans will get a big thank you on Sunday, Nov.
4, when they are honored in the Port Allen Veterans Day
Parade.
The parade will roll at 2 p.m., starting at Rivault Park,
travel down Jefferson Avenue to Louisiana Avenue to the
West Baton Rouge Parish Courthouse. New additions
this year include the U.S. Navy Honor Guard, and the
U.S. Marine Corps Band. Kim Howell, coordinator of the
parade, said more than 80 entries are expected in the
parade.
Howell started the parade as a way for area
residents to show their appreciation for veterans who
have made great sacrifices for our country. “We’d love
to see a big crowd along the entire route,” Howell said.
“The parade has grown tremendously in the last three
years, and people are really getting excited about it.”
Veterans can ride on the floats or sit in a reserved
viewing area with special accommodations for them.
Parade entries should be decorated in patriotic colors
and can play only patriotic music.
For more information on how to contribute to or get
involved in the parade, call Howell at 225-383-7600 or
225-202-1112.
Nov. 22, 23 Parish offices closed for
Thanksgiving holiday
DECEMBER
Dec. 2
WBR Museum Open House
Dec. 8
Museum trip to Natchitoches
Christmas light festivities
Dec. 15
Dec. 16
Port Allen Christmas Festival
Museum trip to New Orleans
celebration Le Reveillon
RECORD CROWD FOR OLDIES FEST
A crowd of some 4,000 people enjoyed music and fun from the 1950s
and 1960s at the second annual
Oldies But Goodies Fest on Oct. 14.
This year the West Baton Rouge
Convention and Visitors Bureau also
hosted the Smokin’ Oldies CookOff, a state championship barbecue
cooking competition, with 17 teams
competing on Friday and Saturday,
Oct. 13 and 14. In the photos at left
Elvis performer Brandon Bennett
performs for the crowd, and local
youngsters dress for the occasion.
Government
Meetings
WBR PARISH COUNCIL - Meets 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Parish Council
Building, 225-383-4755, www.wbrparish.org
WBR PARISH SCHOOL BOARD - Committee meetings on 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. School
Board meetings on 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5
p.m. at the School Board office, 225-343-8309, www.
wbrschools.net
TOWN OF BRUSLY - Committee meetings on 1st
Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Town Council
meetings on 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m.,
225-749-2909, www.bruslyla.com
Assessor Barney “Frog” Altazan were unopposed, and Sheriff Mike
Cazes won another term in the election.
PAID
Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Town council
meetings on 2nd Wednesday of each month at 5:30
p.m., 225-346-5670, www.portallen.org
West Baton Rouge Parish will have an
almost all new Parish Council due mainly to
term limits. New council members elected to
serve in the October 20 election are:
District 2: Jeffrey “Petit” Kershaw; District
3: Keith “Keedy” Washington, Sr.; District 4:
Ricky Loupe; District 5: Charlene Gordon;
District 6: “Phil” Porto, Jr.; District 7: Gary
“Sprout” Spillman; and District 9: Edward
“Bob” Robertson.
A run-off is set for the District 8 race
between Aletha “Lisa Green” Johnson and
Carol Leger Johnson.
Parish President Riley “PeeWee”
Berthelot, Clerk of Court Mark Graffeo and
PRSRT STD
U.S. Postage
CITY OF PORT ALLEN - Committee meetings on 1st
New WBR leadership elected in Oct.
Port Allen, LA
Permit #18
month at 7 p.m. at Addis Town Hall. Phone: 225-6874844, www.addisla.org
Postal Patron Local
TOWN OF ADDIS - Meets on 1st Wednesday of each
West B at o n Ro u ge To u r i s m
MORE SCENES FROM OLDIES FEST...
The photo above shows a portion of the
huge crowd that enjoyed dancing to the
music of Elvis performer Brandon Bennett
and Na Na Sha. Other popular attractions
were the hula hoop, twist dance, jutterbug
dance and costume contests, and the Antique Car Show.
Sales trip made to Nova Scotia
West Baton Rouge tourism
representatives recently joined other
state tourism directors on an 11-day
sales mission to Nova Scotia.
They took part in travel and
trade shows in Halifax and Clare,
Nova Scotia, and a media luncheon
in Hailfax. The delegation also
sponsored a Cajun stage at the 52nd
annual Festival Acadian de Clare,
and participated in a Mardi Gras
parade and fais do do. They gave
out thousands of bags of information
to those attending.
West B at o n Ro u g e M u s e u m
Museum aglow for Christmas
in the Big House
On Sunday, December 2, 2:00-5:00 p.m. the West Baton Rouge
Museum will host its annual Holiday Open House. The museum’s grounds
will be aglow with activities illustrating how Christmas was celebrated on
sugar plantations long ago at the end of sugar cane grinding season.
In the Big House: See Victorian era tableaux performances depicting
holiday customs at the c. 1830 French Creole Alliet House.
In the Cabin: View open-hearth cooking demonstrations and learn
about the fortunes and misfortunes experienced by slaves during the
holiday season inside the c. 1850 Allendale Cabin and hear the soulful
voice of Judy Whitney Davis singing spirituals.
Inside the Museum: Take part in festivities which include a visit from
Pere Noel, holiday hands-on activities and parlor games for the children,
live music, dancing performed
by the River Road Performance
Society, the presentation of the 2007
Volunteer and Junior Volunteer of
the Year awards, and much more!
This free event is open to
the public and is certain to delight
visitors of all ages. The West
Baton Rouge Museum is located
at 845 N. Jefferson Avenue in Port
Allen, just minutes from downtown
Baton Rouge. For more information
contact Laurie Roche’ at 225-3362422, ext 16.
A scene from last year’s Christmas in the
Big House.
Page 2 - Vision WEST - October, 2007
Bureau one of first in state to offer
computer help with trip itinerary
The West Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau is one of the
first tourist centers in the state to offer
a new computerized itinerary planner
to visitors and local residents.
Named the Louisiana Same Day
program, the computer technology
allows a tourist center representative to
quickly and easily provide guests with
a precise itinerary including locations
to sites they want to see, directions,
entry fees and other information.
“We can provide a great service
to our guests with this new computer
technology,” said Tourism Director
Sharon Stam.
Tourism Center counselor Tonya
Elson is heading this program and
will be training other counselors on it,
Stam said.
“If a guest wants to spend a day
in New Orleans, we ask what that
person’s interests are or what he’d like
to see,” Elson explained. “Let’s say
he likes art museums. I can call up all
the art museums in New Orleans and
provide him with a complete itinerary
including the locations of each museum
on a map, directions for each, entry
fees, and hours of operation. I can also
provide restaurant information, book a
hotel room for him, and provide him
with a list of any special events that may
be going on at the time of his visit.”
The program provides for up to
a three-day itinerary. In addition, it
allows for staffs of visitors centers to
communicate with each other through
an instant messaging system.
Another great feature of the program
is that local tourist commissions control
what attractions, hotels, restaurants
and events are listed. “This allows us to
control and quickly make changes to the
information provided about West Baton
Rouge,” said Stam.
“Local residents are invited to come
by and let us help them with any trips
they are planning in Louisiana,” Stam
said.
REPAIRS UNDERWAY
Local residents have likely seen the
scaffolding around the Tourist Information
and Conference Center. Stam said the
roof has leaked since the building was
constructed. “We’ve also had other
problems,” she said. “A new roof is being
put on now, and we will begin extensive
interior repairs in January. We are not
booking any conference center business
for the Spring of 2008, and we expect to
begin holding events again in April.
Events, trips on tap to
celebrate the holiday season
November 3, 2007
Nationally acclaimed author Rose Mary Thornton will speak on “Mail Order Houses
Around the Nation” at 2:00 p.m., Sat., Nov. 3, 2007, at the West Baton Rouge Museum,
845 N. Jefferson Avenue, Port Allen. This program is sponsored by the West Baton
Rouge Historical Association as part of the annual Ethel Claiborne Dameron Lecture
Series. Architects attending the program will receive three Continuing Education Hours
from the Louisiana State Board of Architecture. This event is FREE and Open to the
Public.
November 11, 2007
The West Baton Rouge Museum will host a talk and book signing by Mary Ann Sternberg
at 2:00 p.m. She will be discussing her newest book: Winding Through Time: The
forgotten history and present-day peril of Bayou Manchac. This event is FREE and Open
to the Public.
December 8, 2007
On Saturday, December 8, 2007 enjoy a ride aboard a Dixieland motor coach as the
West Baton Rouge Museum carries you off on a journey to historic Natchitoches for
the annual Christmas Light festivities. Cost for the trip is $90. Seating is limited and
reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-paid basis until November 30, 2007.
Payments are accepted in the form of cash or check made out to the West Baton Rouge
Museum and are non-refundable.
December 16, 2007
Celebrate Le Reveillon on December 16, 2007 in the heart of the New Orleans’ historic
French Quarter. The cost for this night of remembrance is $90. Seating is limited and
reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-paid basis until NOVEMBER 16, 2007.
Payments are accepted in the form of cash or check made out to the West Baton Rouge
Museum and are non-refundable.
West Bat o n Ro u g e Pa r i s h G ove r n m e n t
Berthelot continues open
door policy, improvements
Parish President Riley L. Berthelot said he will
continue improvements in the parish and his open
door policy in his next term. He was unopposed for
re-election.
“I will continue to make the most of the opportunities that come our way,” Berthelot said. “My open
door policy will continue as well, and I welcome you
to stop by and let me hear from you.” Among the
major accomplishments of the parish in the last four years have been the central
communications program, upgrading all parish parks, courthouse improvements,
the creation of Heros Plaza and improvement of the courthouse grounds, the new
soccer complex, the new motor vehicle building, establishment of a coroner’s office,
an aggressive road and drainage maintenance program, the establishment of the
Addis Community Center, creation of Land Plan 2020, and the Erwinville and Rev.
Manuel sewerage projects.
“I’d like to thank the residents for their support, and the Parish Council and parish
staff for their willingness to work together for the betterment of West Baton Rouge,”
he said. “We have accomplished much because of cooperative relationships.”
NEW WEBSITE... The parish has just completed a major upgrade of its website. When visitors
go to the site at www.wbrparish.org, they now open to a portal (shown above) including links
to other parish agencies. “It’s a one-stop shop for them to find the information they need on
government in WBR,” said Anthony Summers, parish IT coordinator. “The new site also has
the capability for individual parish departments to update information, which should help
us provide current information to residents. The parish site also includes a feature in which
residents can submit information for the events calendar. It’s all at www.wbrparish.org.
WBR residents can get low cost
vascular disease screenings!
Residents of West Baton Rouge can sign up now for vascular disease and
osteoporosis screenings at a cost of only $25. The screenings included are: stroke/
carotid artery, abdominal aortic aneurysm, ankle brachial index, and osteoporosis
screenings.
West Baton Rouge Parish government is funding the additional cost of the
screenings, above the $25 per person fee. Only 100 people can participate in this lowcost screening program, so call 1-800-324-1851 today to register and schedule your
appointment time. Proof of residency in West Baton Rouge is required.
The Parish of West Baton Rouge and the West Baton Rouge Health Unit have
teamed up with Life Line Screening to provide this health service to residents because
of the dangers of strokes.
Biddy Basketball registration
set, parks get improvements
Registration for girls and boys Biddy Basketball (age 5-12) will
begin on November 5 at the parish parks and recreation office in
the Port Allen Community Center. A Saturday registration is also set
for 9 a.m. until noon on Nov. 17 at the Community Center, where
the league games will be played.
Residents are invited to participate in pickle ball games at the
Port Allen Community Center. The games are played on Mondays
from 9 a.m. until noon, and Wednesdays from 6 until 9 p.m.
New batting cages and scoreboards have been added at all
parish ball parks, and fence repairs have been made at all the
parks. Parish recreation officials have received many positive
comments about the soccer complex in Port Allen, which is getting
a lot of use by local soccer leagues.
Outgoing parish council members note WBR progress
The West Baton Rouge Parish
Council will change dramatically on
January 8, when six council members
leave office due to term limits.
The
six
council
members’
comments on accomplishments and
the progress of the parish are listed
below:
CURTIS ANDERSON, DIST. 5
Anderson
has served on the
Parish Council for
14 years. “I think
we have one of the
best
sewerage,
drainage
and
road improvement
programs in the
state,” he said. “We must be doing
something right because a lot of
people are moving into the parish.”
Anderson said improvements are too
numerous to mention, but “are the
result of the Council working together
for the growth of the parish. My time is
ending, but I will continue to work with
the new Council.”
HUEY BROWN, DIST. 6
Brown has served for 12 years.
“The most significant developments
have been the
adoption of the
home rule charter,
with term limits; the
zoning ordinance,
the overlay and
hard surfacing of roads, central
communications, stabilization of our
revenue base, economic development
projects featuring Smart Growth, and
the new Addis Community Center,” he
said.
“Needs for the future include
additional sewer systems, a plan to
install culverts, and development of a
land use plan,” he said.
HARLAN CASHIOLA, DIST. 7
Cashiola has
served for 12 years.
He said the biggest
accomplishments
include the Addis
Community Center, the La. 190
widening project,
passage of zoning
ordinances, and the establishment of
a parish fund for street lighting. “I was
very active in having the state pass
a law requiring reflectors on cane
trailers, which was an important safety
measure,” he said.
“The zoning we passed has also
made a huge difference in handling our
growth,” he said.
DANNY LEBLANC, DIST. 4
LeBlanc is the
longest serving member of the Council,
having served for 32
years.
“Overall, WBR is
a parish that doesn’t
flood, is a convenient
place to live, and has good drainage
and roads,” he said. “Our tax base has
grown, which has allowed us to be a
step ahead of a lot of things.” LeBlanc
urged parish residents to participate in
their parish government. “People need
to be involved for government to work
best,” he said.
LARRY JOHNSON, DIST. 8
Johnson has served for 20 years,
and is presently Council chair. “I think
the parish is in better shape than it
was when I got here,” he said. “We’ve
had infrastructure
improvements,
growth and have
good parks,” he
said. “I’m very
proud
of
the
Erwinville
Community
Center.”
Johnson said he was honored to serve.
“The most precious thing you can give
your community and friends is your
time,” he said. “It has gotten easier
because of the communication among
the Council and administration.”
BETTY NELSON, DIST. 9
Betty Nelson has served 16 years
on the Council. “I’d like to thank the
community for its support,” she said.
“It has been a pleasure serving. We
had more ups than
downs, and I am
proud of everything
we did.” Nelson
said she felt one
of
the
biggest
accomplishments
was the location of a
YMCA in West Baton Rouge. “We had
a lot of cooperation among the Council,
and that helped us get things done.”
Vision WEST - October, 2007 - Page 3
West B at o n Ro u g e A s s e s s o r
West Baton Rouge has
record year in property taxes
Top Te n A d V a l o r e m Ta x p a y e r s
Taxpayer
Dow Chemical Co.
ExxonMobil Production
Placid Refining Co.
MGT Services, Inc.
Cargill, Inc.
BP Lubricants USA
Entergy Gulf States
Sid Richardson Carbon
WBR Equities, LLC
Edgen Murray Corp.
Total
Taxes Paid
$5,589,860
$2,434,802
$1,227,320
$1,188,922
$919,731
$640,661
$489,545
$335,864
$306,840
$291,592
$13,425,137
% of total taxes
22.5%
9.8%
4.9%
4.8%
3.7%
2.6%
2.0%
1.4%
1.2%
1.2%
54.1%
Assessed value
$58,413,140
$25,432,980
$12,826,000
$12,411,750
$9,596,763
$6,695,170
$5,102,190
$3,509,605
$3,206,610
$3,047,260
$140,241,513
West Baton Rouge had the largest increase in assessed property values in 22
years, said Assessor Barney “Frog” Altazan. Assessed values have increased a
whopping 383 percent since 1985, Altazan said.
“In 1985, we had assessed values totalling $60,783,800. In 2007, the assessed
property values totalled $293,819,100,” he noted. Assessed property value is the
dollar value placed on a piece of property. Property taxes are determined based
on assessed property values. Of course, when assessed property values increase,
total property tax collections also increase. Altazan said in 1985, the parish
property tax collections totalled $1,222,800. For 2007, the total tax collections are
$24,807,500.
Altazan said the parish also has 12.6 percent or 938 more taxpayers than it
did 22 years ago. In 1985, the parish had 7,242 taxpayers, and in 2007 it has 8,358
taxpayers. However, industry remains the major taxpayer for the parish, with the top
10 industrial taxpayers accounting for $13.4 million in property taxes, which is more
than half of the $24.8 million in property tax collections.
The top 10 taxpayers in the parish are: Dow Chemical Co., ExxonMobil, Placid
Refining, MGT Services, Cargill, BP Lubricants, Entergy Gulf States, Sid Richardson
Carbon, WBR Equities, and Edgen Murray Corp. Dow is by far the biggest taxpayer,
being assessed $5.5 million in property taxes for this year.
“I want to thank parish voters for allowing me to continue serving as assessor,”
Altazan said. “When I became assessor in 1985, this office had five full time and one
part time employee, plus the assessor. Despite the additional workload of almost
1,000 more taxpayers, I have operated the office with four full-time and one part
time employee, along with myself,” he said. “We have been diligent in operating this
office in an efficient and effective manner.”
West B at o n Ro u ge L i b r a r y
WBR is leading PRIME TIME host in the country!
Every Thursday evening for the past month, the
lights have been on and the doors open at Chamberlin
Elementary School to welcome students and their
families to PRIME TIME - FAMILY READING TIME. It’s not the first time that the West Baton Rouge
Parish Library has sponsored the popular reading
and discussion program at Chamberlin. The library
has hosted the six-week program 18 times since
1997, in partnership with Chamberlin, Holy Family,
Brusly, and Cohn Elementary Schools. Hundreds
of West Baton Rouge families have participated,
reading scores of outstanding children’s picture
books and discussing serious humanities issues that
evolve through the stories.
The PRIME TIME programs were created by
the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities with
the intent to encourage families with children, ages
six to ten years, to read and engage in thoughtful
discussion together. The Endowment furnishes the
books the families read and also trains and pays the
storyteller and discussion leaders who conduct the
programs. The library is responsible for recruiting
the families, securing door prizes, and providing a
healthy dinner snack for the families, a significant
challenge since the programs typically draws more
than 100 people.
Because the programs have been so popular
in West Baton Rouge, the Endowment has awarded
the library more PRIME TIME programs than any
other library or school in the state. And now that
PRIME TIME is a national program, the library holds
the distinction of being the leading PRIME TIME host
in the country. The nineteenth series of PRIME TIME
programs has been scheduled for next April and
Page 4 - Vision WEST - October, 2007
May and will be held at the library in Port Allen in
partnership with Cohn Elementary School.
The library’s effort to promote family reading with
area schools does not end with PRIME TIME. For
the past four years, many families have returned to
Cohn and Port Allen Elementary Schools for fun and
learning in early evening programs presented by
storytellers, teachers and librarians. The programs,
Scenes from the PRIME TIME and Community Family Time
programs at Cohn Elemtary School.
known as Community Family Time, are the result
of a partnership forged by the parish library and
the two schools to wage an aggressive campaign
to increase family involvement in student learning,
particularly with reading and math.
Reading facilitators, teachers, and principals
at both schools worked with library staff to develop
the program’s innovative family activities. Grants
from The Entergy Community Foundation, Dow
Chemical, and Horizon Milling fund the programs
and purchase the books used. Three Community
Family Time programs are planned for each of the
two schools this year, with the first occurring at Port
Allen Elementary on Monday, November 5 and
Cohn, on Thursday, November 8. The success of
CFT in drawing families to the schools has been
exceptional.
“Any time 100 or more people attend a school
program you’ve got to take notice,” says Cohn
Elementary School Principal Kaye French. “The
families had a good time. They learned how to
do activities that help students understand basic
math concepts and why it is important to read at
home. They also learned about book collections
that the parish library has organized by grade level
to provide beginning readers with lots of materials
for home practice.”
“If families take twenty minutes a day to read
together and do the activities we show them, the
results will be awesome,” says Michelle Kauffman,
Port Allen Elementary Principal. “The students
will be well on their way to reading, understanding
and developing an awareness of concepts and
processes essential for learning math.”
West Bat o n Ro u g e S ch o o l S y s t e m
Freshman Academy already
providing great results
LSU junior Margaret Denny, far left, tutors student Miyah Darby, while LSU student Christie Englade
tutors Leonardo Romo at Port Allen Elementary School. The LSU students are among some 90 LSU
students assisting students at West Baton Rouge schools as part of the Professional Development
Partnership.
A LITTLE ONE ON ONE
Parish partners with LSU to give
education students field experience
When LSU contacted the West
Baton Rouge school system about
participating in its Professional Development Partnership, administrators
jumped on board.
“It’s a win-win partnership,”
explained Annette Mire, Associate
Superintendent for Human Resources
and Staff Development. “LSU students
get field experience working with
students prior to their student teaching,
and we get tutors for our students.
“It’s a win-win partnership... LSU students get
field experience and we
get tutors for our
students.”
In addition, this is a great recruiting
tool for us because the students get
familiar with our schools while still in
college.”
This semester, LSU education
majors will spend about 11 hours
tutoring, assisting and observing
teachers at Port Allen Elementary,
Cohn Elementary and Lukeville
Elementary schools.
The program in West Baton
Rouge focuses on early childhood and
special education students.
Port Allen Elementary Principal
Michelle Kauffman said the West
Baton Rouge schools were chosen
because they provide positive learning
environments for education majors.
“LSU wanted the students to have
a positive experience in schools before
going on to student teaching, and our
schools offer that,” she said.
LSU junior Christie Englade said
she has enjoyed her time at Port Allen
Elementary. “It has helped me learn
how to communicate with the kids, and
I really enjoy helping them,” she said.
Kauffman said this is the first
year the parish has been involved
in the Professional Development
Partnership, and getting the program
going required extensive meetings
with LSU program administrators and
other community agencies.
While the LSU students often
spend time tutoring students on a oneon-one basis, they also assist teachers
and spend time observing classroom
activities.
In addition, the program also
includes professional development
for teachers at the three West Baton
Rouge schools, along with family
involvement activities.
“We will be providing family
involvement activities, including training parents to help their children with
disabilities, as part of this partnership,”
Kauffman said. In addition, the
partnership also calls for the school
system to work with family agencies in
assisting families and promoting family
involvement in schools.
“This partnership helps us build
collaborative efforts with higher
education institutions,” Mire said. “We
hope to expand the program next year
by having students at Southeastern
Louisiana University (SLU) get field
experience at Brusly High School.”
The new Freshman Academy established by the West Baton Rouge school
system is already providing great results at Brusly High and Port Allen High. “We
have fewer F’s on tests than last year, discipline is down, and attendance is up
among ninth graders,” said Port Allen High Principal Warren LeJeune.
The new program for ninth graders was established to cut down on student
drop out rates and to better address the needs of ninth graders, said Superintendent
David Corona.
LeJeune explained that wings of the high schools are designated as the
Freshman Academy, and ninth graders have most of their classes in those areas,
which are separate from the other classes and students. In addition, the ninth
graders eat lunch separately from the other high school students.
“The ninth graders stay together as a unit most of the day, and are segregated
from the other students until after lunch, in order to allow them to focus on
academics,” LeJeune said. “They don’t have to deal with as much intimidation by
the older students,” he explained. In addition, four teachers are assigned to teach
all of the ninth graders their primary courses. These teachers have their planning
period at the same time, and meet regularly to discuss the students’ progress,
and to address problems with students. They also have reviewed the past school
history of each student and work at developing a rapport with the freshmen.
“If they see that a student is struggling, the teachers address it and we get
extra help for that student because our goal is to have 100 percent of our ninth
graders promoted to 10th grade,” LeJeune said. “Studies show that students who
fail ninth grade are more likely to drop out of school.”
The Freshman Academy is only for first time ninth graders, and Port Allen
High has 94 students in its freshman program. “So far the freshmen seem to like
it, and the parents like the fact that all of the students have the same teachers,”
LeJeune said. “This creates a family atmosphere in the Freshman Academy, where
they don’t feel lost among 600 or 700 kids,” Corona said. “The transition from 8th
grade to 9th grade is difficult on at-risk kids, and the Freshman Academy helps us
address that and create a positive environment for our ninth graders.”
Students complete assignments in physical science class. At back right is teacher Althea Morgan.
Cohn Elem. gets new principal
A deep love for children and commitment to helping at-risk children has brought
Kaye French from her lifetime home in Pineville, Louisiana to West Baton Rouge.
She is the new principal of Cohn Elementary in Port
Allen.
“Mrs. French was very successful as an assistant
principal at Alma Redwine Elementary School in
focusing on instructional strategies that work for
at-risk children, and working with parents,” said
Superintendent David Corona. “We are excited about
having her in West Baton Rouge because of her
great background and focus on helping teachers and
students succeed.”
French said she has been welcomed here. “The
central office and my colleagues have been very
supportive. I have high expectations and these are
Cohn Elementary Principal
some of the finest teachers I have ever worked with.
Kay French
We have already initiated some new programs.”
Vision WEST - October, 2007 - Page 5
City o f Po r t A l l e n
City moves forward with new
annexation plan
Officials are moving forward with a plan to annex a large area into the City of
Port Allen. The annexation would more than double the city’s geographical area.
Petitions to request annexation are presently being drafted, which must be
signed by property owners in the areas being considered for annexation. Once
the petitions are signed, they are submitted to the U.S. Justice Department for
approval, and once approved, the areas become part of the city.
The area being annexed includes, on the west: most of the land between Court
Street and Rosedale Road including La. 415 and Port Allen High School; to the
south the area included goes to the interstate, and crosses the Intracoastal Canal
to just past the Daiquiri Shop on La. Hwy 1 on the south side of the Intracoastal.
This area includes the new Wal-Mart and the proposed development by Rawlston
“Bubba” Phillips.
The Port of Greater Baton Rouge requested to be excluded from the city, and
was not included in the new proposed annexation area, Mayor Derek Lewis said.
Also excluded was an area of Rosedale Road where residents did not wish to be
included in the city. He said Phillips has not opposed being annexed into the city.
Mayor Lewis said he expects to have the petitions signed within six months.
“The biggest thing we can offer residents in these areas is a Class 3 fire protection
rating, which will lower their property insurance costs,” he said. “They will have a
small increase in taxes, but it will be more than offset by the decrease in insurance
costs, which will be substantial for businesses.”
“Port Allen High School is named for the city, but it is not in the city limits,”
Lewis said. “It should be.” Lewis added, “This annexation will give the city the
ability to grow. We have been so land locked that we have not been able to grow,
and with only 5,300 residents we are dangerously close to reverting back to a
town status, which impacts our ability to get funding.”
The proposed annexation area is in the solid red line. The present city limits
are in the red dotted line.
Port Allen City Limits
Annexation Boundary (alternative 2)
The Port Allen Christmas Festival is set for Saturday, Dec. 15, in downtown Port Allen. It
will include a parade, bands, bonfire on the levee, and food booths. For information on
participating in the parade or having a booth, call 225-346-5670.
Cler k o f C o u r t
Clerk of Court’s office plays big role in elections
Many people don’t know it, but the Clerk of
Court’s office is an important player in any election
held in the parish. In fact, Louisiana law charges
the clerk with the responsibility of being the chief
election officer of the parish.
“It is a responsibility that we take very
seriously,” said Clerk of Court Mark Graffeo. “We
begin preparations for an election about six weeks
before it occurs. It is quite involved.”
The parish registrar of voters is responsible
for registering voters, maintaining a roll of eligible
voters for elections, and handling absentee voting.
The clerk and the parish Board of Election
Supervisors work together to hold elections. The
Board of Election supervisors includes the clerk,
the registrar, an appointee by the governor, and the
chairs of the Democratic and Republican Parish
Executive Committees.
Together they hold educational classes,
test and certify polling place commissioners to
serve in elections, select commissioners and
commissioners-in-charge for all elections, qualify
all parish level candidates for election and provide
that list to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office,
oversee the sealing of absentee voting machines
and the counting of absentee ballots, supervise the
sealing of voting machines prior to them leaving
the warehouse where they are stored, select
custodians of voting machines, handle issues
and complaints during elections, supervise the
unsealing and counting of voting machines after
elections, compile election results and report them
to the Secretary of State’s office.
“Every four years we are required to schedule
Page 6 - Vision WEST -October, 2007
a test for commissioners to be certified, which
we will do next year,” Graffeo said. “We hold a
election commissioners school every year for those
interested in becoming a commissioner.” The pay
was recently increased to $200 for commissioners
and $250 or more for commissioners-in-charge.
“We try to appoint commissioners to the
precincts in which they live because they are more
likely to be familiar with the voters in their areas,”
Graffeo said. “However, in the past we have not
had enough commissioners to do this with all
precincts.”
Please vote in the
No v. 1 7 e l e c t i o n !
Yo u r v o t e c o u n t s !
The commissioners have a checklist that they
must complete before voting begins and after
voting ends. “I spend most election days going
from precinct to precinct to make sure there are
no problems or issues,” Graffeo said. “We have 21
precincts at 15 polling places across the parish.”
As the election winds down, employees of
the clerk’s office are getting ready to accept voting
packages from the commissioners-in-charge of
each precinct. When the packages are delivered
to the clerk’s office, computerized recorders are
inserted into a laptop computer, the computers
record the results, and the results are uploaded to
the secretary of state’s office.
“There are so many checks and precautions
taken that it is almost impossible for anyone to alter
voting machines or results,” Graffeo said.
Residents wanting to get the results of local
elections can go to the second floor of the parish
courthouse. “We set up a large screen and provide
results as we receive them on that screen,” Graffeo
said.
“After elections, we have more checks in place
to assure that the machines cannot be tampered
with in transit back to the warehouse, we open the
sealed voting machines and check vote counts
again,” Graffeo said. “Our right to vote is a critical
right and responsibility in our democratic society,
and we are doing everything to assure local voters
that elections are legal and without any form of
impropriety.”
Town of A d d i s
Dangerous pet law
being enforced
First WBR
radio station
broadcasts
from Addis
The West Baton Rouge area has its first radio station, KDDK (105.5 FM), located in Addis. It
made its first broadcast in June, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued it a
broadcast license to the station in September.
It has focused on a variety music show. The programming includes a wide variety of music
- country and western, broadway and film scores, love ballads, bossa nova, folk, 1950s and 1960s
songs, night club music and even some French language songs. Manager Ken Noble said the
format generated many calls from appreciative listeners, but was not greeted with enthusiasm by
advertisers. He said the station is rethinking its programming choice and welcomes suggestions at
225-687-2882.
The new broadcast facility is located at a site on the southern end of the town, north of Hwy.
1148, not far from the Channel 33 TV tower.
The station is owned by Radio & Investments, Inc. The company first approached Addis Mayor
Carroll Bourgeois with the proposal to bring the station to Addis in 2005, and the mayor has been
supportive in the endeavor. The move of station KDDK from Franklin to Addis had to be approved
by the FCC prior to construction of the broadcast facilities.
Mayor Carroll Bourgeois said the Town of Addis is
strictly enforcing its Dangerous Animal Ordinance and will
prosecute those who violate the law.
The law applies to pure bred and mixed breed
dogs commonly referred to as pit bulls, bull terriers and
Rottweillers, along with wild or domestic animals with vicious
characteristics, reptiles, fowl, and exotic animals.
It requires any homeowner who wants to keep a
dangerous animal within the town limits to obtain a permit.
In order to get the permit, the homeowner must adhere to
the following:
• Supply a certificate of insurance stating that
$300,000/$500,000 liability insurance is maintained
specifically for damage to persons or property by the
dangerous animal.
• Maintain the animal in a confined and secure structure
designed for dangerous animals. The space must be
adequately lighted and ventilated, and kept in sanitary
condition.
• House no more than one dangerous animal at a single
location.
• Pay a $125 permit fee, and submit to an inspection of
the property and structure prior to issuance of the permit.
• An annual renewal fee of $25 is required, along with
an annual inspection of the property and structure.
“This law was enacted because we had a few incidents
involving pit bulls in the past,” Mayor Bourgeois said. “This
is a safety precaution that protects everyone.”
Town of B r u s l y
Brusly Police Station getting new look, officers get new cameras
The Brusly Police Station is being renovated to
provide individual work stations with computers for
officers, an interrogation room, and other equipment.
The project, which will cost about $30,000, is being
funded by the town, said Police Chief Jamie Whaley.
The building was constructed in 1969 and has been
renovated since that time, but did not provide adequate
desk space for the department’s six officers.
“All of the officers were sharing one work space
and computer, and we needed a more effective setup,” Whaley said.
Renovation work continues on the Brusly Police Station.
One room of the building was gutted to make way
for the officers’ work room. Cabinetry, new sheetrock
and work stations are being added, along with ceramic
tile flooring to replace the old carpet.
Whaley said plans call for the renovation of two
other rooms in the building at a later date. “We are
working with town officials to see if that project can be
included in the 2008 budget,” he said.
The present project is expected to be completed
by mid-November.
Meanwhile, new WatchGuard police video
monitors have been
installed in all police
cars, at a cost of
$20,000.
They replace old
video cameras that
were outdated and
required new tapes
daily.
“Video monitors
are important because they provide
evidence of exactly
what happens when
an officer turns on his
emergency
lights,”
Whaley said. “We’ve
had cases where the
videos have cleared
officers when they
have been accused of
not treating someone
Brusly Officer Charles Zalfen is shown in his police car, equipped
with the latest technology, a computer, printer, radars and digital
video camera.
respectfully.” The new cameras have a wireless audio
mike, and can swivel to show activity in the back seat
of the car. It is designed to tape in both daylight and
night conditions.
Vision WEST - October, 2007 - Page 7
Chamb e r o f C o m m e r c e
Biotech firm plans
facility for WBR
Telomolecular Corporation has announced plans to build a
140,000 sq. ft. facility budgeted at $43 million dollars in West Baton
Rouge Parish.
The multi-purpose center will be the location of 20 biotechnology
and research companies dedicated to pharmaceutical development
and the study of therapies to address age-related disease and human
aging. The facility will also be home to a regional workforce initiative
designed to support laboratory technician education and professional
training.
David Dollar, Vice President of Sales for Telomolecular, said, “The
21st century will see tremendous discoveries in medical approaches to
address aging and age-related disease. When technology companies
cluster, exciting things happen. The purpose of this project is to pool
companies with like missions, talent, and focus on human aging to
accelerate impending advances in this exciting field of science. We
have seen this strategy work in research parks throughout the U.S.
and are confident it will work in West Baton Rouge.”
Dollar continues, “We are dedicated to building one of the most
competitive biotech workforce training initiatives in the country. It will
not only support the firms at the facility, but the entire region’s biotech
community. To strengthen this project’s success, we are committed
to launching strategic partnerships that will benefit the community’s
immediate interests as well as the local economy.”
Deborah Biggs, Executive Director for West Baton Rouge
Chamber of Commerce noted, “We believe this project offers
tremendous economic development opportunities for West Baton
Rouge and the region. We look forward to working with Telomolecular
on this opportunity.”
The company plans to announce its site selection and development
team in the coming weeks.
PUTTING SAFETY FIRST... If you’ve ever traveled on La. Hwy 1 north of Port Allen, you may have been stopped by
an 18-wheeler as it attempted to cross the busy highway from Placid. Those days are over, now that a new stop
light has been installed at the highway’s intersection with Placid Refining. “Placid’s $200 million expansion will
increase their gasoline production by 30 percent,” said Deborah Biggs, Chamber Executive Director. “Along with
the increase in production comes an increase in traffic exiting the refinery. We applaud the La. Department of
Transportation and Development for assisting the parish in an effort to reduce the possibility of accidents.”
TEACHERS HONORED... The
West Baton Rouge Teachers
of the Year are shown at a
Chamber business after hours
event held in their honor at
Brian’s Furniture. Shown from
left are Gale Jones, Middle
School Teacher of the Year;
Chamber Board Chairman Jeff
Hendrickson; Renita Harrison,
High School Teacher of the Year;
Sharon Nettles, Elementary
Teacher of the Year; and Christy
Anderson, education chair.
ELECTION FORUM...
The WBR Chamber hosted a forum for candidates
in local elections at the
Port Allen Community
Center in August. About
100 business people and
residents attended to hear
the candidates’ views on
local issues. The photo
at left shows the crowd
listening to speakers.
GREETING BR VISITORS... The Chamber combined forces with the Greater Baton
Rouge Chamber of Commerce this summer to hold a Business After Hours function
at the WBR Museum. A bus load of Baton Rouge Chamber members had the
opportunity to network with West Baton Rouge Chamber members and to tour the
museum’s many attractions. In the photo above, Parish President Riley Berthelot (far
right) visits with Baton Rouge guests.
CHAMBER HOLIDAY GALA
Benefiting Junior Achievement and WBR Food Bank
Friday, Nov. 9
West Baton Rouge Tourist and
Conference Center
Social and Silent Auction - 6 p.m.
Buffet Dinner and Live Auction - 7 p.m.
Dancing to “Carbon Copy” - 8-11 p.m.
A TASTE OF THE WEST... The WBR Chamber held its annual Taste of the West taste fair
in September. More than 300 area residents enjoyed food by 16 local restaurants and
food vendors. Shown in the photo pouring beverages are Drew Maciasz of the Dow
Louisiana Federal Credit Union; and Marc Barker of Latter & Blum, Inc.
Page 8 - Vision WEST - October 2007
Guest Auctioneer - Scott Innes of WYNK &
the voice of Scooby Doo
Non-perishable items being collected for
the WBR Food Bank
6 decorated trees to be auctioned this year
Black tie optional
$50 per ticket, sold in
advance only
225-383-3140