John F. Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy ride in a car with Crowley City Court Judge Edmund Reggie and his wife Doris Ann Boustany Reggie at the International Rice Festival in 1959, where more than 135,000 people attended a presidential campaign rally for Kennedy.
The late Sen. Ted Kennedy with grandchildren of Louisiana political legend Edmund Reggie and his wife Doris Ann Boustany Reggie.
Vicki Reggie Kennedy and the late Sen. Ted Kennedy connected by hand and by political ties to Louisiana political hall of fame member Edmund Reggie, father of Vicki.
Kennedy tied to Crowley/Lafayette political hall of famer by marriage, and in many ways
By LafayetteGrapevine
The late Sen. Ted Kennedy is closely tied to the political family of former Judge Edmund Reggie of Crowley, LA, who now resides in Lafayette, LA.
Kennedy married Reggie's daughter, Victoria, in 1992. Vicki, the second of six children of Edmund and Doris Ann Boustany Reggie, is a Tulane law school graduate. The entire Reggie family grew up attending St. Michael's Catholic Church in Crowley.
Vicki is said to have given Kennedy stability from his days of womanizing and drinking, and to have been a major political counselor to Kennedy on legislation he supported.
Vicki has said she first met Kennedy when she was a Senate aid in Washington, D.C., in the summer following her college graduation in 1979 from Tulane. The two connected again in 1991 when Kennedy attended a 40th wedding anniversary party for Edmund and Doris. Kennedy and Vicki married on July 3, 1992. She had two children from a previous marriage to attorney Grier Raclin.
It has been reported that Kennedy wished for Vicki to succeed him in the Senate.
Vicki's father, Edmund, is the son of Lebanese immigrants. He attended Southwestern Louisiana Institute (now University of Louisiana at Lafayette) and went on to obtain a law degree from Tulane.
He claims to have been the youngest judge in America at age 24 when he was appointed to city court judge in Crowley in 1950-51 by Gov. Earl Long after his law partner, who originally held the position, died.
At some point in the early 1950s, Edmund became connected to the Kennedy's. At the 1956 Democratic National Convention, he rallied Louisiana delegate support for then-Sen. John F. Kennedy for vice president, against the wishes of Gov. Long who supported Sen. Estes Kefauver. Kefauver became the running mate of presidential hopeful Adlai Stevenson for the Democratic ticket in 1956. They lost the presidential election to President Dwight Eisenhower and Richard Nixon.
Edmund's biggest feat of his long political career came in 1959, when as a leader for John F. Kennedy's campaign in Louisiana, he invited JFK and his wife Jacqueline to the International Rice Festival in Crowley. It was reported that more than 135,000 people attended the Kennedy rally at the Rice Festival, more than any other campaign event before Kennedy won the presidential election.
Edmund's political career included status as successful campaign manager for former Louisiana governors John Mckeithen and Edwin Edwards in multiple elections. Edmund seems to have disavowed any connection to Edwards, who was convicted in the 1990s in federal court on bribery charges and sentenced to federal prison. There are no photos of Edmund and Edwards together in a photo collection of Edmund.
Edmund made his money in banking. He founded Acadia Savings and Loan of Crowley in 1960 and became a successful banker. He got into trouble in the 1980s in a land deal, and the federal government went after him for contributing to the savings and loan bank's demise. After the dust settled, he lost most of his wealth and was convicted on one count of misapplication of funds.
The late U.S. District Judge Robert Shaw, for whom the federal courthouse in Lafayette is named, was the judge in the case. He worked in the same building as U.S. District Judge Richard Haik, a distant relative of Edmund. Shaw threw out one of the two convictions of Edmund, rejected a plea by the federal government to fine Edmund $5.1 million, and gave the former city court judge a light sentence of four months of home confinement and $30,000 in fines to pay for three years of probation.
Throughout all of this, and up until Kennedy's death, Edmund and the senator remained close. The Reggie family even owns a home in Nantucket, Mass., near the Kennedy family home in Hyannis Port, Mass.
Heres the full report released by the New Orleans AP.
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin says the old Six Flags site in eastern New Orleans will reopen under a deal involving Southern Star Amusements and the parent company of the Nickelodeon network.
The Six Flags site has been closed since Hurricane Katrina. The New Orleans Industrial Development Board is expected to hear a proposal Tuesday from Southern Star developer Danny Rogers, who will ask the board to approve up to $100 million in Gulf Opportunity Zone bonds, which he says is only part of the financing package that includes private investment.
The Louisiana Bond Commission must also approve Southern Star's request for GO Zone financing.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Rayne looks like they may receive a WaterPark but the project itself is still in the early stages. I'm not completely sure it will ever actually get done. I'd like to know if any of you out there have any more information on it. I hope the water park is coming that would be awesome!
I found this story on Raynetoday.com
J. Anfenson-Comeau ~ LSN Staff Writer
A proposed waterpark in Rayne is “definitely going to happen,” Rayne Mayor Jim Petitjean told Eunice Kiwanians, adding an expected completion date of spring 2011. “The word around is, ‘oh, that project's dead', but let me tell you something about that particular project,” Petitjean said. “This is a $250 million project; you have to do a lot of due diligence before the developer can get a lot of investors into the project.” “Part of my job is to encourage economic development in Rayne,” Petitjean added. Petitjean said that the 170-acre property east of Rayne on La. 98 being considered for the project is currently under consideration as a possible Interstate 10 interchange, which would greatly benefit any development in that area. “We have been hard at work trying to get the interchange started,” Petitjean said. Former State Rep. Chris John secured $1 million dollars for an environmental impact study which found that an interchange would have no negative environmental impact. Petitjean said that the state Department of Transportation and Development is currently working on the interchange design. “It's a process, it just doesn't happen that quickly,” Petitjean said. Petitjean said he is hoping money for the interchange will come from the Congressional Highway Reauthorization Bill. “We think we have a really good chance, because Congressman (Charles) Boustany is really helping us out. He's signed off on our application; so has Senator (David) Vitter and Senator (Mary) Landrieu. So we feel really confident in regards to the interchange.” Petitjean said that the current plan is not dependent upon an interchange, but that it would greatly enhance the opportunities for a waterpark. Previous to his election as mayor, Petitjean worked for 12 years as Rayne's Parks and Recreation Director. The proposed waterpark would be similar to the Blue Bayou waterpark near Baton Rouge, with an indoor entertainment complex, outdoor activities, and an amphitheater for musical venues. In addition, a 250-bedroom hotel, a bowling alley and a shopping strip are included in the plans. The development, estimated to cost $250 million, would be the largest project of its kind in Acadiana, Petitjean said. Petitjean said that Rayne is putting up $12 million towards the development, which Petitjean said will be recovered from additional sales tax revenue. Petitjean said that he expects the waterpark to create 1,600 local jobs. The state has committed to assisting in infrastructure upgrades. The rest of the project is being financed by the developer. Tom Nolan of Baton Rouge previously said that financing for Roux Acadiana will be a combination of additional equity and pre-sale of commercial real estate. Water Park Experts of San Antonio, Texas, would build and own the water amusement portion of Roux Acadiana.
Here it is, President Obama's health care reform plan. It is the original document - raw, unbiased and without commentary. All 1,018 pages of America's Affordable Health Choicse Act of 2009 are here for you to read, digest and form an opinion without influence. The second document here is the Congressional Budget Office estimated cost of H.R.3200, the official legislation. Actually, there are 200-plus health care related bills before the House and Senate in Washington, D.C., right now. H.R.3200 is the major reform bill. The final bill, of course, will be different, if it even goes to a vote.
NGOs fought for their funding and won Tuesday night. Everyone agreed a new process for funding NGOs is needed, which I think means competitive bidding for local government tax dollar funding. The goal here is to allow all nonprofits, some 250 or so, to bid.
But the fundamental question still is not addressed.
Should taxpayers through its representative local council pay for objective social services, and more striking, funding for the subjective arts, even if there is a better ROI for the NGOs to perform the services than local government?
Mayor-President Durel seems to come down on side of the personal responsibility argument where government shouldn't provide "welfare" to those less fortunate, i.e. social service agencies, but it's smart to provide seed money for the arts where there is a positive ROI and uncalculated spin-off of economic development. The argument, I gather, is if your arts program makes money for local government, you should get a slither of funding. If you're a drain on local government, Bon Chance to you. Happy to know you, but we can't help.
This is the real debate, which hasn't been and isn't addressed. Expect the arts community and social service agency folks to fight for their money again next year.
BarcampNOLA presentations that I attended on Saturday, July 18, 2009. Raw, unedited blog.
CampFiber presented by Geoff Daily 11 p.m.-12 p.m. Broadband width of fiber to the home in Lafayette is 100 megs for $60 per month. The possibilities of unlimited bandwidth and how the community can use such. The immediate use is via video conferencing, setting up local cloud clusters. The long term is e-paper, holograms., face to face interaction, real time uses, everything is moving to the Internet.
Software Lessons from the Kitchen presented by Barrett Conrad 12 p.m.-1 p.m. (Uses lots of cooking analogies in reference to managing you software development processes)
Need good text editor, and several that you are comfortable with. Learn a proper editor well.
Craftsmanship vs. Efficiency
Technology Tools "Cooking surface and heat source" Pot and pan is meant for different things. In software, lot of different languages. Evaluate what its going to be used for. With ur heat source, does it have the power to do what you whant it to do. Whem looking at platforms, look at what u are trying to do.
Code pantries and gardens 3rd party components, having prepared code will make your life a whole lot easier. Lot of software developers say I want to code everything from the ground up.
Feed me vs. Nourish me
Recipes vs. Bases
Specifics change, but the ideas stay the same
Building the future without a history. We don't also pay attention to where we've been as an industry.
MCV - Model, View, Controller The problem is it came from the 1970s and small talk.
Standard Recipes and Design Patterns.
Experiment You start to learn some things. It forces you to learn some new things. Example, OS X to MVC applied to the Web. Try outside your brain.
Machinery and Measurements I"m a PHP developer. Learn low level details that effect the end product.
Learning is part of your job.
Learn plenty of theory, Learn from the past, Experiement, Learn technical details.
Methodology is the application of theory combined with experience. It's actually what you do everyday.
Different cooks have Different Needs. Don't ignore the individual good ideas in a flawed project.
Elements of Methology Project Management - It's a constant process. Mise en Place - Everything in place. This is where a lot of cooks go wrong. R my interfaces designed? Seperation of Development - Find a way to know what can and cannot be used. Version control - Feature branches to tags Focus - No branching off, this is how long we have to do, and this is what you are going to do. Post-Mortems - Did I do this right? Could I have done better? Does my code look right? Find out what you did right so you can repeat it.
There were masters before you. We're still a young industry, but we have a long history.
Announces formation of gnocode.org gnocode.org, gnocode.mail@gmail.com, @gnocode
Matt Tritico introduces Troy, with Recovery School District.
Brainstorming on ideas to help schools in NOLA on Sunday. Everyone to help build web site.
Map of volunteers, of where they come from.
TeachLouisiana.net is the Recovery School District.
Barret Conrad, announces the formation of gnocode group. New Orleans community of developers and engineers, a sister group to NetSquared. Lot of people in the field who want to do a lot of sharing.
Mike Baldwin, announces formation of NetSquared chapter in Lafayette. Lafayette's having fiber going out, LITE. Yet, we don't have this community. Net2LFT. What this means, we can start building this link between communities. Peer to Peer network. I think it's important to spread these grassroots movements. Ray came to lafayette, the drink and draw social club, a group for sketing artists. Could be started in NOLA. Cartoons is non-PC, it's Graphic Novels. Attendee says NOLA has a Drink and Draw group.
Lunch 1 p.m.-2 p.m.
Social Media for Business presentation by Robert Turner
List of 12 Internet browers where you can list your business.
If on Facebook, create a page for your business. It's different than a profile.
If have an email address that's your business address, on LinkedIn, in addition to creating own profile on LinkedIn, you can create a profile for your company if you have a company email and company web site address.
Discussion about vanity urls on Facebook. Facebook market place is real good to market stuff.
Use entertainment to draw traffic, use video.
If have the proper key text in the message, links.
Chris Schultz and Peter Bodinhemier presents Making the business proceses beautiful, Great Code as a Starting Point
They work with Flat Sourcing
Qualification Who we work with, what we do Our value is our time. Your value is what we produce together Long term relationsips Meaninful products
We don't build websites. Actually a staffing firm. We provide resources to other firms.
Our value is our time. We bill by the hour. We value long term relationships.
Communication Stand up meetings with clients. Don't waste time. 15 minute phone calls. Daily Plan at beginning of day, end of day Weekly Summary Monthly Satisfaction Calls call clients proactively to see how its going. Emergencies We're available 24/7 by phone and text.
Cost 25 per hour
Our software developer is in Russia. 40 hours of communication per full time programmer for every 160 hours a month for each FT programmer. "We do intense communication with our customers." Use Agile methodology.
Use Base Camp for project management. Work is done in a ticketing system. They can bill their clients with this system.
A lot of what we do is for the managers. It's both us and the managers in Russia, and the managers on the client side.
Starting using Lighthouse as a ticketing system. Use JIRA, Pivotaltracker, trac, all with Basecamp
We have two types of clients, a strart up or a web development firm.
Code Repositories, critical when doing application development. github, subversion It's critical to use these tools.
Hosting We use slicehost, amazon web services. Virtual dedicated servers. Hosting your own stuff on a rack is so in the past. Hosting on a cloud is the way to go.
Communications skype, vonage, tokbox (can have a bunch of people on the screen)
Discussion of Google Voice.
We learn so much from our clients. (talking about outsourcing) These guys are awesome (guys in Russia)
Curator/Director of the Acadian Memorial & Museum of the A.M.
"For the next Congrés 2009, I am calling on all Cajuns of Louisiana to experience this reunion celebration and create their own treasured moments on the land of Acadians who settled in New Brunswick, Canada in the Acadian Peninsula, before and after the deportation in 1755. Be a part of making connections with northern Acadain cousins this summer.
Congrés 2014 in Louisiana? Maybe! A new organization, Louisiane-Acadie, was established to make connections with Acadians around the world. One of the main goals is to attempt to garner the World Wide Congress in Louisiana in 2014. According to president, Ray Trahan, "We may see the Congrès in the heartland of Acadiana at Lafayette and vicinity. Those who applied with us are two other areas in Canada and the announcement of who wins the bid will be made on August 9th, 2009 at the Congrés. If we win, it will be a pleasure to send out an invitation to the Acadians of the world to come to our beloved scared Cajun land in 2014!"
To show your support for the 2014 Congrés bid application please sign your name on the web site, www.cma2014.com"
Looking to develop relationship with experts in Lafayette in the following fields to form a core group of stakeholders for a new business:
1. software engineer 2. web development/design 3. integrated online and traditional marketing professional 4. social media/SEO professional
I have ideas about who the leaders in these fields are in Lafayette, but anxious to see who responds. BTW, I'm serious about this, so don't waste my time or yours if you are not.
All must be leaders in new media and community building, and must be customer service freaks.
Must understand we're smarter and stronger when we work together and share knowledge than when we work alone.
LafayetteGrapevine
Email me for detailed info @ support@lafayettegrapevine.com or call me 337-322-1367 so we can get together as a group to discuss further.
In email tell me something unique about Acadiana so I know you are not a spammer. Otherwise, I'm hitting delete. Hate spammers.
UPDATE 6:38 P.M. JULY 12 Visitation for Joseph Adam Malin Jr. will be held Monday July 13, 2009 from 5:00 pm until 8:00 pm at Delhomme Funeral Home of Lafayette. Visitation will resume Tuesday 11:00 until the time of services in the Delhomme Chapel of the Flowers at noon, with the Reverend Annie Bates officiating.
By LafayetteGrapevine
It seems as though the alleged killers of Jospeh Adam Malin Jr wanted to give the impression they lived the lives of thugs, based on a review of their public online history.
If you haven't heard, on Friday of last week in New Iberia, June 10th, 18-year-old Sherami Freyou told 23-year-old Thomas Hebert and 19-year-old Jesa Sam that she was sexually assaulted.
They took matters into their own hands, and intending to execute street justice they went after the guy who allegedly raped her.
Iberia Parish Sheriff Louis Ackal says in media reports that the trio found Adam Malin. The wanna be thugs beat Adam, leaving him to die in an open lot on Deare Street. Sherami lived at 338 Deare Street, which is a mixed use street with single family brick and wooden homes, and mobile homes, a few blocks to the east of Lewis Street toward the railroad tracks.
Only, the attack on Adam was a case of mistaken identity, Ackal says. Allegedly the trio mistook Adam for Sherami's alleged boyfriend.
Even worse, investigators don't believe she was ever raped, according to a report in the Advertiser.
Thomas Hebert and Jessa Sam each face a second-degree murder charge, and Sherami faces a prinicipal to second-degree murder charge, which carry the same sentences, life in prison if convicted.
What does a review of the online history of those involved tell us?
Adam was an honor graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Virginia and attended Millsaps College in Mississippi., according to an Advertiser interview with his mother, Dr. Jennifer Malin. He was a 2nd Lt. at Hargrave in 2007, and appears to have graduated from Hargrave in 2008.
Dr. Jennifer Malin's husband, Dr. Thomas Noell issued this statement to KATC.
"This should be seen by all members of the community that there is evil and moral decay in society. We are still very much in shock and disbelief. Adam will always be in our hearts."
Adams obituary says he attended Ascension Day School and Episcopal School of Acadiana, and that he played varsity tennis at Hargrave. He also was selected to attend Harvard's University Leadership Program.
"Joseph Adam Malin, Jr., age 19, was assaulted and murdered on the afternoon of July 10, 2009 in New Iberia, Louisiana, as a result of mistaken identity. Adam was a perpetually cheerful and gentle child and young man," reads the lead of his obituary.
He was a happy and generous person, according to Shae Freyou's MySpace page. Shae is Sherami's sister.
"HIS LIFE WAS ENDED ON 7-10-09 B/C OF A LIE HE WAS THE TYPE TO GIVE U THE SHIRT OF HIS BACK AND SHARE THE LAST CIGERETTE IN THE PACK HE ALWAYS HAD U LAGHING NO MATTER WHAT THE SITUATION HE WAS SUCH A HAPPY PERSON" Shae wrote.
Sherami's MySpace page shows she turned 18 on July 2nd, and she just got out of jail. Her younger brother Skye also spent some time in jail apparently when he was a juvenile, according to her mother Mitzi Freyou's MySpace site.
Sherami has lots of pics of herself, Shae and her brother, plus some of her friends. Several of her pics show her flipping the bird at the camera.
She last logged onto the site on Wednesday, July 8. Her site says she is single, and she does not mention anything about a boyfriend anywhere on the site.
Sherami says in a post on June 18 that she is in jail, but doesn't say for what.
"**im in jail for 10 days but u can still get at me ill return all comments and messages when i touch down**" she posted.
That puts her getting out of jail on or about July 28, about 11 days before Adam was killed.
One of her online names is MiSs.MaKe iT rAiN On DeM HoEs. This is her last post: "Chillen on deare st bytches"
Mitzi Freyou - Sherami, Shae and Skye's mother - also has a MySpace page. Her profile says, among other things, that she likes to party with her children.
"I WAS PUT ON THIS EARTH ON DEC.4 I HAVE LIVED MA LIFE TO THE FULLEST WHEN I WAS 17 I HAD MA FIRST DAUGHTER HER NAME IS SHAE SHE IS NOW 20 YRS OLD AND HAS GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL AND IS NOW IN COLLEGE FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE IM SO PROUD OF HER EVEN THO WE ARE MORE LIKE SISTERS THAN MOTHER AND DAUGHTER THEN AT 20 I HAD MA SECOND DAUGHTER HER NAME IS SHERAMI SHE IS NOW 17 STILL IN HIGH SCHOOL AND IS DOIN GOOD SHE IS MA LIL PEEPEE LOL A NICKNAME SINCE SHE WAS LITTLE WE HAVE THE MOTHER DAUGHTER BOND SHE IS LIKE MA BESTFRIEND I LOVE HER THEN AT 22 I HAD MY LAST CHILD AND MY ONLY LIL BOY HIS NAME IS SKYE AND HES NOW 15 HES MA BABY BUT HE THINKS HES THE MAN OF THE HOUSE WHICH HE SOMETIMES HE IS BUT RIGHT NOW HES SENT UP TILL MAYB 18 BUT HOPEFULLY HE COMES HOME SOON CUZ WE ALL MISS HIM ALOT I LOVE HIM AFTER ALL MA KIDS AND BOYFRIENDS I HAVE FINALLY FOUND THE LOVE OF MY LIFE MR. LEON "T-MAN" ANCALADE WE ARE NOT MARRIED YET BUT WE ARE WORKING ON IT WE ARE ENGAGED I LOVE HIM ALOT HE HAS CHANGED MA LIFE ALOT AND IN MANY WAYS AT THAT I LOVE HIM WITH ALL MA HEART AS FAR AS MA KIDS AND MA FIANCEE GOES MA LIFE IS BASICALLY WORK SLEEP AND PARTY I LOVE TO PARTY U NEVE GET TO OLD TO PARTY AND I LVOE PARTING WITH MA KIDS AND SOME OF U CAN SA WHAT U WANT BUT AT LEST I KNOW WHAT AND WHERE MA KIDS ARE U KNOW BUT OTHER THAN THOSE THINGS IM JUST A LAID BACK LADY AND I LOVE JUST BEING ME MITZI LEE FREYOU!"
Jesa Sam apparently has a young daughter, according to a family"photo on his MySpace page. His profile says he's in a relationship and is a proud parent. No comments from him are posted on the site, which indicated he last logged in on June 14.
He does have several photos in which it's obvious he's trying to make himself look like a thug.
There are numerous Thomas Hebert's online, and as such information about him could not be substantiated. So, sorry, but we'll have to wait for Sheriff Ackal, a family member, prosecutor or defense attorney, or court proceedings to find out more about Thomas Hebert.
Here are more photos of Sherami and Jesa Sam.
MySpace pics of Sherami. These are relatively typical of the photos on the site, with some distasteful and some tasteful.
Jesa Sam, on the right in both MySpace pics, with an unidentified person. Caption on site says "me and bro." Only 8 photos of him appear on his site, all at what look like the same location based on the background. Four look like these 2 above, one is of him alone which is posted at the top of the blog, and the other 3 are him with family members.
The Lafayette City-Parish Council is once again set to take up the issue of eliminating funding for area nonprofits like Acadiana Center for the Arts and social service agencies like the Council on Aging.
The City-Parish council is set to take up the measure at its 5:30 p.m. meeting Tuesday, July 7. A vote won't be taken until July 21. The proposal by City-Parish Councilmen Jared Bellard of the Scott area and William Theriot of the Youngsville-Broussard area, and supported by President Joey Durel, would phase in elimination of funding over a 3-year period.
"For a period of time," whatever that means, the responsibility and discretion for funding would be transfered to the Community Foundation of Acadiana, an organization which helps nonprofits get grants and other sources of money.
Starting in 2013, 100% of the money for the nonprofits and social service agencies would then go the Lafayette police and fire departments.
The proposed new law by Bellard and Theriot is 30th on the agenda, and after what is expected to be a heated debate on starting the process (engineering work) for street and drainage work on Ferrel Road, near St. Thomas More High School.
The issue of nonprofit cuts came up last year and was shot down with a 7-2 vote, with Bellard and Theriot voting for it. Too much cowardness by a few of the other 7 members I suspect who probably believe funding should be cut, but who also want to be elected next go around. Then again, there are members like Brandon Shelvin, who represents the poorest parts of our community, who want funding for social service agencies, and rightfully so.
It's a long standing debate nationally, and a pressure cooker for local politicians. Should government pay for operations and programs of nonprofit and social service groups?
One's first response may be "No" because government should only pay for our basic necessities, such as police and fire protection, streets and drainage, and some regulatory control of private excesses, i.e. building permits and inspections.
But there's always gray areas.
Funding for the Acadiana Center for the Arts, and many other nonprofits, including Festival International, is a source of economic development, one of those basic necessities of any government.
How much economic development? Does it really matter. Some is better than none.
A good evaluation of taxpayer's return on investment might be needed for each nonprofit. Hard to measure economic returns for social service agencies though because its the moral, neighbor helping neighbor factor that counts most, which is hard to measure. Statistics on the number of meals served by the Council on Aging doesn't measure the true story of an elderly woman who didn't go to bed hungry.
Here's the bottom line for social service agencies.
Funding for agencies, like the Council on Aging, is kinda a moral thing, not to mention a preventive against all kinds of other costs to government if not for these social service agencies.
The question always comes down to money.
In our community's case, it's about $452,723 for 23 nonprofit organizations.
Funding for nonprofits and social service agencies should continue considering the Durel administration's ability to obtain grants for necessary tasks, the economic development from nonprofits and all that comes with it, and the relatively little amount of money compared to the overall budget.
The EatLafayette campaign is underway. If you are like me, I did not know exactly what this about when I first saw the logos and heard about it.
In a nutshell, for the past 5 years, local restaurants have been offering special deals and special menu items for patrons during the summer. The 2009 campaign is from June 22 to Aug. 15.
It's purpose is to support local restaurants, which is much needed, believe it or not, especially during the slow summer months. Just recently Hub City Diner on Kaliste Saloom Road, along with Lafayette's and now Catahoula's in Grand Coteau have closed for one reason or another.
So, go out and support Lafayette and its restaurants. EatLafayette!
Rethinking barbeque as we know it. More citified, more punch, more flavor. And it took two Pauls to bring it to Lafayette. A dab of Pepper Jelly... a splash of Port wine, spices you've never dreamed of create totally unique sauces and rubs, applied only to USDA Choice cuts. Then cooked--low and slow--over Louisiana pecan wood.
Our sauces are so delicious that, in fact, we wouldn't think of restricting their use. We let you choose how much you want. You can slather, lather and pour to your heart's content. Add a side or two and you're up to your elbows in "damn good." Everything is made fresh daily to guarantee quality.
So, come early. Come for the taste. Come for the joy of barbeque as it was always meant to be. 2Paul's is radically urban barbeque.
Old world atmosphere. Enjoy quiet music and candlelight. Specialty pizzas, calzones, pastas made with the finest Italian pasta, Grilled veal, chicken, quail, specially selected Italian wines.
Casually elegant restaurant with a unique blend of South Louisiana (Cajun-Creole) flair and Lafayette style. Experience our award-winning dishes from Gumbo and Seafood-stuffed Speckeled Trout to Eggplant Acadiana.
Open to Acadiana since 2007, maintaining one simple concept, to provide Lafayette with it's only all UL Sports themed restaurant and bar. Baja Sports Grill is quickly becoming the place to be for the whole family to enjoy daily lunches, evening dining specials and fun for all the kids.
Upscale, casual seafood grill specializing in Southern Louisiana seafood grilled over Southern hardwood since 1985. Live piano music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday evening.
Family opened and operated. Authentic Cajun seafood prepared daily, the old fashioned way. Family atmosphere with affordable prices. Full seafood menu along with steaks, chicken, hamburgers and poboys.
Dean-O's is family owned and operated since 1971. We offer family dining in a relaxed, casual atmosphere and "The Best" pizza, salads and poboys around.
All major credit cards and Diner's Club cards are accepted.
Dix "Almost Famous" Daiquiris
101 Liberty Avenue
Lafayette
337.456.3981
Monday – Sunday: 11am–2pm
Daily plate lunches with great food, daiquiris and drinks at night.
Johnson's Boucaniere is a take out or dine in (well sort of, we have a swell covered porch that seats approximately 80 people) Restaurant and Specialty Meats store using recipes fom the World Famous Johnson's Grocery which was located in Eunice, LA. We are located in th heart of Downtown Lafayette and we make our own Smoked Sausage, Tasso, seasoning, Beef Jerky, Pulled Pork, Brisket, BBQ sauce and spices. We also make boudin (currently on Saturdays only) which received an A+ review from the Boudin Link.
Judice Inn - A Lafayette tradition, Serving "The Best Hamburger in Town" since 1947!
All major credit cards are accepted.
Lil Daddy's Bar-B-Q
1339 SE Evangeline Thwy.
Lafayette
337.261.5253
Monday – Saturday: 10:30am – 8pm
Down home BBQ - featuring slow smokedd brisket, pork, mouth-watering ribs, kicken chicken & sausage, all of your favorite sides along w/ our new BBQ salads.
Hemingway, bullfighting, and flamenco married with superior Spanish wines and luscious small bites fashion a sophisticated culinary oasis in Downtown Lafayette. Take advantage of our convenient valet parking!
Lafayette's best Mexican food! Authentic South American specialties, great margaritas and the best place to karaoke in town! All major credit cards and Diner's Club are accepted.
Join us for delicious Cajun seafood and steaks, from live Maine lobster to tender Filet Mignon, seafood gumbo to jumbo lump crab cakes, crafish etouffee to whole stuffed flounder. Proudly serving Acadiana for over 75 years. Your table is ready!
All major credit cards plus Diner's Club & JCB are accepted.
Nightly live Cajun music complements a decor featuring Acadian relics lining the walls and hanging from the rafters. "Big Al" our famous fourteen-foot alligator captured in Louisiana's Grand Chenier swamp, sits in the middle of the dining room guarding the culinary medals. Juicy steaks, wild game, and seafood dishes are given such an extraordinary twist, deciding on one item from the menu is indeed an Epicurean challenge.
The restaurant was founded by owner and operator, Robert "BikerBob" Guilbeau, who built Prejean's on his grandfather Walter Prejean's property after working several years in California's steam fields. Longing for a taste of home-crawfish Etouffee, gumbo, and pecan pie - Bob decided to offer patrons a cultural experience similar to what is presented in California's Mexican eateries (great food and live music). When Prejean's opened in 1980, customers were treated to Cajun cuisine, exceptional service, and live Cajun music - a combination that has earned the restaurant global recognition. By the 1990's, Prejean's culinary team began dominating culinary competitions by reinventing traditional South Louisiana fare. They now hold the record for the most medals captured by any culinary team in the South.
Live Cajun music begins at 7:00 pm daily and the house bands are Les freres Michot, and Gurvais Matte and the Branch Playboys. The restaurant is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The restaurant is closed New Year's Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day. Private meeting and party rooms are available by reservation and off-site catering can be arranged. Prejean's also offers a cooking school by reservation only. Check out our gift shop and bring some Prejean's home with you for yourself or friends to enjoy. We offer a wide selection of Louisiana cookbooks and Prejean's even has its very own cookbook for you to take home along with hot sauces & spices, Louisiana caps, mugs, coffees and Prejean's logo shirts. Gift cards are also available in any monetary amount. The staff is tour group friendly and the facility has lots of motorcoach parking. Prejean's is an active member of the Louisiana Restaurant Association, Acadiana Culinary Federation, NTA, ABA, Travel South USA, LTPA, LCVC and the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, along with supporting various local charities.
For online reservations or to view the live webcam (call your friends and wave to them right now) visit the restaurant online at www.prejeans.com.
Spike TV showed a replay of Crazy Tim Credeur of the Gladiator Academy on Wednesday night (7/1/09) beating Nate Loughran back in Dec. 08 during a Fight For The Troops event. Credeur actually broke one of Loughran's ribs.
Anyone see Oprah on June 30, 2009, talking about a calorie restriction diet? From what Dr. Oz said, it can basically add years, if not decades, to your life.
Basically, you limit your calorie intake to a minimum, but what you do eat is full of nutrients, so that in effect, what your body absorbs is hyper nutritional.
Dr. Oz said the body's cells work more efficentally and thus, the cells don't age as fast, and thus you live longer.
Oprah said a man named Joe in her audience could live to be 150 years old. Dr. Oz kept saying people could live to be 120.
At 5′9″, Joe weighs 130 pounds. He may not look like a person who needs to count calories, but as part of his life extension program, he monitors every morsel of food that passes through his system.
Every day for the past seven years, Joe has limited himself to about 1,950 calories.
Joe doesn't deprive himself of food. Instead, this 51-year-old father fills up on natural fruits, vegetables and lean proteins that are packed with essential vitamins and nutrients. “Whenever you're thinking about calorie restriction, you should continually think about getting the most nutritional bang per calorie,” Joe says.
Joe was shown with a scale, measuring everything he ate. In one scene, he peeled an apple and only ate the skin. He threw in blueberries, and I think raspberries and wal-nuts, and he had a nutritional breakfast. He then ate what he said was 3 pounds of salad for lunch.
I searched for about 20 minutes on the Internet, and didn't actually find a "calorie restriction diet plan." So, to me, that means eat as healthy as you can afford, measure your calories, and limit your calories to about 1900 per day.
Seems a lot of folks on the Internet are just trying to sell a book on the CR subject. I couldn't even find specific info on Oprah's website.
Joe on Oprah said he eats fruits, vegetables and lean protein. Sounds like a diet I want to try.
First, Let's be honest and upfront with each other. I don't have a PhD in social media tactics. But I have become polished in the ways social media should be used for small businesses. I own a small business, and I have successful experience with using social media. And that counts for a lot.
So, let's start at the beginning.
1. What is social media? It is the old fashion water cooler or street corner conversation. In the world of the Internet, it is enabling conversation. It is the activities among a community of people online who share knowledge, information and opinions.
2. Social media can be good and it can be bad for your business. It allows people to talk about you, and not necessarily in a good way. So be careful about what you say online and who you talk to. On the other hand, you want people talking about you, creating buzz, using word of mouth via the Internet. You want them saying good and cool things about your company. You can't control what others say about you, but you can influence what they say. After all, being in business is about influencing people and winning friends.
3. Three small business rules for social media: A. Register and enable the conversation thru Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, Youtube, local sites like LafayetteGrapevine and others with words, pictures, video and audio. B. You can influence conversations, but you can't control them. People will gossip and complain. Provide a great product or service with even greater customer service, and, treat your employees good, and you can limit the negative. Then brag with humility and participate in as many social media avenues as you can. C. Live in fear that your business could go down the drain if you don't get in the game of social media and influence what people are saying about your company. Everything is going viral. Get in the game. Use the tools that are out there for free. Keep your brand in a positive light. Start a conversation.
4. Engage people who might one day be your customers or employees or critics or fans. How? A. Communicate via all social media avenues that you have time to. B. Educate everone you communicate with about anything that is interesting, including your company. Help people learn more today than they knew yesterday. C. Entertain everyone you communicate and educate. Pass along funny emails and links to crazy websites about your industry. Make a blooper video for Youtube about your industry. Use music. Be creative. Posting an entertaining video about your company on Youtube or directly onto LafayetteGrapevine is a great way to create buzz about your company. It's done all of the time.
5. Fill out all of the google, yahoo, msn, aol, and wikis stuff you can find on the Internet. Get your name out there for people to catch up to you when they are browsing the Net.
Holy Cow, there appears to be a very thin blue line between the St. Landry Parish Sheriff's Office led by Sheriff Bobby Guidry and his deputies, and the Opelousas Police Department led by Chief Perry Gallow and his officers.
On the web site Topix for Lafayette, LA, where local gossip rules the day, there is a running tit-for-tat between deputies and officers, both current and former, and of course residents who are chiming in.
The Beef: The gossip is the Sheriff's Office Drug Task Force, assisted by the K-9 unit, hasn't made any drug busts lately and is generally considered a joke. In the city, the gossip is Chief Perry Gallow just wants his name and pic in the news media for the slightest thing.
The Prime Beef, however, is that OPD goes into the parish to make drug busts, and the SO makes drug bust inside the city. Each wants the glory for the drug busts. At a minimum, both sides want to know when the other is on their turf.
How vicious does it get in those posts. Here's one from an anonymous poster called None on Wednesday, June 24:
"[This must be Lance or Chris or Brian. These Officers are doing it up and they are getting dope in the parish more than you can do. mike as well as all in that section except for 1-or 2 are a wast of time and a joke look at jared hes back on atrol. Oh do u know what the thin blue line means i think not Oh and perry puts things on the news because his guys are working Bobby cant because all his guys do is eat."
And the response one day later from a poster called SLSO.
"I don't think Jared Green would lower his standards to work at OPD. By reading OPD's post, I feel sorry for who ever has to check the grammar and spelling. LOT'S OF RED INK UNPROFESSIONAL CROOKED BACK STABBERS CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATORS This is OPD's mission statement! Like we said (WHAT A JOKE!)"
Obviously, none of them can write very well, not that I'm Shakespeare or anything.
There's plenty more gossip and attacks. Visit http://www.topix.com/city/lafayette-la. Look under the Discussion Topic "Zerangue" and start with the last posts because there are nearly 13,000 post under the "Zerange" topic. It's entertaining.
P.S. Thin Blue Line is a term traditionally meant to identify relationships between law enforcement officers. The blue line symbolizes the seperation of good from bad.
In the House Dist. 40 race, which comprises St. Landry Parish and a small portion of North Lafayette:
George S. Bourgeois Jr., D-Opelousas; Allen Guillory, D-Lawtell; Bradford Jackson, no party-Opelousas; Ronald Lavergne, D-Sunset; Quincy Richard, D-Opelousas; Kelly J. Scott, D-Opelousas; Anna C. Simmons, D-Opelousas; Anthony James Soileau, no party-Washington; “Reggie” Tatum, D-Opelousas; and Ledricka Johnson Thierry, D-Opelousas.
George S. Bourgeois, a lawyer in Opelousas, is apparently the only candidate out of the 10 in the field without any previous political experience.
Anna Simmons is the former mayor of Opelousas. Quincy Richard is a member of the St. Landry Parish School Board. Allen Guillory is a former St. Landry Parish Police Juror. Reggie Tatum sits is a member of the Opelousas Board of Aldermen.
Ronald Levergne ran for office in Sunset once before.
Anthony James Soileau lost a bid for the mayor of Washington in 2006 against Joseph Pitre and then alleged voter fraud. The challenge by Soileau was struck down by a judge.
Bradford Jackson, Ledricka Johnson Thierry and Kelly J. Scott have all made unsuccessful bids for either House District 40 or Senate District 24.
Ledricka Johnson Thierry was backed by Opelousas Mayor Donald Cravins in an unsuccessful bid against Elbert Guillory for the House Dist. 40 seat. Guillory went on to beat Cravin's wife Pat Cravins for the Senate Dist. 24 seat, which is the reason for the House Dist. 40 special election.
WANTED TO MAKE SURE THIS LOCAL NEWS STORY FEED WASN'T GLOSSED OVER
Source: www.bloodhorse.com
Posted June 9, 2009
Claudius Broussard, who owned Broussard's Race Track near Lafayette, La., died June 6 at his Lafayette home. He was 89.
Broussard's Race Track was one of Louisiana's colorful “bush” tracks that hosted races for Thoroughbreds and Quarter Horses in the southern part of the Pelican State. Unsanctioned and unlicensed, Broussard's track opened in 1950 and stayed in business for some 35 years.
Among the jockeys who learned the art of race riding at Broussard's was Calvin Borel, who won this year's Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (gr. I) and Preakness Stakes (gr. I).
A lifelong Lafayette resident, Broussard also operated a store, bar, and rooster pit and worked for the Louisiana State Highway Patrol. He served in the Army during World War II.
Broussard's survivors include his wife of 44 years, Melba, five children, and four stepchildren.
Internet tax working its way down the tubes to Louisiana
The Louisiana House has passed a bill that would have each resident paying 15 cents per month on top of their Internet bills in order to help the state fight cybercrimes. Proponents want to use it to save the children, while detractors don't like the idea of taxing residents for the sole purpose of fighting a specific type of crime.
By Jacqui Cheng | Last updated June 5, 2009 1:51 PM CT
Louisiana residents may find themselves paying an extra fee on top of their regular Internet costs if the state's House of Representatives has its way. The House voted 81 to 9 in favor of the 15-cent monthly levy Thursday, with the bill's sponsors arguing that the money would go towards fighting Internet-related crimes in the state. The bill now moves to the state's Senate for a vote, though it faces opposition from Republican Louisiana governor Bobby Jindal.
Under the proposed measure, every resident who gets a bill for Internet access will be charged the fee starting in 2010; public schools and libraries are exempt. The move is expected to raise $2.4 million for the "Internet Crimes Investigation Fund" of Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell's office, which plans to use the money to investigate cases of child pornography, Internet fraud, and other online sex crimes. According to the text of the bill(PDF), it would also train law enforcement how to properly handle crimes committed against citizens as a result of their having Internet access.
Naturally, the measure is largely being pitched as a way to save the children. "I don't think that 15 cents per month is too much to ask for our children's protection," Representative Simone Champagne (D-Jeanerette) told the House floor, according to WWL-TV. However, opponents to the legislation are skeptical about the idea of raising money for "every criminal element that's out there," not to mention the supposed slippery slope that will come with it. "Today it's Internet access. Tomorrow, what's it going to be? A subscription to DirecTV?" questioned Rep. Austin Badon (D-New Orleans).
There's also the small technicality that the "fee" may be interpreted as a tax. If it's a tax, it could potentially violate the federal Tax Freedom Act that was enacted in 1998 and most recently extended in 2007 for seven years; it bars local governments from levying access taxes on Internet connections, though purchases can be subject to applicable state taxes. The law is meant to promote Internet usage and facilitate wider-spread adoption of broadband across the US, though once broadband access becomes as common as electricity and water, many lawmakers would like to see the issue revisited, as Internet taxes could prove a lucrative source of funding for state and local governments.
Jindal's office reiterated in a statement issued yesterday that he opposes raising taxes of any kind on the citizens of Louisiana, while supporting a crackdown on "sex offenders that prey on our children."
Schools out and summer is finally here! But now that it is here “What is there to do in Lafayette?!” With the economy in the dumps and budgets stretched to the brink many people like me can not afford a vacation this summer. It looks like many of us will be having a “staycation” in Lafayette.
But what does Lafayette have to offer? Lafayette is a vibrant city that offers a ton of events and new experiences if you are willing to look hard enough. Fortunately for you I did the looking. Lafayette offers fun affairs in three main areas which include family events, historic areas, and nightlife.
Lafayette offers a wide range of family oriented activities. You can take advantage of the beautiful weather and enjoy a nice picnic with your loved ones at Parc Sans Souci on Vermilion Street. If it gets too hot, run through the water fountain, which is designed to be played in. Also, you can take a few minutes to visit the 9-11 sculpture. Another awesome place to have a picnic is Girard Park. This park offers a walking trail for exercise, playground equipment for the kids and a pond with hungry ducks and geese, so bring a stale loaf of bread and have some fun.
If its too hot to trot outside? Visit the Children's Museum of Acadiana for fun hands on and informative activities! The Children's Museum of Acadiana is a hands-on particpartory museum serving children and their families by providing interactive exhibits, special services, performances, and workshops. The Children's Museum of Acadiana is open Tuesday–Saturday from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. and only cost $5!
Lafayette also offers a variety of cultural experiences.
There's no better way to start your weekend than Zydeco Breakfast at Cafe des Amis, a cultural mosaic of food, art, music and historic preservation. The breakfast menu features specialties to rival New Orlean's best brunch restaurants. The music starts at 8:30, but get there early.
Vermillionville is a Cajun/Creole folklife park that recreates life in the Acadiana area from 1765-1890. La Cuisine de Maman features Cajun/Creole dishes including their famous chicken & sausage gumbo. If you're there on a weekend, you may be treated to live Cajun or Zydeco music.
The Alexandre Mouton House/Lafayette Museum is a repository of Acadian history and culture. The original structure was built in early 1800s as the Sunday House of Lafayette's (formerly known as Vermlionville's) founder, Jean Mouton.
After hours Lafayette offers an exciting and vibrant night life.
The Blue Moon Saloon is a premier venue for America's roots and honky-tonk troubadours. It has become a meeting place where all kinds of people rub elbows, dance and thank their lucky stars they have the good fortune to spend an evening in Lafayette.
Graham Central Station set the standard of Nightlife in the Acadiana area. Graham Central Station has 4 separate clubs all under one roof and a great location downtown. The four club themes are 80's dance room, karaoke singing, country dance hall, and a tropical hip-hop club. So no matter what your style is Graham Central Station has a place for you!
If you're older and looking for Cajun music and a great meal try Prejean's. Located in the heart of French Louisiana, Prejean's Restaurant captures the hearts of all who visit. A delight to all “six” senses, Prejean's Restaurant satisfies diners with some of the best cuisine available in the south. In a culture famous for delicious flavors, Prejean's leads the way. Traditional music fills the air with the sounds of live Cajun bands entertaining nightly. Prejean's showcases the rich culture of our Cajun French heritage. Antique relics grace the walls and rafters.
All of these places and events make up just the tip of the ice berg of activities to do in Lafayette. For more ideas and events don't forget to check out the Lafayette grapevine calendar which is the best community calendar in Lafayette!
Lafayette, the world of journalism and newshounds such as myself mourn the deaths of Vincent "Doc" Marino and Bob Hamm. Both were legendary newsmen in Lafayette, each with 50 plus years of experience.
Doc died in February and Bob died in April.
Doc, as most of us who worked with him called him, was a wordsmith. A cherrypicker, really. He spent his career at The Daily Advertiser, a monumental feat in of itself, first as a reporter, then on to virtually every position in the newsroom. He ended up editor emertius, a title given once he was forced to retire for no good reason after 50 years of dedicated service to a company he gave his life to. The title was the least the Daily Advertiser could do after such a corporate bonehead move on its part. I knew Doc as the finest copy editor around. I never actually seen anything Doc actually wrote. No, he didn't write much when I knew him. But boy could he edit with a red ink pen. Needless to say, he was a patient man. (I see the red ink now. If it's needless to say, why write it, Doc would say). Of course, he was much more than a fine, patient editor. He taught journalism at UL Lafayette, was a lover of Jazz, played the saxaphone, a cook, and in his much younger days, a door to door salesman of Fuller hair brushes. I found that out at his funeral. I would have loved to hear some of those hairy stories. I also found out there's an old 1948 black and white movie, a murder mystery, where the lead actor is a young Red Skeleton, who played the part of a Fuller hair brush salesman. Guess who did it? I know Doc would have loved to see that movie. He was a Fuller brush salesman about the same time the movie was made. But his craft was writing and editing. In the 1960s he was nominated for a Putlzer Prize. I think the story was about a Lafayette cop who was killed. I'd like to read that article one day.
Doc was a behind the scenes kind of guy. Bob, however, was out in front. Well before I knew Bob, he was over at KLFY Channel 10 in the 1960s, and a few years later, moved over to KATC Channel 3. His on aire opinions pieces are still remembered by many who witnessed them. In those days, he helped define Cajuns for ourselves and the rest of the country with a few simple, but poetic essays. Through the years, he quietly did public relations work for the oil industry with LAGCOE and Acadian Ambulance, while also working for the local press. A big no, no in journalism. But no one every said anything, so he must have kept a good balance and never compromised his journalistic ethics. Plus, the guy had to make a living. I knew Bob as the editorial writer for the Advertiser. He worked from home, emailing his editorials in to Charlie Lenox, the opinions page editor, and coming into the office every Thursday afternoon for the editorial page weekly meeting. More recently, after Charlie retired, he came into the office everyday to write his editorials and handle the letters to the editor. Bob never said much, and gave brief anwsers when asked a question. He was always professional, aways wore a coat and a tie, and always had a cigarette between his fingers. Though I never saw him drink, Bob seemed to be the kind of guy who had no trouble throwing back a few cocktails and telling a crazy story or two about Edwin Edwards. His booming broadcasting voice, which I always thought was a product of his smoking, was his signature. Many of us heard it weekly on Saturday mornings when he and fellow Advertiser editor Jim Bradshaw did their local Memory Time program on KPEL. KPEL, much like what the Advertiser did to Doc, canceled the show because of a change in the format. Stupid fools.
It's hard to imagine the Advertiser and the Lafayette press corps without Doc and Bob. They can't and won't be replaced. Today's young whipper snappers just want a job and a paycheck. Dedication to one community and one company died with Doc and Bob.
UL LAFAYETTE SIGNIFICANT CONTRIBUTOR TO LOCAL ECONOMIES
The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is a significant force in the economies of Lafayette, Acadiana and Louisiana. Its spending impact alone on Louisiana is $755 million annually, with $726 million of that amount impacting the Acadiana economy. More than 7,780 non-university jobs have been created and are supported by university spending. In addition, the university reported $51 million in external research funding from state, federal, private and self-generated funds in 2008. Every dollar of state funding invested in UL Lafayette generates more than an $8 return.
In addition to its spending, UL Lafayette influences the economy through its research and economic development centers. The impacts of these economic development centers included $1.2 billion in increased revenues for clients, $1.8 billion in retained revenues for clients, more than $101 million in savings for clients, more than $56 million in increased investments by clients and about $28 million in cost avoidance (money that companies did not have to spend as a result of economic centers' assistance). Jobs created and retained by Louisiana businesses served by UL Lafayette's economic development centers totaled 22,790.
Agencies housed at the University Research Park employ more than 400 people. Their total payroll exceeds $26 million.
These numbers are part of an economic impact study released by the University of Louisiana System Thursday. The report includes economic impacts of the system's eight universities.
“ UL Lafayette's presence is felt in many sectors of the local, regional and state economies,” said UL Lafayette President Joseph Savoie. “Its financial influence has value and that worth can be calculated.”
In terms of economic development centers, the university is unique in that it is home to two centers with statewide responsibilities - the Manufacturing Extension Partnership of Louisiana (MEPoL) and the Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC).
“ PTAC and MEPoL combined with other UL Lafayette centers such as the Enterprise Center of Louisiana, the Center for Business and Information Technologies and the Small Business Development Center produced a combined impact of $1.2 billion in increased revenue and $1.8 billion in retained revenue for clients,” said UL Lafayette President Joseph Savoie.
The university employs nearly 2,100 men and women. “If it were a private business, it would be the largest private employer in Lafayette Parish,” said Savoie. “If UL Lafayette were a city, it would rank as the 17th largest in Louisiana.”
More than 16,000 students come to campus each semester and the university has awarded more than 100,000 degrees since it was established in 1898. About $1.3 billion was added to Louisiana's economy by UL Lafayette graduates over the past 10 years due to degree attainment.
The mere existence of the university creates major spending in area businesses and as a result creates thousands of jobs. For every person the university employs, nearly four additional individuals in the community have jobs as a direct result of the university's spending.
“ Spending impact reflects the direct and indirect income created by the multiplication of money in circulation,” said Dr. Joby John, dean of UL Lafayette's B.I. Moody III College of Business and Administration and project management leader of the UL Lafayette study. “When we spend money, the recipient of that money spends it again, and so on, causing a ripple effect.”
For example: When a UL Lafayette employee spends her earnings on home improvements, the contractor she hired spends his earnings on dinner at a restaurant. The restaurant owner turns around and spends some of her income on some new restaurant furniture or personal clothing. The furniture company or the clothing retailer then proceeds to spend their earnings on other goods and services and thus money multiplies.
“ Economists rely on established models, called multipliers, to calculate the effect of spending on the economy,” said John.
A total breakdown of the overall spending impact of UL Lafayette includes:
o Student spending, $287 million impact
o Faculty and staff spending, $150 million impact
o Visitor spending, $125 million impact
o Operating expenditures, $72 million impact
o Capital outlay and construction, $47 million impact
o Health insurance payments, $32 million impact
o Retiree spending, $23 million impact
o Affiliated organizations like the Foundation and Alumni Association, $19 million impact.
“The university is essentially a city within a city,” said Savoie. “Just through its day-to-day operations, it keeps large amounts of money moving and that flow of currency is essential for a healthy economy.”
In addition to economic impact, the university greatly enhances quality of life in the region. Many individuals and businesses locate in the area because they want to live in a university town.
“ The quality of life in Lafayette and Acadiana is enhanced by the cultural, athletic and intellectual offerings of the university,” said Savoie. “UL Lafayette makes this an interesting and vibrant place to live.”
The following is an open letter to Presidential candidate Barack Obama, written by Cory Miller, a businessman in Texas. Here are his words, unedited, posted with his permission after a few short email conversations. You can leave him a message here, or his business web site address is listed at the bottom of the post, where you can find a contact page. That's how I contacted him. Thanks. Todd
Given the furor about “Joe the plumber” I've written an open letter to Mr. Obama myself. I think it is worth the read. Maybe if Americans could take a closer look at what a small businessman is, they wouldn't want politicians penalizing their success. Feel free to forward it if you want…
Cory
Mr. Obama,
Given the uproar about the simple question asked you by Joe the plumber, and the persecution that has been heaped on him because he dared to question you, I find myself motivated to say a few things to you myself. While Joe aspires to start a business someday, I already have started not one, but 4 businesses. But first, let me introduce myself. You can call me "Cory the well driller". I am a 54 year old high school graduate. I didn't go to college like you, I was too ready to go "conquer the world" when I finished high school. 25 years ago at age 29, I started my own water well drilling business at a time when the economy here in East Texas was in a tailspin from the crash of the early 80's oil boom. I didn't get any help from the government, nor did I look for any. I borrowed what I could from my sister, my uncle, and even the pawn shop and managed to scrape together a homemade drill rig and a few tools to do my first job. My businesses did not start as a result of privilege. They are the result of my personal drive, personal ambition, self discipline, self reliance, and a determination to treat my customers fairly. From the very start my business provided one other (than myself) East Texan a full time job. I couldn't afford a backhoe the first few years (something every well drilling business had), so I and my helper had to dig the mud pits that are necessary for each and every job with hand shovels. I had to use my 10 year old, 1/2 ton pickup truck for my water tank truck (normally a job for at least a 2 ton truck).
A year and a half after I started the business, I scraped together a 20% down payment to get a modest bank loan and bought a (28 year) old, worn out, slightly bigger drilling rig to allow me to drill the deeper water wells in my area. I spent the next few years drilling wells with the rig while simultaneously rebuilding it between jobs. Through these years I never knew from one month to the next if I would have any work or be able to pay the bills. I got behind on my income taxes one year, and spent the next two years paying that back (with penalty and interest) while keeping up with ongoing taxes. I got behind on my water well supply bill 2 different years (way behind the second time... $80,000.00), and spent over a year paying it back (each time) while continuing to pay for ongoing supplies C.O.D.. Of course, the personal stress endured through these experiences and years is hard to measure. I do have a stent in my heart now to memorialize it all.
I spent the next 10 years developing the reputation for being the most competent and most honest water well driller in East Texas. 2 years along the way, I hired another full time employee for the drilling business so that we could provide full time water well pump service as well as the well drilling. Also, 3 years along the path, I bought a water well screen service machine from a friend, starting business # 2. 5 years later I made a business loan for $100,000.00 to build a new, higher production, computer controlled screen service machine. I had designed the machine myself, and it didn't work out for 3 years so I had to make the loan payments without the benefit of any added income from the new machine. No government program was there to help me with the payments, or to help me sleep at night as I lay awake wondering how I would solve my machine problems or pay my bills. Finally, after 3 years, I got the screen machine working properly, and that provided another full time job for an East Texan in the screen service business.
2 years after that, I made another business loan, this time for $250,000.00, to buy another used drilling rig and all the support equipment needed to run another, larger, drill rig. This provided another 2 full time jobs for East Texans. Again, I spent a couple of years not knowing if I had made a smart move, or a move that would bankrupt me. For the third time in 13 years, I had placed everything I owned on the line, risking everything, in order to build a business.
A couple of years into this, I came up with a bright idea for a new kind of mud pump, a fundamentally necessary pump used on water well drill rigs. I spent my entire life savings to date (just $30,000.00), building a prototype of the pump and took it to the national water well convention to show it off. Customers immediately started coming out of the woodworks to buy the pumps, but there was a problem. I had depleted my assets making the prototype, and nobody would make me a business loan to start production of the new pumps. With several deposits for pump orders in hand, and nowhere to go, I finally started applying for as many credit card as I could find and took cash withdrawals on these cards to the tune of over $150,000.00 (including modest loans from my dear sister and brother), to get this 3rdbusiness going.
Yes, once again, I had everything hanging over the line in an effort to start another business. I had never manufactured anything, and I had to design and bring into production a complex hydraulic machine from an untested prototype to a reliable production model (in six months). How many nights I lay awake wondering if I had just made the paramount mistake of my life I cannot tell you, but there were plenty. I managed to get the pumps into production, which immediately created another 2 full time jobs in East Texas. Some of the models in the first year suffered from quality issues due to the poor workmanship of one of my key suppliers, so I and an employee (another East Texan employed) had to drive across the country to repair customers' pumps, practically from coast to coast. I stood behind the product, and made payments to all the credit cards that had financed me (and my brother and sister). I spent the next 5 years improving and refining the product, building a reputation for the pump and the company, working to get the pump into drill rig manufacturers' product lines, and paying back credit cards. During all this time I continued to manage a growing water well business that was now operating 3 drill rig crews, and 2 well service crews. Also, the screen service business continued to grow. No government programs were there to help me, Mr. Obama, but that's ok, I didn't expect any, nor did I want any. I was too busy fighting to make success happen to sit around waiting for the government to help me.
Now, we have been manufacturing the mud pumps for 7 years, my combined businesses employ 32 full time employees, and distribute $5,000,000.00 annually through the local economy. Now, just 4 months ago I borrowed $1,254,000.00, purchasing computer controlled machining equipment to start my 4th business, a production machine shop. The machine shop will serve the mud pump company so that we can better manufacture our pumps that are being shipped worldwide. Of course, the machine shop will also do work for outside companies as well. This has already produced 2 more full time jobs, and 2 more should develop out of it in the next few months. This should work out, but if it doesn't it will be because you, and the other professional politicians like yourself, will have destroyed our countrys' (and the world) economy with your meddling with mortgage loan programs through your liberal manipulation and intimidation of loaning institutions to make sure that unqualified borrowers could get mortgages. You see, at the very time when I couldn't get a business loan to get my mud pumps into production, you were working with Acorn and the Community Reinvestment Act programs to make sure that unqualified borrowers could buy homes with no down payment, and even no credit or worse yet, bad credit. Even the infamous, liberal, Ninja loans (No Income, No Job or Assets). While these unqualified borrowers were enjoying unrealistically low interest rates, I was paying 22% to 24% interest on the credit cards that I had used to provide me the funds for the mud pump business that has created jobs for more East Texans. It's funny, because after 25 years of turning almost every dime of extra money back into my businesses to grow them, it has been only in the last two years t hat I have finally made enough money to be able to put a little away for retirement, and now the value of that has dropped 40% because of the policies you and your ilk have perpetrated on our country.
You see, Mr. Obama, I'm the guy you intend to raise taxes on. I'm the guy who has spent 25 years toiling and sweating, fretting and fighting, stressing and risking, to build a business and get ahead. I'm the guy who has been on the very edge of bankruptcy more than a dozen times over the last 25 years, and all the while creating more and more jobs for East Texans who didn't want to take a risk, and would not demand from themselves what I have demanded from myself. I'm the guy you characterize as "the Americans who can afford it the most" that you believe should be taxed more to provide income redistribution "to spread the wealth" to those who have never toiled, sweated, fretted, fought, stressed, or risked anything. You want to characterize me as someone who has enjoyed a life of privilege and who needs to pay a higher percentage of my income than those who have bought into your entitlement culture. I resent you, Mr. Obama, as I resent all who want to use class warfare as a tool to advance their political career. What's worse, each year more Americans buy into your liberal entitlement culture, and turn to the government for their hope of a better life instead of themselves. Liberals are succeeding through more than 40 years of collaborative effort between the predominant liberal media, and liberal indoctrination programs in the public school systems across our land.
What is so terribly sad about this is this. America was made great by people who embraced the one-time American culture of self reliance, self motivation, self determination, self discipline, personal betterment, hard work, risk taking. A culture built around the concept that success was in reach of every able bodied American who would strive for it. Each year that less Americans embrace that culture, we all descend together. We descend down the socialist path that has brought country after country ultimately to bitter and unremarkable states. If you and your liberal comrades in the media and school systems would spend halfas much effort cultivating a culture of can-do across America as you do cultivating your entitlement culture, we could see Americans at large embracing the conviction that they canelevate themselves through personal betterment, personal achievement, and self reliance. You see, when people embrace such ideals, they act on them. When people act on such ideals, they succeed. All of America could find herself elevating instead of deteriorating. But that would eliminate the need for liberal politicians, wouldn't it, Mr. Obama? The country would not need you if the country was convinced that problem solving was best left with individuals instead of the government. You and all your liberal comrades have got a vested interested in creating a dependent class in our country. It is the very business of liberals to create an ever expanding dependence on government. What's remarkable is that you, who have never produced a job in your life, are going to tax me to take more of my money and give it to people who wouldn't need my money if they would get off their entitlement mentality asses and apply themselves at work, demand more from themselves, and quit looking to liberal politicians to raise their station in life.
You see, I know because I've had them work for me before. Hundreds of them over these 25 years. People who simply will not show up to work on time. People who just will notwork 5 days in a week, much less, 6 days. People always looking for a way to put less effort out. People who actually tell me that they would do more if I just would firstpay them more. People who take off work to sit in government offices to apply to get free government handouts (gee, I wonder how things would have turned out for them if they had spent that time earning money and pleasing their employer?). You see, all of this comes from your entitlement mentality culture.
Oh, I know you will say I am uncompassionate. Sorry, Mr. Obama, wrong again. You see, I've seen what the average percentage of your income has been given to charities over the years of 2000 to 2004 (ignoring the years you started running for office - can you pronounce “politically motivated”), you averaged less than 1% annually. And your running mate, Joe Biden, averaged less than ¼% of his annual income in charitable contributions over the last 10 years. Like so many liberals, the two of you want to give to the needy, just as long as it is someone else's money you are giving to them. I won't say what I have given to charities over the last 25 years, but the percentage is several times more than you and Joe Biden… combined (don't you just hate goggle?). Tell me again how you feel my pain.
In short, Mr. Obama, your political philosophies represent everything that is wrong with our country. You represent the culture of government dependence instead of self reliance; Entitlement mentality instead of personal achievement; Penalization of the successful to reward the unmotivated; Political correctness instead of open mindedness and open debate. If you are successful, you may preside over the final transformation of America from being the greatest and most self-reliant culture on earth, to just another country of whiners and wimps, who sit around looking to the government to solve their problems. Like all of western Europe. All countries on the decline. All countries that, because of liberal socialistic mentalities, have a little less to offer mankind every year.
God help us...
Cory Miller
just a ordinary, extraordinary American, the way a lot of Americans used to be.
Get ready, the cost of everything is about to rise sky high
The worse has yet to come
I just had a short message from one of the members about the cost of worms. Let's just say his expense to get those little critters to market is high, but he still manages to supply fisherman and bait shops with his worms at a reasonable cost.
Medicine and health care have always been high. But the thing that first started to effect me directly, and probably you too, is the the high price of gasoline. Then came food prices creeping up. Home prices and rents are basically outrageous.
But the worst has yet to come, particularly for small businesses and consumers like you and me. The federal minimum wage, previously at $5.15 an hour, went up to $5.85 last summer, and this summer, starting on July 24, will go up to $6.55 an hour. And next summer minimum wage rises to $7.25 an hour.
Don't get me wrong. I'm all for people making a living, and Lord knows with the way the prices of everything has gone up, one can't make it on $5.85 an hour. But the effect won't be marginal, but widespread on the way we currently live.
As the minimum wage goes up, so does the cost of a $5 value meal at McDonalds. You think Adriens or Piggly Wiggly or Wal-Mart or Albertsons or Winn Dixie or whomever isn't going to pass that cost on to me and you.
Put any business in the blank space here ____, and the cost of goods or services from that business is going to go up starting July 24 this year, and next.
I don't have the stats right in front of me, but I know generally, since we got over the oil bust of the 80s, the economy red line has been going up, with one major exception, and that is wages.
People, particularly those on the lower portions of the rung, will make more money. But they also will be spending a whole lot more of what they earn. Particulary if they want to go fishing with a box of worms.
Wanted you to know that Paige Cormier, of New Iberia, a graduate of Teurlings High School and a freshman at UL Lafayette has been missing since 4/21/08. She was last seen at the Exxon across from Chase Bank in Scott. Anyone with information should call the police in their area.
