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Archive 2007 - 2006 HOME
Fred Prejean.com
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Submit Your Views --- NEWS --- Submit Your Views
Joyeux Noël et Bonne
Année!
Residents wary of some plans --- Undeveloped land hard to find in parish Bob Moser Many neighborhoods organized in 2006 like never before, sending large groups to Planning Commission and City-Parish Council meetings. Some came well-informed about the law. Others less so, but few, if any, would easily back down.  Persons of the Year: Danica
Adams and Elizabeth “EB” Brooks Leslie
TurkTwo former UL Lafayette students restored the city’s faith in community activism — and the spirit of its youth. Danica Adams and Elizabeth Brooks, better known as “EB,” were in Dr. Griff Blakewood’s community-based planning class on a Wednesday afternoon when they got word that the university was planning to rezone and sell its horse farm property. “I was so upset that I just started crying right there in the middle of class,” Adams says. Blakewood dismissed the young women so they could pull themselves together, and outside of the classroom they made a pact. “Right then, we decided together that we weren’t going to let this happen, and we had to do something about it,” Adams says. A Reckoning With Reality --- The People Speak Out Again On M.L. King Street Issue! Fred Prejean Congratulations to
the thirty or so
citizens attending a
meeting
called by Councilman Benjamin, Councilman Williams and LCG Parish
President
Joey Durel to address the ML King St. renaming issue.
Congratulations to the citizens who were able to neutralize the rhetoric regarding the ML King Street renaming issue and rethink the entire matter in a mature manner. Congratulations to the citizens for ending the "distractions, diversions, distortions and denial" of truth that has plagued and racially polarized our community. (click -- Where's The Leadership ) Congratulations to Mr. Benjamin and Mr. Williams for their reconsideration of their irrevocable demand to rename Willow St. to ML King Dr. We can't always have what we want, when we want it, where we want it or because we want it, even though we may justly deserve that which is pursued. We black people in Lafayette are not monolithic in thought and nor should we be. We don't all want the same thing at the same time for the same reason. We don't always share the exact same views on social, economic or political issues because each of these issues affects each of us differently. The same applies to white, red, yellow, purple and blue people. God gave each of us a mind of our own and the gifts of reason and choice. Martin Luther King awakened this consciousness in us and helped many of us begin new lifestyles including a greater respect for ourselves and others. In his I have a Dream speech King wrote, "But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must ever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline."  I
attended the March on Washington on August 28th,
1963 and witnessed Dr. King deliver his " I have a Dream" speech for
the first time. I was one of five black people from Lafayette
who
attended this historic event. It was a week before
my 17th
birthday. While
listening to Dr. King, I experienced a feeling of spirituality,
cultural pride, self
worth and the meaning of being an American. King's words were
filled with faith that his vision of one America would be realized.
This vision remain
instilled in me, as it does in many other individuals, as we continue
to
support the principles of humanity he espoused. To those few people I've heard say that "the Civil Rights Movement" missed Lafayette, I urge you to learn your history from people who lived during this period and participated in challenging the lingering, debilitating effects of the "U.S. Civil War Post Reconstruction Era" as it existed in Lafayette, La. from 1945 (end of WWII) throughout the 1970s. Lafayette resolves King issue --- Willow renamed for MLK KEVIN BLANCHARD Signs
will be placed at major intersections on Willow Street within the next
six months designating the road Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial
Parkway. The plan was approved Tuesday night by the City-Parish Council.The
council has been stalemated for the past year over the issue of
renaming a major road in Lafayette for the slain civil rights leader.
The stalemate has sparked picketing of council meetings and sparked a
protest by Councilman Chris Williams that led him to court on charges
of criminal damage to property. Officials
welcomed the
resolution. “This chapter in Lafayette’s history is
over,” City-Parish
President Joey Durel said to applause from a standing room only crowd
that came to support the designation. The
measure was defeated
four times in votes along racial lines. It passed Tuesday because of
one difference — no one’s addresses will change. The
important
thing, councilmen and Durel said Tuesday, is that King will be honored,
and that no one — not businesses or residents of Willow
Street, nor
those who live on the already-existing Martin Luther King Drive
— will
be inconvenienced.
Bumphus does a last favor for councilman
--- Daily
Advertiser 12-18-06It has been announced that Joe May has been named the new Chief of the Community and Technical College System, replacing Walter Bumphus. Also announced was one of Walter Bumphus' last official employee assignments - Chris Williams to be director of the Workforce Training and Development Unit. According to Bumphus, it was a lateral transfer and had nothing to do with Williams' juvenile-like conduct over the past several months. Fortunately for Williams, his buddy, Bumphus, granted him one last favor. Hopefully, the incoming director may not feel the need to "grant favors." Joe May will now be able to offer the position to a respected member of his or her community and one who is qualified for the job. We are all watching closely for this to happen. Lafayette residents reaction to street name change --- Daily Advertiser Public Comments - Page 1 Public Comments - Page 2 Public Comments - Page 3 Public Comments - Page 4  Political
party held
--- Democrats, GOP hold event
for ‘bipartisan dialogue’A who’s who list of both Republicans and Democrats showed up Thursday night for a nonpartisan fundraiser for Republican City-Parish President Joey Durel. Durel wore a red and blue tie to commemorate the occasion, held at the home of prominent local Democrat Glenn Armentor. Lafayette has a lot going for it, but the challenge of making it the best place to live in the South can’t be accomplished with a partisan approach, Durel said. “The only thing that can stop us is if we’re arguing over things that don’t make sense,” Durel said. Durel credited Armentor — a member of the Lafayette Parish Democratic Executive Committee — for throwing the fundraiser despite getting some grief from other Democrats. He said he and Armentor both seem to have a knack for “stirring it up.” “When you stir it up, good things happen,” Durel said.  Williams changes job positions --- Councilman now LTC director of corporate
training Claire TaylorChris Williams of Lafayette is no longer the
Region IV director of the Louisiana Technical College. The Louisiana Community and Technical College
System announced Wednesday that Williams accepted a position as
director of corporate training in the system's Workforce Training and
Development Unit.
Bumphus does a last favor for councilman --- Daily Advertiser 12-18-06 It has been announced that Joe May has been named the new Chief of the Community and Technical College System, replacing Walter Bumphus. Also announced was one of Walter Bumphus' last official employee assignments - Chris Williams to be director of the Workforce Training and Development Unit. According to Bumphus, it was a lateral transfer and had nothing to do with Williams' juvenile-like conduct over the past several months. Fortunately for Williams, his buddy, Bumphus, granted him one last favor. Hopefully, the incoming director may not feel the need to "grant favors." Joe May will now be able to offer the position to a respected member of his or her community and one who is qualified for the job. We are all watching closely for this to happen.  Lafayette ready to name street after King
KEVIN BLANCHARDAfter more than a
year of debate, protest and failed votes along racial lines, it appears
a compromise may have been reached to designate a major road in
Lafayette after slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King
Jr. Wednesday afternoon, the City-Parish Council issued
a news release saying a resolution would be on Tuesday’s
agenda to call the portion of Willow Street between Ambassador Caffery
Parkway and Teurlings Drive the “Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Memorial Parkway.”
 Benjamin
switches party affiliation
(Daily Advertiser). On
Dec. 6, Lafayette Parish Councilman Louis Benjamin changed his party to
Independent, according to the Lafayette Registrar of Voters office.
"I don't believe either party is really
responsive to working people, poor people or minorities," Benjamin said
Tuesday. "I think one party resembles the state rights party and the
other is taking those three groups of people for granted." He declined further comment. Benjamin has
served on the City-Parish Council since the creation of Lafayette
Consolidated Government in 1996. He is serving his last term on the
council due to term limits. Benjamin previously served on the Lafayette
Parish Police Jury. Bumphus quashes
Williams rumors --- Regional director is working on special
projects Claire
Taylor
Chris Williams is working on special projects in Baton Rouge, and he still is a regional director with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, System President Walter Bumphus said Tuesday in response to recent rumors. Williams' position is not vacant, Bumphus said. "That is not accurate," he said in response to the rumors that Williams' position was available. Williams is the Lafayette City-Parish councilman who pleaded no contest in September to misdemeanor charges after he wrote "Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drive!" on the council dais in July and fellow Councilman Randy Menard filed a police report. Rumors have since swirled that his position with the Louisiana Community and Technical College System is in jeopardy. Bumphus said Tuesday the reassignment is "not permanent at this point." There are a couple of special projects the system is launching that Williams is uniquely qualified to assist with, so he is on special assignment in Baton Rouge, Bumphus said. Williams was not available for comment Tuesday. His attorney, Harold Register, declined to comment. Can Boasso Get It Done, Louisiana? JP Stoshak State Senator
Walter Boasso ( R) Chalmette, came to Lafayette this past December 11th
and held a town meeting at the Clifton Chenier Center on Willow Street.
This town meeting was attended by a crowd of about 34 people.
Boasso is a self-made millionaire who was elected to the
state senate in 2003. He communicates a message to people that
“Government is only reliable if the citizens hold it
accountable.” He wants people to get involved, to contact and
know their elected officials and to let said elected officials know
that they are being held accountable.
Governor’s legislative package
stalls MICHELLE MILLHOLLON AND MARK BALLARD A
member of the Lafayette Parish Democratic Executive Committee who came
under fire for holding a fundraiser for Republican City-Parish
President Joey Durel, said in a statement he has no intention of
stepping down. Glenn Armentor, a lawyer, is hosting a
fundraiser
Thursday for Durel’s re-election — an event that
features several
prominent Republicans and a few Democrats. The country needs less
“scorched earth” politics and more bipartisanship,
committee member
Armentor said in a statement. “I believe that in a
nation dangerously
divided between blue and red, real leadership is bipartisan,”
Armentor
said. “A real leader does the right thing for his
constituency despite
politics.” Democrats will lose the momentum gained nationally
if they
adopt the philosophy that “Democrats should be against
whatever a
Republican is for,” Armentor said. “While
that may have been the
recent Republican Party’s philosophy, I believe issues and
people
should be looked at individually on their merits,” Armentor
said. Mike
Stagg, a former Democratic congressional candidate for the 7th
District, wrote in a blog maintained by the Lafayette Parish Democratic
Executive Committee that Armentor should resign because of the
endorsement. Committee member Stephen Handwerk said he
expected a move to censure Armentor.
Conceding
that the votes to forward her full package were not there, the Blanco
administration pushed an alternative method for reimbursing homeowners
and businesses for the assessments they paid to bail out a state-backed
insurance agency. With the alternative in place, the closed-door
negotiations began. “Hopefully,
we’ll have a meeting of the minds to see if we can accomplish
something,” said House Speaker Joe Salter, D-Florien, as he
went to one meeting. But
Republican and Democratic leaders said later Sunday night that no
compromise was reached.House Republican
leader Jim Tucker of Terrytown said the GOP members want to focus on
tax breaks while the Democrats want to push pay raises and other
spending. Democrat caucus leader
Rep. Eric LaFleur of Ville Platte said the Republicans won’t
budge and could rupture the state’s efforts to woo
ThyssenKrupp Steel AG to locate a plant in St. James Parish.The
sticking point is the amount of money the governor wants to spend
— about $2 billion on tax breaks, pay raises, the steel mill
and insurance rebates.
A Serious Debate for all Lafayette Citizens To Consider (web-master) “Lafayette Democrats Surrender” --------- Lafayette Democrats Blog ---------- Durel supporter raises ire --- Democrats eye censure  Jefferson
wins new term
JOE GYAN JR.Despite an ongoing federal bribery probe and his removal from the influential House Ways and Means Committee, eight-term U.S. Rep. William Jefferson beat the odds and two-term state Rep. Karen Carter in Saturday’s runoff to retain his seat in Congress. Jefferson avoided becoming the only Democratic incumbent to lose in this year’s midterm congressional elections. Jefferson’s victory marked the end of a bitter 4-week runoff campaign that saw the embattled incumbent attack Carter’s post-Katrina performance as chairwoman of the state House Insurance Committee and her pro-choice stance on same-sex marriages and late-term abortions. In turn, the well-financed challenger fired away at Jefferson’s legal problems and called into question his ability to effectively represent the 2nd Congressional District at a time when its needs have never been greater. Lafayette Democrat Surrenders Durel supporter raises ire --- Democrats eye censure KEVIN BLANCHARD Lafayette
Parish Democratic Executive Committee member Glenn Armentor may face
censure for his Dec. 15 fundraiser to re-elect City-Parish President
Joey Durel, a Republican. Fellow committee member Stephen Handwerk said
Thursday he has been told a petition will be given to both the parish
committee and the Democratic State Central Committee demanding a
censure of Armentor for endorsing a Republican candidate. Armentor, a prominent
attorney and political player, has organized what he calls a
non-partisan fundraiser for Durel. Former Chairman of the Louisiana
Democratic Party Mike Skinner is one of several co-hosts for the Dec.
15 event. Mike
Stagg, the Democratic candidate who failed to unseat Lafayette
Republican U.S. Rep. Charles Boustany, has called for
Armentor’s resignation. Stagg wrote on the blog of the local
committee’s Web site, www.lafayettedemocrats.org, in an entry titled “Lafayette
Democrat Surrenders,” that Armentor’s endorsement
is “the kind of lemming-like behavior that has come to
characterize the leadership of the party here (in
Lafayette).”
 Lafayette
native wins Presidential Medal of Freedom Lisa
R. Faust Lafayette native Norman Francis has been awarded with the nation's highest honor for a civilian, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, White House officials announced Thursday. Francis, a 1948 graduate of what was then St. Paul's High School, has been president of Xavier University in New Orleans for 40 years and is chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. It is the "vital role" he has played to aid the state's recovery and a lifetime of "dedication to education, equality and service to others" that garnered him the prestigious honor, according to the White House's Web site. Francis will be one of 10 honorees this year to receive the Medal in a ceremony with President Bush on Dec. 15. Among the other honorees are historian David McCullough, human rights activist Natan Sharansky, Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and musician B.B. King. The recognition is long overdue, according to friends and colleagues of Francis. "Norman is a living saint," said Walter Isaacson, vice chairman of the LRA. "Ever since he used to give me rides home from New Orleans City Hall 30 years ago, I've tried to live up to his goodness. ... Hurricanes test character or, in Norman's case, reveal character. He was one of the quiet heroes." City leaders break ground on new shops --- North Lafayette development expected to open in early '08 Bulldozers moved dirt in the background Thursday as city leaders, developers and others joined to mark the birth of a shopping complex that will give a new look to the city's northern entry point. The Stirling Lafayette Shopping Center under construction at the intersection of Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 10 will have a Target, a JC Penney store and a host of other retail and restaurant offerings, according to developer Lewis Stirling III. It is expected to open in early 2008.It's been two years of work, Stirling said, and it would not have happened without state and local leaders committing to invest in the idea. He said the investment will pay off for the entire city. City officials agreed. "This is the beginning of something that's going to be much more than what you're seeing out here today," said city-parish president Joey Durel. Couret Controversy By Leslie Turk North Lafayette’s proposed traditional neighborhood development is mired in lawsuits and debt, and local contractors and creditors are hoping a California company will salvage the project. As a retired Lafayette Parish teacher, I always follow with interest articles relating to our school system. I have been especially sympathetic to the plights of N.P. Moss and now. It might behoove the School Board to spend its time taking a closer look at each of these groups to determine who is dropping the performance ball. Northside High School and each of their struggles to increase student performance. In order for a school to succeed in educating its children, cooperation is required from the students themselves, their teachers, administrators and parents. If one of these groups fails in its responsibility, success is impossible to attain. Lincoln acts as case for growth --- Lafayette studies Nebraska city KEVIN BLANCHARD Lafayette has a lot to learn about how to
manage growth from Lincoln, Neb., a group of planners said Friday. The
group — including officials and volunteers who sit on various
planning
committees for Lafayette Parish — made a trip last month to
scout one
of the cities that has been practicing smart growth principles for the
longest time. In
Lincoln, they call it “managed growth” and for
decades they’ve been
following special land-use rules that coincide with the
city’s
long-range comprehensive plan, said City-Parish Planning Manager Mike
Hollier. As a
result, problems associated with urban sprawl — such as
traffic — are
almost nonexistent in Nebraska’s second-largest city, as all
its rules
guard against the problems associated with urban sprawl. Development should be restricted in areas
where there is inadequate infrastructure or inadequate funding for that
infrastructure. Lafayette also needs to continue to focus
on tax-increment financing districts to pay for infrastructure. Lincoln
has 25 such districts which both spur economic
development and help fill-in blighted urban areas, Hollier said.
Who
Decides If A Voter Is An Informed Voter? John
Paul StoshakDavid Prejean
would do well to do a tad bit of research on the problem of voter
apathy with regard to low voter turnout before he renders such a coded
dictatorial opinion as he did in a recent guest column of The
Advertiser. This is the first time that I have ever read a
statement
by a supposedly educated person that can be accurately termed as
ludicrous. David Prejean writes, "Adding one more uninformed
voter in
no way improves the outcome."
Rep. Cedric Glover, new Mayor of Shreveport  Playing the Race Card Jeremy Alford With a newfound pocket of African-American voters in north Louisiana, Democrats could be in better shape than they thought over the next two years.  Cajun Karl' hits shelves --- Lafayette chef compiles recipes Karl Breaux couldn't help but write a cookbook. Breaux, along with his brothers Wally and Philip, own and operate Breaux's Mart, a landmark grocer and deli on Moss Street. At age 6, Breaux worked as a bag boy in the market. He kept his eyes and ears on Cajun and Creole grandmothers who were secretive about their prized recipes. Justices question LUS parties --- Issue of Fair Competition Act argued KEVIN BLANCHARD Justices of the Louisiana Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned attorneys on both sides of the fight over whether Lafayette Utility System should be allowed to fund its voter-approved phone, cable and high-speed Internet business. At issue is whether LUS is complying with a law passed in 2004 — the so-called Local Government Fair Competition Act — which sets restrictions on government-owned communications businesses. Lafayette resident Elizabeth Naquin sued, saying the mechanism LUS proposes to use to issue and repay up to $125 million in communications bonds to pay for the project, runs afoul of the Fair Competition Act. Specifically, should LUS come up short on a bond debt repayment, its ordinance allows it to borrow money from any source — including its overall utilities or a bank — use that money to make the payment, then repay the loan source at market-rate interest. The loan would be given under rules passed by the state Public Service Commission and subject to audit. Naquin’s attorneys argued Tuesday that the system allows LUS to get revenue other than communications revenue to help the project, something they say violates the Fair Competition Act’s prohibition against the overall utilities system “cross-subsidizing” the communications system. Durel
gets ‘no party party’ --- Fundraiser
scheduled
KEVIN BLANCHARDCity-Parish President Joey Durel may well be the
“best mayor our town has had,” and as such,
deserves support from both Democrats and Republicans, according to a
member of the Lafayette Parish Democratic Executive Committee.
Attorney Glenn Armentor, active in the Democratic
Party, wrote the letter to announce that next month he will
host a bipartisan campaign fundraiser for Durel’s re-election
next fall.
Durel is a Republican.
Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana
and former Louisiana Democratic Party chairman Mike Skinner is one of
many co-hosts listed on the invitation to the Dec. 14 event.
Durel has been a great leader for Lafayette during a crucial
time, Armentor wrote.
“True leaders are not partisan,” Armentor
wrote. The $250-a-couple
fundraiser has been titled the “No Party, Party.”
Bayou
Classic fans happy to be back in N.O. By Nick Deriso
Bayou Classic fans said
a homecoming for their game confirms the budding recovery of
storm-ravaged New Orleans. "It's
more than just the return of a football game "" it's a revival, a
rebirth of sorts," said Grambling fan Donovan Simmons, of Lafayette.
"Hurricane Katrina did not kill our Crescent City. It was a serious
setback but the return of the Classic signals the major comeback for
Louisiana's crown jewel." Kickoff
for the Bayou Classic is at 1 p.m. today at the Louisiana Superdome.
The game will be broadcast live nationally on NBC.
Premium
Plan --- For the first time in years, the state is starting to
reach a consensus on health care reform. The only question: how to pay
for it?
By
Nathan Stubbs
Miles
Bruder knows all too well that significant heath care policy reform in
Louisiana isn’t going to happen overnight. For the past three
years, Bruder has been involved with a series of quasi-government
committees working to build consensus on how to overhaul
Louisiana’s public health care system. Even though
most people agree that Louisiana’s health care system is
broken (it ranks near the bottom of all states in health care
services), getting all the parties involved to agree on how to fix it
hasn’t been easy. So when a 40-member panel — made
up of a cross-section of government, business and academic
representatives — recently approved a plan for overhauling
public health care in the greater New Orleans area, Bruder saw it as a
significant breakthrough. But while the
panel, known as the Louisiana Healthcare Redesign Collaborative, may
have agreed on a new model for public health care, it’s still
a long way from becoming reality. Any makeover of the current system
will require the approval of the state Legislature, which has been
traditionally wary of any radical changes in health care delivery. And
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Michael Leavitt,
who offered federal assistance for the redesign, has balked at the
hefty price tag that comes with the committee’s current plan.
Freetown, Capstone
Apartments and the Trees Istvan Berkeley PhD.
So, Capstone has started work on their unwanted student apartment project. Although there was a lot of talk about saving trees, this seems to have come to nothing. The following images document what happened to a single Pecan tree. Congressional delegation optimistic about offshore revenue sharing --- John Hilll After a week of behind-the-scenes lobbying,
Louisiana's congressional delegation is more optimistic about enacting
an offshore oil revenue sharing bill that will pump millions into
coastal restoration and hurricane protection. The Senate, White House
and House members are turning their efforts toward convincing the
House, where conservatives want to open most of the nation's coasts to
exploration, to pass a version of the more limited Senate bill that
will open more areas of the Gulf of Mexico to drilling. Another area on which there may be an
agreement is fixing the 1998 and 1999 oil-leases glitch made by a U.S.
Mineral Management Service bureaucrat that has resulted in oil
companies avoiding paying any royalties, totaling $11.2 billion.
Louisiana's congressional delegation hopes to capture about $2.5
billion of that for the coastal effort.
Proposal for the World Studies Institute of Louisiana (WSIL) --- Charles Larroque The World Studies Institute of Louisiana (WSIL), as a charter school, will exist as a community-based academic institution for the purpose of linking Louisiana’s culture to the global economy with focus on language acquisition, cultural assets and international affairs. We will be a school serving grades 6-12 in French, Spanish and Chinese (Immersion and as a Second Language) – targeting an enrollment of 220 students. With the continued growth of immersion in Lafayette and the surrounding area schools and the persistence of the achievement disadvantage of impoverished minority students the World Studies Institute of Louisiana is designed to provide an environment where the validation of one’s culture is the norm; and where all students are empowered to capitalize on cultural resources and translate their ideas and output into successful service learning projects. The school will ensure that all students’ needs and interests are met by creating an individualized education program for each student and allowing students’ self-determination in selecting their specialization and creating projects that will enhance their community. WSIL envisions a 6th -12th grade learning institute that incorporates differentiated instruction, 2nd and 3rd language content-based instruction and hands-on specialty training course work that focuses on utilizing and expanding the area’s cultural resources, including but not limited to, heritage media production, cultural tourism and international education. Group proposes charter school --- Board to hear about plan for cultural focus Amanda Harris  School
bridges education gaps --- Plantation recognized for improving
achievement
Marsha Sills
The test is in the spring, but the preparation begins sooner. "We start on the first day," said Cox, a fourth-grade teacher at Plantation Elementary. "It's my choice to prepare them. If they're familiar with the format of the test, then they tend to do better." Question after question, hands were quick to dart up in Jill Cox's social studies class as students went over LEAP 21 practice test questions she had compiled into a lesson book. Plantation Elementary's efforts to improve its test scores was recognized by Standard & Poor's School Evaluation Services. The school was the only school in Lafayette Parish recognized for closing the achievement gap between those students who come from economically disadvantaged homes and those who don't. Vets
share stories -- Creole
soldier was part of all-black unit
Judy Bastien
  Denris J. Mouton celebrated his 18th birthday in England. He was part of the 256th Port Battalion of the U.S. Army - he had joined the military in 1942 at the beginning of World War II, at the age of 17. Mouton, a French-speaking Creole from Lafayette, was a member of an all-black unit that served in Cottingham, England, and Chebourg, France. He and his fellow soldiers were responsible for unloading transport ships that brought supplies and armaments to the Allied Forces in Europe. Acadiana salutes those who have fought for our nation and served in our armed forces today.  Schools
battle violence --- Police: Number of arrests is 'remarkable' Amanda
HarrisStudents
at N.P. Moss Middle School are testing the new principal and school
resource officer, school officials said, after seven students were
arrested for fighting Wednesday, two were sanctioned by school
officials and another was arrested Thursday for simple
battery. The
recent string of fights involved multiple students and was attributed
to "a changing of the guard," said Area Director Tom Brown. Police
reported more than 16 N.P. Moss Middle students were involved in
altercations Wednesday. "In
this particular case, there
were five fights at the school at different times for different
things," Brown said. "Sometimes when there's a change of guard, they
try to test the water and (Don) Thibeaux (resource officer) made a
statement. They will suffer the consequences."
Access to
affordable, high-quality healthcare should be the right of every
American. The current system of relying on private insurance companies
and allowing for-profit providers to dictate how we deliver healthcare
is driving up costs, driving down outcomes and driving away people who
need access to routine medical treatment. Healthcare is
a huge and increasing problem in our country. We all know this. From
couples who struggle to pay for the birth of their children, to
families who have to decide whether they can pay the house note or the
latest insurance bill, to seniors unable to afford the co-pay on their
medicines, the cost of healthcare is an enormous and growing burden on
real people, real families, and real businesses.lll
Hurricane Recovery -- Wages -- Security -- Healthcare -- Technology -- The Economy -- The Environment -- The Occupation of Iraq Airport board under review Claire Taylor Two representatives from the Louisiana Legislative Auditor's Office are expected to visit Lafayette Regional Airport next week in the wake of reports about questionable spending on meal sand travel. Robbie Robinson, first assistant legislative auditor, said Wednesday two of his staff will attend the Airport Commission's regular meeting Nov. 2. Jason Devillier, deputy director of aviation, said Wednesday the Airport Commission and staff will not comment until the Legislative Auditor's visit next week. Court denies Williams' appeal Claire Taylor The Third Circuit Court
of Appeal on
Wednesday denied City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams' request for a
review of his sentence.
The court ruled that Williams' request was moot because 15th Judicial
District Court Judge Marilyn Castle already reduced Williams' sentence
after his attorney showed it was excessive. However, the Third Circuit
Court of Appeal wrote that Williams retains the right to seek a
supervisory writ in connection with the amended sentence.
Williams pleaded no contest Sept. 22 for writing "Dr. Martin L. King
Jr. Drive!" on the council credenza. On Oct. 10, his attorney, Harold
Register Jr., filed a writ for review with the Third Circuit, which was
denied Wednesday.
Also on Wednesday, Castle filed a two-page document with the Third
Circuit that explains her position on some of the issues Register
argued in his request for a review.
Castle, in sentencing Williams, took into consideration a letter by
Councilman Bruce Conque in which he alleges Williams threatened him
during a council meeting. Castle ordered Williams not to threaten and
intimidate councilmen.
In the document she filed Wednesday, Castle said the usual practice of
the court is to prohibit a defendant from going near, harassing or
intimidating the complaining party. In Williams' case, he has to be
around the complaining councilmen because they serve together on the
council, she said.
Castle said Williams' request for her to recuse herself was denied
because the request is based on allegations of bias because of the
Conque letter. The judge said she disclosed the letter to Register and
Williams at a pretrial conference, and they did not request a copy
until after the sentencing.
The State Bond
Commission approved
tax-increment finance bonding last week for a north Lafayette shopping
center — the last regulatory hurdle in the lengthy approval
process for the Target/J.C. Penney-anchored development.
In addition to
$8 million in TIF bonds,
which will be paid off by a combination of local and state sales taxes,
the project also was approved for use of $40 million in Go Zone bonds,
the private portion of the financing guaranteed by the
developers.
Northside scores fall --- N.P. Moss in the clear Northside High School
replaced N.P. Moss Middle School on Monday as the only Lafayette site
under state scrutiny. School performance
scores for the school showed special education students have not
improved during the past two years. The school's performance score also
dropped six points, making it a school in decline. N.P. Moss, which has
been under threat for takeover by the state as an "academically
unacceptable" school, was able to exit state supervision. The state Department
of Education released school performance scores Monday for the more
than 1,000 schools in the state. Schools are graded as part of the
state's accountability program.
Penny for your
roads? Tax could pave road projects' way
Claire
Taylor
Should shoppers pay an
additional one penny
for every $1 purchase to build new roads?
That's the question some Lafayette Parish voters will be asked to
decide on Nov. 7. In
just over two weeks, voters in the city of Lafayette, unincorporated
parts of Lafayette Parish and Carencro and Duson will decide whether to
collect in their respective areas a new 1-cent sales tax. Sixty-two
road and drainage projects are listed in an August feasibility report
as projects that may be built if the 1-cent tax is approved in the city
of Lafayette.
Fourteen projects in unincorporated Lafayette Parish may be built with
a one-cent parish tax.
 Where
are the leaders you ask?---They are hidden in
plain view!
Fred PrejeanThe recent piece
by Scott Jordan in The Independent Weekly
is a well written comprehensive study of unfolding events dealing with
the Lafayette Parish Government. It is evident from the article that
Jordan put a tremendous amount of research into his writing. The
article reads well and comes across as very informative. That
being said, when an article of this magnitude is undertaken, it is
understandable that there be a minor oversight or two by the
author. One oversight is that Parish Councilmen Bruce Conque and Rob
Stevenson have said that they
were poised to vote for changing Willow Street to Dr. Martin Luther
King Drive when Parish Councilman Louis Benjamin made the motion to do
so. That is, until Parish Councilman Chris Williams amended
Benjamin’s motion so that the original Dr. Martin Luther King
Dr. be changed to Malcolm X Dr. This amendment by Williams came as a shock
to Benjamin for he had no idea that Williams was going to throw such a
curve to his motion. That was how Chris Williams came to be such an
ardent supporter of the name change of Willow Street to M.L. King Dr.
He then began to play the race card which may have been the cause of Conque and Stevenson abandoning their original positions
of support for the change.
Where are we going? “These are the times that try men’s souls.” (Thomas Paine) John Paul Stoshak As election day draws
near, one truly does
get the feeling that “these are the times that try
men’s souls.” Our nation is involved in a
controversial and costly war. The deficit rises daily at an
astronomical rate. The No Child Left Behind Act is rendered moot
because President Bush has not budgeted money to fund the mandates set
forth by this act. Medicare/Medicaid rates go up, it seems to be,
annually. The Republican controlled House and Senate seem to act
blatantly on behalf and for the benefit of big business and/or
corporate America. No bid contracts went out so fast from our Federal
Government after Hurricane Katrina you couldn't keep track of them.
Most notably to Haliburton. A company to which VP Dick Chaney has
strong ties. Pharmaceutical companies began to raise the price of there
prescription meds out of the price range of our elderly and the
Medicare/Medicaid relief bill is so complicated as well as convoluted
that our elderly could not make heads or tails of it. Oil companies are
recording record breaking profits year after year since G.W. Bush
became our President with gas prices reaching record highs themselves.
Congress votes itself raises and perks heretofore unparalleled but will
not raise the minimum wage to a minimum living wage. The list of
tragedies goes on. It
seems as though the President, in
conjunction with his Republican controlled House and Senate are seeking
to eliminate the American middle class and subject it to a corporate
dictatorship. That is why this election for control of the House and
the Senate is so important. It is time for a change.
 Where’s
the Leadership?
Scott
Jordan More than a year after the initial effort to rename Willow Street to Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, politicians and leaders at every level of government have failed Lafayette. Distract, divert, distort, deny. Those four words have become the defining weapons of today’s politics. But when Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Louis Benjamin introduced a resolution in September 2005 with the worthy and admirable goal of honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by renaming Willow Street, no one could have imagined that the politics of hate and division would be allowed to drive the issue.  Rep.
Pierre says he won’t seek Senate
seat Advocate Acadiana bureau Oct
10, 2006 State Rep. Wilfred Pierre, D-Lafayette, issued a statement Monday saying he will not be running for the seat vacated by former state Sen. Don Cravins Sr., who was elected mayor of Opelousas last month. Qualifying begins today and continues Wednesday for candidates looking to run in the special election set for December to fill Cravins’ seat. Pierre was widely considered a potential candidate for Senate District 24, as he is term-limited from running against next year for his seat in the state House. Pierre held a fundraiser last year and at the beginning of this year had nearly $20,000 in his political war chest, according to reports filed with the state Ethics Board. In his statement, Pierre said he discussed running for the Senate seat with his supporters, family and friends. “My responsibility is to the people who have constantly supported me in my House District,” Pierre wrote in the statement addressed to supporters in Lafayette and St. Landry Parish. “I have the obligation to serve out my House term,” Pierre wrote. Cravins’ son, Don Cravins Jr., has said he plans to run for his father’s seat. The younger Cravins holds the House District 40 seat in Opelousas. Senate District 24 includes Opelousas, much of rural St. Landry Parish, some of rural northern Lafayette Parish and a portion of north Lafayette. Two qualify for Cravins' seat Cravins Jr., Pierre to run Claire Taylor  Lafayette proponents make courthouse pitch
--- Speakers emphasize security, parish growth,
needs
RICHARD BURGESSProponents of a proposed
tax to build a
courthouse are busily making the rounds to lunch meetings and socials
to drum up support for the Nov. 7 ballot measure. “Essentially,
anyone that will let us make a pitch,” said Lafayette Parish
Clerk of Court Louis Perret, who spent his lunch hour Thursday touting
the 6-mill property tax to the Rotary Club and was scheduled to make an
evening appearance at a meeting of the Downtown Development Authority. The
campaign — which has spawned bumper stickers, yard signs and
lapel pins — has been taken on by the Lafayette Parish Bar
Association.
Williams sentence is a mockery of justice Adofo Harmon Let's recap. He received
a $1,500 fine, one
year of supervised probation, anger management classes, service as an
instructor to young people on respecting public property, $60
restitution to city-parish government and a warning not to "threaten"
fellow council members. Now, how many people did Dr. Williams
kill?
My point is not to excuse Dr. Williams - who, in his own
words, "accepts responsibility for his actions." This is about the
justice system when it is corrupted and used to make an example of
someone with a legitimate cause that others would like to eliminate.
Dr. Williams went in with a sanitized legal history but was given the
maximum on all counts.
Panel OKs $8 million for project Kevin Blanchard The Lafayette Parish Industrial Development Board on Thursday gave its approval to $8 million in bonds to fund infrastructure improvements designed to draw development to the intersection of Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 10. The $8 million bond issue would be funded by a special taxing district created around the intersection — any future retail located there would charge customers an extra penny of sales tax. The state has given its preliminary approval to dedicate 1 of the 4 cents in state sales tax to go toward backing the bonds — though those proceeds would be capped at $10 million. The state Bond Commission is scheduled to consider giving final approval on the sales tax financing on Oct. 19.  State court sanctions
councilman --- Menard didn't properly repay funds in lawsuit
Claire
Taylor
Lafayette
attorney and City-Parish Councilman Randy Menard was publicly
reprimanded by the Louisiana Supreme Court for failing to remit funds
to a third party. "That
is the lowest discipline you
can get," said
Homer Ed Barousse, a Crowley attorney and previous chairman of the
Louisiana Attorney Disciplinary Board.
Menard received his
law
degree from LSU Law School in 1991. He has served on the City-Parish
Council since consolidation of the city and parish governments in 1996
and is serving his final term due to term limits. A
legal
notice published on Page 10F in Sunday's Daily Advertiser states that
the state Supreme Court issued the public reprimand of Menard on Sept.
15. The reprimand is
"the result of his
misconduct involving a
failure to timely notify a third party of his receipt of funds and
failure to properly remit funds which the third party was entitled to
receive," the ad states.
Some advice and counsel for our City-Parish Council Donna Greco First to Chris Williams: OK, you did something wrong and childish and you got caught. Your sentence has been pronounced. Give it up now. Pay your attorney and tell him thanks and to shut up. He will goad you into appealing and dragging this out. This will do you no favor. People are really annoyed (putting it mildly and politely). An appeal will only make them more so. Harold Register reminds me of the arrogant mother whose "darling" has been suspended for some serious offense at school. She shows up with a large purse flung over her shoulder along with a huge chip as an accessory. She only makes things worse. The citizens have their communal "back up." Back down, be quiet and try to behave like a class act. It is in there somewhere, you just need to bring it out. Williams'
lawyer appeals ruling --- Register calls punishment
'excessive' Amanda McElfresh
The attorney for City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams filed an appeal of Williams' sentence for simple criminal damage to property, calling the sentence illegal. Black
Panthers call for action --- Activists say treatment was unfair, sheriff
defends his officers
Amanda McElfresh
Sparking the outrage is a Sept. 24 incident
in which sheriff's deputies used CS gas on a group of about 500 people
gathered in the city's West End after the Sugar Cane Festival. The Rev.
Raymond Brown, chairman of the Louisiana chapter of the National Action
Network and a leading member of the New Black Panther Party, said he
and others will not tolerate another such incident, which they say was
racially motivated. Holding
signs declaring "Stop police brutality!" "IPSO = Toxic Gas" and
"Sheriff, how many blacks did you gas today?" about 25 New Iberia
residents and activists gathered Tuesday to protest what they call
unfair and inappropriate treatment by the Iberia Parish Sheriff's
Office.
Durel sells road tax ---City-parish president says it will benefit builders most Claire Taylor Lafayette City-Parish President Joey Durel tried to convince more than 250 real estate agents, home builders and mortgage bankers Tuesday that a proposed 1-cent sales tax for roads will benefit their industries more than any other. "You are who is building Lafayette right now," Durel said at a luncheon hosted by the Acadian Home Builders Association, the Acadiana Mortgage Lenders Association and the REALTOR Association of Acadiana. Which One is Greasier? The Snake or the Oil? John Paul Stoshak According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “Yellow journalism is a pejorative reference to journalism that features scandal-mongering, sensationalism, jingoism or other unethical or unprofessional practices by news media organizations or individual journalists.” It is a sad thing that here in such a culturally rich region of Louisiana that yellow journalism seems practiced on a regular basis in a weekly periodical. A recent edition of this particular publication featured a cartoon, under the title Snake Oil, with a particular piece of horse anatomy speaking as the superintendent of the Lafayette Parish Public School System. Not only did this piece denigrate our superintendent, Dr. James Easton, it denigrated every citizen of Lafayette Parish as well. That is, with the possible exception of Lafayette School Board member, David Thibodeaux. City-Parish
Councilman Chris Williams may not have a legal standing for claims that
his graffiti sentence violates his freedom of speech, according to
three professors specializing in First Amendment and free speech
issues. It depends on how you define threaten and intimidate, they
said.
But two other First Amendment issues may provide grounds for
a
legal challenge.
"Unconsti-tutional" and "a blatant violation of his freedom
of
speech" is how Williams' attorney, Harold Register Jr., described his
client's sentence in a notice of intention to apply to the Third
Circuit Court of Appeal for an emergency writ of review last week.
Williams is appealing his entire sentence, which includes six
months of suspended jail time, a $1,500 fine, 60 hours of community
service, an anger management class and a prohibition against
threatening or intimidating councilmen and council staff.
"There's a difference between what the First Amendment protects, free
speech, and assaulting someone with words," said LSU law professor Paul
Baier. Free speech does not allow someone to attack,
intimidate or
threaten, he said.
Teachers wonder
how state calculated average salary
Mike
Hasten
 If the average salary for teachers in
Louisiana is more than $40,000, numerous teachers are wondering where
those people work and how they can get jobs there, education leaders
said Tuesday. The
state Education Estimating Conference, using figures obtained from the
National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers, set
$42,100 as the average teacher salary Monday but even officials of the
two teacher unions question the accuracy of the estimate.Judge denies Williams' request Claire Taylor District Judge Marilyn
Castle refused Tuesday
to suspend the sentence of Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Chris
Williams while he appeals her ruling of last Friday. Williams'
attorney, Harold Register Jr., said her decision is "a continued abuse
of power" because the sentence inhibits Williams' ability to
effectively represent his constituents. One
of the conditions of Williams' probation is that he refrain from
"threatening" or "intimidating" councilmen or employees.At
Register's request, Castle released a letter Tuesday submitted to her
by City-Parish Councilman Bruce Conque prior to Friday's sentencing.
In
the letter, Conque calls Williams "a
schoolyard bully who is accustomed to getting his way ..."
The
candidates for the District 3 seat of the Lafayette Parish School Board
sat down to a forum at Alice Boucher Elementary School on September 21
at 6:30 in the evening. The event was sponsored by the Lafayette
Chamber of Commerce as well as the Black Chamber of Commerce. The forum
was moderated by Scott Brazda with the questions for the candidates
coming from Porche Evans and David D’Aquin. The three
candidates for the District 3 seat were in attendance with the
incumbent, Rickey Hardy, seated first. Following him were Dr. Raphael
Baranco and Elroy Broussard. The forum was telecast on Acadiana Open
Channel and will be run continuously until the election which will be
held on September 30th.
 State
questions La. Ave. plan --- Bond commission wants Lafayette to justify
developer incentives Mike
HastenCity-Parish President Joey Durel faced
tough questions from the state bond commission Thursday as Lafayette
seeks to use sales tax revenue to spur development on Louisiana Avenue.
The commission granted preliminary approval to surrendering potential
sales tax revenue for building roads, providing drainage and extending
utilities to the proposed site, but proponents of the project must come
back next month with supporting information. State Treasurer
John Kennedy said he wants to know why the state should surrender any
future tax revenues for the project. "We're giving a major
benefit to the private sector," Kennedy said. "Are we getting the best
for the state? Would we get them anyway?"
Williams expected in court today Clair Taylor Lafayette City-Parish
Councilman Chris
Williams probably will not serve jail time for writing "Dr. Martin L.
King Jr. Drive!" on the council credenza, District Attorney Mike Harson
said Thursday. Williams is expected to enter a plea at 9 a.m.
today before District Judge Marilyn Castle. He faces three misdemeanor
counts of simple damage to property. Each carries a sentence of not
more than six months in jail and a $500 fine, Harson said.
Family Involvement is Important and Necessary U.S. Dept. of Education When
parents and families get personally
involved in education, their children do better in school and grow up
to be more successful in life. Sounds like common sense, doesn't it?
Yet
parental involvement is one of the most overlooked aspects of American
education today. The fact is, many parents don't realize how important
it is to get involved in their children's learning. As one dad said
when he began to read to his daughter ever day and discovered that it
improved her learning, "I never realized how much it would mean to her
to hear me read." Other parents would like to be involved, but have
trouble finding the time.
Lafayette council sets meeting on tax plans KEVIN BLANCHARD The
City-Parish Council is scheduled Tuesday to approve placing a series of
sales tax proposals on the Nov. 7 ballot that, if voter approved, would
be used to fund road and drainage projects throughout the parish.
The
council has already placed a 1-cent sales tax increase on the ballot
for city voters.
On
Tuesday, the council will tackle similar 1-cent increases for the
unincorporated areas of the parish and the smaller municipalities.
The
1-cent increases would have to be approved by voters in each separate
jurisdiction. Funds
collected in each of the different areas would be spent where they were
collected, but the legal oversight on how to spend the funds would be
the City-Parish Council.
 Louisiana still may get an equitable share
of royalty revenue from offshore oil and gas production.
Things do not look as bright as they did a short time ago, however, when President Bush said, "I strongly urge the United States Congress to pass energy legislation that will give the state of Louisiana more revenues from offshore leases so they can restore the wetlands." It now appears that the primary focus is on boosting domestic offshore drilling, rather than giving Louisiana and other coastal states a bigger share of royalties for coastal restoration and hurricane protection. WHO’S D. SMITH? --- Fake letters in The Times of Acadiana, tax votes are coming and LUS looks to the Supreme Court Survey: 43% plan to relocate --- Stress, anxiety top problems for evacuees RICHARD BURGESS Forty-three
percent of hurricane evacuees in Acadiana who responded to a survey
planned to relocate rather than return to storm-damaged
homes, according to survey results released this month by the United
Way of Acadiana. The
survey also found that in the Acadiana area, Lafayette Parish received
the largest number of hurricane evacuees with 38 percent followed by
St. Landry Parish with 16 percen t.
Voters to decide minimum wage --- La. Legislature killed two minimum wage bills Tom Kenworthy This year's election could bring a
watershed in the nearly 70-year history of the federal minimum wage:
For the first time, a majority of states could require higher pay than
the federal rate of $5.15 an hour. This year, legislatures in 10 states
have enacted laws mandating a higher minimum than federal law requires,
bringing 23 states and the District of Columbia above that
threshold. But
in 2006, the Louisiana legislature killed two bills that would have
raised the minimum wage by $1 to $6.15 in Louisiana. They
were sponsored by Sen. Charles Jones, D-Monroe, and Rep. Willie Hunter,
D-Monroe.
Louisiana, FEMA in fight over storm funds --- Feds want money — now — but state wants to do audit By SANDY DAVIS  FEMA is lowering the boom on
Louisiana for refusing to pay its $338 million share of a federal
program that bought goods and services ranging from chainsaws to dental
care for hurricane victims. On July 22, FEMA started assessing interest
of $14,308.22 for each day the state doesn’t pay. If the bill
isn’t paid by Oct. 20, FEMA will add penalties —
retroactive to July 22 — of $55,723.11 per day.
Louisiana’s legislative auditor claims FEMA hasn’t
provided enough information to allow the state to determine whether the
money was spent on legitimate needs for people who truly were victims.
The Legislative Auditor’s Office notes that state lawmakers
passed a measure requiring such a review before FEMA is paid. “Nothing has been paid on any of the bills,” said Daryl Purpera, assistant legislative auditor and director of the Compliance Audit Division. “They can’t be paid until the audit is complete.” But the Federal Emergency Management Agency insists that under an agreement with Louisiana, the state has no right to audit the federal payments and notes it recently gave the legislative auditor more specific billing information. Who’s in; who’s out --- Right turn on road to recovery could win it MICHELLE MILLHOLLON  Gov. Kathleen Blanco is saying she will seek re-election. U.S. Rep. Bobby Jindal is praying about it. Qualifying for the 2007 race for governor is less than a year away. Most bets are on another Blanco-Jindal rematch. But Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell is raising cash amid speculation that he could position himself as a populist in the vein of Huey Long. Still, many experts think it is Blanco’s race to lose despite the chinks that Hurricane Katrina put in her political armor. Others think Campbell’s presence in the race as a competing Democrat could sweep Republican Jindal into the Governor’s Mansion. The consensus of political observers interviewed by The Advocate is that Blanco’s future hinges on whether she can put the state on the road to recovery, mend a fractured relationship with black political leaders and heal her battle scars from Katrina. The numbers don't add up David Thibodaux -The Independent Kudos to Greg Peters
for his “Snake
Oil” (Aug. 16) about
Lafayette’s test scores that exposes the obfuscation of late
— another guest editorial by Superintendent James Easton in
The Daily Advertiser on the Lafayette Parish School System claims the
district has made “progress.”
Officials say pacts crucial to tax votes By KEVIN BLANCHARD The
proposal to levy 1-cent sales taxes in each of the seven government
jurisdictions of Lafayette Parish hinges on a concept popularized by
President Ronald Reagan in his nuclear arms talks with the Soviet Union
— trust, but verify.
Also Tuesday, the council established two new taxing districts along Interstate 10 in anticipation of private development in those areas. Shoppers in those areas would pay an additional 1-cent sales tax, the proceeds of which would be used to build public infrastructure to serve the area — like service roads and drainage. That tax was raised by a simple vote of the council because those particular districts were drawn to include no residents. Should
all the other sales tax proposals pass the following areas would
collect these sales taxes:
City of Lafayette, Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott and the unincorporated areas of the parish — 9 percent. Youngsville — 9.5 percent. The two special taxing districts along Interstate 10 — 10 percent. School Board hopefuls to debate Kyle Jackson Lafayette Parish School
board candidates for
districts 1 and 3 will face off this month in debates sponsored by the
Greater Lafayette Chamber of Commerce nd the Greater Southwest
Louisiana Black Chamber of Commerce. The
District 1 debate will be held at 6:30
p.m. Sept. 12 at Carencro Middle School, and the District 3 debate will
be held at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21 at Alice Boucher Elementary School.
The School
Board is destined to have a new
face with four incumbents - Kay Gibson, Judy Cox, John Earl Guidry and
Beverly Wilson - choosing not to run again. Two
of those seats already have new faces,
with Hunter Beasley and Rae Trahan having no opposition. The
election will be held Sept. 30 for the
contested seat.
They make what? --- Taxpayers fund millions for public servant pay Clair Taylor & Sebreana Domingue It's that time of year when many governmental agencies prepare
their annual budgets, deciding how to reward faithful employees with pay raises.
The Lafayette Parish School Board recently debated how to fund teacher pay hikes, with teachers getting a state pay raise and a local increase. The Lafayette City-Parish Council is considering giving the city-parish's 2,000 employees, including council members, a 4 percent pay raise. All of the dollars to fund those salaries, as well as pay for thousands of other public employees in Acadiana, comes from taxpayers. Council to debate sales tax plan By KEVIN BLANCHARD The unincorporated areas of the parish could see about $54 million in road and drainage projects should they approve a new 1-cent sales tax proposal on the Nov. 7 ballot. The City-Parish Council is scheduled Tuesday to decide whether to put the measure on the ballot. If approved, sales tax collected in the unincorporated areas of the parish would increase from 8 percent to 9 percent. Public housing residents see ownership
options Editorial-Daily
Advertiser
We support the move by the Lafayette Housing Authority to
transition people in public housing from rentals to homeownership. By the same
token, we recognize the problems that could be created with the construction of
60 homes and several storefronts that are planned for 14 acres of property on
Patterson Street next to Alice Boucher Elementary School. School officials say
they were not notified of the plans, and have serious concerns about the impact
of an anticipated increase in student enrollment.
Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Chris
Williams on Thursday entered a plea of not guilty to three misdemeanor counts of
simple damage to property. He is set to
appear in court Dec. 15 to face those charges. Each of the three misdemeanor charges
carries a penalty of up to six months in the parish jail and a $500 fine.
Before a
July 5 council meeting, Williams wrote “Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drive” in
permanent marker on the council credenza. Williams admitted to reporters that evening
that he wrote the statement on the desk in frustration after someone repeatedly
removed bumper stickers that state “It’s a King
thing.” Louisiana Governor Election Has Many Faces Jeff Crouere Once the fall elections are completed, the race for Governor
will begin in earnest. Next fall, all 144 legislative seats, statewide offices
and Governor will be on the ballot. Louisiana voters will see plenty of new
faces on the ballot because term limits will force many legislators to
relinquish their seats. Of course, some will run for other offices, but,
nonetheless, it will usher in unprecedented change in Louisiana politics, which,
considering our current situation can only be a good thing.
No Win By Andrew J. Bacevich With the failure of the United States and Israel to achieve
decisive victories in Iraq and Lebanon, the age of Western military dominance in
the Middle East appears to be ending. It's time for a new
strategy.
Candidate first to field radio ads --- Mike Stagg challenging for 7th District seat By PATRICK COURREGES : Mike Stagg, the Democratic candidate in Louisiana’s 7th District
congressional race, is the first candidate to reach the airwaves, with a quartet
of radio ads outlining some of his key campaign issues.Included in his platform
is a plan to create new federal laws holding insurance companies accountable to
the promises made to policyholders.
Tax votes planned in 4 cities Lafayette Parish mayors have reached an agreement to each
place new sales tax proposals on the November ballot to help fund road and
drainage projects across the parish, City-Parish President Joey Durel announced
Tuesday. Under the agreement,
voters in Lafayette, Broussard, Carencro, Scott, Youngsville and the
unincorporated areas of Lafayette Parish, could each have opportunities to
approve a new sales tax to meet public infrastructure needs in their own areas
of the parish.
DA files charges against Williams ---- Councilman could face fine, jail time. Claire Taylor Misdemeanor convictions do not require Williams' removal from
office, Harson said. .District Attorney Mike
Harson on Tuesday charged Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams with
three misdemeanor counts of criminal damage to property.
Lafayette council trims budget; travel, raises
cut KEVIN
BLANCHARDIn a flurry of activity Monday, the
City-Parish Council made a series of proposals to trim its own budget of travel
and meeting expenses and future pay raises. The moves all came within a
10-minute span Monday at a hearing in which the council looked at the proposed
budget for the next fiscal
year.
News --- Freetown
Elects A Coterie. --- Plus,
Residents to meet with Capstone
Developers! Dr. Istvan
BerkerlyAt a meeting held on
August 23rd, the members of the LINC 7 Freetown Neighborhood Coterie
were elected. The Coterie has a total of nine members. Two of the nine Coterie
members also sit on the Capstone Committee that oversees a $200,000 "impact fee"
dedicated to the Freetown Neighborhood. Details on the members will be
announced shortly. The first meeting of the Coterie will be at 5.30pm on Tuesday
the 12th of September, at the Rosa Parks Center.
At the same Aug. 23 meeting, it was announced that on Monday, Aug. 28th, representatives of Capstone Development would like to meet with Freetown residents at the C.J. Angelle Hall, at the corner of Jefferson and Taft Streets at 5:30pm. The purpose of this meeting is to hear residents concerns. This meeting comes one day before the Lafayette Parish Council is scheduled to hear the latest Capstone appeal. This appeal results from the Planning Commission's denial of phase II of the student apartment development. While residents chances seem slim to none, the vigor, vitality, energy, sense of we, sense of us, and sense of neighborhood cohesion is reminiscent of the Freetown we knew before, during and after the Civil War. Residents of this neighborhood have a long history of sticking together to protect their best interest. This experience with Capstone and its Development has only strengthened the resolve of the Freetown Neighborhood to work more diligently toward implementing its now approved plan of development. (Read History of Freetown) - Fred Prejean Urban design rules sought The City-Parish Planning, Zoning and Codes Department is looking to
hire a consultant to help put together a smart code for Lafayette, which would
make it easier for developers to build such urban design projects as River
Ranch. The City-Parish Council heard about the proposal during a budget hearing
Thursday.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Williams' graffiti charges still in air Confusion over how much damage was done to the Lafayette Consolidated Government credenza may keep Lafayette City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams from being charged with felony damage to property, according to 15th Judicial District Attorney Mike Harson. Harson said Wednesday that the breakdown of cost estimates to repair the council credenza could bring the charges back to the misdemeanor level. Second vote's the charm for roads plan --- Council rejects courthouse.
Residents will not get to vote on a proposed property tax to build
a new parish courthouse after the Lafayette City-Parish Council voted down the
measure. Meanwhile, the council took the first step to place a 1-cent
sales tax on the Nov. 7 ballot by adopting a feasibility report, which could
mean an upgrade to roads and drainage in the
area. Dennis Pulls Out of Race
--- School Board member
Ed Sam has won re-election to his District 4 seat after his opponent, Charles
Dennis, withdrew from the race amid a challenge to his residency. Dennis'
lawyer, John W. Milton, announced the withdrawal in court Monday during a
hearing that would have addressed whether Dennis' truly lives in District 4.
After the brief hearing, Dennis, who has maintained he met residency
requirements, said he pulled out of the race because he didn't want to put his
family through "personal discussions about where I sleep." "I don't want the
community, the press and everyone else in my bedroom," Dennis
said.
Watch your Thoughts, they become
words. --- Watch
your Words, they become actions. --- Watch your Actions, they become
habits.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ A lesson learned --- Watch your Habits, they become character. --- Watch your Character, for it becomes your Destiny Term limits don't better Legislature, study says By Melinda Deslatte Some findings: Experienced politicians shuffle jobs; new officials tend to repeat battles--- Term limits are the boogeyman waiting around the
corner for Louisiana's long-serving lawmakers. Legislators complain about them,
wish to reverse them and are looking to remain in politics despite them. But
they can't get rid of them.
Hillary gets ready to run  If you ask anyone around Hillary Clinton the question
that everyone is asking, the answer comes back in a shot: The freshman Senator
from New York is far too busy concentrating on her re-election in November to be
giving even a passing thought to 2008. Thank you very much. But politics is
ultimately a game of logistics, and the junior Senator is putting the machinery
in place for a campaign that looks far grander than a re-election cakewalk in
New York. All it will need is for someone to throw the switch.
Before anyone could place a sign, banner or other display in the Lafayette City-Parish Council Auditorium, they would need approval from the entire council if a new policy is adopted Tuesday. Chris Williams is man of great values S. Young I have known and admired Councilman Chris Williams since he was in my first-grade class. I know his character better than many people. He is like a son to me. He made a mistake out of anger, but we all have made decisions we have regretted. He apologized and has accepted the comments and negative publicity. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Commentary: Bush doesn't fare too well in Katrina film (Spike Lee) -- The audience's reactions were telling. When President Bush first
appeared, he was hissed and booed. Not loudly, but distinctly. There's nothing
like the accuracy of a focus group of 7,000 people.
Pollsters often use a dozen or 15 or
so scientifically selected people, screened by questionnaires to represent a
demographic cross-section of a community. In an important political race, there
will be four focus groups: black males, white males, black females and white
females.They are brought into a room, led by the pollster or other
trained person, who asks questions to probe attitudes. Those focus groups are
blind in that they don't have an idea who is questioning them.
But at the New Orleans Arena this past Wednesday night, 7,000
people came to see director Spike Lee's vision of Katrina, the response and the
future.
Tax would fund roads outside city --- Lafayette
looking to annex some areas
Eleven of 62 road and drainage projects listed in an
Aug. 7 feasibility report prepared by the Department of Public Works are
outside, but near, the city limits. More than one-fourth of the $408
million that would be generated by a proposed one-cent sales tax in the city of
Lafayette is earmarked for roads and drainage projects currently outside the
city.
Funding and construction in those instances is dependent upon those areas being annexed into the city of Lafayette, said Pat Logan, associate public works director. Dennis denies
claim about his residency -- School board candidate to face hearing
Monday Kayla
Gagnet Spike Lee’s view of Katrina and his HBO movie “When the Levees Broke: A
Requiem in Four Acts” has reverberated throughout the City of New Orleans and
soon throughout the nation. "When the Levees Broke" will surely take it´s place
along with "Harvest of Shame" and other great documentaries that effected social
change. Don´t miss it. It is controversial as is Spike Lee. But, there
was another mission. It told a story of New Orleans that should be told.
Acts I and II premiere Monday, August 21 at 9pm
(ET/PT), on HBO, followed by Acts III and IV on Tuesday, August 22 at 9pm. All
four acts will be seen Tuesday, Aug. 29 (8:00 p.m.-midnight), the first
anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
Read
More...The Big Sleazy The chaos following Katrina gave an interesting opportunity to a
contractor working for AshBritt of Pompano Beach, Fla. According to the U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers, this fellow, assigned a trash-hauling job, loaded up
his truck from a dump site in Jackson County, Miss., then pulled around to the
entrance tower to the same dump site in order to earn a fee. He got caught after
playing this game twice.
The best states for
businessMississippi, West Virginia and 50th-ranked Louisiana bring up
the rear of the ranking (to be fair, Mississippi and Louisiana were hurt by the
devastation that Hurricane Katrina inflicted). All three states suffer from weak
labor pools and growth prospects as well as a poor quality-of-life
ranking.
Judge Orders Halt To Domestic Spying L.A. Times A federal
judge in Detroit ruled today that the government's warrantless wiretapping
program is unconstitutional and must be stopped immediately. U.S. District
Judge Anna Diggs Taylor held that the wiretapping program violated the 1st and
4th Amendments to the Constitution, which protect free speech and prohibit
unlawful searches. She also held that the surveillance program, run by the
National Security Agency, violates the federal Administrative Procedures Act and
the Separation of Powers doctrine.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  We don't always understand
each other... but I appreciate their
alertness
The Lafayette Daily Advertiser and
the Advocate have recently and understandably addressed what they perceived to
be a deviation from the norm concerning public attendance at the Lafayette
Planning Commission briefings.
Generally, I agree with
them, said Fred Prejean. While I
believe in eliminating any threat to our democratic form of government,
including the Prince and little Napoleon types, I do concede that the Public
interest must not suffer because of the foul play of
individuals. Additionally, Prejean
said the issue was a political issue and would be resolved
politically.
Council projects ‘what if’ tax effectOfficial: Politics now polarized and paranoid Dailt Advertiser Williams Offered Pretrial Alternative By RICHARD BURGESS Acadiana bureau Closed Panel Meeting Sought...By KEVIN BLANCHARD Acadiana bureau Has Lafayette reached this point? Niccolo Machiavelli's The Prince is arguably one of the most popular books about politics ever written. Its observations about human behavior are as true today as they were five hundred years ago. Although The Prince is taught in many schools, there are few reputable teachers who would recommend actually following the advice that Machiavelli offers; it is meant to serve the prince's selfish interests, not to serve society in general.  Planning Commissioner Fred Prejean says Machiavellian politics in
Lafayette will not succeed. Prejean recently e-mailed a letter to LCG
Planning Zoning and Codes Chairman seeking to preserve the absence of
intimidation at commission briefings.
"My trust level regarding non-staff at our
briefing sessions has diminished by recent events and requires a justified
proactive response. I do not wish to convey my concerns to non-staff members
prior to discussing them in our open public
meeting. "Since sending the e-mail, Prejean says he is not sure his request
will meet legal requirements. "A legal opinion is required to settle that question", Prejean
said.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lamont Defeats Lieberman in Primary Call Center to employ 1,000 REMINDER---  Qualifying for
the Sept. 30 open primary election
begins Wednesday, 8-09-06. Candidates have until Friday to
qualify.
Candidates may qualify at the Lafayette
Parish Clerk of Court Office on the second floor of the Lafayette Parish
Courthouse. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday
and from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Friday. Candidates have until Friday to
qualify. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What's With All These Taxes? Four tax issues are currently under consideration for
Lafayette Parish. These tax initiatives are sponsored by the Lafayette Parish
School Board, Lafayette City, Sheriff's Office and several TIF Districts.
Each entity is considering a one cent sales tax increase. If each entity
succeeds, Lafayette consumers will experience a four cent sales tax increase.
It is not clear just which, if any, tax initiative will find its' way on
a ballot and we will not know until the smoke clears. No doubt a fierce
political struggle will ensue as needs compete against each other. We'll watch
this matter as it develops.  Road Tax Views Diverge Parish Ponders Broader "Tax" Plan Black Caucus: Find a focus ------ Group says other issues in black community trump street’s renaming Members of the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus on Friday said factions of Lafayette’s black community arguing over renaming Willow Street — or any street — for slain civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. should find a better focus for their energies. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ It's Your Health!  Heart of the Matter
...A simple, inexpensive test available at local hospitals can detect the warning signs of heart disease. The verdict may still be out on whether Lafayette is attracting enough business to support its burgeoning medical infrastructure, but the new level of competition is driving down the cost of at least one revolutionary imaging test. If you’d like to know your risk for developing coronary artery disease, $100 will buy you access to the best technology in today’s medical marketplace. By: Leslie Turk $505M budget planned for Lafayette (click) Peace Propaganda And The Promised Land (click) Israeli and Palestinian Conflict ... is it reported here in the U.S. accurately. Does the news media cover the reality on the ground? You decide! Minimum Wage Increase Passes House -- Sen. Reid decries move as attempt to "blackmail" working class Republicans muscled the first minimum wage increase in a decade
through the House of Representatives early Saturday after pairing it with a cut
in inheritance taxes on multi-million -dollar estates. Combining the two issues
provoked protests from Democrats and was sure to cause problems in the Senate,
where the minimum wage initiative was likely to die at the hands of Democrats
opposed to the costly estate tax cuts. The maneuver was aimed at
defusing the minimum wage increase as a campaign issue for Democrats while using
the popularity of the increase to achieve the Republican Party's longtime goal
of permanently cutting estate taxes. The Senate is
expected to take up the legislation next week.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Housing
Discrimination Complaint Hot line (337) 291-5451
Persons who feel they
have been discriminated against may file their complaint through the Lafayette
(LCG)
Neighborhood Counseling Services office.  "Before you get to the point where you say
"I can't do nothing with my children", do something with them. Teach them to
speak English. When the teacher calls, show up at the school. When the idiot
box starts spewing profane rap videos, turn it off. Refrain from cursing around
the kids. Teach our boys that women should be cherished, not raped and
demeaned. Tell them that education is a prize we won with blood and tears,not a
dishonor. Stop making excuses for the agents and abettors of black-on-black
crime. It costs us nothing to do these things. But if we don't, it will cost us
infinitely more tears." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Cartoon depicting Chris Williams causes reaction from source The Independent by: Greg Peters | Williams may face a felony. Prosecutor wants to know amount of the damage graffiti caused. Claire Taylor -- Daily Advertiser The political future of City-Parish Councilman Chris Williams could hinge on the amount of damage he caused to the council credenza July 5 when he wrote in black permanent marker "Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Drive!" City Prosecutor Gary Haynes has returned to the Lafayette Police Department a complaint filed last week against Williams because it lacks a damage estimate, he said Tuesday. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lafayette bond plan looks to have voters’ OK Lafayette's
Bond Issue - Editorial The independent
07-12-06
PSC: BellSouth merger
OK
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Capstone phase two shot down (by Planning Commission) -- Developer plans to appeal decision on Freetown apartments.  Louisiana Public Service Commission
To Review AT&T / BellSouth Merger --- (See Letter To
PSC) The Louisiana PSC has authority "to ensure safe, efficient and
reliable services at reasonable rates, and that ratepayers will not be harmed as
a result of the change of ownership or
control"...“Special Legislative Projects” in the 2006-07 state operating budget. TIME FOR PARISH COUNCIL SANITY TO PREVAIL? ----- SEND YOUR COMMENTS TO ... newseditor@lafayettepublicpolicy.com ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Council member asks police to take action on colleague Planning panelist blasts 2 council members By KEVIN BLANCHARDPublished: Jul 6, 2006 Parish Council Backs Taxing Districts...By KEVIN BLANCHARD Published: Jul 6, 2006 After sweetening the pot, Capstone developers get a green light for their controversial complex near Freetown. Neighborhood claims a rich history of Freetown -- Councilman Chris Williams caught in hypocrisy... again. Chris Williams claims he is always on the losing end of a 7-2 or 6-3 parish council vote, which affects his ability to represent his constituents. On June 27th, 2006, Chris Williams , Parish Councilman of District #3 showed his constituents just what he thinks about them by leading a charge against constituents. This time Williams was on the winning side of the 6 - 3 vote. Thanks to Williams and his loyalty to his political handlers, his own constituents lost again. Two Dangerous Men !  Contribution Extra?  The Price of Freetown History Is $200,000
According to the City-Parish Council.
"click"Chris Williams admitted that he met privately with Capstone Developers Inc. to hear their offer of $200,000 if Williams would assist them in securing the right to build their student apartments in the historic Freetown Neighborhood. This $200,000 dollar donation equates to approx. $250 dollars in benefits for each person in Freetown. Through various closed door meetings and private lobbying sessions, Capstone Development managed to sway both councilmen Chris Williams and Bruce Conque to see the Freetown student apartment issue their way. Freetown residents were not invited to these meetings. They did not even get their phone messages returned by Williams! Freetown residents say "Williams and Conque cannot buy our dignity. They cannot destroy our pride and they certainly will not have our vote". ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Parish Council Meeting (Capestone Appeal) Tuesday Lafayette's 7 - 2 split? --- Votes Don't Prove Alleged City-Parish Council Divide. Julien Gorbach (The Independent - -6/21/2006) NEIGHBORHOOD IS DECISIVE --- NO STUDENT APARTMENTS! Freetown residents seek to create an interesting, unique neighborhood which reflect the history, values and cultures of the people who reside there, and foster the types of physical environments which support a more cohesive community fabric. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ HISTORY OF FREETOWN - Glen Armentor ---The Freetown History is a part of Lafayette's History--- Neighborhood Meeting  __________What do you say when someone wants to encroach upon the peaceful nature of a community and rob the neighborhood of its history and lifestyle solely for their economic gain? What ever you would say can be said at a neighborhood meeting on Thursday the 15th of June at 6 p.m. at the C.J. Angelle Hall, which is on the corner of Taft and Jefferson St. Freetown Under Threat ---- Subdivision Joins Legal Fight ---- KATC TV "Freetown News" ----Time To Get Smart ---- Save Freetown Web
Developer appeals Planning Commission decision --- Historic Freetown is center-stage . ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Bill Clinton Address Graduates 2006/U. T. -LBJ School of Public Policy The Fundamental Nature of the 21st. Century. Lawmakers add projects to budget. Plan expands by $148.8 million Borrowed Future - John Paul Stoshak New Blanco Poll - May,19-06 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Neighbors: Save Freetown --Proposed complex concerns residents Being Black In America (By Smokey Robinson) audio only ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ What Is LINC? ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Council Continues to embarrass Taxing Districts eyed for
infrastructure LCG Planning Commission LINC Housing And Neighborhood "Work Plan"!
LINC --- Lafayette Parish Comprehensive Plan "Elements" - Building a Community of Choice.
North Lafayette Plan Coordinating Team Selected
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Lafayette shares a common history and culture with New Orleans.
MARIE LAVEAU --(with audio)--- CREOLE HISTORY-PAST & PRESENT
CREOLE MUSIC -----FAMOUS CREOLES ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ SPECIAL --- A CREOLE BOUCHERIE
Laissez les bon temps rouler (Let the good times roll) ! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Change Gilman Rd. to Rosa Parks?
Lafayette group readies growth proposal
Centrist Republican Says It's My Party Too!
COUNCIL FAILS TO MAINTAIN 'ORDER'
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  STATE OF THE CITY PARISH LCG 2006 Budget Summary
2006 Public Works
Projects
Middle class families eligible for large Tax refund early...
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
One of my goals is to help establish a North Lafayette Development Plan. At present our Planning Commission is working hard and will soon present options to the public. Stay tuned! North Lafayette residents have a new attitude. The recent commercial boom to Lafayette's economy caused by hurricanes Katrina and Rita forced many businesses to close their doors to new customers because of an inability to supply the abundance of goods and services the public required. While the effects of the hurricanes were horrific, the expenditure of funds by the evacuees was never before contemplated by Lafayette businessmen. Lafayette is now perceived as a safe haven that happens to have a rich diversity of cultures exemplified by our food, music and customs. Investors and developers are now beginning to recognize the potential economic benefits of developing north Lafayette and have already begun site visits to stakeout priority locations. Severe inclement weather along the Gulf Coast of Louisiana is predicted to continue, causing residents in low lying areas to evacuate and seek refuge inland. Lafayette, because of it's geographic location, serves as a "first responder" to evacuees traveling either I-10 or I-49 highways . The Louisiana Avenue Overlay District is now approved and by January of 2007, you will see new development at the Louisiana Ave. and I-10 Intersection. A second new commercial (retail) development is under negotiation and may occur at the northwest quadrant of I-49 and I-10. And this is just the beginning. LCG Public Works and LDOT projects are underway as well. Stay tuned! While Mr. Durel has made it clear that at this time LCG has no financial contribution it can make toward developing north Lafayette his staff is addressing this issue with all human resources available. Durel says he recognizes the potential tax revenue contribution north Lafayette is capable of producing once developed and wants to help make this a reality. Most people I talk to are looking
for ways to insure that tax dollars generated by new north Lafayette businesses
will be used to provide infrastructure development for north Lafayette.
This is a reasonable expectation and one that is achievable through the
creation of TIF Districts. READ
MORE  Recommendations Recommendations (click)
Conque says race not an issue in council debate over King Dr.
Ministers Displeased and Disappointed with Parish Councilmen Decision
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Leader
refuses to quit --- 
