VISION WESTOctober, 2007 A quarterly publication for West Baton Rouge residents by your public agencies

West Baton Rouge Parish - Community, Growth, Possibilities

Calendar of Events

GovernmentMeetings

WBR PARISH COUNCIL - Meets 2nd & 4th Thurs-day of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Parish Council Building, 225-383-4755, www.wbrparish.org

WBR PARISH SCHOOL BOARD - Committee meet-ings on 2nd Tuesday of each month at 5 p.m. School Board meetings on 3rd Wednesday of each month at 5 p.m. at the School Board office, 225-343-8309, www.wbrschools.net

TOWN OF ADDIS - Meets on 1st Wednesday of each month at 7 p.m. at Addis Town Hall. Phone: 225-687-4844, www.addisla.org

CITY OF PORT ALLEN - Committee meetings on 1st Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m. Town council meetings on 2nd Wednesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., 225-346-5670, www.portallen.org

TOWN OF BRUSLY - Committee meetings on 1st Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Town Council meetings on 2nd Monday of each month at 6:30 p.m., 225-749-2909, www.bruslyla.com

NOVEMBERNov. 3 Rose Mary Thornton to speak at WBR Museum (see page 2)

Nov. 6 Veterans Day Parade

Nov. 9 WBR Chamber Holiday Gala

Nov. 11 Mary Ann Sternberg to speak at WBR Museum (see page 2)

Nov. 22, 23 Parish offices closed for Thanksgiving holiday

DECEMBERDec. 2 WBR Museum Open House

Dec. 8 Museum trip to Natchitoches Christmas light festivities

Dec. 15 Port Allen Christmas Festival Dec. 16 Museum trip to New Orleans celebration Le Reveillon

New WBR leadership elected in Oct.

RECORD CROWD FOR OLDIES FESTA crowd of some 4,000 people en-joyed music and fun from the 1950s and 1960s at the second annual Oldies But Goodies Fest on Oct. 14. This year the West Baton Rouge Convention and Visitors Bureau also hosted the Smokin’ Oldies Cook-Off, a state championship barbecue cooking competition, with 17 teams competing on Friday and Saturday, Oct. 13 and 14. In the photos at left Elvis performer Brandon Bennett performs for the crowd, and local youngsters dress for the occasion.

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDPort Allen, LA

Permit #18

Postal Patron Local

Veterans Parade rolls Nov. 4 in Port AllenVeterans will get a big thank you on Sunday, Nov.

4, when they are honored in the Port Allen Veterans Day Parade.

The parade will roll at 2 p.m., starting at Rivault Park, travel down Jefferson Avenue to Louisiana Avenue to the West Baton Rouge Parish Courthouse. New additions this year include the U.S. Navy Honor Guard, and the U.S. Marine Corps Band. Kim Howell, coordinator of the parade, said more than 80 entries are expected in the parade.

Howell started the parade as a way for area residents to show their appreciation for veterans who

have made great sacrifices for our country. “We’d love to see a big crowd along the entire route,” Howell said. “The parade has grown tremendously in the last three years, and people are really getting excited about it.”

Veterans can ride on the floats or sit in a reserved viewing area with special accommodations for them. Parade entries should be decorated in patriotic colors and can play only patriotic music.

For more information on how to contribute to or get involved in the parade, call Howell at 225-383-7600 or 225-202-1112.

West Baton Rouge Parish will have an almost all new Parish Council due mainly to term limits. New council members elected to serve in the October 20 election are:

District 2: Jeffrey “Petit” Kershaw; District 3: Keith “Keedy” Washington, Sr.; District 4: Ricky Loupe; District 5: Charlene Gordon; District 6: “Phil” Porto, Jr.; District 7: Gary “Sprout” Spillman; and District 9: Edward “Bob” Robertson.

A run-off is set for the District 8 race between Aletha “Lisa Green” Johnson and Carol Leger Johnson.

Parish President Riley “PeeWee” Berthelot, Clerk of Court Mark Graffeo and

Assessor Barney “Frog” Altazan were unopposed, and Sheriff Mike Cazes won another term in the election.

Page 2 - Vision WEST - October, 2007

West Baton Rouge Tourism

West Baton Rouge Museum

Bureau one of first in state to offer computer help with trip itinerary The West Baton Rouge Conven-

tion and Visitors Bureau is one of the first tourist centers in the state to offer a new computerized itinerary planner to visitors and local residents.

Named the Louisiana Same Day program, the computer technology allows a tourist center representative to quickly and easily provide guests with a precise itinerary including locations to sites they want to see, directions, entry fees and other information.

“We can provide a great service to our guests with this new computer technology,” said Tourism Director Sharon Stam.

Tourism Center counselor Tonya Elson is heading this program and will be training other counselors on it, Stam said.

“If a guest wants to spend a day in New Orleans, we ask what that person’s interests are or what he’d like to see,” Elson explained. “Let’s say he likes art museums. I can call up all the art museums in New Orleans and provide him with a complete itinerary including the locations of each museum on a map, directions for each, entry fees, and hours of operation. I can also provide restaurant information, book a hotel room for him, and provide him

with a list of any special events that may be going on at the time of his visit.”

The program provides for up to a three-day itinerary. In addition, it allows for staffs of visitors centers to communicate with each other through an instant messaging system.

Another great feature of the program is that local tourist commissions control what attractions, hotels, restaurants and events are listed. “This allows us to control and quickly make changes to the information provided about West Baton Rouge,” said Stam.

“Local residents are invited to come by and let us help them with any trips they are planning in Louisiana,” Stam said.

REPAIRS UNDERWAYLocal residents have likely seen the

scaffolding around the Tourist Information and Conference Center. Stam said the roof has leaked since the building was constructed. “We’ve also had other problems,” she said. “A new roof is being put on now, and we will begin extensive interior repairs in January. We are not booking any conference center business for the Spring of 2008, and we expect to begin holding events again in April.

MORE SCENES FROM OLDIES FEST...The photo above shows a portion of the huge crowd that enjoyed dancing to the music of Elvis performer Brandon Bennett and Na Na Sha. Other popular attractions were the hula hoop, twist dance, jutterbug dance and costume contests, and the An-tique Car Show.

Events, trips on tap tocelebrate the holiday season

A scene from last year’s Christmas in the Big House.

November 3, 2007Nationally acclaimed author Rose Mary Thornton will speak on “Mail Order Houses

Around the Nation” at 2:00 p.m., Sat., Nov. 3, 2007, at the West Baton Rouge Museum,

845 N. Jefferson Avenue, Port Allen. This program is sponsored by the West Baton

Rouge Historical Association as part of the annual Ethel Claiborne Dameron Lecture

Series. Architects attending the program will receive three Continuing Education Hours

from the Louisiana State Board of Architecture. This event is FREE and Open to the

Public.

November 11, 2007The West Baton Rouge Museum will host a talk and book signing by Mary Ann Sternberg

at 2:00 p.m. She will be discussing her newest book: Winding Through Time: The

forgotten history and present-day peril of Bayou Manchac. This event is FREE and Open

to the Public.

December 8, 2007On Saturday, December 8, 2007 enjoy a ride aboard a Dixieland motor coach as the

West Baton Rouge Museum carries you off on a journey to historic Natchitoches for

the annual Christmas Light festivities. Cost for the trip is $90. Seating is limited and

reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-paid basis until November 30, 2007.

Payments are accepted in the form of cash or check made out to the West Baton Rouge

Museum and are non-refundable.

December 16, 2007Celebrate Le Reveillon on December 16, 2007 in the heart of the New Orleans’ historic

French Quarter. The cost for this night of remembrance is $90. Seating is limited and

reservations will be taken on a first-come, first-paid basis until NOVEMBER 16, 2007.

Payments are accepted in the form of cash or check made out to the West Baton Rouge

Museum and are non-refundable.

On Sunday, December 2, 2:00-5:00 p.m. the West Baton Rouge

Museum will host its annual Holiday Open House. The museum’s grounds

will be aglow with activities illustrating how Christmas was celebrated on

sugar plantations long ago at the end of sugar cane grinding season.

In the Big House: See Victorian era tableaux performances depicting

holiday customs at the c. 1830 French Creole Alliet House.

In the Cabin: View open-hearth cooking demonstrations and learn

about the fortunes and misfortunes experienced by slaves during the

holiday season inside the c. 1850 Allendale Cabin and hear the soulful

voice of Judy Whitney Davis singing spirituals.

Inside the Museum: Take part in festivities which include a visit from

Pere Noel, holiday hands-on activities and parlor games for the children,

live music, dancing performed

by the River Road Performance

Society, the presentation of the 2007

Volunteer and Junior Volunteer of

the Year awards, and much more!

This free event is open to

the public and is certain to delight

visitors of all ages. The West

Baton Rouge Museum is located

at 845 N. Jefferson Avenue in Port

Allen, just minutes from downtown

Baton Rouge. For more information

contact Laurie Roche’ at 225-336-

2422, ext 16.

Museum aglow for Christmasin the Big House

Sales trip made to Nova ScotiaWest Baton Rouge tourism

representatives recently joined other state tourism directors on an 11-day sales mission to Nova Scotia.

They took part in travel and trade shows in Halifax and Clare, Nova Scotia, and a media luncheon

in Hailfax. The delegation also sponsored a Cajun stage at the 52nd annual Festival Acadian de Clare, and participated in a Mardi Gras parade and fais do do. They gave out thousands of bags of information to those attending.

Vision WEST - October, 2007 - Page 3

West Baton Rouge Parish Government

Biddy Basketball registration set, parks get improvementsRegistration for girls and boys Biddy Basketball (age 5-12) will

begin on November 5 at the parish parks and recreation office in the Port Allen Community Center. A Saturday registration is also set for 9 a.m. until noon on Nov. 17 at the Community Center, where the league games will be played.

Residents are invited to participate in pickle ball games at the Port Allen Community Center. The games are played on Mondays from 9 a.m. until noon, and Wednesdays from 6 until 9 p.m.

New batting cages and scoreboards have been added at all parish ball parks, and fence repairs have been made at all the parks. Parish recreation officials have received many positive comments about the soccer complex in Port Allen, which is getting a lot of use by local soccer leagues.

NEW WEBSITE... The parish has just completed a major upgrade of its website. When visitors go to the site at www.wbrparish.org, they now open to a portal (shown above) including links to other parish agencies. “It’s a one-stop shop for them to find the information they need on government in WBR,” said Anthony Summers, parish IT coordinator. “The new site also has the capability for individual parish departments to update information, which should help us provide current information to residents. The parish site also includes a feature in which residents can submit information for the events calendar. It’s all at www.wbrparish.org.

WBR residents can get low costvascular disease screenings!

Outgoing parish council members note WBR progressThe West Baton Rouge Parish

Council will change dramatically on January 8, when six council members leave office due to term limits.

The six council members’ comments on accomplishments and the progress of the parish are listed below:

CURTIS ANDERSON, DIST. 5A n d e r s o n

has served on the Parish Council for 14 years. “I think we have one of the best sewerage, drainage and road improvement programs in the

state,” he said. “We must be doing something right because a lot of people are moving into the parish.” Anderson said improvements are too numerous to mention, but “are the result of the Council working together for the growth of the parish. My time is ending, but I will continue to work with the new Council.”

HUEY BROWN, DIST. 6Brown has served for 12 years.

“The most signif-icant developments have been the adoption of the home rule charter, with term limits; the zoning ordinance, the overlay and

hard surfacing of roads, central communications, stabilization of our revenue base, economic development projects featuring Smart Growth, and the new Addis Community Center,” he said.

“Needs for the future include additional sewer systems, a plan to install culverts, and development of a land use plan,” he said.

HARLAN CASHIOLA, DIST. 7Cashiola has

served for 12 years. He said the biggest accomplishments include the Addis Community Cen-ter, the La. 190 widening project, passage of zoning

ordinances, and the establishment of a parish fund for street lighting. “I was

Residents of West Baton Rouge can sign up now for vascular disease and osteoporosis screenings at a cost of only $25. The screenings included are: stroke/carotid artery, abdominal aortic aneurysm, ankle brachial index, and osteoporosis screenings.

West Baton Rouge Parish government is funding the additional cost of the screenings, above the $25 per person fee. Only 100 people can participate in this low-cost screening program, so call 1-800-324-1851 today to register and schedule your appointment time. Proof of residency in West Baton Rouge is required.

The Parish of West Baton Rouge and the West Baton Rouge Health Unit have teamed up with Life Line Screening to provide this health service to residents because of the dangers of strokes.

Parish President Riley L. Berthelot said he will continue improvements in the parish and his open door policy in his next term. He was unopposed for re-election.

“I will continue to make the most of the oppor-tunities that come our way,” Berthelot said. “My open door policy will continue as well, and I welcome you to stop by and let me hear from you.” Among the major accomplishments of the parish in the last four years have been the central communications program, upgrading all parish parks, courthouse improvements, the creation of Heros Plaza and improvement of the courthouse grounds, the new soccer complex, the new motor vehicle building, establishment of a coroner’s office, an aggressive road and drainage maintenance program, the establishment of the Addis Community Center, creation of Land Plan 2020, and the Erwinville and Rev. Manuel sewerage projects.

“I’d like to thank the residents for their support, and the Parish Council and parish staff for their willingness to work together for the betterment of West Baton Rouge,” he said. “We have accomplished much because of cooperative relationships.”

Berthelot continues opendoor policy, improvements

very active in having the state pass a law requiring reflectors on cane trailers, which was an important safety measure,” he said.

“The zoning we passed has also made a huge difference in handling our growth,” he said.

DANNY LEBLANC, DIST. 4LeBlanc is the

longest serving mem-ber of the Council, having served for 32 years.

“Overall, WBR is a parish that doesn’t flood, is a convenient

place to live, and has good drainage and roads,” he said. “Our tax base has grown, which has allowed us to be a step ahead of a lot of things.” LeBlanc urged parish residents to participate in their parish government. “People need to be involved for government to work best,” he said.

LARRY JOHNSON, DIST. 8Johnson has served for 20 years,

and is presently Council chair. “I think the parish is in better shape than it was when I got here,” he said. “We’ve

had infrastructure i m p r o v e m e n t s , growth and have good parks,” he said. “I’m very proud of the Erwinville Com-munity Center.”

Johnson said he was honored to serve. “The most precious thing you can give your community and friends is your time,” he said. “It has gotten easier because of the communication among the Council and administration.”

BETTY NELSON, DIST. 9Betty Nelson has served 16 years

on the Council. “I’d like to thank the community for its support,” she said. “It has been a pleasure serving. We

had more ups than downs, and I am proud of everything we did.” Nelson said she felt one of the biggest accomplishments was the location of a

YMCA in West Baton Rouge. “We had a lot of cooperation among the Council, and that helped us get things done.”

Page 4 - Vision WEST - October, 2007

West Baton Rouge Assessor

West Baton Rouge Library

West Baton Rouge had the largest increase in assessed property values in 22 years, said Assessor Barney “Frog” Altazan. Assessed values have increased a whopping 383 percent since 1985, Altazan said.

“In 1985, we had assessed values totalling $60,783,800. In 2007, the assessed property values totalled $293,819,100,” he noted. Assessed property value is the dollar value placed on a piece of property. Property taxes are determined based on assessed property values. Of course, when assessed property values increase, total property tax collections also increase. Altazan said in 1985, the parish property tax collections totalled $1,222,800. For 2007, the total tax collections are $24,807,500.

Altazan said the parish also has 12.6 percent or 938 more taxpayers than it did 22 years ago. In 1985, the parish had 7,242 taxpayers, and in 2007 it has 8,358 taxpayers. However, industry remains the major taxpayer for the parish, with the top 10 industrial taxpayers accounting for $13.4 million in property taxes, which is more than half of the $24.8 million in property tax collections.

The top 10 taxpayers in the parish are: Dow Chemical Co., ExxonMobil, Placid Refining, MGT Services, Cargill, BP Lubricants, Entergy Gulf States, Sid Richardson Carbon, WBR Equities, and Edgen Murray Corp. Dow is by far the biggest taxpayer, being assessed $5.5 million in property taxes for this year.

“I want to thank parish voters for allowing me to continue serving as assessor,” Altazan said. “When I became assessor in 1985, this office had five full time and one part time employee, plus the assessor. Despite the additional workload of almost 1,000 more taxpayers, I have operated the office with four full-time and one part time employee, along with myself,” he said. “We have been diligent in operating this office in an efficient and effective manner.”

Scenes from the PRIME TIME and Community Family Time programs at Cohn Elemtary School.

WBR is leading PRIME TIME host in the country!Every Thursday evening for the past month, the

lights have been on and the doors open at Chamberlin Elementary School to welcome students and their families to PRIME TIME - FAMILY READING TIME.

It’s not the first time that the West Baton Rouge Parish Library has sponsored the popular reading and discussion program at Chamberlin. The library has hosted the six-week program 18 times since 1997, in partnership with Chamberlin, Holy Family, Brusly, and Cohn Elementary Schools. Hundreds of West Baton Rouge families have participated, reading scores of outstanding children’s picture books and discussing serious humanities issues that evolve through the stories.

The PRIME TIME programs were created by the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities with the intent to encourage families with children, ages six to ten years, to read and engage in thoughtful discussion together. The Endowment furnishes the books the families read and also trains and pays the storyteller and discussion leaders who conduct the programs. The library is responsible for recruiting the families, securing door prizes, and providing a healthy dinner snack for the families, a significant challenge since the programs typically draws more than 100 people.

Because the programs have been so popular in West Baton Rouge, the Endowment has awarded the library more PRIME TIME programs than any other library or school in the state. And now that PRIME TIME is a national program, the library holds the distinction of being the leading PRIME TIME host in the country. The nineteenth series of PRIME TIME programs has been scheduled for next April and

May and will be held at the library in Port Allen in partnership with Cohn Elementary School.

The library’s effort to promote family reading with area schools does not end with PRIME TIME. For the past four years, many families have returned to Cohn and Port Allen Elementary Schools for fun and learning in early evening programs presented by storytellers, teachers and librarians. The programs,

known as Community Family Time, are the result of a partnership forged by the parish library and the two schools to wage an aggressive campaign to increase family involvement in student learning, particularly with reading and math.

Reading facilitators, teachers, and principals at both schools worked with library staff to develop the program’s innovative family activities. Grants from The Entergy Community Foundation, Dow Chemical, and Horizon Milling fund the programs and purchase the books used. Three Community Family Time programs are planned for each of the two schools this year, with the first occurring at Port Allen Elementary on Monday, November 5 and Cohn, on Thursday, November 8. The success of CFT in drawing families to the schools has been exceptional.

“Any time 100 or more people attend a school program you’ve got to take notice,” says Cohn Elementary School Principal Kaye French. “The families had a good time. They learned how to do activities that help students understand basic math concepts and why it is important to read at home. They also learned about book collections that the parish library has organized by grade level to provide beginning readers with lots of materials for home practice.”

“If families take twenty minutes a day to read together and do the activities we show them, the results will be awesome,” says Michelle Kauffman, Port Allen Elementary Principal. “The students will be well on their way to reading, understanding and developing an awareness of concepts and processes essential for learning math.”

West Baton Rouge hasrecord year in property taxes

Taxpayer Dow Chemical Co.ExxonMobil ProductionPlacid Refining Co.MGT Services, Inc.Cargill, Inc.BP Lubricants USAEntergy Gulf StatesSid Richardson CarbonWBR Equities, LLCEdgen Murray Corp.Total

Taxes Paid$5,589,860$2,434,802$1,227,320$1,188,922

$919,731$640,661$489,545$335,864$306,840$291,592

$13,425,137

% of total taxes22.5%

9.8%4.9%4.8%3.7%2.6%2.0%1.4%1.2%1.2%

54.1%

Assessed value$58,413,140$25,432,980$12,826,000$12,411,750

$9,596,763$6,695,170$5,102,190$3,509,605$3,206,610$3,047,260

$140,241,513

T o p Te n A d V a l o r e m Ta x p a y e r s

A deep love for children and commitment to helping at-risk children has brought Kaye French from her lifetime home in Pineville, Louisiana to West Baton Rouge.

She is the new principal of Cohn Elementary in Port Allen.

“Mrs. French was very successful as an assistant principal at Alma Redwine Elementary School in focusing on instructional strategies that work for at-risk children, and working with parents,” said Superintendent David Corona. “We are excited about having her in West Baton Rouge because of her great background and focus on helping teachers and students succeed.”

French said she has been welcomed here. “The central office and my colleagues have been very supportive. I have high expectations and these are some of the finest teachers I have ever worked with. We have already initiated some new programs.”

Vision WEST - October, 2007 - Page 5

Parish partners with LSU to giveeducation students field experience

West Baton Rouge School System

LSU junior Margaret Denny, far left, tutors student Miyah Darby, while LSU student Christie Englade tutors Leonardo Romo at Port Allen Elementary School. The LSU students are among some 90 LSU students assisting students at West Baton Rouge schools as part of the Professional Development Partnership.

Freshman Academy alreadyproviding great resultsThe new Freshman Academy established by the West Baton Rouge school

system is already providing great results at Brusly High and Port Allen High. “We have fewer F’s on tests than last year, discipline is down, and attendance is up among ninth graders,” said Port Allen High Principal Warren LeJeune.

The new program for ninth graders was established to cut down on student drop out rates and to better address the needs of ninth graders, said Superintendent David Corona.

LeJeune explained that wings of the high schools are designated as the Freshman Academy, and ninth graders have most of their classes in those areas, which are separate from the other classes and students. In addition, the ninth graders eat lunch separately from the other high school students.

“The ninth graders stay together as a unit most of the day, and are segregated from the other students until after lunch, in order to allow them to focus on academics,” LeJeune said. “They don’t have to deal with as much intimidation by the older students,” he explained. In addition, four teachers are assigned to teach all of the ninth graders their primary courses. These teachers have their planning period at the same time, and meet regularly to discuss the students’ progress, and to address problems with students. They also have reviewed the past school history of each student and work at developing a rapport with the freshmen.

“If they see that a student is struggling, the teachers address it and we get extra help for that student because our goal is to have 100 percent of our ninth graders promoted to 10th grade,” LeJeune said. “Studies show that students who fail ninth grade are more likely to drop out of school.”

The Freshman Academy is only for first time ninth graders, and Port Allen High has 94 students in its freshman program. “So far the freshmen seem to like it, and the parents like the fact that all of the students have the same teachers,” LeJeune said. “This creates a family atmosphere in the Freshman Academy, where they don’t feel lost among 600 or 700 kids,” Corona said. “The transition from 8th grade to 9th grade is difficult on at-risk kids, and the Freshman Academy helps us address that and create a positive environment for our ninth graders.”

Cohn Elementary PrincipalKay French

Students complete assignments in physical science class. At back right is teacher Althea Morgan.

Cohn Elem. gets new principal

A LITTLE ONE ON ONE

When LSU contacted the West Baton Rouge school system about participating in its Professional Dev-elopment Partnership, administrators jumped on board.

“It’s a win-win partnership,” explained Annette Mire, Associate Superintendent for Human Resources and Staff Development. “LSU students get field experience working with students prior to their student teaching, and we get tutors for our students.

In addition, this is a great recruiting tool for us because the students get familiar with our schools while still in college.”

This semester, LSU education majors will spend about 11 hours tutoring, assisting and observing teachers at Port Allen Elementary, Cohn Elementary and Lukeville Elementary schools.

The program in West Baton Rouge focuses on early childhood and special education students.

Port Allen Elementary Principal Michelle Kauffman said the West Baton Rouge schools were chosen because they provide positive learning environments for education majors.

“LSU wanted the students to have a positive experience in schools before going on to student teaching, and our schools offer that,” she said.

LSU junior Christie Englade said she has enjoyed her time at Port Allen Elementary. “It has helped me learn how to communicate with the kids, and I really enjoy helping them,” she said.

Kauffman said this is the first year the parish has been involved in the Professional Development Partnership, and getting the program going required extensive meetings with LSU program administrators and other community agencies.

While the LSU students often spend time tutoring students on a one-on-one basis, they also assist teachers and spend time observing classroom activities.

In addition, the program also includes professional development for teachers at the three West Baton Rouge schools, along with family involvement activities.

“We will be providing family involvement activities, including train-ing parents to help their children with disabilities, as part of this partnership,” Kauffman said. In addition, the partnership also calls for the school system to work with family agencies in assisting families and promoting family involvement in schools.

“This partnership helps us build collaborative efforts with higher education institutions,” Mire said. “We hope to expand the program next year by having students at Southeastern Louisiana University (SLU) get field experience at Brusly High School.”

“It’s a win-win partner-ship... LSU students get field experience and weget tutors for ourstudents.”

Page 6 - Vision WEST -October, 2007

City of Por t Allen

Clerk of Cour t

Many people don’t know it, but the Clerk of Court’s office is an important player in any election held in the parish. In fact, Louisiana law charges the clerk with the responsibility of being the chief election officer of the parish.

“It is a responsibility that we take very seriously,” said Clerk of Court Mark Graffeo. “We begin preparations for an election about six weeks before it occurs. It is quite involved.”

The parish registrar of voters is responsible for registering voters, maintaining a roll of eligible voters for elections, and handling absentee voting.

The clerk and the parish Board of Election Supervisors work together to hold elections. The Board of Election supervisors includes the clerk, the registrar, an appointee by the governor, and the chairs of the Democratic and Republican Parish Executive Committees.

Together they hold educational classes, test and certify polling place commissioners to serve in elections, select commissioners and commissioners-in-charge for all elections, qualify all parish level candidates for election and provide that list to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office, oversee the sealing of absentee voting machines and the counting of absentee ballots, supervise the sealing of voting machines prior to them leaving the warehouse where they are stored, select custodians of voting machines, handle issues and complaints during elections, supervise the unsealing and counting of voting machines after elections, compile election results and report them to the Secretary of State’s office.

“Every four years we are required to schedule

Officials are moving forward with a plan to annex a large area into the City of Port Allen. The annexation would more than double the city’s geographical area.

Petitions to request annexation are presently being drafted, which must be signed by property owners in the areas being considered for annexation. Once the petitions are signed, they are submitted to the U.S. Justice Department for approval, and once approved, the areas become part of the city.

The area being annexed includes, on the west: most of the land between Court Street and Rosedale Road including La. 415 and Port Allen High School; to the south the area included goes to the interstate, and crosses the Intracoastal Canal to just past the Daiquiri Shop on La. Hwy 1 on the south side of the Intracoastal. This area includes the new Wal-Mart and the proposed development by Rawlston “Bubba” Phillips.

The Port of Greater Baton Rouge requested to be excluded from the city, and was not included in the new proposed annexation area, Mayor Derek Lewis said. Also excluded was an area of Rosedale Road where residents did not wish to be included in the city. He said Phillips has not opposed being annexed into the city.

Mayor Lewis said he expects to have the petitions signed within six months. “The biggest thing we can offer residents in these areas is a Class 3 fire protection rating, which will lower their property insurance costs,” he said. “They will have a small increase in taxes, but it will be more than offset by the decrease in insurance costs, which will be substantial for businesses.”

“Port Allen High School is named for the city, but it is not in the city limits,” Lewis said. “It should be.” Lewis added, “This annexation will give the city the ability to grow. We have been so land locked that we have not been able to grow, and with only 5,300 residents we are dangerously close to reverting back to a town status, which impacts our ability to get funding.”

The proposed annexation area is in the solid red line. The present city limits are in the red dotted line.

City moves forward with newannexation plan

The Port Allen Christmas Festival is set for Saturday, Dec. 15, in downtown Port Allen. It will include a parade, bands, bonfire on the levee, and food booths. For information on participating in the parade or having a booth, call 225-346-5670.

Clerk of Court’s office plays big role in electionsa test for commissioners to be certified, which we will do next year,” Graffeo said. “We hold a election commissioners school every year for those interested in becoming a commissioner.” The pay was recently increased to $200 for commissioners and $250 or more for commissioners-in-charge.

“We try to appoint commissioners to the precincts in which they live because they are more likely to be familiar with the voters in their areas,” Graffeo said. “However, in the past we have not had enough commissioners to do this with all precincts.”

The commissioners have a checklist that they must complete before voting begins and after voting ends. “I spend most election days going from precinct to precinct to make sure there are no problems or issues,” Graffeo said. “We have 21 precincts at 15 polling places across the parish.”

As the election winds down, employees of the clerk’s office are getting ready to accept voting packages from the commissioners-in-charge of each precinct. When the packages are delivered to the clerk’s office, computerized recorders are inserted into a laptop computer, the computers record the results, and the results are uploaded to the secretary of state’s office.

“There are so many checks and precautions taken that it is almost impossible for anyone to alter voting machines or results,” Graffeo said.

Residents wanting to get the results of local elections can go to the second floor of the parish courthouse. “We set up a large screen and provide results as we receive them on that screen,” Graffeo said.

“After elections, we have more checks in place to assure that the machines cannot be tampered with in transit back to the warehouse, we open the sealed voting machines and check vote counts again,” Graffeo said. “Our right to vote is a critical right and responsibility in our democratic society, and we are doing everything to assure local voters that elections are legal and without any form of impropriety.”

P l e a s e v o t e i n t h e N o v. 1 7 e l e c t i o n !

Yo u r v o t e c o u n t s !

Port Allen City Limits Annexation Boundary (alternative 2)

Vision WEST - October, 2007 - Page 7

Town of Addis

Town of Brusly

First WBRradio stationbroadcastsfrom Addis

The West Baton Rouge area has its first radio station, KDDK (105.5 FM), located in Addis. It made its first broadcast in June, and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued it a broadcast license to the station in September.

It has focused on a variety music show. The programming includes a wide variety of music - country and western, broadway and film scores, love ballads, bossa nova, folk, 1950s and 1960s songs, night club music and even some French language songs. Manager Ken Noble said the format generated many calls from appreciative listeners, but was not greeted with enthusiasm by advertisers. He said the station is rethinking its programming choice and welcomes suggestions at 225-687-2882.

The new broadcast facility is located at a site on the southern end of the town, north of Hwy. 1148, not far from the Channel 33 TV tower.

The station is owned by Radio & Investments, Inc. The company first approached Addis Mayor Carroll Bourgeois with the proposal to bring the station to Addis in 2005, and the mayor has been supportive in the endeavor. The move of station KDDK from Franklin to Addis had to be approved by the FCC prior to construction of the broadcast facilities.

Brusly Police Station getting new look, officers get new camerasThe Brusly Police Station is being renovated to

provide individual work stations with computers for officers, an interrogation room, and other equipment.

The project, which will cost about $30,000, is being funded by the town, said Police Chief Jamie Whaley. The building was constructed in 1969 and has been renovated since that time, but did not provide adequate desk space for the department’s six officers.

“All of the officers were sharing one work space and computer, and we needed a more effective set-up,” Whaley said.

One room of the building was gutted to make way for the officers’ work room. Cabinetry, new sheetrock and work stations are being added, along with ceramic tile flooring to replace the old carpet.

Whaley said plans call for the renovation of two other rooms in the building at a later date. “We are working with town officials to see if that project can be included in the 2008 budget,” he said.

The present project is expected to be completed by mid-November.

Meanwhile, new WatchGuard police video monitors have been installed in all police cars, at a cost of $20,000.

They replace old video cameras that were outdated and required new tapes daily.

“Video monitors are important be-cause they provide evidence of exactly what happens when an officer turns on his emergency lights,” Whaley said. “We’ve had cases where the videos have cleared officers when they have been accused of not treating someone

Dangerous pet lawbeing enforced

Mayor Carroll Bourgeois said the Town of Addis is strictly enforcing its Dangerous Animal Ordinance and will prosecute those who violate the law.

The law applies to pure bred and mixed breed dogs commonly referred to as pit bulls, bull terriers and Rottweillers, along with wild or domestic animals with vicious characteristics, reptiles, fowl, and exotic animals.

It requires any homeowner who wants to keep a dangerous animal within the town limits to obtain a permit. In order to get the permit, the homeowner must adhere to the following:

• Supply a certificate of insurance stating that $300,000/$500,000 liability insurance is maintained specifically for damage to persons or property by the dangerous animal.

• Maintain the animal in a confined and secure structure designed for dangerous animals. The space must be adequately lighted and ventilated, and kept in sanitary condition.

• House no more than one dangerous animal at a single location.

• Pay a $125 permit fee, and submit to an inspection of the property and structure prior to issuance of the permit.

• An annual renewal fee of $25 is required, along with an annual inspection of the property and structure.

“This law was enacted because we had a few incidents involving pit bulls in the past,” Mayor Bourgeois said. “This is a safety precaution that protects everyone.”

Renovation work continues on the Brusly Police Station.

respectfully.” The new cameras have a wireless audio mike, and can swivel to show activity in the back seat of the car. It is designed to tape in both daylight and night conditions.

Brusly Officer Charles Zalfen is shown in his police car, equipped with the latest technology, a computer, printer, radars and digital video camera.

Page 8 - Vision WEST - October 2007

Chamber of Commerce

PUTTING SAFETY FIRST... If you’ve ever traveled on La. Hwy 1 north of Port Allen, you may have been stopped by an 18-wheeler as it attempted to cross the busy highway from Placid. Those days are over, now that a new stop light has been installed at the highway’s intersection with Placid Refining. “Placid’s $200 million expansion will increase their gasoline production by 30 percent,” said Deborah Biggs, Chamber Executive Director. “Along with the increase in production comes an increase in traffic exiting the refinery. We applaud the La. Department of Transportation and Development for assisting the parish in an effort to reduce the possibility of accidents.”

Biotech firm plansfacility for WBR

TEACHERS HONORED... The West Baton Rouge Teachers of the Year are shown at a Chamber business after hours event held in their honor at Brian’s Furniture. Shown from left are Gale Jones, Middle School Teacher of the Year; Chamber Board Chairman Jeff Hendrickson; Renita Harrison, High School Teacher of the Year; Sharon Nettles, Elementary Teacher of the Year; and Christy Anderson, education chair.

ELECTION FORUM...The WBR Chamber host-ed a forum for candidates in local elections at the Port Allen Community Center in August. About 100 business people and residents attended to hear the candidates’ views on local issues. The photo at left shows the crowd listening to speakers.

GREETING BR VISITORS... The Chamber combined forces with the Greater Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce this summer to hold a Business After Hours function at the WBR Museum. A bus load of Baton Rouge Chamber members had the opportunity to network with West Baton Rouge Chamber members and to tour the museum’s many attractions. In the photo above, Parish President Riley Berthelot (far right) visits with Baton Rouge guests.

Telomolecular Corporation has announced plans to build a 140,000 sq. ft. facility budgeted at $43 million dollars in West Baton Rouge Parish.

The multi-purpose center will be the location of 20 biotechnology and research companies dedicated to pharmaceutical development and the study of therapies to address age-related disease and human aging. The facility will also be home to a regional workforce initiative designed to support laboratory technician education and professional training.

David Dollar, Vice President of Sales for Telomolecular, said, “The 21st century will see tremendous discoveries in medical approaches to address aging and age-related disease. When technology companies cluster, exciting things happen. The purpose of this project is to pool companies with like missions, talent, and focus on human aging to accelerate impending advances in this exciting field of science. We have seen this strategy work in research parks throughout the U.S. and are confident it will work in West Baton Rouge.”

Dollar continues, “We are dedicated to building one of the most competitive biotech workforce training initiatives in the country. It will not only support the firms at the facility, but the entire region’s biotech community. To strengthen this project’s success, we are committed to launching strategic partnerships that will benefit the community’s immediate interests as well as the local economy.”

Deborah Biggs, Executive Director for West Baton Rouge Chamber of Commerce noted, “We believe this project offers tremendous economic development opportunities for West Baton Rouge and the region. We look forward to working with Telomolecular on this opportunity.”

The company plans to announce its site selection and development team in the coming weeks.

A TASTE OF THE WEST... The WBR Chamber held its annual Taste of the West taste fair in September. More than 300 area residents enjoyed food by 16 local restaurants and food vendors. Shown in the photo pouring beverages are Drew Maciasz of the Dow Louisiana Federal Credit Union; and Marc Barker of Latter & Blum, Inc.

Friday, Nov. 9West Baton Rouge Tourist and

Conference Center

Social and Silent Auction - 6 p.m.Buffet Dinner and Live Auction - 7 p.m.Dancing to “Carbon Copy” - 8-11 p.m.

CHAMBER HOLIDAY GALA

Guest Auctioneer - Scott Innes of WYNK & the voice of Scooby DooNon-perishable items being collected for the WBR Food Bank6 decorated trees to be auctioned this yearBlack tie optional

$50 per ticket, sold in advance only225-383-3140

Benefiting Junior Achievement and WBR Food Bank