Blooddrive aids terroristattackvictims
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
FreedomBall ticketsonsale
Retired U.S. Marine Corps
Lt. Col. Roman Kemp Cason, Queen Lucy Cason and Ball
Captain Danielle Lennix will lead the annual Elks Freedom Ball at 6p.m. Feb. 1atthe Price LeBlanc PACE Center,2824 St Anthony Ave., Gonzales.
Proceeds from the ball will be reserved to provide services that benefit the health and wellbeing of veterans —thosewho serve, have served, and have given their lives in support of their country
Supporters can participate by purchasing atable of eightfor $500 or by individual tickets for $50 before Jan. 25. For more information, contactLee Melanconat(225) 4451383 or by email at lee.melancon@cox.net. For tickets,visit tinyurl.com/ydakthwp.
Donaldsonville MardiGras plansannounced
Donaldsonville’sMardi Gras parade is set for 2p.m. Feb. 16. The route is from Marchand Drive and Church Street to Railroad Avenue and will end at Mississippi Street. Text or call (225) 323-1918 to obtain acopy of the MardiGras parade application. Deadlineto apply to participate in the parade is 4:30 p.m. Feb. 6.
KreweofAscension Mambo
Krewe of Ascension Mambo has set its 2025 parade for 2p.m. Feb. 22.
The krewe’sball is planned for Feb. 15 at Price LeBlanc PACE Center in Gonzales. Christmastreerecycling
Jan. 15 is the last day to recycle Christmas tress at LamarDixon Expo Center
Residents can enter themain gate of the facility,at9039St. Landry Road, Gonzales, and follow the signs to the unpaved parking area on the left. Trees should be bare andnot attached to astand. For more information, call (225) 450-1506.
Volunteers lined up last week in Gonzales and Donaldsonville to donate blood for thevictimsofthe New Year’sDay terrorist attack on BourbonStreet.
The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office hosted the Vitalant bloodmobile during blood driveatits two offices for aBattle of the Badges competition.
Halee Gregoire reads while donating blood during the AscensionParish Battle of the Badges Blood Drive on ThursdayinGonzales.
STAFFPHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON ä More photos. PAGE 4G
Want acookie?
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
The largest wine and spirit distributor in the country is in the process of opening a distribution center in Geismar Southern Glazer’sWine &Spirits,a Miami-based distributor,issetting up anearly 375,000-square-foot warehouse at 6602 Industrial Drive, according to documentsfiled with the Ascension Parish Clerk of Court’s office.
The company emerged from amerger between Glazer’sWholesale Distributors and Southern Wine &Spirits of Americain 2016, according to its website. Glazer’swas founded in Dallas in 1933, while Southern
Wine &Spirits wasfounded in Miami in 1968, thecompany’swebsite states.
It is the 10th largestprivate companyin the U.S., with 24,000 employees and $26 billion in revenue for 2024, according to Forbes.The company did not respond to requests for comment.
Thecompany distributes8,600 brands with 3,000 trucks in its fleet, according to acompany fact sheet. And it orchestrates 7.1million customer deliveries annuallyto more than 250,000 customers.
“The multi-generational, family-owned Company hasoperationsin44U.S.states, theDistrict of Columbia, andCanada,”the company saysonits website. “… Newsweek has recognized Southern Glazer’sWine &
Spirits as being one of America’sGreatest Workplaces for Diversityfor 2024.” ‘State-of-the-art’ warehouse
The arrangement was several years in the making In 2022, GonzalesProperty Partners LLC purchased thepropertyfor closeto $6.5 million from LJG Land Company LLC, abusiness owned by New Roads developer L.J. Grezaffi. Southern Glazer’sCEO Wayne Chaplin is listed as manager for Gonzales Property Partners, which also reports amailing address of Southern Glazer’s corporate headquarters, according to theLouisiana SecretaryofState business database.
Thenextyear,recordsshowthe Industrial Development Board of Ascension voted 5-0 to acquire theproperty from Gonzales Property Partners for$100. As part of the agreement, the board was also authorized by the company to issue bonds to help financethe project In the filing, thedocumentstated the warehouse would be equipped with a “state-of-the-art materialhandling system for storage and distribution of wine andspirits on the Property pursuant to the Lease.”
Chief Supply Chain Officer Bobby Burg referenceda Louisiana warehouseina
PHOTO BY WENDYLOUP
Members of GirlScout Troop 10641 pass out popcornand prizes during Saturday’sannual GirlScout Cookie Rally at First United Methodist Church in Gonzales. The Junior,Cadette and Senior troopshelped teach the younger members about cookie sales. ä See story. PAGE 2G
Memory Salter, with Troop 10641, left, helps 11-yearold Paige Walley, of Troop 10296, set cookie sales goals during Saturday’s cookie rally
Company faces FTC lawsuit
from page 1G
news release last July about “significant investments” across the country
“As part of Southern Glazer’s 10-year supply chain transformation, logistics and operations teams are investing in new facilities, routing and forecasting technologies, leveraging Artificial Intelligence and automation, and launching new innovative solutions for customers,” he said.
And in two separate Dec. 26 documents, Gonzales Property Partners recorded a $53.5 million mortgage and leased the space to Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Louisiana until 2049.
The company is actively hiring on its website. In a Jan 6. post on Instagram, the company said it is looking to fill day and night positions.
“Join Southern Glazer’s and help keep the world’s most iconic beverage alcohol brands moving,” the company wrote. “Competitive pay, great benefits, and career growth await!”
A few weeks before the filings in Ascension Parish, the company came under national scrutiny by the Federal Trade Commission
The FTC sued Southern Glazer’s Dec 12 in federal court in California, alleging it harmed “small, independent businesses by depriving them of access to discounts and rebates, and impeding their ability to compete against large national and regional chains.”
In a news release, the company said it agreed with the two FTC commissioners who voted not to authorize the lawsuit: Melissa Holyoak and Andrew Ferguson, whom President-elect Donald Trump nominated as the next FTC chair
“Alcohol distributors face numerous regulations that dictate how they compete and can price and discount products, and Southern Glazer’s complies with those legal requirements,” the company wrote. “Southern Glazer’s strongly disputes the FTC’s allegations and will defend itself vigorously in this litigation.”
BY WENDY LOUP Contributing writer
PHOTOS BY WENDY LOUP
Girl Scout Senior Samantha Pasqua, center and Cadette Cameron Murphy right, play a game with younger troop members.
Prairieville High girlsbasketballcoach says newassignmentishis ‘dream job’
The old saying “Build it and they will come” rings true when it comes to the girls basketball program at the new Prairieville High School.
incredible opportunity and where Iwas in my career it was too good to pass up,” Delrie said.
The Hurricanes, led by head coach Chase Delrie, are 10-4 overall in its first year of varsity action. Delrie has been ahead coach for 15 years, most recently at Dutchtown for the last four years. When asked what attracted him to this challenge, Delrie was honest. “After years onthe school level and 18 total years, the attraction to start this program from the ground up was simple. The PVHS community and being able to work with principal Randy Loving, who hired me at Dutchtown. Isaw this an
The Hurricanes have everything new and everything theretobesuccessful. Delrie has built his team and staff from scratch,easier said than done.
“This is unique, playing avarsity schedule in the schools first year of existence. The firstorder of business was to build astaff to helpwith my vision,” the coach said. “My staffis investedand dedicated as well as passionate about the players and the program.
“The next step was to build arelationship with theplayers to get 1% better every day,” he added. “Westarted this process in June, it has taken avillage.The administration,coaches,players, booster club, parents, community and our student body to make this apositive experience.”
Students in grades 10 through 12 were not forced to come to the new high school, they had achoice.
Onlythe incoming freshmen in the district were required, so there were so manyunknowns on what the roster would look like, and could theycompete?
Delrie
is pleased withhis
entire team.Hementioned somekey players that have excelled so far
“Our point guard is Marly Gatlin. she leads us with a22-point average, seven rebounds, five assistsand three steals per game,”Delrie said. “Marly has done an amazing jobonthe floor this season. She has put up great
numbers andinvolvedher teammates. She truly is our leader on thefloor andinthe locker room.”
He saidsophomoreCailyn
Sheets is an off guard that averages 12 pointsper game, sheisonpace to make 100 threes this season.“She can shoot theballona consistent basisevery night we play.
“Ourteam hasall contributed,but Marlyand Cailyn have really stood out,” Delrie said.
With district play approaching, Delrie knows what his team’s strengths andweaknesses are, they are constantlylookingtoget better in practice.
“Doing extra thingstoget better andbeconsistent,” the coach said. “I tellthe girls that we have to control the thingswecan control and that will put us in thebest position forsuccess. We are very young andinexperienced,but they are so resilient,noexcuses made. This
hasbeen ablessing to work withthis staffand thegirls.” The futureofPrairieville High’sgirls basketballisin good hands withDelrieand his staff. Delrie hasthe best of both worlds at thenew school
“These young ladieshave been great, apleasure to coach,” he said. “Theybuy intoeverything we throw at them; they are aclose grouponand off thecourt. The other thing is my family balance, my wife is from the area, andwelive afew miles from school.The campus andfacilitiesare top notch, this wasanobrainertocome andbuild awinnerhere, this is my dream job.”
Troy LeBoeufcovers sports forthe Ascension Advocate. He can be reached at troyleboeuf@ hotmail.com or ascension@theadvocate. com or on Twitter @Troyleboeuf
THEASCENSIONADVOCATE,40444 Cannon Road,Gonzales, LA 70737(225) 388-0215
PUBLISHEDEVERY WEDNESDAY Onlineattheadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/communities/ascension/
COMMUNITY SECTION EDITOR
DarleneT.Denstorff ddenstorff@theadvocate.com
OFFICE:(225) 388-0215 CELL:(225) 603-1998
RIVER PARISHES WRITER Christopher Cartwright christopher.cartwright@theadvocate.com (225) 388-0125
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Applicants forShell LiveWire LouisianaAccelerator Programare accepted from Ascension, Assumption, East BatonRouge,WestBaton Rouge,Iberville,Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston,St. Charles, St.James, St.Johnthe Baptist, St.Mary, and Terrebonne Parishes. Diversemicro, entrepreneurs,and small business owners (e.g., women-owned, minority-owned,veteran-owned,LGBTQ+, etc.)are strongly encouraged to apply
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AROUND
Continued from page1G
MLKevent Jan. 20
The River Road African American Museum is planning aday of service Jan. 20 tohonor Martin Luther King Day
Volunteers are invited from 10 a.m. to 2p.m. to paint amural and revitalize the museum’scommunity garden at the Donaldsonville museum’sRosenwald School
To register for the day of service call (225) 474-5553 or visit www.riverroadram.org.
FFAplans gumbocook-off
Want to tasesome of the best gumbo around?Visit East Ascension High from 6p.m.to8p.m. in thecafeteria to taste gumbo cooked for the 10th annual event Gumbo cooks can register at tinyurl. com/2yfbxzf9. Admission is $5 and cooks’ registration fee is $25.
Trip to Greece planned
The Donaldsonville Area Chamber of Commerce is planning atrip to Greece June1-9. The nine-day trip includes stops in Athens, Santorini, Pelponnese, Poros, Hydra and Aegina. The cost is $3,799. For information, call (225) 473-4814. ContactDarlene Denstorffbyphone,
(225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or
ddenstorff@theadvocate.com. Deadline: 5p.m.Friday.
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STAFF PHOTOSBYMICHAEL JOHNSON
Staff Sgt.Larry Lejeune donates blood during the AscensionParish Battle of the Badges Blood Drivein Gonzales.
Ascension Parish Sheriff’sOffice publicinformation officer DonovanJackson, right, looksoverthe waiting list for the Ascension Parish Battle of the Badges Blood Drive
Halee Gregoire squeezes aball while donating bloodduring the Ascension Parish Battle of the Badges Blood DriveonThursday Bernadette Powell holds her arm overher head after donating blood.