Volume 20
July 2010
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE…. PLEASE SUPPORT RALLY FOR ECONOMIC SURVIVAL!
Upcoming Events Meetings for 2010 July 28, 11:30 a.m. Oakbourne Country Club Senator Mike Michot Sponsored by Hub City Ford! September 15, 11:30 a.m.
UPPER LAFAYETTE BOUNDARIES
The Rally for Economic Survival will give a united voice to Louisiana citizens impacted by the federal moratorium on deepwater drilling in the Gulf of Mexico. Together we will send a message to the Obama administration to lift the moratorium for Louisiana's jobs and America's energy future. ULEDF urges you, your employees and families to show your support by attending the rally on Wednesday, July 21, 2010, 11:00 to 1:00 p.m. at www.rallyforeconomicsurvival.com the Cajundome. Let’s visibly demonstrate just how crucial the oil and gas industry is to us; not only for our region’s employment, but for the American way of life as we and all of the U.S. now know it. A proponent for ending the moratorium, John Hofmeister, former CEO of Shell Oil and founder of Citizen’s for Affordable Energy, Inc., spoke in Lafayette on July 8, 2010 about the need to implement an independent energy commission charged with establishing a long-term energy policy. His vision is to employ a grass roots effort to make our voices heard by Congress. While providing statistics as to our current dependence on foreign oil and the staggering amount of oil, gas, coal, etc. that Americans consume each second, his message is one of hope and sustainability. To quote Hofmeister, “We have more energy in this world than we will ever use. We need to develop all types of energy from oil, gas and coal to nuclear, biofuels, hydrogen, hydropower, geothermal, wind, solar. We also need new technology to replace the internal combustion engine with batteries or hydrogen fuel cells. That will wean us off our oil dependency. Let's use dirty energy in clean ways and clean energy in efficient ways. That way energy will always be available and affordable.” We encourage you to learn about Hofmeister’s effort to change the way Americans view energy and his pitch for safe and sustainable methods of fulfilling our energy needs. Please see http://www.citizensforaffordableenergy.org or check out his book, “Why we Hate the Oil Companies.” John Hofmeister
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE SHOW NOW AIRS ON THURSDAYS Upper Lafayette, On The Move! now premieres on Acadiana Open Channel the 1st and 3rd Thursday of each month on Channel 16, Cox, and LUS Fiber 4. Replays run on Channel 15, Cox, and LUS Fiber 3 on Fridays at 10pm, Saturdays at 7:30pm, and Mondays at 5pm. All shows are also accessible from our website: http://upperlafayette.com we encourage you to tune in and keep up with community movers and shakers!
Letter from the President: Dr. Ross Judice ULEDF Board of Directors & Staff Dr. Ross Judice, President Ed Krampe, V. President Adrian Baudoin, Sec/Treas. Todd Citron, Past Pres. Don Dupuis Andre Moreau Beau Phares Dwight Prudhomme Dwight “Bo” Ramsay Herbert Schilling Monty Warren Jan Swift, Director
The oil continues to gush out into our Gulf of Mexico, and with each passing day the devastating effects to our ecosystem seem to get worse as scientists begin to publish the results of their findings. Yesterday we learned that the natural gas release from the blown well may have tragic consequences beyond what we've all heard about the effects of the oil itself. I suppose the silver lining around this dark cloud is that BP is spending billions of dollars, and some of that money is flowing into the Louisiana economy. Should we resent Louisiana firms that have the good fortune of being able to profit from the Gulf Coast's misfortune? Obviously not, as long as they are not predatory in nature, and serve the greater good of the cleanup. Human nature dictates that we would begin to become immune to the oil spill bad news in order to protect our psyche from feeling too depressed, in the same way that we've done for the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. For those closest to the action at "ground zero" on the Gulf Coast, Iraq, and Afghanistan, there is only a frontal assault on the emotional nervous system. Some folks will be resilient and mostly unaffected, while others will be impacted emotionally for their entire lives. I hope we are prepared to clean up those broken souls devastated by these events.
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE…. J W FAULK ELEMENTARY GAINS INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE STATUS! Congratulations to J. W. Faulk Elementary on attaining accreditation as an International Baccalaureate World School. Working for over two years to achieve this coveted status, Principal Carol Mays, Kay Couvillon and staff have undergone a rigorous documentation process and candidacy training program in order to become an approved IB World School. According to the Lafayette Parish School System website, “At the heart of this program is a multi-faceted, full-circle approach to learning, with problem solving at the core of every assessment - not memorization.” Its specific curriculum is used to encourage students to be problem solvers while encouraging responsibility to their community’s needs, and the needs of the world around them. While the curriculum is rigorous, IB offers students the chance to learn Carol Mays every angle of a subject, experiencing transdisciplinary learning, and become true problem solvers. Only a handful of schools in Louisiana have been awarded this coveted status. ULEDF wishes J. W. Faulk the best in its efforts to raise scores and focus on offering our children the best in teaching methods! For more information on this program, please see http://www.ibo.org.
FARM D’ALLIE GOLF CLUB SETTING FOR HEALTH CARE CLINIC FUNDRAISER
Farm D’allie Golf Club in Carencro was the gorgeous setting for a May golf tournament held to benefit the Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic, one of ULEDF’s newest members. Co-chaired by Donna Delahoussaye and Babette Werner, approximately $22,000 was raised for the clinic’s mission of providing free health and dental care services to low-income working uninsured, as well as free prescriptions to the low income uninsured and underinsured. ULEDF’s own Acadiana Computer Systems team was the second place winner! Check out this fabulous 18 hole golf club ranked in the top 25 Louisiana golf courses and located at 1235 Beau Bassin Road, Carencro. For more information, contact Allison Ramsay at (337)886-2227 or Allison@golfcarencro.com. Pictured clockwise from above left are (1) Jim Craft, Jimmy and Cherie Hebert and Jacob Gauthier; (2) Jeanette Alcon, Tim Anderson, Johnny Meaux, Don Dupuis and Cherie Hebert; 3) Farm D’allie Golf Club; (4) Jerry and Bo Ramsay; and (5) Bud Barrow, Carl Richard and Dr. Ken Spiller.
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation is an association of proactive individuals and business leaders, joined together to be a catalyst for change. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance and direct the positive, planned growth of Upper Lafayette, focusing on quality of life, while participating in the overall development of the Greater Lafayette Metropolitan Area. Contact jan@upperlafayette.com for more information.
Special Thanks To Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation Members! PLATINUM Acadian Ambulance Service Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. Acadiana Rubber & Gasket Aries Marine Corporation ASH/Badger Oil Company Delta Media Home Furniture Hub City Ford, Inc. IberiaBank McDonald’s of Acadiana MidSouth Bank Our Lady of Lourdes Republic National Distributing Company Schilling Distributing Company The Southwest Group Stevens RV Center Whitney Bank
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GOLD Atmos Energy Home Bank Honda of Lafayette VALOR Commercial Real Estate SILVER Accel Protection & Technologies Allstates Building Systems American Safety & Industrial Supply Anytime Fitness—Moss Street Aspen Clinic Associated Travel Group BBR Creative Edward Jones/Bob Crist Master Builders & Specialists, Inc. Mello Joy Coffee Company Steven Santillo, APLC Stirling Properties Sylvan Learning Center Terry J. Rogers, LTD Walters Funeral Home
BRONZE Acadiana C.A.R.E.S Acadian Hills Country Club Jean Breaux, Jr. & Associates Crawdaddy’s On Site Catering Derek Development Corp., LLC Joey Durel ECGC Women’s Business Center Horace Guidry Lafayette Convention & Visitors Bureau Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic Lee Verret/State Farm Insurance Agency Lynn Guidry Architect Lowry’s Printing and Copying Flo Meadows Melancon I-49 Storage Center Northwood United Methodist Church Ron J. Gaubert Realtors Ken Simeral SLEMCO Buddy Webb/Rayne State Bank
Printed by Lafayette Economic Development Authority