UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... September 21 ULEDF Meeting to Focus on Deconsolidation Vote
Upcoming Events Bridge Ministry/Upper Lafayette 5K Run Pelican Park September 17, 2011, 8:00am September Membership Meeting Holiday Inn September 21, 2011 11:30-1:00pm Quest for Your Best October 18, 2011 11:00-1:00 Oakbourne Country Club
On October 22, 2011, voters in Lafayette parish will have the opportunity to cast their ballots on deconsolidation. Should we continue the existing form of consolidated government, or should the City of Lafayette have its own independent form of government that was in existence in 1992, and is currently in existence for the five municipalities of Broussard, Carencro, Duson, Scott and Youngsville. The issue is complicated and has arisen due to the growing population of the areas of Lafayette Parish outside of the city limits whose elected Council Representatives have exerted a growing influence on how the city of Lafayette is governed and how its dollars are spent. Please join us at our September 21, 2011 meeting, to be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn on 2032 NE Evangeline Thruway, where we will host a meeting that allows both view points, pro and con, to be discussed. Our guest speakers include Bruce Conque and Don Bacque, both Charter Commission members and on opposite sides of the fence, along with Mike Hefner, demographer, who will present information about possible alternatives to an up or down vote. Lafayette Tax Assessor Conrad Comeaux will also make available a summary of tax dollars and how the monies are contributed and spent within the parish. ULEDF has not taken an official stand on the vote, but our foundation does want our members and friends to be as informed as possible when casting their vote.
Bruce Conque
Don Bacque
Please rsvp to jan@upperlafayette.com if you would like to attend or reserve a table. Tickets are $25 per person or tables of eight may be purchased for $200, payable by check or credit card. We ask that you rsvp by September 16 so that adequate arrangements may be made. We look forward to seeing you there! For a simple chart and answers to frequently asked questions on this issue, please visit the League of Women Voters site at http://www.lwv-lafayette.org/voterinfo/Deconsolidation.html for information. We urge you to vote, always, and in an informed manner.
Mike Hefner
Letter from the President: Mr. Adrian Baudoin Despite the lingering heat and humidity, summer’s gone, kids are back at school, and our community now needs to get to work on a couple of pressing issues - the form of our city/parish government and a new superintendent for our school system.
ULEDF Board of Directors & Staff
Adrian Baudoin, President Beau Phares, V. President Todd Citron, Sec/Treas. Dr. Ross Judice, Past Pres. Amos Batiste Don Dupuis Cherie Hebert Ed Krampe Andre Moreau Dwight Prudhomme Dwight “Bo” Ramsay Herbert Schilling Monty Warren Deborah Young Jan Swift, Director
The Lafayette Parish School System is searching for a new superintendent. The process is designed to be open and heavy in community involvement. Public forums are being held to allow our community to participate in the process. This selection process is critical for us to insure that Lafayette provides the best educational opportunities for our young people. Back in April, the Charter Commission made its final report to the CityParish Council recommending that the consolidation question be brought Mr. Adrian Boudin to a vote of the people. Since 1996 the city and parish have operated under a Acadiana Computer Systems consolidated form of government. Next month, in October, we will all have a chance to cast our vote. To help our membership make an informed choice, we will host a discussion at this month’s meeting to be held at the Holiday Inn on the Thruway on September 21st at 11:30 a.m. Please make plans to attend. While all that hard work is going on, take time out for a little fun on Saturday morning, September 17th to participate in our first annual Run Upper Lafayette event to benefit Bridge Ministry. Meet at Pelican Park in Carencro at 8:00 a.m. for a 5K run/walk. There will be music and snacks so come on out and support the Bridge Ministry’s vital work for our area while having a great time. We appreciate your continued support, and we encourage you to invite your friends and colleagues to join ULEDF. You’ll find more information about membership levels in this newsletter. We hope to see you at our September events!
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September 2011
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UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Quest for Your Best presents, “The Personal Path to Leadership” Upper Lafayette is proud to present its second annual Quest for Your Best Personal Development Series to be held October 18, 2011, 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at Oakbourne Country Club. Our symposium will focus on the personal stories of three dynamic leaders in our community who exemplify leadership and inspire their corporate teams to excellence. Moderated by Elise Bouchner of Excelerant, we will welcome Bud Barrow, CEO of Our Lady of Lourdes Regional Medical Center; Danny Clark, Chief Merchandising Officer of Stuller, Inc.; and David Welch, CEO of Stone Energy. Tickets for Quest for Your Best are $35.00 per person or $275 for a reserved table for eight. Interested parties may rsvp to laura@upperlafayette.com
David Welch Stone Energy Corp.
Danny Clark Stuller Inc.
Bud Barrow Our Lady of Lourdes
Elise Bouchner Excelerant
Upper Lafayette Businesses Recognized in Top 50 ABIZ For several years running, prominent Upper Lafayette businesses and valued members of ULEDF have been recognized for leading the pack in gross revenues. The publishers of the Independent Weekly and ABiz held their annual luncheon on September 1, 2011 to salute the top 50 privately owned businesses, as well as the top publicly traded companies that operate in our region. ULEDF member Whitney Bank is serving as sponsor of this highly popular event honoring this elite group of businesses. Successful and outstanding in performance as leaders in Acadiana’s economy, we are proud to congratulate the following businesses who support Upper Lafayette and make our mission to be a catalyst for positive growth and development possible: Acadian Companies, Hub City Ford, Inc., Schilling Distributing Co., Inc., Home Furniture Co., Inc., McDonald’s of Acadiana, Inc., and Fenstermaker & Associates (recognized in top 50 Privately Held Companies.) Stone Energy Corp., IberiaBank Corp., MidSouth Bancorp and Home Bancorp (recognized in top Publicly Traded Companies. )
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September 2011
www.upperlafayette.com Professional Arts Pharmacy
UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Upper Lafayette Organizes 5K Run/Walk to Benefit Bridge Ministry of Acadiana Pelican Park in Carencro will be the setting of Run Upper Lafayette, our first annual 5K Run/Walk to be held Saturday, September 17, 2011. Partnering with Bridge Ministry of Acadiana, Upper Lafayette is organizing the event while working closely with the Bridge’s staff member Jennifer Reynaud, and founding board member, Nelson Warner. All proceeds will go directly to Bridge Ministry of Acadiana, a non-profit Christian ministry outreach in the Four Corners area of Lafayette. Check in is at 7:00 a.m. The one mile fun run commences at 8:00 am, with the 5K immediately thereafter. A $25.00 entry fee entitles each participant to a dri-fit t-shirt with the Run Upper Lafayette logo, printed by Sideline Sports. The fee for race day entrants is $30. Participants may register on-line at Bridge Ministry’s website at http://www.bridgeacadiana. com/run-upper-lafayette.aspx. Please check out the Bridge’s mission and programming while on the site. Run Upper Lafayette will commence at Pelican Park and wind around side roads that do not experience heavy traffic flow. Certified as a US Track and Field event, we are being assisted by local Cajun Road RunnerTodd Delahoussaye, who is well known in running circles. Drinks will be provided by Acadiana Bottling, and jambalaya is being prepared by Prejean’s Restaurant. Musical entertainment is being provided by The Nathan Sam Bank by Surge Productions. Volunteers to help coordinate race day activities include Madame Cindy Barry (Lafayette High French teacher) and the Lafayette High School Serteens. With our local youth involvement, we hope to recruit many young runners who will spread the news about Upper Lafayette to their peers! Special thanks go to our sponsors: Festival Acadiens, the Jim Lambert Law Firm, and our own ULEDF member IberiaBank! For more information, email jan@upperlafayette.com
Delta Media Open House Delta Media hosted The Carencro Bear 2011 Kickoff Luncheon on July 29, 2011 at its headquarters at 3401 NW Evangeline Thruway in Carencro. Celebrating Mustang 87.7 as Carencro Football’s home station, the crowd was wowed by delicious food catered by Chili’s of Carencro, the Carencro Golden Bear Broadcast sponsor. Sean Trcalek, Delta Media Director of Development, welcomed the guests and spoke of the power of local broadcasting to pump up local excitement for the home team! Carencro Head Football Coach Brent Indest gave an inspiring talk about the upcoming opportunities the team will face this season. While he spoke engagingly about his dynamic new staff, some of whom are former Carencro players, and the old school discipline he brings to his team, the most memorable moments of Indest’s talk were when he spoke of his love for the players. Many members of his team have jobs and work double time to make their grades and succeed in school; Indest’s moving account of his involvement in the players’ lives left a lasting impression of the heart behind the football team. Best wishes to Coach Indest and the Carencro Bears! Delta Media is also home station on Saturdays for the LSU Tiger Football games on Cool 107.1! St. Thomas More football games will be hosted on 103.7 and Westminster Football on 107.1. TV station KLWB will host Southland Conference games every Saturday so we can all catch McNeese football games and others of interest. We urge you to support Delta Media’s great lineup of talent and continue to tune in for great music and television entertainment. ULEDF also wants to thank Delta Media for filming Upper Lafayette, On the Move and its commitment to making our show possible!
Pictured from left to right: Delta Media Director of Sales John Rockweiler, Coach Brent Indest, “Voice of the Bears” Barry Schuermann, and Delta Media Director of Development Sean Trcalek.
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September 2011
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UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Acadiana C.A.R.E.S Celebrates 25th Year! Acadiana is blessed with many non-profit agencies that meet the needs in our community. A few, however, stand out for their bold programming and ability to truly make a difference in the lives of individuals who have nowhere else to turn. Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. (the acronym for Concern for AIDS Relief, Education and Support), is one such organization. Claude Martin, CEO of Acadiana C.A.R.E.S., recently gave Jan Swift of ULEDF a tour of its recently remodeled facility and explained the group’s objectives and accomplishments over its 25 year history. C.A.R.E.S.’ mission is to provide education and services for HIV prevention, and care for those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. Martin explained that HIV is linked to unstable housing, substance use including intravenous drug use, mental illness and lifestyle issues. Many living with HIV are unable to go to their families because they are afraid of being rejected, which leads to further health problems as the condition progresses. Educational outreach targeting high-risk individuals is an important component of C.A.R.E.S.’ mission to reduce the spread of HIV. Good management and diversification of profit-generating services has increased C.A.R.E.S.’ ability to provide services to those most in need and least able to afford care. Ten years ago, C.A.R.E.S. had 11 employees and one housing program for people with HIV in Lafayette; today, it runs 11 housing programs that helped 780 unduplicated clients in 2010. Substance abuse counseling, case management, housing, medication, transportation and financial assistance are among the many services C.A.R.E.S. provides. See http://www. acadianacares.org for more information. C.A.R.E.S. is located on five acres at 809 Martin Luther King Drive. Set back in a secluded area at the site of the former Lafayette Guest House, the facility has 76,000 square feet of offices, living areas and lush community spaces. The property was donated to C.A.R.E.S. in 2006 by local accountant John Wright and other principals in a nursing home consortium. C.A.R.E.S held a ribbon-cutting ceremony Saturday, August 20, 2011, at the facility to showcase $1.5 million in capital improvements made to A Place of CARES. Amazingly, clients constructed about 65% of the improvements. A weeklong celebration of its 25th anniversary culminated with a ribbon rutting, the dedication of an American flag presented by Congressman Charles Boustany’s office, an old fashioned barbeque, and other festivities. “It’s been a slow process, but we’ve been able to create a continuum of care for people with HIV,” Martin said. And not only for people living with HIV—substance abuse treatment, counseling, case management, and housing prevent people from getting HIV. “The ultimate goal is self motivation and independence.” Upper Lafayette salutes our member, Acadiana C.A.R.E.S., and congratulates you on your 25th year of compassionate service. Volume 34, Page 4
September 2011
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UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... Louisiana Wholesale Florists Celebrate 50th Anniversary Founded in 1961 and marking its 50th year in business, the Louisiana Wholesale Florists (“LWF”) celebrated its golden anniversary recently by hosting a series of events at its Upper Lafayette location at 151 High Meadows Blvd. off of Pont Des Mouton Road. The well attended event featured workshops by prominent florists, all day shopping, and luncheon and evening events geared for entertaining its members. Jan Swift of ULEDF was lucky enough to serve as a judge in the LWF annual Gumbo Cookoff, along with KATC TV3’s Maddie Garrett and Stormy McDonnell, and well-known local restaurateur, Pat Dupuis of Pat’s Downtown. The judges all enjoyed the opportunity to taste test great gumbo, and had to eat quite a bit of the delicious entries before selecting the ultimate winning gumbo by Jimmy Caruso! LWF’s general manager, Merlin Leger, has been with the organization since 1962, which in itself is a testament to his commitment and love of the floral industry. He works alongside Mike Howerton, Cindy Comeaux and other dedicated professionals who oversee an annual payroll of approximately $600,000 in Lafayette alone. LWF continues to flourish and enjoys a second location in Baton Rouge, serving the state of Louisiana along with the original headquarters in Lafayette. Congratulations to Louisiana Wholesale Florists and best wishes for continued success!
Maddie Garrett, Stormy McDonell, Merlin Leger, Pat Dupuis,Jan Swift
Jimmy Caruso accepting his award
Mercredi Show Concert at Carencro’s Pelican Park
The popular Mercredi Show begins its 2011 fall session on September 7, 2011 at Carencro’s Pelican Park. This free, family-friendly outdoor concert series is scheduled from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm every Wednesday through October 19th. The concert series showcasing popular local bands is also held in the spring during March and April each year. The Mercredi Show concept is an outgrowth of a similar event in Dieppe, Canada, Carencro’s sister city. Run by the Carencro Parks and Recreation Commission, the event is funded by local taxes dedicated to recreation programs in Carencro, coupled with generous sponsorships underwritten by local businesses. Anyone interested in sponsoring should contact Carencro’s Recreation Commission at (337)896-8481. One of Upper Lafayette’s many wonderful attractions, the Mercredi Show is magnifique! Wednesday, September 7- Geno Delafose & French Rocking Boogie Wednesday, September 14- GTO & D-Street Brass Wednesday, September 21- High Performance Wednesday, September 28- Leroy Thomas & The Zydeco Road runners Wednesday, October 5- Pine Leaf Boys Wednesday October 12- Don Rich & The Don Rich Band Wednesday, October 19- Jamie Bergeron & The Kickin’ Cajuns
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September 2011
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UPPER LAFAYETTE ON THE MOVE... September Community Events 9/7
11:30-1:00 pm LEDA Networking LuncheonPetroleum Club RSVP LEDAluncheon@lafayette.org
9/7
6:00-8:30 pm Mercredi Show at Pelican Park Concert Stage- Geno Delafose & French Rocking Boogie
9/8
7:30-8:00 pm Upper Lafayette on the Move TV Show Acadiana Open Channel Cox 16& LUS 4
9/14 6:00-8:30 pm Mercredi Show at Pelican Park Concert StageGTO & D- Street Brass 9/17 Check in 7:00 am Run Upper Lafayette 5K Run/WalkPelican Park
9/21 11:30- 1:00 pm September Meeting Holiday Inn Cost is $25 RSVP to jan@upperlafayette.com 9/21 6:00-8:30 pm Mercredi Show at Pelican Park Concert Stage- High Performance 9/22 7:30-8:00 pm Upper Lafayette on the Move TV Show Acadiana Open Channel Cox 16& LUS 4
9/22 9:00 & 1:00 pm UL Lafayette Career Fair- Fall 2011 9/28 12:00- 2:00 pm Social Media Best Practices Seminar 100 Central St.- Opportunity Machine
9/17 6:00 pm UL vs. Nicholls State University Cajun Field
9/28 6:00-8:30 pm Mercredi Show at Pelican Park Concert StageLeroy Thomas & The Zydeco Roadrunners
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 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 Whitney Bank
Beau Box Commercial Real Estate SILVER Ace Plumbing, Inc. Allstates Building Systems American Safety & Industrial Supply Aspen Clinic BBR Creative Edward Jones/Bob Crist Master Builders & Specialist Mello Joy Coffee Company Oakbourne Country Club Steven Santillo, APLC Stirling Properties Terry J. Rogers, LTD Walters Funeral Home BRONZE Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. Acadian Hills Country Club Jean Breaux, Jr. & Associates Alan Broussard David Courville–Architect Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering
GOLD Atmos Energy Fenstermaker & Associates Home Bank Honda of Lafayette Opelousas General Health System Stone Energy Corporation
BRONZE CONT’D Derek Development Corp, LLC Joey Durel ECGC Women’s Business Center House of Faith Church 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 Petroleum Club of Lafayette Pope John Paul II Academy Rayne State Bank/ Buddy Webb Richard Leblanc/Leblanc’s Auto Wholesale Ron J. Gaubert Realtors Ken Simeral SLEMCO Sylvan Learning Center
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September 2011
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