By de time mos’ uf you read dis, Calcasieu Parish Schools will have a new superintendent. School boad members are to be commended for de selection process.
Now folks, dis selection process wuzn’t an easy one. Board members did dar homework, knowin’ dat dar decision would affect 33,000 students and almost 5,000 employees. Add to dat a State Dept. uf Education dat’s always on your case, an’ parents who are never satisfied, an’ you see you better have someone in place who can handle de challenge.
We commend de boad members who stayed away from de politics dat haz plagued de pickin’ uf superintendents in de past.
Meantime, de Leap test scores are in, an’ once again our parish continues to improve. Dat’s de kinda news mamas an’ daddies like to hear.
Now all de teachers, parents an’ boad members have to make shore dat day keep de ball rollin’ in de right direction.
Moss Lake Village Will Happen
If you been follerin’ de news for de las’ few weeks, you probably heard de folks in de Carlyss area wuz against de buildin’ uf a man camp on airport property. De airport management boad recently voted 3-2 to OK an agreement wit’ First Flight Holdings for First Flight to build a 2,500-capacity man camp on de Southland Field property.
If you happen to be on Facebook or any udder social media outlet, you’ve seen mo rumors dan you can shake a stick at about dis project. An’ de sad part iz, some uf de folks out dar believed every one uf dem. One postin’ even claimed First Flight wus owned by Russian premier Vladimir Putin.
Now de First Flight folks had to agree to some stuff dat would make dis project OK for some folks. Az we’ve sed before, dar iz already a man camp on Highway 27 near Carlyss in de form uf motor homes and a travel trailer park dat’s filled wit’ folks dat work on construction sites in Calcasieu and Cameron parish. Wit’ de First Flight project, only time will tell.
Crime Numbers: De Good, Bad An’ Ugly
De Lake Charles Police Chief Don Dixon and Mayor Randy Roach recently held a press conference to discuss crime numbers for de city. De numbers show dat crime wuz up, wit’ de biggest increase in auto theft, which wuz up 21 percent in 2013 compared to 2012.
Overall, de number of crimes wuz 10,352 — a far cry from de 14,000-plus number uf 2007 and 2008.
Durin de press conference, Dixon talked about gettin’ mo pay for de officers who fight crime in our area. Roach also pointed out dat de LCPD has one of the highest percentage of crimes solved in the country. Now dat’s sayin’ sometin’, considerin’ all de traffic comin’ trew dis area. Good job Chief Don an’ staff.
Session Produced No Big Surprises
We make it a point to remind our readers to watch dar wallets when de Legislature iz in session. No need to worry wit’ de jus’ completed session. De $25 billion budget went trew da House an’ den de Senate wit’ not much fightin’.
What exactly our legislative delegation got for us in de “bring home de bacon” department will be announced in de next few days by dem state representatives and senators what got something for dar district, McNeese an’ de infrastructure.
Now some uf our legislators don’t like dat “bring home de bacon” term, but we all know it gives dem sometin’ to brag about when day run for reelection.
Story iz dat de budget iz gonna include mo money for health care an’ education. Dat hasn’t happened in a coon’s age, an’ dat really remains to be seen.
Da Jindal administration had hired a consultin’ firm to suggest ways to save de state gubment money. Among dar suggestions wuz closin’ down some Dept. uf Motor Vehicle Offices an’ cuttin’ de hours uf operation for de Cameron ferry. Well our delegation had a come to Jesus meetin’ wit’ Jindal and Commissioner uf Administration Kristy Nichols, an dat settled both uf dem issues right away.
Me, I still say if de state don’t have no money to build highways an’ bridges like de DOTD claims, den why not get rid uf some uf dem deadheads in DOTD? Everyone who’s run for governor, goin’ back to Earl Long, has promised to get rid uf deadheads in Baton Rouge. Truth iz, day get rid uf de deadheads dat are in dar when day take office and den replace dem with dar own deadheads.
Oil An’ Gas Flexes Its Muscle Again
Gen. Russel Honore’, who became famous durin’ hurricanes Katrina an’ Rita, haz been very vocal about gettin’ oil companies to repair damage day caused to our marshes while drillin’ for oil and gas in de Gulf.
A levee board from de New Awlins area had filed suit to force de companies to follow through and clean up de marshes as wuz specified in dar drillin’ permit wit’ DEQ. Well, de big oil an’ gaz companies would hear nuttin’ uf dat. An’ as usual, de oil an’ gas lobby, still de strongest in dis state, worked legislators over real good, an’ both houses voted to make it illegal for a group like de Southeast Louisiana Flood Protection Authority East to file suits against drillin’ and pipeline companies in dis state.
It should be noted dat de few who were against the Jindal-supported bill told committed members of 37 different studies dat claimed big oil and gas companies exploration is responsible for 36 percent uf de wetland loss in our state. But dat didn’t matter to legislators, because oil and gas folks sed de Jindal bill wuz a good bill. Ain’t politics in our state wonderful?
Nagin Told To Fork Over $500,000 Plus
Former New Awlins Mayor Ray Nagin, who wuz fount guilty on 20 uf 21 charges in 2013, haz been ordered by a federal judge in New Awlins to forfeit (dat means turn over) $502,301 de feds claim he made from from fraud, bribery an’ money launderin’.
Now Nagin’s wife haz filed bankruptcy, an’ dat raises legal questions az to if an’ how da feds can get the money back.
Nagin is scheduled for sentencin’ on de charges he wuz fount guilty uf later dis year. Tings ain’t goin’ too well in de Nagin household dese days.
Wounded Warrior Softball Comin’
It wuz announced recently dat de Wounded Warrior Softball exhibition would return to McMurry Park in Sulphur June 21-22. Event organizers have announced some of de participants. Duck Dynasty fans will be pleased to know de CEO uf Duck Dynasty, Willie Robertson, will be here. He’s de one who played football for La. Tech, but quit when football practice started messin’ up his duck huntin’.
Also appearin’ will be Liz Cavalier Chote, better known az de Gator Queen from de hit TV show Swamp People. Lots of other national celebrities and local dignitaries will participate. Also, lots of local sponsors are involved in dis event. A Buick Verano donated by Jack Hebert of All-Star Buick GMC will be raffled off. Mark your calendar for dis very important charity event.
Geaux, Huber, Geaux
It’s often sed dat behind every successful person iz a good teacher. An’ dat’s certainly true in de case uf one local music teacher. An’ hopefully he will be rewarded next year.
De teacher is Huber ”Mickey” Smith, who teaches music at Maplewood Middle School. Huber was nominated for de Music Educator Award, which will be presented at de Academy Awards Show in 2015. Over 7,000 teachers from throughout de U.S. were nominated. De number haz been whittled down to 222, an’ Huber is one of them.
Now anyone who’s ever seen him workin’ with a young student can really appreciate dis nomination. An’ if you’ve ever seen Huber play, you know he’s one in a million. Good luck to you, Huber. All uf Southwest Louisiana will be pullin’ for you.
Deep Taughts While Watchin’ Baseball
10) When are dem Yankee announcers gonna learn how to pronounce Broussard?
9) What can I do to keep birds an’ critters away from my tomato plants?
8) McNeese girls beat Alabama an’ A&M durin’ de regular season. Why don’t day make de field of 64?
7) Whare wuz T Claude when I needed help wit’ my yard floodin’ from all de rain?
6) Why iz a feller from Colorado predictin’ da number uf hurricanes for dis season?
5) What’s wit’ de Astros winnin’ all dem games in May an’ how long ‘til day get back to dar losin’ ways?
4) Why iz it dat all old people talk about medicines day take and de prices at de grocery store?
3) How come my slow-cooked brisket don’t taste nearly az good as Kevin’s?
2) Will the CVB use de “Happy” video Sean Ardoin did?
1) Is Cove Lane startin’ to make sense to anyone out dar?
Final Shot
Lefty sed he had to go to the bank an’ borrow money to buy his LSU tickets this year. He said for collateral, he had to put up his house, his camp an’ his cracklin’ pot.
‘Til next time, lache pas la patate.
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