De qualifyin’ iz over and now it’s campaign time, wit’ lots of local elections set to be on de Nov. 4 ballot.
What wuz strange toward de end uf qualifyin’ wuz de number uf folks who had not even indicated day wuz gonna run by way uf an announcement in de paper jumpin’ in at de las minute. We sawed dat happen not only in school boad races, but judges’ races az well.
Dat las’ minute qualifyin’ haz made de candidates scramble to have signs made an’ cards printed. Uf course, dat made some sign companies and printers happy, an’ it’s gonna make de papers an’ TV an’ radio stations happy also.
One uf de biggest las’ minute surprises wuz Joe Andrepont steppin’ out at de las’ minute afta servin’ on de boad for more dan 20 years.
Let’s look at de lineup by district. In District 1, Mr. R.L. Webb isn’t runnin’ and Aaron Paul Natali and Brandon Perkins have qualified for dat seat. In District 2, incumbent Fred Hardy iz gonna face Jules Menou. Clara Duhon retires from District 3 afta 27 years uf service, and Glenda Gay, Edwina Medearis an’ Bill Sherman will square off for dat seat. District 4 boad member Annette Ballard gets a free ride.
In District 5, longtime boad member Dale Bernard faces Ron Hayes. Watch dis one, folks. Dis iz one uf several dat will get a lot uf attention.
Bill Jongbloed haz stepped down az District 6 boad member, an’ de race for dis seat iz also gonna get lots uf attention. Longtime bidnessman Ted Atterbery iz in dat race … so are Gino Lubrano, Dean Roberts and Debbie Theriot, wife uf former Superintendent uf Schools Jude Theriot. We have sawed signs for dat race a month before qualifyin’. Dis is de Barbe School district, an’ races for dat seat have always been hot, an’ it will be de case again dis time.
District 7 finds incumbent Mack Dellafosse bein’ opposed by Randy Thibodeaux.
Longtime district 8 boad member Jim Schooler faces Eric Tarver. Randy Burleigh ain’t runnin’ for reelection in District 9, and coach Max Calderera and Jason Elliot are gonna square off in dat one. Chad Guidry in District 11 gets a free ride.
District 12 saw Joe Andrepont resign. Chuck Hansen iz de only one who qualified, an’ will be de new boad member from dat district.
District 13 will be one to watch. Incumbent Billy Breaux haz two opponents: Joy Abshire and Jesse Fontenot. District 14 member Roman Thompson iz anudder member who chose not to run; coach Wayne Williams qualified an’ will be yet anudder new face on de boad.
Bryan LaRocque iz steppin’ down az District 15 member; we have John Duhon an’ Tammie Pettis runnin’ for dat seat.
Az we told you in earlier issues, ya gonna see a whole buncha new faces on dat boad. When you see dem what’s steppin’ down, be shore to tank dem for dar years uf service. Also tank all dem what iz runnin’. Talk about hard work for not a lotta pay … dis iz it.
Mo Surprizes
A whole buncha folks figured City Court Judge John Hood would be returned unopposed. Turns out he haz two opponents — Ron Richard and Bryan Gill are in dat race.
In de utter city judges race, Jamie Bice, Brent Hawkins and Rob McCorquodale are in a race to replace Judge Tom Quirk, who wuz forced out because uf age.
Now, dis election may prove whedder we have no stick to dis law if a buncha justices uf de peace an’ constables have dar way in court. Lots uf dem have banded togedder an’ are challengin’ de law de Legislature passed makin’ it illegal to run afta a certain age. Can you say age discrimination? Watch de news on dis one, folks.
All de district judges went back in except for Judge Mike Canaday. King Alexander iz opposin’ him.
City Marshall Joey Alcede wuz thought to have a free ride. But he haz two opponents: Jeff Hooper an’ Jimmy Richard.
Az expected, Christian Chesson jumped into de race for D.A. against incumbent John DeRosier.
Lots uf folks got free rides trewout de area. Day include Sulphur City Marshall Billy Guidry an’ Sulphur City Judge Charles Schrumpf. Hiz brudda Jackson iz runnin’ for district judge against David Palay an’ Mitch Redd.
In Beauregard Parish, both district judges Kerry Anderson and Martha O’Neil got a free ride. D.A. David Burton chose not to run, an’ Jimmy Lestage was de only one to qualify, so he goes in unopposed.
Maybe De Hottest Race
De race for District Attorney in Jeff Davis Parish may very well be de hottest contest in our area. Incumbent Mike Cassidy iz bein’ opposed by former judge Wendell Miller. Lots uf folks in de parish are very concerned wit’ de amount uf crime in de parish an’, uf course, are pointin’ a finger at every elected official in de parish.
Miller iz a seasoned politician who knows hiz way around. Watch dis one, folks.
Want More Common Core News?
WWL-TV and radio in New Awlins took a poll uf viewers an’ listeners a few days ago; de question wuz do you tink Bobby Jindal iz really against common core or iz dis jus’ a political mover? Better dan 65 percent sed it wuz political.
Now, de folks who listen to dat radio station an’ watch dat TV station have some political smarts. So me, I’m shore Jindal will be payin’ attention to dat poll.
Me, I tink day should take a poll an’ ax how sick are you uf hearin’ about Common Core? An’ de answers to pick from would be A) I’m about to shoot my TV set; B) I’m about to quit readin’ de paper altogedder; C) We should tell Jindal dat big oil iz for Common Core an’ see what happens.
Bet you de answers would make a whole lot of Jindal followers squirm.
Congressman Had Em’ Squirmin’
Me an’ my buddy Max went to dat Legisgator lunch de Chamber put on recently at de L’Auberge. Landrieu an’ Cassidy were dar, an’ mos’ uf de U.S. congressmen an’ about half de Legislature. Some 800 folks were dar.
But de guy who stole de show wuz Congressman Vance McAllister from West Monroe, who wuz caught on camera kissin’ a former aide. McAllister shot from de hip and had a whole buncha politicians squirmin’.
He goes into dis bid for reelection havin’ lost de support uf de Republican Party an’, more important, de support uf de Duck Dynasty boys.
Will he pull it out? Me, I tink he will. It would be funny if he would make de runoff an’ de Republicans would come crawlin’ back to him.
Wait For Someone To Yell ‘Action’
In 2013, de major movie film studios produced 108 films; 18 were done in Louisiana — mo dan any udder state. Dat’s because uf de tax break we offer filmmakers to come here. Me, I tink it’s great to have sometin’ generatin’ dollars for our state besides de oil an’ gaz bidness.
Now de only problem me, I got wit’ dat iz dat none uf dem movies were done in de Lake Area. Movies like Dallas Buyers Club, G.I. Joe Retaliation an’ Oblivion wuz all shot in Baton Rouge. Maybe Tony Kushner could get de ball rollin’ by shootin’ one uf hiz movies in hiz hometown.
Now, some stuffed shirts are complainin’ we are givin’ de big movie houses too much uf a tax break. Guess dat means some politician ain’t gettin’ hiz share.
Seriously, let’s get a big-time movie shot in Lake Charles. Can you tink uf de las’ time dat happened? I would say 1972, when The Drowning Pool wit’ Paul Newman an’ JoAnn Woodward wuz shot in our area. So bring on de movies.
Deep Taughts Durin’ De First Full Week Uf Football On TV
10 ) Iz Les Miles gonna cause me to have a heart attack dis year wit’ his famous comebacks?
9) Iz my 53-inch TV big enough or should I get a 70-inch model?
8) Cell phone companies are makin’ tons uf money off phones an’ plans … just how much??
7) Are de Astros gonna tank it in de las’ few weeks uf de season to get de No. 1 draft choice?
6) Just how many are gonna run for Lake Charles mayor next year?
5) Why does my maid keep drinkin’ my liquor?
4) Why don’t dem folks what flood every time do a class action suit against de Realtors, builders and city?
3) Why iz it I have to go to de bank to borrow money befo goin’ to de store to buy ground meat?
2) Maybe I should try out for one uf dem movies day shootin’ in Louisiana.
1) Why don’t DOTD jus’ admit it’s not a money issue for roads; it’s an accountability issue?
Final Shot
My fran Lefty went to de LSU-Wisconsin game in Houston. He sed he tore his LSU shirt to pieces when de Tigers went down by 17 points in de third quarter. But when Les an’ de boys came back, he went lookin’ for de pieces uf de shirt scattered in de stands. Dat’s what I like — a true fan. Speakin’ uf which, show dat you’re a true McNeese fan an’ wear your blue an’ gold today an’ every day durin’ football season.
‘Til next season, lache pas la patate.
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