Download October 2009 - West Bank Continues Mardi Gras Traditions

INSIDE: Public School Consolidation Proposed • Jefferson Drainage Projects • October is Fire Prevention Month: Learn Not to Burn! 

by Troy Broussard 

—Managing Editor— 

SPORTS 

Bairnsfather 

Home at 

Shaw 

by Ken Trahan 

Sometimes it works out, sometimes 

it does not. Many have attempted to 

return to the scene of previous successes 

— and failed. You can count Scott 

Bairnsfather among those who has returned 

home and experienced a happy 

return, although it is way too premature 

to invoke “happy ending,” as of yet. 

Scott Bairnsfather was born and 

raised in Harvey. He grew up on the 

playground at Harvey Playground, playing 

all sports. Though he would make 

his name in football, Bairnsfather had 

another shaped ball in mind to pursue 

See Shaw Football on Page 40 

Gretna Fest: A great event for a good cause 

O nce 

again, Gretna Heritage Festival 

organizers have managed to 

provide all of the ingredients necessary 

for a great fall weekend October 

2-4. Building on its past successes that 

have culminated in the “fest” becoming 

an annual destination for many, this 

year’s party promises not to disappoint – 

whether you are a music lover, a gourmet, 

a senior, a teen or a toddler. No 

where else but in Gretna can you enjoy 

the ambiance and hospitality of a small 

historical city in Jefferson Parish while 

admiring the backdrop of the mighty 

by Frank J. Borne, Jr. 

—Editor— 

errytown’s seniors shortly will have 

Ta new place to congregate for rest 

and relaxation and to have fun with 

their peers. 

Richard C. Lambert Consultants, 

LLC has completed the design of the 

$700,000 facility to be located at 

604 Heritage Avenue in Terrytown. 

The building will take 

seven to eight months to 

construct and will have approximately 

3,900 square feet. In 

addition to being totally compliant with 

Americans with Disabilities Act 

requirements, amenities include a 

lighted BINGO board, marker board, 

kitchen with complete with appliances, 

and wiring for audio visual aids, television, 

and a projector screen. The facility 

also will feature ample storage and will 

have room for tables that may seat 

Mississippi River and the Big Easy in 

the distance. 

Gretna Fest draws its crowds from 

across the country, demonstrating to 

out-of-towners all that is best about the 

West Bank’s food, art and culture, while 

producing a positive impact on the local 

economy. And, not that loyal festival 

goers need any more of a reason to be 

there the first weekend in October, 

but the event also serves a greater 

purpose as well. Behind the 

music, food and fun is a worthy 

cause- over 40 local, state and national 

nonprofit groups who benefit from the 

funds raised through the event. A 

New Terrytown Golden Age Center 

Will Welcome Seniors 

approximately 155 people. The function 

will be ideal for gatherings such as parties 

and meetings. 

Jefferson Parish Councilman Chris 

Roberts is excited about the facility’s 

potential: “The new center will provide 

the Golden Age groups a vibrant new 

venue to expand their activities with 

the inclusion of an improved kitchen 

facility and state of the art audiovisual 

equipment.” 

The old center will be used by the 

parish’s recreation department as 

storage for Terrytown Playground. A 

common exterior theme will compliment 

the new golden age center, remodeled 

library, and the new gym. ■ 

See Page 3 

for more festival 

information! 

This year‘s official Gretna Fest 

poster by West Bank artist Christy Boutte. 

complete listing of these can be found at 

www.gretnafest.com/nonprofits.php. 

The West Bank Beacon is a proud 

sponsor of Gretna Fest this year, and we 

are pleased to provide you with 

your official map and a full schedule 

of events on page 12 of this 

month’s edition. Please be sure to 

stop by and visit the Beacon’s booth on 

the festival grounds over the weekend. 

We’ll see you there! ■ 

Halloween 

Thrills & Chills 

W hether 

it means attending their 

school fair or choosing Halloween 

costumes and putting up 

decorations, for many children fall 

can be one of the most exciting 

times of the year. In keeping with 

the spirit of the season, several locations 

on the West Bank and just 

across the river are offering October 

events that will put kids and 

parents alike in the mood for falling 

leaves and bags full of candy. 

For a schedule of 

events and 

Halloween 

s a f e t y 

tips, see 

pages 56 

and 57. ■

Page October 009 

The WesT Bank Beacon 

800 Gretna Boulevard 

Gretna, LA 70056 

504-371-5197 

WWW.GRETNABMX.COM 

SATURDAY RACING: 

4pm-6pm: 4pm-6pm: 

Registration & Practice 

Registration Race: ASAP! & Practice 

RACE: ASAP! 

TUESDAY RACING: 

5:30pm-7pm: THURSDAY Registration PRACTICE: & Practice 

Race: 6pm-8pm 

ASAP!

October 009 Page 


Hurricane season 2009, albeit 

uneventful and calm, thankfully 

soon will be just a memory. Area 

children reluctantly have gone back to 

school for another fast-paced year of 

education, sports, and other activities. 

Cold fronts have started lumbering 

through the United States, and some 

of them have actually made it through 

our area. Our electricity bills will begin 

to decrease as the days get shorter 

and cooler. October is here, and the 

holidays very soon will be upon us. 

First, however, we must stop to enjoy 

what is arguably the most comfortable 

and exciting month to live in Southeast 

Louisiana. Because the weather is so 

cooperative and enjoyable, the month 

is filled with outdoor festivals, fairs, 

recreation, and fun of all kinds. 

The month starts with a bang with 

the Gretna Heritage Festival (October 

2-4), an event that has become one of 

the New Orleans’ area’s most exciting 

HISTORY 

FROM THE EDITOR Frank J. Borne, Jr. 

October brings outdoor fun 

Frank J. Borne, Jr. 

Jefferson Profile – Victorin A. “Vic” Pitre 

In the City of Westwego, there’s a 

street named for him. The Jefferson 

Parish Public School System long ago 

recognized his contributions to his 

community by naming an elementary 

school after him. Do you know who 

he was, and what those contributions 

were? 

Victorin Augustin “Vic” Pitre was 

born on March 23, 1878, on Cheniere 

Caminada, an island in the Gulf of 

Mexico, near Grand Isle, to Virginia 

LeFort and Justin Pitre. Pitre married 

Jewell Assenheimer on August 11, 

1903, and they had three daughters: 

Ruth Adele, Olga Virginia, and Thelma 

Mae. 

In October 1893, a devastating 

hurricane displaced many of the 

residents on Cheniere Caminada, 

including the Pitres, who were among 

the few survivors of that terrible storm. 

They relocated to Gretna, and, in 1894, 

settled in Westwego. 

Pitre was educated at parochial 

schools, then went to work at a very 

young age. He worked from age 15, first 

as a laborer in the Union stave mills, 

then for two years as a longshoreman. 

Later, he was employed as a clerk in 

and well-attended attractions. Festival 

organizers have built upon years of 

success, and the event just keeps 

getting bigger and bolder and better. 

This year, big name musical acts 

include Chicago, a world-renowned 

band with dozens of hits and a career 

spanning four decades, Kool and 

the Gang, an equally accomplished 

musical act, and dozens of local 

favorites. In addition to outstanding 

musical entertainment, the festival 

boasts incredible food offerings 

from dozens of local restaurants and 

caterers, carnival rides, and other 

game and craft booths. Festival-goers 

aren’t just having a great time by 

attending—they assist local charities. 

Says festival chairman Louisiana 

State Representative Ricky Templet: 

“The Gretna Heritage Festival is all 

about having a good time, but it is 

also for a good cause. This event 

helps over 40 local nonprofit groups 

the grocery store of Louis H. Marrero, 

Sr., in Amesville (now Marrero), then 

as a clerk in the store of P. Draube and 

Sons in Westwego. Eventually, Pitre 

became a merchant in his own right, 

working independently in his own 

store. 

A very successful businessman 

who engaged in many ventures, Pitre 

was active in real estate, a poultry farm 

at Nine Mile Point, and he operated 

several camps which manufactured 

railroad ties. He was also a director of 

several financial institutions, including 

the Gretna Exchange Savings Bank, 

the Jefferson Parish Homestead 

Association, and the Jefferson Trust 

and Savings Bank. Pitre also acted 

as Vice President of Community 

Homestead Association. 

A Democrat, Pitre’s political career 

began when he was elected to the 

Jefferson Parish School Board in 1912. 

There, he represented Ward 4 from 

1912 to 1928, and served for a time as 

the board’s president. 

In 1919, Pitre was one of the 

original incorporators of the Town 

of Westwego. He served as that 

community’s second mayor, from 1921 

to generate funds each and every year. 

So please come out and support your 

community.” For the full schedule of 

events, log on to www.gretnafest.com. 

You’ll have just a week to rest 

up from Gretna Festival before the 

month’s next big event takes place. 

The Gumbo Festival (October 9-11) 

in Bridge City, the “Gumbo Capital of 

the World,” also features outstanding 

entertainment, food, and fun. One of 

the most popular and well-attended 

church fairs in Louisiana, the Gumbo 

Festival benefits Our Lady of Prompt 

Succor Church in Westwego and Holy 

Guardian Angels Mission in Bridge 

City and the charitable endeavors they 

sponsor. That festival’s chairman, 

Gary Girard, Fire Chief of the Bridge 

City Volunteer Fire Department No. 

1, says the festival is all about “great 

food, fun, and hospitality. We’re 

community-oriented to help out the 

church, but also have fun.” More 

to 1941. Pitre enjoyed widespread 

popularity in his role as Westwego 

Mayor and was elected and re-elected 

numerous times with little or no 

opposition. His popularity primarily 

was due to his very progressive agenda, 

which included numerous sewerage 

and drainage improvements, 24-houra-day 

ferry service from Westwego 

to Walnut Street in New Orleans, 

an innovative public drinking water 

system, and the paving of all streets 

and sidewalks. He lost his final bid 

for re-election, however, in 1941, to 

Morris Rosenstock. 

Pitre made an unsuccessful bid 

for Jefferson Parish Assessor in 

See Jefferson Profile, page 9 

information about that event can be 

found at www.hgaparish.org. 

St. Cletus Catholic Church in 

Gretna, holds its Oyster Festival 

October 16-18, and also promises 

festival attendees great entertainment, 

fun, and food. Meanwhile, Grand Isle 

keeps on fishing and entertaining! The 

Grand Isle Community Development 

Team is getting ready to host its 3 rd 

Annual Grand Isle Ladies Fishing 

Rodeo on October 9-10, an event 

benefiting charity while also showing 

participants how to pass a good time. 

At the end of the month, numerous 

organizations will hold events for 

young and old for Halloween. Many 

other outdoor events are happening in 

your community. It’s October, that rare 

time in the New Orleans area when it’s 

pleasant to be outside. Get out of the 

house—enjoy your community and 

have some fun! n 

October 2009 Vol 1 No. 5 

Publisher 

The West Bank Beacon, LLC 

Editor 


Managing Editor/Marketing Director 

Troy Broussard 

Staff Writers 



Blair C. Constant 

Contributing Writers 

Bryan Adams 

David F. Andignac 

H. L. Rocky Asevedo 

Stephen M. Carty 

Krystral Cooper Christen 

Benola Cooper 

Joe Darby 

Ryan Daul 

Jason DiMarco 

David Heitmeier 

Jimmie Holmes 

Allan Katz 

Brenda Macera Lawson 

Joe Marino 

Loren Marino 

Chris Molaison 

Mark Morgan 

Guy Ralph McDonald 

Newell Normand 

Steven Pavlovich 

Vicky Pollard 

Ken Trahan 

George VanWormer 

Colleen E. Weintjes 

Staff Photographer 

Ryan Templet 

© 2009 The West Bank Beacon, LLC. 

All rights reserved. 

THE WEST BANK BEACON 

P.O. Box 2246 


Email: westbankbeacon@yahoo.com 

Or visit www.wbbeacon.com



COMMUNITY 


Huey Long Renaissance – 

The second in a series 

Editor’s note: This is the second in 

a series of articles presenting the renaissance 

of Gretna’s grand avenue, 

Huey P. Long. 

The master plan for Gretna’s grand 

avenue, Huey P. Long, includes not 

only the elegant lighting and manicured 

medians described in part one 

of this series, but also the establishment 

of an “entertainment district” 

between Fifth and First streets on 

the avenue and from the avenue to 

Lafayette on First Street. The area is 

already host to the Gretna Heritage 

Festival, the Relay for Life, art walks, 

the farmer’s market, and many other 

community events. Two new venues 

will anchor the entertainment district, 

Gretna’s Cultural Center for the Arts 

and the Gretna Riverfront Amphitheater. 

It is anticipated that both facilities 

will help Gretna continue to build 

on its success in attracting tourists 

and local residents to events in the 

heart of the city. 

GRETNA CULTURAL CENTER 

FOR THE ARTS 

At the intersection of Fourth and 

Huey Long is the U.S. Post Office 

constructed in 1937 during the Great 

Depression and purchased by the 

City of Gretna in 2006 for use as the 

Gretna Cultural Center for the Arts. 

The city has completely restored the 

exterior of the facility, which will be 

used as a multipurpose theater which 

can accommodate 300 guests. Seating 

and the stage are expected to be 

portable to facilitate 

many types of public 

events including 

meetings, conferences, 

and a variety 

of live performances 

such as plays, comedy 

acts, dramatic 

performances, etc. Groups and individuals 

will be able to rent the facility 

for private functions. Work on the interior 

is ongoing, and environmental 

remediation is expected to begin in 

the next few months. 

Gretna Councilwoman Belinda 

Constant is enthusiastic about the 

project’s possibilities and indicates 

“the atmosphere will be eclectic and 

designed to encourage people to return 

for more events. The center will 

be an economic engine for tourism 

and economic development on Huey 

P. Long.” In the interim, to jumpstart 

the cultural center concept, the St. 

“the atmosphere will be 

eclectic and designed to 

encourage people to return 

for more events ...” 

Joseph’s Church gymnasium may be 

used as a temporary home for the center 

as early as next year. 

The post office was constructed 

by Pittman Brothers Construction 

Company of New Orleans at a cost 

of $50,500, and was expanded in 

1964. In 2003, the U.S. Postal Service 

moved out of the facility, which 

it had deemed too large to continue 

to maintain. Thereafter, the City of 

Gretna purchased the facility and obtained 

grants for its restoration. Federal, 

parish, and city funds all have 

been used to prepare the building for 

its new use. 

GRETNA RIVERFRONT 

AMPHITHEATRE 

Just a short walk over the Mississippi 

River levee, one will find Gretna’s 

greatest new venue—the Gretna Riverfront 

Amphitheater, which doesn’t 

exist just for the Gretna Heritage Festival. 

The massive concrete structure 

can accommodate 600 people and is 

designed to withstand Mississippi 

River flooding from early spring until 

summer. It was proposed more than 

five years ago to help accommodate 

the Gretna Heritage Festival which 

regularly has added musical acts to its 

schedule of entertainment. Built with 

city and parish funds, the theater cost 

approximately $900,000 to construct. 

It is anticipated that the facility will be 

used as a catalyst to entice convention 

and other visitors to cross the river for 

the concerts and events in Gretna and 

to support Gretna 

businesses. 

On Friday nights 

this fall, from 6:30 

p.m. to 8:30 p.m., 

the venue hosts outstanding 

musical 

acts. In October, for 

example, the theater hosts local favorite 

Burgundy, Cajun cutie Amanda 

Shaw and the Cute Guys, and New 

Orleans legend Rockin’ Dopsie & the 

Zydeco Twisters. There is no charge 

for admission to the concerts, and 

East Bank visitors may arrive via 

ferry from Canal Street to Gretna for 

free. 

Gretna Mayor Ronnie Harris is 

proud of both projects. “With the 

completion of the amphitheater, we 

will be able to bring to Gretna outdoor 

cultural events with a wonderful 

backdrop, the skyline of New Orleans. 

n 

Terrytown Civic Association seeking logo 

The Terrytown Civic Association 

continues to gear up for the 

community’s Golden Anniversary 

celebration in March 2010. The 

association has issued a call to local 

artists to design a logo for the 

Terrytown Spring Festival, which 

will herald the 50 th birthday of the 

community, established in 1960 by 

 

 

 

real estate developer Paul Kapelow. 

The TCA’s Anniversary Committee 

will review the designs and award 

a $100 savings bond to the winner. 

The deadline is October 31. Submissions 

may be e-mailed to Director1@terrytownla.org 

or mailed to 

the TCA at P.O. Box 1072, Terrytown, 

LA 70056. n



HEALTH 

Dr. H.L. Rocky Asevedo, PhD, LPC, LMFT 

The love response 

Dr. Asevedo: I have been “in 

love” many times. I fall head over 

heels for someone but that feeling has 

never lasted for very long. I am beginning 

to wonder if I’ll ever find the 

“real thing.” I don’t want to end up 

all alone. - Margaret 

Romantic love, as we know it 

from the great love stories of fiction 

and verse, has always been thought 

of as a condition of the “heart.” It is 

a condition which involves an almost 

complete immersion of ourselves in 

another person. With the exception of 

a particularly powerful form of love 

described by Dorothy Tennov in Love 

and Limerance, romantic love generally 

lasts approximately two years. 

How lovers experience the transitional 

phase of love after the initial 

attraction determines if love will persevere 

to reach a new state of equilibrium 

or balance. 

In the transitional 

phase, lovers take 

a more realistic 

view of each other. 

At this stage lovers 

may attempt to 

coerce or manipulate each other into 

becoming what they would like them 

to be. Power struggles are common. 

Resolution requires motivation and a 

willingness to compromise. If a couple 

is fortunate enough to “survive” 

the test of conflicts successfully, they 

enter another stage of love that may 

be even stronger. In Masters, Johnson, 

& Kolodny’s Human Sexuality, 

Romantic love is one of the 

most powerful activators of 

the human pleasure centers 

of the brain. 

this more lasting stage is described 

as companionate love. This stage is 

“steadier” and is based more on affection, 

trust, and sharing rather than 

passion. To achieve this sense of 

couplehood, Margaret will need to be 

willing to work through this process. 

According to Tennov, a surprising 

number of romantic passions don’t 

end so happily. Impressed with the 

frequency with which so many of her 

students were experiencing broken 

hearts, she began to seriously investigate 

why these otherwise rational 

people were falling so easily and 

hopelessly in love. She concluded 

that many, though not all, human beings 

are vulnerable to involuntary 

states of romantic passion which she 

calls limerance. 

Limerance is a far stronger emotion 

than that associated with simply 

loving someone. It 

is sometimes problematic, 

according 

to Tennov, in that 

a person “wired” 

for limerance usually 

has no control 

over when and with whom they become 

limerant. When a limerant type, 

perhaps like Margaret, meets someone 

they find attractive, some physical 

processes may be initiated that are 

suddenly beyond his or her control. 

He or she begins to think obsessively 

about the new person and exaggerate 

the significance of every aspect of the 

interaction. The limerant person can 

ultimately be reduced to a “basket 

case.” As the limerant object comes 

into view, the person’s heart beats 

faster and hands may tremble; he or 

she may become flush, look pale, or 

lose any degree of poise. Limerance 

can end within a few weeks or last a 

lifetime. 

Romantic love is one 

of the most powerful 

activators of the human 

pleasure centers 

of the brain. Being with 

the person or simply 

thinking about him or 

her can be highly stimulating. 

If a love relationship is 

going well, everything in life 

may take on a rosy hue. There is no 

guarantee, however, that this feeling 

will be sustained over time. For that 

reason, it is important for Margaret 

to become aware of her tendency to 

become limerant and make special efforts 

to slow down and evaluate her 

new love interests in a more rational 

manner. 

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In the Psychobiological Basis of 

Basis of Romantic Love, Dr. Rizley 

states that while the expression of romantic 

love is highly dependent upon 

cultural factors and individual learning 

experiences, the core “love” reaction 

is biologically preset and predetermined. 

Romantic love is a psychobiological 

reaction that 

functions, even under difficult 

conditions, to increase 

the proximity, and therefore 

the probability of 

mating between genetically 

unrelated 

individuals. 

Science has come a 

long way in explaining the 

basis of romantic love. Psychiatrist 

Michael Liebowitz introduced 

what may be the most intriguing developments 

regarding this mysterious 

element of human behavior. He suggested 

that specific naturally occurring 

neurochemicals are responsible 

for the bodily sensations attached to 

See The Love Response, page 6 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The love response from page 5 

romantic love. These neurohormonal 

transmitters include dopamine, norepinephrine, 

endorphins, serotonin, and 

phenylethylamine. Liebowitz associates 

companionate love with endorphins. 

The brain’s production of this 

narcotic-like substance gives lovers a 

deep sense of tranquility. It is significant 

that drugs that increase norepinephrine, 

dopamine, and phenylethylamine 

levels will cause overstimulation 

in people. Under this condition, 

people will need only a few hours of 

sleep, will tend to be very optimistic 

about the future, and may even 

become more socially outgoing than 

usual. These effects are very similar 

to what happens to people when they 

are promoted at work, win the lottery, 

or fall in love. This suggests that happy 

events or pleasant thoughts exert 

their mood-lifting and energizing effects 

on us by increasing the activity 

of specific brain chemicals. 

Much still remains unknown regarding 

what actually causes the initiation 

of the love response. It is significant 

that the scientific community 

recognizes the value of understanding 

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the relevant biological components. 

As people fall in love, fall out of love, 

and struggle with the many transitional 

stages, any knowledge that deepens 

or expands our understanding of this 

powerful element of human behavior is 

a worthy pursuit. Romantic love, long 

considered a condition of the heart is 

certainly a psychosocial phenomenon. 

However, evidence from evolutionary 

biology and human physiology suggests 

a basis in basic human biology 

and brain chemistry. n 

Dr. H. L. Rocky Asevedo has 

a PhD in Counselor Education 

with an emphasis in Human Performance/Health 

Promotion. A 

Licensed Professional Counselor 

and a Licensed Marriage and 

Family Therapist, Dr. Asevedo is 

in private practice in the Greater 

New Orleans area and can be 

contacted at 504-365-8255. He is 

also available for speaking and 

consulting engagements. 

 

 

 

SLICE OF LIFE 

I love dogs 

I love dogs. 

I love their waggy tails, I love 

their floppy ears and I love their cold, 

wet noses. And this may put me in a 

distinct minority, but I even love the 

wet dog smell, you know, the vaguely 

wet hay aroma they bring with them 

when they come inside from the rain. 

Let me say here and now that, at 

the risk of offending feline fanciers, 

I have no place for cats in my heart. 

Too often, I’ve been the victim of 

needle sharp claws and Ninja-like 

Siamese cats jumping at me from the 

top of refrigerators. Besides, whoever 

heard of a cat being so glad to see you 

-- after you’ve run to the store for all 

of 10 minutes to get a bottle of milk 

-- that they practically do back flips to 

welcome you home? Dogs, of course, 

will give you such a greeting. I’m 

reminded here of the old bit that 

says, “A dog thinks of his 

humans, ‘They feed 

me, they give me 

shelter, they protect 

me. They must be 

gods.’ While the 

cat thinks, ‘They 

feed me, they give 

me shelter, they 

protect me. I must 

be a god.’” So, 

anyway, if some of you 

folks love cats, fine. But not for me. 

There have been few long periods 

in my life when I’ve been without a 

dog. Probably the longest was in the 

late 1960s, when I spent most of those 

years living in small French Quarter 

apartments and working the night 

shift at the newspaper. When I moved 

to a Gretna apartment in 1968 to avoid 

French Quarter parking tickets, a stray 

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yellow dog and I adopted each other. 

I called him Nelson, after Nelson 

Stokely, a fine LSU quarterback of the 

‘60s. 

But I was still working night shifts 

and staying out until all hours then. 

Nelson would roam the neighborhood 

during the afternoons and nights when 

I was out at work and play. So when a 

young family in the apartment complex 

told me they were moving to a new 

house with a nice fenced-in yard, and 

asked if they could take Nelson with 

them, I agreed, for his own good. 

I don’t have the space here to tell 

you about all of my dogs. But three 

canines currently call my Natchitoches 

house home. Each of them has an 

interesting story. 

As much as I love dogs, I’m not 

too fond of the stage they have to go 

through to be a dog, 

namely puppyhood. 

Because, as we 

all know, puppies 

have accidents, they 

like to teethe on such 

things as check books 

and if they could 

even understand 

such a long word as 

discipline, they would 

laugh in your face 

when you said it. So, 

several years back, The Wife and I 

were content with a wonderful black 

and white mixed pointer we named 

Belle, who had been adopted from 

the Jefferson Parish Animal Shelter. 

The Wife knew I didn’t want a puppy 

because of the above mentioned 

problems. But when we visited my 

sister in rural East Feliciana Parish in 

See I love dogs, page 13 

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COMMUNITY 

Jefferson Parish encourages West Bank citizens 

to “Adopt A Parkway” 

As part of Jefferson Parish’s 

ongoing quality of life initiatives, the 

Parkways Department is asking West 

Banks citizens to join in planting trees 

and landscaping local medians through 

the Adopt-a-Parkway Program. 

Launched in 1988, The Adopta-Parkway 

Program began with 

over 100 individuals, businesses 

and organizations involved in 

COMMUNITY 

It was October 1969, and Gretna 

native Lloyd E. Gomez had grown 

concerned about the physical integrity 

of the David Crockett Volunteer Fire 

Co. No. 1 Fire Station, located in the 

200 block of Lafayette Street in Gretna. 

Constructed in 1859, the facility is 

one of the oldest structures in the city, 

and had fallen into disrepair. Gomez, 

who was raised in a Creole cottage 

next to the station, began planning to 

raise awareness of the historic building’s 

plight. The Crockett fire company, 

established in 1841 as the Gretna 

Fire Engine Co., is the oldest continuously 

active volunteer fire fighting 

organization in the country. Gomez’s 

great grandfather, Claudius Strehle, 

had been integral in the formation of 

the company. 

Gomez began to promote the idea 

of restoring the fire house to become 

a museum. Before long, with the help 

of family and friends, Gomez founded 

the Gretna Historical Society whose 

mission is to preserve and promote 

the community’s history. On October 

26, 1969, the society was incorporated 

with the help of local attorney 

Everette F. Gauthreaux. Thereafter, 

the organization grew and acquired 

properties adjacent to the fire house 

and established the Gretna Historical 

Society Museum Complex. The 

complex includes the fire station (designated 

by Legislative Act sponsored 

by Louisiana State Representative Joseph 

F. Toomy in 1986, as the Louisiana 

State Fire Museum), three Creole 

cottages, and a blacksmith shop. The 

blacksmith shop is host to dozens of 

weddings performed by First Justice 

Court Justice of the Peace Vernon J. 

beautification of public green spaces. 

However, with the number of groups 

currently only at 70, there is a drive 

to increase awareness of the program 

and invite greater participation from 

the community. 

Parkway sponsors who excel in 

improving the landscape of their 

adopted sections of thoroughfares are 

recognized by a sign and are eligible 


Gretna Historical Society 

turns 40 

Wilty, III, every Valentine’s Day. The 

cottage to the left of the fire house is 

a museum, and the house on the other 

side hosts the society’s membership 

meetings and other events. 

The GHS helped to transform 

Gretna and raise awareness of historic 

preservation in the city when it was 

instrumental in the establishment of 

the city’s National Register Historic 

District in 1985. Roughly bounded by 

Dolhonde Street, First Street, Ninth 

Street, and Amelia Avenue, the district 

at the time boasted more than 

730 buildings, 550 of which were 

considered contributing elements. To 

be placed on the National Register of 

Historic Places as a contributing element, 

a building must be at least 50 

years old and contribute to the historic 

architectural integrity of the district. 

Gretna’s historic district holds a very 

special distinction as second in the nation 

only to New Orleans in number 

of buildings in a district. The district 

is considered among the GHS’s finest 

achievements. 

In 1986, the society acquired and 

relocated the Southern Pacific railroad 

depot constructed in 1906 and the little 

red caboose, which are now located 

at the intersection of Fourth Street and 

Huey P. Long Avenue. The depot is 

used as the Gretna Visitors’ Center. 

Ronnie Harris served as the president 

of the GHS when the group laid claim 

to the depot, and considers the preservation 

of the building a monumental 

success: “I’m proud to be a past 

president of the GHS; it gave me the 

basis of preservation of our history as 

a resource to build upon for the future. 

See Gretna Historical Society, page 8 

to receive the coveted “Parkway 

Sponsor of the Year” award. Each 

year a bronzed garden statue is placed 

at the “Parkway Sponsor of the Year” 

location. 

Newer, decorative Adopt-a- 

Parkway signs are being installed at 

all current Adopt-a-Parkway locations 

to enhance the landscapes. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To promote an organization and 

help improve our quality of life, 

contact Beulah Oswald, Parkway 

Volunteer Coordinator, at 737-7583 

or Kai Adams, Director of Jefferson 

Parish Parkways Department, at 349- 

5800. The Jefferson Parish Parkways 

Department can tailor an adoption 

program to suit anyone’s needs. n



FIRE PREVENTION 

In 1871, Chicago had a very dry 

and hot summer and fall. Even though 

fires seemed to be a lot worse than 

usual during that time, the firemen 

thought they could take on any blaze 

– until the day of October 8. 

The day that the big fire started, 

people believed that Mrs. O’Leary 

was milking her cow, when all of a 

sudden the lantern nearby was kicked 

over by the cow, which led to flames 

that caught onto hay and houses. The 

fire spread at top speed, chasing people 

down DeKoven Street. The wooden 

houses made it easier for the fire to 

spread. When the inferno reached the 

Chicago River, people thought they 

were safe, but the ashes jumped over 

the river and caught on to more dry 

wood, drawing the fire to the center 

of the city. People jumped into the 

river or lake to avoid getting burned. 

However, a light rain for about 25 

hours made the fire die down before it 

reached Lincoln Park. 

When the fire was over, 300 people 

of the 300,000 in Chicago were killed, 

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Chief Bryan J. Adams, Terrytown Fifth District Volunteer Fire Department 

Fire Prevention Week is October 4 – 10 

100,000 were left homeless, 17,500 

buildings were destroyed, 73 miles of 

street were destroyed and $200 million 

of property was destroyed. 

Many lessons were learned at that 

time, such as the need for fireproof 

houses in the case of big fires. Another 

rule was that floors and roofs needed to 

withstand fire for at least three hours. 

The last rule was to have a much better 

fire alarm system because the old ones 

were not trustworthy enough. 

The country never forgot the 

lessons of the Chicago fire. In 1920, 

President Woodrow Wilson issued 

the first National Fire Prevention Day 

proclamation, and since 1922, Fire 

Prevention Week has been observed 

on the Sunday through Saturday period 

in which October 9 falls. According to 

the National Archives and Records 

Administration’s Library Information 

Center, Fire Prevention Week is the 

longest running public health and 

safety observance on record. The 

President of the United States has 

signed a proclamation, proclaiming a 

national observance during that week 

every year since 1925. 

Fire Departments across this 

great nation take this opportunity 

to teach safety tips during this week 

by attending classrooms in schools, 

tours at Fire stations, neighborhood 

watch meetings and civic meetings 

– all in an effort to prevent the loss 

of life and property. As role models 

in our community firemen are the 

ambassadors who promote important 

messages that keep our friends, 

family and constituents safe from the 

devastating effects of fire. 

The list below is just a few of the 

very important safety tips we promote 

in the prevention of the loss of life and 

property, 

• Install smoke alarms in every 

bedroom, outside each sleeping 

area and on every level of the 

home. Interconnect them so if one 

sounds they all sound. 

• Test smoke alarms once a 

month using the test button. 

Gretna Historical Society 

we raised $10,000 in one night 

for the restoration of the SP Depot, 

I knew the people of Gretna cared,” 

Harris said. 

The GHS is among a small group 

of organizations in Jefferson Parish 

to have stood the test of time. Its mission 

is as clear today as it was in 1969. 

At 40, the society is going strong. It 

has a great monthly newsletter, The 

• When the smoke alarm sounds, 

GET OUT and STAY OUT! 

• Stay in the kitchen when 

cooking (Unattended cooking is 

the leading cause of kitchen fires). 

• Turn portable space heaters 

off when you go to bed or leave the 

room. 

• Have an evacuation plan in 

place and make sure everyone 

knows when to leave and where to 

meet. 

This is just a very short list of 

the safety tips we should all follow 

around the home and business place. 

I encourage everyone to contact your 

local fire department or your neighbor 

who just might be that “firefighter” who 

can pass on more tips on how to “Stay 

Fire Smart Don’t Get Burned”. n 

For more information visit http:// 

www.usfa.dhs.gov/citizens/focus/. 

from page 7 

Gretna Chronicles, and well-attended 

monthly general membership meetings 

and other functions. If you are 

interested in joining the GHS, contact 

Dr. Mary Grace Curry (504-834-2145 

or mgcurry1@juno.com) or mail your 

check for $10 payable to the GHS to 

Gretna Historical Society, P.O. Box 

115, Gretna, LA 70054-0115. n

October 009 Page 9 


PEOPLE 

This month we salute longtime 

Marrero resident Frank John Ehret, Jr., 

a Gretna native born in 1917. Ehret is 

the son of Emma Cook and Frank J. 

Ehret, Sr. He married Loretta Acosta, 

with whom he had six children: Frank 

J., III, Ronald A., Kathleen Ehret 

White, Charles J., Michael G., and 

Mary Catherine Ehret. Ehret’s grandfather, 

John Ehret, was Gretna’s first 

mayor and served as Jefferson 

Parish Assessor and Jefferson 

Parish Police Juror. The John 

Ehret High School in Marrero 

is named for him. L.W. Higgins 

High School in Marrero is 

named for Frank Ehret’s brother-in-law, 

longtime Jefferson 

Parish Public Schools Superintendent 

Lemuel W. Higgins. 

Ehret graduated from Gretna High 

School in 1934 and obtained his bachelor’s 

degree from Louisiana State University 

in Baton Rouge in 1939. After 

his formal education, he was a teacher. 

Later, he served in the United States 

Army for four years during World 

War II. While at Camp Roberts in San 

1924, when he was easily defeated by 

incumbent John Ehret, who received 

more than 58% of the vote. 

In 1928, Pitre was elected Jefferson 

Parish Clerk of Court when Frank 

Clancy left that post to run for Sheriff. 

Pitre was easily re-elected in 1932 

and 1936 by wide margins, and was 

unopposed for re-election in 1940. 

Although in 1944 his victory was 

hard-fought, he nonetheless defeated 

challenger Albert Cantrelle with 53% 

of the vote. 

The year 1948 proved to be a 

difficult election year for Pitre, although 

he easily defeated three candidates. 

Among those running was William L. 

Klause, Jr., who was elected Clerk of 

Court in 1952, when Pitre chose not to 

seek re-election. In 2009, Pitre ranked 

as the second longest-serving Jefferson 

Parish Clerk of Court with 24 years of 

service, behind William M. Justice, 

Jr., (1956 to 1984) with 28 years of 

service. 

Pitre’s civic interests included 

Knights of Columbus, the Elks, and 

the Loyal Order of the Moose. He 

served the Louisiana Clerks of Court 

Association as president from 1948 

to 1949. Pitre and incumbent Clerk 


Veteran Salute – Frank J. Ehret, Jr. 

Jefferson Profile 

Miguel, California, he trained men 

for combat. The camp was the largest 

training facility at the time with more 

than 30,000 men being instructed in 

wartime combat. Ehret was trained as a 

military intelligence sergeant at Camp 

Ritchie, Maryland, where he graduated 

from the Military Intelligence Training 

Center. 

Following his training, he served 

in the 1290 Combat Engineers Battalion 

in the European Theater of Operations. 

While in Germany, his 

company was responsible for 

clearing German-laid landmines. 

One extremely cold 

night, he was exposed to 

sub-zero temperatures and 

became very ill. The following morning, 

he was sent to the hospital then 

transferred to England. Damage to 

his lungs was considered extremely 

serious, and it seemed likely that he 

would have to have part of one of his 

lungs removed. He was transferred to 

a hospital in Santa Fe, New Mexico, 

but, luckily, did not have to have the 

operation. Ehret spent a total of 10 ½ 

from page 3 

of Court Jon A. Gegenheimer are the 

only Jefferson Parish Clerks of Court 

to have served as that organization’s 

president. 

Pitre died on June 23, 1957, while 

traveling to Baton Rouge on Airline 

Highway. He and John Bourgeois, the 

driver, and another passenger, Ann 

Marquis, were near Lutcher when 

their vehicle was struck from behind 

by a motorist who was attempting to 

pass their car. Marquis was the lone 

survivor of the accident, and Pitre’s 

body at first was not found by state 

troopers. Pitre’s daughter telephoned 

the state police when she grew worried 

that the trio, headed to her house in 

Baton Rouge, had not arrived. The 

police returned to the scene of the 

accident and found Pitre’s body, which 

had been flung from the vehicle into a 

road-side ravine where the water was 

five feet deep. He was interred in the 

Our Lady of Prompt Succor Cemetery 

in Westwego. 

Pitre’s home, located at 476 Sala 

Avenue in Westwego, was placed on 

the National Register of Historic Places 

in 1998. A middle school in Westwego 

was named in honor of his service on 

the Jefferson Parish School Board. n 

months in hospitals up until the war 

ended in 1945. 

After returning home to Gretna, Ehret 

taught special education at Gretna 

High School, and obtained his master 

of education degree in special education 

from Louisiana State University 

in New Orleans (later University of 

New Orleans) in the 1970s. During his 

tenure as an educator, Ehret served as 

the director of special education for the 

Jefferson Parish Public School System, 

and retired from the system after more 

than 40 years of service. 

In the late 1950s, Ehret led an effort 

to pass a bond measure to finance the 

construction of West Jefferson Hospital 

(now West Jefferson Medical Center). 

The first measure had failed, but 

Ehret successfully rallied support for 

the second effort to secure financing 

needed to establish the hospital, which 

opened in 1960. 

Ehret has been called the “Father” 

of the Jean Lafitte National Historical 

Park and Preserve which includes 

the expanse of more than 20,000 acres 

of federally-protected wetlands that 

comprise 

the BaratariaPreserve.Opp 

o n e n t s 

wanted to 

drain the swamps for residential development. 

Ehret led the effort to promote 

the development of the park and enlisted 

Congressman Hale Boggs, and, 

later, Congresswoman Lindy Boggs, 

in the effort. He credits U.S. Senator J. 

Bennett Johnston with ultimately succeeding 

in establishing the system after 

several decades of considerable effort. 

The park now includes the Chalmette 

Battlefield and National Cemetery in 

Chalmette, the park’s French Quarter 

Visitor Center, the Wetlands Acadian 

Cultural Center in Thibodaux, the 

Prairie Acadian Cultural Center in Eunice, 

and the Acadian Cultural Center 

in Lafayette. 

Thank you, Frank, for your service 

to our country, our state, and our parish! 

Your contributions to our community 

are immeasurable, and we owe 

you a tremendous debt of gratitude. n

Page 10 October 009 


FLOOD PROTECTION 

An interview with the president of the 

Louisiana Flood Protection Authority–West 

With the peak of the 2009 hurricane 

season at hand, the West Bank Beacon 

approached Susan Maclay, president 

of the Southeast Louisiana Flood 

Protection Authority-West, to give her 

perspective on where 100-year flood 

protection stands and her agency’s 

role with the U.S. Army Corps of 

Engineers. The authority is one of two 

such agencies serving metropolitan 

New Orleans. It provides flood 

protection for nearly all land on the 

west bank of the Mississippi River 

in Jefferson and Orleans parishes by 

building, operating and maintaining 

flood control systems. It is composed 

of two levee districts: the West 

Jefferson Levee District, which serves 

the west bank portions of Jefferson 

Parish, and the Algiers Levee District, 

which serves the west bank portions of 

Orleans Parish. 

WEST BANK BEACON: Ms. 

Maclay, what are the primary 

responsibilities of your agency? 

MACLAY: Beyond its 

responsibilities for levees that line 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

the west bank of the Mississippi 

River within its jurisdiction, the 

authority’s greatest responsibility is 

the West Bank and Vicinity Hurricane 

Protection Project, which consists of 

approximately 56 miles of levees, 11 

miles of floodwalls and two navigable 

flood gates. In addition to maintaining 

levees already there and fortifying 

them further, the authority also is first 

on the ground, well ahead of the U.S. 

Army Corps of Engineers, because it 

must acquire from owners any land 

required by the corps, settle legal 

disputes over land acquisition and, of 

course, collect ad valorem property 

taxes from the areas it serves. 

WBB: Tell us about the Corps’ 

commitment to providing 100-year 

flood protection by 2011. 

SM: Following hurricanes Katrina 

and Rita in 2005, Congress directed 

the Corps to rapidly complete the West 

Bank and Vicinity Hurricane Protection 

Project and raise elevations to protect 

against a storm with a 1 percent 

chance of occurring in any given year 

Specials 

 

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– the so-called “100-year storm.” That 

was an aggressive timeline, especially 

considering the magnitude of the work 

being done or that’s planned. 

WBB: How comfortable are you 

that the Corps will be able to meet its 

deadline? 

SM: First, I want to point out 

that our agency has an excellent 

relationship with the Corps. As I 

indicated, we’re the first on the ground 

when it comes to projects for which 

the Corps is responsible, so that calls 

for each of us to work closely together 

and to keep in mind the mission, 

which is to complete a system that 

will protect life and property for the 

families and businesses that call the 

West Bank home. I believe the Corps 

is doing everything it can, under very 

challenging circumstances, to meet its 

deadlines. 

WBB: But we’ve heard rumors 

that the deadline could be missed. 

SM: We’re giving the Corps 

the benefit of the doubt. One of our 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

agency’s challenges is working with 

landowners to make certain that the 

Corps has access to the property it 

needs in order to sign contracts for 

the work that’s required and to move 

projects forward. Sometimes that 

slows things down, but in the end it 

works out, and the Corps obtains the 

access it needs. 

WBB: If you could ask for just 

one thing that would advance the 

West Bank and Vicinity Hurricane 

Protection Project forward, what 

would it be? 

SM: I’d have to say that our agency 

needs as much advance notice from the 

Corps as possible when it comes to the 

land it needs for its projects, and I’d 

say faster turnaround for information 

requests. We have to appreciate the 

complexity of the flood protection 

projects underway or planned, and that 

sometimes calls for everyone to bust 

through as many barriers as possible to 

get the job done. Too much is at stake 

if we don’t all succeed as a team. n 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have a story idea? 

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Last month’s edition? 

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Want to join the beacon 

family of advertisers? 

Visit our web site at: 

www.wbbeacon.com 

or call (504) 615-9475



LAW ENFORCEMENT 

Firearms safety 

In the past year, there has been 

an increase in firearm sales and 

ownership. With this increase, there 

are some citizens who have no 

experience firing or even holding a 

firearm. There is nothing wrong with 

this, but awareness of the situation 

could prevent unnecessary harm. For 

instance, in 2001, there were 182 

accidental shooting deaths involving 

children from the ages of 0 months 

to 19 years. That’s 3.5 children per 

week or slightly more than fifteen (15) 

children each month. Even though 

accidental death rates involving 

children and firearms are currently at 

the lowest historical levels in recorded 

history, we can do better. 

Approximately once every two 

days, a child 0 months to 19 years 

dies as a result of the mishandling 

of a loaded firearm. This means 

that, statistically speaking, between 

yesterday and today a child in the 

United States was buried by his parents 

and grandparents because they had not 

been educated about firearms safety. 

 

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Wouldn’t it have been preferable to 

be informed through an article like 

this or some other safety program? 

This article’s purpose is to inform the 

reader of several safety tips so that a 

negligent discharge causing harm to 

life or property can be avoided. Each 

of these tips is of equal importance 

and should be made part of you every 

day practices. 

First, treat all 

firearms as if they are 

loaded. Never assume 

a firearm is empty until 

you have checked it 

yourself at least twice. 

Visually observe the 

firearm to be unloaded and then, to 

make certain that your eyes are not 

tricking you, touch it with your hands. 

Never look down the barrel to see if 

the firearm is loaded – leave that up 

to an episode of the Three Stooges. 

Usually, the firearm that is presumed 

unloaded is the one that discharges, 

causing injury or death. 

Second, keep your finger outside 

Firearm safety does not 

stop with the handling 

of a firearm, it continues 

with how a firearm is 

stored. 

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the trigger guard until you are on 

target and have decided to fire. We 

often watch movies in which the 

actors are walking around with a 

firearm in their hand and their finger 

is always on the trigger. That is not 

a safe practice. Surely everyone has 

fallen at some point in their lives, 

providing the knowledge that when 

you fall or get startled 

your body tenses up. 

If you are walking 

with a firearm in your 

hand with your finger 

on the trigger, then 

fall or get startled, 

your body will tense 

up – causing your finger to depress the 

trigger and discharge the firearm. 

Next, always point the muzzle 

(barrel) in a safe direction at all times. 

A safe direction is defined as a direction 

where if the firearm discharges it will 

cause the least amount of property 

damage and no damage to human 

life. There is no one safe direction to 

point a weapon. Down is usually a 

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good choice, but if you live in a multistory 

dwelling, down may not be safe. 

Be aware that as your surroundings 

change, so will your safe direction. 

If everyone followed this one rule, 

it would bring an end to accidental 

firearms related deaths. 

Finally, be certain of your target 

and what is beyond it. Be very careful 

when pulling the trigger of a firearm 

that you know what you are shooting 

at and what lies behind it. Remember 

that bullets travel long distances. 

Some bullets travel several miles. Just 

because you are shooting at a target 

and hitting it, does not mean that the 

bullet stops at that point. The bullet 

continues until it runs out of energy or 

hits something solid. 

Firearm safety does not stop with 

the handling of a firearm, it continues 

with how a firearm is stored. Be sure 

your firearms are never accessible to 

unauthorized or untrained individuals. 

Each person’s lifestyle will differ, so 

that means the way each person stores 

See Firearms Safety, page 14 

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I love dogs 

from page 6 

2004, a cute little red pup, obviously 

a spaniel, Irish setter mix, from 

whereabouts unknown, had made 

herself at home there. 

“Who wants a dog,” my sister said 

to us. “Me,” said The Wife, instantly 

falling in love. “Not me,” said the 

curmudgeonly man who didn’t want 

a puppy. A quick aside here, so you’ll 

understand what I’m about to tell you. 

Belle, who actually loved to hold 

hands, contentedly placing her paw in 

mine for minutes at a time, also liked 

to do “high fives,” slapping her paw 

against a human palm. So when The 

Wife said of the red puppy “If she can 

do a high five, can we take her home?” 

I thought, of course, but there’s no way 

this puppy will do a high five. Much to 

my chagrin, when The Wife squatted 

down, held up her hand and said, “high 

five,” the little red dog lifted its right 

paw and slapped The Wife’s palm. 

I was suddenly the owner of a 

puppy, who we named Kate, because 

her red color made her look Irish. 

Kate has since turned out to be as 

affectionate as any dog I’ve ever had 

and loves to jump up on my recliner 

and collapse her body over my 

tummy, looking up at me with soulful 

brown eyes. She’s mature and well 

behaved now. But, as I believe in truth 

in journalism, I must say she was a 

juvenile delinquent, teething on my 

antique wooden magazine rack 

and on the window sills in our 

Gretna home, which we had to 

have replaced before we sold 

the house in 2006. 

After we had to 

have my dear Belle 

put to sleep up here 

in Natchitoches, 

we visited the local 

shelter and were 

instantly mesmerized by the staring 

eyes of a little brown and white rat 

terrier. “Youuuu willllll take meeee 

hommme,” was the telepathic message 

she sent us, so we obeyed the silent 

command. Now this little dog is not 

much bigger than a Chihuahua but 

her ears would be large on a German 

shepherd. Her ears are so big, in fact, 

they look like wings which would 

allow her to fly. So we thought it would 

be clever to call her Amelia Earhart, 

after the famed female aviator of the 

1930s. But the little rat 

terrier chose not to respond to that 

moniker. And she had attitude. Lots of 

attitude. So, we came up with a name 

we think is even more clever than 

Amelia Earhart. The dog’s first name 

is Doodie. Cute enough, right? But 

her middle name is Claire. Go ahead, 

say it out loud: “Doodie Claire.” Get 

it? Just in case you don’t, it comes 

from that attitude of hers, as in, “I do 

declare, how dare you be late with 

my dinner.” But I’ve never had a 

more lovable dog or one with more 

personality. 

Our dogs have four or five fuzzy 

squeaky toys and Doodie Claire 

considers each one her own baby. 

More often than not, when she’s 

curled up in her favorite green chair, 

she has surrounded herself with each 

and every one of the babies. Although 

she’s much smaller than Kate, Doodie 

is definitely an alpha female. If she was 

human, I have no doubt she would be 

running for public office and almost 

certainly getting elected. 

The newest addition to our pack 

is another little rat terrier from the 

local animal shelter, whose picture 

had been run in the Natchitoches 

newspaper. He had been a street dog 

and when we adopted him in June, he 

was literally skin and bones, looking 

for all the world like he’d just been 

liberated from a doggy concentration 

camp. Kate and Doodie Claire, after 

some hesitation, have welcomed him 

into the pack and he loves to play with 

them. Even though he is still shy with 

humans, he’s come a long 

way. He still shivers with 

anxiety when we pick 

him up, but he does 

let us pet him, likes to 

chase a squeaky toy 

and has gone from 

horribly underweight 

to having a little fat 

roll behind his neck. I 

know, I know, it’s not 

good for a dog to be fat, but we felt 

we had to give him an awful lot of 

treats to bring him up to snuff. And 

his name? Well, he was undoubtedly 

the runt of his litter and is about half 

the size of Doodie Claire. So I named 

him after a very small but very tough 

Confederate officer, one Col. John S. 

Mosby who gave the Yankees all kinds 

of fits during the Civil War in Virginia. 

Like the colonel, our dog is a survivor. 

We just call him Mosby for short. n 

Joe Darby, a former 

longtime West Bank resident 

and a newspaper reporter for 

more than 40 years, retired to 

Natchitoches, La., in 2006. He 

writes for the West Bank Beacon 

on experiences common to all 

of us, no matter where we live. 

He can be reached at jdarby9@ 

suddenlink.net. 

COLVIN 

LAW FIRM APLC 

 

 

 

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Would you like to help feed 

the hungry? 

Contact the Gretna Food Bank 

at 367-6676. 

Support your 

West Bank businesses 

today. 

Please shop locally.



Firearms safety 

a firearm will differ. If you live alone 

and no one visits your home, you have 

the option to store your firearms in any 

manner that you choose. Your safety 

is the only one impacted by your 

choice. On the other hand, if you have 

a child living in your home with you, 

your choices for firearm safety would 

change. If that child has friends that 

come over on a regular basis, you need 

make additional appropriate safety 

choices to prevent an 

accident. 

There are numerous 

ways to safely store a 

firearm at home. Below 

is a list of the more 

common practices. 

Please remember that 

we were all small children at some 

point and probably enjoyed snooping 

when our parents were not in close 

proximity. You should never be 

satisfied with simply hiding a loaded 

firearm. 

One method that manufacturers 

provide is called a cable lock. By federal 

law, every new firearm sold today 

comes with one. You can also purchase 

a trigger guard lock in most sporting 

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from page 11 

If everyone followed this 

one rule, it would bring 

an end to accidental 

firearms related deaths. 

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Terrytown, LA 70056 

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goods stores for approximately $5.00. 

This device will work on handguns 

and long guns (shotguns and rifles). 

You can also purchase a padlock at 

just about any store for under $5.00. 

You simply slide the lock through 

the trigger guard behind the trigger 

and lock it. This method prevents the 

trigger from being depressed, which 

prevents the firearm from being fired. 

A locked gun cabinet will also protect 

the innocent from 

harming themselves or 

someone else. A safe 

is also an excellent 

option. These methods 

of storing a firearm 

are only acceptable 

if you store the keys 

to the devices in a different location, 

therefore limiting the ability of others 

to unlock your firearm. 

Between 40% and 60% of all 

homes in the U.S. contain at least 

one firearm. It is likely that a child 

will find a firearm in an unsupervised 

situation at some point before they 

reach adulthood. The rise in juvenile 

crime increases the risk of a child 

finding a firearm in a place that is 

frequented by other juveniles such as 

a park or playground. It is important 

to teach our youth what to do if they 

find a firearm. 

First, instruct them to stop all 

activities, do not touch the firearm and 

leave the area. Inform them to locate 

a responsible adult, like a coach or 

parent, and tell that adult where the 

firearm is located. 

Keep in mind that if you own a 

firearm and you are not familiar with 

it, you should seek someone who is 

or take a firearm safety class from a 

qualified instructor. More information 

regarding firearms safety can be 

located at the NRA website. n 

Jason DiMarco has been in 

law enforcement for the past 

thirteen years, and he is a Peace 

Officers Standards and Training 

Firearms Instructor, NRA Patrol 

Rifle Instructor, NRA Tactical 

Shooting Instructor, Singleton 

International Select Fire Instructor 

and a Concealed Weapons Permit 

Instructor for the State of Louisiana. 

He is also a Colt, Beretta and Glock 

Armorer. 

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JUNE 13 

SEPTEMBER 12 

NOVEMBER 14 

FEBRUARY 13 

JULY 11 

MARCH 13 

AUGUST 8 

ART WALK 

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JOINS THE FARMER’S MARKET 

OCTOBER 10 

JANUARY 9 

APRIL 10 

ARTS & CRAFTS FESTIVAL • 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. 

Fine Arts, Prints, Pottery, 

Hand-made Jewelry, Oils, 

Watercolors, and MUCH MORE! 

The West 

Bank Beacon 

salutes all of 

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Where Friends Meet Friends



T he 

HISTORY 

Jefferson Parish 

Historical Commission 

continues to celebrate and 

recognize historic sites 

in Jefferson Parish with a 

Louisiana Highway historical 

marker which will be erected 

in Gretna. 

On Friday, October 9, 

at 10:00 a.m., the Commission 

will dedicate a marker 

for Derbigny Plantation at 

the corner of Derbigny and 

Third streets, adjacent to 

the Jefferson Parish General 

Government Complex 

and its garage facility. The 

property on which the courthouse 

complex rests was, in 

the early 1800s, the home of 

Louisiana Governor Pierre 

Auguste Charles Bourguignon 

Derbigny. 

Derbigny was an accomplished 

Frenchman and the first Jefferson Parish 

resident to serve as governor. He 

served Louisiana as a Supreme Court 

justice and as Secretary of State, and, 

from 1828 until his death in 1829, as 

governor. He died in a tragic accident 

when horses pulling his carriage 

bolted, throwing the governor from 

the vehicle. His wounds were severe, 

and he died on October 6, 1829. The 

property was later owned by his son, 

Charles Zenon Derbigny, who owned 

a substantial plantation at Nine Mile 

Point in the Bridge City area. That 

home still stands today. 

In the 1950s, the Jefferson Parish 

Police Jury expropriated the land for 

a new courthouse. That courthouse 


Historical marker heralds 

former governor 

opened in 1958, but was immediately 

followed with an annex facility due 

to rapid growth of government in the 

1960s. More facilities were built on 

the property in the early 2000s, and 

the 1958 structure was demolished 

in 2008. Immediately following the 

dedication ceremony, a reception will 

be held at the General Government 

Building. The event is free and open 

to the public. n 

Visit the commission’s web site: 

www.jeffersonhistoricalsociety.com. 

 

 

 

 

 

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COMMUNITY 

Joe Darby 

West Bank family accomplishes Major League dream 

When it comes to watching 

baseball games in the home parks 

of all 30 Major League teams, the 

George Relle family is batting 1.000. 

Long-time Gretna Realtor George, his 

son Ben and wife Mary Jo recently 

completed a sports and family odyssey 

that was 17 years in the making. 

It all began when Ben was 7, 

George said recently. “My son and 

I were watching a Cubs game on 

WGN-TV on a rainy day,” he said. 

The station was promoting games at 

the Cubs’ famed Wrigley Field and 

asked viewers to get tickets by calling 

1-800-CUBS. “So Ben said, ‘Daddy 

can we do that?’ And my answer was, 

‘I don’t see why not.’” 

Later that year, the Relle’s saw 

the Cubs sweep the New York Mets 

in a four-game series at Wrigley. 

The next year, the family visited the 

Braves in Atlanta. “So at that time we 

said, ‘Let’s just do them all,’” George 

said. 

In August of this year, the family 

completed its goal of visiting all 30 

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Major League teams by watching The 

Toronto Blue Jays host the Boston Red 

Sox in the Canadian city. In between, 

they’ve watched about 100 Big 

League games and have accumulated 

some great family memories. 

“We’ve seen some great games, 

some great players and some great 

cities,” said George, 55. “My favorite 

ballpark is Wrigley Field. My least 

favorite was the old Kingdome in 

Seattle, where the Mariners used to 

play,” he said. 

Another favorite was the old Tiger 

Stadium in Detroit, which like Wrigley 

was built back in the 1910s. It had lots 

of atmosphere, George said, but it was 

cramped, with “tight seats.” Another 

great place to see a baseball game is 

the beautiful Petco Park, home of the 

San Diego Padres, he said. 

He also remembers the quirks of 

old Candlestick Park, former home of 

the San Francisco Giants. “You could 

be sitting in a seat in the sun and the 

weather seemed beautiful. But if you 

were four rows up, in the shade, you 

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would need a blanket to keep you 

warm.” 

Because their experience lasted 

for 17 years, the Relle’s got to see 

more than one stadium in the same 

city. “One thing I enjoyed was seeing 

a lot of the old parks as well as the 

new ones. For example, we saw old 

Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta and 

the new Turner Field there. And we 

saw the Astrodome in Houston and 

the new stadium, first called Enron 

and now Minutemaid Park.” 

As for the players, George said he 

will always cherish having seen such 

greats as Greg Maddux, John Smoltz, 

Tom Glavine, Roger Clemens, Andre 

Dawson, Ryne Sandberg and many 

others. 

What were George’s thoughts when 

the family completed its round of all 

30 Major League cities in Toronto 

this season? “I felt like, ‘We’ve done 

it. We stayed with it.’” 

Ben’s feelings were similar. “On 

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the plane flying home from Toronto, 

I kept thinking, wow. I was really 

aware of the Wow Factor involved in 

this. It may have been a little sad that 

it was over, but we felt a real sense of 

accomplishment.” 

Ben, whose request to his dad 

started the whole thing, is a sports 

fan through and through. He has a 

bachelor’s degree from LSU in mass 

communications and recently received 

a master’s in sports management. 

Now he’s looking to go into sports 

journalism or possibly administration, 

he said. “Sports are my life. I’ve never 

wanted to do anything else.” 

Mom Mary Jo is not as much of 

a sports fan as her husband and Ben. 

But she has made the trips to the Major 

League stadiums with them and would 

not swap the experiences for anything. 

“It was great for our family,” she said. 

And she enjoyed touring a lot of neat 

cities that she may not have visited 

otherwise. And, luckily for her, of all 

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the sports, she most enjoys going to 

baseball games. “In baseball, there’s 

a lot more to see than just the sport” 

she said, such as the games and 

activities that go on between innings. 

And even for someone who is not a 

sports fanatic, she remembers her first 

visit to historic Wrigley Field. “When 

I first walked in and saw the field, I 

thought, ‘This is a whole different 

world to see.’” 

George and Ben 

love all sports and are 

regulars at LSU and 

New Orleans Saints 

games. And they were 

lucky enough to see the 

Tigers win the College World Series 

in Omaha this year. You can also find 

them at just about every New Orleans 

Zephyr opening day game. “We never 

got to see a Major League opening 

day game, so we go see the Zephyrs 

on opening day,” George said. 

But, now that their goal of visiting 

all Major League cities has been 

reached, where do the Relle’s go from 

“Sports are my life. 

I’ve never wanted to do 

anything else.” 

Victoria Brandy 

here? That’s easy, said Ben. “We’re 

going to follow the LSU football team 

to all the other SEC football stadiums. 

I’ve got a head start on Dad. The only 

ones I haven’t seen are Vanderbilt, 

Kentucky and Arkansas. Dad needs 

to see those as well as Florida and 

Mississippi State.” 

And just because their Major 

League goal has been achieved, they 

won’t stop seeing Big 

League games and will 

return to such favorite 

places as Chicago and 

Atlanta, as well as 

visit new parks they 

haven’t seen yet, such 

as Safeco Field in Seattle. 

So, as great as it was, were there 

any disappointments involved with 

their family baseball odyssey? As a 

matter of fact, there was, Ben said. 

“We saw about 100 Major League 

games between all 30 teams in 17 

years. But never once did any of us 

ever catch a foul ball.” n 

Call our stylists Brandy and Victoria at 302.2500 to 

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FEMA releasing more than 

$6 million in Hazard Mitigation 

Assistance (HMA) grants 

Congressman Steve Scalise 

recently announced that U.S. 

Department of Homeland Security’s 

Federal Emergency Management 

Agency (FEMA) is releasing more 

than $6 million in Hazard Mitigation 

Assistance (HMA) grants to Jefferson 

and Orleans Parishes. 

Jefferson Parish will receive 

$5,109,553 for subsurface drainage 

improvements in the Oakwood/ 

Terrytown area. The funds will be 

used to replace smaller drainpipes 

with larger drainpipes and install new 

gravity drains and drain lines. This 

project is expected to be completed in 

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approximately three years. This grant is 

through the Hazard Mitigation Grants 

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funding to State and local governments 

to reduce the loss of life and property 

due to natural disasters and to enable 

mitigation measures to be implemented 

during the immediate recovery from a 

disaster. 

“These projects will significantly 

help reduce flooding during future 

storms and disasters,” Scalise said. “It is 

important that FEMA continue to work 

with our state and local governments 

so we can continue our recovery from 

Hurricane Katrina.” n 

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LAW 

Mark C. Morgan 

The importance of an attoney in real estate transactions 

Real estate attorneys play a very 

important role in the process of buying 

or selling property. These attorneys 

perform title examinations, prepare 

the documents necessary to execute 

the sale of property and explain the 

documents’ meanings and effects, and 

also help you to obtain title insurance 

on your new property. If you are 

considering buying or selling your 

home or other property soon, speaking 

with a real estate attorney is a valuable 

precaution. 

One of the most important functions 

a real estate attorney provides for you 

is known as a title examination. Title 

examinations are a search of all records 

relating to the property in question to 

determine who has rights and interest 

in and to the property. This is done by 

obtaining an “abstract” of the property. 

An abstract is a collection of copies of 

all documents filed with the mortgage 

and conveyance office relating to the 

property in question. Once the attorney 

has the abstract, he or she will examine 

the documents carefully to look for 

liens, interests, conveyances, and 

any other encumbrances on the land. 

Collectively, such defects are known 

as “clouds on title.” Any such clouds 

on title found detract from the interest 

in the land held by the current owner 

(and the prospective buyer, should he 

complete the purchase). Clouds on 

title represent interests held by other 

people that could be used to attack or 

restrict the interest of the landowner. 

Because of this potential for attack 

or infringement of rights, it is very 

important to be aware 

of any and all adverse 

interests in a piece of 

land you are selling or 

considering purchasing. 

Title insurance, 

which can be negotiated 

and arranged by your 

real estate attorney, 

helps to protect you against any claims 

on your land. Based on the results of 

the title examination for the property 

you are purchasing or selling, you 

may obtain insurance to protect you 

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against any of the potential adverse 

claims that were discovered in the 

title search. Your ability to get this 

insurance, and the cost of such 

insurance, varies depending on the 

“cleanliness” of your title—in other 

words, how few clouds exist on the 

title. Title insurance is very important, 

as litigating title disputes can be 

extremely costly and time consuming. 

Your attorney can not only help you 

obtain title insurance company; 

frequently, they can also negotiate 

with the title insurance 

company in order to 

ensure that you receive 

a better deal. 

Finally, attorneys 

help in property sales 

by preparing the 

documents needed to 

effectuate the sale. 

Attorneys make sure all documents 

are correct, properly executed, and 

properly filed with any organization 

necessary, such as the mortgage and 

conveyance office. Your attorney 

can help you to understand the legal 

ramifications of the transaction, and 

help you to comprehend exactly what 

you are signing when you execute 

closing documents and complete your 

property sale or purchase. 

Purchasing or selling property 

is a major transaction. It is not 

only complex, but also extremely 

important to you and your family. It 

is a transaction that must be handled 

properly. Given this, a real estate 

attorney who can help with a title 

search and obtaining title insurance, 

as well as help prepare and explain all 

the necessary forms, is a worthwhile 

investment. Contacting your real 

estate attorney is an important part of 

any land sale or purchase. n 

Mark C. Morgan is a senior 

attorney at the Colvin Law Firm 

and also serves as the Gretna City 

Attorney. He can be reached at 

(504) 367 9001.



What are the different courts in 

Jefferson Parish and what do they 

do? 

-Kathy from Harvey 

Jefferson Parish has several 

different types of courts. The main 

types of courts are district courts, 

juvenile courts, parish courts, city 

courts and Justice of the Peace courts. 

Some of these courts handle both civil 

and criminal cases, some only civil 

and some only criminal. 

DISTRICT COURTS 

LAW 

The district courts of the 24 th Judicial 

District have both civil and criminal 

dockets and there are 16 district courts 

in Jefferson Parish. Criminal matters 

heard include both felonies and 

misdemeanors. These courts are the 

only ones where felony criminal cases 

can be heard. On the civil side these 

courts preside over lawsuits of any 

amount, as well as domestic matters. 

Additionally, these courts are the only 

courts that can hear lawsuits involving 

First 

NBC 

Terrytown Office 

2021 Carol Sue 

Terrytown, La 70056 

504-671-3550 

Transcontinental Office 

4920 Veterans Memorial Blvd 

Metairie, La 70006 

504-671-3425 

Joseph A. Marino, III 

Criminal Justice Forum – Your Questions Answered 

property. If you get a summons for 

jury duty you will be going to the 24 th 

Judicial District Courthouse. No other 

courts in the Parish have jury trials. 

The 24 th Judicial District Courthouse 

is located at 200 Derbigny Street in 

Gretna. 

JUVENILE COURTS 

Criminal charges brought against 

minors are generally heard in one of 

the three Juvenile courts of Jefferson 

Parish. The Juvenile courts also preside 

over matters of child support, adoption, 

juvenile delinquency, criminal 

neglect of family, and juvenile traffic 

violations. Other proceedings heard 

in Juvenile courts are child in need 

of care, families in need of services, 

and termination of parental rights 

proceedings. The Juvenile Justice 

Center is located on Gretna Boulevard 

in Harvey. 

PARISH COURTS 

There are two parish courts in 

Jefferson Parish, First Parish Court 

Your Community Bank 

“...it’s not hard to prove we’re the right choice for your banking needs.” 

We're recognized as one of the top lending and service related banks throughout the Crescent City and the 

Metropolitan Area. 

You don’t get that kind of reputation without giving a wide array of services. Service beyond expectation is 

really what makes First NBC Bank who we are to the people in our community. 

And because we believe in open communication with customers, we’ll always encourage you to discuss your 

financial objectives and look for ways to implement them. That way, you’ll receive the personal attention you 

deserve, not to mention a high level of expertise from some of the most experienced bankers in the region. 

So, if you want to deal with a bank that makes client services its primary concern, you know who you can 

turn to. 

Main Office 

210 Baronne Street 

New Orleans, La 70112 

504-566-8000 

Elmwood Office 

1105 S. Clearview Parkway 

Jefferson, La 70121 

504-671-3510 

First NBC locations 

Lakeview Office 

851 Harrison Avenue 

New Orleans, La 70124 

504-671-3520 

www.firstnbcbank.com 

and Second Parish Court. These courts 

handle both civil and criminal cases with 

certain limitations. The civil lawsuits 

are limited to those having damages 

of $20,000 or less. The criminal cases 

handled are misdemeanor offenses 

like DWI (1 st and 2 nd Offense), Hit and 

Run, Simple Battery and Disturbing 

the Peace. Additionally these courts 

handle traffic tickets. Offenses 

occurring on the Westbank are heard in 

Second Parish Court located on Huey 

P. Long Ave. in Gretna, while those on 

the Eastbank are heard in First Parish 

Court on David Drive in Metairie. 

CITY COURTS 

In Jefferson Parish there are several 

city courts which are called Mayor’s 

Courts. The City of Gretna, City of 

Westwego, City of Kenner, City of 

Harahan, Town of Grand Isle and 

Town of Jean Lafitte each have their 

own courts. These courts do not hear 

any civil cases. The criminal cases 

for offenses which occur within the 

Kenner Office 

3535 Chateau Blvd Suite 19 

Kenner, La 70065 

504-671-3540 

city limits are either misdemeanor 

violations of local city ordinances or 

traffic violations. 

JUSTICE OF PEACE COURTS 

There are eight Justice of the Peace 

courts in Jefferson Parish. These courts 

are also referred to as “small claims” 

courts. Civil lawsuits are limited to 

those having damages of less than 

$5,000. No criminal matters are heard 

at Justice of the Peace courts. n 

If you have a question about 

the Criminal Justice System in 

Jefferson Parish email it to jmarino@ 

MarinoCriminalLaw.com. 

Joseph A. Marino, III is a 

criminal defense attorney and 

his law firm, Marino Criminal 

Law, LLC, is located in Gretna, 

near the courthouse. To contact 

him by phone call 362-0666. You 

can also visit the website www. 

MarinoCriminalLaw.com 

Ashton J. Ryan, Jr. 

President & CEO 

First NBC Bank 

Veterans Office 

521 Veterans Memorial Blvd 

Metairie, La 70005 

504-671-3530 First NBC Bank


The WesT Bank Beacon





EOC UPDATE 

With hurricane season 2009 almost 

over, Jefferson Parish has to 

make it through only one more season 

before the construction of a state-ofthe-art 

Emergency Operations Center 

is accomplished. Deano Bonano, Director 

of Homeland Security for Jefferson 

Parish, indicates that the concrete 

skeleton has been finished and 

Mapp Construction, LLC, has begun 

Photo by Frank J. Borne, Jr. 

work on the roof and exterior walls. 

The project is on schedule to be complete 

in the Fall of 2010. The EOC, 

which is being built at the intersection 

of Fourth and Weyer streets in Gretna, 

will house all emergency operations 

for the parish as well as the Jefferson 

Parish Sheriff’s Office’s 9-1-1 telecommunications 

division. n 

COMMUNITY 

On August 12, the Jefferson 

Parish Council authorized a millage 

renewal election for Fire Protection 

District No. 6, which affects 13 

voting precincts in Harvey on the east 

side of the Harvey Canal. That fire 

protection district includes Woodland 

West, Stonebridge (Harvey), and 

Maplewood subdivisions, and some 

surrounding areas. On November 14, 

voters in those precincts head to the 

polls to decide this proposition. 

A vote FOR the measure would 

renew for 10 years the collection of 

a 25-mil property tax dedicated to 

fire protection for the district. A vote 

AGAINST would allow the millage 


Fire protection renewal up 

for vote 

Please vote! 

to expire. Approximately $4.3 million 

dollars is raised annually as a result of 

this tax. 

Whatever your position on this 

issue, go vote! The polls will be 

open from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on 

Saturday, November 14. Voters may 

vote early at the Office of the Registrar 

of Voters located in the Charles B. 

Odom Service Center, 5001, West 

Bank Expressway, Ste. C-2, Marrero, 

from Saturday, October 31 to Saturday, 

November 7. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 

6:00 p.m. The last day to register to 

vote for the November 14 election is 

October 14. n 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Long time West Banker Ronnie Constant has 

now joined the Banner Chevy “Management 

Team” in New Orleans. He would like to invite 

all his previous customers, friends and family, 

to come visit him soon. 

Whether you want to buy a new - used car or 

truck, he’ll be happy to help you select the 

right one with the right financing. 

Free service loaners are available too.



HEALTH 

As part of the year-long schedule 

of events leading up to the golden anniversary 

of West Jefferson Medical 

Center, the West Jefferson Hospital 

Foundation will host the Golden Oldies 

Festival on October 17 from Noon 

until 8:00 p.m. at the West Jefferson 

Medical Plaza located at the intersection 

of the West Bank Expressway 

and Medical Center Boulevard. 

Attendees will be treated to live 

entertainment featuring local favorites 

the Bucktown Allstars and the 

Topcats. “For a great simulation 

of the 50s and 60s experience, we 

invite you to come to the Golden 

Oldies Festival for a fun family 

outing,” Tim Bracey, Foundation 

administrative liaison, says. “Don’t 

miss this unique opportunity to take 

a nostalgic walk down memory lane 

while listening to live music. Visit the 

Car Show and temporarily re-claim 

your youth at the Food Diner.” 

The car show Bracey mentioned 

will be an all-day affair, with awards 

for cars that best compliment the 50s 

 

 

When it comes to city lines 

and parish jurisdictions, criminals 

have no boundaries, 

moving through each area of 

The West Bank Beacon 

 

Fountain Park Centre – a West Bank oasis for everyone 

that has changed, however, with 

the construction of the area’s 

In recent years, Manhattan newest shopping and dining des- 

Boulevard has become an epicentination, Fountain Park Centre. 

ter of new business activity on Fountain Park’s owner and 

the West Bank- welcoming the developer, Robert Guidry, says 

inclusion of some of the nation’s that he first began detailing his 

largest retail chains. While con- vision for the upscale developsumers 

may appreciate the wide ment in late 2003, by visiting 

variety of store options to choose numerous malls and shopping 

from on the strip, few might say centers throughout the United 

that a visit to any of those places States. 

is a memorable experience. All of 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The The Thee e WW 

West est est Bank BB 

Beacon 

Volume VVVo Volum m 1, Issue 2 

 

Gretna BMX Track is fun for all ages 

 

Bicycle motocross, which began 

in California in the early 1970s, is 

one of the fastest-growing sports in 

America. The activity is attractive 

as a family sport and enjoys competitors 

of all ages, from very 

young children to men and women 

in their 70s! There are an estimated 

150,000 riders worldwide who participate 

in this exhilarating sport, 

and races, which are organized by 

riders’ ages and three skill levels, 

occur on more than 200 tracks 

throughout the United States. 

The West Bank is fortunate to 

ing today’s extremely mobile 

and communication-savvy 

have its very own opportunity to 

criminal element. 

experience motocross with the 

This all became too apparent 

opening of the Gretna BMX Track, 

after hurricane Katrina in 

located at 800 Gretna Boulevard in 

2005. The West Bank of Gretna. Since January, the track has 

Jefferson, Orleans and attracted hundreds of riders and 

Plaquemine Parishes, inclusive 

of the cities of Gretna and 

Westwego, were all faced with 

displaced residents of flood 

ravaged areas in the metro 

New Orleans area. 

By January of 2006, the West 

Bank had exploded in popula- 

the West Bank seamlessly. tion, traffic and an increase of 

This is a far cry from the rules, criminal activity. Law enforce- 

policies, procedures and laws ment agencies on the West 

that set jurisdictional bound- Bank encountered a phenomearies 

for law enforcement non that had never occurred 

organizations investigating, in any other area of the 

apprehending and prosecut- 

 

West Bank Major Crimes Task Force crosses the line 


WJMC Hosts Golden Oldies Festival 

 

Proudly highlighting the news of West Jefferson 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

and 60s theme. Awards will be presented 

at 4:00 p.m. in categories including 

Best Hot Rod, Best Truck, 

Best Bike, Best of Show, Best Paint, 

and Best Interior. For the kids, there 

will be an outdoor screening of 1950s 

classic “The Blob”, games, face painting, 

and entertainment by Louisiana 

Kids, the Woodmere Red Hot Wildcat 

Jump Rope Team, All Star Gymnastics, 

and By Tomorrow. Festival 

attendees are encouraged to dress in 

their favorite 50s and 60s costume. 

“We hope to see lots of poodle 

skirts and other period looks. 

Bring your cameras if you would 

like,” says Foundation volunteer 

Carol Hatchett. “There will be 

photo ops aplenty with various children’s 

mascots.” 

Great food and drink will be available 

from vendors, as will specialty 

items. The Foundation is seeking 

sponsors and food booth vendors. 

At press time, sponsors included 

Boomtown Casino, Laurel Outdoor, 

People’s Health, Dixie Marketing, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

West Jefferson 

prepares for August 

“Night Out Against 

Crime” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

July 2009 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Central Healthcare, Kern Studios, 

Combel’s Customs, Kindred Healthcare, 

Duramed and Print All. 

“The continued support of our 

community is critical to our success 

as an organization,” Bracey adds. 

“The Hospital Foundation is grateful 

for the community support it has re- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ceived to date for our first Festival.” 

Dr. and Mrs. Frank C. Di Vincenti and 

Dr. and Mrs. Richard Bagnetto serve 

as honorary chairpersons for the 50 th 

anniversary activities to mark the 

golden anniversary. 

For more information, visit www. 

wjmc.org or call (504) 349-6663. n



LIFESTYLES 

Loren Marino 

Adopt a loving pet in 

Jefferson Parish 

Many wonderful pets are waiting 

to be adopted through the Jefferson 

Parish Animal Shelter. Beginning last 

month, senior citizens can adopt a cat 

for free. The Westbank Shelter, located 

at 1869 Ames Blvd. in Marrero, is 

open 6 days a week for adoption. 

How can you adopt an animal? The 

process is outlined below. 

1. Visit the shelter at 1869 Ames 

Blvd., Marrero. Hours for adoption are 

10:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. on weekdays and 

10:00 a.m.-2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Call 

(504) 349-5111 for further information. 

2. Upon arrival you will be asked 

to fill out a one-page adoption questionnaire. 

3. Next, a shelter representative 

will escort you to visit the animals 

available. 

4. The cost for adoption is $95.00 

for a mixed breed cat or dog and 

$125.00 for a pure bred animal. This 

price includes up to date shots and microchipping. 

Fostering Opportunities 

The Jefferson Parish Animal Shel- 

ter offers opportunities to foster dogs 

and cats until they find a forever home. 

This typically involves a person having 

a pet-friendly home which they are 

willing to share with a loving animal 

for weeks up to a few months. If you 

are interested in fostering a Shelter 

animal, please call the Eastbank Animal 

Shelter for additional information 

at (504) 736-6117. 

Cats for Seniors Program 

The Friends of Jefferson Animal 

Shelters is now offering a program 

which will allow seniors the opportunity 

to help reduce the overcrowding 

at the Animal Shelters. This free program 

is offered on a first-come, firstserved 

basis. Studies have shown that 

senior citizens who adopt pets live 

longer, healthier lives. Eligible seniors 

include any individuals age fifty (50) 

or older with a valid Louisiana identification 

card and a permanent place of 

residence. 

Volunteer opportunities are always 

available. Contact the Westbank Shelter 

at (504) 349-5111 for further information. 

n 

FLOOD CONTROL 

A recent approval by the State of 

Louisiana of $12.1 million for four 

drainage improvement projects in 

Jefferson Parish will include two West 

Bank sites in Marrero and Lafitte. 

“Flooding remains one of the 

top concerns of our citizens and one 

of our biggest challenges. With the 

assistance of the Louisiana Recovery 

Authority and the Community 

Development Block Grant Program, 

we can make dramatic drainage 

improvements in Jefferson Parish,” 

Jefferson Parish President Aaron 

Broussard said. Broussard explained 

that that state money will allow parish 

officials to access federal Community 

Development Block Grant funds 

needed to implement 

the projects. 

At the Gulizo Canal 

in Marrero, $3.4 million 

in CDBG funding will 

be used to install a 

concrete-lined canal 

bottom and steel sheet 

piling that will widen 

the canal, stabilize the 

banks and increase runoff capacity 

during heavy rainfall and flood 

events. 

In Jean Lafitte, $538,620 in CDBG 

funding will be used to convert semiopen 

ditches into a subsurface drainage 

system through the installation of 

culverts, catch basins, street cuts, 

driveway replacements and utility 

adjustments along Gloria Drive, Canal 

Street and Oak Street. This sub-surface 

system will reduce future flooding by 

speeding water removal through the 

existing forced drainage system. 


Disaster recovery funds 

spark two new West Bank 

flood control projects 

“Flooding remains 

one of the top concerns 

of our citizens and 

one of our biggest 

challenges.” 

LRA Executive Director Paul 

Rainwater said, “These drainage 

projects are vital to the recovery 

and resilience of Jefferson Parish. 

Improving our drainage systems will 

help mitigate against the kind of 

substantial damage that occurred when 

Hurricane Katrina overwhelmed south 

Louisiana’s ill- equipped stormwater 

control facilities. I applaud Parish 

President Aaron Broussard’s foresight 

in dedicating disaster recovery funds 

to these important projects.” 

The Jefferson Parish Council 

agrees that these types of initiatives 

are vital to the future flood protection 

of the West Bank. “Although the 

recent hurricanes have left many 

of our communities 

in the midst of long 

term recoveries, the 

disasters have placed 

a renewed interest by 

the Federal and state 

governments to rebuild 

smarter and stronger. 

Every project that is 

completed reduces 

the risk of flooding for our many 

dedicated residents,” said Councilman 

Chris Roberts. 

The funding comes from the Long 

Term Community Recovery Program, 

a $700 million pool of federal 

disaster-recovery money set aside by 

the Louisiana Recovery Authority and 

Office of Community Development 

to help local governments rebuild 

and implement long-term recovery 

plans. In total, the LRA has allocated 

$50,120,337 of CDBG funding to 

Jefferson Parish for LTCR projects. n



COMMUNITY 

The Grand Isle Community Development 

Team is getting ready to 

host its 3 rd Annual Grand Isle Ladies 

Fishing Rodeo on October 9-10. 

Weigh-ins begin at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, 

October 9, at Bridgeside Marina, 

located at the foot of the Grand Isle 

bridge at Cheniere Caminada Pass. A 

reception will be held at the marina’s 

tiki bar, where contestants can mingle 

and begin telling those 

inevitable fish stories. 

On Saturday night, the 

events include a raffle, 

door prizes, dinner, and 

live entertainment. A 

“fishing fashion” award 

will be presented to the 

fishing team with the 

best outfits. Sue Galliano, 

chairwoman of the 

GICDT, says the event 

has been “a lot of fun 

to work with” and encourages 

everyone to visit the island 

for a relaxing weekend away from the 

city. Men are invited to participate. 

However, their fish will not be eligible 

for weighing in the competition 

which includes many types of fish, although 

no deep-sea fish. 

Tickets to the rodeo cost $20 per 

contestant, $5 of which is dedicated 

to the American Cancer Society. Included 

in the entry fee are a souvenir 

rodeo cap, fishing the event, entry for 

door prizes, and the dinner and dance 

on Saturday night. Tickets are avail- 

St. Cletus Catholic Church is 

gearing up for its annual Oyster 

Festival on October 16-18. The festival 

promises great food featuring oysters, 

of course, baked, raw, and in po-boys. 

They’ll have the customary Louisiana 

favorites jambalaya and red beans and 

rice, a roasted pig, oyster and artichoke 

soup, pizza, popcorn, nachos, and 

so much more! A beer booth will be 

among many ways to quench your 

thirst. 

Entertainment includes great bands 

Southern Cross on Friday, Zebra 

and Black Magnolias on Saturday, 

and Chee-Weez on Sunday. Kiddie 

Land, featuring space walks, facepainting, 

and a train, will provide 


Grand Isle ladies fish for 

charity 

Oyster festival fun for all 

See you there! 

able at Bridgeside Marina and at the 

tourist center, located at the Grand 

Isle Port Commission office next 

to the Butterfly Dome. The group’s 

goal is to raise another $2,500, which 

would supplement the $5,000 raised 

the previous two years. Proceeds benefit 

the Wig Room at Our Lady of the 

Sea General Hospital in Galliano, 

which assists breast cancer patients 

with wigs and related 

supplies and raises cancer 

awareness. 

Other activities sponsored 

by the GICDT 

have included an island 

garage sale, a spay-andneuter 

program for island 

pets, and an Easter 

sunrise service. In the 

spring, it will sponsor 

“The Power of Place” 

8th Annual Grand Isle 

Juried Exhibition, an 

art exhibition of works with themes 

focusing on the wetlands and Grand 

Isle, Louisiana’s only inhabited barrier 

island. n 

For more information about 

the rodeo or the GICDT’s other 

events, call (985) 787-2997 or 

(985) 787-2229 or log on to 

www.gicdt.org. 

fun for the tykes. For the older kids, 

the festival will have game booths 

where the winners can collect tickets 

for prizes, and craft and plant booths 

and a bayou store are sure to please as 

well. Tracy Riggs, one of the festival’s 

coordinators, said “This is truly a 

community event” and says the church 

is 38 years old and has held the fair for 

more than two decades. 

The festival is held on the church 

grounds at 3600 Claire Avenue, Gretna, 

and admission is free. Times are Friday, 

6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Saturday, Noon 

to 11:00 p.m. and Sunday, Noon to 

9:00 p.m. Sponsorships are available. 

Contact the church at 367-7951 for 

more details. n 

COMMUNITY 

Gretna Police Department 

honors fallen officer 

On September 3, 2009, members 

of the Gretna Police Department as 

well as family members of Sergeant 

Sue Laughlin gathered in front of the 

Gretna Police Department complex 

to commemorate her death four years 

ago to the day. The ceremony consisted 

of the raising of a flag that had 

previously been flown over the Louisiana 

State Capitol, comments from 

Chief Arthur S. Lawson, and remarks 

by Sue’s son, Johnny Laughlin. 

Sergeant Sue Laughlin died servicing 

her community during Hurricane 

Katrina, asphyxiated by fumes from 

a generator while trying to rest after 

long hours of working throughout the 

storm. Sue was a 15-year veteran of 

the Gretna Police Department, serv- 

 

 

 

 

 

 

WE KNOW YOUR BUSINESS NEEDS 

FROM SMALL FAMILY BUSINESS TO LARGE CORPORATIONS 

FREE CONSULTATION AND EVALUATION 

JOIN OTHER WESTBANK BUSINESS LEADERS AND GIVE 

BUSINESS US A CALL TODAY COMMERCIAL 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

JEFFERSON 

SPRINKLER, INC. 

DESIGN - INSTALLATION - SERVICE 

P.O. BOX 129 GRETNA, LA 70054 

504-362-0198 Fax: 504-367-0216 

raymonds@jeffersonsprinkler.com 

Raymond Strohmeyer, Jr. President 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ing in its Communications Division, 

Emergency Medical Services, and 

Court Security. 

Chief Arthur S. Lawson commented 

that Sue’s death was a tragedy 

within a tragedy, and that she continues 

to be missed by her fellow law 

enforcement family as well as family 

members. 

At the conclusion of the ceremony, 

the flag was lowered and was presented 

by the Gretna Police Department 

Honor Guard to her family in 

memory of her service. n 

H H H 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LOW COST COMMERCIAL INSURANCE 

 

 

DEREK BOWLES DANNY BOWLES





INSURANCE 

I know that I’m an insurance agent 

and that most of my solutions revolve 

around the purchase of insurance. I can 

certainly see how that would seem selfserving. 

But if I don’t tell you about it, 

who will? The good news is, even if 

you decide not to purchase an Employment 

Practices Liability (EPL) policy, 

I’ll still allow you to read this article. 

If you own a business and you have 

employees, you need employment 

practices liability. EPL claims increase 

each year in both number of cases and 

awards handed down by courts. 

Here is a quick example of the 

types of coverage that an EPL policy 

provides: 

Wrongful firing; 

Harassment; 

Discrimination; 

Retaliation; 

Employment –related libel, slander, 

humiliation, defamation or invasion of 

privacy; 

Wrongful failure to employ or promote; 

Wrongful deprivation of career opportunity 

(including the giving of negative 

or defamatory statements in connection 

with an employee reference); 

Employment Related misrepresentation; 

Wrongful Discipline; 

Civil rights violations; 

Failure to provide or enforce adequate 

or consistent corporate policies 

and procedures relating to any Employment 

Practices Violation. 

The biggest dilemma with EPL 

claims, from the perspective of business 

owners, is that employers normally 

start off in the position of guilty and 

have to prove their innocence. This is a 

very time consuming and costly ordeal. 

 

 

 

 

Ryan Daul 

Employment practices liability 

 

 

Here are a few things that can help you 

prevent, or at least adequately defend, 

an EPL claim. 

Every business should have policies 

and procedures that meet the state 

guidelines concerning employees. 

These policies and procedures should 

be reviewed by legal counsel that has 

expertise in this area. Items that should 

be addressed are documenting essential 

job functions, timely performance 

reviews, and measurable standards for 

each position. However, Risk Management 

can be counter-intuitive. For example, 

human resources departments 

often publish rules that set forth very 

high standards for discrimination and 

harassment. Rather than protecting the 

employer, though, these high standards 

are used against them at trial. 

The U.S. Department of Labor offers 

a Small Business Handbook from 

their Website at http://www.dol.gov. 

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity 

Commission also offers numerous 

publications addressing different 

employment laws from their website at 

http://www.eeoc.gov. 

Policies and premiums for this type 

of coverage vary tremendously among 

insurers. Many companies offering the 

coverage also offer assistance in writing 

policy and procedure manuals and 

other ways to reduce the potential for 

claims involving sexual harassment, 

wrongful termination, or discrimination. 

Every business has the potential 

for an EPL claim. 

Most insurance policies exclude 

Employment Practice Liability. I do 

want to point out that the Employers 

liability section of a Workers compensation 

policy is not the same as 

Employment Practices Liability. The 

 

 

 

similarity in names often causes some 

confusion. 

Please feel free to call our office if 

you have any questions or concerns regarding 

this or any other type of business 

insurance coverage. n 

Ryan Daul is a Producer with 

the Daul Insurance Agency, Inc., a 

ARTIGUES CONSTRUCTION CO., INC. 

SIDNEY J. ARTIGUES SR. - PRESIDENT 

NEW / RENOVATIONS 

Commercial General Contractor 

Commercial / Financial / Healthcare / Industrial 

Multi-Family / Retail and Design / Build 

1215 Fried St. 


(504) 368-3732 

email: info@Artiguesconstruction.com 

ApartmentForRent 

1 & 2 Bedroom Unit 

Clean, Safe Gretna neighborhood 

(504) 362-8790 

Call between 9 a.m. - 7 p.m. 

family owned and operated business 

since 1959. Daul Insurance 

handles a variety of business insurance 

clients at its office located at 94 

Westbank Exp., Ste. A. in Gretna. To 

contact Ryan Daul, call 362-0667 or 

send him an email at ryan@daulinsurance.com.



COMMUNITY 

In the summer of 2007, driven 

by concerns over Jefferson Parish’s 

post-Katrina environment, the parish 

government, JEDCO (Jefferson Parish 

Economic Development Commission) 

and the leaders of the Jefferson EDGE 

commissioned a study to understand 

why families and businesses 

were leaving our community. The 

compelling findings showed that 

individuals consider quality of life 

a key determinant in their decision 

of where to locate their homes or 

businesses. In immediate response, 

a steering committee, comprised 

of the leadership of JEDCO, the 

Jefferson EDGE Investors and the 

top three elected officials of Jefferson 

Parish (President Aaron Broussard, 

Councilmen-at Large Thomas Capella 

and John Young) joined to address 

Jefferson Parish quality of life. 

Through a collaborative effort, the 

committee created eight strike forces, 

each addressing a quality of life 

issue that is most critical to Jefferson 

David F. Andignac 

The Jefferson EDGE 2020 sparks numerous quality 

of life initiatives 

Parish. Leaders of Jefferson Parish’s 

community and civic organizations 

were also called upon to validate 

the committee’s findings and further 

define the most critical issues. The 

result of their effort was a series of 

initiatives that collectively comprise 

The Jefferson EDGE 2020, the 

parish’s comprehensive economic 

development plan, and represent a 

once in a lifetime opportunity to recreate 

our community. 

Leading a strike force is both 

demanding and extremely rewarding, 

and we are blessed to have the following 

persons as the “point” individuals for 

The Jefferson EDGE 2020: 

Flood Protection - Tim Whitmer 

Crime Abatement - Tim Coulon 

Education - Ray Seamon 

Beautification - Rubye Noble 

Hospitals - David Martin 

Fat City - Jim Hudson 

Insurance - Lee Giorgio 

Economic Development - 

Jack Stumpf 

Keys to our success are many. The 

first is the attitude shared by each 

group that their initiative is the most 

important challenge and opportunity 

for our parish. Just as critical is the 

extraordinary resource team comprised 

of JEDCO, GCR & Associates, 

Jefferson Parish government and 

regional volunteers who provide 

invaluable expertise 

specific to each 

initiative. As each 

plan was developed, 

it was presented for 

review and input 

to the 15 business, 

community and civic 

groups as an invitation 

to join our effort and 

help determine the 

future of Jefferson 

Parish. Today, they serve not only as 

key members of our team, but also as 

our conduit to the communities and 

organizations they serve. From the 

start, this has been a team effort joining 

the business and civic community and 

elected government in a coalition that 

is powerful, responsive and unique to 

the parish. When an issue is addressed, 

they do so as one voice with complete 

focus and cooperation. 

The commitment is not simply 

to generate a report to occupy shelf 

space, but produce a dynamic strategic 

plan that will be constantly reviewed, 

challenged and modified. On a semiannual 

basis, each strike force presents 

its progress, successes and failures to 

our business, civic and community 

leaders to ensure that they are on the 

correct path and meeting their daily 

objective of making Jefferson the 

community of choice for families and 

businesses for generations. 

Post-Katrina, Jefferson Parish 

stands poised to assume its rightful 

position as the economic leader of the 

region, and The Jefferson EDGE 2020 

initiative will be a prime mover in 

this journey. Over the past 24 months, 

the eight strike forces have spent 

thousands of 

hours making 

a difference in 

the community, 

but they are 

only beginning 

to scratch the 

surface. As 

I alluded to 

earlier, this is 

not an event; 

this is a way 

of life for those individuals who 

are serving you as members of The 

Jefferson EDGE 2020. Together, we 

will create a Jefferson where we are 

proud to live, work and invite new 

families to share in the opportunities 

offered by our parish. Most importantly, 

we will create a community which 

our children and grandchildren will 

be proud to call home. This article is 

only the beginning and I have asked 

each strike force leader to share with 

you comments in future editions of the 

West Bank Beacon about the exciting 

accomplishments already achieved, 

but more importantly, to share what 

the future holds for us. n 

Together, we will create 

a Jefferson where we are 

proud to live, work and invite 

new families to share in the 

opportunities offered 

by our parish. 

David F. Andignac is Chairman 

of Jefferson EDGE 2020.



ALGIERS 


Cheers from Algiers 

Algiers Economic Development 

Foundation: Driving Development 

The leading organizations championing 

economic and community development 

in Algiers are Algiers Economic 

Development Foundation (AEDF) 

and its subsidiary Algiers Community 

Foundation (ACF). 

Established in 1991 by Algiers 

business leaders, AEDF quickly scored 

its first accomplishment by convincing 

the Louisiana state legislature to 

create Algiers Development District 

(ADD), a special taxing district to fuel 

Algiers’ economic health. Since then, 

AEDF has organized and participated 

in a wide range of planning and community 

projects to foster growth of Algiers’ 

economy, as well as to improve 

the residential community. 

Following Hurricane Katrina, 

AEDF escalated its efforts. It organized 

seminars to help citizens and 

businesses re-establish normalcy and 

was a leading participant in subsequent 

planning to rebuild Algiers. AEDF 

continues to work closely with the 

City of New Orleans to tackle blight, 

disseminate important city news, and 

inform and connect the residential and 

business communities to numerous rebuilding 

projects. AEDF also launched 

the Algiers Business and Shopping 

Directory, which showcases the diversity 

and strength of Algiers growing 

economy. This directory was recently 

updated and re-released in July 2009 

and is available free of charge at many 

locations in Algiers and Gretna. 

During the year, AEDF regularly 

conducts bi-monthly business luncheons 

and business mixers. The largest 

yearly event is the Westbank Busi- 

YOUR WEST BANK CONNECTION! 

Long time West Banker Barbara Rutledge 

has now joined the Banner Chevy “Sales 

Team” in New Orleans. She would like to 

invite all her previous customers, friends 

and family to come visit her soon. 

Whether you want to buy a new - used car 

or truck, She’ll be happy to help you select 

the right one with the right financing 

Free service loaners are available too. 

Barbara Rutledge - Sales Consultant 

504-813-2711 

ness Showcase. This event will be held 

November 15, from 12 pm to 4 pm at 

Mardi Gras World in Algiers. Please 

visit our website www.aedf.biz for 

more detailed information. July and 

August were a very exciting time in Algiers 

with the successful Wednesdays 

on the Point concert series, featuring 

local musicians at various venues in 

Algiers Point. Add to this AEDF’s day 

to day contributions of helping Algiers 

businesses and communicating the attractions 

of Algiers to regional and national 

developers, it is very clear the 

benefit provided to the businesses and 

residents of Algiers and the region. 

For more information on AEDF 

or if you are interested in becoming a 

member, please call (504) 362-6436 or 

visit the website at www.aedf.biz, here 

you can find more detailed information 

on community events and links to 

member businesses. 

UPCOMING EVENTS in Algiers: 

Wednesday, October 7th, 6pm 

– 8pm AEDF October Business Mixer. 

Hosted & Sponsored by Senator David 

R. Heitmeier, O. D. at 3501 Holiday 

Drive, Suite 201 New Orleans, LA 

70114. The public is invited. Complimentary 

Food and Drink Served. 

Please call 362-6436 or email dfreiss@ 

aedf.biz to RSVP. 

Saturday, October 10th and Sunday, 

October 11th, 12pm to 10pm 

Holy Name of Mary Fall Festival. Located 

at 400 Verret Street in Historic 

Algiers Point. There will be non-stop 

live music, food, crafts and much more. 

For more information contact Frank 

Lauricella (504) 361-0937. 


October 11th, 12pm to 10pm 

“Where Customers Send Their Friends” 

5950 Chef Menteur Hwy • New Orleans 504-242-2000 

www.bannerchevy.com 

Friends of the Hubbell Library Book 

Sale @ the Holy Name of Mary Fair. 

The Westbank Barnes and Noble has 

generously donated boxes of new 

books to the Algiers Point Hubbell Library, 

some to be added to the collection 

and some to be sold to raise funds 

for the library. All proceeds from this 

book sale will benefit Friends of Hubbell 

Library. 


October 11th, 12pm to 10pm African 

Heritage Celebration. At the Village 

on the Riverfront in Old Algiers. 

For more information please email, villageovahdarivah@yahoo.com. 


October 25th, 11am to 5pm Algiers 

Point Tour of Homes. For more 

information please contact Chair, Nathalie 

Bastin at (504) 361-0736 or visit 

the APA website at www.algierspoint. 

org. 

Sunday, October 25th, 12pm to 

5pm Trinity Lutheran Church Oktoberfest, 

438 Olivier Street, Algiers Point. 

Brats, Sauerkraut, Pretzels, Apple Strudel 

and German Beer along with authentic 

German music and dance. 

Algiers Historical Society Monthly 

Meeting. Located in the Carriage 

House behind the Algiers Courthouse, 

225 Morgan Street. For more information 

please contact Amy Hubbell at 

amyhubbell@aol.com. 

Saturday, October 17th, 10am. 

Daniel Hammer of the Historic New 

Orleans Collection will give a presentation 

on New Orleans’ cemetery preservation. 

Saturday, November 21st, 10am. 

Mark Cave will give a presentation on 

his book “Saving Wednesday’s Child”, 

in which he discusses the history of the 

Louisiana Society for the Prevention 

of Cruelty to Children, now called the 

Children’s Bureau of New Orleans. 

Author Night at the Hubbell Library. 

Temporarily located in the Carriage 

House behind the Algiers Courthouse, 

225 Morgan Street. For more information 

please contact Amy Hubbell 

at amyhubbell@aol.com. 

Tuesday, October 20th, 6:30pm. 

Presentation and book signing by Peggy 

Sue Laborde and John Magill with 

their new book “Christmas in New Orleans”. 

Free and open to the public. Refreshments 

will be served. 

Tuesday, November 17th, 6:30pm. 

Presentation and book signing by Henri 

Schindler, author of the Mardi Gras 

Treasure series. Free and open to the 

public. Refreshments will be served. 

Wednesday, November 4th, 

11:30am to 1pm AEDF Monthly Business 

Luncheon. Located at Aurora 

Tennis and Swim Club, 5244 General 

Meyer Avenue. Call Debbie Friess at 

AEDF to RSVP (504) 362-6436. 

Sunday, November 15th, 12pm to 

4pm Westbank Business Showcase. 

Mardi Gras World. Discovering Local 

Businesses in your own backyard. 

Over 75 booths, complimentary food 

from area restaurants, door prizes and 

much more. Contact AEDF at (504) 

362-6436 for more information or visit 

the website www.aedf.biz. 

Saturday, November 28th and 

Sunday, November 29th, 9am to 

9pm Hubbell Library Christmas Tree 

and Holiday Gift Sale. Located at Gulf 

Pizza, 446 Pelican Avenue. Forty percent 

of the proceeds from this sale will 

be donated to Friends of the Hubbell 

Library. This year will feature quality 

trees, wreaths and garland as well as 

baked goods and holiday gifts from local 

artists. 

Look for more information on this 

in the November edition of the West 

Bank Beacon. n



HEALTH 

Various health care providers are 

advertising that spinal decompression 

traction is an effective procedure 

for patients with low back pain. 

Unfortunately, the folks making these 

claims have misinterpreted the research 

findings. This is particularly regretful, 

because patients are likely to suffer 

both physically and financially. 

It is not uncommon for early 

research studies with little scientific 

rigor to provide promising results, only 

to be contradicted by later studies using 

better methodology. Spinal traction 

research provides a case in point. There 

was preliminary data suggesting that 

the use of traction could widen disc 

space and reduce pressure. But these 

early studies suffered from serious 

research flaws. Thus, they failed to 

establish the effectiveness of traction. 

Recently two independent scientific 

teams performed high quality reviews 

of the literature regarding spinal 

decompression and traction devices. 

The first team was composed of 

researchers from Stanford University 

Dr. George Van Wormer, BS, DC 

Is Spinal Decompression 

Traction effective? 

School of Medicine and John Hopkins 

University School of Medicine. They 

looked specifically at motorized spinal 

decompression research and came 

to the conclusion that the efficacy 

of motorized spinal decompression 

for low back pain remains without 

evidence of effectiveness. It is 

interesting to note that this review was 

funded in part by a manufacturer of a 

spinal decompression unit. 

The second team, an international 

group of researchers, looked at all 

forms of traction. This team concluded 

that traction as a single treatment 

cannot be recommended for patients 

with low back pain, with or without 

sciatica. 

Based on the current research 

evidence, traction, in itself, cannot 

be recommended as a treatment for 

patients with low back pain. n 

Dr. George Van Wormer is a 

chiropractor in Harvey specializing 

in the non-surgical treatment of 

spinal conditions. Call (504) 362- 

3000 for more information. 

ALGIERS 


The 2009 Algiers Point 

Tour of Homes 

The 36th Annual Algiers Point 

Home Tour is scheduled for Saturday, 

October 24th and Sunday, October 

25th, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. each 

day. One of New Orleans’ most 

beautiful and historic neighborhoods, 

Algiers Point’s wonderful homes are 

showcased in this annual event. 

This year’s tour will showcase 

six distinctive homes with a range of 

architectural and renovation styles. In 

different ways, the homes and their 

owners represent the unique character 

of this quaint neighborhood. Each 

home will be staffed by volunteers who 

will be able to answer questions about 

the neighborhood and the homes. This 

year, the homes are all within an easy 

walk of the Algiers Ferry Landing and 

can be found on the map that will be 

included in the tour brochure. 

Local restaurants and bars in the 

Point will be open both days. The Old 

Point Bar will have live music starting 

at 5 p.m. and the Dry Dock Café will be 

screening the Saints game on Sunday. 

In addition, Trinity Lutheran Church 

will be hosting its annual Oktoberfest 

on Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. – this is 

always a fun filled event with authentic 

German music, dance, food and drink. 

Advanced sale tour tickets can 

be purchased in advance for $12 per 

ticket at the Whitney Bank (501 Verret 

Street), on-line at www.algierspoint. 

org, or phone by calling (504) 361- 

0736. Tickets are also available both 

days of the event for $15 and can 

be purchased at the Algiers Point 

Courthouse (225 Morgan Street). 

The tour this year is presented 

by Greg’s Antiques and the Algiers 

Economic Development Foundation 

(AEDF). Proceeds will benefit nonprofit 

organizations and efforts in 

Algiers Point to promote tourism and 

to improve the quality of life in Algiers 

Point. 

For more information, please 

contact the Tour Chairperson, Nathalie 

Bastin (504) 361-0736 or nati1965@ 

yahoo.com. n



GARDENING 

At the beginning of World War II in 

1941, the West Bank and other parts 

of the United States faced great challenges, 

foreign and domestic. Those of 

us who were too young, gender or college 

deferred, special jobs rating deferment, 

or physically incapable of serving 

in the Military, served our country 

on the Home Front in many different 

ways. Mothers, daughters and young 

ladies became Rosie the Riveters. 

Grandpa and Grandma became factory 

and shipyard workers, and in their little 

time off from the war-effort, they became 

part-time air raid wardens. Most 

everyone collected anything made out 

of aluminum to make weapons of war. 

Food, gasoline, meat, butter… were all 

rationed. Vegetables and protein items 

in the marketplace were hard to come 

by, so by necessity mothers and fathers 

had to feed their family with much less 

of hard-to-get foodstuffs. Home farms 

in the nation’s breadbasket became giant 

agri-businesses to feed our troops 

abroad and at sea. That left very little 

for those of us at home. 

I was just 9 years old when World 

War II began; sacrifice and self-sufficiency 

was the constant plea from 

our leaders. Enter the Victory Garden 

and this writer’s introduction into the 

wonderful world of vegetable gardening. 

My Dad assigned that job to me; I 

finally could contribute something tangible 

to our family: fresh food! Even 

as a boy I was proud to serve. 

After a brief indoctrination on the 

best time to plant (moon phases) and 

preparation of the garden plot, planting 

seeds and caring for the plants after 

breaking ground, my father handed me 

a shovel and a hoe and told me to get 

with it. That began a love affair with 

the soil that has lasted all my life. 

My Victory Garden was about 10foot 

wide by 60-foot long, consisting 

of five, 24-inch wide rows, which 

eventually provided everything from 

radishes, Creole tomatoes, pole snap 

beans, bell pepper, eggplant and sweet 

corn during the Spring months. In the 

Fall I grew shallots (green onions), 

broccoli, cauliflower, beets and sweet 

potatoes, and occasionally, pumpkins. 

My mother and father and Grandpa 

Andrew McDonald were absolutely 

delighted at my progress in the practical 

world of vegetable gardening. 

From my Dad and Grandpa Andrew, I 

learned that the content and condition 

of the soil was necessary to assure a 

Guy Ralph McDonald 

The Back Yard Gardener: A West Bank Tradition 

good crop, whatever that might be. A 

next door neighbor, Mr. Alcest Tabor, 

was also instrumental in teaching the 

writer about processes of organic pest 

control and natural fertilizing techniques. 

Because my Dad had all he could 

do to keep a roof over our heads and 

feed his five children, Mr. Tabor, a retired 

man and excellent back yard gardener, 

took me under his wing as an 

apprentice. Mr. Tabor preached that 

any organic compostable vegetable 

matter, such as coffee grounds, grass 

clippings, egg shells, fruit and vegetable 

peelings, seafood carcasses, 

well rotted manures from green grass 

or grazing animals, was the only fertilizer 

he used. Organic fertilizer, he said, 

would enrich the soil and maintain a 

natural, healthy balance. “When turning 

your compost material and earthworms 

begin to appear, that’s when 

you know your compost is ready to 

apply to your garden plot,” Mr. Tabor 

said. “You see,” he 

said, “earth worms eat 

the composted material 

and return to the earth 

a richer soil.” One look 

at his beautiful crops 

convinced me. We even 

used his compost bin as 

a red worm sanctuary; 

it provided all the catfish and bream 

(perch) bait we ever needed to catch 

the big ones. 

ORGANIC GARDENING 

Let’s start with the concept of 

Organic Gardening. Basically, this 

method consists of using virtually no 

chemical fertilizers or pesticides on 

vegetable and fruit crops. There are 

very few gardeners, small and large 

and mega farming operations that use 

this method exclusively, because of 

the extra time and costs of doing business. 

For example, Organic Gardening 

purists use lots of biological methods 

such as releasing hundreds of thousands 

of lady bugs, praying mantises, 

certain types of wasps, into their fields 

and orchards instead of using chemical 

pesticides. Compost is used almost 

exclusively as fertilizer, which is indeed 

very beneficial to any crop. But 

making compost takes time, so many 

gardeners opt to use granulated or liquid 

complete fertilizers because it is 

convenient and quick. I don’t have a 

problem with that. 

Let me digress just a bit. A few 

That began a love 

affair with the soil 

that has lasted 

all my life. 

years back I went 

100 percent Organic 

for my 

backyard garden. 

I ordered 10,000 

ladybugs, many 

praying mantises 

and wasps in their 

cases. These I set 

out in my fully 

composted garden 

among my plants. 

I observed these 

creatures doing 

their jobs eating 

aphids and other 

leaf sucking insects. 

For a time 

my garden remained lush, green and 

fruitful and few pests. Then, all of a 

sudden, it seemed, my friendly little 

creatures were gone, disappeared almost 

completely; the harmful insects 

had returned to my garden and feasted 

on my crops. I soon found out the reason 

why my beneficial 

creatures left so suddenly: 

my next door 

neighbor was using 

55% Malathion, a very 

potent chemical pesticide 

on his plants. Just 

read Rachel Carson’s 

Silent Spring and you 

may understand more about Organic 

Gardening and the use of chemical 

pesticides. In any event, draw your 

own conclusions as I did. 

My creatures visited his plants, ate 

their fill, collapsed and died. The moral 

of this story is that the right hand 

should always know what the left hand 

is doing. It was a good learning experience. 

Feeling somewhat defeated, 

I went back to using my homemade 

pesticide concoction of hot Jalapeño/ 

Cayenne pepper juice and soapy water, 

which worked well, but not entirely. 

SOME GENERAL 

CONSIDERATIONS 

A good place to start as a backyard 

gardener is evaluating one’s soil. The 

term PH is the method of expressing 

the amount of soil acidity or alkalinity. 

The PH scale runs from 0-14. The 

0 end of the scale is the acid end, while 

the 14 end of the scale is the alkaline 

end. A soil testing a PH of 7.0 will be 

exactly neutral. 

Start your gardening experience 

by going to your favorite garden center 

and buy a soil testing kit. Or you 

may send a sample of your soil to your 

nearest LSU extension agent. Once 

you’ve determined what the PH value 

is, (ideally between 6.5 and 7.0) you 

may have to buy some powdered Lime 

to increase the PH to its proper level. 

For simplicity: in most West Bank 

vegetable gardens, the soil should already 

have a PH value of between 6.5- 

7; that value is normally considered 

alkaline, often referred to as sweet 

by old timers and is good for planting 

most vegetables in spring, summer, 

fall and winter. My soil hovers 

between 6.5- 7. Any values lower than 

6, say, 3.5 to 4.5, the soil would be 

considered, acid. Normal Spring crops 

like Creole tomatoes, bell pepper, eggplant, 

sweet corn …do best in alkaline 

soil. Berries, blueberry, blackberry and 

strawberries like the more acid soil that 

exists across Lake Pontchartrain on the 

North Shore. That’s why Hammond 

and Ponchatoula have large acreages 

planted in huge, delicious strawberries. 

That’s not to say other crops requiring 

alkaline soil cannot thrive there, they 

do. But the farmers adjust their cover 

crops, fertilizers and chemicals such as 

finely-ground limestone, lime, to crops 

that need a higher PH value. 

The writer has found that raised 

beds and /or 30-40-gallon plastic containers 

are the best type of growing 

medium, easy to construct, easy to 

maintain and saves the old or young 

person’s back. I have five such beds 

and about 12 container types. For the 

raised beds, I use 4 x 4 x 8 ft landscaping/construction 

posts, oval on one 

side and 3 square (flat) sides. Each side 

measures about 8 ft. Each end is about 

48-inches wide x 34-inches high. If 

you’re a seaux-seaux carpenter like 

See West Bank Gardener, page 39



Heitmeier Selected 

Doctor of Year 

By Frank J. Borne, Jr. 

Algiers optometrist, and West Bank 

Beacon columnist, David R. Heitmeier 

has been selected as Optometrist of the 

Year by the Optometry Association 

of Louisiana. Association President 

Chris Wroten wrote in a recap of 

the association’s 2009 convention, 

which was held in Lafayette: “David 

has been an unbelievable ally for our 

association and our profession in the 

first year of his term, and could not be 

more worthy of this honor.” 

“Being recognized by one’s 

peers is an honor. I was surprised by 

the selection and am humbled” Dr. 

Heitmeier said of the recognition. 

Heitmeier was elected in 2007 to 

serve Louisiana State Senate District 

7 and is a graduate of the University 

of Southwestern Louisiana and the 

University of Houston College of 

Optometry. He founded Heitmeier 

and Armani—Medical and Surgical 

Eyecare, and has practiced optometry 

for more than 20 years. His practice 

now has five doctors and is one of 

the largest medical practices in the 

New Orleans Metropolitan Area. The 

L-R: Dr. Heitmeier with Dr. James D. 

Sandefur, 2009 recipient of the Optometry 

Association of Louisiana’s Distinguished 

Service Award. 

doctors see more than 100 patients per 

day and provide complete eye care 

ranging from eyeglasses and contact 

lenses to in-office glaucoma and retinal 

laser surgeries. Heitmeier frequently 

lectures on business organization and 

patient service and ethics. 

Heimeier is married to Cathy 

Chifici, with whom he has two 

daughters. n 

The Gretna Economic Development Association 

invites you to ride 

Free 

GRETNA FERRY 

Beginning this month on a trial basis, service will be available from Gretna to 

Canal Street, allowing riders the benefits of free parking on the West Bank with 

convenient access to the French Quarter, the Superdome, and the CBD. 

ON YOUR WAY ACROSS THE RIVER, STOP FIRST 

AT ONE OF OUR WONDERFUL DOWNTOWN RESTAURANTS. 

For a schedule of times or for more information, 

please visit www.gretnala.com



AUTO 

Vicky Pollard 

Vehicle record “flags” and how to avoid them 

So… you go in to your local 

DMV or a Tag Agent to renew your 

registration and license plate sticker, 

and, much to your surprise, there is a 

block, or a “flag” on the vehicle record, 

and you cannot renew. 

There are several types of flags that 

can cause this scenario. Here is what 

you need to know so this does not 

happen to you: 

NI Flag – By far, the most common 

flag is a No Insurance flag. Louisiana 

law requires that you turn in your 

license plate to a DMV or Tag Agent 

BEFORE cancelling your insurance. 

Your insurance company notifies the 

State DMV if you cancel your insurance 

voluntarily, and if your policy lapses 

for failure to pay your premium. If this 

lapse is 10 days or longer, you get an 

NI flag, which blocks the record. You 

can do nothing until you get the flag 

removed by paying a fine, either at the 

Revocations office at the local DMV 

or by calling the toll-free number 1- 

877-DMV LINE (1-877-368-5463). 

To prevent this from happening to you, 

make sure you turn in your plate before 

you cancel your insurance. If you are 

selling your vehicle, make sure the title 

transfer is completed within 10 days of 

cancelling your insurance. 

But what if you have a specialty 

plate (i.e. LSU plate, Personalized, 

Military, etc), and you do not want 

to cancel it – after all, you paid good 

money to get the specialty plate in the 

first place – and you want to drop your 

insurance because you are going out 

of the country for an extended period 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

of time, or your car got wrecked and it 

will take months to fix? Your local tag 

agent can set a “Non-Use” or NU flag 

for you. This allows you to keep your 

plate and still cancel your insurance (of 

course, you MUST make sure that the 

car (or truck or motorcycle) is actually 

NOT being used!) for a period of up 

to one year. If your trip or repair takes 

more than 1 year, you would have to 

re-do the non-use affidavit. 

NV Flag – If you get stopped for 

speeding, or running a red-light, or 

some other traffic violation and you 

do not have the minimum required 

liability insurance on the vehicle, you 

will get a Notice of Violation on your 

record. Most of the time, the officer 

will confiscate your license plate at the 

time of the violation (they are supposed 

to!), but not always. If your plate IS 

taken, contrary to popular belief, you 

CANNOT get the same plate back after 

payment of your fines - you must PAY 

for a new one. You must pay whatever 

the traffic fine is first, then go to the 

Revocations office at the local DMV to 

have the NV flag removed. Only after 

this is done can you be issued a new 

license plate or renewal sticker. 

SV Flag - Another flag that blocks 

the vehicle record is a Stolen Vehicle 

flag. If your vehicle is stolen and later 

recovered, you must notify not only 

the police department to whom it was 

reported stolen in the first place, BUT 

ALSO the DMV. Ideally, the police 

would notify the DMV, but in reality, 

they don’t always do so. The SV 

flag also blocks the record until it is 

 

 

 

removed in Baton Rouge. 

Other Flags are less well-known. 

CC – If you run through the toll 

plaza at the Crescent City Connection, 

do not be surprised if you find a CC 

Flag on your record. Again, this puts 

a hold on the vehicle record until you 

contact the Crescent City Connection 

Police and pay a fine. It is important 

to note that the OWNER of the vehicle 

is responsible for the payment of the 

toll to the Crescent City Connection 

Division, regardless of who was driving 

the vehicle at the time of the violation. 

So, if your kid or your significant other 

is driving your vehicle and they blow 

through the toll plaza, YOU are the 

one who will be responsible! 

MC – Occasionally, a vehicle 

owner may learn that his/her vehicle 

has an MC Flag, which is set by the 

Louisiana State Police. This is often 

the result of a “suspended license”. 

This flag will be accompanied by a 

telephone number to call to clear up 

your particular issue. Again, all fines 

must be paid first, before you can 

renew your sticker or get a new plate. 

CH – If you are ordered by a court 

to pay child support and fail to do so, 

you just might end up with a CH flag 

on not only your drivers license, but 

also on the record of any vehicles you 

own. 

NS – Also, if you are not sure 

you have enough money in you bank 

account to cover any DMV fees, DO 

NOT write the check. If you write a 

check to the DMV and it is returned 

for insufficient funds, you are likely to 

see a NS flag on your vehicle record. 

ST – This flag means that a Salvage 

Title has been issued to the vehicle. The 

vehicle has been damaged equaling 

75% or greater of Blue Book value. A 

Salvage Title is usually issued to the 

insurance company when they pay off 

an insurance settlement on a “totaled” 

vehicle. 

SR – In the event your vehicle is 

“totaled”, and you buy it back from 

the insurance company, the “Salvage 

Retention” flag is placed on the record. 

A vehicle with an SR flag is NOT 

supposed to be driven on the streets 

and roads of the State. You must follow 

the procedures for converting the 

“salvage” vehicle to a “reconstructed” 

vehicle. (The insurance companies 

usually don’t tell you that). 

RC – The RC or Reconstructed 

Vehicle flag indicates that the vehicle 

was once declared as salvage (damage 

equaled 75% or more of the Blue 

Book value), and that vehicle has been 

repaired and inspected, and declared 

to be fit for operation on the streets 

and highways of the State. Once this 

flag is placed on a vehicle record, it 

can never be removed. All subsequent 

titles for said vehicle will be branded 

“Reconstructed”. n 

For more information, visit ABC 

Title at 2500 Lapalco Blvd. in 

Harvey, call 366-7674, or visit 

http://abcttl.com.



HEALTH 

The month of October is dedicated 

to Breast Cancer Awareness. In 

observance of Breast Cancer Awareness 

month, I would like to urge all women 

at least 40 and over and all high risk 

women to please get a mammogram 

if you haven’t already done so. This 

simple test can save your life. I know, 

because it saved my life. 

As a three-year survivor, I am 

excited to spread the word that breast 

cancer doesn’t have to end in demise 

as was once thought. If caught early 

and with the proper treatment, this 

cancer can be beat! The best defense 

is early detection. The earlier cancer 

is caught, the better your chances 

of survival. Numerous studies have 

shown that early detection saves lives 

and increases treatment options. Take 

matters into your own hands and have 

yearly mammograms, perform selfexaminations 

and see your doctor on a 

regular basis. 

As a result of my mother’s death 

from breast cancer, my sister and I are 

both considered high risk and we get 

yearly mammograms as a precaution. 

In some cases, the lumps are not felt 

nor do they cause any pain or problems. 

This was the case in my situation as I 

didn’t feel any lump or discomfort. 

Brenda Macera Lawson 

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month: An Editorial 

HEALTH 

Benola Cooper, R.N. 

If I had not gone for my yearly 

mammogram, I would not have known 

that the cancer was there as I had no 

symptoms to indicate any problem. 

I feel that having the mammogram 

saved my life because the cancer was 

found and treated early enough to be 

put into remission. 

According to statistics from the 

American Cancer Society, an estimated 

192,370 new cases of breast cancer are 

expected to occur among women in 

the United States in 2009; about 1,910 

new cases are expected in men. An 

estimated 40,610 breast cancer deaths 

in women and men are expected in 

2009. In Louisiana alone, 2,700 new 

cases of breast cancer in women are 

estimated this year. I pray that one day 

a cure can be found to eradicate all 

cancers and put this disease to rest. 

“You have cancer” are three of 

the harshest, coldest words you can 

ever imagine hearing. After weeks of 

deliberating what types of treatment 

would be done and exploring all of 

my options of where to go and what 

to do, I opted to take my treatment 

here on the Westbank so that I could 

be close to my family. Cancer not 

only affects the patient, but the entire 

family. Good support from family and 

Pink tea and pink poodles 

When babies are born, pink is the 

color most U.S. hospitals automatically 

assign to female infants to be able 

to identify their gender at a glance. 

Whether it is pink booties, pink arm 

bands, pink name cards or tiny pink 

ribbons, pink is linked early to girls. 

Since the incidence of women with 

breast cancer is much greater than in 

men, West Jefferson Medical Center’s 

complimentary annual commemoration 

open to area wide breast cancer 

survivors and a guest, is aptly named 

the Pink Tea. Male survivors of breast 

cancer, of course, are also invited. 

Current statistics show breast cancer 

to be 100 times more common in 

women than in men. Battling breast 

cancer can be overwhelming and takes 

its toll not just on the patient, but affects 

the whole family. West Jefferson 

will mark 50 years in 2010 of serving 

the community and being there for patients 

and families. In homage to that 

proud history and upcoming anniver- 

sary, “Pink Tea and Pink Poodles” 

is the theme selected for this year’s 

event. This is an opportunity to make 

new friends and re-connect with longtime 

acquaintances. 

“The Pink Tea celebrates life and 

is planned as a tribute to survivorship, 

an uplifting experience for all who attend,” 

says Carol Hatchett, Pink Tea 

Committee Chairperson. “Music, 50s 

and 60s trivia games, door prizes and 

more are on the agenda. In addition, 

guests have the cool option, should 

they choose, to come decked out in 50s 

and 60s garb in keeping with the Pink 

Tea and Pink Poodles theme.” Noted 

celebrities, Grammy Award Winning 

entertainer and Louisiana Music 

Hall of Fame inductee, Irma Thomas 

along with Beth Payton, co-founder of 

Payton’s Play It Forward Foundation 

and wife of New Orleans Saints Head 

Coach Sean Payton have accepted invitations 

to the Pink Tea. 

Entergy is a major sponsor of this 

friends can be the most valuable 

asset to a cancer patient. The 

effects can be emotionally and 

physically devastating. Surgery, 

chemotherapy and radiation are 

all taxing on the body and the 

mind. I had the most wonderful 

team of doctors and nurses 

that helped me through all of 

this. Having faith in your team 

of doctors also helps with the 

healing process. 

Most hospitals offer support 

groups to encourage the patient. West 

Jefferson Medical Center offers a 

monthly support group called “Bosom 

Buddies” that gives women with breast 

cancer an opportunity to communicate 

with others going through the same 

situation. The loss of hair is especially 

distressing and difficult for women 

to come to terms with. The American 

Cancer Society offers a program called, 

“Look Good, Feel Better”, which is 

very helpful to women who have lost 

all of their hair. They offer tips on 

wearing wigs, scarves, hats and how to 

apply make-up to make you look and 

feel your best. These programs assist 

in giving women in despair a boost in 

their self-esteem which can be really 

low at this point. 

special community luncheon. The Pink 

Tea will be held at the hospital in the 

Fonseca Auditorium on Friday, October 

16, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 

p.m. Lunch will be served. Seating is 

limited. RSVP required. 

We should also remember that 

our faith plays a tremendous role 

in recovering. Along with my 

team of a surgeon, oncologist, 

radiologist, nurses, family and 

friends, it is God that I relied on to 

get me through this ordeal. 

I have endured the fight to 

battle this disease and through 

God’s will, I hope to remain 

cancer-free. I have become a much 

stronger person by going through this 

challenge in my life. I have learned to 

appreciate so many things that I used 

to take for granted. “Happy Birthday” 

to me is now the “Victory Song”, 

because every year since cancer I feel 

so blessed to “win” another one. 

I see things so much more 

differently than I ever did before and I 

am happy to be enjoying life in a whole 

new light! I enjoy working, traveling, 

and spending time with my family. 

Cancer can change your life, but 

you can’t let it change you! 

I have many family members and 

friends that have also gone through 

this challenge with breast and other 

cancers and some who are still fighting 

the battle. I urge them to hang in there, 

you can conquer this too! Keep the 

Faith!! n 

For more information, to make a 

reservation or become a sponsor, call 

(504)349-1308. n 

Benola Copper is the Community 

Outreach Coordinator for 

West Jefferson Medical Center.



LAFITTE 

The first Seafood Festival in 

the Town of Jean Lafitte since the 

devastation left by Hurricanes Katrina 

and Rita was a triumph, not only for 

the Town but for the citizens of the 

Town. 

It was a turning point in the 

Lafitte’s plan to move foreword and 

it gave the citizens back a vital part of 

their culture that had been taken 

away in 2005. “The Festival is 

a strong sign that Lafitte and 

its residents are continuing to 

make steps toward a long term 

recovery. The resiliency of the 

residents is evident in everything 

they do,” says Councilman Chris 

Roberts. 

The people of the area were 

thrilled to have the Festival back, 

even if it looked a little different 

from the previous years. The 

new location was a success and 

even added a little bit of charm. 

The staple of the Festival stayed 

the same and that was great food 

DAVID & CARMEN BILLIOT 

(504) 348-9105 

Krystal Cooper Christen 

Seafood Festival makes welcome return to Lafitte 

Quality Dogs, Inc. 

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behavior ProbLems 

sPeciaLizing in PersonaL Protection 

aLso Large boarding faciLity 

German Shepherd Pups and Adult Dogs 

32 Years Experience 

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prepared by local restaurants and 

fishermen. 

“Everyone I spoke to loved it,” 

said Jean Lafitte Councilwoman 

Verna Smith. “People are telling me 

that they wish the Mayor would have 

it every weekend,” says Jean Lafitte 

Councilwomen Christy Creppel, who 

recounted sentiments expressed by 

 

 

 

Lucky Rogers Express Car Care 

 

5320 August Ave. 

Marrero, LA 70072 

 

 

 

 

Lucky Rogers Express Car Care 

 

 

 

 

 

many during 

the Festival’s 

two and a 

half day run. 

The rain 

did not slow 

down the 

festivities at 

all. Festival 

goers along with 

the staff came 

prepared with 

umbrellas, rain 

coats and rubber 

boats. Those 

who forgot their 

boots could 

also stop by the 

boiled shrimp 

tent ran by Mister Jug and purchase 

a pair of “white shrimp boots,” a 

trademark of Lafitte footwear. 

“It’s amazing how many people 

came out to support the Seafood 

Festival in spite of the bad weather,” 

says Mayor Timothy Kerner. The rain 

came down on Friday and most of 

Saturday but everyone seemed to be 

Beta Testing & Inspection, LLC 

Contruction Materials Testing 

 

 

See Seafood Festival, page 49



Looking for 

a Beacon 

newstand 

near you? 

Visit our website at www.wbbeacon.com 

 

 

We’ve known the Westbank Commercial 

Industrial Real Estate for 28 years. 

Jack Stumpf & Associates, Inc. 

504-366-6800 jackstumpf.com 

Site Preparation 

Concrete Paving 

Basic Material 

Heavy Equipment Rentals 

Serving the heavy construction needs 

of the metro area for over 50 years. 

Phone 504.348.9018 

Fax 504.340.0339 

700 River Road • Westwego, Louisiana 70094 

COMMUNITY 

Join your parish-wide beautification 

organization, Friends of Jefferson 

the Beautiful, at its second annual family-style 

Cochon de Lait! The fundraiser 

will be held on Sunday, October 

25, from 1-4 p.m. along the beautiful 

tree-lined 700 Block of Huey P. Long 

Avenue. In fact, part of this year’s 

celebration is the naming and registration 

of two oaks, the “Copernicus” 

and “Grand Old Samuel,” on site with 

the Live Oak Society. Included in the 

$25.00 cost per ticket (no charge for 

children twelve and under) will be soft 

drinks, beer, wine 

and delicious food 

items such as roast 

pork, jambalaya, 

gumbo, boudin, 

cracklin’s, Baskin 

Robbins Ice Cream, 

and Zea’s Salad. 

Musical entertainment 

will be provided by the lively 

Cajun band, Beau Ledet. The Shriner 

Clowns and a face painter will also 

be on hand to entertain the younger 

guests. A painted pumpkin patch will 

have pumpkins with original artwork 

by the artists of the Gretna Art Walk 

available for sale. There will also be a 

basket-type raffle of enticing auction 

items. Between the food, drink and 

activities, the day should be a great 

Colleen E. Wientjes 

Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful 

host second annual Cochon de Lait 

Last month, the war on blight in 

Jefferson Parish gained new allies 

as two local businesses partnered to 

demolish, haul and dispose of two 

blighted properties in Marrero and 

Lafitte. 

On Wednesday, September 2, The 

IESI Environmental Management 

Group, consisting of managers and 

engineers from across North America, 

joined forces with the local IESI- 

Coastal Waste Services to donate the 

... delicious food items 

such as roast pork, 

jambalaya, gumbo, 

boudin, cracklins, ... 

success! 

Friends of Jefferson the Beautiful 

is an official Jefferson Parish sponsored 

non-profit agency whose mission 

is the landscaping of public green 

spaces within the parish. In addition 

to beautification projects, the organization 

also produces educational programs 

such as The Planter’s Lunch, 

Tree School, and the Tree Troopers 

program. 

The success of last year’s event 

has made possible the creation of the 

proposed “Serenity Garden” at the 

new Gretna Tourism 

Center which is 

to be located at the 

entrance of Huey P. 

Long Avenue. Part 

of the funds raised 

this year will be 

dedicated to a botanical 

garden at the 

proposed Vietnam Memorial to be located 

in Gretna City Park, as well as 

to other projects around Jefferson Parish. 

All are invited to attend the event 

and share in Friends of Jefferson the 

Beautiful’s enthusiasm for parish beautification. 

Tickets may be purchased at 

the door. For more information, please 

contact Kathleen Burgdahl, event cochair, 

at 367-7782. n 

IESI Partners with River Birch Landfill 

for community service project 

labor, heavy equipment and hauling 

equipment to Jefferson Parish for 

the project while the River Birch 

Landfill donated the disposal for the 

waste material from the event. The 

demolitions took place at 467 Wilson 

in Marrero, and at 4818 Coulon in 

Lafitte. 

“This was a great opportunity 

to give back to the communities 

we service,” said Thomas Martyn, 

District Manager for IESI. n 

Become a fan of 

The West Bank Beacon at 

www.facebook.com.



NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS OF 

UNICORPORATED JEFFERSON PARISH 

AND 

The TOWN OF JEAN LAFITTE. 

Starting July 1, 2009, IESI Will Begin 

Residential and Small Business Collection of 

Garbage and Trash in Unincorporated 

Jefferson Parish and the Town of Jean Lafitte. 

Note: There are NO changes to the current 

garbage/bulky waste/white goods/tire collection schedule. 

Large bulky waste should be placed curbside the evening before your scheduled collection day 

IESI will make one pass through your designated large bulky waste collection day. If bulky waste 

is placed curbside after that pass has been made, it will not be picked up until the following week’s 

scheduled bulky waste collection day. 

Large Bulky Waste is waste that due to either weight (over 75 pounds but less than 400 

pounds) or size (over 4 feet but less than 6 feet in length) requires collection by a special boom truck. 

Examples of large bulky waste are sofas and other large pieces of furniture, large tree limbs and 

stumps, automobile parts such as fenders, seats, engines (drained of fluids). 

Small Bulky Waste is waste which is light enough (up to 75 pounds) and small enough (up to 

4 feet in length) to be collected manually and fit into the regular rear load garbage truck. Examples 

of small bulky waste are yard waste, small bundles of limbs or shrubs, bikes, toys. 

Reminder, all containers should be no larger than 35 gallons. 

Number 

on Map 

Large Bulky Waste, 

White Goods & Tires Small Bulky Waste 

MONDAY/THURSDAY 

GARBAGE COLLECTION 

East Bank 3 Monday Thursday 

West Bank 6 Thursday Thursday 

TUESDAY/FRIDAY 


East Bank 2 Tuesday Friday 

West Bank 5 Friday Friday 

WEDNESDAY/SATURDAY 


East Bank 1 Wednesday Saturday 

West Bank 4 Saturday Saturday 

1 2 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT 1-877-747-4374 

4 

3 

W 

5 6 

N 

S 

IESI asks residents to call 

1-877-747-4374 

to accommodate requests 

for efficient removal of large 

bulky waste and to 

report missed pick up 

E



INVESTMENTS 

Understanding the Secutities Investor Protection Corporation, Part II 

Sisung Securities presents to the 

investing public the second of a two 

part series of information relative to 

investment protection under the Securities 

Investor Protection Corporation. 

Please refer to the September, 2009 issue 

of the Beacon for Part I. In Part 

II, readers will learn about the seven 

most common questions SIPC receives 

from investors, as well as find websites 

to help avoid investment fraud. This information 

was extracted directly from 

the SIPC brochure found on the SIPC 

website, www.sipc.org, under “How 

SIPC Protects Investors”. Current or 

potential investors wanting more detailed 

information should contact SIPC 

at 202-371-8300 or visit the website 

above. 

HOW SIPC PROTECTS YOU 

Understanding the Securities Investor 

Protection Corporation 

SEVEN QUESTIONS INVESTORS 

ASK MOST OFTEN 

1. How can I be sure I am dealing 

with a SIPC member? Why is 

De-No Dollars 

$ 3toward your 

purchase of 

$30 or more 

With this coupon. Dine in 

only. Limit one per table. 

Not valid on prior purchases. 

Valid 10/1/09 to 10/31/09. 

RESIDENTIAL AND COMMERCIAL REPAIRS 

 

 

 

that important? 

Look for this language: 

MEMBER SECURITIES INVES- 

TOR PROTECTION CORPORA- 

TION 

Those words – or “Member SIPC” 

– appear in all signs and ads of SIPC 

members. If you have a question as 

to whether or not a particular firm is 

a member of SIPC, you may call the 

SIPC Membership Department at 

202/371-8300 or visit us on the Web at 

www.sipc.org. 

Why is the issue of SIPC membership 

relevant to you? SIPC protects 

customers of broker-dealers as long as 

the broker-dealer is a SIPC member. 

However, if a SIPC member’s registration 

with the U.S. Securities and 

Exchange Commission is terminated, 

the broker-dealer’s SIPC membership 

is also automatically terminated. SIPC 

loses its power to protect customers of 

former SIPC members 180 days after 

the broker-dealer ceases to be a member 

of SIPC. Normally, the SEC will attempt 

to prevent the termination of the 

 

 

 

 

 

registration and SIPC membership of a 

broker-dealer if the firm owes securities 

or cash to customers. However, a 

SIPC membership may be terminated 

if the Commission is unaware the firm 

owes securities or cash to customers. 

2. What should I be vigilant 

about before a problem strikes? 

Some SIPC members have affiliated 

or related companies or persons that 

conduct financial or investment businesses 

but are not members of SIPC. 

Some of these affiliates have names 

which are similar to the name of the 

SIPC member, or which operate from 

the same offices or with the same employees. 

Be sure you receive written 

confirmation of each securities transaction 

in your securities account with the 

SIPC member, and that each confirmation 

statement and each statement of 

account is issued by the SIPC member 

and not by a non-SIPC affiliate. Deposits 

for credit to your securities account, 

by check or otherwise, should not be 

made payable to your account executive, 

registered representative, or to any 

We have $250 million 

The economy may have stalled, but at First Bank and Trust 

we’re ready to move forward. We have money to lend to 

help your business weather tough times, adjust and grow. 

If you’re shopping for a business loan, call us. 

We’re ready to lend. 

Call Stephen Dickey or René Oubre at 504.586.2650 

to lend. 

Visit our locations in Louisiana: New Orleans, Algiers, Covington, Elmwood, Harvey, Kenner, Metairie, Amite, Kentwood, Greensburg, 

Baton Rouge, Prairieville, Hammond, Springfield and Lafayette; and in Mississippi: Biloxi, Madison, Ocean Springs, and Winona 

www.FBTonline.com 

other individual, but generally only to 

your SIPC member broker-dealer or, 

if your account is carried at another 

SIPC member who provides clearing 

services for your SIPC member brokerdealer, 

then to that other SIPC member. 

If your check or deposit is payable to 

other than a SIPC member broker-dealer 

(such as to the issuer of the securities 

you are purchasing or to a bank escrow 

agent), you should take steps to insure 

that your funds are properly applied. 

You should be vigilant to assure 

that you receive your periodic statements 

on a timely basis. The failure to 

provide statements may indicate the 

broker-dealer has gone out of business. 

If you do not receive your statement 

when due and cannot get a satisfactory 

explanation, or if for any other 

reason you believe your broker-dealer 

may have ceased doing business, you 

should promptly contact the nearest 

office of the Commission. If your broker-dealer 

ceases to be a SIPC member 

while still owing cash and securities to 

See Understanding the SIPC, page 45 

© 2009 First Bank and Trust, A First Trust Company. Normal credit qualifications apply. 

FB-174-F_NOCBad-accounting_06_23b.indd 1 6/23/09 2:40:38 PM



West Bank Gardener from page 31 

me, determine the center of where the 

bed will be and measure the distances 

diagonally so your bed may be reasonably 

square. 

I use a post hole digger and excavate 

about 24-inches deep into the hole. 

I next insert the posts and fill this with 

dry sand and tamp it down. Three sides 

of the bed, using 1 x 6 or 1 x 8 x 8ft 

are attached to the upright construction 

posts with # 8 1 ½-inch wood screws. 

Leave one side open until you’ve completed 

filling the bed to your desired 

height, about 34-inches. 

Most importantly: fill the first layer 

with river sand, followed by a second 

fill of composted material, grass clip- 

ping etc.; the third layer should consist 

of garden soil mixed with Vermiculite 

or Pearlite. Vermiculite and Pearlite are 

basically water absorbing polyurethane 

bits. Follow that with peat moss mixed 

with river sand and garden soil. Or, you 

may buy the prepared soil like Miracle 

Grow or Scott Mix. When filled, close 

the open end. 

Once you’ve filled the beds to your 

desired height, I would suggest using 

some black plastic to inoculate the 

soil, kill the weed seed and unwanted 

organisms. It’s a great fall project and 

requires a modest financial investment. 

If you start your project in the fall, cooler 

weather, your springtime planting 

2009 Senior Citizen Exposition 

event to be held October 21 

The 2009 Jefferson Parish Senior 

Citizen Exposition Committee 

will host the Annual Jefferson 

Parish Senior Citizen Expo on 

Wednesday, October 21, 2009 from 

9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Pontchartrain 

Center, 4545 Williams Boulevard 

in Kenner. The purpose of the Expo 

is to provide information on products, 

services and programs available 

to senior citizens and their 

caregivers. 

This year’s Expo is being sponsored 

by Jefferson Parish, West Jefferson 

Medical Center, East Jefferson 

General Hospital and Oschner 

Medical Center. The Expo will feature 

over 130 exhibitor booths in a 

festive, Halloween-themed atmosphere. 

Admission and lunch is free 

and open to the public. Entertain- 

To make your next fishing trip to 

Grand Isle or Fourchon easier and 

less time consuming, the Louisiana 

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries 

(LDWF) is encouraging anglers to go 

to www.geauxpass.com to buy a onetime 

pass or sign up for a GeauxPass 

to cross the new La. 1 toll bridge over 

Bayou LaFourche in Leeville. 

The La. 1 toll bridge uses open 

road tolling so there is no tollbooth 

on the bridge. Tolls are collected 

electronically by overhead equipment. 

Drivers who already have a 

GeauxPass account will have the toll 

ment, giveaways and door prizes 

will be offered throughout the day. 

The opening ceremony will include 

the presentation of Colors by 

the Paul E. Boyd United States Marine 

Corps League, former Marines 

from the Pacific Theater. Hosts of 

this year’s event will be well known 

radio and TV Celebrities Bob and 

Jan Carr. 

Free health screenings for blood 

pressure, heart disease, diabetes, 

cholesterol, scoliosis and blood 

sugar/glucose will be available. 

Stage entertainment will include 

the Greater New Orleans Mardi 

Gras Choir; La. Kids;Tulane University 

music graduate Karen Elizabeth 

Simmons and; Metairie Senior 

Center Line Dancers. n 

Pay Your Toll Online for La. 1 

Bridge at Leeville 

automatically deducted from their 

balance. Drivers who don’t have a 

GeauxPass account can purchase a 

one-time pass online or at the Customer 

Service Center at 1821 La. 3235 in 

Golden Meadow before crossing the 

bridge. 

Drivers who cross the bridge 

without a GeauxPass or one-time pass 

have 96 hours to pay the toll before 

receiving a violation in the mail. You 

can post-pay at www.geauxpass.com 

or call the Customer Service Center 

toll free at 1-866-662-8987 to sign up 

or to find information. n 

should yield good results. 

Readers may direct any vegetable 

gardening questions to the West Bank 

Beacon. If I don’t have an immediate 

answer, I’ll research it and do my best to 

answer questions posed. My November 

column will center on cold-weather vegetable 

gardening. I will also cover what 

crops you may plant in the cold months 

that you may harvest in the spring, and 

explore non-organic vegetable gardening. 

If space permits, I’ll give you my 

Lunch 

Tues - Fri 

11:00 - 2:30 

Dinner 

Tues-Sat 

5:00 - 9:00 

take on selecting, planting, and maintaining 

fruit trees suited for our area. 

Rose Garden Center in Harvey recommends 

the following plantings for 

the first part of October 2009: Beets, 

Cabbage, Broccoli, Carrots, Celery, 

Chinese cabbage, Collard Greens, Endive, 

Garlic, Kale, Leaf Lettuce, Mustard, 

Onions, Parsley, Radishes, Shallots, 

Spinach, Swiss chard, Turnips. 

If you now have a vegetable garden, 

have a great fall harvest. n 

It’s Italian the way Italian should be! 

LUNCH AND DINNER 

BUSINESS MEETINGS 

SPECIAL OCCASIONS 

Join us at the Gretna Fest 

in the Italian Village 

www.cafediblasi.com • 361-3106 

1801 Stumpf Blvd., Terrytown, LA



Bairnsfather Home at Shaw 

when he was younger. 

“Actually, basketball was my 

first love. I always loved football. I 

was going to play basketball in high 

school but I was ineligible for living 

out of the district though I was able 

to practice football. I broke my wrist 

at the end of my sophomore season at 

Shaw and I couldn’t play basketball 

that season so I just didn’t play 

basketball anymore and concentrated 

on football.” said Bairnsfather. 

A roundball career became a 

pigskin career. “It was easy to go to 

Shaw. I had friends coming here and 

my older brother (Brian) was already 

at Shaw. I had been going to the games 

since I was in seventh and eighth 

grade. Head Coach Joe Zimmerman 

lived in the same neighborhood as our 

family in Woodland West subdivision. 

There was no doubt that I was going 

to be an Eagle,” said Bairnsfather. 

Scott played from 1982 to 1985 at 

Shaw. “I played mostly defense when 

I first got to Shaw as a defensive back. 

They asked me to switch quarterback 

when I was a senior. When I was 

a junior, we were 9-1 entering the 

playoffs and we lost in the second 

to Ehret (tied for district title with 

Brother Martin and Holy Cross). I 

was injured for half of my senior 

year and we went 5-5 and missed the 

playoffs. I had a torn groin muscle 

which was painful and disappointing,” 

Bairnsfather lamented. 

He couldn’t stay away from 

football for long. After going to LSU 

for a year, Bairnsfather transferred 

to UNO--to begin a coaching career. 

“Actually, I started coaching junior 

high at Shaw in 1987, the year of the 

state championship when we beat 

Covington. I was the freshman coach 

for four years while I was in college 

at UNO. We made it back to the final 

in 1988 and lost to Ruston. In my last 

year as an assistant (1997), we lost to 

West Monroe 21-18 in the final in a 

game that we could have easily won,” 

said Bairnsfather. 

Holy Cross came calling-a 

storied institution with a great 

football tradition. Bairnsfather left 

for the opportunity to become head 

coach in a complete rebuilding effort. 

It didn’t take long for him to make 

his mark. In his first year with the 

Tigers, Holy Cross went 7-3. “By the 

from page 1 

second season, we were 7-4 and lost 

in the second round of the playoffs to 

Acadiana after beating Destrehan in 

the first round,” Bairnsfather said. 

Bairnsfather spent four years 

at Holy Cross, which he said were 

excellent. “Evangel beat us like 50- 

0 in the playoffs in my final year at 

Holy Cross in 2001. Our biggest win 

at Holy Cross came in our second 

season, we beat Brother Martin to get 

to the playoffs. That was a really big 

win. We won eight games for the first 

time in 2001, beating Bossier on the 

road to advance to meet Evangel,” 

said Bairnsfather. 

While the big wins are memorable, 

the tough losses are never forgotten. 

“The two that stand out in my mind 

were a 34-27 overtime loss to Shaw 

in my final year with Sean Santos at 

quarterback as a freshman for us. We 

lost to Rummel’s unbeaten semifinal 

team that year on a last-second field 

goal in Chalmette. Those were tough 

to take,” Bairnsfather remembered. 

Following the 2001 season, 

Tierney stepped down at Shaw. 

Bairnsfather was the only target of 

the Archbishop Shaw administration. 

Given the opportunity to return home, 

you would think that the decision 

would be a no-brainer for Bairnsfather. 

Think again. “It was very difficult for 

me to come back to Shaw because 

I was pretty much at home at Holy 

Cross. We were successful, things 

were going really well, the program 

was running the way I wanted it to 

run. Anytime you leave a place where 

you’ve grown accustomed to having 

success, it is tough to leave. It was 

tough for me to leave Shaw for Holy 

Cross initially. While it was tough 

to leave Holy Cross, when it is your 

alma mater calling, where you played 

and had fond memories of, it was a 

good decision. It was only four years 

removed so the people were largely 

the same at Shaw since I left,” added 

Bairnsfather. 

In his eighth season as the head 

coach at Shaw, Bairnsfather was 54-30 

and 2-1 on the current season at press 

time. The Eagles lost at Westgate 18- 

14 in week three. Shaw has reached the 

state 4A championship game for three 

consecutive seasons. They are back in 

5A, in the familiar and comfortable 

See Bairnsfather Home At Shaw, page 42






surroundings of the Catholic League. 

Despite the loss at Westgate, Shaw 

remains the favorite to win 10-5A. 

Their recent success suggests this 

strongly. It hasn’t always been that 

way since Bairnsfather returned to his 

alma mater. 

When he returned to Shaw, he 

did so under difficult circumstances, 

succeeding long-time, legendary 

coach Hank Tierney, his mentor. 

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Tierney had tremendous success, 

leading the Eagles to a state title in 

1987 and to championship games in 

1988, 1997 and 2000. Tierney departed 

under pressure. The entire situation 

was very unfortunate, according to 

Bairnsfather. 

“It was difficult. Coach Tierney 

was my coach, my mentor. I learned 

how to play from him and how to coach 

from him. Many kids left the program. 

CONCEALED CARRY CLASSES $50 

ADVANCED HANDGUN CLASSES $100 

ADVANCED HANDGUN CLASSES 

FOR WOMEN ONLY $100 

INSTRUCTORS: JASON DIMARCO AND CHUCK WHITMER 

Instructors have over 45 years of combined law enforcement experience 

including the following certification: POST Firearms Instructor, NRA Patrol 

Rifle Instructor, NRA Tactical Shooting Instructor, NRA Tactical Shotgun 

Instructor, Singleton International Select Fire Instructor and 

Louisiana Concealed Handgun Instructor. 

Phone 504.952.1999 

Email: jasonmdimarco@bellsouth.net 

Mary Beth Rittiner, Agent 

152 Wall Blvd 


Bus: 504-392-5808 

mary.b.rittiner.b20f@statefarm.com 

from page 40 

We were a bit overmatched in the first 

year (2002). It’s tough watching kids 

work hard and lose. The kids were 

trying so hard. They were accustomed 

to success. It’s really tough watching 

your kids lose. There was turmoil. We 

had a tough schedule, playing John 

Curtis, Salmen and O. Perry Walker. It 

was a very tough schedule at the worst 

time. The Catholic League teams were 

very good. That was the most difficult 

thing to go through coming back to 

Shaw. We knew eventually the ship 

would get turned around but we had 

to go through that to start rebuilding 

again,” said Bairnsfather. The Eagles 

suffered through a 0-9 campaign that 

year. 

In year two, Shaw went 2-8 and 

showed improvement. “We got 

younger. We had very few seniors 

starting that second year and took 

our lumps with young guys. We 

improved as the year went on. We got 

a lot out of the second season even 

though we only won two games,” 

said Bairnsfather. Following the first 

two years, Bairnsfather has posted 

an impressive record of 52-13 and 

BAND LINE-UP 

Friday, Oct. 9 

7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. MoJeaux 

Saturday, Oct. 10 

Noon - 3:00 p.m. Skeeter’s Swamp 

Pop Cajun Band 

3:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Lindsay Mendez Band 

7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Reauxshambo 

Sunday, Oct. 11 

11:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Treater 

2:30 p.m. - 5:30 p.m. Juke Box Hero’s 

6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Lil’ Dino & Co. 

three state championship game 

appearances. 

In year three (2004), Shaw went 

7-3. They went to the playoffs. The 

program arrived in the opening 

round of the playoffs. Shaw visited 

Hammond. The Eagles trailed 20-19 

in the final minute. They drove it deep 

into Hammond territory, to the fiveyard 

line. On came Chad Gervais. “It 

was well within Chad’s range and he 

had done a nice job for us. We were 

going to lose if he doesn’t make it. He 

booted the worst field goal ever kicked 

that was good. The kick knuckled, 

sunk, rose and took a left and got it 

in. We won 22-20,” said Bairnsfather. 

Shaw football was back. 

The Eagles were reclassified to 

4A enrollment status for 2005 but the 

Eagles played just four regular season 

games due to Hurricane Katrina and 

lost in the second round of the state 

playoffs to Istrouma. 

In 2006, 2007 and 2008, Shaw 

went to the state championship 

game, falling in all three games. As 

mentioned, Shaw has been to the 

See Bairnsfather Home At Shaw, page 51 

COME AND TASTE SOME OF 

THE BEST GUMBO EVER! 

Gallons of world famous gumbo 

is cooked daily, both seafood 

and chicken/sausage. 

October 9th , 10th , 11th October 9th , 10th , 11th Gumbo Cooking 

Contest 

Saturday 

Morning 

LIVE MUSIC 

AND POP 

RIDES 

King Creole XXXV Mr. Donald Ducote and Ms. Creole Gumbo 2008 Kayla Troxler 

will be on the festival grounds greeting and welcoming visitors. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL OR VISIT OUR WEBSITE 

(504) 329-4279 • www.gumbofestival.org



LIFESTYLE 

I hear it time and time again when 

I ask where to pick out stylish outfits 

or gifts – “you have to cross the river.” 

That is so not the case today. You will 

find below a few of my favorite places 

to shop on the Westbank. Enjoy. 

Exchange Alley – 1525 Lapalco, 

Harvey (504) 366-3966 – This is 

an awesome and fun new store. 

Approximately 90% of the items 

are closeouts designer items from 

well-known department stores. The 

remainder are consigned gently worn 

designer items. Expect excellent 

prices on clothes in all sizes, formal 

wear, bags and jewelry. Not only can 

you buy at a tremendous discount, this 

shop offers the opportunity for you to 

sell your items and receive 40% of the 

sales price. There is also an exchange 

where you can exchange some items 

for store credit. What a fun way to 

shop in the present economy! Your 

columnist just visited and purchased 

an LSU shirt and two scarves. They 

even carry home goods at great 

prices. 

La Feet Shoes & Accessories – 

1991 Barataria Blvd, Marrero – This 

fun shop, off Barataria and Lapalco 

Blvd. is your go-to place on the 

Westbank for Volatile shoes. Last time 

I visited, they had at over 20 different 

varieties. They also carry many work 

and going-out ladies shoes. 

Luxe – Fountain Park – 1901 

Manhattan, Harvey – Always 

glamorous, this shop carries multiple 

 

Loren Marino 

Think that there is 

nowhere to shop on the 

Westbank? Think Again! 

lines of high-end jeans including 

Seven, True Religion, and Citizens 

of Humanity. You will also find fun 

tops, dresses and pants for career and 

weekend wear. I enjoy picking up 

their creative accessories to spice up 

my wardrobe. 

Cartel – Fountain Park – 1901 

Manhattan, Harvey – This is probably 

the only men’s shop on the Westbank 

that carries brand-name casual 

menswear. You will find jeans and 

slacks from True Religion and Ed 

Hardy along with button down shirts 

and tees. Men will enjoy gifts from this 

shop and women will enjoy updating 

their significant other’s wardrobes 

from Cartel. 

Lulu Belle’s – Fountain Park – 

1901 Manhattan, Harvey – Love this 

children’s clothing store! Fabulous 

boys and girls outfits and gifts. Their 

selection includes children’s furniture, 

accessories, and pajamas. I give it an 

A+. The back of the shop has space 

for weekend parties where kids can 

make crafts, jewelry, and have fun. 

Lilly’s Children’s World – 5050 

Westbank Expwy., Marrero – This 

go-to shop carries precious children’s 

wear. The offerings include smock 

outfits by, Feltman Brothers and 

Carriage Boutique, along with cute 

clothes by Bailey Boys and Petite 

Ami. This is a great shop for gift 

items for christenings, first birthdays, 

and keepsake items. n 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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7am - 9pm • Seven Days A Week 

A COST PLUS STORE 

Looking for a 

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near you? 

Visit our website at 


 

 

 

1900 LAFAYETTE • GRETNA • 504-366-3557



BUSINESS 

Business Owners Amongst Us 

Continuing our series highlighting 

‘Business Owners Amongst Us’ this 

month The West Bank Beacon features 

Marion Giardina and her son John, 

owners of A-Mar Interiors, Inc. located 

in Westwego. 

A-Mar Interiors has a history 

that spans back to 1964 when 

Marion’s husband Lloyd founded his 

furniture business at 1545 West Bank 

Expressway. The business started with 

just two employees. As the years went 

by and the business grew, the furniture 

store expanded to 33,000 square feet 

with 66 employees. The business, with 

its five story warehouse, relied on 

seven trucks to make deliveries within 

metropolitan New Orleans. 

In the early 80s the oil crisis hit 

the West Bank hard. Many businesses 

witnessed a drastic decline in sales, 

and the Giardina’s business was no 

exception. The Giardina’s employees 

were looked upon as members of their 

family. As Marion tells it, “One of the 

toughest times in our life was when 

Lloyd had to begin making decisions 

When: 

Every Saturday • 8:30 am ‘til 12:30 pm 

Where: 

Gretna Market Place on Huey P. Long Avenue 

between 3 rd and 4 th Streets 

For more information about the Gretna Farmer’s Market, call or write the 

Market Coordinators, Gary and Marcia Madere at: 

Gretna Farmer’s Market 

c/o GEDA 

739 Third Street 


504-362-8661 

to reduce our work force. So many 

of these employees were the ones 

that had helped us to grow and build 

our business. This was not a pleasant 

time.” 

However, the resiliency of the 

Giardina family prevailed. In 1987, A- 

Mar Interiors was born with a goal to 

focus on interior design and flooring. 

The name A-Mar appropriately stands 

for “Aunt Marion”. Marion holds her 

degree from Texas Christian University, 

and she is certified in Interior Design 

by the State of Louisiana. Marion notes 

that she has worked from the same 

desk for over 40 years, but she quickly 

adds, “There is not a lot of sitting in 

the decorator business.” 

John Giardina joined his mother 

at A-Mar after graduating from 

Loyola with a degree in Business 

Administration. “I knew the amount 

of hard work and dedication it would 

take to run a flooring and decorating 

business. It’s a hands on job,” John 

stated. He reported that when he started 

See Business Owners Amongst Us, page 52 

There’s always something good at the market! 

“Big Book Sale” set for October 

The Friends of the Jefferson Public 

Library will hold their semiannual “Big 

Book Sale,” on Thursday, October 29 

through Sunday, November 1, 2009, 

at the Pontchartrain Center, located at 

Williams Boulevard near Lake Pontchartrain 

in Kenner. Hours are Thursday 

through Saturday from 10:00 a.m. 

to 8:00 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 

5:00 p.m. Over 80,000 used books will 

be available for purchase. An exceptional 

collection of cookbooks, history, 

military, Louisiana and the South is 

being offered at the sale. Also, DVDs, 

CDs, videos, LPs, sheet music and audio 

books will be available. 

Major credit cards will be accepted. 

There is free admission and plenty 

RONALD R. FRANK 

General Contractor 

Ronald R. Frank, Sr. 

President 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RESIDENTIAL 

AND 

COMMERCIAL 

CONSTRUCTION 

of free parking. For more information 

call the Friends of the Library at 455- 

2665. 

All proceeds from the Big Book 

sales and from the Friends store, located 

in the East Bank Regional Library, 

are dedicated to provide needed materials 

for the library. Over the years the 

Friends’ book sales have raised over 

$1 million. 

The Friends accept year round donations 

of hardback and paperback 

books, records, sheet music, videos, 

DVDs, CDs, audio tapes and puzzles 

at the donating and sorting center located 

at 6640 Riverside Drive, #100, 

next to the Wagner Library. n 

To sign up for your free 

subscription to 

The West Bank Beacon, 

visit us at 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Est. 1976 

(504) 258-1788 

ronaldrfrank@yahoo.com



Understanding the Securities Investor Protection Corporation from page 41 

you, you should notify the Commission 

well within the 180-day period. 

3. How quickly will I get my investments 

back? 

Most customers can expect to receive 

their property in one to three 

months. When the records of the brokerage 

firm are accurate, deliveries of 

some securities and cash to customers 

may begin shortly after the trustee receives 

the completed claim forms from 

customers, or even earlier if the trustee 

can transfer customer accounts to another 

broker-dealer. Delays of several 

months usually arise when the failed 

brokerage firm’s records are not accurate. 

It also is not uncommon for delays 

to take place when the troubled brokerage 

firm or its principals were involved 

in fraud. 

4. Who is not eligible for SIPC 

protections? 

Most customers with cash and securities 

missing from customer accounts 

are eligible for SIPC assistance. However, 

SIPC’s funds may not be used to 

pay claims of any failed brokerage firm 

customer who also is: 

o A general partner, officer, or director 

of the firm. 

o The beneficial owner of five 

Please Join 

Algiers Economic 

Development Foundation 

at our 

November Business Luncheon 

Wednesday, November 4 

11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. 

Buffet opens 11:30 a.m. • Program begins promptly at noon 

Aurora Tennis & Swim Club 

5244 General Meyer Ave. • New Orleans 

Featured Speaker: 

Hon. Leon Cannizzaro 

Orleans Parish District Attorney 

Sponsored by: 

Edward Jones - Alden Hagardorn 

Health Balancing Services 

RP Risk Advisors, LLC 

Senator David R. Heitmeier, O. D. 

Public is Invited 

$20 reservation by November 2 • $25 walk up 

Call 362.6436 or email: dfreiss@aedf.biz to RSVP 

Algiers Economic Development Foundation 

3520 Gen. DeGaulle Dr., Suite 3110 

New Orleans, LA 70114 

Phone: 504.362.6436 

Fax: 504.362.6564 

www.aedf.biz 

percent or more of any class of equity 

security of the firm (other than certain 

nonconvertible preferred stocks). 

o A limited partner with a participation 

of five percent or more in the net 

assets or net profits of the firm. 

o Someone with the power to exercise 

a controlling influence over the 

management or policies of the firm. 

o A broker or dealer or bank acting 

for itself rather than for its own customer 

or customers. 

5. Where do I submit my claim 

form? 

If your brokerage firm is put into 

liquidation, the court-appointed trustee 

will notify you and send a claim form 

and instructions. You must return the 

completed claim forms to the trustee 

within the time limits set forth in the 

notice and as described in the instructions. 

Failure to do so may result in the 

loss of all or a portion of your claim. 

If you are notified that your brokerage 

account has been transferred to another 

brokerage firm, you should still file a 

claim form in order to preserve the right 

to correct any errors that may crop up 

during the transfer of accounts. For a 

step-by-step guide to this process, see 

the SIPC Web site at www.sipc.org. 

6. Is there a time limit for filing 

claims? 

Yes. There are two deadlines for the 

filing of customer claims: 

o Court deadline. The time set by 

the bankruptcy court for filing of customer 

claims is usually 60 days after 

the date the notice of the proceeding 

is published, but could be as little as 

30 days after the publication date. The 

deadline appears in the published notice 

and a copy of the notice is mailed 

to customers along with claim forms 

and instructions that also prominently 

display the date. Pay close attention 

to the deadline set forth in the notice 

and be certain the trustee receives your 

claim in a timely manner. 

o Federal law deadline. If your 

completed claim form is received by 

the trustee after the date set by the 

bankruptcy court but no later than six 

months after public notice is published, 

the claim is subject to delayed processing 

and, possibly, limited payment. The 

six-month deadline is set out in the federal 

law governing SIPC. The federal 

deadline absolutely bars any claim that 

is received more than six months after 

the publication date. Except for some 

very narrow exceptions, there are no 

grounds for time extensions beyond the 

deadline. 

7. Do I have to prove what the 

broker owes me? How does that 

work? 

Yes, usually that is done by describing 

in your claim form the cash and 

securities that are owed to you. The 

court-appointed trustee will compare 

what you claim against the books and 

records of the brokerage firm. SIPC 

and court-appointed trustees assume 

that the brokerage firm’s records are 

accurate. Frequently, your entire account 

can be transferred to another 

brokerage firm for your benefit before 

you have even filed a claim. However, 

there are sometimes instances of mistakes 

in brokerage firm records. In rare 

cases, these mistakes show transactions 

made without your authority. You 

should keep copies of trade confirmations. 

You should keep copies of your 

latest monthly or quarterly statement 

of account from your brokerage firm. A 

trustee may ask you to supply copies of 

these documents. If you ever discover 

an error in a confirmation or statement, 

you should immediately bring the error 

to the attention of the brokerage 

firm in writing. Keep a copy of any 

such writing you send to the brokerage 

firm. Remember, if there is something 

wrong with the brokerage firm’s 

records of your account, you will have 

to prove that, or SIPC and the trustee 

will assume that the firm’s records are 

accurate. 

AVOIDING INVESTMENT 

FRAUD 

Learn about investment fraud … 

and where to turn for help. 

SIPC urges all investors to understand 

the dangers of investment fraud 

and where to turn for help if swindled. 

That is why SIPC works with regulatory 

and self-regulatory agencies, consumer 

groups, and other concerned 

parties to increase investor awareness 

about scams. Check out the investment 

fraud warnings on the following Web 

sites: 

U.S. Securities and Exchange 

Commission www.sec.gov/ 

FINRA (Financial Industry Regulatory 

Authority) www.finra.org 

National Fraud Information Center 

www.fraud.org 

Investor Protection Trust 

http://www.investorprotection.org/ 

downloads/pdf/learn/basics/basics_ 

unit4.pdf 

Alliance for Investor Education 

www.investoreducation.org 

Your state securities agency 

http://www.nasaa.org/QuickLinks/ 

ContactYourRegulator.cfm 

Securities Industry and Financial 

Markets Association www.sifma.org 

Canadian Investor Protection Fund 

www.cipf.ca 

You can find a list of the best investment 

fraud education resources on 

the Web by visiting SIPC on the Web 

at www.sipc.org. 

IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Securities 

Investor Protection Act of 1970 

(SIPA) is a complex and technical statute. 

This brochure provides a basic explanation 

of the Securities Investor Protection 

Corporation and SIPA. However, it does 

not explain the SIPA statute with respect 

to any particular fact pattern. Answers 

to questions involving particular facts 

depend upon interpretations, trustees’ 

decisions, and court actions. 

This article is provided solely for informational 

purposes and is not a solicitation 

or an offer to buy or sell securities. 

Investors should carefully consider their 

investment objectives, and risk factors, 

as well as fees and expenses of an investment 

company, or any investment, before 

investing. If applicable, investors should 

consult a prospectus for additional disclosures 

and detailed information, and if 

available, a summary prospectus should 

be carefully read before investing. Stephen 

M. Carty is an investment broker 

and vice president with Sisung Securities 

Corporation located at 201 St. Charles 

Avenue, Suite 4240, in New Orleans. Mr. 

Carty can be reached at (504) 544-7700. 

The accuracy and completeness of the 

information contained in this article is 

not guaranteed. n



Environmental Court Working to Fight Blight 


In 2007, Jefferson Parish officials 

stepped up their battle against post- 

Katrina blight with the establishment 

of an Environmental Court division in 

the 24 th Judicial District Court serving 

Jefferson Parish. Legislation that 

allowed 24 th JDC judges to have cases, 

initiated by the Parish Attorney’s 

Office to enforce code enforcement 

regulations, realotted to the court’s 

Division J, was passed in order to facilitate 

the program. Judge Stephen 

J. Windhorst presides over the division, 

which now has heard more than 

250 of the 397 cases that the Parish 

Attorney’s Office accepted from the 

Department of Inspection of Code 

Enforcement. 

The court concept was promoted 

by parish officials including Jefferson 

Parish Councilman Chris Roberts, 

Sheriff Newell Normand, and Judge 

Windhorst, following careful examination 

of a similar effort underway in 

Memphis, Tennessee. It is believed 

that this specialized section streamlines 

routine court activities required 

to obtain the judgments needed to 

enforce code regulations. “The court 

has given us the tools to hold deadbeat 

landlords accountable. Removing 

blight is a major step in improving 

the overall quality of life for Jefferson 

Parish residents” Roberts explained. 

Furthering the efficiency of the 

Environmental Court’s operations 

is electronic filing 

of all pleadings by 

the parish, an effort 

promoted by Jefferson 

Parish Clerk of 

Court Jon Gegenheimer. 

Says Gegenheimer: 

“Some 

time ago, the Jefferson 

Parish clerk 

of court developed 

and perfected an electronic filing system 

for all pleadings submitted to the 

24th Judicial District Court. Various 

parish-government agencies have taken 

advantage of this promising new 

technology. Among those agencies 

is the Office of the Parish Attorney, 

which electronically files pleadings in 

code-enforcement matters lodged in 

the Environmental Court.” The technology 

has played an important role 

in the court’s success, Gegenheimer 

continued: “This new, modern prac- 

For girls in grades 8–12 at the heart of 

the West Bank. 

Meet our accomplished, involved and inspired 

students and faculty at our Open House. 

October 15, 4–7 p.m. 

537 Avenue D 

Marrero, Louisiana 70072 

(504) 341-6217 

www.theacademyofourlady.org 

It is believed that this spe- 

cialized section streamlines 

routine court activities 

required to obtain the judg- 

ments needed to enforce 

code regulations. 

tice has enabled the parish attorney to 

file and process cases efficiently and 

quickly. As a result of this enhanced 

productivity, the parish has cleaned 

up or eliminated blighted properties 

in record time. The direct benefit of 

the rapid adjudication of code violations, 

made possible 

by electronic 

filing, has improved 

Jefferson 

Parish’s quality of 

life markedly.” 

Earlier this 

year, the Jefferson 

Parish Council 

selected Terry 

Talamo to serve as 

Crime Prevention and Quality of Life 

Coordinator in order to coordinate 

and facilitate code violation cases 

which typically involve interaction 

by numerous government agencies. 

Reporting of violations to the Jefferson 

Parish Code Enforcement De- 

partment has become more common 

since the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s 

Office and other parish agencies have 

been enlisted to help the code department. 

Cases not immediately resolved 

by the code department later require 

action by the Parish Attorney’s Office, 

which brings the matters to the 

Environmental Court to enforce liens 

placed by the department and to seek 

judgments against the violators. 

Fifty-six properties have been 

demolished as a result of the judgments 

rendered by the court and other 

means. Many of the judgments target 

properties deemed unsafe for habitation 

or to neighboring structures, 

but compliance and deterrence are 

the primary goal. The court actions 

primarily cause neglectful owners to 

repair their structures or have them 

demolished before being ordered to 

do so. n





Wall Boulevard street lighting 

receives upgrade 

out the Terrytown welcome signs, 

Drivers heading down Wall 

Boulevard in unincorporated Gretna 

will notice a brand new look. Following 

a complete reconstruction of both the 

north and south bound lanes, Jefferson 

Parish also upgraded the street lights. 

The project was recently completed 

with Entergy removing the old street 

lights, which consisted of overhead 

wiring. Many of the old streetlights 

were leaning due to the active 2005 

and 2008 hurricane season. The cost 

to change the wiring and reinstall the 

existing lights prompted the parish to 

investigate total replacement. 

Efforts have been underway the 

last few years to improve parish 

parkways. Other completed projects 

on the West Bank have included 

landscape lighting on Terry Parkway, 

new street lights on Carol Sue Avenue, 

and the replacement of white barrel 

style trash cans with new metal cans 

bearing the parish logo. All of these 

projects have been funded in Council 

District I with the use of Boomtown 

gaming revenue paid to the parish. 

Additional projects that are set to 

go to construction include changing 

installing a new sign on the median 

near Bellemeade subdivision, and 

new signs that will appear on Wall 

Boulevard at the entrances to Baywood 

subdivision. Future projects are 

planned as funds become available. 

Councilman Chris Roberts stated, 

“Improving the quality of life in 

Jefferson Parish solely depends on the 

cooperation of residents and parish 

government to identify, fund, and 

construct projects which move our 

thought process forward. In many of 

the areas where public improvements 

have been made, residents are taking 

a greater interest in keeping their 

yards clear of debris and some have 

even started renovations. Protecting 

the property values on the West Bank 

is a real focus of the Parish Council.” 

If you have not yet had the 

opportunity to ride down Carol Sue 

Avenue or Wall Boulevard at night, it 

is certainly worth the drive. 

For additional information on 

future projects, contact Councilman 

Chris Roberts’ office at 504-364- 

2607. n 

It’s time for the West Bank 

Public Schools to be consolidated, 

including some school closings 

By Allan Katz 

Jefferson Parish School Board 

member Mark Morgan says that time 

is at hand when some outmoded West 

Bank public schools should be closed 

or assigned to other uses. 

“Public school enrollment in 

Jefferson Parish peaked out at about 

70,000 in the late 1970s and early 

80s,” said Morgan. “We have facilities 

for some 70,000 students in Jefferson 

Parish public schools, at a time when 

our total enrollment is just 44,000, of 

whom about two 

thirds are West 

Bank residents. 

We are working 

closely with School 

S u p e r i n t e n d e n t 

Diane Roussel who 

has come up with 

a pretty good plan for closings and 

consolidation. My guess is that we 

might have to close one or two public 

schools in District One, most likely 

in the Gretna area and perhaps two or 

three in the rest of West Jefferson.” 

Morgan said he is specifically 

targeting the Frederick Douglas 

campus on the West Bank Expressway 

for closure and potential demolition 

because the property is extremely 

expensive to maintain, is no longer 

well suited for educational purposes 

and could be sold profitably for its 

commercial potential. 

“The Douglas campus has far 

greater potential in terms of value as 

a commercial property,” said Morgan. 

“This is just something that happens 

over decades when properties that 

made sense used in certain ways 30 

years ago now have greater value 

when used in other ways.” 

... the consolidation of 

West Bank public schools 

and the closing of some old 

schools is not a negative thing. 

Morgan said that the consolidation 

of West Bank public schools and the 

closing of some old schools is not a 

negative thing. “Our public school 

system is actually in pretty good 

shape, with certified teachers in every 

classroom,” said Morgan, a Gretna 

attorney who is a five-year member 

of the School Board. “I think the 

most encouraging move that we have 

made is the development of a magnet 

school system that over the years will 

benefit thousands of Jefferson Parish 

public school students, enabling them 

to achieve a higher 

degree of academic 

success than they 

and their parents 

might ever have 

imagined.” 

Morgan said that 

on the West Bank, it 

is now possible for an academically 

advanced student to attend magnet 

schools from kindergarten through 

12th grade. “I am absolutely confident 

that over the past few years, in addition 

to the magnet school system, we 

have laid the foundation to have 

one of the state’s highest ranking 

public school systems, in terms of 

academic achievement,” said Morgan. 

“The consolidation of our schools, 

including necessary closings, will 

also benefit from the buy-in of the 

business and political communities, 

along with the parents of West Bank 

children. These moves that we’re 

making will work much better if they 

are the result of a consensus of the 

entire West Bank community. There 

is much to be optimistic about in the 

current direction of Jefferson Parish 

public schools, especially on the West 

Bank.” n



Seafood Festival makes welcome return to Lafitte 

happy to stay right where they were. 

Children and adults were covered 

in mud riding the mechanical bull. 

They were dancing in the rain with 

their umbrellas to the sounds of the 

Bucktown Allstars, Gashouse Gorrilaz 

and Cypress. Once the rain cleared 

on Saturday the crowd grew and the 

Molly Ringwald’s closed the show to 

a beautiful fireworks display. 

The final day of the festival was 

a huge success. Mayor Kerner and 

Councilman Roberts addressed a 

very happy and supportive crowd and 

thanked them for attending and making 

the festival a hit. Both commented 

on the spirit of the citizens of the 

area and said that the festival was a 

symbol that Lafitte/Barataria/Crown 

Point was back and here to stay. 

“My staff and I, along with the 

assistance of Councilman Roberts 

and his staff will make sure that next 

year’s festival will be bigger and 

Sheriff Marlin N. Gusman wants you to 

Focus on a Career in Law Enforcement 

as a CORRECTIONAL OFFICER 

You must Be... 

• 21 Years of Age 

• A High School graduate or have earned a G.E.D. 

• A person with no criminal record 

• Able to complete 90 hours P.O.S.T. correctional course urse 

• Able to complete P.O.S.T. correctional academy 

• Able to pass written, psychological & polygraph tests sts 

Benefits Include 

• 12 year retirement plan 

• 457 Louisiana Deferred Comp. 

• Health Insurance 

• Free Life Insurance Policy 

• Longevity Pay Plan 

• No Residency Requirement 

• On Site Gym 

Other Opportunities Available bl 

• Food Service: Cooks 

better than 

ever,” says 

Kerner. “I 

just want 

to thank 

the Parish, 

from page 35 

Councilman Roberts and his Staff for 

helping us make the festival a huge 

success. I also want to thank my staff 

and the volunteers for all of their 

dedication and hard work.” 

Local band Junior and Summtin 

sneaky took the stage Sunday evening 

and closed the event in true Lafitte 

fashion which included thirty minutes 

of extra entertainment, great music, 

and a ton of fun. n 

Apply in Person: Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 

EAST BANK OFFICE: 2614 Tulane Avenue • (504)827-6702 

WESTBANK OFFICE: 3630 MacArthur Blvd. Ste E • (504)826-7045 

www.opcso.org



HEALTH 

(504) 366-0000 

(985) 624-4418 North Shore 

(504) 366-4411 Fax 

Dr. David Heitmeier 

Consumer warning: Halloween eye wear accessory 

may permanently damage eyes 

With Halloween approaching, the 

American Optometric Association 

(AOA) is warning consumers about 

the risks of wearing decorative contact 

lenses without a prescription from 

an eye doctor. These non-corrective 

lenses, which are designed only to 

change the appearance of the eyes, 

are easily accessible to consumers 

and are especially popular around 

Halloween. 

Federal law requires the Food 

and Drug Administration (FDA) 

to regulate decorative lenses as a 

medical device, similar to corrective 

lenses; however, decorative lenses 

continue to be illegally marketed 

and distributed directly to consumers 

through a variety of sources including 

flea markets, the Internet, beauty 

salons and convenience stores. 

According to the AOA, only a 

proper medical evaluation from an 

eye doctor can determine whether or 

not patients are viable candidates to 

wear contact lenses, that the lenses fit 

properly, and if they are capable of 

wearing lenses without problems. 

“Purchasing contact lenses without 

a prescription can result in serious 

eye health and vision damage since 

consumers are not properly educated 

on cleaning and disinfecting, nor in 

proper removal and application of 

the contact lens,” said Paul Klein, 

O.D., chair of the AOA’s Contact 

Lens and Cornea Section. “Without a 

prescription and wearing instructions 

from an eye doctor, consumers 

who wear these contact lenses put 

themselves at risk of serious bacterial 

infection, or even significant damage 

to the eye’s ability to function, with 

the potential for irreversible sight 

loss.” 

This warning comes at a time 

of heightened consumer interest in 

changing one’s eye color. New results 

from the AOA’s American Eye-Q® 

survey indicate that more than half 

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BUSINESSES: 

Reserve your space now 

for the Beacon’s special 

Christmas edition. For more 

information call the Beacon 

ad team at 615-9475. 

AIR CONDITIONING • HEATING • REFRIGERATION 

431 12 th Street 


of all Americans would consider 

changing the color of their eyes with 

colored lenses. 

Other risks associated with the use 

of decorative contact lenses include 

conjunctivitis, swelling, allergic 

reaction and corneal abrasion due 

to poor lens fit. Additional medical 

problems may result in a reduction 

of visual acuity (sight), contrast 

sensitivity and other general eye and 

vision impairments. “Even though 

they carry no prescription, and may 

be worn for short periods of time, 

decorative contact lenses carry the 

same risks as corrective contact 

lenses,” said Dr. Klein. “Because 

of this, it’s important for consumers 

utilizing these lenses to familiarize 

themselves with the information 

available from an eye doctor, so as to 

reduce the risk of infection.” 

Recommendations for Decorative 

Contact Lens Wearers from the 

American Optometric Association: 

1. See an optometrist for a proper 

fitting and prescription. 

2. Always wash your hands before 

handling contact lenses. 

3. Carefully and regularly clean 

contact lenses, as directed by your 

optometrist. Rub the contact lenses 

with fingers and rinse thoroughly 

before soaking lenses overnight in 

sufficient multi-purpose solution to 

completely cover the lens. 

4. Store lenses in the proper lens 

storage case and replace the case at 

The Jefferson Community Action 

Programs (JeffCAP) is currently 

seeking participants for its Retired 

Seniors Volunteer Program (RSVP). 

RSVP has grown to more than 600 

volunteers, making it one of the largest 

programs in Louisiana. JeffCAP 

RSVP volunteers serve in 26 nonprofit 

organizations and other agencies 

throughout Jefferson Parish, devoting 

over 28,000 hours of service every 

year. Participants have varied tasks 

from assisting at community centers, 

day care centers for children and 

adults, tutoring, serving at nutrition 

a minimum of every three months. 

Clean the case after each use, and keep 

it open and dry between cleanings. 

5. Use only products recommended 

by your optometrist to clean and 

disinfect your lenses. Saline solution 

and rewetting drops are not designed 

to disinfect lenses. 

6. Only fresh solution should be 

used to clean and store contact lenses. 

Never re-use old solution. Contact lens 

solution must be changed according to 

the manufacturer’s recommendations, 

even if the lenses are not used daily. 

7. Always follow the recommended 

contact lens replacement schedule 

prescribed by your optometrist. 

8. Remove contact lenses before 

swimming or entering a hot tub. 

9. See your optometrist for your 

regularly scheduled contact lens and 

eye examination. 

For more information about the 

risks of decorative contact lenses, or to 

find additional resources pertaining to 

contact lens hygiene and compliance, 

please visit www.aoa.org. n 

The preceding article, brought 

to you by Dr. David Heitmeier, was 

a news release from the American 

Optometric Association. For 

further questions please contact 

Heitmeier, Armani, Langhetee and 

Cangelosi Medical and Surgical 

Eyecare at (504) 368-7081. 

Senior participants sought for 

community action programs 

centers, hospitals, museums, libraries 

and law enforcement agencies. 

Volunteers serve without pay, and 

there is no educational or income 

requirement. To qualify for RSVP, 

one must only be age 55 and older and 

have a willingness to serve. JeffCap 

publishes RSVP newsletters and 

organizes annual recognition events 

for the program. n 

For more information 

call 736-6900 or visit www. 

jeffparish.net.




Superdome championship game 

seven times, including in 1987, 1988, 

1997 and 2000. Bairnsfather has been 

part of each one with the exception of 

2000, when he was at Holy Cross. 

As it was under Tierney, Shaw is 

once again one of the most consistently 

outstanding programs in the state in 

any class. The Eagles are back home 

in the Catholic League. Bairnsfather 

is back home on Barataria Boulevard. 

“I think this proves that you can go 

home again. I’ve spent a lot of time 

here in high school. It seems like I’ve 

spent half my life in this gym as a 

student or a coach. It’s been a good 

experience for me.” 

“I really only had one mentor in 

coaching and that was Hank Tierney. 

Once you remove yourself from 

that, you’ve got to make your own 

mistakes and learn from it. He was 

kind enough to help me along the way 

and I certainly appreciate that. I think 

the two best qualities I learned from 

him are work habits and dealing with 

high-school aged kids in a football 

program. He was simply the best at 

– Specializing In – 

Video 

Poker 

Internet Juke Boxes 

Pool Tables 

that,” said Bairnsfather. 

Another aspect of his coaching 

career that Bairnsfather has enjoyed 

is the relationship he has forged with 

successful coaches he once coached 

with at Shaw under Tierney. “Billy 

North (John Ehret), Darren Barbier 

(Hahnville), Lou Valdin (Hahnville) 

”It seems like I’ve spent half 

my life in this gym as a student 

or a coach. It’s been a good 

experience for me.” 

and Mike Silva (Hahnville) were 

all guys I worked with. Jay Roth 

(Rummel) is my best friend in 

coaching and one of my best friends 

in life. I’m also proud to say that Mark 

Bonis (Brother Martin) was on my 

staff at Shaw. He’s a fine young head 

coach who will do an outstanding job 

at Brother Martin.” 

Being in football all of his life, 

Bairnsfather has known nothing 

1800 Lafayette Street • Gretna, LA 70053 

366-8658 

from page 42 

else professionally. How long does 

he envision continuing in the sport 

he loves at the school he loves? 

“After losses, not too long! After 

victories and successes, it’s hard to 

see yourself leaving this. You want to 

have everything set and in place for 

as long as you can. You must direct 

energy toward it daily. I can still do 

that. When I can no longer do that, 

it will be time to move on. You will 

know. I know I belong here now,” he 

said. 

Bairnsfather, his wife Amy and 

family live in Gretna, in Timberlane, 

about a mile from where he grew up. 

Scott says he is a loyal, life-time West- 

Banker. “It is home. Shaw is home.” 

This is a classic case of the youngster 

becoming an adolescent, growing into 

a young adult and into manhood where 

he wants to be…..Home, wearing 

green, watching his team on the green 

turf of Hoss Memstas Stadium with 

the strains of “On, Shaw Eagles” 

ringing in his ears. n 

 

 

 

 

& 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The 

West Bank 

Beacon: 

Bringing back pride 

and caring to our 

community’s news. 

Please visit us at 

www.wbbeacon.com.




at A-Mar, he would sell a job, order 

materials, pick up the materials and go 

to the home with the installation crew. 

A-Mar now has 8 sales people and 6 

vehicles to service customers. John 

says that he lives by the old slogan 

that “the customer is always right,” 

and teaches his staff that consumers 

are looking for a truthful, honest and 

knowledgeable company. According 

to John, “Consumers are happy to deal 

with a company that has its roots in this 

area rather than a chain company that 

will send the money they spend out of 

town.” 

A-Mar specializes in residential 

and commercial flooring. It offers 

wood floors, vinyl, carpet, laminates, 

ceramic tile, area rugs, blinds, 

draperies, wallpaper, fabrics and 

trim, tile countertops and backsplashes, 

and design services to meet the needs 

of the growing West Bank and the 

greater metropolitan region. At home 

shopping service and sanding and 

refinishing wood floors are their most 

recently added services. Besides homes 

and multi-family developments, A-Mar 

customers include many businesses 

such as car dealerships, hotels, 

restaurants, schools, oil companies and 

offices. John states, “Quality flooring 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

from page 44 

materials as well as the products we use 

to install our floors are most important 

to our company. A-Mar offers a 

complete line of environmentally 

friendly green products. I get our 

sales people to personally check with 

every customer after installation.” In 

1997, A-Mar Interiors was recognized 

for their many years of community 

service by Best of the West; they are 

noted in the Best of the West Hall of 

Fame. 

Just prior to Hurricane Katrina, the 

Giardinas moved their business just 

two addresses down to a new facility 

located at 1515 Westbank Expressway. 

In the vibrant showroom you will find 

carpet and flooring materials displayed 

in a full range of price categories. The 

well trained and knowledgeable staff 

offers specialized, personal service. 

Since 1987, A-Mar Interiors is a 

member of Abbey Carpet and Floors, a 

national buying group. “This gives A- 

Mar the purchasing power of over 800 

stores and allows us to offer competitive 

pricing in both our residential and 

commercial sales while remaining 

locally owned and operated,” and, 

according to John, “our best feature 

is the 60 day satisfaction guarantee 

on qualified products. For example, 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

if we install a floor and the consumer 

doesn’t like the style or color he or she 

purchased, we will replace the floor. 

There are so many different products 

on the market now it is very confusing 

for consumers. Our objective is to 

make building or renovating a more 

pleasurable experience.” 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marion and her husband Lloyd 

along with their two sons and 

grandchildren all reside in West 

Jefferson. “Our family has taken great 

pride in continuing the tradition of hard 

work set by my father and mother, said 

John.”The West Bank community has 

See Business Owners Amongst Us, page 55



COMMUNITY 

The 2009 fall season has finally 

arrived. Football fans yelling familiar 

chants like “Who Dat!” and “Tiger 

Bait!” are more prevalent this time 

of year. And while we are on the 

subject, “Go Saints” and “Go L.S.U.”! 

However, I will leave the rest of the 

sports talk to someone else who knows 

more than I do, which is probably most 

of the people reading our publication. 

Besides the football season and the 

expectations that come with it, many 

are also looking forward to the various 

concerts and festivals that will take 

place on the West Bank. 

So far, the Lafitte Seafood Festival 

kicked of the fall festival season with a 

great line-up of entertainment, family 

fun, and a fireworks display. While 

the weather during that weekend 

made things difficult, the festival did 

accomplish one of its primary goals. 

That goal was a response that the 

areas of Lafitte and Crown Point and 

surrounding areas that were affected 

by Hurricanes Katrina, Rita, Gustav, 

and Ike are still here, and those resilient 

residents are going nowhere. I’m sure 

they are already ready for next year. 

However, the City of Gretna is 

making its own contribution to help 

promote the areas around the West 

Bank and the events that occur in the 

city with a new amphitheater. The 

Gretna Amphitheater made its debut a 

few weeks ago with the beginning of 

the Gretna Fall Concerts Series on the 

River and is already fulfilling its role. 

“The idea of the Gretna Amphitheater 

originated with the City of Gretna 

officials following the very popular 

response to the river stage at the Gretna 

Heritage Festival,” says Jefferson 


Gretna Amphitheater offers exciting new West Bank 

entertainment venue 

DR. HAROLD L. 

‘ROCKY’ 

A S E V E D O 

LICENSED PROFESSIONAL 

COUNSELOR 

LICENSED MARRIAGE 

& FAMILY THERAPIST 

504-365-8255 

Parish Councilman Chris Roberts. 

“Jefferson Parish was asked to be a 

part of the project to assist the City of 

Gretna with funding, and to that end 

we were able to distribute $400,000 

from Jefferson Parish discretionary 

funds from my district, District 1,” 

says Roberts. 

The Gretna Amphitheater will be 

used for the Gretna Heritage Festival, 

Gretna Fall Concert 

Series on the River, 

and other planned 

events that are sure 

to entertain residents 

of the West Bank 

and visitors. “We 

hope that the new 

amphitheater will be 

a contributing factor 

to the continued success of the Gretna 

Heritage Festival, the fall concert series 

on the river, and also, the continued 

revitalization of downtown Gretna,” 

says State Representative Ricky 

Templet, whose district includes the 

City of Gretna. “The state was able to 

allocate $125,000 for the amphitheater 

project, which was originally secured 

by my predecessor, Joe Toomy, 

and former state senator Francis 

Heitmeier,” says Templet. 

The ongoing revitalization of 

downtown Gretna is something that has 

caught the eye of many since Hurricane 

Katrina. The new restaurants, Gretna 

Farmer’s Market and Art Walk, and 

other events in particular have added 

to the economic development of the 

city. The City of Gretna officials 

covered the remaining balance of the 

project to ensure the amphitheater’s 

completion, which was close to half-a- 

The ongoing revitalization 

of downtown Gretna is 

something that has caught 

the eye of many since 

Hurricane Katrina. 

million dollars in city funds, according 

to Gretna City Councilwoman Belinda 

Constant. “The Gretna Heritage 

Festival was really the catalyst that 

helped bring the amphitheater project 

about before I was even elected,” says 

Constant. “Economic development was 

such an intricate part of my campaign 

platform for not just my district but the 

city as a whole. I believe the Gretna 

Amphitheater is 

going to play a major 

part in economic 

development for the 

historic district and 

downtown Gretna,” 

says Constant. 

And speaking 

of economic 

d e v e l o p m e n t , 

another project to that end is the route 

change of the Gretna ferry, which will 

no longer dock at Jackson Avenue but 

will ferry visitors from Canal Street to 

Gretna. The route change will surely 

play a significant role for the Gretna 

Heritage Festival and other events 

planned with the amphitheater. 

“The Gretna Amphitheater and the 

Gretna Ferry projects should be seen 

as the fulfillment of promises of our 

local government’s commitment to 

our community. These are projects that 

were completed because of the full 

support and cooperation of the city, 

parish, and state levels of government, 

and our dedication to making this 

area and the West Bank better for its 

residents,” says Constant. 

“We are really aiming at making 

Gretna the hub of the West Bank for 

the locals to gather, and we are looking 

forward to using the amphitheater for 

a variety of events that will hopefully 

assist in providing this area a better 

way of life for families to enjoy 

themselves,” says Templet. 

The Gretna Amphitheater is located 

on the right-side of the Gretna ferrylanding 

on the levee overlooking the 

Mississippi River. n



CHILDREN 

Many of us take simple things for 

granted. For instance: the ability to 

communicate or the ability to hear 

the environment around you. Imagine 

feeling this way all day every day. 

A school in Gretna is available for 

children who face these physical 

difficulties. 

Chinchuba Institute KidSpeak 

Learning Center focuses on assisting 

children between the ages of two to 

five years old with communication 

disorders and autism spectrum disorder. 

The program at KidSpeak primarily 

focuses on speech and 

language development; 

however, educators 

introduce activities that 

benefit all areas of a 

child’s development, 

such as fine motor skills, 

gross motor skills, social/emotional 

development, cognitive development, 

and self-help skills. The teaching staff 

provides one-on-one and small group 

instruction. Simply put, the structured 

and specialized program is unique in 


Gretna school helps children with disabilties 

I can’t even begin 

to tell you what the 

program at KidSpeak 

has done for my son 

its approach compared to any other 

daycare or play group. 

Typical developing children 

are also enrolled in the program at 

KidSpeak, and they play a major 

role in helping those children with 

communication disorders advance 

significantly. “The typical developing 

children enrolled in our program are 

a great benefit to the other children, 

because they serve as models of 

speech and language development, 

which encourages the other children 

to become engaged and learn,” says 

Kristy Leece, Executive 

Director of KidSpeak. 

Tannya Taulli, a 

Gretna resident and 

mother of triplet boys 

who attend the school, 

can attest to how the 

program has affected her sons: “When 

I realized that one of my sons was 

speech delayed, I struggled to find a 

place for them to go to school and stay 

together. I can’t even begin to tell you 

what the program at KidSpeak has 

Normal Speech Development 

§ 1 year: The child says one or two words, recognizes name 

and understands simple instruction 

§ 18 months: The child has a vocabulary of 5-20 words 

§ Between 1 and 2 years: The child uses 2 word sentences 

§ Between 2 and 3 years: The child has a vocabulary of 450 

words. 


words and speaks in sentences of 4-5 words. 


words and speaks in sentences of 4-5 words. 


words. 

Possible Warning Signs of Autism: 

§ Does not babble or coo by 1 year of age 

§ Does not gesture or point by 1 year of age 

§ Does not say single words by 16 months (1-3 words) 

§ Does not spontaneously use two word phrases by 2 years of 

age 

§ Has any loss of language or social skills at any age 

(regression) 

§ The child has poor eye contact 

§ The child is not interested in other children 

§ The child avoids physical contact 

§ The child exhibits repetitive behaviors 

§ The child has heightened sensitivity to certain stimuli (noise, 

light, texture, etc.) 

done for my son. In a year’s time from 

enrolling them, my son, Peter, was 

speaking and reading,” says Taulli. 

Currently, the KidSpeak has several 

children on a waiting list because 

of the confinement of space and 

infrastructure of its current location. 

With a future goal of expanding the 

program to assist more than the current 

enrollment of 25 children, KidSpeak is 

looking for other avenues of funding. 

“About 41% of our budget is covered 

by tuition and the rest we try to cover 

with grants and fundraising. The big 

issue now is, because of the economy, 

it is more difficult to secure funding,” 

says Leece. 

On October 17, 2009, KidSpeak 

will have its second annual gala at 

Southport Hall, which was initially 

started by a group of mothers who 

have children enrolled in KidSpeak 

that saw the school struggling 

financially. Ticket prices will be $50 

per person or $75 per couple. “Soon 

my three boys will move on with their 

education because of the program 

1200 Manhattan Blvd. 


504-367-8685 

Andrew (wearing stripes); Peter (wearing 

red); and Julian (wearing yellow). 

at KidSpeak, but I will always do 

everything I can to help keep this 

program alive because of everything 

they did for my boys,” says Taulli. 

For more information about KidSpeak 

and the school’s program please call 

Executive Director Kristy Leece at 

(504) 263-2067. n 

2195 Barataria Blvd. 


504-341-2121



Holy Cross open house will be held on October 13 

Our Lady of Holy Cross College 

will host Open House for all prospective 

students on Tuesday, October 13, from 

5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the College 

campus. Guests can visit any time 

between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. This 

event is open to all prospective students 

and their guests. 

This Open House will provide 

an opportunity to learn more about 

Our Lady of Holy Cross College, 

a coeducational, Catholic college, 

offering undergraduate and graduate 

programs and located right here on 

the West Bank. Students, faculty 

members, financial aid representatives, 

been very supportive of our business. It 

is important to see our business and the 

community it serves continue to grow 

and expand. We are happy to play a role 

in that process. I am a firm believer in 

giving back to the community.” John 

also said that both now and in the past, 

A-Mar has employed local people as 

a way of supporting the community. 

Enid Plaisance, Account Manager, 

started in the original store when she 

O’Charley’s 

CADDYSHACK 

Ladies Night 

Every 

Wednesday 

2330 Lapalco Blvd. • Harvey, LA 70058 

ON THE DECKS: 

admissions personnel, and alumni will 

be present and available to answer any 

questions. Application Fees will be 

waived for the Open House. 

Please RSVP for the Open House by 

texting or E-mailing your name, state 

that you plan to attend the Open House 

on October 13, your phone number and 

number of guests to events@olhcc.edu, 

or call the Enrollment Services Office 

at 504-398-2175. If you cannot attend 

the Open House, you are welcome to 

schedule a personal visit and tour by 

contacting the Office of Enrollment 

Services at 504-398-2175. 

Our Lady of Holy Cross College, 


was seventeen and remains a vital 

force in the A-Mar family after almost 

forty years. 

Marion and John, as well as their 

experienced staff, invite you to visit 

their showroom at 1515 Westbank 

Expressway in Westwego or schedule 

a measurement at your home or office. 

Visit their web site at www.westwego. 

abbeycarpet.com or you can reach 

them by phone at 504-340-5000. n 

DJ JERRY B DJ RAGE DJ NRG 

DJ 007 and a surprise special guest DJ! 

For tickets and information: www.backinthedayparty.com 

or email rageproduction@mac.com 

or on FaceBook, search “Back in the Day Party” 

Live Music 

Wednesday, 

Friday & 

Saturday 

3 J’s Production Presents: 

THE BACK IN THE DAY PARTY 

The DJ 007 Birthday Bash 

Saturday, October 17th, 2009 

Benefitting USSA Louisiana Xplosion Baseball Boosters 

$10 COVER CHARGE WITH 

DRINK SPECIALS ALL NIGHT LONG! 

from page 52 

founded in 1916 by the Marianites of 

Holy Cross, has played a major role 

in the education of a diverse New 

Orleans student body. The College 

is part of the Catholic educational 

system developed by the Congregation 

of Holy Cross which includes such 

institutions as, the University of Notre 

Dame, Saint Edward’s University and 

the University of Portland. Over fifty 

percent of the College’s students come 

from the East Bank of the Mississippi 

River and a majority of the students 

remain in the area. They teach the 

children of the community, take 

care of loved ones when they are ill, 

operate the businesses that citizens 

depend on, minister in Churches and 

social agencies, and volunteer their 

time to the city they call home. In 

short, the quality of their OLHCC 

education has an impact on the quality 

of life in metropolitan New Orleans 

and Louisiana. For more information, 

see the OLHCC web site, www.olhcc. 

edu. n



Halloween in Lafitte 

By Krystral Cooper Christen 

Whether you are looking for 

family fun or a little grown up fun this 

Halloween, Lafitte is the place to be on 

the scariest night of the year. You can 

find different activities for ghosts and 

ghouls of all ages. 

Fisher High School’s Student 

Council will be hosting its sixth annual 

Trunk or Treat at 5 p.m. Parents, 

students, teachers and volunteers park 

their vehicles in the parking lot of the 

high school while children trick or treat 

out of the trunks of the vehicles. 

The candy for the event is supplied 

by the students of Fisher High School. 

The Student Council holds a contest to 

see which homeroom donates the most 

candy. The winning homeroom will 

receive a doughnut party or pizza party 

for their efforts. 

After you finish trunk or treating 

you can drive or walk over to Town 

Hall and take part in its Halloween 

Extravaganza which starts at dusk. 

Mayor Kerner promises this year’s 

event will be “bigger and nicer than 

ever.” 

The town started the event in 2005 

after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The 

Mayor felt that because of the damage 

done to the homes and the debris on 

the property, the children needed a 

safe environment to trick or treat. 

The extravaganza started with some 

decorations around the walking trail 

and with some 

tables for the 

children to trick 

or treat at. Even 

though most of 

the homes are 

repaired and most 

properties are 

free of debris, 

the extravaganza 

has become a 

highlight for the 

residents of Lafitte 

on Halloween 

night. Every year 

the event grows 

in size and in 

activities. There is something for the 

entire family to enjoy. 

Children and parents will enjoy 

walking the Town’s quarter mile 

haunted trail. This will be decorated 

flawlessly with ghosts, zombies, 

witches and all other haunts that one 

can imagine. While experiencing the 

trail, children will be able to stop at 

different tables along the way to pick 

up treats and treasures. 

Everyone will want to jump on 

the hayride for a fun spin around the 

grounds. And, the brave ones will be 

sure to visit the 

haunted house 

that the Town is 

co-sponsoring 

with the Lafitte/ 

Barataria/Crown 

Point Volunteer 

Fire Department. 

K e r n e r 

promises that this 

year’s haunted 

house will outdo 

last year’s and 

will be fun for 

people of any 

age. A host will 

greet you on the 

front porch and take you through 

your horrifying journey. “We hope 

everyone has a good time and enjoys 

themselves,” says Kerner. 

After the kids are tired of trick 

or treating and having their fun, 

the Rosethorne Carnival Club will 

be hosting a Halloween Fundraiser 

October 30 

TRUNK OR TREAT 

St. Anthony School- 900 Franklin Ave in Gretna, 6:00 -8:00 p.m. 


GRETNA GOBLIN NIGHT AT THE MARKET 

The family event will be held in the Gretna Market with activities for 

kids ages 10 and under, from 6:30 to 8 p.m. on Halloween night. 

October 23, 24, 25, 2009 

BOO AT THE ZOO 

“Bring your little ghosts and goblins to Audubon Zoo this year for 

Boo at the Zoo! This annual Zoo extravaganza is a safe, fun-filled 

Halloween event for children up to age 12, featuring trick-or-treat 

houses with candy, the Mombassa Ghost Train, a haunted house, 

games with prizes and entertainment. All games and treats, except 

concessions, are free with admission.” For more information visit http:// 

www.auduboninstitute.org/calendar_booatzoo.html 


THE KREWE OF BOO 

The official Halloween Parade in New Orleans. 

Every dollar generated by the Krewe of Boo benefits 

the Greater New Orleans First Responders Fund. 

For more information visit www.kreweofboo.org. 

Dance that is sure to please the older 

monsters and maidens. You can enter 

the costume contest or just go for the 

party. Junior and Sumtin Sneaky will 

be performing from 9 p.m. until way 

past the witching hour. 

No matter what your age, you are 

bound to find something of interest in 

the Town of Jean Lafitte on Halloween 

night. There is something for pirates, 

princess, super-heroes, monsters and 

their moms and dads. n 

TRICK 

OR 

TREAT 

Community Calendar



HALLOWEEN HEALTH AND SAFETY 

By Jimmie Holmes, M.D. 

Autumn brings us chances to enjoy 

unique family outings as well 

as times to discuss child and family 

safety with those we love. In planning 

special outings or family gatherings, 

it is important to give safety the attention 

it deserves. Whether it’s a discussion 

at the dinner table or talks prior 

to social gatherings, discussing family 

expectations for safety and well-being 

can be invaluable in the prevention of 

accidents and injury as well as exposure 

to illnesses including the flu. “An 

ounce of prevention is worth a pound 

of cure,” is a saying I like to keep in 

mind when thinking family safety. 

Your family physician and his or 

her offices are often good sources of 

information or information links regarding 

seasonal wellness and safety. 

One topic that crops up at this time of 

year is Halloween Safety. For many, 

Halloween is a fun time but a holiday 

which can pose potential threats. 

Whether your family celebrates the 

holiday or has the occasion to participate 

in community activities, planning 

can help you foster a safe, happy time. 

Sometimes we may spend more time 

on thinking about and planning the 

decorations or costumes at this time 

of year than safety itself. However, 

thinking and learning more about safe 

food preparation, neighborhood safety 

or home safety are steps to make the 

wearing of costumes much more fun. 

No one wants to come down with food 

illness as the result of attention not 

given to safety in the home or other 

location. 

The American Academy of Pedi- 


On November 7, the Germania 

Lodge No. 46, Free and Accepted 

Masons, will celebrate German heritage 

in the New Orleans area with its annual 

Germanfest. The event will be held at 

the Germania Lodge, 4415 Bienville 

Street, New Orleans, and features 

great German food such as bratwurst, 

knockwurst, and red cabbage. German 

beers will be served as well, and the 

featured musical entertainment is Prost, 

a band that many visitors of Deutsches 

Haus know quite well. 

Tickets cost only $25, and the event 

will feature three outstanding door 

prizes: a rifle, a signed and framed 

JazzFest poster featuring musical 

atrics at http://www.aap.org offers a 

number of seasonal safety tips in English 

and in Spanish on its web site in 

the area of Halloween safety. In addition, 

the Food and Drug Administration 

offers tips on novelty makeup 

commonly found on the aisles of retailers 

at this time of year. Parents can 

go to http://www.fda.gov to learn more. 

Children’s health pointers for kids 

and parents can also be found on the 

American Heart Association website 

at http://www.americanheart.org. On 

the Heart site you can also find healthy 

recipes as well as games for children. 

The following Halloween Safety 

Tips come to you from the American 

Academy of Pediatrics: 

ALL DRESSED UP: 

Plan costumes that are bright and 

reflective. Make sure that shoes fit well 

and that costumes are short enough to 

prevent tripping, entanglement or contact 

with flame. 

Consider adding reflective tape 

or striping to costumes and Trick-or- 

Treat bags for greater visibility. 

Because masks can limit or block 

eyesight, consider non-toxic makeup 

and decorative hats as safer alternatives. 

Hats should fit properly to prevent 

them from sliding over eyes. 

When shopping for costumes, wigs, 

and accessories, look for and purchase 

those with a label clearly indicating 

they are flame resistant. 

If a sword, cane, or stick is a part 

of your child’s costume, make sure it 

is not sharp or too long. A child may 

be easily hurt by these accessories if 

he stumbles or trips. 

Obtain flashlights with fresh batteries 

for all children and their escorts. 

Germanfest celebrates 

German heritage 

legend Jerry Lee Lewis, and two 

tickets to the Saints-Cowboys football 

game. As well, a silent auction will be 

held with other great items. 

The organization’s 113 members 

work tirelessly to raise money for the 

Masons’ charitable ventures which 

include efforts to provide dentistry for 

handicapped individuals and to assist 

burn victims, among other projects. 

All money raised from this event will 

benefit the organization’s building 

fund, which was severely depleted 

after Katrina flooded the lodge. 

For more details or to purchase 

tickets or make donations, contact 

Joe Kueck, secretary, at 737-6767, 

or Glenn Cupit, master, at (225) 235- 

2463. n 

Teach children how to call 9-1-1 (or 

their local emergency number) if they 

have an emergency or become lost. 

CARVING A NICHE: 

Small children should never carve 

pumpkins. Children can draw a face 

with markers. Then parents can do the 

cutting. 

Votive candles are safest for candle-lit 

pumpkins. 

Candlelit pumpkins should be 

placed on a sturdy table, away from 

curtains and other flammable objects, 

and should never be left unattended. 

HOME SAFE HOME: 

To keep homes safe for visiting 

trick-or-treaters, parents should remove 

from the porch and front yard 

anything a child could trip over such 

as garden hoses, toys, bikes and lawn 

decorations. 

Parents should check outdoor lights 

and replace burned-out bulbs. 

Wet leaves should be swept from 

sidewalks and steps. 

Restrain pets so they do not inadvertently 

jump on or bite a trick-ortreater. 

ON THE TRICK-OR-TREAT 

TRAIL: 

A parent or responsible adult should 

always accompany young children on 

their neighborhood rounds. If your 

older children are going alone, plan 

and review the route that is acceptable 

to you. Agree on a specific time when 

they should return home. 

Only go to homes with a porch 

light on and never enter a home or car 

for a treat. 

Because pedestrian injuries are the 

most common injuries to children on 

Halloween, remind Trick-or Treat- 

ers: Stay in 

a group and 

c o m m u n i - 

cate where 

they will be 

going. Carry 

a cell phone 

for quick communication. Remain on 

well-lit streets and always use the sidewalk. 

If no sidewalk is available, walk 

at the far edge of the roadway facing 

traffic. Never cut across yards or use 

alleys. Only cross the street as a group 

in established crosswalks (as recognized 

by local custom). Never cross 

between parked cars or out driveways. 

Don’t assume the right of way. Motorists 

may have trouble seeing Trick-or- 

Treaters. Just because one car stops, 

doesn’t mean others will! Law enforcement 

authorities should be notified immediately 

of any suspicious or unlawful 

activity. 

HEALTHY HALLOWEEN: 

A good meal prior to parties and 

trick-or-treating will discourage 

youngsters from filling up on Halloween 

treats. 

Consider purchasing non-food 

treats for those who visit your home, 

such as coloring books or pens and 

pencils. 

Wait until children are home to sort 

and check treats. Though tampering is 

rare, a responsible adult should closely 

examine all treats and throw away 

any spoiled, unwrapped or suspicious 

items. 

Try to ration treats for the days following 

Halloween. n 

The above article was provided 

courtesy of Jimmie Holmes, M.D. 

of The Family Doctors. 

St. Anthony 

OCTOBERFEST 

Saturday, October 24 

11 a.m. – 11 p.m. 

900 Franklin Street 

GRETNA 

Music by 

REFRIED CONFUSION 

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. 

RAFFLES • GREAT FOOD • GAMES • SKITS





WJMC Auxiliary awards car in raffle for American Heart Association 

The Auxiliary to West Jefferson 

Medical Center recently held a car 

raffle to benefit the Auxiliary to West 

Jefferson Medical Center on the occasion 

of its 50th anniversary and on 

behalf of the American Heart Association. 

Of 300 tickets available, the 

Auxiliary sold 204. The raffle was a 

membership project. Members selling 

tickets included Sally Sampey, Chris 

Fleming, Christine Theriot, Carmen 

Blanchard, Frank Musso, Althea 

LaCour, Hilda Dufrene, Helen Palermo, 

Geri Callow, Marilyn Wilson, 

Philip Olivier, Betty Dugas, DeeDee 

Gautreaux and Rudy Sampey. 

“Thanks to the public for supporting 

the American Heart Association 

and the hospital Auxiliary in the raffle 

and ongoing,” Auxiliary president 

Rudy Sampey said. “The Auxiliary 

would also like to thank the West Jefferson 

Civic Association and community 

organizations for their help in 

getting the word out about the Auxiliary’s 

50th anniversary membership 

project.” 

The Auxiliary formed one year before 

West Jefferson hospital opened 

and has been active in projects to 

Create a Work of Art 

Bring wine or drink 

of choice and make 

it a friend’s outing! 

www.paintingwithatwist.com 

benefit our community hospital ever 

since. 

Winner Geralyn Zeringue shares 

with us that she grew up in Waggaman, 

graduated from LW Higgins and completed 

nursing school at LSU New 

Orleans. Zeringue says she worked 

at West Jefferson first as a unit secretary 

just out of high school. Later, 

after becoming a surgical technician, 

Zeringue says she knew her goal was 

to become a nurse. Once she worked 

in labor and delivery in the surgical 

area, she added that she learned delivering 

babies was her lifelong passion 

and would become her life’s work 

in nursing. Zeringue has worked for 

more than 28 years at WJ with 24 of 

these years as a registered nurse. She 

has also worked in labor and delivery 

at West Jefferson Medical Center for 

28 years. 

“Other than winning a short bread 

pan at a Chef’s Charity Luncheon”, 

this is Zeringue’s first time winning a 

major prize, she told the Auxiliary and 

others. What makes this prize special 

for Zeringue? She says the raffle was 

a special one in that part of the funds 

raised would benefit the American 

Step by step instruction 

Paint & canvas provided 

Leave with completed artwork 

MAKES A 

GREAT GIFT! 

Private 

Party 

Room 

VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTER 

1900 Lafayette Street 

Suite 2A • Gretna, LA 

504-361-0574 

westbank@paintingwithatwist.com 

Heart Association. She says her late 

father died of a massive heart attack 

many years ago and her late mother 

passed away after also experiencing a 

cardiac condition just 3 years ago. 

If her parents were alive today, 

Zeringue says they would be “very 

proud” of her and would be thankful 

about the fundraiser and donations to 

the American Heart. 

Having a nine year old car made 

the winning also all the sweeter, Zeringue 

says. Called to the Atrium to 

“assist with something”, on the day of 

the raffle, Zeringue says she had just 

finished teaching a new orientee nurse 

in her area. It was only on coming into 

the Atrium to roaring applause that 

she learned she was the car winner of 

a 2010 Ford Focus SE. 

Zeringue applauds the daily work 

of the hospital volunteers saying “I 

admire their work and the huge number 

of hours they donate each year. 

The volunteers remind me of my late 

mother who also gave of her time 

freely to her church and community. 

The volunteers do great things.” 

The donation check to the American 

Heart Association will be made 

at a future date, Sampey says. He 

acknowledged that the hospital has 

several teams of volunteers still 

working on various American Heart 

Association fundraisers and the Auxiliary 

looks forward to joining others 

of the hospital family for the formal 

announcement and a presentation. He 

added. “Our hospital family is proud 

of its volunteer spirit on behalf of the 

American Heart Association.” n 

Do you have a story idea 

for a future edition? 

Visit us at www.wbbeacon.com.



P.O. Box 2246 • Gretna, Louisiana 70054 

www.alligatorpearcafe.com 342-2640 

1901 MANHATTAN BLVD. • HARVEY 

October 2009 

Enjoy the fall weather and the best food in town! 

Oct. 16 • 7-11:00 p.m. 

Free Outdoor Concert 

“Boogie Men” 

Pre-Sort 

Standard U.S. 

Postage 

PAID 

Permit #289 

N.O., LA 

www.royalpalmrestaurant.com 504-644-4100 

Ladies Night on Thursday from 8-10 p.m. 

$5.00 COVER, and LADIES 

DRINK FREE from 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. 

www.parrotpetes.com 

362-9780 

Buy One Entrée, Get 

One FREE - Lesser 

Priced Entrée is FREE 

Up to a $33.00 Value 

Valid until 

Oct. 31, 2009. 

**Offer available on 

Full Dining Menu Only. 

Call now for a reservation for the best table in town!

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