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"PIMP MY RIDE' COMES TO BELLE CHASSE |
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“Pimp My Ride” came to Plaquemines Parish, or at least a Belle Chasse version of the popular MTV vehicle make-over show called “Project Thunderbird.”
Chris Guillot, a senior at Belle?Chasse High School and owner of the 1996 Ford Thunderbird, said good-bye to his car. Six weeks and $25,000 to $30,000 worth of work later, he was reunited with his new “pimped-out” ride.
The grand presentation attended by electronics wizard Mad Mike of Pimp My Ride and held at Belle Chasse High School. It was the highlight of a car show in Guillot’s honor.
It was his wish in fact, as he was recently diagnosed with cancer. Guillot, a student in art teacher Gina Fitch’s class mentioned that going on Pimp My Ride was a wish he was considering after he was contacted by the Make a Wish Foundation. But the school soon took over.
“We said as a school, there’s something we should do,” said BCHS Principal Monica Wertz.
With the entire Belle?Chasse High School staff and student body rallying for him, the money needed for parts was raised, and thanks to teacher Fitch, her son Mike Jr. and his vehicle detail colleagues, the labor was 100 percent free.
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Drawing the Curtain
Plaquemines?Parish Sheriff’s Office units stopped traffic and escorted the car to the horseshoe drive of the high school. Guillot waited eagerly along with the rest of the crowd. The chameleon painted car rolled up and, then, with the release of the air bag suspension, lowered to the ground. The crowd went wild, closing in on the car and Guillot.
“I can’t say thank you enough to everybody,” said Guillot as he examined his gift.
The chameleon paint changes colors as light hits the vehicle. There are accents of cobalt blue with barb wire graphic on the driver side and swiss- cheesed metal graphics on the passenger. There are 18-inch chrome rims to go with the custom body kit and the custom razor-cut grill and V-8 signs. A touch screen TV is included, as well as air bag suspension, a custom stereo system and tinted windows. The seats are leather and suede.
The Down South Rollers, who brought the show cars to the event, donated $700 to the cause and one of their signature plaques.
“No car’s complete without that plaque,” said Tank, a Down South Rollers representative.
The Electronics Wizard
Mad Mike said he was impressed by the quality of work, particularly the suspension which dropped completely to the ground- a difficult feat. He called the paint job and graphics “immaculate” and was impressed by the availability of trunk space even with the suspension chamber in the rear.
Guillot’s parents were pleased too.
“It takes your mind off of the situation,” said Guillot’s mother, Shannon. Her son was only diagnosed on January 25 and only because an injury while playing soccer, for which she is now grateful.
Dad liked the car as well.
“He’s going to be driving it to work,” Guillot said when he returns to the hospital for more treatments.
Cutline: "I only bought this car for $1,000," Belle Chasse High School senior Chris Guillot (in white) said. However, his 1996 Ford Thunderbird recently was revamped by local Pimp My Ride workers for the cost of parts as part of a wish BCHS staff and students gave to Guillot, who recently was diagnosed with a blood vessel cancer.
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JINDAL SPEAKS AT BC ROTARY CLUB |
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Hitting the campaign trail, Congressman and Louisiana gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal (R-Metairie), spoke to the Belle Chasse Rotary Club last week.
During luncheon comments, Jindal emphasized three areas in which Louisiana must fail in coming days.
Jindal noted that after 50 years of fighting, Louisiana is finally going to get its fair share of oil royalties.? However, the vote to give this money to Louisiana was close, 207-205, he said.? The reason is that other states have no faith in Louisiana and actually lobbied not to release the money to Louisiana, citing its bad track record with squandering funds, Jindal reported.
“We can’t afford to divert this money,” said the congressman, giving the example of how state lottery money was to go to education but was re-routed elsewhere.
“We’ve seen the abuse; we’ve seen the waste,” Jindal added. “(However), we’ve been given another chance.”
To take full advantage of this chance, Jindal outlined the three areas on which Louisiana must? focus.
Economic development is the first, he said. Forbes magazine has ranked Louisiana 50th for economic development.? To advance beyond that point, the state needs to focus on educating students in technical and trade fields, Jindal said.
Education was next on his list.? Jindal noted that both he and his wife are the products of public education.? He had good teachers in his classrooms, which is something he emphasized.? Good teachers outrank technology every time, he said.
“We lose 50 percent of our new teachers five years after graduation,” Jindal reported. ?
???Raises are necessary to retain the teachers who make a difference in the classrooms, he said.
Finally, the health care system needs to be totally reconstructed, jindal said. Other states spend less than Louisiana yet get more benefits, he said.
Louisiana needs to look at how
other states more efficiently provide health care, Jindal said.? “When you’re 50th, you can look at any state around you and make improvements,” he said.
To immediately start funding programs in these three areas,
Jindal said he would like to bond the money out, getting part of the oil and gas royalties now instead of waiting 10 years for the full force of the approved legislation to take effect.
Taking definite action is part of his plan as well. ?
“I don’t think we can wait for studies,” said Jindal.? “If we wait for the perfect solution, we’ll never get anything done.”
This corresponds to the way things work in Washington, D.C., said Jindal. “We have a short attention span as a nation,” he said, meaning that everyday that passes post-Katrina and Rita, the federal politicians appropriating money will have less and less sympathy for Louisiana and its struggle to rebuild.
His solution is to get them committed to the task at hand.
Jindal referred to projects such as the Big Dig tunnel in Boston.? The project has cost $14.6 billion, more than five times its original budget of $2.8 billion authorized in 1985.? However, if the federal government commits to something, it will see it through, Jindal predicts. ?
Thus, he said he wants the federal government to commit to coastal restoration.
Jindal said he also wants the 10 percent local share of rebuilding money that the state owes to the federal government to be waived.? What both Democrats and Republicans in Louisiana have united on is this waiver, President George Bush has thus far refused to agree to a waiver.? However, the 10 percent local share was waived for the September 11 attacks and for previous hurricanes that struck Florida and the East Coast.
“We’re not asking to be treated differently than anyone else,” said Jindal.
During a question and answer period, Jindal touched on the war in Iraq and the demand by many to set a timeline for pull out.
“I want commanders on the field to make those decisions,” he said.?
But he also added, “We’re not going to settle a civil war.”
Instead, the Iraqi people have to make a decision to change and enforce it, he said.? “(Then), we expect to and will shift the responsibility to them.”
As far as the race for the governor’s seat, Jindal’s most recognized potential competitor is former Louisiana representative and senator, John Breaux.
Breaux has not formally announced his candidacy but is waiting for a Louisiana attorney general’s opinion to find out his eligibility to run for the office. Breaux owns property and pays some taxes in Louisiana, but he is registered to vote elsewhere. Some are saying he is ineligible to run because he has not fulfilled the constitutional requirement of living in the state for the past five years. ?
When asked about these residency issues, Jindal said his campaign is going to focus on why citizens should vote for him.
He finished his Rotary Club appearance with a sports analogy.
“This is the best chance in our lifetime,” the congressman said. “And Louisiana can learn from the Saints.” ?
By functioning the same way, the same results will reoccur, he noted. But by making drastic changes, like hiring a coach with no head coaching experience, picking a quarterback who had just undergone severe shoulder surgery and starting an unknown wide receiver chosen as a seventh round draft pick, things can change. After all, the Saints ended their season just one game from the Superbowl, Jindal noted.
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SOUTH PLAQUEMINES SCHOOL TO BE PLACED IN BURAS |
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The Plaquemines Parish School Board recently voted 6-3 to renovate the former Buras High School as the permanent home of South Plaquemines High School.
The official resolution offered by District 9 member and parliamentarian William Mertz and seconded by District 8 member Helen Barrois states, “The Plaquemines Parish School Board will rebuild the old Buras High campus, and the school shall be named South Plaquemines High with the mascot of the Hurricanes. ... In the event that the old Buras High building is deemed un-repairable, the Plaquemines Parish School Board will build a new school on the Buras Middle School site, keeping the Hurricanes as the mascot.”
A year-old plan – before arson and vandalism added damage to the Buras facility – put repairs at $10 million, Mertz said.
School Board members Joyce Lamkin-District 4, Sharon Branan-District 5 and Carlton LaFrance-District 6 voted against the Buras resolution.
LaFrance, in fact, brought to the board an alternate plan.
Inspired by a work session comment of “thinking out the box” made by District 3 school board member Anthony St. Philip, LaFrance’s solution addressed several problems the PPSB faces. ?
Entitled Central High School, the proposal was to build a Headstart-through-12th grade school in the Citrus Land area. Boothville-Venice, which has had $10 million worth of work on it since the 2005 storms, would revert to a Headstart-through-12th grade school as well. ?
Central High School would take children from the Nairn area to as far north as the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse, addressing the growing over-population problems Belle Chasse schools already are experiencing.
In that way, three high schools would be spread through the parish – in Belle Chasse, in the Citrus Land area and in Boothville.
“I’m giving you a solution that will not only help the south end but the north end,” said LaFrance. “We have to learn from what we experienced in the past. We cannot afford to build our schools close together anymore.”
If a “catastrophic” event should take place on the lower end again, then, only one school would be completely lost, LaFrance noted.
However, if a “catastrophic” event occurred in Belle Chasse, the other two schools could provide for north Plaquemines students, LaFrance argued.
By rebuilding in Buras, “you’re putting two schools side by side again,” he said, reminding persons that the last hurricane was 34 miles wide and could impact both facilities.
“So, all the promises made that Buras would have a school is moot?” asked Barrois.
However, LaFrance pointed out that his plan removes a school from Port Sulphur as well.
“We have to learn from what we experienced in the past,” LaFrance said.
Branan supported LaFrance’s plan and voted against the Buras measure.
Lamkin said she voted against the resolution because she wanted the high school on a neutral site.
There was one amendment made before voting.? Offered by St. Philip, all monies available from PW overflow be sent to Belle Chasse schools to address the overcrowding.
Money, Money, Money
Plaquemines school system is often sought out as far as academics go, but staffing is another story.? Plaquemines is lacking in competitiveness as far as teacher’s pay.? PPSB ranks number six on a salary comparison scale for those with no experience. ?
Starting pay is $34,049.? St. James is the highest ranking with $39,304.? For those with 25 years of experience, Plaquemines ranks seventh at $45,246 while St. Charles teachers with the same experience make $50,951.
This pay gap, combined with the distance of Phoenix, Port Sulphur and Venice, have contributed to the lack of certified teachers at these non-Belle Chasse schools.
To combat teacher’s pay shortcomings and to provide incentives for teachers to commit to the Eastbank and lower Plaquemines campuses, the PPSB voted 6-3 to give an across-the-board raise of $2,300? to certificated personnel, a $1,000 raise to support staff and a supplement of $1,200 to certificated staff at Phoenix, South Plaquemines and Boothville-Venice.
“Certificated teachers are at a minimum,” said District 1 member and PPSB Chairman Byron Williams. ?
He said pre-Katrina, a non-certificated teacher was the exception; now, it is the norm.? Williams said “it hurts my heart” when he sees Eastbank children crossing the ferry to attend Belle Chasse schools.? But he said he understands because that staff on the Eastbank and South end are not up to par with those in Belle Chasse.
“We have no incentives to offer teachers to come past Belle Chasse,” Williams said.? “We need to get back to certificated numbers.”
But three Belle Chasse school board members opposed the supplement, calling it discriminating to staff in Belle Chasse.
“To be fair to everyone, across-the-board is the way to go,” said Lamkin.
She pointed out that the school board provides transportation from Belle Chasse to southern schools, and they are working on teacher housing for next school year.
And not all teachers in the Belle Chasse schools live in Belle Chasse; some live in other parishes, and some live in lower Plaquemines, said the Belle Chasse members.
“Everyone has their issues,” said Branan. ?
She noted that Belle Chasse is closer for many staff members but that teacher have more students, she said.
Superintendent Eva Jones announced that there are tuition assistance grants for those teachers not certificated.
The proposal passed and also included 5 percent for ad valorem and two additional professional development days required of teachers.
Woodlawn
Plaquemines Parish Councilman Don Beshel spoke to the school board? in hopes of getting a letter of approval to look into the complete renovation of the Woodlawn building.
“Consolidation is the word of the day, probably the word of the decade,” said Beshel. ?
His plans for Woodlawn include a library, a clinic, an Emergency Preparedness office and a computer center, as well as the development of more than 20 acres of property for outdoor activities.
“We could have a little bit of life on the Eastbank,” he said.
Beshel needed the board’s written permission to pass an ordinance to hire Linfield, Hunter & Junius, Inc. to perform a cost analysis for the renovations.
With a suspension of the rules by Branan/LaFrance, it was added to the agenda and approved by all with the exception of St. Philip, who abstained due to a conflict of interest.
Buses and Sporting Events
The board requested that at least one coach per sport acquire a commercial driver’s licenses to help with busing athletes to sporting events.? There is a shortage of drivers, and some children at the Belle Chasse Primary School often have to wait for a bus to come back for a second run? before going home.
Kids need to go home before teams get transported, said District 2 member Nancy LaHaye.
Transportation Coordinator Meg Paolini said it takes 8-10 weeks to train for a commercial license but that individuals might be able to do so during the summer break. |
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