Is the State of Louisiana holding a check for you? General Excellence Louisiana Press Association CENTRALCENTRAL CITYCITY National Newspaper Assn. Is the State holding money in your name? You may be surprised! See Pages 5-20 ® NNEWSEWS& The Leader Thursday, December 8, 2011 • Vol. 14, No. 32 • 28 Pages • Circulation 11,000 • centralcitynews.us • Published Every Thursday Central City Council to Vote Jan. 10th Council Faces LoopMessina Resolution Council to Decide Whether Central Will Oppose Loop CENTRAL — The Central City Council will meet at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2012, at Kris- tenwood to consider a resolution by Councilman Wayne Messina on whether the City of Central should officially oppose the Baton Rouge Christmas Parade SaturdayLoop. 10 Messinaa.m. is hoping at least Photo by Woody Jenkins Woody by Photo two other Councilmen will join with him to give direction to the Central legislative delegation on the issue. MARCHING THROUGH CENTRAL — Fellowship Baptist Church entry in 25th Annual Central Christmas Parade See FIVE on Page 3 Loop Staff Says Loop Will Cross Central Loop’s Open House, no one seemed east across Sullivan and Magnolia possibility. The route of the Loop is Woody Jenkins to recognize him. He wandered Bridge Road. driven by tolls. This Northern route Editor, Central City News around to the different exhibits and When a Loop staff member came is too far north to attract enough stopped in front of a giant map of by to visit with Coun- traffic to pay the tolls to help pay CENTRAL — Just last week, Cen- Central. The map was like that pub- cilman Messina, he for the project. This lower route tral City Councilman Wayne Mes- lished in the Central City News last asked which route [directly through the heart of Cen- sina sponsored a resolution asking week, showing three possible routes the Loop would take tral] is the only one that is financial- the Central City Council to take a across Central — the Northern By- through Central. The ly feasible,” she said. position against the proposed Baton Pass along Hwy. 64, a middle route staffer turned out to Some Central residents have said Rouge Loop. But when he walked along Denham Road, and the lower be one of the Loop’s they oppose the Loop but could live into BREC headquarters on Florida route that crosses Joor Road around highest officials, pro- with the Northern By-Pass. How- Boulevard Monday night for the Hampton Village and then heads gram manager Su- See 1,500 on Page 3 zanne McCain. Councilman Triplett, Hetrick, Dotson Cited Messina asked Ms. Wayne Messina McCain to explain the three routes How You Can File across Central. “Well, the middle route has been eliminated. It won’t Comments on Loop be considered any longer,” she said. with Central City Council Central Earns Top Honors “What about this Northern By- Federal Highway Admin. Pass?” he asked. “That doesn’t In 4-5A All-District Voting work,” she said, “It’s really not a For Details, See Page 2 was named 1st team All-District wide receiver, 1st team All-District Return Specialist, and Best All Around Athlete in the district. Central head coach Doug Dot- son was named Coach of the Year. Besides Hetrick and Triplett, other 1st team All-District selec- tions were Central defensive end Joey Jarreau and defensive second- Photo by Woody Jenkins Woody by Photo ary Logan Metcalfe. Second team All-District selec- All-District MVP Zach Hetrick tions from Central were: CENTRAL • Brett Courville, QB — The 2011 Central • Zack Evans, RB High Wildcat football team has • John Davis, TE won three of the top honors in the • Devon Gales, WR annual All-District competition. • Hunter Edgens, G Central senior linebacker Zach • Ashton Stokes, T Hetrick was named the district’s • Corey Guercio, DL Most Valuable Player on defense. • Thomas Eddelmon, LB Sophomore Gary Triplett walked • Kevin Henry, DB Jenkins Woody by Photo away with more honors that any • Jonathan Thibodeaux, K other player in the district. Triplett See WILDCATS on Page 25 Baton Rouge Fire Chief Ed Smith with his wife Trudy and grandchild 2 CENTRAL CITY NEWS Thursday, December 8, 2011 CENTRAL CITY NEWS® and The Leader • Vol. 14, No. 32 No. 307 13567 Hooper Road Post Office Box 1 Central, LA 70818 Greenwell Springs, LA 70739 Phone (225) 261-5055 • FAX 261-5022 Email stories and photos to [email protected] Published 2nd and 4th Thursdays, January through July Weekly from 2nd Thursday of August through 4th Thursday of December. The Leader was founded April 30, 1998, and the Central City News was founded April 21, 2005. They merged May 4, 2006. The Central City News also publishes the Central Community Directory & Yellow Pages and numerous special editions throughout the year. Editor & Publisher Woody Jenkins Business Manager Candi Lee Graphic Artist Terrie Palmer Business Specialists Shara Pollard, Jolice Provost Member, Louisiana Press Association, and National Newspaper Association Deadline for news and advertising: 5 p.m. Mondays $40 a year by subscription in advance • $50 a year outside East Baton Rouge MERRY CHRISTMAS — Brenda Keith and Amber Matherne Martel walked along Country Living in the City side one of the floats during the 25th Annual Central Christmas Parade Saturday, Dec. 3. People of Central Must Speak Now on BR Loop or Forever Hold Their Peace next stimulus program. A grant of tion, and noise. It would also be preserve the things that make this With the Loop, $100 million or more would put unsightly and completely contrary community great, please take the the project in high gear. to the theme of Central as “Coun- time to express your opinion about Holden’s Loop commission has try Living in the City.” the Loop and send it to the Loop The Central We full authority to expropriate prop- There would be a lot of develop- Commission, with a copy to the erty, issue contracts, and build ment, not necessarily good, such Central City News. highways. as public housing and multi-family The Loop will close out public Know and Love The construction of the Baton units. A single 500 or 1,000-unit comments on Jan. 9, 2012. So Rouge Loop across Central would apartment complex could destroy please act now! Send your com- Will Become forever change this community for our new school system and bring ment to the Loop at the address or the worse. in loads of problems. fax below and please send a copy to The Loop would bring all the Central is known for low crime, the Central City News. We will or- Just a Memory problems of the Interstate Highway good schools, and country living. ganize these comments and submit system into the heart of Central — The Baton Rouge Loop would en- them in bound form to the Loop. Woody Jenkins criminals passing through, illegal danger all of those things. This could be our last chance. Editor, Central City News aliens, drugs, prostitution, pollu- If you love Central and want to Please send your views today! CENTRAL — The next three weeks Please Record My Comments on Proposed BR Loop could be your last opportunity to express your views on the Baton To: Capital Area Expressway Authority • 9100 Bluebonnet Centre Blvd., Suite 301, Baton Rouge, Rouge Loop in any meaningful Louisiana 70809 or FAX to 225-368-2801 way that could make a difference. Most people in Central think the Copy to: Central City News • 13567 Hooper Road, Baton Rouge, LA 70806 • Fax 225-261-5022 Loop is dead. How wrong they are! CCN will file with Loop, Federal Hwy. Administration, and Central City Council The Loop is very much alive and in Name _________________________________________________________________________ fact it is very near approval from the Address _______________________________________________________________________ Federal Highway City, State & Zip Code ____________________________________________________________ Administration. Phone ________________________________ Email ___________________________________ Once the FHWA gives the [ ] I FAVOR the proposed Baton Rouge Loop. okay, the Loop [ ] I OPPOSE the proposed Baton Rouge Loop commission, led [ ] Other _______________________________________________________________ by Mayor-Presi- Woody Jenkins Comments: _____________________________________________________________________ dent Kip Holden, _______________________________________________________________________________ will have the authority to move _______________________________________________________________________________ full speed ahead with the Loop — more studies, engineering plans, _______________________________________________________________________________ financing plans, and, ultimately, _______________________________________________________________________________ construction. _______________________________________________________________________________ It would be a $4.5 to 6 billion _______________________________________________________________________________ project. [ ] I am attaching a letter with my comments. All Holden has to do is get his friends in the Obama Administra- tion to include the Loop in Obama’s Comments Must ARRIVE by Jan. 5, 2012 Kevin A. Rogers, O.D. Baron J. Williamson, M.D. Laser Vision Correction Eye Diseases & Infections Diabetic Eye Exams Cataracts & Glaucoma Eye Injuries Contact Lenses & Sunglasses Children’s Eye Exams www.rogersregionaleyecenter.com 18522 Magnolia Bridge Road • Suite 101 CENTRAL CITY NEWS Thursday, December 8, 2011 3 Comment Period for FHWA Will End Jan. 9, 2012 1,500-Foot Corridor with Walls WouldContinued from Page 1 Cut Central City in Half ever, Messina said, his meeting with the program manager of the Loop reaf- firmed what he already knew — if the Loop is built, they plan to bring it right through the heart of Central. “The traffic counts and the financial projections for the Loop don’t work,” Messina said. “If you move the Loop north of Central, their awful numbers get even worse.” Last week, Central Economic De- velopment Chairman Wade Giles told the City Council the Northern By-Pass is the most likely route, but this week Messina said there is nothing to back that up. Also at last week’s Central City Councilman Councilman Councilman Councilman Mayor Pro-Tem Council meeting, Central Chamber Louis DeJohn Dr.