Upper Lafayette On The Move www.upperlafayette.com September 2015 Volume 81
Northside High Radio Goes Live!
ALSO INSIDE: Carencro Veterans Memorial Wins Award Lafayette’s Growing Music Scene Ghandi’s Rules of Leadership Printed by Lafayette Economic Development Authority
Published by
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation
Printed by
Lafayette Economic Development Authority
Board of Directors
Monty Warren, President Cherie Hebert, Vice President Todd Citron, Secretary/Treasurer David Welch, Immediate Past President Adrian Baudoin Julie Dronet Brenda Foulcard Donna Landry Kirk LaCour Beau Phares Bryan Tabor Jerry Vascocu
Honorary Advisory Board Don Dupuis Ed Krampe Dwight “Bo” Ramsay Herbert Schilling
Staff
Jan Swift, Executive Director Elsa Dimitriadis, Communications Director/ Executive Assistant
Mailing Address P.O. Box 53107 Lafayette, LA 70505
Upper Lafayette Economic Development Foundation is an association of proactive individuals and business leaders joined together to be a catalyst for change. The Foundation’s mission is to enhance and direct the positive, planned growth of Upper Lafayette, focusing on quality of life, while participating in the overall development of the Greater Lafayette Metropolitan Area. On the cover: On-air sign at Northside High School’s student-run radio station. Photograph by M. Brady McKellar.
On the Web
www.upperlafayette.com
For membership information or sponsorship opportunities, contact Jan Swift at jan@upperlafayette.com.
Volume 81 • September 2015 • www.upperlafayette.com
A Letter from the Executive Director We are excited about our upcoming meeting on September 16 where we will hear from our two candidates for Lafayette City-Parish President, Joel Robideaux and Dee Stanley. This friendly forum will be your opportunity to come and meet both gentlemen, hear their vision for our community and learn about the issues they believe should be top priorities to keep Lafayette strong. I hope you will join us. We do not endorse candidates, but do want you to have every chance you can to be informed. An informed vote is the best gift you can give our community, in any election. The October 24 ballot will be chock-a-block full of races. All statewide elections (Governor, Lt. Governor, etc.), City-Parish Council seats and Parish President, State Representative and Senate seats, Sheriff, you name it, it will be there. So if you haven’t registered or need to update your registration in the event you have moved, please visit www. Geauxvote.com, a user friendly site set up by our Secretary of State. You can take care of this important task online and be all set for the election.
A Reminder to Register for Next Week’s City-Parish President Candidates Forum! Don’t forget to register for our September 16th meeting which will be held at the Petroleum Club of Lafayette at 111 Heymann Boulevard, and feature both City-Parish President candidates, Joel Robideaux and Dee Stanley. Tickets are $35 each or $300 for a table of eight and can be purchased online at upperlafayette.com/events or through a mailed payment to ULEDF, PO Box 53107, Lafayette, LA 70505. Many thanks to Van Eaton & Romero Realtors for sponsoring this important event.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
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Northside High School’s KNHS 93.1 Gains National Attention
The accomplishments of Northside High School KNHS 93.1 FM has garnered more than just local attention.
The Broadcast Journalism Academy was established two years ago under the helm of former principal Melinda Voorhies, and the establishment of KNHS makes it only one of three high schools in the state with its own radio station. As Sam Cooke’s A Change is Gonna Come played over the airways as the station’s first on air musical selection, students thanked KRVS Radio Acadie for serving as a charter consultant. They also acknowledged Vermilionville as they continue to work to put students in touch with local artists and to develop the radio hosts’ interviewing skills. Vermilionville will continue to serve KNHS as part of their education initiative, “Local Learning at Vermilionville.” Please enjoy the following AP article about Northside High School’s radio station that has been featured in newspapers nationwide. From south Mississippi’s Sun Herald, D.C.’s Washington Times, to the East Oregonian, people are hearing about our community and we could not be prouder of the recognition that Northside High School is receiving.
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LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — Looking for some blues, jazz, zydeco or world music? You’ll find it all on KNHS 93.1 FM, the latest radio station to hit Lafayette airwaves. This station has a twist though. All hosting, programming and technical duties are handled by Northside High School students, who work out of radio booths on campus. “This has really helped me express myself and put myself out there,” said Northside student Tyler Jolivette. “It’s making me speechless. This is the type of thing I live for, as far as entertainment is concerned.” Earlier this year, Northside’s broadcasting and journalism academy launched KNHS as an online-only station. That’s still available on nhsradio.org, but the station’s reach expanded Aug. 27 with its first over-the-air broadcasts. The 100-watt, low-powered FM station can be heard throughout Lafayette Parish. Running a radio station is fun, but it’s also a lot of work. Northside senior Reginald Boudreaux said it takes hours to research music genres, listen to songs, tweak transitions and program the songs for each three-hour block. The station runs from 6 a.m. to midnight each day, featuring different genres throughout the day.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
“One of the things that’s become important to us is listening to the songs all the way through, to make sure there is no vulgarity,” Boudreaux said. “We want to make sure we’re getting the right message out about what we want our station to be.” Station Manager Camille Harrington said she’s learned plenty about time management, being organized and having a strong work ethic. Those are qualities she now looks for in younger Northside students who have shown interest in the station. “It teaches you a lot about patience and how to work with others,” Harrington said. “You learn how to work together and how to make your product the best it can be.”
In the future, Redmond said, he’d like to expand the academy to include news shows and training for students who want to work in the film industry, especially with so many movies and television shows produced in Louisiana. “We hope we can eventually have an industry-based certification, so a kid could graduate from Northside and go right to work on a movie set,” Redmond said. “We want to become a full-fledged journalism and broadcasting academy that includes something for everyone.” Information from: The Advertiser. Photos courtesy of M. Brady McKellar/Vermilionville.
Boudreaux said he’s also learned about the influence that music can have. For example, Jay Redmond, director of the broadcasting/journalism academy, encouraged Boudreaux to pursue a blues show, even though Boudreaux didn’t have a huge interest in that type of music. “I ended up liking it a lot,” Boudreaux said. “You never know how much you might like a type of music until you try it. Every genre of music can connect to you in some way.” Redmond said there are plans to expand the station’s programming to include shows on sports, entertainment and video games — some of which could be on the air between November and January.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
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Education Top Priority for Business Leaders in Acadiana At the Cecil J. Picard Center in Lafayette on August 12, 2015, One Acadiana unveiled its priorities on education. Louisiana’s education has yet to reach the average national standard. In comparison to the rest of the country, our state ranks 45th on graduation and 47th on math, reading, writing, and science.
Corey Pate, Sr., a parent of a student in the United Way’s Early Head Start program, expressed his gratitude to the initiatives and reported that his son has experienced an increase in cognitive thinking and a positive outlook on attending school.
“The gains Louisiana has made in terms of student achievement are supported by reforms that are raising standards, improving pre-K options, providing parental choice and empowering school and district leaders,” said One Acadiana President and CEO Jason El Koubi. The gains include a 20 percentage point increase on students scoring at a basic level, 73 percent graduation rate and lower dropout rates. The busness group’s focus is on education priorities that maintain and improve academic standards, keep and improve the accountability system, increase funding for early childhood education, maintain the laws that empower local educators with less management discretion, and keep the charter school option open for families. “Children entering kindergarten ill-prepared are too often from poorer families,” said Margaret Trahan, president and CEO of United Way of Acadiana. Focusing on Early Childhood education could exponentially increase Lafayette’s school achievement rates in the coming years and help prepare students for higher education.
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Focusing on these goals as a business community, One Acadiana hopes to change where Louisiana sits on the national list when it comes to education and help raise the standard living across the nine parish region. Upper Lafayette supports these initiatives and encourages all to support improving our public school system by becoming involved.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
Carencro Veterans Memorial Wins Community Achievement Award Carencro Veterans Memorial earned a Community Achievement Award from the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA) at its annual convention, which took place in late July. The Carencro Veterans Memorial project, submitted by the City of Carencro, took first place in the Community Development category for cities with a population from 3,001 to 10,000. Each submission was required to explain the objective, scope, community involvement, and results of the project. This video, providing an overview of the memorial’s development, was included as part of the entry. It may be viewed at carencro.org/vetsmemorial_3.php The purpose of the Carencro Veterans Memorial is to have a place where people can go to honor those individuals who served our country and fought, and continue to fight, for the rights and freedoms the United States of America enjoys today. The goal was to have a memorial the citizens of Carencro can be proud of, but also to have a memorial that will honor veterans no matter where they were born or raised. Consultant Brooke Allphin, Ph.D., is the chairman of the award selection committee. The committee includes leaders from different fields such as Capital Region Planning Commission, CLECO, LED, Louisiana Main Street, and Louisiana State Fire Marshall’s office. LMA is not involved in the selection of the community achievement awards.
Don’t miss our latest segment of Upper Lafayette On the Move
which features Paul Molbert, VP, Network Development/ ACO of Lafayette General Health and Cian Robinson, Executive Director of Lafayette General Foundation. This two-inone episode includes discussions about the growth and development of Lafayette General Foundation, which includes expansion of telemedicine and innovations in neonatology, as well as information about the expansion of Lafayette General Health’s footprint and health care delivery system. On the Move is presented on AOC 2(COX 16/LUS 4) on the second and fourth Thursdays of each month at 8:30 pm. Episodes are also available online on the Upper Lafayette website.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
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So Much Music.. So Little Time Lagniappe Records Relocates from Baton Rouge to Downtown The owners of Lagniappe Records closed up shop at their Beauregard Town, Baton Rouge record store and relocated to Lafayette in late July. Patrick Hodgkins, who owns the shop with his wife, Tess Brunet, held the grand opening for their new 313 Jefferson Street location on August 7. Nestled between the Lafayette Center for Yoga and Rukus Board Shop, and across Jefferson Street from Parish Ink, Lagniappe is the newest addition to a hip, developing downtown. According to Brunet, the relocation was the best choice for Lagniappe Records’ future, and the store’s record label and live in-store concerts will continue as they did at the Baton Rouge location. Old school vinyl lovers are thrilled by this new addition to Lafayette, where retail outlets dedicated to vinyl were previously scarce. Reviews have been positive, noting great selections and reasonable prices. For those of you looking to step back in time, not only do they carry collections of cassettes, but Lagniappe also occassionally features “Mystery Boxes,” which sometimes include up to 50 unspecified 45’s for $15. When you have the time to browse, check them out!
Warehouse 535: New Venue in Freetown Opens to Enthusiatic Crowds
Owners Mark Falgout and Nicole Leblanc of Blue Moon Saloon opened a new bar and event center in late August. A multi-use facility located at 535 Garfield Street, it builds on the already existing rich musical culture and live venue attending community of Acadiana. This 75 year old, 10,000 square foot warehouse, formerly the Hadacol building, was renovated all while preserving its historical integrity. It houses three co-operative entities: The Rhum Room, a Hemingway inspired Cuban bar; a 600-capacity open event space with stage, and a restaurant element still in development. The August 22nd show/open house was a huge success. With lines snaking out the door, attendees were delighted to listen to “The Latest Shipment,” a Caroline Helm-produced showcase of reconfigured musical talent. A fully air conditioned live music venue, with comfortable charm and contemporary class, there is no doubt that Warehouse 535 will soon be a cornerstone of this region’s artistic development.
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www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
Gandhi’s 6 Rules of Leadership Needed Today He was a poor public speaker and changed his mind often. Mahatma Gandhi knew he wasn’t perfect. But he practiced a series of leadership principles which remain valid to this day. If you’re a team leader, manager or running a project - learn how Gandhi would have handled things.
Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.
People look up to leaders who admit they don’t know it all, and are searching for answers just like they are. By committing to continuous learning and improvement, you’re setting an example for others to never stand still. You’re also admitting that you’re human and not above learning a thing or two from your team. They’ll respect you for that.
You must be the change you wish to see in the world.
Your vision comes from the heart. You need to let people know what success looks like when it’s achieved. You’ll be passionate about the vision because passion is contagious. That’s how people buy into a vision.
I suppose leadership at one time meant muscles; but today it means getting along with people.
Gandhi viewed the human spirit as infinitely more powerful than the deadliest weapons on earth. Just as he used non-violent means to achieve his goals, today’s leaders will be far more effective if they rely on their people skills, and not their position, to influence others and cause change. The best boss is someone who never has to say “Listen to me because I’m the boss.” It is not your title that will make your team listen to you. It’s your character, integrity and ability to care.
It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom. It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err.
In business, I still see many managers doing nothing but talk. Meetings start with the boss’s view on everything - often turning into an endless tirade. Talk, talk and more talk as people feel helpless and tune out. In one-on-one meetings, these managers occasionally ask what you think, cut you off, and then keep going as though you said nothing. A real leader spends most of her or his time listening - to the concerns of the team, their views, ideas and problems. Build a reputation for listening. Listen twice as much as you talk (for we have 2 ears and 1 mouth). You’ll be amazed at how much more influential that is, compared to talk, talk and more talk.
Service which is rendered without joy helps neither the servant nor the served. But all other pleasures and possessions pale into nothingness before service which is rendered in a spirit of joy.
Too many of us take ourselves way too seriously. Gandhi was not afraid to be human. In daily business life, put on a smile and be hopeful, but most importantly, be yourself - and not some fake person who is pretending to be important. The effective leader is authentic.
Satisfaction lies in the effort, not in the attainment, full effort is full victory.
One of the biggest challenges of anyone running a team is to make the work meaningful, fun and interesting. Even the most menial tasks can be more engaging if you turn work into a game. Set targets with rewards. Explain the “why” of work so people can connect what they’re doing with the final result. They need to know that they are important - and that they are doing is contributing to the common good. © 2015 Cory Robert Galbraith, All Rights Reserved.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015
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Thank you for your generosity.. Platinum Patrons ($5000)
Halliburton IBERIABANK Island Operating, Inc. Schlumberger
Platinum Members ($2400)
Acadian Companies Acadiana Computer Systems, Inc. Aries Marine Corporation ASH/Badger Oil Company Couret Farms Cox Communications Delta Media Home Furniture Hub City Ford Lafayette General Medical Center McDonald’s of Acadiana MidSouth Bank Our Lady of Lourdes PHI, Inc. Republic National Distributing Company Schilling Distributing Company Stone Energy Whitney National Bank
Gold Members ($1200)
Acadiana Rubber & Gasket Atmos Energy Beau Box Commercial Real Estate Dupré Logistics, LLC Fenstermaker & Associates Gulf Coast Bank Home Bank Omni Energy Services The Southwest Group Tobacco Free Living Van Eaton & Romero
Silver Members ($600)
Ace Plumbing, Inc. BBR Creative Cajun Harley Davidson Coburn’s Supply Company Edward Jones/Bob Crist Entergy Gauthiers’ RV Center
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Silver Members ($600)
Master Builders & Specialists, Inc. Oakbourne Country Club Prejean Creative Rader Solutions Refinery Downtown Shelf Energy, LLC SLEMCO SMILE Stella Maris Stirling Properties Summit Physical Therapy Therapy Center of Carencro Universal Sign & Manufacturing Company Walters Funeral Home
Bronze Members ($300)
Acadiana C.A.R.E.S. Advancial Federal Credit Union Anytime Fitness Upper Lafayette Aspen Clinic Boys and Girls Clubs of Acadiana Benton Business Solutions, LLC Jean C. Breaux, Jr. & Associates Breaux’s Mart Community Foundation of Acadiana Crawdaddy’s On-Site Catering Davis Property Management Taylor Davis, Northwestern Mutual Derek Development Corp., LLC Joey Durel Lynn Guidry, Architect Jay Castille Construction John Paul The Great Academy Jolie’s Louisiana Bistro Lafayette Animal Aid Lafayette Community Health Care Clinic Lafayette Convention and Visitors Commission Lafayette Youth Soccer Association Lee Verret/State Farm Insurance Agency Lowry’s Printing and Copying Flo Meadows, Coldwell Banker Iqbal Merchant, CPA Melancon I-49 Storage Center One Acadiana Petroleum Club Proree, LLC Chad Romero, Northwestern Mutual Ron J. Gaubert Realtors W. W. Rucks, III Sarah Schoeffler Schools of the Sacred Heart John Swift
Bronze Members ($300)
Sylvan Learning Center Teche Electric Supply, LLC WorldPay
Sponsors PLATINUM LEDA Tobacco Free Living GOLD AT&T Beau Box Commercial Real Estate Lafayette Regional Airport Commission Van Eaton & Romero SILVER Advancial Federal Credit Union Schilling Distributing Company
City of Carencro City of Scott
BRONZE
A special thanks to the Lafayette Economic Development Authority (LEDA) for being our Program of Work partner for 2015.
www.upperlafayette.com • September 2015