YOUR COMMUNITY NEWSPAPER LAROSE, LA thelafourchegazette.com
SERVING: MATHEWS • GHEENS • LOCKPORT • VALENTINE • LAROSE CUT OFF • GALLIANO • GOLDEN MEADOW • LEEVILLE • GRAND ISLE
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Lafourche voters to decide on term limits for council, parish president
Lafourche voters will decide Dec. 10 whether to limit parish presidents’ and council members’ terms in office. The Parish Council votedW8-1 Tuesday night to send the issue to voters. If approved, council members could serve up to three consecutive fouryear terms. Parish presidents could serve up to two consecutive terms. The measure would take effect with terms that begin in 2020. See Term Limits Page 3-A
West Larose Lift Bridge to close for a week
The West Larose Vertical Lift Bridge on LA 1, crossing the Intracoastal Canal Waterway in Larose, will be closed continuously to vehicular traffic from 7:00 a.m. Monday, August 29th to 12:00 p.m. Friday, September 2 so construction crews can install the north fender beams.
MEETINGS MONDAY, AUG. 29
LOCKPORT AMERICAN LEGION POST 83 921 Veterans St. - Lockport THURSDAY, SEPT. 1 BAYOU FELLOWSHIP 7:00 p.m. E. 93rd St. - Galliano
LAF. HUMANE SOCIETY 5:30 p.m. Lockport Library
INSIDE
Calendar of Events.........2-A Classifieds.................4-A/5-A
Horoscopes.....................5-A
Lottery.............................2-A
News In Brief..................3-A
Obituaries........................5-A
Surfin’ the Net.................5-A
Worship Directory............6-A
VOLUME 27 NUMBER 46
DA instructs misguided Council on veto override
A sweet hobby …
Y
Buster Avera Contributing Writer
Back in January, the Lafourche Parish Council agreed to a resolution t to hire Dr. Tommy Lasseigne as Finance Director and Human ReV S MATHEWS • GHEENS • LOCKPORT • VALENTINEsources • LAROSE Director for the parish. C • GALLIANO • GOLDEN MEADOW • LEEVILLE • GRAND ISLE debate on the resAfter thorough olution, the Council voted 5-4 to ratify Parish President Jimmy Cantrelle’s appointment of Lasseigne to both positions. Cantrelle called hiring one person to do two jobs a “cost-saving measure”. Lasseigne was well qualified, he said. Councilmen Bo Melvin, Cory Perrillioux, Armand Autin and Jerry Lafont voted against the measure. Since that meeting, Councilman Jerry Jones has feuded with Lasseigne and Cantrelle over the administration’s changes to the way pumpers are paid overtime during rain events. At the July 26th public meeting in Mathews, Jones called Lasseigne and Cantrelle “liars” when he challenged them to discuss the outcome of a closed-door meeting with administraPhoto by Babs tion over the vague pumper issue and Larose resident Mel Adams stands next to several pineapple plants he began growing about 6 the administration’s choice and payor 7 years ago. ment for legal counsel in the matter.
When people said it couldn’t be done here in south Louisiana, Adams decided to try anyway. Mel received information from the University of Hawaii about growing the juicy fruit and now claims to have about 100 plants, each producing one pineapple.
Providing smoother sailing for the ‘Cajun Navy’ causing skepticism
See Council Page 6-A
Volunteers say it’s overkill
KEVIN McGILL, Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A Louisiana legislator says he’s looking for ways to provide smoother sailing for volunteer boaters — known collectively as the “Cajun Navy” — who turned out to help with water rescues during the recent floods. But so far the ideas being floated have met with skepticism and even anger. Volunteers who rescued people stranded in Louisiana’s high water last week sometimes complained they were turned away by authorities in some areas. In a recent radio interview, Republican state Sen. Jonathan Perry suggested legislation that would let boaters waive liability for the government if volunteers were to get lost or hurt. He said the legislation could also call for a rescue
certification course for volunteers. Perry insisted he’s trying to clear hurdles for the volunteers. He said in a new Facebook video that he has received complaints, and even insults against him and his family, from people who don’t understand his proposal. “It is to basically remove any restrictions,” said the lawmaker from Kaplan in the flooded area. “And allow people to get to our citizens quicker.” Reached by telephone Wednesday, privatecitizen rescuers were skeptical of the need for legislation. Micah Shaw of Denham Springs, was part of a group that dispatched to flooded areas based on social media posts about people needing rescue. See Cajun Navy Page 3-A
Dismal time for Gulf oil = record low lease bidding JANET McCONNAUGHEY, Associated Press
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — The federal government’s annual sale of oil and gas leases in the Gulf of Mexico attracted hardly any interest on Wednesday, reflecting a dismal outlook for offshore drilling. Only three oil companies bid on just 24 of the nearly 4,400 tracts offered for drilling and exploration in the Gulf of Mexico off the Texas coast. None competed against each other. “Everything about this sale screams wariness,” said Stew-
7114 Hwy. 1 - Lockport 13086 Hwy. 3235 - Larose 2113 S. Alex Plaisance Blvd. - G.M. Prices Good Through Tuesday, Aug. 30
Bone In
Sirloin Pork Chops $ 99 Lb. .99¢
Sirloin Steaks
Boneless Beef
Lb.
3
art Glickman, an analyst for S&P Global Market Intelligence. Between them, BP Exploration and Production Inc., BHP Billiton Petroleum Inc., and Exxon Mobil Corp. offered a total of $18 million, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management said. For perspective, that’s about 32 millionths of the combined market capital of the bidders’ parent companies, which totals more than half a trillion dollars.
Ground Beef Market Fresh
2
$ 99
Lb.
See Gulf Oil Page 3-A
Eye of Round Roast
Whole Trimmed
2
$ 99
Lb.
1 Lb. Clamshell
Fresh
12 Pack Cans or 8 Pack Bottles
Coca Cola $
2For$5 2For 7
Strawberries
Unexpected visitor has Raceland residents shook up
Residents in the Raceland area near the service road where a bit shaken up Thursday afternoon after spotting a very large snake on the road. According to some residents, the snake appears to be a python weighing about 300 pounds and estimating about 12-feet in length. The Sheriff’s Office has been contacted and are looking into possibly finding the reptile and removing it from the vicinity. Sheriff’s Office personnel seem to think it may be someone’s pet that perhaps grew too large for the owner and could have possibly been let go or maybe escaped. See Visitor Page 6-A
12 Packs Shurfine
Soft Drinks
2For$4
24 Pack Cans
Yuengling Beer
$
1899