Smoked Meat secures backup spot; Fontenot addresses Police Jury

Renee Brown wanted to make sure there was an backup plan in place for the this year’s Louisiana Smoked Meat Festival, as it turned out she didn’t need one after all.
Brown, joined by Daniel Fruge, addressed the Evangeline Parish Police Jury during Monday’s monthly meeting held at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse.
Brown informed the jury that the festival might have to be relocated from the Ville Platte Northside Civic Center due to improvements being made by to the park surrounding the center. That construction could possibly make the park not suitable to host the festival which is tentatively scheduled this year for June 24-25.
Brown’s backup plan was to hold the annual event at the Chauncey Pitre Arena, with a few minor improvements (replacing light bulbs, additional water facets, installing 30 watt hookups for RVs) and the festival organization would pay for half of the costs.
“We have a new challenge before us,” Brown told the jury Monday night. “We want to make sure the festival continues. This proposal would allow us to continue having the festival at this backup location, only in the case we need it.”
Brown did state that she was waiting to get clarification from Ville Platte Mayor Jennifer Vidrine on whether or not the park would be able to host this year’s festival, when Vidrine returned from an out-of-town trip.
After being contacted by phone Tuesday morning, Vidrine stated that the festival will not need to relocate.
“As of now because of all the rain we have received and will receive this week, construction will be delayed at the park,” Vidrine said. “By the time we get to the festival, we will not be where we intended to be and that delay means that it won’t interfere with the Smoked Meat Festival at all. Smoked Meat will be fine and it will be able to be held at the park.”
Evangeline Parish’s outgoing coroner, Dr. Charles Fontenot, also addressed the jury during Monday’s meeting.
Fontenot told the jury, “After 34 years, it’s good to let a younger doctor take over and after a little arm bending, Dr. Tommy Fontenot has agreed to take over as Coroner.”
Fontenot thanked the jury for giving him the opportunity to say farewell but also used his time at the podium to address a trend, suicide by firearm.
Fontenot stated that in 2010 the coroners’s office dealt with 14 suicides that year, which included those from firearms, hangings and drug overdoses. That year five of those 14 suicides were by firearm.
From 2011 to 2013, a total 15 suicides were by firearm. Then in 2014, the number of suicides jumped to 24 overall with 14 resulting from firearms. In 2015 that number dropped to 10 by firearm but the trend is something Fontenot asked the jury’s help with.
“The parish needs to get involved with reducing these gun suicides,” Fontenot said.
Tommy Tuma with Wildlife and Fisheries addressed the jury which fired up District 4 Juror Lamar Johnson.
Tuma was there to help clear up confusion regarding permanent blinds on Cocodrie Lake, which resides in both Rapides Parish and Evangeline Parish. Tuma told the jury that the LDWF would like the local governments to know that they have the ability to adopt their own set of regulations when it comes to blinds on the lake.
Tuma did further state that any rules that the jury would create would ultimately go through LDWF for approval. Tuma though did state twice that LDWF “wanted to let the Police Jury take care of their own backyard.”
This prompted Johnson to state, “The lake has been there forever. People have been there 50-60 years. Name me something that the state has run that makes sense.”
The jury decided not to take any action at this time based on District 7 Juror Bryan Vidrine’s request for information from Tuma.
But even after Tuma was done addressing the group and had left the jury room, Johnson followed him outside. Johnson could still be heard loudly talking with Tuma and this prompted a brief stoppage of the meeting.
Eventually Johnson returned to his seat and the meeting continued.
Other items that were unanimously approved by the jury on Monday were:
•Approve a Cooperative Endeavor Agreement with Prairie Heritage Inc.
•Grant permission to Prairie Heritage Inc. to sell alcohol during Le Grande Hurrah Festival on April 15-16.
•Adopt a resolution declaring April 15, 2016 as Steve Riley Day.
•Adopt a resolution authorizing 13th Judicial District Attorney’s Office to join Parochial Employee Retirement System.
•Adopt a resolution for an additional exemption to disabled veterans and surviving spouses on property in Evangeline Parish.
•Appoint Robert Easton to Acadiana Area Human Services District.