VPCC accepts donation for Boys/Girls Club

At its regular December meeting, the Ville Platte City Council joyfully received more than $2,000 in donations toward the Boys and Girls Club, which is currently in the process of receiving a new home. The council also generated a lot of enthusiasm in support of starting French immersion programs in the parish public schools.
Mayor Jennifer Vidrine received a donation of $1,000 from Helping Hands, a local volunteer organization that raises money to support local charities and good works. She also received a $1,225 donation from Rev. Matthew Alfred, Jr and the Eastern Seventh District Baptist Association.
“This is wonderful,” Vidrine said on behalf of the city. “It’s a good feeling not only when churches are involved with our children, but also with city government to help make our cities better for them.”
Vidrine and City Engineer Ronnie Landreneau informed the council that the application for the building where the Boys and Girls Club will be housed is undergoing review by the State Fire Marshall. The original application had to be amended and is now being processed.
In an extremely popular vote, the council approved a resolution supporting the creation of French immersion programs in the Evangeline Parish public schools. The discussion generated comments from several council members, and even included an explanation of the program in French by City Attorney Eric Lafleur.
Immersion programs involve teaching students almost all their subjects (except English) in French. These programs, said Lafleur, have shown remarkable advantages for the students in them.
The fact of having to process a new language actually helps improve brain development, meaning that the students more easily acquire new knowledge in all subjects. This in turn has led to greater academic success and improved scores on state testing.
In addition, the mayor, council members, and members of the public expressed hope that these programs would help to reinvigorate our dying French heritage.
“These programs will help to keep French going,” Vidrine said. “Ville Platte is French country; it’s a French city. (French) is in our culture, but it’s not in our schools.”
Vidrine noted that the Police Jury earlier that day also supported the resolution calling on the School Board to adopt French immersion programs.
In another effort to perpetuate the French language, Vidrine noted that the first batch of bilingual street signs is ready to go to the printers.
“We will have street signs in both English and French,” Vidrine explained.
She also mentioned that the Council for the Development of French in Louisiana (CODOFIL), which helped translate the signs correctly, will be given office space in City Hall to help promote the French language in the city.
In good financial news, Vidrine reported that the November sales tax revenue was up more than 19 percent from this time last year. Ville Platte had the greatest increase of any municipality in the parish, so much that it received an excess sales tax check for $13,563.58.
“This is great news,” Vidrine beamed. “People are shopping locally. This is a wonderful testimony to the quality of our local businesses. People and money are staying here in town.”
The council approved a resolution to apply for a $50,000 Local Government Assistant Program (LGAP) grant in order to build basketball courts at the Northside City Park.
“Now that baseball has moved from there to the Recreational Park,” Vidrine said, “it’s time to continue our master plan for renewing the Northside park. This is the first step in making the park a true community park, where families can have good clean fun.”
The plan includes adding a walking trail, a splash pad, picnic tables, and a playground.
Landreneau updated the council on the water line replacement project, noting that Phase Two is being wrapped up.
“Everyone is on-line,” he said, “and we’re currently killing the old lines that still have leaks, as well as dressing up areas that need it.”
The council awarded the work on Phase Three to Trek, Inc., which submitted the low bid for the project. The winning bid of $3.6 million was more than $400,000 less than the next lowest bid. Phase Three includes the southwest end of Ville Platte, excluding Main and LaSalle streets, which will be completed in Phase Four.
The council approved painting a new mural at the MLK Center. The mural will include important local and national heroes of black American history. Vidrine hopes to finish the project before February, in time for Black History Month. The muralist is Steven Hawking.
“The center used to have pictures of Black History Makers on the back wall,” Vidrine said, “but at some point it was painted over. We should restore those images back to the center.”
Four new police employees were hired: two full-time officers, Chad Mead and Scott Fontenot; and two part-time jailers, Dora Jackson and Roshawnski Anderson.
Fire fighters were granted the annual two percent salary increase.
Out-going councilman Taranza Arvie was presented with a plaque commemorating his service to the city.
“I said that I would only serve on the council for two terms,” Arvie noted in his acceptance speech, “and I’m keeping to my word.” But, “I will continue to do what I do for the neighborhood, working to beautify it. My reward is my work.”
The mayor invited the general public to come to City Hall to see the Christmas decorations and to take pictures there with their children and grandchildren. The council thanked the city employees for their hard work on the decorations.