VP City Council honors principal, youth teams

By: NICK JAGNEAUX
Staff Reporter

It was an evening for honoring the best and brightest at the September Ville Platte City Council meeting Tuesday.
Mayor Jennifer Vidrine and the Council honored the Louisiana Principal of the Year and two award-winning youth sports teams. They also recognized a local winner of a prize from the U.S. Conference of Mayors.
Vidrine presented Cheri Fontenot with a proclamation of appreciation for her exemplary work in education. In July, the Louisiana Department of Education named Cheri Fontenot, principal at James Stephens Montessori, as its 2015 Elementary Principal of the Year. JSM is also listed as an A School by the LDOE.
“This is a great honor,” Fontenot said, “but this award is not about me. One person cannot make a great school. This is about a team, starting with students and their families. I’m happy to represent these good folks.”
Vidrine also presented certificates to the Ville Platte 8-year-old softball all-stars, who won the National Pony League softball world series in Texas earlier this summer. She gave certificates to the Ville Platte 12-year-old Dixie Majors all-stars, who were runners-up in South Carolina in the Dixie Youth World Series.
Shayla Miles was recognized for winning an I-pod from the US Conference of Mayors. Miles will be highlighted in an upcoming newsletter from that organization, spotlighting the recent summer work program for teenagers sponsored by the city.
In other business, Guy Guillory was granted until the end of October to clean up his property at 123 E. Pine Street. The property had been condemned as abandoned and was slated for clean up by the city. The cost of the clean-up would have been tacked onto the property tax bill.
Guillory appeared before the Council, asking to be allowed some more time to clean it up. He said that both of this parents are experiencing health problems and have been in the hospital. He is their care taker.
He also explained that the neighbor to the property has indicated he wants to buy it. Guillory said he just needs a little more time to get everything done.
City Engineer Ronnie Landreneau’s company, Landreneau & Associates, was appointed as administrative and engineering consultants for a community improvement grant application and project. The grant, through the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant, would give the city $1 million for improving the sewer plant.
Vidrine said that the City has received two grants. One, for $50,000, will be used to purchase two new police cars. The other, for about $29,000, will pay for new basketball courts at the Northside City Park.