Lake Charles Welcomes Home Fort Polk Soldiers

By Tore Carlberg




Members of the W.B. Williamson, American Legion, Post Number One and Mayfield, Taylor, McClain Post Number 551, met the 500 members of the 46th Engineering Battalion based at Fort Polk, Louisiana as they returned from their duty in Afghanistan. The Battalion landed in Lake Charles at Millionaire Air Park on the Chennault Air Strip.

Units returning to Fort Polk from abroad would normally land at England Air Force Base near Alexandria, Louisiana. However, as the runway at England is under construction, the arrivals were switched to Lake Charles.


These Lake Charles landings should continue until the construction at England Air Force Base is completed. The Battalion arrived on August 29th, September 2nd and September 5th, 2009 during the early morning hours.

There was off and on rain for the early morning of the first land. Although suffering from a head cold, Lake Charles Mayor Randy Roach personally met that plane and said of the experience, “There is no greater honor for an elected official than to welcome the troops home from overseas.”

The soldiers, young men and women, were wearing their fatigue uniforms and carrying knapsacks and weapons on their arrival. They were tired after their fifty-five hour flight, but glad to be home. After processing and turning in their weapons, they boarded buses for the hour long trip back to Fort Polk, where their family and friends were awaiting their arrival. The Combat Veterans Motorcycle Association, as they do for every military arrival in this area, escorted the buses to Fort Polk.

The local American Legion Units had been alerted of the arrivals by Ms. Theresa Lawson with the Public Relation’s Department at Fort Polk. Although it was at the last minute the two Posts immediately put together the welcoming. One of those instrumental in organizing the three events was Jim Jackson, the First Vice Commander of Post One.

Wearing a standard American Legion hat and red Legion shirt, he was heard saying, “It sure wasn’t like this when I returned from Vietnam. There was no one to meet our plane and in fact, we were not allowed to travel in our military uniform. We were required to purchase civilian clothes for the trip.”

Another American Legion greeter, Stephen Rothermel, recounted, “Each and every one of those soldiers, grabbed my hand and looked me in the eye. They told me how grateful they were for us to be there for them and I left that morning with a proud feeling in my heart.”

The Landing: A Unique Experience

By Chaney Ferguson
Editor, The Times




When Josh Rogers envisioned The Landing he wanted it to be a place for families. He set out to create a restaurant like none other in the lake area.

It was almost five years ago when Rogers came to Lake Charles to operate O’Charley’s. Around that same time was when he fell in love with the building that is now The Landing.
“The building is amazing, it is so unique, one of a kind with the brick and wood and the waterfront. It was just like nothing else you could find anywhere,” said Rogers.

He remembers saying he had to get hold of this building when he saw all the potential. It is easy to imagine families coming in from the water for a delicious meal.

“The reason I opened this restaurant is the building and the scenery did everything for me. I came in and said ‘what do I want and how is this going to happen?’” said Rogers.

His goal was to have a restaurant with great food, reasonable prices and be kid friendly.
Rogers also wanted to have a family oriented menu that allowed for finer foods and wines. “I chose things you couldn’t get anywhere else, like marinated duck breast and New Zealand lamb. Things you typically can’t get when you have kids around. That was the idea behind it.”

The Landing offers an extensive wine list with wines ranging from very expensive to more affordable.

“We tried to make the atmosphere fun for the family, friendly, and affordable, but with some really unique items. Some creations are all my own, that you just can’t find anywhere else, like shrimp and okra hushpuppies or crab fondue. When you look through the menu you say ‘wow these are some really cool things I’ve never heard of.’”

In addition to the new creations, Rogers also brought back a few of the old classics like fried green tomatoes, New Orleans style BBQ shrimp, and other flavors of Louisiana.

Rogers grew up watching his dad work in the restaurant business and Rogers himself has worked all through Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana picking up local flavors and honing his skills.

Rogers’ hometown is Hattiesburg, Mississippi, where he watched his dad operate several Western Sizzlin restaurants.

“It sort of inspired me as a child. I started working at Shipley Do-Nuts when I was 14, mopping floors everyday and getting paid $50 a week.”

He moved up from mopping floors when he started working for a series of locally owned businesses before moving into work with a corporation.

“I worked for Brinker International which is Chili’s Restaurant for about two and a half years before I was recruited by O’Charley’s. I’ve been in restaurants everywhere from Lake Charles, Louisiana to Jacksonville, Florida and everywhere in between.”

Prior to The Landing, he worked for O’Charley’s for about ten years. The past four years were spent here at the Lake Charles franchise where he spent much of his time giving back to the community.

Rogers is very involved in local civic organizations and he enjoys taking advantage of all the opportunities he has had to help the area. He sits on the board for Contraband Days, and a member of the Better Business Bureau and the Lake Charles rotary club. He was citizen of the year in 2008, and a graduate of the chamber leadership committee.

When he was at O’Charley’s, he worked with area schools providing spaghetti dinners or hosting St. Louis soccer night at the restaurant.

He works with Barbe High School, Westlake athletics, St. Louis Catholic High School, SJ Welsh, and elementary schools like Prien Lake, Nelson and St. John.

“Working with the schools involves awarding students kid’s meals and prizes. I cooked for all of the fundraisers that all the schools do. Barbe cheerleaders had 2,000 plus ribeye dinners. We had programs where we would bring in students of the month or students of the year, and award kids with different coupons and prizes for reading goals.”

The list spans from cooking for teacher appreciation to allowing Barbe to have a carwash in the restaurant parking lot.

Rogers began his community service a few months after he arrived. He moved to Lake Charles in July of 2005.

His hometown was devastated by Hurricane Katrina and Rogers remained in Lake Charles during Rita and the aftermath.

“We were out in the restaurant parking lot cooking and donating food to over 260,000 people for over 19 days once Rita hit. I figured why not do something with the food. It was a good experience. After that our restaurant was a success and we were embedded in the community from that day on.”

Rogers believes that it is easy to make the choice to help people.

“It is not what leads you to do for people it is what keeps you from doing for people. In your heart you know what is right and the Lord leads you to help and you just go with it. You don’t not do it. You pay it forward.”

Rogers’ servant attitude has moved with him to The Landing. He encourages organizations to seek him out for whatever they need because the area supported him and his family when they arrived.

“Lake Charles wrapped itself around me for the past four years, and I was able to provide for the community when nobody else could provide for them. We really had the opportunity to reach out and touch the community, and I want that opportunity here.”

Now that Rogers has struck out on his own at The Landing, he hopes to have the same opportunities to help the area and give back some of the support he has received.

“I have now wrapped my arms around The Landing and the SWLA catering company which is located above the restaurant. It is a magnificent venue and holds about a 120 people. It has 35 ft. vaulted wood ceilings. It’s just amazing.”

The Landing opened July 23 and has become an all encompassing dining experience that offers more than just a good meal.

Rogers offers SWLA Catering service, live music featuring local bands for Rock the Dock, and a beautiful venue available for parties. Whether it’s a craving for something simple like a hamburger or a fine dining experience, check out The Landing. Josh would love to meet you.

The Lake Area Film Group Gets Top Billing

By Jessica Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




Welcome to the movie industry! That got your attention, didn’t it? That’s exactly what it was meant to do, because the film and media industry is a hot item these days. Almost every parish has a film alliance or commission, trying to woo Hollywood to the great state of Louisiana. And why not?

Louisiana has flavor, atmosphere, alligators and swamps, beautiful oaks and cypress trees, antebellum plantations and flashy casinos. Our people are characters, and our weather is warm year long. Enticing film and media to our state and community would be a plus for our economy. But that’s the business side of it.

What about the creative side?
Meet the Lake Area Film Group.


The Lake Area Film Group was founded in September 2004 by a group of passionate individuals interested in growing a filmmaking community in Southwest Louisiana. The original group committed to the mission statement: to create a network of people, ideas, and resources which, would be shared collectively, enabling the independent filmmaker in the Lake Area, and to host an annual film festival in Lake Charles, which would serve to both motivate and to inspire.

That’s exactly what LAFG does.

Some film groups are highly structured and wax long and eloquent on writing rules and philosophies, but they intimidate and quench that bold creativity needed to just go for it and put it all out there. “It” is that deep-down-in-the-gut-in-the-heart dream a person holds dear—that dream to create by writing or producing or directing or acting in a film.

“It’s not out of reach,” says Scott Waldrop, a KPLC employee and president of the Lake Area Film Group. “Filmmaking is not as elusive as it sounds.”

Julie Fay, also an employee of KPLC and one of the founding members of LAFG, writes screenplays. She meets weekly with her screenwriting critique group to make sure what she’s writing works. Julie is also one heck of an actress. On top of that, Julie does an excellent job of keeping the group informed of national film festivals, competitions and film sprints across the state.

What’s a film sprint? Hard work and a lot of fun. And a learning experience.

“Film sprints are popular across the country,” Waldrop says. “Teams are given certain criteria—it might be a location, a prop, and a line of dialogue that has to be included in your short. You tie it all together within 24 hours. You have to write the script, produce it and edit it within that 24 hour period.”
Sounds like reality TV, doesn’t it?

Waldrop says within each team there is a writer, an editor, a cinematographer, and a director. “And if you’re lucky you have some talent,” he says.

LAFG is a loose-knit group and the reason they get together is to encourage each other and to help members with their individual projects. They invite anyone with an interest or passion for filmmaking to join them.

“We’re all passionate about what we do,” says Waldrop. “Just to different degrees.”
Waldrop also says they want LAFG to be fun. While the structure might not be there, the passion is. They’re all serious about their craft, learning more and achieving their individual goals. They all produce something.

For anyone who has an interest in filmmaking, Waldrop says there’s a place for them with Lake Area Film Group. “You can get as creative as you want to get,” he says. “There’s a place for you if you want to write, produce, direct and if you want to make independent films. With LAFG you can build your skill sets up, even if you have no skills.”

John Ware, another KPLC employee, sums it up by saying, “I would like our group to grow with like-minded people because when we’re bigger, we’re better. We learn from each other.”

Mark your calendar now. LAFG meetings are held on the first Wednesday of each month at 7:00 PM at Central Library in Lake Charles. LAFG can also be found on myspace and facebook. Don’t be shy. Lake Area Film Group is warm and inviting and they honestly want to encourage you.

If you have been stifling that heartfelt desire to be an independent filmmaker, stifle no more. To familiarize yourself with their work, go to www.youtube.com and search for lafilmgroup.

Don’t forget to read the credits! For more information email LAFilmGroup@gmail.com.

From Wood Chips to Electricity

By Chaney Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




If seeing is believing, then many Lake Area residents became believers in
biomass technology. Farmers, city officials, and even a local principal gathered at the McNeese Farm on June 18th to watch as switch grass was burned and converted into enough electricity to power lights.

“Basically we have a system that converts any carbon based biomass into energy,” said Heath Barnett, Ph.D. Chemistry.

That energy can take the form of electricity, liquid fuels, propane, diesel, or methanol. It can become heat to produce steam to provide heating purposes.

“So we can take in wood chips, switch grass, banana peels. Basically, if you can burn it in a bonfire we can run it. We can make a marshmallow based gas fire if we wanted to. It would burn and produce gas and we could turn it into energy,” said Barnett.

Skeptics believe it is either too difficult or not economically feasible.

Barnett says those reasons are a myth and not true at all. He does admit there are pros and cons, just like with any other technology.

“Today we are trying to get away from fossil fuels and 80% input of foreign oil, well this is one of the solutions we can have. We have tons of landfill waste, the wood industry is dying, and we are becoming a paperless society,” said Barnett.

Proponents of this technology believe it will provide America with cheaper energy prices.
Dr. John Sutherlin, Spokesman for Renewable International Fuels, LLC believes areas that are used to having power knocked out by hurricanes can benefit from the technology.

“You chop up some wood, power up the BTE unit and it produces electricity,” said Sutherlin.
“Imagine a unit like this working side by side with FEMA trying to restore our gulf coast after hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Instead of going and chipping up that wood and putting it into a landfill use it to re-power the city,” said Sutherlin.

There are a couple of limitations.

“You need to be in an area, obviously a rural setting is best, or if you are going to be in an urban setting something that isn’t congested. This is never going to be a unit that will be downtown in the middle of a city,” said Sutherlin.

“You want this where you can bring in the wood and have it automated where it is continuously feeding into the BTE, but that’s it,” said Sutherlin. “The limitations are getting your feedstock to the BTE, and the electricity you produce.”

Sutherlin said the reason they like producing electricity is because they can produce it as needed.
If you are producing a fuel you have to store it. With electricity it is an optimum system,” said Sutherlin.

Barnett said the technology has been around since World War II when the Germans used it to produce liquid fuel to power their war machine.

Now, as technology is constantly changing the same technology can be used as a clean renewable resource.

For more information check out Renewable International Fuels LLC website at www.stumptopump.com.

DeAngelo’s Rises Like a Phoenix From the Ashes

By Jessica Ferguson
The Times of SWLA






Richie Gregory, an LSU graduate, will admit his experience in restaurant work is limited to sitting down and eating in them. But that experience served him well when it came to choosing the right franchise—DeAngelo’s Pizzeria, a company founded by Louis DeAngelo in 1991 in Baton Rouge.

“I don’t profess to know the restaurant business. I was smart enough to find someone who did,” Gregory said.

“He’s learning,” said co-owner Ben Herrera.

Richie Gregory and Ben Herrera are two extremely different, yet compatible personalities. Herrera is a chef by trade. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, he grew up in the restaurant business, busing tables, washing dishes, doing whatever needed to be done. Having worked in several high-end restaurants, Herrera became involved in more complicated projects and ended up in culinary school in New York. When that didn’t work out for him, he found himself in Denver at the Emily Griffith School of Opportunity Culinary School, the nation’s oldest and most experienced career and technical college.

The two men discovered each other when Richie Gregory, 20 years in the insurance business, sold a health policy to Herrera when Herrera worked at Pujo Street Cafe. Evidently something clicked because a friendship and an eventual partnership grew from that business transaction. They received a lot of advice early on about partnerships and they admit they spent a lot of time discussing how tough partnerships are. According to Herrera, they worked everything out, discussed exactly what kind of partnership they wanted.

When Gregory and Herrera finally decided to become restaurant owners, they trekked over to Baton Rouge so Herrera could taste his very first DeAngelo’s sampling. “I ordered the most simple thing on the menu—a pepperoni pizza.” According to Herrera if they could make a simple pizza good, that was enough for him.

“It reminded me of the pizza I grew up on back in Colorado—a simple New York style pizza. I was impressed,” said Herrera.

The two men’s friendship is genuine. They actually laugh at each other’s jokes. They share a mutual respect for each other and that’s the core strength of their partnership. More than likely that mutual respect is what helped them survive the shock and bitter disappointment when they watched DeAngelo’s burn to the ground—six years of hard work was nothing more than a sooty pile of ashes.

Was there ever a moment they considered not rebuilding? Both men gave a resounding, “Yes. And we’re still discussing it.”

Of course, the project is well underway and the guys are anxiously awaiting the new DeAngelo’s Pizzeria just like all fans throughout the city.

“We couldn’t have done it without Cameron State Bank. They really stepped up to the plate and supported us,” said Gregory. “The trick was designing something we could afford.”
According to Gregory, to set the record straight, DeAngelos will not be two story. “The restaurant will be approximately the same size—maybe a little bigger, but it will actually seat more people,” he said, “with no wasted space.”

“The neighborhood bar will be slightly larger,” said Herrera.

Herrera is looking forward to the wide open show kitchen.

“Anywhere you sit, you can see everything going on—Gas and wood-style ovens, ceramic ovens—that will be the focal point of the restaurant,” said Herrera. “That’s what’s changed.”

According to Herrera, DeAngelo’s will still have their famous salads, the popular pasta dishes everyone loves, and their calzones. “We’ll eliminate large pizzas—the 16” pizzas,” said Herrera. “We’ll add a whole line of proteins: steaks, veal, fish, and we’ll be running a full service ala cart menu.”

“We’ll have the fried shrimp,” said Gregory.

“Fried zucchini,” said Herrera.

Most in Lake Charles can’t wait to walk through the doors of the new DeAngelo’s and once again savor the finest and freshest ingredients available. DeAngelo’s prides itself on being a classic Italian pizzeria and the company is known for hiring highly motivated people committed to their job and their customers. According to Herrera, DeAngelo’s will hire somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 employees. Between the two locations—Ryan Street and their DeAngelo’s Express on Country Club—they’ll employ around 85 people.

For anyone who needs that DeAngelo’s fix immediately, the DeAngelo’s Express is located at 2740 Country Club Road, next to Albertson’s. Call 478-5784 to place your order or just pop in. While there’s limited seating and a fast-food atmosphere, the pizza, calzones and baked lasagna tastes every bit as good as their pre-fire South Ryan Street location, but then that’s the mission of DeAngelo’s: naturally delicious with the finest, freshest ingredients.

Ben Herrera and Richie Gregory agree they don’t want to be the best Italian restaurant in the area–they want to be the best restaurant.

The partners appreciate all the positive comments and encouragement they’ve received from their DeAngelo’s fans.

“In the six short years we were in business,” said Gregory, “it seems we became a landmark restaurant.”

Their customer’s support and enthusiasm makes a difference.

Local Artist Doug Smith Sketches A Beautiful, ‘Still Life’

By Jessica Ferguson
Asst. Editor, The Times of SWLA




Lake Charles artist Doug Smith is the advertising director for Home Furniture at their main office in Lafayette. Smith started with Home Furniture in 1982 right out of high school as a summer job. “It’s been quite a summer,” he teased. He began in the warehouse because his girlfriend’s aunt had heard about an opening. His girlfriend, Ronica, is now his wife.

Smith more or less grew up at Home Furniture, working on and off through college while he got a degree in marketing with a minor in architecture. When he left the company to spend three years working for PPG, he still drew and designed headlines for Home Furniture. Smith learned what it was like at the other end of the spectrum. He also learned that Home Furniture and art was in his blood. He returned to the store and settled into a career—not a job.

Today, Smith can stand in his office in Lafayette and see that he has the best of both worlds. He can look at one desk and see the basic administrative paraphernalia that keeps him in the business world. He can look at his drafting table and see his creative side, that side of him that he thoroughly enjoys and nurtures.

Smith discovered his talent early in life. He well remembers at age seven wanting to draw. His older sister, Dee Dee, could draw as well. She had drawn a colonial type ship for a class project and her work was his inspiration. It wasn’t long before young Doug had started a side business: he would draw Batman and Robin and charge his friends for his sketches.

Doug Smith has come a long way from those Batman and Robin sketches. He has been commissioned to create life-size drawings of St. Martin de Porres and St. Rose of Lima for his new church at St. Martin de Porres. He’s looking forward to the challenge.

When talking to Smith, one might come to the conclusion that he’s had it pretty easy, that career and talent—life in general—has fallen into place for him; that he’s some sort of golden boy who wields his stick of charcoal and wonderful pictures occur. But Smith works hard and methodically, honoring God with the talent he’s been given. “My talent is a gift,” Smith said. “I hope I never take it for granted because it can be easily taken away.”

According to Smith, the best thing that has come from his drawings so far has been the drawings of Jesus. “The originals have all been given as gifts,” he says. “The prints are donated to churches as well as given away to anyone who wants them.” Smith says his greatest joy has been to use his God-given talent to be able to give back in a way that he knows he can. It was through an inquiry about the Jesus picture that led to being commissioned to create the life-size drawings.

“Caren Dore tracked me down out of the blue wanting a Jesus print,” said Smith. “We got to know each other and she showed Father Keith my drawings. He wanted to commission me to do the life-size drawings for the church.” According to Smith, Dore has become a dear friend and he’s very excited about the challenge of creating the life size drawings.

When asked his most challenging subject to draw, Smith says that it’s people. “I always said I’d never draw people or their pets.” Oddly, that is what he’s ended up doing the most—drawing people and a few pets.

“I always wanted to be an impressionist painter.” He says he was inspired by the Impressionists. Characteristics of Impressionist paintings include visible brush strokes, open composition, and ordinary subject matter, and one can see traces of influence in Smith’s drawings. Smith is quick to say he admires and is inspired by local artists Elton Louviere and Kevin Leveque, and aspires to be as good in his craft as they are in theirs. Modest, humble, Smith credits friends and teachers for helping him along the way. “If it weren’t for the encouragement and guidance from teachers such a Barbara ‘Babs’ Donnelly, James Hooper, and Tim Winterbottom, I wouldn’t be where I am today with my art,” Smith said.

He also admits that doodling has been very big part of his days. “I tend to remain more concentrated when I can doodle. It keeps my mind active and open of which creativity can develop.” Smith says he still faces the challenge of the blank sheet of paper at work, to come up with the design and style of their next sales promotions, but he loves each challenge and the creativity.

Driving to and from Lafayette five days a week might be challenge enough for any artist who would rather be sitting at his work table sketching. Not so for Smith. He uses the commute time to think and ponder new projects, mentally correct a problem he’s facing. He plans, sketches and draws in his mind. According to Smith, he doesn’t work after hours during the week. That’s his family time. “I like to make myself hungry during the week,” he says. “I want to want it. If I do it every night when I get in from work then it becomes work.”

Smith has two sons who are artistic in their own right. Eighteen year old Ryan just graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School and Cameron, age 14, graduated eighth grade from St. Margaret Catholic School. According to Smith, both boys posses much more talent and creativity than he did at the same age. “Anytime I’m working on a drawing, I make sure to get their approval and suggestions first before signing off on it,” he says. “I admire the work and dedication that they put forth in their own art.”

Smith encourages anyone who has an interest in art to keep on going. “Practice,” he says. “If you love it, don’t give it up, keep on going.”

The Smiths say they’ve met and made some wonderful friends through Doug’s art. “The best part of being an artist is the satisfaction of doing something that will make people happy,” Smith said. “The worst part of being an artist—talking price.”

While he does charge for his work, it remains a hobby. According to Smith, it takes anywhere from eight to ten hours to do one subject. He always works with photographs. The basic price for a picture with one subject is $200.00. If another person is added, the price depends on the amount of detail involved. Smith says he prefers to work with sizes 11x14 and 11x17.

There have been times, Smith had a waiting list and felt the pressure. He prefers not to work fast. He’s a detail person and takes his time. “When it becomes work,” he says, “I won’t do it anymore.”

Driving back and forth to Lafayette, Doug Smith has a lot of time to plan, sketch and draw in his mind. Next project: who knows…perhaps churches in this area? Obviously, his art hasn’t become work yet.

Debbie Serra Works to Keep Louisiana Beautiful

By Jessica Ferguson
The Times of SWLA




In 2000, a governor’s task force—representatives from business, education, tourism and other entities— was created to study the growing problem of litter in Louisiana and its effects on tourism, economic growth and quality of life. Their study resulted in the formation of Keep Louisiana Beautiful, an organization focused solely on public awareness, education and community involvement; targeting litter's costly effects; and ultimately, changing attitudes. “Calcasieu Parish has stepped up to the plate with one of the premier, all-encompassing anti-litter campaigns, not just in the state but in the entire region,” says Debbie Serra, chairman of Keep Louisiana Beautiful.

Laws are written across the state to have litter programs with teeth, to do the education, the awareness campaigns but according to Serra Calcasieu Parish has done an excellent job of getting the whole package together. Serra credits Jason Barnes. Barnes is Special Programs and Cultural Affairs Coordinator for the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury. “He did his homework,” Serra says. “It is a pleasure for me to be chairman while Calcasieu Parish is doing this fabulous thing.” According to the KLB website, Louisiana State Police and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries assisted law enforcement agencies across the state to implement Zero Tolerance weekend policies for their own jurisdictions.

Debbie Serra
Chairperson, Keep Louisiana Beautiful
Fines for littering in the State of Louisiana can range from $50 to $5,000 and from four to 100 hours of community service. Driver’s license suspension and serving jail time are also possible penalties.
The point of this program is to raise awareness that there are consequences when it comes to littering and dumping. Some facts of interest include:

• Litter costs Louisiana taxpayers more than $15 million annually
• Litter can affect the environment hurting everything from fish breeding grounds to contributing to flooding problems

In recent surveys, litter perceptions have been startling. “People are quick to admit that cups, wrappers, bottles and beer cans are trash, but interesting enough, most think cigarette butts are bio-degradable and are not considered trash,” said Serra. “Yes, bio-degradable in many, many years.”

Serra is passionate about keeping Louisiana clean. “Everyone with KLB is passionate,” she said, “Some more than others because they’re on the front lines. They’re doing the forensic work.” One aspect of forensic work, Serra explains is that volunteers actually go to the dumps and dig through the trash to learn who is doing the dumping.

“We’re here to make sure the next generation is aware that littering and dumping is a no-no, and it’s going to stop,” Serra said. “I’m not going to give up on adults changing adult habits but it’s much easier to start with the children.”

KLB acts as a resource. “It’s our feeling that change comes from within. It’s a neighborhood thing, a friend thing,” Serra said. “That’s why we get various communities, parishes involved—street by street. Neighborhood involvement.” Serra says KLB has many education programs. They also offer grants to communities committed to reducing litter in their jurisdictions. “We have a wide-ranging program,” she said, “but it’s predicated on the understanding that it starts in your own community. That’s what we’re all about.”

The community grants from KLB are on a yearly basis. “This year we had over one million dollars in requests for our community grants; we had $250,000 dollars to give out,” Serra said. Louisiana is one of the fastest growing states in the nation when it comes to adding Keep America Beautiful affiliates which in turn makes them Keep Louisiana Beautiful affiliates. “And green is in right now,” Serra said, “but I think folks in the state see such a great need—not just to make us look pretty, but as an economic development factor.”

There are well over 40 affiliates within the State of Louisiana with new ones coming on board all the time. “Vinton just had the training session,” Serra said. “There’s a process to go through.” Part of that process is preparing a litter index for a specific geographic area, counting how much litter is in the area at any given time, picking it up and the returning to that same area and once again noting how much litter is there. According to Serra, “As litter becomes less in that area, people won’t litter in that area.”

Serra tells how the northern part of the state learned the importance of being clean when a Toyota plant didn’t locate there because the area looked dirtier than it should have been. “They felt if people didn’t take pride in their own home and surroundings, they wouldn’t take pride in the work place and the work they did,” Serra said. “So it doesn’t come down to just throwing your cup out the window. It comes down to perception and is perception reality.”

KLB’s primary funding comes through the renewal of driver’s licenses. “One dollar from every renewed driver’s license goes to Keep Louisiana Beautiful,” Serra said.

Serra also says KLB subscribes to the broken window theory. “That is if you have a building in your neighborhood that doesn’t have much activity,” Serra said, “and a window gets broken, and that window isn’t repaired right away then interestingly, all of a sudden more windows are broken and that building is a derelict.”

Serra said it’s the same with trash. “If a little trash appears on a corner, then all of a sudden it mushrooms because it is perceived to be an abandoned area.” That’s something KLB is working hard to control through groups like Team Green and others. According to Serra, these groups are very aware of things like this and they have programs through schools, companies and industries to make people more aware.

Things are slowly changing. There is a community or beautification effort in every part of the state. “It doesn’t have to be all about trash,” Serra said. “It can be a beautification effort.” “We have a diverse group of people involved in KLB and on our board,” Serra said. “If you have a great idea but don’t know how to get it to fruition, contact us.”

Serra says if someone wants to get involved they should call the city of Lake Charles or the Parish and talk with Jason Barnes. Vinton and DeRidder have KLB groups too. “There are many ways to get involved,” said Serra, “even through schools and churches.

Another way to get involved is to keep your eyes open for litterers. If you see someone purposely dispose of trash from their car window, call 493-LITR (5487), and report the violator’s license plate, time and place of the incident, and what type of litter was thrown out. The Litter Hotline was established to help enforce the law, and keep Calcasieu Parish clean.