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.

A Journey of Faith, Strength, and Humor

By Chaney Ferguson
Editor, The Times of SWLA




In June of 2006, Melissa Viator received the news she had been waiting for. It wasn’t unexpected, but it was dreaded. Viator had been going to doctors for months with the only diagnosis being that she had calcifications in her breasts.

“I kept going to the doctor and they kept telling me it wasn’t cancer.” But Viator knew something was wrong.

After insisting on a surgical biopsy since her tumors were too small for a needle biopsy, cancer was confirmed.

“When I got that call about my diagnosis I had a ton of boys at my house. I called my husband and said we can’t go home because we have all these kids at our house, where are we going to go? We need to talk about this.”

She remembers every detail of that day.

“I can tell you the music that was playing as we sat in the swing at our camp and cried, prayed and gave it to God in that moment,” said Viator.

The next ten months proved to be a journey that Viator never would have anticipated.

“When I finally got my diagnosis that is when I went to MD Anderson, and it was calcifications that had turned cancerous. They never grew. My type of cancer doesn’t grow into large tumors, and many women keep watching the tumor and if it isn’t growing from mammogram to mammogram then they feel like it isn’t cancer.”

In Viator’s case they weren’t growing large, but they were spreading. By the time she was diagnosed she was stage two and her lymph nodes were positive which changed the whole diagnosis.

“When I got to MD, they found the cancer in one breast and they wanted a biopsy in the other breast, but I told them forget the biopsy I wanted them both gone. So I did a double mastectomy, and actually that was the precancerous cells that had already gone into my other breast so I was thankful I did the double mastectomy.”

Viator also did reconstruction with the surgery at the same time which a lot of people don’t realize is possible.

She completed all of her treatment on March 29, her wedding anniversary.
“I told my husband I got new boobs for our anniversary.”

Throughout those ten months, life never stopped. Viator owns her own business, Threadworks, and she continues to be thankful for her workers dedication during her time of need. She admits only checking in a few times during her treatment and recovery.

“I would open up my Bible and with God leading me I found a verse talking about handing leadership over. At the time I had a girl who was 22 working for me, and she worked full-time. She stepped up to the plate, and everyone that worked for me was great.”

Viator says people sent her Bible verses all the time to help encourage her and give her strength.
“My daughter would send me a Bible verse every day and it would always pertain to that day. I would write them down and keep them on an index card in my back pocket and I would pull them out and read them all the time or be at a stop light and pull them out and read them. Without that I don’t know how I would have gotten through it.”

In the beginning of her diagnosis, Viator went to the Look Good Feel Good program put on by the American Cancer Society.

“They teach you about when you are going to lose your hair, how to tie the scarves and camouflage having no hair.”

Viator had ordered a few wigs to try when her hair started falling out. Once she tried on the wigs her son swayed her in a different direction.

“My son was so funny he told me I looked like Tina Turner and would say won’t you please just go bald. He was a freshman in high school and I was afraid I was going to embarrass him. I didn’t want him to be the one with the bald mom because he is the big football player.”

The program helped her tie the scarves around her head and apply makeup in the right way to create eyebrows and eyelashes.

“Along with that program, I met a lot of people that were going through it at the same time which was really important. It was somebody else to compare stories with. It is kind of scary to go at first because you feel awkward but it was a neat program and I met a lot of great people. You can bring somebody to the program with you so you are not walking in by yourself.”

Viator also received encouragement through two books she was reading. Praying Through Cancer by Susan Sorenesen and Uplift by Barbara Delinsky.

“The way the Sorenesen book is compiled, I think it goes along with you on your journey because so many times it ends up being what you need to hear that day.”

When Viator started to lose her hair the book said to shave it and take control of the situation.
“When it came time to shave my head I was wailing in the shower because it was coming out in clumps and my husband was outside the shower saying “you said you were going to shave it like the book said” I was like, “I know.” He kept telling me to quit pulling it out. I was in there just crying and pulling it out and he kept saying stop it, you promised. It was hard on him,” said Viator.

She said the book gave her so much insight, and that each of the stories let her know what each step held for her own journey.

“The night I shaved my head, it was scary. We took pictures. My sister came over and her husband shaved my head. Most of the time—once a woman actually shaves her head and they start going through that process—it is really the easiest thing even though going into it feels like the most difficult. I keep my bald pictures out around my house because I never want to forget what that was like.”

Viator says that shaving her head and even going through the chemo was not the most difficult aspects of the cancer.

“I was having a grandbaby and I couldn’t pick her up when she was born. I had just had my surgery and that was probably one of the hardest things. To watch my daughter have that baby and know I couldn’t help her and I couldn’t pick up the baby. It was things like that that was much harder for me than the chemo and losing the hair.”

Now after experiencing her journey through breast cancer, Viator spends much of her time talking with other women starting their own journey. She received so much encouragement from the books that she buys them in bulk to hand out to friends.

Viator says she wanted her store to be a place where women can find support.
“There are times when women get diagnosed and their friends will come and just write down their name and number and leave it at the store for me to contact them,” said Viator.

She calls the women to offer encouragement and even acts as a sort of guide for what they will be experiencing in the coming months. Viator knows that many women might not know what to ask or say, but she wants them to know she is always available to talk.

Viator says she learned so much through surviving breast cancer. It was a time to grow in her faith, spend time with her mother and it provided her with a story that will help others.

“It’s not a journey I would ever want to go through again, but it is not a journey I would ever want to give up.”

A Conversation With Switchfoot’s Drummer Chad Butler

By Nancy Correro
Editor, The Times of SWLA

Switchfoot

San Diego based band Switchfoot will be coming to L’Auberge Du Lac Casino to perform on August 13 at Party By The Pool, 7 pm.

Chad Butler, the drummer and one of the founding members of Switchfoot, called me from Seattle to talk about their tour, the band’s new album Hello Hurricane, and charities they are involved in.

“We are so excited to be playing the new songs. We’re trying them out. These shows are a chance for us to get out of the studio. This tour is actually before the record, the record comes out in the fall,” said Butler.

Switchfoot is Jon Foreman, lead vocals and guitar, Tim Foreman, bass, Jerome Fontamillas, Keyboards, guitar and vocals, Drew Shirley, guitar, and Chad Butler, Drums. If you aren’t familiar with their sound, think alternative, jam-band pop, with some funky, grungy mixed in.
The band has a strong presence online and they’re using the podcasts on YouTube to get some of their new music out to fans. If you search Switchfoot’s website you’ll discover the podcast link to YouTube, http://www.youtube.com/user/switchfootpodcast.

“You know this has been the biggest break between albums we’ve ever had so from the bands perspective we’re just itching to get this new stuff out there. We’ve been doing little sneak peaks on our website and YouTube page,” said Chad.

When asked whether or not he had a favorite song from the new record Butler was quick to respond.

“Yeah, there’s a song called “Mess Of Me” that is actually going to be the first single and it’s a song that really took a long time to record. We recorded maybe ten different versions of the song and different arrangements. It felt like a labor of love because it’s something we all believed in and it was a song that meant a lot to us on a heart level so it was worth all the blood, sweat, and tears we put into it. And we’ve been playing it live every night on the tour this summer and it’s gone over really well.”

The band has taken a couple of years to be creative and work on Hello Hurricane. The guys built their own studio in their home town of San Diego. To say they were productive is an understatement. According to Butler, the band recorded eighty songs. Yes, you read that correctly. I had to ask twice to be sure I understood him. Butler laughed as he explained their unbelievable productivity.

“You know as an independent band we had all the time in the world and all the freedom and then all of a sudden the horror becomes how do you define yourself? You’ve got all these different songs and different styles and different musical experimentations. It becomes a big mess, and that was the hard part you know?”

Switchfoot realized it was a challenge to then go through all of those songs, and yet it was an excellent opportunity to have plenty of time and plenty of material to create their record.

“About halfway through recording the record, we looked at each other and said what have we done? It was really fun and the dream was realized and hit this creative stride but then how do you make a statement and how do you define who you are and that’s when it came down to what are the songs saying and which ones mean the most to us?”

Jon Foreman, his bassist brother Tim, and drummer Chad Butler were surfing fanatics when they formed the group in 1996.

“Yeah, well I guess growing up in San Diego surfing is sort of second nature,” said Butler.
“Switchfoot” is a surfing term. It’s basically the switching of the feet on the surf board.

Since the band is so enthusiastic about surfing and giving their talent and time to causes, they have combined the two in the Bro-Am Surf Contest and Concert. The fifth-annual Switchfoot Bro-Am surf contest and concert, which was held at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas on Saturday, June 27, 2009, was created to give back to the San Diego community while also benefiting a local children’s charity.

This year’s event benefited San Diego’s StandUp For Kids.

“The whole Bro Am event benefits homeless kids in our hometown, San Diego, and it’s an incredible organization called “StandUp for kids” and it’s now actually nationwide but it was started in San Diego so it’s something that’s close to our hearts and our home.

The surf contest and benefit concert on the beach is all to raise awareness for that organization and we’ve been doing it for five years and it’s our favorite day of the year,” said Chad.

The band also finds time for several other organizations and charities like: Habitat For Humanity, To Write Love On Her Arms, and helping out their idols U2 with AIDS-in-Africa.

“We try to make a difference in local communities—something bigger than just rock n roll. We are really inspired by the people that come to our shows because they have really educated us on what they’re doing.

And people who are getting involved in their own backyards and building a house for Habitat for Humanity and To Write Love On Her Arms—helping kids that are dealing with depression, and suicide and things of that nature—I think those are real causes that don’t get enough support so we are definitely trying to spread the word.”

Since forming in 1996, Switchfoot has been rewarded and recognized for their Christian faith through their music. The band has headlined religious-music festivals, and scored a 2001 Grammy nomination for Best Rock Gospel Album of the Year, plus several Gospel Music Awards (GMA Dove awards) and ASCAP Awards.

Chad Butler is quick to say that they have never labeled themselves as a Christian band. He was very adamant to tell me that while they are Christians, they are so by choice and that their music is a separate entity.

“We’ve always just called ourselves “rock band” and we are Christian by faith and not by genre. I am a believer and as a believer your faith is going to be reflected in your art, and it is exciting when you look out at our audience and see all different kinds of people with all different ethnicities, and religious backgrounds and I think we make music for thinking people and I appreciate the support of anyone who has an open mind and connects with the music.”

Switchfoot has certainly moved beyond the label and boxing in that one might experience if you called yourself strictly a Christian band. It’s not too often that Christian groups are able to have solid crossover success with their material. Except for bands like Jars of Clay, P.O.D., and Creed, the labeling can sometimes box an artist into a particular category.

Not so with Switchfoot. They have had the good fortune to be on some successful Soundtracks. The Spiderman 2 CD, Import version only, contains their song “Meant To Live”. Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian boasts their song “This is Home”. ‘Four of their songs are on A Walk to Remember, the '02 Mandy Moore film.

“Well, it’s definitely an honor when someone from films or the visual art forms find a meaning or a placement for your music. To see your song in someone else’s art it’s an honor you know to have a director call and say hey I really like this song and I think it would fit well with what I’m trying to do in a movie—you know that’s a huge honor,” said Butler.

Recently, the band covered Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love” and if you haven’t seen it, you should go online and check it out. It seems there is no putting this band into any kind of box when you watch the Beyonce cover. Chad laughed at the mention of the Beyonce cover. The band had fun covering the song.

“You know it’s funny, we pick our own songs very seriously, but we don’t take ourselves very seriously and I think if you watch enough of our podcast clips on YouTube you’ll figure that out very quickly. We’ve been covering that song this summer too.”

On the cusp of the release of their new album, Butler is introspective about their music and the up coming record Hello Hurricane.

“We are the same guys with the same goal of making the music we believe in. We’ve been doing this for over ten years now and that’s really what keeps us going. Really, what defines this new album is picking songs that we felt like had a hope. Because you turn on the TV this day and age and hope is hard to come by.”

On August 13 at L’Auberge’s Party By The Pool, Switchfoot will be playing the old favorites and their new, hopeful songs from the up-and-coming record Hello Hurricane, to be released in October.

“For me growing up, I looked to art and music when times were tough and I think there is a theme on this record of facing the storm head-on,” said Chad Butler.

Everyone around Lake Charles and the surrounding area certainly knows what it’s like to look into the eye of a hurricane. Switchfoot’s Hello Hurricane will be a welcoming storm.

For more information on Switchfoot you should check out these online locations:
http://switchfoot.com/
http://twitter.com/switchfoot
http://www.myspace.com/switchfoot
http://www.facebook.com/switchfoot

The Lake Area’s Dance and Performance Collective, Breathe, Bring It Full ‘Circle’

By Jessica Ferguson
Asst. Editor, The Times of SWLA






Breathe, the Lake Area’s Dance and Performance Collective, was created two years ago when a young woman—Jillian Ardoin—gathered her passion for dance and choreography, contacted some friends with the same interests, and ‘followed her dream.’ Ardoin has been dancing since she was three years old. It’s safe to say it’s in her blood, her heart, and her soul.

Ardoin graduated from St. Louis Catholic High School then attended the University of Texas in Austin where she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts.

She absorbed her dancing and choreography classes, then took off to California where she participated in the Courage Group, a contemporary dance company committed to creating original dance works fusing classical art and architecture with metaphoric and resonant movement ideas. Ardoin also studied and danced with ODC which is considered one of the most active centers for dance on the West Coast.

Ardoin’s impressive resume shows a vast amount of experience.

She has studied in Texas, New York, Florida, North Carolina and California. In addition to being a certified dance instructor and a member of Dance Masters of America, Jillian Ardoin is a Licensed Massage Therapist at the state and national level.

These are the credentials that her peers said yes to when Ardoin placed that original phone call and asked, “Do you want to dance?” Otherwise, why would eight or nine people who hold full-time jobs and lead busy, active lives, invest themselves in yet another very demanding project?

The answers are: Passion for dance, passion for expressing themselves, passion to be creative, and respect and faith in Jillian Ardoin and her abilities.

Meet the Dancers
Lindsey Ardoin, Jillian’s sister has been a massage therapist for six years and has taught massage for two. She holds a Bachelors Degree from McNeese and is currently working on her nursing degree. As if that isn’t enough, she practices no less than twice a week for three performances in the up and coming Circular Connections.

Frances Fazzio began dancing at the age of three at Glenda Moss Academy of Dance. She holds a BFA from LSU with a concentration in painting and drawing. Frances has been an art teacher for four years.

Another native of Lake Charles is Elizabeth Gates who graduated from North Carolina School of the Arts. Elizabeth currently resides in Lafayette and comes to Lake Charles twice a week for practices with Breathe.
Tracy LeMieux serves on the board of directors of ACTS theatre and has performed two plays in 2009. For the past ten summers, Tracy has conducted her own Einstein art camp.

Colleen Locklin is a member of Lake Charles Civic Ballet and teaches for Lady Leah LaFargue School of the Dance. Locklin has performed with ACTS theatre, Houston TUTS Theatre and Fort Bend Theatre.

Lacy Vinson is also a product of the Glenda Moss Academy of Dance and has been dancing since she was three. She is a new home sales consultant in the field of real estate.

Lindsay Quebedeaux is a French teacher at SJ Welsh, a board member at ACTS Theatre and sings on her church praise team.

Sara Syron has been dancing for 23 years and works for Starbucks.

Chris Shearman, a personal trainer, is also a musician, songwriter, and singer. He currently
works at Smoothie King.

Let the Show Begin
Under the leadership and instruction of Ardoin, her small group of people who were all very interested in moving and dancing, collected together and started moving and breathing together. Their first performance was P.L.A.C.E.—performing local artists collaborating exhibition, and then there was THRILLER at the Poor Pony Music Festivals.

These performances put Breathe in the spotlight and gave them the confidence to expand further in an attempt to perform throughout the community.

They have since performed in events such as Poor Pony Thank You Party, V-Day and Pardi Gras as well as their annual fundraiser at Luna’s Bar and Grill.

Choreography, their first show, was such a success that they decided to continue entertaining and communicating the performing arts to the community.

This year, thanks to a DAF grant from the Arts and Humanities Council, and support from the Lake Charles Community Ballet, Breathe is able to perform bigger and better at Rosa Hart Theatre.

Breathe’s Circular Connections is the second annual showcase, and consists of modern dance with the help of some props, collaboration and a little aerial dancing.

Ardoin says the pieces in Circular Connections are definitely more near and dear to her heart. “They all have something to do with me and my past experiences in all types of relationships I have had since I’ve moved back home—there are moments of happiness and a lighthearted atmosphere throughout the show, ” said Ardoin.

Ardoin said while choreographing Circular Connections she focused on clarity in an attempt to relate her relationship experiences and the things that are most important to her. “Things such as Strength, Trust, Relaxation, Honesty, Engagement, Being Connected,” said Ardoin.

“We all go through these times in our lives and experience them very differently,” said Ardoin. “I hope our audience can feel and see how he/she is connected to everyone around them, even if it’s by the simplest thing as our Breathe, which is a continuous Circular Movement.”

Jillian Ardoin has done exactly what Mayor Roach and many parents and grandparents have hoped and dreamed for their children: she’s brought her talent, her dreams and expertise home—back to Lake Charles, Louisiana. She’s giving back to her community by being an integral part of the community.

The six dances Breathe will perform are called, Relax, Support, Strength, Connections, Honesty and Trust, and while each performance shares a huge chunk of Ardoin’s heart and soul, it’s the third dance called Strength that exhibits much of Jillian Ardoin’s character.

“This dance portrays how powerful we can be together and individually,” says Ardoin, “and how understanding the importance of our own strength can get us far in reaching our personal goals.”

BREATHE, the Lake Area's Dance and Performance Collective presents "Circular Connections," at 8 p.m. on Aug. 21-22, at Civic Center's Rosa Hart Theater. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Expressions and Gordon's Drug Store or at the door.

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.