The City Council met Tuesday meeting and handled a number of routine issues and received an update from the city services group.  The video of the entire meeting can be seen below.

One issue before the council was “stub-outs” and “connectivity” of neighborhoods.  When a subdivision is constructed there are often small “pieces” of a street going off just a few feet in one direction or another, either at a dead end or even somewhere along the side of a street.  These are placed there to allow the neighborhood to be connected to a future neighborhood if one is built.  In a ruling involving such a “stub-out”, the City Council upheld the concept that connectivity is desireable in Central. 

In this case the construction of the connecting street was approved on the condition that the affected homeowners’ properties were repaired to pre-construction condition.  The homeowners were considered here because the “stub-out” was not clearly indicated in the paving.  Under normal circumstances, if you build a home adjacent to a stub-out you should assume that there will one day be a street running alongside your house, so build it as a corner lot construction.

Due to the Christmas holidays, the next Council meeting will be in one week, on Tuesday, 12/16/08.

“Central Football is Sidsational” shirts are for sale at Central Florist on Hooper Rd. All proceeds go to support our coaching staff. Please stop by to pick yours up today!

Central held its annual Christmas parade this morning down its usual route on Hooper Road from Joor to Sullivan. In addition to the parade and carnival, Central added a Craft Fair and a Business Expo at Central Middle School. The grand marshals of the parade were the CHS football team who just ended a great season, making it all the way to the semi-finals of the state championship. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so rather than reading about the parade just sit back and enjoy the slideshow below. If you see a picture you want, e-mail dave@centralspeaks.com with a description of the photo and I will e-mail it to you and you can print it at home or at Walmart.com.   Enjoy.

I will give you plays and stats and highlights in a moment.  First, as a fan of football, community, and all things Central, let me say thanks to the CHS football players and coaches for a memorable season and a wild ride deep into the playoffs.  After the competitive fire wanes a bit and the emotions calm, and this team looks back on the accomplishments of this football season, I am sure that every player, coach, parent and fan will understand that this has been a remarkable and successful season.  This season has been a gift to the community of Central.

Now for the game, and let me be specific, THE SEMIFINALS OF THE LOUISIANA STATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP!  The game, for both teams, was filled with big plays, big penalties, and big turnovers.  In the end, with less than two minutes remaining, Central had the ball and 75 yards of field between them and overtime.  The final drive fell short and Destrehan ran out the clock for a 21-14 victory and a trip to the Superdome.  Sarting QB Will Briscoe, who suffered a concussion and a torn ACL in last week’s win over Acadiana, tried to play through the knee pain, but came up limping after a long pass in the first series and turned over the helm to Jay Cutno for the remainder of the game.

If games were decided by statistics, Central would have won.  Central edged out Destrehan in first downs, pass completions, total yards, turnovers, 3rd down efficiency, and time of possession.  The key to the game was timing.  Two of Central’s three turnovers came with Central inside the Destrehan 10 yard line.  Destrehan’s turnovers, and there were five, certainly killed drives, but never that close to a score.  In the final analysis, Destrehan came up with the big plays and walked away with the “W”, much like Central did against Brother Martin just two weeks ago.  Follow these links for complete GAME STATS  and SEASON STATS.

Again, congratulations on a great season.  Enjoy a few photos shot from the stands:

The 30th Annual Charles T. Kinsley Basketball Tournament will be held at Central High School Wednesday, December 10th – Saturday, December 13th. Games start at 3 pm each day. Teams entered are Barbe, Belaire, Broadmoor, Central, Denham Springs, Natchitoches-Central, Redemptorist, St. Michael, Tara, Walker, Woodlawn and Zachary.   The brackets will be made available here as soon as they are published.

Come out and support Wildcat Basketball.

The First Grade students of Bellingrath Hills Elementary School performed a Thanksgiving Program for the student body and parents on Thursday, November 13, 2008. The students from Mrs. Harrison’s, Matherne’s and Szymanski’s class presented the program for the Flannery Oaks Guest House on Wednesday, November 19. Under the direction of Mrs. Toni Black, the program will present the students with an increased community awareness and help to develop compassion, patience, sharing and understanding towards others. The students will conclude the program with the distribution of Thanksgiving cards designed by the children.

We are thankful for such a talented music teacher. Mrs. Black you are the best!!!!!!

The audio broadcast for every Central football game for the past two years has been carried live at Sportsgumbo.net.  In addition, this year Sportsgumbo.net has also allowed CentralSpeaks.com to stream the audio through the CentralSpeaks.com website.  The administration at Destrehan High School, Central’s opponenet in Friday night’s semi-final game, are refusing to allow ANY broadcast of the game.

I will paste in below the text of Jon Fine’s newsletter detailing his efforts to get permission to carry the game live.  I am baffled as to any possible motive for Destrehan’s decision and I applaud Jon Fine on his efforts.  Jon has taken away all possible reasons for any denial, yet Destrehan still refuses.  Feel free to register your opinion in the CHS Football forum thread at this link:  PLAYOFF FORUM  .

Here is the text of Jon Fine’s newsletter:

SPORTSGUMBO.NET NEWSLETTER  12/4/08 

THIS WEEK’S BROADCASTING SCHEDULE

THURSDAY:  7:00PM-8:00PM:  THE High School Sports Show (from Fox’s Pizza Den): Radio:  The Score, 1210AM, Baton Rouge

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Baring major unforeseen circumstances, this week’s Central-Destrehan semi-final playoff game WILL NOT AIR on SportsGumbo.net.  Destrehan High School has refused permission to allow SportsGumbo.net (and all other live media) to broadcast this game.  As this newsletter is being composed, there is still a miniscule possibility that we will be able to carry the game.  Unfortunately, it is a major long shot.  If Central should defeat Destrehan, the state championship between Central and the winner of West Monroe-Barbe is scheduled to be carried on SportsGumbo.net. 

FINE IDEAS  – By Jon Fine, co-producer, SportsGumbo.net Broadcasting Network

   As expressed above, there is a 99%+ chance that we will not be broadcasting tomorrow night’s Central-Destrehan 5A state semi-final game.  Destrehan has denied any and everyone that wants to broadcast this game, including SportsGumbo.net.  This is reminiscent of last year’s Redemptorist-Parkview 3A state semi-final game.  Jon Fine Sports Productions had picked up Redemptorist playoff game broadcasts on The Score, 1210AM.  But not the Parkview game.  We were denied permission by Parkview Baptist.  The following letter exchange between Destrehan Principal Stephen Weber and yours truly took place earlier this week.  In a couple of places where some brief editing has taken place, I have indicated this with ……………     SportsGumbo.net co-producer Rick Cantu has expressed that he does agree with 100% of what I’ve written.  Central principal Bob Wales has  been very supportive of our efforts to get this game broadcast.                                                                                                                                         

Wednesday, December 2, 2008  (11:18am)

Jon Fine, co-producer

SportsGumbo.net Broadcasting Network

Mr. Stephen Weber, Principal  – Destrehan High School

Dear Mr. Weber,

We are in our second year producing Central HS Football Internet audio broadcasts. Every Central game in 2007 and 2008 has been carried on The SportsGumbo.net Broadcasting Network (http://www.sportsgumbo.net/).  Yesterday, I was told by Coach Robicheaux that there would be no broadcasts allowed at your semi-final playoff game with Central this Friday night.  This decision was confirmed in a conversation about an hour ago with Assistant Principal Mr. Bryant. They both indicated that in a 3 way meeting (Coach Robicheaux, Mr. Bryant and yourself) Saturday morning, this decision was rendered.

I am writing to ask you to please reconsider the unique set of circumstances surrounding our broadcasts and re-visit the possibility of our broadcasting this Friday night’s ball game on SportsGumbo.net.  All I ask of you is your time, consideration and, most importantly, open mind.  Kindly look over the following points, discuss them with Mr. Bryant and, briefly review them with Coach Robicheaux.–Obviously, his time is constrained.

Here is why we feel it would be beneficial for Destrehan HS to have Friday night’s game on SportsGumbo.net:

1.  Our audience is largely comprised of ……..(people) inaccessible to an out-of-town ball game and people outside the area that one could reasonably travel to see a high school football game.  Two examples of this latter category are a 1967 Central grad who lives in Garland, Texas and the Special Teams Coach’s in-laws who listen in Chicago.  So, a vast majority of the people who listen to the game on the Internet do so because there is no other alternative.  The gate would not be adversely affected by having this game on SportsGumbo.net.

2.  You could spread the word to Destrehan folks outside of the Greater New Orleans area that they can tune into the game.  What a service it could provide for hundreds, if not thousands of your alums and/or fans who can not attend the game!

3.  We are inextricably linked to Central High School.  They feel this is a tremendous service to their football program, school and athletic program.  We have been with them for 2 years, consistently.  Please ask them for their input.  Bob Wales is the principal……….If you’d like, 2 possible areas of discussion would be:  how important this broadcast is to Central HS….what effect our broadcasts have had on the attendance at Central and on the road the last 2 years.

4.  In my conversation with Mr. Bryant, he mentioned 2 major concerns that precipitated your decision to have this a media-free game:  A.)  distractions for Coach Robicheaux and B.)  you can’t allow 1 media outlet permission and deny all the others.  (A third, holding the gate down, was discussed.  Yet, Mr. Bryant indicated that there should be a sellout on Friday night. Even if there was massive live media coverage of the game, Mr. Bryant projected that there would most probably be a sellout.  So, I am not addressing this concern.)

A.)  If you’d like, we would set up on the Central side.  If you’d like, we’ll even pay to get in.  We’ll set up in the stands.  You won’t even know that we are there.  Normally, we talk to the opposing coach prior to the game.  We will not do this for this broadcast.  So, there will be zero distractions for Coach Robicheaux or his staff.

B.)  I believe that the fact that we are Central’s official broadcasting team (the voice of the Wildcats if you will) should differentiate us from all other broadcasting outlets.  We’re not just picking them up for the playoffs.  We don’t do a game of the week.  We’ve done every Central High School Football game, again, for the second straight year.  NO OTHER BROADCASTING OUTLET CAN CLAIM THIS.  If a TV station is denied access to this game, they can broadcast another ball game.  A radio station can do likewise.  With us, there is no other alternative.

Perhaps, another angle to take with other broadcasters might be to offer them to come do the game on a conditional basis.– If they can do this without any distractions to Coach Robicheaux, they can broadcast the game.  Tell a radio station where to set up in the press box.  If you don’t have room, let them sit in the stands.  They don’t even have to contact Coach Robicheaux.  Do this with TV stations too.  If they sit in the stands, charge them, so that you don’t take away from the gate.  These are the parameters that we would work with to announce this game.  If you’d like, set these guidelines for all broadcasting outlets aspiring to announce Friday night’s game.

(A digression:  For the record, I believe you should allow all broadcasting entities to announce this game.  I think every effort should be made to reasonably accommodate all legitimate broadcasting entities.  If this is Coach Robicheaux’s domain, it might take him 15 minutes to accomplish this for all parties combined.  Of course, this means no access to the Coach, no interviews, no telephone lines for him to coordinate, etc….each broadcasting team is entirely responsible for their entire production.  You just provide them the space.  If you do want to do these other things to assist the media, it might take an additional 5 hours of his time.  In my opinion, it would be well worth it.  Yes, it takes away 5 hours of preparation.  But, it comes with the territory, and would really benefit Destrehan HS and high school sports.   Will Urban Meyer and Nick Saban spend time with the media prior to this week’s SEC Championship game?  But, I opine.  I DO RESPECT YOUR PREROGATIVE TO DO WHATEVER YOU DECIDE.  I’m just presenting a different school of thought.)

5.  We also produce Internet broadcasts for Live Oak HS, Walker HS and carry Internet broadcasts for Denham Springs HS and Sulphur HS.  One day we’d like to have 40 or 50 Louisiana high school’s games (including Destrehan) on our network.  One day, when financially viable, we’d like to pay these schools weekly right’s fees.

My company produces Denham Springs football and select basketball radio broadcasts (15th year). We also produce a weekly radio show featuring Central, Denham, Live Oak and Walker in it’s third year.  We have done 12 hour broadcasts from LSU’s Bayou Bash on 3 radio stations (including ESPN, 1560AM, NO), largely featuring Louisiana high school coaches and players–Coach Robicheaux and 2 players were on for 45 minutes last year.

Yes, there is a profit motive in this.  But, in most of this, it is very small!  SportsGumbo.net co-Producer Rick Cantu and I believe in high school sports, believe in high school football.  This is the last bastion of true sport in the country.  College and pro sports have become one huge commercial enterprise, a disgrace.  We, as a company, put in an enormous amount of time into this.  If you calculate the hours and what we make, we are well below minimum wage.

The point of all of this:  We need to do this game!  Not for the money.  For the credibility of what we do.  For the prospective sustenance of our operation.  You can’t announce a football team’s games for an entire year and then not have it’s state semi-final game!!!!!!!!!!!!  AGAIN, WE VERY MUCH RESPECT YOUR DECISION AND THE RIGHT TO MAKE THIS DECISION.  From our vantage point, though, we do a heck of a lot of good for high school athletics in Louisiana.  Ironically, we’ve scratched the surface of what we can accomplish long-term.  If we can’t announce this game, it would amount to the second straight year I’ve been denied announcing a team’s state semi-final game in Louisiana. Obviously, that just doesn’t get it.  It might be time to pull out of high school football in Louisiana, or, start thinking like the colleges and the pros–just do the HS games and HS programs that make money.  This would probably reduce my/our high school programming in Louisiana by at least 75%, 100% if we pull out all together.  Plus, there would be limited room for growth.

Thanks for your time, consideration and open mind.  I will give you a phone call as a follow up to this letter tomorrow morning at 9am………………………..

The views expressed above are my own and do not necessarily express the views of Central HS or Rick Cantu.  But, I think they do!!

Sincerely,

Jon Fine, co-producer, SportsGumbo.net Broadcasting Network (http://www.sportsgumbo.net/)

Wednesday, December 2, 2008 (11:59am)

I respect your appeal sir, but our decision has been made.

Regretfully,

Stephen Weber, Principal, Destrehan High school

December 3, 2008  – (10:29am)

Dear Mr. Weber,

I’d like your HONEST reaction to the following scenario:

It’s year 2009.  Destrehan has won 30 straight football games, 2 straight 5A championships.  The whole greater New Orleans area is enrapt with your program.  WWL Radio offers to carry your games, paying your school $1,000 per game.  Destrehan goes undefeated in the regular season, wins its first 3 playoff games and then faces Central at Central in the state semi-finals.  Destrehan has now won 43 straight games, starting to attract some national attention.Cox TV wants to pick up the game.  A radio station in Baton Rouge desires to carry the ball game.  Cox just does a game of the week.  The station also has done a game of the week.  Central says no media allowed.The game, by the way, is clearly going to be a sellout.  Central says:  no distractions, can’t allow WWL and turn down the others.  WWL says, hey wait a second, we’ll broadcast from the stands, paying for the tickets…we reach 40 states at night.  You won’t know we’re there.  No distractions at all for Sid Edwards  or for that matter anyone at Central.  WWL says: we’re the official radio station of Destrehan.  That should give us precedence over any other media.  But, you know what, why don’t you allow other media to come in under the same set of conditions we’re proposing:  broadcast from the stands, they buy tickets, no distractions for Central.  Also, WWL says, sorry Destrehan, but if we can’t do this game after carrying all of your other games this year, subsequently, we’re no longer going to be carrying Destrehan games or any high school games in the future. Our credibility is shot if we’re your official station, carry all of your games and then can’t broadcast the state semi-finals, by far the most important game of the year.  We’ve made a major commitment to Destrehan HS and high school football in general.  As you know, high school sports are starving for publicity.  And now, we can’t do this ball game!?!  No thanks.  We’re through with this…. Central knows all of this. They say:  sorry about this, a decision has already been made…. What would you think about this scenario from a Destrehan perspective? How would you view the decision made by Central principal Bob Wales?  What would you think about the Central administration?  Would you feel that Central was considering the feelings of Destrehan High School?

Would you be of the opinion that Central was being inflexible, rigid, it’s decision flying in the face of common sense, common courtesy  and common decency?  What would you tell hundreds, if not thousands of Destrehan fans throughout the greater New Orleans area and the country, several elderly/infirm who have been listening faithfully to Destrehan football each week on WWL and whose only access to this ball game is through WWL?  Would you wonder how Central could justify such a decision?  How would you approach Central, your partners in this playoff game, with this set of circumstances?

Thanks for your time, consideration and HONESTY.

Sincerely,

Jon Fine

As I am typing this, at 9:50pm, Wednesday, I have not received a response from Mr. Weber.  In between my e-mails, he did e-mail me:  ”I would appreciate if you would not e-mail me again”.

To all Central fans (and for that matter Destrehan fans and high school fans) that intended to listen to this broadcast on SportsGumbo.net, we’re so sorry.  Relatively speaking (this is not cancer, Iraq, the economic meltdown), this is an absolute, unequivocal, unambiguous, irrefutable, undeniable, completely avoidable TRAVESTY.  Rick Cantu and I hope you understand how hard we’ve worked to try to get this game broadcast.  The above letter exchange is indicative of the effort put forth in the last 3 days to have this game carried on SportsGumbo.net.

On a lighter note, maybe we should blame Josh Ward.  He was Redemptorist’s announcer last year and is Central’s announcer this season.  Looks like Josh is the common denominator!!

Perhaps our only hope is LHSAA commissioner Kenny Henderson.  After e-mailing him Tuesday,

Mr. Henderson and I spoke Tuesday evening.  Although sympathetic to our cause, he indicated that Destrehan was well within its rights to disallow media coverage of this ballgame and it was not the commissioner’s role to influence Destrehan or mandate that Destrehan relent.  (I do agree with Mr. Henderson.)    Mr. Henderson, however, did say that he would call Mr. Weber and would e-mail or call me after this conversation.  I look forward to hearing back from Mr. Henderson.  Unfortunately, I don’t expect to hear any good news.

SPORTSGUMBO.NET BROADCASTING NETWORK IS PRODUCED BY RICK CANTU AND JON FINE.  THE HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SHOW AND SPORTSGUMBO RADIO ARE PRODUCED BY JON FINE SPORTS PRODUCTIONS.  FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE VISIT WWW.SPORTSGUMBO.NET.

The School Facilities Steering Committee appointed by the Central Community School Board met Tuesday evening at Central High school. This initial meeting, run by superintendent Faulk, was intended to summarize and present the work done by the previous facilities committee. The published materials which were the result of the last committees efforts were given to each of the new committee members. The materials included the initial Limited Building Assessment of the facilities, the JVV Consulting report on maintenance needs, and detailed demographic studies. Also included was a summary of all proposed facilities solutions considered by the last committee prior to the failed tax election earlier this year.

The committee received an education on bond issues presented by a representative of the bond company that handles bond issues for the majority of school systems in Louisiana. Other discussions of the evening centered around current sales tax revenues and the growth trends of the student population in the Central School System.

The meeting was attended by most committee members and a number of guests including school board members, school system staff, and interested citizens. The meeting was held solely for the purpose of giving the new steering committee all of the information gathered by the previous committee so that the process of moving forward does not include doing work which has already been completed and documented.

Mr. Faulk explained that consulting firms were currently being interviewed and would be hired at the direction of the school board for the purpose of doing studies of existing facilities and anticipated facility needs. The next meeting date will be e-mailed to all committee members in the near future.

Downloadable copies of the information given to the committee will be available on CentralSpeaks.com in the next few days. For those wishing to stay informed each step of the way as this process moves forward, follow this link to sign up for automatic updates: SCHOOL FACILITIES UPDATES.

All of you who are planning to go see the Wildcats play Destrehan this Friday night for a spot in the state championship game need to consider a few things for this road trip.  Central was sent tickets to pre-sell, but word has it that they sent us between 500 and 800 tickets, and that is less than travelled to the Brother Martin game.  That does not necessarily mean you can’t buy tickets at the gate, but you should probably buy here early to be safe.  The Destrehan Athletic Director says that there is no concern of a sellout.

The Destrehan campus will now open at 4pm and not at 5pm as previously announced.  Shefner Elementary School is a block away from the stadium and people can park there and a shuttle will be provided to the stadium.  Also, at the 310 bridge and River Road there is a large park people can tailgate and or park in and a shuttle will be provided from there to the stadium. Just a reminder that no open flames are allowed in the campus parking lot.

The AD at Destrehan just called and the police are saying that all RV’s will have to park at the Bridge Park. A shuttle will be provided to and from the park, bathrooms are there and you can BBQ or cook all you want. They won’t allow RV’s in the stadium parking lot because the lot is small and they are expecting a record crowd.

By Jeanie Barnett as published in the Crystal Place Newsletter

According to a November 18th article in the Advocate, The City of Central has ended the 2007-2008 fiscal year nearly $3 million in the black according to an independent audit of the city’s finances.  While this is true, we have had the opportunity to speak to Mayor Mac Watts and get more accurate and updated information.

Hurricane Gustav has delivered an unforeseen “blow” to that budget, (pun intended) as Central’s portion of the over $1 million cost of the ensuing cleanup is yet to be paid off.  Fortunately, Central’s portion will not be the expected 25% as in the Advocate report, but 5% due to two FEMA funding projects.

Even taking into consideration the storm expenses, there will be a surplus, due in large part to a 3 mil pothole tax.  That tax is to be portioned out with 70% going to new construction, 27% to rehab (road repair) and 3% to beautification.

What can we see as a result of this budget?

*Sullivan and Hooper roads are slated to be widened on an accelerated time line. 

*As soon as possible, a capital improvements program will be started to maintain and improve the roads for which the city is responsible. 

*A new municipal center.  Currently City Hall is in a private home.  Central has landed state funds to design the new center.

After the audit, Jacob Waguespack of the Baton Rouge firm Faulk & Winkler has proclaimed Central financially healthy.

Mayor Watts reminds us that a one time $800,000 start up fee to CH2M Hill is paid off.  We should end this year with $300,000 to $400,000 surplus in the general fund.  The projection is that Central will end the next fiscal year with a one and a half to two million dollar surplus.