Cookin’ in Central had its final planning meeting on Tuesday, April 6^th at Elegant Memories on Frenchtown Road. About 40 people were in attendance, including the Mayor, Central school principals, council members, and other Central volunteers. After expenses that have been counted up to this point, Cookin’ has already raised a net $36,705.75 so far for Central schools, Blue Star Mothers, and the Property Fund for a location for future Cookin’ events.

Volunteers have been working hard for the past several weeks to put together the events and food for this huge fundraiser. The car show has at least 8 entries so far (if you would like to enter your car in the show, print an entry form online at www.centralgov.com). Live and silent auctions both still need donated items to auction. The live auction already features 16 items including a grill, a fishing trip, a Saints collectors’ item, and a painting. A total of 20 items are needed, so they are still a bit short of the goal. They are especially interested in Saints or LSU sports tickets at this point. The silent auction is featuring gift baskets and packages from the schools, local companies, and individual donors. If you would like to donate something to the silent or live auction, you can download a donation form on the Central government website.

Between 50 and 60 cooks have stepped up so far, and Cookin’ is still searching for a few more, preferably to cook jambalaya. There is a cooks form on centralgov.com. A final cooks meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 13^th at 7 PM in the Central Middle School cafeteria.

There are several other opportunities for volunteers at this event including helping to serve food, directing traffic, working in booths, and cleaning up. You can find more details in the Community section of CentralSpeaks.com. Remember to purchase your tickets and come out to help and have fun on Friday, April 16^th at 5 PM and on Saturday, April 17^th beginning at 10 AM.

Lovett Rd will be closed between Sullivan Rd. and Lovett Rd Park on Tuesday, April 6 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for asphalt overlay work at the roundabout and approaches. When completed, each lane of the roundabout will be 18 feet wide. Each lane of Lovett Rd is currently 10 feet wide. Anyone needing to go to Lovett Rd park should approach the park from the Joor Rd side of Lovett.
For details on how to drive a roundabout, visit the city's WEBSITE.

The East Baton Rouge Sheriff's Office will hold a Neighborhood Watch Informational meeting to help neighborhood associations set up their programs on Tuesday April 6th, 7:00 p.m. at the Knights of Columbus Hall on Oak Cluster Dr. at Greenwell Springs Rd. The public is invited. Please attend so that you can learn ways to protect your home and your neighbors.
 
Thanks to Wayne Messina for helping organize this meeting.

Jackie Brewer was a lady who will be remembered and missed for a long time in the Central community, as she spent much of her time volunteering around Central and offering her help to others. Please remember her family and friends during this difficult time.

Jacqueline Altemus Brewer died Saturday, April 3, 2010, at her home in Greenwell Springs. She was 66, born July 11, 1943. Her passions were family, gardening and community service. She spent the past 40 years serving the Central community as a hairdresser/beautician, building not only a strong clientele, but a lifetime of wonderful friends. She was an avid gardener and a member of various clubs, including the Fern Society & Central Bloomers. She was an active member of the community, working with organizations such as the Central Chamber of Commerce, Central City Alliance, Central Cooking for Kids, St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, Habitat for Humanity and many more. In 2009, the city of Central awarded her the Servant Leadership Award in recognition of her outstanding services. She will be sadly missed. She is survived by two sisters, Cynthia Day and Lidia Aucoin; two daughters, Robin Hammond and Lori Brewer, of Denham Springs; two sons, Paul Brewer and wife Heidi Brewer, of Livingston, and Michael Brewer and wife Natalie Brewer, of Ellicott City, Md.; grandchildren, Brandy Brewer, Terah Price, Hope Prestridge, Maney Hammond, Tyler Hammond, Eliana Brewer, Joey Brewer, Lexi Brewer and Gracie Brewer; and three great-grandchildren, Aiden Spillman, Alexa Price and Mallory Prestridge. Preceded in death by her parents, Murphy and Lucy Altemus; husband, William R. Brewer; brother, Donald Altemus; and grandson, Travis Brewer. Pallbearers will be Ricky Brewer, Jim Hodges, Ray Aucoin, Justin Prestridge, Maney Hammond and Tyler Hammond. Honorary pallbearer is Joey Brewer. Visitation at Greenoaks Funeral Home, 9595 Florida Blvd., on Tuesday, April 6, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Visitation at St Alphonsus Catholic Church, Greenwell Springs, on Wednesday from 10 a.m. until religious service at 11:30 a.m., conducted by the Rev. Tom Duhe. Interment at Greenoaks Memorial Park.

The Cookin' in Central planning meeting is today, Tuesday, at noon. Everyone is invited to attend the meeting at Elegant Memories on Frenchtown Road. You can find information on volunteers, donations, and activities in the Community section on CentralSpeaks.com. Come out to the meeting to see how you can help and, most importantly, join everyone on April 16th and 17th for Cookin' in Central at Magnolia Square.

Crystal Place is a neighborhood off of Denham Road, and they publish a monthly newsletter “as a means to help ensure the livability of our subdivision.”  Each month’s newsletter will be made available as a service to the residents of Crystal Place.  Initiatives like the Crystal Place Newsletter are one reason that Central is such a great place to live.  We commend the subdivision for their community spirit and we hope that having the newsletter available on-line will further their efforts.

APRIL 2010

Cookin' in Central is next weekend, the 16th and 17th. Volunteers are still needed to help make it happen. They are still in need of cooks for the cookoff, so if you would like to cook jambalaya, brisket, etc., fill out and send in the Cookoff ENTRY FORM. More ways that you can help include assisting with the live and silent auctions, serving food, cleaning up during or after the event, and directing parking. Entertainment groups and children's entertainment are also still needed. If you can volunteer in any capacity, contact the Chamber of Commerce at 261-5818 and they can direct you to the right person to speak with.

Come out next weekend and help raise money for Central schools, the Blue Star Mothers, and the Property Fund for future Cookin' events. It will be a fun time to enjoy food, entertainment, and the company of our neighbors for a good cause.

On Thursday, April 1st, there was an accident on Hooper Road next to Joor. A motorcyclist, Arnold Brady of Denham Springs, crashed into a truck as it turned into Winn Dixie. Brady was apparently trying to pass another vehicle when he ran into the truck. The motorcyclist did not survive the accident.

One thing that came out of last month's election is a desire from many Central citizens to get more involved in their city. Getting more involved is an effective way to make sure that your voice is heard and represented, and it allows you to remain aware of what progress is being made in Central and how you can help. Here are some simple ways to stay up to date and involved in Central:

1) Go to City Council meetings. Meetings are the second and fourth Tuesday of every month. They begin at 6 PM at Kistenwood Reception Hall on Greenwell Springs Road. Agendas for each meeting are available ahead of time, and minutes from the previous meeting are available from the city a couple of weeks later. Public input is welcome on every issue discussed at City Council meetings. Agendas and minutes are available HERE. The next City Council meeting is Tuesday, April 13th.

2) Attend Planning & Zoning Meetings. The Planning & Zoning Commission meets on the fourth Thursday of each month immediately following the Board of Adjustments meeting, which is also open to the public. Board of Adjustments begins at 5:30 PM at Kristenwood, and Planning and Zoning begins at 6:00 at the same location. Planning & Zoning is where items like building permits and rezoning cases are heard, so attending will keep you aware of what buildings and businesses are in the works for Central. Agendas and minutes for Planning & Zoning can be found HERE.

3) Attend a School Board meeting. Although the Central Community School System is a different entity than the City of Central, Central schools are still very much a part of our city and have a major impact on many aspects of Central. The School Board welcomes public input on every issue on the agenda at every meeting. The School Board meets on the second and fourth Monday of every month. Many of the meetings are held at Kristenwood, though sometimes the meetings are moved around to different Central schools. Having these meetings at the schools also gives students and teachers an opportunity to showcase what they have been working on at school. Meetings usually begin at 6 PM, and the location is announced ahead of time on the AGENDA for that meeting.

4) Join the Chamber of Commerce. Businesses in Central are invited to join and become involved in different events around Central. The purpse of the Chamber is to promote Central business. You can learn about the Chamber and how to join by visiting the Chamber's WEBSITE. Chamber member meetings are held every month. The Chamber of Commerce also sends out weekly email updates that you can request be sent to you.

5) Join the CCA. The Central Community Alliance was created as a way to keep Central citizens informed about government, schools, businesses, and churches and to help facilitate communication between the public and these oranizations. The CCA holds forums regularly featuring speakers like elected officials, city leaders, and members of homeowners associations. Regular meetings happen on the third Tuesday of each month at 7 PM in the DEMCO meeting room. Visit the CCA WEBSITE to learn more.

6) Keep up with the news. Central news is posted regularly on CentralSpeaks.com. Visitors to the site can sign up for daily email updates by clicking the link on the right side of the front page. You can also see city news and updates on the Central Government website, www.centralgov.com. Also, the City of Central has a Facebook group where city residents can discuss issues, concerns, and news.

7) Volunteer. Many organizations in Central offer ample opportunities to volunteer your time, resources, or money for the betterment of our city. Blood drives happen regularly at churches. Our city is constantly putting on benefits for various Central families going through rough times, and each time our community comes out in force to support the cause. There is a Central food bank where you can donate non-perishable food items. Winn Dixie has a barrel where you can drop your donations. St. Vincent de Paul has a thrift shop at Sullivan and Greenwell Springs Road that you can support through donations or by shopping there. Pick up trash: churches and other organizations participate in Adopt a Road and Adopt a Spot, where it is their job to keep a piece of road in Central clean. The Central Kiwanis club does community service projects. Help out in the schools- our schools are often in need of people to help fix up and clean up. Help with things like Cookin' in Central, Relay for Life and the Central Christmas parade. These sorts of productions always require massive amounts of volunteer effort. The possibilities are endless. Get creative. Central Speaks will try to help as much as possible by posting about these opportunities when they become available.