Submitted by Tim Falke

I would like to Thank the Central, Iron Warriors Motor Cycle Club and the Central Lions Club for their help with the installation of a wheelchair ramp for a Central neighbor. When I asked for their help, they were very willing and excited to be able to lend a helping hand. The IWMC delivered the ramp that was donated by an Iron Warrior, and the Lions’ Club supplied a wheelchair and the funds to purchase the materials needed to set it up.

Also, a special Thanks to Blackie Bell and Mitch Smith, who secured and leveled the ramp. This is a fine example of why I choose to live in the Central Community. Thanks folks for your help at a time a family needed help.

By Beth Fussell

The Central Community Assistance Foundation began as an idea from Central Community Schools employee Dr. Janet Stevens.  Through her work with Central area schools and with various federal programs, Dr. Stevens began to notice that there are children in Central schools whose needs are not being met in areas like clothing, school supplies, and food.  During the 2007-2008 school year, seven children were found to be in need of assistance in these areas, though there may have been more children whose needs went unidentified.  That number has now grown to over 100 children.  The more she looked into the situation, the more Dr. Stevens realized that these needs often extend beyond these children to entire families here in Central.  This realization was the beginning of a process that would lead to the creation of the Central Community Assistance Foundation.

 Dr. Stevens has lived in Central for 9 years now, and she has continued to be impressed by the generosity of our community.  Every time there is a need, Central residents come forward to give what they can for the cause.  With this knowledge, Dr. Stevens felt that a difference could be made if she found the right people to help.  She first approached the Central Area Pastors Association (CAPA) for ideas about what resources were available to improve the situations of these children and their families.  The first meeting on the subject was held with the help of CAPA, and a small group of about 15 people were in attendance.

Since then, the small group has grown and has become the Central Community Assistance Foundation.  Two more meetings were held after the original, and interest has grown to nearly 100 people.  Brockwell Bone of Bone Marketing has volunteered to donate and run a website for the Foundation so that the community can be regularly updated on the group’s progress and needs.  Bylaws have been written with the help of Phil Miley and Frank Ard.  These same two people have also volunteered their time to help the Foundation file for incorporation and apply for non-profit status.  These applications are currently in the process of getting approval.  A Board of Directors has been formed.  According to the bylaws, the Board will always have 2 members from CAPA, 2 from the Central Community School System, 3 members from the Central business community, 2 members from the community, and 1 member from City Hall nominated by the Mayor.  The Board should represent a cross section of the Central community so that no viewpoint goes unnoticed and all available resources can be accessed.  In order to keep politics from becoming the focus of the Foundation, the Mayor’s appointee will not be a voting member of the Board.  Also, no elected political official will be allowed to serve on the Board of Directors.  The current Board of Directors include John Green (Chairperson), Janet Stevens (Founder and Vice Chairperson), Frank Ard (Treasurer), Ron Erickson (Secretary), Terry Hebert, Bob Lansing, Dick Metz, Jeff Stanfill, Rhonda Taylor, and David Barrow (non-voting member).

The next public meeting for the Central Community Assistance Foundation will be held some time in the fall.  At that meeting, committees will be discussed that address the different areas in which children and their families may need assistance.  This may include clothing, food, health needs, emergency housing and coordination, mentoring, policies and procedures, storage, and communication.  The Foundation will attempt in the future to meet all of these needs to the best of its ability.  This sort of help will only be offered to students and families living in the Central School District, but children do not have to attend public school to benefit from these resources.  St. Alphonsus and Central Private School students are also eligible to receive assistance.  If you feel that you are in need of this sort of assistance or if you know someone who is, please contact Dr. Janet Stevens or Chairperson John Green at 315-3681 or 337-4282, respectively.

The biggest need in our school community right now is school uniforms.  School starts next month, and there are many children who do not have enough, if any, uniforms to wear.  If you have new or gently used uniforms that you would like to donate, please drop them off at the Central Community School Board office on Hooper Road or at any Central church, and let them know that the uniforms are for the Central Community Assistance Foundation.  Uniforms needed include those for all Central Community public schools, St. Alphonsus Catholic School, and Central Private School.  The staff at Central Cleaners has volunteered to clean the donated uniforms at no charge, and Dale Sands of Cross Threads offered to store the uniforms until they can be given to the children who need them.  The generosity of these people is greatly appreciated.  School supplies are always needed for these children and may be donated at the same locations as the uniforms.

The Foundation is currently unable to accept monetary donations, as the incorporation and non-profit applications are still pending.  Items aside from school uniforms and supplies cannot be collected at this time, as there is currently no place to store the donations.  This will change in the future when the Foundation has had more meetings and has become better established.  In the mean time, if you know of a place where donations can be stored and easily accessed by Foundation members, please contact Dr. Janet Stevens at 315-3681.

Chairperson John Green said that he truly hopes that this Foundation can become a way to directly impact the lives of these children and families.  He wants each person to feel personally cared for and helped, and he and Dr. Stevens are confident that Central citizens will step forward to make this happen.  Please consider getting involved in the Central Community Assistance Foundation by attending the meeting in the fall (date and time to be announced), or by donating uniforms and supplies for the kids.  Thank you to the Central community for the outpouring of support that you all show for each other when a need in our city or our schools is brought to light.   

Submitted by Karen Harrison

My father, Merlin C. Smith, is a WWII veteran.  He is 84 years old, a graduate of Central High School, and a lifetime resident of Central.  He continues to attend his yearly Naval reunions.  He has many war stories as well as Central stories that he shares with us. 

Thank you to Mr. Smith and to all of our veterans who have risked so much to serve our country.  If you are a veteran or if you know of one whom you would like to recognize, send details to beth@centralspeaks.com for publishing.

By Dave Freneaux

The new Board of Directors of Cooking in Central (left to right): Lucky Ross, Joan Lansing, Rodney Bonvillian, Suzanne Cowart, Tiger Kusch, Loretta Watts, Denise Giles, Russell Starns, Louis DeJohn, Wayne Leader, Ron Erickson, Tim Lazaroe, & Bill McLin.  Not pictured – Mike Breaux.
 

 
Cooking in Central, Inc. is the organization behind the annual "Cookin" charitable fund-raising events here in Central.  On Monday July 19th Cooking held its first meeting under newly adopted bylaws.  The new structure calls for a Board of Directors composed of 15 people rotating off the board at staggered intervals.  There were about a hundred people in attendance, most of whom signed on and paid a membership fee of $25 to be voting Active Members of Cooking.  Others became Associate members at no charge.  The new Board was elected and is pictured above. 
 
Various committes reported on progress made over the past few months which included the signing of a 20 year cooperative lease to host Cooking events at a 19 acre site on Blackwater Road owned by the Central Worship Center.  From Hooper Road the property is located just past Blackwater United Methodist Church on the left.  In payment for the 20 year lease Cooking will fund improvements to the property to include electricity, water, roads, parking, a lake, and gathering areas suitable for events such as the annual Cookin' fund-raiser.  The result will be a "fairgrounds" of sorts which may potentially host other events and is available to the Central Worship Center for their functions as well.

CentralSpeaks.com has been printing a newspaper version on Wednesdays for the past few months.  Beginning this week, however, the print day is being moved to Thursdays.  We have assessed the weekly news cycle in Central and have decided that, because of the timing of news submission from the community and because of City Council, Thursdays are a better fit for a publishing day.  City Council meetings are a major factor in this decision.  Council meetings happen every other Tuesday, and these meetings are an important source of news and information to the people of Central.  CentralSpeaks.com would like to be able to give more time to researching and writing up what happens at City Council and at Monday School Board meetings, so a Wednesday afternoon deadline for a Thursday morning paper is ideal. 

Please look for the CentralSpeaks.com print edition in the usual places every Thursday beginning this week.  This also means that the CentralSpeaks.com Treasure Hunt kick off is being moved back to this Friday, July 23rd instead of this Wednesday.

Valerie Renee' Moak, of Denham Springs, and Jacob Lee McClure, of Central, will marry in a 6:30 p.m. ceremony August 14 at Sherwood Baptist Church.The bride-elect is the daughter of the Rev. Alan and Mary Moak, of Denham Springs.  She is the granddaughter of the late Leland and Elaine Moak, the late Stanley Aubin Jr., and the late Warren and Verna Aubin Rodriguez.  The bride-elect is a graduate of Central High School. She is employed with Baton Rouge Family Medical Center.

Her fiance' is the son of Melissa M. Jarred, of Spring, Texas, and Terry and Elaine McClure, of Jackson.  He is the grandson of Carolyn Durbin, of Folsom, and the late Margie and Wesley Dewitt McClure Jr.  He is a graduate of Central High School and is a corporal in the U.S.Marine Corps.

Thomas V. Carl celebrated his 100th birthday this week.  A longtime resident of Greenwell Springs, he served in the Battle of the Bulge and was awarded the Bronze Star.  The event recognized by this award was officially documented as follows:
 
March 14, 1945 – Immediately upon landing by glider in enemy territory, First Sergeant Carl alone cleared three houses of enemy who were firing on gliders coming into the landing zone.  Using prisoners he had captured to clear the glider loads, he then assembled the men in his vicinity and directed them in fighting their way to the Division assembly area.  His heroic actions were in keeping with the highest standards of military conduct.

Thank you to Mr. Carl and all of our veterans for their service.  If you know a veteran whom you would like to recognize, please send the information to beth@centralspeaks.com.

Submitted by Wayne Leader

Cooking in Central is having a planning meeting this Monday, July 19th.  The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. at Elegant Memories on Frenchtown Road.  Dinner will be served, and a contribution of $10 is suggested to help pay for the use of the Elegant Memories facility.  This is a general membership meeting, so the community is encouraged to attend and become more involved in the Cooking planning process.  Below are links to two forms: a Board of Directors Application and a Membership Application.  Please print and fill out a form and bring it wwith you to the meeting if you are interested in becoming an official Cooking Member or in joining the Cooking in Central Board of Directors.  You can also send emails to info@cookingincentral.com.

Cooking in Central Board of Directors Application Form

Cooking in Central Membership Application Form

The First Annual CentralSpeaks.com Charity Treasure Hunt sponsored by the Central Chamber of Commerce begins next week on Wednesday, July 21^st.  There will be one grand prize at the end of the hunt worth $1,000.  The Treasure Hunt will last for four weeks, with three clues given each week on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.  The 24 participating businesses will each be donating a prize, worth at least $25, and $40 in cash.  The prizes will be actual items or services, not coupons or percentages off.  All of the donated prizes, along with $400 of the money, will become the “Treasure” for the hunt. The remaining funds will be donated to charity. 

Every week for the next four weeks, the CentralSpeaks.com paper and website will list all of the locations for that week where clues can be picked up.  Each Monday, Wednesday, and Friday during that time, two Central businesses will be given that day’s clue to be picked up by members of the community.  The clues will not be given to the businesses ahead of time, so that no one may gain an unfair advantage.  Everyone may choose one of the two featured businesses to visit for that day’s clue.  When you go to retrieve your clue, you will have the opportunity to make a donation to the Central Relay for Life.  These donations will not be mandatory, and the business will not be required to ask you for a donation.  There will instead be a collection container where you will have the option of leaving your donation in exchange for a clue.  The suggested donation is $2 per clue, though you may leave any amount you wish.

All of the donated money from the clues will go directly to the Central Relay for Life, a major fundraiser for the American Cancer Society, which is happening on October 23^rd this year.  The American Cancer Society funds cancer research and support resources for those affected by the disease.  The Relay, aside from being a fundraiser, is also an opportunity to honor and remember those who have fought cancer in our community.  Everyone has in some way been affected by this disease, whether personally or through a friend or family member, so this is an opportunity to donate to a cause to which everyone in our city can relate.

Each day’s clue will build upon the solution to the previous clue, so you must retrieve all of the clues in order to solve the puzzle and find the treasure.  All participating businesses will keep a supply of their clues on hand so that, if you miss a clue or two or if you join in late, you can still visit the businesses you missed to pick up what you missed.

This Treasure Hunt has several purposes.  First, it is a fun activity and an opportunity to learn some things about Central that you may not have known before the hunt.  Second, it provides some exposure for local businesses in the form of walk-in traffic from community members.  Third, and most importantly, the Treasure Hunt will raise money for the Central Relay for Life, a charity that impacts nearly everyone in our city and around the country.

The rules are few and simple.  Anyone of any age may participate, though CentralSpeaks.com owners and employees are not allowed to join in the hunt.   More than one person may work together, though only one “Treasure” will be found at the end of the hunt.  You will need to visit 12 of the 24 businesses during the course of the Treasure Hunt to claim all of the clues.  You may enter the hunt late, but you will still need to retrieve every clue in order to claim the treasure.  It will not necessarily be any disadvantage to you if you join the hunt late or pick up a clue a little after other people.  The only clue where timeliness will be an issue is the last one, though the final clue will not be able to be solved until the day after it is made available, to avoid any conflicts.  The first person to claim the treasure after the final clue has been given will receive the treasure in its entirety. 

CentralSpeaks.com is taking into consideration the safety of all participants, so the final clue will be given in such a way so as to avoid any physical race or conflict.  Furthermore, no one will be asked to trespass on private property or to do anything else illegal.

Please consider participating in the hunt, as it is for a good cause, and don’t forget to check the paper or the website next Wednesday, July 21^st for the first list of clue locations.