Editorials
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Put best foot
, staff@fgazette.com
05-14-2008

When the Union Parish Chamber of Commerce began to pursue a state grant for the parish to become designated as a certified retirement community, the odds were long.
Chamber president Ricky Albritton admitted the parish was getting a late jump on the process, but forged ahead with the application.
As it turns out, Union Parish just might have what state officials are looking for to earn the state’s designation, which comes with $10,000 to help promote the parish as a certified retirement community.
Union Parish has been tentatively selected as a certified retirement community under Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu’s “Redefine Life. Retire in Louisiana. Certified Retirement Community” program.
All that’s left is for Union Parish to put its best foot forward on May 28 when a state delegation makes a site visit.
On this visit, the delegation will be given a tour of the parish, showcasing the amenities that make it a great place to retire and live.
With that in mind, it is critical for the parish to put its best foot forward and make a great first impression. Although we have recently completed a parish-wide litter awareness week and had a cleanup day, it is imperative that all businesses and residents continue these efforts.
Union Parish has one foot in the door to achieve this designation, but nothing will slam the door on this opportunity faster than a trashy first impression.
“We’ve got to stay on this garbage,’’ Marion Mayor Kenneth Franklin said. “One of the main things is going to be how our parish looks. When you’re looking for a place to live, you don’t want to see a lot of garbage.’’
Let’s not let this opportunity slip away because of carelessness. How important is appearance? It was just last year that executives from Toyota came to northeast Louisiana to scout a site for one of its plants.
We lost that opportunity, in part, because Toyota executives were appalled by the trash, which littered the area.
Let’s not let that happen again.

High fuel costs impacting Union Parish
, Publisher
05-14-2008

Louisiana Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell visited Farmerville last Thursday for what should have been a town hall meeting.
It was an opportunity for citizens to ask questions about utilities, but the only people to show up were representatives from Claiborne Electric, Entergy, Center Point Energy and Union Parish Sheriff Bob Buckley.
What evolved was a discussion on a topic that is at the forefront of everyone’s mind these days – the ridiculously high price of gasoline.
“For the first time today in my life I saw something,’’ Campbell said. “I went by (a Chevy dealership) and I saw two cars out front and they were Volkswagens.’’
It was a startling sight for Campbell and a stark reminder of just how tough times have become as the price of a barrel of oil climbs north of $120 a barrel.
“We’ve never seen anything like this in our time,’’ Campbell said. “In three years, this country’s got to change. Somebody has to come up with some answers.’’
Here in Union Parish, the price of gas is certainly having an effect across the spectrum from the logging industry to the commuters.
“Here in Union Parish it’s the second-largest parish (land mass wise) and you’ve got a guy who lives in the country and drives to West Monroe to work,’’ Campbell said. “You’re not going to make it if you make $10 or $11 an hour.’’
Other leaders in the parish say they are seeing the effects high gas prices are having, and it’s not good.
“Everything is going up and it’s affecting everybody,’’ Downsville mayor Reggie Skains said. “I see a lot of problems. It’s hitting all of us real hard.’’
Skains owns a company that installs erosion control on the land surrounding roads and highways. High fuel prices have cut into his business.
“I used to pay $6 for a bag of fertilizer and now it’s $20 a bag,’’ Skains said. “That’s a heck of an increase and I’m locked in on some contracts. Seed has gone from $120 a bag to $180 and fuel has more than doubled. It’s hitting all of us real hard.’’
Union Parish’s logging and trucking industry is taking a beating as well.
“Log companies are struggling,’’ Marion mayor Kenneth Franklin said. “I’ve got a family that’s in the trucking business and they’re cutting back right now. If the price of gas continues to rise, I don’t see how they can continue to operate. It’s scary with as many trucks as we have around here.’’
Skains said he’s also seeing property going up for sale that hasn’t been on the market before, while Franklin, who works in Sterlington, is contemplating forming a carpool to work.
Farmerville mayor Willie Davis said he is unsure how the logging and trucking industry can survive over the long haul if diesel prices don’t come down. He’s also had to make adjustments to the operation of the city.
“In the city we’re using one and one half times as much gas as we used before with the police department and all the entities we have in the city,’’ Davis said. “It’s going to be a crunch on us. We may have to park some vehicles and cut some services if it goes any higher. We’re biting our nails now.
“We’re fixing the budget for the town and gas is one of our biggest problems here, just as we began to get on our feet. I can’t imagine what an hourly worker has got to do to get to work.’’
And with much of the increased business costs being passed on to consumers, families are hurting as well, which is where Campbell’s concern over utilities comes into play.
“That’s why it’s so important to get utilities reasonable,’’ Campbell said. “We can get through it, but it’s going to be difficult. We have to have the government really think about how they’re going to deal with this quickly.’’