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Innhold levert av Jan Swift. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Jan Swift eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.
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We Have The Receipts
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1 Love Is Blind S8: Pods & Sober High Thoughts w/ Courtney Revolution & Meg 1:06:00
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Happy Valentine’s Day! You know what that means: We have a brand new season of Love Is Blind to devour. Courtney Revolution (The Circle) joins host Chris Burns to delight in all of the pod romances and love triangles. Plus, Meg joins the podcast to debrief the Madison-Mason-Meg love triangle. Leave us a voice message at www.speakpipe.com/WeHaveTheReceipts Text us at (929) 487-3621 DM Chris @FatCarrieBradshaw on Instagram Follow We Have The Receipts wherever you listen, so you never miss an episode. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts.…
Discover Lafayette
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Innhold levert av Jan Swift. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Jan Swift eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.
The Gateway to South Louisiana
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103 episoder
Merk alt (u)spilt...
Manage series 1814016
Innhold levert av Jan Swift. Alt podcastinnhold, inkludert episoder, grafikk og podcastbeskrivelser, lastes opp og leveres direkte av Jan Swift eller deres podcastplattformpartner. Hvis du tror at noen bruker det opphavsrettsbeskyttede verket ditt uten din tillatelse, kan du følge prosessen skissert her https://no.player.fm/legal.
The Gateway to South Louisiana
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103 episoder
Усі епізоди
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Billi Lacombe – Executive Director of Faith House 41:47
41:47
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Billi Lacombe, Executive Director of Faith House since 2002, joins Discover Lafayette to talk about her life mission to help survivors of domestic violence become safe. Leaving an abusive situation is never easy due to various barriers such as financial insecurity, lack of support systems, fear of losing children, and concerns over personal safety. Faith House is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization based in Lafayette, serving seven parishes in Acadiana, which provides free services to women and children who need help in getting out of a domestic violence situation. Its main source of funding (75%) is through federal grants ( Office on Violence Against Women, the Department of Health and HUD), .and the organization relies upon volunteer services to keep its mission going. Faith House’s mission is to provide safety, shelter, empowerment and advocacy to survivors of domestic violence. It offers confidential and safe resources to those most in need. As a young women, Billi studied to be a paralegal and was contacted in 1998 by a former classmate who asked her to work at Faith House. She had always had an interest in women’s rights after seeing women in her life experiencing extreme hardships and the opportunity seemed appropriate for her. Billi went to work at Faith House as a legal advocate helping survivors, getting protective orders for them, and she says, “That was it for me. I saw nothing else that I would want to do with my life other than continue to help survivors of domestic violence become safe. That became my life’s mission.” And for the record, during our interview, we saw the calming energy Billi brings to the table that is a gift from God. Faith House addresses the challenges women face wherever they are, taking care of their family and trying to earn a livable income for themselves and their family. Many people don’t see the barriers that still exist for women. Billi says, “It is about justice for me. I just want to see justice, equality, and equity happening more for women so that they can exist in this world. Not having to stay with an abusive partner and to be able to live and support your children. You should not have to be abused just to be able to pay your bills. I mean that that’s what these survivors are facing.” Many domestic violence victims and their families need emergency shelter. Faith House offers a safe refuge for those in the highest levels of danger who have experienced severe cases of domestic violence with a high potential for lethality. Billi says, “It is very typical for a family to walk in, a mom with a couple of kids, with absolutely nothing. Sometimes they don’t have shoes on their feet, they’re in their nightclothes and haven’t eaten for 2 or 3 days, and are starving when they walk in the door. The shelter offers anything you could imagine that you would need if you left your home with nothing. Toothpaste. Shampoo. A sandwich, some water. Clothing. Everything that you could imagine.” Glenn Armentor has been generous in supporting Faith House through underwriting television ads which highlight Faith House and its mission to help domestic violence victims. Since this advertising campaign started six years ago, Faith House has had thousands of people call their hotline and say they heard the commercial and reached out for help. They would not have otherwise known there was a place to go for assistance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdgKE3-D6dU Many survivors worry about their children when considering leaving. Losing custody due to financial instability is a significant concern. Abusers often use threats of taking children as a means of control. The fear of homelessness and the inability to provide a stable environment keeps many in dangerous situations. Faith House offers emergency shelter to those in the highest danger levels, providing a safe space where families can focus on rebuilding their lives. Physical safety is another major issue. Survivors are coached on strategies such as leaving only one car door unlocked and backing into driveways for quick exits, as well as making themselves as small as possible in a corner if attacked. Having essential documents and belongings ready to grab in an emergency is crucial. Teaching children to run to a neighbor or using a pre-established code word to alert the children to danger can also be lifesaving. Survivors often freeze up during violent incidents, so training for automatic responses is essential. Faith House helps survivors develop safety plans tailored to their situations, including strategies for staying safe during visitations with abusive parents. Since abuse does not always end when a victim leaves, ongoing safety planning and legal assistance are critical. Faith House works with survivors to understand their legal rights and navigate court processes, including obtaining protective orders. Confidentiality is paramount at Faith House. Many survivors do not disclose their abuse due to shame, fear for their safety, or lack of support from family members. Victim-blaming attitudes, such as questioning why they stayed when abused, only reinforces isolation. Faith House ensures survivors have a trusted space where their experiences are validated, and their safety is prioritized. The legal system can be overwhelming, and financial constraints often prevent victims from accessing legal support. The Lafayette Bar Association provides essential legal forms and assistance for those who cannot afford an attorney, selling low-cost forms that help in filing protective orders, custody arrangements, and divorce proceedings. The Faith House shelter consists of ten bedrooms, each offering five beds, with shared bathrooms and common areas, including a fully stocked kitchen where families can cook their own meals. This structure helps maintain a sense of normalcy. Additionally, a playroom and laundry facilities ensure that families have access to basic needs. Recognizing that pets are also victims of domestic violence and have suffered physical and/or emotional abuse, Faith House has an on-site pet facility through the generosity of Red Rover, a national foundation dedicated to ensuring that survivors can keep their pets. Many abusers harm pets in the household, and having a safe space for them when they leave the abusive home is crucial for the survivors’ emotional well-being. Faith House offers support groups where survivors can connect, share experiences, and heal. These groups are facilitated across multiple parishes and provide a sense of community. Additionally, transitional housing programs help survivors move from emergency shelter to independent living. A new facility in Mansura, Louisiana, is being developed to expand these services. Community support is vital. Fundraisers, donations, and local volunteer efforts sustain many programs. Faith House recently launched Wildflower Lane, a boutique on N. Parkerson Street in Crowley, that sells donated items from local boutiques and gently used items from donors. Volunteers staff the shop, and all proceeds directly support the organization. Board members and volunteers are instrumental in spreading awareness and securing resources. They assist with events, fundraising, and donation drives. Volunteers can also help with shelter maintenance, hotline support, court accompaniment, and organizing group activities for survivors. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, volunteer training is intensive to ensure proper care and confidentiality. Faith House collaborates with the Acadiana Coalition Against Homelessness to address the link between domestic violence and homelessness. Many survivors end up on the streets due to a lack of resources, making accessible shelter options a critical need. Law enforcement plays a key role in intervention, but victims may be hesitant to press charges. Officers are trained to provide support beyond the immediate crisis, recognizing the complexities of abuse. Community members can help by offering non-judgmental support, being available for survivors when they are ready to reach out, and connecting them to resources. Medical professionals frequently encounter and diagnose domestic violence injuries when victims present themselves in the doctor’s office or the hospital, Recognizing signs of abuse and offering discreet support can make a difference. Faith House provides information through its Facebook page and community outreach efforts to raise awareness and connect survivors to help. Volunteer projects range from maintaining shelter grounds to sorting donations and assisting with fundraising. Those interested can contact Faith House at (337) 232-8954 or the 24-hour hotline at 1-888-411-1333. The organization’s wishlist includes expanded shelter capacity and enhanced therapeutic services. With hundreds of people turned away each year due to space limitations, additional facilities are essential. Faith House currently employs two full-time therapists who provide trauma-informed counseling, but more resources are needed to support survivors’ mental health. Faith House continues to be a beacon of hope for those affected by domestic violence, providing immediate safety, long-term support, and the tools necessary to rebuild lives free from abuse. For more information visit https://faithhouseacadiana.com/ Discover Lafayette thanks Billi Lacombe and her staff for their dedication in helping victims of domestic violence abuse achieve a better life!…
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Discover Lafayette
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Ryan Pécot, proprietor of Adopted Dog Brewing, is a successful commercial realtor with Sterling Properties as well as a force in changing the food and entertainment landscape in Lafayette. Adopted Dog Brewing offers a family friendly place to bring your kids and your dogs. Located at 329 Dulles Drive, it celebrated its second anniversary on February 1, 2025. A public celebration will be held on February 22 , 2025, where The Good Dudes will be playing. “They’re at the brew house right now brewing a beer with my brew master called the Good Brew 2, a Mexican cerveza with lime that we will release on our birthday party weekend,” Ryan says. Ironically, Ryan didn’t drink beer much in his college days. And he recounted that when he and his younger brother would travel to sporting events, his brother would always sample local craft beers, while Ryan would choose generic alcoholic beverages. “Ultimately I got jealous of him. And being jealous of your younger brother is not that cool. I realized he was getting more out of our trips than I was because he was getting a local flair whereas I was just getting the regular thing. I made a New Year’s resolution to learn how to drink beer. And on January 1st, I drank a beer and it was awful. And I drank another one. I couldn’t figure it out. I just didn’t like it. And then I got to a spot where I did. On one of those trips, I said if I ever learn how to drink beer and if I ever open a brewery, this is some of the things I’d like to do. Our flagship beer, which is aptly named 337, is a Blueberry Blonde inspired by a place called Boston BeerWorks across from Fenway Park. We walked in there and saw a bunch of ladies drinking beer, which was not normal. They all had blueberries in their beer. How are all these chicks drinking beer? Like, what is going on? And then I realized, that if I ever open a brewery, I’m going to offer a blueberry lager, because clearly this works.” A few years back, Ryan wasn’t planning to open a brewery, but was inspired to open Adopted Dog by synchronistic events. One day, he and a friend were driving around the industrial area near Dulles Drive looking for a site to store their UL tailgating trailer and assorted gear, while waiting to have a B. F. Goodrich tire changed on Ryan’s truck. They happened to pass by 329 Dulles, the site of the former Cafe 329 which was owned and developed by Peter Martin. “We went through that cul de sac by SLCC. I didn’t even know that road existed. We came across the real estate, and I asked my buddy James to pull in, and I peered through the windows and I’m like, it’s awesome. I’m opening a brewery. James said ‘What?’ I said I’m opening a brewery here. I’m telling you, as a real estate guy, when you see it, you know it. If I was going to open a brewery in Lafayette, this is the physical spot. You’re five minutes to everything, but you’re kind of in a donut hole of nothing else offering all that land. You sit there and you feel like you’re not in Lafayette for an hour.” “I look for the little things. As soon as I saw the building, I realized that the patio on the back deck faced the southeast. That means you’re going to get shaded the quickest in our hot, long summers. If we were going to ever eventually build a deck and a stage that would be positioned correctly, the wind cut through the way the heat felt. The building with the high ceilings has pros and cons, but generally, it worked and checked all the boxes.” The site is also located in mid-city Lafayette, which was important to Ryan in his quest to develop establishments in the heart of our city, just as he has enjoyed when traveling across the country and getting to know the heart of local communities. While the land and building were perfect, opening a brewing company in Lafayette was a challenge. Ryan says, “Without my background as a commercial broker, I’m not sure I would have been successful in opening Adopted Dog Brewing. A lot of breweries try to open in the city of Lafayette. I’m the only one within the city limits of Lafayette, and there were a lot of hurdles that had to be jumped through with partners on the municipality side. A Lot of utility, wastewater issues. There was a zoning piece, a lot of different little pieces. My day job (commercial realtor) is turning a ‘No’ into a ‘Yes.’ There were multiple times throughout the pre-development process where, if I didn’t do this for a living and know how to deal with the fire marshal or have the contacts to help me, I’m not sure I would have crossed the goal line. Honestly. I really was hoping that I could break down those barriers for the next guy, because life is better if we have four or five breweries, not just one in the city.” Adopted Dog Brewery has been a big success. It appeals to locals and travelers alike. “We can see what credit cards are swiped from other states. You’d be shocked how many people across the country have sat down to drank the beer in our brewery.” “Ultimately, we named one of our beers the BFG, after a $1 million BFG, because replacing the flat B.F. Goodrich tire cost me $276, but there was $1 million investment that resulted from the tire. So we named the beer after the $1 million pop.” Adopted Dog Brewing offers 18 beers on tap that are all unique. They also offer brews for dogs, which are broth-based. Ryan has been to roughly 180 breweries across the U. S. and abroad, and he “took little pieces and parts that I liked and didn’t like, and I stored in my memory. Our son loves traveling with us. We like to expose him to the world, and the best breweries in my opinion are typically family friendly. When we get off the plane, we can go to a place that we can all enjoy.” Close to 50% of people that walk in Adopted Dog Brewing are first timers, according to Ryan. “There is $400,000 of shiny stainless steel staring you in the face and people just don’t expect it. It is unexpected in most breweries because fire marshals can be difficult. It’s generally behind the wall, but I worked hard to make sure that it was in your face. When you’re sitting at the bar, you’re watching. If you’re there right now eating lunch, you’re smelling it. And they’re in there brewing a beer. The high ceilings were good for that part of infrastructure heating and cooling the building. When you walk in, it feels like a brewery, but it’s not a dingy, dirty, smelly thing. It’s clean, fresh, lots of windows and and that all overlooks the land. It’s like a little mini park, with kids running around with frisbees and balls. There’s nothing more beautiful when you’re outside on that deck, it’s just beautiful. Even in the heat in the middle of summer, it is just a beautiful.” Ryan and Traci Pécot pictured at Adopted Dog Brewing. Ryan’s wife, Traci, came up with the name, Adopted Dog Brewing. But it took her awhile to be onboard with the idea of his new venture. She was concerned about the time and financial commitment, thinking that she would lose him for a year as he worked to open the business. “For weeks I kept saying I negotiated the land deal with Peter. And then one day, one Saturday morning, I started loading my truck with my tools, and she comes out and says, ‘What are you doing?’ I said, I told you I was doing this. And she said no. ‘Ryan, we can’t lose you for another year’. I said, look, it’s not going to be a year this time. It will not take a year to build out. There’s already some infrastructure there. It’s just going to be better. The good thing is she was wrong because it wasn’t a year. It took a year and one week. Okay, so I was way wrong. But, once we were in the build-out process and she had not yet admitted to me verbally that she knew the location was awesome, her face couldn’t hide that it was cool. We were drinking coffee on the back patio before I went to go work at the spot. And, she said, ‘If you’re going to do this stupid thing, you should at least name it Adopted Dog Brewing. And I knew then that she had buy-in. Both of our dogs are adopted and our son’s adopted, so we’re fine with adopted stuff. I thought it made sense. We knew we were going to be dog-centric. We do a lot of adoption events. There was no other intellectual property register with that name across the country. So that was an easy yes to the name.” There are no plans to distribute Adopted Dog’s craft beers. “I interviewed a ton of breweries, read a bunch of books, lots of podcasts, and I don’t want to go down that rabbit hole. At the end of the day, beyond the difficulty level, you become a manufacturing facility. I did this to make Lafayette cooler. I did it as a passion project. I did it to employ awesome people. I did it to create a spot for my friends, family, investors, and a place to go hang out for Cajuns fans before and after games. I did not want to build an 18-Wheeler dock that I’ve got to worry about sales people and insuring that.” “You don’t choose the flagship beer as an entrepreneur. Your customers choose it. You can just hope and maybe try to position yourself. 337 is a blueberry blonde and an easy gateway into craft beer. Craft beer is a thing that people come in for. 337 sells a third more than everything else. It is wild. I told my brewmaster, ‘You can run out of anything but you can never run out of 337.” “There’s no beer in the city of Lafayette that’s fresher than mine, period. Pick anybody else in Louisiana. They still have to brew and package. It will go in a warehouse, probably change temperatures, come out of the warehouse, goes to a restaurant, sits in their cooler till they’re ready to tap it. Then they tap it. You know, it’s weeks out. We’ll tap some beer that’s two days old. Talk about a difference.” James Lutgring, my brewmaster, and I have known each other since the mid 90s when I was working my way through high school and college in the Outback system, I was a front of house guy. He was the back of house guy. We could lean on each other to be successful for any given shift. Then, we had our professional careers and he came home, doing a lot of home brewing for a long time. I’d see him at beer festivals and events, at church. He was currently brewing at another local brewery when I texted him to see if he wanted to have a conversation. I gave him my vision. And before we hung up, he said, ‘Ryan, when you texted me, I was so hoping this was what you were going to ask me to do. And I was like, man, it was awesome. And so, you know, he, uh, he worked, you know, I couldn’t pay him right off the bat. So he stayed his other brewery for the first six months of while we were under physical development and Development of construction. We still meet once a week and, you know, go through the processes. He’s a scientist and an artist. I’ve also got other great employees, my kitchen manager, Jim Nobles, and General Manager, Mark Chaisson. The food menu is perfect for pairing with beer or non-alcoholic drinks. “We reached out to other local people like Collin Cormier from Pop’s, for advice. We thought we had the menu, and invited him in to wreck it, and he wrecked a few things. That’s what I wanted him to do. We went through a lot of those kind of collaborations to get it right.” The number one entree is the Smashburger. Ryan says that Collin “wanted a cooler hip food beverage scene in town, because if we can attract young professionals to our community or better yet, keep those who graduate from UL from going to Houston or Atlanta or Austin, that’s better for all of us. When I mentioned that we often get off the plane and go to a brewery, it’s always young professionals at 2:00 in the afternoon having lunch that are collaborating. It was very apparent to me that we didn’t have that spot in our city. People are moving here because they came to visit their in-laws and like things. We want them to stay.” If you are not sure which beer you may like, flights are a popular option. Typically first-time visitors enjoy experiments with a flight. “I can look at the sales after a weekend and if there’s a ton of flights sold, it means we got a bunch of new people. Some regulars come in and get a flight, but it’s usually people who have not been, so a flight is a good way to start. My staff is very knowledgeable on the beer. We do beer classes at least once a quarter.” Ryan is a big Cajuns fan and has managed catered tailgate packages. Popular choices are lollipop wings, chicken tenders and smash sliders. Bingo is a popular event at Adopted Dog Brewing. Traci Pecot calls out the numbers and it is free to play. Other regular events such as Trivia Night and live music are offered as well. Check out the schedule at https://www.adopteddogbrewing.com/calendar/ Dogs are all welcome but because of local codes, they cannot go inside of Adopted Dog Brewing. “There are some weekends where you’ll have 40 dogs on the patio or on the lawn. We have three dog beers that are broth based and we have a specific menu just for the dogs. There’s some crazy dog owners who like their dogs more than their kids. They’ll come in and order a Smashburger. No bread. And that’s for the dog, not for anybody else.” Ryan is also a partner in a new hotel venture to be built in Downtown Lafayette, called aptly, “Hotel Lafayette.” It’s going to be catalytic for what happens in downtown Lafayette, offering a wedding venue and event space. We don’t have a spot where a wedding party can book a block of rooms, get there, get dressed, do the rehearsal dinner somewhere downtown, get married at the Cathedral, second line down Jefferson, and go right back to the event space that overlooks the pool and the pool bar. I hate it when I have clients that fly in to do a real estate tour in South Louisiana and we end up dropping them off at a hotel that is in every town USA.” Adopted Dog Brewing is open Wednesday through Sunday, starting at 11:00 a.m. for lunch. It closes at 9:00 p.m. on Wednesday and Thursday; Friday and Saturday 10 p.m.; and Sundays 8 p.m. Thanks to Ryan Pécot for the incredibly positive energy and creativity he brings to our local market. For more information on Adopted Dog Brewing, please visit https://www.adopteddogbrewing.com/ . We’re grateful to Lafayette Travel and Eat Lafayette for partnering with Discover Lafayette for this special episode.…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Molly Rowe – Hilliard Art Museum Executive Director 48:22
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Molly Rowe, newly appointed Executive director of the Hilliard Art Museum, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss her love of the arts and working with artists. Molly has worked with arts and culture organizations such as the New York City Ballet and Savannah College of Art and Design, and Fortune 500 companies such as Google and The New York Times. Born and raised in Lafayette, Molly’s mother was an antique dealer; from an very early age, Molly was exposed to art, antiques, antiques, provenance, and the research that goes into collecting and telling stories about objects. She grew up appreciating art and objects, learning about other cultures and people. At the age of 18, after graduating from the Episcopal School of Acadiana and ready to see the world, she left Lafayette at 18 to attend Cornell University where she earned Bachelor’s degrees in History and French literature. Molly then earned an MBA in Strategic Management from Tulane, and completed graduate work in Art History at Sorbonne University and Ecole Normale Supérieure in Paris. Molly’s first job was writing for the President and Co-Founder of the Savannah College of Art and Design, Paula Wallace. “It’s an institution that started with a dream of one woman who was an educator and now it is globally recognized. It is one of, if not the , largest private art institution in the world. It is a mission driven arts organization, and I learned so much about how it was run, how to build organizations of that nature, how to inspire people through that.” The experiences Molly gained help define her career. “Whenever I started working with Paula Wallace, I envisioned myself to be a writer who was going to go on and do doctorate work in literature. I was very always interested in languages and storytelling. But through my work with her at SCAD, I realized that art has it own language and communicates things that words can’t. Through studying art and learning about art and exhibiting art, working with artists, you’re able to transcend time, cultures, and geography.” Molly shared, “We so often think that being able to create an art object or a painting defines creativity. But some of the most creative people I know are creative in business. I’ve built my career on working with artists and supporting artists and building businesses with them.” After her work at SCAD, she moved to New York and was employed by consultants who worked with arts organizations, museums, institutions, and galleries based all over the world. She eventually opened her own consulting firm with that same focus, at the intersection of arts, education and business,. Molly worked with over 50 institutions internationally, from the United States to Europe, South America, and Asia. Molly says, “It’s that work that allowed me to consult with incredible organizations such as Google, New York City Ballet, and The New York Times. My work with them was always focused around art and culture. I think so many businesses recognize the power of art and culture; in order to get a product into the hands of people, they have to tap into how their desired audience communicates, what they like, what they read, what they listen to.” Molly explained, “Being able to tap into an audience’s culture means you’re going to be working with artists. It means you’re going to be working with the people that are creating and building that culture. That’s where I came in, as this sort of middle person, who would help organizations figure out how they were going to bring their product to people. It was always around working with artists. The other side of that was not only making sure it was good for business, but also that it was good for rhe artists. If we look at Louisiana, one of our biggest economies is cultural tourism. We don’t think enough about who is benefiting from that. My job was always making sure that artists were represented appropriately and that were being compensated and rewarded in the right way.” When Molly moved back to Lafayette during COVID, she had a young daughter. She worked from home with clients and projects scattered all over the country and says, “It was wonderful, but at the same time I wasn’t really connected here; I was in my office at home, with the door closed, working with people that were not here.” She was also finishing up her MBA at Tulane, and had been asked to serve on the board of directors of Basin Arts. She led a strategy session for Basin Arts, and then Clare Cook introduced her to the Dean of the College of the Arts at UL-Lafayette as they were also looking to perform a strategy session. Molly says, “It was through that introduction and the work I did with the College of the Arts, that someone asked me if I’d be interested in the position of the Executive Director at the Hilliard. It came at a very interesting time as I was just wrapping up my MBA. Serving on the board at Basin Arts brought me into the community here. I’m from here but had been gone for 22 years, so I was actually gone longer than I was from here.” “Through Clare Cook, Founder and Creative Director of Basin Arts, I was able to reconnect and reroute, to understand how rich the cultural community is here. Clare really opened my eyes to what’s happening here today and also the need for advocates of our culture and bringing experience here instead of needing to leave Lafayette to pursue your career.” Molly credits the Hilliard’s prior director, Louanne Greenwald, for lifting the organization to the place where it is today, and getting it accredited. “I think what makes the Hilliard very unique is that it’s tied to a university, a research institution. So one of the things I’m thinking a lot about is what does it mean to be an art museum that’s tied to a university in such a rich cultural landscape? What does it mean specifically in Acadiana? How do we communicate with other institutions? What is our role?” She further stated, “We are deeply rooted where we are. We also have the ability to be in dialogue with artists and cultures from all over the world. So that idea is that we’re rooted in place and also connected globally. That connection is coming through our work in the arts and it’s that balance between where we are physically and who we’re speaking with globally. We hope to grow to be able to strike something that allows us to build our permanent collection as well as to have study and research around art objects that other institutions aren’t able to do as much. And that’s through our connection with the university and the scholarship that we’re able to tap into.” There are currently three exhibitions on display now, the largest being the Rodin Toward Modernity. Curated by Ben Hickey, with support from the Hilliard Society and the Hilliard Board of Directors, the exhibition consists of 40 iconic sculptures in Rodin’s practice. Molly says, “Today, Rodin is known as the greatest sculpturer since Michelangelo. But during the time he was practicing, at the turn of the 19th century and into the early 20th, he was not looked upon as such. He was an artist looked at as someone with vulgar taste, bumping up against tradition and doing something new. As we all know, someone who does something new is not always received with open arms at first. So the exhibition looks at Rodin as this figure who reshaped how we think about art, how we look at art, and how he reshaped the possibilities of art. Prior to this moment in art history, art and sculpture were very much figurative. As you walk into the exhibition at the Hilliard, the first thing you see is a grouping of five sculptures. It’s The Burghers of Calais, a monument Rodin was commissioned to do for heroes of the Hundred Years War. But these heroes are shown in despair. They’re shown in complete vulnerability as they were walking to their death. In Rodin’s mind, this is the moment when someone becomes a hero, when they’re putting up their life. It’s the courage and what comes of that, not a moment of glory.” The Hilliard Art Museum offers a beautiful event space in Lafayette, and also offers the Hayes Town building. Look forward to March for a Spring reception, followed by a free family day in mid-March. Molly Rowe’s thoughts on talent and young people’s creativity: “Art with kids is so much fun because there are no rules yet. They look at things a lot differently than somebody who’s had an education or had some experience and is kind of confined to this box. It’s fearless. I think your most successful artists are the ones that are fearless, who get up and try again and again. We see them as big name artists, but what we’re not seeing are the 30 years of trial and error that went into it. We see them when they become really big. But they may have had a very long path. It takes determination, that this is what I’m going to do, no matter the criticism, no matter if someone tells me it’s impossible. You see that in children. I like encouraging that and not putting limits on it. By putting barriers on our thinking, by forcing ourselves to call something what everyone else calls it, how are we limiting ourselves?” The Hilliard recently celebrated 20 years in operation. Located at 710 East Saint Mary Boulevard on UL Lafayette’s campus. It offers 11,000 square feet of gallery space and is the largest exhibition space between Houston and New Orleans. The museum is free for members, faculty and students. Adult admission is $10. It is open Tuesday through Saturday, 10 to 5. For more information, visit https://hilliardmuseum.org/ . Discover Lafayette is proud to showcase Molly Rowe and the Hilliard Art Museum. Best wishes on continued success!…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Becca Begnaud and JP Summers – Doritos Crash Commercial 57:37
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Becca Begnaud, actor, musician, creative, and traiteur joined Discover Lafayette alongside John Paul (JP) Summers, Abbeville-based director and cinematographer, to discuss their collaboration on the 2025 Doritos Crash Commercial, which ranked in the top 25 out of 2000 entries. Together, they share their stories of creativity, healing, and cultural preservation. It is a story about synchronicity in life, healing, and maintaining a sense of humor. Becca Begnaud has dedicated her life to preserving and practicing Cajun healing traditions. Growing up in Scott, LA, Becca had an idyllic life, close with her extended family. Her grandparents had a farm and every weekend, her family would go to the country, ride horses, and her grandma would cook dinner. “My house faced the side of the church and the back of the house faced the school. You could walk to the grocery store and post office, you could walk everywhere. When you talk about maintaining a culture, you have to look at what community historically looked like.” She grew up speaking English and French. She learned the value of healing from her grandfather who was a traiteur.” “We didn’t even think of it as healing. Because if you had warts, or a headache or a sprained ankle, you went to see a particular traiteur. You could be rich, you could be poor, black, white or native. None of that mattered. If someone had given you the prayer, you did that.”’ Becca Begnaud pictured with her grandfather, Maurice Pellessier. Picture from Facebook. Becca says, “Every culture has within it a community of people who do healing work. So when we got together here in Acadiana with the Native Americans and the African Americans, and then us, the French Europeans, this method of healing developed in our region. It is basically prayer.” As a backdrop, Becca was diagnosed in 1989 with breast cancer and had a mastectomy. One of the nuns at the hospital, Sister Hilda Mallet, told her she should look into healing work. “I thought, are you serious? Well, my grandpa was a traiteur. Maybe I should look into this. I studied Rieki, healing work, awakenings, and something called Trauma First Aid. There are lots of methods of healing out there. I did hospice work for 30 years, and worked with Lourdes at Camp Bluebird, a camp for adults with cancer. I have the perspective of a person who was ill. I have the perspective of a person who worked with a medical team, all as a volunteer.” Today, Becca continues her healing practice at her office at 600 St. Landry Street in Lafayette, Louisiana. Becca embraced her role as a healer, never doing it as a way to earn a living, just as a volunteer. “When you have a catastrophic illness, you don’t have extra money to drop on treatments of any kind. You hope to pay the deductible of 20%. So, when I studied with nurses, we were talking about Source. If you are teaching in a professional educational setting, you can’t talk about what you call God. There may be Jewish or Native American people, Christian or Hindu. So, we talked about Source. We were all saying the same thing but in a different way.” After many synchronistic experiences, Becca had a professor at the university, Frans Amelinckx, give her the prayer of a traiteur, Mr. Nestor Guidry. It said, “” Je suis parent and je suis parenté, ” which means we are related, we are related. You repeat it three times. And it is beautiful. Native Americans always speak of all our relations. We’re all one. We are. So that was a light bulb moment for me.” When asked if you had to believe for a traiteur’s prayer to work, Becca said, “Traiteurs treat cows, pigs, horses and other animals that need healing. What does a cow or a pig know about beliefs or church? Then I thought if my grandfather could do this healing work, why not me?” A musician to this day, Becca came up in a family of drummers and she played the drums. “When you play rhythm and you don’t really think, then who you are comes out. Music by itself is healing.” JP Summers, a director and cinematographer from Abbeville, Louisiana, has been creating impactful films with local talent. JP first encountered Becca during the filming of 17 Year Locust and found her energy transformative. Her first acting collaboration dates back to 2018, when Hunter Burke asked Begnaud to serve as a dialect coach for “Lost Bayou.” Becca’s recent film credits include Intention . Another film Becca and JP collaberated on, Treatment , is in post-production. In it, Becca interviews Matt Allen, Ray Brasseur and Dr. Sarah Brabant, who taught Death and Dying. Her therapist, Louis Deshotel, was also interviewed ten days before his passing. Becca says, “My relationship with JP and the projects we worked on all had something to do with death and dying. It has brought us to this shared depth of that part of life.” JP and Becca worked on a commercial for the Doritos Crash competition, which challenges filmmakers worldwide to create Super Bowl-worthy ads. Initially, JP envisioned a young man spreading his father’s ashes, but inspiration struck him to cast Becca as the lead. The result, filmed at Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville, was a heartfelt and humorous commercial where Becca’s character is eating Doritos while looking at this picture of her and a man at a younger age. She then looks over and there is an urn on the passenger seat. She grabs it, goes to the beach to spread the ashes, and the wind blows it all over her. The she’s back in the car, goes to get another Dorito, but there are no more in the bag. She then looks at her fingers and there are ashes mixed in with the Dorito dust. She enjoys it! All filmed with no words spoken. The tagline? “You have to be bold.” A famous Doritos tagline. Becca and JP describe the experience as deeply moving. JP recalls, “It felt like a healing ceremony. The clouds literally parted as we began filming.” He further said, “That end of life question and dealing with death and dying is Becca’s message. And God had a plan to get that message in this weird, unique, sort of synchronous way. I think it is fun that a Doritos commercial can carry that whole package inside of such a short, 30-second message.” Becca reflects on the balance between laughter and loss: “As a healer, you know not everyone will get well. Humor helps us embrace all parts of life, even the tough ones.” JP and Becca’s partnership showcases the unique talent pool in Acadiana. From JP’s work with local filmmakers like Logan LeBlanc to Becca’s authentic performances, their projects highlight the beauty and resilience of Cajun culture. “Becca’s energy brings something singular and unique to every project. She transforms humor into connection.” Discover Lafayette extends gratitude to Becca and JP for sharing their inspiring journeys and to the community of Acadiana for nurturing such extraordinary talent. For more on JP’s work, visit Honest Art , and to connect with Becca, find her on Facebook or visit her office in Lafayette. Watch the Doritos Crash Commercial Experience the magic of Becca Begnaud and JP Summers in their Doritos Crash Commercial – a testament to bold creativity and heartfelt storytelling. https://youtu.be/oWARtsbOmzI…
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Discover Lafayette
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Lafayette City Marshal Reggie Thomas joined Discover Lafayette to discuss his mission to protect the citizens of Lafayette and to become the best marshal’s office nationally. A 30-year veteran of the Lafayette City Police Department who worked his way up the ranks, as a detective and eventually serving as deputy and interim chief of police, Marshal Reggie was elected Lafayette City Marshal in December 2020. On January 8th, 2025, he celebrated his fourth anniversary in office. Of note, Marshal Reggie was the first African American to be elected citywide in the history of Lafayette. The Marshal’s office is chiefly responsible for keeping the city court safe and secure, serving subpoenas to people called to court, and executing arrest warrants for people who have not complied with the law or court order. In the City of Lafayette, there are two city court judges, Judge Douglas J. Saloom and interim Judge Vanessa Harris, who was called to served upon the untimely death of Judge Jules Edwards. Salary and benefits for the marshal’s office staff are paid for by the City of Lafayette. Everything else is funded by a percentage of criminal and civil fines and fees paid for citations and tickets. The employees are at-will employees. “We have 32 sworn officers, as well as ten reserve officers. We have another 30 to 35 clerks that work in the building, handling the court, the tickets, the civil part,the criminal part, and the supervisors. We might have 400 people come through the door on any given day, and each person has to be searched to make sure everyone is safe.” The City Court territorial jurisdiction extends over all territory in the corporate limits of the City of Lafayette, plus the Third and Tenth Wards of Lafayette Parish. The court handles claims for personal injury, general damages, contract, open account, and commercial paper where the amount of the claim doesn’t exceed $35,000, and small claims suits that do not exceed $5,000. It also handles landlord-tenant matters (Evictions) and violations of state misdemeanor criminal laws and/or Lafayette Consolidated Government City Ordinance violations that occur within the City of Lafayette. First time domestic violence cases also go through City Court. Marshal Reggie mentioned the important work of the late Judge Jules Edwards, who endeavored to assist first time offenders, to keep them from getting in deeper trouble and ending up in Angola. When Marshal Reggie was elected, they started the “Renewal Program”, where participants learn to manage anger, control their behavior, and become better citizens. Upon completing the program, their efforts are recognized, and they have the opportunity to move forward with a clean slate by having their offense expunged from their record. “The renewal program was something that I started when I first took office, along with Judge Edwards. When a first time offender gets sentenced by the judge, normally they have to do community service. With this program, they attend eight weeks of classes and we have people that have made major mistakes come in and talk to them. Maybe a guy that did 25 years in jail or was on drugs, stuff like that. So we show them things that, hey, this is where you don’t want to be at, but this is what you can accomplish if you’re doing the right thing.” Seventy juveniles have participated so far with great success. “Most schools have zero tolerance. Now, if you get in a fight at school, you go to jail. Some of us older people remember when we were in school, you would have to go sit in a corner after a fight, but you didn’t go to jail. So now, you are arrested, you have to come to court and pay fines. I started seeing where the parents weren’t able to pay the fines, and the kids would wind up in juvenile detention. So the Renewal Program gives a second chance and the charge won’t remain on their permanent record. The kids have to be serious about the program, can’t miss any days, or be late. We did three classes last year and intend to do three more this year. We’re funded by grants.” Marshal Reggie learned how to write grants when he worked for the city police. His office is now the only accredited City Marshal’s office in Louisiana and he was able to secure funding to offset costs of training and other requirements needed for the CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies) through a $75,000 grant. “We meet the same standards that the city police and the sheriff’s office meet, who are both accredited by CALEA, We have to continue to work and make sure we meet their requirements. One of the things a lot of people don’t know is our marshals go through the same training as the sheriff’s department and the city police. The same academy.” A new initiative of the Marshal’s office is to serve as School Resource Officers (SRO) in private schools such as Westminister, St. Pius, Cathedral Carmel, and our local charter schools. “We have SRO officers at the schools. We are meeting needs that the marshal’s office didn’t in the past. It’s a part of the vision that I have, to allow the community to tell us what they want and need done.” Another example of expanded services offered by the City Marshal’s Office is park police. The park police were disbanded under the past LCG administration. “Lafayette city parks were having all types of issues. People just want to go to the parks with their kids and feel safe. We partnered with LCG to provide deputies in the parks.” The City Marshal’s Parks Patrol Division now covers 30 parks spanning 1,300 acres and 10 recreation centers in the City of Lafayette. During the recent January 2025 freeze, many homeless people, as well as those with subpar housing, found themselves vulnerable to the cold conditions. At Brown Park and Dupuis Recreation Center, “warming centers” were opened. With the first emergency plan executed under the newly established Lafayette Parish Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness (OHSEP), refuge for more than 70 individuals experiencing homelessness or inadequate heating was provided and the Marshal’s office provided security to ensure the well-being of all participants. The City of Lafayette provided bus service to transport individuals to the centers, and then back and forth to St. Joseph’s Diner for hot meals. Marshal Reggie says, “It’s an opportunity to help. We want all of our citizens to be safe. In my line of duty I saw during a cold spell like this, some people didn’t make it. If you go under the house with a blanket and it’s 30 degree weather, you might not wake up.” During Marshal Reggie’s tenure with the Lafayette City Police, he started the Community Walk. “Officers weren’t getting out of the car. So they didn’t get to know the people in the neighborhoods, the people they were policing. So we started going into neighborhoods, knock on doors, and just talk to people. I tell the story all the time…an officer said, ‘See that house right there? That’s probably the worst house in the neighborhood.’ So I said, Let’s go knock. A 75-year old lady opened the door and she was all by herself. She said, ‘They sit on the porch. I’m scared to come outside. Y’all come sometime and make arrests and I could go to the store. But right now, I’m scared to go. Nobody had ever knocked on the door to talk to her. So we cleared it up. I still have a relationship with her and purchased a tv for her about two weeks ago.” When Marshal Reggie was elected, it had been more than 20 years since the D.A.R.E. (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program had been taught in Lafayette Parish schools. DARE teaches the kids about substance abuse, but has also evolved to teach decision-making and responsible behavior skills. His office has a part-time administrator, which he is hoping to turn into a full-time position. “hey teach about drugs, fentanyl, things going on in the community that the kids need to know. And then the kids get comfortable with the DARE officer and get comfortable with the uniform.” Lafayette City Marshal Reggie Thomas was awarded “Marshal of the Year” 2023 Annual Training Conference of National Constable and Marshals Association. Serving in law enforcement since 1990, Thomas served as patrol officer, narcotics agent, training director, homicide detective, and precinct commander. He graduated from the FBI Academy in 2011 and in January 2016 was appointed as the Lafayette Interim Chief of Police. “I’ve learned so much through the years, and especially being a chief over at the Lafayette Police Department. I went from supervising 300 to 30 officers. We don’t handle the 911 calls and murder cases. So now I come to work, and they tell me about stuff that happened at the schools. It’s mostly stuff that makes me smile and makes me have a good day.” A new website is coming soon for the Marshal’s office. In the meantime, note that the office has made it so much easier for citizens to pay their fines online. “You know, you used to have to come to court to pay fines, and we would have so many people in long lines. Now you can pay online. A lot of times we can call you and say, hey, the judge, just got a warrant out for you, but you have an opportunity to pay right now online. 50% of the people now pay online.” We can’t thank Lafayette City Marshal Reggie Thomas and his accredited staff for all the work they do for our community! Thank you Marshal Reggie for your commitment to excellence!…
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1 Ari Dolegowski – BioPerformance Therapist 49:51
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Ari Dolegowski, a BioPerformance Therapist who offers transformative massage sessions with a tailored approach rooted in Physical Therapy and Eastern medicine, joins Discover Lafayette to share his philosophy on living a well-rounded and healthy life. He studied both Eastern and Western modalities of therapy in Thailand, Costa Rica, and New York City, to form an integrative approach to treatment and to better understand human nature. Ari played pro soccer in Chile, Tel Aviv and the U. S. and maintains a consistently active lifestyle, biking whenever he can in lieu of starting up a car. He also maintains a Tai Chi practice which ensures full body power and optimal alignment. Tai Chi is a moving meditation in the form of a series of gentle exercises that create harmony between the mind and body. The ultimate purpose is to cultivate our inner life energy (qi) to flow smoothly and powerfully through the body, a spiritual experience as much as a physical one. Ari will be offering classes in Tai Chi this year. Ari’s work focuses on optimizing the body’s natural abilities, through physical therapy and massage treatments to encourage clients to achieve peak physical and mental states. One thing many of us fail to do is stretch enough and he offers “Stretched Out,” a modality of massage with a lineage of Thai Massage, TaiChi, Yoga Therapy, and Western joint mobilization. “Imagine having a stretch, a trigger point release, and increased blood flow all at one time,” Ari says. His practice also includes cranio-sacral massage, a gentle yet effective way to ease tension and promote relaxation, and can help relieve headaches, reduce stress and improve overall well-being. Local athletes call on Ari for deep tissue massage sessions to treat musculoskeletal issues such as sprains and sports injuries; this form of massage helps break up scar tissue that forms following an injury and reduces tension in muscle and tissue. Ari offers consistent messaging on lifestyle, health, and wellness. “It all starts with us, our choices, our movement, and our intention to live a good life. Bio means life and performance considers honest personal health choices that can revolutionize your own path to developing awareness of the body and in the mind in order to lead an overall healthier and happier lifestyle.” Ari’s background working for an Eastern-Western physical therapy clinic gave him a way to look at the body in different ways than the Western lifestyle. “Environmental issues, not just lead in the water but anything outside that we bring in on ourselves, whether it’s family or the news or politics, is a culmination of everything that we do. Then one thing can trigger pain, whether it is an unfortunate bike accident, being yelled at, a TV show that upsets you or the news….all of a sudden you have sharp pain in your neck and you don’t know why. People look for one thing to blame, and just want to fix it. Is it acupuncture? Meditation? A cortisone shot or a chiropractor? It might need to be all, depending on how tightly wound up you are or your physical and emotional pain.” At times, Ari works with people who may have unrealistic goals who have pushed themselves too far and incur an injury, taking on physical exercise that their body is not ready for. “The body just says ‘whoa.’ You know, if you’re just looking to be healthy, maybe you need to go out and walk really fast a few times a week, rather than taking on running when you have never exercised. Because that’s really hard on the body.” “You should be able to do your job and then offset it with what you do when you’re not working. If you sit all day, you should be in good enough shape that you can sit, stand, maybe go for a walk, do a quick stretch and not worry about that too much. ‘Am I sitting ergonomically? Is my desk high enough?’ I think it’s what you do outside of your job or your career that helps with that. Perhaps you just have a simple 20 minute a day or every other day routine that allows you to sit comfortably and achieve the small goals with minor adjustments you can build off of. People complain about their sleep. Whether you’re going to pharmaceuticals or you’re going to Instagram to get weird, funny pillows to fix your neck while you sleep, it will benefit you more to have a routine that you do during the day, and then you can rest or fall asleep or stay asleep.” “I recommend that people build an achievable 20 to 40 minute routine that you do two to three times a week consistently. You can even do a ten minute routine that just wakes you up or calms you down, or just mobilizes your body before a sport or before you’re just going to sit down or even before you sleep. The magic word for anything is consistency, which is the hardest.” Ari is a big believer in the benefits of Tai Chi. “It is for everything. Pick your ailment and Tai Chi can help as long as you complement or supplement it with something else. Eating right, finding happiness somewhere, or an emotional compliment of having good friends, enjoying your work. We asked Ari what Tai Chi is: “In stillness you can sense movement. Once you learn movement, you can sense stillness. Until you find a class and go consistently, you will not feel the benefit of stillness, which is an upright meditation. Tai chi is a martial arts form of qigong. And qigong is a repetitive movement designed to build Qi. Qi is energy and gong is work. Through those slow, repetitive movements, you actually build up energy with the least amount of tension. You’re mobilizing all the bones, muscle, fascia and nerves.” “I ran for years on a treadmill and you will not see me on one of those anymore unless I’m trying to do some funny Instagram reel where I run backwards eating an ice cream cone. It’s the way: getting the sun in your eyes and the sun on your skin. The air in your lungs. I don’t think we were made to ride a stationary bike. Although if that’s all you can do, that’s fine too.” Eastern techniques are longer” a traditional Thai massage is two hours. “A traditional Chinese treatment can start in the morning with acupuncture and manual work or herbs, and then you have lunch, come back for an the next part of the treatment, which usually ultimately ends in bone setting or chiropractic work. It can be a whole day. The time it takes to heal is given more time. So instead of just treating your headache really quickly, with traditional eastern medicine it might take two months to get to the root of it and devise a plan. Threemonths to make herbs for you to drink or apply, and four to adjust the treatments as you get better to weed out what’s causing your pain. Whereas in Western medicine, no one has three months to have a headache.” “The root causes of so many illnesses are stress and driving ourselves too hard. Think about heart disease. If we were more relaxed, perhaps we wouldn’t have those high rates of heart attacks and cancer. It’s just a different lifestyle. The Eastern medicine takes longer because they get to the root cause, whereas Western medicine, we feel the need to get fixed right away. Sometimes you may need to get fixed right away. I like taking herbs, but at the same time, I might need a professional practitioner to tell me to take an MRI.” “I think everybody everywhere needs the same treatment. It’s just other cultures are different. Americans are apprehensive of manual treatments, whereas in Thailand, it’s perfectly normal for people to get a two hour massage and then sit in an herbal spa, bath, steam room for another two hours. The economy might not be flying as ours is here, but they’re in a healthier culture. In Russia, men have no problem being in a room with tons of other men and slapping each other with a banya. It’s a special tree branch that has herbal superpowers. And you’ll go in a hot room and you’re all sitting in there and it’s super hot, and one guy slaps the other’s back with it. It seems like torture. In Russia,it is perfectly normal for a bunch of men or women. If you go to Korea, you walk in, you all pay at the same door, and the women go that way and the men go that way. No matter what your creed is or how you feel in your brain, they don’t care. You go that way, you go that way, and everybody’s naked. But the men are over on that side of the wall. The women are over on that side of the wall. Nobody cares.” “The other things fall into place when you take care of business,” says Ari Dolegowski. To find out more about Lafayette BioPerformance Therapist Ari Dolegowski, visit https://www.instagram.com/ari_d_therapy/ or email aridolegowski@gmail.com.…
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1 Paul Hilliard – Reflections Back on Life in Wisconsin, WWII, Oil Industry and Philanthropy 52:31
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Paul Hilliard, President of Badger Oil Corporation, has led a wonderful life of generosity and love of community that provides a humbling lesson in being a good steward of God’s resources. At 99 years of age, he is sharp and insightful, a true testament to his wisdom and vitality. Paul was 17 when he enlisted in the U. S. Marine Corps during his Senior year in high school in February 1943, quitting school when he received permission from his mother to join the war effort. He trained to be a gunner, handling machine guns in the back of Douglas SBD Dauntless (Scout Bomber by Douglas Aircraft) planes in air missions conducted in the Pacific Theatre of Operations. SBD was jokingly referred to as “Slow But Deadly.” He flew 45 combat missions and was twice awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in addition to receiving the Air Medal with six bronze stars. Following his service, Hilliard earned his law degree from the University of Texas before beginning a career in the oil and gas industry. He credits the GI Bill for the opportunities it afforded him and so many other servicemen who would not have otherwise been able to obtain an education. Hilliard exemplifies the selfless spirit and pride of our WWII generation of heroes, as well as the successful ingenuity of a veteran oil and gas entrepreneur. Known for his self-effacing wit and ability to achieve in spite of a hardscrabble upbringing in Wisconsin, Hilliard has been a successful independent operator and owner of Badger Oil Corporation since 1955 and has seen fit to use his success in business to help others in need. Awarded the Civic Cup in 2003 and the esteemed national Horatio Alger Award in 2009, Paul has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors. Paul has also been active in statewide associations working to improve the oil and gas industry, business, and civic endeavors. In 2015, he received the Circle of Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Foundation. UL Press released Dauntless : Paul Hilliard in WWII and a Transformed America in 2023. Written by Rob Citino with Ken Stickney and Lori Ochsner, the book documents some of the most fascinating decades in American history: the impact of World War II, the importance of post-war social and economic changes, and the development of the oil industry from the 1950s to today. “ Dauntless is a compelling narrative tracing Paul Hilliard’s life experiences during the Great Depression, from farm life in Wisconsin’s Dust Bowl to his distinguished service as a Marine in World War II, his education through law school, and a long and successful business in the oil fields. Paul’s lifelong philanthropy and his passion for education and the lessons of WWII make him an inspiration. His life is the Horatio Alger story. He is, and always be, one of my heroes.”—Boysie Bollinger Paul has been a generous benefactor in causes to help at-risk children learn to read so that they can overcome poverty as he did. He and his late wife, Lulu, provided $5 million dollars in seed money to start the Paul and Lulu Hilliard Art Museum at UL – Lafayette. Paul has served as a National WWII Museum trustee, and he and his wife, Madlyn, have been two of the Museum’s most active advocates and supporters. They have provided transformative support for several Museum initiatives, including acquisition and restoration of artifacts, collection of oral histories, and education programs. In September 2018, Hilliard accepted the position of Board Chair of the museum, focusing on the completion of the its $400 million campus expansion. For more information, visit https://www.nationalww2museum.org , a treasure trove of thousands of oral histories and hundreds of thousands of photos depicting the WWII experience. Paul ended the interview by sharing his gratitude for being born in the United States of America. He spoke of a favorite quote by Cicero: “Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all the others.” Words of wisdom that we should always remember. In closing, it is fitting to share the message of the bumper sticker proudly displayed on Paul’s vehicle….. Temporarily Unassigned Old Marine. Any group lucky enough to be assigned the company of Paul Hilliard has much to be grateful for!…
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Discover Lafayette
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Matt Oldenburg, Director of Zoosiana, is our guest today. The zoo has been a family passion for years, as it was originally purchased by Matt’s father, George Oldenburg, in 2002, after a successful banking career. George transitioned into zoo ownership to pursue his love for animals. Over the years, Matt took on a leadership role, managing the zoo’s operations and its expansive collection of over 1,000 animals spanning 150 species. Never dreaming he would run the zoo, Matt majored in wildlife biology, as well as marketing and management. While his schooling came in handy, running a zoo is a field of study that you learn on the job. Matt Oldenburg at Zoosiana. Zoosiana, one of the few privately owned and accredited zoos in the U.S., is known for its education and memory-making opportunities, community engagement, and family-friendly attractions. It features animal shows, a petting zoo, a Louisiana swamp exhibit, and unique animals like golden-striped Bengal tigers, giraffes, exotic birds, and much, much more. Incredibly, the zoo welcmes over 150,000 visitors annually. Zoosiana is open 9 to 5 daily, seven days a week, weather permitting, except for major holidays and hurricanes. The zoo will be 33 years old in 2025, and getting to that stage where it can become a legacy for our local families and visitors alike. Matt says, “The children who have visited Zoosiana through the years bring their own children and maybe their grandchildren, and make lasting memories. Perhaps taking a family photo by the same live oak tree that they took a photo in front of 20 or 30 years earlier. I think that’s a very special attribute. It adds to our efforts to connect the community with the zoo. Ownership has never been front of mind for us. We believe that we are the stewards of the zoo and of the animals on behalf of Acadiana’s children. Everything we do there is for the children, to be an education-based program and make an opportunity to create a lifelong memory of connecting you with an animal on some level.” Zoosiana is located at 5601 Hwy 90 E Broussard, LA 70518, on a 45-acre piece of property in Broussard at the corner of Ambassador Caffery and Highway 90. It is privately owned and self-sustaining and with no outside funding coming into the zoo. “There was no life plan to land at the zoo. We never had unusual pets growing up, just a dog and a cat. But, I was excited about the zoo from day one with dad. Not every day has been fun or easy. But I think very quickly I realized that if I could pick one thing in life, I would probably pick what I am doing at the zoo.” The zoo is busiest in the springtime and in the comfortable October season. “With a thousand animals to care for each day, no two days are alike,” says Matt. “We go through quite a bit of food and, and we order our produce, fruits and veggies from the same vendors that restaurants and cafeterias here in Lafayette order from. Its not second choice. So it’s fresh produce and fresh vegetables of of a quality that you would be happy to have on your own dinner plate.” Matt further stated, “We’ve got an animal care team who do a phenomenal job of providing the daily care and maintenance, which include feeding, cleaning, health checks, and monitoring. Enrichment is a very big part of what we do. We want to make sure our animals have a stimulating environment that they’re able to utilize and practice their natural behaviors. It could be leaping from one perch to the next or figuring out a puzzle feeder of some kind. We do enrichment with smells, olfactory sound, and visual.” Zoosiana has particular meal plans for their various animals, and a recipe book for the different meals that lists everything that the animals can have and cannot have. With so many different omnivores, herbivores, and carnivores, you can imagine the varying diets from species to species. Matt says, “It’s thousands of pounds of food a week. We’ve got dry grain. We’ve got raw meat for the carnivores. the giraffes get gallons of grain a day. And we serve alfalfa hay, any type of hay or grain that you can think of we probably have at the zoo.” Giraffes are very popular and the tallest land animal. They can reach up to 18 feet tall, and their head weighs approximately 150 pounds when fully grown. Their necks have seven vertebrae, just like humans do, but they’re elongated so as to hold and manage the head that which is big as a human torso. Their heads hold two eyes that have incredible eyesight and Matt explained, “The shorter animals out on the Savanna in the wild will typically evacuate in whatever direction the giraffes are evacuating, because the giraffes can spot danger coming from a bit further away than the shorter animals can detect. They’re known as being gentle giants. For a long time it was thought that they did not vocalize at all, but there’s been some research now that they do, but at a sound frequency that human ears cannot pick up on.” Giraffes are beautiful and the males and females feed differently to prevent interspecies competition. Typically a female giraffe will give birth while standing and the calf will fall about six feet to the ground. The mom expects the baby to stand very quickly because a predator is not going to wait for the baby to run away. “She’ll probably push baby down a couple of times. So the baby learns how to get back up,” Matt says. Zoosiana is fortunate to be an accredited facility, and it works in a collaborative effort with other zoos around the nation for the purpose of breeding. Zoosiana may have a vibrant animal of a particular species that they would like to pair up with, a male or female, and they can work with a number of other zoos who might have the opposite situation. The relationships are intended to benefit the species and in partnership with other zoos so animals do not need to be purchased. The Oldenburgs have maintained a very humble, practical approach to their zoological facility. It’s not flashy and shiny. You walk in and you’re under the canopy of century-old live oak trees and bamboo forests that shoot up 30 and 40 feet into the air. One of the first habitats you encounter is their cheetah habitat. Matt believes they may be the only cheetahs in the state. In Zoosiana’ efforts to connect the zoo with the local community, they felt it was important to ask the community to help name the cheetahs. The public chose to name the cheetahs after the beloved Golden Girls: Dorothy, Blanche and Rose. The three are sisters and approximately two years old. Zoosiana brought in two pygmy hippos about a month ago, which are small for hippos but still about six hundred pounds each. Bella and Noche came from South Florida and Arizona. Bella is in charge and Matt says from a physical standpoint, “Noche is stronger physically; Bella is a bit stronger from a mental standpoint. Bella, one of two pygmy hippos at Zoosiana, pictured on November 19, 2024, Acadiana Advocate photo by Brad Bowie. https://www.youtube.com/shorts/_8nzXUdj6yY Other animals at Zoosiana include three different species of lemurs, gibbons (smallest of the apes but biggest primate at the zoo, tigers, lions, birds, macaws, zebras, American alligators, camels, a pair of clouded leopards, and East African crowned cranes. Most primates cannot swim so they live the island life at the zoo. They won’t attempt to cross the water, because even if they learned the process of swimming, their body mass is too dense and they would sink. The primates know that instinctly and will not attempt to cross any water deeper than a couple of inches. They’ve got full access to the trees, go all the way to the top, and do their beautiful hooping calls each morning and evening to the other islands at the zoo. Train rides offer a 3/8 mile adventure out to the zoo’s safari pasture, where you can see free ranging blackbuck and waterbuck. There is also a strong botanical to the Zoosiana property including the oak trees, and one of them is estimated to be 350 years old, registered by the Live Oak Society. Matt says, “It’s a labor of love keeping up the zoo. We’ve got the most incredible people who work at the zoo. From animal care to maintenance to guest services and a number of odds and ends positions around the zoo. A lot of us wear multiple hats, but I believe we’re among some of the luckiest people in the world to work at the zoo, because most of our time is outdoors. What a great place to spend your time outside. We’re in the presence of animals and we are working to connect our visitors with those animals. That’s a great way to spend your time.” The animals are a lot smarter than most people think. “Most animals are observers, and they’ll lay back and assess the situation and are very cautious. They take their time building comfort and won’t rush into anything without getting acclimated with the situation. If you spend enough time with any one animal, either as a species or an individual, you’ll find a reason to love that animal.” The admission rate at Zoosiana for adults is $19.99 and children, $14.99. The zoo has a membership program that will get you into the zoo all year long, and is on sale now for 20% off. Visit https://zoosiana.com/ or call (337) 837-4325 for more information. For young teens, it’s a safe place for mom and dad to drop them off with their friend group or on a date. They can walk around, get a Coke, Icee or a stuffed animal from the gift shop, and take a couple of selfies. Birthday parties and school field trips are also popular. Matt remembers, “We had somebody say we should replace FaceTime with FaceTime, where you’re getting rid of the screen and you’re now face to face with an animal that you never even knew existed, or a species that you never heard of, or for whatever reason, the giraffe just took a liking to you during this particular visit. And you know, he can’t get enough of you or whatever. That’s special, I think.” Z ebras can be feisty and like a buffer between them and the zookeepers or maintenance crew. They’re muscular powerhouses. Matt says, “Some animals have bad days and good days. It’s interesting from an animal behavior standpoint, male primates typically are a little cautious around male humans because there’s a little bit of ‘are you threatening my dominance by being around me’ kind of a situation. We employ a practice of not doing things that would make that male primate think you are, in fact, challenging them. You should not make eye contact with them and don’t show them your teeth. And so if you’re in there for a particular purpose, maybe you’re cleaning the exhibit or doing a repair or an enrichment project of some kind. You’re focused on that and more or less being submissive.” “We’re not too different from our long distance primate cousins. Most people are afraid of snakes, and most primates are afraid of snakes. And so we’ve had anecdotal situations where we were having to go in with a primate that you otherwise wouldn’t typically go in with. And we will put like a fake plush snake on our shoulders just so that they don’t come around us and we can get in to do our our task and get out pretty quickly. Wintertime can be the hardest time of the year as most of Zoosiana’ animals are from warmer, tropical Savanna-type environments. They can handle our heat a lot better than most people assume. “Animals, are very smart. They’ll dial down their activity, eat less and move less in the warmer months to keep their body temperatures from elevating unnecessarily. In the wintertime, they’ll eat more and put on that winter coat, building up fat reserves to keep their body warmer. A body that’s digesting food is warmer than one that’s not digesting food. That’s why you see a frisky animal in that first cool snap; they’re getting their blood pumping and trying to raise their body temperature a bit. So supplement their environments by adding extra bedding, a heat source, to shelter from the elements. In the summertime, they can thermoregulate and, and provide enough self care on their own without a lot of input from us.” Just the threat of a hurricane can involve intense planning for the animals’ safety. Zoosiana warehouses a equipment and supplies to have on hand because they can’t risk a store being out of stock of something they need, or a store not being able to reopen quickly after a storm. So if it’s a heater or tools to repair water lines, animal feed, etc., the zoo keeps an inventory on hand. They prepare as we do at home, so anything that can fly around, benches, picnic tables, etc. are all tied down, The animals have shelters. They can go in, but some stay outside. The birds that are normally very talkative get very quiet. Matt says, “they can feel that the change in the pressure coming from the hurricane and with 45 acres and a thousand animals, hurricane prep can take days. We do everything we can that would allow us to remain open as long as we can. But at some point, what we have to do kind of forces our hand and we close. And so we’ll close typically a day or two prior to the expected arrival of a storm, because we’ve got animals that are off exhibit, no benches anywhere for people to sit on and our own staff needs to take care of their own homes.” In the springtime the zoo puts on a spring themed Easter event. We decorate the zoo, give candy to the kids, have a photo op. In October, “Boo at the Zoo” with festive fall decorations, a costume contest, a photo booth, and candy is held. We thank Matt and George Oldenburg and the whole team at Zoosiana for providing this precious resource to all of Acadiana! Please consider joining so we can keep this privately-owned zoo in our community for generations to come!…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Acadiana Advocate Business Editor Adam Daigle Shares Biggest Business News of 2024 48:44
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Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate, discusses the biggest business news of 2024 in this episode of Discover Lafayette. We want to thank the Advocate for highlighting our latest podcast each week in their online Business Section. You can subscribe online at theadvocate.com/newsletters to keep up with our community’s latest business headlines. The # 1 story in 2024, without a doubt, is the announcement that Buc’ees will be opening at the northeast corner of Louisiana Avenue and Interstate 10. Rumored for years, this will be a major draw for motorists traveling along I-10, and most of the sales taxes paid will be collected from out-of-towners. When people travel, Buc-ees is a destination as well as a place to fill up the tank. The new site is projected to be a 74,000-square-foot building, complete with gas pumps and nearly 700 parking spaces, and the store is estimated to be a 13-month build, opening during the 2025 holiday season. The closest Buc-ees to Lafayette is either Alabama or Baytown, TX, so Lafayette can anticipate a heavily-trafficked spot for people looking for that golden Buc-ees’ experience. I talked to a convenience store analyst, and he said, “Buc’ees takes everything you hate about traveling, removes it, and replaces it with what you love about traveling. You want to stop there because you’ll never wait in line for a gas pump. You want to go there because you know the bathroom is clean. You want to go there because they’ve got unique snacks and not Cheetos that every other place has. You get a brisket sandwich or a hot dog with the gas station. They’ve just flipped the whole concept on its head.” There’s a Tax-Increment Financing (“TIF”) district already in place that dates back to when Stirling Properties originally built the Target Shopping Center across I-10 from where Buc-ees will be located. At the time, there was no water or sewer lines and the project was only feasible with this type of government assistance to cover the massive infrastructure needs. The TIF was paid off quicker than anticipated and is still in play today. To accommodate the Buc-ee’s deal, a subdistrict was created, which will tax 2% of all sales, including gasoline purchases. While some question the need for TIF districts, this is a trend that has been taking place all across the U. S., and it is a negotiating tool that jurisdictions utilize to attract big business such as Buc-ees, Bass Pro, and other large retailers. As Adam says, “That is what you do to land the big boys. You got to pay for it.” The # 2 story is the passing of Richard Zuschlag, Chairman and CEO of Acadian Companies. When he started his business in the early 70s with Roland Dugas and Richard Sturlese, funeral homes were dispatched to pick up people who were ill, and they were transported in a hearse. This was the era prior to ambulances and the trio identified a huge gap in the healthcare market. Zuschlag was the driving force in the company’s growth, and he was also literally a driver of an ambulance in the early days. He attended all of the police jury and city council meetings to meet with people and get agreements signed. Acadian Ambulance would hold membership drives that ran on television, where people paid a fee to ensure that an ambulance would pick them up. Over the years, Zuschlag became the principal behind Acadian and the company experience extraordinary growth, opening up it National EMS Academy, Acadian Total Security, Air Med, Safety Management Systems, Executive Aircraft Charter Service, and Acadian Health (home healthcare services.) The late Richard Zuschlag, who founded Acadian Ambulance and served as Chairman and CEO of Acadian Companies. Today, Acadian Companies is an employee-owned company with 5200 employees in four states. Zuschlag’s memory lives on through his family, and his son, Blaise, serves as Executive V. P. and Chief Administrative Officer. The # 3 story of the year is the opening of Superior Grill at 2320 Kaliste Saloom Road. The restaurant is wildly successful, with the positive reaction of people being off the charts. The core of Lafayette’s activity has been gravitation to South Lafayette, in the area of River Ranch, Youngsville, and Broussard. People meet to eat and spend lots of their money. Outside investors have see the strength of our market, and where the money and demand is. When Topgolf came in, according to Adam, “That put Lafayette on people’s radar. It’s the strength of our market, and people from the outside are putting up their radar.” Superior Grill spared no expense in detail when designing and building the restaurant. Old brick, electric doors from Turkey, Mexican tile patterns, exquisite glass. The site is in a prime location where the former Randol’s Restaurant was situated, and is now a dominant force in our restaurant market. The #4 story is the $19 million, full-service, 83 room boutique hotel to be built downtown at the former Don’s Seafood location. Sans Souci Properties is the owner and managed by Lafayette business owners Gus Rezende, Ryan Pecot, BJ Crist and John Peterson. Adam says it is significant to have local people invest that much money in a project of this magnitude, and to do so with our town’s best interest in mind. The project is slated to begin in the first quarter of 2025, and will be built by the Thrash Group out of Hattiesburg, MS which has experience with this kind of unique hotel concept. The hotel will feature a restaurant space, an outdoor pool and 2,500-square-foot event spaces. The #5 story is Waitr filing for bankruptcy. Waitr was Lafayette’s shining story of success in entrepreneurship. Adam explained in these type of startups, the goal is to invest, hit success within eight years, and then to sell, to cash out, “Where some big shot comes along and says, ‘I’ll pay you $300 million for it. Everybody gets paid and more. Then they go on to something else.” But Waitr did it in only five years and was a huge success when it was managed locally. It was out in front of the trend of DoorDash. The turning point for Waitr was when it purchased Bite Squad. The exiting local private board advised against the purchase, but the incoming public board wanted to grow the company’s national footprint fast. It turned out that Bite Squad was hemorrhaging money, $3 million per month, in a declining market share. Adam shared that Joe Stough, an angel investor who was on the private Waitr board, gave him one of his best quotes of the year. “It was like attaching an anchor to the company.” Waitr had been doing fine before the Bite Squad purchase, but things slowly unraveled and now Waitr is shut down in bankruptcy. The silver lining is that all the people who were at Waitr went through an incredible learning process, gathering institutional knowledge of startups and how to how to make things work. They stayed in Lafayette, and one of them, Joe Stough is now a principal at FlyGuys, which specializes in contract drone operations worldwide. For our Business Person of the Year, Adam selected John Tomassini, owner and proprietor of Jet Coffee, a rising local star in the coffee market. John played baseball at Oregon State, and “when his sister married a Louisiana guy she said, you got to come down here, it’s great. So he did.” Tommasini had a vision to start a coffee shop and his first was down the road in Maurice. Next came Broussard, then Ambassador Town Center by Dave & Busters with its rooftop lookout, and now its newest location on Johnston Street in the former Johnson Street Java locale. Jet Coffee owner John Tommasini and manager Gabby Constant. Jet Coffee appeals to the young adult crowd which craves its energy drinks. The incredible part of his story is that he had to elbow his way into this market as a guy who’s not from here. His manager, Gabby Constant, shared that when she met him for an interview, he talked about Jet Coffee as if it had been open for ten years; he was had that much of a vision. Customer service comes first and Tommasini promotes from within, hiring people from the ground up and developing them into management talent. Jet even has its own roasting facility in Lafayette. We congratulate John Tommasini on his success and wish him the best as Jet Coffee continues its growth trajectory. Adam and the Acadiana Advocate run their Power Poll once a month. People can sign up to answer questions on their opinions about the latest news. For more information, visit https://www.powerpoll.com/la/lafayette . As we wound down our conversation, Adam shared a few other tidbits of developments. Starbucks is moving into the former Capital One building in the Stirling Shopping Center on Louisiana Avenue. The third Aldi store in Lafayette will be built across the street from Walmart on Ambassador Caffery. Amazon quietly expanded their employee base in Carencro to 1400. They originally projected 500 people. And, movie theaters are hanging in there with their $5 cup of Skittles and $8 popcorn offering families and friends the whole big screen experience where you can pop your feet up. Stuller is still the biggest non-healthcare employer in Lafayette. We thank Adam Daigle for his commitment to delivering the best business news! We look forward to a prosperous 2025. Happy Holidays!…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Sweet Envie’s Mel Haynes – Entrepreneur Offering Sweet and Savory Delights with Love 46:23
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In this episode of Discover Lafayette , we feature Mel Haynes, owner and proprietor of Sweet Envie, a delightful bakery and deli located at 4302 Moss Street in North Lafayette. Mel brings a beautiful sense of joy and humor into our world and shares her inspirational story of becoming a successful business owner who follows her instincts. Since opening in 2021, Sweet Envie has become beloved for its heavenly pastries, confections, and a menu that caters to both sweet and savory cravings. Mel’s journey is one of passion, resilience, and community, as she found and followed her calling after a career in corporate management. A graduate of the Accelerate Northside Program, Mel transitioned from her management role at Acadian Companies to entrepreneurship, fulfilling a dream that began as a conversation with her late husband as to what her future would hold. Inspired by her mother’s talent for baking and informed by her mom’s recipes, Mel honed her craft, from decorating wedding cakes to mastering the art of petit fours. “Eventually I want to get to the point where I’m not working in my business as much. If my seven year old Samuel has an event at school. I don’t have to ask anybody if I can go. I don’t have to say, mother, may I? I’m going. so that’s freedom. That feels so good that I can just say, you know what? The kids have something going on. I’m one of those moms that’s involved. If the teacher calls me, I’ll be there in a second. I’m going to make sure that it’s wonderful. Whatever I need to do for my kids. They are my first priority because if it weren’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be. I’d probably still be working another job, but being able to wake up and go to work and show my daughter, my 12 year old daughter. You know what? If you decide one day you want to run your business, you can run your own business.” Today, Sweet Envie offers not only baked goods but also a retail baking supply store and catering services, bringing smiles to clients throughout Acadiana. Sweet Envie won accolades in 2024 for Gold Best Deli, Bronze Best Bakery, and Silver Best Dessert in the Acadiana Advocate’s Acadiana’s Choice Awards. Highlights from the Conversation: The Spark: Mel shares how her passion for baking was ignited while creating her “huge castle” wedding cake with her mother and later through baking for coworkers. Leap of Faith: Following the loss of her husband and with a newborn on the way, Mel took a chance on herself, joining the Accelerator Northside program to gain the tools needed to launch Sweet Envie. Challenges & Joys of Entrepreneurship: Mel discusses the highs and lows of running a business—from the freedom to attend her children’s events to the challenges of wearing all hats, including maintenance and accounting. Community Impact: Sweet Envie provides a welcoming space where families and children can explore their own creativity. Whether decorating cakes or learning how to fry beignets, Mel inspires future generations. Catering Services: Sweet Envie offers both savory and sweet catering options for groups ranging from 5 to 300 people, with onsite food truck services provided by Mel’s fiancé, “Big Nick.” Sweet Envie Favorites: Signature cinnamon rolls Chicken salad Petit fours Fried-to-order beignets Mel credits her faith, compassion, and authenticity as the foundation of her success. She encourages listeners to embrace their dreams and let go of imposter syndrome, reminding us all that we are capable of achieving greatness. As Mel says, “You have to get out of your own way. That is a big thing that a lot of people suffer from. That imposter syndrome where you don’t think that you’re good enough to run your own business. You know, I saw X, Y, and Z do it. How can I do it? I’m not half as good, half as smart, half as talented. When in fact, you are just as good, just as smart, just as talented. I don’t ever use any of those excuses such as ‘because I’m this or I’m that, I won’t be able to make it. If you don’t get out there, you’ll never make it.” Thank You: This special episode is made possible by Lafayette Travel and Eat Lafayette , who continue to support local entrepreneurs shaping the culinary landscape of Acadiana. To visit Sweet Envie or place a catering order, stop by 4302 Moss Street, Lafayette, call (337) 344-4425, or follow on Facebook for updates and inspiration.…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Acadiana Center for the Arts’ Sam Oliver, Executive Director, and Taylor Davis, Board President 53:57
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The Acadiana Center for the Arts’ Sam Oliver, Executive director, and Taylor Davis, Board President, join Discover Lafayette to discuss the AcA’s 50th anniversary approaching, the superb programming they offer our community, and discuss upcoming events. The Acadiana Arts Council, the organization that later evolved into the Acadiana Center for the Arts (AcA), was established in 1975. It began as a regional arts organization focused on promoting and supporting the arts throughout Acadiana. Over the years, the Council expanded its vision and programming, eventually leading to the creation of the AcA as its permanent home on November 1, 2010. The AcA, at its core, is the Arts Council for the region, that offers Lafayette and the Acadiana region something you would expect in a larger metropolitan area: incredible performances from all over the world, high production quality shows, and the promotion of local and regional artists. It is a space for visual arts, performing arts, music, dance, and theatre. It is also a gathering place for social events, debates and forums for political occasions, and civic presentations that benefit the entire community. Sam has served as Executive Director for six years. You can hear our original interview with Sam here where we discussed his educational background and what led him to serve the AcA. Taylor has served on the board the past ten years and was first exposed to the AcA at its first show ever which brought Lyle Lovett to Lafayette. Taylor says his service is “a labor of love,” and he and his wife, Yvette regularly go out to see and enjoy live music. The James Devin Moncus Theater offers a superb sound system that was upgraded this year, with a seating capacity of 304 seats, “and there is really not a bad seat in the house!” It’s a great time to join or renew your AcA membership as you receive early bird access to tickets for 2025’s in-demand performances before they open for sale to the general public. Yearly memberships begin at $35 a year with higher levels for those who want to support the organization at a higher level. The AcA’s 2025’s Louisiana Crossroads series will showcase performers such as Steve Khan, Louis Michot, and C.J. Chenier celebrating the 100 th birthday of Clifton Chenier. Scott Mulvahill, a Nashville based singer, songwriter and bass player, will be leading a full album length playthrough of Paul Simon’s Graceland album, which featured Acadiana artists with Zydeco and accordion music. George Porter Jr. will round out the year. January 2025 will be kicked off with a two-night concert “The Roots of Fire Live,” bringing local Cajun and Creole together live on stage to perform, Other big name acts will include Lucinda Williams, Andrew Duhon, Ruthie Foster, and Kat Higgins, Several perks are being offered to enhance your AcA experience. Parking is always a challenge downtown, so the AcA is introducing free parking with a ticket at the parking lot across from Chase Tower on Jefferson Street. If you’re planning dinner and drinks after a show, the AcA has partnered with downtown restaurants such as Vestal and Pop’s Poboys who are doing pre-show discounts on meals. The Aca has also partnered with restaurants such as Pamplona and Ton’s Downtown who will stay open later on show nights to offer post-show cocktails, In order to ensure a lineup of performances which pleases its patrons, the AcA put out a survey asking for the types of acts desired by the community. Putting together a 50th anniversary season “had to be not just good, but something that our audience and our supporters really resonate with. We actually put out a survey where we said to members of ACA, tell us what you want to see”, Sam Oliver said. In honor of the upcoming 50 th anniversary of AcA, on December 7, 2024, the Pelican Ball will honor five people who have made an impact over the course of its existence. One of the founders of the Acadiana Center for the Arts, Janet Begneaud, was an active participant in the original Arts Council in 1975, and will be recognized for her early work in creating the organization while a volulnteer with the Lafayette Junior league, which was which was very involved in the founding. Begneaud has remained involved throughout the past 50 years as a member and a board. Sharon Moss, a generous philanthropist and supporter of the arts in Lafayette will also be honored, along with Todd Mouton, who founded the Louisiana Crossroads series 24 years ago as an educational forum. Cathy Webre and Jody Nederveld, who played big parts in the creation of the Downtown Development District and the Downtown Cultural District, with the streetscaping of Jefferson Street, the planting of beautiful cypress trees and creative placemaking work through the 80s and 90s will also be honored. A highlight of the Pelican Ball each year is the auctioning off of two special pelicans: one is pre-decorated and the other, known as “the Ghost,” will be available to the highest bidder. The blank pelican is always very desirable because it offers the opportunity to have a pelican custom-made by an artist to suit the winner’s dream of what their pelican should represent. Artie was purchased in 2023 as a Ghost Pelican through the Acadiana Center for the Arts by Annie and Joe Spell and then commissioned by Tides Medical’s Sarah Marr. According to Tides Medical’s Facebook Page, “Artie, in his wisdom, is a pelican of many talents and curiosities. He meditates daily, enjoys the harmonica, is pursuing a master’s in philosophy, and winds down with an ice-cold IPA at the local microbrewery. We are so proud to house him at our headquarters to inspire all who see him to “ride the wave that is life.” There are currently 89 Pelicans on Parade showcased around town. The idea originally began to recognize the schools where the AcA’s programs were active, and students participated in decorating them. Soon, business owners and people around the community said, ‘I want a pelican.’ So the AcA introduced the pelicans as something that businesses could sponsor as a way to provide support for the AcA’s art and education work. The annual Pelican Ball is the only venue where you can access the opportunity to bid on your own pelican. Admission to the Pelican Ball on December 7 is $125 per ticket. Dress is black tie optional, but “dancing shoes are mandatory!” Besides the Pelican Ball, the AcA hosts two yearly signature events: Gulf Brew in October and a Spring Jazz Brunch hosted at the beautiful home of Kip and Carolyn Schumacher. Throughout each year, there are 100 events held at the AcA.. The Louisiana Music Museum is a big project in the works, with construction to begin in 2025. It will be located immediately next door to the ACA in the Lafayette Hardware Store, the oldest commercial building in downtown Lafayette which is listed on the National Historic Register. The project commenced in 2021 and significant progress has been made on the design. Jane Vidrine was recently hired as the Director. A capital campaign to raise $10 million is underway. Sam Oliver speaking in front of the former Lafayette Hardware Store, soon to be the Louisiana Music Museum. Sam says, “This project is about telling the story of Louisiana’s music and musicians who have made an impact on the whole world through melodies that resonate throughout the world. But today, there is really no home to share these stories. So we want to build a place to connect people back to this place and our culture, to have a place where people can visit and go further and find something new. To really help the local person understand the impact of our culture and be proud of it. We want to tell these stories from the lens of Acadiana and talk about those connections and the story of community, the people and places, traditions, struggle and strife, joy and celebration, and how music is an essential part of all those things.” “I would really like to communicate how important our cultural economy is to this community. Festival Acadiens, Festival International, all the many festivals that we have. This is not just fun and games. This is our economy. We talk about oil and gas or medical economies. But the cultural economy is so unique to Louisiana. When we talk about the Louisiana Music Museum, this is going to be a big conversation of how we can share our cultural economy with the world,” says Taylor Davis, Board President of the AcA. AcA brings equitable access to the arts through year-round education and outreach activities and aims to build a more sustainable cultural ecosystem for future generations in Acadiana across an eight-parish region that includes Acadia, Evangeline, Iberia, Lafayette, St. Landry, St. Martin, St. Mary, and Vermilion Parishes. Arts in Education is one of the most significant contributions AcA makes in our community, touching the lives of 40,000 children in 89 schools throughout Acadiana and education committee. PACE (Primary Academic and Creative Experiences) assists schools in teaching the arts and teaching other academic areas through the arts. Each year, AcA’s team of Teaching Artists provide lessons in 546 preK–3rd grade classrooms on a weekly basis. Teaching Artists conduct arts integrated classes that advance state standard curriculum in Science and Social Studies through engaging activities rooted in visual art and dance. PACE is based on the idea that children learn in a variety of ways. Speaking on the importance of the AcA providing access to arts education to 40,000 children each year, Sam Oliver says, “Only with that access can you create that spark that can turn into a real fire of passion, but it could not be possible at all without that exposure. So we’re not there to provide the the air for the fire, the oxygen for the entire life. But we are there to help provide the spark.” ACA teaching artists who are professional artists in a variety of disciplines such as visual arts, music, dance, theater go into those schools and teach. These lessons offer courses that those schools couldn’t otherwise offer due to limited budgets. The Student Arts Expo is a one day festival each Spring where the AcA brings in students to perform or exhibit their visual artwork. It is the premier arts event in where you can get a glimpse of all of the best artworks created by the students educated by the AcA Teaching Artists each school year. The public can walk in to tour the AcA and check out its exhibits for $10 general admission. One great exhibit currently up through January 2025 is the George Loli exhibition. A well-kept secret is that you can go the Lafayette Parish Public Library and check out passes to the AcA, as well as to Vermilionville, the Science Museum, and the Hillard Museum. For more information, visit https://acadianacenterforthearts.org/…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Short and Fat’s Blake Adams and Jeff Martin 52:28
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Our guests today are Jeff Martin and Blake Adams, creators and proprietors of Short and Fat, a unique custom men’s clothing line. While there are plenty of options out there for plus sizes, big and tall, and regular, there just aren’t traditionally that many for, well, someone who may be short and fat. Short and Fat originated in 2017 as Jeff and Blake’s response to a lack of clothing options for men who are “short and fat”. Their online store focuses on a subscription-based service for men’s custom shirts with hundreds of choices for customers. Shirts can be ordered on their website, https://shortandfat.com/ and have a one-month turnaround. Customers are shown nine videos which demonstrate the correct way to measure yourself and Short and Fat takes these measurements to make a perfectly tailored shirt! There are nine different cuffs and collars to choose from, as well as a choice of pocket, button color, button stitching, and shirt fabric. Jeff Martin tells us they are “custom built shirts for custom built men” which will give their customers confidence in their appearance. https://youtu.be/OsNeqgrmFME They have found five pain points for men’s dress shirts: collars, shoulder seams, sleeve length, shirt length, and something they call the “belly wink”. Blake describes it as the moment where someone’s shirt is too tight, and the buttonhole opens and “winks” at you. Short and Fat addresses these pain points with the 3 important variables to feeling more confident: fit, fabric, and fashion. They want the shirts to fit well, with over 1200 fabrics to choose from while also adding the fashion aspect with small details like buttons. The custom shirts, manufactured in Bangkok and shipped directly to Short and Fat, are all wrinkle free, aside from the linen, and customers don’t have to tuck in their shirt if they don’t want to. The average Short and Fat customer stays with the business for a long time, because once the shirt fits perfectly, the measurements and customizations are saved. The subscription service allows customers to receive custom shirts they know will fit well on a quarterly basis. Blake Adams has a “no bullshirt guarantee” that if a shirt doesn’t fit perfectly, they’ll retry until they get it right. Blake’s customer service is one reason why the business made it through the pandemic after production shut down. He kept customers up to date and made sure they received the shirts they were owed once production picked up again. Blake also uses a one-on-one approach with customers for their custom blazers and suits. Suits and blazers cannot be ordered on their website yet, but Blake will assist customers in creating the perfect suit through email. He helps with fabric, accent color, and gives advice to first time customers when creating their suit or blazer. The idea for the business began when Jeff Martin was shopping in the “big and tall” section of the men’s department store. He had trouble getting a shirt to fit his neck and said, “I’m not big and tall, I’m short and fat”. Later, he met Blake at a Catholic retreat where they shared their similar struggles with men’s shirts. Blake was on board immediately, the two entrepreneurs launched a Kickstarter campaign, and Short and Fat was born as a way to help men who are “vertically challenged and horizontally blessed.” Now they say that they are a startup with eight years of experience since COVID shut them down for nine months. Short and Fat is a passion project for Jeff Martin and Blake Adams, and Jeff says, “we know our customer; we are our customer”. This passion is apparent from their dedication to making clothes that men want to wear and that fit them. https://youtu.be/RXvS7JQSLZA Learn more at https://shortandfat.com/ . Their hilarious and informative videos can be found on their YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok which are all @shortandfat.…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Bayou Teche Museum Celebrates Inaugural Music on Main Fundraiser 36:11
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Becky Collins and Jennifer Joseph, volunteers with the Bayou Teche Museum in New Iberia, join Discover Lafayette to discuss the museum’s inaugural fundraising musical event, Music On Main, taking place November 21, 2024. Located at the Bayou Teche Trading Company, Music on Main will be filled with food, music, and fun! The two bands performing are The Eighties Experience, an 80’s and 90’s tribute band, and 5 th Avenue, playing R&B, country, and zydeco music. Co-chair member Jennifer Joseph says, “we’re also going to be combining music with laughter” and Jerrod Guillory, a local comedian, will certainly bring laughs to the event. Music On Main is a casual event that takes place both indoors and outdoors so Jennifer says “come as you want,” but get there early because there is a capacity limit. The first band starts at 7pm; doors open at 6pm. Attendees can park in Bouligny Plaza or across from the Bayou Teche Trading Company. Admission is $60 per person, and tickets can be purchased on their website , their Facebook page, or at the door at the event. The museum is also asking for sponsors to donate to the fundraiser in one of 3 tiers: The Bronze level at $250 will receive 2 complimentary tickets, Silver at $500 will receive 4 tickets, and Gold at $1000 will receive 8 tickets. All proceeds will go towards expansion of the museum, namely the “Doc” Voorhies wing, and improvements to the exhibits. When there isn’t a fun-filled music event, the Bayou Teche Museum is open from 10-4 on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. There is an admission fee, but Veteran’s tickets are free so Becky and Jennifer urge Veterans to check out the museum. The Bayou Teche Museum at 131 E. Main Street, opened in 2010, and displays historic exhibits and art from New Iberia and the surrounding areas. Becky Collins states the museum’s mission: “Our mission is simple: Education, preservation, and engagement”. It reflects the excitement of New Iberia as well as the rich history of the towns along the Bayou Teche. As proof of her love New Iberia, Becky tells us, “I could live anywhere in the United States…we choose to live there because it is such an exciting place”. The museum serves as a bridge to bring the community together, and with a diverse board of directors, they are open to any suggestions to improve the museum. Going with their mission of engaging with the community, the museum wants to include members from pre-school as well as those from nursing homes and assisted living. The museum is hoping to add more interactive exhibits with the funds from the music event. When you step into the museum, there is a timeline that starts all the way back to 10000 BC where it traces the earliest Native Americans through New Iberia. It also includes artifacts and pottery from 400 AD connected to the Atakapa tribe. The timeline ends in 2013 as the museum was opening. There are several interesting artifacts thanks to the generous donations from the community. The Exhibit Acquisition Committee is in charge of going through these donations and determining if they have a purpose and fit the meaning of the museum. Some special exhibits include stories from Beyonce and Solange Knowles, who have connections to New Iberia, as part of their music area, and the painting that George Rodrigue was working on when he died. Becky Collins also tells us about her favorite exhibit, the Salt Mine. In this part of the museum, guests can step into an elevator and “it simulates what it would be like to ride down to the bottom of the salt mine”. It involves a fully immersive experience, including a lever that triggers a dynamite explosion. Exciting and interesting exhibits such as these are possible through generous donations from the community, so they urge those interested to join them on November 21 st for Music On Main. For more information, reach out to bayoutechemuseum@gmail.com .…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 Mia and Rob Sandberg, Proprietors of Root Floral and Lucia 55:53
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Our guests today are Mia and Rob Sandberg, husband and wife, and a dynamic duo of entrepreneurship! Mia is the proprietor of Root Floral on Jefferson Street in Downtown Lafayette, 810 Jefferson Street. The shop is open Tuesday – Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. unless an event taking place.. Her company specializes in providing floral arrangements for events, weddings, and everyday flowers. They offer a subscription service where you can sign up to give periodical gifts of flowers to that special someone. Open for walk-in arrangements, Root Floral’s stock varies from day to day, so Mia advises people to order online or call ahead if they can. Big events like weddings can affect the in-store supply so it’s best to place an order well in advance. Rob is the proprietor of Lucia, a bakery that offers not only delicious pastries but baked goods that offer a feast for the eyes! One look at their website will have you running to Lucia, located at 607 Kaliste Saloom Road. Lucia started out as a small batch, from-scratch bakery that began doing popups in our downtown area in late 2020, selling brioche-stuffed donuts (bombolonis) and then slowly began adding laminated pastries to the rotational menu. Lucia now concentrates on viennoise-style baking, a form of pastry made famous in France with origins in Vienna. Mia proudly shares the expansion of her online event collections, which now includes 21 color palettes to choose from. This is a great option for a bride who just needs basic items or those who don’t want to go through the whole process of meeting. These collections can be used for bridal showers, baby showers, Christmas parties, or any special occasion. It’s also a great way for clients on a budget to order flower arrangements. For clients worried about costs, Mia says that Root Floral will work with clients on a budget to help them achieve a beautiful arrangement for their special day. She explains that for pricing, they “price everything out by the stem” and “use a system called curate”. This is helpful for adjusting the number and types of flowers based on a client’s budget. Mia graduated from the UL-Lafayette with a degree in interior design in 2008. She is passionate about color, texture and proportions, which she says helps her now in making her floral arrangements. After graduating, she took various jobs in product design and interior design in Dallas, Texas. She also was a waitress as Toulouse, the same restaurant Rob worked as a pastry chef. When the couple moved back to Lafayette in 2012, Rob was the one who suggested she open a flower shop. So, she began creating and sharing her creations inside of a small portable storage building at her parent’s house in Cecilia. For a year she says she was “sending arrangements to as many businesses as I could”, like Carpe Diem or Kiki, to promote her work. She attributes good photography, Facebook, and her unique arrangements for her success. In the beginning she says, “there was lots of spray paint”. Within a year, she outgrew that location and moved to downtown Lafayette. Now she continues to provide beautiful flowers for events across Lafayette. It is an understatement to say that her company began to flourish; Root Floral has even been written up in Martha Stewart Living! Lucía, a boulangerie and viennoiserie located at 607 Kaliste Saloom Road near St. Pius was opened by Rob Sandberg in 2021. He began in the bakery business by doing popups and later selling pastries at the Moncus Park farmer’s market where his brother Ruben Sandberg came on board. Lucía sold out each Saturday for about 2 years before Lucia opened on Kaliste Saloom. Rob says in the early days, he and Mia converted their sunroom into a bakery where their were frying donuts and making custards. Pastries and floral bouquets showcased at Lucia Mother’s Day weekend 2024. A wonderful partnership between Mia and Rob Sandberg. Lucía is open Wednesday – Saturday from 8 – 2, but Rob says, “we close when we sell out so usually, we don’t make it to 2”. The bakery is full of beautiful and delicious Viennese style pastries, croissants, Danishes, Bomboloni, lemon tarts and more. It’s a cozy atmosphere with 6 tables inside and outdoor seating available, although Saturdays are almost always busy, so Rob mentions the best times to go are from 8 – 11! The recipes are all created by Rob and his brother Ruben and he says, “we make everything from scratch”. Lucia Bakehouse Rob got his start in 2008 where he attended a 2-year culinary school in Dallas, Texas. He describes his love of the “artistic side of cooking” and began working in a French restaurant (Toulouse) as a pastry chef making lots of souffles and as a garde manger making salads. When the couple moved back to Lafayette in 2012, Rob got a job as a line cook working for Jolies. He then worked in restaurants that were just starting up, like Pop’s Po’boys. He notes that, “most restaurants I’ve worked in, I’ve worked in from the beginning”. He then took a break from restaurants and helped Mia with Root Floral for about a year. During the pandemic, Rob decided he wanted to get back into baking and “wanted to do something different that no one else is really doing”. And he had no experience at that time baking pastries yet mastered hir craft beautifully. A few years later, Lucía Bakehouse is selling out within hours, constantly improving their menu and creating delicious treats. Rob’s advice to up and coming entrepreneurs is to be careful with your funds. He obtained a $35,000 loan from Home Bank and utilized some of the couple’s savings. It is difficult to obtain loans as a newly minted business and never a good idea to get in over your head in debt. To learn more about Lucía, visit https://lucialafayette.com/ or go to their Instagram @luciabakehouse. To learn more about Root Floral, visit their website or Instagram @rootfloraldesign.…
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Discover Lafayette
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1 On Track by 5 Alliance – You Can Support Early Childhood Education Through Louisiana State Tax Credits 55:33
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Dr. Shannon Bernard and Michelle Luquette, representatives of On Track by 5 Alliance for the Lafayette Parish Public School System, join Discover Lafayette to discuss their department’s mission to improve the quality and access of early care and education for children from birth to age 5 years of age. The research is clear: 90% of brain development occurs before age 5. Great work is being done to improve early childhood educational options for young people which is being funded through School Readiness Tax Credits and the generosity of Lafayette businesses. You can actually designate up to $5,000.00 of your state tax dollars that are owed each year to go to On Track by 5 Alliance, and then get a refundable tax credit of that same amount. How does this work? In January of 2008, Louisiana established a package of refundable state tax credits for businesses designed to support quality child care pursuant to LA R. S. 47:6107. A business is defined as any for-profit or not for-profit entity, which includes sole proprietors, partnerships, limited liability corporations, and corporations. Your CPA can help you file for this refund if you give them a heads up before filing your tax documents. See below for Michelle Luquette’s contact information to ask questions on this detail. How to Claim the School Readiness Tax Credit for Businesses? To file the SRTC for businesses: a) Filing Individually: complete tax form IT-540; b) Filing as a corporation or franchise: complete tax form CIFT-620; c) Filing for non-profit organization: complete tax form CIFT – 620. These tax credits provide businesses with a dollar-for-dollar credit of up to $5000 for donations made to Child Care Resource and Referral agencies that are contracted by the Department of Education. On Track by 5 Alliance is such an agency and your contributions go directly to benefit children that live in Lafayette Parish. You can make this designation each and every year, get a tax refund, and know that your money is being dedicated to early childhood educational efforts for our must vulnerable and in-need young people. Pictures above were taken when Ochsner’s Lafayette General adopted Campbell Academy Childcare Center. Ochsner’s Lafayette General participates in the School Readiness Tax Credit as a non-profit, giving OTb5 $5000 contribution per entity in its health system and in return Ochsner’s entities get their contribution back with the dollar-for-dollar refundable tax credit program. These dollars are invested directly into our publicly funded childcare centers and Campbell Academy was able to get a Frog Street Pre-K curriculum. OTb5’s mission is to have all children in Lafayette Parish kindergarten ready! Paul Molbert said this is part of their “Healthy State” initiative as education is one of the key components of improving the healthcare status of our citizens. The School Readiness Tax Credit and ON TRACK programs here in Lafayette are so special because they serve learning centers and programs only in Lafayette Parish. Lafayette applied to be a Childcare Resource and Referral Agency just for Lafayette parish, so businesses know their dollars are staying in the parish and serving local centers when they designate . This tax credit not only boosts the economy by investing money back into the parish, but also ensures that children will become contributing members of society. In Lafayette Parish there are 58 publicly funded centers (meaning they accept childcare tax dollar assistance) and over 100 centers total which service over 6,000 children. Some publicly funded centers include Gifted Early Learning Center, Little Blessings, Little Miracles, and LA 4 (a public pre-school). In a typical school day, children are learning through play, such as dramatic play, sensory play, and manipulatives. Manipulatives are tools like string beads for counting and puzzles which develop the child’s fine motor skills. They are also being taught social-emotional skills that are critical for development and will set the child up for the next stage in their life. The children at these schools may not otherwise learn life skills and will enter kindergarten way behind their peers. This program is a life changer for many young people who are intelligent and gifted but need a hand-up while being provided a safe learning environment. Early childcare is much more than just babysitting, which is a common misconception about the On Track by 5 programs. Children are taught by qualified teachers who go through yearly training to continually provide quality care and education to the children. Providers are registered with the state and can take up to six children in their home from birth to 5 years old. There are also several Head Start programs and pre-schools in Lafayette that On Track by 5 works with. Parents are encouraged to be involved in the process of choosing a program and deciding what is best for their family and children. Dr. Bernard tells parents, “Don’t be afraid to say, ‘can I come and see the facility?’, don’t be afraid to ask questions”. Parents know their children the best, so they can give vital information on their child and what ON TRACK can do for them. Parents can visit www.enrolllafayette.com for more information and to apply for programs in Lafayette parish. They can also go online to the Louisiana Department of Education and search for programs by address. Here they can learn about learning centers near them, with information on classroom ratios, qualified teachers, curriculum, hours, and more. So how do parents learn about their options when it comes to early childcare and education? There are three main divisions in the early education department: LA 4 programs, Lafayette Ready Start, and ON TRACK by 5. Each division serves a different purpose and can help guide parents in making the right choices for their children. Dr. Bernard describes Ready Start as the access piece, where parents can start the process of finding the perfect fit, while ON TRACK is the quality piece. This is where they can give referrals to parents after determining the best program to care for the child. Background on our guests : Michelle Luquette, Child Care Resource & Referral Marketing Specialist, began her work in the Lafayette school system in 2017. Her background was in marketing, but then she went back to school as a non-traditional student and graduated at 36 years old. After graduating, she focused her time on working at a for-profit college helping non-traditional students, guiding them through resume writing and finding jobs after graduating. This inspired her to pursue a career in early education. Ms. Luquette joined the team for ON TRACK by 5 because she believes “early childcare…plays a huge part and critical role in our lives”. Dr. Shannon Bernard grew up in Lafayette and graduated from Northside High. She earned her Masters and Doctorate from the UL – Lafayette. Dr. Bernard says that early education “help set the foundation for our earliest learners” which is one reason why she is so involved in aiding the youngest group in our society. Her background is in non-profit work, serving families of children with disabilities, low-income families, and those who are disadvantaged. Bradley Beck State Farm Agency in front of Nite Owls Childcare after adopting it , When adopting a learning center, a sign will be put up in front of the center in honor of the donor. A sign will also be placed in front of the business to show their support and dedication to early leaning in Lafayette. Businesses will also get the chance to visit their adopted center and help deliver the materials that are bought with their generous donation. Dr. Bernard remarks on how excited the children get when they see the mountain of boxes that are delivered to their center. Donations to learning centers go towards materials like books, manipulatives like puzzles and counting beads, and even outdoor learning materials like sand tables. Money is also set aside to provide monthly training for teachers, coaches, and staff so they can stay updated on the best practices for educating children. Ms. Luquette says that “over the past 8 years with the tax credit and the ready start program, we’ve put over 300 curriculums in these classrooms” which is an astounding number that shows the importance of donations from local businesses. Delivering supplies to Truman after being adopted Businesses interested in donating can call Michelle Luquette at 337-521-7209 or go to https://sites.google.com/a/lpssonline.com/on-track-by-5 . When donating through the website, Ms. Luquette will be immediately notified and can begin preparing the paperwork for the donor’s CPA.…
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