Candidates get first test

JEANERETTE — Most of the men and women in the race for alderman had their first taste of the job Thursday when they were faced with answering to the people they seek to represent.

During a forum hosted by the Lambda Iota Zeta Chapter of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. at the King Joseph Recreation Center, hopeful representatives sat before a captive audience that hung onto every word uttered in hopes of leaving with a confirmed decision of who they will cast their vote for March 31.

Early voting starts Monday and ends Saturday. Hours are from 8:30 to 4:30 p.m.

Alderman-at-large

John A. Boudreaux, Clarence Clark, and Aprill Foulcard, all Democrats, were all introduced as candidates for the post of alderman at large.

Boudreaux made sure to add humor to his presentation. A well-accomplished effort led to audience members applauding his ambition to seek the post with nothing more than a plan to create programs for the youth to participate in.

“The children are our future, and that’s really all I want to do,” he said. “I just want to give our children a safe place to be and something productive to do while they are there.”

The Jeanerette native is a member of the Community Emergency Response Team in New Iberia, a board member of the Chamber of Commerce, a 17-year volunteer firefighter and is the assistant superintendent at the St. Mary Sugar Co-op where he has worked for 13 years.

Boudreaux said his family attends St. John Catholic Church and was voted family of the year in 2005.

The youngest candidate in the race, Clark has big plans if elected alderman at large.

As both a paid and volunteer firefighter since 2003, Clark said he believes the city is not getting the best protection as a direct result of what those responders are paid.

He explained to audience members the differences in hourly pay for each field to paint the picture of how little the officers are working for.

“I was paid $8.90 to take care of prisoners at the jail after they were taken off the street, and the people who were out picking up the prisoners weren’t making more than that,” he said.

He also discussed his want for more businesses and shopping centers. Clark recalled having a Winn-Dixie and a Piggly Wiggly but said now the city only has Robie’s which has monopolized the area.

Clark came under fire by employees of the Fruit of the Loom center who said they were unhappy with his plan to try to get other businesses to share the Jeanerette Mills building that currently houses Fruit of the Loom. He said the building is equipped to hold 2,000 employees, but is currently supporting half that amount.

He assured those employees that he does not intend to remove Fruit of the Loom or to cut current jobs, he does however want to see the building used to its maximum capacity.

Clark graduated from West St. Mary High School in 2004 and has since attended Grambling State University, South Louisiana Community College and currently attends Louisiana State University where he is studying fire and emergency training.

Foulcard’s dedication, open mindedness and sense of fairness are among the things that set her apart from the others, she said.

“I envision improving the city’s infrastructure and targeting economic and community development, which includes attracting new businesses and enhancing the downtown area,” Foulcard said.

Public safety, road improvements and drainage were her other concerns.

To make these things a reality, Foulcard said he hopes to have the city build an improved Web site and get the help of a professional grant writer who can work solely on aggressively finding the money the city needs.

Foulcard also would like to take a survey of residents to determine what type of businesses need to be targeted for Jeanerette.

A lifelong resident of Jeanerette, Foulcard is a graduate of Jeanerette Senior High School and Dillard University where she earned a bachelor’s degree in biology. Foulcard also obtained a master’s degree in biology from Southern University.

She is employed with Java Enterprises Inc.

Ward 2

Vernell Mitchell-D, candidate for Ward 2 representative, was at the forum but her opponent, Herbert Henderson, was unable to attend.

“My purpose for becoming alderwoman is to identify opportunities and aspirations, to develop and sustain economic development and to preserve and revitalize the integrity of this community,” she said.

Mitchell’s campaign’s focus is to work closely with residents to make what they want to see happen a reality. Although she said she does not have answers for everything, Mitchell said she would like to see the lines of communication open between the community and its leaders.

“I am not coming in with a list of plans because it’s important for me to know what the community wants,” Mitchell said.

Mitchell has owned and operated the Creative Touch Beauty Salon in Jeanerette for 25 years.

She has also served on the board of directors of the Jeanerette Museum and participated in the city beautification and clean up efforts for Jeanerette.

She is a graduate of Jeanerette Senior High, has a degree in business administration, a real estate license and an instructor’s license for cosmetology.

Mitchell is a member of Jubilee Nation Christian Ministries.

Ward 3

Candidates for Ward 3 representative are Sanders Derise and Peggy Parker.

The 34-year-old alderman hopeful stresses the need for Jeanerette to have a 24-hour ambulance service. He said he intends to work with the emergency boards to ensure protection around the clock.

Derise said the current ambulance service is only in Jeanerette for a few hours per day and then travels to a surrounding city, leaving Jeanerette residents to wait for an ambulance from New Iberia or Franklin to come for help if needed.

Also topping his list of plans is to improve the police and fire departments through education and an increase in pay.

“This town also needs to be cleaned. Who would want to establish a $10 million business in an unproductive and unclean society?” he said. “We have to clean up this town.”

A graduate of Catholic High and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Derise obtained his paramedic certification and worked for Acadian Ambulance Service for 10 years before becoming the general manager of the marine division at Superior Energy Services.

“I have served as a volunteer firefighter, and I have even delivered babies in this town,” he said. “I love Jeanerette, and I want to give back.”

Before Parker completed her speech, she had coined a new term.

“I am Jeanerette,” she proclaimed.

She said she believes the protection of the youth should be the city’s focus, through better police protection and community watch teams.

She said she wants to fight for an increase in tourism, so the city can benefit from those tax dollars.

Parker works as the executive secretary for the Jeanerette Chamber of Commerce and as the director of the Jeanerette Museum. She is the secretary-treasurer for the Jeanerette Kiwanis Club, secretary of the Jeanerette Landmark Society and president of the Sugar City ceramic club.