VILLE PLATTE ROTARY CLUB MEETING

SEPTEMBER 9, 2014

    The Ville Platte Rotary Club today (Tuesday) heard from State Senator Eric Lafleur report on a number of different topics of interest in the state.

    Lafleur explained the current controversy over the “Common Core” standards that the governor is suing for the state to get out of the standards. Governor Jindal, who once supported the standards, now feels the standards are an encroachment in to our schools by the federal government. Lafleur said Louisiana needs a minimum standard and he feels that common core is a good policy. There are 44 states that have adopted the same type of standards. Common Core has been supported by Business groups and the Chamber of Commerce, according to Sen. Lafleur. He also said that Superintendent of Education John White and the BESE Board are in favor of Common Core.

    In other issues, the senator said the legislature basically “kicked the can” down the road by using one time money and reserved funds to balance the budget. The senator predicted the next legislature session next spring , lawmakers will be refinancing debt and probably have road projects will have to be delayed because of a lack of funds. The senator was the special guest of Rotarian Jimmy LeBlanc.

   In other business, the club

reminded members that there will be no noon meeting next Tuesday. Instead there will be a fellowship activity Tuesday night at Dr. Jerry Veillon’s camp;

The club received a report from Larry Lachney on the Sacred Heart Interact Club. The club is working on the school prayer garden,  selling bricks for the garden and doing bingo games at nursing home. Interact is also planning to do another international project.

    The club also congratulated Larry Lachney who was named as Parade Marshal for the Louisiana Cotton Festival next month.

   Mayor Jennifer Vidrine thanked everyone for their support for last weekend’s benefit wrestling event for the benefit of the Boys and Girls Club of Ville Platte.

   Librarian Mary Foster Galosso announced that library staff is busy moving to their new library facility on west main. The Ville Platte Branch will open Sept. 22 with a grand opening planned Sept. 26.