Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser was the guest speaker at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. Nungesser spent the night at Chicot State Park inspecting the condition and upkeep of the park. He met earlier with local, parish and state officials over the future of Chicot State Park. He was introduced at the meeting by State Representative Bernard LeBas.
Nungesser explained that his Tourism Department had taken major cuts in funding from 167 million dollars in 2008 to just $99 million dollars in 2017. The department has 250 fewer employees in that nine year period. He mentioned that former Governor Bobby Jindal had taken 54 million dollars from the state tourism dollars that was to be used for repair and maintenance.
The Lt. Governor is proposing working with private business and industry to begin public/private partnerships to help support the state parks around the state. He explained that Centurylink has agreed to help sponsor the Poverty Point nature area.
For Chicot Park , he is asking for applications or resumes to hire a new Park Manager to oversee the park. Nungesser said Chciot Park needs a manager who will live at the park with a salary range of $50-70,000. He wants to hire someone who has a love and passion of the park. He is asking local residents “to help me find the right person”.
Nungesser is also looking at possibly of having a real estate developer sell home sites at an unused part of the park and lake; and to sell and market the canoes and kayaks and look at rebuilding the flooded cabins at the park.
Rotary Club President Wayne Vidrine thanked the Lt. Governor for showing his concern over the condition of Chicot State Park. Vidrine called the park “the crown jewel of Evangeline Parish.” The club pays the scholarship of two high school students each year to attend Camp Rylla , the rotary club summer camp, now being held at Chicot State Park. Nungesser was presented a special basket of local products presented by Ville Platte Mayor Pro Tem Mike Perron.
In other action, the rotary club:
--received a report that Club President Wayne Vidrine and Eric Gil traveled to the Beaumont Rotary Club recently to present a donation on behalf of the Ville Platte club for “Operation Warmth”. The club will deliver 440 coats to victims of last year’s hurricane.
--announced the winners in the annual football pool .
Louisiana Lt. Governor Billy Nungesser was the guest speaker at Tuesday’s meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club. Nungesser spent the night at Chicot State Park inspecting the condition and upkeep of the park. He met earlier with local, parish and state officials over the future of Chicot State Park. He was introduced at the meeting by State Representative Bernard LeBas.
Nungesser explained that his Tourism Department had taken major cuts in funding from 167 million dollars in 2008 to just $99 million dollars in 2017. The department has 250 fewer employees in that nine year period. He mentioned that former Governor Bobby Jindal had taken 54 million dollars from the state tourism dollars that was to be used for repair and maintenance.
The Lt. Governor is proposing working with private business and industry to begin public/private partnerships to help support the state parks around the state. He explained that Centurylink has agreed to help sponsor the Poverty Point nature area.
For Chicot Park , he is asking for applications or resumes to hire a new Park Manager to oversee the park. Nungesser said Chciot Park needs a manager who will live at the park with a salary range of $50-70,000. He wants to hire someone who has a love and passion of the park. He is asking local residents “to help me find the right person”.
Nungesser is also looking at possibly of having a real estate developer sell home sites at an unused part of the park and lake; and to sell and market the canoes and kayaks and look at rebuilding the flooded cabins at the park.
Rotary Club President Wayne Vidrine thanked the Lt. Governor for showing his concern over the condition of Chicot State Park. Vidrine called the park “the crown jewel of Evangeline Parish.” The club pays the scholarship of two high school students each year to attend Camp Rylla , the rotary club summer camp, now being held at Chicot State Park. Nungesser was presented a special basket of local products presented by Ville Platte Mayor Pro Tem Mike Perron.
In other action, the rotary club:
--received a report that Club President Wayne Vidrine and Eric Gil traveled to the Beaumont Rotary Club recently to present a donation on behalf of the Ville Platte club for “Operation Warmth”. The club will deliver 440 coats to victims of last year’s hurricane.
--announced the winners in the annual football pool .