Evangeline Parish Police Jury Secretary Treasurer Donald Bergeron was the guest speaker at today’s (Tuesday) meeting of the Ville Platte Rotary Club.

      Bergeron spoke about a regional drainage project that was approved by the Acadiana Planning Commission that will help relieve flooding problems in Evangeline, St. Landry and Acadia parishes.  The $2 million dollar water retention project will be the construction of a pond located Northwest of Ville Platte that will be used to retain water along Bayou Joe Marcel during a major flooding event. The water drains from Bayou Joe Marcel eventually into the Mermentau River. The police jury will have 36 months to complete the FEMA funded project for the jury.  Bergeron was the guest of Rotarian Bob Manuel.

      Also speaking at the meeting was Attorney Gilbert “Winky” Aucoin with Grand Hoorah festival. Aucoin was pleased to announce that Louisiana Folk Roots is coming back to Chicot State Park and will be joining with Grand Hoorah to sponsor a week long cultural immersion program. Folk Roots was at Chicot Park for ten years until organizers decided to move the yearly event to Lafayette two years ago.

     Aucoin said there will be 65 people coming from all over the United States and several countries for the week long immersion event. It will begin April 20 through April 27 with Cajun music, food, a boucherie and fun for the whole family. He is asking local Ville Platte residents to come out and support the festival.