McGehee's prophecy coming true as P&Z approves plan that will bring Super Center

It’s a project former Bogalusa Mayor James “Mack” McGehee said he had worked on for 10 years when he announced last November that Walmart would build a Super Center on the site of the former Wade Tung Oil Plant property.

One of the variations of design used by
Walmart. In Bardstown, Ky., for example,
the Super Center has more of a "town square"
look that carries through the entire center.

Now, following today’s approval by the Planning & Zoning Commission of a proposal to subdivide the nearly 20-acre parcel, the store is one step closer to reality.

The property is located behind CVS and north of Ontario Street, stretching west to Shenandoah, east to Shriners/Memorial and north to Caswell.

While no timeline has been released, it generally takes about 12-16 months to build a new store, depending on the site work that is required. While the firm does use a number of contractors on a steady basis, as they are familiar with the store design and requirements, there are a number of construction-related jobs that would come about.

Additionally, building materials, such as the many thousands of cubic yards of concrete for the slab and the sand, clay and asphalt for the parking lot, will generate jobs and wages.

But for some, the news is a double-edged sword.

While the current Walmart underwent an extension renovation and expansion just last year, there are still many items people feel they must drive out of town to purchase. Those welcome the news.

The other side of the argument is how much damage can a Super Center do to the community’s remaining business base? And what will become of the current store in Shopyard Square?

But in Bogalusa, where 149 jobs are in the process of leaving this week as a shut-down crew works at Sitel, the prospects of a finding a job mean as much or more as having a wider shopping selection.

On the eve of the end of his first six months in office, current Mayor Charles Mizell told wpnewsblog that he had recently spoken with Walmart developers and that survey crews were due in the community.

“They told me if everything went well with the surveys, it looked good to go,” he said.

That is apparently the case and now, following protocol, P&Z will send its recommendations to the city council next month where no opposition is expected.

McGehee said the site is the first location he showed Walmart officials and despite looking at spots all around the city, they returned to the first one and settled on a location basically in the middle.

Following Walmart’s standard development protocol for smaller communities, the main store will stand alone while space will be available for additional development, such as a strip center.

The Bentonville, Ark.-based firm, founded by the late Sam Walton, follows a standard approach to development. The chain’s super centers range in size from 98,000 to 261,000 square feet. While specific details are not available, Walmart’s banking partner — Woodforest National Bank — is licensed to operate in Louisiana and is found in a number of Walmart locations. Also, there is early speculation as to whether the chain’s gas-dispensing partner, Murphy Oil of El Dorado, Ark., will be part of the landscape.

Mizell looks back on first six months in office

Attitude.

That is what’s behind what some people say is a visible change under way in Bogalusa, according to Mayor Charles Mizell. “I think there has been a change in attitude from (city) department heads and employees because they know I am supporting them.”

But Mizell said he felt the attitude change stretches beyond just those city employees he mentioned.

Bogalusa Mayor Charles Mizell
takes notes during a recent
meeting of the city council.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

“I think we’re seeing a change in the community’s attitude, as well. I think what citizens wanted  to see was that somebody cared. I come to work every day and you can find me, either working here or out in the community.”

Mizell, who completed his first six months in office on Monday, sat down with wpnewsblog prior to the city council meeting to talk about those 180 days in an exclusive interview.

WPNB: “Mr. Mayor, thank you for the opportunity to sit down and discuss your first six months. Did you have any preconceived ideas about the task ahead of you when you took office?”

CM: “I pretty much had a notion of what we faced. There were some things that were clearly going to have to be handled.”

WPNB: “What are the key issues that have proved to be most challenging?”

CM: “The water system has been a challenge, to say the least. It is an antiquated system that we’ve patched and patched and patch. We would patch a leak and the next day, get a call to let us know it was leaking again … we’d go back, dig it up and find out it was not the original leak, but one a couple of feet away. We’ve applied for Capital Outlay Funds, which will allow us to address the problems en masse … until then, we will continue to prioritize the leaks and get them done.”

WPNB: “Has the time spent dealing with the water issues affected other areas?”

CM: “In a word, yes. With our personnel reductions (10 down in public works), we just don’t have the people to throw at problems, so it has caused some delays in our pothole patching and street repair. That being said, we’re gaining and within three months I think we’ll be caught up (on potholes and street repair). I’m extremely proud of Border Drive and Avenue B and what we’ve done there to open up the drains, uncover the drains and clear the sides of the streets to help the water move when we have rains. We're proud of what we've done at Cassidy Park with the asphalt walking trail, replacing park benches and putting up posts to keep people from driving across park grounds.”

WPNB: “From driving Border Drive every day, it’s nice that it’s not so rough anymore.”

CM: “One of the first things we did was go in and smooth out the spots where pavement had buckled and been patched at, so it wouldn’t be so rough on drivers and their vehicles. We’re trying to do that around the community.”

WPNB: “What’s the biggest accomplishment thus far?”

CM: “I think it is the attitude of the employees and their willingness to work together. I had heard that no one worked together and their was no cohesive effort. I haven’t found that at all … I think they just needed direction and leadership and, as I said earlier, to know someone cared about them and they job they had to do. We’re doing much more with far fewer people (157 now vs. 180 a year ago).”

WPNB: “What’s the biggest disappointment?”

CM: “Anytime we lose jobs, such as the 149 at Sitel. We’re working right now to make an announcement to replace those jobs and we’re working with a developer to try and improve our housing through the construction of 32 tax credit homes, which will create some construction activity.”

WPNB: “How about a recap, or overview of these past six months?”

CM: “With the economy in its current condition, we’re having to be more self-sufficient. We have to be pro-active and we have to be on the job, managing and working every day to make sure we run this like the business it is. Our department heads have been charged with certain responsibilities and they are held accountable every day … we now have eight radar units on the street to help our police bring some of the speeding issues under control … we have officers in school for training and there is good communications in the department under Chief (Joe) Culpepper and (Assistant Chief Effie) Clayton.

“In the fire department, we have all new hoses. We could never have afforded to purchase those, but because the department wrote its own grant, we got the 400 to $500,000 needed to do that. We laid three firemen off last year … and they’ve been hired back.

“I’m excited that people are starting to notice a cleaning community. I’ve seen citizens out on the street, picking up trash and trying to make a difference. This was a magic city at one time, but that is behind us … we must bring back the spirit of working together to make things happen … to make things better and to help our neighbors. It’s not a company town any more and there’s no one to take care of us. We need to be more responsible.

“We must become more self-sufficient. We need to look at the glass being half full, instead of half empty. We have a lot of good people willing to invest in our community — the hospital and technical college, for example.

“I would say government does not work as fast as private business and, sometimes, that’s frustrating because I just want to say, ‘Let’s get that done.’ But I know all those layers and checks and balances are good.

“While we would always want things to be better, I think the excitement we’re seeing and the opportunities ahead far outweigh the disappointments.”

WPNB: “Mr. Mayor, thank you for your time.”

CM: “You’re welcome.”

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Help needed Tuesday with Food for Families

Volunteers are being sought to assist with Tuesday morning's Food for Families distribution at Cassidy Park. The distribution, funded by the USDA through the Department of Health and Hospitals, is administered by Catholic Charities of New Orleans. Food for Families distributes food in all 64 Louisiana parishes.

And part of the agreement that brings the program to Bogalusa is that manpower is provided to help distribute the food on the first Tuesday of every month. In the past, city workers have helped but, because of personnel reductions, the city no longer has the manpower.

Thus the call for help.

"I understand some of the youth at First Baptist Church are going to help," said District D City Councilamn Teddy Drummond. "But we need to make sure we have adequate help out there, because the crowds are large and growing."

Nearly 800 families receive food through the program monthly and distribution runs from about 6:30 a.m. until 10 a.m.

It's a call echoed by Mayor Charles Mizell, who has encouraged volunteerism in the community and has been seen himself, picking up trash along Louisiana Avenue.

Persons wishing to assist may do so by simply showing up at Cassidy Park or can give advance notice by calling city personnel director Sandy Bloom 730-4397 or city council clerk Brenda Ford at 732-6202.

Bogalusa's Memorial Day observance set Monday

Beginning at 6 p.m. Monday at the new veteran's section at Ponemah Cemetery, local officials and citizens will gather to honor those who served their country.

One change, this year, is that local Boy Scouts will not conduct a retirement ceremony for American flags that have become soiled or torn. Instead, local Scouts will serve as the color guard for the ceremony.

Mayor Charles Mizell will deliver the official welcome to the observance and local attorney John Gallaspy will recite "In Flanders Fields," perhaps the best known of all poems relating to war.

The ceremony will be closed with the playing of "Taps" and the firing of a 21-gun salute by the honor guard of Magic City Post 24 of the American Legion.

The observance ceremony is open to the public and persons planning to attend are reminded of the need to bring a chair.

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.com)

Mayor asks sign posters to be 'responsible'

Illegal signs at

South Columbia &

Marshall Richardson.

(Photo by John H. Walker)

Originally posted 5/17/2011
Updated 5/22/2011
Signs down on 5/24/2011

Bogalusa Mayor Charles Mizell this week asked sign posters in the community to be responsible, reminding them that unless they had permission to place a sign on private property, all were illegal.

"Yes," he said when asked after Tuesday's city council meeting by wpnews.com, "A citizen can remove any illegally posted sign without getting in trouble."

There are dozens of homemade, as well as commercial signs, staked in the ground, nailed to trees and tied to state highway signs. The small signs promoting commercial businesses are called "bandit advertising" signs.

Two big offenders include a daiquiri shop located off Marshall Richardson and a former business run out of a storage unit near Western Sizzlin'. That business, which now operates in the former Estelles, had "going out of business" signs up for over a year, refreshing them when they became weather worn.

Two hanging banners currently serve as eyesores at the intesection of La. 10 and La. 21. One is for an Easter Egg hunt held a month ago, while the other is for a horse ride on May 7 at Ponderosa Ranch in Crystal Springs, Miss.

And there are signs all over the community for commercial businesses located outside of Washington Parish, including Mississippi businesses.

"Take 'em down," Mizell said. "They're eyesores."

Illegal signs at corner of Highway 21 and Highway 10.

Most recent of the two events was three weeks ago.

(Photo by John H. Walker)

For locals posting garage sale signs, he asked that persons "be responsible" and clean up after themselves if they choose to break the law.

"We're trying to do some things to help the community look better," he said, "and we're asking out citizens to help."

(Posted first at www.wpnewsblog.com)