LSU Mobile Classroom a hit with community

Daniel Vlosky, Mobile Classroom & Training
Coordinator for LSU, gives pointers to a nearly
full house for Marketing 101.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

If today’s first two classes were any indication, the LSU Mobile Classroom at Northshore Technical College is a hit.

“We had a couple of classes fill up, a waiting list for another … it’s great,” Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marilyn Bateman told wpnewsblog.

“We would ask if someone cannot attend to please give us as much notice as possible, because we may be able to get that seat filled.”

The classes are being taught by Daniel J. Vlosky, MBA, mobile classroom and training coordinator for the B.J. Ourso College of Business at LSU.

A portion of those attending the Marketing
101 class in the LSU Mobile Classroom on
Tuesday morning. (Photo by John H. Walker)

“This is kind of a broad-based approach,” Vlosky said after the Marketing 101 class. “Of course, you can’t cover everything in an hour or so.”

Vlosky told participants to take advantage of the Small Business Development Center at Southeastern University.

“They are closer than we (LSU) are and they do some really good things,” he said.

Tuesday’s session opened with Starting and Financing Your Business, followed by Marketing 101. Afternoon classes on Tuesday include Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan and Professionalism in the Workplace.

The free classes resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday with Customer Service, Growing Your Business Online and Creaying a Facebook Page for Your Business.

A total of 61 persons have signed up for the program. The classes are free and are sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa.

Class added, two consolidated for mobile classroom

Two classes have been consolidated and another added as interest remains high in the LSU Mobile Classroom, scheduled to be in Bogalusa on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and 27. The classroom will be located at Northshore Technical College and all courses are free, but space is limited.

 

Marilyn Bateman, executive director of the Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, said persons who needed to make adjustments because of the schedule changes should call 732-6211, ext. 347.

“We’ve had pretty good interest thus far,” said Bogalusa City Administrator Jerry Bailey. The free program is available through pre-registration only.

The program is sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa and sign-up sheets are located at a number of high-traffic locations throughout the community.

Classes begin at 9 a.m. each day with four sessions set for Tuesday and three on Thursday. The classes will be conducted by certified trainers in the respective field being taught.

Tuesday classes include:

            • 9-10:30 a.m. – Starting and Financing Your Business

            • 10:45-12 p.m. – Marketing 101

            • 1-1:50 p.m. – Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan

            • 2-3 p.m. – Professionalism in the Workplace (New)

Wednesday classes include:

            • 9-9:50 a.m. – Customer Service

            • 10-11:15 a.m. – Growing Your Business Online

            • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Creating a Facebook Page for Your Business (consolidated with another Facebook page that had been on day one)

To register, call Patty Sandifer at 732-6211, ext. 347; fax your registration to 735-7347 or email your information to jerrybailey@I-55.com. Registration may also be completed at http://tinyurl.com/5vaeu6u.

City puts teeth into talk about cutting off water

For years, other than for the occasional theft of service, the talk about cutting off someone's water in Bogalusa was just that ... all talk.

Until this past week.

After extending two drop-dead deadlines and after issuing a final set of pleas for delinquent customers to pay up, city crews hit the street on Tuesday and began disconnecting water.

By the end of business on Thursday, 288 customers had learned the hard way that the city finally meant what it said. Enough was finally enough. In addition to having to bring their bill current, customers who were disconnected must also pay a $25 reconnect fee.

With more than $150,000 in the 90-day delinquent account, there was little left for City Administrator Jerry Bailey to day — plus, he had the backing of the city council and his immediate boss, Mayor Charles Mizell.

Beginning last Monday, customers started beating a steady path to the city hall annex, sometimes being able to walk directly to the counter to pay up but more times than not, forced to wait in line as someone else tried to get caught up and avoid a dry tap.

And as word of the disconnects spread, more and more people came in to pay until more than $90,000 came into city coffers.

And while that's good news, there's still approximately $300,000 in water receivables that the city is trying to track down.

"People move from place to place and change the names on the accounts," Bailey said. "They may have it in one name at one place, then put it in another after they've run up a bill and moved.

Bailey said skips that can be located will be given the opportunity to pay their bill before the city begins legal action.

Sign-up under way for LSU's mobile business classroom

About 30 people have signed up for seven business-related courses that will be presented in Bogalusa through the LSU Mobile Classroom. All courses are free, but space is limited..

“We’ve had pretty good interest thus far,” said Bogalusa City Administrator Jerry Bailey. The free program will be available through pre-registration only.

The mobile classroom will be at Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus on Tuesday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 27.  The program is sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa.

Classes begin at 9 a.m. each day with four sessions set for Tuesday and three on Thursday. The classes will be conducted by certified trainers in the respective field being taught.

Tuesday classes include:

            • 9-10:30 a.m. – Starting and Financing Your Business

            • 10:45-12 p.m. – Marketing 101

            • 1-1:50 p.m. – Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan

            • 2-3 p.m. – Effectively Using Facebook for Your Business

Wednesday classes include:

            • 9-9:50 a.m. – Customer Service

            • 10-11:15 a.m. – Growing Your Business Online

            • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Creating a Facebook Page for Your Business

To register, call Patty Sandifer at 732-6211, ext. 347; fax your registration to 735-7347 or email your information to jerrybailey@I-55.com. Registreation may also be completed at http://tinyurl.com/5vaeu6u.

Clark's water meter claims previously investigated, found to be without merit

While City of Bogalusa officials have denied any knowledge in regards to claims made at Tuesday night’s city council meeting that water meters were improperly installed, attempts to get a response from Vanguard Utility Service were unsuccessful Thursday.

In addition to saying they knew nothing about the claims made by Earl Clark, who identified himself as a an employee of Vanguard from July 6, 2010 until he was injured on Oct. 31, city officials said they would investigate Clark's claims a second time to ensure the work had been performed as specified and that no shortcuts had been taken.


Clark's claims had previously been invested by the engineering firm hired by the city to monitor the installation when he first made them last fall. The engineering firm, hired to do spot checks on the project, specifically investigated Clark's claims and could not substantiate them.

Clark said Vanguard ran out of supplies and workers were told to use old parts to install meters. Using old, ill-fitting parts, he said, would allow for leaks beyond the meter, increase the amount of water a customer was liable to pay for.

Before the close of the meeting, several members of the council said they would investigate the matter and Mayor Charles Mizell had previously said they would be looked into.

On Wednesday and Thursday, attempts to contact Vanguard were unsuccessful. Established in 2002, Vanguard lists Robert E. Bates as its chairman, CEO/CFO and president.

Clark, who spoke during the public participation portion of the meeting, said his Vannguard supervisor “knew” that shortcuts were being taken because it was the supervisor who instructed crews to do so.

"We didn't have the proper parts to do the job. Bogalusa was using plastic and Vanguard was using metal ... we were told by my supervisor that when we ran out of parts, to use old parts to finish the job. Vanguard was very much aware that these meters were improperly installed."

(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.

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)