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EVERYONE.[Claiborne Gardens Walking Trail and Tot Lot Ribbon Cutting Ceremony]
YOU HEAR ME? CAN YOU, CAN YOU HEAR ME? ALL RIGHT.AND, UH, JUST TO BE HERE IS VERY EXCITING.
I DON'T KNOW ABOUT YOU ALL, BUT EVERY TIME I DRIVE DOWN HIGHWAY 90, RIGHT HERE, I LOOK OVER TO MY RIGHT AND I SEE ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PARKS THAT WE'VE EVER PUT UP IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
I MEAN, THE LOCATION IS AN AWESOME LOCATION IN THAT EVERYONE WHO DRIVES HERE, WHO LIVES IN AVONDALE AND WAGMAN, THEY ASKED THE QUESTION, WHEN CAN WE GET THE SAME THING THAT CLAYBORN GARDENS HAS? AND SO THERE'S A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF ENVY THAT GOES ALONG WITH THIS.
AND, UH, BUT WE ARE, WE ARE GRATEFUL, UH, TO DO THIS BECAUSE WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL OUR COMMUNITIES, UH, RECEIVE AS MUCH BENEFIT FROM OUR, UH, PARISH COUNCIL OFFICE AND FROM OUR PARISH GOVERNMENT AS POSSIBLE.
BUT BEFORE I GET STARTED, WE'D LIKE TO TAKE THE TIME.
WHERE'S TIM AT? LIKE TO HAVE COME ON.
TIM WILL GIVE US AN OPENING PRAYER, AND THEN I'M GOING TO HAVE MS. MS. VALERIA AND, AND, AND MISS WANDA TO COME UP WITH ME.
AND WE GOING TO DO THE PLEASURE OF ALLEGIANCE TOGETHER.
FATHER GOD, WE COME RIGHT NOW SAYING THANK YOU.
THANK YOU, FATHER GOD, FOR THIS BEAUTIFUL OPPORTUNITY THAT WE MAY BE ABLE TO COME AND SHARE WITH THE COMMUNITY.
FATHER GOD BLESS THIS PARISH RIGHT NOW, LORD.
BUT LORD, LOOK UP ON OUR COUNCILMAN BYRON LEE RIGHT NOW.
LORD, CONTINUE TO GIVE HIM THE DESIRE TO PUSH FORWARD FOR THE, THE PEOPLE RIGHT NOW.
LORD, LOOK UP ON THIS GROUND RIGHT NOW.
FATHER GOD, FATHER GOD BLESS THIS GROUND, THAT THE KIDS, THAT THE FAMILY, THAT THE COMMUNITY MAY BE ABLE TO COME TOGETHER, FATHER GOD AND WORSHIP EVERYTHING FATHER GOD, WORSHIP YOUR SPIRIT AND TRUTH WITH, WITH SAFETY RIGHT NOW.
FATHER GOD, THANK YOU FOR ALL THE EFFORTS RIGHT NOW, LORD, ALL THE ONES THAT'S PUTTING IT ON, LORD.
WE LOVE YOU AND JESUS NAME WE PRAY.
MS. BE MS. WANDA, COME JOIN ME TO DO THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, FLAG OF AMERICA, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INVISIBLE FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
I WANTED MS. VALERIA AND MS. WANDA TO COME UP WITH ME BECAUSE THIS PROJECT IS BECAUSE OF THEM AND ALL THE OTHER RESIDENTS IN THE, IN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD WHO, UH, SHOULD ALWAYS ENJOY AS GREATER BENEFITS FROM THE PARISH AS POSSIBLE PRIOR TO US.
UH, BUILDING, UH, THE WALKING TRACK HERE AS WELL AS THE, AS YOU CAN SEE, THE COVERED AREAS WHERE PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GO AND ENJOY THEMSELVES WITH THEIR FAMILIES, BE IT A SMALL FAMILY PICNIC, BE IT A FAMILY REUNION OF SOME SORT.
UH, WE ARE, WE ARE BUILDING THIS TO MAKE SURE THAT THE RESIDENTS HERE KNOW THAT THIS IS UNIQUELY FOR THEM.
THIS NEIGHBORHOOD IS ONE THAT I'M VERY FAMILIAR WITH.
I HAD RELATIVES WHO LIVED DOWN HERE WHEN I WAS YOUNGER, BUT ALSO MY FATHER OWNED A DRY CLEANING BUSINESS.
AND MANY OF THE PEOPLE WHO LIVED IN THIS COMMUNITY WERE CUSTOMERS OF HIS.
AND SO THIS IS AN EXCITING MOMENT FOR ME WHEN I LOOK AROUND, PARTICULARLY WHEN I'M DRIVING FROM THE WEST BANK EXPRESSWAY.
I LOOK AROUND AND I SEE THE PEOPLE OVER HERE WALKING.
I SEE 'EM WORKING OUT ON THE OUTDOOR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT, IS THAT GENTLEMAN IS DOING OVER THERE.
AND I SEE THE KIDS OVER THERE ENJOYING THEMSELVES ON THE PLAYGROUND EQUIPMENT.
AND THAT'S WHAT EXCITES ME, BECAUSE THEY'RE UTILIZING IT.
AND THAT IS NOT JUST HERE AS A MEMORIAL.
IT IS A PLACE WHERE PEOPLE CAN COME AND EXERCISE AND BE WITH THEIR FAMILIES.
THIS PROJECT COST, UH, MY COUNCIL OFFICE $120,000 TO, TO, TO DO, UH, THE, THE FUNDING WAS, AS I SAID, PROVIDED BY THE JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL, DISTRICT THREE, MY DISTRICT.
BUT THE REALITY IS, IS THAT, UH, WE WORKED TOGETHER TO GET THINGS DONE.
AND I'M GONNA GO A LITTLE BIT OUTTA ORDER BECAUSE I CAN'T THANK ENOUGH OUR RECREATION DEPARTMENT FOR ALL THAT THEY DO.
UM, THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO US, AND THEY WORKED VERY DILIGENTLY TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS PROJECT, UH, DID GET
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DONE AND COMPLETED.AND I ALSO WOULD LIKE TO THANK THE CONTRACTOR, UH, PLANTED RECESS.
ANY REPRESENTATIVE FROM PLANET RECESS HERE TODAY? OKAY.
UH, THANK THEM FOR WHAT THEY DO AND THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MOVE THIS PROJECT ALONE BECAUSE WE WANTED TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS GET DONE IN A, IN A, IN A, UH, FASTER PACE.
ALSO LIKE TO THANK THE ADMINISTRATION FOR THEIR CO COOPERATION TO ENSURE THAT THE THINGS THAT WE WORK VERY HARD AND STRIVE FOR, THAT THEY SUPPORT OUR AGENDAS.
AND SO WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THAT ONE.
UH, LET ME GIVE YOU SOME DETAILS ABOUT, UH, WHAT YOU SEE HERE.
UH, WE'VE PUT RUBBER SURFACES OVER IN THE WORKOUT AREA, IN THE PLAY AREA TO ENSURE THAT, UH, THERE'S A LESSENING OF INJURIES.
SO KIDS, OF COURSE, THEY JUMP AND THEY DO THINGS THAT WE ADULTS DON'T DO, BUT WE JUST WANT YOU TO KNOW, UH, WE WANTED TO HAVE SOMETHING HERE, WHEREAS WE KNOW IT WAS GOING TO BE UTILIZED, BUT ALSO, UH, BRING AS MUCH CUTTING EDGE SAFETY, UH, UH, PRODUCTS TO ENSURE THAT PEOPLE WOULD NOT GET HEARD AS EASILY.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, WE ARE SO EXCITED ABOUT OUR OUTSTANDING STATE OF THE ART OUTDOOR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT.
AT ONE TIME, IF YOU WENT TO LA FROMER PARK, OR IF YOU WENT TO, UH, A FEW PARKS ON THE WEST BANK, YOU HAD TO GO THERE TO BENEFIT, UH, FROM OUTDOOR EXERCISE EQUIPMENT LIKE THIS.
BUT NOW IT'S HERE IN YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD.
AND SO I'M ASKING FOR YOU ALL, UH, TO SPREAD THE WORD AND LET PEOPLE KNOW THAT THIS IS FOR THIS COMMUNITY, AND WE NEED AS MUCH PARTICIPATION AS POSSIBLE, BECAUSE THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING OF MANY THINGS THAT WE HOPE TO DO FOR THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND THIS COMMUNITY.
I WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY ALSO.
ACTUALLY, I SAID ONE 20, BUT THE ENTIRE PROJECT, INCLUDING THE WALKIN TRAIL, INCLUDING THE OUTDOOR EQUIP, UH, EQUIPMENT, AS WELL AS THE PLAY LOT, AND AS WELL AS THE SHELTERS, THE TOTAL COST, THE INVESTMENT HERE IS $425,000, NOT A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS.
SO THANK YOU FOR, UH, REMINDING ME OF THAT.
UH, I HAVE ON THE COUNCIL, HAD A WONDERFUL WORKING RELATIONSHIPS WITH ALL MY COLLEAGUES.
AND, UH, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO HAVE OUR WEST BANK COUNCIL MEMBER HERE WHO'S OUR AT LARGE MEMBER HERE TODAY.
AND I WOULD OFFER COUNCILMAN, UH, RICKY TEMPLE OPPORTUNITY TO COME AND SHARE SOME WORDS WITH US IF HE WANTS TO.
AND, AND, AND THANK YOU, COUNCILMAN.
UH, I, I WANNA SAY THAT THIS IS A GREAT DAY FOR JEFFERSON PARISH, BUT IT'S A EVEN A GREATER DAY FOR THE CITIZENS OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
YOU KNOW, ALMOST EVERY STUDY THAT WE HAVE DONE TO FIND OUT FOR QUALITY OF LIFE THAT PEOPLE WANTED HAS COME BACK STATING THAT WE WANT MORE BIKEABLE, WALKABLE, GREEN SPACE FOR OUR PEOPLE AND OUR YOUTH AND OUR SENIORS AS WELL.
UH, AND WHAT COUNCILMAN LEE HAS DONE HERE IS GIVEN THE COMMUNITY EXACTLY WHAT THEY'VE ASKED FOR.
UH, HE HAS INVESTED DOLLARS RIGHT BACK IN YOUR BACKYARD AND OUR BACKYARD RIGHT HERE.
AND I WANNA SAY HATS OFF TO YOU, COUNCILMAN BYRON LEE.
UH, AND, AND I'LL SAY THE 400 PLUS THOUSAND DOLLARS THAT IS INVESTED IN THIS PARK, UH, ACTUALLY WAS BUILT WITHIN A, A MONTH AND A HALF, UH, THE CONSTRUCTION THAT'S UNHEARD OF IN GOVERNMENT.
LET, LEMME LEMME JUST TELL YOU, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH IS PROGRESSIVE WITH ITS COUNCIL, PROGRESSIVE WITH ITS QUALITY OF LIFE ISSUES, AND THIS ACTUALLY PROVES THAT.
SO HATS OFF TO YOU, COUNCILMAN BYRON LEE.
HATS OFF TO ALL THE WORK THAT WE ARE ABLE TO DO TOGETHER.
AND HATS OFF TO THE JERSON PARISH CITIZENS WHO BENEFIT FROM THIS.
UH, WE ALSO HAVE, UH, ASHLEY ELLIS HERE REPRESENTING, HEY, ASHLEY, YOU WANT TO COME UP
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DOWN TO, WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO LEO AND BUZZ, I TELL YOU I CAN'T, I CAN'T TELL YOU THANK YOU ALL ENOUGH FOR HAVING EXPEDITED THIS AND FOR ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU ALL DO, BECAUSE WE, WE KEEP 'EM WORKING, Y'ALL, WE GOT A LOT OF PROJECTS GOING ON AND, UH, THEY ALWAYS COME THROUGH.BUT HERE AGAIN, THANK YOU TO THE ENTIRE RECREATION DEPARTMENT, BUT ALSO GENERAL SERVICES, WHO'S ALWAYS HERE FOR US TO MAKE SURE THAT THE THINGS THAT WE PROMOTE, UH, ARE, ARE DONE IN SUCH A, A SPECIAL WAY.
UH, ALSO, DANIELLE DOESN'T LIKE TO GET CREDIT, BUT I ALWAYS WANT TO GIVE HER CREDIT IN THE PIO OFFICE FOR MAKING THESE EVENTS HAPPEN FOR US.
AND SO, UH, WE HAVE OUR CAMERAMAN BACK THERE, SO I WANT SOME OF THOSE IN, IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD TO MAKE SURE THAT, UH, IF YOU GET AN OPPORTUNITY, SMILE FOR THE CAMERA.
OKAY? BECAUSE
SO IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE THAT I'VE MISSED? LEO, LEO, COUNCILMAN? I JUST WANT TO RE LET EVERYBODY KNOW THAT WE'RE ONLY AS GOOD AS THE STAFF THAT'S DOWN THERE.
YOU CAN SEE 'EM DOWN THERE, COME OUT, THEY WORK HARD EVERY DAY.
THEY DO THE, PUT UP THE TENTS, THEY SET UP THE EVENTS, THEY CUT THE GRASS.
AND THOSE GUYS ARE THE REAL TROOPS IN THE TRENCHES.
AND, AND, AND, AND, AND THEY ARE PART OF MY MOTIVA, UH, UH, MOTIVATING REASONS FOR PUSHING, UH, FOR THE WAGE, UH, THE NEW WAGE PLAN TO ENSURE THAT ANY EXISTING EMPLOYEE GETS A RAISE, BUT ALSO FOR ALL NEW HIRES WOULD ALSO, UH, COME IN AT A HIGHER PAY RATE.
AND SO, UH, WE ARE VERY CLOSE TO GETTING THAT DON, I BELIEVED.
AND, AND, UH, I'VE BEEN WORKING WITH THE PER THE, UH, PERSONNEL, UH, FOLKS WHO MAKE THE FINAL DECISIONS, AS WELL AS, AS WELL AS THE DIRECTOR, UM, UH, JOHN, UH, WHO HAS, UH, BEEN WORKING WITH US AND GIVING US GUIDANCE ON HOW WE GONNA MOVE FORWARD.
BUT I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT WE WILL BE ABLE TO COME BACK WITH SOMETHING PROBABLY BY, UM, LATE APRIL, UH, THAT THERE WILL BE SOME ANNOUNCEMENT, UH, FOR THAT.
SO, UH, I'M EXCITED ABOUT DOING THAT BECAUSE MUCH LIKE YOU SAID, THERE'S SO MANY PEOPLE HERE WHO WORK HARD.
INITIALLY IT WAS, IT WAS GOING TO BE WHAT WE, WHAT WE BROUGHT FORWARD WAS PAY RAISES OR INCREASES IN STARTING PAY.
AND NOW WHAT WE DECIDED TO DO WAS GO WITH A WHOLE NEW WAGE PLAN TO ENSURE THAT EVERY EMPLOYEE OF THIS PARISH WHO'S ELIGIBLE GETS A RAISE.
HOW ABOUT THAT? GIVE ME A THAT AROUND APPLAUSE.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, LET'S GO CUT THE RIVER.