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I WANNA THANK YOU FOR COMING TODAY,[Thomas Jefferson Wreath Laying Ceremony]
BUT WE'VE GOT A LOT MORE TO DO.SO LET'S INTRODUCE THE COLOR GUARD FROM THE JEFFERSON PARISH SHERIFF'S OFFICE.
OH, I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS, ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVISIBLE, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.
AND NOW WE'LL HAVE THE INVOCATION BY BARBARA MCMANUS.
HEAVENLY FATHER, THROUGH YOUR LOVE AND MERCY, MAY OUR LIVES BE BLESSED WITH MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
MAY YOU ALWAYS BE THE CENTER OF OUR LIVES AND OUR GUIDE IN ALL DIRECTIONS.
GRANT US WISDOM, PATIENCE, AND SINCERITY OF PURPOSE AS WE STRIVE TO GROW IN YOUTHFULNESS TO OUR SOCIETY.
IN CHRIST JESUS', NAME WE PRAY.
WELL, THAT'S THE FIRST MISTAKE.
WE WERE GONNA DO THE INVOCATION BEFORE THE COLOR GUARD, AND HERE WE GO.
NOW EVERYTHING'S GONNA BE PERFECT.
AND I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE, UH, OUR SPECIAL GUEST, THE PARISH PRESIDENT OF JEFFERSON PARISH, CYNTHIA LEE.
UM, IT'S AN HONOR FOR US TO BE HERE TODAY TO CELEBRATE OUR, UH, THE UPCOMING BIRTHDAY OF OUR NAMESAKE HERE IN JEFFERSON PARISH, THOMAS JEFFERSON.
UM, I REALLY WANNA THANK ALL THE, THE FOLKS, MS. JUDY MILLS AND ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO FOR US.
I WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE YOU ON THE JEFFERSON PARISH HISTORICAL COMMISSION, OUR CHAIR, JEFFERSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY, PRESIDENT GAYNE PARAS, UM, GRETTON HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENT LISA LA FRANCE, AS WELL AS THE WESTWEGO HISTORICAL SOCIETY PRESIDENT MIKE KIMEL.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR EVERYTHING THAT YOU DO FOR US.
UM, WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO MARK OUR 200TH ANNIVERSARY WITH A NUMBER OF EVENTS TO CELEBRATE ALL YEAR LONG.
SO THANK YOU FOR PUTTING THIS ON.
IT, IT IS A YEAR LONG CELEBRATION.
WE WANT AS MANY ASPECTS OF OUR COMMUNITY TO BE PART OF IT.
OVER THE PAST 200 YEARS, JEFFERSON PARISH HAS GROWN FROM A RURAL AREA INTO A DYNAMIC AND DIVERSE SUBURB THAT IS NOW HOME TO OVER 400,000 RESIDENTS.
WE ARE KNOWN FOR OUR VIBRANT, MULTICULTURAL HERITAGE.
AND IF YOU COULD JUST, EVEN THIS NEIGHBORHOOD AND IF YOU JUST WALK THESE STREETS, UH, YOU WOULD, YOU WOULD PICK THAT UP.
UM, WE ARE SHAPED BY FRENCH, SPANISH, AFRICAN, AND NATIVE AMERICAN INFLUENCES.
JEFFERSON PARISH IS ONE OF ACTUALLY THE MOST DIVERSE PARISH IN THE STATE OF LOUISIANA.
IT IS A STATISTIC I LOVE TO SAY.
WE ARE RICH IN CULTURE AND HISTORY WITH A POPULATION THAT IS INVITING, RESILIENT, AND CREATIVE.
THE BICENTENNIAL GIVES US ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CELEBRATE WHAT HAS MADE US WHAT WE ARE AND WHO WE ARE AS A COMMUNITY.
SO AS WE CONTINUE THESE CELEBRATIONS, I'D LIKE TO ENCOURAGE ALL OF YOU TO STAY INVOLVED WITH OUR JEFFERSON PARISH BICENTENNIAL CELEBRATIONS.
VISIT GE JEFF PARISH DOT GOVS SLASH SLASH JP 200 TO DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL BICENTENNIAL LOGO AND UPDATE ALL YOUR EVENTS THERE.
UM, AND I ALSO ALWAYS WANNA RECOGNIZE OUR HOME TEAMS, OUR GENERAL SERVICES, PARKWAYS, PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE FOR HELPING US SET UP ALL OF THIS.
AND WITH THAT, I DO WANT TO PRESENT THIS PROCLAMATION, UM, MS. JUDY TO READ TO YOU.
AND WHEREAS IN OUR PARISH'S BICENTENNIAL YEAR, WE CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAY OF OUR COUNTRY'S THIRD PRESIDENT AND OUR PARISH'S NAMESAKE THOMAS JEFFERSON.
AND WHEREAS OUR PARISH WAS NAMED IN HONOR OF THOMAS JEFFERSON ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 1825, ONE YEAR BEFORE HIS DEATH.
AND WHEREAS THOMAS JEFFERSON WAS A FOUNDING FATHER AND THE AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND IS PRESIDENT PURCHASER OF THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY FROM NAPOLEON IN 1803.
AND WHEREAS THE ADVOCACY FOR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS, FREEDOM OF THOUGHT, SPEECH, AND
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RELIGION WERE CHAMPIONED BY JEFFERSON AND HELPED SHARE THE FOUNDATIONS FOR INDEPENDENCE.AND WHEREAS THOMAS JEFFERSON ALSO CONTRIBUTED TO THE SUCCESS OF OUR COUNTRY BY BEING THE FOREMOST AMERICAN ARCHITECT AND INVENTOR, A COLLECTOR OF BOOKS, WHICH BECAME THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS, A SCIENTIFIC GARDENER AS WELL AS A NATURALIST WHO SENT EXPLORERS LEWIS AND CLARK TO REPORT ON FLORA AND FAUNA TO ADD TO THE COLLECTIVE KNOWLEDGE OF THE COUNTRY.
AND WHEREAS AS A PARISH, WE RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE ALL THE CONTRIBUTIONS THAT THOMAS JEFFERSON HAS GIVEN OUR COUNTRY ON HIS BIRTHDAY IN OUR BICENTENNIAL YEAR.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, CYNTHIA LEE SHANK, PRESIDENT OF JEFFERSON PARISH DO HEREBY RECOGNIZE AND CELEBRATE THOMAS JEFFERSON DURING OUR BICENTENNIAL YEAR IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
THANK YOU FOR EVERYTHING YOU NOW MAYOR ROBERT
AND THANK EVERYONE FOR ATTENDING TODAY.
AND THANK YOU MS. MILLS FOR INVITING ME HERE PROCLAMATION BY THE CITY OF WEST GOLD, WHEREAS THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON WAS CREATED BY AN ACT OF CON OF LOUISIANA LEGISLATORS ON FEBRUARY 1ST, 1825.
WHEREAS JEFFERSON PARISH IS NAMED FOR THOMAS JEFFERSON, THE THIRD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND THE PRINCIPAL AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
AND WHEREAS AS PRESIDENT THOMAS JEFFERSON OVERSAW LOUISIANA PURCHASE, WHICH MOWED AND DOUBLED THE SIZE OF THE UNITED STATES, AND FROM WHICH THE STATE OF LOUISIANA, THE PARISH OF JEFFERSON, THE CITY OF SWEGO, WAS FORMED.
WHEREAS THE 2025 MARKS 282ND YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BIRTH OF THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THE 2,224 ANNIVERSARY OF HIS INAUGURATION AS PRESIDENT, THE 22ND ANNUAL ANNIVERSARY OF LOUISIANA PURCHASE, AND TWO TH 200 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF JEFFERSON PARISH.
WHEREAS THE CITY OF WESTFORD GO WISHES TO JOIN WITH PARISH OFFICIALS HONORING THOMAS JEFFERSON AND OBSERVING HIS FOR RIGHT ANNIVERSARIES.
NOW, NOW THEREFORE, WE THE DULY ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE CITY OF WE GO DO HEREBY PROCLAIM THAT APRIL 11TH, 2025 SHALL BE CELEBRATED AS THOMAS JEFFERSON DATE.
AND MAYOR BELINDA, UH, CONSTANT.
AND THANK YOU TO ALL OF THE MEMBERS OF THIS INCREDIBLE ORGANIZATION.
I'VE HAD THE PRIVILEGE TO BE ON THE BOARD OF THIS ORGANIZATION FOR SEVERAL YEARS.
I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU DO FOR JEFFERSON PARISH.
I WAS ALWAYS PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT AND PROUD TO SAY I'M A LIFETIME MEMBER OF THE ORGANIZATION.
BEFORE I BEGIN THIS PROCLAMATION, I REALLY WANT TO INTRODUCE, UM, MY NEW COLLEAGUE.
I WANT TO INTRODUCE OUR NEW CHIEF OF POLICE THAT IS ON HIS SECOND DAY OF THE JOB, BRETT LAWSON.
SO THIS IS A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT THAN THAN MAYOR BILL YARD'S PROCLAMATION.
I REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT THE STATUE THAT STANDS BEHIND ME AND WANTED TO GIVE SOME REVERENCE TO THE STATUE.
UM, WE IN THE CITY OF GRETNA ARE PROUD TO BE THE CAPITAL CITY OF THIS PARISH, AND PROUD TO WELCOME EVERYONE INTO THIS GOVERNMENT, UM, COMPLEX EVERY DAY.
SO THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE HERE.
WHEREAS TODAY, WE GATHER WITH PRIDE AND REVERENCE AT THE FOOT OF THE TIMELESS FIGURE, THE NOBLE BRONZE STATUE OF THOMAS JEFFERSON THAT STANDS BEFORE THE JEFFERSON PARISH GENERAL GOVERNMENT BUILDING IN THE HEART OF GRETNA.
WHEREAS THIS SOLEMN WREATH LAYING CEREMONY MARKS A MOMENTOUS OCCASION, THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY, THE BICENTENNIAL OF THE FOUNDING OF JEFFERSON PARISH, ESTABLISHED BY THE LOUISIANA LEGISLATURE ON FEBRUARY 11TH, 1825, AND NAMED IN HONOR OF THE VISIONARY STATESMAN WHOSE IDEALS AND LEADERSHIP CONTINUED TO INSPIRE OUR CIVIC IDENTITY.
WHEREAS THE STATUE BEFORE US SCULPTED WITH MASTERFUL PRECISION AND PROFOUND SYMBOLISM BY THE RENOWNED DONALD OU OF LEONARDO NEW JERSEY, WAS COMMISSIONED IN 1974 BY THE JEFFERSON PARISH QUINCENTENNIAL COMMISSION, AND DEDICATED ON DECEMBER 6TH, 1975, BECOMING NOT ONLY ONLY A CELEBRATION OF THE PARISH'S 175TH YEAR, BUT ALSO A LASTING MONUMENT TO JEFFERSON'S ENDURING LEGACY.
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D LOU'S TOWERING DEPICTION OF THOMAS JEFFERSON POWERFUL, DYNAMIC AND IN PURPOSEFUL MOTION REMINDS US OF JEFFERSON'S FORWARD-THINKING SPIRIT, HIS DEEP COMMITMENT TO LIBERTY AND HIS UNPARALLELED CONTRIBUTIONS.AS THE PRINCIPAL AUTHOR OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE ARCHITECT OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS, AND THE PRESIDENT'S WHOSE SIGNING OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE IN 1803 SECURED THE VERY SOIL UPON WHICH WE NOW STAND.
WHEREAS EVERY ELEMENT OF THE STATUE FROM THE QUILL IN JEFFERSON'S HAND TO THE SLAB OF DAKOTA, MAHOGANY GRANITE BENEATH HIS FEET, TELLS A STORY, A VISION, ONE OF DEMOCRATIC IDEALS, TERRITORIAL EXPANSION AND CIVIC VISION, A STORY THAT RESONATES DEEPLY WITH US, THE PEOPLE OF JEFFERSON PARISH AND THEIR CENTURIES LONG LEGACY OF CULTURAL RICHNESS, RESILIENCE, AND GROWTH.
WHEREAS JEFFERSON PARISH NOW HOME TO OVER 433,000 RESIDENTS, STRETCHES FROM THE NORTH SHORES OF LAKE PONTCHARTRAIN TO THE GULF OF MEXICO, ENCOMPASSING VIBRANT CITIES, PEACEFUL BAYOU, HISTORIC TOWNS AND THRIVING COMMUNITIES BOTH ON THE EAST BANK AND THE WEST BANKS OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER, FORMING A TAPESTRY OF HERITAGE AS DIVERSE AND DYNAMIC AS THE NATION ITSELF.
NOW THEREFORE, I BELINDA C CONSTANT ON BEHALF OF ALL THE ELECTED OFFICIALS OF THE CITY OF GRETNA, DO HEAR PRIDE HIGH PROCLAIM THAT ON THIS DAY, APRIL 11TH, 2025, WE THE CITIZENS AND THE LEADERS OF JEFFERSON PARISH, LOUISIANA IN SOLEMN ASSEMBLY AND GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE TO HONOR THOMAS JEFFERSON AND THE PARISH'S, NAMESAKE AND SYMBOLIC TORCH, FAIRER AND REDEDICATE OURSELVES TO THE IDEALS OF LIBERTY, EQUALITY, DEMOCRATIC PROGRESS, SO THAT WE CAN SO BOLDLY ENVISION WHAT HE ENVISIONED SO MANY YEARS AGO.
MAY THIS REEF PLACED IN DIGNITY AND REVERENCE SERVE AS A SYMBOL OF OUR UNDYING RESPECT AND EVERLASTING GRATITUDE.
MAY THE STATUE BEFORE US CONTINUE TO STAND AS A BEACON OF PROGRESS FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.
WHERE DID SHE COME? THAT'S ALRIGHT, I'LL LEAVE IT UP HERE.
GREAT MINDS TAKE THE SAME, UH, TRACK.
UH, WHEN I WAS PUTTING TOGETHER THE PROGRAM, I REALIZED EVERYBODY'S GONNA SAY WONDERFUL THINGS ABOUT THOMAS JEFFERSON, BUT WHO IS GOING TO KNOW ABOUT THIS STATUE THAT WE'RE ALL SITTING HERE? SO I PUT WHAT I WAS GOING TO SAY INTO THE PROGRAM ON THE SECOND PAGE, NOT AS BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN, I HAVE TO ADMIT, AND IT'S IN A MUCH SHORTER, UH, VERSION, BUT YOU WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THAT HOME WITH YOU AND MAYBE QUOTE FROM IT AND AMAZE ALL YOUR FRIENDS.
NEXT ON THE PROGRAM, WE HAVE MS. JENNIFER VAN REEN, THE, UH, COUNCILMAN AT LARGE FOR DIVISION A.
LET ME PUT THIS UNDER HERE SO IT WON'T FLY AWAY.
UM, SO I'LL TRY TO BRING THE HISTORY THAT WE CELEBRATE TO LIFE A LITTLE BIT.
WHEN I LOOK AT THIS STATUE, IT'S PERSONAL TO ME BECAUSE AS A YOUNG 18-YEAR-OLD, I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE AND I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA, FOUNDED BY THOMAS JEFFERSON.
AND OF COURSE, I, IT, IT FELT PERSONAL BEING THERE TO BE AT A SCHOOL FOUNDED BY THE GENTLEMAN WHO OUR, IS OUR NAMESAKE OF OUR PARISH.
BUT I'LL TELL YOU WHAT I LEARNED, UM, AS A YOUNG STUDENT THERE, THAT THAT HAS MADE ME INCREASINGLY PROUD THAT OUR PARISH IS NAMED FOR THOMAS JEFFERSON.
I, UM, I WENT AND DID THE OBLIGATORY TOUR OF MONTICELLO, HIS HOME.
AND AS I WAS THERE, I, I WAS, UM, YOU CAN'T HELP BUT TO RECOGNIZE HIS BRILLIANCE, HIS CREATIVITY, HIS INNOVATION.
ONE OF THE THINGS I REMEMBER, THERE WAS A PEN RESTING THERE ON, UH, A, A NOTEBOOK, UM, AND IT WAS CONNECTED BY AN ARM, AND THEN THERE WAS ANOTHER PEN AND
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A NOTEBOOK.SO AS HE WOULD WRITE, HE WAS WRITING A COPY IMMEDIATELY OF WHAT HE WAS WRITING.
AND I THOUGHT, AGAIN, WHAT CREATIVITY, WHAT INNOVATION? UM, AS A YOUNG STUDENT FROM NEW ORLEANS BACK IN THE EIGHTIES AND NINETIES, THAT WAS AN ERA WHERE WE HAD A LOT OF CRIME.
AND WHEN I WENT TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND HAD MY BACKPACK OF BOOKS AND WAS WITH FRIENDS, AND THEY SAID, WELL, YOU CAN JUST LEAVE YOUR BAG RIGHT THERE AND, AND WE'LL COME BACK LATER.
AND I WAS LIKE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN I CAN LEAVE MY BAG RIGHT THERE,
AND SURE ENOUGH, WHATEVER YOU LEFT, WHEREVER YOU LEFT IT, IT WOULD BE THERE.
WHAT I LEARNED WAS THERE WAS AN HONOR CODE AT UVA, AN HONOR CODE WRITTEN AND CREATED BY THOMAS JEFFERSON.
AND IF YOU VIOLATED ANY PORTION OF THAT HONOR CODE, YOU WOULD NOT BE A STUDENT THERE.
IT WAS A ZERO TOLERANCE POLICY.
SO STEALING, YOU KNOW, REMOVING SOMETHING WAS, UM, CERTAINLY A VIOLATION.
AND SO WE LIVED BY THAT HONOR CODE, NOT BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, SOMEONE WAS GONNA CATCH YOU, BUT BUT BECAUSE YOU REALLY DID APPRECIATE, UM, THE ENVIRONMENT THAT WAS CREATED BY LIVING BY THAT HONOR CODE AND EVERYONE ON THE SAME PAGE.
UM, SO THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS WHEN I THINK ABOUT THOMAS JEFFERSON, WHEN I THINK ABOUT THE PARISH, UM, THAT WE, UH, ARE, ARE BLESSED TO LIVE IN, NAMED FOR HIM, THOSE ARE THE KINDS OF THINGS THAT I TRY TO BRING TO LEADERSHIP IN OUR PARISH EVERY DAY.
UM, BEING CREATIVE, THINKING OUTSIDE OF THE BOX.
THAT'S GONNA BE THE FUTURE OF OUR PARISH, UM, DOING THINGS, NOT BECAUSE SOMEONE'S LOOKING OVER YOUR SHOULDER, BUT BECAUSE IT'S THE RIGHT THING TO DO.
SO WHEN I, WHEN I STAND BEFORE THIS STATUE AND LOOK AT IT, THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT I HOPE AS WE CELEBRATE THIS BICENTENNIAL, AS WE CELEBRATE THE FACT THAT THIS IS OUR HISTORY AND OUR HERITAGE, I HOPE WE'LL BE ABLE TO, UM, CERTAINLY TO KEEP SOME OF THOSE THINGS IN MIND.
AND, UH, JUDY, I KNOW WE'VE KNOWN EACH OTHER NOW A A LITTLE BIT MORE THAN A DECADE, AND, AND YOU ALL HAVE WORKED ON MANY GREAT PROJECTS.
ONE OF THE THINGS I HOPE WE CAN WORK ON TOGETHER IN THIS BICENTENNIAL YEAR, AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT IS EVERY PART OF JEFFERSON PARISH HAS, UM, AMAZING HISTORY TO IT.
IF WE CAN WORK WITHOUT HISTORIC SOCIETY AND ALL OVER THE MAP OF JEFFERSON, MARK OUT THOSE HISTORIC, UM, THINGS OF SIGNIFICANCE WHERE THINGS HAPPENED, OR, UM, THOSE, THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE, UM, IMPORTANT TO OUR PARISH AND CREATE WALKING TOURS, YOU KNOW, ON AN APP WHERE SOMEONE VISITING JEFFERSON CAN, CAN PICK GRETNA AND KNOW WHAT'S HISTORIC TO GRETNA, CAN PICK OSWEGO AND, AND WHAT'S HISTORIC TO OSWEGO, AND, UM, AND ENJOY THAT AND LEARN ABOUT OUR HISTORY AND HERITAGE, UM, THAT'S A PROJECT MAYBE WE CAN, WE CAN DO FOR THIS BICENTENNIAL TOGETHER AND HAVE FOR, UM, THE FUTURE OF THE PARISH.
AND SO I LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING, UM, WITH YOU ON AND MANY GREAT ENDEAVORS.
TWO OUT OF THREE OF THOSE THINGS ARE ALREADY IN THE WORKS.
WE HAVE, UH, UH, A MEMBER OF THIS GROUP, LISA LAFRANCE, WHO HAS REPRESENTED THE, THE RENA, UM, HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
AND, UH, SHE HAS WORKED WITH US AND THEY ARE ABOUT TO, UH, PUT THE, UM, UH, SIGNS OUT AT, UH, SIGNS OUT AT THE VARIOUS IMPORTANT PLACES IN GRETNA.
AND PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO GO UP TO THE, THE SIGN AND CLICK ON THE QR CODE AND BE TAKEN RIGHT TO A CENTER THAT WILL TELL THEM MORE ABOUT WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING AT.
THEIR PROGRAM IS ALMOST READY, WE'RE ABOUT TO TAKE IT TO THE SIGN.
UH, AND OF COURSE WE HAVE SPONSORED THAT PROGRAM.
WE'VE BEEN VERY, VERY PROUD TO DO THAT.
ALSO, WESTWEGO HAS DONE IT ALREADY.
UH, THEY HAVE A, UH, WALKING TOUR.
UH, WE ARE GOING TO TAKE THOSE SIGNS DOWN BECAUSE WE ARE GOING TO, UH, PUT NEW SIGNS UP WITH THE BICENTENNIAL LOGO ON THE SIGNS AND THE QR CODE, OF COURSE, GRAND ISLE IS WORKING ON THEIR, UH, WALKING TOUR, AND THEY WILL SOON BE READY AND WE WILL BE, UH, SPONSORING ALL OF THOSE PROGRAMS. ALSO, WE SPONSOR, UH, QUITE A FEW, UH, HIGHWAY MARKERS.
ONE OF THEM IS HERE, UH, JUST A LITTLE WAY DOWN, AND ONE, ONE, UH, FURTHER UP, UH, DEDICATED TO DERBAN, UH, GOVERN A FORMER LAKE GOVERNOR OF, UH, LOUISIANA.
UH, WE ARE ABOUT TO HAVE, UH, ANOTHER GRAND ISLE HIGHWAY MARKER, DELIVERED THIS,
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UH, THIS MONTH AND WILL BE, UH, UM, INSTALLED THEN.SO WE ARE WORKING HARD ON DOING WHAT YOU SAY.
WE ARE FOCUSING ON VARIOUS POCKETS IN THE PARISH TO FEATURE THEM AND, UH, MARK THEM WITH THE HIGHWAY MARKERS OR WITH OTHER PROGRAMS THAT WOULD BE NOTABLE.
WE ALSO HAVE A NUMBER OF PEOPLE TODAY THAT ARE NOT ON THE PROGRAM, BUT I'D LIKE TO RECOGNIZE COUNCILMAN HANS BERG IS HERE.
AND, UM, WHO ELSE WAS, UH, I'M SORRY, WHAT? OH, YES, OF COURSE.
YOU, YOU, YOU LOOK OVER YOUR FRIENDS AND YOU DON'T SEE THEM.
LISA VALANCE, UH, WHO IS A COUNCILWOMAN IN WESTWEGO AND WHO REALLY WAS THE, I WOULD SAY INSTIGATOR IN INVENTOR OF THE GUIDED TOUR, UH, IDEA.
AND WE'VE BEEN PROUD TO PICK UP ON THAT.
AND THEN WE HAVE, UM, IF I HAVE NOT MENTIONED YOUR NAME, PLEASE STAND AND INTRODUCE YOURSELF, ANY OF OUR, OUR, OUR OTHER OFFICIALS, UH, CHIEF OF POLICE, UH, LAWSON, I THOUGHT SINCE YOU WERE ALREADY INTRODUCED THAT
AND NOW WE HAVE A VERY LOVELY, UM, ESSAY WRITTEN BY OUR FORMER CHAIR PERSON OF THE, OF THE, UH, JEFFERSON PARISH HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
UH, UH, HER NAME IS CHARLOTTE, EXCUSE ME, CHARMAINE RENEY.
SHE CAN'T BE HERE TODAY, BUT WE HAVE SOMEONE TO READ THE, THE, UH, HER ESSAY FOR US.
AND SHE IS A MEMBER OF OUR COMMISSION.
I'M GONNA GO SIT DOWN BECAUSE, OKAY, THIS MICROPHONE.
TODAY WE HONOR THOMAS JEFFERSON ON THE 2282ND ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH APRIL 13TH, 1743.
IN THIS, THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR OF THE LOUISIANA PARISH NAMED FOR HIM, WE CELEBRATE HIS MANY ACCOMPLISHMENTS, INCLUDING AUTHORING THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, HIS INAUGURATION AS THIRD PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND HIS ORCHESTRATION OF THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE, CONSIDERED BY MANY HISTORIANS TO BE JEFFERSON'S GREATEST ACHIEVEMENT DURING HIS FIRST TERM AS PRESIDENT, THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE SECURED 827,987 SQUARE MILES OF LAND FROM FRANCE FOR ABOUT $15 MILLION.
THE PURCHASE OF THIS LAND GREATLY INCREASED THE ECONOMIC RESOURCES OF THE UNITED STATES AND CEMENTED THE UNION OF THE MIDDLE WEST AND THE EAST.
EVENTUALLY, ALL OR PARTS OF 15 STATES, AND INCLUDING OUR OWN, WERE FORMED OUT OF THE REGION.
THOMAS JEFFERSON'S TALENTS AND INTERESTS COVERED IN INCREDIBLE RANGE.
HE WAS A DIPLOMAT, A POLITICAL THINKER, AND A FOUNDER OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.
HE WAS THE FOREMOST AMERICAN ARCHITECT OF HIS TIME.
HE DESIGNED THE VIRGINIA CAPITAL, THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND HIS OWN HOME, MONTICELLO.
AS A SCIENTIFIC GARDENER, HE CULTIVATED THE FINEST GARDENS IN AMERICA.
HIS MANY INVENTIONS INCLUDE THE SWIVEL CHAIR, THE DUMB WAITER, AND THE SEVEN DAY CLOCK.
HE WAS AN AVID BOOK COLLECTOR, AND HIS OUTSTANDING LIBRARY BECAME THE NUCLEUS OF THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
JEFFERSON DRAFT, VIRGINIA'S CIVIL CODE.
AND ONE OF HIS LAST MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS WAS TO ESTABLISH THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA.
HE DREW THE PLANS FOR THE BUILDINGS, SUPERVISED THEIR CONSTRUCTION, ORGANIZED THE CURRICULUM, HIRED THE FACULTY IN, SELECTED THE LIBRARY BOOKS.
HE DEVISED THE CONVENIENT DECIMAL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS AMERICANS TO KEEP ACCOUNTS IN DOLLARS AND CENTS.
HE WROTE THE MANUAL OF PARLIAMENTARY PRACTICE.
HE PREPARED WRITTEN VOCABULARIES OF INDIAN LANGUAGES, AND EVEN FOUND TIME TO
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PLAY THE VIOLIN IN CHAMBER OF MUSIC CONCERTS.THE TALL REDHEAD VIRGINIAN BELIEVED THAT THOSE WHO LABOR IN THE EARTH ARE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE OF GOD.
THUS THE TERM JEFFERSONIAN DEMOCRACY, MEANING HIS IDEAL OF A LAND OF LAND OWNING FAMILIES, LIVING UNDER AS LITTLE GOVERNMENT AS POSSIBLE.
THOMAS JEFFERSON MOWED THE AMERICAN SPIRIT AND MIND EACH SUBSEQUENT GENERATION, HIS TURN TO HIM FOR INSPIRATION AND HIS OLD AGE, HE WROTE TO LOVE GOD WITH ALL THY HEART AND THY NEIGHBOR AS THYSELF IS THE SUM OF RELIGION.
SO IN RETROSPECT, WE CANNOT HELP BUT WONDER WHETHER IT WAS BY ME A COINCIDENCE OR BY PROVIDENCE THAT THIS AMERICAN ICON DIED ON THE 4TH OF JULY, 1826, AS THE NATION OBSERVED THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE.
AND NOW I WOULD LIKE TO INTRODUCE A NUMBER OF, UH, BICENTENNIAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS, UH, WHO WEREN'T IN THE OTHER PART OF THE PROGRAM.
DO YOU HAVE A FEW WORDS? LISA REPRESENTED, UH, GRANT LEVEL ON THE COMMITTEE.
ON BEHALF OF THE GRETNA HISTORICAL SOCIETY, I SHARE THIS FUN FACT SEVERAL TIMES A YEAR, AND I'M ESPECIALLY HAPPY TO SHARE IT IN 2025 FOR OUR JEFFERSON PARISH.
JEFFERSON PARISH ORIGINALLY EXTENDED FROM PRESENT DAY FELICITY STREET IN NEW ORLEANS, ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE ST.
AS ORLEANS PARISH GREW, IT ANNEXED FROM JEFFERSON PARISH, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND.
ESTABLISHED AREAS, UH, UH, LIKE THE GARDEN DISTRICT, LAFAYETTE, JEFFERSON, AND CARROLLTON.
THE PRESENT BOUNDARY WAS SET IN 1874, AND THE SEAT OF PARISH GOVERNMENT WAS TRANSFERRED TO THE WEST BANK IN GRETNA, WHERE IT HAS REMAINED EVER SINCE.
ANOTHER PROUD WEST BANK FACT THAT I HAVE TO SHARE IS OUR BELOVED MC DONVILLE IS CONSIDERED THE OLDEST NEIGHBORHOOD IN JEFFERSON PARISH.
I OFTEN GET ASKED, UM, AS A HISTORIAN FOR, FOR, UH, FOR GRETNA AND ORLEANS.
DID THOMAS JEFFERSON EVER VISIT, UM, JEFFERSON PARISH? AND THE ANSWER IS NO.
IN FACT, HE DIDN'T EVEN VISIT THE LOUISIANA TERRITORY, BUT HE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN ACQUIRING IT THROUGH THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE IN 1803.
SO, ALTHOUGH HE NEVER TRAVELED THE AREA, HE WAS THE PRESIDENT THAT SENT OUR EXPLORERS, MERRIWEATHER LEWIS AND WILLIAM CLARK EXPEDITION TO MAP OUT THE TERRITORY.
SO I THINK THAT'S INTERESTING.
UM, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU FOR BEING PART OF THIS SPECIAL EVENT AND LET'S MAKE HISTORY AND MEMORIES DURING THE BICENTENNIAL YEAR.
AND WE HAVE GAYNE PARAIS, UH, SHE REPRESENTED, WELL, SHE IS PRESIDENT, SO SHE REPRESENTED THE, UH, JEFFERSON HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
SHE PUT A LOT OF WORK INTO, UM, TODAY'S CELEBRATION.
I KNEW THAT EVERYONE WOULD HAVE A LOT TO SAY ABOUT THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF THOMAS JEFFERSON.
SO I WAS THINKING, WHAT AM I GONNA SAY? YOU KNOW,
BUT IN THINKING ABOUT WHY WE'RE HERE, WE'RE CELEBRATING THOMAS JEFFERSON IN THE MONTH OF HIS BIRTH.
AND IT BROUGHT ME BACK TO ABOUT 30 YEARS AGO, I PURCHASED A BOX OF CHRISTMAS CARDS, AND ON THE COVER OF THE CARD WAS, UM, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU CALL IT A SAYING OR WRITING OF ONE SOLITARY LIFE, AND IT'S ABOUT HOW JESUS IMPACTED SO MANY PEOPLE THAT ONE LIFE.
HE DIDN'T TRAVEL FAR FROM HOME, HE WASN'T WEALTHY, HE DIDN'T OWN A HOME.
AND THEN I STARTED THINKING ABOUT THOMAS JEFFERSON, ONE SOLITARY LIFE, AND IT BROUGHT ME TO THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
LOOK AT HOW THAT ONE ACT OF ONE PERSON, ONE LIFE IMPACTED SO MANY, YOU KNOW, ALL OF US ARE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES DOING AS WELL AS WE ARE IN PART OF HIS DECISION AND THE PURCHASE OF, UH, THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
SO ANYWAY, UM, YOU KNOW, I JUST WANTED TO SAY EACH OF US ARE IMPORTANT AND EACH OF US ARE SOLITARY LIVES THAT CAN,
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YOU KNOW, HAVE SIGNIFICANT IMPACT IN WHERE WE ARE.WHETHER YOU HOLD AN OFFICE OR YOU KNOW, YOU'RE A PARENT, A GRANDPARENT, A VOLUNTEER, YOUR LIFE IS IMPORTANT AND YOU CAN IMPACT THE COMMUNITY, YOUR FAMILY, AND JUST, YOU KNOW, SOCIETY IN GENERAL AND YOURSELF, YOU KNOW.
SO, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING HERE.
WE LIVE IN A WONDERFUL PARISH AND, UM, JUST GO OUT AND IMPACT YOUR LIFE.
WELL, UH, AN EVENT LIKE THIS IS WONDERFUL, BUT I ALSO WANNA MENTION THAT I WASN'T THE ONLY ONE.
WE HAD A, A COMMITTEE OF PEOPLE WHO ALL PERFORMED A, A PURPOSE AND, AND WHO HELPED AND, UH, WHO WERE A PART OF IT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING.
UM, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE MIKE EMAIL WHO REPRESENTED WESTWEGO, PRESIDENT OF THE WESTWEGO SOCIETY.
I DEFINITELY WOULD LIKE TO, UH, THANK MS. JUDY MILLS.
SHE'S A, SHE'S A GREAT LEADER.
UH, SHE DOES A WONDERFUL JOB, UH, WITH THE COMMISSION.
IT'S A, IT'S A PLEASURE TO SERVE WITH HER, FIRST OF ALL, AS PRESIDENT OF THE WEST BEO HISTORICAL SOCIETY, I'D LIKE TO THANK OUR MAYOR, HONORABLE MAYOR ROBERT BILLOT, OUR COUNCILWOMAN, LISA LANCE, AND ALL OF OUR CITY OFFICIALS.
UM, IT'S VERY MUCH APPRECIATED FOR ALL OF THE SUPPORT THAT THEY GIVE TO OUR HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND OUR HISTORICAL DISTRICT.
AND, UM, I WANNA REMEMBER TODAY, UM, DANIEL AND BIBI ARIO, WHO WAS A BIG, BIG NUCLEUS AND BIG SUPPORTER, AND BASICALLY THE NUCLEUS BEHIND CREATING OUR HISTORICAL SOCIETY AND, UH, WRITING ALL OF THOSE HISTORY BOOKS ABOUT WESTWEGO AND PRESERVING OUR GREAT CULTURE AND OUR GREAT HISTORY.
I ALSO WANT TO TAKE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO THANK, UH, OUR PARISH PRESIDENT, CYNTHIA LEE SHANG, OUR JEFFERSON PARISH COUNCIL, AND ALL OF OUR JEFFERSON PARISH OFFICIALS FOR THEIR GREAT SUPPORT THAT THEY GIVE TO THE JEFFERSON PARISH HISTORICAL COMMISSION.
AND I WANT TO ESPECIALLY THANK JENNIFER VAN RANKIN FOR ALLOWING ME TO SERVE UNDER HER ON THE COMMISSION.
AND I WANNA SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JEFFERSON PARISH.
IF YOU ALL COME UP AND WE WILL MOVE THE, THE WREATH OVER TO THE FRONT OF THE STATUE.
AND, UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED.