Newcomers Guide

NEWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 201232 THE DAILY IBERIAN

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NEWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 20122 THE DAILY IBERIAN NEWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THE DAILY IBERIAN 31THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 2012

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History of New Iberia ................This pagePrivate schools in parish ..............Page 4Public schools K-12 ......................Page 5Want two-year degree? ................Page 6Some musts to try ........................Page 8Rent or buy? ................................Page 11Oil drives local economy ..........Page 12Mayor’s message ..........................Page 14Redfish are plentiful ..................Page 15Health care available ..................Page 18Parish president’s letter ..............Page 19Music, theater and arts ..............Page 20Festivals and more here ............Page 24Youth activities aplenty ..............Page 27Recreation abounds for adults ....Page 28Best of the Teche ......................Page 29

I ND EX Diverse cultures converge in one placeBY MATTHEW BEATON

THE DAILY IBERIAN

New Iberia and Iberia Parish havea history teeming with diversity— Acadians, French, Spanish,

Cajuns and American Indians.It all started with the Acadians, the first

western immigrants to settle present-dayIberia Parish. The Nova Scotia exiles’arrival, around 1765, brought the Frenchlanguage, said Shane Bernard, localauthor and historian. The first place theysettled was between Loreauville and NewIberia.

“The first large concentrated group ofpeople to come into this area, excluding ofcourse the Native Americans, was theAcadians,” Bernard said.

There were about 100 Acadians in thefirst group brought by Joseph Broussarddit Beausoleil, he said. They were exilesoriginally from Nova Scotia. More wouldcome with the largest group arriving in1785.

“They would continue to trickle in untilthe early 19th century, Bernard said.

Then the Spaniards came and foundedthe city of New Iberia in 1779. Led byFrancisco Bouligny they called it “Nueva

Iberia,” Bernardsaid.

“Their dwellingswere originally built9 feet off the ground.They were on poles,”he said.

Originally, theSpaniards construct-ed their huts nearCharenton about 20miles east, but theywere flooded out, sothey moved to whatis now New Iberiaproper, on the banksof Bayou Teche,Bernard said.

But the settlersbecame disenchant-

ed with life on the Teche and change loca-tion again this time to the banks ofSpanish Lake, Bernard said.

THE DAILY IBERIAN FILES

New Iberia and Iberia Parish boast a history of diversity.

SEE DIVERSE, PAGE 3

A L L THE B E S T

BEST PLACE FOR SPECIAL OCCASION1ST: Clementine’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST SPECIALTY MEATS1ST: Legnon’s.2ND: Dave’s.

PLACE TO SPEND SUNDAY AFTERNOON1ST: City Park.

BEST STEAK1ST: Mr. Lester’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST TEEN ‘HANG-OUT’There were two top vote-getters:Orange Leaf.The Grand Theatre.

BEST PLACE TO BUY ELECTRONICS1ST: Walmart.

BEST PLACE TO BUY JEWELRY1ST: Amentor’s.2ND: Allian’s.

BEST PLACE TO FIND A BARGAIN1ST: Walmart.

BEST PLACE TO FIND FURNITURE1ST: Home Furniture.2ND: Foti’s.

BEST PLACE TO HAVE NAILS DONE1ST: LA Nails.2ND: Fancy Nails.

BEST PLACE TO RENT VIDEOS1ST: Red Box.2ND: Block Buster.

PLACE WITH BEST WAIT STAFF1ST: Little River Inn.2ND: Landry’s.

BEST WAITER/WAITRESS1ST: Nelda at Little River Inn.2ND: Esella Lee at Landry’s.

BEST PLACE TO WASH YOUR CAR1ST: Wizard Wash.2ND: Get Wet.

BEST PLACE TO WATCH SPORTS1ST: Chilis.2ND: Pelican’s on the Bayou.

BEST PLACE TO GET WINES/LIQUOR1ST: Bi-Lo

FROM PAGE 30

2ND: Clementine’s.BEST PLACE FOR FAST-FOOD

1ST: McDonald’s.2ND: Wendy’s.

BEST PLACE TO FIND UNUSUAL GIFTS1ST: Walmart.2ND: Delaune’s.2ND: This & That.

BEST PLACE FOR APPLIANCE REPAIR1ST: A&A Appliance.

BEST PLACE FOR SPORTING GOODS1ST: Lipari Sporting Goods.2ND: Walmart.

BEST FRENCH BREAD1ST: LeJeune’s.

BEST FRESH PRODUCE1ST: Super 1.2ND: Farmer’s Market.2ND: Winn Dixie.

BEST FRIED CHICKEN1ST: Popeye’s.

FRIENDLIEST BANK TELLERS1ST: Community First - Jefferson Terrace.2ND: Chase - North Lewis.2ND: Iberia Bank - St. Peter.

BEST PLACE TO GO DANCINGFour top vote-getters, but no clear winner:Landry’s.Mon Ami.Rox.The Camp.

BEST PLACE TO GO FISHING1ST: Cypremort Point.

BEST PLACE TO GO ON A DATEThere were several top vote-getters, but no clear

winner:Bojangles.Cafe Jefferson.Chili’s.Clementine’s.Little River Inn.Mr. Lester’s.The Camp.The Patio.

BEST GOLF COURSETwo courses got votes, but there was no clear

winner:Squirrel Run.Sugar Oaks.

BEST GROCERY CHECKOUT SERVICE1ST: Super 1.2ND: Bi-Lo.

BEST GUMBO1ST: Little River Inn.2ND: Dave’s.

BEST HAMBURGER1ST: Stein’s.

BEST HANDYMAN ADVICE1ST: Lowe’s.2ND: ACE Hardware.

BEST ICE CREAM1ST: Baskin Robbins.

BEST INSURANCE AGENT1ST: Jimmy Champagne at AllState.2ND: Bill Desormeaux at State Farm (Jen).

BEST PLACE FOR KID’S FOODS1ST: McDonald’s.2ND: Duffy’s.

BEST KING CAKES1ST: Meche’s.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR MEAT1ST: Bi-Lo.2ND: Legnon’s.

BEST MEDICAL STAFF1ST: Boudreaux Family Medicine.2ND: Iberia Medical Staff.

BEST PLACE TO MEET FOR BREAKFAST1ST: Victor’s.

BEST PLACE TO MEET GUY/GIRLFour places received votes, but there was no clear

winner:Bojangle’s.Chili’s.Napoleon’s.Tampico’s.

BEST MEXICAN FOOD1ST: Tampico’s.2ND: El Mexicano.

BEST NIGHT SPOTThere was no clear winner:Clementine’s.Jersey’s..The Camp.

BEST PET GROOMER1ST: Tammy Talley at Tammy’s Grooming

(Reaux’s).BEST PHARMACY

1ST: CVS (Parkview).2ND: Delaune’s.

BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC

1ST: City Park..BEST PIZZA

1ST: Pizza Place.2ND: Pizza Hut.

BEST PLACE FOR CHILD’S HAIRCUT1ST: Studio 902.2ND: Cliff’s.

BEST PLACE FOR MAN’S HAIRCUT1ST: Ryan Michael’s.2ND: Cliff’s.

BEST PLACE FOR WOMAN’S HAIRCUT1ST: Studio 902.2ND: Ryan Michael’s.

BEST PLACE TO PLAY TENNIS1ST: City Park.

BEST PLUMBING SERVICE1ST: Babineaux’s.2ND: Pipe’s N Plugs.

BEST PO-BOYS1ST: Bon Creole.

BEST PORTIONS1ST: Victor’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST PLACE FOR PREPARED

SEAFOOD1ST: Anna Seafood.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT1ST: Pat Caffery at Caffery Real Estate.2ND: Karl Rouly at Van Eaton & Romero.

BEST RED BEANS & RICE1ST: Popeye’s.

BEST RETIREMENT FACILITY1ST: Garden View.2ND: Belle Teche.

BEST SALAD BAR1ST: Ruby Tuesday.

BEST SANDWICHES1ST: Subway.2ND: Quizno’s.

BEST SEAFOOD MARKET1ST: Mike’s Seafood.1ST: Super 1.2ND: Anna Seafood.

BEST SNOWBALLS1ST: Snowball Factory.

“Nueva Iberia at that point was aban-doned, but then the town was revived inthe early 1800s,” Bernard said. “So NewIberia, in a way, had two foundings. Bothof those are important.”

The city’s resuscitators were primarilyAnglo-American with some Frenchmenmixed in, Bernard said.

The next important period in its lifewas the Civil War. Both the Union andthe Confederacy occupied New Iberiaduring the conflict, Bernard said.

“Sometimes this area was really a no-man’s land that neither side could real-ly hold,” Bernard said.

It also brought devastation. ThoughNew Iberia was no Northern Virginia, itsaw some rough times, Bernard said.

“You had Union and Confederatearmies and smaller units comingthrough here and taking people’s prop-erty, either for legitimate reasons ornot,” Bernard said.

However, during the war Iberia Parishdid not exist. The current parish landwas split between St. Martin and St.Mary parishes.

Interestingly, President AbrahamLincoln’s Emancipation Proclamationspecifically excluded those two parishesand a few others.

“That’s because the EmancipationProclamation was intended to freeslaves only in areas that were notalready controlled by the North,”Bernard said.

After the war, two key events occurredin 1868. Iberia Parish came into exis-tence — with New Iberia as the parish

seat — and former banker EdmundMcIlhenny grew his first commercialcrop of peppers on Avery Island, whichwould be used to make Tabasco sauce.Tabasco products are now labeled in 22languages and sold in more than 160countries, according to the company’swebsite.

Fast forward to the 20th century andoil becomes king. It was discovered incommercially viable amounts on AveryIsland in 1942, Bernard said.

Oil created mobility and enhancedincomes, Bernard said. Owing to oil,Iberia Parish was rapidly Americanized,evidenced by the decline in French speak-ers.

So slowly the foundation of theAcadians’ culture — the language —eroded and the people morphed into avariation of their ancestors, Bernard

said.Acadians

and mod-ern Cajuns

are not the same thing, Bernard said.Over hundreds of years, the Acadiansintermarried with the other ethnicgroups in the region creating a new,uniquely Cajun identity, he said.

He said so-called Cajun names aren’t all

ones from Nova Scotia like Boudreaux,Broussard, Guidry and Thibodeaux.There are Spanish names like Romero,Dartez, Migues; German names likeToups, Stelly; and French Creole nameslike Soileau, Fontenot.

“Over the generations you’ve had a lotof inter-mixing. … It was that processthat allowed them to evolve into Cajuns,”Bernard said.


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DIVERSE: Iberia Parish was formed from St. Martin and St. Mary parishesFROM PAGE 2

MATTHEW BEATON / THE DAILY IBERIAN

This seal on a sign in fr ont of City Hall shows the crest of the city of NewIberia.

‘Nueva Iberia at that point was aban-doned, but then the town was revivedin the early 1800s. So New Iberia, in away, had two foundings. Both of those

are important’

Shane Bernard

Local author and historian

A L L THE B E S T

FROM PAGE 29

CONTINUED ON PAGE 31

There are lots of things to learnwhen new to town. It’s especiallyhelpful when you have local folks

to help you find good, trustworthy serv-ice or a great place to eat.

Here’s an easy way to do it.Each summer, The Daily Iberia com-

piles a list of categories that readers voteon, calculate their responses and, in anunscientific way, share with everyone thebest this area has to over.

Just for our newcomers, we have puttogether an abridged list of where the topplaces are for just about anything.

PLACE TO BUY ‘COOL’ CASUALCLOTHES

1ST: Stage.PLACE TO GET ‘HOME-STYLE’ COOKING

1ST: Taste-N-Sea.2ND: Little River Inn.2ND: Victor’s.

BEST AUTO MECHANIC1ST: Cliff Dronet at Dronet’s Auto Repair.2ND: Kent at Tracey’s.

BEST PLACE FOR BAKERY ITEMS1ST: Bi-Lo.2ND: Meche’s.

BEST DAY CARE1ST: Cathy’s Day Care.2ND: ABC & 123 Pre-School.

BEST PLACE FOR HEAING/AC SERVICE1ST: Fox’s.2ND: Larry Delcambre.

BEST SPORTS TEAM1ST: Saints.

BEST THING ABOUT LIVING IN THETECHE AREA

There were two top vote-getters, but there wasno clear winner

Friendly People.The Food.

BEST USED CAR SALESMANThere were five sales representatives who were the

top vote-getters, but there was no clear winner.Duane Dorsey at Courtesy Vermilion-Abbeville.Gene Nora at Arceneaux Ford.Gerald Sigue at Musson Patout.Ricky Aires at Courtesy Vermilion-Abbeville.Ryan Menard at Courtesy Vermilion-Abbeville.

BEST BOAT MECHANIC1ST: Ryan Sonnier at Iberia Outboard.

BEST PLACE FOR BOILED SEAFOOD

1ST: Seafood Connection.2ND: Jane’s.

BEST BOUDIN1ST: Legnon’s.

BEST PLACE TO BRING YOUR SICKANIMAL

1ST: Reaux’s Animal Hospital.BEST BUFFET

1ST: Taste-N-Sea.2ND: Hong Kong Buffet.

BEST PLACE FOR BUSINESS LUNCH1ST: Clementine.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST PLACE TO BUY ‘COOL’ CHIL-DREN’S CLOTHES

1ST: Stage.2ND: Walmart.

BEST PLACE TO BUY APPLIANCES1ST: A&A Appliance.2ND: Conn’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY FLOWERS1ST: Fabian’s.2ND: Paul’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY LAWN & GAR-

DEN EQUIPMENT1ST: Lowe’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY OUTDOORPLANTS

1ST: Hebert’s.2ND: Lowe’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY TIRES/SERVICE1ST: Iberia Discount Tire.2ND: Winmill.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR CARREPAIRS

1ST: Tracey’s.2ND: Dronet’s.

BEST CATERING SERVICE1ST: Peltier’s.2ND: Art of Eating.

BEST CHINESE FOOD1ST: Kim’s (Main).2ND: Hong Kong Buffet.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR COFFEE1ST: Starbucks.2ND: Victor’s.

BEST PLACE FOR A COLD BEERThere were four places that were the top vote-

getters, but there was no clear winner:Chili’s.E&E Sport’s Bar.Jersey’s.Pelican’s on the Bayou.

BEST CRACKLINS1ST: Legnon’s.2ND: Dave’s.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR DESSERTS1ST: Victor’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST PLACE FOR DINING ‘ATMOS-PHERE’

1ST: Little River Inn.2ND: Clementine’s.

BEST DONUTS1ST: Meche’s.

BEST DRY CLEANING SERVICE1ST: Rudy’s.2ND: Derouen’s.

BEST PLACE TO EAT WITHOUT KIDS1ST: Little River Inn.

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Some of the oldest institutions in IberiaParish remain in existence today as private

schools.There are six private schools of all faiths in

Iberia Parish including Roman Catholic, Baptist,Church of Christ, Assembly of God and Episcopal.

Catholic High School, which operates through theDiocese of Lafayette, was established in 1957 andwas originally St. Peter’s College in 1918 as an all-boys school.

Mount Carmel served as the private all girls schoolboth schools merged as Catholic High.

Today, the school provides education for studentsin grades kindergarten through 12.

It’s main feeder school, St. Edward School, wasestablished in 1918 by Mother Katherine Drexel. In2000, Pope John Paul II declared Drexel as a saint.

Today, the St. Edward School facilitates curriculumfor students ion grades pre-kindergarten through

third grade.Other more newly built schools include Highland

Baptist Christian School and Assembly ChristianSchool. Both schools offer kindergarten through 12thgrade education.

Epiphany Day School, which provides educationfor student in grades pre-kindergarten throughfifth, is a feeder school for Episcopal School ofAcadiana, which has a campus in Cade and inLafayette.

The following is a list a private schools in Iberia Parish:

ASSEMBLY Christian School - grades K-12 - Assembly of God -364-4340.

CATHOLIC High School - grades 4-12 -Roman Catholic - 364-5116.

EPIPHANY Day School - grades pre-K - 5, Episcopal - 364-6841.

HIGHLAND Baptist Christian School:grades pre-k - 12 Baptist - 364-2273.

ACADIA ChristianAcademy: grades 1-12 - Church of

Christ - 364-8438.

ST. EDWARD SCHOOL: grades pre-kindergarten throughthird. grade - Catholic -369-6764.


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Iberia’s private schools long establishedAT A G L ANCE

Some of the oldest educational institutions in Iberia Parish have been providing opportunities to students

for decades. They range from a varietyof private and parochial schools that

offer an educational alternative.

HOW WE S AY I T : N AME S

Badeaux — ba-DOHBarras — BAH-rahBarrilleaux — BA-ree-ohBaudoin — boh-DWANBegnaud — BEHG-nohBienvenu — bee-EHN-vuh-nooBonin — BOH-nanBoudreaux — BOO-drohBourgeois — booj-WAHBourque — BORK

Charpentier — SHAR-pen-chay orsha-PON-shayComeaux — COH-mohCormier — COR-mee-ayDauterive — DOH-treevDelahoussaye — deh-lah-HOO-sayDerouen — DER-wahnDesormeaux — DEHS-ruh-mohDavid — dah-VEEDDecuir — duh-KWEER

Doerle (also Doyle) — DOILDoucet — doo-SETDugas — DOO-gahDuhe — DOO-eeFontenot — FAHN-tuh-nohFontenette — FAHN-tuh-netFreyou — FREE-youGautreaux — GOH-trohGirouard — jeh-RAWRDGonsoulin — GONE-suh-lan

Granger — GRAWN-zhayGuidry — GIH-dreeHebert (also Frioux)— AY-bearHollier — OH-yayHulin — HYOO-lanIstre — EASTJeanbatiste — ZHAHN-ba-teestJeanlouis — zhawn-loo-EEJudice — joo-DEESLeger — LAY-zhay

BE S T O F THE T E CHE


BY CHRIS LANDRY

THE DAILY IBERIAN

New Iberia and surrounding areasprovide a wide variety of recre-ational activities for adults look-

ing to stay active and fit, including compet-itive sports leagues an various fitness pro-grams sponsored by the city and parish.

Both the New Iberia RecreationDepartment and Iberia Parish Parks andRecreation offer fitness and exercise pro-grams for adults and seniors, as well asadult softball, soccer, flag football and bas-ketball leagues.

NIRD sponsors two USSSA adult soft-ball sessions for players ages 17 and olderat its Bank Avenue Park, with a summerleague from April through August and afall league from September throughDecember. Men’s industrial, masters andfun league divisions as well as women’sand co-ed leagues are offered.

IREC also offers a ladies’ adult softballleague beginning in June and a co-edleague beginning in July. Interested par-ties should call Kalyn at the department’sWillow Wood office at 365-6197.

Summer and winter adult basketballleagues also are offered through the NewIberia Recreation Department. Summerleague games are held at the MartinLuther King Jr. Community Center atWest End Park, while winter league gamesare at the Cyr-Gates Community Center atCity Park. Registration for the summerleague is held in May and for the winterleague in December. For more informationcall the Cyr-Gates Community Center at369-2337 or West End Park at 369-2394.

Iberia Parish offers adult basketball atits King Joseph Recreation Center in thespring, from 5-6 p.m. on Mondays. CallMary Martin at 276-6414 for informationabout offerings at the King Joseph Center.

Flag football is offered for adultsthrough the New Iberia RecreationDepartment at Bank Avenue Park.Players ages 17 and older can choosemen’s, women’s or co-ed leagues.Registration is held in August with theseason held from September to November.

Lighted tennis courts are available forpublic use at various parks in the city

and parish. TheNew IberiaRecreationDepartment haseight total light-ed courts at CityPark (five), WestEnd Park (two)and BankAvenue Park(one), which areopen and freefor public usefrom 7 a.m. to 10p.m. daily.Participantsmust providetheir own rac-quets and balls.Additional rulesare posted near the courts. Players mayreserve courts beforehand by calling therecreation department offices.

Iberia Parish Recreation’s 14 parks andcommunity centers include lighted tenniscourts at Willow Wood Park in NewIberia as well as tennis courts at BurleighPark in Jeanerette, Francis RomeroMemorial Park in Coteau, LoreauvillePark, Remy Landry Park in Delcambreand Weeks Park in Lydia.

Both NIRD and IREC offer popularexercise programs including Tai Chi,yoga and Zumba classes.

The New Iberia Recreation Departmentoffers several activities and exerciseclasses for seniors, director Tony Miguessaid, at its community centers located inCity Park and West End Park.

Among the activities offered are yoga,water aerobics and senior water aerobics,ballet barre exercises for seniors, aero-bics classes and Zumba fitness. Exerciseequipment is available for use at both theMLK Center at West End Park and theCyr-Gates Center in City Park.

The city also has a swimming pool atCity Park, with adult lap swimming andsummer adult swim lessons offered.

For more information about what activ-ities are available, and when, check thelinks at the city’s website,http://www.cityofnewiberia.com/site329.php, or call 369-2337 between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.Iberia Parish Parks and Recreation

offers exercise programs at Willow WoodPark and the King Joseph Center inJeanerette.

Thai Chi classes with gentle stretchingare offered year-round at Willow WoodPark, three mornings a week and led byNell Gauthier. Call Willow Wood at 365-6197 for more information.

Mary Martin leads fitness classes forparticipants ages 16 and older at the KingJoseph Recreation Center in Jeanerette.The classes include cardio work Mondayand Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and ton-ing and strength on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. For more information callMartin at 276-6414.

The very popular Zumba classes cur-rently being held at Willow Wood Park areheld Monday and Tuesday from 6-7 p.m.and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Registration isopen, with punch cards available for pur-chase at IREC’s Willow Wood office.

For more information about parishparks and recreation, check the IberiaParish Government website athttp://www.iberiaparishgovernment.com/dept-parks.asp, or call the Willow Woodoffice at 365-6197.

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Families with children in gradeskindergarten though 12 have plen-ty of options for their children’s’

education in Iberia Parish.The Iberia Parish public school system

hold nearly 30 schools several which arein newly built and newly renovated facili-ties within New Iberia’s city limits andthroughout the parish.

There are roughly 14,000 studentsenrolled in the local public school system,which employs approximately 1,900employees, Superintendent of SchoolsDale Henderson said.

“We are happy to welcome all studentsto the Iberia Parish school system,” hesaid. “We are very proud our studentsand employees and we pay tribute to thework they do in our schools each day.”

As part of the 2009 bond election, mil-lions of dollars have been poured into

expanding current campuses and build-ing new facilities such as Johns HopkinsElementary and Loreauville Elementaryschools.

Other projects include the constructionof the Iberia Parish School Board’s newSpecial Education building and its foodservice and maintenance buildings thatare scheduled to be completed this year.

To register students in an Iberia Parishschool, parents must accompany theirchild to the school along with a copy ofthe child’s birth certificate, proof of resi-dence, a copy of immunization records, acopy of the child’s Social Security cardand withdrawal information from thechild’s previous school.

If you are not sure what school you areto enroll your child, the School Board’sOffice of Child Welfare and Attendancehas copies of each attendance zone andcan provide additional information forparents. The child welfare office is locat-ed in the School Board’s administrativeoffice building at 1500 Jane St. The officecan be contacted by calling 365-2341.


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REGISTRATION POLICY: Studentscan register at each school and must beaccompanied by a parent with the follow-ing items:A copy of a birth certificate,proof of residence (utility bill), copy ofimmunization records, Social Security cardand withdrawal information from the previ-ous school.

Students entering kindergarten will need thesame information, and registration is heldin March through the first day of school ofthe year before the student begins schoolin August.

The student must be 5 years old beforeSept. 30 of the year he or she will beginkindergarten.

Questions about specific circumstances canbe addressed to the supervisor of childwelfare and attendance. For more informa-tion call 365-2341.

Iberia public schools have many new facilities for its 14,000 students

Area has many rec opportunities for adults


Bus driver Jocelyn Young checks P ark Elementary School students for their ride home.Iberia Parish’s public school system provides many services to its students.

‘We are happy to welcome allstudents to the Iberia Parishschool system. We are veryproud our students and

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NIRD’s popular yoga program is led by certified teachers.

BY NEAL MCCLELLAND

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Opportunities for youth recreationabound in the city, includingeverything from football, to base-

ball, to soccer in organized sports tocamps and other opportunities offered byNew Iberia Recreation Department.

During spring, Evangeline LittleLeague, Iberia Athletic Association andIberia Youth Baseball Association offeryouth baseball and softball.

“We offer Little League baseball and soft-ball from ages 4-16,” said ELL presidentJim Picheloup, who added that registrationusually runs from January to March andthe season runs from April through themiddle of June. “And we always welcomevolunteers to help us run the league. Allthey have to come by and fill out a volun-teer form. We would like to re-establish ourvolunteer base since we now include notonly New Iberia but also parts ofJeanerette which is now in our charter.”

Picheloup said the area covered by ELLis Iberia Parish up to St. Martin Parish.

IAA, which includes Iberia Parish, St.Martin Parish and parts of LafayetteParish up to the Broussard-Youngsvillearea, and IYBA, which includes the com-munities or Rynella, Lydia, Delcambre,Loreauville and Coteau, offer Babe Ruthbaseball for ages 4-15 for IAA and ages 41/2 to 14 for IYBA in baseball and softball.

Both IAA president Kenneth Stansburyand IYBA president Spike Baudoin alsowelcome volunteers to help as coaches andin other places in the leagues.

“Our registration is usually the month of

February,” said Baudoin who added thateach park sets their own dates, usually onweekends and a couple of days during theweek. “We also have information for par-ents who want to volunteer whether it be asa coach, handing out uniforms, fundraising.We have a sign-up sheet and we keep in con-tact with them. We try to get the parentsinvolved in all aspects of our organization.”

Stansbury said IAA registration is thelast weekend of January and all ofFebruary and the season runs from mid-April to the end of May.

Stansbury also welcomes parents andother volunteers to help make the leaguemore successful for the kids who partici-pate in it.

Also available on an almost year roundbasis is Iberia Soccer Association which

plays at the Louisiana PepperPlex.“Soccer registration for ISA soccer is

during June and July,” said ISA directorStephen Koch. “The season runs from lastweekend of August through October andthen from the beginning of March to thefirst week of April.

“We have a competitive soccer optionwith registration in May and June.”

The Iberia Youth Football League domi-nates the youth scene during the fall andoffers football and cheerleading opportuni-ties for ages 5-13 years old.

The New Iberia Parks and RecreationDepartment offers summer camps andother youth recreation opportunities.

Bayou Wheels Skate Park is located inCity Park and is open seven days a weekfrom noon to 7 p.m. during summertime andnoon to 6 p.m. weekends only when school isin session. NIRD offers 16 parks around thecity with different amenities including play-grounds, pools, walking tracks, boat ramps,softball and baseball fields, basketballcourts, tennis courts and pavilions.


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Students can earn 2-year degrees at 2 local collegesBY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Residents looking to continue their education inIberia Parish have two campuses available toearn two-year degrees and receive college-ready

training.The Acadiana Technical College’s Teche Area campus,

part of Louisiana Technical College Region 4, with 500students taking courses each day at the campus locatedat 609 Ember Drive near the Acadiana Regional Airport.

ATC students can select from several programs avail-able on the Teche Area. A full list of the programs andcurriculum can be found at the school’s Website at great-eracadianaregion.net

The school’s motto is “He who hath a trade, hath anestate.” Assistant campus Dean Camille Jarrell said theschool’s goal is to provide students with work skills thatwill prepare them for careers.

“What we do at our school is focus on workforce devel-opment by providing students the training and experi-ence needed for skilled employment,” she said.

For more information on the technical college and itsprogramming, contact the Teche Area campus at 373-0011.

Almost directly across from the ATC Teche Area cam-pus on Ember Drive is the South Louisiana Community

College’s New Iberia campus.The institution offers general

studies courses for students seek-ing their associate degree orthose who are eventually plan-ning to transfer to four-year col-lege or university.

The associate degree programsinclude liberal arts, industrialtechnology, general studies, gen-eral business, emergency medicaltechnology (paramedic), criminaljustice and care and developmentof young children.

The paramedic program atSLCC is an educational partnerof the National EMS Academy,and the school offers a certificateof technical studies to accompa-ny the associate’s degree in para-medics.

For more information on theschool and its program, call the

New Iberia campus at 373-0185 or visitwww.southlouisiana.edu.

Local children can play wide range of sports here


The ATC’s Teche Area campus is located near the Acadiana Regional Airport. The sta-tion above helps teach students several types of welding.


Opening day is a special time for kids, coaches and parents in youth baseball leagues.

procession of decorated shrimp boats, aswell as old Saint Nick, make their waydown the Delcambre Canal in celebrationof the season.

On Dec. 9, downtown New Iberia willfill with Christmas lights and trolley carsfor the city’s Magic on Main tour ofhomes.

“Our festivals are really a wonderfulopportunity to appreciate the abundancewe have in our area,” said Faulk.

Soon after, Mardi Gras gives Iberiansand their visitors a chance to celebrate.Before the official Fat Tuesday, the Kreweof Andalusia parades through downtownNew Iberia. Then on Mardi Gras Day, thecommunity Grand Marais in easternIberia Parish steps off for its parade,while krewes in Loreauville and the com-munity of Coteau hold their parade fes-tivities on Mardi Gras Day.

Then spring soon is in the air again,and with that is the start of another festi-val season.

March brings New Iberia’s annual artsand crafts festival held on the grounds ofthe historic Shadows-on-the-Teche onMain Street, where many vendors displaytheir wares throughout the gardens ofthe ante-bellum home. Also in NewIberia, typically in March, is Festival ofLive Oaks in City Park, where hundredsflock every year to celebrate the majestictrees, listen to music and peruse anassortment of vendors and food booths.

In April, New Iberia boasts the CajunHot Sauce Festival at the SugArena,where area cooks pit their sauces againsteach other in an annual contest.


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FESTIVAL: ‘Really a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the abundance’ in areaFROM PAGE 25

New Iberia will fill withChristmas lights and trolleycars for the city’s Magic onMain tour of homes Dec . 9.

Mardi Gras parades before andon Fat Tuesday are big hits inthe Teche Area, includingLoreauville and Coteau.

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FESTIVAL: Delcambre Shrimp Festival very popular

neighbor Erath takes center stage celebrates thenation’s birth, with parades, pageantry and thepopular water warsbetween area firedepartments.

August is traditionallythe time for celebratingthe shrimping industry,with the annualDelcambre ShrimpFestival, which prepareslocal shrimpers for thefall season by receivingthe blessing of the fleetof shrimping vessels.

The nonprofit Lydia Cancer Association holds itsbiggest fundraiser every year, usually between late-August and early-September with the Lydia CajunFood Fest, in which area cooks compete for topprizes and a year’s worth of bragging rights.

For five days every September, the city of NewIberia is home to one of the Teche Area’s largestcelebrations with the Louisiana Sugar Cane

Festival and Fair. Sugar Cane Festival means aseries of fais do dos, parades, pageants and theblessing of the area’s sugar crops.

Just in time for the arrival of cool weather, NewIberia’s downtown areafills with people for theGreater Iberia Chamberof Commerce’s WorldChampionship GumboCook-Off from Oct. 12-14.Over the years, the eventhas grown in popularity,attracting visitors from20 different states to lastyear’s event, notedFaulk.

On Nov. 3, residentsand visitors warm up with a bowl of chili in CityPark for the Great Chili Challenge.

The Christmas season also experiences no short-age of festivals and area celebrations.

The town of Delcambre, on the evening of Dec. 8,features its annual Christmas Boat Parade, where a

FROM PAGE 24


Shrimp, and plenty of it, is main course at the Shrimp Festival. SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE 26

For five days every September, thecity of New Iberia is home to one ofthe Teche Area’s largest celebrations

with the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festivaland Fair.

BY JEFF ZERINGUE

THE DAILY IBERIAN

You’ve just got to ... now that you’rein Iberia.

There are many things to learn aboutour community — the must-sees, have-to-dos and ought-to-meets that every commu-nity have. Here are some of those essen-tial Iberian experiences that have beenmentioned by locals to help our newcom-ers learn a little more about who we areand what we see as important.

These are in no particular order, butthey are the top of mind essentials.

Firing up of roux pots at WorldChampionship Gumbo Cookoff

One of Iberia’s most popular of festivalsis the World Championship GumboCookoff. It has been featured in nationalmagazines and shows of cable channelcooks. One of the things that make thisevent so special, however, is for the earlybirds. It’s the beginning of the cookoff

when roux pots are at the ready.The roux is the base of the gumbo. Get

it right and the rest is easy, but if some-thing goes wrong, these teams can get intotrouble quickly.

At 6:30 a.m. on the second Sunday ofOctober, the cannon goes off in BoulignyPlaza and the propane burners ignite, soonsending the unmistakable aroma of roux— a mixture of flour, oil and Cajun season-ings — wafting from downtown NewIberia for sometimes up to a mile away.

The three-day festival is good fun withlots of traditional South Louisiana foodand music and the winners take home thesilver trophy that identifies them as worldchampions.

IPAL performance:Some communities show their talents

through the theater and the IberiaPerforming Arts League gives locals andthe surrounding communities manyopportunities through the year to see theextraordinary talent that resides here.

IPAL has about five shows each year,

plays that include comedies and musicals.Through a mix of professional musicians,local and regional talent, this troupe hasbeen successful enough in the past 10years that it has paid off the mortgage forthe Essanee Theater.

What has aided in IPAL’s success alsohas been its team of volunteers, localswho participate in assuring there is athriving performing arts presence in NewIberia.

Cajun Groundhog Day:The weather, like any place around the

country, is often the topic of conversation.There is a vast difference, however, inwhat Punxsutawney Phil predicts way upnorth and our weather in the Deep South.That’s why New Iberia needs its ownweather prognosticator and finds this inthe talented Pierre C. Shadeaux.

Unlike his rodent cousin of the North,Pierre, a lovable nutria, comes out out ofthe swamp each year in time for the Feb. 2event to determine whether there will bean early return of summer or a more

pleasant extended spring. If Pierre seeshis shadow, there will be the less fortunateearly return to summer’s warm andhumid days and sultry nights. On theother hand, should our endearing nutrianot see his shadow, the cooler, mild tem-peratures of spring will remain with usfor an extended period.

Either way, it’s a good time to be amongthose eager to find out Iberia’s fate about 7a.m. each Feb. 2 in New Iberia’s BoulignyPlaza.

Meet Paul Schwing,the unofficial Mayor ofMain Street:

Every town has its histo-rians and statesmen. PaulSchwing — who one issure to run into if a visit-ing downtown early in themorning, more particular-ly, a morning visit to

Victor’s Cafeteria — is both.

New to Iberia, here’s what you should do

Schwing

SEE DO, PAGE 9

Schwing, 85, was born and reared in NewIberia. He said he easily recognizes visitorsand will welcome them with open arms anda lot of questions. But they are the easykind. Schwing said he learned to put a visi-tor at ease from his mother, Anna BlanchetSchwing, “It’s a knack,” he said of the wayhis mother was so kind-hearted to everyone.

Maybe it’s just Schwing’s involvementin the community through his four scores.Through membership in private groupsand public committees, and his presencein the the downtown commerce, the ownerof Paul’s Flower Shop for the past 60 years(in the same place on Weeks Street)earned him the affection nickname of the“Mayor of Main Street.” He has aided 92men who have been Scouts of Troop 133 toearn the rank of Eagle and the formerNavy serviceman has been a staunchleader in the Iberia Veterans Commission,among numerous other organizations.

Kiwanis Pancake Supper:Almost everyone enjoys the change of

having breakfast for supper, but theKiwanis Pancake Supper, which has beengoing on for more than 50 years, is a heckof a social event, too.

Eric Armentor, a longtime member ofthe New Iberia Kiwanis Club, has beenhelping out with the Pancake Suppersince about 1981, he said, missing only oneyear due to a health issue. “I actuallydrove through (that year) to give thoseguys moral support,” he quips.

Hordes of people turn out for more than aplate of pancakes generously topped withcane syrup and a couple of patties ofsausage. Friends and neighbors passthrough the line for a bit of nourishment,then sit and visit. For some, it’s a time to seethat old friend who you might not run intovery much the rest of the year. But at thisevent, there is time to slow down and catchup.

The event itself is the club’s annualfundraiser. The money made at the eventhelps to fund scholarships for a few gradu-


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LEE BALL / THE DAILY IBERIAN

Local students par ticipate in the long-a waited Children’s Parade each y ear during theSugar Cane Festival in Iberia Parish.

BY PATRICK FLANAGAN

THE DAILY IBERIAN

One can find a festival going on justabout every weekend of the yearin the Teche Area, celebrating

everything indigenous, from food tomusic to art, even trees.

“It’s a great place to be for a good time,”said Greater Iberia Chamber of CommercePresident and CEO Janet Faulk of thearea’s numerous festivals. “We really haveyearlong good times. It’s a constant cele-bration of our individual cultures and theblending of our multiple cultures.”

Festival season traditionally gets underway with the arrival of spring.

Coming soon, though, is a celebrationof Jazz legend Bunk Johnson, who for

years lived in New Iberia. In May, theannual Bunk Fest, which is sponsored bySt. Edward Catholic Church, typicallyspans several weeks throughout themonth, culminating in a second linemarch from St. Edward church toJohnson’s gravesite.

For Independence Day, Delcambre’s

SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE 25

Festival season traditionallygets under way with the

arrival of spring.

Festival timenearly all the timein the Teche Area

DO: Pancake Supper a social eventFROM PAGE 8

SEE MUST, PAGE 10

and anti-bullying programs for youngpublic school students in Iberia Parish. Itis held in November on the Thursday pre-ceding Thanksgiving.

Nature Trail walk at Lake FaussePointe State Park:

Iberia is fortunate to have a small partof the Louisiana Park Service to reservesome natural habitat for its creatures.

The Lake Fausse (pronounced FAW-see)Pointe State Park is tucked away in theparish’s northeast corner on the edge ofthe Atchafalaya Basin. It provides muchof the accommodations of state parks,including RV spots, cabins, canoe rentalsand places for tent camping.

Another prime experience is to walkalong its nature trails of varying lengths.Watch hawks dance in the tree tops or theprehistoric looking armadillos burrowfor grubs. It’s an experience that is worththe trek. Find out more by calling theoffice at 229-4764, toll free at 888-677-7200or checking out its website athttp://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ilake-faus.aspx.

Boat Parade at the Louisiana SugarCane Festival and Fair:

Parading down Main Street is some-what a common occurrence for sometowns, but when you parade down themain waterway in a boat bedecked withstalks of cane, it can only mean it’s theLouisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair’sFriday night boat parade.

The annual event gets people to enjoythe once main way of mass transit andcommercial transportation on BayouTeche, but in a more fun way. The parade

begins before dusk and leads into the bigevent’s fais-do-do on the Friday night ofthe fair. The festival is held on the lastweekend in September.

There certainly are many, many more.Getting accustomed, or re-accustomed, toIberia offers chances to share what yourfavorite experiences are. And, maybeyou’d like to share them with us. Just sendthem via email to [email protected].

Here’s a list of other events that local

folks told The Daily Iberian were coolthings to catch.

• Flashing red light at LeJeune’s Bakeryin Jeanerette means there’s fresh Frenchbread waiting for you.

• Shrimp po-boys at Bon Creole, whichare selected consistently for many yearsas a Best of the Teche.

• Symphony in the Park, on a Sunday inApril is the most pleasant of spring dayslisting to the music in the of New Iberia’s

noted live oaks.• Children learning to fish from New

Iberia Optimist Club members.• Tasters’ Lunch in Jeanerette is a

chance to fill a plate with a schmorges-borg of local fare and lots of time to visitold friends and meet new ones.

• Crabbing on Avery Island, spending aleisurely day.

• Arts and crafts at the Shadows-on-the-Teche.


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MUSTS: Nature trail and boat parade are more fun things that are must-dosFROM PAGE 9

J E ANERE T T E

Jeanerette is Iberia Parish’s second largest city situ-ated on the parish’s eastern border at St.MaryParish.According to its website, the city has a sto-ried past dating back to being a borderlandbetween the American Indian tribes of Attakapasand Chitimacha.The city was named for John W.Jeanerette,who came from South Carolina in the1820s to be a tutor at one of the large planta-tions in the region.He soon became the propri-etor of a store and saloon.By 1830,he purchasedland just north of the present city on which hebuilt a house that became the mail depository forarea residents.The city was incorporated in 1878.

CITY Hall, 276-4164 (fax is 276-5023).

POLICE Department, at 1437 Main St., canbe reached for nonemergency calls at 276-2207.

FIRE Department, located at 1436 Main St.,can be reached for non-emergency calls at276-4200.

PUBLIC Works Department can be

DE L C AMBRE

This small town that straddles the Iberiaand Vermilion parish line is a fishing villageresilient to adversity, following its inunda-tion from the Gulf of Mexico during hurri-canes Rita and Ike.The village, so wellknown for its shrimpers and shrimpprocessors, is home to the DelcambreShrimp Festival held every year in August.

TOWN HALL, located at 107 N.

Railroad St., can be contacted at 685-4462.

POLICE department can be contactedfor non-emergency calls at 685-2697.

FIRE Department can be contacted fornon-emergency calls at 685-2969.

WASTE Water Department, located at 521S.Central St., can be contacted at 685-2192.

LOREAUV I L L E

Founded in the heart of farming country,Loreauville was first known as Picouville,named for a prominent family of the time.In 1871, its name changed to Loreauvilleand in April 1910 became incorporated asa village, according to its history reportedon the Web site at www.loreauville.us.

THE TOWN Hall is located at 103Main St.

CONTACT the village government at229-8308.

E-MAIL village officials at [email protected].

POLICE protection is provided by theIberia Parish Sheriff’s Office. Non-emer-gencies, call 369-3711.

FIRE protection is worked out with anagreement with Iberia Parish Fire DistrictNo. 1 through its fire station on MainStreet. Non-emergencies, call 229-6200.

Shadows-on-the-Teche, a 150-year-oldhome on Main Street, also features localartists and vendors biennially for its Artsand Crafts Fair held in the spring and fall.

The Shadows is one of many historicsites in New Iberia and as such hosts anumber of events throughout the year toeducate the public on the history of NewIberia and its people, Director Pat Kahlesaid.

The site has partnered with the IberiaParish School Board since the 1970s andhas annual programs for first-, fifth- andsixth-graders on everything from architec-ture and the development of Main Streetto Civil War life.

Just down Main Street from theShadows is the Bayou Teche Museumwhose mission is “to educate the publicabout the Bayou Teche and its environs, topreserve the history and culture of NewIberia, and to emphasize the industriesthat have shaped the region.”


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Average price of a home sold in 2011 in Iberia P arish was $125,039.

Renting or buying,focus on three factors

BY HOPE RURIK

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Local real estate experts say when itcomes to buying or renting in NewIberia, cost, confidence and loca-

tion, location, location are the top con-sumer factors.

Although New Iberia and the majorityof South Louisiana were relativelyuntouched by the housing fallout, JoanieKraker, of Van Eaton and Romero, saidit’s still a little harder to get mortgagefinancing since the bust.

With more would-be home owners meet-ing obstacles in financing efforts, manyhave turned to renting.

“I can tell you the rental market is stillstrong,” she said. “People have to have aplace to rent, and they’re having to rent.”

Pat Caffery, Caffery Real Estate owner,said renting is a good option for newcom-ers who may not know where they wantto live yet.

“We always recommend to rent for sixmonths to figure out where they want tolive in the city,” he said.

Those who choose to rent for either ashort time frame before settling into aparticular neighborhood or those whochoose to rent long-term, he said, havesome options from apartment complexes

to houses.“There are probably more apartments

than single family dwellings,” he said,“but definitely good variety.”

He added that selection comes not onlyin shape and size, but also price. He saiddepending on need and taste preference,residents have a range of price points.

For those looking to build equitythrough home ownership, he said, thereare also options.

But, he said, New Iberia and IberiaParish have the advantage of having fair-ly low housing costs over neighboringparishes.

“I think you could probably get morebang for your buck in this parish than,say, Lafayette Parish,” he said.

The average price of homes sold inLafayette Parish in 2011 was $199,750while the price in Iberia Parish was$125,039, according to Caffery.

But Caffery said the most importantthing, regardless of whether residentschoose to rent or buy, is that peoplechoose to make their home in IberiaParish.

“I think whether they consider rentingor buying, it’s going to depend on theirsituation,” he said. “It’s more importantthat they make this their home. We have alot to offer.”

JAZZ: Bayou Teche Museum’s mission is to ‘educate the public’ about this areaFROM PAGE 21


People bring their own chair, sit, relax and listen to the sounds of the Symphon y Sunday in the Park. As many as 900 people attend.

WHO TO CONTAC T FOR U T I L I T I E S ,OTHER S E R V I C E S

MAIL: U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-ASKUSPS or www.usps.com.

ELECTRICITY: Cleco at 1015Progress St. or call 1-800-622-6537;Entergy at 1-800-368-3749; SLEMCO(337) 896-5384.

GAS: CenterPoint at2500 Louisiana 14 or callcustomer service 1-800-477-0177; or Atmos at 1-888-286-6700.

WATER: LAWCO at448 E. Main St. or (337)

365-0002.

CABLE: Cox Communications at 1017 Progress St. orcall (337) 369-9060.

AUTOMOBILE: Department ofMotor Vehicles, 1613 E. Main St. or call(337) 373-0054.

VOTING: Iberia Parish Registrar ofVoters at Iberia Parish Courthouse,300 Iberia St., (337) 369-4407.

NEWSPAPER:The Daily Iberian,926 E.MainStreet, orcall (337)

365-6773.

NOBODY COVERS THE TECHE AREABETTER THAN THE DAILY IBERIAN

BY MATTHEW BEATON

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Iberia Parish’s economy is centrallyfocused around the oil and gas indus-try. Its lesser sectors can be thought

of as narrowly expanding concentric cir-cles representing agriculture, health care,commercial seafood, retail, aviation andmanufacturing.

But within the fat bull’s eye, it’s allabout the crude. It receives the lion’sshare of the attention and rightfully so.Mike Tarantino, executive director of theIberia Industrial DevelopmentFoundation, said oil accounts for about 80percent of the parish’s positive economicimpact dollars.

Drilling, production, fabrication all con-tribute to that market segment, he said.

“Because we’re a coastal parish locatedbetween Houston and New Orleans, we’recentrally located for oil and gas,”Tarantino said.

Further not only do workers operate inthe Gulf of Mexico and onshore, thereare shale plays in North and CentralLouisiana. The Haynesville andTuscaloosa plays attract workers and sup-port service business for Iberia Parishcompanies, Tarantino said. They offercopious quantities of natural gas, too.

Roy Pontiff, executive director of thePort of Iberia, knows the oil and gasindustry well.

“Our business is directly linked to oiland gas activity, primarily in the Gulf ofMexico,” said the 14-year director.

Most business at the port are related tothe industry. Port companies employ anaverage of 4,500 year-round workers,which come from eight area parishes,Pontiff said.

The average port employee earns$50,000-$70,000, while the companiesaccount for about $1 billion in capitalinvestment at the port, he said.

“I think (the port) is a significant eco-nomic engine for Iberia Parish,” Pontiffsaid.

Though the parish relies heavily on oil,the economy has a lively agricultural seg-ment. The ground is ripe for farming,which has meant strong crop yields forhundreds of years, Tarantino said. Chiefamong crops is sugar cane.

“(IberiaParish) hasthe largestamount ofconcentrated(sugar cane)acreage andcultivationprobably inthe entirestate,”Tarantinosaid.

A trip downrural parish

roads in September exhibits rows androws of the tall green stalks.

Also the health care segment is nearlyas strong as the agricultural one,Tarantino said.

“We’ve got two large hospitals, physi-cians, clinics, drugstores,” he said.


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SEE CRUDE, PAGE 13

Iberia economy has a crude base JAZZ: Acadiana Symphony Orchestra plays at four free concerts annually here

and volunteers.IPAL relies on its members, Voorhies said, to help defer

costs at the theater and its volunteers to make sure eachshow goes off without a hitch.

He said volunteers are needed in every department fromlights, sound and costuming to actors on stage.

“We would like to get young people to keep this thinggoing,” Voorhies said, noting that many volunteers, includ-ing himself, are getting older.

But theater is only one of the live performance outlets inNew Iberia.

The Iberia Cultural Resources Association works annual-ly to have four free symphony concerts performed by mem-

bers of the AcadianaSymphony Orchestra.

One of the most popularof these events is thespring Symphony in thePark concert, which asso-ciation president CathyIndest said draws up to900 people to City Park.

“I just believe that the concerts that we bring to NewIberia are important because they offer a certain kind ofcultural experience that enriches the lives of the peoplewho are there to see and hear it,” she said.

Twice a year, downtown businesses also take part in mak-ing art readily available to New Iberia residents with ArtWalk sponsored by the city.

Once in the spring and in the fall, around 30 businessesand 100 artists — including a few musicians — team up toshowcase local paintings, pottery, sculpture and crafts.

Books Along the Teche bookstore co-owner LorraineKingston said the Art Walks offer a chance for residents tosee what businesses downtown have to offer as well as atime for the community to come together in the epicenter ofNew Iberia.

FROM PAGE 20

SEE JAZZ, PAGE 22THE DAILY IBERIAN FILES

Shadows-on-the-Teche, surrounded by stately oak trees and moss, is a popular attraction and site of many events.

Oilfield industry,centrally located,is economic engine

The median household incomefor the parish was $41,709.Men earned a significantlyhigher median wage than

women — $46,472 to $23,381.

‘I think (the port) is a significant economic engine forIberia Parish.’

Mike Tarantino

Iberia Industrial Development Foundation director

Shadows-on-the-Techeis one of many historic

sites in New Iberia.

BY HOPE RURIK

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Music, theater and art are not onlyavailable in New Iberia, but arealso, for some, a lifeblood.

The Iberia Performing Arts Leagueenjoyed a wealth of success with its ren-dition of “Chicago — The Musical” inMarch. Not only were shows sold out, butthe production brought enough peopledowntown to pack both streetside parkingand parking lots between Bouligny Plazaand Bojangles restaurant.

The organization bought the historicEssanee Theater in 2000 and have grown

ever since,performingsix showseach year.

Donald“Doc”Voorhies,IPAL boardmember, saidthe organiza-

tion is always looking for new members

Sugar cane’s impact is based on theoutside dollars it brings to the parish,paying for the crop, but the health caresegment employs a significant portionof the parish’s population, Tarantinosaid.

“So they’re neck and neck, but for twodifferent reasons,” he said.

Then come the other segments.Nevertheless, in the past 10 to 20 years,the economy has begun to diversify,Tarantino said. There’s now growth incommercial seafood, aviation and retail,he said.

Within the parish, the average weeklywage was $820 in March 2011, accordingto the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The median household income for theparish was $41,709. Men earned a signifi-cantly higher median wage than women— $46,472 to $23,381, according to a 2010BLS survey.

The economy, Tarantino said, has a lotgoing for it, noting area unemployment

rates are 3 to 4 percent less than thenational average and 2 percent less thanthe state average.

“So our economic picture is verystrong, and there are a lot communitiesand counties across the country thatwould kill for the kind of statistics thatwe have,” he said.


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CRUDE: Sugar cane’s impact is based on the outside dollars it brings to the parishFROM PAGE 12

LEE BALL / THE DAILY IBERIAN FILES

Dancers in the IPAL play ‘Chicago — The Musical’ perform a routines during rehearsal.


Katelyn Stelly, who portrays Roxie, sings inIPAL’s recent play ‘Chicago — The Musical.’

All that jazz — and more — in Iberia

SEE JAZZ, PAGE 21

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See The Daily IberianBusiness and Service Directory

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‘So our economic picture isvery strong, and there are alot communities and countiesacross the country that wouldkill for the kind of sta tistics

that we have.’

Mike Tarantino

Iberia Industrial Development Foundation president

WWW.PORTOFIBERIA.COM

The $8.1 million Millennium Expansion Phase II pr oject, shown above, will provide ninenew waterfront tracts ranging from three to 18 acres, with road and utility improvementsincluded in the development.

‘I just believe that the concerts that we bring to New

Iberia are important ...’

Cathy Indest

Iberia Cultural Resources Association president and

The Daily Iberian’s 2011 Citizen of the Year

‘We would like to get youngpeople to keep this thing

going.’

Donald ‘Doc’Voorhies

Iberia Performing Arts League board member

Theater, art,music big partof the culturalscene locally

The Iberia Performing Arts League bought the

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Welcome to Iberia Parish, where I have had the pleasure of calling home my entire life.I’ve raised my family here and now watch my two children raise their families here. Itis what Iberia Parish is all about — faith, family, food and fun.

As Iberia Parish President, it is with great moral obligation that I serve the best inter-est of our parish. This includes taking all necessary measures to make changes tobenefit our future. I have established a strong partnership with the municipal mayorswithin Iberia Parish, and together we are committed to moving Iberia Parish forward.With strong leadership and progressive planning for the future, we will ensure IberiaParish remains home for our children and grandchildren.

I have instituted an open-door policy in my office as well as the various parish depart-ments that service our residents. We want to be efficient and customer service-ori-ented. We are here to serve you and remain dedicated to helping solve problems anyway that we can.

The people of Iberia Parish have been kind enough to allow me to serve on the PoliceJury, including as President, as Sheriff for 16 years, and as State Representative forDistrict 48 for 12 years.

As I continue to faithfully serve our parish, please know if there is anything that myoffice can assist you with, you should feel free to contact me at (337) 365-8246 or byemail at [email protected].

Iberia Parish is a unique and special place close to my heart. I invite you to “savor thedifference.” May God bless you.

ERROL “ROMO” ROMEROIBERIA PARISH PRESIDENT

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF NEW IBERIA

As Mayor of the City of New Iberia, I relish this opportunity to welcome you tothe Queen City of the Teche. New Iberia features an intriguing combination oftrade and commerce combined with a vibrant cultural emphasis which makesthe city most unique among its neighboring communities. Our citizens areproud to boast that our community exhibits “Joie de Vivre” (the joy of life) andoffers a very unique atmosphere for our residents and visitors.

New Iberia’s historic commercial district earned the 2005 Great American MainStreet Award sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Inaddition to our award-winning Main Street, the city has many attractions thatcan be located on the city’s website at www.cityofnewiberia.com.

Whether you are considering relocating to New Iberia or visiting our lovelycommunity, think of a place where the climate is mild, the people are warm andfriendly and the food is deliciously hot and spicy!

Welcome and enjoy!

Sincerely,

HILDA DAIGRE CURRY

MAYOR, CITY OF NEW IBERIA

Here are some important contacts youmight need for the City of New Iberia.Most city government offices are openfrom 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:

CITY GOVERNMENT: 369-2300

PUBLIC WORKS: 369-2391

BUILDING INSPECTION & PER-

MITS: 369-2354

CITY COURT: 369-2334

CITY MARSHAL: 369-2332

CITY PROSECUTOR: 369-2333

COMPLIANCE: 369-2313

FINANCE DEPARTMENT: 369-2300

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Non-emergency

369-2370 (to report a fire, call 911)

FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU: 369-

2380

PLANNING & ZONING: 369-2330

SEWERAGE PLANT: 369-2347

TAX & LICENSES: 369-2341

PARKS & RECREATION: 369-2337;

West End Park, 369-2394

ANIMAL CONTROL: 369-2311

WASTEWATER: 369-2362

NEW I B ER I A CONT AC T S

Here are a few important contacts youmight need in Iberia Parish. Most parishoffices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m.:

PARISH GOVERNMENT: 365-8246


HOMELAND SECURITY/E-911OFFICE: 369-4427

SEWERAGE DISTRICT NO. 1: 369-4413

FIRE DISTRICT NO. 1: Non-emer-gency contact, 365-5872 (to report a fire,call 911)

MOSQUITO CONTROL: 369-7636

PARKS & RECREATION: 365-6197

PLANNING/ZONING & PERMIT

OFFICE: 369-438

RABIES/ANIMAL CONTROL: 364-6311

LSU AGCENTER COUNTYAGENT: 369-4440

PARISH LIBRARY: 364-7150

COUNCIL ON AGING: 367-1556

HEALTH UNIT: 373-0021

CORONER’S OFFICE: Dr. Carl M.Ditch, 276-5555

ASSESSOR: Rickey Huval, 369-4415

CLERK OF COURT: Mike Thibodeaux,365-7282

REGISTRAR OF VOTERS: MildredAdams, 369-4407

I B E R I A PAR I SH CONTAC T S

BY PATRICK FLANAGAN

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Iberia Parish offers residents two full-service acute care hospitals to choosefrom, and a parish-owned health unit

among other others.Iberia Medical Center is a more than 50-

year-old public hos-pital located onEast Main Street inNew Iberia thatoffers just abouteverything exceptopen heart surgery

and neurosurgery, said communicationscoordinator Ellen Switzer.

The parish-owned health unit, locatedat 715-B Weldon St., also offers a range ofservices to residents, including immu-nizations, as well as services for womenand children.

Located on North Lewis Street isDauterive Hospital — a privately ownedfacility that also offers residents full-serv-ice acute care treatment.

Other health care facilities in NewIberia include the Iberia RehabilitationHospital on Old Jeanerette Road, whichfocuses on physical, speech and occupa-tional therapy.

The Iberia Extended Care Hospital,owned by the LHC Group, is located nearthe Iberia Medical Center on East MainStreet and provides patients “who are

medically complex” an opportunity for a“longer length of stay,” according to thefacility’s website.

Iberia Comprehensive CommunityHealth Center, which recently celebratedits 25th anniversary, is a community-owned health care provider on JeffersonTerrace Boulevard in New Iberia, accord-ing to its website.

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Elvis Jeanminette of Grand Marais holds a redfish hecaught recently in the Vermilion Bay area.

Seeing spots: Redfish fishing great

BY DON SHOOPMAN

THE DAILY IBERIAN

AGrand Marais outdoorsmenvividly remembers with pridereading a Field & Stream arti-

cle in the mid-1970s that declared thecoastal area in and around VermilionBay as the No. 3-ranked redfish fishingdestination in the United States.

Elvis Jeanminette and so many oth-ers have proved it is that and moreever since. In his opinion, it oftenexceeds the redfish fishing success ofthe Venice and Galveston Bay areas,which at that time were ranked Nos. 1and 2, respectively.

“When it’s on, it’s the greatest in the

world,” Jeanminette said about catch-ing those popular fish with the tell-talespot(s) near the tail. “I’m talking aboutredfish from rat reds to bull reds. Itjust depends on what you’re lookingfor. We’ve got the best right here.”

Fortunately for fishermen who livein and around New Iberia, they don’thave too go far to find access to theredfish. Cypremort Point BoatLanding, about 35 minutes away fromthe city, is a popular launching pointfor boats big and small.

Other public boat landings used fre-quently by Teche Area salt wateranglers to get out after the redfish andother salt water species are at Ricohoc,Burns Point, Franklin, Bayou Patout,Avery Island and Freshwater City.

The boat ride from boat ramp to dif-ferent fishing holes can be as short as afew minutes if, say, you target docks ofcamps along the shoreline of The Cove.It takes longer to get to Dry Reef, threemiles from Cypremort Point, and much

longer to get outside Southwest Pass toreefs such as Pavy’s Reef, DiamondReef, Shell Reef and Tee Butte.

For sure, at almost any time of theyear, weather and water conditionspermitting, “rat reds,” or smaller red-fish, are plentiful from the marshyestuary to near-offshore waters.

Don’t let the name rat red turn youoff. It’s a regional thing. Those 2- to 3-pounders give a fight worth twiceevery ounce and taste as good or betteras larger redfish or any other speciesfrom salt water.

Jeanminette, 54-year-old Lydia post-master who has been a saltwaterangler 37 years, puts legal redfish (16inches and longer) of all sizes in theboat most of the time on his frequentfishing trips in and around VermilionBay. Like so many other veterananglers, he follows their movementeach season.

SEE REDFISH, PAGE 16

Area anglersJeanminette, Kappenjoy the success

Medical care? It’s all here in New IberiaIberia ComprehensiveCommunity Health Center

Two full-serviceacute care hospitals,other health carefacilities available

“You can catch a bunch of good red-fish right now on the other side ofMarsh Island when the weather allows,”he said the third week of April, “andinside Marsh Island, in all the deepholes, in the curves, they’re packed upin there.

“As it gets warmer, they get on theshoreline or move into the bay. If they’realready in and it clears up, you cancatch them on spinnerbaits with awhite/chartreuse/blue skirt with achartreuse head. For some reason itlooks like a baby crab — that’s whatthey’re feeding on as summer comes on— or a Mann’s Baby 1 Minus crank bait,mostly chartreuse,” he said.

“After trawling starts, they get awayfrom the nets and move to Mud Point andTrash Pile. Also, you can catch them atDry Reef. You can catch all kinds of red-fish at Dry Reef.”

Of course, he said, a fresh shrimp on a1/4-ounce leadhead with a No.3 hook con-sistently triggers bite from redfish.However, he prefers to use artificial lures.

“It’s really a can’t miss situation whenyou’ve got fresh shrimp. That’s really thekey,” he said.

During the dog days of summer, it’stime to target the redfish around the WaxLake Outlet, namely Point Chevruil,Point Marone and The Jaws, Jeanminettesaid. The water clears up and redfishmove to the grass beds, he said.

“The redfish really stack up there in thelate summer months. Burns Point, too.That’s when we start catching onsilver/black and silver/blue Rat-L-Traps,”he said.

The fall can be a fishing bonanza forredfish and speckled trout under thebirds that “pick” over the water to eatshrimp that move out of the marsh. It’s atime of year when the Cote Blanche bays,east and west, “turn on” along the bluffsand inside the oilfield platforms.

“That’s the best time to fish rightthere,” he said. “As winter comes in,that’s when we start catching at TeeButte, The Mound and The Nickel. At TheNickel, they’re really got big bull reds all

year long. They never leave.”No one knows that better than Chris

Kapp Jr. of Lydia. The 75-year-old anglerspends a lot of time on the water and is

considered one of the experts at catch-ing “bull reds,” the monsters that weigh25 to 50 pounds and are prevalent in thisarea.

Kapp, who worked 44 years at MortonSalt before retiring as a production super-intendent in 1999, loves to battle the bullreds. So does his wife Doris Daigle Kapp.Ditto for his sons Chris Kapp III, KirkKapp and Bryan Kapp.

Actually, he loves fishing for redfish,any size.

“I go every chance I get. I fish therodeos and all the little tournaments. Andthe wife and I get out and fish a whole lot.During the summer and winter we don’tfish too much,” Kapp said.

Kapp estimated he caught his first bullred probably at age 23. He’s been hookedever since.

“To a fisherman, it’s always a thrill tohave a hard pull on any line. They fighthard, especially if you’re in the current,”he said.

“The large ones come in early. I’d say inJuly, and they leave for some reason, untilabout November. You can still catch them(bull reds) good, just a smaller size,” hesaid.

However, his definition of a smaller bullred is 28 to 30 pounds and a larger bull redat 38 to 40 pounds.

He fishes with 40- to 80-pound test linewith an 80-pound monofilament leader, a7/0 hook and, depending on the strength

of the current, a 2- or 3-ounce weight. Forbait he impales either a cut mullet orsmall croaker on the big hook.

“We use mullet most of the timebecause it’s the easiest thing to get. Butcroaker is really good, a small croakerwhole, 4 to 5 inches,” he said, noting heavoids using cracked crab because “it’s alittle slower and the drums like the crab.”

His favorite fishin’ holes include BoxcarReef in the western part of VermilionBay near Southwest Pass, a reef just out-side the pass locally referred to asWashing Machine and Nickel Reef south-east of Marsh Island.

FROM PAGE 15 FROM PAGE 16

N EWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 201216 THE DAILY IBERIAN NEWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THE DAILY IBERIAN 17THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 2012

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REDFISH: Jeanminette follows the redfish movements season to season in this area


REDFISH: ‘I go every chance I get’ — Kapp


Redfish like these can win the popular Southcentral Fishing Association tournaments heldeach year out of Cypremort Point Boat Landing.

The fall can be a fishingbonanza for redfish and

speckled trout under the birdsthat ‘pick’ over the water toeat shrimp that move out of

the marsh.

Chris Kapp Jr.’s definition of asmaller bull red is 28 to 30pounds and a larger bull red

at 38 to 40 pounds.

“You can catch a bunch of good red-fish right now on the other side ofMarsh Island when the weather allows,”he said the third week of April, “andinside Marsh Island, in all the deepholes, in the curves, they’re packed upin there.

“As it gets warmer, they get on theshoreline or move into the bay. If they’realready in and it clears up, you cancatch them on spinnerbaits with awhite/chartreuse/blue skirt with achartreuse head. For some reason itlooks like a baby crab — that’s whatthey’re feeding on as summer comes on— or a Mann’s Baby 1 Minus crank bait,mostly chartreuse,” he said.

“After trawling starts, they get awayfrom the nets and move to Mud Point andTrash Pile. Also, you can catch them atDry Reef. You can catch all kinds of red-fish at Dry Reef.”

Of course, he said, a fresh shrimp on a1/4-ounce leadhead with a No.3 hook con-sistently triggers bite from redfish.However, he prefers to use artificial lures.

“It’s really a can’t miss situation whenyou’ve got fresh shrimp. That’s really thekey,” he said.

During the dog days of summer, it’stime to target the redfish around the WaxLake Outlet, namely Point Chevruil,Point Marone and The Jaws, Jeanminettesaid. The water clears up and redfishmove to the grass beds, he said.

“The redfish really stack up there in thelate summer months. Burns Point, too.That’s when we start catching onsilver/black and silver/blue Rat-L-Traps,”he said.

The fall can be a fishing bonanza forredfish and speckled trout under thebirds that “pick” over the water to eatshrimp that move out of the marsh. It’s atime of year when the Cote Blanche bays,east and west, “turn on” along the bluffsand inside the oilfield platforms.

“That’s the best time to fish rightthere,” he said. “As winter comes in,that’s when we start catching at TeeButte, The Mound and The Nickel. At TheNickel, they’re really got big bull reds all

year long. They never leave.”No one knows that better than Chris

Kapp Jr. of Lydia. The 75-year-old anglerspends a lot of time on the water and is

considered one of the experts at catch-ing “bull reds,” the monsters that weigh25 to 50 pounds and are prevalent in thisarea.

Kapp, who worked 44 years at MortonSalt before retiring as a production super-intendent in 1999, loves to battle the bullreds. So does his wife Doris Daigle Kapp.Ditto for his sons Chris Kapp III, KirkKapp and Bryan Kapp.

Actually, he loves fishing for redfish,any size.

“I go every chance I get. I fish therodeos and all the little tournaments. Andthe wife and I get out and fish a whole lot.During the summer and winter we don’tfish too much,” Kapp said.

Kapp estimated he caught his first bullred probably at age 23. He’s been hookedever since.

“To a fisherman, it’s always a thrill tohave a hard pull on any line. They fighthard, especially if you’re in the current,”he said.

“The large ones come in early. I’d say inJuly, and they leave for some reason, untilabout November. You can still catch them(bull reds) good, just a smaller size,” hesaid.

However, his definition of a smaller bullred is 28 to 30 pounds and a larger bull redat 38 to 40 pounds.

He fishes with 40- to 80-pound test linewith an 80-pound monofilament leader, a7/0 hook and, depending on the strength

of the current, a 2- or 3-ounce weight. Forbait he impales either a cut mullet orsmall croaker on the big hook.

“We use mullet most of the timebecause it’s the easiest thing to get. Butcroaker is really good, a small croakerwhole, 4 to 5 inches,” he said, noting heavoids using cracked crab because “it’s alittle slower and the drums like the crab.”

His favorite fishin’ holes include BoxcarReef in the western part of VermilionBay near Southwest Pass, a reef just out-side the pass locally referred to asWashing Machine and Nickel Reef south-east of Marsh Island.

FROM PAGE 15 FROM PAGE 16

N EWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 201216 THE DAILY IBERIAN NEWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THE DAILY IBERIAN 17THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 2012

SMARTGrowth.SmartBUY.

Teche Ridge is a development of: Teche Ridge, LLC


Call RebekahMcGee at 337-579-0333or AllenDuhe at 337-254-7812

XNLV

2709

2

Antigua Villa, 3 or 4 Bedrooms2 Bath,1962 square feet

Teche Ridge, a Traditional Neighborhood Development, will offer Iberia Parish residents the opportunity to live, work and play without ever leaving home.With shops, restaurants, parks and professional offices all within a short walking distance of each home, this unique community willafford its residents more time for leisure.

Bayou Landing Shopping Center - New Iberia

337-365-0190 ~ www.spaalmaz.com

Hours: Mon 9-4 Tues 9-6 Wed-Fri 9-7 Sat 9-5

– Massages – Facials– Manicures – Pedicures

– Body Treatments – Makeup– Waxing – Reflexology

The Family PracticeComprehensive Medical Care for the Entire Family

Find us on facebook!

613 Rue de Onetta, New Iberia • 337.367.6776

Board Certified Family Practice and Geriatric Medicine.United Healthcare, Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Medicare and other insurances accepted.

• Cosmetic Laser & Medical Microdermabrasion• Minor Surgery & Acute Care• Weight Reduction & Protein Diets• Adipex• Bone Density & X-Ray On Site

Jesus R. Garcia, M.D., FAAFP

REDFISH: Jeanminette follows the redfish movements season to season in this area


REDFISH: ‘I go every chance I get’ — Kapp


Redfish like these can win the popular Southcentral Fishing Association tournaments heldeach year out of Cypremort Point Boat Landing.

The fall can be a fishingbonanza for redfish and

speckled trout under the birdsthat ‘pick’ over the water toeat shrimp that move out of

the marsh.

Chris Kapp Jr.’s definition of asmaller bull red is 28 to 30pounds and a larger bull red

at 38 to 40 pounds.

BY PATRICK FLANAGAN

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Iberia Parish offers residents two full-service acute care hospitals to choosefrom, and a parish-owned health unit

among other others.Iberia Medical Center is a more than 50-

year-old public hos-pital located onEast Main Street inNew Iberia thatoffers just abouteverything exceptopen heart surgery

and neurosurgery, said communicationscoordinator Ellen Switzer.

The parish-owned health unit, locatedat 715-B Weldon St., also offers a range ofservices to residents, including immu-nizations, as well as services for womenand children.

Located on North Lewis Street isDauterive Hospital — a privately ownedfacility that also offers residents full-serv-ice acute care treatment.

Other health care facilities in NewIberia include the Iberia RehabilitationHospital on Old Jeanerette Road, whichfocuses on physical, speech and occupa-tional therapy.

The Iberia Extended Care Hospital,owned by the LHC Group, is located nearthe Iberia Medical Center on East MainStreet and provides patients “who are

medically complex” an opportunity for a“longer length of stay,” according to thefacility’s website.

Iberia Comprehensive CommunityHealth Center, which recently celebratedits 25th anniversary, is a community-owned health care provider on JeffersonTerrace Boulevard in New Iberia, accord-ing to its website.

Thefacili-ty of-fershea-lthcare

services from dentistry, mental healthand general medical care.


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Elvis Jeanminette of Grand Marais holds a redfish hecaught recently in the Vermilion Bay area.

Seeing spots: Redfish fishing great

BY DON SHOOPMAN

THE DAILY IBERIAN

AGrand Marais outdoorsmenvividly remembers with pridereading a Field & Stream arti-

cle in the mid-1970s that declared thecoastal area in and around VermilionBay as the No. 3-ranked redfish fishingdestination in the United States.

Elvis Jeanminette and so many oth-ers have proved it is that and moreever since. In his opinion, it oftenexceeds the redfish fishing success ofthe Venice and Galveston Bay areas,which at that time were ranked Nos. 1and 2, respectively.

“When it’s on, it’s the greatest in the

world,” Jeanminette said about catch-ing those popular fish with the tell-talespot(s) near the tail. “I’m talking aboutredfish from rat reds to bull reds. Itjust depends on what you’re lookingfor. We’ve got the best right here.”

Fortunately for fishermen who livein and around New Iberia, they don’thave too go far to find access to theredfish. Cypremort Point BoatLanding, about 35 minutes away fromthe city, is a popular launching pointfor boats big and small.

Other public boat landings used fre-quently by Teche Area salt wateranglers to get out after the redfish andother salt water species are at Ricohoc,Burns Point, Franklin, Bayou Patout,Avery Island and Freshwater City.

The boat ride from boat ramp to dif-ferent fishing holes can be as short as afew minutes if, say, you target docks ofcamps along the shoreline of The Cove.It takes longer to get to Dry Reef, threemiles from Cypremort Point, and much

longer to get outside Southwest Pass toreefs such as Pavy’s Reef, DiamondReef, Shell Reef and Tee Butte.

For sure, at almost any time of theyear, weather and water conditionspermitting, “rat reds,” or smaller red-fish, are plentiful from the marshyestuary to near-offshore waters.

Don’t let the name rat red turn youoff. It’s a regional thing. Those 2- to 3-pounders give a fight worth twiceevery ounce and taste as good or betteras larger redfish or any other speciesfrom salt water.

Jeanminette, 54-year-old Lydia post-master who has been a saltwaterangler 37 years, puts legal redfish (16inches and longer) of all sizes in theboat most of the time on his frequentfishing trips in and around VermilionBay. Like so many other veterananglers, he follows their movementeach season.


Area anglersJeanminette, Kappenjoy the success

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Two full-serviceacute care hospitals,other health carefacilities available


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Welcome to Iberia Parish, where I have had the pleasure of calling home my entire life.I’ve raised my family here and now watch my two children raise their families here. Itis what Iberia Parish is all about — faith, family, food and fun.

As Iberia Parish President, it is with great moral obligation that I serve the best inter-est of our parish. This includes taking all necessary measures to make changes tobenefit our future. I have established a strong partnership with the municipal mayorswithin Iberia Parish, and together we are committed to moving Iberia Parish forward.With strong leadership and progressive planning for the future, we will ensure IberiaParish remains home for our children and grandchildren.

I have instituted an open-door policy in my office as well as the various parish depart-ments that service our residents. We want to be efficient and customer service-ori-ented. We are here to serve you and remain dedicated to helping solve problems anyway that we can.

The people of Iberia Parish have been kind enough to allow me to serve on the PoliceJury, including as President, as Sheriff for 16 years, and as State Representative forDistrict 48 for 12 years.

As I continue to faithfully serve our parish, please know if there is anything that myoffice can assist you with, you should feel free to contact me at (337) 365-8246 or byemail at [email protected].

Iberia Parish is a unique and special place close to my heart. I invite you to “savor thedifference.” May God bless you.

ERROL “ROMO” ROMEROIBERIA PARISH PRESIDENT

WELCOME TO THE CITY OF NEW IBERIA

As Mayor of the City of New Iberia, I relish this opportunity to welcome you tothe Queen City of the Teche. New Iberia features an intriguing combination oftrade and commerce combined with a vibrant cultural emphasis which makesthe city most unique among its neighboring communities. Our citizens areproud to boast that our community exhibits “Joie de Vivre” (the joy of life) andoffers a very unique atmosphere for our residents and visitors.

New Iberia’s historic commercial district earned the 2005 Great American MainStreet Award sponsored by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Inaddition to our award-winning Main Street, the city has many attractions thatcan be located on the city’s website at www.cityofnewiberia.com.

Whether you are considering relocating to New Iberia or visiting our lovelycommunity, think of a place where the climate is mild, the people are warm andfriendly and the food is deliciously hot and spicy!

Welcome and enjoy!

Sincerely,

HILDA DAIGRE CURRY

MAYOR, CITY OF NEW IBERIA

Here are some important contacts youmight need for the City of New Iberia.Most city government offices are openfrom 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.:

CITY GOVERNMENT: 369-2300


BUILDING INSPECTION & PER-

MITS: 369-2354

CITY COURT: 369-2334

CITY MARSHAL: 369-2332

CITY PROSECUTOR: 369-2333

COMPLIANCE: 369-2313

FINANCE DEPARTMENT: 369-2300

FIRE DEPARTMENT: Non-emergency

369-2370 (to report a fire, call 911)

FIRE PREVENTION BUREAU: 369-

2380

PLANNING & ZONING: 369-2330

SEWERAGE PLANT: 369-2347

TAX & LICENSES: 369-2341

PARKS & RECREATION: 369-2337;

West End Park, 369-2394

ANIMAL CONTROL: 369-2311

WASTEWATER: 369-2362

NEW I B ER I A CONT AC T S

Here are a few important contacts youmight need in Iberia Parish. Most parishoffices are open from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m.:

PARISH GOVERNMENT: 365-8246


HOMELAND SECURITY/E-911OFFICE: 369-4427

SEWERAGE DISTRICT NO. 1: 369-4413

FIRE DISTRICT NO. 1: Non-emer-gency contact, 365-5872 (to report a fire,call 911)

MOSQUITO CONTROL: 369-7636

PARKS & RECREATION: 365-6197

PLANNING/ZONING & PERMIT

OFFICE: 369-438

RABIES/ANIMAL CONTROL: 364-6311

LSU AGCENTER COUNTYAGENT: 369-4440

PARISH LIBRARY: 364-7150

COUNCIL ON AGING: 367-1556

HEALTH UNIT: 373-0021

CORONER’S OFFICE: Dr. Carl M.Ditch, 276-5555

ASSESSOR: Rickey Huval, 369-4415

CLERK OF COURT: Mike Thibodeaux,365-7282

REGISTRAR OF VOTERS: MildredAdams, 369-4407

I B E R I A PAR I SH CONTAC T S

BY HOPE RURIK

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Music, theater and art are not onlyavailable in New Iberia, but arealso, for some, a lifeblood.

The Iberia Performing Arts Leagueenjoyed a wealth of success with its ren-dition of “Chicago — The Musical” inMarch. Not only were shows sold out, butthe production brought enough peopledowntown to pack both streetside parkingand parking lots between Bouligny Plazaand Bojangles restaurant.

The organization bought the historicEssanee Theater in 2000 and have grown

ever since,performingsix showseach year.

Donald“Doc”Voorhies,IPAL boardmember, saidthe organiza-

tion is always looking for new members

Sugar cane’s impact is based on theoutside dollars it brings to the parish,paying for the crop, but the health caresegment employs a significant portionof the parish’s population, Tarantinosaid.

“So they’re neck and neck, but for twodifferent reasons,” he said.

Then come the other segments.Nevertheless, in the past 10 to 20 years,the economy has begun to diversify,Tarantino said. There’s now growth incommercial seafood, aviation and retail,he said.

Within the parish, the average weeklywage was $820 in March 2011, accordingto the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The median household income for theparish was $41,709. Men earned a signifi-cantly higher median wage than women— $46,472 to $23,381, according to a 2010BLS survey.

The economy, Tarantino said, has a lotgoing for it, noting area unemployment

rates are 3 to 4 percent less than thenational average and 2 percent less thanthe state average.

“So our economic picture is verystrong, and there are a lot communitiesand counties across the country thatwould kill for the kind of statistics thatwe have,” he said.


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CRUDE: Sugar cane’s impact is based on the outside dollars it brings to the parishFROM PAGE 12


Dancers in the IPAL play ‘Chicago — The Musical’ perform a routines during rehearsal.


Katelyn Stelly, who portrays Roxie, sings inIPAL’s recent play ‘Chicago — The Musical.’

All that jazz — and more — in Iberia

SEE JAZZ, PAGE 21

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‘So our economic picture isvery strong, and there are alot communities and countiesacross the country that wouldkill for the kind of sta tistics

that we have.’

Mike Tarantino

Iberia Industrial Development Foundation president

WWW.PORTOFIBERIA.COM

The $8.1 million Millennium Expansion Phase II pr oject, shown above, will provide ninenew waterfront tracts ranging from three to 18 acres, with road and utility improvementsincluded in the development.

‘I just believe that the concerts that we bring to New

Iberia are important ...’

Cathy Indest

Iberia Cultural Resources Association president and

The Daily Iberian’s 2011 Citizen of the Year

‘We would like to get youngpeople to keep this thing

going.’

Donald ‘Doc’Voorhies

Iberia Performing Arts League board member

Theater, art,music big partof the culturalscene locally

The Iberia Performing Arts League bought the

historic Essanee Theater in2000 and have grown eversince, performing six shows

each year.

BY MATTHEW BEATON

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Iberia Parish’s economy is centrallyfocused around the oil and gas indus-try. Its lesser sectors can be thought

of as narrowly expanding concentric cir-cles representing agriculture, health care,commercial seafood, retail, aviation andmanufacturing.

But within the fat bull’s eye, it’s allabout the crude. It receives the lion’sshare of the attention and rightfully so.Mike Tarantino, executive director of theIberia Industrial DevelopmentFoundation, said oil accounts for about 80percent of the parish’s positive economicimpact dollars.

Drilling, production, fabrication all con-tribute to that market segment, he said.

“Because we’re a coastal parish locatedbetween Houston and New Orleans, we’recentrally located for oil and gas,”Tarantino said.

Further not only do workers operate inthe Gulf of Mexico and onshore, thereare shale plays in North and CentralLouisiana. The Haynesville andTuscaloosa plays attract workers and sup-port service business for Iberia Parishcompanies, Tarantino said. They offercopious quantities of natural gas, too.

Roy Pontiff, executive director of thePort of Iberia, knows the oil and gasindustry well.

“Our business is directly linked to oiland gas activity, primarily in the Gulf ofMexico,” said the 14-year director.

Most business at the port are related tothe industry. Port companies employ anaverage of 4,500 year-round workers,which come from eight area parishes,Pontiff said.

The average port employee earns$50,000-$70,000, while the companiesaccount for about $1 billion in capitalinvestment at the port, he said.

“I think (the port) is a significant eco-nomic engine for Iberia Parish,” Pontiffsaid.

Though the parish relies heavily on oil,the economy has a lively agricultural seg-ment. The ground is ripe for farming,which has meant strong crop yields forhundreds of years, Tarantino said. Chiefamong crops is sugar cane.

“(IberiaParish) hasthe largestamount ofconcentrated(sugar cane)acreage andcultivationprobably inthe entirestate,”Tarantinosaid.

A trip downrural parish

roads in September exhibits rows androws of the tall green stalks.

Also the health care segment is nearlyas strong as the agricultural one,Tarantino said.

“We’ve got two large hospitals, physi-cians, clinics, drugstores,” he said.


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SEE CRUDE, PAGE 13

Iberia economy has a crude base JAZZ: Acadiana Symphony Orchestra plays at four free concerts annually here

and volunteers.IPAL relies on its members, Voorhies said, to help defer

costs at the theater and its volunteers to make sure eachshow goes off without a hitch.

He said volunteers are needed in every department fromlights, sound and costuming to actors on stage.

“We would like to get young people to keep this thinggoing,” Voorhies said, noting that many volunteers, includ-ing himself, are getting older.

But theater is only one of the live performance outlets inNew Iberia.

The Iberia Cultural Resources Association works annual-ly to have four free symphony concerts performed by mem-

bers of the AcadianaSymphony Orchestra.

One of the most popularof these events is thespring Symphony in thePark concert, which asso-ciation president CathyIndest said draws up to900 people to City Park.

“I just believe that the concerts that we bring to NewIberia are important because they offer a certain kind ofcultural experience that enriches the lives of the peoplewho are there to see and hear it,” she said.

Twice a year, downtown businesses also take part in mak-ing art readily available to New Iberia residents with ArtWalk sponsored by the city.

Once in the spring and in the fall, around 30 businessesand 100 artists — including a few musicians — team up toshowcase local paintings, pottery, sculpture and crafts.

Books Along the Teche bookstore co-owner LorraineKingston said the Art Walks offer a chance for residents tosee what businesses downtown have to offer as well as atime for the community to come together in the epicenter ofNew Iberia.

FROM PAGE 20

SEE JAZZ, PAGE 22THE DAILY IBERIAN FILES

Shadows-on-the-Teche, surrounded by stately oak trees and moss, is a popular attraction and site of many events.

Oilfield industry,centrally located,is economic engine

The median household incomefor the parish was $41,709.Men earned a significantlyhigher median wage than

women — $46,472 to $23,381.

‘I think (the port) is a significant economic engine forIberia Parish.’

Mike Tarantino

Iberia Industrial Development Foundation director

Shadows-on-the-Techeis one of many historic

sites in New Iberia.

Shadows-on-the-Teche, a 150-year-oldhome on Main Street, also features localartists and vendors biennially for its Artsand Crafts Fair held in the spring and fall.

The Shadows is one of many historicsites in New Iberia and as such hosts anumber of events throughout the year toeducate the public on the history of NewIberia and its people, Director Pat Kahlesaid.

The site has partnered with the IberiaParish School Board since the 1970s andhas annual programs for first-, fifth- andsixth-graders on everything from architec-ture and the development of Main Streetto Civil War life.

Just down Main Street from theShadows is the Bayou Teche Museumwhose mission is “to educate the publicabout the Bayou Teche and its environs, topreserve the history and culture of NewIberia, and to emphasize the industriesthat have shaped the region.”


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HOPE RURIK / THE DAILY IBERIAN

Average price of a home sold in 2011 in Iberia P arish was $125,039.

Renting or buying,focus on three factors

BY HOPE RURIK

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Local real estate experts say when itcomes to buying or renting in NewIberia, cost, confidence and loca-

tion, location, location are the top con-sumer factors.

Although New Iberia and the majorityof South Louisiana were relativelyuntouched by the housing fallout, JoanieKraker, of Van Eaton and Romero, saidit’s still a little harder to get mortgagefinancing since the bust.

With more would-be home owners meet-ing obstacles in financing efforts, manyhave turned to renting.

“I can tell you the rental market is stillstrong,” she said. “People have to have aplace to rent, and they’re having to rent.”

Pat Caffery, Caffery Real Estate owner,said renting is a good option for newcom-ers who may not know where they wantto live yet.

“We always recommend to rent for sixmonths to figure out where they want tolive in the city,” he said.

Those who choose to rent for either ashort time frame before settling into aparticular neighborhood or those whochoose to rent long-term, he said, havesome options from apartment complexes

to houses.“There are probably more apartments

than single family dwellings,” he said,“but definitely good variety.”

He added that selection comes not onlyin shape and size, but also price. He saiddepending on need and taste preference,residents have a range of price points.

For those looking to build equitythrough home ownership, he said, thereare also options.

But, he said, New Iberia and IberiaParish have the advantage of having fair-ly low housing costs over neighboringparishes.

“I think you could probably get morebang for your buck in this parish than,say, Lafayette Parish,” he said.

The average price of homes sold inLafayette Parish in 2011 was $199,750while the price in Iberia Parish was$125,039, according to Caffery.

But Caffery said the most importantthing, regardless of whether residentschoose to rent or buy, is that peoplechoose to make their home in IberiaParish.

“I think whether they consider rentingor buying, it’s going to depend on theirsituation,” he said. “It’s more importantthat they make this their home. We have alot to offer.”

JAZZ: Bayou Teche Museum’s mission is to ‘educate the public’ about this areaFROM PAGE 21


People bring their own chair, sit, relax and listen to the sounds of the Symphon y Sunday in the Park. As many as 900 people attend.

WHO TO CONTAC T FOR U T I L I T I E S ,OTHER S E R V I C E S

MAIL: U.S. Postal Service at 1-800-ASKUSPS or www.usps.com.

ELECTRICITY: Cleco at 1015Progress St. or call 1-800-622-6537;Entergy at 1-800-368-3749; SLEMCO(337) 896-5384.

GAS: CenterPoint at2500 Louisiana 14 or callcustomer service 1-800-477-0177; or Atmos at 1-888-286-6700.

WATER: LAWCO at448 E. Main St. or (337)

365-0002.

CABLE: Cox Communications at 1017 Progress St. orcall (337) 369-9060.

AUTOMOBILE: Department ofMotor Vehicles, 1613 E. Main St. or call(337) 373-0054.

VOTING: Iberia Parish Registrar ofVoters at Iberia Parish Courthouse,300 Iberia St., (337) 369-4407.

NEWSPAPER:The Daily Iberian,926 E.MainStreet, orcall (337)

365-6773.

NOBODY COVERS THE TECHE AREABETTER THAN THE DAILY IBERIAN

and anti-bullying programs for youngpublic school students in Iberia Parish. Itis held in November on the Thursday pre-ceding Thanksgiving.

Nature Trail walk at Lake FaussePointe State Park:

Iberia is fortunate to have a small partof the Louisiana Park Service to reservesome natural habitat for its creatures.

The Lake Fausse (pronounced FAW-see)Pointe State Park is tucked away in theparish’s northeast corner on the edge ofthe Atchafalaya Basin. It provides muchof the accommodations of state parks,including RV spots, cabins, canoe rentalsand places for tent camping.

Another prime experience is to walkalong its nature trails of varying lengths.Watch hawks dance in the tree tops or theprehistoric looking armadillos burrowfor grubs. It’s an experience that is worththe trek. Find out more by calling theoffice at 229-4764, toll free at 888-677-7200or checking out its website athttp://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/ilake-faus.aspx.

Boat Parade at the Louisiana SugarCane Festival and Fair:

Parading down Main Street is some-what a common occurrence for sometowns, but when you parade down themain waterway in a boat bedecked withstalks of cane, it can only mean it’s theLouisiana Sugar Cane Festival and Fair’sFriday night boat parade.

The annual event gets people to enjoythe once main way of mass transit andcommercial transportation on BayouTeche, but in a more fun way. The parade

begins before dusk and leads into the bigevent’s fais-do-do on the Friday night ofthe fair. The festival is held on the lastweekend in September.

There certainly are many, many more.Getting accustomed, or re-accustomed, toIberia offers chances to share what yourfavorite experiences are. And, maybeyou’d like to share them with us. Just sendthem via email to [email protected].

Here’s a list of other events that local

folks told The Daily Iberian were coolthings to catch.

• Flashing red light at LeJeune’s Bakeryin Jeanerette means there’s fresh Frenchbread waiting for you.

• Shrimp po-boys at Bon Creole, whichare selected consistently for many yearsas a Best of the Teche.

• Symphony in the Park, on a Sunday inApril is the most pleasant of spring dayslisting to the music in the of New Iberia’s

noted live oaks.• Children learning to fish from New

Iberia Optimist Club members.• Tasters’ Lunch in Jeanerette is a

chance to fill a plate with a schmorges-borg of local fare and lots of time to visitold friends and meet new ones.

• Crabbing on Avery Island, spending aleisurely day.

• Arts and crafts at the Shadows-on-the-Teche.


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MUSTS: Nature trail and boat parade are more fun things that are must-dosFROM PAGE 9

J E ANERE T T E

Jeanerette is Iberia Parish’s second largest city situ-ated on the parish’s eastern border at St.MaryParish.According to its website, the city has a sto-ried past dating back to being a borderlandbetween the American Indian tribes of Attakapasand Chitimacha.The city was named for John W.Jeanerette,who came from South Carolina in the1820s to be a tutor at one of the large planta-tions in the region.He soon became the propri-etor of a store and saloon.By 1830,he purchasedland just north of the present city on which hebuilt a house that became the mail depository forarea residents.The city was incorporated in 1878.

CITY Hall, 276-4164 (fax is 276-5023).

POLICE Department, at 1437 Main St., canbe reached for nonemergency calls at 276-2207.

FIRE Department, located at 1436 Main St.,can be reached for non-emergency calls at276-4200.

PUBLIC Works Department can be

DE L C AMBRE

This small town that straddles the Iberiaand Vermilion parish line is a fishing villageresilient to adversity, following its inunda-tion from the Gulf of Mexico during hurri-canes Rita and Ike.The village, so wellknown for its shrimpers and shrimpprocessors, is home to the DelcambreShrimp Festival held every year in August.

TOWN HALL, located at 107 N.

Railroad St., can be contacted at 685-4462.

POLICE department can be contactedfor non-emergency calls at 685-2697.

FIRE Department can be contacted fornon-emergency calls at 685-2969.

WASTE Water Department, located at 521S.Central St., can be contacted at 685-2192.

LOREAUV I L L E

Founded in the heart of farming country,Loreauville was first known as Picouville,named for a prominent family of the time.In 1871, its name changed to Loreauvilleand in April 1910 became incorporated asa village, according to its history reportedon the Web site at www.loreauville.us.

THE TOWN Hall is located at 103Main St.

CONTACT the village government at229-8308.

E-MAIL village officials at [email protected].

POLICE protection is provided by theIberia Parish Sheriff’s Office. Non-emer-gencies, call 369-3711.

FIRE protection is worked out with anagreement with Iberia Parish Fire DistrictNo. 1 through its fire station on MainStreet. Non-emergencies, call 229-6200.

Schwing, 85, was born and reared in NewIberia. He said he easily recognizes visitorsand will welcome them with open arms anda lot of questions. But they are the easykind. Schwing said he learned to put a visi-tor at ease from his mother, Anna BlanchetSchwing, “It’s a knack,” he said of the wayhis mother was so kind-hearted to everyone.

Maybe it’s just Schwing’s involvementin the community through his four scores.Through membership in private groupsand public committees, and his presencein the the downtown commerce, the ownerof Paul’s Flower Shop for the past 60 years(in the same place on Weeks Street)earned him the affection nickname of the“Mayor of Main Street.” He has aided 92men who have been Scouts of Troop 133 toearn the rank of Eagle and the formerNavy serviceman has been a staunchleader in the Iberia Veterans Commission,among numerous other organizations.

Kiwanis Pancake Supper:Almost everyone enjoys the change of

having breakfast for supper, but theKiwanis Pancake Supper, which has beengoing on for more than 50 years, is a heckof a social event, too.

Eric Armentor, a longtime member ofthe New Iberia Kiwanis Club, has beenhelping out with the Pancake Suppersince about 1981, he said, missing only oneyear due to a health issue. “I actuallydrove through (that year) to give thoseguys moral support,” he quips.

Hordes of people turn out for more than aplate of pancakes generously topped withcane syrup and a couple of patties ofsausage. Friends and neighbors passthrough the line for a bit of nourishment,then sit and visit. For some, it’s a time to seethat old friend who you might not run intovery much the rest of the year. But at thisevent, there is time to slow down and catchup.

The event itself is the club’s annualfundraiser. The money made at the eventhelps to fund scholarships for a few gradu-


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LEE BALL / THE DAILY IBERIAN

Local students par ticipate in the long-a waited Children’s Parade each y ear during theSugar Cane Festival in Iberia Parish.

BY PATRICK FLANAGAN

THE DAILY IBERIAN

One can find a festival going on justabout every weekend of the yearin the Teche Area, celebrating

everything indigenous, from food tomusic to art, even trees.

“It’s a great place to be for a good time,”said Greater Iberia Chamber of CommercePresident and CEO Janet Faulk of thearea’s numerous festivals. “We really haveyearlong good times. It’s a constant cele-bration of our individual cultures and theblending of our multiple cultures.”

Festival season traditionally gets underway with the arrival of spring.

Coming soon, though, is a celebrationof Jazz legend Bunk Johnson, who for

years lived in New Iberia. In May, theannual Bunk Fest, which is sponsored bySt. Edward Catholic Church, typicallyspans several weeks throughout themonth, culminating in a second linemarch from St. Edward church toJohnson’s gravesite.

For Independence Day, Delcambre’s

SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE 25

Festival season traditionallygets under way with the

arrival of spring.

Festival timenearly all the timein the Teche Area

DO: Pancake Supper a social eventFROM PAGE 8

SEE MUST, PAGE 10


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FESTIVAL: Delcambre Shrimp Festival very popular

neighbor Erath takes center stage celebrates thenation’s birth, with parades, pageantry and thepopular water warsbetween area firedepartments.

August is traditionallythe time for celebratingthe shrimping industry,with the annualDelcambre ShrimpFestival, which prepareslocal shrimpers for thefall season by receivingthe blessing of the fleetof shrimping vessels.

The nonprofit Lydia Cancer Association holds itsbiggest fundraiser every year, usually between late-August and early-September with the Lydia CajunFood Fest, in which area cooks compete for topprizes and a year’s worth of bragging rights.

For five days every September, the city of NewIberia is home to one of the Teche Area’s largestcelebrations with the Louisiana Sugar Cane

Festival and Fair. Sugar Cane Festival means aseries of fais do dos, parades, pageants and theblessing of the area’s sugar crops.

Just in time for the arrival of cool weather, NewIberia’s downtown areafills with people for theGreater Iberia Chamberof Commerce’s WorldChampionship GumboCook-Off from Oct. 12-14.Over the years, the eventhas grown in popularity,attracting visitors from20 different states to lastyear’s event, notedFaulk.

On Nov. 3, residentsand visitors warm up with a bowl of chili in CityPark for the Great Chili Challenge.

The Christmas season also experiences no short-age of festivals and area celebrations.

The town of Delcambre, on the evening of Dec. 8,features its annual Christmas Boat Parade, where a

FROM PAGE 24


Shrimp, and plenty of it, is main course at the Shrimp Festival. SEE FESTIVAL, PAGE 26

For five days every September, thecity of New Iberia is home to one ofthe Teche Area’s largest celebrations

with the Louisiana Sugar Cane Festivaland Fair.

BY JEFF ZERINGUE

THE DAILY IBERIAN

You’ve just got to ... now that you’rein Iberia.

There are many things to learn aboutour community — the must-sees, have-to-dos and ought-to-meets that every commu-nity have. Here are some of those essen-tial Iberian experiences that have beenmentioned by locals to help our newcom-ers learn a little more about who we areand what we see as important.

These are in no particular order, butthey are the top of mind essentials.

Firing up of roux pots at WorldChampionship Gumbo Cookoff

One of Iberia’s most popular of festivalsis the World Championship GumboCookoff. It has been featured in nationalmagazines and shows of cable channelcooks. One of the things that make thisevent so special, however, is for the earlybirds. It’s the beginning of the cookoff

when roux pots are at the ready.The roux is the base of the gumbo. Get

it right and the rest is easy, but if some-thing goes wrong, these teams can get intotrouble quickly.

At 6:30 a.m. on the second Sunday ofOctober, the cannon goes off in BoulignyPlaza and the propane burners ignite, soonsending the unmistakable aroma of roux— a mixture of flour, oil and Cajun season-ings — wafting from downtown NewIberia for sometimes up to a mile away.

The three-day festival is good fun withlots of traditional South Louisiana foodand music and the winners take home thesilver trophy that identifies them as worldchampions.

IPAL performance:Some communities show their talents

through the theater and the IberiaPerforming Arts League gives locals andthe surrounding communities manyopportunities through the year to see theextraordinary talent that resides here.

IPAL has about five shows each year,

plays that include comedies and musicals.Through a mix of professional musicians,local and regional talent, this troupe hasbeen successful enough in the past 10years that it has paid off the mortgage forthe Essanee Theater.

What has aided in IPAL’s success alsohas been its team of volunteers, localswho participate in assuring there is athriving performing arts presence in NewIberia.

Cajun Groundhog Day:The weather, like any place around the

country, is often the topic of conversation.There is a vast difference, however, inwhat Punxsutawney Phil predicts way upnorth and our weather in the Deep South.That’s why New Iberia needs its ownweather prognosticator and finds this inthe talented Pierre C. Shadeaux.

Unlike his rodent cousin of the North,Pierre, a lovable nutria, comes out out ofthe swamp each year in time for the Feb. 2event to determine whether there will bean early return of summer or a more

pleasant extended spring. If Pierre seeshis shadow, there will be the less fortunateearly return to summer’s warm andhumid days and sultry nights. On theother hand, should our endearing nutrianot see his shadow, the cooler, mild tem-peratures of spring will remain with usfor an extended period.

Either way, it’s a good time to be amongthose eager to find out Iberia’s fate about 7a.m. each Feb. 2 in New Iberia’s BoulignyPlaza.

Meet Paul Schwing,the unofficial Mayor ofMain Street:

Every town has its histo-rians and statesmen. PaulSchwing — who one issure to run into if a visit-ing downtown early in themorning, more particular-ly, a morning visit to

Victor’s Cafeteria — is both.

New to Iberia, here’s what you should do

Schwing

SEE DO, PAGE 9

procession of decorated shrimp boats, aswell as old Saint Nick, make their waydown the Delcambre Canal in celebrationof the season.

On Dec. 9, downtown New Iberia willfill with Christmas lights and trolley carsfor the city’s Magic on Main tour ofhomes.

“Our festivals are really a wonderfulopportunity to appreciate the abundancewe have in our area,” said Faulk.

Soon after, Mardi Gras gives Iberiansand their visitors a chance to celebrate.Before the official Fat Tuesday, the Kreweof Andalusia parades through downtownNew Iberia. Then on Mardi Gras Day, thecommunity Grand Marais in easternIberia Parish steps off for its parade,while krewes in Loreauville and the com-munity of Coteau hold their parade fes-tivities on Mardi Gras Day.

Then spring soon is in the air again,and with that is the start of another festi-val season.

March brings New Iberia’s annual artsand crafts festival held on the grounds ofthe historic Shadows-on-the-Teche onMain Street, where many vendors displaytheir wares throughout the gardens ofthe ante-bellum home. Also in NewIberia, typically in March, is Festival ofLive Oaks in City Park, where hundredsflock every year to celebrate the majestictrees, listen to music and peruse anassortment of vendors and food booths.

In April, New Iberia boasts the CajunHot Sauce Festival at the SugArena,where area cooks pit their sauces againsteach other in an annual contest.


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FESTIVAL: ‘Really a wonderful opportunity to appreciate the abundance’ in areaFROM PAGE 25

New Iberia will fill withChristmas lights and trolleycars for the city’s Magic onMain tour of homes Dec . 9.

Mardi Gras parades before andon Fat Tuesday are big hits inthe Teche Area, includingLoreauville and Coteau.

New Iberia boasts the CajunHot Sauce Festival each Aprilat the SugArena near New

Iberia.

BY NEAL MCCLELLAND

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Opportunities for youth recreationabound in the city, includingeverything from football, to base-

ball, to soccer in organized sports tocamps and other opportunities offered byNew Iberia Recreation Department.

During spring, Evangeline LittleLeague, Iberia Athletic Association andIberia Youth Baseball Association offeryouth baseball and softball.

“We offer Little League baseball and soft-ball from ages 4-16,” said ELL presidentJim Picheloup, who added that registrationusually runs from January to March andthe season runs from April through themiddle of June. “And we always welcomevolunteers to help us run the league. Allthey have to come by and fill out a volun-teer form. We would like to re-establish ourvolunteer base since we now include notonly New Iberia but also parts ofJeanerette which is now in our charter.”

Picheloup said the area covered by ELLis Iberia Parish up to St. Martin Parish.

IAA, which includes Iberia Parish, St.Martin Parish and parts of LafayetteParish up to the Broussard-Youngsvillearea, and IYBA, which includes the com-munities or Rynella, Lydia, Delcambre,Loreauville and Coteau, offer Babe Ruthbaseball for ages 4-15 for IAA and ages 41/2 to 14 for IYBA in baseball and softball.

Both IAA president Kenneth Stansburyand IYBA president Spike Baudoin alsowelcome volunteers to help as coaches andin other places in the leagues.

“Our registration is usually the month of

February,” said Baudoin who added thateach park sets their own dates, usually onweekends and a couple of days during theweek. “We also have information for par-ents who want to volunteer whether it be asa coach, handing out uniforms, fundraising.We have a sign-up sheet and we keep in con-tact with them. We try to get the parentsinvolved in all aspects of our organization.”

Stansbury said IAA registration is thelast weekend of January and all ofFebruary and the season runs from mid-April to the end of May.

Stansbury also welcomes parents andother volunteers to help make the leaguemore successful for the kids who partici-pate in it.

Also available on an almost year roundbasis is Iberia Soccer Association which

plays at the Louisiana PepperPlex.“Soccer registration for ISA soccer is

during June and July,” said ISA directorStephen Koch. “The season runs from lastweekend of August through October andthen from the beginning of March to thefirst week of April.

“We have a competitive soccer optionwith registration in May and June.”

The Iberia Youth Football League domi-nates the youth scene during the fall andoffers football and cheerleading opportuni-ties for ages 5-13 years old.

The New Iberia Parks and RecreationDepartment offers summer camps andother youth recreation opportunities.

Bayou Wheels Skate Park is located inCity Park and is open seven days a weekfrom noon to 7 p.m. during summertime andnoon to 6 p.m. weekends only when school isin session. NIRD offers 16 parks around thecity with different amenities including play-grounds, pools, walking tracks, boat ramps,softball and baseball fields, basketballcourts, tennis courts and pavilions.


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The following are the Acadiana Technical

Teche Area campus programs:

ACCOUNTING Technology.

AIR Conditioning and Refrigeration.

CARE AND DEVELOPMENT of

Young Children.

CARPENTRY.

DRAFTING AND Design Technology.

ELECTRICIAN.

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Mechanics Technology.

INFORMATION Communication

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MACHINE Tool Technology.

MEDICAL OFFICE Assistant.

NURSE Assistant.

OFFICE SYSTEMS Technology.

PATIENT Care Technician.

PHARMACY TECHNICIAN.

PRACTICAL Nursing.

WELDING.

Students can earn 2-year degrees at 2 local collegesBY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Residents looking to continue their education inIberia Parish have two campuses available toearn two-year degrees and receive college-ready

training.The Acadiana Technical College’s Teche Area campus,

part of Louisiana Technical College Region 4, with 500students taking courses each day at the campus locatedat 609 Ember Drive near the Acadiana Regional Airport.

ATC students can select from several programs avail-able on the Teche Area. A full list of the programs andcurriculum can be found at the school’s Website at great-eracadianaregion.net

The school’s motto is “He who hath a trade, hath anestate.” Assistant campus Dean Camille Jarrell said theschool’s goal is to provide students with work skills thatwill prepare them for careers.

“What we do at our school is focus on workforce devel-opment by providing students the training and experi-ence needed for skilled employment,” she said.

For more information on the technical college and itsprogramming, contact the Teche Area campus at 373-0011.

Almost directly across from the ATC Teche Area cam-pus on Ember Drive is the South Louisiana Community

College’s New Iberia campus.The institution offers general

studies courses for students seek-ing their associate degree orthose who are eventually plan-ning to transfer to four-year col-lege or university.

The associate degree programsinclude liberal arts, industrialtechnology, general studies, gen-eral business, emergency medicaltechnology (paramedic), criminaljustice and care and developmentof young children.

The paramedic program atSLCC is an educational partnerof the National EMS Academy,and the school offers a certificateof technical studies to accompa-ny the associate’s degree in para-medics.

For more information on theschool and its program, call the

New Iberia campus at 373-0185 or visitwww.southlouisiana.edu.

Local children can play wide range of sports here


The ATC’s Teche Area campus is located near the Acadiana Regional Airport. The sta-tion above helps teach students several types of welding.


Opening day is a special time for kids, coaches and parents in youth baseball leagues.

BY CHRIS LANDRY

THE DAILY IBERIAN

New Iberia and surrounding areasprovide a wide variety of recre-ational activities for adults look-

ing to stay active and fit, including compet-itive sports leagues an various fitness pro-grams sponsored by the city and parish.

Both the New Iberia RecreationDepartment and Iberia Parish Parks andRecreation offer fitness and exercise pro-grams for adults and seniors, as well asadult softball, soccer, flag football and bas-ketball leagues.

NIRD sponsors two USSSA adult soft-ball sessions for players ages 17 and olderat its Bank Avenue Park, with a summerleague from April through August and afall league from September throughDecember. Men’s industrial, masters andfun league divisions as well as women’sand co-ed leagues are offered.

IREC also offers a ladies’ adult softballleague beginning in June and a co-edleague beginning in July. Interested par-ties should call Kalyn at the department’sWillow Wood office at 365-6197.

Summer and winter adult basketballleagues also are offered through the NewIberia Recreation Department. Summerleague games are held at the MartinLuther King Jr. Community Center atWest End Park, while winter league gamesare at the Cyr-Gates Community Center atCity Park. Registration for the summerleague is held in May and for the winterleague in December. For more informationcall the Cyr-Gates Community Center at369-2337 or West End Park at 369-2394.

Iberia Parish offers adult basketball atits King Joseph Recreation Center in thespring, from 5-6 p.m. on Mondays. CallMary Martin at 276-6414 for informationabout offerings at the King Joseph Center.

Flag football is offered for adultsthrough the New Iberia RecreationDepartment at Bank Avenue Park.Players ages 17 and older can choosemen’s, women’s or co-ed leagues.Registration is held in August with theseason held from September to November.

Lighted tennis courts are available forpublic use at various parks in the city

and parish. TheNew IberiaRecreationDepartment haseight total light-ed courts at CityPark (five), WestEnd Park (two)and BankAvenue Park(one), which areopen and freefor public usefrom 7 a.m. to 10p.m. daily.Participantsmust providetheir own rac-quets and balls.Additional rulesare posted near the courts. Players mayreserve courts beforehand by calling therecreation department offices.

Iberia Parish Recreation’s 14 parks andcommunity centers include lighted tenniscourts at Willow Wood Park in NewIberia as well as tennis courts at BurleighPark in Jeanerette, Francis RomeroMemorial Park in Coteau, LoreauvillePark, Remy Landry Park in Delcambreand Weeks Park in Lydia.

Both NIRD and IREC offer popularexercise programs including Tai Chi,yoga and Zumba classes.

The New Iberia Recreation Departmentoffers several activities and exerciseclasses for seniors, director Tony Miguessaid, at its community centers located inCity Park and West End Park.

Among the activities offered are yoga,water aerobics and senior water aerobics,ballet barre exercises for seniors, aero-bics classes and Zumba fitness. Exerciseequipment is available for use at both theMLK Center at West End Park and theCyr-Gates Center in City Park.

The city also has a swimming pool atCity Park, with adult lap swimming andsummer adult swim lessons offered.

For more information about what activ-ities are available, and when, check thelinks at the city’s website,http://www.cityofnewiberia.com/site329.php, or call 369-2337 between 8 a.m. and

4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.Iberia Parish Parks and Recreation

offers exercise programs at Willow WoodPark and the King Joseph Center inJeanerette.

Thai Chi classes with gentle stretchingare offered year-round at Willow WoodPark, three mornings a week and led byNell Gauthier. Call Willow Wood at 365-6197 for more information.

Mary Martin leads fitness classes forparticipants ages 16 and older at the KingJoseph Recreation Center in Jeanerette.The classes include cardio work Mondayand Thursday from 5:30-6:30 p.m. and ton-ing and strength on Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30 p.m. For more information callMartin at 276-6414.

The very popular Zumba classes cur-rently being held at Willow Wood Park areheld Monday and Tuesday from 6-7 p.m.and Thursday at 5:30 p.m. Registration isopen, with punch cards available for pur-chase at IREC’s Willow Wood office.

For more information about parishparks and recreation, check the IberiaParish Government website athttp://www.iberiaparishgovernment.com/dept-parks.asp, or call the Willow Woodoffice at 365-6197.

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Families with children in gradeskindergarten though 12 have plen-ty of options for their children’s’

education in Iberia Parish.The Iberia Parish public school system

hold nearly 30 schools several which arein newly built and newly renovated facili-ties within New Iberia’s city limits andthroughout the parish.

There are roughly 14,000 studentsenrolled in the local public school system,which employs approximately 1,900employees, Superintendent of SchoolsDale Henderson said.

“We are happy to welcome all studentsto the Iberia Parish school system,” hesaid. “We are very proud our studentsand employees and we pay tribute to thework they do in our schools each day.”

As part of the 2009 bond election, mil-lions of dollars have been poured into

expanding current campuses and build-ing new facilities such as Johns HopkinsElementary and Loreauville Elementaryschools.

Other projects include the constructionof the Iberia Parish School Board’s newSpecial Education building and its foodservice and maintenance buildings thatare scheduled to be completed this year.

To register students in an Iberia Parishschool, parents must accompany theirchild to the school along with a copy ofthe child’s birth certificate, proof of resi-dence, a copy of immunization records, acopy of the child’s Social Security cardand withdrawal information from thechild’s previous school.

If you are not sure what school you areto enroll your child, the School Board’sOffice of Child Welfare and Attendancehas copies of each attendance zone andcan provide additional information forparents. The child welfare office is locat-ed in the School Board’s administrativeoffice building at 1500 Jane St. The officecan be contacted by calling 365-2341.


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Students entering kindergarten will need thesame information, and registration is heldin March through the first day of school ofthe year before the student begins schoolin August.

The student must be 5 years old beforeSept. 30 of the year he or she will beginkindergarten.

Questions about specific circumstances canbe addressed to the supervisor of childwelfare and attendance. For more informa-tion call 365-2341.

Iberia public schools have many new facilities for its 14,000 students

Area has many rec opportunities for adults


Bus driver Jocelyn Young checks P ark Elementary School students for their ride home.Iberia Parish’s public school system provides many services to its students.

‘We are happy to welcome allstudents to the Iberia Parishschool system. We are veryproud our students and

employees and we pay tributeto the work they do in our

schools each day.’

Dale Henderson

Iberia Parish superintendent of schools


NIRD’s popular yoga program is led by certified teachers.

There are lots of things to learnwhen new to town. It’s especiallyhelpful when you have local folks

to help you find good, trustworthy serv-ice or a great place to eat.

Here’s an easy way to do it.Each summer, The Daily Iberia com-

piles a list of categories that readers voteon, calculate their responses and, in anunscientific way, share with everyone thebest this area has to over.

Just for our newcomers, we have puttogether an abridged list of where the topplaces are for just about anything.

PLACE TO BUY ‘COOL’ CASUALCLOTHES

1ST: Stage.PLACE TO GET ‘HOME-STYLE’ COOKING

1ST: Taste-N-Sea.2ND: Little River Inn.2ND: Victor’s.

BEST AUTO MECHANIC1ST: Cliff Dronet at Dronet’s Auto Repair.2ND: Kent at Tracey’s.

BEST PLACE FOR BAKERY ITEMS1ST: Bi-Lo.2ND: Meche’s.

BEST DAY CARE1ST: Cathy’s Day Care.2ND: ABC & 123 Pre-School.

BEST PLACE FOR HEAING/AC SERVICE1ST: Fox’s.2ND: Larry Delcambre.

BEST SPORTS TEAM1ST: Saints.

BEST THING ABOUT LIVING IN THETECHE AREA

There were two top vote-getters, but there wasno clear winner

Friendly People.The Food.

BEST USED CAR SALESMANThere were five sales representatives who were the

top vote-getters, but there was no clear winner.Duane Dorsey at Courtesy Vermilion-Abbeville.Gene Nora at Arceneaux Ford.Gerald Sigue at Musson Patout.Ricky Aires at Courtesy Vermilion-Abbeville.Ryan Menard at Courtesy Vermilion-Abbeville.

BEST BOAT MECHANIC1ST: Ryan Sonnier at Iberia Outboard.

BEST PLACE FOR BOILED SEAFOOD

1ST: Seafood Connection.2ND: Jane’s.

BEST BOUDIN1ST: Legnon’s.

BEST PLACE TO BRING YOUR SICKANIMAL

1ST: Reaux’s Animal Hospital.BEST BUFFET

1ST: Taste-N-Sea.2ND: Hong Kong Buffet.

BEST PLACE FOR BUSINESS LUNCH1ST: Clementine.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST PLACE TO BUY ‘COOL’ CHIL-DREN’S CLOTHES

1ST: Stage.2ND: Walmart.

BEST PLACE TO BUY APPLIANCES1ST: A&A Appliance.2ND: Conn’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY FLOWERS1ST: Fabian’s.2ND: Paul’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY LAWN & GAR-

DEN EQUIPMENT1ST: Lowe’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY OUTDOORPLANTS

1ST: Hebert’s.2ND: Lowe’s.

BEST PLACE TO BUY TIRES/SERVICE1ST: Iberia Discount Tire.2ND: Winmill.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR CARREPAIRS

1ST: Tracey’s.2ND: Dronet’s.

BEST CATERING SERVICE1ST: Peltier’s.2ND: Art of Eating.

BEST CHINESE FOOD1ST: Kim’s (Main).2ND: Hong Kong Buffet.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR COFFEE1ST: Starbucks.2ND: Victor’s.

BEST PLACE FOR A COLD BEERThere were four places that were the top vote-

getters, but there was no clear winner:Chili’s.E&E Sport’s Bar.Jersey’s.Pelican’s on the Bayou.

BEST CRACKLINS1ST: Legnon’s.2ND: Dave’s.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR DESSERTS1ST: Victor’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST PLACE FOR DINING ‘ATMOS-PHERE’

1ST: Little River Inn.2ND: Clementine’s.

BEST DONUTS1ST: Meche’s.

BEST DRY CLEANING SERVICE1ST: Rudy’s.2ND: Derouen’s.

BEST PLACE TO EAT WITHOUT KIDS1ST: Little River Inn.

BY JESSICA GOFF

THE DAILY IBERIAN

Some of the oldest institutions in IberiaParish remain in existence today as private

schools.There are six private schools of all faiths in

Iberia Parish including Roman Catholic, Baptist,Church of Christ, Assembly of God and Episcopal.

Catholic High School, which operates through theDiocese of Lafayette, was established in 1957 andwas originally St. Peter’s College in 1918 as an all-boys school.

Mount Carmel served as the private all girls schoolboth schools merged as Catholic High.

Today, the school provides education for studentsin grades kindergarten through 12.

It’s main feeder school, St. Edward School, wasestablished in 1918 by Mother Katherine Drexel. In2000, Pope John Paul II declared Drexel as a saint.

Today, the St. Edward School facilitates curriculumfor students ion grades pre-kindergarten through

third grade.Other more newly built schools include Highland

Baptist Christian School and Assembly ChristianSchool. Both schools offer kindergarten through 12thgrade education.

Epiphany Day School, which provides educationfor student in grades pre-kindergarten throughfifth, is a feeder school for Episcopal School ofAcadiana, which has a campus in Cade and inLafayette.

The following is a list a private schools in Iberia Parish:

ASSEMBLY Christian School - grades K-12 - Assembly of God -364-4340.

CATHOLIC High School - grades 4-12 -Roman Catholic - 364-5116.

EPIPHANY Day School - grades pre-K - 5, Episcopal - 364-6841.

HIGHLAND Baptist Christian School:grades pre-k - 12 Baptist - 364-2273.

ACADIA ChristianAcademy: grades 1-12 - Church of

Christ - 364-8438.

ST. EDWARD SCHOOL: grades pre-kindergarten throughthird. grade - Catholic -369-6764.


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Iberia’s private schools long establishedAT A G L ANCE

Some of the oldest educational institutions in Iberia Parish have been providing opportunities to students

for decades. They range from a varietyof private and parochial schools that

offer an educational alternative.

HOW WE S AY I T : N AME S

Badeaux — ba-DOHBarras — BAH-rahBarrilleaux — BA-ree-ohBaudoin — boh-DWANBegnaud — BEHG-nohBienvenu — bee-EHN-vuh-nooBonin — BOH-nanBoudreaux — BOO-drohBourgeois — booj-WAHBourque — BORK

Charpentier — SHAR-pen-chay orsha-PON-shayComeaux — COH-mohCormier — COR-mee-ayDauterive — DOH-treevDelahoussaye — deh-lah-HOO-sayDerouen — DER-wahnDesormeaux — DEHS-ruh-mohDavid — dah-VEEDDecuir — duh-KWEER

Doerle (also Doyle) — DOILDoucet — doo-SETDugas — DOO-gahDuhe — DOO-eeFontenot — FAHN-tuh-nohFontenette — FAHN-tuh-netFreyou — FREE-youGautreaux — GOH-trohGirouard — jeh-RAWRDGonsoulin — GONE-suh-lan

Granger — GRAWN-zhayGuidry — GIH-dreeHebert (also Frioux)— AY-bearHollier — OH-yayHulin — HYOO-lanIstre — EASTJeanbatiste — ZHAHN-ba-teestJeanlouis — zhawn-loo-EEJudice — joo-DEESLeger — LAY-zhay

BE S T O F THE T E CHE


2ND: Clementine’s.BEST PLACE FOR FAST-FOOD

1ST: McDonald’s.2ND: Wendy’s.

BEST PLACE TO FIND UNUSUAL GIFTS1ST: Walmart.2ND: Delaune’s.2ND: This & That.

BEST PLACE FOR APPLIANCE REPAIR1ST: A&A Appliance.

BEST PLACE FOR SPORTING GOODS1ST: Lipari Sporting Goods.2ND: Walmart.

BEST FRENCH BREAD1ST: LeJeune’s.

BEST FRESH PRODUCE1ST: Super 1.2ND: Farmer’s Market.2ND: Winn Dixie.

BEST FRIED CHICKEN1ST: Popeye’s.

FRIENDLIEST BANK TELLERS1ST: Community First - Jefferson Terrace.2ND: Chase - North Lewis.2ND: Iberia Bank - St. Peter.

BEST PLACE TO GO DANCINGFour top vote-getters, but no clear winner:Landry’s.Mon Ami.Rox.The Camp.

BEST PLACE TO GO FISHING1ST: Cypremort Point.

BEST PLACE TO GO ON A DATEThere were several top vote-getters, but no clear

winner:Bojangles.Cafe Jefferson.Chili’s.Clementine’s.Little River Inn.Mr. Lester’s.The Camp.The Patio.

BEST GOLF COURSETwo courses got votes, but there was no clear

winner:Squirrel Run.Sugar Oaks.

BEST GROCERY CHECKOUT SERVICE1ST: Super 1.2ND: Bi-Lo.

BEST GUMBO1ST: Little River Inn.2ND: Dave’s.

BEST HAMBURGER1ST: Stein’s.

BEST HANDYMAN ADVICE1ST: Lowe’s.2ND: ACE Hardware.

BEST ICE CREAM1ST: Baskin Robbins.

BEST INSURANCE AGENT1ST: Jimmy Champagne at AllState.2ND: Bill Desormeaux at State Farm (Jen).

BEST PLACE FOR KID’S FOODS1ST: McDonald’s.2ND: Duffy’s.

BEST KING CAKES1ST: Meche’s.

BEST PLACE TO GO FOR MEAT1ST: Bi-Lo.2ND: Legnon’s.

BEST MEDICAL STAFF1ST: Boudreaux Family Medicine.2ND: Iberia Medical Staff.

BEST PLACE TO MEET FOR BREAKFAST1ST: Victor’s.

BEST PLACE TO MEET GUY/GIRLFour places received votes, but there was no clear

winner:Bojangle’s.Chili’s.Napoleon’s.Tampico’s.

BEST MEXICAN FOOD1ST: Tampico’s.2ND: El Mexicano.

BEST NIGHT SPOTThere was no clear winner:Clementine’s.Jersey’s..The Camp.

BEST PET GROOMER1ST: Tammy Talley at Tammy’s Grooming

(Reaux’s).BEST PHARMACY

1ST: CVS (Parkview).2ND: Delaune’s.

BEST PLACE FOR A PICNIC

1ST: City Park..BEST PIZZA

1ST: Pizza Place.2ND: Pizza Hut.

BEST PLACE FOR CHILD’S HAIRCUT1ST: Studio 902.2ND: Cliff’s.

BEST PLACE FOR MAN’S HAIRCUT1ST: Ryan Michael’s.2ND: Cliff’s.

BEST PLACE FOR WOMAN’S HAIRCUT1ST: Studio 902.2ND: Ryan Michael’s.

BEST PLACE TO PLAY TENNIS1ST: City Park.

BEST PLUMBING SERVICE1ST: Babineaux’s.2ND: Pipe’s N Plugs.

BEST PO-BOYS1ST: Bon Creole.

BEST PORTIONS1ST: Victor’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST PLACE FOR PREPARED

SEAFOOD1ST: Anna Seafood.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENT1ST: Pat Caffery at Caffery Real Estate.2ND: Karl Rouly at Van Eaton & Romero.

BEST RED BEANS & RICE1ST: Popeye’s.

BEST RETIREMENT FACILITY1ST: Garden View.2ND: Belle Teche.

BEST SALAD BAR1ST: Ruby Tuesday.

BEST SANDWICHES1ST: Subway.2ND: Quizno’s.

BEST SEAFOOD MARKET1ST: Mike’s Seafood.1ST: Super 1.2ND: Anna Seafood.

BEST SNOWBALLS1ST: Snowball Factory.

“Nueva Iberia at that point was aban-doned, but then the town was revived inthe early 1800s,” Bernard said. “So NewIberia, in a way, had two foundings. Bothof those are important.”

The city’s resuscitators were primarilyAnglo-American with some Frenchmenmixed in, Bernard said.

The next important period in its lifewas the Civil War. Both the Union andthe Confederacy occupied New Iberiaduring the conflict, Bernard said.

“Sometimes this area was really a no-man’s land that neither side could real-ly hold,” Bernard said.

It also brought devastation. ThoughNew Iberia was no Northern Virginia, itsaw some rough times, Bernard said.

“You had Union and Confederatearmies and smaller units comingthrough here and taking people’s prop-erty, either for legitimate reasons ornot,” Bernard said.

However, during the war Iberia Parishdid not exist. The current parish landwas split between St. Martin and St.Mary parishes.

Interestingly, President AbrahamLincoln’s Emancipation Proclamationspecifically excluded those two parishesand a few others.

“That’s because the EmancipationProclamation was intended to freeslaves only in areas that were notalready controlled by the North,”Bernard said.

After the war, two key events occurredin 1868. Iberia Parish came into exis-tence — with New Iberia as the parish

seat — and former banker EdmundMcIlhenny grew his first commercialcrop of peppers on Avery Island, whichwould be used to make Tabasco sauce.Tabasco products are now labeled in 22languages and sold in more than 160countries, according to the company’swebsite.

Fast forward to the 20th century andoil becomes king. It was discovered incommercially viable amounts on AveryIsland in 1942, Bernard said.

Oil created mobility and enhancedincomes, Bernard said. Owing to oil,Iberia Parish was rapidly Americanized,evidenced by the decline in French speak-ers.

So slowly the foundation of theAcadians’ culture — the language —eroded and the people morphed into avariation of their ancestors, Bernard

said.Acadians

and mod-ern Cajuns

are not the same thing, Bernard said.Over hundreds of years, the Acadiansintermarried with the other ethnicgroups in the region creating a new,uniquely Cajun identity, he said.

He said so-called Cajun names aren’t all

ones from Nova Scotia like Boudreaux,Broussard, Guidry and Thibodeaux.There are Spanish names like Romero,Dartez, Migues; German names likeToups, Stelly; and French Creole nameslike Soileau, Fontenot.

“Over the generations you’ve had a lotof inter-mixing. … It was that processthat allowed them to evolve into Cajuns,”Bernard said.


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DIVERSE: Iberia Parish was formed from St. Martin and St. Mary parishesFROM PAGE 2

MATTHEW BEATON / THE DAILY IBERIAN

This seal on a sign in fr ont of City Hall shows the crest of the city of NewIberia.

‘Nueva Iberia at that point was aban-doned, but then the town was revivedin the early 1800s. So New Iberia, in away, had two foundings. Both of those

are important’

Shane Bernard

Local author and historian

A L L THE B E S T

FROM PAGE 29



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History of New Iberia ................This pagePrivate schools in parish ..............Page 4Public schools K-12 ......................Page 5Want two-year degree? ................Page 6Some musts to try ........................Page 8Rent or buy? ................................Page 11Oil drives local economy ..........Page 12Mayor’s message ..........................Page 14Redfish are plentiful ..................Page 15Health care available ..................Page 18Parish president’s letter ..............Page 19Music, theater and arts ..............Page 20Festivals and more here ............Page 24Youth activities aplenty ..............Page 27Recreation abounds for adults ....Page 28Best of the Teche ......................Page 29

I ND EX Diverse cultures converge in one placeBY MATTHEW BEATON

THE DAILY IBERIAN

New Iberia and Iberia Parish havea history teeming with diversity— Acadians, French, Spanish,

Cajuns and American Indians.It all started with the Acadians, the first

western immigrants to settle present-dayIberia Parish. The Nova Scotia exiles’arrival, around 1765, brought the Frenchlanguage, said Shane Bernard, localauthor and historian. The first place theysettled was between Loreauville and NewIberia.

“The first large concentrated group ofpeople to come into this area, excluding ofcourse the Native Americans, was theAcadians,” Bernard said.

There were about 100 Acadians in thefirst group brought by Joseph Broussarddit Beausoleil, he said. They were exilesoriginally from Nova Scotia. More wouldcome with the largest group arriving in1785.

“They would continue to trickle in untilthe early 19th century, Bernard said.

Then the Spaniards came and foundedthe city of New Iberia in 1779. Led byFrancisco Bouligny they called it “Nueva

Iberia,” Bernardsaid.

“Their dwellingswere originally built9 feet off the ground.They were on poles,”he said.

Originally, theSpaniards construct-ed their huts nearCharenton about 20miles east, but theywere flooded out, sothey moved to whatis now New Iberiaproper, on the banksof Bayou Teche,Bernard said.

But the settlersbecame disenchant-

ed with life on the Teche and change loca-tion again this time to the banks ofSpanish Lake, Bernard said.


New Iberia and Iberia Parish boast a history of diversity.

SEE DIVERSE, PAGE 3

A L L THE B E S T

BEST PLACE FOR SPECIAL OCCASION1ST: Clementine’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST SPECIALTY MEATS1ST: Legnon’s.2ND: Dave’s.

PLACE TO SPEND SUNDAY AFTERNOON1ST: City Park.

BEST STEAK1ST: Mr. Lester’s.2ND: Little River Inn.

BEST TEEN ‘HANG-OUT’There were two top vote-getters:Orange Leaf.The Grand Theatre.

BEST PLACE TO BUY ELECTRONICS1ST: Walmart.

BEST PLACE TO BUY JEWELRY1ST: Amentor’s.2ND: Allian’s.

BEST PLACE TO FIND A BARGAIN1ST: Walmart.

BEST PLACE TO FIND FURNITURE1ST: Home Furniture.2ND: Foti’s.

BEST PLACE TO HAVE NAILS DONE1ST: LA Nails.2ND: Fancy Nails.

BEST PLACE TO RENT VIDEOS1ST: Red Box.2ND: Block Buster.

PLACE WITH BEST WAIT STAFF1ST: Little River Inn.2ND: Landry’s.

BEST WAITER/WAITRESS1ST: Nelda at Little River Inn.2ND: Esella Lee at Landry’s.

BEST PLACE TO WASH YOUR CAR1ST: Wizard Wash.2ND: Get Wet.

BEST PLACE TO WATCH SPORTS1ST: Chilis.2ND: Pelican’s on the Bayou.

BEST PLACE TO GET WINES/LIQUOR1ST: Bi-Lo

FROM PAGE 30

NEWCOMER ’ S GU I D E THURSDAY,APRIL 26, 201232 THE DAILY IBERIAN

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Folks just want to have fun!Fairs and festivals go on all y ear long.

Page 24

Local economy getting betterLook inside to see what mak es us tick.

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You’ve just gotta ...There are so many things to see, people to metand experiences to have in Iberia. Here’s a few.

Page 8

Newcomers Guide

Documents

history of new iberia

daily iberian newcomer

pbe t fx

diversity acadians

presentdayiberia parish

parish presidents letter

new iberia1511 center

lots available