ERIK SANZENBACH / L’Observateur / April 7, 2000

LAPLACE – April is spring-cleaning time for St. John the Baptist Parish.Parish President Nickie Monica has declared April as “St. John Clean SweepMonth.”Monica and Sheriff Wayne L. Jones will be putting up new anti-littering signsthis month, and the police will be vigorously enforcing littering laws.

Monica hopes to kick things off with a week of activities from April 8-15.

Councilman Lester Rainey Jr. is also gearing up to make a clean sweep of hisdistrict on the west bank.

Rainey asked the Parish Council and the administration Tuesday for some economic and equipment help for what he is calling “Clean-Up Day” on the west bank April 15.

Rainey said he has over 15 organizations already lined up to start picking up trash on River Road from the St. James Parish line to the St. Charles Parishline.

“These organizations are donating a lot of time and some equipment,” said Rainey, “but we would like the parish to lend us some help by mowing the grass and cleaning out the drainage ditches.”Rainey said after clean-up day each organization will adopt a section of River Road and keep that sector clean.

Rainey asked the administration to supply dump trucks on River Road on Clean-up Day to pick up the bags of garbage.

Monica told Rainey, “You will have the full cooperation from this administration. April 15 is Parish Clean-Up Day, and you will get moremanpower.”Rainey is also going forth with two other projects to clean up the west bank.

First, he wants to beautify what he calls “downtown” Edgard, that is, the courthouse, St. John the Baptist Church and the ferry landing. He is trying toget shrubbery to line the ferry ramps. One suggestion is that the shrubberyspell out the words, “St. John Parish.”Rainey also wants to get a handle on blighted housing and abandoned property in his district. He has assigned street captains to monitor and identifyblighted housing and lots. He will use this information to make a list ofeyesores in District 1 and hopefully be able to get action to have the property renovated or torn down.

Return To News Stories