LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / May 27, 2000

HAHNVILLE – The first public hearing of the St. Charles ParishBeautification Task Force saw plenty of ideas but little attendance outside of the group itself.

The organization gained official sanction from the Parish Council in February and, spurred by Councilwoman Darnell “Dee” Abadie, the group plans to give a facelift to the River Road stretch between St. CharlesBorromeo Catholic Church and Destrehan Plantation.

At the public hearing held Wednesday in Hahnville, ideas were offered up for similar beautification efforts across St. Charles Parish.Task force member Glenda Clement of Norco said the initial beautification project site was selected “to show the public what a finished beautification project looks like.”The plans include signage, plantings, cleanup and restoration. “It is thegateway to the parish, and it is a historic area,” Clement noted.

Other ideas quickly surged forth, including a wildflower project along Interstate 310 in Destrehan, suggested by Jara Roux of Ama.

Edilia Kolb of Luling suggested making the stretch of Paul Maillard Road from River Road to the railroad tracks a pedestrian mall while promoting small, tourist-oriented shops and restoring the old St. Anthony Church andLuling School.

Pat Elfer of St. Rose urged a possible wildflower beautification along St.Rose Avenue, which her Swampeyes group has already adopted to keep litter-free.

Former Norco councilman Dickie Duhe had several suggestions, including tougher enforcement on derelict houses, prohibiting billboards along greenspace areas, planting decorative trees along U.S. Highway 61 andcleaning and beautifying Old Spanish Trail from Boutte to Des Allemands.

Marilyn Richoux of Destrehan called upon Parish President Albert Laque to take a leadership role in the fight against litter and littering. She alsourged a beautification and historic uplift of Hahnville.

Abadie urged the beautification of Apple Street in Norco and suggested a tree-planting from Apple to the Bonnet Carre Spillway along River Road.

Ginger Carpenter of First Industrial Realty in St. Rose called upon AirlineDrive businesses to help keep their properties clean. One suchbusinessman, Gene Pellinger of B&C Auto Wreckers (the oldest business on that section of highway, since 1954), said he’s faced every Monday with derelict autos and other trash and debris dumped on his property every weekend.

Carpenter also called for a parishwide business cleanup day each spring and fall.

The attendees agreed a parish historical commission would also be a valuable asset to parish beautification, rescuing and preserving parish history and culture.

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