By ROBERT L. LEE

VACHERIE – “We are trying to keep our head above water,” commented St. James Parish President Dale Hymel about the parish’s current economic state.

Despite the dour statement, Hymel said all of the industries located within the parish are working as usual, rather than having portions of workers out on strike and he said some area industries, such as the Motiva plant, have expanded. However, with such a large percentage of industries in the parish linked directly to an unusually weak global economy, Hymel said he knows the businesses are having a tough time trying to turn a profit.

“We are waiting for the global economy abroad to get better,” he said.

But until the global economic situation gets back into shape, Hymel said he plans to work alongside the local companies to help them get through the tough period.

Hymel said he will ask for property taxes to continue to be lowered, even more than in previous years. Hymel said the parish tax rate has been reduced by approximately three percent in the past five years.

“This is to help let the businesses in the area know we understand times are tough,” he explained.

Hymel is waiting to get more than a glimpse of a project which is expected to brighten the parish’s economic future. On Aug. 15 an announcement will be made on the Intramodal Transportation Center’s preferred and alternate sites for the multi-billion-dollar project.

“I hope it’s in or around our area. It would be a big boost,” Hymel said.

He said the new tourist information/welcome center is up, running and welcoming visitors to the area as expected. The parish has been spending a lot of energy trying to revitalize tourism in the area through the welcome center, and with positive results.

“We are trying to use it as a resource and it’s working well,” he said.

The welcome center is averaging 40 visitors each day, with 624 Louisiana residents stopping by each month. Yvette Dornier of the welcome center said the majority of visitors have been coming from Texas, California, Illinois and Florida.

“I don’t know why so many people come from Illinois,” she admitted, but said she is happy they also want to experience Cajun culture.

Residents from French-speaking countries also frequent the parish’s attractions.

Recently, a gentleman from Canada stopped at the welcome center twice. During his first stop he explained how he had parked his car in Baton Rouge and was enjoying the area on his bicycle. He stopped back the next day to thank everyone at the center for all of their help, and for the cold water.

To continue welcoming residents to the parish, plans are in the works and pilings are in the ground for a new library in Vacherie. The new library is situated next to the courthouse and will replace the current library in the courthouse building.

“It will be a state-of-the-art library, with room to be ready for growth,” said Hymel.

The library in the courthouse building was built in the early 1960s and has reached its expansion limits. The new building is expected to accept years of growth with additions such as more high-tech wiring and more physical space.

Also in planning stages is a new senior citizens activity center which would accommodate more senior citizens and an array of activities.

Improvements to the parish roads have not been overlooked, but overlaid recently as the parish finished its road improvement program. The program recovered 24 parish streets with asphalt.

In the south-central region, the city council is trying to restart a long-awaited project linking the Veterans Memorial Bridge to different hurricane evacuation routes.

“We can only go east and west, we can’t really get away,” said Hymel.

The state is securing the right of way from the bridge which will connect Interstate 10 to Louisiana Highway 3127. The next phase for the roadway is environmental.

During the environmental phase, the effects of the road on its location will be studied. Hymel said he expects that phase to be completed by the end of this year.

“I imagine in two years the project will be almost complete or running.”