Kevin Chiri

If you want a few tips on how to throw a really great holiday party, then give Brian Larche a call at Riverland Chrysler.

The wife and I went to Brian’s Christmas party on Saturday night at Remembered Occasions that he puts on each year for his employees.

I’ve been to his Christmas party before and they’ve always been a lot of fun. But I think he outdid himself this year.

For starters, Brian had the Top Cats as the band that night, and anybody who knows anything about great local bands knows you probably couldn’t do any better in the entire New Orleans area than booking the Top Cats. Just walking in and seeing the band ready to go let you know that Brian was sparing no expense in trying to put on a great party for his workers and friends.

And it was, in fact, a great night of fun for all those who were there.

Even Parish President—soon to be State Representative Nickie Monica—was a kick to watch on the dance floor with his wife Dawn, who is obviously doing great after the past year when she battled her way through some health issues. You sure couldn’t tell Dawn had anything wrong with her from the way she had Nickie going on the dance floor. OK, so I guess even the parish president can have plenty of fun when he puts all the St. John government issues behind him after he clocks out.

And speaking of dancing, Brian’s wife Bonnie hardly got off the dance floor all night. And why not? When you dance as well as she does, it’s no wonder.

I kept trying to give Brian a quick thanks for the invite when the wife and I were finally ready to leave, but by that time, even he didn’t want to quit dancing. So I guess I’m doing it in print instead—thanks buddy. It was a great night.

Speaking of the parish president, Nickie told me about his four-day orientation in Baton Rouge last week as he gets ready to become state rep next year, after winning that spot in the recent election.

Nickie told me “you can’t imagine how much there is to learn,” which is pretty easy to believe.

But I think he has a leg up on a lot of other newcomers since he has been in government for over a decade now, and certainly made plenty of trips to Baton Rouge and Washington during the last eight years as parish president, getting an idea of how to work in that system.

Now that the election is over, we’re all hoping he’s extremely successful since it now means St. John, and the River Region, having a strong rep in Baton Rouge for us. That’s something we all should be hoping for. Best of luck Nickie.

I don’t know if I’m just a fanatic about this political sign thing or not, but every time I see someone’s sign still standing, or even laying on the ground, from the past election, I get a little mad.

That’s telling you honestly how I feel.

I had one of our reporters do a front page story recently about certain people who ran for election, and still hadn’t picked up their signs after the official period following the vote.

A number of them did seem to make a new effort after our story to pick up their signs, but I’m still seeing some of them standing—or as I said—even laying on the ground.

So I am thinking about what we could do here at L’Observateur that might really put some pressure on these people to get out and pick up their signs.

I think it is pretty shameful for people to run for office, and stick their signs up all over the place, and then just figure it isn’t their problem to go out and pick them up.

Talk about a lack of responsibility. And just for the record, the only signs I have seen are people who didn’t win. Hmmm, is there something to that?

So I have been thinking about ways we could really put some pressure on these people to get out there and do what they were supposed to do in the first place.

I have considered a front page story that lists any of the candidates, and maybe a running day count of how long they have left their signs out there. I was thinking about leaving it on the front page every day with the names of these people, until they get their signs picked up.

And let’s be straight about this. These aren’t some signs that are hidden on some obscure street where maybe they honestly just don’t know they are there. These are signs on the main roads in St. John Parish, like Airline Highway. So you can’t tell me you don’t know where they are. Every time I drive from Airline Highway out to Garyville where I live, I see the signs, just as big and obvious as can be.

And one of them is the worst. It is laying on the ground, just looking like a big pile of garbage, right near East St. John High School.

So I guess I’m writing this as a final warning. I am not purposely trying to embarrass anyone, and that’s why I am giving you all one last shot to at least drive on the main highways around here and PICK UP YOUR SIGNS!

I figure I will give you through the end of the year and then I’m going to find a way to let the area know that you are willing to junk up our parish by not picking up your signs. So for the last time, I’m asking nicely to all who ran in the last election, PLEASE!!!! Pick up your signs.

A grandfather took his grandson on a vacation to a cabin by a lake, and finally made their way into the cabin after dark.

They tried to enter the cabin by not turning the lights on until they got inside, since grandpa didn’t want all of the pesky insects to get in with them.

Still, a few fireflies followed them in. Noticing them before grandpa did, the little boy whispered, “It’s no use Grandpa. The mosquitoes are coming after us with flashlights.”

Kevin Chiri is Publisher of L’Observateur and can be reached at (985) 652-9545 or at kchiri@bellsouth.net