EachWednesday, L’Observateur recognizes individuals and businesses in the River Parishes that have gone “above and beyond” in their efforts to make this a better place to live, work and play.

We believe an integral part of a community’s wellbeing is an attitude and arena where people who do good things who work to improve life for others … who try to make a difference are recognized and saluted.

Because this is a salute to members of the community of the entire River Parishes, we solicit your recommendations for groups or individuals to be considered for inclusion.

This week we salute:

• South Central Louisiana Technical College in Reserve for organizing the school’s annual Career Link open house for students in the River Parishes. Representatives from various industries, along with members of the school’s faculty, were on hand to offer advice to students considering enrollment.

• Various local high school basketball teams in the River Parishes for making the state playoffs over the past week. On the girls’ side, West St. John High made the tournament for the first time ever, while St. James High entered for the second year in a row. In the boys’ bracket, Riverside Academy’s team is back in the state championship after taking the title last year.

• Students at Emily C. Watkins Elementary for their participation in the school’s Black History program to close out February. Various musical and dance performances were part of the program that was put on last week.

• Schools throughout the River Parishes for their participation in the annual “Read Across America” day Friday morning. Various schools organized classroom activities in an effort to encourage better reading habits among students and families.