Come to the Plaquemines Parish Seafood

 The annual seafood and heritage festival is one of Plaquemines Parish’s biggest events. The festival was held this year from April 28 – 30, 2023 at the festival grounds in Belle Chasse.

Patrons enjoyed seafood and culture through restaurants and organizations’ food and history. Everyone enjoyed Croatian American Society’s chargrilled oysters. All the cuisine served at the festival will be prepared b local restaurants.

The event had live music by Groovy 7, Electric Ramble, R&R Smokin’ Foundation, Supercharger, BC Boyz, Faith Becnel and Rockin’ Doopsie Jr. There were also carnival rides, crafts and an oyster drop raffle.

“We are excited to celebrate Plaquemines Parish’s seafood and unique culture at the nineteenth annual Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival. This year we have added carnival rides to the festival. Enjoy an amazing weekend of music, food, carnival rides and fun for the entire family,” said Dondra Kientz, Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival Event spokesperson.

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Gretna City Park $7 Million Overhaul

 Gretna City Park was awarded a $7 million overhaul to take 80 acres of undeveloped green space and turn it into a place for stormwater to go. The park now collects an additional 6.5 million gallons of stormwater. This is the perfect example of how we can use nature to help with water management. Mayor Belinda Constant describes it as “nature-based solutions for water management and ecosystem restoration.”

The $7 million was granted to the project by federal funding from Louisiana’s Strategic Adaptations for Future Environments (LA SAFE). There are 10 other projects that are also receiving funding that are located throughout Louisiana. The improvements include 1 1/2 miles of pedestrian trails, a 1,500-square-foot open-air pavilion, a kayak launch, fishing piers, a bog garden, a wildflower meadow, and hundreds of new trees.

“What you’re looking at today is a secret high-performance landscape. This is one of the highest-performing stormwater landscapes in the city, if not the region, if not the state,” says Andy Sternard of the architecture firm Waggonner & Ball.

According to Gretna officials, Gretna Park is located in the area that is described as the city's resilience district. This district is among the highest concentration of properties with multiple National Flood Insurance Program claims in the state.  The park will also receive a $10 million grant to improve the drainage network along the 25th Street Canal from the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

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Pathscrossed Will Be Held in Westwego

 Pathscrossed is a street party along Sala Avenue that will host three art exhibit openings in Westwego. Sala Avenue will be closed and there will be live music, a red-carpet reception for all and a possible appearance of fire dancers.

The organizer is artist Josh Wigerter, who is using the event as a  tribute to all the artists who’ve contributed to his successful career.  Wingerter is known for his art that was along Frenchman Street that is graffiti style and began during the pandemic lockdown. He wanted to create a display that was kind of like an outdoor art gallery.

He became well known for his portrait of Louis Armstrong with a mask, and Wonder Woman dressed as a vaccine-armed nurse. Wingerter grew up in Westwego and is starting an art colony so to speak in the community. The 37-year-old previously was in management at Home Depot and earned his degree in business at UNO so he knows the business side of things.

He struck a deal with Westwego to rent an abandoned two-story building that used to be a bank. He turned it into a gallery and studio that now is part of the old main area. Wingerter loves the area and **likes the intimate vibe of Sala Avenue and would like to see it grow into an art destination like Royal Street, without the crowds and complications of visiting the French Quarter.**

A big part of this event is to help artists with how to make a living through their art. Among other artists that will be featured at the street party will be Dago, Paco Lane, Monique Lorden and Aubrey McGuire. All of these artists want to embrace the cute little town and add some quirky flavor to Westwego.

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Jefferson Parish’s West Bank Expressway Will Get a Facelift

 The West Bank Expressway is a corridor for panhandlers who ask vehicles for money but this will go away once a $1.35 million project will enhance the roadway. Projects included include new landscaping and signage at all the intersections from Terry Parkway to Ames Boulevard and new trees that will line the landscaping from Westwood Drive to Nine Mile Point Road. The improvements will also include removing the walkways along the road so that the panhandlers will not have a place to panhandle motorists.

“We’re trying to sell a quality of life and a better place to live here in Jefferson Parish and especially on the West Bank. It doesn’t take much for you to look around at this eight miles and say that you’ve ever been proud with what’s here, because I don’t think any of us have,” comments Parish Council member Ricky Templet.

This elevated part of West Bank Express has been the perfect hub for the homeless. The improvements will help alleviate this problem. Sen. Patrick Connick has filed a bill that will transfer this portion of the land from the state to the parish so that the parish can place ordinances against camping.

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