Discover Lafayette

Our guest is Don Briggs, founder of the Louisiana Oil and Gas Association, who shares his incredible career journey in the oil and gas business.

A native of Miami, Florida, Don was an active young man who played football for Miami High School at their home field, the Orange Bowl! From his youngest years, he had a strong work ethic and was employed delivering newspapers, working at Top Value, and helping his father repair fiberglass boats or as a journeyman moving heavy equipment. Don also modeled and was featured in a few national publications with his brother and sister. He attended the University of Florida on a football scholarship.

Love was the catalyst that prompted Don to move to Lafayette in 1961 when he married Georgia Speights. He transferred his college credits to USL and he and his wife had two children, Brett and Tammy Dee. To make ends meet, he worked at Owen Drilling Company from 6:00 pm to midnight seven days a week, and worked his way up the ladder serving as safety director. After a few years, Don started Aztec Pipe and Supply where he sold refurbished pip reclaimed from old oil wells.

Don’s holdings grew as he started Aztec Well Head (sold refurbished well heads), Aztec Mud Chemical (mud company), and he purchased land off Hwy. 90 in Broussard and built three warehouses and offices to house his growing business. Don’s hard work had really paid off.

By 1978, Aztec was successful and was acquired by a publicly-traded company, Newpark Resources. The sale was highlighted in the Wall Street Journal and Don stayed on as President of Newpark Drilling Fluids. Don lived a flamboyant lifestyle during this heyday of the local oil and gas industry, flying around in a private jet, driving “my custom-made Excalibur Mercedes with a gold dashboard,” and serving as King of the Krewe of Troubadours. Don also recalled spending “a lot of unnecessary time at La Fonda, and of the hundreds of faces painted on the walls, mine was the first one.” He enjoyed skiing and bought homes in Beaver Creek, Colorado and Duck Key in Florida.

In 1986, the oil and gas industry crashed and the price of oil and gas nosedived. Don had invested heavily in local commercial real estate and the buildings were soon empty. People moved out in droves looking for work. Laid off from Newpark Resources and unable to keep everything afloat financially, Don was forced to declare bankruptcy along with so many other Lafayette entrepreneurs.

Surviving this tumultuous time, Don was able to see what was really important: his family. He also refocused his energies on bettering the oil and gas industry’s fortunes in Louisiana as he came to realize that “not all hurdles the industry faced were solely market-driven.”

Don garnered the support of oil and gas industry leaders and founded the Louisiana Independent Oil and Gas Association, now known as Louisiana Oil and Gas Association (“LOGA”). The group started “with 12 founding members and grew into an association representing more than 1,200 members.” He served as President of LOGA for over 25 years and was a highly effective spokesperson for the industry as he worked to fight tax increases and oppressive regulations. Don worked tirelessly to educate the public and government officials about how important the oil and gas industry is to Louisiana. His legacy of building and safeguarding oil and gas operations in the state of Louisiana can not be overstated and will never be forgotten.

On September 30, 2016, Don suffered a horrible accident at a vacation home in North Carolina, falling down stairs and fracturing his skull. He was airlifted to Asheville and underwent surgery to remove a part of his skull. Airlifted back to Lafayette, Don contracted E. coli pneumonia and there was little hope for survival. But Don did survive, fought through physical therapy to regain his speech and mobility, and eventually made it to TIRR Memorial Hermann Hospital in Houston, the acclaimed facility for traumatic brain injury patients.

The accident and its aftermath, however, left Don depressed and he felt hopeless. He faced another surgery to have a titanium plate implanted to close his skull and felt he was looking “death in the face.” But two friends, Patty Fournerat and Senator Ronnie Johns, encouraged him to have faith in God, his Father. Senator Johns actually texted Don immediately prior to his surgery that he was about to attend aa Mass at St. Peter’s in Rome on behalf of Don Briggs. Don recounted that “he was overwhelmed with such a peace that it’s hard to describe in words. I was suddenly fearless.”

Don recovered and soon dedicated his time to calling upon patients at Our Lady of Lourdes who were in rehabilitation, to tell his story and to give them faith that they too could recover.

In 2017, Don was named “LAGCOE Looey” and received the Meritorious Service Award by the Professional Landmen’s Association of New Orleans. in 2018, he officially retired as President of LOGA.

Don Briggs has lived a full life and is proud of his family, his friends, and his body of work. Most importantly, “My life has been most enhanced by my relationship with and work for Jesus. He changed my values, my perspective, and my mission. After my fall, the renewal of my faith and my recovery gave me a platform to share my story as well as the good news of Jesus Christ. Although my accomplishments in my business and through LOGA are notable, I have discovered that my true purpose in life is to respond to a higher calling and that my greatest joy derives from helping and loving my fellow man.” (Quote from “Isn’t It Beautiful: The Story of Don Briggs.”

Our guests are Mary Broussard Perrin and Beverly Constantine Fuselier, authors of Healing Traditions of South Louisiana.

Their book provides a fascinating history of South Louisiana’s traditional healing arts from the dawn of civilization to today. Part One is about traiteurs (male) and traiteuses (female), their prayers, and rituals. Part Two presents the native medicinal plants that grow wild in South Louisiana, their properties and their traditional uses.

Mary and Beverly are traiteurs who treat whatever is ailing you, such as back pain, wounds, warts, anxiety, sunstroke, etc. Traiteurs work with healing plants, occasionally “making medicine” when needed. And Mary and Beverly are dedicated….right before we began taping, they worked all morning at the Healing Garden at Vermilionville!

Healing Traditions is a beautiful testament to our Acadian culture and the traditions that have been carried down by one generation after another. It is also a beautiful testament to the Native Americans who first arrived in South Louisiana more than a thousand years before European settlers, who had discovered “a rich diversity of plant and animal life in its bayous, prairies, and marshes….they uncovered a multitude of powerful natural curatives, plants that could stop bleeding, cure infections, relieve pain, reduce fever, stop swelling, soothe troubled minds, and more. In short, Mother Nature’s medicine cabinet was well stocked.” These generous Native Americans shared their plant curative knowledge with the Acadians’ traiteurs as they settled into their new home in South Louisiana.

The book is a beautifully written account of local healing herbs and the healing touch and prayer of traiteurs. A beautiful gift to give, Discover Lafayette thanks Mary Perrin and Beverly Fuselier for the time and talent they invested to make Healing Traditions a reality!

Healing Traditions of South Louisiana is available for purchase at Beausoleil Books, Vermilionville, the Acadian Museum of Erath, Books Along the Teche, and Longfellow State Historic Site.

Elizabeth Abdalla and Melissa Maeker, board members of Wild Cat Foundation, SpayNation, and Krewe des Chien, are here to discuss their mission to reduce dog and cat overpopulation in Acadiana through the operations of these 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. Both women are passionate spokespersons about their involvement in treating our companion pet population, as well as the feral cat population, humanely and offering high-quality care to these vulnerable, innocent animals.

Wild Cat Foundation was created to support no-kill solutions to the stray cat overpopulation in Lafayette and the surrounding area. It is celebrating its 20th year of operation in 2023. Since 2010, Wild Cat has supported the operations of SpayNation which offers high-quality, lost-cost spay/neuter surgeries to the public and rescue organizations, and incredibly, over 70,000 animals have been neutered since the organization’s inception. While Wild Cat Foundation is not a rescue organization, they do have adoptable pets at all times. Visit https://wildcatfoundationla.org/ for more information.

In 2018, Wild Cat took over operations of Acadiana’s favorite dog and family parade, Krewe des Chien. All proceeds are dedicated to supporting local animal shelters’ funding for food and care of the rescues.

Acadiana’s favorite family & dog-friendly parade is back again this year with proceeds benefitting local rescue groups! Established in 1998, Krewe des Chien is a non-profit organization and has been fundraising and distributing funds to the many animal assistance organizations in the Acadiana area in need of financial support. Since the first parade for dogs, Krewe des Chien has raised more than $400,000 in support of its MISSION… to reduce the number of unwanted animals through public education about the benefits of spaying and neutering and to involve the community in an effort to achieve this mission.

Date: Saturday, February 11, 2023, 12 p.m. Registration 10:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Sponsorships & Royal Court Positions are available. Visit the website for PAST opportunities and general information – www.krewedeschiens.org.   The website will be updated soon with 2023 information.

$25.00 fee to participate and join the Krewe – Includes two adult humans (children can walk with their parents for free) and one dog to walk in the 2023 parade. payable by cash or check on the day of the parade. Once the website is updated you may also register for the Krewe and pay via credit card online.

Membership is open to all pet lovers! Parade rules:

In case of cancellation due to unforeseen circumstances or weather, your participation fee will be considered a donation by the Krewe des Chien to be distributed to local rescue organizations that are registered to participate in the parade.

Many people abandon their cats when they move or are unable to care for their pets. Then, these cat’s offspring are born feral. TNR (Trap, Neuter, and Return) has been proven to be the only humane method to reduce the population of unwanted felines who have never experienced contact with humans. While we may think of them as ‘homeless,’ in fact they exist in colonies and are self-sufficient. There can be anywhere between 10 and 200 cats living in a colony. Wild Cat Foundation trains and advises colony caregivers on how to humanely trap feral cats which are then transported to feral-friendly veterinarians for vetting, then returned to their colonies. It can be difficult to trap feral cats, so please reach out to Wild Cat/SpayNation for assistance.

Some feral cats will never be suitable for adoption but have much to offer our community. A few lucky cats that came into SpayNation’s community cat program are shown above. These fortunate community cats have caregivers that went the extra mile to make sure they were trapped, vaccinated, neutered and returned to their outdoor homes. Some of these community cats live in backyards while others live on the property of local businesses. During the month of November 2022, SpayNation spayed/neutered 272 community cats.

Executive Director Paula Stude of SpayNation is credited for outstanding leadership of the organization’s outreach. Elizabeth and Melissa both spoke of her successful management of paid staff as well as crew of volunteers who make it all happen. One recent success was the receipt of a grant to pay for pet oxygen recovery masks needed when our fire department is saving dogs and pets trapped in a fire. Petco and PetSmart have been tremendous resources of grants for our region.

For more information, please visit https://spaynation.net/

Our guest is Ryan Pécot, proprietor of Tchoup’s MidCity Smokehouse, a full-service BBQ restaurant and bar located at 117 S. College Road in Lafayette. Discover Lafayette is proud to partner with Eat Lafayette and Lafayette Travel to showcase this young entrepreneur whose creative concepts are redefining the ‘cool’ culture of Lafayette.

Ryan’s work ethic started early in life when he said he’d like a car and his dad, Kirby Pécot, told him to go get a job. He took an entry-level job at Outback Steakhouse dumping the trash cans and worked his way up to management and becoming a part of the training team for the chain. Today, Ryan’s typical workday is jam-packed as he also serves as Senior Retail Leasing and Development Advisor with Stirling Properties, a career he began after graduation from UL-Lafayette in 2001, and as the owner of Paws & Paw Paw’s boarding/daycare/grooming facilities with his wife, Traci. Another endeavor, Adopted Dog Brewing, is also anticipated to open soon at 329 Dulles Drive (near SLCC) which will be the only brewery within the city limits of Lafayette.

Ryan and Traci have always enjoyed traveling and looking for offbeat restaurants and breweries while on the road. Ryan calls himself a beer aficionado as well as a lover of good BBQ, so finding great local restaurants tucked away unexpectedly in the middle of a neighborhood while on the road always brings joy. These adventures are what inspired Ryan to open Tchoup’s in mid-city Lafayette as he didn’t see anyone in Lafayette offering the unique combo of BBQ, a full-service bar and outdoor seating, all tucked away in a 2600-square-foot structure that incorporates many of the homey elements of the original dwelling built decades ago.

As a seasoned commercial realtor, Ryan approached his restaurant’s location with the same special care he affords all of his retail clients. Tchoup’s venue was not chosen randomly; it was selected specifically for its geographic location in the core of Lafayette, the “Mid City,” and Ryan hopes this moniker will become a trend with many others following suit. He believes the side roads, what he calls “B” streets, off of Johnston Street have something very special to offer the residential neighborhoods that don’t typically have the option of a restaurant near their home. He knew immediately that Tchoup’s site was the perfect location for his original concept and did a lot of the carpentry work himself to maintain his vision. When you walk in, you feel instantly at ease; Tchoup’s has a lovely feel that evokes memories of family gatherings and festive occasions.

Tchoup’s opened in June 2020 in the midst of the pandemic. Even with the incredible challenges brought about by the shutdown, Tchoup’s has grown into a popular dining destination known for its comfortable ambiance and for being a friendly place to bring your dog. Tchoup’s even offers a complete menu for your dog to choose from, including selections such as dog beers (broth-based) and dog treats such as Crunchy Rabbit, Jones’ Whole Pig Ear, or Hawaiian Luau Bites!

Tchoup’s offerings are all ‘scratch,’ meaning everything is freshly prepared from start to finish and of the highest quality. There is no freezer or microwave on site. Food is brought in fresh and cooked fresh. Ryan spoke of how he enjoys doing business with local vendors and fills up a shopping cart of sausage each Tuesday at NuNu’s.

Ryan credits other local restauranteurs for the great support they have offered him. He partnered with Social Entertainment’s Gus Rezende and John Peterson who helped him draft his employee handbook and navigate other start-up issues.

The Burnt Bacon Ends are a huge hit and consist of pork belly with a homemade special rub, brown sugar and a sweet chili glaze. The “Whole Hog” is also a popular item for first timers who want to taste a bit of everything Tchoup’s has to offer. Ryan loves the salads, in particular the Tchoup’s Wedge salad with honey-lime vinaigrette dressing. Traci Pécot is said to love the smoked shrimp or turkey quesadillas!

For more information on Tchoup’s MidCity Smokehouse, please visit https://www.eatmidcitybbq.com/ or their Facebook page. Thanks to Ryan Pécot for enriching our options for delicious American BBQ, craft beers, fine whiskeys and joie de vivre!

Lafayette, Louisiana offers a variety of locally owned restaurants that serve a plethora of delicious cuisines, including the smoked BBQ of Tchoup’s MidCity Smokehouse! To get a flavor of all our region offers, visit https://www.lafayettetravel.com/eatlafayette/ to check out what may suit your palate!

Adam Daigle, Business Editor of the Acadiana Advocate, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss the biggest news stories of 2022.

The top five stories give our community great hope for the future, even with inflation dampening the economy.

The #1 story of the year is the phenomenal growth in South Lafayette led by the developments in the second phase of the Ambassador Town Center near Costco in South Lafayette at the corner of Creek Farm Road and Ambassador Caffery Parkway. Expectations are that Dave & Busters and the popular Topgolf are on the way. Also in the works are Jet Coffee, luxury apartments, and a discount tire retailer.

The #2 story of the year is the opening of the Lofts at the Municipal in Downtown Lafayette. Offering 68 units, the site is at the former federal courthouse, police station, and library. Adam says, “The successful completion of this project showed everyone that Lafayette can do hard things.” The project required a new sewer lift station installed with the help of the Lafayette Public Trust Financing Authority and historic tax credits which made the numbers work for the developers.

The #3 story is the sale of LHG Group to UnitedHealth’s Optum health service business for $5.4 Billion. LHG was started by Ginger and Keith Myers who are originally from Palmetto. Ginger saw the dearth of options for home health care and the couple built LHC into a powerhouse in 37 states, with 700 employed here in Lafayette. Adam shared that UnitedHealth has plans to invest considerable resources into LHC to further prop up the company’s success in the home health arena.

The #4 story of 2022 is the local real estate market. For some time, interest rates were so low people could get a loan for next to nothing while sellers got top dollar for their listing. With interest rates being raised frequently by the Federal Reserve as a means to tamp inflation, there has been a dramatic cool down in home sales. We’re now seeing fewer buyers and fewer pending sales as we close out 2022. Adam reports that there are more and more single-family rentals coming onto the market, some in nice gated communities with their lawns being maintained.

The #5 story is the opening of the new Lafayette Regional Airport Terminal. This project is a shining example of how a community can come together to fund and build a much-needed facility as our new, modern and spacious terminal. Lafayette parish taxpayers passed an 8-month, 1 cent sales tax with helped the community match state and federal dollars. With no debt, the new airport terminal will serve our community’s need for years to come.

Stories to watch out for include the explosive growth of SafeSource Direct in Broussard. The pandemic brought to light the dependence of the U. S. on Chinese imports such as masks and other PPE items. SafeSource responded to the need to provide American-made products and in partnership with Ochsner Health and Trax Development has grown beyond expectations. With its newly FDA-approved gloves, up to 2200 employees are projected to be on board when the current expansion is underway, a huge jump from the originally estimated 1200 employees. The company’s success is tied to other industries such as chicken plants and others who have a need for masks, aprons, gloves, etc.

Another emerging story is the site selection for a new Performing Arts Center in Lafayette. Everyone knows the old Heymann Performing Arts Center needs to be replaced, but the question is where does it go? One study recently concluded that it be located across from the Cajundome next to the Hilton Garden Inn. A group of downtown civic leaders, including Sam Oliver and the Acadiana Center for the Arts, are pushing for an additional study to determine the best location based on return on investment. Other towns such as Greensboro, North Carolina, made the decision to relocate their PCA downtown and it has spurred immense economic activity.

Discover Lafayette is proud to name developer Ravi Daggula as the recipient of our second annual Business Catalyst of the Year award. Ravi has invested in restoring and bringing back properties such as The Nickerson House, the Charles Mouton Plantation, and Esprit de Coeur into commerce, offering beautiful venues for events and special occasions. He recently bought the old Dat Dog building downtown and is working on making the old Travelodge on Pinhook into the most unique place in Lafayette, with the look of an old Motor Inn and a place where people can hang out and have fun. Several other projects are in the works with a group of investors who want to inject life into Lafayette’s venues. While people might say the government can make some revitalization projects a reality, it’s the private energy and funding that provide the means to make it happen. Ravi Daggula, thank you for your unique eye. You see what should be done and continually serve as the driving force to make it happen.

Dr. Jason Cormier of Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital joins Discover Lafayette to share his phenomenal story of success as well as overcoming trials and tribulations. He is not only a renowned neurosurgeon, but he is also a race car driver, accomplished musician, inventor, and author of the newly released “Driven” which he wrote to encourage others on ways to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles.

A native of Lafayette, Dr. Cormier is a graduate of St. Thomas More. At LSU, he played point guard alongside Shaquille O’Neal and Chris Jackson under the tutelage of Coach Dale Brown and played pro ball for a brief time in Europe. He went on to graduate from LSU Med School and was a neurosurgery resident at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for six years where he trained in complex spinal surgery. 

Dr. Cormier has been named one of America’s top Surgeons in the field of neurosurgery by the Consumers Research Council and Guide to America’s Top Surgeons and has worked extensively with Traumatic Brain Injuries and assists NCAA Football, the NFL, NASCAR, the Jockey’s Guild, various rodeo organizations and other sports representing athletes in high-contact sports.  

Since 2014, he has been listed in the “Leading Physicians of the World” for Neurosurgery, and recognized as an international expert in brain injury and concussion. He has been awarded the Castle Connolly Top Doctor in the field of Neurosurgery, and recently served as the 19th President of the Society of Brain Mapping and Therapeutics, an international organization working with experts to improve the diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of patients afflicted with neurological disorders.

Humble in the recounting of his story, Dr. Cormier says, “No one stressed education more than my mother” who taught science at UL-Lafayette and at Lafayette High for many years. He wanted to play in the NBA but when his career was cut short his mom pushed him to pursue higher education. Always being good in science, medicine was a natural fit.

Specializing in complex brain surgery which includes vascular neurosurgery and arteriovenous malformation (a tangle of blood vessels connecting arteries and veins, which disrupts normal blood flow and oxygen circulation), Dr. Cormier says he handles about 95% of the aneurisms that come into Lafayette. He also performs minimally invasive procedures to take out tumors in the brain and treats brain trauma.

Dr. Jason Cormier is proud of the team he works with at Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital and gives them much credit: “It’s a team effort. You can’t do it alone in a silo as one human being. You need a team. I tell every single patient I operate on that I have a good team backing me up and that I have the good Lord. I believe that from start to finish when you walk in the door. Buffy Domingue, CEO, and her administrative team are also a big part of that.”

Dr. Cormier credits Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital for being the first to bring in the MiRus IO Expandable Lumbar Interbody technology which allows him to perform less invasive spinal neurosurgery on people suffering from degenerative disc disease. Cleared for use by the FDA in August 2021, the MiRus IO allows the surgeon to enter collapsed disc space and expand it by inserting the device into the disc. This minimally invasive procedure calls for a 26 mm incision versus the traditional 26-inch incision. When operating in a small corridor such as allowed by the MiRus IO, outcomes are dramatically changed for spinal surgery patients. There is less blood loss, the patient can get up and walk on the same day as the procedure, and there is a reduced need for pain medications.

The MiRus IO Expandable Lumbar Interbody Technology utilizes MoRe® Rhenium-based Superalloy technology, a noncorrosive metal that is the strongest in the world. It is non-corrosive and far superior to nickel or iron inserts which can cause pain in patients. Dr. Cormier says, “I have to credit Lafayette Surgical for bringing in this technology and having the confidence that we can accomplish the goal of helping the patient with less invasive procedures. I can now do what I was trained to do through smaller corridors with the same or better outcomes than a few years ago.”

Dr. Cormier is not one to rush a patient into surgery. “If your x-rays are horrible but you are not in pain, don’t have surgery. Unfortunately, some do have the surgery, end up in pain, and need revision surgery.” He will perform a motion preservation surgery in lieu of a fusion to help people keep their mobility. “Get a second opinion if you are on the fence. If you are in pain, typically there is some kind of option. If you do need surgery, we’ve been blessed to have phenomenal specialists in this community. You don’t have to rush to Houston to have surgery.”

A new invention called the Q-Collar is a device Dr. Cormier recommends for any athlete in high-impact situations. It is the only FDA-cleared sports equipment that helps protect athletes’ brains during head impacts. Cormier actively serves on their medical advisory committee. The technology is based upon the physiology of the woodpecker and the battle ram, two animals who live by striking their heads. (The woodpecker strikes its head 25,000 times per day or 85 million times in its lifetime, resulting in no brain injury; battle rams create a force of 780 pounds each time they hit each other, which is like being hit with a baseball bat at 80 miles per hour!)

Dr. Cormier grew up in a competitive family and jokes that his older brother, John, and sister, Delores, would all race to brush their teeth. His goal was to be a team doctor for Formula One and eventually created a safety group for the racing industry alongside the renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Julian Bailes, Dr. Alan Appley, and Dr. Dani Bidros. They pulled together surgeons and doctors who had been athletes in the past and created the Motorsports Safety Group.

A race car driver himself, Dr. Cormier started out racing go-carts which he says can travel up to 130 miles per hour. He has also had the opportunity to test race cars at Talledega and has driven at speeds up to 187 miles per hour. When asked how safe that is, he joked, “Is it safer to be on a track with other professional drivers or on Johnston St. with people texting and dealing with their kids? I’d rather be on the track any day of the week with professionals because they know how to avoid you, they know how to take a hit. While you see accidents on tracks, they are nothing compared to day-to-day life.”

Music has also been an integral part of Dr. Cormier’s life since his younger days at STM when he was a DJ alongside his entertainer friends, Marcus Lyle Brown and Carl Martin, who both went on to fame as an actor and singer, respectively. In 2015, Dr. Cormier’s passion for music was reignited when he attended Hang Out Fest in Orange Beach, AL where Skrillex was on stage. He remembers it was a place of “young energy, people having fun. No one was concerned with politics, there was no violence, just together having a good time and it was safe. Dr. Cormier had met Hall of Fame Cajun Fiddler Hadley Castille, who had told him, “Doc, I don’t think I’m a good fiddler, I just make music that makes people feel good.” Jason Cormier now carries the inspiration that Castille gave him every time he creates an original track or a remix. His first album had over 2.5 million plays in Spotify, under the name “CORM!!” 

Jason Cormier recently completed his autobiography entitled “Driven – Hip-Hop, Fast Cars, Basketball and Brain Surgery” where he shares the seven characteristics he has developed for overcoming challenges on his path to success. Surviving the death of a brother, as well as abuse and depression in his younger days, Dr. Cormier outlines ways we can all stay mentally strong and focus on success. Four tenets that Dr. Cormier recommends when dealing with diversity: (1) Invest in yourself; (2) Surround yourself with positive people; (3) Be accountable; and (4) Read or write something every day. His overriding message: “People need to know there are resources, whether it is a friend, coach or clinic; there are so many good things here in Lafayette!”

Dr. Jason Cormier wrote his autobiography, Driven, which will be released on 10, January 2023. It may be pre-ordered at Barnes and Noble and Amazon. Find out more at https://www.thedrivenbook.com/

We thank Dr. Jason Cormier for his many contributions to our community and the medical community in Lafayette and beyond! Discover Lafayette also thanks Lafayette Surgical Specialty Hospital for its support of our podcast and for introducing us to the cutting-edge technology available here in Lafayette.

JP MacFadyen, Executive Director of Moncus Park since August 2021, joins Discover Lafayette to discuss the progress made during 2022 to open the park’s long-awaited amenities. Previous to serving as ED, JP served the park as Operations Director for two years overseeing construction and developing processes and procedures for daily operations.

JP is a native of Pittsburgh, PA, and has a degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA with a concentration in Operations from the University of Houston.

After graduation from Notre Dame, he stumbled across a job opening at Rockwell International. He ended up being hired to work as a space shuttle flight operations specialist as Missions Operations Director at Johnson Space Center in Houston. He looks back and says in March of the year he was interviewed, “It was the best time of year visiting Houston coming down from Notre Dame. The weather was warm and wonderful.” And there he landed!

His specialty was onboard propulsion, which meant de-orbiting rockets and the thruster jets that changed the altitude of the space shuttles once they were in orbit. At that time, everything prior to computers was still worked out on paper and his first job was the configuration of checklists for safety procedures.

JP met his wife, Michelle, in Houston while they worked together at NASA. She was an electrical engineer, a Eunice native and a graduate of UL – Lafayette.

JP MacFadyen: “I always say, when you marry a Cajun, it’s not a question of if, but when that you’ll move back home.” In 2005, he moved to Lafayette with his wife Michelle and their four children. The family then opened Great Harvest Bread Co., the first green-certified restaurant in the state of Louisiana. They sold their interest in Great Harvest Bread Co. in 2018 and JP worked as a small business consultant before he joined Moncus Park in 2019 as operations director. He has served as Executive Director since August 2021.

We are thrilled to welcome JP to update us on the many improvements that have been added over the past year in 2022. With the support of major donors, community support, and quality staff, Moncus Park has truly become an outdoor paradise in the heart of Lafayette. More than 230,000 visitors have been to the park since January 1, 2022!

JP emphasized the importance of the leadership of the Co-Chair of Moncus Park’s Board of Directors, Lenny Lemoine, who encouraged the board to go ahead and open up the park to the public early in 2022, even though the construction was not yet complete. Without that leadership, many of the park’s great community events would not have occurred this year. Discover Lafayette sends kudos to JP MacFadyen, Lenny Lemoine, and the entire board of Moncus Park for the gift you have given our community!

Lafayette natives have played a large role in the unique attractions at Moncus. Park. The designer of the water feature which evokes the unique character of our region, Jim Garland, is a UL-Lafayette grad who also designed the unique water feature at the Hilliard Art Museum. Jim’s early works included the design of the water features at the Bellagio casino in Las Vegas.

JP and the team at Moncus have taken great strides to preserve cherished bits of the original Horse Farm. The original wood of the farm is incorporated into the Savoy Family treehouse which opened this year. It offers easy access for children of all ages to enjoy. The treehouse, designed by world-renowned designer Pete Nelson, is nestled within a Live Oak in the new Louisiana-swamped-themed play area.

People always ask, “who owns the park, how was it purchased, and how is it maintained?” Moncus Park is a public/private park conservancy that operates in a manner similar to large parks in other urban cities such as Central Park in NYC or Audubon Park in New Orleans. The city of Lafayette owns the land which it purchased 10 years ago with the plan that Moncus park would run as a nonprofit supported by private donors, including people who are now joining as yearly members. Moncus Park has a 99-year lease but doesn’t get any tax dollars from the city of Lafayette. The State of Louisiana has contributed capital outlay dollars to build the restrooms and to upgrade the Farmers’ Market Pavillion.

Moncus Park officially opened in January 2022. Even though the construction wasn’t finalized, the board wanted to open the park for people, dogs, and kids…the best thing has been rolling down the big hill now known as “Orlando Mountain”….the highest place in Lafayette, 60 feet above sea level. People also love fishing in the ponds, bands playing at events, and quiet time during the day when you take a walk.

The amenities that have been underwritten by local families and corporations have made Moncus Park accessible to all of us. More than 42 free community programs are open to the public year-round, including yoga classes and Healthy Kids Acadiana, which focus on health and wellness, environment and nature, and arts and culture.

MacFadyen says that “Moncus Park looks to create partnerships with other non-profits in three ways: (1) Educate in all things environmentally; (2) Use the park to teach best practices in health and wellness; and (3) Share the many arts and culture in our community.”

Today, citizens in Acadiana are well-served by Moncus Park on every day of the week. For upcoming Christmas events, please see the links below for the magical wonderland open to you and your family during December 2022!

Jason P. Reed, founder of New Bayou Books and the author of two recent novels set in Acadiana joined Discover Lafayette to share his goal of sparking a renaissance of new, modern fiction that features South Louisiana. 

A native of Eunice LA, Jason graduated from USL, served a stint with the Peace Corps, then joined the Air Force right after 9/11. He currently lives in Belgium where he works for the U. S. Department of Defense as a civilian.

Jason has an interesting and informed perspective on South Louisiana, especially after living away for so long. He says South Louisiana stands out as a “wonderfully weird, welcoming place in a country that is becoming ever more homogeneous.” Many native South Louisianians can take for granted how unique our region is.

He has found that people around the U. S. and internationally are hungry to know more about our part of the world. And to satisfy that hunger, Jason has found his calling to encourage other authors to write about contemporary life in South Louisiana. “In South Louisiana, we have our own food, our own music, we even have our own visual art, but we have work to do when it comes to modern, contemporary literature that speaks to the region. Certainly, there are giants in the field, such as James Lee Burke. But not many others that feature South Louisiana. To address that shortage, Jason founded New Bayou Books and is looking to partner with other writers to assist in publishing their works. “My calling is to be the guy who creates that spark that inspires the writers who may be the ones the next generation remembers. There are not nearly enough fictional stories about South Louisiana.”

Jason P. Reed’s first book, Tattoos and Tans, is about Curtis Laroux, a tattoo artist who had lived away for ten years and moved back to Eunice to open the town’s first tattoo parlor, causing much consternation among local business owners. Jason established New Bayou Books to encourage writers to write about South Louisiana in contemporary times, not just a look back at historical events. Writers are encouraged to send Jason P. Reed their submissions at [email protected].

Jason has set a goal for himself to write five books by his 50th birthday and expects to publish his third novel in early 2023.

“I believe in two things: 1) There are amazing, unknown writers hiding in the shadows of every parish in South Louisiana. I want to inspire them to get serious about their writing, and 2) There is a market for these books. Think about the advantage of buying locally. The market for South Louisiana literature is based upon the same premise.”

Jason’s main message for aspiring writers is, “You don’t need permission to put your work out to the world. There are all sorts of inexpensive, even free publishing tools. When I wrote my first book, I was expecting to have to shop it around to publishers because that was the traditional way I learned in college. Today, there are no barriers to entering the market as an independent publisher.”

And this sums up why he founded New Bayou Books: “I believe in the punk rock ethos of ‘Do it yourself.’ If it’s worth doing, do it. Get involved and do something.”

Jason P. Reed’s second book, All Saints Day of the Dead, tells the story of Constance Miller who fled West Virginia and joined friends in Lafayette, Louisiana as they prepared for the annual Black Pot Festival and All Saints’ Day. “All hell breaks loose on Halloween night and it takes a visiting Deacon from Vietnam, an ex-nun, and the boys from a Cajun band to pull Constance through.” The cover was designed by his friend, Toby Frey. The book is available from New Bayou Books or on Amazon.

In closing, we thank Jason P. Reed for his passion for contemporary fictional literature and his drive to assist other writers in their journey. It is our pleasure to share his message: “There should be more literature that represents what life is like today in South Louisiana. I’m hoping to hear from other authors.” Please email Jason P. Reed at [email protected] to start a discussion.

Clarice Gallegos, Executive Director of Focus Clubhouse of Lafayette, joined Discover Lafayette to discuss her mission to help people with mental illness have a reason to get up in the morning, be around like-minded people, and have meaningful work to do.

Focus Clubhouse is a free membership community for people 18 years of age and older offering a nonclinical, safe, and enjoyable environment to people who suffer from a diagnosed mental illness. Members are provided opportunities for work, education, housing, wellness, and friendship and a chance to thrive with the support of their peers.

A great many adults who have serious mental illnesses experience repeated mental health crises resulting in frequent hospitalizations and encounters with law enforcement. Clarice struggled for years in her relationship with her son, Brian Boswell, who is diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. He had no real business skills, was homeless, in and out of shelters, and threatened suicide on two occasions.

It was in Miami that Brian found the Clubhouse model and it was there that he “finally felt that he had a sense of self and fit in.” He started turning his life around through the help of the Key Clubhouse over the five years he was affiliated with the chapter. Now 48 years old, Brian moved back to Louisiana several years ago and encouraged Clarice to help him start a local chapter of Clubhouse; the Lafayette chapter is the only such Clubhouse in Louisiana.

Brian Boswell pictured with his mother, Clarice Gallegos. Brian moved back to Louisiana in 2016 and when he couldn’t find a local Clubhouse, he said, “I’ll just start one!” Incorporated in July 2018, Focus Clubhouse has about 20 active members, with 5 to 7 active participants on any given day. Clarice says, “Once you’re a member, you are always a member.”

The power of the Clubhouse International model is its effectiveness in keeping members out of crisis and on a path to recovery.  The Clubhouse Model began in 1948 in New York City and is currently being successfully used in over 300 locations in 30 countries around the world. It offers a proven method of psychiatric rehabilitation in a nonclinical setting.

“By coming to the Clubhouse, you receive love and understanding, gain a purpose, have people pushing you to believe in yourself and know that all things are possible. We say Grace every day at the Clubhouse because we’re grateful to the One who has allowed us to be sustained.”

Focus Clubhouse is open from 10 am to 3 pm on weekdays. Members are served lunch for $2.00 but Clarice emphasizes that if money is a problem, there is no charge. Chores such as sweeping, filing, and cooking lunch are handled by members alongside Clarice. Clarice is the rock of the organization, being there each day and ensuring that the Clubhouse operates smoothly.

Volunteers are encouraged as well as monetary contributions. Focus Clubhouse is a non-profit 501 (c) (3) so any donations are tax-deductible. It costs approximately $50 per day to support a member. For as little as $25, you can provide lunch for a member for two weeks. To learn more about ways you can help, please visit https://focusclubhouse.org/get-involved/

Focus Clubhouse is proud to have moved into its new, larger location at 1609 Johnston Street near UL-Lafayette to better serve its members.

We thank Clarice Gallegos for her heart and dedication to helping people who just need a break and a place to fit in. May God bless her and the members of Focus Clubhouse.