Discover Lafayette

Nanette Simon Cook, District 7 Council Member in Lafayette, is our guest on this episode of Discover Lafayette. Elected to serve in 2015, Nanette will be announcing her candidacy for re-election on May 4, 2019.

In the interview, Nanette Cook discusses her extended family ties in Lafayette, her interest in community service that she attributes to the example set by her father, Councilman Al Simon who served on the Lafayette City Council in the late 1980’s, and the issues that local elected officials address on a daily basis.

Nanette and her husband, attorney David Cook, have raised five high achieving children. Parents of Clare, Emily, John, Christopher, and Eleanor, the Cooks have given back greatly to the Lafayette community while still finding the time to raise grounded and successful children.

Nanette is a Physical Education Instructor at Cathedral-Carmel School. She earned a Master of Science Degree in Health and Physical Education from UL-Lafayette. Well-known throughout the community for her dedication to health and fitness, she has been a popular instructor at Lourdes Fitness Center and, in the past, Red Lerille's Health Club.

This interview was recorded in 2017 when drainage issues were front and center, the non-smoking ordinance had just been passed in Lafayette Parish, and the Redflex cameras were causing heated discussions among people questioning their value. Nanette discussed the overriding need to listen to her constituents first as she addressed the issues which local elected officials typically face. 

Most recently, Clare Cook, their oldest child, was a recent guest on Discover Lafayette with her husband, Dr. Robert Autin, as they discussed their entrepreneurial endeavors which include Basin Arts, Acadian Superette, and Dr. Autin's surgical practice. The interview may be listened to here.

Nanette Simon Cook loves the culture of Lafayette and truly embodies the “Spirit of Acadiana.” The councilwoman's dedicated service to better our community contributed in her own unique joyful style is a true gift to Lafayette Parish.

Cian Robinson moved south to Lafayette when his wife, Dr. Natalie Harder, was offered the opportunity to serve as Chancellor of South Louisiana Community College. Robinson discusses his love for the people of Lafayette, who provided a warm welcome by embracing him and his family. Working for the not-for-profit, community owned Lafayette General Health System with an expansive network throughout Acadiana, Robinson has overseen successful efforts to raise millions of dollars that enhance the delivery of health services to the community. Visit lgh.org for more info.

In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Ben talks with host Jan Swift about the many cultural attractions for which Lafayette is known: great cuisine, rich cultural history, blockbuster festivals, and the kind-hearted people who make this a family-friendly place. Ben's a well-respected family man and community activist who is proud to promote the culture of Lafayette and South Louisiana.

In 2019, Ben Berthelot was elected as Vice-Chair of the Louisiana Travel Association (LTA) Board of Directors at its annual meeting at the Holiday Inn Alexandria - Downtown. Ben is very active in the community and has served on numerous boards and commissions, including United Way of Acadiana, Leadership Institute of Acadiana Board of Directors and Downtown Lafayette Unlimited (DLU). He is a founding member of the705 and served as the organization’s charter President. Berthelot is a past board member of Junior Achievement, Faith House, Acadiana Regional Development District Board, the Junior League Advisory Board and the Juvenile Justice Children & Youth Planning Board.

In 2005 he was named one of Chase Bank & The Daily Advertiser’s 20 Under 40.

Berthelot is a graduate of Leadership Lafayette and Council for a Better Louisiana’s (CABL) Leadership Louisiana program, and was a charter member of the Acadiana Regional Board of CABL. He has also coached basketball at Our Lady of Fatima School since 1994.

Berthelot is a graduate of St. Thomas More Catholic High School and the University of Louisiana-Lafayette with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Relations. He is married to the former Ashley Bertand.

Discover Lafayette is grateful for the support of Ben Berthelot and his staff! In launching this podcast in 2017, LCVC provided much-needed grant monies that paid for web development, promotions, and ongoing costs of publishing the blog and podcast. The moral and monetary support of Mr. Berthelot and LCVC's Board and staff will always be appreciated.

Visit https://www.lafayettetravel.com to learn more about upcoming Festivals, Downtown Alive Events, and much more.

Lafayette, Louisiana's tradition of celebrating Mardi Gras is legendary. In this episode of Discover Lafayette, Rick Chappuis and John Swift, Past President and current President, respectively, of the Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association ("Greater Southwest"), discuss with host, Jan Swift, the history of Mardi Gras in Lafayette and how their volunteer-led association coordinates this family-friendly festival enjoyed by the community as well as tourists from all over the world.

Many locals are not aware that the annual celebration is coordinated by Greater Southwest's all-volunteer workforce and underwritten by private dollars and monies raised by the Le Festival de Mardi Gras a' Lafayette at Cajun Field each year during Mardi Gras week.  Greater Southwest also serves as the liaison between the Lafayette Consolidated Government, the Lafayette Sheriff's Department, Lafayette City Police, Public Works, and other public agencies assisting with the Carnival.

The first recorded celebration of Mardi Gras in Lafayette was on February 14, 1869, when according to the local newspaper, "Clement's band provided the music in the courthouse." However, the first city-wide Mardi Gras observance was held in 1897 when Manuel Pellerin initiated the idea of a Mardi Gras King and Queen, a parade, a pageant, and a ball. That first Mardi Gras Ball and Parade set the pattern for all future Lafayette Mardi Gras celebrations. The first King was Judge George Armand "Bedon" (High Hat) Martin, known as a “ . . .raconteur, dentist, planter, solon, and genial gentlemen."

In 1934, a city-wide carnival celebration became a reality under the leadership of American Legion Post No. 69 members Gaston Hebert, Stanley Martin, and Laurent Comeaux, who joined with various civic leaders of Lafayette, including Maurice Heymann and Paul Krauss. The group invited representatives from all the civic organizations to a meeting where the Greater Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association was formed with the intention to take the burden off of city government in conducting the festivities.

Many credit Maurice Heymann as being the "father of Lafayette's Mardi Gras" because he underwrote the group’s activities many times until it was on its financial feet.

Greater Southwest is not a krewe, but a board of volunteers who produce and coordinate the parades and the City Ball held on Tuesday night of Mardi Gras. They also secure floats for the various participating krewes, hire marching bands, train the volunteer drivers (who are parents of local boy scouts), purchase insurance, and coordinate with various governmental entities to ensure everyone's' safety and the clean up after the parades.

In 1949, the Krewe of Gabriel was formed to assist the Southwest Louisiana Mardi Gras Association. The Krewe was the idea of Dr. James Comeaux, who reigned as King Gabriel in 1950, to serve as an “organization within an organization" and to help Greater Southwest promote Mardi Gras on a larger scale. Since Mardi Gras began being celebrated annually in the 1930s, the event has only been suspended during WWII (1942 - 1947) and in 1951 during the Korean War.

The City Ball held each Mardi Gras evening at the Heymann Center is a sight to behold as Queen Evangeline and King Gabriel are presented and celebrated with their Royal Maids and Dukes. A "Ladies Committee" oversees the selection of pageant gowns and suits to be worn by the 12 debutantes; 12 Dukes are selected from the membership of the Krewe of Gabriel to escort the young women. The event is free and tickets may be obtained at the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

Mardi Gras will be celebrated this year on March 5, 2019. The list of parades overseen by Greater Southwest, which begin with the Children's Parade on March 2, may be viewed here. For more information and a full history of the Greater Southwest Louisia...

French-born Pascale Henry found Lafayette, Louisiana to be a warm and inviting place when she made the decision to remain in the U. S. back in the 1980’s. Her emphasis on allowing one's natural beauty to be enhanced, rather than covered up, has been a driving force in her spa's success.

This inaugural episode of Discover Lafayette explores Pascale’s thoughts on business and how to live holistically, and why Lafayette is her home. For more information on Pascale Spa, please visit https://www.pascalespa.com.