Michael Kiral / L’Observateur / July 17, 1998

EDGARD – Recreation, a hot issue for years in the parish, took center stage again at the meeting of the St. John the Baptist Parish Council Tuesdaynight.

Harold Keller, a native of LaPlace, had asked to go before the council to discuss the issue. Keller said there is a problem in recreation and thatwhile he knows there is not much money in the program, he also feels the parish is not hitting together on the issue. Keller also said that while hehas nothing against all-star teams, he feels they may be getting too much attention.

“Recreation to me is for everybody,” Keller said. “I think we are cheatinga lot of kids. There are a couple of all-star teams, and they are wellserved, but I am worried about the kid who is not the star athlete.”Keller said that while there are many issues in the parish that people will not volunteer for, they will volunteer for recreation if a right idea is implemented. Keller appealed to the council to form an advisory board andsaid he would like to serve on it as well as four people he would name.

“Kids are crying for a recreation department,” Keller said.

Councilman Joel McTopy pointed out that under the parish’s home charter, the committee could only make recommendations to the parish president.

Keller said that was fine and that the panel would be more of a blue- ribbon committee.

Councilman Perry Bailey asked recreation director Louis Lipps what he thought, and Lipps said he can always use help and that a lot of times when his department asks for volunteers people do not step up. He said hehas known Keller for a long time and looks forward to working with him.

“I will stay in contact with him and hopefully he will keep in contact with me,” Lipps said.

Councilman Richard Wolfe asked Keller to work with the parish’s current recreation advisory board, Lipps and parish president Arnold Labat.

“We need to do this all over our parish,” Wolfe said. “We ask you to comeback to this council and let us know what is going on. Hopefully, others inthe community will step up to the plate. We need that.”Other members of the audience also discussed the issue of recreation before the board. All said more money is needed for the program to helpLipps with the job he is doing.

To help with recreation, the council later approved a resolution to apply for a Rural Development Grant for recreation improvements at the parish park on U.S. Highway 51.

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