By LEONARD GRAY

LULING – Four area parish presidents gave words of cooperation and hope to business leaders at the recent annual membership meeting of the New Orleans Regional Chamber of Commerce.

St. Charles Parish President Albert Laque welcomed his colleagues, Jefferson Parish President Tim Coulon, St. John the Baptist Parish President Nickie Monica and St. James Parish President Dale Hymel Jr. to a packed house.

“We talk about regionalization,” Hymel said. “Regionalization does work.”

Hymel cited the example of accomplishments through cooperation with River Region Caucus members representing St. Charles, St. John the Baptist, St. James and Ascension parishes.

“One parish may have a solution, where another doesn’t,” he said.

Hymel said the business community in St. James Parish is struggling, as evidenced by Kaiser going into bankruptcy while Colonial Sugar emerges from bankruptcy. However, he expressed his support for Chamber efforts, and added, “As New Orleans moves forward and prospers, so will St. James Parish.”

On the other hand, tourism is a growing St. James Parish industry, and the 18-month-old St. James Welcome Center has already greeted 18,000 visitors.

Hymel also cited the progress made in the public school system under the leadership of Supt. Dr. P. Edward Cancienne.

“Education is the key to moving forward,” Hymel said, “and with Dr. Cancienne, we’re moving in the right direction.”

Other sorts of progressive signs are in the works in St. James Parish, Hymel continued, with the new Vacherie library nearly complete, the new senior center in Paulina and plans for a new parish administrative complex.

He urged Monica to join his efforts to push the state into completing the link between the Veterans Memorial Bridge at Gramercy to La. Highway 3127, as an economic boost to each parish.

Also, Hymel touted the Louisiana Airport Authority’s plans for a regional intermodal center, just upriver from St. James Parish, as, “it will benefit the region and Louisiana.”

Monica cited economic development progress in St. John the Baptist Parish, with plans under way for the $5 million community center and a new library for Garyville, as well as a new senior center. Other signs include the new National Guard armory and the new veterans’ home, both planned near the St. John Airport.

In the next few months, Monica said he hopes to announce two major retail stores coming to the LaPlace area to boost the sales tax income for the region and added home building is progressing at a record pace.

Monica is also pushing, in cooperation with the Port of South Louisiana, on the new highway and connection with Interstate 10 in the Reserve area, aimed at taking truck traffic off Belle Terre Boulevard in LaPlace.

Finally, he noted for the members the formation of a six-parish anti-terrorism team, funded with $300,000 from the federal government.

Laque cited recent and current efforts to handle drainage in St. Charles Parish. However, a major stumbling block needs to be addressed with the East Bank hurricane protection levee, as pumps are needed to move rainwater outside the levee during a major storm.

Meanwhile, the West Bank hurricane protection levee is under way, in cooperation with the Lafourche Basin Levee District.

Other progressive signs include the new parish health unit nearing completion, but in need of more federal funding and the spirit of cooperation between his administration and Sheriff Greg C. Champagne, which produced the new St. Rose Community Center.

Recreation is another major concern for Laque, who said new restrooms and lighting are already making a transformation. Another concern is the route of the projected Interstate 49 through the parish.

Finally, Coulon said projects such as the re-development of Airline Drive and the planned widening of the Huey Long Bridge will make significant positive impact on the area.

The biggest accomplishment of the past year, however, has been the acquisition of Avondale Shipyard by Northrop-Grumman and the regional cooperation which brought the National Basketball Association’s New Orleans Hornets to the area.

The Hornets’ presence, Coulon added, is not as important, “as the effort put forth to prove we’re good enough to have them.”