By MOLLY DRYMAN

Staff Reporter

RESERVE — The exterior of the War Veterans Home in Reserve is finished and now work begins on the interior to get it ready for its September opening.

Col. Joey &#8220Big Indian” Strickland, deputy secretary for the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, said everything is going good.

&#8220The outside is pretty much done,” he said. &#8220We have now started picking out colors for the interior of the home. We will bring in our new administrator on around June 19. We haven’t chosen one yet, but we will be interview a lot of candidates.”

Strickland said the $17 million home will not only house around 156 veterans, but will also feature a computer lab, library, arts and crafts building and a fishing pond sponsored through Wildlife and Fisheries.

&#8220This is not going to be a place where veterans go and die,” Strickland said. &#8220But a place where veterans go to live their life with great quality and appreciation for their services to the United States.”

According to Strickland, the home will generate around 200 jobs and in the beginning they will hire enough people to open one wing of the building.

&#8220We will have a couple of doctors on board, a physical therapist, registered dietician and a pharmacist,” he said. &#8220We are also working out trying to go into agreement or sign a contract with Louisiana Technical College to send their CNA’s to train at the home, then when they graduate will hire them.”

Strickland said they are also excited about having the 15,000 sq. ft. community-based outpatient clinic on the campus, which will be a world-class, state-of-the-art facility featuring services for veterans in the home, as well as veterans in the community, he said.