Each Wednesday, L’Observateur recognizes individuals and businesses in the River Parishes who have gone “above and beyond” in their efforts to make this a better place to live, work, play and raise a family.

We believe an integral part of a community’s wellbeing is an attitude and arena where people who do good things … who work to improve life for others … who try to make a difference … are recognized and saluted.

Because this is a salute to members of the community of the entire River Parishes, we solicit your recommendations for groups or individuals to be considered for inclusion.

This week we salute:

• St. John Theatre for its efforts to get the younger generation interested in theater through its Children’s Drama Workshop program. Participants spent a week preparing themselves to perform a 30-minute play Saturday afternoon.

• St. James Parish and its efforts to reopen the parish Health Unit, which was damaged by Hurricane Gustav in 2008. The parish spent two years repairing and renovating the facility and also added amenities to make the health center more compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

• The parish library systems in St. John, St. James and St. Charles parishes for kicking off summer reading programs for children in the region. The programs, which are all free, encourage children to spend just a little more time during the summer months catching up with a good book.

• River Parishes Hospital and the St. John Council on Aging for recently conducting a senior health fair in Reserve. More than 70 senior citizens of the parish took advantage of the array of health screenings that were available. The hospital runs the event every year in an effort to promote a healthier lifestyle among the senior citizens of the parish.