Tangi Parish President Miller Speaks to HGC on the State of the Parish
The Hammond Garden Club has come upon one of the most awesome speakers in the Parish of Tangipahoa and that is Parish President Robbie Miller! He kept the membership mesmerized with his knowledge of this parish like no one else we have ever heard. He started with a three step beginning to his speech which was 1-The Condition of our Parish after Ida, 2-The latest in Infrastructure and 3-The Mental Health issue in the Parish.
Did you know there was a difference in the color of the electric/telephone poles you see on the streets of Hammond? Do you know how long it took for the sewage and water to be in complete working order after the Ida hurricane devastated our parish? Do you know why we don’t have electricity and phone lines underground even though many had to be completely replaced after Ida took them down or how long it took for all electricity, phones, television service, etc. to be restored? Do you know how many of those huge black double connected trash pickup trucks have been used so far (because it’s so impressive it’s a number I do remember…..61,000!) or how many thousands of tons of trash they have already picked up and are still picking up?
I may not be able to give you numbers because Robbie Miller just left us with our mouths agape as he spouted out those numbers and all the information of just how wonderful our Tangipahoa Parish really is! We are far and above many parishes in all of Louisiana and we have learned, and are still learning the best way, or a better way to do, to remedy, some of the situations that destruction like Ida can do to a city, a parish or a state. We have taught other parishes how to master many of those things also.
Number two is the infrastructure that is going on and how they are bringing the internet to the more rural parts of this Parish so we can all have the same advantage of faster internet coverage. Vexus is a name we have seen on many trucks around here lately and they are the ones that are helping to accomplish this.
And lastly is the subject of Mental Health where we are getting involved with the other parishes such as St. Tammany, Washington and St. Helena. As of right now everyone is using the Southeast Louisiana Hospital as the mental health facility in the area. We have come together with all of these parishes trying to work on getting better mental health facilities for our citizens that are so badly in need and it is in the works.
When he finished he took questions from the members which there were quite a few and answered them to the best of his ability. He was applauded twice for all the information he just didn’t want to end and we didn’t want him to either. It was a wonderful and so informative talk. We hope to have him back sometime soon again.
As Robbie was ending his speech the lunches were being brought out to our beautifully decorated tables of green and white for St. Patrick’s Day and as usual Mary Monteleon and her crew did a wonderful job with lots of adversity going on as the parking lot was being finished and lots of golf carts had to be used to ferry some of the members to and fro!
After lunch President Sue Parrill called on our usual officers Treasurer Phyllis DiBenedetto and Secretary, Karen Granier for their reports. She then called on Glenda Nelson for her report on Keep Hammond Beautiful which she said that because of Covid and so many things being cancelled we would not have a Cleanest City Contest this year. She also said that the next clean-up will be at the Orange Street Park on February 12 from 10 am till 2 pm.
Kathleen Bohlinger gave her report on Arbor Day which she said would be at Courtney Christian School on January 20. Pat Graves gave a talk about the Arts in Bloom project that will be held April 1 and 2, 2022 in downtown Hammond. There were pictures shown of the Art that arrangements would depict if we wanted to enter an arrangement. Envelopes with tickets and brochures were passed out to all members for information and purchasing.
Sue then asked if there were any guests and Linda Ryan introduced Destin Sims and Jenny Veatch. There being nothing further to discuss, Sue asked for a motion to dismiss.
Hope everyone has started with a great New Year! But as I type I was just told that on the six pm news they announced that the temperature could go as low as 19 degrees!!! Oh my how I dislike the winter when it gets that cold! I prefer to read the little quote from Hinkson that’s in our yearbook next month…”Spring comes slowly up this way. Slowly, slowly! A little nearer every day.” How I hope and pray for and early Spring!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of District VII, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. and the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America and God Bless the city of Hammond!
by Linda Broussard
She is a member of the Hammond Garden Club
The Hammond Garden Club has come upon one of the most awesome speakers in the Parish of Tangipahoa and that is Parish President Robbie Miller! He kept the membership mesmerized with his knowledge of this parish like no one else we have ever heard. He started with a three step beginning to his speech which was 1-The Condition of our Parish after Ida, 2-The latest in Infrastructure and 3-The Mental Health issue in the Parish.
Did you know there was a difference in the color of the electric/telephone poles you see on the streets of Hammond? Do you know how long it took for the sewage and water to be in complete working order after the Ida hurricane devastated our parish? Do you know why we don’t have electricity and phone lines underground even though many had to be completely replaced after Ida took them down or how long it took for all electricity, phones, television service, etc. to be restored? Do you know how many of those huge black double connected trash pickup trucks have been used so far (because it’s so impressive it’s a number I do remember…..61,000!) or how many thousands of tons of trash they have already picked up and are still picking up?
I may not be able to give you numbers because Robbie Miller just left us with our mouths agape as he spouted out those numbers and all the information of just how wonderful our Tangipahoa Parish really is! We are far and above many parishes in all of Louisiana and we have learned, and are still learning the best way, or a better way to do, to remedy, some of the situations that destruction like Ida can do to a city, a parish or a state. We have taught other parishes how to master many of those things also.
Number two is the infrastructure that is going on and how they are bringing the internet to the more rural parts of this Parish so we can all have the same advantage of faster internet coverage. Vexus is a name we have seen on many trucks around here lately and they are the ones that are helping to accomplish this.
And lastly is the subject of Mental Health where we are getting involved with the other parishes such as St. Tammany, Washington and St. Helena. As of right now everyone is using the Southeast Louisiana Hospital as the mental health facility in the area. We have come together with all of these parishes trying to work on getting better mental health facilities for our citizens that are so badly in need and it is in the works.
When he finished he took questions from the members which there were quite a few and answered them to the best of his ability. He was applauded twice for all the information he just didn’t want to end and we didn’t want him to either. It was a wonderful and so informative talk. We hope to have him back sometime soon again.
As Robbie was ending his speech the lunches were being brought out to our beautifully decorated tables of green and white for St. Patrick’s Day and as usual Mary Monteleon and her crew did a wonderful job with lots of adversity going on as the parking lot was being finished and lots of golf carts had to be used to ferry some of the members to and fro!
After lunch President Sue Parrill called on our usual officers Treasurer Phyllis DiBenedetto and Secretary, Karen Granier for their reports. She then called on Glenda Nelson for her report on Keep Hammond Beautiful which she said that because of Covid and so many things being cancelled we would not have a Cleanest City Contest this year. She also said that the next clean-up will be at the Orange Street Park on February 12 from 10 am till 2 pm.
Kathleen Bohlinger gave her report on Arbor Day which she said would be at Courtney Christian School on January 20. Pat Graves gave a talk about the Arts in Bloom project that will be held April 1 and 2, 2022 in downtown Hammond. There were pictures shown of the Art that arrangements would depict if we wanted to enter an arrangement. Envelopes with tickets and brochures were passed out to all members for information and purchasing.
Sue then asked if there were any guests and Linda Ryan introduced Destin Sims and Jenny Veatch. There being nothing further to discuss, Sue asked for a motion to dismiss.
Hope everyone has started with a great New Year! But as I type I was just told that on the six pm news they announced that the temperature could go as low as 19 degrees!!! Oh my how I dislike the winter when it gets that cold! I prefer to read the little quote from Hinkson that’s in our yearbook next month…”Spring comes slowly up this way. Slowly, slowly! A little nearer every day.” How I hope and pray for and early Spring!
The Hammond Garden Club is a proud member of District VII, Louisiana Garden Club Federation, Inc. and the Deep South Garden Clubs, Inc. doing our best to unify and beautify our homes, gardens, our city and our nation every day to the best of our ability. God Bless America and God Bless the city of Hammond!
by Linda Broussard
She is a member of the Hammond Garden Club