So what's going on in Acadiana this week? Here's a list of notable activities planned across the area.
MONDAY
Daily lane closures are planned at the North University Avenue Underpass in Lafayette, as a painting project begins on the retaining and wing walls of the structure. There will be lane closures from 8 p.m. until 6 a.m. every day while the underpass is pressure washed, sealed and painted. These closures will last for about two months.
Both the Jeanerette Board of Aldermen and the Delcambre City Council hold their regular meetings on Monday in their respective city halls. The Jeanerette board meets at 6:30 p.m. Among the items on the agenda are a report from the city's fiscal administrator, and reports on the water and sewer systems. The Delcambre council meets at 6 p.m. Among the items on the agenda are an update on the water meter project and a report on a proposed intergovernmental agreement with New Iberia regarding police cars.
TUESDAY
There will be a forum for the candidates running for Lafayette's Mayor-President position at 6:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the Clifton Chenier Center on Willow Street in Lafayette. The event is hosted by the 100 Black Men of Greater Lafayette, Inc. along with co-sponsors Senior Pastoral Alliance of Southwest LA, Lafayette NAACP Branch #6060, The Louis A. Martinet Legal Society, and Women of Wisdom. The public is invited to attend.
There also will be a Meet Your Candidates event at 5:30 p.m. at the Northgate Mall. It's an informal social to allow voters to meet candidates running for school board, state representative, city council and other elections in Districts 1 and 5. Light refreshments will be served.
The Women's Foundation will host a Body Talk class for girls at 6 p.m. in the foundation classroom. The Body Talk class covers the basics of puberty for young adolescences. It is designed for children currently going through puberty or children who are showing the first signs of puberty or have friends who are showing signs of puberty. The instructor will discuss topics such as the five stages of development, good hygiene habits, feelings and emotions. An in-depth explanation and discussion of the menstrual cycle is included in the class for girls. For more information or tickets, click here.
WEDNESDAY
There is an Acadia Parish Candidate Forum scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Grand Opera House of the South. A forum is planned, featuring candidates for State Senator 25th Senatorial District; Acadia Parish Clerk of Court; and Police Juror Districts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the forum starts at 6 p.m.
The Lafayette Fire Department will hold its annual memorial event to commemorate 9/11 today. The event begins at 8:30 a.m. at the 9/11 Memorial located at Parc Sans Souci in Downtown Lafayette. The Lafayette Fire Department and first responders throughout the parish will pay respect to the fallen heroes and victims in the 9/11 attack 18 years ago. On September 11, 2001, 414 first responders - police, fire, ambulance personnel - died along with 2,563 citizens. The Lafayette 9/11 monument was erected in 2002. A memorial wreath will be laid at the Parc Sans Souci 9/11 monument in honor of the lives lost. A moment of silence will be observed. Words of reflection and encouragement will be delivered. The general public is invited to attend.
The fall season of the Mecredi Show begins today with River Road performing with Kaleb Olivier. The Mecredi Show is a weekly performance series held every fall and spring at Carencro's Pelican Park Concert Stage. Everyone is invited to attend and listen or dance to great music.
THURSDAY
SLCC will host a Career Information Fair today from from 4 - 6 p.m. on Sept. 12 for SLCC's Commercial Truck Driving program in the Teche Building at SLCC's New Iberia Campus, 908 Ember Drive. This is a free event that is open to the public. In addition to learning about SLCC's short-term Commercial Truck Driving program where students train for their commercial driver's license (CDL), attendees will also hear about tuition assistance options and meet with instructors. Local trucking companies will also be on hand to speak to the attendees about career options. For more information on the fair, call SLCC's Corporate College at 337-521-9028.
A candidate forum will be heldl today at the Teche Theater on Main Street in Franklin. The St. Mary Branch of NAACP #6091, Franklin-Jeanerette Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc, Iota Eta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., and the citizens of the City of Franklin are hosting the forum. All candidates have been invited to participate. Doors open at 5 p.m., the forum starts at 6 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
The Friends of the Lafayette Public Library host their annual Fall Book Sale tonight at the Heymann Center ballroom. The sale is open to Friends on Wednesday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. and you can purchase a $5 membership at the door. If you're not a member, you can attend starting today at 9 a.m. until 8 p.m., again on Friday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. Books are sold by the inch: $1 per inch for hardbacks and 50 cents per inch for paperbacks. There also are vinyl, DVDs, audio books and CDs for sale. And, there's a special table with first editions, signed editions and over-sized books for sale.
The Lydia Cancer Association Cajun Food Fest begins today at Weeks Park in Lydia. In addition to the cook-off, among the planned activities are a Poker Run, Carnival, and Car Show and Craft Show. To check out the schedule of events, click here.
FRIDAY
The Bayou Vermilion Preservation Association hosts its annual River Symposium today. This year's theme is Rediscover the Vermilion: Expanding the Economic & Cultural Resources of Our River, and will focus on how strategic development around our river can improve our quality of life while protecting natural resources in our community. The association is a non-profit group comprised of public servant community advocates focused on education, water quality improvement and riparian plantings in the Vermilion watershed. The event includes a day of speakers from 8:00 - 1:30 at Vermilionville. Registration and information can be found online at www.bayouvermilionpreservation.org [bayouvermilionpreservation.org]. Registration for the speaker event is $27 which includes a light breakfast and box lunch. The student fee with ID is $5.
The Hilliard University Art Museum hosts a reception to celebrate the fall 2019 season of exhibitions. The season includes work from local and regoinal artists, as well as a repeat partnership with Festivals Acadiens et Creoles to present the work of their official poster artist, Melissa Bonin. The public reception begins at 6 p.m. and lasts until 8 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
SATURDAY
The city of Scott is hosting a household hazardous waste collection day from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the city Maintenance Building on Lions Club Road. This is for residents of the city only; you must show proof of residence with a driver's license or utility bill. Items that will be accepted include: paints, automobile batteries, motor oil, antifreeze, household cleaners, household chemicals, pesticides, flammables, corrosives, other hazardous household products, and white goods (old appliances, refrigerators, stoves, hot water heaters) electronic waste (computers, monitors, printers, scanners, Palm accessories, power supplies, battery backups, cables, toner/ink cartridges, hard drives, CD roms, speakers, VCRs, DVD players, stereo equipment, TVs, game consoles, digital cameras, any audio or video equipment, networking equipment, tape drives, test equipment, fax machines,· keyboards, voice/tape recorders, radios, walkman products, calculators, cellular phones, and phone accessories). There is a limit of five tires per vehicle and no tires more than 500 pounds will be accepted. This is four households only; businesses, farms and commercial operations can't participate. For more information, call 233-1130.
Word Crawl, a 12-hour marathon of creative expression that raises funds for the Festival of Words, will be held today from noon until midnight at six venues in Downtown Lafayette. Word Crawl invites poets, fiction and nonfiction writers, spoken word artists, playwrights, storytellers, and songwriters to participate, perform, and help in fundraising efforts. The Word Crawl fundraiser takes place 12 noon-12 midnight on Saturday September 14th. Last year's fundraiser included more than 50 artists. Word Crawl includes different portions: Daytime hours welcome all ages; evening hours may include adult material, and there is a portion for Francophone writers. For more information, click here.
