CLUB NEWS

NewspaperJanuary 26, 2012 | Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)

Page: H 13 | Section: SLIDELL PICAYUNE

785 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1290, grade level(s): 11-12

CLUB NEWS

SLIDELL REPUBLICAN WOMEN

The Slidell Republican Women's Club members will hear guest speaker Dee Webb address the "Prevention of Healthcare Fraud" at the group's Fourth Friday luncheon. Doors open Friday at 10:30 a.m. for the luncheon, which will begin at 11 a.m., at Carretta's Grill, 137 Taos St., Slidell.

Reservations are a must; cost for the luncheon is $20 per person. Club members are asked to contact SRWC member Terry Farr at 985.649.7974 or fran.terry@juno.com.

New members are always welcome. The Slidell Republican Women's Club not only supports local, state and national Republican candidates for elected office, but also is involved in several charitable endeavors. Prospective members needing more information about the organization can contact Slidell Republican Women's Clubmember Donna Guidry at 985.502.5677 or singertwo@bellsouth.net. Those applying for membership must be registered Republicans.

Strain believes agriculture will prosper in Louisiana

NewspaperFebruary 29, 2012 | St. Tammany News (Covington, LA)

Author: David Freese St. Tammany News | Section: News

530 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1260, grade level(s): 11-12

Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry Commissioner Mike Strain believes the future looks extremely good for commerce and agriculture in Louisiana.

Strain presented future goals and opportunities that lie within the state’s economic activity regarding agriculture and forestry to the Slidell Republican Women’s ClubFriday at Chesterfield’s restaurant. The luncheon, called to order by Cecilia Drennan, president of SRWC, featured current and new members who were eager to hear Strain’s speech, “A look at U.S. Agriculture, Exports and Future Trends.”

The overall message of Strain’s speech was an upbeat one, highlighting “Why Louisiana?,” as a state that would prosper through agriculture and commerce.

“If you have ever flown over the state of Louisiana, look out your window,” said Strain. “If you look at what’s going on, there is a renaissance in agriculture.”

Strain went on to later say the state would be entering a golden age in agriculture if things go as planned with the market and legislation.

According to Strain, agriculture and forestry is valued at $9.9 billion and combines to make up one of the state’s largest and dependent industries.

This is possible through processing and efficient infrastructure.

The state contains an abundant amount of raw commodities from ready access to water and rail to an integrated river and deep-water port system.

The top commodities as listed by Strain include forestry, poultry, sugarcane, rice, horses, soybeans, aquaculture, beef cattle and calves, marine fisheries and feed grains.

In 2010 rice accounted for $333 million in revenue through exports, soybeans were at $277.4 million and cotton garnered $115.5 million, according to the USDA Foreign Agricultural Service.

“We’re blessed because we are at the bottom of the United States,” said Strain of Louisiana’s agricultural advantage credited to geography.

Strain also said “more agricultural products are exported from Louisiana than any other state in the nation,” with the bulk being wheat and cotton at 78 percent of the total exports.

Strain believes the state will see improvements being made through $1 billion in new projects that will enhance the value-added sector of the economy.

Among those projects is the Riverfront Cold Storage Facility at the Port of New Orleans.

“We’re building the largest frozen poultry export facility in this hemisphere,” said Strain.

Other businesses highlighted by Strain included Foster Farms, Farmerville; DG Foods, Bastrop; ConAgra Foods Lamb Weston, Delhi; and Aquatic Energy, Lake Charles, among many others.

Strain believes that because of these commerce-endorsed companies and geography, Louisiana’s agriculture and forestry was able to experience an increase of more than 20 percent from 2009. The gains were led by forestry and poultry, tallying $3.1 billion.

“Worldwide people want our products because we can deliver them consistantly and safely,” said Strain.

On the serious side, Strain said the country needs to address the weakening American dollar so that debt can be paid and wealth can come in through exports.

Strain also stressed that because of ever-increasing population, processing of produce will need to speed up in order to meet the demand from consumers.

“Acceleration needs to be accelerated,” said Strain. “What you think about this, in the next 50 years we have to produce more food than we did in the last 10,000 years.”

Slidell’s first lady remembered fondly

NewspaperApril 25, 2012 | St. Tammany News (Covington, LA)

Author: Erik Sanzenbach St. Tammany News | Section: News

510 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1080, grade level(s): 8 9

Cecilia Drennan was a woman of heart, charity

When Cecilia Drennan passed away Monday morning, the city of Slidell lost of woman with a big heart who was always ready with a big smile to help out her community.

That seems to be the general impression around the city of the wife of Mayor Freddy Drennan.

“She was the sweetest lady I have ever known,” said Rosemary Clement, a fellow member of the Slidell Women’s Civic Club. “She was always smiling.”

The Drennans were married for 40 years and had two sons, Douglas and Deric, and five grandchildren. One of Cecilia’s oldest friends in Slidell, Nancy Dell, said Cecilia did not consider herself a politician’s wife but believed in her husband and supported him. She watched her husband in his career in the Picayune, Miss., Police Department and the St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office, when he was elected Slidell chief of police and finally Slidell mayor.

“However, she did not like to be called First Lady,” Dell said. “She insisted that you call her Cecilia.”

Dell and Cecilia got to be close friends when Dell was working on Drennan’s campaign for Slidell police chief. Dell’s job was to be with Cecilia and help her during the campaign.

“There was just something about her, and we became fast friends,” Dell said.

That something was Cecilia’s love for the community of Slidell and her willingness to do what she could to help out. Looking at her accomplishments while she lived in Slidell bears that out. Besides being in real estate for over 25 years, she belonged to the Slidell Women’s Civic Club, the Slidell Republican Women’s Club, the Lioness Club, the Master Gardener Club, the Rotary Club of Slidell and many other organizations.

“God gave her a gift to be a wonderful person,” Dell said. “She was a great wife, mother and just an all-around great person.”

One of Cecilia’s pet projects was helping the Community Christian Concern, an outreach program in Slidell that helps the less fortunate with food, clothes, and education. The Rev. Eugene Wellington, who used to run the CCC, said she was also a big help in one of his favorite projects of building schools for children in Sierra Leone, Africa.

“She was a tremendous inspiration for those children in Africa,” Wellington said. He said that before her death, she had been working on a project to raise money through the Slidell Women’s Republican Club to build sanitary facilities in Sierra Leone for girls so they could go to school.

“She was very passionate about those type of things,” Wellington said. “Anything to do with children or humanitarian causes, she was always ready to jump in with a smile.”

Wellington called Cecilia a “difference maker.”

“Whereever she went she would light up a room,” he said. “I’m really going to miss her.”

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at First Baptist Church, 4141 Pontchartrain Drive, Slidell. Visitation will be from 6–9 p.m. tonight at Honaker Funeral Home, 1751 Gause Blvd. West, Slidell, and again from 9–11 a.m. tomorrow at First Baptist Church. Interment will be in Forest Lawn Cemetery.

Best bets this weekend

NewspaperAugust 16, 2012 | Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)

Page: H 01 | Section: SLIDELL PICAYUNE

114 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1560, grade level(s): >12

VOTER REGISTRATION DRIVE

Slidell Republican Women's Club is sponsoring a voter registration drive Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon, at the Camellia City Market in Griffith Park. With the date of the last day to register to vote before the presidential election fast approaching, the SlidellRepublican Women's Club is providing the public -- those of any party -- the opportunity to register to vote, or to modify the information on their current registration. To vote in the upcoming presidential election, one's voter registration card must be up-to-date, including any change in address or other information since previously voting. For more information on the SRWC voter registration drive, contact Donna Guidry at singertwo@bellsouth.net or 985.502.5677.

Club gives out leadership, scholarship awards

NewspaperOctober 14, 2012 | Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)

Page: H 07 | Section: SLIDELL PICAYUNE

331 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1340, grade level(s): >12

The Slidell Republican Women's Club (SRWC) recently named its annual award winners for its Leadership recognition program and Scholarship program.

The Pearl Williams Superior Leadership Award this year was presented by SRWC member Lynn St. Jean to Bruce Clement, chief operating officer of Slidell Memorial Hospital.

Clement has been in a leadership role at Slidell Memorial for more than 20 years, serving in various capacities. In addition, he has served in many leadership roles throughout the greater Slidell community.

SRWC member Nancy Bell presented the Pearl Williams/Cecelia Drennan Memorial Scholarship Award, a project created a few years ago by Cecelia Drennan, late wife of current Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan, to Laura Garcia, of Salmen High School. The daughter of Carol and Joseph Temple, Laura plans to attend Louisiana State University where she will study to become a neurologist.

Roger F. Villere Jr., state chairman of the Louisiana Republican Party, was the evening's keynote speaker. Other elected officials in attendance for the awards evening were E. L. "Gene" Bellisario, St. Tammany Parish Council, District 9; and Eric Skrmetta, State Public Service Commissioner for the district which includes St. Tammany Parish and several other parishes.

The evening also included a special tribute to the SRWC's late president, Cecelia Drennan.

The Slidell Republican Women's Club supports local, state and national Republicancandidates for elected office, and also is involved in several charitable endeavors.

Prospective new members may be interested in helping with the campaign headquarters on Gause Boulevard in Slidell; or with some of these year-long service committees, such as the Literacy Project, which includes distributing dictionaries to local school children. Members also distributing school supplies to selected area public schools; work on the Pearl Williams/Cecelia Drennan Memorial Scholarship Committee; help with the Pearl Williams Leadership Award Committee; and work on behalf of local and statewide Republican candidates for office.

Membership is restricted to registered Republicans.

Prospective members needing more information about the organization can contact Slidell Republican Women's Club Co-president Karen Fandal at karenfandal@bellsouth.net or 985.960.2978.

Club News

NewspaperDecember 26, 2012 | Times-Picayune, The (New Orleans, LA)

Author: Ivette Hernandez | Page: H 07 | Section: SLIDELL PICAYUNE

429 Words | Readability: Lexile: 1250, grade level(s): 11-12

CLUBS

SLIDELL REPUBLICAN WOMEN LUNCHEON

The Slidell Republican Women's Club recently held its December meeting and annual Christmas luncheon at Pinewood Country Club. The event is a major fundraiser for the group which supports several community outreach programs in the area.

Members were asked to bring a wrapped gift costing approximately $25. The gifts were then auctioned off with the help of Parish Councilman Gene Bellisario, SlidellMayor Freddy Drennan, and District Judge Scott Gardner, who worked as elves to keep the bidding lively during the event.

The money raised will help fund the Pearl Williams/Cecelia Drennan Memorial Scholarship. Each year two female recipients are chosen from the area to receive $1,000 scholarships to help them in their endeavors in college. The money raised will also help fund a literacy project in which dictionaries are donated to each third-grade student at Brock Elementary School in Slidell.

Officers for the upcoming year also installed at the event. They are Lynn St. Jean, president; Kay Miller, vice president; Dee Webb, secretary; Terry Farr, treasurer; Karen Fandall, membership chairwoman; Stephanie Berault, campaign chairwoman; Nancy Bell, hospitality chairwoman; and Wanda Ricau, newsletter chairwoman.

Several members were also recognized for their hard work during the weeks leading up to the presidential election. Those recognized were Lynn St. Jean, Kay Miller, Dee Webb and Tiffany Parker.