Drinking tea to lose weight may not be a farfetched idea if a group of Louisiana researchers can pinpoint and quantify the functional components of Chinese sweet tea and blackberry leaves.
The compounds of interest are gallic acid and ellagic acid - two polyphenols or antioxidants - in those plants, said Dr. Zhijun Liu with the LSU AgCenter's School of Renewable Natural Resources. In the body, they apparently function to inhibit angiogenesis - the process by which new blood vessels are formed.
"All adult angiogenic processes are a cause of disease with the exception of a few physiological processes like wound healing, menses and placental-fetal formation," Liu said. "Tumors cannot grow beyond the size of a pin head without first inducing new blood vessel formation.
"Inhibiting angiogenesis can prevent cancer - and perhaps even fat tissue - from developing beyond the simple limits of existing blood vessels," he said.
Researchers have been looking at these types of compounds as cancer treatments because tumors can't grow if they can't produce blood vessels to feed them. Now, researchers believe the same process for restricting cancers can be exploited to prevent fat cells from growing.
"We're looking at foods that can influence weight loss," Liu said.
Liu has been working with a number of plants that produce functional foods - foods with benefits beyond mere nutrition. The latest, Chinese sweet tea and blackberry leaves, appear to contain properties that can help people control their weight.
The researchers have been looking at how these components behave in rats.
Liu has extracted and powdered the compounds from the plant leaves and reformulated them for consistency in dosage. Dr. Roy Martin in the LSU AgCenter's School of Human Ecology then fed the compounds to laboratory rats.
"So far, we've found absorption from oral administration both in the urine and blood serum," Liu said. "And the test rats showed less weight gain than control rats, even though food intake was about the same."
Liu has been working with Dr. Eugene Woltering in the Stanley S. Scott Cancer Center in the LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans and Dr. Frank Greenway, medical director at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge.
"We hope to compare human response with rats' response to get an absorption profile," Liu said. "If we do, we can propose a pilot human study."
Liu said a major challenge in identifying specific benefits from functional foods is the ability to determine accurately how much of a particular food or food component is necessary to get the desired result.
"Could you ask someone to drink a liter of sweet leaf tea every day?" he asked.  "Perhaps. But how much is too much? And how do you know how much of a compound is in each liter?"
To answer that type of question, Liu has been developing a method of "fingerprinting" botanical foods to assess batch-to-batch variations so he can provide consistent samples for research or product development.
The fingerprints are in fact liquid chromatographic measurements of the various compounds in a particular sample of plant tissue.
"We develop protocols for reproducing quality botanical products," Liu said of the work in his laboratory. "If each batch is not the same chemical composition, we can't complete research.
"We need consistency to be sure investigators are testing the same thing over and over again," he said. "We need to eliminate doubt due to test sample variations."
Liu said he and his laboratory personnel exert great effort to develop standardization protocols and produce enough products for clinical trials.
"If you can't demonstrate consistency, how can you claim a benefit?" he asked.
 

Richard Bogren
LSU AgCenter
 

The following observations related to the Ascension Parish amended 2008 and 2009 proposed budget should wake up every taxpaying citizen.
The 2008 Ascension Parish budget was $107 million. In the first year of their four year term the current administration and Council increased expenditures by $12 million.  The 2008 budget will be amended for a grand total of $119 M.  The proposed 2009 budget is $92.4 million.  Lest you think that the 2009 budget is slimmer, consider that capital Projects in 2009 decreased $18 M over ‘08. If this decrease is subtracted from $107 million budget adopted in 2008 it would put the 2009 budget at $89 million.  The proposed 2009 budget is $3 million more.  Revenues in ‘09 are projected to be up almost $8 M over ‘08.  I question the claim that this is a slimmer budget.  What do you think?   Outstanding parish debt is now almost $88 million. 
In 2007 Actual Salaries & Benefits were almost $15 M, in 2008 $17.8 M, in 2009 $21 M is budgeted.
There are 30 additional personnel listings for 2009.  This means they are budgeted, but not necessarily filled. Why budget them and not fill them?  It’s not too hard see this is one place the budget can be trimmed.
With the defeat of the Lamar tax proposition most of the $422.5 K budgeted for seven months of operating Lamar could be channeled to current needs in recreation by terminating the lease immediately with a 90 day prior written notice.  Watch to see if the parish president and Council continue putting money into a facility 59% of the people said they don’t want.  Remember and say no to future taxes.
$750,000 for upgrading existing parks has been budgeted.  This is being transferred out of the Ascension Parish Insurance Fund.  Will this money be returned? Should we presume upon the future?  Insurance costs were down last year. Is the 15% increase in insurance premiums for ’09 really padding the budget?
If those in the Pelican Point area and industry were told the truth that the parish will be sitting on a million dollar nest egg at the end of 2009 in Lighting District #6 after paying utilities, that there is no plan to use this money and no movement to roll back this tax, would they support future taxes? 
$218.5 K is budgeted with “no listing submitted” in Capital Projects.  After reviewing the budget I asked about the $100,000 listed under general administration. I was told this was intended to enclose the Sorrento Civic Center for storage space if the tax for Lamar failed.  The jail has $91,500 earmarked the same.  Departments that do not give an itemized list prior to Nov. 20th should not be given taxpayers dollars to play with.  If the specific item is known, it should be listed.  Doing otherwise is dishonest.
Next year President Martinez and some on the Council are planning to come to the voting public asking for more money; $100,000 is in the budget for a tax proposition.  They might want to reconsider in light of the current economic climate and the recent defeat of the Lamar tax proposition.   The more we are taxed the tighter we hold our wallets.
A public hearing is scheduled prior to a vote on the budget at 7 p.m. at the Nov. 20th Council meeting in Gonzales.
It’s time for elected officials to realize they cannot tax us into prosperity.  It’s time for taxpaying citizens to wake up, be informed, get involved and say NO to more taxes. 

Kathryn Goppelt
Gonzales
 

For too long, Louisiana has taken a back seat to other southern states when it comes to attracting new, high-paying jobs.  In fact, I have often said that our greatest export isn't our agriculture products, petrochemicals, wood products, or even our oil and gas; our greatest export far too often has been our people - the sons and daughters of Louisiana who have felt like they had to leave our state to find greater economic opportunities in places like Houston, Dallas, or Atlanta.
Now is the time for that to change. The time has come for Louisiana to take its rightful place as a leader in business investment and economic opportunity.
 Since taking office in January, we have taken aggressive steps to improve Louisiana's economic competitiveness and to attract new jobs with good salaries and benefits.
We adopted some of the strongest ethics laws in the country, an effort targeted at eliminating one of the top two obstacles to new business investment in Louisiana identified by business executives nationwide.  Next, we eliminated burdensome business taxes that hurt both businesses and families across the state.  We also reformed our state's workforce development system to improve the effectiveness of our community and technical colleges, provide turnkey workforce solutions to expanding and relocating businesses, and ensuring that our workforce programs are driven by real business needs.
These efforts are already starting to pay off.
First, we have seen terrific results from our new focus on business retention and expansion as we continue to make our existing employers our top priority. With a state grant for infrastructure, Coca-Cola committed to relocate its existing operations from another state, increasing the size of its new plant in Baton Rouge by $93 million and creating nearly 115 new jobs. Cameron Valve, a leading manufacturer of high-end valves for the oil-and-gas industry with facilities around the world, committed to expanding its Ville Platte facility by 110 jobs and $49 million in capital investment.
At Chennault International Airport in Lake Charles, state infrastructure grants are helping two companies to expand - Aeroframe is retaining 300 jobs and adding 50 new jobs, while Northrop Grumman will retain over 200 jobs and add 80 new jobs. The Shaw Group (Shaw), a Baton Rouge-based Fortune 500 firm, committed to keep its headquarters in Louisiana for at least 15 years and to create 1,500 new, professional / non-craft jobs.
While our top priority is supporting our existing businesses, we also are aggressively attracting new companies and new industries to our state, so that we can continue to grow and diversify our economy.
Louisiana is now among the top three states in the country for film productions.  We are seeking to match that success in the digital media sector, starting with Electronic Arts (EA) - the world's leading interactive entertainment software company - which recently announced it will launch its global quality assurance center in partnership with Louisiana State University.
EA is committed to becoming an active advisor to our statewide workforce development and industry cultivation efforts for the digital media sector.  This partnership will benefit not only Baton Rouge but also Shreveport / Bossier, Lafayette, New Orleans, and other Louisiana communities that are pursuing this exciting growth industry.
We are also becoming a national leader in the coming global nuclear energy resurgence.  Westinghouse and the Shaw Group announced the Port of Lake Charles will be the site for the first manufacturing facility in the U.S. focused on building modular components for new and modified nuclear reactors.  This $100-million facility will create over 1,400 jobs averaging $50,000 per year plus benefits.
Zagis USA announced that it will invest $75 million to construct two cotton spinning facilities in Louisiana that together will create 160 new jobs.  This is just one more example of a new value-added manufacturer choosing to locate in Louisiana.
 As communities all across Louisiana continue to work to recover and build back from Hurricanes Gustav and Ike, we cannot stop here. We are working to ensure that Louisiana becomes one of the best places in the world in which to pursue a rewarding career and raise a family. In the not-too-distant future the day will come when states like Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Texas, and others will complain about losing their sons and daughters to the vibrant, rapidly growing economy in the great state of Louisiana.
 
 

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The Donaldsonville Downtown Development District would like to thank everyone who attended our inaugural Avenue Evening Stroll, held this past Saturday November 15th on Railroad Avenue.  Those of you in attendance that night witnessed the potential this wonderful city has as a viable tourism destination-period clothing, historic reenactments, horse-drawn carriages, live outdoor music, evening shopping.  Rest assured that this event will continue to be held every November, and will continue to grow annually as we have done with the 3rd of July Fireworks on the River, as well as the Christmas Parade.
This event would not have been possible without the hard work and determination of several people, whom we would like to personally thank at this time.  Mayor Leroy Sullivan, District 5 City Councilman Emile Spano, and Dave Dubreuil worked tirelessly through the past weeks getting the Christmas lights across Railroad Avenue strung, as well as hanging banners and cleaning Railroad Avenue.  Kirk Landry and Richard Zeringue, in addition to volunteering throughout the evening, coordinated our living history actors and recruited local citizens to dress in period clothing.  Kathe Hambrick and the River Road African American Museum, as well as Daryl Hambrick of Hambonz Piano Room, coordinated the brass band and tribute to Joe King Oliver at the Heritage Jazz Plaza.  Lastly, Steve and Cynthia Schneider of the Grapevine Café and Gallery donated numerous bottles of wine for the wine tasting, as well as coordinating the musical acts and lighting along Railroad Avenue.
Last but not least, the biggest thank you goes out to the citizens of Donaldsonville who came out to support and enjoy the event, and to the business owners who remained open late into the evening for the event.  Without your continued support for this and our other projects, we could not continue to work towards the future goals of the City of Donaldsonville.  If you have any requests or suggestions on how to make this event even better next year, please do not hesitate to contact me.  Thank you all again!


John Rodgers
Executive Director, Donaldsonville Downtown Development District
Manager, Main Street Donaldsonville program
 

America once founded on the Principals of God is now marching to a different tune-some people have a President, many others see it as the new thing- the infamous hologram. Democrats have long promised every form of government to anyone that wants a free ride from the backs of the willing that work and make there businesses work for real jobs. Seems that small businesses were to busy providing jobs to take a great interest in the recent political circus. Now the fight from and for the "Christian moral majority" really must get up to speed; act daily now on the truth and convictions of our founding fathers.
Isn't it ironic that the God of our Universe and his Son that assisted in writing our Declaration of Independence, now as the duty of loving a man that cannot speak the words of that hallowed charter- that so many fought for, died for and lived life for now is set aside; to one that has a feeling morally superior about there choice's of not honoring our country's flag or its declarations. God spells out in His word how those that act to defame Him- those that pursue other god's with such abandon that breaks the moral law and rejecting Him as there moral compass of life here on earth, disrespects God's world plans.
One mans judgment doesn't need to make all human's uniquely evil, sinful; even guised as "Change"-God's eyes can still see and deal with the immorality of the leftist mindsets that seems so willing to discount the original slate of "Golden Rules." When one defends the rights of abortion, downgrading sin to old rituals that need changing- to permissible sexual promiscuity, basic ethical wrongs, all sin will be dealt with in God's time- in His own way. God is still in Charge- Still on his Throne.
The new voice has made a lot of noise-claimed a lot of expertise-solicited a lot of favors- honored no one but himself and how wrong our country in the world is. Did he get "Divine Intervention" or the rhetoric of self-serving liberals that cannot seem to see the good in anything that has morality as its true core. Some think they have one that represents them and there plight to success as a new leader. The morality in conservative minds see a human being that is operating from a different book than the one this country was founded on. Let the test of morality begin, Jesus will still save the lost in His time, let the sins of our country, the world and "me" be revealed in His truth and justice.

Ron Anderson
Donaldsonville
 

Dan Juneau
President,
Louisiana Association of Business and Industry

For a number of years, higher government revenues have been flooding into the state's coffers. Budget surpluses have set records and state spending has hit unprecedented levels. Now the "embarrassment of riches" may be coming to an end, and it will be interesting to see how the governor and a Legislature with many new faces handle the new economic reality.
Two factors drove the recent explosion of state revenues: hurricane recovery spending and record-setting oil and gas prices.
In the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, higher levels of recovery spending propelled state sales tax revenues to record levels. Road Home money, insurance settlements, and personal spending fueled these increases. Construction and retail activity led to higher levels of business revenue and resulted in higher business tax collections.
In addition to soaring revenues from hurricane reconstruction, record oil and gas prices have also led to huge increases in state tax collections. Our Revenue Estimating Conference has done a good job of using conservative estimates for oil and gas revenues at a time when the price of these commodities has skyrocketed. The end result has been budget surpluses in the billion dollar range and constant upward revisions of excess revenues available for spending by the Legislature--and the Legislature has not been bashful about spending those excess revenues.
A confluence of factors is now bringing Louisiana's revenue party to an abrupt end. The U.S. is experiencing an economic meltdown that has undoubtedly ushered in a recession. Louisiana will certainly feel the effects of this downturn. Even more of a problem for our state finances is the huge decline in oil and gas prices.
For the current budget, the Revenue Estimating Conference budgeted oil at a market price of $84 per barrel. As this column was being written, the price had plunged below $70. The price had risen as high as $147 per barrel. For a long time, billions of dollars in oil and gas revenue went directly into the state's general fund and was quickly spent. It is more fun being a legislator when you are spending surpluses and excess revenues instead of cutting the budget. The fun is now gone.
Governor Jindal recently stated that he expected a billion dollar shortfall in revenues available to fashion the 2009/10 state budget. He also stated that he had no plans to raise taxes in order to address that shortfall. Hopefully, he will stick with that approach.
For openers, the billion dollar shortfall the governor was referencing undoubtedly was in the context of a "continuation" budget. In state government, new budgets are not submitted using the base of the old budget. An automatic "inflation adjusted" increase is added in before any other changes are made. By simply not submitting a "continuation" budget to the Legislature, the governor could reduce the potential red numbers by $600 million or more. That would leave a shortfall of approximately 3 percent to be made up in the $12 billion state fund budget.
Taxpayers will soon find out if our current Legislature is going to take a fiscally conservative approach to address the new economic reality or if it will attempt to continue record levels of spending that no longer can be sustained with current revenue streams. Governor Jindal's initial comments are encouraging. Some in the Legislature will not share his view. He will need to provide strong leadership to insure that our state government lives within its means and adds no additional financial burdens to taxpayers who have their own fiscal problems to address.

 
   
 

It is highly disturbing when any confused person with a piece of paper and a pencil can write an ugly letter about anyone and have it published in the local newspaper, regardless of whether the letter is true or false. We have been accused of being callous, coldhearted capitalists engaged in a venture that will only result in a cruel and poisonous death to the environment, and ultimately, the people. But alas, the real toxicity involved here has been a long term systematic poisoning of the minds of the people of Assumption Parish.

First of all, let me begin this letter by saying that over the past few years, my confidence in our society to be good neighbors has been shaken almost to a breaking point. Too often we hear people say things like, "Why don't they do something about that" or, "What is their problem". What's unfortunate though is, too often these people have major problems going on in their life and could use a hand up instead of a verbal beat down.

In August 1862, some 146 years ago, the former state capital of Louisiana was destroyed by the U. S. warships of Admiral David Farragut. This was followed by marshal law and military occupation of Donaldsonville, Ascension Parish and most of the river parishes.

The Probation and Parole Division within the Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections has an unenviable task. Approximately 550 officers are responsible for supervising 63,000 offenders. The average caseload per officer is 125 offenders - individuals convicted of everything from theft to drug distribution to homicide. Community corrections play a crucial role in the overall public safety of our state, yet the public understands very little about the day to day operations of the Probation and Parole District in their area.

In reflection after the River Parishes Football Camp, I wanted to thank the following people;
Oliver Joseph, coach Rick Bolette, coach Bill Jones and my staff of coaches that helped with planning: Brian Richardson, Spencer Harvey, Herbert Washington and special thanks to Dio Bernard.

As you probably know, on the weekend of June 14-15, the Juneteenth Celebration was held in Donaldsonville at Louisiana Square.

On that Saturday morning trip to the post office, I noticed several well-equipped people with sticks and sacks picking up trash. The area was spotless, so I asked who they were and commended them on a job well done. They replied that they were faith-based volunteers from a local church.

Prevost Memorial Hospital celebrated it 26th annual health fair on Saturday, June 7, 2008.  There was an overwhelming response to the fair once again this year.  Our records indicate that 250 people registered on Saturday, 489 SMAC tests were performed, 192 participants received the carotid screen, 190 pulse oximetry tests were performed, and approximately 147 patients received skin cancer screens. Participants also received body fat testing, hearing screening, and blood pressure monitoring.

Upon arrival at Los Angeles International Airport, my son-in-law handed me a copy of the Travel section of the Las Vegas Review Journal that featured an article on the African American Heritage Trail, telling me Donaldsonville was mentioned. Indeed, the River Road African American Museum in Donaldsonville is on the list of sites running from New Orleans to northern Louisiana. Also, included in the area are Laura Plantation in Vacherie and Evergreen Plantation in Wallace.

Thanks you,

We, the members of St. Augustine Court #37 would like to thank everyone who helped and supported us in making our 27th annual dinner a great success.

It was held at St. Catherine of Sienna Catholic Church's Parish Center June 7, 2008.