we saw that...

the louisiana history museum releases 'photographic retrospective' to dvd

The Louisiana History Museum Proudly announces the release of the Central Louisiana Photographic Retrospective.

A 35 minute DVD featuring some of the photographs shown on Cable Channel four and some until now unpublished photograph's of central Louisiana from 1860's to the 1960's. Featuring the music used on the original 5 and 6 minute programs shown on the Alexandria, La. cable channel.

This would be the ideal Christmas gift for a lot of friends on your list this season. Cost is $20.00 per DVD with all the proceeds going to the museum operating fund.

Copy's of the DVD can be obtained beginning Wednesday December 3rd, 2008 at the museum located at 503 Washington Street, Alexandria, La. or by contacting Dale Genius, Museum Director at 318-445-7730 between noon and nine p.m. any day of the week.

Payment should be made out to the Louisiana History Museum. For more information please contact Dale by email at lahistorymuseum@aol.com.

This DVD is sold to provide funds for the museum operating fund.

Thank You!!!

Dale

Dale Genius
Director
Louisiana History Museum
503 Washington Street
Alexandria, La. -71301

office- 318-487-8566
cell- 318-308-8887
Home- 318-445-7730

Our Web Sites:

louisianahistorymuseum.org

historicbentley.com

EXTERNAL LINK

volunteer help needed at the louisiana history museum at alexandria, louisiana

note: at our request, mr. genius was kind enough to forward to and grant us permission to post his letter which appeared here in todays gannett/alexandria daily town talk 'your mail' section.

Museum help wanted.

As director of the Louisiana History Museum I have to constantly study our area’s history. I talk to people and read every book and article on Central Louisiana I can find. I am always on the lookout for items of historical interest to this area. I can never learn enough about Alexandria and Central Louisiana.

I have one problem though. I can’t do it all by myself. I need two or three volunteers who are willing to learn and are able to communicate with groups of people. There is no pay involved and you must be willing to devote several hours a week of your time. The only thanks you will get is the satisfaction of educating visitors to the Louisiana History Museum about our area.

It takes a special person to do this. You must like history and enjoy talking to people. You must have a basic knowledge of Louisiana History. You do not need a college degree, but one of course is helpful. You must be willing to listen and learn and then pass this on to others. If you like history and talking to groups, then you will love being a docent for the museum.

If this sounds interesting to you and you have plenty of free time then please get in touch with me. Instruction time is about 5 to 6 hours. I will invest my time in you if you are one of these special people. We need several people to help with tours.

But please do not apply unless you are willing and able to follow directions and are committed to doing this type of work. Please contact the Museum for an appointment. 318-487-8556. Ask to speak to me.

Louisiana History Museum
Dale Genius - Director
503 Washington Street
Alexandria, La. 71301
Office- 318-487-8556
Cell- 318-308-8887
Home- 318-445-7730

Visit our Web Site: louisianahistorymuseum.org

EXTERNAL LINK

louisiana state university at alexandria 50th anniversary year celebration kicks-off

2010 is the 50th anniversary of the founding of lsua. to get the commemorative year started, lsua's art department led by professor roy deville in collaboration with the louisiana history museum and its director dale genius, have put together a 'vintage photographic exhibit of historic public buildings in rapides parish.'

the exhibit will open friday, 23 october 2009, with a reception in the lsua university gallery, located in the west wing of the student center. see lsua general information ten page .pdf. [170 kb].

the reception is from 6 pm to 8 pm. an informal concert of piano music will be presented from 6 - 6:30. at 6:30 louisiana history museum director dale genius will conduct a thirty minute gallery talk.

the event is free and open to the public.

for more information contact the louisiana history museum, 503 washington st., downtown alexandria, la. at telephone 318-487-8556 and visit its website at www.louisianahistorymuseum.org.

gannett/town talk still ignoring hotel bentley homage website

wst... note: the below letter was sent to the gannett/town talk's "your mail" on 01 august 2008. as of this date it has not been published. also, in july 2008, kalb did post a short video interview clip of mr. genius regarding the historic bentley website to kalb.com (since removed) as far as we know, kalb never broadcasted the interview or made reference to its existence on any over-the-air broadcast.

August marks the 100 birthday of the Bentley Hotel.

Several month's ago I contacted a good friend of mine, Ken Freeman, who lives in Tyler, Texas with the idea to establish a web site that pays homage to the history and legacy of the Bentley Hotel here in Alexandria. He agreed to do this free of charge for the Louisiana History Museum.

Ken's company is one of the best in the south for designing web sites. I gathered together all the original photographs in the museum's archive on the Bentley. Took photographs of the remaining artifacts we have on display. Gathered together all of the postcards that contained images the Bentley. Digitized everything into my computer, arranged it in correct order and sent it to Ken in Tyler, Texas.

I asked another friend, Carl Laurent to write a short history of the Bentley and how Joseph A. Bentley had an effect on the growth and economy of Central Louisiana. He kindly agreed to do so.

Now all this was done in about a months time.

No grant money was used, no business or corporation put up any monies. No studies were done.The only expense for processing was absorbed by the Louisiana History Museum.

Ken Freeman and I were very proud of our creation. It was done out of love for Central Louisiana and nothing more.

No one is making money off this web site. It is and will always be for historic preservation. There has been a lot of conversation on historic preservation lately but very little has been done about promoting it. That is why historicbentley.com was established.

We assumed that because the month of August was the 100th birthday of the Bentley, that we would have no trouble at all getting the web site publicized. I emailed and called the news editors of the two major television stations in Alexandria. I emailed and was interviewed on the phone by a reporter for the TownTalk. Several of the news blogs on the Internet jumped on it and did stories the day I informed them.. Their comments were very positive.

Three weeks after everyone was contacted I spoke with the news editor of the Town Talk on the phone, he assured me they would do a story. To make a long story short the only story that was done was on KALB-TV.

Negotiations are under way with the city and a Baton Rouge company on the Bentley. We have seen repetitious story after story on what they might or might not do. But notice no story has been done on what the Bentley once was and how it came to be. That's part of what I and the Louisiana History Museum support, historic preservation.

Even though the major media outlets do not consider it important, please check it out. www.historicbentley.com.

Take time to register on our forum and tell your memories of this once grand lady. Perhaps the news media might reconsider.

Dale Genius
Executive Director
Louisiana History Museum
503 Washington St.
Alexandria, La.
(318) 487-8556

EXTERNAL LINK

louisiana history museum has free knowledge about your roots

in an appeal to [y]our conscience, alex cenla reminds us that the louisiana history museum is a very valuable archive of knowledge about what our forebears went through settling the city of alexandria, la. and taming its environs.

indeed, why is it that a museum is on the list of last places to visit? go by the museum, take a tour -- its all free.

afterwards, give the director your ideas to help popularize the museum and you could win a prize.

click here to learn more and arrange your tour today!

EXTERNAL LINK

historic hotel bentley website launches

wst... received the below email from mr. dale genius, director of the louisiana history museum:

With all of the lip service being given to historic preservation these days, I woke up one morning about two months ago and said to myself. I am going to do something, not just talk about it.

At that point historicbentley.com was born. Last week it came to life with the help of a very good friend in Tyler, Texas, Ken Freeman. He is a web designers, web designer, if there is such a thing.

The site speaks for it's self. There is even a forum for comments about your memories of the Bentley.

This was accomplished with no public money, no grants, no graft, no large research staff and no feasibility study's.

I put it together as a side link to the Louisiana History Museum and the Alexandria-retrospective.

I need all the publicity I can get to make people aware of it.

Any thing you can do is greatly appreciated!

historicbentley.com

Check it out.

Thanks!
Dale Genius

Louisiana History Museum
Dale Genius - Director
503 Washington Street
Alexandria, La. 71301
Office- 318-487-8556
Cell- 318-308-8887

Visit our Web Site: louisianahistorymuseum.org

more later...

EXTERNAL LINK

citizens call for robert ratcliff to resign as a commissioner of the historic preservation commission for the city of alexandria

wst... is in receipt of several letters currently circulating amongst concerned alexandria, la. citizens. the letters stem from robert ratcliff's cutting up and moving an historical queen anne style home. the last letter calls for robert ratcliff to resign from the alexandria historical preservation commission.

the first letter dated 03 july 2008 from 'concerned residents of the monroe street/garden district area' to robert ratcliff, who is the president and c.e.o. of ratcliff construction company, l.l.c., implored him to "reconsider [his] decision to move this beautiful example of a nineteenth century queen anne (located at 2401 monroe street) outside of the city limits." click here to download one page .pdf

sources tell wst... that mr. ratcliff's response to this letter was pretty much to tell the residents to mind their own business.

sources further inform wst... that this beautiful home is probably being moved by this commission member to make way for low rent apartments. mr. ratcliff needs to be ousted for if nothing else but being a rank hypocrite.

not to be outdone, concerned residents in a letter dated 10 july 2008 and directed at mayor of alexandria, la. jacques roy as well as city councilman louis marshall and melinda anderson, executive director of the historic preservation commission to express their:

"[S]hock and outrage that a man who is entrusted with the duty of advocating for, protecting and preserving Alexandria’s historic buildings and neighborhoods, has perpetrated an act counter to what his title implies. As a Commissioner of the Historic Preservation Commission for the City of Alexandria, Mr. Robert Ratcliff’s actions do not embody the creed of that Commission."

[...]

[W]e are calling upon him to resign due to the conflict of interest he has shown in his actions of failing to protect the historic buildings that he has been commissioned to protect. We do not feel that a person who has committed such an act should be entrusted with the future of our city’s historic buildings." ~ click here to download two page .pdf

UPDATE: If anyone wants to express their outrage and sign the letter too, please contact me.
Andrea Warren through www.cenlahistory.wordpress.com
developing...
more soon...

EXTERNAL LINK

alexandria historical preservation commission and the louisiana history museum videos kicking ass

**UPDATE** an emailer lets us know "The song is Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell and the correct line is "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot". The song is off her Ladies of the Canyon album and was released around 1970." so we thank our emailer for letting everyone know this.

these videos are getting better and better. give these people a raise and more funding.

anyway, the previous video which we regret we didnt record had a titanic type soundtrack behind it which was nice.

the soundtrack on this one which seems to contain the lyric "today's paradise put up a parking lot" is somewhat reminiscent of the old paul simon tune "me and julio down by the schoolyard."

if you have any old photographs of historical alexandria and you would like for them to be incorporated into this video series -- the contact information is in the video.

hyperlink's to the website's mentioned in the video are alexandria historical preservation commission: www.alexandriahpc.org and the louisiana history museum: www.louisianahistorymuseum.org

SB718 redflex scammer and lafayette rethug big shot charlie buckels resigns from lafayette parks and recreation bd over new financial disclosure law

UPDATE: gannett/the advertiser: more than 50 resign from lafayette boards and commissions

gannett/town talk snip from a related story:

This mass exodus was due to Senate Bill 718, which went into effect today. The bill enacts stiffer financial disclosure laws that require members to release information about themselves as well as their spouses, such as occupation, interest/association with businesses. To avoid releasing the information, board and commission members needed to resign by Monday. ~ read more

we received the below email from a friend in lafayette:
Here is a list as of 5:45 tonight of the local folks who have resigned from the boards here in Lafayette Parish due to the financial disclosure laws.

Check out who is No. 1 on the Parks and Recreation Board...He does not want to disclose his financial information? Hmmmmmmmmm, wonder why that is Mr. Lobbyist/Extortionist!!

P.S. I was given this information at the council meeting tonight by one of our grand leaders.

Airport Commission
Allen A. Dugas

Bayou Vermilion District
Jan Davis

BOZA
Carroll Fuselier
Tracy Carlson
Michelle Billeaud

Cajundome Commission
Bill McElligott
Dr. Paul Azar

Citizens Advisory Committee
Paul Leberg

Downtown Development Authority
Thomas L. Day

Emergency Medical Services
Marc Mouton
Dr. Paul Scott LeBleu
Betty Heidbrink
Percy J. Broussard, Jr.
Andy Blalock, M.D.

Heymann Performing Arts
Suzan Allen

Industrial Development Board
Mike Craton
Mike Day

Metropolitan Expressway Commission
Elaine D. Abel
William W. Rucks, III
Rob Guidry
Mickey Mangham
Tex Plumley
Gregg Gothreaux

Waterworks District North
Patrick Credeur (works for the school board)

Convention & Visitors Commission
Margaret Rucks
MaryBeth Lowry
Rob Davis

Library Board
Lee Verret
Pat Logan
Bennett Bernard

LPTFA
Eloise Gauthier
Cliffe Laborde, III

LEDA
Bill Fenstemaker
Max Hoyt
Sandy Kaplan
Carl Bauer
John Freeman

Natural History Museum
Dr. Huey McCauley
David Andrus
Connie Welch
Roma Grinnel
Harold Domingue

Parks & Recreation
Charlie Buckels
Travis Farrar
Johnnie Stinson
Todd Weber
Harold Porter
Barbara Lambert
Walter Guillory
Richard Chalmers
Rev. Harry Benefiel

Planning Commission
Keith Miller

Police Alarm Board
Mary Goody

GOTT & HAC
Louise Logan

Preservation Commission
Louis Cornay
Nedra Andrus

EXTERNAL LINK

alexandria, la slide show gallery

via: alex cenla

EXTERNAL LINK

H.R.3320 rodney alexander, charles boustany, wm. jefferson, charlie melancon vote to send $5 million dollars (borrowed from china) to a polish museum

why are republicans voting to send millions of dollars to poland for a museum? notice how every single louisiana republican voted for this bill. do you think that the louisiana media or moon griffon, the clowns on ksyl and the states other rethuglican shills, like, oh, say the nutty professor for one, will confront any of these criminals to hold them accountable and ask them just what the hell they are doing by this?

do you think la gop chairman roger villere will be issuing any press releases chiding the state republicans over their making a mockery of the party's platform? dont hold your breath.

these cretins: richard hugh baker, piyush "bobby" jindal and jim mccrery wont be back in the next congress but they all voted for it too - see house roll call vote 1088 from 14 november 2007.

if you're a republican how can you ever vote for any of these criminals ever again? they are making a fool out of you over and over. do you like being made a fool out of?

what they are doing is criminal - you can call it embezzlement, money laundering, theft by deception or whatever. the united states government is trillions and trillions of dollars in the hole and they are borrowing money from our "enemies" to send it to the other side of the world.

GovTrack.us. H.R. 3320--110th Congress (2007): Support for the Museum of the History of Polish Jews Act of 2007, GovTrack.us (database of federal legislation) (accessed Jul 14, 2008)