Latest news with #CajunFrench
San Francisco Chronicle
17-07-2025
- Politics
- San Francisco Chronicle
Louisiana cancels $3B repair coastal restoration funded by Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana officially canceled a $3 billion coastal restoration funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement money, state and federal agencies confirmed Thursday. The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project had been intended to rebuild upward of 20 square miles (32 kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana to combat sea level rise and erosion on the Gulf Coast. The money must be used on coastal restoration and it was not immediately clear if the $618 million the state has already spent will have to be returned, as federal trustees warned last year. Conservation groups and other supporters of the project stressed it was an ambitious, science-based approach to mitigating the worst effects of a vanishing coastline in a state where a football field of land is lost every 100 minutes. The project would have diverted sediment-laden water from the Mississippi River to restore wetlands disappearing due to a range of factors including climate-change induced sea level rise and a vast river levee system that choked off natural land regeneration. 'The science has not changed, nor has the need for urgent action,' said Kim Reyher, executive director of the Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana. 'What has changed is the political landscape.' While the project had largely received bipartisan support and was championed by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, Republican Gov. Jeff Landry became a vocal opponent after taking office last year. He recoiled at the price and amplified concerns that the massive influx of freshwater would destroy fisheries that local communities rely on for their livelihoods. Landry has said the project would 'break' Louisiana's culture of shrimp and oyster harvesting and compared it to government efforts a century ago to punish schoolchildren for speaking Cajun French. 'We fought this battle a long time, but Gov. Landry is the reason we won this battle," said Mitch Jurisich, chair of the Louisiana Oyster Task Force, who was suing the state over the project's environmental impacts. 'He really turned the tide.' The Louisiana Trustee Implementation Group, a coalition of federal agencies overseeing settlement funds from the 2010 Gulf oil spill, said in a Thursday statement that the Mid-Barataria project is 'no longer viable' for a range of reasons including litigation and the suspension of a federal permit after the state issued a stop-work order on the project. A spokesperson for Louisiana's Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority confirmed to The Associated Press that the state is canceling the project.
Axios
16-06-2025
- General
- Axios
Louisiana's most popular languages besides English and Spanish
French remains the most commonly spoken language in Louisiana, other than English and Spanish, per new census data. Why it matters: That reflects our state's settlement and colonization, as well as modern efforts to maintain Louisiana's Francophone history. The intrigue: The census offers two categories for French speakers to select from: French, or "Cajun French and other French languages." That represents a push in recent years to recognize that Francophone languages and dialects in Louisiana are distinct from those spoken elsewhere. Kouri-Vini, for instance, is considered a "sister language of Louisiana French." By the numbers: Census data reflecting the 2017 to 2021 period shows that 57,640 people said they speak French at home, compared with 14,020 who said they speak "Cajun French and other French languages." (Worth noting: Louisiana's dot in the chart represents just one category of French speakers.) "Vietnamese and other Austro-Asiatic languages" are also among the most popular with 24,700 speakers. Arabic speakers numbered at 11,490. Between the lines: Spanish is far and away the predominant non-English language nationwide but putting it aside offers insight into other groups and population centers around the country. The big picture: Chinese, Tagalog and Vietnamese are the three most commonly spoken languages across the nation, other than English and Spanish, according to the data. Between the lines: Many multilingual people speak one language at home with family, but use English at work, school and elsewhere.
American Press
06-05-2025
- General
- American Press
Charles 'Bert' Berton Boudreaux
Charles Berton 'Bert' Boudreaux, 88, left his earthly home and entered the gates of heaven on Thursday, May 1, 2025. He was surrounded by his family and cared for by the kind staff of The Gardens of Lake Charles. Born June 13, 1936, raised in East Creole, he attended Creole High until the 12th grade. Cajun French being his native language, he learned English in first grade. As one of the first altar boys in Creole, Bert served faithfully from age 10 through the 10th grade, assisting at mass three days a week, before school. The priest would pick him up for mass at Our Lady of the Marsh in Chenier Perdue, followed by a second mass at Sacred Heart. Bert spent 30 years working in the oil industry as a Production Foreman for Conoco, both offshore and at the Grand Chenier plant, before retiring in 1985 at just 48 years old. During those years, he also worked for Cameron Construction on his days off. In August 1985, he built his second shrimp boat, 'Captain Kyle,' in his backyard; a project he took great pride in. He later returned to the oil field to work for Steen Production, until his second retirement in 1992. He coached a men's baseball league in Cameron and was an active member of the Cameron Knights of Columbus Council 5461 for over 20 years, later transferring to Christ the King for his remaining years. Bert was instrumental in building Our Lady Star of the Sea Catholic Church in Cameron. He enjoyed carpentry and watching the New Orleans Saints and LSU Tigers. In June 1957, Hurricane Audrey washed away lower Cameron Parish. After three weeks, Bert discovered the love of his life, Betty, had survived. He wasted no time; on July 20, 1957, just one day ahead of their originally scheduled ceremony, they married. Bert and Betty shared 64 years of unwavering love until her passing. His devotion to his wife, children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren defined his life, family was everything to him They loved to travel with their kids and grandkids, their favorites being Washington DC, Gatlinburg, and Branson, where they visited many times. He was known for his kindness, forgiveness, and generosity, but above all, for his endless love. Bert had a remarkable mind and a gift for storytelling, often reminiscing about his childhood, growing up in two large Cajun families, the Boudreauxs and the Richards, with more than 50 first cousins. His memories were rich, his heart full, and his legacy one of deep love and connection. Bert leaves to continue his legacy one daughter, Wendy (Dwight) Savoie of Grand Lake; one son, Kevin (Susan) Boudreaux of Creole; three granddaughters, Jendi (Travis) Benoit of Lake Charles, Alexis (Mitch) Smith of Carlyss, Sarah (Corey) Adams of White, Ga.; one grandson, Keaton Boudreaux of Creole; three great-grandsons and two great-granddaughters; two great-great-grandsons; numerous nieces and nephews, and Godchild, Christine Boudreaux Bertrand of Lake Charles. He is preceded in death by his wife, Betty Murphy Boudreaux; parents, Charles Boudreaux and Larica 'Chun' Richard Boudreaux of Creole; one brother, Perry Boudreaux, and one sister, Viola Bourriaque, all of Creole. The family will welcome relatives and friends at Hixson Funeral Home of Lake Charles on Tuesday, May 6, 2025 beginning at 3 p.m. until 8 p.m. with a rosary to be prayed at 6 p.m. Visitation will resume at the funeral home on Wednesday, May 7, 2025 at 10 a.m. until the procession leaves for the church at 1:30 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Creole at 3 p.m. Burial will follow at Sacred Heart Catholic Cemetery. Father Wayne Lebleu will officiate at the services. Pallbearers will be Keaton Boudreaux, Colby Benoit, Luke Benoit, Gregory Boudreaux, Jimmy Kelly and Paul Alexander. Please leave fond memories for the Boudreaux family at
San Francisco Chronicle
24-04-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
New French restaurant moving into embattled Wine Country space
A new Wine Country restaurant will mark the end of a dramatic legal battle that unfolded this year following the shocking closure of a popular Italian eatery. French restaurant Bistro Lagniappe will open in Healdsburg in May in the space (330 Healdsburg Ave., Healdsburg) left empty by Molti Amici, which closed suddenly last November, only 16 months after opening. Shortly after it shuttered, the Chronicle revealed that Molti Amici, which earned a Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide, was in significant financial distress, losing more than $600,000 in its first year. In February, Molti Amici investment partner Jason Cutrer sued founder and SingleThread alum Jonny Barr for more than $1.5 million in damages, alleging that fraud and embezzlement led to the restaurant's demise. Barr denied the allegations; earlier this month, the case was dismissed at Cutrer's request. In a joint statement to the Chronicle from Cutrer and Barr, the former partners said that the dispute had been 'amicably resolved.' Molti Amici had a 10-year lease, so Cutrer created an entirely new concept, though he said he would not be involved in operations. Lagniappe is a Cajun French word that translates to 'a little gift' or 'something extra,' such as a bonus pepper gifted by a farmers market vendor when you've purchased a dozen. The restaurant's striking outdoor oven — which predates Molti Amici and originally belonged to the locally beloved Campo Fina — will now be used to cook wood-fired dishes such as cassoulet, petrale sole and roasted chicken. Chef Jacob Hearth, best known for launching seafood restaurant Erizo in Portland, will lead the kitchen.
Yahoo
12-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
What is the historical significance of the New Iberia Spanish Festival?
IBERIA PARISH, LA (KLFY) — For those who wonder why the New Iberia Spanish Festival takes place considering the Cajun French culture is so strong in the area, the New Iberia Spanish culture is rooted deep in the city's history as well. New Iberia's roots began in 1779 when Spanish settlers, who were majority young men, chose to leave Spain for religious freedom. They came along the Bayou Teche and settled right here and founded New Iberia. Years later, French settlers came from nova scotia and settled here as well. Chacelyn Peltier, the 2025 Spanish Festival Queen, spoke about the history and how we got here today. She said when the French came in, they had a lot of people including women. 'Who were the (Spanish) men hanging out with? The young French women. Then they had kids. Then who takes care of them? Who takes care of the family, the women. So, the Spanish language was very, very quickly eradicated in our in our area. That is how our Spanish heritage kind of got wiped and pushed to the side.' Peltier explained. In 2009, New Iberia received a letter from Alhaurín De La Torre, Málaga, Spain where the Spanish settlers originally came from. They wanted New Iberia to be known as its sister city. In 2012, they wanted to visit New Iberia. With nothing to show for its Spanish roots, festival was born. Since then, years of traditions have come to New Iberia, like the church alley crochet ceiling. Madison Verret, the 2025 Spanish Festival Deb Queen, said the crochet ceiling has been getting added to it every year for the past four years. 'We got it from our sister city in Spain, and they do it every summer. They made a wish that we would do it like New Iberia would do it, and we made that wish come true. Now we have been doing the crochet ceiling for four years.' Verret said. Peltier said this festival is a significant part of New Iberia understanding its history and roots alive. 'If we stop, even if the sugarcane festival wouldn't happen anymore, we would still grow sugarcane. Those are still so, so important, but it's different in that fact that if we don't keep on living it, it will die away and go away again.' Peltier said. New Iberia will be celebrating the Spanish Festival all weekend with Saturday's festivities going on all day and Sunday open until 5p.m. Trump says he would respect Supreme Court decision to return wrongly deported man Mendoza Ford raffle raises $120,000 for Vermilion Parish schools What is the historical significance of the New Iberia Spanish Festival? 2025-2026 LPSS Revised Dress Code For Students Notre Dame High School improving the Pioneer Legacy Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
