225BatonRouge.com

After receiving a note accusing me of being too “positive” and having too many “lofty hopes” for Baton Rouge, I started thinking about why some people get stuck on only the negative aspects of life. Why do they get stuck on the past? Besides that note, Tommy, my shoe shine man at Militello’s Shoe Repair, was telling me that he reads 225 cover to cover each issue to keep up with what’s going on in the Capital area. “Baton Rouge is changing so fast I almost can’t keep up,” he said.

I agree. And that got me thinking. If someone moved away at the beginning of 2005 and returned today, they would notice countless changes, such as new buildings, restaurants and venues. But if they come back in another year, they will see even more change.

The Hilton Baton Rouge Capital Center promises to become one of the city’s grandest hotels. There will be impressive new condominium developments, like the Crescent at University Lake and Blue Heron Lake cottages, the first condo development in fast-growing Zachary. Churches like Bethany and Healing Place are growing rapidly and expanding facilities. Even some old landmarks are being renewed, like McKinley Middle School. Add to that countless new shops, restaurants and subdivisions and you’ve got a tidal wave of change.

At 225 we’ve been overwhelmed with letters that thank us for being a new voice in Baton Rouge, but those letters also invariably celebrate the changes underway. Of course, as always, there are some people who simply don’t like change. My message to these people is: engage. Take part in the ongoing community dialogue. You may not like the direction things are going, but the process has started, and it’s unstoppable.

Forbes magazine recently wrote college towns like Baton Rouge provide the best lifestyle opportunities. Unlike some congested cities, we have plenty of available real estate, so we’re going to grow faster than most cities in the next 10 years. Couple this with our great food and culture and we’re primed for a bright future. The challenge is making sure we elect leaders who actually lead, and are decisive. It’s critical they get it right, and have the guts to make tough decisions.

Finally, they should be willing to get out of the way so businesses and residents can get on with reinventing and transforming our city and state.

Then it’s up to each of us!

Hollywood is here to stay

The creation of a movie studio in Baton Rouge last month is more than great news for our state. It’s proof the film industry is not just a flash in the pan, but is here to stay. Until now, movies have been filmed here, but all the editing and post-production work, which often takes even longer, is done in California and New York. Baton Rouge will now be able to offer filmmakers a state-of-the art facility where they can complete their movies. Celtic Media Centre gives Hollywood a true foothold in Louisiana. The studio’s execs said it happened largely because of Louisiana’s tax incentives for filmmakers. The studio’s backers will save 15 % of the cost of construction, which will build on rap mogul Master P’s unfinished recording studio near I-12 and Airline Highway. Baton Rouge gets a crucial piece of its film industry puzzle, and a vacant concrete shell gets finished and put into commerce. The benefits are not only tax dollars from movies and the good publicity that comes with film making, but now we’ll be able to attract and keep more permanent workers to support the film industry.

Brendan O’Connor of Celtic Group had the vision. Until then, others had only discussd it. He should be applauded—he managed to harness our great natural resources which are so attractive to moviemakers, the state’s handsome tax incentives, and the entrepreneurial spirit it takes to make things happen.

FEMA’s dirty little secret

Who would have thought that six months later the debate would still rage about hurricane evacuees and their temporary housing in trailer parks? Even after in-depth coverage, we still don’t really know much about life inside a FEMA trailer park. So we sent freelance writer and author Chuck Hustmyre to write a straightforward piece about a day in the life of the Groom Road trailer park. What he found was a veil of red tape and secrecy. FEMA officials and their security force made it all but impossible for him to meet park residents and interview them. What does FEMA have to hide? Are FEMA officials worried that the truth about its Groom Road trailer park will make other communities less likely to set up new ones? Check out our cover story and decide for yourself.

Mental Snack of the month:

Progress is a nice word. But change is its motivator, and change has its enemies.

You can reach Publisher Julio Melara at julio@225batonrouge.com