CenLamar | Est. 2006

  • Wal-Mart: America’s Company

    Earlier this week, Quint Carriere’s blog, Cenla Antics, hosted a lively and insightful conversation concerning the implications of Wal-Mart and the so-called growth corridor of Alexandria, Highway 28 West. On August 17, Tom Bonnette of The Town Talk reported that the mega-retailer will be opening up its third store in Rapides Parish by 2008, a 185,000 square foot facility to be built on Highway 28 West. The new store is expected to employ nearly 250 people and generate millions of dollars in sales. It should go without saying that Wal-Mart has many detractors; there are numerous watchdog organizations who believe…

  • John Edwards Announces Candidacy for Presidency Today In Louisiana

    After announcing his candidacy for President of the United States earlier this morning from New Orleans’s Upper Ninth Ward, Edwards took part in a live-blogging event on Daily Kos. Here are some excerpts: On the genocide in Darfur: There are lots of things America could do to end the genocide, including enforcement of the no-fly zone so that the Janjaweed militia don’t have air cover. Second is stronger, stricter economic sanctions against the Sudanese government, which supports the militias. And finally, tougher diplomacy with the Chinese, who are propping up the Sudanese government and therby the genocide. On the War…

  • CenLamar: The Year in Review (And Lessons Learned)

    On March 7, 2006, I launched CenLamar as an interactive blogsite. Since then, the site has received well over 100,000 hits and thousands of comments from the community. For this, I am thankful and continually amazed. We’ve covered a wide range of issues– downtown revitalization, smart growth, education, crime, health care, the environment, the cultural arts, affordable housing, and Louisiana state politics. For better or worse, the site also became an important resource for those seeking information or expressing their opinion on the race for Alexandria mayor. 2006 was an exciting year for Central Louisiana. Alexandria elected its first new…