Discover Lafayette

By: Jan Swift
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  • Summary

  • The Gateway to South Louisiana
    Discover Lafayette©
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Social Sciences Travel Writing & Commentary
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Episodes
  • Acadiana Vintage Finds – Inaugural Event at Blackham Coliseum October 25 – 27, 2024

    Acadiana Vintage Finds – Inaugural Event at Blackham Coliseum October 25 – 27, 2024
    Oct 18 2024
    Jill McGehee and Amy Broussard of Acadiana Vintage Finds join Discover Lafayette to discuss their inaugural marketplace event to be held October 25 - 27, 2024 at Blackham Coliseum in Lafayette. If you love consignment or thrift shopping, want to do your bit to purchase repurposed items to reduce waste production and conserve resources while supporting sustainable consumer habits, or just love the thrill of the hunt, Acadiana Vintage Finds' offerings will please your tastes. How did this event come about? About two years ago, Jill began mulling over the lack of access to a one-stop shop for unique accessories and vintage items that can be purchased by people on a budget or who want to purchase unique items that have vintage appeal. On the same note, thrift shopping is on the rise nationally and Lafayette has some catching up to do! The thrift store industry in the U.S. generates over $17 billion in revenue annually. A few statistics: The average thrift store item is sold for about 75% less than its original retail price. 56% of thrift store consumers are under the age of 35. 80% of thrift store revenue is reinvested into the local community. It is definitely a real industry to take seriously. With all that said, about a year ago Jill reached out to Amy, her close friend from their Comeaux High days here in Lafayette, to partner with her to pull off this event. The upside is that Acadiana Vintage Finds will offer our community plenty of shopping opportunities for the home and personal apparel, Christmas gifts, and so much more. Acadiana Vintage Finds will feature everything from vintage fashion to antique treasures, handmade wonders, and gourmet delights. Repurposed furniture and lamps, new baby clothes, and uniqe jewelry will be found. This type of shopping is such a delightful to find unique ways to upgrade your home and fashion while keeping within a budget. Whether you’re a vintage lover, treasure hunter, or just love discovering unique items, there’s something here for everyone! Patrons can purchase a 3-day parking pass for $13.00 or a one day pass on Sunday for $10.00 where you will find all the markdowns from merchandise for sale on the last day. Vendors will be offering clothing & accessories, furniture and home decor, photography and artwork, collectibles and memorabilia, and there will be food truck offering delicious eats! Visit here to purchase a parking pass. According to the Journal of Antiques and Collectibles, 2024 was poised to be a year where vintage and retro trends took center stage. From the resurgence of '90s nostalgia in fashion to the revival of retrocolor palettes in interior design, this year promised a celebration of the past. Designers are reimagining classic elements with fresh, playful styles, making Acadiana Vintage Finds the perfect destination for those seeking to embrace these trends. Blake Brodhead of Primary Artworks will be offering his unique designs. Banannie Bands, pictured above, will offer children's items at Acadiana Vintage Finds. When: October 25-27, 2024 Time: Friday & Saturday 10 AM- 4 PM; Sunday 10 AM- 3 PM Where: Blackham Coliseum, Lafayette, LA Cajun Cuisine will be joining the event as a food truck vendor at Acadiana Vintage Finds. For more information and to purchase a parking pass, visit https://www.acadianavintagefinds.com/.
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    31 mins
  • Ochsner Lafayette General’s Patrick Gandy and Marie Lukaszeski – Transforming the Delivery of Healthcare for our Region

    Ochsner Lafayette General’s Patrick Gandy and Marie Lukaszeski – Transforming the Delivery of Healthcare for our Region
    Oct 11 2024
    Ochsner Lafayette General's Patrick Gandy and Marie Lukaszeski join Discover Lafayette to discuss the hospital system's careful growth and planned design to meet the needs of the region today and into the future. The only Level II Trauma Center in Southwest Louisiana, its services extend to patients "from the bayou to the border," stretching along I-10. Incredibly, the hospital system treats 255,000 unique patients per year. Patrick Gandy, a licensed CPA who has been with the organization for 31 years, began serving as President and CEO of in March 2021. He previously served in several senior management positions at Ochsner Lafayette General Medical Center, Ochsner Lafayette General Surgical Hospital and Ochsner Lafayette General Imaging. His tenure as CEO began right after Lafayette General Health merged with Ochsner Health of New Orleans in September 2020, and he successfully led the hospital system through the trying times of the pandemic. A native of Shreveport, Patrick loves the community and says he has been "happily married to a girl from Arnaudville since 1998." Marie Lukaszeski, Director of Planning and Design, is an Arnaudville native who graduated in Interior Design at UL-Lafayette (formerly USL) in 1995. She is certified by the American Academy of Healthcare Interior Designers ("AAHID"), the highest standard for the knowledge needed and experience required to address acute, ambulatory and residential care environments. After working with other industry professionals and a local architectural firm, Marie opened Interior Design Solutions in 2009 and became a consultant to Lafayette General. They began a series of expansions to meet the growing demands of the healthcare landscape, including expansions to its surgical platform and Emergency Department. Her service as Facilitator and Project Manager overseeing the projects was so successful that Patrick jokes, "We wanted her all the time!" So Marie and her team joined the healthcare system in 2015. Marie Lukaszeski is an artist at heart and in practice, and she brings that aesthetically pleasing touch to Ochsner Lafayette General's design concepts! "There was a study done with prisoners that showed that blues and greens were more calming to your physiology than reds and yellows. We tend to go with a soothing, neutral palate for our interiors. But most of my time goes into ensuring that our spaces are safe, help the staff interact easily, and function successfully. I work with third party vendors and a whole team of Security, IT, and FF & E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) people to make sure that vital equipment, patient beds, etc. to make sure that the building is being designed to meet our standards. We have to meet licensing standards mandated by the State of Louisiana." Ochsner Lafayette General has a rich history of significant contributions to our community's well-being. It began in 1911 as a 6-bed sanitarium and has grown into an 8-hospital health system, the regional hub for Ochsner, and a leader in healthcare. Patrick mentioned the health system's three core principles that define its mission: "First, we are always focused on patients first and then create our organization around their needs. Second, Transparency in everything we do is incredibly important as a philosophy for our organization. Third, We have to constantly evolve and assess how we can best adapt our business model to take care of our patients. " The first major milestone in Lafayette General's growth was in 2009 when it acquired St. Martin Hospital in Breaux Bridge. Patrick says "It was the first hospital outside of Lafayette. That was the beginning of us becoming a regional healthcare system in South Central Louisiana. That was a defining moment for us as well as rural healthcare in Acadiana. We want to invest in whatever a local community can support because local healthcare is the best healthcare." U.S. News & World Report named Ochsner Lafayette General Me...
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    1 hr and 10 mins
  • Shelley Delahoussaye – Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center

    Shelley Delahoussaye – Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Center
    Oct 4 2024
    Shelley Delahoussaye, Supervisor of the Lafayette Animal Shelter & Care Center, joins Discover Lafayette to share her passion and love of animals and how the animal shelter works to save as any animals as possible while searching for loving and safe environments for them. A graduate of UL - Lafayette, Shelley earned a bachelor’s degree in Animal Science. After working in private vet clinics, she was hired in 2017 by the Lafayette Animal Shelter as an Adoption, Foster, and Rescue Coordinator. One year later, she was promoted to Shelter Supervisor. She has always had a passion for animals. Prior to Shelley’s leadership, the save rate for dogs was 47% and cats a low 9%. In 2016 when former Mayor-President Joel Robideaux ran for office, he campaigned on the idea of NO-Kill 2020, an initiative to which he dedicated focus and support to make it happen. Through changes made under Shelley’s supervision, the shelter achieved a 90.3% save rate by 2020, and has maintained that rate ever since. Even with this success, there is still a continuing glut of stray animals in our community and the work of Lafayette Animal Shelter is critical. Pictured above is the beautiful Lafayette Animal Shelter and Care Facility. Designed by Architects Beasley Moliere, the front entrance is separated into two wings: the surrender side and the adoption side. While Shelley originally questioned this decision, she quickly realized how important it is to keep the interactions separate. "The Surrender side is sad, with frantic owners looking for their pets. The Adoption side is happy, with people looking for a pet to love and care for." Prior to COVID, other states around the country would take many of our stray animals as there was a shortage of pets. Nationally, there is a trend of more responsible pet ownership and laws enforcing spay/neuter, as well as restrictions on breeders as to how many animals can be bred and how often, thus reducing the overpopulation. But now post-COVID, the shelters around the U. S. are also full and can't take our strays. "It's important to get to the root of the stray population, which is access to low-cost spay and neuter. Wild Cat SpayNation for dogs and cats is the only nonprofit low-cost spay/neuter provider that services all of Acadiana. They can only do so much. Many people want to do better by their pets but can't afford it. Please donate to them!" Lafayette Animal Shelter takes in approximately 5000 animals each year. And they get in not only dogs and cats, but potbellied pigs, goats, horses, cattle, bunnies and chickens. Shelley joked that recently her team nicknamed the facility "Old MacDonald's Farm" because of the variety of barnyard animals they took in. Luckily that week they found homes for 10 chickens, 3 potbellied pigs, 3 goats, and a horse! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34TI_obzQj8 Shelley Delahoussaye on how to prepare adequately for your pet's safety as a storm or hurricane approaches. Adopted animals are neutered, fully vaccinated and microchipped before you take them home. "It's a great deal," Shelley says, and "The animals receive about $600 worth of vet treatment before they go to their new home." Adoption fees are $35 for dogs and $25 for cats. Seniors and military vets can adopt at no charge. Any pets who have been at the Animal Shelter over 30 days can be adopted for free and when the shelter gets full, adoption fees are waived. "We want them in good homes without financial barriers." Thanks to BISSELL Pet Foundation and Cathy Bissell- all adoption fees are WAIVED until October 15, 2024. The ratio of cats and dogs in the shelter is approximately 50% each. About 800 of the 5000 animals who arrive annually are owner-surrendered each year. For some, the owner tried to rehome them with no success, and other owners find themselves in a situation where they have to get rid of the pet immediately and turn to the Shelter as a last resort.
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    1 hr and 7 mins

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