Tag: Houma

Rougarou Fest Unleashed Howls of Fun, Hot Air Balloons, and Trick-or-Treating

Houma, Louisiana recently witnessed a howling good time as the 12th annual Rougarou Fest took center stage, offering a captivating blend of tricks, treats, and high-flying adventure. The festival spanned an entire weekend, captivating attendees from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. This enchanting event unfolded in the vicinity of the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, The Courtyard Marriot, and the Terrebonne Parish Library Main Branch. According to this article from Houma Today, Rougarou Fest is a unique celebration that has become a hallmark of the Houma community and a key fundraiser for the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center.

The notion of a howl-off, a contest where participants unleash their most spine-tingling howls, was sparked by the festival’s poster art, according to Jonathan Foret, the festival’s founder. He revealed, “The Rougarou howling is sort of the inspiration of, ‘Let’s do a howling contest.’ I can’t believe it took me 12 years to come to that one.” The howl-off took place on Friday evening at 8 p.m., with participants vying for the coveted first, second, and third-place titles in both the adult and children’s categories, each receiving a prestigious medal.

Adding to the festive ambiance, trick-or-treating was scheduled for 6 p.m. on Friday, offering kids a chance to don their spookiest costumes and collect delectable goodies. But that’s not all. The event also promised an exhilarating adventure with hot air balloon rides available on both Friday and Saturday, running from 5 to 9 p.m. on both days. The festival’s diverse array of events and their respective timings can be found in detail on the official Rougarou Fest website, offering visitors a comprehensive schedule to plan their visit accordingly.

Rougarou Fest began its journey in 2012, serving as the primary annual fundraiser for the South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center in Houma. Named after the legendary bayou werewolf, the festival is an ode to the rich folklore that thrives along the bayous of Southeast Louisiana. Over the years, it has evolved into a grand celebration, featuring a mesmerizing parade, a highly competitive costume contest, Cajun culinary delights, and enlightening discussions on local folklore, all accompanied by fascinating exhibits.

The South Louisiana Wetlands Discovery Center, the beneficiary of the festival’s proceeds, is a non-profit organization dedicated to revolutionizing how we perceive, educate, and learn about the disappearing coastal regions of Louisiana. It stands as a testament to the collective efforts of the community to conserve and protect these precious wetlands.

Rougarou Fest’s outstanding contributions to the local culture and its commitment to environmental awareness have earned it recognition on various platforms. In 2014, USA Today ranked it as one of the Top 10 Costume Parties in the United States. In 2015 and 2019, the Southeast Tourism Society acknowledged it as one of the Top 20 Events among 11 states for the month of October. Further, the festival received the title of Best New Event in the state of Louisiana in 2015, as awarded by the Louisiana Association of Fairs and Festivals. And most recently, in 2020 and 2023, the Louisiana Travel Association bestowed upon it the esteemed honor of being the Festival of the Year.

In summary, Rougarou Fest is an enchanting celebration that brings the vibrant folklore of Louisiana’s bayous to life. With thrilling howl-offs, hot air balloon rides, and delightful trick-or-treating, this event is a true testament to the region’s cultural richness and its dedication to preserving the invaluable wetlands. It’s no wonder that Rougarou Fest has garnered accolades and has become a beloved tradition in the hearts of the Houma community.

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The Houma Language Project Works to Study and Revitalize Indigenous Houma Language

Started after co-founders Hali Dardar and Colleen Billiot heard a 1970’s audiotape of two women singing the “Alligator Song” in a native Houma language. The Houma Language Project is a collaborative effort that has worked to both study and revitalize the indigenous Houma language of “Uma,” according to this Houmatoday feature article.

Before the state of Louisiana was colonized and named, there were various languages spoken in the region by the natives who lived here. There were so many languages that the area was known as “Bulbancha,” which is Choctawfor “place of many tongues.” The Houma Language Project aims to make more Louisiana residents aware of the fact that a variety of native tongues existed in Louisiana well before colonization.

As of 2022, the Uma language of Houma, Louisiana has no active speakers, meaning that the Houma Language Project has very limited information to work with. In fact, most of their information comes from the 16th and 17th centuries. Luckily, the team members’ research has helped them to develop open resources like Anũpa’ Estwasúhah(which the Houmatoday article refers to as the Uma version of Wordle), a dictionary app, keyboard and pronunciation guides.

Colleen Billiot, a co-founder of the Houma Language Project, was originally inspired to learn more after hearing her own great grandmother, Elvira Billiot, sing on that 1970’s audiotape. She spoke about the project to WWNO Radio’s Kezia Setyawan, saying that team members have worked to reconstruct the Uma language in order to reflect what their ancestors would have actually said to one another. Billiot said, “it’s all done with so much on your mind about culture, heritage, and ancestral teachings. We always are looking forward and back for several generations and just trying to make sure that we’re doing the best we can in the space and time we have.”

In reanalyzing and essentially recrafting the Uma language, Billiot referred to her work as quite insightful, as it has given her a deeper understanding and insight into what Louisiana society was like when the language was actively utilized. She said, “we also put a great deal of thought into every word that we create. Even the rebuilding and reclaiming, you’re piecing together the language and the very rules and premises we follow for it. Muskogee languages, including Uma, are very verb-focused. It’s very intentional that the action is sort of more important than the who and the noun or what’s being acted upon.”

The Houma Language Project has recently had its first set of interns complete their Youth Language Internships, an opportunity that sprouted from an $84,000 federal grant for the United Houma Nation and the Houma Language Project. This grant was originally sourced from the Administration for Native Americans as part of the American Rescue Plan, the Congressional bill that was passed in March as a way of stimulating the United States economy to help it recover from the pandemic. The $84,000 federal grant focused on helping to both develop and save indigenous language efforts across the country.

Most of the volunteers for the Houma Language Project and all of the interns are Houma tribe members. Houma Language Project team member Brittany Verdin Jimenez spoke about how the internship has been an opportunity to create much-needed Native representation, which is something that she relayed isn’t available to them in a traditional school setting. Jiminenz said, “we’re still here, we still have stuff to share with our people. We are still doing everything we can to make sure that the next generation thrives.”

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Terrebonne General Health System Receives Recognition for Leading Tech

It was recently announced by the Terrebonne General Health System that for the second year in a row, they have earned the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired recognition by The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME), according to this article from the HoumaTimes.

For the second consecutive year, Terrebonne General Health System was awarded the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired recognition, and this year they were additionally recognized as being a certified level eight out of ten in two separate categories: acute and ambulatory care. Furthermore, Terrebonne General Health System is the only health system in the region to receive this designation two years in a row.

The College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) recognized Terrebonne General for innovations like their top-rated EPIC medical records system and their MyChart patient portal, which provides patients with instant access to medical records. They were also recognized for their Terrebonne Connect Bar, a system that pairs patients with technology so they can manage their health on the go.

Terrebonne General Health System’s President and CEO, Phyllis Peoples, commented on the recognition by saying, “it is an honor to be recognized with the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired Award for the second consecutive year. This acknowledgment is a true testament to Terrebonne General’s unwavering commitment to offering the latest innovations and technologies to serve our community better.”

Amidst the 38,000 organizations that were surveyed by CHIME, Terrebonne General Health System ranked above its peers in categories such as population health, analytics and data management, infrastructure, and patient engagement. The survey assessed the adoption, integration, and overall impact of technologies in healthcare organizations at all stages of development. These healthcare organizations can be in various stages from early development to industry-leading health systems.

To help organizations improve their performance in eight different aspects (infrastructure; security; business/disaster recovery; administrative/supply chain; analytics/data management; interoperability/population health; patient engagement; and clinical quality), CHIME provided each participating organization with a customized benchmarking report that detailed their strengths and opportunities for improvement via an overall score and scored of the previously listed aspects. Participating organizations are then able to use the scores to identify strengths and opportunities for improvement.

What factors into the quality of patient care? Being mindful of the customer experience and embracing digital innovation are two good answers. The Digital Health Most Wired survey honors healthcare providers who are best at keeping up with digital changes to deliver the best quality healthcare.

CHIME’s Digital Health Most Wired survey and its accompanying recognition program serve as a “comprehensive Digital Health Check-up” to be used by healthcare organizations worldwide. Increasingly, the quality of patient care is determined by success in digital health. The larger scope of the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey is meant to reflect the progress that leading healthcare providers are making as they reinvent how healthcare operates for a new century.

CHIME, the care integration alliance member organization, has been conducting the CHIME Digital Health Most Wired survey and overseeing it for five years. In every successive year, they’ve expanded the study to capture more types of organizations that serve patients across all different levels of care. They also promote this program internationally to give a global overview of digital health advances.

CHIME President and CEO Russell P. Branzell addressed Terrebonne General Health System’s recognition by saying, “we are proud to honor your team’s exceptional dedication to excellence in digital health. Your pioneering performance in the industry inspires other organizations by example. Patients worldwide receive better care when you drive change through digital transformation, as you have proven through your success in this rigorous program.”

Due to their achievement, Terrebonne General Health System will be recognized at CHIME 22 in San Antonio, Texas this fall.

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A New Board is Hoping to Revitalize Downtown Houma

Recently, a new nine-member board created by the Terrebonne Parish Council has begun its mission to revive and revitalize downtown Houma, according to this article from Houmatoday.

 Created earlier this year by the Louisiana State Legislature as a result of a bill introduced by Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, this board has begun to appoint new members, such as Houma’s Kevin Champagne, in its effort to bring more shops, restaurants, and foot traffic to Houma’s potentially vibrant downtown scene. The board, which has yet to have all 9 of its members appointed for their 6-year terms, has a starting budget of about $1 million, and it holds the authority to purchase, repair, and sell property and buildings in downtown Houma in its efforts to inject life into its culture and economy. This board would also have authority within the Houma Restoration District, which is defined by the law as Main and Park avenues from Morgan Street to Grand Caillou Road.

Members of this board will each serve a six-year term without being paid, and these members will be appointed by the Terrebonne Parish Council, Terrebonne Parish President, state lawmakers representing the area, the Chamber of Commerce, the Houma Downtown Development Corporation, and the Houma Historic Preservation District.

In order for Houma’s downtown area to build back up to its full potential after suffering various degrees of detrimental loss from recent Hurricanes, members of the board will have to be determined, spirited, and supplied with an enthusiastic vision of what Main Street could look like in its full economic glory. Luckily, one such advocate for this future was recently appointed by the Terrebonne Parish Council to this cause after he volunteered. Kevin Champagneis the head of MacDonnell Children’s Services, an organization that provides shelter and an array of other programs for youths who come from troubled homes.

Champagne voiced his support for revitalizing downtown Houma by saying, “t​​he whole purpose of the board is for historic preservation and economic development, and those are two things that are important to me. I’m on the chamber, I’m part of the Rotary Club and just invested in the community. I grew up here and I want to make sure we leave something for my children and the community.” When asked what sparked his interest in volunteering to be a member of the downtown revitalization board, Champagne attributed the reason to his being a resident of Houma’s east side, and he wanted to ensure that his portion of the town was represented.

One potentially key milestone in the effort to reshape downtown Houma is the potential deal between the State of Louisiana and Terrebonne Parish to swap Main Street for another road, which would allow the present Main Street to no longer be plagued by heavy amounts of traffic, which according to business owners has dissuaded patrons and shoppers from the area.

The creator of House Bill 780, Rep. Tanner Magee, is an advocate for this approach since it redesigns the traffic and flow of downtown Houma, potentially setting the stage for a comeback. When speaking on this vision, Magee said, “I’m not slouching on what we currently have — I mean, Ida took a toll, but it probably wasn’t all that great before, so I think we need to get it going again. That’s kind of the dream here, to have a vibrant downtown with lots of buildings, lots of diversity, and kind of the people who work and live down here. The idea is to get all these [derelict properties] back into private hands and back into commerce, but if there’s something that’s being stuck, that this entity can buy it, maybe renovate it or even do some innovative ideas like some sort of business incubator.”

Another stakeholder in the future of downtown Houma is Parish Councilwoman Jessica Domangue, who is from Houma. Councilwoman Domangue expressed her excitement by saying, “for us as a government, Terrebonne Parishis so big and Main Street is one little piece of that, and so the focus of government cannot always be on Main Street. It’s going to bring a freshness, a new perspective because let’s be honest with ourselves, we’ve been trying to do the same thing over and over and over for many years and it just hasn’t worked.”

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Bayou Community Foundation Awards Funds to Local Nonprofits

Recently, over thirty nonprofit organizations that provide social services to the communities of Terrebonne, Lafourche, and Grand Isle were awarded grants totaling over $300,000 by the Bayou Community Foundation, according to this feature article from Houma Today.

In total, The Bayou Community Foundation (BCF) awarded $327,100 in grants to 32 nonprofit organizations that have been working diligently in the wake of Hurricane Ida to provide social services to local communities.  These grants come from the Foundation’s 2022 Annual Grants Program, and the awarded grant money is used to fund the distribution of food and medicine, resources for baby supplies and parenting, housing for the homeless and women in crisis, mental health counseling, addiction recovery programs, education and job training for at-risk youth, and plenty of other services that assist residents who were most impacted after Hurricane Ida.

Henry Lafont, the President of the Bayou Community Foundation Henry Lafont spoke on the importance of awarding these grants by saying, “faced with unimaginable challenges in the wake of Hurricane Ida, nonprofit organizations are working harder and shining brighter than ever before. Today, Bayou Community Foundation celebrates the local nonprofits that work tirelessly to help the neediest among us and demonstrate the compassion and resiliency of our unique Bayou community. Thanks to the amazing generosity of our donors, BCF is delighted to fund $327,100 in grants to 32 organizations that are feeding the hungry, sheltering the homeless, protecting the vulnerable, and making our entire community an even better place to call home.”

This year’s awarding of $327,100 in grants adds to the grand total of $1.97 million that has been distributed across 242 grants since 2013. These grants have been awarded for the past 9 years as a part of the Foundation’s Annual Grants Program. This year, the Program received donations from many individuals, families, and businesses local to Terrebonne, Lafourche, and Jefferson Parishes, including The Callais Family Fund, The Gheens Foundation, and Chevron.

The Public Affairs Manager for Chevron’s Gulf of Mexico Business Unit, Leah Brown, spoke about the business’s donating by saying, “at Chevron, we believe in contributing to the communities where we live and work. We’re proud to support the Bayou Community Foundation and its mission to build and sustain Lafourche Parish, Terrebonne Parish, and Grand Isle. We look forward to seeing the positive impact these grants will produce in the near term, as well as what we can continue to accomplish together in the future.”

One specific nonprofit organization that received an award grant was Lifted by Love, an organization that will use its $14,000 grant to help to provide transitional housing for 25 young mothers who are aging out of foster care with their children. Lifted by Love’s executive director Amanda Oden was able to put the organization’s grant award into logistical terms by saying that the BCF “grant will support our current efforts to provide housing for mothers and their babies, and fund our new Diaper Bank to distribute diapers, wipes, and formula and fill basic baby needs that are costly and in short supply.”

In total, 32 organizations received award grants from the Bayou Community Foundation during a ceremony that was held at the Larose Civic Center in July 2022. The full list of award winners can be found here.

The Executive Director of BCF Jennifer Armand talked about the significance of the awarding ceremony, “this is truly the most wonderful day of the year for Bayou Community Foundation as we witness the power of philanthropy at work! With generous gifts to our Grants Fund and Bayou Recovery Fund, donors have opened their hearts and pocketbooks to help sustain these critical nonprofit programs and support our community on our road to recovery. We thank our grantees for their important work and our donors for making today’s grants possible. Giving makes great things happen!”

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2nd Annual Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie to be held in Downtown Houma

There’s simply no event like a proper South Louisiana Boucherie, and this year a local nonprofit is working hard to bring the second annual Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie to downtown Houma, according to HoumaToday.

For the uninitiated, a Boucherie, which is the french term for a butcher’s shop, is a cajun tradition that’s unique to South Louisiana in that it involves a community coming together over a day or weekend to properly prepare, butcher, and cook a large hog in as many ways as possible. What results is a raving good time of making delicious meals out of every part of the pig imaginable: the ultimate barbeque.

Luckily for those living in close proximity to downtown Houma, the Hache Grant Association, a local nonprofit, is organizing the second annual Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie to be held on March 12th from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Other than delicious food to enjoy, the event will also feature a variety of live music performances, a cook-off, the 2nd annual Pedro tournament, and a “bayou-themed competition called the ‘Cajun Cup.” General admission to the event will be free, and all pork is set to be excellently prepared by Bourgeois Meat Market, Cajun Meat Market, and Big Mike’s BBQ Smokehouse.

The “Cajun Cup,” sponsored by GATR Coolers, is an event that sees “locals compete and put their Cajun merit to the test” via a pirogue race, chicken catch, duck call competition, casting competition, 20 penny nail drive, and an axe throw. The event is also being called the Olympic trials of the event with registration fees set at $100.  Hache Grant Association President Noah Lirette said of the cajun equivalent of the Olympic games, “whether you’re participating or just spectating, it’s a lot of fun.”

Taking place at the event will be a white-bean cookoff, sponsored by Richard’s Kitchen Store. The cook-off will see participating teams compete to cook dishes centered around the delicious white navy bean. Interested persons wanting to participate in the white-bean cookoff need only sign up a team of up to four people by messaging theHache Grant Association’s Facebook Page or via email. Team registration can occur up until the day before the Boucherie with registration fees also set at $100.

Music performances for the Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie are set to last throughout the event: beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 10 p.m. DJ Doug Funnie will start the event, serving as the emcee, and then MJ Dardar Music will take the stage from 10-12 p.m, No Posers from 12-2 p.m, the Dream Junkies from 2-4 p.m, Adam Pearce Music from 4-6 p.m, the Tyron Benoit Band from 6-8 p.m, and Nonc Nu & Da Wild Matous will close out the event from 8-10 p.m.

Last year’s inaugural Bayou Terrebonne Boucherie was certainly seen as a successful event for the community, and not just because of the food served or the turnout, but this is because the event also served as a fundraising event to rebuild the historic downtown Houma bandstand. As a result of the first event, the Hache Grant Association was formed with the mission and purpose of “facilitating specific, actionable and measurable revitalization initiatives to enhance Terrebonne Parish.” Association President Noah Lirette told HoumaToday that proceeds from this year’s Boucherie will also benefit such projects.

The Terrebonne Parish Council approved the Hache Grant Association’s construction of the replica bandstand in December 2021. The replica’s recreated design will be based on the appearance of the original bandstand as seen in historical photographs. Though it’s still in the building permit process, the Hache Grant Association plans to soon seek bids for the bandstand’s reconstruction this spring, with the replica being available for public use upon completion.

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