[StBernard] Office Opened For Returning Businesses

[Westley Annis]

Office Opened For Returning Businesses 

December 20 , 2005

By: Steve Cannizaro


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St. Bernard Business and Tourism Center will open to assist returnees; Jan.
7 workshop set for returning businesses; mental health counselor added to
staff at parish medical center.

A trailer designed to be an "office away from their office'' for St. Bernard
Parish businesses that haven't gotten back here will soon open in the area
behind the Parish Government Building in Chalmette.

The trailer office directly across from the Council on Aging building, will
be called the St. Bernard Business and Tourism Center, and will be a place
to access email, use a fax machine, copy documents or make and receive phone
calls, according to Charles Ponstein, who is heading up business
redevelopment for parish government.

"The goal is to have computer access for all businesses, as well as fax,
copying machine and a hard line phone,'' and a place where they can check
for messages, said Ponstein, a businessman and former parish president.

"It can be an office away from their regular office until they can come
back,'' Ponstein said.

For now the center will operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. but Ponstein said he
hopes soon to be able to staff the office for the entire day.

Parish Tourism Director Elizabeth "Gidget'' McDougall will operate from the
office, as well as the parish's Economic Development Commission. The phone
numbers of the office will be the two old numbers for the tourism and
economic development offices, 278-4242 and 278-4327, Ponstein said.

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A Jan. 7 workshop for businesses returning to St. Bernard Parish has been
set for 3 p.m. in the Parish Courthouse.

"It's for people who are interested in coming back,'' said Marvin LeBlanc,
an insurance agent who is chairman of the Economic Development working group
for the St. Bernard Citizens Recovery Committee. The committee was set up by
the Parish Council to make recommendations about rebuilding St. Bernard.

LeBlanc said the committee is holding the workshop to hear from business
owners and see what can be done to facilitate their coming back to St.
Bernard.

"We want their ideas on what we need to do to help them,'' LeBlanc said.

"The workshop will include documenting the issues, barriers and
deal-breakers hindering the rebuilding process,'' LeBlanc said. "This is an
opportunity to meet your fellow business owners, contribute to the
rebuilding process and learn about what resoures are available to you.''

LeBlanc can be reached at 1-225-938-4177.

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A clinical social worker will be available through Dec. 28 at the St.
Bernard Medical Center, the triple-wide office trailer in the southeast
corner of the Disaster Relief Center in the Super Wal-Mart parking lot in
Chalmette.

Residents can come in from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. for a free consultation,
according to Capt. Marje Witman of the U.S. Public Health Agency that is
staffing the medical center along with local doctors.

Commander Richard Storch, a clinic social worker, said he is here to meet
with people having difficulty coping with stress caused by the hurricane and
its after effects. Witman said she hopes other social workers will be
available after Storch leaves.