[StBernard] Team led by Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu wins President's Challenge on first day of Redfish Cup; TAILGATE PARTY CONTINUES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

Westley Annis Westley at da-parish.com
Sat Aug 1 09:57:46 EDT 2009


"TEAM TOURISM" - led by Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu wins

President's Challenge Fishing Tournament on first day of Redfish Cup

Public Tailgate Party continues on Saturday and Sunday



Lt. Governor Mitch Landrieu and his team, dubbed TEAM TOURISM, won St.
Bernard Parish President Craig P. Taffaro Jr.'s President's Challenge
Fishing Tournament on the first day of the Redfish Cup in Chalmette.



Snagging two redfish that weighed in at 13.6 pounds, Lt. Gov. Landrieu's
team bested the fishermen on teams hosted by President Taffaro and St.
Bernard Parish Chief Deputy James Pohlmann. All three teams cast off Friday,
July 31 at 6:30 a.m. and returned for the 2:30 p.m. ceremony at the Gulf
Outlet Marina off Paris Road.



When asked on stage at the weigh-in about how he felt about his chances of
beating the other two teams, Will Landrieu, 9-year-old son of Lt. Gov.
Landrieu, grinned and said he was feeling pretty good as he raised the bag
holding the two good-sized fish before the official weighing.



The team gathered on one of the two boats in front of the stage after they
were presented a Redfish Cup trophy handmade of hand beaten metal by local
artist Luis Colmenares of City Art Studios.



The President's Challenge was one of many events surrounding the Redfish Cup
Tournament filmed for ESPN2 being held July 31 through Aug. 2. The event,
held before record breaking crowds in 2004, 2005 and 2008, moved back to its
Chalmette venue this year; last year, it was held at Breton Sound Marina in
St. Bernard.

St. Bernard Parish, the only stop in Louisiana, is one of the five venues
selected to host the tournament. Fifty-six teams of some of the best
professional anglers from all over the South including Florida, Georgia,
Texas and Louisiana will be competing at the Chalmette event for $50,000 to
the 1st place team. The event will feature a "Tailgate Party" festival each
day with local food and refreshments.

"We are excited about our partnership with the Redfish Cup and about having
a chance to showcase our awesome fishing for the world", Parish President
Craig Taffaro said.

Steve Levi, general manager of fishing properties at Career Sports &
Entertainment, the agency that owns the Redfish Cup, said Chalmette is an
important stop on the tour. "Not only is the fishing incredible here, but
St. Bernard Parish always gives us a warm welcome and great community
support," Levi said.

Although the President's Challenge was just a sidelight to the day's
professional fishermen, it gave many of the locals a chance to compete.



Lt. Gov. Landrieu's team included: son Will Landrieu, 9, nephew Ryan Cook,
9, nephew Daniel Cook, 13, Troy McConnell and Capt. Randy Siebert.



President Taffaro's team included: son Craig Taffaro III, Recovery Director
Mike Dorris Jr., Capt. Brian Clark of the Sheriff's Office and Maj. Joey
Broussard of the state Department of Wildlife and Fisheries.



Chief Pohlmann's team included: Maj. J.J. Vickers, Lt. Brent Bourgeois, and
Mike Schneida.

For more information contact the Office of Tourism at (504)278-4242 or visit
website at www.VisitStBernard.com <http://www.VisitStBernard.com> or
www.sbpg.net <http://www.sbpg.net/> .

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