“It is a joy for the VPC to participate and host this annual Thanksgiving tradition and allows us to help and give back to so many in need in our community. I would also like to personally thank all of our tenants, local businesses and residents who participated and made this Thanksgiving tradition possible,” said George Pivach, II, Vice President and General Counsel for the VPC.
The Thanksgiving baskets included a turkey and all the fixings for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Additionally, children from the Boothville-Venice Elementary School colored pictures of various Thanksgiving themes which were placed in each basket. With contributions and assistance from the VPC tenants, the Plaquemines Parish Council on Aging, local businesses and residents, the VPC was able to have a successful 9th Annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive.
“Each year I look forward to organizing and participating in the VPC Thanksgiving Drive and enjoy seeing the community come together in order to help our fellow residents and families in need,” said Tony Frickey, Site Superintendent for the VPC.
- Platinum Level $2,000 and above:
The Louisiana Fruit Company / Venice Port Complex; D&C Seafood, Inc.; Daybrook Fisheries, Inc.; Deep South Oilfield Construction, LLC; Fremin’s Food Market and Madere & Sons Towing, LLC.
- Gold Level $1,000 to $1,999: Bonvillian Marine Service, Inc.; Fill-A-Sack of Boothville, Inc.; Galion Sweet Potatoes and John Vogt Farms.
- Silver Level $500 to $999: Delta Crewboat Services, Inc.; Ellzey Marine & Hardware, Inc.; Pivach, Pivach, Hufft, Thriffiley & Dunbar, LLC and R360 / Waste Connections, Inc.
- Bronze Level $100 to $499: Balestra’s Food Center; Ben & Ben Becnel’s; Cattle Farms, Inc.; Clean Gulf Associates, Inc.; Couvillion Group,
LLC; Cvitanovic Boat Rentals, Inc.; EPS Logistics Company; Representative Chris Leopold, Royal Paper & Box and Venice Steele & Pipe, Inc.
The following companies and parish residents provided help and assistance:
Boothville-Venice Elementary School, Boothville-Venice Volunteer Fire Department, Nicole Williams and staff, Jeff Edgecombe and staff, Lauren Frickey, Tony Frickey, John Barthelemy and staff, Dylan Madere, Jamie Madere, Tyler Madere, Plaquemines Parish Council on Aging, Port Sulphur Baptist Church, South Plaquemines Elementary School, South Plaquemines High School, Audrey Salvant and Staff, Venice Baptist Church and Chris Wooton.
For over 60 years, Venice has played a critical role in developing and servicing some of the most prolific oil and gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico and has long established itself as a major hub for the energy industry. The Venice Port Complex continues to be an extensive multi-purpose facility, which includes heavy industrial tenants, major production and service companies, as well as other commercial and recreational facilities.
Venice Port Complex Makes Donation to PPSO Young Marines
Program
Today (September 25), Tony Frickey, Site Supervisor with the Venice Port Complex, presented Sheriff Lonnie Greco with a $700 check to be used by the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office (PPSO) Young Marines Program. The proceeds will go towards the purchase of 30 duffle bags for the Young Marines.
Sheriff Lonnie Greco said, "I would like to thank the Venice Port Complex and Mr. Frickey for this very generous gift. They are a valued industry partner and we are very proud to have a great working relationship with the Venice Port Complex.”
Venice Port Complex Hosts South Plaquemines High School Logistics Class
The Venice Port Complex (VPC) recently hosted the South Plaquemines High School logistics class. VPC has been instrumental in the development of the Plaquemines Parish School System’s logistics program. Students were given the opportunity to tour VPC partners such as Deep South Oilfield Contractors, Halliburton, John W. Stone Oil Distributor, Targa, and PHI. At the end of the tour, VPC provided lunch at the Venice Marina for the students.
Logistics is the invisible giant of themaritime industry in Louisiana. One in five Louisiana jobs connects to maritime career opportunities. Workforce data confirms shortages as a primary challenge to the industry’s growth.Partnerships between education and industry set the tone for foundational skills needed for the port industry. The port industry contributes an $11 billion economic impact to Louisiana.
Venice Port Complex Donates to South Plaquemines High School
BELLE CHASSE, LA – In an ongoing effort to support the local community, the Venice Port Complex (VPC) recently donated a trailer to the South Plaquemines High School Band. The 6x12’ trailer will primarily be used to transport student band equipment to away games and parades.
Band Director Charles Pernici said, "The new band trailer means a lot to our students as it is a sign that our business community cares about our school. It is a much needed piece of equipment that will help us travel as we show school and community spirit throughout South Louisiana."
"I hope that the donation will encourage students to participate in the band and encourage other businesses to support the school as well," said Tony Frickey, Site Supervisor of the VPC.
Venice Restoration Project
This March, the
Louisiana Fruit Company/ Venice Port Complex
funded an experiment at Venice, Louisiana
that will help reclaim coastal wetlands,
restore Louisiana’s eroded coastline, and
reduce future storm surges at the Venice Port
Complex.
The Venice Restoration Experiment is a
collaboration involving the Louisiana Fruit
Company, Empire Environmental Solutions, Dr.
Alex Kolker of Louisiana University Marine
Consortium (LUMCON), and the Gulf Coast
Restoration Project. The project
involves planting 5,000 two-year-old,
salt-tolerant bald cypress (Taxodium
distichum) seedlings and then monitoring
sedimentation rates (the rate at which the
tree roots help anchor sediment to form
land), tree growth, tree losses, and water
salinity. The information gathered
through this experiment will be applied to
other coastal restoration projects in
Plaquemines Parish.
The experiment area, which is just across
Tante Phine Pass, was land 30 years
ago. The project is establishing seedlings in
an attempt to reclaim this land.
“Bald cypress are native to fresh water and
low salinity wetlands in South Louisiana,”
says Dr. Kolker, a sediment expert with
LUMCON, who advises the experiment.
“Planting them is an established coastal
restoration method that has been used across
the southern United States.
”The project has faced many difficulties due
to invasive species. “Nutria are the biggest
problem because they eat the bark off the
tree,” explains Richie Blink, with Empire
Environmental Solutions, the local company
that planted trees, “Feral hogs, rabbits and
water hyacinth threaten
the trees, too, so we take extra time to wrap
them in wire mesh. Although we’re doing some
intense nutria control in the experiment
area, we can’t be there all the time.”
Fortunately, the project is getting a helping
hand from local alligators.
“We’re finding that the more alligators in
the area, the lower the mortality rate of the
trees,” Blink says. “You can really see how
everything is connected.”
“The planting of trees in Plaquemines Parish
is a key part of our coastal restoration
efforts,” says Plaquemines Parish president
Billy Nungesser. “Our Coastal Plan involves
pumping sediment to
build large ridges with trees. A ridge
of trees lowers storm surge eight to one over
a mound of marsh grass. These trees
help create additional protection for our
coastline and precious marshes.”
Trash Bash (2014)
With the help of many of our tenants, the
VPC was able to organize a trash pick up
event to help clean up Tidewater Roady by the
VPC. The event, which was held in early
December, was a huge success in beautifying
the area.
We would like to thank the following
particpants:
PPSO
Johnathan Camnetar
Ray Rivarde
Halliburton
Roger Mathews
Adam Pierce
Cody Pons
Rocky Anthony
Josh Ratcliff
Environmental Operators
Chris Wooton
Donnie Deal |
Boasso Construction
Targa
Tyler Faul
David Hood
Devin Peters
Viking Construction
Rolf Paralius
|
EcoServ
Ken Hotard
Jason Tatum
Skylar Sullivan
Byron Marinovich
B&T Welding
Robert Utech
John Muller
Keith Andry
VPC
Tony Frickey
|
Once Tidewater Road was clean, the hard
working crew celebrated with a wonderful
shrimp boil thanks to D&C Seafood
and Cajun Unlimited.
Venice Port Complex Donates to
Plaquemines Parish School Board
Starting in the fall of next year, the
Plaquemines Parish School District will
be the first district in the state of
Louisiana to offer logistics and
certification courses with the aim of
making students more employable in port
positions.
The logistics program was made possible via a
partnership between the school district, the
Westbank campus of Delgado Community College
and the Venice Port Complex. The Dual
Enrollment courses will count toward college
credit and also allow students to be
certified in areas like first aid,
navigation and maritime rules. Students will
also be able to earn their Operator of
Uninspected Passenger Vehicles Captain’s
license, commonly known as a “Six-Pack”
license, through the program.
“A lot of our students want to be boat
captains,” said Kelly DiMarco,
who represented the school district in talks
to start the program. “The economic
data supports that these jobs are available
for them.”
DiMarco says that the PPSB and district
teachers meet with local businesses every
quarter to discuss how they can better ready
their students for employment following
graduation. At the end of last school year,
the district was approached by the Venice
Port Complex.
“They said ‘Look, we have these openings at
the port and we’d like to grow our own
employment pool here in the parish,’” said
DiMarco.
The courses will begin in the fall of next
year at South Plaquemines and Phoenix High
Schools with plans to spread to Belle Chasse
High School in the spring. According to
DiMarco, the innovative program has already
garnered the interest of surrounding ports in
Lafourche and Orleans Parishes. Officials in
those parishes are watching the outcome of
Plaquemines’ flagship program to see if a
similar arrangement could benefit their
districts.
The Venice Port Complex (VPC) brought food, support and holiday cheer to 350 families in South Plaquemines during its 9th Annual Thanksgiving Basket Drive.
