The Friends of Grand Isle, Inc., a not for profit, tax deductible organization, had its first membership drive on Grand Isle on Saturday, August 26, 2006 at the Grand Isle Community Center. Mayor David Carmadelle and Louisiana DOTD Secretary Johnny Bradberry were keynote speakers. About 90 people attended the meeting.

Part of the meeting was dedicated to learning more about what those in attendance thought about what projects the Friends of Grand Isle should undertake and what priority they might have. Accordingly ten posters were taped to the walls, each with a project area or theme (see below). Attendees were given “yellow stickys” and a pen and asked to provide their thoughts on what should be done in each project theme area. Following that attendees were each given five large red dots and were asked to distribute the red dots to indicate what they thought should be the priorities, i.e. they could put all the red dots on one project or scatter them among several projects. The following, in priority order, is a list of the project areas under consideration and the votes they received:

A) ISLAND CLEANUP AND BEAUTIFICATION – 44 Votes
B) FISHING AND CRABBING – 33 Votes
C) YOUTH AND RECREATION ACTIVITIES/FACILITIES – 26 Votes
D) CULTURAL EVENTS – 20 Votes
E) BEACH AND BEACH ACCESS (19 Votes)
F) EDUCATION AND LIBRARY – 11 Votes
G) OTHER PROJECTS – 8 Votes
H) COMMUNICATION AND ADVERTISEMENT – 6 Votes
I) ISLAND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT – 2 Votes
J) DONATIONS TO NEEDY – 2 Votes

The following is a summary of ideas and volunteers for each project area:

A) ISLAND CLEANUP AND BEAUTIFICATION – 44 Votes

IDEAS
1) Walking trail on top of levee
2) Walking/Biking trail on top of levee
3) Eliminate all of the real estate and political signs. Have a central area for them and have them taken down after a certain period of time. They’re most unattractive.
4) Ditches need cleaning – help drainage
5) Placing advertisement signs - political signs in a central place
6) Any signs announcing a business or event need to be taken down within a certain period of time
7) Monthly litter sweeps along Highway 1 from Fourchon to Grand Isle
8) Better drainage on street ditches. Culverts are stopped up and preventing drainage of rain water
9) More containers for trash on roadside
10) Have adequate trash cans on the beach
11) Have a cleanup crew to clean up the beach more often
12) We need a recycling program that can also be a money maker
13) Form a committee to haul off cars and boats

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Ann Smith
Barbara Picard
Mitch Schexnailder
Jane Myers
Horace Myers
Julie McNeil
Charmaine Unger

B) FISHING AND CRABBING – 33 Votes

IDEAS
1) Sponsor a rodeo – crab division
2) Youth fishing tournament with lots of prizes
3) Open fishing bridge
4) Work with shrimp fleets to reduce trash
5) A fishing rodeo put on by the Friends of Grand Isle with the profit-proceeds to go to projects or what ever the Friends of GI needs – A big rodeo on the grand scale
6) Use storm damage materials for reefs
7) More public access to fishing on Bay side of island
8) Need more areas for kids to fish
9) Retail shopping for nets, crab lines for families to enjoy crabbing, etc. to enjoy the beach

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
George Huye
Michael Meyer

C) YOUTH AND RECREATION ACTIVITIES/FACILITIES – 26 Votes

IDEAS
1) Youth water park near Community Center
2) Outdoor concerts instead of the bars
3) Nature walks – talk to Nature Conservancy
4) Summer Camp
5) Bicycle path on Jefferson Street
6) Golf Course
7) Golf Course
8) Basketball goals
9) Skateboards at rodeo pavilion
10) Volley ball tournament on the beach
11) DJ at Tarpon Rodeo pavilion on weekends for young teens to dance and just hang out. Get GI Police to watch over and snack bar to generate money for the program

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Leon Bradberry Jr.

D) CULTURAL EVENTS – 20 Votes

IDEAS
1) Support for the art exhibition
2) Sponsor a dance
3) Events in Grand Isle need to be advertised by either a mail-out or in various newspapers – mainly the art exhibition
4) Sponsor a festival of some kind – example Mullet Festival – people will come – Big $
5) One party a year could be a big gala affair and could be at the Barbara Coast and A La Fin

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Sue Galliano

E) BEACH AND BEACH ACCESS (19 Votes)

IDEAS
1) Allowing Camp owners and residents with beach access for golf carts on Corps of Engineers approved ramps/walkways. Each golf cart to be issued permits to be allowed on beach. Proceeds of permits used to maintain access. Golf carts help aid our elderly/multi-children make their way to ?? to enjoy fishing, crabbing, etc. Strict fines for those abusing the privilege.
2) Restrict glass bottles on beach
3) Have a permanent beach set up for activities - - volleyball, huts, tables, etc.
4) People that have camps near the beach accesses could adopt the crossover and keep them clean.
5) Levee maintenance
6) Beach access and use area for handicapped – use of golf carts
7) Public beach access signs
8) More garbage cans near the walkway bridges
9) Signs at all public beach accesses
10) Culverts at all beach accesses for crossing
11) Cans for garbage disposal
12) Need more trash barrels
13) Beautify the island with palm trees – make the island look more tropical
14) Garbage cans for walkovers
15) Build jetty’s or structure on the beach that run perpendicular to the beach to help prevent erosion
16) Issue $2.00 parking permits to improve parking at beach
17) Support for Beach Cleanup
18) More garbage cans that are placed on the beach but are made more permanent so they don’t dump in high tide.
19) More grass cutting on non-occupied property

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Julie McNeil
Brenda Barrois
Alan/Shelly Landry
Michael Meyer

F) EDUCATION AND LIBRARY – 11 Votes

IDEAS
1) Computer for each child
2) Better computers
3) Book drive barrel at Sureway
4) Educational computer center located at Grand Isle High School
5) Historic preservation
6) Book club with prizes during summer months

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Leon Bradberry Jr.
George Huye

G) OTHER PROJECTS – 8 Votes

IDEAS
1) Levee bike trail
2) Bike trail on south side of LA 1
3) Add soil and plant trees along LA 1 between Leeville and Grand Isle
4) Provide beach access for physically impaired and handicapped people and their use of off-road (golf) vehicles
5) Bury electrical lines
6) Local crab festival
7) Start neighborhood watches in all areas to help each other watch for problems like thefts, break-ins, etc.

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Jane Meyers

H) COMMUNICATION AND ADVERTISEMENT – 6 Votes

IDEAS
1) Have sign restrictions or permits with restrictions for size and duration of sign to be up.
2) Have sign ordinance to standardize sizes
3) Advertise in home towns for Grand Isle visits
4) Permanent Welcome Sign
5) Use Island Beacon Newspaper

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
None

I) ISLAND BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT – 2 Votes

IDEAS (Note: these ideas are from a grant that Friends of Grand Isle is seeking)
1) Technical Assistance
2) Infrastructure Improvement
3) Advertisement
4) Inventory and Supply Chain Management
5) Reduce Risks to Future Storm Damages
6) Clean Up
7) Insurance

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
Mitch Schexnailder

J) DONATIONS TO NEEDY – 2 Votes

IDEAS
1) Food bank barrel at Sureway
2) Drop box or a contact person for true weeds
3) Need to help elderly people

NAMES OF VOLUNTEERS
George Huye