EBR officials urge patience

• By JOE GYAN JR.
• Advocate staff writer
• Published: Sep 8, 2008 - Page: 4A - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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City-parish officials are urging storm-weary residents to be patient today as many of them return to work and school for the first time since Hurricane Gustav’s Labor Day landfall in Louisiana.

Baton Rouge Police Chief Jeff LeDuff, who noted that “some normalcy is returning to this community,’’ asked commuters to leave early for work and allow themselves extra time to get there.

“Patience is the word,’’ he said during a briefing Sunday at the city-parish Emergency Operations Center on Harding Boulevard.

City-parish officials said efforts are continuing at a fever pitch to restore electricity, repair traffic signals and signs, and remove hurricane debris.

Walter Monsour, chief administrative officer for Mayor-President Kip Holden, said Sunday that power restoration and debris pickup are well ahead of schedule.

“We remain very, very diligent in monitoring Entergy, DEMCO and the debris removal,’’ Monsour said, noting that the two utility companies, which provide electricity in East Baton Rouge Parish, “are being pushed to the limit, and beyond.’’

Ceres Environmental, a Minnesota company, has an emergency contract with the city-parish to pick up and haul debris to local landfills.

“We think we’ll be in good shape if (Hurricane) Ike decides to visit us,’’ Monsour said. “If Ike does not affect us, we’re way ahead of the game.’’

Monsour asked residents to segregate their trash into four categories:

• trees, limbs and leaves.
• construction debris such as roofing material.
• household chemicals and cleaning solvents.
• household garbage.

City-parish Department of Public Works officials said 750 downed trees have been removed from public roads so far. Some fallen trees that are lying on top of power lines in the road still need to be moved.

Public Works Director Pete Newkirk said several landowners in the parish are unselfishly allowing the city-parish to use large tracts of their properties as debris staging areas.

Newkirk also said that half of the city-parish’s sewage pump stations are energized.

Assistant Chief Administrative Officer Mike Futrell said a fourth Red Cross shelter has been opened at the BREC Center at 333 Kernon Ave. The other shelters are at:

• Bethany World Prayer Center, 13855 Plank Road, Baker.
• BREC Park at 801 Flannery Road, Baton Rouge.
• Gus Young Park, 4200 Gus Young Ave., Baton Rouge.

With many East Baton Rouge residents still without power, Futrell said a plan is in place to open multiple shelters if Ike threatens.

Baton Rouge Fire Department and Emergency Medical Services officials said their call volumes are falling as the number of homes with power increases.