Friday’s beginning of the school year for Ascension Parish public school students will not only be the start of classes, but it will also be the start of something more.

Monday’s vote by the Gonzales City Council to put on hold plans for the  Heritage Park Plaza project and  instead put the funds toward road projects may seem like just a responsible financial decision, but it’s much more than that.

Skepticism of UFOs, ET look-alikes, Roswell cover-ups, world changing reverse-engineering and Nikola Tesla worshipers took a major hit last week when the man who walked on the moon with Apollo 14 Commander Alan Shepard claimed that extraterrestrials exist.

Last week, U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu touted the endorsement from a handful of Louisiana’s Mayors, but she forgot to inform us about the one noteworthy mayoral endorsement from pro-choice, anti-gun and pro-same sex marriage Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City.

Anyone who drives in Ascension Parish or the surrounding areas has seen an ever so slight bit of relief at the gas pumps, with the price of fuel slowly receding in the past two weeks.

Well, he did tell us so.

After months of rumors and speculation about “will he or won’t he,” Gov. Bobby Jindal seemed to emphatically close the book on talk of being a vice presidential candidate for U.S. Sen. John McCain’s run to the White House this week.

When the most storied place in baseball is torn down after this season, I’ll be among those mourning the loss.

LSU may boast the No. 1-ranked football team in the nation, but the criteria – or lack thereof – by which the schools permits tailgating is deplorable and, in many respects, bush league.

If the Parish Council officially signs off on the measure, you could be asked to take part in a program that could determine the future of numerous parish government projects.

The countdown stands at 10 days and counting.

State legislators could possibly return for their fourth trip to the capitol this year if they decide to hold a veto session next month to counteract the red pen of Gov. Bobby Jindal.

Timing is everything in politics. An unfortunate statement or happening at an inopportune moment can reduce a well-run campaign to rubble.

There’s some good news out there for those seeking relief at the gas pump, although it’s not a total win yet.

Two days into the qualifying period for this year’s fall elections, we can see that while the face of Ascension Parish politics may be changing, some old names have resurfaced among the newcomers.

Sometimes writing a column turns into work, much to the chagrin of the unsuspecting writer. Good writers loath work and being trapped in the belly of the beast who eats up words and ideas and refuses to spit them out. A column out of control, worse yet, the stillborn blank white page, easily turns the normally happy scribe into a grumpy, grouchy, foul-mouthed SUV hood ornament shell of a creature.