After hosting a delegation of Turkish business representatives in Baton Rouge in April, Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden leaves today to meet with a larger group in Houston as the guest of Consul General Akil Öktem.

Holden will address The Turquoise Foundation, a Houston based organization of 200 businessmen with ties to businesses in Turkey and who also operate businesses in the Houston area.  The group has expressed an interest in working with Mayor Holden to both establish connections with businesses in Turkey and possibly expand Houston based operations into the Baton Rouge area. The group is dedicated to advancing and promoting interaction between American and Turkish people and businesses.

The Mayor is also scheduled to attend a breakfast meeting at the residence of the Consul General and visit the Cosmos Foundation which operates charter schools in the Houston.

“For Baton Rouge to become a global city, we need to strengthen our ties with international business representatives,” Holden said.  “We signed a sister city agreement with Malatya in April, but visits like this are aimed at producing real economic benefits.”

Holden said when he hosted the Consul General in Baton Rouge, the two discussed introducing Baton Rouge businesses to opportunities with business and manufacturing interests in Turkey.

“This is my third visit in less than a year that is intended to bring Baton Rouge and Turkish businesses together,” Holden said.   “We’ve had a lot of interest among our local companies in the business opportunities that exist in Turkey.   The friendships we are developing will help both cities — that’s the goal of a successful sister city agreement.”

Malatya, a city of about 400,000 in eastern Turkey, produces 65 percent of the world’s dried apricots and hosts a thriving textile industry.

Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden is urging East Baton Rouge residents to support Louisiana’s seafood industry in the face of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

“Any time we face adversity, Baton Rouge citizens stand tall,” Holden said. “This time, I hope they will join me in standing with our local suppliers to help them through this difficult time.”

The Mayor said the vast majority of the state’s shrimp and other seafood products are safe from the oil, which is approaching the portion of the Louisiana coast east of the mouth of the Mississippi River. Holden noted that more than three-quarters of the state’s seafood comes from Gulf waters west of the Mississippi River, and is not currently threatened by the oil spill.

“When you go into a restaurant or seafood market, it’s important to ask specifically for Louisiana seafood,” the Mayor said. “Our fishermen and shrimpers are already facing competition from imported seafood, and need our support to maintain their share of the market.”

The Mayor said the men and women employed by Louisiana’s seafood industry need the continued support of Louisiana residents to compete against foreign imports like Asian-raised shellfish.

Due to the current Winter Weather event, I urge all Department Heads to follow theirplans for ensuring all critical services are covered. The Mayor’s Office of HomelandSecurity and Emergency Preparedness is monitoring the situation as well as workingwith the local weather service, school boards and hospitals and will keep everyoneupdated via email or by internet at Redstickready.comorBRGOV.com. I have directedthe following measures be taken:1. Mayor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness haveactivated all procedures for a Winter Storm Watch and will continue tocommunicate with my office critical information as it becomes available.2. IS has activated their staffing plans and are monitoring critical equipment toensure we maintain our operational status.3. The Department of Public Works is currently following their emergency winterweather procedures which include sand loaded, sand truck speakers and highalert on barricades available to be deployed should conditions require warrant.4. The Baton Rouge City Police has implemented their inclement weather plan andhave additional officers available to keep the motoring public safe should icingoccur and are working closely with local and state agencies to monitor theroadway conditions.All departments are working very closely with both local and state agencies to providethe most accurate and timely information. There is not a decision made for an earlydismissal today or a Snow Day tomorrow, however should your employee’s haveavailable leave accrued you may allow them to take time off. We will continue tomonitor this event and will update as necessary.

Mayor-President Melvin “Kip” Holden will highlight Baton Rouge’s continuing recovery from hurricanes and other issues critical to the city and parish when he meets with the President this week and provides input on the First Lady’s national address on childhood obesity and healthy lifestyles.

This evening, he will participate in a White House meeting with the administration to discuss ways East Baton Rouge Parish can get assistance in dealing with continuing problems that resulted from Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Gustav.  On Thursday, he will join other Mayors in meeting with President Barack Obama to discuss other problems facing cities.

Mayor Holden was also one of five Mayors invited to participate in a teleconference briefing with First Lady Michelle Obama and her staff in preparation for her address to the U.S. Conference of Mayors Winter Meeting on Wednesday.  Mrs. Obama plans to discuss initiatives to combat obesity, which is her key platform issue, and Mayor Holden was able to talk about the Baton Rouge Healthy City Task Force and the work it has done to improve quality of life for citizens in East Baton Rouge Parish.

“This is a tremendous honor for Baton Rouge to be a part of these dialogues at the highest level of our government,” Mayor Holden said.  “I’m  very grateful to have this opportunity to showcase our city and parish to the rest of the nation.”

On Friday, Mayor Holden and Baton Rouge Area Chamber President Adam Knapp will meet with the Ambassador from France to the United States, Pierre Vimont, to continue discussions on the French and Louisiana Accord, and joint efforts in education, ecomonic development and cultural and art exchange programs between Baton Rouge and France.

“We are continuing to build relationships that bring economic and cultural exchanges to Baton Rouge and enhance our reputation as a major city for investment,” Holden said.  “This is a great week for Baton Rouge’s needs and priorities to be heard, and I’m very appreciative of these tremendous opportunities to represent our city and parish.”

Today at 11:00 AM, Mayor Kip Holden hosted the official groundbreaking ceremony for the Flannery at Choctaw intersection improvement. This is the latest of the Green Light Projects to kick off in Baton Rouge.  This improvement project adds turn lanes at each approach of the intersection, straightens the alignment of N. Flannery, and widens the existing S. Choctaw at Lively Bayou Bridge.

Project Information (click)

Wednesday Baton Rouge Mayor Kip Holden announced that two Chinese companies that specialize in LED-lighting had agreed to jointly build a new manufacturing and distribution plant in Baton Rouge to serve North America.

“This has been a great day for Baton Rouge,” Holden said.

Pepnice Corp. is the largest LED lighting manufacturer in the world, and Liantronics Co. Ltd. is the largest LED billboard manufacturer in the world, according to Eugene Ji, the mayor’s liaison to China. Executives from both companies announced plans for the new Baton Rouge plant after meeting with representatives from Lamar Advertising Company.

Ji said the new plant will be developed in phases, and expects to employ 100 to 300 people.

Ji said representatives from the two Chinese companies plan to meet with state officials and Southern University officials Thursday about the prospects of LED lighting.

“LED is the future, because a 6-watt LED light will replace a 100-watt traditional light, has no mercury, is environmentally friendly, and lasts for 10 years,” said Ji, who acted as Holden’s interpreter during his trip to China last year.

This is the fourth Chinese contingent to visit Baton Rouge in response to Mayor Holden’s visit to China last April. One Chinese group from Huiheng Medical Inc. announced during a visit in October that it plans to build a manufacturing plant in Baton Rouge to produce cutting-edge equipment in the fight against cancer.

Mayor Melvin “Kip” Holden is asking motorists to use extreme caution tonight when freezing temperatures are expected to create hazardous conditions on East Baton Rouge roadways.

Those who must venture out should be especially cautious on bridges and overpasses where icy conditions can be particularly hazardous, the Mayor said.

Thursday afternoon, the National Weather Service was predicting that temperatures would plummet to 21 overnight with wind chills dipping into the low teens. The extreme cold is expected to remain in the Baton Rouge area through the weekend.

Area roadways, especially on bridges and overpasses, could be especially treacherous overnight, and transportation officials are warning that portions of the interstates and the New Mississippi River Bridge could also be subject to closures.

Mayor Holden is also asking everyone to check in on the elderly, disabled, family members or others who may need assistance during these usually frigid conditions.

“I would like to ask everyone to please remember that the Buddy System serves us well in emergency situations, so please check on your neighbors in these next few days of extreme cold,” the Mayor said.

“I would also ask that everyone be very cautious in using space heaters. Our Baton Rouge Fire Department has been responding to numerous calls because of accidents with heaters,” Holden added.

Curt Monte, spokesman for the Baton Rouge Fire Department, warned residents to be extremely cautious if power outages occur during the upcoming cold snap.

“Under no circumstances should people ever use generators indoors,” Monte said. “And they should remember candles are also a fire hazard.”

As part of his Healthy Cities Initiative, Mayor President Melvin “Kip” Holden has released a new public service announcement that promotes bicycle safety by reminding motorist to “share the road” with bike riders.

“We’re building more bike paths in our city and parish because more people are riding for recreation and transportation,” the Mayor says in the 30-second television spot.

The spot features testimonials from several cyclists about their reasons for riding bikes: to help the environment, to promote fitness and because it’s fun.

“It’s important to share the road and respect our friends and neighbors on bikes,” Holden says in the PSA.

The spot concludes with a member of the City Police Bike Patrol reminding motorists that sharing the road with bicyclists “is not just the right thing to do, it’s the law.”

A new state law requires motorists to give bicyclists at least three feet clearance when passing them. The law, known as the Colin Goodier Act, also protects cyclists from physical and verbal harassment by motorists.

Dr. Colin Goodier was a cyclist who was killed in an accident last year on River Road in Baton Rouge. He was 28.

According to statistics compiled by LSU’s Highway Safety Research Group, 10 Louisiana bicyclists were killed in accidents last year and another 640 were injured in accidents. According to Baton Rouge City Police, there were 94 crashes involving bicycles in the city last year.