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The second annual Porch Fest will offer a full day of music in and around Lawrence Park in Morgan City, while also serving as a fundraiser to build a new playground at the park.

Porch Fest will be held from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. Several residents who live by Lawrence Park volunteered to allow bands to play on their porches during Porch Fest.

All music is free of charge to attendees. Event volunteers will sell drinks, jambalaya and burgers to raise money to buy new play-ground equipment for Lawrence Park.

Morgan City resident Scott Sicard brought Porch Fest to Morgan City in April 2016 for the inaugural event after attending Larchmere Porch Fest while living in Cleveland. He dedicated the event to the memory of his son, Jacques O’Neal Sicard, who passed away.

Organizers focused on getting local musicians to perform.

“We found local bands worked best because they drew the crowds,” Sicard said.

Local band Jus Cuz performed at the 2016 Porch Fest.

“Since then, they’ve been doing really well, so I thought I’d have them close (the 2017 Porch Fest),” he said.

Sicard is on the Morgan City Main Street board, which promotes the downtown area and helped him see a need to raise money to improve things in the community.

The Lawrence Park playground “is well in need of a new facelift,” Sicard said.

Once organizers get enough funds to replace the playground equipment, they plan to raise money for another project in the city in following years. The 2016 event raised about $6,000 to go toward building a new play-ground at the park.

The inaugural Basin Brew Fest held in March also raised money for the playground, and Sicard hopes 2017’s Porch Fest will double the money raised in 2016.

Sicard has ideas for future fundraising projects Porch Fest could support.

A playground or green space at the city’s riverfront wharf one day would be a nice way to “promote people to spend time out there,” he said.

Kiwanis Club of East St. Mary will have volunteers operating the drink booth, while another volunteer group will cook hamburgers.

“It couldn’t be done without those two groups,” Sicard said.

Sicard plans to continue holding Porch Fest each year and raise more money for worthy causes.

Also, during Saturday’s event, there will a train ride for kids from 4 to 7 p.m.

Below is the 2017 Porch Fest music schedule:
Noon-1:15 p.m. Jahne Bailey and Cody Duval of Jus Cuz at Shannon Thomas’ home.
1:15-2:30 p.m. Kyle Daigle and Jena D’Shay of 90 Proof at Barry Dufrene’s home.
2:30-3:45 p.m. Hal Bruni at Ed Leonard’s home.
3:45-5 p.m. Darryl Dimaggio at Shannon Thomas’ home.
5-7:45 p.m. Jus Cuz at Lawrence Park gazebo.

St. Mary Parish Sheriff Mark Hebert reported the following arrests:
Morgan Whitaker, 18, 302 Carol Road Apt. 1, Bayou Vista, was arrested on Wednesday at 11:09 a.m. on a warrant for simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling. No bail is set.
Nykese Murphy, 18, 403 Sandi Drive, Patterson, was arrested on Wednesday at 12:04 p.m. for simple battery. Murphy was released on a summons.
Franklin Police Chief Sabria McGuire reported that Anthony Gant, 35, Second Street, Patterson, was arrested on Wednesday at 4:34 a.m., for the charges of resisting an officer by giving false information, resisting an officer, resisting an officer with force, possession of Schedule I narcotics – ecstasy with intent to distribute, battery on a police officer, disarming a police officer, possession of a firearm by a person convicted of certain felonies and simple escape. Gant was also arrested on warrants for failure to appear for traffic violations. Gant was transported to the St. Mary Parish Law Enforcement Center.

NEW ORLEANS — Abigail Clements and Kylie Whipple of Morgan City are members of the Girl Scouts Louisiana East’s Cookie Hall of Fame for selling 500 or more boxes of cookies.
The local Girl Scouts have proven yet again that they are striving to be the ultimate GIRL (Go-getter, Innovator, Risk-taker and Leader), having completed another successful product sale during this year’s Girl Scout Cookie Program, said the GSLE news release. Girl Scouts sold more than 1 million boxes of cookies in the Girl Scouts Louisiana East council’s 23-parish jurisdiction, with the girls averaging 172 boxes each.
The girls went after their goals, tried new selling tactics, took risks by broadening their customer base, and lead their troop and council to victory with a 4.5 percent increase over 2016.
Going on a third year, the digital entrepreneurs used advances in technology to market and sell cookies over the Internet using a mobile app and personalized websites.
“As a council, we are proud of our girls for continuously thriving during the cookie program,” said Alisha Moore, Customer Experience Officer. “By setting goals, using technology, and being leaders, our girls can be successful at anything they set their minds to.”
A total of 312 girls entered Girl Scouts Louisiana East’s Cookie Hall of Fame for selling 500-plus boxes of cookies, including 45 girls who sold more than 1,000 boxes, and one “Cookie Mogul” — Girl Scout Cadette Madelyn Foster of Denham Springs — who sold 1,751 boxes, becoming this year’s top seller.
Whipple sold 651 boxes and Clements sold 859 boxes.
Through participation in the cookie program, troops are provided funding for troop activities, trips and community service projects. Girls also received individual recognitions such as patches, T-shirts and journals with some top awards including electronics, cookie dough, luggage, and a “Diva Event,” for girls who sold 500 or more boxes.
The Diva Event included an invitation to a special Girl Scout Night with the New Orleans Pelicans. Eighty-one girls who sold more than 750 boxes achieved the CEO (Chief Entrepreneur Officer) level and received tickets to Disney on Ice.
Girl Scout’s mission is to build girls of courage, confidence and character who make the world a better place. Girl Scouts Louisiana East serves girls in grades K-12 in the parishes of St. Mary, Ascension, Assumption, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Jefferson, Lafourche, Livingston, Orleans, Plaquemines, Pointe Coupee, St. Bernard, St. Charles, St. Helena, St. James, St. John, St. Tammany, Tangipahoa, Terrebonne, Washington, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana.
For information, call the council offices at 800-644-7571, or visit its website at www.gsle.org.