<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">After traveling to Texas, I noticed that many, if not all, of the houses have visible addresses painted on the curb in the front of the house.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Not only does this make delivering packages and mail easier, but it also makes it easier for emergency services to locate the house they are headed to.</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Why doesn’t Lake Charles make this mandatory for all houses? Most streets you can walk or drive down and not see a visible address on any of the houses.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Lake Charles city spokesman Matt Young noted that Chapter 18 of the city code says “all houses and buildings in the city shall be numbered in accordance with the plan on streets and residences adopted by the city council.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">The code says owners must place address numbers — “of neat design” and at least 2 inches tall — “on or above the front door of the house or building, or part thereof, to be numbered, or … cause the same to be painted neatly and legibly on the transom of such door.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“The number designated by the building official shall be affixed to the house or building in accord with this article within ten days after the house or building is erected. …,” reads Article III of Chapter 18.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Whenever any number is put on a house in accordance with this article and the same afterwards becomes illegible or defaced or is in any way destroyed, it shall be replaced within ten days after such occurrence by the owner or occupant of the premises.”</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">For more information on the ordinance, call property standards officials at 491-1295.</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.cityoflakecharles.com.</span>

<span class="R~sep~AHeadBrief">Bayou bridge height determined by rules</span>

<span style="font-weight: bold; font-family: ‘Lucida Sans’;" class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Why is the Lacassine Bayou bridge so big and high? There doesn’t seem to be any need for this.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">Deidra Druilhet, spokeswoman for the state Department of Transportation and Development, said U.S. Coast Guard navigational clearance rules required the bridge to be raised by 15 feet.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Prior to the existing bridge, a swing-span bridge was in place, which provided the clearance for vessels when opened. The current structure is a fixed-span bridge,” she wrote in an email.</span>

<span class="R~sep~ACopyBody">“Additionally, the reason for the length stems from the bridge height. The higher the bridge, the longer it needs to be so that the grade is not too steep for safe vehicle travel.”</span>

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<span style="font-weight: bold;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Online:</span> <span class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">www.dotd.la.gov.</span>

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<span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">The I</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nform</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">er answers questions from rea</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ders each Sunday, Monday a</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">nd Wednesday. It is re</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">searched and written by</span> <span style="font-weight: bold; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">Andrew Perzo</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">, an</span> <span style="font-style: italic; font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">American Press</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">staff wri</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">ter. To ask a question, call</span> <span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">494-409</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">8 and leave voice mail, or ema</span><span style="font-size: 8pt;" class="R~sep~ACopyEditors~sep~endnote">il informer@americanpress.com.</span>