We made another visit to Norco, LA this past Tuesday. We went with the mindset of talking to some local business owners and getting a feel for the local economy.
One of the first people we spoke with was Brittany, an employee of Todd's Cream Shack. She had been working at the Shack for three years, but commutes in everyday from Destrahan. She grew up in Destrahan, went to Norco Elementary, and finished up at Destrahan High School. She told us that a majority of her business comes from refinery workers looking for some refreshment after a long day at the refinery. Her location makes her easily accessible, (Todds cream shack is located right next to the exit for the plant). She also pointed out that during the summers and when kids are out of school, a bunch will come over and buy some ice cream and hang out.
The next person we talked to provided a much different picture than what we had been told about Norco in the past. Jenny, a cashier at the Greaud's Food Market, painted a picture of a vibrant community where people all get along and would "help you out if you were a dollar short at the market". Her family history in Norco goes back over five generations, well before the plant even existed in Norco. She has been working for and operating Greaud's for over 25 years, and her family has owned it even before that. She struck me as a very intelligent person, and given how much she mentioned kids she knows going off to college, I would say she was upper middle class in Norco.
She mentioned drugs as something "not from Norco", telling us that they come mostly from "outsiders" or people that have "migrated into Norco". She told us that most kids stay away from drugs by keeping active in the after school sports programs offered by Destrahan High. She said that the community really comes together over high school sports, and that the park on the east side of town provides a great place for community.
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