By Sam Karlin
The Times-Picayune
WATERPROOF — Chuck Barice stomped around the remnants of a former department store on Main Street, cleaning up what was left — mostly bricks and burned wood — from a recent fire. He wanted to make sure the structure wouldn’t topple over onto people if they came home for Christmas and poked around.
For Barice, and the rest of the 541 people who still live here, there aren’t many ways to make money. Once young people graduate from high school, they usually leave for greener pastures.