New Roads News

Lindsay Carol Burton and Cody Ryan Chandler were united in marriage on Friday, May 30, 2008 in Branson, Mo.

Mayor Tommy Nelson wants Pointe Coupee Parish government to take over trash and garbage collection services within the city limits.

In a letter to the Police Jury sent earlier this month, Nelson asked for a consolidation of the garbage contract between the city and the parish.

Nelson said New Roads would continue to collect money for trash pickup in the city under such an agreement, but would forward $1.50 per customer to the Police Jury.

Nelson also requested that the parish provide monthly debris removal to the city.

At a Police jury meeting Tuesday, the matter was deferred to a later date.

On Wednesday, Jimmy Bello, Police Jury administrator, said jurors asked him to set up a meeting with New Roads representatives to further discuss the matter and report back to the Police Jury at its next meeting, scheduled for Aug. 12.

A native of Grosse Tete and a resident of Bourg, Vernon R. Favron passed away on Monday, July 21, 2008, at his home. He was 80 and a veteran of the U.S. Army.

New Roads Mayor Tommy Nelson was highly pleased by comments accountant John Morrison made while reporting on the city government’s latest audit.

Morrison said going from a $350,000 deficit to a $753,000 surplus in a year is “an almost unheard-of improvement.”

Nelson praised members of his staff for their part in helping to improve the city’s financial outlook.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi gave fellow Democrat and newly elected U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux a public thumbs-up before heading back to Washington, D.C., on Tuesday.

Meeting on Monday with housing advocates for people left homeless by Hurricane Katrina, Pelosi praised Cazayoux, D-New Roads, for authoring successful, partisan-approved legislation to expedite the rebuilding of public housing after disasters — less than three months after he took office.

Cazayoux took office May 6. Shortly thereafter, he authored H.R. 6276, which allows the Federal Emergency Management Agency to directly assist public housing agencies trying to rebuild from a disaster.

The measure passed both houses of Congress as the Public Housing Disaster Relief Act of 2008. Pelosi said President Bush will sign Cazayoux’s bill into law this week.

Members of Congress are always looking for ways to reduce bureaucratic “red tape,” but “to do it in a few months is quite remarkable,” Pelosi said.

Cazayoux’s bill removed a hurdle that prevented FEMA from more quickly accessing federal disaster funds involving certain properties owned by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The 400-year-old live oak popularly known as the Miss Jane Pittman Oak no longer is in danger of a death sentence.

A 27-foot limb weighing more than a ton fell from the tree on the morning of July 4, and Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development personnel immediately became concerned.

They wondered if it was likely that another large limb might fall on a passing motorist, or block the highway after a storm. The tree sits on the right of way of La. 416.

Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury President Melanie Bueche, who lives 150 feet from the tree, said she was heartbroken at the thought it might be cut down.

Many people who have read the writing of former Pointe Coupee Parish resident Earnest Gaines knew he drew inspiration for some of his works while sitting under the tree.

And Gaines’ readers imagined that this was the tree that the fictional character Jane Pittman passed under in the book, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.”

DOTD and Bueche agreed to have the tree examined by Tom Campbell of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

Campbell arrived in Lakeland Monday and did a thorough examination.

“He climbed up in it,” Bueche said.

“My recommendation to DOTD was that the tree not be removed,” Campbell said Monday afternoon. “There is some deadwood that needs to be removed.”

Campbell said the huge limb that fell had a “defect known as included bark.” The other big limbs do not have that defect, he said.

But Campbell said he had one caution.

“The tree is a living thing, and living things only live so long,” he said.

Like all living things, the old oak will some day die. But Campbell said that right now, the old tree is in good shape.

“I’m so excited,” Bueche said when she learned of the decision.

A resident and native of Maringouin, Willie M. "Couzan" Romig died Sunday, July 20, 2008, at Pointe Coupee General Hospital. He was 86 and a U.S. Army veteran of World War II.

The Hornets of Catholic Point Coupee seek their third consecutive title. Sports 2 catches up with the coach and members in Sports 2 a Days.

VIDEO: http://media.swagit.com/s/wbrz/The_Advocate_Sports/07202008-3.high.flash8.html

Voters renewed a tax for Pointe Coupee Parish Sewerage District No. 1 on Saturday, 45-17, according to complete but unofficial election results.

Voters in all six precincts extended a 5-mill tax on properties subject to taxation in the district. The 10-year tax will be used for sewer maintenance and operation. The tax also will be used for sewage disposal.

The district includes households in areas north and south of New Roads. It serves slightly more than 1,000 homes, parish officials say.

The property tax is estimated to generate $11,315 a year.

A retired construction coordinator with Petro United Terminals in Bayport, Texas, and a resident of Jarreau, Albert Aaron Stucks died at 8:15 a.m. Thursday, July 17, 2008, at Baton Rouge General Medical Center. He was 81, a U.S. Army veteran of World War II and a native of Ada, Okla.

A retired teacher, coach and administrator with the Pointe Coupee School Board, Edgar J. Saizan Jr. died Wednesday, July 16, 2008, at 9:25 a.m. at Baton Rouge General Medical Center in Baton Rouge. He was 62, a resident and native of Jarreau and a U.S. Air Force veteran.

Today’s ballot is dedicated solely to propositions. Voting begins at 6 a.m. and ends at 8 p.m.

SEWERAGE DISTRICT NO. 1 PROPOSITION To continue a 10-year, 5-mill property tax, estimated to generate $11,315 a year. (Areas north and south of New Roads.)

A certified nursing assistant and a resident of Baton Rouge, Kendra Lerice "Nen" Wilson died at 8:50 a.m. Saturday, July 5, 2008, at Ollie Steele Burden Manor Butterfly Wing. She was 33 and a native of New Roads.

Mary Louise Grezaffi was born Jan. 16, 1924, and died early Thursday morning, July 17, 2008, at her home after a short but courageous battle with cancer.

Some schools search high and low, seeking a large number of applicants before selecting a head football coach.

LaBarre-based Pointe Coupee Central opted for a more direct approach, hiring Brian Glover as head football coach and athletic director. The 30-year-old Glover has been the Cougars’ baseball coach for seven years and graduated from PCC in 1995.

“They basically called me and offered me the job,” Glover said. “I was told there were a couple of applicants, but that they wanted to keep things in house.

“I’ve worked with the football team ever since I’ve been here, and one of my goals was to be a head coach. So I accepted.”

The “they” Glover refers to is the education group Advance Baton Rouge, which now operates the Pointe Coupee Parish school. PCC is classified as a recovery school by the Louisiana Department of Education because of academic deficiencies, prompting the change in administration.

Glover said the Advance Baton Rouge staff has retained much of the coaching staff. Landry Williams, the head football coach last fall, decided not to return. Glover, a student at PCC when it opened in 1991, served as the school’s interim football coach and athletic director during part of the 2006-07 school year before Williams was hired.

A second baseman on the collegiate level at Prairie View through 2000, Glover played football and baseball at Pointe Coupee Central. He has handled several duties as a football assistant and was co-defensive coordinator last season.

To date, Glover reports that the Cougars have about 25 players attending offseason workouts led by defensive back prospect Byron Wilson. PCC finished 2-8 last season. Glover is PCC’s third coach in three years.

“There was improvement last year,” Glover said. “We were competitive in more games. There were several times when we played well for three quarters and things dropped off at the end of the game.

“This is really for the kids and community. I’d like to see the program and grow and improve. I’m from PCC and I’ve got a vested interest in this.”

As fuel prices soar, Democrats and Republicans are both trying to find political advantage in the problem, but they rarely seem willing to admit the truth:

There is no short-term solution to the energy crunch, which means that Americans are in for more pain at the gas pump, at least in the foreseeable future, regardless of what politicians do.

A couple of conservative groups recently attacked the energy policies of U.S. Rep. Don Cazayoux, the New Roads Democrat elected to fill the vacancy created when longtime lawmaker Richard Baker resigned from his 6th District seat. Cazayoux is facing stiff opposition in his fall campaign for a full congressional term.

The National Republican Congressional Committee and Freedom’s Watch have accused Cazayoux of blocking Republican amendments that would allow extraction of oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Cazayoux said the charges relate to his opposition to procedural votes that are used to slow down Congress. He said he has supported legislation that would open up the refuge and other restricted areas to oil drilling.

Cazayoux’s support for more unrestricted oil drilling seems pretty clear to us. Cazayoux is also correct when he points out that the conversation on drilling should have been started years ago. Even if drilling in ANWR were allowed, it would be 10 years before the oil extracted there could translate into lower gas prices, Cazayoux said. He added that in addition to drilling, Congress must also support other solutions, such as tax credits for renewable energy.

Cazayoux’s embrace of the longer view has not been consistent, though. He voted to increase the oil supply by temporarily diverting oil shipments from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a store of oil meant to be used for national emergencies. Cazayoux’s office referred to expert estimates that such a diversion could lower gas prices anywhere from 5 to 24 cents a gallon.

Diverting oil from the reserve in an effort to nominally reduce gas prices might have populist appeal, but we don’t think it’s sound energy policy, and there is not enough oil in the reserve to affect prices for any significant length of time.

Cazayoux also has supported legislation that purports to limit “excessive speculation” in energy markets, but this seems more symbol than substance in regard to the real energy problems facing the nation.

A crop-dusting airplane crashed Friday morning after hitting a power line near the Pointe Coupee-West Baton Rouge Parish line, the Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff’s Office reported.

Melvin Bell of Morganza, the owner and pilot of the plane, was not injured, Pointe Coupee sheriff’s Capt. Adrian Slaughter said.

“He didn’t have a scratch on him. He was very lucky,” said Pointe Coupee sheriff’s Cpl. Reed Bueche, who went out to the scene of the 9:06 a.m. crash. Bell’s plane crashed in a sugar cane field just off of Flynn Road in Pointe Coupee.

Bell, Bueche said, was flying his plane a little too low and because of some apparent misjudgment, hit the power line. The landing gear of the plane got caught on the power line, causing Bell’s plane to spin around before he was forced to go down, Bueche said.

“There’s an old oak tree in the Quarters… and I’m not ashamed to say I’ve talked to it. It’s not necessary craziness when you talk to trees or rivers. …When you talk to an oak tree that’s been here all those years and knows more than you’ll ever know, it’s not craziness — it’s just a nobility you respect.” — From The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

An ancient live oak with a literary heritage was scheduled to be toppled, but has at least a temporary reprieve.

Normally, Pointe Coupee Parish Police Jury President Melanie Bueche opens jury meetings with a prayer, but on Tuesday, she talked about a special concern — the 400-year-old oak tree about 150 feet from her home.

On the morning of July 4, she said, a huge limb fell from the tree, called by some people, “The Miss Jane Pittman Oak.”

Bueche said the tree’s trunk is 27 feet in circumference, and the downed limb measures 12 feet around.

Since the tree is on the right of way of La. 416, the state Department of Transportation and Development was called. Bueche said DOTD personnel told her the tree had much decay, and needs to be cut down.

One of the first people Bueche said she called to tell about the endangered tree was Earnest Gaines, a former Pointe Coupee resident and renowned writer serving as author-in-residence at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Gaines has often sat in the shade of the tree, and it was the inspiration for scenes in his novel and motion picture, “The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.”

County Agent Miles Brashier, who attended the Police Jury meeting Tuesday, advised Bueche to keep the tree from being felled until he could get a professional to look into the matter.

“It took 400 years for that tree to get to this point,” Brashier said. “Who knows how many more years it could stand?”

Brashier, after examining the tree the next day, told Bueche he thinks it could live for another 100 years. He said he has arranged for an arborist from LSU to inspect the tree the week of July 21.

He also told Bueche to tell DOTD that the oak is a “significant tree,” and that it should not be chopped down until it can be examined by a professional.

Bueche relayed the message: Plans to fell the tree are on hold.

Candidates for state and local offices will run in a primary on Oct. 4 and, if necessary, the Nov. 4 runoff. Qualifying ends Friday. Qualifiers through Thursday are listed below:

18th Judicial District DISTRICT ATTORNEY - Richard J. “Ricky” Ward Jr., D

DISTRICT JUDGE , SECTION 1, DIVISION C - Alvin Batiste Jr., D

SECTION 2, DIVISION D - William C. Dupont, D

SECTION 3, DIVISION B - J. Robin Free, D

SECTION 4, DIVISION A - James J. Best, D

POINTE COUPEE PARISH

LIVONIA

MAYOR - Troy Chustz, D

CHIEF OF POLICE - Brad E. Joffrion, D

TOWN COUNCIL (5 to be elected) - Ronnie Barlow, D; Keith Davidson, D; Dale Duval, D; John “Terry” Jarreau, D; Barbara G. LeJeune, D; James “Rhett” Pourciau, D.

MORGANZA

MAYOR - S.J. “Boobie” Tuminello, D

COUNCIL MEMBER (1 to be elected) - Eric Gustin, D; Stephanie A. Savoy, D.

District 2

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - Sharon Carroll Hebert, D

CONSTABLE - Charles “Hop” Hopkins, D

District 3

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - George Molex III, D

CONSTABLE - Michael “Mike” Porche, D

District 4

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - Stacie P. Myers, D

CONSTABLE - Randy L. Pourciau, D

District 5

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - Ida J. Chustz, D; Gladys “Re-Re” Goza, D

District 6

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - Leona J. Jarreau, D

District 7

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - J. Roosevelt Gremillion, D; Erma “Lee” Terrance, D.

District 8

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - Claiborne Ashford, D; Charlie Harris Jr. D

CONSTABLE - Gloria J. Falcone, D; Elie J. Part, D

District 9

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - J. Randy Guidroz, D

CONSTABLE - George Miller, O

District 10

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - John H. Cline, D

District 11

JUSTICE OF THE PEACE - Lillian L. Montgomery, D

CONSTABLE - Ronnie J. Bonaventure Jr., D; Floyd J. Meche, D

District 12

CONSTABLE - Roger D. Dixon, D

Pointe Coupee Central High School, where standardized test scores have been in the “unacceptable” category for six years, was assigned as a charter school to Advance Baton Rouge after the school was taken over by state education officials.

In addition to the indignity of losing one of their two high schools to the state’s Recovery School District, school officials could face another problem.

Some students who should be attending PCCHS this fall if it were still under parish control might be going elsewhere. The parish is ill-equipped to handle such a migration. School Superintendent Dan Rawls said about 90 students requested “M&M transfers” from the Central district before the May 25 deadline.

These transfers, a part of the parish desegregation court order, allow students to transfer from schools in which they are in the racial majority to ones in which they are in the minority. PCCHS is predominantly black. The only other parish high school, Livonia, is majority white.

Rawls said he cannot say with absolute certainty that the state takeover is the reason for many of the requests. But it might be starting to look that way.

In addition to the M&M transfers, Rawls said, about 70 students have requested to “opt out” of attending PCCHS this fall. Rawls said that move requires going through a more-involved administrative process. Rawls said he does not believe all 70 will complete the opt-out process, but Livonia High might wind up with 125 more students than last year.

That could lead to changing grade configurations at Livonia and other schools or converting into classrooms the spaces that are now housing library books or computer labs.

So far, the number of students who should attend PCCHS, but won’t, is significant, though nowhere near the predictions of a 99 percent boycott that have been voiced at meetings, including the most recent meeting of the School Board.

Talk that seems to have been the most destructive centers on claims that PCCHS graduates this year won’t get regular high school diplomas, and that the school won’t have a football team.

In fact, graduating seniors will get regular state diplomas, and Advance Baton Rouge has hired a coaching staff.

With the takeover, students who do plan to attend PCCHS this fall must register for classes at the school. As of Tuesday 151 students had registered.