Claiborne Jubilee Seeks Poetry Entries

            Nationally known poet and Claiborne Parish native, Peggy Deas Godfrey, will perform Saturday, April 29, 2006, culminating the second annual Claiborne Jubilee Poetry Contest. Ms. Godfrey is looking forward to meeting other writers from Claiborne Parish and is especially anxious to meet students and teachers from area schools.

            Poets of all ages are encouraged to submit a maximum of three works each Prior to April 10. Prizes will be awarded by age: Children-8 and under; Junior-9-12; Youth 13-17 and Adults age 18 and up.

            Entries should be emailed to (preferably) or mailed to 309 North Main, Homer, LA 71040 and must be legible to be judged.

            Winners will be contacted prior to April 29 and will have the opportunity to read their works during the awards ceremony on the Courthouse Lawn. Savings bonds will be awarded to those winners age 17 and under and adults will receive cash prizes. All entries will be on display at the Jubilee, Saturday, April 29, 2006.

            Once again the poetry entries will be judged by noted poet and author, Carlos Colon of Shreveport. He is the author of nine chapbooks including Mountain Climbing and Clocking Out, two collections of haiku and concrete poetry. He has had more than 1,000 poems published in various periodicals including Modern Haiku, Frogpond, Writer's Digest, Louisiana Literature, and Louisiana English Journal. His poetry is included in the "Let the Good Times Roll" mural in Shreveport's Festival Plaza and is part of a poetry display outside of a temple on Sado Island in Japan. His poem, "Autumn on the Bayou," was nominated for the 1994 Pushcart Prize anthology. Colon is a member of Poets & Writers, The Academy of American Poets, the Tanka Society of America, and the Haiku Society of America. He is also Chair of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council Literary Panel, editor of Shreve Memorial Library's Electronic Poetry Network, and editor of Sunday at Four, a local literary magazine published by The Trapped Truth Society.

State Police Investigate Death Of Inmate

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            The Louisiana State Police have been asked by Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey to investigate the death of an inmate at the Claiborne Parish Detention Center. James Modisette of Homer was arrested Saturday, March 4 by the Homer Police Department. He was taken to Homer Memorial Hospital, then transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center where he was charged with unauthorized entry of an inhabited dwelling, simple battery (domestic), disturbing the peace, resisting an officer, and probation/parole violation.

            Sheriff Bailey said he "did not suspect foul play", but since the incident occurred at the Detention Center and falls under the jurisdiction of the Sheriff's office, he felt the investigation should be turned over to the Louisiana State Police for an independent investigation.

            Homer Police Chief Russell Mills said officers were dispatched to 229 North 4th Street shortly before 1 AM on Saturday, March 4 regarding a disturbance. Upon arrival, Sgt. Jimmy Hamilton and Officer Keith Ferguson were informed by Fred Jenkins that Modisette had pushed his daughter down and was trying to choke her. He pulled him off, then went to get his gun for protection. Modisette followed him into the house, but left when he saw the gun.

            Officers found Modisette a short time later at his residence. He took off running, but was caught after busting into the home of Harry Chatman on Bama Street. He resisted arrest by refusing to comply with officer's directions. He refused to walk to the patrol car, forcing officers to drag him, then became stiff as a board, making it difficult for officers to get him in the car.

            Hamilton's report said Modisette was taken to Homer Memorial Hospital because he was "foaming at the mouth and appeared to be on some type of drugs". Hospital personnel, however, were unable to examine him due to his "abusive, loud, and combative" behavior.

            Sometime in the early morning hours Sunday, March 5, Modisette was found lying on the floor of the holding cell at CDC in a semi-conscious state. An internal investigation revealed Modisette had been banging his head on the floor and the toilet in the cell. CDC staff called 911. An ambulance transported Modisette to Homer Memorial Hospital, where he was then airlifted to LSU Medical Center in Shreveport. Sometime later that day, Bailey received a call that Modisette had died after being taken off life support.

            The Louisiana State Police are investigating the incident. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

Home Burglarized, Juvenile Arrested

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            The Homer Police Department teamed up with the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office last week  to investigate a burglary at the  home of town attorney David Newell on Beverly Drive. The following day, a 16-year-old juvenile was arrested and charged with  aggravated burglary.  Stolen items recovered included money, a Nintendo 64 game, and a loaded 9  mm gun.

            Sometime before noon on Wednesday, March 1, Lauren Newell arrived home to find an unidentified red bicycle in the driveway. She contacted her dad who was at the Homer Police Department. She was advised not to enter the house until an officer  arrived.

            Officer Roger Smith was dispatched to the scene where he first searched outside the home. Lauren and Smith then entered the house where they discovered several items that had obviously been tampered with—two jewelry boxes and a jar filled with money. Missing were a 9mm gun and a Nintendo 64 game.

            A short time later, Homer Police Chief Russell Mills and David Newell arrived on the scene, Claiborne Parish Sheriff deputies Charlie Buford and Ben Booth showed up and offered assistance. Several eyewitnesses reported seeing a young black male dressed in black shirt and dark color pants with a black do-rag on his head. He was seen near  "Pete" Pearson's residence on Edgewood Drive removing the black shirt. He had on a sleeveless gray shirt under the black shirt. A second eyewitness gave officers the identity of the young man.

            Chief Mills asked CPSO deputies to assist in dusting the house for fingerprints. The Wade Chase Team was called in, but was unable to follow the scent.

            The next morning, Chief Mills, accompanied by deputies Danny Lee and David Crump went to a residence on Lewis Way Road. The juvenile was there but ran out the back of the house. He later returned to the residence where he was apprehended. Juvenile Officer Ben Booth assisted in questioning the young man who admitted, in the presence of his mother, he had acted alone in the burglary. He told officers where the stolen items were hidden. The gun was found in the flower bed at a nearby neighbor's house.

            Mills said aggravated burglary is the unauthorized entering of an inhabited dwelling with the intent to commit a felony or any theft, if the offender, after entering, arms himself with a dangerous weapon. If convicted, the sentence shall be imprisonment at hard labor for not less than one nor more than thirty years.

            The juvenile was also arrested on a bench warrant with bond set at $250,000, in part for failure to appear. He is also facing other charges pending in juvenile court

Owner Elite's Gift Shop Arrested

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            Chief Detective Chuck Talley and Deputy Paul Brazzel arrested Robert Lee Wade of Homer on Monday, February 27, one day before his 43rd birthday, according to Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey. Arrest warrants had been issued earlier that day by the Second Judicial District Court for 18 counts of theft, totaling more than $20,000.

            Wade was the owner of Elite's Gift Shop which opened at 115 West Main in the shopping center next to Homer Seafood in Homer more than two years ago. During the months of December 2005 and January 2006, Wade made several purchases for the business which  is now located in the old Gray's Jewelry building downtown. Purchases were paid using an Elite's Gift Shop checking account that was marked by the bank "Account Closed."

            Wade was booked into the Claiborne Detention Center with bond set at $60,000 on theft charges. No bond was set on parole violation charges out of Webster Parish.

Finance Chairman Addresses Homer Council

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            Finance Committee Chairman Elmer Poss addressed a number of concerns he had with the 2004 audit which included two serious disclaimers. He said capital assets were $3 million, but could not be verified because there are no subsidiary records or inventory. Inventory had been taken and a subsidiary record had been set up in 2005.

            Another serious disclaimer was that accounts receivable exceeded $1 million. The subsidiary records were inadequate or non-existent. He was assured this had been corrected in 2005. He added, "If you don't have a subsidiary record to show who you are going to collect this million dollars from, you have got a problem."

Internal control is always a problem. He asked, "Who okays the time sheets? Who okays the credit card purchases? Who signs checks?" He asked who okayed invoices or time off for vacation or sick leave.

            Signing checks should be taken seriously. In January, the telephone bill was double what was budgeted. He asked why it was so high. Town Clerk Rita Mitchell said the clerk, treasurer and mayor are bonded to sign checks.

            Poss said someone should oversee gas purchases, to determine what kind of mileage vehicles are getting. Someone should also be approving adjustments to accounts receivable. He had never seen the Council approve bad debt. To write off $20,000 is serious. He said, "I could put $20,000 in my pocket, then write off $20,000 in bad debt, and books would balance." He felt the Council should be responsible for writing off bad debts.

Haynesville Police Chief Refuses To Abide By Law

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            Last July, Police Chief Anthony Smith took the oath of office and assumed the responsibility for Town of Haynesville to enforce the law. For more than eight months, however, he has refused to abide by the law regarding release of public records. As custodian of public records, he is required by law to produce those records when requested within five days.

            Louisiana Revised Statute 44.3 requires certain information be included in the initial arrest report. That initial report is a public record and by law is required to include the following information:

(a)  A narrative description of the alleged offense, including appropriate details thereof as determined by the law enforcement agency.

(b)  The name and identification of each person charged with or arrested for the alleged offense.

(c)  The time and date of the alleged offense.

(d)  The location of the alleged offense.

(e)  The property involved.

(f)  The vehicles involved.

(g)  The names of investigating officers.

            Between July 2005 and January 2006, Chief Smith refused to provide information to The Guardian-Journal as requested by telephone. On January 17, 2006, information was requested on Annette Henderson who was arrested January 12 and Dean F. Williams who was arrested January 14.  On February 3, 2006, he Guardian-Journal requested information on the arrests of Willie Caldwell, Travanti Kicombe Beene, Joseph L. Watts, Kim Garrett, or Sheree Strickland.  Copies of these written requests were sent to Asst. District Attorney Jim Hatch.

            Hatch mailed a letter January 27, 2006 to Chief Smith, informing him of the law regarding public records with copies of the law attached.

            On February 10, 2006, Chief Smith invited Susan Herring to meet with him and Officer Jason Branch. At that time, Smith stated only he or Officer Branch were authorized to release information. He was to meet later that day with officers and decide on a policy to release information to both newspapers, and he gave assurance he would provide information to The Guardian-Journal each week.

            Since that time, messages have been left repeatedly for Chief Smith at the police station, on his cell phone and on his beeper. In a phone conversation on Monday, February 27, Smith assured The Guardian-Journal he would have the requested information ready by 3 PM the following day. Once again, no information was ever provided nor would Chief Smith return numerous calls.

            On Thursday, March 2, Dispatcher Heather Evans called The Guardian-Journal. She had been instructed by Chief Smith to explain he had been out of town and that requests would need to be made to Evans in the future. After she refused several requests to take a message to have Chief Smith call The Guardian-Journal, it was suggested to Evans perhaps an article should be written about the difficulty leaving a message for Smith. Evans immediately hung up the phone..

Have You Seen A Purple Cow Lately?

Homer Resident Rebekah Parks asks, "What is this? Why are you putting those purple cows in my yard?"  Relay For Life Committee Member Cindy Bolling, Chairman Nancy Mason and ACS Community Representative Christina Griffin placed this sign in Parks' yard Monday. To have the sign removed, Parks (left) must make a $25 donation to the American Cancer Society. For another $10, she can choose the next location. Anyone interested in forming a Relay Team, making a contribution, or purchasing a luminaria in honor or memory of someone can contact Mason or Sandra Griggs at Regions Bank at 927-9625. See page 3 for luminaria order form.

Fighting Cancer Till Cows Come Home

American Cancer Society "Relay For Life" Set April 21

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            Nancy Mason and  Sandra Griggs are at it again! They have teamed up once again to co-chair the 2006 Relay For Life for the American Cancer Society (ACS). This year, Claiborne Parish will be "Fighting Cancer `till the Cows Come Home".....not just any cows, but "purple cows". Don't be surprised in the next few weeks to wake up one morning to find those purple cows in your yard.  That is just what happened to Homer resident Rebekah "Becky" Parks last Monday. A delegation from the Relay for Life Committee showed up at her house and begin setting up the sign.

            Nancy Mason, Relay For Life Committee Member Cindy Bolling and Community Representative  for ACS, Christina Griffin, could not stop laughing at the antics of Parks, who was thrilled to be the first chosen. These "purple cows" are going to help raise money for cancer research. Parks will have to make a $25 contribution to ACS to get the sign moved. For an additional $10, she can choose the next location for the sign. So everyone is warned to get ready and get their pocketbooks out.

            Relay for Life is the American Cancer Society's signature activity and the largest community fundraiser in the world with more than 3 million Americans participating nationwide. The international event, which has been held in more than 20 countries around the world, offers everyone in the community an opportunity to participate in the fight against cancer. It represents the hope that those lost to cancer will never be forgotten and that those who face cancer will be supported. The hope is that one day cancer will be eliminated.

            Relay For Life is a community gathering, not an athletic event. Anyone can participate. Relay teams formed by businesses, clubs, families, friends, hospitals, churches, schools or service organizations are a great way to get involved. Teams of 8 to 15 people set up camp and take turns walking around a track during the event. To organize a team, you pay a registration fee, then ask each team member to raise a minimum of $100. Teams can then plan a campsite theme and are encouraged to decorate their campsites.

            One of the highlights of Relay for Life is the opening ceremony, which brings cancer survivors together to walk the first lap.  Cancer survivors, as well as those who lost their battle with the disease, are also honored and remembered during the luminaria ceremony which takes place after dark. Both ceremonies provide inspiration and motivation for all Relay participants.

            Luminaria are candles in paper bags placed around the track at Relay For Life. Each luminaria is lit in honor or in memory of someone who has faced cancer. The candles remain lit throughout the night, providing motivation for walkers as they pass by and see the names of these special individuals.

            To purchase a luminaria, fill out the form on page 3 and mail with your check for $10 to Relay for Life Luminaria Ceremony, 309 Beardsley Ave., Homer, Louisiana 71040.

            For more information on how to organize a team or make a contribution, go to www.relayforlifeclaiborne.org or contact Co-Chairmen Nancy Mason or Sandra Griggs at Regions Bank at 927-9626. Teams can also sign up on-line at www.acsevents.org/relay/la/claiborne.

Wayne Guidry Receives Mandatory Life Sentence

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            Convicted killer Wayne J. Guidry Jr. was sentenced by Second Judicial Court Judge Jenifer Clason on Friday, March 3.  Guidry was found guilty of the second degree murder of Stephanie Pepper Sims on December 8, 2005 by a unanimous vote of the jury. As decribed by Clason, second degree murder is "the killing of a human being when the offender has a specific intent to kill or inflict great bodily harm." For his crime, Guidry will spend the rest of his life in prison at hard labor without the benefit of probation, parole or reduction of sentence.

            Defense attorney Joseph M. Clark Sr. filed motions for acquittal and for a new trial. After the Court reviewed the written motion and memorandum and the State's written opposition, Judge Clason went into detail explaining the reason for denying both motions. Clark objected to both denials.

            Clason said, "The motion shall be granted only if the evidence was not sufficient." The defense claimed evidence was largely circumstantial and the evidence presented did not prove elements of second degree murder. In order to convict on the basis of circumstantial evidence, the prosecution must exclude every reasonable hypothesis.

            Clason gave reasons the Court supported the guilty verdict. The statement by Guidry's cellmate, the fact Guidry was the last person to see Stephanie Sims alive, Guidry's internet purchases on Sims' computer, the changes in his statements as more facts came through, and the fascination with the hole where Sims' body was dumped in the Jackson-Bienville Wildlife Refuge Area. Shooting Sims in the chest and hiding her body indicate specific intent.

            Wayne Guidry Jr. and attorney Clark stood before Judge Clason as she rendered the sentence. Clark asked to be relieved of is duties as counsel and asked that the Louisiana Appellate Project be appointed to handle Guidry's appeal. Since Guidry was determined to be indigent, Clason said an attorney would be furnished to him at no cost.

            Jackson Parish Sheriff Andy Brown and three other deputies escorted Guidry from the courtroom. He said Guidry had been no problem during his stay at the Jackson Parish jail in Jonesboro. He spends most of his time alone in his cell. Although he is offered an opportunity for recreation, he chooses not to, because he prefers not to be restrained.

            Guidry was processed for transfer last Friday. On Tuesday, Sheriff Brown was still waiting instructions from the Department of Corrections. He expects Guidry will eventually be moved to the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola where he will serve out his term

Oldtimers Share Tales Of Homer Oilfield

BY JIMMY DEAN, Feature Writer, The Guardian-Journal

            A strapping 18-year-old in 1949 when he first began working in the Homer Oilfield as a roughneck, he's 75 now. Bill Cross looks back on the work he did for 48 years and says, "I loved working in the oilfield and the oil business. If I was younger, I'd still be in it." He adds wistfully, "If I was just 65 again..."

            Cross is one of a few still around who remembers the local oil business in the 1940s and 1950s. He started out with H.H. Watkins Oil Co. as a roughneck. "It wasn't long before I saw that  wasn't for me." When asked why, he replies, "You was working in mud all the time. Your car got dirty going to and from the rig. The roads to the rigs were slippery, and you tore up your car. I like working on the rigs, but roughneckin' just wasn't for me."

            Cross says in the early oilfield days, "You built the whole derrick for drilling. They used wood timbers at first. By the time I came along in the late 1940s, we were building derricks out of steel pipe."

            Cross worked with H.H. Watkins for 18 years, then went into business with his brother-in-law Ed Guillory. They formed Jan-Mar Co., the name coming from their wives' first names, JANette and MARgie. He and Guillory ran Jan-Mar for 15 years, then Cross sold out.

            His wife Janette was raised in the Homer Oilfield. Bill and Janette married when he was 21 and she was 20. Jan-Mar was a family affair, everyone doing something. Janette adds, "Even I worked in the derrick myself."

            That raises the question of the safety of working in the oilfield. Cross says it was common for workers to get mashed fingers and toes and worse. He saw a number of accidents over the years, the worst being a guy who fell about 15 feet and broke his arm.  Cross hurt his back when he was kicked by a motor. He had three back operations and continues to have back trouble.

            Asked about how they knew where to drill, Cross mentions his "gift," what he describes as his unusual ability to locate oil. He says he's never been wrong, that by using two brass rods, he can always determine where to drill for oil that's in sand. "I can't do it if the oil is in a hard formation like chalk or lime, but if it's in a sand formation, the sticks will show me."

            Cross says he was in the oil business for many years having no idea he could find oil this way. "Then I got out of business for a while, and that's when I discovered this `gift.' I thought, `What a waste that I could have been doing this all those years.'"  Cross did return to the oil business for another 11 years, thus able to use his "gift."

            Answering a question about the future of the oil industry, Cross says, "Back in 1967 or 1968 I got $3.17 for a barrel of oil. My production was 15 barrels a day. I'd make a dollar a barrel if I had no problems." When asked what he means by "problems," he chuckles, "Oh, broke rods, holes in tubes. And water. We used to say we had water wells that produced a little oil."

            Donald Wall is another person knowledgeable about the old Homer Oilfield boom days. "I wasn't around in the early days, though. The boom started in 1919. I didn't get into the Homer Oilfield until 1960 when I went to work of H.H. Watkins," he says.

            Asked about the mud in the early days, Wall says he heard stories and saw pictures of mud up to the necks of mules, even of mules literally being drowned by mud. He says he was told that the area up North Main toward the water tower and the old school was a sea of mud at one time. "It took about 6 or 8 teams of mules to move those wagons with the big boilers on them. With mud up to the axles, that's why it took so many mules."

            Asked about the people who came into the area, Wall says, "My father-in-law, Mr. Dunaway, said there was gamblers, bootleggers, prostitutes, everything that comes for the money."

            Wall shares a story he was told by Mr. Watkins. It seems that one of the hands' wife ran off with another man, went into Homer with this man. The roughneck was so distraught that he went up into a derrick and said he was going to jump off and commit suicide. A crowd gathered around and was yelling, "Don't jump!" Meantime, someone went to town, found his wife, and brought her out there for her to tell him to come on down. She got there and yelled up at him, "JUMP, you son-of-a-b****!" He came on down.

            Questioned about the dangers of the job, Wall agrees some lost fingers working around the hazardous machines and equipment.

            With regard to the day-to-day lives of the oilfield laborers, Wall says most families raised all their own food. They usually had a flock of chickens and a garden as well as a horse or mule for plowing.

            He recalls the Kimbells and Carters as having large families. He says that most of the churchgoing folk went to Homer Oilfield Baptist.

            There was also the "Oilfield School" about a hundred yards from Oilfield Baptist Church. The school taught grades 1-8, Mrs. Katie (Cady?) being the teacher.

            One of the stores was run by Jack Kimbell. It offered general merchandise including chicken feed and dairy feed.

            "The Year of Rain, Mud, and Mules"—that's how many referred to 1919. Some said it rained 40 days and 40 nights. "Rag towns," tent cities, sprang up overnight to accommodate roughnecks and their families. Even shacks and leantos were common sights.

            By the late 1940s when Wall got out to the area, most of the major oil companies were leaving or had already left. Mr. Watkins was buying stripper wells by then.

Of course, other areas of the parish had their own boom experiences. According to a brochure distributed by Ford Museum, the boom in that area "gave rise to 200 new residences, 14 brick store buildings, 21 hotels, 18 warehouses, 53 rooming houses, two movie theaters, and two newspapers."

            Linda Volentine with Ford Museum interviewed Laura Caruthers last year about the oil boom in the Lisbon area. Caruthers said that the first well in Lisbon was completed in December, 1936. By January, Lisbon "swelled to 5000 people...main street was a [muddy] quagmire. Cafes and stores went up on every corner. Honky tons were built...one was the Shady Grove and another the Green Lantern...loud partying could be heard at all hours," said Caruthers.

            Anyone with artifacts from the oilfields of Claiborne Parish may visit Linda Volentine at the Ford Museum or call her at 927-9190.

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