U.S. Congressman Jim McCrery
(right) was in Claiborne Parish Tuesday. He spoke at the Police Jury Complex at
10:45 AM
before heading to Haynesville to speak to the Haynesville Lions Club at their noon luncheon held
at the Haynesville Country Club. Above, McCrery’s assistant Richard Wright
visits with Homer Mayor Huey Dean and Chamber President J. T. Taylor, as Clerk
of Court Patrick Gladney speaks with McCrery. McCrery shared some of the
accomplishments of the 109th Congress the past two years.
Congressman McCrery:
Homer Bypass Hits Brick
Wall
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Congressman Jim McCrery was in
Claiborne Parish Tuesday. He spoke to a group of community leaders, elected
officials and students from Claiborne Academy at the Claiborne Parish Police
Jury Complex in Homer, then traveled to Haynesville
where he was the guest speaker at the noon meeting of the Haynesville
Lions Club.
McCrery gave a brief overview
of what Congress had accomplished over the past two years, taking into account
the enormity of the destruction to the Gulf Coast created by Hurricane Katrina,
devastation never seen in this country before. Several issues before Congress
were put on hold, such as the terrorist surveillance program, prisoner
interrogation, pension reform, tax reform, and extending the tax cuts.
The welfare and unemployment
programs were hard hit. Legislation was passed to place a sizeable amount of
money into the unemployment insurance fund to avoid an automatic increase in
taxes to businesses to replenish the fund. In addition to welfare and
unemployment, other issues addressed included education and incentives to bring
businesses back to Louisiana, as well as to encourage new
businesses. McCrery said the Ways and Means Committee has jurisdiction over
each area except education.
As for funding for the Homer
Bypass project, McCrery said, “I’ve hit a brick wall in Washington.” He explained years ago it
was thought the project would be completed faster if funded 100% through the
state. Things changed and that apparently did not happen. Now the project does
not meet federal guidelines for engineering and planning and is ineligible for
federal funding. This includes funding from other areas outside transportation.
Members of the Transportation Committee told McCrery earmarking other funds for
the project would set a bad precedent.
As for any increased federal
funding for transportation, McCrery said Louisiana has already been getting
considerably more money in the Transportation Bill, but he said you cannot
blame the State Legislature. The State has tremendous transportation needs
which have worsened in South Louisiana since Katrina.
Police Jury Secretary Dwayne
Woodard is working with the Coordinating and Development Corporation to submit
an application to the State for $3.6 million in capital outlay funds for the
Homer Bypass for the 2007-2008 year. Although Rep. Rick Gallot said the
estimated cost to complete the project has risen to about $18 million, he
believes the project can be completed for less.
McCrery said I-69 would be a
shot in the arm for Claiborne Parish, be that is at least 10 years down the
road. He is aware of the economic problems created with the closing of Wal-Mart
in Homer and has worked hard to get the one time payment for the parish to help
offset some of the tax losses for the first year. . …full article in this weeks paper
St. Jude Car Car &
Bike Show
Short Of
Goal
The 5th Annual St. Jude Lake
Claiborne Car & Bike Show held last Saturday, October 7 at the Lake
Claiborne State Park fell short of the $22,000 needed to dedicate one room at
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in memory of Christian and Joseph
Manzanares. Organizer Rickey Bearden, grandfather to the two Manzanares
children who died tragically in August 2001 when their mobile home caught on
fire, has worked tirelessly for the past five years, raising $48,331.96.
This year’s Car & Bike Show
raised $5,500 with 52 cars entered and 19 bikes. Thomas McDonald was the winner
of the 50/50 pot, half of $304, which he donated back to St. Jude. More than
$10,000 personal contributions were received, putting the total raised this
year over $16,000. Only about $6,000 is needed to dedicate the room at the Memphis hospital.
Bearden will present a check to
a St. Jude representative in the next few weeks, but until then, he will
continue to accept donations. Contributions are tax deductible. Checks payable
to St. Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital can be mailed to Rickey
Bearden, 223 Beardsley Ave., Homer, LA
71040. For more information, call 927-9740.
Homer Man Arrested For 18
Counts Forgery
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Kevin L. Savage, 46, of Homer
was arrested Wednesday, October 11 by Homer Police Chief Russell Mills and
Office Keith Ferguson. Savage was charged with 18 counts of forgery and theft
of a firearm. He was booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center with bond set at $95,000.
Chief Mills received a
complaint alleging Mr. Savage had forged several checks belonging to a
Homer woman. After investigating the complaint Mills discovered Savage had
forged at least 18 personal checks, totaling just under $400. He also took a
.357 Smith & Wesson Magnum handgun belonging to the victim and pawned it at
Minden Pawn and Gun. The gun has since been recovered. Other forgery charges
may be forthcoming as checks reach the bank.
Last Friday night during the
Homer-Loyola ballgame, a purse belonging to one of the Loyola cheerleaders was
taken from the bench. Apparently two Homer juveniles made their way under the
visitor bleachers, snatched the purse and climbed back over the fence. They
were seen dumping the contents of the purse on the ground behind the buses
chartered by Loyola. Officer Ken Wood
proceeded to the area. As he approached the juvenlile he ran in the
southeasterly direction toward Torbet Drive, where they lost sight of him.
On Monday, an eyewitness came
forth and identified the two youth. Homer Police questioned the tow. One credit
card, the girl’s driver’s license and billfold were returned, however the money
(about $20 cash) and two major credit cards are still missing. The boys were
arrested and charged with theft, flight from an officer, and resisting an
officer. Due to the lack overcrowding and lack of bed space at the Ware Youth Center in Coushatta, the boys were
released to the custody of their parents.
On Saturday, October 14, Homer
Police received a call from Dixie Mart #1 on Hwy. 79 South in Homer regarding a
disturbance. Upon arrival at the scene, Officers Keith Ferguson, Ken Wood, and
Mario Thomas were advised that the subject had left the store and returned to
his residence on James Street. The above officers, along
with Police Chief Russell Mills and Claiborne Parish deputies Jeff
Pugh and Paul Brazzel located the man inside his mobile home and arrested him
without incident.
Christopher R. Bryant, 21, of
Haynesville was charged with simple battery (domestic) after he shoved his
wife’s face into the coke cooler.
The Wet Roadway was the cause for
at least two accidents Monday in Claiborne Parish. according
to Louisiana State Police reports this 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by
Judy Camp of Haynesville received heavy damage after hydroplaning off Hwy. 79
around noon
on Monday. Camp was taken to Homer Memorial Hospital
by Claiborne Ambulance with minor injuries.
Accident Leaves One Injured
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Extremely heavy rain fell
across much of Central and Northeast Louisiana Sunday and Monday, as much as
17.35 inches in the Kisatchie National Forest in Natchitoches Parish.
Although the LSU AgCenter recorded less than 2 inches at the Hill Farm Research
Station near Homer, it was enough rain to cause at least two accidents in
Claiborne Parish Monday.
Louisiana State Police
investigated a one-vehicle accident around 12:30 PM on Monday, October 16 just
north of Homer on Hwy. 79. A 1999 Chevrolet Monte Carlo driven by Judy Camp of
Haynesville was headed south on Hwy. 79 when the car hit some water in the
roadway and hydroplaned near Joe Dean Contractors, causing the vehicle to
overturn at least once.
Camp was transported to Homer Memorial Hospital by Claiborne Ambulance where
she was treated for minor injuries.
Earlier that same morning, just
before 10 AM, Claiborne Parish Sheriff Deputy Ben Booth was dispatched to Hwy.
518 about half mile from the Webster Parish Line when an Athens woman driving a
Toyota Echo hydroplaned and ran off the road into a ditch, hitting a culvert.
The vehicle received major damage, however, the lady
only received minor injuries.
Claiborne Jubilee To Present Crowns
When the Claiborne Jubilee
presents the Mahogany Ensemble’s production of Crowns, a musical comedy about ladies and their love of church
hats, at the Homer City Hall, the traditional spring time celebration of the arts will
start a new practice of hosting year round opportunities for Claiborne Parish
citizens. On November 18, 2006, at 2 in the afternoon, ticket holders will be treated not only to
this delightful play, but also to a style show featuring fashions from Mary’s
Boutique, Miss Lizzie’s, Merle Norman, and Delta Interiors.
Furthermore, LA Tech Folklorist
Dr. Susan Roach has issued a call for historic and contemporary hats and
stories to go with them for an exhibit that will be at City Hall the day of the
performance. Titled “Our Hats, Our Crowns,” this exhibit needs participation
from throughout the parish to be complete. If you have hats you would like to
lend for the exhibit, please contact Cynthia Steele at 927-2566 for more
information. The hats will be treated gently and returned after the play. Dr.
Roach will also create an online photo essay of hats and narratives for the LA.
Regional Folklife Program website
Tickets for the afternoon’s
entertainment are available at the above businesses as well as at the Ford Museum and Claiborne Chamber of
Commerce offices, the Claiborne Parish Library in Homer, and at Killgore’s
Pharmacy in Haynesville. Ticket prices are $7.00 in advance and $10.00 at the
door. Seniors and children may come for $5.00 if tickets are purchased in
advance. The group attending with the largest number of members wearing their
hats to the performance will receive an award.
Local Soldier Remembered As
A Hero
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
What makes someone a hero? Is
it when someone commits an act of remarkable bravery, who has shown great
courage or strength of character in the face of difficult events, or is it
simply someone 
who is admired for their outstanding qualities or achievements.. In either case, Jon Eric Bowman is a hero—not simply
because he died for his country while fighting in Iraq, but because of the person he
was..
Jon’s 18-year-old sister Megan
said, “My brother was one of a kind.” His older sister, Ashley, was only four
years old when Jon Eric was born. She described her brother as caring,
thoughtful, and genuine. She will love and miss him dearly, and will always
remember and cherish the good times they had together. She said, “Not everyone
can do what my brother has done, giving his precious life for his country.”
Jon’s dad, Johnny Bowman, said he lost a big
piece of his heart and soul when his son died Monday, October 9 while serving
his country in Iraq. Lance Corporal Jon Eric was
about one month into his second deployment to Iraq and was conducting combat
operations against enemy forces in the Anbar Province in Ar Ramadi, Iraq.
Two fellow Marines from the 1st
Battalion, 6th Marine Regiment, 2nd Marine Division, 2nd
Marine Expeditionary Force out of Camp Lejeune, North Carolina were with him. Pfc. Shelby J.
Feniello, 25, of Pennsylvania and Sgt. Julian M. Arechaga,
23, of New York were with Jon Eric, who was on top, manning a .50
caliber machine gun, when their Humvee was hit by two IED’s (improvised
explosive devices), killing all three.
Jill Puckett, Jon Eric’s mom, said she too lost a big chunk
of her heart. He was her first born, her baby. She said, “We’re not supposed to
bury our children. They are supposed to bury us.” Jon Eric was very kindhearted. “He would give
you the shirt off his back. I think he’d rather take a beating than hurt somebody’s
feelings.”
Stepmom Susan said she first met Jon
Eric when he was only eight years old—a chunk of a little boy. “He had a smile
that could brighten a room as he entered,” she said. Over the years, she never
met anyone that disliked Jon. People are just drawn to a “live wire,” she said.
He was the life of the party.
“Tonight my heart is broken,”
Susan said. It was not because he gave his life for his country and not because they would never be able to
experience some of the feelings they had for each other again; but because his
life was cut so short, so short for his country. “There are so many who will never know the
feeling and warmth that came from just standing in this young man’s shadow.”
Jon Eric brought joy to this
evil world we live in. He also had a deep understanding of human suffering,
which gave him compassion beyond belief, and he took each experience and used
them, applying them to his daily life.
That is exactly the way Jon’s
wife, Dawn, remembers him. Dawn and Jon Eric had dated for several years, but
had only been married about 20 months. Nine months after joining the Marines
right out of high school, Jon Eric married Dawn Farley, the “love of his
live,” in a simple ceremony on February 19, 2005. Days later he would leave for
his first tour of duty in Iraq. When he returned home the
following October, the couple renewed their wedding vows in a church ceremony.
Following their honeymoon, the couple returned to Camp LeJuene, North Carolina where Jon Eric was stationed.
Then last month, on September 10, he headed back to Iraq for his second tour of duty.
Dawn described Jon Eric as
rather shy and quiet until you got to know him, then
you couldn’t shut him up. She remembers the first time she met him, he was dating one of her teammates on the Summerfield
softball team. Dawn said, “I have never met anyone so sincere, so
loving—someone who would do anything for you.” The two were inseparable. She
said both had gone through some hard times, but they began attending church.
Dawn credits Jon Eric for her decision to be baptized.
On Jon Eric’s 20th birthday on March 27, 2005, Dawn wrote him a poem. She said, You
are the one who fights for our country so we can sleep safe at night. You are
the one who sacrifices his life to keep our country’s rights. You are the one
who tells me you love me in soft caring ways; and the one I usually talk about
when I begin to pray. You are the one who means the world to me and who helps
keep this country free; The only one I give my heart to—My Husband, My Marine.”
Jon’s sisters, Ashley and
Megan, say it is an honor to know their brother died a hero. “As much as it
hurts without him here, I must say it is an honor to know my brother was such a
hero, not only to me, but to millions of people. I love him so much,” said
Megan, “And it is going to be hard without my brother here anymore—but I know
he is watching over me, as he always did.”
Memorials may be made to Summerfield High School, Jon Eric Bowman Fund, 4200
Hwy. 9, Summerfield, LA 71079, or to the Jon Eric Bowman Memorial
Fund, c/o Chase Bank, Eastside Branch, Monroe, LA. Online tributes may also be
made at www.kilpatrickfuneralhomes.com.
Absentee Or Early Voting
October
26-31, 2006
Claiborne Parish Registrar of
Voters Patricia Sanders would like to remind voters that early or absentee
voting for the upcoming election will begin Thursday, October 26 and will
continue through Tuesday, October 31, 2006, from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Election
day will be Tuesday, November 7. Voters are reminded to bring a driver's license,
a La. Special ID, or some generally recognized picture ID. If you have
questions, stop by the Registrar’s office in the Police Jury Complex or call
927-3332. Look for information on the 8 proposed constitutional amendments in
next week’s issue.
October 29 Is Domestic
Abuse Awareness Day
October has been designated as
Domestic Abuse Awareness Month nationally. The Domestic Abuse Resistance Team,
or D.A.R.T., along with several churches and businesses have
planned vigils or other activities to heighten the awareness of domestic
violence within the five parishes served by D.A.R.T. in North Louisiana, including Claiborne Parish.
Several area churches will observe Domestic Abuse Awareness Day and remember
local victims of domestic violence during their services to be held Sunday,
October 29.
When we think of October, we
begin to think of the holiday season and especially the fun of Halloween.
Sadly, some of the same children who are gearing up for trick-or-treat are
children who live every day in the very real horror of domestic violence.
Angela Clark of the Louisiana
Coalition Against Domestic Violence says that at least
four, and as many as six, children in every classroom in the state of Louisiana go home every day to a violent
landscape. They live in fear of people they love. They walk on egg shells in a
vain attempt to keep down the verbal and physical abuse. They feel guilt
because they think if they were better or smarter or prettier, then maybe daddy
wouldn’t hit mommy. No matter how much parents may try to hide it,
children always know when there is strife at home.
During the month of October,
parish residents are asked to
help by showing their support of D.A.R.T and D.A.R.T.’a efforts
to stop domestic violence in our
society. One thing they can do is “wear purple this month”. A purple ribbon on
your lapel or tied to the antenna of your car says, “I oppose domestic
violence.”
In Homer, the First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist Church, and Calvary Baptist Church will observe Domestic Abuse
Awareness Day on Sunday, October 29. Clawson Chiropractic Clinic will be
emphasizing domestic violence throughout the month of October by passing out
purple ribbons and brochures with information on domestic violence. They will
also be accepting donations for the area D.A.R.T. shelter.
Other businesses can take a
stand by posting flyers or posters which are available at the local D.A.R.T office at no
charge.
For more information contact
Mary Ellen Gamble at
927-2818. If you or your children need help, you may call
1-888-411-1333 or call Gamble at the above number.
Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin—God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He
opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky
stuff—including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new
smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all
the world to see. The First United Methodist Church in Homer has a new
“Pumpkin Patch” and will be selling pumpkins for $5 each through Halloween as a
fundraiser for the youth and children’s department. For more information, call
Coordinator April Chachere at the church office at 927.3365.
