Attention SCWD
Customers:
South Claiborne under ban
The
South Claiborne Water System is officially under a water ban due to the loss of
one of its wells. This ban is for all South Claiborne Water System customers.
Those living in that area will need to stop watering yards, gardens, flower
beds, swimming pools, washing vehicles and using their sprinkler systems.
Please
use the water for bathing, cooking, washing clothes and drinking.
Poultry
growers, dairies and commercial users must use their private wells. The system
can no longer carry the usage needed to support the above named and serve
households, according to SCWS Manager Van Austin.
“We
want to thank you for your patients and understanding until this matter is
resolved,” he said.
For
more information, please call 318-258-4151.
Property owners: Good news headed your
way!
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
Some
good news was announced at Thursday’s Claiborne Parish School Board meeting.
According
to Bond Attorney Jim Colvin, property taxes are about to go down. What does
that mean? It means that property taxes will drop in Homer and Haynesville
significantly because the millage rates will drop.
Business
Manager Fred Evans spoke on the issue of the resolution providing for issuance,
sale and delivery of not more than $5,600,000 general obligation refunding
bonds of District 11.
According
to Wes Shafto, bond attorney, this resolution basically authorizes
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Janice Williams to sign the bond purchase
agreement.
“We
agreed that we need to go with the public offer instead of the banks,” Evans
said.
Colvin
explained that the issue was finding a bond refinancing proposal that would
maximize the savings to the taxpayers in Claiborne Parish.
Proposals
were sent to all area banks including Regions Bank, Community Trust Bank,
Sabine State Bank and Gibsland Bank and Trust. Proposals were also sent to
Citizens Bank and First Guaranty Bank which declined to make offers. According
to public versus private analysis given to school board members, the gross
savings through the public offering route would be $1,045,125 versus the banks’
offerings which range from approximately $900,000 down to $700,000. The NIC
(Net Interest Cost) of the public offering is 2.658 percent, and they go up
from there.
“Based
upon these figures, it is our recommendation that we go with the public
offering, as it presents the highest savings,” Colvin told school board
members. “The millage rate is going to drop substantially. It’s going to drop
from 34 to 14 mills. It’s almost cutting your millage rates in half.”
According
to Colvin, these numbers are already locked down and should take place by
mid-July.
Along
with Colvin’s recommendation, the school board also passed a resolution establishing
and levying property tax millage rates for 2010, with changes to Districts 11
and 13.
Shafto
said a supplement resolution will have to be passed in the July meeting which
will have the actual locked in rates.
In
other school board news, Sadie Flucas, representing the Claiborne Parish
Chapter of the NAACP, addressed the board regarding the low LEAP test scores at Homer Junior High School. Test scores for 8th grade students are in the
bottom one fourth, and the NAACP is very concerned about this, she said.
According to their information, approximately 60 percent of 8th grade students
did not pass the test.
“The
community is not stepping up to the plate as it should have,” she said. “We are
going to work very hard to see that this (community) partnership is
strengthened because we feel the future of our children is at stake.”
Although
no strategic planning has been done, goals have been set. The organization
would like to see a push for more parental involvement. They intend to begin an
awareness campaign to make the community aware of how important education is.
They want to strengthen community partnerships through the churches, the civic
organizations, individuals, and anyone who is willing to help develop a
community action plan that the community can do, she said.
She
made it clear that these goals would not be done against the board, but in
collaboration with the board.
They
also want the school board to push for more certified teachers and a strong
curriculum.
“Teachers
need to expect their kids to learn,” she said. “Students will rise to the level
of expectation.”
She
said also that one of the goals is to make sure that teachers are teaching
proper classroom manners. In other words, the organization wants to ensure that
that disciplinary action at the school is not the first intervention.
“The
challenge of providing a good education for our children is one that should
unite us, not divide us,” Flucas said.
District
6 School Board Member Tommy Davidson asked why there was a disconnect between
fourth grade and eighth grade test scores. Williams said at that time, many of
the eighth graders now were fourth graders in 2005 when Hurricanes Katrina and
Rita came through, and many students were pushed through to the next grade.
“That
was the Hurricane Katrina year and everything went through,” Williams said.
“Summer school was not required and they all passed. They got caught up again
in the 8th grade.”
Another
issue Williams said, is that the kids don’t seem to want to stay after school
or at school for LEAP training. Davidson concurred, saying that many parents
don’t make them do what they are supposed to do.
“All we
can do is provide the information,” she said. “If the parents make them stay,
then we’ll teach them.”
School
Board President William Maddox said that any community involvement would be
greatly appreciated.
Williams
is expected to release a press release regarding the matter next week.
In
other news, Paula Becker, child nutrition supervisor, recommended the lowest
bids for milk, bread and ice cream. And once again, several school board
members were happy that Becker chose the bid for Blue Bell Ice Cream. With much
humor, Davidson and Maddox asked her when she was going to bring them samples
of the ice cream to taste.
Borden
was the chosen bid for milk and Cotton Holsum was chosen for bread. She said
the cost of milk is up 3 cents this year and ice cream is down by 3 cents.
Bread is down 13 cents per loaf, and rolls per tray are down 48 cents.
In
other food news, Becker presented a revised budget, which is $50,000 in the
red.
“I have
bought a computer program and a truck this time,” she said. “The one (computer
program) we had was 15 years old, and it’s not a matter of whether we wanted to
do it, it had to be done.”
Buying
new computers has been a large expense, she said, but it’s working great. She
said the new program would not run on the older computers, hence the large
expense.
Several
areas of her budget had to be adjusted to account for these large purchases as
well as travel expenses for training. However, the revenue from school lunches
is down this year, because many children are on the reduced or free lunch
program. Revenue is also down because student population parish-wide is also
down. She said the school system is losing approximately 100 students per
school year.
In
other news, the school board approved bringing on Evans on a full-time basis
for two years. After the two years, the school board will then advertise for
the business manager’s position.
Evans
has been with the school board since November 2009.
“I
enjoy the people that I work with,” Evans said. “They are very supportive. They
do their jobs well and they’re efficient and they’re very cooperative with any
changes that have been made. That goes a long way when you come to work everyday.”
Also, Homer High School and Haynesville Elementary each have new principals for the 2010-11
school year. Sandra Boston was approved to take the principal’s position at Homer High School and Brian Biggs has been tapped to lead Haynesville Elementary School.
Each shared their appreciation for the opportunity to serve as principals.
Boston said she wants to bring Homer High School back to its
former glory.
“We
need to build a network of people in the community so that we can make Homer High School the flagship school it once was,” she said.
Biggs,
who was a hurricane evacuee when he came to Homer, said he is ready for the
challenge and hopes he can live up to everything people say about him.
“Thank
you for the opportunity,” he told the school board. “I planned on living in South Louisiana all my life, but I don’t foresee a hurricane getting me out of here. There
are some big shoes to fill from what I heard. I hope I can live up to what
you’ve heard.”
Boston takes the place of former principal Dwight Mitchell, and
Biggs will take the place of former principal Bob Bond.
The
next school board meeting will be held on Thursday, July 8, at 7 p.m. in the school board meeting room at Central Office. For more information, please
call their office at 927-3502.
Former Homer officer passes away
The Guardian-Journal
Former
Homer Police Officer Mike Rayburn, 34, passed away Thursday morning following
complications from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Services
handled by Bailey Mortuary in Haynesville were held Sunday at 2 p.m. at the funeral home. Rayburn was buried at Jolley Cemetery, near Junction City.
Rayburn
was born to Mike and Pat Rayburn of Haynesville on June 25, 1975, in Shreveport and was a resident of Haynesville. In addition to his duties as an officer, he
was an EMT and a volunteer firefighter. He also enjoyed lock-smithing with his
father.
Rayburn
sustained his fatal injury in May 2009 after a standoff with police at his home
in Haynesville.
Sources
say on that day, the officer had been dealing with personal family issues. It
is unclear whether Rayburn quit or was terminated from his position with the
department when he arrived at headquarters. Rayburn then left the department in
his personal vehicle and traveled to his home in Haynesville where the tragic
events of that day unfolded.
He is
survived by his parents; his son, Michael Haden Rayburn of Haynesville;
step-children Dillon and Haeleigh Moore of Sarepta; sister, Mary Lewis and
husband Marshall of Haynesville; brother, Wayne Rayburn and wife Sara of
Monroe; nieces, Carrie and Marrisa Lewis of Haynesville; and nephews, Matthew
and Tyler Lewis of Haynesville and Kaleb Rayburn of Monroe.
Pallbearers
were Marshall Lewis, Jimmy Dale Williams, Paul Brazzel, Jason Branch, Anthony
Smith, Raymond Carson, Jimmy Hamilton and Ken Bailey.
Industrial accident injures employee
The Guardian-Journal
An
employee of Industrial Packaging Corporation in Homer was airlifted to
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center (LSUHSC) after an accident
severely injured both his arms.
According
to Homer Fire Chief Dennis Butcher, on Wednesday, June 9, Clint D. Isgitt, 30,
had gotten his arms entangled in a machine used to roll paper late that
morning, but it is not known how his arms got entangled. Rescue personnel were
called to the scene at 10:51 a.m., arriving to the scene with 7 to 8 minutes.
Butcher
said by the time emergency rescue personnel arrived at the packaging plant,
other employees had already extracted the injured man from the machine.
He was
transported by Pafford Ambulance to Homer Elementary where Pafford Air One was
waiting to transport him to the Shreveport hospital.
No
other injuries were reported, the fire chief said.
Industrial
Packaging Corporation is located on Wilder Road in the North Industrial Park off Highway 2.
All
units, including the Homer Police Department, the Homer Fire Department and the
Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office responded to the scene.
Alleged drug dealer jailed in Minden
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
woman was arrested last week in Minden for allegedly dealing drugs.
Carolyn
Davis, 40, was arrested June 7 and charged with possession of a CDS Schedule III (Lortab) with intent to distribute.
Minden Police Chief T.C. Bloxom said prior to Davis’ arrest,
his department received a call from a local business, which stated a vehicle
had been pulling into their parking lot with the occupants conducting
suspicious activity.
“The
next time the employees saw the vehicle, they contacted our department and
detectives responded,” said Bloxom.
Davis initially told Detectives Heath Balkom and Lt. Dan
Weaver that she was bringing food to a friend. When asked if she had any
narcotics on her person, she admitted to having a Lortab pill that she had
obtained from her mother.
“Detective
Weaver spoke to Davis’ mother who indicated that her daughter had taken 30 of
her Lortab pills,” said Bloxom.
A
subsequent search of Davis’ purse revealed several Lortab tablets, and $354 in
cash was discovered in her pants pocket.
“Davis was found in possession of a CDS Schedule III narcotic that she did not have a
prescription for,” said Bloxom. “It is our belief that she was selling the
pills from her vehicle.”
Davis was booked and transported to Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.
In
other crime news, a Minden man was busted for drugs during a traffic stop in
Claiborne Parish.
According
to a Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office news release, Allen T. Nation, 48, of Minden, was arrested on Friday, June 11, and charged with driving while intoxicated with
bond set at $750, no license plate light with bond set at $500, and possession
of a Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) Schedule IV (darvocet), with a bond
of $5,000.
On that
day, Deputy Aaron Christian observed a pick up with no license plate light.
Upon coming into contact with Nation, Christian observed obvious signs of
alcohol consumption and a subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a plastic
cigarette wrapper containing four white oval shaped pills in the center
console.
The
pills were identified as being darvocet, a Schedule IV CDS. Nation was
transported to the Claiborne Parish Detention Center (CPDC) and booked on the
above charges.
In
other crime news, a Homer man was also busted with drugs on the same day.
Raffeal
Henderson, 28, was arrested and charged with possession of marijuana with bond
set at $500.
On that
day, a news release stated, Deputy Steve Harbour stopped Henderson’s vehicle on
Dutchtown Road for running a stop sign. Deputy J.T. Williams was on scene to
assist, and upon a subsequent search of the vehicle, deputies discovered a
cigarette with marijuana in it in the passenger’s seat.
Henderson was arrested and booked at CPDC on the above charge.
Portions
of this news release were reprinted with permission from the Minden
Press-Herald.
Councilman in violation of federal law
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
District
2 Councilman Michael Wade is in violation of federal law.
The
Guardian-Journal learned last week that
as a federal employee, Wade is prohibited from running for a political office,
which includes the Homer Town Council.
Erica
Hamrick, with the Hatch Act Unit of the Office of Special Counsel, said that as
a federal employee, he is not allowed to engage in political activity or hold
political office while employed with the federal government.
Wade is
a part-time employee with the United States Post Office in Homer.
The
Hatch Act is a provision in federal law that states the “permitted and
prohibited activities for employees who may engage in partisan activity.”
Political activity is defined as activity directed at the success or failure of
a candidate for partisan political office, political party or a partisan
political group.
What
puts Wade in violation is that when he ran for councilman in 2006, he ran in a
partisan election. The act specifically states, employees “may not be
candidates for public office in partisan elections.”
What
this means is that even though he ran without a party affiliation, his
opponent, Billy Kirk Jenkins did. Because Jenkins ran as a Democrat, that made
the race a partisan election. Had Jenkins run without a party affiliation, that
would have made it a nonpartisan election, because, Hamrick said, the Office of
Special Counsel looks at each individual race.
For
instance, the candidates for a race in District 1 have nothing to do with the
candidates for a race in District 2. This means the candidates running for
office in District 1 would not have anything to do with candidates running for
office in District 2.
On the
flip side, a nonpartisan election is “one in which none of the candidates are
to be nominated or elected as representing a political party any of whose
candidates for Presidential elector received votes in the last preceding
election at which Presidential electors were selected.” In other words, neither
candidate in a race qualifies with a party affiliation.
The
good news is that even though he is violation of federal law, there are no
criminal penalties.
“It’s
an administrative statute; there are no criminal penalties,” Hamrick said.
“Penalties include removal from employment, but that can be lessened to a
suspension, but not less than a 30-day suspension without pay.”
Hamrick
went on to say that Wade could be given the opportunity to come into compliance
with the Hatch Act, which means he has the choice of either resigning from
federal employment or withdrawing from the election. However, there is no
statute of limitation on complaints for violations.
Also,
there is a provision in state law that allows federal government employees to
run and hold a political office. In Louisiana Revised Statute RS 42:63(a)
states, “A person holding employment in the government of the United States and
at the same time holding part time elective office shall not be in violation of
this Subsection, unless the particular nature of his employment in combination
with the duties and interests of his elective office is otherwise prohibited by
this Part or is found to be adverse to the public interest as set forth in RS
42:61.”
From
the standpoint of the state and the council, he is eligible to be an elected
official. However, in this instance, because Wade is a covered employee under
the Hatch Act, federal law trumps state law.
The
Guardian-Journal spoke with Wade on the
issue, but he declined comment at this time.
CPPJ, Builders Supply reach agreement on
Hwy. 518 bridge
Photo courtesy of the Claiborne Parish
Police Jury
This photo was taken on May 20, the day
after a cement truck caused this area of the bridge on Hwy. 518 to collapse.
Builders Supply, who owns the truck, made an agreement with the police jury to
pay for temporary repairs in order to reopen the road.
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Claiborne Parish Police Jury has reached an agreement with Builders Supply
Company in the incident that closed a bridge on Hwy. 518 in May.
By way
of resolution, Builders Supply has agreed to pay for the costs of a temporary
fix on the bridge near Crow’s Creek of up to $20,000, and the police jury will
charge only the exact costs of the repairs with it capped at the $20,000 mark
agreed upon.
The
resolution was approved in the police jury’s June regular monthly meeting.
According
to reports, the bridge collapsed after the company’s truck went over it,
causing the bridge to collapse on one side. The truck traveling over the bridge
actually caused a chain reaction of two car accidents before the road was
closed off.
Carlton
Golden, president of Builders Supply, said there was no intention of doing any
damage to the bridge. He said the truck the employee was driving was rated for
the highway, however, the bridge was only rated for 5 tons, which means the
truck could not pass over the bridge because it was too heavy.
“He’d
(the employee) gone down that road many times, and evidently he thought he’d
take a shortcut through there,” Golden said. “We do not intentionally cross
posted limits. The truck was rated for 518, but it was not for the bridge. He
should not have gone over the bridge empty, much less loaded.”
Tommy
Durrett, CPPJ Road Superintendent, said his office received a call at approximately
1:30 the afternoon of the incident saying the truck was in the bridge.
“The
truck was loaded and it fell in on one side,” he said during their road
committee meeting held in May. “The bridge can’t be fixed the way it is, so the
best thing to do is to install culverts to get the road back open.”
Golden
has also seen the bridge, which he said was in “really” bad shape; however, he
said his company is willing to pay for the repairs to get it back open.
The
good news is this bridge, as well as the second bridge on Hwy. 518, is on the
state’s list next year to replace. So, it was decided to make the temporary
repairs in order to open the road back up until such time the state begins its
work on replacing the bridge.
In
other police jury news, the police jury approved a motion to remove the
basketball goals at the old Boys and Girls Club on Armory Drive in hopes of
cutting down on vandalism at the building. Jean Reynolds, director of the
Claiborne Office of Community Services, has had multiple problems with getting
the crime and vandalism to stop at the building.
Every
month, the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank provides food boxes to families who
need them. These boxes are distributed by the Office of Community Services at
the building.
However,
the vandalism and crime have made it difficult to keep the building decent in
order for volunteers – the Homer Christian Coalition, CPDC inmates and others –
to distribute the food.
This
fiscal year (July 1, 2010 until June 30, 2011), the official journal has
changed from The Guardian-Journal to the Haynesville News.
After a
public hearing earlier that morning, Ordinance No. 759 was approved with a vote
of 5 in favor and 3 against. The ordinance deals with limiting traffic and
prohibiting right-of-way access and overnight parking of large trucks (heavy
haulers) and providing for the fine for any person who violates the same on
Franklin Estates Road (Parish Road No. 321 and Willis Road and Parish Road No.
468).
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey said his deputies would write the tickets, but there
was an issue as to where the fines would be paid. The police jury is expected
to have a discussion with Police Jury Attorney Danny Newell on the matter.
Also,
Ordinance 703, which clarifies the application processes on road permits, was
approved.
The
police jury also approved a draft letter to Mid-Valley Pipeline asking the
company to take a different route in Haynesville due to the damage the trucks
are causing on Triplet Road.
There
are many houses on Triplet Road, and the letter is asking the company to
voluntarily change its routes so the trucks aren’t meeting each other.
The
idea is for the trucks to enter the plant using Triplet Road and Winn Bottom,
but when leaving the plant, using Winn Bottom Road to Hwy. 2 Alternate.
The
biggest concern the police jury had is in the case of a spill.
District
10 Police Juror Willie Young and District 9 Police Juror Jerry Adkins were the
lone votes against the letter.
In
other police jury news, several parish employees received a merit raise,
including, Operator II Donald Farley, Operator II Sonny Greeson, Truck Driver
Jim Gardner, Mechanic Bryon Burnham, Foreman Chad Verdin and Foreman Joe Buggs,
who all received 25 cents per hour raises.
In
personnel news, the police jury approved a recommendation from the personnel
committee to hire current Operator I Eric Kennedy to the position of road
foreman. Billy Adams was also approved for the position of inmate supervisor
with the Claiborne Parish Highway Department. The police jury administrative
office will be closed July 2, in observance of the Fourth of July, which falls
on Sunday this year. The highway department will take Thursday, July 1, off
since they are currently working the 4/10s schedule, which means they work four
days per week at 10 hours per day.
The
police jury also approved a resolution from the Claiborne Parish Watershed
District requesting that the police jury consider the adoption of an ordinance
forbidding the interference with channel markers and warning buoys on Lake Claibor ne.
Also
discussed was the Lisbon Landing Land and Water Conservation Grant. Dr. Robert
Haynes, with the Claiborne Parish Watershed District said the estimated cost of
the entire project was $435,000, with $45,000 of that going for the parking
area. The grant they are seeking is an “in-kind” grant, which means the state
will fund half the money if the parish provides the other half. This means the
parish’s half could come in the form of providing labor and materials for the
project. According to the agenda, about $255,500 would have to come from the
Claiborne Parish Watershed District and the police jury either in the form of
money or labor.
The
next police jury meeting will be held Wednesday, July 7, at 9 a.m. in the police jury room at the Claiborne Police Jury Complex. For more information, please
call their office at 927-2222.
Recreation tax proposal to be on October
ballot
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The
Homer Town Council voted 4-1 last Monday afternoon to add a 1/8 of a percent
sales tax to this October’s ballot dedicated strictly to recreation.
At
first, the council wanted to amend the resolution for the quarter cent sales
tax proposal that is to be dedicated to the Homer Police Department. However,
cautioned Town Attorney Jim Colvin, that tax proposal cannot be amended because
it has already been turned in to meet the deadline to be on the ballot.
Interim
Homer Mayor Alecia Smith said the council was going to amend the police’s tax
proposal to add the minutes from the meeting to the resolution which was turned
into the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office.
The
Homer Police Department is asking the public to support its officers by way of
passing this tax proposal so officers can get much-needed raises.
Homer
Police Chief Russell Mills made it clear that the additional funds brought in
by this sales tax is not for a raise for himself. He wants to be clear to the
public that these funds are to give raises to his officers. Also, these funds
would help offset the costs of training expenses as well as go towards the
purchase of better patrol units.
The tax
proposal the council passed Monday to also go on October’s ballot is to raise
more funds for recreation. According to James Colvin Sr., the town’s financial
consultant, the recreation fund has been going in the hole quite a bit and they
are having to pull from the general fund to cover these expenses.
So, if
this tax proposal passes, Colvin Sr. said, that means the general funds going
towards covering the recreation fund will be freed up.
However,
District 3 Councilman Toney Johnson cautioned his fellow council members about
dedicating the tax proposal. The town is facing a budget crisis and if the tax
proposal is dedicated, then that means the additional funds can’t be moved
around.
District
4 Councilwoman Carlette Sanford said the proposal needs to be something all
citizens would vote for.
“It’s
got to be for something all the people want, because it’s got to go before the
people,” she said. “It needs to be a tax everybody wants to pass.”
Currently,
according to town records, the recreation fund gets about $81,000 per year
budgeted. If the tax proposal passes, then approximately $50,000 more would go
towards recreation.
In
other news, a controversy arose when Homer High School Boys Basketball Coach
Eumarcus Hicks approached the council about donating towards the purchase of
new uniforms for his players.
According
to Hicks, the uniforms the boys currently play in are about six to seven years
old and they are fading and the numbers are peeling. He asked the council to
fund approximately $2,000 to purchase 30 uniforms or about $1,000 to purchase
15. According to Hicks’ figures, the cost of one uniform is $69.99.
Even
though Hicks is working on getting the “Six-Man Club,” basketball’s booster
club, up and running again, the Claiborne Parish School Board does not furnish
the funds for athletics.
Several
disagreed, while others agreed to pay for the uniforms. Colvin Sr. said the
money would have to come from the recreation fund, which means the town’s
overall budget would have to be amended so funds could be moved around to cover
the costs.
Mills
spoke up and challenged the council members to each give $300 a piece out of
their own pockets to go towards the purchase of the uniforms. And if each
council member, the mayor, the town attorney and himself each gave $300, that
would more than cover the cost of the uniforms.
However,
Mills and Johnson were the only ones who spoke up saying they would give the
$300. District 1 Councilman Scott “Doc” Roberson spoke up and said the town
should pay for the uniforms.
Johnson
also cautioned the council that the town is doing good to pay the bills it
absolutely has to pay – and there is no budget for this type of contribution.
“We are
running out of money,” he said. “We’ve got some large deficits that we are
going to have to cover.”
In the
end, Sanford was the lone vote against the motion to provide the funds.
In
other council news, Smith resigned her position on the Homer Memorial Hospital
Board. She appointed Fred Young, who served as former Mayor David Newell’s
designee on the board, to take her vacated position on the board. As interim
mayor, she will serve on the board in the mayor’s position.
The
council also approved the contract for airport maintenance for another year.
The vote was 4-1, with District 5 Councilwoman Patricia Jenkins the one vote
against.
Also,
the council agreed to waive the sewer charges at Presbyterian Village Nursing
Home. According to Sanford, the home received their utility bill with a $10,000
for sewer. A phone call was made to Town Clerk Tangie Wallace, and she said
that even with the adjustments, it would have only brought the bill down about
$200 to $300.
After a
building check, Sanford said, the leak was located. She said the ice machine
was leaking into the rear of the building and not into the town’s sewage
system. She said they were more than willing to pay the water portion of the
bill, but they were asking the council to waive the sewage.
In a
vote of 4-1, the motion was approved with Jenkins the lone vote against.
Fireworks Show, Boat Parade slated for
July 3
The Guardian-Journal file photo
The Lake Claiborne Fireworks Show and
Boat Parade will be held Saturday, July 3, with the boat parade beginning at 7:30 p.m. and the fireworks show beginning at 9 p.m. The Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s
Office, along with Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries agents will be out in full
force helping to keep this family event safe for everyone. Pictured at right
are Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey and Deputy Jeff Pugh.
For more information, please call
927-9180.
Spaht named honorary captain at Homer
Heritage event
The Guardian-Journal
A Homer
native took home the coveted honorary captain award at this year’s Homer
Heritage event.
This
year’s winner was Catherine Shaw Spaht of Baton Rouge. The 64-year-old was born
in Shreveport and raised in Homer. She is married to Paul H. Spaht, and they
have three children together, ages 27, 24 and 18.
She has
a bachelor of arts degree from the University of Mississippi which she obtained
in 1968, followed by gaining her juris doctorate from Louisiana State University in 1971.
She has
a long list of credits to her name, and according to her biography, she has
taught law at Louisiana State University since 1972 in the areas of family law,
community property, successions and obligations.
In
addition to overseeing the revision of Louisiana’s community property law in
1978 and drafting Louisiana’s covenant marriage legislation in 1997, Professor
Spaht has worked with the legislature on such varied topics as the needs of
women, the rights of illegitimate children, selection of the judiciary,
assisted conception, and the review of child support guidelines.
The
Homer native has been the reporter for the Revision of the Law of
Marriage/Persons of the Louisiana State Law Institute since 1981 and also
serves on the American Law Institute’s Committee on the Principles of the Law
of Family Dissolution. Spaht debated with Justin Wolfers, assistant professor
at Wharton University of Pennsylvania on the Legal Affairs website as regards
the subject of the proposed adoption by New York of unilateral no-fault
divorce.
However,
in her personal life, she holds the place she grew up close to her heart. It
was this foundation that has helped build the person she is today and has
helped her accomplish the many things that mean so much to her.
“The
most influential person in shaping my attitudes and my standards for teaching
was Evelyn Hightower, whom I admire more than any teacher I ever had,” Spaht
said.
But she
didn’t forget the small things either.
“And
not to forget things such as picking dewberries and mayhaws and muscadines,
chasing fireflies, catching lizards – all these permit me to share these
experiences with my granddaughters,” she said.
She
said returning to Homer for this event reminded her of by gone days, of
watching her father play golf at the Homer Country Club, Sunday lunches and
other events.
“Thank
you for this opportunity to return and remind all of us what this town and its
people did for us,” she said. “The biggest thank you goes to the Town of Homer.”
She
follows a long line of those before her, even though she’s not a golfer.
“We’re
paying homage to our hometown,” said Dr. Bob Haley of the Homer Heritage event.
“We pay tribute to all those who have given us that solid foundation that
carried us so far in life.”
Some of
those who have come before her include Tom Dees, Joe Michael, the Gladney
family, R.O. “Snap” Oakes, the Homer High School “Iron Men” football team, Carroll
Dowies, Lawson Guice and O.P. “Pete” Pearson just to name a few.
Other
special guests were recognized as well, including the Homer High School Class
of 1960.
Homer Fire Department receives donation
The Guardian-Journal photo/Michelle Bates
On behalf of State Farm Insurance
Company, Agent Rusty Billings (left) presents a $3,000 donation to Fire Chief
Dennis Butcher (right) for the Homer Fire Department. This money will be used
to purchase smoke detectors to distribute to those most susceptible to injury
or death as a result of a fire.
