A proud NSU graduate, Cloyd Benjamin, Jr, is a man who wears many hats. Not only is he our Assistant District Attorney, he has a private civil law practice and is involved in many community organizations and activities.

“To whom much is given, much is required,” he says  “With faith, preparation and courage you can accomplish anything in life.”

Mr. Benjamin takes that statement seriously and cares about the youth of Natchitoches and the surrounding areas and his heart is in helping them succeed.  He is a board member for the Boys and Girls Club and Legal Services of Louisiana.  His goal is to give young men and women a fresh start if they “just do something stupid one time.”

In his private civil practice, Mr. Benjamin assists those who have been injured in an accident, uncontested divorces and successions.

“I have a heart to help people. Your insurance company loves you when you’re making your premium payments, but not when you need to make a claim.” He knows how to navigate those waters and is on your side.

Mr. Benjamin is a native of Natchitoches, attended public school here, graduated from NSU, and worked in local law enforcement before going to law school. He loves life and is excited to be a part of the local community and making Natchitoches a wonderful place to live.

Join Mr. Benjamin Monday –  LIVE on My92.3 at 7:30a and on 949 The River at 10:15a.

Contact Mr. Benjamin  at:
726 3rd St Ste B
Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457
Phone: (318) 352-7575

Website  http://www.benjaminlawfirmllc.com

By Corey Poole

St. Mary’s Catholic High School will welcome one of its alum as he cooks dinner for the school’s fundraiser.

The event will be held Saturday, June 4 at St. Mary’s. Funds will go toward establishing the St. Mary’s Catholic School Memorial Garden. Activities include dinner, music, silent and live auctions, a school memorabilia display and a cocktail hour with a cash bar.

Henry was excited to announce that hams from Grayson’s Barbeque in Clarence will be featured at the event, along with several of his signature dishes.

Tickets are $75 per person. For more information contact Melissa Frye at 318-352-8394 or Payne Williams at 318-352-6695.

“My time at St. Mary’s is one of the best times in my life,” said Chef William Henry “Bodie” Chandler. “The friends I made there are the friends I have for life.”

Born and raised in St. Maurice on his family’s 1,500-acre cotton, cattle and pecan farm Henry learned to cook with his Nanny Castell as she prepared the family’s meals. He is the last of three boys.

Henry cooked and served his first meal of chicken and dumplings at the age of 10. His family’s positive reaction to his food solidified his passion for the culinary arts.

“I never wanted to do anything else,” he said.

Henry’s dad, known as “Big H,” was a WWII veteran who ran a local liquor store in addition to the farm. Henry’s home was often the gathering place for his classmates and other community members, who gathered around the table for a home cooked meal.

Henry attended Parks Elementary, Ira Campbell’s school at Hickory Ridge through eighth grade and then enrolled at St. Mary’s for high school.

“My parents thought it would be a perfect fit for me because it was a smaller school than Natchitoches Central,” said Henry.

It was at St. Mary’s that Henry began playing football and met the infamous John Wayne Odom.

“He had a big impact on all of us,” Henry said. “He turned us into men.”

Henry also met and became lifelong friends with John Ackel, Thomas Plunkett III and Hugo Grayson. Henry calls himself, Plunkett and Grayson the “other side of the river boys.”

Living over 17 miles from Natchitoches, Henry would sleep over at the homes of the McKnights or the Ackels every Friday night after football games.

Henry recollected on the following memories from his days at St. Mary’s:

• Collecting boxes for homecoming
• His love of football
• Skiing on Cane River after football practice
• Sneaking into the Shammrock
• Riding up and down the strip and grabbing a burger at Casper’s.

Growing up there was no Food Network on the television and no famous chefs to look up to. It wasn’t until he went to college in Lafayette that he got exposed to Cajun and Creole cooking.

After a stint working on an oil rig and in construction, Henry married in 1989. He and his wife opened a catering business before Henry enrolled in a culinary school at Guilford Tech, graduating with a degree in French culinary arts.

Eventually settling in Georgia, the couple followed their dream, opening Henry’s Louisiana Grill. After four successful years of operation, the restaurant needed a bigger location.They renovated a building and created a new home, which customers followed them to.

Today, the grill continues as a thriving, exciting restaurant in the heart of downtown Acworth.

Natchitoches Parish Library partnered with the Natchitoches Humane Society for National Pet Month to celebrate the benefits of pet ownership. Children spent time with a dog and a kitten that are available for adoption and learned about proper pet care and handling. If interested in pet adoption or fostering, learn about the Natchitoches Humane Society online at www.natchitocheshumane.com.
The library is continuously looking for opportunities to partner with local groups and organizations to better serve the community. If interested in scheduling a tour for a group, or are interested in partnering with the Library, contact the Community Outreach Coordinator at 318-238-9236.

Sheriff Victor Jones announced the recent promotions of Sgt. Matthew Robertson to NPSO Patrol Division Shift “C”, Sgt. Jonathan Roberts to Narcotics/NMJDTF, Lt. Shane LaCaze to Patrol Shift “A”, and Sgt. Clinton Dunn to Patrol Shift “A”.

 

Sandra Moreau with the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office donated blood May 18. Lifeshare Blood Centers will hold the following blood drives in Natchitoches Parish:

May 22 at Walmart from noon-6 p.m.
May 27 at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center from 9a.m.-4:30p.m.
May 27 at Walmart from noon-6 p.m.

NSU hosted the Boys & Girls Club of El Camino Real for a “Strike Out Autism” event May 19. Summer camp attendee AJ Barfield, his brother Bernard and Ashton Behrendsen to be recognized at the Thursday Baseball game. AJ and Bernard’s parents and sister, Madison (BGCECR Club Member) attended the festivities too.

Thursday’s game was the first “Strike Out Autism” game. Northwestern State will sell the “Normal” jerseys it wore against Mississippi Valley State and Louisiana Tech for $50 each with proceeds benefitting the Boys and Girls Club.

By Kevin Shannahan

Kevin’s Gallery

The predicted rain held off for the St. Mary’s Tiger Athletic Association’s Annual Golf Tournament and Crawfish Boil held at this Friday at the NSU Recreational Complex. Twenty golfing foursomes participated in the tournament assisted by members of the St. Mary’s golf team. The tournament concluded with the TAA’s signature crawfish boil, featuring 1,200 pounds of crawfish donated by Casey and Shonda Messenger and the Crawfish Hole. This fun annual event is expected to raise about $10,000.00 for the Tiger Athletic Association and will be used to assist the St. Mary’s athletic program.

 

ALL PHOTOS HERE

Natchitoches Parish 4-H recognized its outstanding 4-Hers and volunteers at its Awards Banquet May 20.

Anne Mertens received a $500 Ruth Johnson Memorial Scholarship. She will attend the Louisiana Tech University and major in English with a minor in business.

Leneigh Hennigan received the $300 H.C. Sanders Memorial Scholarship. She will attend Northwestern State University and major in nursing.

Amber Miley received the Louisiana 4-H Foundation Award. This award is given to a graduating senior in each parish who has excelled in his or her 4-H project work and demonstrated leadership, citizenship and community service.

Leneigh Hennigan, Josey Hemperly and Anne Mertens received the Scott Truck and Tractor Company 4-H Achievement Award. Hennigan received a $700 scholarship and Hemperly and Mertens received a $150 scholarship.

Ian Sarpy received a $250 Natchitoches Parish 4-H Scholarship. He will attend Central Louisiana Technical College and major in nursing.

The following students received 4-H Honor Cords:

Josey Hemperly: Lakeview High School

Leneigh Hennigan: Christian Scholars at Home

Anne Mertens: Christian Scholars at Home

Amber Miley: Provencal Christian Academy

Ian Sarpy: Natchitoches Central High School

Josey Hemperly and Kate Dickson received the Louisiana 4-H Foundation Key Club of Excellence Award.

Katie Anderson and William Morrison were recognized as junior 4-H members active in their 4-H club, excelled in their 4-H project work and completed 4-H record books. The award also focuses on general leadership and participation in 4-H activities, community drives and citizenship awards.

The following 4-H volunteer club leaders won awards for their dedication and service: Lisa Wiggins, NSU Elementary: Innovative Programming; Emily Morrison, Christian Scholars at Home: Outstanding Club Work; and Kim Hennigan, Christian Scholars at Home: Above and Beyond.

State 4-H Vice President Jill Wiltz and SET Board Kate Dickson represented Natchitoches Parish on leadership boards that give youth an opportunity to work together on a common focus while developing leadership for statewide programs. The youth serving on these boards provide valuable leadership and guidance to the positive direction of the 4-H Program.

Natchitoches was represented by 15 delegates at the 4-H University last June. Twelve of them competed, and eight named to the blue ribbon group. One was named a state winner. They included: Taylor Roberts, state winner in Fashion Casual Division; Jill Wiltz, Abigail gardner and Danielle Settle, Top 10 Team in Consumer Foods Judging. Other participants include Mikalynn Burns, Karmel Davenport, Kate Dickson, Corey Gallion, William Lacaze, Rachel Rachal and Jordan Rodriquez.

Katie Anderson was the state winner in 6^th grade achievement at the State Record Competition.

Other awards included:

Emily Morrsion: Alumni Blue Ribbon and Blue Ribbon winner in the 4-H Alumni Division

Jesse Foshee and Amber Miley: Blue Ribbon Winners in the Louisiana Honey Bee Association.

Victoria Wiggins, Carleigh Lofton and Kennedy Barnum: Red Ribbon Winners in the Louisiana Honey Bee Association.

The following students placed in the Louisiana 4-H Area Culinary Arts Contest:

William Morrison: Ground beef appetizer and seafood fish

Joseph Yount: Ground beef main dish

Bradford Morrison: Beef other cuts and pecan appetizer salad

Sean Stewart: Egg appetizer/salad

Jordan Brady: Egg desert

Kaylee Stacy: Poultry Chicken

David Elliot: Pecan desert

Stasi Brady: Seafood shrimp

Caitlyn Taylor: Seafood crawfish

The following 4-H members were recognized for their participation in overnight camping events: Sawyer Anderson, Amara Morales, Zachary Birdwell, Kate Dickson, Kimberly Cain, Za’Niyah Grayson, Delaney Coutee, Karmel Davenport, Corey Gallion, Kelsey Lacaze, Williams Lacaze, Kinley Nugent, Cieria Shepherd, Amy Smith, Caiden Baines, Austyn Bazar, Donovan Calk,CholeCoutee, Roper Hays, Daylon Lucas, Jequaylon Lucas, Julian Oakes, Rachel Rachal, Rosa Randolph, MadisynTroquille, Katie Anderson, Kathryn Lee, Brandon Wablington and Harley Wablington.

Club officers of the Junior Leadership Club are President Leneigh Hennigan, Vice President Ian Sarpy Secretary Kate Dickerson, Treasurer Corey Gallion, Community Resource Development Chairman Jill Wiltz and Fundraising Chairman Madison Pleasant.

The Junior Leadership Club Service Award was awarded to Leneigh Hennigan. Junior Leadership Club advisors recognized at the banquet included Fredda Burns, Connie Gallion and Kim Hennigan.

4-H Club leaders include Emily Morrison, Rodney Meziere, Frances Sarpy, Shanita Grayson, Amy Stepp, Jennifer Robertson, Krista Schultz Lisa Wiggins, Teresa Miller, Cady White, Angela Jennings and SuSu Burk.

Randall Mallette presented the following 4-H members with awards for Horse Project and Shooting Sports: Tayler Anderson, Coleton Anderson, Jordan Brady, Staci Brady, Vincent Ferreyros, Bradford Morrison, William Morrison, Austin Thomas, Bill Lacaze, Porker Bernard, Tucker Henderson and John Waskom.

Natchitoches Standards of Excellence Awards were given to the following 4-H members: MadelynnMisuraca, Kaylee Ann Stacy, Victoria Wiggins, Coleton Anderson, Tayler Anderson, Stasi Brady, Brittany Gregory, Lindsay Gregory, Racheal Gregory, LeneighHennigan, Anne Mertens, Bradford Morrison, William Morrsion, Cooper Johnson, Cole Johnson, Tucker Henderson, Katie Anderson and Madison Pleasant.

Outstanding 40H Club Member Awards were given to the following: Leneigh Hennigan, Rylie Stiles, Zoie Britt, William Lacaze, Kiley Nugent, Josie Fontenot, London Wright, Daylon Lucas, Jequaylon Lucas, Brantley Gray, Hannah Roquemore, Luke Churchman, Alexia Saucier, Joseph Yount, Elizabeth Shirley, Amber Miley, Christopher Jennings, Abigail Ramian, TenleyGahagan, Kate Dickson and Anne Mertens

 

Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Detectives arrested a Marthaville man in connection with a bank fraud investigation that began on May 13. Officials with a Natchitoches financial institution contacted the NPSO reporting that a fraudulent check in the amount of $2,854 was passed by Kasey Hailey, 36 of the 700 block of Townsend Ballard Road.

Hailey deposited the money into his personal account but withdrew it shortly thereafter.Detectives contacted L.E.K. Consulting and learned that in the past several months multiple fraudulent checks were made on their business account.

Detectives interviewed Hailey May 16.

He allegedly confessed that he received the fraudulent check through an online website. Shortly after receiving the check, he deposited it into his account and withdrew the money with instructions to send various amounts to different people. Instead he kept all of the money for himself.

Hailey was booked into the Natchitoches Parish Detention Center and charged with one-count of bank fraud and one-count of Illegal transmission of monetary funds.

Hailey has been released on bond pending his court appearance.

Detective Amber Shirley was assisted by Detectives C. Etheredge and V. Kay of the NPSO High Tech Crime Unit.

The Chamber did not commission this project, nor is it endorsing the company or their practices or products.

The email from New Start Media LLC titled, “2016 Natchitoches Information Guides” states:

There will be up to 5,000 exclusive full color Natchitoches Information Guides to be distributed in July.

The distribution will be direct mail and local high traffic areas for local families and businesses to pick up.

The Information Guides are meant to keep the households safe by having all the emergency contacts and other important numbers like the local school, utilities, Police and Fire Departments.

The Information Guide is a perfect fit for all businesses looking to grow long-term in the community.

We are only looking for three to five ads from businesses that understand and support the fight to keep our families safe.

 

United Way of Northwest Louisiana held a meeting May 17 at the Natchitoches Parish Sheriff’s Office regarding flood relief efforts in Natchitoches, Sabine and Winn parishes.  Those represented at the meeting were Tony Davis, Natchitoches Chamber of Commerce; Lynn Stevens, United Way of Northwest Louisiana; Suzie Calvert, FEMA, Logan Fileccia and Tracy Haacker, American Red Cross; and Mary Jones and LamarrMcGaskey, Natchitoches Parish OEP.

 

 

 

 

Highlights from the meeting included:

1. FEMA reviewed the process of approval/denial of assistance for individuals impacted by the floods.
2. This led to a discussion on the amount of individuals impacted:
3. Natchitoches Parish- 1,394 applied for assistance; 407 individuals received IHP assistance (Individual Housing Program funds) totaling $2,856,295; 15 individuals received the maximum grant amount and one individual house was totally destroyed.
4. Sabine Parish- 167 applied for assistance; 44 individuals received IHP assistance (Individual Housing Program $) totaling $172,675; no individuals received the maximum grant amount and no houses were totally destroyed.
5. Winn Parish- 385 applied for assistance; 149 individuals received IHP assistance (Individual Housing Program $) totaling $1,342,748; nine individuals received the maximum grant amount and no houses were totally destroyed.
6. This means that approximately 1,344 individuals in the three parishes were impacted by the flood and received no assistance.  This led the group to discuss the need of establishing an unmet needs committee and the need to provide case management to help these folks.
7. The group then decided that the first step of this process will be to go back to the master list of those reporting damage and to re-contact them to inquire what their needs are at this time.  United Way of Northwest Louisiana will be coordinating that over the next few weeks and is seeking volunteers to help with that process.
8. The group will meet again in early June prior to the deadline of filing a claim for FEMA.
9. Community groups, government officials, nonprofits, and service organizations are all needed and encouraged to participate in this process.

 

For more information contact Lynn Stevens at 318-677-2504 or email lynn@unitedwaynwla.org

By Corey Poole

The Red River Cowboy Church will hold several fundraisers for its mission trips to Honduras through the Baptist Medical and Dental Mission International (BMDMI).
Upcoming fundraisers include:

• Bake Sale at Natchitoches Walmart’s grocery-side door June11 from 8 a.m. until mid afternoon
• Church-wide garage sale at the corner of Keyser and Williams avenues, across from Cellular One, June 4 and 11 from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m.

In July of last year the church partnered with BMDMI to travel to Guaimaca, Honduras. There, they supplied the locals with a vet team, construction team, medical team (Doctors, nurses, dentists and orthopedists) and children’s ministry. The teams passed out food and water as they cared for the people.

Their next trip is scheduled for July 15-22.

For more information contact Don Cummins at 471-2456 or cumminsdon2@gmail.com.

 

Construction is gearing up for several parks in Natchitoches. Mayor Lee Posey and Edd Lee updated commissioners at the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission meeting May 19. Construction has begun on the Pierson Mallett Park on East Fifth Street and the City Park is in the second phase of the project. The third phase will possibly include a pavilion for shade. A stand alone project will address the need for public restrooms in the park.

Workers are creating a bus loading and unloading zone on Amulet Street and the NHDDC will create a pocket park on Second Street that will flow into the City Park.

Work will soon begin at the Ross Williams Park on Dean Street. The City will add a walking track, pavilion and basketball courts.

“Our parks are behind when you compare them to parks in other communities,” said Posey.

The City Pool will remain open through the construction of City Park. Posey hopes to add basketball goals on the sides of the pool, a volleyball setup and will look into creating a game area on the concrete space by the pool. Through these improvements, he hopes to bring more kids to the area for recreation.

“It’s all about getting people back outside and bonding with nature again,” he said.

In other news, Posey said the Dept. of Transportation and Development (DOTD) ran into a list of issues and bad weather that has put them behind on the South Drive project. Working nights, they plan to have the work finished for the first part of July.

Other items discussed at the meeting included:

• Sharon Gahagan said the tree service the NHDDC works with is prioritizing work on the trees on the riverbank because the erosion around their root systems has put them in a dangerous emergency situation. There are also two dead trees that need to be removed.
• Van Erikson said that NSU’s upcoming Freshman Connection will bring around 1,200 people to Natchitoches, including students and their families. With 450 kids already registered for the first session May 26-27, Van said the incoming freshman group is the biggest class the college has seen. Other sessions will be held June 2-3, July 23-24 and a one day session July 12.
• The NSU Foundation has 11 teams signed up so far for the Dragon Boat Races May 28 and hope to even the number at 12 for the races. The boats will be unloaded into the Cane River Monday at 2 p.m. and the practices will begin Tuesday.
• Sandra Dickens said the Historic District Business Association (HDBA) has confirmed the 610 Stompers from New Orleans as participants in the upcoming Christmas Festival parade.
  

  

  

 

It’s automatic!

Technology is making more things automatic.

In a bygone day, one inserted a key, pressed in the clutch, other foot pressed on the accelerator and the hand turned the key. The starting of a car was a beautiful symphony of rehearsed movements. Ask a sixteen year old what it means to “flood a car” while trying to start it. They will look at you with the look that is translated, “you old fool.” Modern cars all have some form of automatic starting. Today, I grab my key fob, sit in the seat, push the brake and push the start button. I can also start my car without being in it, but I’m afraid my car would drive off without me.

The car has automatic seat adjustment. I push a button to inform the car it is my rear on the seat. The seat adjusts. The cruise control adjusts the speed if I get too close to the car in front. It warns me when I change lanes without signaling. If I change lanes too often without signaling the car will tell me to get a cup of coffee or take a nap. It is automatic in almost everything.

If you sign up for something that is free on the Internet and give a credit card number, guess what will happen when the “free” is over? You have a standing order automatically and your credit card will be billed similarly. Read the fine print on the “free trials.” Some place with everything “free” the words “automatically billed” appear in fine print. I do the Dollar Shave club. They automatically send me blades. If I cancelled my subscription today I would have enough blades to shave for years. Their automatic sending is way ahead of my manual shaving.

Have you signed up for something with your email address? If you do, you will end up on an automatic subscription list. The button that reads “Unsubscribe” takes you to the black hole of the Internet and by unsubscribing to one publication you automatically give your email address to fifteen others. It is automatic.

There are things about being human that are automatic. You don’t need to send signals to your heart or lungs to do their work. Your eyes focus automatically. Most of us move about without too much thought. It became automatic as toddlers. Lately, I pay more attention to my ambulatory processes. Falling down is bad. Getting up from the fall is worse. Some of our bad human habits are automatic, but that is a sermon series for this summer.

Human interactions also become automatic. Admit it, there are people that get on your last nerve. You have long since forgotten why that is so. You respond to them automatically. Rarely will we deviate from our first impression of a person.

There was a lady in a church named Rosie. Her disposition was the opposite of her name. Rosie would be seen walking down the hall of the church and the church staff would vanish. I never figured out how they disappeared when they saw her coming. She would barge into my office and demand to see her funeral service file. She would take it and scratch off another name of a person she wanted participating in her funeral. She was so mean that the Devil was afraid of her and God didn’t want her, so she outlived all the people she wanted doing her eulogy. Thankfully I left that church before she died, so I didn’t have to do her funeral either! The response to Rosie was automatic. She had taken all the Methodist and Baptist Bible studies, but none of them had “taken.” Her Sunday school class was afraid of her, but that is the subject of another article.

There are other people you enjoy seeing because they seem to spread their joy and love of life to everyone. They make you laugh and feel better no matter how bad your day is. That is how I feel about Sunday mornings. I don’t know how much good I do folks on Sunday morning, but my life is enriched and blessed by being with them in the house of God.

Living as a child of God in today’s culture is not automatic and becoming increasingly challenging. As a child of God we are taught to pay attention to how we live. The Bible has a great way to putting this concept, be careful how you live you might be entertaining angels.

Yes, especially those people!

The Natchitoches Rotary Club welcomed President of RoyOMartin, Roy O. Martin III, to its meeting May 17. Martin, who was introduced by Rotarian Bridget Briley, shared the overall vision and values of the 93-year-old, privately held and professionally managed company. Martin said, “From the beginning, one of the key factors to the long-term success of the company has been the acquisition of tracts of timberland. Today, RoyOMartin has a land base of 570,000 acres of prime southern pine and fine hardwoods throughout Louisiana, made up of tracts from 20 acres to over 10,000 acres in size. This natural-resource base supports two state-of-the-art OSB and plywood manufacturing operations in Louisiana.”

The company’s values lie in the acronym RICHES: Respect, Integrity, Commitment, Honesty, Excellence, Stewardship.

Boasting “A Legacy of Riches,” Martin explained that the natural resource company not only plays a role in the timber industry, but also oil and gas, manufacturing and logging, and investments. With over 1,100 employees in central Louisiana, RoyOMartin believes their #1 resource is their people. For more information, go to https://www.royomartin.com/.

 

 

Perfect weather greeted competitors and spectators at the Natchitoches Shooting Range Open House and Shooting Competition Saturday, May 14.

The competition tested the shooters with .22 rimfire rifle, .22 rimfire pistol and shotgun. With distances ranging from 10 yards at the pistol range, out to 50 yards for the rifles and the fast moving birds of the five-stand shotgun course; the competitors had plenty of action.

When the smoke cleared and the targets were scored, the winners of each class were announced and presented with medals. Everyone ate hamburgers and hotdogs provided by the Range and cooked by Shooting Range Board President Terry Sklar.
A limited edition Ruger “Tiger” 10-22 .22 rimfire rifle was raffled off, and Scott Roberts was the lucky ticket holder.

The results of the competition were:

In the junior class, Colton Boswell made a clean sweep, winning first place in Rifle, Pistol and Shotgun. He was also the Overall Junior Champion, followed closely by Flint Snyder in second place.

First place in the Adult Rifle and Shotgun competitions was Austin Boswell. First place in the Pistol competition went to Ash Moore.

The Overall Adult Champion was Austin Boswell and the Super Junior Champion (under age 12) was Emma Bain.

The Cane River Waterway Commission is a $3,500 sponsor for the Dragon Boat Races.
The NSU Foundation and Alumni Association are bringing the Dragon Boat Races to Natchitoches Parish Saturday, May 28. This exciting family event will be a great day of good, spirited racing, and a great time on and off the water.

By Corey Poole

The First United Methodist Men will host a “Pull” Together Sporting Clay Tournament to benefit the Empower Nepali Girls Foundation Saturday, June 18 at the shooting Range on Tauzin Island Road.

Registration will begin at 8 a.m. with target shooting at 9 a.m. Forms are available at the First United Methodist Church office or the range, but teams are allowed to register the day of the event.

Last year the event raised $11,000 for scholarships for the girls sponsored through the Foundation. This year’s proceeds will go toward the Foundation’s Safe Learning Space Program. This program will provide learning materials for schools in the Everest region of Nepal.

The program funds the installation of libraries, science labs and early childhood development centers in 19 schools that have Foundation sponsored girls in attendance. Materials include educational posters, microscopes, computers and more.
Patrice Mouton returned from a 3-month trip to Nepal May 13. She will return next spring.
After several catastrophic quakes hit the region, the girls are starting to recover. One of the school locations was decimated in a quake a year ago. Two cousins who live near the village of Ghat gave a portion of their farmland for the construction of a new school in a safer location.

Moulton experienced four quakes while she was in the area, all measuring around 5 points on the Richter scale. She had to evacuate where she was staying twice in the middle of the night because of them.

While there’s a lot of healing happening in some areas, Moulton says others are still devastated. Working with girls from the lowest cast system in Nepal, she says they are so resilient given how hard life is. “They just keep standing,” she said.

Moulton developed individualized plans for the 19 schools where the 300 girls the Foundation sponsors attend. She was able to finish 7 of the 19 schools before she left. Some are still waiting on a site to build the room before it can be filled with supplies.
Her son Bryce created a “16 for 16” event on Facebook for his birthday asking his friends to donate $16 instead of giving him gifts. With donations from across the U.S. and as far as Africa and Australia, he was able to fund seven science labs, which cost $500 each to set up. Each science lab services students in grades K-12.

Following suit, the Methodist Men, who have received national recognition through the Methodist Men’s Ministries organization, made the Sporting Clay Tournament their premiere event.

Wanting to hold it around Father’s Day to foster the connection of fathers and sons through the generations, the event is open to all levels and abilities of shooters.
Moulton’s husband Michael said that the Methodist Men saw the work the Foundation was doing and realized they had a passion to contribute to the cause. Hosting the event for the third year in a row, Michael said, “It’s amazing that men in this country and effectively improve the quality of life for these young girls.”  Causey said the tournament is a church-wide event.

Adding a unique cultural aspect to the event, the awards will be original handmade Gorkhas knives, which Moulton brought back from Nepal. Probably the most renowned fighting knife in the world is the kukri, the wickedly curved knife of the Gurkhas warriors of Nepal.

Competition/Event Details:
• Team and Individual Competitions

• Awards- Team HOA, Individual Youth and Adult HOA, Second, Third and others to be
announced

• Lunch, cooked by members of the Methodist Men, will be provided for participants.
Plates are $10 for non-shooters.

• Shooters must provide their own ammunition (33/4 inch – 7.5 ounce, 8 ounce and 9 ounce
size only: No heavy lead or steel shot).
• All shooters must wear eye and ear protection.

• Trail is a walking course. Golf carts and side-by-sides allowed (No 4-wheelers).

• Shooters under 17 must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.

• 4 person teams: 12 stations/100 targets

• Homemade cakes will be sold by the Methodist Women Group.

• Silent Auction

Registration Options:
• Four person team- $400

• Individual Registration- $125

• Dynamic Duo (father and child pair)- $200

• Mulligans- $20

• Warm ups- $10

For more information contact Patrice Moulton at 663-7900 or Nolton Causey at 352-6182.

“There’s a key to unlock the door, but the IRS won’t just give it to you,” says Jimmy Long, Jr, Estate Planning and Elder Law attorney, “I’ve spent years learning how to unlock the door.”

As an expert in Estate Planning, Mr. Long says by simply going over a check list of your benefits, deductions and hidden fees, you can save as much as $3000 a year. You don’t have to be wealthy to benefit from Estate Planning. Things as simple as how your name is on your bank account, naming your beneficiaries, or giving power-of-attorney can make a huge difference in keeping your money. Most people don’t know those details and it can be a very expensive mistake.

“Planning lets you keep the money you’ve worked hard for, it’s your money,” Mr. Long emphasizes.

Unfortunately, no one sets the date for medical expenses. “I’ve never had anyone come to my office and say they plan to go into long-term care on a certain date six years from now,” smiling as he speaks, “I wish it were that easy.” Something as catastrophic as an automobile wreck can put a 30 year old into long-term care. It’s good to know we have someone on our side to advise us when it comes to protecting our assets, digging into the little stuff that can cost us in the future and using the law to our advantage.

To set up your consultation, contact Mr. Long at:

4133 University Pkwy
Natchitoches, LA 71457
(318) 352-9229

The City of Natchitoches will hold a public hearing at 4:30 PM on MONDAY, MAY 23, 2016 at the Natchitoches Arts Center, 716 Second Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana. The purpose of the public hearing is to discuss the potential development of a mixed-use development at the former, ADM, Southern Cotton Oil Mill site, located at 110 Mill Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana. All interested persons are encouraged to attend this meeting.

Danny R. Von Kanel, a member of Trinity Baptist Church in Franklinton, received the Natchitoches Rotary’s “Service Above Self” award at its meeting May 3.

Over a 5-year period, Von Kanel raised $28,000 to award a $192 scholarship to students who took one of 12 fine arts classes offered after school at the L.P. Vaughn School of Fine Arts in Natchitoches, which he directs.

This year, he led the school to raise $15,582 through sponsorships and a brick memorial fundraiser.

During the award presentation, Von Kanel said, “I’m totally overwhelmed. What a wonderful way to be honored.”

Von Kanel has lived in Franklinton since 2002 and was minister of music at First Baptist Church there from 2002-2005. He also served as minister of music at Memorial Baptist Church in Bogalusa from 2005-2008. He and his wife, Beverly, have two grown sons and six grandchildren.

Photo cutline: Sue Weaver conducted the Rotary Club program when the club presented the Service Above Self award to non-rotarian Danny Von Kanel. From left are Ken Gardner, Von Kanel, L.P. Vaughn Principal Cynthia Cole, Dr. Greg Handel and Weaver.

Article from the Baptist Message, a newsjournal for Louisiana Baptists

BOM is a $2,100 sponsor of the NSU Foundation’s Dragon Boat Races May 28 on Cane River in downtown Natchitoches. From left are Stephen Van Sickle, Assistant Director of Alumni Affairs Kim Gallow, Associate Director of Alumni Affairs Van Erikson, Carrie Hough and Keith Miller.