Farm Bureau Insurance selected two area athletes to spotlight as Players of the Week. This week’s featured athletes include:
Natchitoches Central High School
John Waskom, #45, is the Linebacker with five Tackles, two Quarterback Hurries, and a Big 45 yard fumble return for a Touchdown. His parents are Scott and Michelle Waskom. John says that he’s been wanting to be Player of the Week since last year. “Being a player of the week is awesome,” he said.
St. Mary’s
Defensive Tackle, Matt Thibodaux, #57, had an incredible nine and a half tackles this past game. He says Player of the Week is a good award and he looks forward to it each week. His parents are James and Nina Waskom.
The highlight of the 64th Annual Natchitoches Fall Pilgrimage will be the preserved Clementine Hunter House at Melrose Plantation. On Friday Oct. 12 at 4 pm, the APHN Candlelight Tour will begin with the ribbon cutting and reveal of the artist’s home. The event is sponsored by the Association for the Preservation of Historic Natchitoches.
Honorees of the event will be Gitter Gallery and Cane River Art Corporation. Designer Doug Gitter partnered with the CRA Corporation to produce Clementine Hunter inspired hand-made home décor products known as The Clementine Hunter Collection. A portion of every purchase goes to the preservation of the Clementine Hunter House and the interpretation of her life and work at Melrose Plantation.
“We designed the collection to take artwork which was once affordable and make it affordable again so that others would enjoy a piece of American History,” explained Gitter.
Once the ribbon is cut at the 4 pm ceremony, Candlelight Tour ticket holders will see the reveal of the preservation work on the structure’s exterior and interior as well as interpretative panels throughout the home telling the story of the artist’s life and work. Preservation work has included foundation repair, painting and completion of a deck and accessibility ramp in the rear of the structure. The design of the original wallpaper was painstakingly recreated by artists from archive photographs and one small fragment, and the paper has been installed in the room where she first painted.
The Candlelight Tour will continue from 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm at the Northwestern State University Historic District with hors d’oeuvres at the President’s Home/Alumni Center on the NSU Campus. The evening meal will be served as part of the tour at Russell Hall. Cane River Ladies, a play by Dr. Vicki Parrish will have performances at 7:30 pm and 8:30 pm in Varnado Hall. A Dessert Reception will conclude the evening’s salute to the honorees at Nelson Hall, the National Center for Preservation Technology and Training. Doug Gitter will be signing The Clementine Hunter Collection at both the Ribbon Cutting and the Dessert Reception.
On Saturday Oct. 13 from 9 am – 4 pm, the Town Tour will feature Clementine Hunter originals and the entire Clementine Hunter Collection by Gitter Gallery throughout the homes. A Speaker Series highlights Saturday morning at the Lemee House. The Clementine Hunter House will be part of the Cane River Country Tour on Saturday and Sunday Oct. 13 – 14, 9 am – 4 pm, with a Speaker Series in the barn at Melrose Plantation on Saturday afternoon including a 3:30 pm special screening of Art Shiver’s documentary Clementine Hunter’s World. Combined, the three tours make up The 3rd Clementine Hunter Biennial, will once more be the largest exhibition of Hunter originals in history. The Clementine Hunter has been recognized by the National Trust of Historic Places as a Distinguished Historic Artist’s Home and Studio. It is the only home of an African-American artist so recognized. Melrose Plantation already has National Landmark status. The Clementine Hunter House is currently in the second phase toward recognition as a National Landmark on its own accord by the United States Park Service.
“Doug Gitter’s contribution has been enormous. He brought Clementine’s art to an international audience. Millions saw her art for the first time when The Clementine Hunter Collection was one of Oprah’s Favorite Things,” said Gary Cathey, this year’s Natchitoches Fall Pilgrimage and Tour of Homes Chair. “His work with the Cane River Art Corporation allows the artist’s home to be preserved for future generations. Their contribution is lasting and everyone who loves Clementine Hunter owes them much gratitude for what they have given.”
For more information: www.melroseplantation.org. One tour: $25, Two Tour Package $40, Three Tour Package, $50.
For more information: www.gittergallery.com. To schedule an interview with Doug Gitter please call (504) 919-4040.
Edward “DJ Breeze” Goff
November 11, 1961 – September 13, 2018
Service: Wednesday, September 26 at 6 pm in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Judy Bolton
August 24, 1940 – September 12, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 5-10 pm at Provencal United Pentecostal Church
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 10 am at Provencal United Pentecostal Church
Interment: Shady Grove Cemetery in Bellwood
Juanita Morris
September 13, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 6-8 pm and Saturday, September 22 from 10-11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Interment: St. Andrew Baptist Church Cemetery in Derry
Annette Johnson
February 17, 1948 – September 10, 2018
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 10 am at the Asbury United Methodist Church
Interment: Lawrence Serenity Sanctum
RAPIDES PARISH:
Allen Alfred “Al” Bardin Jr.
March 13, 1932 – September 18, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 4-8 pm and Saturday, September 22 from 8:30-10 am
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 10 am in the chapel of John Kramer & Son Funeral Home
Interment: Laran Cemetery at 3 pm
WINN PARISH:
Emery Marion Perkins
September 5, 1945 – September 19, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 10 am – 12:30 pm at Haile Baptist Church in the Hail community
Service: Friday, September 21 at 1 pm at Fairview Cemetery in Marion
SABINE PARISH:
Lester Olen Longoria
July 17, 1954 – September 18, 2018
Service: Friday, September 21 at 10 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church
Interment: St. Joseph Cemetery
Pat Jones named CFO at NSU
NSU– Northwestern State University has named Pat Jones Chief Financial Officer at the university, pending approval of the Board of Supervisors for the University of Louisiana System. He will assume the new position in October.
Jones has served since 2000 as Finance Director of the City of Natchitoches, where he supervised accounting functions for operating, restricted, capital and debt service funds and advised the mayor, city council and department heads on financial status and coordinated financial statements with employees and auditors.
He also assisted with contract and cooperative agreement reviews, grant opportunities and project planning, coordinated insurance and payment of debt service and was responsible for cash flow projections and investment of excess cash.
From 1999-2000, Jones was Assistant Vice Chancellor for Finances at Bossier Parish Community College. He was Associate Vice President for Finance at NSU from 1998-99 and Assistant Controller and Bursar from 1978-1998, supervising accounting functions and managing operating and other funds budgets and compiling annual budget reports.
Jones earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing with a minor in accounting at the University of New Orleans and completed advanced accounting courses at Northwestern State. He holds Certified Government Finance Officer Program certification from the Louisiana Government Finance Officer Association, of which he is an active member.
He is an active trustee and finance board member at St. Augustine Catholic Church and a former board member of the Government Finance Officer Association and DOVES (Domestic Violence Education and Support), a non-profit group.
“I have had the pleasure of serving the City of Natchitoches and the Natchitoches City Council for the past 18 years as the city’s Finance Director,” Jones said. “It has been a great opportunity for which I am truly thankful. I look forward to serving Northwestern State University once again and am excited to join their team of dedicated administrative staff. I hope to lead the Business Affairs office in providing the financial stability needed for the continued growth and success of the university.”
Jones succeeds Carl Jones, NSU’s Vice President for Business Affairs and Controller, who has served at the university for 43 years and will transition into retirement in 2019. Carl Jones will continue to serve as a special advisor to the president on fiscal matters.
Northwestern President Dr. Chris Maggio said, “Pat Jones’ extensive professional experience in government and higher education financial matters and his familiarity with the university as a long-time previous employee will make him a valuable member of the administrative staff at NSU. We are excited that he has chosen to return to the university.”
First Release
A press release will be issued at a later date, but NPJ confirmed that Pat Jones, director of finance for the City of Natchitoches accepted a position as vice president for business affairs and controller at Northwestern State University, a position formerly held by Carl Jones. No further information is available at this time, so keep an eye out for an update.
Rhodes Realty is proud to announce the expansion of its real estate team to include four new agents, formerly with Keller Williams. Michele Todtenbier, Lisa Hendricks, John Bernard and Connie Khoury-Hayden bring over 60 years of combined experience to the Rhodes Realty office.
“We’re excited to join a local firm and be able to continue working together,” said Todtenbier.
James and Justin Rhodes are excited to grow their realty team with these well-experienced agents. “They’ll all be a valuable asset,” said Justin.
Rhodes Realty Broker-Agent Rodrick McIntosh has worked with each of the new agents in the past and is overjoyed to continue to do so on a more permanent basis.
“To have everyone all under one roof is like expanding our family,” he said.
Rhodes Realty now has two offices to serve the Natchitoches community. The new agents will continue to work out of their existing office at 128B South Drive. Rodrick McIntosh, Mario Fox, Kathy Richmond, Michael Deville, Chad Deranger, and Doyle Sandifer will continue operating at Rhodes Realty’s main office, located at 404 Rapides Drive.
Sign up now for Adult Beginner Classes through the Tennis Apprentice Program at the Natchitoches Tennis Center. Classes run September 20-Oct. 11 on Thursday nights from 6:30-8 pm. The cost is $70 for four weeks and includes: racket, six hours of lessons taught by a tennis professional, One league or Step Up league season paid for, and a player party. For more information call 225-769-0337. Visit http://www.thetennisapprentice.com to register.
Stages have always been a second home for Northwestern State student Jourdan Waddell.
Waddell fell in love with performing, starting at three years old when her mother enrolled Jourdan in dance classes.
The Slidell native entered the Miss Northwestern – Lady of the Bracelet Pageant on a whim last year, and Waddell was on the A.A. Fredericks Auditorium stage as the runner-up when winner Erica Jarlock’s name was called.
But Saturday on that same stage, all eyes were on Waddell as the LOB crown was placed on her head, cementing the pageant fever she caught one year ago and her place as Miss Northwestern-Lady of the Bracelet.
“It was so exciting. I wanted this title more than I’ve wanted any other preliminary title,” Waddell said. “I was so nervous leading up to the pageant in the week of practices, but I worked really hard, especially on the private interview.
“Last year, the LOB was my first-ever pageant, and I had never thought about doing pageants before then. I just went into it as a fun experience.”
That fun experience starting shifting into a serious hobby when a judge approached Waddell after the 2017 LOB event, encouraging her to contend for her hometown Miss St. Tammany Heritage/Miss Slidell pageant, which she won.
Waddell hired a pageant director following the win as she ramped up her preparation for Miss Louisiana this past June.
To her pleasant surprise, Waddell’s name was called in the Top 10 of Miss Louisiana in her first statewide pageant and only third pageant of her career.
That feeling turned to more of a nervous fear when Waddell was still standing on the stage in the Top 5, finishing as the fourth runner-up.
“The Top 10 was my goal even though I couldn’t expect anything with this being my first (Miss Louisiana),” Waddell said. “When I (made the Top 10), I was thinking, ‘Ok, this was good, I don’t need any more.’
“When I made the Top 5, I honestly was kind of afraid. I didn’t expect to be so close to becoming Miss Louisiana, and I felt unprepared at that point. I’m a 20-year-old standing next to women two-to-four years older. My parents were even frightened, telling me they weren’t ready for me to do all that.”
Waddell won’t have that same fear as she aims at the Miss Louisiana crown this year.
The junior psychology major will have the backing of current Miss Louisiana Holli’ Conway, a Northwestern State graduate who finished as second runner-up at the Miss America pageant earlier this month.
“Just being from NSU, all of us had common ground, and I grew super, super close to Holli’,” Waddell said. “You find people that know what they are doing and learn the ropes from them throughout the (practice) week, and I observed her and how she went through rehearsals (at 2017 Miss Louisiana).
“I would talk to her at events and sit next to her at dinner, and she’s a really great person. Holli’ has shown that’s she gotten a great education here and great training as member of the theatre department here. Having Holli’ do so well shows that somebody from little ol’ Natchitoches can do great things.”
Waddell’s attention won’t solely be focused on the Miss Louisiana crown.
Her underlying passion is dancing, and she’ll perform for her first time in the 2018 Christmas Gala for the first time.
Waddell dreams of being on the Radio City Music Hall stage as a member of the legendary Radio City Rockettes dance company.
“I know it’s going to take a lot of hard work and multiple auditions — it’s not going to happen the first time,” Waddell said. “Dance is the goal really, even though I’m a psychology major.
“I love to perform and entertain people. When I go on stage, I don’t feel like the same person as I am talking to you right now. It’s a feeling that I get when the audience is drawn in, they want to get something out of your performance, and they want a story. Performance is my skill, not necessarily dance. Performing is that feeling you get when people are watching you.”
Her long days of dancing at the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts, an academy at which Waddell trained after a half-day at high school in Slidell, has prepared her for that stage along with her dance instruction at NSU.
After her dancing career, Waddell’s long-term career goal is to obtain a doctorate in psychology and start her own private practice.
Psychology is playing an active role in her pageant platform “Stomping the Mental Health Stigma.”
After suffering unexplainable physical symptoms as a child, Waddell was diagnosed with general anxiety disorder in high school.
“I would have these stomach aches as a child, and I had these constant doctor visits and nothing would come up,” Waddell said. “Nobody thought I might have had something else going on psychologically.
“I had really hard time adjusting in my freshman year of college and became a totally different person. I barely ate anything. I didn’t sleep. I lost 20 pounds my first semester. If it wasn’t for someone bringing me to the counselor’s office, I wouldn’t be here at NSU right now.”
Waddell wants to encourage others who may be suffering in silence to seek help.
“Our counselor’s office is amazing, and I ended up working there as a student worker,” Waddell said. “I want to educate other people about the signs and symptoms of mental illness just in case they are struggling or they may notice somebody else who needs help.
“The stigma is the worst part about it. If someone goes to counseling, other people automatically assume they are crazy or psychotic — and the words they use make that person feel even worse than they already do. They don’t want to get help at that point because don’t want to be seen as a burden or as somebody that people can’t work with.”
Waddell found her footing in Natchitoches and is an active member in Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority, the Alpha Lamda Delta honor society and the National Society of Leadership and Success.
She feels like she’s found a family at NSU, becoming more aware of another family tie she didn’t know she had.
Waddell’s cousin Chris Waddell has a crest on the football field at Turpin Stadium after he collapsed in a light football workout in 2004. Chris suffered from Kawasaki Syndrome, a condition that can result in rapid aging of the heart. The football team participates in “Chris Waddell Day,” a service day in which the team visits multiple elementary schools in the area.
“I was little when Chris passed, and I had no clue when I came here that this was the school where it happened and where his crest was,” Jourdan said. “It just made everything clear about why I came here.
“I felt like I was supposed to come here for a reason. Now my family loves it here. This is my second family now.”
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Okay, so this week I ran across one of those little gems of historical happenstance that I love so much.
And I’m going to share it with you because I think it’s just so cool to think about.
I’m reading a book called Europa, by a Hispano-Englishman, a university professor, and it’s about how the continent of Europe has, for the last 500 years or so, profoundly influenced the rest of the world.
In setting the stage for that story, the author backgrounds the readers on how European civilization became dominant as a result of the Renaissance. That was a time, as you probably know, when Western Europe, led by Italy, rediscovered the arts in all its forms, painting, sculpture, etc., as well as the idea of the importance of mankind, the structure of government, finance and, well we could just go on and on.
But the fascinating little tidbit that he touches on, and it’s one I’d never before encountered or thought about, was how the invention of the common mirror changed our concept of ourselves so profoundly. And this was about the same time that Europeans began acquiring last names. Let’s divert for a moment to discuss that fascinating fact.
Until the late middle ages most folks in Europe were known simply by their first names, like Thomas or Jean or Ludwig or Joan or Marie or Gertrude. Then, they started being called by the place they were from, Thomas London perhaps, or in my case it would be Joseph Derby, from the English town of that name.
Also, many were called by their profession, Carpenter, Baker, Cooper (for barrel makers), Cook or perhaps for their complexion, Brown, White or Black. There were lots of good reasons for the use of last names to become popular. After all, if you lived in a big city like London, there must have been hundreds of Thomases or Joans. Some type of distinction was necessary so they’d know which Thomas or Joan they were talking about.
So. What do these two things, last names and mirrors, have in common in shaping a whole people? Why, they gave the people their first sense of true identify.
At first, of course, only the rich folks in the castles and palaces could afford mirrors, But it wasn’t too long before ways of making cheap glass were discovered. Until that point, they only way the average Thomas or Joan could know what they looked like was to occasionally see a vague reflection in a shiny piece of metal or on the surface of water. And neither of those methods could give a good, true image, and in color yet.
Imagine what it would have been like going around without really knowing what you looked like. The less than handsome men and less than pretty women must have wondered why the opposite sex paid so much more attention to that handsome guy or gal down the lane.
So, almost at the same time, Europeans had a sense of identity through their first and last names and, even better, had a self-image, which I think is all important in how we feel about ourselves.
And of course this was going on at the same time as the terrific explosion of knowledge that the Renaissance brought. After centuries of being somewhat of a back water, Europe was about to take off. They knew who they were and they knew they wanted to achieve amazing things. And they did. Whether what they did was for better or worse if for you and history to judge. I think the good outweighed the bad. That might be the topic of another column soon.
Now, if you want to connect with ancestors, go stand in front of a mirror, recite your full name and say, “Hey, I AM somebody.”
PINEVILLE — Funeral services celebrating the life and impact of Louisiana College coaching legend Billy Allgood, a 1999 Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame inductee, will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. at Emmanuel Baptist Church in Alexandria with Dr. Chris Thacker officiating.
Allgood, 87, of Pineville passed away at his home Wednesday surrounded by his family.
Arriving at LC in 1959 as basketball coach and assistant football coach, Allgood coached the Wildcats basketball team until 1985. He coached LC’s baseball team even longer, from 1965 to 1998. He led both sports to NAIA national tournament berths.
Allgood was also athletic director for 31 years.
Visitation for Coach Allgood will be held Friday from 5 p.m.-8 p.m. at Hixson Brothers in Pineville, and from 9 a.m. until the time of the service on Saturday. Interment will be in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Ball.
Former LC basketball player Drexel Robinson will share a testimony on this legendary coach’s impact. Pallbearers will be his former basketball and baseball players from Louisiana College.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks memorials be made to the Louisiana Special Olympics, 1000 East Morris Ave., Hammond, LA, 70403.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Francis Irene Allgood; son Duke Allgood and wife, Sissy, daughter Pam Hancock and husband, Lee; grandchildren Michael Allgood and wife, Kaci, Katy Jackson and husband, Jim, and Spencer Hancock; and great grandchildren Jackson, Piper and Will Allgood. He is also survived by an aunt, Edna Paige.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Elton Allgood and Bernice Frazier, and a brother, J.E. Allgood.
A native Mississippian, Allgood was born in Jackson. He later attended the University of Southern Mississippi, where he was a four-year letterman in basketball from 1949-53. During his collegiate career, he helped Southern Mississippi to a 96-37 record, two Gulf States Conference regular-season championships and two appearances in the NAIA National Tournament.
As a senior, he led USM to a 27-8 record and quarterfinal appearance in the NAIA Tournament. Among his more notable accomplishments with the Golden Eagles, he set a school record for most fouls committed in a career, including 124 as a sophomore when he fouled out of 13 games. In addition to being the team’s best defender, he also led the team in assists. Allgood also played baseball at Southern Miss.
The school inducted him into its Sports Hall of Fame on April 28, 1979.
It would not be the only Hall of Fame to honor Allgood, only the first.
He began his coaching career on the high school level in his native state. After six seasons at Meridian High School, which included a state title in basketball, Louisiana College president G. Earl Guinn hired Allgood to be the school’s basketball coach in 1959, as well as an assistant football coach.
It proved to be a great hire as Allgood would go on to win 327 games as LC’s men’s basketball coach, ranking him among the winningest in state history at the time of his retirement. He also brought his winning ways to the baseball program after being named coach in 1969. In 1965, he was also named the school’s athletic director.
Despite the numerous roles, Allgood always fielded teams that could compete on any level, drawing the respect of his coaching peers from throughout the state and the country.
“The rest of us had the opportunity to coach just basketball but he wore a lot of hats,” once said the late Louisiana Tech and NBA coach Scotty Robertson, a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member. “Billy was an excellent coach. He did more with less than the rest of us in the state of Louisiana.”
“He is one of the fiercest competitors I’ve ever faced,” said the late Louisiana-Monroe coach Lenny Fant, also a Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member whom Allgood replaced as LC’s coach. “He was just tough to beat no matter who he put out there.”
Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Don Haskins found that out when Allgood coached LC to an upset of his Texas-El Paso team in 1977.
Allgood struck up a friendship with another Naismith Hall of Famer, Western Kentucky’s Ed Diddle, during the Wildcats’ annual trips to Kentucky in the 1960s. Kentucky basketball icon Adolph Rupp respected the coaching of Allgood enough to commit to bringing his Wildcats to face LC to help the school open H.O. West Fieldhouse in 1965. Unfortunately, the game was never played as a delay in construction forced Rupp to back out of the game.
Allgood’s 1969-70 team was the first in school history to win 20 games, but that team’s biggest impact was helping break the color barrier in Louisiana when LC beat Grambling State, 71-52, on Feb. 5. It marked the first time a predominantly white school in Louisiana had played a predominantly black school.
The 1978-79 team became the first in school history to reach the NAIA National Tournament.
Other schools tried to lure Allgood away, including LSU and athletic director Jim Corbett in 1966, but he remained faithful to LC.
Allgood retired as basketball coach in 1985, athletic director in 1996 and baseball coach in 1998 to end 39 years of service to Louisiana College. His retirement wouldn’t last long as he later became the basketball and baseball coach and athletic director at the Avoyelles Public Charter School in Mansura.
While he was best known as a basketball coach, he also left his mark as baseball coach. He literally built Billy Allgood Field, while also leading the Wildcats to an NAIA national tournament berth.
Perhaps his greatest coaching victory came in baseball on March 15, 1994, when the Wildcats upset defending national champion LSU, 7-5. It was the first time an NAIA school had beaten a reigning NCAA Division I national champion.
Allgood was twice named the NAIA District 30 Coach of the Year in basketball. In 1986, he was named “Mr. Louisiana Basketball” by the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches. The LABC inducted Allgood into its Hall of Fame in 1990.
He was also a charter member of the Louisiana College Sports Hall of Fame in 1991, and he’s been inducted in the Louisiana Senior Olympics Hall of Fame as a basketball player.
His highest professional honor came in 1999 when he was elected to the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame as the first representative from Louisiana College.
But Allgood’s legacy is more than wins and losses.
It’s the men he coached and the students he taught who went to become productive members of society as educators, coaches, lawyers, doctors, law enforcement officers and pastors.
It’s the numerous baseball fields he helped build throughout Louisiana for his former players who had gone into coaching. It’s the Habitat-for-Humanity houses he helped build, and the numerous other projects he helped with whether it was for friends or strangers.
“I guess not at one time in all the years I’ve known him, did I think Billy Allgood was not going by the rules,” said former Northwestern State coaching rival Tynes Hildebrand, another Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame member. “I think if there is one thing that speaks well of someone, that’s it.
“We probably won’t ever see someone like him come along again. I don’t think there will ever be another Billy Allgood and that’s a shame. Young people need Billy Allgood for a role model,” Hildebrand added.
Perhaps Allgood’s most famous saying was “I’d sell every one of those wins to get people to do what they’re capable of. I didn’t want to coach blue-chip athletes. I’d rather coach blue-chip people.”
Allgood was an active member of Emmanuel Baptist Church and former longtime member of First Baptist Church in Pineville, where he was a faithful member of LC biology Professor C.J. Cavanaugh’s Sunday school class.
First Lady of Northwestern State University Jennifer Maggio, wife of NSU President Dr. Chris Maggio, spoke to Natchitoches Rotary Club on Sept. 18 about her project to address literacy in Northwest Louisiana. The project is called “Forks Up for Literacy 2019.” The project is designed to provide books and art supplies for students in the schools who may not have access to them. She noted that donors can go to the website http://bit.ly/forks-up to order books and art supplies from Amazon.com. These items will be shipped directly to her and used for students in schools. Pictured from left are Rotary President Richard White, Maggio, and Rotarian with the Program Paul Rinehart who introduced Mrs. Maggio (Photo by Dr. Ron McBride).
The Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival Board of Directors announced that the 2019 Festival will be held on May 10-11 of next year. This is the latest the Festival has ever been scheduled and the first time it’s been scheduled in May.
According to Festival Chairman Rodney Harrington, the Board feels that holding the Festival on a later date is a “Win-Win” for several different reasons.
“First of all,” said Harrington “it seems like nearly every year when we hold the Festival in early to mid-April, we are constantly dealing with either rain, very cool weather, or both. We feel that by moving it back a month or so, it will remove the danger of it being cold during the Festival and hopefully lessen the chance of it being rainy.”
Harrington continued that the fact that NSU Graduation is also on May 10 offers some unique opportunities both for the Festival and NSU.
“Northwestern has always been a great partner of the Jazz/R&B Festival,” he said. “We talked to Dr. Chris Maggio (NSU President) about holding the Festival the weekend of graduation and he thought it was a great idea, especially since graduation is over by 5 p.m. on Friday and the Festival doesn’t begin until then.”
Harrington said the Board is working on developing some attractive ticket packages for NSU Graduates and their families in an attempt to encourage them to stay in town when graduation is over. “What better way to celebrate graduation than by spending the weekend listening to great music and eating great food on our beautifully renovated riverbank in Natchitoches,” said Harrington. Harrington said that the Board is already working hard on the 2019 Festival and that it promises to be the best ever.
Edward “DJ Breeze” Goff
November 11, 1961 – September 13, 2018
Service: Wednesday, September 26 at 6 pm in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Judy Bolton
August 24, 1940 – September 12, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 5-10 pm at Provencal United Pentecostal Church
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 10 am at Provencal United Pentecostal Church
Interment: Shady Grove Cemetery in Bellwood
Juanita Morris
September 13, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 6-8 pm and Saturday, September 22 from 10-11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Interment: St. Andrew Baptist Church Cemetery in Derry
Annette Johnson
February 17, 1948 – September 10, 2018
Service: Saturday, September 22 at 10 am at the Asbury United Methodist Church
Interment: Lawrence Serenity Sanctum
WINN PARISH:
Emery Marion Perkins
September 5, 1945 – September 19, 2018
Visitation: Friday, September 21 from 10 am – 12:30 pm at Haile Baptist Church in the Hail community
Service: Friday, September 21 at 1 pm at Fairview Cemetery in Marion
SABINE PARISH:
Lester Olen Longoria
July 17, 1954 – September 18, 2018
Visitation: Thursday, September 20 at 5 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home in Zwolle
Service: Friday, September 21 at 10 am at St. Joseph Catholic Church
Interment: St. Joseph Cemetery
Pete Corley of Zwolle
January 2, 1951 – September 14, 2018
Service: Thursday, September 20 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Chapel
Interment: Bethsadia Cemetery
Gov. John Bel Edwards on Tuesday announced to students, faculty and staff of the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) that the state will allot $27 million for a new residence hall. Construction should begin in the next fiscal year.
“We have secured, and I have committed, the funding necessary to build a new dormitory here at LSMSA,” said Gov. Edwards during his announcement. “This is a residential setting for you all, and it is important that you have a home here that is conducive to what you are trying to do in terms of your academic studies.
“I am very excited about this, and we are going to make sure that this funding is made available as soon as possible.”
The project has been in the works for several years, beginning under the direction of LSMSA’s former Executive Director Dr. Patrick Widhalm.
“LSMSA has earned its place among the nation’s top schools because of the exceptional ability and dedication of its students and faculty,” Widhalm said, who now serves as head of school at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans. “However, what sets it apart is the ‘living, learning’ environment.
“As I saw among students during my tenure at the school, the current residence halls, Prudhomme and Caddo, were places that set a transformative LSMSA experience,” Widhalm continued. “It is so exciting to think of moving beyond these residence halls to a properly designed place that will nurture, secure, and transform generations of Eagles for years to come.”
Prudhomme and Caddo halls, both Northwestern State University residence halls built in the late 1950s and early 1960s, were loaned to LSMSA in 1982 to house its male and female students. Extensive renovations were completed in both buildings during the late 1980s. Originally, the residence halls were offered to LSMSA for five years, but due to state budget restraints, the school was unable to submit a request for a new residence hall until 2005. Since that time, LSMSA has maintained the facilities beyond their useful life spans.
“We are thankful to NSU because without their sharing of these residence halls with us, LSMSA would not have existed as it is today,” said LSMSA Executive Director Dr. Steve Horton. “Since the school’s opening in fall 1983, all of its near 6,000 students have called Caddo, Prudhomme, Bossier, or Bozeman halls their home throughout their LSMSA experience. Bossier and Bozeman halls have since been demolished.”
During his announcement, Gov. Edwards applauded the students for their ability to make the most out of their current residencies.
“One of the things that encourages me most about young people at this school is that you have not allowed the condition of the dormitories to diminish your experience,” said Gov. Edwards.
The new residence hall will support and encourage the needs of each student and provide a safe community. Ashe, Broussard, and Weinzettle Architects, and Tipton Associates, the designers of the project, secured input from faculty and staff, students and parents to define ideal areas for a comprehensive campus living environment.
The proposed 110,000-square-foot facility, located adjacent to the campus and behind NSU’s Eugene P. Watson Memorial Library and LSMSA’s Center for Performance and Technology, will have four stories and three towers, and will include 10 neighborhoods designated for male and female students. Each neighborhood will include a common room, a kitchen, several two-bedroom resident suites, a laundry room and a study lounge.
In addition, the facility will include administrative offices for Student Services, a student health center; apartments for residential life staff, a demonstration kitchen with a small dining area, a guest suite for visiting professors and prospective students, a crafts room, a resident lounge, a gaming room and a theater room. The facility includes an outdoor recreation area.
“For more than 35 years we have been able to offer Louisiana’s high-achieving and highly motivated students a unique, world-class education with nationally ranked, university-credentialed faculty and classes unlike anywhere else in the state,” said Dr. Kristi Pope Key, director of academic services. “With the addition of our new residence hall, what we are finally able to do is offer those same students a unique, world-class living environment to match the vision and the scope of our learning environment.”
LSMSA students, faculty, staff and governing board members all expressed eagerness and thankfulness to the state for seeing the benefits of this upcoming project.
“The Board of Directors is excited and enthusiastic about moving ahead,” said Sharon Gahagan, chair of the LSMSA Board of Directors. “The board thanks Gov. Edwards for his leadership and dedication to the dormitory project. By doing so, he understands the importance of providing safe, secure and comfortable housing for LSMSA students and has made a commitment to the total educational experience on campus.”
The LSMSA Foundation Board of Trustees in 2013 provided funding for a feasibility study for the proposed new residence hall.
“It is a project we have been working on for years, so it has been a long time coming,” Bill New, president of the LSMSA Foundation Board of Trustees, said. “We are thankful to finally see it come to fruition, and it is all thanks to a lot of hard work from a lot of different people.”
Construction is estimated to take two years. Upon completion, the facility will house 360 students. The school is currently at its enrollment capacity of 365 students.
“The living/learning experience at LSMSA is so life-changing that, each year, eager parents and students manage to look beyond our aging facilities to see that the experience is worth the sacrifice,” Emily Shumate, director of Enrollment and Student Services, said. “Even with the issues that exist in our current residence halls, we had a waiting list for this school year. Finally being able to offer applicants a living experience that is as exceptional as the learning experience we offer them will be a game-changer.”
LSMSA is now accepting applications for the 2019-2020 school year. Interested students can start the process at www.LSMSA.edu/apply.
The Louisiana Realtors Association is holding its Fall Governance Meeting in Natchitoches Sept. 18-20. The meeting is open to all members but focuses on conducting the business of the association and approving proposed programs and services for 2019 as well the installation of 2019 officers.
“We’re excited to be here,” said LRA CEO Norman Morris. “The 100th year anniversary for the Louisiana Realtors Association is in 2019. We chose to come to Natchitoches for our conference because, as the oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase, it has its own unique beauty and ambiance.”
The Greater Central Louisiana REALTORS Association held a fundraiser Sept. 18 at the home of Peggy and Calvin Braxton. Proceeds from the social went straight to the Natchitoches Boys and Girls Club. GCLRA members presented Boys and Girls Club board members with a check for $2,800. In addition, LRA President Elect Logan Morris presented Peggy with a check for $1,000 on behalf of the Louisiana Realtors State Association.
Realtors from across the state are in Natchitoches. After a bit of business during the day, they took tour of Oakland Plantation, presented to them by a direct descendant of the Prudhomme family, the original owners of Oakland.
“The Boys and Girls Club is one of my favorite charities,” said GCLRA President Shanna Braxton. “We’re always trying to support our community. And we admire all the good work the Boys and Girls Club does for the kids in the Natchitoches area.”
Fireworks will be shot off from the south side of the downtown riverbank Thursday, Sept. 20 at 9:30 pm for the LRA Banquet.
Over 150 members and friends of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra gathered together to kick off the symphony’s 2018-2019 concert season Tuesday, September 18th, with a Wine and Cheese Reception. This year’s event held in honor of Mary Jean & Gerard F. Thomas, Jr. Student musicians from NSU entertained the crowd with a playlist of various pieces.
This year’s 5 concerts and performances at the NSU Christmas Gala will mark the society’s 53rd season of supporting musical excellence at Northwestern State University. Northwestern State University professor Douglas Bakenhus has served as the symphony’s conductor since 2004.
Rhodes Realty invites you to attend its Ribbon Cutting Ceremony and Open House this Thursday, Sept. 20 from 5-8 pm at 404 Rapides Drive. The event will double an the September Social for the Natchitoches Young Professionals so come out and network!
Take a ride on the party bus for a tour to Rhodes Properties and Development’s new subdivision: The Farm at Fulton Road. The event will also offer an open bar, prizes and catering.
The Cane River Waterway Commission filed suit against Womack & Sons Construction, Inc., and Womack’s bonding company on July 26, 2018. Womack & Sons Construction filed its answer to the Commissions’ original lawsuit on September 13, 2018. In its answer, Womack generally denied that it was responsible for any failure of the pump station. Womack also filed a counterclaim against the Commission, seeking full payment of the contract sums allegedly owed under the contract. In addition, Womack sought payment for a specific change order, which Womack alleged was approved in April 2018. In addition to this counterclaim, Womack filed a third party claim against its own subcontractor, Tekleen Automatic Filters, Inc. (“Tekleen”), and Tekleen’s bonding company. Womack generally alleged that the filters provided by Tekleen were not sufficient to meet the specifications of the job, which specifications required that the filters be capable of allowing a water flow of 30,000 gallons per minute. Alternatively, Womack alleged that the specifications themselves were inadequate. Womack also named the Commission’s engineer, Denmon Engineering Company, Inc., as a third-party defendant. The Commission’s goal remains to obtain a pumping station that will meet the specifications of the job. Tekleen and Denmon Engineering (and their respective bonding companies) must now respond to the third-party demands that Womack has filed against them. It will likely be several weeks before all of these parties have responded to the allegations. The Commission will continue to evaluate all of its options as it moves through the process of litigation.
The Northwestern State University Middle Lab School held its Fall Dinner Gala for the benefit of the NSU Middle Lab Orchestra’s 2019 Carnegie Hall Performance in New York. They’ve been fundraising for six months now, holding bake sales.
“It’s been a long road but we’re almost there,” said Orchestra Conductor Katrice Lacour. “I started here 10 years ago and our program had about 36 students. Now our program has 93 students.”
The orchestra performed several musical interludes throughout the evening.
Northwestern State University President Dr. Chris Maggio said it’s important to put an emphasis on arts. “You often hear football coaches talking about there five star recruits. You’re looking at our five star recruits,” he said pointing to the orchestra students. “The arts at Northwestern continue to grow.”
Governor John Bel Edwards introduced the featured speaker for the evening: his wife, First Lady of Louisiana Donna Edwards.
“The arts are really important because we want to be educating the whole child,” he said. “We’re gonna increase the per pupil allocation on the MFP. Half of that will go to teacher raises because we need to do that. We haven’t done it in four years.”
Donna started an initiative called “Teach MAM,” to help with enhancement, stability, and sustainability for Louisiana Music, Arts, and Movement in the public schools.
“I’m very passionate about it,” she said. “I hope to generate a lot of energy, movement and awareness across our state. I want to encourage our principals and administration to put money toward music, art, movement. Not just one or the other, but all three.”
Parishioners of St. Augustine Catholic Church will hold its Annual Creole Festival featuring a taste of Creole cuisine, culture, and history. Visitors are invited to a weekend of Creole hospitality, explore the history of this locale, and the partake of the regional Creole cuisine.
Festivities begin with a fish fry on Friday evening, Oct. 12, from 6-10 p.m., with DJ Butchie Wutchie providing music.
Saturday and Sunday mid-morning events take on a festive atmosphere on the church grounds, with DJ Doc Couty playing music throughout the day. Family friendly, there will be kid activities, a country store, bingo, and music. An array of Creole foods such as chicken gumbo, turkey dinners, meat pies, dirty rice, hot tamales and home-baked goods will be served in the church dining hall. Carnival foods including burgers, candied apples, funnel cakes, etc. will also be featured.
Listed on the National Register of Historic Places on Sept. 24, 2014, visitors are encouraged to take a self-guided tour of the Church and cemetery.
As always, visitors are welcomed to join in the celebration of Mass. Times are: 5 p.m. on Saturday evening and at 10:30 am on Sunday morning.
St. Augustine Catholic Church is located at 2262 LA Highway 484, Natchez, Louisiana. Contact information:
St. Augustine Church Rectory (318) 379-2521;
Fair Chairman, Chad Nelson (318) 663-8584; depnelson@yahoo.com
Publicity, Dianne Moran (318) 471-4339
