Lakeview High School’s Air Force JROTC (AFJROTC) Senior Aerospace Science Instructor, Major (Ret) Bob Kellogg, joined 18 other AFJROTC instructors from five states, to conduct a week-long Cadet Leadership Course at Keesler Air Force Base, Biloxi, Miss. Lakeview’s top four freshman cadets: Cadet Amn Kain Custis, Cadet SRA Blake Smith, Cadet SRA Zach Gorum, and Cadet SRA Ethan Smith were selected to attend this course, which is one of the premier Air Force JROTC Cadet Leadership Courses in the southeastern United States. The activity was hosted by Biloxi High School, Biloxi, Mississippi, July 8-13.
The curriculum included public speaking, leadership, core values, team building, time-management, problem-solving, ethics, and organizational skills. In addition to the academic instruction, the cadets also competed in drill competitions, physical fitness, and flight challenges. The activity, which marked its 21st year, was attended by over 150 cadets from 15 high schools throughout Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, and Florida. The course concluded with a formal parade and graduation/awards ceremony. Lakeview’s graduates of this course will assume junior leadership roles in the upcoming school year and mentor incoming freshman cadets.
Cadet Senior Airman Blake Smith, of Lakeview’s Air Force JROTC, was selected as a Distinguished Graduate (top 10%) of the week-long, in-residence, Cadet Leadership Course.
FULL TIME LOAN PROCESSOR NEEDED FOR OUR LOAN OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT, COMPETITIVE PAY WITH BENEFITS. 40 HRS PER WEEK, PAID VACATION AND HOLIDAYS. LOOKING TO HIRE ONE PERSON IMMEDIATELY!
2 years’ experience preferred.
Apply in person at or send your resume to:
BOM
PO BOX 7294
Natchitoches, LA 71457.
Email your resume to: btilley@bankmontgomery.com Fax your resume to: 318-238-3432
The Cane River Waterway Commission issued the following statement as a followup to a press release published June 15 in the NPJ.
Since mid-June 2018, testing has continued on the Cane River Waterway Commission’s “Cane River Lake Pumping Station.” The system was last tested on July 2, 2018. Although the system has proved operable during short tests, it has operated below specifications, delivering about one-third the water flow rate required by the specifications. On July 6, 2018, the Commission’s project engineer formally requested that the contractor provide a proposal to bring the project into compliance with the specifications. This proposal should be delivered to the project engineer prior to July 20, 2018. The Commission shall continue to provide more information on the project as that becomes available.
Public Notice is given that the regular meeting of the Natchitoches Parish Communications District Board of Commissioners scheduled for July 17 is cancelled. The next regular meeting is Aug. 21 in Room 210, Natchitoches Parish Court House.
Shreveport– United Way of Northwest Louisiana will begin accepting applications for its 2019-2020 competitive grant cycle on Wednesday, Aug. 1. Any nonprofit organization serving the ten parish region of Northwest Louisiana with a focus on health, education, financial stability or essential needs is encouraged to apply.
Annually, the United Way of Northwest Louisiana partners with the Community Foundation of North Louisiana for the annual competitive grant process to further promote positive change in the community. By combining efforts into one competitive grant process, United Way strengthens the strategic investments into our region, while reducing administrative costs.
Interested organizations must have a 501(c)3 status prior to submitting the application and are required to attend at least one mandatory orientation session prior to submitting the application. Five orientation sessions are offered from July 25 – August 2. Reservations are required and sessions will be held at Community Central, 401 Edwards St. in Shreveport.
The application process has two phases. For the first phase, applicants will submit a proposed project, program budget, and organizational information. The deadline for submitting a Phase One application is 4pm on Aug. 21. These applications will be reviewed by a committee of volunteers who will select organizations to proceed to the next phase. Phase Two applications will be due by 4pm on Nov. 15.
United Way fights for the health, education, financial stability and essential needs of everyone. For a list of 2018-2019 grantees please visit www.unitedwaynwla.org/our-focus/.
Madeline Lorene Anderson
April 29, 1941 – July 09, 2018
Visitation: 2 pm until service time on Tuesday at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Service: 3 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home.
Rex Sutton Britt
May 25, 1949 – June 27, 2018
A memorial service honoring the life of Rex Britt is Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church.
Laverne Bayonne
May 20, 1930-July 11, 2018
Visitation: 5-9 p.m. Friday, July 20 at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Recitation of the Holy Rosary will be at 7 p.m. on the 20th in the funeral home chapel.
Service: A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 21 at Holy Cross Catholic Church in Natchitoches, Interment will follow at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church Cemetery in Cloutierville.
WINN PARISH:
Gloria Brewer
August 10, 1942 – July 16, 2018
Visitation: Tuesday, July 17, 2018, at Southern Funeral Home, from 5:00 PM until 8:00 PM, and again on Wednesday, July 18, 2018, at Southern Funeral Home, from 9:00 AM until 10:45 AM.
Service: 11:00 AM on Wednesday, July 18, 2018 at First Baptist Church. Interment will follow in Zion Hill Cemetery, in Tannehill.
Virtually anyone who has gone to school and taken the required course on Louisiana history has heard of the Great Raft and of Captain Henry Shreve, the man responsible for clearing it and after whom Shreveport is named.
Calling the Great Raft a logjam doesn’t quite do it justice, however. It was a 100+ mile long accumulation of fallen logs and driftwood that had piled together over thousands of years into an impenetrable mass that rendered the Red River impassible to navigation. In the days of steamboats, when commerce moved by water, this was a major impediment to economic growth in a then young and largely unsettled America.
A standing room only crowd of over 50 people came to the Grand Ecore Visitors’ Center Saturday, July 14th to hear Texas Historian Robin Cole-Jett speak on this subject that almost everyone has heard of, but of whom few people know the whole story. Ms. Cole-Jett teaches American and Texas History at North Central Texas College in Corinth, Texas. She has been teaching and giving presentations around Texas for the past 16 years and is the author of 4 books, with a 5th on the way. The talk in Natchitoches was her first foray into our state. Ms. Cole-Jett held the audience spellbound for over an hour as she talked about the Red River’s role in the settling of the West. She spoke of the economic, cultural and ecological interplay between the river and the people who used it for travel and commerce and who changed its course with various engineering projects over the years.
The talk was sponsored by the Cane River National Heritage Area as part of their “Lunch and Learn” series of presentations. Prior events included the popular “Birds of Prey” presentation. The CRNHA has partnered with the Grand Ecore Visitors Center to provide programming and events such as this. The Natchitoches Parish Journal would like to take this opportunity to thank Ms. Cole-Jett for her interesting look into how the interplay between a river and the people who live by it has effects decades into the future not always apparent. We also hope that this will not be you last visit to our state.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum celebrated 5 years in Natchitoches’ historical and cultural scene with a party Saturday, July 14th. The celebration featured free ice cream and other refreshments as well as a day of family fun. The museum, in addition to its mission of education and preservation, is noted for its distinctive architecture. It was designed by Trahan Architects of New Orleans. Its forward looking design has been featured in several films shot on the premises.
Athletes from NSU’s Football and Volleyball teams were on hand to assist the museum’s staff with the day’s events, assisting children with crafts and games. They were, as usual, superb ambassadors for their university and the NPJ wishes them every success in their upcoming seasons.
The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum is a component of The Louisiana State Museum, one of several museums throughout the state that cover the rich history of the place we call home. Come by and give them a visit!
APPEAL DATE & TIME: APPEAL LOCATION:
July 23, 2018- 5:30 P.M.
Natchitoches Arts Center, 716 Second Street, Natchitoches, LA
APPLICANT/OWNER:
Kyle Smith and Mark Hebert
A public hearing will be held before the Natchitoches City Council on Monday, July 23, 2018 at 5:30 p.m. at the Natchitoches Arts Center, 716 Second Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana. The purpose of the hearing is for the City Council to review a decision of the Natchitoches Planning and Zoning Commission at the July 3, 2018 meeting to approve an application submitted by Kyle Smith and Mark Hebert to create separate parcels for commercial development. (Tract of land located at the northwest intersection of La Hwy. 504 & University Parkway)
The application is available for review at the Planning and Zoning Department 700 Second Street, Natchitoches, LA 71457.
Honorable Lee Posey
Mayor City of Natchitoches
Post Office Box 37
Natchitoches, Louisiana 71457
(318) 352-2772
The Nov. 6, 2018 election will feature the U.S. Congressional race, the Louisiana Secretary of State race, every Natchitoches Parish School Board race and municipal elections in Ashland, Campti, Goldonna, Provencal, Robeline and Natchez.
The qualifying dates for this election are July 18 – 20, 2018 at the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court office, room 104 at the courthouse. The Clerk’s office will be open for qualifying from 8 am – 4:30 pm. This Week!
For more information call the Clerk of Court office at 318-352-8152.
The Natchitoches Young Professionals (NYP) along with the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce will host a “Louisiana Young Professionals Conference” Saturday, July 28. The goal is to bring together young professionals from across the state to learn topics that affect them, so they can immediately put that information to use in their careers or businesses. Registration is $60 per person and can be done online through the Natchitoches Area Chamber website (see link below) or in person on the morning of the event.
The Louisiana Young Professionals Conference will kick off on Friday, July 27 with a social and registration event at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Museum from 6-8 p.m. This event will include light appetizers, networking opportunities and door prizes.
Registration will resume Saturday, July 28 at 8:30 a.m. at Chateau St. Denis. The conference will begin at 9 a.m. with keynote speaker Jay Toups of Lafayette. His presentation will feature “The Keys to Becoming a High Performer.”
Following Toups’ presentation, two time slots for breakout sessions are scheduled both at Chateau St. Denis and the Natchitoches Events Center. During lunch, which is included with the registration fee, attendees will listen to four panelists discuss their career paths as young professionals in Louisiana. Two more breakout sessions are scheduled after lunch, and the event will end with a wrap up session at 4:30 p.m.
Breakout sessions will focus on topics that affect young professionals such as communication, education, entrepreneurship, and networking. They will feature speakers from across Louisiana along with one speaker hailing from the state of Missouri. These breakout sessions will include:
“How To Go Undefeated in Everything, All The Time” by Jet Ainsworth (Jefferson City, MO)
“The Traits of Successful People” by Dr. Chris Maggio (Natchitoches)
“Breaking the Glass Ceiling” by Carley McCord (New Orleans)
“Becoming a Superconnector: The Power of Social Capital” by Skyra Rideaux (Lafayette)
“Education: Why Success Is Not an Option” by Tony Davis (Natchitoches)
“Your Life Message” by Rev. Steve McAlister (Natchitoches)
“Don’t Do What I Did” by Karlos Knott (Arnaudville)
“Networking And Your Career” by Ed Walsh (Shreveport)
Keynote speaker Jay Toups will also lead a breakout session on the topic of “Communication: The Leg You Must Stand On.”
‘The Louisiana Young Professionals Conference is something that NYP has desired to bring Natchitoches since the group formed in 2015, and I’m very much looking forward to seeing all of our hard work pay off and hopefully benefit our community in a new and exciting way!’
‘Having attended a similar event in South Louisiana for the last couple of years, I have a great appreciation for the value that this type of conference brings to young professionals and aspiring young professionals in our state. I’m so excited we were able to take what we learned from those events and put together such a high caliber networking and educational event.’ – Dr. Haley Taitano, Past NYP Chair
NYP is thankful to its LYPC sponsors who include title sponsor, Northwestern State University of Louisiana; corporate sponsors, BOM & NHDDC; gold sponsor, the City of Natchitoches; and silver sponsors, Alliance Compressors, Lauren Anderson MD, Exchange Bank, Natchitoches Convention & Visitors Bureau, Natchitoches HDBA, Natchitoches Regional Medical Center, Posey’s Sports Center, and Next Generation Minden.
Operating as a Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce initiative, the Natchitoches Young Professionals (NYP) is dedicated to developing out community’s current and future business leaders with membership available to anyone between the ages of 21 and 40 who lives, works, learns or plays in the greater Natchitoches area. For more information email NYP at natyoungprofessionals@gmail.com.
NSU’s Northwestern Hills Golf Course was the scene of good natured, but intense, competition as 16 teams of 4 golfers battled for bragging rights and supremacy on the links Saturday, July 14th. The tournament was held to raise money for the NSU Middle Lab School Orchestra’s trip to perform at New York City’s Carnegie Hall this upcoming March. The golfers enjoyed a round of golf and a superb lunch cooked onsite.
While this will mark the Middle Lab Orchestra’s first trip to this iconic venue, it will be the third time an orchestra from our parish’s public schools will have performed there. The Natchitoches Central High School Orchestra has been invited to play at Carnegie Hall twice. Let that sink in for a moment. A small public school system from rural Louisiana has both a middle school and high school orchestra. They consistently perform at such a high level that they have been invited to perform at Carnegie Hall, one of the top venues in the country, a total of three times between them. This is in addition to the middle school orchestra’s winning top honors at a competition held in Disneyworld. It is a remarkable record of sustained excellence.
Today’s golf tournament is expected to raise about $10,000.00. There is still a way to go in order to raise enough money to bring the entire orchestra to New York City. There is an account set up at Exchange Bank to collect funds for the trip. If you wish to help, please contact Mr. Billy Gray at the bank. Our young people and their teachers have done their part. Let us do ours.
From hunting big game to chasing world records, Shawn Daily earned more than bragging rights after a recent trip to the northern cape of South Africa. The outdoorsman and alumnus of the Beta Omicron Chapter of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity at Northwestern State University returned to Louisiana with at least seven big game records with Safari Club International (SCI).
In May, Daily hunted a #1 roan, #1 black-faced impala, and a #2 lechwie. He also earned a #3 Kalahari Springbok, #5 copper Springbok, #10 white Springbok and #10 warthog.
“I got what is presumed to be the number one black impala, as soon as SCI recognizes the species,” he said.
These records are just the latest in an impressive collection amassed over the last 40 years. Daily already holds 13 records for top tens, including bison, northwestern whitetail, northwestern non-typical whitetail, Persian ibex, woodland caribou, Iranian red sheep, fallow deer (South America), fallow deer (France Europe), axis deer, Dall sheep, red deer (south America, and Texas non-typical whitetail.
With nearly 100 mounts to his credit, Daily is a life member of the Safari Club International, Dallas Safari Club, and Rowland Ward Africa. He also belongs to the Louisiana Chapter of SCI, the Houston Safari Club, the Acadian Chapter of SCI and the Piney Woods (East Texas) Chapter of SCI.
Safari Club International is the leader in protecting the freedom to hunt and promoting wildlife conservation worldwide, according to its website.
Daily first pursued hunting as a way to spend quality time with family.
“My boys wanted to hunt and I just joined the action and stuck with it. Now we have a place in Mississippi to hunt and I spend a lot of time there, hunting deer, ducks, turkey, and varmints.”
Over the years, his adventures have taken him to several continents, with hunts in Spain, Argentina, South Africa, Canada, Mexico, New Zealand, Great Britain, and stateside in Alaska.
One of his most memorable experiences includes being charged by a cape buffalo. “I fired the shot that finally stopped him eight long strides from where my professional hunter and I stood with nowhere to run. His gun was jammed. It all rode on the one bullet I had left in my double rifle.”
He said another harrowing adventure came in New Zealand.
“I jumped off the skid of a helicopter near the top of Mount McCook and went through the crust of snow up to my armpits!”
An avid angler, Daily has also fished in Bermuda, the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Chile, Puerta Vallarta, Los Cabos, Alaska, and more 30 rivers in the United States and Canada.
While the challenge of the hunt, friendships, and connecting with nature keep him hunting, Daily says it’s a physical sport.
“It has caused me to try to stay in shape so I can walk long distances and climb in the mountains. Two of my latest tropics, a gold medal ibex and a #11 Gredos ibex came from the Beciete and Gredos mountain ranges in Spain.”
A testament to his skill and dedication, nearly 100 mounts, including several of his record-holding species, are on display in his Natchitoches home on the shores of Sibley Lake.
Gardens are home to numerous insects, many of which can go unnoticed due to their life cycle, habits, and predation. However, not all garden bugs are bad. The presence of some garden bugs are actually very effective pest control measures. This article, however, will focus on a serious pest: aphids.
Aphids are small bugs that can have a big impact on your garden. They are slow moving insects with pear-shaped bodies and usually have spine-like projections from their abdomens. Aphids are commonly black, green, yellow, or grayish in color and feed on the stems, leaves, flowers, and developing fruits of garden plants. In small numbers, aphids may go unnoticed, however, under the right conditions they can reproduce extremely quickly, and are hard to overlook.
Aphids have piercing-sucking mouthparts, which they use to remove plant juices. Heavy infestations can cause leaves to yellow or drop from the plant. Plant growth can be stunted due to heavy feeding, and yields can be affected, especially when aphids feed on the developing fruit, pods, etc. Aphids can also spread diseases in their saliva when they pierce the plant. Additionally, aphids secrete a clear sticky liquid called honeydew. Ants are attracted to the honeydew in large numbers, and are often seen tending the aphids and feeding on the honeydew. Sooty mold also grows on honeydew, and if allowed to build up thickly on plant leaves, sooty mold can interfere with photosynthesis.
The good news is that aphids have many natural enemies. Ladybug adults and larvae are voracious predators of aphids and should be encouraged in the garden. Assassin bugs are solitary insects that roam gardens killing many different types of pests including aphids. A few types of flies prey on aphids, while wasps and hornets also feed on the pesky bugs. Some parasitic wasps even lay their eggs in aphids and the larvae develop inside the aphid, killing it after a short amount of time. Lacewing larvae are fierce predators, and even earwigs consume some types of aphids. In addition to these insects, spiders also feed on aphids. Many beneficial insects can be bought and released in the garden, however be aware that these adults often fly off after release instead of sticking around. Releasing beneficial bugs can be more effective in greenhouses.
If natural predators are not controlling the aphid population sufficiently, it may be necessary to spray. There are several different options, including some effective natural products that work quite well. Malathion is a contact insecticide (must contact the insect to kill) that kills aphids effectively, however, it is a broad spectrum insecticide so it will also kill beneficial insects. Imidacloprid and Bifenthrin are also effective against aphids. Insecticidal soaps and oils are effective against aphids as well, and can be sprayed often. In some cases they can be used on the day of harvest. These work by suffocating the aphids. The drawback is that they require thorough coverage of the plant, including under the leaves. Also, these cannot be used in hot weather because they coat the leaf surface, preventing transpiration. Use these products early in the morning or late in the evening when temperatures have cooled sufficiently. As with any pesticide, thoroughly read and follow the label instructions. Be especially careful using insecticides during bloom to avoid affecting pollinators.
For more information contact Randall Mallette, County Agent, at the local LSU AgCenter Extension Office 318-357-2224. You can also visit us on the web at http://www.lsuagcenter.com or at 624 Second St, Natchitoches.
Enjoy a presentation on Louisiana hummingbirds from local bird expert John Dillon at the Natchitoches Parish Library Tuesday, July 17 at 6 pm. This program is free and open to the public. John is a veteran birder, who gives birding tours for the Louisiana Ornithological Society, and serves on the Louisiana Bird Records Committee, which oversees the acceptance of rare bird records in Louisiana. Learn about hummingbird identification, ecology, and migration, as well as the best plants in the area and for gardens to attract hummingbirds before the peak of their migration in August and September.
John has taught Honors American and British Literature at Minden High School for 12 years. He lives in Athens in rural Claiborne Parish and graduated from the Scholars’ College at NSU in 1997 in Humanities and finished his MA at LSU in 1999 in Philosophy.
Madeline Lorene Anderson
April 29, 1941 – July 09, 2018
Visitation: 2 pm until service time on Tuesday at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Service: 3 pm on Tuesday, July 17, 2018 at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home.
Rex Sutton Britt
May 25, 1949 – June 27, 2018
A memorial service honoring the life of Rex Britt is Aug. 4 at 11 a.m. at Trinity Baptist Church.
Jack Wilson received the ‘B B King’ award and Woody Wilson received the ‘All Sport King’ award during the Lions Camp closing ceremony. This is the second summer for the boys to attend Lions Camp in Anacoco.
Tina, Wayne and Rhett Ragan presented the 16th Scholarship in memory of Kasey Joelle Ragan to Ariel Wade. Ariel will attend McNeese State University this fall to pursue a degree in education. She plans to teach history at the high school level. Ariel’s counselors believe that she has all the skills and determination to achieve this goal. She is a natural born leader and is always willing to help others. Her positive attitude and determination will make her dream of becoming a history teach come true.
The 17th Kasey Joelle Memorial Scholarship was presented to Miss Emily Miller. This bright young lady has the mindset of making the world a better place. She plans to attend The Affiliated Blind Louisiana (ABL) in order to learn how to be independently successful. Upon completion, she plans to transfer to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Emily chose ULL because it’s her favorite university and she loves Lafayette’s culture. Her plan includes majoring in psychology and becoming a Clinical Psychologist. She aspires to open her own clinic and help other people with disabilities.
Sarah Thibodaux received the ‘Most Popular’ award. This was Sarah’s 7th summer to attend Lions Camp and she definitely deserved this award. She loves Lions Camp.
At the Tuesday, July 11 quarterly meeting of the Natchitoches Community Improvement Foundation, at First Baptist Amulet Street, I mentioned that for three of the four quarterly meeting this year, there have been no treasurer’s reports presented. Amazing. I’m sure you can appreciate not having treasurer’s reports on hand at quarterly meetings is a real problem as well as a real handicap—especially when the organization that doesn’t have them is responsible for managing 1.8 million of the public’s money.
At that meeting I also mentioned that even when the group does provide treasurer’s reports, it’s been my experience that they have been given verbally. (Not very professional indeed.) And when the last treasurer, Sylvia Morrow wasn’t present at meetings I attended, I noticed there were no reports sent along in her absence. Sending the report along when the treasurer can’t make the meeting is standard procedure for most organizations. Morrow has resigned from the board but unfortunately, the practice of having no written treasurer reports has lingered on. As I said, even at the meeting on July 11th, there was no treasurer’s report at all.
So that night, I asked the board if they would commit to written treasurer’s reports at every meeting. Most members present said no. However, there were exceptions. Most notably, Board Member Gwen Hardison was very positive and gave a yes to the idea, saying she had no problem with written reports as she had been involved with groups were this is the practice. Mr. Leo Walker, chairman was a bit vaguer, saying, the organization would continue with the process used by former Treasurer Morrow who he claimed gave written reports when she was treasurer. He seemed to be implying that NCIF does provide written treasurer reports. Huh? That stunned me because as mentioned, when I’ve attended meetings where Ms. Morrow gave treasurer’s reports it was done verbally. However, I try to be fair, so trying to give both him and her the benefit of the doubt, I figured, maybe he meant years ago before I began to attend meetings. Or maybe she gave a written report at a meeting I missed. Possible. But even then I only missed one of the four quarterly meetings last year and as I said I don’t remember any written treasurer’s reports at those I attended. At any rate, Mr. Walker’s comments don’t really matter, when you consider that as mentioned earlier, there have been no treasurer’s reports at all so far in 2018 and he was actually the officer overseeing all of those meetings.
I also mentioned to the group that this is a pretty big deal because NCIF has yet to account for what happened to $19,500 in public funds and it was even mentioned by the auditor in his report that the organization had “few records.” Again, written reports would have solved that problem. I do not know nor will I speculate why the group resisted the idea of committing to written treasurer’s reports, but I do believe that it should be a standard procedure and if had been instituted earlier, $19,500 would probably not be unaccounted for. Making a commitment to instituting written treasurer’s reports, available to the public and also putting them on file may help ensure we’re not talking about missing money in the future too.
That night the group approved the appointment of Oswald Taylor as interim treasurer. The next meeting which will be the last quarterly meeting of the year is Tuesday, October 9, 7pm at First Baptist Amulet Street. It is open to the public.
“And from the one trusted with much, much more will be expected.” – Luke 12:48
NCIF board members are: Leo Walker, Oswald Taylor, Ed Ward Jr., Billye Sue Johnson, Brenda Milner, Shaniqua Hoover, Mildred Joseph, Estelle Braxton, James Below Jr., Catherine Hoover, Kelvin Porter, Renee Porter, Gwendolyn Williams, Diane Blake Jones and Gwen Hardison
By Dr. Shane Rasmussen, director of the Louisiana Folklife Center
Legendary artist Clementine Hunter (1887-1988) will be posthumously inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists during the 39th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival, which will be held on July 20-21 in Prather Coliseum on the Northwestern State University campus.
Hunter’s vast body of paintings documents daily life at Melrose Plantation and along Cane River, where she worked and painted for most of the last century.
Born Clémence Rubin on Hidden Hill Plantation near Cloutierville, she came to live at Melrose Plantation when she was 12 years old. Initially a field hand, it was while working as a housekeeper and cook in the plantation’s “Big House” that Hunter first picked up a brush and paints left behind by a visiting artist. Although illiterate, Clementine Hunter taught herself to paint.
Before the age of mechanization, plantation labor was physically grueling. Hunter’s images conveyed workers toiling as they planted, plowed and picked cotton by hand. Her themes were not limited to scenes of labor. She also recalled, in vivid colors, the spiritual life of her community: the weddings, baptisms, wakes and funerals. For more than 50 years, Hunter painted her memories of family life and recreation along the banks of Cane River.
Her legacy includes thousands of paintings telling the story of plantation life from the African American workers’ perspective, a point of view minimally covered by historians of the time. By the time Melrose Plantation was named a National Historic Landmark in 1972, the lifestyle documented by Hunter had already disappeared.
Hunter never traveled far from her birthplace, but today she is recognized around the world. Her widely collected art hangs in private collections and prestigious galleries throughout the United States and abroad.
“It is truly an honor for Clementine Hunter to be inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists,” said Tom Whitehead, professor emeritus at Northwestern State and the foremost scholar on Hunter’s life and art. “She is indeed a Louisiana treasure who deserves recognition for her contributions to our state and our nation.”
The Festival will be held in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum, 220 South Jefferson Street on the NSU campus in Natchitoches. The festival will be held Friday, July 20 from 4:30-10:15 p.m. and all day on Saturday July 21 from 8 a.m.-10 p.m. The family-oriented festival is wheelchair accessible. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. For a full schedule of events, to purchase tickets, or for more information call (318) 357-4332, send an email to folklife@nsula.edu or go to louisianafolklife.nsula.edu.
Support for the Fiddle Championship and the Festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, Cleco, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
A meeting to discuss the possibility of planning and building an indoor swimming pool for Natchitoches will be held on Monday, July 30th at 5:30 p.m. at the old Chamber of Commerce office, 560 Second Street, next door to the Central Fire Station.
The public is invited; seating is limited.Contact Don Barker at 318-357-1590 for more information.
Rock & Roll Hall of Famer and former Elvis Presley guitarist, James Burton, will serve as Honorary Chair of the 39th Annual Natchitoches-NSU Folk Festival which will be held on July 20th & 21st in Prather Coliseum on the Northwestern State University campus.
In addition to serving as Chair, Burton will be inducted into the Louisiana Folklife Center Hall of Master Folk Artists and will make several appearances at the Festival.
First, Burton will appear at the welcome ceremony at 12:15 PM on Saturday July 21, at which time he and his fellow members of the 2018 Louisiana Folklife Hall of Master Folk Artists class will be inducted. Inductees include Burton’s fellow band mate in Elvis Presley’s band, Estelle Brown of the Sweet Inspirations, local Musician/promoter/philanthropist Rodney Harrington, folk artist Clementine Hunter, musician and craftsman Hilton Lytle, rockabilly musician Jim Oertling, and Elvis Presley’s original drummer, D.J. Fontana.
Burton will next appear along with Ms. Brown in a session entitled “Memories of the King” from 2:30 to 3:15, during which Burton and Ms. Brown will discuss their legendary careers and particularly their time spent travelling and recording with Elvis Presley. Harrington will act as moderator of this session.
From 6:30 to 7:15, Burton, who was named by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the top 100 guitarists in Rock & Roll history, and is widely known as “the Master of the Telecaster,” will conduct a guitar question and answer session.
That evening, Burton will appear along with Estelle Brown and Grammy winner and master Cajun folk artist Jo-El Sonnier, as guests of Johnny Earthquake and The Moondogs in the Festival’s grand finale concert. The concert will include a tribute to Elvis Presley featuring a recreation of the King’s Vegas-style show.
The Festival will be held in air-conditioned Prather Coliseum located at 220 South Jefferson Street on the NSU campus in Natchitoches. The Festival will be held Friday July 20 from 4:30 PM until 10:15 PM, and all day on Saturday July 21 from 8 AM until 10:00 PM. The family-oriented festival is wheelchair accessible. Children 12 and under are admitted free of charge. For a full schedule of events, to purchase tickets, or for more information call (318) 357-4332, send an email to folklife@nsula.edu, or go to louisianafolklife.nsula.edu.
Support for the Fiddle Championship and the Festival is provided by grants from the Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc., the City of Natchitoches, Cleco, the Louisiana Division of the Arts Decentralized Arts Fund Program, the Natchitoches Historic District Development Commission, the National Endowment for the Arts, the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival and Foundation, and the Shreveport Regional Arts Council.
