Senator Louie Bernard, his wife Gayle, and Mimi and Chuck Stoker recently attended the Farm Bureau Legislative Appreciation supper in Bossier City. Senator Bernard is honored to serve on the Senate Ag Committee.

Northwestern State played arguably its best 32 minutes of the season Wednesday as the Demons built a 16-point lead against second-place Nicholls.

But the Colonels pieced together a massive run to end the game and hand the Demons a 73-69 loss to snap NSU’s four-game winning streak.

Nicholls (18-9, 12-4 Southland Conference) scored 24 of the last 28 points in the final seven-and-a-half minutes as the Colonels avoided a sweep to NSU. In Thibodaux earlier this season, the Demons erased a four-point lead with 11 seconds remaining.

“Nicholls did an incredible job at the end of the game, and they go on a 24-4 run,” “We didn’t do the little things we needed to do to be able to finish the game.

“We truly played 32 minutes of some of the best basketball we’ve played, and it’s not like we fell asleep at the wheel, but we got tentative. We didn’t attack with authority. We’ve got to be tougher in physical games.”

NSU (12-13, 9-7 SLC) remains in fifth place just one game out of a bye (Sam Houston State is 10-6) with four games remaining.

The Demons haven’t clinched a tournament spot yet with ninth-place Texas A&M-Corpus Christi (6-9 SLC) two-and-a-half games back. NSU doesn’t play this weekend before heading to league front-runner Stephen F. Austin on Wednesday.

Sophomore guard Trenton Massner scored a career-high 22 points on 9-10 shooting and 4-4 from 3-point range against Nicholls.

Massner helped NSU build its lead early in the second half, scoring 11 points of a 19-4 run to lead 60-45. The Wapello, Iowa, native made three of his four 3-pointers during the stretch as NSU drained nine of its 14 long-range attempts, but finished 9-19.

“We can take the positives from the first 32 minutes where we played really well, running in transition, moving the ball,” Massner said. “We have to close out games, get stops and get buckets down the stretch.

“My teammates were finding me. I hit a corner three early, and in the second half, my teammates were getting me open looks in transition. But we’ve got to get back to work and be ready for Stephen F. Austin in a week.”

Nicholls scored just four points in a nearly 10-minute stretch that helped NSU compile its advantage.

But in that crucial late-game run, Nicholls made 7-of-9 of its field goals while NSU shot just 2-10.

The Demons also committed 12 of its 18 turnovers in the second half.

Warith Alatishe scored eight of his team-high 16 points during the run, adding to his 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Andre Jones and Lorenzo McGhee added 13 points each to pace the Colonels.

NSU’s Chudier Bile scored 11 of his 15 points in the first half as both teams started the game on fire from long range.

Nicholls made its first six 3-point attempts but finished 9-21.

NSU connected on its first four from deep, including a Jovan Zelenbaba bank shot.

Nicholls led 28-24 before NSU went on a 14-2 run.

Jamaure Gregg scored the first seven points of that Demon run, and he finished the half with seven points and eight rebounds.

Gregg recorded a career-high 11 rebounds and just missed his first career double-double with nine points.

Nikos Chougkaz contributed eight points and nine rebounds.

Pianist Alexandra Mascolo-David will perform at Northwestern State University on Wednesday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. in Magale Recital Hall. The concert is part of the Louisiana Piano Series International. Tickets are $15. Students are admitted free. Dr. Francis Yang and Dr. Christine Burczyk Allen are the organizers of the Louisiana Piano Series International.

Mascolo-David will present a recital with commentary “Stylistic Characteristics of Francisco Mignone’s Twenty-Four Valsas Brasileiras (Brazilian Waltzes) for piano.”

Mignone (1897-1986) was one of Brazil’s most versatile artists. He was a composer of the first rank, as well as a teacher, accompanist, piano virtuoso, chamber musician, conductor, and an accomplished wind instrumentalist. The works “24 Valsas Brasileiras.” represent the Brazilian art music idiom, in that they combine African-Brazilian folk and popular idioms with elements of European art music. Specific musical characteristics resulting from the influence of the ethnic sources just discussed will be addressed, followed by a performance of selected valsas from this set of works.

“A splendid pianist—refined, searching and expressive, and her playing is loaded with insight and interpretative detail.” So wrote The Washington Post, after Mascolo-David’s performance at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in the nation’s capital. Mascolo-David has performed and led workshops and master classes in Europe, Asia and the Americas, including a New York debut recital at Carnegie Hall (Weil Recital Hall) in May 2004, which was favorably reviewed in The New York Concert Review.

She is a native of Portugal and has devoted the last three decades to exploring and unearthing the music of Portuguese and Brazilian composers, especially that of Mignone. Mascolo-David is in the forefront of presenting Mignone’s piano music, and her performances, especially of his “Valsas brasileiras” have been widely acclaimed. Her compact disc recording of Volume One of the “Valsas brasileiras” was highly praised by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution upon its release in 2001. Volume Two was released in 2007, and of both discs, the widow of the composer stated: “It was very emotional to hear pianist Alexandra Mascolo-David perform the ‘Valsas Brasileiras’ of my husband Francisco Mignone. Alexandra interprets Mignone with great sensitiveness, wonderful taste, and full knowledge of his compositional legacy. Undoubtedly, her musical contribution is important, of enormous beauty, possessing both a captivating sonority and a complete affinity with the romantic atmosphere of the waltzes.” Alexandra’s continuing research on Mignone’s music earned her a Research Excellence Grant from Central Michigan University to record Mignone’s “Fantasias Brasileiras” (Brazilian Fantasies) for piano and orchestra with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, under Raymond Harvey, for the White Pine Music recording label in a 2010 release. This recording is historically significant, as it is the first set of the 4 Brazilian Fantasies available to the public. Alexandra is also a founding member of Yara Ensemble, devoted to exploring the rich landscape of Iberian-American culture and heritage through music, videography and movement.

NATCHITOCHES – The City of Natchitoches would like to advise the public the Krewe of Dionysos Parade will be rolling through Natchitoches on Saturday, February 22nd beginning at 6:00 p.m. The parade will travel through East Natchitoches and the Natchitoches Historic District creating rolling street closures along the parade route.

The parade route is as follows: Depart River South Common Parking Lot à South Drive à Keyser Avenue à Jefferson Street àFront Street à Washington Street à Texas Street à Second Street à Ending at Intersection of Church and Second Streets

The City of Natchitoches encourages all motorists traveling near the parade route to exercise caution and follow law enforcement instructions. Spectators are encouraged to exercise caution as floats and participants in the parade travel along the route.

For more information, please contact the City Hall at (318) 352-2772.

THIBODAUX – When you give a team the chance to do something they excel at, they take advantage. That was the case for Northwestern State who sent Nicholls, the third-best free throw shooting team in the conference, to the line more than 30 times in a 73-66 defeat on Wednesday night.

“One of the keys was defend without fouling,” interim head coach Aaron Swinson said. “We fouled so much they had a lot of free, free throws and they definitely capitalized on that. The key was making sure we defended like we needed to, we didn’t do that tonight.”

The Lady Demons (7-18, 4-12 SLC) trailed much of the night thanks to the exceptional free throw shooting effort from the Colonels (9-16, 6-10 SLC). Through three and a half quarters the Colonels were 23 of 25 from the line until a 1-for-6 stretch to end the game kept NSU alive late.

The Lady Demons held an early 7-4 lead on a Bonner 3-pointer prior to the first quarter media timeout. Nicholls closed the opening period with a 10-2 run, taking the lead for good just two possessions after the first quarter break.

Bell got the Lady Demons back within a point on a moonshot 3-pointer early in the second, capping a 6-3 start to the period. Back-to-back 3-pointer from the Colonels who went 6-for-9 from the field and 6-for-7 from the line in the quarter gave them a near double-digit lead at the break at 34-25.

“We were just kind of going through the motions in the first half,” Swinson said. “We talked about that at halftime. And we talked about this yesterday at practice, we have to be more consistent.

“We won the last game we played but we have to work as hard to play the next team. I’m not disappointed but I want them to understand that we have to continue to be consistent at playing and practicing winning basketball.”

The Lady Demons found an extra gear entering the fourth quarter, down by 11 but with some momentum, thanks to a Gabby Bell layup and steal in the final seconds of the third.

Jasmyn Johnson drained a 3-point shot from the right wing that made it a 10-point game with 3:46 left in the final frame, which was followed 30 seconds later by a Kira Bonner trey that made it 68-59. The Lady Demons finally had found their stride offensively, but the Colonels continued to convert on their end, keeping the game just out of reach.

Lacee Savage, who finished with a team-high 17 points, kept hope alive for NSU with a three-point play making it a six-point affair with 30 seconds left. The slump in free throw shooting by the Colonels allowed the Lady Demons to finally close the gap.

Nicholls finished the game going 1-for-6 from the line, but the clutch shot would not fall for NSU on a perfectly executed inbound play that would have made it a one-score game.

“We came back in the fourth quarter and played really hard,” Swinson said. “We won the fourth quarter but don’t want to just win the fourth quarter, we want to win every quarter. We’ve got to have that mentality.”

The Lady Demons have Saturday off before playing their final home game of the 2019-20 season on Wednesday against rival Stephen F. Austin.

Photo Credit, Jamie Bustos, NIcholls Athletics

The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA) is adding an additional Exploration Day for perspective students and their families on Monday, March 16, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Students, grades 8 to 11, are invited to tour the school, speak with current students and LSMSA administration, and sit in on classes taught by the school’s highly qualified faculty, 76% of whom have Ph.D.s or an equivalent terminal degree in his or her respective field.

Parents can to speak with the faculty and staff to learn more about the living/learning environment. Exploration Days allow students and their families to see what life at LSMSA is like.

The school has added the March 16 event to this year’s visitation day offerings. Families interested in becoming part of the LSMSA Community are encouraged to register.

LSMSA is the only state-funded residential high school for high achieving and highly motivated sophomores, juniors and seniors. Each year students from all across the state seek admission. Students from public, private and parochial schools, as well as those who are home schooled, are encouraged to apply. Admission is highly competitive. The school offers college level classes in a disciplined, nurturing environment, exposing students to rich opportunities through an extensive curriculum in all subject areas.

NATCHITOCHES:
Doris Roge’
April 16, 1937 – February 17, 2020
Visitation: Thursday, February 20 from 5-9 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches
Service: Friday, February 21 at 10 am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville
Interment: Cloutierville Catholic Cemetery

Jimmie Achord Wynn
September 4, 1937 – February 16, 2020
Visitation: Friday, February 21 from 1-2:45 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Service: Friday, February 21 at 3 pm at Fern Park Cemetery in Natchitoches

Cameron Harville
February 17, 2020
Service: Saturday, February 22 at 11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Interment: Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church Cemetery

Claudette Thomas
January 23, 1941 – February 14, 2020
Visitation: Wednesday, February 9 from 12-2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches
Service: Wednesday, February 19 at 2 pm at Memory Lawn Cemetery, located at 1700 Washington Street in Natchitoches

Eyvette Harris
February 15, 2020
Service: Saturday, February 22 at 11 am at the Abundant Life Ministries Church on Ben Drive in Natchitoches
Interment: Lawrence Serenity Sanctum

WINN PARISH:
Tammy Rowell Gill
October 3, 1964 – February 15, 2020
Service: Thursday, February 20 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home
Interment: Couley Double Church Cemetery in Winnfield

The Natchitoches Parish School Board will interview candidates for superintendent Wednesday-Friday, Feb. 19-21 beginning at 4 pm in the afternoon. The interviews are open to the public. The Natchitoches Parish journal will live stream each interview.

The 2019 Christmas Festival was profitable overall, even though sales were down over expectations. The financial report was released Feb. 18.

“Overall we’re really happy about how it went,” said Lee Waskom.

Advance sales for arm bands were up versus last year, but e-commerce is steadily growing. Waskom said the Christmas Festival Committee needs to dedicate itself to upgrading technology. They will research ways to do this during the spring focusing on website purchasing for arm bands and green tickets. An upgrade of this caliber would take a significant investment.

Something else that will have to be addressed is a growing desire from the public to see more individual events set up while the festival is going on. They want more things to do on Saturdays, more entertainment Friday through Saturday, and more events during the weeks throughout the festival season.

“We’ve hit critical mass with what the festival has to offer,” said Waskom. “This gives us an opportunity to step up our game. We’ll have to feel out from our guests what they want and we’ll keep running with the winners.”

The synthetic ice skating rink was not a winner, but the Cookies with Santa event with the Service League of Natchitoches was a massive hit. While there’s no kids fest on festival day versus every other weekend, it’s become quite popular. Parents enjoy having something for the kids to do.

Santa Claud Lane also received a face lift. The Christmas Festival gave the City $8,500 for this project which created a lighted archway for visitors to enter through before visiting with Santa.

In other business, EMS services were added for the first time. This means an EMT is set up to the right of the riverbank stage to assist any festival goers should they need medical attention.

The second weekend of the season was busier than festival day. While arm band sales were down $10,000 on festival weekend, they were up $24,000 on other weekends. Waskom said festival day was down overall versus past years, which was partly due to the LSU Championship game drawing in a lot of people.

“The overall request is for us to up our game a bit with technological access and continuous entertainment,” said Waskom. “We have a distinct advantage with the riverbank area, overall ambience of the downtown, and one of the best firework shows in the country. It’s not the biggest but it has the best production quality. We’ll continue tweaking things to make it better for everyone.”

Lee Waskom
HDBA Treasurer
Festival Committee Member

It is with great enthusiasm that I announce my candidacy for mayor of the city of Natchitoches. Eight years ago, I told our citizens that I was running for one reason: to pledge to you a commitment to make ours an even better city in which to live.

Since making that pledge, we have been busy positioning Natchitoches to be successful. We continue to work toward the renegotiation of better electrical rate contracts which so far have resulted in a two time rate reduction for our citizens. Great efforts have been made in areas such as electrical upgrades, the ongoing acquisition of LCDBG grants for street overlay and our Riverbank Enhancement Project.

With a rededication of the water and sewer sales tax due to your vote, we were able to place an even greater emphasis on the overlaying of our streets, drainage, water line replacement, and recreation. The improvements we have made since 2016 have had a significant positive impact on our community.

The most recently completed project, Parc Natchitoches, was envisioned and completed with our City’s citizens in mind. This complex will continue to move all citizens of Natchitoches towards the healthy initiatives set in motion through our Healthy Behaviors Grant which funded the Natchitoches Farmers Market, Mobile Market, Portable Park, and Mayor’s Health and Fitness Council. In addition, Parc Natchitoches will considerably enhance economic development in our city, bringing thousands of visitors from other communities who will invest dollars and in turn benefit our city for future improvements. To date, over 20 tournaments are booked starting in February 2020.

The realization of these accomplishments has been made possible by a solid team of department heads and employees who have proven their dedication and loyalty time and time again. I want to take this opportunity to thank them for going over and above the call of duty these last eight years. Due to an attitude of teamwork on the part of these good folks and you, the citizens of Natchitoches, we have received widely acclaimed recognition for our achievements.

Natchitoches has many to thank for the growth and prosperity in recent years. The City’s local manufacturers, along with Northwestern State University and Natchitoches Regional Medical Center have played a vital role in creating jobs for our citizens and recruiting others to move to our community.

The source of the commitment I have for the city of Natchitoches lies in the 60 years I have lived in this unique place on earth. I have raised my children, enjoyed countless friendships, and served my church faithfully fostering a deep love and passion for the people in this city. The truth is, I have loved being your mayor. I will never be satisfied with the progress we have made and will work every day to position our City to be even more successful in the years to come.

I ask for your continued support on April 4, 2020 so that we can continue what we have begun. Early voting begins Saturday, March 21st and ends Saturday, March 28th. I invite you to come be a part of our journey together.

By Kris James

Happy Wednesday Stylers! With engagement season in full swing, it’s time to start thinking about all things weddings, from the details, and ideas, to the inspiration that goes into making an original celebration.

I love weddings so I tend to keep up with the season’s newest prints to new takes on blooms, table settings, and guest experiences. My favorite wedding obsession is the “escort drink” that tells you where to find your seat. Yes! Place cards are still elegant and chic, but try something new.

If you’re planning on having a wedding, you might as well do it right. Right? The key element is to focus on planning a great party, not just a pretty event.

Don’t forget the ceremony when designing your epic event. It’s the first experience your guests get to share. Don’t leave the decor to simple urns, aisle runners, or chair-backs. Get inspired by some of Hollywood’s and fashion’s biggest events. Consider your aisles a personal version of runways and red carpets. Focus on an epic view, and place yourselves at the perfect place against it. Whether you choose a look that complements the reception to come or design a look all its own, kick your ceremony decor up a notch.

Skip styling your bridal party, decor, and more in basic blush, and reinvent the standard shade with shades of lilac, sky, pistachio, buttercup, and more. Ditch the mason jars and over the top embellishments for fresh fruit. Add organic elements, greenery, and florals of the same tones for a palette that suits both the fashion-girl or guy and the romantic. As nature comes back into style, it’s hard not to embrace all things outdoors. But rather than rustic and floral feels, I’m thinking about the creatures and specimens that come out of hiding come spring-like butterflies, bugs, birds, and beautiful bees. It’s all in the details.

The truth about dessert at a wedding is that if you’re going to do cake, it should feel like an extension of you and your partner and the event itself, not an afterthought. The details should tell your love story. The taste and the decor should be appropriate, down to the edible decor. While fondant looks beautiful, it’s not always the tastiest, so use it wisely.

STYLE TIP: For your Escort Drinks, make sure the drink is quick to consume and suits the tone of your event.

On the heels of a weekend sweep of Alcorn and Texas State, Northwestern State freshman Mariella Minetti has been named Player of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday.

It is the first Player of the Week award in her young career, and Minetti becomes the first Lady Demon to earn Southland Conference Player of the Week honors since Polina Ivanova in 2018.

“This is a nice honor for Mariella,” head coach Patric DuBois said. “She works very hard and has consistently improved since starting her Lady Demon career this past fall.”

At the top spot of the singles rotation, Minetti helped the Lady Demons win a pair of contests in shutout fashion against Alcorn and Texas State.

On Friday, the Tampere, Finland, native defeated Alessandra Maganuco in straight sets 6-2, 6-2. Minetti followed that up with a three-set victory against Texas State’s Rishona Israel-Lewis this past Saturday. After losing the first set 6-1, Minetti came back to win sets two and three by identical 6-3 scores.

Minetti came away with a pair of doubles wins as well, defeating Alcorn 6-3 at the No. 1 position before soundly defeating Texas State 6-1 at No. 2.

She leads NSU into action at home against Southern Miss on Friday and UTSA on Sunday, which concludes a four-match homestand.

Photo Credit: Chris Reich, NSU Photographic Services

The St. Mary’s FBLA Club attended the District III Leadership Conference Feb. 7 at Northwestern State University and brought home nearly 80 awards! These students will compete at the State FBLA Convention in Lafayette March 29 – 31. Congratulations to the following students:

1st Place and advancing to the State competition are: Thomas Howell, Agribusiness; Madeline Godfrey, Jensen Parker, and Patrick Vienne, Broadcast Journalism; Kylie Bennett, Sophia Brossett, and Caroline Godfrey, Business Ethics; Brady Poche, Computer Applications; Anna Kate Jackson, Reeves Hogg, and Karissa Kautz, Current Events; Ethan Burns, Economics; Ethan Burns, Cole Fisher, and William Mayeux, Entrepreneurship; Laura Aviles, Healthcare Administration; Anna Kate Jackson, Impromptu Speaking; Mason McCart, Intro to Business; Reeves Hogg, Intro to FBLA; William Mayeux, Intro to Information Technology; Abigail Guillet, Job Interview; John Ingrish, Mr. Future Business Leader; William Broadway, Graeme Fidelak, and Tate Nelson, Sports and Entertainment Management.

Members receiving Superior and also qualifying for State: Maggie Gilmore and Lily Anna Sklar, Business Calculations; Macy Vascocu, Business Law; Jace Miley, Client Service; Luke Zeagler, Computer Applications; Cole Fisher, Computer Problem Solving; Zoe Brock, Healthcare Administration; Kadence Creamer, Maggie Gilmore, and Macy Vascocu, Hospitality Management; Gracie Chasteen, Insurance Risk Management; Camille Ball, Intro to Business; Anne Michelle Long, Intro to Business Communications; Emma Broadway and Adam Parker, Intro to Financial Math; Sophia Brossett, Intro to Information Technology; Anna Marie McClung, Intro to Parliamentary Procedure; Kadence Creamer, Intro to Public Speaking; Thomas Howell, Noah Heard, and Karson Eversull, Management Decision Making; Jensen Parker, Ms. Future Business Leader; Cameron Churchman, Networking Concepts; John Ingrish and Sarah Stamey, Organizational Leadership; Maggie Gilmore, Personal Finance; Mary Scruggs, Political Science; Madeline Godfrey, Public Speaking; and Emma Broadway,Word Processing;

Members placing Excellent are: Chloe Longlois, Accounting 1; Cameron Churchman, Agribusiness; Patrick Vienne, Business Calculations; Emily Maggio, Business Communications; Karson Eversull, Business Law; Michael Guillet, Business Law; Renea Cunningham and Maria Bienvenu, Global Business Team; Jessi Lucky, Insurance Risk Management; Abby Williams, Insurance Risk Management; Anne Michelle Long, Intro to Business; Anna Peluso, Intro to Business Communications; Clary Smiley, Intro to Business Communications; Abigail Ramian, Intro to Business Procedures & Journalism; Emma Haecker, Intro to FBLA; Lily Anna Sklar, Intro to Financial Math; Caroline Godfrey, Intro to Parliamentary Procedure; Mason Melder, Intro to Parliamentary Procedure & Personal Finance; Kylie Bennett, Job Interview; Sheridan Pesnell, Journalism; Noah Heard, Networking Concepts; Mary Scruggs, Sarah Stamey, Emily Maggio, and Karissa Kautz, Parliamentary Procedure; and Jace Miley, Political Science.

Pictured: St. Mary’s students who placed 1st in the FBLA District III Leadership Conference Feb. 7 at Northwestern State University and who will advance to the State competition in March are (front row) Abigail Guillet, Laura Aviles, Sophia Brossette, and Anna Kate Jackson. Back row is John Henry Ingrish, Reeves Hogg, Mason McCart, Ethan Burns, Cole Fisher, Graeme Fidelak, Patrick Vienne, William Broadway, Brady Poche, Tate Nelson, Thomas Howell, and William Mayeux.

BOM Financial Services renewed its sponsorship of the NCHS Lady Chief Softball team. They are very proud of the Chiefs and wish them the best this season! Pictured are Coach Ronnie Abels, Agency Manager Reba Phelps and Assistant Principal Dr. Dylan Solice.

Lakeview High School will hold a Senior FAFSA Day (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) Thursday, March 5 from 1-4 pm in the school library.

A representative from FAFSA and Career Compass will be available for guidance in completing your child’s FAFSA.

All seniors must complete a FAFSA as a part of their graduation requirement. Please bring the following items to complete your child’s FAFSA:

Valid email address

2. Social Security number

3. Date of birth

4. Driver’s license (if you have one)

5. 2018 Federal Income taxes and 2018 W-2 forms

6. Records of investment or untaxed income (if applicable)

7. List of schools interested in attending

For more information contact Mrs. Wynn at 476-3360.

The Ho Minti Society will host a Native American beading workshop from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 29 at Northwestern State University’s Williamson Museum.

Ho Minti, which means “you all come” in Choctaw, is a Native American non-profit formed to promote the arts and culture of Native American people. Ho Minti promotes cultural awareness, service, community organizations and education related to the Choctaw-Apache community.

Williamson Museum is located on the second floor of Kyser Hall. For more information, contact Rhonda Gauthier at gauthier@nsula.edu.

NATCHITOCHES:
Doris Roge’
April 16, 1937 – February 17, 2020
Visitation: Thursday, February 20 from 5-9 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches
Service: Friday, February 21 at 10 am at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Cloutierville
Interment: Cloutierville Catholic Cemetery

Katherine Tonnas
October 23, 1950 – February 18, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Jimmie Achord Wynn
September 4, 1937 – February 16, 2020
Visitation: Friday, February 21 from 1-2:45 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home
Service: Friday, February 21 at 3 pm at Fern Park Cemetery in Natchitoches

Cameron Harville
February 17, 2020
Service: Saturday, February 22 at 11 am at the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel
Interment: Mt. Pilgrim Baptist Church Cemetery

Claudette Thomas
January 23, 1941 – February 14, 2020
Visitation: Wednesday, February 9 from 12-2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches
Service: Wednesday, February 19 at 2 pm at Memory Lawn Cemetery, located at 1700 Washington Street in Natchitoches

Cleveland Lewis
February 15, 2020
Arrangements TBA

Eyvette Harris
February 15, 2020
Service: Saturday, February 22 at 11 am at the Abundant Life Ministries Church on Ben Drive in Natchitoches
Interment: Lawrence Serenity Sanctum

Delores Chevalier Sylvie
October 18, 1930 – January 22, 2020
Service: Saturday, January 25 at 11 am at St. Augustine Catholic Church in Natchez

WINN PARISH:
Tammy Rowell Gill
October 3, 1964 – February 15, 2020
Service: Thursday, February 20 at 2 pm at Southern Funeral Home
Interment: Couley Double Church Cemetery in Winnfield

March 1 is the deadline to enroll in the Call Me MISTER program to be included in the first cohort of students that will begin the program at Northwestern State University this fall. Call Me MISTER is an initiative to recruit African American males to become teacher and mentors at low-performing schools.

Misters will benefit from financial assistance to help cover tuition and fees, instructional support and preparation for licensure exams, a cohort system for social and cultural support and leadership development. They will gain immediate exposure to a classroom environment and job placement assistance after graduation, according to Ramona Wynder, program coordinator.

“Only two percent of America’s public school teachers are African American men, according to the U.S. Department of Education, but there is a place for African American male teachers in our schools and classrooms,” Wynder said. “African American men need to be viewed in positive contexts. What better place for that to happen than in our schools? This program has the potential to change lives.”

Prospective Misters must be a minority male and come from an underserved, socioeconomically disadvantaged, and/or educationally at-risk community. They must major in early childhood education, elementary education, health and physical education or music education and demonstrate record of high scholastic achievement and participation in extra-curricular and community service activities.

Applications for Call me MISTER will be reviewed on a competitive basis each spring for consideration for cohorts that will begin each fall semester. Preference will be given to graduating high school seniors; two-year community college transfers; and first-year college freshmen. Eligible candidates will be selected based upon their potential for teaching and their motivation for participation in the program.

“Research shows that teachers of color boost the academic performance of students of color,” Wynder said. “Increasing teacher diversity is important for closing achievement gaps.”

For more information or to enroll in Call Me MISTER, contact Wynder at  (318) 357-4549.

By Brad Dison

On Friday night, November 20, 1801, Stephen Price and Philip Hamilton went to Park Theater in Manhattan, New York, to watch a play. An usher seated Stephen and Philip in the same box with George Eacker, a wealthy New York attorney who had risen to the rank of Chancellor of New York, the highest judicial officer of the state. His position allowed him to give a speech at the 1801 New York’s Fourth of July celebration in Battery Park, a speech “that the Sentiments it contained were those of the Revolution, dressed in elegant and nervous language, and the delivery truly rhetorical.” Not all who heard his speech were impressed.

In the theater box, Philip and Stephen grew irate when they saw that they would be sharing a box with George. Since the July 4th celebration, Philip had grumbled to anyone who would listen that parts of the speech were political rants aimed directly at his father. They intentionally criticized George’s speech loudly so George could hear them. George asked Philip to step into the lobby as not to disturb the other people attending the play. Stephen followed George and Philip into the lobby. The three of them argued and George called one of them a “damned rascal,” a most serious insult for the era. The three men tussled for a few brief moments but were stopped by bystanders. The trio left the theater and went to a local public house where the dispute continued. Philip and Stephen demanded to know who George had called a “damned rascal.” After a short hesitation, George answered that he intended the insult for both of them. Tempers which were already flared boiled over. Rather than fight it out in public, which would have resulted in the arrest of all three, they decided to settle the dispute in two separate duels.

On Sunday morning, November 22, George and Stephen, each with their second, a representative of each party whose task was to resolve the dispute with honor if possible or to ensure each party performed honorably according to the long-standing traditions of dueling, met at a strip of land now known as the Weehawken Dueling Grounds at Weehawken, New Jersey. The Weehawken Dueling Grounds was a popular place for duels until the 1840s because it was only accessible by the river, and, therefore, offered privacy for the duelists. George and Stephen stood back to back, armed with single-shot flintlock pistols. They took an agreed upon number of paces away from each other, turned, and fired. Neither shoot took effect. Their seconds reloaded the pistols, and George and Stephen, again, took several paces, turned, and fired. Again, neither of their shots took effect. They repeated the process twice more with the same result. Flintlock pistols were inaccurate, but George and Stephen were not bad shots. Both had deloped, meaning they decided to intentionally miss their target to abort the conflict with honor. Deloping was against the traditions of dueling so both had to appear to make genuine efforts to hit their opponent. After four shots each, their seconds ended the duel and they considered the dispute resolved.

On the following afternoon, November 23, George and Philip, each with their second, met at the Weehawken Dueling Grounds. Like the duel the day before, George and Philip took the agreed upon number of paces and turned to face each other. Both men hesitated for a moment. Philip probably thought that since George had deloped in the previous duel, he would delope again. Philip was wrong. George fired his pistol and the shot struck Philip in the abdomen. Philip fell to the ground without firing his pistol. Philip’s second ferried the injured man back across the Hudson River to New York, and took him to his father’s home. Philip’s condition declined throughout the night, and he died the following morning.

George was never charged with Philip’s death. Philip’s father came into contact with George on several occasions following Philip’s death, and by all accounts, they were amiable to each other. On July 11, 1804, two-and-a-half years after Philip’s fateful duel, his father met at the Weehawken Dueling Grounds for a duel of his own. Father and son shared the same fate. In this famous duel, American Vice-President Aaron Burr killed founding father Alexander Hamilton.

Sources:
The National Intelligencer and Washington Advertiser, November 30, 1801, p.3.
Windsor Federal Gazette, December 8, 1801, p.3.
Lancaster Intelligencer, December 9, 1801, p.3.
New York Evening Post, July 13, 1804, p.2.

The ladies of the royal blue and pure white of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated and Zeta Amicae of Natchitoches joined the American Heart Association Go Red for Women campaign and its fight to end heart disease and stroke in women by hosting a Zumba with the Zetas event on Friday. Sorors Kimberly Davis and Sonja Hall and James Morrow zumba fitness instructors, along with fitness trainer Antonio Brown each led the crowd through two up beat and energized workouts. Mrs. Natalie Neal was awarded a $30 gift card for the participate who brought the most energy to the event. Sorority members, the Amicae, members of Alpha Kappa Alpha and Delta Sigma Theta sororities and zumba participates in attendance wore red in an effort to show support and bring to the forefront the importance of a healthy heart.

Heart disease is the #1 killer of women! It is important that we know our numbers in several key areas in the fight against heart disease. Know your numbers of total cholesterol, HDL(good cholesterol), blood pressure, blood sugar, and body mass index (BMI). These are indicators of risk for cardiovascular(heart) diseases.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated is an international, historically black Greek-lettered sorority founded in 1920 on the campus of Howard University in Washington, D.C. Our founding principles are Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. Our motto is: A community-conscious, action-oriented organization.