Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana – USA Olympic boxer Tim Dement, a Bossier City native, will be the featured guest Saturday afternoon at 2 for a free Olympic Glory program at the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum in Natchitoches, to share his memories of the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.

Dement will take questions and talk in the museum’s Atmos Energy Gallery. Admission is free beginning at 1 o’clock. The museum is located facing the traffic circle at the north end of Front Street.

He competed in the flyweight division at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Dement, a 17-year-old underdog, beat Bobby Hunter during the 1972 Olympic trials in the flyweight class, shocking the world and becoming a favorite of ABC Television’s Howard Cosell.

In Munich, Dement finished ninth overall at the 1972 Olympic Games, losing his second bout to Calixto Pérez. He became a Bossier Parish sheriff’s deputy and has retired after a long law enforcement career, but remains active as a coach and mentor in the Shreveport-Bossier boxing community. He was recently involved in hosting the USA Boxing Association Championships held in Shreveport.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum is bringing four world-class Olympians to the museum as part of a month-long lecture series called “Olympic Glory.” The program will inspire conversations about the role of sports in American culture and how the values of discipline, determination, sportsmanship, teamwork, respect, perseverance, and doing your personal best mirror the values necessary to achieve success in everyday life.

“Olympic Glory” is supported through a Rebirth Grant from the Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities and the Friends of Louisiana Sports and History (FLASH). The four-part series will involve interviews between Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame Chairman and FLASH president Doug Ireland and Dement, along with two more Olympians from Louisiana. The programs began last Saturday with two-time Olympic medalist Hollis Conway, who grew up in Shreveport and lives in Lafayette.

On May 22, Baton Rouge volleyball icon Danielle Scott (1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012 Olympics) is the featured guest. The series concludes May 29 with Alexandria’s Warren Morris, the LSU baseball legend who medaled in the 1996 Atlanta Games a few weeks after hitting the walk-off home run giving the Tigers their 1996 College World Series championship.

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum, 800 Front Street, Natchitoches, is open from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Tuesdays through Saturdays. Normal admission, not charged for programs like the Olympic Glory series, is $6 for adults, $5 for students, seniors, and active duty military, and free for children six and younger. For more information, visit LaSportsHall.com.

PHOTO:  Tim Dement (at right, in white USA gear) is shown competing in the 1972 Munich Olympics.

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POSITION: INSTRUCTIONAL SPECIALIST
NSU Elementary / Middle Lab School

QUALIFICATION:
● Valid Teaching Certificate
● Master’s Degree in Education (preferred)
● Minimum of five years of teaching experience with evidence of successfully impacting student achievement, particularly those who have the greatest needs.

JOB SUMMARY:
The Instructional Specialist is a critical lever in improving student achievement. The role of the Instructional Specialist is to build teacher capacity and deepen teachers’ understanding of instructional practices as related to Louisiana Student Standards and Data-Driven Instruction.

SALARY: Salary based on teacher pay scale with applicant’s years of experience, and the addition of a substantial Instructional Specialist stipend.

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT: 9 Months

DEADLINE: Thursday, May 20, 2021

WHERE TO APPLY:
Linda G. Page, Director of Personnel
Natchitoches Parish School Board
P. O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016
Phone: (318) 352-2358
Fax: (318) 352-8138

APPLICATIONS: Application packet should consist of the following:
● Resume’
● Evidence of successful teaching experience (for example, VAM, Student
Performance Data, COMPASS, CLASS, etc.)
● Original transcripts from institution(s) awarding degree
● Three professional letters of recommendation, one of which is from your immediate supervisor

Submit a ten-to-fifteen-minute video clip of a model lesson involving students or
professional development session involving teachers where the applicant is leading the
event (share link via Google Drive to lpage@nat.k12.la.us).

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By Tommy Rush

There’s been a lot of rain during the past few weeks. Just this week, it rained on Sunday, all day Monday and Tuesday and most of the day Wednesday. If you’re a weather watcher you probably know how many inches of rain fell and the forecast for next week. I don’t consider myself a weather watcher, but I am in the process of renovating a house and currently we’re in between having the old roof removed and the new roof being put on. It’s an understatement to say that I’ve been checking the weather report this week a little more than usual.

It seems like the day we removed the old roof, the rain has not quit. Rain and Roof are two words I’m saying a lot these days in my praying. My wife has been reminding me every time I turn on the weather channel that when we watch the weather report we are watching the hand of God. I love how she always sees things better than me. Some people watch a weather report and think that it’s all just random developments unfolding on a weather map. But those who love and belong to the Lord know there’s nothing random about it. They see the hand of God in everything and especially the weather. I once heard it said that the Weather Channel should be called the Worship Channel, because few things reveal the power of God more than seeing God at work in the weather. It’s a powerful reminder that we are not in control and God is.

In Job 37 we read that “God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; He does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour.’ So that all men He has made may know His work, He stops every man from His labor.” That last phrase, “He stops every man from His labor,” is the one that really caught my attention today.

Yes, we’ve all been frustrated by the weather, delayed by the weather and redirected by the weather. Maybe a stormy wind is blowing in your life right now. If so, remember God’s grace and goodness is sufficient. Maybe He is even using the storm to blow you right into His arms! I have no doubt that He always loves us and He sometimes uses unexpected thunderstorms, bright sunny days, cold days and extremely hot days to turn our eyes on Him and to line us up with His plans which are always best! I can definitely testify that a week of rain, while waiting on a roofer will increase your prayer life. It has mine!

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I just don’t know about the movies they’re making these days.

It seems that with very few exceptions — and I’ll talk about one of those in a minute — all Hollywood wants to produce are horror movies, superhero movies and kids’ movies. Now I know there’s a reason for that, because those must be the kinds of movies that most folks want to see. Hollywood’s not going to make movies that would result in empty theaters or nobody watching them on streaming.

So I guess I’m in a small minority of people who are not impressed by mega explosions, impossible physical feats, bloody throat-slashings, the destruction of cities and other similar goings-on in today’s flicks. Hollywood does occasionally make what the call romantic comedies, or rom-coms, but I’m not very impressed by most of those either.

Even the war movies, which I would ordinarily like because I love military history, are diminished in my eyes because they rely too much on computerized action scenes, which are pretty obvious. It’s easy to see that a fighter plane dogfight, for example, is like nothing more than a big, sophisticated computer game.

I realize that genuine World War II aircraft are increasingly rare and that their owners may not want to risk them in strenuous maneuvers for a movie. But still.

I am reminded, however, of the movie The Battle of Britain, which came out in the 1960s. In that flick the skies were full of real prop-driven combat aircraft. There were enough British Spitfires still flying to make a realistic presentation, and at that time the Spanish government still flew somewhat updated versions of the German Messerschmidt fighters and Heinkel bombers. While the plot was a little weak, it was a great movie for vintage airplane buffs.

I think the last great war movie was Saving Private Ryan. To me, that movie had everything it needed. Intensely powerful and realistic battle scenes, great character development and a fine depiction of human relationships. The battle scenes pulled no punches. Veterans of the Normandy D-Day landings who saw it (it came out in 1998 when most of them would have been in their 70s or 80s) said that it was the most realistic portrayal of the combat on the beach that they had ever seen.

Of course the star of the movie was the superb Tom Hanks. I think Hanks is one of the all time great movie actors, able to hold his own with any of the Hollywood giants of the past. And from what I understand, he’s just about as nice a guy as he is a skilled actor.

Just think of the many diverse roles he has played, requiring such different acting abilities as portraying the captain in Private Ryan, Forest Gump in the movie of the same name, Capt. Phillips in the movie about the skipper of a ship high-jacked by Somali pirates, and Mr. Rogers in It’s a Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood. He “crushed it,” as they kids say today, in all of those very different genres.

And it’s Hanks’ latest movie that inspired today’s column. As I said above, there are a few cinematic exceptions to the current Hollywood fare of horror, super heroes and children’s movies. And one of those exceptions, in my eyes, is News of the World, which I just watched on Netflix DVD.

It’s a Western, another genre that Hollywood produces only very rarely these days. In this flick, Tom is a Confederate veteran who makes a modest living by going from town to town reading the latest newspapers to the information-starved folks in poverty-stricken post-war Texas.

He encounters a young German girl who had been captured by Kiowa Indians when she was quite small and who still considers herself a Kiowan. He undertakes to return her to her nearest relatives, who live in south Texas, a distance of about 300 miles.

There are the expected adventures along the way, conflicts with several bad men of various stripes, life-threatening accidents, etc. And the slow bonding of the man and the child are, of course, a main part of the story also. Let me say here that the young actress, Helena Zengel, is absolutely remarkable, one of the best child actors I have ever seen.

She is, in fact from Germany and her talent has already been recognized with acting awards in her native country. As you may know, there were many German settlers in earlyl Texas and I commend the producers for having used a German child in the role, which somehow makes the whole story more realistic.

I won’t be giving away too much to tell you that there is a happy ending. That’s the kind of movie this is. I thought it was great. In some viewers’ reviews online, people found the movie slow and plodding. I disagree. This is about a journey of 300 miles and in 1870, that’s not going to happen quickly. Hanks does his usual wonderful job and is complemented by young Zengel. If you want to see a good, old fashioned movie, I can highly recommend this one. And I can only hope that a few more like News of the World are forthcoming from Holywood.

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Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated, Mu Omega Zeta Chapter is pleased to announce, acknowledge and welcome our newest members. Eight ladies each with different backgrounds and mostly from different cities embarked on a journey together into the greatest sorority on earth. They were inducted on May 2. These Dove-ly ladies will continue their amazing flight into the sorority bringing with them all of the attributes and abilities to adhere to the sorority founding principles of Scholarship, Service, Sisterhood, and Finer Womanhood. Welcome to the Sisterhood Carletta Jones, Lillie McDonald, Ethel Moss, Gevonica Smith, Eda Swafford, Roshawnda Taylor, Angel Washington and Denice Washington.

Five women from Howard University envisioned a sorority that would raise the consciousness of their people, encourage the highest standards of scholastic achievement, and foster a greater sense of unity among its members. These women believed that sorority elitism and socializing overshadowed the real mission for progressive organizations. Zeta Phi Beta was founded on January 20, 1920 on the campus of Howard University in Washingotn, D.C. Since its founding Zeta Phi Beta has historically focused on addressing social causes. Zeta Phi Beta is a non-profit 501(c)(7) organization that is divided into eight intercontinental regions and 800+ Chapters located in the US, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Caribbean. In 1948, Zeta Phi Beta became the first Greek-letter organization to charter a chapter in Africa (in Monrovia, Liberia). Zeta Phi Beta Sorority and Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity are the only constitutionally bound sorority and fraternity in the National Pan-Hellenic Council.

Mu Omega Zeta Chapter was chartered on December 31, 1984. The official charter ceremony was held on April 20, 1985 in Natchitoches, La. Distinguished guests were Sorors Delores Pennington (Regional Director) and Sorors Julia Simon and Brenda K. Green (Louisiana State Directors). Soror Julia Simon was instrumental in the establishment of this chapter. The charter members were Mary S. Bacchus Montgomery, Eunice S. Foster, Sepora P. Fisher, JoAnn Brown, Anne Derry, Triumphant Sorors Roxie B. Braxton and Lanetia S. Johnson and Dorothy M. McGaskey. Associate members who joined at the chapter’s first official meeting were Linda W. Howard, Helen Jones and Triumphant Soror Evelyn Moses. Soror Dorothy McGaskey was elected as the first president of the chapter.

Kudos to our MIP Coordinator, Josephine Winder and the Membership Intake Committee for all of your hard work in completing and seeing this process through. Special shout out to the instructors Yalaunda Toliver-Taylor, Chapter President, Candance Grayson, Linda W. Howard, Sandy Irchirl , Monica Pickett-Moguel , Belinda Turner-Pickstock, Lockey Whitaker and Sandra Williams.

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In April, I fished the American Bass Anglers Ray Scott National Championship on Lake Chickamauga in Tennessee. This is a four-day event you have to qualify for by finishing in the top ten overall in your division. There are divisions all over the United States especially the Eastern half of the country from Texas up to Minnesota over to Maine and down to Florida. For me, this makes my fifth Ray Scott Championship that I have qualified for in the last 6 years.

Covid 19 has had a big impact on this event the last two years and all the protocol that goes with it. Don’t get me wrong, ABA (American Bass Anglers) does a great job with organizing this event. We no longer have a pre-tournament banquet to honor the Anglers of the Year and we don’t have the great door prizes anymore; something the anglers really miss. The night before the event we do a personal check-in and pick up some free product, caps and t-shirts. We still have a meal but it’s in a to-go box and this year we had beef nachos. If there’s one thing anglers can do, it’s eat! This is also when you have to be on guard for fishing information designed to throw an angler off his game. We call this ‘dock talk” and its people who like to talk to hear themselves. While none of us are fishing for a living, we are fishing for thousands of dollars and a new loaded 20-foot Triton boat and the one and only opportunity for one of us to be a true national champion.

Day one was not what I expected as I only weighed two fish for 5.21 lbs. Now even though I felt good about what I thought I could catch, the first thing I noticed as I arrived at my starting spot, was how the water level had dropped. From the time I arrived at Chickamauga on Sunday, the lake was 3 feet low and continued to fall each day. But I was able to find fish in two areas on the northern end of the lake. One was a creek that held some good quality fish, and the other was a spawning flat with fish on beds. As I have said before, tournament fishing is a game of decisions and if you choose wrong, you will take yourself out of the competition. This is exactly what I did by choosing to fish the northern end of the lake instead of south. Now I did pre-fish on the south end with some success but, it was very crowded as there was not a fifty-yard stretch that did not have a boat on it. I don’t fish well in crowds, and it was at this point (day 2 of practice) that I decided to fish north. I really felt good about this decision especially after my day 3 practice with the fish I found. One thing you have to understand about river systems like Chickamauga, the water closest to the dam (south end) remains more stable than the water level up the lake. So, while the south end remained more stable with little effect on the fishing, the northern end had a constant drop in water level every day which pulled the fish out of the areas I had, or they were so shallow I could not even get to them by day two of the tournament. These are not excuses but just the facts as to how all the anglers that committed to going up the lake, struggled to weigh not just quality but even a five fish limit.

I still had a great time on this trip and like my previous five Ray Scott National Championship events, it was a huge success. ABA Tournament Director Chris Wayand does an outstanding job running this tournament and I encourage anyone who wants to fish a really good circuit, jump on board with the ABA Open Series or fish the new ABA Top 150 Solo Tour. By writing these articles, I hope you learn from my mistakes. The one great thing about any sport is that once that event is over (win or lose) you have the opportunity to redeem yourself and get better. Even at 60 years of age and all my experience as an angler, I’m still learning. Remember, it is through failure that we become better. Till next time, don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf
Owner/Co-host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show
And Tackle Talk Live

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Male students at Northwestern State University who need professional attire now have access to a professional clothing bank. Ramona Wynder, coordinator for the Call Me Mister program, is organizing the closet to help young professionals dress for success as they step from the classroom into their careers.

Call Me Mister is an initiative to recruit African American males to become teachers and mentors at low-performing schools. Misters 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. Wynder began the clothes bank with Call Me Mister students in mind, but said the bank is not limited to students in that program.

“The clothes bank is open to any young man on campus who needs professional attire for residencies, job interviews or professional settings,” Wynder said. Through the Freeport McMoRan Endowed Professorship she was able to purchase racks for the clothing that is housed in the Teacher Education Center.

This week, the Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL) presented a grant of $500 to support the clothes bank. A+PEL is a educators’ organization in Louisiana that focuses on professional development, teacher advocacy and excellence in education.

Wynder said donations of new or gently used suits, dress shirts, jackets, slacks, belts and ties are also welcome, as are offers of dry cleaning.

“We want to make sure when our Misters are going into schools they have appropriate attire so they are respected by the students,” Wynder said. “Misters are education leaders. I see them going on to be principals and superintendents. I tell them to dress for two steps above their current job position.”

William Roberson of Natchitoches is a 2019 graduate of Natchitoches Central and part of the first cohort of students in the Call Me Mister program. He is majoring in health and physical education. He said his experience with the program has been excellent.

“I’ve always had a love for teaching,” he said. “My father professes from the pulpit and my mother teaches as well. I have no doubt I’ll be prepared for the classroom.”

To donate clothing or dry cleaning services to the clothes bank contact Wynder at (318) 357-4549.

Pictured: A+PEL presented a grant of $500 to support the development of a clothes bank for students in the Call Me Mister program and other male students at NSU. From left are School of Education Director Dr. Katrina Jordan, Call ME Mister student William Roberson, Desiree Alexander, northwest Louisiana region director of A+PEL, and Ramona Wynder, coordinator of the Call Me Mister program.

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School gardens provide a special hands-on dynamic to learning that is unparalleled. Not only does the school garden help teach students the science of plant-life and sustainability, it provides them with the opportunity to apply the knowledge learned in the classroom in a practical and engaging way – in their own living laboratory. The patience and focus that gardening requires, as well at the opportunity to experiment and nurture, teaches invaluable skill sets to students in all age groups. Weyerhaeuser recently partnered with NSU Elementary School building gardening boxes for this very purpose. Not only will the boxes help contribute to an innovative learning environment, it will also provide the NSU Food Pantry with organic vegetables.

Pictured from left are Chris Gorum, Archie Dore, Lisa Wiggins, and Nicholas Wiggins.

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NATCHITOCHES:
Earnestine Durahm
May 10, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Dan P. Roberson
May 12, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Margaret Carter Cooper
November 2, 1961 – May 10, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James “J.T.” Vertner
June 30, 1953 – May 11, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Brenda Gail Rachal Knight
December 01, 1963 – May 08, 2021
Service: Tuesday, May 18 at 1 pm at Christian Worship Center, located at 1513 Hwy. 494 in Natchitoches

Clyde Ray Jackson
October 19, 1951 – May 7, 2021
Service: Saturday, May 15 at 11 am at the Winnfield Funeral Home

Willie Carr
May 23, 1945 – May 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Phillip Lloyd Gillis
March 13, 1968 – April 29, 2021
Service: Saturday, May 29, 2021 from 1-5 pm at the home of Ryan and Bekah French Home, located at 1615 Williams Ave. in Natchitoches

Ruben Sawyer
September 13, 1959 – May 04, 2021
Service: Saturday, May 15 at 2 pm at the Lake Street Church of Christ

SABINE:
Jo Ann Richards
March 11, 1957 – May 8, 2021
Service: Friday, May 14 at 10 am at Hornbeck Full Gospel Church

WINN:
Thompson Beth Ramona
December 25, 1945 – May 11, 2021
Service: Saturday, may 15 at 10 am at the Garden of Memories Cemetery in Winnfield

Robert Hall, Sr
November 7, 1936 – May 4, 2021
Service: Saturday, May 15 at 11 am in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 117 MLK Drive in

RED RIVER:
Charlene Pueblo
October 22, 1957 – May 10, 2021
Service: Friday, May 14 at 2 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel

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Sibley Lake is now closed until further notice. The boat ramps on Sibley Lake are closed due to high water levels. A notification will be posted when the ramps reopen. We do apologize for this inconvenience at this time.

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The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has released initial guidance on both the Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) and the Emergency Connectivity Fund (ECF).

The Natchitoches Parish School Board encourages the qualifying families of our students to utilize this program to create a more connected learning environment in their home where broadband is available.

Benefits available to qualifying households may include:

Up to a $50/month discount on your broadband service and associated equipment rentals
Up to a $75/month discount if your household is on qualifying Tribal lands
A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet, or desktop computer (with a co- payment of more than $10 but less than $50)

After the EBB program opens on May 12, 2021, families can apply by visiting https://GetEmergencyBroadband.org.

About Natchitoches Parish School Board
We are committed to a policy of educating children by helping them to develop an awareness and appreciation for the achievements, problems and aspirations of all people in our culturally diverse society.

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For years the Natchitoches Parish Library (NPL) has offered a meeting room for public use at its main branch on Second St. And with the easing of COVID-19 related restrictions, there have been an increase in reservations of late. How very appropriate then, that the Natchitoches Parish Library’s Northeast Branch (NEB) in Campti has completed its meeting room addition this month! Individuals and organizations can now reserve either location’s meeting room at natlib.org.

Also, the NEB is now open on Fridays from 10 AM to 6 PM, making the new space accessible Monday through Saturday. In compliance with parish regulations, masks are still required, however the library has fully reopened to patrons. Full access is available to checkout books, computers, and WiFi devices, to copy, print, and fax services, and to the adult and children computer labs.

“We are looking forward to having this larger area at the NEB for children’s performances during this year’s summer reading program,” said NPL Outreach Coordinator, Alan Niette. “And we’re happy to meet local-area requests for a space such as this for public use.”

To reserve a meeting room call 318-476-3280.

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Here is a look at the week of May 16-22 at Northwestern State University.

May 16-22 – Registration for summer, fall semesters

May 20-21 – Freshman Connection, Natchitoches campus

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NATCHITOCHES, LA- The results for the virtual LMEA (Louisiana Music Educators Association) All-State were decided and six students were selected from the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA).

Normally the All-State conference takes place over Thanksgiving break and in normal circumstances, would have been held in Baton Rouge last year. Because of Covid, all auditions took place online and were delayed until March of 2021. Although there will not be any formal Ensembles, the following LSMSA musicians auditioned and would have been selected for the following Ensembles.

LMEA All-State Orchestra
Stephen Wheat (Violin I)
Cailyn Lee (Cello)
Jason Garrison (Piano)

LMEA Symphonic Band
Savannah Cecchini (Flute)

LMEA Concert Band
Joy Dong (Clarinet)

The following students auditioned for and attended an online conference for the LMEA District II Cavalier Honor Bands.
Joy Dong (Clarinet)
Jordan Hoffman (French horn)

Savannah Cecchini auditioned for All-State all four years of high school and was able to make it all four years. This year, she made Symphonic band, which is the top band at All-State.

“Participating in All-State has been such an incredible opportunity, and I have learned so much from those experiences,” she shared. “LSMSA has helped me become a better person and musician because the amazing teachers I’ve had here have inspired me to work hard and explore and pursue my many passions. I am so grateful for the professors and staff at LSMSA who were always so encouraging and supportive.”

Jordan Hoffman was very excited to learn she had been chosen for First Chair in the district’s Honor Band.

“Coming to LSMSA from my old district, I was very encouraged to excel in my musicianship, and so I was happy to know that I could continue to pursue the same opportunities,” she said. “The virtual clinic was productive and informative; I cherish the opportunity to have worked with the Horn clinician.”

Placing in these bands makes Joy Dong feel that she’s a musician.

“I’m proud of my accomplishments, and it’s always fun to learn and be able to perform music, concert or audition,” she added.

Students attending LSMSA have opportunities to study and perform in a wide variety of Arts disciplines.

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Chloe Farrar and Abigail Kent of Shreveport and Kaci Waguespack of Destrehan have been named as drum majors for the Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band for 2021-22.

According to Interim Director of Bands Dan McDonald, the drum majors hold the highest-ranking student leadership position in the band. The drum majors are a liaison between the band members and the directors. McDonald said they offer support to any student that needs it and they help guide members on all things band, academics and college life.

“They are meant to be looked upon to help others and to represent the band as a whole. It is an incredibly important role in the band,” said McDonald. “Most fans recognize them because they conduct the band during halftime and in the stands. They march out front of the parade block, and they are the first on the field during our pregame performance. However, they do much, much more behind the scenes.”

McDonald said the drum majors are integral in the planning and teaching of all the band’s leaders throughout the spring and summer. They organize lessons and activities and do much of the teaching during our sessions.

“During our pre-season band camp in August, they teach all of our marching technique to members of the band,” said McDonald. “The drum majors teach much of the music during our large sectional time and they also help plan the activities of the camp.”

Kent, a senior music education major, is in her second year as a drum major after a 2020-21 school year in which the Spirit of Northwestern was unable to perform as a whole at Demon football games and events such as the Natchitoches Christmas Festival parade.

“With the lack of halftime performances of football games and less opportunities to play for an audience, there was no marching involved in marching band this past year,” said Kent. “However, we did our very best to make the most of it. Moving forward, we are very excited to have marching return to the 2021-2022 school year.”

In the fall 2020 semester, the Spirit of Northwestern was split into five different ensembles, Drumline, Demon Heat Colorguard, Demon Dazzlers, and the winds were split into two groups called the Purple Band and the Orange Band. McDonald said this was so that each group could focus on their area and dedicate time to enhancing skills while also following Covid protocols. A performance was held in late October to showcase the different groups and the work they had done all semester.

“In the fall, we didn’t have a marching show, so we were fully focused on producing entertaining music,” said Farrar who is in her second year as a drum major. “We only got to perform once at band extravaganza, but we were very thankful for the opportunity to perform at all. Our jobs shifted from teaching music and marching drill, to ensuring everyone’s safety and trying our hardest to produce music while being safe.”

In the spring, the band was split into six units. Some band members performed in two of our premier concert bands, Wind Symphony and Wind Ensemble. They rehearsed several times a week and gave concerts throughout the semester. The other wind and percussion members formed the Athletic Band. This was a 120-member ensemble that performed at all basketball and football games in the spring semester.

The Demon Dazzlers Danceline rehearsed throughout the semester and performed at basketball and football games. The Demon Heat Colorguard split into two teams this spring. One team performed virtually by submitting videos to the Louisiana Mississippi Colorguard and Percussion Circuit (LMCGPC). They were judged and rated much like a normal performance. The other team performed virtually and in person for LMCGPC and Winter Guard International (WGI). They advanced to the WGI finals.

“While the overall routine for the Spirit of Northwestern was different, the role of drum major was less affected.” said Kent. “We still had the opportunity to conduct the best sounding band in the land and experience our new role in a football game setting, which was a big first for us. I mostly look forward to getting to lead the SON in Turpin Stadium for both pregame and halftime for the first time. I am very thankful for another opportunity to serve as drum major.”

Waguespack is a junior liberal arts with a concentration in humanities and social thought in the Louisiana Scholars’ College. She plays clarinet in various NSU concert bands depending on her schedule.

“Since I’ve been at Northwestern, I’ve always looked up to the drum majors, especially Chloe, Abby, and (former drum major) Hope (Spaw),” said Waguespack. “They’re something very inspiring about seeing people who you can identify with in powerful leadership roles. Women in leadership roles is something I’ve always valued, and to see them lead the SON made me think I could too.”

Waguespack’s high school band director Christopher Williams was a drum major at NSU in 2014-15. She hopes the upcoming year will be one in which the band can perform as a unit.

“Band is usually my source of stress relief, but the lack of opportunities to play has definitely taken a toll on my mental health,” said Waguespack. “For myself and others in the band, it has been really hard to be motivated throughout rehearsals without an end goal of performances in sight. The band extravaganza last October was our first step back towards normalcy, and I have very high hopes of what the upcoming year will look like for the Spirit of Northwestern. As a second-year member of the SON, I miss connecting with audiences, especially the kids who are aspiring musicians and have so much joy when they see us perform.”

Farrar is a senior with a double major of biology with a biomedical concentration and a minor in chemistry and applied microbiology.

“I’m very thankful to have the opportunity to serve the Spirit of Northwestern again as a drum major,” said Farrar. “I was very grateful to have the position last year, but there’s something special about standing in front of a band in full uniform and performing a full show. I already know that it’s going to be one of my favorite senior year memories.”

Pictured: Spirit of Northwestern Marching Band drum majors for 2021-22 are from left Kaci Waguespack of Destrehan, Abigail Kent of Shreveport and Chloe Farrar of Shreveport

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Two sessions of a beginning ceramics class, “Playing in the Mud,” will be offered this summer through Northwestern State University’s Office of Electronic and Continuing Education. The first session is on May 20 through June 24 with the second session on July 15 through August 19. The class will be offered on Thursday from 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. in Room 113 of the Fine Arts Annex.

The fee is $125 plus a $20 material fee paid directly to the instructor on the first night of class. Enrollment to the class is limited.

This course is an introduction to working with clay. The student will learn hand-building and sculptural techniques, as well as work on the potter’s wheel. There will also be room for intermediate and advanced students to take the class who want to use the facilities during the class time.

For more information call (800) 376-2422 or (318) 357-6355.

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Cane River Creole National Historical Park and Cane River National Heritage Area invite the public to participate in a community conversation and planning session for the Texas & Pacific Railway Depot (Depot) at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, May 25 at the Ben Johnson Auditorium located at 400 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive.

Public input is being sought to identify stories, memories, and messages from community members that should be presented to visitors at the Depot. The Depot, owned by the City of Natchitoches, has been leased to the National Park Service and will serve as the primary visitor center for Cane River Creole National Historical Park, providing visitors with information about African American history along Cane River and Oakland and Magnolia Plantations. In addition, the meeting will provide an update on the future rehabilitation of the building and begin interpretive planning for interior exhibits through a series of facilitated discussions. This meeting will be the first of several community conversations to be held this summer. Future meetings will be announced at a later date.

The Depot was constructed in 1927 during the height of the Jim Crow era and was segregated with separate black and white entrances leading to two separate waiting rooms of vastly different quality. The structure was continuously used as a passenger station and later freight station until 1982, when it was abandoned. Today, the structure remains one of the last segregated train stations within Louisiana and has a deep connection to the City’s African American community. Early efforts by the Cane River National Heritage Area in 2001, 2007, and 2015 stabilized the structure until a future use could be determined. In 2019, the City of Natchitoches signed a lease with the National Park Service granting the park use of the building.

If you cannot attend the community meeting in person but would like to share stories or opinions, please contact the park at 318-352-0383, ext. 316.

Cane River National Heritage Area, Inc. is a not-for-profit organization that manages the congressionally designated Cane River National Heritage Area. Its mission is to preserve and promote the cultural and natural resources of Cane River and encourage economic development by strengthening heritage tourism in the region.

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Nearly four decades after his death, Joe Delaney’s impact continues to resonate in his professional hometown of Kansas City, Missouri.

The Missouri Department of Transportation, earlier this month, approved an application for a two-mile stretch of I-435 that encircles the Kansas City area to be named the Joe Delaney Memorial Highway.

The area encompassed in that stretch runs from Missouri Highway 350 continuing to Raytown Road, taking travelers past Arrowhead Stadium where Delaney starred for the Kansas City Chiefs for two seasons before drowning in an attempt to save three children in a pond near Monroe on June 29, 1983.

Delaney, a two-sport All-American at Northwestern State who helped the Demons win the national 4×100 relay championship in 1981, was the 1981 AFC Offensive Rookie of the Year with the Chiefs after rushing for 1,121 yards and three touchdowns while catching 22 passes for 246 yards.

His 3,047 career rushing yards were a school record at the time his career finished and remain the fifth-highest total in school history. His 27 career rushing touchdowns were a school record for 20 years before being surpassed by Tony Taylor (32 TDs) in 2000. Delaney’s rushing touchdown total remains third in school history. Delaney’s 299-yard, four-touchdown explosion against Nicholls on Oct. 28, 1978, remains the school single-game standard for yards and shares the mark for rushing touchdowns 43 years later.

A product of Haughton High School, Delaney’s No. 44 jersey is retired at Northwestern State. He was inducted into the N-Club Hall of Fame in 1985 and into the Chiefs Ring of Honor in 2003.

Delaney was honored with the Presidential Citizens Medal by President Ronald Reagan after Delaney’s death.

The renaming of the Missouri interstate loop – which was requested by Adam Jassey, who has worked extensively with the 37 Forever Foundation named in honor of Delaney’s jersey number with the Chiefs – is part of an 11-month stretch where Delaney’s memory has been in the spotlight in both Missouri and Louisiana.

The city of Monroe erected a monument to Delaney’s memory on June 27, 2020, holding a ceremony that was attended by members of the Delaney family and Delaney’s former teammates. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas then proclaimed Oct. 30, 2020, to be “Joe Delaney Day” in Kansas City – a day that would have been Delaney’s 62nd birthday.

Photo Credit: Northwestern State Athletics

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Natchitoches Parish Nonprofit entities with 501(c)(3) status, public-facing organizations operating within accredited institutions of higher learning, state and local government agencies and federally recognized Native American tribal governments in Louisiana are eligible to apply.  Fund grants are available to nonprofit cultural organizations with a strong humanities focus, including but not limited to museums, historic sites, archives, media groups and festivals. The NEH defines the humanities as including the fields of history; philosophy; literature; foreign languages; linguistics; comparative religion; ethics; archaeology; jurisprudence; art history, theory and criticism; and philosophical and historical approaches to social sciences.

The Louisiana Endowment for the Humanities (LEH) has relaunched the Louisiana Culture Care Fundv, a grant program providing funding to humanities organizations and other cultural entities. With funding provided by the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), awards will range between $3,000 and $20,000, and applications will open Friday, May 21.

With the passage of the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the NEH received $135 million in supplemental funding. Approximately $51.6 million of the NEH funds were then distributed to the state and territorial humanities councils to support humanities organizations and other cultural organizations in their jurisdictions. These additional funds will allow the NEH and LEH to assist in sustaining the humanities through the American Rescue Plan.

The funds are designated for operational expenses such as staff retention (payroll and benefits), rent, insurance, mortgage and utilities. Award amounts will be based on the annual operating budget of the applicant organization. Applications will not open until Friday, May 21, to provide organizations time to review the necessary documentation and prepare their applications. A sample application may be found here.

The granting period will run through July 9, 2021, or until funds are expended. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and organizations will receive notification of award or rejection within 30 days of submission. The LEH will host Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants info sessions on May 21 at 10 a.m. and June 16 at 2 p.m. Interested applicants may register for one of the grants info sessions here.

For more information about the Louisiana Culture Care Fund, including eligibility requirements, visit http://www.leh.org. Louisiana Culture Care Fund grants for general operating support are one of three upcoming LEH grant programs. Rebirth and Rebirth Festivals grants—will be announced at leh.org in June.

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Position:​  Water & Sewer Department – Maintenance Mechanic I

Description:  ​Performs a variety of semi-skilled maintenance work and operates a variety of equipment in the construction, operation, repair, maintenance, and replacement of City water, sewer and storm drainage facilities and systems.

Qualifications:​  Must be able to acquire a LA Water or Sewer Operator Certification. Applicants that already have certification are preferred and will be eligible for an increased pay rate.

Contact:  ​City of Natchitoches Human Resources Department located at 1400 Sabine St., or P.O. Box 37, Natchitoches LA 71458-0037.Applications may also be picked up upstairs at City Hall located at 700 Second St, Natchitoches, LA or you can download an application at http://www.natchitochesla.gov

Deadline:  ​Applications will be accepted through May 25, 2021.

THE CITY OF NATCHITOCHES IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNIY EMPLOYER

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NATCHITOCHES:
Earnestine Durahm
May 10, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Dan P. Roberson
May 12, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Margaret Carter Cooper
November 2, 1961 – May 10, 2021
Arrangements TBA

James “J.T.” Vertner
June 30, 1953 – May 11, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Brenda Gail Rachal Knight
December 01, 1963 – May 08, 2021
Service: Tuesday, May 18 at 1 pm at Christian Worship Center, located at 1513 Hwy. 494 in Natchitoches

Todd Moore
August 31, 1962 – May 10, 2021
Service: Thursday, May 13 at 10 am at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Robert Hall, Sr
November 7, 1936 – May 4, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Clyde Ray Jackson
October 19, 1951 – May 7, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Willie Carr
May 23, 1945 – May 07, 2021
Arrangements TBA

Phillip Lloyd Gillis
March 13, 1968 – April 29, 2021
Service: Saturday, May 29, 2021 from 1-5 pm at the home of Ryan and Bekah French Home, located at 1615 Williams Ave. in Natchitoches

Ruben Sawyer
September 13, 1959 – May 04, 2021
Arrangements TBA

SABINE:
Betty Jean Hall
November 23, 1953 – May 11, 2021
Service: Thursday, May 13 at 2 pm at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

Jo Ann Richards
March 11, 1957 – May 8, 2021
Service: Friday, May 14 at 10 am at Hornbeck Full Gospel Church

Martha C. Foshee
January 19, 1929 – May 9, 2021
Service: Thursday, May 13 at 10 am at Warren Meadows Funeral Home Chapel

WINN:
Mary Ann McCartney Roberts
February 23, 1934 – May 11, 2021
Service: Thursday, May 13 at 10 am in the Chapel at Southern Funeral Home

RED RIVER:
Charlene Pueblo
October 22, 1957 – May 10, 2021
Service: Friday, May 14 at 2 pm at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel

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