The 2024 National Travel and Tourism Week was celebrated in a ceremony held at the National Park Service’s Cane River Creole National Historical Park headquarters in the newly restored Texas and Pacific Railway Depot Thursday, May 23. The event was a collaboration between the National Park Service, the Natchitoches Convention & Visitors’ Bureau, and the Cane River National Heritage Area.

Natchitoches CVB Executive Director Arlene Gould presented some statistics about travel and tourism’s economic impact in our state and parish. In 2022, visitors spent $74 million dollars in Natchitoches Parish that supported 840 jobs. Visitors spent $8.7 million dollars in taxes which saved parish residents $806.00 per household in taxes that were collected from non-residents instead of locals. Tourism is big business in our state and parish!

One of the more pleasant aspects of the event was the recognition of individuals who have contributed to making our community a welcoming place for visitors. Dustin Fuqua, Katrice Lacour and Tressee Powell were honored. In addition, individuals in the local tourism scene who are retiring were recognized. Arlene Gould will be retiring as Executive Director of the Natchitoches CVB effective June 28. She was recognized by her coworkers and the CVB Board with a certificate and memento of her service. She got her start in Natchitoches at Melrose Plantation where she worked for 3 years followed by 17 years as CVB Executive Director. Ricky Guin, one of the original employees of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest History Museum was honored for his years of service to the state. He will retire in August. Lastly, iconic hospitality legend Marilyn Demars was honored for her incredible 53 years of service. She received a citation from the Louisiana Restaurant Association as well as a Congressional Commendation from House Speaker Rep. Mike Johnson.

It is a testament to the power of travel and tourism in our state and parish that the day’s event was attended by five travel writers from Ontario and Montreal, Canada. They are on a tour of Louisiana attractions sponsored by the Office of the Lt. Governor. Natchitoches should give them plenty to write about!

Opportunity available:  Account Executive

Areas include: Natchitoches, Sabine, DeSoto and Red River Parishes.

Qualifications:  Self-motivated, willing to learn, reliable transportation.  Training provided.

Income: Based on 25% sales commissions plus mileage.  Paid Weekly!

If you want to work your own schedule, set your own hours, build a lifetime income and Fridays off, then this is the opportunity for you!

Send resume to:  P. O. Box 2611, Natchitoches, LA 71457

St. Mary’s Catholic School recently had their Academic Awards ceremony for the 2023-24 school year for students in first through eleventh grades.  Congratulations to the following students for their academic achievements this year!

Woodman of the World Award

The Woodman of the World Award is given each year to an outstanding student in American History.  This award is not only for having a high grade point average, but also for demonstrating the ability to understand and appreciate the value of the study of history.

Louisiana High School Literary Rally

St. Mary’s was awarded third place in the regional competition.  Students that advanced to state level competition for the Louisiana High School Literary Rally are:

The academic subject awards are chosen by the teachers and are given to the student, who not only demonstrates high academic achievement in the subject, as well as great interest and potential in the subject area.  The following students were recognized for ELA, Math, Science and Social Studies:

                                    Math –  Abigael Adkins

                                    Science –  Asher Hale

                                    Social Studies – Isaiah Armstrong

2nd grade:                 ELA –  Wyatt Clark

                                    Math – A’ziah Armstrong

                                    Science – Declan Thaxton

                                    Social Studies – Brier Duhon

                                    Math – Eli Thibodaux

                                    Science – Annah Adkins

                                    Social Studies – Vivian Philen                                  

4th grade:                 ELA –  Emme Myers

                                    Math – Jax Errington

                                    Science – Hendrix Harrington

                                    Social Studies – Gavin Key

                                    Math – Sutton Vandersteen

                                    Science – Hudson Harrington

                                    Social Studies – Heath Methvin                   

                                    Science – Lacey Boyd

                                    Social Studies – Weston LeGrande

7th grade:                 ELA –  Macie Cameron

                                    Math – Amelia Picou

                                    Science – Ady Rhodes

                                    Social Studies – Kollyns Duhon

8th grade:                 ELA –  Lilly Boyd

                                    Math – Layla Slaughter

                                    Science – Mia Hollier

                                    Social Studies – Jacob Thibodaux

                                    Science – Mackenzie Morgan

                                    History – Joelee Savell

                                    Math –  Cameron Ball

                                    Science – Ella Hardee

                                    History – Jenna Sklar

                                    Spanish – Grace Wren

11th grade:                ELA –  Addison Ivy       

                                    Math –  Peter Kautz

                                    Science – Georgia Kate Philen

                                    History – Ainsley Armstrong

Tiger Integrity Awards

St. Mary’s recognizes students who have continually represented values that the school was founded upon and who represent the mission of the school. The Tiger Integrity award is an honor chosen by the teachers and given to St. Mary’s students that exhibit a compilation of many honorable and outstanding traits.  This honor is bestowed upon one student in grades first through eleventh.  The recipients of this award are students that show great school pride and spirit.  They are honest and helpful, possess a quality of humble respect for others, and value the religious aspect of a St. Mary’s education.  The following students received the Tiger Integrity Award:

1^st grade –  Sadie Grant

2^nd grade – Camille Mims

5^th grade – Abel Lavespere

6^th grade – Corbyn Gandy

7^th grade – Thomas Hardee

9^th grade – John Paul Thibodaux

10^th grade –Grace Wren

Bishop Martin Awards

The Natchitoches Diocese was created in 1852 and Augustus Marie Martin was consecrated as the first Bishop in October of 1853.  During his 22^nd year tenure he established a seminary to train native clergy, founded numerous missions and erected a cathedral (our own Immaculate Conception). He guided the diocese during the Civil War and struggled for many years with failing health. When he died at the age of 72, he was buried next to the altar inside of the Minor Basilica.

In keeping with the spirit of our first bishop, the Bishop Martin Award of St. Mary’s is awarded to a student that has consistently maintained the mission of St. Mary’s Catholic School. The students that receive this award have, by example, attempted to maintain and exhibit Catholic Christian values and have taken advantage of the religious foundation offered at St. Mary’s to reach their full potential spiritually, academically, and physically. This award is one of the highest honors a St. Mary’s student can receive. The following students received the Bishop Martin Award:

5^th grade – Waylon Nelson

6^th grade – Madden Cameron

7^th grade – Andrew Johnson

8^th grade – Madelyn Melder

9^th grade – Luc Cross

11^th grade – Addison Evans

St. Mary’s Catholic School is a co-educational, college preparatory school that educates students from preschool through twelfth grade.  It is a ministry of the Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception Church.

Joanna Washington, the daughter of Mary Boast Victorian and Marshall Daniel of Opelousas, La., is married to Kevin B. Washington Jr. Together, they are the proud parents of twins, Kaylee and Kevin III.

Joanna has been a valuable member of the City Bank team for nearly 19 years, starting as a teller and working her way up to her current role as VP, Senior Deposit Operation Specialist.

She holds a degree in Business Administration and a Minor in Management from Northwestern State University, and later earned her MBA with a concentration in Leadership.

Joanna currently serves on the board for the Natchitoches Area Chamber of Commerce and was appointed Chairperson of the Board in 2021. She is approaching her junior year at the Graduate School of Banking at LSU in Baton Rouge, with a goal to graduate in 2025. Joanna is also a proud member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated – Mu Omega Zeta Chapter in Natchitoches, where she serves as the Chairperson for Finer Womanhood.

In her free time, Joanna enjoys spending quality time with her family, traveling back to her hometown, and attending comedy shows and musical concerts. 

Her favorite quote is, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” – Maya Angelou.  

Northwestern State University poet and professor Dr. Rebecca Macijeski will be featured at a book launch for “Apocryphal Girl,” her second chapbook.  Macijeski will read selections from the book along with newer work at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 30 in the Cammie G. Henry Research Center on the third floor of Watson Library. The reading will be followed by a Q and A.  The public is invited.  

Macijeski is an associate professor and coordinator of Creative Writing Programs in NSU’s Department of English, Languages and Cultural Studies.  

“This book is a weird one. I wouldn’t have it any other way. It’s an exploration and celebration of childhood, but also a warning against how easily our joy and magic can be taken away. It’s a reminder for all of us to be our own lights in the darkness,” Macijeski said.  

Macijeski’s first chapbook, “Autobiography,” was released by Split Rock Press in 2022.  “Apocryphal Girl” was selected in last fall as one of the manuscripts for the inaugural chapbook catalog from Pinhole Poetry, a digital poetry journal and chapbook press. (https://pinholepoetry.ca/) 

“In the past months, press editor Erin Bedford and I have worked collaboratively to transform the poems into the book manuscript,” Macijeski said. “Erin has done beautiful work to design art for the cover and for the interior pages. She has been with me every step of the way to produce a book that feels truly special. Each book is handmade and offered in a limited edition. The poems themselves were drafted off and on over a period of roughly two years.” 

Macijeski provided insight into her work through an interview with Pinhole that appeared online at : https://pinholepoetry.ca/an-interview-with-rebecca-macijeski/#more-1191.  

The new chapbook’s title plays with the meaning of the word apocryphal, Macijeski said.  

“We call stories apocryphal when we question their truth or their origin,” she said.  “Giving something the label of ‘apocryphal’ assigns doubt, but also assigns mystery and intrigue. Apocryphal is a word that, depending on who is using or interpreting it, can either dismiss or elevate its subject. I think of the apocryphal gospels, for example. Those stories were removed from the community of stories to which they once belonged.”  

The “Girl” in the title is also meant to be complex.  

“Some of the poems incorporate a narrator/character of a girl; this girl is sometimes rather obviously a version of myself in childhood, but at other times it’s less clear which of the stories are biography and which are imagination. I like that. I like playing with that. I hope readers will enjoy thinking about their own childhoods this way. The book is a celebration of the creation of self that occurs when we are young, and a warning against how easily our childlike joy can be stolen. Ultimately, I hope the book invites readers to look at themselves with more curiosity and wonder.”  

Macijeski joined the NSU faculty in 2017. She earned a Ph.D. from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, an Master of Fine Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and a B.A. in English and music from Simmons College, now Simmons University. She has attended artist residencies with The Ragdale Foundation, the Kimmel Harding Nelson Center for the Arts and Art Farm Nebraska.  

Macijeski worked for Ted Kooser’s American Life in Poetry newspaper column, was an assistant editor in poetry for the literary journals “Prairie Schooner” and “Hunger Mountain” and is the recipient of a 2012 Dorothy Sargent Rosenberg Prize. In 2016 she attended the Frost Place Conference on Poetry and Teaching at Robert Frost’s former home in Franconia, New Hampshire. She has also offered collaborative workshops at the National Association for Poetry Therapy Conference in Kansas City and Denver. Her chapbook and full-length poetry manuscripts have placed in contests with Comstock Review, Four Way Books and YesYes Books. A Pushcart Prize and Best of the Net Nominee, her poems have appeared in “The Missouri Review,” “Conduit,” “Poet Lore,” “Barrow Street,” “Nimrod,” “The Journal,” “Sycamore Review,” “Fairy Tale Review,” “Puerto del Sol” and many other literary journals.  

As a teacher of creative writing, Macijeski said she hopes her poems invite readers to look at themselves as sites of possibility and she encourages writers to continually discover what their imaginations can unlock for them.  

“Writing, whether or not you have a goal toward publication and readers, allows us to really see ourselves as individuals who have tremendous power to affect the worlds we live in. I write about myself and my imagination because I am keenly aware of how empowering it is to express my experience in a way that feels real to me—pain, joy, strangeness and all. I’ve had writing mentors in my own life who have encouraged that and mentors who have dismissed or derailed that by trying to turn me into one kind of writer or another. I aim to be the kind of writing mentor who encourages young writers to discover their own aesthetic and methods, to follow their curiosity always. That work never ends, and that work is the joy of writing.  

Readers who would like to purchase a copy of the book for pick up at the reading can contact Macijeski for a pre-order link by May 15 to guarantee arrival by May 30.  Purchases can also be made through https://pinholepoetry.ca/shop-for-poetry-chapbooks/.  Macijeski plans a follow-up reading this fall for those unable to attend the May 30 event.  

By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

New Benton boys basketball coach Jake Bankston knows how to win while fighting an uphill battle. His teams have done that at Class A St. Mary’s in his hometown of Natchitoches.

That approach is a good fit as Benton battles in basketball-rich District 1-5A trying to hang in with some of the state’s top teams.

“You’re going to play Captain Shreve and Natchitoches Central and Huntington, and look what they did last year and for many years previously,” he said, “That’s not all. From watching scores and talking to coaches, there are good basketball teams all around 1-5A, and outside of district, all around the area.”

Bankston, 26 but already with seven years of high school coaching experience, was announced Wednesday by Benton principal Whitney Clark as the Bossier Parish school’s new coach.

“It’s such a good community, and they rally around their school and sports teams,” he said. “I’m really excited.”

Bankston guided St. Mary’s to back-to-back state quarterfinal berths while compiling a 61-24 record in three years as head boys coach, 46-14 in the last two seasons. He previously was an assistant boys and girls coach, head girls coach for two years and before he graduated from Northwestern State in 2020, was a student assistant for both teams and in football. As a girls assistant, he contributed to three state tournament appearances highlighted by a 2020 state championship. His overall head coaching mark is 84-45 (.651) in five years.

He remained on the St. Mary’s football staff and helped that program reach state quarterfinals in the past two seasons. Bankston has been either a student or staff member at St. Mary’s since he began school and was the first of three brothers to play point guard for the Tigers over the past 12 seasons.

“I’ve been at St. Mary’s since I was 4 years old,” he said. “I formed a lot of great relationships that have made me who I am today. I learned under some great coaches and worked with some great faculty.”

While SMHS has been very successful against its peers, Bankston’s basketball squads also excelled against strong teams in non-district play, notching signature wins over big school powers Alexandria Senior High, Northside (Lafayette) and West Monroe. In 2023 when St. Mary’s district rival Northwood-Lena dominated the rest of its Class A competition, the Tigers split regular-season meetings with the Gators and narrowly missed beating them in a neutral site district championship contest before Northwood rolled to the state Non-Select Division IV championship.

What gives him confidence that he can make the jump to the state’s biggest classification, playing in one of Class 5A’s stronger districts?

“Our success comes from the culture we’ve created at St. Mary’s,” he said. “We make the little things the big things to be successful. We get guys to buy into a program, and benefit from fellow coaches, administrators and a community that is very supportive.

“At a 1A school we didn’t have resources or the depth those bigger schools had, but we had guys up and down the roster who bought into their roles. Didn’t matter if they played 30 minutes or two minutes, they did what was needed for the team to succeed,” said Bankston. “That’s the standard we plan to establish.”

Along with Clark, Benton athletic director/head football coach Reynolds Moore and other people he’s met recently, Bankston can rely on a couple familiar faces at his new school: new Lady Tigers coach Lyndzee McConathy, whose husband Logan was a star player at St. Mary’s, and assistant baseball coach Brooks McMinn, formerly head coach at St. Mary’s.

“Coach McConathy is going to be a pleasure to work with. We have a lot of common ground and she’s already been very helpful,” he said. “Reconnecting with Brooks has been great.”

Bankston was St. Mary’s K-12 Em Knipmeyer Excellence in Teaching award recipient in 2022 as a middle school history teacher.

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

After holding its regularly scheduled meeting on May 21, the Natchitoches Parish Tourist Commission voted to offer the executive director position to one of three potential candidates, but due to one candidate requesting confidentiality through the hiring process, no candidate names were discussed outside of the executive session. “Candidate No. 3” was chosen. Commission Chairman Landon Amberg said the next steps involve offering the selected candidate the position, which occurred on the morning of May 22, then giving them 24 hours to consider it. According to two board members, an answer should be received on May 23.

If the candidate accepts the job, paperwork will be sent to them to sign and the commission can officially announce the news. If the job is declined, the commission will have to look to the two remaining candidates.

Retiring Executive Director Arlene Gould’s last day is June 28.

Parish of Natchitoches’s Office of Community Services (OCS) announced today that it has received an AmeriCorps Seniors grant of $204,999 from AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism.

The grant will expand the Office of Community Services presence in Natchitoches Parish, where OCS has been providing community service activities for citizens since 1985.

“The Parish of Natchitoches is a proud sponsor of the Foster Grandparents Program as it supports the engagement of older adults in our communities who have so much to contribute. By sharing their time and experience, we can meet critical needs in education”, said Sharon Harris, OCS Executive Director

With this new funding, Parish of Natchitoches Office of Community Services will leverage the skills and experience of AmeriCorps volunteers in Natchitoches Parish to improve the reading scores of students. These AmeriCorps volunteers will help students increase their reading levels by providing one-on-one tutoring, assist teachers, helping children, and communicating with children The programs also enable adults over the age of 55 to gain valuable skills through service, helping them gainfully return to the workforce.

Learn more about AmeriCorps Seniors at AmeriCorps.gov/Seniors. Sign up to be an AmeriCorps Senior FGP volunteer by calling (318) 357-2220.

AmeriCorps Seniors serve in all 50 states and the territories of Guam, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands. AmeriCorps adapts to meet some of the most pressing needs of communities, advance civic engagement and empower individuals across the generations to improve lives and communities all over the country.

AmeriCorps, the federal agency for national service and volunteerism, celebrates its 30th anniversary. Three decades ago, more than 20,000 Americans raised their right hands and pledged to get things done for America. These volunteers helped more than 1,000 communities nationwide during AmeriCorps’ first year of service. Since then, more than 1.25 million Americans have served with AmeriCorps. Join with AmeriCorps to celebrate the successes, impact, and milestone moments that helped change the nation’s trajectory – moments that brought out the best of America, visit AmeriCorps.gov/AmeriCorps30.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) has scheduled a drawdown of Saline Lake (Natchitoches and Winn Parishes) for giant salvinia control, organic reduction, and fish habitat improvement. The drawdown is designed to reduce the further expansion of salvinia as summertime temperatures promote maximum growth.

The water control structure is scheduled to open on June 17 and the lake should dewater at a rate of 4 inches per day. The water level will be lowered to a maximum drawdown level of 8 feet below normal pool stage, depending on the Red River Pool 3 water level. The Saline Lake control gates are scheduled for closure on Oct. 1 to allow the lake to refill for fall, winter, and early-spring recreational activities.

During the drawdown, an estimated 2,500-3,000 acres of water will remain in the lake. Boaters may still access the main waterbody from the Mulligan Inn Boat Ramp with small craft, but caution is advised as numerous obstructions that are normally not a problem may become hazards.

This action is a necessary component of LDWF’s integrated management plan to control overabundant aquatic vegetation and to improve access for recreational activities. An annual cycle of high and low water fluctuation can provide beneficial effects similar to a natural overflow lake system.

Drawdowns are timed to take advantage of prevalent late summer, fall, and winter weather patterns. If favorable weather patterns do not occur, the effectiveness of the drawdown is reduced. For this reason, some drawdowns are very successful, while others can be less effective. 

The current LDWF Saline Lake Aquatic Vegetative Management Plan can be viewed at:  https://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/assets/Resources/Publications/Freshwater_Inland_Fish/Aquatic-Vegetation-Control-Plans/Saline-Lake-AVCP-2021.pdf   

For additional information regarding the drawdown, contact Villis Dowden, LDWF Biologist, at vdowden@wlf.la.gov or (318) 357-3214. 

During its 40th Anniversary Senior Recognition Ceremony, held on May 17, Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts (LSMSA)—a tuition-free, public high school for high-achieving Louisiana sophomores, juniors, and seniors—dedicated one of its most prestigious annual honors in the name of longtime school administrator Dr. Bill Ebarb. The award, which was previously known as the Spirit of Louisiana School Award, will now be known as the Bill Ebarb Spirit of Louisiana School Award. 

The award acknowledges and celebrates students who have made a unique and meaningful contribution to LSMSA and who have impacted and inspired their peers, teachers, and other members of the LSMSA community. A total of 69 LSMSA students have received the Bill Ebarb Spirit of Louisiana School Award since it was introduced in 1985. 

“We all know that it’s not the buildings or even the curriculum that makes for an incredible school; it’s the people,” Dr. Steve Horton, LSMSA Executive Director, said. “Bill makes LSMSA a better place, which is why it’s so fitting that we are renaming this award in his honor.”

Not only did Ebarb serve LSMSA as Comptroller, Director of Finance, and Deputy Director for 26 years before retiring in 2009, but–as a 30-something year-old legislative intern in Baton Rouge–he drafted the original legislation that created LSMSA in 1983. In 2015, he published the definitive history of LSMSA, The Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts: The First 30 Years. Ebarb came out of retirement in the Summer of 2023, when Dr. Horton asked him to accept the role of Special Assistant to the Executive Director. Ebarb, a graduate of Louisiana Tech University and the University of Mississippi, lives in Natchitoches with his wife, Sharon. They have two sons, Daniel and Brian; Brian is a 1997 LSMSA graduate.

This year’s recipients of the Bill Ebarb Spirit of Louisiana School Award were announced following the award dedication. They are: William Huguet, of Greenwell Springs; Mackenzie Lacombe, of Prairieville; and Brenley Murry, of Walker.

LSMSA is a tuition-free, public high school for high-achieving rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a nominal room and board fee to cover housing, meals, and campus activities. The LSMSA Foundation offers assistance for families in need to ensure that no eligible student is denied access to the school’s 40-year legacy of a premium college-level living/learning experience. 

For more information about the Louisiana School or to apply for the 2024-25 academic school year, visit www.LSMSA.edu.  

The Village of Natchez is applying for a grant under the Louisiana Disaster Recovery Community Development Block Grant Program for the purpose of drainage and flood protection improvements under the Louisiana Watershed Initiative Program. The Village is interested in procuring the services of an administrative consulting firm to prepare the application package and to administer and implement the project if it is successful in being funded.

The procedures for the selection of this firm will be in accordance with the procurement requirements of the Disaster Recovery CDBG Program. All responses received will be evaluated in accordance with the selection criteria and corresponding point system that is identified in the request for proposals package. That package also identifies the scope of services to be performed by the selected firm.

The Village of Natchez will award the contract to the respondent obtaining the highest score in the evaluation process.

Interested parties are invited to secure a proposal package from Pamela Harvey, Village Clerk at 181 Main Street, Natchez, Louisiana 71456, (318) 352-1414. The response to this request must be hand-delivered or mailed to the above-named person at the above-named address in such a manner that it is received no later than 2 p.m. on Friday, June 21, 2024.

The Village of Natchez is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We encourage all small and minority-owned firms and women’s business enterprises to apply.

Village of Natchez

Patsy Ward Hoover, Mayor

“Your parents/family members, coaches, other school officials and the residents of Natchitoches Parish-are proud of you and your varied accomplishments on and off of the athletic fields and courts and certainly in the classrooms. You are true leaders and you must go on to meet the challenges in life and achieve more,” said Chris Demardjian, KSLA-Channel 12’s sports director-as he shared remarks with the Best-of-the-Best (recently graduated seniors) honorees from Lakeview, Natchitoches Central and St. Mary’s High Schools on May 18.

Fairview Alpha Elementary announces the following Honor Roll students based on final grades for the 2023-24 school year.

Principal’s List (4.0)

A Honor Roll (3.99—3.5)

B Honor Roll (3.49-3.0)