By Edwin Crayton/Opinion

If you have been celebrating Black History Month by reading about black history, perhaps you have noticed that there are at least two ways to make Black History. The first way is the positive way. You can do that by contributing something to the world the way Garrett Morgan did when in 1923, he invented the traffic signal we use today. The second option is the negative way. To make history this way, you need to do something to hinder black progress—like the people who shouted insults at little six-year-old Ruby Bridges as she bravely integrated her elementary school in New Orleans, each day, accompanied by federal marshals in the year 1960. This coming April 29 (April 15 for early voting), we could witness the negative option firsthand when voters are asked to decide if the Parish Council should be allowed to take money from the library and use it to work on the roads in the parish. Fixing the roads is not a bad thing. But to do it at the expense of the library will bring painful cutbacks that will weaken the Parish Library System in significant and senseless ways. Make no mistake about it, if this misguided proposal passes, it will hurt all Natchitoches residents as well as users of the library. But because Natchitoches is predominately black, the black community will suffer most. So will the poor and anyone who depends on the library in order to gain access to new technology and information services. Service, that would not be available without the library.

The Parish Council voted 3 to 2 to put this proposal on the ballot. It is called “rededication”. But what that five-dollar word really means is in plain English is: they are proposing taking money from the library and rededicating it to roads. Here’s how the Library explained it: “The council is specifically asking voters to “rededicate half of the library’s millage—approximately $1.5M—and use it to “fix” Parish roads exclusively outside the city limits of Natchitoches…” I’m sure I don’t have to tell you how difficult it is to live on a budget that is basically half of what you have or expect to have coming in to take care of your expenses. Here is what will happen if the library has to try to survive on such a vicious cut:

With reduced funds, the library will have to close the relatively new Campti Branch. That branch is a ray of hope in Campti, a poor town with a high African American population and a lot of poverty. I visited the branch as I was writing this and the day I went in, I saw black parents working with their children on projects. Beautiful. Before that library was planted there, that would not have happened. In fact, when I asked people what was in the location before, no one could remember anything other than it was a vacant lot. Well, if we go backwards and lose that branch, parents surely can’t help their child do social studies or math homework while sitting in a grassy lot, can they? The branch has an African American manager. She is youthful, polite, intelligent, helpful. But let’s face it: no branch, no manager.

At the main branch in downtown Natchitoches, new technology has turned the library into a kind of unofficial job center. People use the computers to search for jobs, create resumes and submit applications. As a matter of fact, I remember that when I was looking for work once, the employment agency did the counselling and processing, then actually sent me to the library’s computer lab. It worked. That technology will be reduced. The digital resources will be cut back in general. The staff itself will have to be reduced—fewer jobs. As we all know, you have to pay good people a decent wage. Expect to lose top people and bright people if cuts happen. What’s worse is these are the people who made the main library state-of-the-art, technologically speaking. And they are building up the Campti branch in a similar way. About a month ago, I read in the Town Talk that Louisiana students are struggling with reading and literacy in general needs to be improved. The library has creative programs designed to encourage and reward kids for getting better at reading. This is not the time to be going backwards in literacy. The book mobile has outreach to many communities where African American children live. Yet, those services will be reduced as well. A more literate, better informed Black Community is always a stronger one. The enemies of African Americans have historically always known this. It’s why they punished blacks for learning to read during slavery

The other night, I watched a documentary about the value of books called “The Booksellers”. In that film, an expert in rare books said that first edition copies of Ian Fleming’s “Casino Royale” sell for $130,000. In the 19 Century, Business Tycoon J.P. Morgan bought a first edition copy of the Guttenberg Bible for about $2,000 and an expert said today it would sell for $40 million. When I heard that, obviously it occurred to me that most of us could not afford those prices. They’re just too unattainable—even the $2,000 Morgan paid. I then realized that this is what it feels like to a poor person who is told he or she must be able to access new technology in order to do the basic things required to live and yet, they have no access to technology. It’s as unattainable as that $130,000 book. How can we take technology away from the poor when we are living in an information age? Even to fix a little stretch of road. Actually, choosing between good libraries and roads is a choice no community should be forced to make in the first place. I have to believe there has got to be a better way to fix the roads than this ill-conceived proposal.

After I left the new Campti library, I had to travel to a very poor black neighborhood just up the road. The houses had a shaky, unstable quality. They looked beaten up by both weather and life itself. They reminded me of the sharecropper shacks from the Segregation era. I thought about the families that live in them. I imagined the children who grow up there. I have no doubt that most of them want out of there. The best way out is through faith in God as well as literacy and education. The library can help them attain the last two. But it can’t if we take their library away. A “No” vote helps keep the library safe from that threat. It’s an investment in our community and our children. When you get into the voting booth, you will notice the lawyers have written this proposal in such confusing, tricky language, most normal human beings won’t know what it is saying. That’s okay, because the way I figure it, there’s only word on the ballot you need to know and it’s the one word that’ll fix this whole mess: “NO”.

“I have found the most valuable thing in my wallet is my library card.”-Former 1st Lady Laura Bush
“The only thing you absolutely have to know is the location of the library.” -Albert Einstein
“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”—Jesus urging us to consider others.

JOB VACANCY: School Food Service Manager

QUALIFICATIONS:           

• High School diploma or equivalent
• Three years experience in the Food Service Industry preferred
• Proficient computer skills
• Excellent communication skills

SALARY: According to NPSB salary schedule

DEADLINE: Tuesday, February 28, 2023; 4:00 p.m.

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

APPLICATION: Application packet should consist of a letter of application, resume’, diploma/transcript and three letters of reference.

Mr. Kennedy Blackman and Ms. Carolyn Blackman are our community’s newest homeowners. The Blackman family partnered with the Natchitoches Fuller Center for Housing, Inc. in 2003 and on Saturday, February 18 their hard work and dedication over the years was recognized as they were presented the deed for their home after paying off their mortgage.

The Blackmans were joined in celebrating this milestone by volunteers from the Fuller Center, Natchitoches Mayor Ronnie Williams, Councilwoman Betty Sawyer-Smith, and guests from the community. Rev Gary Willis of FUMC Natchitoches gave the opening prayer. Ms. Juanita Fowler, President of the Natchitoches Fuller Center for Housing then presented the Blackman family with a plaque and the deed to their now mortgage free home.

The Fuller Center for Housing is a faith-based non-profit that opened in 2005. They currently operate in 70 communities in the United States as well as 20 countries. Their mission is to partner with individuals in need of housing and assist them in achieving their goals. The homes are built with volunteer labor. The homeowner puts in 300 hours of labor working alongside the community volunteers. The Fuller Center does everything possible to keep the cost of materials and land down so the greatest number of people may become partners in homebuilding. The homeowner signs an interest free mortgage to repay the costs incurred. The Fuller Center makes no profit from the sale. In fact, the payments are turned around and used to build more homes. The homeowners are helping other people achieve their dreams when they make each mortgage payment.

The Fuller Center is a superb organization that is making our community a better place. They are men and women of every race and background who saw a need and are doing something about it. If you would like to donate, volunteer, or otherwise join the men and women of the Natchitoches Fuller Center for Housing, Inc. in changing lives and making our community a better place, please contact Juanita Fowler at natchfullerctr@outlook.com. You may also get more information at fullercenter.org.

The Natchitoches Parish Journal wishes to extend its best wishes to the Blackman family on this wonderful occasion. May the Lord grant you many years in your new home!

Kevin’s Gallery

The streets of Natchitoches were lined by thousands of area residents and visitors who came to be a part of what has rapidly become one of the most enjoyable events in our city, the Krewe of Dionysos Mardi Gras parade on February 18. This year’s parade, a fixture of Natchitoches life for 25 years, featured 40 units led by the Krewe of Dionysos’ group of floats and joined by the Krewe of Excellence. The superb Natchitoches Central “Pride of the Tribe” Band provided a non-stop musical accompaniment to the festivities. The Lakeview High School Cheerleaders kept spirits high as they marched and danced along the route. Dance groups and community organizations rounded out the lineup.

The Krewe members on the colorfully decorated floats drew from a seemingly endless supply of beads and trinkets for the delighted crowd. Mardi Gras parades are one of the things that makes life in Louisiana so special. Natchitoches’ parade is a true delight for bead aficionados of all ages.

The Annual Krewe of Waguns Children and Pet Parade Kicked off “Mardi-Paws” in Natchitoches!

It’s just not Mardi Gras in Natchitoches until the Krewe of Waguns parade rolls! The long-standing local tradition, now sponsored by FAUNA (Friends All United for Natchitoches Animals) rolled February 18 prior to the Krewe of Dionysos parade. This year’s parade featured beads, trinkets and family fun for all ages.

Over 75 animals, many in Mardi Gras themed costumes, joined their owners in a parade down Front Street that ended at the riverbank stage. They were joined by McGruff the Crime Dog, Sparky the Fire Dog, the D.A.R.E Lion, BOM’s Monty the Owl and a surprise Ali-E-Gator entry. The mascots engaged in a spirited dance-off with the winner chosen by audience reaction. The Gator put on a performance worthy of Dancing with the Stars and took top honors in this year’s contest. Monty, McGruff and the D.A.R.E. Lion will be out for revenge next Mardi Gras! Queen Mutt-a-Gras and King Rex Rufus were crowned, and prizes awarded in such categories as best float and best costume. FAUNA also introduced some dogs who were available for adoption.

The Natchitoches Parish Journal congratulates FAUNA for over ten fun filled years for area children of all ages and is looking forward to many more.

Lunchtime Lagniappe at the LA Sports Hall of Fame & NW Louisiana History Museum-an Update on the Texas & Pacific Railway Depot Restoration

The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum was host to a capacity crowd Friday, February 17 for this month’s installment of the museum’s popular “Lunchtime Lagniappe” program. Ms. Carrie Mardorf, Superintendent of Cane River Creole National Historical Park, spoke on the history of Natchitoches’ Texas & Pacific Railway Depot and its ongoing restoration by the National Park Service.

Natchitoches’ first rail service was in 1900-1901 and was a railway spur from Cypress. The spur was one way, requiring the train to reverse itself after unloading its freight and passengers. The present city court building also served as a railway station before the train depot was completed on June 20, 1927 after the railway was bought by the Texas & Pacific Railroad. The depot cost $100,000.00 to build, equivalent to about $1,400.000.00 in today’s dollars. The construction was completed in six months, positively speedy by today’s standards.

Ms. Mardorf also spoke of the stories of the people whose lives were affected by the station. Many people came forward with stories of traveling and meeting people at the station. The depot was a waypoint for the Great Migration as African-Americans left the South for opportunities and a chance for a better life. There were also stories of casualties from WWII being shipped to the station on their way home. The Texas & Pacific Railway Depot was an integral part of our community for 40 years.

The Depot was in operation from 1927 through the 1960’s, from the depths of the Jim Crow era to the Civil Rights movement, a pivotable time in our community and national history. It is a product of its time, the only remaining segregated train depot in Louisiana. In its new incarnation as a museum, the depot will preserve and tell the story of a past still in living memory. The depot’s restoration is expected to be complete in 2024.

MOBILE, Alabama – Two-out rallies from Eastern Kentucky proved too much for the Northwestern State baseball team to overcome in its final game at the South Alabama Jaguar Classic on Sunday morning.

The Colonels used a pair of two-out rallies to fashion multi-run innings, including a three-run second, and pulled away from the Demons to score an 11-1 win at Eddie Stanky Field.

Northwestern State starter Drayton Brown zipped through the first inning, working around a leadoff error to retire the next three hitters. Brown (0-1) was close to working around a one-out, second-inning walk to Miguel Larreal before Roderick Criss started EKU’s first two-out salvo with an RBI double to left-center field.

Conner Davis followed with another RBI double before Logan Thompson’s RBI single capped the damage and gave the Colonels (3-1) a 3-0 lead.

Bailyn Sorensen had an answer for EKU, driving a 2-2 pitch from Colonel right-hander Rian Yates out to straightaway center field for his first home run of the season, cutting the lead to 3-1.

Sorensen’s home run seemed to settle Brown, who retired 12 straight EKU hitters from the second through the sixth inning. Brown worked 5 2-3 innings, scattering three hits while allowing four runs and striking out six.

Sorensen’s home run was the only extra-base hit the Demons (0-3) mustered against three EKU pitchers. After NSU knocked Yates from the game after four innings of one-run ball, Brock Blanton (1-0) wiggled out of a fifth-inning jam to toss a scoreless inning and earn the win.

Freshman shortstop Caleb Castle welcomed Blanton to the game with a single to center before Jake Haze drew one of his two walks on the day. Blanton responded by getting a fielder’s choice and a pair of strikeouts to escape the jam.

From there, EKU turned to right-hander Cameron Kalandros, who worked four scoreless innings of relief, allowing only Michael Dattalo’s eighth-inning single and two walks to earn his first save of the season.

Dattalo, a freshman from Keller (Texas) High School, hit safely in all three games of the Jaguar Classic, finishing the weekend 5-for-12.

The Demons trailed 4-1 entering the seventh inning when the Colonels struck with their second two-out surge.

Will King’s RBI single extended the lead before Ron Franklin dropped a two-out, two-run single inside the right-field line to push the lead to 7-1 before Sorensen threw out Franklin stealing second to end the inning.

Franklin capped the day with a three-run home run in the ninth inning, providing the final margin.

The Demons return to action Tuesday when they host LSU-Alexandria in NSU’s home opener. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. at Brown-Stroud Field.

Eastern Kentucky 11, NSU 1
EKU 030 001 313 – 11 11 1
NSU 010 000 000 – 1 5 1
W – Brock Blanton (1-0). L – Drayton Brown (0-1). 2B – EKU, Conner Davis 2, Will King, Jalen Jones, Roderick Criss. HR – EKU, Ron Franklin (1), Miguel Larreal (1). NSU, Bailyn Sorensen (1). Highlights: EKU, King 2-5, HR, RBI; Franklin 2-4, HR, 4 RBIs; Jones 2-5, 2B, RBI; Davis 2-4, 2 2Bs, RBI.
Records: Eastern Kentucky 3-1, Northwestern State 0-3.

Credit: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services

YOUNGSVILLE – One big inning and one massive pitching performance was more than enough for Northwestern State on Sunday afternoon to take down Toledo 6-0 and finish a perfect Mardi Gras Mambo weekend.

The Lady Demons (6-3) scored five runs in the second inning to take a commanding early lead for starting pitcher Maggie Darr who retired the first 16 batters she faced on her way to a one-hit shutout and her second win of the weekend.

“I thought maybe she didn’t have her best stuff as the game started but she grinded through it the first couple innings and was able to settle in,” head coach Donald Pickett said. “She got stronger as the game went and I was glad to see her do that and us make plays behind her. After she got the feel and got going she was a little more dominant as the game went on.”

Darr was able to work all quadrants of the zone from start of the game, hitting the inside corner with regularity and painting the black on the outside to keep the Toledo (2-7) batters guessing all afternoon.

She struck out at least one batter in six of her seven innings and had two strikeouts in three different innings, several thanks to the elite defensive performance behind the plate from Ashlyn Walker on pitches low in the zone.

“Changing speeds was the biggest thing today for me,” Darr said. “Was able to work down in the zone as well made them chip away at things and kind of throw their bats out there so keeping it low really helped us. Ash had some big moments all day keeping balls blocked they were chasing was huge too.”

The Demon offense provided all the support it technically needed for Darr’s dominant outing in the bottom of the first inning.

Laney Roos started the frame with a single to left then advanced to third with some aggressive baserunning on a sacrifice bunt from Makenzie Chaffin, one of two perfectly placed bunts of the game for the left fielder. Keely Dubois completed the run manufacturing inning with a sacrifice fly to left that scored Roos and put NSU up 1-0.

“Those are the kinds of at-bats that we’ve got to have, those quality at-bats,” Pickett said. “Whether it’s bunting, hitting behind the runner or even a sacrifice fly with less than two outs. Having those at-bats in the situational hitting scenarios sets the table for other people in the lineup to get things done.”

Darr struck out a pair in the second after a nine-pitch at bat to start the inning that ended in a ground ball to short and get the offense back to work.

NSU loaded the bases with the help of a hit batter and walk around a Tristin Court base hit that set the stage for the crooked number production.

A Bailie Ragsdale base hit up the middle brought in the first run and flipped the lineup back to the top for Roos. She worked a walk after falling behind 0-2 to reload the bases with still only one out in the inning.

After a walk pitch allowed Nani Winger to score, who also walked in the inning, Chaffin laced a ball through the right side to bring in two more runs making it a 6-0 game after two innings.

“It’s big to go up early,” Darr said. “It gets the momentum going and as a pitcher it lets you take a deep breath a little bit knowing your team has your back like that.”

Darr followed the outburst with another two-strikeout inning and was officially on no-hitter and perfect game watch with nine straight retired one time through the order.

The Rockets went to the bullpen in the third after two walks started the inning and Toledo’s Sophia Knight got the next three batters in a row, and after escaping any more damage in the next half inning, retired seven of the final eight batters she faced in the game.

Darr cruised through the fourth and fifth innings and got the first batter of the sixth on a liner to short that Dubois was able to extend and grab to preserve the perfection and the no-hitter.

Both would fall away on a base hit to right by the Rockets’ Lauren Erickson serving as the only hit of the game for Toledo and one of only two baserunners, the second coming on a missed third strike in the seventh inning that was quickly erased on a 4-6-3 double play.

“I wasn’t thinking about a perfect game or no-hitter at all really until it dropped and I kind of sat there and said ok,” Darr said. “I was looking to keep the off the bases, low traffic, no runs and let my team do what they do on the hitting side.”

NSU shut out three of its five opponents in a 5-0 weekend in Youngsville.

Credit: Evelyn Winger

Cadets from NSU’s Army ROTC program took their training up a notch at Natchitoches’ Grady Nature Preserve Thursday, February 16. The cadets ran through a Platoon Attack scenario situated in the woods of the preserve. This event was built upon skills learned in the classroom and an open field on campus. The next step at the piney woods of the Grady Preserve provided an additional layer of realism and complexity as cadets had to deal with limited visibility, slower and more difficult movement along with less than ideal weather.

NSU’s Army ROTC program currently has 28 cadets, ranging from incoming freshmen to graduate students. The program has been at NSU for over 70 years and commissions five to ten officers each year. The cadets will go on to serve as officers in the active Army, National Guard and Army Reserve after graduation.

NSU’s Army cadets are regular students at the university who come from a wide variety of academic fields. They take ROTC classes in addition to the classes in their major. The cadets are an impressive group of young men and women by any standard.

Army ROTC is more than a scholarship program; it is a chance to learn that you are capable of much more than you realize. If you would like to get more out of your college experience, contact NSU Army ROTC at 318-357-5176 or stop by the James Noe Armory on campus.

There are some dishes that always, I mean always, taste better when someone else makes them. For years I have always heard my parents say that sandwiches truly taste better when someone else makes them. The older I became I realized that it was the truth. Same thing with a salad, it just tastes better when someone else’s hands have prepared it and served it.

I always chalked it up to the monotony of making a sandwich or a salad. The endless chopping of vegetables and repetitious actions of retrieving all of the necessary products from the refrigerator is no fun for anyone involved. Normally as I grab each item from the fridge it gets harder and harder to grab the next. Sure, I can make do with a sandwich that has no lettuce and tomato because I seriously do not feel like slicing it, placing it on the bread and cleaning up after myself.

Plain ole bologna, cheese and whitbread it is. Does my salad really need cucumbers that I need to wash, peel and slice? Somedays, nope, sure doesn’t.

Then, there are the meals that only taste good when prepared by our own hands. For example, do you really want someone making your bowl of cereal? Do they sincerely know how much milk to pour before it becomes too much? For me, it is my coffee. I would rather complete this task on my own. Some days I need more creamer than coffee and some days I do not require creamer at all. I am as moody as my coffee taste buds.

Another meal that always tastes wonderful when we serve ourselves and we never want it served by someone else is Humble Pie.

One of my most favorite stories in the Bible is when Jesus walked in while his Disciples were arguing over who is the greatest among them. This is one of those times I would have loved to be a fly on the wall just to see their faces when the Lord walked in. Were they embarrassed or did they know enough at the time to even be embarrassed?

This was the appointed time that Jesus chose to school them on being humble and being a servant. He said, “those who are the greatest among you should take the lowest rank and the leader should be like a servant…” How powerful are those words? Jesus created true servant leadership. He went on to say, “Who is more important, the one who sits at the table or the one who serves? The one who sits, of course, but not here! For I Am here as one who serves.”

As followers of Christ we are to emulate his character and his serve our brothers and sisters. He came to serve and love others, so should we.

Being in the public as an elected official, I try to constantly remind myself that I am here to serve others and not serve myself or my ego. This is a constant conversation between me and the Lord, it has not been a one and done feeling. Anytime I start feeling “great” about myself, I prayerfully turn my attention to my creator and my redeemer. I am constantly grateful for his mercy and love.

When we constantly feed our souls with Humble Pie, our bellies are way too full to eat Humble Pie served by others.

“Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.” James 4:10

BOM is a sponsor of the Louisiana Knights 8U baseball team. Pictured left to right: BOM’s Brittany Robinson, Brian Powell Jr., and BOM’s Laquisha Duruisseau.

NATCHITOCHES – On a night when he tallied a career high in points, Isaac Haney saved arguably his biggest moment on the defensive end Thursday night.

Haney drew a charge with 3.8 seconds to play and hit the first of the Demons’ three late free throws as Northwestern State erased a double-digit, second-half deficit to rally past Southeastern, 81-76, in Southland Conference play, collecting its ninth straight win in the process.

“That was big-time,” said first-year head coach Corey Gipson, whose team is on the program’s longest win streak since the 2012-13 season. “We call it ‘show the blow.’ He didn’t flop. He waited for the contact, and he showed the blow. That’s a very strong, physical guy he was guarding (Boogie Anderson). We had to rotate some different bodies on him, but in that moment, Haney wanted that moment. He wanted to get that stop.

“Collectively, I was proud of how we banded together, but Haney showing the blow and selling out was big time.”

By taking the charge with his team up one, Haney helped the Demons (19-8, 11-3) remain in a first-place tie with Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, which won at Nicholls on Thursday.

While his defensive moment saved the game, it was his career-best scoring performance that allowed the Demons to battle back from a 13-point, second-half deficit.

A sophomore from West Plains, Missouri, Haney finished with 23 points, including a five-point burst in 34 seconds that began to whittle down the Lions’ lead.

Southeastern (14-13, 8-6) built as much as a 14-point, first-half lead on the strength of a blistering opening 20 minutes in which it shot 60.7 percent from the field and sank five of seven 3-pointers. Meanwhile, NSU was just 2-for-13 from 3-point range in the opening half, part of a start in which the Demons shot just 38.2 percent from the field (13-for-34).

“We shouldn’t have to wait 37 or whatever minutes it was to get to that point,” Haney said. “We’ve got to go back and look at the film as a team and individually and see what was going wrong on the defensive end. Right now, without watching the film, I don’t feel like I did my job.”

While Haney set the table for the Demons’ comeback, it was DeMarcus Sharp who again played the role of closer.

Sharp had 17 of his game-high 25 points in the second half, shooting 7-for-9 from the field and handing out five second-half assists. He was at his absolute best down the stretch as the Demons used an 13-0 run across 4:27 to erase SLU’s final 10-point advantage, which came on Anderson’s three-point play with 7:28 to play.

Sharp scored or assisted on 11 of the points in the surge, which gave NSU its first lead since the 19:26 mark of the first half, and answered Roger McFarlane’s run-stopping bucket with another jumper to re-establish a three-point lead with 2:51 to play.

“I know what I have to do, and I go out night in and night out and just do it,” said Sharp, who finished with game highs in assists (6) and blocks (2) while shooting 11-for-18 from the field. “Coach tells me every day to be aggressive and be the captain I am and lead these boys and do the right stuff. Every game we learn different stuff about us.

“One thing we know, when stuff doesn’t go our way, we lean on each other. We’re brothers on and off the court and it shows.”

Sharp was joined in the second-half scoring parade by freshman Jalen Hampton, who had 12 of his 14 points in the final 20 minutes. Hampton added 11 rebounds to collect his team-leading fifth double-double of the season.

Down the stretch, Sharp found Hampton on back-to-back possessions for a tie-breaking, three-point play and a bucket that re-established a three-point NSU advantage.

“He’s the best passer I’ve played with,” Hampton said of Sharp. “It’s easier playing with somebody who can pass it like him. It helps me a lot, knowing down the stretch he’s comfortable giving me the ball. That boosts my confidence.”

Each team had four players reach double figures. Sharp, Haney, Hampton and Ja’Monta Black (11) cracked the mark for NSU while SLU had three players – Anderson, Alec Woodard and Nick Caldwell — finish with 16 points while McFarlane finished with 11.

The Demons cap their season-long, three-game homestand Saturday when they host New Orleans. Tipoff is set for 3:30 p.m.

Photo: Chris Reich/NSU Photographic Services

Sixteen years ago, a young man had an idea for an outdoors program. At the time, he was doing Natchitoches Central football as color analyst with Chris Boyd who did the play-by-play. Chris was an outstanding sports broadcaster and a great mentor to this young man as he learned a lot under his tutelage. During this time, NC football was not a great program and on this night, they were at West Monroe (Louisiana’s top high school football program at that time). It was 42-0 at the half, and during a commercial break the young man pitched his outdoors show idea to Chris who thought it was a great idea and encouraged him to pursue it.

After getting a full endorsement from Chris, the enthusiastic young man decided to move forward. Several people tried to discourage the young man and said it would never work. Their point was, that no one wants to listen to hunting and fishing. But he disagreed and asked himself, what do people in our region like to do? The answer: they hunt and fish!    Bound and determined to make this work, he immediately started reaching out to businesses that he felt would benefit from such a program. Any business related to the hunting or fishing world was on his radar, and in most cases, there was a personal connection.

One reason the young man believed he could make such a program work was due to the great list of contacts he had related to the bass fishing world, both from a business standpoint and personal relationships he had with professional anglers. He made these connections due to the level of tournament fishing he was competing on with the FLW Tour and B.A.S.S. Opens. Formatting a show would be the easy part. Gaining sponsors would be more difficult since only a handful of people had tried producing this type of program. A few had tried, but all had failed.                                                                                              

Two weeks later the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show was born in February of 2007! With sponsors on board and an agreement made, the HUTD Show was now a go! That’s right, the young outdoorsman with dreams of a good outdoors show was yours truly. Over the course of sixteen years, the show as gained a national following. We’ve interviewed the greatest names in the bass fishing world… Kevin Van Dam, Skeet Reese, Bill Dance, Jimmy Houston, Ray Scott, Mark Zona, and Rick Clunn to name a few. By having the top professional anglers in the country appear, the HUTD Show obtained instant credibility.

Today, the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show continues to set the bar for great outdoors entertainment as we talk hunting and fishing on a weekly basis. But the success of the program would not have been possible without two other guys. My two co-hosts, radio legend Gary McCoy and H&W Team Trail Tournament Director and duck hunting guide Mike Echols. They say successful people surround themselves with people better than themselves. This is definitely true in my case, as these two guys brought not only a wealth of knowledge of the outdoors but offered great personalities as  well.

I hope you’ve enjoyed going down the path of the HUTD Show and how the program got started. You can catch the program on our web site: www.hutdshow.com. It’s proof that if you believe in something strong enough, you can make it happen. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget your sunscreen!!!

Steve Graf 
Anglers Perspective 

Kevin’s Gallery

The Concerned Citizens Association of Natchitoches hosted its annual “Moments in African American History” awards ceremony Wednesday, February 15 at Natchitoches’ Martin Luther King Center. The focus of the ceremony was to recognize an accomplished group of six local leaders who have excelled in a wide variety of endeavors.

The event was emceed by Mr. Johnny Barnes, President of The Concerned Citizens of Natchitoches. One noteworthy aspect of the program was the superb talent on display from our community’s young people. Brylie Gates, a 6^th grader at East Natchitoches, performed a stunning rendition of the National Anthem and Kylee Hickman, an 8^th grader at Natchitoches Magnet, gave a superb speech on the accomplishments of African-Americans in various fields of endeavor throughout our nation’s history.

The 2023 awardees were:

Mr. Ronnie Evans
Reverend Aill Harris
Reverend Steven Harris
Mrs. Linda Queen
Mrs. Elnora Robertson
Ms. Sonnia Steele

There was a common theme throughout the evening as each person honored gave thanks to those who went before and laid a foundation for their success. Indeed, all of us owe a debt to the men and women of the past who, when faced with injustice, came back with hard work and excellence. It was an honor to meet Mrs. Elnora Robertson and be in the presence of a true American hero.

The program also featured several young adults who sang, played the piano and did a mime performance. The mime performance was dedicated to the memory of Harriet Tubman. One of the lyrics of the accompanying song stuck in my mind. “I’m going to stand up, take my people with me.” That lyric summed up the work of the people honored at the ceremony. Our city, state, and nation are better because of these men and women.

The Natchitoches Parish Journal is donating the evening’s photography. All are welcome to download any they wish.

It was a cold 27-degree morning, February 12, 1994, when 40-year-old Greg Wiggins and fishing partner Mark Smith launched Wiggins’ boat into the chilly waters of Caney Lake in Jackson Parish. The duo had to have been thinking about the trophy bass that Caney had been producing, including a monster 15.54 pounder caught a year earlier by Tommy Foster.

We visited with Wiggins recently and asked him to relive and share the special moments that took place just before noon that morning.

“I liked to fish a jig and Mark wanted me to show him how the jig worked and how to fish it,” said Wiggins. “We went to a spot I thought might be good and fished there for several hours without getting a bump. We took a break, went to get us a bite to eat and returned to try again.

“Soon after we got back on the lake, Mark hooked and landed a nice 4-pounder. We weighed it, made a few more casts when Mark tied into a really big bass, one that weighed over eight pounds. We took it to what was then Brown’s Landing, weighed it and headed back to the lake,” Wiggins continued.

Wiggins was still sitting in the driver’s seat when Smith made a cast and the fight was on. A monster of a bass had taken Smith’s jig but before Wiggins could net it, the fish broke off; Smith had neglected to retie his jig after landing the 8-pounder.

“I made a cast and turned around to help Mark find the bait he was looking for in a tackle box. When I looked back I saw my line ‘wobble.’ I set the hook and assumed I was hooked on a stump but then the fish started moving,” he continued.

Wiggins was afraid the fish would turn and go into the stump field where Mark had hooked his big fish but fortunately, the fish Wiggins had on the line headed for deep water.

“The fish was stripping my drag and I got on the trolling motor and followed her out into the deeper water. She finally came to the top and appeared tired and worn out so I started reeling hard and brought her to the side of the boat. Thankfully,” Wiggins said, “Mark was able to get her in the net and in the boat on the first try.”

Wiggins said he was shaking so bad and was so rattled he stuffed the bass into the smaller of the two live wells with plans to head for Brown’s to weigh it. He was so nervous he had to ask Smith to start the engine.

“When we got to Brown’s I tried to lift her out of the small live well, knocking off several scales before being successful. We weighed her on Brown’s official scales at 15.97 pounds. I really believe if I hadn’t knocked those scales loose, she might have made 16 pounds,” he laughed.

Today, the 69-year-old Wiggins enjoys getting back to bass fishing with his son-in-law. He had given up bass fishing for several years and had switched to fishing for crappie but his son-in-law talked him into getting back to bass fishing.

Wiggins turned the bass over to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries for samples to learn what strain of bass she was, with later confirmation she was a Florida strain largemouth bass. Interestingly, samples were also taken on two other Caney bass weighing over 15 pounds and both were native largemouths.

Today, Wiggins enjoys retirement from his work in maintenance in a plant in Winnfield and spends his spare time fishing with his son-in-law. There’s a good chance, though, that when he leaves home to head for the lake, he pauses to glance at the mount of his state-record bass hanging on the wall, one that has maintained the top spot for 29 years. 

Contact Glynn at glynnharris37@gmail.com

Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court David Stamey announces that the Clerk of Court’s office will be holding a School of Instruction for new election commissioners. It will be held at the main courtroom of the Natchitoches Parish Courthouse, 200 Second Street, on Tuesday February 28, 2023 at 5:30 pm.

The school is for new persons wanting to be certified as Election Commissioners. If you are already an Election Commissioner, you do not have to attend. Stamey stated that Natchitoches Parish is lucky to have great commissioners but he does have turnover and he is always looking for new commissioners throughout the Parish. The Clerk’s office operates 50 precincts at 42 different polling places for parish wide elections.

The qualifications to serve include: You must be a qualified voter who does not require assistance in voting. You cannot be a candidate in the election or have an immediate family member who is a candidate at the precinct in which you serve. To become an Election Commissioner you cannot have been convicted of an election offense. You must attend the course of instruction for new election commissioners.

By attending this school, you would be eligible to be selected to work at one of the election polling places on Election Day. Pay is $200.00 per election.

There are four election dates scheduled for this year in Natchitoches Parish. The March 25 election is for a Fire District tax in just six polling places. The April 29 election will include parish wide propositions. The Gubernatorial Election is October 14. It includes Statewide and Parish wide elections. The runoffs for that election will be held November 18.
If you have any questions, please call the Natchitoches Parish Clerk of Court’s office at 318 352-8152.

Pictured at the Clerk’s office are, left to right, Parish Election Specialist Fay Megason, Clerk of Court David Stamey and Chief Deputy Casey Harris.

Pursuant to the provisions of a resolution adopted by the Parish School Board of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana (the “Governing Authority”), acting as the governing authority of (i) Parishwide School District of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana, (ii) School District No. 9 of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana and (iii) Consolidated School District No. 8 of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana (the “Districts”), on January 12, 2023, NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that special elections will be held within the Districts on SATURDAY, APRIL 29, 2023 and that at the said elections there will be submitted to all registered voters in the Districts qualified and entitled to vote at the said elections under the Constitution and Laws of the State of Louisiana and the Constitution of the United States, the following propositions, to-wit:

PARISHWIDE SCHOOL DISTRICT PROPOSITION (MILLAGE RENEWAL)

Shall Parishwide School District of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy a seven (7) mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the District for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2024 and ending with the year 2033 (an estimated

$2,832,400 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for the purpose of giving additional support to public elementary and secondary schools in the District by providing funds for construction, repairs, purchase of equipment and/or supplies and additional improvements?

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 9 PROPOSITION (MILLAGE RENEWAL)

Shall School District No. 9 of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy a seven (7) mills tax on all property subject to taxation in the District for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2024 and ending with the year 2033 (an estimated $1,567,400 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, improving, maintaining or operating public elementary and secondary schools in the District?

CONSOLIDATED SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 8 PROPOSITION (MILLAGE RENEWAL)

Shall Consolidated School District No. 8 of the Parish of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana (the “District”), continue to levy a special tax of seven (7) mills on all property subject to taxation within the District (an estimated $60,300 reasonably expected at this time to be collected from the levy of the tax for an entire year), for a period of ten (10) years, beginning with the year 2025 and ending with the year 2034, the purpose of giving additional support to public elementary and secondary schools by funding the improvement, maintenance and operation of public school buildings in said District?

Said special election for the Parishwide Proposition will be held at each and every polling place in Natchitoches Parish, which polls will open at seven o’clock (7:00) a.m. and close at eight o’clock (8:00) p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541.

Said special election for School District No. 9 Proposition will be held at the polling places at the following precincts of the District which polls will open at seven o’clock (7:00) a.m. and close at eight o’clock (8:00) p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541, to wit:

PRECINCTS

01-01
01-01A
01-02
01-03
01-03A
01-04
01-04A
01-05
01-05A
01-06
01-07
01-08
01-09
01-09A(PART)
01-10
01-10A(PART)
01-10B
01-11
01-12
01-13
01-14
02-04(PART)
02-06(PART)
02-07(PART)
02-07A
03-02(PART)
03-04(PART)
03-05(PART)
03-07
03-08(PART)
04-01(PART)
04-02
04-03(PART)
04-04(PART)
04-09

Said special election for Consolidated School District No. 8 Proposition will be held at the polling places at the following precincts of the District which polls will open at seven o’clock (7:00) a.m. and close at eight o’clock (8:00) p.m., in accordance with the provisions of La. R.S. 18:541, to wit:

PRECINCTS

01-09A(PART)
03-05(PART)
03-06
03-08(PART)
03-09(PART)
03-10
04-01(PART)
04-06(PART)
04-07(PART)
04-08

The polling places for the precincts in the Parish and Districts are hereby designated as the polling places at which to hold the said elections, and the Commissioners-in-Charge and Commissioners, respectively, shall be those persons designated according to law.

The estimated cost of the Parishwide election as determined by the Secretary of State based upon the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 and actual costs of similar elections is $20,000.

The estimated cost of the School District No. 9 election as determined by the Secretary of State based upon the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 and actual costs of similar elections is $12,000.

The estimated cost of the Consolidated School District No. 8 election as determined by the Secretary of State based upon the provisions of Chapter 8-A of Title 18 and actual costs of similar elections is $3,000.

Notice is further given that a portion of the monies collected from the taxes described in the Propositions shall be remitted to certain state and statewide retirement systems in the manner required by law.

The said special elections will be held in accordance with the applicable provisions of Chapter 5 and Chapter 6-A of Title 18 of the Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, as amended, and other constitutional and statutory authority, and the officers appointed to hold the said elections, as provided in this Notice of Special Elections, or such substitutes therefor as may be selected and designated in accordance with La. R.S. 18:1287, will make due returns thereof to said Governing Authority, and NOTICE IS HEREBY FURTHER GIVEN that the Governing Authority will meet at its regular meeting place, the Parish School Board Office, Board Room, 310 Royal Street, Natchitoches, Louisiana, on THURSDAY, MAY 11, 2023, at FIVE O’CLOCK (5:00) P.M., and shall then and there in open and public session proceed to examine and canvass the returns and declare the result of the said special elections. All registered voters of the Districts are entitled to vote at said special elections and voting machines will be used.

THUS DONE AND SIGNED at Natchitoches, Louisiana, on this, the 12^th day of January, 2023.

/S/
President

ATTEST:

/S/
Secretary