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Feliciana Explorer • Tuesday, December 30, 2014 • Vol. 4, No. 52 • Published Weekly • Circulation 17,000 • felicianaexplorer.com • © 2014

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Congratulating Judge Betsy Jones at her swearing-in ceremony December 19 are, from left, Sam D’Aquilla, District Attorney for the 20th Judicial District, Judge George H. "Hal" Ware, recently retired from the 20th Judicial District Court, Jones, and 20th Judicial District Court Judge William Carmichael. The ceremony took place at the East Feliciana Parish Courthouse in Clinton. Jones will serve both East and West Feliciana Parishes. Photograph by Mary Anne Newman.

Betsy Jones Takes the Oath as 20th Judicial District Court Judge

Wreaths Across Americaat Port Hudson National Cemetery

Lauren Pourciau, regent of the Felicianas’ Alexander Stirling Chapter of the DAR, places a holiday wreath on the grave of Betty Dailey at the Port Hudson National Cemetery in East Baton Rouge Parish. Dailey was a member of the Stirling chap-ter. Photograph by Beth Dawson.

By Patricia Stallman with Beth Daw-Son

During the ninth annual Wreaths Across America, a na-tional event that honors veterans of United States military service, Lauren Pourciau placed a holiday wreath on the grave of Betty Dai-ley at the Port Hudson, Louisiana, National Cemetery in East Baton Rouge Parish. Pourciau is the re-gent of the Felicianas’ Alexander Stirling Chapter of the DAR, and Dailey was a member of the chap-ter. Accompanying Pourciau were Stirling Chapter members Mary Ann Stevens, Mary Anna Leverett and Beth Dawson.

The Baton Rouge Chapter of the DAR sponsored the December 13 Port Hudson event, Dawson says, as well as celebrations at the Capitol and a downtown cemetery in Baton Rouge.

Also taking part in the Port

By Patricia Stallman

At the December 15 West Feliciana Parish Government Council meeting, the Council discussed, in a public hear-ing, an ordinance to “dismiss all claims and counter claims” with regard to the Lambert Lawsuit, in which the Parish is the defendant. Parish President Kevin Couhig pointed out that the language of Councilman Melvin Young’s proposed ordinance meant that “we as a Parish give away our rights, but the Lamberts retain some rights” with regard to the contested property at the river end of Ferdinand Street in St. Francisville.

Couhig’s first recommendation was that the Council delete the ordinance’s final section concerning “the plaintiffs’ specific reservation of their claims of possession and/or ownership….” and then decide whether to end the conten-tion.

West Feliciana Council Can't Find Way Forward on Lambert LawsuitRegarding further defense against

the lawsuit, resident Bob Butler cau-tioned, “If we continue as we’ve been going, we can spend $1 million” on “property that is not worth the expenses so far.” Butler urged that Parish lead-ers find “alternative methods of solving problems.”

Dave Duvic remarked, “I have yet to be shown how the Parish has any claim down there (at the river proper-ty). Please figure out a way to get this behind us.”

Hamilton Willis said he wished to “echo Duvic,” as the lawsuit had in-volved “too much time and too much money…and could come close to step-ping on toes of private property rights. I’d like to see this come to an end.”

Former Police Jury President Bert Babers addressed the Council: “Our population is not satisfied with your

handling of Parish funds…to the extent that when you have to go back and re-new current millages you may have a difficult time…. You are not showing good stewardship of public funds…. Think about it.”

Resident Susie Tully noted that while the public is concerned about the amount of money the Council has spent on the lawsuit, residents are also con-cerned about the riverfront and believe that “industrial and commercial opera-tions belong in another place.” Though Tully said she is “in favor of looking for a viable alternative for the Lamberts…To say the Parish has no case…when did that come about?”

In previous meetings, Couhig has said, “No one would like to stop spend-ing this money more than I would. This was a problem that existed when I took office.” He has said that he hopes to

resolve the Lambert’s lawsuit by swap-ping the contested land where Ferdi-nand Street meets the river with prop-erty near Tembec.

At the December 15 meeting, Couhig encourage the Council “not to vote to drop the lawsuit but to take a stay of six months” instead. Noting that the ongoing wrangling was “ex-pensive and unproductive,” Couhig ex-pressed the hope that “six months down the road we could have a solution that works for all of us.” Meantime, he said, “Let’s stop spending.”

Proposing that all involved cre-ate and deliver “something that works for everyone,” while entering into “no new legal claims in the interim, no new legal filings in the interim, the parish president said, “We will never solve this problem looking in the rear-view mirror.”

2 Tuesday, December 30, 2014

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See COUNCIL on page 4

Hudson ceremony were Louise Strong, Lea Evans, Zora M. Ols-son, and Rezzie Meyer of the Ba-ton Rouge Chapter of the DAR, as well as Pam Gilmore of the Women Veterans of Louisiana and Maurice Roan, Director of the Port Hudson cemetery. Tom Moore delivered a talk on the POW/MIA flag.

Members of the United States Marine Corp served as the Color Guard, posting and retiring the Colors, and the Baton Rouge Cale-donian Pipes and Drums added pomp and solemnity to the occa-sion.

The ceremony included a 50-year anniversary tribute to “all who served in Vietnam and dur-ing that time.” All Vietnam vet-erans who were present stood to receive two pins recognizing their Vietnam service. Alexander Stir-ling Chapter members attached the pins that remained after the ceremony to gingerbread Christ-mas ornaments, which Pourciau had created, and distributed them to the 43 Viet Nam veterans at the Louisiana War Veterans Home in Jackson. All other veterans as the Home received the ornaments as well.

After a roll call of families lay-ing wreaths and a fly over, Tom Mungall, U. S. Marine Corp, re-tired, played “Taps.”

Resuscitate or Pull the Plug: West Feliciana Council CommentaryBy Patricia Stallman

The Parkview Estates Contro-versy

As West Feliciana Parish Coun-cilman Ricky Lambert put it De-cember 15, “We have a beautiful Parish, and I want it to stay that way.” Who wouldn’t want a beauti-ful parish?

“We’re dying,” Parish President Kevin Couhig said. “We’ve got to have some growth. People who are developers must have reasonable rules. Seventy percent of those who live here work elsewhere. The vast majority of people who work here live elsewhere. We are a bedroom community with not enough bed-rooms.” Turning to facts and logic also seems reasonable.

Up for debate was whether to allow Courtney Tucker, co-owner of the proposed Parkview Estates subdivision, to use individual sew-erage hookups, which are, in prac-tice, the norm in West Feliciana, or to require her to provide a private community sewerage system in-stead, a more expensive proposi-tion for developers and prospective homeowners. Tucker, a resident of West Feliciana, owns 38 acres off Highway 966 where she had hoped to develop a relatively small 27-lot subdivision.

The vote addressed whether to amend a 1983 community treat-ment ordinance that requires pri-vately funded and maintained community treatment systems for subdivisions of over five lots, sys-tems that officials say are “tough to

maintain.” At least 10 subdivisions in the past 20 years have not had to meet the requirements of the ex-isting ordinance. Instead, officials sent applications for development to the Department of Health and Hospitals and followed its regula-tions. The 1983 ordinance, how-ever, if not amended, will continue to require that subdivisions of five or more lots must include a commu-nity sewerage system, a plan that officials say could either kill devel-opment or lead to very high-density subdivisions where residents can afford the costs of a community system.

In preparation for the Decem-ber 15 vote, Parish officials first sent the amended community treat-ment ordinance to West Feliciana’s Planning and Zoning Commission, which approved it.

The Council, howeer, voted De-cember 15 to deny amending the 1983 Planning and Zoning ordi-nance to reflect long-time practice, effectively requiring that commu-nity sewerage systems, which have never been the norm in the past, will now suddenly apply to subdivisions of over five lots, a requirement that some who favor “proper growth” call ridiculous. Can that action—adhering to an ordinance everyone had long ago forgotten— be reason-able? Do some wish to make even the slightest change for the better a painful process? That motivation for denying change can’t be true, as it wouldn’t be reasonable, and the

Tuesday, December 30, 2014 3

See TRADING POST on page 8

Joe Howell and wife Kim, owners of Felciana Trading Post and Mayor Lori Bell of Clinton

Feliciana Trading Post in Clinton Fills Niche in MarketBy JameS ronalD SkainS

The first unique thing you can do at the Feliciana Trading Post is to pay most of your bills, with the payment being posted quickly to your account. Other things of note at Feliciana Trad-ing Post is that you can shop for a va-riety of gifts, buy or sell gold or silver, buy guns and other weapons, buy elec-tronics, use an ATM machine and even get a loan, plus enjoy free conversation.

“We are regulated by the same agency in the state that regulates all other loan companies and state banks,” Joe Howell, owner of Feliciana Trading Post, told the Feliciana Explorer. “We have to file reports on loans we make and the items taken as collateral, so if someone has stolen property, the last place they want to come sell it is to a pawn shop because they will definitely get reported to law enforcement.”

“A loan company like ours is very essential to a good economy, especially in a rural area. Most people in Louisiana have bad credit; those figures say, may-be more than 50% of adults have bad credit. We are not concerned about their credit, only their collateral. By the time someone goes to a bank or loan com-pany and fills out and signs all the pa-per work and waits for a decision, they can be in and out of our doors in just minutes, instead of hours with money in hand. I look at the Trading Post as being an alternative money center.”

“We are becoming more and more a one stop shopping center for several items,’’ Howell, who is President elect of the East Feliciana Chamber of Com-merce pointed out. “Out in front of the store, you see several pallets of deer corn, which we sell for $6.50 a bag. We

make $.75 a bag but it draws in a lot of customers who buy other things. Our plans are to add a laundry drop-off and pickup service to our menu.”

Howell and his wife of 37 years, Kim, owned and operated Superior Pawn Shop in Port Allen for 12 years. During that time frame, Howell served on the State Board that regulated Pawn Loan Shops.

“We started Feliciana Trading Post from scratch about a year ago in 2013,” Howell related. “If we had not had 12 years of experience in the pawn busi-ness, starting up Feliciana Trading Post would have been a nightmare. Howev-er, we knew all the rules and regulations and posted the substantial bond that is required to operate a pawn shop.”

“When the old F.S. Williams Store near the crossroads of Hwy 10 and 19 burned, that left a vacuum in this area for a store which offered a wide variety of items such as sporting goods, guns,

and tools. After the Williams family de-cided not to rebuild, we decided to open Feliciana Trading Post. My wife and I had moved to East Feliciana and knew that we liked the area so much that we would not be moving again. So, we are very pleased to be here at Feliciana Trading Post.”

The guns that Feliciana Trading Post has available run the gambit from new guns, both rifles, shotguns and pistols, to refurbished guns, as well as guns that have been taken in on pawn. Not only can a customer purchase a pistol at Feliciana Trading Post, but Howell can train you how to use the gun, as well as teach the course to you for getting a conceal weapon permit.

“I’ve been in law enforcement most

of my career, either as an active duty law enforcement officer or as a reserve deputy, as I am now,” Howell acknowl-edged. “We have a firing range out at my house so I can train you to operate a pistol, as well as train you on the rules and regulations for a concealed carry permit if you so choose.”

“One of the surprising things I learned about the Pawn business during my years of operating Superior Pawn in Port Allen, was how some people would use my shop as a paid storage facility. Early on, I had a guy come in with a gun that was easily worth $2,000. He wanted to borrow $50 on the gun. He worked offshore, so he was willing to pay $50 to be sure his gun was safe and not stolen or sold by an out of sorts family member. I had several custom-ers who would bring their valuables in to me when they were working out of town for an extended period of time. I even had a guy who would pawn his Harley just to make sure it was safe. Lloyd’s of London Insurance Company says their most profitable division in their insurance company is the one that insures pawnshops. We do have great security here at the Trading Post.

Actually, Joe Howell and his wife-to-be Kim met in jail some 38 years ago. Joe Howell was the jailer at the Iberville Parish Jail. Kim was the nurse hired by the parish to provide on sight health care to the inmates.

Joe Howell also has a medical back-

4 Tuesday, December 30, 2014

COUNCIL continued from page 2

people of St. Francisville are rea-sonable people.

A community system is “sup-posed to drive down costs,” said former Police Jury President Am-brose Sims, “by increasing the number of people on the system.” That seems reasonable. Except that in Independence, people don’t tie in to the system. Is that unreasonable? Or do the people find they cannot afford the cost? So the cost is un-reasonable?

An individual tie-in cost of $2,400 for New Jerusalem Estates, an affordable housing development on Highway 965, certainly seemed unreasonable. And no one could discover who had set that fee in the first place. So the Parish lowered it dramatically. That was reasonable. Developer Lula London noted that she had received “the housing grant because (the buyers of affordable housing) are poor.” Whoever set that $2,400, therefore, was, per-haps, either unaware of the plight of others or unreasonable.

At one point in the discussion, Councilman John Kean presented a slide show with aerial shots of Richland Estates subdivision in Zachary and photographs of green slime oozing from it. An audience member called out that Kean had posted the photographs as a way to get the public to come to the meet-ing and urge the Council to vote against the ordinance. Appealing to fear seems unreasonable. But if the fear of green sludge is a real fear, how can fear be unreasonable?

“St. Francisville has always been against anything and everything,” London said. That characterization, too, if true, seems an unreasonable stance for a populace. Unless you believe your mission one of pro-tecting the beauty of St. Francis-ville, which makes standing guard a reasonable devotion.

Perhaps, London mused, appar-ently referring to the Lambert Law-suit, upon which the Council has spent at least $500,000 (and count-ing) on a contested property worth $40,000, “They’re trying to make us make up that money they threw away” at the river end of Ferdinand Street. An interesting conjecture. But how can an unsupported accu-sation create a reasonable portrait of a gracious and good people?

When one Councilman accused Director of Public Works and Plan-ning and Zoning Jim Ferguson of colluding with developers to coach

them in getting around ordinances, Ferguson, who appeared shocked by the remark, sat down rather than reply. Such possibly slanderous re-marks seem, even worse, unreason-able.

Turning to Parish President Kevin Couhig, London continued, absolving the parish president of responsibility for the tangle of government that had greeted him, “They put the baby in your lap and you had to rock it.” That seemed a reasonable analysis. Couhig did not create the clash of realities that is St. Francisville. He has made logical suggestions for solving the prob-lems of his beautiful parish. That seems hopeful. But the Council ap-pears to buck him at nearly every turn, which can appear unreason-able and, even worse, ungracious. Allowing him to do his job would mean accepting change. Trusting anyone with something that big can seem unreasonable. Trusting any-one when no one is perfect seems unreasonable. Fear at times seems reasonable.

Throwing up roadblocks for no apparent reason seems unrea-sonable.

Former Police Jury President Ambrose Sims rose to declare, “The baby was handed over fed well, not crying, and in good shape when I left.” That sounds reasonable.

Resident Mary Godke, like Lon-don pointing out the at times con-fusing contradictions and incon-sistencies between statements and actions on all sides, noted that Par-ish leaders had, in “previous meet-ings lamented…not enough users” of a community septic system to allow it to operate without losing money. Now, with the adoption of changes in ordinances, she said, she fears “we will stop people from hooking into the community septic system we have in place.” That cer-tainly seems reasonable.

Dr. John Godke spoke against amending the ordinance, saying the change “will loosen the require-ment for sewerage to the minimum” that the State Department of Health and Hospitals allows. His research, Godke said, had revealed “a multi-tude of parishes” with requirements “more strenuous” than the mini-mum. Bare minimum seems unrea-sonable. Research is good.

Several speakers from the au-dience remarked that perhaps the five-lot cutoff for subdivisions re-quiring a community system was “too stringent” and that perhaps the Council could “loosen a bit” that minimum number. Even more rea-

sonable.Couhig has said that only one is-

sue remains regarding the Tucker development, as the developer has agreed to the 150-foot lot width. He will address that issue, the commu-nity treatment requirement, by pre-senting a lot number above which is “large enough to operate economi-cally and to run properly on a com-munity system,” a number below which subdivisions may use indi-vidual hookups. Even the Council, Couhig says, has agreed that the number should be above five lots. At that point, the proposed adjust-ment of the numbers seemed quite reasonable.

Resident Linda Flynn pointed out that the proposed development is “less than three miles from a community treatment center” that already counts “not enough people” to make it solvent. “If this new subdivision is not required to hook up to it, then who is?” she asked. Very reasonable. Parish President Couhig answered that the new de-velopment would need a system that “is not three miles away and would not cost $1.25 million.” Also reasonable.

Then, late in the discussion, Councilman Mel Percy pointed to a list of at least 10 subdivisions, since 1994, that have not followed the community system requirement. Variances seem reasonable. Or maybe not following the ordinance in so many cases was unreasonable.

When Couhig pleaded that resi-dents allow the Parkview Estates development to proceed as had other subdivisions and to allow the Parish to fine-tune the rules for sub-divisions at a later point, Dr. Godke objected. “Implementing ordinanc-es and then fixing them as needed,” he said, didn’t make sense. “First, plan completely.” That sounds quite reasonable.

Everyone sounded reason-able, some more than others. But the possible result of the amend-ment’s failure was unreasonable: No Parkview Estates subdivision, no new families, no new students for the schools, no new people pay-ing taxes, a big “Go Away” sign over that lovely brick totem on the Parish line heading north. Another small town as dead as its neighbors.

Couhig said that the debate came down to one question: “Do you want

growth or not?...We have a shrink-ing population, which is now less than it was in 1890.” The Parish, he said, has “only a few choices. Raise tax rates” or bring in new people.

“If we don’t amend these ordi-nances, we’re saying we don’t want growth. We don’t want to tell one-acre lot people, ‘You’re not wel-come here.’ Right now we don’t have any growth in population. You have to make a fundamental choice: Do you want growth or not?” The question seems reasonable.

To vote for no growth does not seem reasonable. Unless people re-ally want to stay exactly as they are. Which could be reasonable. Who wants to grow to behemoth Baton Rouge size? Except that staying the same is impossible. The town is dy-ing. Grow or die. But that choice seems an extreme one. An impasse seems more reasonable. No action is reasonable, when the doctor says, “You’ll have to decide whether you want to live or die.” No, you don’t. You can just sit there.

But when everyone seems to use logic and reason, they can, as they make their points and hold to their positions, effect a standstill. Sometimes effecting that standstill seems the whole point. Sometimes it seems that doing almost anything would be better than doing nothing. But that may not be reasonable.

Mel Percy, Otis Wilson and Heather Howle supported passing the ordinance, and Kean, Lambert, Lea Williams and Melvin Young voted against.

Against the Home Rule Char-ter the Parish voted to establish. Against redistricting to bring about smaller, smoother, less expensive government. Against welcoming developers and new families to the Parish.

On the other hand, the Council is FOR spending as of now $500,000 in an unending, doomed defense against a lawsuit over a piece of land too close for comfort to St. Francisville’s historic district. And in effect it voted FOR holding on to old and new grudges and hurts on both sides of any discussion.

What would be reasonable would be for the Council and the people to choose to work with Par-ish leaders, to choose to come to-gether long enough to get it over with. Resuscitate or pull the plug.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014 5

The Silliman Varsity Cheerleaders won the Game Time Top Team Award this past sum-mer at camp. This qualified them to celebrate the season in style at Disney’s Magic Kingdom® performing with the National Cheerleaders Association (NCA) and the National Dance Alliance (NDA) for the second year in a row. Over 830 performers, originating from 41 states, gathered at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort at the Walt Disney World® Resort from December 3rd to December 8th to perform in the “Disney Parks Frozen Christmas Celebration," a “Frozen” twist on its 31st annual telecast which aired Christmas Day on ABC-TV. Robin Roberts of ABC’s “Good Morning Amer-ica” was the host of the reimagined television special inspired by the blockbuster hit’s message of uniting family and loved ones. Roberts telecasted from Walt Disney World Resort in Florida with support from GMA Contributor and ESPN and SEC Network analyst Tim Tebow. They were joined by Rob Marciano, senior meteorologist of ABC’s “Good Morning America” from the “The Happiest Place on Earth” at Disneyland Resort. Sarah Hyland, star of ABC’s Emmy award-winning show “Modern Family,” joined the fun from Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in Ko Olina, Hawaii. The festivities also feature a special appearance by Miss America 2015, Kira Kazantsev, making this year’s Christmas special a magical “Frozen” celebration not to be missed.This was a great experience for the Silliman Varsity Cheerleaders. They would like to thank all those who helped support them to make this dream come true!

Silliman Cheerleaders Wow Disney

4-H’ers Stir Things Up in the Six Easy Bites Project Club

By layne langley

For the last two months, West Fe-liciana Parish 4-H’ers have been par-ticipating in the 4-H Six Easy Bites Project Club. LSU AgCenter Area Nu-trition Agent Layne Langley leads the group, which is open to all 4-H’ers in West Feliciana. Youth meet monthly to learn about nutrition and health.

During the first meeting in Octo-ber, the 4-H’ers learned about the My-Plate nutrition guide. They took part in a Tools of the Trade game and Lingo activity. To get the 4-H’ers into a food mood, all present for the meeting dec-orated aprons with the MyPlate guide and other unique creations. Using in-gredients from four of the five food groups, the 4-H’ers worked in teams to prep and cook quesadillas.

Go for the Grains was the topic for the November 4-H Six Easy Bites Proj-

ect Club meeting. The 4-H’ers learned about grains, including whole grains, and why whole grains are so important in the diet. To reinforce the importance of consuming fiber, the 4-H’ers partici-pated in a food relay during which they fed snack foods down an intestine-like tube to see how fast healthy versus un-healthy snacks move through the intes-tine.

The 4-H’ers also reviewed the measurement abbreviations and prac-ticed measuring ingredients, using tips shared during the meeting. The group also discussed kitchen safety practices. The fun continued with the 4-H’ers preparing Honey Milk Balls…a tasty treat!

For more information about the 4-H Six Easy Bites Project Club, con-tact Layne Langley at 225-635-3614 or lalangley@agcenter.lsu.edu

Jon Elise Sturgeon works with her team to push their snack foods through the tube.

6 Tuesday, December 30, 2014

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Jackson Reindeer Race Drops Another DuckBy Patricia Stallman with Beth DawSon anD Jim henDrickSon

The annual Town of Jackson Eb-enezer Scrooge Memorial Reindeer Race took place Saturday, Decem-ber 13, on Charter Street in Jackson. Contestants were mayors and other O-Fish-als and representatives of the Felicianas’ towns and villages.

As always, the race begins with the loud report of the starting gun, which without fail accidentally downs an unlucky fowl, this year a duck, whom Jackson Fire Depart-ment Volunteers immediately res-cue and load onto a stuffed-animal-size stretcher while administering CPR.

The riders’ challenge, more fun than Jimmy Fallon’s games on The Tonight Show, calls for the towns’ representatives to straddle a rein-deer—this year, a reindeer barrel, complete with face, antlers and tail—while a blindfolded assis-tant propels the reindeer and rider around and through an orange-cone obstacle course with only the rider’s verbal commands for a guide. Race O-Fish-al O-Fish-al Jim Hendrick-son says that three years ago the or-ganizers added to each reindeer “a pouch of four Nerf snowballs that competitors may throw at the other competitors or at the spectators, but hitting an O-Fish-al with one is a foul!”

This year’s winner: Mayor Billy D’Aquilla of St. Francisville, re-ports that although he has competed in eight of the nine annual races, this year’s race is the only one he has finished…and he finished first!

Victorious-at-last Team St. Francis-ville also included Marcus McGe-hee

In second place was Team Clin-ton, with Mayor Lori Ann Bell and Police Chief Frederick G. Dunn claiming the trophy, and in third place was Team Jackson, with Town Treasurer Holli Gilmore and Noel Gilmore scoring the win.

Also giving their all were: Team East Feliciana Assessor, with Jeff Gardner and his son, Garrett Gard-ner; Team Jackson Town Marshal, with Larry Sagely and Natalie Busillo; Team Jackson Volunteer Fire Department, with Scotty Daw-son and Chris Guillot; and Team Norwood, with Tonya and Willie Duncan.

Past years’ participants, Hen-drickson says, include the mayors of Clinton, Jackson, Norwood, St. Francisville, Slaughter and Wilson, as well as East Feliciana’s sheriff and assessor, the Felicianas’ clerks of court and district attorney, mem-bers of the drug awareness council and CASA, State Representatives Kenny Havard and John Bel Ed-wards, and representatives of Jack-son’s post office, town marshal of-fice and volunteer fire department.

Past winners include: Mayor Jimmy Norsworthy of Jackson, Sheriff Talmadge Bunch (twice), Mike Bourgoyne of the Jackson Post Office “Going Postal” Team and Clinton Mayor Lori Ann Bell.

Serving as reindeer for the first two years were decorated toddlers’ tricycles; for the next two years, wheelchairs; and for the follow-ing three years, toilets mounted on wheels. The reindeer barrels have seen service for the past two races. Part of the fun is that riders find out only immediately before the race the identity of the reindeer. Those who accept the invitation to compete, therefore, demonstrate an unexplainable courage or even a disregard of caution, all to mark Jackson’s official start to the holi-days.

Organizers of the event are Jack-son historian and preservationist, O-Fish-al O-Fish-al Jim Hendrick-son and Al Saltus, whom Hendrick-son dubs his "co-conspirator and O-Fish-al Go-fer, and representatives of the Jackson Tourism Enhance-ment Committee.

The winner! The Town of St. Francsivlle brings home the gold under the leadership of Mayor Billy D’Aquilla. Photograph by Beth Dawson.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014 7

CALL 654-0122 TO ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESSIN 33,000 PAPERS A WEEK IN ZACHARY & THE FELICIANAS

ClassifiedsWE NEED HELP – Business is too GOOD! The Zachary Post and Feliciana Explorer newspa-pers continue to grow and we are looking for a Sales Account Executives to join our newspaper family for a territory to be based in Baton Rouge . We are look-ing for the right people to not only sell to existing clients, but who want to be part of the com-munity by getting involved with civic and business organizations. The ideal candidate will develop new business, service existing accounts, must not need to be mi-cromanaged, conduct needs as-sessments, create proposals and close sales. Excellent customer service and relationship building skills are essential. Experience working with Ad Agencies and Small Business Owners is a plus. Must be moderately computer literate, and an interest in the editorial side of the paper would push applicants to the top of the list. We offer a very competitive package of base salary + gener-ous commission. This is a fun and easy job for the right individuals. If you feel like you would fit in with our team please email us at daniel.duggan@zacharypost.com or fax resume to 225-208-1165.We are looking for an honest and dependable person to clean a home one day a week in Zach-ary, preferably on Mondays or Tuesdays. Services will include thorough cleaning of bathrooms and kitchens, folding laundry, as well as dusting and general main-tenance cleaning. Homeowner provides all supplies and equip-ment. Interested people should call 225-315-3670.FOR SALE. Mounted snow goose with approx. 3 foot wing span. Asking $80. Call (225) 654-0118.Now Hiring! All Star Chevrolet North is hiring for all sales posi-tions. Contact Jim or Mark at 774-4152.2001 Chevrolet Silverado Truck-2500 series-4 wheel drive-Vortec engine-4 door extended cab-long bed-Warn winch and metal guard on front-220,000 miles. Asking $6,500 (min. Blue Book value is $7,200). Call (225) 654-0118.FOR SALE. Mounted grey goose with approx. 3 foot wing span. Asking $80. Call (225) 654-0118.Land for Sale in Slaughter. 50 x 140. $11,000. Call (225) 936-8729.Drivers, CDL-A: Home EVERY Weekend! ALL Loaded/Empty Miles Paid! Dedicated Southeast! Or Walk Away Lease, No Money Down. For more information- Call: 1-855-747-6426FOR SALE. New Power Scooter. Immaculate, outstanding, excel-lent condition. Never been used. Never been outside. $1,400 (will negotiate). Call (313) 575-1606.Cross Creek Cowboy Church. 21160 Plank Rd, Zachary in blue Legendz building. Sundays

Classifieds10:30. Come as you are, bring your lawn chair. 225-721-0333. Facebook.com/CrossCreekCow-boyChurch.FOR SALE. 2007 Chevy HHR LS, 2.2 L Engine, Good Con-dition. Call (225) 310-1026 or (225) 721-1003.For Sale: 2004 Chev Im-pala, 178K miles, Cold A/C $2500.00Call Andy@225-937-67532001 TOYOTA TACOMA 4x4 Double cab V6. One owner took excellent care. Tacoma Reliabil-ity! 274,000m. KBB value $9,874 OBO 225-362-2110Seasoned Oak Firewood. $125.00 half-faced cord plus de-livery fee. Call (225) 635-0422.Immediate opening for experi-enced Medical Clerk and Medi-cal Assistant. Please fax resume to: (225) 658-8840.Landmark Bank Zachary Office accepting applications/ resumes for Teller/Backup CSR position. Contact Toni Dugas at 225-683-3371. 1137 sq. ft. udpated home in Jackson, La. 2/3 BRs, 1 bath. Gas and electric. $66,900. Feli-ciana Properties, LLC. 225-683-6032.Free to good home. 7 year old fe-male Calico cat. De-clawed and spayed. Call (225) 721-0994.HOUSE FOR RENT. 8473 Steve Johnson Drive in Solitude, LA. $400 monthly rent. For more information, call(225) 931-5939, (225) 301-1540, or (225) 939-8533.3BR/2BA Trailer for Rent in Zachary. $650 per month. Call (225) 603-3059.For Sale 5 x 5 round bale bahaia hay $30. Square bales $4. Deliv-ery available. Randy 658-8792Prime multi acre residential homesite in the heart of Zach-ary. Country living in the City! Ready to build your dream home. Brokered by Monte Real Estate 225-658-1515. Listed at $69,000 with 100% lot financing available through Brandy West-moreland at Guaranty Bank.For Sale! Seasoned firewood. $125 per truck load. Pick up only in Slaughter. 225-654-3236Now hiring - Medical assistant needed, fax resume to 225-683-3350.Help Wanted. Looking for ex-perienced Mature Non smoking Christian to work with individu-al with special needs in Zachary, Pride Area. Please contact me at 225-279-7649.Horse Help Wanted. Part-time feed and sales prep. Experience necessary. Ethel area. Call (225) 978-1328.

BUSINESS DIRECTORY | CLASSIFIEDS

ARTS, DANCE & MUSIC

ANTIQUES

CONSTRUCTION

CUSTOM DRAPES

225-936-8649

Fabrics, Slip Covers, Custom Drapery, Roman

Shades,Shutters & Upholstery

Credit cards accepted

“We come to you, FREE estimates”

DOG CARE

All Breeds Dog BoardingObedience & Retriever Training

www.y-farms.com • 225-445-5012

INSURANCE

REAL ESTATE

HOME & LAWN

HEALTH/FITNESS

Junior’s FurnitureService, LLC

Upholstery, Custom Built Ottomans and Headboards

Ultra Shield • Antique Restoration •RV’sCommercial & Residential • Eco Friendly Fabrics

225-654-3949“God is first in all we do”

FRAMING

DRY CLEANERS

HAIR SALONS

Call in or send us your Classified Ad

Only $10 Up to 20 wordsPhone 225-654-0122 or email Info@felicianaexplorer.com

8 Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Get the great All Star price, service and selection! Convenient to Baker, Zachary, Central, the Felicianas, and Baton Rouge. Low on traffic and high on personal customer service!

“ I would like to express my gratitude for Buck Spencer’s professionalism and knowledge. Buck is very friendly and always willing to help. We have recently purchased several vehicles from Buck and he did an outstanding job in guiding us through the sales process. We do not particularly enjoy the process but Buck does an outstanding job in making it a good experience. I would highly recommend All Star and more specifically Buck Spencer.”

Mark CarcamoGM Cable Contractors Inc.

2014 CHEVROLET

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$22,9952014 CHEVROLET

SILVERADO DBL CABSTK# TE4674

$25,595

2015 CHEVROLET

SILVERADO 2500HD CREW CABCOMMERCIAL SERVICE BODY

STK# #TF1447

$37,995

2015 CHEVROLET

SILVERADO 2500HD REG CABKNAPHEIDE SERVICE BODY

STK# TF1309

$32,998ALL STAR CHEVROLET NORTH9352 Plank Road | Baton Rouge, LA225-774-4152 | AllStarNorth.com

STK# TE7872 MSRP: $27,120.00 - 2,500.00 GM REBATE - 1,500 TRADE ASSIT - 1,125 ASCN DISCOUT • STK# TE4674 MSRP: $33,160.00 - 2,000 GM REBATE - TRADE ASSIST - 3,00.00 BECTA ALLOWANCE - 1,065.00 ASCN DISCOUNT • STK#TF1447 MSRP: $45,615.00 - 2,000 GM REBAGE - 750 BUSINESS CHOICE UPFIT - 2,000 COMMERCIAL SERVICE DEMO ASSIST - 2,870 ASCN DISCOUNT • STK# TF1309 MSRP: $40,760.00 - 2,000 GM REBATE - 750 BUSINESS CHOICE UPFIT - 2,000 COMMERCIAL SERVICE DEMO ASSIST - 3,012 ASCN DISCOUNT. WITH APPROVED CREDIT, PLUS TAX, TITLE AND LICENSE. INCLUDES ALL REBATES AND INCENTIVES. PHOTOS FOR ILLUSTRATION PURPOSES ONLY. SEE DEALER FOR ALL REBATE QUALIFICATIONS & DETAILS. ENDS 12/31/14.

Buck Spencerbspencer@allstarautomotive.com

Direct Line: 225-490-5101

BUSINESS ELITE HOR.indd 1 12/10/14 2:38 PM

TRADING POST continued from page 3

St. Francisville Rotary News

The Rotary Club of St. Francisville inducted six new members. The new members com-pleted their orientation at the December 9, 2014 meeting. Pictured from left: Cheryl Hen-derson, Zed Howell, Olivia Pass, Sherrel Johnston, David Treppendahl, Club President, Betsie Norton, Bryan McClendon, Club Membership Chairman, and Carter Leak IV.

Lane Regional Medical Center Receives Quality Award

Lane Regional Medical Center received the Champions for Qual-ity Care Award, presented by the Louisiana Hospital Association for its statewide Hospital Engagement Network.

The award recognizes hospitals for achieving goals established as part of the federal Partnership for Patients Campaign that emphasizes improving patient care and reduc-ing healthcare costs. Since joining the initiative in 2012, Lane is one of 93 Louisiana hospitals focused on reducing avoidable patient harm and readmission rates.

Lane was recognized in multiple categories for achieving at least a 20% reduction in:

• Adverse Drug Events• Excessive anticoagulation

related to Coumadin usage• Hypoglycemia related to

hypoglycemic usage

• Opioid issues related to over-usage or under monitoring

• Catheter Associated Uri-nary Tract Infections

• Central Line Associated Bloodstream Infections

• Early Elective Delivery• Injuries from Falls• OB Adverse Events• Hemorrhage• Pre-eclampsia• Pressure Ulcers• Readmissions• Ventilator Associated Pneu-

monia “This is a hospital-wide recog-

nition for our efforts to make Lane as safe as possible for our patients,” says Director of Quality Director Rachelle Noland. “Every depart-ment plays an important role to improve our quality measures and engage our patients in their care and safety

Pictured: Ken Alexander, Vice President, Louisiana Hospital Association; Rachelle Noland, Director of Quality Services, Lane Regional Medical Center; Kathy Bergeron, Performance Improvement Officer, Lane Regional Medical Center; Jena Aucoin, Qual-ity Improvement Specialist, Louisiana Hospital Association Research and Education Foundation; and Paul Salles, President and CEO, Louisiana Hospital Association.

ground as certified EMT, and was one of the first licensed Physician’s Assis-tants (PA) in Louisiana.

“We are truly pleased to be a part of the Clinton and East Feliciana business community,” Howell stated. “I’m par-ticularly looking forward to my term as Chamber of Commerce President. East Feliciana Parish has so much to offer in a variety of business categories.”

“In addition to the huge potential of the Tuscaloosa Marine Shale for high volume production, the parish has such a low ad valorem tax that we can attract barge companies and even railroads to domicile in the Parish because of the low tax rates. We need to get serious about getting these people to the Par-ish. With all the TMS activity, even us-

ing the parish to stack drilling rigs and other equipment would be a tax boon for companies now with equipment set-ting Houston or Dallas or Oklahoma.”

“There is a lot that East Feliciana Parish can do to help itself, but we can’t just talk about, we have to do,” Howell acknowledged. “We need to develop a real “can-do” attitude here in our busi-ness community.”

“We have some real role models here in the Parish as to what people can develop if they set their minds to a business, especially if they can find a niche market for their product or ser-vices. Mike Schilling has done great with PACTEC, as has Trae Weaver with his Gulf Coast products company. The Harkrider family here in Clinton has also proven what a dedicated busi-ness family can do with a business like SERVS.”