Lanceslin will be Head Start Grand Marshal

Almetra J. Franklin, St. Mary Community Action Agency Chief Executive Officer, announced that Baldwin Mayor Donna Lanceslin will serve as the Grand Marshal for the 2018 Krewe of Head Start Parade.
The first female mayor of Baldwin said she is proud to lead St. Mary CAA’s 24th annual parade, which is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 3.
“St. Mary CAA, led by Mrs. Franklin and her staff, has done so much for the communities and people they serve,” Lanceslin said. “It is a privilege and an honor to be this year’s Grand Marshal.”
Mayor Lanceslin is married to Joseph E. Lanceslin and they have three children: Kim, Kwan and Keona. She is also a grandmother and a great-grandmother.
Mayor Lanceslin is the daughter of the late Lawrence “Mamou” and Alberta Colbert Lewis of Ashton. She has three sisters and is a member of Macedonia Baptist Church, whose pastor is the Reverend Ulysses Mitchell Jr.
Lanceslin is a long-time resident of Baldwin and graduated from Park Avenue High School in 1968. She is a graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge. Upon graduation from Southern, the future mayor returned home to begin her career as a lifelong educator.
Even after her retirement from teaching in 2011, Lanceslin maintained a love and passion for nurturing, educating and being a positive role model in the lives of children. Her faith in God, deep love for her community and its residents, and longtime involvement in community organizations, prompted her to run for mayor of the Town of Baldwin. She was elected as the town’s first female and first African American mayor on Nov. 4, 2014. She honors God for His favor in allowing her to continue using her life to actively minister to His people.
Lanceslin constantly seeks out ways to help and give back so others can benefit. She is an active member of Macedonia Baptist Church in Ashton, a charter member of the Ladies of Essence Civic and Social Club, a lifetime member of Southern University, a member of the National Education Association, and numerous other organizations.
In her spare time, she enjoys spending quality time with her grandchildren, family, friends, taking road trips to anywhere and talking by any means necessary, whether by phone or in person. Her motto is “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Her favorite scripture is 1 Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”
The annual Krewe of Head Start Recruitment Parade for 2018 will roll through the streets of Franklin Saturday, Feb. 3 at 1:00 pm. Since the early 1990s, the Krewe of Head Start Parade has served as St. Mary CAA’s major recruitment tool for Head Start’s pre-school children aged 3-5, and also allows the agency to market other services available to our Head Start families and Individuals.
This year’s Krewe of Head Start Recruitment Parade’s theme is “Soaring into the Future.” Line up begins at 10 a.m. at the Franklin Senior High School parking lot. The parade route leaves Franklin High School, proceeds onto Main Street and travels through downtown Franklin.
There is still time to participate in the parade, and entry forms may be retrieved at the St. Mary CAA Central Office, located at 1407 Barrow St. in Franklin. Anyone completing this form must also provide a copy of your driver’s license and your own insurance. For more information, please contact David Teno or Jeffery Beverly at 337-828-5703.
Fees are:
Floats and Flatbeds, $35
Trucks and cars: $25
Dance/Drill teams: $10
Motorcycles/4-wheelers: $10
Walkers: $5
There will also be a “Best Truck Contest” for the best looking pick-up truck on the road, and entry fees are being waivered for all DJs wanting to participate in the parade.
Also, beginning at 10 a.m. the St. Mary Parish Early Childhood Network will host a Coordinated Enrollment Event in the Franklin Senior High School parking lot. The event will continue until noon. Parents of pre-school aged children are invited to come and early enroll their child for any of the following schools in St. Mary Parish:
—A Child’s Place Learning Center
—Barney & Baby Bop #2
—Chitimacha Tribal School
—Glencoe Charter School
—Joslyn’s Fun Learning Center
—Pam’s Personal Touch Child Care
—St. Mary CAA Head Start St. Mary Parish School Board (All schools serving Pre-K)
—Verdunville Outreach Daycare, Yaamahana Child Development Center.
For more information on the Coordinated Enrollment Event, call Mary Grimm Howard at 337-828-5703.