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Event sponsors are being sought for the 20th annual St. Mary Detachment Marine Corps League Poker Run, which will be held Oct. 17.
Businesses who donate will receive advertising on the back of the event’s annual T-shirt. The size of the advertisement will be based on the donation. Those who donate $100 will have their business name included on the shirt, while the $200 sponsors will have their name and logo included.
“We realize that times are tough and this type of donation may not be possible, so we are also accepting gifts to be given away as door prizes,” the Marine Corps League said in a letter to local businesses. “If you can help in this manner, it will be greatly appreci-ated.”

TIt appears that the “Green House,” said to be one of the oldest houses west of the Atchafalaya Basin, has weathered another storm. Laura is the most recent of dozens of blows that have tested it since it was built about 1836.
According to documents filed with the National Register of Historic Places, the house was built on the Mermentau River near the Lowry community for Alexander Hebert and his wife, Clarisse Broussard Hebert. He was apparently a man of some means, owning about 6,000 acres around the home and grazing a substantial herd of cattle on prairies across southwest Louisiana.
Because of its remote location, the Heberts apparently made it through the Civil War largely unscathed. His herds of horses and cattle, and a substantial string of oxen, seem to have escaped the wholesale confiscation made by both Confederate and Feder-al troops during 1863 and 1864. But Alexander barely survived the war, dying on Au-gust 25, 1865.
His son, Desire, then took over the land and added another 2,000 acres to it before selling in 1891 to 43-year-old Captain Charles A. Lowry of Indiana.
Lowry probably heard about the place from J.B. Watkins, one of the biggest promot-ers of southwest Louisiana during that era. In one of his brochures, Watkins called it “one of the many beautiful and prolific plantations to be found in southwest Louisi-ana.”
Lowry, his wife Emma and their four children moved into a new home in an oak grove just above the Green House. Over the next five years, he converted some 7,000 acres of prairie into rice fields and was soon considered one of the largest rice growers in the state. He dug two irrigation canals, including one that could lift 1,500,000 gal-lons of water per hour from the Mermentau.
But several years of drought in the early 1900s played havoc with Lowry Plantation and rice farming in general. The Mermentau dropped so low that it could not provide the irrigation water needed and, close to the Gulf, salt water crept in to make the riv-er unusable for crops.
Lowry was forced to sell to a company that eventually became the Lacassane Com-pany, which has owned the property for some time. (The Jeff Davis Parish town is spelled Lacassine, the company is Lacassane.)
After that, the Green House was used for a while as a residence for Franciscan monks. In the 1920s its isolation made it a perfect drop-off point for bootleggers.
Meanwhile, Desire Hebert, who sold the land to Captain Lowry, was doing just fine, drought or no drought. He’d gone into banking.
Even before he sold it, the property was on the route cattlemen used to drive their herds to market. The cattlemen were often short of cash when they were heading to market, but had full pockets heading home after selling their herds.
According to family stories, Desire kept a footlocker full of money at the end of his bed and made loans to the cattlemen who repaid him with interest on the way home.
Local lore has it that he was cheated only once.
When one of the herders did not stop to repay his debt, Desire saddled up and headed for Texas. Details are unclear of just what happened next, except that the culprit was found one day shot “stone cold dead.”
After he sold the Lowry land, Desire moved to Lake Arthur, where he built a big house on the lakefront with a distinctive bay window on the end of the house.
That may have been the first drive-up bank window ever.
Without leaving his front room, Desire became one of the wealthiest men in south-west Louisiana.
It probably hurt nothing that it was well known that he always collected on his loans.
A collection of Jim Bradshaw’s columns, "Cajuns and Other Characters," is now avail-able from Pelican Publishing. You can contact him at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.

DEAR ABBY: Years ago, I met a man through golf, and we developed a casual friendship. I lost track of him for a few years, but when I heard his wife was being treated with chemo for cancer, I took them food and offered my support. As our friendship grew stronger, we began playing more golf and became “refriended.” He’s a good golfer, but very serious, and he whines constantly on the course. I have kidded him about it, and he acknowledges it to a small degree.
He’s also joined at the hip with his wife, so much so that when I invited him to our cabin for a guys’ weekend, he asked if his wife and dog could come along. I nixed the dog and reluctantly agreed to the wife. A year later, I invited him again, but without his wife because two other friends were coming and it was guys only. He came, but he didn’t really fit in.
Fast-forward to now. Our friendship continues, but his whining has grown much worse, and he can’t go anywhere without his wife (although she’s very nice). She has mentioned to friends that I’m one of only a few remaining friends, and she appreciates it very much. Now I know why! How do I “break up,” Abby? I don’t want to be around him anymore.
ANONYMOUS IN THE WEST

DEAR ANONYMOUS: Because your friend doesn’t fit in with the other guy friends, no rule of etiquette says you must continue to invite him. I wish you had mentioned what he whines about when you golf with him. If it is his wife’s precarious health, it may be that he needs to vent in a cancer support group rather than with you.
If it’s the golf game, then you will have to decide whether he’s such a valuable golf partner that you need him. If other members of your golf group no longer want him there, it would be a kindness to socialize with him and his wife less often rather than abandon them. If the shoe was on the other foot, isn’t that what you would want?

DEAR ABBY: My siblings died a couple of years apart, and my parents treat me like I’m the one who should be gone. They often complain or compare the things I do to something they would have done.
My parents raised me to be independent and take care of myself, but all they do is show me that I don’t matter. My niece shares that opinion. She thinks I’m not raising my son right. (Mind you, she’s only 20 and doesn’t know her behind from her elbow.)
I want to leave, but finances and obligations prohibit me. What can I do to make them see that I’m doing everything I can?
NOT VALUED IN CALIFORNIA

DEAR NOT VALUED: I am sorry for what you are experiencing. The thing about being compared to a deceased person (or two) is there is a tendency to idealize the dearly departed. That you are being given short shrift for your efforts is sad. I think it’s time to speak up and let your feelings be known. As to your niece, the “expert” on child care, tune her out as you would with static on your radio.
***
To receive a collection of Abby’s most memorable — and most frequently requested — poems and essays, send your name and mailing address, plus check or money order for $8 to: Dear Abby — Keepers Booklet, P.O. Box 447, Mount Morris, IL 61054-0447.

Friday night football action will kick off in the Tri-City area with two home games and one away game.
Morgan City will host Erath, while Patterson will welcome Lafayette to St. Mary Parish. The area’s lone Friday away game will feature Central Catholic traveling to Loreauville.
All games will begin at 7 p.m.
Below is a preview of this week’s action.
Morgan City
vs. Erath
Injuries already have affected Morgan City as the Tigers will open their season down multiple starters who play both ways.
However, Morgan City coach Chris Stroud said the Tigers have made adjustments and have a good offensive and defensive game plan for Friday night after losing some players to injuries during last week’s scrimmage against H.L. Bourgeois.
“We got a couple guys that’s going to play a little out of position, but the problem is depth wise,” Stroud said. “If that guy goes down then we really have to juggle more people around.”
This week’s opponent, Erath, scrimmaged Loreauville a week ago.
Stroud said the Bobcats return four of five offensive starters, while on defense, eight starters return from a year ago.
Offensively, they will run a spread offense.
“They’ve got a new quarterback, but he spins it well,” Stroud said. “He’s not quite as good as the guy they had last year but he’s still a good looking kid at quarterback. I think offensively they want to run the ball more this year behind that good offensive line, but they still are very efficient in what they do in the passing game with the RPO (run-pass option) game.
Defensively, he said the Bobcats show multiple looks.
“Defensively, they are always sound,” Stroud said. “They’re lined up right and run well to the ball.”
Patterson vs.
Lafayette High
Friday night’s season opener will be a battle of new coaches as Patterson High, led by coach Zach Lochard, will face Lafayette High, led by Cedric Figaro.
Patterson enters Friday’s contest after scrimmaging South Lafourche a week ago, while Lafayette faced St. Michael the Archangel.
“Lafayette is a really well coached team. … Coach Figaro, their new first-year head coach, is clearly doing a tremendous job getting that program rallying around him,” Lochard said.
Lochard said the Lions’ defense is really good. The group is led by Thaos Figaro, the coach’s son and an Acadiana High transfer. Lochard says the defensive end is versatile and must be accounted for. He also said linebacker Oliver Craddock is a solid player.
Offensively, Lochard noted the play of the Lions’ quarterback.
“He really does everything well,” Lochard said. “He throws the ball. He runs the ball. He can make every throw.”
Offensive scheme wise, the Mighty Lions are multiple in their approach.
“They give you a lot of different formations and looks, so our defense has been preparing against those all week and we’re really going to just have to continue to prepare all the way up until kickoff to be able to put together our best performance and give ourselves an opportunity to win,” Lochard said.
Defensively, Lochard said the Mighty Lions also are multiple.
Central Catholic vs. Loreauville
The Central Catholic Eagles’ opponent for this week was supposed to be Vinton, but due to the effects of Hurricane Laura, the school was not able to play football this week.
Instead, the Eagles will face Loreauville, who also was looking for an opponent after Elton cancelled their football season this fall.
Central Catholic scrimmaged Berwick last week at Nicholls, while Loreauville faced Erath.
“Really, really good team speed,” Central Catholic coach Tommy Minton said of the Tigers.
Offensively, the squad is led by twins, quarterback Calep Jacob and wide receiver Collin Jacob.
In the scrimmage against Erath, Calep Jacob connected with Collin Jacob for four touchdown passes and in all, about six catches covering roughly 210 yards.
Collin Jacob m caught the game-winning touchdown pass against them with less than a minute remaining in Loreauville’s victory in Morgan City.
Loreauville runs a spread offense, while on defense, they utilize a 3-3 stack and a 4-2-5 look.
“They got a very veteran presence up front on the O-line and D-line,” Minton said. “A lot of those kids are returning starters, so that’s also an area that we got to look at.”