Submitted Photos
The 27th edition of the Siracusa/Greenwood Parade rolled Tuesday in celebration of Mardi Gras. Charlette Wilson was the grand marshal. These photos were submitted by Shairee James.
BATON ROUGE — The vibrant flowers, verdant gardens and lush trees of Louisiana are the stars of each edition of the LSU AgCenter Get It Growing Calendar.
For the next few months, the AgCenter is searching for high-quality photos from across the state to illustrate the calendar, which features gardening tips and instructions alongside images of the state’s flora.
The LSU AgCenter has issued a call for entries for photographs for its 2021 Get It Growing Calendar, giving photographers an opportunity to have their photos selected for the next edition.
AgCenter faculty will select about 40 photos for the calendar, said Elma Sue McCallum, the project coordinator. The deadline for entries is April 17, 2020.
“The LSU AgCenter is a great resource for lawn and garden information and educational programs, and the Get It Growing calendar is a popular source for gardening tips and beautiful photos of flowers, plants and gardens,” McCallum said. “The calendar has become the ‘must have’ item for gardening enthusiasts, and it’s great for anyone on your gift list.”
Professional and amateur nature photographers from Louisiana may submit their work and earn recognition if their photos are selected for the 2021 lawn and garden calendar.
“We’re asking photographers to submit their favorite photos of lawns, gardens, flowers, trees and vegetables,” McCa-llum said.
A dozen of the photos will be featured as full-page, full-color images for each month’s page in the calendar, and one will be used on the cover, she said. The rest will be used throughout the calendar.
Photographers chosen for the featured monthly pages will receive five copies of the published calendar, and their names will be included with their photos, McCallum said. Other contributors also will be listed with their photos, and they will receive two copies of the published calendar.
Entries must be high-resolution digital images. They must be submitted on CD or through our new online submission process.
All images must be the original work of the photographer submitting the image. Each person is asked to limit their entries to 25 or fewer of their best photos.
Submission guidelines can be found at www.LSUAgCenter.com/GetIt GrowingCalendar.
The 2020 edition of the calendar, a showcase of photos, monthly gardening tips, how-to information and other items based on Louisiana’s climate zones, is on sale now. Online information and links to order the 2020 calendar are available by visiting www.LSUAgCenter.com/OnlineStore.
The current edition includes a feature on growing an edible landscape, a guide to Louisiana Super Plants and an illustrated how-to on creating raised beds.
Getting married?
The Daily Review has engagement and wedding forms available online at www.StMaryNow.com. Look for the 'submissions' tab at the top of the page.
Download The Daily Review engagement and wedding forms. Once filled in, the forms along with a high resolution engagement or wedding photo may be submitted to lifestyles@daily-review.com.
It is preferred to receive engagement announcements four weeks prior to the wedding. Wedding forms and a photo should be submitted no later than 60 days following the wedding.
For information call 985-384-8370 between 8:30 a.m. and noon.
Taking a chance on love and marriage for the second (or third) time is certainly worthy of celebration. The Pew Research Center reports that at least four in 10 new marriages now include at least one partner who has been married before, a trend that is on the rise.
Planning a second wedding can be challenging, as individuals may be worried about proper etiquette, superstitions or meeting the expectations of others. But there are no hard rules governing second weddings. Now that couples are older and a bit more experienced, wedding planning may be met with greater enthusiasm and patience. These tips can help the process along.
—Dress it up. Brides need not eschew white if they prefer to wear it for their second weddings. White, cream, ivory or other shades are perfectly acceptable. Also, brides can make their gowns as lavish or as simplistic as they desire. The length and style of the dress should reflect the formality and scope of the event.
—Make it unique. Couples who have been married before may want to set this new occasion apart from their previous weddings. Brides magazine experts suggest discussing previous celebrations and what can be done differently this time around. Couples can use this opportunity to get to know each other more intimately by personalizing their festivities.
—Don’t feel beholden to intimate affairs. Second weddings tend to be more intimate, as guest lists tend to be smaller and couples tying the knot again may prefer more intimacy and less hustle and bustle. But couples should not avoid inviting people simply because second weddings are typically small affairs. Invite as many friends and family as you want and as your budget allows.
—Set up a registry. Established couples may have the household basics already in place, but registries can include fun or entertaining gifts that speak to couples’ interests. These may include home theater systems, fancy cookware, athletic equipment or even funds for travel.
—Involve the children. Couples who have children can make them a special part of their second wedding celebrations. Kids can play any role in the ceremony, depending on their age. If the second marriage comes after an amicable divorce, couples can invite their former spouses to provide support to their children so they can feel comfortable in the wedding.
—Be prepared. The marriage application process is similar the second time around, but additional documents, such as a divorce decree or death certificate, may be necessary. These legal documents also will be needed for men and women who intend to change their last names after getting married.
A second marriage deserves as much celebration as the first and gives couples an opportunity to express their love for each other and their appreciation to their friends and families.
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Barriers have been placed to keep water off La. 70 near Stephensville as the levels in local waterways continue to rise. At 6 a.m. Friday, the Atchafalaya at Morgan City was at 6.78 feet and is expected to reach the 7.0-foot level this weekend, causing moderate flooding. At 7.0 feet, back-flooding may begin along Lake Palourde and in Stephensville. The National Weather Service expects the river to rise to 7.4 feet by the morning of March 6.
The Daily Review/Bill Decker
BELLE RIVER — What started out Thursday as a confrontation over a Stephensville sewer pipe, complete with allegations of harassment, mystery letters and accusations of a broken agreement, ended with the two sides smoking the peace pipe.
St. Mary Parish President Chester Cedars was the peacemaker who secured pledges from the St. Martin Recreation District No. 1 board, which met Thursday at Belle River Park, and St. Martin Water & Sewer Commission 1 to meet to work out their differences.
At issue is a proposed sewer line extension across a piece of property where the Recreation District is building a parking lot to serve the Stephensville park.
The district was formed in 1999 and by all accounts has done good work in building parks in Stephensville and Belle River. The district used property taxes and grants to perform the work, and in the case of Stephensville, benefitted from a land sale and a land donation from Larry J. Doiron, president of Bayou Estate Development Inc.
The Water & Sewer Commission, represented Thursday by attorney Nicholas LaRocca, maintains that part of the deal was the Recreation District agreement to extend the sewer line across the parking lot property to an adjacent undeveloped tract owned by Doiron.
The Recreation District board says it has no record of the agreement. A cash deed from a 2004 purchase and a resolution accepting a donation of land make no mention of the sewer line.
LaRocca told the Recreation District board that the Sewer & Water Commission position is that people representing the Recreation District board, including Chairwoman Charlotte Ratcliff, agreed to the sewer line extension.
LaRocca said later that he believes the the agreement required construction of the sewer line extension as a condition of the park hookup to the sewer system.Recreation District board members responded that such an agreement would require the agreement of the board and not a single member.
Other issues complicated the conflict. Some of the Recreation District board members said they were summoned to a Water & Sewer Comm-ission board meeting with letters delivered by sheriff’s deputies.
“I honestly feel like we’ve been harassed,” said Recreation District board member Donna Vorenkamp.
LaRocca answered that the letters he has sent to the board went through the U.S. mail.
LaRocca also made an extensive public records request for minutes and financial documents going back years. The district didn’t fully comply. There was confusion over whether some of the records requested by LaRocca are in the possession of the Recreation District or the parish government.
“I want to get all the facts so we don’t get into a he said, she said,” LaRocca said.
Near the end of the meeting, the parish president had his chance to speak.
“I kind of feel like a parent with two kids who are fighting …,” Cedars said.
“Let’s be honest. I think there’s some distrust. Distrust usually happens when there’s no communication.”
Cedars said he believes there’s a way to solve the problem without putting too large a burden on either side.
“This can be worked out,” Cedars said. “But let’s be honest. We have to get past this distrust thing.”
Despite the tension between the two sides, they paused during the meeting to express respect and even praise toward each other.
“The last thing we want to do is disrupt services to the citizens, to the children,” LaRocca said.
Staff Report
As concern about the spread of the coronavirus grows, the risk for Louisiana residents is rated as low. But public health officials are urging caution.
The St. Mary Parish school system is “receiving updates from the Louisiana Department of Health that are being forwarded to all school nurses and in some cases, school administrators,” Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said in an email Thursday.
School Nurse Facilitator Lydia Duval was also set to address supervisors at a Thursday meeting, Bagwell said.
“To minimize the risk of spread, Louisiana health officials are working with health care providers to promptly identify and evaluate any suspected cases,” the Health Department said.
No cases of illness linked to the coronavirus, COVID-19, have been reported in Louisiana, according to the Health Department.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention say 14 cases of coronavirus infection have been reported in the United States. Another three cases have emerged in people known to have traveled to Wuhan Province in China, where the virus was first identified, and 42 on the Diamond Princess cruise ship.
More than 83,000 infections and 2,800 deaths have been reported worldwide.
Reported cases have ranged from mild illness (similar to a common cold) to severe pneumonia that requires hospitalization, according to the Health Department. So far, deaths have been reported mainly in older adults who had other health conditions.
The coronavirus spreads through:
—Respiratory droplets produced when coughing and sneezing.
—Close personal contact.
—Touching an object or surface with the virus on it, then touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.
You can take steps to avoid spreading germs from any respiratory diseases by:
—Getting a flu vaccine and taking flu antivirals if prescribed.
—Covering your cough.
—Staying home if you are sick.
—Washing your hands.
Franklin Banner-Tribune
P.O. Box 566, Franklin, LA 70538
Phone: 337-828-3706
Fax: 337-828-2874
Morgan City Review
1014 Front Street, Morgan City, LA 70380
Phone: 985-384-8370
Fax: 985-384-4255