Monday morning a tour group of bikers from the United Kingdom stopped in Franklin, thanks to “Bikers on the Bayou,” the movie “Easy Rider” and Tyler Lott, who is currently studying abroad in the UK and still promoting Franklin. They began their route in Los Angeles and stopped in the city while en route to New Orleans.
The City of Franklin will be spotlighted on two separate pages in the December edition of Southern Travel & Lifestyle magazine. Coming up for the holidays, celebrate “Christmas Under the Lampposts” on Dec. 7: Decorated Golf Cart Parade and Christmas on the Bayou Lighting Ceremony. On Dec. 12, Mingle & Jingle by the Franklin Merchants Association and the City of Franklin. On Dec. 31, a New Year’s Eve 200th Bicentennial Kick-Off Celebration including Johnny Chauvin & the Mojo Band, Cupid & the Dance Party Express Band and DJ Fab. There will be fireworks at midnight after the dropping of the “Lampposts” in the St. Mary Parish Courthouse Square.
St. John Missionary Baptist Church of St. Joseph dropped off an SUV load of donations to St. Mary Emergency Center of United Way of South Louisiana. On behalf of Rev. Uyless Mitchell. Bro. David McCoy made the delivery this week to Director Patti Ibert. McCoy said the church pledges to “helping feed the hungry every year.” Below, Super 1 Foods also donated to the center, as part of their Spirit of Christmas Food Drive, with Thanksgivings meal fixings for the second year to Emergency Aid Center to be paired with Thanksgiving turkeys. Pictured with Ibert are Kelly Jennings, Store Trainer, and Dnanesia Fine, Office Manager.
Andrew Gros, of Amelia, objected to a three-way stop sign on Barrow Street planned by parish government.
Gros said that 20 area residents signed a petition in support of the signage.
He runs a 17-year-old vehicle servicee business behind his home, and has an entry and parking area for truck deliveries. Gros said speeding problems have decreased “since the last election.”
Several parish councilmen came to speak with him, he said, about the issue. “It would be detrimental to have a three-way stop sign there,” he said. “There’s one family that has an electric gate that takes a while to open up, and he stops waiting for the gate to open. Another guy…he knows he can’t back his boat up, so he’ll back up from the street all the way to the back.
“If you put a stop sign in front of my place, that leaves me pumping oil with their trucks on the street. I bought a piece of land on the side of me so trucks could pull up off the road.”
The council gave no comment.
Also Wednesday, Parish President David Hanagriff reported that long-running issues with Pelican Waste are being resolved. “They are getting better,” he said. “They’re living up to their end for the unincorporated areas. There’s still issues…but they are moving in the right direction.”
Hanagriff also reported that bear-proof can distribution is ongoing and should be complete within a few weeks. He said it should alleviate some of the problems.
“I get a tremendous amount about the bears,” Hanagriff said. “Trust me, I am very aware about the situation with the bears, and I see the criticism of the council and of myself. People have to understand, we’re doing everything we can. We didn’t create this problem.”
He said when he received a complaint of nuisance bears, he forwards it to the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, who handles such issues. He admitted, “Unfortunately, this problem is going to get worse as more bears populate, more bears breed, we’ll have more problems here.”
Councilman Dale Rogers said when “you go to ask the people that are in charge, they want to be defensive. It’s all the people’s fault, it’s the people’s fault. I don’t buy that.”
He retold an incident he was aware of when a woman was eating lunch and a bear “put his mouth on her arm. Luckily he didn’t bite down. These things are getting bad and somebody better step up, state government, somebody, or somebody’s going to really get hurt, and then it’s going to be a big deal.”
Hanagriff said, “I’m not on the side of the bears by any means. Councilman Rogers, you’re exactly right, this is not the people’s problem, this is a problem that was put upon us when dealing with an endangered species…the problem right now is this is not an easy task.
“Council members, myself, Catherine Siracusa (parish bear conflict officer) get beat up and bashed day in and day out,” he went on. “That’s where some of the frustration comes to play.”
He said education of the populace can often help alleviate nuisance bear problems.
The Bayou Teche National Wildlife Refuge was established in 2001 in lower St. Mary Parish by the United State Fish & Wildlife Service with aid from the Louisiana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries. Thus, St. Mary Parish Government has no governing authority whatsoever in its operation and control of the Louisiana black bear.
In other business Wednesday:
—Ordinances were adopted authorizing the parish president to execute a contract for emergency and non-emergency ambulance services; and granting a non-exclusive franchise and rights agreement with Atmos Energy Corporation.
—A resolution was approved for the issuance of $5.25 million in refunding bonds for refinancing at better rates.
—Allocation requests were approved for $10,000 for Fire Protection Dist. 7 bunker gear; $3,000 to the Baldwin Police Department for a part-time administrator; $6,500 to Fire District 2 for fire hydrants; and $15,000 to the City of Patterson for the volunteer fire department to purchase bunker gear.
—Lamonika Coit-Dwyer was reappointed to the Consolidated Gravity Drainage Dist. 1 board; Myrone Bourque and Robert Wilkerson were reappointed to the Fire Protection Dist. 7 board; Lucy R. Watson was reappointed to the St. Mary Parish Library Board of Control.
Baldwin Mayor Abel “Phil” Prejean provided clarification Thursday concerning recent news of Baldwin being in dire financial straits as per a report from the State Legislature’s Auditor’s Office.
A news story from KATC.com, published on Wednesday, contained remarks from Prejean in which he explained the hierarchy of town utilities and services as they would be considered for termination due to the town’s inability to function, if such a scenario were to arise.
The 15-second clip of Prejean, in the context of the story, is discordant with what Prejean explained at Thursday’s town hall meeting.
“The discussion was about, ‘What is the situation in the town? And what do you do if you don’t have the money to keep going?’” Prejean explained. “And the question was, do you cut the water off, do you cut the gas off, do you cut the sewer off, or do you cut the police off (first)?
“And that was the context of a notation of which way it goes.”
Prejean went on to explain that the report from KATC.com was based on that hierarchy of termination as outlined in the legislative auditor’s report.
He explained that in his estimation, the reason Baldwin made the auditor’s list of towns in jeopardy, is due solely to its acquiring its water from Water and Sewer Dist. 4 instead of from its own wells.
“We think that we are turning the corner in this town,” Prejean argued. “We are getting things back in order.
“Now, don’t presume that I’m saying we are in great shape, because that’s not my point. What I’m saying is that we are still funded. Our police department is fully funded for a whole year. That’s not going to change.
“Other things we are doing are we’ve fixed our sewer stations, in most cases with one new, and in some cases, with two new pumps. We have new control panels in all of them. So, we are making headway.
“We’ve got a water program going on with improvements to the water system, with new valves and new meters, and inside the main meter, it tells you how much water you are buying from the district. It’s a new electronic meter, and that is going to be precise.
“We are reactivating the water tower. We will fill the water tower in the evenings and work that pressure off during the day to go through the town.
“So, those improvements are going in, and they are not the kind of things you put up a billboard for, but we are doing them.”
Prejean went on to note that he had spoken with auditors who are presently auditing the town’s accounts for 2018, and he said those auditors “are at a loss as to why it was reported like that, because it certainly did not come from them.”
Alderman Clarence Vappie wrapped up the matter by saying, “We are not in good shape, but we are in better shape.”
The board and mayor agreed.
BATON ROUGE — Louisiana gardeners and others have a chance to “Get It Growing” next year with the new 2020 calendar from the LSU AgCenter.
Like previous editions, the LSU AgCenter Get It Growing calendar provides gardening enthusiasts with opportunities to learn more about their craft and to enjoy garden photos.
“The 2020 calendar is a showcase for one of the LSU AgCenter’s most popular information areas,” said Elma Sue McCallum, of LSU AgCenter Commun-ications, who serves as the calendar’s coordinator.
“The AgCenter is a resource for Louisiana homeowners and gardeners who want to improve and maintain their yards and gardens,” she said. “The Get It Growing calendar provides a wealth of information geared to the seasons of the year that are unique to Louisiana.”
In addition to monthly gardening tips, the calendar features a special section on edible landscapes with advice from LSU AgCenter statewide consumer horticulturist and spokesperson for the LSU AgCenter Get It Growing program, Heather Kirk-Ballard.
“The calendar includes monthly tips that accompany beautiful photos of flowers, plants and gardens,” McCallum said. “It is a must-have for expert or novice Louisiana gardeners. With the holidays approaching, it also makes a nice gift.”
The 9-by-13.25, full-color, 32-page 2020 calendar includes an illustrated, step-by-step guide to creating a raised bed. It also provides a list of AgCenter lawn and garden publications along with information on the LSU AgCenter Master Gardener program and the AgCenter Plant Disease Diagnostic Clinic and Soil Testing and Plant Analysis labs.
Photographs for the calendar are chosen each year through a public call for entries in the fall. The 2020 calendar winners include Ronald Austin of Shreveport, Glenda Balliviero and Norman Balliviero of Belle Chasse, Claudia Husseneder of St. Gabriel, Debra Jones of Walker, Igor Kamalov, Pat Riddick and Dale M. Ulkins of Baton Rouge, Hanna Kwasik of New Orleans, Catherine Lorio of Oscar, Nadine Melancon of Lafayette, Conchita Richey of Gonzales, Rhoda Stevenson of Campti and Maureen Theriot of Harvey.
The Get It Growing calendar sells for $11.95 and can be purchased online at www.lsuagcenter.com/GetItGrowing Calendar. Phone orders can be placed by calling 225-578-2263. Sample photos and more information are available on the website.
Created as part of the AgCenter Get It Growing educational campaign for home lawns and gardens, the calendar is also sold at many bookstores, garden centers and gift shops across Louisiana.
NEW YORK (AP) — Roles for older actors can fall into some predictable tropes, but Helen Mirren and Ian McKellen say their new film, “The Good Liar,” let them brush aside cliches and even their characters’ mortality for a good cat-and-mouse thriller.
“Elderly characters are sort of there to be the lovely old grandfather or granddad that the kids go and visit,” Mirren said. “As you get older and you realize, ‘You know what? I still have agency in my life. Things are still happening in my life. It doesn’t all stop when you’re 50.”
The film, which opens in theaters Friday, brings Mirren, 74, and McKellen, 80, together on the big screen for the first time.
McKellen plays Roy, a man who has spent his life swindling others and sets his sights on Mirren’s character, a lonely widow named Betty. Roy is hoping to cash in on Betty’s life savings.
While Betty’s grandson, played by Russell Tovey, senses danger in his mother’s new suitor, the film’s focus stays squarely on Betty and Roy.
“This film could not happen unless these people were the age they were at,” McKellen said.
McKellen is keenly aware that audiences may balk at seeing a film with two older leads in it, but there are advantages.
“Although my heart sinks when I go, ‘Oh, do I have to go see a film with two old actors in it.’ What you do get ... on the whole is pretty good acting because they’ve been at it and they know what they’re up to,” he said.
“There is nothing about mortality in this movie and that I love,” director Bill Condon said. “Putting them into a very contemporary thriller, it’s a good reminder of the fact that people should get to do everything.”
Condon said he’d seen Mirren and McKellen act together on Broadway, so he knew what to expect.
“I knew they were great together, but it is — well, it’s like what we always complain about, right? The paucity of parts for people of a certain age,” Condon said. “They should go on and do four movies now, and I hope they do because they have an incredible kind of rapport.”
Both Mirren and McKellen have some blockbuster projects on the horizon. McKellen appears in Tom Hooper’s “Cats” adaptation, and Mirren is set to appear in the ninth installment of the “Fast and Furious” franchise in 2020.
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In celebration of Michael Bublé, Shades of Bublé is bringing all of his biggest hits to the stage at Morgan City Municipal Auditorium at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Season subscriptions for the remaining four Community Concert Association performances for 2019-20 are $45 for adults and $10 for students K-12. Single concert tickets are $25 for adults and $5 for students K-12.
All tickets, subscription or single concert, are available online at www.morgancitylive.com or at the door.
Shades of Bublé celebrates the continuing career of multiple Grammy Award-winning recording artist Michael Bublé by performing his catalog of music while adding the three-part harmony sound made popular by the famous guy groups from the 1950s and ’60s.
Delivering a set list composed only of songs recorded or performed live by Michael Bublé, this world-class act honors — but doesn’t imitate — the sophistication, retro style, and high-energy fun that Bublé himself brings to his concerts while engaging new fans with thrilling new vocal arrangements.
Morgan City Live Community Concert Association of Morgan City Inc., formed in 1947, continues to bring world-class entertainment to the Tri-City area of Morgan City, Berwick and Patterson, as well as the rest of St. Mary Parish and surrounding parishes. Thanks to the generosity of patrons and donors, this series is offered at affordable, family-friendly prices.
Under a partnership with the St. Mary Council on Aging, free transportation to and from concerts is available to people 60 and over. Call at least 24 hours prior to concert to arrange a ride.
BATON ROUGE — Leaving a Washington embroiled in an impeachment drama, President Donald Trump returns to the Louisiana governor’s race Thursday, testing his ability to sway an election by trying to oust a Democratic incumbent.
Though Louisiana is a deep red state that Trump won by 20 percentage points, the gubernatorial contest has reached its final days ahead of Saturday’s election as a tossup. Democrat John Bel Edwards is vying for a second term against little-known Republican political donor Eddie Rispone.
Trump plans a Thursday night rally for Rispone in north Louisiana’s Bossier City. That’s near prime territory to reach out to backers of Republican U.S. Rep. Ralph Abraham, the primary’s third-place finisher. Both Edwards and Rispone are targeting Abraham’s voters, knowing those 317,000 people can help decide the race’s outcome. Abraham endorsed Rispone and will appear at the rally with Trump.
Louisiana has the last of three southern governor’s races this year, all targets of intense interest from the GOP and Trump. While Republicans kept the seat in Mississippi, they appear to have lost Kentucky’s governorship — though Republican Matt Bevin has yet to concede there.
Smarting from the Kentucky outcome, Trump has turned his focus to Louisiana and defeating Edwards, the Deep South’s only Democratic governor. Thursday’s event will be the president’s third in the state’s gubernatorial competition, with an anti-Edwards event in the primary, and now two pro-Rispone rallies in the runoff.
Rispone, owner of an industrial contracting firm, has spent millions on the race, hitched his candidacy to Trump and hammered a pro-Trump theme ever since.
“What Trump has done for our country has been phenomenal ... The economy is booming in the United States, but it’s not booming in Louisiana. We’re falling behind,” Rispone said at an event in Baton Rouge. “We want to do for Louisiana what Trump has done for the nation.”
Edwards suggests Rispone turns repeatedly to Trump and the national outlook because he can’t stand on the strength of his state-specific issues. Rispone has dodged details of how he’d balance the budget with his proposed tax cuts and what he wants to accomplish in a constitutional convention.
“Rispone’s a bad candidate, so his party is forced to call in the president to try to prop him up,” Edwards said at a campaign rally in Monroe ahead of Trump’s last visit to the state.
The Democratic incumbent sticks to Louisiana-specific topics, in a sort of “pretend there’s-no-national-politics” angle to a race that partisans of both stripes want to use as a talking point in 2020.
But Edwards isn’t a traditional Democrat in the national mold. He’s a former Army Ranger who opposes abortion, supports gun rights and talks of his solid working relationship with Trump.
Edwards campaigns for reelection on his work with the Republican-led Legislature to stabilize state finances, saying Rispone would return Louisiana to the deficit-riddled ways of unpopular Republican former Gov. Bobby Jindal. And Edwards says Rispone’s plan to “freeze” enrollment in Medicaid expansion would eventually force thousands off health insurance rolls.
Rispone calls Edwards a “tax-and-spend liberal trial lawyer” who is fear-mongering and who doesn’t like the president.
Vance Gauthier, a 70-year-old contractor and Republican, cast his ballot for Rispone during the early voting period in Jefferson Parish, saying he was “looking for a change” and considered his vote in the state election a show of support for Trump.
“We need a Republican back in the position,” Gauthier said.
But race watchers say Trump’s influence can only stretch so far.
“I don’t think Trump’s bringing more to the table than has already been brought into the campaign,” said Michael Henderson, director of Louisiana State University’s Public Policy Research Center.
Edwards supporters say Trump’s visits are actually boosting their own chances, helping to turn out black voters and other Democrats who skipped the primary.
Melissa Toler, a 65-year-old retiree who voted early in New Orleans, chose Edwards “because he’s the best candidate, the most qualified, and the most reasonable.” She said Trump’s visits to Louisiana stirred up interest.
“I’m a registered independent and he whips me up, not in a good way,” Toler said.
In New Orleans and other cities with high concentrations of African American voters, a wave of ads says Rispone’s tight ties with Trump are a reason to vote for Edwards. And while Edwards sidesteps direct criticism of the president, the Louisiana Democratic Party posted ads on Facebook declaring: “If Rispone wins, Trump wins” and asking voters to “keep hate out of Louisiana” by supporting Edwards.
The anti-Trump messaging by outside groups and Edwards’ own grassroots outreach effort to black voters appear to be having an effect. African American turnout during the early voting period jumped significantly above primary levels, a critical piece of Edwards’ strategy to win a second term.
Follow Melinda Deslatte on Twitter at http://twitter.com/melindadeslatte
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