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Franklin’s city council and mayor held their monthly regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall.
Of the guests, Lena Henry with St. Mary Parish Red Ribbon Committee was first to address the mayor and council.
Henry gave a history of the Red Ribbon Campaign, and said, “Here in St. Mary Parish schools we take pride in celebrating the choice of living a healthy lifestyle free of drugs and violence.”
She announced that Red Ribbon Week will be held from Oct. 18 to Oct. 27 in St. Mary Parish and she urged all to participate.
Next to address the mayor and council was Steve Williams.
He implored that something be done about the condition of Blakesly Street.
Franklin Mayor Eugene Foulcard explained that the city, through Miller Engineers, LLC, has a list of streets to be repaired once the second half of a parish grant becomes available and that Blakesly Street is on that list.
Williams returned to his seat.
Departmental reports were delivered for the Summer Feeding and Summer Fun Programs, and for the city’s Summer Arts Program.
Rodney Monette, with Broussard Harris Recreation Center delivered the Summer Feeding Program report.
He said, “Over at Broussard Harris Rec. we fed (over the course of the summer) 2,280 kids their breakfast, and for lunch, we fed 5,228. Over at City Park Rec. we fed 2,628 (kids) their breakfast, and for lunch, we fed 5,006.”
Councilman Lester Levine called Swanzetta Joseph, FunSummer Program director for Lighthouse Baptist Church, to give a report on the program which utilized both recreation centers in the city.
Joseph said the program lasted from May through July, and taught students through a method called SKILLS: Seeking Knowledge in Living Life Successfully.
“We had football, baseball and basketball clinics,” Joseph said. “We had cheer camp/dance camp for the girls, and we also taught survival skills. We talked about family and the importance of preserving and protecting family. We went on several outings, one to UL Lafayette, and another was to Caroline Creek, a Christian camp in Huntsville, Texas.”
The final departmental report came from Arlana Shields. She reported that the city’s Summer Art Program had been a success, with 95 students taking part in the 110-spot program.
Art classes were held on the second floor of city hall, and dance classes and the dance recital were held at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts.
In other news, an ordinance was adopted allowing all establishments selling alcoholic beverages in the city to renew their licenses for the year 2020.
It was resolved to adopt the 2018 Municipal Water Pollution Prevention Environmental Audit Report, as well as to request Capital Outlay for non-state funding.
It was proclaimed that the city supports the 2019 Red Ribbon Drug-Free week and announcements included:
—Franklin city-wide clean-up will take place Oct. 12 from 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. at the Brown Shopping Center parking lot.
—The Franklin Career Fair Prep will be held on Oct. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. at South Louisiana Community College Franklin Campus.
—Franklin Career Fair will be held on Oct. 23 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Broussard Harris Recreation Center.
—Harvest Moon Festival Kickoff will take place on Oct. 24 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Teche Theatre for the Performing Arts.
—A haunted house will be held nightly from Oct. 25 through Oct. 31 at 6 p.m. at Broussard Harris Recreation Center.
—Teche Action Clinic’s Adeline Guienze Breast Cancer Memorial Fund will hold its 5K Run/Walk on Oct. 26 at 7 a.m. at the St. Mary Parish Courthouse Square.
— Harvest Moon Festival will be held Oct. 26 at 9 a.m. on Main Street.
—Boo on the Bayou will take place on Teche Drive on Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.
—Trick-or-Treatwill take place Oct. 31 from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m., city-wide.

The Morgan City Harbor and Terminal District board is trying to keep channels open — the channels used for waterway traffic and the channels for government funding. Both are becoming harder to negotiate.
The high water that plagued the area through the spring and summer has gone away. But it left problems in its wake. The water deposited sediment that is causing shoaling in shipping channels.
At Monday’s board meet at the Emergency Operations Center, Coast Guard Cmdr. Heather Mattern said shoaling has become a problem in areas that include 20 Grand Point. Channels have become narrower and more shallow.
“As people have problems, please let us know,” Mattern said. “We are tracking that.”
Meanwhile, the port board has received word that $35 million it wanted for Bayou Chene maintenance dredging, which is long overdue, and for Atchafalaya dredging is not included in a recent federal supplemental appropriation.
Port Executive Director Raymond “Mac” Wade said the port moved money from Bayou Chene dredging to a $30 million chore, dredging on the Atchafalaya at Crewboat Cut. The board had been looking for the supplemental appropriation to replenish funds for the Bayou Chene work, which is unrelated to the permanent flood control project now underway on that bayou.
The board is looking for answers about what happened to the supplemental appropriation.
“Decision on best use of [Fiscal Year] 20 project funding will have to be carefully evaluated once … funding picture becomes clearer after Work Plan allocations are determined,” according to Wade’s written report to the board. “No guarantee of additional funds.”
The board also commiserated with Jon Brice of Brice Civil Construction Inc., the contractor for a $14 million-$21.8 million project designed to reduce problems with “fluff,” a liquefied mud, in the bar channel.
The trial run period needed to get the boom-equipped vessel ready to work has stretched into months.
“Every day is a promising day for us,” said Brice, the company president. “Every night I go home cussing into my pillow.”
Hopes are high the work will begin within days. And, as part of the trial period, the vessel will try to alleviate some of the shoaling problems near 20 Grand Point.
Not all the news was discouraging. Tim Connell of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers said the Corps’ vessel Jadwin will be available for a minimum of 10 days. Wade said the vessel can be used to help reduce shoaling in the Stoute Pass area.
And Economic Development Manager Cindy Cutrera said work is underway to gather state legislative support for a three-year, $3.75 million state capital outlay for dredging Atchafalaya River navigation channels.
State Sen. Bret Allain, R-Franklin, qualified for re-election without opposition. State Rep. Beryl Amedee, R-Gray, won her bid for re-election Saturday. Franklin residents Raymond Harris and Vincent St. Blanc III won places in the Nov. 16 runoff to see who will succeed state Rep. Sam Jones, the Franklin Democrat who is stepping down when his current term ends in January.
Board Chairman Joeph Cain thanked Connell and Mattern, who are federal employees, for appearing at the meeting on the federal Columbus Day holiday.

Festivities in Patterson will be held at Morey Park on Main Street in Patterson on Saturday, Oct. 26, for the fourth annual Main Street Festival. Proceeds raised during the Main Street festival will benefit Phase I of the Morey Park Restoration Project.
The musical lineup for the event is Summer House, noon-3 p.m.; Gone Pecans, 3-6 p.m.; and Déjà vu, 6-9 p.m.
The festival will begin with a 5k run/walk sponsored by Mt. Pisgah at 8 a.m. There is a $30 entry fee.
Main Street Who Dat Cajun Cook-off will begin at 8 a.m. with judging at 3 p.m. There is a $25 entry fee.
Patterson High School will have a gym floor dedication for the late Carey Mac Staples at 9 a.m.
There will be prayer at Morey Park at 9:45 a.m. This event is open to all who would like to participate.
The Kid’s Korner will open at 10 a.m. with a pumpkin contest, calk walk, and bounce house activities. The fun jumps will be available 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Historic Walking and Living Cemetery tours take place 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Pre-sale tickets are $12 and the day of event, $15. Pre-sale tickets are available at Main Street Salon, 1117 Main St. or Frank’s Agency, 1123 Main St.
Historic sites to be toured include St. Joseph Catholic Church, Marin family home and Marin oak tree, Cannonball Oak Tree, Patterson United Methodist Church and The Fisherman Tree, Captain Caviar Swamp Tours (additional ticket required), First Baptist Church of Patterson, Patterson Protestant Cemetery and Living Cemetery Tour, Camp Caviar and The Hanging Tree, Ferryman’s Cottage, the Old Warehouse, and Good Hope Baptist Church.
Guided boat tours from Captain Caviar Swamp Tours will be 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Cost is $10 per ticket.
Vendors will include Main Street Commissioners selling beer, Krewe of Amani selling hurricanes, Community Center selling soft drinks and water, Krewe of Hannibal selling tea, fried fish and fries, Zion Chapel AME selling fried fish, and C.T. selling fried chicken wings and fries.
Lawn chairs are welcome, but no ice chests are allowed within the boundaries of the festival grounds.

September 2, 1933 — October 12, 2019
Genieve A. Aucoin, a native and longtime resident of the Morgan City area, was called to her heavenly home on Saturday, October 12, 2019, at the age of 86.
Genieve leaves to cherish her beautiful memory her daughters, Pamela “Pam” Asbridge and her husband, Roger, Joan Ganaway and her husband, Louis, and Debra Michel and her husband, Carroll; her son, Devin Aucoin; nine grandchildren, Jane Robertson and her husband, John, Shelly Hines and her husband, Jason, Thomas Drawbaugh Sr., Louis Ganaway Jr., Silas Ganaway and his wife, Chasity, Elizabeth Ganaway, Ashley Michel, Carroll “C.J.” Michel III, and Courtney Samaroo and her husband, Patrick; and 10 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Oscar Aucoin; a daughter, Deborah Aucoin; a grandson, Johnathon Ganaway; her parents, Joseph and Celina Aucoin; and her siblings, Victor Aucoin, Louise Rink and Mary Falgout.
The family requests that a time of visitation be observed on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, from 9 a.m. until time of services with a rosary being prayed at 12:30 p.m. at Hargrave Funeral Home. Funeral Services will be held for Genieve on Wednesday, October 16, 2019, at 1 p.m. at Hargrave Funeral Home with graveside services following in the Morgan City Cemetery.