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GURTIE STEVENS BOUTON

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 9:39am

April 15, 1918 - June 30, 2019
Gurtie Stevens Bouton, a 77 year resident of Franklin, passed away at the age of 101 on June 30, 2019, Sunday afternoon at the Franklin Health Care Center.
Gurtie was born Monday, April 15, 1918 in Patoutville, La., the eldest of seven children born to Joseph and Azelie Stevens. Like so many children of her generation she had to quit school at an early age, 13 years old in her case, to help her family. At an early age she was cooking for the farm hands on the Landry Sugarcane Farm in Patoutville and often had to bring meals out in the fields.
She married Robert Bouton on March 2, 1935 and the two were blessed with four children, Earl, Dolores, Drucilla, and Elridge. Although she had very little formal education, Gurtie was very intelligent and worked in the toughest profession known to man, that of a homemaker, which also included taking care of the family finances. In her earlier years with her husband she enjoyed fishing and shrimping. Family gathering and visiting with family and friends were also favorite pastimes for Gurtie, especially family visits during her later years at the Franklin Health Care Center. She was deeply loved and will truly be missed.
Those she leaves to cherish her memory include her children, Earl J. Bouton Sr. and his wife Cora, Drucilla B. Ratcliff, and Elridge J. Bouton and his wife Dianne; brother, Ira Stevens and his wife Mona; 11 grandchildren; a host of great grandchildren and great great grandchildren; as well as numerous relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Robert L. Bouton; her daughter, Dolores B. Darby; sons-in-law, Melvin Darby and Lloyd Ratcliff; granddaughter, Sundae Ratcliff Tanner; her parents, Joseph Stevens and Azelie Sonnier Stevens; two brothers, Irvin Stevens and Ivy Stevens; and three sisters, Gernice Romero, Gussie Romero, and Adelia Thibodeaux.
A Mass of Christian Burial was held Tuesday, July 2, 2019, at 1 p.m. at the Church of the Assumption in Franklin with Fr. Joel Faulk and Fr. Billy Ruskoski celebrating the Mass. Following the Mass, Ms. Gurtie was laid to rest with her husband in the Franklin Cemetery Mausoleum.
A gathering of family and friends was held Tuesday at the church from 10 a.m. until Mass time, with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 11:30 a.m.
The Bouton family extends their heartfelt thanks to the staff of the Franklin Health Care Center for taking such great care of her for the past seven years, as well as to Dr. Steven McPherson and the staff of Journey Hospice. Your care, compassion, and love will never be forgotten.
Family and friends may view the obituary and express their condolences online by visiting www.iberts.com.
Arrangements have been entrusted to Ibert’s Mortuary, Inc., 1007 Main Street, Franklin, La. 70538, (337) 828-5426.

CORY CHAPMAN

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 9:39am

Cory Chapman, 54, a resident of Verdunville, La., and native of Morgan City, La., passed away on Thursday, June 13, 2019 at 2:54 a.m. at the University Medical Center in New Orleans, La.
Visitation will be observed on Saturday, July 6, 2019 from 11 a.m. until funeral services at 12 Noon at Jones Funeral Home 715 Sixth Street Morgan City, La. Reverend Ron Bias will officiate the services.
Memories of Cory will forever remain in the hearts of his children, Courtney Webb of Patterson, La., and Cory Webb of Verdunville; five grandchildren: one sister, Gina Chapman of Dallas, TX; a brother, Denver (Tonia) Chapman of Morgan City, La. and a host of nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends.
Cory was preceded in death by his parents, his maternal and paternal grandparents; one uncle, and three aunts.
Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.

SONJA LENITA O’PRIEN GARRETT

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 9:38am

Sonja Lenita O’Prien Garrett, 56, a native and resident of Morgan City, La., passed away peacefully on Thursday, June 27, 2019 at 11:15 a.m. at her residence.
A visitation and musical tribute will be observed on Friday July 5, 2019 at the New Zorah Baptist Church 604 Julia Street Morgan City, La., from 10 a.m. until funeral services at 12 Noon. The Reverend Norman A Stovall. will officiate the services. Burial will follow funeral services in the Morgan City Cemetery in Morgan City.
Memories of Sonja will forever remain the hearts of her husband, Terry W. Garrett; her three children, LaSonja S. Prince and Geralyn R. Garrett all of Morgan City, and Jeffrey J. Prince of Franklin; four grandchildren, two sisters, Dr. Regina Patterson and Mrs. Earl ( Natalie) Johnson; one uncle, Arthur (Juantia) Lagard; three sisters-in-law, and a host nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews and other relatives and dear friends.
Sonja was preceded in death by her parents, and a stepson.
Visit www.jones-funeral-home.com to send condolences to family.

‘Golden Girls’ gets better with pop culture age

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 9:23am

By TERRY TANG, The Associated Press

Alexandra Wilkinson was only 2 months old when “The Golden Girls” ended its television run in 1992.
But she became a fan last year while taking a course called “Women and Aging: Lessons from the Golden Girls” at California State University, Long Beach. Now she streams episodes on Hulu. She owns a “Golden Girls” T-shirt. And when she graduated recently with a master’s degree in gerontology, she decorated her cap with a picture of “Golden Girl” Sophia along with the sardonic Sicilian’s trademark phrase, “Picture it.”
“I was amazed at how this TV show from before I was born really related to so many topics I’m learning about right now,” said Wilkinson, 27. “It doesn’t even matter what they’re talking about, whether it’s a serious concept or not. Their personalities just have a way of bringing humor into everything.”
The class, which finished its second year in May, is the latest example of the surprising pop culture longevity of Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia.
The Emmy-winning series revolved around four older women living together in Miami. It starred Bea Arthur, Rue McClanahan, Estelle Getty and Betty White, who is the only living cast member at age 97 (White, through her agent, declined an interview request). The show aired on NBC from 1985-1992.
Just in the last few years, however, there’s been a wave of merchandising, from a trivia game to Chia pets. Funko, known for its Pop dolls of sci-fi and fantasy characters, created “Golden Girls” figures, a limited-edition cereal and, most recently, PEZ dispensers. In 2015, a fan built an unofficial Lego set of the women in their home. Next February, a “Golden Girls” theme cruise will launch from — where else? — Miami.
Marsha Posner Williams, a co-producer on the series’ first three seasons, said the creators simply set out to tell stories about an often-overlooked segment of the population.
“This was a way of showing that even though you might be of a certain age, you’re not dead,” Williams said. “You’re full of life, full of laughter, full of sarcasm and it can be quite joyful.”
Unlike the ‘80s fashions worn in the show, the dialogue still holds up, Williams said, resonating with many people, from the gay community to millennials.
“All the issues are so real that they talk about, even though it was 35 years ago,” she said.
H. Alan Scott of Los Angeles has co-hosted a “Golden Girls” podcast for four years called “Out On the Lanai,” a reference to the patio where the women would often talk. He also stages drag shows as Sadie Pines, a riff on the fictitious Shady Pines retirement home where Sophia used to live.
He calls the show “timeless in a lot of ways because they weren’t necessarily topical in the jokes they did.”
Maria Claver, a gerontology professor who created the CSU Long Beach class with colleague Long Wang in spring 2018, thinks nostalgia is one reason “The Golden Girls” endures. Many fans who watched when it originally aired are now in or facing their golden years. And the episodes have been helpful illustrations for her students.
“I think one of the strengths of using a show like ‘Golden Girls’ is that you can address sometimes uncomfortable or difficult topics with humor,” Claver said. “I think that makes students comfortable to talk about things like sexuality among older women.”
The weekly class touched on subjects like menopause, addiction, sexuality, dementia and caregiving. Claver and Wang would screen a relevant episode and then lead a discussion. There were guest speakers, including Williams.
As a super-fan, Claver also can’t help but delight in turning students on to the show’s entertainment value.
“It is a thrill to introduce it to some of the younger students and by the end of the semester, they’re like ‘Omigosh, I’m totally a Dorothy,’” Claver said.
Wilkinson, the recent grad, said she can laugh along even when she has no idea who a guest star like Burt Reynolds is.
“Of course there are references I don’t quite understand. Like they’ll mention a musician or they’ll mention an actor I’ve never heard of,” Wilkinson said. “But for some reason, the way they deliver it is hilarious.”
Williams loves that “Golden Girls” keeps finding a new audience.
“We all do projects that we wish our names were not on,” she said. “But, if you’re lucky, you have one in your career that you’re so fricking proud to be associated with.”

Dad’s drone captures images of shark swimming near his kids

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 9:21am

NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A father captured video of a shark swimming dangerously close to his children as they swam off Florida’s Atlantic Coast.
Professional photographer Dan Watson tells Fox35 in Orlando he was flying the drone to take photos of his children last month as they swam off New Smyrna Beach when he spotted a shadowy figure. He yelled for his wife, Sally Watson, to get the kids out of the water.
Sally Watson says she didn’t know why he wanted them out of the water until he showed her the photo of “that shark swimming right at our kids.” She says it was terrifying. Another photo captured the children leaving the water and the shark swimming away.
On Sunday a shark bit a teen on the foot on the same beach.

Husband with a secret past feels compelled to share it

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 9:19am

DEAR ABBY: I have been married 36 years to a woman who has saved my life and soul. We are both faithful to God and to our marriage, sharing the love of our family. We are blessed in many ways — including a great son who is self-sufficient and prospering, and a daughter who is married and takes on any challenge with confidence. I have one guilt-filled issue I have never shared with my wife. Prior to meeting her, for nearly 12 years through my military service and college years, I was actively bisexual. I’m not proud of this fact ...

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BBQ Bash set for July 12-13

Wed, 07/03/2019 - 8:19am

Staff Report

The 8th Annual Bayou BBQ Bash will take place July 12-13 under the U.S. 90 bridge in Morgan City. Organizers will also hold a kickoff party July 11 at Hampton Inn & Suites.

St. Mary Chamber of Commerce officials organize the bash. Don and Mata Tellman founded the BBQ Bash in 2012. Don Tellman died in March. The Barbecue Competitors Alliance, which sanctions the bash, honored him last year when it renamed its Pelican Trophy the Donald F. Tellman Pelican Trophy. That trophy is awarded to overall points winner in the competition series.

Organizers expect about 30 to 40 teams to compete in this year’s BBQ Bash on July 13, Chamber President Donna Meyer said. The three meat categories are chicken, pork spare ribs and brisket. Competitors in the Barbecue Competitors Alliance State Championship will start cooking early that morning with an awards ceremony at 5 p.m. The event also includes the Cannata’s Kid’s Q Competition.

The overall grand champion head cook will receive a 10-carat gold ring from Klutts Jewelers. Cooks must compete in all three meat categories to be eligible for the grand champion award. The St. Mary Parish team with the highest score will also win a trophy and the opportunity to win prize money. All cooking must be done on wood or wood products.

Entry for local St. Mary Parish and competitive cooking teams costs $165 per team for all three meats and $55 for each meat category. Corporate team entry is $250 per team and includes the company name on a T-shirt. All cooks must attend a meeting at 5:30 p.m. July 12 under the U.S. 90 bridge followed by a meal.

The chamber will hold a BBQ Bash kickoff party from 5:30-8 p.m. July 11 at Hampton Inn & Suites in Morgan City. Additionally, officials with the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival will unveil the festival poster for the 84th edition of that festival to be held Labor Day weekend.

Family Tradition will play live music from 6-8 p.m. at the kickoff party that also includes food, drinks and door prizes.

On July 12 and 13, The Smokehouse will sell barbecue plates and Xtreme Athletics will sell hamburgers and fries.

Activities under the U.S. 90 bridge start at 4 p.m. and last until 10 p.m. July 12 with food vendors and an arts and crafts show. Deja Vu will perform from 6-10 p.m. July 12. Driftwood plays from 12:30-4:30 p.m. July 13. Craft and food vendors will be open all day July 13, too.

To download a competition entry form, go to bcabbq.org. Click on Upcoming Events at the top of the page and then click on the Bayou BBQ Bash flier.

La. 182 bridge closure Saturday morning to allow pedestrian use

Tue, 07/02/2019 - 3:36pm

Officials plan to close bridge to motor vehicle traffic once a month

The La. 182 bridge over Berwick Bay will be closed to motor vehicle traffic from 6 a.m. to noon Saturday as part of an effort to encourage pedestrians to use the bridge.

Morgan City and Berwick governmental officials agreed to the closure, Morgan City Chief Administrative Officer Marc Folse said in a news release.

This closure is in conjunction with the St. Mary Excel Focus Group and will open the bridge to pedestrian recreational traffic. Visitors are encouraged to walk, bike and utilize the elevated vantage point for any other recreational opportunities, Folse said.

Officials hope with good participation this closing will result in a first Saturday of every month closure schedule, weather permitting. Morgan City and Berwick police will supervise the closure.

Estimates differ on Berwick's population

Tue, 07/02/2019 - 1:35pm

By BILL DECKER, bdecker@daily-review.com

The U.S. Census Bureau says Berwick’s population has declined since the 2010 Census.
Not so fast, says Berwick.
Mayor Duval Arthur passed along a June 4 letter from Louisiana Treasurer John M. Schroder indicating Berwick’s estimated population on July 1, 2018, was actually greater than the 4,946 reported in the 2010 Census. That estimate would put Berwick well above the 5,000 needed to move from town to city status under state law.
The number makes a difference. Population is the basis for determinations about grants and revenue sharing programs, and the 2020 Census figures will be used as the basis for redrawing the maps of political districts.
Pride is part of the equation, too: “Moving from a town to a city just means you have more people,” Arthur said.
The Daily Review reported Monday that the Census Bureau’s annual estimates showed a parishwide decline in population 2010-18. The estimated population was 49,774, a decline of nearly 9 percent since 2010. (A typo in the original story misstated the number.) The 2018 estimates were down across the board for the parish’s incorporated places.
Berwick’s population dropped from 4,946 in 2010 to 4,471 in 2018, according to the Census Bureau.
But the Schroder letter said Berwick’s estimated 2018 population was 5,158, which would be an increase of 212 since 2010.
The treasurer’s letter cites estimates from the LSU AgCenter’s Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness and Dean Troy Blanchard of the LSU Department of Sociology.
In an email, Blanchard said the difference in the two estimates comes from a difference in methods.
The Census Bureau relies on a survey of building permits performed annually, Blanchard wrote. Not all municipalities participate in the survey.
“We generate our estimates from a survey we circulate to the 304 municipalities across the state,” Blanchard wrote. “We request data from mayors on local utility connections (electricity, water, sewer), building permit data, demolitions, annexations, etc. to estimate the population of a municipality.
“Both methods represent valid approaches to generating population estimates, but can result in different estimates. In some municipalities, the two programs yield similar results. In other municipalities, the two estimates differ.”
The most accurate count will come from the 2020 Census, Blanchard said.

OPEC may extend production cuts

Tue, 07/02/2019 - 1:34pm

VIENNA (AP) — OPEC is deciding whether to extend its current deal to cut production for six to nine months as the oil cartel faces a weakening demand outlook due to waning global growth.
The decision by member representatives meeting Monday is complicated by tensions between the U.S. and Iran that have sent prices higher.
The head of Nigeria’s delegation at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, Folasade Yemi-Esan, said Monday that her country “strongly endorsed” an extension of the deal for nine months, saying that would “offer greater certainty to the market.”
The current deal to support prices reduced production by 1.2 million barrels per day starting from Jan. 1 for six months. Most of the cuts came from OPEC nations, who agreed to cut 800,000 barrels per day, with the rest of the cuts coming from Russia and other countries. The cuts were aimed to put upward pressure on the price of oil and reduce oversupply.
Tensions between the U.S. and Iran and attacks on tankers near the Strait of Hormuz have sent oil prices higher in recent days. Over the longer term, demand could weaken according to the International Energy Agency, which cut its demand estimate earlier this month.
On Monday oil prices rose after Russia and Saudi Arabia backed an extension of the cuts. Brent crude traded 2.9% higher at $66.60 per barrel.
Since December’s decision to cut production, conditions in the oil market have become increasingly complex, making a decision over an extension less clear.
“It’s a much harder market to forecast,” said Amy Myers Jaffe, senior fellow at the Council for Foreign Relations.
“I’m of a confused mind, and I think many participants are,” Jaffe said. “I think the outlook right now is very ripe for a supply shock.”
Geopolitical turmoil and production problems in various markets have led to concern that oil supply would be tight, conditions which tends to push the price of oil higher. Tensions have been rising in the Middle East as the U.S imposed new sanctions on Iran, and oil tankers have been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passage through which a fifth of all oil traded around the world passes. And production out of Venezuela, once one of the world’s largest producers, has collapsed.
Experts say a military conflict between the U.S. and Iran would further constrain oil supply and send oil prices higher.
In addition to the supply concerns, there are worries over demand not least because of the slowdown in the global economy partly as a result of trade tensions between the U.S. and China. That raises the prospect of lower oil demand and consequently lower prices.
To some degree, those opposing forces have counter-balanced each other, but the dueling dynamics make it difficult to predict what’s likely to happen with the price of oil, and that may make decisions for OPEC leaders challenging.
Jaffe expects the price of oil to continue rising for the next few months.
“I disagree with people on the thesis that the geopolitical risk and the razor-thin supply doesn’t matter because the economy is slow, because it just hasn’t slowed down that much,” Jaffe said.