Central Catholic hosted its annual volleyball camp for youngsters recently. The camp's purpose is to teach volleyball fundamentals and motivate campers to get excited about volleyball. More than 40 girls participated in the camp.
Berwick High School held its spring sports awards in mid-May at the Berwick Civic Complex. Below are some of the award winners.
To apply some modern tricks to old-school chicken salad, we turned to our spice rack. Most spices boast an impressive portfolio of phytonutrients — often the very same compounds that give them such potent flavor.
Mild, creamy chicken salad was an ideal canvas. First, we found we could replace two-thirds of the mayonnaise with low-fat yogurt (and use less dressing overall) and still deliver enough creamy tang to keep everyone happy. To spice up our dressing, we added turmeric and black pepper.
Long used as a medicinal spice in India, turmeric is associated with many health benefits. Black pepper — commonly paired with turmeric — may boost the potency of turmeric, especially in the presence of a little heart-healthy fat.
With our dressing ready, we poached chicken breasts to perfection by heating them just until the water reached 170 F, then removing the pot from the heat and letting the chicken cook through slowly and gently.
For add-ins, we opted for dried cherries and toasted walnuts to provide crunch.
Instead of a whisper of herbs, we stirred in 1/3-cup parsley leaves (herbs, like spices, contain concentrated nutrients), which added a pop of green color and an herbal back note. Two cups of tender baby spinach provided a fresh finish to our updated chicken salad sandwiches.
TUMERIC CHICKEN SALAD SANDWICHES
Start to finish: 1 hour
Salt and pepper
2 (4- to 6-ounce) organic boneless, skinless chicken breasts, no more than 1 inch thick, trimmed of all visible fat
1 tsp. cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp ground turmeric
Pinch ground cinnamon
¼ cup organic plain low-fat yogurt
2 Tbsps. mayonnaise
2 tsps. lemon juice
½ tsp. Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped coarse
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
¼ cup unsweetened dried tart cherries
1 shallot, minced
12 slices hearty 100% whole-grain sandwich bread or your favorite wrap
2 ounces (2 cups) baby spinach
Dissolve 1 tablespoon salt in 6 cups cold water in Dutch oven. Submerge chicken in water. Heat pot over medium heat until water registers 170 F. Turn off heat, cover pot, and let stand until chicken registers 165 F, 15 to 17 minutes.
Transfer chicken to paper towel-lined rimmed baking sheet and refrigerate until cool, about 30 minutes.
Combine oil, turmeric and cinnamon together in bowl and microwave until fragrant, about 30 seconds; let cool slightly. In large bowl, whisk oil mixture, yogurt, mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, ½ teaspoon pepper, and ¼ teaspoon salt together until smooth.
Pat cooled chicken dry with paper towels and cut into ½-inch pieces. Add chicken, walnuts, parsley, cherries and shallot to bowl with yogurt mixture. Toss to combine and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Divide chicken salad evenly over 6 bread slices, then top with spinach. Top with remaining 6 bread slices. Or use your favorite wrap. Serve.
Servings: 6
—Nutrition information per serving: 485 calories; 141 calories from fat; 16 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 31 mg cholesterol; 762 mg sodium; 70 g carbohydrate; 17 g fiber; 10 g sugar; 25 g protein.
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PATTERSON — The City Council heard more Tuesday about the possible factors that worsened two floods in two months: too much mown grass blown into streets, inadequate culverts, low-lying lots, trash in the ditches and construction that changes the runoff flow.
What the city needs before another big rainfall, Mayor Rodney Grogan said, is a plan in case money starts raining down from Washington.
Also at Tuesday’s regular monthly meeting, the council passed ordinances to let the St. Mary Community Action Agency and the Council on Aging use city facilities; appointed a new prosecutor for the mayor’s court; considered changing the speed limit on Red Cypress Road; and heard that bear-proof trash cans may actually be working too well.
Flood plan for flood plain
Patterson, like other Tri-City communities, struggled with high water in two one-day downpours in April and June.
Red Cypress Road resident Pat Wiggins, who appeared earlier this year to say cane trucks were making her life miserable, was back Tuesday to report that the June flooding put 1-1/2 feet of water on her property. Water didn’t get into her mobile home, which is raised.
But “I don’t know what to do,” Wiggins said. “But something has to be done.”
She said after the meeting that she didn’t feel she got much help.
But Grogan made a pitch for a comprehensive flood control plan for Patterson, based on discussions he attended recently in Washington.
Grogan was one of 25 mayors from Gulf Coast states and Arkansas who were invited to talk with federal officials. Flood control was an important topic.
Grogan learned that $1.6 billion in federal money is headed to Louisiana, including $60 million to be shared by agencies in Louisiana’s eight watersheds after the state takes a $20 million cut.
One big boost for Patterson seems unlikely, and a citywide flood fix would be expensive. Fixing problems south of the railroad tracks alone is known to require $3 million, the mayor said.
“But if we have a plan to do it in increments, we can get some things done,” Grogan said.
One place to start may be gauges placed at strategic points to measure differences in water levels, City Engineer Clay Breaud said. Those differences would help pinpoint blockages.
The need for grants makes the 2020 Census important, Grogan said. Government grants often rely on population totals and factors such as median household income, all tracked by the U.S. Census Bureau.
New prosecutor
The council confirmed the nomination of Erica Rose, an assistant district attorney in the 16th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, as the mayor’s court prosecutor.
State law governing cities originally allowed the mayor or the mayor’s representative to serve as both judge and prosecutor in city courts, which handle alleged violations of city laws. But that system has come under fire for creating an impermissible conflict of interest.
So the council recently passed an ordinance creating the city prosecutor position.
Rose already serves in the same role for Franklin.
“My job is to protect the city of Patterson and make sure the laws are enforced,” Rose said. “But I have to make sure the laws are enforced equitably."
CAA and COA
The council unanimously approved ordinances authorizing lease agreements with the Community Action Agency and the Council on Aging.
The CAA will use space in the new Community Center at the old junior high school site. The Council on Aging will lease the old city hall.
From the CAA, the city will receive the consideration required by the lease in the form of the Head Start program, feeding programs, housing counseling for residents, health transportation for the needy and a residential energy program.
The consideration received from the Council on Aging will be services for seniors including meals at the site and for the home-bound, a wellness program, arts and crafts, civic information, and day trips.
What the
market will bear
Bears are stirring up more than old coffee grounds when they dig through trash cans to look for a nighttime snack.
Residents south of the railroad tracks use trash pickup containers with latches to keep the bears from spilling the garbage. According to the council discussion, bears that can’t find grub on one side of the tracks are foraging on the other.
That creates a problem. Like other companies, Pelican Waste & Debris, which picks up trash in Patterson, has gone to automated trash pickup.
Public Works Director Steve Bierhorst said the bear-proof cans require more effort to empty because they’re latched.
The company already factors the extra labor in for its south-of-the-tracks routes. But if the use of bear-proof containers becomes more widespread, costs will go up for Pelican and ultimately for Patterson residents.
Bierhorst threw out an idea for the Shady Grove area near U.S. 90 and north of the tracks, and it may not prove popular: asking residents to unlatch their containers after daylight but before 7 a.m.
The bears clear out after dawn, and the unlatched containers could be emptied into the trucks without adding manpower.
Change
in speed?
Without taking final action, the council talked briefly about changing the speed limit on Red Cypress Road, which had been the source of Wiggins’ cane truck problems.
But there are other problems as well, Grogan said, including young people driving to and from school and a lack of shoulders and good lighting on the road.
The speed limit is currently 35 mph from U.S. 90 to Martin Luther King Avenue, and 45 mph from MLK to La. 182.
Morgan City
—5-8:30 p.m. Thursday: Party in the Park at Lawrence Park. Driftwood will play. Barbecue, soft drinks, frozen treats and beer will be for sale.
Patterson
—10 a.m.-7 p.m. Thursday: Bring-you-own-everything event at Park Street Park. There will be volleyball and water slides for kids and a live DJ 3-7 p.m.
Berwick Bay Waterfront
— 9 p.m. Thursday: Fireworks display. The La. 182 bridge will close at 8:30 p.m.
Closings
—City, parish, state and federal offices
—Berwick's Harold J. "Babe" Landry" Landfill will close at noon Thursday.
—Republic Services and Pelican Waste & Debris will pick up Thursday as usual. Put out your trash the night before to accommodate earlier pickups.
— The Daily Review office will be closed Thursday.
Submitted Photo
The St. Mary Chamber of Commerce has welcomed new members Cricket Wireless and Store Manager Susan Kidder. Kidder, left, is shown with District Manager Rasheka Thomas, center, and Chamber President Donna Meyer.
A 42-year-old man was arrested in the Patterson area after narcotics detectives saw a hand-to-hand transaction and fled and later resisted detectives , St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said in a news release.
—Johnell Dyer, 42, of End Street in Patterson, was arrested at 6:37 p.m. Tuesday on charges of two counts of resisting a police officer with force or violence, one count of second-degree battery of a police officer, possession of crack cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of powdered cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, violation of controlled dangerous substance law in a drug-free zone (school, church), obstruction of justice and resisting an officer by giving false information.
Narcotics detectives were patrolling the area of Patterson when they observed a subject on a bicycle on Como Street near Plum Street conduct a hand-to-hand transaction with another individual. When detectives attempted to make contact with the subject, later identified as Dyer, he began to flee but was quickly apprehended, Smith said.
During the investigation, drugs were located. During the arrest, Dyer became irate and resisted detectives, the sheriff said. Dyer was jailed with bail set at $200,000.
Smith reported that deputies responded to 36 complaints in the parish and reported the following arrests relating to east St. Mary Parish:
—Tristen Alexander Naquin, 24, of Laurel Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 9:59 a.m. Tuesday on charges of expired license plate, no insurance and a warrant for failure to appear on a charge of telephone harassment.
A deputy was traveling west on U.S. 90 in Patterson when he observed a vehicle traveling under the speed limit with emergency flashers on. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, identified as Naquin.
Naquin’s license plate was expired, and he had no insurance on the vehicle, Smith said. The deputy was advised by dispatch that Naquin held a warrant for his arrest. Naquin was jailed with bail set at $500.
—Katelynn A. Perez, 24, of Southeast Boulevard in Bayou Vista, was arrested at 3:36 p.m. Tuesday on two warrants for failure to appear on charges of probation violation, theft and violation of a protective order.
Perez was located at a business in Franklin on the warrants and jailed with no bail set.
—Laci Lanclos, 36, of Seneca Street in Port Barre, was arrested at 10:03 p.m. Tuesday on charges of no taillights and driving under suspension.
A deputy was patrolling the area of U.S. 90 west in Berwick when he observed a vehicle with an inoperable taillight. The deputy conducted a traffic stop and made contact with the driver, identified as Lanclos. The deputy was advised by dispatch that Lanclos held a warrant for her arrest. She was issued a summons to appear in court Oct. 16.
—Trey Michael Hebert, 23, of La. 1012 in Napoleonville, was arrested at 11:33 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with probation violation.
A deputy was dispatched to a disturbance at a business in Amelia. Upon arrival, the deputy made contact with Hebert. During the investigation, dispatch learned that Hebert held a warrant for his arrest. Hebert was jailed with no bail set.
Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 41 calls and reported the following arrests:
—Juan Ramirez Torres Jr., 30, of Stacy Street in Bayou L’Ourse, was arrested at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday on warrants charging him with probation violation and three counts of contempt of court. Torres was located at St. Mary Parish jail and arrested on Morgan City court warrants. He was jailed.
—Javien Jawan Francis, 22, of Oregon Street in Berwick, was arrested at 3:16 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with direct contempt of court. Francis was located and arrested in city court. He was jailed.
—Herman Charpentier, 53, of Lake Palourde Road in Amelia, was arrested at 3:20 p.m. Tuesday on a warrant charging him with possession of marijuana. Charpentier turned himself in at the police department on warrants from 2008. He was jailed.
—Courtland Jermain Phillips, 19, of Robicheaux Street in Berwick, was arrested at 11:19 p.m. Tuesday on charges of possession of marijuana less than 14 grams first offense, possession of drug paraphernalia and illegal use of a controlled dangerous substance in the presence of person under 17 years old.
A patrol officer conducted a traffic stop in the area of Sixth and Onstead streets. During the traffic stop, Phillips was identified as a passenger in the vehicle and found in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. A juvenile and infant were present in the vehicle. Phillips was jailed.
—Charles Little Gash, 65, of Freret Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 11:56 p.m. Tuesday on a charge of remaining after forbidden and warrants charging him with two counts of failure to appear in court.
Officers were dispatched to Mallard Street in reference to a disturbance. Upon officers arriving, they came into contact with Gash. A computer check revealed he was banned from housing authority property and city court had warrants for his arrest, Blair said. He was jailed.
—Kenneth Allridge, 54, of Oil Tank Alley in Morgan City, was arrested at 3:12 a.m. Wednesday on warrants charging him with failure to appear in court.
A patrol officer came into contact with Allridge in the area of Federal Avenue and Egle Street. A warrants check revealed 16th Judicial District Court had warrants for his arrest. He was jailed.
Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported no arrests.
Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported no arrests.
The following are the radio dispatch logs from the Morgan City Police Department. To report unlawful or suspicious activity, call the police department at 985-380-4605.
Tuesday, July 2
12:11 p.m. 1000 block of Onstead Street; Animal complaint.
12:21 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Complaint.
2:20 p.m. 7300 block of La. 182 East; Hang up call.
2:39 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Medical emergency.
2:51 p.m. 300 block of Franklin Street; Frequent patrol.
2:59 p.m. 2900 block of Railroad Avenue; Animal complaint.
3:05 p.m. 300 block of Bowman Street; Phone harassment.
4:02 p.m. 2400 block of Apple Street; Welfare concern.
4:04 p.m. 2400 block of Cypress Street; Disturbance.
4:39 p.m. 500 block of Leona Street; Complaint.
5:21 p.m. Morgan City Police Department; Complaint.
11:21 p.m. 100 block of Mallard Street; Arrest.
Wednesday, July 3
12:15 a.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Complaint.
2:16 a.m. 6300 block of La. 182; Complaint.
2:51 a.m. 3000 block of Allison Street; Complaint.
3 a.m. Federal Avenue and Egle Street; Arrest.
3:50 a.m. 700 block of Martin Luther King Boulevard; Stalled vehicle.
Longtime Erath businessman and civic leader Terry Lancon has been selected as the 2019 Erath 4th of July Grand Marshal. He will reign over the grand parade that will roll through the streets of Erath on July 4th at 5 p.m..
Lancon owned The Wild Iris, a local flower shop he purchased in 1984. He operated the business in downtown Erath until his retirement in 2017. His unique floral creations served as the centerpiece of many area celebrations during that time. He is an award winning florist and was presented a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from Louisiana State Florist Association in 2003. He has always been involved in efforts to promote Erath. He helped organize and sponsor the Christmas Open House in downtown Erath for many years.
Lancon is a longtime board member of the Erath 4th of July Association. He began serving on the board in the early 1980s. He has been an active board member and served for many years as the chairman of the Dunking Booth and Special Contests. Lancon is also on the board of the Erath Community Building Association. He donated his time when the building began as the manager of the building, handling the rentals and continues to serve as vice president.
Lancon has always been an active member of the community, both on a state and local level. He is a member of the Vermilion Parish Tourism Commission and the Louisiana State Florist Association, where he served as vice president for eight years. He served on the state board for the American Cancer Association and American Diabetes Association. He a member of Krewe de la Renaissance Acadienne, served as captain of the Krewe of Vermilion for 2 years, and reigned as King of the Krewe of Teche in Franklin in 1990.
Lancon is a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, where he served as a Eucharistic Minister for many years. Over the years, he has given freely of his artistic talent by providing beautiful floral arrangements to the church for various occasions. Lancon is a member of the Erath Knights of Columbus. He has served in nearly office in the organization, including Grand Knight from 1981-1982. He is also a 4th Degree Knight.
Lancon is a native of the Four Corners community near Franklin. He graduated from Hanson High School in 1965, and the University of Southwestern Louisiana (now UL Lafayette) with a degree in elementary education in 1969 and business education in 1978. He taught school for several years, including one year at Erath High School.
Lancon was married to the late Alice Hebert Lancon for 29 ½ years at the time of her death in 2002. They are the parents of two children: Yvette Broussard, married to Chad; and Andre Lancon, married to Tanaya. He has eight grandchildren: Ty, Courtney, Taylor, Coy, and Coty Broussard, Kaylon, Bo, and Emma Grace Lancon.
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