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November 20, 1949-March 21, 2019
Brenda Sue Gollmer, 69, a resident of Berwick, passed away Thursday, March 21, 2019, at Morgan City Health Care surrounded by her loving family.
Brenda was born November 20, 1949, in Bell View, Texas, the daughter of Hubert Gollmer and Birdie Brast Lynch.
Brenda loved everyone; when Brenda met you, you were no longer a stranger, but family. It was her huge heart that pulled people in and instantly made them her friend and like her family. Brenda’s family was her life; she loved spending time with her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews. She also enjoyed crocheting, doing crossword puzzles, and sitting outside.
She will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered by her son, Jamerson Williams Sr. and wife Terri of Berwick; her daughter, Jessica Gollmer of Berwick; adopted son, Malando Brown III; two brothers, Thomas Lynch and wife Addis of Spring, Texas, and Keven Lynch of Patterson; one sister, Taffeta Lynch of Patterson; 11 grandchildren, Mac Sinitere, Teirra Gollmer, Marcquise Williams, Meagan Jumper, Maliyah Williams, Jamerson “Baby J.” Williams Jr., Malachi Williams, Dayshawn Williams, Maiya Gollmer, Alianah Gollmer and Dainan Gollmer; three great-grandchildren, Aniyah Colar, Diego Green and Averie Harris; two godchildren, Damion Lynch and Isaac Louivere; and seven nieces and nephews.
Brenda was preceded in death by her parents, Hubert Gollmer and Birdie Lynch; one grandson, Darrian; one nephew, Thomas Lynch; and one aunt, Mary Duncan.
A memorial visitation will be held at Twin City Funeral Home, Saturday, March 30, 2019 from 2 p.m. until 7 p.m.

Two people were booked on drug charges Wednesday after authorities found drugs and over $36,000 in cash following a traffic stop in Patterson, St. Mary Parish Sheriff Blaise Smith said in a news release.

—Sidney Bergeron, 57, of Curtis Drive in Franklin, was arrested at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of hydrocodone, possession of drug paraphernalia, transactions involving drug proceeds and obstruction of justice.

—Odie Guillory, 36, of La. 70 in Morgan City, was arrested on at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday on charges of possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and obstruction of justice.

A deputy traveling east on U.S. 90 observed a vehicle cross the median in Patterson and conducted a traffic stop. The deputy made contact with the driver, Bergeron, and a passenger, Guillory.

As the investigation proceeded, the deputy called a K9 unit to the scene, and K9 Vickie was deployed to conduct an open-air sniff. K9 Vickie alerted to the presence of drugs. Drugs, drug paraphernalia, and $36,497 in cash were subsequently located, Smith said.

Bergeron and Guillory were jailed with no bail set yet.

Smith reported that deputies responded to 29 complaints and reported the following arrests in east St. Mary Parish:

— Shaqunia Marie Harris, 24, of Arizona Alley in Morgan City, was arrested at 4:58 a.m. Thursday on a charge of possession of drug paraphernalia and Morgan City police warrants charging her with two counts of failure to appear for disturbing the peace by fighting, possession of marijuana, two counts of contempt of court and disturbing the peace by language.

While assisting Berwick police on a traffic stop, a sheriff’s deputy observed a vehicle failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, Smith said. A traffic stop was conducted and the deputy identified the driver as Harris.

She appeared nervous while speaking to the deputy. The deputy asked for consent to search the vehicle, which Harris denied, Smith said. K9 Vickie was deployed to conduct an open-air sniff. K9 Vickie was alerted to the presence of drugs in the vehicle, the sheriff said.

During the search of the vehicle, a glass pipe was located. Harris admitted to the pipe being hers, Smith said. A background check revealed the above mentioned warrants from Morgan City Police Department. Harris was jailed with bail set at $4,172.50.

—David Joseph Elliot Jr., 42, of Franklin Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 8:23 a.m. Wednesday on charges of traffic control signals violation and driving under suspension.

Deputies observed a vehicle run a red light on U.S. 90 in the Bayou Vista area. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was identified as Elliot. A background check revealed Elliot was driving with a suspended driver’s license. Elliot was issued a summons to appear in court June 19.

—Toby J. Clement, 48, of Grout Street in Patterson, was arrested at 10:09 a.m. Wednesday on charges of turning movements and required signals, careless operation and no insurance.

A deputy was patrolling the area of David and Middle roads in Bayou Vista when he observed a vehicle turn without signaling. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver was identified as Clement.

Clement did not have proof of insurance when asked to provide proper paperwork, Smith said. Clement was issued a summons to appear in court June 19.

Morgan City Police Chief James Blair reported that officers responded to 31 calls and reported the following arrests:

—Christopher L. Pike, 49, of Hunting Road in Franklin, was arrested at 3:31 p.m. Wednesday on a charge of disturbing the peace by appearing intoxicated in public.

An officer observed a suspicious subject on Maple Street in Morgan City. The officer attempted to make contact with the subject but before the officer could initiate the stop, the male subject was able to elude the officer by hiding in the residential area, Blair said.

A short time later the male subject was located leaving the area between Spruce Street and La. 70. He was detained by officers and identified as Pike. Officers detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage on his breath, and he appeared in an intoxicated condition, Blair said. He was jailed.

—Gerian Elliot Lightfoot, 27, of Willow Street in Morgan City, was arrested at 2:33 a.m. Thursday on charges of tail light violation and possession of marijuana first offense.

An officer observed a vehicle traveling on La. 182 without operating tail lights. The officer conducted a traffic stop and identified the driver as Lightfoot. During the traffic stop, Lightfoot was found to be in possession of suspected marijuana, Blair said. He was jailed.

Berwick Police Chief David Leonard Sr. reported no arrests.

Patterson Police Chief Garrett Grogan reported no arrests.

Morgan Moss, 10, sings while singer-songwriter Brook Faulk listens Wednesday evening during the Swampin’ Party/Fais Do Do at Lake End Park in Morgan City. Moss aspires to be a songwriter and play guitar. The event was part of the Songs on the Bayou - Road to 3rd Street Songwriters Festival and Bayou Music City Summit. The festival continues through Sunday and features performances by songwriters at venues throughout the Tri-City area and a conference. For more info, visit songsonthebayou.com. (The Daily Review/Zachary Fitzgerald)

NEW YORK (AP) — As Danielle Bayard Jackson was putting together her birthing team, she made sure to include a doula, all the details she wanted taken care of during delivery and how bright the lights should be for ambiance.
She passed on the makeup artist.
“I even looked up various prices, but something about that felt frivolous,” said Jackson, who lives in Tampa, Florida. “I decided I didn’t want to worry about that after such a monumental moment.”
Therein lies the debate centered on pregnant women in today’s social media-saturated world: to glam or not to glam soon after a whole human being exits your body, or do as Seattle-area mom Robin Rucinsky did by the time baby No. 4 rolled around:
“I didn’t pack a single cosmetic. I brought a toothbrush and chapstick.”
With the Kate Middleton postpartum hair blowout (three times!) fresh in our minds and another royal birth upcoming, the debate over perfection during labor and just hours after giving birth looms large for some women.
“I’ll tell you who it’s not fun to be pregnant at the exact same time as. Meghan Markle,” Amy Schumer, suffering from chronic nausea throughout her pregnancy, cracked during her new Netflix comedy special. “She’s out there in, like, 6-inch heels, adorable outfits.”
While we won’t know whether Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, will follow in the footsteps of Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge, when it comes to postpartum perfection, we have an inkling Meghan will at least slap on some makeup as she introduces the latest royal to the world next month.
And when she does, anti-glammers will take notice.
“I think that a mother who has just given birth is beautiful — with disheveled hair, with smeared or no makeup, with top wide open for skin-to-skin contact and breastfeeding,” said Kirsten Brunner, a perinatal counselor in Austin, Texas. “I love the trend in birth photography of capturing the reality of childbirth and the postpartum experience. I encourage my clients to let go of all pressure to get back to normal as soon as possible.”
But, no judgments of those who choose to spruce up. With some hospitals providing in-house spa services and plenty of women hiring specialists for hair, makeup and nails, the argument over what makes a postpartum mom feel best cuts both ways.
For Julien Farel’s wife, it meant pulling her look together to greet visitors — including her Old World British grandmother — after the arrivals of their two children.
Farel owns the Julien Farel Restore Salon and Spa inside the Loews Regency Hotel on New York’s swanky Park Avenue. He’s been providing and arranging for in-hospital services for women giving birth since 2001, with prices now ranging from $320 for a blow out, makeup or manicure to $2,000 an hour for all three at the highest level of design and expertise.
“Mostly they’re looking for those three things, makeup, nails and blow dry,” he said. “These people care so much about their appearance. You have other people with much more money who don’t care. It’s about how you’ve been raised to look when you have people over.”
Farel has between 10 and 15 in-hospital pregnancy clients a month among his usual customers.
Donna Yip, 38, a Manhattan attorney, used one of Farel’s stylists, Jackson Simmonds, in the delivery room for the births of both her children, the first in 2013 and the second in 2015. He massaged her head, blew out and styled her hair and did her makeup.
“He stepped out during the pushing part,” Yip laughed. “I think for everyone, they have what makes them feel good and if it makes you feel good and brings a little bit of normalcy into an exciting but also a hectic and anxious period of your life, you should go for it.”
Brenda Kosciuk, outside Scranton, Pennsylvania, took matters into her own hands for the birth of her second child, now 3.
“Everyone wants that perfect social media photo that does NOT at all show the reality of what we just endured,” she said. “We see it everywhere. On social media and on magazine covers. With my second child, before leaving for the hospital, I applied my makeup carefully because with my first child I didn’t have that perfect ‘after’ photo and I wanted it. The reality is that after 60 minutes of pushing, I was sweaty, red-faced and my mascara had melted down my face. I looked worse than I would have if I had forgone the makeup altogether.”
Still the hashtag “takebackpostpartum” is alive and well on Instagram.
“Women are more confidently owning their bodies, not feeling obliged to always look good and social media ready after giving birth,” said Marianne Ryan, a New York physical therapist who focuses on pregnant and post-baby bodies.
Jill Simonian, who — ironically — wrote a book titled “The FAB Mom’s Guide: How to Get Over the Bump & Bounce Back Fast After Baby,” said all the social media-fueled self-doubt among new mothers isn’t good for mom or baby.
“If you want a blowout to make yourself feel better a few days after having a baby, go for it! It’s the constant posting, showing, sharing that drives me absolutely nuts and indicates a sure fire, unhealthy start to new motherhood,” she said.
Simonian supports a 30-day hiatus from all things glam after giving birth.
“These days, Instagram is split into two kinds of moms,” she said. “The ones who want to show the absolute raw, very personal, private things and the rest who want to pretend they’re models in a staged photoshoot.”