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Wheel House for July 26

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 12:07pm

FALL BAZAAR
Sponsored by St. Mary Parish Red Ribbon Committee 8 a.m. to 2 pm. Saturday, Dec. 2, at Patterson Area Civic Center. Admission $2 and children under 10 are free. Vendor booth space consists of three 8-foot tables in a U-shape. Cost $40. Vendors pay for booth space and parish sales tax. Space sold on a first-come, first-served basis. For info or a registration form, call Gidget Everitt, 337-836-6029.

FLAG FOOTBALL
Atchafalaya Football Conference flag football registration Aug. 1-Sept. 8 at Morgan City Recreation Department, 915 Everett St. Registration accepted 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Coaches also needed, call Seth Thomas, 985-380-4600. Flag participants must be 7 and must not be 13 by Sept. 1 of this year. Must provide a copy of birth certificate and pay a non-refundable fee of $45. Each additional child per family is $35 with the family fee not to exceed $110. A physical exam performed by a doctor prior to participation is required.

FLAG CHEER
Atchafalaya Football Conference cheerleader registration Aug. 1-Sept. 8 at Morgan City Recreation Department, 915 Everett St. Registration accepted 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 1:30 to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays. Coaches are also needed. Anyone interested in coaching should contact Seth Thomas at 985-380-4600. Must be 7 and not turn 12 by Sept. 1 of this year. Must provide a copy of birth certificate and pay a non-refundable fee of $45. Each additional child per family is $35 with the family fee not to exceed $110.

TIRE DRIVE
By Morgan City Office of Mosquito Control is 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 5, under U.S. 90 bridge at Greenwood and Second streets. No more than five tires dropped off per vehicle and must be Morgan City resident (proof of residency required). Only automobile tires no bigger than 54-inches by 17-inches wide accepted.

Open house, faculty visits set by Hattie Watts, Berwick elementary schools

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 12:04pm
Staff Report

Big days are coming up for Hattie Watts and Berwick elementary schools.

Berwick’s faculty and staff will visit seven neighborhoods Aug. 2. The Hattie Watts open house will be Aug. 7.

Berwick
The tentative itinerary for the staff visits Aug. 2:
—8:30 a.m. Golden Farms
—9 a.m. Renwick
—9:15 a.m. Country Club
—10 a.m. Bayside
—10:15 a.m. La. 182 Mobile Home Park
—10:45 a.m. Berwick Housing Authority
—11:45 a.m. River Road Mobile Home Parks.

Hattie Watts
New Principal Sheryl Gibbons said the open house will begin at 8 a.m. Aug. 7 for kindergarten, first grade and Shawnie Romo’s class in the cafeteria.

The open house for second, third and fourth grades will be at 10 a.m., also in the cafeteria.

Shoe box 'radios' will be part of Lighthouse event

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 11:45am
Staff Report

Here’s an opportunity that’s fun for the whole family.

Just decorate a shoe box to look like a radio. It can be any style, model or era radio such as one that might be seen on an old rerun of "The Waltons," or a jambox or boombox or even an old transistor radio.

This family contest is part of the annual ham radio event 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Aug. 19 at the Lighthouse Park in Berwick.

Officially known as the International Lighthouse/Lightship Weekend, this event is now in its fourth year locally.

The event features ham radio operators making radio contact with other lighthouses around the world. Communications will be amplified for participants to hear. Each radio contact will include a description of the Berwick Lighthouse and surrounding area.

To complement the event, organizers are offering a fantastic family contest that can involve the entire family. Entries should be made from any size shoebox (but not larger than a cowboy boot box).

Decorations are unlimited. The radio has to simply look like a radio, not actually operate. Entries must be brought to the event 9 a.m.-noon Aug. 19.

Winners will be announced at 2 p.m., but winners need not be present.

Prizes have been donated by Charlie’s Lanes, Lake Cinema; Noah’s Adventures Putt-Putt and Shoney’s.

Vendors sought for Red Ribbon Fall Bazaar

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 11:41am

The Red Ribbon Committee is currently making plans for the annual Fall Bazaar set for 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 2 at the Patterson Civic Center.

Patrons can expect to choose from a variety of items to purchase. Because the date is close to Christmas, this will be a good time to shop for the holiday season.

This annual fundraiser, with space for approximately 45 vendors, is sponsored by the parish Red Ribbon Committee. Proceeds go toward prevention activities, events and campaigns here in St. Mary Parish. Booth space is currently on sale now for school clubs, churches, civic organizations, as well as individuals who want to raise money for their cause. A booth consists of three 8-foot tables in a U-shape. The cost for a booth is $40.

Vendors may sell items including homemade items, garage sale items (with the exception of clothing), arts and crafts, antiques, and baked goods.

Since the event is held indoors, weather is not a problem.

Booth space will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis.

For information or a registration form, please call Gidget Everitt at 337-836-6029.

There will be a $2 admission at the door for all adults, children under 10 will not be charged. Additionally, concessions will be sold. Organizers of the event believe that this is a “win-win” event for both the Committee and groups who participate.

PILOT Tax check to Berwick

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 11:28am

Submitted Photo
Mayor Louis Ratcliff recently accepted the 2016 PILOT Tax check to the town of Berwick from the Berwick Housing Authority. Pictured from left are Clarissa Adams (housing specialist), Janice McIntyre (assistant director), Clarence Robinson Jr. (executive director), Ratcliff, James Richard (board chairman), Francis Daughtery (commissioner), Janie Brashear (commissioner) and Vanessa Romero. In the back is Robert Thigpen (vice chairman).

Radio Logs for July 26

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 11:24am
Staff Report

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 25
6:19 a.m. Glenwood Street; Alarm.
7:25 a.m. Marquise Manor; Alarm.
8:54 a.m. 1200 block of Victor II Boulevard; Forgery.
8:56 a.m. 300 block of Greenwood Street; Suspicious person.
9:28 a.m. 800 block of Brashear Avenue; Assistance.
9:32 a.m. La. 182 bridge; Traffic incident.
9:51 a.m. 6400 block of La. 182; Forgery.
10:47 a.m. 1200 block of Walnut Street; Theft.
12:20 p.m. La. 70 and Victor II Boulevard; Accident.
2:54 p.m. 700 block of Myrtle Street; Lost and found.
3 p.m. 300 block of Second Street; Alarm.
3:41 p.m. 700 block of First Street; Medical.
3:53 p.m. 500 block of Barrow Street; Medical.
4:13 p.m. 1000 block of Levee Road; Officer stand by.
4:57 p.m. Fourth and Duke streets; Suspicious person.
5:50 p.m. 8400 block of La. 182; Alarm.
6:10 p.m. 1200 block of North Victor II Boulevard; Alarm.
6:10 p.m. 500 block of Roderick Street; Complaint.
6:45 p.m. 900 block of Railroad Avenue; Theft.
6:46 p.m. 300 block of Laurel Street; Complaint.
7:23 p.m. 7200 block of La. 182; Medical.
7:41 p.m. Glenwood Street; Suspicious per-son.
8:06 p.m. 1100 block of Victor II Boulevard; Alarm.
8:20 p.m. 500 block of Federal Avenue; Suspicious person.
9 p.m. 1100 block of Marguerite Street; Complaint.
9:05 p.m. 1200 block of North Victor II Boulevard; Patrol request.
9:22 p.m. 2000 block of Keith Street; 911 hang up call.
10:19 p.m. 1500 block of Victor II Boulevard; Complaint.
10:26 p.m. 600 block of Brashear Avenue; Removal of subject.
11:19 p.m. 1500 block of Sixth Street; Complaint.
Wednesday, July 26
12:35 a.m. 1900 block of Federal Avenue; Alarm.

Keeping watch on neighborhoods

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 10:58am
Another Neighborhood Watch meeting coming up
Ivory Bibbins
ibibbins@daily-review.com

The Morgan City Police Department will host a Neighborhood Watch meeting 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Morgan City Recreation Department at 915 Everett St.
The meeting will be for the area bordered by Brashear Avenue to Ditch Avenue and from Federal Avenue to La. 182.
“This is a startup meeting, and we are going to explain the benefits and information,” said Lt. John Schaff, public information officer for MCPD.
The meeting is the sixth Neighborhood Watch program meeting for the city. Schaff said the primary goal is to make sure that the 12 sections of the city have a program set up.
Neighborhood Watch programs have already been set up in the blocks around Morgan City High School, the area of Sixth Street and Federal Avenue to Brashear Avenue and Onstead Street, the Historic District, Lakeside and Wyandotte.
All of the meetings the police department hosted came at the request of concerned citizens.
Schaff said that the purpose of Neighborhood Watch is to build a strong point of communication from police to community and vice versa. Police will be able to provide statistics, warning signs of what to look for, home security suggestions, education to parents with new technology that are used for drugs and signs to recognize in the kids if they are heading down the wrong path.
Concerned citizens can use Neighborhood Watch to report suspicious activity and issues within the community that the police can provide assistance of getting the right authorities to address issues such as drainage problems, down power lines, broken street lights, and a neighbor’s unkempt yard. Also, police use calls from citizens to track crimes that happen around the city and close in on possible suspects.
“Just call us. Nothing is too small,” said Schaff.
Each program will have a block captain and two block group leaders. The police are only setting up the program but the block captains will eventually hold the meetings and request police presence if need be. For more information on Neighborhood Watch, contact Schaff at 985-380-4605.

Louisiana Politics: Treasurer race starts and ends with money

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 10:57am
By JEREMY ALFORD

In order to obtain the privilege of becoming the state’s next chief steward of taxpayer money, the candidates for treasurer will have to first spend money from donors.

As of last, week three GOP war chests were holding $1.1 million combined, according to finance reports filed with the Louisiana Ethics Administration. The latest accounting reveals the spending and fundraising that took place between April 8 and July 6.

Former state Rep. John Schroder is at the front of the clash for cash with $638,000 in his campaign kitty.

The Covington native has so far invested $186,000 of his own money into the bid, which is a loan that could be repaid in full without altering Schroder’s fundraising lead.

The closest within reach is former commissioner of administration Angele Davis of Baton Rouge, who has $315,000 in the bank. She was the last major candidate to enter the race, and has so far been able to raise funds at a faster rate than her competitors — when her shortened timeline is taken into account.

State Sen. Neil Riser, R-Columbia, falls next in line with $201,000 in cash on hand. But his campaign did finish this most recent reporting period on a high note if another set of numbers are reviewed. Riser out-raised everyone in the field during the April-to-July round, bringing in $164,000 to Davis’ $108,000 and Schroder’s $112,000.

Among the three top contenders, Davis has the fewest expenditures reported in terms of showcasing staff and campaign operations. That will change on the next ethics deadline, though; last week saw Davis fill out her staff with handful of campaign veterans. Both Riser and Schroder are fully staffed up as well.

A notable staffing expense for Riser went to former state Rep. Lenar Whitney of Houma, who received $500 on June 13 as a “campaign worker.” Whitney has since become a candidate for the open Public Service Commission seat, which stretches across Acadiana, into Baton Rouge and as far south as the Terrebonne-Lafourche coastline.

State Rep. Julie Stokes, R-Kenner was expected to qualify and raised money for the race during the last reporting period. But she withdrew from the contest upon learning that she was facing an intense treatment regime for breast cancer. Had she qualified, it’s possible that Stokes would have ended up reporting $442,000 in the bank.

But after repaying a $250,000 loan earlier this month that she had previously made to her campaign, Stokes was actually left with $192,000 in the bank after raising $82,000 during the most recent period. A campaign spokesperson said roughly $100,000 in pledges went uncollected after Stokes received the sobering news from her physician.

New Orleans attorney Derrick Edwards, the only Democrat in the race for treasurer, did not file a report, nor did three other candidates who qualified.
House chairs seem set

At one point during this year’s trio of legislative sessions, few knew what the future held for some of the caucus and delegation chairmen in the state House.

But now there’s a clearer picture.

House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Reynolds of Minden now intends to finish his term as the minority leader after announcing about a month ago that he was stepping down. Enough caucus members managed to convince him to stick it out.
Meanwhile, the question of who will become the Democratic Caucus’ next vice chairman has been answered. Rep. Sam Jenkins of Shreveport has been elected to take the place of Sen. Ed Price of Gonzales, who was elected to the upper chamber in May.
Rep. Joe Bouie of New Orleans, the chairman of the Black Caucus, will serve until December, which is when it’s expected that Rep. Randal Gaines of LaPlace will be selected as his replacement.

Political History:
The shortest session ever
In roughly two weeks we’ll be able to give a nod to the 58th anniversary (Aug. 10, 1959) of the shortest session ever held by the Louisiana Legislature.

It lasted less than an hour.

Lawmakers had been called into the special session by late Gov. Earl K. Long and it was supposed to last 12 days. But lawmakers were growing weary of Long’s antics, which by that time included a stint in a Texas mental hospital.

Rather than going along with the governor’s agenda, the House voted first to adjourn. The Senate did the same, only the upper chamber also got an earful from Long, who at one point screamed, “If I was ever crazy, then I’m still crazy.”

In an interview with the Associated Press, Long played down the defeat.

“Maybe it’s a good thing,” he said. “It might be the difference in life or death to me. It’ll give me a chance to get a little better.”

Long’s administration had drafted 21 bills to be debated, including one that would have made it more difficult to check certain individuals into mental hospitals.

Yet that wasn’t Long’s only session mishap as governor. Nineteen years earlier, he had issued a call for a special session that never happened because most of the Legislature never showed up.

They said it
“Army is going to beat Navy.”
—Gov. John Bel Edwards, a West Point graduate, on his live call-in radio show last week

“At this point the right thing to do for Congress is take a deep breath.”
—Edwards, discussing federal health care policy
For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.

Stephen Waguespack: Stay the course to make state's schools better

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 10:51am
STEPHEN WAGUESPACK

To be from Louisiana is to love Louisiana. If you were born and raised here, you are probably like many of us in that you couldn’t imagine living anywhere else. Our people, culture and sense of community separates us from others. The resolve we show in times of crisis is admired by the nation and the fun we incorporate into everything we do is why tourists flock here each year. We have much to be thankful for and are blessed to call Louisiana home.

But if we are honest, we must confess that we also face many challenges. Our state-heavy governing structure created by Huey Long decades ago is unsustainable and must be changed. Our state budget is riddled with too few performance metrics, too many dedications and
Medicaid and pension costs that are crowding out all other priorities. Our infrastructure needs new investment, but taxpayers don’t trust that government wouldn’t just siphon the money off for some other pet project. Our tax code is an ever-changing, complicated mess and our legal climate scares away business investment. For a state that boasts family as the paramount concern, one would think Louisiana would excel in educating our children. Unfortunately for citizens across Louisiana, one of our most complicated challenges has proven to be our educational system. Louisiana’s model of education has long underserved our children, under preparing them for life’s challenges, consequently requiring many of our universities to be more focused on remediation than workforce development.

While our education model has operated at sub-par standards for years, we are starting to dig ourselves out of the mammoth hole of low educational outcomes in our K-12 system and many of the players that have contributed to that positive movement deserve appreciation.

Last week, the latest LEAP scores for our K-12 schools came out and clearly showed we are continuing to make positive strides. One-third of students tested statewide scored “Mastery” or above, the same as last year but a four-point increase since 2015. In recent years, the state board of education has increased the rigor of these standards in math, science and english, a higher standard many education reform opponents argued Louisiana students simply couldn’t master. These results show our students were up for the challenge. Even districts with massive flooding (Central, Ascension) improved test scores this year. Overall, Louisiana’s graduation rate is up 9.8 percent since 2010, which is double the national improvement rate.

These gains are a product of the hard work of our students and tireless work of our teachers. An enhanced focus on expanding school choice over the last decade has given new opportunities to low income families, many of which have taken courageous stands to give their children the skills needed to rise out of poverty. A bipartisan group of legislators and governors have fought for these reforms, going back to the days of Gov. Mike Foster. Gov. Kathleen Blanco and Cecil Picard, as state superintendent of education, took some strong stances in the days after hurricanes Katrina and Rita that helped New Orleans become a mecca for high quality charters and choice programs. Gov. Bobby Jindal and Superintendent Paul Pastorek then kept the pedal to the metal on reform efforts, expanding choice and accountability in the state.

Superintendent John White has since taken that baton roughly five years ago and has hit another gear altogether. White has continued to build on that bipartisan reform legacy by staying focused on the tough decisions that aim to improve outcomes for kids and, in the process, has evolved into one of the most well respected superintendents in the country. For this reason, and countless others, the recent threats made by Governor Edwards that he may sue John White in a desperate attempt to get the courts to kick him out would be an embarrassing effort that would reek of union political payback. Hopefully he avoids such a partisan effort that would put the needs of adults over the needs of children.

Louisiana has not crossed the finish line yet. We have much more work to do to develop a high-quality education system. Too many of our kids are still stuck in failing schools. We need to provide even more choice and opportunity for those families and use our existing dollars wisely.

Our strong schools must strive to become even stronger. The jobs of tomorrow require young adults that can read, write, stay off drugs and have good soft skills. Anything less than that level of preparation from our educational system is unacceptable.

We have many challenges left to tackle with our school system. But make no mistake, slowly but surely, our bipartisan march to better schools is working. We cannot deviate from this path. We are on the right track. We must stay on course.
Stephen Waguespack is president of the Louisiana Association of Business and Industry.

Tablescaping: Add garden beauty to table design

Wed, 07/26/2017 - 10:10am
By DEAN FOSDICK, The Associated Press

Tablescaping is an art form that brings nature into the dining room, providing a feast for the eyes. You can cut your own garden flowers and greenery to make a centerpiece for your table — and then keep on getting creative.
“Adding nature to your table will enliven your guests’ experience as they take their place for a meal,” said Tobey Nelson, owner of Tobey Nelson Events and Design in Clinton, Washington. “A table that is embellished with beautiful natural elements can turn a pleasant dinner into a special occasion.”
“Add a few stems of lovely greenery such as ferns or hosta to smaller vases along or around the table,” she suggested. “Place a sprig of an herb such as rosemary or a blossom on a napkin or plate to bring your tablescape alive.”
Maybe you have small pots of succulents or herbs on your patio? Incorporate them too, Nelson said.
“Sometimes a creative idea for the garden works nicely on a table setting, too. Think sweet little teacups planted with succulents, or small terra cotta pots with little herb plants,” she said. “These work well to beautify your table and make cute patio decorations through the summer — or great little gifts for your guests.”
No need to relegate cutting flowers to their own patch in the garden, she continued.
“Weave them into your landscape. Plant a few cosmos between shrubs,” she said. “Peonies, a popular garden plant, are great as cut flowers, and their foliage is beautiful in a vase. Lots of vines are great in arrangements.”
Tablescaping with plants from your own garden adds a personal touch to the dining experience.
“A lot of times you can personalize by using native flowers that emphasize the area in which you live,” said Kaleb Norman James, who owns a wedding and floral design company in Kirkland, Washington. “Or something that a bride and bridegroom can display at their wedding dinner that they’re proud of — flowers that tie in to who they are, where they’ve been or what they’ve done.”
Even the smallest details count.
“I love to look into the elements that may be overlooked,” James said. Rarely does he use a plain white napkin, for instance: “Look for color or patterns or some type of decorative element like a flower.”
Tablescaping is more than a floral centerpiece, he said. “It’s tying in a lot of different pieces. The flatware, glassware, linens, table numbers and place cards that fit a theme.
“Try to add some additional custom things on top of that,” James said. “Fruit or something depicting the season. Little trays with grapes flowing onto the table. Or berries in silver compotes or bowls.”
In winter, add candles, geodes and crystals for a glamorous touch, he said.
—Online:
For more see this University of Minnesota Extension Fact Sheet: www.extension.umn.edu/garden/yard-garden/flowers/keeping-cut-flowers-and...

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