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Candidates unopposed in parish council, judge races
Qualifying for the Oct. 14 election ended Friday with candidates running unopposed for a St. Mary Parish Council seat and district judge seat, according to the Louisiana Secretary of State’s website.
Patrick Hebert, R-Morgan City, was the lone qualifier in the race for St. Mary Parish Council District 6. This district covers about half of Morgan City and most of Berwick.
Hebert will fill the seat vacated by Gabriel Beadle, who was elected to the at-large District 10 seat in April. Casey Crappell was appointed to temporarily fill the District 6 seat.
Suzanne deMahy, R-New Iberia, was also unopposed for 16th Judicial District, Division B judge seat. She will replace her father, Paul deMahy, who is retiring after 31 years as a district judge. The 16th district covers St. Mary, St. Martin and Iberia parishes.
Election qualifying began Wednesday.
Candidates qualifying in the Franklin City Marshal’s race were Corey Burgess, Rogers Washington Sr. and Carla Weidenboerner.
Qualifying to run for Louisiana Public Service Commission, District 2 race included Damon Baldone, R-Houma, whom Gov. John Bel Edwards temporarily appointed to the post in June. Other candidates qualifying for the race were Craig Greene, R-Baton Rouge, and Lenar Whitney, R-Houma. District 2 covers 13 parishes including St. Mary Parish.
Scott Angelle vacated the position during May after President Donald Trump appointed him director of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement in the Department of the Interior.
Seven candidates qualified for the state treasurer’s race to replace former treasurer and current U.S. Sen. John Kennedy, who served as treasurer for about 20 years.
JAMES W. “JIM” LANCLOS SR.
February 8, 1917 – July 12, 2017
Funeral services will be held Tuesday, July 18, 2017, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Centerville during an 11 a.m. Mass of Christian Burial for James W. “Jim” Lanclos Sr., a native of Centerville, former longtime resident of Jeanerette, resident of New Iberia for the past 2½ years, and World War II Army Veteran, who passed away at the age of 100 on Wednesday, July 12, 2017, at Iberia Extended Care Hospital in New Iberia. Following the Mass Jim will be laid to rest with Military Honors in the St. Joseph Cemetery. Serving as pallbearers will be his grandsons, Blaine, Glenn, Scott, Jason, Aaron, and Andy Lanclos. Celebrant for the Mass will be Father Ruben Primor with Father Oneil Landry concelebrating.
Family and friends are invited to attend the visitation at Ibert’s Mortuary in Franklin on Monday, July 17th, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., with the Holy Rosary being prayed at 7 p.m. Visitation will resume Tuesday, July 18th, at St. Joseph Catholic Church at 8 a.m. and continue until time of service at 11 a.m.
Those he leaves to cherish his memory include his sons, William W. “Bill” Lanclos Sr., Glenn K. Lanclos and wife Sheryll “Sam”, and Mickey L. Lanclos and wife Amanda, all of Centerville; his daughters, Karlyne L. Hebert and Darlene L. Hebert, both of New Iberia; daughters-in-law, Loyce Lanclos and Susan Lanclos; 17 grandchildren, Rhonda, Rosaline, Robin, Roxanne, Jason, Scott, Glenn, Blaine, Aaron, Andy, Jamie, Shanda, Katelyn, Candace, Laura, Rachel, and Michelle; 31 great grandchildren, Sarah, Katherine, Rene, Wayne, Rachel, Anna, Wesley, Makenzie, Alyssa, Alex, Chloe, Aiden, Amber, Landon, Noah, Cooper, Whit, Zoe, Gabriel, Drake, Harli, Colt, Gracelynn, Jean Paul, Peyton, Rhyan, Korey, Luke, Levi, Logan, and Ella Mae; seven great great grandchildren, Alleigh, Tenleigh, Charlee, Olive, Heath, Basin, and Barrett; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, family members and friends.
Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Alexander B. Lanclos Sr. and Adele LeBlanc Lanclos; his wife, Anna Mae Edler Lanclos; his sons: Ricky B. Lanclos (infant twin of Mickey) and James “Jimmy” W. Lanclos Jr.; two grandchildren, Betsy Lanclos and William W. “Billy” Lanclos Jr.; two sons-in-law, Carlyle Hebert and Harold Hebert; as well as by nine brothers, Lawrence, Rufus, Henry, Clarence, Livingston, Austin, Homer, Alton, and Ben Lanclos Jr.; and three sisters, Agnes L. Babin, Lillian LaGrange and Lorraine Robicheaux.
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.
(Paid Notice)
Library presents "The Curious Historian"
Chris Freeman, known as “The Curious Historian,” will make a presentation on “Visually Perceived History” at the Franklin Branch of the St. Mary Parish Library Aug. 3 at 6 p.m. Freeman discusses an alternate way of looking at daily surroundings and discovering their unknown historical significance. He will cover our area of St. Mary Parish from the Ice Age to most recent discoveries.
Sheriff offers tips on OffenderWatch
The St Mary Parish Sheriff’s Office uses OffenderWatch to manage and monitor the whereabouts, and help conduct compliance status checks of the registered sex offenders in St Mary Parish.
This information is also available to the public at: http://www.sheriffalerts.com/la/stmary
Detective Lieutenant Artis “A.J.” Jackson updates the system as offender addresses and other offender information is received or changed in our office. You can enter any address in the parish and see information on the registered offenders in the area of the address you enter. The sheriff’s office also wishes to be sure everyone is signed up for OffenderWatch notifications. You can enter multiple locations (your babysitters and grandparents homes, parks etc.) all under the same email by submitting each address separately.
Any residents who would like to speak with a detective about a registered sex offender or the state requirements for registered sex offenders can contact Det. Jackson at 337-828-6965.
UPDATED: Hammond cook wins top BBQ Bash prize
Brady S mith of Hammond was at his trailer under the bridge Saturday at the Bayou BBQ Bash when organizer Don Tellman rolled up in his wheelchair.
They laughed and joked about hard luck Smith had experienced in his five previous entries in the bash, mostly with the brisket competition.
Smith even called it a curse.
“I’ve done real well, except for brisket,” Smith said in an interview.
But the curse was lifted Saturday. Smith won first in the brisket competition on the way to the overall championship in the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce-organized event.
Smith finished third in ribs and eighth in chicken.
He started barbecuing in a small way in 2009, cooking against friends in backyard competitions.
“One year, I decided to try a pro event,” Smith said, “and learned I didn’t know what I was doing.”
But he stayed at it and eventually learned the biggest lesson he’s picked up from competitions: “You learn how to handle adversity better.”
In addition to the big trophy and bragging rights, Smith received a 10-karat gold championship ring designed and produced by Len Klutts of Klutts Jewelers in Morgan City.
The winner of the local trophy was Barry Walker of Down on the Bayou Cajun BBQ.
Walker is a product of Morgan City who moved to Atlanta. He came home a couple of years ago to be with his family and is working to get his barbecue business going.
“I haven’t really ramped it up like I want to yet,” Walker said, “but I’m getting ready to do it.”
(This article has been updated to correct Smith's name.)
Bernard poster selected for Shrimp and Petroleum Festival
Tony Bernard’s work will once more tell the world about the 2017 Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival.
This time, the oil industry is a hero in the story. So is America.
Bernard’s poster, the Lafayette artist’s third for the Shrimp and Petroleum Festival, was unveiled Thursday night at Hampton Inn & Suites in Morgan City during the kickoff party for this weekend’s Bayou BBQ Bash.
Bernard’s acrylic original and the prints fashioned from it feature an oil derrick prominently, front and center. He wanted to acknowledge an industry that has been struggling for the last few years.
“People that I know that own businesses have been affected by the oil industry,” Bernard said after the unveiling. “I feel that if the oil industry picks up, it benefits everyone — the shrimpers, the mom and pop clothing stores. … So I wanted to put the focus on the oil industry.”
The poster has another focus, too — not as central, but equally prominent. It’s an American flag-based design that serves as a wide border. Bernard choked up a little when he talked about his thinking.
“I just feel like I wanted to be a proud American,” he said. “I wanted to put the flag in and add my flavor to the flag, with the little movement of the designs in it. I just feel it needed that, to show we love America, and the industry of the oilfield needs pick up.”
The Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival will be back for 2017 on Labor Day weekend, with the rides, the food, the live music, the blessing of the fleet and more.
Director Darby Ratcliff’s job is to implement the festival plans. When it comes to the weather, Ratcliff can only hope.
“Hopefully it’ll be dry and hot, if we can control the weather,” Ratcliff said.
The beginning of the festival will mark the end of the reign of Jeanne Marie Hidalgo as Shrimp and Petroleum Festival Queen. King Ray Autrey and Hidalgo were the 2016 festival’s royalty. Her duty has been to promote the festival at other events around the state, and at the Washington, D.C., Mardi Gras.
“I’ve been to the ends of Louisiana and the tip of the boot,” Hidalgo said Thursday. “I’ve been everywhere, and it’s been so awesome just to promote our festival at the other festivals around the state.
‘To be able to have this experience and get to go through the year — I didn’t realize how greatly I’d appreciate it until now, a whole year later.”
Hidalgo, a Berwick High graduate and LSU student, had some advice for the 2017 queen:
“Do everything. You only have a year to do it. Of course, the girls are usually in college as well, so it’s kind of difficult with school and traveling around. But it’s a one-time experience. Take everything in and go do as much as you can.”
Party kicks off Bayou BBQ Bash
Roy Tellman took wing to compete in this weekend’s Bayou BBQ Bash. Then Tellman grilled wings for Thursday’s kickoff party at Morgan City’s Hampton Inn & Suites.
Tellman was one of 49 cooks competing in this year’s event under the bridge, an annual affair put on by the St. Mary Chamber of Commerce. Not many had to come as far as
Tellman, the son of Don Tellman of Morgan City, an organizer for the event.
Roy Tellman came in from Seattle, as he has for five of the last six competitions.
“I haven’t won any money,” Tellman said, “but I’ve had fun and enjoyed this beautiful community.”
Tellman said his dad was a good teacher in all things barbecue.
“He taught us how to cook,” Tellman said. “He’ll tell you in his cookbook that fire is the oldest way known by man to cook food. It’s something I started doing as a kid and kept doing it as an adult.”
Tellman and his fellow cooks will compete for trophies, prizes and a championship gold ring designed and crafted by Len Klutts of Klutts Jewelers in Morgan City.
“We design it and make it in-house at the jewelry store,” Klutts said. “I have a 3-D printer. … I do my own casting. We do all our design work.”
The ring has proven to be popular, Klutts said. “All the cooks are looking at it. They all want it. I’m going to have to make some subcategories maybe.”
Past Chamber Chairman Bob Harrison and Vice Chairman Jo Anne Bergeron said the BBQ Bash has attracted 39 craft exhibitors.
On Friday night, the KQKI Country Showdown, featuring aspiring artists, will be 6-9 p.m. Lowdown with special guest Hal Bruni will perform at 9 p.m.
Saturday’s events begin at 8 a.m. Cannata’s Kids’ BBQ Competition will begin in the morning. The winners of the main BBQ Bash competition will be announced at 5 p.m.
Jus Cuz will perform at 11 a.m., followed at 1 p.m. by South 70.
ROSALEE HARRIS FIELDS
Rosalee Harris Fields, 93, a native of Beaumont, Texas and resident of Centerville, died Thursday, July 6, 2017, at Iberia Medical Center in New Iberia.
Visitation will be Saturday from 9 a.m. until services at 11 a.m. at Lighthouse Missionary Baptist Church in Franklin. Burial will follow in the Franklin Cemetery.
She is survived by two sons, Wilfred Fields of Garden City and Vernon Fields of Belle Rose; four daughters, Shelia Jones of Patterson, Debra Thomas of Centerville, Cynthia Fleming of Franklin, and Pamela Randle of Garden City; a sister, Hester Sparrow of Abbeville; 16 grandchildren; and a host of other relatives.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, a son, a daughter, a sister and three brothers.
Jones Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
LAWRENCE 'SONNY' JOSEPH BOURG III
Lawrence “Sonny” Joseph Bourg III, 72, a resident of Bayou Vista, passed away Wednesday, June 28, 2017, surrounded by his loving family.
Sonny was born Aug. 27, 1944, in Franklin, the son of Lawrence J. Bourg Jr. and Mamie Robicheaux Bourg.
Sonny spent his career in law enforcement, working for Morgan City Police Department, Berwick Police Department, and the St. Mary Parish Sherriff’s Office. He also worked as a port captain at State Boat, Ensco and Cal Dive. He umpired Little League and Sheriff’s League baseball and also coached Pop Warner football. His favorite hobby was being a grandpa.
He will be sadly missed and lovingly remembered his wife of 50 years, Tracy Vallery Bourg of Bayou Vista; four children, Lance “Poppy” Bourg of Dallas, Blaze Bourg and wife Elonn of Lafayette, Danyelle Dupre and husband Gene of Berwick, and Jade May of Patterson; four grandchildren, Tanner, Payton, Beau and Reyson; four stepgrandchildren, Tannar, Talia, Kelsey and Kali; one brother, Ronald Charles Bourg of Arkansas; and one sister, Ingrid Demers of Mississippi. Sonny was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence J. Bourg Jr. and Mamie Robicheaux Bourg.
Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. on Monday, July 17, 2017, at Crossing Place Church in Bayou Vista with a memorial visitation being held from 10 a.m. until the time of the service. Following services, Sonny will be laid to rest in the Berwick Cemetery Mausoleum.
