COMPLIMENTARY

SEPTEMBER 2018, VOL. 16 ISSUE 9

Hot Air Balloon Festival

Lamar-Dixon Expo Center

Sept. 21-22, 2018

SEE PAGE 24
 Our Doors are Opening and
We are Ready for You!

Call To Schedule Your Complimentary

Lunch Tour Today ... 225-647-2363 (BEND).
Life as it should be!

326 East Industry Ave., Gonzales, LA 70737 • francoisbend.com

 Publisher / Editor
Mike Strong
Table of Contents
DREAMS COME TRUE................ 4
Sales Manager
GONZALES GARDEN CLUB .... 10
Dottie Godberry
Staff Photographer SWEET EYES W/ TANYA...........12

Jimmy Dunkley BALLOON FESTIVAL..........................24 FOR MORE INFORMATION

225.622.3262
BILL DELAUNE.......................... 30 www.riverparishfoods.com

Contributing Writers
JAMMIN’ WITH GOOSIE......... 32
Bill Delaune
THOUGHTS FROM BULLY......34
Linda Melancon
GARRET GRAVES INTERVIEW..36
Calvin Bessonett
Bully SNO’S RECIPE........................... 45

Publishers Note: Cover photo provided by Mike Strong. Support our community and
Goosie Guice
Orhan McMillan please attend these great events.
Kellie Seymour
Tanya Stilley
Jimmy Dunkley

For Advertising
Information Please call:
225-622-1324

E-Mail Comments
to Stronggraphics1@cox.net
www.ascensionmagazine.net

Note: Features in this

publication labeled
“advertorial”
are paid for editorials.
All Rights Reserved.
Opinions expressed are not
necessarily those of the
publisher, editor or staff of
Ascension Magazine

18386 Little Prairie Rd.

Prairieville, LA 70769
 DREAMS COME TRUE DANCE
Making Dreams Come True
Dreams Come True of Louisiana
held its 22nd Annual Na Na Sha Dance
at Lamar Dixon Expo. When preparing
for an event you have no idea what the
out come will be. We are humbled
by community support each and
every year.
Na Na Sha was outstanding, as
usual and our supporters danced all
night long. Heart warming stories
were passed along and the parish gave
their all.
Every year the Iron Warriors puts on
their event “Blessings of the Bikes” and
Dreams Come True is their chosen
charity and gives a nice donation.
In this article you will see a photo of a
wonderful young girl. She is the
lemonade girl. She is Emma Blanchard,
daughter of Ryan Blanchard and
grandparents are Ricky and Florette
Blanchard of Napoleonville. She raised
$110.00 selling lemonade with the help
of her friend Madison Pilant. Thank
You! You girls are angels.
Once again we had dream kids who
were of age working the concession
stand. They want to give back and help
future dream kids receive their dream,
because who better than a Dream Child
knows exactly what receiving a dream
brings to the individual!!!
The Jambalaya Festival Association
organized and cooked their World
Class Jambalaya.
We can’t do what we do without our
great supporters: Hi Nabor Supermar-
kets, Mockler’s Beverages, Guaranty
Broadcasting and Lamar Dixon Expo
along with so many other great
supporters, to many to name.
Dreams Come True extends our
warmest and most grateful thanks to
everyone who was involved for making
the night so successful.

4
 Special Sponsors
Mary Lee & Bill Dixon

VIP Dream Sponsors

Apple Guerin Company
Braud Welding & Industrial
FMC Holdings/CKRX Enterprise
BJM Construction
Pilot Specialty Group
Himmel’s Architectural
Simmons Railroad
Mercedes Benz

30 Years of Top Notch Services

Braud Company Welding & Industrial Supplies Abrasives Janitorial Equipment
has been providing material to industries for over Adhesives, Sealants & Tapes Marking Tools
thirty years. Our emphasis is on service.
Chemicals, Lubricants & Paints Material Handling
We take pride in same day delivery and
Display Units Measuring & Leveling Tools
customer service is always our number one
Electrical & Lighting MRO Supplies
priority and we deliver ontime, everytime.
Electrical Tools Plumbing Equipment

We have a well stocked walk-in sales counter

Fasteners, Clamps & Straps Pneumatics
Hand Tools Pumps
where you can purchase any quantity of an item. Oilfield Power Tools
HVAC Safety & Security

225.673.3370 • Toll Free 888.269.4315 • www.braudco.com

5
 Gold Sponsors
Emma
Joffrion Commerical
VIP Internationals
DePen Co
Mayor Barney Arceneaux

Silver Sponsors
Lewis Mohr Real Estate
Louisiana Lottery
Shread-Kuyrkendall & Assoc.
Rep Johnny Berthelot
Darnell Browning – State Farm, Inc.
Guitreau General Contractors
Bridget Hanna Campaign
ESOP Funding Solutions
Ruby Felder

6
Special Thanks to Our
In-Kind Donors
Valluzzo Companies
Hi-Nabor
Jambalaya Association
Walley Taillon
Guaranty Broadcasting
Ascension Parish Sheriff’s office
Cajun Classic Chevy Car Club
Community Coffee
Frito-Lay
Spanky’s Daiquiris
Roland Doucet – 100.7
Steve Laurie
Roy’s Ice
Ricky & Florette Blanchard
Ryan Blanchard & Destiny Levert
Lisa Alvarado
Rouses Grocery
Staff of Himmel’s – Max Himmel
Pam & Kayla Trahan
Carol Guillot
Henry & Barbara Blanchard
Ronald & Violet Legleu
Madison Pilant
Emma Blanchard
Iron Warriors/ Side Arms
NaNaSha Band

Ascension Magazine Supports

Dreams Come True and
the Hopes of the Dream Kids.

7
8
Ascension
Hot Air
Balloon
Festival
Taking Shape
The 2018 edition of the Ascension Hot
Air Balloon Festival is all set to take flight
on Friday and Saturday, September 21
and 22 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.
Festival goers can expect many improve-
ments over previous festivals, all
designed to make the experience much Photo: Ascension Hot Air Balloon Festival Committee, Seated, Left to Right – Sherry Denig,Tiffany St. Pierre, Robert Ambeau, Celeste Harris,
Ken Firmin, Shari Deslatte, and BethanyRobinson. Standing, Left to Right – Audrey Boudreaux, Mark LaCour, Jazz Traylor, BobbyCapewell,
Randy Clouatre, Don Hysell, Jill Gautreau, Laurin Sharon, Joel Stein, and Dustin Montelius. Not pictured are Charles Brown, Lee Anderson,
more enjoyable.
Cody Melancon, Homer Martin, and Glenn Gonzales.
Festival hours are Friday, September
21 from 4 pm until 11 pm, and Saturday,
September 22 from 11 am until 11 pm. There will be 15 regular shape magician all return, and will be joined by a music on the stage, performing until clos-
Traffic can enter the festival three ways: balloons, 5 special shape balloons, and mini Ferris wheel inside, and a miniature ing time both nights. Bands include Don
St. Landry Road, Edenbourne Extension, 3 balloons for tethered rides. Weather train going around the building. A special Berry and Rock N Horse, Something Blue,
and Ashland Road; and a crew of permitting, the tethered rides will begin feature this year that is sure to be a hit Jordan Babin, Laine Hardy, Sarah Collins,
40 people will be on site to assist in at 4:30 pm both days, and continue until with the kids will be meetand- greets with and Parish County Line.
getting everyone in and parked quickly. In the 7 pm. The balloon glows begin at dusk P.J. Masks. For safety reasons, no balloons will fly
addition, arrangements have been made each day, and will last for an hour and a The number of food vendors also has into or out of Lamar-Dixon.
with River Parishes Community College half. The balloon glows will be followed by doubled. 13 different food outlets will be For a complete schedule and map of
and Cabela’s to allow parking in their a spectacular fireworks show each night. at the festival,and some will have more events, and to purchase tickets online,
lots, with a free shuttle service to the The number of carnival rides has doubled; than one location. Each vendor will be go to the Festival
festival grounds. there will be at least 23 different rides selling their own drinks, as another way website: www.ascensionballooning.com.
Tickets for the festival are $6 and can for people of all ages to enjoy. Photos of to shorten lines and lessen wait times. The Festival is put on each year by
be purchased online ahead of time to the rides are on the web site. The The barbecue competition returns, as Ascension Festivals and Cultural Council,
avoid any lines. Tickets are also available Children’s Village has been expanded and well as a steak competition. Both are Inc., a 501-C-3 nonprofit organization,
at the gate, and all major credit cards moved inside the Trade Mart building. sanctioned events. and staffed by volunteers.
are accepted. Face painting, crafts, petting zoo, and Finally, there will be continuous live

9
McDonald’s on Hwy 30 was chosen as the club’s September Commercial The club chose the home of Sandy and William Scott of 1637 East Nelson as
Landscape of the Month. The restaurant capitalized on a high impact of a pink September Yard of the Month for its many flowers and immaculate lawn. Red

ATTENTION ELECTION
color scheme with a dense bed of caladium foliage, verbena blooms and drift
roses complementing the crape myrtle trees near the highway. From the restau-
rant window, customers can see purple loropetalum shrubs and tall, breezy
ornamental grasses.
and white vinca pair well with the pink caladiums along the length of the flower
beds finishing with purple verbena and yellow daylilies near the home’s
entrance. A gazing globe, a concrete birdbath statue and a container urn accent
the landscape.

CAMPAIGNS!
Reserve your ads early for the next
issue of Ascension Magazine.
October issue comes out on 10/16 ... Reserve ad space by 10/5

Call Mike Strong for ad sales ..... 225.622.1324


She Works
Hard for
the Money
I was recently asked to speak to
LSU’s Fashion Association on
sexism and wage gaps in the
workplace. And when I told my
boyfriend that I was to give a
speech on this topic, he said,
“How many people at work are
having relations”? Needless to
say, based on this statement,
creating awareness is the first step
to combating for equal pay among
men and women in the workplace.
First, what does sexism mean?
Sexism in its purest sense is
discrimination, typically against
women, on the basis of their sex.
In this article, I’d like to focus on
unequal pay gaps based on gender
in our state.
Several recent reports have
confirmed that in 2018 Louisiana
ranked number one in the nation
for the largest gender pay gap.
Despite more and more women
receiving higher education
degrees, this has continued to
been the case for several years.
So, after taking factors into
considerations like education, skill
set and experience, here are a few
pointers in making sure you’re
compensated a fairly and equitably
to your male counterparts:
• Know your Worth –Research
and understand clearly what you
bring to the table. Become well
versed in what others make in your
industry. If this means connecting
with groups to learn more about
job profiles, descriptions and pay,
do so. And there are online sites
like indeed.com that may give you
pay information to help with your
research.
12
• Continuing your Education –
Become a person that is always
learning. Developing a new skill,
taking a new class, or obtaining a
new certification; not only does
learning more build your
confidence,but positions you as a
commodity with your (current or
prospective) employer.
• Focus on your Strengths- I’ve
said this before, often people want
to improve their weak areas, and I
agree with that in a sense, but I
would say that you have to really
know your strengths and focus on
those. If you’re a people person,
then focus on people oriented job
tasks when possible, and if you’re
more detail or numbers oriented,
tackle detail oriented projects with
passion and zeal. It’s all about
showcasing your natural abilities!
• Ask for More – I read an article
that stated nearly 50% of women
that had master’s degrees
negotiated some aspect of their
first job offer. This is something
all women need to practice and
master. If you feel like you deserve
more, either prior to or after
getting a job, you have to speak
up. This can be tough and feel
uncomfortable for some, if not
most, women. But you be skilled
in selling yourself. You have to, be
willing to state clearly why you
deserve more…if you in fact
believe that.
Something else to consider is a
career in a predominantly male
employed industry. If you have
options to consider, consider
something in a STEM based
industry – science, technology,
engineering and math. These are
emerging fields to work in as a
female, and advanced companies
look to hire females because they
understand the importance of
having women in their
organizationand appreciate their
unique perspective.
The good news is companies
want to stay competitive in the
workplace are making a shift to
may pay fair wages between sexes.
More advanced companies have
structures in place to assure no one
gets paid above or below a
designated range for a particular
position. In the meantime, know
your worth, always continue
learning, focus on your strengths,
and ask for what you want!
Happy Fall Ascension!
XOXO Sweet Eyes
Sources:
Bizneworleans.com
Sebolao, Bobby “The Gender Pay Gap:
Mapped” Expertmarket.com
Woodward, Alex, “Louisiana Senate
rejects equal pay, minimum wage bills”
May, 27, 2018. gambitweekly.com
republished on theadvocate.com.
13
 L-R JFA PRESIDENT WALLY TAILLON, 2018 JAMBALAYA QUEEN BROOKE L-R PAST CHAMPION ROBERT “HOSS” REINE,

JFA Supports
EVERETT AND 2018 CHAMPION JARRETT MARCHAND QUEEN BROOKE EVERETT AND 2018 CHAMPION JARRETT MARCHAND

Louisiana
National Guard
On Aug 25th the Jambalaya
Festival Association cooked and
helped the Louisiana National
Guard Enlisted Association
celebrate their Annual Awards
Banquet. This banquet is a yearly
event that the JFA is proud to
support.

This years event was held in

New Orleans with an excess of
4500 guest attending.

If you would like to know more

about the Jambalaya Festival Asso-
ciation you go to
Jambalayafestival.net.

Good Job JFA!

 We Are Moving!
As of October 29 Our New Location will be
2304 S. Burnside Ave. Ste. 2
Gonzales, Louisiana
Walk-In Family Medicine

609 E. Worthy St., Gonzales • Monday - Friday 7am - 5pm • Saturdays 8am - Noon

15
Dutchtown Physical Therapy Proud Sponsor of Dutchtown Primary.
Dutchtown Primary
Preparing Students for the Future!
In order to prepare our
students for the future,
we must teach them the
necessary skills and
provide them with the
tools they need to be
successful. With the
beginning of the 2018-
2019 school year, one of
the many wonderful
additions we have been
able to offer at
Pictured: Amber Bond, First Grade teacher instructing computer basics to her
students: Serentity Howard, Maci Mire, Rosie LeBlanc (pictured from left to right)
Stephen Jackson, PT, DPT
S
DUTCHTOWN PHYSICAL THERAPY • 13053 HIGHWAY 73, SUITE B • GEISMAR, LOUISIANA 70734
Dutchtown Primary is an
extension of our one to
one order to prepare our
students for the future,
we must teach them the
necessary skills and
provide them with the
tools they need to be
successful. With the
beginning of the 2018-
2019 school year, one
of the many wonderful
Pictured: Ann Gogarty, Fifth Grade teacher supporting students
in learning typing skills. Students pictured: Lily Vidrine,
Jake Albares, Quinton Harrison (from left to right)
additions we have class as a resource for
been able to offer learning. Our teachers
at Dutchtown are using the computers
Primary is an to teach technological
extension of our literacy in all classrooms
one to one on campus. We, at
computer program Dutchtown Primary are
to include our fortunate to belong to
younger learners. Ascension Parish School
Every first through District where technology
fifth grade student is considered a
has received a fundamental tool in
computer to use in educating our children.
Visit our website at dtphysicaltherapy.com
(225) 744-3631 • fax (225) 744-3647
744-3631 • fax (225) 744-3647
16
FINANCIAL FOCUS
How Can Life
Insurance Help
You?
You may not be aware of it,
but September is Life Insurance
Awareness Month. Of course, you
probably recognize, at least in a
general sense, the importance of
life insurance, but do you know
the various ways in which it can
help you?
Life insurance can play a
sizable role in your ability to
achieve some important financial
goals, such as these:
• Helping your family maintain
its lifestyle – If you are married
and have young children at home,
you and your spouse may need to
work. If you were no longer
around and your earnings were
gone, could your family still afford
to live as they do now? Adequate
life insurance can help them
preserve their lifestyle.
• Helping your children
continue their education –
Even if you weren’t planning to
foot the entire bill for your
children’s college education, you
still might be doing what you can,
such as contributing to a 529
education savings plan. If your
income was lost, could your
family still afford to continue these
contributions? With enough life
insurance, you can improve the
chances that your children will at
least get some financial help for
college or vocational training.
Jamie Lavigne, Financial Advisor
4600 Sherwood Common Blvd, #103 • Baton Rouge, LA 70806-6609 • 225.292.4971 (O)
• Helping your survivors pay
off debts – Are all your debts
paid off? If not, you could be
leaving your family on the hook
for some of them, such as credit
cards and car loans – not to
mention your mortgage. Also, as
uncomfortable as it may be to
consider it, funeral and burial
costs can easily run into the
thousands. The proceeds of your
life insurance policy can help pay
down debts, handle your final
expenses – and relieve your
family of costly burdens.
Watch a Ball Game and
• Helping your spouse build
resources for retirement – Pick Some Crabs
It’s almost impossible for most
of us to save too much for • Oysters By the Sack
retirement. Your spouse may
already have some retirement
• Fresh Shrimp
accounts, such as a 401(k) and • A Wide Variety
an IRA, but will these be enough
to sustain a long retirement?
of Fish and Seafood
Through life insurance, you can • Snow Crabs
potentially add significant
amounts to your spouse’s
• Turtle Meat
retirement assets.
As we’ve seen, you can Ask for Sally’s stuff crabs.
accomplish a lot with life
Doug & Sally
insurance. But how much do You’ll love them.
you need?
If you want the appropriate
amount of coverage, you should
consider a variety of factors. How
Hey Dr. Rob,
much do you earn? How much
does your spouse earn? How
many children do you have? How Did you make me
old are they? How much do you
owe on your home? By answering
this Purdy?
these and other, similar
questions, you can arrive at a
coverage level that’s suitable for
your needs. Also, keep in mind
that those needs will change – for
example, if your children are
grown and you’ve downsized your
living arrangements, you may
require less insurance than at
earlier times in your life.
Life Insurance Awareness
Month is a good time to remind
yourself of the importance of
insurance and of the need to own
the correct amount. So, review
your coverage soon – after all,
you can’t predict the future, but
you can still prepare for it.
A SCENSION PA RISH
A N I M A L H O S P I TA L
225.744.4905
17
 Reasons why you should
be focused on your
reputation.
Your Business Has a
Reputation to Uphold!
by Orhan Mc Millan
dezinsINTERACTIVE
Every business wants to have good
standing in the community, and the
most effective way to maintain this is
with an established customer base
and a confidence that defines your
company as a leader in your industry.
Building an image for yourself
through online reputation manage-
ment can draw clients to your
company and help you stand out.
Here are a few things to keep in
mind while molding your reputation.
1 – Who are you exactly?
Multiple groups ultimately have the
most say over how your company is
perceived in the market: you,
consumers, employees and investors.
The people you do business with
tend to be prone to persuasion –
good and bad. As a business, it is up
to you to address reviews.
When managing your online
presence, focus on creating a game
plan to respond to reviews within
24 hours. Likes and shares on
comments can be your best friend
or your worst nightmare.
Be grateful for positive commentary,
and do your best to cordially direct
any negativity in a helpful manner.
The goal is to become the guru of
your industry. Through interaction
and communication, you can become
the main source of knowledge for
customers with questions, which can
eventually build up your client
following.
18
2 – Put out the fires.
A negative comment can do a lot of
damage to the reputation of your
company. An inquiry should never go
unanswered either. Doing so could
leave potential customers hesitant
about coming to your company for
help or services.
Instead, turn this into an opportunity
to restore any lost credibility. Rather
than focusing on the problem, offer
solutions and emphasize the
importance of customer feedback.
Keep everyone in the loop about
how your company is going to fix
things or implement changes.
3 – Take the hints.
Keep an eye on what consumers
are buzzing about. When they are
communicating about something
good in your company, play off the
positive vibes. For bad things, include
support, fixes and changes you are
working on presently.
While reviewing comments, notice
patterns developing within the
forums. Are people reacting poorly
to a change? Are clients excited
about a promotion? If multiple
customers are emphasizing a
particular item, you should turn your
attention to that. See where it may
lead you for future decisions.
4 – Take the reins on content.
Communication goes both ways.
While customers can send in
reviews, your business can launch
content to form a community of
interaction.
Various media with relative industry
topics, new innovations and positive
changes that could affect your
customers can attract attention.
Keeping your audience engaged will
not only keep current clients busy
but also lure in new ones too.
dezinsINTERACTIVE can help your business build a
bigger and effective reputation in your community’s
market.Through our web design and social media
strategies, you can stand out of the crowd. Contact us
today for more information.
 Louisiana high school students Cathy Do and Kailyn Phillips
embrace the challenges of chemistry and business
at BASF’s Science Academy
Two Louisiana high school students gained hands-on science and marketing experience at
BASF’s 2018 Science Academy. They are (from left) Cathy Do of Prairieville and Kailyn
Phillips of Donaldsonville.
Cathy Do of East Ascension
High School in Gonzales
and Kailyn Phillips of Donald-
sonville High School will start
their college careers with a
three-credit advantage and a
background in the business of
chemistry as graduates of
BASF’s eighth annual
Science Academy.
The two students were among
20 high school seniors around
the United States, Canada and
Mexico who earned the
opportunity to participate in the
program designed to prepare
students for a career in
Science, Technology, Engi-
neering or Math (STEM).
The two-week summer science
program, developed by BASF
Corporation and held at
Fairleigh Dickinson University
(FDU) in Madison, New Jersey,
provides students the
Kailyn Phillips (far right) and her fellow team members test the consistency of their personal
care product, Tenacity, a men’s hair gel.
Kailyn Phillips (far right) and her fellow team members test the consistency of their personal
care product, Tenacity, a men’s hair gel.
succeed in the real world.”
Following the curriculum
theme, “From Molecules to
Marketplace,” students gained
hands-on experience in
opportunity to increase their college chemistry labs, while
knowledge of chemistry and developing a marketing
learn marketable business strategy to link their product to
skills. Working in teams, the consumer. Students
students use BASF chemistry experienced chemistry in
to formulate their own personal action by visiting the BASF
care products (hair gel, Research and Development
shampoo and lotion) and labs in Iselin, New Jersey, and
develop a marketing plan. At
Tarrytown, New York. They
the end of the program, the also spoke to cosmetic
student teams presented their chemists and subject matter
product to a panel of BASF experts to learn about careers
executives and FDU in chemistry.
academic leaders.
“Exposure, not just to
“We want to ignite a passion chemistry or science, but also
in students to follow their to the fundamentals of
interests in science and entrepreneurship is what this
adequately prepare the next program is all about,” said Dr.
generation of leaders in Brian Olechnowski, Program
innovation,” said Tom Yura, Director at FDU. “It’s exciting
Senior Vice President and to be a part of the experiences
General Manager for the and progress the students
BASF facility in Geismar. “Our make during the intensive
two-week program also two-week program.”
promotes the business skills
that can help our graduates Students graduate from
the program with three
transferable college science
credits to encourage their
pursuit in a STEM field. In ad-
dition, FDU offers Science
Academy alumni $5,000
scholarships if they elect to
attend FDU in the fall of 2019.
“I enjoyed having the
opportunity to improve myself
as a person while meeting new
friends,” said Do of Prairieville.
“Being able to work in the lab
and being able to see the
19
Science Academy participants Sean
Fernandez from Ohio (left) and Kailyn
Phillips from Louisiana (right) brave the
water in the pursuit of environmental
science at the Loantaka Brook in
New Jersey.
science process behind the
product we’re making, I just
loved it,” said Phillips, a
resident of Donaldsonville.
Two Science Academy alumni
have returned to BASF through
the summer hire internship
program and the Professional
Development Program (PDP).
Last year, Science Academy
class of 2011 alumnus Kevin
Chao joined BASF as a
full-time PDP employee in
Beaumont, Texas, and is
currently working at the BASF
facility in Chattanooga,
Tennessee. This fall, 2013
Science Academy graduate
Michelle West will join BASF
as a PDP. Other successful
alumni are attending
universities and pursuing
degrees in math, chemistry,
engineering, biology, medicine,
psychology, education and
business.
 YOUR ESTATE MATTERS
By Linda Melancon
Estate Planning
for the College
Student
When my youngest daughter went
away to college, I worried, “Is she
getting enough sleep? Is she
attending class regularly? Is she
remembering to be aware of her
surroundings when she goes out at
night?” One thing I didn’t worry
about was, “Do we have the right
documents in place if something bad
Property for Sale in
should happen to her?”
When your child is a minor, you are
entitled to access his or her medical
records and make decisions regarding
their medical treatment and financial
affairs. But this all changes once your
Prairieville
35 Acres $665,000
42362 Moody Dixon Rd.
Prairieville , La 70769
Call the owner 225.806.5759
child reaches 18. In the eyes of the
state, your now-adult child is legally
entitled to his or her privacy and you
no longer have the same level of
access to or authority over their
financial, educational and medical
information.
Though I received phone calls
between classes, and the occasional
text to let me know she was doing
well, nothing gave me more peace of
mind than knowing we had a plan in
place that reflected her wishes if
anything should happen to her.
As parents, we don’t want to imag-
ine that anything bad will ever happen
to our children, but it’s important to
plan for the unexpected. Before your
son or daughter starts their fall semes-
ter this year, consider setting up an
estate plan that at least includes the
following three crucial components:
1. Health Care Proxy with
HIPAA Release
Under the Health Insurance
Portability and Accountability Act, or
HIPAA, once your child turns 18,
their health records are now between
them and their health care provider.
The HIPAA laws prevent you from
even getting medical updates in the
event your child is unable to commu-
nicate his or her wishes to have you
involved. Without a HIPAA release,
you may face many obstacles before
receiving critically needed
20
information, including whether your
child has been admitted to a
particular medical facility.
Should your child suffer a medical
crisis, doctors and other medical
professionals may refuse to speak with
you or allow you to make necessary
medical decisions. A health care proxy
with a HIPAA release would enable
your child to designate you or
another trusted person to make
medical decisions in the event they
are unable to convey his or her
wishes.
2. Durable Power of Attorney
Like medical information, your
18-year-old’s finances are also private.
If your child becomes incapacitated,
without a durable power of attorney
you cannot access your child's ac-
counts or credit cards. If you needed
to manage their accounts or pay bills
on their behalf, you may be forced to
seek the court’s appointment as your
child’s conservator. In Louisiana, this
is referred to as an interdiction.
Absent a crisis, a power of attorney
can also be helpful in issues that may
arise when your child is away at col-
lege or traveling. For example, if your
son is traveling and an issue comes up
where he cannot access his accounts, a
durable power of attorney would give
you or another trusted person the
authority to manage the issue.
3. Will
Your child owns any funds given to
him or her as a minor or that he or
she may have earned. If your child
predeceases you, these assets may
have to be probated and will pass to
your child’s heirs at law, which in
Louisiana would be his or her sib-
lings, with a usufruct (right to use) to
the parents. Additionally, your child
may wish to leave some personal
property and financial assets to other
family members or to a charity.
While a will may be less important
than the health care proxy, HIPAA
release, or durable power of attorney,
ensuring that your child has all three
components of an estate plan can pre-
vent you, as a parent, from having to
go to court to obtain legal authority
to make time-sensitive medical or fi-
nancial decisions for your child.
Talk with your child today and find
out what their wishes are. While these
documents won’t let you know if
your child is getting good grades or
eating three balanced meals a day, you
can rest assured that you are both
prepared for the unexpected.
The information provided is not intended to
be legal advice and does not constitute an
attorney/client relationship. You should consult
with an attorney for individual advice regarding
your own situation.
Ms. Melancon is an attorney with Legacy Estate &
Elder Law of Louisiana, LLC, with offices in
Baton Rouge, LA and Prairieville, LA. The
primary focus of her practice is estate planning,
probate, special needs planning and elder law. For
more information or to attend an upcoming
estate planning seminar, call her office at
(225) 744-0027
St. John Primary / St. Theresa Middle
Hold T-Shirt Design Contest
The Festival of Friends has
been a great tradition for the
families of St. John Primary
and St. Theresa Middle for
decades. Families in this great
community come out to support
this event each year by helping
families afford a Catholic
Education for students.
This years t-shirt design
contest winner is Will
Boudreaux. Will received his
check for winning the t-shirt art
contest from Dayna Sanchez of
the fair committee. Will is also
pictured with his parents Chet
& Alana Boudreaux.
Will’s design depicts the fun
of the festival and importance
to the community.
Great job Will, you have a
good eye for design.
$100 off Termite Treatment
$25 off Initial Pest Control
Pest Prevention Programs • Real Estate Certificates
• Pre-Construction Soil / Borate Treatment
Local • Licensed • Insured • Bonded
• Termite Treatment Programs • Mosquito Suppression Services
225-644-7466 Ascension • 225-924-7096 Baton Rouge
Website www.BeebesPest.com
21
 We Love Being Your Home
Away from Home for
Over 23 Years!

2305 S. Purpera Avenue, Gonzales, LA 70737 • 225.644.1028

23
 10% off any Holiday Party booked Monday-Thursday
(expires 12/31/18)

• Full catering menu TAKING RESERVATIONS NOW

• Outdoor Pavilion
FOR CHRISTMAS PARTIES
for Weddings
Accommodates up to 300 guest.
• Space for seminars
• Business meetings
• Birthday parties Call to set up an appointment
to view our venues.
225.677.5545 • 17425 Airline Hwy • Prairieville
 to his full-time status, Hanna was Kane continues to balance his
a student worker with the Sheriff’s personal life and Volunteering in
Office since June 2013. our Community.

This week, the St. Amant
Volunteer Fire Department would
like to recognize Sgt. Kane
Hanna. Kane became a Volunteer
Firefighter in the St. Amant
Community in 2014. After
serving five years in our Junior
Firefighting Program.
Kane graduated from St. Amant
High School. Kane is a blessing
to our Community and we cannot
thank him enough for his hard
work and dedication as a
Volunteer Firefighter in the
St. Amant Community.
Every week, the St. Amant
Volunteer Fire Department takes
time out to recognize one of our
Volunteers.
July 16 - Firefighter Ryan Moran
July 23 - Lieutenant Robbie
Villenurve
July 30 - Lieutenant Eric Hughes
August 6 - Firefighter Grant Harris
August 20 – Firefighter Josh
Rushing
August 27 - Sgt. Kane Hanna

St. Amant Volunteer was a combined joint task force

Firefighter Kane
operation that works by, with and
through regional partners to

Hanna returns from

militarily defeat Islamic State of

deployment
Chief Officer James E. LeBlanc
and members of the St. Amant
Volunteer Fire Department
welcomed back home,
Sgt. Kane Hanna.
Hanna deployed in December
2017 and returned on August 9,
2018. He was apart of the
Operation Inherent Resolve which
Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, in order to
enable whole-of-coalition
governmental actions to
increase regional stability.
Hanna also said that he is looking
forward to returning back to
work and continuing his dream
of attending flight school in the
near future.
Hanna has been employed with
the Ascension Parish Sheriff’s
office since January 2017. Prior

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27
29
Hired To Be Fired or The Year
They Helped Mac Pack
My first LSU football game
was in 1956 when my dad took
a wide-eyed 7-year old to Tiger
Stadium for the Ole Miss
game.
One of my fleeting memories
of that night is that Tiger
fullback and future NFL Hall of
Famer Jimmy Taylor scored
almost every LSU point in a
46-17 loss to the Rebels.
The other thing I remember
is some drunk man sitting
behind us kept yelling, “They
need to fire that young coach!”
How many times has any
variation of that statement
been uttered by fans all over
the country-especially at LSU.
By the way, two years later,
“that young coach” Paul
Dietzel won a national
championship and despite his
handsome appearance (He
was known as “Pepsodent
Paul” for his toothy smile.) and
a number one ranking, there
were still some critics who
didn’t care for his conservative
by Bill Delaune
offense that included
sometimes punting on third
down. Now remember, boys
and girls, this was a time
whenever even the great
running back tandem of Billy
Cannon and Johnny Robinson
played both ways so Dietzel’s
strategy was not to run a play
on third and long to save the
guys for defense.
Dietzel left LSU for his
“dream job” at Army in 1961-
back when the service
academies were still
powerhouses in football.
His replacement was popular
assistant Charles McClendon-
“Charlie Mac”, as he was
known-who went on to record
a program record of 137 wins
over the next 18 years.
Of course, an average of
nearly nine wins a year on a
schedule of 10 or 11 games
back then was not enough for
Tiger fans and his inability to
(Sound familiar?) led to his Alabama.”
consistently beat SEC rivals
dismissal in 1979. I repeat-sound familiar?
like Ole Miss and Alabama
So where is all this going? I must admit that I fell off the
Just that my very observant Mac bandwagon in ’74 and ’75
daughter-in-law Claire spotted when the Tigers won only five
a scrapbook her dad was games each year and finished
throwing away with details of ninth in the SEC. But what
Mac’s final season and thought some of his harshest critics
I’d like to see it. didn’t realize that the coaching
And the comments from faults they were screaming
columnists, fans and other about were probably some of
“experts”-albeit from 39 years his best qualities as a man.
ago-struck me as eerily similar McClendon was too nice a
to what went on during the guy to fire some of his
years that followed long-time loyal assistants and
McClendon’s firing-especially he stayed with the “Power I”
during the Les Miles era or offense when more wide-open
even today despite the fact passing offenses were the
that at my press time, trend because that’s what
Coach Ed Orgeron is 2-0. worked for him.
One of the ’79 articles was Mac also lost some big –time
from a Washington Post writer recruits because he wouldn’t
(before there was “fake news”) bend the NCAA rules (No
who noted that the next LSU violations in 18 years is what
coach would be asked to do all I’d call a clean program.).
the things Charlie Mac could Legend has it that strong-
never do. armed quarterback Terry
“Win a national champi- Bradshaw could not qualify
onship. Beat Alabama. Win a academically at LSU and
national championship. Beat wound up at La. Tech and, of
30
course, the Pittsburgh Steelers
because McClendon would not
budge on the standards.
Compare that to today’s
power conferences where a
wise sage once pointed out,
“90% of NCAA schools do
obey the recruiting rules-the
other 10% go to the bowl
games.”
Actually, Mac had taken a
huge gamble two years prior to
’79 when he turned down an
offer of a buy-out from the
Board of Supervisors with
hopes of winning enough
games to convince them to let
him stay.
The 1979 season started
promising with a surprising
44-0 rout of Colorado and a
not-so-surprising 47-3 rout
of Rice.
In one of the most memo-
rable games in LSU history,
the Tigers took on number one
USC before a raucous sell-out
crowd in Tiger Stadium. LSU
led 12-10 in the final minutes
before the Trojans took
advantage of a controversial
penalty to sustain a drive and
score a late touchdown for a
17-12 victory. One of the
Trojan stars when asked to
compare the atmosphere of
Notre Dame and Tiger Stadium
replied, “Notre Dame is a
playpen compared to this
madhouse.”
After an opening conference
win over Florida, the wheels
came off in the month of
October sealing Mac’s fate.
Some excerpts from the
legendary Sam King’s sports
column on the Tigers’
performance tell the story…
“The Tiger defense became
the first in college history to
take a month’s vacation in the
fall. And it tried to take the
offense with it, but they
fumbled the ticket…”
“The offensive line couldn’t
have made a hole in the
ground with a shovel. If they
had, some back would
probably have filled it up-with
the football.”
After losses to Georgia and
Florida State, King had some
more not-so-favorable
comments that could have
easily been directed at our
favorite New Orleans
professional team after their
dismal opener against
Tampa Bay.
“Had it been grenades the
FSU quarterback was
throwing, LSU’s defensive
backs might not even been hit
by the shrapnel…”
And describing the lack of a
pass rush-“People on death
row have rushed to the electric
chair quicker than LSU went
after the Seminole
quarterback.”
I think you catch the mood of
the Tiger “faithful” around this
time.
To the Tigers’ credit, they did
upset Ole Miss the following
week and held the new
number one Alabama to a
single field goal on a rainy
night in Tiger Stadium. But
that was enough for Bear
Bryant’s Tide to beat his former
pupil McClendon again 3-0 as
LSU’s offense barely crossed
midfield. Once again-sound
familiar?
The Tigers defeated Miss
State in Mac’s last home game
to get to 6-4 but the coup de
gras came a week later in the
Superdome when Tulane’s
Roch Hontas picked apart the
Bengals’ porous secondary for
three touchdowns in a 24-13
Greenie win.
McClendon’s last game was
in Orlando, Florida, at the
Tangerine Bowl against Wake
Forest. The inspired Tigers
easily defeated the Demon
Deacons 34-10 and Mac and
several assistants were carried
off the field after the game.
Ironically, the final
touchdown of the Charles
McClendon era was scored by
Steve Ensminger-the current
Tiger offensive coordinator
whose every move is being
scrutinized by armchair
Monday morning quarterbacks
all over Louisiana.
Since Mac’s firing, no Tiger
coach lasted longer than five
seasons until Miles who held
the job for 11 full seasons until
he was fired four games into
the 2016 season with a .770
winning percentage. Some
critics claimed Miles was too
nice, would not fire loyal
assistants and ran too
conservative of an offense
for this era.
Oh-and that Alabama thing
31
again.
In fact, during the two
decades that followed Mac’s
departure, there was almost a
jinx-like cloud hanging over
the position.
Bo Rein, the man Dietzel-
then athletic director-hired to
replace McClendon, died
tragically in a plane crash in
1980, only a month after
taking the reins.
Jerry Stovall, beloved Tiger
all-American, lost to Tulane
twice in his 4-year tenure and
was fired by Bill Broadhead
who had replaced Dietzel who
himself was fired by the Board
in 1982.
NFL defensive guru Bill
Arnsparger took over and had
a couple of good years with
Stovall’s recruits but he bolted
in 1986 to become athletic
director at Florida. Arnsparger
was a brilliant defensive coach
but he didn’t care much for
college recruiting so his
hand-picked successor Mike
Archer’s one year of glory soon
ran out with a bare cupboard.
LSU fans will still claim that
Arnsparger pushed Archer for
the job over a young candidate
Steve Spurrier so he could hire
the then Duke coach at
Florida.
After Archer was fired,
Southern Miss Coach Curley
Hallman found out his plays
didn’t work as well without a
Brett Favre at quarterback and
he was fired in ’94. Gerry
DiNardo “brought back the
magic” for one game in a ’97
upset of Spurrier’s number one
Florida team but he ran out of
tricks and was forced to do a
disappearing act in ’99.
Oh, and if you want to win a
bar bet-Who has the highest
winning percentage in LSU
history? The answer is Hal
Hunter, who as an interim
coach following DiNardo’s
firing, led the Tigers to a 35-10
victory over Arkansas. One
game-one win-1.000 win
percentage.
The LSU coaching merry-go-
round during these years
reminds me of a song parody
that Hank Williams Jr. used to
do about his father. Called
“The Ballad of Hank Williams”
and sung to the tune of the
“Battle of New Orleans”, the
lyrics told the story of Hank
Sr.’s drunken tirades when
he’d fire the entire band. The
chorus went…”Well, he fired
Don Helms and he fired Jimmy
Rivers, and he fired everybody
just as fast as he could go. He
fired Old Cedric and he fired
Sammy Pruitt, and he fired
some people that he didn’t
even know!”
Maybe Old Hank would have
made a good athletic director.
I guess the moral to the story
is not to be too hard on your
team’s coaches-no matter
what level. They are the ones
who are at practice every day
and watch the day-to-day
performance of their players.
And I can promise you, in my
35 years of coaching, I never
met another coach who didn’t
put the team out on the field
that gave them the best
chance to win the game.
Oh yeah-Judy Collins and I
have looked at this thing from
both sides now, and I promise
you it’s a lot easier to call
those plays in front of a
television set that down on the
field. I know because I was
called an S.O.B. so many
times I had to tell my kids it
stood for “Sweet Old Bill”.
And remember before you
call for someone’s firing-who
are you going to replace him?
It took LSU twenty years after
Charles McClendon to find
Nick Saban.
Deer & Hog
Processing Aggravated
Deboning • Ground Meat
It was a hot July weekend. For
• Fresh Sausage
some reason I didn’t care to go
• Smoked Sausage
fishing and I don’t really remember
• Green Onion Sausage
why not. When you’re in my
• Italian Sausage
profession and you have time off
you need to use it wisely.
• Cajun Sausage
The hunting club that I’m a
• Breakfast Sausage
member of in St. Helena requires
• Jalapeno & Cheese
that each member place a
available
numbered tag on each one of our
• Vacuum Packed
stands before August each year to
secure our stand locations. I did
Custom Cuts not feel like taking on this task on
Available with
this particular weekend. Finally I
convinced myself that this would
be the perfect time to get this
years’ club requirements out of the
5% Off
Mention this ad
way. To kill two birds with one
and receive
stone I decided that while I was
out that way I would go ahead and
sight in two deer rifles for the up-
coming season. I had already pur-
your next order.
chased a new box of bullets for
each gun. The 30-06 Browning A-
bolt was a gun that I had won at a
local Ducks Unlimited banquet and
Tee Wayne's it had never been shot. That
Cajun Cooking
firearm had been scoped and bore-
sighted last January. The 243 was
still offers my granddaughter’s gun that
full-time,
I had actually killed a nice buck
with last year.
full-service The St. Helena club has a pretty
catering.
nice rifle range. After my track
For all your catering needs
through the hot July woods
call 225.806.FOOD
hanging stand tags I approached
the range with hopes of zeroing my
guns in a short amount of time.
Well so much for that wish, with
shots from both guns hitting all
over the target. About two hours
later I left there hot, frustrated and
ready for a stiff drink to ease the
pain of my aching shoulder. I kept
trying to convince myself that the
day was not a total loss because I
had hung my stand tags. To make
matters worse, as soon as I got
home I broke the 243 scope mount
while trying to tighten it beyond its
39087 Hwy. 621, Gonzales, torque. I was hoping that the loose
La. 225.644.FOOD
Tee Wayne
mounts could be part of the
225.644.3065 (fax) problem. Wrong.
Tyler
Monday & Tuesday: Now look, I’m not an excellent
11am-2pm shot and for sure not an expert on
Wednesday, Thursday,
rifle accuracy. With that being said,
I’m no rookie either. I grew up
Friday & Saturday: with a gun in my hand. One
11am-8pm problem that I have is that I want
32
the same accuracy from high
powered rifles that I get from
22 rifles. In general, that ain’t
gonna happen. My firearms,
scopes, and mounts are quality
products, but each like different
brand and grain weights of bullets.
The bullets that don’t shoot well in
my granddaughters’ 243 shoot
fairly well in other rifles I have of
the same caliber. One problem with
finding the correct brand and
bullet weight for your gun is the
cost of large caliber ammo. You
buy a box of twenty for thirty or
forty dollars and your gun won’t
group them and it’s back to the
drawing board or should I say
pocketbook. Another common
problem for most of us when it
comes to firing high-powered guns
is the availability of time and space
to do so. In most cases its not as
easy as buying another box of
bullets and setting up in your
backyard to check their accuracy.
By the time hunting season rolled
around I had finally found fair
accuracy for those two guns. This
came with a cost along with several
trips back and forth to the shooting
range when I really wanted to be
doing something else. After
reading and discussing this
accuracy issue with knowledgeable
people, one thing is for sure,
firearms are very much like people.
They’re all different. Some barrels
like certain brand and weight
bullets and they’re some barrels
that won’t ever shoot straight. I
may just so have one of those
barrels on my Ruger M77 7mm
mag. I’ve had a great amount of
work done on that firearm and I
am not yet completely satisfied
with its accuracy. I’m seriously
considering purchasing a new
barrel for that gun. It’s either that
or keep spending money on
different loads until I find the right
one. Like I said before, gun barrels
are much like people and just like
some people no matter what you
do for them they won’t ever
amount to anything.....
Until Next Time,
Wanna Trade Bullets?
James “Goosie” Guice
 with Kellie
Useless Random Facts
•
Bees have 5 eyes. There are 3 small eyes on the top of a
bee's head and 2 larger ones in front.
•
Ants closely resemble human manners: When they wake,
they stretch & appear to yawn in a human manner
before taking up the tasks of the day.
“ L I K E ” U S O N FA C E B O O K

LSU FOOTBALL PARTY

•
Valentine Tapley from Pike County, Missouri grew chin Visit our website:www.parkplaceofgonzales.com
whiskers attaining a length of twelve feet six inches from
1860 until his death 1910, protesting Abraham Lincoln's
election to the presidency.

Oct. 6 Florida & Oct. 13 Georgia

•
In 1986 Congress & President Ronald Reagan signed

Sept 21... Snake Nelson

Public Law 99-359, which changed Daylight Saving Time
from the last Sunday in April to the first Sunday in April.

Sept 22 ... Karaoke

It was estimated to save the nation about 300,000 barrels of
oil each year by adding most of the
month April to D.S.T.

Sept 28... Landon Davis Band

•

Sept 29 ... Heath Ransonnet

The thumbnail grows the slowest, the middle nail the
fastest, nearly 4 times faster than toenails.

October 5 ... Sugar Shaker

•
Researchers at the Texas Department of Highways in

October 12 ... Contraflow

Fort Worth determined the cow population of the U.S.
burps some 50 million tons of valuable hydrocarbons into

Trivia Every Wednesday

the atmosphere each year. The accumulated burps of
ten average cows could keep a small house adequately

Night at 8
heated and its stove operating for a year.
•
400-quarter pounders can be made from 1 cow.
•
The expression 'to get fired' comes from long ago
Clans that wanted to get rid of unwanted people,
so they would burn their houses instead of killing them,
creating the term 'Got fired'.
•
Each king in a deck of playing cards represents a great
king from history. Spades - King David,
Clubs - Alexander the Great, Hearts - Charlemagne,

Sugar Shakers • October 5th

and Diamonds - Julius Caesar.
•
Golf courses cover 4% of North America.

(Rhett Glindmeyers new band)

•
More bullets were fired in 'Starship Troopers'
than any other movie ever made. 1711 S. BURNSIDE • GONZALES • 644-8901
33
 What are you looking
Thoughts from Bully at you Redneck?
You don’t even have a
Moose season!

Stories
from the
Woods!
got home a dead deer was in the The sun came up about 30
back of his truck. The man minutes later and he looked
It’s that time of the year when
swore that the deer must have,
men get to be men. This past
while running, jumped off a cliff into the field in front of him
month I spent nine glorious
batch of cracklin’s popped and and landed head first in the and there was a deer laying
days in the woods in North
tasted great. truck and broke his neck. Yea dead.
Louisiana. Our deer season was
Now, around a camp fire you Right!!!!! Sounds like He then proceeded to tell me
beginning and I seized the
are going to hear some tall tales. moonshine to me. that the guy believed that the
opportunity to do whatever the
This year, this old boy from He then told another story young deer had been killed with
hell I wanted.
Tennessee came down and he about this man climbing his the stray bullet from his earlier
After getting permission from
was a chatter box. He told deer stand. The gun strap morning accident.
my girlfriend to go to the camp
me of a story about a man in slipped off his shoulder, What can I say. They are from
I was ready for some fun. The
Tennessee driving his truck dropping the rifle to the Tennessee.
weather cooperated with some
through the hills and when he ground, and the gun went off.
cool temperatures and my 15lb.

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34
Our Boat
Disappeared or
We Lost It?
The very next day after
hearing these ridiculous tales, I
had an encounter of my own.
After returning from a fishing
trip with my compadre, the
Ram, something strange
happened to us.
We had been hunting for many
days and during the time of an
approaching weather front, we
decided to try
chunking a lure.
I have to admit a few cold,
brewsky beverages had passed by
our lips on this fishing trip.
We drove up dragging the boat
back from the lake on the dirt
roads and backed it up to the
shed. We removed and blocked
the boat up and thought we
would enjoy another cold,
brewsky beverage. We watched
the full moon rise and decide
it was time to get to the camp up
the road.
We sat in the truck and Ram
pressed the clutch and the truck
rolled back ever so slightly and a
small thump was felt. So we
drove the truck in a big circle to
shine the head lights on the boat
to make sure it was still blocked
up. As the lights shined on the
boat, we discovered that it was
gone. Right in front of us the
boat we just off loaded was not
there. Now I am thinking my
buddy has pulled off a great goof
on me. Then I looked at him
and his faced showed me that he
was just as mystified as I was. We
looked at each other in shear
disbelief and realized that the
boat had not disappeared,
but had dropped, and it was still
attached to the back of the
truck. After we laughed our guts
out for 10 minutes, we then put
the beers down and walked to
the camp.
The Truth Family Owned for 50 Years
About Deer
Hunting
On the way home while
getting gas a young female
college student saw me in my
camo and asked the question,
“How can you kill Bambie’s
Dad?”I simply asked back, “Do
you know how Bambie was
born.” She said “I think
sooooo!” Seeing her
condisending expression, I
decided to set the record
straight.
I told her, One frosty morning
It’s Time to Plant the
Bambies dad woke up, put his
nose to the breeze and smelt
Seeds of Success
Bambie’s mom off in the
distance. He dedided then, I
We Have All Deer Plot Supplies and Equipment You
have to have her and set out to
Need to have a Great Hunting Season.
find her. When he arrived he
Deer
didn’t bring her flowers he
Corn
jumped right on her. She resisted
•
and ran off, but he wouldn’t
Rice
stop and wouldn’t leave her
Brand
alone. He followed her and ran
her until her toungue was
Meal
hanging out. She ran and ran
until she could run no more. He
proceeded to violate her over
and over until she was pregnant
and then he left not even Spreaders • Seed Plot Mixtures • Feeders
looking back. Now she was left
to deliver and raise Bambie all
alone. After about 6 months
Bambie’s spots stop showing and
it is now hunting season and that
Dad, that beautiful Dad, starts
nudging, with his horns,
Bambie’s Mom and Bambie
himself out in the meadow to see
225.647.2448
if there is danger awaiting. If
they don’t get shot then www.sacswestern.net • 125 S Burnside Ave, Gonzales, LA 70737
hecomes out and feeds.
I looked at her close and
realized she was starting to tear
up so I layed it on thick and said,
“Oh by the way... he violated
dozens of beautifuls does
and left them all to the same
fate. Including having his way
with his own daughters.”
Oh...“That’s it!” she said. .....
35
Kill the BASTARD............!

Trolling in my backyard with 20 ft.
of water. It came up another 2 ft.
Don’t Give Up Hope Flood Victims of 2016
after this photo.
The flood of 2016 changed
everything for me. I flooded. I
cleaned up. I made do with a
bed in one room until I could
get assistance from FEMA or
SBA. It didn’t take long to
realize they weren’t going to be
much help. Fema sent me to
SBA and they offered me low
interest rates on a loan that
was 65% of what I need to
replace what I lost so I turned
them down and secured a
domestic loan from a local
bank. I went from no monthly
house note to a $1300 plus
For help contact Congressman Graves office 225-442-1731
Watching the flood waters
breach the sliding glass door. This is
the beginning of my home destruction.
note.
Then Restore LA was funded
with over a billion dollars
offering grants became
available to flood victims that
replaced their home.
Finally an organization that
was geared for me. They told
me I qualified for a grant and I
wouldn’t have to wait long.
I’m still waiting.
Through my ordeal I
eventually spoke my State
Representative and ask for
answers. He helped all he
could and when I was finally
36
Sitting in my art studio,
in my chair while my outdoor
fridge floats around. Nothing
left to do but have a beer.
turned down sighting
‘duplication of benefits’ I was
done with little hope left. My
appeal was denied and I
started wondering who were
these funds for if not me.
Then I was told to contact
and sign up with Congressman
Garret Graves.
Congressman Graves has
been working to remedy flood
victim red tape including my
issue, ‘duplication of benefits’.
As the publisher of
Ascension Magazine I reached
out to Congressman Graves
Ascension Magazine has a
Q & A session with
Congressman Garret Graves
1. I was denied Restore LA
grant money because of
Duplication of Benefits.
Does this mean I’m done and
should I not expect any relief
from Restore La?
The way our country handles
disasters is fundamentally
backwards. Since the 2016
flood we have been working to
pivot that role. We have
legislation currently sitting in
the Senate that would fix the
flawed ‘duplication of benefits’
along with a number of other
top priorities for Louisianians.
This issue has been the single
greatest complaint for
homeowners and we are
working with the Senate to fix
this as soon as possible. On
face value, there is nothing
office and asked if he would
answer some flood victim
questions.
I have a feeling of restored
hope and wanted to share this
information with my fellow
citizens in hopes this may
answer some of your
questions.
Is there hope with Restore
LA or are they peddlers of
hope.
We are cajuns and don’t like
to ask for help however
sometimes we need it.
duplicative about a loan and a
grant - nothing.
2. Has the timeline expired?
If you took the initial survey
through Restore to determine
your eligibility and were invited
to complete an applications,
you have until October 1st,
2018 to submit.
3. What is duplicate
funding?
Only the federal government
could think that a loan
duplicates a grant. Duplication
of benefits is a policy that is
implemented by U.S. Housing
and Urban Development
(HUD) that says a grant
applicant cannot accept funds
for home repair or real estate
assistance from either a flood
insurance settlement or a
FEMA grant and then receive
the same assistance through
the Community Disaster Block
Program (CDBG). CDBG is
the source of the $1.3 billion
allocated for Restore.
Because of this provision,
thousands of homeowners
have seen their potential
benefits from the Restore
Louisiana program greatly
reduced or even eliminated.
4. I’ve heard there is
legislation being passed that
may help me. Is this true?
In December of 2017 the
U.S. House of Representatives
passed legislation, and again
in late April of this year the
House passed H.R. 4, both
of which contained the
Graves-Richmond amendment
to fix the duplication of
benefits if an application was
approved for or took out an
SBA disaster loan. The
House-passed legislation has
since been significantly altered
to the point that it would have
no positive impact on flood
victims. Senators Cassidy and
Kennedy are working now to
restore the legislation so that it
benefits Louisiana flood
survivors. Once the Senate
passes their legislation, the
House and Senate will
negotiate differences.
8,000 additional homeown-
ers would become eligible for
a grant from the state if the bill
passes Congress, and the
state has the recovery funds to
pay them.
5. It’s been 2 years since
the flood. How long should
I wait?
The first appropriation of
significant recovery funds for
the State of Louisiana was
made in September and
December of 2016. The State
launched the Restore
Louisiana program 7 months
later. There remains more than
$1 billion available for
homeowners, much of which is
stymied by the “duplication of
benefits” penalty. Hopefully,
the U.S. Senate will quickly
pass the Graves-Richmond
legislation to help the
thousands of applicants who
have been denied by Restore
due to duplication of benefits
with the SBA disaster loan.
6. Is it true Harvey victims
were fully funded but not
2016 Louisiana flood
victims?
Louisiana, so far, continues
to have more than $1 billion
available for homeowner
1 MONTH FREE
recovery, and enough to assist
homeowners who are so far
denied funds because of the
ST
“duplication of benefits”
penalty. In addition to the total
$1.7 billion in Restore
Louisiana recovery funds
appropriated in September
and December 2016, My Self Storage is a top of the line
Congress also appropriated
additional funds to help reduce
climate controlled storage facility.
the threat of future disasters.
We are committed to our community and
An additional $1.4 billion has our customers. We offer secure storage
been appropriated to complete units for domestic and commercial use.
legacy flood control projects My Self Storage has multiple unit
like the Comite River Diversion
Canal, East Baton Rouge
sizes so whether you're storing one
Flood Control and the West
room or an entire house we'll find
Shore Hurricane Protection
the unit best for you.
Project, among others. Add to
this another $1.2 billion
Congress appropriated to
Louisiana in flood mitigation
funds that will be administered
by the state over the next few
years. All told, $10 billion in
federal assistance and federal
insurance funds has been
allocated to Louisiana for flood
recovery. The cost of
Hurricane Harvey recovery is
still unfolding. It is possible the
Harvey/Irma/Maria states and
territories will need additional • Boxes & Moving Supplies • Dollies and Carts
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delegation will fight diligently to
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impacted by Harvey, Irma and
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legislation we passed twice in
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becomes law. And this
legislation will fix the problem
1603 N. Airline Hwy • Gonzales, Louisiana 70737 • 225-644-4461
for all states and territories.
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37
 Ascension Parish
911 Ceremony
Seventeen years ago, we
experienced the deadliest
terrorist attack on American
soil in our history. Thousands
of Americans – mothers,
fathers, husbands, wives,
sons, and daughters – lost
their lives in that attack on
American liberty, stated Chief
Officer James E. LeBlanc. We
will never forget those we lost
in the attack or those who
sacrificed their lives to serve
others, stated LeBlanc. Sep-
tember 11, 2001, and the many
days to follow, demonstrated
the full strength and bravery of
the American people and
proved that our spirit here in
America, will never be broken.
17 years ago, America lost its
soul when 19 militants hijacked
4 airliners that resulted in
2,977 innocent people being
killed.
At 8:46 am, American Airlines
Flight 11 struck the North
Tower of the WTC in New York
which collapsed at 10:28 am.
At 9:03 am, United Airlines
Flight 175 struck the South
Tower which collapsed
at 9:59 am.
At 9:37 am, American Airlines
Flight 77 struck the Pentagon
killing 125 military personal
and civilians along with the
59 passengers and crew
members.
At 10:03 am, United Airlines
Flight 93 crashed into a field in
Pennsylvania killing the
40 passengers and crew
members.
2,753 people were killed in the
attacks at the WTC, including
343 Firefighters, 23 NYPD
Officers and 37 Port Authority
Police Officers.
Although the cowardly attacks
on America 17 years ago,
disrupted the lives’ of so many
people, caused chaos and
confusion and cost billions
and billions of dollars it did
not destroy America.

Our elected officials didn’t
make it political or point fingers
blaming each other but instead
they came together and worked
together for the greater good of
all Americans.
Color did not matter on
9/11/01. We United, as ONE
as Americans.
As horrible as those attacks
were, the one good thing that
came out was that everyone
loved one another and took
1 3 0 5 3 H W Y. 4 3 1 • S T. A M A N T
FIRESTONE BRIDGSTONE CREDIT CARDS
care of each other for some
ACCEPTED AND AVAILABLE AT BIGGEAUX’S
time after the attacks.
I would like to remind all our
Ascension Parish Residents
and our surrounding friends to
go out and do something good
for someone today. Be nice to
one another, spread love,
State-of-the-Art
tolerate difference and look
Equipment
out for one another, stated
Chief LeBlanc.
Front End
Alignments
NOW STOCKING: ANCO WIPERS,
Never Forget and God
Bless America.
HERCULES TIRES, INTERSTATE BATTERIES
24 Hr. Emergency Roadside Service
• All tires from ATV to Commercial Machinery • Emergency road service
• All brands to fit autos, trucks and assistance-Commercial Only
18 wheelers, including tractor/ • Locally owned and operated since 2004
construction equipment tires • New used and retreads
Locally Owned & Operated by
Oscar and Linda Mire and sons
Call for Appointment • 225.644.8473

President Matassa Proclaims
Cooper James Smith Day
At the August 16 meeting of the
Ascension Parish Council,
President Kenny Matassa
honored a local hero by Proclaim-
ing Cooper Smith Day.
According to the proclamation,
on June 8, 2018, while at a
neighborhood party, Cooper
James Smith was in the
swimming pool with eight or ten
other children while all of the
adults were occupied elsewhere
preparing the food and
refreshments. A pair of four-year-
old twins jumped into the pool
without any flotation devices, and
without being noticed. Cooper
realized that something was not
right when the twins did not
resurface. He jumped off his raft
President Matassa, Cooper Smith, and scouts and leaders of Boy Scout Troop 65.
and swam to the boy, pulling him
up and making him hold on to the
wall of the pool. He then swam to
the girl and pulled her safely
to the wall. None of the
approximately thirty people there
had any idea what was happening
until the twins started crying.
Cooper Smith’s awareness and
quick actions prevented a
community celebration from
turning into a family tragedy.
Cooper James Smith is 11
years old and resides in
Prairieville with his parents,
Jamey and Kim Smith, and his
siblings Piper and Georgia. He
is a student at Prairieville Middle
School, and a member of Boy L to R – President Matassa, Jamey Smith, Cooper Smith,
Scout Troop 65. Kim Smith, and Councilman Benny Johnson.
World Champion Jambalaya Cook
Wally Taillon
JAMBALAYA CAPITAL CATERING
Specializing in events of 300 and above!
SPECIAL RATES FOR
Fundraisers • School Functions • Churches
For a quote call 225.806.5759
40
41
Pelican Point
Hosted PPMGA Club
Championship
Pelican Point Hosted PPMGA Club Championship. We hope
everyone had a great weekend and avoided the rain on
Saturday. Pelican Point just completed their Men’s Club
Championship. Saturday started off with some rain, wind, and
humidity but we enjoyed a fantastic Sunday at Pelican Point
where we found fantastic playing conditions thanks to
Mike Robinson and his entire team. Congratulations to
Jay LeBlanc with an impressive 66-71 to win the overall Men’s
Club Championship and to Pegram Mire for firing a
64-68 NET to take home the overall Net Club
Championship. Thank you to all participants
and congratulations to all of the flight winners.

42
Championship Flight
1st Gross Jay LeBlanc
2nd Gross Jim Livingston
3rd Gross Paul Castro
4th Gross Joey Partin
5th Gross Pat Lambert

1st Net Dane Girouard

2nd Net Keith Albert
3rd Net Seth Trabeaux
4th Net Jeff Powell
5th Net Sam Lavigne

First Flight
1st Gross David Burch
2nd Gross Mike Sittig

1st Net Rusty Tucker

2nd Net Pat Matherne

Second Flight Pegram Mire

1st Gross Steve Martin
2nd Gross Kirk Pastorick

1st Net Clay Waddell

Jay LeBlanc
2nd Net Don Berrigan

Third Flight
1st Gross Chuck Rouselle
2nd Gross Kevin Harrison

1st Net Sam Decoteau

2nd Net Jason LeBlanc

Fourth Flight
1st Gross Pegram Mire
2nd Gross Brian Wright

1st Net Frankie Schmitt

2nd Net Pete Robbins

Attention Golfers:
It’s Ryder Cup Time
October 29th
All Proceeds Will Benefit EA & St. Amant High Schools
For More Information Contact:

Bret Hughes (EA) 571.0807 bret@hughesinsurance.org

Camile Trabeau (STA) 573-2530 camjoy@eatel.net

43
St. Amant Booster Club presents Honorary Team
Captains Richard & Myrtle Waguespack
St. Amant Gator Fans, the St. Amant Booster Club. cannot make now, they watch Grandchildren that played
please focus your attention on They are very adamant about on duck roost network. In the important roles here in Gator
the Gator Field tonight as the reason they joined and early years, Richard would Land – Tobie, Joanie, Mandie,
St. Amant Principal Beth stayed in the booster club for launch bottle rockets out the Brody, Parker and Great
Templet, Athletic Director so long: the coaches (and their window of the press box Grandchild Hallie.
David Oliver and St. Amant spouses) give up so much to during the freshman and JV
Fire Chief & Booster Club help our kids. That is why they games, so they could St. Amant Gator Fans,
President James LeBlanc hosted the coach’s dinner for experience the cannon as let’s show Richard & Myrtle
recognize St. Amant Booster so long. They wanted to make well at their games. Waguespack and the entire
Club Members for the past sure that the coaches & their Waguespack Family how
31 years – Richard & Myrtle spouses knew how important The Waguespack’s have much we appreciate their long
Waguespack. they were to our school seven children that also played outstanding efforts to the St.
and to our kids. roles over the years in the Amant Gator Family by
Richard and Myrtle hosted a Gator Program, Woody, recognizing them tonight as
Coaches meal for 27 straight After 31 straight years – They Adrian, Mike, Rhonda, Bonnie, our “Honorary Team Captains”
years before turning this continue to bleed black and George and Kelli. here at The Pit.
important gathering over to gold. The games that they
 Ingredients:
Cooking Gourmet at Home 2 tbsp butter
with SNO’S SEAFOOD & STEAKS 8 ounces andouille sausage,
cut into ¼ inch slices
2 tbsp ground paprika
1 tbsp ground cumin
½ tsp cayenne pepper
½ cup diced tomatoes
1 large green bell pepper,
diced
2 stalks celery, sliced
¼ inch thick
4 green onions, thinly sliced
1 tsp salt
1 bay leaf
1 cup uncooked brown rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 pound large shrimp,
peeled & deveined
Salt & ground black pepper
to taste

Instructions:
1. Place butter and sausage in a large stockpot over medium heat;
cook and stir for 5 minutes until sausage begins to brown.

2. Stir in paprika, cumin, and cayenne; cook for 1 minute

SHRIMP AND SAUSAGE JAMBALAYA 3. Stir tomatoes, onions, celery, green pepper, green onions, salt
and bay leaf into sausage mixture.
Prep:
4. Add brown rice and stir to combine. Stir in chicken stock and
20 minutes turn heat to low. Cover and cook for until rice is just tender,
Cook Time: about 45 minutes.
1 hr. 10mins
Servings: 5. Stir in shrimp, replace lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Executive Chef 4 plates 6. Season with salt and black pepper.

Sam Penton

45
 Thirty years in the Ascension Parish community
specializing in custom landscape and
backyard designs. Now designing
and installing both gunite and
fiberglass pools.

Stop by and let us design a backyard oasis for you.

We offer the latest in software design so that you can envision
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Authorized Blue Hawaiian

fiberglass pool dealer

In addition to pools, we design and build outdoor

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backyard amenities.

225.647.7870 • 12380 Highway 44, Gonzales, LA 70737 • outdoorlivingla.com

46