Hope helpshealteen’spain, plants purposeand plan
BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Contributing writer
Leila Ramos stoodout asagifted preschooler and future Mensa member as kid who could solve complex problems and set puzzle pieces straight. Adecade later,those complex problems include curbing the fentanyl crisisinthe hope that young lives will be saved. Ramos, a16-year-oldWest Feliciana High senior,recently discussed her journey frompreschoolatLSU to founding Hope Resuscitated, anonprofitfocused on educating teenagers andyoung adults about overdose prevention. Inspired by family losses to overdose, she aimsto provide Narcan and raise awareness. Ramos’ educational path includessev-
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Stitching groupmeeting Saturday
Christian Sisters in Stitches will have its normal craft meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Clinton Methodist Church. People from the community who would like to join are welcome.
Librariesare active
Be sure to visit the West Feliciana Parish Library or any branch of the Audubon Regional Library for lists of activities planned for the fall.
Candidateforum set
The West Feliciana Chamber of Commerce invites residents to the 2024 Mayoral and Alderman Candidate Forum at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the West Feliciana High School Auditorium.
Mammograms in thearea
The Woman’sHospital mammography coach is offering3D mammograms in Clinton and nearby communities. Physician’sorders are required and appointments are strongly encouraged. Call (225) 683-5292 to schedule.
Thecoach will be at RKM Primary Clinton, 11190 Jackson St., on Sept. 24. Visit womans. org to see the schedule for other communities,including Baker and Zachary
OLLI Fall Coffee registration
OLLI Fall Coffee is hosting horticulture speaker Jessie Hoover of the LSU AgCenter
The Felicianas Chapter of OLLI will hold its fall coffee at 10 a.m. Sept. 16 in Fellowship Hall at First Baptist Church, 12404 La. 10, in St. Francisville. Hoover will share fall gardening tips and talkabout Louisiana Super Plants.Guestsover the ageof50are welcome. Registration for OLLI runs through Oct.2.Classes are Sept. 23 to Nov.2 Visit OLLI in the Felicianas on Facebook, ce.lsu.edu/olli or contact ollifelicianasmembership@gmail.com for information.
Angola Prison Rodeotickets
Tickets are available for the Angola Prison Rodeo in October. Reserved seating is $20 per ticket. The event includes music by inmate bands, food,and prisoner-made arts and crafts. Children’sactivities include pony rides, carnival games and
eral schools but started at theLSU Lab school preschool program. Morethan 100 yearsago, the school was startedas an independentsystemtoprovide trainingopportunitiesfor pre-and in-service teachers andtoserve as ademonstration and research center.Ramos hasfond memoriesofworking withpotteryand developing alove for reading.
Testingand assessments found something moresubstantial than “likesto read.” Ramos, thestaff discoveredwas performing at averyadvanced levelfor her age and shewas designated “gifted” as apreschooler The Mensa Society became apart of Ramos young life soon after her designation. No little kid asks, “Can IbeaMensa when Igrow up,”but there she was join-
ing the more than 50,000 members of American Mensa, thelargest national Mensa operatingunderMensa International. Mensa is acollection of theworld’s smartest minds. They range from 2to106 and score in thetop 2%ofthe population on astandardized IQ test. Members can meet and help others through community-orientedactivitiesoperated by the Mensa Foundation.
Ramos,whose mother is anative of the Felicianas and whose father is from El Salvador,spent thenext years in FLAIM, BatonRouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet. FLAIM combines academic goals withforeign language
BACKYARD BALL
BY QUINN COFFMAN Staff writer
On Sunday,Jesse Corcoran, 7, of Slaughter, underwent surgery to assist withacongenital heartdefect he has had since birth. But on Thursday, he threw out thefirst pitch on his very own baseballdiamond, one built in his backyardonlandthat had been acow pasture only ayear ago.
Despite theheavyrain that soaked the baseball in hishand, andthe mudthat sucked at hisfeet,Jesse’s pitch flew all theway intohis father Tim’swaiting glove. As cheers shot up from spectatingneighbors and friends, Jesse too flew into Tim’sarms.
Thediamond was awish Jesse had asked of the Make-A-Wish foundation, one thatwas grantedThursdayafter months of construc-
tion by local designers and contractors donating their labor and materials. The field is not just for Little League, either,being 350 feet along the baseline from home plate to the end ofright field.
Liz Aaron,Jesse’saunt, got to watch the field go up “from start to finish” from her neighboring property.
“I’mjust proud that he’sgonna get somethingthat he loves; it will be very well used,” Aaron said, tearingup. “Hewill be the envy of all of the high school boys, because this is better than what they have.
She said one of her favoritethingsabout living in Slaughter was that you can hear the neighborhood’skids laughing and playing, that it echoes across theopen pasture.
Jesse’sfield is tucked tightly between two such pastures, down agravel road off Midway
Road, in Slaughter.While the crowdate snow cones and Cracker Jacks from under the protection of awhite plastic tent, Jesse and the other children ran the perimeter of the new field, barefoot in the mud.
Tim, whohimself briefly played Major League Ball alongside Jesse’suncle Roy,addressed the gathered crowd before the first pitch. He talked about all the days of work, of layingthe fencingundera 110-degree sun.
“This is awonderful thing; Iwould’ve loved to do this on my own, but Icouldn’t,” he said, thanking Make AWish and all of the contractors involved. “This wasablessing to my son, to my whole family,toall the kids on Midway Road. It’s going to be ablessing foreverybody,soit’snot just going to be Jesse, its
BY ROBIN MILLER Staff writer
The Geoffroy’scat moves so fast thathesees everything aroundhim in slow motion.
Thespectacled owlhas badnight visionand hastrouble seeingthingsupclose. Andthe capybara? Well,hejustlikes having hisbelly rubbed, which is what Chandler Castle does moments after entering the fuzzy creatures’ enclosure at Barn Hill Preserve.
It’s notonly thecapybaras’homebut theplace that ties these animals together,amongothers. Some arerare. Others are close to landing on the endangered animals list AndChandler, alongwithother animal caretakers and Humans andanimals mingle in perfectmix of funand
PHOTO BY FRANCESY.SPENCER
Leila Ramos speaksabout her efforts to curb fentanyl overdoses and her future after graduating fromWest Feliciana High School in May2025.
ä See HOPE, page 2G
STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
As he battlescongenital heartdisease, Jesse Corcoran, 7, throws out the first pitch
as his wishfor abackyard baseball fieldis granted by Make-A-Wish TexasGulf Coast and Louisiana in Slaughter
STAFFPHOTO BY ROBIN MILLER
getaclose look at the flock of parrots in
immersion in French, Mandarin or Spanish. Through immersion programs, students learn academic subjects in anotherlanguage.FLAIM students learn math,science and social studies in their target language. Herparents moved the family backtothe Felicianas after the 2016 flood andRamos attendedboth East and West Feliciana parish schools. For many gifted children,the forces that drivethemcan make school more like “work” than most would imagine “I think it’skindofput alot of academic pressure on me since Iwas little,” Ramos said. “I’ve always reallywanted academic validation, and Iput my self-worth into it so, it gets hard. But Iwouldn’tbeassuccessful if Ididn’tso, I’m also grateful.”
Pain andgrief presentdifficult puzzle Intelligence can label ayoung person,but tragedy can define one’s life and send even the brightest minds into atailspin. Enterthe fentanyl crisis —apuzzle withpainful, jagged edges. Ramos said she lost“toomany family members to count”todrugs,but in 2023, her teenagecousin Benji died of afentanyl overdose.
Fentanyl was developedtohelp people.It is asynthetic opioidoriginally usedtotreat patientswithchronic severe painorsevere pain following surgery.Fentanyl is aSchedule II controlled substance, like morphine, but about 100times stronger Benji neverentered his 20s butbecame one of hundreds of thousandskilled quickly by just small amounts of the dangerous drug. After two decades with atotal of 564,000 opioid overdosedeaths, the U.S. overdose deaths surpassed 100,000in2021 with 67 %ofthose coming from fentanyl alone.
The already shy and quiet teen withdrew even more. It was not herfault, but having a mind full of thoughts left Ramos crippled by griefand the need to do something.
Plan sparks new‘Hope’
Ramos found many avenues addressing drug addiction and overdose,but fewfinetuned to reach and save theotherBenjis of the world;focused on just teens and young adults. Hope Resuscitatedwas herbrainchild and the key to unlocking herown painful puzzle and the need to impact change
The nonprofit was started to equip and educate teens to preventfentanyl overdoses and provide access to resources like Narcan, alifesaving medication that can reverse opioid overdoses.Ramos saidshe never imagined leading acause like Hope Resuscitated, but after losing Benjiand other family members shefound herself asking, “Why me? Why now?”
The effort has been liberating. “Instead of being paralyzed by those questions,I decidedtotake action,” Ramos said.“It’sstaggering that two-thirds of overdose deaths happen with bystanders near— people who could save alife if they only knew how.” Ramos launched awebsitefull of resources and detailed planswiththe help of her mother Cierra Ramos.The siteoffers insight on the crisis andeducates visitors on how to recognize an overdose. Volunteers are being recruited and the effortwantsto have the funds to distribute the lifesaving antidote to teenagers.
Younglifegoesfullcircle
Ramos is returning to LSUinthe fall to participate in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of BatonRouge. Theschool-yearlong program transforms high school students into skilled entrepreneursunder the instruction of the LSUE.J. Ourso Collegeof Business faculty and staff.
YEA BR helps students launch theirvery own companies,generate businessideas write business plans, filetheir businesses with the Secretary of State’soffice, and pitch their plans to aShark Tank-likepanel
AROUND
Continued from page1G
an antique carousel. Admission to the Louisiana Prison Museum andCulturalCenter at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola is free for ticket holders each Sunday.Purchaseat angolarodeo.com/tickets
Animal sheltervolunteers
West Feliciana Animal HumaneSociety is looking for volunteers. People at least18 years of age who can work afew hoursone or twodays aweek can reply in the comments at the West Feliciana Animal Humane Society Friendspage.
Free cancer screening
Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center is holding breast and colorectal screeningsfrom9 a.m. to 2p.m. Oct. 24 at the East FelicianaPolice JuryOffice building, 12064 Marston St.,in Clinton. Appointments areencouraged, but walk-inswelcome. Call (225) 425-8034 foran appointment. Through donations, screeningsare freeif
her plan awareness of fentanyl overdoses
forfunding resources.
Ramos wants to gainthe knowledge and funding to turn her awareness effort into afunctioning nonprofit organization and makeNarcan accessible without shame.
LSU will remaina bigpart of her 2025. She will be an incoming freshman and plans to
major in biology and become adoctor,preferablya radiologist,while continuingher nonprofit work.
Ramos is sedatelyserious for a16-yearold, but hopeful and excited about leaving the positive impact on society that will save young people like her late cousin Benji.
you have not been screened within the past 12 months. Insurance will be billed for mammograms.Colorectal screenings will be a take-home kit.
Save thedate
n St. Francisville Tractor Supply will hold a Community Market from 9a.m. to 3p.m. Sept.21. If you are interested in being avendor,call Christa Wilcox at (225) 635-2223.
n Christmas in the Country in St. Francisville is set for Dec. 6-8.
n Yellow Leaf Arts Festival is 10 a.m.to5 p.m. Oct. 26-27 in Parker Park, St. Francisville.
n The Southern Garden Symposium is Oct. 18atRosedown in St. Francisville. Speakers are Marianne Willburn and Scott Beuerlein. Visit www.thesoutherngardensymposium.org for details and registration.
n TheFeliciana Wildflower Festival will be June 7and the group is seeking applications for vendors and guest speakers. Visit www facebook.com/FelicianaWildflowerProject for information.
Send news and eventsfor Eastand West Feliciana parishes to extra@theadvocate. com by noon Friday or call (225) 388-0731.
Leila Ramos, left, and her family meet Saturday, Aug. 24, 2024, to discuss her aspirations that include an initiativeto help victims of fentanyl overdoses. She is joined by her father Edward Ramos, her mother Cierra Ramos, and little sister Nina.
“That’swhy Ifounded Hope Resuscitated —toensure teens andyoung adults have access to Naloxone and the knowledge to use it,” she said. “Wecan’t save everyone, but if we can save even one life, it’sworth it.” For information, visit https://hope-resuscitated.org/.
EAST ANDWESTFELICIANA COUNCILONAGING
The schedules for West and East Feliciana Council on Aging facilities areasfollows:
WEST FELICIANA
n 12292 Jackson Road, St. Francisville, (225)635-6719
n Start time for all activities is 10 a.m.
FIRST AND THIRD MONDAY: Line dance
FOURTH MONDAY: Religious service
TUESDAYS: Nutrition education
WEDNESDAYS: Exercise/yoga
THURSDAYS: Bible study
FRIDAYS: Bingo/movie/excursion
n All people 60 and older in West Feliciana Parish areinvited to join.
n Fortransportation to the center or questions, call (225) 635-6719.
EAST FELICIANA
n 11102 Bank St., Clinton n 3699 La. 10, Jackson
Wednesday, Sept. 11
ARTCLASS: 9a.m.
DEVOTIONAL: 11:15 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Thursday, Sept. 12
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Friday, Sept. 13
TAICHI: 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Monday, Sept. 16
EXERCISE CLASS: 10:45 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Tuesday, Sept. 17
BINGO: 10:30 a.m.
LUNCH: 11:30 a.m.
Transportation Transportation is provided to East Feliciana Parish residents of anyage for appointments in East Feliciana, West Feliciana and East Baton Rouge parishes Mondaythrough Friday. Call (225) 683-9862 to schedule atransportation appointment.
PHOTOSBYFRANCES Y. SPENCER
West Feliciana High Schoolsenior Leila Ramos returns to the LSU campus Aug. 24 as she details
andcompete in this year’sYoung Entrepreneurs Academy in hopes to develop aviable business plan for HopeResuscitated,a budding nonprofit.
SEPTEMBER14
going to be everybody.And Ijust want to thank y’all again.”
TimCorcoran was drafted by the New York Mets out of Jackson High in the 1996 MLB draft. He played from 2005-2007 with a5-9 record and a4.97 ERA as a pitcher for the Tampa Bay Devil rays. He also played many years of minor league ball, including in Mexico and Dominican Republic 1997- 2014.
Roy Corcoran went to Silliman Institute in Clinton, Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and LSU. He played for Montreal Expos, Washington Nationals and Seattle Marinersfrom 2003-2009. He had an 8-3 record with acareer 4.17 ERA. He also spent many years in the minors, Mexican League and Dominican league. 2001-2016.
And Jesse’sgrandfather ElliottCorcoran served on the East Feliciana Parish School Board and the Slaughter Board of Aldermen.
Astar-studdedopening
The ceremony was emceed by Doug Thompson, a color analyst and announcer for LSU baseball. He brought along Tigers catcher Alex Milazzo, recounting how instrumental he was in clinching LSU’swin in the 2023 College World Series.
This was afact the front row of boys, Jesse and his friends, remembered of course.
“So Igrew up right down the road the road from here, across 955 and Ethel,” Milazzo said, “and Iknow the struggle of not having abaseball field in the area. There were many days I was playing and Ihad cow crap all over my shoes, so I know the struggle and y’all wont have to struggle with that.”
Jesse was also gifted a personalized jersey and asupply of bats from
that stemmed from the pandemic,” said Michelle Mason, aspokesperson for Make-A-Wish’sTexas Gulf Coast and Louisiana chapter.“During the COVID pandemic we had alot of kiddos who were wishing for backyard play sets and tree houses.”
DDG were the designers of Jesse’sfield, something that was afirst for the company in its Make-A-Wish projects. According to Shelly Millwee, CEO of the Gulf chapter,itwas afirst for all of them. Out of 1,200 children in the chapter’s territory,Jesse was the only kid who’sever asked for apersonal baseball diamond.
Marucci. Finally,hewas joined by Lathan the Kid Umpire, a baseball internet personality from Ascension Parish who Thompson joked was already more famous than Milazzo.
Builders of Hope
The wish was granted due in-part to the Builders of Hope committee, an initiative started by MakeA-Wish to construct play structures in the backyards of children who wish for them. The committee connects companies and architects who then carry out the design and construction of these wishes, providing their services in-kind.
“This was acommittee
Kyle Domangue, vice president of DDG, listed off alist of local contractors who had worked pro bono on the field, including:
n Richard Price Contracting
n Wesley Construction
n Great River Industries
n Plank Road Dirt
n Otwell’sServices
n Stirling Properties As things wrapped up, Jesse’saunt Liv Aaron said she was disappointed in the amount of rain Thursday She said she is ready for the sun to come back out and “anxiously awaiting the first game.”
Email QuinnCoffman atquinn.coffman@ theadvocate.com.
Jesse Corcoran, 7, shares alaughwith his father,Tim Corcoran, before his wish for abackyard baseball fieldis granted by Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana.
STAFF PHOTOSBYHILARY SCHEINUK
Jesse Corcoran, 7, is overcome with emotion as his wish for abackyard baseball field is granted by Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana on ThursdayinSlaughter
Jesse Corcoran, 7, looks over some of the fun swag brought to him as his wish for abackyard baseball field is granted.
Jesse Corcoran’sbackyard baseball field
staff at BarnHill, is helping to care for these speciesinEthel, about 25 miles north of Baton Rouge, while making them accessible tovisitors. The experience for humans touring the grounds is amix of entertainment and education.
Which is why such tidbits of information about the Geoffroy’s cat and the spectacled owl stay with visitors long after they leave Barn Hill’s12acres of animalhabitats, enclosures, grassy paths and boardwalks.
Since opening in 2012, Barn Hill’smission has been to create “extraordinary personalized and engaging experiences that ignite alifelong passionfor wildlife and conservation.”
Itsclose-up encounterswith more than50species of animals hasmade this remote EastFeliciana Parish animal reserve atourist destination. It’slocated at 11342 La.955 in Ethel.
Technically,itstands in the mix of open fields and wooded areas between Ethel and Clinton, and in October,itwillbeopening itsSafari Park about amile downthe road, where its zip line is already in operation.
“We’ll be adding more animal speciesinthe safariarea,”said parkdirector Kristy Phillips. “It was supposed to open this month, but we’ve pushed it backtoOctober.”
It’sfair to say that every part of Barn Hill is akind of safari adventure —even Phillips’office, where a kangaroo joey pops her head out of acloth pouch to observe visitors walking through the gift shop’s front doors.
Phillips’ staff will take the joey out of thepouch,wrap herina warm cloth and introduce her visitors walking through the gift shop, the beginning point for encounter tours, which includes some interaction with animals alongthe way. All tours must be bookedinadvance during Barn Hill’shours of operation from 9a.m. to 5p.m. Thursday through Monday.Other activities, including birthdayparties, otter swims, capybara encounters, yoga classes, zip line adventures and monthly “sips with sloths”evening wine tastings also can be booked Finally,with holiday season fast approaching, Barn Hill is prepar-
ing for its annual Pumpkin Patch andPancakes withSantaevents.
“We’ll start with thePumpkin Patch in October,then start moving into Pancakes with Santa in November and December,” Phillips said. “This is the only time you don’tneed to book atour. You canwalk in for aself-guidedtour, where our guides will be available totalk to visitors, andeveryone who comes to the Pumpkin Patch will leave witha free pumpkin. Everyone who comes to Pancakes with Santa can take afree photo with Santa.”
Healthy vinesare plentifulwith the promise of pumpkins in the open fieldareas between thepark’s boardwalks.
Not all habitatsand enclosures are connected byboarded walks.
On this day, Castle startsthe tour onagrassy path, stopping at the animals’ digs togive informative overviews of each species mixed withpersonalanecdotes from his three-month experience at the park.
“I’m stillacaretaker in training,” hesaid. “I took ayear off from college, becauseIwanted to get this experienceworking withanimals. Igrew up on afarm, and I’ll probably majorinzoology.”
Castle commutesfromhis Ventress home in Pointe Coupee ParishtoBarn Hill, where he eventually leads histourgroupsintothe kangarooand goathabitats, where they’ll actually have achance to touch andinteractwith thepark’s animals.
He’ll also stop by the outdoor theater to introduce tours to Percy the royal baldpython whose lineage can be traced to Ancient Egypt;Presley the nine-banded armadillo whoseouter shell allows him to rollintoaperfect ball; Cle-
tus, theblue tongueskink, whose species is prevalent in Australia; andTimmy thetenrec, who most visitors mistakefor ahedgehog. Well, who can blame them? Timmy looks like ahedgehog, but, as Castle explains, this South American species is more akin to dolphins and elephants.
As he did withthe other animals in this presentation, Castle gives each visitora chancetotouch Timmy,explaining that he, as well as allotheranimalsinthe park,is
Mandy Ford, right, holds up son Tucker Ford as he offers one of BarnHill Preserve’s sloths a cucumber slice. The Fords drove from their home in Prairieville to visit the park in Ethel
paired with amating partner “Timmy’spartner’sname is Tammy,” Castle said. Phillips will add later that the animals often reproduce and are removed from theirmothers afterthree months forsocialization with caretakers. That’swhy the little joey is comfortable nestling in Phillips’ office, why she readily welcomes chin scratchesfrom new human friends.
It’sall apart of Barn Hill founder Gabe Ligon’svision, which be-
gan in 2012 as amobile operation that brought animals to schools and other institutions for demonstrations to educate students about wildlife.
Thatgrewintothe conservation initiative of Barn Hill, which still hosts mobile programs while operating the preserve and officially opening the gates to its park in 2015.
Back to the tour,Castle points out the park’stapir from afar,then brings outtwo of Barn Hill’stortoises forone-on-ones with visitors, who wear hats, sunscreen and carry water bottles in Louisiana’s brutal heat.
But the heat doesn’tseem to bother the mixture of adults and kids whose focus is on the animals And just whentheythink the tour is coming to an end, they learn that Castle has saved the best for last.
“We’re going to feed the sloths somesloth snacks,” he said.
Sloth snacks are cucumber slices,whichclearly aredelicacies to the park’ssloths, whose house and cageare attached to the gift shop. Tourists are instructed not to pet the sloths, but it’ssafe to offer up the cucumber slices to them
And once they enter the enclosure,one sloth is readyand waiting outside.Infact,heputs on aslowmotion showofscaling the topof thecage, then hangingupsidedownfor his sloth snack award.
Mandy Ford and her son, Tucker, awaitbelow,cucumber slices in hand. They drove to Ethel from their home in Prairieville for this experience, and judging from Tucker Ford’ssmile as the slothaccepts his cucumber slice, it’sbeen wellworth it.
“Welove this,” Mandy Ford said.
“We’re definitely having fun.” And when young Tucker returns home after afun-filledday,he’ll remember afew facts he learned alongthe way, such as how sloths’ diets include cucumbers, that the Geoffroy’scat’smovements are so fast theysee otheranimals moving in slow motion, that the spectacled owl has bad night vision. And capybaras, well, they love belly rubs.
Barn HillPreserve,11342 La.915, Ethel, is open from 9a.m. to 5p.m. Thursday through Monday.Tours are$30 and must be booked in advance. Prices vary for the park’s animal encounters, otter swims and other events. To book atour encounter or for more information, call(225) 286-3003orvisit barnhillpreserve.com
STAFF PHOTOSBYROBIN MILLER
Animal caretaker and tour guideChandler Castle allows visitors to pet Timmy the tenrec during an encounter tour at