The First Pilgrim Calvary Missionary Baptist Church, in collaboration with Southern University,ishosting aHealth Fair from 10 a.m. to 2p.m.Saturday at the Geismar church. The health fair will conduct health screenings for hearing, vision, blood pressure, cholesterol and other free exams.
Thecircusiscomingtotown
While Hurricane Francine canceled the planned Carden International Circus, the event has been rescheduled for Oct 19-20 at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center Tickets purchasedwill be honored for the same day and times as originally scheduled. For additional information, visit spectacularcircus.com.
NATURE WALK
AViceroybutterfly flutters around the Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary. Butterflies areabundant at the 36-acre sanctuary. Visitors can hikealong ahalf dozen trails shaded by largecypress and oak trees.
Troy LeBoeuf
ASCENSION SPORTS
Week 2results
…Hurricane andall
Week two of the high school football season is supposed to be when teams make major improvementsfrom their jamborees and week one. Butthis season,teams were dealing with much more than that as Hurricane Francine made its presence in southLouisiana. Families were dealing with no school,nopower and uncertainty Being resilient is nothingnew for the folks around here and so many acts of kindness were displayed throughout thestorm and after.Ascension Catholic and St. Amant had their games canceled due to Hurricane Francine. The Gators were slated to play at Cecilia andthe Bulldogs were traveling to Loreauville.
Results from this week are mixed for the teams in our parish, but getting to play football brought some normalcy to these kids’ lives. Let’shope this football season doesn’thave to deal with another weather event.
Week 2
East Ascension 38, Salmen 15
Coach Brock Matherne and the Spartans got the win on the road, his first victory as their head coach. The Spartanswill be back on the road heading west to Sam Houston in the Lake Charles area. District play begins in week four at Denham Springs. Dutchtown 31, Ponchatoula 13
Coach Guy Mistretta andthe Griffins areoff to a2-0 start. The Griffins have acomplementary offense with agood balance of run and pass.The defensehas been impressive, holding both opponents in
ä See LEBOEUF, page 2G
36-acresanctuary offers shadyhaven
BY WENDYLOUP Contributing writer
Nestled in the trees surroundingthe Amite River in Ascension Parish lies a 36-acre sanctuary offering hikers, birders andnature enthusiasts afun, shady haven.
TheAmite River Wildlife Sanctuary,sponsored by theBaton Rouge Audubon Society,providesprotection of thediminishing habitatof birds, butterflies and other wildlife, according to Jane Patterson, president of the society and sanctuary manager
The sanctuary,free for visitors, is nearthe Amite River between Prairieville andPort Vincentat45141 Manny Guitreau Road in Prairieville
“There really aren’tmany areas in the Ascension Parish area that would qualify as asanctuary,” Patterson said.“Thereare wildlife management areas that are natural green spaces managed mostly forhunting, fishing and other recreational purposes.
“Oursanctuary is anatural space set aside for people to explore, see and learn about our native plants and animals. There are trees on the property that are hundreds of years old, and we feature acouple of these to emphasize theculture of the area.”
PHOTOSBYWENDYLOUP
Trees and plants at the Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary feature signs with QR codes that link to the Baton Rouge AudubonSociety’s webpage containing information including howpeople can grow the foliageintheir own landscape.
The Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary, sponsored by the Baton RougeAudubon Society,isahidden gemin Ascension Parish. Located near the Amite River between Prairieville and Port Vincent at 45141 Manny Guitreau Road in Prairieville, the 36-acre sanctuaryisa havenfor hikers, birders and nature enthusiasts.
BY DAVID J. MITCHELL Staff writer
For nearly twodays, 81-year-old Ascension Parishresident RedinaLee hadbeen livingwithout lights, air conditioning or running water and had acollapsed hall ceiling.
The powerwentout Wednesdaynight at her homeinarural pocket of the Galvez area as Hurricane Francine tore through the state. Not only did the wallboard in her ceiling cave in, but alack of power knocked out the well that feeds water to her family’shomes off La. 933.
Since the widespread outages that cut power to almost all of Ascension, Lee, aretired housekeeper,had been living off big plastic jugs of water collected in acornerofa well-lived-in kitchen that had raised five children.
Then, late in themorning Friday, something chimed in the living room. The overhead room lights flipped on.
“It’son. Look that,”saidEvelyn Johnson,Redina Lee’syoungest daughter,now in her late 40s.
“Thank you, Lord. Thank you, Lord,” Lee said,
Deputies rescue womanpinnedunder tree during Francine ä See HURRICANE, page 3G
The full force of Hurricane Francine wasbearingdownonAscension Parish when sheriff’s deputies got the call: Someone was trappedunder a tree.
Buffeted by strong winds —parts of the parish were seeing 80 mphgusts —Capt. Jeff Griffin and Lt. Jason Kling wentout with Donaldsonville firefighters around 7:43 p.m.tothe 900 block of Elizabeth Street and found the woman pinned under a large tree that had fallen in the storm
Oneofthe many offerings for visitors of thesanctuary includes alegacy cypress tree.
Dated by theLouisiana Purchase Cypress Legacy Organization, thecypress tree is estimated to be be-
tween 400 and 600 years old. The sanctuary also is hometoalive oak that is approximately23feet in circumference and estimated to be at least 350 yearsold, according to the sanctuary Across the river near the bridge in Port Vincent stands amarkerplaced in 2021 to designate thesiteas part of theWilliam Bartram Trail.
Bartram was an explorer whodocumented the flora and people of the southeast UnitedStates from 177377. He traveled from Lake Pontchartrain throughLake Maurepas and up theAmite RivertoBaton Rouge, according to his own writings. The sanctuary also honors the Chitimacha Tribe and
Thedeputiesusedchainsawsand jackstoextricate her.Theyfreed her around 8:47 p.m., and Acadian Ambulance took her to Prevost Memorial Hospital forinjuries to her arm and right knee.
“The good Lord was with her,” said Griffin. “Six inches one way or the other and it would have crushed her.”
Griffin said they didn’tknow why the woman wasout while there were fierce wind gusts and significant storm damage.
“You hadhouses, trees down,rain, youknow, flying metal, that type thing,” he said. “… It was intense.”
ä See AROUND, page 2G
VolunteerAscensionplans masquerade gala
Unveiling Hope:AMasqueradeGala fora Cause
fundraiser starts at 7p.m. Sept. 26at ThePrice LeBlanc PACE Center
The evening is afundraiser for Volunteer Ascension. Tables and sponsorships on sale.Toregister, visit https://tinyurl.com/yc3229dr.
Gonzales hostsMusic in thePark
Music in the Park is coming back to Gonzales, city leaders announced. The free concert seriesin Jambalaya Park kicks off Sept. 29 with Joel Jones and3MC. TheMichaelFoster Projectwill perform Oct. 20 and Downbeat Louisianawill playNov.17. Gonzales Hispanic Heritage Festival
The Gonzales Hispanic HeritageFestivalisset for noon to 7p.m. SundayinJambalayaPark, 1015 ECornerviewRoad. Thefestival will celebrate Hispanic culture with food and music
Householdhazardouswaste collection set
Ascension Parish residents can drop offhousehold hazardous waste from 9a.m.to1p.m. Oct. 5 at the Lamar-Dixon ExpoCenter NewFallFestplanned
The city of Gonzales is planning itsfirst Fall Fest on Oct. 27 at the PriceLeBlancPACE Center. The event will include music, food, games, pumpkins and arts and crafts.
5K Runfor ACause Sept.28
The 5K and 1-mile Fun Run for aCause is planned for Sept. 28 at CrescentPark. The event is raisingmoney for the Donaldsvonille AreaArc,a nonprofit organization providingsupportand services to adults with intellectual disabilities. Funds raised go toward improvingthe groups’sMary Marcombe Home and day program. The fundraiser will takerunners through historic Donaldsonville and endwithacelebration at Crescent Park with food, drinksand music.Sign up to run or sponsor at https://tinyurl. com/4cu4p9c8.
Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone,(225) 3880215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@ theadvocate.comorddenstorff@theadvocate. com. Deadline:5p.m. Friday
check the past two weeks. The Griffins host Collegiate and newcomer Prairieville the next two weeks. No disrespect to either team, but a week five matchup at home against St. Amant looms.
Parkview 53, Prairieville 13 The Hurricanes stepped up in competition this week after aweek one victory against Thrive. Parkview was atougher opponent, however this will prepare Prairieville and coach Mike Schmidt for their tough district schedule. The Hurricanes host 1A Riverside, a talented team coming off a runner-up finish in Division 4 select last season.
Ascension Christian 43, Central Private 42
Coach Rohan Davey and the Lions come into this season with goals of improving their team from last season and competing every game. Mission accomplished in week two for the Lions as they stormed back from a 36-7 deficit to send the game into overtime tied at 36. Both teams scored in the overtime period. However,the Lions made their extra point to cap off acomeback that will be remembered for many years to come. The Lions will host Covenant Christian in week three.
Donaldsonville 21, Port Allen 17
Coach Darnell Lee and the Tigers had to endure alightning delay and some tense moments, but prevailed over Port Allen late Saturday night. It was Lee’sfirst victory as the Tiger head coach. Week three will have the
COMMUNITY SECTION EDITOR
Darlene T. Denstorff ddenstorff@theadvocate.com
OFFICE:(225) 388-0215 CELL:(225) 603-1998
RIVER PARISHES WRITER Christopher Cartwright christopher.cartwright@theadvocate.com (225) 388-0125
The Ascension Parish Government, in coordination with the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LADOTD), is conducting an open house public meeting forthe proposed widening improvement projects on Duplessis Road (US 61 –LA73) and GermanyRoad (US 61 –LA44).
The purpose of this meeting is to giveinformation and obtain input from interested parties.Representatives from Ascension Parish, design consultants,and LADOTD will be available to answerquestions and discuss issues related to the two projects.Various stations will be set up to displayinformation foreach respectiveproject.
Attendees maysubmit writtencomments at the meeting Comments can also be mailed to the Ascension Parish Government at the address shown below. Comments must be postmarkedbyOctober 10,2024, to be included in the transcript of this meeting
Should yourequirespecial assistance due to adisability to participateinthis public meeting,please contact the AscensionParish Government by mail at the address below or by telephone at 225-450-1021 at least five working days prior to the meeting
Ascension Parish Government Communications Division 615East WortheyStreet Gonzales,LA70737
STAFFPHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON
Dutchtown head coach Guy Mistretta watches the play from the sideline of the 2023 Division I non select semifinal game against Zachary.
STAFF PHOTO BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH
Ascension Christianfootball coach Rohan Davey
HURRICANE
Continued from page1G
among laughs in the room “I hope it stay on,” Lee added.
AcrossAscensionand other parts of the Baton Rougeregion, power gradually returned on Friday to businesses and homes like Lee’s. That restoredsome sense of normalcy two days after Category 2Francine blasted through southeast Louisiana.
By Friday afternoon, businesses,restaurants and coffee shopswere open in many corners of the parish, traffic lights were working again, and the growing parish’s ever-present traffic had noticeably pickedup.
“Really,things are starting to calm downa wholelot,” said Pamela Matassa, Ascensiongovernment spokeswoman.
By around 2p.m. Friday, Entergy crews had reduced outages by 5,250 customers
from themorning, cutting thetotal by athird since 6:40 a.m.Overthe same period, DEMCO hadcut outages in Ascension bynearly 40%, though its crews were dealingwith far fewer outages. Lee’shome in Galvez was amongthose.
While Ascension, Livingstonand East Baton Rouge parishes were on the drier side of Francine, parts of eastern Ascension and St. James parishes had powerful winds, with peak gusts of 61 mphinPrairieville and Gonzales and57mph in Paulina, the NationalWeather Service said.
Only the Bayou Lafourche area just south of Donaldsonville and Convent in St. James saw higher gustson the west side of Francine, at 68 mph, theNWS reported St.James Parish officials recorded agust in Convent at 76 mph during the hurricane.
Ascension Sheriff Bobby Webre said trees werefalling “like dominoes” during the hurricane. He thinks the
trees were weakened by last year’sdrought and had their roots softened up by recent heavy rains that preceded Francine.
The loss of trees left plenty of clearing work on major roadsbefore the utility repairs began. Parish and Sheriff’s Office crews began clearingblockages around midnight Thursday as Francine was still finishing up with Ascension. Louisiana ArmyNationalGuard crews also did work. Communities came together after thestormtoprovide needed services to hard-hit areas. Churches, business and volunteers hand out food and water in Lemannville, Abend andModesteand the SalvationArmywas also in the Donaldsonville area Sundayhelping out. Water, ice and tarps were distributed Saturday at the Lemann Memorial Center in Donaldsonville.
David J. Mitchellcan be reached at dmitchell@ theadvocate.com.
Continued from page1G
indigenous peopleofthe area by naming its legacy trees with Chitimachalanguage names. The best seasons to experiencethe sanctuary are fall and spring, according to Patterson.
“The sanctuary is definitely in aflood-prone area,” Patterson said. “Fall has aslight advantage in that the trails stay abit dryer,typically.Itstill may be desirable or necessary to wear boots.
“The trails are narrow and primitive, and this is intentional. We don’twant people riding ATVs on the trails for the safety of the animals and thesensitive habitat.”
Bird-watchingenthusiasts, also known as birders, will havemanyopportunities to see many species in action in anatural habitat.
“While 120 species of birds may seem like alot for arelatively small area, the birds seen in the sanctuary are not unique to the area, although that makes them no less special,”Patterson said. “What is unique is that there are not many opportunities for birders to
explore in Ascension Parish, so being able to access this area is very appreciated by birders.
“We’ve had birders from ahalf-dozen states so far that we know of, because they signed our visitor log.”
Through agrant awarded by the Atchafalaya Natural Heritage Area, provides signage to identifyvarious plants on the property.A QR code at each sign links to the society’swebpage with useful information about the plant, including how people can grow the
plants in their own landscape. The unmanned sanctuary is open 365 days ayear Patterson said the society wouldliketoeventually add footbridges across the areasthatremainwet and muddy.She said the Rotary Club of Gonzales was recentlyawardeda grantto help the society build afoot bridge.
For more information about the Amite River Wildlife Sanctuary,visit www. braudubon.org/conservation/sanctuaries.
STAFF PHOTO BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Mother Redina Lee and daughter Evelyn Johnsonreact livetothe powerturning back on while being interviewedabout living without powerfor the past days because of Hurricane Francine in GalvezonFriday
Alivetrail camera feed documents animals that liveinthe Amite River Wildlife SanctuaryinPrairieville. Located on MannyGuitreau Road, the sanctuaryoffers ahalf dozen trails and is open 365 days ayear
PHOTOSBYWENDYLOUP
The Northwest Swamp provides the background on one of the trailsatthe Amite River Wildlife SanctuaryinPrairieville. The sanctuary, sponsored by the Baton RougeAudubon Society,provides 36 acres of plants, trees and wildlife to visitors.
‘I Seethe LightinDutchtown’istheme is forGriffins’homecoming
Dutchtown High’s homecoming festivities kicked off Sept. 16 with spirit week activities.
This year’stheme is “I See the Light in Dutchtown.”
Spirit Week will be Sept. 16-20 with special themed events each day
The Griffin Glide parade and court presentation kicks off at 6p.m.Sept.19at Griffin Field.
The homecoming queen willbecrowned during halftime Sept.20, and the king will be crowned duringthe homecoming dance on Sept. 21.
The court includes Charlee Bourgeois, Alise Gros, Allie Cliburn, Alayna Ellis, Jordan Hurst, Marlie McLellan, Moriah Thompson, Nandi Montegut, Addison Heinz, Katelyn Bucci, Emma Glaser, Kendall Shank, Addison Roden, Claire Flanagan, Cadie Kusy and Adyson Hymel
Howdokids heal inside and outwhentheysurvive burns? Camp Catahoula is an outreach programfromBaton Rouge General.Here, kids sharetheir storiesand learncoping skills Thehealingprocess beginswhenyou realizeyou’renot alone Shellisproud to sponsor Camp Catahoula. Burns areaninjurythat aremorethan skin deep.
PROVIDED PHOTOS BY TIM BABIN PHOTOGRAPHY
TheDutchtown Highhomecoming courtincludes, first rowfrom left, Moriah Thompson and NandiMontegut; and second row, Addison Heinz, KatelynBucci and Emma Glaser
Named to the Dutchtown High homecoming court, first rowfrom left,are Charlee Bourgeois and Alise Gros; and second row, Allie Cliburn, Alayna Ellis,Jordan Hurst and Marlie McLellan.
The Dutchtown Highhomecoming courtincludes, first row from left, Kendall Shank and Addison Roden; andsecond row, ClaireFlanagan, CadieKusy and AdysonHymel.
