can still feel the power of Martin Luther King Jr.’swords when listening to recordings of his speeches, even though it has been nearly 57 years since the civil rights leader andBaptist pastor was killed by an assassin’s bullet in Memphis, Tennessee.
“The wayhe speaks —‘Ihave adream!’ His speaking is drawing,” said Farve, pastor of Tabernacle Missionary Baptist Church in Slidell.“When I hear him speak, it just drawsmy attention to how great aman he was.”
That greatness, andthe impact that King had, and still has, will be front and center at Farve’schurch on Jan. 20, whenmarchers, first responders and political officials line up for an MLK Day March that begins and ends at the church on Fourth Street. The observance, organized by the Ministerial Alliance of Greater St. Tammany,includes an essay contest for schoolchildrenonJan.
18. Winners will read their essays aloud at Pentecost Missionary Baptist Church at 6p.m. Abanquet will be held at 6p.m. on Jan 19 at Hartzell Mount Zion Methodist Church. And the celebration will culminatewith the 2-mile march that steps off at 1p.m. and ends withachurch service at Tabernacle.
For Farve, observing the holiday that commemorates whatwould have been King’s96th birthday remains important —perhaps even more so, he said, given the divisions that roil the country.“We are living in trying times,” he said That was also true in the 1960s. “King came through some times where you don’tsay some of the stuff he wassaying,” Farve said. “But he saiditbecause it wasin his heart. And Idobelieveheknew God sent him here to do what he
FoolsofMisrule signal startofCarnival
BY ANDREW CANULETTE | Staff writer
The St. John Fools of Misrule brought the hijinks and tomfoolery of Carnival to anew level when they took to the streets of historic downtown Covington on Jan. 11 to kickoff the season in St. Tammany
The march, more of aramble at points,begins each year with amidafternoon party at the Seiler Bar on North Columbia Street. The Fools, and Jewels (their femalecounterparts,) eventually spill into the street and make their way to the Covington
Trailhead where theyear’sLord of Fools is selected.The honor this year wenttoJimmy Corkern Jr.who, in true Carnival tradition, was chosen after finding alucky bean in the king cake shared among the men. Acolorful cast of characters, all sartorially snappy for the evening, joined them on the march and the bar crawl that followed.Itwas the 14th time the Fools have brought misrule to the streets —all in thename of good fun and giving St. Tammany Parish a fitting Twelfth Night celebration.
Cromer resigning effective Jan. 20
Councilman at large BillBorchertwillserve as mayoruntil specialelectioninfall
BY BOBWARREN Staff writer
SlidellMayor Greg Cromer is leaving his post at the helm of city government nearly 18 months early to take ajob with Gov. Jeff Landry’sadministration, which will cause aseriesofdominoes to topple in the government of St. Tammany’sbiggest municipality
When Cromer leaves on Jan. 20, Slidell City Council member Bill Borchert will take over as mayor until aspecial election can be held —likely in October —tofill the mayor’spost. Then, in March of 2026, around five months later, voters will decide anothermayoral election, this time to elect someone to afull, four-year term along with other city-elected offices as part of the city’sregular four-year election cycle.
Borchert saidhis at-large council seat would remain open at least until theOctober special election when the council would appoint an interim member should he winthe special election.
Borchert is expected to be joined by at least twoother candidates in any special election: Police Chief Randy Fandal and City Council member Trey Brownfield. ‘A good opportunity’
“I’m going to miss it,”Cromer said of his time as Slidell’smayor, “but this is agoodopportunity for me.”
Cromer,66, will join the Landry administration and handle legislative affairs forthe state Department of Transportation and Development.Hesaidthe planisto move to state government later
ä See CROMER, page 4A
Columbia Street Landinggetsa little communitylove
CHATELAIN
The decades’ old stage at Columbia Street Landing,indire need of repair,willbeengineered and reconstructed,but it will remain asimple structure in keeping withthe beauty of itsnatural surroundings.
BY KIM CHATELAIN
Contributing writer
In theearly 1800s, the Columbia Street Landing where theBogue Falaya Rivermeets thesouthernend of Columbia Street near downtown Covington was afocal point for commerce on the bucolic northshore.
The small, bare-bones harbor provided docking space for schooners andsteamers that transported cotton, building materials, mailand whiskey to andfrom otherriver cities in the region.
Often referred to as the birthplace of Covington, it is where many early settlers of St.Tammany Parish first set foot on thefirm soil of what cametobe oneofthe state’s more enticing communities.
Today,the Columbia Street Landing is atranquil, off-the-beaten-path riverside gathering spot that includes aga-
zebo, gardens, afountain, seating and an outdoor events stage. It is hometoa spring and fall concert series featuring local musicals.
Themain blemish on the otherwise picturesque little park is its aging and weathered stage. But thanks to the efforts of communityleaders,the stage andthe park itself could soon become morebefitting of its historical significance.
Jan Robert, cochair of the Old Covington Neighborhood Association, said the organization has teamed up with the local gardenclub to engage in a “full court press” to improve the small park.
Volunteers spruced up the gardens and raised money to commission a sculpture honoring the late Becky Gelatt, acivic leader whoconceived and launched the Keep Covington Beautifulcampaign and the city’sTree Board. The sculpture by Covington art-
ist Michael Eddy wasinstalledlastfall.
Recognizing that the decades’ old stage was in dire need of repair,community volunteers setabout an effort to replace rotting boards that makeup the stage and surrounding benches. Whentheybegan pulling up rotten wood, they realized the stage’sfoundation was also falling apart.
Robert said local architect Randy Aultmanwas broughtintodeviseplans to rebuild the stage using elements and materials related to Covington’shistory.Those plans were then presented to Mayor Mark Johnson and the Covington City Council. The city government allocated $70,000 toward the reconstruction of the stage and engineering workis underwayfor the project,ErinStair, the city’schiefadministrative officer, said.
ä See LANDING, page 2A
PHOTO BY KIM
Farve
ä See PASTOR, page 4A
STAFF PHOTOSBYSCOTT THRELKELD
JimmyCorkernJr. exults after findingthe king cakebaby, making him the Lord of Fools, during the St. John Fools of Misrule parade through downtown Covington and crowning ceremonyatthe Covington Trailhead during their 14th event to kick offthe northshore’sCarnival season Saturday,Jan. 11.
Volunteers spruced up the Columbia Street Landing park and raised money to commission a sculpture honoring the late Becky Gelatt, a civic leader who conceived and launched the Keep Covington Beautiful campaign and the city’s Tree Board.
LANDING
Continued from page 1A PHOTO BY KIM CHATELAIN
The new stage’s location will be pivoted slightly to make both the stage and the river more visible for audiences. Pilings may be driven to make the stage more stable than the one it will replace. Robert, former head of the Covington Downtown Development District, said the new stage will be small and unadorned so as not to overwhelm the small park
“We don’t want a fancy stage,” she said. “It (Columbia Street Landing) was never a fancy place.”
City and community leaders had hoped to have the new stage ready for the start of the spring concert series in March But it will be a race against the clock to pull that off.
In addition to concerts, Robert said the park and stage will provide a beautiful setting for small weddings and other events
“It’s a really beautiful site and a very important one, too.”
LETTER TO EDITOR
Sportsman’s Paradise lost to unchecked loud cars
For the past few years, my wife and I have stopped fantasizing about romantic weekends in the Caribbean and luxury cruises. Lately, we have found ourselves fantasizing about how deeply satisfying it would be to hear the sound of a police siren pulling over just one of the many cars and trucks that have intentionally modified their exhaust system to be incredibly loud. The walks outside and time in nature that once brought us peace at the end of a long day, the noise now makes our blood boil.
If you have somehow not noticed this insidious car modification, try this simple experiment. Simply stand outside and set a timer for 5 minutes, any time, day or night, and listen. Within those 5 minutes you will hear it, the roar of a car or truck with modified exhaust. But be warned. Once you hear it, you cannot unhear it, for it is the new sound of Louisiana.
Now don’t get me wrong
I am not here to complain about dump trucks, 18-wheelers, or other loud diesel engines that have a practical purpose I am not addressing the occasional and even satisfying rumble of a Harley Davidson, or the classic car being taken out for a Sunday drive. I am not even addressing the four-wheelers that speed up and down my street while parents and children attempt to walk their dogs, or the automatic weapon.
What I am here to tell you, is that your 2019 Honda Civic and your 2020 Ford F150 are not classic cars.
Throw STARC some of those beads, mister
BY MARGARET ALBERT
Contributing writer
Twelfth Night has passed, king cake sales and consumption are skyrocketing, and thoughts have turned to upcoming Mardi Gras parades and the highly coveted beads and trinkets thrown by the krewes.
For more than 30 years, STARC’s bead recycling and resale program has created both training and job opportunities for people with developmental disabilities. Clients learn to clean, organize, and repackage beads, which are in turn sold to float riders for $45 per crawfish sack. Each sack holds 30-40 dozen beads of assorted sizes and colors. Pricing is competitive. STARC is not the only bead recycler in town. Some years, it has been necessary to rent storage sheds to
hold beads before processing. Every year, STARC looks to the community for donations of Mardi Gras throws. Think of those huge bags of beads in closets being saved for what? STARC has a huge bin for bead donations in front of both their locations. A quick drive-by and deposit can free up some space in those stuffed closets and provide the confidence that comes with a regular paycheck. Clients also enjoy working together as part of a team at this task.
STARC works with more than 600 clients to provide a variety of services that range from job placement and training to home services for clients (so greatly appreciated by their families). These community homes are staffed 24/7. When it comes to the bead recycling program, it helps fulfill STARC’s primary mission of improving the lives of people with disabilities. Mark Baham, executive director of STARC, reminds everyone to look for the “throw back” float at the end of St. Tammany Mardi Gras parades that are there to the collect beads thrown back by revelers. “We are so grateful to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office for providing this for us every year They dump tons of beads after each parade. We never have a problem selling, and we always sell out.” STARC locations are at 4021 US 190 East in Slidell and 1705 Viola St. in Mandeville, and the STARC website is available at starcla.org. For bead donors who can’t make it to either location, call Cindy Sanders at a (985) 641-0197, ext. 310, to arrange a pickup, or send an email to csanders@ starcla.org.
FOOLS OF MISRULE
So why are they suddenly louder than a Model T?
The modified exhaust, intentionally designed to amplify a car’s engine noise, has become so common that there is an almost constant roar outside, and if you live anywhere near La. 36 or La. 21, it is especially prevalent. As a result, my 5-minute experiment works almost anywhere on the northshore, from Lakeshore Drive in Mandeville, to Claiborne Hill in Covington. It even works, unfortunately, inside your church, yoga studio and home.
Luckily, there is a simple solution two, in fact The first is Louisiana Revised Statute Title 32 Modification of exhaust systems, which prohibits the modification of “the exhaust system of a motor vehicle in a manner which will amplify or increase the noise emitted by the motor of such vehicle.”
The second is Louisiana Revised Statute Title 14: Emanation of excessive sound or noise; exceptions; penalties, which prohibit “the operation of any sound amplification system which emanates unreasonably loud or excessive sound or noise. audible at a distance of greater than twenty-five feet which exceeds eighty-five decibels.”
Eighty-five decibels is, by the way, as loud as a blender
It is to the detriment of our great state that these laws are not being enforced
BRYAN DAVIDSON Covington
Stilt walkers join the parade.
STAFF PHOTOS BY SCOTT THRELKELD
A horn is blown at the Covington Trailhead before the crowning of the Lord of Fools during the 14th annual St John Fools of Misrule parade and crowning ceremony in Covington to kick off the northshore’s Carnival season Jan. 11.
Stilt walkers, flambeaux, skulls, pirates and Victorian-dressed Fools (the men) and Jewels (the women) march from a Columbia Street bar to the Covington Trailhead.
Krewe members gather at the Covington Trailhead for the crowning of the Lord of Fools.
