4-H MEMBERS BRING PETS TO AZALEA ESTATES ASSISTED LIVING CENTER ä Page 4G
THE ASCENSION
ADVOCATE
1G
DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT • SORRENTO
THURSDAY JANUARY 8, 2015 H
THEADVOCATE.COM
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
DDENSTORFF@ THEADVOCATE.COM
Scholarship deadline extended The Ascension Veterans Association has extended the deadline for its inaugural scholarship program to Feb. 1. The child, grandchild, or spouse of a veteran, active duty member, National Guard or reserve members of any five of the military branches are eligible to apply. The AVA will award up to three $1,000 scholarships for use at the college or vocational school of the recipient’s choice. For information, call Tanya Whitney, scholarship chairwoman, at (225) 6120805 or Brent Gautreau, AVA president, at (225) 4857875.
Wimberly tapped to lead board Kleinpeter voted to vice president post
BY ELLYN COUVILLION
ecouvillion@theadvocate.com GONZALES — The Ascension Parish School Board began the new year with two 6-4 votes at its meeting Tuesday: one voting Lorraine Wimberly as president of the board and the other electing Taft Kleinpeter as board vice president. Wimberly, who was previously vice president of the board,
replaces Troy Gautreau Sr. The meeting was the first for newly seated members Robyn Penn Delaney, Scott Duplechein, Julie Blouin, Shawn Sevario and Louis Lambert. The vote on the officers for the new year seemed to reflect a new division on the School
Board, with four of the new members voting for a change in leadership. When it was time for the election of officers, board member John Murphy nominated Troy Gautreau for re-election as president and Kerry Diez seconded the motion. However, Kleinpeter made
The same voting pattern held in the vote for vice president, when Lambert, seconded by Sevario, nominated Kleinpeter a substitute motion, seconded for vice president. Kleinpeter was the only by Lambert, nominating Wimboard member nominated for berly. The substitute motion passed vice president. “I want to thank everybody,� 6-4, with Murphy, Diez, Gautreau and new member Duple- Wimberly said, after she took the president’s chair after the chein voting against it. Board member Patricia Rus- vote. “Just pray for the School so wasn’t present at Monday’s Board. God wants us to do mighty things.� meeting.
All a board Advocate staff photo by DARLENE DENSTORFF
Gabrielle Mobley, 9, is the reigning Louisiana Universal Beauty queen and will compete for a world title later this month.
Legos at the library
Ascension Parish Library’s Lego Club meets at 6 p.m. Jan. 15 at the Gonzales branch. Children can take part in the Lego Challenge or build a Lego structure. The library provides the Legos, but materials and creations must stay at the library. The Lego Club is open to children of all ages. Duplo Blocks and Mega blocks will be available for younger children. Children area asked not to bring their own blocks. For more information, call (225) 647-3955.
La. beauty queen eyes taking world crown BY DARLENE DENSTORFF
ddenstorff@theadvocate.com
Dye time
Students in fourth through eighth grades are invited to bring a white or lightcolored T-shirt, pillowcase or socks to the Ascension Parish Library on Saturday, Jan. 10 for its Sharpie TieDye program. The program starts at 11 a.m. and all other materials will be provided. Call (225) 647-3955.
Advocate staff photo by HEATHER MCCLELLAND
Fireworks are on display as the annual Laiche-Duplessis family bonfire begins to burn New Years Eve in Gonzales. The Laiche and Duplessis cousins worked for three weeks on the structure. Friends and relatives of the families gather at the home of Sherry and Dooney Laiche to burn the structure and celebrate.
Calling all bookworms
A Bookworm Bash is set for 10 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 10 at the Ascension Parish Library’s Dutchtown branch. The library program will feature games that teach children all about worms and what they do. Call the Ascension Parish Library in Dutchtown at (225) 673-8699.
Book workshop
River Region Art Association is hosting a book publishing workshop from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 17 at the äSee AROUND, page 2G
Advocate staff photo by DARLENE DENSTORFF
Advocate staff photo by DARLENE DENSTORFF
Caleb Duplessis places the No. 15 placard on the wooden Courtney Laiche takes a final look on New Year’s Eve at the details inside the replica he and other family structure he and relatives built. members constructed of the steam engine locomotive Jupiter.
SORRENTO — Outwardly shy and described by her family as “definitely not a girly-girl,â€? Gabrielle Mobley turns into a confident, poised beauty when she steps on a pageant stage. And mom Julie Adams, of Sorrento, says she’s surprised that what started out as a way to “get her out of her shellâ€? has turned into a run at a world beauty title. Gabrielle, 9, started her pageant journey two years ago when her mom, who homeschooled her only daughter, decided to try a pageant to help her daughter overcome shyness. While Gabrielle had fun, they decided one pageant was enough. However, earlier this year, the family learned about the Our Little Miss organization, a natural pageant that doesn’t push the glitz side of pageants. No false eyelashes or hair extension are needed for the Our Little Miss pageants, and that was attractive to Adams, who was still looking for a way to get her daughter involved in a positive competitive situation. äSee CROWN, page 4G
1 RZ $ YD L OD EOH D W 6HOHF W /RF D W L RQV !XzP !eLC`Âœ 2Wem !eLC`ÂœĂ‹ =eup $PXVWKepWeeN 2umPpbCp_PtÂœ