ADDING A NEW FURRY MEMBER TO THE FAMILY? VISIT YOUR LOCAL ANIMAL SHELTER. ä Page 4G
ADVOCATE THE HE LIVINGSTON-TANGIPAHOA
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DENHAM SPRINGS • LIVINGSTON • WALKER • WATSON • AMITE • HAMMOND • PONCHATOULA
THURSDAY JANUARY 7, 2016 H
THEADVOCATE.COM
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
DDENSTORFF@ THEADVOCATE.COM
Travel to Narnia at library Children ages 3 to 11 will take a journey to author C.S. Lewis’ land of Narnia at 10 a.m. Saturday at Livingston Parish Library’s Denham Springs-Walker Branch or 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the South Branch. Kids will travel through the library’s magical wardrobe to complete quests for Aslan the lion and reach the final prize. Register with the Denham Springs-Walker Branch at (225) 665-8118 or bit. ly/1ZC7Eyk; or the South Branch at (225) 698-3015 or bit.ly/1ktUAez.
’15 audit has Denham Springs smiling Special district bonds will be paid off early
In 2007 and 2008, the district, which is overseen by the mayor and City Council, issued $50 million in bonds to buy 24 acres of land and build infrastrucBY STEVE HARDY ture south of Interstate 12. The shardy@theadvocate.com district, which spans 75 acres DENHAM SPRINGS — Money used total, has attracted many new to create the Denham Springs businesses, anchored by the Economic Development District Bass Pro Shops. The city, Livingston Parish is on pace to be paid back 15 years ahead of schedule, Mayor School Board, Sheriff’s Office, Parish Council, local drainage Gerard Landry said recently.
district and the state of Louisiana have allocated much of their in-district sales and use taxes to repay the bonds. In their most recent meeting, the district received its 2015 audit, and afterward, Landry said the bonds, which aren’t scheduled to mature until 2037, could be paid off by 2021 or 2022. The news came like a late Christmas present to Denham Springs. The city gives up 71
percent of its 1.5 percent sales tax in the district to pay back the bonds. It will be in for a windfall in six or seven years when they can begin collecting all the sales tax generated within the district. Auditors with Hannis T. Bourgeois LLP said the district had another impressive year in 2015. “Continued strong sales tax revenues ($5,370,953 at year
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The Cairo Genizah
Rabbi Mark Glickman brings his multimedia presentation on the Cairo Genizah to the Denham Springs-Walker Branch of Livingston Parish Library at 6 p.m. Monday. Rabbi Solomon Schechter, of Cambridge University, discovered the Genizah — a huge trove of prayer books, lost books of the bible, poetry, children’s schoolbooks, love letters, business records, court documents and more — in late 1896. Glickman visited the chamber and wrote a book about the story of its collection. Call (225) 665-8118.
Young Makers workshop
Livingston Parish Library’s Watson Branch will host a free workshop at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday for budding inventors and tech gadget enthusiasts ages 8 to 11. Begin with Makey Makey and banana pianos, Play-Doh controllers and game buttons you draw yourself, followed by programming with Scratch. Registration is required; call (225) 664-3963 or visit bit.ly/22yNTdu.
Coloring and coffee
Coloring, snacks, music and socialization are in store for adults at 10 a.m. WednesäSee AROUND, page 2G
Livingston maintains its grade-A reputation shardy@theadvocate.com
Make a mosaic out of leftover Mardi Gras beads at the Watson Branch of Livingston Parish Library at 5:30 p.m. Monday. All materials will be provided, but you may bring any beads you wish to get rid of. Registration is required and is limited to ages 18 and older. Call (225) 6643963 or sign up online at bit. ly/1P0lTWp.
“The Power of the Inbox,” a seminar presented by the Louisiana Small Business Development Center at Southeastern Louisiana University and 5 Stones Media, is set for 9 a.m. to noon Tuesday at the Livingston Parish Library’s Main Branch. The seminar discusses the keys to effective email marketing and effective email marketing design. Registration is required; call (225) 664-6638 or visit lsbdc.org.
Follow Steve Hardy on Twitter, @SteveRHardy.
BY STEVE HARDY
Mardi Gras bead art
‘The Power of the Inbox’
end), allowed additional retirement of debt ($3,700,000) greater than the scheduled principal amount for 2015 ($695,000),” the audit states. Despite the “strong” performance, sales tax revenue in 2015 was down slightly from a year before, when the district collected $5.6 million.
Advocate photos by VIC COUVILLION
Luke Presas, dressed as Darth Vader, swings his light saber at Elijah Wolf in front of an image of the fierce, black-clad character from the popular ‘Star Wars’ movies. About 40 Livingston Parish youngsters participated in Star Warsthemed games and activities at a recent program held at the Denham Springs-Walker Branch of the Livingston Parish Library system.
‘Star Wars’ fans show up in force for library games BY VIC COUVILLION
Special to the Advocate DENHAM SPRINGS
The usual quiet and solemn decorum of the Livingston Parish Library System’s Denham Springs-Walker Branch was shattered recently when an army of about 40 enthusiastic, boisterous youngsters participated in lively games and activities based on the popular “Star Wars” movies. Taking on the various roles of the chief actors and actresses of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” the latest in the long history of the movie franchise, the children enjoyed the afternoon pursuing various äSee “STAR WARS”, page 2G
Peyton Puffer and Luke Bickham, from left, listen to ‘Star Wars’ stories from Rejuanné Varnado, a student volunteer at the library.
The Livingston Parish public school district retained its A rating when the Louisiana Department of Education recently released last year’s final school report cards. The system was one of 10 to earn an A, along other local districts such as Ascension, St. Tammany and Central Community Schools. Individually, most schools in the parish were given an A or B grade, though Northside and Southside elementary schools and Albany High received Cs. No schools in Livingston were given a D or F. “In a year that included new, more rigorous tests in the third to eighth grades, our students responded by performing at high levels in comparison with their peers from around the state,” Superintendent John Watson said in a statement. In fact, he said in the release, 78 percent of Livingston students in those grades achieved at least a score of “Basic” performance in state assessments. Statewide, only 65 percent of students hit that benchmark. Over a third of Livingston third- through eighth-graders were given a “Mastery” rating, higher than the 27 percent state average. Older children also outperformed their peers across Louisiana. The Livingston average ACT score last year was a 20.5, more than one point higher than the state average and even slightly above the national average. Additionally, 80 percent of Livingston Parish high schoolers graduate within four years, about the same as the national graduation rate but 5 percentage points above the Louisiana rate. The state Department of Education also looks at graduation rates among specific populations. In Livingston, only 56 percent of students with disabilities and 75 percent of “economically disadvantaged” children graduated within four years. However, minority students graduated at the same rate as the rest of the parish. Schools in Livingston also awarded more dual enrollment credits and slightly more Advanced Placement credits than elsewhere in Louisiana. However, the state and parish lag far behind the nation in AP achievement. Six percent of Livingston high school graduates last year scored at least a three out of five on an AP exam. Nationwide, the number was 22 percent. Watson said one reason for the high score was that the parish schools earned the maximum number of available progress points, which are awarded when previously äSee GRADE-A, page 2G