The
W atchman
THURSDAY
DECEMBER 31, 2015 H $1.00
SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA THEADVOCATE.COM
2nd Year, No. 12
Council spars one last time before new one takes over BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX
West Feliciana Parish
ST. FRANCISVILLE — They sparred with Parish President Kevin Couhig, with members of the audience and among themselves as the first West Feliciana Parish Council seated under the parish’s Home Rule Charter convened for the last time. A new council will be seated Jan. 11. Almost from the outset of Monday’s meeting, the tone was contentious. Councilman John Kean’s attempt to add an agenda item to review parish financial information was shot down for failure to receive a unanimous vote, with Mel Percy voting to keep the item from being added. The most combative discussion involved pay-
ment by the parish of an outstanding legal bill to the firm Phelps Dunbar for appeal work in the lawsuit by the Lambert Gravel Co. against the parish. Couhig has maintained he will not authorize payment of the legal fees for the appeal, which total more than $46,000 so far. To date, the parish has spent more than $720,000 defending the lawsuit. Couhig said because the council did not authorize the payment with an ordinance, he will not authorize payment. A string of emails and other correspondence between Couhig and the law firm confirm that he warned attorney Dennis Blount he would not authorize payment of the
Special to The Advocate
bill because the council had not authorized payment via the ordinance process. However, council Chairwoman Heather Howle contended there is $30,000 in the parish’s legal budget account, and that money should go toward the bill. “I’m not paying the bills,� Couhig said after the meeting. “I also told the council I would veto any ordinance they passed, and they didn’t have the (two) votes necessary to override my veto.� Earlier, during the public hearing phase, a proposed ordinance introduced at the Dec. 14 meeting and reworked by Lea Williams was reintroduced. The ordinance allocates $80,000 from the parish’s Buildings and Grounds account with no more than $65,000 to purchase land totaling
roughly 5.23 acres near the Mississippi River front, plus $15,000 for other fees such as a survey of the parcel. After a plea by Percy for the council to not take action, the measure passed, with Percy and Melvin Young opposing and Kean, Williams, Howle and Otis Wilson supporting it. Ricky Lambert abstained. Even appointments to the Tourism Commission stirred tensions, with Percy, incoming Councilman Bill May and audience members imploring the council to allow the new panel to make the appointments in January. Nevertheless, the council reappointed Susie Tully and Catherine Leake and appointed Jerry Landrum to the commission.
LEARNING LOUISIANA BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com
Photo provided by JOHHNY ARCENEAUX
Machinist student DeWayne Rogers, of Slaughter, practices during hands-on coursework at Baton Rouge Community College in Jackson.
Machinist class teaches skills, work ethic
BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com
A fast-track, entry-level machinist class will begin Jan. 11 at Baton Rouge Community College’s Jackson campus in East Feliciana Parish. The 16-week class will provide participants with mechanical lathe and mill training and a curriculum that includes blueprint reading, an introduction to machine tools and machine shop mathematics, bench work, drill press, basic lathe and basic mill instruction. BRCC Workforce Development Director Johnny Arceneaux said businesses are unable to find experienced machinists, but by partnering with BRCC and this class, they’re encouraging the development of students who end up with entrylevel technical experience, a good work ethic and the safety and social skills needed to be productive employees. Enrollment is open to residents throughout the north capital region and businesses that want to enroll their own employees. Financial aid, however, is not available. Arceneaux said prospective students are required to take reading and math entrance tests and a drug test. Class size is limited to eight stuäSee MACHINIST, page 2G
INSIDE East Feliciana..........4G West Feliciana.........5G Sports .....................1H
Students at Jackson Elementary learned about different Christmas traditions and cultures in their home state during a Dec. 17 lesson. Titled “A Louisiana Christmas,â€? the learning centers for third- through fifth-graders provided an opportunity to visit and participate in seven interactive stations hosted by teachers and volunteers from throughout East Feliciana Parish. The stations — some of them about the special traditions practiced in several parishes — were titled “An Acadian Advocate staff photo by STACY GILL Christmas,â€? “A Jazzy ChristJackson Elementary School fifth-graders Garrett Ross, left, and Trinity Hollins compete in a relay race mas,â€? “Bonfires on the Levee,â€? with dried red beans. The competition was part of a learning center about Louisiana cuisine, cultures äSee LEARNING, page 3G and Christmas traditions. Students rotated through seven activity-based learning centers Dec. 17.
Teacher brings home lessons from islands BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX
rybooks to showcase conservation efforts through the eyes of native species of the Galapagos. In September, Means traveled to ST. FRANCISVILLE — Charles Darwin once said, “The love for all living the Galapagos Islands as part of a creatures is the most noble attri- National Geographic Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship. She returned bute of man.â€? West Feliciana High School to share what she learned with her ninth-graders from Nicole Means’ students. The Galapagos are an arand Torrence Williams’ classes re- chipelago of volcanic islands west cently explored the importance of of equator in the Pacific Ocean, and sustainability of the environment, they include a national park and a emphasizing Ecuador and the Gala- marine reserve. During his voyage pagos Islands. To culminate the study unit, the students created stoäSee ISLANDS, page 2G Special to The Advocate
Photo provided by NICOLE MEANS
West Feliciana High School students Nick Kent, left, and Taylor Casteel read to Sam Rachal’s kindergarten class at Bains Lower Elementary on Dec. 2. Kent and Casteel wrote, illustrated and read the books about conservation efforts in the Galapagos Islands as part of a geography study unit.
Transit from East Feliciana available to activities in East Baton Rouge Stacy Gill
AROUND THE FELICIANAS SGILL@ THEADVOCATE.COM
The East Feliciana Parish Council on Aging, 11102 Bank St., Clinton, is open from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Most activities for seniors start at 11 a.m., and lunch is served at noon. The East Feliciana Public Transit offers transportation for the elderly to East Baton
Rouge Parish on weekdays. Call (225) 683-9862 for information. FRIDAY: Closed for New Year’s Day holiday MONDAY: 11 a.m., exercise class TUESDAY: 11 a.m., Joe Littlejohn on harmonica WEDNESDAY: 11 a.m., bingo; followed by cancer services
JAN. 7: 11:30 a.m., devotional; followed by blood pressure checks JAN. 8: 11 a.m., exercise class followed by distribution of senior food boxes
In the footsteps of Audubon
Audubon State Historic Site, 11788 La. 965, St. Francisville, will feature “In the Footsteps
of Audubon� at 10 a.m. Saturday. Visitors are invited to Audubon to follow the paths where John James Audubon once walked in 1821. An extended tour includes a video on the history of the park and a presentation on the prints Audu äSee GILL, page 6G
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