THE ZACHA Y
ADVOCATE&
THURSDAY
P R O U D LY O W N E D I N L O U I S I A N A
1st Year, No. 12
Stacy Gill AROUND ZACHARY
SGILL@ THEADVOCATE.COM
Counting blessings should be a tradition Whatever the holiday tradition is in your home — drawing names; playing the white elephant game; hiding the elf; buying a gift for every member of your family, only the little ones or no one at all — it’s not about gift-giving but spending time together as a family. It’s about counting blessings. True, ’tis the season to be merry, but there are friends or family we know who are experiencing heartache this season. They could be grieving the loss of a relative or, worse, burying a relative over the holidays. The fact is, someone we know is having a difficult time this Christmas. It doesn’t matter if we celebrate Christmas or Hanukkah, it matters that we’re thankful for all we have. It matters that family and friends are together and that you have your health and happiness. Some people will be spending the holiday in the hospital. In the chaos of unwrapping presents this holiday season, let’s remember to reach out to someone who is having a difficult time by offering a hug or a phone call to say a simple “I care.” Sometimes, just knowing there is someone thinking of you and knowing someone is aware of the heavy burden you carry can make all the difference in the world. After all, it is the season of giving. Happy holidays to you and yours. In the meantime, around Zachary …
DECEMBER 25, 2014 H
THEADVOCATE.COM
SHARING
STORIES
Pages reveal book club’s longevity BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com The Town and Country Reviewers Book Club possibly holds the unofficial distinction of being the longest-running book club in the Zachary community. Formed in 1953, the Town and Country Reviewers were, and still are, a women’s social club. Club activities include a monthly meeting on the first Tuesday and lunch at a member’s home. Two hostesses organize meetings, which often have guest speakers. Activities include book exchanges and trips. The women have ventured to the state fair and taken excursions antiquing in Ponchatoula or to the outlet malls. “We’ve also gone to Hemingbough and the Bluffs in West Feliciana as well as had lunch at some pretty fine places,” said Zachary’s Patsy Bueche, a longtime club member. But perhaps the most unique thing about the Town and Country Reviewers is the 60 years of scrapbooks documenting the club’s history. Bueche said a box of very old scrapbooks was discovered at the McHugh House in Zachary during a cleaning day and were nearly thrown out unintentionally. In dire shape with scrapbook pages torn and worn, Bueche set about the painstaking task of restoring the books that date back to the early ’50s. “When I took on the task, I was a little skeptical about how the books would turn out
Newspaper clippings of club members’ activities and events over the years have been archived in scrapbooks through 2014. because of the age of them,” Bueche said. “I just knew I would run into all kinds of problems.” As it turns out, Bueche transferred the old newspaper clippings and photographs to new, sturdier books and onto new pages without a major hitch. “It all worked out,” Bueche said. “This has been a wonderful journey I have been on. I loved looking at all the old photographs. They told so many stories.” Bueche added that she loved looking at all the dresses of the ladies who wore them in the ’50s and ’60s. “So many of those women are no longer with us, so I say ‘thank you’ for letting me share these memories with you and for trusting me enough to transfer your memories into another book,” Bueche said. Her job as club historian also has included clipping articles
TOP: Zachary’s Patsy Bueche, club historian for the Town and Country Reviewers Book Club, examines one of the scrapbooks she made of the club’s activities and events from over the years. Bueche and about 20 members celebrated the holidays with a luncheon and gift exchange Dec. 9. LEFT: The history of the Town and Country Reviewers Book Club, which began in Zachary in 1953, has been preserved in scrapbooks made by Bueche. Advocate staff photos by STACY GILL
äSee SCRAPBOOKS, page 8G
School board accepts first budget revision BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com
Quilters Corner
The Pride-Chaneyville Library, 13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road, hosts Quilters Corner, an ongoing quilting group that meets monthly to create quilts. Build your skills with äSee AROUND, page 5G
INSIDE Sports .................... 1H Advocate staff photo by STACY GILL
From left, Kenneth Mackie, Sharon Samuel, Dawn Avants and Scott Swilley preside over their last school board meeting Dec. 16, also the last meeting of the year for the Zachary Community School District. New members will be sworn in Jan. 6 at the first school board meeting of the new year.
The Zachary Community School Board met Dec. 16 for its final meeting of the year. Board members accepted the first revision to the 201415 budget, which now shows a deficit in operating transfers of $6,917,167. At a Nov. 11 finance committee meeting, board members received binders containing information for the 2014-15 school year that included the district’s current budget and budget history. A summary of the revision indicated changes to the general fund in the areas of salary and benefits, academics, business, operations, construction and technology. Gordon Robertson, who oversees the district’s financial matters, informed the commit-
tee of property and fleet insurance increases, and Patrick Jenkins, director of operations, reviewed costs associated with energy usage and transportation, including bus needs. “This is just a snapshot of what’s going on,” Williams said. “Some things can be estimated, but until we actually get some things in hand and done, only then can a budget be revised.” The largest revision amounts were in the areas of construction ($5 million) and technology ($630,000). The total budget revision amount approved by the board Tuesday was $5,701,296 for a total fund balance of $12,018,608. Robertson said a second revision is expected to be introduced to the committee in the äSee BOARD, page 8G
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