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August 7, 2003

 

Claiborne Parish Students Head Back To School

By Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

Teachers and principals are busy preparing for the first day of school in Claiborne Parish. Students at Claiborne Academy and all Claiborne Parish public schools will return to class Wednesday, August 13. At least some of the students at the Haynesville High-Junior High will begin school in new classrooms although construction on the new wings will not be complete for another six weeks. The first day for Junction City students is Monday, August 18. Mt. Olive Christian School will hold registration from 8-10 AM on Wednesday, August 13 and classes will begin Thursday, August 14. Superintendent Gary Jones will recommend the school board hire Jeff Holmes as principal at Homer High School and Steve Craig at Haynesville High School. He will also recommend hiring Clifton Lewis as dean of students at Homer High. The school board will vote whether or not to approve Jones' recommendations at their regular meeting on Thursday, August 7. The faculty of Homer High and several school board members attended a reception at the school board office on Monday to meet Holmes and Lewis.

Council Compares Homer To Similar Size Towns

Approves Referendum On Hard Liquor Sales In Town

By Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

Homer Town Councilman Johnette Faulkner presented a comparison study between the Town of Homer and towns of similar size at their regular meeting on Monday, August 4. Her report compared Homer to Haynesville, Vivian, Farmerville and Arcadia. Faulkner felt it was important the Town take immediate steps to turn the financial condition of the Town around and made several recommendations, including abolishing the public works director position, reducing the number of cell phones and pagers, and cutting back on overtime in the police department. The comparative study revealed the Town has too many employees in the public works department but were in line with the other towns with number of office staff and police officers. She was going to recommend laying off three employees in public works, but since Public Works Director Calvin Wortham had resigned and foreman Hosea Monroe was about to retire, she recommended making no further cuts. She did however recommend abolishing the public works director position and cross training town employees so they would be multi-tasked employees. This is what other towns were doing.

Next Phase Of I-69 Study Is Selection Of Corridor

The scoping phase in preparing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the I-69 corridor between Shreveport and El Dorado has been completed. The project team received 383 total comments. More than half addressed the economic development in the region. Other main issues were financial and job benefits, increase in tourism and retirement, and connecting Claiborne Parish with the rest of the region. Also mentioned were benefits to local industries, improving flow of people and goods to the region, safety and environmental concerns, and keeping chemical transports away from populated areas. Based on the data gathered during the scoping phase, the team has drawn a number of possible corridors between the two fixed points at Haughton and El Dorado, referred to as SIU 14. Corridors are two-mile-wide paths within which 300-foot wide alternative alignments will ultimately be drawn and evaluated. Beginning Tuesday, August 19, from 4-7 PM at the Minden Community House, the first of four open houses will be held to present the corridor study findings and solicit input as to why or why not certain corridors identified in the study should or should not be evaluated further. Other meetings will be held Wednesday, August 20 at the Claiborne Parish Fair Barn in Haynesville between 4 PM and 7 PM, at Three Creeks Baptist Church Fellowship Hall in Three Creeks, Arkansas on Thursday, August 21 between 4 PM and 7 PM, and on Friday, August 22 at the I-69 SIU 14 Program Office in Homer from 9-11 AM. Interested persons can come by any time during these open houses.

Masonic Lodge Donates Fans To Seniors

The Homer Masonic Lodge has been an active local charitable organization in Claiborne Parish since 1857. Up until two years ago their main charity was the Masonic Children's Home, an orphanage in Alexandria, that closed due to the lack of applications. They have since adopted dyslexia as their main charity, but continue to support the Shriners Hospital in Shreveport and the Scottish Rite Eye Bank, the Grandmaster's Charity Relay Run for Handicapped Children, as well as other needs in the community, such as equipping a van for a paraplegic. Last week, the Homer and Athens Masonic Lodges purchased and donated fifty fans to the Claiborne Council on Aging to be distributed to needy senior citizens. The Lodge held bass tournaments to raise funds for the fans and will hold their next tournament on April 10, 2004.

Citizens To Present Recall Petition To Registrar's Office

A local citizens group who started a recall petition shortly after Huey Dean was elected as mayor for the Town of Homer has notified Registrar of Voters Patricia Sanders of their plans to turn in the petition. They state they have the required number of signatures needed. Of the 1,999 registered voters in Homer, the group must have 33-1/3 percent, or 666 certifiable names. Once the petition is presented to Sanders, it will be her job to certify the names on the recall petition and validate the signatures within fifteen working days. Once the recall petition is certified, Sanders will forward the petition to the Governor's office. If the required number of qualified electors have signed the petition, Governor Foster will issue a proclamation within fifteen days of the receipt of the certified petition and will order an election to be held on the next available date for the purpose of voting whether or not to recall the mayor. The next primary election date is October 4, 2003 and the next general election is November 15, 2003.

Vision For Parish Includes Lakes, Recreation, Tourists, Retirees

By Susan T. Herring, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

"Retirees are the cleanest industry we can attract," according to Dr. Nelson Philpot. "The average retired couple brings more than $54,000 to the parish each year." After that turns over, they will add more than $81,000 to the economy, most spent locally. At the first of five public meetings to be held over the next six weeks, Philpot presented an outline of the strategic plan for Claiborne Parish, "Vision for a Better Tomorrow," to about fifty people who attended the meeting held at the Claiborne Parish Fair Barn on Monday, June 16. He said the centerpiece of the plan is water resources, recreation, tourism, retirees, and the timber and poultry industry. Philpot said, "Our goal is to facilitate discussion and we need everyone involved." The Visions book includes 80 recommendations for a parishwide strategic plan, the first 25 are prioritized, although some of the ideas will never be implemented. Among the list of assets in Claiborne Parish are its water resources which include the potential for several new lakes. Work is already underway in Webster Parish to expand the lake over the Sparta Aquifer recharge area in the west part of Claiborne Parish. This lake would not only ease the stress on the Aquifer, but could provide opportunities for retirees and recreation. The Final meeting will be held at Homer High School on Monday, August 18. Meeting to begin at 7 PM and will include a Power Point presentation of the Strategic Plan followed by a question and answer session. The Power Point presentation used in "Vision for a Better Tomorrow" meetings is available online (DSL or Cable connection and MS Internet Explorer recommended). The abridged version of the Visions Book is also online (PDF format).

Fugitive Apprehended In Haynesville

Nathaniel Critton, 62, of 5772 Zion Drive in Haynesville was arrested sometime after 11 PM on July 26 at his residence by Haynesville police officers Jon Barnett and Jimmy Mitchell on a warrant issued by Union County, Arkansas. Critton was charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated assault, and terrorist threat. The warrant dated July 22 shows bond set at $15,000. Critton is alleged to have become upset with his employer over money owed to him and threatened him with a pistol. He was booked into the Claiborne Detention Center pending his extradition to Arkansas.

The Herbert S. Ford Museum - Louisiana Purchase Exhibit - An Exhibit exploring the impact of the Louisiana Purchase on north-central Louisiana will be featured in the Herbert S. Ford Memorial Museum, located in the former Hotel Claiborne. The exhibit examines the culture of Native Americans who first inhabited the area. The museum houses a remarkable collection of artifacts reflecting the life, culture and society of North Louisiana Hill Country. For inquiries call Beverly Smith at 927-2223 or Toni Robertson at 927-6855. The Museum regular hours are Monday, Wednesdays, and Fridays, from 9 AM - 4 PM, closed from 12 noon until 1 PM.    Support, Information & Photo Contributions Needed for Claiborne One - A community effort is needed in collecting information for Claiborne One. For contribution ideas, see the open letter from Claiborne One's local web site designer. In addition, business and organization sponsorship support is needed to insure continued growth of our site. Visit the Claiborne One Sponsorship Page for more information.    Homer High Pelican Dolls, Flag Line Selling $1 Chances - Homer High Pelican Dolls and HHS Flag Line are holding fundraisers to purchase uniforms and equipment. The Flag Line are selling $1 chances on $100 gift certificate at Wal-Mart. The Pelican Dolls are selling $1 chances on a custom made chest with bottom lined in cedar or a custom made 8 gun cabinet, both on display at Regions Bank. Contact any Pelican Doll or Flag Line member or Mary Canterbury at 927-6839. Drawing will be held July 10.    Long Time Claiborne Parish Residents Announce Opening of Web Site - Claiborne Parish Business owners, B.G. and Rochelle Hall announce the opening of their new web site. Operating their business, Hall Boat Lifts, from their home on Lake Claiborne, the Hall's have provided Boat Lifts and Accessories for over 24 years. Interested parties are invited to visit them on the web at www.Boat-Lifts.US.    Claiborne One Site Now Features Area Image Archive - Archives Now Online include: Christmas Festival and Parade 2000 Lake Claiborne State Park Corney Lake Natl Park Claiborne Parish Jubilee 2003 To submit your images for inclusion in the Claiborne One Image Archive you may email them to webmaster@ClaiborneOne.org.    LifeShare Blood Center To Hold Blood Drive August 20 - LifeShare Blood Center will host their quarterly Community Blood Drive at Homer Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, August 20 from 11 AM to 4 PM in the Hospital Conference Room. To donate blood, you should be feeling well, weigh at least 110 lbs. and be a minimum of 17 years of age. You will receive your choice of t-shirt, baseball cap or cholesterol test. Drinks and snacks will be provided.    Materials Needed For Dollmaking Activities - First Tuesday Each Month The ladies who meet the first Tuesday each month from 9 AM until 2 PM at the Homer Church of Christ Annex Building on West Main (Hwy. 79) to make dolls, teddy bears, and doll quilts for Christmas gifts for needy children in the area and state are in need of more ribbons, lace and stuffing. They also need solid color lining fabric for use on doll quilts. Kay Lowery said they could also welcome anyone who would like to come join their group and help make the dolls. For more information, you can contact Lowery at 927-4705.    Senator John Breaux To Be In Minden Monday, Aug. 11 - Senator John Breaux will visit North Louisiana next week. He will be at the Minden Civic Center at 4 PM on Monday, August 11 to address issues facing Congress and will answer questions. The event is being hosted by State Senator Robert Adley, State Rep. Jean Doerge, Mayor Bill Robertson, and the Minden Chamber of Commerce. Refreshments will be served. The public is invited to attend.    Lake Claiborne State Park Events For July And August - Local nature programs scheduled for July and August at Lake Claiborne State Parks are: Thurs., July 31 - Arts & Crafts: Toys of the Past, 7 PM Sat., Aug. 2 - Starry Night: Planetarium Telescope, 8 PM (must pre-register) Thurs., Aug. 7 - Arts & Crafts: Making A Bird House, 7 PM Sat., Aug. 9 - Animal Homes, 4 PM Sat., Aug. 9 - Story Time, 5 PM Sat., Aug. 16 - Arts & Crafts: Leaf Rub, 5 PM Sat., Aug. 23 - Arts & Crafts: Splash & Sponge, 10 AM Sat., Aug. 30 - Wacky Games: End of Summer Fun, 4 PM For more information, call 318-927-2976 or toll free 1-888-677-2524, or visit the Office of State Parks website at www.lastateparks.com.    Homer-Claiborne Chamber Working On New Membership Booklet - Lonnie Longmire will be in the Homer-Claiborne Chamber of Commerce office for the next several days putting together the new membership booklet. Anyone interested in being included in the booklet can call 927-3271.    Cabins At Lake Claiborne State Park Are Open - Ten vacation cabins opened at Lake Claiborne State Park on January 9, 2001. Units rent for $65 with a 2-night minimum on weekends. and have everything but towels and soap. To reserve your cabin, call toll free (877) CAMP-N-LA (226-7652) from 8 AM to 4:30 PM Monday through Friday. Image archive of Lake Claiborne State Park now online.    Homer Golden Raiders Senior Club Picnic - Rescheduled For Sept. 13 The picnic for the Homer Golden Raiders Senior Club originally scheduled for August 9 at the Mayfield Park has been rescheduled for Saturday, September 13 from 9 AM to 12 noon. Area coordinator Joe Etta Williams would like to thank you for your cooperation and consideration.    Claiborne Country Offers Clean Family Atmosphere Saturday Nights 7:00 till 10:30 pm - Claiborne Country located in the old North Louisana Hayride Building at Petersons Construction, presents dancing on Saturday Nights with one of the South's best bands "Sound of Gold". Caliborne Country Offers a Clean Family Atmosphere, No Smoking and No Drinking allowed. The band plays mostly older Counrty with 60's Rock and Roll mixed in. Admission is $7.00 for adults and under 12 free with an adult.    Claiborne Council On Aging Events - Bingo is played every Friday after Lunch. Lunches are served daily Monday thru Friday. Exercise treadmills and rowing machines are available. Slip and molds are available for ceramics. Our Claiborne Council on Aging site page is now online...				Homer Christmas Festival To Hold Golf Tournament Aug. 9 - The Homer Christmas Festival Tournament, three man scramble (27 holes), will be held Saturday, August 9 beginning at 8 AM. Entry fee is $120 team. For more information, call 927-9009.    Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival Cookbooks On Sale - The Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival cookbooks are in. They are $13 each and can be bought at several area stores. Call 927-9009 if you want to reserve one. All proceeds will go toward this year's Festival set for November 29.    Government And Municipal Boards To Meet In August - The Claiborne Parish Police Jury will meet Wednesday, August 6 at 10 AM for work session and Thursday, August 7 at 10 AM for their regular meeting. The regular meeting of the Claiborne Parish School Board will be 7 PM Thurs., August 7 following work session at 6 PM.    Rep. Rick Gallot To Be In Homer Office In August - State Representative Rick Gallot will be in his Homer office located in the Police Jury Office Complex on Tuesday, August 12; Tuesday, August 19; and Tuesday, August 26 from 9 AM - 12 PM. For more information or to set up an appointment, call 1-800-676-2111.    Public Comments Sought For Corney Bayou Boat Ramp - The Caney Ranger District is seeking public comments on a proposed boat ramp, vault toilet and parking area planned for Corney Bayou at the end of U.S. Forest Service road 903. About half acre will be cleared. Comments can be mailed to District Ranger Alvin Womack, Caney Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest, 3288 Hwy. 79, Homer, LA 71040, or by calling James Williams, project leader at 318-927-2061.    Claiborne Classic Car & Bike Show Looking For Donations - Rickey Bearden is looking for contributions for the 2nd Annual Lake Claiborne Classic Car & Bike Show to be held October 4, 2003 as a benefit fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Hospital. Donations are needed for the silent auction and for giveaway bags. Call Bearden at 927-9740.    Vision For A Better Tomorrow - Copies of the Strategic Plan for Economic Development of Claiborne Parish Will be Distributed and Discussed at a Series of Public Meetings. All Meetings Will be Held at 7:00 p.m. and Will be Open to the Entire Parish. Meeting Schedule: Homer: Monday, August 18 at the Homer High School. Following Introductory Comments by Parish Officials, a PowerPoint Presentation of the Strategic Plan Will be Made. The Public Will Then be Invited to participate in a Question and Answer Session Regarding Our Vision For A Better Tomorrow. These Meetings are Critically Important to the Future of Our Parish. Please Plan to Attend and Participate. Copies of the Strategic Plan are Available at the Police Jury Office, Chamber of Commerce, Claiborne Parish Library, Banks, and Selected Businesses. The Power Point presentation used in "Vision for a Better Tomorrow" meetings is available online (DSL or Cable connection and MS Internet Explorer recommended). The abridged version of the Visions Book is also online (PDF format).    Claiborne Academy To Host Back To School BBQ Aug. 11 - It's back to school time and Claiborne Academy will host their annual back to school BBQ on Monday, August 11 beginning at 5:00 PM. Tickets are on sale for $7 and may be purchased now. Entertainment will begin at 6:30 PM in the school gym. For additional information, contact the school at 927-2747.    Trailblazer Offers Tips For Reducing Waste In Your Home - According to the USDA, 27% of our nation's food supply was wasted during 1995. Possible remedies are to plan ahead for meals and buy only what you need to use up food and keep it fresh. Don't forget to compost leftover fruit and vegetables. Call the Trailblazer office at 1-318-255-3554 for more information on backyard composting and additional tips on reducing waste at home.    Honer High School Class Of 1984 To Hold Reunion Meeting - Homer High School Class of 1984 will hold a meeting to begin for their class reunion. The meeting will be held Thursday, July 17 at 6 PM at the Mayfield Pool. For more information, call Maz Bursey at 927-9899.    Claiborne Parish Police Jury Meeting Agenda Online - Visit The Claiborne Parish Police Jury Official Proceedings site page for Meeting Agendas. Meetings are held each Wednesday (general discussions) and Thursday (decision making session) after the first Monday of each month. Agendas are presented the day before the Wednesday meeting.    Pupil Progression Draft Plan Available For View At School Board - Claiborne Parish School Board will revise and adopt the Pupil Progression Plan at its regular meeting on August 7, 2003. This plan sets local policy for promotion, retention, and testing of students in the Parish Schools. A draft plan will be available for public view and comments in the Claiborne Parish School Board office at 415 East Main in Homer during regular business hours.    Money Available for New or Expanding Businesses in Homer - The Homer Chamber of Commerce now has monies to lend through the Revolving Loan Program. Anyone who is interested in starting a business or enlarging an existing business within an eight mile radius of Homer may be eligible. These funds were received from the USDA Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program to assist small businesses and provide for jobs in Homer. Loan preferences will be made on the basis of job creation. Further information may be obtained by contacting Mac Brakefield, Executive Director of the Homer Chamber of Commerce at (318) 927-3271.    Friends Of Claiborne Parish Library Conducting Membership Drive - Friends of the Claiborne Parish Library are conducting their annual membership drive. Memberships are $5 for senior adults, $10 for individuals, $17 for families, and $500 for life memberships. For those book and reading lovers who contribute $125 or more this year (can be paid in installments), benches will be purchased and a plaque inscribed with their names will be placed on the bench. "Friends" membership forms are available at both libraries and on the bookmobile, or you can mail your membership to the Claiborne Parish Library, 901 Edgewood Drive, Homer, LA 71040. For more information, call the Library at 927-3845.    Big Dog Ultra Trail Run Set For Sat. Nov. 29 At Claiborne State Park - The Big Dog Ultra Trail Run will be held Saturday, November 29 at the Lake Claiborne State Park. Race distances are 50k, 20 miles, 13.1 miles, and 4 miles. Start time is 8 AM. Entry fees are $20 for 4M, $30 for 13.1/20M, ad $35 for 50K if paid by November 15. For more information visit the website at www.ovrrc.com or contact Dr. Jeff Baillie at jeffb@bayou.com or at work at 318-323-2216 or Martha Klipping at marthaklipping@hotmail.com or call her at 927-2034.    Smoke Detectors For The Elderly Offered through TRIAD - TRIAD of Claiborne wants all seniors age 65 and above, to have a smoke detector. You may also qualify if you're disabled. Having a smoke detector can mean the difference of life or death. Smoke detectors are available without charge. If you don't have a smoke detector, call 927-2011.
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