Judge Validates 66 Ousted Signatures On Recall Petition
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Second Judicial Court Judge
Jimmy Teat presided over a court hearing last Thursday, September 11 regarding
a Petition for Writ of Mandamus asking the court to direct Registrar of Voters
Patricia Sanders to provide reason for disqualifying 148 names on the Mayor
Huey Dean’s Recall Petition. Teat ordered 66 names be placed back on the
petition. Among those 42 printed their handwritten signature. Shreveport attorney Larry English
represented petitioners Willie Young
Sr., Lurry Crew, Maxine Wilson, Linda K. Robinson, Vannessia A. Thompson Kirk,
and Leamon Cheatham. All six were listed as registered voters in the Town of
Homer and that they had signed the Recall Petition. Sanders disqualified 380 of
the 989 names on the Petition for a number of reasons, such as missing
information or that the person’s signature was either printed, did not match
the voter registration card, or was not legible. Of the 148 names in question,
42 names were printed on the Petition. State law requires the handwritten
signature of the voter signing the petition, or if the person is unable to
sign, they must have two persons witness the person make their mark. Teat said
they could not find the definition of handwritten signature and cited an
appellate court ruling where printing your name was considered a valid
signature. Based on that case, Teat placed 42 printed names back on the
Petition. English then presented into evidence 57 affidavits of voters whose
names had been removed and stated they had in fact signed the petition. Those
affidavits were signed by Claiborne Parish Notary Roberta Pascal who testified
that each had appeared before her. Of the 57 affidavits, 25 were the same names
that had been printed on the Petition. Frances Pittman with the Attorney
General’s office represented Sanders. She stated that Lurry Crew did not live
inside the city limits and was not a qualified elector and that Thompson had
not signed the petition. Of the 57 affidavits, 8 were challenged by Pittman and
disqualified, including Recall Chairman Lurry Crew who did not live inside the
city limits. Pittman said one of the petitioners, Thompson, had not signed the
Petition, but found later she had signed as Vannessia Thompson Kirk, wife of
Homer Councilman Billy Kirk Jenkins.
Several
registrar of voters from other parishes who had handled recalls in the past
were present in the courtroom but were never called to testify by Pittman. Teat
determined that the names placed back on the Petition would give the Recall
Petition 675 names or 33.67 percent, eight to nine more names than the 666.2
(or 33.33 percent) that were needed. Teat went on to say Registrar of Voters
Sanders had done nothing wrong.
Kimberly Rosenberg, Deputy Executive Counsel with the Governor’s Office
said they had not received any formal notice of the court action, but they had
issued a letter on Monday, September 15 to Rev. Lurry D. Crew, Chairman, Recall
Committee advising him that the Attorney General had issued Opinion No. 03-0323
which concluded the number of validated signatures on the recall petition were
insufficient to meet the requirement of R.S. 18:1300.2 (B). Consequently, the
Governor did not issue a proclamation ordering a special election on the
question the recall of Homer Mayor Huey P. Dean. In order to contest the
certification of a recall petition, action must be instituted within 15 days
after the the last day for the governor to call the election if no recall
election is called. The deadline for the Governor to issue a proclamation was
on Tuesday, September 9. Rosenberg said if subsequent action occurs, they will
go back to the Attorney General’s office. If the judge’s ruling meets state requirements,
they will know they have satisfied the law.
Former State Trooper Shares Tragic Story At 9-11 Appreciation
Banquet
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Former
Louisiana State Trooper Dr. Bobby Smith shared the tragic events of March 14,
1986 with a crowd of over 300 who gathered at the First Baptist Church in Homer
on Tuesday, September 2 to honor all local law enforcement and firefighters,
state troopers for Troop G and F, district judges, and others. Smith told of
the night he was shot by Fred Anderson, Jr. with a 12 gauge shotgun. Anderson
had sped past a routine checkpoint about 3 miles south of Winnsboro. No one
knew at the time that he had painted over his license plate, scraped his
inspection sticker off, picked up five weapons and was on a mission to kill a
cop. Following a high speed chase, Anderson stopped abruptly. Smith had pulled
over in front of Anderson’s car. As he exited his car, he realized he was at a
disadvantage, blinded by Anderson’s headlights. The first shot rang out and
Smith dropped to the pavement. Smith would return fire, but not before Anderson
would get off another round. This time he would be hit directly in the face
from only 29 feet away. It would be the last time he would ever see.
The
Elites Gift Shop located at 115 West Main in the shopping center next to
Pelican Seafood was burglarized sometime over the weekend. Owner Robert Wade called the Claiborne
Parish Sheriff’s Office at 11:40 AM on Sunday, September 14 and reported
someone had broken the glass door at his shop and taken a number of items.
Investigating officer Donald Malray walked the store with Wade and took an
inventory of the missing merchandise. It was determined over 100 clothing items
and purses valued at $4,808.00 were missing. Malray said they have several
suspects in the case but no arrests have been made. Anyone with information on
this or any other crime in Homer is
asked to call the Homer Police Department at 927-4000.
At
the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, north Louisiana had no settlers.
The North Louisiana Hill Country was home to Native American inhabitants. The
Native Americans living in north Louisiana at the time of the Purchase were the
Caddo. These Native Americans, in 1835, sold approximately one million acres of
land extending from the area above Texarkana, Arkansas, south to DeSoto Parish,
Louisiana to the United States government. The Caddo were paid $80,000, of
which $30,000 was in goods delivered at the signing, and the remainder in
annual $10,000 installments for another five years. Dr. Jon Gibson, educator,
author, archaeologist, and businessman, will
present a program entitled “Claiborne Parish Native American Culture”.
This program will explore the life of the Caddo people and their contributions
to our way of life. David Griffing, of Poverty Point State Park, will
demonstrate the process of flint napping. This is the method in which spear
points and arrowheads were made. The program is set for Sunday, September 21 at
2 p.m. at the Herbert S. Ford Museum. The public is invited and there will be
no admission charge.
Annual Lake Claiborne Classic Car & Bike Show
Set For Saturday, October 4
The
Second Annual Lake Claiborne Classic Car and Bike Show is set for Saturday,
October 4th. The St. Jude fundraising event is held in memory of Christian and
Joseph Manzanares who died in a tragic mobile home fire on August 19, 2001.
Chairman Rickey Bearden expects this year to be bigger and better. Besides
seven vehicle classes, the show will feature six motorcycle classes. Entry fee
is $20 for the first car and $10 for the second. Donations are needed for the
silent auction and giveaway bags. For more information on the Car & Bike Show
call Bearden at 318-927-9740 or Matt Manzanares at 318-927-6275.
The
Claiborne Parish Fair will open at the Fairgrounds in Haynesville on Sunday, September 21 and will continue
through Saturday, September 27. The carnival will open at 5 PM Tuesday through
Friday and at 1 PM on Saturday. For more information call the LSU AgCenter
office at 318-927-3110.
On
Monday, September 22, Georgia Mountain Theatre Productions of Rome, Georgia
will travel to Homer to present their original play about the Cherokee Indians
and The Trail of Tears at 7:30 PM in the auditorium of Homer High School.
Joseph Merritt, Jr. Seeks
Claiborne Parish Police Jury Seat District #7
Joseph
Merritt, Jr., 60 years of age, seeks Claiborne Parish Police Jury District #7
seat. A lifelong resident of North Louisiana, Merritt attended Mayfield High
School and Northwestern Louisiana Technical College in Minden, Louisiana.
Clint Faulk Announces
Candidacy For Police Jury Seat, District #6
I,
Clint Faulk, announce my candidacy for Police Juror in District 6 of Claiborne
Parish. I am a lifelong resident of this parish, and I am very determined in
the rebuilding of Claiborne Parish. I am married to the former Jamie Britt of
Springhill and we have two children. We are members of Emmanuel Baptist Church
of Hurricane.
Tommy Sanders Announces His Candidacy For Police Jury, Dist. 8
I,
Tommy Sanders, am proud to announce my candidacy for Police Jury seat of
District 8. I would be honored to represent the people of District 8 with the
economical future of our community.
September
18, 2003 NEWS BRIEFS
The
Claiborne One Website Is Seeking Area Support
The
Claiborne One website at
www.claiborneone.org has over 500 pages online, including the Claiborne
Parish Police Jury, Towns of
Haynesville & Homer and are seeking sponsors to support continued growth.
Sponsors are provided custom banners linking to the sponsor's website.
Guardian-Journal Headlines and New Briefs, updated weekly, are available at
Claiborne One, archived since November, 1999. To contribute news and photos to
Claiborne One contact Key-Comp Web Design, Joel Ponder at 927-9229 or email at
webmaster@claiborneone.orgFor more information on becoming a sponsor contact the
Allen Group, Al Lynn at 927-9674 or email him at allynn@lausa.net.
Tors
Meet The Pels In 96th Annual Matchup Friday
The
Haynesville “Golden” Tornado will travel to Homer Friday night, September 19,
to take on the Homer “”Fighting Pelican in the 96th annual Claiborne Parish Super Bowl. Kickoff at 7
PM. Tickets can be purchased at Keith’s Food Mart or the Homer High School
office.
Claiborne
Academy To Host Riverdale Friday, JV Travels
On
Thursday night the Claiborne Academy Jr. Rebels travel to Prairie View of
Bastrop for a 6 PM game. The Varsity will host Riverdale Academy at home
Friday, September 19 with a 7:30 PM kickoff.
North
La. Cancer Support Group To Meet Thurs. 9-18
The
North Louisiana Cancer Support Group will meet Thursday, September 18 at 6:30
PM at Willis Knighton Regional Health Center. For information, call Bonnie
Keene at 927-1517.
Bingo
At The Claiborne Parish Fair Sept. 24, 2-4 PM
Seniors,
come join us for Bingo during the Claiborne Parish Fair on Wednesday, September
24th from 2-4 P.M. in the Claiborne Parish Fair Complex. Bingo is free and open to all seniors 55 and
older. Prizes have been donated by
local businesses. Contact 927-3110 for
more information.
Trash
Bash To Be Held Saturday, Sept. 27, 8 AM-3PM
The
Town of Homer and Clean City Committee will hold their monthly Trash Bash on
Saturday, September 27 tentatively at the Oil Mill Street location from 8 AM to
3 PM.
Claiborne
Parish Watershed Board To Meet Thurs. Sept. 25
The
fall meeting of the Claiborne Parish Watershed District is scheduled for
Thursday, September 25 at 5:30 PM in the Police Jury Office Complex. Proposed
legislation will be considered concerning activities on Lake Claiborne and
revision of the district’s statute to make it more like Webster’s. On the agenda,
also, are ‘No Wake’ zoning on Lake Claiborne and buy repair.
Meeting
To Discuss Recall Of Homer Mayor Set Thursday
A
group of Homer citizens will meet Thursday to discuss ways to offset the
division being created in the Town of Homer by the Recall Petition against
Homer mayor Huey Dean. Anyone interested is invited to attend. The meeting will
be held Thursday, September 18 at the Claiborne Council on Aging on East 4th at
5 PM.
Local
Veterans Office To Open Week Of November 3
A
local Veterans Office will open in the Claiborne Parish Police Jury Office
Complex beginning the week of November 3, 2003. David Thompson will be in the
Homer office on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday and in Arcadia on Tuesday and
Thursday. Look for more information in coming weeks.
Haynesville
Town Council To Meet Thursday At 6 PM
The
Haynesville Town Council will meet Thursday, September 18 at 6 PM in the
Council Chambers.
Friends
Of Parish Library Continue Membership Drive
The
Friends of the Claiborne Parish Library is holding its annual membership drive.
Individual memberships are $10 and $15 for families. ($5 for students and
senior citizens) Anyone wishing to honor or remember someone with an
inscription on a reading bench needs to sent $125 before December 31, 2003. Benches
will be placed in Homer and Haynesville.
Cub
Scouts Selling Popcorn, Looking For New Cub Scouts
Cub
Scouts, Pack 7, are selling popcorn, bags or cans. Cubscout Meetings are held
Tuesdays at First Presbyterian Church in Homer. Registration is $35. Any boy in
grades 1-5 interested in joining can call Cubmaster J.T. Williams or Popcorn
Chairman Jessica Williams at 927-2500.
Banquet
Set To Honor Life Of Former Rep. Pinkie C. Wilkerson
A
banquet commemmorating the life and public service of the late State
Representative Pinkie C. Wilkerson will be held on Friday, October 10 at 7 PM
at the Ruston Civic Center at 401 Trenton Street in Ruston. Tickets are $30 per
person and may be purchased at the Collegiate Shoppe in Grambling or by calling
the Pinkie C. Wilkerson Life Development Center at 242-6410 or 436-9242. Make
checks payable to PCWLC, P. O. Box 410, Grambling, LA 71245.
Former
Claiborne Academy Cheerleaders Invited To Homecoming
The
Claiborne Academy Varsity Cheerleaders would like to invite all former
cheerleaders to cheer on the sidelines with them during the homecoming football
game on Friday, October 3, 2003. Just wear any suit or jogging suit that is
red, white or blue. Go Rebels!
AARP
To Hold 55-Alive Driving Course at Council on Aging
The
AARP will hold a 55-Alive driving course at the Claiborne Council on Aging
building at 608 East 4th Street in Homer on Monday & Tuesday, October 6 & 7 from 12:15-4:00 PM. The
cost of the course in $10. Anyone interested can call Cindy Anstead at
318-927-6922.
Homer
Elementary School Collecting Box Tops For Education
Homer
Elementary School recently launched their 2003-2004 Box Tops for Education
fundraising campaign. This year the school has set a goal of earning $2,000
through Box Tops to purchase general school materials. If you’d like to help
students at Homer Elementary reach their goal, there are several easy ways to
get involved: Collect Box Tops coupons and send them to school with your child
or join the Box Tops Booster Club at boxtops4education.com and designate Homer
Elementary School as the school you wish to donate to. HES teacher Russell
Tabor, Box Tops for Education Coordinator said everyone at Homer Elementary
School would like to thank you for your help and support in this new program to
help make our school the best that it can be.
Permits
Must Be Obtained At E-911 Office Beginning Sept. 15, 2003
Anyone
moving to Claiborne Parish, about to begin construction on new home or
building, or needing to have utilities connected, must first obtain a permit
from the Claiborne E-911 office in the Claiborne Parish Police Jury Office
Complex at 507 West Main on the Courthouse Square. Application must be made no
less than two weeks prior to the date the permit will be needed. Permits are $3
(exact amount only). For more information, call Glenda Greer at 927-9400. You
can leave name, phone, and directions to address on answering machine. Permits
may be picked up only on Monday and Wednesday afternoons from 12:00-4:30 PM.
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.
Haynesville
Elementary Collecting “Pennies For St. Jude”
Haynesville
Elementary has begun its annual collection of “Pennies for St. Jude”. All coins
will be accepted. All proceeds will go the St. Jude Children’s Research
Hospital. All students, parents, and businesses are encouraged to send all
their loose coins to Haynesville Elementary during the month of August and
September.
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.