Lake Drawdown Has Ups And Downs
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
The drawdown of
Lake Claiborne began when gates were opened at the dam on September 7 and by
October 5 had reached the maximum drawdown of 7 feet below pool stage. Lake
residents will have until January 2005 to complete any repairs or maintenance
on their property along the shorelines.
At that time, the gates will be closed.
Routine drawdowns of
Lake Claiborne every eight years was approved by the Claiborne Parish
Watershed District Commission in June 2002. Requests were submitted and
approved by the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana DOTD.
The last
drawdown was in 1999 when the lake was lowered 4 feet between September 6, 1999
and January 17, 2000 for the purpose of exposing the stumps for buoy placement.
Although drawdowns are used to promote aquatic
habitats and fish populations, untimely or excessive drawdowns
can have a negative effect.
Within days
after the drawdown began on September 7, Claiborne Parish Watershed
Commissioner Alice Stewart received complaints of flooding downstream, which
she and her husband confirmed. She contacted Harvey Christian with DOTD who
determined the water level of the lake was dropping at a rate of about 5 inches
per day. He came back to Homer September 14 and closed one gate, reducing the
flow to 2.4 inches per day. DOTD will continue to monitor the channel levels
downstream.
This year's
drawdown had another negative effect when three cows belonging to George Hollis
became trapped in the soft mud along the shoreline near King's Point, as waters
began to recede during the first week of the drawdown. Stewart received a complaint about the
trapped cows and contacted Sheriff Deputy Jeff Pugh who oversees the lake
patrol during summer months.
THE BUOY REPLACEMENT CREW_Volunteers
who agreed to help replace buoys on Lake Claiborne
during the drawdown are (l.-r.) Bobby Joslin,
Ron Gott, Roger "Smiley" Pemberton, Henry
Robin, and E.C. Greene. Pemberton, who oversees the buoy project recovered 10
buoys that washed ashore near the dam The Commission needs more 5-gallon
buckets to make the concrete buoy weights. Anyone who would like to contribute
can leave buckets behind the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office.
WATERSHED COMMISSION PRESIDENT Bobby Joslin (left) and Harvey Christian
with the Louisiana DOTD are shown here on the Lake Claiborne spillway on
September 7 opening the gate to the dam.
Gates will be closed January 15, 2005. Information on the 2004 drawdown
can be accessed online at the Claiborne Parish Watershed District website at
claibornewatershed.home.att.net.
THE CARCASSES OF THREE COWS who became trapped in the mud along the bank of Lake Claiborne about a
week after the beginning of the drawdown were beginning to deteriorate last
week.
Search Warrants Lead To Drug Arrests
Claiborne
Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey announced Monday that a six month investigation had
concluded with the arrest of Devinci L. Thornton, 34,
of Homer. Thornton was arrested October 4 on three warrants issued by Second
Judicial Judge Glen Fallin for distribution of
cocaine. In addition, agents from Metro Narcotics, Louisiana State Police,
Claiborne and Webster Parish Sheriff's offices and the Minden Police Department
served a search warrant on Thornton's residence at 1400 Pearl Street which led
to the seizure of a quantity of marijuana and cocaine.
Thornton was
initially arrested at a Monroe Avenue residence which led to a second search
warrant being issued. This search resulted in the seizure of approximately 15½
ounces cocaine. Officers then arrested Sonya M. Webb, 32, a Claiborne Parish
Sheriff's Office civil deputy. Webb and Thornton were both charged with
possession of over 400 grams cocaine.
Thornton was
booked into the Claiborne Parish Detention Center. No bond has been set. Webb was transported to
the Claiborne Parish Jail women's facility and later released on $15,000 bond.
Due to her arrest on the felony charge, Webb has since been terminated.
Sheriff Bailey
said he is committed to serving the law by strictly enforcing narcotics laws of
our state. As unfortunate as this circumstance is, he said he will continue to
abide by the law through strict, unbiased enforcement.
Claiborne Industrial Board Meets
Topics Include Juvenile Detention
Center, Wood Processing Plant
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
The
possibility of constructing a juvenile detention center in Claiborne Parish was
one of the topics discussed at the monthly meeting of the Claiborne Parish
Industrial Board last week. Board Chairman Dennis Butcher and board members Kenneth Volentine and John Wesley Cooper were recently appointed to
a subcommittee of the Claiborne Chamber of Commerce chaired by Gurvis Vines to study the feasibility of such a project and
reported on their meeting held September 23.
They were still
in the early stages of the study. Volentine had contacted the
financial consulting firm and architectural firm used for the Claiborne
Detention Center and they had agreed to assist in providing financial
information and a drawing for a 40-bed facility.
Volentine said, "{Housing juveniles} is a problem all
across the state." Governor Kathleen Blanco recently separated adults and
juveniles under the Department of Corrections and, with the recent closure of
the 700-bed juvenile center in Tallulah, there is going to be a greater need.
Right now, many juveniles are sent home because of lack of bed space or the
cost to house them.
Homer Council Discusses Overtime Issues
Hears From Christmas Festival Committee
By K. H. HIGHTOWER, The
Guardian-Journal
A lengthy
discussion over employee overtime took up much of the regular monthly meeting
of the Homer Town Council with councilmen expressing concern with the number of
overtime hours reported in both the public works and police departments.
In answering the overtime hours for the Homer Police Department,
Captain Donald Malray told council members the
overtime reported for the specific pay period in question was due to special
circumstances. All of the police officers were required to work on the nights
of two football games falling on consecutive weekends in Homer as well as
sending some to work the Homer-Haynesville football game in Haynesville. Malray went on to say that many of the officers were
sequestered as witnesses during the trial of Darryl Heard.
Police Chief Rodney Hollenshead told
the council members that during that time he was out with an injury. He also
reminded council members one of the officers had been in an accident on the
night of the Homer-Haynesville football game.
Sci-Port Discovery Center Seniors Are
Special! Day
Wednesday, October 13 ∙ 10 AM-2 PM
The Sci-Port Discovery Center located at 820 Clyde Fant Parkway in Shreveport will hold a "Seniors Are
Special! Day" on Wednesday, October 13, from 10 AM - 2 PM hosted by
Councils on Aging in Northwest Louisiana.. Admission
is free for seniors 60 and older. ($6 for those under 60) Information will be
provided to assist seniors in applying for free medicines through a new state
program. Enjoy Sci-Ports new Optical illusions, 200
hands-on exhibits and live animals. Add an IMAX film for $3 (BUGS at 11 AM,
Lewis & Clark at noon and NASCAR at 1 PM). Free lunch
available for seniors from 11 AM - 1 PM. For information on available
transportation from Claiborne Parish, call Claiborne Community Services at
927-3557.
Halloween Hayride At
Lake Claiborne State Park
Saturday, ,
October 23 ∙ 7-9 PM
Lake Claiborne
State Park will hold a "Halloween Hayride in the Park" on Saturday,
October 23, as part of their Halloween night festivities. Hayrides will begin
every 15 minute from 7-9 PM. There will also be a "Best Scary
Display" contest and a "Best Dressed Goblin" contest. Deadline
to register for the Display contest is October 20. Judging will take place
October 23 from 6:00-7:30 PM. The "Best Dressed Goblin" contest is
for the following age categories: 0-5; 6-8; and 9-11. All contest winners will
be announced at 8 PM. Admission to the park is $2 per vehicle for up to four
persons and 50 cents for each additional person. Senior citizens, 62 or over,
are admitted free of charge. For more information, call 1-888-677-2524
(toll-free) or 927-2976 in Homer area.
THE CORNEY LAKE RECREATION AREA reopened in September, after being closed since August 1 to repave and
repair the entry road and parking lot. District Ranger Alvin Womack recently
toured the area with Jamie Williams and Jim Caldwell (above photo). Womack
checks out fish caught by Danny Cardin (left). (lower
photo) Womack chats with Bill Bailey while he waits to launch his boat. Bailey
asked what was being done about the moss overtaking the lake. Womack said the
U.S. Forest Service was hoping to find a solution to the problem soon and were
looking at several options—herbicide, carp, or lake drawdown. He realizes any
solution is going to be somewhat controversial.
