School Board Hires Attorney For Justice Dept

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            The Claiborne Parish School Board, at the recommendation of Superintendent James Scriber, voted to hire attorney Joe Bertrand of New  Orleans at a rate of $125 per hour to represent the school district regarding potential litigation involving the U.S. Justice Department. Scriber said Bertrand is well qualified and an expert in school law. Hammons and Seals charges $160 hour. Scriber said, "This will be expensive, but it will be way more expensive to do what Mrs. Goldschmidt has indicated she wants to see us do."

            Scriber said they have received nothing in writing from the Justice Department, but he understands they have received a number of complaints against the Board concerning expulsion, suspension, and unfair treatment. These complaints have never been brought to the Board. He is frustrated dealing with the Justice Department and is no longer dealing directly with Mrs. Goldschmidt.

            Scriber said his goal has been to make sure every student will have an opportunity to learn, but whether a student takes advantage of  that opportunity is out of his control.

            The only students you can tell where to go to school are poor students because they have no other choice. Students who come from families that are financially able can send them to private education, or they can move. In either case, it affects what happens to those poor students who are left, because you lose approximately $5,000 for each student who leaves this system. Scriber said, "That is money we are going to have to spend, and when you come to the bottom of it, it affects the classroom."

            Will Maddox said, "I just hope these people who are stirring...realize it is their tax money that is being spent."

            Scriber said, "For the people who keep complaining to Mrs. Goldschmidt, I don't know what to say to them. I've set goals for this school system and my number one goal has been to provide an educational opportunity for every student. I don't know where else to go. Whoever turned us in should be happy."

            "Naturally we wish we could come to some kind of agreement with the Justice Department without having to go to court," said Scriber, but the Board is not going to cave in to unreasonable requests for this school system. He said, "What we should be most interested in is what goes on in the classroom, and this will take away some from there."

            Scriber said, "It is a real burden for this system, for me, for the board, for all those people who work for us, everyone in the central office. In the end, it is going to be a burden on students and parents."

            Tommy Davidson said, "We are going to end up spending money that could have gone to teacher raises and into the classroom."

CHART FROM USGS WEBSITE showing the levels of Lake Claiborne near Aycock, Louiaiana. Normal pool stage is at 9 feet. The maximum 7-foot drawdown would be gauged at 2.0 feet.

Rainfall Affects Lake Claiborne Drawdown

Watershed District To Discuss Options At Thursday Meeting

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

            With just two weeks to go until the end of the year, Claiborne Parish is less than three inches away from breaking the 50-year-old rainfall record set at the Hill Farm Research Station. In 1991, the Hill Farm recorded 79.78 inches of rain that year. In April of 1991, the Hill Farm recorded 26.79 inches of rain in one 24-hour period, which caused extensive flooding throughout the parish and around Lake Claiborne.

            According to lab technician Nancy Boddie, the Hill Farm has recorded 72.97 inches of rain so far this year as of the end of November, and another 3.87 inches has been added in December, with 2.05 inches of that falling on one day, Tuesday, December 7. This puts the total rainfall for the year at 76.84 inches. All that is needed to tie the overall record is another 2.94 inches before January 1, 2005.

            This substantial rainfall has caused problems with the routine drawdown of Lake Claiborne. The 7-foot drawdown which began September 7, was complete by October 7, however persistent rainfall throughout October and November caused the lake level to rise. DOTD increased the rate of drawdown to compensate for the rainfall and has continued to closely monitor the lake levels.

            As of December 14, the lake level was about one foot above the maximum 7 foot drawdown level. Alice Stewart, Vice Chairman of the Claiborne Parish Watershed District Commission, met with several lake residents in November to listen to concerns about the effect the delay in completing the drawdown is having on property owners trying to make needed repairs to their shoreline property.

            One member of the Lake Claiborne Citizens Advisory Group would like the Commission to consider extending the lake drawdown until March 15, 2005. Extending the drawdown could have a negative effect on fish reproduction and would require approval from Baton Rouge.

            The Claiborne Parish Watershed District Commission will hold their regular quarterly meeting on Thursday, December 16 at 5:30 PM in the Police Jury Complex. Harvey Christian with the La. Dept. of Transportation  and Development (DOTD) and James Seales with Wildlife and Fisheries (WLF) are expected to attend to address concerns about the drawdown and what options the Commission has. Anyone interested is encouraged to attend.

            Other agenda items include dam inspection reports by DOTD,  Riparian (shoreowner property) rights and Watershed District responsibility by District Attorney Walter May, reports on drawdown projects, yo-yo regulation, annual plan, election of officers, and general business.

            For more information, contact the Watershed Commission by calling (318) 927-9832.

Police Jury Approves Hardship Assistance Policy,

2005 Budget

BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal

           Claiborne Parish Police Jury held a hearing to allow comments on the proposed 2005 budget at their regular meeting on Thursday, December 9. Secretary Cynthia Steele said the proposed budget did not include anything for a blacktopping program, salary increases, or replacing employees who have retired. Nothing was budgeted for blacktopping in 2004. They did budget $20,000 for fuel, but ended up spending about $100,000.

            Jury President Weldon Kilpatrick said the only place to balance the budget was to cut money from the road program. Jurors approved the proposed budget with total estimated revenues and expenditures of $3,988,695. Scott Davidson said it was possible they would have a small surplus after the first of the year. Jurors approved the budget with only Willie Young Sr. voting  against the motion.

            Jurors approved a hardship assistance policy to allow expenditure of public funds to support the needy based on whether a family's income falls below the established poverty guidelines and there is a medical condition necessitating the assistance that is verified by medical providers with supporting information. Cost of materials may not exceed $250.

DR. PAT BATES, CHAIRMAN of the Marketing Committee for the Claiborne Education Endowment Fund was presented a resolution of support from Claiborne Chamber of Commerce President J. T. Taylor and Executive Director John David Watson.  Bates and CEEF Board Chairman Joe Richardson are currently conducting a membership drive. Membership donations are $10 per year, from September to September. The CEEF was chartered in 2004. Funds raised will be used to provide grants to public schools and classroom teachers.

Claiborne Education Endowment Fund Conducting Membership Drive

            Members of the Board of Directors and the Marketing Committee for the Claiborne Education Endowment Fund, Inc. (CEEF) are conducting a membership drive in an effort to promote excellence in education in Claiborne Parish public schools. Joe Richardson, chairman of the Board of Directors and Dr. Pat Bates, Chairman of the Marketing Committee, are encouraging parents, educators, community members, business leaders, school alumni, and anyone who would like to help strengthen the educational opportunities in our schools to become a charter member. Individuals can join for an annual donation of $10 per year.

            Although they work closely with the Claiborne Parish School Board, the CEEF in an independent organization and strictly community-driven. The CEEF Board will oversee investment and distribution of funds. Last September, Jess Robinson on behalf of the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Minden presented a check for $5,000 to Richardson. This was the first contribution received for the Fund.

            Once enough funds have been accumulated, the CEEF Board will use the interest generated each year to provide grants up to $1,000 for teachers to use in their classroom and school-wide grants for programs up to $5,000. CEEF grants are designed to reward the creative initiative of teachers and to provide funding for classroom projects which will help increase learning opportunities. Any Claiborne Parish public school classroom or special education teacher, librarian, or guidance counselor, social worker, or other education professional directly involved in classroom instruction is eligible to apply. All projects must conform to approved state and parish curriculum guidelines for teaching these subjects.

            To become a CEEF member, complete the form below and submit it with your $10 donation to the principal of your school or a CEEF representative at the Claiborne Parish School Board Office, 415 East Main Street, Homer, LA 71040. For more information, call Joe Richardson at 927-3468 or email him at joer@shreve.net.

DR. NELSON PHILPOT (left) recently returned from a trip to Mexico where he lectured on control of bovine mastitis in a veterinary school. As a result of the lecture, the dean of the school volunteered to provide faculty and students on a gratis basis to conduct vaccination programs and dog and cat neutering workshops for the local agricultural missionaries throughout the state of Oaxaco in southern Mexico. He is shown here with Dr. Ken Tipton, vice chancellor emeritus with the LSU Agricultural Center.

Poverty Major Cause Of World Hunger

Dr. Nelson Philpot Speaks To Homer Lions

            Dr. Nelson Philpot told Homer Lions there are two different types of people in the world_those who have too much and those who have too little. One billion people in the world live on $1 per day; two billion live on $2 per day. Two thousand die of hunger every hour and 500,000 children go blind for lack of vitamin A in their bloodstream. Missionaries have discovered a few peanuts a day provide enough fat to get the vitamin into the bloodstream.

            December is the time of the year when members of the Homer Lions Club help organize the "Spirit of Christmas Food Drive" so it seemed appropriate to have Philpot share an informative presentation on agricultural missions. He said, "The real problem with world hunger is not so much food insufficiency at the present time, as it is poverty. It is poverty that prevents the world from buying readily available food." To break the cycle of poverty on a worldwide basis, to prevent the hunger and death that results from poverty, we need to promote economic development and self-sufficiency.

Claiborne Boys & Girls Club To Hold Traffic Stop

            The Boys & Girls Club of Claiborne Parish will have a "Traffic Stop" in Homer on Friday, December 17 from 3:00-5:30 PM, and in Haynesville on Saturday, December 18 from 11:00 AM-3:00 PM. This event is being conducted to assist the M.A.D. (Make A Difference) Campaign in reaching its goal to raise $10,000 by December 31, 2004. Funds are needed to continue providing programs and services for more than 300 children presently being served at the units in Homer and Haynesville. For more information or to make a contribution, call Executive Director Leroy Hamilton, Jr. at 927-2718 or Mae Williams at 927-3022.

Claiborne Chamber Of Commerce Says,

"Shop Claiborne First"

            Merchants in Homer will be open until 7 PM Thursday, December 16 for local residents' Christmas shopping convenience. The Claiborne Chamber of Commerce will serve hot chocolate and coffee along with hot dogs and chili dogs. There will also be Christmas singing on the Courthouse Square. The Chamber encourages local shoppers to come out and support these hometown merchants and remember to "Shop Claiborne Parish First".

Christmas  Memory Tree

In Memory Of—Given By

Union & Pearlene Hay Bell -their Children

Thomas Fidel Bell - Brothers & Sisters

Plummer Bell & Shinet -Collina Holyfield

Edward Kirk Womack - Reece & Dorris Robinson

Sylvia Faulkner -Angela, Amy, Kim Adkins

Sylvia Smith Faulkner - Theola Smith

Lois Adkins -Angela, Amy, Kim Adkins

Dr. J.F. Gladney Sr. -Dr. Pat, Paula, and Patsy

Jemmie N. Gladney - Dr. Pat, Paula, and Patsy

Jennifer Ruth Thomas - Dr. Pat, Paula, and Patsy

Nell B. Gladney - Dr. Pat, Paula, and Patsy

Vernice A. Hillidge - Dr. Pat, Paula, and Patsy

Mr/Mrs William Bless - Willadean Bless

Mr./Mrs. J.L. Rogers - Willadean Bless

C. T. Hammonds - Lindsay Hammonds

Kyle Hammons -Mike,Tammy Hammons

Bobby C. Cooper Sr. - Bobby Jr, Laveda, Gary, Burce, Tracey

Marion White - Perry Hammontree

Doris Volentine - Joey, Gayle and Staci Speer

Joe & Opal Speer- Joey, Gayle and Staci Speer

Jean Lochner- Joey, Gayle and Staci Speer

Mary Margaret Barnette McDonald - Dorothy and Bill Taylor

In Honor Of—Given By

Loved Ones - Elvie and Lawrence White

Raymond & Peggy Jo Sanders - Marlene Sanders

Shirley White - Perry Hammontree

Cecil Volentine- Joey, Gayle & Staci Speer

Maybelle Moore & Mack Ramsey - Mack Ramsey

Ed & Donna Duraczynsk - Mack & Maybelle Ramsey

Ann & Glenn Osment - Mack & Maybelle Ramsey

Carolyn Goodwin - Mack & Maybelle Ramsey

David & Carolyn Moore - Mack & Maybelle Ramsey

To purchase a light for the Christmas Memory Tree, send $5 with name of person (indicate whether in "memory" or "honor") and who the gift is from to  Claiborne Parish Christmas Festival at 400 West 3rd St., Homer, LA 71040 or take to Miss Lizzies For more info, call 927-9009.

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