Two Homer Councilmen Resign
Council Calls Election, Appoints
Temporary Replacements
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Two days after
the Homer Town Clerk turned in her resignation to take another job in Bradley,
Arkansas, two of the five councilmen for the Town of Homer sent their formal
notarized letters of resignation to Secretary of State Fox McKeithen.
On Friday, Thomas McDonald and Johnette Faulkner met
with Mayor Huey Dean to inform him of their decision.
Thomas McDonald
said, "I am operating two businesses and trying to get a third business
open by March 1st. I feel like the people in my district were not getting fair
representation." He continued, "I told myself when I took this job,
if it was going to jeopardize my business, I would have to step down."
Faulkner gave
only personal reasons as her reason for resigning. Mayor Dean was quoted in The Shreveport Times
stating the two had resigned because of racial problems and hatred in the
community. Both were adamant that was not true, that they had never made that
statement. Dean confirmed their claims, stating he not told that to The Times.
On Tuesday,
February 22, the Town Council held a special called meeting to address the town
clerk's position. The three remaining councilmen voted to add to the agenda the
resignation of the two councilmen, calling a special election, advertising for
bids on streets, and closing the portion of Pearl Street by Homer Junior High.
Mayor Huey Dean
said he had spoken with the office of the Secretary of State and the Louisiana
Municipal Association, and was told the resignations of Thomas McDonald and Johnette Faulkner had been received by the Secretary of
State. The Council now had ten days to appoint someone to the vacant positions
and to call an election. Dean said the next open primary is October 15, 2005.
Qualifying for that election would be held August 10-12, 2005.
The Council
voted to add several items to the agenda at their special called meeting on
Tuesday, February 22, to include advertising for bids on streets, accepting the
resignation of the two councilmen and calling for an election.
The Council
then voted to accept the resignations of Faulkner and McDonald, to declare the
two seats vacant and to call for an election on October 15, 2005.
Jesse Ford's motion to appoint Ronnie Anderson in District 4 and
Toney Johnson in District 3 until the election could be held was approved by a
vote of 2-1, with Ford and
J. C. Moore voting in favor and Billy Kirk Jenkins voting
against.
The Council
voted to accept the resignation of town clerk Brandi Ware, to temporarily appoint office clerk Rita Mitchell as
"acting" clerk, and to advertise for the position of town clerk.
Ford said he
would like to see the office staff work together and the town clerk to help out
when possible.
SMOKE WAS SPOTTED BY A
FORESTRY PLANE flying over this home just before 5
PM on Friday, February 18. The home had apparently been burning for
awhile when firefighters arrived. After extinguishing the flames, they
recovered the body of Walker Evans, the ninth fire victim in Claiborne
Parish since November.
Fire Claims Life Of
Elderly Man
Fire Marshall, ATF Investigating Fire At Oasis Club
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
For the ninth
time in the past three months, fire has claimed the life of a Claiborne Parish
resident. On Friday, February 18, at approximately 4:45 PM, a forestry airplane
spotted smoke coming from a home on Walker Evans Road near Lisbon and notified
the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office. According to Fire Chief Wayne Tanner,
firefighters from Fire District 6 were on the scene within minutes but the fire
had apparently been burning for awhile. All that was left were studs and walls.
The ceiling had already fallen in making it impossible for emergency personnel
to enter the building. The body of Walker Evans was found only after the fire
was extinguished.
Tanner said the
State Fire Marshal was investigating the incident, but the cause of the fire
appeared to be a space heater. He said there were no smoke detectors in the
house.
Detective Chuck
Talley with the Claiborne Parish Sheriff's Office said their office was
following standard procedure when a fatality occurs in a fire and is working
with the State Fire Marshal's to confirm that the death was accidental. A
preliminary report is expected this week.
In the early
morning hours of Saturday, February 19, Haynesville firefighters were called to
another fire at the Oasis Nightclub on Hwy. 79.
Upon entry of the building, they discovered evidence of a possible
burglary and notified the Haynesville Police Department. It appeared persons
had gained entry by punching a hole along the roof line on the north side of
the building, then unsuccessfully
attempted to drag a safe out of the building.
The State Fire Marshal and ATF were called in to investigate.
Haynesville
Police Officer John Barnette said they gained entry
to the building by removing screws from the tin on the side of the building,
then kicking some of the boards off the wall. Arson is suspected. There were
signs some type of accelerant had been used to set the fire on the north side
of the building.
Police Chief
Jim Garner said the interior of the building received heavy damage and it is
not known at this time when the owner will reopen for business..
Haynesville Town Council Tables
Hiring Police Officers
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Haynesville
Police Chief Jim Garner informed the Haynesville Town Council that his office
had lost three more officers. One had taken a job with the Claiborne Parish
Sheriff's Office for more money and another had gone to Arcadia after he failed
to pass the physical fitness test necessary before entering the Police Academy.
A third officer left for personal reasons.
Garner asked
the Council to approve hiring two officers who were present at the meeting,
Eric Rockett and William Richardson. Councilman Joyce
Majors asked Garner if he had advertised for the openings in the newspaper.
Garner said he had not because his office did not have the money to advertise.
He had run ads twice in the last six months, in several area newspapers, but
only had ten applicants after the first ad and three after the second. He said Rockett and Richardson applied without an ad.
Majors said she
believed he would have had more applicants if he had advertised the position in
the two local papers. She said, "I think you did our parish a
disservice."
Renee Buggs asked if the Town had a policy for hiring officers.
Mayor Mickey Mayfield said the Police Chief interviews
applicants, then recommends them to the Council for approval.
CAUTION: SHALLOW WATER LAUNCH AREA_TRIM UP. This sign is posted at the Lisbon Landing boat ramp on Lake Claiborne as
a warning to boaters. Improvements to the landing located on La. 2 are one step
closer to being completed thanks to the combined effort of the Claiborne Parish
Industrial Board, Watershed District and Police Jury. Each contributed $6,000
toward the project. Police Jury President Roy Lewis, Industrial Board Chairman
Dennis Butcher, Watershed District Chairman Alice Stewart, and Road
Superintendent Dean Busby recently inspected the site. The lake is still down
almost two feet, which is noticeable by the sand bar still visible behind the
ramp. "The lake drawdown has made it evident the need for dredging the
lake in the very near future," said Stewart, however, it is difficult for
the Watershed District to properly manage the lake with a budget of only
$12,000 per year.
American Cancer Society "Relay For
Life"
April 22, 2005 ∙ 6:00 PM ∙
Homer High
Relay Teams are
needed to participate in this annual American Cancer Society "Relay For Life" to be held Friday, April 22, 2005 at Homer
High School beginning at 6 PM. To participate, team members pay $10 and agree
to raise $100, then take turns walking the track
during the event. At 9
PM, a special luminaria ceremony will be held to
remember individuals who have been affected by cancer. Luminaries can be
purchased for $10 in memory or in honor of an individual. Checks payable to the
American Cancer Society can be mailed to Patricia Folts,
329 Coleman Loop, Homer, LA 71040. For more
information, contact Chairmen Sandra Griggs or Nancy Mason by calling 927-9626.
THE 1920s OIL BOOM IN CLAIBORNE PARISH was the topic of a panel discussion during the grand opening of the
newest display at the Ford Museum last Sunday, February 20. Moderating the
discussion was Dr. Thomas Greer (left) with panelists (l.-r.) Jack Beard, Maxie Garrett, Marshall Shaw,
Ronald Day, and Dr. Doris Carter.
Effect Of 1920s
Oil Boom Still Seen
In Claiborne Parish
BY SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
If you missed
the grand opening of the "Claiborne Parish In the 1920s: The Oil
Boom" at the Herbert S. Ford Memorial Museum last Sunday, it is still not
too late to visit the museum and view the new display showing the impact the
oil boom had on Claiborne Parish. Guest speaker, Dr. Marguerite Plummer, told
those who attended the national oil boom started around 1850, and hit Louisiana
just after the turn of the century. Plummer gave an overview of the discovery
of oil in Claiborne Parish beginning with the first well in the Homer Oilfield
in January 1919. In March, 1921, oil was discovered in the Haynesville
District, then later in Lisbon. In 1920, oil being produced in Claiborne Parish
boosted Louisiana to third place among the nation's oil producing states.
Plummer read an
excerpt from the December 1919 issue of The Guardian-Journal which
reported Homer was overflowing with strangers and the Claiborne Hotel was
overflowing. "Tramps and beggars" and even "an occasional
Jezebel" were observed walking down the streets. The population growth
spurred construction of new schools, stores, and churches in the Homer oilfield
and in Haynesville. Many of those people who moved into this area to get jobs
in the new oil industry stayed in Claiborne Parish and made their homes here,
even when the oil industry started to decline. Several individuals connected to
the Homer Oilfield served as panelists during an open discussion period
following Plummer's remarks.
Jack Beard, a
retired art professor at Louisiana Tech, came to Claiborne Parish as a
youngster when his dad took a job with an oil company. They lived in a shotgun
house in the Homer Oilfield where he grew up roaming the woods. To shouts of
"amen" from several other panelists, Beard said, "(It was) one
of most fantastic places to grow up in the world_in
Claiborne Parish, the best time any kid could ever have."
Maxie Billingsley Garrett agreed. The Homer Oilfield was a
wonderful place to grow up, because we were all family. She said, "We were
oilfield kids. We weren't country kids. We weren't town kids. We were oilfield
kids, and we were proud of it....and nobody, nobody called us 'oilfield
trash'."
Marshall Shaw
told of how his great uncle George
Thornton Shaw ended up the sole owner of the family farm and how he became
immensely rich, thanks to the efforts of A.E. Wilder, when the discovery well
came in. Unfortunately, they did not have a share in the production. George was
somewhat of a philanthropist, donating the house on North Main where Charles
Lewis now lives to the Claiborne Parish School Board. Marshall said his uncle
later moved to the
Shreveport area and bought a plantation in Bossier, but later lost it during
the depression
Ronald Day said
he came to the Homer Oilfield on May 2, 1953, at the tail end of the oil boom.
His father, J.T. Day, owned the last grocery store in the Homer Oilfield. Day
said, "It was a privilege to be raised out there."
Dr. Doris
Carter, history professor at Grambling State University, researched information
on William "Bill" Chatman. She said Chatman was born about 1826. He
lacked a formal education, but was enterprising and perceptive and engaged in
several real estate transactions over the years. After reconstruction he was
able to purchase land. In 1897, he purchased 80 acres for $450. In 1904, in addition
to other land purchases, he sold 80 acres to George Shaw, which Shaw later sold
back to him in 1910 for the exact same amount of money. Carter said the fact he engaged in all these
real estate negotiations before oil was discovered on his property attests to
the skill he possessed, even without a formal education.
Chatman and
Methodist preacher Andrew Rhodes worked to establish a rural school for African
American children, each donating land for what became known as the Chatman
School. Chatman died in August 1930. Seventeen years later, the School Board returned the land the
Chatman School was built on to his widow, Elnora, for $350. Rhodes's
daughter-in-law declined the same offer.
Carter said
Bill Chatman was not a selfish person, but one who enjoyed life and sharing his
amassed fortune with others. He possessed a tenacity of purpose, and probably
one of the defining moments of his life was building that school. In her
opinion, "(Chatman's) legacy was that he was instrumental in effecting
change."
Following a
lively exchange of stories about the Oil Boom era, participants enjoyed
refreshments while viewing the new "Oil Boom" display, in addition to
several other new displays.
Mayfield To
Seek Second Term As Haynesville Mayor
Mickey Mayfield, in announcing his candidacy for a second term
as mayor of the Town of Haynesville, said he believes the future of Haynesville
lies with the image the town projects to future
business prospects and to its residents. He continued saying "It is important for the person
who represents the town to project the hospitality and friendliness of the
community as a whole. It is the mayor's responsibility to show these traits, as
well as aggressively and energetically taking care of the town's finances and
infrastructure."
Mayfield thanks
residents for their past support and for their prayers. In closing, he said he
would like to continue to work toward making Haynesville a place people are
proud to call home and business owners want to invest their money, and he
humbly asks for your vote on Saturday, April 2.
