CLAIBORNE ACADEMY STUDENTS AND STAFF began
September 11 with a schoolwide service remembering the terrorist attacks. Led
by Headmaster Chuck Herrington, students gathered for a moving service of
prayer and patriotic music. Ed Watson rang a bell five times to mark the fifth
anniversary of 9-11. Boy Scouts A. J. Taunton, Adam Wilder, and Drew Baker
raised the American flag to half mast, and FCA members led the students in
prayer.
Homer Police Officers Get
Pay Raise
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Homer Police officers will
receive a fifty (50) cent across the board raise effective on their next
paycheck. The Homer Town Council voted 4-0 to give the pay raises requested by
Police Chief Russell Mills, with Billy Kirk Jenkins abstaining. Voting to
approve the raise were Jesse Ford, Carlette Sanford, Toney Johnson, and J. C.
Moore. New hourly rates are as follows: Jimmy Faulkner $10.57 per hour, Linda Featherston
- $12.00, Keith Ferguson - $10.57, Jimmy Hamilton - $10.95, and Kenneth Wood -
$10.00. Newly hired officers were not included.
Proposed salary increases for
the public works department and the business office were tabled until the
Finance Committee could review the increases, compare to the budget and come
back with a recommendation next month. Voting for the motion to table were
Ford, Sanford, Johnson, and Jenkins. Voting against was Moore.
Salary increased that were
proposed were as follows: Public Works Department, Supervisor Lee Wells, from
$10.00 to $12.00 (increase of $2.00 per hour); Derrick Burns from $8.80 to
$9.25 (increase of $0.45),
Loyd T. Henderson from $8.03 to $9.25 (increase $1.22), and
Walter S. Young from $9.22 to $9.25 (increase of $.03.)
In the
Business Office, Town Clerk Rita Mitchell from $10.76 to $13.15 (increase of
$2.39), Town Treasurer Shenovia Harris from $10.76 to $13.15 (increase of
$2.39), and Part-Time Office Clerk June McClure from $7.50 to $9.00 (increase
of $1.50).
Mayor Huey Dean opened the
three sealed bids for street overlay
In addition to the streets that
were approved to be advertised, Dean requested additional quotes on the streets
to the Armory Park and to the Golf Course, and a
196 foot section to the building occupied by Stallion at the Homer Airport.
Bids varied from 1.5 to 2
inches asphalt compacted. At least one bid included raising manholes and
striping. There was also some question as to whether the three companies had
bid the same footage on several streets.
Bids were as follows:
1) Amethyst Construction in West Monroe (formerly Lincoln Asphalt) -
$252,960.19
2) Bill’s Paving
in Minden - $269,065.50
3) Burton Construction and Paving in
Homer - $218,326.00
The Council voted to allow
Mayor Dean and Town Clerk Rita Mitchell to review each bid and compare street
by street, bid by bid, making sure the bids were for same area, then award job
to the low bidder.
Mayor Dean reported on a plan
to solve the situation at the Homer Airport to keep trucks off the runway
apron as required by FAA. He suggested the Council install a door on the back
side of the building at a cost of $4,090, haul in 500 yards of dirt at cost between $500-$750, and overlay about 197 feet from the road
to the door at a cost of about $3,500. Stallion presently employees 35 persons
and expects to hire another 40 employees. The Council approved making the
improvements.
Business Owner Dale Tully
complained about the lack of parking around the Courthouse Square for retail businesses,
especially on days when court was in session. She suggested the Council pass an
ordinance requiring 30 minute parking and make businesses require their
employees to park at the rear of their stores.
Chief Russell Mills said he
realized parking was bad for business, but it would be difficult for officers
to enforce. They would be required to mark tires and keep a check every 30
minutes. Jesse Ford suggested the Council table the issue until it could be
studied further to allow the mayor and chief time to come up with a
recommendation. Vernon James asked whether the town had the right to control
parking on the Square without consulting the Police Jury who oversees property
on the Courthouse side.
Tully said she was not trying
to be difficult but was trying to accommodate her elderly customers. She noted
about 6 or 7 employees park in front of the tax assessor’s office every day.
James Colvin suggested businesses on the Square post signs in front of their
businesses. Tully said it would help if she could at least get another handicap
parking space. Ford said that would not be a problem.
Marios Papadopoulos gave a
report on the recent inspection by DEQ at the town’s wastewater treatment
plant. He said the plant was in compliance, however concerns were noted about
the bar screen, creek pond, and sludge removal. These are the same concerns he
has been reporting to the Council. He expects the contractor to complete the
project by mid-September. They are almost 3 months late and subject to a $500
per day penalty. The contractor is also responsible for removal of the concrete
debris and the sludge that was removed from the basins.
Ann Burton presented estimates
for refurbishing existing Christmas lights and purchasing new items. Her
request for $2,000 was approved.
The Council approved making
repairs on two culverts on Hunter Street at a cost of approximately
$250 each.
The Council approved a
proclamation designating September as Blood Cancer Awareness Month. Blood
cancers (Leukemia, Lymphoma & Myeloma) afflict more than 785,000 Americans
with an estimated 188,000 new cases each year. It is estimated blood cancers
will kill 53,920 people in the U.S. this year.
James Rhodes stated he was
proceeding with a lawsuit regarding the Council illegally trespassing on his
property and removing his trailer with notifying him. Johnson said the Town did
notify him for several months, telling him he was not in compliance,
that he did not have a permit for the trailer and he was instructed to
move the trailer. Mayor Dean asked Attorney David Newell to take care of the
issue.
Two School Burglaries Under Investigation
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
The Homer Police Department and
the Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s Office are investigating burglaries at two
parish schools.
Pineview High School reported a break-in early in
the morning on Wednesday, August 23. Stolen were three new Compaq computers and
three flat screen monitors, valued at $2,334. Also stolen was an older model
television.
According to Chief Detective
Chuck Talley with the Criminal Investigative Division (CID) of the Sheriff’s
Office, no forced entry was found, but there was damage to five doors with
several panes broken out.
Anyone with information on this
crime is asked to please call CID at 927-9800 or the Sheriff’s Office at
927-2011.
The Homer Police Department is
working to solve another school burglary, this one at Homer High School sometime before school opened
on Thursday, September 7. According to Police Chief Russell Mills, officers
received a call from Homer High Principal Dwight Mitchell around 7 AM. Apparently someone had gained
entry to the building through a small window on the northwest corner of the
building near the boys’ rest room. Once inside, they entered the office through
a window, then kicked in the door to the principal’s
office. Once inside they gained access to the secretary’s office where the safe
was kept.
The dial on the front of the
safe was removed, but the thieves were unsuccessful in getting the safe open.
Using a school dollie, the safe was moved outside to an area on the west
side of the school where it was found the next morning by Mitchell.
A note written with a black
permanent marker on the glass top of the secretary’s desk said, “They don’t pay
enough.”
Anyone with information regarding
this crime or who may have seen someone in the area of the school between 12 AM and 7 AM last Thursday is asked to
please call the Homer Police Department at 927-4000.
Chief Mills said he was also
investigating a possible fraud case where a local lady answered an
advertisement in the Minden newspaper from a loan company
in Toronto, Canada. She apparently applied for
and was approved for a $5,000 loan, however, was required to send $785 by Western Union to cover insurance on the
loan. She wired the money August 18, but has yet to receive any money. The
Better Business Bureau has two other claims filed against this company, Drayton
Associates in Toronto.
Mills suggests contacting the
Better Business Bureau before signing any agreement or sending any money to any
company until it can be verified they are a reputable firm, especially those
companies located outside the United States.
Teacher Of
The Year Recognized
By School Board
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
Homer Elementary Teacher
Myrhonda Turner was recognized at the regular meeting of the Claiborne Parish
School Board last Thursday. Named Teacher of the Year, Turner was presented a
plaque and lap top computer. Principal Patrice Lee said, “She has outstanding
leadership abilities and consistently goes above and beyond for the benefit of
her students. She is truly an asset to Homer Elementary and Claiborne Parish.”
Executive Director Scott Hughes
for Alliance 
for Education presented grants totaling $2,954.87 to
four Claiborne Parish teachers last week. The Alliance awards grants to help public
education by providing money for teachers for the benefit of their students.
Since the grant program was started several years ago in Caddo and Bossier
parish, they have annually awarded $100,000 in the Teacher Mini-Grant program.
Todd Aulds at Athens High was
awarded $706.98 for his project “Enhancing the AR Section”. This will expand
library selection for Accelerated Reading books.
Maggie Harris at Homer
Elementary received $747.89 for A.R.T. or Accelerated Reading Theatre. It is an
integrated curriculum of reading and retelling stories by use of a collapsible
theatre in the school library. She said this is part of DIBELS Reading Assessment.
The school library now has over 4,000 books.
(Note: DIBELS® or The Dynamic
Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills is a proven paper-based assessment
that 
quickly identifies students at risk for reading failure. It has been cited
for its excellent compatibility with No Child Left Behind's Reading First, a
nationwide effort to enable all students to become successful early readers,
and has been selected by 45 states as part of their Reading First plans. It is a statistically valid and reliable indicator
of reading success, enabling teachers to identify individual students'
weaknesses before it is too late. After assessing the critical areas of
reading, teachers can adjust instruction to meet individual student needs.)
Kathy Johnston at Homer Elementary
was awarded $750 for Future Readers of America, a strong focus on reading by
building the library in her classroom.
Patrice Lee, principal of Homer
Elementary, was awarded $750 for Discovering Math, a program written for
Pre-school Department with the emphasis revamped, hands on math program.
Results of LEAP, GEE, and iLEAP
test scores were presented. Scriber said only a small percentage of students
were above grade level, which is why they need to emphasize more reading.
Scores are not where they need to be, but that does not mean teachers are not
working hard. ACT Scores showed a significant increase, up almost one full
point.
Scriber said, “I am not for
throwing out Direct Instruction (DI) out, but I do not think it is meeting all
the needs we have.” Last year they added more reading comprehension, because DI
is lacking there. Scriber suggested keeping DI as a tool but when the cycle
comes up in a few years, he suggested the Board adopt a basal reading series
parishwide, one that is approved by the state. DI is not approved by the state.
Scriber informed the Board the
sales tax collections went down in July. Some thought sales would go up at the
dollar stores, but they did not. He said, “This is going to be an economic blow
to our parish, but we won’t know how much for a full year.” The higher
collections the previous month were due to a couple of big settlements from
auditing firms and activity in the oil industry.
Boyce Shackelford Turns
100 On 9-11
BY
SUSAN T. HERRING, Editor, The Guardian-Journal
September
11—a significant date for many. The anniversary of Jack and Jackie
Kennedy who married in 1953. English novelist and poet D.H. Lawrence was
born in 1885. Also coaches Bear Bryant in 1913 and Tom Landry in 1924. And oh,
yes, Boyce Shackelford of Homer was born on that date in 1906. In Bernice.
Up until the last couple of
years, “Daddy Boyce” as he is affectionately called, was still living
independently, mowing his own yard, and driving himself around town. About two
years ago, he moved to Claiborne Manor where he stills remains active, even
doing a little gardening.
Ada Copeland and Allen
Shackelford were Boyce’s parents. He
remembers 
them as wonderful parents, always taking them to church and managing
to put a good meal on the table from the crops they grew at home. They seldom
went to the store. He was baptized by Brother B. C. Smith in Corney Creek above
the bridge. He had two sisters, Exer S. Kimbell and Malta S. Holder, and one
brother, Colvin, all who are
now deceased.
In the 1926, Boyce married Otha
Millner. He worked as a farmer in the Pisgah Community near Bernice until the
early 1940s when he moved his family to Homer so he could go to work for
Watkins Oil Company.
The couple had three children,
all born about 8 years apart. Their first child, daughter Wilma Lane, died just before her 8th
birthday. In an interview by Elaine Elliott in November 1999 for the book
“Memories and History of Pisgah Baptist Church and Community, 1851-2000”
published for their 150th anniversary in 2001, Boyce said, “Wilma Lane was a sweet little girl that
we lost so soon. Heaven is sweeter with her there.”
Their son, Harry Glenn, was
born after Wilma’s death. Harry lived in Homer with his wife Nannette until his
death from problems associated with diabetes on July
20, 1993.
Their youngest child, Myrna Gail Shackelford Tharpe, lives in Homer with her
husband, Joe.
Boyce has three grandchildren,
Ashley Benefield, who is now deceased, Scott Shackelford, and Allen
Shackelford; and one great-granddaughter, 18-year-old Kerri Leigh Shackelford.
In March 1968, Boyce married
Grace W. Reeves. A few months later he retired due to an accident. He and Grace
had 33 wonderful years together in Homer before her death from Alzheimer’s.
During those years, they enjoyed working in the yard, gardening, cooking and
traveling. When Grace’s disease confined her to the bed and robbed her of her
speech and memory, Boyce continued to care for her at home.
With Grace, Boyce inherited
another family, son and daughter-in-law, Richard and Jean Reeves of
Haynesville; three grandchildren, Ricky and wife Sue of Shongaloo, Randy and
wife Tonya of Blanchard, and Terri Reeves Brumfield and husband Steve of
Houston, Texas.
He also has six grandchildren:
Natalie B. Cano and husband Teo of Colorado Springs, Colorado; Michael Reeves,
and wife Tabatha of Fort Bragg, North Carolina; John Brumfield and wife Ashley
of San Diego, California; Steven Reeves, Kristin Reeves, and Lance Reeves; and
one great-granddaughter Alaina Reeves
Absentee Or Early Voting – September 18-23
Claiborne Parish Registrar of Voters Patricia Sanders
reminds voters that early or absentee voting will be held Monday-Saturday,
September 18-23, 2006, from 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM. Election day is Saturday,
September 30. Voters are reminded to bring a driver's license, a Louisiana Special
ID, or some other generally recognized picture ID. If you have questions, stop
by the Registrar’s office in the Police Jury Complex or call Sanders at
927-3332. Information on first four constitutional amendments on September 30
ballot can be found on page ? in
today’s issue.
Celebration Of Butterflies Saturday In Haynesville
The 8th Annual Haynesville
Celebration of Butterflies will be held at the Claiborne Parish Fairgrounds in
Haynesville on Saturday, September 16 beginning with the Parade at 9:30
AM.
Everyone is invited to come out and enjoy the many activities planned, the
food, and the live entertainment. For information, call Loice Kendrick-Lacy at
624-1929 or 1-870-234-4910, or email her at lklacy@magnolia-net.com.
THIS IS THE INCINERATOR used by the
Poultry Diagnostic Lab to dispose of poultry carcasses following necropsy.
Local Diagnostic Lab
Guards Food Safety
BY
JIMMY DEAN, Feature
Writer, The Guardian-Journal
Of the estimated 6 billion
people on this planet, many have unusual occupations. For example, in some
third world countries there is the "ankle beater," typically a
youngster who strikes the ankles of livestock to drive them to market. There is
also the "bird nest seller" who supplies the main ingredient for
Chinese "Bird's Nest Soup."
In this area someone who likes
animals, especially dead birds, and has a degree in veterinary science may work
at the Poultry Diagnostic Lab on Highway 79 west a couple of miles out of
Homer. The lab is a part of the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and
Forestry. Among other things, the lab provides testing and diagnostic services
related to poultry diseases.
On a recent visit to the Lab,
Linzi Poole, lab technician, provided a tour of the facilities. The building,
completed in late 2005, includes office and laboratory space for Jeff Bass,
forester, Dr. Mike Barrington, veterinarian, and Poole.
A Plain Dealing resident with a
Bachelor of Science degree from Tech, Poole commutes daily to the lab. She tests hundreds of blood
serum samples sent to the lab each week by area poultry processors. Poole’s tests contribute to the
safety of the nation’s food supply (think buckets of chicken and chicken
tenders and chicken fingers and chicken-this and chicken-that).
Poole’s tour includes various
laboratories (“...and here are knives used in bird necropsies”), then concludes
with the “bird crematorium,” an incinerator used for the disposition of bird
remains.
When asked, “Why do you have
‘bird remains’?” she explains that the lab occasionally determines a bird’s
cause of death by means of a necropsy
(which is to an animal what an autopsy is to a human), hence, “bird remains”
and the crematorium.
-0-
Q: Why did the blonde bake a
chicken for 2-and-a-half days?
A: The directions said cook it for
half an hour per pound, and she weighed 125.....
Jenkins Seeks Election To Homer Town Council
I, Patricia Kelly Jenkins, am
seeking office for the Homer Town Council in District 5. I am asking for your
vote on September 30, 2006. I am a life long resident of
Homer. I am married to Jerry Jenkins and the mother of four children, Latrice
K. Dunn, Darryl Kelly (deceased), Sheret Kelly, and Marcus Kelly. I have one
son-in-law Michael Dunn Sr. and three grandchildren, Michael Dunn, Jr.,
Keldrick Dunn and Dalvin Kelly.
Over the years, I have
participated and achieved many things. I am not only the first but only African
American 
woman to be elected in District 5, serving a four year term from
1999-2002. I am a proven leader. I have attended Louisiana Municipal
Association Confer-ences in Baton Rouge, Shreveport, Ruston and Monroe. I chaired the Public Works
Advisory Committee. I helped to facilitate improvements to the Homer Historic
District by planting crepe myrtle trees, replacing the lighting around the
square, and improving the City Hall kitchen facilities. I am a member of
Homer's Clean City Committee, which includes the tearing down of abandoned
buildings and structures throughout town. Also, this committee helps with the
clean-up process of neighborhoods such as the one done in the Buck-Bottom area
of town during my previous term in office. I helped to improve the wastewater
plant operations. I also obtained a safe drinking water certification - Level One
as a representative of the town's management board. I helped to improve the
lighting throughout Homer, providing new lights where needed, sidewalks,
repaired fire hydrants, overlaid streets, and voted for new garbage cans for
residents. I also participated in making improvements to the Homer City Park, and Mayfield Park, which includes the walking
trails.
I serve on the Board of
Directors of the Ford Museum, the Fourth of July Fire Works
Committee, Boys & Girls Club of Claiborne, and the Historic District
Committee.
I feel we must come together as
one and work on one accord for the betterment of our town. I don't know if our
citizens realized it or not but we have experienced a major economic blow to
our town due to the closing of Wal-Mart. We need to replace it with a business
that will provide revenue and resources that will benefit all citizens. Also,
we need to find solutions to serve our youth. They are the present and future
of our town. If they move away after graduation or become incarcerated, who will
be here to run our town and become productive members of our community? One of
the ways we can address this problem with our youth is to plan diversion
activities such as organized recreation especially on the east side of town
where there are no recreational facilities at all.
If you want someone that's
going to have an ear for you, be fair and honest with you, be concerned about
you, serve with dedication for you, be considerate of you, and WORK for you;
please vote for me as your representative for District 5. My ballot is #74.
Thanking you in advance for your support.
David Newell Announces
Candidacy For Mayor
In making his announce for candidate for mayor of Homer,
David Newell made the following statement:
As I look into the past of the
Town of Homer, I see many people who have dedicated much time, energy,
and money into making this town a better place to live. It was this effort that
got the excellent 
fire departments and insurance ratings in our parish, the
historical district on the square and our Ford Museum, our medical community
including the Homer Memorial Hospital, Wade Correction, Vo-Tech, the
airport, and Lake Claiborne.
But we must not live off of
these past efforts. We too must give time and energy if we want to leave the
next generation a community in as good standing as we received it. Our
population is falling, our money and resources are
less. Walmart has left, while it puts Supercenters in Springhill to our west
and Farmerville to our east. Bernice has Highway 167 four-laned to El Dorado and where are we? Forty years
ago we had five car dealerships in the parish. Today we have one. People can
shop in Minden and Shreveport as easily as they can here. If
our kids want jobs, they leave.
For many years I have watched
efforts to bring business to this parish, and it has been difficult. We were
not able to keep Ludlow management in the parish,
whose business was already located here. If we want to attract business and
give our children jobs, I believe we must create a long range plan to make this
a community that is united in one cause, to be the best that we can be. We
should want to have the best schools, the best recreation facilities, and the
lowest crime. We should want to have the best services including hospital,
roads and utilities, and in general the BEST QUALITY OF LIFE.
I was born and raised in
Haynesville and have lived in Homer since 1983 when I returned to Claiborne
Parish after law school. I am married to Kelly Alspaugh and have five children
and a step daughter. I am a member of First Baptist Church of Homer. I have
spent my time raising my kids and providing for my family, not being political.
In 2002 1 ran for District Attorney, primarily because I thought I could make a
difference, that I could encourage programs in conjunction with our school
system that would assist our teachers and coaches with raising our kids, and to
try to lessen our crime through recreation programs, juvenile probation and
truancy efforts.
I am again offering to help, by
announcing my candidacy for the office of Mayor, Town of Homer. I was the City Attorney for
the Town of Arcadia for eight years and directly involved in bringing the VF
Factory Outlet Mall there. I have been the City Attorney for the Town of Homer for three years. I have had
the opportunity to see the operations of city government. I believe we need to
aggressively study how to maximize our abilities and resources, not just for
today, but for our future. I believe we should build on the Visions for
Claiborne Parish efforts by Nelson Philpot and many people in our community and
set a long term plan that will assist our Town for many years. I am asking for
your help, volunteers to give ideas and time to research our alternatives.
In this long range plan, I
would like to see a Recreation District that would support recreation programs
for both kids and adults. This would improve our quality of life and make us
more attractive to businesses that will locate here.
I intend to appoint committees
to study and make recommendations regarding every aspect of the Town. I will
ask the current Finance Committee, chaired by Mr. Elmer Poss to continue their
efforts for the Town and I will personally meet with them and solicit their
financial advice monthly.
I intend to work with our
dedicated Town employees to carry out the administrative functions of our local
government in an effective and efficient manner. I intend to give the Town of Homer a presence in Baton Rouge, making certain that we obtain
all available financial support and consultant assistance from the State and
Federal government. And to remove any doubt, the activities of my law practice
will not be merged with those of the Town.
Our resources include many wise
and knowledgeable people and I need your assistance. This must be a team
effort. My prayer is that, with your help, we will leave a better community for
the generations that follow. Please
join me by calling, writing or email at the following address: David M. Newell,
P. O. Box 89, Homer, LA 71040; Phone 318-927-3811, Fax 318927-5311.
Thank you for your support.
