Celebrating the Vision
Locals participate in MLK march
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
He had a dream and a vision -- it was a
vision of equality for all.
And to celebrate that vision, Homer citizens
gathered at Martin Luther King Drive and Hill Street for a march in his honor.
Martin Luther King Jr. was remembered and his
actions celebrated on Monday, January 17, as the nation took the day to honor
his works and the man. From a Baptist minister to a worldwide civil rights
movement leader, King took the forefront of the nation’s attention as he fought
for equality for all people.
Using a method of passive resistance, King
traveled to wherever there were social injustices, racial inequality and taught
the people how to use their voices without violence. However, that doesn’t mean
he was a passivist. He was a radical challenger of the old way, of a governmental
system that touts equality but did not practice it.
In his “Letter from the Birmingham Jail,”
written on April 16, 1963, King described his movement of nonviolence, saying
that while he practiced the passive resistance of Mohanda Gandhi, the movement
was intended to change the way of racial injustice.
“Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice
everywhere,” he wrote. “We had no alternative except to prepare for direct
action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case
before the conscience of the local and the national community...Nonviolent
direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a
community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the
issue. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored.
“My citing the creation of tension as part of
the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking,” he continued. “But
I most confess that I am not afraid of the word ‘tension.’ I have earnestly
opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive nonviolent tension
which is necessary for growth.”
King made a number of marches throughout the
south, wrote five books and gave more than 2,500 speeches. All of King’s works
are now housed at The King Center, established by his wife Coretta Scott King
in 1968.
Born Michael Luther King Jr. on January 15,
1929, in Atlanta, Ga., he was the first son and second child born to the Rev.
Martin Luther King Sr. and Alberta Williams King. Later named Martin Luther
King Jr., his education throughout his life is vast and well-rounded, and he
became the youngest man to receive the Nobel Piece Prize. The prize money,
approximately $54,000, was taken and put back into efforts to further the civil
rights movement.
He married Coretta Scott King in 1953, and to
them four children were born: Yolanda Denise, Martin Luther III, Dexter Scott
and Bernice Albertine.
It was on April 4, 1968, that King would live
his last day. According to The King Center, King was shot while standing on the
balcony of the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tenn. He was in Memphis to help lead
sanitation workers in a protest against low wages and intolerable working
conditions.
According to their records, King was shot by
James Earl Ray who was arrested in London, England three months later. He
pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State
Penitentiary.
King was entombed at the Freedom Plaza on
April 9, 1968, which is surrounded by the Freedom Hall Complex of the Martin Luther
King Jr. Historic Site. Services were held at Ebenezer Baptist Church and on
the campus of Morehouse College with the U.S. President proclaiming a day of
mourning and flags being flown at half-staff.
His works and message of equal justice for
all still live on today at The King Center. Located in Atlanta, King’s
birthplace, The King Center continues to teach his life and legacy to future
generations through his many films, speeches, letters and marches.
Minden man attempts to discard drugs
The Guardian-Journal
A traffic stop for a modified exhaust turned
into a drug bust as Claiborne Parish Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Minden man
on several charges.
According to a news release, on Thursday,
January 13, Deputy Aaron Christian conducted a traffic stop at the intersection
of Old Athens and Ford Road on a pickup for modified exhaust and no license
plate. As the vehicle came to a stop, Christian observed several objects being
thrown out of the passenger side window of the vehicle.
Upon making contact with the driver, Thomas
D. McIver, 31, of Minden, Christian detected the strong odor of alcoholic
beverage on his person.
Deputy Marc Herring arrived to assist.
Upon searching for the items discarded from
the vehicle, Herring discovered a piece of steel pipe with tape on the end and
burn marks on the other end on the ground beside the passenger side door.
Christian’s K-9 partner was deployed,
subsequently giving a positive alert on both sides of the vehicle as to the
presence of illegal narcotics. A further search revealed a small white plastic
bag containing several off-white rocks presumed to be crack cocaine on the
ground beside the passenger door.
McIver was booked on charges of DWI, second
offense, with bond set at $1,000, possession of Schedule II Controlled
Dangerous Substance (CDS) crack cocaine with bond set at $5,000, possession of
drug paraphernalia with bond set at $500, no license plate light with bond set
at $500, modified exhaust with bond set at $500 and expired driver’s license
with bond set at $500.
Thank You!
Claiborne’s finest honored
The Guardian-Journal
The Homer Masonic Lodge #152 honored
emergency personnel, firefighters and law enforcement Monday night with an
appreciation supper to say “thanks” for serving their community.
After a meal of gumbo, breads, cabbage and
tossed salad, honorees settled in for a brief presentation in which Homer
Police Officer Steve Risner spoke about his time in Afghanistan. He presented
his trip to the Homer Lions Club recently, however, this presentation was
geared more to law enforcement than the general public.
Risner discussed what he did and where he
stayed during his time there, talking about security, traffic violations and
many other topics. He compared security in Afghanistan to security in the
United States, and it’s a lot tougher in the war torn country.
For example, around the presidential palace
in Kabul, a military base and compound are located on two sides of the palace,
offering security to President Karzai as he attempts to unify his country.
Laws are also very different there than they
are here, Risner said. For example, a woman can be jailed for committing
adultery -- up to seven years.
The court system there is also very
different. Someone arrested, whether the court has evidence to convict or not,
will stay in prison until he or she goes through all three tiers of courts if
found not guilty. There is the initial court appearance, the appellate court
and the Supreme Court, and all three must agree that the person is not guilty
before being released.
Also, if someone is arrested, there is no
mountain of paperwork that includes an incarceration report, an offense report
or arrest report. The person is arrested, charged and taken to jail until they
can make a court appearance. Their first court appearance may not be for six
months, depending on the court’s backlog.
There are also two different type of police
-- one that provides security and one that enforces traffic laws. If a picture
is worth a thousand words, Risner showed a “square” in Kabul where daytime
traffic was almost at a snarl with no real rhyme or reason.
Afghanistan’s military is being trained by
the U.S. military, however, much of their equipment and weapons come from
Russia and in some cases is years old. It isn’t unusual to see Soviet military
equipment, tanks and other military items in Afghanistan.
Risner’s job was to audit the prison system
there, where he audited the second oldest prison in the world -- Poli-Charki in
Kabul. Built to only house 4,000 inmates, the prison now houses 16,000, many of
whom are Taliban members or sympathizers. Attica is the oldest prison in the
world.
Afghanistan is broken down into provinces,
much like a county or parish in the United States. The country is about the
size of Texas and bolsters several different kinds of cultures, including
western culture where there are shopping malls, western clothing (blue jeans,
shirts and sneakers), and even American food. It also bolsters local culture,
where the Muslim religion is dominant. Women still wear the traditional burqas
or head scarves.
Even though Afghanistan blends several
different cultures, it is still a war torn country with a long way to go
towards a peaceful and stable government.
At the end of the program, Tommy Gore again
thanked all who attended the supper, saying they are an important part of the
community, “and we thank you for allowing us this opportunity to honor you,” he
concluded.
Gift certificates were presented to one of
each -- EMS personnel, firefighters and law enforcement. Homer Fire Chief
Dennis Butcher, Claiborne Parish Sheriff Ken Bailey and L.D. Grigsby each
received a $25 gift certificate in appreciation for their long years of
service. Each has served at least 20 years.
A special thank you goes to the chefs, David
Hood and Freddie Graham, for the best gumbo and “fixins’” in Claiborne Parish.
Also, a moment of silence was held for the
late John Bailey and John Drew, who were both police officers who passed away.
Out with the old...
Church demolishes building by fire
The Guardian-Journal
A controlled burning in Homer led some
community members to call the Homer Fire Department.
On East 5th Street, a hot blaze was going as
an old structure belonging to Lighthouse Family Worship Center was coming down
to bring in the new. According to the pastor, Ben Booth, the structure was more
than 60 years old and beyond repair.
“It had become unsafe,” he said. “We had
originally planned to renovate it, but it was too far gone.”
The building originally served as the church’s
sanctuary and also as the living quarters of the pastor. When the church was
purchased by Lighthouse, it served several different functions over the last 30
years, including as the church’s sanctuary, then as a youth house and Sunday
School rooms.
Once the controlled burn is completed and
cleaned up, the remainder of the building will be demolished and cleared away.
Booth said the intention is to expand the parking lot of the church and build a
fellowship hall behind the current church building.
However, the amount of heat coming from the
fire had the new church structure building up heat. So, the Homer Fire
Department was dispatched to cool the building down and establish a water
perimeter around the church to keep it from spreading. Popping and
crackling from the fire could be heard and the heat could be felt from several
yards away.
“We appreciate the Homer Fire Department and
ProBuild Construction assisting in this project,” Booth said.
No injuries were reported and no other
structures were affected by the fire.
Watershed District discusses Lisbon
Landing project
JENNI WILLIAMS, Staff Reporter
The Claiborne Parish Watershed District(CPWD)
met in a special called meeting last Monday to discuss the Lisbon Landing improvements,
along with a number of other items on the agenda.
The Lisbon Landing improvements which include
a fishing pier that will be five feet wide by 50 feet long, decked with 3x8
treated timbers with two foot footings where the pier meets the landing, which
will be funded in part by the Claiborne Parish Police Jury; a Trailhead
restroom which will be self-composting and paid for in part by government
funds; and a boat pier which will funded in part by the Watershed District.
Pro-Build of Homer has made bids on each of
the projects and is waiting approval.
The committee members next approved paying
off a Certificate of Indebtedness, in such a way that saves the most interest.
Next on the committee’s agenda was the
replacement of three CPWD that will be rotating off of the board in 2011. Alice
Stewart, Butch Lee and Almeter Willis are the members that need to be
replaced.
The committee decided as a whole to leave the
decision to the Claiborne Parish Police Jury as they are not an elected body,
but will be submitted each individual’s personal recommendation to the Police
Jury board.
The members of the public that have
previously submitted letters of interest to the CPWD or Police Jury will be
considered to take the place of the three outgoing members. Members of the CPWD
serve four year terms.
The committee held a discussion on the proper
appointment of new members as there doesn’t seem to be a correct protocol to
follow.
It was decided to leave it to the Police Jury
at this time, and have a resolution approved in the near future to take care of
replacing outgoing members.
The next item on the agenda was a bid of
$2,250 by Pro-Build to remove all of the free-floating buoys around the lake,
with the condition that the project will be finished by March 30.
This includes every accessible buoy, and
delivery to the State Park for storage. A motion was made by Stewart to approve
up to $3,000 for the retrieval, removal and delivery of the buoys on the lake.
The vote for was unanimous.
The last item on the agenda was the new maps
of Lake Claiborne. Stewart listed the places in the parish that the maps can
be obtained by the public.
The maps can be found at both lake marinas,
the Lake Claiborne State Park, Port Au Prince, the Tax Assessor’s office and
the Claiborne Parish Police Jury.
Each of the businesses that advertised on the
maps, also has maps available. Donations for the maps will be appreciated.
The next regular meeting of the Claiborne
Parish Watershed District will be announced at a later date.
Council tackles lengthy agenda
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The Homer Town Council had a lengthy agenda
to cover at their regular monthly meeting on Monday, January 10. Everything
from approval of town employees to grants and executive session.
Gene Coleman, chair of the Town of Homer’s
grant committee, presented a lengthy list of grants that are being sought or
obtained to help get some much-needed funding for various projects -- chief
among them the town’s water system. Last year, the town received $454,000 in
the Louisiana Community Development Block Grant (LCDBG) fora new water well and
line to back to the treatment plant, controls and other various items that go
along with that project.
According to Coleman, this project is in the
design phase with the town’s engineers, Balar Associates Inc.
An advertisement for construction bids will
be placed as soon as the plans and specifications are complete.
Along with this project, the town is seeking
funding from the Community Water Enrichment Fund (CWEF) for about $35,000 in
order to make water system improvements.
“Through the funding of this program, the
project for the Town of Homer water system will be improvements to the Mayfield
Well Ground Storage Tank to include cleaning and repair to the East Storage
Tank,” the project description states, “cleaning the interior and exterior of
the West Tank and purchasing a Chlorine A-Kit 150-pound cylinder. It will also
include Lyons Hill Road upgrades to the water distribution line from a 1-inch
line to at least a 2-inch line.”
In other grant news, the town received
$100,000 from the Delta Regional Authority (DRA) for two 12-inch valves at the
treatment plant. This money will also correct additional patch jobs over the
last couple of years.
The town also received $35,000 for roof
repairs to City Hall. Also, $9,000 of funding the town almost lost, went to
make improvements to the town’s city parks.
Also, some other good news from grants being
sought is enough funding to help the Homer Police Department purchase five or
six patrol units.
As of right now, the grant seeking is still
in the preliminary stage, so it is unknown whether the police department will
get brand new units or “new to us” units.
In other town news, the council approved the
following:
• Shenovia Harris was approved as the town
treasurer,
• LaCasha Oyara was approved as the interim
town clerk,
• Jim Colvin was approved as the town’s
attorney.
An issue that was discussed in December 2010
will again be tabled until the February meeting. According to Town Attorney Jim
Colvin, the police fee and fine schedule is still not quite complete. In fact,
the schedule itself has not been approved. The only thing that was approved was
to raise the fines by $40 for each offense.
“Even with the increase, fines are still
lower than other places like district court,” Colvin said.
Because some final details needed to be
ironed out, the issue was tabled.
Some interesting developments occurred
regarding the Homer Housing Authority. The housing authority is already under
fire with the Louisiana Legislative Auditor, but the executive director,
Michelle Green refused to come to the meeting.
According to law, once per year, a
representative of the housing authority is to report to the town council and
give a report of the latest happenings with the organization.
According to Mayor Alecia Smith, she refused
to come to the meeting and instead sent a letter with a very short report. She
said she intends to look into the matter more closely.
Homer Fire Chief Dennis Butcher reported to
the town council saying that his department received a total of 140 calls in
2010. Fourteen have already been made in 2011, and the month is not yet over,
he said.
That total number breaks down to 23,
structure fires, 67 grass/brush fires, 23 vehicle fires, 10 Hazmat, oil well
and chemical tank explosions, 16 extrication and rescue and one downed
aircraft.
“We’re seeing a rise in vehicle extraction
because the cars are getting smaller and intermingled with the big trucks,”
Butcher said.
In the mayor’s report, Smith advised all
water customers on the town’s water system that the town is seriously enforcing
its cutoff policy.
If your bill has not been paid by the third
Monday of every month, you will be disconnected the next day.
If your bill has been cut off, and you pay by
2 p.m. that day, service will be restored that day. After 2 p.m., connection
will be the next day.
The council also met in executive session to
discuss an update on the Vernecia Bender litigation, Progressive Insurance
litigation, delivery of investigative findings of police department complaints,
Captain Malray’s investigative findings and a written demand by the Homer
Housing Authority. No action was taken when the council returned to regular
session.
The next meeting of the Homer Town Council
will be Monday February 7, at 6 p.m. in council chambers, located inside the
Homer Police Station. For more information or for questions, please call City
Hall at 318-927-3555.
Jury honors the late ‘Butch’ Bays with
resolution
MICHELLE BATES, Editor
The Claiborne Parish Police Jury meeting
began on a solemn note as they held a moment of silence for the late “Butch”
Bays.
In fact, a resolution was approved stating “the
absence of this outstanding citizen to the public service of his community and
parish is keenly felt as a great personal loss to his family, friends and
colleagues.” The resolution pays tribute to the memory of Bays and expresses a “sense
of gratitude for his leadership and contributions to the public good of his
community and parish.”
As the resolution was read into the record of
the official minutes, Bays’ brother, Jack sat solemnly in his brother’s seat as
the appointed District 1 juror.
“Butch” Bays was shot and killed in the early
morning hours of December 16. Authorities found Bays on the floor inside his
store and was declared deceased at the scene. According to Claiborne Parish
Sheriff Ken Bailey, Bays had multiple gunshot wounds. His death left the
community of Summerfield and all of Claiborne Parish in shock as the news
spread.
He was well loved by his family and community
and was known as the unofficial “mayor” of Summerfield. He was the owner of
Bays Country Store and Bait Shop in Summerfield, and catered to a number of
outdoor activities. He sold fishing equipment, camping gear and many other
items pertaining to outdoor activities, and according to his family, was the
kind of person who would do anything asked of him.
Two 19-year-old boys were arrested within days
of his death. Donte Fielding and Hardy Taylor were arrested in connection with
the case and have both been charged with first degree murder.
In other news, a hot topic tabled from
December was the appointment of three new members for the Claiborne Parish
Watershed District. The watershed district came up with five names for
nominations. Those names included Patsy Bryant, Gile Dowies, Benny
Lowry, Brit Synco and Jerry Whitton. Also nominated by the Rev. Willie Young
was Harry Danzy, who was appointed to one position. The other two positions
went to Jerry Whitton and Brit Synco.
In other police jury news, the committees for
2011 were set. They are as follows:
Buildings and Grounds: District 3 Police Juror Robert “Bob”
McDaniel, chair, District 4 Police Juror Joe Sturges, District 5 Police Juror
W. Lavelle Penix and District 8 Police Juror Roy Mardis.
Claims Committee: District 4 Police Juror Joe
Sturges, chair, District 3 Police Juror Robert “Bob” McDaniel, District 5
Police Juror W. Lavelle Penix and District 7 Police Juror Roy Lewis.
Finance Committee: District 9 Police Juror
Jerry Adkins, chair, District 2 Police Juror Mark Furlow, District 7 Police
Juror Roy Lewis and District 10 Police Juror Willie Young.
Garage Committee: District 5 Police Juror W.
Lavelle Penix, chair, District 1 Police Juror Jack Bays, District 2 Police
Juror Mark Furlow and District 3 Police Juror Robert “Bob” McDaniel.
Grants: District 10 Police Juror Willie
Young, chair, District 8 Police Juror Roy Mardis, District 7 Police Juror Roy
Lewis and District 9 Police Juror Jerry Adkins.
The Housing Committee and the Road Committee is comprised
of the jury as a whole.
Personnel: District 2 Police Juror Mark
Furlow, District 4 Police Juror Joe Sturges, District 9 Police Juror Jerry
Adkins and District 10 Police Juror Willie Young.
The dates for the regular monthly meetings of
2011 were set as well with no conflicting dates. The police jury meetings are
held the Wednesday following the first Sunday of every month.
Also, officers were elected, which reflected
no change from 2010. Scott Davidson will again serve as police jury president
and Jerry Adkins will again serve as vice president.
In an update on the Lisbon Landing Project,
the police jury accepted the grant from the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries
for improvements at the landing. It is a 50 percent match grant, which means
the total project costs approximately $228,000. This includes 50 percent by the
state and 50 percent by the police jury. However, the watershed district will
match $24,000 for he boat launch pier.
The project includes a boat launch pier,
restroom facilities, a 4,800 square foot deck, repavement of the parking lot,
signage and the administrative fee.
Also, McDaniel gave an update from the
buildings and grounds committee. The police jury approved a motion to allow
their engineers to give an official evaluation of the old Claiborne Drug
building which is expected to become the district attorney’s office. Also,
there is a tree issue with the proposed expansion of the Claiborne Parish
Library, Homer branch. The police jury also approved a shower repair at the
Claiborne Parish Women’s Facility as well as the brick wall at the courthouse.
In other news, the police jury is looking
into solar panels and light retrofitting for the administrative office.
According to Secretary Treasurer Dwayne Woodard, the police jury pays about
$1,400 per month on their electric bill. This project is expected to save them
about one-third of what they pay every month. The lighting will be energy
efficient, and the project will be paid for by stages of completion. The bid
went to Joule LLC for $104,500.
A resolution was also approved to change the
polling place for Claiborne Parish Precinct No. 1 from Summerfield High School
to the Summerfield Fire Station.
The police jury also approved:
• Ordinance No. 761, the adoption of the 2011
Operating Budget for the police jury,
• A raise for Operator II Larry Crew base
wage, and he classified as Class B effective as of January 18,
• Merit raises by 25 cents per hour for
administrative assistant/assistant secretary/treasurer Shelia Washington and
Administrative Clerk Leigh Ann Jones,
• A request from the LSU AgCenter for the
approval of an updated cooperative support agreement between the extension
office and the police jury to reflect the new 20 percent support level,
• A resolution of support for the 2010-11
CWEF grant.
The next meeting of the police jury will be 9
a.m., Wednesday, February 9, in the police jury room, located at the Claiborne
Parish Police Jury Complex in Homer. For more information, please call their
office at 318-927-2222.
