The Greater Minden Chamber is inviting you to join us for “Coffee with the Candidates” at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday, September 28 at Webster Parish Council on Aging, 1482 Sheppard Street.
Stop by and network with local candidates in an informal setting to discuss the matters you are most interested in.
No charge to attend. Coffee and refreshments will be provided. All candidates for our local elections have been invited to attend.
Thank you, Webster Parish Council on Aging, for hosting this event.
Dear Minden High School Alumni, Future Alumni, and Citizens of Minden,
It is always a pleasure to take this opportunity to welcome everyone to a truly exciting time at Minden High School. Homecoming is so much more than an exciting day in the life of a school. It is a time to rekindle old friendships, make new friends, experience an exciting athletic event, and take the opportunity to reflect on old memories and make new ones.
Minden High School is rich in traditions and the homecoming week of festivities is one of my favorites.
Over the past few years, we were saddened to have to cancel many of our homecoming traditions. This year, we are happy to reintroduce many of our traditions including the school-sponsored parade, floats, dance, and alumni tea and tours. We are excited to welcome home the following classes: 1962, 1972, 1982, 1992, 2002, and 2012.
Although Minden High School may not look exactly like our alumni remember it, we are still the home of the Mighty Crimson Tide! This year, our guests will notice the new construction that is taking place on the north side of the campus. Thanks to the residents of Minden, we will soon have a new facility housing our JROTC program, classrooms, weight room, and gym.
We look forward to seeing everyone at the alumni tea and tour (Friday from 10:00-11:00), the parade which will start at 3:30 downtown, the game Friday night (pregame starts at 6:00 and game time is at 7:00), and at any other festivities that are planned to make your 2022 Homecoming weekend memorable.
We are so proud of our Crimson Tide football team and we encourage all of you to make plans to pack the stands as we battle the North DeSoto Griffins!
I encourage you to join us during this memorable week. Minden is truly a great place to call home and Tiders are the greatest citizens!
Sincerely,
Dr. Rebecca T. Wilson, Principal
By Jessica Gorman
Although the basic facts of the founding of Minden have been well-established, a recent online article credited the Germantown colonists with the founding of Minden. It would seem that this misinterpretation of our local history stems from the fact that Minden’s founder, Charles Veeder, was of German descent. While it has been hypothesized that Veeder may have crossed paths with the Germantown settlers on their journey to Louisiana, he was not a member of this group.
The Germantown colonists were followers of a religious leader known as Count de Leon, or Count Leon. They emigrated from Germany to the United States and joined the Harmony Society led by George Rapp at Economy, Pennsylvania. Serious conflict caused Count de Leon and his followers to separate from the Harmony Society and form the New Philadelphia Congregation at Philipsburg in Pennsylvania before heading south to Louisiana, settling at Grand Ecore. This proved to be an unhealthy location and it was here that Count de Leon and others died during an outbreak of yellow fever. From Grand Ecore, the remaining colonists made their way to Claiborne Parish and established the Germantown Colony, a communal colony, north of Minden.
About the same time the Germantown Colony was founded, Charles Veeder arrived in Claiborne Parish and in July 1835 purchased the site of Minden from Adam Stewart and his wife Margarete. Charles Veeder was a lawyer and businessman, born in Schenectady, New York, who lived in Indiana before making the move to Louisiana. While the Germantown Colony was founded as a religious community, Minden was founded as a business venture. Veeder soon laid out the town of Minden and began selling lots. To attract settlers to his new town, he worked to have Minden named the seat of Claiborne Parish but lost this designation to nearby Overton. Veeder and his family remained in Minden for several years before leaving for California where he died in 1875.
Although Minden and the Germantown Colony were established at approximately the same time, they were founded by people of different backgrounds, from different places, and for different purposes.
This column is intended to share snippets of Webster Parish history. Please direct any questions or suggestions to dorcheatmuseum@yahoo.com or visit us at the museum.
(Jessica Gorman is the Assistant Director and Archivist for the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum in Minden and is an avid genealogist.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
An altercation between two local men resulted in the arrest of one of them.
LaDarrien Javonte Wallace, 34, of the 400 block of McIntyre St., Minden, was taken into custody by Minden Police for simple battery, reckless operation, resisting an officer and two active bench warrants – one for disturbing the peace and one for resisting an officer.
Police Chief Steve Cropper said Off. Kayla Little was dispatched to the 100 block of Abney St. in the early hours Monday in response to a complaint of a disturbance.
“Off. Little made contact with the complainant who explained LaDarrien Wallace was at his house for a birthday gathering,” Cropper said. “He said Wallace was drinking and became angered about a conversation he had with another individual several years ago.”
The chief said when the complainant would not participate in a conversation with him, Wallace became more angry.
“His anger increased when he was asked to leave,” said Cropper. “He refused to leave and grabbed the complainant, threw him to the ground and started choking him.”
The complainant reportedly could not get free from Wallace because of the difference in size.
“The fight broke up after the police were called, and Wallace left the scene before we arrived,” Cropper said. “He was located at the McIntyre Street address. He saw officers and turned around, attempting to flee the scene.”
Lt. Chris Hammontree and Sgt. Mitch Hackett reportedly aided Off. Little in stopping Wallace on Bayou Avenue.
“He refused to give them his name and resisted officers while they were trying to escort him to the unit,” Cropper said.
He was booked at Minden Police Department.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Webster Parish Sheriff’s investigators have arrested a local man for stealing a trailer.
Mark Tracy Patrick, 55, of the 1300 block of Middle Rd., Minden, is charged with illegal possession of stolen things.
Sheriff Jason Parker said the 16-foot utility trailer was stolen from Bienville Parish.
“Detective Michael Allen of the Bienville Sheriff’s Department contacted us with information that the trailer was located at the Middle Road residence,” Parker said. “Lt. T.D. Kemp Jr., Major Robert Hayden and Sgt. Marvin Garrett arrived at the location and spoke with Patrick.”
The sheriff said investigators asked Patrick if he had the trailer, and he admitted it was in the backyard.
“While Lt. Kemp talked with Patrick, Hayden and Garrett entered the backyard, with Patrick’s permission,” Parker said. “They checked the VIN (vehicle identification number) and license plate and verified it as the one that was stolen.”
Patrick, who was on probation for domestic violence in Bienville, was arrested and booked into Bayou Dorcheat Correctional Center.
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Franklin Dee Haynes
Jan. 30, 1933 – Sept. 16, 2022
Memorial service: Private service at a later date, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.
Michael Patrick Redel
Jan. 3, 1955 – Sept. 10, 2022
Visitation: 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Dr., Bossier City.
Memorial service: 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Dr., Bossier City.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Both men vying for the Top Cop job in Minden talked strategy during a candidate forum Saturday at the 14th District Building in Minden.
Jared McIver and Larry Morris are running for Minden Chief of Police, a position held by Steve Cropper, who is retiring at the end of 2022.
For the past 26 years, McIver has been with the local sheriff’s department, Louisiana Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries and, most recently, Minden Police Department.
“I’ve known I wanted to be in law enforcement since I was in school,” McIver said. “It’s because a law enforcement officer came to our school and interacted with us, setting an example.”
That is something McIver believes will help with public safety as it pertains to youth.
“We need to reach kids while their minds are moldable,” he said. “I’ve been going to the schools and trying to put law enforcement in a positive light with kids.”
Larry Morris Jr. has more than 18 years in law enforcement that span Minden Police Department, Webster Parish Sheriffs Office and Ruston Probation and Parole.
“I have different aspects of law enforcement that I bring to the city,” Morris said. “Finding the right people and training officers, getting our city on track is what will help crime.”
Pastor Royal Scott posed questions and scenarios to the candidates, including the fact that Minden’s crime rate is 63 percent higher than the national average.
“Violent crimes in Minden are 155 percent higher than the national average,” he added. “You have a one in 27 chance of becoming a victim of crime.”
He went on to ask candidates what they feel is the biggest challenge in deterring violent crime in Minden.
“Changing the intent of the heart,” McIver said. “When people have intent to hurt somebody, that’s what they are going to set out to do. We need to reach our youth at a young age and convince them there are other things out there besides crime.
“They need to look at police more as heroes instead of villains,” he added. He would do that by getting with community leaders to find activities for youth.
Morris said he will present a plan for youth-oriented programs.
Minden’s Finest is a program that begins with 6th grade and goes through grade 12.
“It gives them other options, career-path wise,” Morris said. “I spearhead that program, going to schools, giving our youth a different avenue other than the Internet and what they see on TV.”
Morris said in his years of law enforcement he has never been sued or had problems because “I look like them (people), and they felt comfortable around me.”
McIver said most people don’t know the officers in the community.
“We are not communicating,” he said. “People won’t come forward when there’s been a crime because there’s no trust. We need to get personal with our community.”
Morris was asked about his position on the state transferring youth from juvenile facilities to a maximum security facility.
“Juveniles need to stay with juveniles,” Morris said. “Programs help if you catch them young and explain to them what comes with the actions you have committed. Let them know what’s out there and what will happen to them if they do something wrong.”
McIver pointed out that – at this time – it is unlawful to place juveniles in an adult prison, although juvenile detention centers are full.
“Juveniles have enough issues as it is and having an adult influence in a prison could only further their crime,” he said. “We need to reach them before we ever get there. They have enough problems as it is.”
Finally, Pastor Scott pointed out racial tension in the Minden Police Department. He then asked for each candidate’s position on hiring and promotional practices.
McIver said anyone regardless of race, gender and party lines will be considered, as long as they pass all Civil Service Requirements.
“When you have diversity in your police department, you have a complete police department,” he said. “You have different mindsets that can come together and bring different views to any situation and scenario.”
McIver said that as police chief, the first thing he would do is appoint a deputy chief.
“The person I would designate will be a female and an African American,” McIver said.
Morris said his understanding is that currently the Minden Police Department has three minority employees.
“That’s not good with a city of this size,” he said. “There needs to be a mixture of all types of officers, not just anyone to fill a slot.”
He said as police chief, he would not sit in the office or designate a person but would “personally go out and find good officers, go to our universities, high schools.”
He said an officer should be professional and humble, can do the job and understand the job.
“Not just someone who wants the job, but can do the job,” Morris said. “Law enforcement is for special people. I will mentor new officers and hold current officers accountable.”
Two candidates have qualified to run for District 1 Alderman in Springhill – current alderman D. Nicole Frazier and Shonta Gipson.
Webster Parish Journal emailed questions to all candidates for Springhill alderman. Here are their answers in alphabetical order.
1. What are three steps you would take to improve the city’s financial stability?
Frazier: Educate on financial inclusion with an economic development team. Moreover, financial inclusion means that individuals and businesses have access to useful and affordable financial products and services that meet their needs – transactions, payments, savings, credit and insurance – delivered in a responsible and sustainable way. Incorporate a financial 5 year plan. Financial indicators are an effective and essential way to assess a Local Government’s overall financial performance and to guide decision making. Good forward planning to inform debt decisions. City Council would appropriate a meeting time to regularly update appropriate financial plans to consistently fulfill the needs of current generations without compromising the needs of future generations, while ensuring a balance between economic growth, environmental care and social well-being.
Gipson: I would take three steps to improve the city’s financial stability: reevaluate how our town spends money on inspecting our water tower and look for other contractors that would be less costly to the city and its citizens. Then we could utilize those funds in other areas to improve our city.
2. What do you propose to bring more businesses to the city? How would you bring more visitors?
Frazier: I would collaborate with the Louisiana Economic Development whose mission is Recruit, Train and Sustain. “The LDRC program prepares communities to competitively attract business development opportunities to their area. The LDRC provides coaching and expertise during the strategic planning process, and best-in-class community and economic development strategic planning resources. By connecting participating communities with an experienced resource team, the LDRC program creates development-ready, competitive communities across the state that are “open for business!” The City of Springhill would be a rural stakeholder. Each council member would be engaged with this endeavor to bring more businesses to the city. In retrospect Springhill Main Street and the Chamber of Commerce would be involved. I would bring more visitors by continuing the North Webster Black History Parade, North Webster Women’s History Parade, Multicultural events such as: Spring Break Extravaganzas, Fall Festivals, Main Street Summer Grilling Competitions and a cooperative endeavor with all school systems in Springhill to involve students in local government.
Gipson: I propose that the town continue doing what they do to bring more businesses to the city because small businesses occupy our downtown Springhill buildings. When bringing more visitors into our city, continue publishing what the town has to offer and hosting events that would spark interest for those who love to come and visit our town.
3. What are the pressing needs in your district and how do you propose to address them?
Frazier: A 2022-2023 yearly community assessment would be implemented to uncover not only needs and resources, but the underlying culture and social structure that will help District 1 understand how to address the community’s needs and utilize its resources.
District 1 consensus includes but is not limited to: The need for public transportation full-time in a community where older adults have no means of getting around town. The need to have a fair housing office extension from Minden. The need to remove blighted property. District 1 has led the charge to remove blighted property on Martin Luther King Drive and Patterson Street. For example, blighted property was removed in the vicinity of North Webster Upper Elementary, AD Washington Community Center, Greater New Bethel AME Church, and Harrison Chapel Missionary Baptist Church. Budget expansion for partnering with homeowners for removing trees and dilapidated property; especially when this predicament is life threatening. West Side Community Center should be restored and utilized to conduct educational and sports structured programs. A staff should be hired to ensure policy and procedures are carried out effectively and efficiently. High School students should be afforded an opportunity to work in this program.This building is in need of being energy efficient. The USDA Rural Development has a program as I once tried to implement during the former administration. West Side park should have up to date playground equipment.Security cameras should be placed in the park. A walking trail and sidewalk should be made available. Littering fines should be imposed and enforced by Springhill Police Department along with curfew. District 1 will have quarterly meetings for topics such as but are not limited to: infrastructure, housing, the municipal budgets, public safety, and economic development.
Gipson: The pressing need in my district is ensuring we have infrastructure work with cleaning our ditches and roads. I propose to address these issues with another alderman; growing up in this district, I see the difference between then and now.
4. Would you be in favor of broadcasting city council meetings to the public via social media like Facebook or YouTube? Why or why not?
Frazier: First of all the Freedom of Information Act gives anyone access to official minutes and it is posted online. Anyone can use a device to record council meetings. Civic duty may imply keeping the public informed and engaged. Nonetheless, all council meetings are advertised and made public.
Gipson: I would favor broadcasting city council meetings to the public via social media like Facebook or YouTube. The reason is our citizens having trouble with transportation and not being aware of when these meetings are held and with the advancement of technology and our city keeping up with the times.
5. What do you see as the top priority for your city and why?
Frazier: Did not respond
Gipson: The top priority is maybe bringing in a housing authority to our area due to rentees and renters not keeping the property up to standards.
Responses from districts 3, 4 and 5 will be published in Thursday’s Webster Parish Journal.
***
The election is Tuesday, November 8.
Early voting is Oct. 25 through Nov. 1 (excluding Sunday, Oct. 30) from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the registrar’s office in the courthouse.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Nov. 4 by 4:30 p.m (other than military and overseas voters). You can request an absentee ballot online through the Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office.
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted absentee ballot is Nov. 7 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
On election day, the polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. If you are unsure of your voting precinct, please call 377-9272.
Two candidates are running for District 2 alderman in Springhill – Johnny Craig and Dennis Smith.
Below are a list of the questions we emailed to both candidates.
1. What are three steps you would take to improve the city’s financial stability?
Craig: Declined to answer.
Smith: No response.
2. What do you propose to bring more businesses to the city? How would you bring more visitors?
Craig: Declined to answer.
Smith: No response.
3. What are the pressing needs in your district and how do you propose to address them?
Craig: Declined to answer.
Smith: No response.
4. Would you be in favor of broadcasting city council meetings to the public via social media like Facebook or YouTube? Why or why not?
Craig: Declined to answer.
Smith: No response.
5. What do you see as the top priority for your city and why?
Craig: Declined to answer.
Smith: No response.
Responses from districts 3, 4 and 5 will be published in Thursday’s Webster Parish Journal.
***
The election is Tuesday, November 8.
Early voting is Oct. 25 through Nov. 1 (excluding Sunday, Oct. 30) from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. at the registrar’s office in the courthouse.
The deadline to request an absentee ballot is Nov. 4 by 4:30 p.m (other than military and overseas voters). You can request an absentee ballot online through the Voter Portal or in writing through your Registrar of Voters Office.
The deadline for a registrar of voters to receive a voted absentee ballot is Nov. 7 by 4:30 p.m. (other than military and overseas voters).
On election day, the polls are open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m. If you are unsure of your voting precinct, please call 377-9272.
Congratulations, Greg Williams who is the Webster Parish Journal’s High School Football Pick’em contest winner for Week 3.
Williams was 9-1 with his picks and won IN a tie breaker. He was awarded $100 from title sponsor Under Dawgs and the Webster Parish Journal, a $50 gas card from Car Giant and a cap from Yocom Law Firm and Minden Athletic.
Celebrity pickers in Week 3:
Jimmy Williams: 10 of 10
Pat Culverhouse: 9 of 10
Steve Cropper: 7 of 10
Josh Beavers: 8 of 10
Jason Parker: 6 of 10
Paige Nash 5 of 10
For your chance to win, sign up at https://tinyurl.com/WPJPickem before 4 p.m. Thursday.
Webster Parish Journal:
I want to thank you for assisting our agency with the advertisement as we were in the search to fill the vacant position of Claiborne Rural Advocate.
We are so happy to announce that on Friday evening we hired someone to fill that position. She expressed that she saw the advertisement in Webster Parish Journal.
Again, thank you so much for your help. Your journal has been such a big help!!! Be Blessed!!!
Wanda F. James
Domestic Abuse Resistance Team (DART)
The global phenomenon that is the “love languages,” an idea introduced in 1992 by pastor and counselor Gary Chapman in his bestselling book, The 5 Love Languages, has turned 30.
Back in the turbulent, free love, Jackson 5 vs. Osmond Brothers, psychedelic, protest-filled, the-Baltimore-Orioles-were-really-good, “Were you at Woodstock?” 1960s, the saying from lots of young people was, “Never trust anyone over 30.”
Seemed a good idea at the time.
Then those people turned 30 and learned how much it costs to get a roof replaced and a new transmission and they moved on to other causes, like “Never trust a roofer” or “Never trust a mechanic” and other idiotic trivialities, like “Never trust anyone who claims they’ve been to Woodstock.”
Then a bunch of those teens from the ’60s turned into roofers and mechanics, so what are you gonna do?
Funny how life experiences change your way of thinking.
But human nature never changes. It’s why you can read a poem by Blake or Yeats (a fave) or Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “How do I love thee?, let me count the cornbreads…” and it means the same — and feels the same — to the reader today as it did all those years ago.
So from what I’ve heard and learned from experience is that you can trust some people over 30 — my mother comes to mind — and you can trust the 5 Love Languages, which are “Hot Water Cornbread, Sweet Cornbread, White Cornbread, Yellow Cornbread, and Cornbread-Inclusive.”
I am just joshing. Those are someone’s love languages, I’m sure. I’ll fair catch at least two of them.
But the real love languages as proposed by Chapman are these:
physical touch (not like football tackling or boxing but intimate stuff like holding hands; I shouldn’t even have to write this but I know how some of you think so work with me here).
Those are good languages.
The thought of a love language might seem silly to the great unwashed, but if you study the love languages, you might find that Chapman was onto something. We all want to be loved in a significant and specific way. I might not need you to touch me often but I might need you to affirm me. You might not need a gift from me; the gift might instead be quality time with you.
I might not need you to love the New Orleans Saints; but I might feel loved, genuinely, if you say, “I’m sorry the Saints didn’t win”). If you bet on them, a nice follow-up might be, “I’m more sorry they didn’t cover.”
Some hard liners will say it’s stupid — until they discover that what they craved and needed wasn’t a mansion on the hill and sweet cornbread after all. Instead, it was a person who listened and affirmed them and gifted them with the cornbread of their choice.
Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
NEW YORK— I first came to the city sometime in the mid 1960s. My grandparents lived here. My father had recently passed away and my mother drove my brother me up to stay with her parents for a few weeks. They lived in an apartment building somewhere around 72nd and 2nd. All I remember about that apartment is that they had a balcony that looked just like the one in the opening credits of Green Acres. As a six-year-old, the two things that impressed me during that initial New York visit were that they were filming a movie on the street outside their apartment, and automats. I was amazed by automats, and that is probably the earliest memory I have of a restaurant of any kind.
The automats were marvelous, Jetson’s-like technology. A very simplistic everyday site in the city back then, but Hattiesburg, Mississippi didn’t have anything that offered sandwiches that came out of a wall that looked like a post office box. The next time I visited this city was in July of 1969. My grandfather took my brother and me to Yankee Stadium. The Yankees were playing the Senators. I can’t remember anything about the actual game, other than at the top of the eighth inning, Bob Sheppard came over the PA and announced that the Americans had just landed on the moon. They played the national anthem. Later that night we watched the moonwalk on television in my grandparent’s apartment. My mother took photographs of the tv as Neil Armstrong walked on the moon
During all the subsequent trips to this city— between then and now— I’ve focused on restaurant research and development. When I got into the restaurant business in 1982, I started collecting cookbooks and reading every article I could get my hands on about the restaurants and chefs in this city. I had no money to travel but I dreamed of coming here as a restaurateur, as soon as I could, to eat my way through the city.
In the late 1980s, those trips began.
New York is universally considered the number one restaurant city in America I wouldn’t argue that. I feel blessed to be a part-time New Orleanian which, for me at least, comes in at a strong number two, if not number one on occasion. The culinary energy in both cities is very strong.
Every trip I have ever taken to New York has been planned around restaurant reservations. Every other activity comes in second as the schedule always revolves around my restaurant to-do list. In the days before all the online services, the Zagat Guide was my gold standard for restaurant recommendations that I hadn’t read about in newspapers, magazines, or trade publications. These days, I mostly visit restaurants owned by friends. I guess that’s how it happens if one stays in this business long enough.
Though I am here this time for an entirely different reason than restaurant research and development. I was invited to speak at this year’s Welcome Conference at Lincoln Center. It’s pretty heady stuff for a boy from South Mississippi. But I’m honored and I look forward to that speech.
I’ve delivered hundreds of speeches over the past couple of decades and have received a lot of gifts and honorariums. Though when it comes to giving guest speaker gifts, Will Guidara and his team at The Welcome Conference, best all others— by a mile. At a dinner for the speakers the evening before the speech, I was gifted a personalized autographed bowling ball from Jeff Bridges that reads, “To the Dude of Hattiesburg, Jeff Bridges.” Amazing! Unprecedented and mind-blowing! If that is the speaker gift, you can imagine how first-rate all details were for the rest of the conference.
When I was traveling here in the late 1980s and all throughout the 90s and early 2000s— doing research and development and bringing ideas to the concepts back home— I never could have fantasized that I would ever be asked to speak at such an event. Though, as far-fetched as that scenario is, I certainly couldn’t have dreamed, in the deepest recesses of my imagination, that I would travel to Hyde Park, New York to visit my son who is attending the Culinary Institute of America. As excited and honored as I am to deliver a speech to the Welcome Conference, it pales in comparison to the joy I had seeing my son on campus, seeing the pride he felt as he gave his mother and me a tour, and spending time over breakfast and lunch while talking about his food classes and future dreams.
On the train home from Poughkeepsie, I thought back to 40 years ago, when I spent all my spare time in the library at the University of Southern Mississippi, thumbing through the restaurant trade magazines and dreaming what a career in the restaurant business might be like. I wish someone would’ve pulled me aside back then and said “Robert, grab a pen and a piece of paper and write down what you think a career in the restaurant will be like. Dream big. Dream bigger than anything you can imagine. Then take that piece of paper, stow it away in a drawer, and get to work.”
I would love to have that sheet of paper today, because, 40 years ago, I would have so undershot what a career in the restaurant business, and life as a restaurateur, has gifted me. I’m not talking about material and monetary things. Not at all. It’s the spiritual and relational things. I am blessed to love what I do, and to have a son that hopes to follow in my footsteps while carving out his own niche in this industry. It’s my dream that he’ll do even greater things. I truly believe he will.
Granted, there aren’t a lot of spiritual experiences derived from dining out in restaurants (at least not for most). But speaking to an international audience about your journey and the one thing that changed your life is very spiritual. And as great as that is, seeing your son in an environment in which he is thriving is even greater.
When I get home I think I’ll call my son and have him to take out a pen and piece of paper and dream big.
No regrets.
Onward.
Apple Cobbler
Apple Filling
8 cups Granny Smith Apples, peeled and sliced
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup water
2 Tbl unsalted butter, softened
Topping:
1 1/2 cup flour, sifted
1 1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
2 eggs, slightly beaten
Preheat oven to 375
For the filling:
In a large mixing bowl, combine the apples, sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, flour, salt, vanilla extract and water. Using one tablespoon of butter, butter a 9X14 baking dish. Spread the apple mixture evenly into the prepared baking dish. Dot the tops of the apples with the remaining tablespoon of softened butter.
For the topping:
Combine the sifted flour, brown sugar. Baking powder and salt and blend well. Blend in the butter and beaten egg. Drop the batter into 12 portions, over the apples, spacing the batter out evenly. Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the apples are tender and the crust is golden brown.
Remove from the oven and allow the cobbler to rest for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with cinnamon ice cream.
(Robert St. John is a chef, restaurateur and cookbook author who lives in Hattiesburg, Miss.)
Celebrating its 46th anniversary this year, the Red River Revel Arts Festival returns Oct. 1 – 9. The Red River Revel Arts Festival is the largest outdoor festival in North Louisiana, attracting tens of thousands of locals and visitors to “Celebrate the Arts” together.
The Red River Revel Arts Festival brings an extensive array of exciting and unique experiences to the Shreveport Riverfront. This multi-award winning festival features more than 75 juried visual artists from across the country, over 80 musical, theatrical, and performing arts entertainment on two stages, over 20 vendors serving delicious food, and an area dedicated to introducing children to the arts. Each day will offer new experiences and memories, so get ready to revel!
Here’s your guide to the 46th Annual Red River Revel Arts Festival.
Artists
Artists from across the country make the Revel their home the first week in October. Whether you are an avid art collector or a novice, you can enjoy and celebrate the arts of the Revel. Over 75 juried artists will have one-of-a-kind works of art including painting, jewelry, photography, pottery and more. The wide price range of pieces allows for shopping options to fit any guests’ budget. Stroll down Art Alley to view the varied artworks of established artists, visit the Emerging Artist Tent to see up and coming artists and their work, and support local artisans in the Market Area. Some artists rotate during the week, so guests are encouraged to return to see who is new in these areas. Plan your shopping before heading to the Revel by previewing the artists’ portfolios at redriverrevel.com/rrr/music-artist.
Music
The Red River Revel Arts Festival is synonymous with bringing in chart-topping names in music from across the country along with your favorite local and regional acts and this year is no different! With over 80 performances on two stages, music will fill Festival Plaza every day of the Revel! Headliners for the 46th Annual Red River Revel Arts Festival include:
· Everclear. Pop/Rock, 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm on Thursday, October 6
· Neal McCoy. Country, 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm on Sunday, October 2
· Big Freedia. Bounce/Hip-Hop, 8:30 pm – 10:00 pm on Saturday, October 1
· The Motet. Funk/Fusion/Jam, 8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 8
· Mannie Fresh. Hip-Hop. 8:30 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 9
The music schedule includes local, regional, and national musicians along with cheer/dance group performances, martial arts and gymnastic demonstrations, theatrical performances and more! View the full entertainment schedule at redriverrevel.com/rrr/music-lineup.
Food
Bring your appetite to the Revel! The Red River Revel Arts Festival is a place where one may find unique menu items such as boudin balls, jerk chicken, blackened catfish, bacon caramel donuts, chicken and waffles, funnel cakes and more! Food stations are operated by local nonprofit organizations, booster clubs, schools and other community groups along with for profit vendors. Mouthwatering menus can be found at redriverrevel.com/rrr/food
Kids’ Activities
The Red River Revel Arts Festival is dedicated to providing an opportunity for children to experience first-hand performing and visual arts. Children can channel their inner artist at the sand art station, build art structures at the Bricks4Kidz tent, and show off their creativity at the Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier’s Artist for a Day activity! The fun doesn’t stop there! Children can become an archaeologist in the mock geological dig, use their imagination in Shreve Memorial Library Land, shop for the perfect ingredients at the Brookshire’s Mini Grocery Store, and put their physical health to the test in the Ochsner LSU Health Shreveport obstacle course. And don’t forget about face painting!
Stilt walkers, magicians, and balloon animal artists will be throughout the festival bringing joy to everyone!
Many of the kids’ activities are free with admission, while others may be ticketed or have a nominal fee. Check out all of the kids’ activities at www.redriverrevel.com/rrr/kids-activities.
Admission
The Red River Revel Arts Festival officially opens Saturday, Oct. 1 and runs through Sunday, Oct. 9. The festival hours will be 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Monday – Wednesday; 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. Thursday – Saturday; and 11 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Sundays.
Daily admission is $5 during peak hours and days, which is 5 p.m. to close Monday – Friday and all-day Saturday and Sunday. Admission is free from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday – Friday.
A $10 Reveler Pass allows guests access into the festival any day/time.
Military and First Responders with a valid ID receive one free admission any day/time of the festival.
Children ages 12 and under are free of charge any day/time of the festival. (Children must be accompanied by an adult.)
Location: Festival Plaza, 101 Crockett Street, Shreveport, Louisiana
Parking: Free parking is available after 5 p.m. on weekdays and all day on weekends on metered spots in downtown Shreveport. Free parking is available in designated Revel parking lots. Parking maps can be found at www.redriverrevel.com.
Free Shuttles: A free shuttle will run on Thursday and Friday, Oct. 6-7, from 5 p.m. – 10 p.m., as well as 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. on both Saturdays, Oct. 1 and 8. The free shuttle will be running in a loop around downtown allowing Revelers to park wherever they like in downtown Shreveport and attend the festival, downtown restaurants, and attractions. For shuttle routes, stops, attractions, and special downtown deals, visit downtownshreveport.com/revel-plus-deals-downtown.
Come join us for Art, Music, Food, and FUN at the Revel!
A huge thanks to our sponsors: Chase Bank, Pepsi Beverages Company, City of Shreveport, Junior League of Shreveport-Bossier, and The Alta & John Franks Foundation.
By Sara Beth Crews
This week the North Webster High School students and staff will celebrate Homecoming!
Each school day this will have a special theme where students dress up in pajamas, jerseys, thrift store finds, and as golden girls and grumpy old men!
Friday at NWHS will be a busy day of hustle and bustle in true Homecoming style. Beginning with a morning assembly and pep rally then ending with a parade down Main Street.
Friday evening the Knight’s will face the Richwood High School Rams at Baucum-Farrar Stadium. The 2022 Homecoming Court will be presented and this year’s Queen will be crowned. The students living the Knight Life will conclude the week’s festivities dressed in royal attire gathering and celebrating at the Homecoming dance!
Homecoming Queen: Nevaeh Watts
Football Sweetheart: Jakeviona Lewis
Band Sweetheart: Breanna Trahan
Senior Maids: Destiny Bowman, Carlie Campbell, and Brianna Nash
Junior Maids: Mikiyah Bell, Skylaria Brown, and Niyana Cooper.
Sophomore Maids: Landree Andrews, Tymijah Cooper, and Naja WIllis
Freshman Maids: Demaiyh Moore, Emmi Taylor, and Chloe Wooten
By Paige Nash
The City of Minden and the Town of Sibley will be hosting their annual National Night Out events on October 11. This event is a national campaign that is usually held on the first Tuesday in August across the country. Here in the south with temperatures as high as they are in the summertime, most cities and towns chose to host their own NNO later in the year.
The first weekend of October is usually the go to date, but with the Minden Fair Parade being held during that time this year, both mayors decided to host their events on the following weekend.
The Town of Sibley will be providing free food, drinks and some form of entertainment to residents at the Town Hall.
Registration to host a City of Minden party is now until 4 p.m. October 7. Based on previous years, the city usually has one resident from each District hold their own individual event. Some of these events are held at local churches, while others may be held in the form of cookouts, block parties, or group walks.
Call Minden City Hall at 377-2144 to sign up to have a party in your district. A registration form is also available at http://www.mindenusa.com.
The NNO will serve as an opportunity for the community to come together to meet their neighbors and local law enforcement. The purpose of this community-building campaign is to enhance these relationships and bring back a sense of community and camaraderie.
The Minden Lions Club will welcome its District 8L governor, Lion Terry Harkey, as speaker this Thursday at noon.
Lion District Gov. Harkey is no stranger to the Minden Lions Club podium having spoken many times in her tenure as vice district governor, governor, and past district governor of District 8L – which covers the northwest quarter of Louisiana. It’s no secret that she believes the Minden Lions are the bright star in that universe and delights in visiting “the guys.”
Due to the loss of an officer in the line of succession, Lion District Gov. Harkey was appointed to return as district governor for the 2022-2023 term.
Although Lion Terry officially became a member of the North Shreveport Lions Club on July 1, 2013, she was no stranger to Lions projects. Her husband, Past Council Chair Scott Harkey, had her serving alongside Lions for over 40 years.
Lion District Gov. Harkey just returned to her North Shreveport Lions Club from the USA/Canada Forum in Calgary, an event she has attended for the last 9 years, along with many international conventions.
She is a Progressive Melvin Jones Fellow, a graduate of Emerging Lions Leadership Institute, the Guiding Lion Program, Faculty Development Institute, Lions Certified Instructor Program, and holds a doctorate from Lions Club University. She has received certificates of appreciation for outstanding support of Lions for the years 2013, 2016, 2018, and 2019 and has been awarded the Membership Key award and the District Governors Extension award for increasing membership. Lion District Gov. Harkey received the Leadership Medal in 2021 – the third highest honor in Lionism.
In addition to her current duties as district governor, she serves as chairman of the Prevention Committee for the Louisiana Lions Eye Foundation and is an active CubSight vision screener for area children.
Lion District Gov. Harkey and Lion Scott have been married since 1981 and have two adult children. Their daughter, E.D., works in downtown Shreveport and is married to Lion Chris Stewart. Their son, Jack, is involved in several business partnerships with Lion Scott. Their only “children” in residence are their rescue dogs, Flip and Corky.
The Webster Parish Fair Princess Pageant will be held October 1, 2022. Girls ages baby through 18 years are invited to enter in the Princess Pageant. The pageant, sponsored by the Minden Civitan Club, will be held beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Minden High School Auditorium.
Entry forms for the princess pageant may be obtained by emailing wpfairpageant@gmail.com or can be picked up at Steve’s Clockworks and Jewel Shoppe located at 342 Morris Drive, Minden. Entry forms must be received by September 26.
For more information regarding age divisions and entry fees, visit the Webster Parish Fair Queen Pageant Facebook page. All winners of the morning Princess pageant divisions will serve as the royal court for the 2022 Webster Parish Fair Queen. The Fair Queen pageant will also be held at Minden High Auditorium at 2pm October 1st. The Webster Parish Fair Queen is chosen from among high school seniors representing high schools in Webster Parish. These representatives are chosen by their respective schools.
The Queen, along with her Royal Courts, will ride in the Webster Parish Fair Parade on Tuesday, October 4. The public is invited to come out and watch both the princess pageant and the queen pageant. Entrance fees to attend will be $6 for adults and $4 for children.
Sept. 20
Permission slips and money ($30) due for 2022 Mini Cheer Camp, hosted by Doyline High School Cheerleaders. Grades Pre-K-5th. Contact Kelsey Morris at 318-5647324 or Whitney Vollmer at 318-525-2173.
Sept. 22
5:30 p.m. Springhill Rodeo Parade. To participate, contact Butch Lynd (318) 423-0928 or Springhill North Webster Chamber of Commerce at (318) 539-4717.
Sept. 24
9 a.m. until sold out. Minden Lions Club Fall Chicken Charbroil. Walmart parking lot.
3 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 24, 2022 “Jesus” presented by United in Christ Pentecostal Church, Minden Civic Center. Masks required.
Sept. 26
Entry forms due for Webster Parish Fair Queen and Princess pageants.
Sept. 27
4:30 until 7 p.m. Teen Study Hall for high school students, Minden library Stewart Center, 521 East and West St., Minden. Study, work on a project or do homework.
Sept. 28
7:30 a.m. Coffee with the Candidates, Webster Parish Council on Aging, 1482 Sheppard St., Minden.
Sept. 30
Entries due for the Webster Parish Fair Parade.
Oct. 1
9:30 a.m. Webster Parish Fair Princess Pageant, Minden High School Auditorium.
2 p.m. Fair Queen Pageant, Minden High School Auditorium.
Oct. 3-8
National 4-H Week
Oct. 4
5 p.m. Webster Parish Fair Parade, downtown Minden.
Oct. 4-7
Parish Fair and Livestock Show.
Oct. 6
10 a.m. Minden Planning Commission meeting. Pelican Room, Minden City Hall. Agenda includes a zoning varian request from Joyful Days LLC, owners of property located at 721 East Street to use existing building as office space for a personal care service company.
Oct. 8
8 a.m. until 1 p.m. Bayou Dorcheat Fall Paddle & Dutch Oven Cooking at Dixie Inn Boat Launch.
Oct. 10
6 p.m. 2022 Political Forum – Minden Mayor and Webster Parish School Board candidates for districts 4, 6 and 8. Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.
Oct. 11
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 4-H Fashion and Interior Design Workshop #1 at Cultural Crossroads Farm. Pre-registration required.
6 p.m. Political Forum for Springhill mayor, council and school board members at CAC Building. Hosted by Springhill North Webster Chamber of Commerce.
Oct. 12
6 p.m. 4-H Jr. Leader Meeting, Minden Extension Office.
Oct. 13
9 a.m. until 3 p.m. 4-H Global Cooking Workshop #1, Minden Extension Office. Pre-Registration Required.
4-H Pumpkin Decorating Contest & LA Commodity Cookery
6 p.m. Seeds Women Center, annual fundraising banquet. Dinner and program. Minden Civic Center.
Oct. 13-15
10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Louisiana’s Jet Rally Airshow, Minden Airport.
Oct. 15
11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Minden Makers Fair
4th annual Minden Makers Fair will take place at The Farm of Cultural Crossroads. A fun-filled day packed with local artists and makers, hands-on demonstrations, activities for children, food vendors, and more! Guests will also be able to view submissions made to our halloween-themed art competition, Moonlight Madness. More information about this event can be found at: https://www.mindenmakersfair.com/
5:30 until 11 p.m. After the gates close on Minden Makers Fair, The Farm will reopen at 5:30 for our 3rd annual Moonlight Madness halloween art competition and haunted house. The gallery reception will begin at 5:30 with awards being announced and refreshments served. Once the sun goes down, we will open our kid-friendly haunted house located under the pavilion and pass out candy. Guests are encouraged to wear a costume. For more information, or to receive an application to submit artwork into the competition, please call (318) 268-8153 or email CulturalCrossroadsOfMinden@gmail.com.
Oct. 17
5 p.m. LYFE Series Meeting #1, Springhill Library.
6 p.m. 2022 Political Forum – Minden Chief of Police and City Council candidates. Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.
Oct. 17-21
5 p.m. 2022 Mini Cheer Camp, hosted by Doyline High School Cheerleaders. Grades Pre-K-5th. Contact Kelsey Morris at 318-5647324 or Whitney Vollmer at 318-525-2173.
Oct. 20
10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Greater Minden Chamber Job Fair & Career Expo, Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College.
Oct. 31
4 until 6 p.m. Webster Parish Library Trunk or Treat, Minden Branch.
Nov. 4-5
Main to Main Trade Days
They say age is just a number, but it’s really a lot more than that. Our age says a lot about who we are, what we’ve been through, and what we can and cannot do anymore. Age puts us in a specific generation and sort of defines who we are. Our age puts limitations on us that sometimes we have to test. For example, can we still stay up after midnight and be able to function the next day? Can we still cut and stack a cord of wood without taking a break? Can we cut our own grass….with a push mower like we did in our younger days? Can we still tie our own shoes, or do we buy slip-ons to avoid bending over? Can we remember the name of the guy we met at the gas station or what we ate for lunch yesterday? These are just a few of the questions that our age dictates.
But one thing that separates us from other primates is the ability to set goals for ourselves. At an early age, we are taught the importance of setting goals by our parents, teachers, and coaches. Some of these goals are unattainable and we know that from the moment we set them…for example, a New Year’s resolution to lose weight, exercise daily, eat out less, do a better job of saving money, spend more time with loved ones, stop drinking, stop smoking, or stop chewing our fingernails. All of us have made these resolutions at one time or another. For some, they make up their mind and commit to accomplishing one or more of these. But understand, these people are not the norm, they are the exceptions!
Goals……what’s the purpose of them if we don’t ever achieve them? The answer to that question; without goals, we as humans have zero to no direction. We need something like a “carrot” dangling out in front of us in order to make us strive to be better individuals. We need a “reason” to push ourselves to be better and attempt to achieve these goals. As a tournament bass angler, my goals have changed over the last 32 years. I started tournament fishing back in 1990 as a way to continue to compete after my playing days as an athlete were over. Yes, for you young readers out there, THAT DAY does come! Anglers need that rush and feeling of accomplishment when we win an event or finished high in the standings.
My commitment to being the best angler comes from my God-given competitive fire I had as an athlete. No matter what sport, I wanted to be the best or play it at a very high level. Otherwise, why play? I’ve always felt that this is a trait you’re born with. Sure, it can be developed to a certain point, but it’s something that comes from within yourself to be the best. In my younger days, late 90’s and early 2000s, my goal was to try and win every event but was ok with a Top 10 finish. I wanted to compete for Angler of the Year (AOY) in every circuit. Even though that goal has yet to be achieved, the goal remains the same each and every year. I’ve had my share of success and a few wins while making several Top 10’s in the BFL’s, Toyota Series, ABA’s and other organizations.
Today, at the age of 61, the stamina or the desire to compete with today’s young guns coming up from the College and High School Series does not exist. Oh, don’t misunderstand, the desire to kick their butts and show them the old man still has it, still exists. But to win today, you must put in the hours of pre-fishing and scouting from sunup to sundown. You have to be the first guy at the ramp in the morning and the last to leave the ramp in the evening. I’m still pretty good and can still do well on any given day, but my desire wains especially when the bite is tough, too hot, too cold and Mother Nature decides she wants to blow 25 MPH creating three-and four-foot waves. Running in rough water and beating my body up worse than playing four quarters of a football game, my priorities have changed and It’s just not as important as it used to be!
So, I guess you could say my goals have changed due to my age. But like all former athletes, we will always think we can beat anyone as long as we are breathing. But in reality, it’s probably not going to happen, at least not as often as it used to. Make sure to keep setting and adjusting your goals because this will keep you young in both heart and soul. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen. Melanoma doesn’t discriminate! Trust me, I know!
Steve Graf – Owner Co-Host
Hook’N Up & Track’N Down
Show & Tackle Talk Live
This past week or so, we have all been overwhelmed by information on the royal family due to the death of Queen Elizabeth II. This brought up the memory of the mostly forgotten Emperor Norton I whose full name was Joshua Abraham Norton I.
The emperor’s reign began in September 1859 and lasted just over two decades. Emperor Norton issued his own currency and proclamations and collected taxes from his subjects. “The emperor would have been a noteworthy figure anywhere,” one newspaper reported. He was described as being “modestly pretentious,” “sensible and intelligent upon most subjects, and a gentleman always.” He was a large-sized man, “whom the cares of the government had rendered round-shouldered. On the top of a royal head of hair… he wore an old-style high hat from which waved a plume, stolen against its will from some stray white rooster. His eyebrows were heavy, and overhung small, piercing eyes. The emperor was always dressed in a dark blue uniform, closely buttoned to the three upper buttons, which were left loose to show the rich linen he wore. A broad piping of red ran down the seam of his trousers.” When the emperor needed a new tailored uniform, he personally collected the amount required from his willing subjects. Even his personal tailor paid a share.
While most of us grumble about paying even the slightest tax, his subjects were willing, even happy, to pay the emperor’s taxes. Emperor Norton never took more than he needed, and he only collected monthly taxes from those that he graced with his presence. In exchange for paying the monthly taxes, some restaurant owners in his capital city provided him with free meals. Having the emperor dine with them was good for business and they, the businesses, received bragging rights. Emperor Norton was most interested in the events which occurred in his realm. When a political or financial dispute arose, Emperor Norton personally acted as mediator, never taking sides, until both parties were satisfied. The emperor formalized the agreement between the parties with an official decree or proclamation which he signed, “Norton I.”
On State occasions, Emperor Norton wore a ceremonial sword. Even on these occasions, the emperor always had his trusty cane in hand. His cane was such an individuality that “every resident and visitor of his [capital] city knew it by heart.” A carved serpent was coiled around the cane’s central stick. The serpent’s head and neck formed the cane’s crook. Some of his subjects claimed that they could tell the emperor was approaching by the unique sound the cane made as it tapped on the sidewalk with each step he took. Rather than taking a royal carriage, Emperor Norton happily walked the streets of his capital city among his subjects. “No person ever passed him on the streets … without noticing him. If they did not know him at first sight they always asked, and invariably found out.”
All good things must come to an end. On January 8, 1880, the 61-year-old emperor was walking unmolested among his loyal, loving subjects when he suddenly collapsed. People immediately rushed to the emperor, but before anyone could render aid the emperor slipped from this world into the next. Newspapers reported that he died of apoplexy, which most often refers to stroke symptoms that occur suddenly. Emperor Norton’s subjects were immensely saddened by his death. Businesses moved the emperor’s photograph from its place of distinction to their front windows. Unfortunately, Emperor Norton left no heir. He had one true love. On numerous occasions, Emperor Norton proposed marriage to Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, but she married Prince Albert instead. With no proper heir, the title and position of emperor of his realm died with Norton.
Emperor Norton’s obituary said, “There never lived a more eccentric character …than that very Norton. He was a patron of the arts, sciences, operas, free lunches, and, in fact, anything that was good and noble, not excepting the synagogue nor the feasts of all creeds and nationalities, since he was the embodiment of a free pass, and never paid a cent for anything except his lodging, the coin for which he received from his loyal subjects, on whom he levied for contributions monthly.” As not to overtax his subjects, the emperor had not set aside funds for his own funeral. The citizens of his capital city so loved the emperor that they collected one final tax in his name, which his subjects happily paid, for an elaborate funeral and casket for the emperor.
Emperor Norton’s subjects “humored his whim by paying the royal assessments he levied for the support of his imperial person.” The emperor’s realm existed … only in his mind. His capital city was San Francisco, California. Emperor Norton I was the first, and only, albeit self-proclaimed, “Emperor of the United States.”
Sources:
1. The Petaluma Courier, January 14, 1880, p.2.
2. The Evansville Journal (Evansville, Indiana), January 21, 1880, p.4.
3. The American Israelite (Cincinnati, Ohio) February 13, 1880, p.p2.
Diane Milner Whitlock
Oct. 27, 1941 – Sept. 18, 2022
Funeral service: 10 a.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, Beech Springs Baptist Church in Minden.
Burial: Pisgah Baptist Church Cemetery, Bernice.
Ronald Moore
August 27, 1957 – Sept. 12, 2022
Funeral service: 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2022, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, Arcadia.
Franklin Dee Haynes
Jan. 30, 1933 – Sept. 16, 2022
Memorial service: Private service at a later date, under the direction of Bailey Funeral Home, Springhill.
Michael Patrick Redel
Jan. 3, 1955 – Sept. 10, 2022
Visitation: 2 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Dr., Bossier City.
Memorial service: 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1, 2022, Rose-Neath Funeral Home, 2201 Airline Dr., Bossier City.
Webster Parish Journal publishes paid obituaries – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $80. Contact your funeral provider or wpjnewsla@gmail.com . Must be paid in advance of publication. (Above death notices are free of charge.)
By Bonnie Culverhouse
Those who gathered at the 14th District Building for a candidate forum Saturday mostly agreed on local issues … just not how to solve them.
At the top of the list of City of Minden’s issues are high utility bills, public safety and a divisive city council.
Candidate Nick Cox said he believes there is a way to lower utility rates.
“A lot of people tell me there is a contract (with Southwestern Electric Power Company) that we cannot get out of for six more years, but there’s gotta be a way,” Cox said. “Our citizens need relief. There’s two sides to every coin. We can’t be judging without understanding.”
Cox pointed out that many citizens are having to choose between keeping up their properties and paying their utility bill. Others who are considering a move to Minden are being told to live outside the city limits for the same reason.
Billy Mills said his background as a minister has given him the skills to handle large budgets and people in difficult situations.
“I am completely focused on investing in this city and its future,” Mills said. “I believe we all want the same common goal, a city that is flourishing, a city that people want to raise their families in, a city with a firm foundation.
Mills went on to say that what Minden needs is unity.
“And the understanding that what is good for one area of Minden is good for every part of Minden as a whole,” he said. “There are a variety of needs and agendas – every one of them equally important.”
Current District B Councilwoman Terika Williams-Walker is a long-time educator, school and political leader. She also said her main concerns were already expressed by other council and mayoral candidates.
“Before any of that can happen, you have to have leadership in place,” she said. “To be a good leader, you have to be a good follower and a good listener. We all have change we want to see … we need to move Minden forward. We have to do our best, not just for one side, but all the city of Minden.”
Her focus, she said, will be on municipal unification, economic development, school safety and energy.
“Utility bills are the biggest issue and concern for the citizens of Minden,” Walker said. “I’m not going to stand here and say I can fix it and make it go away. What I can do and what I have done is started talks with a legal team about the contract. I have spoken with other government agents to provide some resources.”
Cox said one key to unifying the mayor and council is “if we keep ourselves in check, others will follow.”
“Until we can understand the emotions and behaviors of others, it’s very hard to lead groups of people,” he added.
Mills said after 47 years in the ministry, he has helped people mend bridges.
“I think every voice is important, and I must listen to everyone,” Mills said. “At the end of the day, it will be am I’m pleasing God?”
Walker said the next mayor will have to be aware of his or her actions and how they will affect others.
“You regulate you,” she said. “As a leader, you are there to work with a team and do what’s best for the city. It is not about you. You can’t have a personal agenda.”
All candidates said they will work with the law enforcement and look for ways to lower crime, while keeping the citizens safe.