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Feliciana Explorer • Tuesday, March 10, 2015 • Vol. 5, No. 10 • Published Weekly • Circulation 17,000 • felicianaexplorer.com • © 2015

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See EAST FEL SCHOOLS on page 3

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East Feliciana Schools Begin Interview Process for New Superintendent

At the March 3 East Feliciana School Board meeting, Dr. Knight Roddy, left, dis-cussed plans for the Career Pathway Jump Start offerings at the high school and at the BRCC—Jackson campus. With Roddy are, from left, East Feliciana High School Assistant Principal Jeremye Brooks, EFHS Dean of Students Antonia Caine Royal, and EFHS Principal Dr. Curt Green. Brooks and Counselor Trina Brown Allen are the Jump Start “point persons” at the school level, Roddy says, and Robin Variest is the district-level coordinator for career and technical education, representing East Feliciana in consortium of West Feliciana, Pointe Coupee, and Zachary, the North Capital Region Jump Start Team. Photograph by Patricia Stallman.

By Patricia Stallman

Farewell to Dr. LewisThe March 3 meeting of the

East Feliciana Parish School Board marked the last at which Su-perintendent Dr. Henderson Lew-is would preside. Lewis, whose whirlwind two and a half years in East Feliciana lifted the district’s achievement and morale and im-proved its finances, returns to New Orleans to lead the Orleans Parish Schools.

Candidates for Superinten-dent of Schools

East Feliciana Board President Michael Ray Bradford and sev-eral Board members, with the as-sistance of District Attorney Sam D’Aquilla, examined in private session the 13 application pack-ages from superintendency can-didates. The seven who met the advertised requirements for sub-mission include educators from Baker, Bastrop, Baton Rouge,

New Orleans and Zachary.The Board will set interviews

for: Susan D. Moore, Ed.D., New Orleans; Patrick D. Jenkins, Zach-ary; George Norflin, Jr., Ph.D., Bastrop; Carlos J. Sam, Baton Rouge; Angela Lee-Domingue, Ph.D., Baton Rouge; De’Etta Per-ry, Ed.D., Baker; and Mavia Mar-salis, Zachary.

Three area school superinten-dents, an East Feliciana commu-nity leader, and a representative of the East Feliciana Chamber of Commerce will conduct the initial interviews and present the final three candidates to the Board.

Career EducationIn other business, Dr. Knight

Roddy, Federal Fund Supervisor and Secondary Supervisor for the East Feliciana schools, delivered an update on the North Capital Re-gion Jump Start collaborative, a group representing East and West

West Feliciana High’s Jim Carroll: Semi-Finalist for Principal of the YearBy Patricia Stallman

Principal of the Year Semi-Finalist

“Iron sharpens iron,” Principal James Carroll said in an interview Tuesday, March 3. “The best in-structor for a teacher is another teacher.” For that reason, “We work hard to continue professional learning communities among our teachers; we schedule classes so that teachers of like subjects can easily confer at the very least once a week.”

Carroll’s focus on accommo-dating and encouraging teachers may be one reason West Feliciana High School follows what Car-roll calls “a path of continuous improvement,” why it scores at or near the top of very nearly every educational measure.

That focus may also figure in Carroll’s selection as a semi-fi-nalist for the state Principal of the Year award.

Science Teacher Samantha Williams, right, works on an experiment with students Mela-nie Ernest, Christopher Guillory, Bailey Casteel, Madison Labatot, and Amber Fruge. Principal James Carroll is third from left, and Biology and Agriscience Teacher Dr. Paul Theriot completes the group. Photograph by Tammy Laakso.

Believe and Prepare: Teacher Partnership with LSU

The principal leads the visitor to a science laboratory, where Sci-ence Teacher Samantha Williams works on an experiment with stu-dents Melanie Ernest, Christopher Guillory, Bailey Casteel, Madison Labatot, and Amber Fruge. Wil-liams, a certified teacher, is part of the Louisiana State University Believe and Prepare program that, in partnership with the West Feli-ciana schools, benefits both new teachers and their students.

Williams enjoys, for her first year in the classroom, a residency, which includes the support of an on-site mentor, Dr. Paul Theriot, who teaches biology and agri-science at the high school. Next year, Theriot says, he “will be in-tegrating into agriscience” a more STEM-based curriculum, that is, a curriculum heavy on science,

2 Tuesday, March 10, 2015

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EXPLOREREXPLORERFeliciana

Sisters Supporting Sister of Ba-ton Rouge presents Loving the Skin I’m In – a Woman’s Outreach luncheon featuring motivational speaker Rev. Mary Moss, Pastor of St. Alma Baptist Church in Lake-land, La on Saturday March 14 at 10:00 a.m. at the New Light Baptist Church, Tower of Strength Center at 650 Blount Road in Baton Rouge. Admission is free but ladies need to register by March 12 by calling 225-921-9072 or emailing [email protected].

Free Luncheon set for Area Women

Gene Mills to Address East Feliciana Men’s Prayer BreakfastBy Bill WigginS

All Christian men of all denomina-tions are invited to attend the East Fe-liciana Men’s Prayer Breakfast on the second Saturday of each month from 8 to 9 a.m. at the Clinton United Method-ist Church Fellowship Hall in Clinton, Louisiana. This facility is located at the corner of Highway 10 and Plank Road in downtown Clinton.

We are ordinary men from various denominations who gather for fellow-ship, for encouragement in our walk with Christ, to foster prayer together, and to socialize. When you attend, you feel uplifted and have a sense of be-longing to our community.

Each month we have a speaker and the speaker for Saturday, March 14, is Gene Mills, President of Louisiana Family Forum, an organization com-mitted to defending faith, freedom, and the traditional family of Louisi-ana. Gene also has a weekly newsletter called “End of the Week.” This news-letter keeps you updated on state and national issues.

Jackson Lions Club Invites Participants for April 4 Easter Parade

By Beth DaWSon

Mardi Gras parades are over for 2015 and now it’s time to put all our efforts into the Third Annual Easter Parade in Jack-son. The Jackson Lions Club would like to invite all churches, businesses, clubs, horse organizations, politicians, and indi-viduals to participate.

The parade will take place April 4, with lineup on Eastern Louisiana Mental Health System grounds at 1 p.m. Neither registration nor fees is necessary.

Lineup will be on a first-come, first-served basis. Of course, the American flag, the parade marshal, and the East Feliciana High School band will lead the parade.

This year Jackson is celebrating its 200th birthday; therefore, the theme of the parade will be “Hoppin’ thru the De-cades.”

The parade will travel around EL-MHS, go out onto Highway 10, turn left and roll through Jackson, and turn right on Church Street. The parade will then turn right and travel to Centenary State Historic Site for an Easter Egg Hunt for the children.

Organizers have several requests: We ask that floats play only Easter mu-sic. Further, ELMHS administrators ask that parade participants not throw gum or beads on their grounds.

Jackson Town Councilman Rafe Stewart is furnishing prizes for the best floats. He’s giving a $75 Wal-Mart gift certificate to the best float, a $50 gift cer-tificate to the 2nd place float, and a $25 gift certificate to the 3rd place float.

For further information, please call the East Feliciana Chamber of Commerce in Jackson Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.

Tuesday, March 10, 2015 3

EAST FEL SCHOOLS continued from page 1

Feliciana Parish school districts, the Pointe Coupee Parish school district, and Zachary schools. The focus is career education to prepare students for employment upon graduation.

The consortium has received a $45,000 grant—the third, for a total of $170,000—to provide: 1) web-based face time with industry professionals, 2) teacher intern-ships in industry (during sum-mers), and 3) regional career net-working fairs.

Roddy credits Robin Variest, district-level coordinator for ca-reer and technical education, with representing East Feliciana in the North Capital Region Jump Start team. East Feliciana High School Assistant Principal Jeremye Brooks and Guidance Counselor Trina Brown Allen, he says, serve as the “point persons” at the school level. All “have worked very hard” to prepare for and begin the focus on in-depth career instruction and certification.

FinancesNext, Tommy LeJeune of Faulk

and Winkler presented an over-view of the East Feliciana school system’s finances: “Where you’ve come from, what 2015 will look like, what 2016 will look like, and options and recommendations.” On the plus side, the district has restructured the Central Office and the high school, LeJeune said. Several large lawsuit settlements have in addition “offset some de-cline in sales tax revenue.”

The general fund, however, has

experienced increased costs due to adding another grade at the char-ter school and providing a step increase for employees. Further, “More dollars on salary means more dollars on retirement pay,” LeJeune reminded the Board. Personnel costs—salaries and benefits—make up 82 percent of spending.

The Board must “expect a num-ber of major changes,” LeJeune said, and “there are no options that are going to make people happy.” Because of the projected sales tax decrease and charter school ap-propriation increase, the projected deficit is “just north of $800,000.” LeJeune advised that the Board “shoot for a million,” that it bud-get for both known and unantici-pated expenses.

As Dr. Lewis commented later, the Board needs to find another $1 million.

The financial advisor presented the Board with three options. First, do not replace employees who re-tire or otherwise leave the dis-trict; second, consider ending the practice of the annual “thirteenth check,” a year-end bonus for em-ployees; and, third, consolidate the campuses, housing middle school and high school together (grades seven through twelve) and pre-kindergarten through elementary together (pre-K through grade six).

Lewis’s RecommendationsReminding the Board that the

discussion of these cost-cutting measures “has been going on for two years,” Lewis said that he “strongly recommends” that the Board consider consolidation of the campuses. In addition, he

pointed to “serious maintenance issues” and the upgrading of rest-rooms to meet state handicap re-quirements.

Further, Striving Readers Com-prehensive Literacy grants, which begin with 80 percent from the state and 20 percent from the dis-trict, have gone down to 60 per-cent state and 40 percent district.

When other school districts engage in deficit spending, Lew-is cautioned, they hit a reserve; should East Feliciana take that route, it will hit zero.

Board Member Melvin Hollins suggested that the district engage in “education of the parish stake-holders” with regard to the renew-al of taxes. Board Member Paul Kent suggested that the district investigate outsourcing transpor-

tation and maintenance.Kent also advised, “from the

finance committee perspective,” that the Board make the decision on consolidation “and live with it; we’ll be in dire straits if we don’t.”

Lewis suggested that the Board put tax issues on the ballot early.

Further, he asked that the Board make the difficult decisions before it brings the new superintendent on board. Bradford replied, “It’s going to be rough on the new per-son, whichever way we go. We’re low on money.”

The Board continued to respond to Lewis’ call to “get creative,” leading Board Member Curtis Jelks to observe that the cost-cut-ting action will “show people in the parish that we’re trying.”


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Hollis Milton, Philip Meyers, Brandy Evans, Kurt Weigle, Jan Swift, Nathan Norris, Sheree Blanchard, and Erin Wesley Monroe visit Bains Lower Elementary School. Pho-tograph provided by Hollis Milton.

14Forward Visits West Feliciana SchoolsOn Thursday, February 26, and Fri-

day, February 27, approximately 20 leaders from around the state visited West Feliciana. The idea to develop an organization, “14Forward,” began last fall when several members completed a well-known leadership class, “Lead-ership Louisiana,” which the Council for a Better Louisiana has sponsored for the past 25 years. Approximately 50 leaders from the private and public setting gather in Baton Rouge, New Orleans, Lake Charles, Lafayette, and Shreveport. During their time together, the group gets a behind-the-scenes tour of each city, hears from prominent leaders, and discusses how the state can improve its quality of life.

“14Forward’s first visit was to West Feliciana,” said Member Hollis Mil-ton, Superintendent of West Feliciana Parish Schools. “It made sense that we start here so that we could see a state model for early childhood learning at the schools in St. Francisville and a national model for prison reform at the Louisiana State Penitentiary in An-gola. Besides, West Feliciana is a lot of fun, and we knew that the group would enjoy the area’s scenic views and deli-cious food.”

The itinerary included a tour of Bains Lower Elementary and West Feliciana Middle School on Thursday, followed by lunch at The Cottage, dur-ing which Kevin Kane of The Peli-can Institute provided information on criminal justice reform in our state. Later, before dinner at Que Pasa, the group met for several hours to dis-cuss the framework for the 14Forward membership.

On Friday, the group began its day with a conversation with Teacher Carla

Jackson, the 2016 State Teacher of the Year, then, after breakfast, traveled to Angola where Gary Young provided an extensive tour, including the work force development programs. Milton said, “The job training programs at Angola are second to none. Kudos to Warden Burl Cain for providing op-portunities for inmates who will be released at some point. If they are not trained, I’m afraid that we would be sending an inmate out into our popu-lation without the skills to become a law-abiding taxpayer. Cain’s efforts are improving the quality of life for not only the inmates but for all citizens of Louisiana.”

John Snow, Vice President of 14Forward, addressed the evolution of the group. “14Forward is an outgrowth of CABL’s Leadership Louisiana pro-gram. As we were finishing our offi-

cial program in November of 2014, a number of us recognized that our class included thoughtful and accomplished leaders, and that we ought to figure a way to work together on behalf of Lou-isiana. Our first post-graduate session, in West Feliciana, taught us that Loui-siana is a complicated and fascinating state with surprises around every bend in the road.”

Katara Williams, Assistant Com-missioner for Public Affairs at the Board of Regents, added, “As a group dedicated to creating a better Loui-siana, our visit to West Feliciana was truly eye-opening. From witnessing the amazing work taking place across local schools under the leadership of Superintendent Hollis Milton and his tremendous staff, to the time we spent touring the facilities at Angola State Penitentiary—including the remark-

able work Warden Cain is doing to rehabilitate the lives of those incar-cerated at Angola, many of whom are serving life sentences—we were able to see a different side of Louisiana that many of us had never experienced, all of which was capped off by the beauty of the area. The lessons we learned and what we observed are experiences we can absolutely take with us and le-verage within our own communities, thereby aligning with our larger goal of learning from one another to plant the seeds for a better Louisiana.”

Kurt Weigle, President and CEO of Downtown Development District of New Orleans, said, “The Council for a Better Louisiana's Leadership Loui-siana program has accomplished a lot over the years, and I hope that 14For-ward will one day be counted among its greatest accomplishments. The care and commitment of every one of my classmates is palpable every time we are together. Hollis's program for us in West Feliciana clearly demonstrated why our class stuck together after grad-uation. If ever we can dream of a time when we won't need places like An-gola, it will come on the back of poli-cies and programs like the outstanding early childhood education taking place in West Feliciana. The pairing of these two programs was powerful. I can't stop thinking about our time there.”

Barry Erwin, President and Chief Executive of CABL, added, “It was great to have a group of alumni of our Leadership Louisiana program gather to think of ways we can continue to contribute to the future of our state and our communities. We want to see

See 14FORWARD on page 9


Are You a Friend of Cat Island? Join the Friends March 11 at West Feliciana LibraryBy Pat heurtin

Friends of Cat Island group hopes to resume its work

In the early part of 2000, a group of interested people came together to form the Friends of Cat Island. Here it is 2015, and the remaining members of this group would like to re-form and to add new members who truly are interested in the Cat Island National Wildlife Refuge in West Feliciana Parish.

The 526th refuge in the National Wild-life Refuge System, the Cat Island refuge was established October 27, 2000, to con-serve, restore, and manage natural wet-land habitats for migratory birds, aquatic resources, and endangered and threatened species.

The Friends group will work to com-plete projects for the refuge.

Cat Island: part of Mississippi River Refuge Complex

Cat Island is part of the Lower Missis-sippi River National Wildlife Refuge Com-plex, which also includes St. Catherine's Creek and Bayou Cocodrie. All three are within five miles of the Mississippi River. From loess bluffs to cypress swamps, each refuge has its own unique landscape. While these lands were set aside to allow our nation's wildlife to thrive, residents and visitors can experience the refuges by hik-ing or paddling on designated trails.

Join the Friends March 11Jimmy Laurent, Project Leader for the

Lower Mississippi River NWR Complex, who is stationed at St. Catherine's Creek, will host a meeting at the West Feliciana

Parish Library on Wednesday, March 11, at 5 p.m. to discuss his observations of Cat Island, as well as to hear from the people present at the meeting. He is quite eager to have the Friends group become active again.

A few of Cat Island’s featuresSome of us know Cat Island as the

place of the Big Tree. The National Champion Bald Cypress tree, an extraor-dinary landmark in the State of Louisiana, is the largest tree east of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. At an impressive height of 96 feet, and with a diameter of 17 feet and a circumference of 56 feet, it is truly a sight to behold. Estimated to be approximately 1,500 years old, it is a national treasure right here in our own back yard.

In addition, this refuge includes nearly 3,000 acres of cypress-tupelo swamp habi-tat, a good habitat for wading bird nesting colonies, and a habitat that includes cavi-ties for bats to roost, and cavities for wood duck, hooded mergansers, and prothonota-ry warblers. Because these trees are found in low-lying areas, many of these sites have not been harvested for timber, allow-ing many of the cypress trees to grow quite large. Some are several hundred years old.

The Friends of Cat Island hopes to see many of you hunters, birders, hikers, cano-ers, photographers, and naturalists at this informational meeting. Please join us in the excitement of promoting and protect-ing our natural resources.

Mark your calendars now: Wednesday, March 11, 5 p.m., West Feliciana Parish Library.

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The Duncans Bring Real Property Management Premium to Area

Billy & Bessie Duncan in front of their offices on Church Street in Zachary.

By JameS ronalD SkainS

“I grew up in North Baton Rouge, but once I went to work for Dow Chemical, I got to see the world,” Billy R. Duncan told the Feliciana Explorer. “But when it came time to retire, I came back toward home and picked Zachary as my retirement city.”

Duncan and his wife and business partner are now the owner/operators of Real Property Management Premium located on 2060 Church Street near LeBlanc’s Super Market in Zachary. Real Property Management Premium of Zachary takes under management: single family residential properties; condos; and duplexes for real estate investors who want to maximize their profitability and minimize their hassle.

The Real Property Management Premium Team takes on the full respon-sibility of managing property, from the upkeep all the way through the leasing stage and the collection of monthly pay-ments.

“My road from Scotlandville High School to my retirement home and business was very interesting and satis-fying to me,” Duncan related. “I started my career in electronics by obtaining an Associate Degree in Electronics.”

“For 10 years I did electronics work as an owner operator. I worked on all kind of electronic equipment, includ-ing stereos, TV’s, and radios. I then ob-tained a BS degree from Southern Uni-versity in Electrical Engineering. It was at that point in my career, I was able to go to work for Dow Chemical at an en-try level Electrical Engineer’s positon. The great thing about Dow Chemical was that they allowed and encouraged me to develop my talent and skill in the

corporate management world.”“At one time, while working and

living in Midland, Michigan, I had the privilege of being the Director of Learning for Dow Chemical,” Duncan pointed out. “That was an awesome op-portunity as Dow Chemical is a strong believer in “Learning.” Their philoso-phy is that education and training, is critical to success.”

After starting his career at the Dow facility on the “big river” below Baton Rouge, Duncan followed Dow Chemi-cal to League City, Texas, Sterlington, LA, to Midland, Michigan, and Hous-ton. Duncan retired from Dow at a po-sition of Director of Purchasing.

“After we moved back to the Hous-ton area from Michigan, I told Billy that he had one more move available as a married man,” Bessie Duncan pointed out. “That is when we decided that our next move would be to retirement to Zachary.”

Bessie is a country girl, a native of Woodville, Mississippi. She is still par-tial to flashy belt ensembles like the one she wore the day of our interview. Bes-sie met Billy while working at the Bank of St. Francisville.

“After I retired from Dow with 25 years, we took a couple years off for family time and relaxation,” Billy Duncan explained. “We knew that we wanted to have our own business at that stage in our life.”

“We began to look at franchise op-portunities. Our first goal was to find something that Bessie and I could work together in. Secondly, we didn’t want to have a lot of employees. Third, we didn’t want to spend a lot of money on bricks and mortar or pay an extreme-ly high franchise fee. Also, I wanted something that I could take my corpo-rate skill set that I had acquired at Dow and put them to work for myself.”

“All those issues fell into place when we looked at the Real Property Management franchise,” Billy Dun-can related. “Bessie and I could work together, there was very little traveling out of town to be done and I could put my management skills to good use. Bessie has a banking background, so her accounting skills fit well with the Real Property Management Program.”

Real Property Management, a 25

year old firm is listed on Inc. Maga-zines’ annual list of the 500 fastest-growing private companies in the USA. Real Property Management offers 10 distinctive advantages to its clients. First is local experience, which ensures the proper knowledge of licensing as well as knowledge and expertise on area rental rates.

Decreased vacancy rates are a stan-dard with Real Property Management due to its vast advertising network. Strict screening methods, streamlined rent collections and evictions, along with cost-effective, reliable mainte-nance are all part of the working agree-ment between clients and the Duncan Real Property Management Team. Other distinct areas of operation that make doing business with Real Prop-erty Management a success is online re-porting, centralized accounting (which is Bessie’s bailiwick), regular property inspections, and management of tenant emergencies and requests.

Real Property Management Premi-um operated by Billy and Bessie Dun-can operates in a nine-parish region of the Baton Rouge Metro area. In addi-tion to East and West Baton Rouge Par-ishes, the Real Property Management Premium Team is involved in property management in Ascension, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, Iberville, St. Helena, and East and West Feliciana Parishes.

“There is a growing number of people in the Baton Rouge Metro who didn’t plan to become landlords. How-ever, due to transfers and this not be-ing exactly the best time to sell houses, these persons are finding that Real Prop-erty Management Premium has a lot to offer them in increased rental revenues and peace of mind about the condition of their property,” Billy Duncan pointed out. “By placing your property with our management team, you can make the best out of unexpected situations.”

“Bessie and I are very pleased that we chose Zachary to retire in and to start a new venture in our retirement years. Zachary is a great place with a great future in residential development. Real Property Management is also an impressive franchise company. Their support to franchisees is first class. The intensity of their training is on the cali-ber that I was used to with Dow Chemi-cal.”

“Real Property Management Pre-mium welcomes owners and inves-tors who would like to maximize their profitability and minimize their hassles. Property management is all we do…we’re trained, licensed, and insured. Let us handle the stresses of property man-agement while you enjoy your life.”


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Jackson Assembly Art Show to Welcome Artists from Felicianas and Surrounding AreaBy Patricia Stallman

The Jackson Assembly Art Show will run from Friday, March 27, through Sunday, March 29, in con-junction with the 50th Annual Jackson Assembly Antiques Show in Jackson, Louisiana.

Art Show Coordinator Donna Kil-bourne reports that the show will in-clude fine art, jewelry, pottery, and woven baskets from artists of south Louisiana and will take place at the Charter Street Studios on the corner of College and Charter Streets in Jackson.

On Monday, February 23, several studio artists gathered in Jackson to discuss their work and their genesis as artists.

Kilbourne, for example, says that she “(came) from a background of little to no exposure to art” to a “love affair” with art that began when she saw “the original works of the masters…. After beginning as a self-taught oil painter in 1997,” she says, she “took a series of lessons from Artist Billie Southwick Bourgeois of Baton Rouge,” followed by an ongoing series of workshops with acclaimed artists from throughout the United States. She likes to work in different styles, she says, and “on more than one thing at a time.”

Of her subject matter she notes, “I take inspiration from anything and everything. I just love to paint.” Kil-bourne will offer for the show oil paintings and her recent small works in pastels.

Connie McMillin says that she be-gan painting several years ago after her home in Jackson “exploded” two weeks following her move-in date “and I was burned over 52 percent of my body.” As therapy for her hands, she decided to paint.

McMillon says of Clinton Artist Carol Shirley, “She told me, ‘If you can sign your name, I can teach you to paint.’” Following Shirley as the instructor was Slaughter Artist Della Storms. McMillin now paints as part of a small Charter Street Studios work-shop group led by Kilbourne.

Carolyn Thornton, a new mem-ber of the Charter Street group, says, “Donna introduced me to this new world. Then I took three OLLI classes, each of which had four sessions.” Of her first painting, she says, “I looked at it and said, ‘That’s not horrible. I want to do more of this.’”

Later, when she was visiting St. Francisville for a Backwoods Gal-lery show that included several of her works, a young woman approached her and said, “How do I buy one of your paintings?” Thornton had to ask the woman to repeat her question several times before she understood that an-other person truly wanted to own one of her works. She directed the woman to Gallery Owner Joe Savell, “then walked over to the corner and cried.”

Artist Frances Durham of Clinton, like Kilbourne “took her first formal class from Billie Bourgeois” in 1997,

then “studied with notable artists from around the country.” Of her subjects Durham says, “Landscape is one of my loves. It is ever changing yet sooth-ingly the same. I hope my paintings will convey a single quiet moment of reflection of nature at its best….” Dur-ham is also known for her paintings of flowers.

Artist Linda Broderick says, “I do so many different things; I’m not re-petitive.” She points out the recent painting of a nude that rests alongside a large landscape. “I can’t be straight and neat and symmetrical!” she says of her style.

Artist Alice Kent, who teaches stu-dio art classes at the Silliman Institute in Clinton, says of her glorious paint-ings, simply, “I paint flowers.”

“In recognition of Jackson’s Bi-centennial year-long celebration,” Kil-bourne notes, “this year’s show offers more participating artists than those of previous years.”

Charter Street Studios artists in-clude: from Clinton—Frances Dur-ham, Merry Hobgood, Alice Kent, Donna Kilbourne, and Linda White; from Jackson—Linda Broderick,

Cindi McDonald, and Connie McMil-lin; from St. Francisville—Olivia Pass, Roger Persons, Dahn Savell, Mary Thompson, Carolyn Thornton, and Kathryn Ward; and, from Zachary—Geana Rust.

Charter Street artists exhibiting their work for the show are: Broderick, Durham, Hobgood, Kent, Kilbourne, Persons, and Thornton.

In addition, also exhibiting are: from Baton Rouge—Judi Betts, Judith Braggs, Roberta Loflin, Keith Morris, and Stan Routh; from Chauvin—Dot-Tee Ratliff; from Clinton—Catherine Rouchon; from French Settlement—Peggy Carbo; from Jennings—Ronnie Collins; from Patterson, Cleo Scott; from Pollock—Stephen Kimball; from St. Francisville—Craig Roth and Martha Singer; from Slaughter, Della Storms; from Zachary—Stephen Causey and Jenny Mills; from Liberty, Mississippi—Sandra Maltese.

For more information on the show, visit the Jackson Assembly web site at http://jacksonassemblyantiquesshow.com or contact Donna Kilbourne, Art Show Coordinator, at 225- 202-6047 or by email [email protected].

Artist Linda Broderick


technology, engineering, and mathematics.

At the same time, the resident teacher takes classes toward her Master of Natural Sciences de-gree.

The STEM-Based Curricu-lum

“On the STEM side,” Carroll says, the school is “preparing for a cyber curriculum that the Cyber Innovation Center—the national center headquartered in Bossier City—has developed in conjunc-tion with Louisiana Tech. The two have put together a curriculum us-ing robotics to teach science.”

The benefit for West Feliciana High is the implementation next year of four courses: Cyber Lit-eracy, Cyber Science (Introduc-tion to Robotics), a robotics-based physics curriculum, and finally, “a new advanced math curriculum with emphasis on engineering and programming.”

Carroll’s students benefit as well from his own educational background: a former mathemat-ics teacher at both Baker and West Feliciana High Schools, he earned his undergraduate degree in Engi-neering Design Technology from LSU. While serving as a pilot with the Air Force, he graduated with a Master of Aeronautical Science from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University in Florida, then added a second master’s in educational leadership from the American College of Education in Chicago.

The Career PathwaysThe new Career Pathways,

which West Feliciana will also im-plement next year, is as exciting as the new STEM-based curriculum, Carroll says.

The career curriculum will in-clude seven pathways to employ-ment. Each pathway will require nine career courses, along with 14 academic courses. To graduate through the Career Pathway pro-gram, students must earn a gradu-ating credential. For example, in digital media, students must quali-fy as a Certified Adobe Associate. In welding, carpentry and electri-cal, students must complete the National Center for Construction Education and Research Level 1 in each area.

Digital Media. The first path-way, digital media, will teach students “how to use all me-dia—photographs, videos, audio sources—to prepare material for publication through television, the internet, or print media using Adobe’s Creative Suite. Teach-ers are Tammy Laakso, geometry and digital media, and Killian Wil-liams, art and digital media.

Health. The second career path-way is Certified Nursing Assistant. Students will complete their CNA training and clinicals through BRCC—Jackson. Meantime, at the high school, Samantha Wil-liams, biology teacher, and Jona-than Simmons, biology and anat-omy and physiology teacher, will serve as instructors. Bonnie Hines, from the parish fire department, will also teach first-responder techniques.

Public Service: Fire, police, and first responder training. Bonnie Hines, West Feliciana Parish Fire Department, will teach the first re-

sponder course, and World Geog-raphy and World History Teacher Torrance Williams will teach law studies. The plan is to expand the offerings to include fire, police, and Emergency Medical Techni-cian training.

The Skilled Crafts: Carpen-try, electrical and welding. This training will take place at the high school. Jason McCray will teach carpentry, welding and agri-science, and Dr. Paul Theriot will handle agriscience and electrical.

Culinary. The high school has its own culinary section. Serving as instructor will be Amy Drehr, who holds certification from the John Folse culinary school at Nichols State. Dreher's Cullinary Competition Teams just won first place in Restaurant Management and second place in Culinary Arts at the Louisiana Restaurant Asso-ciation’s annual Pro-Start Culinary Competition in New Orleans.

Family ManPrincipal Jim Carroll, who is

from Addis, began his education at Brusly Elementary School and St. John High School in Plaquemine. On his way to his undergradu-ate degree in engineering and to two graduate degrees, he mar-ried his high school sweetheart, Deanie Guidry Carroll. They have a daughter, Erin Carroll Barclay, who graduated in finance from ULM. She and her husband Brett, an LSU business graduate, work for CenturyLink in Monroe and have two children

The Carrolls’ son, Joshua Car-roll, is an animator for Brazen Stu-dios in Dallas. He earned an under-graduate degree in graphic design from LSU and then a degree in an-

imation from the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida. He and his wife Rebekah Wroten Car-roll, who earned a graduate degree in business from LSU, are expect-ing the third grandchild.

Principal of the YearOf Jim Carroll’s semi-finalist

status in the contest for state Prin-cipal of the Year, Superintendent Hollis Milton writes:

"Mr. Carroll has high expecta-tions for all students. Under his leadership, both our graduation rate and our End of Course Exam results have increased significant-ly.

“He leads by example. He is al-ways firm but fair, always compas-sionate and consistent in how he interacts with all students. Always humble, Mr. Carroll is continually looking out for the next opportu-nity for his students.

“Mr. Carroll brings his A-game every day for the students, parents, and teachers at WFHS."

CARROLL continued from page 1

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14FORWARD continued from page 4

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Bond Babin of Zachary are pleased to announce the engagement of their daughter, Rachel Layne Babin to Patrick Joseph Vince, son of Mr. and Mrs. Darrin Vince of Zachary and Sandra Stevenson of Baton Rouge. Patrick and Rachel’s wedding will take place on Friday, May 29, 2015 at 7:00 PM at Hemingbough in St. Francisville.

The bride-elect is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. John LeTard and Rev. and Mrs. Harold Babin of Zachary. She is a graduate of Zachary High School and attends Louisiana State University. Her fiancé is the grandson of Pat Vince and Nan Ewing of St. Francisville, Mr. and Mrs. Charlie Bates and Mr. and Mrs. Paul L. Stevenson of Baton Rouge. He is a graduate of Zach-ary High School and is currently employed with Murphy Energy.

Rachel Babin to wed Patrick Vince May 29

Births • Engagements • Weddings Obituaries • Anniversaries • ReunionsMilestones

Mr. Willie and Mrs. Megan Sims proudly announce the birth of their daughter, Little Miss Avehry Na'omi Leigh Sims. She was born on Febru-ary 6, 2015 at 7:15 a.m. at Woman's Hospital in Baton Rouge, La. Avehry weighed 6 lbs., 7 ounces, and was 18 inches long. Proud maternal grand-parents are Mr. James Louis Harrell, Jr. of Clinton, La. and Ms. Roberta

Miller of Slaughter, La. Proud pater-nal grandparents are Mrs. Karen and Mr. Willie Sims, Sr. of Jackson, La.; Mrs. Brenda Watson of Clinton, La.

Avehry was welcomed home by her big sister, Haihley, her very special aunt Andrea M. Young, and other family members.

Avehry Na'omi Leigh Sims born February 6

what's going on in various regions of the state, and I think West Feliciana was a nice place to start. CABL is ac-tively involved in education issues, and I'm pleased this group had an op-portunity to visit the schools and see firsthand some of the advances a great school district is making. I talked to several of the 14Forward members af-terwards and they were simply amazed at what they saw in the classrooms and heard from teachers. I am excited that their visit to the area and the opportuni-ty to see so much added value to their experience in our leadership program, even after they graduated.”

Erin Wesley Monroe, Vice Presi-dent of the Baton Rouge Area Cham-ber, concluded, “The work of 14For-ward is critically important as our state grapples with developing solutions to our workforce challenges through im-proved educational outcomes in our K-12 education system. West Feliciana Parish Schools has developed a fasci-nating success story of nurturing the needs of not only the child but the en-tire family unit. This model will serve as the linchpin of 14Forward's work to effect change in communities across our state, with K-12 education serving as the first pillar of our expanding plat-form."

Milton expressed his thanks for the gift bags that West Feliciana Tourism Director Laurie Walsh provided, and the gifts from local merchants Susan Davis of Grandmother's Buttons and Brian Branch. Beth Smith, Laurie Crifasi, and Kathy Bates, Milton said, helped out at The Lodge at The Bluffs.

“The school system, Angola, and the economic development board also played a huge part in the success of the visit. It was a team effort, a West Fel effort," said Milton.


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Classifieds ClassifiedsClassifieds ClassifiedsFOR SALE. 2BR/2 Full Bath brick home on quiet land in Jackson. Call (225) 603-4463.FOR RENT. Beauty shop in Jackson. Great for a barber or beautician. Call (225) 603-4463.IMMEDIATE OPENING. Full-time Maintenance Person for 36 unit complex in St. Francisville, LA. Must have general knowledge of plumbing, painting, car-pentry and electrical. Must have depend-able transportation. Equal Opportunity Employer. Leave message with name and phone number at 337-783-6929 or Mail resume to J & M Management, PO Box 1281, Crowley, LA 70527.2013 Gray Toyota Highlander. Gray/black leather interior. 36,000 miles. Great condition! $27,500. One owner. Call (225) 572-7444.PART-TIME SOCIAL WORKER NEEDED FOR MENTAL HEALTH CLINIC IN EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA PARISH Capital Area Human Services District (CAHSD) is recruiting for an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker) with experience in addic-tion counseling. Position will be filled as a contract. Interested applicants fax resume and copy of LCSW licensure to 225-922-2707 or email to [email protected]. CAHSD - An Equal Opportunity/Equal Access Employer.ANNOUNCEMENT OF AVAILABLE PART TIME POSITION:Clerk for the City Council for the City of ZacharyAp-plication may be made at the Zachary City Hall, 4700 Main Street (POB 310), Zach-ary, LA 70791 to the attention of John C. Hopewell, III, - City Attorney (225) 654-0287 or [email protected] DESCRIPTION - Clerk for the City Council for the City of Zachary.Gen-eral duties, required but not necessarily limited to the following: Gath-er, compile, compose, post (on bulletin board and website), publish and distribute agendas for regular and special meetings, workshops and any scheduled or called gatherings where a quorum of the Council membership is expected to be present.Gather, collate and produce in orderly format any and all supporting data and documents necessary for the conduct of

business at any regular or special meeting or gathering. Set up meeting room, video and recording equipment in prepara-tion for any and all regular and special meetings. Attend and record any and all regular or special meetings of the City Council, and prepare in written form the minutes of all such meetings for approval in the next regularly scheduled meeting of the City Council. Upon approval by the Council, submit the minutes for publica-tion in the official journal and posting on the bulletin board and the website. Submit Minutes, Ordinances and any other documents which are designated as a public record for publication in the official journal of the City of Zachary. File and maintain all records of the City Council as permanent documents. Carry our any specific directives of the Council members, individually or as the whole, according to their satisfaction. Know and comply with all established and required Federal, State and local rules, regulations and laws pertaining to public meetings, public records, and the public’s right-to-know. Receive and answer all requests for public records within required time frame in accordance with State law. Ensure the accessibility of all citizens to the meeting place and any public documents, including agendas, minutes and associated docu-ments in written or other form as may be required. Other job responsibilities by the City Council as assigned. Salary shall be negotiable and commensurate with abili-ties and availability Accepting applications. Experienced maintenance, housekeeping, and cooking staff. Norwood area. Call (225) 683-9420.Drivers, CDL-A: Home EVERY Week-end! ALL Loaded/Empty Miles Paid! Dedicated Southeast! Or Walk Away Lease, No Money Down. 1-855-747-6426HOUSE FOR RENT. 3 BR/1Bath. Central Schools. Zachary Deerford Road. $600 Deposit. $600 per month. Call (225) 333-2910.Part-time Nanny needed. Must have own transportation. If interested, call (225) 926-1900.Industrial Co. seeking FT 8-5 billing clerk/admin asst. MUST have Quickbooks exp.

Answer multi-line phone, great customer service & general office duties. Strict NON-smoking environment. Send resume’ to [email protected] or fax 225-658-2243.Drivers: Drive The Best. Drive Maver-ick. Dedicated Flatbed Run Now Open – Home Daily!!! Must live within 35-50 mile radius of Hammond, LA & be willing to commute daily. $.39-$.40/mile starting pay. Average $55k plus per year. Home daily & Weekends. Excellent Ben-efits & Top of the line equipment. Class A CDL, 21 yrs old & 6 months of OTR/Driving Experience Req. 1-800-289-1100 or visitwww.drivemaverick.com$500 Reward. 2 Lost Schnausers. Male-Salt & Pepper. Female-Black. Hwy 412 East, Slaughter. Call (225) 405-6450.M&L Industries, Local Equipment Dealer since 1953 has a position open for a mechanic. Excellent benefits. Some Experience required. Email resume to : [email protected] or apply in person at 5810 Airline Hwy in Baton Rouge.Cross Creek Cowboy Church. 21160 Plank Rd, Zachary in blue Legendz building. Sundays 10:30. Come as you are, bring your lawn chair. 225-721-0333. Facebook.com/CrossCreekCowboy-Church.NOW HIRING @ AMERICANA YMCA CERTIFIED LIFEGUARDS, SWIM INSTRUCTORS, AQUATICS SUPERVI-SORS, HEAD SWIM COACH Positions available at other YMCA locations across Baton Rouge area. Apply today! Mini-mum Age 16+. Flex schedules. We can train you! Great opportunity! For Rent 4BR/3.5BA 3,600 sq.ft. home. Mills Pointe Zachary. Jacuzzi tubs. Huge Study & Closets. 2 Car Garage. $2400/month. 225-751-8847. www.TomMackey-Properties.comFor Sale: 3Br/2Ba Doublewide w/Lot, Owner Financing w/$20,000. down $750. mo., Zachary Schools, Very Nice 225-268-6251/225-570-6295House for Rent in Zachary. 1065 Meadow Glen. 3BR/2BA. See Craigslist for photos/details. Avail. 4/1/15. Call (225) 933-8411.FOR SALE. Mobile Home. 14x76. 3BR/2Bath with lot. Zachary School Dis-trict. $36,000. Call (225) 439-6012.FOR RENT. Mobile Home in Jackson, LA. 16x80, 3BR/2BA, $650/month, $650/deposit. Call (225) 439-6012.Nice commercial building for sale or lease in Zachary. Up to 3,600 square feet avail-able now and total building square feet of 8,097. Call 817-789-0985.Prime multi acre residential homesite in

the heart of Zachary. Country living in the City! Ready to build your dream home. Brokered by Monte Real Estate 225-658-1515. Listed at $69,000 with 100% lot financing available through Brandy Westmoreland at Guaranty Bank.Accepting applications. Experienced maintenance, housekeeping, and cooking staff. Norwood area. Call (225) 683-9420.Country Living in the City! ¾ Acre with immaculate 3BR/2.5 bath home in peaceful town of Clinton. $270,000. Steve DiLorenzo, Feliciana Hill Country Realty. Office 225-683-5454 or cell 225-719-1810.52 Acres Ethel, growing timber, homesite with potential for 8-10 Acre lake. $7000/acre with ½ mineral share. Steve DiLoren-zo, Feliciana Hill Country Realty. Office 225-683-5454 or cell 225-719-1810.Mature Hardwood and Pine 6 acre homesite, highway frontage. Near Clinton. $50,000. Steve DiLorenzo, Feliciana Hill Country Realty. Office 225-683-5454 or cell 225-719-1810.For Sale: 3 Bedroom 1.5 bath mobile home. New Dishwasher, styove and hot water heater. To be moved - $6,000 - call after 4:30 p.m. 225-235-7004. Currenlty located at 4432 Crescent Rd. Tunica, LA Garden Grille at the Hilton Garden Inn/BR Metro Airport is now hiring for the following positions: Restaurant Server (AM/PM), Cooks, Dishwashers. Please ap-ply in person at 3330 Harding Blvd, Baton Rouge 70807.Nursery wkr Sun AM & PM, Wed. PM & special occasions 10 hours wk send resu-meto [email protected] HANDS. Remodeling, Flooring, Electrical, Plumbing, Outdoor buildings, Fencing. U Name It! Call/text: 225-337-2389 or Leave Msg: 225-315-5113.Rustic farmhouse on 21 acres, stocked pond, fenced for cattle! No flood zone, 98% cleared. Charming interior. Jen Bayhi-Gennaro, tiger town realty. Office 755-7022 or cell 324-9515 $239,900. 4467 Greenbriar Road. Ethel,Firewood for sale - make an offer. 225-252-1576ROOM FOR RENT in Zachary. Private entrance/private bath. All utilities includ-ed plus cable and internet. NO smokers. Call, text, or leave message (225) 654-9900.

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