The Cameron Parish

PilotDecember 22, 2005 Vol. 49--No. 12 Cameron, La. 70631

35¢

School board tellsplans for recovery

By DR. DOUG CHANCECAM. PAR. SCHOOL

SUPT.

The Cameron ParishSchool Board has leased afacility in Lake Charles toserve as a temporary officelocation in order to serve thestudents, parents, employees,and citizens of CameronParish. Members of theBoard and its employees arefocusing on the future ofCameron Parish and itsschools as evidenced by thefollowing listed actions:

Generosity of Others -Firstand foremost, members of theCameron Parish School Boardacknowledge that the gen-erosity of so many from acrossour nation and our world hasmanifested itself in ways thathave addressed both theimmediate needs of our stu-dents and employees andtheir families and is assistingus address our long-termneeds as we re-build thefuture of Cameron Parish.

Property Tax Break -Members of the Board votedin its meeting on Monday,Dec. 12, to give the citizens ofCameron Parish all of theproperty tax advantagesavailable under the laws ofLouisiana; that is, membersvoted to request that theassessments for 2005 be con-ducted on the value of proper-ty after Hurricane Rita. Thisaction demonstrates the con-cern that members of theBoard have for the immediateand long-term needs of thecitizens of Cameron Parish.

Serving, Planning, andBuilding for the Future-Members of the CameronParish School Board and theiremployees are conducting thefollowing activities with aview toward the future:

• Portable classroom facil-ities are on site at Hackberryand these facilities are beingprepared in order for JohnsonBayou and Hackberry High toresume a Monday-Fridayschedule in the immediatefuture.

• Restoration of gym floorsare progressing with the com-pletion of the damaged floorat Grand Lake, and both gymfloors at Hackberry are near-ing completion.

• Bids have been openedfor Phase I of the removal andrecovery process at JohnsonBayou High, and bids forrestoration activities will beadvertised within sixty days.

• Plans are structured andapproved to conduct classes inthe permanent building atJohnson Bayou High as soonas possible and not later than

August 2006. • Bids for the removal and

recovery at the SouthCameron High School sitewill be re-advertised in orderto ensure a safe and appropri-ate environment for all citi-zens.

• Phase II at SouthCameron High Schoolincludes preserving the gymcomplex, the track, and stadi-um for use beginning inAugust 2006.

• Phase III at the site ofSouth Cameron High pro-vides for the placement ofportable/mobile classroomunits on the north parkingapron in order to offer classesfor students in Grades PK-12beginning in August 2006;i.e., for the 2006-2007 schoolyear.

• A Final Phase willinclude a rebuilding of ourcentral office only after allschool sites are cleaned-up,repaired and/or rebuilt, andrepopulated.

Johnson Bayou, Holly Beachreopen for residents’ return

The mandatory evacuationfor Johnson Bayou and HollyBeach has been lifted.Cameron Parish EmergencyOperations Director KishaKillmer recommended to thePolice Jury Tuesday eveningthat they follow the repopula-tion plan adopted two weeksago and open Branch I at thistime.

The reopening of JohnsonBayou was dependent on thebeginning of private propertydebris removal and the repairof the hurricane damagedroads in the area. Both pro-jects have begun.

Killmer warned everyonethat there would be littleactivity over the next week,and most contractors andemergency workers will bereturning home to spendChristmas with their fami-lies. However, she has beentold to expect a major ramp-up in debris removal afterJan. 1.

HOLLY BEACH COMPROMISE

Residents of Holly Beachcheered when state Sen.Jerry Theunissen announcedthat a compromise had beenreached with the Office ofPublic Health on the re-popu-lating of that community.

Theunissen reported thatduring a meeting with OPHstate health officer Dr. JimmyGuidry was persuaded torelax the rules on septic sys-tems to a certain extent.

Waivers will be issued toallow property owners with5000 sq. ft. lots having 50 ft.of road frontage to place anapproved mechanical sewer-age treatment system ontheir property.

Only one system and onehabitable structure will beallowed on the lot, and theowner must sign a statementthat he or she will convert tothe community sewer systemwhen it goes on line.Theunissen said he and theFederal delegation are work-ing very hard to get themoney for the community sys-tem.

Residents who only havethe smaller lots will eitherhave to try to buy adjacentlots or wait for the communi-ty system.

OPH officer DaneThibodeaux said these rulesare the same as have been ineffect since 1999 for tempo-rary use structures likecamps. RV parks will notreceive permits under thespecial waivers, due to thenumber of units on the site.

Theunissen said in thesetrying times everyone willhave to be a little lenient, andeverybody will have to followthe rules also.

BURN BANOn the recommendation of

Killmer, the Jury agreed totemporarily lift the burn banin the northern part of theparish to allow small piles ofdebris to be burned. Largepiles should be coordinatedwith the volunteer firedepartments, and theSheriff ’s office for public safe-ty. Marsh burns should be

coordinated with the EOC.Jurors will watch to see if

there are any problems withcompliance or safety beforelifting the ban in other areasor making the move perma-nent.

NEW EOC DIRECTORCiting medical problems,

EOC Director Killmerannounced she will be leavingher post sooner than expect-ed. She said she is uncom-fortable with the amount ofwork left to do, and recom-mended that the jury hirePaul Rainwater, currentlyLake Charles City manager,as a replacement.

Rainwater has extensiveexperience in emergencymanagement through stateand local government and twooverseas tours of duty withthe Army Reserves.

Killmer also recommendedthat the Jury actively pursuethe hiring of a permanentdirector for the Office ofEmergency Preparedness sothat person can shadowRainwater as he or she learnsthe job.

Rainwater was hired for aterm of one year, renewableavery 30 days. His position ispaid for by FEMA. The OEPDirector will be paid by thePolice Jury.

Rainwater pledged to givehis “heart and soul” to the joband work for Cameron Parishand “no one else.”

Killmer also recommendedthat the Jury enter into acooperative agreement withCalcasieu Parish to allow herto continue to assistRainwater as he takes thereins of the EOC.

She also reported that theU.S. Forestry Service incidentManagement Teams haveleft, leaving the EOC veryshorthanded. She has con-tacted the state for assistanceand expects additional staffsoon.

CONSTRUCTION CODESParish Administrator Tina

Horn advised the Jury thatshe is seeking a delay in theapplication of the new statebuilding codes for the parish.

Originally, the codes werenot to take effect until 2007,but last minute amendmentsmade the effective date Feb.27, 2006. The parish has noone certified to conduct thenecessary inspections.

Horn said the state has

offered three options for com-pliance: contract with anoth-er local government; contractwith a third party providerapproved by the LouisianaOffice of Public Safety; or usethe State Fire Marshall’soffice.

James Ducote asked thatthe Jury set up seminars toexplain the new codes to localresidents who are about torebuild.

OTHER ACTIONSIn other business, the Jury

voted to approve the borrow-ing of $1.6 million fromFEMA to cover expenses ofrecovery, and adopted a bud-get for 2006.

The budget, according toaccountant Darrell Williams,depends on FEMA paymentsand is subject to unexpectedexpenses. He also said somesmaller districts in the parishwill need help with stormrelated expenses in the shortand long term.

At the suggestion of SteveTrahan, the Jury agreed tobegin to rotate their meetingbetween Grand Lake andHackberry to allow more par-ticipation by west side resi-dents.

The January 3 meetingwill be held in Grand Lake,the next one will be inHackberry.

Attorneysare now inJennings

Mudd and Bruchhaus,L.L.C., Attorneys at Law haveannounced the association ofJamie C. Gary, Attorney atLaw with the firm. Gary, whohas been practicing with thefirm over the past severalmonths, is a graduate ofLouisiana State University.

Attorneys Chad Mudd andDavid Bruchhaus have tem-porarily relocated their officedue to damages sustainedfrom Hurricane Rita to 214 E.Neztique St., Jennings. Thephone numbers are 337-824-5063 or 888-490-9497. Thehours of operation are 8:30a.m.-5 p.m., Mon.-Fri.

Country Storeback servingcustomers

Cameron Parish business-es are beginning to make aslow comeback afterHurricane Rita.

One such store is TheCountry Store formerly locat-ed in Creole. Although theirbuilding was destroyed by thestorm, Kim and KristieRichard plan to resume sell-ing feed from a trailer locatedon the old Lena’s Cafe park-ing lot.

They will be open for busi-ness on Wednesday, 1-5 p.m.;Thursday and Friday, 8 a.m.to 5 p.m. and Saturday, 8 a.m.to 2 p.m.

They may be contacted at794-3610 or 794-3522.

Office movesThe Cameron Parish Police

Jury Permit Dept. has relocat-ed to the Grand Lake WaterWorks office at 111 DennisLane in Sweet Lake.

Residents may contactTammy Trahan or JulieBurleigh with permittingquestions concerning eleva-tion requirements and otherpermit requirements.Telephone 337-905-1911 or337-249-9641.

For sewer questions con-tact Ryan King, Dept. ofHealth and Hospitals at 337-475-3209 or 337-912-7431.

RV parks areopening forresidents

Offices closedAll Cameron Parish offices

will close at noon Thursday,Dec. 22 for the Christmas hol-iday and re-open Tuesday,Dec. 27. Offices will also beclosed Jan. 2 for New Year’s.

Holiday closingBoth branches of the

Cameron Parish Library sys-tem will close at noon onThursday, Dec. 22 for theChristmas holiday and re-open Tuesday, Dec. 27.

The branches will also beclosed Jan. 2 for the NewYear’s holiday.

With the lifting of theevacuation order for JohnsonBayou, two RV parks in thatarea have received FEMAcamper trailers for returningresidents.

Tim Trahan’s park onHwy. 82 received 12 campersand Jessie Trahan’s park onSmith Ridge Road received10. Each park has a fewhandicapped accessible units.Workers have constructedramps or steps and porchesfor each trailer.

At Tuesday’s Police Jurymeeting, it was explainedthat while the owner of aFEMA leased RV or mobilehome park cannot specifythat only Hurricane Ritaevacuees be housed there, thelocal FEMA housing officeintends to place onlyCameron Parish people inCameron Parish parks.

Police Juror Steve Trahanhas asked that the Jury begiven final approval on anyFEMA mobile home parkssited in the parish, since sev-eral Hackberry residentshave objected to having onenear their homes.

FEMA had been looking ata site in Hackberry and hasapproved two in Grand Lakefor mobile homes.

No full sized mobile homescan be placed in flood zonesby FEMA, so only travel trail-ers will go into lowerCameron Parish.

Sweet Lake site

Yule closing

The Federal EmergencyManagement Agency (FEMA)has given notice that itintends to develop an 8-acretemporary housing site tohouse Hurricane Rita victims.

The site is owned byTammie and Shane Conner inthe Sweet Lake communitylocated north of La. 384 andeast of Road 4104.

The site will be used tohook up 80 travel trailers fortemporary use by residentsdisplaced from their homes.

Written comments were tobe received from Dec. 15 to17.

The Cameron Council onAging and Community ActionAgency will celebrateChristmas and New Year'sHolidays by closing on Dec.23, 26 and 30. The agency willalso be closed on Jan. 2. Havea nice Holiday Season!

AVA MARIE MUDD, 4-year-old daughter of Chadand Michelle Mudd ofCameron, recently wascrowned Toddler MissPetite Louisiana USA.

ONE, TWO, THREE... Open! Johnson Bayou school children in a frenzy of unwrap-ping gifts which came all the way from Livingston, New Jersey.

(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

SANTA AND ELF posed with the children who received gifts from the EOC and CampCameron personnel Saturday in Sweetlake. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

THE CITY OF Lyme, Conn., donated a fire truck toCameron Parish. Shown above with the truck are SheriffTheos Duhon, Asst. Chief Lee Watkins of Lyme, Conn.,and Fire Chief Toby Landry.

(Photo by Evelyn White.)

Paul Rainwater

Have a Merry Christmas from The Cameron Pilot!

Page 2, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

WITH BEST WISHES

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Dear Friends,

The birth of each child is a miracle of life. Each year we hear the ancient Christmas story of God’sastonishing entrance into our broken world through the birth of His Son. We are moved by the capac-ity of God to love us so completely. God made the choice to give Himself away, by emptying Himself,by becoming one of us. God chose to visit His people - not in the words of the prophets but in humanflesh - “And the Word was made flesh.”

The Christmas story we hear each year is the same, but we are different. The memories of this pastyear are many. Some have experienced the loss of loved ones, others the birth of a child, or perhapsmajor decisions have changed us or altered our lives. For those of us in Southwest Louisiana ourworld is different after September 23, 2005. Our hopes have been tested through the losses we havehad. Our love has been called on in new ways. We have been “recipients” of those who reached outto us in our need and we have been “givers” by extending help to those who lost everything. Materialpossessions have been destroyed; some have become a wandering people moving from one locationto another. The future is undecided, “plans” are on hold, life is lived in the moment. The Christmasstory speaks to us again of new birth and new hopes that will unfold with the possibilities of our ownrebirth. It tells us that things can be different; it gives substance to our hope that new life is possiblebecause of the birth of the Son of God. Jesus became flesh to show us the Way, the Truth, and theLife.

What prevents us from seeing hope in the Christmas message? One word, Fear! So often we allow thefear of the unknown to consume us. An alternative is to accept the message of Christmas hope - Godsays to us: “Do not be afraid, here is a sign for you... a light shining in the darkness.” And what is thegreat solution to our fear? Jesus is called the Prince of Peace. He brings peace because He bringsGod’s love and when we know such love we have peace however great the unrest around us. And thatis why this Christmas message never grows old - because each year we come to embrace more fullythe love of God by turning from fear and anxiety to the peace that surpasses understanding. The idealChristian life should not be a life without cares and concerns but it can be a life without fear. God’speace is offered to each of us today if only we attend to the message of Christmas. The Prince of Peacewill overcome all that disfigures our world once we accept Him into our arms.

The gift of God - the birth of Jesus - this is Christmas - this is love. May the spirit of Christmas bright-en your lives with renewed gifts of peace, hope, and love as you share these gifts with your family andfriends.

In Christ’s Peace and Love,

Rev. Msgr. Harry D. GreigDiocesan Administrator

DIOCESE OF LAKE CHARLESP. O. Box 3223

Lake Charles, Louisiana 70602(337) 439-7400

Funerals

REBECCA ANNGARBER

Rebecca Ann Garber, 46,died Tuesday, Dec. 13, 2005 inan Arlington, Tex. hospital.

She was born in LakeCharles. At six weeks of age,she moved with her parentsto Venezuela, S.A., where shelived for two years, thenmoved to Columbia, S.A fortwo years where she beganher education in an allSpanish pre-kindergarten inBucaramanga.

She attended kindergartenin Tripoli, Libya, and 1stgrade in Benghazi, Libya andAbadan, Iran. She returned tothe U.S. and attendedImmaculate ConceptionSchool in Lake Charles from2nd grade through 8th. Sheattended St. Louis HighSchool until graduation in

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1977.She attended L.S.U. and

McNeese State Universitywhere she served with thestudent government andContraband news. Sheattended Sowela TechnicalInstitute and after moving toDallas, Tex., attended CollinCounty College and SouthernMethodist University. Shetaught night courses at CollinCounty College in ComputerScience. In Dallas,she worked for Kimley HornEngineering, MCI telecom-munications, Texas StateUtilities, and Verizontelecommunications. Whennot working or attendingschool, she volunteered withthe Murphy Fire Departmentwhere she served as aCaptain and later as an EMTand then a paramedic. Shevolunteered with the Irving,Tex., Fire Department RescueSquad. She also served asCouncilwoman for the city ofMurphy.

She is survived by hermother and father, PatriciaLcay Garber and BenjaminAlbert Garber, her sister andbrother-in-law, Jennifer andRolands Abermanis ofSeattle, Wash., brother andsister-in-law Ben and Trisha(Ortego) Garber Jr. of LakeCharles. She was preceded indeath by her maternal grand-parents, Leona and J. B. Clay,and her paternal grandpar-ents, Edith (Rutherford) andA. M. Garber. She is descend-

(Capitol News)

Homeowners across thestate can expect to pay higherinsurance premiums as aresult of hurricanes Katrinaand Rita.

The Louisiana CitizensProperty Insurance Corp., astate-created insurance com-pany that covered about124,000 homeowners whocould not get private insur-ance, has received authorityfrom the State BondCommission to borrow up to$1.4 billion to cover approxi-

mately 60,000 claims result-ing from the storms. DeputyCommissioner of InsuranceChad Brown said the averageclaim is $12,000.

Private insurance compa-nies will be assessed a regularfee to pay off the bonds thatthe Citizens program will useto pay the claims. The privateinsurers, can, in turn, passthe fees on to their policyhold-ers by increasing homeown-ers’ premiums as much as 20percent a year. Insurance offi-cials do not expect theincreases to reach the maxi-mum allowed.

Insurance CommissionerRobert Wooley told the BondCommission that the Citizensprogram has stabilized theinsurance market in the stateby keeping private companiesfrom leaving while it providescoverage for homeowners inareas where the private com-panies refuse to write poli-cies. Policyholders pay higherpremiums to Citizens thanthey would to private insur-ance if they could get privatepolicies.

Wooley said the state com-pany will play an even largerrole in the insurance picturebecause some private insur-ers may decide it is too expen-sive to continue writing poli-cies for homeowners incoastal areas after the twohurricanes. “This is the insur-ance company that will bewriting in the rebuildingphase,” Wooley predicted,adding that the availability ofinsurance coverage is themost frequent issue he isasked about as he travels inhurricane-affected areas.

Insurance officials said thecompany, which was createdin 2003, had not had enoughtime to build up the necessaryreserve to cover the claims itexpects to total about $1.2 bil-lion. Wooley said the statehad purchased reinsurancepolicies before each of the

ed from an early CameronParish pioneer family home-steaded in Oak Grove byMartin Yokum Rutherford.

Services were heldSaturday, Dec. 17, atImmaculate ConceptionCathedral. Burial was at theHighland Memorial Gardensmausoleum. Monsignor JaceEskind officiated.

CHANCE M.ROBERTS

Funeral services forChance M. “Fatboy” Roberts,23, were held Monday, Dec. 19in Hixson-Sulphur MemorialFuneral Home in Sulphur.The Rev. Jimmy Sanner offici-ated. Burial was in NewHackberry Cemetery.

Roberts died Wednesday,Dec. 14, 2005, in his LakeCharles residence.

He was born in LakeCharles and was employed bythe disaster relief.

Survivors include his wife,Whitney Roberts of Cameron;parents, Alton and DonnaSullivan of Cameron; twobrothers, Martin Sullivan ofCameron and Harley Sullivanof Port Arthur, Tex.; andgrandmother, Helen Billiotand the late Norris Billiot ofHackberry.

hurricanes. Even couplingthat with its reserve and pre-miums, officials expect tohave to sell between $800 and$900 million in bonds to coverclaims.

The premium increasesrelated to paying off thebonds are in addition to anynormal rate hikes that pri-vate insurers might impose tocover their losses from storm-related claims.

-The CAMERON PARISH PILOT-(USPS 086-980)

Telephones: (337)786-8004 or 1(800)256-7323Jerry and Joy Wise, Editors & Publishers; Jeffra Wise DeViney, Advertising

Manager; Shirley Johnson, Production Manager; Crystal Nix, Dustin Royer, JulieFletcher, and Dawn Spears, Staff Members

The Cameron Parish Pilot, P.O. Drawer 1486, Cameron,La. 70631-8998. Published Weekly. Entered as periodical mail at Cameron, La. andLake Charles, La. Post Office, Periodical Postage paid.

POSTMASTER; Send address changes to: The Cameron ParishPilot, P.O. Box 995, DeQuincy, La. 70633.

Subscription Rates: $16.30 a year (tax included) in Cameron &Calcasieu Parishes; $17.64 elsewhere in La., $26.00 elsewhere in USA.

MARCUS FONTENOT, Blake and Kimberlynn Heberthelp D.A.R.E. Officer David Hebert unload gifts donatedby Toys for Tots and Amerada Hess for Hackberry stu-dents. Each school received gifts.

(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

CHRISTMAS GREENERY decorates the interior ofJohnson Bayou Baptist Church, which is being repaired.

(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

Parish cattle industrybadly hurt by Rita

AmericanChristmas

firsts The first American

Christmas carol was writtenin 1649 by a minister namedJohn de Brebeur and is called“Jesus is Born”.

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The American tradition ofpoinsettia at Christmas wasstarted by Dr Joel Poinsett,the first US ambassador toMexico, brought the plantback in 1828. Mexicans hadlong revered poinsettiabecause it resembled the Starof Bethlehem.

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Ralph E. Morris inventedin 1895 the electricChristmas lights. In additionto literally making the seasonbrighter, electric lights madeit safer, as they were an alter-native to candles and openflames.

1867 was the first yearthat Macy’s remained openuntil midnight on ChristmasEve. 1874 was the year of thefirst window displays with aChristmas theme at Macy’s.

���

In 1880 Woolworths firstsold manufactured ChristmasTree ornaments.

Page 3, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

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HappyHolidays!

May the spirit of the seasonmake this a beautifulholiday filledwith goodthings foryou andyourfamily.

From The Staff Of

Mudd & Bruchhaus, L.L.C.Attorneys at Law

Our office is now temporarily located at214 E. Neztique St., Jennings, LA 70546

337-824-5063 888-490-9497

MAY THE GIFTS OF PEACE, LOVE AND JOY BE YOURS TO

CHERISH THIS HOLIDAY SEASON. WE FEEL TRULY BLESSED

BY THE GIFT OF YOUR FRIENDSHIP. THANKS!

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Alfred Duhon RoadArsene LeBleu Road

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Clydes LaneCountry LaneCripple Creek RoadDemarest RoadDennis LaneDonna RoadE. Cal Cam Line Rd

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By SARAH YOKUBAITIS(Lake Charles

American Press)

On Tuesday, Santa Clausarrived early–with a littlehelp from some elves in NewJersey–for the children ofJohnson Bayou ElementarySchool.

After hearing of thedestruction caused toLouisiana by recent hurri-canes, the town of theLivingston, N.J., began col-lecting donations. A fewweeks later, they sent sevenschool busses packed withclothing, household items,food, water, more than 100computers and of course,Christmas presents.

“Anything we asked for,they helped us with,” saidGaylen Whittle. Whittle, anative of Cameron, whohelped organize the eventalong with her sister, MaryO’Rourke, who resides inLivingston.

Whittle, dressed as SantaClaus, helped to pass out thepresents to the children onTuesday.

These presents did notmagically appear down thechimney overnight. It tookthree trips to get all sevenbusses from New Jersey toSouthwest Louisiana.

Tony Porche was one of thedrivers who made the 1,500-mile trip from Livingston.When he left, he intended to

911 backupnumbers told

The Cameron Courthousehas electrical power, however,the backup generators arestill being worked on. TheSheriff ’s Department hasacquired two cellular phonesfor the Dispatch Office thatresidents can call in the eventof an emergency if the powerto the 911 system goes down.Those numbers are: 337-912-7922 and 337-912-7432.

Residents are asked onlyto use the numbers in theevent that they cannot getthrough to the 911 system.

Grav. Dist. tohold meeting

Cameron Parish GravityDrainage District No. 7 willhold a public meetingThursday, Dec. 22 at 6:30p.m. at the Cameron ParishGravity Drainage District No.7 Office, 205 Middle RidgeRoad, Cameron, La. to amendBudget 2005, propose newbudget 2006, and discussstorm clean up and drainage.

Social setThe Lafayette Jr. Leaders

Club has invited all Senior 4-H Club members to aChristmas social. The socialwill be conducted at theCalcasieu 4-H Office near theBurton Coliseum onThursday, Dec. 22 at 6 pm.

There will be food andgames for all that attend.This is a great way to kick offyour holiday season.

bring the donations to NewOrleans to help his extendedfamily that had lost theirhome to Hurricane Katrina.

But by the time his longtrip was over, it was hishometown of Cameron, notNew Orleans, that neededhelp.

“I was going out there tohelp others,” he said. “I was-n’t even thinking aboutmyself.”

Porche returned homesoon after Rita left and begandistributing the supplies tohis neighbors.

Marilyn DeLaunay, whoreceived some of the suppliesafter she lost her home inCameron, said that she wasgrateful to the people ofLivingston.

“I lost everything,” shesaid. “Just to have a sofa tosit on, a book to read and ablanket to cover up meansmore than my house. Theyprovided us with the thingsthat we need as a family tosurvive.”

Brenda Sanders, vice prin-cipal of Johnson BayouElementary, said that receiv-ing the Christmas presentsmeans the world to her stu-dents.

“All the kids here lostevery toy they have. Theirhomes were either washedaway or destroyed,” she said.“This is something to put asmile on their faces.”

Johnson Bayou childrenget toys from N. Jersey

TONY PORCHE and friends drove a special needs busfrom Livingston, N. J., to Hackberry High School. Thebus held computers being donated to Cameron Parishschools. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.) TWENTY-TWO FEMA travel trailers have been delivered to two RV parks in Johnson

Bayou. These ten are located at Jesse and Vickie Trahan’s RV park on Smith RidgeRoad. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

The most I can do for my friend is simply to be his friend. I haveno wealth to bestow on him. If he knows that I am happy in lovinghim, he will want no other reward. Is not friendship divine in this?

-Henry David Thoreau

Page 4, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

As we wrap upanother holiday

edition, we’d liketo deliver an extrameasure of thanksand best wishes

to all of you.

Here’s hoping allyour news is goodnews this season

TheCameron

Pilot

Jerry & Joy, Jeffra,Doug, Shirley, Annette,Julie, Crystal, Dawn,

Dustin & Shaun

Check The Pilot Out Online atwww.dequincynews.com

We also have archived issues.

CHRISTMASBLESSINGS

To Our Friends & NeighborsWishing you an old-fashioned Christmas in the company of loved ones, good fortune and peace.

Thanks for your support and friendship.

from. . .MICKEY,MILLIE

and JUDYMICKEY FRITH REPRESENTATIVE DIST. 47

— HOLIDAY CLOSING NOTICE —The Library and its branches will close at Noon

on Thursday, Dec. 22 and re-open on Tuesday,Dec. 27. We will also be closed Monday, Jan. 2.

Cameron ParishLibrary Board

& StaffLIKE A GOOD NEIGHBORSTATE FARM IS THERE.®

ENOS DERBONNE, Agent

4999 Common StreetLake Charles, LA

477-7130

Sending Peace, Love and

Joy Your Way. . .

Wherever you spend the

holiday, we hope it’s a happy one!

May your holidays be filled

with all the good things in life.

Merry Christmas &

Happy New Year!

We thank all of the people whohave helped us through the year.Let us continue to work together.May God bless each and every-one of us. Merry Christmas &Happy New Year! Let us all keep

Christ in Christmas.

Thank You!Cameron Parish Branch NAACP,Chapter President, LOUISE COLE

Basketball

MEMBERS OF the Grand Lake/Sweetlake volunteer fire department are shown abovewith Asst. Chief Lee Watkins of Lyme, Conn. (Photo by Evelyn White.)

BOYSGrand Lake 79,

Johnson Bayou 63. TheHornets had four playersscore in double digits asGrand Lake won theCameron Parish tournament.Brett Griffith led all playerswith 35 points. DeonBergeron chipped in 14 pointsand Justin added 13 points.Brett Crochet scored 10points. Blaine Trahan led theRebels with 26 points. DJConner added 21 points. TheRebels led 30-24 at halftime.

Hackberry 51, SouthCameron 25. Jay Sannerand Nick Moore scored 10points each as the Mustangsfinished in third in the

Cameron Parish tourney.Namon Lute scored 11 for theTarpons.

Grand Lake 63,Hackberry 44. DeonBergeron paced the (12-7)Hornets with 26 points. BrettCrochet added 18 points andJustin Howerton scored 12.Steven Miller was the leadingscorer for the Mustangs with11 points.

Johnson Bayou 66,Northside Christian 42.Blaine Trahan scored 22points for the 4-11 Rebels.Aaron Jinks added 16 andDustin Badon chipped in 15points. Keith Badon scored 10points.

Two Northwestern StateUniversity teacher candi-dates were selected to receivethe Dr. Thomas G. Clausenand Louisiana Association ofClassroom TeachersScholarship. Susanne Jonesand Joby Len Richard areamong 11 students in theUniversity of LouisianaSystem to receive the awards.

Jones and Richard werehonored during a receptionDec. 9 during a meeting of theBoard of Supervisors for theUniversity of LouisianaSystem in Baton Rouge.

The Clausen scholarship isavailable to teacher educationcandidates enrolled in a ULsystem school. Candidatesmust be a current Universityof Louisiana System under-graduate student, admitted toa teacher education programand have a cumulative gradepoint average of 3.0 or higher.

Richard, a junior sec-ondary mathematics educa-tion major from Creole, saidshe was inspired to become ateacher by the example set bysome of her former teachers.

“I accredit a large part ofmy personal and professionalgrowth to the guidance andsupport of my former teach-ers,” Richard said. “I hope

that as a teacher I will play aprimary role in the lives of mystudents demonstrating thatsuccess is attainable througheducation. The true test of aneducator is instilling themotivation in students to seewhat a vast learning experi-ence life itself can be.”

Jones is a senior elemen-tary education major wholived in Hamburg, Germany,before moving toNatchitoches four years ago.

South Cameron HighSchool Wrestling Team partic-ipated in the LafayetteMighty Lion Tourney lastSaturday. Each weight classcontained a full sixteen manbracket. Over 200 young menfrom nineteen differentschools competed in the daylong tourney.

South Cameron wrestled30 bouts, winning 19, record-ing 9 pins and placed 8th as ateam. Ched LaBove recorded3 pins and placed 3rd at 215lbs. Senior Bart Vidrine had 3victories and placed 2nd inthe 171 lbs. class.

Next action will be Friday,Dec. 23 at the Sulphur Duals.

Gary B. Hightower, vicepresident of Cameron Com-munications was recentlyappointed trustee to theGroup Health ProgramCommittee for the NationalT e l e c o m m u n i c a t i o n sCooperative Association(NTCA).

The Group Health Pro-gram (GHP) Trustee Commi-ttee is responsible for NTCA’sGroup Health Program.

Hightower joined Cam-eron Communications on Oct.1, 1987 and has served as aVice President since 1999when he was promoted to VicePresident of InternalOperations.

GIRLSHackberry 37, South

Cameron 31. CarlyFountain and Amanda Millerscored 10 points each for theLady Mustangs. RachelFountain chipped in 15 pointsfor the Lady Tarpons. D’NaeDesonnier added 12 points.

Grand Lake 54,Johnson Bayou 32. MeaganMiller scored 22 points for theLady Hornets in their thirdplace finish in the CameronParish tourney. CharmayneBarrentine added 16 points.

Hackberry 37, GrandLake 35. Mandy Michalkoscored 11 points for the LadyMustangs and Meagan Millerscored 11 for the LadyHornets.

Northside Christian 41,Johnson Bayou 28.Charmayne Barrentinescored 18 points for the LadyRebels.

Richard is recipient ofClausen scholarship

S. Cameronwrestlers intournament

Hightowerappointed

SANTA ARRIVED at the Sweetlake Methodist Church on a firetruck Saturday to dis-tribute gifts donated by EOC and Camp Cameron personnel.

(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

Page 5, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

and a Happy New Year, too!Thanking all our friends and patrons for a wonderful year and wishing them the

best this holiday season has to offer.

May all your dreams come true.

Enjoy the Sounds of the Season...Listen to “Holiday Music Fest”

on LA99 Christmas Eveand Christmas Day

18 Hours of Continuous Musicsponsored by Cameron State Bank

312-7380

Have A Bright& Beautiful

Christmas SeasonHope your holidays shine

with good cheer & warm feelings.

We are pleased and honoredto serve DeQuincy andthe surrounding area.

Randy, Susan, Braun & Baylee

Bourque-Smith-Woodard1818 E. Broad St., Lake Charles

Office: 439-4431

Have A Merry Christmas And A Happy New Year!

REINA VETERINARY CLINICDr. Johnny Reina And Staff

6600 Lake St. Lake Charles477-1325

From our family to yours,we’re truly grateful for your loyal support and wish you all a joyous holiday season.

May theLord’s bountybe opened to

you and yoursin this and

every holidayseason.

LAKE ARTHURBUTANE CO.

• Tanks • Space Heaters• Gas Heaters • Gas Logs

1227 Ryan St. - Lake Charles

1-800-256-1287OR 439-4051

MIKE VOORHIES brought a school bus full of toys to Johnson Bayou schoolchildrenTuesday in Hackberry. The bus and presents were gifts from Livingston, N. J.

(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

THE TRAVIS COUNTY Sheriff’s Law Enforcement Association sent a trailer load ofdonations to help the Johnson Bayou and Hackberry deputies recover from HurricaneRita. The Austin, Tex., area deputies who assisted immediately after the storm made“life-long friends” in Cameron Parish. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

Page 6, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

For unto you is born this day in the City of

David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

Luke 2:11

It’s with great joy that we thank all of ourfriends and wish everyone a Holiday

filled with His love.We especially wish for you a safe and

careful holiday season.

MERRY CHRISTMAS & A HAPPYAND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!

GLENN W. ALEXANDER,JENNIFER JONES &

PATRICK K. HEBERTAttorneys At LawHAVE RESUMED THEIR

LAW PRACTICE AT:1409 Ryan St., Lake Charles, LA

(337) 775-5714 • (337) 439-4646(337) 494-5563

Light UpYourHolidays. . .With a MerryChristmas wish from all of us.

Thanks, friends, for your veryvalued business.

Shetler LincolnMercury478-1720 Or

1-800-460-54613201 Hwy. 14, Lake Charles

Thomas “T. J.” KramerSales Representative

Shetler Lincoln-Mercury

478-1720 • Cell: 540-7192 • 800-460-5461

3201 Hwy. 14 Lake Charles

Stop By &See T. J.Today!!

GGiivvee TThhee CChhrriissttmmaass GGiifftt TThhaatt KKeeeeppssGGiivviinngg AAllll YYeeaarr LLoonngg.. .. ..

A Gift Subscription To. . .

THE CAMERON PILOTOrder your Gift Subscriptions today by mailing

the Coupon below along with your check ormoney order to: THE CAMERON PILOT, P. O.Box 995, DeQuincy, La. 70633 or go by ClipperOffice Supply in Cameron.

T0:NAME__________________________________________

ADDRESS__________________________APT. #_______

CITY/STATE/ZIP__________________________________FROM:NAME_______________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________

CITY/STATE/ZIP_______________________________________

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— SUBSCRIPTION RATES —❒ $16.30 Calcasieu & Cameron Parishes❒ $17.64 Elsewhere in Louisiana & Texas❒ $26.00 Elsewhere in the United States

Along With

Your Subscrip

tion, w

e will forw

ard

a Christm

as Card Announcing your G

ift!

WWee WWiisshhEEvveerryyoonnee

HHaappppyyHHoolliiddaayyss 1-800-256-7323

Wilson “Boogie”LeJeune,

LUTCF, AgencyMgr.

Tim Dupont,LUTCF, Special

Agent

Vickie Theriot,Special Agent

Louisiana Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co.Louisiana Farm Bureau Mutual Insurance Co.

Southern Farm Bureau Casualty Insurance Co.Southern Farm Bureau Life Insurance Co.

®

Temporary Office:

Boone’s Corner605 Hwy. 384, Grand Lake

Hours of Operation: 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Phone: 905-4807

A Special SeasonMay The Joy And Spirit OfChristmas Light Your Way

Throughout The Year.

We Wish You A Merry Christmas AndA Happy New Year!

Despite five weeks of closureand almost $30 million indamages to its campus fromHurricane Rita, McNeeseState University kept the fallsemester alive, and its fallcommencement ceremony isset for 7 p.m. Friday, Dec. 23,at Burton Coliseum forapproximately 752 candi-dates.

Dr. Jeanne Daboval,provost and vice president foracademic affairs at McNeese,will serve as master of cere-monies and confer degrees oncandidates.

The McNeese SymphonicBand, directed by ZaneDouglass, will perform the

processional, national anthemand recessional.

Following a welcomingaddress by McNeese PresidentDr. Robert D. Hebert, candi-dates will be introduced anddegrees conferred by thedeans of the six colleges, theDivision of General and BasicStudies and the Doré School ofGraduate Studies.

Bob Hale, a member of theBoard of Supervisors for theUniversity of LouisianaSystem, will introduce honorgraduates, and RoxanneGuillory Boxie, president ofthe McNeese AlumniAssociation, will address thecandidates on behalf of the

association.Dr. Guilherme Rogano,

McNeese assistant professorof music, will lead the gradu-ates and audience in the almamater.

Those attending this year’scommencement are advised toenter the coliseum on the westside for faster entry. However,all entrances will be open.

Fall graduation to be heldat McNeese on Friday

CHIEF LEE Watkins of Lyme, Conn., presented acheck to Cameron Parish Police Jurors Charles Precht,Ill., and Darryl Farque.

(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

Letters To The Editor

Dear Editor:My name is Chief Gautier

of the Smith Mountain LakeMarine Fire/Rescue. We werestationed at camp Cameronfrom Nov. 1 thru Nov. 23 dur-ing the tent fire. Actually weput the fire out, the tent wassaved except for a side panelthat had to be replaced and noone was moved from the tentthey all remained in the tentthat night. One of the peoplestaying in the tent made aremark to me that he hadclothes laying on his cot andwe put the fire out and did noteven get his clothes wet.

A couple of nights later weworked a structure fire inJohnson Bayou when return-ing we had to drive 111 milesaround since the Ferry doesnot operate after 6 p.m.

I just want to say we havenever met a nicer communityof people than what we metand worked with in Cameron

Dear Editor: The Cameron Council on

Aging and Community ActionAgency are continuously help-ing folks who have problemssince Hurricane Rita. Call usat 337-598-5158 or 337-905-6000 if you are having prob-lems that we might be of ser-vice.

Our office hours are 8 a.m.to 4 p.m. and we are locatednext to the Grand Lake distri-bution center on Hwy 384 inGrand Lake. Make anappointment with us and wewill work diligently to helpyou!

/s/ Dinah Landry,Director

Dear Editor:I write to inform Cameron

Parish residents about newdevelopments regarding theirhomeowner’s insuranceclaims.

The LouisianaCommissioner of Insurance,Robert Wooley, has hired amediation service to conductnegotiations between home-owners and their insurersover disputed claims. Lastyear, the Florida insurancecommissioner retained thissame firm to mediate stormclaims, and avery high per-centage (83%) were settledwithout litigation.

This mediation would notbe a binding arbitration proce-dure–in other words, thehomeowner would not have toaccept what was offered andwould be free to pursue othermeans of obtaining reliefshould an acceptable settle-ment not be reached. The costof the mediation would be paidentirely by the insurance com-panies.

Commissioner Wooleyplans to begin mediations inJanuary, and he will be mak-ing public announcementsregarding the time and placeswhere this will occur. I haverequested the Commissionerto provide mediation servicesat a location to be used onlyfor Cameron Parish claims, sothat we would not have to goto New Orleans or some otherplace to participate.

The Commissioner realizesthat our situation is uniqueand agrees that we shouldhave our own mediation loca-tion in Cameron Parish. Thiswill be announced sometimein January.

We have been filing on-linecomplaints with theCommissioner for people whoare dissatisfied with the han-dling of their claim. For themost part, with some excep-tions, homeowners who hadflood insurance have beenpaid by now. If you had floodinsurance and still have notreceived a check, you shouldmake a complaint with theCommissioner.

There are time delaysestablished by law for resolu-tion of these claims, and thesedelays have long sinceexpired. However, very fewpeople have had successfulresolution of their claimsunder their homeowner’sinsurance policies. You mayfile a complaint on line by log-ging onto the LouisianaDepartment of Insurance web-site.

Additionally, theCommissioner has a represen-tative present at the GrandLake Community Center onWednesdays within elevenand two. If neither method isfeasible for you, you may callour office and we will file thecomplaint for you.

I appeared before theSenate Committee onInsurance this week, and themembers of the committee arevery sympathetic to our diffi-culties with the insurancecompanies. At the request ofthe committee, representa-tives from Allstate, StateFarm, Farm Bureau andLouisiana Citizens were alsopresent.

Our senator, Jerry

Theunissen, although not amember of the committee, alsoattended and was allowed bythe committee to vigorouslyquestion the representativesof the insurance companies asto why Cameron Parish citi-zens have not been paid fortheir insurance claims.

After a lengthy meeting,the committee sent a resolu-tion to the InsuranceCommissioner requesting himto discourage the homeown-er’s insurers from automati-cally denying claims (1) from a“water mark” downward and(2) in cases where the entirehouse is gone and there is noevidence as to whether windor water actually destroyedthe home. Finally, the commit-tee plans to have meetings inCameron Parish andVermilion Parish to enable thecitizens to bring their needs tothe attention of the commit-tee. Hopefully, this will occurthe first part of January.

Two recent developmentshave occurred in the last cou-ple weeks. We are seeing somechecks with “in full settle-ment” written in very smalltype on the check. TheCommissioner has told all theinsurers that they must paythe undisputed amount of theclaims without obtaining arelease. Until you sign arelease, your claim is not over.You should cross out the set-tlement language on the checkbefore cashing it.

On the back of the check,write “partial payment only”above your signature. You maydeposit your check and stillseek more money for yourclaim. However, the lead coun-sel for the Commissioner ofInsurance asked me to sendhim copies of these checks,since they are in violation ofthe Commissioner’s instruc-tions to the insurers. If youcan drop a photocopy of yourcheck by this office, we willsend it in for you.

Finally, several familieshave been told that theirhomeowner’s insurance willnot renew their policies if theyreturn to lower CameronParish. This is illegal andshould be reported to theInsurance Commissioner. Ifyou have your policy for atleast three years and have nothad more than two claims dur-ing this period, and you havepaid your premiums, theinsurance company cannotcancel or refuse to renew yourpolicy.

Again, I would ask you tothank Senator Theunissen,Senator James David Cain,and all the members of theinsurance committee whenyou have the chance. They areworking hard for you. Whenthe Legislature goes back insession, we hope to obtainsome significant reforms.Don’t give up. I believe thatmediation will be very helpful.Please let us know if you haveother questions.

/s/ Jennifer Jones

and Cameron Parish. It wasan honor to be able to serve.

We hope to get to return toCameron if they put any mis-sions out after the holidays.Again I just want to say whatgreat people we me while inCameron from Fire ChiefJohnson to Oscar Capt. ofEMS in Cameron. Everyonewe worked with was a pleaseto meet.

Fire Chief GautierSmith Mountain Lake

Marine Fire/Rescue, Va.

Twenty percent ofAmerican adults say they havenever had a cholesterol test.Even worse, only 29 percent ofall adults surveyed knew thatthis test screens for risk ofheart disease, found a 2003Gallup survey by the Collegeof American Pathologists(CAP). As a public service, theCollege of AmericanPathologists provides a freeInternet-based service, whichreminds people to scheduleimportant screening tests suchas cholesterol tests, cancerscreening tests and mammo-grams. This e-mail remindercan be set up in seconds by vis-iting:MyHealth TestReminder.com.

Reminder toschedule health screening tests

Page 7, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 15, 2005

from your friends, neighbors and family at

www.camtel.com

Page 8, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

Cameron Parish survived a mighty blow from

Hurricane Rita. As you recover, Cameron LNG wants to

express our thanks to you for welcoming us and

making us part of your community. As your new

neighbor, we are committed to bringing our energy to

help you rebuild. From all of us at

Cameron LNG to all of you in

Cameron Parish, may your

holidays be filled with

peace, good cheer and

hope for the future.

Cameron LNG is not the same as the utility, SDG&E or SoCalGas, and the California Public Utilities Commission does not regulate the terms of Cameron LNG’s products and services. The Cameron LNG project issituated along the Calcasieu River in Hackberry, La. This Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) terminal is anticipated to begin commercial operation in late 2008 and will have the capacity to process up to 1.5 billion cubicfeet (Bcf) per day of natural gas.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS.

Page 9, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

Office phone: 775-5718 — Fax: 775-5567e-mail: cppjury@camtel.net

110 Smith Circle • Cameron

Earnestine T. Horn, Parish Administrator

Bonnie W. Conner, Secretary/Treasurer

Wishing you a beautiful holidayand a year filled withpeace and harmony

Cameron ParishPolice Jury

Merry Christmas

Darryl Farque

District 7

Charles Precht, III

District 3

PresidentSteve Trahan

District 2

Vice-President

Scott Trahan

District 5

James Doxey

District 6

Magnus “Sonny”

McGee

District I

Douaine Conner

District 4

There are many ways to say Merry Christmas,but there’s just one word that says it all, “thanks”.

Savoie Lumber Co.Creole

May all your holiday wishes anddreams come true and may youand your family experience thewarmth and joy of the season.

I hope all of you will have a won-derful Christmas with your fami-lies. If you go to holiday parties,please be careful afterwards whiledriving home.

My deputies and I are dedicatedto serving you the people ofCameron Parish and feel free tocall on us if we can be of help toyou in any way.

MERRY CHRISTMAS &HAPPY NEW YEAR

Theos Duhon

Sheriff, Cameron Parish

By NELL COLLIGAN

Gary and Becky Benoit,owners of the OutriggersRestaurant in Cameron haveopened a restaurant, alsocalled Outriggers, at thetruck stop on the corner ofShattuck and 1825B I-10 inLake Charles.

Its menu includes all thesame good home cookedmeals and seafood that theBenoits provided in Cameron.They would be happy to seesome old customers from theparish.

Mary Arceneaux calledinquiring about her cousin,Lana Willis. Lana, if you getthis message, please let usknow how you’re doing and ifyou can be reached by phoneor e-mail. Mary now lives inBranch.

She can be reached at 337-684-0018 or at ddeculus@cen-turytel.net this is a requestunrelated to Mary: if anyonehas a mailing address forBetty Savoy or Diane Price,please send it.

I touched base with HazelDronet this week. She andPamme are living at 5532Central Street in LakeCharles. Their mailingaddress is: 4845 Lake St.#116; Lake Charles, La.70605. (This is a postal ser-vice address.) Phone 337-475-9818. When I called, Hazelwas busy painting the interi-or of her new home.

Hazel provided some newsof old friends from Cameron.Several LaLande families areliving with Jena KayLaLande in Crest View subdi-vision in Lake Charles.Included are Peggy LaLandeand Parry Dean, Parry Sr.and Natalie, as well as Alfredand Claire and their children.

Mrs. Helena Skippercalled from Fernandina,Florida yesterday. ManyCameron residents willremember Mrs. Skipper asone of the first people whocame to Cameron when themenhaden industry was in itsinfancy.

As a teenager, Helena’shusband, Bill, worked onshrimp boats in the Floridaarea, and later, on menhadenboats there. In 1942, theSkippers migrated toCameron where he continuedwork as a shrimper.

While fishing, Bill noticedthe abundance of pogy fish inthe gulf waters off ofCameron, and contacted hisfriends in North Carolina whowere in the menhaden busi-ness.

His friends came toLouisiana to investigate hisclaim, resulting in what verywell may have been the earlybeginning of the menhadenindustry in southwestLouisiana.

Mr. Skipper passed awaysome years ago, but Mrs.Skipper remained in touchwith many Cameron resi-dents through the years.Among these were the Steeds,the Colligans, the FletcherMillers, and the BusterRogers’, and the Blakes,among others.

She said she talked withRoberta Rogers since thestorm, and told me thatRoberta is in Dry Creek withBraxton and Norma JeanBlake. The Rogers’ and theBlakes’ homes were destroyedin Cameron. She asked aboutthe Dysons and said that herson went to school with Gayand Larry.

Mrs. Skipper is now 94years old and troubled witharthritis, but still lives in herown little home with the helpof friends who bring herwhere she needs to go. She isan avid reader of theCameron Pilot and looks for-

ward to the news. She communicated regu-

larly with Old Mamma(Gertrude Colligan) as well asthe others listed. In return,the Colligan family alwayssaw to it that her CameronPilot subscription continuedso she could keep track of thelittle town.

For those who lost theiraddress books, her address is:111 S. 15th Street;Fernandina, Florida 32034.Phone: 904-261-5286.

Susan Woodgett Saikinsent a long e-mail with newsof her family and the otherswho lived in the neighborhoodwhen we lived on HenryStreet at the intersection ofKerney.

The households on Kerneywere those of Limey and ElsieWoodgett, Lucy Peterson andher son, Edward, and Robertand Barbara Doxey, with Mrs.Emma and Sam LeBoeufright on the corner of Kerney

and Henry. It was “BarbieDoll City” on Mrs. Emma’sback porch when all of thoselittle girls were around.

Susan said she went to theold neighborhood three weeksafter the storm, and thatnothing could prepare her forthe devastation she saw. Thehouse she grew up in is stillstanding but will have to bedemolished. The only area ofthe house that wasn’t dam-aged was the attic, givingSusan and her sister Maryaccess to many of the memo-ries of their childhood.

She said it was hard toleave that attic filled withmemorabilia, but almostimpossible to bring things outthrough the mud below. Herbrother, Richard, was livingin the house before the storm,but is planning to get a trail-er as the house cannot besaved.

Susan went on to say thatMary’s house in Grand Lakehad very little damage, sotheir cousin Edward Petersonand his wife Ethyl are stayingthere with her. Edward isworking hard with the parishcrew to repair the parishwater system.

Her sister Elizabeth andD.L.’s Brasseaux’s house inGrand Chenier was demol-ished. Both of their sons hadmajor damage to their homesin Grand Lake. Elizabeth andD.L. were fortunate becausethey were building a home toretire in on their land inDeRidder, so they are livingthere now.

Susan also passed alongnews of Darilyn Doxey Canikwhose home in GrandChenier was flattened by thestorm. She and Richard areliving in a trailer in LakeCharles.

Susan visited her there onher 50th birthday, but it washard to celebrate under thecircumstances.

Darilyn is teaching schoolwith Susan’s sister,Elizabeth, in Grand Lake.Debbie Jo and James Doxeyas well as Tom and KathyDoxey Roland are also livingin Lake Charles now as theirhomes in Cameron werebadly damaged.

Kathy was teaching atCameron Elementary, so I amassuming she also is at GrandLake School. She didn’t men-tion whether Kathy and Tom,and James and Debbie Jo aregoing back to Cameron torebuild. Susan closed by say-

ing her heart and prayers goout to all of the people ofCameron.

To everyone in the parish,wherever you are, we sendour best wishes for theChristmas season. For theNew Year, we wish you theblessings needed for each dayahead, namely faith, hope,courage, strength of mind andbody and the wisdom for thedecisions, large and small,that you are facing. I knowthis it probably the hardestwinter of your lives. Justknow that all of us out herehave you in our prayers.

Please mail me at: 302Trailwood Lane; Lafayette,La. 70508. My phone is 337-988-5395 and my e-mailaddress is: nnadc67@aol.com.

When sending your news,please give us an address ifyou can possibly receive mail.Wouldn’t a letter in your boxbe nice?

Messiah tobe aired onDec. 25th

The 66th performance ofHandel's Messiah by the LakeCharles Messiah Chorus pre-sented Dec. 4 at the FirstMethodist Church in LakeCharles will be broadcast at10 a.m. Dec. 25 on KRVSRadio, the public radio sta-tion for Lafayette and LakeCharles, at 88.7 FM.

Listeners can tune intoKRVS for the upcoming pro-gram schedule or check itsWeb site: http://krvs.louisiana.edu.

Where are they now? Parish folks report in

SANTA AND an elf handed out gifts to Cameron children at the Sweetlake MethodistChurch Saturday. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

JOHNSON BAYOU students received gifts from the people of Livingston, N. J.,Tuesday afternoon. The town has adopted Cameron Parish. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

People of mediocre abili-ty sometimes achieveoutstanding success

because they don’t knowwhen to quit. Most mensucceed because they are

determined to. -George E. Allen

Page 10, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

Celebrate the Christmas SpiritMay you always be blessed with

His light and love.

Penelope Richard, L.L.C.Attorney At Law

NEW OFFICE LOCATION: 1587 Hwy. 384Grand Lake (Next to Shear Simplicity)

MAILING ADDRESS:P. O. Drawer 579

Cameron, LA 70631

— HOURS —Mon. - Fri. - 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

or By AppointmentPenelope Richard

NEW PHONE: 337-905-8135FAX: 337-905-8137

With the holidays upon us once again,there’s so much for which to be thank-ful. We count our many blessings, butwe’d be remiss if we didn’t say how

much we celebrate our friendship with you and we trulyvalue your ever-loyal patronage.

Here’s to hoping that we continue to share more

wonderful moments ahead.

Give Our Professionals A Call Today at:

312-7041

Dianne Wolfe Nikki FontenotPepe’ Vasquez

During this holy season, may you follow yourheart to a place of peace, contentment and joy.

WWiisshhiinngg EEvveerryyoonnee AA MMeerrrryy CChhrriissttmmaass&& AA HHaappppyy NNeeww YYeeaarr

Paul & Cyndi Sellers

Every creatureof God is

good...

– The FirstEpistle of Paulthe Apostle toTimothy 4:4

We wish everyone in creationa truly wonderful Christmastime!

We love taking care of your animals!

SOUTHWEST LOUISIANAVETERINARY CLINIC, AVMC

DR. MIKE MEAUXIs now caring for large and small ani-mals at the Sulphur and DeQuincyclinics.

For Appointment Or Emergency Call:

128 W. Napoleon, Sulphur -- 337-527-7143204 Velmer St., DeQuincy -- 337-786-5520

‘We want things back likethey were,’ say residents

“We want everything backjust the way it was,” was theconsensus of opinion at theTown Hall Meeting on longterm recovery held Dec. 14 inGrand Lake.

The LSU AgCenter con-ducted the meeting to getinput from Cameron Parishresidents on the long termneeds of the parish.

Residents from severalcommunities were present,and were mostly focused onimmediate needs for return-ing to their homes in lowerCameron Parish, and getting“back to normal.”

Asked “What would youlike your community to looklike in 5 to 10 years,” mostsaid “Like it did before thestorm, with recreation, fami-ly, industry, and libraries.”

However, some improve-ments such as better roads,better fire protection for lowerinsurance rates, and strongleadership. High quality edu-cation to bring economicadvantages to the parish wasalso a focus.

The suggestions given willbe taken up by the long-termplanning committee and asecond round of town hallmeetings will be held in mid-January.

Parish long-term recoverydirector Ernie Broussard saidhe hopes to have a draft planfor the future ready by theend of January. With anapproved plan in hand, hewill then be able to apply forvarious forms of funding forthe parish.

Reportgiven onschooldamagesin parish

ASST. CHIEF LEE Watkins of Lyme, Conn., presentedT-shirts to members of the Grand Lake/Sweetlake volun-teer fire department. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

Members of the CameronParish School Board and theiremployees are “rebuilding ourschool system, rebuilding ourfuture, rebuilding CameronParish, for SouthwestLouisiana, our State, ourNation, and our World!”

Members of the CameronParish School Board continueto provide leadership eventhough Hurricane Rita treat-ed the seven members of theBoard just like it did all otherCameron Parish residents ---the homes of five board mem-bers were destroyed or ren-dered uninhabitable, thehome of another was signifi-cantly damaged, and thehome of the remaining mem-ber needed some repairs.However, the loss of theirhomes to Hurricane Rita hasnot altered the spirit to servestudents, employees, citizens,and the larger community.

The serving and “can do”spirit of the Cameron ParishSchool Board and theiremployees is best demonstrat-ed by actions noted in theensuing list.

The Assessment - At firstlight on Tuesday, Sept. 27, fol-lowing Hurricane Rita’s land-fall, schools and facilitieswere being inspected andassessed for damage.

The Destruction -Hurricane Rita damagedCameron Parish Schools asfollows:

• Sixty-two percent (62%)of all school facilities werecompletely destroyed;

• Thirteen percent (13%)of the facilities were damagedsignificantly; and,

• The remaining 25% ofthe facilities required majorrestoration and repair;

The Announcement - Inless than 84 hours afterHurricane Rita’s landfall, thefollowing points where sharedwith the local and nationalnews media ---

• All students would begiven the opportunity to com-plete the 2005-2006 year;

• Each senior would beable to graduate from his orher respective high school;and,

• All employees would beretained for the 2005-2006school year.

Recovery, Restoration, andRe-opening - Only twenty-four (24) instructional daysafter Hurricane Rita madelandfall, all Pre-RitaCameron Parish students,including previously enrolledHurricane Katrina evacuees,could attend their school onthe campus of either GrandLake or Hackberry. Using aplatoon system which wouldpreserve the identity of eachschool, classes resumed forCameron Elementary, SouthCameron Elementary, SouthCameron High, and GrandLake High on the campus ofGrand Lake High, and classesresumed for Johnson BayouHigh and Hackberry High onthe campus of HackberryHigh.

Hurricane Rita damagedGrand Lake High School andHackberry High School; how-ever, the structural damagewas minor, subsequently, sig-nificant tasks involved replac-ing roofs and ensuring a qual-ity environment for studentsand employees.

After recovery and restora-tion work, local, state, andnational health officialsapproved Grand Lake andHackberry for occupancy, andclasses resumed 24 instruc-tional days after HurricaneRita’s landfall.

Current School Enrollment- About 80% of the pre-LaborDay enrollment has returned.The current percent of enroll-ment compared to pre-Ritadata is listed below ---

• Cameron Elementary,Grades K-7: 48%

• Grand Lake Grades K-12: 91%

• Hackberry Grades K-12:83%

• Johnson Bayou GradesK-12: 71%

• South CameronElementary Grades K-7: 73%

• South Cameron HighGrades 8-12: 83%

As promised and later con-firmed by the Board in a spe-cial meeting on Oct. 3, May2006 graduations and com-mencements programs arescheduled for the seniors ofeach of the four high schools.

Members of the CameronParish School Board continue

to serve and plan for thefuture. The daily schoolschedule will be adjusted forstudents as they return fromthe Christmas Holidays onMonday, Jan. 2, 2006. Theschool day will begin at 7:40a.m. and close at 4:10 p.m.;that is, the school day will beshortened by one hour.Additionally, principals andthe superintendent met onWednesday, Dec. 14, in orderto plan for a renewed focus onacademic achievement as theNew Year begins.

Members of the Boardexpress best wishes for aMerry Christmas to students,parents, and employees; and,members of the Board pledgeto continue to serve and planfor the future as efforts areexpended “rebuilding ourschool system, rebuilding ourfuture, rebuilding CameronParish, for SouthwestLouisiana, our State, ourNation, and our World!”

By Dr. Doug Chance, Cam.Parish School

Superintendent

DEBRA AND GEORGE Heard are shown above with the sign for First Baptist Churchin Grand Chenier. The sign was all that remained of the church after Hurricane Ritapassed through Cameron Parish in September.

This holiday season maybe more stressful than everfor some people and families.Stress resulting from ourrecent disasters combinedwith the usual holiday stressmay become overwhelming.

It is important for peopleto take preventive measuresbefore they are weighed downby stress, according to LSUAgCenter family develop-ment professor Dr. RebeccaWhite.

"Think about developing aplan for how you and yourfamily will handle the comingholiday stress," White says.

Effective coping strate-gies for people and familiesare unique. Coping tech-niques that work well for oneperson or family may not bethe best approaches foranother person or family. It isup to the individual and fam-ily to determine what strate-gies to undertake to managestress this holiday season.

Research in family stress

provides us insights on man-aging the stressful times inour lives. Family life authori-ties Wesley Burr and ShirleyKlein and their associateshave reviewed decades ofstress management researchand have determined prac-tices individuals can use tocope with stress. They recom-mend a number of strategies.

§ Accept that you are over-stressed. Recognition thatyou are overstressed is impor-tant. Be proactive and takepositive steps to cope.

§ Be accepting of others.Accept the differences in fam-ily members’ responses to thestressfulness of this holidayand the recent hurricanes.

§ Gain useful knowledge.

Find information and factsabout stress as it relates toholidays and crises to aid youin taking additional steps inmanaging your stress.

§ Change how you view ordefine the holiday and disas-ter. Reframe the situation bydefining your problems inmore positive ways.

§ Express feelings andaffection. Clear and directverbal expressions of commit-ment are important. Forsome, a hug or tender com-forting touch can help.

Avoid stressbefore ithappens

Page 11, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

CAMERON PARISH

CLERK OF COURT

May you celebrate a joyous andpeaceful

Christmas withthose you holdclose to your

heart.

Merry Christmas From

Carl Broussard & Staff

We truly appreciate your friendship and devotion.

Christmas Blessings

Although our friends and family are scattered, some ofyou we see at church, at the stores. we still miss you. Tothose we don’t get a chance to see, we miss you and stillthink of you!

With glad hearts, let us remember the true meaning ofChristmas...

The Love Born, The Hope To Be Had,The Joy To Be Shared!

Wishing You A Blessed Christmas& A Happy New Year!

Loston & Glender McEver

“Keep Christ In Christmas”P.S. We live in a time when all things religious or pertaining to

God are being discouraged & swept away, but it’s refreshing toknow our many friends & family don’t think that way & arekeeping Christ in our Christmas Holidays!

Myrna M. Conner“Your

AFLAC Agent”

— NEW LOCATION —Since the storm, we are now located in the

Sweetlake area at 162 T-John Road.You may reach me on my Cell Phone at:

794-3020My home phone is not yet available.

Although Hurricane Rita has changed our lives,medical needs continue. Please call for insurance &claim assistance.

God’s Blessings To Everyone!

With Best WishesTo All Of YouOn This Most

JoyousOccasion!

BROWN’S FOOD CENTERHackberry 762-4632

Holiday WishesFrom All Of Us...

May Your Christmas Be BlessedWith Family,

Friends, Love And Warmth.

Merry Christmas &Happy New Year!!

GRAND CHENIER, LA

– 24 HOUR SERVICE –

538-2411

News is improving forparish cattle producers

The sound of rain fallingWednesday, Dec. 14, wassweet as a symphony to GaryWicke, an LSU AgCentercounty agent in CameronParish.

“We are hoping these rainswill flush out the salt water,”he explained.

Reducing salt contamina-tion in the marsh fromHurricane Rita will improvechances for cattle forage toregrow. The sooner that hap-pens, the better, Wicke said.

“We are still short of hay,”he stressed.

Even if adequate foragewere available, Wicke said itstill would not be possible tomove cattle to the pasturesbecause fencing has beenwiped out from theIntracoastal Waterway southto the coastline.

“That’s our main problem,rebuilding fence,” he said.

But Wicke said a federalcost-sharing program – theEmergency ConservationProgram administered by theUSDA’s Farm Service Agency– is available to help farmerswith fences.

According to Wicke, cattleowners in the area evacuateda large number of cattle in thethree days before Rita struck,but some were left behind. “Ifigure parish producers lostprobably 6,000 to 8,000, lostto the storm or sold,” Wickesaid.

Not all cattle that survivedthe storm have been recov-ered even now, he said. “Westill have a lot of cattle onislands, and every once inawhile they’ll come out,” hesaid.

Grazing lands with fencingintact are being used – insome cases excessivelybecause alternatives aren’tavailable, Wicke said. “Wehave a lot of cattle on placesthat are overgrazed rightnow,” he said.

Many of the area’s cattlefamilies bought pasture inAllen, Beauregard and othernorthern parishes for sum-mer grazing away from thecoast after Hurricane Audreyin 1957.

Wicke said a parishwideban on burning prevents cat-tle owners from setting fire tolarge expanses of thatchwashed inland by the tidalsurge. Throughout the marsh,dead vegetation smothers theground and prevents revege-tation.

“Until you burn that deadgrowth off, you’re not going tobe able to grow anything,” hesaid.

On the up side, however,the salt water did have a ben-eficial effect of killingunwanted freshwater vegeta-tion, such as smut grass andsalvinia, Wicke said.

To the east of CameronParish, cattle producers alsoneed hay, and they are grate-ful for all donations, saidAndrew Granger, an LSUAgCenter county agent inVermilion Parish.

“We’re still struggling tofind hay and get hay downhere,” Granger said. “We’rehoping for a shipment fromOhio, but it hasn’t gotten hereyet.”

Bob Felknor, executive sec-retary of the LouisianaCattlemen’s Association, saiddonations are continuing, andthe need will exist “until ourproducers are able to growgrass again.

“Fields are still underwater, and there’s cattlestarving right now,” Felknorsaid.

Granger agreed with thatassessment.

“There’s nothing out therefor their cattle to eat,”Granger said. “This is themost serious catastrophe toaffect the cattle industry inVermilion Parish ever. Theeconomic impact on the cattleindustry is phenomenal.”

But Granger also saidthere is some good news.

“Some of the ryegrass thatwas planted is doing surpris-ingly well,” he said. “I guesswe have enough soil moisturenow.”

Even in some areas withhigh salt concentrations andin soil originally thought to betoo salty for ryegrass, it isgreening up, Granger said.

But everyone didn’t plantryegrass, and any seed plant-ed now would not produce for-age until February or March,he said.

Granger estimates 4,000head of cattle in VermilionParish died in the storm, andas many as 4,000 have beensold since Rita. He said theparishwide herd before Ritaprobably totaled 40,000.

The LSU AgCenter agentsaid recent news that theJapanese market will re-opento U.S. beef has brought someoptimism to the region.

Cattle producers havebeen spread their herdsacross Louisiana as far northas Natchitoches, Grangersaid, explaining they weretrying almost anywhere apasture is available.

“The farthest I heard wasMississippi,” Granger said.

Many cattle owners havebeen forced to sell all or partof their herds, but the priceswere far below what theyshould have gotten because ofbuyer concerns that cattlecould become sick after saltexposure, Granger said.

To the north of CameronParish, Calcasieu Parish pro-ducers had few deaths intheir herds from Rita.

“But we lost tons of hay,”said Tommy Shields, an LSUAgCenter county agent inCalcasieu Parish. Worse yet,the area had been sufferingfrom a drought already, hesaid.

After the storm, Shieldssaid marginal cattle were soldto thin herds because of thescarcity of good grazing landand short supplies of hay.

Now he expresses opti-mism that rains have helpedreduce salt levels in the soil.

“If we can get through

A DISTRIBUTIONCENTER has been set upat Johnson Bayou BaptistChurch for food and otherneeds for returning resi-dents.(Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

Storm aid isnot taxablesays FEMA

The Federal EmergencyManagement Agency and thestate Office of EmergencyPreparedness are assuringhurricane victims that feder-al and state grants will nei-ther add to one’s taxableincome nor affect federal andstate benefits.

And the grants won’taffect recipients eligibilityfor Medicaid, welfare assis-tance, food stamps andSocial Security benefits, orany other income-based gov-ernment program.

Federal and state officialsencourage all disaster vic-tims to apply for aid andcomplete a U.S. SmallBusiness Administrationloan application, if it is sentto them.

If the SBA can’t approve aloan, applicants may need tobe referred to Other NeedsAssistance, which coversitems such as personal prop-erty loss, medical care andtransportation.

For more information callthe SBA at (800) 659-2955 orvisit www.sba.gov/disaster.

To learn more about hous-ing grants and other pro-grams, call FEMA at (800)621-3362.

The TTY number is (800)462-7585.

Lines are open 24 hours aday, seven days a week untilfurther notice.

Victims may also registeronline--www.fema.gov--or atany disaster recovery center.

For information on elder-ly issues, call EldercareLocators at (800) 677-1116.

January and February andthe springtime grass comesback, we’ll be in good shape,”Shields said.

Shields said it’s not diffi-cult to get hay donations, butgetting it shipped is a chal-lenge because of the high costof fuel.

CLASSIFIEDS

TREE REMOVAL

Tree Removal AndYard Cleanup AnywhereIn Southwest Louisiana.

T. J. Porche & Familyof DeQuincy & Cameron

PHONE: 781-6466 -- 224-0097

or 409-200-9245

Wishing you joy now and forever

Cameron Parish Tax AssessorR. E. “Bobby” Conner

& StaffGary, Allyson, Ann & Mona

ATTENTION FIRST TIME HOMEOWNERS:Remember to sign up for Homestead Exemption

NEW!! Customized Signs, Banners & Car DecalsScreen Printing

Color Copies * B & W Copies * Oversize Copies * BindingFULL COLOR GIFTS

Calendars, Mugs, Mousepads, Puzzles, Koozies, Flags,Coasters, T-shirts & more

Colorful Creations Printing Services4303 Common Street, Lake Charles (directly behind McNeese)

480-2424 or 1-866-480-2424Becky LeFleur, Owner, Cameron Parish Resident

• NOTICE •To customers of Cameron Parish Water District No.

Nine (covering the areas of Grand Chenier, Oak Grove,Muria, Chenier Perdue, & Little Chenier.)

It is the intent of this District, Cameron Parish WaterDistrict No. Nine, to bill customers for water consump-tion beginning January, 2006. Customers who NOLONGER require water service are to contact BonnieTheriot by January 10, 2006, at 337-905-4141, or Cell337-249-6124.

RUN: Dec. 8, 15, 22, 29 (D-24)

Cameron Parish Police Jury PermitDept. Has Relocated to the:

GRAND LAKE WATER WORKS OFFICE111 Dennis Ln., Sweet Lake

Contact Tammy Trahan or Julie Burleigh with all yourpermitting questions concerning elevation require-ments and other permit requirements:

(337)905-1911 • (337)249-9641 • Fax: (337)598-3300

For Sewer questions contact Ryan King, Dept. ofHealth and Hospitals:

(337)475-3209 • (337)912-7431 • Fax: (337)475-3226RUN: Dec. 22, 29 & Jan. 5

NOTICE

WHETHER LOOKING tostore household possessions,or need boat or RV storage,A+ Mini Storage has the pro-fessional local facilities tomeet your needs. Located at4611 Hwy 27 South, Carlyss.Call 558-5805 for information.9/14 - 2/21 eow

REPAIRS

TREE REMOVAL and yardcleanup anywhere in SouthwestLouisiana. T. J. Porche and fam-ily of DeQuincy and Cameron.Phone 781-6466, 224-0097 or(409) 200-9245. 10/5 - 1/04p.

JUST-A-FENCE: All typesof fencing. Residential andcommercial. Free estimates. 1-800-509-1707 or (281) 447-4404 in Houston. 11/23 -12/30p.

HELP WANTED

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSO-CIATE: Sempra Energy, aFortune 500 energy servicescompany has an immediateopening for an AdministrativeAssistant at our Cameron LNGfacility. Sempra Energy offersan attractive compensation andbenefits package. For immedi-ate consideration, please visitour website, www.sempra.com,to apply online. No phone callsplease. Pre-employment testingis required EOE. 12/7-12/29p.

Page 12, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

REAL ESTATE

ERA MOFFETT REALTYGrace Robideaux, RealtorPhone: 310-5280 Ext. 261 Call today and ask for

Grace for your showing andfurther details on the follow-ing listings:

•Beautiful 5 acre tract ofland off Big Pasture Road.Mature oaks and pecan trees.No value given to trailer.Underground utilities.Located at end of dead-endstreet. Seller to provide sup-plemental abstract only.$60,000. 9/1tfc

HI FRIENDS in CameronParish! If you are interested inbuying or selling houses/prop-erties, please call me.RE/MAX Realty Pros at 478-2668 or 274-9996. Ask forAnalee Guilbeaux Gregory.12/1-12/29p.

AS IS, LIKE IS: Stormdamage. No flood damage.Guttede and ready for sheetrock and paint. Two storyhome on 7.3 acres. BigPasture Pass, Hebert CampRd. in Cameron Parish,$115,000. Contact Tony at540-5232 or 540-5049. 12/1 -12/22p.

GRAND LAKE - 3 bed-room, 2 baths on half acre lot,near Grand Lake School onMcCain Rd. Damaged by Rita,sell as is, $35,000. Phone (337)526-9230. Ask for Mike. 12/15- 1/4p

GRAND LAKE home pre-renovation sale. 2200 sq. ft.plus large workshop/garage.In-ground pool on 1 1/2 acrelot in subdivision 1 mile fromschool. $65,000. Call (337)794-8967 or 794-8390. 12/21 &12//29p.

RV SALES

HUNDREDS OF traveltrailers arriving for lease tohome owners with insuranceclaims. Minimum lease is 6months. Kite Bros., LLC, Hwy171 N, DeRidder, La. 1-800-456-2724. www.kitebros.com11/3tfc

LOST & FOUND

SAFE FOUND: Conner Rd/High Island area west ofCreole. Call (337) 912-9886 toclaim. 12/21 - 1/11p.

FOR SALE

PILGRIM’S FEED - TheKountry Store, Inc. will be sel-ing feed on the following days:Wednesday, 1 - 5 pm;Thursday & Friday, 8 am - 2pm. Located in parking lot ofold Lena’s Cafe. Contact num-bers: Kim at (337) 794-3610 orKristie at (337) 794-3522.12/22 & 12/29c.

METAL OUTLET MetalRoofing ~ Carports ~ MetalBuildings ~ Patio Cover Kits ~C’s & Z’s ~ Custom Trim ~ RV& Equipment Covers ~ MetalDoors ~ Windows. 337-625-2778. 2241 E. Napoleon,Sulphur. Open Mon.-Fri. 7am-5 pm, Sat. 7 am-12 noon.tfc.

NOTICE

MAC HAYNIE would liketo let his many friends andcustomers know he will nowbe cutting hair Thursday,Friday and Saturday atSilvia’s Barber Shop in MossBluff beginning December 8,2005. Turn left off Hwy 171 Nonto Telephone Rd. Phone:855-7158 or 794-617. 12/21 -1/05p.

SANTA WAS surrounded by children at the Christmas party held at the GrandLake/Sweetlake Community Center Saturday morning. (Photo by Cyndi Sellers.)

THIS 1973S International pumper was donated, fully equipped, to the GrandLake/Sweetlake Fire Department by the Lyme and Old Lyme, Connecticut FireDepartment (Photo by Evelyn White.)

New research can help youavoid having dry, chappedhands for the holidays.

Cold weather is hard onhands. Fortunately, this holi-day season you can give yourskin the gift of a great holidayglow if you heed these ten tips:

1. Even when it’s cold andcloudy out, it’s a bright idea touse sunscreen on all exposedskin.

2. Gloves are not all youneed. Use a little hand creambefore you don them.

3. Moisturize from theinside out. Drink plenty ofwater-and keep alcohol intakelow.

4. Good skin grows on ahealthy body. Eat a balanceddiet and exercise regularly.

5. Don’t smoke. In additionto all the other reasons smok-ing is bad for you, it can ageskin prematurely.

6. Moisturize your handsafter you wash them-andwhen you wash, use waterthat’s lukewarm, not hot, topreserve natural oils.

7. To nail down a long-last-ing manicure, moisturize yourcuticles daily.

8. See a dermatologistevery year.

9. If you spend a lot of timein hot dry, indoor air, get ahumidifier.

10. Consider a mineral-richproduct designed for activehands. It’s not greasy or stickyand it’s made with potassium,a natural hydrator, and mag-nesium, a natural anti-aller-gen. A single pearl-sized dropwill treat both hands.

The hand cream makes agreat gift for yourself or some-one you care about. It’s rich inessential oils and botanicalextracts, including extract ofmyrrh, a natural antiseptic.What’s more, it’s fromAwakening, a company whoseproducts are never tested onanimals.Free Brochure

You can learn more from afree brochure called TheBenefits of Mineral-MoistureTherapy about minerals,moisture and your skin. For acopy, see www.awakeningskincare.com or call 800-200-6546.

Give hands ahappy glow

Chef JudiGallagher’s Sour CreamCoffeecake

Serves 10-12

2 sticks sweet butter2 cups granulated sugar2 eggs, beaten2 cups unbleached all pur-

pose flour1 Tablespoon baking pow-

der1⁄4 teaspoon salt2 cups dairy sour cream1 Tablespoon plus 1 tea-

spoon pure vanilla extract3⁄4 cup brown sugar1 1⁄2 Tablespoons ground

cinnamon1 1⁄2 cups shelled pecans,

chopped1⁄2 cup whole cranberries1⁄2 cup fresh blueberries

Preheat oven to 350° F.Grease a 10-inch bundt pan ortwo 8-inch loaf pans. Dustlightly with flour. Creamtogether the butter and granu-lated sugar. Add the beateneggs and blend. Add the sourcream, one cup at a time andadd vanilla. Sift togetherflour, baking powder and salt. Fold the dry ingredients intothe creamed mixture and beatuntil blended. Do not overmix. In a separate bowl, mixbrown sugar, chopped pecansand cinnamon together.

Pour half of the batter intothe greased and floured pan.Sprinkle half the brown sugarmixture on top. Add 1⁄2 of thecranberries and blueberriesand pour the remaining batterinto the pan.

Repeat the process withthe remaining brown sugarmixture and fruit. Place in thepreheated oven in middle rackfor about 60 minutes or until acake tester comes out clean.

Let rest for about 45 min-utes and serve while stillwarm.

Research suggests thatone-third to one-half of allaccidents and falls in thehome can be prevented. Youcan learn more from “SinceYou Care-Falls and FallPrevention.” The free bookletis one of a series of guides thatprovide practical suggestions,useful tools and informationon a variety of specific care-related products topics. It’savailable from AARP HealthCare Options and the MetLifeMature Market Institute.

For a free copy, call 203-221-6580 or e-mailMatureMarketInstitute@metlife.com.

Valuable bookletavailable fromAARP HealthcareOptions

MerryChristmas!

From

The Staff

of The

CameronPilot

called the meeting to order.On a motion by Paul Duhon

and seconded by Bobby Doxey andcarried that the bills for the monthbe paid.

On a motion by Paul Duhonand seconded by Bobby Doxey andcarried that there being no furtherbusiness that the meeting standadjourned.

/s/ J. C. MurphyJ. C. Murphy, President

Cameron W & WW#1/s/ Lori LeBlancLori LeBlanc, SecretaryRUN: Dec. 22 (D-43)

PROCEEDINGSCAMERON WATER AND

WASTEWATER NO. 1NOVEMBER 2, 2005

The Cameron Parish Waterand Wastewater District No. 1Board meet in regular session onTuesday, November 2, 2005 at 6:00p.m. in the boardroom located at111 Dennis Lane in the village ofGrand Lake, Louisiana.

Members present were: PaulDuhon, James Boudreaux, BobbyDoxey, and Ronald Nunez, Jr.

Members Absent were: RickMerchant, Tammy Peshoff, J. C.Murphy.

Board member Bobby Doxeycalled the meeting to order.

On a motion by Paul Duhonand seconded by Ronald Nunezand carried to make the followingaddition to the agenda:

1. To get free labor from theCalcasieu Workforce Center.

On a motion by Paul Duhonand seconded by JamesBoudreaux and carried to approvethe minutes for the previousmonths meeting.

On a motion by Ronald Nunez,Jr. and seconded by Paul Duhonand carried that the bills for themonth be paid.

On a motion by Paul Duhonand seconded by JamesBoudreaux and carried to pur-chase the new computer and soft-ware systems from ComputerSystems DevelopmentCorporation and Dell Computers.

On a motion by Paul Duhonand seconded by JamesBoudreaux and carried to applyfor free labor from LAWorks/Calcasieu WorkforceCenter.

On a motion by JamesBoudreaux and seconded by PaulDuhon and carried that therebeing no further business that themeeting stand adjourned.

/s/ J. C. MurphyJ. C. Murphy, President

Cameron Parish W&WW#1/s/ Lori LeBlancLori LeBlanc, SecretaryRUN: Dec. 22 (D-44)

NOTICE OF PUBLIC MEETINGA public meeting will be held

as follows for Cameron ParishGravity Drainage District No. 7.

Date: December 22, 2005Time: 6:30 p.m.Place of meeting: The Cameron

Parish Gravity Drainage DistrictNo. 7 Office, 205 Middle RidgeRoad, Cameron, La. 70631.

This is to notify all interestedparties that a public hearing willbe held in order to:

• Amend Budget 2005• Propose new budget 2006• Discuss storm clean up &

drainageQuestions concerning this mat-

ter may be addressed in writing to:Curtis L. Trahan, President,

205 Middle Ridge Road, Cameron,La. 70631

Attested by: Patty MorrisRUN: Dec. 22 (D-46)

Page 13, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005

LEGAL NOTICESForms for appeals are available totaxpayers and must be filed inperson or by certified mail by 4:00p.m. Thursday, January 26, 2006with the Cameron Parish PoliceJury at their temporary officelocated at 302 N. Cutting Avenue,Jennings, Louisiana.

R. E. “Bobby” Conner, CLACameron Parish Assessor

RUNS: Dec. 15, 22 - D 30

NOTICENOTICE is hereby given, pur-

suant to article IV, section 21 (D)(1) of the Louisiana Constitution,that on December 2, 2005, EntergyGulf States, Inc. (“EGS”), a publicutility having facilities to provideretail electric service to customersin eighteen of the sixty-fourParishes of the State of Louisiana,and having facilities used for thelocal distribution of natural gas forresidential, commercial, municipaland other customers within EastBaton Rouge Parish, Louisiana,and Entergy Louisiana, Inc.(“ELI”) (collectively, the“Companies”), an electric publicutility having facilities to provideretail electric service to customersin forty-six Parishes of the State ofLouisiana, filed with theLouisiana Public ServiceCommission (“LPSC”) a JointApplication for Interim andPermanent Recovery in Rates ofCosts Related to HurricanesKatrina and Rita. The requestedinterim change in EGS’s and ELI’srates and charges is described asfollows:

EGS and ELI are requestingLPSC authorization to implementinterim adjustments to theCompanies’ LPSC-jurisdictionalrates and charges to permit theCompanies to begin recovering thesignificant costs that they haveincurred in restoring electric ser-vice to Louisiana customers locat-ed throughout the EGS and ELIservice territories as a result ofHurricane Katrina and HurricaneRita. The Companies seek toimplement these interim adjust-ments subject to refund and fullCommission review of theCompanies’ final accounting forstorm-related costs.

Timely emergency interimrate relief, as sought by this filing,is essential to ensure the contin-ued financial stability of theCompanies, to maintain invest-ment-grade credit ratings, and topermit the Companies to continueproviding reliable service to theircustomers at the lowest reason-able cost. The Companies’ need forinterim relief is urgent due to theextraordinary financial burdencaused by these storms.

As reported by the Companiesin post-storm filings made withthe Securities and ExchangeCommission, the current estimateof storm restoration costs rangesfrom $355 million to $415 millionfor ELI and from $394 million to$542 million for EGS (Louisianaand Texas operations). For EGS’sLouisiana operations (“EGS-LA”),the total restoration costs are esti-mated to be between $141 millionand $193 million. The amountsought in this request for interimrelief is based on the low end of theCompanies’ SEC-filed estimatedtotal restoration costs and it isbased on a ten-year recovery peri-od.

The revenue requirement forthe storm costs reflects the pre-sent value of a revenue streamincluding a ten year amortizationof operations and maintenanceexpenses plus depreciation of cap-ital additions over a thirty yearperiod for ELI and thirty-nineyears for EGS-LA and includes areturn on the unamortized bal-ances (less accumulated deferredincome taxes) over the ten yearamortization period and the twodepreciation periods. The presentvalue of this revenue stream isthen recovered over a ten yearperiod on a levelized basis. Thesecalculations result in annual rev-enue requirements of $45.1 mil-lion for ELI and $18.7 million forEGS-LA to recover storm costs ininterim rates. These amountswould be collected subject torefund until permanent relief issought and granted.

The Companies propose toallocate the levelized revenuerequirement necessary to collectthese storm costs across theCompanies’ customer classes inproportion to each customer class’scontribution to base rate revenues.For a residential ELI customerusing 1,000 kWh, the surchargewould amount to approximately$2.37 per month. Based onNovember 2005 fuel adjustmentcharges, this equates to anincrease of approximately 1.9%.For a residential EGS-LA cus-tomer using 1,000 kWh, the sur-charge would amount to approxi-mately $1.63 per month. Based onNovember 2005 fuel adjustmentcharges, this equates to anincrease of approximately 1.3%.

The Companies’ filing and pro-posed changes to the rates andcharges may be viewed in theOffice of the Louisiana PublicService Commission in BatonRouge, Louisiana. EntergyLouisiana, Inc.RUN: Dec. 22 (D 37)

SP #17289NOTICE TO BIDDERS

Sealed bids will be opened andpublically read by the PurchasingSection of the Division ofAdministration, 1201 N. 3rd St.,2nd Floor, Suite 2-160, (P.O. Box94095), Baton Rouge, Louisiana,at 10:00 A.M. for the following:

File No. M50906G, Bid No.2204497-Remediation &Destruction of Movable Property,Dec. 28.

Bid proposal forms, informa-tion and specifications may beobtained by accessing the bidnumber in LaPac atwww.doa.Louisiana.gov/osp orfrom the purchasing section listedabove. No bids will be receivedafter the date and hour specified.The right is reserved to reject anyand all bids and to waive any

informalities.DENISE LEADirector of State PurchasingFAX (225) 342-8688RUN: Dec. 22 (D-38)

PROCEEDINGSGRAVITY DRAINAGE

DISTRICT NO. 4October 13, 2005

Gravity Drainage District No.4 held a regular meeting at theGrand Lake Waterworks Office,Grand Lake, Louisiana at 6:00P.M., Thursday, October 13, 2005.

PRESENT: Kevin Boudreaux,Leslie Griffith, Michael Semien,Raven Benoit.

ABSENT: Walter RogersThe meeting was called to

order by Chairman KevinBoudreaux.

On motion of Mr. Griffith, sec-onded by Mr. Semien and carried,the minutes were approved.

On motion of Mr. Semien, sec-onded by Mr. Benoit and carried,the following bills were approvedfor payment:

Cameron Pilot - $48.00Jeff Davis Electric - 21.43Coastal Culvert - 3,266.80Lonnie Harper & Assoc. -

2,724.40On motion of Mr. Benoit, sec-

onded by Mr. Semien and carried,the Chairman is hereby autho-rized, empowered and directed tosign an Interagency AgencyAgreement by and between theOffice of EmergencyPreparedness, the GravityDrainage District No. Five and theGravity Drainage District No.Four with regard to Post-Hurricane Rita measures.

The Board compiled a list ofitems lost in the storm, as well as,a list of items needed by theDistrict, to be submitted to theFederal Emergency ManagementAgency for funding assistance.

There being no further busi-ness, on motion of Mr. Semien, sec-onded by Mr. Benoit and carried,the meeting was declaredadjourned.

APPROVED:/s/ Kevin Boudreaux

KEVIN BOUDREAUX, CHAIRMAN

ATTEST:/s/ Michael SemienMICHAEL SEMIEN, SECRETARYRUN: Dec. 22 (D-39)

PROCEEDINGSGRAVITY DRAINAGE

DISTRICT NO. 4November 10, 2005

Gravity Drainage District No.4 held a regular meeting at theGrand Lake Waterworks Office inGrand Lake, Louisiana at 5:00P.M., Thursday, November 10,2005.

PRESENT: Kevin Boudreaux,Leslie Griffith, Walter Rogers

ABSENT: Raven Benoit,Michael Semien

The meeting was called toorder by Chairman KevinBoudreaux.

On motion of Mr. Griffith, sec-onded by Mr. Rogers, the minuteswere approved.

There were no permits forapproval.

On motion of Mr. Rogers, sec-onded by Mr. Griffith and carried,the following bills were approvedfor payment:

1. Coastal Culvert & Supply -$7,459.20

2. Jeff Davis Electric Co-op. -12.42

There was a discussion of theDistrict’s Request for FEMA reim-bursement.

There being no further busi-ness, on motion of Mr. Rogers, sec-onded by Mr. Griffith and carried,the meeting was declaredadjourned.

APPROVED:/s/ Kevin Boudreaux

KEVIN BOUDREAUX,CHAIRMAN

ATTEST:/s/ Michael SemienMICHAEL SEMIEN,SECRETARYRUN: Dec. 22 (D-40)

BUDGET HEARING ON FUNDSOF CAMERON PARISH

WATERWORKS DISTRICT #11Cameron Parish Waterworks

District #11 will hold a publichearing at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday,December 27, 2005 in the GrandLake/Sweetlake Waterworks officefor the purpose of hearing writtenand oral comment from the publicconcerning the proposed annualbudget for fiscal year 2006 and theuse of funds as contained in thatproposed budget. Regulationsrequire a hearing on the proposeduse of these funds before the bud-get is adopted each year. All inter-ested citizens, groups, senior citi-zens and organizations represent-ing the interest of senior citizensare encouraged to attend and tosubmit comments.RUN: Dec. 22 (D-41)

FULL TIME HELP NEEDEDMAINTENANCE

Grand Lake/SweetlakeWaterworks Districts #11 is nowaccepting applications in theMaintenance Department. Mustbe at least 18 years of age with avalid drivers license. Apply in per-son at: Cameron ParishWaterworks District #11, 111Dennis Ln, 337-598-3439.Cameron Parish Police Jury doesnot discriminate on the basis ofrace, color, age, sex, handicap,national origin or political or reli-gious opinions.RUN: Dec. 22 and Dec. 29 (D-42)

CAMERON PARISH WATERAND WASTEWATER

DISTRICT NO. 1PROCEEDINGS FOR SPECIAL MEETINGNovember 17, 2005

The Cameron Parish Waterand Wastewater District No. 1Board met in special sessionThursday, November 17, 2005 at6:00 p.m. in the boardroom locatedat 111 Dennis Lane, in the villageof Grand Lake, Louisiana.

Members present were: J. C.Murphy, Bobby Doxey, JamesBoudreaux, Paul Duhon, andTammy Peshoff.

Absent were: Rick Merchantand Ronald Nunez, Jr.

Board President J. C. Murphy

PUBLIC NOTICEIn accordance with the Oil

Pollution Act of 1990 (33 USC2714 (c)), the “DBL-152” has beennamed as the source of a dischargeof oil into the Gulf of Mexico on orabout November 11, 2005. Thisspill impacted in the vicinity of 298.8 degrees N, 093 14.9 degrees W,approximately 32 miles south ofCalcasieu Pass, LA”. As the opera-tor of “DBL-152”, K-Sea OperatingPartnership, L.P. is acceptingclaims for certain uncompensateddamages and removal costs.

Removal costs and damageswhich may be compensatedinclude removal costs; damage tonatural resources; damage to orloss of real or personal property;loss of subsistence use of naturalresources; loss of government rev-enues; loss of profits and earningscapacity; and increased cost ofpublic service.

Claims should be in writing,signed by the claimant, for a spe-cific amount; and should includeall evidence to support the dam-ages. Claims presented mayinclude claims for interim short-term damages representing lessthan the full amount to which theclaimant ultimately may be enti-tled. It should be noted that pay-ment of such claim shall not pre-clude recovery for damages notreflected in the paid or settled par-tial claims. Claims should bemailed to the following address:

TBS Adjusting, Inc.800 Energy Centre

1100 Poydras StreetNew Orleans, LA 70163-3400

Office hours are from 8:00 AMto 4:00 PM Central Time Mondaythough Friday, except holidays.Claimants may call (800) 995-4045for information.

Any claims which are deniedor which are not resolved within90 days after the date of submis-sion to our claims representativemay be submitted to the NationalPollution Funds Center (ca), 4200Wilson Blvd., Suite 1000,Arlington, VA 22203-1804 for con-sideration.RUN: Dec. 8, 15, 22, 29 (D 14)

PUBLIC NOTICEThe Cameron Council on

Aging, a private non-profit organi-zation providing transportationservices to elderly and disabledpersons in Cameron Parish,Louisiana, intends to apply for afederal grant to be used for thepurpose of acquiring speciallyequipped vehicles and equipmentfor use in transporting elderly anddisabled persons who are unableto utility existing public transitservices. Services will be general-ly between 7:30 am and 4:30 pmMonday through Friday, in thearea encompassing CameronParish, Louisiana. The grantwould be used to replace existingequipment and add new equip-ment. The Cameron Council onAging invites any interested pub-lic or private transit or Para tran-sit operator within the servicearea to comment on the proposedservices by sending a writtenresponse to: Mr. Harold Beck,Elderly and Disabled ProgramManager, LA Department ofTransportation and Development,Public Transportation Section,Room 138/ Airport, PO Box 94245,Baton Rouge, La. 70804-9245 andto Cameron Council on Aging, P.O.Box 8801, Lake Charles, La.70606 within 15 days. Commentsmust be received by December 22,2005.RUN: Dec. 8, 22 (D 20)

Public NoticeOpportunity for Requesting

A Public HearingAll interested persons are

hereby advised that the CameronParish Police Jury has applied tothe La. Department ofTransportation and Developmentfor project funding under FederalTransit Administration Section5311 Rural TransportationProgram/ Section 5309Discretionary Program for the fol-lowing: Project: Cameron ParishPolice Jury is preparing to replaceexisting equipment to continuerural transportation services inCameron Parish. Further detailsrelative to the project are avail-able from Dinah Landry, CameronCouncil on Aging, P.O. Box 8801,Grand Lake, Lake Charles, La.70606, 337-598-5158.

Interested persons are advisedthat they may request that a pub-lic hearing be conducted to providea means for the public to expresstheir views relative to the pro-posed project on the probablysocial, economic and environmen-tal effects involved. In lieu ofrequesting a public hearing, inter-ested persons may submit theircomments in writing.

Written requests for a publichearing and/or submittal of com-ments must be postmarked on orbefore December 22, 2005

Should a public hearing berequired, a public notice will bepublished stating the date, timeand location of the hearing. DinahLandry, Executive Director,Cameron Council on AgingCameron Parish Police JuryRUN: Dec. 8, 22 (D 21)

PUBLIC NOTICEREVIEW OF POST DISASTER

LISTINGSNotice is hereby given that I

have completed the listings of allproperty in the Parish of Cameronfor 2005 affected by wind andfloodwaters of Hurricane Rita asper R. S. 47:1978. I enacted in Act66 signed by the Governor onDecember 6, 2005. The valuationsestablished on said listings will beexposed at the Cameron ParishAssessors temporary office locatedat 302 N. Cutting Avenue,Jennings, Louisiana for publicinspection and correction for aperiod of 15 calendar days, begin-ning Thursday, January 5, 2006from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. end-ing Thursday, January 19, 2006.Any taxpayer desiring to examinehis/her assessment is requested tocall during the 15 day period.

S. W. La.Outdoors

By LOSTON MCEVERS

SPLIT SEASONThe first split of hunting

season was a question of“Where are the ducks?”Things came out fairly wellfor most of our hunters, espe-cially in the northern marsh-es and rice fields. Well here itis and the second split camearound. Saturday’s openinghad a light rain, cold, and Iguess you call it SouthwestLouisiana hunting weather.

Although there’s still lotsof saltwater in our sea marsh-es, we’ve had two good rains,and that helps because westill have lots of watertrapped in between ourridges, as drainage is stoppedbecause of debris and justcan’t get out.

Lots of people who hadpumps are no longer pumpingbecause of damages to theirpumps. Our family land inGrand Chenier has this prob-lem with about 650 acreswhere our deer blinds arelocated. I think we’ll have tocut our levee and go back tothe old way and put culvertswith flaps.

Most hunters I talked todid fairly well. I think thecolder weather above ushelped out.

FISHING NEWSSpeckled trout fishing on

Calcasieu Lake slowed a lit-tle, as the colder weather androugher waters showed up,but still anglers are tryingtheir luck. Redfish is a betterbet on the outlots.

A PRO RETIRESFlorida Bass Pro Roband

Martin retired in Novemberafter 35 years on the pro cir-cuit. He threw in the towel fora great professional bass fish-ing veteran, he says, age of65, and “my fishing has goneto pot.” It’s harder to compete

with the younger pro anglers.He started the circuit in 1970and finished second on ToledoBend and placed in the next13 of 22 tournaments, quali-fied 25 times for the BassMasters Classic.

Martin won 19Bassmasters wins, 19 secondplace finishes and nineBassmasters “Angler of theYear” titles.

Many of us have viewedhis former TV show, “Fishingwith Ronald Martin,” whichhe plans to continue doing.What’s his other plans? Heplans to compete in the“Redfish Cup Circuit.”

HIGHWAY BILLThis past July, Congress

passed the Highway Bill,recapturing the final 4.8cents of the 18.3 cents pergallon tax on motorboat fuel,putting it back into the feder-al aid in Sport FishRestoration Act’s AquaticResource Trust Fund.

A nickel may not seem likemuch, but to the fishing andboating community, thatamount on every gallon of gasbought for boating and fish-ing boats totals more than$110 million per year. Thismoney will be used for statesboating safety, fisheries con-servation and other boatingprograms. It’s also supposedto be used for support of

coastal wetlands and marinesanitation facilities.

CWDThe State of Louisiana

could soon join a growing listof states banning the importa-tion of dead deer and elk fromstates in which chronic wast-ing disease (CWD) has beenconfirmed, if chosen to do soby the Department of Wildlifeand Fisheries. It’s not illegalyet, but there’s considerationto make it illegal.

The CWD is fatal and hasspread to the midwesternstates even in New York.There are 15 states already,that has registration keepinghunters from carrying the car-casses from their infectedstates. It hasn’t been broughtup to our wildlife commissionyet, but 2006 hasn’t comearound yet. There could beexceptions made: finishedtaxidermy, tanned hides,antlers attached to skulls, butthe skull bone has to be cleanand bleached. Boiling doesn’teven kill the germs. Meatdeboned. Meat that isn’tdeboned, but no portion of thespinal cord or head can beattached.

The disease, once in ahead, spreads fast, nose tonose contact is how it’sspread. Once a deer getsCWD, it’s dead. Even dump-ing infected carcasses canbring the disease into a herd.It stays in the soil, even if yousterilize the soil, a couple ofyears later it’s still in the soil.There is a real high cost to getrid of CWD and that’s some-thing our state cannot affordat this time. There’s beenenough disaster already!

Students return for look atparish after storm

LSU AgCenter coastalresources agent Mark Shirleyhad hoped to bring a group ofstudents back to a plot nearHolly Beach where they hadplanted marsh grass duringthe 4-H Marsh Maneuversprogram in July.

But, after driving for sever-al miles on La. 82 betweenHolly Beach and JohnsonBayou last weekend, Shirleygave up on his hope to find thetransplanted grass, whichapparently fell victim toHurricane Rita’s wrath.

“Who would have thoughtthe hurricane would havewiped it away? It’s just gone,”Shirley said.

The marsh is a hugeexpanse of thatch and dyingvegetation. And Holly Beachlooks like a poorly maintainedlandfill, with debris scatteredeverywhere.

“You wouldn’t even knowthere was a house there,” saidSarah Deen of Winn Parish.

During the summer, 4-Hstudents who attended MarshManeuvers at RockefellerRefuge experienced coastalLouisiana in its splendor.

But the advanced 4-HMarsh Maneuvers programDec. 9-11 that served as a fol-low-up visit for some of theearlier program’s participantsprovided a view of MotherNature at her worst.

“The weekend made a last-ing impression on them,”Shirley said.

The follow-up to the sum-mer program couldn’t be heldat Rockefeller Refuge becauserepairs to the facility areincomplete. Instead, the 18students stayed at White LakePreserve south of Gueydan.

The first morning of theweekend they hid in a duckblind to watch early morningflights of waterfowl – spyingon geese and several differenttypes of ducks.

The group traveled toCameron Prairie NationalWildlife Refuge to watchwildlife biologists demon-strate how a cannon net isused to catch ducks. LSUwildlife graduate student PaulLink is using this technique tocapture Mallard hens. Theducks are fitted with radiotransmitters that allow Linkand his assistants to locatethe birds and determine habi-tat preference.

“We want to know whatkind of habitat they use here,”he said, adding, however, thatthe hurricanes’ aftermathhave resulted in an unusualpattern.

“It’s a strange year becauseof the marsh being so burnt bythe salty storm surge,” Linkadded about the damagecaused by hurricanes Katrinaand Rita across southernLouisiana.

Food and water also are soscarce that birds are concen-trated in a smaller area, Linksaid. Most of the time, theducks are feeding in agricul-tural fields, and they travel asfar as 12 miles from the marshto get there, he said.

For student Daniel Manuelof Ville Platte, who came backfor Marsh Maneuvers inDecember, it was a dead deer

on the roadside that broughthome the devastation.

“It made me realize it was-n’t just people who wereaffected,” Manuel said. “It’sreally amazing. I didn’t knowit was this bad.”

“You see things about dev-astation in New Orleans, butuntil you actually see it here,there’s no words,” remarked 4-H member Jacob Churchmanof Grant Parish.

Ben Graham, a VernonParish student, said stormdamage near his home waslimited to timber blown down– unlike the town of Cameronwhere Rita damaged everystructure.

“There’s nothing left downhere,” Graham said. “It opensyour eyes up. You don’t realizehow bad it is until you comedown here.”

During the trip, the groupstopped at Rockefeller Refugeto look at the damage to thefacility’s buildings.

“That’s where we stayedand had our classes and tookour tests,” Deen said of theearlier Marsh Maneuversexperience.

Much of the siding hadbeen stripped from the camp,but the basic structureappeared intact, unlike hun-dreds of houses along thecoast.

FEMA maypay forgenerators

Given the severity ofHurricanes Katrina’s andRita’s impact and the magni-tude of the continuing need forhousing in Louisiana, manypeople purchased personalgenerators to provide power totheir homes.

Eligible applicants mayqualify for reimbursement fordocumented expenses relatedto the purchase or lease of agenerator used to allow ahousehold remain in theirdwelling following a poweroutage caused by the disaster.

The reimbursement willapply to:

• Applicants who pur-chased the generator during adocumented power outage;

• Applicants who use thegenerator to safely occupytheir damaged dwelling orFEMA housing unit;

• Applicants who pur-chased a generator betweenAug. 26 and Sept. 25 forHurricane Katrina; or

• Applicants who pur-chased a generator betweenSept. 20 and Oct. 19 forHurricane Rita.

The period of eligibility forapplicants living in Calcasieu,Jefferson, Orleans,Plaquemines, St. Bernard,Terrebonne, Vermilion, orCameron parishes for genera-tor reimbursement wasextended to Nov. 30 forHurricanes Katrina and Rita.

For further information ongenerator reimbursement orfor questions, call the FEMAHelpline at 1-800-621-FEMA(1-800-621-3362) or TTY 1-800-462-7585.

Page 14, The Cameron Parish Pilot, Cameron, La., December 22, 2005