Wednesday, November 18, 2020

They call him “The King of Branson.” And Friday night Shoji Tabuchi, the popular fiddler from Japan, will be inducted into the National Fiddlers Hall of Fame in Tulsa, OK. The great honor couldn’t go to a better gentleman. I have been fortunate to call him my friend for something like 60 years.

I first met Shoji when he was a member of the David Houston Show. Folks around here will remember him from shows at Rebel Park and when he came to Many to play at a big Bicentennial Celebration on July 4, 1976. Shoji is also quite a fisherman and at one time he owned a lot on Toledo Bend Lake. Many realtor Lewis McBryde sold it for him a few years ago.

Shoji has had the top show in Branson for 30 years now. He built the finest theater there some years back. Sadly it was damaged by fire in May 2017, and it suffered a lot of smoke and water damage. He has had one problem after another in trying to get back in operation at the theater. This year he did not book any shows, due to COVID-19, but plans to be back in business next year.

Kris Kristofferson will be the special guest at the Friday night event. Due to the pandemic, he will appear virtually from Hawaii. Also inducted will be Dale Morris Jr. who worked for Ray Price, Don Rich who was in Buck Owens’ band and Scott Joss. The National Fiddlers Hall of Fame was established to preserve, educate and promote the historical significance of the art of fiddling.

We send our congratulations to Shoji. They couldn’t have picked a better person for this great honor.

We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of Mr. William Edward “W. E.” Dowden Jr. of Kistachie. Mr. Dowden was born Aug. 6, 1933. He crossed the river last Friday, Nov. 13, leaving behind his wife of 62 years, Dorothy, a son William Edward Dowden III and wife Jeaniene of Kisatchie, a daughter Phyllis Birdwell and husband Steve of Marthaville, five grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and a sister, Jo Lynn Ford of Pineville.

Mr. Dowden was a veteran of the U. S. Air Force, a business owner, cattle farmer and retired school bus driver. He was an avid turkey and deer hunter who loved raising a garden and sharing it with everyone. He was a pillar of the community and a lifelong member of Kistachie Baptist Church, where he served as a Deacon for the last 44 years.

Sabine Sheriff Aaron Mitchell and his Chief Deputy Brad Walker continue their priority of training Deputies who work for the department. On Nov. 12, the Sheriff hosted a True Blue Drew Criminal Law Update training session. Shown above, left to right, are Second Circuit Court of Appeal Judge Jeff Cox, Sheriff Mitchell, Retired Judge Harmon Drew and Chief Deputy Brad Walker. Also instructing was Judge Drew’s wife, Jean. The seminar goes into search and seizure and the criminal code, including changes to both laws. Judge Drew, who has been coming to Sabine Parish for 35 years to teach these courses to law enforcement officers, also has published two True Blue Drew books which explain criminal law and amendments in simple, easy to understand terms.

While in town, Judge Drew had a visit from old friend Mike Morris prior to teaching the seminar. The two started playing music together in 1972 and have been friends since.

WE GET LETTERS. This one is from Ronald Byrd who lives in South Boston, VA and is a regular reader of Observations.

“Robert, I was really impressed with what the new Sheriff is doing in terms of officer training. He’s looking more and more like a keeper! The article about Veterans Day and the great number of Sabine families with multiple military members is really refreshing. So different from what I expect we have on the west coast and in the northeast liberal strongholds who would see those folks in Sabine as deplorables (Hillary Clinton) and chumps (Biden’s words). Gonna be a long road back to respectability for the USA after this batch of democrats tears us down for four years.  You know, Trump held his base, got a far greater percentage of black votes than any Republican ever, and attracted a bigger portion of the Hispanic votes than ever before. With all that, you wonder how he lost until you start thinking about the mail-in fiasco, the dead voters who all vote democrat, and the places where no conservative poll-watchers or vote-counters were allowed. Will we ever again get an honest national election? I hope I live long enough to survive four years of Biden-Harris, and perhaps see enough Americans seeing the light to take them down next time. Depressed in Virginia. Ronny”

Sabine Sheriff’s Deputies Nick Sandel and Josiah Steinke have been certified through the National Police Canine Association. The two have been training every Wednesday for several weeks with the Shreveport Police Department and other agencies who use canines from across North Louisiana. Sandel has been a patrol deputy for five years and Steinke has worked for the Sheriff’s Department for three years and is a member of the Sheriff’s Tactical Narcotics Team. Sheriff Mitchell said, “We continue to bring up-to-date highly trained deputies in our department. Trained K-9s are critical in the fight against illegal drugs.” The Sheriff commended Sandel and Steinke for their hard work, extra hours and time spent for the benefit of the Sheriff’s Office and for the citizens of Sabine Parish.

WE GET MORE LETTERS.  Again Ronald Byrd of South Boston, VA writes with the wisdom of a gentleman who keeps up with current national affairs.  His letter follows.

“Robert, I just read your Friday’s edition and that increase in crime in Sabine is really disturbing. If I owned an ATM, however, you’d better believe that I’d have an alarm in place with a direct line to the police station. Today, folks who have two homes are really taking a chance. These thieves and thugs look for unoccupied dwellings. Remember back when we NEVER locked our doors? I do. When we went to church, they weren’t locked. When we went to bed, they were unlocked. What a different world we now live in. Sad. Ronny”

We will have a lagnappe column again this Friday. Be sure to read about the man found in the well. It is an intriguing story about an unidentified man’s bones found in a well many years ago and the interesting story of one man who wants to solve the case. Sheriff Aaron Mitchell announced that his department has opened an investigation into this cold case. All the details coming Friday. Be sure to read.

PICTURE OF THE PAST

The Town of Many Christmas Committee has selected its honorees for the 2020 Christmas Parade on Dec.19, and Adrianna Lea Payne, daughter of Andrea Payne and granddaughter of Andy and Anna Payne, has been selected as the 2020 Sabine Parish Rising Star.

Adrianna is 16 and a junior at Negreet High School. She will graduate in May 2022. She is a proud Negreet Indian playing on both the Lady Indian basketball team and softball team. 

Adrianna maintains a 4.0 grade point average and has already earned many college credits by taking dual enrollment classes. She plans to attend Louisiana State University and major in education.

In addition to her studies and sports, Adrianna is also active in Fellowship for Christian Athletes, Beta Club, 4-H, Junior Leaders and the Explorers Club. She holds leadership positions in many of these clubs and has served as president, vice president, committee chairperson, treasurer and photographer.  

For fun, Adrianna is active in travel softball. She travels across Louisiana and other states with a team made up of girls from several communities whose sole purpose is to play to improve their skills and for the love of the game. She hopes to continue playing softball even after she graduates from high school.

While school activities keep Adrianna busy, she always finds the time to do what her family and faith have instilled in her:  give back. Adrianna is a member of St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Many where she is an altar server and a member of the church’s youth group. Volunteering at Vacation Bible School, helping with fundraisers, collecting food for the church’s food pantry are just some of the activities she enjoys at her church.

Community service activities include Toys for Tots, Adopt a Grandparent, Painting for a Cure, St. Jude’s, Coats for Kids, flood and hurricane relief packages, Taylor House, Ronald McDonald Foundation, Council on Aging, Pennies for Patients, March of Dimes. Relay for Life, Chemo Kits and Operation Homefront. This busy teenager hopes to continue helping and inspiring others to get involved with their community, church and school.

Adrianna and her younger sister Allie Kate are blessed to be members of a large, close-knit and supportive extended family who encourage Adrianna and Allie Kate to always do their best. She is the oldest of nine cousins and she knows that she is setting an example for the younger cousins to follow, a task Adrianna takes seriously.

Adrianna is appreciative of being named Rising Star for Sabine Parish. She had this to say: “I am honored to be named Sabine Parish Rising Star and I thank everyone who has made it possible for me to represent Sabine Parish. This is truly an honor that I will forever cherish.”

A Special Thank You to Mary Brocato for the article above.

Folks who attended the last Social Distance Social of the season on Saturday night said it was a good one.

The Turn-Ups provided free music on the sidewalk in front of Many Community Center [Sabine Theater], a small Art Walk sampling was held, the Choctaw-Apache Rising Sun Youth Group performed, Coach Jess Curtis and senior members of the Many Tigers football team were honored, and a huge Christmas Stocking and table full of Sabine gifts were given away to benefit Sabine Parish Angel Tree, which provides clothing and gifts to underprivileged parish youth at Christmastime.

Event organizers thank all who supported the special monthly activity from July until November. Core sponsors who made the five-event series possible were Mayor and Mrs. Ken Freeman, Laurie Gentry Designs, Vanguard Behavioral Health Consultants, Wagley Companies LLC, John and Betsy Godfrey and Attorney Verity Gentry.

Ann Founds was the lucky winner of the big Grand Prize. Her winning was made even sweeter by the fact that MC Randy Bostian randomly asked Founds’ grandson, senior Tiger Tackett Curtis, to draw an entry blank out of the ticket cage. Everyone was very surprised and there were laughs all around when the winner turned out to be his grandmother. Congratulations, Ann!

A highlight of the evening was when Bostian introduced Many Tigers Head Coach Jess Curtis and senior members of the Many Tigers football team. Bostian recognized Coach Curtis’ hard work and the wonderfully positive impact the Many Tigers football program has on Many and Sabine Parish, not only in providing top-notch training and character-building for local youth, but also the widely held respect the program’s success holds across the state of Louisiana.

To conclude, Coach Curtis was presented with an award which read, “With appreciation to Coach Jess Curtis for Outstanding Leadership and a Vision of Excellence and to The Many Tigers for their Devotion to the Values of Hard Work, Respect and Commitment.”

A Special Thank You to Donna Ammons, Verity Gentry, Betsy Godfrey and Shanna Gaspard for the photos shared above.

Our friend Robbie Edwards, owner of Southern Ladeez in downtown Many, recently shared online a touching letter she received about the wonderful hospitality a patron found at her business. The lady who wrote was one of the many visiting workers who worked hard in Many following the storms that came through some time back.

“I wanted to take a moment to say Thank You! I’ve been away from home 59 days and likely will not return until after the first of the year. Serving those in need is my calling, but often it’s hard to be away from home, which is why I’m so appreciative of the kindness you showed me in your store.

“You, Melinda and the other ladies [who] would smile, have a conversation or just simply say ‘hello’ helped this stranger feel welcome here in Many.

“I also really enjoyed the hometown feel at the Chili Cookoff.

“Thank you again for your kindness, Amy – Haralson, GA.”

Haralson is about halfway between Atlanta and Columbus, GA. It is noted for being one of the filming locations for both “The Walking Dead” and “Lawless.”

John Tyler served as the tenth President of the United States. He was born in 1790 and died in 1862. 

It is interesting to note that Pres. Tyler’s grandson, Lyon Gardiner Tyler Jr., died on Sept. 26 of this year at the age of 95. Lyon’s brother Harrison Ruffin Tyler, born in 1928, is still living.

John Tyler was born just 14 years after our nation’s founding. He became president in 1841 after William Henry Harrison died in office, and served until 1845. His son Lyon Gardiner Tyler Sr. was born in 1853 when John was 63. Lyon Gardiner Sr. was in his 70s when the Junior Lyon Gardiner and Harrison Ruffin were born.

Tyler was the first vice-president to assume the presidency upon his predecessor’s death. It was believed President Harrison caught a cold after delivering a lengthy inaugural address during bad weather without the benefit of wearing a hat and coat. He came down with pneumonia three weeks later, when he was caught in a sudden rainstorm. John Tyler was dubbed “His Accidency” and it was questioned whether he had the right to full presidential powers. His tenure was ridden with conflict.

In addition to vetoing bills that President Harrison had supported, President John Tyler opposed the creation of a central bank, which was a priority of the Whig Party that had nominated him as Vice-President. The year after he became president, he faced an attempted impeachment by the Whig-dominated House of Representatives. He was accused of “lying like a dog” by one Congressman and another charged him with “the high crime and misdemeanor of endeavoring to excite a disorganizing and revolutionary spirit in the country.”

It seems some things don’t change all that much, do they?

That’s all for now. Thanks for reading and be sure to watch for Friday lagniappe.

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