Wednesday, July 6, 2022

Well, it’s down to three. And he plans to make a decision by the end of July.  He’s about as popular as Elvis in this area. And he’s brought a lot of attention to Many Tiger football. We’re talking about Many Tiger safety/linebacker Tackett Curtis, one of the state’s top recruits, with 46 colleges courting him.  In June alone, he visited 14 schools.  He has had offers from 10 SEC schools including LSU, Texas A&M and Arkansas.  He also had an offer from Notre Dame.

It was announced on Twitter last week that his finalists are Ohio State, Wisconsin and USC.  The 6-foot, 215 lb. speedster said, “I feel like each school would be a great fit for me and what I want to accomplish as a college football player.  I have a great relationship with all the coaches and staff from each school and I feel like that goes a long way.  Each school has the resources that I would need to succeed at the next level and become the best vision of myself that I can be.  It’s gonna be a hard choice.  Every school is very different, but they are all great schools.  I’ve very blessed to have the opportunity to play at any of them.”

Tackett is the son of Moses and Leslie Curtis and the grandson of John and Pam Curtis and Warren and Ann Founds, all of Many.

A four-star linebacker per 24/7Sports, Tackett had 128 tackles, including 18 for a loss, with four interceptions and three forced fumbles in 2021. 

He’s been the Outstanding Defensive Player for two consecutive seasons on the LSWA Class 2A All-State team. 

Jess Curtis, Many Tiger Coach and Tackett’s uncle, said he believes The Shreveport Times 2021 All-Area Defensive Player of the Year has picked three great programs that have recruited him hard for well over a year.

USC Coach Lincoln Riley and linebacker coach Brian Odom started recruiting him when they were at OU.  Jess said, “Riley calls and FaceTimes him often.”

Jess said Wisconsin has long been in the running after developing a relationship through linebacker coach Bobby April and defensive coordinator Jim Leonard.  Jess commented, “They have a great culture and boaster their track record with linebackers and their No. 1 defensive last year.”

He continued, “Ohio State has been another school that has gone above and beyond in recruiting Tackett.  DC Jim Knowles and Tyan Day have burned up the phone lines building their relationship.”  Jess said the first trip Knowles took was to fly down and offer Tackett to Ohio State. 

Jess said Tackett took an official visit to all three school in June.  “Now he wants to take some time and make a good decision in July, so he can get that settled and focus on his senior year at Many High,” Jess said in closing. 

(Thanks to Jimmy Watson of the Shreveport Times for information used in his article.)

With qualifying for several political offices coming up the end of this month, Observations looked into the nine spots on the Sabine Parish School Board.  Qualifying takes place July 20-22.  The primary will be Nov. 8.

President Terrell Snelling who represents Dist. 7 said he will seek re-election.  He has served as Vice-President and took over the President’s job when Board Member Buddy Veuleman died in November 2015.  He stated, “I think everything is going good.  I am proud of our new Superintendent Shane Wright.  He is doing a good job.”

Donald Garcie who represents Dist. 6 said he will also run again.  He has served three terms and he said this will be his last term.  He suspects someone will run against him and added that he is honored to serve the Ebarb District.

Daron Chandler of Dist. 1 is finishing his second term and said he will run for a third.  “I’ve enjoyed serving and I hope I’m lucky enough to be re-elected,” he stated.  He has served on the Louisiana Schools Association Board of Directors and on the Sabine Sales and Use Tax Commission.

Donald H. Remedies, represents, Dist. 6, and has served three terms and said he will seek another.  He prior served four years on the Zwolle Town Council.  “I think I’ve done a good job,” he stated, “I’ve done the best I can.”

Dale Skinner represents Dist. 9 said he will seek another term.  A long-time educator, he has been a teacher, an outstanding coach, School Board Member and Superintendent of Schools in Natchitoches Parish.

Spencer Faust, Dist. 3, announced last week that he will not seek re-election.  There was speculation that Kresha Matkin was seeking election to the post, but she told Observations she would not run.  She said she has children in Kindergarten and the Fourth Grade and that she is also working to get her Nurse Practitioner License.  “It’s not in God’s plan,” she said.

Genevieve Gordon represents Dist. 5 and will seek re-election.  She retired after 31 years in education field.  She is Second Vice-President of the Louisiana Retired Teachers Association where she is chairman of the State Program Committee.

Observations tried to contact Dr. Leah Byles, who represents Dist. 2.  We were told she was on vacation until July 11.  We sent her a message, but she failed to respond.  We also were not able to reach Kowonno Green, who serves Dist. 4.

Sabine Parish Schools ranked sixth Best School District in Louisiana, according to a report compiled by Niche which ranks school district based on a variety of standards including academics scores and state proficiency tests, teacher salaries, expenses per students and access to extracurricular activities. 

The report said there are 10 schools in Sabine Parish with 4,327 students.  The graduation rate is 92% with 74% reading proficient and 65% math proficient.  The average teacher salary is $57,431 and the student to teacher ratio is 18 to one.

(Thanks to Genevieve Gordon, School Board Member from Dist. 5, for alerting Observations to this information.)

Sabine Parish saw its second traffic fatality of the year Friday, July 1, at 4:15 a.m. when Ronald Williams, 48, of Powhatan was killed in a two-vehicle crash on Hwy. 6, west of Many.

The initial investigation revealed a 2013 Lincoln MKT, driven by Charles B. Pilcher, 22, of Many was eastbound and crossed the centerline and collided with a westbound 18-wheeler loaded with lumber.  The impact caused both vehicles to exit the roadway with the truck going down an embankment and landing in a creek.  Pilcher sustained moderate injuries.

The first traffic fatality was on May 7 when a crash claimed the life of 11-year-old Saylor Gatti of Zwolle.  The fatal crash was on J. A. Bush Road.

Timothy Jude Goodwin of Anacoco became Executive Director of the ARC of Sabine on Friday, July 1, following the retirement of long-time Director Wayne Martinez.  For the past 29 years, he has served as Operations Director/Qualified Intellectual Disabilities Professional at ARC of Sabine.  In this position he has implemented and directed all activities of the organization associated with developmentally disabled adults.  He was hired as Executive Director by the ARC Board at the May 12 meeting.

Prior to working for the ARC of Sabine, Goodwin was secondary educator and coach with the Vernon Parish School System for two years.

He was graduated from high school at Jennings, received his bachelor’s degree in 1991 at University of Louisiana at Monroe and has completed 12 hours towards a master’s degree in Special Education.

In his past role, he has served as Training Coordinator for all ARC employees, intermediary between the Department of Health and Hospitals, State Fire Marshall and all State and Local Municipalities.

Goodwin has served on the Employee Grievance Committee, LHSAA Coaches Association, Vernon Parish Little League Association and Vernon Parish Game and Fish Commission.

Folks who travel along Pilcher Road just off of Hwy. 191 are wondering what in the world the Sabine Parish Police Jury has done to the road.  “It was bad to start with,” one person told Observations, “But when the Jury got through with their ‘improvement,’ it was really bad.”  Pilcher Road and some others in the parish were hard surfaced, but in need of repair.  The Jury sent in a piece of equipment, and they ground up the road on each side, leaving a big hump of the original highway in the center.  The folks who pay taxes would like to have some kind of explanation, we are told.  Dist. 1 Juror Bo Stewart said he told the Jury not to send the machine to tear up roads in the district he represents.

SECRETARY ARDOIN ANNOUNCES VOTING SYSTEM COMMISSION RECOMMENDATIONS

Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin announced that the Voting System Commission held its recommendation meeting on Wednesday, June 29. The commission was tasked with issuing recommendations regarding Louisiana’s next voting system, which will include a voter-verified paper record.

“After Wednesday’s vote, I now have an opportunity and responsibility as Secretary of State to ensure that the requirements of election officials, citizens, and the commission members are considered as we move into a new phase of securing our next voting system,” Ardoin stated. “One thing is certain: by the end of this process, Louisiana will have a voting system with a voter-verified paper record that can be used to audit election results and reassure voters that their votes are being accurately counted.”

The Voting System Commission voted to recommend the following voting system features to the Secretary of State:

· Hand-marked paper ballots, a ballot marking device, or a combination thereof

· Printing on demand for hand-marked paper ballots

· Full-faced ballots or a ballot summary for ballot marking devices

· Scanned tabulation of ballots

· Any system must comply with ADA, HAVA, and other appropriate federal and state laws

Following the issuance of the commission’s recommendations, Secretary Ardoin will begin promulgating system standards and drafting a request for proposals.

Florien native Joe R. Salter is Assistant Secretary of State for Ardoin.  And I might add, he does an outstanding job.  The only thing we hate is that he now lives so far away from Sabine Parish.

Josh Jenkins has declared his intention to seek the Sabine School Board Member Dist. 3 seat. His announcement follows:

“My name is Josh Jenkins, and I would like to announce my intention to run for school board member of District 3. I look at this as an opportunity to take on a more involved role in the Sabine Parish school system.

“I am married to Amanda Cryer Jenkins who was a teacher at Many Elementary for 11 years. We have three children – Andrew (age 20), Brook (age 18), and Rhett (age 1). I attend Holly Grove Church of the Nazarene with my family, and I am a member of the local timber industry.

“I am proud to be a graduate of Many High School, and my two oldest children are as well. Our youngest, Rhett, is a major part of this decision since he will be attending Many Schools. I want to ensure that our school system continues to maintain high academic standards. I hope to work with the other board members and superintendent to equip our teachers, students, and administrators with the tools and support they need for future success.

“My decision to run in this election is not something that I take lightly, and I know the importance of the job at hand. I ask that you consider supporting me, Josh Jenkins, as District 3 School Board Member.”

Sabine Police Juror Kenneth Ebarb issued a statement to the Cenla Report on Wednesday, June 29, after a report was posted in Observations about radio personality Tedd W. Dumas questioning Ebarb’s service on the Sabine Parish Library Board while at the same time serving on the Jury.  The Observations column was shared by The Cenla Report online.

In his “Take No Hostages” program of June 21, Dumas asked District Attorney Don Burkett whether a member of the Jury can ethically serve on a board as the Jury’s appointee to that board.  Dumas expressed an opinion, “I don’t think a Police Jury member should be on a Board and then come back and ask the Police Jury to vote on a tax [to benefit the Board.]”  Guest on the program Conrad Cathey agreed.

Ebarb, in his statement said he took the comments as “a very serious and disturbing issue that I feel is causing personal and professional harm to me.  You would think the parties involved would do their homework rather than jump to conclusions and in this case engage in underhanded tactics to delay a vote on the library millage renewal…  However, personal attacks on my character will not be tolerated.”

He further states that Dumas asked Burkett to investigate “…for ethical violations.”

Ebarb pointed that the Police Jury by law created the Library Board, and the Jury President can either serve on the board or if he chooses not to, can appoint someone to serve.

He quotes the definition of both libel and slander from the dictionary and then concluded:  “Any written or oral statement or inference that I somehow am engaging in unethical practices borders on slander and/or libel.  I will expect a retraction, a correction and/or an apology from any and all offending parties.  If I do not receive this apology, rest assured I will be contacting my attorney as regards any and all courses of action.”

Now, let’s get it straight, I do not know Mr. Ebarb, nor did I issue an opinion on the matter.  I simply reported, as I have been doing for more than 60 years now, what was said on the radio program that was broadcast June 21.  I do not know if Ebarb regards me as one of the offending parties or not.

My appreciation of the situation is that Tedd simply asked the District Attorney for an opinion on the matter of whether Ebarb could be a member of the Jury and also serve on the Library Board.  That is what journalists do.  They ask questions of our public officials.  In fact, Tedd said when he asked DA Burkett for an opinion, that Don did not know the answer, but said he would have to research the matter.

The late State Sen. Sylvan Friedman had a line he liked to use when he turned on the heat:  “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”

The “Keeping it Country Live’s Traditional Country Music Festival” presented by American Millennium Project (AMP) will be held at the historic Shreveport Municipal Auditorium on Saturday, July 23, from 9:30 a.m. until 11 p.m.

The all-day event will feature over 30 Country music artists including Gene Watson, Moe Bandy, Joe Stampley, Linda Davis, Tony Booth, Penny Gilley, Tony Jackson, Bobby Marquez, Diane McCall, Stephen Pride, Diane Berry and Dave Gore.

Tickets are $80 (Upper Level) and $100 (Lower Level). VIP tickets are $150 with seating on the first four rows on the floor and access to special VIP reception areas.  Ticket prices include all taxes and fees as well as free parking.

Notable sets include performances by Gene Watson at 9:30 p.m., Moe Bandy and Joe Stampley at 8 p.m., Tony Jackson at 7 p.m. and Bobby Marquez at 6 p.m.

Others rounding out the big event are Richard Lynch, Wesley Dennis, Lisa Layne, Dean Holmen, Mike Hughes, Sara Beth, Zac Clifton, Missy Dunaway, Tina Patterson-White, Anna Marie, Scott Southworth, Tommy Lee Crosslin, Dee Jee Overbey, Brenda Lynn Allen, Leigh Pollari, Rebecca Bagwell, Amber Seay, Mike Siler and Cheridy Adams.

Doors open at 8:30 a.m. and accessible tickets are available. Patrons requesting accessible seating may purchase online using the “Buy On Map” tab and checking the “Show Accessible Seats Only” option, or by using the “Find Seats For Me” tab and clicking on “Request Accessible Tickets.” Patrons requesting accessible seating may also purchase them at the Box Office. For accessible seating only, call (318) 841-4196 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. in advance, or starting at 9 a.m. the day of the event until its end.

Purchase VIP, Lower Level or Upper Level tickets through Ticketmaster at https://www.ticketmaster.com/keeping-it-country-lives-traditional-country-shreveport-louisiana-07-23-2022/event/1B005CAAF6189784

The ticket link is also available at www.keepingitcountrylive.com

Proceeds from this event will benefit AMP, a non-profit founded in 2000 that helps teach communities about their local history and local culture. AMP will be partnering with Keeping it Country Live to host future events in a collaborative effort to help offer a platform for up-and-coming independent artists and preserve the traditional country music sounds beloved by so many.

More information about AMP can be found at: http://americanmillenniumproject.org/

Sabine Prevention Alliance (SPA) and its Community Partners are hosting a parish-wide community forum for the prevention of substance abuse at the First United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall, located at 1000 Main St. in Many on Saturday, July 23, from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. Lunch will be provided.

SPA is a volunteer coalition dedicated to reducing under-age drinking throughout Sabine Parish.

Facilitation of the gathering will be provided by Drew Brooks, Faith-Partners CEO and Otto Shultz, Nebraska Faith-Partners Program Coordinator

The event will provide an opportunity to:

– Get professional training and information on key factors affecting youth and families

– Meet and interact with others throughout the parish from areas such as:  education, healthcare, law enforcement/legal, faith-based organizations, youth serving agencies, 12 step groups, CADA, municipal governments, parents, and families, recovering alcoholics/addicts and more!

– Learn about existing groups, organizations, and resources

– Build relationships and support

– Create a vision to fight addiction where Sabine residents live, work, play and worship

The SPA encourages all interested persons to attend and asked that all who plan to come confirm their attendance beforehand so that adequate preparations may be made.

For more information or to confirm attendance, contact Coalition Coordinator James Wagley at (318) 602-9206 or email jameswagley.lcsw@gmail.com.

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