Wednesday, November 2, 2022

Sabine businessmen Conrad Cathey and Jamey Johnson were on Ted Dumas’ popular “No Hostage Report” radio show Tuesday morning.  They spent a good portion of the program discussing their opposition to the Sabine Parish Library tax proposition, which will be on the ballot Tuesday, Nov. 8.

Voters turned the proposal down on a 5.05 mill tax renewal last Nov. 13 by a vote of 1,695 against to 517 for.  After that, the Library Board lowered the requested millage to 4 mills, and the Police Jury called a new vote on the tax.

In beginning the program, Dumas said he was not in favor of the Library tax and said he has tried to get anyone from the Library Board to come on his program for a fair and balanced discussion, but no one would come.  He specifically called out Many Town Council Member Mary Beth Brocato, who has taken an active part in promoting a yes vote in this election.  Dumas said he has asked her numerous times, and she has always declined to be on his program.  “They have completely refused to do this for years,” he commented.

Dumas said there is misinformation going around about the tax, especially on social media.  He commented, “They are saying, ‘Don’t vote for the tax and the library will close.’  This is not true.  The Library Board has around $5 million in savings.”  He laughed about a post Ms. Brocato put on Facebook asking folks to vote for the tax, which said, “Be cool and vote yes for the Library tax.  It’s a very small renewal tax.  It’s not a new tax.  Don’t believe the old fogeys who oppose the tax.”  All three of the men said they had been called worse.

Cathey said the renewal of the tax failed, and the proposed 4 mill tax is a new tax.  “Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin said it is a new tax, and I think he would know,” he stated.

“Some folks say I am against the Library,” Cathey said.  “This is not true.  I am against the wasteful spending of tax money.”

Johnson said he feels the library has been “over-funded for years.”  He stated, “The Tax Assessor is waiting on this vote and if it passes, it will be added onto your tax bill for this year, thus bringing in a million dollars.”

Concerning the proposal by the Library Board to construct a new building, Johnson said he feels such a matter should be a bond issue voted on by the public.

“Is it unfair to ask the Library to provide the public with figures as to Library usage?” Dumas asked.  Johnson replied, “Absolutely not.  Any public body ought to provide information to the public.”

Cathey stated, “Ask yourself, ‘When was the last time I used the library?’”  He continued, “The present library is 4,400 square feet.  The proposed library is 10,000 square feet.  I ask will doubling the size of the library increase the number of people who use it?  The Police Jury owns the Health Unit building.  They only work 4-5 people and have been closed for two years and are open only by appointment.  The Library could move in that building.”

Dumas asked about the branch library which will open in Pleasant Hill on Nov. 2. “Did they do a study on the need before they decided to open it?” he asked.  “Why is it opening just a few days before the election?”

“They absolutely did not do a study,” Johnson answered,  “I don’t know why they would open it.  I live in Fisher and they closed the library there 20 years ago.”

In closing, Johnson predicted “The people will speak loud and clear” and vote to defeat the tax, adding, “I think you will see a new Police Jury next year.”

Cathey said in his closing remarks, “The Library is not going to close if the tax is voted down.  People need to understand that this is not true.  I ask again, ‘When was the last time you used the library?’  How many people use the library?  We don’t know because they won’t provide us these figures.”

Rock and Roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis died Friday, Oct. 28, at the age of 87. He was the last man standing of the Rock and Rollers from that era. And one of his biggest fans was Chief Sabine Sheriff’s Deputy Brad Walker.  Brad and his wife Laura had the good fortune to meet and visit the legend at the Jerry Lee Lewis Café & Honkey Tonk on Beale St. in Memphis on New Year’s Eve 2018. 

Back in August of that year, Brad, Laura and their children, Allen and Ellie, visited the Lewis Ranch near Hernando, MS and they got acquainted with Jerry Lee Lewis III, known as “Lee.”

Lee told them his father would put on a New Year’s Eve Show if he felt like it.  He did, and the Walkers were present.  It was his next to last show performance before suffering a stroke in March 2019.

“Everyone has problems,” Brad said in commenting on Jerry Lee.  “He didn’t try to hide his.  He had true talent and that couldn’t be hidden either.”

Recalling the New Year’s Eve show, Brad said, “Jerry Lee took the stage at 11 p.m. and played until after midnight.  He was 82 years old at the time.”

“I got to talk to him about 10 minutes,” Brad explained.  “I told him I was in law enforcement in Sabine Parish and that if I could ever help him to just call.”  He said Jerry Lee responded, “I probably won’t be coming that way.”

During the visit, Brad told Jerry Lee he wished he would do a Gospel album and Lewis’ seventh wife, Judith, said he had been talking about it.  Jerry Lee and sister Linda Gail did a Gospel album in 1971.  He went back in the studio and recorded a second Gospel album in February 2019.

The visit to Memphis was the third time the Walkers got to see Jerry Lee, and on that trip Brad and Laura made some wonderful memories to cherish always.

Happy Birthday wishes to Willa Dean Ballard Singletary, a regular reader of Observations.  She was 86 years old on Tuesday, Oct. 25.  She was married to the late State Trooper Guy Wayne Singletary.

It was with sadness we learned of the passing of long-time friend Chief Rufus Joseph Davis Jr. of the Adai Caddo Indian Tribe in Spanish Lake.  He died Oct. 25 at his home in Houston, TX.  He and I were classmates at Marthaville High School and graduated together. 

Rufus was owner of Chief Solutions in Houston, in addition to serving as Chief of the Adai Caddo Tribe.  He was a successful entrepreneur and was respected across the country by his peers and competitors alike.  He won countless awards for his entrepreneurial accomplishments and community efforts and was admired by all who knew him.  Rufus never forgot where he came from.

He was laid to rest at St. Anne’s Cemetery near his home in Spanish Lake.  We extend our deepest sympathy to his wife Ann, sons John Mark and Gregory Delane and daughter Tina Nicole.

The Many High School Tigers football team won their 50^th straight district game Thursday, Oct. 27.  They laid it on Red River by a score of 42-0.  Congratulations to Head Coach Jess Curtis for the great job he has done.

It was a great Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce 76th Annual Fall Banquet last Thursday evening, Oct. 27. Business and community leaders gathered at Wildwood Resort in Zwolle for a fun night, which included a silent auction fundraiser, a delicious dinner catered by Bub T’s Tamale House, a guest speaker and the presentation of annual recognition awards.

Chamber Pres. Hannah Savell of Edward Jones did a fine job as Mistress of Ceremonies, ably assisted by Past Pres. Pollie Brandon.

Winners awarded by the Chamber were:

Best New Business:  Bub T’s Tamale House

Best Curb Appeal:  Brandon Law Office

Best Family-Owned Business:  Lee Lee’s Neu Designs

Emerging Leader:  Roux Mobile Service – Linda Dockens

Entrepreneur of the Year:  Zwolle 7, LLC

Service to the Community:  Sabine Council on Aging

Helping Hands:  Nichols – Lauren Moore

Caring Hands:  Sabine Retirement and Rehabilitation

Sabine Parish Pride Award:  Bayou Crawfish Restaurant

Hometown Hero Award:  Slay’s Electronics

and Overall Business of the Year:  Family Farm & Garden

Sabine Parish Tourism Commission Director Georgia Craven gave a brief, but informative update of the parish’s tourism activities to the full house and after dinner, Laurie Gentry delivered the keynote address.

Serving the Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce as Officers and on the Board of Directors this year are Pres. Hannah Savell, Vice-Pres. Mike Mancil (Atmos Energy), Treas. Jeff Morrow (Sabine Council on Aging), Past Pres. Pollie Brandon (Brandon Law Office and Century 21 Sabine Property Shoppe.) On the Board are Jamie Vincent (City Bank), Lee McCann (Sabine State Bank), Lauren Moore (Nichols), Ashley Knippers (Sabine Medical Center), Daniel Bennett (Bank of Montgomery), Lewis McBryde (McBryde & Associates Realty), Jim Cole (Sabine State Bank), Leah Byles (Leah Byles DDS Family Dentistry), Suzanne Fogle (Cypress Bend Resorts), Courtney Lapp (Southern Parts Warehouse), Robert Hable (Foy Motors) and Edith Palmer, Honorary Member.

The Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce’s Executive Director is Shanna Dees Gaspard.

Pat Scarborough, head man of the Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads group, released the following statement.  The group was organized on Facebook and currently has 1,557 members.  They are adding more members every day.

“Have you lost your faith?

“When we hear the word ‘faith,’ we usually think of religious faith, but faith is actually much more than that. Faith is present in our lives every day, and we usually don’t think about it.

“Faith is the belief in something that you can’t prove or don’t understand. When you’re driving down the highway at sixty miles per hour, and another car is going the opposite way at sixty miles per hour, and you’re only separated by lines painted on the road, it’s not the lines that keep you from a head-on collision – it’s faith. You have faith that the other driver will stay on his side of the road, and he has faith that you will do the same. You don’t know what the other guy’s thinking and don’t know what he’ll do, but you have faith that he will stay on his side of the road.

“When I flip a light switch, I have faith that the room will light up. I don’t think about the thousands of miles of cable, hundreds of poles, and all the people working to make certain I have reliable electrical power. I just have faith that it will all work properly.

“So, what happens when we lose faith in something? Why does this happen?

“If I have faith in my elected leaders, the people elected in our country, state, parish, and city, then I believe my government will work as reliably as that light switch. I don’t worry about the government version of a head-on collision.

“On the other hand, if things don’t work as they should, I lose faith in my leaders. Is our country safe? Are our children safe when they sit in their classroom? Can I shop at Walmart without worrying about being shot?

“Not so much these days.

“I pay taxes to my federal, state, parish, and city government managers. Am I safe in my house, will the Sheriff and Police Departments come if someone tries to break in? If my house catches fire, will the Fire Department come to put it out? Are my roads safe? Can I drive to work, school, or church without shredding my tires or ruining my suspension on a rough road?

“Are my taxes being spent wisely? Or are they being wasted, thrown away due to lack of planning and incompetent management?

“In Sabine Parish, I think the Sheriff and City Police do an excellent job. I think our teachers do good work and responsibly educate our children. The Fire Department responds quickly. We have a reliable water supply and a place to take our trash.

“But roads, not so much. Many roads have been neglected for too long and are barely passable. Ditch and culvert work is sporadic or nonexistent. Some roads have been damaged by the road department at the direction of a Police Juror, and our tax money has been wasted, thrown down the drain.

“This has to stop. As citizens we must demand change. Or as Mr. William Ruffin said in a recent Police Jury meeting; “If I fail to do the job I was elected to do, it is up to YOU [the people] to remove me from office.”

“Mr. Ruffin, I agree. I wouldn’t remove YOU personally from office, but there are others who need to go. And We the People will do that!

“I will take back my faith, I will find it once again! I will do whatever I legally and peaceably can to fix our government!”

Tuesday, Nov. 8, is Election Day.  As patriotic American citizens, it is our right and duty to vote.  So, if you have not already voted early, be sure to get out and vote next Tuesday.  Polls will be open from 6 a.m. until 8 p.m.

A longtime DeSoto Parish physician was indicted Wednesday, Oct. 26, on prescription drug fraud charges.  The indictment accuses Dr. Jeffrey L. Evans Jr., 65, of Mansfield, along with his nurse, Debra E. Craig, 66, of Converse, of illegally obtaining and distributing controlled substances, U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown said.

Evans’ indictment alleges that beginning on or about Jan. 2, 2014, and continuing until about March 9, he and Craig, who was assigned to work for Evans in his medical office, conspired together and with other persons to obtain Hydrocodone and Adderall, both Schedule II controlled substances, by fraud.

And the progress continues on getting signatures for the recall of Sabine Police Juror Jeff “Gilligan” Davidson who represents District 5.  Pat Scarborough, who heads the Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads Facebook group, reported that as of the end of the third week the recall petition had a total of 403 signatures.  Pat and wife Joy have been working together on the effort; Joy assures that each signature is obtained correctly with all the necessary details to ensure it is signed properly according to state law.

Pat said they had a goal of 60 signatures for the third week and they got 123.  The committee is trying to get a total of 600 signatures, so their latest number puts them at two thirds of their goal.

“We are well ahead of schedule at this time,” Pat commented. 

We get letters:  Lewis McBryde, Many Real Estate Agent, sent the following note and commentary to Observations.

“I know that my opinion is not popular with the people who are trying to defeat the library tax renewal,” McBryde shared in his note.  “Most of these people who are pushing the hardest to defeat the tax have become wealthy off of the average citizens of the parish.  It never occurs to these people to pay it forward and help the younger people of the parish who are trying to make this a better place to live.  This tiny tax will not hurt anyone, but if it makes a difference in the future of one child, it will be worth the effort,” he wrote.

His commentary:

“I have been thinking about the Library and the election to renew its funding that is on the November 8 ballot. I always try to read about everything and every person up for election before I make my decisions. I listened to the head Librarian and to Library board members as they spoke to the Rotary Club in September. (Board members are glad to speak to any group that invites them, to give facts and answer questions). One thing that struck me was the date the Library began – 1933. Right in the middle of the deepest Depression this country has ever known. The Great Depression lasted from 1929 until 1939, yet a group here in rural, poverty ridden Sabine Parish decided that they needed a Library – amazing. There is not much information on the internet, but I bought a book sponsored by the Town of Many in 2000 (written by Shannon Clemons Hall). There is a chapter on the history of education in the Parish – most of the first schools and the Library. The first supporters of the Library are not named (wish I knew who they were), but the book states: ‘In January 1933 representatives of the Louisiana State Library Commission arrived in Many to establish the Sabine Parish Library. It was one of the first libraries to be established in the State. The Library was originally located on San Antonio Avenue, near Hancock’s Furniture. It was officially opened January 12, 1933, and more than 300 books were borrowed from the Library that first day.’ Those serving as Librarians through the years were Kathryn Williams, Ruth Reagen, Emily Spencer, Marie Spivey, Bessie C. Elliot, Joanne Pickett, Rebecca Morris, and Debbie Anderson, the present Librarian. I am shocked anyone is opposing funding for the Library. I would like to ask those opposing this a couple of questions. How many years has it been since you entered a modern library? Have you attended any function held at the library lately? Have you volunteered to help, or have you donated anything to help? Are you making this decision based upon what someone else has said, or have you educated yourself about the services that the Library provides? I have read criticism that the Library has money set aside in savings. I am ‘new’ to this Parish – I have only been here since 1986! I have watched many, many businesses fail because they had no funds on reserve in case of emergency. I commend the Library and its Board for being fiscally responsible and putting some of the tax money it received into savings. The Library has NEVER stated that the Library would close immediately if this reduced tax renewal fails. The money in savings would keep the Library open until the money is gone. In addition to hearing a speaker, I have read printed material given out by the Library (including how many Sabine Parish citizens have used its services so far this year), and I have attended one meeting of the Friends of the Sabine Parish Library (does that make me a member – do not know – hope it does!) The night I attended the meeting there was a free quilting class going on in the other end of the building, and one young mother mentioned that 50 people had attended toddler story time a few days earlier.  Neither of these activities would interest me, but that does not matter – I am happy they are available for others. I am 76 – none of my children or grandchildren live here (although my grandchildren did use the Library when they were little and visited). I cannot imagine anyone intentionally defunding a library – free education is such a privilege, Please support your Library by voting YES on November 8.”

James Truman Corley, 52, was arrested this week and charged with threatening a public official. He has a record of arrests. Sabine Parish Chief Deputy Brad Walker said Corley posted a threat against a Sheriff’s Deputy on Facebook.

As Observations was posted Tuesday afternoon, Registrar of Voters Zach Faircloth said a total of 1,587 ballots had been cast, counting both early voting and mail-in ballots As of press time, a total of 1,186 had voted early. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 8, so if you have not voted, please plan to do so. It is your American duty.

Many Chief of Police Cheryl Wooley said the investigation into an early morning burglary of a Many business last weekend continues. Three individuals stole a safe from the business’ office.

Anyone with any information is asked to contact the Many Police Department at (318) 256-5617. A reward is being offered for reliable information concerning the three individuals.

The thieves may be seeking a way to unlock the stolen safe.

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