Wednesday, December 14, 2022

This falls under the heading of “You Ain’t Gonna Believe It.”  To say I am flabbergasted is an understatement.  As the old timers used to say, “Hang onto your hat – here we go!”

There is more on the saga of the Sabine Parish Police Jury and the Sabine Parish Library Board.  The Library Board met Thursday, Dec. 8, to open bids for the $3+ million library they want to build, to which the taxpayers have turned down Library funding four times in voting.

Pat Scarborough and his Facebook group, Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads, showed up to observe and had planned to livestream the meeting.  He was accompanied by his wife, Joy, and his sister-in-law, Rebekah Stiegemeyer.  According to Pat, they got to the meeting early and talked to Librarian Debbie Anderson and told her they were going to livestream, and she did not say that it would be a problem.  In addition, they had posted on their Facebook page for several days that they would be livestreaming the meeting.

Shortly, Assistant Chiefs of the Many Police Department Stanley Cook and Mason Wiley showed up.  According to Chief Cheryl Wooley, folks from the Library Board had contacted her a few days earlier and said they were concerned about “security” at the meeting.  We checked and found that neither Pat, Joy nor Rebekah has a record of violence, and from all accounts, including when we have been around them, they have always been very nice.  We did learn, however, they are not going to be run over.

Pat said they were getting ready to set up their equipment when Asst. Chief Cook told him they could not livestream the meeting. Pat asked why, and Cook said they were not allowed to livestream because the Library Board said they couldn’t.  Pat, who is always prepared, showed him state law RS 42:23 which states, “All of the proceedings in a public meeting may be video or tape recorded, filmed, or broadcast live.”  Stanley then tried to call District Attorney Don Burkett who was at a meeting in Baton Rouge at the time.  Burkett said he could not answer, so Cook texted him the question of whether the meeting could be livestreamed.  Burkett told him that the Library Board could choose not to let the meeting be livestreamed.  Cook then informed Pat of that information.

So, the Library Board got ready to meet and went into the Librarian’s office which only holds a few people.  We are told there were just a few chairs in the office, maybe eight or so.  One of the Library Board members was absent, so they let Joy come in and have a seat since she was to have a medical procedure done in Shreveport the next day.  They did tell her that if the other Board member arrived, Joy would have to leave.

Now, here’s where the stories differ.  Pat said he was going to stand in the doorway to the office so he could see and hear the meeting.  He is hard of hearing and needed to get as close as possible.  Rebekah said she heard Police Juror Kenneth Ebarb, who doubles as a member of the Library Board, tell Officer Wylie, “Don’t let them in the meeting.”  In a meeting Monday morning with Chief Cheryl Wooley, the Chief said she was unaware of such a comment, but she was not at the meeting.  She said she would check and let us know.

Pat told in his account, “When I turned around, Officer Wiley was standing in the door blocking it.  Joy squeezed in around him, but then he stood directly in the doorway.  I asked him to move so I could participate in the meeting.  He refused.  I asked him why he was preventing me from participating in a public meeting and he said the Board Members had asked him to stand in the doorway and not let anyone in.”  At that point, Pat was probably flabbergasted.  He got wife Joy and they left the meeting.

On Monday morning, Chief Wooley said Wiley told her he did not block the door, that he was standing inside the room by the door because the Library Board had asked him to.  She said, “He did not block the doorway.  He had no intent to block the door.”

As a longtime media man and as a longtime journalist, respectively, Tedd Dumas and I were very upset and concerned about what the Library Board did.  There are very specific laws which govern public meetings, the rights of the public to attend or record those meetings, and the rights of journalists to cover them.  He and I wondered if we would be thrown out if we attended a meeting of a governing body.  We went to see Burkett about it Friday morning.

Burkett said he was mistaken in saying the Library Board could prevent the group from livestreaming.  He did not explain why he was mistaken, other than he based his decision on “prior knowledge.” He commented, “When I make a mistake, I am man enough the admit it, and I made a mistake.” We asked if the Library Board would apologize to the Scarboroughs, and he said that was up to the Board.

When asked if he owed the Scarboroughs an apology, he thought for a moment and then said “yes.”  Observations asked for a written copy of his apology, but I don’t think there will be one forthcoming.

Now, to quote RS 42:25:  “The Attorney General is required to enforce the Open Meetings Law throughout the state, and District Attorneys are charged with enforcement within the judicial district within which they serve.  Any individual who has been denied any right under the Open Meetings Law or that believes that his or her rights have been violated may institute enforcement proceedings.”

Burkett said the day before the meeting, he told Librarian Anderson that “it was a public meeting, and they had a right to attend but could not livestream it.”  It should be pointed out the Board met in the Librarian’s office, a very small space, instead of another place in the library which could have accommodated members of the public.  Burkett said he told the Board it should hold its meetings in a place where a number of people can attend.

During the discussion with Burkett, the matter of the Police Jury removing members of the Library Board for “just cause” came up.  He said that the Jury can remove members of the Board “on a legal basis for cause.”  We asked what constitutes “cause,” and he said the Police Jury would have to determine that.

Tedd brought up “wasteful spending,” referring to the monies the Library Board has used toward architect plans for a new library that probably is not going to be built.  Under the Freedom of Information Act, Observations obtained a statement from the Library Board about how much money it has and is spending on fees to the architect firm of Coco & Company of Shreveport.  The total fee comes to $226,904.08. The company has already been paid $90,000 by the Library Board and has an amount of $136,904.08 due according to a statement dated Nov. 28.

Burkett said the Library Board did not receive any bids for the new library.  He said the Board agreed to put on the back burner a new library and the calling of another tax.  He said they have set another meeting in about two weeks.  He added, “Nothing is going to happen right now.”

After the Dec. 8 meeting, Rebekah Stiegemeyer said Ebarb telling Wiley to not let them in the meeting was clearly unlawful.  She said, “La. RS 14:134 says: ‘Malfeasance in office is committed when any public officers… perform(s) any such duty in an unlawful manner.’  Ebarb knowingly instructed Wiley to illegally prevent me from participating in the public Library Board meeting.  Sure sounds like malfeasance in office to me.  Resign, Ken Ebarb!  You’re embarrassing yourself and Sabine Parish.”

And Pat Scarborough summed it up this way, “The Library Board had no [posted] agenda, public access to a public meeting was blocked, and livestreaming the meeting was prohibited.  Why would a public body do these things unless they have something to hide?  Maybe they need to check out a copy of the U.S. Constitution and read the First Amendment.”

DON’T FORGET:  The “Jingle and Mingle” Holiday Open House at the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission will be held Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 9:30 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. at the Tourist Commission Conference Room at 1601 Texas Hwy. in Many.

University of Southern California Head Coach Lincoln Riley, shown at left, and Linebacker Coach Brian Odom, at right, made an official in-home visit to Many High School Tiger standout Tackett Curtis Tuesday, Dec. 6, at the home of his parents Moses and Leslie Curtis.  Tackett will sign his letter of intent to play football for USC during the early signing period starting Dec. 21.  He will complete his high school requirements at Many High in December and plans to report for classes at USC on Jan. 5, 2023.

The Sabine Parish Citizens for Better Roads group reported that on Thursday, Dec. 8, it turned in the recall petition for Police Juror Jeff “Gilligan” Davidson to Registrar of Voters Zach Faircloth for certification.  The group obtained more than enough signatures to require a recall.  A total of 623 signed the petition.

The Many High School Tigers did it again at the Superdome in New Orleans Saturday when they took home the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Division III Non-Select State Championship.  It was their third state title in eight seasons.

The Tigers put it on Union Parish from Farmerville by a score of 35-13.  Overall, the Tigers had a 14-0 winning season and a 5-0 District record.

We send our congratulations to Head Coach Jess Curtis, the rest of the coaching staff and the team.

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell recently announced that Latha Joe Pegues, age 40, of Many was indicted in United States District Court, Western District of Louisiana on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

Pegues was indicted for three counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine.

The Sabine Parish Sheriff Tactical Narcotics Team had investigated Pegues’s illegal narcotic sales for the last year.

Pegues is currently incarcerated at the Sabine Parish Detention Center.

SECRETARY OF STATE KYLE ARDOIN ISSUES STATEMENT ON SENTENCING IN TANGIPAHOA VOTE BUYING CONSPIRACY

Louisiana Secretary of State Kyle Ardoin issued a statement on the sentencing of two former elected officials in Amite City convicted of violating federal election laws. Former Amite City Chief of Police Jerry Trabona and Amite City councilman Kristian Hart were each sentenced to one year in prison for conspiring to pay, or offering to pay, voters for voting in a federal election.

“Any case of election fraud is a grave matter. It can undermine our faith in the democratic process and deter citizens from voting. Alleged violations of state and federal election laws should always be thoroughly examined, and if needs be, prosecuted,” Ardoin stated. “The Department of State’s Elections Compliance Unit investigators provided records and support to federal authorities throughout the course of this investigation and eventual prosecution. In 2021, the unit, along with our partners from the Louisiana Department of Justice, also helped bring charges against former Amite City Mayor Pro Tempore and councilman Emmanuel Zanders III. I am incredibly proud of the work done by the Elections Compliance Unit in bringing all the facts of these cases to light.”

Two additional Louisianians, Calvin Batiste and Louis Ruffino, are expected to be sentenced for their involvement in the vote buying conspiracy in the near future.

For more information about the Secretary of State’s Elections Division, visit www.GeauxVote.com or call (225) 922.0900. To report suspected cases of election fraud or violations of the election code, contact the Election Fraud Hotline at 1-800-722-5305.

(Special thanks to longtime friend Joe Salter for the information above. Joe is originally from Florien and now serves as Chief of Staff for Sec. Ardoin.)

WE GET LETTERS. We always welcome thoughts on Observations from our lifelong friend, Ronald Byrd of South Boston, VA. He and I attended Marthaville School together many moons ago, though we were separated by several grades. His message follows:

“I get frequent invitations to join the VFW and a couple of other veterans’ organizations and it’s people like Jesse Mahaffey who keep me out. While I served a couple of years in the Army, it was during the Cold War; my reverence and respect for the many warriors like Mahaffey who saw combat are such that I would be embarrassed to associate with them in any way.  My hat is off to them; those of us who served but never experienced combat must be viewed through a different lens.  He is a hero; we are not even close. Thank you for your service, Jesse Mahaffey.

“Every time I see Sheriff Mitchell’s list of drug-related arrests, I’m amazed.  I recall the days of our youth when you’d read about drug problems in places like San Francisco and New York, but they were almost unheard of in Louisiana except for New Orleans. Now, Sheriff Mitchell recently informed me that fentanyl has hit rural Louisiana really hard. It is so sad to me to learn about so many people of all ages now whose lives are being destroyed by use or sale of these illegal drugs. I’m lucky, never desiring to get high artificially… my highs have been in sports, love for my family and relatives and friends, and in successes at work. I don’t understand those who need the boost from drugs, but I truly feel sorry for each and every one of them.

“I’m so happy for Georgia Craven who has the Tourist Commission now doing really good things. I recall the chaos a year or so ago that made Many look bad.  It’s always good to see turnarounds like that.

“Like Police Juror Kenneth Ebarb, I’m flabbergasted over the library situation, and I’ll bet a lot of Sabine/Many citizens are in the same boat. From a long distance away, it appears that there’s a lack of common sense in actions by the Library Board. I have to admit that I don’t have a dog in that fight, and my opinion won’t be sought by anyone on either side of that fight, but I have to tell you that it is an interesting and flabbergasting ongoing story.”

Special thanks to my wife Laurie for the following five articles:

The Town of Many “Home for Christmas” Parade on Sunday was a great one. About 80 entries made up the holiday procession which offered lots of candy, throws, music and good times for all. We salute everyone who worked hard to put the event together and everybody who participated. It’s not a small task.

Parade winners were as follows:

VEHICLES

1^st – BPCC Sabine Valley

2^nd – Sheriff Aaron Mitchell

3^rd – Judge Verity Gentry

FLOATS

1^st – Mayor Robert Hable

2^nd – Bethel Baptist Church Youth Choir

3^rd – Lakeside Construction

MARCHING/DANCING UNITS

1^st – Many High School Mighty Fighting Tigers Band

2^nd – Many Junior High Cheerleaders

3^rd – Studio B Dance Company

QUEENS

1^st – Miss Sabine Freestate Emma Dupree

2^nd – Miss Tomato Fest Alexis Buster

3^rd – Many High School Miss Merry Christmas Pageant Court

“Home for Christmas” Town of Many Decorating Contest winners were awarded as follows:

Business Painted Window:  1^st – Sabine Rural Health Clinic; 2^nd – Foy Motors; 3^rd – Chevron Shop A Lott

Business Painted Door:  1^st – Magnolia Key; 2^nd – Interstate Building Supply

Business Decorated Window:  1^st – Bayou Crawfish; 2^nd – Boyens Hardware; 3^rd – Brandon Law Firm/Century 21.

Business Decorated Door:  1^st – Good Gracious; 2^nd – Past & Present; 3^rd – Farm Bureau.

Neighborhood Light Display:  1^st – Ricky & Karen Hall; 2nd – Jessie Delatin; 3rd – Vera Holland.

Neighborhood Decorated House:  1^st – Jeremy & Katie Ryan; 2^nd – Dean & Debbie Crittenden; 3^rd – Harvey Crittenden

Don’t miss Santa! He’ll be at Many City Hall on Wednesday, Dec. 14 from 8 a.m. until noon, and there again on Thursday, Dec. 22 from 10 a.m. until noon.

The wonderful Sabine Community Choir will present “The Wonders of Christmas” by David Hamilton on Thursday, Dec. 15 at 7 p.m. at the First United Methodist Church of Many located at 1000 Main. St.

“This work captures the broad range of emotions of the Christmas season and reflects the countless way we respond to the glorious truth of our Savior’s birth,” the FUMC-Many announcement shared.

Admission is free. Narration will be provided by Donna Ammons. Soloists are Zelma Broussard, Mike Morris and Rebecca Penfield. Patsy McCormick will accompany the choir.

“Join us in worship with joy and expectation. Come, let us adore Him!” the church invited.

This Saturday is your chance to catch the Annual Down-Home Christmas Concert at Sabine Theater [Many Community Center] in downtown Many featuring Willie Stewart Family & Friends. It starts at 7 p.m., and doors will open at 6.

Admission is free and it promises to be a beautiful night of wonderful Christmas melodies – from classic hymns to Country hits, Oldies and a little bit of everything in between. You’ll hear some pretty vocal solos, duets and trios along with guitar, mandolin, fiddle, cajon drum box, bass and banjolin.

The group is comprised this year of patriarch Willie Stewart and his wife Debbie of Hornbeck, Bo Stewart, his son Kelly and daughter-in-law Clancey of Florien, father and son Steve and Mark Birdwell of Marthaville, and John Brittain of Anacoco.

Their Christmas concert has become a beloved tradition of Many’s holiday season. See you there!

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