Wednesday, February 15, 2023

Phil Troha to be honored with Sabine Hall of Fame Achievement Award

Phil Troha of Dallas, TX has been selected as the Sabine Hall of Fame’s Achievement Award recipient. The award is given annually to someone from Sabine who has gone elsewhere and achieved great success in his or her chosen career. 

The 2023 Sabine Hall of Fame Banquet will be held Tuesday, March 28 at St. Joseph’s Hall at 307 Hammond St. in Zwolle. Doors open at 6 p.m., and the program begins at 6:30. In addition to the evening’s award honorees, a Sabine Hall of Fame inductee will also be honored.

Tickets are $50 each and may be purchased at Pete Abington’s office at 1030 San Antonio Ave., Nichols in Many, the Sabine Parish Tourist Commission and Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce at 1601 Texas Hwy., Robert Gentry’s Office at 605 San Antonio Ave. inside the radio station building and by calling Martha Henderson in Zwolle at (318) 645-9573. Profits benefit SWAG youth group of St. Joseph’s and also H.E.L.P. of Sabine, who provide outdoor recreation opportunities to physically disabled youth, adults and combat-injured veterans.

Achievement Award honoree Phil Troha was born in Magee, MS and moved to Many in the summer after his 7th grade year where he finished out his high school degree at Many High School. Many became his hometown, and to this day he still calls Many home.  

After high school, Phil attended Northwestern State University. In the summer and during holidays, he would work with his father as a roughneck. This let him know he did not want to do that for the rest of his life. While in college, Phil’s draft number came up, and it was one of the first on the list. So, he joined the U.S. Air Force in 1968 and after basic training went to Keesler Air Force Base to train in Doppler radar and inertial navigation to work on B-52 bombers and KC 135 tankers. While at Keesler, Phil came back to Many for July 4th holiday, married Carolyn and after a one-day honeymoon, went back to Keesler in Biloxi, MS. A month later, Carolyn took the bus to join him. After only being there a few weeks, Phil and Carolyn experienced Hurricane Camille together. 

After one year of tech school, Phil was sent to Barksdale Air Force Base. While there, Phil worked part time for Gibson’s Discount and after getting out of the military, Phil stayed in Shreveport to work with them before moving again to become an assistant manager for TG&Y. After Carolyn got out of nursing school, they moved back to Many so that Phil could go back to school. After going back to school for a year, Carolyn’s uncle, who worked with West Brothers in DeRidder, offered Phil a job. Thinking this was what he wanted to do, he dropped out of school and joined West Brothers. After working in stores as assistant manager for a year, they brought him to DeRidder to be an assistant buyer. After about three years, Phil moved to a better job at Howard Brothers in Monroe. From there he went to Ayr-Way’s in Indianapolis. After only a couple of years, Target bought the company. He was one of three buyers they selected to move to Minneapolis, and he became a senior buyer over sporting goods. It only took a couple of Minneapolis winters for Phil to realize he needed to head back South. 

An old colleague of Phil’s was starting up an import company and invited Phil to come and work for him in sales. So, he and his family packed up and moved to Dallas. After two years, a sales mentor offered him a partnership to start up a new company with his son and another friend. That was the start of LaPosta, Petty and Troha & Company. Over the years they became one of the largest houseware sales forces in Texas. They have now had the company for over 39 years. Phil also started his own company, Parallel Marketing, which is a consulting company for imports in the far east and Europe. At one time, he was averaging four to five trips a year to China, Vietnam, Philippines, and Indonesia, as well as two to three trips to Europe each year to source factories and help design product for many retail stores. 

Phil is still involved with both companies today. His partners in China have a showroom in Shanghai, and they now have warehouses in three U.S. locations to ship online products. Phil mainly works with retail buying teams to customize Christmas, Fall, Halloween, Easter, and summer garden products. They have about 20 designer personnel in offices in Shanghai and work with almost all major, as well as small, retail companies across America.

Even though Phil has traveled the world, he still feels so lucky that his family moved to Many, and that he got to spend his high school years at Many High. Phil is always proud to tell people he meets where he is from when they ask. He says with a smile, “Many, Louisiana; 1530 on the old radio dial, and Go, Tigers!”

Randall “Fuzzy” Hennigan, head man at the Marthaville Good Ole Days festival, probably knows Phil Troha better than most.  And he holds him in the highest esteem and regard.  Fuzzy has known Phil from the mid-1970s until now.  They were in the retail business world together and in fact traveled over the world conducting business. For businesses aiming to enhance their professional image without significant investment, using a service that provides an official business address in a city like London can be a game-changer. It allows you to maintain a presence in a desirable location while operating from anywhere globally, making it an excellent tool for digital nomads and remote businesses.

Said Fuzzy, “I have watched him climb life’s paths and am familiar with all his business accomplishments.” He continued, “I want to thank the Hall of Fame for recognizing Phil.  He is much deserving of this great honor.  During the years of our traveling the world of big business retail industry, he would always answer the question of ‘Where are you from?’ by saying, ‘Many, Sabine Parish, Louisiana.’”

We hope all enjoyed a good St. Valentine’s Day. As we celebrate love with those we hold dear, let us remember the ideal set forth in scripture:

“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails.” – 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.

Human love sometimes falls short of this standard and disappoints, but the love of God never fails.

We were all shocked recently when a Chinese spy balloon floated freely across America for a week.  According to reports, it came into U.S. territory over Alaska and was shot down as it got over the waters of the Atlantic off the coast of South Carolina.  Many folks are wondering why it was allowed to take pictures of our country, including military facilities, for a week.  We assume the sensitive information gathered was immediately forwarded to the Chinese Communist Party in real time.

Dr. Ronald Byrd of South Boston, VA is a regular reader of Observations, a deep thinker, and we regularly receive analysis from him.  Here is what he wrote about the Chinese spy balloon:

“Greetings, Robert and Ted:

“Sixty-seven to sixty-eight years ago, when I was in the Army in anti-aircraft air defense around an AFB near Fairbanks, Alaska, we had the early warning systems technology to detect air threats before they got into the Aleutians or Alaska proper.  During the Cold War, the Russians made our lives miserable by sending aircraft towards the Aleutian Islands and the Bering Straits almost nightly, making a good night’s sleep impossible. They’d do their threat thing, turn around and go home, and be back in bed, asleep, about the time we could shut down the guns and do the same.  Almost seventy years later, I learn that a Chinese balloon was first detected by a Montana rancher.  How technology has changed; all this time I thought we were progressing rather than regressing! Back in that almost prehistoric time, we’d have destroyed that thing when it entered the airspace of the USA. Now we shoot them down only after they’ve made it fully across our nation, collecting and transmitting data back to China.  So much for changes in borders and technology. It’s as though someone has chosen to destroy the status of the USA as a sovereign nation. The open borders problem isn’t just at the Mexico-USA line anymore.”

A very interesting fact was called to our attention by another regular Observations reader, Dr. Ted “Bussey” Mims of Normal, IL.  On May 5, 1945, a Japanese balloon bomb killed six Americans, five of them children, in Bly, Oregon.

On that day, Elsye Mitchell, who was pregnant and had been feeling bad, decided she felt well enough to join her husband, Rev. Archie Mitchell, and a group of Sunday School children as they set out for Gearhart Mountain in south Oregon.  World War II was raging far across the Pacific.  Ms. Mitchell and five children would become the first, and only, civilians to die by enemy weapons on U.S. ground during the war.

While Rev. Mitchell parked the car, Elsye and the children stumbled upon a strange-looking object in the forest and shouted back to him.  He called a warning to them, but it was too late.  Just then there was a big explosion and instantly his wife, unborn child and the five children were killed.

According to reports, the Japanese launched 9,000 bomb balloons between the fall of 1944 and summer of 1945 and an estimated 1,000 reached our mainland.  There were reports of flashes of light, the sound of explosions and the discovery of mysterious fragments during this period.

Reports are the government stepped in to censor stories about the bombs, worrying that fear might soon magnify the effect of these new weapons.  In turn, the Japanese at some point ceased launching them, because they heard no reports and thought the venture unsuccessful.

There is a very detailed story at smithsonianmag.com.  To read it, visit that site, go to U.S. History and search “1945 Japanese Balloon Bomb Killed Six Americans.”  Thanks again to Bussey Mims for a very interesting story.  With today’s technology, we ask what damage could China do with balloons?  Somebody had better get serious.

CHARGE DISMISSED AGAINST FORMER ZWOLLE MAYOR G.J. “PIE” MARTINEZ

On Jan. 3, 2023, the State of Louisiana through District Attorney Don Burkett requested the dismissal of a misdemeanor charged by a Town of Zwolle employee against former Zwolle Mayor G. J. “Pie” Martinez. The charge was dismissed.

The charge was dropped at the request of the victim.

We have been friends with Pie for a long time and have always found him to be a friendly, loyal, helpful and respected gentleman.

Jeff Evans is out and about saying he is going to run for Sabine Parish Sheriff, we are told.  He is a retired State Trooper.

Tater Reynolds of Florien caught this 12 lb. 10 oz. bass on Feb. 4.  He weighed in at the MLF-Phoenix Bass Fishing League tournament held on Toledo Bend.  This is fish No. 13 for the May 2022 to May 2023 year.

LOOKING BACK…

Sheriff Aaron Mitchell announced on Feb. 8 the Felony Narcotic and Firearm Arrests for the month of January 2023.

Arrested were:

Brenda Kay McDonald, age 52, of Zwolle – Possession of schedule II (Meth), Possession of drug paraphernalia, Headlamps on motor vehicles required and No No insurance.

Bond was set at $530, and she bonded.

Malik Quendell Newton, age 24, of Many – Federal indictment for five counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine.

He was transferred to federal custody in Shreveport.

David Samuel Smith Jr., age 55, of Many – Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Meth) and Illegal window tint.

Bond was set at $10,000, and he bonded.

Jerald Dwayne Shepherd, age 21, of Many – Possession of firearm by person convicted of certain felonies.

Bond was set at $10,000, and he remains in jail.

John Diez Testa III, age 42, of Zwolle – Possession with intent to distribute schedule II (Hydrocodone) and Flight from an officer.

Bond was set at $10,000, and he bonded.

Lambert Wayne Powell, age 56, of Florien – Possession of schedule II (Meth), Improper lane usage and Modified exhaust system.

Bond was set at $3,500, and he bonded.

Daquan Demetrus Scarborough, age 24, of Natchitoches – Possession of schedule I (Marijuana), Possession of schedule II (Hydrocodone, Oxycodone), Possession of schedule IV (Xanax), Possession of firearm in presence of CDS and Taillights required.

Bond was set at $7,000, and he bonded.

Kenneth Lee Brewer, age 65, of Many – Warrant for Conspiracy to distribute schedule II (Hydrocodone).

Bond was set at $12,500, and he remains in jail.

Sadarius Laquan Watson, age 24, of Many – Warrant for 2-counts of Distribution of schedule II (Meth).

Bond was set at $15,000, and he bonded.

Cassie Denise Ezernack, age 30, of Bossier City – Possession of schedule II (Meth).

Bond was set at $500, and she remains in jail.

Darious Dejuan Brumfield, age 38, of Many – Warrant for three counts of Possession of schedule II (Meth) and Possession of firearm by person convicted of certain felonies.

Total bonds were set at $25,000, and he bonded.

(Special thanks to Det. D.W. Seegers for the above information.)

NOTE: Bond amounts are based on several factors, including arrest, the defendant’s criminal background and the likelihood of flight before trail. The bond amount is not a punishment, but an amount to make sure the defendant appears in court for the criminal proceedings. The higher the risk of non-appearance before the court, the higher the bond.

Early last week, Sheriff Aaron Mitchell announced the Feb. 3 arrest of Eric Lamar Samuel, age 51, of Natchitoches, but as of Observations’ press deadline last week, bond had not yet been set. Since then, bond was set at $250,000 by the 11th Judicial District, and Samuel remains in jail.

THEY’RE GOING FAST: At last report, fewer than two dozen tickets remain for the Sabine Master Gardeners’ “Down and Dirty Gardening Seminar” to be held Saturday, Feb. 25 at Cypress Bend Resort from 8:30 a.m. until 3 p.m.

Seminar topics to be covered range from local landscaping tips to growing herbs and spices, along with a special talk by a local expert on growing vegetables in containers. Also at the event will be morning coffe, vendor sales, the famous wagon raffle, door prizes and a silent auction. Speakers include Dr. Heather Kirk-Ballard, Dr. Kathryn “Kiki” Fontenot, Stacey Elston and Bob Nolen.

Tickets are only $45 per person, which includes lunch. Those interested in attending may contact Lydia at the LSU Ag Center at (318) 256-3406, and a Master Gardener will return the call. Interested persons may also email sabinemastergardeners@gmail.com.

Longtime Florien Head Girls Basketball Coach Dewain Strother was interviewed in Converse Friday night, Feb. 10, for KSLA-TV’s “The Good Stuff” with host Doug Warner.

Warner called Strother “the legend  – the man with the most wins among active Louisiana high school basketball coaches. …Over 1,200 wins!” he shared.

Coach Strother was congratulated on his four-decade career and wished well in his final regular season game. The interview with Coach Strother was set to air on Warner’s next “The Good Stuff” tour KSLA report.

We add our congratulations as well.

About 50 persons were present for the official opening of the Town of Many’s new museum located inside the historic KCS Depot on Saturday afternoon.

The Many Depot Museum held its Grand Opening and ribbon-cutting at 1 p.m. with Sen. Louie Bernard, Many Mayor Robert Hable and wife Crystal, and former Mayor Ken Freeman all attending. Coordinating the event was Town of Many employee Suzanne Williams and Museum Director Bruce Tatum, who was decked out in a “Condutor” hat and black tie, vest and blazer for the celebration.

“For 28 years, this project has been in progress,” former Many Mayor Ken Freeman shared. “So many people have invested in its creation over the years because we believed Many and Sabine Parish have an interesting story to tell,” he said.

As he recalled the work of years past, Freeman mentioned Iva Lee Meshell, Paula Patrick, the late Judge [John] and Joann Pickett, Jan Varnado and Rodney Jordan as just a few involved in the depot’s restoration for future use as a museum.

 “I am thrilled today, after 28 or 29 years, to see this project finished,” he shared. “I want to thank Suzanne Williams, Crystal Hable, the mayor, all of the city crews over the years who have worked to make this project a success. When we took [the depot] over it was in need of real repair. We had to go to KCS railroad. They had already donated the property to the Council on Aging. [The Council] donated it back to us. The community also showed great interested in telling their stories by giving $100,000 in donations toward the museum, and when we approached Sen. Louie Bernard, he was very helpful in coming up with $25,000.”

Model train enthusiasts will be interested to learn the historic Many Depot building is the exact same depot style as was created for the popular Lionel train sets.

A good deal of credit goes to Betty Miller of Many, who early on contributed time, resources and expertise to the initial Train Room vision, securing a matching grant from Exxon for the project totaling $6,000. She and Many Councilwoman at Large Mary Brocato visited numerous model train displays, acquired historic KCS depot memorabilia and also invested in model train pieces for the anticipated display.

After Brocato and Miller’s departure from Museum planning in early 2022, the project was re-envisioned by Bruce Tatum and Suzanne Williams, who have worked hard to create an interesting display for visitors. After working diligently on the project together for almost a year, both Tatum and Williams had emotional moments at Saturday’s ribbon-cutting. 

“This building has historical value,” Freeman reiterated. “Thank you to the city for continuing to believe in the philosophy that we do have a good story to tell, and now generations to come get to hear it,” he said.

Mayor Robert Hable shared how the repair and renovation work of the last two decades employed local contractors when possible, mentioning Kowonno Greene and the late Robert Byles.

“It take a village, it truly does, to get these types of projects off the ground,” Mayor Hable remarked. “The last 11 months, Bruce took the reigns and completed the Train Room. …I hope y’all go into the Train Room. There is a really specific layout. It mirror images Florien, Fisher, Many and Zwolle, plus Toledo Bend. It even has Foy’s Chevrolet on the display and Hodges Gardens as well,” he said.

Mayor Hable noted the thousands of hours Tatum spent to complete the Train Room display and thanked him for his efforts. Next, he thanked Sen. Louie Bernard for his assistance in providing valuable funding to help finish completion.

“A depot, a train is something that reminds us of days gone by. You know, you can’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’ve been,” Sen. Bernard said of the museum. “Bringing something like this back to the way it was years ago and rekindling the memories that we all have of places like this is a joy to help with, and I just want to say in all of District 31 – the entire district, which includes six parishes and soon will include 10 – I have never enjoyed working with a group of people who represent your community as I have in Sabine Parish. We have always had a lot of cooperation. Everybody’s pulling on the same rope.  …It’s been a joy to work with all of you,” the senator said.

After the ribbon was cut and refreshments enjoyed, people continued to drop by the museum in groups of two or three to admire the displays and visit the Train Room.

One very special attendee at Saturday’s Grand Opening was 88-year-old Ralph Cates who worked at the KCS Many Depot in the 1950s. “I used to sell tickets right through that window,” he said, motioning toward a small arched opening, now glassed in. Thinking back, he recalled passenger service ended in Many in the 1960s. 

Others on hand for the ribbon-cutting included Sabine District Attorney Don Burkett, Sabine Parish Tourist Commission Director Georgia Craven and former Zwolle Mayor Pie Martinez.

For more information about the Many Depot Museum, including hours of operation, contact Suzanne Williams at the Town of Many, (318) 256-3651.

(Thanks to my wife Laurie for the article above.)

Noticeably absent from the opening of the Many Depot Museum on Saturday was Councilwoman Mary Beth Brocato who put in a lot of time on its development before a conflict with Suzanne Williams caused her to resign. We appreciate what she tried to do.

Sabine Tax Assessor Chris Tidwell announced on Tedd Dumas’ popular “Open Line” program Monday morning that he will seek re-election this fall. The first primary will be held Oct. 14 with the run-off on Nov 18.

Tidwell pointed to his transparency in office, saying, “I work for the people.” He spoke of his ongoing desire to assist people, promising, “If I don’t have an answer, I will get one.”

During his term he said they are now finishing mapping the parish and has to “re-flow” it to do photography. He joked that the photography is so advanced now, a person can almost count the fleas on a dog.

Congratulations to John Godfrey IV and daughter Caroline, who were selected as Duke and Maid on the royal court of the Mystic Krewe de St. Denis. The Krewe’s annual Mardi Gras ball was held last Saturday night, Feb. 11, in Natchitoches. Its theme was “Viva Las Vegas.”

The son of Betsy Godfrey of Many and the late John P. Godfrey, John and wife Susan are former residents of Many. They have three children – Madeline, Caroline and Jackson.

He is Sabine State Bank Senior Vice President/Regional Manager and owns Church Street Inn in Natchitoches. He is a member of the Lions Club and in his free time enjoys being with family, hunting, golfing, grilling and coaching sports.  

Caroline is the granddaughter of Steve and Melanie McCain of Natchitoches, and Betsy Godfrey and the late John P. Godfrey III of Many. She is a senior and cheer captain at St. Mary’s High School. She is class president and was also selected Homecoming Queen at St. Mary’s. Club memberships include BETA (Secretary); Student Council (Executive Treasurer); the Pro-Life Club; FBLA and Cooking for a Cause.

After high school graduation, Caroline plans to major in Business Administration with a Trust and Wealth Investment Management concentration at Louisiana State University.

(Thank you to my wife Laurie for the above article.)

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