Wednesday, August 21, 2019
As in years past, Sabine Parish continued to be a leader in forestry income producers in 2018. Sabine ran second behind Beauregard parish with production of $57,416,366. Natchitoches Parish ran eighth with $34,701,200.
MidSouth Bank, with offices in Sabine Parish, is expected to lay off 90 workers, according to a notice on file with the Louisiana Workforce Commission. It is not immediately known at which locations the layoffs will occur.
MidSouth will soon become Hancock Whitney, as the latter will be closing an all-stock transaction of MidSouth worth $214 million sometime during the third quarter.
Hancock Whitney previously said they would be closing eight MidSouth branches across the state and one in Texas. Most will be in Lafayette.
Sheriff Ronny Richardson has issued the following statement concerning increased taxation due to re-assessment in the parish:
“Many Sabine parish residents are now facing increased property tax burdens due to the mandated re-assessment. Let me remind you that the people of Louisiana voted on and approved Constitutional Amendment #718 that states if the assessed value of immovable property increases by an amount which is greater than fifty per cent (50%) of the property’s assessed value in the previous year, the collector shall phase-in the additional tax liability resulting from the increase in the property’s assessed value over a four-year period.
“For the purposes of calculating the taxes on the property in the first year following the reappraisal, the collector shall use the property’s assessed value from the previous year which shall be called the base amount and shall increase the assessed value of the property used to calculate Ad valorem taxes by adding an amount which is equal to one-fourth of the amount of the increase in the property’s assessed value as a result of the reappraisal to the base amount. Each year following shall increase the amount by one-fourth. By the fourth year the Ad valorem tax will be based on the property’s full assessed value. Stated simply, you will only pay one-fourth more per year until year four at which time your tax bill will be based on your property’s full assessment. My office staff will gladly explain this option to you.
“Also, please be advised that if you are over 65 years of age, own and reside in the home, and your annual income does not exceed the maximum allowed which is $75,594.07, you can freeze the assessed value of the homestead. Visit with the Tax Assessors office for details on this and other special assessment levels available to Disabled Vets, Widows of Armed Forces killed in action, Spouses of MIA or POWs, Permanently/Totally Disabled and others.
“I hope this information is useful and that many can benefit from it,” Sheriff Richardson shared.
He also noted, “*Please be advised this four-year phase-in only applies to property covered under homestead exemption.”
Sheriff Richardson has proposed the tax for the Law Enforcement District be rolled forward. The estimated amount of tax revenues to be collected in the next year from the increased millage is $3,005,556 and the estimated amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage is $562,573. The budgeted total for the Sheriff’s Department for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019 is $7,373,520. Budgeted expenditures total $7,270,041.
In other Sheriff Richardson news, we hear raffle ticket sales for his re-election fundraiser are going great guns! A lucky winner will get a Browning A5 12-gauge magnum shotgun for the cost of a raffle ticket – only $25. We understand the gun is valued at around $1,500.
Only 500 tickets will be sold, and the draw date is at ticket sell-out. If you’re interested, don’t wait – get your tickets now.
If you need one or ten, call the Sheriff at (318) 332-9225, or get ahold of someone at the Sheriff’s Office at (318) 256-9241. They can let you know how to buy.
Thought for the day: Don’t go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.
We were sad to learn of the death of former Louisiana Governor Kathleen Babineaux Blanco, who died Sunday following a lengthy illness. She was 76.
Gov. Blanco served from January 2004 until January 2008, and is best remembered by some as the governor in office when the Louisiana coast was devastated by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005.
She is thought of often in this area along with our longtime Representative Joe R. Salter of Florien. Gov. Blanco elevated Salter to Speaker of the House during her time in office, and she also attended the Sabine Hall of Fame banquet in 2015 in Many when Salter was honored as that year’s inductee.
Gov. Blanco’s Celebration of Life starts Thursday, Aug. 22, and continues until Saturday, Aug. 24 as follows:
Thursday, Aug. 22
Celebration of Life Interfaith Service – 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., St. Joseph Cathedral, 401 Main St., Baton Rouge (Service will be broadcast live by Louisiana Public Broadcasting)
Honor Procession – 12:30 p.m.-12:45 p.m., Louisiana State Capitol Steps
Lie in State Public Visitation – 1 p.m.-6 p.m., Louisiana State Capitol Rotunda
Friday, Aug. 23
Public Visitation – 12:30 p.m.-8 p.m., Cathedral Hall, St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, 914 St. John St., Lafayette. During this time, Recitation of the Divine Mercy Chaplet will be at 3 p.m. and a Prayer Service will be held from 6 until 7 p.m., both in Cathedral Hall.
Saturday, Aug. 24
Public Visitation – 8 a.m.-10 a.m., Cathedral Hall, St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, 914 St. John St., Lafayette
Reflections and Mass of Christian Burial – 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., St. John the Evangelist Cathedral, 515 Cathedral St., Lafayette
Private Burial to follow
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Kathleen Babineaux Blanco Public Policy Center, UL Lafayette Foundation, 705 East St. Mary Blvd., Lafayette, LA 70504, or Give.louisiana.edu.
Ann Monkhouse Stuckey Davis, widow of Country music star the late Nat Stuckey, was hostess for a luncheon on Saturday, Aug. 10, at the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame induction. She is shown here with Johnny Wessler of Shreveport. The event was held at the Texas Tea Room in Carthage, TX where the Texas Country Music Hall of Fame is located. Ann now lives with her husband Randy near Florien.
As mentioned by the Sheriff, we wish to share again that a special assessment level applies to the homestead of persons 65 and older if they made less than $75,594 in adjusted gross income for 2018. This special assessment level freezes the assessed value at the current level.
To qualify, you must come to the Sabine Assessor’s office and file a special form. You’ll need to bring proof of 2018 income. This special assessment level is lost if the property is transferred or improvements are made in excess of 25 per cent of property value. The freeze remains permanent unless one of the previously mentioned reasons for losing the freeze occurs.
For more information, you may call the Assessor’s office at (318) 256-3482.
Tax rolls are now open for public inspection in Sabine Parish. The 15-day period ends Aug. 30. During this period persons may protest the values placed on their property or the amount of taxes.
The Sabine Police Jury will sit as a Board of Review on Sept 18 for folks who are not satisfied after inspecting the rolls at the Assessor’s Office. If either the taxpayer or Assessor is not satisfied, the matter can be appealed to the Louisiana Tax Commission.
By Nov. 15, the Tax Commission will certify the Sabine Tax Rolls and the Sheriff will mail out tax notices. Property taxes are due and payable by Dec. 31.
The Many Town Council met once again in special session on Wednesday, Aug. 14, to deal with another Many Police Department problem.
During about a two-month period, the Town has lost some $9,000 in fines because the Police Department has turned some of the tickets it writes over to District Court instead of Mayor’s Court, as has usually been done.
Most of the tickets were written by Patrolman Stanley Cook and a new officer he is training, Calvin Hay.
Council Member James Kennedy is quoted as saying, “We just got rid of one bad apple [Assistant Chief Dewayne Brumley], now we need to get rid of this one.”
Mayor Ken Freeman stated, “The Council feels it is reprisal by Stanley because we didn’t promote him to detective.”
The Mayor said Chief Roger Freeman took responsibility for the action saying, “I told clerk Carla Nicks to send the tickets to District Court.” The tickets were for speeding, seat belt violations, following too closely and other charges usually handled in Mayor’s Court.
The Mayor added, “For ten days after they arrested me [on June 27] they did not write any tickets. When I asked why, Roger said he was using the officers to patrol at night.”
The Chief then told Mayor Freeman that he had given an order for the officers to not send any more tickets to the District Court. He told the Mayor he had also put up a sign stating such in the Police Station. The Mayor checked and there was a sign.
The Police Department has a budget of $975,000 and only generates $175,000, which means the town subsidizes the Department by 81 per cent. The Council discussed passing an ordinance taking the $9,000 loss in revenue from the Police Department’s budget.
The Council asked Ms. Nicks, who was present for the meeting, to relate to Chief Freeman, who was not present for the meeting, that the council wants Cook relieved of his duties. It was relayed to Chief Freeman, “The Council can’t work together with you as long as Stanley is there.”
Hats doffed to Many Mayor Ken Freeman and the Council for agreeing not to roll the tax millage forward, as so many other government authorities are doing.
The Council was to meet Tuesday to make it official.
Also, the Council voted to go back in the garbage business, even though operation of the Parish Landfill is up in the air. Waste Management continues to operate the landfill for the Police Jury on a month-to-month basis.
With the Town going back into the garbage collection business, Mayor Ken Freeman said it should lower each household bill in the town by about $6 per month – possibly from $4.50 to $6.75.
The Town of Many generates about 108 tons of garbage per month. The charge to dump has been $35 per ton, but the town is not certain at this point if it will be charged that amount. “We are hoping we don’t have to pay the dumping fee,” the Mayor added.
The Mayor said to get into the garbage collection business, it will have to purchase a new truck and hire three employees. He said all the town will be covered twice a week.
In other business, the Council hired Jesse Branham as a part-time policeman.
In a meeting last Tuesday, Aug. 13, the Board of Sabine Parish Fire District 1 Wards 3 and 4, voted to recommend to the Police Jury to roll forward its tax millage, thus resulting in the collection of about $90,000 additional funds. The estimated amount of tax revenues to be collected in the next year from the increased millage is $370,000.
Chairman David Davis told the group, “We are not trying to raise our millage again. There is more money out there under re-assessment – about $90,000. We are going to have to get more money or cut our services.”
He said the District takes in about $260,000 per year, pointing out that a new fire truck costs about $400,000, but they buy a used one for $100,000 when they can. Continuing, he said they currently need 96 new air packs at a cost of $10,000 each
“We are barely hanging onto our insurance rating,” he related. “We currently have a rating of 6. If we go from 6 to 7, it will cost more money in insurance premiums. If you invest in your fire department, you will get it returned in lower insurance rates. With the tax increase, I think a rating of 5 is within reach.”
State Farm Agent Buddy Wood stated, “If it wasn’t for people in this room who volunteer, your insurance premiums would be astronomical. I pay a lot of taxes, but I want to pay taxes that benefit me.”
Davis said, “We’re over-taxed in this parish. Taxes are not appropriately divided. I do understand why taxpayers voted our tax down.”
Chief Scott Gowen commented, “We are struggling right now and have been for some time.”
Other members of the board are Robert Hable, Kenny Carter, James Kennedy and Charlie Brown.
I had a surprise visit last week from Ms. Linda Wilbanks, who brought me a vintage copy of “The Victory Handbook for Health and Home Defense.” The book was issued in 1945 by the Sabine Chapter No. 171 Order of the Eastern Star. The book contains recipes, tips for women and ads from Sabine businesses.
The forward observes: “A man’s home is his castle is true enough, but charged with the management of every home is a woman. It is her task to make it a real home – a home steeped in culture and refinement from which one may go forth refreshed and inspired to meet the problems of each day. A home to which one may hurry each night to meet loved ones who erase the cares of the world. A home that is the bulwark of democracy. A home made by peoples of a victorious nation.”
I assured Ms. Wilbanks that the book will have a good home.
Awhile back, my wife Laurie and I were riding the backroads on a Sunday afternoon and we saw what, to us, was a very strange occurrence. The road we were on was dirt and it had shortly before come a small rain shower. As we topped a little hill, we came to an area that had steam rising from the road. We’ve often seen that on pavement and over ponds and fields, but steam rising from dirt was a new one for us.
Signs Along Life’s Highway
Saw this one in Shreveport on a Police Car last week.
Cyber attacks targeting several Louisiana school districts last month prompted the declaration of emergency across the state. Now as students head back to class, some of the school systems are still in recovery mode.
Sabine Parish Schools Supt. Sara Ebarb said the district has overcome most of the problems caused by the cyber attack, but it is still not operating at 100 per cent. This district has close to 1,100 computers now working, and the system has regained access to its network.
This means teachers are able to use things like their smart boards and tablets in the classroom.
“We were hit with an electronic virus called Ryuk. This was early morning July 21st. When that happened, it locked down our servers and encrypted our data. The experts are telling us that it wasn’t a virus that steals data, but actually locks it down and encrypts it,” Ebarb said.
After the data was encrypted and locked down, the attackers asked for bitcoins and in return, they promised to give back access to the server and all of the data [a typical ransomware scenario]. Ebarb said the School District will not negotiate with terrorists.
“Well, it’s an organized crime organization that operates on the dark web. What they want is for us to pay them in bitcoins to unlock the data. And, of course, they are cyber terrorists and we are not negotiating with terrorists, so we just gotta move on,” Ebarb said.
The attack meant the district’s entire server was inaccessible, putting the system into chaos just weeks before school was scheduled to start.
The Louisiana National Guard sent a team to Sabine Parish that included both military and civilian computer experts. An expert from Microsoft was also sent in to help rebuild the network.
Supt. Ebarb added her team has been working hard since the attack.
Editor’s note: Bitcoins are cryptocurrency – ecash, if you will – a digital currency with no central bank or administrator. It can be sent by users directly through a “peer-to-peer” online network, which provides complete privacy and no governmental oversight. Bitcoins can be exchanged for other currencies, products and services, although economists warn against using it as it is not backed by anything of permanent value to give it actual worth. Bitcoins are also used for many illegal transactions due to it offering its users private, un-documentable transactions.
On Sunday, Laurie and I attended a celebration honoring Charles and Frances Ruth Freeman on their 60th Anniversary. The event was held at the First United Methodist Church of Joaquin [Texas], Charles’ hometown. Francis is a native of Logansport just across the Sabine River.
They were married on Saturday, Aug. 18, 1959. Charles and I were roommates at Northwestern then. And I was happy to be the photographer at their wedding. Charles worked for the Campus Security at Northwestern at that time, and he had to work the Friday night before he got married. We left Natchitoches about midnight when he got off work on Friday to drive to his home area.
He reminded me Sunday that what I charged him for the job was very fair: I gave it to him.
Congratulations again to two wonderful people and longtime friends.
It was a big surprise that Aaron Mitchell won the Baldridge-Dumas Communications Facebook poll which ended Friday by a landslide. There were 518 persons who voted and of those, Mitchell received 316 votes or 61 per cent.
Mind you there was nothing scientific about the poll. Each computer was allowed to cast only one vote. The results are what they are – nothing more, nothing less.
Coming in second was incumbent Sheriff Ronny Richardson with 113 votes, representing 21.8 per cent. Rep. Frankie Howard ran third with 60 votes, representing 11.6 per cent, and Chris Abrahams came in fourth with 29 votes for 5.6 per cent.
Starting today, Wednesday, Aug. 21, BDC’s Facebook page will post a poll for Sabine Parish Tax Assessor candidates. The polling will run through Friday.
In the race are Ronny Bison, Carl Chance, Carroll Ellzey, Patrick Johnson, Chris Tidwell and Donnie Wooley.
Results of this poll will be carried in next week’s Observations.
The Oct. 12 Fall Election will be here before you know it. The last day to register to vote in person or by mail is Sept. 11. The last day to register online is Sept. 21.
Early voting begins Saturday, Sept. 28, and runs through Saturday, Oct. 5. The hours will be 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., and the Registrar of Voters office closed on Sunday.
On Election Day, the polls will be open from 7 a.m. until 8 p.m.
John Migliore killed this rattlesnake in his yard on Forest Lane in Many Tuesday morning. The rattlers will be out from now until cold weather to eat all they can and store up fat for their winter hibernation, so be extra careful.
It’s time to light the lamps for “Mary Poppins Returns.”
The new Mary Poppins movie is playing at Movies in Many at the Many Community Center [Sabine Theater] this Saturday, Aug. 24. Admission is free and the movie begins at 7 p.m.
“We are delighted to show this wonderful family movie,” Mary Brocato, chairperson of the Many Cultural District Advisory Committee, said. “Going to the movies today is expensive for a family. Tickets for two parents and three children will cost between $40 and $50. When you add in popcorn and a drink, that’s another $40. But a family of five can attend our movies and spend only $10 to watch the movie and enjoy popcorn and a soft drink for each person.”
The last adventure of the magical British nanny graced the screen in the 1960s. That film was a huge success, but the Mary Poppins author was extremely protective of her character and hated the movie. That might be why it has taken so long for a true Mary Poppins sequel to come to fruition.
In the film’s plot, Cherry Tree Lane in London is going through rough times during The Great Slump, also known as depression-era Britain during the mid-1930s, and life has been difficult for the Banks children. It has been twenty-five years since Mary Poppins entered their lives. Michael Banks is a widow and his wife’s passing has left an empty space and misfortune over Michael and his three children. Michael had dreams of becoming a painter, but without his wife, he had to take out a second mortgage and get a job at the bank. That same bank wants to reprocess his house based on missed payments.
But that is only half the story. The other half is where the magic happens. Michael’s three children – Anabel, John, and Georgie – are also still reeling from the loss of their mother. It hasn’t been easy on them to see their father struggle either, and that calls for the return of the Banks’ guardian nanny, Mary Poppins. She has come to teach the children some important lessons while making sure everything goes smoothly for the family. They are joined by lamp-lighter Jack, who accompanies them on their adventures and takes the place of Dick Van Dyke’s character, the famous chimney sweep, Bert.
This time the children go on an underwater adventure courtesy of a bath, take a trip into the magical world of a vase, dance upside down in a topsy-turvy building, and enjoy a PG-rated Burlesque show.
Mary Poppins and Jack sing some new songs. Each song provides some kind of lesson for the children. Topics such as cleanliness, grief, accidents, perspective, and the act of being lost are all explored within the music.
Supporting characters have their day in the sun when Blunt and the children aren’t the focus. The film even offers a few surprises, including one from Dick Van Dyke, who is still dancing in his 90s.
“Mary Poppins Returns” will leave a big smile on your face and is a spectacular adventure for the whole family.
So bring the kids and celebrate the end of summer by enjoying a night at Movies in Many and watching “Mary Poppins Returns.”
That will do it for now. I welcome your thoughts and suggestions. Call me at (318) 332-8653 or send an email to robertrgentry@gmail.com. To save, send or print this week’s Observations, click on the appropriate icon below. To read recently archived Observations, follow the pages below; to see old ones, visit our Facebook page, where they are listed by date under Photo Albums.
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