Friday, April 17, 2020

It was a fabulous “Honk for Hugs” drive-by car parade at 3 p.m. yesterday that was put on by area citizens for Sabine Retirement and Rehabilitation Center on Fisher Rd.

Center employee Tami Faust said afterward, “I just have to say how proud I am to be from Sabine Parish! The people of this parish are amazing! They showed up at our….parade today to cheer and encourage our sweet residents in a way that you cannot imagine! 132 vehicles showed up with signs, smiles, tears and honks to show their love to these special people that I consider family.”

The Louisiana Nursing Home Association also ran photos and a short article on their Facebook page acknowledging the fine spirit of Many.

The parade was organized by Mayor Ken Freeman and the Town of Many at the request of the facility, and the Many Police Department worked along Hwy. 171 to direct traffic as over 130 vehicles made their way into the parking lot, looping around its edge where residents were seated to watch, and back out again onto the roadway.

Spirits were high and it was a beautiful, sunny day with temperatures in the mid-70s. Some cars had balloons and signs adorning their windows and doors, some waved flags or pom poms, and other simply took part in the honking.

“Just goes to show what a tremendous, caring, compassionate and God-loving town we have,” said J. J. Blake, who posted video of his and wife Sharon’s visit on social media. As they exited the parking lot, headed north toward Many, he commented on the long line of cars waiting in the turn lane on Hwy. 171, “Oh my gosh, the cars are lined up…and you can just see car after car after car after car – motorcycles, flags, and people waving.”

Faust concluded her remarks with, “A big shout out to Chief Roger Freeman, Mayor Ken Freeman and the Town of Many for directing traffic and making sure everyone was safe! Thanks to my parish for your love and support… it meant the world to our residents and workers alike! Whoever said there is no good in the world does not live here. THANKS… from the bottom of my heart!”

District Attorney Don Burkett continues to keep us informed.  Here is his report issued about noon today:

“The state is reporting 13 Sabine cases, but I’m aware of at least 18. Most are in Pleasant Hill, Converse, Zwolle, Many and Toledo Town areas. The south part of parish seems to be spared so far. Of course, I am sure there are cases among us that have not been tested or reported. Because of HIPPA laws, [affected] individuals cannot be identified. The state does attempt to trace contacts and notify them,” Burkett shared.

Area parish stats he shared on number of cases and deaths are as follows:  Caddo – 1220/56, Bossier – 230/11, DeSoto – 145/8, Rapides – 196/7, Natchitoches – 50/1, Red River – 18/3, and Vernon – 14/1.

“Statewide, the number [of people with coronavirus] in hospitals and on vents again decreased slightly for the fourth consecutive day. Still in good shape for beds and ventilators in Northwest Louisiana,” Burkett reported. “Deaths statewide… in last 24 hours were 57, a slight increase from 53 yesterday. There is a definite downward trend statewide, but Sabine Parish concerns me. Please, everyone be vigilant about social distancing, handwashing, etc. We must all work together to protect ourselves and our family and friends! Stay safe, everyone,” Burkett said.

Dianne Williams of Pleasant Hill, the first coronavirus patient known in Sabine Parish, we are pleased to report, came home Thursday. She is the wife of Pleasant Hill Chief of Police Ray Williams. She was hospitalized in Leesville for about a month. We welcome her home and wish her Godspeed in recovery.

Many Mayor Ken Freeman has announced that churches with payrolls are eligible for the paycheck protection program. Interested churches may apply for this COVID-19 financial help at a bank. He said churches can also file for Emergency Injury Disaster Loans on the SBA.gov website.

Gov. John Bel Edwards has announced that the Louisiana Presidential Primary which was re-scheduled for June 20, has again been re-re-scheduled for July 11. The Primary will elect delegates for the Republican and Democratic conventions. It will be interesting to see how those conventions unfold in these strange times, whether they will actually physically happen in a venue similar to past conventions, or be held online as virtual conventions.

Drive-through screening and testing for the Coronavirus has now been cut back in Natchitoches to one day a week, on Tuesdays from 10 a.m. until noon. It is being held at the Louisiana Technical College campus at 6587 Hwy. 1 in Natchitoches. Professionals from Natchitoches Regional Medical Center are conducting the screening and testing.

The Sabine Parish School Board is seeking applicants to fill the Ward 4 vacancy on the Board. The vacancy occurred when Roderick Davis pleaded guilty to charges of fraud of Medicaid funds from the Sabine Association for Retarded Citizens. Part of his guilty plea included his resignation from the School Board.

Anyone interested in serving on the Board for Ward 4 should submit a letter of interest and a resumé to the Board by April 23. They may be mailed to the Sabine Parish School Board office at 695 Peterson St., Many, LA  71449, or dropped through the Board’s office door mail slot. Envelopes should be marked “Appointment Application.” The Board will appoint a new member on April 27. An election to fill the remainder of the unexpired term will be held Nov. 3.

Qualifications:  Must be 18 or older, must be able to read and write, and must have resided in district for at least one year.

We were out and about the other day and visited the James Reason Pilcher Cemetery located north of Toledo Town on the Pilcher Road, about a mile off Hwy. 191. The cemetery is on the right side of the road surrounded by a chain-link fence. It contains six beautiful historic graves, all members of the James Reason Pilcher Family.

James Reason Pilcher, Born Sept. 24, 1866, Died Sept. 1, 1935

JoElla Campbell Pilcher, Born Aug. 13, 1873, Died June 24, 1912

Emma Elizabeth Pilcher, Born Jan. 13, 1905, Died Aug. 26, 1910

Virgie May Pilcher, Born May 31, 1911, Died July 22, 1911

Margueritte Wilson Pilcher, Born Oct. 27, 1916, Died Dec. 12, 1921

John Wesley Pilcher, Born March 14, 1918, Died Sept. 1, 1949

Bo Chevallier, former Many attorney, former Assistant District Attorney and former law partner of current Sabine DA Don Burkett, posted these remarks on social media recently:

“You know who should decide when this economy opens back up? It should be the working people…. the roughnecks and daycare owners and small business people who have stopped getting paid. And of course, the folks that actually got the virus.

“Everybody else who is still getting their government checks, like me and Don, should maybe listen to them.

“What do you think, Burkett?

“Oh, and if you don’t mind when commenting on this, let us know if you are a GC (government check) person or a NGC (no government check) person.”

A lot of folks are saying that the economy should have never been shut down to start with. Like the rest of the country, small business in Sabine Parish is suffering, a lot of it because of governmental regulations. Folk around here seem ready to get the economy rolling again.

Someone replied to Chevallier’s post, “Let those who want to go back to work do it. Those that don’t, don’t.”

Bo and wife Kay now reside in Horseshoe Bend, AR, not too far from the “Folk Music Capitol of the World,” Mountain View.

That will do it for this Friday lagniappe edition of Observations. I love to hear your ideas and suggestions for future articles, so please call me at (318) 332-8653 or send an email to robertrgentry@gmail.com. To save, send or print today’s column, click on the appropriate icon below. To see Observations of the last few years, follow the pages below. As always, thanks for reading.

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