The Winn chapter of Whitetails Unlimited is hosting its annual banquet Friday, March 4, 2022, at the Winnfield Civic Center located at 2000 Jones St., Winnfield, LA 71483. 

This fundraising event will include a dinner, auction, and prizes with various products such as firearms, outfitter packages, hunting and outdoor-related equipment, artwork, and collectibles only available at WTU events.

Tickets -$40 single, $20 spouse or child (15 & under). Tickets at the door will be $50 single or $25 spouse/child. Table sponsorships are still available.

Tables are still available. For ticket information contact Dan Taylor 318-451-0456, Brandon Dubois 318-278-0675, or Elvis Phillips 318-355-1964.

March 3rd & 4th from 9 AM – 5 PM is the Dugdemona Soil & Water Conservation District’s (DSWCD) Annual Conservation Tree & Shrub Sale. The sale is located on Hwy 167 South next to the old Sonic location in Winnfield, LA.

The District Tree and Shrub Sale is DSWCD’s largest fund-raising event of the year. All donations and proceeds from this event directly benefit our community by helping sponsor area projects such as Feral Hog Control Program, Forestry Awareness, and Restoration of Wildlife Habitats.

This year’s sale includes many different types of trees and shrubs including: fruit trees (apple, peach, pear, plum, blackberry, thornless blackberry, avocado and more), satsuma trees, lemon trees, Kimberly queen fern, dogwoods, sweet olives, native azaleas, Jane magnolia, mayhaw and many more. If you are looking for something specific not listed or would like to pre-order call (318) 628-4438 or email dugdemonaswcd@dugdemonaswcd.com. 

Established in the 1930’s the DSWCD is an organization with a mission to help promote conservation of natural resources through stewardship and education. The District hosts different projects each year to help people of Winn, Jackson and Caldwell Parishes understand how to put conservation on the ground and to better educate students about conservation.  

Without sponsors who recognize the importance of investing in conservation, education of our students and improving our communities, this event and events like it would not be possible. 

Thank you to this year’s sponsors:

Bank of Winnfield
Sabine State Bank
Hunt Forest Products
Hubbard Logging
Winn Parish Journal
LaSalle Lumber Company
ForestLand Associates
McGriff Insurance
Pharmacy Services
Grace Winns Food Truck

If you are interested in becoming a sponsor contact DSWCD at (318)628-4438 or dugdemonaswcd@dugdemonaswcd.com. All sponsors will be listed on the District Facebook Page: Dugdemona SWCD, flyers, newspaper releases, and brochures. Levels of sponsorship are Platinum Sponsor $350, Gold Sponsor $250, Silver Sponsor $150, and Bronze Sponsor $100.

The Kisatchie National Forest (KNF) will soon be filling an Engineering Technician position on the Winn Ranger District, located in beautiful Winnfield, Louisiana. The salary for this position ranges from $44,740 to 71,146.  The position will be advertised on www.usajobs.gov.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The Engineering Technician position serves under the supervision of the Winn District Timber Management Assistant.

The incumbent will provide engineering transportation system and recreation/unit facility maintenance and management services focused on the Winn Ranger District, as well as assisting other units on Kisatchie National Forest as needed. The position assesses, plans and organizes the Districts’ road maintenance, road repairs, road emergencies, and looks out for the safety and economic efficiency of the road system. This is an office and field going position.  Office work includes issuing, tracking and terminating road use permits, planning and coordinating annual road maintenance work, leading travel analysis for interdisciplinary planning projects, preparing NEPA reports, preparing timber sale road appraisals, recording accomplishments, and assisting with maintenance of the database of record (INFRA) for the transportation system.  This person is also responsible for maintaining Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR) certifications to administer service contracts and receipting completed invoices through the current FS accounting database.  It is recommended the incumbent work toward acquiring an Engineering Representative certification.  The incumbent should be familiar with ArcGIS, CAD and GPS applications. 

Field work includes recreation/unit facility maintenance, road maintenance, contract administration, water system operation/maintenance, site assessments for needed maintenance or resource protection, evaluation and mitigation of road hazards, and installation and maintenance of road signs.  This position requires the incumbent to be able to both walk and drive on rough terrain.  This person should be able to carry survey equipment, signposts and sign drivers (approximately 20 lbs.).  This position will also be responsible for facility inspections, have basic knowledge of electrical, water, septic and building systems, maintaining OSHA standards and the upkeep of required facility database of record (INFRA).

ABOUT THE FOREST AND DISTRICT:

The Kisatchie National Forest is Louisiana’s only National Forest and was established in June 1930.  It is comprised of over 600,000 acres and is located in central and northern Louisiana and is divided into five Ranger Districts.  The Supervisor’s Office is located in Pineville at the Alexandria Forestry Center and is one of the unique locations where the National Forest System, Forest Health, and Research are located together at one integrated facility. The Kisatchie is a diverse forest with bayous, prairies, bottomland hardwoods and upland pine forest types.  The terrain across the forest is flat to gently rolling hills, with maximum elevations of approximately 400 feet MSL.  The weather is temperate; summers are hot and humid and the winters are cool and mild.  Temperature ranges include a few days in the 20’s during the winter months, but usually remain in the mid 30 to 40-degree range, while the summer months may be in excess of 95 degrees with high humidity.  The average annual rainfall is approximately 45 inches per year. 

The Winn Ranger District consists of approximately 165,000 acres in Winn, Grant, and Natchitoches Parishes located near Winnfield, Louisiana.  The District has an active timber sale program of approximately 40,000 CCF per year, a prescribe burning program of about 25,000 acres per year, and an active wildlife program which is involved in the restoration of the endangered Red-cockaded Woodpecker.  The District shares management of the National Catahoula Wildlife Management Preserve with the Catahoula RD.  The Recreation program includes both developed and primitive campgrounds, horse and hiking trails, and canoeing on the Saline Bayou National Wild & Scenic River. 

For more information about the Kisatchie National Forest and the Winn Ranger District visit the Forest web site at: www.fs.fed.us/r8/kisatchie/.

 ABOUT THE FOREST AND DISTRICT:

The city of Winnfield is located approximately 45 miles north of the Pineville/Alexandria metro area (Pop. 50,000) and 35 miles east of Natchitoches (Pop. 18,000) which is the oldest settlement in Louisiana. 

Winnfield has a population of approximately 6,500 with an estimated 17,000 living in Winn Parish which is known for its interesting political history and local festivals.  It is a full-service community with a library, local newspaper, hospital, several doctors, dentist, pharmacies, ambulance service, two banks, and numerous churches of varying denominations.  There are three grocery stores, a Super Wal-Mart, and several motels/bed & breakfast, restaurants, and fast food establishments.  The city is served by its own fire department while a volunteer fire department services the parish.

There is a parish-wide school system with schools located in outlying communities as well as Winnfield.  Numerous school activities are available in various academic clubs, band and athletics. There a four (4) universities within an hour’s drive of Winnfield.  The Central Louisiana Technical College has a branch location in Winnfield.

Local Dixie Youth Softball, Little League Baseball, and adult softball are sponsored during the summer months with Youth football and basketball scheduled during the fall and winter months by the city recreation department.  Outdoor opportunities include hiking, boating and water skiing, camping, canoeing, and horseback riding.  Louisiana is known as the “Sportsman’s Paradise”, and the surrounding area has an abundance of hunting and fishing opportunities.  Numerous festivals may be found most any time of the year including the Louisiana Forest Festival and Uncle Earl’s Hog Dog Trials in Winnfield, the Louisiana Pecan Festival in Colfax, and the Natchitoches Christmas Festival.  Additional information can be found at web site:  http://www.cityofwinnfield.com.

If you have any questions about the position, please contact Brad Cooper, Winn District Ranger, at 318-628-4664, or by email at bradley.cooper@usda.gov.

In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.) should contact the responsible Agency or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English.

To file a program discrimination complaint, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, AD-3027, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html and at any USDA office or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your completed form or letter to USDA by: (1) mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; (2) fax: (202) 690-7442; or (3) email: program.intake@usda.gov.

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WINN:
Louie Randall Creel
August 22, 1968 – February 22, 2022
Service: Saturday, February 26 at 3 pm at Southern Funeral Home

Linda Ann Wendt
September 13, 1940 – February 21, 2022
Service: Sunday, February 27 at 2:30 pm at New Hope Cemetery

Donald Leroy Tarver
June 12, 1930 – February 12, 2022
Service: Monday, February 28 at 12 pm

Phillip Matthew Allen
September 06, 1958 – February 21, 2022
Service: Saturday, February 26 at 1pm at Southern Funeral Home in Winnfield

Susan D. Hemphill
January 31, 1952 – February 19, 2022
Service: Friday, February 25 at 12 pm at Southern Funeral Home

NATCHITOCHES:
Mary Louise Bobbitt Brasher
September 8, 1930 – February 15, 2022
Per her wishes, a private family interment will be held at her parents’ cemetery plots at Memory Lawn in Natchitoches.

Christopher Michael Payne
November 25, 1971 – February 18, 2022
Visitation: Saturday, February 26 from 9-10:30 am with the rosary at 10:30 am at St. Anthony Padua Roman Catholic Church, located at 911 5th Street in Natchitoches
Service: Saturday, February 26 at 11 am at St. Anthony Padua Roman Catholic Church

Herbert John Bayoune
April 22, 1939 – February 20, 2022
Service: Friday, February 25 at 10 am at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church

SABINE:
Theddie Ray Miller of Florien, Louisiana
April 10, 1936 – February 20, 2022
Service: Saturday, February 26 at 1 pm at Pleasant Hill Baptist Church

RED RIVER:
James Winfred Bumgardner
March 10, 1937 – February 23, 2022
Service: Sunday, February 27 at 2 pm at Ashland Baptist Church

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As we all know, the city has had issues with the stoplights on Main Street for quite some time. These lights are antiques, and parts are almost impossible to find. I want everyone to be aware that this has been a frustrating issue that we have been working on for three years.

When the circuit boards that control the lights began to short out, the lights would blink yellow and red and this created confusion and almost caused several accidents.

We were finally able to make four-way stops, and this did help the matter. The city considered the possibility of replacing our “antique” lights with new stoplights only to discover that it would cost Winnfield $150,000 per light. Therefore, that was just not a cost-effective solution.

We have finally found an electric firm that can rebuild the circuit boxes to repair our current stoplights. That is what is going on right now and why the lights are out and not even blinking.

I do not have a timeline as to when the electric firm will have the circuit boards completed, but it will be very soon.

I appreciate your patience,

Mayor, George Moss

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Lee J. Taylor, a Rotarian recently returned home to Winn Parish from New Orleans where he provided contract policing for the Children’s Hospital in New Orleans as well as other institutions and businesses for several months in the aftermath of Hurricane Ida, was the speaker for the Winnfield Rotary Club
meeting on February 16, 2022.

Mr. Taylor was introduced by Winnfield Rotary President, Jodi Taylor. Lee J is a 1994 graduate of Winnfield Senior High School. After graduation, he attended the University of Louisiana at Monroe, and then went to work for the Monroe Police Department. He served as a patrol officer, mounted patrol officer and on
the SWAT (Special Weapons and Tactics) team. Taylor currently operates a private security company, Fidelis Protective Services, providing off duty police officers for various emergency security operations across the country.

Taylor explained that he first became aware of the need for emergency security services in Louisiana after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans and he went to assist local police with all kinds of services needed in post-hurricane and flood situations. This experience changed his outlook on the need for supplemental
policing and security services during natural disaster emergencies. Since that time, he has responded in various emergency situations around the state. 

In 2017, Mr. Taylor started his security contracting business, Fidelis, which provides security and law enforcement services in emergency situations. When a state of emergency has been declared in a particular area, regularly-employed police officers can be temporarily deployed to the area of emergency and have the same authority throughout the state, including the power of arrest. An officer who can take vacation may deploy to a disaster area for one week and make as much in that week as in one month at the regular job.

Taylor also provides security for the Weather Channel personnel reporting live in natural disaster areas.
When Hurricane Laura hit the Lake Charles area in 2019, Taylor was in Lake Charles by the evening of the first day, providing security for the building where the vault securing all money from Lake Charles casinos is located. He and other officers remained in that location for three weeks, and then provided security as
all the money, both coins and cash, was moved to another location.

In the most recent hurricane to hit Louisiana, Hurricane Ida, Taylor was with the Weather Channel personnel on Canal Street in New Orleans during the storm. In the aftermath of the storm, security services were needed by Children’s Hospital as well as at other locations throughout New Orleans. No electricity was available in New Orleans for the first nine days after the storm. All in all, his business provided 68 temporary officers throughout the New Orleans area after Hurricane Ida. They were from diverse places such as Winnfield, Alexandria, Shreveport, Dallas and Memphis. So much security was needed that Lee J needed someone else there to be on the telephone and computer coordinating personnel and records, and his wife Jodi spent the next several months in New Orleans as well. In the height of the emergency, Fidelis officers were stationed at about 40 different locations throughout the New Orleans area. As time went on and the situation became more normal throughout the city, the number of officers required gradually decreased over several months, but Taylor and his wife were not able to return home to Calvin until the end of January of this year.

The hospital has its own team of police officers, and Lee J’s team supplemented their police force on its campuses. The public probably cannot imagine all the occurrences on the hospital grounds that call for security policing.

One such example was when he received a call from the head of hospital security to respond to a call alleging that people were smoking pot on campus. He discovered the offenders were two hospital employees, and he was able, fortunately for the employees, to handle the matter without arresting the
individuals involved.

The Children’s Hospital provided housing for all 68 of his personnel in New Orleans in the old Behavioral Health section of the hospital, which has not been occupied by any patients for some time. He admitted the place was “spooky,” and reputed to be haunted, although he didn’t detect any issues until the number of persons staying there dwindled down to just a few. It was only then that he personally experienced events causing him to think there might be something to the rumors.

Taylor foresees an increasing need for this type of domestic security police contracting in the future. For example, New Orleans Police Department usually runs with about 1800 officers at a time, and currently has only 1200. Thus, supplemental security is needed for the Mardi Gras season. With the number of
officers down in many police departments, this will be the case for special events in many different places.

The advantages of commissioned police officers providing contract security over security guards are the higher level of training and experience, and the authority of the police. A police officer on temporary security duty has the authority to make an arrest, whereas the security guard must call the police for
such a situation.

Taylor’s services were also summoned in the aftermath of the recent tornadoes in Kentucky to provide off-duty officers to assist in that emergency situation.

After Lee J answered all audience questions, the meeting was adjourned with the Rotary motto, “Service above self!”

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The application deadline for AHEC of a Summer and M.A.S.H. Summer programs is Tuesday, March 1^st. Students are encouraged to get their applications submitted before Mardi Gras/winter break. All program applications are available online at www.clahec.org.

 Please note the required ACT score for the M.A.S.H program has changed to 19 per LSUA.

 *Per Winn Parish Medical Center any student participating in AHEC of Summer must be vaccinated before the start of the program OR complete an exemption form. Students who are interested in applying for AHEC of a Summer are encouraged to get their exemptions forms submitted directly to krystal.rachal@clahec.org as soon as possible so required paperwork can be submitted to the hospital.

Which program should I apply for?

Which program is right for me?

 AHEC of a Summer

• Fifteen-Day Hospital Volunteer Program to be held in June 2022 (typically the first 3 weeks, Monday-Friday).
• Available to students completing grades 9-11 who have a minimum cumulative 2.0 GPA.
• Participants rotate through different departments in local hospitals and medical facilities and attend workshops and field trips to gain insight into the varied occupations available in healthcare.
• Upon completion of this program, students earn 1/2 unit of high school elective credit, CPR Certification, and 105 hours of volunteer credit.
• Available at no charge to participants. APPLICATION DEADLINE:  MARCH 1, 2022

 MASH

• Two week (10 days) summer program to be held in June 2021
• Available to students completing grades 11-12 who have a minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA (must have completed previous AHEC program).
• Participants learn about the connections between science and healthcare through role playing scenarios, case studies, lab exercises, crime scenes, and malpractice trials.
• Activities include blood typing, DNA extraction, forensics, and facial reconstruction and more.
• This program is worth 3 hours of college credit.
• Available at no charge to participants. APPLICATION DEADLINE:  MARCH 1, 2022

Download Exemption Form  and Program Informational Flyer below 

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Date: 2-16-22
Name: Allie Joyce Wilkerson
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 50
Charge: Distribution

Date: 2-17-22
Name: Lakeda Hamilton
Address: Campti, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Female
Age: 24
Charge: Failure to appear

Date: 2-17-22
Name: Ryley Desadier
Address: Goldonna, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female
Age: 19
Charge: Obstructing Public Passages, Drug Possession

Date: 2-18-22
Name: Charles Andrew Prine
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Male
Age: 43
Charge: Violating Protective Order

Date: 2-18-22
Name: Kendrick Dean Rachal
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 40
Charge: Theft

Date: 2-18-22
Name: Christy LaRae Jordon
Address: Winnfield, LA
Race: White
Sex: Female
Age: 44
Charge: Failure to appear

Date: 2-22-22
Name: Lonnie J Williams Jr.
Address: Natchitoches, LA
Race: Black
Sex: Male
Age: 60
Charge: Second DWI, Operating a vehicle with a suspended license, Impossible lane use, Expired motor vehicle insurance

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While many people experience acute sinus infections at some point in their lives, most sinus issues come and go without the need for medical care. However, chronic sinusitis that lasts for several weeks requires a trip to the doctor.

What happens for people with chronic sinusitis is that mucous does not drain the way it should resulting in a myriad of symptoms. There are four sinus cavities: one below each eye in the cheek area near the nose, in between the eyes, in the middle of the head, and one above each eyebrow. When these cavities become inflamed, swollen, or infected, patients can experience the following:

·       Stuffy nose
·       Pain or swelling in the cheeks, eyes, forehead, jaws, or across the nose
·       Thick mucus discharge that tends to be gray or yellowish in color
·       Sore throats and coughing caused from the mucous running down the back of the throat
·       Bad breath
·       Ear pain
·       Headaches
·       Tooth pain
·       Jaw pain

“There can be many causes of chronic sinusitis including a persistent infection, nasal polyps, and other structural issues, so it is important to be seen” explained Dr. Lauren Anderson, Board Certified Otolaryngologist with NRMC Ear, Nose & Throat Associates. “After examining patients and listening to their history with sinus issues, and if needed getting CT of the sinuses or other tests, we can offer treatment options for chronic sinusitis and help people get well.

Some patients are candidates for Balloon Sinuplasty which is a minimally invasive procedure for the treatment of sinusitis. Using endoscopy, Dr. Anderson places a small catheter into the blocked sinuses and then inflates it which helps reposition the structures in the sinus cavities. Once opened, the sinus drains and functions properly. The entire procedure is done through the nostrils, often eliminating the need for bone or tissue removal or surgery.

“Most patients see results in a very short period of time,” Dr. Anderson noted. “Being able to breathe through their noses is a great outcome. What matters most is that we want to get the sinuses healthy again. My goal is to correct the drainage issues which contribute to chronic infections and inflammation.”

 Dr. Anderson also helps patients with allergy issues which can contribute to bouts of acute sinusitis and other respiratory issues. The most common symptoms include ongoing sneezing, coughs, earaches, and watery eyes. “We treat a lot of people for allergic rhinitis.  Commonly called hay fever, this issue is common especially in the fall and spring months. Grasses, pollens, trees and even flowers can trigger an allergic response, so we help patients understand their allergies and try to help them get some relief,” Dr. Anderson explained.

 For more information, call 318.214.5770

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By: Brad Dison

Sam was born in Missouri in 1835, the sixth of seven children.  His father, John, was an attorney and judge in Hannibal during Sam’s childhood.  In 1847, when Sam was 11-years-old, his father died “after a protracted and painful illness,” which was later revealed as pneumonia.  In the following year, Sam quit school and went to work for the Hannibal Journal, a newspaper owned by his older brother Orion.

Beginning in 1859, newspapers reported the discovery of the Comstock Lode, a rich gold and silver ore deposit located in the Virginia mountain range in Virginia city, Nevada.  The Comstock Lode was the first major discovery of silver ore in the United States.  News of the find quickly spread across America and beyond.  It created an excitement reminiscence of the California Gold Rush ten years earlier.  Droves of prospectors flocked to Virginia City to make their fortune.  The population quickly rose from a few hundred and peaked at around 25,000 residents.  Businesses in Virginia City flourished and new businesses opened seemingly overnight with much success. 

In March of 1861, during a two-hour Executive session, the Senate confirmed numerous nominations for office including Orion’s nomination as the Secretary of the Nevada Territory.  Orion’s appointment required him to move to Nevada.  Rather than going alone, Orion and Sam decided to move to Nevada together.  As Secretary, Orion would work under Nevada’s governor, James W. Nye, and Sam planned to make his fortune as a prospector in the gold and silver mines.  It would be an adventure. 

Sam and Orion gathered their belongings and began the journey to Nevada.  For more than two weeks, Orion and Sam rode in a dusty, bumpy, and swaying Concord stagecoach.  Rather than a hard iron suspension, the Concord stagecoach had an improved suspension system which employed leather straps to produce a swinging motion when the coach was in motion.  Sam later described the ride on the Concord stagecoach as being like “a cradle on wheels.”  Another Concord stagecoach traveler described a “ride [which] will always live in my memory – but not for its beauty spots.”  He and the other passengers were “jammed like sardines on the hard seats.”  When traveling over rough terrain which required the stagecoach to creep along at a snail’s pace, the passengers would get out of the coach and “foot it” for relaxation.   The coachman made frequent stops to exchange horses with fresh ones and the closer they got to Nevada, the more stories they heard about minors becoming wealthy.  They trekked over 1700 miles from the Great Plains, over the Rocky Mountains, through Salt Lake City, and eventually arrived at the boomtown of Virginia City. 

Almost immediately, Sam began working to unearth his fortune.  He toiled for months at the backbreaking labor but never found his fortune.  Unlike a lot of prospectors who continued searching in almost a maniacal fashion, Sam was smart enough to know that prospecting was not for him.  He needed a job.  His experience working for the newspaper owned by his brother enabled him to find employment at Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise newspaper.  Two years later, in 1865, Sam had his first significant success as a writer when he published “The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County.”  He wrote a book called “Roughing It” based on his experiences in the American West.  Sam is most well known for two books based on his own childhood entitled “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” and “Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.”  However, we know Sam under a different name.  It was in 1863, in Virginia City’s Territorial Enterprise, the job Sam took when his prospecting career failed, where Samuel Clemens first used his pen name, …Mark Twain.

 

Sources:

1.  Palmyra Weekly Whig (Palmyra, Missouri), April 1, 1847, p.3.

2.  The Daily Exchange (Baltimore, Maryland), March 29, 1861, p.3.

3.  Democrat and Chronicle (Rochester, New York), March 30, 1876, p.3.

4.  Reading Times (Reading, Pennsylvania), January 18, 1884, p.2.

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How we made it through Mardi Gras parades without them, only our excretory systems know for sure.

Those were archaic and tawdry times.

Today, we are more civilized out there on the parade highways and byways, all thanks to the upright and rectangular 3-D miracles of translucent roofs and vents, and the miraculous pairing of high-density aluminum and polyethylene.

They are no question the MVPs of the Mardi Gras parade season.

Most Valuable Potties.

Look at them, will you? Admire them. Lay flowers and rolls of toilet paper at their feet, which is probably a worn spot in the grass where quick-stepping, over-served revelers hurried to take advantage of their favors.

They are the figurative port in the storm. Or the literal Port-O-Let in the storm.

A mere few feet off the parade route, they stand there as silent sentries, loyal soldiers, dutiful and dependable, ready if called upon, available but not obvious.

On the streets and in our ’hood they go by names like “Honey Bucket” or “Porta-Loo” or “Johnny-on-the-Spot.” The business community that makes a living renting, servicing, and supplying these crucial devices to the Great Unwashed call them portable toilets or chemical toilets.

But the way most of us first came to appreciate them was when we heard the phrase “Port-o-Let” or “Port-a-Jon” or “Porta Potty.” It should come as no surprise that each starts with a “P.”

Poetic justice is served.

Hemingway said once that Paris is “a moveable feast.” Had the outhouse of his day been mobile, he’d have said the same thing of the Port-o-Let.

The street where I live is perpendicular to the four-lane that marks the end of the route of Shreveport-Bossier’s two largest parades. By largest, I mean a quarter-million of our closest friends turn out to enjoy what krewes have worked (and played) all year to assemble. There are smaller parades in town and in the area, but these two pulled in the most bladders.

Thus, the Potty Patrol is needed. Down that otherwise unassuming street that marks the parades’ end, these portable must-haves stand stately for a quarter mile, maybe a bit more. They are rented by people who have reserved “spots” along the route, and the envied contraptions will be picked up next week. But right now, they are assurance and insurance for the renters, who can sleep well, knowing that on The Big Day, help will be just one opening of a plastic door away.

If you didn’t rent one and you need to “go,” well, you’ll find out who your friends are come parade time. You think you’re No. 1 and might just find out that you’re No. 2.

Sad, but such is the human condition. There will come a time when relief is demanded for the laboring kidney, the anxious bladder, the suspect colon. Those who fail to prepare are prepared to fail, and this is the kind of failure that does not go quietly into that dark night.

When Mardi Gras in our area was new, in pre-Port-o-Let days of yore, the make-believe portable potty was a shrub, a shadowed tree, the side of an unassuming garage.

That was rural fare. Tacky. We’ve since come a long way.

Who could have known then that instead of going to the bathroom, the bathroom would one day come to us. And usually, not a second too soon.

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

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By: Royal Alexander

As the Canadian government takes increasingly authoritarian steps, it is learning that at a certain point, people are no longer going to tolerate their liberty being denied and stifled.

I have been fascinated to watch over the last several weeks the development of the situation involving Canadian truckers who resolutely refuse to be told what to do by their government. This coalition of truckers and their supporters, the Freedom Convoy, have vowed to stay in place until Canada drops all of its harsh Covid-19 mandates including a mandate that requires cross-border truckers to either get vaccinated or quarantine for two weeks upon returning to Canada. This standoff is definitely making a statement given that the bridge being blocked, one of the busiest border crossings in North America, supports roughly 30% of yearly two-way U.S.-Canada trade.

The gist of the issue is that the Freedom Convoy is comprised of people who may lose or be banned from their jobs because they haven’t complied with draconian vaccine mandates. Individuals who have been fired include volunteer firefighters, trash cleaners, and manual laborers because they wouldn’t show their vaccine cards even though most of them are vaccinated! It is clearly the principle of the matter to these truckers whose collective attitude is “we may choose to be vaccinated but you aren’t going to force us to.”

This resistance, we should note, comes on the heels of two years of daily life in Canada that’s had severe Covid restrictions imposed upon it—including curfews, heavy fines, total shutdowns of gyms and theaters, as well as restrictions on international travel. Canadian psychologist, writer, and professor, Jordan Peterson, recently called on Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to “open the damn country back up,” stating that his country is “becoming increasingly authoritarian.”

Now, in what many worldwide are deeming a vast overreaction to a peaceful protest, Prime Minister Trudeau has invoked the Emergencies Act (typically used in wartime) to silence this resistance to the COVID mandates. By invoking these powers against his own people, he has granted himself and his government broad power to shut down political speech in his own nation. Among other powers, it provides the Canadian government authority to force private companies to perform services, freeze bank accounts, and fine and incarcerate those in violation of its orders.

Trudeau has apparently refused to meet with the protesters, who have asked him to repeal the vaccine mandates and other harsh restrictions.

However, doing just the opposite, to block the efforts of this resistance, the Canadian government has employed several tactics, including confiscating the truckers’ fuel and directing GoFundMe to withhold nearly $10 million raised to support the Freedom Convoy. Further, news reports state that this past week an Ontario court ordered the U.S.-based Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo to freeze all access to the millions raised on its platform.

There are also reports that Canadian banks will receive the names of people involved in “Freedom Convoy” protests, serving as a first step in a promised financial crackdown on demonstrators. Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland has indicated that some accounts have already been frozen.

As the situation continues to escalate and the crackdown ramps up, there are news reports that Ottawa Police are clashing with truckers as they make mass arrests, including smashing in windows to forcefully remove individuals from vehicles. There are also reports of police snipers on rooftops. In one instance, dozens of brave peaceful protesters, many of whom are apparently veterans, stood their ground and refused to move as the wave of police officers bore down on them.

What we are seeing here is a classic and timeless example of people finally standing up and saying, “that’s enough.” It is a stark but necessary reminder that the final authority in a nation remains in the exact place it has always been—with the people.

What President Reagan warned about regarding America applies equally to the Leftist Canadian government of Trudeau: “America stands on four main values: Faith in God, Freedom of Speech, Family and Economic Freedom. If fascism ever comes to America, it will come in the name of liberalism.”

The regular, everyday people of Canada clearly cherish their freedoms and liberty and are simply not going to give them up. This incident reminds us yet again of the 10,000-year-old lesson that government must be tightly restrained, otherwise, by its inexorable nature, it usurps and crushes.

—
Royal Alexander

The views and opinions expressed in the My Opinion article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of The Winn Parish Journal. Any content provided by the authors is of their opinion and is not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, club, organization, company, individual or anyone or anything.

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