New Fire Truck Seen for City

A toy fire truck under the Christmas tree is always a thrill for a young boy.  So too is the Christmas announcement of a new (real) fire truck to Winnfield’s Fire Department.  The acquisition will not only help the department protect properties but will also maintain the city’s good fire rating to keep insurance costs down for homeowners and businesses.

Timing of the purchase was fortuitous, Asst. Chief Cassidy Martin indicated.  The city’s fleet stands at four pumper trucks and one each ladder truck, reserve ladder truck, rescue truck and heavy rescue truck for natural disasters.  This is sufficient to maintain the city’s Class 3 rating with Property Insurance of Louisiana.

Unfortunately, one of the pumpers is aged, in service since 1976, “and parts have been harder and harder to find,” said Martin.  “That pumper is currently down because we can’t get the necessary repair part.  Then in October, one of our vendors, Delta Fire out of Eunice, came by and told us of two trucks that were just coming off the line and one was already in Louisiana.  This was good news because if we just ordered a new truck, delivery from the South Dakota factory would take two to three years.  We were very interested, even lucky.”

The Winnfield City Council moved to purchase the 2023 Spartan Pumper Truck (capacity 1,000 gallons with a pumping rate of 1,500 gpm) during its November meeting and took action on the financing through Government Capital during its December meeting.  Delivery here could be as early as February but March is more likely, Martin said.  He reported that he had traveled to see the truck personally and shared photos with council members.  

The city’s trained force of firefighters is another part of the rating picture and is on target with 10 fulltime including the chief, four parttime and 20 volunteers. 

“It is our dedicated employees and a strict maintenance program that allows us to keep our trucks in active service for so long,” says Chief Brian Montgomery.  “It’s been some 13 years since we purchased a new one.  That is possible because our team of employees at the fire department is as conscientious and dedicated as they are.  They take their job seriously of protecting this community.

 “We’re excited about the new pumper,” Montgomery went on.  “We appreciate the mayor and council for their support.  When it arrives, we plan to continue the long tradition of initiating the new truck with community involvement in a kind of open house.  We will announce details when the time comes.”

---

The Winnfield City Council took action December 12 revising its code of ordinance that regulate peddling, selling and similar pursuits on the city’s curbs, sidewalks and streets.

More descriptive wording of the title of Ordinance No. 9 details “the sale, vending, hawking and peddling of foods, goods, wares and merchandise on the curbs, sidewalks or streets from trucks, stands or in any other manner within the city limits” as being punishable under existing city code.

But the new ordinance provides certain exceptions.

The first states that food trucks or any other manner of sale that is operated by owners on their own property may operate with an occupational license until 10 p.m.

The second allowance is extended to vendors who are associated with Uncle Earl’s Hog Dog Trials and operated on the Winnfield Fairgrounds or the Rodeo Arena property.

The third exemption is given to vendors that operate in the Winnfield Food Truck area known as “The Stump” near the Post Office.

The matter was introduced during the November meeting of the council when a concern was raised on the issue of local fees charged in comparison to fees in surrounding communities.

 

---

Information Curtesy of Winn Parish Fire District 3


As of Tuesday, December 12th, local firefighter and family man Dustin Parker was promoted to the position of Fire Chief of the department. Parker began his career as a volunteer in Febuary 25th, 2003. Following some years later in August of 2014 he became a Full Time Firefighter/Operator within the district. Now, he will lead the entire department moving forward. From all of the employees and volunteers from Winn Parish Fire District 3 we want to say congratulations on your promotion and are looking forward to what you do with the department and within the community. 

---

The congregation of Christ Wesleyan Fellowship invites the community to worship with them on Christmas Eve during a 5 p.m. service.  

A traditional service of lessons and carols will be followed by the sacrament of Holy Communion and the lighting of candles at the conclusion of the service.  All are invited to come celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  

Christ Wesleyan Fellowship is a Global Methodist Church and meets at First Presbyterian Church, 302 South Beville Street.

---

The Kiwanis Club of Winnfield has just completed its annual “Toys for Kids” drive and some 340 packages of gifts for youngsters ages 2 through 10 were picked up by parents to be placed under the tree Christmas morning.

“We keep pushing through, striving to allow each child in our community to have that Christmas Day smile on their face,” said Kiwanis member Rita James.  “It’s been a difficult year in the area of funding as we didn’t receive some of the grants we’ve enjoyed in the past.  Bu public support has been wonderful.”

While the Toys for Kids program which targets needs-based children has been going here in Winnfield for nearly 30 years, the December 2023 distribution marks the 9th year that Kiwanis has carried the torch.

While funding is tight, Mrs. James says she employs a thrift-shopping strategy by keeping an eye out for bargain buys throughout the year to get the most bang for the buck for the children.  “Our toys are educational, fun and age-appropriate,” she said, “always with some reliable standards like books and balls.”

This year, Kiwanis was fortunate to have a starting balance of about $5,000, donations between $3,000 and $4,000 and a boot drive that brought in $9,000 to purchase the gifts for the children.  Kiwanians gathered to assemble the bags for each specific child.  Then on December 11 and 12, adults came to pick up the bags for Christmas distribution.

Nothing is ever wasted, Mrs. James assured.  Gift bags that are unclaimed are donated to the local CASA program.  With this drive under their belt, Kiwanis is already looking forward to Christmas 2024.  Anyone wishing to give that effort a jump start may send donations to Kiwanis Toys for Kids, PO Box 205, Winnfield LA, 71483.

---

(With Christmas 2023 here, I’d like to share a portion of one of the chapters in my new book, “Bamboozled By A Bobcat” regarding what Christmas was like during my growing up years in Goldonna.)

“Christmas at my house growing up. Man, what special memories. I think it all started with a trip our family took to the woods out back to find a Christmas tree. It was not easy to find one perfectly shaped. One side would look good, but the back side was skimpy because of growing next to a big tree.

“No problem. Mother would just set the tree in the corner and turn the skimpy side to the wall. Decorations were simple – red roping, icicles, a few colored balls. No lights for one simple reason – electricity had not made its way to Goldonna during the early years of my growing up.

“Another favorite memory are the smells that came from my mama’s kitchen – wood duck roasting in a cast iron pot, gravy dark and rich, cornbread dressing, a hen, not a turkey, roasting. We never had turkey growing up, but no problem, we were catching a chicken from the yard, wringing the neck, and scalding it.

“Desserts? Oh my! Chocolate pie, pecan pie and my all-time favorite, applesauce cake. Even today, my wife Kay and my daughter, Cathy, make me an applesauce cake for Christmas. It just wouldn’t be Christmas without it.

“The night before Christmas, Tom and I would go over from our house on one hill to the next hill where our cousins, Doug and Sambo, lived. We’d build a big bonfire and shoot 

fireworks. I especially remember those big red two-inch firecrackers that could remove a finger if handled carelessly.

“After fireworks, it was off to bed, but sleep was not easy to come by because I couldn’t help thinking about what I might find under the tree the next morning. Tom and I would often wake up and jump out of bed long before daylight to see what was under the tree, and I was never disappointed.

“We didn’t get the fancy stuff kids get today but a BB gun, toy truck, hard candy, apple and orange, and maybe a board game.

“My most memorable gift was when we were really small and we each got a pedal car. Daddy had found them somewhere, maybe in somebody’s garbage, but he brought them home, hammered out the dents and gave them a shiny coat of blue paint. I guarantee you no brand-new, store-bought pedal car would come close to providing the thrill we got when we saw those blue cars under the tree.

“Probably my favorite Christmas memory was when it came time to sit down for the noon meal Mother had prepared. Before we sat down, she prepared a tray with everything we were about to enjoy, and the whole family would walk through the pine thicket to the home of an old couple and share our food with them. Otherwise they would not have had such a fine meal.

“It taught me something that has stuck with me all my life, and that is the joy of giving. What sticks out in my mind the most is the lesson it taught us kids as Mother and Daddy used the occasion to remind us about the greatest gift ever given when God sent his son Jesus Christ to Earth to show us how to live and then to die and take the penalty of our sins on himself.

“Though our faith in what He did, we have the promise of life everlasting in His presence when our days on Earth are ended.”

Having said that, I’d like to wish my readers and listeners your very best Christmas ever. 

---

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation or arrested and charged with a crime have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

---

This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation or arrested and charged with a crime have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

---

Barbara Nell Jones
July 1, 1950 – December 16, 2023
Service: Tuesday, December 26, 2023, 11am at Southern Funeral Home, Winnfield

Carolyn Jean Griffin
June 2, 1950 – December 14, 2023
Service: Held on Monday, December 18, 2023, 11am at the Calvin Baptist Church, Calvin.

Winn Parish District Attorney Chris Nevils and District Judge Anastasia Wiley met with the Police Jury during their Nov. 29 session to propose an agreement for disbursement of settlement funds that will be paid to the parish for years to come due to a suit heard in New York pertaining to opioid painkillers sold by pharmaceutical companies.

Initial figures indicate that the Police Jury will receive about $40,000 to $45,000 annually over the next 18 years, with that total to be shared 50/50 between the offices of the District Judge and District Attorney.  Additionally, about $10,000 will go directly to the Sheriff’s Office.  The nationwide settlements were reached in 2021 and the parish has recently received the funds for the first two years.

Nevils explained that the DA’s Office has traditionally worked to get drug-dependent offenders (not dealers) a way of treatment rather than straight incarceration what doesn’t help the problem.  They try hard especially in cases of juveniles and with families in need.  An example he gave might be sentencing to a program of counseling rather than traditional jail time.

“We haven’t had funding for this in the past,” he said, suggesting that it’s had to come out of his available revenues.  “This will give us some compensation.  It could also be seen as a hedge against inflation if we don’t have to ask the Police Jury for more the funding.  It will greatly expand our resources and could help us keep some out of jail thus more productive in society.”

The proposal is for the jury to approve an agreement allowing their office to disburse funds to the offices of the judge or DA as needed rather than those offices needing to request then required special action from the parish each time.  “We don’t want to build too big a program at the start.  We are not for sure how long it will last.  While it’s set for 18 years, some companies might go bankrupt.”

Wiley gave her “ditto” to Nevils’ presentation.  She acknowledged that we have a local drug problem.  We also have a local treatment problem, she indicated, calling Winn a “desert” of drug treatment possibilities currently.  With the court sentencing, “it’s not up to us to pick which treatment facility.”  One idea if other districts would agree would be a multi-parish agreement wherein they would pool resources to hire a qualified counselor to serve the districts on a rotating basis.

She added that some of that funding could be used for effective drug testing which could include qualified personnel to administer that testing.  She said sometimes individuals come into her courtroom appearing somewhat questionable.  “Before I rule to let someone take a young child home with them, I want to ensure they’re not on drugs.”

---

The Winn Parish Library, in a special holiday screening on Family Movie Night on Monday, Dec. 18, will feature “The Polar Express” at its Main Branch in Winnfield beginning at 5:30 p.m.

As part of its promotional material for the movie now considered a holiday classic, the library selected a quotation from the conductor aboard the Polar Express when he said, “Seeing is Believing. But sometimes, the most real things in the world are the things we can’t see.”

The public is invited to enjoy the 5:30 p.m. presentation this Monday.

---

 

In Winnfield’s 2023 Christmas Parade just held, Carolyn Phillips was names as Grand Marshal.  In fact, every year a Grand Marshal is announced, usually an individual but sometimes a pair and occasionally a group.  On the topic of Grand Marshals, longtime Kiwanis Club member Dr. Bill Gaddis has tracked the honorees since the (most recent) turn of the century and shared that with the Winn Parish Journal.  Following are those findings:

2000 Rudolph Foster & Peck Martin

2001 Rev. Ray Teal & Dr. Calvin Phelps

2002 Dhale & Eugene Love

2003 Coach Delores Carter

2004 Veterans & Kiwanians Dr. Jack Evans, Dr. Jerry Williams & Bill Flournoy

2005 Troops Returning from Iraq Red, White & Blue

2006 Barbara Clark & Etoy Ashley

2007 Helen D. Cole and Dr. Raymond Collier

2008 Moppy Harrell and Julius Mercer

2009 Helen Malloy & Tracy L. Harrel

2010 Jane Purser and Family of Rev. Tommy Hamms

2011 World War II Veterans; WSHS Tigers Football & Lady Tigers Basketball teams

2012 Judge Jim Wiley & Grand Matron Bessie Nelson

2013 Peggy Jordan

2014 Puckett & Rose Willis

2015 Mrs. Margie Price

2016 Law Enforcement Agencies

2017 Katherine Grantadams

2018 Superintendent of Schools and Six Principals

2019 Dr. Bill Gaddis

2020 No Parade (COVID)

2021 Steve Vines

2022 Winn Community Food Pantry

2023 Carolyn Phillips

 

---

by Lt. Charles Curry

The 16th annual Shop with a Cop was considered a total success on Saturday.  Even the weather cooperated, and the rain held off until well after the festivities.  It felt as if the entire community became participants as the number of children given a better outlook on Christmas surpassed the goal and provided a Christmas for 120 kids.

The name of the program should be changed, as the kids were assisted in their shopping by an entire community that in addition to police officers, included firemen, mayor, council members, police jury members, secretaries, jailers, 911 dispatchers, city hall employees, and Walmart associates.  A special visitor included the Grinch himself who made an appearance to welcome the kids to the local Walmart Store after they had paraded through town riding fire trucks, police cars and special service vehicles.

The smiles of the children made for a happy day for all involved.  We were especially thrilled by the coverage of the event by local news media that included the Winn Parish Journal and TV8 KNOE news.  From the community of Winnfield who made this day possible, we wish all a Merry Christmas.

---

Margaret Coon, Sherry Potts and Mary Lou Blackley spoke to Winnfield’s Rotary Club on December 6 and to Winnfield’s Kiwanis Club on December 12 about highlights of their recent trip to Australia. It is said that the British began to populate the Australian continent by exiling its convicts there in the late 1700’s and early 1800’s after the American Revolution led to formation of the United States, which was unwilling to receive British exiles. In those days, it took eight months to reach Australia from western Europe, as compared to about 22 hours by jet today.

The group began their visit to Australia in Sydney, Australia’s largest city of about five and a half million people, where they saw the city from the Sydney Tower Eye, the second tallest observation tower in the southern hemisphere, standing 1,014 feet above the ground. Highlights of the time in Sydney included tours of the city by bus and boat. 

The trip included visits to the Australian outback, where they saw the iconic Ayres Rock, now known by its aboriginal name, Uluru, as well as other domed rock formations called Kata Tjuta. From there, they traveled to Alice Springs, which they toured the West MacDonnell Mountain Ranges, stopping to walk trails featuring several beautiful water holes, most of which are open to swimming.

The group next flew to Darwin, capital city of the Northern Territory, where most of its residents live, located on the northern coast of Australia. They visited a wildlife refuge as well as Litchfield National Park, home to hundreds of huge termite mounds, gorgeous waterfalls, and swimming holes. 

From Darwin the group flew to Cairns, a city on the tropical northeast coast in the state of Queensland, where their jaunts included a daylong boat trip for snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef and a tour of the Daintree Rainforest, part of a larger area of tropical rainforest in the Queensland Territory.

The final stop on the group’s whirlwind tour of Australia was the city of Melbourne located on the southeastern coast with a population of about five million people, and the capital city of the territory of Victoria. A tour of hidden attractions of Melbourne revealed street art in several lanes and alleys of the city, as well as sidewalk entertainment licensed by the city to perform in certain locations at certain times of day. Melbourne is also the location of Australia’s Federation Square where the several colonies of the Australian continent came together to form the nation of Australia.

While the group was in Australia for 17 days, that was not long enough to see other areas of interest in the country, such as Brisbane and the country’s capital city of Canberra. Nevertheless, they saw more of Australia on this adventure than most native Australians have seen.

---