In an effort to fast-track improvements to the Dodson High School ball fields, the Winn Parish School Board in committee session Monday voted to retain the professional services of ETA Engineers to handle design and management for lighting in hopes of having work completed by baseball and softball seasons this spring.

Engineering fees will be $36,000 but the contracted construction portion is expected to be in the “$500,000 to $600,000 range.”  Some board members seemed stunned by the amount.  “Can’t we get somebody to dig holes and plant poles?” questioned Joe Llaine Long.  But she heard that hurricanes and ice storms over the past years have pushed insurance wind ratings further north and costs with them.  All work must be “up to code.”

The board had considered this matter at its regular meeting August 5, together with parking lot construction.  But fee costs and unresolved issues on the lot’s property halted board action then.  By separating the parking and lighting, work on the latter is expected to move ahead.

August 26 was planned as a Google Meet session with Jim Bowman from EMA’s Shreveport office.  But while a big screen was in place, the connection was unsuccessful and their exchange was handled over speaker phone.  Bowman explained, as the board questioned fees, that $31,000 is EMA’s development of an electrical grid, poles, lighting fixtures for the fields and lighting for a small portion of the parking lot.  The remaining $5,000 is for regular overseeing of construction “to ensure you’re getting what you’re paying for.”

Total cost of the work will hinge on specifics that the board may wish to include plus, of course, the contractor’s bid price, said Bowman.  To that end, EMA will make all efforts to get word out to contractors of this job possibility.  When plans are complete and board-approved, EMA will put out the bids and will be involved with the board in the acceptance process.  They’ll then regularly review the work, reporting progress to the board.

Supt. Alfred Simmons commented that the project costs, though expensive, seem to be in line with discussions he’s had with other parishes.  “The good thing about this is that the people of this district voted for it and nobody else is paying for it,” said Lance Underwood.  “I promise you, the people are wanting to see this get started.”

The board voted to engage the professional services of EMA Engineering.  They further approved advertising for bids once the engineering package is complete and accepted by the board.

Autumn Leaves Nursing & Rehabilitation Center in Winnfield celebrated the latest expansion in its 62-year tradition of taking care of people during an Open House with a ribbon-cutting for its Memory Care Unit, an event that drew a crowd of well-wishers.

That newest addition has been named “The Tapestry at Autumn Leaves,” a specialized Memory Care Unit designed to provide a comfortable, supportive environment for those living with memory loss.  In this completely renovated, secure unit, residents live each day to the fullest, with the help of the experienced, specially-trained staff, personal attention and small-group activities.

“We understand how difficult Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia can be for all residents and their families,” observed CEO Teddy Price.  “While we can’t control or prevent the challenges that accompany this diagnosis, we can help ease the burden and improve quality of life.  We would love to discuss our Memory Care Unit with any interested family member.”

Assistant administrator Thomas Little said the unit was created to provide care to meet the need here in our community and pointed at the fresh look, with new decorations, new furniture, new beds.  Hand-picked nurses and aide, trained in this specialty care, will work in the unit.

Special features of The Tapestry at Autumn Leaves include the provision that it is a secure unit, providing safety for residents with Dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease.  There are 16 beautifully decorated bedrooms with private bathrooms.  There is specialized Memory Care training for the unit’s staff, with 24/7 staff supervision.  There is a separate Day Room and Dining Room for activities and meals.  Nurses Station has a direct line of sight to the Day Room and Dining Room.  And the unit has a beautiful garden view and private courtyard.

“The environment here is designed for less stimulation for residents,” explained Jamie Shelton of Central Management.  “It’s more home-like, less institutional.  They seem to like it more.  There is also a higher staff-to-patient ratio, more one-on-one for fewer falls or injuries.  Our nurse station inside the unit itself provides for improved safety.”

Autumn Leaves was founded by Louisiana nursing home pioneers Ted and Marjorie Price in 1962 at 1400 W. Court Street.  The home moved to its spacious, modern facility at 642 Country Club Road in 2002.  Through those years, Central Management has grown to include 22 nursing homes across the state.  They’ve never lost their focus on taking care of people.

Autumn Leaves accepts Medicare, Medicaid, hospice, private pay and private insurance on a case-by-case basis.  For information, call 318-628-4152.

By Brooklyn Malone

A Dodson High School student team was able to view the launch and landing of the payload they created for the NASA TechRise Challenge.  Members gathered in the classroom of sponsor Casey Thomas to watch the event via Zoom on Tuesday afternoon, August 20.

This flight launched from Mojave, California, aboard a NASA rocket. The payload that this group of Dodson High School students built was successful during flight. The payload was launched on a 100 by 100 simulated lunar surface. The students involved in this build are Noah Box, Nathan Underwood, Charlie Buckley, Garrett Jones, Madelyn Cotton, Brooklyn Malone, Kayleigh Fredrick, Harlen Malone and led by teacher Casey Thomas. 

Noteworthy is that of the many school teams that applied to participate in NASA’s TechRise Challenge, only 15 qualified to be included in this Mojave launch.

This is such an exciting milestone for this team. They put in much diligent and collaborative work into building such a flight-worthy experiment. Their payload is officially on its way back to them. Once they receive their payload they will be able to view their flight data analysis. 

By Jasmine Jones

Photos Courtesy Rylee Duff

Last Friday the Winnfield Tigers held a home scrimmage against the Cougars from Grant. Scrimmages, unlike real games, are simply a form of extra practice and no score is kept. This served as an opportunity to play 11-on-11 with someone other than themselves.

With the heat bearing down on Stokes-Walker Stadium, the Tigers played a little over 50 snaps with the Varsity players playing about two-thirds and the junior varsity playing about one third. Highlights of the evening include  John Micheal Pickett, Richard Williams, and Javonta Grisby making consistent and notable tackles throughout the entire night.  Quarterback Nickalas Mockosher handed the ball off to Jeremy Mamon, who was able to perform a successful drive getting a 1st down. Then, just two plays later Nickalas Mockosher was able to pull off a quarterback sneak gaining the Tigers another 1st down. 

A notable play for Junior Varsity includes an improvised sneak by quarterback Colby Pray, where the original play was busted, but with quick thinking, Pray was still able to gain yardage. In another play, Richard Williams took a handoff all the way to bring the JV team their first unofficial touchdown of the season. 

When asked about the team’s overall performance, head coach Jay Watson said “We played with passion. We definitely made some mistakes that were correctable, but we’ll be working on it in practice. Our physicality was good overall.” He also said “The bright spot of the scrimmage was our defense” and “Nickalas Mockosher made some really good reads. He did really good things as a first time quarterback”. 

When asked about the junior varsity’s performance he said “Our JV is comprised mostly of freshmen who worked the basic offence well. They had some really good runs by Richard Williams.” Commenting on this year’s pre-season games, “We are scrimmaging with two larger football teams with quality athletes which will give us a real big test early in the season. Win or lose it will prepare us for the upcoming season.” 

This Friday the Tigers will head to Tioga, home of the Tioga High School Indians to play in a Jamboree. Friday night’s temperature should be about 92 degrees with a forty percent chance of thunderstorms. Consider making the short trip out to support the Winnfield Tigers! The Jamboree will start with junior varsity playing at 6:30 and varsity playing as soon after.

The 2024 Winn Parish Fair is set for its annual run Sept. 30 through Oct. 5, not that far off for those making final plans for their canning, homemaking, art, livestock and other competition entries.

This year’s theme is “United We Stand.”  For those of you who are exhibiting or setting up booths, organizers would love to see your creativity with this theme!  Everyone is encouraged to find some way to participate. The Fair Catalog printed below contains over 1,000 different premium numbers. That means there are many ways you can participate and become an exhibitor in the fair yourself. There are no entry fees for being an exhibitor, so please read through the instructions for becoming an exhibitor, join in, and earn some extra spending money!

Organizers are looking forward to an exciting year and hope you and your family will all come out for a great time! Whether wandering through the livestock exhibits before heading to the carnival rides, taste-testing the amazing food at all the booths, or participating as an exhibitor, there is a way for everyone to be involved.

Many young people are learning how to care for livestock, and this is their opportunity to show off the best of their work. Artists, crafters, quilters, canners, cooks, bakers, photographers, horticulturists, and more from the amateur to the expert, from young to old, submit their exhibits to be judged at the fair. Come walk through our exhibit building and see what they have made and how they have placed!

“We want remind you that that we, as citizens of Winn Parish, pride ourselves on having a family-friendly fair. Therefore, please be considerate of how you treat one another, how you treat those who work at the fair, and of being aware of your own behavior. Mistreatment of others will not be encouraged or tolerated. Help us keep the fairgrounds clean and the atmosphere friendly! 

“Also, please note that the City of Winnfield has a “No Sagging” ordinance. This ordinance will be strictly enforced. Also, we have a “No alcohol or open container” ordinance that will be enforced on the fairgrounds.

“We encourage you to come out this year, bring your family, bring your entries, and support the fair by being a part of it. We look forward to seeing you there!”

Guest speaker Judge Anastasia Wiley opened the floor for questions at the August 25 Kiwanis club meeting. The biggest problem here is the drug problem.  The states and parishes have been given opioid money which the police jury has. Judge Wiley is working out how to use this money to help with our drug problems. We do have drug testing now.  

There are also faith-based programs and evidence-based programs but if a person doesn’t want to change, neither of these type programs will help. One way to use the money is to have a person come here once a week to do drug assessment and monitoring. That person can report to the judge the progress being made by the person addicted to drugs. We do not have a drug court in Winn Parish because we have no Assistant DA’s who live here and there are no local services here. She sends pregnant women to the Nest Center in Mandeville which is a facility which helps the babies to be born drug-free.

There are 42 judicial districts and only 8 of them have only 1 judge and 1 parish. Winn Parish is one of those. Only 2 of those of which one is Winn have a city judge which helps take the load off of the district judge. 

In answer to questions about illegal immigrants she does not have contact with them. They have immigration judges who see these people on Zoom and decide what happens to them. She does see those who are being extradited somewhere else because of a crime committed. We have an immigration facility but she has no knowledge of it.

Aleta Hoffman has been hired as the juvenile coordinator. Judge Wiley drew a diagram of the 3 aspects of children. They are FINS (children not acting right), Child in Need of Care (parents are not acting right) and Juvenile delinquents. The Department of Child and Family Services has a new head and they are trying to do right for our children. 

She reminded us that the legislative, judicial and executive branches of our government (she was talking about state) are separate. Judges cannot lobby but can only advocate. 

Kiwanis appreciates Judge Wiley coming and educating members about her role as district judge.

DART (Drug Addiction & Recovery Team) has partnered with the Louisiana Department of Justice under Attorney General Liz Murrill to host the “Collaboration is the Key” training on September 11, reports Annie Goods, Winn Parish DART Rural Advocate.

The training will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15 p.m. at the Lincoln Parish Sheriff’s Office Public Safety Complex, located at 161 Road Camp Road Camp Road, Ruston. This event aims to enhance the consistency and effectiveness of law enforcement’s response to domestic violence by deploying a multidisciplinary team across the state to deliver evidence-based, victim-centered training to officers. 

Attendees will gain valuable insights into best practices for identifying, investigating, and prosecuting domestic violence crimes. Topics will include Louisiana laws, the dynamics of domestic violence, victim-centered trauma=informed investigations, context and predominant aggressor determination, victim-centered trauma-informed interviewing, and evidence-based prosecution. 

This training is free of charge, and registration is available at http://www.eventbright.com by searching for “Louisiana Attorney General Training with DART. “Law enforcement officers from all seven parishes served parishes served by DART are encouraged to attend. For any questions, please contact Annie Goods at 318-648-0559.

A Chicken Spaghetti fundraiser lunch will be hosted by First Presbyterian Church in Winnfield on Sunday, Sept. 22.  Donation will be $10 per plate.

The lunch will be take-out only, with pickup at the church located at 302 S. Bevill Street.

For details, contact Carolyn Phillips at 318-332-0796.

“Athletics provide one of the best preparations for the darkness a human life can throw at you.”

Southern writer Pat Conroy in “My Losing Season”

I agree with Conroy: losing teaches you how to deal with pain. (Hurts me to say that.)

We’re not talking exclusively about losing on the scoreboard. That hurts, and those types of hurts, a peculiar kind of Southern hurt, begin again this weekend with football. Those are as real as real gets, and sometimes they hurt bad, and they hurt for a long time.

But we’re talking beyond that. We’re talking everyday losses.

Like … a hang nail, the finger’s silent assassin.                                                                                 

Hot coffee spilled in the car on the inside of your thigh. Sweet.

Cutting your head on the corner of an open kitchen cabinet door. The dreaded kamikaze cabinet. 

Or the kingpin of them all: hitting your little toe on the steel leg of a bunk bed at church camp.

There’s always cussing at church camp because somebody always hits their toe.

But you learn, and limp on.

Tough break that we live and limp forward, but we learn backward.

There are all “kinds” of losing. Losing your keys. Losing a tooth. Losing your mind.

But you usually get another chance in those cases. Not always so in the competitive arena. Nothing hurts worse than losing The Big Game. You don’t get another chance, not at that one, not on that day.

Super Bowl Sunday’s a decent illustration. A big winner is celebrated and a big loser does what most all big losers do. They get really small and really forgotten really fast.

Ask pros who really care or competitive amateurs and they’ll tell you that the pain of losing is always greater, more motivating, than the thrill of winning. Winning teaches you how to uncork champagne and smile. Losing teaches you where to shore up your defenses, how to plan better, who you really are when things fall apart.

I’ve always found the more compelling stories are in the losing locker room, not the winning one. Losers are more real, emotion more acute.

In the academic world of leaky manifolds and underground sewerage systems and computer programming, I’m on the outside looking in. But when the subject is losing, well, that’s right in my wheelhouse. I have certificates, even official framed documents. Everything but a tattoo. 

You probably do to. You know about losing like a plow knows about dirt. Like a wing knows wind. We know about losing the way a bug knows about a windshield.

Some, like me, are slow learners. I’m coachable, just not very quick. But a bit of experience in losing will teach you that you can handle more than you thought, that the sun will come up if you can hang in there, and that whatever price you have to pay to win, it will be worth it to avoid the feeling of losing again. 

Fumbling won’t win you any trophies, but it can toughen you up. Good thing, because in everyday life, you face third-and-long a lot more often than third-and-short. Athletic disaster truly can help prepare you for losing someone close, for a pink slip, for foreclosure.

Regardless, you want to be in the arena, don’t you? Stay in the game. It’s small consolation and a wide chasm, but the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing. 

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

As soon as the Fall school bell rang, the students and coaches began putting their teams together! 

The Goldonna Wildcats Cheerleaders and Basketball team is actively raising money to help support the cost of uniforms and other sports equipment. Each athlete is tasked with selling out their Calendar Fundraiser. If you wish to support a child please contact the school office at 318-727-9449 to find out how you can assist a hard working athlete. 

The basketball team has released their schedule for the 2024-2025 season. Tip off will be held on October 28 as they take on the Provencel Panthers. 

Home Games

Goldonna vs Magnet 10/31

Goldonna vs Middle Lab 11/4

Goldonna vs NJH 11/7

Goldonna vs Lakeview 11/11

Open 11/14

Goldonna vs Marthaville 11/18

The Wildcats and Lady Cats will play on the same day. Be sure to check back for game times or possible schedule changes. 

The Goldonna Christmas in the Park Committee is hard at work planning and raising money for another successful Christmas Festival. This year marks the 28th year of the Festival. 

The CITP committee is selling raffle tickets for a gun giveaway. The tickets are being sold for the low cost of $10 each. They can be purchased from any Board member, the Store, or Mr. Eugean Garner. The drawing will be held on Sunday, September 8th at the Fish Fry Fundraiser. 

The famous Fish Fry is definitely a local favorite that residents look forward to every year. The plates will again be $10. The plate will include fish fried to perfection, tasty and well seasoned fries, scrumptious hush puppies, and a side of delightful coleslaw. The committee can absolutely use your help selling these tickets and collecting items that will defray the cost of preparation. All of the money raised is poured directly back into the festival. 

If you have never had the pleasure of visiting the Goldonna Christmas in the Park, add it to your list of holiday “must-dos”. It is truly like visiting the set of a Hallmark movie that is bustling with townspeople with a perfect Christmas backdrop. The festival always includes a lighted parade as well as fireworks. Be on the lookout for more details coming in the next few weeks. 

Speaking of Christmas, you may have read the recent news celebrating Goldonna Baptist Church as an official drop off for Operation Christmas Child. To commemorate the season of OCC, West Central LA OCC will host an official “Kick off” on Saturday September 7, 2024 at First Baptist Church located at 508 Second Street, Natchitoches. Join the fun and fellowship from 10:00am until 12:00pm. Special Guest, Barbie Strickland, will share her OCC Vision Trip photos from Quito, Ecuador. 

If you have news to share please email Reba Phelps jreba.phelps@gmail.com.

At about 7:00 on the morning of August 21, 1911, Vincenzo arrived at work as usual.  Over his clothes he wore his white smock, the same as all other employees at the museum wore.  On the surface, there was nothing to signify that this day would be any different than any other, but Vincenzo had a plan.  While working at the museum, Vincenzo became obsessed with the idea of stealing one of the Italian paintings and returning it to Italy.  He realized that no one would suspect him because he had worked at the museum for over four years.  On that Monday morning, Vincenzo waited until the room was unoccupied, then put his plan into motion.  He took the painting off the wall and carried it to a nearby stairway where he removed it from its frame.  He hid the discarded frame among some student artworks which were sitting on the landing of the staircase.  Vincenzo was unable to roll the painting up because the artist had painted it on a piece of wood.  Vincenzo wrapped his white smock around the painting, tucked it under his arm, and walked out the same door that he had entered earlier that morning.  When other employees noticed the empty spot on the wall where the painting had been hung, they notified the police.  They ushered the visitors out with the ruse that a water pipe had burst.   

Police searched the building and found the painting’s discarded frame.  They questioned all of the museum’s permanent employees as well as temporary employees such as bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, and glaziers.  Police visited Vincenzo at his apartment and questioned him.  When questioning the museum’s employees revealed no leads, investigators figured they had missed something and repeated the process.  Once again, investigators visited Vincenzo’s apartment and questioned him, but they found no reason to suspect Vincenzo.  Vincenzo gave them permission to search his apartment, which disarmed suspicion.  Had investigators glanced inside a large trunk which sat just inches from them in the apartment, they would have found nothing incriminating.  However, if they had noticed that the trunk had a false bottom, they would have solved the crime. 

As per his plan to not raise suspicion, Vincenzo continued working at the museum for two more years.  In 1913, Vincenzo left his job at the museum.  He tried to sell the stolen painting to various dealers in London and Paris, and even offered it to a representative of American financier J.P. Morgan, none of which notified the authorities.  On November 28, 1913, Vincenzo wrote a letter to art dealer Alfred Geri, owner of the Galleria d’Arte Moderna in Florence and offered to sell him the stolen painting.  Alfred agreed to meet once Vincenzo was in Florence.  Vincenzo took the trunk with its hidden cargo to Florence.  On December 11, 1913, Alfred watched as Vincenzo removed the painting from the false bottom of the trunk.  After inspecting the painting, Alfred and Vincenzo purportedly came to some agreement on price and Alfred left the room.  Alfred immediately notified the police of the stolen painting and its hiding place.  Acting on Alfred’s tip, police arrested Vincenzo and slid the painting out from its hiding place.  The face in the painting seemed to almost smile as if happy to have been rescued. 

During questioning, Vincenzo claimed he had no accomplices and explained that accomplices were not necessary.  “I did not take the painting from a desire to gain from it,” he told authorities, “but wished to accomplish a good and holy work by returning to my country one of the many treasures stolen from it.”  Vincenzo said he thought he should receive adequate compensation for returning the painting to Italy.  He neglected to mention that he had tried to sell the painting to people in three other countries before offering it to a dealer in Italy.

 Thus ended what some people have described as the greatest art theft of the 20th century.  The painting that Vincenzo stole was certainly prominent in the art world, but the painting’s theft and eventual return took the painting to another level.  For two years, people all around the world saw pictures of the painting and followed the investigation in newspapers.  Before it was returned to France, the painting was exhibited in art galleries throughout Italy to jubilant crowds.  When it was returned to France, the celebrations were even larger.  Crowds viewed the painting in a sort of modern concert atmosphere with pushing and shoving and everyone vying for a better view.  Little has changed in the past century.  Throngs of people still visit that same museum, the Louvre, to see that same painting.  Because of Vincenzo Peruggia’s theft, we can instantly produce a mental image of what is arguably the most famous painting in the world, Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. 

Sources:

1.     The Baltimore Sun, August 23, 1911, p.13.

2.     The Kansas City Star, August 22, 19011, p.4.

3.     The Tampa Tribune, December 14, 1913, p.81.

4.     St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 15, 1913, p.6.

5.     St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 26, 1913, p.15.

August 28, 2024

We’ve all heard the expression he or she has God given talent. There are singers like George Strait and Celine Dion, golfers like Tiger Woods and Jack Nicholas, along with baseball players like Babe Ruth and Barry Bonds. So, what does it really mean and what exactly is talent? 

I am a firm believer that each of us has some form of talent but not everyone has established what that talent might be. It may take years before we realize we do possess a skill that we may deem as talent. Some people can dance and some can sing, and even though you might not physically see the talent, doesn’t mean you don’t have a talent. 

For me personally, I figured out early in my life that God blessed me with athletic talent, especially in baseball. I was born with skills that not everyone possessed, and I took advantage of those skills. But it was through this talent that it gave me the confidence I needed to compete on a baseball diamond at a high level. It allowed me to play in high school, college and later in professional baseball. But it gave me something much greater than being good at a sport, it gave the confidence and the foundation I needed to be successful in life. 

But let’s look at a bass fisherman and someone who is considered the greatest bass angler of all time….Kevin Van Dam (KVD). Now this is talent and is a great example of God given talent as there are legendary stories of Kevin’s abilities as a bass fisherman. KVD was born with instincts very few anglers have. 

For years KVD made decisions that baffled other anglers including his own family. His brother Randy gave me an example of KVD’s talent as they often fished together growing up. He told the story of how Kevin, Randy and their dad were all fishing together one day and struggling to catch fish. Then after a lengthy time of no bites, out of the blue Kevin decided to pick up a jerkbait for no apparent reason and started whacking them. 

When asked why he thought that was what they needed to be doing, KVD said “it just felt right”. That’s instincts or God given talent that very few anglers have. It’s knowing when to change baits or change locations, it’s a feel for doing the right thing at the right time. This talent is what separates the great anglers from the average anglers.

Now some talent can be enhanced and developed, whether it’s in a particular sport or a concept like singing. An athlete for example, can be made stronger, faster or quicker with proper training, but there needs to be some resemblance of talent from the Lord almighty to work with. You can’t turn a sloth into a tiger or if you take the stripes off a Zebra, that doesn’t make it a thoroughbred. 

Once again, we all have some form of talent. It just might take a awhile before we realize or recognize what that talent might be. God has blessed each of us in different ways and wants you to take advantage of whatever that talent might be. Talent comes in many different forms and what someone may deem as unsubstantial, may truly be a gift from God. But with proper guidance or coaching, an individual can figure out the best way to utilize that talent. 

Till next time, good luck, good fishing and if you want to become a better outdoorsman, tune into the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show every Wednesday live from 11:00 till 1:00 on AM 1130 The Tiger, our Facebook page or catch us on our YouTube channel. 

Steve Graf

Angler’s Perspective

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.