By DOUG IRELAND, Journal Sports

Beginning his playing days in junior high during World War II, riding for an hour in the back of a pickup truck to start college at Northwestern State, and finishing eight decades in organized basketball helping choose officials for the NCAA’s Division I Final Four, Tynes Hildebrand has lived an unparalleled career.

Player, coach, athletics director, officials observer. From the 1940s until a decade ago, the 93-year-old Hildebrand has been immersed in his favorite game, the only sport he could play growing up in Sabine Parish and attending Florien High School.

He has counted among his friends and colleagues legends such as longtime USA Olympic coach Henry Iba of Oklahoma State, national-championship coaches John Wooden (UCLA), Indiana’s Bob Knight, UTEP’s Don Haskins, and Louisiana icons including Dale Brown, Fred Hobdy, Billy Allgood, Lenny Fant and Benny Hollis. Hildebrand, Knight and Haskins helped Iba pick the country’s 1972 Olympic team.

As head coach at Northwestern State, Hildebrand helped found the Louisiana Association of Basketball Coaches half a century ago. As the LABC celebrates that anniversary with its 50^th Annual Awards Banquet Saturday, May 4 in Baton Rouge, it’s fitting that Hildebrand will become only the fourth recipient of the organization’s Don Landry Award since that elite recognition for long-term impact and service to the game in Louisiana was created in 1998.

It’s named for the founding father of the LABC. Hildebrand, now living with his wife of 72 years, Julia, in Flower Mound, Texas, after more than a decade spent at The Oaks retirement community in Shreveport, is touched to receive it.

“Don Landry’s the one who has done so much for Louisiana basketball. He involved so many people and did so very much, and got schools around the state invested in the LABC and building our game around the state,” said Hildebrand. “We had such good times with great fellowship that people wanted to be included. So to receive an award with his name on it is a distinct honor.”

Another iconic figure in state basketball history, LABC Hall of Famer and 2023 Mr. Louisiana Basketball recipient Mike McConathy, has a far-reaching understanding of Hildebrand’s impact. McConathy’s father Johnny, the No. 5 pick in the 1951 NBA Draft, was a senior at Northwestern State when Hildebrand joined H. Lee Prather’s Demons. The younger McConathy was a prep All-American at Bossier City’s Airline High, recruited nationally but ultimately choosing Louisiana Tech over his father’s alma mater. Later, he was tabbed to be the Demons’ head coach in 1999 and in 23 seasons became the state’s all-time winningest coach.

“His connections to every aspect of the game in our state, and beyond, from a player to a coach to international play, to referees, he has run the whole gamut. That’s rare, anywhere, and he’s one of a kind in Louisiana,” said McConathy.

Hildebrand spent 16 seasons (1965-80) as head coach at his alma mater, Northwestern State, where he posted 191 wins. He retired, and was named the LABC’s Mr. Basketball a year later, but returned in 1983 as the Demons’ athletics director for 13 years, working at half-salary in a financially-strapped department that under his guidance developed into one of the more successful in the Southland Conference on, and off, the field of competition.

As a coach and administrator, Hildebrand was an outstanding mentor. Among his prize pupils: Demons’ guard and future longtime Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey along with athletic department interns Greg Burke, his successor as AD who held that post for the next 26 years, and Greg Sankey, now in his 10^th year as the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference.

Hildebrand was enshrined in the LABC’s Hall of Fame in 1992 for his coaching career. A year following his retirement as AD, Hildebrand became one of the NCAA’s Division I officials evaluators in 1997, a role he fulfilled for 17 seasons. In 2006, he became one of the inaugural four NCAA regional officiating supervisors.

Generations of coaches, players and fans – and certainly, officials – have felt the influence. He says it’s been more than an equal trade.

“Louisiana basketball has been my life,” he said. “The Hildebrand family has lived a Louisiana basketball life. And it’s been good to us.”

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By Doug De Graffenried

I learned touch typing in the ninth grade. I still type reasonably fast.

I received a learner’s permit in the tenth grade and I still drive a car reasonably fast.

I don’t think about either while I am doing them. If you have been behind me in a car, perhaps you have speculated about that.

Typing is habitual. I do it every day. Right now I am working on two sermons and two of these articles. I hope I don’t get things crossed up.

Driving is habitual. I do that every day as well. I have noticed that my driving skills are not as sharp as they once were. Part of that I blame on age. I don’t see as well at night as I once did. My reflexes while still cat like, are like a slow fat Tom cat who has been eating inside food for years.

I type alone. No one stands over my shoulder and watches me type. I do face a weekly deadline for my articles to be published. I can take as long as I wish to type an article provided that they arrive before the aforementioned deadline. When I make a mistake typing, I hit the backspace or delete button and the mistake is erased. Actually the page I am typing on now, doesn’t really exist. It is the reproduction of a page and letters appearing on a computer monitor. Is it real? Is it something else?

When I drive, I’m sharing the road with other folks. For the most part, folks know how to handle
a vehicle. Some drive too slowly for me, but I’m learning to take my time and relax. It is part of giving up
“running.” I have reached the stage where walking is moving fast enough through life. The other thing
about drivers is distracted drivers. Yesterday on I-20 I was passed by a young person doing at least 90
mph. She was texting away as she blew past me. I prayed for her safety and the safety of her
passengers. I have noted that guys on the phone tend to drive slower than the posted speed limit. I
guess that proves that we are not able multi-taskers. I will note that mistakes while driving are costly
and dangerous.

I’m a faster typist than in my High School days. It is a skill that doesn’t seem to diminish with
age. I did the math yesterday and discovered that over my career I have typed over five million words.
My fingers want some time off. I have enjoyed most of what I have typed. There are a couple of letters
that stand out as exceptions. I hit send and I should have hit delete.

Over the same period, I have driven 935,000 miles. I don’t text and drive so I can’t count words
typed while driving. I drive just as fast as I always have. My right foot contains ample amounts of Pb.
Notice I didn’t count the number of speeding greetings I have received from various law enforcement
agencies.

I enjoy writing and driving. Writing is great mental exercise. When I drive, I get windshield time.

I have time alone to ponder and consider. I have time to pray and listen to God. Although I’m not as good a driver as I once was, I still enjoy it. I’m looking forward to one of those self-driving cars so I can
look at flora and fauna while I “drive.” I can also finally type in a moving car!

We are Easter people. We live on this side of the empty tomb.

Writing and driving are just two things I enjoy doing. Easter promises that the enjoyment of life
continues eternally. Someone said that heaven is like an everlasting worship service. NOT! Heaven is
living. It is living without fear, sickness, pain, disappointment, guilt and sin. Resurrection life is really
living! Easter is our promise that in Christ we will have that kind of life.

I have typed enough words for this article.

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It’s finally time to put the topic of forward-facing sonar to rest. Last week I gave a great breakdown on this topic. Now, I’m tired of all the debates of banning this new technology. I’m tired of hearing all the whining from anglers who either can’t master it or just refuse to learn it. It’s time to put this topic to rest and move forward!

This controversy is no different than any other issues that have risen in other sports. This is not about some drug that is enhancing an angler’s ability to perform and fish better. It has nothing to with any one angler having a bigger advantage over another. Why? Because every angler has the right and access to the same technology as the next one.

The problem with this controversy is the fact that it’s not the young anglers who are complaining. It’s the guys who have helped build the sport of professional bass fishing into what it is today. It’s the legends of the sport and guys who have made a good living fishing with B.A.S.S. or Major League Fishing (MLF).

They don’t like the fact that today’s young anglers are stepping out onto the big stage and not just competing with them, but winning tournaments. They feel that forward-facing sonar is the only reason this is happening. So rather than get on board and get better with it, some have chosen to file complaints.

I relate to this topic the same way I had to become a better hitter in order to get the opportunity to get drafted by a Major League Baseball team.

One thing that separates an average hitter from a great hitter is the ability to hit the curve ball. This one thing has kept more baseball players out of the highest level than any other baseball skill. 

Until I got better and learned how to go with the pitch, I was only an average hitter. But I spent two years of my college career getting better with countless hours hitting in a batting cage and working off a batting tee. This was hours of what is referred to as soft toss, programming my body to hit the curve ball and go with the pitch.

I didn’t go and complain to Major League Baseball and push for a “no curve ball rule!” No, I worked at it and got better by putting in the work! This same effort needs to be applied by these fishing pros. Instead of using the offseason to go hunting, it might be a good career move to get on the lake and get better using forward-facing sonar. 

Here’s some food for thought. If the older anglers on tour were winning with this new technology, would anyone be complaining about it? If Rick Clunn or Kevin Van Dam was kicking everyone’s butt with it, I’ll bet a dollar-to-a-donut that all pros would be figuring out how to get better with forward-facing sonar! 

So, for all the anglers that just can’t seem to grasp this new forward-facing technology, you’ve got two choices:  either get better with it or load your boats and go home. You cannot stop technology in an age where a new computer today is out of date before the end of the month you bought it. 

It’s like any other advancements in the bass fishing world, forward-facing sonar is here to stay. Stop waiting on B.A.S.S. or MLF to make rule changes to accommodate the older anglers. In the words of my team partner who got tired of my negative complaining, “Shut up and fish, you big baby!”

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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By Brad Dison

For more than 60 years, people have accused Eddy of at least five murders, but the evidence against him is only circumstantial.  When confronted with evidence which proves Eddy’s innocence, people who believe in Eddy’s guilt cry conspiracy, of which there is no evidence.  Let us take a brief look at Eddy’s supposed crime spree.

The first murder happened at about 3:40 on the morning of August 31.  A man named Charles Allen Cross was walking to work when he discovered what he initially thought was a tarpaulin on the ground at the entrance to a horse stable.  Upon closer inspection, he realized it was the body of a woman later identified as 43-year-old Mary Ann “Polly” Nichols.  Polly was lying on her back with her eyes open.  Her legs were straight, and her skirt was raised above her knees.  Another man on his way to work, Robert Paul, approached and spoke briefly about the deceased woman.  They pulled her skirt down to preserve her dignity, then ran to fetch policeman Jonas Mizen who was only a short distance away.  When the policeman arrived, Polly’s legs were still warm.  Surgeon Dr. Llewellyn determined that Polly had been dead for approximately 30 minutes.  Eddy was over 200 miles away at the time of the murder.

At about 5:15 on the morning of September 8, Albert Cadosch, a resident of 27 Hanbury Street went into his yard to urinate.  He heard a woman say “No, no!”  Then he heard something hit the fence dividing his property with 29 Hanbury street.  He thought little of it at the time and went back inside.  The mutilated body of 47-year-old Annie Chapman was discovered less than 45 minutes later by John Davis, an elderly resident of 29 Hanbury Street.  Again, Eddy was over 200 miles away at the time of the murder.  

At about 12:35 on the morning of September 30, policeman William Smith saw Elizabeth “Liz” Stride with a man at number 40 Berner Street.  The man was carrying a package that officer Smith later said was about 18 inches long.  With no reason to suspect anything, officer Smith continued on his patrol.  Approximately 25 minutes later, Louis Diemschutz drove his horse and two-wheeled cart into the poorly lit Dutfield’s Yard.  His horse abruptly shied to the left to avoid a dark object lying on the ground.  Louis struck a match and saw a dead body lying on the ground.  She was still bleeding from a single knife wound on her neck.  Louis ran for help.  When police arrived, parts of Liz’s body were still warm.  They suspected that the killer had been interrupted by Louis.

At precisely 1:44 on the same morning, just 44 minutes after Liz’s body was discovered, policeman Edward Watkins discovered the mutilated body of Catherine Eddowes lying on her back in the southwest corner of Miter square.  Officer Watkins had passed through Miter Square 14 minutes earlier, but the body was not there at that time.  (According to google maps, the average person can walk the distance between the location of Liz’s and Catherine’s murders in just 17 minutes.)  At the time Elizabeth Stride and Catherine Eddowes were killed, Eddy was over 500 miles away.

Sometime between 3:30 and 4 o’clock on the morning of November 9, Elizabeth Prater, who lived directly above Mary Jane Kelly’s apartment, along with a guest, Sarah Lewis, heard a scream.  This being the roughest part of the city at the time, screams during the night were nothing new.  They thought little about it at the time.  At about 5:30 that morning, Elizabeth walked past Mary’s door but saw nothing out of the ordinary.  At about 10:45 that morning, Thomas Bowyer went to Mary’s room to collect the rent which was six weeks overdue.  He knocked on the door but got no response.  He went to the window, but the curtains were drawn.  He removed a piece of cloth which had been used to plug a broken windowpane and pulled back the curtain.  Thomas was shocked to see the extensively mutilated body of Mary Jane Kelly. 

Investigators believed Mary had died sometime between 1:45 and 8:00 a.m. that morning.  They determined that her body was so badly mutilated because the killer struck in a private room which enabled the murderer to take his time.  The murder of Mary Jane Kelly is considered by most to be the last of the murders some claim Eddy committed.  Eddy was over 100 miles from the scene of the murder. 

Eddy was never questioned by police, nor was he a suspect during his lifetime.  Three years after the last murder, Eddy was engaged to be married.  By all substantiated accounts, Eddy was in perfect health until a couple of weeks before his wedding date.  Eddy became ill with influenza which turned into pneumonia.  He never recovered and died at the young age of 28.  Could Eddy have been the murderer?       

For any investigation, police try to determine whether a suspect has an alibi and must judge the strength of the alibi.  Eddy had many alibis.  In fact, his movements were being tracked by newspapers all over the country, not because he had done anything wrong, but because of who he was.  Based on newspaper accounts alone, Eddy could not have been the murderer.  Even the Queen of England could have vouched for Eddy.  In her journal, she recorded that on September 30, 1888, the date that the killer murdered two women in less than an hour, she had lunch with Eddy over 500 miles away.  You see, Eddy was the family’s nickname for Prince Albert Victor.  He was the grandson of Queen Victoria and second in line to the English throne.  Despite the numerous books and films on the subject, Eddy, Prince Albert Victor could not have been the murderer known as Jack the Ripper.

Sources:

1.     Western Daily Press (Bristol, England), August 28, 1888, p.3.

2.     The North Star (Darlington, England), September 8, 1888, p.4.

3.     The Yorkshire Herald and the York Herald, September 29, 1888, p.16.

4.     The Gloucestershire Echo, November 5, 1888, p.3.

5.     “Casebook: Jack the Ripper – Prince Albert Victor,” Casebook.org, 2019, https://www.casebook.org/suspects/eddy.html.

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To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE

Laddie Joe Potmesil
March 19, 1937 — April 18, 2024
Cremation services have been entrusted to Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home. Memorial services will be held at Joe’s home on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 1-3 p.m.

Carrie Elizabeth Johnson
August 7, 1947 — April 12, 2024
Service: Friday, April 26 at 11 am at St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Raymond Helaire
Arrangements TBA

Roosevelt Davenport Jr.
April 22, 1951 – April 5, 2024
Arrangements TBA

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Cannons roared and gunfire reverberated through the quiet village of Pleasant Hill April 12 through 14 as the Union and Confederate armies clashed in one of the battles of Union General Nathan P. Banks’ Red River Campaign. Unlike the actual battle in 1864, the cannon and rifle fire did not result in a storm of lead and iron and the casualties “resurrected” after the battle was over.

Sunday, April 9, marked the 160th anniversary of the Battle of Pleasant Hill. The first re-enactment was held in 1964 on the 100th anniversary of the battle. After a hiatus of several years, the re-enactment went on to become a beloved tradition presented on, or as close as possible to, the anniversary of the battle. This year’s re-enactment is the 44th one. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is a rarity in that it commemorates a specific battle and takes place on the actual battlefield. The site is about 3 miles from the modern site of the Village of Pleasant Hill. This year’s re-enactment featured over 450 participants from Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and as far away as Illinois. This year’s reenactment featured visitors from England, lending a welcome international flavor to the event.

Friday featured an open camp held for local educators so school groups could come and learn about life in the Civil War era. Saturday and Sunday each featured battles fought before a large crowd of several hundred spectators as well as the newly crowned 2024 Battle of Pleasant Hill Queen, Alyssa Lee, her court and a contingent of festival and pageant queens from across Louisiana, including several young ladies from Sabine Parish.

In addition to the battles on Saturday and Sunday, there was a parade and period ball Saturday, as well as a memorial luminaria ceremony commemorating the soldiers who fell in the Battle of Pleasant Hill. Sunday saw a period church service open to all.

The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is an educational and family friendly event that offers something to history aficionados of every age. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is one of the myriad of festivals, concerts and other events that make life in Louisiana anything but boring. The Parish Journals of Louisiana congratulate the re-enactors and volunteers whose hard work is evidenced throughout the well organized and fun event. The Battle of Pleasant Hill re-enactment is a superb example of what a small town can accomplish working together.

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February 19, 1945 — April 14, 2024

Memorial service for Lou Ann Davis, 79, will be held on Saturday, April 27, 2024 at 2:00 p.m. at Mt. Carmel Baptist Church, 5049 Highway 118, Florien, Louisiana. Officiating the service will be Brother Matt Warren.

Lou Ann was born February 19, 1945 to Clifton Davis and Georgia Davis in Leesville, Louisiana and passed away Sunday, April 14, 2024 in Shreveport, Louisiana.

Lou Ann was a member of Mt. Carmel Baptist Church in Florien, Louisiana. She loved to read and cook new recipes as well as old family favorites. She really enjoyed cooking with her great-grandson, Grayson, as he always said, “Nana’s food was cooked with love.”

Lou Ann was preceded in death by her maternal grandparents, Ben and Hattie Miller; paternal grandparents, Jim and Laura Davis; father, Clifton Davis; mother, Georgia Davis. She is survived by her sons, Jody Jones and wife, Patricia of Florien, Louisiana; Jeffery Jones and wife, Jane of Colorado Springs, Colorado; brother, Henry Lee Davis and wife, Mary Lou of Florien, Louisiana; grandchildren, Taylor Jones of Florien, Louisiana; Zachary Jones and wife, Samantha of Florien, Louisiana; Haley Jones of Lafayette, Louisiana; great-grandson, Grayson Jones of Florien, Louisiana; and a host of cousins, nephews, and nieces.

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For every athlete the day comes when you’re no longer able to compete either due to age or a career-ending injury. Well, for today’s senior bass pros, or what most call the legends of the sport, that day might be approaching a lot sooner than many of them had planned. Today, let’s look at why so many of these elderly pros are looking to load their boats and go home — for good.

Just like any other sport, athletes come to a point in their careers in which they start to contemplate retirement. There comes a day for all athletes where you just can’t compete anymore. So many of today’s bass fishing pros are at that point, mainly due to a technological advancement called forward-facing sonar (FFS). Nothing has impacted the bass fishing world like this latest form of technology.

So, why is this technology having such an impact on the older anglers? Well, I guess it’s the fact that FFS has played right into the hands of the younger generation of anglers moving up into professional bass fishing. They have embraced this technology and taken it to another level which has cut their learning curve and their ability to find fish by 75 percent. Today’s young anglers all grew up playing video games and FFS for these young anglers is nothing more than just that: a video game.

The old school anglers have not embraced this technology nearly as well as the younger guys and it shows in the tournament results. For  proof, look at the Angler of the Year (AOY) standings and you’ll see names like Matt Herren, Lee Livesay, John Cox, Greg Hackney, Jason Christie, Michael Iaconelli, and the 4-time World champion, Rick Clunn. As of this writing, all are in the bottom 50 of the AOY standings.

So why are the older anglers not accepting FFS? Some feel that FFS is not good for the sport in the long run and would like to see some restrictions or rule changes made to help level the playing field and protect the fisheries. But most will tell you that this technology is here to stay as some of the older anglers are now starting to question if they are going to try and get better with FFS or just get out of the sport all together. Most of these anglers will wait and see if B.A.S.S. or MLF make any major rule adjustments to their circuits regarding FFS before they decide to leave the sport they love so much.

My conversations with several professional anglers have revealed there is some resentment to these new young anglers taking over the sport. The legends of the sport don’t like the fact that these young up-and-coming anglers haven’t paid their dues and are not just winning but dominating events immediately. The techniques that used to work for the older guys and how they have fished their whole career no longer allows them to be as competitive as they once were. This has been a shock and blow to their egos.

For the older anglers, it took years of time on the water to obtain the knowledge they possess while these young guns are doing a better job of adapting to the new technology that’s available. No longer do young anglers have to go through the painful task of fishing daylight ‘til dark in order to compete with the legendary pros.

For the young anglers on the rise, the game has changed as the word “scouting” today means something totally different than it did 10 years ago. The anglers who are proficient with FFS will spend their day idling, scanning, and marking schools of bass that they can come back to on tournament day. Some are not even having to wet a hook in practice in order to save their fish for the tournament. A recent example is 33-year-old pro angler, Jason Hamner, who spent 14 days on Grand Lake prior to the Bassmaster Classic doing nothing but idling and marking brush tops without ever wetting a hook.

With all this being said, will this force many of the older anglers to retire and idle off into the sunset? Several have told me that it’s something they are considering as they are frustrated with both B.A.S.S. and MLF officials for not doing more to address the (FFS) technology issue. They feel that this new technology will ruin the sport over the next five years, as due to FFS, fish no longer have a safe haven.

Fact is, all of our lakes are under assault as more anglers across the country are purchasing these high dollar forward-facing sonar units. It’s not just bass that are being affected, it’s crappie as well. So many crappie guides have told me they are concerned as well, since these FFS units are targeting the bigger breeding population.

To put a bow on this topic and from my perspective, it appears that the senior anglers of both B.A.S.S. and MLF have a choice to make. Either get on board with FFS and get better with it or take their tackle boxes and go home because I don’t see anything changing with regards to this new technology. I truly believe it’s here to stay.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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By Doug De Graffenried

Often, we are judged by our shape.

Our brain comes pre-packaged with a confirmation bias that allows us to justify our own perceptions and beliefs as being accurate, realistic, and unbiased. Social psychologist Lee Ross calls this phenomenon “naïve realism,” the inescapable conviction that we perceive objects and events clearly, “as they really are.” It is this “naïve realism” that causes us to judge individuals based on their size and shape. If they are of a certain shape, we make judgments about the quality of their character based on our perception of their shape. Our perceptions and assumptions must be accurate, realistic, and unbiased because they are our perceptions.

People who are slim shaped are viewed as being active and bright. They might be judged as being quick, hardworking, and athletic. It could be true. It might not be true.

In our politically correct culture, one should not point out shapes or comment on them. Yet this happens all the time. There is much “body shaming” on the Internet which is really “size assumption shaming.” I am perpetually stunned by skinny people who are “body shamed” as being too fat.

In your mind there is a vision of the “perfect shape.” I hope your body self-image is a healthy one. Some of us have been judged by our shape. We even participate in self-talk based on what the culture teaches our shape means. I hope that no matter your shape you are taking care of your health.

And how do we talk about taking care of our health? Are you “in shape?” Currently, I am “out of shape.” I am working on “shaping up” so I can be “in shape.” 

My goal is to take on the shape of Jesus. I want my heart to be shaped like His heart so I will love like He loves. I want my eyes to see the world like His eyes. I want my hands to reach out like His hands. I want each day to reflect Jesus in my life rather than my own reflection. I have discovered that Jesus challenges my assumptions and transforms my perceptions.

How do you shape up?

My friend Monica is married to Lee. They have a nine-year-old son named Grisham. The other day Lee was teaching Grisham how to measure a piece of wood before cutting it. I hope Lee reminded his son of the aphorism, “measure twice and cut once.” Grisham patiently watched his dad measure and cut the wood. I forgot to ask if Grisham was allowed to solo on his own piece of wood. The young man did have a good time with his dad.

Grisham thanked his father for taking the time to teach him the valuable lesson about measuring wood before cutting it. It is a great story about a dad slowing down enough to take time to teach his son.

Nine-year-old Grisham said to his dad, “Thank you for showing me how to do that. I know you want me to grow up to be a well-rounded individual, even though right now I am just a chunky oval.”

Grisham knows at a deep place he, like all of us, is a work in progress. His shape is not in its final form nor is yours!

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JOB VACANCIES: Band Director (Itinerant)

LOCATION: Marthaville and Provencal Elem./Jr. High Schools

QUALIFICATIONS: Certification according to State Department of Education as a band director.

SALARY:  According to NPSB salary schedule.

DEADLINE:  Friday, April 26, 2024, 4:00 pm

WHERE TO APPLY:
Linda G. Page
Director of Human Resources
Natchitoches Parish School Board
P.O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016
(318) 352-2358

Website:  npsb.la

EOE

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By Brad Dison

As a child, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, called Charlie by everyone who knew him, was a shy boy.  He was often ridiculed in school and was usually the last student chosen to play team sports during recess.  A large part of his shyness came from a speech impediment which he shared to some extent with at least six members of his large family.  Conversation was hard for little Charlie.  His speech was filled with awkward hesitation.  He could form his thoughts perfectly, but he struggled to project his words orally.  Little Charlie loved to read because the words flowed so easily.  When asked to read aloud, the hesitation often returned.  His speech impediment was unpredictable.  Little Charlie never knew which words or phrases would cause him trouble.  A word that he had spoken thousands of times without incident could suddenly become a problem.  Every spoken word was a potential pitfall.  The other students teased and mocked little Charlie until his speech impediment manifested into an occasional blockage.  Their taunts were often answered non-verbally by little Charlie’s fists.  When little Charlie was faced with a blockage, which was normally mid-sentence, he had no choice but to abruptly end the conversation without explanation. 

During the Victorian era, many middle-class children created their own homemade magazines as a form of entertainment.  These magazines usually contained local gossip, hand-drawn pictures, stories, and riddles thrown together seemingly at random.  Through this medium, little Charlie learned that he could communicate more effectively through writing than he could verbally.  Biographer Robert Douglas-Fairhurst said that for little Charlie, “The blank page released his tongue.”  Whereas most of the Victorian children’s homemade magazines had no rhyme or reason, little Charlie’s magazines were thematic and normally contained a table of contents and a detailed index.  For example, one of his homemade magazines pertained to things that began with the letter “M.”  His magazines were usually bound with string between a cover made from a recycled school notebook. 

Little Charlie never wanted to grow up.  He became somewhat obsessed with all things little.  For him, it appeared that once a person accepted that they had reached adulthood, the paradise of childhood was lost forever.  In his own mind, little Charlie envisioned the bullies of his childhood as little people.  He envisioned elephants the size of mice.  He often wrote letters to friends in words that were so small that reading them required a magnifying glass.  

Little Charlie’s magazines became popular with his family and friends.  In them, little Charlie created whimsical worlds as well as nonsensical words.  He escaped from the real world into his own creations.  As a teenager, little Charlie became a published author of poems and articles.  By the age of 24, everything Charlie had published had been anonymous or under assumed initials.  Several of his early stories and poems were published under the initials B.B. which had a meaning that Charlie never revealed.  In 1856, when Charlie submitted a story for the Comic Times, editor Edmund Yates refused to publish it under his pseudonym B.B. and insisted on an alternative.  Charlie submitted a list of potential pen names which were elaborate variations on his real name such as Edgar Cuthwellis and Edgar U.C. Westhall.  All but one on the list was rejected by the editor.  On March 1, 1856, Charlie wrote in his diary that he and the editor had chosen a name, one which was a derivative of his first and middle names in reverse order in schoolboy Latin.  He converted Ludwidge to Ludovicus then to Lewis, and Charles to Carolus then to Carroll.  Nine years after adopting his pen name, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson published his most notable story “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” under the pen name Lewis Carroll.

Source: Robert Douglas-Fairhurst, The Story of Alice: Lewis Carroll and the Secret History of Wonderland(Cambridge, Massachusetts, The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press, 2015). 

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The 27th annual Natchitoches Jazz/R&B Festival will be held in historic downtown Natchitoches on the riverbank of Cane River Lake, the festival will kick off Friday evening, May 10th with “Tribute to Legends Night”. Appearing first at 7:00 p.m. will be “Lone Star Skynrd”, the award nominated Lynyrd Skynrd tribute act from Texas which faithfully recreates the atmosphere and energy of Lynyrd Skynrd concerts. Closing out Friday at 9:00 p.m. will be “Rumours-ATL”, the award-winning Fleetwood Mac tribute band out of Atlanta, Georgia which is widely recognized as the ultimate Fleetwood Mac tribute with its note for note recreation of the Mac’s hit songs.

Craig Morgan and Chapel Hart are set to headline the Main Stage on Saturday, May 11th.

Craig Morgan has been a country hit maker for over a quarter century and during his award-winning career has had seventeen charting country hits including the number ones “That’s What I Love About Sunday” and “Redneck Yacht Club”. Morgan is known for his high energy performances and is also a huge supporter of the military and veterans causes. He currently serves in the U.S. Army Reserve.

Opening for Morgan is the super-hot Nashville group “Chapel Hart” who were finalists on the hit television show “America’s Got Talent” a few years ago and then emerged again on the show’s special “Fantasy League” series which aired just a few weeks ago.

Millions have seen them on TV, they are selling out venues nationwide performing their number one hit “You Can Have him, Jolene” and many others.

Preceding “Chapel Hart” will be regional favorites “Johnny Earthquake and the Moondogs” who have been hailed as “Louisiana’s top show band” and are the only band to have appeared in all twenty-six previous festivals. They are making this a stop on their 30th anniversary “Over the Moon Tour” and promise some “special surprises” during their performance. The Moondogs performance is scheduled for 5:20 p.m. As always, they’ll deliver a high quality and high energy mix of rock and roll and R&B horn-driven favorites.

For more information and to purchase tickets, go to http://www.natchjazzfest.com.

There will be 20 bands in all performing on three stages, which will feature a wide variety of music, including country, rock ‘n’ roll, funk, soul, Gospel, Latin, Celtic, and yes, plenty of jazz and R&B. This is a family event, and as always, there will be plenty of great food and fun activities for the kids.

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Joseph Edward Robeau Jr.
November 8, 1923 — April 11, 2024
Service: Friday, April 19 at 2 pm at Blanchard-St. Denis Funeral Home

Carrie Elizabeth Johnson
August 7, 1947 — April 12, 2024
Service: Friday, April 26 at 11 am at St. Denis Funeral Home in Natchitoches

Ernest Leon McQueen
December 4, 1931 — April 12, 2024
Service: Wednesday, April 17 at 11 am at Coldwater Baptist Church in Hagewood

Raymond Helaire
Arrangements TBA

Roosevelt Davenport Jr.
April 22, 1951 – April 5, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Lillian Babers Cocherl
August 11, 1931 — March 24, 2024
Service: April 20 at 10 am at Trinity Episcopal Church, 533 Second St. in Natchitoches

Jennifer Garner Smith
April 11, 2024
Service: Saturday, April 27, 2024, 10am at the Winnfield First Assembly of God, Winnfield.

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By Doug De Graffenried

I have a mouse in the house.

When you live in a rural setting in an old house, a mouse is a common house guest. I do all in my power to make the house unattractive to mice. I have a professional who comes monthly and makes the house uninviting to rodents. However, with a bathroom remodel going on, there have been ample opportunities to allow a mouse into the house.

I saw the mouse this morning. He looks to be well fed and happy. He was running the baseboards in the family room. I didn’t panic. I didn’t call the dogs. I got up and opened the backdoor. The mouse was headed toward the back door. I was going to hasten his exit from the living area. I was distracting the dogs as I watched the mouse head for the opened door.

Alas, the mouse and the dogs discovered each other, and the race was on. Funny thing about my dogs, they have little respect for the delicate arrangement of the furniture. Their only goal was that mouse. The mouse made a strategic error and ran down the hallway in the opposite direction. I’m not sure where the mouse ended up. 

I know that when I go home this afternoon two things will be true. I will see the mouse again. I will see rearranged furniture as evidence of the canine rodent wars.

I’m pulling for the mouse!

I considered all options. I could call in the professional exterminators. I could bring a kitten into the house. The kitten would become a cat who would chase the mouse. The dogs would chase both the cat and the mouse and furniture would never be the same. My morning office musing was a consideration of making food and water available for the mouse. Once, when the kids were young, we had gerbils. They made babies about once a month! The kids and I would go to the woods around the Mount Mariah Methodist Church and set the baby gerbils free. I’m sure I have some gerbil houses and food dishes some place. For all I know, this mouse is several generations removed from those gerbils! I’m secretly rooting for the mouse, although I’m sure the dogs will take care of the matter.

I hope the mouse did not upset you. Here is what I want you to ponder. I’ll put it this way, I’m not responsible for the mouse being in the house, I am responsible for my reaction to the mouse being in the house.

When things happen to you, how do you respond?

That thing that just happened to you, is it a trial, a temptation, or a test? In the New Testament the same Greek word is translated all three ways. You see, the thing happening to you is often not your responsibility, but your reaction to event is your responsibility.

Is faith in Christ your default setting when there is a mouse in the house or when stuff happens to you?

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Over my many years of tournament angling, I have either heard about or even created some very helpful tips that just might come in handy. Some are designed to save you money and to be more efficient with your time. Some are just a few ways that can make you a better angler.

As anglers we are constantly looking for ways to improve. Today we’ll look at how we can become a better fisherman in ways not related to a fishing technique.

First, let’s look at how to become better organized inside our boats. A bass boat is like a business office or mechanic’s shop. Everything has its place, and in order to be efficient on the water our tackle must be easily accessible and organized. Time is a critical factor on tournament day, and you can’t waste it looking for tackle. Confucius once said, “If hook not in water, you no catch fish!”

Small utility boxes are all the rage and are perfect for segmenting all our different types of tackle. But to use these smaller utility boxes, we need to label each one, making it easier to locate tackle on tournament day. That’s where a good Dymo label maker comes in handy as it makes it easier to find the particular utility box you’re looking for.

Next, we’ve all heard the saying, “Make sure you use protection.” Well, this is a different kind of protection than where your mind went! That’s right, it’s about protecting your treble hooks on all your crankbaits and jerk baits. Unprotected hooks can get damaged or dull even if just sitting in a tackle storage box.

This is where “Safety Caps” made by Owner Hooks will ensure your hooks are always sharp and ready for action. The only drawback with Safety Caps is that your lures tend to take up more space by using these perfectly made hook protectors. But they are well worth the small price of $2.99 for a package of 13.

My final tip involves the debatable topic of scent. Some anglers think scent is just a scam and has no affect when fishing for bass. In my humble opinion, “they” could not be more wrong. Years ago, I did an experiment  using trickworms. I took a bag of Zoom Trickworms, which have no scent when purchased, and compared the number of bites I got with another bag of Zoom Trickworms with scent.  A friend of mine went with me to perform this test. He started out with the unscented bag while I used the bag with scent.

I caught five bass to his one, and then we switched bags and positions in the boat. He went to the back of the boat with the scented bag while I fished off the front deck with the unscented bag. Same results — the scented worms caught five bass to my one, confirming that scent can make a difference.

It was from this day forward that I have and will continue the practice of adding scent to every bag of soft plastic baits I own. To this day, there’s not a single bag of soft plastic worms hanging on a peg in my fishing cave (Graf Mart) that doesn’t have scent added.

I once asked the GOAT, KVD (Kevin Van Dam), if he believed in scent? His reply caught me off guard when he turned the question back on me and asked if I believed it works. My reply was “yes”and KVD said then that’s all that matters. If you believe it works then use it because bass fishing is a mental game and when you believe in something, you tend to fish that bait better and with more confidence, making you a better angler!

Next week I’ll have a few more tips that I would like to pass along to help you become a better angler. ‘Til next time good luck, good fishing and when in doubt if it’s a bite, set the hook anyway! Make sure to check out Tackle Talk Live podcast, as well as the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show on You Tube. 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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Melrose, Louisiana – April 1, 2024 – Get ready to experience the magic of handcrafted wonders at the 50th Annual Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival, taking place on April 20th from 9 am to 5 pm and April 21st from 10 am to 3 pm. The festival will be held at Melrose on the Cane where attendees can immerse themselves in a vibrant showcase of unique treasures crafted by talented artisans.

Tickets for this exciting event can be purchased at https://givebutter.com/MelroseArtsAndCrafts. Attendees will be able to shop for: stunning jewelry, exquisite pottery, savory salsa, intricate woodwork, timeless iron creations, delectable desserts, and much more. Whether you’re a seasoned art enthusiast or simply looking for something special, there’s something for everyone to discover and cherish at the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival.

Visitors can also indulge in delicious treats from food trucks while exploring the myriad of artistic offerings.

“This year marks a significant milestone as we celebrate 50 years of creativity, community, and craftsmanship at the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival,” said Leah Dunn Witman, Executive Director. “We invite everyone to join us for a weekend filled with artistic inspiration, lively entertainment, and the joy of supporting local artisans.”

Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to celebrate five decades of artistic excellence at the 50th Annual Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival. Purchase your tickets today and join us for a weekend of creativity, community, and celebration!

For ticket information and event updates, please visit https://givebutter.com/MelroseArtsAndCrafts

Media Contact: Leah Dunn Witman, EmailMelrosePlantation@gmail.com

About the Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival: The Melrose Arts and Crafts Festival is an annual celebration of artistry, creativity, and community spirit. For 50 years, the festival has showcased the talents of local artisans and provided a platform for visitors to discover unique handcrafted treasures. Join us as we celebrate half a century of artistic excellence and continue to inspire creativity for generations to come.

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By Brad Dison

Harold Lloyd Jenkins was born on September 1, 1933, in Friar’s Point, Mississippi.  His great uncle suggested the boy be named after his favorite silent film actor, Harold Lloyd.  Harold’s family moved to Helena, Arkansas during World War II.  Everyone realized early on that Harold had talent.  He was just 10 years old when he first sang on the radio.  Two years later, he formed his first band, the Phillips County Rambles, and they had their own show on radio station KFFA.  As a teenager, in addition to his singing, Harold preached at local revivals. He was a star baseball player in high school.  After he graduated, the Philadelphia Phillies offered him a contract, but Harold was drafted into the Army.  While in the Army, he formed a band called the Cimmarons to entertain other soldiers.  Following his stint in the military, the Phillies renewed their offer, but Harold decided to focus on a musical career.    

Although he had been performing long before Elvis Presley, the King of Rock and Roll, Harold was influenced by Elvis.  Harold tried to emulate Elvis’s sound.  Harold formed a band called The Rockhousers, and wrote a song with the same title.  His talent was such that he was able to record at Sun Studios in Memphis, Elvis’s recording studio, but none of The Rockhousers’ records were considered good enough to be released at the time. 

In early 1958, the Rockhousers were touring across Ontario, Canada trying to build up a following.  During an intermission at a show at the Flamingo Lounge in Hamilton, Canada, drummer Jack Nance scribbled out some lyrics.  He showed the lyrics to Harold who helped Jack Nance complete the song.  Shortly thereafter, Harold and his band recorded a demo of this song and a few others.  They sent the demos to their manager, Don Seat.  Don sent the demos to MGM Records, and they set up a recording session for Harold.  The other members of The Rockhousers were not included.  On May 7, 1958, Harold went to the studio where some of the best musicians of the era waited.  The Jordanaires, Elvis’s backup singers, provided backing vocals.  Floyd Cramer was on piano.  Grady Martin played guitar, and Floyd “Lightnin” Chance played the double bass.  During the session, two songs were chosen for release.  In those days, a single came out on a 45 rpm record.  The “A” side of the record was the expected hit and the “B” side was usually considered less commercial.  The “A” side of Harold’s first single was a song called “I’ll Try.”  The “B” side was a version of the song drummer Jack Nance and Harold had written. 

Harold’s single was released on July 14, 1958, but “I’ll Try” fell flat with the listening public.  The record should have drifted into obscurity along with Harold’s career.  Then, a DJ in Columbus, Ohio decided to play the B-side on the air.  Listeners called the radio station with questions and to request that it be played again and again.  Listeners wanted to know who was singing the song.  Many people concluded that it was Elvis singing the song under an alias.  Remember, the backing voices on the songs were provided by the Jordanaires, Elvis’s backup singers.  This was an intentional marketing ploy by MGM.  They released no picture or biography of Harold to the press, as they normally would have done with a newcomer.  Harold said later, “I actually did try my best to sing like Elvis.” My voice and style sounded like Elvis, and the only thing that identified me was that little throaty growl. I remember when I recorded [the song], producer Jim Vienneau came into the studio and asked me what that little thing was that I had done with my voice. That was what really saved the day, yet I never meant to growl at all. I was afraid they might not like it and I wondered if it should come out. ‘No way!’ replied Vienneau. ‘Keep it in there!’ I agreed because it was the first time somebody had complimented me on that particular thing . . . In the end, it was the identifying feature that separated me distinctly from Elvis.”

The song was the only number 1 “pop single” of Harold’s career, but Harold was certainly not a one hit wonder.  He eventually had 55 number 1 hit singles.  To put that into perspective, The Beatles had 20 number 1 singles, Elvis had 18, and Michael Jackson had 13.  The only performer in history to have more number 1 hits was George Strait with 60.  Harold Loyd Jenkins is a name you may not recognize or remember, which is exactly why Harold’s manager convinced him to adopt a more memorable stage name with star quality.  “It’s Only Make Believe” was the first hit from Harold Loyd Jenkins who chose his stage name by pointing at two random points on a map, Conway, Arkansas, and Twitty, Texas.  Conway Twitty!

Sources:

1.      Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 1, 1985, p.118.

2.     The Atlanta Journal, June 6, 1993, p.4.

3.     Palladium-Item (Richmond, Virginia), June 6, 1993, p.2.

4.     Spong, John, “All George Strait’s No. 1’S.” Texas Monthly, May 21, 2014, https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/all-george-straits-no-1s/#:~:text=Over%20his%2033%2Dyear%20recording.

5.     “The Life of Conway Twitty,” ConwayTwitty.com, https://conwaytwitty.com/about/#:~:text=By%20any%20measure%2C%20the%20career.

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Ron Chen
Service: Sunday, April 14 at 2:30 P.M. at the First Presbyterian Church, located at 114 Bienville St. in Natchitoches

Range Waldrup
April 2, 2024
Service will take place Saturday, April 13 at 11 amin the Winnfield Memorial Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

Erica Louise Dupree
March 17, 1981 – April 5, 2024
Service: Saturday, April 13 at 2 pm in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel, located at 318 North Street in Natchitoches

George Bryan Cobb
June 7, 1951 — April 3, 2024
Service: Wednesday, April 10 at 2 pm at Blanchard St. Denis Funeral Home

Roosevelt Davenport Jr.
April 22, 1951 – April 5, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Lillian Babers Cocherl
August 11, 1931 — March 24, 2024
Service: April 20 at 10 am at Trinity Episcopal Church, 533 Second St. in Natchitoches

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March 13, 1941 — April 1, 2024

Joyce (Mitchell) Rains, of Many, Louisiana, passed away at Many Healthcare on Monday, April 1, 2024, at the age of 83. She was born to Arley Mitchell and Mary Magdaline (Craig) Mitchell on March 13, 1941, in Fort Jessup, Louisiana. A graveside service was held for her at Beulah Baptist Church, 31665 Highway 191, Many, LA 71449 on Tuesday, April 2, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. with Bro. Kenneth Leach officiating.
She loved her family and friends very dearly. Her greatest outpouring of love was shown to her furry baby, Riley. Riley had been a part of Joyce’s life for 10+years during which time she had become spoiled with unconditional love and companionship.

Preceding her in death are her parents, Arley and Mary Mitchell; her husband, Dale Rains; and her sister, Lois Lee Remedies. Left to cherish her memory are her daughter, Mona Murray and husband, Stanley of Florien, LA; her sons, Brad Jordan of Florien, LA, and Kenneth “Dubo” Rains and wife, Renee of Marthaville, LA; her brother, W. A. Mitchell of Many, LA; her grandchildren, Melissa Creighton (CJ Singleton), Brandi Jennings (Derek), Bret Rains (Crystal), Clint Rains (Laken); numerous great grandchildren; along with a host of nieces, nephews, friends and other family members.

Honoring her as pallbearers will be Gary Lee, Stanley Murray, Bo Wilson, and Brad Jordan.

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To report an issue or typo with this article – CLICK HERE

Today’s bass boats are nothing short of incredible — and expensive! The accessories you can add to a bass boat are really cool and can make a huge difference in your ability to fish effectively. But which of these inventions has truly had the greatest impact on the sport of bass fishing?  We’ll do a walk-thru from the front to the back of the boat and go over each of these features and their importance.

When you buy a bass boat, it’s very similar to buying a new truck or car. There are all kinds of accessories that you can select to make your boat even better. There are some you might consider a luxury item while others are a necessity if you want to compete.

Let’s first look at the very front of the boat and talk about the trolling motor. Nothing, in my opinion, has had a greater impact on the sport of bass fishing than the trolling motor. In 1934, O.G Schmidt invented the first electric trolling motor in Fargo, North Dakota. This invention revolutionized bass fishing by allowing an angler to navigate a body of water with ease without having to run the big engine.  This device is used not as the primary means to propel the boat but makes navigation much easier especially in shallow water.  From its inception, the trolling motor has served one purpose — to move the boat around quietly without spooking fish and is a standard feature on today’s bass boats.

These high-tech trolling motors can lock a boat down on one spot in open water. It will literally hold the boat in one position automatically with the push of a button, allowing the angler to fish an area or a spot more effectively. The days of using an anchor to hold a boat in place are gone with today’s new trolling motor technology.

Also located on the front deck of the boat are high-tech electronic fish locators. These units have made bass fishing so much easier, not just for professional anglers, but the novice angler as well. They allow anglers to see fish as far away as 100 feet on a screen the size of a small TV. They give great detail about the structure and contours of the lake bottom. They show water temperature, depth, GPS coordinates, timber, and grass and will tell you the composition of the bottom as to whether it’s hard or soft.

Why is this important? Hard spots are where bass like to set up, especially during the spawn. Today’s sonars show debris from lay down logs and rocks to brush piles along with clouds of baitfish. The detail is so good that an experienced angler can tell if the fish he’s looking at are bass, white perch, or catfish.

Moving further to the back of the boat, let’s look at the dashboard. Today’s top of the line bass boats are mostly digital. Your gauges, including the speedometer, RPM, and temperature gauges, are all digital. Some have gauges that monitor the gas, oil, and battery levels, while some boats have a water temperature gauge for the livewells, ensuring that you can maintain a good temperature level for your fish in order to keep them  alive for weigh-in.

Another advancement, one that might be the best safety feature ever invented for a bass boat, is the hot foot. The hot foot is a gas pedal that allows the angler to drive the boat just like a car or truck, with both hands on the steering wheel. It also allows for better boat control when navigating rough water conditions.

There’s also another feature that has become one of the best accessories you can put on a boat: a shallow water anchor system called Power Poles or Talons. The first product is made by a company called Power Pole while the Talons are made by Minn Kota. Power Poles fold out from the back of the boat while Talons are mounted on the back of the boat and descend straight down. Both are really good: it’s like comparing Ford or Chevrolet; which one do you like the best?

Both are great tools and will do exactly what they are designed to do, anchor you down in one spot. The only drawback to these units is that they are only designed for shallow water of 12 feet or less. When they first came out, I was a skeptic and thought it was a waste of money until I added one to my boat and realized how useful it was to have these on your boat. They come in handy when you’re having to sit down and retie or cull fish. They also come in handy when you are launching your boat or docking up for a weigh-in.

As you can see, bass boats have come a long way since the days of stick-steering banana-style boats. The features you can add are nothing short of incredible, but they do come with a cost. Major boat brands like Ranger, Skeeter, Caymas and Triton all have boats that fall into the $90,000 plus range.

To compare how far the price has jumped in the last 23 years, a fully loaded bass boat back then cost around $30,000. But today, some boats are hitting the crazy $100,000 mark! Why? The cost of building materials and the high level of accessories it takes to build a bass boat today have increased.

So, if you’re in the market for a new bass boat, prepare yourself for sticker shock as companies continue to improve and upgrade these high-tech water rockets that can reach speeds of 80 mph.  

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to check out Tackle Talk Live podcast, as well as the Hook’N Up & Track’N Down Show on YouTube. 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

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