The Sabine Council on Aging will hold Open House events from 1-3 pm for its Legacy Building (200 Legacy Drive in Many) on Friday, March 24 and its Toledo Meal Site (29275 Hwy. 191 in Many) on Friday, March 31. Refreshments will be served at each event.

An Alzheimer’s and Dementia Support Group will be held on Tuesday, March 14 from 12-1 pm at the Sabine Council on Aging offices at 200 Legacy Drive in Many. This group is hosted by Many Healthcare and Rehabilitation, the SCOA, and the Sabine Parish Library, with the Natchitoches Regional Medical Center Behavioral Services.

Alzheimer’s disease is life-changing for those who are diagnosed and those close to them. This support group is a structured gathering of caregivers, family, and friends of persons with Alzheimer’s who meet to discuss issues related to Alzheimer’s disease and related disorders. It provides a place to connect with others who truly understand what you are going through.

This group is a safe, supportive and confidential opportunity to:
Exchange practical information on caregiving problems
Talk through challenges and ways of coping
Share feelings, needs and concerns
Learn about resources available in your community

The purpose in providing this support group is to provide an opportunity for family members and caregivers to meet and develop a mutual support system that will help maintain the health and well-being of the members.

Join us for the Mardi Gras Futurity and Louisiana Downs Futurity at Louisiana Downs on Saturday, March 25, 2023

Three scholarships will be awarded through a LIVE drawing in the Louisiana Downs winner’s circle on Saturday, March 25th, immediately following the 4th race.

Applicants must register in person beginning at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 25, 2023.

Registration will close promptly after the third race.

ENTRANTS MUST BE PRESENT TO WIN

• For more information on the scholarship eligibility or the rules, please see the attached flyer or visit LQHBA.COM

As they say, records are made to be broken. Well, the same can be said of rules in a bass tournament. 

Every bass tournament organization has its own set of rules and not all circuits are the same. Some tournament trails are called “team trails” and others are  called Pro/Am events in which a pro is randomly paired up with a co-angler. The pro fishes out the front of the boat and has total control of the trolling motor and where they fish, while the co-angler/amateur fishes out of the back of the boat and is not allowed to fish off the front deck. 

While most of the rules are very similar, some circuits might have a couple of rules specific for what body of water they are fishing. But no matter what, it’s the responsibility of the angler to read, know, and follow the rules of each event. There are no excuses for violating a rule under any circumstances, especially not a plea of ignorance.            

Let’s look at a controversy in a recent Bass Champs Team Trail event on Toledo Bend about the third-place team of Bill Cook and his partner Ken Burgess. First and foremost, most of the time when anglers violate a rule in a tournament, it’s unintentional. This does not make them cheaters; it means they violated a rule they didn’t realize was a rule. This Bass Champs event was a trailering tournament, which meant you could launch your boat anywhere on the lake but could not start fishing until 7 a.m. 

On this particular morning, Bill and Ken left the ramp and headed for the area they were going to start fishing, arriving around 6:45. Around this time, Bill lowered the trolling motor with his Livescope screen activated. This was an immediate rules violation. Livescope is part of Garmin Electronics’ fish-finder system that is what anglers call a forward-facing sonar. It allows an angler to see fish up to 100 feet in real time. 

The rule that Bill and his partner were not aware of was that you could not turn on your Livescope until the official start fishing time. They were, however, allowed to use their electronics before then, but only for navigational purposes.  

After revealing how Bill and his partner caught their fish on an episode of Tackle Talk Live and the radio program Hook’N Up & Track’N Down, a tournament competitor heard how they were using Livescope before the official start time. This guy then called Bass Champs and reported the violation. Bass Champs verified the accusation and concluded that indeed Bill and Ken had violated the Livescope rule.  

Bass Champs notified Bill that he and his partner would have to forfeit their third-place winnings of $2,700. Embarrassed and upset with himself, Bill posted his reaction on Facebook and apologized for the rule violation that he and his partner inadvertently committed. He never made any excuses and said no one was to blame for this mistake other than himself and his partner. They took full responsibility and emphasized that they should have done a better job of reading and understanding the rules. 

From this angler’s perspective, Bill and Ken are two awesome individuals who made an honest mistake. But I can say with 90 percent confidence that out of 169 other teams in this event, there were others who violated the same rule but never came forward and admitted it. 

If you were one of these in this category, shame on you for not being honest! One thing I’ve always praised about tournament bass fishermen is that most do hold themselves accountable whenever they break a rule, from forgetting to wear a life jacket while changing locations on the lake, to having more than five fish in the live well and forgetting to cull one.

It’s the responsibility of the angler to call the tournament director and report any violation when it occurs and accept whatever penalty or punishment that might be handed down. Rules are not intended to make things tougher on anglers. They exist to level the playing field for all anglers.  

The message to take away from this story — always read the rules for all tournaments. Nothing is worse or more embarrassing for an angler than being disqualified from an event.

 Until next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to read the rules! 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

The Food Bank of Central Louisiana Food Drive Donations can be dropped off at the Sabine Parish Library in Many. All donations will be distributed to Sabine Parish residents.

March 2023 Food Pantry Distributions:

Thursday, March 23 from 8-10 am at the First Baptist Church in Pleasant Hill

Thursday, March 23 from 11:30 am – 1:30 pm at the Zwolle Fiesta Grounds

Friday, April 7 from 9-11 am at the Life Church in Many

BOM is continuing our sponsorship of the Florien High School softball team. Pictured left to right: Gracie Rutherford and BOM’s Savannah Garcie.

 Former Many High School football coach Jess Curtis was honored last Thursday night at the annual National Football Foundation S.M. McNaughton Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards Dinner at East Ridge Country Club in Shreveport.

Curtis received the chapter’s Coach of the Year award, which is only presented occasionally, not annually, recognizing exceptional achievement as a high school football coach in north Louisiana.

In his 13 seasons leading his alma mater’s program, Curtis went 142-32 (.816) with state championships in 2014, 2020 and 2022, three more state runner-up finishes (2013, 2019, 2021) and another three state semifinal berths (2016-18). The Class 2A Tigers have won 50 of their last 53 games while making four straight state championship games, and are 6-0 in that stretch over Class 4A or 5A opponents.

Many has won 53 consecutive district games and has played in state championship games in each of the last four seasons, winning two of the last three, going 38-2 overall this decade.

The Tigers have won 10 straight district championships and are unbeaten in district play during that time, reaching the state playoffs every year and advancing at least to the state semifinals in all but one season.

Many reached the Class AA state finals in 2013, then won its first state championship under Curtis the following season. The Tigers reached the playoff semifinals in 2016, 2017 and 2018, then lost in the 2019 state finals. They came back to win the 2020 2A championship, fell in the 2021 finals and beat Class 3A Union Parish in December to capture the Division III state crown.

The Tigers are known for their physical style of play, aggressive defense and powerful running game.

Curtis told the audience that the great support of Many and Sabine Parish residents was a key factor in developing one of the state’s most dominant high school programs. He expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to coach and teach at his alma mater, and for all of the support he and the Tigers have received through the years.

Many High public address announcer Buddy Wood introduced Curtis, who has taken a new post as head coach at Natchitoches Central High School. Wood praised Curtis’ integrity and values as keystones in the Many Made success story.

Ten 2022 senior prep football scholar-athletes, nominated by their head coaches, received accolades and scholarships during the event. The 10 were North DeSoto’s Hunter Addison, Green Oaks’ Fred Benjamin, Elijah Harper of Red River, Christian Jones from C.E. Byrd, West Monroe’s Blake Loring, Adam Parker of St. Mary’s in Natchitoches, Haughton’s Peyton Polk, Kam Robinson from Captain Shreve, Hayden Rolfe of Logansport and Northwood’s Mason Welch.

The event was attended by over 330 guests including college head coaches Brad Laird of Northwestern State and Sonny Cumbie of Louisiana Tech, along with National Football Foundation membership director Ron Dilatush.

Northwood’s Welch was spotlighted as the KTBS/Johnny’s Pizza House Scholar-Athlete of the Year after being nominated last fall for the 2022 NFF Scholar-Athlete Watch List. Fourteen standouts were spotlighted during Tuesday segments on the KTBS 6 and 10 p.m. sportscasts and on the station’s award-winning Johnny’s Pizza House Friday Football Fever weekly highlight show, and received a Griffin’s Game Ball in tribute to the late KTBS and KSLA news and sports personality, who served on the McNaughton Chapter’s board.

Chapter and national officials presented a National Football Foundation Gold Medal presentation to Leo Sanford, the longtime chapter president who has been on the NFF board since its creation in 1980. Sanford, a member of the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame, Ark-La-Tex Museum of Champions and the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame, was a star center and linebacker at Shreveport’s Fair Park High School and at Louisiana Tech before becoming a Pro Bowl player in the NFL with the Chicago Cardinals and winning the 1958 NFL championship alongside Johnny Unitas for the Baltimore Colts.

Former Northwestern State basketball coach Mike McConathy was presented the chapter’s Distinguished American Award for his far-reaching impact on high school and collegiate athletics, community service and lifelong involvement with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes.

McConathy, who became the winningest college basketball coach in state history during his 23 seasons at Northwestern in a 39-year college coaching career. He is also a member of the Louisiana Tech Athletic Hall of Fame and the Ark-La-Tex Museum of Champions, and NSU’s Hall of Distinguished Educators and N-Club Hall of Fame.

Previous Distinguished American award winners include Sanford, Sen. J. Bennett Johnston, Denny Duron, Orvis Sigler, Tim Brando, James Davison, Terry Slack, Billy Montgomery, and Ivan Smith Jr., along with McConathy’s father Johnny McConathy and the namesake of the local NFF chapter, Milton McNaughton.

Longtime Byrd High coach Mike Suggs, who retired two years ago, received the chapter’s Contribution to Amateur Football Award after being introduced by former recipient Alan Carter, who hired Suggs at Byrd as offensive coordinator over 30 years ago.

Among other prior recipients are Eddie Robinson, Lee Hedges, Bert Jones, Joe Ferguson, Alton “Red” Franklin, Stan Humphries, Doug Williams, Jimmy “Chick” Childress, Rodney Guin, Broderick Fobbs, Joe Raymond Peace and Sam Goodwin.

The No. 1-ranked Zwolle Hawks aim for the school’s 16^th boys’ basketball state championship when they face second-seeded Anacoco Friday at 8 p.m. in Lake Charles at Burton Coliseum.

The Hawks (33-2) won their semifinal game in double overtime, 81-72 over Gibsland-Coleman Monday evening. Anacoco (37-5) beat Fairview 63-49 in the other semifinal.

Monday night, Kenneth Montgomery hit an 18-foot jumper at the buzzer for Zwolle to force overtime. In the waning seconds of the first overtime, Alex Williams drained a 3-pointer to tie the game and push it to a second OT period. The Hawks took control down the stretch.

The Hawks are shooting for their first state title since 2017 and the seventh this century, also winning it in 2012, 2011, 2009, 2007 and 2006.

Zwolle lost in the state finals last year, and five more times this century: 2019, 2018, 2016, 2008 and 2002.

The Hawks opened the 2023 playoffs with an 86-61 second-round romp over Quitman, then topped Choudrant 58-46 in the quarterfinals.

Anacoco has won two of the three meetings this season with Zwolle, with all three coming down to the wire.

The Sabine Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped by the Sabine Retirement and Rehabilitation facility on March 7 for a dominoes game with residents! The crown went to the scoring leader!

Many Police Department Chief Cheryl Wooley announces five new POST verified homicide investigators. Letters of certification were recently received from the State of Louisiana stating Assistant Chief Mason Wiley, Chief Cheryl Wooley, Detective Mark Holder, Detective Joseph Rainer and Shift Commander Stan Cook completed the necessary courses.

Dear Ask the Paperboy:

Last year during early March, the U.S. Senate passed legislation that would have made daylight saving time permanent starting this Sunday, March 12. But now I understand that although we will spring forward Sunday, we will fall back come November 5, same as always, Lord willing we are still here. Right? Wrong? Let me know before Sunday. You’re on the clock starting … now!

Sleepily in Shreveport

Dear Sleepy,

Yes, to the first part; Congress considered making daylight saving time permanent, but it didn’t hap’n, Cap’n. Last year at this time, the proposed legislation went from the Senate to the House and the House was locked. By the time someone found a key, everyone in the House was in a foul mood and said NEG, that they “needed more time” to study its effects one way or the other because, apparently, the 100 years that daylight saving time has been around has not been enough time to really and truly think this thing through. Paperboy wishes daylight saving time were permanent because then it would be Headache Saving Time, since Paperboy’s head is all “confrused” twice a year. Finally, the bill was reintroduced by a senator just last week, has bipartisan support, and has been referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, Transportation, Headaches, and Clocks. My sources tell me the biggest thing we in the Don’t Touch That Timepiece! lobby have going for us is support in the extremely partisan cow bloc, made up of bovines who don’t want to be milked at one time during March and another time during November. Who would? Cows don’t know a clock from an udder; they just know when the sun comes up. Cows keep life simple.

Dear Ask the Paperboy,

I see the Tarbutton Road Exit has opened in Lincoln Parish and a Buc-ee’s is a-comin’. This is the biggest news in these parts since Whataburger opened. But my query is, why is it called Tarbutton Road?

Life in Lincoln

Dear Life,

Paperboy feels it had to have been the name of someone who lived on that road before it had a name. As is often the custom in rural America, the name of the road, and sometimes a parish or town, is named for the early bird. You snooze, you lose. There are no Tarbuttons around now that I know of, but there are plenty in Texas and Mississippi and, with a name like that, they are all cool. My friend Teddy Allen feels if he’d have been named Teddy Simonetti or Teddy Takata or Teddy Tarbutton, he would have gotten some respect. Great names. They bring something to the party. Plus, it’s a fine road and a top-shelf exit. Hat tippage.

 Dear ATP,

Recently my favorite baseball player was in a slump and then he hit like two taters and knocked in more runs than you have fingers on your hand in one game. The announcer said he was “off the schneid.” Is this a sports term? A foreign language? Did I misunderstand?

Possibly taking this too personally,

J.T. Schneider, Schneider Road, Schneiderville

Dear J.T.,

Words have always amused Paperboy, even ever since he was just Paperbaby. A “schneid,” as it turns out, is a word that originated with gin rummy and means you lost that hand and didn’t score any points. So, a schneid is a bad thing and came to mean, in any sport, that it is not happening for you. To get “off the schneid” means you are winning again. So, if you see a schneid, stay away from it. If you’re on a schneid, say excuse me and get off it. Now that that’s settled, let’s score some runs!

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu or Twitter @MamaLuvsManning

COMPLIMENTS OF ROSE-NEATH FUNERAL HOME – MANY, LOUISIANA

SABINE PARISH SOFTBALL SCORES

Monday, February 27, 2023

Anacoco – 10 (3-2)

Converse – 0 (3-2)

Northwood-Shrev – 16 (5-0)

Ebarb – 0 (0-1)

Many – 12 (3-4)

Hornbeck – 0 (0-3)

Negreet – 16 (4-0)

Simpson – 1 (0-1)

Zwolle – 18 (5-1)

Pickering – 3 (0-6)

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Montgomery – 5 (8-1)

Florien – 3 (3-5)

Many – 12 (4-4)

Rosepine – 2 (3-2)

Negreet – 15 (5-0)

Mansfield – 0 (3-1)

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Anacoco – 10 (3-2)

Converse – 0 (3-2)

Florien – 6 (5-3)

Leesville – 0 (1-6)

Many – 15 (5-4)

DeRidder – 0 (2-7)

Friday, March 3, 2023

Zwolle – 10 (6-1)

Parkway – 5 (4-2)

GRANT HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT

Friday, March 3, 2023

Many – 21 (6-4)

Grace Christian – 2 (5-5)

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Central – BR – 10 (7-4)

Many – 0 (6-5)

Buckeye – 12 (8-3)

Many – 2 (6-6)

EVANS HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT

Friday, March 3, 2023

Pitkin – 14 (5-2)

Negreet – 3 (5-1)

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Negreet – 11 (6-1)

Simpson – 1 (0-4)

Merryville – 10 (5-4)

Negreet – 9 (6-2)

SABINE PARISH BASEBALL SCORES

Monday, February 27, 2023

Pickering – 13 (2-2)

Ebarb – 3 (2-2)

Zwolle – 18 (1-4)

Homer – 0 (0-2)

Tuesday, February 28, 2023

Converse – 9 (5-0)

Oak Hill – 5 (3-2)

Glenbrook – 6 (4-1)

Many – 3 (4-2)

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Zwolle – 17 (2-4)

Mansfield – 5 (1-2)

FLORIEN HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Florien – 12 (1-2)

Ebarb – 11 (2-3)

Friday, March 3, 2023

Converse – 6 (6-0)

Glenmora – 5 (1-4)

Simpson – 20 (2-3)

Ebarb – 7 (2-4)

St. Mary’s – 15 (3-3)

Negreet – 0 (0-1)

Saturday, March 4, 2023

St. Mary’s – 10 (4-3)

Converse – 0 (6-1)

Converse – 4 (7-1)

Winnfield – 3 (3-4)

Negreet – 9 (1-1)

Florien – 7 (1-3)

OUACHITA CHRISTIAN HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT

Thursday, March 2, 2023

Many – 8 (5-2)

Ouachita Parish – 3 (3-4)

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Oak Grove – 8 (3-3)

Many – 7 (5-3)

Dunham – 17 (5-3)

Many – 0 (5-4)

ZWOLLE HIGH SCHOOL TOURNAMENT

Friday, March 3, 2023

North Webster – 13 (6-1)

Zwolle – 0 (2-5)

Saturday, March 4, 2023

Anacoco – 7 (2-4)

Zwolle – 0 (2-6)

Zwolle – 10 (3-6)

Lakeview – 0 (0-2)

Carmen Castro and family recently celebrated the grand opening of Taqueria Conchitas with the Many community. This new restaurant will serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They’re located at the old Dairy Queen.

Position: Administrative Assistant 5
Salary: $2,883.00 – $5,675.00 Monthly
Location: Natchitoches, LA
Job Type: Classified
Department: Northwestern State University
Job Number: 171972
Closing: 3/9/2023 11:59 PM Central

Supplemental Information

Northwestern State University is currently accepting applications for an Administrative Assistant 5 in Business Affairs.

Applicants must have Civil Service test scores for 8500-Office Support Exam in order to be considered for this vacancy unless exempted by Civil Service rule or policy. If you do not have a score prior to applying to this posting, it may result in your application not being considered. 

Applicants without current test scores can apply to take the test here.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

*Resumes WILL NOT be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.*
 
For further information about this vacancy contact:
Benetrus Brooks, H.R. Specialist
Northwestern State University – Human Resources
200 Sam Sibley Dr. – St. Denis Hall
brooksb@nsula.edu
 

It has been, and will continue to be, the policy of Northwestern State University to be an equal opportunity employer. All employment decisions are based on job related standards and must comply with the principles of equal employment opportunity.

In keeping with this policy, the University will continue to recruit, hire, train, and promote into all job levels the most qualified persons without regard to race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, veteran status, or retirement status. All personnel actions, such as compensation, benefits, transfers, layoffs, training, and education are administered without regard to race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, veteran status, or retirement status.

The University is committed to equal opportunity for student success by providing access to educational programs, tuition assistance, and social and recreational activities for all students without regard to race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, age, veteran status, or retirement status.  Additionally, the University provides equal access to the Boy Scouts of America and other designated youth groups.

Student complaints or inquiries related to Title IX should be directed to the Director of Student Advocacy and Title IX Coordinator, Julie Powell (318-357-5570), Room 308 of the Friedman Student Union or email obannonj@nsula.edu.  Employee Title IX issues should be directed to the Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Human Resources, Veronica M. Biscoe (318-357-6359), Room 111 Caspari Hall or email ramirezv@nsula.edu.

In accordance with Section 35.106 of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), all participants, applicants, organizations, and interested individuals are advised and notified that the ADA Coordinator for Northwestern State University for facilities is the Director of University Affairs, Jennifer Kelly (318-357-4300), located in New Fine Arts, 104 Central Avenue, Ste. 102 or email andersonje@nsula.edu. For studentacademic services, contact the Director of Access and Disability Support, Taylor Camidge (318-357-5460) located in Room 108-C Watson Memorial Library or email camidget@nsula.edu.  For faculty/staff accommodations and services, contact Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness and Human Resources, Veronica M. Biscoe (318-357-6359), Room 111 Caspari Hall or email ramirezv@nsula.edu.

Qualifications

Job Concepts

Function of Work:
To serve as the special assistant to a classified/unclassified executive or high-ranking classified administrator.

Employees perform duties independently and exercise a high degree of independent judgment and initiative in determining the approach/action to take in non-routine situations.

Level of Work: Advanced.

Supervision Received:
General from a classified/unclassified executive or high-ranking classified administrator. 

Supervision Exercised:
May supervise 1-2 lower-level personnel.

Location of Work:
May be used by all state agencies.

Job Distinctions:
Differs from Administrative Assistant 4 by the presence of responsibility for serving as special assistant to a classified/unclassified executive or a high-ranking classified administrator.

Differs from Administrative Assistant 6 by the absence of responsibility for serving as the confidential executive assistant to the unclassified Secretary, Deputy Secretary, Undersecretary, Assistant Secretary, or equivalent high-level classified/unclassified executive of a major state department.

Examples of Work

Relieves the executive of a variety of administrative matters by assuming delegated authority in assigned areas.

Performs and supervises administrative support activities such as maintaining files and central records, printing and duplicating services, security, purchasing of supplies and equipment, warehousing, and preparation of payroll and personnel records.
Serves as executive support to department advisors and decision-makers, including administrators and boards/committees.

Reviews correspondence and receives telephone calls related to the most sensitive and confidential matters and determines appropriate action to be taken.

Interprets departmental policies and procedures for staff members and the general public.

Conducts and/or supervises special projects, such as organizing charity drives or coordinating facility maintenance.

Collects and compiles budgetary data for monitoring funds and staffing levels.

Prepares materials needed for meetings, such as agendas, handouts, binders, etc.

May attend meetings and transcribe minutes.

May serve as backup for experienced-level professional duties, such as procurement, accounting, etc.

Administrative Assistant 5 – View Online

EOE

By Brad Dison

Since the earliest humans roamed the Earth, theft has been a problem.  I imagine one caveman being envious of another caveman’s club and taking it when the opportunity presented itself.      Over the millennia, humans developed rules which eventually became enforceable laws to stave off thievery.  In some cases, the penalty for theft was excessive in comparison to the value of what was stolen.  In 2019, a man convicted of theft in Iran had four of the fingers on his right hand cut off.

In early November 1906, a boy whose name has been lost to history spied some “penny toys” dangling from the doorway of a shop in Weinfelden, Switzerland.  Without much thought of the possible consequences, the boy seized two of the penny toys and simply walked away.  The boy made no attempt to hide the stolen toys, nor did he rush away from the scene of the crime.  He calmly strode away from the shop. 

The shop’s clerk contacted a policeman and reported the crime.  The clerk pointed in the direction the boy had walked.  With the help of the public who, like the clerk, pointed in the direction the boy had walked, the policeman quickly made his way to the boy’s home.  The boy’s parents were unaware of the boy’s new toys until the policeman arrived.  The policeman questioned the boy who laughingly admitted to taking the penny toys.  With a solid confession, the policeman arrested the boy. 

When the theft case came before the Weinfelden magistrate, the policeman held the boy up so the magistrate could take a good look at him and so the boy could see the official, as well.  When the magistrate asked the boy if he had taken the penny toys, the boy laughingly admitted to the crime just as he had done with the policeman.  The boy tried as well as he could to defend his actions.  He tried to explain to the magistrate that he did not have any toys like the other boys in his neighborhood.  The magistrate was unaffected by the boys attempt to explain away his crime, and as sternly as if he were facing the most cold-blooded of murderers loudly proclaimed “three and a half months’ imprisonment.”

The boy’s parents, shocked by the prison sentence for a couple of penny toys, fell on their knees and pleaded with the magistrate to reconsider.  As the boy had openly confessed to thievery, the boy’s parents had just one argument, that the boy did not know the difference between right and wrong.  With hardly a glance in their direction, the magistrate sternly told the policeman, “Remove the prisoner.”  The policeman seemed almost as shocked as the parents, but he had to abide by the magistrate’s order.  The policeman led the boy to an equally astonished warden to begin his sentence. 

Whether the boy’s imprisonment deterred him from a life of crime is unknown.  It is possible that the boy did not remember the incident.  You see, the boy who was sentenced to three and a half months imprisonment for the theft of two penny toys, had recently had a birthday.  He had just turned three years old.

Source:

1.      The Minneapolis Journal, November 18, 1906, p.1.

2.     “Iran cuts off man’s fingers for theft,” BBC News, October 25, 2019,  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50179741.

The Annual Battle of Pleasant Hill Reenactment, which takes place the second weekend in April, marks the anniversary of one of the major events in Louisiana during the Civil War, the Red River Campaign.

The actual battle took place in and around the Village of Pleasant Hill on April 9, 1864. More than 400 reenactors join in to make the miniature Civil War town come alive. Festivities include a parade, pageant, period dance, church services and open camp activities. It will be held from March 31. to April 2, 23271 Hwy. 175 Pelican, LA 71063.

Several ECON students at UCLA are assisting in the Sabine High School restoration project by designing a sustainability plan to generate revenue for the campus. In order to achieve the best results, they have released a form asking for community feedback. Things included in the form vary from swap meetings, supporting local businesses, the topic of a drive-in movie theater, and more. The form can be found as followed: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdcBxUXVxJnKXCrOagKqjZoOGljc8SplysHeynl9Wfdu_K-wA/viewform

The 15th annual El Camino Real Sale on the Trail will take place Friday and Saturday, May 5-6 along 100+ miles of the historic El Camino Real de los Tejas from Natchitoches to Nacogdoches.

Travel the Trail for hot sales and deals, food, vegetables, plants, flowers, art, homemade and handmade one-of-a-kind treasures!

The idea is to have many activities along Louisiana Highway 6 and Texas Highway 21 to promote tourism travel on the historic El Camino Real de los Tejas Trail. Along the Trail, vendors will offer new and used items. Churches, stores, families, and civic groups along Hwy. 6 and Texas Hwy. 21 are encouraged to have sidewalk and roadside sales. Garage and yard sales are welcome as well.

Designated as a National Historic Trail in 2004, El Camino Real de los Tejas has existed for more than 300 years. The Spaniards and the French who marked the trail were followed by such men as Stephen F. Austin, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston and early missionaries of multiple faiths.

If you’re interested in participating as a vendor, the online registration form and instructions can be found at https://bit.ly/3YFjfRm. Please follow the Sale on the Trail event page on Facebook.

Whether it’s football, baseball, basketball or corn hole, records are made to be broken. It’s not every day that a person gets the opportunity to set or break a record of any kind. It usually means the person setting the new record has played a particular sport for a long time. He or she has put in many hours of practice and is very dedicated to being the best. No matter how big the record is, the day will come when it will be broken.

In 1932 the world record largemouth bass of 22.4 pounds was caught in Georgia’s Lake Montgomery by George Perry. This record has stood for over 90 years! But, in 2009, a Japanese angler by the name of Manabu Kurita caught a 22.5-pound bass in Lake Biwa in Japan.

Based off simple math, you would think this would be a new world record by one ounce. Hold on, though. There’s a rule with the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) which certifies all fishing world records. It states that to be a new world record of any kind, the fish must weigh at least two ounces more than the previous record. But IGFA did give him credit for tying the world-record catch.  

Now let’s look at what happened on Saturday, Feb. 11, during the Bass Champs Team Trail event on Toledo Bend. Somewhere between 7-8 in the morning, Bill Cook of Houston set the hook on what he knew was a big bass. After hooking the bass on what’s called an A-Rig (an umbrella-style rig which imitates a small school of baitfish), Bill knew he had a big fish, but had no clue what was about to transpire. 

Bill had spotted the fish on his forward-facing sonar in about 18 feet of water on the edge of a drop-off. He made a cast in the direction of the bass and let the A-rig sink to the bottom. While watching his bait on his depth finder like a video game, he then engaged the reel and began to slowly retrieve the bait just off the bottom when the big fish came up and bit his lure.

After a tough battle, his partner (Ken Burgess) netted the fish. At first glance, they thought the fish might be a 12-pounder which was bigger than any fish Bill had ever caught before. They had no idea that Bill had just caught a new Toledo Bend Lake record of 15.67 pounds until they hit the scales during the weigh-in that afternoon.     

The funny part of this story is that the weekend before in a MLF BFL tournament, his co-angler partner (Michael Fagan) caught an 11-pounder off this same spot on an A-rig along with a 6.14-pound bass to finish second on the co-angler side of this event. The co-angler asked Bill if he had an A-rig tied on. Bill, thinking he had one rigged up in his rod locker, opened the locker, only to discover he had left that rod with the A-rig in his garage!

He made sure he had it in the boat for the Bass Champs event the next week and as they say, the rest is history!

The previous record of 15.32 caught by Eric Weems had stood for 22 years. Bill Cook is no stranger to the waters of Toledo Bend and has fished that body of water for over 30 years. He’s had a lot of success in tournament circuits like the BFL’s, Toyota Series and team trails. Bill is one of those anglers who you hope to be paired up with if you’re fishing as a co-angler in any event. He’s not only an excellent angler, but an even better person.

No one is more deserving of a record like this than Bill Cook. Along with a lot of other anglers, I hope his record catch stands for a long time — unless the fishing gods shine down on me with such an opportunity!

Until next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook! You never know, it just might be a new record!

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com