As temperatures began climbing back to late July levels this past weekend, the heat really went up for the University of New Orleans.

A weekend NOLA.com headline continues to reverberate: “Facing $15 million deficit, UNO will cut positions, lay off staff and close buildings.”

Elsewhere, especially around campuses where enrollment has dipped recently, UNO’s crisis is cause for great concern.

It wasn’t new news for UNO personnel. New president Kathy Johnson had given marching orders to her administrative team weeks earlier. Academic budgets were cut 15 percent. Athletics, already strapped compared to the competition, took a 25 percent financial gouge. 

It was no surprise to leadership at UNO’s fellow University of Louisiana System institutions, who saw the harsh numbers UNO posted in recent years. Enrollment has collapsed, from nearly 17,000 students 20 years ago to just 6,600 last fall. The university budget on the Lakefront is $100 million, a few million more than what Northwestern State University operates on in Natchitoches.

Northwestern has suffered its own enrollment decline since 2020, contributing to personnel reductions and the university going into its reserves to meet budget in the past fiscal year. The painful, distasteful strategies have kept NSU from confronting the same dilemma that has unfolded along Lake Ponchartrain – for this upcoming school year, at least.

UNO’s previous administration temporarily staved off nuclear winter with federal pandemic stimulus funds, but that reservoir dried up. More than 70 university employees are losing their jobs. A heavily-used, old classroom building is being shuttered because maintaining it costs too much.

President Johnson is, as any good leader should be, optimistic while citing steps already taken in hopes of mounting a turnaround. UNO expects a healthy increase in its freshman class this semester, she says.

But looming in the distance: Louisiana’s fiscal cliff for 2025-26, if a half-cent state sales tax is allowed to expire. The state Board of Regents, which oversees all higher education in Louisiana, was recently warned of a possible $250 million budget reduction in FY ’25-‘26 impacting public colleges and universities. Other than political posturing, it’s difficult to grasp why legislators would voluntarily dismiss a sales tax that we’ve been living with since 2016, but it will be on the table next spring.

All those storm clouds are gathering, just as Northwestern has gone through a presidential change endorsed by Gov. Jeff Landry. He has said he believes longtime judge and for the past eight years, state Supreme Court Justice James T. “Jimmy” Genovese, can spur recovery at the 140-year-old institution.

At the introduction of the new president last Tuesday, with nearly 300 people sitting and standing in the Friedman Student Union ballroom, Genovese enthralled the audience with a stirring 10-minute speech followed by an hour of greeting well-wishers.

His pride in his alma mater (Class of 1971) was obvious. He touted quite a few of the university’s prime points of pride, including the faculty and staff. And he acknowledged that NSU’s current status was not at all what it needs to be, for the institution’s future and for the good of the local and area economy. He was firm in his belief that transformational change can happen up on Normal Hill.

The most important thing he said was a simple fact.

“I’m going to need your help.”

The new president will be a catalyst. The sheer passion and energy he showed in his interviews for the job shone through last Tuesday, but it’s going to take a lot more than a dynamic frontman to get the job done. It’s going to require a lot more people, working together, not sniping and griping.

President Genovese officially takes over on the first Monday in August, a week before the faculty convenes on Aug. 12. Students return a few days later and fall semester classes begin. That was the design of a search process that was expedited, to the consternation of some.

That was then. This is now. It’s imperative that all elements of the Northwestern community come together, acknowledge change has occurred, and embrace that everyone needs to play a positive role in producing a campus and community renaissance.

Genovese readily admits he doesn’t have anywhere near all the answers. He does have longstanding relationships with leaders around Louisiana, and obviously has the governor’s support, which is an immense asset for a university bouncing back from the brink. He knows how to lead, and how to listen.

If the Northwestern community and the university’s stakeholders step forward and collaborate with the new man on campus, it’s fascinating to consider what a comeback story this can be.

There’s really no other choice. And there’s the fact that it happened here before, when another proud alumnus, Dr. Bobby Alost, rescued Northwestern from a far more dire situation in 1986 and had the campus and Natchitoches bustling not long afterward.

“I’m going to need your help,” President Genovese said a few days ago.

He also said, “We can do this.” Emphasis on “we.”

Contact Doug at sbjdoug@gmail.com

NATCHITOCHES – Funeral arrangements are set for legendary Northwestern State coach and administrator Tynes Hildebrand, who passed away last weekend at the age of 93.

Visitation with the family will be at 2 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church of Natchitoches. The funeral service will follow at 3:30 p.m.

Hildebrand, a native of Florien in Sabine Parish, died last Sunday in the Dallas area after a brief illness. He and wife Julia, also a Sabine Parish native, lived in Natchitoches until moving to Shreveport in 2016, and they relocated to Texas a couple of years ago to be close to family members. She is among his survivors.

A member of the N-Club Hall of Fame, the Southland Conference Hall of Honor, the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwestern State’s Long Purple Line, Hildebrand was a two-sport letterman (basketball, track and field) as an undergraduate and a two-time graduate of Northwestern.

He spent 16 seasons as Northwestern’s basketball coach, winning 191 games – the third-highest total in school history – while guiding NSU into its Division I era. He transitioned into administration, serving 13 years as the school’s director of athletics.

He instituted a forward-thinking internship program that strengthened the department and was a pivotal part of the Demons landing in the Southland Conference in 1987.

In addition to serving on the then-Division I-AA football selection panel and additional NCAA committees, Hildebrand served as a mentor for current Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey and former NSU athletic director Greg Burke. As the top administrator in NSU’s athletic department, Hildebrand was instrumental in guiding Northwestern State into the Southland Conference in 1987.

Following his time as AD at Northwestern, Hildebrand remained tied to basketball as a respected NCAA Division I official evaluator for 17 years, beginning in 1997. In 2006, he was chosen as one of the NCAA’s inaugural four regional officiating supervisors, helping select officials for the NCAA Tournament through to the national championship game. He retired in 2014.

Hildebrand is survived by his wife, his sons, Tynes Jr. and wife Trish, and Bruce and wife, Nancy and grandchildren, John and his wife, Alice, Jackson and his wife, Curri, Joseph and his wife, Emily, Brent and his wife, Allison, and Cara Grace Gray and her husband Andrew, as well as his great grandchildren, Hannah, Hayden, Hudson, Ellie, Hazel, Charlotte, Hattie, Adelyn and Sam.

By Doug De Graffenried

I was looking at my hands while driving to Shreveport. I noticed this spot on one of them. Now with all the worries about skin cancer and since I hung out on the beach and roasted myself as an adolescent, I was concerned about the spot on my hand. It looked funny through my sunglasses, and I made a note to check the spot when I finished driving. 

I arrived at the appointed hospital for the visit and remembered my hand. I made the visit, had prayer, was encouraged by the person’s faith and hope, and went to the lobby. There I examined my hand. I looked carefully at the spot on the top of my hand. I did what is in vogue in our world, I consulted Dr. Google.

So, I know you are curious about the spot. It is a symptom of a terminal condition. The hand is marking the first symptom of the incurable malady. I know you will pray for me through this malady, and I will receive good medical care.

Oh, the spot, it is an age spot! I think I grew the age spot for my last birthday. It is on the top of my right hand, and I have noticed that the left hand is growing matching spots.

I want you to live a good, long, and healthy life. I want you to do everything you need to do to avoid all the things that the latest study has revealed that shorten our lives. I want you to believe the media about living longer. Go ahead and buy all that stuff at Walmart that will bring your vitality and hide your age spots.

Did you know that a person who ate meat, drank dairy, ate vegetables, was exposed to sunlight, had minimal medical care, and was born in 1850 has a 100% chance of being dead today? Well, you caught my sarcasm!

Here is the deal, none of us get out of this life alive! You will not be the first. My words of advice, enjoy the journey!

Jesus promised us abundant life. Part of that abundant life is living this day fully trusting that God’s grace will see us through. Jesus also promised that after we are finished living that “He was the way, the truth, and the life” and that through Him we could come to the Father.

Whether you soul is spotted with the scars of sin, or your hands are showing the spots of age, we have hope.

Jesus, the carpenter promised that He has made a home for us in heaven, that promise is our only hope in the face of our spots.

Doug de Graffenried is Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston.

You can contact Doug at dougsponderings@gmail.com

Being from the great state of Texas, it was instilled in me from day one how important it was to follow the laws of the land, especially when it came to hunting and fishing. The last thing you wanted was a Texas Game Warden knocking on your door because you violated a wild game law. Today I’m going to reveal an incident that took place over 30 years ago that will illustrate that not all states have the same respect for the law as others — even the guys enforcing the laws!

Growing up in my neck of the woods, there was one particular game warden that had a nasty reputation like that of Buford Pusser from the movie Walking Tall. To protect the innocent, we’ll call him Billy Ray. As like Buford, he walked tall and carried a big stick. He was the game warden who took great pride enforcing the laws of East Texas’ great outdoors. 

Billy Ray had the reputation for getting a little rough with those who decided to try and skirt the rules. There were many stories about him that were legendary with how he caught those who did not follow the laws of hunting or fishing. You might think you were going to get away with breaking a law, but Billy Ray would eventually track you down. 

Upon my arrival to Louisiana back in 1979 as a tall skinny teenager looking to continue my athletic career and education at Northwestern State, I found out quickly that Louisiana laws were pretty loose when it came to hunting and fishing. During this time, Louisiana had what was known as an open range law which meant you did not need permission to hunt on another person’s property as long as it was not posted. 

Being from Texas, this was shocking to me that I could walk onto another man’s property and hunt. Because where I’m from, this would never even cross your mind to set foot on another man’s property without permission, unless you wanted to answer to Billy Ray later on.  

But on one particular dove hunt I was invited on, I realized that some Louisiana game wardens were above the law. A good friend of mine owned a big track of land that had a great amount of dove waiting on someone to take a few shots. My buddy called the night before the hunt with the invite. I asked him if the field was baited because he had the reputation for also skirting the laws on dove hunting. He assured me that all was legal and that I had nothing to worry about. 

So, the next day as I and another buddy drove up on the field and began to spread out, I once again asked about baiting. The property owner said, “Well there might be some scattered seed out in the middle, but he felt we were good to go.” Now that I was nervous and anxious, my buddy decided to let us know that if we see a green truck with a red light on top come over the levy, run into the woods and hide. 

Well sure as shoot’n, 30 minutes into the hunt the green truck with the red light rolled over the levy and onto the property. Heart racing, my friend and I hit the woods on a dead sprint hoping to evade the game warden. Then the game warden emerged from the truck and shouted out for our buddy who invited us on this outlaw hunt. He wanted to know who else was hunting with him that day. My buddy promptly cranked the bus and ran over us by replying that me and my friend had run into the woods. 

The game warden called for us to come out and announced that it was OK to hunt. He also pulled out his shotgun and began to hunt with us — over a baited field!!!  Only in Louisiana! 

We all know that there will always be good cops and bad cops, but today I feel things are different in Louisiana. Personally knowing several Louisiana game wardens, I don’t think this would happen today — at least I hope not! 

‘Til next time, good luck, good hunting and the next time you’re invited on a dove hunt, do what you’re supposed to do. Inspect the field yourself. 

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

The Louisiana Department of the American Legion’s Louisiana Boys State program will be hosted on Southeastern Louisiana University’s campus starting in 2025. 

For the first time in 18 years, the hands-on learning experience where rising high school seniors master the ins and outs of the Louisiana political system will be held in south Louisiana. The program is set to be held June 22 – 28, 2025, and will celebrate its 85th anniversary.

“The Louisiana Department of the American Legion has proudly sponsored Louisiana Boys State since 1940, and we are excited to host our state’s best and brightest young men at Southeastern Louisiana University starting in 2025,” said Tina Cielatka, Louisiana Boys State Commission Chair. “Year after year, young men leave the program transformed to be the leaders of tomorrow, and I’m excited to have SLU as a partner in that mission.”

The program’s hands-on approach allows participants to experience for themselves the various issues faced by government officials. Every single program attendee is elected to a position by their peers and challenged to overcome issues faced by local government officials, craft legislation, and play an active role in the judicial system.

Citizens also have the opportunity to interact with leaders from across the state including local and state government officials, business leaders, members of the media, and active service officers or officer cadets in the U.S. military. Speakers from a variety of backgrounds offer their perspectives on what leadership and public service mean and look like in the real world.

“Though our program is changing locations, our mission remains to develop civically engaged young men, who are impactful citizens in their communities,” said Micah Scott, Louisiana Boys State staff member. “We take great pride in the opportunity the American Legion has created to positively affect so many over the last 84 years and look forward to continuing that tradition in a new location. We believe transitioning to Southeastern will allow us to serve our delegates in an even greater way and we look forward to this exciting, new partnership.”

Registration for the 2025 program will open this winter. To learn more about attending Louisiana Boys State, contacting program staff, or daily activities, please visit laboysstate.com.

BATON ROUGE, La. – Keep Louisiana Beautiful (KLB) is now accepting Everyday Hero Award nominations for individuals, non-profits, and businesses working to keep Louisiana litter-free and beautiful. Selected recipients will be honored at the Everyday Hero Awards luncheon on Thursday, October 24, at the Crowne Plaza Executive Center in Baton Rouge, held in conjunction with the annual KLB State Conference.

“There are many people and organizations doing exceptional work in their communities, making strides toward a cleaner Louisiana for all of us,” said Lieutenant Governor Billy Nungesser. “The Everyday Hero Award is a great way to recognize these people for their dedication to clean up our Sportsman’s Paradise and for going that extra mile to keep our communities litter free and beautiful.”

Those eligible for nomination include non-profits, KLB Affiliate organizations, businesses, professional groups, governmental agencies, civic and community organizations, schools, churches, and individual citizens.

Anyone may submit a nomination and multiple nominations may be submitted by the same individual. An online nomination form — available at KeepLouisianaBeautiful.org — is required for each entry submitted. The deadline to submit a nomination is August 29, 2024.  

Award Categories:

Community Improvement Award – The Community Improvement Award recognizes a project, program, campaign, or initiative in alignment with the mission and work of Keep Louisiana Beautiful. The effort should demonstrate innovation, collaboration, and measurable community improvement. Eligible are for-profit and non-profit organizations, Keep Louisiana Beautiful Affiliates, schools, and civic groups. Associated with this award is a cash prize.

Let Louisiana Shine Volunteer Award – The Let Louisiana Shine Award, named in celebration of Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s statewide litter prevention campaign, is presented to a passionate volunteer who has dedicated their time and energy to community enhancement efforts. They may contribute by collaborating with community organizations and stakeholders to clean up litter, beautify spaces, and contribute to an improved quality of life for their fellow residents. Associated with this award is a cash prize.

Leaders Against Litter Award – The Leaders Against Litter Award recognizes individuals in public service who go above and beyond the call of duty to support Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission to clean up and beautify our Sportsman’s Paradise. The recipient of this award inspires and empowers others to follow their lead and work towards achieving a cleaner, greener Louisiana. To be eligible, an individual must work in public service: police officer, firefighter, educator, librarian, government employee, elected official, etc.

Rocksey’s Young Leadership Award (Grades K-12) – Named for Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s beloved mascot, Rocksey the Raccoon, this award is presented to a student or student group in grades K-12 exemplifying environmental stewardship. They are passionate about keeping their community clean and beautiful and they recognize it is every citizen’s responsibility to protect the environment. Their leadership in and outside of the classroom encourages their peers to reduce waste, recycle, and pick up litter when they see it.  Associated with this award is a cash prize.

Collegiate Environmental Steward Award – The Collegiate Environmental Steward Award is presented to a college student or student group going above and beyond to make their campus community clean, sustainable, and beautiful. Their campus involvement and leadership have led to measurable change and inspired others to volunteer. The recipient embodies vision, leadership, determination, and collaboration. Associated with this award is a cash prize.

Outstanding Community Affiliate Award – The Outstanding Community Affiliate Award is presented to a Keep Louisiana Beautiful Community Affiliate that has made significant strides in the past year in making their community a cleaner, greener place to live. The recipient organization demonstrates strength in leadership by engaging key stakeholders and volunteers in collaborative initiatives with a measurable impact. The community served by the Affiliate is a better place to live thanks to the ongoing efforts of the organization. Associated with this award is a cash prize.

Outstanding University Affiliate Award – The Outstanding University Affiliate Award is presented to a Keep Louisiana Beautiful University Affiliate demonstrating strong leadership and a growing presence in their campus community. Not only have the efforts of the Affiliate resulted in visible and measurable changes, but they’ve also led to a cultural shift, with more students, faculty, and staff committed to reducing waste, preventing litter, and improving the appearance of their campus. Associated with this award is a cash prize.

Clean Biz Leadership Award (less than 50 employees) – The Clean Biz Leadership Award is granted to an organization demonstrating dedication to Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission and adopting operational practices to support a cleaner, greener community. The organization may have implemented policies and procedures for recycling, waste reduction, and litter prevention. The business may also support community improvement through sponsorship, volunteerism, programming, and other relevant initiatives. Eligible are for-profit and non-profit organizations with less than 50 employees. Clean Biz Partnership participation is encouraged but not required for consideration.

Clean Biz Leadership Award (more than 50 employees) – The Clean Biz Leadership Award is granted to an organization demonstrating dedication to Keep Louisiana Beautiful’s mission and adopting operational practices to support a cleaner, greener community. The organization may have implemented policies and procedures for recycling, waste reduction, and litter prevention. The organization may also support community improvement through sponsorship, volunteerism, programming, and other relevant initiatives. Eligible are for-profit and non-profit organizations with more than 50 employees. Clean Biz Partnership participation is encouraged but not required for consideration.

Litter Enforcement Award – The Litter Enforcement Award recognizes law enforcement officers actively working to stop littering in their community. They go above and beyond to educate the public about the negative impacts of litter, and work to bring justice to those who break the law by littering or dumping illegally. Eligible for this award are police officers, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries agents, justices of the peace, constables, judges, and code enforcement officers.

By Brad Dison

Frédéric “Auguste” Bartholdi was born in Comar, France in 1791 to parents Jean Charles Bartholdi and Augusta Charlotte Bartholdi.  When Auguste was just two years old, his father died.  Soon thereafter, Auguste, along with his mother and older brother, moved to Paris to be closer to another branch of the Bartholdi family. 

Auguste was a student of the arts.  He studied drawing, painting, sculpting, and architecture.  He was most impressed with and often visited the workshops of noted sculptors Antoine Etex and Jean-François Soitoux.  Auguste’s interests were in the creation of monuments to historical figures and patriotic celebrations.  In 1854, Auguste began drawing what became his first real monument to honor a French Army officer during the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars.  He completed the bronze statue of General Rapp in 1855 and presented it at the Universal Exhibition of Parish.  In the following year, it was placed atop a pedestal in Auguste and General Rapp’s hometown of Colmar.  Auguste created a handful of other bronze sculptures of notable French patriots.

The viceroy of Egypt learned of Auguste’s talent and hired him to design a statue of a robed female Saeid Misr or “Upper Egyptian,” to be built at the entryway of the Suez Canal in Port Said, Egypt.  It was to be called Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia.  Auguste got to work right away.  He took inspiration from the giant ancient Egyptian statues at Abu Simbel, Egypt.  He researched the Colossus of Rhodes which was built at the entrance to the island’s main port in 280 B.C.  The Colossus was one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, and stood for almost a thousand years until, according to some sources, an Arab force conquered Rhodes and completely destroyed the statue. 

Auguste complete sketches and even a watercolor painting of Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia.  He designed the 86-foot-tall female statue to sit atop a 48-foot-tall pedestal.  Auguste knew that this statue on such a grand scale would certainly be his masterpiece.  Auguste met with the viceroy and displayed his sketches, paintings, and architectural drawings of the statue. The viceroy was certainly impressed, but the cost to construct the statue was just too great.  The viceroy had no choice but to discontinue work on Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia.  In 1869, the Port Said Lighthouse was built where Auguste’s statue would have stood.  Auguste was understandably disappointed.

In the following year, 1870, France was embroiled in the Franco-Prussian War.  Auguste served as a squadron leader of the National Guard and liaison officer during the war.  He took part in the unsuccessful defense of Colmar from Germany.  When the war ended in 1871, Auguste began constructing numerous monuments in honor of French heroism in the region.  All the while, he kept thinking about the statue that would have been his masterpiece.  He was determined to build it, but who would pay the enormous price to construct it?  He ultimately convinced the French government to help in the form of public fees.  They held various forms of fundraisers such as theatrical events, art exhibits, auctions, and a lottery.  In 1883, poet Emma Lazarus wrote her famous sonnet entitled “The New Colossus” to be auctioned for the statue’s construction. 

Finally, Auguste had the funds to build his masterpiece.  He recycled and modified his original female “Upper Egyptian” design along with the statue’s original title Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia to better fit the statue’s intended placement.  In July 1884, Auguste completed his 151-foot masterpiece, and the statue stood tall above the rooftops of Paris for two years.  Then, the statue was disassembled, packed up, shipped to what was then called Bedloe’s Island, and reassembled where it remains to this day.  Frédéric Auguste Bartholdi recycled the look of Egypt Carrying the Light to Asia and renamed the statue Liberty Enlightening the World.  You and I know Auguste’s recycled masterpiece as the Statue of Liberty.  

Sources:

1.     The Statue of Liberty: Overview + History, Ellis Island Foundation, https://www.statueofliberty.org/statue-of-liberty/overview-history/

2.     Auguste Bertholdi – Father of the Statue of Liberty, Colmar et sa region, L’Alsace essentielle, https://www.tourisme-colmar.com/en/visit/presentation/history/famous-people-from-colmar/176-auguste-bartholdi-father-of-the-statue-of-liberty#:~:text=Fr%C3%A9d%C3%A9ric%20Auguste%20Bartholdi%2C%20the%20most,to%20go%20live%20in%20Paris.

3.     Gabriela Hammond, “The Woman Behind the Statue of Liberty: Who is Lady Liberty,” February 15, 2021, https://www.statueoflibertytour.com/blog/the-woman-behind-the-statue-of-liberty-who-is-lady-liberty/

Hi, I’m Panda! I’m a handsome one year old Catahoula Leopard dog/mix. I am a sweet boy who’s bursting with fun and a whole lot of love! I’m the kind of pup who gets along with everyone I meet. Whether it’s humans, other dogs, or even those mysterious feline creatures, I’m always ready to make new friends and spread the joy.

When it comes to playtime, I’m the ultimate enthusiast. Give me a ball, a squeaky toy, or even just an open space, and I’ll keep going for hours! I never seem to run out of energy, and it’s always a blast to engage in games and activities that keep me on my paws.

But let me tell you a little secret-when it’s finally time to recharge, I’m out like a light! It’s not unusual to find me snoozing in the oddest places and in the strangest positions. I have a knack for turning any spot into a cozy nap zone. I keep my caregivers laughing everyday. 

So, if you’re looking for a companion who can keep up with your active lifestyle and still provide endless entertainment, look no further. I, Panda, am here to fill your life with laughter, playfulness, and unforgettable moments. Let’s embark on a journey of endless fun and adorable snoozing adventures together!

For more information about me, please reach out to FAUNA (Friends All United for Natchitoches Animals) at:  npfauna@gmail.com or check out our website: www.npfauna.org 

Mike LaCaze
November 15, 1977 — July 29, 2024
Service: Friday, August 2 at 7 pm at Cypress Baptist Church

Tynes Hildebrand
February 25, 1931 — July 28, 2024
Service: Sunday, August 4 at 3:30 pm at the First Baptist Church of Natchitoches

Linda A Thompson
March 2, 1962 – July 8, 2024
Service: Saturday, August 3 at 10 a. m. in the Winnfield Memorial Funeral Home Chapel in Natchitoches

Charles D. Raymond
October 12, 1937 – July 26, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Ronald J. Johnson
August 26, 1963 – July 27, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Opelousas native Jimmy Genovese strode into his first public function Tuesday as Northwestern State’s 21^st president to the groove of his beloved zydeco music.

The soundtrack quickly shifted to the Demon Fight Song as Genovese and his wife Martha, and three of their five daughters, made their way to front-row seats at his welcome reception and introduction on campus.

Genovese further amped up the energy level of an overflow audience at the Friedman Student Union with his passionate remarks reflecting on his joy at taking the helm at his alma mater, and expressed determination to revitalize his alma mater.

He also unabashedly asked for the audience’s buy-in.

“It’s overwhelming. I want to thank each and every one of you for being here because I need you and you are part of the overall plan,” he said. “I have a lot of institutional knowledge, having served on the Supreme Court for eight years and having handled 200 employees, 19,000 lawyers, 372 judges and a budget of $208 million.”

He recognized his wife Martha and their adult daughters Stephanie, Adrienne and Sarah.  Daughters Celeste and Elizabeth were too far away (one vacationing on the Gulf Coast, and  the other living in Denmark) to attend.

“Having five daughters and lived through that, I think I can take on this job,” he said, grinning broadly. 

He also thanked outgoing president Dr. Marcus Jones for his service to the university and assistance in the transition of office.

“I commend him for what he has done.  His heart and soul are with Northwestern, and he has now levitated into a position in the UL System, but he has been there for me and I speak with him on a regular basis.”

Natchitoches Parish District Attorney Billy Joe Harrington, president of the state DA’s association and an NSU alum who has tried cases in front of the new president, said Genovese has a reputation for treating people with dignity and respect and will bring experience, leadership and energy to his new role.

“If you watch President Genovese, he is exhilarating, he is exciting, he is full of energy and that is going to translate into Northwestern, into all of us. That will translate into getting more students here and benefit our town,” Harrington said. “President Genovese has so many layers of experience, leadership, administrative leadership and those layers are going to be wonderful for Northwestern.”

Earlier in the morning, Genovese met with students who provided a lively welcome, introduced themselves and showcased campus life. During the program, student leaders and student-athletes presented gifts to the new first couple, including a Demon fan starter pack, and offered encouragement and insight.

“How invigorating it is to be with the students and see their joy and their excitement,” Genovese said. “It brings back memories and I emphasize how they are the lifeblood of this institution.”

The new president noted there are abundant points of pride at NSU and said he will focus on increasing enrollment and addressing inadequate financing.

“We’ve got great programs, and I want to get out and I want to sell it,” Genovese said. “My vision is to reinvigorate and rejuvenate Northwestern and bring it back to the prominence that it once had and certainly deserves today.”

Genovese was named as the incoming president last Thursday by the University of Louisiana Board of Supervisors, and will officially assume office Aug. 5 as the university approaches its 140th academic year.

He is a lifelong resident of Opelousas and a 1971 graduate of NSU who went on to earn a law degree from Loyola University in 1974.  As an undergraduate, Genovese was a four-year letterman in tennis.

He was named to Who’s Who Among Universities and Colleges, Who’s Who Among Greek Fraternities and Sororities of America and Outstanding College Athletes of America. He was also president of Tau Kappa Epsilon Fraternity and was president of the Interfraternity Council, while also being a Student Government Association senator and participating in intramurals.

In his brief remarks during Tuesday’s introduction, he fondly recalled camping trips to nearby Kisatchie National Forest and to area waterways to fish. He now has a camp on nearby Toledo Bend Lake.

Genovese was inducted into the Long Purple Line, NSU’s alumni hall of distinction, in 2018. 

Mrs. Genevese, the former Martha Anne Janes, also attended Northwestern as a nursing major, but chose a military career and retired as a staff sergeant in the Air Force. In addition to five daughters, they have four grandchildren and one great-grandson.

Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Deputies, Natchitoches Parish Fire District #1 and Louisiana State Police responded to the scene of a fire on July 22 on I-49 southbound near milepost #124 South of Cypress according to the Natchitoches Parish Sheriffs Office. The fire consumed a commercial vehicle hauling hay. There were no injuries.

My son and his family had to cover their children with their bodies last Saturday night to protect them because people were holding a drive-by shooting outside their home.

• Big Lots closing
• Sonic #2 – closed
• HIbbets has been closed for days
• Rainbow – closed
• Maglieaux’s – closed
• Pizza Hut on Keyser -closed
• Fontenot on college Ave – closed – I am sure I have forgotten several others that have closed

• Empty buildings everywhere.
• Houses, vehicles, and shops getting robbed.
• Businesses with boards on windows from drive-by shootings.
• NSU enrollment is at its lowest.
• Businesses being neglected by rude and untrained employees.
• Stores on front street are hurting. – When will we start seeing closures there.

Parc Natchitoches – (a gold mine for attracting tourist) is being neglected: grass growing in turf. Fields are getting worse. Pot holes everywhere. Not hosting any tournaments on weekends to bring people to Natchitoches.

Farmers Market:  This past Saturday – weeds and vines are over taking stairs and wheel chair access leading down to river bank.

Crime Rate:  Need I say more….  No matter how much they try and keep the truth buried, tourist are learning about the sky-high crime rate and are choosing to not visit as much.

People are starting to sell their homes and are leaving.

To my fellow community members – Natchitoches is imploding!

Melissa Megason

Note: I originally posted part of this on social media.   Here are some comments:

Natchitoches has been on a gradual decline for the past 10 years. Unfortunately, the beautiful town we grew up in no longer exist.

Natchitoches could be a tourist destination that would pump money into a dying economy but instead of focusing on this it seems the city is trying to survive on the residents and unfortunately the wages, long term jobs, and inflation will not allow this.  I hate coming “home” and seeing what could be a thriving town wasted and dying. – Josh Spears

Very sad to see our city in such terrible shape. The current mayor had the city in shambles and then when election time rolls around, we re-elect him.  We need change very badly. – Parker Bankson

The sad part about it all is that THEY see it and are not doing anything about it!! If their pockets are lined, they could care less. I am willing to bet within the next 3-5 years, this place most of us call home is going to be a ghost town. – Demetric Latigue

Agreed! – Rhonda Sanders

I agree 100% it is a shame that the place some of us call home with so much History is falling apart before our very eyes!! – Shanell Baines

It is sad to see our town going down the way it is. – Larry Graham

I am Praying for Natchitoches … I love this place. Wish I could help more to turn this place around. – Daryl Walker

The views and opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Sabine Parish Journal.  If you have an article or letter to the editor of interest for publishing consideration by the SPJ, please send it to SPJNewsLa@gmail.com.

By Doug De Graffenried

George Carlin once made this comment on why he had such a congenital distrust of religious neophytes who claim to be “born again.” “They talk too much, pure and simple! When I was born, I was so stunned that I couldn’t speak for two years! If someone has a religious experience and shuts up for a couple of years, I will take them seriously.” Carlin had nothing nice to say about organized religion, but in this regard, he points out a spiritual truth.

Wonder and awe stun and mute our spontaneous energies. They paralyze us so that we become reflective by conscription. 

Amazement does the opposite. Amazement opens up the conduit to our emotions and usually to our mouths. When your friend starts, “we had the most amazing vacation.” Don’t you catch your breath because you are about to be assaulted with a verbal travel journal? Of course, to go with the narration, pictures will be thrust upon you. Wonder and awe are spiritual and deep, amazement is visceral and shallow.

I take you to the Christmas stories in Luke. There are angels busy giving birth announcements. Zechariah the old man gets one and he is amazed. Zechariah, knowing about biological impossibilities voices proper questions, and Gabriel, seemingly unhappy with his questions, mutes him for nine months. So, Zechariah was amazed, and he spoke. Albeit, he spoke “out of school.”

A short time later, the same angel goes to the virgin Mary, with her birth announcement. She certainly knows about biological impossibilities, but she says nothing. She ponders the angel’s words in her heart. She is filled with wonder and awe by this news. Her wonder and awe kept her silent.

Wonder and awe are the biblical antithesis to amazement.

It is the difference between taking your breath away and taking your words away.

Are wonder and awe a part of your daily experience? When you listen to the voice of creation as the sun is setting? When do you hear divine music? When are you touched by the love of another? Are there moments that are so divine for you, that you can’t speak? 

Where do you find wonder and awe? What takes your words away?

Doug de Graffenried is Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston.

You can contact Doug at dougsponderings@gmail.com

Now in the latter years of my life, I’ve developed a hatred for summers and the high temperatures that come with it. No longer do I look forward those hot summer days the same way I did as a youth.

But today we’re going to turn back the clock on what was one of the best periods of my life.

Growing up in my house, there was no such thing as “sleeping in.” Pretty much every day of my life the light switch was turned on in my room no later than 6:30 in the morning. Growing up on a ranch in East Texas was a great privilege of mine and it taught me so much about hard work and responsibility. 

But it was also my playground for hunting and fishing and is where my passion for the outdoors started. I literally spent hours and days transversing the woods and stock ponds of our ranch. This is where I learned to hunt squirrels and deer while our stock ponds were loaded with bass and catfish, my training ground for fishing.

Directly across the street from our house, a few miles out of town, was the property of Mr. Rayford Jones who was a cattle rancher with a couple of really good catfish ponds. This is where a good friend of mine (Malcolm Jones, Rayford’s grandson) and I spent the majority of those hot summer days fishing for catfish.

Since we did not have cell phones back in those days, we would make arrangements the night before to meet at the one of those catfish ponds just after daylight. We tried to beat the heat by getting out there early but most often we were there until around noon or until we got tired of catching fish. 

The worst part about catching catfish was that someone had to clean them, and it didn’t take long for us to make the decision to just enjoy catching and releasing the catfish back into the pond so we could catch them again on another day — or you could say, we were just lazy.

One thing about fishing for catfish: it requires much patience, but is a fun way to fish. In order to catch catfish, you need bait. Now bait can be in the form of several different things, as catfish will eat just about anything including the kitchen sink…. but that’s hard to get on a hook. Some people use what is known as blood bait, which is not only nasty, but stinks to high heaven as well. Frozen shrimp also make great catfish bait along with hot dogs and earthworms. 

We liked to double our fun by using what is known as cut bait. You first catch a few small bream with crickets or earthworms and then cut the tails off and use that for bait. Every now and then, we had so much fun catching the bream, we would just forget about the catfish. 

I’ve often wondered — is it hotter today than when were kids? Probably not, but we were just acclimated to the heat better since we spent every waking hour outdoors and not inside an air-conditioned house. Our parents insisted we stay outside even if we were thirsty. Thank the Lord for whoever invented the garden hose, because this was a survival tool for kids of my generation. 

Shade trees were not just a part of our front yard, they were a gathering spot to get some relief from the summer sun. The only thing better than a shade tree was a fruit tree. There were several pear and apple trees in the area along with a couple of fig trees — all used for survival. A lot of people back during the 1960s and ‘70s planted fruit trees, something you don’t see much any more.  

I miss thpse days. I really enjoyed growing up the way I did. If we weren’t fishing, we were playing baseball on a sandlot or any backyard we could find. Yes, there were a few broken windows, but our sandlot games were fun and a great training ground for developing our baseball skills. If was too hot to play baseball, we went to the local swimming pool in order to beat the heat. 

I know it was a different time, but back then we had freedom and the ability to go wherever our bikes could takes us. We did not need or have much favor towards babysitters. We also never complained about it being too hot. We beat it with a Wham-O Water Wiggle or a Slip-N-Slide. 

‘Til next time, good luck, good fishing and make sure to wear your sunscreen. Melanoma is the No. 1 killer of all cancers so take the time to protect yourself.

Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com

By Brad Dison

Leonard Franklin Slye was born on November 5, 1911, in a tenement building on 2nd Street in Cincinnati, Ohio. His family and friends called him Len. Eventually, the tenement building where Len was born was torn down and the Riverfront baseball stadium was built on the location. Len always said that he was born at second base.

Within months of Len’s birth, Len’s father Andy, and his brother Will tired of their jobs and built a houseboat from salvaged lumber. In July 1912, Andy, his wife Mattie, and their three children, Mary, Cleda, and Len, along with Will, his wife Elizabeth, and their son Raymond, sailed east along the Ohio River from Cincinnati towards Portsmouth in the homemade 12-foot by 50-foot houseboat. The Slye families jointly purchased land near Portsmouth where they planned to disassemble their houseboat and build a house from the lumber, but mother nature altered their plans.

On March 23, 1913, heavy rain began to fall which continued for at least four days. Flooding from the rain killed an estimated 650 people in at least 13 states. Damages to property exceeded $330 million. This became known as the Great Flood of 1913. The majority of the deaths—somewhere between 422 and 470—happened in Ohio. In Dayton, Ohio, downtown streets were covered with water 10 feet deep. Fourteen square miles of the city were flooded. An estimated 123 people were killed in Dayton alone. In Hamilton, 35 miles downstream from Dayton, about 100 people were killed when water from 10 to 18 feet deep flowed through its residential districts. 93 people died from flooding in Columbus, Ohio.

As the waters rose near Portsmouth, the Slye families used the high water to their advantage and moved their houseboat onto the water which covered their property. They carefully positioned the houseboat and tied it off. As the water slowly receded, they placed foundation piers under the houseboat. The houseboat eventually rested perfectly on their land. There was another benefit in keeping the houseboat river worthy. If the river flooded again, their home would be protected from the water because it would float.

In 1915, Len’s sister Kathleen was born in the former houseboat. In 1919, Andy purchased farmland near Lucasville, Ohio, about 12 miles north of Portsmouth, where he built a six-room house. Despite his best efforts, Andy was unable to earn enough income from the farm for his family to survive. He took a job at a shoe factory in Portsmouth. During the work week, Andy stayed in Portsmouth. On weekends, he returned to the farm. While Andy was away, the rest of the family was pretty much isolated from the outside world. To communicate over long distances on the farm, Len and his mother used different yodels. The varying pitch of their voices carried much farther than yelling. Yodeling was a skill that helped Len later on.

In the days before electronic devices, television, or radio, the Slye family found ways to entertain themselves. Saturday night square dances were common on the Slye family farm. Len would often play the mandolin and call the square dances or sing. This began before Len was a teenager. By the time he turned 18, Len’s musical abilities were like a finely tuned machine. In 1929, Andy, Mattie, Len, and Kathleen drove in their 1923 Dodge to Lawndale, California to visit Len’s older sister Mary and her husband. In the spring of 1930, the Slye family moved to Lawndale permanently. Soon thereafter, Mary suggested that Len audition for a radio show called the Midnight Frolic. Producers of the show were surprised by Len’s talents. A few nights later, Len, dressed in his best western attire, played guitar, sang, and yodeled on the program.

Len was in demand from then on, and became part of several western musical groups. The most successful was the Pioneers Trio, which became the Sons of the Pioneers when a radio station announcer changed their name because he thought they were too young to be seen as pioneers. In 1934, the Sons of the Pioneers signed a recording contract and began recording material in August of that year. One of the songs to come out of that session was the western standard “Tumbling Tumbleweeds.” Their 1934 recording was selected by the Library of Congress as a 2010 addition to the National Recording Registry, which selects recordings annually that are “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.

In 1935, Len began working in western films using his real name Leonard Slye. Gene Autry was the king of western films, but he kept demanding more money for his work as the singing cowboy. Studios began looking for another singing cowboy that they could get for less money. Len fit the part perfectly… well, almost. Republic Pictures, who hired Len, thought Lenoard Slye was not a suitable name for a western star. The film company finally settled on a stage name for Len.

While working in Hollywood, Len’s alter ego taught lessons in fairness and gentleness. He was always on the right side of the law and respected the law. His was a positive character with unwavering principles. This was more than just a Hollywood-created persona, this was Leonard Slye. He was a positive role model, something that we could use more of in our modern times.

Republic Pictures chose Len’s stage name carefully. They thought Roy had a good western ring to it. At the time, Will Rogers was a popular western comic entertainer, and they wanted to take advantage of the name recognition. From that point on, the world knew Leonard “Len” Slye, the King of Cowboys, as Roy Rogers.

Sources:

1. Chicago Tribune, July 7, 1998, p.97.
2. The Cincinnati Enquirer, July 7, 1998, p.28.
3. Desert Dispatch, July 7, 1998, p.1.

Louisa Elizabeth “Beth” Valentine Adams
July 30, 1955 — July 21, 2024
Service: Wednesday, July 24, 2024, 10am at Christ Memorial Episcopal Church, Mansfield.

Elizabeth Gallien Gilcrease
November 30, 1947 — July 22, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27 at 11 am at the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Catholic Church in Campti

Leotis Mitchell
May 3, 1956 – July 22, 2024
Arrangements TBA

Chadwick “Rod” Nelson, II
January 5, 2003 – July 21, 2024
Service: Saturday, July 27 at 11 am at the St. Augustine Catholic Church in Isle Brevelle

NATCHITOCHES — Louisiana Supreme Court Justice James “Jimmy” Genovese of Opelousas is poised to be named the new president of Northwestern State University.

Genovese, 74, a 1971 Northwestern graduate who is in the university’s Long Purple Line, the Alumni Hall of Distinction, was the unanimous choice Tuesday after a daylong interview process of two finalists by the NSU Presidential Search Committee.

Faculty Senate president Dr. Frank Serio made the motion, and University of Louisiana System board member Joe Salter of Florien seconded, to advance Genovese to a special ULS Board meeting to conclude the search Thursday morning at 11 in Baton Rouge.

The other finalist, Dr. Jose Cantu, also went through a series of open forums with groups of alumni and community leaders, faculty and staff, and students Tuesday morning on NSU’s Natchitoches campus. Overflow crowds were present at each meeting.

In afternoon sessions, Cantu and Genovese were interviewed in public sessions by the search committee, which included eight ULS Board members, Serio and six non-voting NSU alumni along with current student body president Terrell “TJ” Woodard.

The candidates also met with the search committee in executive sessions, with Genovese following Cantu, who most recently was a vice chancellor at the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, but otherwise has spent his career in higher education in small Texas colleges.

The committee emerged to convene in its final open session more than four hours after Cantu’s public interview began at 1 o’clock, with Genovese next at 2:30. Serio’s motion advancing Genovese was passed unanimously by him and the eight ULS Board members.

The board will gather Thursday morning to review the results of the search, with Genovese the only remaining candidate from a field of eight semifinalists. The judge was endorsed last month by Gov. Jeff Landry.

He is one of seven Supreme Court justices headquartered in New Orleans. Genovese, an Opelousas native and resident, was accompanied by his wife Martha throughout the day.

Genovese has been a judge since 1975, beginning with Opelousas City Court and being elected to seats on the district and Third Circuit Court of Appeals level before winning a seat on the Supreme Court in 2016. He said he will give up his final two years on that bench to take the helm of his alma mater.

The university has seen its enrollment decline from nearly 12,000 in Fall 2020, dropping by about 3,000 students this decade. The search process was rapid, said ULS System president Dr. Rick Gallot, to get a new president in place before students return to campus in mid-August.

Northwestern has operated a nursing school on its Line Avenue campus in Shreveport for many decades. The nursing school consistently ranks atop state rankings and is one of the largest in the country, with approximately 1,400 students, along with consistently earning top marks in national reviews.

Along with the main campus in Natchitoches, NSU has smaller campuses in Alexandria at England Air Park and in Leesville at Fort Johnson, and has been a leader in online instruction.

Outgoing president Dr. Marcus Jones will be returning to the UL System office as chief financial officer and vice president, a role he held previously before taking over at Northwestern State after his selection in November 2021. He was interim president for four months before being elevated.

In July 2024, the Vernon Parish Sheriff’s Office requested the Louisiana State Police Bureau of Investigations/Alexandria Field Office (LSP AFO) to investigate a theft at the First Assembly of God Church in Leesville.

As a result of the investigation and information obtained, it was revealed that former pastor Dock Jack Osteen III stole the monetary funds in question.

LSP AFO obtained a warrant for Osteen’s arrest for theft of under $25,000. On July 12, 2024, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office in Florida arrested Osteen for the outstanding warrant. He is currently awaiting extradition to Vernon Parish.

The Louisiana State Police will serve as the lead investigative agency. The investigation remains active and ongoing. There is no further information available at this time.

BOM Bank attended the Louisiana Bankers Association’s Washington visit.

Pictured left to right: Keith & Karen Miller, Daniel & Lacy Bennett, Ken & Shannon Hale, Jared & Renee Hicks, Daniel & Kristy Lonsberry, Sally & Tyler Murchison.

By Doug De Graffenried

I am a sinner!

You knew that about us preachers, didn’t you?

Sin is like this. One day recently I was throwing on my dress shirt. I was not paying attention to what I was doing. The top button I lined up with the wrong buttonhole. The rest of the way down my shirt was off. You can’t button your shirt correctly if you get the top button wrong. That is what sin does in our relationships and to our lives; it throws us one bubble off of plumb.

Now before you go “holier than thou” on me consider this:

Once, D.L. Moody went to meet Charles Spurgeon at Spurgeon’s house in London. Spurgeon had been Moody’s hero and, from a distance, his teacher. When Spurgeon answered the door with a cigar in his mouth, Moody practically fell down the stairs in shock. Looking up at Spurgeon, he gasped, “How could you, a man of God, smoke that?”

Spurgeon took the stogie out of his mouth and walked down the steps to where Moody was still standing in confusion. Putting his index finger on Moody’s rather rotund stomach, he smiled, “The same way you, a man of God, could be that fat.”

Ouch!

There is no upside to sin. It is destructive. Our world is crazy, evil and mean because we live in a fallen world. We are all sinners and when sinners act out of their nature, bad stuff happens. The problems of culture can’t be fixed with more money, marching behind the slogans on a banner, another program, coming together or more education. Our world is going to hell in a handbasket because there are seven billion sinners alive and active right now.

Sin is not the only story, there is an antidote.

A father caught his son smoking. “You know my displeasure in you right now,” he admonished the boy. “I’ve always told you I would punish you severely if I ever caught you smoking. You deserve three smacks across your bottom with my belt.”

Thereupon, the father got his belt, but he hit the boy only once. Then he sent his son up to his room. (Before you get your liver in a quiver, this used to be the way it was. My mother had a stick she used to stir paint. It was colorful and effective for discipline.)

A short time later, the father climbed the stairs to his son’s room and asked, “Would you like to go out and get some ice cream?” Sitting in the ice cream parlor, the father said, “You do know that when I caught you smoking you deserved three smacks with my belt?”

“Yes, sir.”

“You noticed that you got only one, didn’t you?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Son, that is mercy, and I want you to remember the lesson. Are you enjoying your ice cream?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Son, the ice cream is grace. Remember that too.”

Doug de Graffenried is the Senior Pastor of Trinity Methodist Church in Ruston, Louisiana. You can reach Doug at his email:  DougDeGraffenried