September. 4, 1969
A group of Evangeline Parish citizens filed a civil suit in 13th Judicial District Court before Judge Joe R. Vidrine Thursday morning in an attempt to stop the opening of public schools under the federal government’s Department of Health. Education and Welfare plan.
Judge Vidrine scheduled a hearing of the suit for 9:30 a.m. Friday. In the meantime, Judge Richard Putnam, U.S. District Court, issued a stay order on Judge Vidrine, prohibiting him from hearing the case and removed it to the federal courts.
The actions came Thursday night as the Justice Department filed a motion as a “friend of the court” asking that the case be removed from the district court into the federal court, and that it be consolidated with the original case seeking to desegregate parish schools.
September 11, 1969
U.S. District Court Judge Richard J. Putnam has ordered the nine members of the Evangeline Parish School Board to show cause why it should not be held on contempt of court for closing public schools last Wednesday rather than comply with a federal desegregation order.
Putnam issued the order Saturday in response to a Justice Department request. The hearing is scheduled Monday, September 15, at 9 a.m. at the new Federal and post office building in Opelousas.
Evangeline public schools opened as scheduled September 2 despite an 80 percent boycott by parents and students. Following a meeting of the school board with about 2000 concerned citizens of the parish, the board adopted a resolution recessing the operation of classes until the case is reviewed by the Supreme Court. A number of parish school boards, including St. Landry Parish, have taken similar action.
September 18, 1969
“We’re going to send our children to school in spite of the federal government” was the opinion expressed by vast numbers of people Tuesday night at what is believed to be the largest outdoor meeting ever held at the Courthouse Square in Ville Platte.
The meeting was called by the Concerned Citizens committee to start a petition to recall the parishwide one cent sales tax which had been approved by voters on May 20, 1967, to supplement the revenue of the Evangeline Parish School Board. Another petition was circulated asking the police jury to call a two cent sales tax election for the purpose of obtaining funds for grants to individual students.
At the same time pledges were received from vast numbers of citizens for the establishment of a private school system in the parish.
September 25, 1969
Seldom has there been seen in this parish such cooperation and dedication as has been witnessed in the building and establishing the first private school here. Evangeline Academy, located in the former Town and Country building four miles west of Ville Platte, will become a reality Wednesday, October 1.
Doors will be officially opened at that time for hundreds of students who have registered from all parts of the parish. Classes are expected to start on that day, according to Jesse Johnson, member of the new board for the private school system.
Literally hundreds of volunteers have been working day and night during the past week in order to convert the former auction barn, donated for use by Sheriff Elin Pitre, into a school building designed to handle grades one through 12.
September 8, 1994
The annual Jerry Lewis Stars Across America Telethon, held Sunday and Monday, was a rousing success, reported local Muscular Dystrophy Association Chairman Bob Eastin.
The national pledge figures were up over $1 million, from $46,014,922 in 1993 to $47,105,396 this year.
Unfortunately, numbers for the Ville Platte pledge office were slightly off last year’s mark, down $97 from last year ($1,717 to $1,620).
September 11, 1994
A late flurry of voter registrations and address changes in recent days have benefited black voter totals, especially in the city of Ville Platte. According to Registrar of Voters Ted Soileau, a total of 299 new registered voters were added to the rolls between Aug. 16 and Tuesday’s deadline.
The total number of registered voters in the parish stands at 21,720 up from 21,421. Of the 299 new voters, 167 are black and 131 are white. One voter, classified as neither black nor white, was added to the rolls as well.
In the city of Ville Platte, an additional 290 voters have been added to the ledger, increasing the total from 5,719 to 6,009 registered voters. A total of 106 white voters were added, from 3,171 to 3,277, while a total of 183 black voters were added from 2,544 to 2,727.
September 15, 1994
Five parish residents filed suit against the Evangeline Parish School Board Tuesday morning for violating their constitutional right to vote.
The Writ of Mandamus, filed by J. Barney Deshotel Sr., Dennis Thompson, Katharine Thompson, Ricky A. Johnson and Henry Lee Manuel, asking that the court order the board to adopt a reappointment plan immediately and to pay all attorney’s fees, court costs, expert witness fees, and all other associated costs incurred by the plaintiffs.
The School Board elections were scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 1, but have been placed on hold indefinitely until a reappointment plan can pass both federal and state requirements. The group is represented by attorneys C. Allen Bradley, Jr., C. Kerry Anderson and Richard F. Blankenship. A hearing has been set for Friday, Sept. 23 before Judge Gaynor Soileau.
September 2, 1999
Evangeline Parish donations to Muscular Dystrophy Association’s (MDA) Labor Day Weekend Telethon in 1998 totaled over $8,000, and this year organizers are hoping to collect more than that.
In order for donations to count toward Evangeline Parish’s total, donors must call the Evangeline Parish MDA line 363-6668 or stop by the pledge center and make a donation.
This year the Ville Platte pledge center will be located at the Acadian Medical Center (Eastin Pharmacy), 1535 W. Main St. The center will be open from 8-11 p.m. Sunday, September 5, and from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday, September 6.
September 5, 1999
Two elementary schools have collected over 1,000 can goods for the Care and Share Center in Ville Platte.
Sponsored by The Gazette, the “Cans for Kids” project will be ongoing through the mouth of September. Members of The Gazette staff will be collecting can goods on Thursday mornings at Ville Platte Lower and Sacred Heart Elementary Schools. Students at these two schools have a chance to earn a prize.
The Gazette will give the top student at each school who brings in the most can goods during this period each a $50 savings bond at the conclusion of the project. The top class that collects the most items at each school will be treated to a pizza and punch party during the month of October. The top school which collects the most can goods will be given $300 cash.