Looking Back: Recalling events of April 1998

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor

This week, we take a look back 25 years at the events of April 1998.
•Brittney Foxworth (Miss Ville Platte), Allison Crawford (Junior Miss Ville Platte) and Jennifer Gautreaux (LA Tournoi Queen) were crowned during the annual pageant festivities.
•Casey Landreneau was crowned as Boggy Bayou Queen and Cliff Guillory Jr. was crowned as Boggy Bayou King for the 14th annual festival. The festival also featured musical entertainment from national artist T. Graham Brown.
•Farmer’s Rice Mill recognized the 4th-6th grade Sacred Heart 4-H club for its active involvement in community service activities. Club leaders were Beth Daire and Kim Soileau along with support from Principal Paula Landreneau.
•Sacred Heart High School Principal Larry Vidrine announced he would be retiring after 20 years as the school’s first lay principal at the end of the 1997-98 school year. He had also served as assistant principal at Ville Platte High School from 1965-1975. Vidrine said of his tenure at Sacred Heart, “I’ve always been very happy during my tenure here. It’s been a good 20 years. I love the kids an the faculty and, in my heart, I feel it’s been a true, rewarding and soul fulfilling missionary experience for me.”
•Evangeline Parish 911 held a ribbon cutting after officially going online in March 1998 under director Liz Hill. Hill was pleased with the turnout and said, “People are interested in seeing how the center works. Seeing the center might put their minds at ease in case of an emergency.” Evangeline Parish Sherriff Wayne Morein commented he was happy the system was now online and working well and efficiently..
•Becky Buller was appointed executive director of the Ville Platte Chamber of Commerce.
•Ville Platte Gazette Lifestyles Editor Bernice Ardoin won nine LPW (Louisiana Press Women) awards.
•The Northside Landing at Chicot State Park was reopened after being closed due to major storm damage.
•Mamou Mayor Warren Pierrotti officially announced his bid for re-election.
•Sacred Heart Catholic Church was near completion on the “Gospel of Life” monument located in the church cemetery.
•Sale items at Champagne’s included: shoulder roast ($1.29/lb), 16-pack of mini cob corn ($2.49), 83-100 ounce containers of Ultra Gain detergent ($4.99), five-pound bag of russet potatoes (.69 each) and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter spread ($1.49).
•Sale items at Boco’s included a Snapper riding lawn mower ($999.98).
•Morein Motor Company had a sale on 1998 model Chevrolet cars with 1.9 APR for 12-36 months and up to $2,000 cash back.
•Movies released in April 1998 included: “Lost in Space,” starring Gary Oldman and Lacey Chabert; “Mercury Rising,” starring Bruce Willis and Alec Baldwin; and “City of Angels,” starring Nicholas Cage and Meg Ryan.
•Popular songs of April 1998 included: “Let’s Ride,” by Montell Jordan; “Stop,” by The Spice Girls; “No, No, No Part I,” by Destiny’s Child; “This Kiss,” by Faith Hill; and “I Just Wanna Dance With You,” by George Strait.