Looking Back: Recalling events of July 2002

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor

This week, we take a look back 20 years at the events of July 2002.
•Nicole Lynn Soileau, the 28-year-old daughter of Harold and Fannie Soileau, took a once in a lifetime pilgrimage to Europe and was one of four people in her group chosen to meet Pope John Paul II and kiss his hand. She said, “This journey of healing turned into a journey of a lifetime.”
•Citizen’s Bank won the amateur division and Kajun Katering won the professional division at the 10th annual Smoked Meat Festival.
•The American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) honored Ville Platte Gazette editor Carissa Hebert as its Woman of the Year.
•Ville Platte native Jillian Raye Andrus was crowned Princess Ray’ la’ ne V in Rayne.
• The Friends of the Arboretum proposed naming the future arboretum activity building to be located inside Chicot State Park after Professor J.D. LaFleur. “Prof” LaFleur was instrumental in having the Louisiana State Arboretum located in Evangeline Parish. “Were it not for Professor LaFleur’s initiative, vision, tenacity and networking skills, the Louisiana State Arboretum might not be in Evangeline Parish in the state’s premier state park, Chicot State Park.”
•Ville Platte Rental and Medical Supplies was heavily damaged by a fire in the back of the building on Monday evening June 8.
•The Evangeline Parish School Board voted to leave the present school schedule in tact for the upcoming 2002-2003 school year. The schedule featured a modified four by four schedule in Ville Platte and a four-day week in Pine Prairie and Bayou Chicot.
•Long-time educator Velma Semien Davis retired after 35 years with the Evangeline Parish School System.
•A French film crew visited Belaire Cove to film a documentary featuring local actor Mark Krasnoff. The documentary was filmed entirely in the French language.
•Euda Ardoin celebrated her 100th birthday in July. She was born June 18, 1902.
•Vern Hall of St. Paul, Minnesota, visited the Smoked Meat Festival. He first heard about it in 1997 and in 1998, he contacted President Freddie Pitre and made the trip for the first time in 1998. He was a member of the Vietnam Veterans of American organization in St. Paul, so he was happy to support the festival sponsored by the local VVA. He said he enjoyed all of the Cajun food and learned how to make a good gumbo. However, what kept him coming back was the hospitality of the Ville Platte community.
•Sale items at Champagne’s included: gallon of Shur Fine vegetable oil ($2.99), 13 ounce package of Shur Fine coffee (.99), whole ribeye ($3.99 per pound), 10-pound bag of Shur Fine rice ($1.79), and nectarines (.79 per pound).
•Sale items at Brown’s Furniture included: bunk beds ($299), three-piece oak top table with four chairs ($88), queen size posture support mattress ($299), oak glider rocker ($68), and antique style bombe chest ($299).
•Movies released in July 2002 included” “Like Mike,” starring Brenda Song and Julius Ritter; “Men In Black 2,” starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones; “Halloween: Resurrection,” starring Jamie Lee Curtis and Sean Patrick Harris; “Road to Perdition,” starring Tom Hanks and Paul Newman; and “Austin Powers in Goldmember,” starring Mike Myers and Verne Troyer.
•Popular songs of July 2002 included: “Hot in Herre” by Nelly, “Hero” by Chad Kroeger, “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue (The Angry American)” by Toby Keith, “Without Me” by Eminem, and “Ordinary Day” by Vanessa Carlton.