July 2, 1989
• State election officials have informed the Evangeline Parish Police Jury it may not call a special election in Ward 5 to obtain voter input on whether or not to impose a stock law in that rural area.
Jury President Leland Vidrine revealed Friday jurors were notified such a special ballot issue was restricted to public road issues, and not applicable to an issue such as stock laws where private landowners are required to fence their property to halt the free roaming of their cattle. A police jury is empowered to settle such an issue by ordinance.
July 6, 1989
• “We’re using these funds badly and I think that maintenance funds need to be used to maintain,” board member Hampton Dupre told the Evangeline Parish School Board at its meeting Wednesday night.
Dupre said that the board is utilizing all of its funds for construction that are designated for maintenance. “We’ve been doing it for the past six years,” he said . “I’d like the board to consider some type of method to derive funds to include some way to take construction out of maintenance funds and use what these funds are designated for.”
The board passed a motion made by Dupre to refer the issue of capital improvements to the finance committee where floating a millage will be considered. “We asked people to vote for maintenance and that maintenance should be used to maintain or keep up construction,” Dupre added, stating that he felt all parish schools could use some repairs.
July 13, 1989
• Chataignier citizens gathered at the Evangeline Parish Courthouse Monday to hear their former mayor, Curtis Johnaon, answer charges that he was withholding public records necessary to conduct a state audit of village finances.
After an hour of testimony, Judge L.O. Fusilier of the 13th Judicial District Court ruled he found no evidence indicating that Johnson possessed public records.
The board of alderman were seeking a writ of mandamus against Johnson, which would force him to perform his ministerial duty as a public officer and deliver the records.
July 16, 1989
• Evangeline Parish officials were notified last week that this parish was included in a wide-ranging disaster declaration by Gov. Buddy Roemer. Only five Louisiana parishes are not included in the declaration: Webster, Concordia, Terrebonne, Plaquemine and St. Bernard, following rains spawned by Tropical Storm Allison.
Don Brouillette, executive director of the Evangeline ASCS office, stressed to parish farmers that the disaster status now qualifies them only for emergency loans through the Farmers Home Administration. “This is not a grant,” he said, referring to the nationwide drought relief program passed by Congress in 1988.
July 23, 1989
• A tubular boom snaked across the inlet of a 20-acre man made lake owned by Allen Ortego in the Tate Cove area as workers for Conoco, Inc. used vacuum tanker trucks, a backhoe, and muscle power to clean up an oil spill of a yet undetermined amount.
• A shovel handle marked the spot where a leaking pipe east of Conoco’s Commingling Tank battery No. 1-6 allowed oil to escape through a grassy, timbered area, down a ditch which lead to the small lake.
As he surveyed the damage Friday morning, Allen Ortego told The Gazette that Conoco officials notified him of the oil spill the day before. Ortego stopped and talked with Conoco workers and employees of Guillory Tank Truck Service of Eunice as he and his attorney traced the path of the oil and took pictures of the site.
July 1, 1999
• Kermit Miller was named Rotarian of the Year at the annual Rotarian Banquet held Tuesday evening, June 29.
Eulin Guidry, outgoing Rotarian president, passed the gavel on to incoming president, Marty Allain, during the installation of officers. Joining Allain in assuming the leadership of the organization is Ray Duplechain, vice president; Wayne Vidrine, president-elect; A.B. Coreil, sergeant-at-arms; Leonard Fontenot, treasurer; and Glenn Darnall, secretary.
New board of directors named were Jasper Fontenot, Phil Lemoine, Elizabeth Hill, and Darin Bordelon.
July 11, 1999
• A first time juvenile offender intervention program could become a reality in Evangeline Parish if a special grant can be obtained by the District Attorney’s office.
According to Assistant District Attorney Tony Walker, who will direct the program if it becomes a reality, there is a lack of facilities in the parish where a first time juvenile offender can avoid being prosecuted, receive counseling and still be punished for committing a crime.
“This program can serve as an alternative to jail,” said Walker, “And, by working closely with specialists involved in social services, the police department, the parents, and the courts, maybe we can turn these young people around.”
July 29, 1999
• Ville Platte City Council member Carol Alfred had to adjust her motion three times before the full council agreed, but the city will bear the cost of running sewage and water lines to a proposed handicapped housing facility known as the Lincoln Road Benevolent Project. The motion was approved after the words “if the state attorney general’s office approves” were added at the suggestion of City Attorney Gilbert Aucoin.
Aucoin feels the attorney general’s opinion is needed since the city would be paying for work on private property, and owner Gervis Lafleur had already legally obligated himself to pay for the improvements.
“You would be asking the city to use public funds to pay for work on property that a private individual has already obligated himself to do, “ He said.
Aucoin asked City Engineer Ronnie Landreneau if he knew of any case where the city has ever provided utilities to private property.
July 9, 2009
• The Evangeline Parish Police Jury, during its committee meetings Monday, July 6, discussed the creation of a committee for the Keep Evangeline Beautiful program.
Juror Bryan Vidrine will serve as chairman of the committee. Secretary/ Treasurer Doug Deville said the ordinance received from Keep Louisiana Beautiful called for 13 members on the board. Deville stated those members will consist of six appointed from parish municipalities, and the other seven coming from other seven local organizations, such as schools, parks, Chamber of Commerce and the sheriff’s office
Vidrine said he will attempt to have the committee appointed and schedule a meeting very soon.
July 16, 2009
• The Ville Platte City Council received good news during its meeting Tuesday, July 14, regarding new funding approved for a recreational complex to be built.
Senator Eric LaFleur said he and Representative Bernard LeBas were successful in acquiring over $1.6 million for the project, which will include baseball and softball fields, as well as basketball courts and other recreational areas.
LaFleur said the Tulane School of Architecture has agreed to help with the design of the recreational complex. He added, while he expects work on the complex to begin on the not-too-distant future, it likely would not be ready until 2011 at the earliest.
July 19, 2009
• Governor Bobby Jindal visited Ville Platte Friday, July 17, as part of his “Louisiana Working Tour” and to discuss nine grants this parish was approved for totaling $3,331,531.
The nine grants awarded include a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) totaling $2,237,169, Hazard Mitigation grants totaling $879,632, six Local Government Assistance grants totaling $138,155 and a Byrne/Jag grant totaling $76,575.
Jindal stated, “After Gustav and Ike devastated so many communities throughout Louisiana, we vowed to speed up the recovery process and today we’re following through on that commitment by distributing these funds directly to parishes. We rejected a one-size-fits-all program in Baton Rouge because our recovery would be held up by more red tape. With these grants, parishes will have the ability to decide on their own how best to rebuild and prepare”
July 23, 2009
• The Chataignier Village Council learned of its upcoming applications for Community Development Block Grant funds during its meeting Monday, July 20.
The council discussed some of the options, including sewer repairs and making other minor repairs around the village, but no decision was made. Mayor Herman Malveaux said a special meeting will be held in the near future to discuss the council’s options and for the council to decide which funds it would like to apply for. However, no date was set for the special meeting.
Engineer Ronnie Landreneau is expected to attend to assist the council by explaining the options available to them and which funds they would most likely be awarded.
The date of the special meeting will be posted in the paper once it has been set.