Looking Back

By News Staff on Thursday, December 18, 2025
Events of July 18, 1985, are recalled
  • CONSTRUCTION PROGRESSING - Work is progressing on schedule at Savoy Memorial Hospital in Mamou. where a new wing is being added to the facility to modernize services and increase bed capacity. The above photo was taken this week from a northwest angle to the project. Construction began last fall and is expected to be completed in about a year. The wing will include new emergency facilities; more surgery rooms; a new laboratory; and will bring the bed capacity up to some 135 beds.
    CONSTRUCTION PROGRESSING - Work is progressing on schedule at Savoy Memorial Hospital in Mamou. where a new wing is being added to the facility to modernize services and increase bed capacity. The above photo was taken this week from a northwest angle to the project. Construction began last fall and is expected to be completed in about a year. The wing will include new emergency facilities; more surgery rooms; a new laboratory; and will bring the bed capacity up to some 135 beds.

    By: TONY MARKS
    Editor

    Today, we take a look back at the events of July 18, 1985, which centered around construction progressing on a new wing at what is now Savoy Medical Center.
    • City voters facing tax rededication
    A light turnout is expected this Saturday when city of Ville Platte voters go to the polls to decide whether or not a small portion of the city sales tax should be rededicated so as to help residents with their monthly water bills.
    About $90,000 annually or 16.5 percent of the first one-cent sale tax - passed in 1975 - revenue is dedicated to providing garbage pickup in the city. However, since the institution of the parishwide Solid Waste Commission program, the city is no longer in the business and needs to rededicate the recurring monthly funds once used for citywide garbage pickup.
    Since the city cannot legally spend these funds (without voter approval) for any other purpose, the administration has proposed that the funds be rededicated (via this election) for use by the water department.
    If passed, the city would in return then reduce water bills by $2 per month - residential rates would drop from $7.50 to $5.50 monthly.
    • Board maintains school start
    The executive committee of the Evangeline Parish School Board this week voted to recommend the start date for the 1985-86 school year remain at Aug. 19, and not be changed to a later week.
    At a meeting on Monday, the committee agreed to support no change in the upcoming school calendar, despite reports of requests from the agricultural community to consider doing so.
    The school board may consider the matter, however, when making up its calendar for the 1986-87 school year, the committee indicated.
    Superintendent Sidney Ortego said the committee backed off from a change due to the fact that this year’s calendar has already been published, and detailed plans and arrangements for such things as inservice trainings, food purchases and deliveries, etc., would have to be changed.
    Cutting the number of school holidays during the year would be the only way to make the starting date later, Ortego added.
    At a meeting of the full board last week, board member Dr. Bobby Deshotel said some farmers told him they needed the help of their children in the fields until late August.
    • VP Dixie 12’s control finals
    The Ville Platte 12-year-old Dixie Youth All-Stars had been wading through the opposition without much trouble here this past week in the sub-district tournament. However, Tuesday’s line of heavy thunderstorms were more that with which they could contend.
    Thus manager Black Lafleur Jr.’s squad was delayed until Wednesday night (weather permitting) before they could face Eunice in the finals. The locals took a two-game lead into the finals with a 2-0 mark while Eunice was at 2-1.
    Ville Platte was considered the favorite going into the tourney. The winner advances to the district tournament at South Lake Charles, July 20-24.
    This past weekend, the locals had little trouble with Kinder, gliding past them 14-0 behind the no-hit pitching provided by five separate hurlers and home runs by four different batters.
    The Ville Platte mound market also combined for 14 strikeouts with Cody Vidrine getting credit for the victory despite only two innings of work. During his brief tenure, Vidrine struck out four and walked four. Alex Cantu worked the next inning, striking out a pair and walking but one batter. Kevin Ardoin pitched two innings striking out five Kinder batters and walking two. Phillip Ardoin wrapped up the final inning with three straight strikeouts.
    At the plate, Ville Platte rapped out 14 hits. The big sluggers included winning pitcher Vidrine who went three for three with a two-run homer in the first inning. Phillip Ardoin added a solo homer in the fourth in going two for four at the plate. Kevin Ardoin slapped a two-run shot in the third for his only hit, and Marty Lafleur ended the home run derby in the fourth with his lone hit of the day, a solo home run.
    However, catcher Jared Fontenot was the busiest hitter in the game, going four for four with a double and two RBI. Cantu added two hits including a ground-rule double. Mike Reed and Eric Poullard chipped in a single each.
    Once again a parade of pitchers was used in Ville Platte’s second win of the tourney, 9-2 over Pine Prairie.
    Kevin Ardoin picked up the win this time around by working two innings. He allowed no runs, no hits, and struck out six batters. Phillip Ardoin was next up and struck out one in his hitless-shutout inning of work. Poullard struggled in the fourth and allowed one hit, one run, and a pair of walks before being relieved by Cantu who pitched a pair of innings. Cantu allowed one run, walked one, and fanned five batters. Vidrine mopped up the final innings with three strikeouts.
    On the offensive side, Ville Platte rapped out eight hits. Only Kevin Ardoin was able to hit the ball out of the park in this game. His homer was a solo shot in the fourth. Phillip Ardoin added a pair of singles while Cantu, Vidrine, and Johnny Fontenot added doubles to the effort while Jared Fontenot and Kevin Fontenot had singles, the latter of which came with the bases loaded and scored two runs.
    • McNeese tuition going up $100 per
    McNeese State University has announced a $100 per semester tuition increase beginning with the Fall Semester registration Aug. 20-23.
    Tuition for a full-time student carrying 12, or more, semester hours, will be $507.
    • USL tuition hiked $50
    Tuition for Louisiana resident students at the University of Southwestern Louisiana will go up $50 for the fall semester, USL announced Friday.
    The increase will help compensate for a three percent across the board cut in state revenues to the university, according to Dr. Ray Authement, USL president.
    For the fall semester, USL tuition will be $419 for full-time undergraduate students who are Louisiana residents. Out-of-state students will pay $859 in fees, and international students will pay $925. Graduate student fees are slightly lower.