Chataignier Council authorizes purchase of radios and selling of property, hears about spaying and neutering

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Village Police Officer Gail McDavid requested the Chataignier Village Council purchase two additional hand held radios during the council meeting Monday.
“The radio is a lifeline of a police officer when he’s on the street,” McDavid explained. “In the Dodge Challenger police car, we do have a radio inside, but, when you leave that car, you don’t have a radio.”
He continued, “When we go on a call or have a traffic stop, 911 checks on us every five minutes. If we don’t answer, they will send somebody. It’s important that an officer has a radio when he gets outside the car. We have two working portable radios, and we have four officers. So, we need two more.”
The council voted to purchase two portable radios with the one-year protection plan.
On a separate issue, the council authorized Mayor Justin Darbonne to sell property on the corner of 1st and Church Streets that was deemed to no longer be a public purpose to the village.
The council then heard from Jill Stevens with Every Paw Animal Rescue (EPAR) on efforts to corral and control stray dogs in the village. Part of the plan is to spay and neuter the dogs at EPAR’s cost.
“If there are a couple of houses that have mother dogs who keep pumping out litters,” Stevens said, “put the owners in touch with us. We will have that little dog fixed. Even if there’s a male dog that’s hitting up all the lady dogs around, we will neuter him. It’s going to make a big difference.”
Stevens went on to report EPAR has applied for two grants which will cover 100 percent of the costs for spaying and neutering pets belonging to low income families in the parish.”
The council also heard from Mayor Darbonne on plans for the third annual Breast Cancer Awareness Walk/5K and Gumbo Cook-off set for Saturday, October 26, at the Village of Chataignier Recreational Park.
The events begin at 11 a.m. with registration followed by the walk at 1 p.m. The sample pick up for judges will take place at 2:30 p.m., and the public gumbo sampling will occur at 2:45 p.m. The winners will be announced at 4:15 p.m.
Registration for the walk is $10.00, registration for the cook-off is $25.00, and a sample bracelet is $5.00.
There will be a free fun jump for the children along with music from a band and a DJ. Soft drinks, bottles of water, and Chataignier Village and Breast Cancer T-shirts will be sold.
The Cancer Awareness T-shirts must be pre-ordered and prepaid. The cost is $15.00, and the deadline to pre-order and for early registration is Friday, October 4.
All proceeds will go to Savoy Cancer Center and Opelousas General Hospital.