HHERALDING OOVER A CCENTURY OF NNEWS CCOVERAGE •• 1903-20131903-2013 LIFESTYLES SPORTS NSU BASEBALL the WALTER P. LEDET COACHES ATTEND COFFEE CLUB ROTARY CLUB 75¢ Copy See Page 1B See Page 8A The Natchitoches Times And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free, John 8:32. Weekend Edition, January 12-13, 2013 Natchitoches, Louisiana • Since 1714 Seventy-Five Cents the Copy Letters to the Editor Let us know what you think, write a letter to the editor. See Page 4A for details. Natchitoches Times e-mail [email protected] Visit our website at: www.natchitochestimes.com WEATHER HIGH LOW 74 58 Area Deaths Commission gets update LORETTA BRITTON- WASHINGTON Troop 60 in Natchitoches. Alliance Compressor plant manager Ken Gardner presents on Grand Hotel project; CHARLES HUGGINS a check for $2,500 to Netami District Executive Mike Chatalain. On back row, from left OPAL LAVERNE are Troop 60 Scouts Vincent Maggio, Jonathon Mezierre, Evan Sinclair, Tanner Delphin, LACHNEY Daniel Chatelain, Nathan Gardner, Thomas Haley and Scoutmaster Kevin Shanahan. BEATRICE MONETTE reviews plans with BERNELL PARKER ERMADELL TATE Trust gives to Boy Scouts approval to come in Feb. Obituaries Page 2A Alliance Compressors, on behalf of the parishes. By Steven Niette • There will be a pool. Emerson Charitable Trust, presented the The Norwela Council serves the • The roof will be con- School board $2,500 donation to the Netami district of the Northwest Louisiana parishes of Bossier, With a rare absence of a structed of either metal or Norwela Council of the Boy Scouts of Caddo, DeSoto, Red River, Natchitoches, quorum, the Natchitoches faux slate. calls meeting America. Bienville, Claiborne, Sabine and Webster. It Historic District Commission • The building will sit 15 These funds were given to the 2012 serves 4,800 youth and 1,300 adult volun- was unable to approve min- feet off the property line and on unitary status Friends of Scouting campaign. teers. utes or vote on measures at measure 39 feet from the The Netami district is comprised of The funds from the Emerson Charitable its meeting Monday, Jan. 7. ground to the west elevation The Natchitoches Parish approximately 300 youth and 70 adults Trust target Education and Youth, two of the But commissioners got an roof eave, facing Second School Board will have a spe- spread among 11 packs, troops, and venture five principal philanthropic aims of the update on the Natchitoches Street. cial called meeting Tuesday, crews covering Natchitoches and Red River trust. Grand Hotel Project, district The hotel will include a Jan. 15 at 4 p.m. to discuss the signage and the Natchitoches restaurant area. Randy board’s request for unitary Historic Landmark District LaCaze, director of the Office status and removal of the Resurvey. of Community Development, desegregation suit by the fed- Parish council balks on setting salary for The main order of busi- said the hotel is expected to eral court judge in ness was the review of plans serve an American continen- Alexandria. public works director; elects officers, sets time for the Natchitoches Grand tal breakfast and possibly The committee meeting for It didn’t take long for three $60,000 annual salary. Nowlin said the salary was Hotel Project, presented by wine and appetizers in the January will follow at 5 p.m. former police jury members to Councilman Rodney Bedgood greater than that of the previ- architect Randal Smoak. evening. Both meetings will be in the hijack the first parish council asked to go into executive ses- ous director but there was The plans for the hotel, The hotel will have four board room at the Central meeting Thursday afternoon. sion to discuss the salary but enough money in the budget to which will be built on Second meeting rooms, two 12,000 Office. See agenda Page 3A. Parish President Rick decided not to pursue that cover the difference. Street in the Historic square foot rooms and two Nowlin opened the meeting by when he was told discussing Paige said after the meeting Landmark District, are pre- 7,000 square foot rooms. Rains send saying, “This is the beginning salary is not covered by the that Nowlin had asked him liminary, but Smoak shared According to Chris Post, the of a new management team open meetings law. about the salary in the parking features he thinks will be in director of the Events Center, Cane River for the parish. I’m very opti- Then John Salter motioned lot and he felt there needed to the final design: these rooms will “compli- mistic about the team we to table the agenda item and be more discussion. Bedgood • The hotel will have 87 ment the Events Center and over pool stage have.” received favorable votes from walked away when asked if he rooms. be good for smaller gather- That optimism didn’t last himself, Chris Paige, Ricky had told Nowlin he would • There will be a facade of ings.” After the recent rain, Cane long when four of the five new LaCour and Bedgood. AJ agree to support the salary. brick matching the Events “We’ve been working on a River Lake is 98.3 MSL council members voted to Johnson voted against the Nowlin said the next step Center. footprint that will work,” Thursday, with pool stage table approving a salary for motion to table. would be up to the council. “I • Shutters will be the same LaCaze said. “Overall, we’ve being 98.0 according to Cane the new director of public “I talked to the council made the commitment to Mr. shade of green as the color evolved into something that I River Patrol Betty Fuller. works. before I extended the job offer Verret based on discussion approved for downtown busi- think’s going to work well The spillway landing is the Nowlin hired engineer Nick to Mr. Verret and there were with the council. You’d expect nesses. downtown.” only landing closed on the Verret to be the director of no objections,” Nowlin said. “I them to honor that commit- • Windows will have frames The Natchitoches Grand lake due to high water. That public works and was asking was asking you to ratify what ment.” with both built-in arches and Hotel is expected to open Dec. landing is next to the spillway the council to approve a we agreed to previously.” See Parish Page 3A brick arches. 1. At the next meeting, Smoak and when water is pouring • Air conditioning units will present a formal applica- over it creates a dangerous will be covered with black tion that will include eleva- condition for boaters launch- Rainfall ranges from 5-8 inches in parish wrought iron grills. tions. ing, potentially causing prop- • There will be several Other business included erty damage, loss of life By Wiley Butler Thursday, some rainfall totals include Ashland dummy windows and two debate on signage for Edward and/or both, Fuller said. The Shreveport National Weather Service (NWS coop) 2.32 inches; near Goldonna 8.8 dummy chimneys made of Jones Investments at 208 launch will reopen when the Cooperative Observer SSW 2.94 inches; Natchitoches (NWS coop) 2.74 brick. Williams Ave. Clint Perot III, lake reaches pool stage. A heavy rainfall event occurred in inches; Natchitoches Raws (auto gage near • External light fixtures a financial advisor at the Anyone with questions can Natchitoches Parish Tuesday into Wednesday Provencal) 3.13 inches and Natchitoches will be gas lanterns. See Hotel Page 3A call Fuller 318-617-3235 cell; with excessive rainfall observed in southern Airport (non-manual gage) 2.35 inches. 318-379-2878 home; or 318-357- Natchitoches Parish with National Weather Additional rainfall is likely this weekend 3007 office. Service Doppler radar indicating 5-8 inches for according to the National Weather Service. storm totals. The NWS weather forecast for Saturday is Cemetery work For Natchitoches, the storm total from this for rain showers likely and possibly a thunder- event is 3.82 inches ending at 8 a.m. Thursday. storm. Otherwise cloudy, with a high near 75. underway on Percy The unsettled weather was caused by an strong For Saturday night rain showers likely and upper level low pressure moving across north- possibly a thunderstorm with a low around 55. Due to repair work at the ern Mexico near the Big Bend of Texas while Chance of precipitation is 70 percent. Sunday American Cemetery, surface low pressure tracked along the Texas has a chance of showers, with thunderstorms. Demeziere Street will be closed coast. The chance of precipitation for Sunday is 50 from Second Street to Percy For the 24-hour period ending at 9 a.m. percent. Street for approximately two weeks until approximately Jan. 21. Use extra caution Northwestern State University when approaching this area. President Dr. Randall J. Webb, left, awarded an Nth Degree to Jacque Crew, center, and Robert Crew in recognition of their years of service to NSU. Robert Crew has been execu- Index tive assistant to the president for 16 years after working in the Obituaries 2A Louisiana Department of Education. Jacque Crew was a Editorial 4A distinguished educator, who volunteered countless hours to Bobbye Akin, librarian at Natchitoches Magnet School, Annie’s Mailbox 3A assist Northwestern State and won $1,000 through KTBS’s One Class at a Time grant. Eric Sigma Sigma Sigma sorority. James surprised Akin with the check during an assembly Lifestyles 1B The Nth Degree is one of the Wednesday morning. Akin will use the money to purchase Sports 8A university’s highest honors and novels and prizes for students participating in a “Battle of is bestowed for going the extra Books” this semester.