No Show, No Pay?
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–THIS WEEK– Faces & Places Trials of COVID victim Cecilia 6-4A champs BB tops Albany BBHS homecoming queen Page B-1 Page B-8 Page A-7 Page A-7 Page B-9 TECHE NEWS Justice To All Dedicated To The Progress Of St. Martin Parish Established 1886 Vol. 135, No. 32 Wednesday, November 18, 2020 2 Sections, 18 Pages - $1.00 No show, Bradshaw no pay? ‘Oldest Missed meetings targeted inhabitants’ Karl D. Jeter are habitually absent, [email protected] some as much as 50 changed JUNK CAR PROBLEMS – Police Chief Ricky Martin (right) and Assistant Chief Joe St. Martinville – percent of the time. Nedie discussed the problem of the removal of unused “junk” vehicles in on private Members of the city Council members to weathered property. (Karl Jeter) council here who miss were paid $800 per too many meetings may month before agreeing observers find their pay docked to a 5% pay cut when next year. city finances were -un Jim Bradshaw As an added agen- der strain several years [email protected] da item at the Nov. 16 ago, leaving their cur- rent “salary”at $743.88. Until well into the Board divvies up $5M council meeting, Coun- 1800s, the oldest people cilman Craig Prosper Park Food Truck in a town or area were won approval of a mo- The council will con- the keepers of weather tion to do just that. The sider a request from a lore. Any time there measure passed with- local food truck owner was a bitter cold snap in contingency funds out the votes of absent who is seeking permis- or a big snowstorm or members Edmond Jo- sion to use Magnolia a flooding rain, or anyHenri C. Bienvenu board’s Nov. 4 meeting. funds, Blanchard says seph and Juma John- Park as his home base. other piece of unusual [email protected] The issue was a bit almost $2 million is be- son. Courtney Jacquet weather, newspapers complicated by the ing held in reserve to Beginning on Jan. 1, would like to set up his Breaux Bridge – St. council members who truck at the park most invariably reported that Martin Parish school need to use funds not meet any unanticipated none of “the oldest in- originally allocated parish wide needs. miss seven meetings, or days except for a few oc- principals and board about 30 percent of the casions when he works habitants” had ever members have a little when the 2016 bond is- He added that school seen such a thing be- sue was finalized due principals have al- 24 regular first-and- high-attendance events more “spending money” third-Monday meet- elsewhere. fore. to use on school projects to mandates regarding ready begun preparing The earliest reli- Breaux Bridge Jr. High a “wish list” of projects ings during the typical Council members, in the coming months year, will not be paid while asserting that able weather records following board action School. During nego- they would like funded for most south Louisi- tiations dealing with the at their schools. for subsequent missed they are not opposed to earlier this month. meetings. The action is the proposal, said they ana communities date Board members gave ongoing desegregation “We will be meeting to 1887, when R. E. litigation, the board was with the principals and intended to encourage want to consider wheth- final approval to a plan attendance by members er it would cause unfair Kerkam of the U.S. Sig- to reallocate some $5.2 required to make addi- board members from nal Service began set- tional improvements at who receive payment for million left unspent (See FUNDS, Pg. A-8) attending meetings but (See ABSENT, Pg. A-8) ting up a network of from bond issues au- the school that were not weather observers to thorized in 2013 and in the original plans. keep daily logs of high 2016. The funds will At the Nov. 4 meeting and low temperatures, be divided among the the board approved the rainfall, and other sig- parish’s four school following allocation of La. Supreme Court declines nificant observations. districts based on the $5,224,999 in funds: The Signal Service number of students in •Breaux Bridge District – began as a part of the each district. $1,052,041 (2,041 students). army and, as its name Superintendent Al- •Cecilia District – implies, was charged $1,964,932 (2,451 students). to consider Lake Martin suit len Blanchard Jr. and with getting military board members have •St. Martinville District – information from one been reviewing just how $1,495,721 (1,758 students). Attorney General Landry takes interest unit to the other, es- the money would be allo- •Parks/Catahoula/Stephens- pecially in time of war. ville District – $712,305 (870 cated for the past couple Karl D. Jeter of the land took the ac- at public expense, and Its mission took on im- of months before mak- students). [email protected] tion saying they feared access may not be de- portance to civilians in ing a final decision at the In addition to these they would be held li- nied. 1870, when Congress St. Martinville – The able for any accidents One owner, Clif- decreed that the Secre- Louisiana Supreme at the site, complain- ford Hebert of Breaux tary of War had to “pro- Court will not weigh in Bridge, told the Teche vide for taking meteoro- on a 3rd Circuit Court of ing that the Louisiana News he is angry about logical observations at Audit: BB finances Appeal decision allow- Department of Wildlife the developments at the the military stations in ing Bryan Champagne and Fisheries (LDWF) lake. the interior of the con- to continue operation had allowed the launch “This is a joke,” he of his guided tour busi- docks to deteriorate. tinent … and for giving said. “We want to see the notice … by telegraph are in great shape ness at Lake Martin. Members of the “Save Lake Martin” preserva- lake preserved for future and marine signals of Last August, a 3-2 generations. That con- Karl D. Jeter and incremental water tion group provided the the approach and force vote by judges of the 3rd struction (Champagne’s) of storms.” [email protected] and sewer rate increas- Circuit rejected a peti- Teche News with a pe- tition to the 16th Judi- is entirely illegal and is Over the next decade Breaux Bridge – The es that the council has tion by St. Martin Parish cial District Court from ruining the lake. Where or so Signal Service ob- Crawfish Capital’s -fi instituted all bode well Government to overturn Louisiana Attorney has Wildlife and Fisher- servers were placed in nances are being man- for continued improve- a 16th Judicial District General Jeff Landry on ies been all this time?” major cities as well as on aged quite well accord- ments in coming years. Court ruling of April, Lake Martin is a des- behalf of the LDWF. military posts, but there ing to the findings of The auditor comment- 2019 that Champagne’s ignated wildlife sanc- The petition, assert- were no weather watch- independent auditor ed that the city has kept business and ever-ex- tuary, and is a widely panding construction ing that the group in ers in smaller places un- Russell Champagne. up an ambitious pace of known and popular til the later 1800s. About forward-looking capital on the banks of the lake question owns only a At the Nov. 9 city area that has long at- 20 states had set up improvements. Those could continue. 1/11th interest in the council meeting, Cham- tracted tourists, bird- networks by 1887 when projects could be impor- The Parish Council property. The remain- pagne spelled out the ers, paddlers, photog- Kerkam, the director at tant in providing the sup- unanimously agreed der, Landry says, be- good news that the city raphers and sportsmen. New Orleans, decided it port needed to accommo- to petition the Loui- longs to Louisiana tax- finished off the fiscal It was supposedly pro- was time for Louisiana to date the business and payers. year ending June 30, siana Supreme Court tected from commer- find local observers in ev- residential growth that to review the case, but Landry asks that a ery parish. 2019, in good financialappears to be in Breaux cial development by the condition. Champagne on Nov. 10 the high long-existing right-of- In a statement sent to Bridge’s future. way and servitude as- “wilderness” zoning. credited not just the court announced that it newspapers across the suring access to the lake Save Lake Martin continued sound man- CLECO Maintenance would not hear the par- state he enumerated a Councilman Neil be recognized and con- and other advocates agement of government ish’s appeal. “Sam” Melancon updated firmed. The filing -con suggest that if this (See BRADSHAW, Pg. A-8) for the audit results, the council about his on- Boat Launch Closed tends that the taxpayers assertion by LDWF but said the taxpayers going efforts to address Users of the lake of Louisiana have effec- is upheld, there may be Obituaries deserve a good share of what he feels is a history were upset by the clo- tively been the owners hope of restoring easy the credit as well. of insufficient mainte- sure of the lake’s only of the boat launch and access to the lake and Francis, Bonnie Y., 94, St. Martinville Referring to the Nov. Frederick, Norma G., 91, Breaux Bridge nance of the power infra- boat launch last March.