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Thursday, July 26, 2012 • Vol. 15, No. 15 • 20 Pages • Circulation 10,000 • www.centralcitynews.us • Phone 225-261-5055

& The Leader

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NEWSNEWSCENTRAL CITYCENTRAL CITY Central’s Going —

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GOP Has Helped Stop$2 Million in Tax Hikes BATON ROUGE— The Republican Party of East Baton Rouge Parish has succeeded in blocking nearly $2 million in property tax increases — part of its “Operation Stop the Roll Forward” announced in May by the local party.

Elizabeth Sumrall of Central Survives Colorado Massacre

See TEAR on Page 3

Harrowing Story of Central GirlWho Is Amazed by God’s Mercy Woody Jenkins Editor, Central City News

CENTRAL — “The tear gas can-ister was thrown across the floor, and we could see the trail of smoke after it. It looked like a joke or part of the movie. Then boom, boom, boom, like firecrackers. But it wasn’t. Bullets were whizzing around us. My best friend, Bon-nie Kate Pourciau, threw me to the floor, and we began to pray.” Elizabeth Sumrall, 23, of Cen-tral arrived home yesterday after surviving the largest massacre in modern American history at a mov-ie theatre in Aurora, Colorado. For Elizabeth and her friend Bonnie Kate, it was an unusual twist of circumstance that brought them to that theatre at midnight Thursday when 12 fellow mov-iegoers were murdered. The two former homeschoolers were liter-

ally “just passing through” on a 10-day vacation trip from Seattle, where Elizabeth had been work-ing, to Baton Rouge. Elizabeth, whose parents are Randy and Julie Sumrall of Comite Hills, graduated from home school in 2007. Her parents have been

Central Board Saves Taxpayers $350,000

School Board Nixes Tax Increase

One Man withCourage SavedTaxpayers SumOf $1.5 Million

BATON ROUGE— It’s not often that one man can take credit for saving the taxpayers more than $1.5 million. But John Taylor of Zachary certainly can! Taylor is an appointed mem-ber of the Board of Commission-ers of BREC. Three weeks ago, the Board room at BREC headquarters on Florida Boulevard was packed when BREC chairman Kenneth Riche called the public hearing to order on a $1.5 million prop-erty tax increase — the so-called

Woody Jenkins Editor, Central City News

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CENTRAL — Continuing its con-servative approach to taxes, the Central Community School Board voted unanimously Monday to kill a proposed $350,000 increase in property taxes for school purposes. The proposed “roll forward” could have passed with a two-thirds’

Central’s BoardRefuses Plan To Roll ForwardProperty Taxes

See CENTRAL on Page 9

COACH SID EDWARDS was honored Thursday as a Louisiana Sports Legend, repre-senting all past and present Louisiana high school coaches, by BIC president Earl Heard.

Coach Sid Honored as Louisiana Sports Legend

BATON ROUGE— Central High head football coach Sid Edwards was honored Thursday night as one of 35 Louisiana Sports Legends at a banquet at the Lod Cook Center at LSU. The event was sponsored by BIC magazine, which has pub-lished Louisiana Sports Legends and Heroes. Edwards was the only high school coach selected and served as a representative of all past and present prep coaches. One of the best known celeb-rities honored at the event was Heisman Trophy winner and All-American Billy Cannon who led the 1958 LSU Tigers to a na-tional championship. Others in attendance were: • LSU head baseball coach Skip Bertman • LSU basketball coach Dale


See CANNON on Page 4

A Story of SurvivalWhen I saw the “alleged shooter on

TV in the courtroom, it was like looking at an empty shell. The devil had used him all up, and there was nothing left.”— Elizabeth Sumrall, 23

Just after midnight on July 20, 2012, a gunman entered a movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, killing 12 people and injuring 58 others.

Elizabeth Sumrall

See THE MILLION on Page 17

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The Central City News also publishes the Central Community Directory & Yellow Pages and numerous special editions throughout the year.

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and The Leader • Vol. 15, No. 15 No. 324

CENTRAL CITY NEWS

Expanding Boundaries of Central School SystemTIREDOFWATERPROBLEMS — Loretta Foreman told a public meeting at Kristenwood Tuesday night that her family tired of water quality problems in Central. Residents com-plained of brown and even black water coming out of their pipes. See story on pages 12-13.

2 CENTRAL CITY NEWS Thursday, July 26, 2012

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CENTRAL — Perhaps the most beautiful part of East Baton Rouge Parish is just north of Central — the communities of Pride, Chaneyville, and Baywood. In a way, this vast area — larger than Central — is not unlike Cen-tral of long ago. Its population is just over 5,000 and it is still the country. The potential for this area is unbelievable. But the northeast part of the par-ish faces one problem that is an absolute barrier to future progress

Chaneyville, Pride, And Baywood AreIsolated, Trapped inFailing EBR System Woody Jenkins Editor, Central City News

in Northeast said not no but hell no, we don’t want to be part of Central. They also said they would try to stop the creation of the Central school sys-tem if they were included.

Louisiana, just to its south. When the Central Community School System was being orga-nized, delegations were sent to the Northeast area, asking if they want-ed to join with the Central system. But some of the political leaders

and development — poor public schools. The school facilities themselves are actually quite good, and the students of Pride, Chaneyville, and Baywood could certainly get a good education if the people there controlled the schools. But this area remains part of the East Baton Rouge Parish School System — isolated, cut off from the rest of the EBR school district. To make matters worse, the East Baton Rouge Parish school system has persisted in recent years in us-ing Northeast High as a dumping ground. They have sent in prob-lem students from other parts of the parish and regularly bus in stu-dents from distant points. The vast majority of the white community has left the Northeast schools. So Northeast sits there — with Zachary, the No. 1 school system in Louisiana, just to its west and Central, the No. 2 school system in

years ago. When the Central school sys-tem was created, it took a consti-tutional amendment. That meant a two-thirds’ vote of the House and Senate and then a public referen-dum that had to pass statewide, parishwide, and in Central. Today, Pride, Chaneyville, and Baywood could be annexed to the Central school system by a simple act of the legislature. It would only take the support of the area’s two legislators — Sen. Bodi White and Rep. Valarie Hodges, a majority vote of both houses, and the signa-ture of the governor. But we don’t think that will hap-pen unless three things come to-gether: 1) The people of Northeast must request it. 2) The plan must be acceptable to the people of Central. 3) The Central School Board must want to do it. The East Baton Rouge School Board probably couldn’t stop it politically, because ultimately they don’t have a say in the matter. It is decided by the legislature. In the next issue, we’ll address the pros and cons of expanding the Central school system.

There’s some revisionist history going around that Central didn’t want the northeast area included in the Central school district, but that simply is not true. It was the other way around. Now things are different. The benefits of Northeast being part of the Central school system are obvious. But the people of Pride, Chaneyville, and Baywood have to make the first move. Central schools are going along fine, and they can make just fine as they are, but Northeast is not doing fine. The political situation is radi-cally different today than it was six

CENTRAL CITY NEWS July 26, 2012 3

Tear Gas, Then Boom, Boom, Bonnie Kate Threw Me to the Ground, and We Prayed

‘In the Midst of Chaos, People Loved Us!’

HomeschoolerFrom CentralSays God HadHis Hand on Herleaders of Christian Home Educa-tion Fellowship (CHEF). In January, Elizabeth went to work as a marketing and social media consultant for a company in Seattle that produces Christian his-tory teaching materials. Her work was completed this month. Bonnie Kate Pourciau of Baton Rouge, who is 18 and graduated from home school last year, flew to Seattle to help Elizabeth drive back to Baton Rouge. By the time they reached Aurora, they were on the last leg of the trip home, having al-ready seen Mt. Rushmore, Glacier National Park, and the Grand Tetons. Thursday night, they stopped over in Aurora. At the front desk of their hotel, someone mentioned the Batman premiere at midnight. Elizabeth said she thought it would be impossible to get tickets, but the girl at the front desk said there were still tickets available.

Between 8 and 9 p.m., they booked tickets to Batman on-line. They arrived at the theatre 15 or 20 minutes early, and it was packed. The girls stopped at the first row and almost sat down. Then they decided to head toward the back of the theatre. It was a fateful deci-sion. After they were seated, com-mercials and previews came on the screen, and the two girls were looking at photos on their phones. It was a rowdy crowd. Elizabeth texted her brother Stephen that they were in the movie waiting for Batman to start. That message could have been the last she would ever send. When the smoke bomb went off, no one seemed alarmed, Elizabeth said. Shots were being fired on the screen, and this seemed like part of the performance. But when the shooter began to fire, it soon became clear that this was for real. “People started to

scream and freak out,” she said. “Down on the floor, we were praying. My throat began to burn from the tear gas. The smoke must have been intended to create con-fusion and throw people off,” she said. No one attempted to rush the gunman. “I never saw the shoot-

er. We were on the floor, trying to avoid the bullets,” she said. “Apparently, he shot a lot of people in the front row.” Elizabeth said that, after firing many shots, the gunman appar-ently left the room to get more am-munition. While the gunman, James Hol-mes, was reloading, Elizabeth and Bonnie Kate joined scores of others in making a rush for the door. “We got up, and I gave Bonnie Kate a push. We were swept up in the crowd. It was a mob of people with crazy pushing.” “Bonnie Kate couldn’t keep up. When we got to the bottom entrance, a young man started supporting her. She was hopping on one leg. I asked her if she was okay. She said, ‘No, I’ve been shot!’ She was bleeding from the leg.” The young man who helped Bon-nie Kate and Elizabeth all the way outside the theatre was Chris Lakota, a young Native American. “We were going to walk to the car, but Bonnie Kate said, ‘I can’t do this!’ We stopped, and people be-gan to gather. An ER nurse stopped to help Bonnie Kate. People kept coming out, and we had to move fur-ther out. We tried to get to the car but the police wouldn’t let us. We were waiting a long time, maybe 30 or 40 minutes. Bonnie Kate was los-ing blood and could have died but a

Continued from Page 1

We were caught in the crush of people fleeing“the theatre. Bonnie Kate realized she couldn’t walk. A young man named Chris Lakota, a Native American from Colorado, got her safely out.”Elizabeth Sumrall, 23, of Central said Tuesday

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See ELIZABETH on Page 5

Bonnie Kate Pourciau and Elizabeth Sum-rall before the tragedy in Colorado.


Cannon, Bertman, Dale Brown AmongCoach Sid ChosenTo Represent AllLA HS Coaches,Past and PresentBrown • Olympic coach Gayle Hatch • LSU All-American Eddie Kennison • LSU football players Gus, Brian, and Todd Kinchen • Southern baseball coach Rog-er Cador • Louisiana College basketball coach Billy Allgood • Jockey Kent Desormeaux • LSU basketball player Rudy Macklin • LSU football player Ruffin Rodrique • Golfer Kelly Gibson • U-High and Nicholls State baseball player Darryl Hamilton • Parkview football player Calob Leindecker • The Bengal Belles for their contribution to LSU athletics Voice of the Tigers Dan Borne served as Master of Ceremonies, and BIC publisher Earl Heard, who put the event together, presented the awards. It was a unique gathering of some of the greatest athletes in Louisiana history. Even many in the audience were renowned, such as former LSU All-American

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See 35 LOUISIANA on Page 5

ALL TOGETHER — Louisiana Sports Legends attending the banquet last Thursday were (1st row, left to right) Gus Kinchen, Calob Lein-decker, Bengal Belles representative, Brenda Desormeaux (representing her husband Ron), Billy Allgood, Rudy Macklin, and Billy Cannon, and (2nd row) Darryl Hamilton, BIC publisher Earl Heard, Brian Kinchen, Roger Cador, Eddie Kennison, Skip Bertman, Dale Brown, Kelly Gibson, Central High School head football coach Sid Edwards, Todd Kinchen, Ruffin Rodrigue, and Gayle Hatch.

SPORTS LEGENDS — Olympic weight-lifting coach Gayle Hatch, Central coach Sid Edwards, Buddy Wicker, and Southern’s Roger Cador.

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35 Louisiana Sports Legends Honored

Clyde Lindsey. Olympic weight-lifting coach Gayle Hatch talked about his In-dian heritage, and someone joked

that Hatch, who still strikes an im-posing figure, may be the world’s tallest Native American. Three of the “legends” spoke — Skip Bertman, Eddie Kennison,

and Darryl Hamilton. All three told humorous stories, and some teased other inductees or members of the audience. Skip Bertman, who has been in-

ducted into many Halls of Fame, recognized his wife as an inductee into an exclusive “hall of fame” — the American Express Hall of

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young man, Eric Wilkinson, stopped to help. He is a National Guards-man.” “With all the hurt people, there weren’t enough ambulances. Final-ly, a policeman decided to take Bon-nie Kate to the hospital himself. The victims were taken to many different hospitals. Bonnie Kate was taken to the University of Colorado Medical Center. It took me another hour and a half to get to the hospital. We left our cell phones in the theatre. I used a hospital phone to call my parents, but we could only speak briefly.” “Parents and siblings of the victims were arriving at the waiting room. The people in the hospital were won-derful to me. They hugged me and supported me. A father and mother whose son had been shot held my hands. We cried together. It was a pre-cious time. They were very sweet.” “It wasn’t until 3 or 4 a.m. that I got to see Bonnie Kate. She was not in a room but in a hallway. Some-one had given her a phone, and her mother was on the other end reading

the Bible to her.” “Bonnie Kate was in a lot of pain. They had only given her one pain killer. I held her hand, and we prayed. Lying near Bonnie Kate in the hallway was a young man who had been sitting in the third row. He was shot three times — in the arm, leg, and chest. His name was Pierce O’Farrell. Elizabeth said, “Pierce said he saw the shooter standing in line all day, waiting for a ticket. How amazing that he could wait around with people for hours, knowing that he planned to kill them.” “Pierce said that after the shoot-er had reloaded and returned to the theater, the gunman stood over him, planning to fire more bul-lets. But Pierce played dead, and the gunman didn’t shoot again. As the shooter stood over him, Pierce said he felt a dark presence there. It was like the presence of Satan.” “On Monday, when the shoot-er appeared in the courtroom and

I saw him, I felt I was looking at an empty shell. It was as though Satan had taken everything out of him, and there was nothing left but a shell.” Bonnie Kate went into surgery at 6 a.m. The operation was only sup-posed to last an hour and a half, but she didn’t get out until 5 p.m.” “We were just two girls by our-selves. I was in the waiting room. By the Providence of God, sev-eral people came to me. Some of our friends from Louisiana called a friend of theirs living in Colorado. His name is Jonathan. He came to the hospital and stayed with me all day. By 6 p.m. on Friday, Bonnie Kate’s parents arrived from Baton Rouge. Bonnie Kate had only been out of surgery a few minutes.”

Elizabeth’s dad Randy arrived Saturday morning and stayed with Elizabeth and the Pourciau family. They were in the hospital room when President Obama came by to visit. On Monday night, Elizabeth’s dad Randy saw Pierce O’Farrell, the young man who had been shot three times, hobbling down the hallway. He was looking for Bonnie Kate’s room. He entered the room with a bright countenance. Together in Bon-nie Kate’s room, they worshipped God and sang. “If people could have seen us!” Elizabeth said. Pierce said, “When I was lying on the floor in the theatre, all I could think about was my brother, who is on the verge of making a commit-ment to Christ. I had to tell him not

Elizabeth Said, ‘The Light Is Overwhelming the Darkness’Continued from Page 3


See ONCE on Page 7

See SUMRALL on Page 8

THE GREATEST — Sports Legends Billy Cannon with District Attorney Hillar Moore, Earl Heard, Billy Cannon, voice of the Tigers Dan Borne, and author David Moorman.

NEVERTOBEFORGOTTEN — Earl Heard with Sports Legends Calob Leindecker, Todd, Brian, and Gus Kinchen, and former LSU baseball coach Skip Bertman

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Neighbors Opens New Central Branch

Courage Under Fire

Thursday, December 22, 2011 • Vol. 14, No. 34 • 16 Pages • Circulation 11,000 • centralcitynews.us • Published Every Thursday

NEWSNEWSCENTRAL CITYCENTRAL CITY

HONEY LOOKS UP AT SANTA — The hero-ine of this Central Christmas Dog Tale is Honey (cen-ter), who captured her master’s affection and loyalty. Shown (left to right) are Brian Vecel-lio, Santa Claus, and son Logan. The canines are Tucker, Rusty, Hon-ey, Max, and Ginger.

2012 Central Community Directory & Yellow Pages

Will be distributed Jan. 26, 2012Advertising deadline extended to Thursday, Jan. 5, 2012 For details, see ad on Page 14

2012 2012

Dr. Tony LoBue:Central’s 2011Man of the Year‘I Don’t Want toTake Any Credit. Central Is AboutA Lot of PeoplePulling Together’

How My Best FriendSaved Our Family’sLives and Gave UsA Merry Christmas

CENTRAL — The Kringlewood Christmas Tree Farm, a landmark in Central for the past 35 years, is selling the last of its Christmas trees, and none has been planted for future years, according to owner Reggie Pulliam, who cited health as his primary reason for closing. The next few days may be the last time to purchase a Christmas tree actually grown in Central. The farm, located at 9110 Greenwell Springs-Port Hudson Road, is open from 1 to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekends. The remaining inven-tory of trees is 20 percent off. Pulliam, a native of the area and graduate of Pride High

See NEIGHBORS on Page 3

See MAN’S on Page 8See LAST on Page 12

Dr. Tony LoBue, 2011 Central Man of the Year

— Dr. Tony LoBue Woody Jenkins

Set out each day believing in your dreams. Know without a doubt that you were made for amazing things. Josh HindsQuote on wall of Dr. LoBue’s office

A Central Christmas Dog Tale

Brian Vecellio

CENTRAL — If Central has a Tim Tebow, it is certainly Dr. Tony LoBue — a quiet, humble quarter-back who makes big things hap-pen while trying to make certain he gets none of the credit. A well-respected veterinarian and family man, leader of the busi-ness community, director of the an-nual prayer banquet, and dedicated City Councilman, Dr. Tony LoBue is Central’s 2011 Man of the Year.

CENTRAL — It will be a mighty happy Christmas around our house in Central this year, instead of the tragedy in could have been — thanks to my Honey! But I’m getting ahead of myself. I believe there’s always a rea-son for the things that happen and always a reason we meet who we meet. Another thing I believe is, “Dog is man’s best friend!” I have a true best friend in a dog named Honey! Last November, while my girl-

CENTRAL — Neighbors Federal Credit Union held Grand Opening ceremonies Tuesday morning for its new $3 million branch office at the corner of Wax and Sullivan. President Kathi Gill said Neigh-

bors felt the investment was need-ed to serve the credit union’s more than 4,500 members in the Central area. Neighbors’ member base in Central has tripled since opening its first Central branch at 13336

Hooper Rd. in August 2001. At that time, it had 1,300 Central members. Neighbors, which began in 1954 as the Baton Rouge Teach-ers Federal Credit Union, is now

See DR. TONY on Page 4

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Who the Heck Is Billy Cannon?

HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER Billy Can-non was honored Thursday as a Louisians Sports Legend at LSU’s Lod Cook Center.

If You Don’t Know,You’re ObviouslyUnder 60 or FromOutside Louisiana

Kennison Challenges Cannon to 100-Yard DashThe Great One Accepts But with a Humorous Condition

CENTRAL — For anyone who grew up in the 1950’s in Louisiana, there is no more famous name than Billy Cannon, perhaps the greatest football player in the history of the state. But, as each new genera-tion comes along, fewer and fewer people know the names of sports legends of the past. Perhaps that’s one reason Earl Heard of BIC publications decided to honor Louisiana’s Sports Leg-ends with the new book, Louisiana Sports Legends and Heroes by Earl Heard and distinguished sports writer David Moorman. If they wanted to “refresh our memories,” Heard and Moorman certainly did a good job of telling the stories of the athletes, in a way that is enjoyable, both to those who thought they already knew the stories

and younger sports fans who never knew a thing about the legends. In Central, any mention of Can-non brings a lot of comment. Many people here went to school with him at Istrouma High or played against him or were in Tiger Stadi-um for the great moments in Can-non’s career at LSU.

But it is Billy Cannon the man — not the athlete — who evokes the fondest memories. Here is what one Central resi-dent posted on-line this week: Rusty Jacobs, Istrouma ’67: “I think I’ve told you all this before but I’m in the 6th grade at Howell Park Elementary School. Our football sea-son had just finished, and there was go-ing to be a father-son football banquet held on a Friday night at the school cafeteria. My 4th grade teacher, know-ing that my Daddy had long been gone, stopped me in the hallway one day and asked me if I was planning on going to the banquet? I kinda looked down at the floor and said, ‘No, ma’am, I guess not.’ Then she asked me, ‘If Billy Cannon came to your house and picked you up, would you go?’ ‘Oh, yes ma’am, I sure would!’ Billy Can-non had just won the Heisman Trophy and was going to be our guest speaker. Me and Billy arrived just a tad late, and here I go walking into the school cafeteria with Billy’s big ol’ hand on my shoulder and me carrying his Heis-man Trophy! A couple of hours out of his schedule that made one little boy feel like he was on top of a mountain! Thank You, Dr. Billy Cannon!”

CENTRAL — When former LSU track star Eddie Kennison chal-lenged the legendary Billy Can-non to a 100-yard dash, Cannon said nothing. But when Ken-nison asked for Cannon’s auto-graph, the Heisman Trophy win-ner wrote, “To Eddie, I accept the 100 yard challenge! In the year 2150! Billy ‘20’ Cannon.” Kennison will be 177 years old then and Cannon a ripe old 223. Probably an even match!

Billy Cannon • Louisiana Sports Legend

EDDIE KENNISON AND BILLY CANNON enjoy a laugh at the Sport Legends dinner.

• All-State at Istrouma High School, led Indians to State Championship• Two-time All-American at LSU• Led LSU Tigers to National Championship in 1958• Won Heisman Trophy as nation’s best all-round football player in 1959• Won SEC Championship in 100 yard dash and shot put, indicating he was one of the fastest and strongest athletes in the nation• Selected No. 1 in the NFL and AFL draft• Star of first two AFL championship games• Outstanding pro player, both as running back and wide receiver• Rushing, receiving, and on kickoff returns, he ran for 8,003 yards and 63 touchdowns in professional football• He is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame

Read ‘The Redemption of Billy Cannon’ To find story, Google ‘redemption of billy cannon’

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CENTRAL CITY NEWS Thursday, July 26, 2012 7

Once-in-a-Lifetime Gathering of Greats

Fame, and he said she has set all-time records. Kennison took on Cannon. Bil-ly Cannon was the SEC champion in both the 100-yard dash and the shot put. In the 100, he ran a 9.4, just shy of the world record, which was then 9.3. But Kennison too

was a great track man, having been a six-time All-American in track. During this speech, Kennison said he wanted to challenge Can-non to a 100-yard-dash. Cannon, who is now 75, said nothing. After adjournment, all the celeb-rities stayed around to sign auto-graphs. The biggest crowds gath-

ered around Cannon, perhaps the greatest football player in Louisi-ana history. When Kennison approached the great Cannon for his autograph, Cannon wrote a special message to the youngster in the Legends book. See box on opposite page. Cannon still looks fearsome.

Although he may not be able to run a 100 under 10 flat, you may not want to challenge him in the box-ing ring. Many other Legends were not able to come, such as Drew Bres, Glen Davis, Les Miles, Paul Diet-zel, and Shaquille O’Neal. The late Pete Maravich was also honored.


SPORTS LEGENDS — All-American Dr. Clyde Lindsey, Spike James, Dr. Billy Cannon, former LSU sport information director Bud Johnson, Heard, and Dale Brown

BILLY CANNON with Safe Nation host Eric Bertolet, Earl Heard and Brenda Desormeaux, Heard and Rudy Macklin, and Darryl Hamilton

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to blame God. Once I was able to get to a phone, I reached him and said, ‘I’ve been shot three times and may not make it through the night, but I’ve got to tell you this: Do not blame God. He didn’t do it.’” Elizabeth and her dad left Colo-rado Tuesday and arrived home Wednesday. While on the road Tuesday night, Elizabeth said, “Today, Bonnie Kate and I are so overwhelmed by God’s greatness. I can see that The Light is overwhelming the darkness.” Elizabeth’s dad Randy Sum-rall said that in the car on the way back from Colorado to Central he and Elizabeth prayed together and thanked God for his mercy.

Randy said, “Praise God that I can still hold my daughter. I will never take for granted my wife or my chil-dren. Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude to God and to many, many people who have prayed for us.” Elizabeth said the events in Au-rora will be a defining moment in her life. “Before, when I’ve seen things on TV where people were suffering, I’ve prayed for them. But now I will have true compassion and a response that I never could have had before.” Elizabeth said she had been fast-ing and praying for two weeks before she left Seattle. Then during the trip, she continued to pray. Her prayer was, “God, show us your glory!” At first after the tragedy, Eliza-

HONORGRADUATESFOR2012 — St. Alphonsus Catholic School held it’s 8th grade graduation festivities May 17. Fr. Mike Moroney celebrated mass with the students, their fami-lies, and friends. Students were presented their diplomas by Fr. Moroney and St. Alphonsus principal Cindy Ryals. A reception was held in the family center following the ceremony. The majority of the students attended St. Alphonsus since kindergarten. They will go on to attend Central High, Live Oak High, Central Private School, Redemptorist High, St. Michael’s High, Catholic High, St. Joseph’s Academy, and Episcopal High. Honor students are (left photo) Josh Smith, Taylor Boykin, Shae Fruge, Cameron Clement, Amy Newsom, Courtlyn Hood, Kalyn LeBlanc, Alexa Lonibos, Tristan Stewart, Anna Ashford, Toni Guerin, and Jack Caballero. (Right photo) Cindy Ryals presented Victoria Simmons with the St. Michael’s Scholarship Award.

Central City NewsCITY COUNCIL TO MEET at Kristenwood

For the latest news and sports from Central, “Like” Central City News, the most popular Central site on Facebook.

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beth said she thought, “Why me, God?” “Why should Bonnie Kate be hurt like this?” It wasn’t until the second day after the shooting that Elizabeth re-alized that God had shown her his Glory — not by the tragic and ugly events of the shooting but by how things unfolded after that. After she had seen God at work through the loving hand of His people, she realized that God had indeed answered her prayers. Then she thought, “Why me, God? How could I be so loved, blessed and protected?” Elizabeth said, “God always has the last word. His light shines through and overwhelms the dark-ness!”

Sumrall: God Always Has the Last WordContinued from Page 5


Central School Board Holds Line on Taxes

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vote of the seven-member school board. The board also voted against a roll forward in taxes four years ago when many other gov-ernmental agencies voted to raise property taxes. School board member Will Ea-sley had worked against the roll forward, as did board president Dr. Jim Gardner. In the end, the board was united that it should live with existing tax revenue. During the public hearing on the

matter Monday, Planning & Zon-ing Commission chairman Rodney Bonvillain asked the board if roll-ing the tax forward might not be necessary because of inflation. However, Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk said property tax reve-nues in Central have been growing steadily, even without a roll for-ward. He said they have enjoyed an increase which has averaged 5.9 percent a year. “This is due to new commercial and residential devel-opment.” Faulk said Central will also re-ceive more state funds because of increasing enrollment in the sys-tem, which estimates at 4,300 this fall. Approximately 2,500 stu-dents from Central attended public schools in East Baton Rouge Par-ish in May 2007, just before the school system took over Central

schools on July 1, 2007. Under the state’s MFP, or Mini-mum Foundation Program, state funds are increased as enrollment increases. Mike Mannino appeared as representative of the new City of Central Republican Municipal Ex-ecutive Committee, which passed a resolution opposing the roll for-ward. Mannino said, “We want to do what’s best for the school system but this would be a tax increase without a vote of the people. Four years ago, you refused to roll taxes forward, and that showed the peo-ple that you were good stewards of their money. If you ever have to come back for a tax increase, peo-ple will understand that they are really necessary.” In other business, the board:

• Awarded a contract to har-vest timber on 16th Section lands owned by the school board. The contract will be let to Slaughter Logging, which will pay the board $490,000. • Heard a report from construc-tion coordinator Ross Bogan that construction on the School Com-plex is nearing completion but the roundabout on Sullivan Road may not be ready for school opening be-cause of rain delays. Construction of the football field at the middle school has also had rain delays.

Unanimous VoteKills Roll ForwardProperty Tax Hike


“NO”TOHIGHERTAXES — Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk, board member Will Easley, Republican Party spokesman Mike Mannino, and board member Sharon Browning

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New Chamber of Commerce Hears Sheriff Sid Gautreaux on Crime

Adaina and Brian Watson

Jim Wingate and Jim Wingate II

Kim Lambert and Darla Steagall

Scott McKnight and Sherry Soileau Shara Pollard Sheriff Sid Gautreaux and Woody Jenkins

Alex St. Amant and Cecil Cavanaugh Merle Shannon, Judge Suzan Ponder, Judge Laura Davis, and Lou Pentecost

CHAMBEROFCOMMERCEOFEASTBATONROUGEPARISH — Members of the new Chamber of Commerce listen to Sheriff Sid Gautreaux at Monthly Membership Meeting at Café Américain on Jefferson Highway.

Judge Mike McDonald, Paul Dietzel, Willie Lewis, and Harold WilliamsBrad Arton, Cory Teem, and John LaBruzzo


New Chamber of Commerce Hears Sheriff Sid Gautreaux on Crime

Chamber of Commerce of EBRMembership Meeting • July 24, 2012

Photos by Woody Jenkins and Jolice ProvostSheriff Sid Gautreaux and Woody Jenkins CandiLeeandRev.TommyFrenchandSueFrench

Raymond Allmon, Metro Council candidate Ryan Heck, and Matt Watson

Dr.LucasFryandAlvinBallard

Hank Henagan and Judge Duke Welch

Sheriff Sid Gautreaux

Merle Shannon, Judge Suzan Ponder, Judge Laura Davis, and Lou Pentecost Bob Burns, Joshua Hoffpauir, and Scott McKay

Channel 33 reporter Kris Cusanza and Bob Breaux

CHAMBEROFCOMMERCEOFEASTBATONROUGEPARISH — Members of the new Chamber of Commerce listen to Sheriff Sid Gautreaux at Monthly Membership Meeting at Café Américain on Jefferson Highway.


Central Residents Describe ProblemsWater Is Brown,Even Black forSome Residents

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Attorney Patrick W. Pendley Roland Jackson of Parish Water Jake Causey, DHH

CENTRAL — Complaints about the quality of water in Central boiled to the surface Tuesday night at Kris-tenwood at a meeting held after the adjournment of the City Council meeting in the same room. Mayor Pro-Tem Ralph Washing-ton and Councilman Tony LoBue stayed on to listen to the residents’ concerns. The meeting opened with a statement by Plaquemine attorney Patrick Pendley who said he was there to assist residents with the possibility of filing suit. “Many of you have complained to the Baton Rouge Water Company to no avail. The only alternative is to file suit,” he said. He said he doesn’t have a client yet and that he could not rep-resent anyone unless they signed a contract, which he said was in the back of the room. He said he specializes in class action lawsuits and that he would front any costs of litigation. “What I’m looking for is enough people with a geographic spread,” he said. After Pendley’s remarks, resi-dents voiced their complaints of water that is brown or even black coming from their faucets.

Most of the complaints ap-peared to come from the French-town Road areas and parts of the City of Central south of Green-

well Springs Road but some resi-dents from as far north as Denham Road appeared and brought wa-ter samples indicating problems.

After about 20 minutes of dis-cussion by residents, Roland Jack-son, vice president of Parish Water


See QUALITY on Page 13

Residents gathered to discuss brown water problems Tuesday night at Kristenwood.

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with Quality, Appearance of Water

Central Private School

celebrates its 45th year of excellence

in 2012-13

Limited enrollment available in some grades—225-261-3341 www.centralprivate.org

August 3 - 6:30 P.M. - K3/4/K Parent Orientation (in respective classrooms) August 6 - 6:30 P.M. - 1st/2nd Grades Parent Orientation (in respective classrooms)

August 8 - 7:35 A.M. - First Day of School for All Students (full day) August 9- District JV Football Jamboree @ CPS

August 14 - Spirit Night (fall sports) - CP Athletic Club August 16 - Grades 3– 6 Parents Back-to-School Night August 21 - Grades 7-12 Parents Back-to-School Night

Central Private School, Inc. admits students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Central Private SchoolCentral Private School

celebrates its

45th year of excellence in 2012-13






Central Private School

celebrates its 45th year of excellence

in 2012-13






August 3 • 6:30 p.m. • K3/4K Parent Orientation (in respective classrooms)August 6 • 6:30 p.m. • 1st/2nd Grades Parent Orientation (in respective classrooms)

August 8 • 7:35 p.m. • First Day of School for All Students (full day)August 9 • District JV Football Jamboree @ CPS

August 14 • Spirit Night (fall sports) • CP Athletic ClubAugust 16 • Grades 3-6 Parents Back-to-School NightAugust 21 • Grades 7-12 Parents Back-to-School Night

Company, came to the podium to answer questions. Water in Central comes from several water wells but all of the water service is provided by Parish Water, a subsidiary of the Baton Rouge Water Company. Parts of the system were formerly owned by Bellingrath Water Company. Jackson apologized to the group for the problems they have been experiencing. Jackson said the problems are not with the aquifer or with the dis-tribution system. He said any lead or copper which may be found in the water is coming from plumbing inside the house. He said the mineral content in the water is meeting the secondary standards established by the EPA. He said Parish Water has been busy responding to citizens’ com-plaints and coming out to residenc-

es to flush the lines. He said citizens should call when they have a problem, so that his company can come out and flush the system. He said Parish Water is looking for a site for a new water well. Residents continued to com-plain about not being able to take a bath or a shower or run washing machines. Jake Causey, safe water admin-istrator for the Louisiana Dept. of Health, says his agency is going to conduct tests in the area to try to identify the problem. He said there are many different factors that could be contributing to the problem. He said they will test water wells as well as residences. He said he will report back to the community Pendley did not announce if he signed up any clients.


Map showing water problems

Central residents discussed problems of brown and even black water coming out of their faucets at a public meeting Tuesday at Kristenwood.

NOT SO APPEALING. Residents say baths like this one aren’t very appealing, and they are demanding a solution.

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Kahne Hamilton, owner Stephanie Rabalais, Yon Hodges,Jessica Weaver, Debra Jones, Sherri Belello, and Jamie Massey

Serving the Central Communityfor over seven years!

14415GreenwellSpringsRoad,SteF•OakPointShoppingCenterMon.9am-4pm•Tues.,Wed.,Fri.9am-6pm

Thu.9am-7pm•Sat.9am-1pm

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Central Community Theatre Presents:

August 2nd-5th, 2012Manship Theatre

www.ManshipTheatre.org for Tickets

Registration Now Open For:

Call 225-938-7433 or visit [email protected]

Performances will take place November 6-11, 2012Classes meet on Monday or Tuesday Night

Open to grades K-12

Open House at Sullivan Hardware

Julia Wicker, Lance, Stacy, Aubrey, and Trent Butler, and Alex WickerKennyFrancis Terry Campbell

Chuck Langlois helping customers Aubrey Butler Roland BankstonWe’re open for business!

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BraelynGraceFelps Autumn O’Banion and Chad Felps are proud to announce the birth of their princess, Braelyn Grace. Braelyn was born March 28, 2012, at 3:32 p.m. She weighed seven pounds, three ounces, and was 20 inches long. Proud grandparents are Su-san and Louis Pearson of Zach-ary, Ronnie Felps of Central, Car-rie Stuckey of Central, and Jim O’Banion of Denham Springs. Great-grandfather is Huey Stuckey of Central.

MILESTONESSend to [email protected] or drop off at 13567 Hooper Road, City of Central, LA 70818.

Births • Engagements • Weddings • DeathsAnniversaries • Reunions

Milestones LeDOUX, CARROLLBrooklyn LeDoux and Kodie Carroll will exchange vows Aug. 25 at Life Tabernacle in Central.

Brooklyn LeDoux, Kodie CarrollTo Wed Aug. 25 at Life Tabernacle

CENTRAL — Brooklyn MiKayle LeDoux and Christopher Dakota “Kodie” Carroll will marry in a 3 p.m. ceremony Saturday, Aug. 25, 2012, at Life Tabernacle. The bride-elect is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Brad LeDoux. Her fiancé is the son of Mr. and

Kodie Carroll and Brooklyn LeDoux

Mrs. Robert Carroll. A reception will follow.

Seth Bryan Hutson Bryan and Courtney Hutson of Central are proud to announce the birth of their son, Seth Bryan. He was welcomed home by his twin sisters, Hannah and Ryleigh. Seth was born at 4:27 p.m. April 16, 2012, at Woman’s Hospital. He weighed eight pounds, 3.4 ounces, and was 21-1/4 inches long. Proud grandparents are Daryl and Janet Haynes and Marti Hut-son and the late Carl Hutson, all of Central. Great-grandparents are Joseph and Sylvia Samson of Baton Rouge and C.J. and Ray Haynes of Zachary.

Jaxson Jacob Bissel Lauren Hamilton and Jacob Bissel are proud to announce the birth of their son, Jaxson Jacob. Jaxson was born June 21, 2012, at 10:25 a.m. at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans. He weighed six pounds, 10 ounces, and was 19-3/4 inches long. Proud grandparents are Jerry and Mandy Hamilton of Green-well Springs and Jacob and Deb-bie Bissel of Slidell. Great-grand-

mother is Willie Mae Kelly of Baton Rouge and great-grandfather is Jackson Hickman of Slidell.

“Like” Central City News

$6 for first 10 words. $10 for 11 to 20 words, $15 for 21 to 30 words. $20 for 31 to 40 words. $25 for one column inch classified display ad. Call 261-5055. Must be paid in advance. To pay by credit card, go to www.centralcitynews.us and click “Pay Now” on the left. Then email ad copy to [email protected]. Or mail or hand deliver check and ad copy to Central City News, 13567 Hooper, Central, LA 70818. There is an after-hours drop box.

BRENTWOOD ESTATES — Mobile Homes For Rent. Three bedroom/two bath for rent, quiet clean park. Management/maintenance on site. $750-$850 per month. No pets. Call 225-436-9349 or 225-394-1701. 07/26/12BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY — Join Team Life. If you would like to retire in three years then call Randy. I have a fool proof method! 225-274-6770. 07/26/12CHEAP DIRT — Fill dirt for sale, by the load and hour. House pads and ponds. 225-274-6770. 07/26/12CLASSIFIEDADS—Call261-5055.DRIVERS — Home nightly Baton Rouge refrigerated openings! Great pay, benefits! CDL-A, one year experience, required. Exten-sion Logistics. Apply: www.goelc.com 1-866-336-9642. 07/26/12E3 BASEBALL TRYOUTS — 11U fall and summer ball. Sunday, August 5 at 4 p.m. For

Classifiedsinformation, call Cody at 225-63-2376 or email [email protected]. 07/26/12FOR SALE — 1.5 and 6 acre lots on Old Greenwell Springs Road in Central. Phone 225-939-4105. 08/23/12FORSALE — 1.08 acre lot with 14x70 mo-bile home in Crystal Place. Trailer needs work. $60,000. 225-936-7813. 07/12/12HOUSE CLEANING — Reasonable rates. Call for free quote 225-328-3086. 07/26/12HOUSEFORSALEBYOWNER “SAVE” — Located on Lynchburg Drive in Watson, LA. Three bedroom/two bath, two car garage. Im-maculately maintained with open floor plan; includes wood laminate and vinyl flooring; ceiling fans in living room and master bed-room; master bedroom includes garden tub and large walk-in closet; cypress fence in backyard. 1,272 sq.ft. living area, 419 sq.ft. garage, 81 sq.ft. porch (1,772 sq.ft. total). Large 11,250 sq.ft. lot. Seller will help with closing cost. Great schools. $133,000 Tim Holbrook 225-335-6505. 07/26/12JOHNNY’S PIZZA HOUSE – CENTRAL — Restaurant Management Abilities: Quality control, customer relations, multi-task, and cost control. Email resumé to [email protected]. 07/26/12TEAM TRYOUTS — 9U AAA and 10U Ma-jor baseball tournament team tryouts. Saturday, August 4 at 10 a.m. For more information, con-tact [email protected]. 07/26/12

Back to SchoolBack to SchoolAugust 9, 2012August 9, 2012

Central Community SchoolsCentral Community Schools

Public and Private SchoolsSchool CalendarsAdministrators and StaffAnd Lots More ...

Thursday, August 25, 2011 • Vol. 14, No. 17 • 16 Pages • Circulation 11,000 • centralcitynews.us • Now Published Every Thursday

Pick 12 Football ContestTake Your Entry to Oak Point by 6 p.m. Friday • See Page 16

Oak Point Fresh Market

Pick 12 Football ContestTake Your Entry to Oak Point by 6 p.m. Friday • See Page 16

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NEWSNEWSCENTRAL CITYCENTRAL CITY

Central Football GuideCentral City News

Thursday, Sept. 1, 2011

Wildcats’ RB Lamonte Janeau and QB Brett CourvillePhoto by Woody Jenkins of Central City News

Full Color

Full Page $1,0001/2 Page 5751/4 Page (with purchase of Quarter Package) 2871/8 Page 212

Deadline: 5 p.m. Monday of Publication WeekCall Shara at 225.933.2368, Jolice at 225.405.8894

or Candi at 225.261.5055

13567 Hooper Road • (225) 261-5055www.centralcitynews.us • [email protected]

Central City News

COMING THURSDAY, AUG. 9 COMING THURSDAY, AUG. 30


What’s Happening Around Central CENTRAL — Events coming up in and around Central:

Friday,July27BloodDrive•7a.m.to2:30p.m.

United Blood Services will hold a blood drive at Lane Regional Medical Center. It is open to the public and registration is not required. Donors are encouraged to sign up online at www.bloodhero.com, sponsor code: LaneRegional. July 27 and 28

HugeBenefitGarageSale•8a.m. A Huge Benefit Garage Sale will be held at Brownsfield Baptist Church, 11998 Plank Road. All proceeds will go to support the China America Education Foundation in Kunming, China.

Saturday, July 28BenefitGarageSale•6a.m.until

A Benefit Garage Sale will be held at 13336 Hooper Road, the old Neighbors Credit Union. Bellissimo Hair Salon is doing this as a fundrais-er for Michelle Lavergne, a stylists at Bellissimo. All proceeds go to help with medical expenses. Donations for the sale are being excepted at the salon on Friday, July 27.

Saturday, July 28Christmas in July

8 a.m. to 4 p.m. You are invited to The Village at Magnolia Square’s Christmas in July. There will be a Farmer’s Market, 8 a.m. to 12 noon and ground breaking for the park, 12 noon to 1 p.m. There will be Develpeer hosted Poker Run, door prizes, and a grand prize for a five day Carnival Cruise for two. For information, call 261-9110 or visit www.MagnoliaSquareCentral.com.

Tuesday, July 31NewbornCareClass•6:30p.m.

Lane Regional Medical Center will offer a free newborn care class in the staff development classroom. “Baby Care Basics” covers all you need to know to care for your infant in the first weeks of life. Partners are encouraged to attend. Child care is not provided. For information or to register, call 654-5263.

Saturday, August 4Adopt-a-thon•9a.m.to9p.m.

Join the SPCA of Livingston for it’s first ever Adopt-a-thon at PetS-mart on Millerville just off I-12 near Target and Lowe’s. There will be lots of puppies, dogs, cats, and kittens available for adoption. There will be SPCA items available for purchase plus coloring books for the kids!

Sunday, August 5BarbequeBenefit11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

A Barbeque Benefit for Mike Thi-bodeaux will be held at St. Alphon-sus School bus port. Cost is $8 and includes chicken and sausage, dirty rice, green salad, and a roll. Mike, a Central resident, is battling cancer.

August 6 through 8OrientationGrades3-8•6p.m.

Orientation for Central Middle: 8th, Monday, Aug. 6, CMS gym; 7th, Tuesday, Aug. 7, CMS gym; 6th, Wednesday, Aug. 8, CMS gym; 5th, Monday, Aug. 6, cafeteria; 4th, Tuesday, Aug. 7, cafeteria; and 3rd, Wednesday, Aug. 8, cafeteria.

Saturday, August 11CouponingClass•10a.m.

A free Couponing Class will be held at Life’s Journey Church on Fir-estation Road in Zachary. There will be a free lunch provided.

Saturday, August 11OpenHouse•10a.m.to3p.m.

The public is invited to an Open House at Cajun Clickers Computer Club, 10120 Red Oak Drive. There will be tours and refreshments. Bring a friend. For information, call 273-7113.

Saturday, August 11Baker Class of ’82 Reunion

Baker High School Class of 1982 is planning a 30-year reunion. For in-formation or to register, contact Kaye Ogden Buxton at 245-4472 or visit www.ReunionManager.net.

Saturday, August 11Central Class of ’72 Reunion

Central High School Class of 1972 is planning a reunion at Kristenwood Reception Hall. Cost is $25 per per-son.

Saturday, August 18FingerFoodandMagicShow

5:30 p.m. The Prime Timers of St. Alphon-sus will host a Finger Food and Magic Show in the St. Francis Room. Louis “Neck” Forrest will the guest magi-cian. Cost is $5 per person.

Central Senior CenterCouncil On Aging

Monday-Friday • 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m.Hot Lunch, Social Activities,Games, TV, Daily Devotional

No Charge to Seniors 60 & over

Istrouma High School Class of 1963

is seeking to locate members of the class for the 50th Reunionnext year. Please send your

name, address, phone, and emailaddress to [email protected]

Friday,July27AARPDriverCourse•8:30a.m.

The AARP Driver Safety Course will be held at Lane Regional Medi-cal Center. This classroom refresher course for drivers age 50 and older will help you learn the effects of ag-ing on driving and how to adjust and remain safe on today’s road. Class size is limited and registration is re-quired. For information or to regis-ter, call 654-5263.

CAYL SELECT T-BALL CHAMPS — (left photo) The Central Bulldogs amassed a record of 19-1 by winning the CAYL pre-season tournament, the league, and the end of the year tournament. The Signature Cabinets sponsored team include (1st row, left to right) Cole Guidroz, Dawson Glover, Brayden Brown, Jackson Firmin, Jackson Holley, and Garrett Rabalais, (2nd row) Brody Artieta, Andrew Richard, Trip Dobson, Ty Shaffer, Alex Giles, Kade Furr, and Jacob Leblanc, and (3rd row) Clint Artieta, Brian Richard, Eric Rabalais, Joey Giles, and Nick Guidroz. CAYL D MAJOR BRACKET TOURNAMENT CHAMPS — (right photo) The Central Sluggers won the D Major end of season tournament. Team members include (1st row, left to right) Braxton Shows, Kail Larsen, Justin Daigle, and Colby Godso, (2nd row) Trevor Caruso, Sammy Smiley, VJ Ladner, Luke Evans, and Trace Worthy, and (3rd row) coaches Del Godso and Jeremy Daigle. Not pictured Andrew Myrick.

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Mail $40 for one year in EBR or $50 outside EBR toCentral City News, Box 1, Central, LA 70739Caution: You get it only as fast as USPS decides.

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The Million Dollar Man: The CourageOf One Saved Taxpayers $1.5 Million

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Orientation for Grades 3-8 CENTRAL — Central schools Supt. Mike Faulk has announced an ori-entation schedule for parents and students planning to attend the new Central Middle School (grades 6-8) and Central Intermediate School (grades 3-5). Both students and parents should plan to attend. Orientation will provide every-one the opportunity to visit the new School Complex and get informa-tion on students’ teachers and their classes. Parents do not need to bring anything with them. Everyone should enter the new Central School Complex from De-vall Road, because of construc-tion on Sullivan Road. Parking for Central Middle School parents and students will be in front of the

CMS gymnasium. Parking for Central Intermediate School will be in the south parking lot. Central Middle School • 8th Grade — 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 6. Report to CMS gym. • 7th Grade — 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 7. Report to CMS gym. • 6th Grade — 6 p.m., Wednes-day, Aug. 8. Report to CMS gym. Central Intermediate School • 5th Grade — 6 p.m., Monday, Aug. 6. Report to Cafeteria. • 4th Grade — 6 p.m., Tuesday, Aug. 7. Report to Cafeteria. • 3rd Grade — 6 p.m., Wednes-day, Aug. 8. Report to Cafeteria. For additional information, call the Central school board office at 225-262-1919.

“roll forward” of property tax mill-ages. Once in every four years, a pub-lic body that levies property taxes can “roll forward” the millages by a two-thirds’ vote of the total mem-bership of the body. That results in a property tax increase for ev-eryone — sometimes a significant one. The BREC Board has nine members, which means six votes were needed to pass the tax. Across East Baton Rouge Parish, taxing bodies could raise property taxes by more than $10 million a year within the next few weeks. Speaking against the BREC tax increase were City Council can-didate Buddy Amoroso, business-man Dwight Hudson, Chamber of Commerce of East Baton Rouge executive director Bob Breaux and vice chairman Bob Burns, Repub-lican Party spokesman Judge Dar-rell White, and parish GOP chair-man Woody Jenkins. No member of the public spoke in favor of the tax increase. After the public hearing was held, a couple of commissioners spoke briefly in favor of the tax increase but provided no explana-tion of why the $1.5 million in ad-ditional funds was needed. Then there was a bombshell. Commission member John Tay-lor took the microphone and said, “I’m from Zachary. I was appoint-

ed to this body in January, and I know what it is to live on a fixed in-come. In fact, there’s no such thing as fixed income — it’s all out-go! I’m not going to vote for this tax!” The audience applauded. Chair-man Kenneth Riche instructed the secretary to call the roll. The vote was five for, one against, and three absent. Most people in the audience thought the tax had easily passed 5-1. But then a big surprise. The chairman announced the tax in-crease had failed, because six votes were required for passage. The room was stunned. After adjournment, the mood of the crowd of business owners and Republican and conservative activ-ists was buoyant. They congratulated and thanked John Taylor — the “million dollar man” who saved East Baton Rouge Parish taxpayers $1.5 million. Republican parish chairman Woody Jenkins said it was a big victory in the GOP’s effort to stop the roll forward of millage rates in East Baton Rouge Parish. ”The taxpayers had a good night!” Jenkins said. “And it proves once again that one man can make a difference!” The Central school board and the Zachary City Council also voted against a roll forward. John Taylor is the father of Cen-tral Middle School principal Sandy Davis.

THANKING JOHN TAYLOR were Judge Darrell White, who represented the Republi-can Party; Metro Council Buddy Amoroso, BREC commissioner Taylor, and Taxbusters’ Glenda Pollard and Elizabeth Dent.

MILLION DOLLAR MAN John Taylor who single-handedly blocked a $1.5 million tax increase, being congratulated by Judge Darrell White, who represented the GOP.


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Moreau PT and Spectrum Fitnessare the leaders in physical therapy,

wellness, and fitness for theCity of Central.

(225) 261-702111424 Sullivan Road

Silver Sneakers • Yoga • AquaWellness and Weight Loss Programs

Senior Memberships AvailableAccepting Humana Gold Plusand Peoples Health Insurances

(225)261-8405•11424SullivanRoad

Our Daily Specials Are Home Cooked

225.400.9912Open Tuesday through Friday 5:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Saturday 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. • Sunday Brunch 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.Breakfast Served All Day on Sunday • Groups Welcome

Hometown Owners: Tommy and Melissa Dykes6643 Sullivan Road • Central, Louisiana

TUESDAYChoice of Steak & Gravy or Pork Chop

WEDNESDAYChoice of Chicken Fried Steak

or Liver & Onions

THURSDAYChoice of Spaghetti & Meatballs

or Chicken & Dumplings

FRIDAYChoice of Fried Fishor Baked Chicken

Vegetables Change DailyVariety of Desserts Made Fresh Daily

VIRTUALBABYSHOWER— Jolice Provost; Betsy Hooper, Judge Mike McDonald, Judge Toni Higginbothom; Joan Lansing, Betsy Barnes, Barbara Thomas, and Talisha Davis.

FORSALE

4424 Noble Cane Dr. • $136,900

3B/2B 1450’ – Open Living, VaultedCeilings, Lg. Mast Bath, EnclosedCarport/Patio, Rear Alley Access

Acadian Real Estate 225-261-4650Call Harry Rauls 225-937-7654

Republican Ladies Hold Virtual Baby Shower

CENTRAL — The Republican Wom-en of Central held a “Virtual Baby Shower” last Wednesday at Kris-

tenwood to help mothers who visit the North Baton Rouge Women’s Help Center at 7515 Scenic Hwy.

Center director Barbara Thomas spoke to the Republican ladies on the needs of women in poverty-

stricken areas of Baton Rouge and expressed appreciation for the as-sistance. For information, visit www.nbrwhc.org.


CENTRAL — On June 1, 1956, with a single 1946 tow truck, Mr. and Mrs. Finnon D. Lewis started a business called Lewis’ Wrecker Service. The business was located at 4643 Airline Hwy., also the site of Lewis’ Café and Truck Stop. It was at this time Mr. Lewis be-gan grooming his youngest son at the age of 10 to one day assume his role in the business. Mr. Lewis and his son, Dennis worked side by side for many years and in 1980 Mr. Lewis proudly passed on the business to his pro-tégé, who he had meticulously pre-pared to continue the business he had started. Lewis’ Wrecker Service, Inc. is the oldest family owned towing company in Louisiana. The Lewis’ have established an extremely good standing in the City of Central and surrounding areas. Dennis is well known with the community of Central. He has been a long-standing member of

the Central Area Business Asso-ciation now known as the Central Chamber of Commerce. He has been on the board of directors of the Towing and Recovery Profes-sionals of Louisiana and is a mem-ber of the Towing and Recovery Association of America. The American Towman Maga-zine has recognized the company

Lewis Wrecker: State’s Oldest Towing Co.

as one of the most experienced in the country (March 1990 issue). In 2011 the Central City News and the Central community inducted Lewis’ Wrecker Service, Inc. into the Central Business Hall of Fame for their life long service. Lewis’ Wrecker offers fast, reli-able, professional, and affordable towing for cars, trucks, motorcy-

cles, and boats with a special dollie for city parking garage and a trailer for motorcycle towing. Out-of-state tow no problem! Lewis’ Wrecker recently towed a Central resident car from Orlando. Any day, anytime. Lewis Wrecker: Oldest wrecker service in and around Baton Rouge. Family owned and operated.

BichonneNails & PediSpa

Professional Nail Care & SpaMon.-Sat. 9 a.m.-7 p.m. • Sun. 12 noon-6 p.m.Walk-Ins Welcome • Gift Certificates Available

2348 S. Range Ave. • Denham Springs • 225-664-NAILS(6245)

Traditional Acrylic Nails • Gel PolishClassic Gel Manicure • Deluxe Gel ManicureClassic Manicure • Deluxe Manicure by OPI

Pedicures (Complimentary Wine)Classic Pedicure • Signature Pedicure

Ultimate Deluxe PedicureFree Nail Products Given Daily thru Aug. 13 with

all services (OPI polish, healing lotion, pumice stone)and complientary refreshments with all services

Dennis and Eula Lewis Lewis Wrecker Service more than 50 years ago

Dennis Lewis of Lewis Wrecker Service, Louisiana’s oldest family owned towing company


9 am to 9 pm 7 Days A Week11055 Shoe Creek Dr. • Central, La. 70818

Bryan Barrett, MD • Michael Romaguera, MDVisit us online at www.statcareclinic.net

Central STAT Care ... Unless You Want To Wait• Short wait times• Fast treatment• Less expensive than an ER• Personalized service

225.261.4493

Now Accepting Primary Care Patients• Call ahead seating• Good working relationship• with many specialists in• the area

$47.50 monthly January-July $95 monthly August-December

Call 225-261-5055Central Area Business DirectoryPainting

Randy Falcon20 Years’ Experience

No Job Too Large or Small225-454-2961 (cell)

Appliance Repair

Mark’sAppliance Repair

Service to all major brandsShop Central First!

225-261-2270

Carpet Cleaning

BayouSteamCarpet, Upholstery,

Tile & Grout CleaningLocally owned and operated225-955-6955

Tree Service

Fully licensed and insuredFree estimate • See Our Ad

The Tree Men, LLCThe Tree Men, LLC

262-6092 • 791-3981

Dirt Work

General Sand & Gravel Co.Limestone, Gravel, Mason Sand,

Clay, Top Soil, Riversilt,Crushed Concrete, Tractor Work

225-261-3953

Aerobics

❤Aerobics byRoxanne225-281-1623

Since 1983 • Good For Your ❤

Wind Shield Repair & ReplacementWe Come to You • 225-791-7440

Auto Glass

Plumbing

LAFLEUR’S Plumbing #LA676

261-2751

Full Repair ServiceMonday - Saturday • Same Rates!

Appointment Necessary on Saturday(Make Appointment Before Friday)

Home Maintenance

Lloyd’s HomeMaintenance and Repair

No job too small225-936-7652

Lloyd’s HomeMaintenance and Repair

No job too small225-936-7652

Residential • Commercial225-281-9296

Lawn Care

Avon

Buy or SELL AVON

Call Karen 225-328-1188

$10 to StartIndependent Sales Rep

Handyman

Handyman Father & SonsElectrical, Plumbing, Appliances,Painting, Fans, Fixtures, Faucets,Fix Most Anything. References.Quality work for God’s glory.

Call Tom 225-384-2909 Central area

Hair

Central Hair Saloon

13628 Hooper, Ste. C225-261-4247

T-F 9-4:30 • Sat. 9 a.m.-NoonFamily Hair Care

Locally Owned & Operatedby Jessica Cox

Weight Loss

The All Natural Way to Lose Weight

Diabetic FriendlyNo Caffeine

No StimulantsNo Meal Replacements

No Shakes

www.TryPlexusSlim.com • 225-937-1983

Central Metal & AluminumPatio & Carport Covers

Metal Buildings & Sun RoomsKarl Cheek, Owner

Construction

225-261-6105

For information on advertisingin the newspaper, call

Jolice or Shara at225-261-5055

Advertising

Central City News

Olinde’sFurnitureOpensonSullivanRd.

RIBBON-CUTTING — Tom Olinde of Olinde’s Furniture cuts ribbon for the Grand Opening of the company’s new store in Central.

CENTRAL — Olinde’s Furniture held Grand Opening ceremonies last week for its new store in Cen-tral. The store, located at 10218 Sullivan Road, is the first foray into Central for the major furniture retailer. This store is advertised as a mat-tress superstore. It is located at the former site of Blockbuster Video. The phone number is 262-4303.

Mattress Superstore Now Open

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