newcomers guide 2011

2011THE ABBEVILLE MERIDIONAL�’S

VISITOR�’S GUIDE TO ABBEVILLE AND

VERMILION PARISH

PUBLISHED AS A SUPPLEMENT TO THE ABBEVILLE MERIDIONAL and VERMILIONTODAY.COM

WE DO IT ALL.

Friday, February 11, 2011 �• Newcomers Edition

Vermilion Parish - a historical perspectiveDelcambre

A listing of surnames for the families of Delcambre today still reflects the three distinct influxes of popula-tion in the town�’s early his-tory.

From the early Spaniards are names like Nunez, Miguez, Rodriguez and Goutierrez. The French influence continues with the many Delcambre fami-lies who continue to call the town home. Finally, the LeBlanc, Landry, Broussard, Hebert, Bernard, Dugas, Bourque, Comeaux, Aucoin, Saunier and Thibodeaux family names continue to strive from the days of home-steading.

The first influx into the

area began when the King of Spain gave land grants to Eugene Carlin, Charles Prevous and Jean Petit around 1790.

Spanish families then started settling on farms in the area from Lake Peigneur to Bayou Tigre.

When the King of Spain made Louisiana a gift to his brother-in-law, the King of France, settlers of French heritage began to occupy the area.

Brothers Charles and Louis Delcambre came from Belgium to settle in the area between the two towns now known as Delcambre and New Iberia.

Louis�’ son, Pouffette Delcambre, settled fur-

ther to the west in what is now known as Pouffette Station. Pouffette�’s son, Desiré Delcambre, was the founder of the town of Delcambre.

The third influx of settlers started in 1803 when the King of France sold Louisiana to the United States for $5 million. When the United States opened up Louisiana for homesteads, many more families came to the area.

While the town was not incorporated until Nov. 27, 1907, the first post office was opened on May 17, 1877.

The first road to New Iberia was built in 1880. Ten years later, the railroad went through Delcambre as it traveled from New Iberia to

Abbeville. That was followed by the building of a railroad depot in 1903.

When the village of Delcambre was incorporated, it was named in honor of Desiré Delcambre in recogni-tion of his donations of land for community development �– for a church, graveyard, railroad, city hall.

Shrimping, one of the town�’s main industries, start-ed in the 1930s when Bayou Carlin was only a narrow canal with a few small boats, one oyster canning factory, shrimp processing shop and fuel dock.

Since World War II, the shrimp industry has grown, at one time making Delcambre the largest fish-

ing port on the Gulf Coast.Because shrimping is such

a big part of the lifeblood of Delcambre, the town holds an festival each year at the beginning of the shrimping season.

Erath The Village of Erath is

located approximately five miles east of Abbeville on Louisiana Highway 14.

Surrounded by cane fields,the little town is picturesquewith older homes set among magnificent live oak trees.

The Erath Museum,housed in an old bank build-ing, provides an interest-

(See HISTORY, Page 3)


HistoryFrom Page 3

ing glimpse into the French Acadian culture of this area, as well as providing a history of Erath.

The village celebrates the Fourth of July with a bang, as residents and visi-tors enjoy the many activities during a week-long Fourth of July Celebration.

Gueydan

Nestled 25 miles west of Abbeville in Vermilion Parish is a quaint small town known for its food, hunting, scenic beauty and hospitality.

Gueydan, with a popula-tion of a little over 1,700, is home of to the annual Gueydan Duck Festival. Celebrating the area�’s great hunting heritage, the festival is held the fourth weekend in August.

Gueydan is 5-9 feet above sea level and is within imme-diate docking for fresh water fishing.

Hunting yields every vari-ety of ducks and geese, as Gueydan is located on the Mississippi flyway. The sur-rounding marshes, as well as privately owned local farm-land, all contribute to the sport of duck and goose hunt-ing.

Kaplan

Most of what is now the town of Kaplan was once part of a plantation belonging to Jim Todd of Shreveport.

On the plantation was a home, a store and a post office, a frequent stopping point for the Pony Express as it traveled westward.

The purchase in 1901 of the plantation by a Russian Jewish emigrant named Abrom Kaplan and his part-ner, Mr. Litchenstein, result-ed in the establishment of the town.

Kaplan, who was born in Poland in 1872, had come to New York in 1885. He set-tled in Louisiana in 1887, choosing to make Crowley his home in 1890.

The head of the Irving Irrigation Company, Kaplan convinced Southern Pacific Railroad officials in California to provide rail services to the Kaplan area to provide a bet-ter means of transportation for the rice grown in the area.

The shrimping industry is a major part of Delcambre and all of south Louisiana.

Who would have ever imagined that the small, quaint town of Abbeville would be home to many very successful businesses?

This basically reflects that old saying, �“Looks can be deceiving.�”

Abbeville may be small in size, but it certainly is not small in pride.

A reflection of this is the extraordinary success many local businesses have real-ized here in town.

Natives of Abbeville may not realize how far Abbeville products go, a fact that may have been overlooked for quite some time.

Steen�’s Syrup MillInhabiting the shady banks

of the Vermilion Bayou, Steen�’s Syrup Mill is one of the oldest and most promi-nent businesses in the area.

Located on Main Street in downtown Abbeville, Steen�’s has been in business since 1910.

It was founded by Charley Sidney Steen, Sr. and his wife, Elizabeth Bernard Steen.

Steen�’s products include molasses, corn and cane syrup blends, and cane vin-egar, all of which are distrib-uted throughout the world under 40 different brand labels.

These products are one

of the few remaining �“pure�” food products on the market today.

When local residents hear the sound of the old steam whistle blowing, they soon remember that it is again time for the annual fall pro-cessing.

Everyone then realizes that another year of history is being made at the C.S. Steen Syrup Mill in downtown Abbeville.

Cajun Power SaucesAnother prominent busi-

ness with its headquarters

in Abbeville is �“Cajun Power�” Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce.

This hot sauce is produced by a family living here in Abbeville.

Their recipe is considered a �“Home-Brewed�” mixture of flavorful garlic and peppers, resulting in a delicious hot sauce full of flavor and kick.

In existence since 1978,

Cajun Power Sauce is a completely automated fac-tory which ships its products nationwide.

Circulating throughout the U.S. from the small plant in Abbeville are products such as Herbs and Spice Cajun Worcestershire Steak Sauce, Cajun Shaker Seasoning, Shaker Sweet Treat, a pican-te sauce, and a squeeze fil-tered roasted garlic juice.

The company advertises and promotes Abbeville on every product label that it has.

Their recipe booklets also contain a map to the com-pany�’s hometown.

Southern quality is very important to this company. Carroll Thomas, the compa-ny�’s founder, tastes every-thing that the company develops before it hits the market.

LeBlanc�’s Cane JellyThe grandfather invented

the cure-all elixir Hadacol. Now, some 56 years later, the grandson has discovered the first new sugarcane product in years.

Roland LeBlanc, Jr. of

Abbeville has poured his time and efforts into developing sugarcane jelly.

�“We have discovered a new property in cane,�” LeBlanc says.

�“Putting it in jelly formis one of the better ways to bring it out.�”

According to LeBlanc, there are many advantages to this jelly.

It is not only tasty, but healthy for the consumer aswell.

�“The jelly enhances the flavor as would salt or MSG. The added bonus is that it doesn�’t have a high sodiumcontent like salt, nor does it contain artificial ingredients like MSG,�” says LeBlanc.

�“It is 100 percent natural.�”�“Enhanced taste is not the

only benefit. Using it on meats gives it a glaze that makes it look like it came out of one of the food magazines,�” he replies.�”

The cane jelly is availablein several flavors, includingbarbecue, good on any type of meat; pepper, a regional favorite served as a dip over cream cheese; dark cane; andlight cane.


Vermilion home to popular products

The Steen�’s Syrup Mill in Abbeville.

115 N. Cushing Blvd., Kaplan115 N. Cushing Blvd., Kaplan337-643-2901337-643-2901

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Established in 1953Established in 1953

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LOCALLY OWNED & OPERATED

Come In and See OurNew Light Fixtures

BY SEA GULL LIGHTING

AcadiaLighting For Tomorrow

Notable residentsfrom Vermilion Parish

�• Robert Angers (1919-

1988), journalist born in Ab-

beville, founded Acadiana

Pro le magazine

�• Allen Bares, Vermilion

Parish native who represent-

ed Lafayette Parish in both

houses of the Louisiana State

Legislature from 1972-1992

�• Sammy Kershaw, coun-

try music artist, was born in

Kaplan in 1958; ran for lieu-

tenant governor of Louisiana

in 2007

�• Tommy Mouton, Syn-

dicated Radio Announcer,

Inventor of World�’s First

Bluetooth Remote Broadcast

Microphone; place of birth

Abbeville, LA.

�• Charlton Lyons, con-

sidered the �“father of the

Republican Party in Louisi-

ana�”, was born in Abbeville

in 1894.

�• Louis �“La Chein De Ca-

jun�” Clark, Abbeville�’s Show

Dog

�• Brandon Mitchell,

Played professional football

in the NFL

�• Bobby Duhon, Played

professional football in the

NFL

�• George Petty, artist,

was also born in Abbeville in

1894

�• Ned Theall, member of

swamp pop band The Boogie

Kings

�• Roy Theriot, mayor

of Abbeville (1954-1960);

Louisiana state comptroller

(1960-1973, his death)

�• Sammy Theriot, for-

mer Vermilion Parish clerk

of court (1996-2000), former

member of the Louisiana

House of Representatives

(1979-1996) known for his

anti-abortion stance, and a

former Abbeville city council

member (1978-1979)

�• Seth Fenwick Miller,

Professional cage ghter

�• Margaret Chauvin Steen

Villemez, Outstanding Alum-

ni of ULL, 1982,

�• Bobby Charles Guidry,

Songwriter, Musician, wrote:

See You Later Alligator &

Walking to New Orleans and

others.

�• Leo Touchet, Photojour-

nalist/Photographer - Pub-

lished worldwide. 1998 Book:

Rejoice When You Die. [10]

�• Knox Michael �“T-Boy�”

Trahan, Businessman / Mu-

sician - Co-Founder and lead

triangle player for the Fa-

Tras.

Festivals are a big part of Vermilion Parish.


Richard A.Broussard

Insurance Agency

500 S. State, Abbeville893-5183 or 893-5388

We Offer Insurance For:Mobile Home

BoatsRV's

Motorcycles(Including 4 Wheelers)

SPRINGREVUE2011

April 13 & 14Heyman Performing

Arts Center

Tickets on SaleMarch 28

Abbeville has its own blacksmith shopJourney to a time when

horse and carriage ruled the road & nails were made to or-der.

The Sam Guarino & Son blacksmith shop, circa 1913, was donated to the City of Abbeville, along with all of its equipment and tools, includ-ing the dirt oor, and moved to its present location.

Blacksmithing, an ancient and honorable occupation, is one of the larger substan-tial crafts known to civilized man. As civilizations have di-versi ed, blacksmithing pro-cedures have varied little. It was once believed that earth, air, re, and water were the four basic substances of this world, and only the black-

smith utilized all four.Sam Guarino & Son was

one of the few blacksmith shops in operation in a down-town area in 2004 when it ceased operations. Sam Gua-rino served the community at large but was especially helpful to farmers; as he was skilled at repairing trac-tors and a variety of farming equipment, building wagons, and making wagon wheels.

Open by appointment only. For more information please call 337-893-8550

(Information from the City of Abbeville website: cityofab-beville.net

(photo by Jeff Nemetz)

The Guarino Blacksmith Shop is the place to see old tools and equipment.


It is with great pleasure that we welcome you to our hometown. Abbeville is the parish seat of Vermilion and home of the:

Mayor Mark PiazzaTony Hardy- Police Chief Elvin Michaud- Fire Chief

COUNCILMENFRANCIS PLAISANCE- COUNCILMAN-AT-LARGE

LOUIS "JOE" HARDY- DISTRICT AFRANCIS TOUCHET, JR.- DISTRICT B

CARBETT DUHON- DISTRICT CWAYNE LANDRY- DISTRICT D

Abbeville: Home of Military Museum

Abbeville has the only military hall of fame in the state of Louisiana. (photo by Jeff Nemetz)

They have been called �“the great-est generation�”. And they are. We know them as parents, grandparents. As he-roes who braved an economic collapse called the Great Depression, and when called, fought the most dangerous war our country has ever faced.

And won.Along the way, they turned our econ-

omy into a miracle of prosperity, raised their kids, built a life for themselves and their families.

And seldom talked about how it was. What they did. What it was like. Some of us of a certain age can remember as children asking �“ what did you do in the war daddy?�”. And it seems the answer was never complete.

Now they honor us with telling their stories. We should listen. And learn.

And now there is a place to learn and it is Abbeville.

(See MUSEUM, Page 10)


A Resale Shop For Family Clothing, Evening Wear, School Uniforms and Furniture!

Living in Abbeville �– a unique experienceMany who visit Abbeville, never forget

the city.It is a center of cultural and arts activi-

ties, unique festivals, historical homes and churches, all nestled within the warm atmosphere of southern hospitality and climate.

Twenty-six percent of Vermilion Parish�’s 52,090 population call Abbeville home. Many of these 13,800 residents wouldn�’t consider living anywhere else.

For a town its size, Abbeville hosts a plethora of cultural and artistic endeavors, including:

�•The Abbey Player�’s theatre, which features live productions of comedy and drama;

�• The Abbeville Meridional Newspaper, which serves the entire parish with news and events;

�• The Abbeville Cultural and Historical Alliance Center, located next to downtown Abbeville�’s beautiful Magdalen Square, displays the works of local artists and houses the collections of the Vermilion Parish Historical Society; and,

�• Numerous homes, businesses, and churches featured in the National Register of Historic Places.

The atmosphere of community involve-ment is probably best symbolized by the town�’s organization around a central park and church �– Magdalen Square and St. Mary Magdalen Church.

The square is the central site for Abbeville�’s festivals and community events throughout the year, some of which include the:

�• Giant Omelette Celebration, which draws participants from throughout the world to cel-ebrate their French heritage;

�• Louisiana Cattle Festival, which celebrates the cattle industry in south Louisiana;

�• Scare on the Square at Halloween, which provides chil-dren with safe activities and trick-or-treating in the down-town business district;

�• The Day Lily Festival draws people from all around to Magdalen Square in May.

Community involvement is very impor-tant to Abbeville�’s continued success as a southern city, and that involvement extends beyond special events such as fes-tivals to the every-day activities of several organizations:

�• The Vermilion Parish Council on Aging operates a Senior Citizen�’s Center with activities ranging from dances and health and hearing aid checks to sponsored casino trips to near-by casinos;

�• The Boys and Girls Club offers tutor-ing and activities to the youth in the area;

�• A.A. Comeaux League coordinates little league basketball and baseball, and organizes such events as the Babe Ruth World Series of 1999, 2001, 2002 which drew little league players from all over the United States to Abbeville�’s Comeaux Park.

The city also offers an 18-hole golf course.

Abbeville is also noted for its number of health care professionals and health care service centers.

Abbeville General Hospital is an Acute Care Hospital licensed for 60 beds. The hospital operates an emergency room, a Behavioral Medicine Center, and a Day Surgery Center.

Only in Abbeville can you watch a group of chefs cook a few thousands eggs once a year.

(See UNIQUE, Page 11)


Maurice Branch8705 Maurice Ave.

893-1194

Main Office123 Concord St.

Abbeville, Louisiana893-0257

Drive Thru117 S. Jefferson St.

893-0437

Many things have changed throughout the past centuries including individuals�’ financial needs. Since 1894, the Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company has been locally owned and operated,providing a full range of banking services, from personal teller service to a 24 Hour Information System, ATM machines and Visa Check Cards. We have grown with Abbeville and Vermilion Parish and have been dedicated to serving the community through prosperous and difficult times,earning a reputation for financial strength and security. Our philosophy is based on providing our customers with the finest financial services available. Our goal is to promote growth and prosperity for our community. When you need expert assistance, visit any of our three locations, and let the Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company work for you!

www.bankofabbeville.com

Drive Thru117 S. Jefferson St.

893-0437

Main O ce123 Concord St.

Abbeville, Louisiana893-0257

Maurice Branch8705 Maurice Ave.

893-1194


MuseumFrom Page 7

In February of 2010, Ab-beville of cially opened its doors to the Louisiana Mili-tary Hall of Fame and Mu-seum.The Museum sits a 5.5 acre tract and has an exten-sive collection of displays, ar-tifacts, memorabilia and vin-tage WWII aircraft located at the Chris Crusta Airport.

It is free to the public to view everything.

The museum is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Sat-urdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Anyone 18 years old and older who loves talking to people and wants to make the museum a success is urged to call Crystal Mouton (652-2751).

When touring the muse-um, a person can walk onto the famed Higgins Boat, stand under the Bell Heli-copter near the MASH tent. They can also watch and lis-ten to oral histories of Loui-siana veterans as they tell

their stories of service.One can see displays of

historical memorabilia from heroic Louisiana veterans and walk through the Hall of Fame and learn about the Inductees and why they are honored there.

The Hall of Fame is the fo-cal point of the museum.

Groups may make reser-vations outside of those days and hours. Service members may schedule visits at any time.

To schedule a group or ser-vice member visit or to volun-teer, please call Crystal Mou-ton at 337-652-2751 or leave a message at 337-893-9645.

The Louisiana Military Hall of Fame and Museum is located at 911 Revis Sirmon Loop, Chris Crusta Airport, Abbeville, LA. Their website is: �“http://www.lamilitarymu-seum.com�” www.lamilitary-museum.com

A helicopter used in the war hangs from the ceiling.

World War II helmets on display.

Several nursing homes and assisted living centers are available in the area, including one directly across the street from the hospital.

In addition, Abbeville has several general physi-cians and specialists, den-tists, optometrists, physi-cal therapists, licensed counselors, psychia-trist, and chiropractors. Twenty-four hour emer-gency service is available from a few of the pharma-cies in town.

Abbeville also has 911 emergency numbers and a response time of three to five minutes for most calls.

While housing is lim-ited in Abbeville, steps are being made to improve housing facilities. Several projects are under-way which include subdivi-sions in many areas of the parish.

For those interested in continuing education opportunities, Abbeville is the home of the Louisiana Technical College Gulf Area Campus. The school offers a two-year Associates Degree pro-gram in two of its course offerings. Some of its more popular fields of study include nursing, secretari-al and electrical engineer-ing, business administra-tion and computer science.

Abbeville is also only a 20-mile drive from the University of Louisiana

at Lafayette. A four year university granting both under-graduate and grad-uate degrees and a major research facility in areas such as energy resources and cognitive science, ULL offers Gumbo U courses in dancing, horseback riding, creative writing, and other topics.

Abbeville and the sur-rounding area offers several activities for just about any interest. Several gyms are avail-able in the area, one for women only. Hunting, fishing crabbing, and bird-ing are readily available. Tennis, golf, R.V. clubs, public boat ramps, square dancing clubs, and garden clubs are also available for interested parties.

We hope that this travel guide will assist you in your vacationing or relocating plans, and that your questions will

be answered by the arti-cles and advertisements comprising the rest of this guide.

If we can be of further assistance, please contact the Greater Abbeville-Vermilion Chamber of Commerce, (337) 893-2491, or the Abbeville Main Street Project, (337) 898-4110.

We hope you will con-sider Abbeville your home away from home while you are vacationing, or even your new home should you decide to relocate to South Louisiana.

Abbeville truly is a wonderful place to visit, and an even better place to live.

CA$H LOAN$For All Your Needs!

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UniqueFrom Page 8

These signs tell the story of Abbeville.

Freshwater City

Freshwater City, entrance to the Gulf of Mexi-co and home to oil industry docks and the Fresh-water Bayou Lock can be found on LA 3147 fork-ing south from LA 82 just before Pecan Island.

If you�’re traveling east on LA 82 as you en-ter Pecan Island, you can take the �“front ridge�” to your right. This is a short cut to LA 3147 and Freshwater City providing a nice drive through beautiful marshlands.

You�’ll spot roseate spoonbills, pipers, egrets, herons and alligators sunning themselves and keeping an eye on you. Once you reach the lock you can enjoy a little shing and reel in red sh while you enjoy a view of the Gulf of Mexico.

If you�’ve packed a picnic lunch, enjoy the pub-lic gazebo while you watch the vessels maneuver the lock system. If you want a tour of the inside facilities, you must call ahead. Keep in mind that Homeland Security can have an affect on visita-tion rights. Just be sure and bring your binoculars whatever the reason for your visit.

You�’ll love watching the pelicans and other shore birds performing antics in search of food. And, don�’t be surprised if you must stop on your drive to let a �‘gator cross the road around here. Locals know that driving at night down LA 82 or LA 3147 may mean doing just that.

Intracoastal City

A port community on the west bank of the Ver-milion River at its junction with the Intracoastal Canal, Intracoastal City evolved through years of service to the area�’s oil, shing and shrimp industries. But don�’t expect a bustling city with a large population. These are simply civilized marsh-lands. You�’ll nd helicopter bases, shrimp docking facili-ties and dry docks. The oldest establishment in Intracoastal is Shell Morgan Landing, still hosting full dock facilities. Next to the landing is a boat

launch that�’s been recently renovated and includes a large shelled parking area.

There�’s also another landing in the area with a boat storage facility and boat wash. Intracoastal City is the nearest access to Vermilion Bay and the Gulf of Mexico on the west side of the Vermilion River. You�’ll also locate a grocery store that serves great plate lunches and a small hotel in this ex-treme southern community. Further south of Intra-coastal, you should not miss the Leland Bowman Lock on the Intracoastal Waterway.

This lock, operated by the Army Corp of Engi-neers, helps to regulate the ow of water in the Mermentau District comprising much more than the entire parish of Vermilion. Two hundred thirty-eight (238) miles of the Intracoastal Canal falls un-

der the Leland Bowman Locksupervision.

This fully computerized system serving to keep saltwater out of the fresh water supply for the farming com-munities further north, while allowing the ow of transpor-tation by commodity carry-ing barges, is interesting to watch.

The Intracoastal Canal is a partially manmade ca-nal, stretching from Texasto Florida, that allows wa-ter transportation inland ofthe Gulf of Mexico. It was furthered along after World

War II when German subs managed to sink 90 crude car-

rying boats from Texas to New Orleans in the gulf off Louisiana waters.

This and other history, plus an interesting video can be found at the Lock�’s main of ce. The drive until the gate at Leland Bowman is public and the surrounding cattail marshes are lled with water lilies and wire grass.

All established areas here were built up frommarshlands for habitation purposes. Once youreach the gates, you are granted permission to enter by calling ahead. Keep in mind that Home-land Security does affect visitation rights. But once there, we recommend that you�’ve packed a picniclunch to enjoy under the shelter of the Lock�’s ga-zebo.


Member F.D.I.C.

111 N. Main St., Gueydan 536-9203

Bank of GueydanCome by and visit our town.

What is along Vermilion�’s Coastline?

The Nutria is one of the many animals indigenous to the Vermil-ion Parish Coastline.

AbbevilleSt. Anne Catholic Church1735 Lionel Drive(337) 643-7714

First Baptist Church of Abbeville210 N. St. Charles(337) 893-0982

Mt. Triumph Baptist Church310 S. Lamar(337) 893-2809

Pleasant Green Baptist Church822 S. Miles(337) 893-3607

Abbeville United Method-ist ChurchP.O. Box 1470(337) 893-5216

Vermilion Gospel Taber-nacle210 S. St. Valerie(337) 893-5902

First Presbyterian Church109 N. Louisiana(337) 893-7200

Lighthouse for Jesus Christ6526 Chiasson Road(337) 893-8848

Church of God1631 State Street(337) 893-9407

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church300 Pere Megret(337) 893-0244

St. Mary Congregational Church213 S. Louisiana Avenue(337) 893-1695

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church101 E. Vermilion(337) 893-3195

Jehovah’s Witness King-dom Hall3122 Pine Street(337) 893-3893

St. Therese of the Child Jesus Catholic Church101 N. Leonard(337) 893-5631

Harvest Time Tabernacle901 Wildcat Drive(337) 893-6279

Abbeville Church of Christ819 Camp Avenue(337) 893-8187

Abbeville Assembly of God Church1109 N. John Hardy(337) 893-9232

Macedonia Baptist Church607 S. Bailey(337) 893-9618

Faith Baptist Church2920 Cypress(337) 898-0238

Faith Hope Missionary Baptist Church1001 1/2 Cuba Street(337) 898-0218

Abbeville Apostolic Light-houseP.O Box 205(337) 898-1322

North Vermilion Baptist Church7612 La Hwy 167(337) 893-1188 Maurice

Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church12995 La Hwy 699(337) 893-0610

St. Joseph Catholic Church8005 Maurice Avenue(337) 893-5428

St. Alphonsus Church8700 Maurice Avenue(337) 893-4099

Gueydan

First Baptist Church501 McMurty(337) 536-6755

St. Matthew Missionary Baptist Church1109 McMurty(337) 536-6535

Hubbard United Church of Christ201 12th Street

Gueydan United Methodist Church507 Main(337) 536-6464

St. Peter Catholic Church

701 Main(337) 536-9258

Erath

Our Lady of Lourdes Church700 S. Broadway(337) 937-6888

St. John’s Church18534 Hwy 689(337) 937-5108

Delcambre

BJ Center 707 Martin Luther Drive(337) 685-4808

Castel School of Religion208 S. St. Peter(337) 685-2549

First Baptist Church410 Robertson St.(337) 685-2746

Vandebilt Hall203 W. Church St.(337) 685-5057

Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church206 W. Church St.(337) 685-4426

Delcambre Baptist Church410 N. Robertson(337) 685-2746

Saint Martin de Porres Church608 Martin Luther King Dr.(337) 685-4425

Kaplan

Pecan Island United Meth-odist Baptist Church28704 W La Hwy 82

Kaplan Baptist Church400 N. Trahan(337) 643-2656

Holy Rosary Catholic Church602 N. Church Avenue(337) 643-6472Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church5408 La Hwy 700(337) 643-6751


1903 Veterans Memorial Dr.Abbeville, LA 70510

(337) 898-1453www.sunbeltlodge.com 1-866-299-1480

Friendly greetings and welcoming smiles make staying with us as comfortable as a bright sunny day. Whether you’re on the road for a day, a week or a month, you’ll feel right at home at Sunbelt Lodge.

Start the morning off with a FREE Continental Breakfast served daily in our lobby. Relax and enjoy our luxurious swimming pool. We want to make your stay one to remember. All kinds of accommodations are

available at the Sunbelt Lodge. Choose from our spacious suite with a bar and parlor area for your business or pleasure.

SUNBELT LODGE MOTEL

Area Festivals await your arrival:• Louisiana Cattle Festival • Christmas Lighting • Abbeville French Market

Festival • Giant Omelette Festival • Delcambre Shrimp Festival • Mardi Gras Celebration • Bastille Days • Gueydan Duck Festival

• Vermilion Fair & FestivalFrom Laf. -

Exit 103 A-I-10167 South -

Left atLA 14 Bypasstwo (2) miles

on left

Free High Speed

Internet

Home of the Famous Steen’s Cane Syrup. Enjoy a night at the Abbey Players Theatre

Places To Worship In Vermilion Parish


First Baptist Church30722 W. La Hwy 82

Kaplan United Methodist Church501 N. Lejeune

Shiloh Baptist Church607 N. Guidry Avenue(337) 643-6044

St. Francis Cabrini Church910 N. Frederick Avenue(337) 643-9813

Glad Tiding Church27520 W. La Hwy 82(337) 737-2386

Sacred Heart Church28220 W. La Hwy 82(337) 737-2457

Places To Worship In Vermilion Parish

St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church is the largest church in Vermilion Parish.

City Hall, police department numbersAbbeville City Hall

(337) 893-8550

Abbeville Police Dept.(337) 893-2511

Abbeville Fire Dept.

Abbeville General Hospital

(337) 893-5466

Delcambre City Hall(337) 685-4462

Delcambre Police Dept.(337) 685-2697

Delcambre Fire Dept.(337) 685-2969

Erath Police Dept.(337) 937-5651

Erath City Hall(337) 937-8401

Gueydan City Hall(337) 536-9415

Gueydan Police Dept.(337) 536-9219

Gueydan Fire Dept.(337) 536-9202

Kaplan City Hall(337) 643-6611

Kaplan Police Dept.

(337) 643-8600

Kaplan Fire Dept.(337) 643-8603

Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital

(337) 643-8300

Maurice City Hall(337) 893-6406

Maurice Police Dept.(337) 893-6406

Maurice Fire Dept.(337) 893-3112


LESLIE MENCACCI DOES HER WEEKLY SHOPPING

-! e Champagnes

IN ERATH

KATIE STELLY ARCEMONT LIKES THE DELI

MABLE BOUDREAUX STOCKS THE SHELVES

O F F E R I N G Y O USPECIALTY MEATSHOT DELI MEALSFRESH PRODUCE

FULL LINE OF GROCERIESGRAB & GO ITEMS

BAKERY ITEMSFRIENDLY SERVICEREALLY COLD BEER


�“Caring for our Community�”

Quality health care

So much. And, righthere at home!For Health Care Services or Career Opportunities Make Abbeville Your First Choice.

www.abbgen.netclick on your tax dollars at work

Abbeville

New Wok106 Broadmore Blv.893-3883

RiverFront Restaurant503 W. Port Street(337) 893-3070

Dupuy’s Oyster Shop108 S. Main Street(337) 893-2336

Shuck’s Seafood Restaurant701 W. Port Street(337) 893-3311

El Camino Restaurant1901 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 898-2710

Richard’s Seafood Patio1516 S. Henry Street(337) 893-1693

Azul Tequila Mexican Restaurant1132 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 893-4150

El Dorado Mexican Restaurant1902 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 898-9202

Hai Nam Chinese Restaurant3032 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 893-6039

New China Chinese Restaurant2016 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 898-1712

Guidry’s Crawfi sh and Drive-Thru2820 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 893-5936

Cajun Claws1928 Charity Street(337) 893-9437

Comeaux’s Cafe104 S. State Street(337) 898-9218

Courtyard Cafe109 S. State Street(337) 893-7000

Bourbon Street Deli520 W. Summers Drive(337) 898-1690

Golden Gate Chinese Food

1815 Charity Street(337) 893-8988

Frank’s Drive Inn901 Charity Street(337) 893-1742

Park Restaurant204 Park Avenue(337) 893-9957

Chili’s Grill and Bar3009 Veterans Memorial Drive(337) 893-3370

Amore Pizzaroma105 Jacqulyn Street(337) 898-6002

Pizza Hut720 Veterans Memorial Drive(337) 893-9373

Maurice

Villagers’ Cafe8400 Maurice Avenue(337) 898-1554

Mr. Keet’s9511 Maurice Avenue(337) 898-0590

Soop’s Seafood & Steak House8218 Maurice Avenue(337) 893-2462

Delcambre

A-Seafood Express Market/Restaurant102 Richards Street(337) 685-5708

Kaplan

Suire’s Grocery13923 La Hwy 35(337) 643-8911

Mickey’s Drive Inn706 E. 1st Street(337) 643-8523

Family Diner420 W. 1st Street(337) 643-7000

Hebert’s Steakhouse15013 Veteran’s Memorial Drive(337) 643-2933

Vermilion Grill

616 W. 1st Street(337) 643-2922

Gueydan

Cormier’s Creole Kitchen303 Main Street(337) 536-9904

Johnny’s Drive Inn502 1st Street(337) 536-6251

T’s Crawfi sh Trap213 Main Street(337) 536-5600

Erath

T-Bob’s Seafood109 E. Lastie(337) 937-4573

Big John’s Seafood3630 Broadway(337) 937-8355


�“Working Together To �“Working Together To Keep Abbeville Safe�”Keep Abbeville Safe�”

In case of an emergency call In case of an emergency call these numbers:these numbers:

911911 - - All types of emergenciesAll types of emergencies893-2511893-2511 - - Abbeville Police DepartmentAbbeville Police Department

893-5253893-5253 - - Fax NumberFax Number

Abbeville Police Department

Places To Eat In Vermilion Parish


Vermilion: Place to watch birdsA Place Called America�’s WETLAND is a

cooperative venture between Louisiana�’s De-partment of Culture, Recreation & Tourism, the America�’s WETLAND: Campaign to Save Coastal Louisiana, Shell Oil Company, local leaders and their tourism bureaus, that pro-motes communities, attractions, events and activities within Louisiana�’s coastal zone around a brand of experiential travel and ad-venture called �“Eco-Cultural Tourism�”.

The initiative was designed as one of the lasting impacts of the America�’s WETLAND campaign, with the goal of giving the world a new sense of awareness about the physical and cultural riches in America�’s WETLAND and attracting attention to the areas as a prime site for �“Eco-Cultural Tourism.�”

There are several key components of the imitative, such as, the America�’s WETLAND Birding Trail. The America�’s WETLAND Birding Trail runs through 22 Parishes and links 115 wildlife-viewing venues along Loui-siana�’s Coast. The Birding Trail�’s sites in-troduce patrons to a variety of Louisiana�’s coastal habitats including fresh and saltwa-ter marshes, cheniers, upland pines, riparian hardwood forests, cypress-tupelo swamps, bottomland hardwood forests, open meadows, lagoons canals, borrow pits, and natural bay-ous, to name a few.

An exceptional array of birds and other wildlife are associated with each of these di-verse habitats.

The America�’s WETLAND Birding Trail is divided into 12 distinct loops that criss-cross America�’s WETLAND from Texas to Missis-sippi and from the Atchafalaya Basin to the Gulf. They build upon the pre-established in-frastructure found in the State Scenic Byways program and expose nature lovers to some of the best birding in the country at Louisiana�’s State Parks, State Historic Sites, National Wildlife Refuges and Wildlife Management Areas. The loops attempt to connect the re-gion�’s magni cent natural resources with its unique history and culture.

The Vermilion Loop traces the lower reaches of Bayou Vermilion through the heart

of Cajun Country, from Lafayette, through Abbeville, and nearly to its con uence with Vermilion Bay (just below the site of Palmetto Island State Park). The riparian forests as-sociated with Bayou Vermilion are known for attracting a wide assortment of birdlife, from Mississippi kites and broad-winged hawks during the summer nesting season, to a plethora of Neotropical songbirds during the spring and fall migration periods. Similarly, the coastal woodlands associated with Pal-metto Island, Pine Island and Pecan Island�’s Front Ridge can hold enormous communities of songbirds.

Below Abbeville, the Vermilion Loop pops out into coastal prairie lands -- now convert-ed to cattle ranches and rice farms -- where ducks, geese and sandpipers abound during the spring, fall and especially winter months. For those birders who are particularly inter-ested in these bird groups, check out sites such as Gladu Rd., Pelican and Bobwhite Rds., and Prairie Rd. at Mouton Cove.

Still further south, this loop grades back in to marsh country, where herons, egrets, ibises, and roseate spoonbills are common on a year-round basis. The series of wooden sh-ing piers along LA 82 and the intersection of Hwy. 3147 (Freshwater City Rd.) and Front Ridge Rd. in southern Vermilion Parish are an outstanding area for viewing these and other birds.

The 11 designated sites of the Vermilion Loop include:

1. Acadiana Park Nature Station & Trails, Lafayette

2. Abbeville RV Park, Abbeville 3. Gladu Rd.4. Bancker Grotto at Live Oak Rd.5. Pelican and Bobwhite Rds.6. Palmetto Island State Park/Pleasant Rd.7. Mouton Cove Area/Prairie Rd.8. Pine Island Rd., Forked Island9. La Hwy. 82 Fishing Piers10. Freshwater City Rd./LA Hwy. 3147

There are a wide variety of birds in Vermilion Parish.

(See BIRDS, Page 20)

11. Pecan Island Front Ridge Rd.

Birders from around the country will appre-ciate the diversity of species along Vermil-ion Loop. This diversity is directly related to the variety of habitats found throughout Ver-milion Parish. Vermil-ion is a coastal parish with more than 320,000 acres of marshland. It also is one of the larg-est agricultural par-ishes in the state, with many acres dedicated to rice, soybeans, sugar-cane and pasture land. These elds provided habitat for a variety of birds that are attached to the open elds and shallow ooded rice and craw sh elds.

Along the Vermil-ion River, upland and bottomland hardwoods provide still another habitat important to migratorys well as resident avian species. Vermilion�’s coastal marshes provide valu-able wintering habitat for many species of wa-terfowl.

The coastal marsh-es include old beaches called cheniers, which are characterized by live oaks, hackberry and Chinese tallow trees. These abandoned beachheads of the Gulf

of Mexico are the rst landfall in the spring for neotropical migrants on their way north. In ad-dition to waterfowl, rails, egrets, herons, and a host of shore birds can be viewed in this area.

The farmers of Ver-milion provide impor-tant habitat for many birds throughout the year as they manipu-late the elds to pro-duce their crops. Some rice elds are ooded during the winter as a means of weed control to prepare for spring planting. Waterfowl as well as sandpipers, plovers and other wad-ing birds frequent these elds.

On a drive along Highway 14 between Kaplan and Gueydan, one can see large ocks of blue and snow geese and white-fronted geese feeding in the fallow rice elds and pastures. The many craw sh ponds lining Hwy. 35 south of Kaplan pro-vide habitat for various species of ducks, which can be seen feeding and resting during the day.

On the banks of the Vermilion River, live oaks, green ash, hack-berry, sweet gum and other hardwoods pro-vide a canopy for the feeding and resting pas-

serines. Wood ducks also nest in some of the cavities of these trees. As the sun rises, the thick underbrush comes alive with the sounds of warblers and bunting in the spring and fall, while cardinals, brown thrashers and wood-peckers can be seen year round. Osprey and even bald eagles have been sighted preying upon sh in the lower reaches of the river.

These are just a few of the many birds that call Vermilion Parish home.


BirdsFrom Page 19

The Brown Pelican is Louisiana�’s State Bird.

Here are Vermilion Parish Schools and phone numbers and addresses of the schools.)

(Parenthesis denotes email addresses add vrml.k12.la.us after the address listed

ABBEVILLE HIGH 9-12

Ivy Landry, Prin. (ilandry)

James Segrest, Asst. Prin. (jsegrest)

Christina Menard, Asst. Prin. (cmenard)

1305 Wildcat Dr.Abbeville, LA.70510School: 893-1874 or

1876 Lisa (lhebert) Fax: 893-0935 Theresa (theres-ab)

CECIL PICARD ELEM AT MAURICE

PK-6Wendy Stoute, Prin.

(wstoute)Marlene Primeaux,

Asst. Prin. (marlenek)P. O. Box 277203 S. Albert AvenueMaurice, LA. 70555School: 893-3887 Caro-

lyn (cromero)Fax: 893-3850

DOZIER ELEM PK-5Karla Toups, Prin. (kar-

lad)Natalie Hebert, Asst.

Prin. (natalieh)415 West PrimeauxErath LA 70533School: 937-6915 or

6916 Patty(pattyb)Fax: 937-0630

EATON PARK PK-5

Denise Soileau, Prin. (dsoileau)

Lola Thomas, Asst. Prin. (lthomas)

1502 Sylvester StreetAbbeville, LA.70510School: 893-4978 Felicia

(feliciaw)Fax: 898-1274

ERATH HIGH 9-12Francis Touchet, Prin.

(ftouchet)Elizabeth Vice, Asst.

Prin. (lvice)808 South BroadwayErath LA 70533 Jessica

(jwright)School: 937-8451 or

8452Fax: 937-5109

ERATH MIDDLE (057024) 6-8

Lynn Moss, Prin. (lmoss)Errol Trahan, Asst.

Prin. (errolt)800 South BroadwayErath LA 70533School: 937-4441 or

4442Fax: 937-5125

FI/EB ELEM (057007) PK-8

Chris St. Romain, Prin. (chriss)

19635 Columbus RdAbbeville LA 70510School: 642-9100

Gayla(gaylag)Prin. Res: 643-8374Fax: 642-9120

GUEYDAN HIGH 6-12Luddy Herpin, Prin.

(lherpin)Dana Primeaux, Asst.

Prin. (dprimeaux)901 Main StreetGueydan, LA. 70542School: 536-6938 Teresa

(teresar)Fax: 536-7000

HEROD ELEM PK-5Diane DeJean, Prin.

(ddejean)Patricia Gaspard, Asst.

Prin. (pattyg)120 Odea StreetAbbeville, LA. 70510School: 893-4258 Nata-

lie (nataliet)Fax: 893-4275

INDIAN BAYOU PK-8Howard Guillory, Prin.

(howardg)1603 La. Hwy 700Rayne, LA. 70578School: 334-4070 Honey

(honeyc)Fax: 334-4237

JESSE OWENS ELEM PK-5

Anita Dupis, Prin. (ani-taf)

203 13th StreetGueydan, LA. 70542School: 536-6541 Lana

(lmouton)Fax: 616-8439

KAPLAN ELEM PK-4E. Paul Hebert (paulh)Andrea Ford, Asst. Prin.

(aturner)608 Eleazar AvenueKaplan, LA. 70548School: 643-7965 Mary

Ellen (meduhon)Fax: 643-2821

KAPLAN HIGH 9-12Laura LeBeouf, Prin.

(laural)Ronald Vincent, Asst.

Prin. (rvincent)200 East Pirate LaneKaplan, LA. 70548School: 643-6385 or

8613 Julia (juliat)Fax: 643-3543

LEBLANC ELEM PK-5Dawn Amy, Prin. (daw-

na)Kim Etie�’, Asst. Prin.

(ketie)12725 North Rd.Erath, LA 70533

Vickie(vconner)School: 937-8110 or

8146Fax: 937-8761

MEAUX ELEM PK-6Charles Robichaux,

Prin. (charlesr)12419 La. Hwy 696Abbeville, LA. 70510School: 893-3901 Pam

(phebert)Fax: 893-7112

NORTH VERMILION HIGH

7-12Gregory Theriot, Prin.

(gtheriot)Michael Gaspard, Asst.

Prin. (mikeg)Ivy Landry, Asst. Prin.

(ilandry)11609 La. Hwy 699Maurice, LA. 70555School: 898-1491 or

1492 Tina (tveazey)Fax: 893-8684

RENE ROST MIDDLE5-8

David Dupuis, Prin.(ddupuis)

Phyllis Benoit, Asst.Prin. (pben)

112 West 6th StreetKaplan, LA. 70548School: 643-8545 Steph-

anie (stephh)


R verFrontLocated on the Vermilion River with a view

of historical downtown Abbeville.

�• Catering all your special event needs in our spacious banquet facility.�• For Parties of 20 or more Complimentary Dinner for driver & tour guide.�• Reservatins Accepted�• Major Credit Cards taken

riverfrontalouisianagrill.com503 W. Port St., Abbeville �• 893-3070Great Food. Great Service. Great Atmosphere.

Seafood & Steaks

Vermilion Parish Schools – Public and Private

(See SCHOOLS, Page 22)


Hebert’sSteakhouse

Nunez, LA • 337-643-2933

Private Party Room(Accommodates a minimum of 20 and a maximum of 50 guests)

Available for:

* Call For Details *Select Menu Available for Parties

Wedding RehearsalsShowersMeetings

Birthday Parties

Class ReunionsEngagement PartiesSports Gatherings

( at screen tv available)

ServingSteaks,

Seafood & Pasta

Fax: 643-7013

SEVENTH WARD PK-5Priscilla Cormier, Prin.

(pcormier)12012 Audubon RdAbbeville, LA. 70510School: 893-5875 Debra

(dlmeaux)Fax: 893-8984

J.H.WILLIAMS 6-8Mikal Stall, Prin.

(mstall)Kenyatta Small, Asst.

Prin (ksmall)Paulette Gaspard, Asst.

Prin. (pgaspard)1105 Prairie AvenueAbbeville LA 70510School: 893-3943 Cindy

(cruf ns)Fax: 893-5190

V. P. ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM

M. C. Wright, Facilita-tor (mwright)

904 North FredrickKaplan, LA 70548Phone: 643-6166643-6178Fax: 643-6586

P A R O C H I A L SCHOOLS

MALTRAIT MEMORI-AL K-8

Renee C. Meaux, Prin. (rmeaux)

1 Crusader SquareKaplan, LA. 70548School: 643-7765

MT. CARMEL ELEM PK-8

Sr. Janet LeBlanc, Prin.

(sisjanet)405 Park AvenueAbbeville, LA. 70510School: [email protected]@mceschool.com

ST. PETER ELEM PK- 8

George L. Gardiner, III Prin. (gardiner)

513 Sixth StreetGueydan, LA. 70542School: 536-7930

VERMILION CATHO-LIC 9-12

Joseph Steepleton, Prin.425 Park AvenueAbbeville, LA. 70510School: 893-6636Fax: 898-0394josephsteepleton@ver-

milioncatholic.com

Seventh Ward is one of Vermilion Parish�’s Elementary Schools.

SchoolsFrom Page 21

3 newspapers in parishFrom staff reports

For information and news concerning the latest events happening in the Vermilion Parish area and across the state, tune in to local newspa-pers, radio stations and tele-vision stations for complete, up-to-date coverage.

Vermilion Parish has three local newspapers which offer the most information on politi-cal issues, activities, school news and more from the sur-rounding area.

General Manager Kathy Cormier heads the operation of the Abbeville Meridional. The daily newspaper strives to give complete coverage to events throughout the parish.

The Meridional�’s website is

www.vermiliontoday.com.The Meridional office is

located at 318 N. Main. To give a news tip or place an adver-tisement, call 893-4223.

Managing Editor Judy LeBlanc and the Gueydan Journal provide complete cov-erage to Gueydan and the surrounding area in a weekly newspaper format.

In Kaplan, the Kaplan Herald supplies all the latest in business news and issues. Editor Judy Mire gathers all the news from her office at 116 N. Cushing in Kaplan.

Providing the best televi-sion coverage in Acadiana are KATC - TV3, KLFY - TV10, and KADN - Channel 15, all of Lafayette.


When You�’re On Highway 14 Look For The Star!


14008 CHENEAU RD. - KAPLAN, LA. 70548 • 3 MILES WEST OF ABBEVILLE COUNTRY CLUB PHONE: 337-643-1949 / FAX: 337-643-2898

Accepting applications for all available positions.

Rehab, Dementia Care Unit,V.A. contracted facility

www.vermilionhealthcarecenter.com

Acadians make Vermilion great place to liveThe one thing that can�’t be over-

looked is Vermilion Parish�’s most formative, and often most memorable characteristic -- its people. Southern-ers are known for their hospitable and friendly nature, but the people of Vermilion Parish seem to thrive on good nature. Local traditions are based on togetherness -- craw sh boils, hunting and shing trips, tight-knit church communities and lazy Sundays are, beneath it all, opportu-nities for socializing.

Cajuns -- mainly descendants of exiled Acadian people -- make up a considerable portion of the popula-tion here and are credited for their impact on the culture of Louisiana as a whole. The Cajuns retain a unique dialect of the French language and have, through intermarriage with other cultures and ethnicities, main-

tained many distinctive traits as a people.

The Acadians were exiled from their native land of Acadia, which is now Nova Scotia, during the period of 1755-1763. The period has be-come known has the Great Upheaval, known has the Great Upheaval, or Le Grand Derangement. After hearing of the hospitable nature of existing Louisiana settlers, mostly of French and Spanish descent, many Acadians ended up settling in the Gulf Coast state. The Spanish governor Bernar-do de Galvez permitted the displaced people to speak their own language, practice their own religions and over-all live their lives without much inter-ference.

The Cajun people remained mostly secluded until the early 1900�’s -- a tradition which can still be seen alive

in places like Pecan Island (which could only be reached by boat until the mid-20th century). During this time attempts were made to suppress Cajun culture, for a while forbidding the use of the Cajun French language in schools.

South Louisiana�’s geography played a big role in the development of the Cajun lifestyle. The bayous and wetlands of the Gulf Coast allowed settlers to make a sustainable living off the land. Fishing, hunting and trapping are still evident as tradition, but were once a necessary way of life for people here. Living off the land in-stilled in locals both a respect for na-ture and a self-suf cient instinct.

The land of Vermilion Parish and surrounding areas is perfectly suit-able for raising cattle, farming rice and sugar cane and other agricul-

tural aspects. Over years of raisingfuel prices, the salt water remnantsof hurricanes and the development ofrural lands, farming does not so eas-ily pass on through generations; how-ever, agriculture is still a solid part ofboth Louisiana and U.S. economy andplaces like Henry and Mouton Coveare still patchworks of cattle, sugarcane and craw sh ponds.

Today Louisiana has begun to em-brace its Cajun roots, promoting itsmusic, language, and cuisine. Peopletravel from all over the world -- no-tably Nova Scotia -- to experience anauthentic culture that continues tothrive.

For more information on the Cajunpeople, visit acadian-cajun.com.

Important phone numbers to know

So You�’re New In Town...Need help in locating ser-vices? Here�’s who to call:

Electricity, Water & Sewer Service (within city limits) Garbage Collection Vermilion Parish Police Jury

898-4338

Cable TVCOX Communications

893-3376

Telephone Service - Bell South (Toll Free)

557-6500Delcambre Telephone

685-3211Kaplan Telephone

643-7171

Natural Gas - Center point Entergy - 893-2814Propane - Suburban Propane 893-4614

Library - Vermilion Parish Library

893-2674

Automobile Registration & Driver�’s License -

Louisiana Department of Motor Vehicles 893-1316

Property Tax - Vermilion Tax Assessor

893-2837

Voter Registration -

Registrar of Voters 898-4324

Airports - Abbeville Municipal Airport -

893-7128Lafayette Regional Airport -

266-4400

Emergency - Dial 911Vermilion Sheriff - 893-0871Abbeville Police - 893-2511Delcambre Police - 685-4404 Erath Police - 937-5651Gueydan Police - 536-9219Kaplan Police - 643-8600Maurice Police - 893-2540

To Report Fire - Dial 911

Parenthesis denotes email addresses �– add vrml.k12.la.us after the address

ADMINISTRATION

Schexnayder, Randy (randys) 898-5764Burleigh, Bridgette (bridgetteb) 898-5764

BUSINESS

Sellers, Phillip (psellers) 898-5705Babineaux, Brandy (bba-bino) 898-5844Dubois, Teresa (tdubois) 898-5704Gaspard, Patti (pattig) 898-5706Ledet, Charmaine (cledet) 898-5770Lege, Randy (rlege) 898-5701Migues, Rosslyn (rmigues) 898-5707Nunez, Vickie(Print shop)(vnunez) 898-5820Romero, Kelli (kromero) 898-5772Touchet, Deena (deenat) 898-5703Walker, Brandy (bwalker) 898-5778Woodruff, Calvin (woody) 898-5777

CHILD NUTRITION

Jumonville, Mary (maryj) 898-5802Broussard, Jenny (jennyb) 898-5714Gary, Janice (jgary) 898-5715Landry, Myrna (mlandry)

898-5702

CLASSROOM TECH-NOLOGY

Dubois, Jude (jdubois) 898-5773Dartez, Mike (mdartez) 898-5833Hardy, Theresa (thardy) 898-5773Potier, Lola (lpotier) 643-7896Villejoin, Dawn (dawnv) 898-5752

COMPUTER CENTER

Adams, Russell (radams) 898-5741Campbell, Belinda (belin-dac) 898-5738Heckenbach, John (johnh) 898-5740Raeuchle, Joyce (joycer) 898-5739

CURRICULUMRizzuto, Robert (brizzuto) 898-5755Arceneaux, Ellen (ellena) 898-5750Alston, Donna (dalston) 898-5754Baudin, Ethel (ethomas) 898-5716Clements, Rose (rosec) 898-5749Cormier, Jeannie (jean-niec) 898-5711Dehart, Madeline (mde-hart) 898-5807Dugas, Mary Joyce (mjdu-gas) 898-5758Guzzetta, Tory (torrieg) 898-5749Hardy, Ann (ahardy) 898-5757Mire, Patrice (patricem)

898-5814Soileau, Kirk (ksoileau) 898-5849

FEDERAL PROGRAMS

Hebert, Camille (camilleh) 898-5746Johnson, Eric (ejohnson) 898-5748Meaux, Greg (gmeaux) 898-5756

MAINTENANCEPuyau, Jerome (jpuyau) 898-5803Boudreaux, Drey (dreyb) 898-5735Hargrave, Farrell 898-5736Porter, Hilda (hporter) 898-5735Toups, Barry (btoups) 898-5734Warehouse 898-5736

NETWORK SYSTEMS

Gremillion, Donald (grem55) 898-5846Toups, Ben (bentoups) 898-5847

NURSESBertrand, Cindy (cyndib) 898-5713Desormeaux, Catherine (cdesormeaux) 898-5813Meaux, Helen (hmeaux) 898-5799

PARENTING CENTER (700 CHARITY ST.)

Winters, Bridget (bridgetw) 898-5808

PERSONNEL

Waguespack, Charlotte (cwagspak) 898-5753Landry, Garolyn (glandry) 898-5760Landry, Mia (mialandry) 898-5753Palombo, Karen (karenp) 898-5753

SALES TAXVincent, Kathryn (kvin-cent) 898-5732Artigue, Adrianne (aar-tigue) 898-5733Mathers, Linda (lmathers) 898-5810Trahan, Claudette (clau-dett) 898-5780

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Gage, Larry (lgage) 898-

5719Abbott, Brooke (babbott) 898-5717Abshire, Cathy (cabshire) 898-5832Broussard, Christine (chrisb) 898-5792Bohrer, Resa (rbohrer) 898-5784Boullion, Leslie (leslieb) 898-5775Burleigh, Brenda (bur-leigh) 898-5723Darby, Sarah (sdarby) 893-2899Delino, Keith (keithd) 898-5791Domingue, Cheryl (cher-yld) 740-5902

VCHS does not discriminate on the basis of physical disability, race, sex, national or ethnic origin in its educational programs,

activities, or employment policies.

425 Park Avenue Abbeville, Louisiana 70510337.893.6636 www.vermilioncatholic.com

VERMILION CATHOLICHIGH SCHOOL

Registration begins on January 31st for the 2011-2012 school year.

Bus transportation is available from locations in Maurice and Milton.

For more information, contact the of ce @ 893-6636 or visit

www.vermilioncatholic.com.


Important School Board numbers to know

NURSING CENTER


Places To Lodge In ParishLodgingExecutive Inn Express730 Veterans Memorial DrAbbeville, La 75010337-740-4666www.executiveinnexpress.com

Extended Stay3523 Veterans Memorial DrAbbeville, LA 75010866-647-3180www.extendedstayabbeville.com

Best WesternVerteran’s Memorial Drive(next to the Abbevile Airport)

Lafi tte Motel2101 Charity StreetAbbeville, LA 75010337-893-4061

Sunbelt Lodge1903 Veterans Memorial DrAbbeville, LA 75010337-898-1453www.sunbeltlodge.com

Vermilion Motel1713 Charity StreetAbbeville, LA 75010337-893-1404

The Ducote-Williams House401 N. St. Charles Ave.Abbeville, LA 75010337-898-0048

Abbevillle RV Park1105 Port St.Abbeville, LA 75010337-898-4042www.abbevillervpark.com

Audubon Acres RV Park12702 Rue FranciosAbbeville, LA [email protected]

Betty’s RV park2118 State StreetAbbeville, LA 75010337-893-7057www.bettysrvpark.comHebert’s Cajun Heaven RV 106 Trahan Street Abbeville, LA [email protected]

Sunnyside Motel700 West 1st StreetKaplan, LA 70548337-643-7181

www.sunnysidemotel.com

Chateau VermilionLege RoadKaplan, LA 70548337-643-1625

La Maison Des Chenes40522 East Lake Shore RdGueydan, LA 70542800-888-0960www.lamaisondeschenes.com

Doug’s Hunting Lodge194Specklebelly RoadGueydan, LA 70542337-536-7902www.dougshuntinglodge.com

CERTIFIED

Monday-Friday


Census shows newcomers living in rural areasThere is good news and

there is bad news when it comes to the new 2010 U.S. Census Population totals.

First the good.Vermilion Parish has

grown 7.8 percent or 4,192 people over the last 10 years. In 2000, the population of the parish was 53,807. The num-bers for the 2010 census is 57,999.

The next questions is where are the extra people living in the parish?

The quick answer is in the northern rural areas of the parish.

The North Vermilion area is the fastest growing area in the parish, followed by north of Erath.

Hardly anyone has moved into towns over the last 10 years.

Only two out of the six towns in the parish have shown a positive increase in population over the last 10 years.

Two towns that showed population growth have a total of 692 new people. That leaves the other 3,500 new residents living in the rural areas of the parish.

Abbeville�’s new population is 12,257 or 370 more people from 10 years ago.

The other community with the largest growth is the Vil-lage of Maurice with a new population of 964 - which has increased by 300 percent in 10 years. The population was 322 in 2000. While that is good news, the Village of Maurice was trying to reach a population of 1,000 in or-der for it be called a town. It missed that mark by 36 resi-dents and will remain a Vil-lage for 10 more years.

The news is not so posi-tive for four other communi-ties.

The city of Kaplan had a big drop of 577 residents.

In 2000, the population was 5,177. The new numbers are 4,600.

According to state law, Kaplan also dropped its city ranking and is now consid-ered a town because its popu-lation dropped below 5,000.

Gueydan dropped 476 citi-zens over 10 years. In 2000 the population was 1,874 and the new numbers are 1,398.

Gueydan Mayor Bob Hens-gens said he is not surprised the population has dropped. In his opinion there are two reasons as to why the popula-tion is down.

Some are moving out of the town into the rural areas and others are moving to La-fayette and not returning, he said.

�“I hope this will be Guey-dan�’s natural size for years to come,�” said Hensgens.

Many residents left Del-cambre after Hurricane Rita and Ike.

In 2000, the population was 2,168 in Delcambre. To-day, the population is 1,866 �–

a loss of 302 residents.Erath, also lost some resi-

dents. The new numbers are 2144 or 43 less than 10 years ago.

Data for Louisiana show that the ve most populous incorporated places and their 2010 Census counts are New Orleans, 343,829; Baton Rouge, 229,493; Shreveport, 199,311; Lafayette, 120,623; and Lake Charles, 71,993. New Orleans decreased by 29.1 percent since the 2000 Census. Baton Rouge grew by 0.7 percent, Shreveport decreased by 0.4 percent, La-fayette grew by 9.4 percent and Lake Charles grew by 0.3 percent.

The largest parish in-crease is East Baton Rouge with a population of 440,171. Its population grew by 6.6 percent since 2000. The oth-er parishes in the top ve include Jefferson, with a population of 432,552 (de-crease of 5.0 percent); Or-leans, population of 343,829 (decrease of 29.1 percent);

Caddo, population of 254,969 (increase of 1.1 percent); and St. Tammany, population of 233,740 (increase of 22.2 per-cent).

The redistricting le con-sists of ve detailed tables: the rst shows the popula-tion by race, including six single race groups and 57

multiple race groups (63 totalrace categories); the second shows the Hispanic or Latino population as well as the non-Hispanic or Latino popula-tion cross-tabulated by the 63race categories.

New 2010 Census Population numbers for towns in Vermilion Parish.

2010 PopulationsAbbeville.....12,257Kaplan.........4,600Erath...........2,144Delcambre...1,866Gueydan......1,398Maurice........964

2000 PopulationsAbbeville.........11,887Kaplan.............5,177Erath...............2,187Delcambre.......2,168Gueydan..........1,874Maurice............642

TAMMY’S FLOWERS & GIFTS


Abbeville Chiropractic Clinic would like to welcome Dr. Anita Carrere-Chaisson.

A native of Houma, she completed part of her undergraduate studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and graduated with her Bachelors of Science degree from Nicholls State University in Thibodaux.

She then went on to receive her Doc-torate of Chiropractic, graduating Sum-ma Cum Laude and Valedictorian, from Parker College of Chiropractic in Dallas, TX. While obtaining her Doctorate De-gree, she completed specialty training in sports injury rehabilitation, extremity adjusting, and Kinesio Taping and pos-ture rehabilitation.

Being a runner and triathlete her-self, Dr. Carrere-Chaisson recognizesthe importance of overcoming injuries fast in order to continue training safe and sound. Dr. Carrere-Chaisson is alsoa Certi ed Animal Chiropractor and en-joys working with her canine and equine patients as well. Call 893-4353 to sched-ule your appointment today.

Chaisson new chiropractor in Abbeville

Dr. Anita Carrere-Chaisson.

Houma native is working for Abbeville Chiropractic Clinic

Bancker was once a thriving port community nestled between four large plantations that com-prised the main land holdings of the area. In fact, the entrance to the old Cade Plantation is located where LA 690 turns left in front of the Bancker Grotto Memorial Park. The grotto was built on the area�’s early 1900�’s Catholic Church site.

To see that church today, you would have to travel to its present location in nearby Henry, where it was dismantled and moved when the population shifted. The origi-nal grotto�’s statue of Mary now adorns the front of the Catholic Church in Delcambre. So, what was the purpose of establishing a grotto here? This cave-like struc-ture, a replica of the Grotto of Lourdes in southern France, pays

homage to the apparition of Mary in 1858 to the young shepherdess Bernadette.

The Catholic Church played a generous role in shaping south Louisiana culture. Both the church cemetery that dates to 1897 and the grotto have recently been refurbished and are open to the public.

Sit under the oaks for a pleas-ant picnic and watch the sher-men off the banks of the Vermil-ion River or simply meditate in the serene setting.

The beautiful surroundings are a haven for birdwatchers and nature lovers. You will note that the road north of the Grotto stops at the river. This is the location where the Bancker Ferry trans-ported passengers to the west side of the Vermilion River in times

past. The members of Les Cre-tiens invite you to visit Bancker Grotto Memorial Park and see the wonders of nature as they oc-cur in this �“Little Bit of Heaven on Earth�”.

While you�’re in the area, you may want to include a drive south along the banks of the Vermilion River via Live Oak Road to the parish�’s only remaining working plantation. While the public must stop at the plantation gates, the drive is worthwhile for the scen-ery alone. The roadside near the plantation gates is referred to as �‘the rocks�’.

This tree lined area provides access to shing, bird watching or simply taking in the sites of na-ture. This quiet countryside is life at its best. The grotto at Bancker, located south of

Abbeville.

Bancker �– A place to visit in the parish

CHIROPRACTIC OUTLOOK

Backpacks Lead to Back Pain Young children are suffering from back pain and the use of overweight backpacks is a contributing factor. The number of children complaining of back, neck and shoulder pain has increased with the heavy weight along with improper use of backpacks which is not surprising. The longer this weight is carried, the longer it takes to correct itself. Backpacks should be limited to 10% of the child�’s body weight along with proper positioning of the back. See your local chiropractor to diagnosis and treat patient�’s of all age�’s. They can guide students in the proper use of backpacks, good posture, and exercise to strengthen the problem areas. Come by for your free consultation. Call for information: 337-893-4353.

Brought to you as a community service by:

ABBEVILLE CHIROPRACTIC CLINIC893-4353

Mon.-Wed. 8:30-4:30 Tues.-Thurs. 1:00-6:00 Friday 8:30-12:00

2619 South Dr., Abbeville

ByDr. Amy Rumbaugh-Durr


Sheriff Mike Couvillon and The Vermilion Parish Sheriff�’s

deputies wants everyone to remember to buckle up & drive safely.

Serving & Protecting All OfVermilion Parish

Abbeville history and facts Abbeville is in the heart of �“Cajun Country�”, and is home to many restaurants that spe-cialize in the authentic tastes of the region. Formerly called La Chapelle, the land that was to become Abbeville was purchased by founding father Père Antoine Désiré Mégret (Père is French for 'Father'), Capuchin missionary, on July 25, 1843 for $900. Me-gret named the town after his home in France. There were two people living on the land at that time, Joseph LeBlanc and his wife Isabelle Brous-sard, whose former home Fa-ther Megret converted into a chapel. The chapel burned in 1854, and St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church now stands at the same location. Father Megret modeled his original plan for the village after a French Provincial vil-lage. In a map he made in 1846, the town was 38 to 40 acres (160,000 m2) in size. It was bounded on the north by St. Victor Boulevard, on the south by Lafayette Bou-levard, on the east by "the sisters of Charity," and on the west by Bayou Vermil-ion. At this point in time the town was called �“Abbville�”. It is not clear exactly when or why the transition to "Ab-beville" took place. There were two theories as to why this name was chosen. One is that it was a combination of "Abbe" for Abbé Mégret and "ville" for town �— thus Ab-bé's town. The other is that it was named for Abbeville, France, which some believed to have been the birthplace of

Père Mégret. Some support for the second theory could be found in the fact that the town in France is pronounced "Abbville" by the French. However, in 1995, Fr. Jean Desobry discovered in the diocesan archives of Amiens the dossier of Fr. Antoine Jacques Désiré Mégret, who was born on May 23, 1797 at Abbeville dans la Somme and was to become founder of Ab-beville in Louisiana. He also found that on February 12, 1844, the pastor gave to his American town the name of the town of his birth. "The residents nd this name especially tting be-cause of the French word abbé

which means father added to the French word ville [which means town]. Their Abbeville is truly la ville de l'abbé [the priest's town]." At the center of downtown is Magdalen Square, which is a beautiful town square ac-cented by huge oak trees, a fountain, and gazebo. Today, a statue stands in Magdalen Square in memorial to Fa-ther Megret. In 1890, 637 people lived in Abbeville; in 1900, 1,536; in 1910, 2,907; and in 1940, Ab-beville was the home of 6,672 occupants. In 1990, 11,187 people lived in Abbeville. As of the census[6] of 2000, there were 11,887 people,

4,499 households, and 3,014 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,104.3 people per square mile (812.3/km²). There were 5,125 housing units at an av-erage density of 907.3/sq mi (350.2/km²). The ethnic makeup of the city was 54.29% White, 38.56% African American, 0.19% Native American, 5.50% Asian, 0.39% from other races, and 1.06% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.93% of the population. In 2005, 76.0% of the popula-tion over the age of ve spoke English at home, 16.5% of the population spoke French or

Cajun, and 5.5% spoke Viet-namese. There were 4,499 house-holds out of which 32.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.6% were married couples liv-ing together, 21.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.0% were non-families. 28.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.23.

(See HISTORY, Page 30)


In the city the population was 29.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 85.7 males. For every 100 fe-males age 18 and over, there were 80.9 males. The median income for a household in the city was $19,714, and the me-dian income for a family was $21,400. Males had a median income of $27,766 versus $16,073 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,680. About 33.3% of fami-lies and 37.7% of the popula-tion were below the poverty line, including 53.8% of those under age 18 and 23.6% of those age 65 or over. There are ve main festi-vals throughout the year in Abbeville:

* Daylily Festival and Gar-den Show * Giant Omelette Celebra-tion * Les Lumieres du Village d�’Abbeville * Louisiana Cattle Festival * Vermilion Carousel of Arts

HistoryFrom Page 29

Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic Church, Abbev-ille�’s largest church, is located in the center of the Historical Abbeville District.

Magdalen Square is located adjacent to the church and is used for many weddings and special occasions.

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Palmetto Island State Park: Parish�’s gem Located on the Vermilion River, Palmetto Island State Park offers a real south Loui-siana outdoors experience. A boat launch provides access to the river for shing and boating, while the interior la-goons allow canoers and kay-akers an up-close look at the native plant and animal life. Overnight guests can stay in one of six vacation cabins, each sleeping up to 8 people comfortably. The cabins, nestled among the trees and foliage, are out tted with a full kitchen and bathroom, replaces for those chilly win-ter evenings and a screened-in porch for listening to the crickets and frogs sing out their evening melodies. Nine-ty-six campsites are available for both RV and tent camp-ing, for those who like to get a little closer to nature. The visitor center complex will de nitely be a "must do" for the day-use visitor, with a water playground and bath-house. A multi-purpose room can be rented for meetings, family gatherings, weddings and many other events. The ever-present palmetto plants, for which the park is named, are echoed in many of the ar-chitectural elements around the park; so pack a picnic and have a scavenger hunt for them all! The gates to Palmetto Is-land State Park are opened 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., Sunday through Thursday. The en-trance station is open 6 a.m. to 7 p.m. All park sites close at 10 p.m. on Friday, Satur-day and days preceding holi-days. An entrance fee of $1 per person is needed upon arriv-al. The state park is free for

seniors (62 and older) and for children ages 3 and under. The State Park has a .7 mile Cypress-tree lined na-ture trail. Directions: In Abbeville, turn left onto LA 14/W. Summers Drive, then right onto LA 82/N. State Street. Follow LA

82 out of town, turning left onto LA 690, then right onto Pleasant Drive. GPS Coor-dinates: N 29 52.158, W 92 09.1010.

Palmetto Island State Park sits in a beautiful and lushnatural setting.

Palmetto Island State Park is located in Southern Vermilion Parish.

newcomers guide 2011

Documents

quaint town of abbeville

town of kaplan

abbeville products

natives of abbeville

kaplan area

quaint small town

abrom kaplan

annual gueydan duck