Visit Echo’s From the Past. 8G
THURSDAY FEBRUARY 5, 2015
SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA, WEST FELICIANA AND ST. HELENA
H $1.00
THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 17
Bicentennialbash Dardenne helps Jackson celebrate 200th birthday
Advocate staff photo by STEPHANIE WARREN
St. Helena Parish residents received helpful information at a USDA StrikeForce meeting Jan. 27 at the Fifth Ward Recreational Multipurpose Center in Amite.
BY HOWARD ARCENEAUX Special to The Advocate
JACKSON — Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne surveyed the crowd gathered at Centenary State Historic site and told a story 3,500 years in the making. His story was a brief history of Louisiana, and an important part of it happened 200 years ago on Jan. 31, 1815, when a law was signed making Jackson the parish seat of Feliciana parish. It was named in honor of Gen. Andrew Jackson, the hero of the Battle of New Orleans, who would one day be the seventh president of the United States. Dardenne was the keynote speaker during the Founder’s Day celebration in Jackson. Acknowledging the budget challenges the state is facing, Dardenne reminded the audience surrounding the porch of the restored Professor’s Cottage that Louisiana’s culture and history are unique and worth protecting. “I encourage you to recognize and remember and preserve the great history we have,” Dardenne said. His history lesson began with the settlement of Poverty Point by Native Americans in North Louisiana and followed with mention of DeSoto’s discovery of the Mississippi River, LaSalle’s naming of Louisiana after King Louis the 14th, and Bienville and Iberville’s journeys’. Dardenne explained the French and Spanish influence in New Orleans and the confluence of those cultures with Africans that created the uniqueness of the Creole influence. The Louisiana Purchase from France for $16 million — $6 mil-
Advocate photo by HOWARD ARCENEAUX
An audience of more than 100 listens as Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne gives a brief history of Louisiana including the founding of Jackson at the Founder’s Day program on Saturday. Dardenne, Rep. Kenny Havard and local officials celebrated the 200th birthday of the East Feliciana town with its residents and visitors.
Jackson Mayor Charles Coleman dresses in period cos- Dressed in costumes from the early 1800s, Holli Gilmore, Vera tume Saturday for his town’s Bond, Sandy Smith and Belinda Smith, from left, commemorate Saturday the bicentennial of their hometown of Jackson. bicentennial program ‘Conductor’ Jim Buchtel, right, of the Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders, demonstrates a model train to, from left, Summer Barber, 6, of Jackson, and William Wisdom, 6, and Mackenzie Russell, 6, both of Tullos. The Model Railroaders are set up behind the Republic of West Florida Historical Museum in Jackson.
äSee BASH, page 2G
INSIDE East Feliciana...3G,5G West Feliciana...........3G St. Helena .................7G Sports .......................1H
USDA officials give overview of available assistance
BY STEPHANIE WARREN
they can get assistance, too,” Berry said. Residents attending the Southern University Agri- meeting received information cultural Research and Exten- that provided the technical sion Center hosted a USDA assistance and explanations StrikeForce meeting, with a needed on USDA programs visit from U.S. Department of available in the area. Two of the programs menAgriculture officials, Jan. 27 at the 5th Ward Recreational tioned were the single-family Multipurpose Center in Amite. housing programs and the multifamily housUSDA represen“Their programs ing programs. tatives provided The single-faminformation during and services are ily program prothe meeting on the very helpful to vides homeownerassistance availour parish, and ship opportunities able to help the ruI always make to low- to moderral community to sure to tell other ate-income resiprosper. dents through loan, St. Helena Parish people about faces many unique them so they can grant and loan guarantee prochallenges every get assistance, grams. The proday, Parish Admintoo.” grams also make istrator Virginia funding available Bell said. “USDA’s CHARLES BERRY, representatives St. Helena cattle farmer to residents to finance vital imworked to address provements necthose unique set of challenges faced in this par- essary to make their homes decent, safe and sanitary, the ish,” Bell said. Through StrikeForce, the representatives said. The multifamily housing USDA leverages resources and collaborates with partners programs offer rural rental and stakeholders to improve housing loans to provide afeconomic opportunity and fordable multifamily rental quality of life in areas such as housing for very low-, low- and moderate-income families; St. Helena. St. Helena Parish resident the elderly; and persons with and cattle farmer Charles disabilities. In addition, deepBerry said he attends every subsidy rental assistance is available to eligible families. USDA meeting he can. There are three multifamily “Their programs and services are very helpful to our par- rental housing facilities in St. ish, and I always make sure to tell other people about them so äSee OVERVIEW, page 2G
swarren@theadvocate.com
State poet laureate featured at symposium Advocate staff report St. Francisville, with a population of 1,765 give or take a few, has become a mecca for artists, musicians, designers, authors relishing its peaceful atmosphere. February is enlivened by a well-established gathering that draws interested readers and writers from a wide area, said author and St. Francisville native Anne Butler.
Bulter said St. Francisville’s Writers and Readers Symposium: A Celebration of Literature and Haymon Art reflects a new diversity in the community. The day-long symposium has given writers a chance to speak about their creative processes and mingle with enthu-
siastic fans, Butler said. Added features include writing workshops for students and professionals, a juried exhibit of literature-related photography, monthly readings and other activities leading up to the main event Feb. 21. Featured writers presenting at this year’s Symposium are Moira Crone, a New Orleans novelist and short story writer; Louisiana’s Poet Laureate Ava Leavell Haymon; mystery
writer Abigail Padgett, whose latest book is set in St. Francisville; and writer-photographer Richard Sexton, whose most recent book explores and illustrates with images the Creole connections between New Orleans and the Latin Caribbean. Louisiana State University Press has published four collections of poetry by Haymon, who is editor of the Press’ Barataria Poetry Series. A Mississippi native, Hay-
mon grew up in Kansas City with a Baptist preacher father who made her memorize ten verses of scripture each week and recite them perfectly before the television set could be turned on, Butler said. Haymon attended Baylor University but moved to Baton Rouge so her husband could attend LSU Law School and she could obtain her master’s äSee POET, page 2G
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