THE ZACHA Y
ADVOCATE&
THURSDAY APRIL 9, 2015
P R O U D LY O W N E D I N L O U I S I A N A
Stacy Gill AROUND ZACHARY
Graves visits Zachary Chamber lunch BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com SGILL@ THEADVOCATE.COM
Sign up to strut, sing at ZFest Registration is still open for the Miss Zachary beauty pageant and the Z-Star singing competition, both scheduled for Saturday, April 25, at the Performing Arts Center on Zachary High’s campus. The pageant will include female contestants in the following divisions: Little Miss Baby Zachary, infants and girls up to age 10; PreTeen Miss Zachary, girls and teens ages 11 to 13; Teen Miss Zachary, ages 14 to 16; and Miss Zachary, ages 17 to 23. Everyone receiving an award at the Miss Zachary pageant will appear in a fashion show beginning at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, May 2, at ZFest. The Z-Star singing competition is open to males and females ages 11 to 23. Contestants will perform one song at the pageant, with the top performer receiving a $100 cash prize. The top three performers will sing at ZFest on the main stage. Both events are open to the community. Tickets are $8 for general admission, $5 for students with identification, and children 5 and younger will be admitted free. The Zachary Performing Arts Center will open at 9:30 a.m. April 25. For information about the pageant, call (225) 938-8812 or email misszachary pageant@yahoo.com. To register for the singing contest, visit zfest.us.
Powderpuff game set
A powderpuff game will be held at Zachary High School’s Bronco Stadium at 6 p.m. Tuesday. In recognition of the districtwide kindness initiative, Rachel’s Challenge, and realizing teachers’ funds are limited, several girls at Zachary High School have been motivated to raise funds for teachers to pur-
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U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, from Louisiana’s 6th congressional district, was the guest speaker at the Zachary Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Lunch and Learn networking event March 31 at the Americana YMCA. “America is a neat country. People look to America as being the most successful in terms of work ethic,” Graves said. “But I’m concerned about the future of the United States. I think
we’re deviating from the principles that made us successful.” Graves spoke on issues concerning offshore energy production, clean air and ozone standards, recreational fishing, maritime concerns, the petrochemical industry and ports development. “These are the foundations of Louisiana’s economy but they’re being challenged at times,” said Graves, who serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Natural Resources Committee. “Both committees represent pol-
U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, of the 6th Congressional District, was in Zachary on March 31 as the guest speaker of the Chamber of Commerce’s monthly Lunch and Learn, a business networking event held at Americana’s YMCA.
icy priorities that are important to south Louisiana — safe and efficient transportation, flood control, hurricane protection, maritime commerce, coastal restoration, ports development and energy production.” The congressman, who also is vice chairman of the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment, spoke about the nation approaching a national debt of $18 trillion. “We’re really going to handiäSee CHAMBER, page 5G
Advocate staff photo by STACY GILL
RUNNING OF THE COLORS
Empty Bowls fill shelves, feed hungry BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com
Advocate staff photo by TRAVIS SPRADLING
Jordan Qaddourah, of Zachary, sports Color Run gear, including sunglasses for eye protection from flying colored cornstarch, Saturday just before the start of the Baton Rouge Color Run. Runners and bubbles mix as participants move to the starting line Saturday at the Baton Rouge Color Run.
Zachary High School students have been busy sculpting, painting, glazing and kilning pottery bowls to get ready for the annual Empty Bowls fundraiser that benefits the Zachary Food Pantry and the hungry in the community. This is the fifth year for the event that has raised an average of about $3,000 annually since it began at ZHS. The idea behind Empty Bowls, an international grassroots effort to raise money and awareness in the fight to end hunger, involves art students handcrafting pottery bowls that are sold during a one-night event. Zachary art teacher Chloe McCleary, who spearheads the local effort with help from fellow art teachers Megan Buccere and Mandy Bradley, gets äSee BOWLS, page 6G
äSee AROUND, page 5G
INSIDE Obituaries .............. 8G Sports .................... 1H
Advocate staff photo by STACY GILL
Gabbie Franklin, a senior, molds her elephant-footed bowl April 2 while in art class at Zachary High School. Franklin and classmates are designing 400 bowls to be sold at the annual Empty Bowls event April 16.