The St. Tammany Farmer 06-25-2025 by The Advocate

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has designed and created the first permanent Abita Nature Center sign with a nod to the property’s history as a hummingbird banding station and sanctuary for birds and wildlife.

Birds, bees and trees

New nature center will serve and conserve Abita Springs

BY SHEILA GRISSETT

Staff writer

Something big is happening in this small town of almost 2,900 people that could cast a long green shadow in Abita Springs for generations.

The new Abita Springs Nature Center is coming to life on 8.84 acres of mostly wooded green space in the heart of town, just down Main Street from the post ofﬁce where some townspeople still pass by daily to swap news with friends and neighbors.

Abita Springs is still that kind of place, and it’s going to be that kind of Nature Center, say the civic volunteers, naturalists and green space proponents supporting it No pilie driving No high-rises or scaffolding. Just plenty of birds, bees and trees.

Southern magnolia, like this one in Covington, is Louisiana’s state flower, known for its heady fragrance and large, milky white blossoms. An ordinance coming before the Mandeville City Council on July 10 would protect magnolias during

Mandeville council delays tree protection vote to July 10

BY KIM CHATELAIN

Contributing writer

former chairman and 10-year member of the city’s parks and parkways commission, said discussions he’s had with residents indicate a misconception that Mandeville has the strongest tree laws in the region. Not so, Discon says.

“It’s a treasure, a place where you can just wander and enjoy nature without running into a hundred other people,” she says “You can see nature all around, and you can hear it.”

The Nature Center property — about the size of 11 football ﬁelds — includes a cypress-ringed pond and woodlands backing up to the scenic Abita River. A bucolic

“It’s smack in the middle of town, right at the corner of Main and Pine (streets), a place of natural beauty for the public to learn about and enjoy nature,” says Martha Gruning, president of both the nonproﬁt Abita Springs Nature Center Advisory Board that will operate the center on site, as well as the Abita Springs Nature Center Foundation, the project’s fundraising arm.

Editor’s note: There was such a positive response to our “Where Are They Now?” stories last year that we’re bringing the series back to the pages of the St. Tammany Farmer this summer We asked that question about some of the best athletes in local sports and then we went out and found them. This summer, we’ll reacquaint readers with some of these familiar faces. We’ll take a deep dive into stories that began in youth leagues, continued at local high schools and then colleges near and far Many of these homegrown talents played professionally, too, reaching the pinnacle of athletic achievement This week, we feature baseball standoutturned-coach Mike Federico.

CATCHING ON

BY DARREN COOPER Contributing writer

Longtime artist David Kelsey

PHOTOS BY MATT DOBBINS

Is this blossom cluster hanging in the woods at the developing Abita Springs Nature Center a crossvine or a trumpet vine, both vigorous growing natives with look-alike blooms favored by hummingbirds often present on the site? But there are differences that visitors to the Nature Center can learn about during a class, a workshop, or a field trip, all of which will be offered

Federico

walking path circles part of the pond and a few leaf-littered trails wend through the woods down to, and along, the riverbank

A lesser amount of grassy open space, maybe an acre, stretches away from the structures, and planting areas there are being restored and purposely filled with native Louisiana ﬂora, as well as the flowers and plants that help sustain butterﬂies, hummingbirds and pollinators.

The center, now owned by the town of Abita Springs, is set to open to the public early next year The history

The Nature Center project didn’t start from scratch. Instead, it is the repurposing of a special property that for decades had been a private residence and hummingbird station — affectionately, “Hummer Haven” — and its grounds, a woodlands shelter for Louisiana wildlife. It was a gathering spot for many in the conservation community

The property was owned by longtime Abita Springs residents Olga and Walter Clifton, both conservationists. Olga, a birder and wellestablished hummingbird bander, died in 2010; Walter, also an avid sportsman and an accomplished wildlife photographer, passed eight years later

In addition to the original, smaller parcel on which the Cliftons’ home and outbuildings stood at 22315 Main St., the couple also bought adjacent woods and maintained them as a natural wildlife sanctuary

It all sold after his 2018 death, but now the property has a new owner, and the 2,700-square-foot Clifton residence, with its wide, welcoming covered back porch, are transforming into Nature Center classrooms and a venue for nature-centered workshops and classes. Meanwhile, the surrounding grounds will provide visitors the greenspace to walk or sit and relax, watch birds, sketch or paint, join a walking tour or take a workshop on, perhaps, gardening with native plants, wildlife habitats, ecology, beekeeping or building bluebird boxes.

Gruning said restoring the grounds to the condition maintained during the Cliftons’ stewardship is a priority, as is adding more woodland trails and connecting them all.

“It’s so important to protect these natural spaces; it makes our little town stronger,” says Abita Springs Intergovernmental Affairs Director Leanne Schaefer, the hands-on liaison between the city, as owner, and the Nature Center’s nonproﬁt operator, the advisory board Gruning leads.

“We are saving this for future generations,” Schaefer says. “It’s one of the most important things I’ve worked on in my 12 years here.”

The town put up about $46,000 in order to help secure the $651,000 Louisiana Outdoors Forever grant used to buy the property that the Clifton heirs sold several years ago. There is a servitude on most of the property that protects it, in perpetuity, from any development or activity that could harm its natural resources, including wildlife habitat open space and scenic views. The servitude was granted by the Cliftons to the nonproﬁt Nature Conservancy almost 30 years ago. The town is now working to add the remaining undeveloped portion to that existing servitude or to take other steps that will ensure it is permanently protected and conserved, Schaefer said.

The advisory board will operate the Nature Center under a cooperative endeavor agreement with the town.

SALE

Continued from page 1A

Ofﬁce Website, www.STPSO.com.

The list includes approximately 1,690 properties with taxes and/or related fees due to the parish and the municipalities of Slidell, Mandeville, Covington, Pearl River, Abita Springs and Madisonville.

In accordance with L.R.S. 47:2153, this is the first of two public notices of properties still

Looking ahead

The grant requires that work on the property ﬁnish by year’s end, and Gruning said it will.

in a

of nature’s green

area of the

that hasn’t been overly cultivated or landscaped.

Garden Club so far, Gruning said, and volunteers will continue to help maintain the plantings.

On-site parking will be added, but no asphalt paving; shell or another natural material will be used. Buses bringing students, retirees or other groups must drop passengers and park elsewhere.

After the Nature Center opens early next year, what comes next?

meanders through it. At present, there’s no way to easily get Nature Center visitors across the river to reach the second parcel. It is land that ﬂoods from a high river and during heavy rain, Schaefer said, making it unsuitable for most development, but not for lowimpact Nature Center activities.

Nonproﬁt volunteers are helping do the Nature Center greenscaping, including the St. Tammany Parish Master Gardeners, the Wild Ones/ Pontchartrain Basin, Keep Abita Beautiful and the Abita Springs

A new roof has been added, and to make the repurposed house ADA compliant and accessible to all, a wheelchair ramp will be added, some interior doors widened and a bathroom overhauled The work is also being monitored by the Abita Springs Historic Commission in its mission to preserve town history and character

delinquent for the 2024 tax year

A second updated notice will be published in the St. Tammany Farmer on July 23. The list on the Sheriff’s Ofﬁce website will be updated the same day Property tax bills for 2024 were mailed Nov 18. Delinquent notices were sent on Feb. 3 and again on May 27. The St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce has contracted with SRI Inc. to utilize its online tax sale platform The sale will take place at www.zeusauction.com

beginning at 8 a.m. and closing at 4 p.m. on July 29. Persons interested in participating in the sale will be required to create an account on the website and register for the St. Tammany Parish sale. Registration opens at 8 a.m. June 25 and closes at 4 p.m. July 18. Registrants will have access to a Louisianaspeciﬁc practice sale to become familiar with the features of the program. For more information with this process, call SRI at (800) 800-9588.

The project is ofﬁcially the Abita Springs Conservation Area and Nature Center, which Gruning and Schaefer say includes a separate 12.5 acres of undeveloped property the town owns, most of it on the other side of the Abita River that

Delinquent taxpayers are strongly encouraged to make their payments by noon on July 28 so payments can be recorded, and those properties removed from the website before the sale begins.

“That’s one of the challenges we haven’t fully ﬁgured out yet,” she says of linking the two. “But just imagine having 20 acres of interconnected greenspace in downtown for recreation and education right in the heart of Abita Springs. People here in town can walk or bicycle to it. This is a treasure.”

The tax sale process completes the annual property tax collection cycle. The sale is not of the structure or land itself, but of a tax title, which places a lien against the delinquent property Tax sale buyers pay the tax that is due, interest and other costs incurred in the collection process. Owners of property that sell at tax sale have a three-year period during which they can redeem their property with the Sheriff’s Office by paying all amounts owed at the time of redemption. The amounts collected are then used to reimburse the tax sale buyer For additional information on taxes owed or the tax sale process, call the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Property Tax Department at (985) 809-8217.

Joseph Halm jhalm@sttammanyfarmer.net

The texture

space

woodsy

Abita Nature Center

A rear view of the new Nature Center building

Aereation fountains like this one in the Nature Center pond put more oxygen into the water to fight algae growth and help good bacteria break down waste from duck droppings and organic matter

PROVIDED PHOTO BY THE NATURE CENTER

The Nature Center’s back porch could hold rocking chairs, easels or a few workshop chairs and tables, depending on its use at the time.

PHOTOS BY MATT DOBBINS

Martha Gruning is president of the Abita Springs Nature Center Advisory Board that will operate the center, as well as the Abita Springs Nature Center Foundation, the project’s fundraising arm.

Continued from page 1A

“I would tell my players, the game of baseball is hard, and the game of life is hard,” Federico said. “I don’t know what my next step is going to look like, but I don’t have anything to be upset about. I want to coach baseball, and I want to be around kids. I have to ﬁgure all those things out

On June 16, the road became much clearer when Federico was hired as director of player development for the Louisiana Tech baseball program. And it was clear from the onset that the Bulldogs were thrilled to have him on board.

“We couldn’t be more excited to have a coach and man of Mike Federico’s pedigree to join our program,” head coach Lane Burroughs said. “I have known Fed for over 30 years, including a stint on the same staff in ‘98 and ‘99, and there aren’t many coaches or men that I respect more.” Old dog, new tricks Baseball is Federico’s passion, but it was not his ﬁrst sport. He laughs that he’s a transplant in more ways than one, moving to the northshore at a young age from New Hampshire where he was a swimmer, before exchanging lap lanes for catcher’s equipment.

“I didn’t play baseball until I was 9 and I was just always around good people, like Benny Homburg, Charlie Hickman and the Robichaux family, people like that got me to start loving the game,” said Federico. “I was always trying to make the SBBA All-Star team and stuff like that. That’s where my roots started.”

At Pope John Paul II, Federico played for a handful of coaches, but he credits his freshman basketball coach, Kemper Todd, for teaching him an important lesson about maturity and respecting the game. Federico remembers being benched after getting worked up in a game. The Jags only had six players and when another player fouled out, Federico ﬁgured he would be subbed back in.

But Todd told Federico to stay on the bench, and the Jags would play the game with four players.

“I was acting like a fool,” Federico said with a laugh “But I will never forget that. That shaped me as a

Federico, center, watches the University of LouisianaMonroe baseball team from the dugout. He was head coach there for eight seasons.

the school in 1993.

a summer travel team with some friends based out of Jackson, Miss. When summer ball wrapped, some of those players went to Ole Miss or Mississippi State, and Federico opted to walk on at Hinds Junior College in Raymond, Mississippi. He helped lead Hinds to back-to-back Junior College World Series and earned a scholarship, before ending his playing career at Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.

Federico worked his way up the coaching ladder: head coach at Meridian (including trips to the JUCO World Series in 2003 and 2004), then a stop at the University of Memphis, then back to Southern Miss where he served as an assistant for nine years before taking the job at ULM in 2018.

“It was awesome, just having the opportunity to build something,” Federico said of his time in Monroe. “We did so many positive things. We had guys get drafted and play pro baseball, and there’s nothing like getting a phone call from a former player who tells you about their success or even tells you about a struggle they’re going through. I was so blessed. I wouldn’t change one thing other than I wish we won more games.”

Next steps

Federico’s wife, Hannah Sosa, is a native of the Bush community in St. Tammany Parish and they have three children.

Hayden, the oldest, made the All-SEC Freshman Team. Brycen is a standout power lifter entering his senior year of high school and daughter Isabella is a dancer All three of his children grew up around sports and have gravitated to various activities.

“We used to tell our kids that they had to be doing something, whether it was working or playing,” Federico laughed. “They were all smart enough to get involved in sports.”

Federico’s parents moved from St. Tammany Parish in 1999, but Federico visits often when seeing his wife’s family and catches up with his old friends who helped him on his journey

Now he’s starting another one, this time in Ruston at Louisiana Tech

In Madisonville, the sun sets behind Spanish moss-draped bald cypress, the state tree and one of region’s three most hurricane-resistant ones, along with the live oak and Southern magnolia. Bald cypress can live for hundred of years; the oldest on record survived for 1,600 years, according to LSU Ag

MANDEVILLE

Continued from page 1A

Places such as Old Metairie and Madisonville have laws that protect several species of trees, whereas Mandeville’s regulations protect only live oaks.

Armed with this research and concerned about the clear-cutting of trees by developers, Discon, his council colleague Jill Lane and members of the city’s planning and public works departments embarked on an effort to strengthen trees laws by adding the bald cypress and Southern magnolia to the trees that are protected in the city Essentially, that means the city would have to grant a variance before those trees, along with live oaks, could be removed. An ordinance putting the new rule into effect was discussed at the council’s meeting on June 12, but a decision was delayed until July 10.

of completely clearing a lot of trees by bulldozing them all.

The city’s Planning & Zoning Commission approved the ordinance by a 5-1 vote. The City Council has the ﬁnal say The council was poised to vote on the ordinance at the June 12 meeting, but questions arose about the effect it might have on new construction.

Councilman Jason Zuckerman, an architect, said he is 100% in favor of the ordinance’s intent to protect the tree canopy but wonders if it might severely reduce the amount of buildable area on small pieces of property “It scares me because many pieces of property that I’ve done buildings on here this would have prevented houses from being built,” he said. “I just don’t know that the public is really that in tune to what this might do.”

coach.” After graduating from PJP II in 1993, Federico thought he was going to play baseball at McNeese State University in Lake Charles. Instead, he joined

Federico had his eyes on being a teacher, and maybe a high school baseball coach, but his life took a turn when he was offered a position on staff at Meridian Community College, working ﬁrst as a student coach, and then guiding the pitching staff. The Eagles reached the JUCO World Series three times during Federico’s ﬁve years coaching at the school.

“The cool thing for me is, I never stopped putting a uniform on,” Federico said. “I never thought I would be a college coach.”

“Coaching baseball is what I want to do,” he said, “and teach young men how to be better players, better men, better husbands and better citizens.”

The proposed ordinance would also stiffen ﬁnes for those who violate tree regulations. Penalties for illegally removing a protected tree would range from $2,000 to $20,000, depending on the size of the tree.

“We think this is going to help the clear-cutting situation,” Discon said, referring to the practice

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After Zuckerman said he’d like to discuss the proposed ordinance with constituents, the council decided to postpone a vote until its July 10 meeting. If substantial amendments are made to the ordinance, it will be referred to the Planning & Zoning Commission for another vote before being returned to the City Council for ﬁnal approval.

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Federico got the catcher’s gear on at the University of Southern Mississippi in the 1990s, where he finished his college career before joining the collegiate baseball coaching ranks.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Mike Federico was a Class 2A All-State catcher for Pope John Paul II High School. He graduated from

FILE PHOTO BY DAVID GRUNFELD

PHOTO BY HERB GOMEZ

Joseph Fontenot, executive chef of Creole Bagelry in Slidell, is one of 12 chefs statewide getting ready to compete — Food Network style — to win this year’s Louisiana Seafood Competition on June 27 at the Harbor Center The other local executive chef competing wil be Mike Kelley, of Gallagher’s in Covington.

St. Tammany chefs cooking off with seafood

BY JESSICA SAGGIO Contributing writer

Any given morning, there’s no telling if the line at Creole Bagelry in Slidell will be backed up all the way to the door

Maybe it’s the New York-style bagels, maybe it’s the heaps of ﬂavored cream cheese. Or maybe it’s for Chef Joseph Fontenot, the hands in the kitchen that help make the unique bagelry and breakfast joint one of the most beloved in the area.

Fontenot has been the executive chef at Creole Bagelry for the past eight years, mastering the restaurant’s variety of breakfast dishes — from loaded omelets to chicken and wafﬂes and breakfast chimichangas.

But this year, the chef behind some of the area’s favorite breakfast dishes will try his hand at something entirely new Fontenot is going after the title of Louisiana Seafood King at this year’s Louisiana Seafood Cookoff June 27.

A self-proclaimed underdog, Fontenot will compete against 11 other chefs who will convene at the Harbor Center near Slidell for this year’s statewide competition.

“I never thought I was going to get selected. I live a simple lifestyle. I’m not about the clout. I don’t want the pat on the back,” he said. “I just want to produce really good food.”

The event, which is a Food Network-style cooking competition, will put chefs to the test in front of a live audience The chefs will have one hour to prepare and plate a Louisiana seafood dish for a panel of judges The winner will be named the king or queen of Louisiana seafood and represent the state on behalf of the Louisiana Seafood and Marketing Board. The winner will also move on to compete in the Great American Seafood Cook-Off.

Guests can watch the competition live and indulge in a tasting event for $65. Children under 10 are free. The event, which runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., also kicks off the Tammany Taste of Summer, which is an annual dining celebration where local restaurants curate special menus for the season. The tastings at the event will be provided by the some 15 participating restaurants The Tammany Taste of Summer will be ongoing at local restaurants through Aug 31

This is the ﬁrst year the cook-off will take place in St. Tammany Parish, a move made at the direction of Lt. Gov Billy Nungesser. The news is a win for a region ripe with talent, said Nealy Frentz, who is a former Louisiana seafood queen, owner of LOLA restaurant in Covington and a judge at this year’s competition. Nealy and her husband, Keith, won the title in 2012.

“There are so many restaurants that aren’t just popping up but have been here and are super important to our area, and it’s nice to get that recognition in our parish,” said Frentz. Nungesser said St. Tammany was due to host the event which has

LA. SEAFOOD COOK-OFF

WHAT: A live cooking competition, with tastings WHEN: June 27, 6:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m. WHERE: Harbor Center near Slidell HOW MUCH: Tickets, with tasting, $65; kids 10 and under, free; bigtickets. com/e/cba/louisiana-seafood-cookoff-2025.

moved from place to place including Lafayette, Lake Charles and Monroe in recent years.

“This year, we are excited to hold this world-class culinary competition for the ﬁrst time in St. Tammany Parish with the help of Visit the Northshore,” he said.

And St. Tammany will definitely have representation at the cook-off. Fontenot is one of two chefs competing from the northshore. The other chef is Mike Kelley, executive chef of Gallagher’s in Covington.

Kelley who has been with Gallagher’s for the past eight years said he’s a creative chef, but isn’t “trendy.” He said he’s going into the competition with a winning mentality

“I already know I’m going to win,” said Kelley, who has been in the industry since he was a teen “We’re going in to this thing kind of with our eyes open. It’s really to have a lot of fun.”

He also said he hopes a win would give the parish the respect it deserves.

“I think that it just shows that the northshore is part of New Orleans, and I don’t want people in New Orleans to forget that,” said Kelley “There’s a lot of talent on the north shore.”

Kelley said he plans to make an American red snapper dish for the judges. He was tight-lipped about details, but said he hopes for it to be the winning dish.

Fontenot, on the other hand, will make a fried red ﬁsh over smoked Gouda grits with blackened Tasso cream sauce garnished with a corn maque choux He said he’s “taking that underdog mentality in there with me,” but knows he can win.

“I’m an advocate for this industry and I think our industry is at a very bad point right now,” he said. “That’s what I’m advocating for with this competition. For the small guy to show people you don’t have to have all this classical training to make it in the restaurant business.”

The two will compete against a handful of the best chefs in the state, including: chefs Alexis Indest, of Lafayette; Blake Jackson, of Shreveport; Chase Raley, of Monroe; Farrell Harrison, Jared Heider Jaylen Cherry, all of New Orleans; Kaleb Scott, of Baton Rouge; Karlos Knott, of Arnaudville; Trenton Oliphant, of Hammond, and chef Willie Gaspard Jr., of Charenton For tickets or more information, visit louisianaseafood.com or tammanytaste.com

Slidell Heritage Fest offers more supervised play for kids

BY KADEE KRIEGER Contributing writer

An expanded kids’ activity area will bring even more fun to the 27th Slidell Heritage Festival scheduled for June 28 at Heritage Park.

The festival is a joint venture of the Rotary Club of Slidell and Rotary Club of Slidell Northshore, joined by the city of Slidell, NOLA.com and The St. Tammany Farmer to provide an Independence Day community celebration.

Since its inception, the festival has raised more than $1 million for nonprofit organizations in St. Tammany Recipients of the 2025 event are Slidell Police Association, the Boy Scouts Cypress District, East St. Tammany Rainbow Child Care Center, Free NOLA and Hospice House. Rotarian Kendra Davis said the festival’s kids’ area is one of the event’s most unique features. “It really sets us apart from other festivals in the area,” she said.

Festival volunteers monitor and supervise kids in the activity area so parents can eat, drink and listen to music while their offspring are also having fun in another area.

Among the kids’ activities are pony rides, waterslides, and arts/crafts. The new features include an interactive science center, a golf putting green and a ﬁreﬁghter challenge staffed by Slidell Fire Department personnel.

“The ﬁreﬁghter challenge will be so fun! Kids get practice carrying water buckets and rolling up hoses. You wouldn’t believe how heavy they are,” Davis said. “Everything in the kids area is interactive and hands-on. There are so many ways for them to play and have fun.”

Details on all of the kids’ ac-

tivities can be found at https:// www.slidellheritagefest.org/. Davis said while adults are also welcome to jump on the waterslides, they may be more interested in the live music, arts and crafts booths and multiple food and beverage vendors offering everything from standard festival fare to upscale seafood dishes and plenty of cool treats. She said festival organizers listened to feedback from festivalgoers from the past few years and shifted fest hours from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., allowing temperatures to drop a bit be-

fore doors open. Fireworks begin at 9 p.m., with Amanda Shaw performing before the show and the Chee Wees taking the stage immediately following the ﬁreworks display Admission is $15 for ages 13 and older and no charge for the younger Get tickets at https:// www.eventbrit.com/e/slidellheritage-festival-2025-tickets-840860966787. For more information, visit https://www.slidellheritagefest. org/ or facebook.com/SlidellHeritageFest or SlidellHeritageFest.org.

Independence Day celebrations happening all over

BY KADEE KRIEGER

Contributing writer

Families throughout St Tammany Parish have a full slate of activities, from ﬁreworks and festivals to cornhole and horseshoe tossing, to help celebrate Independence Day In addition to backyard barbecues and pool parties, here are some scheduled organized community gatherings open to all, weather permitting.

Covington Sparks in the Park will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. June 28 at Bogue Falaya Park. Free admission for all ages. Includes a kids’ area with games and face painting; hot dog eating contest for adults; pie eating contest for kids; food and beverage vendors; and patriotic music from the Covington Concert Band. Guests are invited to bring picnic baskets and blankets or chairs for seating, but no ice chests. For information, visit goCovington.org.

Mandeville’s Light up the Lake celebration on July 4 starts at 6 p.m. on the Mandeville Lakefront in Linear Park along the shoreline. This free event includes special patriotic tributes. The Mande Milkshakers parade at 3 p.m.; performances by Amanda Shaw at 4 p.m., followed by the Boogie Men at 6:45 p.m., on the outdoor stage between Coffee and Carroll streets. Games and crafts at the Keep Mandeville Beautiful kids’ tent; and food trucks and drink tents; and plenty of games ﬁll out the evening ends. It ends with ﬁreworks over Lake Pontchartrain at 8:45 p.m. Glass bottles and charcoal grills are prohibited. For more info, visit cityofmandeville.com.

The Pearl River Independence Day Celebration takes place June 28 starting at 5 p.m with activities near Town Hall at 39460 Willis Alley There will be lawn games, a pieeating contest and a ﬁreworks display at 9 p.m. Lawn chairs and blankets for seating are welcomed Admission is freefor-all ages For information, visit pearlriverla.com. Olde Towne Slidell’s 4th of July Celebration will be held July 4 starting at 4 p.m. with food vendors, cooling zones, kids’ activities, a hot dog eating contest and live music from Big in the 90s and Paperchase. Participants in the hot dog eating contest should register by 4 p.m. on the day of the event. Chairs and blankets for seating welcome, but coolers are prohibited. For information, follow the Slidell Merchants Association on Facebook.

Madisonville’s Old-Fashioned 4th of July celebration takes place July

4 from 10 a.m. to dusk along the Madisonville River Front on Water Street, hosted by the town and Keep Madisonville Beautiful. Admission is free The fun includes kids’ games, cornhole and horseshoe tournaments and a Veterans’ Salute. There will also be watermelon eating and rooster crowing contests. Fireworks will be held at approximately 8:45 p.m. in front of the old town hall. Bring chairs, coolers and picnic baskets. Street parking available throughout the town. The Abita Springs 4th of July Celebration of Community on July 4 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Abita Springs Trailhead Park. Free to attend. The celebration includes military appreciations and ﬂag retirement; live music by Four Unplugged; ﬁreworks; vendors for food, arts and crafts Fireworks start about 9 p.m. For information, visit townofabitasprings.com.

STAFF PHOTO

The upcoming Slidel Heritage Festival will offer more supervised activities for kids than ever this year

FILE PHOTO

The town’s very own Covington Concert Band will again celebrate Independence Day with patriotic music as family, friends, band fans and neighbors all gather June 28 in Bogue Falaya Park

Mandeville firefighters welcome aboard their new chief

BY DARREN COOPER Contributing writer

Morgan City native Albert

“Bert” Norton was sworn in as new chief of St. Tammany Parish Fire Protection District 4, which serveds Manedeville and the city’s densely populated outskirts Norton started the job on June 17 and began acclimating himself to his new home town, including ﬁnding a spot for crawﬁsh.

“It took three days to ﬁnd a place,” laughed Norton. “They were good.” Norton, 54, takes over for retiring veteran Fire Chief Kenneth Moore, who was the one-time ﬁre district director of administration before taking over as chief in December of 2016.

“We cannot thank Chief Moore enough for his dedication and leadership to District 4,” said Rick Danielson, chairman of the fire district’s board of commissioners.“He moved our district to a new level through his discipline, his integrity, his vision and his leadership. He’s leaving our district in incredible shape, and we wish him nothing but the best as he moves into retirement.”

Norton graduated from Morgan City High School; earned his undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University; and his master’s degree from Drury University in Missouri. He worked in two different districts in Oklahoma: Harrah, population of 6,245, and Midwest City, with a population 58,409, where he chief.

“When this job opened up, I saw it as a great opportunity because this department is so strong and has so many things going for it,” said Norton. “There were similarities to where I was, and I just felt like it was a good ﬁt and began to pursue it.”

One of the ﬁrst things to strike Norton was the long history of the Mandeville fire district, and how it compared to his old post in Oklahoma.

“Oklahoma wasn’t even a state until 1907 and the city we were in just celebrated its 80th anniversary,” said Norton. “So it’s impressive when you look at the history and culture compared to Mandeville fire and where it came from to where it is today. It’s an organization with a PIAL 1 (rating) and runs an ambulance service It’s an exceptional department that has made leaps and bounds from its inception to where it is now.”

The PIAL (Property Insurance Association of Louisiana) 1 rating is a badge of honor for District 4. It is the only district with that rating in the history of St. Tammany Parish and one of only 104 in the nation.

“We want people to come to Mandeville and see that we set the standard for fire service in Louisiana and in the nation,” Norton said. “There may be some things we can improve on, but we can’t change fire, fire is fire and water puts fire out. The rating shows we are doing a lot of things very, very well.”

Norton has been married for 25 years to his wife Melody, an Oklahoma native, and the couple have three children.

“Chief Norton has 30 years of dedicated service and nine years of proven leadership as a chief,” said Danielson.

“He brings exceptional strength to our department and his leadership qualities make him the right leader at the right time for us.”

Report tracks economic trends for St. Tammany

Staff report

The St. Tammany Economic Development Corp. has released the latest edition of its digital research publication, The AnalyST an economic trends report highlighting data-driven indicators seen across local, state and national economies during the ﬁrst quarter of 2025. Key ﬁndings follow Labor market: Unemployment in St. Tammany Parish rose slightly to around 4%, but remains below metro, state and national averages, indicating a tight labor market still within the natural unemployment rate of 3.5% to 4.5%. Revised data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows the parish’s labor force is now 6,650 workers larger than in March 2020, although the labor force participation rate remains at 58.3%. The employment-to-popula-

tion ratio has improved for primeage workers (ages 25 to 54), but remains low for younger and older age groups, with employment more prevalent among individuals holding a bachelor’s degree or higher Business and industry: There were 931 new business incorporation ﬁlings in the ﬁrst quarter, a slight decline of 74 compared to the same quarter last year. Self-employment remains strong, accounting for 36% of all jobs, particularly in real estate, agriculture, finance and professional services. The manufacturing sector experienced a decline in the Purchasing Managers’ Index during early 2025 due to trade policy uncertainty accompanied by a slight increase in manufacturing related unemployment. In the services sector, the PMI held at 51.6%, signaling continued economic expansion, though a small

and unusual rise in unemployment was observed between February and March. Inflation and wages: Inﬂation in the Southern region reached the Federal Reserve’s 2% year-over-year target in March, though elevated prices persist in housing, child care, and dining, with tariffs impacting further price increases, especially for vehicles. Wage growth in the region has stabilized at a 3.3% annual rate, with average weekly earnings in the parish at $1,104; however, adjusted for cost of living, real wages are less compared to broader benchmarks.

Real estate and construction: In the ﬁrst quarter of 2025, 293 new housing units were permitted in St. Tammany Parish, a slight yearover-year decline of eight units, with average unit value falling by approximately $14,000 and mul-

tifamily development remaining limited and below pre-pandemic levels. The residential market saw a 5.1% increase in home sales in April compared to the previous year with a typical home value of $286,850 — substantially more affordable than the national average — and values rising at a modest and sustainable annual rate of 0.8%.

Retail sales and consumer activity: Retail sales tax collections reached $29.1 million in March, a 6.9% increase from the previous year, and ﬁrstquarter collections were $6 million higher than the ﬁrst quarter of 2024, likely driven by the recent state sales tax increase from 4% to 5% and consumer purchases made ahead of anticipated tariffs.

This edition of The AnalyST can be accessed on St. Tammany EDC’s website at www.sttammanyedc. org/the-analyst.

FROM THE FILES OF THE FARMER

25 years ago

Mandeville Councilman Jack McGuire last week criticized his colleagues for proposing a $100 pay raise for themselves. McGuire said the council should have proposed the raise prior to elections held in January

“It amounts to trying to sneak in a pay raise at the last minute,” McGuire said.

The departing councilman at large said the city of Slidell charter allows council pay raises, but not within one year of the council taking a new term of ofﬁce.

“We should have a similar clause in our charter that would stop this kind of end run,” McGuire said. The pay raise, if approved, will not become effective until July 1. The city charter allows the council to vote in pay raises but must do so after the terms of ofﬁce end The proposal would raise council pay from $750 a month to $850 monthly

McGuire moved to have the ordinance granting the raise removed from the agenda,

but could not get a second from Adelaide Boettner, Denis Bechac or Trilby Lenfant.

Councilman Zella Walker was absent.

Mayor Eddie Price defended the council’s action in the matter saying it was his idea to institute the pay raise.

“As the city grows, the demands on the council members increases,” he said. We know the demands on their time.”

50 years ago

A New Orleans radio station is planning an all-day picnic in Abita Springs on July 6, with three bands, beer, red beans and rice, and watermelons. The event is being held by WNOE FM Swiss Chalet Productions and is to take place on the grounds of Swiss Chalet in Abita.

Town residents are somewhat concerned about the nature of the event, asking if it is going to be a pop festival.

75 years ago

With only two more days left, voter registration in St.Tammany Parish had reached 8,816, according to records

Folsom adopts budget

BY KIM CHATELAIN

Contributing writer

The Folsom Board of Aldermen has approved the village budget for the 2025-26 ﬁscal year

The new budget, taking effect July 1, was unanimously approved earlier this month.

The budget anticipates revenues for the coming fiscal year totaling $2.2 million and expenditures of $2 million. The expenses amount to an increase of $370,316 over what was approved for the 2024-25 year

for streets and drainage improvements; and $30,100 for economic development.

The spending plan shows an increase in the fund balance of $255,894 to a total of $6 million.

Willie

Sales taxes are expected to come in at $1.2 million. Garbage, water and sewer fees are anticipated to generate another $577,646 in revenue for the village’s budget.

Major expenditures include $658,100 for the Police Department; $543,850 for general operations; $153,600

Mayor Lance Willie said the budget reflects a healthy ﬁnancial picture for the village, which has experienced an increase in sales tax revenues over the past several years.

Folsom has seen its fund balance grow from roughly $1.2 million eight years ago to over $6 million for the upcoming ﬁscal year, the mayor said.

“It’s about making sure the money is spent the right way and not on frivolous things,” Willie said.

The budget was approved without any major alterations from the board, although Willie said some funding was added for village parks.

revealed in the ofﬁce of Robert Smith, parish registrar In 1945, the last accurate registration, there were 8,054 in the parish. It is expected that before the closing hour tomorrow, over 10,000 will be eligible to vote. It was pointed out that those persons who have not registered since Jan. 1, 1949, are required to do so before they will be eligible to vote again.

100 years ago

The rapid development of Mandeville is bringing with it the realization that you can’t go ahead and stand still at the same time.

New conditions, new habits of living, the changes that come with progress bring with them new obligations as imperative and unavoidable as the imprint of time on the face of nature. The road that will stand the traffic of the country village will not stand the trafﬁc of the grown city, and the crystal waters of the farm-side spring would not provide for one hostelry

As the child grows and casts aside its old clothing,

so the town grows and casts aside its old customs and habits. And to meet new conditions, we understand that Mandeville is contemplating a stock law We are glad to hear this because it shows that the citizens of Mandeville are keeping pace with the improvements that are being made in that rapidly growing and historic town. It seems as if it would be an easy thing to put a stock law into effect. Just pass an ordinance and then enforce it. But there is always some opposition to any improvement that disturbs the routine of life’s affairs. Gradually the new order of things will adjust themselves and when approved, the wonder will be that there ever was a time when the community patiently suffered the annoyance, the danger and the uncleanliness of roaming cattle in the streets.

125 years ago (ADVERTISEMENT) BARGAINS! A fresh line of fancy groceries just received, and price is

TheSt.TammanyParishClerkofCourt’sofficewillbe qualifyingcandidatesforthefollowingracesthatwillbe includedintheOCTOBER11,2025 Election: Qualifying paperswill beacceptedatthe ClerkofCourtoffices:

• The5th flooroftheSt.TammanyAdministrative Building (formerTowersBuilding) 520 Old SpanishTrailinSlidell

• St.Tammany ParishJusticeCenterParkingGarage 601N.JeffersonAvenuein Covington

Qualifying DatesandTimes WEDNESDAY,JULY9,2025 8:30A.M.until4:30P.M. THURSDAY,JULY10,2025 8:30A.M.until4:30P.M. FRIDAY,JULY11,2025 8:30A.M.until4:30P.M.

Notice is hereby given pursuant to Article 7, Section 23(C) of the Louisiana Constitution and R.S. 47:1705(B) that a public hearing of St Tammany Parish Fire Protection District No 6 in St Tammany Parish will be held at St Tammany Parish Government Council Chambers at 21490 Koop Drive, Mandeville, LA on Tuesday, July 29, 2025 at 6:00 p m to consider levying additional or increased millage rates without further voter approval or adopting the adjusted millage rates after reassessment and rolling forward to rates not to exceed the prior year’s maximum The estimated amount of tax revenues to be collected in the next year from the increased millage is $ 876,642 30, and the amount of increase in taxes attributable to the millage increase is $ 65,309 85 PUBLICNOTICE St.Tammany ParishClerkofCourt J JessicaJenkinsBrewster

James Samaritan breakfast focuses on state of children

James Samaritan’s State of the Children Breakfast on June 19 provided a place for people dedicated to helping youth in foster care come together to swap stories, share their experiences and celebrate tales of triumph over adversity. Not only can caring adults help bring hope and healing to the young being fostered, those who offer the help are themselves changed through their serving. It was a morning of inspiration all around at the First Baptist Church in Covington.

James Samaritan founder Kim Bigler was present, as was keynote speaker Damianna Folse, a businesswoman with training in grief sensitivity, and foster youth are grieving. Singer-songwriter Brooke Robertson performed a song she wrote about her experience as a foster child. And Janice Guillot was named Volunteer of the Year. Proceeds from the breakfast fundraiser will go to the ROYAL Family Kids Camp and Mentoring Club for foster youth.

PHOTOS BY SUZIE HUNT

Linda Giffin, Volunteer of the Year Janice Guillot, Julie Wondergem and Cliff Giffin

First Baptist volunteers Susan Wolfe, Becca Griffin, Renee Hunt, Barbara Jackson and Anna Junius

H2O housing support representatives Alice Engram-Hammed, Libby Robison, Judy Liner and Brooke Robertson

New volunteers James and Karla Jackson and granddaughter Marlie

Kelly Cox Vicari and Carol Kellum, of Healing with Horses Louisiana

James Samaritan founder Kim Bigler and keynote speaker Damianna Folse.

CASA’s Reine Gardner and Dana Wolcott, right, and Judge Scott Gardner

James Samaritan’s John Wondergem, volunteer director for development, and Julie Wondergem, executive director

Second segment of $220M highway opens

BY BOB WARREN Staff writer

It can take a long time to build a highway in Louisiana. More than three decades after it was proposed and put into a state road program to fund its construction through a special gasoline tax, the brand-new La. 3241 continues to open in segments running through east-central St. Tammany Parish.

The latest segment of the $220 million highway was unveiled earlier this month, an 8-mile stretch that runs from La. 36 north to La. 435 near Talisheek, where it connects to the ﬁrst leg that opened a year ago.

Still to come: The last segment that will finally link the highway to Interstate 12 in the Lacombe area Ofﬁcials say that ﬁnal section is scheduled to go out for bid in December The state Department of Transportation and Development has not offered a completion date.

“The opening of this segment of Highway 3241 is aligned with the commitment we’ve made to our citizens: new roads to ease trafﬁc,” St. Tammany Parish President Mike Cooper said in the news release “I am thankful for our partnership with the state, which has put the needs of our citizens ﬁrst.”

The new state highway, ﬁrst pushed in the 1980s as a quicker way to link southern St. Tammany Parish to Bogalusa and the rest of Washington Parish, will cut a 20-mile north-south through the pines starting at I-12. At Bush, the new highway links with the existing four-lane Louisiana 21, which runs into Washington Parish. When it was conceived, project boosters — including the legendary state Sen B.B. “Sixty” Rayburn said it would improve the fortunes of cities like Bogalusa while also opening a huge swath of St. Tammany Now, supporters say it will make travel safer for drivers navigating the region’s network of crowded, winding, two-lane highways.

“It also provides another hurricane evacuation route,” added Daniel Gitlin, a DOTD spokesperson.

But while La. 3241 had solid political backing across the northshore some even call it “I-60” in reference to Rayburn’s support the path from concept to asphalt was fraught with obstacles. There were problems with the various routes, as well as environmental issues. And, of course, money was lacking even though La. 3241 was one of 16 projects in a 1989 state program called TIMED that promised nearly 600 miles of new highways across the state by 2004. The program was funded by a 4-cents-per-gallon gasoline tax approved by the state’s voters.

Construction costs rose as the time dragged on and the highway was broken into segments.

The ﬁrst segment to open, from La. 435 to Bush, cost around $46 million and opened in June 2024. The second, which opened this month, was around $63 million. DOTD projects the ﬁnal segment at between $110 million and $120 million

Even though it’s coming decades later than anticipated, area elected ofﬁcials have said it will be a welcome addition they hope will drive the region’s economy

“The opening of Segment 2 of La. 3241 puts us one step closer to long-awaited 4-lane access to I-12 and different connections to major commercial hubs across the Gulf South,” Washington Parish President Ryan Seal said. “This efficient route strengthens our infrastructure, improves mobility, and opens the door to new economic opportunities for Washington Parish.”

In a November interview, Seal had voiced a sentiment felt by many across the region.

“I wondered if it was ever going to happen in my lifetime,” he said. “There’s been a lot of frustrating years.” Plans in store for Slidell’s Front Street?

Pat Canulette remembers a slower Slidell, back when he was a boy there and it still felt like a small town.

“You knew everybody and they all knew you,” Canulette, now 77, recalled recently “It really was a small town.”

And at the heart of that small town was Front Street, as U.S. 11 was called, running parallel to the railroad tracks and forming one of the borders of Olde Towne, Slidell’s historic hub.

“It was just two lanes, but it was the main drag through Slidell,” Canulette, who later would become St. Tammany Parish’s sheriff for 16 years, said. “There were gorgeous trees running along the side.”

In the 1970s, Canulette and others say, Front Street was widened to four lanes, the oaks becoming a casualty of the expansion.

“People are still mad about that,” said Bonnie Vanney, a longtime Slidell resident and historian “That ticked a lot of people off, cutting down those oaks.”

One result of that fourlaning, besides the loss of the trees, was that, well, Front Street took on the look of a highway — lots of asphalt with traffic whizzing through the area. Gone was any small-town feel.

Now, the Regional Planning Commission has commissioned a study of Front Street, specifically the stretch between La. 433 and Fremaux Road, where it skirts Olde Towne.

The goal of the study?

“How do we make Front Street feel like part of Olde Towne,” said Johnny Bordelon of J.V Burkes & Associates, a Slidell engineering and consulting ﬁrm preparing the study

Bordelon said the study is a follow-up, of sorts, to an Olde Towne master plan study from 2022.

Bordelon was among the

travel periods.

Also, he noted, a redesigned Front Street could still be a part of Slidell’s traditional Carnival parade route.

“I love it,” Slidell City Council member Jeff Burgoyne said of efforts to rethink the Front Street lane conﬁguration. “People ﬂy by at 50 mph now This would change how people drive on Front Street.”

ident of the Slidell Merchants Association, said he generally liked what he was looking at.

“Slowing down the trafﬁc. Will that give us something to gain? I think it will,” Hein said of reducing the number of trafﬁc lanes.

“Is Front Street a hinderance now? I don’t think so. But reducing the number of lanes could help.”

team showing off an alternative Front Street design during a community meeting hosted by the Regional Planning Commission earlier this month at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium. That proposal reduced the number of lanes from four to three, and added a median and turn lanes as well as shared use paths on each side of the thoroughfare.

Reducing the number of lanes without seriously impacting trafﬁc ﬂow was one of the aims, or as Bordelon told the audience at the auditorium: “Can we, in fact, do a road diet?”

Trafﬁc and speed studies, he told the audience at the auditorium, showed that “yes, we can.”

Bordelon said the highway carries around 700 vehicles per hour in each direction during some peak

Not that anything is carved in stone. The maps that Bordelon and the others showed off are pretty conceptual, they said.

“This is really a first step,” said Tom Haysley, the RPC project manager on what’s formally called the “U.S 11 Corridor Study.”

Haysley said the importance of public meetings like the one held recently in Slidell is that it gives planners an idea of what residents think Front Street should look like.

“I was pleased with the feedback,” he said. “There were some differing opinions. But from the big picture, it seems there is support for doing something.

“I didn’t hear anybody saying ‘Don’t do anything.’”

As he looked over the designs during the community meeting, Patrick Hein, a business owner and pres-

But Hein isn’t “nuts” about the shared use path.

“We need that space for parking,” he said.

Hein has two big concerns.

“We only get one shot to get it right,” he said. “I just want to make sure whatever they do they get it right.” Also, he wondered, “How long will this take? Will I be retired long before it ever happens?”

Haysley acknowledged any change, if it comes, will come slowly

There are still any number of steps that must be taken, he said. An idea has to be settled on. There are various permissions that would be required (it’s a federal highway, after all). And then there’s always the question of money Haysley said the ﬁnal report on the U.S. 11 Corridor Study, likely to be wrapped up soon, would include some cost estimates.

The second segment of La. 3241 in east-central St. Tammany Parish opened earlier this month. The $220 million highway, first announced in the late 1980s, is slowly being built and opened in sections.

STAFF PHOTO BY BOB WARREN

Former St Tammany Parish President Kevin Davis, left, and Johnny Bordelon of J.V. Burkes & Associates, discuss a proposed new look for a section of Slidell’s Front Street during a community meeting June 9.

Gen Z shoppers want to do it in brick and mortar malls

As I struggled to clip in the last piece of my baby girl’s car seat, a bead of sweat dripped down my face.

The car was running, but it felt like a million degrees difference between the inside of my vehicle and the raging southern heat outside

Dang it, if I could just get this stupid thing to clip

There. Finally

Why do they make these things so hard to do anyway?

All of this, just to go to TJ Maxx, I thought. And better yet, I needed to go to about four more places in this forsaken outdoor shopping center Four more places I would have to pull her out of the car seat, put her back in the car seat, then drive, park, out again, in again drive, park out again you get the gist. And that doesn’t even include the effort to get the stroller out.

The stores are too far apart to walk, the parking lots aren’t the safest for pedestrians, and I think I would actually melt if I attempted it.

“Why did we abandon all of those luxurious indoor shopping malls again?” I thought to myself. Those beautiful, manicured, air-conditioned indoor shopping malls.

We abandoned those for this the Sahara Desert of shopping: The outdoor shopping mall! The bane of my existence with a small child.

MUSIC

UP CLOSE: Hiroya Tsukamoto, an internationally acclaimed guitarist, composer and singer-songwriter from Kyoto, Japan, now studying at the Berklee College of Music, will bring his fusion of folk, jazz and world music to the intimate Lobby Lounge Listening Room at the Harbor Center on July 24. It should be a perfect performance space for Tsukamoto’s unique and gifted fingerpicking that one critic has described as “delicate, fluid, and beautifully detailed.” The “Up Close & Musical” show begins at 7 p.m. Advance only tickets, $22 tickets, plus fees, at Eventbrite; none sold at the door; four-top tables also available in the bohemian-style, smoke-free, 124-seat venue A FIDDLING 4TH: Popular Cajun fiddler Amanda Shaw will be home in Mandeville and performing July 4 as part of the city’s big Independence Day celebration on the lakefront. The family fun starts at 10 a.m., and Shaw will take the stage at 4 p.m. between Coffee and Carroll streets to highlight a day of patriotic music, games and tributes The Boogie Men will perform from 6:45 p.m. until a fireworks show over the lake closes out this annual event.

TWO SHOWS: The North Star Theatre at 347 Girod St. in Mandeville presents The Rocketmen in concert at 7 p.m. on June 27. Doors open at 5:45 p.m.; show starts at 7 p.m. General admission tickets $25; VIP tickets are $65 and includes hors d’oeuvres, drinks and a meet-and-greet in the VIP lounge On June 28, The Walrus performs; same time Tickets for this one are $30 and VIP seats, with all the extras, are $80. For more info, see northstartheatre.org or call (985) 200-4300.

INSPIRE: A program of inspirational music by Jeremy Harper is scheduled July 15 for the Young at

Why did we do it?

And what about those with disabilities? Sorry folks. Hope you like online shopping.

Meanwhile, the shells of big beautiful malls litter the land that once were town squares, sort of. Places where people could make a day of shopping, saunter around, grab a snack, see and feel with their own senses the merchandise they would spend their hard-earned money on.

Sure, you’d run into half the town and the packs of old ladies gathered to get their daily steps in. But it was an experience. And now, the memory feels but a ﬁgment of my imagination.

I’d think I was hallucinating, except ghosts like the North Shore Square in Slidell are reminders that those days did, in fact, exist. Guests can peek through the locked mall entrances at one of the two remaining anchor stores. Inside, it looks like a relic, a diorama from times long gone.

But we abandoned that for the convenience of buzzing into speciﬁc stores at outdoor malls. That, and the emergence of online shopping, took over the scene — whether we liked it or not.

The malls of the past are now either being bulldozed, repurposed or just sitting stagnant, frozen in time.

For North Shore Square speciﬁcally, plans to revitalize it have been a talking point for years, but not much has changed.

The owners are a Canadian-based company that manages another $17 billion of real estate across the country City ofﬁcials have pushed for change, and this year, the city is partnering with St. Tammany development leaders to do a feasibility study and see what the local market could support.

Ideas being thrown around include making it a data center an entertainment venue or having the city purchase it, said Chris Masingill, leader of the St. Tammany Development Corporation, the parish economic development agency Cool, a data center What dreams are made of.

But how did we get to this point in the

ﬁrst place?

Oh right, money Duh. Isn’t it always money?

“Open air” shopping centers are notably cheaper to operate, have increased visibility for stores and are better suited for online pickups. In Slidell, Fremaux Towne Center is the North Shore Square’s replacement — and it’s great. Stores abound. But for a mom with kids, braving the heat or storms feels like a lot when you just want some hand soaps from Bath & Body Works and a dose of retail therapy I ﬁnd myself lamenting for the days of old, and I’m not the only one. I saw a post about the North Shore Square on a Slidell Facebook group, and 361 comments later,

details, songlists and to conﬁrm meeting times. The next scheduled sessions include: n June 26: Open Mic Night on the ﬁnal Thursday from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the St. John’s Coffee House for musicians

PHOTO BY JESSICA SAGGIO

and I can say conﬁdently others share the sentiment.

My kids are entranced by a “real mall.”

We recently visited the Lennox Square Mall in Atlanta, and their eyes widened as they experienced a truly bustling mall ﬁlled with stores. The up-and-coming generation, I’ve found, isn’t drawn to the convenience of online like their parents. They’ve been cooped up enough as it is. Imagine being a kid and never experiencing a toy store. Amazon doesn’t feel quite as magical. Moreover, a recent report from CNBC showed that Generation Z, those born between 1997 and 2012, is actually bringing a wave of in-person shopping back, and could be the generation that revitalizes malls. They prefer the mall experience for both in-person shopping and the social aspect, data show Eventually, the market will have to adjust to that, and maybe, just maybe, malls will make a comeback. But for now those days are gone. Companies expect us to blindly buy their products online, hope for the best, and then possibly pay to return things when we don’t like them. It’s a great way to reduce the quality of products while taking advantage of a person’s natural propensity to avoid the post ofﬁce. So we take what we can get with the outdoor malls. We sweat. We get wet when it rains and we hope, we pray, Gen Z gives us back our malls one day

The younger generations, specifically Gen Z, are gravitating back to in-person shopping and the indoor mall experience.

Jessica Saggio

Abita Springs taxpayers won’t get higher bills

BY KIM CHATELAIN

Contributing writer

The Abita Springs Town Council has decided to keep municipal property taxes unchanged for 2025.

At the council’s June 17 meeting, the council voted 4-0, with one member absent, not to “roll forward” millage rates, thereby staving off bills for higher property taxes.

State law allows taxing au-

thorities, including the Town Council, to roll their millage rates up to the maximum level approved by voters, ostensibly creating a tax increase. When property values rise due to reassessment, or when additional properties are added to the rolls, the taxing authorities reset the tax rate to an amount deemed to be revenue-neutral.

The council sought to do so by approving a resolu-

PET OF THE WEEK

Adopted as a young pup, sweet Gibbs was returned to Northshore Humane Society 3 months later when his family realized they couldn’t keep up with a young dog and small kids. Now 7 months old, this playful, black-coated beauty is ready for a second chance. Gibbs is full of energy, loves other pups, and is growing into the amazing family dog he’s meant to be. To meet Gibbs or any of the other adoptable pets of Northshore Humane Society, email rescue@nshumane.org or visit northshorehumane. org

PROVIDED PHOTO

tion that sets millage rates in four separate categories.

General alimony for maintenance of government operations will be assessed at 6.87 mills; parks, playgrounds and street lighting at 2.62 mills; and water, sewer and street bonds debt service at 5 mills.

No one from the audience addressed the council on the adoption of the millages.

The millage vote followed a line-by-line discussion of

Library and NAMI team up for summer art show

The St. Tammany Parish Library has partnered with NAMI of Southeast Louisiana to present a new summer art show through July 12 that focuses on creativity, innovation and community

Eva Saladino CHECK IT OUT

It will showcase works of art created by participants with NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, by displaying them in the library’s Slidell branch at 555 Robert Blvd.

Community members are invited to come and appreciate the art while it is exhibited. Get more information at sttammanylibrary.org/news/namiart-show/. Another summer initiative is the St. Tammany Parish Library’s free Teen Tote subscription service, exclusively for patrons in grades eight through 12. It will begin on July 1 and be available until July 15 Each month, subscribers will receive themed tote bags that include handselected books, swag and treats curated by teen librarians. The subscription is a way for teens to branch out and try new genres, discover fresh reads and get gifts along the way Teen Totes is not an ongoing subscription, meaning teens can sign up each month to get their tote or skip any month they choose. An email will be sent to the patron when their tote is ready for pickup. After submitting the required form, teen librarians review the responses and select two teen books from the library’s collection that align with the monthly theme and match the reader’s interests. Other swag includes the teen’s favorite snack.

Totes will be available for pickup starting on the ﬁrst of each month at the selected branch and must be picked up by the 15th. Although the two library books should be returned by their due date, the rest of the tote’s contents are for the patron to keep.

Teen Totes will features teen ﬁction, nonﬁction and

PROVIDED IMAGE

Disney’s ‘Frank and Ollie’ is featured on ‘Movie Monday’ on June 30 at 6 p.m

graphic novels. Only the nonﬁction and graphic novels can be accessed with the juvenile or unrestricted juvenile library cards. To learn more about Teen Totes and to access the form, visit sttammanylibrary.org/teen-book-totes/. Other events

VIRTUAL QIGONG: Follow along with the instructor over Zoom from 10 to 11 a.m. on June 27 as they lead patrons through gentle moves that generate focus and clarity of mind Register at https://loom.ly/ m4RPl7k

MOVIE MONDAY: Join along at the Covington branch from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on June 30 for “Movie

Monday.” The showcased movies will celebrate the world of art for this year’s Summer Reading theme, “Color Our World.” The movie for this event is Disney’s “Frank and Ollie.” These ﬁlms are expected to inspire patrons’ inner artists. Register at https:// loom.ly/8zf5_ac. KIDS ART TIME: Create a masterpiece at the Lacombe Branch from 11 to 11:30 a.m. on July 1. It’s a 30-minute adventure perfect for budding artists ages 3 to 7 and their grown-ups, because doesn’t every great story deserve a splash of color and a little glitter? Registration is not required for this event.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The City of Covington is soliciting applications for a qualified appointment for City of Covington Fire Chief

Completed applications and the required attachments must be received at 317 N Jefferson Avenue, Covington, LA 70433, Attn: Eugenie Leggio by June 30, 2025 Approved applicants will be notified of the exact date, time, and place of the examination at least five (5) days prior to the examination date Applications can be found at https://ose louisiana gov/wp-content/ uploads/2021/04/Competitive-ApplApril-2021 pdf

Or may be picked up at Covington City Hall 317 N Jefferson Avenue Covington, LA 70433

the budget that offered a snapshot of revenues and expenses for the current year

The town’s ﬁnances have been under scrutiny of late after two former town employees were hit with criminal charges for allegedly embezzling public funds for their personal use between 2019 and 2023.

Because of the controversy, the Town Council did not approve a budget for 2025

until April of this year, relying on a state law that allows municipal governments to operate temporarily under the previous year’s budget until a new one is approved.

Even with the delay, the council remained divided and approved the current year’s $12.6 million with a 3-2 vote.

After the recent meeting, Mayor Dan Curtis said he believes the town has taken the necessary steps to dra-

matically improve its ﬁnancial situation.

“We’re sound,” he said. “We’re moving in the right direction.”

At the start of the meeting, Curtis announced that repairs to the town’s leaky water tower have been completed. Work started on June 2 to repair both the inside and outside of the structure’s center piping. The tower was also inspected, cleaned and painted.

Slidell Rotarians honor Joan Archer

Staff report

The Rotary Club of Slidell has awarded its annual Ken Thompson Award for outstanding service to the club and the community to longtime member and licensed professional counselor Joan Archer

A club member since 2004, Archer served as its president for the service year 2016-17, and the club itself won numerous awards that carried her ﬁngerprints for club accomplishments that year

Archer personally sponsored more than 16 new club members, a record in Rotary District 6840, and the pinnacle of her widespread community contributions was creation of the Leadership Northshore program, according to the Rotary Club.

The award was named in memory of Thompson, a past club president and Rotary district governor who died in 2018.

The Slidell club also recently inducted and welcomed three new faces, legacy member Christy Pastuszek, a business owner and daughter of member John Giangrosso; longtime Cleco board member Lodie Javery, a Leadership Northshore board member; and retiree Janice LeBlanc, a friend to Rotarians for years.

PROVIDED PHOTO

The Ken Thompson Award for service to club and community has been given this year by the Rotary Club of Slidell to veteran club member Joan Archer, a health care professional

SUMMER SCHOOL

Mandeville

volleyball summer league offers players a chance to bond, work on skills

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

Northshore senior Emily Martin

saw her opportunity and took it

The Panthers’ setter hustled to the sideline as a teammate dug a powerful kill attempt by Ponchatoula, only to have the ball ricochet across the court. But Martin would not be denied.

She sprinted after the ball and calmly played a cross-court bump set that her teammate put away “Deﬁnitely, trust is really important when I do anything like that ” Martin said. “I trust our outsides when I chuck a ball up like that I trust them to get it over That’s what we’re building this summer.”

That play was one of many examples of what teams are trying to learn as play wrapped up at the annual Mandeville volleyball summer league on June 18. The three-week summer league offers teams across the area a chance to work on their skills Martin called it a “no pressure situation” that lets teammates get comfortable with everybody on the court. You could see that positive attitude on Martin’s face as she

Covington

BY MIKE PERVEL Contributing writer

Ryan Germany has always loved gymnastics.

The 13-year-old Covington native started the sport when she was just 4, like many other aspiring gymnasts. But Germany isn’t your typical teenager

The fearless competitor has captured ﬁve consecutive All-Around state titles, additionally racking up 13 individual awards.

“I struggled early, but I persevered and stuck with it. I want to thank my parents for their support over the years and the sacriﬁces they have made. I wouldn’t be where I am without their total support, and I love them for that,” Germany said.

“It hasn’t always been easy for me, but my passion and love for gymnastics has helped me to continue working hard, pushing through those challenging, difficult times.” Germany trains four hours a day, four times a week at Cypress Pointe Gymnastics in Ponchatoula. On Saturdays, she trains for ﬁve hours. That passion and commitment is paying off on the national stage. She recently took second place in the All-Around at the 2025 National Gymnastics Association Southern

cheered her teammates from the sidelines as the underclassmen played “Last year, I was a leader, but this year, I’m even more of a leader because I’m a senior,” Martin said.

“It’s exciting in a lot of ways. It’s also sad because this is my last summer league, but everyone is excited for the season.”

LHSCA All-Star games a perfect ending to an imperfect season for PJP II’s Rodriguez

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

It was the perfect ending to an otherwise imperfect senior season. Pope John Paul II graduate and inﬁelder Kasia Rodriguez faced her share of adversity this past softball season, but she wouldn’t have it any other way

Let’s start with the ending.

At the Louisiana High School Coaches Association’s All-Star games in late May, Rodriguez went 3 for 5 with a walk and an RBI double and recorded 11 putouts on 11 total chances over two days at second base.

“It was a really good experience,” Rodriguez said.

“I got to play with the best in the state. It was just incredible competition and a really good experience overall. Playing well in the All-Star game was an amazing feeling. After I finished the tournament, I texted my Mom right away and told her that I finished on the highest note that I could. I was so proud of myself.”

PROVIDED PHOTO PJP II infielder Kasia Rodriguez, second form right, poses for a photo with her family after a game. Family members include from left, her father, Shane, her grandfather, Richie Brockhause, and her mother Katie.

Rodriguez will now head to William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to continue her softball career, but the journey there was a winding road.

The Jaguars’ infielder was all smiles when she signed with the Crusaders in November Through her junior season, she had a .448 batting average with a .534 OBP She also posted a .940 ﬁelding percentage between second base and shortstop.

Senior year was supposed to be the culmination of years of hard work, but there was a setback.

Rodriguez has battled Juvenile Dermatomyositis (JDM) since she was 7. JDM is an autoimmune disease that causes skin rash and muscle inﬂammation, resulting in weak muscles. That’s less than ideal for an athlete.

She’s had ﬂare-ups of the disease over the years. One happened during the beginning of her freshman year making simple tasks like carrying her book bag nearly impossible. With rehab and medication, Rodriguez had the disease back in remission to return to summer softball at the end of the school year

Ryan Germany turning heads in the sport

Regional Championships in North Carolina on May 9. Six states were represented: Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.

Germany turned in a solid Nationals performance, totaling 37.825, barely being edged out by Willow Smith of New Heights Louisiana (37.875). Germany captured first place on floor exercise (9.725), repeating last year’s first-place finish. She earned a second-place finish on bars (9.575), tied for eighth (9.250) on the vault and finished 11th on the balance beam (9.275).

“It was an excellent competition going against very accomplished, strong gymnasts,” Germany said.

“I had fun and did well, establishing season highs on bars and in my floor exercise I’m always very confident in my floor routine because I am so comfortable with my music, which I chose from YouTube. I’ve been struggling with my bar routine, but I figured out what the issue was at nationals, scoring five-tenths higher, which I was happy with.” Germany, usually very consistent on the balance beam, fell off the apparatus for the first time in the last five years, settling for a 9.250 score, but she didn’t let that bother her as she finished strong on the floor and vault.

“I like the creative part of dance and all the tumbling during the floor routine,” Germany said.

“That makes it so much fun I try to be conﬁdent and as fearless as I

can possibly be.” Germany ﬁnished in the Top 10 overall in the Level 7, Senior A Division, which automatically qualiﬁes her for the upcoming Southeast Regional Competition Team. Germany continued her solid performance at the National Gymnastics Association’s National Meet on June 2-7 in Virginia Beach. She earned a bit of redemption on the balance beam, taking home first place while finishing second in the All-Around competi-

“My

SSA senior Theo Roppolo records a kill during the Mandeville summer league on June 11.

PHOTOS BY JOE TROMBATORE

Fontainebleau senior Ava Frerman stretches for a serve during the Mandeville summer league on June 11.

gymnast

PROVIDED

Mandeville Junior High celebrates 10 district titles

BY JOSEPH HALM Staff writer

Mandeville Junior High honored its 2024-25 athletes with a special banquet in late May

The school took home 10 district titles last season. Those district crowns came in football, boys and girls cross country, girls basketball, boys and girls soccer, baseball, boys and girls track and ﬁeld and boys volleyball.

Krew Collura and Ellie Brocato were named the Athletes of the Year Collura played football, basketball, soccer, baseball, volleyball and track and field while participating in the National Junior Honor Society Brocato played soccer and ran cross country and track and field, where she set many school records for her distance running. She was also a member of the National Junior Honor Society

Mandeville Junior High also awarded six student-

athletes the Patriot Award for their contributions to the school’s athletic programs. Those students are Hailey Vaughn, Mia Hardy, Kylie Touchstone, Bennett Boogaerts, Calen Sutter and Drew Licata. The school also hosted a Breakfast of Champions for the 10 teams that won a district championship. New Orleans Saints player Cam Jordan was the guest speaker at the breakfast and talked with the athletes about success on and off the ﬁeld.

Richie Brockhause.

RODRIGUEZ

Continued from page 1B

Then, another ﬂare-up began in October of last year That derailed her volleyball playoffs and ultimately cost her the first eight softball games of her senior season

“I knew off the bat that it was coming back, so I was just focused on working through it,” Rodriguez said.

“I knew my senior year wasn’t going to be the best because I got sick. My focus was just to get better and be the best that I could be for my freshman season in college. I still gave 100%, and I still give 100% every day.”

A medical regimen that included infusions every two weeks, daily medication and once-a-week injections

GYMNAST

Continued from page 1B

had Rodriguez on the mend in time to help the Jaguars make the state quarterﬁnals for the third straight season.

Rodriguez said her focus now is training to be in the best shape possible for her freshman year at William Carey, which will begin in mid-August.

“It’s a challenge physically and mentally I was strong and conﬁdent in myself, and I kind of just lost all of that after I got sick. I had to regain that confidence, and that came with a lot of hard work,” Rodriguez said

“Physically, I’ve been training every day and working with my dad. It’s just kind of a different training now because I’m not as strong as I used to be, but I’m working up to that point. I’m excited about the future.”

Those potential added responsibilities don’t bother Germany’s parents — Erik and Whitney Germany They welcome it “Watching her grow is a joy and a true pleasure,” said Erik, a 1991 St. Paul’s graduate who played baseball for the Wolves The whole time she’s been involved in gymnastics, I’ve never had to ask her about getting ready for practice. She’s always packed, ready to go, taking the next step in her on-

VOLLEYBALL

Continued from page 1B

For Mandeville coach Rachel

Schulingkamp, summer league is a chance for her players to step up.

“We’re still very very young,” Schulingkamp said. “I think we’re hungrier this year I think we deﬁnitely have more potential. We’re still going to be very reliant on some sophomores and juniors.”

The Skippers are also in the midst of a setter competition as junior Anna Yarbrough and sophomores Julia Marengo and Ella Matthews battle it out for the starting spot. Defensively, senior Kinsley Windom and junior Alyssa Gaudet return as the Skippers look to improve on a tough 2024 season.

Schulingkamp said the league gives her team a chance to not only show its growth but also to build chemistry

Setter audition

Fontainebleau senior Ava Frerman said the Bulldogs are also looking to build chemistry

“I feel we like we have a lot of new players, especially setters and liberos, so we’re learning a lot about each other,” Frerman said. “Everyone is just growing and learning about each other Our setters have some big shoes to ﬁll, but they are up to the challenge. They are adjusting to the hitters and listening to everything that we tell them. They’re doing well.”

The District 6-I ﬁrst-team selection had a monster junior season, racking up 588 kills, 417 digs, 64 aces and 58 blocks as Fontainebleau claimed the undefeated district crown. But now the Bulldogs have to replace starting setter and District 6-I MVP Hannah Ellis, who broke the school record

going journey She’s amazing facing all obstacles head on and continues to prove herself, growing up to be a beautiful young lady.”

A former athlete himself, Erik has an appreciation for his daughter’s dedication

“Friends tell me, being a sports dude, having three daughters, you must miss not having any boys The truth is Ryan is a better athlete than I ever was. She can run circles around most athletes her age, and I’m so proud of her,” he said. Whitney, who works as a lawyer, said it’s all about time management for both Ryan and the family

for assists last season.

Junior Sara Hickman and senior Brianna Muléù will be ﬁlling that role. At the same time, Frerman, who said she has always been described as a quiet player, focuses on building her leadership qualities.

“I’m trying a lot harder to be more vocal,” Frerman said. “When I’m back row I’m talking to my hitters. When I’m front row, I’m trying to help everybody out and tell them where the hitters are. I want to make sure that everybody knows what the plan is for the game. I’m just trying to communicate with everyone.”

Goal-oriented

For Covington senior and Southeastern commitment Kaelyn “KK” Sharp, the summer league is a

“For Erik and me, it’s all about balancing and coordinating our busy work schedules to get it all in, getting the girls where they’re supposed to be,” Whitney said. “Our mothers are a tremendous help to our younger girls (Drew and Frankie) for us to be able to get Ryan to her practices in Ponchatoula.” Those schedules will be stretched even more as Ryan made the Level 7 National Team by registering the eighth-highest All-Around score of all Level 7 gymnasts. She will attend the Nationals Team camp in Tennessee in November

chance for the Lions’ large freshman class to get experience.

“We’ve had a bunch of really good freshmen come in who are working really hard,” Sharp said. “We’re all working hard at practice and in the weight room. A bunch of people are putting in extra work.”

The Lions took a set from Northshore in the opening round of last year’s playoffs, and this year, they want to take it a step further Sharp said one of the goals this season is to make it past the ﬁrst round, and the work toward achieving that goal starts in June.

“I like getting in some time on the court with the underclassmen and sharing with them what they can improve on,” Sharp said. “It’s simple things that you don’t notice until you start playing at a higher level. It’s a good test against good, experienced teams like we have here. Everyone is just getting better.”

First steps

Last season, St. Scholastica made a ﬁfth straight trip to the state tournament.

That fact is not lost on senior Sophia Schliem, who is one of several returners.

“We’re just trying to build our conﬁdence as a team,” Schliem said. “We have a lot of young people on our team. There are a lot of underclassmen, so we’re just trying to build a rhythm. This summer league deﬁnitely helped me get used to the rhythm and tempo of the game. It’s a chance for the younger girls to get used to the jump to varsity.”

The Doves don’t start team practices for the 2025 season until July, so the summer league is one of the few times the squad gets together Schliem said that time on the court is a massive bonus before ofﬁcial team practices begin in a little over a month.

Krew Collura, left and Ellie Brocato were named the Mandeville Junior High Athletes of the Year

Mandeville Junior High honored six student-athletes with the Patriot Award for their contributions to the school’s athletic programs. Those students are, from left, Hailey Vaughn, Mia Hardy, Kylie Touchstone, Bennett Boogaerts, Calen Sutter and Drew Licata.

PROVIDED PHOTOS

Mandeville Junior High honored its 2024-25 athletes that included 10 district championships with a special banquet in late May.

PROVIDED PHOTO

PJP II infielder Kasia Rodriguez poses for a photo at the LHSCA All-Star games with her grandfather,

Covington gymnast Ryan Germany poses for a photo with LSU gymnast Haleigh Bryant. PROVIDED PHOTO

PHOTO BY JOE TROMBATORE

Mandeville junior Ava Burbrink passes a serve during the Mandeville summer league on June 11.

Coblentz, Donald Donald Eugene Coblentz passed away in Slidell, Louisiana, on June 11, 2025, just one week shy of his 77th birthday. Born in Day‐ton Ohio on June 18, 1948 Donald lived a life rooted in decency, carried by quiet strength, and colored by a legacy that stretched across centuries Though he often led with humility the life he lived—and the lineage he carried—was anything but ordinary Early Life and Joys Don‐ald’s earliest days in Day‐ton were marked by curios‐ity kindness, and a tireless work ethic which he car‐ried with him throughout his life. His first job was a paper route—a simple but telling beginning that fore‐shadowed his lifelong sense of responsibility. A gifted swimmer with nearOlympic-level ability, he became a lifeguard as a teenager earning the re‐spect of peers and elders alike as well as many tro‐phies He also played trom‐bone in his high school band, blending discipline with performance. His band was so accomplished they were invited to per‐form in Miami Florida—a trip they made by train Some of his fondest memo‐ries were of playing with friends on the sweeping grounds of the Miami Val‐ley Hunt and Polo Club It was there that he found joy, connection, and the first taste of indepen‐dence He often spoke fondly of times spent with his many cousins at his grandparents’ house Lela Ray Allen, his grand‐mother, was a steadfast moral compass ever pre‐sent in his youth A Louisiana Legacy—and a Love That Led Him Home Donald came to Louisiana not just by chance, but by love. It was here that he met Peggy, the woman who would become his wife and the love of his life Their meeting shaped the course of his future, an‐choring him permanently in the South. His move in his mid-thirties was no or‐dinary relocation—it was the beginning of a deeprooted bond with the state that had brought them to‐gether. Louisiana didn’t just become home; it be‐came the heart of his story Through his paternal grandmother’s West lin‐eage, Donald was a first cousin six times removed of William C. C Claiborne, the first American gover‐nor of Louisiana. Claiborne helped usher the territory into statehood following the Louisiana Purchase With ancestry stretching back to the earliest days of the state Donald’s life in Louisiana brought his fam‐ily’s story full circle and with Peggy they shared a love so perfect that few are ever blessed to find The Warner Line: Founders, Patriots, and Presidents Through his maternal Stewart and Warner lines Donald was a first cousin eight times removed of George Washington, Amer‐ica’s first President, de‐scended through Augus‐tine Warner Sr. and his daughter Mildred Warner, Washington’s grand‐mother. The Warners were major landholders and civic leaders in Virginia and their legacy is deeply intertwined with the foun‐dations of the United States. Royal Ties and Eu‐ropean Nobility Donald was a ninth cousin of Queen Elizabeth II, through their shared descent from the Warner and BowesLyon families. Beyond Eng‐land & Scotland, his royal and noble bloodlines ex‐tended deep into the Euro‐pean continent—he was descended from Philipp I the Magnanimous' of Hesse the Medici family through Catherine de Medici ‘Queen of France & granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent’ and held ancestral ties to the noble houses of Zollern, Hohen‐staufen Mecklenburg, and the Bavarian royal family, Wittelsbach. He was also a direct descendant of Mary Boleyn, sister of Queen Anne Boleyn and aunt to Queen li beth I These were bolic links thes bloodlines passe throne to table Maryland’s Found onaries Don‐ald was also a direct de‐scendant of George Calvert, 1st Lord Baltimore, who founded the colony of Maryland as a haven for religious freedom. The Calvert line flowed into the Towneleys, then the Bur‐wells and ultimately into the Coblentz line. His an‐cestors shaped the civic, cultural, and legal frame‐works of early America. Coblentz Hall still stands at

houses of Zollern, Hohen‐staufen, Mecklenburg, and the Bavarian royal family Wittelsbach. He was also a direct descendant of Mary Boleyn, sister of Queen Anne Boleyn and aunt to Queen Elizabeth I These were not symbolic links these were bloodlines passed from throne to table to field. Maryland s Founding Visionaries Don‐ald was also a direct de‐scendant of George Calvert 1st Lord Baltimore who founded the colony of Maryland as a haven for religious freedom. The Calvert line flowed into the Towneleys, then the Bur‐wells, and ultimately into the Coblentz line His an‐cestors shaped the civic, cultural and legal frame‐works of early America Coblentz Hall still stands at Hood College along with many other namesakes stamped across Frederick, Maryland The Continental Banking Line: Coblenz of Lixheim Donald’s surname traces back to the ancient Roman city of Coblenz on the Rhine River in present day Germany, where his ancestor Johann Coblenz was born in the fortress overlooking the confluence of the Moselle and Rhine Johann would later leave Europe in 1743 aboard the St. Andrew, embarking on the journey that brought the family to America His voyage departing from Rotterdam, planted the first American roots of the Coblentz name While re‐lated to the Coblenz bank‐ing family of Lixheim (Pre‐sent day France)—an influ‐ential force within the fi‐nancial sphere of the Holy Roman Empire—Donald s story was anchored in the resilience of those who left the courts and counting houses behind to build a legacy in the New World His was a heritage of both stature and striving That persistence and determi‐nation to succeed were at his core and ever present The torch of duty now passes to his descendants, with the understanding that he would never settle for anything less than the best and would expect us to strive for even greater achievements than before Family Donald was pre‐ceded in death by his beloved wife, Peggy Coblentz; his parents, Don‐ald Miller Coblentz and Dezzie Emogene 'Jean Coblentz Beigel; his beloved stepfather Louis A Beigel, our grandpa; his daughter Sherry Seale De‐rigo Moore; his son, Donald Donnie” McCarley, and his granddaughter, Paige Arledge He is survived by his children: Jennifer Michael (William) and Jason Coblentz. His grand‐children, in order of birth: Micheal Derigo (Amanda) children Kai and Kade; Zachary Coblentz (Megan); Lena Nesbit (Corey) — chil‐dren Caleb and Lilah; Tay‐lor Derigo; Wesley Michael (Lyndsay); Olivia Michael son Michael Chapman; CeCelia Michael; William Michael; Lisa Jean Michael (namesake of our grand‐mother); and Leigha Michael Also surviving are the children of his late granddaughter Paige Arledge (Luke): Tanner Elaina, and Landon as well as his first wife Sara Stan‐ley Legacy He leaves be‐hind not only a large and loving family, but a legacy carried through centuries of honor resilience and a quiet understanding of one's place in a long and noble story In Donald, the past did not sleep It lived gently, and it endured. His moral compass was noble; he was a dear friend to many with a genuine heart He carried the strength and honor of his mother and the matriarchs who came before her with him daily Dad never met a stranger and could strike up a conversation with anyone he met. We as his family have so much to carry on and are eternally grateful for his example of honoring the important things in this life For the past 7 years he has greatly missed the love of his life and we are thankful and take peace in knowing that they are reunited once more. Honaker Funeral Home were entrusted with the arrangements.

It is with profound sad‐ness that we announce the passing of David Colomb Sr. who departed this life on June 9 2025 surrounded by loved ones David was a beloved husband, father grandfather, brother, and friend whose presence brought warmth, wisdom and strength to all who knew him. Born in New Or‐leans on October 12, 1952, David lived a life marked by hard work, integrity and an unwavering devotion to his family He was the cor‐nerstone of his household always leading with quiet strength and offering un‐conditional love and sup‐port. A resident of Coving‐ton, David was a family man who will be lovingly remembered by his de‐voted wife, Pauline Melan‐con Colomb; his two sons David (Jenny) and Scott; his five grandchildren whom he adored, Naomi, Korynn, Owen, Vivienne and John; his loving mother, Margaret Ulmer Colomb; his siblings, Earl, Margaret Shelton (James), Michael Barbara Collura (Steve), Robert (Wendy); his many nieces and nephews David was pre‐ceded in death by his fa‐ther, C Earl Colomb, Jr. He was a Holy Cross Man Class of 1970 and gradu‐ated from LSU in 1974. He was a captain for Manresa Retreat House Group 22 and attended Manresa for thirty-seven years. David’s character proved his core values His love for Christ was real, and it influenced all his lifestyle choices and priorities David began working at EDG, Inc. in 1984, earning the respect and admiration of col‐leagues and community members alike. He retired as a managing principal in 2012. Outside of work, he enjoyed cycling and golfing with the love of his life Pauline. They also enjoyed playing in couples golf tournaments He was an avid LSU fan making sev‐eral trips to Omaha for the College World Series and had plans to attend this year. David’s legacy of kindness and generosity will live on in the hearts of all those who knew him. “I love you more!” E.J Field‐ing Funeral Home was en‐trusted with funeral arrangements.

Dottie Mae Schmidt Keating, age 95, of Coving‐ton Louisiana, passed away on Sunday, June 15, 2025. She was born on Jan‐uary 6, 1930, in New Or‐leans, Louisiana She is survived by her chil‐dren, Charlotte Diane Keat‐ing Joiner (Herbert “Her‐bie”) Linda Gail Keating Fussell (Glenn), Rodney Uriah Keating (Karen), and Randall Tyrone Keating (Leslie); grandchildren, Joshua Joiner (Aukse) Justin Joiner (Allison), Jef‐fry Joiner (Brittany) Christopher “Chris” Fussell (Brittany) Alicia Fussell Hesson (Darrick), Tyler Keating (Ashley) Lauren Keating Barrosse (Randy), Amanda Keating Garner and Sarah Keating; 20 great-grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends She was preceded in death by her loving husband of over 50 years, William “R.T. Keating; her parents, John Cornelius Schmidt and Claira Harris Schmidt; brothers, John Leonard Schmidt, Joseph Cornelius Schmidt, and David Henry Schmidt; and a grandsonin-law, Matt Garner. Dottie attended Sophia B. Wright High School in New Or‐leans and worked as an as‐sistant dietician for St. Tammany Parish Hospital for over 40 years until her retirement in 2011. She was a loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grand‐mother sister, aunt and friend, and she will be dearly missed by her fam‐ily and friends. E. J. Fielding Funeral Home were hon ored to be entrusted with Mrs. Keating’s funer arra nts.

Easetheburdenon yourlovedonesby pre-planning Securetoday’sprices forfutureservices andensurethatyour wisheswillbefulﬁlled.

Keating Barrosse Amanda Keating Garner, and Sarah Keating; 20 great-grandchildren; and many extended family members and friends She was preceded in death by her loving husband of over 50 years, William “R.T.” Keating; her parents, John Cornelius Schmidt and Claira Harris Schmidt; brothers, John Leonard Schmidt, Joseph Cornelius Schmidt, and David Henry Schmidt; and a grandsonin-law, Matt Garner. Dottie attended Sophia B. Wright High School in New Or‐leans and worked as an as‐sistant dietician for St Tammany Parish Hospital for over 40 years until her retirement in 2011. She was a loving wife, mother grandmother, great-grand‐mother, sister aunt and friend, and she will be dearly missed by her fam‐ily and friends. E. J. Fielding Funeral Home were hon‐ored to be entrusted with Mrs Keating’s funeral arrangements.

Readeau, Alvin Noel

On Wednesday, June 4, 2025, Alvin Noel Readeau, age 99, was called home to join our Heavenly Father He was at home sur‐rounded by his loving fam‐ily Alvin was affection‐ately known as “Vinny” by his close friends and fam‐ily He was born on Decem‐ber 3 1925, on Mandeville St. in New Orleans, Louisiana to his loving parents, Genevieve Joachim and Joseph Read‐eau His childhood was filled with wonderful mem‐ories of being raised with his siblings, all who have preceded him in death: Joseph, Elsie, Melvin, and Gerard “Jerry.” He attended Sts Peters and Paul, where he loved playing softball and he attended high school in New Orleans until the age of 17, where he proudly joined the United States Navy and fought for our country in WWII. In 1949, he married the love of his life, who also preceded him in death, Patricia Bon‐necarrere Readeau, and they were happily married for 65 years. Alvin worked for American Commercial Barge Lines and was fortu‐nate enough to retire at the age of 55. He was an avid golfer who enjoyed his daily morning breakfast with his dear friends at McDonalds Alvin easily earned the love, respect, and friendship of everyone he encountered. He was a guiding light in our family and was better known for his quiet, dignified pres‐ence, and gentle ways as well as being gracious and polite He was a brave and strong man who also had a softer side that was evi‐dently shown by his love for all animals Aside from his family, he obtained much joy by watching Fox News daily with his pup‐pies by his side. It is not an exaggeration to say he loved his family more than himself. This was proven by his commitment to show up to every major event in their lives no mat‐ter how small He never missed any school activi‐ties or sporting events and was always our biggest fan Everything we are and ever will be is owed to his great love and sacrifice He truly was from the greatest generation Alvin is the lov‐ing father of Barry Read‐eau, Bridget Readeau (Chris) and the late Angel Readeau; grandfather of Briana Fuller (Travis) and Brandon Vallelungo (Han‐nah); great-grandfather to Zoe Bennett, and Ellie We will always love you and now you can rest easy with our sweet MeMe and our Heavenly Father The fam‐ily would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Sylvia and Marie for their loving care and support. Arrangements by Audubon Funeral Home in Slidell.

our sweet MeMe and our Heavenly Father. The fam‐ily would like to extend their sincere gratitude to Sylvia and Marie for their loving care and support Arrangements by Audubon Funeral Home in Slidell.

Tommy Lee Smith, a de‐voted man of faith, loving husband, father grandfa‐ther, and lifelong servant to his community and church, passed away peacefully on June 9, 2025 at the age of 79. A pillar of strength and humility, Tommy Smith served faith‐fully for many years as a deacon at Bedico Baptist Church, where his steady presence deep compas‐sion, and quiet leadership touched countless lives His life was deﬁned by ser‐vice — to God, to his fam‐ily, and to all those he en‐countered. He was pre‐ceded in death by his beloved wife of 47 years, Mary Lee Smith, with whom he shared a life rich in love laughter, and devo‐tion. He was also preceded in death by his parents Charles C Smith and Bessie Dee Matthews Smith, as well as his sib‐lings: Iris Magum, Charles Smith Vester Smith and James B Smith. Later in life, he was blessed with a second chapter of com‐panionship through his marriage to Judy Ann Smith his loving wife of the past 10 years, who re‐mained faithfully by his side until his passing Tommy is survived by his wife Judy Ann Smith, his children, Carolee Smith, James C. Smith and wife Rebecca Smith, Jimmie Mc‐Coun and wife Susan Mc‐Coun, Jeffrey McCoun and wife Bell McCoun, Greg Mc‐Coun and wife Kris Mc‐Coun. He also leaves be‐hind a legacy of love through his grandchildren: Victoria Willie and hus‐band Caleb Willie, Cailynn Smith, Ainsley Smith, Wyatt Smith, Tatum Smith, Taylor McCoun, Carson Mc‐Coun, Hailey McCoun, Heather McCoun, Brandt Glover, and Bryce Glover –as well as one great-grand‐son, Jonathan Rucker Jr. He was born in Natchez, MS and was a resident of Madisonville, LA before moving to Gonzales, LA. He retired after many years as Vice President of Opera‐tions with Sav-A-Center Food Stores, having built a long and respected career in the retail grocery indus‐try After retirement, driven by a deep passion and a lifelong dream, he returned to work to begin a second career in education He served faithfully in the ﬁeld of education for many years, positively impacting the lives of students and colleagues alike before eventually retiring once more E.J. Fielding Funeral Home was entrusted with funeral arrangements

Colomb Sr., David

Smith, Tommy Lee

Keating, Dottie

C.Appropriate retirement resolu‐tions for the follow‐ing employee sup‐port services per‐ sonnel subsequent toApril10,2025: Raymond L. Carter, Lee Road Junior High 4.44 years, all in St TammanyParish

Motion by Deborah McCollum, second by James Braud to accept the

ment resolutions for employee support servicespersonnel. Final Resolution: MotionCarries Yea: Matthew E Greene, Adaline Rutherford, Kalinda Fauntleroy, Bran‐don Harrell, Amanda Martin, Is‐abelle B Moore, Mike Peterson, Gia R Baker, Deborah McCollum, Michelle Hirstius, James Braud, Michelle Ruffino Gallaher

D. Recommends ac‐ceptance of the adoption of the Community Eligi‐bility Provision (CEP)program

Motion by Isabelle B Moore, second by Deborah McCollum to continue the CEP Program for FY 2526

Final Resolution: MotionCarries Yea: Kalinda Fauntleroy, Bran‐don Harrell, Isabelle B Moore, Mike Pe‐terson, Gia R Baker, Deborah McCol‐lum,JamesBraud Nay: Matthew E Greene, Adaline Rutherford, Amanda Martin, Michelle Hirstius, Michelle Ruffino Gallaher

4.ConsentAgenda A. Consent Agenda Items&Discussion

5.PublicComments A.ThreeMinutes RobertBroome

6.President Announcements A. Announcements by the Board Presi‐dent President Greene made the following announcements: Schools and offices will be closed on Monday, May 26th forMemorialDay The Committee as a Whole meetings for June will be Thurs‐day June 5th at 6:00 p.m The June Board Meeting will be on Thursday, June 12th

There will be a Spe‐ cial Board meeting immediately fol‐lowing the June 12th meeting for the purpose of the Su‐perintendent’s Per‐formanceReview.

7.Closing A.Adjourn-8:07 pm 146036JUN25-1T $251.79

PUBLICNOTICE

St Tammany Parish SchoolBoard

C.J. Schoen Admin‐istrativeComplex 321N.TheardSt Covington, LA 70433

Special Board Meeting Wednesday, May 28,2025

Memberspresent Matthew E Greene, Roslyn Hanson, Kalinda Fauntleroy,Brandon Harrell, Amanda Martin, Is‐abelle B Moore, Mike Peterson, Gia R Baker, Deborah McCollum, Michelle Hirstius, Michelle Ruffino Gallaher

Membersabsent Adaline Rutherford, Tammy Lamy, James Braud, Den‐nisSCousin

Meeting called to orderat5:00PM

1.Opening A.RollCall B. Invocation & Pledge of Alle‐giance

2.AgendaItems A. Considera‐tion/Acceptance of a Memorandum of Understanding be‐tween St TammanyFederation of Teachers & School Employees and St Tammany Parish School Board as presentedbytheAd‐ministration

PUBLICNOTICE The City of Man‐devillePlanningand Zoning Commis‐sion will hold a work session on Tuesday June 24 2025 at 6:00PM and a public hearing on Tuesday July 8 2025 at 6:00PM at the Mandeville City Hall Council Cham‐bers,3101E Cause‐way Approach, Mandeville, LA re‐garding the follow‐ingcase(s): SUP25-06-01 –Barrett McGuire re‐quests a revision to Special Use Ap‐proval Z15-01-02 per CLURO Section 4 3 2 11 Amend‐ments to Special Use Permit Ap‐provals Old Man‐deville Square25A Lots 4 5 6 7 17 18 19 and 20 B-3 Old Mandeville Busi‐ness District 2129 Lakeshore TinaMyers PlanningSecretary 144882JUN1825JUL2-3T $62 37

PUBLICNOTICE THE COVINGTON HISTORIC DIS‐TRICT COMMIS‐SION HAS SCHEDULED A PUBLIC MEET‐ING FOR TUES‐DAY, JULY 8, 2025, AT 4:00 PM IN THE CITY OF COVINGTON COUNCIL CHAM‐BER, LOCATED AT 222 EAST KIRKLAND STREET COV‐INGTON LOUISIANA

In accordance with Chapter Historic Preservation Arti‐cle III Certificate of Appropriateness, Section 54 63 – Pro‐cedure for issuance of Certificate ofAp‐propriateness:

sistance please con‐tact the ADA Coor‐dinator at (985-8921811) Covington City Hall describing the assistance that is necessary

If you have com‐ments, please e-mail them to eagee@ covla com or mail them to the City of Covington Planning Department at P O Box 778, Coving‐ton,LA70434

Appeals: Any per‐son aggrieved by any decision, act or proceeding of the historic district commission shall have the right to ap‐ peal I writing to the Covington City Council for reversal or modification Any such appeal must be forwarded to the city clerk in writing, within ten (10)fromthedateof the historic district commission s deci‐sion and the council may consider such appeal at its next general meeting or special meeting, but in any event, not more than 45 days afterthehistoricdis‐trictcommissionde‐cision The city council shall have the right to reverse change or modify any decision of the historic commission only by a majorityvoteofcouncil 145460JUN1825JUL2-3T $233 20

PUBLICNOTICE

“The following pro‐ posed ordinances were introduced at the June 24, 2025, meeting of the SlidellCityCouncil. A complete copy of these ordinances is available in the City Council Office at 2045 Second Street, Suite318.

1. Item No. 25-063598 -An ordinance authorizing the Mayor of the City of Slidell to acquire certain real property in Sec. 11, T9S, R14E, Slidell, St Tammany Parish, Louisiana, consist‐ing of approxi‐mately 3.68 acres +/- off of Orange Street for the City of Slidell, and to take all ancillary ac‐tion in connection therewith

2. Item No. 25-063599 -An ordinance rezoning property located at 3465 Pontchartrain Drive from C-2 Neighbor‐ hoodCommercialto C-4 Highway Com‐mercial (Case Z2503) and granting a Conditional Use Permit for Outdoor Storage (Case CU25-01.

Note: A Public Hearing will be held on the above listed ordinances on Tues‐day July 8 2025, at 6:30 p.m in the Council Chambers, 2045 Second Street Suite319.

Sincerely, ThomasReeves 146191JUN25-1T $55.41

(Case CU25-01.

Note: A Public Hearing will be

Sincerely, ThomasReeves 146191JUN25-1T $55.41

listed Final Resolution: MotionCarries Yea: Matthew E Greene, Adaline Rutherford Kalinda Fauntleroy Bran‐don Harrell, Amanda Martin Is‐abelle B Moore, Mike Peterson, Gia R Baker, Deborah McCollum, Michelle Hirstius, James Braud, Michelle Ruffino Gallaher 5.

Mrs.Mooreleftdur‐ing the discussion of theMOU Motion by Michelle Hirstius, second by Roslyn Hanson to accept the MOU with a directive for the parties to revisit item no. 5 in regards to duty pay around Sept 30,2025 Final Resolution: MotionCarries Yea: Matthew E Greene, Roslyn Hanson, Kalinda Fauntleroy, Bran‐don Harrell, Amanda Martin, Mike Peterson, Gia R Baker, Deborah McCollum, Michelle Hirstius, Michelle Ruffino Gallaher Not Present: Is‐abelleBMoore

3.PublicComments A.ThreeMinutes

4.Closing A. Announcements by the Board Presi‐dent B. Adjourn - 7:30 pm 146036JUN25-1T $47.74

CASE NO 25-0705 CHDC - An ap‐ plication for a Cer‐tificate of Appropri‐ateness for new 3 story, multi-use structure(s) which will include retail and residential uses To be located at the southeastern corner of N Vermont and E Boston Streets identified as lots 1A Square 5 of the Division of St John Having municipal address of 409 E Boston Street, The Division of St John, Covington, St Tam‐many Parish, Louisiana Details will meet HDC guidelines and building codes Ap‐plicant acknowl‐edges final exterior details will require CHDC approval at a laterdate

Petitioner: Lisa Condrey Owners: Fern Hill DevelopmentLLC

Any person may speak or submit a written statement For more informa‐tion or to review case material or to inquire about speak‐ing at the public hearing, please call the City of Coving‐ton Planning De‐partment at (985) 867-1214 Thanks for your interest in Covington sfuture In accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special as‐sistance please con‐tact the ADA Coor‐dinator at (985-8921811) Covington City Hall describing the assistance that is necessary

1. Item No. 25-063600: An ordinance amending the boundaries of the Northshore Square Economic Develop‐ment District, State of Louisiana as Au‐thorizedbyPartIIof Chapter 27 Of Title 33 of The Louisiana Revised Statutes of 1950, As Amended and providing for othermattersincon‐nection with the foregoing.

2. Item no. 25-063601: An ordinance amending theAn or‐dinance amending the Code of Ordi‐nancesoftheCityof Slidell, Louisiana, Chapter 21 (Person‐nel), Article II (Em‐ployee Benefits), Section 21-23 (Em‐ployee Standard Leave Benefits) to provide for certain forward-looking an‐nual leave for city employees after six months of full-time work

3. Item No. 25-063602: An ordinance amending the Code of Ordinances of the City of Slidell, Louisiana, Chapter 21(Personnel),Arti‐cle II (Employee Benefits), Section 21-22 to eliminate provisions related to an employee cata‐strophic sick leave pool/

Note: A Public Hearing will be held on the above listed ordinances on Tues‐day, July 8, 2025, at 6:30 p.m in the Council Chambers 2045 Second Street Suite319.

Sincerely, ThomasReeves 146262JUN25-1T $65.04

PUBLICNOTICE

available in the City Council Office at 2045 Second Street, Suite318.

1. Item No. 25-063604 -An ordinance authorizing the Mayor of the City of Slidell to enter a co‐operative endeavor and lease agree‐ment on behalf of the City of Slidell, with Sandra Ann Mennerwithrespect to Lot No 61 of Square 2 of Palm Lake Addition Sub‐division in Slidell, LA (3018 S. Palm Dr., Slidell, LA 70458), owned by theCity

Note: A Public Hearing will be held on the above listed ordinances on Tues‐day, July 22, 2025, at 6:30 p.m in the

Sincerely, ThomasReeves 146275JUN25JUL2

PUBLICNOTICE The Mandeville Historic Preserva‐tion District Com‐mission will hold a public hearing on Wednesday July 9, 2025 at 6:00pm at Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway Ap‐proach, Mandeville, LA PUBLIC HEAR‐INGAGENDA

PUBLIC

WESLEY M. PLAISANCE Partner, NewOrleans Breazeale Sachse &WilsonL.L.P 909Poydras St.Ste.1500

NewOrleans, LA 70112

Phone: (504) 584-5471 wesley.plaisance@bswllp.com www bswIlp com

State-Wide TaxSaleand QuietTitle Litigation Practice Across Louisiana

I. CALL TO ORDER. II.ROLLCALL; III. APPROVAL OF MINUTES; IV OLD BUSI‐NESS: V NEW BUSI‐NESS: 1) HC25-07-16 –Residential – 2247 Lakeshore Drive –Addition and Reno‐vation 2) HC25-07-17Residential – 211 Carroll Street- Ele‐4) HC25-07-19Residential – 360 Coffee Street – Ele‐vation 5) HC25-07-20Residential – 509 Lamarque StreetElevation and Addi‐tion 6) Discussion of strategy to protect well basins with RichardAdamiak VII. ADJOURNMENT. Kathy Reeves, Sec‐retary

WesleyPlaisance is aPartner in theNew Orleansofficeof Breazeale,Sachse& Wilson L.L.P. whereheheads the TaxSale and Quiet TitleLitigationGroup andpractices othercommercial litigationwitha focusonrealestaterelated litigation.Mr. Plaisance regularlyhandlestax sale litigation mattersacrossLouisiana including withoutlimitationinthe followingParishes: Orleans, Caddo,Ouachita, Bossier, Ascension,EastBaton Rouge, St Tammany, Jefferson,Lafayette,Livingston, Plaqueminesand Lafourche. Mr.Plaisance represents taxsalepurchasersinsuits to confirm taxsale title(s) andownership with and/or without cancellation of mortgagesand otherencumbrances, in settlement of taxsale litigation mattersand in partitionproceedings commencedafter atax sale purchaser confirms only afractional ownership interest

Mr. Plaisance has extensive experience in representing tax debtors,landowners, mortgage holdersincluding banksand other interestedparties in actionstoannul and/or nullifytax sales. Mr. Plaisancehas successfully litigatedcomplex commerciallitigationmatters arisingoutoflarge investment funds created to purchase taxsalecertificatesand/ortax sale deedsin Louisiana, Georgia, Indianaand Florida.

NumerousTax Sale Transactions in LouisianaIncluding With TitleInsurance

Mr. Plaisanceisa resource fortax sale purchasers to buyorsell interest undertax sale certificates/deeds to otherinvestors andhas assisted hisclients in theacquisition and/or sale of numeroustax saledeeds/certificatesinLouisiana.Mr. Plaisanceassists hisclients in navigatingthe sale of immovablepropertywithtitle insurance afterconfirmation of thetax sale certificates/deeds Mr Plaisance graduated magna cumlaude from Loyola University New OrleansCollegeofLaw wherehewas amemberofthe Loyola Law Review.Inaddition, Mr.Plaisance served as an extern forthe Honorable Kurt D. Engelhardt in theUnitedStatesDistrictCourt for the EasternDistrictofLouisiana.Prior to lawschool, Mr.Plaisance earnedhis Bachelor of SciencedegreeinBiologicalEngineering from Louisiana StateUniversity, cumlaude. Breazeale,Sachse& Wilson,L.L.P.("BSW")

If you have com‐ments please e-mail them to eagee@ covla com or mail have the right t

vision Owner: John J. Vickers & Mindy HartdegenVickers Representative: JonesFussell,LLP–JeffreySchoen Surveyor: Dading, Marques & Associ‐ates,LLC Parish Council Dis‐trict Representative: Hon.PatPhillips General Location : Parcel located on the

4th Avenue, Cov‐ington, Louisiana, Ward3,District5 2025-4283-MRP Resubdivision of Parcel 4A4 into Parcels 4A4B & 4A4C, The Planta‐tion

Owner: Robert J. Rathe, Jr & Jennifer UlmerRathe Representative: JonesFussell,LLP–PaulJ.Mayronne Surveyor:LandSur‐veying,LLC Parish Council Dis‐trict Representative: Hon.CherylTanner General Location : Parcel located at the end of Shenandoah Lane Covington, Louisiana., Ward 5, District6

CONCEPT PLAN APPROVAL: 2025-4297-TP PineyRidgeEstates Developer/Owner: Precision Develop‐mentGroup,LLC Engineer/Surveyor: Duplantis Design Group Parish Council Dis‐trict Representative: Hon. Martha J. Cazaubon General Location: The property is lo‐cated on the north

District3 OLDBUSINESS 2023-3269-MSP Minor subdivision of Parcel D, 1.49 acres & 125 acres into Parcels D-1, D2,D-3&D-4 Owner & Represen‐

tative: Michael W &MaryS Anderson and Dwayne E Rovira Surveyor:LandSur‐veying,LLC Parish Council Dis‐trict Representative: Hon.CherylTanner General Location: The property is lo‐cated on the east side of Allen Road and on the south side of Anderson Alley Abita Springs, Louisiana, S20 & 21, T6S, R12E Ward 10, District6

R12E Ward District6

NEWBUSINES Request for a M Amendment t approved recr plan for the B terra Planned Development (PUD) A livestream w available for v ing on re broadcast ch (Charter Ch 710; U-verse nel 99) or on Parish we wwwstpgovor For more info tion, please cal Department of ning & De ment at 9852529.

/s/ Ross P. L AICP,PTP,CFM Director, D ment of Planni Development St Tammany Government 146407JUN25J 2T $346.44

Fussell,LLP–JeffreySchoen

NEWBUSINESS Request for a Major Amendment to the approved recreation plan for the Bon‐terra Planned Unit Development (PUD)

prop ty cated on the south de of LAHighway 21, east of LAHigh‐way 1083, Coving‐ton, Louisiana; S33, T5S, R12E; Ward 5, District6 2025-4257-MSP Minor Subdivision of Parcel 1 into Parcels1-A&1-B Owner & Represen‐ tative: Mary Jean Knight Surveyor: James J. Jones Parish Council Dis‐ict Representative: Hon.CherylTanner General Location: The property is lo‐cated on the east & west sides of Louis Quave Road, north of Evans Road, sh, Louisiana; 3, T5S, R13E; rd5,District6 2025-4266-MSP nor Subdivision 10 acres into elsA,B,C&D er & Represen‐e: Michael ck & Shelley ckerBock veyor: John G. mmings & Asso‐s sh Council Dis‐Representative:

y BeckerBock

Surveyor: John G. Cummings & Asso‐ciates Parish Council Dis‐trict Representative: Hon. Martha J Cazaubon General Location: The property is lo‐cated on the west side of LAHighway 1077, north of Wells Road, south of Gayle Road, Cov‐ington, Louisiana; S33 & 34,

acre, 1 acre & 3.63 acres into elsA,B&C er & Represen‐e: Kimberly G. rdoch & Debo‐Barfield veyor:LandSur‐ing,LLC sh Council Dis‐Representative: n.LarryRolling eral Location: property is lo‐ed on the north of Narrow ad east of LA ghway 437, Fol‐Louisiana; 5, T5S, R11E; rd2,District2 2025-4286-MSP nor Subdivision arcels A-3 & Bto ParcelsA-3-B 3-C er & Represen‐e: Joseph mare & Janet C mare veyor:LandSur‐ing,LLC sh Council Dis‐Representative: n. Arthur Laugh‐

70435

Race: WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 11/14/1991 Height: 5' 10 Weight: 209 Hair Color: BROWN Eye Color: BROWN Scars/Tattoos: Mark: Tattoo: L_arm - CREAM // Scar: abdomen SURGICAL SCAR // Piercing: Ear BOTH EARS PIERCED // Prosthesis: - NONE REPORTED // Ultraviolet Tattoo- NONE REPORTED // Mark: abdomen DARK SPOT ABOUT THE SIZE OFAQUARTER // Tattoo: R_armFAME WITHA STAR // Tattoo: Neck -ANGEL BLOWING TRUMPET WITH MUSICAL NOTES // Tattoo: R_armDEAD TREE WITH MOON CROWAND GATEWAY // Tattoo: L_arm WOMEN WITH HORNS HOLDING PITCH FORK // Tattoo: Upper_L_ArmKINGS CROWN // Tattoo: Chest LIPS WITH M'LEE ON LEFT SIDE CHEST

I, Michael Joseph Ledet , have been convicted of POSSESSION ANDATTEMPT TO POSSESS MATTER CONTAINING VISUAL DEPICTIONS INVOLVING THE SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF MINORS

MyAddress

142175 JUNE 1825 $250.00 // Piercing: EarBOTH EARS PIERCED // Prosthesis: - NONE

I Michael Paul Yazigi have been convicted of POSSESSION OF CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

MyAddress is: 66357 MARKHAM DR LACOMBE, LA 70445

Race: WHITE Sex: MALE Date of Birth: 2/04/1983 Height: 5 11 Weight: 300 Hair Color: BROWN Eye Color: BLUE Scars/Tattoos: Mark: Scar: HeadLONG SCAR ON LEFT SIDE OF HEAD // Tattoo:NONE REPORTED // Scar: L leg - 1" SCAR // Prosthesis: - NONE REPORTED // Ultraviolet Tattoo- NONE REPORTED // Scar: Head - 2" SCAR ON RIGHT SIDE OF HEAD // Scar: abdomenSURGICAL (NEAR NAVEL) // Scar: Head - SCAR IN MIDDLE OF HEAD 5/22/2024 // Scar: L elbowScar