The Ascension Advocate (01/22/15)

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FIRE DEPARTMENT HONORS EMERGENCY RESPONDERS AT ANNUAL BANQUET ä Page 4G

THE ASCENSION

ADVOCATE

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DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT • SORRENTO

THURSDAY JANUARY 22, 2015 H

THEADVOCATE.COM

Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION

DDENSTORFF@ THEADVOCATE.COM

Lions Club to host breakfast The Gonzales Lions Club’s annual All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast starts at 7 a.m. Sunday at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center gym, 9039 St. Landry Ave., Gonzales. The breakfast includes sausage, juice, milk, coffee and pancakes for $7. The fundraiser, which ends at 1 p.m., supports community service projects hosted by the club, organizers said. Students from Center Stage Performing Arts Studio will perform. For information, call (225) 802-9796.

Appeal denied in family partition Property sparked rewriting of rules

BY DAVID J. MITCHELL

dmitchell@theadvocate.com GONZALES — The last time they’d met, then-President Bill Clinton was just starting his second term, still a year removed from the Monica Lewinsky scandal, and the Comet Hale-Bopp was making a close swing past Earth. But a running dispute over a proposed family partition in St.

Amant that already sparked a major rewrite last year of Ascension Parish rules brought the parish Planning Commission Appeals Board together for the first time since 1997. Family partitions allow landowners to claim certain hardships and avoid some parish development and infrastructure requirements when they give land to immediate family. All three board members, Sam Speligene, Fritz Englade and Brian Aguillard, were appointed by current Parish President Tommy Martinez, who is

finishing his fourth, nonconsecutive term of office. But the members had never had a meeting together and had to name a chairman before the business at hand could be decided the night of Jan. 15. Aguillard, who has been on the board four years, was named chairman and ended up casting the tie-breaking vote. The 2-1 decision denied the appeal of a series of commission votes blocking the family partition being sought by Louis and Cynthia Stafford. The decision upholds those earlier commis-

sion votes. “I feel that in the family partition rules as they existed, there is a hardship rule and standards and, personally, I don’t think that hardship was shown in this case,� Aguillard said. Since the summer, the Staffords have been seeking to create two half-acre lots for their children from an 80-acre pasture along La. 936 about a halfmile east of La. 22. The Staffords needed the partition, as opposed to a standard

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Stafford property

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äSee PARTITION, page 2G

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Helping families

The Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office’s Christmas Crusade for Children program helped more than 300 families during the 2014 holiday season, a news release from the Sheriff’s Office said. Ascension Parish Sheriff Jeffrey Wiley said last week that the annual event helped 323 families and approximately 886 children. “The program helps thousands of children in our community with toys and clothes for Christmas,� Wiley said. Through donations from businesses, nonprofit groups and individual donations, the Sheriff’s Office collected $41,926, he said. Last year, the Sheriff’s Office Christmas Crusade for Children program purchased toys for more than 250 families and 680 children, the release said. “Our annual Christmas Crusade program has become such a part of the fabric of the Sheriff’s Office and our community,� said Wiley, adding that agency members and community partners look forward to this time of year. “I am indeed thankful for the many community partners who have come together to support our Ascension Parish community through such a worthwhile endeavor,� he said.

Heritage society meets

Author and amateur historian Stephen Estopiùål, of Gonzales, will address attendees at the Feb. 7 meeting of the Canary Islanders Heritage Society of Louisiana. Estopiùål will talk about Wars of the Three KingäSee AROUND, page 2G

Advocate staff photo by ANGELA MAJOR

Madison Latour plays the role of Little Red Riding Hood on Jan. 14 during St. Amant High School’s rehearsal for ‘Into the Woods Junior.’

Advocate staff photo by HEATHER MCCLELLAND

Jeremy Epps holds Maggie the sheep while his daughter Stephanie, 11, center, and Marisa Baye, 12, work to put a sock blanket on her Friday in preparation for the annual Ascension Livestock Show, which was Saturday at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.

BEST BARN OF THE

Advocate staff report

Cats, dogs, a snail, turtle and guinea pig were the stars of the Jan. 15 4-H Pet Show at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. Students exhibited their pets to win ribbons and certificates. The event was part of three days of activities at Lamar-Dixon, including 4-H demonstration day and a stick horse rodeo on Friday and the annual Ascension Parish Livestock Show, which was Saturday. äSee BARN, page 4G

Advocate staff photo by DARLENE DENSTORFF

Chloe Faith Holifield, 9, left, holds Jo-Bear, and Julia Vidrine, 11, holds Chase on Jan. 15 during the 4-H Pet Show. The girls won the grand prize in the small dog category. Ribbons were awarded for smallest and longest tail, best dressed and weight.

St. Amant High goes ‘Into the Woods’ BY VON DE LEIGH HATCHER Special to The Advocate

The halls of St. Amant High School rang with the sound of music as students rehearsed on a recent Wednesday afternoon for their upcoming production of “Into the Woods,â€? a musical written by composer Stephen Sondheim. It’s the first musical at the school in 10 years, n Into the said theater teacher SelWoods by Boriel, who is directing the play. WHEN: 7 p.m., Jan. It is only coincidence 28-30 that they decided to WHERE: St. Amant perform the play only a High School, 12035 month after the film ad- La. 431 aptation by James Lap- TICKETS: $5 ine was released, Boriel said. The play has been a labor of love for Boriel, who has always wanted to produce the play. “The most fulfilling part of the production is seeing the students love what I love so much,â€? Boriel said. Students have been excited to participate and have worked hard, Boriel said. Casting for the play began in September and rehearsals began in October, Boriel said. “The most challenging part of the production was getting the word out, getting people from the student body to audition and dedicate themselves,â€? assistant director Noelle Baker said. Boriel is hopeful that the success of this production will lead to a better turnout at future auditions, especially if another musical is proäSee WOODS, page 2G


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