THE ZACHA Y
ADVOCATE&
THURSDAY MARCH 19, 2015
P R O U D LY O W N E D I N L O U I S I A N A
Stacy Gill AROUND ZACHARY
SGILL@ THEADVOCATE.COM
Food Pantry seeks info on barrels Zachary businesses, organizations or schools that have a Pack the Pantry food barrel are urged to contact the Zachary Food Pantry to confirm its location. The Food Pantry is attempting to locate each barrel in an effort to maintain accurate records and coordinate pickups. Hunger is a year-round issue, and the food barrels provide a vital resource to those in need throughout the Zachary community, Reggie Dykes, Food Pantry director, said. Email your business, organization or school and location of barrel as well as contact information to Vince Giaccone at vpgicc@ bellsouth.net or call (225) 301-6607.
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THEADVOCATE.COM
1st Year, No. 23
Zachary City Council selects board members Historic Village advisers confirmed
Theresa Payment, Sharon Phillips, Ryan Southall and Bob Whitaker. At the Feb. 24 council meeting, the question was raised BY STACY GILL whether City Councilman Tomsgill@theadvocate.com my Womack’s initial appoinThe Zachary City Council tee, his sister Johnna Womack finalized appointments to the Roose, was a violation of ethics Zachary Historic Village ad- laws. The confirmation of appointvisory board at its March 10 ments was tabled at the Februmeeting. Confirmed to the advisory ary meeting so City Attorney board were Renee Beadle, Pat- John Hopewell could seek an rick Campbell, Jeanne Partin, opinion.
Hopewell said he spoke to a staff attorney with the Louisiana Board of Ethics who issued an advisory opinion that suggested Roose’s appointment would be a violation of state ethics laws. “Councilman Womack’s only interest in appointing her was that she had an interest in things historical and was willing to serve,” Hopewell said. The Ethics Board attorney said Roose would not be prevented from volunteering at
one of the Historic Village houses, however, simply prevented from being named as an appointment to the board. The Allison House, Bauman House and McHugh House, a barn, carriage house, pavilion, railroad depot and the Old Town Hall are part of the Historical Village, which is owned by the city, located in a two-block area on Virginia Street. In other council news: The council voted to adopt an ordinance declaring 13 bul-
READY TO
ROCK AND ROLL
Lane fish fry
The Lane Regional Medical Center Foundation is selling fried fish dinners Friday. Proceeds will be used for cancer treatment services at Lane’s Radiation Oncology Center in Zachary. Individual orders can be picked up at the Zachary City Hall parking lot from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Mayor David Amrhein and staff will be frying the dinners, which are $10 per plate and include fried catfish, coleslaw, fries and hush puppies. The fish-fry fundraiser is sponsored by Braezeale, Sachse & Wilson LLP.
Advocate staff photos by STACY GILL
In an effort to prepare for this week’s PARCC testing, Cullen Cassard, Jules Patin, Haley Sink, teachers Leah Boulton and Staci Williams, Kelsey White and teacher Kathryn Gutentag, from left, joined the Copper Mill Elementary School students and teachers in dressing as rock stars Friday. The school usually holds a pre-testing pep rally but decided to have a Rock the Test day instead.
äSee AROUND, page 4G
INSIDE Police reports .........9G Sports ....................1H
äSee COUNCIL, page 7G
Chamber announces support for Zachary schools Advocate staff report
Farm Bureau dinner
East Baton Rouge Parish Farm Bureau members are invited to their annual dinner meeting beginning at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, March 19, in the Life Center at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church, 3824 Lee St., in Zachary. Commissioner of Agriculture Mike Strain will be the guest speaker at the dinner, which also includes a beauty pageant and youth talent show.
letproof vests belonging to the Zachary Police Department as surplus. In addition to the vests, four vehicles belonging to the Police Department and the city were designated as surplus equipment and listed as being in fair or poor condition with issues ranging from excessive mileage to electrical and enginerelated problems. The vehicles include two 2006
In front is Copper Mill Principal Keisha Thomas; middle row, Kelsey White, Bruce Langley Jr., Cullen Cassard, Taliyah Jiles and Kyle Bouton; and back row, teacher Kathryn Gutentag, Haley Sink, Jenee Brown, teacher Leah Boulton, Jules Patin and teacher Staci Williams.
In an effort to rid themselves of pre-testing jitters prior to this week’s Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers or PARCC testing March 1620, Copper Mill Elementary School students and teachers dressed March 13 as rock stars. The day was themed ‘Rock the Test.’
The board of directors for the Zachary Chamber of Commerce voted March 10 to support the Zachary Community School District’s proposed 1-cent sales tax increase on the March 28 ballot. The chamber’s endorsement of the 1-cent tax proposition recognizes the importance of a strong school system to economic development in the city and comes after careful consideration of the impact on the community, according to a chamber news release. For several years, the Zachary School Board has been examining the district’s budget and finances with a focus on streamlining operations wherever possible, the release said. After seeking input from stakeholders in meetings held over a six-month period, the board voted unanimously in November to place a sales tax proposition on the March 28 ballot. The chamber said the School Board is committed to providing a high-quality education for students in the Zachary community and has based the decision on factors such as the overall cost of salaries, benefits, transportation, maintenance, utilities and technology. “The Zachary Chamber of Commerce believes education plays a vital role in ensuring economic prosperity and growth in our community and that we must ensure the school district has the resources necessary to continue to provide the quality of education our children deserve,” said Karl Kleinpeter, chamber president. “Good schools protect property values and make our community a safe and desirable place to live, work and do business.” The Zachary school district has demonstrated a history of success by ranking as the state’s top performing school district for the last 10 years, and the March 28 election will ensure the resources to continue that trend for years to come, Kleinpeter said.
Oil Changes, Brakes, Alignments, Check Engine Lights, A/C Repairs, Shocks, Struts, Tires