ZACHARY HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR ACCEPTED BY U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
THE ZACHA Y
ä PAGE 4G
ADVOCATE&
1G
THURSDAY JANUARY 22, 2015 H
P R O U D LY O W N E D I N L O U I S I A N A THEADVOCATE.COM
Utility safety monitoring plan being developed
Stacy Gill AROUND ZACHARY
SGILL@ THEADVOCATE.COM
RIP, RHS
Upon the likely closing of my alma mater, Redemptorist High School, I can’t help but reflect back to my Catholic schoolgirl days in uniform and being taught by the nuns, the School Sisters of Notre Dame, and the priests, the Redemptorists. My academia prior to St. Gerard was in public school, where all my classes were taught by one teacher. But there I was, switching classes for the first time in this historic three-story building that was St. Gerard Majella Elementary School. It was exciting for a public school transfer. The building was large for a fifth-grader, yet I’m certain if I were to roam the halls today, the building would be much smaller than in my memories. Some of those friends I made that first year at St. Gerard are among my closest, dearest pals today. After the sixth grade, it was on to Redemptorist Junior High School, where, for all its years in existence, seventh- through ninth-graders were taught. Redemptorist Senior High, as it was called, was for sophomores, juniors and seniors. When you’re the most senior grade in any school, a sense of entitlement and respect comes with being at the top of the student hierarchy. But as luck would have it, the year ninth-graders were to rule the school, my class, the class of 1988, was transferred to the high school and became the first freshman class in Redemptorist’s history. So, not only were we ripped of being the oldest students in junior high, but now we were back at the bottom of the student totem pole as the äSee AROUND, page 2G
INSIDE Obituaries .............. 6G Sports .................... 1H
BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com
Photo provided by RIP RITTELL
David Amrhein, standing left, is sworn in for a second term as mayor of Zachary by attorney Billy Kline, front right, at the community’s inauguration ceremony Jan. 12. Amrhein is joined on stage by, back from left, his wife, Robyn; son, Blake; grandson, Jackson; and son Dustin (not shown) with wife, Laura-Kate. Councilman Tommy Womack and Police Chief David McDavid are seated left.
Officeholders sworn in for new terms in Zachary
BY STACY GILL
sgill@theadvocate.com Zachary Mayor David Amrhein; City Council members Ben Cavin, Francis Nezianya, Brandon Noel, Laura O’Brien and Tommy Womack; and Police Chief David McDavid were sworn into office Jan. 12 at the city’s inauguration ceremony at Fellowship Church. Master of ceremonies William “Billy” Kline welcomed guests, and members of Zachary High School’s Jazz Band, under the direction of Donny Alexander, helped kick off the program. The Rev. Stephen Byrd, pastor at First Baptist Church of Zachary, gave the invocation; Zachary High’s Junior
ROTC presented the colors; Fire Chief Danny Kimble led the Pledge of Allegiance; the Rev. Starr Hornsby, pastor at Fellowship Church, said the prayer for the city; and the Rev. Ricky Willis, Zachary United Methodist, recited the benediction. The five City Council members were the first to take the oath of office: Councilman Nezianya, District 1, was sworn in by 19th Judicial District Court Judge Todd Hernandez; Councilmen Noel, District 2, and Cavin, District 4, were sworn in by Zachary City Court Judge Lonny Myles; Councilwoman O’Brien, District 3, was sworn in by state Sen. Rick Ward; and Councilman Wom-
ack, District 5, was sworn in by his wife and notary public, Diane Womack. The council members invited their families onstage for the ceremony. McDavid, joined by his family and members of the Zachary Police Department, was administered the oath by his son and local attorney, Ricky McDavid. Amrhein was surrounded by his wife, Robyn; sons Blake and Dustin; daughter-in-law, Laura-Kate; and grandson, Jackson. He was sworn into office for a second term by Kline, an attorney. “I want to thank the community for re-electing us. I äSee TERMS, page 2G
Two newly elected and three returning members of the Zachary City Council convened their first meeting of the year Jan. 13. Laura O’Brien, District 3, and Ben Cavin, District 4, were welcomed to the meeting by Mayor David Amrhein and Councilmen Francis Nezianya, District 1; Brandon Noel, District 2; and Tommy Womack, District 5. Prior to the meeting’s agenda items, resident Leroy Williams, 4638 Avenue C, said he was concerned over recent issues regarding the natural gas line near his house. “Either the gas line erupted or it was cut in two, but we lost power. We heard noise, but we didn’t smell anything,” Williams said. “I just wanted to point this out to you and have you look into it.” “We’re not sure what happened exactly,” Amrhein said. “But I can assure you, we’re looking into it.” Chris Davezac, Zachary’s Public Works director, said the line near Avenue C and Williams’ home is on an old PVC line, and a valve that had been shut was not reopened. “The entire city is on an underground valve loop system. Valves, which are shut at times for maintenance, are sometimes not reopened once work has been completed, as is protocol,” Davezac said. “We’re working on locating and marking all the valves in the city, making a list of each
one and coming up with a system that requires workers to sign in and sign out when they work on these valves.” Amrhein said the city, its engineering firm, Professional Engineering Consultants, and the utilities department have been meeting on the issue and are working to implement a new safeguard system. Bianca Hillhouse, of PEC, said there are anywhere from 300 to 500 valves in the city. “We’re going to GPS them and find them all. Once we have a policy in place, then we’re going to control it and monitor it,” Hillhouse said. In other council news: AUDIT: The council voted to accept the audit report findings on the city’s budget by Margaret Pritchard, of Baxley & Associates in Plaquemine. “You have a healthy balance sheet here,” Pritchard said. “You improved your net position by an increase of $4.3 million, up from a $3.3 million increase last year. You’re in very healthy shape.” Pritchard said the city’s expenses and governmental/general fund should be and were “very comparable.” Pritchard’s findings, however, included several comments regarding internal controls. She cautioned the city to be mindful on the proper allocation of expenses; budgeting versus spending variances; and posting items into the proper classifications or accounts. “Overall, you do a great job,” äSee MONITORING, page 2G
Bypass opens to motorists BY STACY GILL
what it means for ensuring the safety of residents on our roadways and improving trafThe Montegudo and Odom fic flow,” Zachary Mayor Dafamilies braved the cold tem- vid Amrhein said. “I learned to peratures Jan. 15 to attend the drive on this property. It holds opening of a new bypass road some great memories for me.” The road, less than a mile that Zachary leaders built to eliminate congestion on Main long, intersects with La. 19 on Street between La. 19 and La. the west end north of the Family Dollar store and has been 64. “It’s been a long process, but named Montegudo Boulevard, I have to commend the coun- after the Montegudo family. “Adolphus William ‘A.W.’ cil for seeing the potential in this alternative connection and Montegudo, or ‘Daddy Dolph,’ sgill@theadvocate.com
as he was known to his grandchildren, was a fourth-generation Montegudo who farmed the tract of land that the bypass road runs through. He had five children with Victoria Delatte, who was killed in a train wreck, and then four children with his second wife, Emmie Black,” granddaughter Emily Montegudo Wascome said. The nine Montegudo siblings were raised on the property, äSee BYPASS, page 2G
Advocate staff photo by STACY GILL
Millie Odom, seated left in truck, and her family were the first to drive on Bob Odom Drive, named after her late husband, Bob Odom, the former state commissioner of agriculture and a longtime Zachary resident. Bob Odom Drive forks off of Montegudo Boulevard and both are part of the new bypass road that opened Jan. 15 in Zachary.
Oil Changes, Brakes, Alignments, Check Engine Lights, A/C Repairs, Shocks, Struts, Tires