6b Established 1886 Justice To All Dedicated To The Progress 0001 4 Sections, 32 Pages Vol. 118, No. 24 Wednesday, Septembe 22 miles of road due for epavim i i a. "'iv" Part III of major road-improvement project Roadwork Parish President Scott Angelle checks on the progress of removing trees from a median on Labbe Boulevard, part of a major road improvement project financed by a one-cent sales tax approved last year. The trees, which were causing the pavement to deteriorate, will be replaced with grass, Angelle said.
The parish council last week awarded a $2.5 million contract for the resurfacing of another 22 miles of parish roads. (Staff Photo by Ken Grissom) The St. Martin Parish Council last week awarded a $2.5 million contract for resurfacing another 22 Candidates respond to questions The three candidates for St. Martin Parish sheriff have submitted answers to 10 questions posed by the Teche News earlier this month. On Page B-7 of this issue you will find their responses to issues of offiV cers in schools, use of trusty crews, the status of the substation in Breaux Bridge, and programs for the elderly.
Next week well present their positions on manning levels and salaries in the department, drug enforcement, political activities by deputies, and public access to arrest records. Be an informed voter and study this miles of roads in the ongoing road-improvement project financed by a one-cent sales tax passed last year. Local contractor M. Matt Durand will do the work on Phase I Part III. The company is also doing Parts I and II.
The three contracts total nearly three-fourths of the 100 miles of asphalt roads targeted by the master project. (In addition, the parish contracted with Durand to resurface more than five miles under a $575,000 Community Development Block Grant.) Some 40 miles of gravel roads are due for paving in a subsequent phase of the project, according to plans published when the sales tax was proposed to the public. Work on Part III will being within a month, said Parish President Scott Angelle. He said the contractor is making progress on Parts I and II, totaling over 50 miles at a combined cost of just under $5.5 million. Between the construc No campaign cards at school functions Board appoints new CFO State Police head abusive says BB chief by Ken Grissom The head of the Louisiana State Police was abusive to a firefighter directing emergency traffic at the scene of last July's fatal fiery pileup over the Atchafalaya Basin, according to the man's fire chief.
Col. Terry Landry cursed the firefighter and later had him removed from the scene, said Chief Terry Theriot of the Breaux Bridge Volunteer Fire Company. Theriot said Landry's actions endangered firefighters trying to quell a raging 18-wheeler fire that killed five. "He just parked right in the middle of everything," Theriot told the Teche News. Landry, superintendent of State Police for the past three years, was not available for comment but a State Police spokesperson said her agency has ultimate authority at traffic accidents.
Moreover, the firefighter wasn't wearing standard bunker gear but rather a Hawaiian shirt and cutoffs, the spokesman said. The firefighter, Mike (See DANGER, Pg. A-8) Another single vehicle crash claims driver An Iberia teen js dead following a single car crash that occurred south of St. Martinville just after 1 1 p.m. last Friday.
It was the third parish fatality involving single-vehicle accidents over a two-week period. State Police at Troop I identified the victim of the latest crash as Jade R. Standridge, 19, of Loreauville. According to the official accident report, Standridge was driving south on La. 347 Cemetery Hwy.
when she apparently lost control of her car at 11:09 p.m. The vehicle drifted across the center line, then she steered back to the right, causing the car to go into a clockwise rotation. The car crossed back into the (See FATALITY, Pg. A-8) Officials anticipating a drop in MFP enrollment flooded the entrances to stadiums handing out cards and other items to fans who were trying to get through the gates. The new policy, which went into effect immediately and applies to all candidates, specifically prohibits the distribution of campaign literature or other "paraphernalia" at a school activity on school property.
Board members pushing for the restriction emphasized that the policy does not prevent candidates from greeting people individually. Board attorney Chester Cedars assured several members who questioned the legality of such a policy that "this is a reasonable restriction." The only nay votes cast against the policy were by Paulma Johnson of District (See BOARD, Pg. A-8) by Henri C. Bienvenu Reacting to the spirited campaigning being conducted by and on behalf of candidates for sheriff, the St. Martin School Board last week imposed restrictions on political activities at school events on school property.
Board, memhejts also hired Emile Soulier 'of Lafayette to succeed Gwyn Theriot as the system's chief financial officer. Although the sheriffs race was not named specifically, it was obvious that some board members were concerned that the campaign could provoke confrontations at several high school football games scheduled between now and the Oct. 4 primary. Some members complained that in years past overeager candidates andor their supporters tion and engineering work, Phase I will use up about $10 of $18 million in credit created by the penny tax. The tax was projected to generate $1.8 million a year.
Of that amount, $1.4 million is pledged to service the bonds, leaving $400,000 for maintenance The projects are being carried out in the rural parts of the parish minus District 6, including the Cade area, which already had its own taxing district for capital improvements. The following roads are scheduled for renovation under Part III: Bergeron Rigs Road, Bernis Road, Bock Huval Road, Bruce Huval Street. Conde Road. Delcambre Road. Emile Road.
Germain Street. Hebert Lane, Huron Road, Huval Lane. Isle Labbe Road (portion). Jeffery Broussard Road, Joseph Street. La.
Freniere Road, Lee Gordon Road, Levert Road. Patin Road, Pete Guidry Road, Portage Road, Potato Shed Road, Potier Drive. Sam Champagne Road, Sandy (See ROADS, Pg. A-8) la, with funding for those programs coming from other sources. The loss of $400,000 from the school's general fund budget would be a serious matter, but the board still has a sizeable surplus in reserve.
More Certified The board did hear some encouraging news last week, however. Lottie Beebe, director of human resources, noted (See MFP, Pg. A-8) "(EST? -ft. ft Weather Watch Clearing skies and slight relief from heat possible. See Page D-4 for complete details and the seven-day forecast.
by Henri C. Bienvenu Despite an increase in overall enrollment, St. Martin Parish school officials are anticipating a drop in the number of Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) students when the official count is-taken on Oct. 2. Based on preliminary and unofficial estimates, staff members say the decrease could be as many as 96 students.
If this prediction bears out, it would BFI loosening requirements Temporary arrangement be a loss of about $400,000 in state funds. Current estimates put the parish public school system's overall enrollment at 8,707, down slightly from 8,712 last year. But MFP students are expected to drop from 8,374 last year to 8,278 for 2003-04, while "other" students mostly in pre-kindergarten programs will climb from 338 to 474. Pre-K children are not counted in the MFP formu MMfcwMlini mil i us ii l' Mfi' by Ken Grissom St. Martinville residents should see remaining piles of yard waste and construction debris disappearing more rapidly this month.
The city council last week struck a deal with the city's trash hauler, agreeing to a month-long test to determine the extra cost of removing big messy piles of trash not currently covered under the contract. The extra cost, up to a cap of $2,000, will be covered from a fund of money that now goes to the parish recycling program. Gus Dugas, general manager of Browning-Ferris Industries' New Iberia office, said the company was already running more pick-up routes than the contract called for in an effort to catch up with the rising piles of debris. He said the company would begin picking up cut limbs larger than the requisite six-foot, construction waste not property bundled, and "bulky" or "brown goods," mostly discarded furniture all of which is beyond the scope of BFI's current five-year contract. Trash piled in front of vacant lots or lots not being (See SM COUNCIL, Pg.
A-8) Killed in Parish Traffic This Year Bayou Belle UL coed and Catahoula native Leryn LeBlanc opens our school year presentations. Page C-l Change of venue Trial of Castex suspect likely to be moved to Franklin. Page A-2 Sports The Ville tops Cecilia; BB falls to Lafayette. Page B-l Volleyball teams off to good starts. Page B-3 INDEX Bulletin Board Churches Classifieds D-7 Court News D-2 21 Empty Bus Officer Marcel Delahoussaye appoaches motorist James McNeil of Breaux Bridge after the pickup truck McNeil was driving collided with a school bus driven by Katherine Blanchard at Martin Luther King and W.
Port streets in St. Martinville. The accident occurred mid-afternoon on Monday, before any children had been picked up. No one was hurt. McNeil was ticketed for disobeying a traffic signal, according to the St.
Martinville Police Department. (Staff Photo by Ken Grissom) Wdnsday, UHrr.Ur 10, Cajundome Convention Contsr ctsi for Deaths -A-3 Editorials -A-4 Farm Garden D-l Letter to Editor UfeStyle Sectlon-C Public Notices DXLCrJCCOTT SportsOutdoor Weather D-4 6 8 iljtSi'Jj'USp i 1L1 1 111 I 1.
