Heard around town

Mayors for Meals

2008-03-18T12:10:00.003-06:00

Area mayors, along with Harrah’s and Horseshoe representatives, will be delivering lunch to senior citizens beginning at 10 a.m. Wednesday during Mayors for Meals, a component of Meals on Wheels.
As part of Harrah’s Louisiana Downs and Horseshoe Casino & Hotel’s on going commitment to the Meals on Wheels organization, a contribution of $2,500.00 will be made to Bossier Council on Aging.

Meet the author

2008-02-22T17:39:00.002-06:00

Denise Sumotzy, author of "Hidden Identity," will be at the Wallette branch of Shreve Memorial Library, 363 Hearne Ave., at 10 a.m. Monday, Feb. 25.
Sumotzy brings to life a nail-biting story of lies and deceit in this tale about a solitary black man who conceals his identity to pave the way for freedom and justice.
Depicted in and around the Civil War era, the story takes you back to the lives of African-Americans of years long ago. Books are available for $8.99.

Neighborhood walk

2008-02-15T16:05:00.000-06:00

The Shreveport Police Pastor Program will conduct a neighborhood walk in Shreveport's Hollywood neighborhood at 5 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 19.
The group will meet at Hattie Perry Park, 4300 Ledbetter. They will then go to the streets adjacent to the park for about an hour, speaking with residents about Crime Stoppers and crime prevention and encouraging them to attend an upcoming prayer vigil.
The prayer vigil will take place Thursday, Feb. 21, from 5 to 6 p.m. at Hattie Perry Park. This effort is part of an ongoing Stop the Violence campaign following the shooting death of a 15-year-old girl in that neighborhood last year.

Starting a new chapter

2008-02-14T16:32:00.002-06:00

A new chapter is opening in the 138-year history of Mount Zion CME Church. At 3 p.m. Sunday (Feb. 17) the church will commemorate the dedication of its new $1 million sanctuary and educational facility at 414 East Union St., in Minden.
Bishop Thomas L. Brown Sr., presiding prelate of the Fourth Episcopal District, will be the guest speaker.
The church, founded in 1870, was burned in the early morning hours of July 20, 2005. Since then the congregation has held services first in the chapel of Benevolent Funeral Home and later in the 14th District Building.
Now, nearly two years after the June 6, 2006, groundbreaking, the congregation is ready for its new home. The sanctuary seats 290 people and an adjacent educational building will be used for senior activities and tutorial programs.
Come out and help the Mount Zion congregation celebrate its new home.

Black History Month program to feature Bobby Seale

2008-02-08T17:54:00.000-06:00

Bobby Seale, co-founder of the Black Panther Party, will be the featured speaker at Grambling State University's Black History Month program at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 14.
The event will be held in the Nursing Building Auditorium on campus. The topic is "Power to the People: Revolutionary Struggles of the Past, Present and Future."
Following the event, Seale will answer questions and autograph books and memorabilia. Although the event is open to the public, seating will be limited.

Jail program an eye-opener

2008-01-31T12:29:00.000-06:00

I took both of my sons to Caddo Correctional Center on Wednesday for the Don’t Let This Be You program. I didn’t take them because they’ve been in trouble; I took them because I want them to be fully aware of the things that will land them in jail or prison.
Believe me, it was an eye-opening experience. The event began with a lecture from Caddo District Judge Scott Crichton and Assistant District Attorney Ron Stamps. During the lecture, youths were told what activities are identified as crimes and what the punishments are for those crimes. They learned that if they are in the vehicle with someone who has drugs, they all can go to jail. They heard how drugs can affect peoples' lives. They also saw what can happen if you ride in a vehicle without wearing a seat belt.
Stamps’ brother, who served time in prison, also addressed the group. During his presentation, he displayed a large board full of make-shift weapons inmates at CCC had made.
After the lecture came the tour. We toured both the male and female section of the facility where some of the inmates were given the opportunity to speak to the youths. The somber expressions on most of the youths’ faces, my children included, indicated that what was being said was sinking in.
There’s another tour and lecture scheduled next week. Same place, same time. But in case you missed it here it is: 6 p.m. Feb. 6, media room at Caddo Correctional Center, 1101 Forum Drive in Shreveport. To register, call Andrea Samuel at the Caddo Sheriff’s Regional Training Academy at (318) 681-0735.
And remember, the program isn’t just for teens who have been in trouble. So take your teens. You’ll be glad you did. A voluntary trip to Caddo Correctional Center now beats an involuntary trip later.

Black History Month

2008-01-29T17:52:00.000-06:00

Black History Month is coming up and there will be plenty of opportunities to attend various events in the community.
Here's one to put on your calendar:
LaBetha Casey will present "Quilts and Their Secret Underground Railroad Messages" at 5 p.m. Feb. 28 at Shreve Memorial Library West branch, 4380 Pines Road.
The program is for all ages. For more information, call Charlyn Cleere at (318) 635-0947.

Celebrating 50 years

2008-01-29T17:45:00.000-06:00

Classmates from Booker T. Washington High School, J. S. Clark Jr. High School, Ingersoll Elementary and West Shreveport Elementary who were born in 1958 are turning 50 this year and are gearing up for a big celebration.
A celebration committee is coordinating the festivities, which will take place July 18-20 in Shreveport. The committee also is seeking graduates of 1976 to participate.
For more information and to participate in the event, call (318) 635-4545 or send contact information to: celebratefifty@bellsouth.net.

Open house and a movie

2008-01-14T11:10:00.000-06:00

Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation will host an open house at 2 p.m. Friday at Bill Cockrell Community Center, 4109 Pines Road. Also on tap, a movie in the park: Shrek, starting at 6 p.m. in partnership with the Robinson Film Center.
Other events include an obstacle course, art display, on-site registration for the after-school program, applications for SPAR summer lifeguard positions, tennis clinic, first tee clinic and demonstration by Ike Salone, Ce Ce the clowns, free balloons, free popcorn and a safety booth/information by the Shreveport Fire Department.
The event is free and open to the public. For information, contact Germaine Williams, recreation superintendent, at 673-7873.

Minority Business Council Leaders

2008-01-03T15:50:00.000-06:00

The Minority Business Council's leaders for 2008 include Katrina Thomas, president; president-elect, Eddie Norris; first vice president, LeMar Flukers; treasurer, Darrin Dixon; program chair, Terry Jackson; program co-chair Pavunae Jones; membership chair Kristi Baylor; membership co-chair Jerry Williams; publicity chair Michelle Coxen; publicity co-chair Bill Sharp; secretary, Sharon Daniels; Expo chair Sharon Henderson; Expo co-chair, Charlie Jones; and immediate past president, Carol Nunley.
The MBC will meet from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17 at the El Dorado Casino Hotel. Admission is $5. RSVP mbc@shreveportchamber.org.

Shopping with an officer

2007-12-17T09:38:00.000-06:00

The Bossier City and Shreveport Police Departments certainly are in the holiday spirit.
Just last week we ran an editorial about the spirit of giving and how generosity during this time of year is so widespread.
Bossier City police officers will help bring holiday joy to children in need when they take part in the annual Shop with an Officer program beginning at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Wal-Mart Supercenter on Airline Drive. The event is sponsored by Bossier chapter of The Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 39 and the Shreveport chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge No. 3.
The officers will accompany 20 children from Central Park Elementary School in Bossier City on a holiday shopping spree. Each child will get to spend $100 dollars in money raised locally by members of the Bossier FOP chapter.
Members of the Fraternal Order of Police and the Shreveport Police Department will participate in Shop With a Cop at 5:30 p.m. Thursday at the Wal-Mart on Pines Road.
Along with providing children in need with Christmas gifts, the program is designed to build positive relationships among children and police officers.

Shreveport dog receives honors

2007-12-05T15:58:00.000-06:00

Ranger, an 8-year-old Labrador retriever and his owner Capt. Kerry Foster won the AKC Awards for Canine Excellence (ACE) in the American Kennel Club's Search and Rescue Dog category.
The ACE is given annually to dogs in each of the following five categories: Law Enforcement, Search and Rescue, Therapy, Service and Exemplary Companion Dog. The award is designed to commemorate loyal, hard-working dogs that have made significant contributions to their community.
Ranger began his work as a search and rescue dog for the Shreveport Fire Department in 2001. Since then he has conducted approximately 40 search operations in Louisiana, Texas and Arkansas each year.
One of these operations included searching 2,800 collapsed homes in New Orleans between March and July 2006 in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Ranger and Foster made more than a dozen recoveries of victims’ remains despite getting injured on the job.
Ranger and Foster will be honored in a ceremony at the Metairie Kennel Club annual dog show in Gonzales on Saturday.

Operation Santa

2007-11-26T11:39:00.000-06:00

The Shreveport police and fire departments along with the Bossier Parish sheriff's office are kicking off Operation Santa Claus.
This is the 23rd year for Operation Santa Claus, which teams up with Gap Broadcasting to help fill Christmas wish lists for children in Shreveport-Bossier.
Police, sheriff's deputies and firefighters in Shreveport and Bossier Parish submit names of children who meet the requirements of Operation Santa Claus.
Once toys are donated, the public safety employees who nominated the children for the program then get to play Santa, delivering the wrapped goodies in time for Christmas. If you would like to participate, e-mail kacee.hargrave@ci.shreveport.la.us or call Operation Santa Claus directly at 687-GIFT (after Dec. 1).

State of the City

2007-11-09T16:42:00.000-06:00

Mayor Cedric Glover gave his State of the City Address on Wednesday at Riverview Theatre.

In case you missed it, here are some excerpts from his speech:

A little more than two weeks ago I stood in the street with family, friends and neighbors of little Treveon Hunter ... who was the innocent victim of a drive-by shooting on Frederick Street in Queensborough. As I left that family and that street, I felt deeply disturbed and concerned about the future of young men like Treveon Hunter and the families on streets like Frederick, who unfortunately become known for all the wrong reasons.

A little more than one week ago, I sat in the office of Lt. Gen. Robert Elder, commander of the 8th Air Force at Barksdale Air Force Base to discuss one of the most promising projects our area has seen in a long time: establishing the permanent Cyber Command at Barksdale.

Like two sides of a coin that represent countervailing perspectives, images and mindsets, in many ways we are a tale of two cities in one: one that embraces the the idea that we are on our way to bigger and better things; and the other that wonders if the future holds anything that will remove the fear ands pessimism that slowly eats away at our soul.

I believe we can take back our neighborhoods. That is a focus of this administration and I will put every resource at my disposal toward that task.

We recognize and have embraced the fact that economic development means a lot of different things ... from going out to GM and celebrating that they will be making their hot new truck (the Hummer 3T) right here in west Shreveport to going out to Hollywood to be one of the hosts of a reception for filmmakers. The first is an example of of our efforts to solidify the presence of one of our existing industrial employers while the latter is an example of our efforts to further develop our film and entertainment industry.

We also believe that growing our city means growing the WHOLE city. If we can convince a bunch of California movie producers to build a film studio in Ledbetter Heights and use that studio as the catalyst for redevelopment of this historic neighborhood then we can find a way to grow other parts of our city that have long been neglected.

Lat November I uttered the words "Here we are." A couple of weeks ago, I was again reminded that "here" includes places like Frederick Street as well as Barksdale. "Here" includes both the opportunities and the threats to those opportunities. Both offer lessons for us to learn. Both present us with the challenge to step up to the next level in our evolution as a great city.

I am honored to serve as your mayor. I believe we can and we will meet the challenges that threaten to derail our progress head-on.

It's knitting time

2007-10-25T10:48:00.000-06:00

Can you knit?
Do you want to learn?
If you're 12-18 years old you can join the Hot Needles Knitting Club.
The registration deadline is Nov. 1 but don't wait until then to register because class size is limited. Materials will be supplied.
Information:
Where: Shreve Memorial Library, Mooretown branch
4360 Hollywood Ave., Shreveport
Contact: (318) 636-5524
When: Each Tuesday from 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Classes start Nov. 6
Cost: Free

Trick or treat

2007-10-23T15:56:00.000-06:00

The city of Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation Department (SPAR) is hosting 16 Halloween parties for the community on October 31.
Festivities begin at 5 p.m. and will feature space walks, games, contests and treats. Following is a list of locations for each of the community centers.
Be sure to stop by on your walk through the community on Halloween night!

AB Palmer, 547 E. 79th St. (673-5336)
YWCA Allendale, 700 Pierre Ave. (226-8717)
Lakeside, 2200 Milam St. (673-7812)
Andrew Currie, 1600 Norma St. (673-7805)
Chris Hays, 4300 Illinois St. (673-7814)
Sunset Acres, 6700 Quilen Ave. (673-7825)
David Raines, 2920 Round Grove Lane (673-5342)
Hattie Perry, 4300 Ledbetter St. (673-7810)
Airport Park, 6500 Kennedy Drive (673-7803)
Lakeside, 2200 Milam St. (673-7812)
Mamie Hicks, 200 Mayfair Drive (673-6416)
Bilberry, 1902 Alabama St. (673-5345)
Querbes, 3500 Beverly Place (673-7816)
Bill Cockrell, 4109 Pines Road (629-4185)
Valencia, 1800 Viking Drive (673-6433)
Southern Hills, 1002 Bert Kouns (673-7818)

Southern Hills Expo

2007-10-22T15:28:00.000-06:00

The Southern Hills Business Association's Town Hall Meeting, Business Expo and Taste of Southern Hills is scheduled from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday.
The free event will be held in the events center at Summer Grove Baptist Church, 8924 Jewella.
Make plans to be there. It will offer plenty of music, door prizes, food samples, business products and service booths.

Promoting tourism

2007-10-16T08:42:00.000-06:00

At 10 a.m. Wednesday, the Shreveport Convention & Tourist Bureau, along with representatives from 11 surrounding parishes and Lt. Gov. Mitch Landrieu, will announce the North Louisiana Coalition for Tourism with the Louisiana Office of Tourism.
The North Louisiana Coalition for Tourism will leverage the assets of more than 50 cities in 28 parishes to promote group tourism, leisure travel, meetings and conventions, and sporting events throughout north Louisiana.
The event will be held at Festival Plaza in downtown Shreveport.

Aspiring cartoonists

2007-10-04T08:48:00.000-06:00

I recently visited with a class of eighth-graders at Elm Grove Middle School. Their teacher said they had been talking about political cartoons in the class and the students had shown a big interest.
So I went ot the school to talk about political cartoons and how we decide which ones will be published and which ones will not. I took several copies of cartoons with me to show to the class. They got quite a kick out of some of the cartoons. Since they were so interested, I challenged the students to draw their own editorial cartoon, tied in to something happening in the news. Most of them were really excited about that.
I can hardly wait to see what these aspiring cartoonists come up with.

Campbell said ...

2007-09-27T10:19:00.000-06:00

Here are some of the things guberbatorial candidate Foster Campbell had to say when he visited with the Editorial Board this week.

I've been real vocal on issues and haven't tap danced around.

We've got way too many hired lobbyists. We need to get the lobbyists off the Floor in the House.

We need to limit the number of bills introduced in the Legislature. We've got so many trivial bills that people spend too much time on. A lot of them can be handled on a local level.

Nobody, no matter how smart they are, can read 100 bills in one afternoon.

I want to get rid of state and corporate income tax.

Ethics is not going to cure the economic problems in Louisiana.

In six years, Texas is going to have gaming. We need to prepare ourselves by looking down the road.

A lot of things have been done in the Legislature that haven't been the right thing to do.

I'm for opening up schools in the summer. I'm not for doing away with accountability. I'm a big proponent for technical schools.

Give LSUS a Ph.D. program.

Clean out those closets

2007-09-18T14:07:00.000-06:00

Although morning temperatures are somewhat lower, chances are you still aren't thinking about jackets and coats, but cold weather has a way of sneaking up on you.
And if you are fortunate enough to own a jacket or coat when the cold weather hits, count that as a blessing because not everyone will be prepared for the lower temperatures.
But help is on the way!
Burlington Coat Factory, through the One Warm Coat community service effort, will be collecting clean, reusable coats and jackets. Coats of all shapes sizes are welcome but children's sizes are most needed.
One Warm Coat is dedicated to distributing reusable coats, free of charge, directly to the children, women and men of the Shreveport Bossier Rescue Mission.
To help with this community effort, here's what you should do:
Bring your clean, reusable coats and jackets to any Burlington Coat Factory from Sept. 24 to Nov. 11.
That's it. That's all you have to do.
“We are thrilled that so many people across the country have received coats to help them stay warm," said Lois Pavlow, founder of One Warm Coat. "It’s such a simple and easy way to show you care for people in need.”
Since its inception in 1992, more than 400,000 coats have been provided to those in need at no cost.
So start cleaning out those closets and get ready for One Warm Coat.

Mail for Anthony

2007-09-17T11:08:00.000-06:00

I wrote a column back in July about an organization that was collecting items to send to soldiers in Iraq. In that article, I mentioned a young man, Anthony Nishimura, who, I was told, was not receiving any mail. I received an e-mail in August from Jim Kasarda wanting to set the record straight concerning this young soldier.
Here’s what he had to say:
My name is Jim Kasarda. This note is in regards to your article of July 4, 2007.
I wanted to let you know that Tony is not without a loving family. Tony is home right now on a two week leave from Iraq. He goes back on Sunday. His mom and I found a laminated copy of the story on the kitchen table the other day. She cried when she read it. Apparently we haven't written to Tony often enough. We have written several e-mails to Tony, and talk to him on the phone as often as he can call. We have also sent him care packages from home. I also know that our local grade school sent him letters as part of class project. I just want to clear the record that Tony DOES get mail, and I certainly don't want to stop Mrs. Hancock from corresponding with Tony. We will certainly step up our frequency of mail to Tony too!
We've had a great visit with Tony. Lots of friends and family have been to our house, and Tony has made several visits to friends and family also. I don't want people to think that Tony doesn't have a family, or one that cares. He absolutely does.
As I said, he returns to Iraq on Sunday, the 19th, and there will be a big (he has six siblings and a girlfriend) family crying, hoping, and praying for his safe return.
Thank you,
Jim

Thank you Mr. Kasarda. It's good to hear that this soldier does, indeed, have family that corresponds with him. And it's important that his family realizes they should write more often.

DWI operation

2007-09-13T09:22:00.000-06:00

Don't drink and drive.
You can never say those words too many times. But you have to not only say them, but also practice what you say.
And to get the point across, the Shreveport Police Department is conducting a saturation patrol, focusing on the downtown area and southeast Shreveport, on Saturday night and Sunday morning.
During the operation, officers will be looking for drunken drivers, seat belt violators and other traffic-related offenses.
So buckle up, be safe and don't drink and drive.

Airline dress code?

2007-09-07T06:43:00.000-06:00

OK. About 10 minutes after posting my sagging ban blog I turned the TV on to the Today show. A young woman dressed in a short skirt and a low-cut blouse was talking about being escorted off a plane because of what she was wearing. Apparently someone had complained about her outfit (the same one she was wearing on the Today show) and she was escorted off her Southwest Airlines flight. So, she had to miss her flight because of her clothes. The fashion police is going a little bit too far.

No sagging in Minden

2007-09-07T06:14:00.000-06:00

First Mansfield, then Shreveport and now Minden.
I couldn't believe it when I heard Minden was hopping on the bandwagon to outlaw sagging. As I've said over and over, I am 100 percent against sagging but I don't think it's an issue where police should be involved. And Minden? I didn't think enough people were sagging in Minden for the city to take notice. I'm a firm believer that if you do things the right way, there will be positive results. I don't see how anything positive will come from making people pay fines for not keeping their pants upon their waists. And the fine Minden is proposing is higher than the ones in Mansfield and Shreveport. It's going to be interesting to see how these sagging bans are going to play out.

Katrina: two years later

2007-08-29T13:13:00.000-06:00

Southern University at Shreveport sponsored "A Community Conversation: Hurricane Katrina -- Two Years Later" on Wednesday.
The program allowed representatives from several agencies the opportunity to take a look back at how things were handled after the hurricane and how they would handle things differently if given the opportunity.
Panelists during the first half of the program included representatives from American Red Cross, United Way, Caddo-Bossier Office of Homeland Security, Hope for the Homeless and Caddo School Board.
State Sen. Lydia Jackson was a among the panelists during the second half of the program.
Members of the audience, which included hurricane evacuees, were allowed the opportunity to ask questions and give updates on their lives following the hurricane.
Program facilitators were David Aubrey, project manager for community economic development and housing initiatives at Southern University; and Liz Swaine.

Boasso's thoughts

2007-08-28T16:24:00.000-06:00

During his meeting with The Times Editorial Board, gubernatorial candidate Walter Boasso said, "If you don’t have a plan, if you don’t have a vision, this is the politics you wind up with in Louisiana. There is no vision of where we go."
Boasso said people complain about the spending and that there are not enough tax credits.
"Does that mean we shouldn’t have funded I-49 and given people the tax credits instead?"

"We are at a tremendous crossroads in Louisiana history," he said. "The question is, can Louisiana recover from the recovery? We lost 176,000 permanent jobs. We have an insurance crisis like never before. Health care is talked about but nobody ever fixes it. I know what the problems are, let’s fix them. I don’t want to study studies, I don’t want to talk about them. It’s going to take a very very strong leader to bring everyone together for one common mission and one common cause. "

Jindal in Hollywood Shreveport

2007-08-22T13:15:00.000-06:00

Gubernatorial candidate Bobby Jindal touted his top priorities during a meeting with The Times Editorial Board. He also talked about the local movie productions and how they benefit the area.
While addressing the group, Jindal spoke about his “Hollywood” experience here.
Here’s what he had to say:
I was here at the Petroleum Club for a meeting, running up to the elevator for lunch. I knew they were filming a movie but I didn’t pay a lot of attention to it. I was in the elevator and it didn’t move. So I’m standing there in the elevator thinking, “I’m in a hurry.” There was a guy in a three-piece suit and he wouldn’t push the buttons. I asked him to push the button and he wouldn't. I was getting a little anxious and he wouldn’t say anything to me. Finally after about two or three minutes of awkward silence, this young man peers his head around the corner and says, “Mr. Jindal, you’re in the middle of our shoot.”
I guess he (man in the elevator) was an extra waiting for his lines and he wasn’t going to do anything to jeopardize it. I ran upstairs to tell the audience at lunch and they said, “Did you see Jessica Simpson?”

School zone tickets

2007-08-09T14:30:00.001-06:00

If you think motorists aren't being ticketed for speeding in school zones, think again.
Here are some eye-opening statistics:
Shreveport police issued 964 school zone citations in 2005 and 1,835 in 2006.
Bossier City police issued 473 citations in 2005 and 521 in 2006.
And those are just the ones who were caught.
Slow down motorists. Help our children have a safe school year.

Funds for crime victims

2007-08-08T10:06:00.000-06:00

Caddo Parish Sheriff Steve Prator awarded $51,767 during May, June and July to crime victims who applied for money from the state Crime Victims Reparations Fund.
The money went to 25 separate victims or their families for medical or funeral expenses, lost wages, counseling or emergency awards. The cases reviewed involved homicide, sexual assault, domestic violence, battery, property damage and hit and run.
The Crime Victims Reparations Fund, which is managed locally by the sheriff, compensates victims of crimes where force or the threat of force was used. Money distributed to the victims is obtained from court costs paid by defendants, supplemented by court-ordered restitution from criminals, a federal grant, donations and interest.

Watch out for scooters

2007-08-07T16:22:00.000-06:00

I don’t care how often I see it, I still can’t get used to seeing people on those motorized scooters riding in the street.
I was on my way to lunch today and saw a man driving down the street on one -- in front of a city bus. He never got out of the way and the bus eventually had to go around him.
I’m not sure if it’s even legal to ride them on the streets like that because of the different rules and regulations.
But legal or not, it’s dangerous and people probably shouldn't ride them down the street as if they are in a car.
Sure, they have to get from place to place but safety should come first.

Cleaning up after the dog

2007-08-03T15:16:00.000-06:00

I recently interviewed Timothy Young, a Caddo deputy sheriff who has started a pet waste removal business, Port Pooper Scoopers. Timothy said he started the business after visiting his brother in Houston, who has several dogs.

"I asked him why didn't he clean up the dog doo in his backyard," Timothy said. "He told me, 'you can't pay me to clean up that mess but I'll give you $20 if you do it for me.'"

Tim said he cleaned up the yard in about 10 minutes and collected his $20.

After talking with Timothy, I started thinking about my own backyard and the hazards that might be lurking in what my puppy Tank leaves behind. So, I went online to read more about the dangers of dog doo and what I found was unsettling. Most of the Web sites talked about the different parasites living in the dog doo and how it can affect the water.

And contrary to what some people might think, dog poop is not a fertilizer. Timothy said it can even kill your grass.

I guess now I'll have to go out and get some pooper scooping equipment and tackle my backyard. Or rather, get my sons to do it.

A real Treasure

2007-07-31T16:29:00.001-06:00

Treasure Norton, a member of the Claiborne Parish Boys and Girls Club in Homer, was named Youth of the Year for the state of Louisiana by Boys and Girls Clubs of America.

Treasure, a 16-year-old junior at Homer High School, has been a member of the club for nine years.

Treasure said the Boys and Girls Club is like a second home for her and she works with some of the younger kids at the club.

In addition to $2,000 she received for being named Youth of the Year, Treasure also received a laptop and $100 from the Claiborne Boys and Girls Club.

Rising from the ashes

2007-07-25T10:48:00.000-06:00

Two years ago, Mt. Zion CME Church on East Union in Minden burned as members and others looked on.
After the fire, the congregation held services in the chapel of Benevolent Funeral Home across the street and later moved to the 14th District Building on Bailey Street.
But now construction in under way on the new church and members are looking forward to moving to their new home. Not only will they have a new church, they also have a new pastor -- sort of. This isn't the Rev. Jeffrey J. Whitmore's first time as pastor of the church.
Whitmore, 44, was pastor of Mt. Zion for two years, starting in 1988. Now he's back and and looking forward to great things for the church.
I recently sat down with Whitmore and longtime church members Mabel W. Stewart and her son, Robert Stewart, and Jennie M. Johnson. The group had great things to say about the church and its members. They also talked about the day they found out the church was burning.
Members will celebrate the church's 137th anniversary in September.
Look for more on the church, its new pastor and his vision for the congregation in an upcoming column.

High school filmmakers

2007-07-17T17:01:00.000-06:00

Katrina Gilliam is proud of her telecommunications magnet students.
They recently compiled a DVD, “All Things Come to Light.” Also included on the DVD are “Hidden Heroes” and “The Ultimate Text Message.”
“All Things Come to Light” is a short drama about teen pregnancy.
“This is my 12th year at the school,” Gilliam said, adding that in 12 years, several of her students have been hired at Channel 12 and Channel 3.
The program is designed for students wanting to further their career in news broadcast. However, we’ve kind of intertwined with filming. The students went on a tour of CNN in March.
Gilliam said one thing she wants people to know is that the program is open to all students, not just students at Booker T. Washington High School.
“A lot of kids are missing out on the program because their parents don’t know about it,” Gilliam said.
She said most of the students in the program come from other Caddo Parish schools, including Caddo Magnet, Byrd and Woodlawn high schools.
“We’re trying to recruit students,” Gilliam said.
The DVD is free and is available by calling the Robinson Film Center at (318) 424-9090.

Strange story

2007-07-12T11:31:00.000-06:00

I was listening to the radio this morning on my way to work when I heard what I thought must have been some cruel joke.
They were reporting that a 2-year-old boy had been sodomized by the family's pet pit bull. My first reaction was "What?" They said the mother came into the room and saw the dog on her child but couldn't get him off the kid. Then they said she ran outside screaming that the dog was raping her child and neighbors had to get the dog loose.
I couldn't believe what I was hearing so I looked for that story online, hoping it wasn't true. Unfortunately I found the story. It happened in New York.

'Bringing hope'

2007-07-11T17:06:00.000-06:00

The national "Bringing Hope to the Table" program will be held July 15-28.
Kroger grocery stores, along with Acosta Sales and Marketing agency, will team again to raise funds to buy food for this hunger relief program.
The funds will assist the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana in providing thousands of families throughout the region with more food.
The “Bringing Hope to the Table” program will help the food bank through in-store promotion of a variety of food and consumer packaged products at Kroger locations.
“This important donation will help feed hundreds of thousands of hungry people in northwest Louisiana,” said Vicki Escarra, president and chief executive officer of America’s Second Harvest, a hunger relief organization.
The Food Bank distributed approximately 4 million pounds of food and grocery products last year, helping more than 55,000 people.
America's Second Harvest has a network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico.
The America's Second Harvest Network secures and distributes more than 2 billion pounds of donated food and grocery products annually; and supports approximately 50,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 94,000 programs including food pantries, soup kitchens, emergency shelters, afterschool programs and Kids Cafes. Last year, the America's Second Harvest Network provided food assistance to more than 25 million hungry people in the United States, including 9 million children and 3 million seniors.

Packages to soldiers

2007-07-05T16:14:00.000-06:00

After the column ran in Wednesday’s paper about the group collecting packages to send to the troops, I got several e-mails from people wanting to know where to send mail and what they needed to do to start a drive similar to the one the Radio Group held Saturday.
I called Sharon Flournoy at the Radio Group and told her I was directing some people in her direction because they wanted to know if it was too late to send their boxes with the ones Flournoy and her team collected. It is a breath of fresh air knowing so many people want to be morale boosters to the soldiers.
One of the e-mails was from teacher Becky Parker. Here’s what she had to say:
After reading the article in the paper "Mail helps boost soldiers' morale," I would be happy to write to some of them. Also, I am a fifth-grade teacher and would like for my class to send letters and cards. When my nephew was in Iraq a few years ago, he loved getting letters from the kids.
Can you tell me how I go about corresponding with the soldiers?

Mail helps boost soldiers' morale

2007-06-29T14:35:00.000-06:00

A communitywide effort to gather and send packages to the troops in Iraq will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday.
Items can be dropped off at the County Market stores at 3709 Greenwood Road and 6363 Hearne Ave.
The event is coordinated by The Radio Group, with the help of County Market and the LSU Agriculture Center 4-H Youth Development program.
Maria Hancock, a receptionist at the Radio Group, has a son in Iraq. And it was through her son, Richard Hancock, that Maria learned about the many soldiers who — although they have family back home — don’t receive letters or any other kind of mail.
Others at Hancock’s job heard about the situation and decided to organize a project where they could collect items to send to the troops.
That’s how the communitywide project came into existence.
Sharon Flournoy, with the Radio Group, said instead of waiting until Christmas when other efforts like this take place, they decided to do theirs near the Fourth of July.
A list of items include DVDs, CDs, books, magazines, snacks, coffee, tea, sugar, combs, ponytail holders, hand sanitizers, items for first aid kits, shampoo, toilet paper and deodorant.
The troops also welcome letters and cards.
Items must be compact and able to withstand being packed in backpacks for extended periods of time.
For a longer list of items, go to www.anysoldier.com.
Flournoy has "adopted" one of the soldiers Hancock’s son mentioned and communicates with him on a regular basis.
"Just hearing from someone helps boost soldiers’ morale," Flournoy said.

Congratulations: We passed!

2007-06-29T14:18:00.000-06:00

Tank's classes are over and now I'm on my own.
When I first decided to enroll my puppy, Tank, into an obedience class, I wasn’t so sure I had made the right decision.
Now four weeks later, I’m sure I did the right thing.
I got Tank when he was 6 weeks old. He just turned 4 months old and weighs almost 40 pounds. Tank is a Rottweiler and I’ve been told that he will get up to at least 90 pounds.
Knowing that, I knew I would have to be in control of Tank at all times. But, I also knew I would need help. After all, the German shepherds I had were pretty big and, at times, controlling them was almost impossible.
So Tank and I (and my son Aaron) embarked on a four-week training class at Red River Obedience Training Club, where among other things, we learned the basics: sit, stay, down, come, recall and walking on a leash.

Tank was fine, but I was a nervous wreck during the first class. I just knew Tank was going to relieve himself on the floor. I couldn’t concentrate because every time Tank started sniffing the floor, I almost went into a panic.
It wasn’t until later that I realized what he was sniffing was the leftover remnants of doggy treats. So we got past that first night without Tank embarrassing me. However Luci, a cute little Yorkshire terrier owned by Rita Wynn, couldn’t control herself and tinkled on the floor.
But that’s OK because what Luci did was let us know that life goes on after a little accident. And no one laughed at her. After that, I didn’t stress over Tank "going" on the floor. And he never did.

As we went through the training each week, it was easy to see who the advanced puppy was: Bindi, the German shepherd. I was so impressed with Bindi that I walked over to her owner, Max Hutto, and asked if he worked with her a lot at home. His answer, of course, was yes. I felt like such a slacker because even though I work with Tank at home, it’s obvious it’s not enough.
But Tank learned a lesson during the first class that he still hasn’t forgotten.
At the beginning of the class, trainer Beth Scorzelli asked if there were any problems that needed to be addressed. I told her Tank constantly bites, although most of the time he’s just playing.
She said to never let our dogs bite, whether they are playing or not.
Anyway, Beth took Tank to the side and he began trying to bite her hand. She grabbed him by his collar, looked him straight in the eyes and yelled, "NO!"
Tank started screaming (can a dog really scream?) as if she were killing him.
Once Tank calmed down, Beth gave him a treat.
After that night, I don’t care how much Beth played with Tank, he wouldn’t even look like he wanted to bite her.
In addition to Bindi and Luci, Tank’s classmates included Sadie, a basset hound, and owner John Settle; Frankie, a Boston terrier, and owner Jamie Parker; Daisy, a mixed breed, and owner Deborah Haynie; and Beth’s puppy Icy, a Shih Tzu.
Daisy was the celebrity of the class. On the first day, Daisy refused to walk across Texas Street to the class so her owner had to pick her up and carry her across. I wrote about Daisy in my Heard Around Town blog. Daisy gave me her autograph (paw print) which I also posted on my blog.
Frankie was the barker (and biter). He went wild when Beth attempted to show Jamie how to control him.
But before the end of the four weeks, Frankie had calmed down considerably, even to the point where Daisy was quite smitten with him.
Sadie was the quiet one, or so we thought. She would sit there with those puppy-dog eyes watching her classmates. But one day Sadie let out a howl (or bark) and her quiet days were gone forever. She even began interacting more with the other puppies.
It was Luci who paved the way for the others. She did what most of us feared. She was the first one to tinkle on the floor. But that’s OK because she let us know that life goes on after a little accident.
During recall, Beth stood at one end of the room holding onto a puppy’s leash while the owner called the puppy. When Rita called Luci’s name, Luci ran straight toward Rita, and then veered to the left. She was so cute and funny.
I was disappointed when Luci and Rita missed the last class.
After four weeks, the puppies had advanced. They received their certificates along with a bag of treats and a squeaky toy.
Thanks to Beth, the puppies are ready for another level of training. She always had answers to our questions. And we had lots of questions.
And then there’s Icy, a real team player. She helped show us how a trained puppy is supposed to act.

And if I can't continue with the training on my own, there's always the beginners class.

Photo: Tank and Bindi

Puppies in training

2007-06-22T17:36:00.000-06:00

Obedience training went well this week. We reviewed things we had learned earlier and discussed new concerns and old problems.
As usual, my puppy Tank has a problem. Or rather, I have a problem. Tank is perfectly content with the way he behaves.
Anyway, when I put Tank out in the backyard and he doesn’t want to be there, he jumps on the window and scratches the screen. I yell at him to stop and he just stares at me.
So, I asked our trainer what I needed to do. She suggested putting something on the window that would fall and make a loud noise when he jumps on it. That way, she says, he’s correcting himself.
Unfortunately, the window ledge is not wide enough to put anything on it. So, I came up with an idea. Let me know if it’s too extreme.
I filled a spray bottle with water and opened the window. And I waited. Shortly afer being outside, Tank decided it was time to attack the window. As soon as I heard him on it, I grabbed the spray bottle and squirted him with the water. Guess what? It worked. But that didn’t stop him from jumping on the window later. But this time, he jumped down when he saw me coming with the bottle. Hopefully this tactic will work.
Anyway, I promised I would introduce you to Tank’s classmates and I attempted to get pictures of them but the photo was one big blur because they were moving so much. I’ll try again next week.
The class includes: John Settle and his basset hound Sadie; Jamie Parker and her Boston terrier Frankie; Deborah Haynie and her mixed breed Daisy; Max Hutto and his German shepherd Bindi; and Rita Wynn and her Yorkshire terrier Luci. And then there’s trainer Beth Scorzelli and her Shih Tzu Icy.
Next week is our last class so look for updates.

What’s next?

2007-06-20T10:08:00.000-06:00

I was in the store the other day looking for whatever it was I was looking for when an elderly man came down the aisle mumbling something about toothpaste.
I didn’t immediately know what he was talking about until he said, “They say that toothpaste is poison.”
I looked in the direction he was staring and saw the Colgate toothpaste.
I then realized he was talking about the contaminated toothpaste that recently was in the news.
He bypassed the Colgate and headed toward another brand.
The Colgate-Palmolive Co. has sad counterfeit toothpaste falsely labeled as "Colgate" has been found in four states and may contain a poisonous chemical called diethylene glycol (DEG)
“I’m going to buy Crest,” he said. He felt that brand was safer.
First the lettuce was contaminated; then the pet food and just recently it was the beef. And now toothpaste! It’s sad when you have to worry about whether it’s safe to brush your teeth.

Summer remediation enrollment

2007-06-14T14:11:00.000-06:00

I recently visited Donnie Bickham Middle School and wrote a column on Caddo Parish's summer remediation program.
Here is a student enrollment breakdown for each of the schools involved in the program.
Blanchard: 164
University: 275
Werner Park: 229
Westwood: 214
Donnie Bickham: 326
Ridgewood: 409
Youree Drive: 367
Byrd: 575

Tank in training

2007-06-13T10:10:00.000-06:00

OK. Last night's puppy training class went well. Mostly the puppies got a chance to just have fun. They ran through tunnels and played in (empty) plastic baby pools.

And I got an autograph (paw print) last night from Daisy, the puppy I mentioned last week that wouldn't cross the street so her owner had to pick her up and carry her across.

Anyway, Daisy's owner, Deborah Haynie, told me Daisy walked across the street on her own this time. Way to go Daisy! And since Daisy is a celebrity of sorts after people read about her in the paper, she's giving out autographs. And I got one!

Trainer Beth Scorzelli told us that we should always be able to examine our puppies' mouths, ears and feet. So, the test of the night was to see if our beloved pets would allow Beth to examine their mouths, ears and feet.

"How many of you clip your dog's toenails?" she asked.

The room went quiet. But owner John Settle was ahead of the rest of us. He admitted to clipping at least one of Sadie's toenails. Sadie is a basset hound and is so adorable. She also was the first one on the table for the trainer to examine. Sadie was excellent. I really didn't want Tank to be next in line because Sadie was a tough act to follow. Not only that, but I really wasn't sure how he would react. I'm always taking things out of his mouth and he gets examined by the vet on a regular basis but I was a little skeptical. And I voiced my concerns to the trainer. But Beth is wonderful and once Tank was on the box, she looked in his mouth and ears. She also messed with his feet and legs. And Tank let her! I was so proud.

Anyway, Tank has a lot of great classmates and I will introduce them to you in next week's blog.

For the rest of this week, Tank and I will be perfecting "out" and will start on "off." When he jumps up on me, I say "off." He hasn't gotten the hang of that one yet.

Photos: Daisy's autograph (paw print); Tank being "examined" by trainer Beth Scorzelli.

Puppy training saga continues

2007-06-12T14:36:00.000-06:00

I'm getting ready for the second week of training tonight with my Rotweiller puppy, Tank.
As far as the home training goes, Tank has been doing OK, although I'm sure if I didn't have the treats he wouldn't be quite as cooperative.
We've been working on "out," as in go "out" the door. At first, he would just sit and stare at me. And if I reached for his collar to take (or rather drag) him outside, he would turn and run into the living room or under the table in the dining room where he thought I couldn't get him. So, I bribed him with a treat. Initially, he would just look at the treat but he couldn't resist when I put it right under his nose. Once he came out of hiding, I would walk to the door, point outside and say "out." Of course I had the treat in my hand. Pretty soon, he started walking out of the house. We still have a long way to go, but it's a start.
Anyway, I'm not sure what's in store for us tonight at Red River. I just hope Tank continues to behave and get his act together.
In the meantime, I'm waiting for more tips from you guys.

Summer remediation

2007-06-12T14:27:00.000-06:00

School is almost out — again — for the more than 2,000 Caddo Parish students attending the summer remediation program.
And it was business as usual Tuesday at Donnie Bickham Middle School as students and teachers concentrated on the lessons of the day.
Cooper Knecht, summer school principal at Donnie Bickham, said there are about 10 more instructional days before testing.
"We’re about halfway through," Knecht said. "There are approximately 300 (eighth and 10th grade) students at this site."
Wanda Gunn, assistant superintendent of academic affairs, said overall, "We normally run around 2,500 students overall for remediation and then we have the fee program (at Huntington High) at about 3,000."
Parents were provided with a resource kit informing them of what is expected during the program.
After the summer retest, eighth-graders may be promoted to the ninth grade if they have scored at the approaching basic level on both the English/language arts and mathematics components of LEAP. They also must have met the required 45 of 50 hours for summer remediation in each subject area.
And for the seniors who pass the GEE, a summer graduation will be held.
"We take all the schools and we have the ceremony at Caddo Magnet High because they normally don’t have any seniors that need it so it’s a neutral site," said Wanda Gunn, assistant superintendent for academic affairs.
"They wear their caps and gowns with the colors of their schools. It’s a real special graduation with a motivational speaker."

Sprucing up playground

2007-06-08T15:07:00.000-06:00

Members of the Rotary Club of South Shreveport will be raking, pulling weeds and sprucing up the Right to Play playground on Youree Drive at A.C. Steere Park from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. Saturday.
This playground is designed for children with various physical challenges. The Rotary Club has provided funds for the past two years to purchase playground equipment and members help maintain the playground area.

Summer food program beneficial

2007-06-07T14:52:00.000-06:00

This is the first year Patricia Lewis (pictured) has brought children to the summer food program at the Boys and Girls Club in Bossier City.

But it probably won't be the last.

The program started Monday and ends July 31.

Lewis heard about the program from her niece, Lesha Payton, whose kids Karrington Cook, 8, and Koran Cook, 7, participate in the program.
Payton, who tutors children at the Boys & Girls Club, said the summer food program is an excellent program.

"This is a great program and it helps provide nutritious meals to kids during the summer," she said.

Lewis was at the Boys and Club today with grandkids Jayla Thomas, 8, and Jonathan Kinsey, 4; and stepchildren, Dee Caldwell, 4, and Sharda Caldwell, 7.
"It gives kids something to do and helps keep them off the streets," Lewis said about the program.

The Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club in Bossier City is one of seven summer food sites sponsored by the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana.

Kimberly Harper, (right) unit director at the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Bossier City, said the program has gradually been building.
"We have about 50 to 60 kids a day and a lot of them come right around lunch time and breakfast time, because when school is out they don’t have anywhere to get food," she said. "I think it’s good because a lot of kids that would be hungry can get something to eat. They appreciate it and that’s the best thing about it."

This year the Food Bank has access to pre-packages called Meal Breaks.
A peek into a Meal Breaks box revealed beef sticks, peanuts, apple sauce, a cookie and juice.
There’s no cooking involved, which makes it easier on the different agencies.

Let the training begin

2007-06-06T09:30:00.000-06:00

OK. As promised, here is my first update on obedience training with my puppy Tank. The first class was last night and I was more nervous than Tank. First, I didn’t know whether to take the long leash or the short one so I took both. And I just knew Tank was going to "go" on the floor once we got there so I took lots of paper towels.
Usually Tank rides in his crate but recently he has been getting car sick so I left the crate home, covered the back seats of the car and put him back there. Big mistake. He wanted to ride up front with me and my son Aaron. By the time we got to class, Aaron’s arm was covered in scratches and bite marks. This definitely was a problem that had to be fixed.
Tank doesn’t like to be on a leash but he did very well walking across the street — without any pulling or prodding from us — to the class. However, a puppy named Daisy wasn’t about to do that and her owner had to pick her up and carry her across the street. And Daisy isn’t a small dog.
Anyway, during the class we practiced sit, down, stay and come when called. Tank did everything he was told, although I think it was because of the treats I had in my hand. After class, the trainer worked with Tank on his biting. I told her he probably wouldn’t try to bite her because he is shy with strangers. She had been playing with Tank for just a few seconds when he started trying to bite. She told him to stop and when he didn’t, she grabbed his collar and held on tight. Tank was at her mercy. So what did he do? He starts hollering as if she is trying to kill him. She still held on. Finally Tank settled down and she let go. He tucked what little bit of tail he has and trotted off. She called him back to give him a treat. And even though Tank usually is playing when he is biting, the trainer said never let a puppy do something that you don’t want him to do when he gets bigger.
"You don’t want a 90-pound dog biting on you," she said.
By the way, Tank didn’t "go" on the floor but another puppy did. Now I won’t feel so bad when he does.
Remember, send me any training tips or let me know about your own dog training issues.

Training the dog

2007-06-05T15:02:00.000-06:00

OK. I've taken on a big task.

I've enrolled my puppy Tank (pictured) in dog obedience school at Red River Obedience Training Club. He's a Rottweiler and I know he's going to be a big dog so I want to be able to control him. He's three months old and weighs 24 pounds. Right now, all he does is sit (see photo) when I tell him, and not for very long.

Anyway, I went to the orientation class last night to find out exactly what will happen in the next four weeks. I found out that everyone starts out with 200 points and the points go away as you make mistakes. I'm just going to say I already have 0 points. And, at the end of the training, there is a graduation where Top Dog will be named. I can forget about that, too. It's not that I don't have confidence in my puppy. I do. I have confidence that he will do exactly what he does best: show out. He'll probably be the first one to poop on the floor. And he'll probably be afraid of the other dogs.

Anyway, the first class is tonight and I'm going to share my dog training experience with you in this blog. But I also would like for you to share any dog-training tips with me because I'll have to train him at home, too. That's real scary. Maybe I should start watching Dog Whisperer. At the end of the training period, I'll write a column detailing the training both at Red River and at home and I'll include any tips I get along the way.

So stick with me because I'm really going to need all the support I can get. Look for my update on tonight's training.

Summer food service

2007-06-04T09:21:00.000-06:00

The Northwest Louisiana Food Bank is participating in the Summer Food Service program. Free meals will be provided to all children who participate.
Meal sites include:
Volunteers of America North Louisiana Highland Center Corp., 520 Olive St. Shreveport; June 4 to July 31 Monday-Friday, closed July 4; breakfast 9 a.m.-10 a.m.
Boys & Girls Club of Claiborne Parish, 763 Lyons Hill, Homer; June 4 to July 31, Monday-Friday, closed July 4; breakfast 8 a.m.- 9 a.m., lunch noon-2 p.m.
Salvation Army Boys and Girls Club, 1518 Cox St., Bossier City; June 4 to July 31, Monday-Friday, closed July 4; breakfast 8 a.m.-9 a.m., lunch, noon-2 p.m.
Lady of the Blessed Sacrament,2932 Murphy St., Shreveport; June 4-29, Monday-Friday; breakfast 8 a.m.- 9 a.m., lunch noon-2 p.m.
Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club, YWCA, 700 Pierre Ave., Shreveport; June 4-July 31, Monday-Friday, closed July 4; lunch, noon-2 p.m.
We Care Ministries,549 Military Highway, Ringgold; June 4-July 31, Monday-Friday, closed July 4; lunch 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Boys & Girls Club of Claiborne Parish, 9842 Hwy 79, Haynesville; June 4-July 31, Monday-Friday, closed July 4; breakfast 8 a.m.-9 a.m., lunch noon-1 p.m.
Volunteers of America Lighthouse,2101 Scott St. Bossier City; June 4-July 31; Monday-Friday, closed July 4; breakfast 8 a.m.-9 a.m., lunch noon-2 p.m.
Volunteers of America Lighthouse,802 Travis St.. Shreveport; June 4-July 31, Monday-Friday, closed July 4; breakfast, 8 a.m.-9 a.m., lunch noon-2 p.m.

National Hunger Awareness Day

2007-06-01T16:17:00.000-06:00

In observance of Hunger Awareness Day, which is Tuesday, the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana is partnering with Brookshire’s on Line Avenue for the “Check Out Hunger Food Drive.”
Volunteers and staff will collect food and distribute information about hunger in the community. In conjunction, Brookshire’s is holding a food drive through June 10 called “Check Out Hunger.” Pre-assembled bags of food will be available for purchase and donation at the checkout stands for $5, $10 or $15.
Food collected during this time will help the Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana further its mission to eliminate hunger in the community.

Time to swim

2007-06-01T16:09:00.000-06:00

Shreveport Public Assembly and Recreation is gearing up for its 2007 summer swim programs, with some changes in store.
Lori Upchurch, SPAR aquatics director, said when the pools open Wednesday, they will be offering eight lessons instead of seven.
"And we’re focusing a great deal on water safety," Upchurch said.
"We are always concerned with pool safety. This year in the Learn to Swim program, we are doing a lot more education with pool safety; not just when they’re with us," she said. "We’re doing a lot of education for them in activities in and around the water.
Upchurch also said the SPAR recreation centers will be rotating throughout the summer at different pools and the swimming lessons will be free for children enrolled in the summer program at the centers.
"We have 16 recreation centers and 10 pools," she said, adding that once a week a center will go to a pool.

Pool locations
A.B Palmer
500 E. 79th St.
Airport Park
6500 Kennedy Drive
Anderson Island
2700 Wendy Lane
David Raines
1625 David Raines Road
Fairgrounds
2820 Pershing Blvd.
Querbes
3500 Beverly Place
Southern Hills
1002 Bert Kouns Industrial Loop
Valencia
1800 Viking Drive
Bill Cockrell (Westside)
4133 Pines Road
YWCA
700 Pierre Ave
— Source: www.myspar.org

Frequent acts of violence shed negative light on city

2007-05-29T15:48:00.000-06:00

In the last few days: A man was shot outside a gas station; two men were shot while walking down the street on Memorial Day; another man was robbed while walking down the street; a man attempted to rob a Pizza Hut employee; a homeless woman was beaten; and police broke up a fight that ended with a stabbing.
I could go on, but I won’t. I’m sure you get the picture. What’s going on? I guess we could chalk it all up to the holiday. As you know, people do crazy things on the holidays.
But that’s an excuse — and not a very good one.
But every time something bad happens in Shreveport, people start ranting and raving about how horrible the city is.
If you don’t believe me, just go online, read a crime-related story and then read the comments attached to it.
For example, here’s a comment that was posted on the story about the man who was robbed while on his way to work.
"People need to remember not to be out walking in this town after dark. It’s just common sense if you live here. You’re on your own when it comes to crime prevention in Shreveport, so just deal with it."
That comment sheds a very negative light on Shreveport. Essentially what the reader is saying is that Shreveport law enforcement isn’t doing anything to protect residents. And that’s not true.

Moving is one big headache

2007-05-22T13:50:00.000-06:00

I have a headache. I moved this weekend. Actually, my weekend spilled over into Monday and if you take into consideration the unpacked boxes at my new residence, I'm not done yet.
No one ever said moving was easy. I'm not a first-time mover but you wouldn't know that if you had seen me over the weekend.
Although I finally finished moving everything out of the apartment, I still have boxes scattered throughout my house.
My beautician told me I should have put the boxes in the rooms where they belong as I brought them in. She's right, but I didn't even label the boxes. Now the bedroom boxes are probably in the kitchen and so on. Anyway, I'll get to them soon. But if anyone has advice as to how I can make this process move along easier, by all means let me know.
I still have that headache.

Litter survey results

2007-05-15T15:06:00.000-06:00

The results from Shreveport Green's litter survey are in.
Littering along public and private lands increased slightly this year with an overall rating of 2.1 compared to 1.9 in 2006
The Litter Index Survey is a method of measuring litter in Shreveport and it is applied annually. Shreveport Green serves the Shreveport community and it uses this tool to see where the most litter has accumulated near various land usages such as, residential, commercial, educational, recreational, and industrial areas. Seven zip codes are targeted to give fair representation of the city. The results are used to direct litter education, prevention, and cleanup efforts to the areas with the highest ratings.
Here are the results from each ZIP code. The higher ratings represent areas within each ZIP code that contain littered sites near vacant lots and along residential streets near convenience stores.
71101 – 1.9 “Slightly Littered”
71103 -1.8 “Slightly Littered”
71104- 1.5 “Slightly Littered”
71106 – 2.2 “Slightly Littered”
71107 – 2.7 “Slightly Littered”
71108 – 2.2 “Slightly Littered”
71109 – 2.2 “Slightly Littered”

I scream you scream …

2007-05-15T13:40:00.000-06:00

Barbara Norton is putting on one of her many hats and gearing up for the fourth annual Ice Cream Party.
The party will be 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Mooretown Community Library, 4360 Hollywood Ave., in Shreveport, and is sponsored by “Helping Others by Caring,” a weekly show on radio station KOKA 980 FM hosted by Norton.
The event will include a parade with children carrying their favorite books to kick off the summer reading book club, a performance by the University Christian Prep drum line, radio personality Jabber Jaws and a dance contest for children ages 4-12. The winner of the dance contest will win a bicycle.
Information for the bike contest can be picked up from the following sponsors: The Radio Group, Clarion Hotel, Praise Temple Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral, David Raines Community Health Center, both locations of County Market, Living Hope Baptist Church, SPAR and Raye’s Trim.
For information, call 635-2923.

Addressing issue of underage drinking

2007-05-10T16:45:00.000-06:00

The Office for Addictive Disorders held a meeting today at the Hamilton branch of the Shreveport library on Bert Kouns to discuss how to effectively address the issue of underage drinking.
They are trying to get the community involved and also are working with the governor's office to address a strategic prevention framework.
I was surprised there wasn't a bigger turnout for the meeting.
Don Pledger, assistant regional administrator for OAD, said the issue of underasge drinking is a community problem.
Trudie Abner, OAD regional administrator, said, "What we do know from research over the years regarding prevention messages is that if you have the same message in all pockets of the community, eventually it begins to sink in and people begin to behave appropriately over time. It takes time. It’s not something that’s going to happen over night."

Litter survey

2007-05-09T13:44:00.000-06:00

Shreveport Green conducted its Litter Index Survey today to measure the presence of litter in Shreveport.
During the survey, volunteers were driven to different parts of town and a rating was assigned to the amount of litter. The areas of town covered included those with the ZIP codes 71104, 71101, 71107, 71103, 71109, 71108, 71106. Volunteers visited 11 neighborhoods in those areas.
The results of the survey will be in next week along with a comparison from last year.
Read about it in my column next week.

End-of-year band concert

2007-05-09T11:19:00.000-06:00

The Ridgewood Middle School band gave its final performance of the school year last night. The concert, which I thought was supposed to begin at 6 p.m., didn't start until 6:30 but it was worth the wait. Performing were the beginning band, orchestra and concert band.
I thought at first the heavy rain would keep most people away but that wasn't the case at all. By 6:05 there were only about 24 people in the audience but as 6:30 neared, the auditorium began to slowly fill.
I enjoyed all of the performances but I especially liked the strings. Maybe it was because I recognized one of the songs they played: "The Pink Panther."
Ms. Lupton, the band teacher, has done an excellent job with the students and it showed in their performances.

Punishment too severe?

2007-05-08T14:37:00.000-06:00

We’re all familiar with the adage “let the punishment fit the crime.” But can the punishment be too extreme at times?
A 14-year-old Haughton Middle School student was expelled from school last week after she gave another student a Midol, an over-the-counter pain reliever. Now she has been ordered to finish the school year at Charlotte Mitchell Center alternative school.
Initially, the school system had ordered Lindsey Tanner to attend the alternative school for nine weeks next school year. However, on Monday, Betty McCauley, director of student services for Bossier schools, lessened that punishment and Lindsey won’t have to attend the alternative school next year.
That would have been a terrible way to begin a new school year.
However, Lindsey still has to enroll in a six-week alcohol and drug awareness program.
That seems extreme.
Should a student who merely takes a Midol and later gives one to someone else be placed in the same category as someone who deals with cocaine or methamphetamines?
I'm by no means condoning kids taking medicines to school and giving them to other students. You never know if that person is allergic or has taken other medications.
I'm just saying the punishment seems a bit severe.
What do you think?

Give to the food drive

2007-05-03T17:14:00.000-06:00

OK. It's time to look through your kitchen cabinets and pantries and start gathering canned goods and nonperishables for the Letter Carriers' Food Drive.
I'm giving you advance notice because if you don't have the food at home, you still have time to run out and buy some.
The food drive is next weekend, May 12.
It's for a good cause and there's really not a lot of work involved.
All you have to do is get the food together, put it in a bag, or bags if you're really generous and place it next to your mailbox. That's it. The letter carriers will pick up the food as they deliver your mail.
And if by chance your food doesn't get picked up, be sure to call 677-2249.
This year’s goal is to collect 72,000 pounds of canned goods and nonperishable food items.
All donations are kept locally and distributed through several organizations, including the Northwest Louisiana Food Bank, Shreveport-Bossier Rescue Mission, Salvation Army, American Red Cross, Caddo Council on Aging and Christ the King Church in Bossier City.
So don't forget: May 12.

Farewell

2007-04-27T15:18:00.000-06:00

There was hardly a dry eye at the Doctor’s Hospital Day Care Center on Friday as hospital employees, their children, day-care employees and others gathered for a goodbye party.
The day care, which has been in operation since the 1960s, is closing May 4.
Mary Caldarera was at the celebration. Her son, Bill Davidson, was the first child to attend the day care. Bill is 40 years old now.
Jennifer Clark was there with her 2 ½-year-old daughter Katelyn, who attends the center. Jennifer’s mother, Dawn Mrozek, was a hospital employee and Jennifer went to the day care.
Crystal James, who has worked at the hospital for 14 years, was there with her daughter Nenah, who has been going to the day care since she was 6 months old.
And the one thing everybody had to say about the day care is that it was like one big family. And it certainly will be missed.
Before the event ended, there already were plans in the making for a reunion next year.
Read more about the day care and what it means to so many people in my column Wednesday.

Law Day

2007-04-23T16:24:00.000-06:00

This year’s Law Day theme is “Liberty Under Law: Empowering Youth, Assuring Democracy.”
The Law Day luncheon will be held at noon Wednesday at the Petroleum Club, with Mayor Cedric Glover serving as the guest speaker.
Even though May 1 is officially the designated date for the nationwide celebration of Law Day, the Shreveport Bar Association holds several activities related to the event before and after that date.
Some of their activities include: Volunteers of America LightHouse Program; essay contest; attorney volunteer outreach; voter registration; March of Dimes Walk America; and the Liberty Bell award, which will be given out on Wednesday.

Lower drinking age?

2007-04-19T15:32:00.000-06:00

George Will wrote a column in today’s paper about lowering the drinking age in order to better manage risks associated with drinking.
Will wrote that John McCardell, president emeritus of Middlebury College in Vermont and professor of history, has a theory that a way to lower the incidence of illness, mayhem and death from alcohol abuse by young people is to lower the drinking age.
He says the drinking age of 21 has moved drinking to settings away from parental instruction and supervision.
Ann Lombardino of Bossier City agrees with McCardell.
She is from Scotland and said the legal drinking age there is 18.
She says it would save a lot of lives if the drinking age were lowered.
Does anyone else agree?

Program for cancer patients

2007-04-17T17:07:00.000-06:00

Lisa Clark, American Cancer Society Health Initiatives representative, says the Cancer Care Coordinator Program allows an opportunity to work with churches that are already working with cancer patients.
She said there are 19 area churches participating in the program. An informational meeting will be held at noon April 25 at Broadmoor United Methodist Church, 3715 Youree Drive.
“If you have cancer, our services are for you,” Clark said.

March for Meals update

2007-04-11T11:17:00.000-06:00

Mary Alice Rountree, executive director of Caddo Council On Aging, e-mailed to tell me they have raised almost $60,000 toward their $80,000 goal in the March for Meals fundraiser. And she said they are still getting a few more checks.
"We now have 27 volunteers stations with over 200 volunteers involved," she said. "We feel very blessed."

Be on alert at service stations

2007-04-10T11:05:00.000-06:00

Joyce Harvey, of Shreveport, is observant every time she pulls into a service station.
“Always, day or night, I check my surroundings before I get out of the car,” Harvey said.
That’s good practice, especially since one of the service stations Harvey uses, the Valero station at Baird Road and Bert Kouns, is the one where two carjackings recently occurred.

Spirit not shattered

2007-04-03T14:49:00.000-06:00

A door to one of the offices at Praise Temple was kicked in when the church was vandalized over the weekend.

Bishop Larry Brandon gave me a quick tour of Praise Temple Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral and what I saw was unbelievable: doors that had been kicked in, broken windows, damaged computers, a broken antique mirror and a large poster that had been ripped from its stand and destroyed.
It appeared as if the vandals had gone from office to office destroying whatever they came across.
But that’s nothing compared to what Brandon found when he was called to the church Saturday afternoon.
"It looked like a tornado had come through," Brandon said. He said books and pictures were thrown out into the parking lot and items once in order in the offices were thrown all around.

Brandon said if the church hadn't been cleaned by Sunday, services would have still been held.
"We can have church anywhere," Brandon said, "even in the parking lot."

Bossier at 100

2007-03-30T10:43:00.000-06:00

Bossier City is turning 100 years old and to mark the occasion, the city will embark on a yearlong celebration starting with a kickoff event at 6:30 p.m. April 7 at the Louisiana Boardwalk.
Pam Glorioso, who is chairing the celebration, said the most interesting person she has met while preparing for the event is Col. Neill Yarborough. Glorioso said Yarborough, 91, has been selected as the oldest living Bossier City man for the centennial. “He is a very colorful and interesting man, who has lived and seen Bossier City grow from being a young child,” she said.
Glorioso said there are approximately 10 events on the centennial calendar but the list will be amended throughout the year.

The theme for the centennial celebration is “100 Years in the Right Direction.”

Photo: Pam Glorioso

Representing at meals march

2007-03-28T13:37:00.000-06:00

Caddo Council on Aging’s March for Meals fundraiser drew a huge crowd today. The turnout was absolutely amazing.
I, along with co-workers Sandra Davis and Nishia Livingston, represented The Times as we strolled along the route with our Times banner.
The march took us from the Caddo Courthouse to the Red River District. The Byrd High School band provided music for the occasion.
The event was for a good cause – to raise money and awareness for the Meals on Wheels program -- and the walk wasn’t bad, either.
People in downtown offices clapped as the crowd marched past their buildings while motorists, forced to wait for the crowd to move on, stared into the distance quietly awaiting their chance to move on.
Along with some unfamiliar faces, there also were some very familiar faces in the crowd, including Mayor Cedric Glover, House District 4 candidate Patrick Williams and City Councilwoman Joyce Bowman.

Photo: Times employees Sandra Davis and Nishia Livingston

Crane flies?

2007-03-28T08:54:00.000-06:00

After reading the story about mosquitoes in today's paper, I ran across the word crane fly. I'm familiar with them because they are the long-legged creatures that resemble overgrown mosquitoes and attempt to make their way inside my home every time I open the door. What I didn't know is that's what they are called.
When my kids -- who thought they were mosquitoes -- asked what they were I told them gallinippers. "Galla what?" That's the response I got from them. I know, it sounds funny but when I was growing up in Minden, that's what we called them. And until recently, that's the only thing I ever called them. But from now on I'll call them crane flies. That sounds better.
Does anybody have any other names for these pesky critters?

Walking for meals

2007-03-27T17:20:00.000-06:00

I plan to participate in the March for Meals fundraiser Wednesday. The Caddo Council on Aging hopes to raise $80,000 with this fundraiser.
The march will begin at noon at the Caddo Courthouse and proceed down Texas Street to First United Methodist Church. I’ll have to remember to bring a pair of flat shoes to work in the morning.
I'll see you at the March!!

Comcast woes

2007-03-27T12:37:00.000-06:00

Comcast officials reported nearly two weeks ago that service disruption problems that affected as many as 20,000 local cable customers should be fixed.
Those problems might be fixed, but trust me, there are others.
I called in February to have telephone service installed at my home. The woman I talked to said they couldn’t come out until March 20 because everything was switching over from Time Warner to Comcast and they wouldn’t be installing phone services before then. I told her that was fine and she said someone would be out between 8 a.m. and noon on the 20th.
I called the day before to make sure everything was still on schedule and was told there wasn’t anything scheduled at my address. The man I talked with said I could reschedule, so I did. I wasn’t happy but what could I do? He told me someone would be out between 1-5 p.m. on March 23. He even gave me a new phone number and told me I would need to be there to sign some papers. When March 23 arrived, I went home at 1 p.m. to wait. I waited and waited. When my son came home from school, I told him to call me when the phone people came. He didn’t call. They didn’t come.
I was really frustrated. I called Comcast later that evening and waited on the phone for about 20 minutes before someone finally came on. They said because it was so late in the evening, I would have to wait until later to find out what happened because no one was around who could help me. They must have sensed my frustration because they finally told me that they had rescheduled the phone installation to March 29. But guess what? No one bothered to let me know. I called Saturday morning but was on hold so long I finally hung up. I called Monday and waited about 20 minutes before someone came on the line. I was already having a bad morning because I was sneezing and my eyes were watering from the pollen. I was miserable. The man I talked to was nice enough but I was tired of getting the runaround. He told me what I already knew (service rescheduled). I told him it was not acceptable and I no longer wanted the service. He was very apologetic and attempted to explain but as far as I was concerned, there was no explanation; no good one anyway. He went on to say how much work needed to be done in Shreveport and once everything is straightened out, we shouldn’t have any more problems.
That’s all well and good, but what do we do in the meantime?
Oh, and by the way, they can't find Mansfield Road in the system. Every time I called, they said there was no Mansfield Road. One woman even asked if I was sure that was my address. Finally, one woman abbreviated Mansfield and found it.
So either have your phone number or account number; otherwise you're out of luck if you just give them a Mansfield Road address.

Home-cooked meal for (wo)man's best friend

2007-03-23T10:17:00.000-06:00

I posted an item the other day about the dog food recall and how my mother cooks rice and chicken for her Chow.
Yesterday, I received this e-mail from Carlene Hilliker of Bossier City who pretty much does the same thing. She even has a recipe!
Here is part of the e-mail:

Just thought you might be interested in publishing a way for people to stop worrying about what they are getting in their can dog food. I cook for my dog and she is very healthy. This recipe came from a vet in California. My dog came from the pound some 4 years ago. She was skinny and had been abused. She is now 35 pounds and very healthy and active. I also let her free feed on a good dry dog food.

3 cups of rice cooked (I cook it in a rice cooker)
6 lbs of chicken (I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs) Boil with Ms. Dash and lemon pepper seasoning.
Large bag of frozen mixed veggies (Cooked in the juice from the chicken)

Cut the chicken up in small pieces, or tear it apart and mix all the above together. Put into small one serving containers (size depends on how much your dog eats) and freeze it. This will make 2 weeks of food for my dog. Just remove from freezer, heat in microwave and your dog has a great meal with no additives.

Mayors for Meals

2007-03-22T09:59:00.000-06:00

Bossier City Mayor Lo Walker along with the Benton and Plain Dealing mayors delivered meals to homebound senior citizens Wednesday during the Mayors for Meals campaign.
Today, Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, Caddo Sheriff Steve Prator and others are volunteering with the Meals on Wheels program and delivering meals to homebound clients at Goodman Plaza.
The Meals on Wheels program means a lot to homebound residents. The meals warm the stomach and the daily visits from the volunteers warm the heart.

No more Ol’ Roy

2007-03-19T14:13:00.000-06:00

My mother called me the other day to see if I could go online and find out what dog food brands were being recalled. She was concerned because she has a Chow and wanted to know if she had been feeding him any of the recalled food. Mind you, this is a woman who buys chicken and rice and cooks it for her dog.
I went online and found one brand she buys, Ol’ Roy, on the list. I called her to let her know and she said she was going to throw out the cans she had recently bought. While I was in Minden Sunday, I took her to the store to buy some more dog food. While she was in the store, she and another woman started up a conversation about their dogs and the bad dog food. It's interesting listening to people talk about their dogs. If you come in anywhere after the beginning of the conversation, you'd think they were talking about kids.
Anyway, the shelves in that store were cleared of the Ol’ Roy canned dog food. My mother was happy; I could tell by the smile on her face when she told me.
She bought Pedigree. It’s not on the list.

No 'visitors' at this church

2007-03-19T10:16:00.000-06:00

My sister-in-law Deedee Palmer mentioned a few weeks ago that we were going to her grandmother’s church in Athens. I was all for it because right now I don’t have a permanent church home and I’ve been going to different churches in Shreveport. They’ve all been great but I don’t know that I’ve found the one where I will go every Sunday. I’m still looking.
So we went to St. Matthew Baptist Church on Sunday. It took us about 30 minutes to get there from Minden but I’m not sure if we were in Athens or Gibsland because the address on the church program was Athens and the P.O. Box was Gibsland. And I saw a Bienville Parish sign. Isn't Athens in Claiborne Parish? All I know is we were in the woods and we didn’t get lost.
I’m always a little nervous when I go to a different church because I don’t like it when “visitors” are asked to stand and say something.
When I go to a new church, I don’t feel like I’m “visiting” that church. I’ve always thought of it as just “going” to church. It was a pleasant surprise when newcomers to the church weren’t asked to stand up. However, we were acknowledged and if we had wanted to say something, I’m almost certain we could have.
Thanks to the Rev. Johnnie Dyes and congregation, my time at St. Matthew was memorable and the service was great.
I definitely will go back to St. Matthew but I also will continue looking for a church home in Shreveport.

Survivor update

2007-03-16T09:36:00.000-06:00

OK. I promised to let you know, so here’s more information on the local connection to one of the “Survivor: Fiji” contestants.
Contestant Cassandra Franklin, 42, of Los Angeles, Calif., is Flora Law’s cousin.
Flora, owner and operator of Flora’s New Image Beauty Salon and Barber Shop on Hollywood Avenue in Shreveport, makes it a point to tune in at 7 p.m. each Thursday to see her cousin in action on the CBS reality show.
Flora didn’t recognize Cassandra at first and had to call Cassandra’s mother in California to find out which one of the contestants was her.

Young offenders

2007-03-15T14:22:00.000-06:00

After much thought, I've decided to write a column on youth offenders.
The recent cases where the two teens will be tried as adults helped in my decision-making. Both are 15 years old. Corenza Kelly was indicted in February on one count of first-degree murder for allegedly killing Myoung Ran Ellis during an armed robbery. The other teen, Demarcus Thomas, faces a second-degree murder charge in connection with the killing of Arnina Miles Hill.
If convicted, each teen will serve a life sentence.
Here’s some information to share:
Since October 2005, more than 15 juveniles have been transferred from the Caddo Juvenile Detention Center to be tried as adults. Charges include armed robbery, aggravated burglary and first- and second-degree murder.
From Jan. 1-March 14 of this year, almost 300 youths have been admitted to the detention center, the youngest being 10 years old.
I’ll have more information as my column develops and I do more research and interview more people.

Comfort in CARS

2007-03-14T12:42:00.000-06:00

If all goes as planned, rural Webster Parish residents who live alone will soon find comfort in the Community Assistance Response System (CARS).
Police Juror Vera Davison urges residents who meet requirements to sign up early.
CARS is a free automated phone service offered through the parish’s Police Jury, sheriff’s office and E-911 and is designed to provide regular checks for residents who sign up for it. Participants in the program must be 65 years old or older and live alone.
For information on the program or for applications, call Police Jurors Charlesetta Reeder at 377-0394 or Davison at 377-8606. Davis especially wants residents to know that the program is free.

“Survivor” connection

2007-03-12T08:51:00.000-06:00

I’ve heard on good authority that there is a local connection to one of the contestants on CBS’ reality TV series “Survivor.” When I get all of the particulars I’ll let you know, so keep checking back here to find out.

Big turnout for Jackson

2007-03-09T12:12:00.000-06:00

“I touched him. That’s all I wanted to do.”
Those words were uttered today at Balistine W. Hopkins Head Start Center as actor Samuel Jackson, wearing his signature Kangol cap, made his way through a sea of kids (and adults).
The adults were more excited about seeing Jackson than the kids were. You could tell by their mad rush to the sides of the stage and because organizers had to keep telling them to move so the kids could see.
But that didn’t stop the cameras from flashing and the video from rolling.
Jackson commented that the event was a lot bigger than he expected.
“I was expecting to see the kids; I wasn’t expecting to see all the parents.”
After his speech stressing the importance of education, Jackson was photographed with each group of Head Start kids. However, one group missed its turn because they were standing to the side.
A woman with the kids said, “Let me hold up the sign so he can see us. I don’t have but two babies. He’ll never get over here to us.”
Sadly enough, he didn’t.

Communication gap?

2007-03-08T13:59:00.000-06:00

Evodna Springer, a member of the Bossier Parish Citizens’ Coalition, says when it comes to local government there is a lack of communication.
This was brought to her attention last year when she found out about a vote of the Bossier Parish Police Jury regarding a truck stop that would offer video poker in Benton.
“The whole truck stop issue revealed to me and to other people there was a lack of communication between government offices and the people — what I call an information deficit, in particular Bossier Parish,” Springer said.
She said there should be additional wording on signs to let residents know exactly what kind of structure is going up.
“Zoning signs are vaguely worded,” she said. “We see them all the time and the first thing we think is a new subdivision is coming up; but not anymore. We can no longer have that mind-set.”
In an effort to keep residents in the know about government issues, Springer started her very own blog.

Chance to see actor a dream come true

2007-03-06T18:20:00.000-06:00

Samuel Jackson in Shreveport.
That's exciting but not nearly as exciting as me getting a chance to see Jackson while he is in Shreveport.
I was going through my e-mail and came across an invitation from Laurance Guidry, president and CEO of Caddo Community Action Agency, inviting me to a special occasion on Friday.
It doesn’t matter that I wasn’t the only person on the invite list; actually I stopped counting after I reached 20 other people. I was excited because I would get the chance to see Jackson, one of my favorite actors, at the CCAA Balistine Hopkins Head Start Center at 1730 Cox Street.
I’ve been looking around for something Jackson can autograph for me. I haven’t come across anything yet but I still have time; Friday is three days away.
I don’t know about anyone else, but I plan to be there early.

SUSLA gears up for Founders’ Day celebration

2007-03-05T11:16:00.000-06:00

Leonard C. Barnes, chancellor emeritus of Southern University at Shreveport, will be the keynote speaker at the university’s Founders’ Day Celebration at 10 a.m. Friday in the Health and Physical Education Complex.
Also, employees with 40, 30, 20 and 10 years of service will be honored during the event.
Barnes, a 1948 graduate of Southern University in Baton Rouge, began his tenure at SUSLA in 1967 as director of student personnel. In 1969 he was named vice president of the Shreveport campus, a position which later evolved to chancellor. Barnes held the position for nearly 20 years until his retirement in 1987.
He received an honorary doctorate degree in 1987 for his meritorious contributions to education and athletics. He was inducted into the Southern University Sports Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Hall of Fame in 1994. He holds board membership with the Southern University at Shreveport Foundation and the Louisiana Community and Technical College System

Restaurant workers should keep underwear covered

2007-03-02T16:45:00.000-06:00

Opal Darrett, of Shreveport, is tired of having to see fast-food restaurant employees’ underwear when she orders her food.
It’s the sagging pants.
It’s bad enough their pants are falling off their behinds, she said. But then they use their ungloved hands to pull up their pants and then handle her food.
Not only is it embarrassing to see them like that but she also wonders if it could be a health-code violation.
Darrett said she isn’t trying to bad-mouth the youths. After all, they are working. But she is concerned and says they should take more pride in their appearance and dress better.
She said she has gone so far as to tell restaurant managers that she doesn’t want those employees serving her food.
I’m sure there are others who feel the same way Darrett does.

Aspiring entrepreneurs

2007-03-01T15:33:00.000-06:00

Students from Cope Middle School and Caddo Career and Technology School participated in EntrepreneurshipWeek USA, which began Feb. 24 and ends Saturday.
The students worked with Junior Achievement of North Louisiana and submitted questions to local business owners.
Here’s one question and the business owner’s answer:
Question: “What steps did you take in the process of beginning your business?”
— Brandon Walker, Caddo Career and Technology School
Answer: “I first came up with the idea to create a company in the service sector that would fill a needed niche in business. Then I took the steps to have a company incorporated, the company name registered with the state of Louisiana, secured a federal tax ID number so the company could legally conduct financial banking transactions, and begin to sell the service concept to potential clients. This may seem like a large task, but each is easily and inexpensively done by obtaining corporate documents from the Louisiana Secretary of State Web site, completing them, searching the Louisiana corporate names Web site to find out if your company name is available, then filing the documents with the state of Louisiana. Opening a business checking account is simple and can be completed easily at any local bank. All this is just the beginning, however, for the critical element is to “sell” your service (or product) to your potential customers to create business cash flow.”
— Dan Newman, The Newman Companies

Crowd turns out for annual banquet

2007-02-26T14:55:00.000-06:00

The terrible weather Saturday gave way to a very pleasant evening, just in time for the 19th annual Shreveport-Bossier African American Awards Banquet.
The banquet was held in the family life center at Morning Star Baptist Church on Jewella Avenue. Bill Sharp with radio station Magic 102.9 FM was the emcee.
The food was good, the music by the band Intuition was great and the speaker was outstanding.
Shreveport Mayor Cedric Glover, who had to leave early for another engagement, introduced keynote speaker Melvin “Kip” Holden in advance. Holden, mayor-president of East Baton Rouge Parish, wowed the crowd with words of wisdom and encouragement.
Gwen Campbell presented the awards to a long list of recipients, including Holden, Caddo schools Superintendent Ollie Tyler, KSLA-TV news anchor Shannon Royster, attorney Alma Jones, Wiley College professor Tracey Andrus and the Shreveport Job Corps Center.
Ken Latin, with the awards committee, said more than 200 people attended and about 300 tickets were sold.“This was the better year for people we recognize,” Latin said. “There were a lot of firsts.
Proceeds will go toward college scholarships.

And the winner is ...

2007-02-24T14:40:00.000-06:00

The rain didn't stop spellers from coming out in force Saturday to participate in The Times' 2007 Regional Spelling Bee. After several rounds, Regan Carver, 13, a student at Herndon Magnet School, spelled his way to victory by correctly spelling the word wrestle.
Andrew Samper, 13, a student at St. Mark's Cathedral School, won second place and Kristen Burgess, 12, a student at Greenacres Middle School, won third place. Carver's win means he will compete in the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C., later this year. Congratulations to all of the spellers!