By Steve Graf

In the world of sports, they say competition makes everybody better. It brings out the best in an athlete who has a competitive fire trying to earn his spot on the team. But in the world of tournament bass fishing, this may not be the case. While having too many athletes is usually not a problem, having too many fishing circuits can be. Today, anglers are faced with a plethora of bass trails to follow. Let’s take a look at the factors that help an angler decide what they are going to fish and why.

In our part of the country, we call the Ark-La-Tex, the issue of what to fish has reared its ugly head. Anglers in this region have no shortage of tournament trails to choose from. But as we all know, there are basically only four weekends in a month and anglers are having to pick and choose what trails they want to follow. So just how many trails are there? At my last count, I came up with 17 different organizations, all of which offer great incentives to fish. So how do anglers today decide what trail or trails they are going to follow?

It usually comes down to economics and the costs involved. First, anglers look at what lakes the trail is going to. Next, they look at how far the destination is for each tournament. Are the tournaments close to home or will they have to travel hours for each event? What’s the entry fee for each event? Higher level tournament trails usually require higher entry fees. Fees can range from $200 up to $1500 depending on the circuit. Other factors include how much it will cost for hotel or private accommodations, food expenses, and gasoline costs for both the truck and the boat.

Then they look at how competitive do they think they can be in a particular circuit. Can they realistically compete with the anglers fishing a specific trail? This is a major factor since some trails draw a higher level of fishermen than others. Every angler just wants to be competitive or at least have a decent shot at collecting a check to help offset expenses.

With all this being said, there are presently 17 bass fishing tournament trails in this region and there are just not enough fishermen to go around. One thing that continues to set all tournament circuits apart is what is called “guaranteed” payback. This means that if a trail is offering $20,000 guaranteed for first place, anglers tend to flock to that kind of payback rather than a circuit that’s offering $20,000 based on the “number of boats” that show up. Guaranteed tournaments will always outdraw a tournament that has a payback based on the number of boats.

So, what circuits will probably survive out of the 17 offered? It’s hard to say because each one has its own dedicated group of anglers that will stay loyal. It’s not necessarily the tournament trail they’re loyal to, but rather it’s the tournament director. Tournament directors who take the time to get to know their anglers and build a relationship stand a greater chance of their circuit surviving. Anglers can be a very loyal bunch, but only if they enjoy the trail they are fishing and feel a connection to the director. However, one thing is clear. Not all 17 tournament trails will survive. There are simply just not enough weekends in a month for all of them to make it. Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and don’t forget your sunscreen and good protective clothing.

---

The Stonewall branch of the parish library invites everyone to come meet some of Sarah Greer’s pets on June 22^nd.  Bring the kids and enjoy the day.

Pets at the Library is being coordinated by Mrs. Kathryn Bobbitt, the Children’s Librarian.  Get more info from her at 318-925-9191.

---

Sci-Port Discovery Center made a second visit to Logansport Library this week.  Mr. Kenny held the children’s attention as he presented the Weather Works Program. 

He explained to the children how air pressure in our atmosphere works. Mr. Kenny demonstrated how evaporation and condensation work in the water cycle to make rain.  He may have gotten a couple of our patrons wet.

Children also learned that lightning and thunder actually happen simultaneously, in the same place at the same time.  The library said, “Thank you Mr. Kenny for making science fun.”

---

Billie Jo “Butch” Timmons, 57, of Logansport, Louisiana passed peacefully from this life to the next on Tuesday, June 13, 2023, at her home surrounded by family.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at 10:00 a.m. with funeral services at 11:00 a.m. at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Stanley, Louisiana. Interment will follow at Mt. Olivet Cemetery. Bro. Thomas Brock will be officiating the service.

Butch was born to J.B. and Susan Sibley on November 27, 1965, in Mansfield, Louisiana. She spent her early years growing up in the small Village of Stanley. The youngest of six children, she was always looked at as the Baby. Which is probably one of the reasons she was “affectionately” called “Baby Donkey”, along with a lot of other names, by her sister Anita.

She married Eugene Timmons on May 27, 1995. They lived together in Longstreet. After a brief run as a hairdresser, she became a housewife and mother to two wonderful children, E.J. and Abbi, who she loved cooking blackberry pie and dumplings for and taking care of. Along with E.J. and Abbi, she had a host of other children that she babysat over the years that she loved and claimed as her own.

Butch was always a loving and caring daughter and sister. After the passing of her father, J.B., and sister, Rhonda, she spent much of her time trying to get her momma not to work herself silly in the yard. Which by the way is no small task. She always made her sure pills were in order and her checkbook was balanced.

She was a faithful member of Longstreet Baptist Church and was there anytime the church needed help. Her family is thankful for their prayers, along with many other family and friends, as she fought this battle. And fight she did, right to the very end. If she was here now, as Abbi will tell you, she would tell you “Don’t cry for me, I’m walking with Jesus, along with J.B. and Rhonda!”

Preceding Butch in death is her father, James Sibley; sister, Rhonda Hudspeth; father-in-law, Harold Timmons; nephew, Heath Sepulvado; and brother-in-law, Ray Woodall.

Left to cherish her memory is her mother, Susan Sibley; husband, Eugene Timmons; son, E.J. Timmons; daughter, Abbi Timmons; mother-in-law, Betty Timmons; siblings, Bubba Sibley and wife Jesse, Jackie Sepulvado and husband, Davis, Penny Shepherd, Anita Dockens, and husband, Kevin; brothers-in-law, Ryan Hudspeth and Larry Timmons; and sisters-in law, Wanda Scruggs and Brenda Woodall.

Honoring Butch as pallbearers Brodie Sibley, Charles Rutherford, Mackenzie Dockens, Gary Wayne Timmons, Witt Dockens, and Cliff Chinault. Honorary pallbearers will be Kevin Dockens, Richard Scruggs, Ryan Hudspeth, and Larry Timmons.

---

Billie “Butch” Timmons

November 27, 1965 — June 13, 2023

Funeral services were at 11:00 am on Thursday, June 15, 2023, at Mt. Olivet Baptist Church, Stanley, Louisiana.

Brenda Heard Bruner Moerchen

August 4, 1950 — June 9, 2023

A memorial will be held Saturday, June 17, at 10:00 am at Eastside Missionary Baptist Church in Minden.

The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances of Loved Ones” with unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The Remembrance will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.

---

The local Parish Health Unit will be closed June 16, 2023 in observance of Juneteenth and will reopen on June 19th with normal hours from 8AM-4:30PM.

The 10^th annual Juneteenth celebration in Mansfield will be June 23^rd and 24^th.

South DeSoto Water System said, “For the customers on the WPA road from Nubbin Ridge road west to LA. 481… We will be replacing a section of the main line in front of  Mrs. Billy Lums  house due to the oil field road being put in. The work was scheduled for 6/13/2023. The water will be off until the work can be completed, after the water is back on you will be under a boil advisory until it is tested by LDH.

The DeSoto Chamber of Commerce has received a list of grants that are available for Local Fire Services, Law Enforcement, Economic Development, Education and Healthcare from Congresswoman Julia Letlow. If you would like information, please contact the chamber at 872-1310.

---

In January of 2023, Sheriff Jayson Richardson unveiled a new project in DeSoto Parish called “Friends of the Sheriff” that would help to better serve those in our community living with Special Needs.  We are now excited to announce that Sheriff Richardson has been working with State Representative Larry Bagley and Senator Barry Milligan to secure funding our program State-Wide!  With their partnership, Sheriff Richardson has managed to secure nearly $300,000 to go toward this program and other public safety projects. Our office is ready and willing to work with other agencies to provide the necessary components, including graphics and decals, to ensure the project is a success across the State of Louisiana. This is just another achievement towards serving our Special Needs community with compassion, yielded from Sheriff Richardson’s Bringing Joye Program launched in 2018!

For those not familiar with how the “Friends of the Sheriff” program works, it is pretty simple. In the event of a fire, traffic stop, accident, or otherwise, deputies sometimes encounter someone sensitive to loud noises, bright lights, deaf, or non-verbal, and that person may require special attention.  If you or someone in your household is living with Special Needs, you can drop by the Sheriff’s Office to fill out a short form and receive decals for your vehicles.  The decals serve as a visual for first responders before approaching a vehicle, to help them better serve those living with Special Needs.  The information you provide is logged into our dispatch software, therefore whenever there is an emergency first responders can be aware and prepared before arrival.  We are super excited to have this program created here at the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, now launching Statewide!  Sheriff Richardson sends his sincerest gratitude to Senator Barry Milligan and Rep. Larry Bagley for championing this project through the State Legislature.  We also send a huge thanks to our residents of DeSoto Parish for participating in this project, sharing the posts, and showing support for this wonderful program.

---

It was an exciting day at the Logansport Library last week.  Jayson Rivers of the Choctaw-Apache Tribe of Ebarb and 3 members of the Rising Sun Youth Group paid a visit.

Mr. Rivers shared the history of the tribe and how the two tribes became one.  He also shared the title of some of the member’s regalia and some facts about what each piece means and how it is used during ceremonies. 

The youth group demonstrated the Seek and Find dance and the Friendship dance.  The Library staff really appreciated the Tribe sharing their heritage.

---

By Teddy Allen

The 2023 College World Series begins Friday at Charles Schwab Field in “Omaha! Omaha!,” or, as our LSU friends like to say, Geauxmaha! (Is there no END to this “geaux” stuff?!)

Love or hate LSU, you have to admit — in any moment that passes for sanity, even among the LSU Haters out there — that the college game is better when LSU is good.

And this year, the Tigers are pretty good, or whatever phrase you’d wish to use to describe a team that wins 48 games, a Regional, a Super Regional, and winds up in Geauxmaha.

LSU is back for the first time since 2017, an eternity for Tiger fans. LSU most recently won it in 2009 and won four in seven seasons — 1991, ’93 (Airline High’s Todd Walker was the CWS Most Outstanding Player), and ’96-’97. If the Tigers can win this year, they’ll have seven all-time, second only to USC and one ahead of Texas.

A lot’s going on …

(For the whole story, read Everything Matters in Baseball: The Skip Bertman Story, by our old friend Glenn Guilbeau, (or Guilbeaux, if you prefer. Page 51 is my favorite because yours truly is on it, as is the song I wrote for Skip in 1989ish. Thank you, Glenn. Mighty fine book. Baseball coaches in Louisiana should send the Skipster chocolates every day; he was the difference that made the difference for college baseball in our state.)

So back in the summertime, we offered an Introduction to ‘Sports Talking’ and determined that The World of Sports has a language all its own, and that each individual sport has an even more specialized lingo. A field goal is different in football than in basketball. “Pin” is one thing in bowling and another in wrestling. A skater spins lots and lands; a second baseman spins once and throws.

And on like that.

We wrote about football (played by gridders on a gridiron) and basketball, or roundball, played with a rock, and how in hoops, foul trouble is when you are in danger of disqualification because you’ve done an extreme number of illegal things, not to be confused with foul trouble caused by sitting next to a fan who smells like an old sneaker, or fowl trouble, when the concession stand runs out of chicken tenders.

Now, let’s get ready for baseball or hardball, by introducing some everyday words that mean one thing in baseball (and sometimes, something else in real life).

A hose is an arm and if you throw fast and true, you have a hose. A good defender can flash the leather and has the good hands. Wheels are legs and good ones mean you are fast; no wheels mean you are no threat to steal or swipe a bag/base, but hopefully, you are not so terribly, horribly slow that you can’t score from third on a triple or even on a homer that leaves the yard/park.

Some of the CWS players had a chance out of high school to become bonus babies, or young players who sign for a big bonus payment on top of a salary. A bonus baby is also the second baby out of the womb when there are twins; triplets mean mom gets two bonus babies.

A cut fastball is a ball that breaks away from the arm that threw it; in other words, it breaks toward the pitcher’s glove-hand side. A cut fastball is also a fastball that wasn’t good enough to make the varsity.

A backdoor slider or backdoor breaker appears to the batter to be off the plate — right before it breaks over the plate and late. Bummer for the batter. (In real life, a backdoor slider it is one of us Baptists who used to attend church regularly but now gets to Sunday school late — if at all.)

A tater is a homer run; it’s also the nickname of the 5-9, 285-pound third baseman.

A twinbill is a doubleheader, a twin killing is a double play, and a twinbill killing is when a doubleheader gets rained out.

A yakker is a curveball, also called an Uncle Charlie — “Caught him looking at ol’ Uncle Chuck!” A yakker is also a female yak — a yak her — or one who hunts yaks, or a sick person who can’t keep their food down. A very good curveball hitter is a yakker whacker, sometimes called a yacker smacker.

If a player is on deck he is the next batter up after the one at the plate, and if a plyer is to bat after the batter on deck, he is said to be in the hole — although it began as in the hold, a nautical term like on deck is; in the hold is by definition just beneath the deck of a ship, as in the storage area. So, in baseball if you are on deck, then I am in the hold and batting after you. Nautical terms were common in the 1800s

when baseball started but things evolve, and “in the hold” is sadly gone forever; the great unwashed win again).

So … enjoy the CWS. “Let’s have a clue out there! Here we go! See you at the yard.

Ready BREAK!” Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

---

From Joshua Salley at the LSU Parish Extension Office:

We are excited to welcome Mrs. Erin Stockton to the DeSoto Parish Extension Office.  Erin is our new Family and Consumer Sciences Agent for the LSU AgCenter in DeSoto and Bossier Parishes.  Erin will be working with the Flavors of Health program here in DeSoto and in Bossier Parish.  She will also handle SNAP-ED programming in Bossier Parish. Some of the programs that Erin will be offering include healthy eating, pressure cooker testing, living with diabetes, and much more.  Erin is a graduate of William Carey University in Hattiesburg, MS, where she received a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education with a minor in English. She is also a graduate of Louisiana Christian University where she earned a master’s degree in the Art of Teaching. Erin has been an educator for the past 18 years in MS and LA, with the past 13 years spent in Sabine Parish. She was actively involved in 4-H as a volunteer and sponsor while her children were in school.  Erin is a life-long learner and educator, and she is looking forward to meeting the citizens of DeSoto Parish and sharing our nutrition programs with you.

---

By Nicole Tull

The Logansport Chamber of Commerce had their monthly meeting at the Logansport Library Monday evening, June 6^th.  Dinner was fried chicken from Brookshire Brothers with sides and watermelon provided by James and Beth Walker.

Tori Dyess has a new business joining the Chamber – Loco Gringo Hat Company. She does more than hats though, a banner made by her will be advertising the new Chamber building in downtown very soon. There will be renovations being made on the new Chamber building getting it ready for the Chamber of Commerce to be open for visitors.

President James Walker reminds everyone that the July 4^th celebration on the river is coming up. The whole afternoon will have entertainment leading up to the fireworks display as night falls.

The last point of business was drawing for the door prize. Teresa Stephens won the gift card to Dairy Queen. There is no meeting for the month of July so the next meeting will be 6:00pm Tuesday, August 1^st at the Logansport library.

---

The Lions meet every second and fourth Tuesday for a catered lunch at the Clista A. Calhoun Center and you are welcome to come by and enjoy the food and the company and the networking.

---

By Royal Alexander

I have often pondered the principles of marketing.

Whether we are talking about McDonalds, Coca Cola, the NFL, Target, or Anheuser-Busch—and its previously popular Bud Light beer—I would think the most important consideration would be to successfully target (no pun intended) the most likely consumers of the product and then do everything to gain, keep and increase the greatest market share possible.

In other words, as has always been the case in the corporate world before the “social justice” and Woke movements, the fundamental fiduciary duty to shareholders was to maximize profits.  Period.

Well, corporate America has changed, and not for the better.

What we are seeing and hearing as Target, Anheuser-Busch, and others lose billions and irreparably damage their brands is the economic “roar” of millions of Americans that we will no longer accept corporate elites shoving cultural imperialism down our throats.

Millions of tolerant, patriotic Americans have finally said enough– “stop force feeding us liberal sexual orthodoxy.”

As a result of these boycotts, Target and Anheuser-Busch have now lost a combined $40.8 billion in market value over their LGBTQ Pride-focused marketing campaigns. (S. Perry. The Daily Signal, 6-6-23).  In short, they are bleeding value with no end in sight.

Why have American consumers responded in this way?

Because we’re sick of being bombarded by and graphically exposed to—and we are way past being asked to merely accept alternative lifestyles—“Pride” and transgenderism. 

We fundamentally reject the idea that young children are prepared to receive or process any information about human sexuality or have even the slightest capacity to decide—often without their parent’s knowledge—whether they should amputate their own bodies at age 6 because a boy may think for a while that he’s a girl.

Or be forced to tolerate Target’s policy of allowing our young daughters to be followed into the girl’s bathroom by a full-grown man who “identifies” as a woman.

Or the farce that biological men who are “transitioning” to “female” can fairly be allowed to compete against biological females.

Well, the roof blew off when Target “released nationwide Pride-focused merchandise targeting children, including ‘tuck friendly’ swimsuits for boys who identify as girls, but have not yet amputated their sexual organs.  For good measure, it also offered kid-friendly products designed by a self-identified “trans Satanist.”  (S. Perry, The Daily Signal, 6-6-23).

We really shouldn’t be surprised by Target’s action.  After all, this is the same company that was caught partnering with an organization—the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—that hides children’s gender transition from parents and advocates teaching gender ideology at all grade levels. (N. Silverio, Daily Caller, May 26, 2023).

So, why do millions of Americans object to such offensive products and messaging?

It’s because we reject the cold, sterile, and godless view of life, faith and family which distorts gender and biology beyond all recognition.  Quite to the contrary, we view ourselves as made in the image and likeness of God and are the creation of the Creator who defined us, body and soul. 

 And we believe that while the two genders are morally equal in every sense, males and females are vastly different physiologically and acting as though they are the same is not only a Big Lie but it’s a cruelty to confuse the most vulnerable among us about themselves in order to advance a toxic ideology through chemical castration or genital mutilation in order to fill the bank accounts of doctors and hospitals who profit from the billion dollar Sex Change Industrial Complex.  According to research, the U.S. sex reassignment surgery market size was estimated at $ 1.9 billion in 2021 and was expected to reach $2.1 billion in 2022.

That’s why parents are so concerned about the targeting of young adolescents on social media to confuse and then persuade them that they are transgender.  Parents feel that their children are under siege, and as children have become more isolated and more tied to their telephone screens, there’s been an explosion of children identifying as transgender.

These children are vulnerable to messages that say their problems fitting in can be solved by recognizing that they were born in the wrong body.  Tragically though, the puberty blockers and surgeries being handed out to adolescents will cause a lifetime of physical health problems which has led to laws against gender assignment surgery.

May the boycotts continue until this lesson is learned.

---

Brenda Heard Bruner Moerchen, 72, passed from this earth on Friday, June 9, 2023, in Mansfield, Louisiana.

Brenda was preceded in death by her parents, J.D. and Janice Heard and her beloved husband, Jim Moerchen.

Left to cherish her memory are her brother, Buddy Heard and wife Ann, her children; Tina Anderson and husband Brian, Dawn Bruner and special friend David Sanders, Matt Moerchen and wife Tori, and Brenda Moerchen-Martinez and husband Byron. She will also be missed by her grandchildren; Andrew Holford, Jordan Young, Riley Young, Tyler Anderson, Victoria Martinz, Carlos Milligan and Katelyn Daniel. She left 4 great grandchildren and many uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews and friends.

Brenda spent most of her life in Minden but lived in west Texas as a child. As an adult, she lived in Baton Rouge and Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. She met Jim in Shreveport and was willing to follow him anywhere. She enjoyed spending her time helping others and playing cards or dominoes with friends. She was a little competitive! In the last few months, she formed a special relationship with some ladies at Mansfield Nursing Center. They were known as the “Golden Girls.”

A memorial will be held Saturday, June 17, at 10:00 a.m. at Eastside Missionary Baptist Church in Minden. In lieu of flowers, Brenda wanted donations made to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

---

We sustainably manage forests and manufacture products that make the world a better place. We’re serious about safety, driven to achieve excellence, and proud of what we do. With multiple business lines in locations across North America, we offer a range of exciting career opportunities for smart, talented people who are passionate about making a difference. We know you have a choice in your career. We want you to choose us. 

Weyerhaeuser in Natchitoches is hosting an on-site job fair at their mill on Wednesday, June 26, 2023. We are hiring Entry-Level Production Associates, with the pay starting at $17.50 per hour. The job fair will be held at 234 Industrial Avenue in Natchitoches. Interested applicants may apply online at www.wy.com/careers. After applying and successfully passing an assessment test, pre-register for the job fair by calling 318-354-4055. Excellent benefit packages, bonus opportunities, perfect attendance incentives, and development opportunities are just some of the reasons why Weyerhaeuser is the preferred employer in Natchitoches. 

Weyerhaeuser was voted Best of Manufacturing in Natchitoches Parish for 2022. Not only do our associates believe we’re a great place to work, but so does our community!

Join our team by applying and attending our job fair on Wednesday, June 26, 2023. We look forward to meeting you, and are excited to begin this journey with you!

EOE

---

Barbara Lilley

November 24, 1941 — June 8, 2023

Funeral services were at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Chapel, 943 Polk Street, Mansfield, Louisiana.

Brenda Heard Bruner Moerchen

August 4, 1950 — June 9, 2023

A memorial will be held Saturday, June 17, at 10:00 am at Eastside Missionary Baptist Church in Minden.

The DeSoto Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances of Loved Ones” with unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The Remembrance will be included in the emails sent to subscribers.  Contact your funeral provider or DeSotoParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.

---

The Journal has been notified by the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office that due to a software issue there will be no arrest report issued this week.  A report covering two weeks arrests will be issued next week.

Many people from here use the Jimmy Davis Bridge between Shreveport and Bossier City.  Take note of this announcement by DOTD:

The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Monday, June 19, 2023, the LA 511 (Jimmie Davis Hwy/70th Street) bridge over the Red River in Caddo and Bossier Parishes will be closed nightly  from Monday, June 19th through Friday, June 23rd, from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each night.

The DeSoto Registrar of Voters office will be closed Friday, June 16- Monday June 19 in observance of Juneteenth. Normal business hours resume on Tuesday, June 20th.

---

Funeral services celebrating the life of Barbara Lilley, 81, of Converse, Louisiana, will be at 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 11, 2023, at Kilpatrick’s Rose-Neath Chapel, 943 Polk Street, Mansfield, Louisiana. Bro. Chucky Clark, Bro. Brian Rankin, and Dr. Jimmy Lilley will be officiating the service. Interment will follow at Oak Grove Cemetery, Converse, Louisiana. Visitation will be held on Saturday, June 10, 2023, from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. at the funeral home.

Barbara Sue Tatum was born in Converse to J.M.  and Thelma Aten Tatum. She learned to crochet from her grandmother Tatum, and it was a lifelong hobby. She learned piano from Miss Ruth Campbell which became her ministry.  In High School she played basketball, made excellent grades, worked as a waitress at the local burger joint and received the honor of being the Valedictorian.

In 1959, at 17 she married the love of her life, Joseph Lilley. They had three children, Mary Dorraine, Stephen and Susan. In 2022, they celebrated their 63rd anniversary.  During her life she dedicated much of her time to volunteering and sharing her faith. She served many years as the organist for Southside Baptist Church in Mansfield Louisiana.  She loved teaching her Sunday school class of over age 80 women and always expressed she learned so much more from them than she taught.

In 1986 she became a proud grandmother for the first time and her love grew with every new grand and great grandchild.

After her husband retired, he built their dream house in Converse but soon after they moved in, he was disabled by a stroke.  For the past 9 years she has been dedicated to caring for her husband while still taking every opportunity to witness to everyone she met through that entire experience.

Preceding her in death is her husband, Joseph Lilley; her parents; son, Stephen Lilley; daughter, Mary Dorraine Tircuit; and infant son, Timothy Wayne Lilley.

Left to cherish her memory is her daughter, Susan Lilley; sister, Amy Blakney; brother, Bobby Tatum and wife, Audrey; son-in-law, Matt Tircuit; grandchildren, Elizabeth Espinoza and husband, Hugo, Reese Tircuit and wife, Jeanna, Jennifer Thibodeaux and husband, Bralyn, Kristofer Lilley and wife, Donavyn, and Samantha Lilley; and great-grandchildren, Abigail Espinoza, Joshua Espinoza, Ryder Tircuit, Ryleigh Tircuit, Mason Thibodeaux, and Talon Thibodeaux.

Honoring Barbara as pallbearers will be Wade Tatum, David Gentry, Kameron Gentry, Eric Mullins, Jimmy Mays, Hugo Espinoza, Reese Tircuit, Lorin Lilley, and Randy Lilley.

The family would like to express their gratitude to Becky Arterberry, who has been a very important part of helping Barbara this past year take care of Joseph and being her support after his passing.

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to Huntington’s Disease Society of America, 505 Eighth Avenue / Suite 902 New York, NY 10018, or hdsa.org/; or, The Gideon’s International, PO Box 140800, Nashville, TN 37214-0800 or gideons.org

---

Mansfield High has introduced Coach Reginald Williams, a new addition to the Wolverine basketball team.  The school said, “We are delighted to welcome Coach Reginald Williams, originally from Shreveport, La. Coach Williams is a Spring 2016 graduate of Northwestern State University.

His impressive coaching career started at Green Oaks, where he spent two years as an assistant under Coach Jessica Elie (2017-2019). This was followed by a one-year stint at Huntington under Coach Mac Jones (2020-2021), during which he also served as a two-year football assistant under Coach Stephen Dennis (2019-2021).

His most recent position was a two-year tenure at Southwood under Coach Brandon Gultery (2021-2023). His guidance was instrumental in leading the Cowboys at Southwood to a 14-0 undefeated district championship in the 22-23 season and a spot in the LHSAA Select Division I state playoff quarterfinals.

Alongside his school coaching duties, Coach Williams has been a three-year travel basketball assistant coach with the O.W.E. (Out Work Everybody) travel basketball club since 2021. Under his tutelage, 21 players have accepted offers to play at the collegiate or post-grad level.

Coach Williams is supported by his wife, Toni Williams, and their children Quinton (5) and Teigen (1).

---

Thomas Jones, Mayor of Mansfield was booked into the parish jail last Saturday, June 3^rd.  He was charged with driving while intoxicated first offense and improper lane usage.

The arrest was included in the weekly arrest report issued by the DeSoto Sheriff’s Office on Monday.  The arrest was made by Louisiana State Police.

---

The clouds rolled away, and the sun came out just in time at Logansport Library. The Louisiana State Energy Office supplied each child with a Solar Oven Kit.

After the ovens were assembled, everyone put the ingredients for nachos into the ovens. Then they took the ovens outside, set them in the sun and watched the nachos cook.

The participants discovered that the sun could get hot enough to cook a meal.  They also discovered that everyone is a great cook. The nachos were delicious.

The library thanked Robin Narez and Leigh Ann Smith for visiting all of the DeSoto

Parish Library locations.

---

By Brad Dison

As a teenager, George spent most of his free time cruising the streets of Modesto, California.  He owned an Autobianchi Bianchina, an Italian minicar based on the Fiat 500.  The car sported a convertible top, and roll bar, and was surprisingly peppy for its size.  George liked driving fast.

For most of George’s high school career, he was in danger of failing.  George’s mother worried that he would never amount to anything.  George’s father reassured her that George was just a late bloomer.  George’s father wanted George to follow in his footsteps and run the office equipment store that the family had built.  However, George wanted to be a car mechanic and race cars.  George and his parents argued over the direction George planned to take in life.  Finally, to placate his parents, George decided to go to college.  First, George had to finish high school.   

It was the end of the school year in 1962, and George was a senior at Thomas Downey High School.  His high school graduation was scheduled for June 15, but George did not make it to his graduation.  Three days before graduation, on June 12 at 4:50 p.m., George was driving his minicar back to his home at 821 Sylvan Road in Modesto, California.  In the era when wearing a seatbelt was optional and seatbelts did not come standard in all cars, George was buckled in.  As George neared his driveway, he slowed the car and turned on his left blinker.  George looked ahead and saw that there was no oncoming traffic.  George turned the wheel to the left and began the turn into his driveway.  The last thing George heard was a horn.

17-year-old Frank Ferreira, also of Modesto, was driving at about 90 miles per hour in the same direction George had been traveling.  Frank saw the minicar travelling slowly and veered into the left lane to pass.  As Frank neared George’s minicar, George began the turn.  Frank had little time to react.  He slammed on the brakes and honked the horn, but it was too late.  Frank’s car hit George’s minicar so hard that George’s car flipped seven or eight times and struck a walnut tree.  While the car was flipping, George’s seatbelt snapped, and George was thrown from the minicar.  A millisecond later, George’s minicar and Frank’s car struck a walnut tree.  George was seriously injured.  He lay unconscious near his crushed car.  Paramedics rushed George to the Modesto City Hospital.  Frank was uninjured.

When George awoke, a nurse reassured him.  “Don’t worry,” she said, “you have all of your arms and legs.” “What do you mean?” George asked.  He had no memory of the accident.  Everybody kept telling George, “You should be dead.”  After hearing that several times, George decided that “maybe there’s a reason I’m here.”

Whereas George had little interest in his high school career, he excelled in what became his major area of study in his junior year of college.  George’s father was right when he said George was a late bloomer.  George’s mother had no reason to be concerned about George’s lack of direction or that he would never amount to anything. According to Forbes, in 2023, George’s net worth was more than $4.9 billion.  Had George agreed to go into his family’s office equipment business or had George not survived the car crash, we would never have shared in the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr., nor would we have learned what happened “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….”  The teenage boy who somehow survived a horrific car crash went on to create the epic Hollywood franchises “Indiana Jones,” and “Star Wars.”  His name is George Walton Lucas, Jr.

Sources:

1. The Modesto Bee, June 13, 1962, p.22.
2. Stockton Evening and Sunday Record, June 13, 1962, p.41.
3. Imagine Entertainment. Light & Magic. Disney+, 27 July 2022, Series 1, Episode 2.
4. “George Lucas.” Forbes, 29 May 2023, forbes.com/profile/george-lucas/?sh=1a5a799b6e63. Accessed 29 May 2023.

---

This week the Mansfield Rotary Club heard from Vice President, Van Reech, about plans for the upcoming Fall Fundraiser.  The event will be a “Come Meet the Candidates” on Saturday, September 9, at the Clista A. Calhoun Center.

All local candidates in October’s elections will be invited to participate.  Each candidates can rent a table for $250.00 to set up and hand out flyers and promotional items.  And tents are welcome. 

This will be a timely event and a good chance for everyone to network before these important local elections. 

The Rotarians will also be serving a jambalaya plate dinner.

Last year the Mansfield Rotary contributed to Rotary International’s humanitarian effort in Ukraine.  Locally they awarded a scholarship to a Nursing Student at Northwest Louisiana Technical Community College Mansfield Campus.

 

For questions or reservations please call Van Reech, 318-540-7500 or email reechjr@yahoo.com.  The next Rotary meeting is 6/21/23 at the Genealogical Library in the Mansfield Female College for lunch.

---

The Mansfield Branch of the National Association of University Women gave a retirement party this week for Sybil Taylor.  She had devoted her career to teaching children.

Sybil Taylor would like to thank her NAUW sisters for celebrating with at her retirement party. She is a 33 year veteran educator in Mansfield, and NAUW has been a huge part of her career. She not only has taught  hundreds of children, but she has also served them with NAUW.

Taylor was thankful for the opportunity to serve with them over the years, and she is looking forward to continuing that service in the community as a retired teacher.

---

By Steve Graf

I recently had the opportunity to be the guest speaker for the Hemphill High School Bass Club banquet. It’s always both a blessing and an honor to get to share my fishing knowledge and experiences with up-and-coming anglers. My goal is to always make sure they understand how lucky they are to participate in a sport that can last a lifetime. In most sports like football, baseball, or basketball, an athlete is on a timeline. He has a short time frame to be great and get the most out of his God given athletic ability. But with bass fishing, it’s a sport you may never reach your full potential because it’s a sport that you just keep learning year after year.

But the one thing I really stressed during my message to these young anglers was that there are no shortcuts to being great. It’s no different than being a great shooter in basketball where you must get in the gym and shoot extra. For a baseball player to be a great hitter, he needs to get in the batting cage and take a lot of swings. Bass fishing is no different. To be a great angler, you must spend a lot of time on the water. Nothing makes an angler better than TOW… time on the water.

One skill an angler must have in order to compete at a high level is the ability to cast. Anglers who can cast and put the bait where they need to are the anglers who will be the most successful. So, it’s important to practice your casting, flipping or pitching techniques. Anglers who struggle with casting will not be competitive on the tournament trails. You’ll simply be donating to someone else’s cause. 

So many youngsters today want instant gratification in whatever sport they are playing. Bass fishing is a sport that requires time and lots of practice. Patience is another key component to being great. Some anglers learn quickly while others may take a little longer to reach a level where they can compete. The high school and college series fishing circuits have really sped up the learning curve for a lot of young anglers.

The advancement in electronics, especially with forward-facing sonar, has really enabled a lot of anglers to advance and shorten their learning curve. These young anglers today have been raised during the computer age and adapt to today’s fishing sonars very quickly. They’re not intimidated by their electronics like so many of the older generation.

Getting back to the topic of today’s message, there are no shortcuts when it comes to being a great angler. If you want to be one of the best, you must practice techniques, but more importantly, believe in yourself. I asked Kevin Van Dam, the greatest angler of all time, “What’s the number one tool in your tackle box?”  His response was not a specific bait or a certain technique, it was one word… confidence. KVD said that it’s the one thing you can’t buy in a tackle store in order to be great. Nothing replaces confidence! Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and please don’t forget your sunscreen. 

---