If you ever worked at the Slidell Sentry-News, this is a message for you.
There is a reunion planned for all former Sentry-News employees that will be held on Saturday, Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. at Phil’s Marina Café out on Lake Pontchartrain, off the Oak Harbor exit in Slidell.
Missy Spinosa, known to many of you as the lead singer for the band Witness, worked at the Sentry-News with me many years ago and in recent years she began talking to me about having a reunion. I loved the idea and now we have it set up.
If you ever worked at the Sentry-News and would like to attend the party (there is no cost other than purchasing your own food and drinks if you want), then please e-mail me here so we can start compiling a head count.
Missy and I have run into so many former Sentry employees over the years and she continued to tell me that we needed to all get together at some point soon, so we’re really excited about finally putting this together. The party has no special events planned other than giving everyone a chance to catch up and see what happened.
So please e-mail me if you see this and plan to attend. We are hoping for a great turnout and a great time at Phil’s Marina Café.

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Trey Folse and I go back quite a ways.
Most of you know him as one of the most important men in St. Tammany Parish (I know he loves when I say that.) To me, he is simply a longtime friend.
Trey is the superintendent of schools for St. Tammany Parish, and seriously, that is an important job since he is the top dog in the system that handles over 38,000 kids every year, has over 5,620 employees and 55 schools to take care of.
For Trey and I, however, our friendship and relationship started—and I don’t like using numbers this big since they show my age—but it all started almost 40 years ago when I was a young hippie sports reporter covering eastern St. Tammany Parish.
At that time Trey’s dad, Bill Folse, was the president of the School Board and big shot of his own. The Folse family is longtime Slidell for sure, with several generations dating back to the early days of the town.
So as I covered Slidell High sports I got to know the Folse family very well since Bill never missed a game, and I hardly missed any games either, so we frequently sat in the stands together. There were three boys in the family who all played sports—Trey, David and Eric—and their dad loved watching them play.
But Trey was the one who really excelled as the top athlete and even though he wasn’t the biggest kid around, he worked hard enough to become an outstanding high school player who graduated from Slidell High in 1977.
Trey came back to Slidell after graduating from college and became a coach and teacher at Salmen High, and then moved into administration with the school system, leading to the day he was named superintendent in 2010.
I enjoy the once-a-year update on the school system each summer when the superintendent talks to local business leaders. That happened recently with Trey giving the latest stats and information on the local public school system.
However, he started with a little story or two that everyone loved, and it’s the kind of stuff that gives a local paper like this one a chance pass along those great stories you probably won’t hear anywhere else.
Trey started his presentation with some old pictures of his grandfather who used to drive an ice cream truck in Slidell. One picture showed a young Trey standing next to the truck, probably age 7 or 8. He said he and his brothers used to love riding in the truck during the summer when they helped their granddad sell ice cream and collect the money. It was big stuff to little kids.
Fast forward to some pictures of Trey from his high school yearbook and it showed a picture of Trey with his hair parted down the middle, as many of us did back then. He told a great story of his dad never letting him out of the house with his hair parted that way.
“My dad didn’t want us boys looking like that when we went out,” he said. “So I had to part my hair on the side the proper way before I left, then when I got in the car and got away from the house, I parted it in the middle. I always had to get it fixed right before getting back home.”
Now in his 31st year with the St. Tammany school system, Trey is like me—getting up there a bit in years—but he still has great passion for our parish, our school system and the kids we are all trying to help raise. He said the highlight of his career so far was when he got to give the graduation speech when two of his grandchildren recently finished high school.
Trey has done a great job maintaining our outstanding school system here and I know he will keep doing it until he steps aside. We’re fortunate to have so many locals who grow up and want to return right back to St. Tammany to contribute with their lives. Trey definitely has done that and I feel fortunate to call him my friend.

Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.

SLIDELL?– Assessor Louis Fitzmorris won another victory in court recently when 22nd Judicial District Judge Martin Coady ruled in his favor, reversing a decision by the Louisiana Tax Commission.
In September of 2014, New Covington Apartments, LP, (owned 99.99% by a wholly owned subsidiary of First NBC Bank, First NBC LITHC Partners LLC), filed an appeal with the St. Tammany Parish Board of Review (Parish Council) appealing Assessor Fitzmorris’ 2014 assessment of their apartment complex property, The Groves at Mile Branch, located at 424 Purslane Drive in Covington.
Fitzmorris had valued the property and put it on the tax roll at $4,257,783.00 for improvements and $870,000.00 for land, after taking office in 2013 and noticing shortly thereafter the property was grossly under assessed. The Board of Review upheld the assessment put in place by Fitzmorris.
New Covington then appealed the Board of Review decision to the Louisiana Tax Commission (LTC) and requested the assessed improvements be reduced to merely $2,160,110.00; despite the fact the improvements were just two years old and carried on New Covington’s corporate books and records for a cost of more than $17 Million. In December of 2015, the LTC issued a written decision and reduced The Groves at Mile Branch assessed improvements value to $2,313,700.00.
In December of 2015, Fitzmorris filed suit in 22nd Judicial District Court to appeal the LTC’s decision. On June 3, 2016, Fitzmorris won. The ruling reversed the Louisiana Tax Commission’s decision and the assessed value for The Groves at Mile Branch property was returned to $4,257,783.00, for improvements. In addition to the $870,000 assessed land value (which was never in dispute), the total assessed value for the property is $5,127,783.00.
The dispute that landed them in court: whether or not tax credits should be considered when using the “income approach” to determine assessed value. The Groves at Mile Branch is a multi-family residential development completed in 2011 and was financed, in part, using Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credits. Through their agreement with the Louisiana Housing Finance Agency, the 99.99% limited partner in New Covington (First NBC LITHC Partners, LLC) receives $791,000.00 in tax credits each year for a ten year period, in exchange for placing rent restrictions on 65 of its 94 rental units.
The heart of the dispute and the reason for the nearly two million dollar disparity between the two parties came from a disagreement on exactly how the property should be assessed, in particularly, use of the “income approach”, one of three recognized appraisal procedures provided by law. Fitzmorris felt the LTC was forcing him to use the “modified income approach” in violation of the Louisiana law and resulting in unfairness and inequities to all St. Tammany taxpayers.
By using the modified income approach dictated by the LTC, gross potential income could not be calculated and tax credit revenue could not be considered, creating an unfair and competitive advantage over similarly situated apartment complexes in St. Tammany.
In siding with Fitzmorris, the court ruling states “the Louisiana Tax Commission’s decision in this matter is in violation of the constitutional and statutory provisions as set forth…the Louisiana Tax Commission exceeded its statutory authority; and the Louisiana Tax Commission committed an error of law in this matter.”
Fitzmorris believes that The Groves at Mile Branch property should be assessed in the same manner as its competitive set and the fact that Federal tax credits of $7.9M were awarded to a regional bank, in exchange for less rents, should not constitute a tax break. “If FNBC is not paying its fair share of taxes, then you, me and other taxpayers in St. Tammany Parish must make up the difference.” Fitzmorris said. “We choose our battles wisely. This case was about doing what is right and about being fair and equitable. I am more than pleased with the ruling. As with each of our victories, it’s really all of St. Tammany that wins.”

Charles Lee Crawford passed away on Thursday, June 23, 2016.
He was 64 years old.
He is survived by his wife of 64 years Maxine Walker Crawford; daughter, Tammy Lynn Crawford; sisters, Helen Humphrey (Lee), and Charlene Swick (Ernie); and brother, John Crawford (Cheryl).
Crawford is also survived by grandchildren, Maranda Buras and Brittany Morris; and great-grandchildren, Braxton Crawford, Raelynn Buras, Marley Johns and Clayton Fowler.
D.T. Williams Funeral Home in charge of arrangements.

Loretta Dupont Stanley, of Slidell, passed away on Saturday, June 25, 2016, at 9:16 a.m. in Oschner Hospital in Slidell.
Mrs. Stanley was a native of Jennings, La. and graduated from Jennings High School. In 1974, she moved to Slidell and has lived there since. She was an avid sports fan and especially enjoyed watching the Chicago Cubs. She was also a devoted LSU sports fan. When she wasn’t watching sports, Mrs. Stanley loved to sew.
Mrs. Stanley is survived by daughters, Gwendlyn Hilton and Deneise (Mark) Bergeron of Slidell; sons, John (Valerie) David Stanley, Jr. of Carriere, Ms. and Steve Stanley of Bessemer, Ala.; sister, Ellen Lorraine Demont Overman of Manchester, Tennessee; brother, Ferdinand James Dupont of Corpus Christi, Texas; four grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.
She is preceded in death by her husband, John David Stanley, Sr.; her parents, Ferdinand Joseph Dupont and Lucille LeJeune Roy; her stepmother, Nettie Dupont and one sister, Wella (Betty) Louise Crader.
Funeral services for Stanley will be held on Friday, July 1, 2016, at 10 a.m. in the Miguez Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Charles McMillin officiating.
Burial will be in the Mermentau Cememtery under the direction of Miguez Funeral Home of Jennings.
Visitation will be held on Thursday, June 30 from 4 until 9 p.m. with a rosary being recited at 6 p.m.
Words of comfort may be expressed to the family at www.miguezfuneralhome.com.

Jeanette Hood, of Slidell, passed away on Thursday, June 23, 2016.
She was 78 years old.
She was the mother of Michael Palermo (Julie); Peggy P. Price (Dutch); David Palermo (Monique); Mark Palermo (Lisa); Chris Palermo (Vicki); and Cindy Palermo; daughter of the late Thomas Henry Hood and Doris Davis Hood; and sister of Thomas Hood; James Hood and Mary H. Johnson.
She is also survived by nine grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
Funeral services were held on June 28 at Honaker Funeral Home in Slidell.

Kathleen “Ida”?Marie Gentry passed away in Slidell on Thursday, June 23, 2016.
She was 77 years old.
She is the beloved wife of Fred T. Gentry for 43 years; mother of Kathleen Vitrano, Cheryl Fos and husband Mark Fos, Sr.; step-mother of Debra Weed and Tamra Mulla; and beloved “Mawmaw” to Jason Bouvier, Trisha Fos, Danielle DeMarco, Mark Fos, Jr., and Mark Patrick Mulla.
She is the sister of Faye Hammer and the late William “Billy” Morton; and aunt of Ricky Guidry and Paula Guidry Frederic.
She is also preceded in death by parents William Morton and Carmella Romano Vargo. She will be sadly missed by great nieces and nephews, cousins, and great grand children.
She was a native of New Orleans, and a resident of Slidell for over 35 years. She was a graduate of the Academy of Holy Angels in New Orleans.
She retired from Wausau Insurance Company. She was a member of the Slidell’s Red Hat Society and Garden Club. She loved cooking especially in preparation for her St. Joseph’s Day dinners and altars.
Relatives and friends of the family are invited to attend the funeral services at Honaker Funeral Home, 1751 Gause Blvd. West (in Forest Lawn Cemetery), Slidell, on Thursday, June 30, 2016.
Visitation will begin at 1 p.m. followed by funeral service at 3 p.m.
Interment will take place at a later date at the St. Roch Cemetery.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

MANDEVILLE – This, ladies and gentlemen, is the story of a REAL American hero.
Will you enjoy the Fourth of July on Monday? Do you appreciate the freedom we have to do anything we want in these great United States?
It is thanks to the courage and sacrifice of men like Capt. Lucian James Siracuse, now age 96 living in Mandeville, who gave everything short of his life while serving in World War II for the Army Air Corp.
As you relax for the coming Fourth of July weekend, consider the men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have served for decades. This is the story of Lucian Siracuse, just one of those men who was captured during the war and was held capture in a POW camp for 401 days, displaying the true heroism and valor of our American soldiers.
Siracuse was born in New York, N.Y. in 1920 and remembers playing in the streets of Manhattan when a plane flew overhead.
“I looked up and remember thinking ‘I’m going to fly airplanes.’ From that day forward I never gave up that dream,” he recalls.

At the age of 22 he enlisted in the Army Air Corps as World War II was intensifying, knowing it would keep him from serving with the ground troops while giving him an opportunity to fulfill his dream to fly airplanes.
Starting at the 29th Flying Training Wing in Tuscaloosa, Al., Siracuse was trained at several different flight schools and finally assigned to the 416th bomb group out of Laurel, Ms., where he was preparing to deploy to the European Theater.
Siracuse remembers wondering how long it was going to take him to fly since it was months of classes in school, and then the actual toughest test he had to overcome in learning Morse Code, both visual and audible forms. In the end, however, Siracuse was the only airman to get a perfect score on the Morse Code test and was ready to take his skills to the war.
Flying bomber missions in Europe was dangerous every time the pilots were sent out, so much so that the military said when a pilot finished his 26th mission, he was allowed to return to the states.
Siracuse had a near disaster on his 22nd mission when he was flying over German-occupied France and his left engine was shot out. Fortunately, he was able to get the plane trimmed up to fly on one engine and made it to England before he crash landed in a field at the White Cliffs of Dover.
The Royal Air Force of England saved Siracuse on that crash landing by helping him repair the plane and fly back to his base. Given a short time off, Siracuse was ordered to return to his next mission, which would be number 23.
While waiting to depart, Siracuse said he remembers one of the gunners saying “I hope we get home early, I’ve got a heavy date.”
The Mandeville resident then recalls a feeling that came over him that he will never forget.
“I knew I wasn’t coming back from the mission. Don’t ask me how I knew, but I knew it,” he said. “It was a powerful feeling—a premonition and it was so real. I knew I wasn’t coming back.”
Siracuse said the mission was to knock out a train that was carrying ammunition to the front lines in France. An earlier group had tried to take it out, but missed the targets and the general was furious.
“So we got sent back out right after a weekend, which was very unusual,” he said. “It was just me and two gunners—didn’t have a navigator on that trip.”
While on the way to the target, Siracuse’s plane got hit, knocking out one engine that caught fire and was torn off. With the wing on fire, Siracuse was still able to stay in formation and dropped his bombs on the target, but as the aircraft deteriorated and the fire could not be put out, he ordered his gunners to jump.
Left alone on the burning plane, Siracuse initially couldn’t jump since the 200 mph winds kept blowing him back into the cockpit. Finally he devised a plan to leap out of the cockpit with as much force as possible. He made it, but was blown back into the tail fin and injured his leg.
As he fell towards Earth, he was able to pull his ripcord and land with the parachute. But German soldiers were immediately there waiting for him. After hours of interrogation he was taken to a POW camp called Stalag Luft III, where German citizens were demanding the Americans be hung since their town had been decimated by American bombers.
While the Germans slowly moved him from one camp to the next, the biggest issue was starvation and disease that so many of the soldiers faced.
“I never realized how torturous it is to be starving,” he said. “It’s horrible. You never realize how difficult it is to go days and days with nothing to eat.”
His time in the prison camps was always about trying to find food in any manner possible, while also trying to find ways to escape. Men would always try to tunnel out. They would dig at night and put the dirt in their pants, with the pants tied tight at the bottom. Then when they walked into the outside yard area, they would deposit the dirt there.
Siracuse said the American Red Cross tried to send packages to the POW soldiers, but most of it was taken by the Germans.
“The packages were designed to give one to each soldier, but we usually got one for every eight soldiers. There were dried raisins in them and one year the men saved enough raisins to make wine at Christmas. Everyone got drunk and were trying to climb over fences,” he said.
Almost a year into his capture, the Russians began to get close to the Stalag camp he and others were in, so the prisoners were ordered out into the snow at 7 p.m. and told they were going to march to the next camp.
Over 10,000 soldiers were marched in the freezing cold weather for six straight days in temperatures as low as minus-7 degrees. The walk was over 100 miles and the first stretch was for 53 hours straight, Siracuse recalled.
“Men were dying every day from malnutrition and exhaustion,” he said. “We finally started throwing away the little bit of food we had—cans of spam that seemed like they were worth a million dollars each—it was like throwing away your own child.
“But we threw them out because we were so exhausted we could not carry the weight anymore,” he added.
They came into one little town after the other, but never with any food, nor any real shelter until one town that had a 5-story tall factory building.
“I remember being put in there and falling on the floor, just wanting to die,” he said.
The Germans continued to march the soldiers to another POW camp in Moosburg where Siracuse said “it was a horror. The places we were at before were tolerable, but this was a horror.”
He recalls sleeping the first night and waking up to see another prisoner with his face bit up. “It was vermin biting him all night,” he said.
Seven more months there and Patton’s army finally rescued them, defeating the Germans in a three-hour battle before the Germans finally fled.
“When the bombing stopped, we got up out of our holes and there was a school house right next to the camp. It had a flag pole and we looked up to see they were raising the American flag. You should have seen these hardened, beat-up soldiers crying like babies watching that,” he recalled.
Siracuse said that getting back to the American camp still had its trials since they loaded soldiers on flat-bed trucks that had nothing to hold onto.
“I wasn’t going to die falling off a truck after all that so I hitched my way back to my camp in northern France,” he said.
Siracuse said he was helped by Germans, French and others, “just glad to see me.”
He remembers walking up to his camp and recognizing some of his soldier friends around a bonfire.
Siracuse said he was given $750 as back pay for his time in the prisoner camp and headed to Paris, France with a friend where they spent money as if it would never run out.
“We bought the most expensive bottles of champagne and met some girls, one who I never forgot. She walked by me and dropped a newspaper so I grabbed it and went over to her table and asked if I could sit down with her. I was supposed to see her later that night, but then remembered it was time to go.
“I always wonder if I might have fallen for her. Maybe it was because we hadn’t been with women in so long, but she was the most gorgeous woman I had ever seen,” he said.
Siracuse returned to the states and met the woman he would marry and be with for 53 years—Mary Hazel Hill. The couple had two children, a son and daughter, and Siracuse worked in the newspaper business much of his life before retiring in 1999. After his wife passed away, he moved to Mandeville where he resides there with his son Jim.
Siracuse was awarded with the Distinguished Flying Cross, the Purple Heart, Air Medal with three clusters, American Campaign Medal, European African, Middle Eastern Champagne Medal, WWII Victory Medal and Distinguished Unit Badge. The Prisoner of War Medal was not enacted until Nov. 8, 1985 and he was recently honored with that medal at a special ceremony.
Siracuse was actually born Jim Siracusa, but his family that came from Italy used the spelling of “Siracuse,” which is what he has gone by his entire name. However, when enlisted in the military he was officially “Siracusa,” since that was on his birth certificate.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – For those who complain about the high millages charged to property owners in St. Tammany Parish, the time to voice your opinion is now.
That is the message Parish Assessor Louis Fitzmorris is sending out to the public loud and clear, using every means possible to advertise information about upcoming millage hearings by taxing bodies across the parish.
St. Tammany currently has the fourth highest millage total on average of any parish in the state with 152 mills. Grant Parish at 172 is the highest, but neighboring parishes such as Washington only have 112 mills and Tangipahoa has only 88.9 mills.
Every four years is the time for Louisiana parish assessors to re-assess all property and in St. Tammany, with increasing values that means higher taxes for most land and homeowners.

But a key component in how much the taxes will go up will come from the many taxing bodies in the parish. It includes fire districts, recreation districts, drainage districts, parish government, the school board, the sheriff’s office and all municipalities.
Each government body has been voted, by the public, to have a maximum millage they can utilize. And for each mill, or percentage of a mill that is approved by those boards, taxes will rise for property owners.
“Make no mistake about it,” Fitzmorris said. “If taxing bodies elect to roll their millage higher than the recommended amount that maintains their current revenue then they are raising taxes on the public.”
When the Assessor’s Office re-assesses property every four years they must tell each taxing body what millage amount will maintain their revenue from the previous year—or maintain a revenue neutral millage total. Considering most property values have increased in the parish, taxing bodies must accept a lower millage than the previous year to keep property taxes the same.
However, each taxing body can vote to roll their millage higher than the amount recommended by the Assessor’s Office if they determine they need more revenue than the previous year. That will raise taxes on property owners.
Any taxing body that plans to roll their millages higher than the revenue neutral amount the Assessor’s Office recommends must hold public hearings before they can vote for the higher total.
Currently, those public meetings are being held and Fitzmorris is advertising those meetings so the public can be aware of which bodies are seeking higher taxes.
Eight parish fire districts and two recreation districts are considering a roll up in millages so they can receive more money.
Fitzmorris said a majority of St. Tammany property owners are going to have higher taxes, regardless if all the taxing bodies maintained a revenue neutral position. That is because he said the increasing property values across the parish are running an average of nearly 4 percent higher than four years ago. In Slidell, property values are running “flat” the assessor said, while western St. Tammany is seeing faster increasing values. The Madisonville-Goodbee area is currently the fastest growing area in the parish, he said.
The Assessor’s Office will have the new assessments for property owners online by August 1 and residents are responsible to check those totals from August 15-31 to see if they want to dispute the assessment.
Once the new tax rolls are certified by the Louisiana Tax Commission it takes an extraordinary effort and process to change the assessment.
“We have the responsibility to inform the public about the new assessments and also to be active in what their taxing bodies are doing,” Fitzmorris said. “We realize that what we do affects the pocketbooks of the public so we take this very seriously.”
Fitzmorris took office in 2012 after defeating longtime incumbent Patricia Schwarz Core, then won re-election again last year. He promised to review all assessments and offer fairness across the board to property owners. In the past five years he has re-assessed over 135,000 pieces of property or homes and made enough changes that it is bringing approximately $35 million more to taxing bodies in the parish.
Fitzmorris said they found several thousand homestead exemptions that were being utilized by individuals who had property in other states, thereby removing those exemptions. With those facts and reassessing enough property to proper values it brought in the $35 million more in revenue.
As for his own office, the assessor said he is practicing what he promised by lowering the assessment his office is using. When he took office the Assessor’s Office had a 2.73 millage total, but is now down to 2.69 and expects to lower it again this year. He said he has reduced the staff from over 50 to approximately 43 employees.
“I have to do what I tell other taxing bodies to do and that is to operate in the most efficient way,” he said.
“But the high millage we have in St. Tammany was all voted by the public and it is the reason we have the best quality of life in the state,” he added. “You have to remember that you get what you pay for.”

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Fire District #1 Chief Chris Kaufmann has no qualms explaining the reasons he is asking his Board of Commissioners to return the funding millage to the maximum amount in the new year, even if it will mean slightly higher taxes for property owners in much of eastern St. Tammany.
“People have to understand why we have to do this. It’s about maintaining fire protection, which is an essential service for us all,” he said. “We won’t reduce our fire protection—it’s an obligation for us to protect 90,000 people in this area so it’s something we have to do.”
This is the time of year the Assessor’s Office is reassessing property and then will recommend to all taxing bodies the level of millage they must roll back to so their funding remains revenue neutral from last year.
Since property values have increased for many people, and there are new properties on the books now, Fire District #1, like other taxing bodies, would see increased money if they maintained the 35 mills they were receiving money on from last year.

Since there are more properties at higher values, the district could receive the same money if their millage was a little less than 35 for the new year.
Fire District #1 receives no sales tax money and counts on property taxes for approximately $16 million of its $18 million budget. The district covers 122 square miles and handled 5,295 calls in 2015 through eight stations.
The Assessor’s Office has recommended rolling back to 34.29 mills to bring in the same revenue as 2015, but Kaufmann said it would be detrimental to the district and the fire protection they offer if they did that.
At the top of the list to be funded in the new year is the new fire station on Airport Road, which will add a $500,000 a year expense to the bottom line for the district.
Kaufmann is asking the Board of Commissioners to roll the millage up from the recommended 34.29 to the maximum voter approved number of 35 mills. That will bring in an estimated total of $372,250 for the new year. The chief said it will still be challenging to balance the budget, fund the new station, and deal with a state mandated 2 percent cost-of-living raise for his 164 employees.
“We hired nine new employees in the past year in preparation of opening the new station,” Kaufmann said.
The chief said the new station is one key component to see the fire rating for the rural and city areas drop by one number next year, which will result in a savings for homeowners. The state rates the rural and city areas for property taxes and District #1 currently has a ‘3’ rating for both areas.
Kaufmann believes they can get it to a ‘2’ by next year, which would result in a $68 a year savings for someone with a $150,000 home.
Eight of the fire districts in St. Tammany are following suit with District #1 and considering a roll forward since they need more money, Kaufmann said. The Slidell chief is currently in his second year serving as president of the chief’s association.
The Assessor’s Office last week ran public advertising in area newspapers informing the public about the planned increases and encouraging them to attend public hearings if there were any comments to be made.
The ad said, “This is your chance to voice your opinion about millage rates in these districts. If millage rates are rolled up, your taxes will increase.” The ad listed the fire and recreation districts considering a roll forward with millages.
Kaufmann was critical of the ads from the Assessor’s Office saying he thought they were confusing since they didn’t have enough information. The ads noted a list of “Total Millage Increase” and “Estimated Tax Increase,” referring to the total tax dollars that would be reaped.
“I have no problem with the assessor running an ad like that, but if you are going to do it, you need more information so the taxpayer understands the complete picture,” Kaufmann said. “If you don’t understand millages, the ad could be misleading. It confused people, I know that because several of our districts had phone calls and people didn’t understand what it was saying.”
Additionally, the initial ad the Assessor’s Office ran had two statistical errors.
“If you are going to do an ad, get the numbers right,” Kaufmann said. “People were confused and didn’t understand it.”
Sheri Campbell, spokesman for the Assessor’s Office, responded by saying “we went a step further than required to inform the public about the hearings. This was the first time the Assessor’s Office has done so much to inform the public about millage meetings.
“It’s the job of the chief to educate the public about the millages,” she added. “We want the public to know, especially since Fire District #1 has raised their millage 18 percent in the last three years. That’s a significant increase. We’re talking about a lot of tax increase.”
Kaufmann disagreed and noted that the roll up to voter approved 35 mills, netting $372,250 more for his district, works out to only 50 cents a month for an individual with a property valued at $163,000.
“Our recurring costs go up every year and now we’re opening another fire station that we believe will help reduce property taxes by lowering our rating,” he said. “How do I sustain this department and keep homeowner rates the same each year with the same money? This kind of fire protection is part of the quality of life St. Tammany residents expect and it’s my responsibility to do what it takes to maintain that and make sure we are ready to respond when someone calls and needs us.”
Kaufmann pointed out the district saved $450,000 over the past two years in “cost avoided” training since the department is viewed so highly that they are attracting firemen already trained.
“It normally takes four-and-a-half months to train a new fireman, but we saved $450,000 in the past two years with new hires that wanted to work with us and already had that training,” he said.
Kaufmann also reminded the public that Fire District #1 is the only internationally accredited fire station in Louisiana.
Fire District #1 will meet on Thursday, July 28 at 6 p.m. in the St. Tammany Parish Council Chambers in Mandeville to vote on the millage increase.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

MANDEVILLE – The theme of utilizing public office as a means to truly serve the people was the focal point for newly-elected St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith as he was officially inaugurated into office at the Church of the King sanctuary.
Smith, along with U.S. Attorney Kenneth Polite as the keynote speaker, highlighted the need for public officials to be public servants as Smith became the first new sheriff in the parish in 20 years.

Winning the runoff election last November over longtime incumbent Sheriff Jack Strain, the word “historic” was mentioned several times during the ceremony that was performed in front of more than 600 people.
In the middle of the auditorium was a large contingent of uniformed St. Tammany deputies and high-ranking officers who cheered on occasion as several speakers talked about “this historic day.”
“For the first time in 20 years the largest law enforcement agency in St. Tammany Parish will have a new leader,” said James Hartman, the political consultant who guided Smith’s campaign when he was elected Slidell chief of police six years ago, followed by the huge political victory over Strain last fall.
“This is a celebration for everyone in St. Tammany Parish who values public safety and transparency,” Hartman said.
Polite, at the age of 40 is the youngest U.S. attorney in the United States, and gave an inspired speech about the need for public officials to be public servants first and foremost.
“We are here today simply as servants. We don’t own these positions and we are not the only people capable to serve,” Polite said. “Our job is to leave these agencies better than we found them.”
Polite, who is personal friends with Smith and his wife Adele, said he first began to know more about Smith’s capabilities after talking with his wife.
“The person who first convinced me about the quality of the man was Adele,” he said. “She said Randy Smith is a man of courage, compassion and character and she campaigned hard for him because she said St. Tammany Parish needed Randy to be the sheriff.”
Smith showed a short video before speaking, which highlighted the challenges and difficulty of being a police officer with several film clips of officers who were attacked, shot or beaten.
After the clip, Smith spoke for less than 15 minutes in promising those in attendance that he would, in fact, be a public servant first.
“We are public servants first, and peace officers second,” he said. “I promise to lead by example and treat everyone like family.
“I will give 100 percent, but I will expect 100 percent and I will take the favoritism and politics out of the sheriff’s department,” he added.
Smith said he will be focusing on “community policing” that will mean more officers will become involved with neighborhood associations, in the schools and with community groups, all while creating a higher visibility in the public eye.
He announced a new patrol district that will be created for the Mandeville and Madisonville areas, and said he plans to de-privatize the work release program and bring it back in-house to the Sheriff’s Office.
“This is a new day in St. Tammany Parish. I am honored and privileged to be your new sheriff,” Smith said. “I appreciate the support and trust you have put in me.”
Polite also highlighted what he calls the new and biggest challenge for law enforcement across the country.
“Heroin is now the greatest challenge we have—it’s an epidemic in our country,” he said.
Polite said there were 17 heroin-related deaths in St. Tammany in 2015 and over 27,000 heroin-related deaths in the country in 2014. He said the addiction problem has gotten worse because many people who were originally hooked on pain pills have switched to heroin since it is cheaper to purchase.
“We have to teach our children and make sure they understand that all it takes is one time, just one time to use heroin and you are hooked for your life,” he said.
Smith also thanked his wife during his remarks by mentioning that “you stood strong and supported me every step of the way. Honey, I love you.”
Judge William Crain, a former judge in the 22nd Judicial District who now serves on the Louisiana First Circuit Court of Appeals, handled the swearing-in ceremony with Smith, as his wife stood next to him and held the Bible.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The Smith-Seuzeneau team is apparently going to stay together for a while longer—an announcement that brought a smile to the face of both men last week.
As Randy Smith continues to surprise many political observers with his rapid rise to the top of the St. Tammany Parish public official heap—getting sworn in last Friday as the new sheriff in the parish—there have been many people around him who have played a supporting role in his success.
One of those individuals has made his own rise in the public arena. Former Slidell Police patrolman Daniel Seuzeneau built his own level of popularity in the city after being named the public information officer for Smith in 2013.
Seuzeneau became so popular that his name was one of the first to be tossed out as a strong candidate for the Slidell chief of police position that opened up after Smith won the sheriff’s election last fall.
Seuzeneau has been a key figure in support of Smith as one of the most professional and likeable public information officers ever to work in St. Tammany, despite the fact he is only 33 years of age and never had any kind of mass communication or marketing background.
Before Smith ever won the sheriff’s runoff last November he was already asking Seuzeneau to make the move from the Slidell Police Department to the Sheriff’s Office, an announcement that was finally confirmed last week after months of uncertainty.
Seuzeneau officially resigned from the SPD last Thursday and is now a captain with the Sheriff’s Office, officially heading Public Affairs, news media and Social Media.
The relationship between the two appears to be beneficial for both as they have risen in popularity locally. Seuzeneau was pressed hard to run for Slidell chief of police, all while Smith was asking him to move to the Sheriff’s Office to continue being his P.I.O.
The difficulty for Seuzeneau to make that decision revolved around financial security, something he is giving up in a large measure by making the move.
As an employee with the SPD, Seuzeneau already had nearly 10 years as a Civil Service employee, which brings great job security and an outstanding retirement plan once he gets to 25 years. The Sheriff’s Office offers no such guarantees with employees hired or fired at the discretion of the sheriff.
“It was a hard decision only because I had to consider my family and the long term future for us,” Seuzeneau said. “But after I talked to them all, including my wife and my mom and dad, they were not only supportive, but really excited for me to go. That allowed me to make the decision to stay with Randy.”
Seuzeneau was hired at the SPD as a patrol officer in 2006 and moved into investigations as a detective in 2009 before being promoted to sergeant in 2015.
In 2012 he began to work as the assistant Public Information Officer (PIO) along with Kevin Foltz, then was named P.I.O. for the department by Chief Randy Smith in 2013 when Foltz retired.
Seuzeneau said he and Smith have found a great working relationship that has been key to the success behind the Slidell Police Department, and now something they plan to continue with the Sheriff’s Office.
“Randy has so many great ideas and I seem to be the guy who can make them happen,” Seuzeneau said. “It seems like he would start telling me about an idea he had and I would finish it.
“He really has a gift—people just love him. But the other reason I enjoy working with him is because he has such a positive perspective and attitude every day he comes to work. That attitude reaches down to the lowest man on the force,” he added. “I don’t think he ever has a bad day and that kind of positive attitude makes it fun to come to work.”
Smith said he wanted Seuzeneau to remain with him as his P.I.O. because the pair have built a good relationship with the media, and with the public.
“Daniel has a great rapport with the local media and that’s important to continue at the Sheriff’s Office,” Smith said. “That’s one reason I wanted him to come over with me.
“He helped the police department become very community involved and that’s something we will do with the Sheriff’s Office,” he said.
Seuzeneau was the person who implemented the police Facebook page, as well as an SPD app and Twitter—all with Smith’s suggestions. He is also very active by representing Smith in the community, at schools, job fairs, area outreaches and more.
“Daniel has helped us recruit locally and brought some excellent people to this department,” Smith said. “We may not agree on everything, but we have great trust between each other and I know he has my back as I have his. That’s what has made this work well between us.”
Seuzeneau could have remained with the police department and retired with a nice pension check at the age of 48, but said the lure of remaining with Smith in what they both believe will be a long-term run at the Sheriff’s Office is something that was attractive to him.
“When you work around Randy there is kind of a euphoria at work every day because he believes in everyone so much. That comes across to us all,” he said. “I believe Randy is going to do great things in this new job and I’m glad I get to be along with him to do them.”
Seuzeneau said it was also difficult to decide against running for Slidell chief of police.
“The day after Randy won as sheriff I had people assuming I would run for chief. I had a lot of people who really pushed me to do it,” he said.
That led to several months of Smith waiting for Seuzeneau to make a definitive decision on coming to the Sheriff’s Office or not, something that got cleared up a little over a month ago when they met.
“Things had actually gotten a little awkward between us for a while because he didn’t know what I was going to do, and I was still trying to decide what to do,” Seuzeneau said.
“But when we met he told me that he went through the same situation by running for chief, and then running for sheriff—knowing he would leave something that was comfortable. He told me that whatever I decided to do would be OK. That really helped,” he added.
Smith said he plans to seek new ways to connect the Sheriff’s Office to the community, using every form of technology currently available.
“We will be transparent before the public,” Smith said. “And we will be very involved in the community. That’s one of the goals we have.”

PEARL RIVER – A 33-year-old Pearl River mother was killed early Friday morning in what authorities believe was a deadly ending to an ongoing domestic situation with her ex-boyfriend, St. Tammany Sheriff Public Information Officer Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau reported.
Aimee Kirst was discovered dead inside her residence from an apparent gunshot wound to the head, facts confirmed by Coroner Dr. Charles Preston.
Authories were immediately on the lookout for her ex-boyfriend, Jonathan Talley, 35, who had a history of domestic problems with Kirst.
Seuzeneau said that as investigators began seeking a motive and suspect for the killing they found that Talley had a history of problems that led to a restraining order against him for assaulting Kirst in early 2015.

Seuzeneau said the restraining order was still in effect after Talley allegedly threatened Kirst last year when he brought a firearm to a friend’s house where Kirst was staying. That particular incident led to a protective order which ultimately caused Talley to lose custody of their 3-year-old son.
Sheriff’s Office investigators said Talley apparently showed up at his parent’s house Friday morning with his son and told them he had just shot Kirst. It is believed that the 3-year-old boy was present when the shooting occurred and investigators are working to conduct a forensic interview of the child to determine what he witnessed.
Talley was charged with first-degree murder and second-degree kidnapping and was arrested by George County, Miss. Sheriff’s Office deputies before being extradicted back to St. Tammany Parish.
St. Tammany Parish Sheriff Randy Smith commented on the homicide by saying, “This is truly a tragedy. This young lady unnecessarily lost her life. What is even more tragic is that her 3-year-old son will now have to grow up without his mother and his father.”
Friends of Kirst set up a GoFundMe account online where they are seeking up to $10,000 to help with funeral costs.
Facebook postings indicated that Kirst had started a small cleaning business of her own last year called “Dirty Work Cleaning Service.” Around Christmas time she made an extra plea to the public for jobs “so I can make some extra Christmas money.”
The killing is the second homicide of the year in St. Tammany Parish.

41 years.
That’s a long time for anything, don’t you think?
My wife and I celebrated 41 years of marriage this past Tuesday, July 5.
The morning of our anniversary she walked into my office, handed me a card and sat down. She said she lay in bed earlier and began trying to see how many details she could truly remember about the day we were married.
As both of us had a little fun with that conversation and the handful of memories we could muster, we began to talk more about how two young kids like we were could have made it 41 years of marriage, particularly since we feel very fortunate to have what many people say is “one of the good marriages.”
And as marriage standards go, I know that is actually true since we still enjoy being together and running off to the Gulf Coast many weekends for a little fun that includes just she and I. Obviously we have had our share of ups-and-downs over the course of 41 years as any couple would, but here it is today and we can still smile at each other without pretending!
As we talked for a few minutes and reminisced we discussed what the reasons were that we made it to this day. You always hear people ask the couple celebrating their 50th anniversary the same question, “so what is the secret to your success?” And I think we can all repeat what the usual answers are.
But as we talked we found ourselves pinpointing two very big and important decisions we made in the early years that positively are the reasons we are where we are today. I will get to that in a few minutes.
We do know that there are certain actions that have helped keep us on the same track for all these years and in those very few, occasional times we’re asked for advice about marriage we do say a few things like this:
–Marriage isn’t a 50/50 deal, it’s really a 100 percent deal. In other words, each person needs to be willing to do whatever it takes to keep the peace and the love.
–Respect: As Aretha sang it, R-E-S-P-E-C-T. We truly believe this has been at the top of the list of reasons we still like each other so much. Even at our worst times, at the heat of the worst arguments, we never were disrespectful to each other. I imagine many people think I’m not telling the truth here, but even before we understood the importance of it, we never ever called each other names or spoke disrespectfully. Yes, you can still get very emotional and even angry at each other, but you can do it in a respectful way.
–Help out around the house. Yup, I’m the dishes guy around here and have been for a good while. As you’ve probably heard many times, women find it attractive having a man who knows the importance of teamwork.
–Buy her flowers, especially when there is no reason. Don’t need to say much more about that, but let’s just say I should own a florist store by now if I added up the flower bills for 41 years.
–Look your best for your spouse. If you have any hope to remain attracted to each other you can make that happen by taking good care of yourself and looking your best at all times.
While those are a few general points about how to make a marriage last, and last in a way you actually like each other, our conversation really focused on two very important decisions we made in the first 10 years together.
Even though my wife had little church upbringing, there was a friend who introduced her to the Lord while she was in her early 20s, and she said, “yes.” That helped me make a decision of my own shortly after that, and I also “decided to follow Jesus,” as the old hymn goes.
As we talked about our 41 years together we both knew without a doubt that our decision to become Christians and do our best to live that lifestyle was the single-most important thing that helped us to where we are today. The Bible taught us how to treat each other and how to live a life where we always had God to lean on. We frequently have said we probably would have gotten divorced many years ago if we hadn’t become Christians.
Of course, the second part of that is whether you decide to live a Christian life and I know we keep working on that even though all of us have weaknesses and struggles in life.
Life goes on for my girl and I, hopefully with many more good days ahead. For that, we are both thankful to the Lord for the great blessings He has given us in this life.

Kevin Chiri can be reached by e-mail at kevinchiri@gmail.com.

SLIDELL — Members of the Slidell Police Department and Fire District #1 responded to a fire at 1341 Sullivan Road; Bayou Baptist Church, after neighbors saw flames and smoke coming from the interior of the building.
Once the fire was extinguished, members of Fire District One’s Fire Prevention Division began their assessment and noted the church, which has been vacant since the suspected arson in October 2015, did not have electricity. Due to the suspicious nature of the fire, members of the Slidell Police Criminal Investigation Division were asked to join the investigation.
Additionally, members of the Louisiana Fire Marshall’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were asked to join the investigation also. If you have any information about either fire, please contact Detective Bertucci with the Slidell Police at 985-646-4347.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – A few places to sit down may not seem like such a big deal.
But to Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery Director Ted Krumm, and the hundreds of families that will utilize the committal shelter to say goodbye to their loved ones, the benches provided by a Leadership Northshore team truly are “a big deal.”
A dedication ceremony was held at the Veterans Cemetery by the Leadership team after selecting a project during the past year’s class that would provide benches in the covered area where final services are held.
Previously since the cemetery opened two years ago the staff there had to unfold 24 chairs every time a service was held, then put them back up at the end of every day.
Now there are 10 benches that can comfortably seat 60 or more people for every service, something that Krumm said really is a big deal since there are 30 to 40 burials there every month.
“The impact of what you have done for us is much more than you can imagine,” he said. “Our staff used to take about an hour every day—30 minutes to take them all out and unfold them, then 30 minutes to put them up.
“And in over a year of holding services we were already seeing the chairs getting worn and expected to have to buy new ones very soon,” he said. “These permanent benches you have provided are really appreciated by the staff, and especially the families that hold services here.”
Krumm said that most of the services saw many people standing, but now with a seating capacity of over 60, it should accommodate the majority of services.

Alexjandra Juan attended the event as a representative from the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs and said the benches mean a lot to families who can now relax and sit down during the time of final services for their loved ones.
“This matters to those of us in the military to know we have such a beautiful place to come to where our loved ones are buried,” she said. “Thanks for this wonderful act—the families will appreciate it so much.”
The Leadership Northshore team comprised of Covington Mayor Mike Cooper, Laura Suhm, Anthony Andre, Slidell Police Lt. Sean McLain and Carla Mouton did more than raise money for the 10 benches.
They also took on two other aspects to their program—first is to raise awareness of the other needs at the cemetery for non-profit or civic groups to assist with, and also to start a fund for spouses of veterans to be buried there if they are unable to afford the $700.
Any military veterans are buried for free at the cemetery, but spouses who want to be buried alongside their loved ones must pay $700 and Krumm said not all spouses can afford it.
Now there is a fund for those who are in financial need, something the group plans to maintain in the future with other fundraisers.
“Not only will this fund help some spouses who otherwise couldn’t afford to be buried here, but the work the Leadership team has done to raise money for the benches has already led to other groups contacting us to help with certain projects our budget does not afford us to do,” Krumm said.
And the group said they added one additional aspect to their project that was not originally in the plans. They are using some of their funds to purchase large fans for the committal shelter, which is covered, but otherwise can be hot during the summer.
Sponsorships were sold for $1,000 each to purchase one of the benches, and get a small engraved nameplate on the bench. Those donors included Laura and Bill Borchert, Gina Guillory, Chris and Angie Jean, Meyer Engineers, Col. Everett and Terry Ann Pace, Kenneth Pullen, Slidell Northshore Rotary Club, Elvira Roig, Southside Café and Wounded War Heroes.

Aimee Elizabeth Kirst passed away on Friday, July 1, 2016.
She was 33 years old.
She is survived by her son, the love of her life, Seth Benjamin Talley; mother, Elizabeth Ann Kirst; brother, Alvin Holmes Kirst III; nephew, Zachary William Little Kirst; and aunts and uncles, Daniel Zechenelly, David Zechenelly (Terry), Sam Zechenelly (Stacy), Rachel Zechenelly (Lexie) and Doris Houffpouir.
She is also survived by numerous special cousins.
Ms. Kirst is preceded in death by her father, Alvin Holmes Kirst, Jr.
Family and friends are invited to attend the services at D.T. Williams Funeral Home, located at 67525 Hwy. 41, Pearl River, Louisiana on Thursday, July 7.
Visitation will be from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. with the service starting at 12 p.m. Interment will follow at Austin Cemetery also located in Pearl River, Louisiana.

Freddie “JR” Faciane, Jr., of Pearl River, passed away on Friday, July 1, 2016.
He was 61 years old.
He was a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church in Slidell where he served as a deacon.
He is survived by his children, Jason T. Faciane, April Rusk (Doug), Freddie Faciane III, Lori Faciane, and Cory Faciane; his fiance’, Bonnie Cheramie; grandchildren, Cheyenne and Jazmine Rusk; sister, Elaine McDonald (Ray); brother, Emile Camaille Jr.; and beloved uncle to many nieces and nephews.
Faciane is preceded in death by his wife, Dixie Faciane; and his parents, Freddie Faciane Sr. and Ida Cornibe Faciane.
Visitation will be held on Friday, July 8 from 11 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. with the funeral service starting at 2:30 p.m. in the chapel of D.T. Williams Funeral Home, 67525 Hwy 41 Pearl River.
Interment to follow at Hickory Memorial Gardens Cemetery in Pearl River.

Douglas Charles Blondeau, of Slidell, a retired commercial fisherman, born January 6, 1943, passed away on June 30, 2016, in Slidell.
He was preceded in death by his parents: Andrew C. Blondeau and Miriam Kreger Blondeau; a daughter, Karen Blondeau; and a son Jeffery Blondeau.
Douglas is survived by his loving wife: Gretchen Von Hassel Blondeau; also his first wife: Paulette Lombardino Blondeau; a daughter: Stephanie Blondeau; three grandchildren: Zachary Blondeau (Katie), Michaela Esposito-Blondeau, and Justin Alonzo; one great-grandson: Bryce Alonzo; a sister: Barbara Seghers; one brother: Keith Blondeau (Diane); a brother-in-law: Vic Von Hassel (Linda); sister-in-law: Gwen Von Hassel; nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
Buri­al will be private.

John Edward “Ed” Thompson passed away peacefully at home with his devoted wife, family, and friends by his side on June, 29, 2016.
He was 66 years old.
Ed was born February 12th 1950, a son of John and Harriet Thompson.
Ed received his Bachelor’s Degree from Southeastern Louisiana University. He went on to receive his Juris Doctorate Degree from Louisiana State University in 1987. Ed opened a law firm in Slidell in where he specialized in litigation.
Ed married Deborah Baldwin Thompson on November 22, 1975. They recently celebrated 40 years together.
Ed loved his family and adored his grandchildren. Ed was very active in his church. He loved to meet new people and was always quick to reach out to others. Ed loved cheering for LSU and has created a long legacy of dedicated tiger fans.
Ed is survived by his wife, Deborah Baldwin Thompson; his three sons, Jeremy E. (Natalie) of Houston TX, Gregory S. (Amy) of Arlington VA, and Adam A.W. (Amanda) of Slidell; sister, Susan Carol Thompson Weems (Edward) of Raleigh NC; five grandsons, Jonah, Micah, Zachary, Lucas, Aiden; one granddaughter, Endia; and one nephew, Mason (Jessica) Weems.
A memorial service will be held Thursday, July 7 at 1 p.m. at New Horizon Calvary Chapel.
Friends will be received Thursday at 12 noon at the church.

Richard L. Bordelon passed away on Sunday, June 26, 2016 at his home in Slidell.
He was born in New Orleans, La. to the late Joseph Preston Bordelon and Margaret Wambsgans Bordelon on April 24, 1934.
He is survived by his beloved wife of 62 years, Beverly Chestnut Bordelon; and children, Brenda Bordelon Duhon (David); Richard L. Bordelon, Jr. (Duzet); Kenneth J. Bordelon; and Donald A. Bordelon (Amy).
He is also survived by 10 grandchildren and 14 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Jessica Avery Jernigan.
Richard graduated from Nicholls High School in 1952. He served in the U.S. Navy and Air Force for a total of 20 years retiring on July 31, 1972 with an Honorable discharge. Over the years he worked at the U.S. Post Office, Amax Nickel Plant, and the St Tammany Parish Courthouse. He was also a member of the Knights of Columbus for 45 years.
He enjoyed sports, fishing, camping with his family, coaching baseball and was an avid golfer, who made his first hole-in-one at the age of 71.
Funeral services were held at St. John of the Cross Catholic Church, 61051 Brier Lake Drive, Lacombe, on June 30.
Graveside Honors followed in the Southeast LA Veterans Cemetery, Slidell.
In lieu of flower, donations can be made to The Fisher House of Keesler, 509 Fisher Street, Keesler AFB, MS, 39534.

“The Roaring 20’s” is the theme set for the Slidell Elks Auxiliary major fundraiser dance that will be set on Saturday, August 27. Live music will be provided by the band “LA2.” The dance will be held in the Elk’s Hall off Thompson Road in Slidell from 8 p.m. until midnight.  The dress is casual or dress in a “Roaring Twenties” theme. BYOL or cash bar.

Tickets are $15 per person and may be purchased at the door or by calling the Lodge at 985-641-1266.  Reserved tables for 10 are available.

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Are you caring for a loved one or friend at home with Alzheimer’s, dementia or other age-related illness?

COAST, the Council on Aging for St. Tammany Parish, offers free informal opportunities to share your successes and struggles of caregiving. You will find an experienced facilitator who will listen carefully and offer feedback if you wish. Come by yourself and meet other caregivers or bring a fellow caregiver.

Sessions are held on first and third Tuesdays every month at the Slidell and Covington COAST Senior Centers, 610 Cousin Street, Slidell, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

Sessions are held on the second and fourth Tuesdays at the Covington Senior Center, 500 Theard St., Covington, from 9 to 10:30 a.m.

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Open Arms for spouses, siblings, and children grief support group meets every other Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Piccadilly Cafeteria private room, located at the corner of Front and W. Gause Blvd., Slidell. The meetings are facilitated by a certified grief counselor, Sue deRada, RN, GC-C.

For more information or to register, call 985-630-6363.

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Camellia Quilters holds a weekly sewing bee at the Slidell Public Library, 555 Robert Blvd., Slidell, each Monday from 1 until 4 p.m.

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A meeting for adult children of alcoholics and dysfunctional families takes place on the first and third Mondays of the month at 7 p.m. at St. Margaret Mary Church in Slidell.

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The Pearl River & Honey Island Swamp Museum and Research Center is open Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Admission is free.

Special tours can be arranged by calling the museum at 985-863-5040

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The Alano Club, located at 645 Codifer Street, Slidell, holds AA meetings at 12 noon and 6 p.m. every day, seven days a week. The schedule of open and closed meetings are posted on the front and side doors of the club house.

Anyone thinking or knowing they have a problem with drinking are welcome to attend.

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Are you a single, widowed, divorced, mature person tired of sitting at home watching shows on TV? The Slidell Christian Singles hold weekly meetings on Thursdays at 7 p.m. at First United Methodist Meeting Hall at 433 Erlanger, Slidell. Monthly dances are held at St.?Luke’s Catholic Church in Slidell, and there are also karaoke outings, dining out events, and weekly dart games.

For more information, call Gerry at 985-285-4662 or Margaret at 985-285-8174.

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Camellia City Farmers Market, in the parking lot of the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, two blocks from 1808 Front Street, is held every Saturday from 8 a.m. to noon, rain or shine.

The market features a wide-range of fresh seasonal local fruits and vegetables, fresh yard eggs, and jams and jellies and sauces, smoked meats, baked goods, prepared foods and desserts for take home, and herbs and flowering plants, and organic breads  and pastas, homemade dog treats, handmade artisan soaps, local artists, and jewelry and crafts, and cooking demonstrations and live music.

For more information, call 985-640-7112 or visit www.camelliacitymarket.org.

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TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) holds its meeting every Thursday at Azalea Estates. A weigh-in is held from 8:15 to 9:15 a.m. with a meeting held from 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.

Kimberly Crockett Westbrook, of Slidell, passed away on Friday, July 8, 2016.
She was 51 years old.
She was the beloved mother of Brianne Mannino (Jonathan), Bethany Paternostro (Nico) and Avery Poyorena; daughter of Louis “Davy” Crockett and Hazel Mizell Saunders; and sister of Debra Crockett Bice, Joni Colburn, Ginger Gaudreau and Brandt Matzke.
She is also survived by five grandchildren, Addie Meyers, Asher Meyers, Ashley Howell, Ty Senez, Preston Paternostro and many nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews.
She was a native of Oceanside, Ca., and a longtime resident of Slidell. She was a former employee of Sam’s Wholesale in Slidell.
Funeral services were held on July 12 at Honaker Funeral Home in Slidell.

Earl Charles “Bummie” Cox, Sr., of Perkinston, Mississippi, passed away on Friday, June 24, 2016 surrounded by his family.
He was 82 years old.
Mr. Cox was born February 19, 1934 in New Orleans to George Stretfield Cox, Sr. and Mercedes Dupaquier Cox. He was a retired union plumber and steamfitter. He was a member of St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church.
In addition to his parents, several siblings precede him in death.
Family members include his wife, Rose Mary Waguespeck Cox; two sons, Earl Cox, Jr. (Eunice), Ricky Cox (Regina); seven daughters, Sue Bowman (Keith), Tina Cuevas (Steve), Judy Rayburn (Brian), Vickie Bergeron (Jim), Jo Ann Hamilton (Mark), Loretta Crocker (Stephen), Angela Lambert (Chris); one brother, Huey Cox (Jeanette); one sister, Noel Ghergich; 30 grandchildren; 41 great-grandchildren, and two great-great grandchildren.
Mass of Christian Burial was held at St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church, 27074 St. Matthew Church Road, Perkinston, MS, 39573 on Tuesday, June 28.
Rev. Satish Adhav served as Celebrant. Burial followed in the church cemetery.
White Funeral Home in charge of arrangements; (601) 795-4982; whitefuneralhomepoplarville.com.

Germaine Mary Pastoret, a native and lifelong resident of Slidell, passed away on Tuesday, July 5, 2016, in Slidell.
She was 96 years old.
Pastoret was the daughter of the late Gaston Louis Pastoret and Vivian Ouder Pastoret. She is survived by a nephew, N. Paul Lajaunie; a niece, Yvonne L. Honea, and many other nieces, and nephews.
Graveside services were held at Forest Lawn Cemetery, 1751 Gause Blvd. West, Slidell.

James Edward Konnecker passed away peacefully on Sunday, July 3, 2016.
He was 86 years old.
He was the beloved husband of the late Carolyn N. Konnecker; devoted father of Darren Konnecker (Patricia) and the late Joseph Fourtunia, Jr. (Diane); brother of Esther Bourgeois, Dolores Ragas, Edward Konnecker (Pauline), the late Louis Konnecker, and the late Amelia Noto; grandfather of Joseph Fourtunia III (Jessica). Danielle Roberts (Colby), and Jennifer Konnecker; and great-grandfather of Alyssa and Liam Fourtunia, and Paisley Roberts.
He was a proud veteran having served in the United States Air Force during the Korean War.
There will be a Mass at St. Margaret Mary Catholic Church, 1050 Robert Blvd., Slidell, on July 14 at 12 p.m. followed by a military service at the Southeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery, 34888 Grantham College Drive, Slidell. The cemetery is off of Airport Road, turn by the Kangaroo gas station.

SLIDELL – Slidell city officials got some good financial news at their recent City Council meeting with their main liability and property insurance agency reporting there will be a savings of over $140,000 on the city insurance coverage for the new 2017 fiscal year, while also increasing coverage in some areas.
John Case with Lowry-Dunham, Case & Vivien Insurance in Slidell brought the news to the council and said the savings is coming thanks to lower rates from various companies, some that are newer insurance agencies they are now able to write through.
The biggest savings for the city is on its property insurance, which includes terrorism coverage that cost $754,268 last year, but will only cost $618,091 this year.

Flood insurance coverage went up from $90,842 to $102,106, through the National Flood Insurance plan, however, Case reported the city will now have $2.5 million more on its flood insurance coverage thanks to his agency purchasing a small premium through its own policies, which will add to the NFIP coverage.
Thanks to the lower rates and new companies to write through, the city increased its overall liability insurance from $2 million to $10 million and lowered its premium from $368,528 to $359,000.
Among the coverages the city pays for include insurance for commercial crime, its radio tower, marine items, boiler and machinery coverage, police volunteers, the airport and the summer recreation program.
The terrorism policy, written through Lloyds of London, gives the city $102 million of coverage with a $10,000 deductible. The premium is $15,727 a year.
One policy through the Travelers Insurance Company covers issues such as employee dishonesty up to $500,000, computer fraud up to $200,000, plus theft and forgery. That premium costs $6,733 a year.
Total cost for the city for the policies this year is $1.195 million, down from $1.323 last year.
Case said his agencies have done the same for other businesses in town, saving them over $1 million for various insurance coverages.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The fourth consecutive defeat at the hands of Louisiana courts has changed the direction for St. Tammany Parish Pat Brister and the Parish Council in their attempts to regulate what is perceived as a new threat to the quality of life here.
The Louisiana Supreme Court once again denied an appeal by the parish and the Concerned Citizens of St. Tammany (CCST) to reconsider lower court rulings which have continually backed a state oil exploration permit for Helis Oil & Gas.
The company has now begun the project near Mandeville that is exploring the region for oil. Should they find ample supplies it is expect to start a full-blown drilling operation called “fracking.”
St. Tammany opponents have been concerned from the start that the drilling could tap into and damage the main underground water aquifer that supplies much of the parish water drinking supply.
Most recently the Louisiana Supreme Court, for the second time, rejected the appeal from CCST and the parish that sought to back local zoning regulations. The drilling operation is being conducted in a region that was zoned residential by the parish.
However, court-after-court, starting at the lower district level and moving through the appeals and Supreme Court levels, continually supported the right of the Louisiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) that issued the permit to Helis, even in full knowledge of the fact that the operation would be conducted in a residentially zoned area.
With the newest court defeat, Brister said the parish will move forward with its next best option to regulate the operation to the best of its ability in a way that will protect parish residents and the quality of life here.
“I am committed to using every avenue in my power to protect our beautiful parish,” Brister said. “But to the question of the Parish’s ability to enforce zoning laws regarding drilling locations, it has been determined this is a state issue and local zoning laws cannot override their authority.”
With that decision apparently settled, Brister said she will work with the Parish Council to move forward by introducing new and effective ordinances to better regulate drilling operations.”
The Parish administration will ask the Parish Council to take up new ordinances designed to give the Parish more say in drilling operations, she said.
These will include ongoing water quality testing; limiting hours of operations; limiting noise levels; creating restrictions on truck and traffic routes; requiring visual buffers; mandating an emergency mitigation plan; and prohibiting water used in the drilling process from coming from the underground aquifer and requiring all fluids extracted be disposed of outside the Parish. Additionally as a proactive measure, Parish Government has contracted with scientists at LSU to establish baseline water quality levels.
CCST President Rick Franzo also conceded there is little more that can be done through the courts after four defeats, all siding with the state permit.
He did, however, question how this final appeal to the Louisiana Supreme Court—again decided on a narrow 4-3 margin—saw two justices change their positions, something that still left Helis with a 4-3 court victory.
“We believe the Supreme Court has created more ambiguity than clarity on the state laws,” he said in reference to the final vote.
Franzo said that since the state Supreme Court would not even hear the appeal, rejecting it without viewing the merits, there is little that can be used to go forward to the U.S. Supreme Court.
“That would be a slim possibility and a costly road,” he said.
Franzo concluded “the four justices that voted ‘no’ have basically told the citizens, not just in St. Tammany, that your voice does not matter.”
CCST sent a “thank you” letter to the Parish Council for “staying the course to protect our zoning, Home Rule Charter, our clean water and air, and our enviable quality of life in St. Tammany.”
Helis Oil announced in the spring of 2014 it intended to seek a permit to test for oil near Mandeville. The permit issued so far by DNR is to explore, but should they find oil reserves worth extracting they will expand the operation even more. Experts watching this story suggest there could be dozens of oil rig operations in St. Tammany should enough oil be found in the first Helis test site.

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

COVINGTON – St. Tammany lawmakers who spent 19 weeks in Baton Rouge earlier this year for the longest session ever at the Louisiana Legislature were hardly all smiles and handshakes about the result of the work, a group of five legislators told parish business leaders.
Five members of the St. Tammany delegation of state lawmakers took part in a legislative wrap that is annually hosted by the St. Tammany West Chamber, allowing local business leaders a chance to hear what really happened in Baton Rouge during the past session.
Lawmakers across the state arrived for the session earlier this spring and faced the largest budget deficit in the history of the state–$2 billion.
After a grueling 19-week session in Baton Rouge, the deficit was only partially addressed with state agencies being put on notice that they might have to make more cuts later this fall. Simply put, the problem was addressed in some ways with budget cuts and new taxes added, but not completely solved.
St. Tammany lawmakers all agreed on one thing in their statements to the public: Louisiana still has a huge financial crisis looming ahead and major changes must be made to ever get the state on solid financial footing.
Veteran La. Sen. Jack Donahue said the state “needs an overall tax revision. We need a broader base, lower tax rates and need to get rid of the exemptions.”
Several lawmakers pointed to the fact Louisiana has slowly added so many tax breaks, tax incentives and exemptions for businesses over the years that they now rank third in the nation for giving away the most tax money—now up to $11 billion in incentives to do business here. The state’s overall budget is only $27 billion.
“How can a state as small as Louisiana rank third in the country with incentives?” Donahue asked. “New York is number one and we are not far from them—we have to change that.”
Newly-elected Gov. John Bel Edwards came to the session asking for a multitude of new taxes for Louisiana residents and business, something many of the lawmakers fought before Edwards finally won out by passing $2.4 billion in new taxes.
“We are far from out of the woods,” state Rep. John Schroder said. “Our tax code is an overly-complicated mess and the incentives are out of control.”
Rep. Kevin Pearson, along with Schroder, is one of the veteran lawmakers along with Donahue who chairs the state Retirement Committee and said that plan is also a mess due to years when the state delayed needed funding.
“We have a 26 percent employer contribution for school workers and other retirement programs in the state,” he said referring to police, firemen and state workers. “18 percent of that money is for what wasn’t paid years ago, and only 8 percent is for what the program actually costs today.”
“As a state we collect enough money, but we give too much back with all the exemptions and incentives,” he said. “We have to change that since it’s not fair to give so much help to one business, but not to others.”
Sharon Hewitt from Slidell and Beth Mizell from the northwest corner of St. Tammany Parish were two newly-elected senators who admitted their first session in Baton Rouge was an eye-opener.
“I am not the same person I was when I went there on April 1,” Hewitt said, referring to the massive learning process she endured. “So for me to show up for the first time and face the biggest budget deficit in the history of the state was really something. However, I campaigned on a platform of solving problems and this certainly gave me a great opportunity to try and do that.”
Hewitt said “the problems our state faces are real, regardless who is governor and who is in the Legislature.”
She said the state is in a recession, a statement echoed by others and supported by the fact the state is bringing in less money now from corporate and personal income taxes, as well as lower sales tax collections.
Hewitt did say she believes the Legislature made a good step in the right direction to address the deficit.
“I believe we are on track to get this fixed, but it won’t happen in one year,” she said. “The state government has hundreds of pots of money and it’s hard to follow where they all go, but I do believe we are on track to get this fixed.”
Mizell agreed that her first time to the Legislature was a lot to digest, but her reaction to the time there left her wanting more.
“At least I can now find my way to the chamber where we meet,” she said with a laugh, “but even as challenging as it was, I can’t wait to go back since I know a lot more about what I’m doing now.”
Mizell seemed disappointed by the tone of many lawmakers who “see businesses as evil. I didn’t know they thought business was so bad. We need to create a conversation to put business in a positive light and be grateful we have them.”
Mizell’s biggest accomplishment personally was getting a bill passed to keep the Bogalusa hospital open, the only hospital in that region.
With the St. Tammany lawmakers knowing there are still challenges ahead, Schroder was the only one who talked about the possibility of cutting the state TOPS program that provides free tuition for Louisiana students.
“TOPS is an entitlement program that has grown from $27 million to $300 million,” he said. “We’re spending too much on it and it will have to be looked at.”
He said the state leaders must run Louisiana finances just as every individual resident does with their own personal money.
“In Baton Rouge our leaders never say ‘no’ to spending money, just as if it weren’t from their pockets,” Schroder added. “We need to run our budget just as each of us does every day.”
The state also is facing intense pressure from federally-mandated increases to Medicaid spending where Louisiana expects to add 87,000 people to the roles in the new year.
Donahue called that situation, and the expense that will come with it, “disastrous to the state.”

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

COVINGTON – When flood waters from swollen area rivers began spilling over their banks in St. Tammany Parish during the heavy rains in early March of this year, St. Joseph Abbey President Rev. Gregory Boquet couldn’t have been too worried that the Abbey or Seminary College would be affected.
After all, the Abbey had never been damaged for over 100-years through rains such as the May, 1995 downpour that brought 24-inches of rain to St. Tammany Parish in 24 hours, or the flooding rains that came from dozens of hurricanes over the past century.
However, the combination of heavy rains for weeks, coupled with northern rivers unloading their water down south, brought about the perfect storm for St. Joseph that flooded 31 buildings on the 1,200 acre campus in mid-March.

Early reports of damage up to $3 million are now appearing like something to wish for. Boquet said their most recent estimate points to over $30 million that will be needed to clean-up, stabilize and restore all the facilities there.
Unfortunately, the Abbey carried no flood insurance since they never had flooding in over 100 years. The hazard insurance covers none of the damage, leaving the Abbey to look to FEMA and private donors to ensure the future of St. Joseph remains in St. Tammany Parish.
“This is not the first time we have had to confront challenges and each time it has made us stronger and more resolved,” Boquet said. “Where we go from here is to continue to grow and, in fact, we expect a record enrollment next semester.”
Boquet said they have begun seeking donations and have raised slightly more than $500,000 so far, but will clearly need much more since the prospects of help from FEMA are still uncertain. The Abbey does qualify for a Public Assistance Grant since it is a non-profit educational institution, but FEMA programs are cost reimbursable and only fund up to 75 percent of the eligible costs. If you would like to help, go online to helptheabbey.com or call Director of Development Leslie Tate at 985-867-2235.
The challenge to rebuild and renovate for St. Joseph comes at a time when the interest to become a priest is at an all-time high. Boquet reports 138 students now on campus for the spring semester, and expects even more registered for the fall.
St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College supports several ministries besides providing a school to train aspiring priests. It is home for 27 monks, the Pennies for Bread ministry that helps feed area needy, St. Joseph Woodworks that builds caskets and sells them to the general public, the ABBEE Honey production facility, a gift shop, the St. Joseph Abbey Cemetery that sells plots to the general public, and the Christian Life Center, open to the general public for retreats and spiritual gatherings.
At the heart of it all, however, is the Seminary College that is rooted in the Benedictine tradition. Not only do they train young men to become priests, but also provide teaching for those in lay ministries.
Boquet has been president of the school for 18 years and said the interest to become a priest has had its up-and-downs over the years, and was as low as 54 students at the school in 1993. He believes the renewed interest is because more young men are attracted to a regimented lifestyle with structure, something offered at St. Joseph.
“The seminary has set the bar higher, something many young men were looking for if they didn’t enter something like the military,” Boquet said. “The record numbers we now have are because this generation seems to be more service oriented—you can see it in high schools and it’s very inspiring.”
Students who enter the Seminary College must qualify with recommendation papers from a home diocese. Tuition costs $27,000 a year and takes four years for a Theology degree. Boquet said that if a student changes his mind about pursuing the ministry it usually occurs in the first two years.
“Most come because they felt a calling and over 75 percent stay through what is an intense program here,” he said.
Boquet acknowledged the biggest question for most young men to answer is “whether God is calling me to celibacy or not. Someone might be called to be in ministry, but perhaps not to celibacy.”
Simply driving onto the heavily wooded campus that is St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College brings a peaceful feeling when approaching the century old buildings and campus.
Although currently obscured somewhat with construction vehicles as the flood restoration work is underway, the main church sanctuary still stands as a statute of historical and spiritual integrity for the North Shore. Fortunately the flood waters did not damage the main interior of the sanctuary, although the waters did get into the basement where electrical and air conditioning damage was severe.
The air conditioning is vital to protect the magnificent murals painted in the 1940s inside the sanctuary by Benedictine artist Dom Gregory de Wit, who took 10 years to finish the beautiful pieces on the walls—all done with a special mixture of paints to withstand the Louisiana humidity.
St. Joseph Woodworks primarily produces pine caskets that were originally built only to bury the monks who lived and died at the Abbey. Over the years, the Abbey began to produce the caskets for individuals and friends of the center, and now builds them through volunteer help for the general public as another way to help support the overall campus.
ABBEE Honey was started two years ago as another way to raise money for the campus, with volunteer Jeff Horchoff using his expertise in the field to direct the operation. However, the 300,000 bees that had been acquired with 18 active hives were all but destroyed, with only three hives surviving, he said.
Pennies for Bread, an operation that produced 2,000 loaves of bread each day for the Abbey and donated some to food operations for the needy, was completely knocked out by the flood waters and is temporarily out of operation, as is the campus gift shop.
The school library took 2-feet of water and lost every book on the first two lower shelves in that building. A new library had recently begun construction and was originally targeted for completion by the end of the summer, a date that will likely be postponed due to the other priorities of recovery.
Overall, only the Seminary College and cemetery is open and operational, with all other facilities temporarily closed. The Abbey serves 20 different Catholic Church diocese in the Gulf Coast region.
(Part II: Thursday, May 19 edition.)

By KEVIN CHIRI
Slidell news bureau

COVINGTON – How does a young man make a decision to forego having a family and devote his entire life to serving as a priest in the Catholic Church?
For some it is a slow realization over time that God has called them.
But for others, such as John Guerra—currently studying at St. Joseph Abbey and Seminary College north of Covington—there was, in fact, a dramatic, middle-of-the-night meeting with God that gave him the final confirmation he needed.
Guerra, 19, is in his second year at St. Joseph and has a peace about his future, although he admits “I struggled with mourning the death of becoming a father.”
But he quickly adds, “I have never regretted it and I have told God that if He wants me to leave I would do it.”
Guerra shows no intent to take that step without another clear word from God. He said the time studying at St. Joseph has only solidified his certainty about the calling he received one night at school in Dallas, Tx.
Guerra said he was drawn closer to a ministerial career during his younger years, connecting his love of playing classical piano with a growing love for God.
Attending Jesuit High School in New Orleans, he began playing at the age of 9 and “discovered daily mass at the chapel because of the breathtaking art they have there. It is 100 years old and is so beautiful that it attracted me to the chapel, where I learned about daily mass.”
Guerra said he always thought he would be in some kind of ministry, but did not previously see that it would be as a priest.
“For that matter I was very set on the fact I would not be a priest. I wanted to be a lay teacher and that was the plan I had when I went to the University of Dallas to study theology, which I loved,” he said.
Guerra started college in the fall semester of 2014 but only weeks into his studies had a dramatic meeting with God in the early hours one morning.
“I was already being drawn closer to the priesthood since people seemed to come to me with their burdens and brokenness,” he said. “I felt useful and small. I knew there was such a need and I was shocked to see how easy I could convey God’s love to them.”
In the middle of his first semester he was studying information late one night on a vocation to follow when he felt impressed “by the words of Jesus that said to me that if I let Him in, I can witness his infinite love for others.”
Guerra felt God was calling him to full-time ministry.
“I got upset and didn’t say no, but I felt afraid,” he said.
At 2:30 in the morning he “ran to the chapel” and remembered a comment from years before when an influential Jesuit told him that God had prepared a vocation for him already.
“I told God, ‘Be it done unto me’,” which gave him a peace about finally accepting a call to become a priest.
“I went to bed and when I went home that Thanksgiving I talked to Father (Gregory) Aymond and he accepted me into the college at St. Joseph,” Guerra said.
He finished his semester in Dallas, but then resigned and headed to St. Joseph Seminary College in January, 2015, where he has been studying ever since.
“Being here has reaffirmed my calling,” Guerra said. “I love speaking to the youth at area groups and spending time to help them.”
His classical music “has flourished” with the opportunity to play at many gatherings and he looks forward to it being a part of his lifelong ministry in the church.