70 Years Ago
November 19, 1953
A youth-led revival meeting will be held at Midway Baptist Church Nov. 22-29, with the Rev. Billy Roy Snider, of Louisiana College, serving as evangelist. Services will be held each evening and will include prayer at 7:15 and singing at 7:30. Mark Tullos, music director at Louisiana College and at Laurel Heights Baptist Church of Winnfield will direct singing, and Miss Joy Nelson will play the piano. The Rev. Jerry Poston, pastor, and members of Midway Baptist invite everyone to attend these services.
Two men were sentenced to 60 days in jail each when convicted of poisoning fish; one was given a similar sentence on the same charge, but the penalty was suspended; four persons were fined $25 each and costs and given three months’ suspended jail terms taking fish illegally; each cost when convicted of killing squirrels on a wildlife refuge. The fines suspended upon the payment of $12.50 costs of court each. Along with many others, 76 cases of fish and game were reported in the last week.
Adrian Dunbar and his wife sail to Scotland to claim title inherited when last two Dunbar baronets died in January. The new Sir Adrian will live on a 200-acre estate.
At Save-Way you could buy 25 lbs. of Gold Medal Flour for $1.89, a lb. of hamburger meat for 29 cents, and 1 lb. of chocolate drops for 29 cents.
This week The Strand played “Sombrero,” “The Far Frontier,” “Code Two,” “Return to Paradise,” “Young Bess” and “Stalag 17.”
60 Years Ago
November 21, 1963
Army PFC William G. Graham, 23, son of Mr. and Mrs. William W. Graham of Nebo Route, Jena provided support in Germany for a NATO field training exercise, a part of Operation Big Lift, which ended Nov. 5. Graham, who arrived overseas last March, is assigned to Company B of the 16th Signal Battalion near Butzbach. He entered the Army in July 1962 and completed basic training at Fort Polk, La. Graham attended Jena High School and was employed by a local oil company before entering the army.
The Jena Green Thumb Garden Club held a very successful Fall Placement Flower show entitled “October Tones” on Thursday, November 7 from 3 to 5:30 p.m. in the homes of Mrs. C. G. Mears Jr. and Mrs. George Morgan. Both homes were lovely, and the arrangements beautifully carried out the fall theme. The sweepstakes winner and winner of the tri-color award in the Artistic division was Mrs. Elmo Tullos for her arrangement, “Dieter’s Delight,” a fruit and vegetables design for the breakfast bar in the Morgan home. Sweepstakes winner in the Horticulture division was Mrs. Nick Edwards. The first-place winners were Mesdames C.G. Mears Jr., Nick Edwards, Elmo Tullos, James Justice Jr., Oscar Breithaupt, R. D. Maxwell and Sonny Owens. Judges for the show were Mrs. Hugh F. Spencer, Mrs. A. P. Couvillion and Mrs. Irwin Jordan. General Flower show chairman was Mrs. Oscar Breithaupt and cochairman was Mrs. C. G. Mears, Jr.
Louisiana Tech has announced a total of 233 candidates for degrees, including two from La-Salle Parish, who will complete graduation requirements at the end of this semester in January. They will be awarded their diplomas along with the spring semester graduates at commencement exercises scheduled for next June. Those from LaSalle Parish were Donna Irene Steen, from Jena, B. A. in Education, and David Melvin Powe, from Olla, B. A. in Education.
50 Years Ago
November 15, 1973
Mrs. Betty Davis, Avon District Manager, presented an award to Mrs. Verda Moore of Urania. Mrs. Moore has been serving her customers in the convenient informal Avon atmosphere for 21 years. She received a 20-year commemorative award plate. Mrs. Moore has been selling Avon longer than any representative in the Lasalle, Winn, Grant and Natchitoches Parish area.
“Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star,” will have to be by nature this year instead of electricity, according to Maxine Reeves, chairman of the planning committee for the Christmas Home Lighting Committee. Upon the recommendation of Mrs. Aaron Joubert, President of the Town and Country Garden Club, the committee voted to continue with the Christmas Home Decoration Contest, but to conduct it a little differently. “This is one way we as civic leaders and citizens can do our part to help with the energy crisis- but still enjoy Christmas and the decorations,” said Mrs. Joubert. The 3 categories will be Religious, Traditional and A Child’s Christmas World. Judging will be done December 17 in the afternoon instead if the usual nighttime since lights will not be used. Start your plans now to participate. We should really put the “old fashion home touch” in our decorations this year.
Floyd Mac Perryman, chairman of the La-Salle Parish Development Board, was awarded a plaque in recognition of his outstanding service by Fred H. Shiel, Board Secretary-Treasurer Perryman has served the Development Board, representing most businesses and civic leaders of the parish, during the past year. Perryman also served as master of ceremonies during last Thursday night’s banquet.
40 Years Ago
November 16, 1983
Jerry Wood, Mayor of Olla, announced this week that Arero Space Industries Inc. of Hahnville, La., manufacturer of ultralight helicopter parts and equipment, has selected Olla as the site of a new facility. Company officials along with town leaders anticipate opening the new plant before the end of this year. The Company will begin operations in the old McDonald Ford Company building on U. S. 165 in Olla, according to announcement by John Matthews, President of Arero Space. Matthews extended his deep appreciation to all public officials and business concerns for the efforts shown to Arero Space during the past few weeks. “We look forward to a bright future in Olla,” Matthews states.
The Tullos Town Council received confirmation on Monday night about a $20,000 grant to build a new fire station. Mayor Fred Book made the announcement about the grant. The council discussed possible locations for the building and decided to search for a site because the only suitable town-owned property is being used to stockpile supplies. Book says he will call a special meeting when a site is found.
Vivian Thacker was presented a check for $450 on behalf of the Cenla CB Club to Betty Weaver, director of the Jena LADD Center. The check is given to the LADD Center each year and represents half the total proceeds from the CB Club’s annual Jamboree.
25 Years Ago
November 18, 1998
A fund-raiser is under way to purchase the building adjacent to the Dixie Center in downtown Olla. This building will be renovated into the Centennial Cultural Center. The aim is to have this building ready to coincide with the Town of Olla’s celebration of their Centennial Year of 1999. The dare of this celebration will be October 2, 1999. The goal is to raise $7,500 for the building and $1,000 to preserve our mural on the Dixie Center.
A Flag Retirement Ceremony was held at Jena Elementary School on Wednesday, November 11, in conjunction with Veterans Day celebrations. The entire student body assembled on the playground to take part as Cub Scouts from Den 2, Pack 14 led in the impressive ceremony. Mrs. Jean Smith explained the steps to be followed for a proper flag burning and the significance of each. After the leading in the Pledge of Allegiance, the Scouts held the flag as Den Leader David Berry cut the blue field, or Union, from the flag. Each stripe was then cut and burned individually, with the Union being burned last. After the Union was completely consumed by flames, the students again recited the Pledge of Allegiance and then sang “America.” The ceremony concluded with Mrs. Smith explaining how the fire would be allowed to burn until it was completely out and then the ashes would be buried. Cub Scouts taking part in the ceremony were Joel Keene, Josh Berry, Stephen Taylor, and M. J. Brown.
This time of year, V formations of calling snow geese flying high overhead are a common sight for residents of Central Louisiana. What is not very commonly known, however, is that snow geese are in trouble. Not from hunting, disease, or other direct outside threats, but from themselves. Snow geese populations have increased dramatically in recent times and an overpopulation of snow geese is destroying the Artic nesting habitat essential for the geese and a variety of other wildlife that share this unique area. Ducks Unlimited has produced a compelling video entitled “Snow Geese in Peril” which outlines the history and current status of snow geese. A copy of this video has been donated to the LaSalle Parish Library by the Catahoula National Wildlife Refuge.
10 Years Ago
November 20, 2013
The Town of Jena has been named as the 2013 recipient of the prestigious “Great Places in Louisiana” award. The announcement of the winner was made during an awards reception in Baton Rouge on Tuesday night of this week. Jena Mayor Murphy McMillian was on hand to accept the award on behalf of the town during the eighth annual Smart Growth Summit, a project of the Center for Planning Excellence. The award is sponsored annually by AARP’s Livable Communities Council, the Center for Planning Excellence and the office of the Lieutenant Governor of Louisiana and can be awarded to up to three communities each year. The Great Places in Louisiana awards program recognizes innovations in planning, housing and transportation that create livable communities where people of all ages and abilities can live throughout their lifetime. Great places are communities where people can find meaningful ways to engage with neighbors and friends, live in housing that they can afford, use a range of transportation options and access social and supportive services.
Warriors of the Jena Band of Choctaw Indians, and their families, were recognized and honored during a ceremony dedicating a Veterans Plaza on the grounds of Jena Pines Casino in Creola at noon on Saturday, November 9th. Tribal Council members taking part in the ceremony were: Christine Norris, Chief Cheryl Smith, Dana Maters, Christy Murphy, and Ricky Jackson, a U.S. Army veteran, and Purple Heart recipient. The Veterans Plaza, located in front of the Jena Pines Casino, will be home to a Veterans Monuments to be erected hopefully by next Veterans Day.
The LaSalle Parish Community Choir, directed by Allen Kendrick, will present a Christmas concert on November 30th, beginning at 6 p.m. at the Jena High School Auditorium. The event will begin with caroling, flowed by a chime choir, performance and ending with the full choir presenting The Heart of Christmas, a joyous cantata.
Students in the Jena High School Beta Blub, Drama Club, and Band hosted its third annual Veterans Day Banquet on Monday Night, November 11th, at the Family Life center of First Baptist Church in Jena. Veterans from throughout the parish were invited to attend. Students and their faculty sponsor, Mike Doughty, provided a meal and entertainment to honor all veterans and their spouses or guest in attendance.