Avoyelles Pages Past

By Donna Culotta

90 Years Ago

From our April 18, 1936 editions
Moreauville High boys Sims Gauthier, Mancel Mayeaux and Conrad Gauthier
prepared to receive their Farmers Degrees at the state FFA convention.

Mr. Jules Escude, S. Allen Bordelon, L.P. Garcia, C.A. Riddle, W.W. Voinche and A.J. Roy were appointed to a committee as the Avoyelles representation
for a silver service presentation for newly elected Governor Leche.

George Normand of Mansura enlisted in the U.S. Navy and reported to basic
training in Virginia.

80 Years Ago

From our April 20, 1946 editions
Marksville High School Principal Ben Laborde served as a temporary chairman
of the parish unit of the Southwestern La. Institute Alumni Association.

Essae May Culver, executive secretary of the State Library commission,
spoke to the public in Bunkie on the benefits of a parish library.

Ray Armand, Ph.M, U.S. Navy and the son of Mr. and Mrs. M. Armand of
Bunkie, was discharged from the Navy at San Francisco Naval base. He had
been in the service for the past five years with 22 months serving in the pacific.

Miss Louise Gremillion of Marksville joined the national honors society
Kappa Delta Phi.

70 Years Ago

From our April 21, 1956 editions
Sandra Normand, Bonnie Faye MacDonald and Dianne Roy were selected as
queens for the annual May Day program at Mansura High School.

V.P. Davis opened Dub’s Roller Rink on the Bunkie-Eola Highway. Davis said
the business would be run in a clean and high class manner with chaperones.

James J. Bolner of Cottonport and James H. Bordelon of Marksville were
initiated into the National Honorary Scholastic Fraternity at LSU.

Rev. Marcel Anderson of St. Genevieve Catholic Church in Brouillette
expected to leave for missionary work in the West Indies.

Mrs. Elmo Neck of Marksville won the Adult Champion trophy at the State
Chicken of Tomorrow Contest. Her winning entries were six dressed chickens
weighing 22½ pounds, which awarded her $250 at auction.

60 Years Ago

From our April 21, 1966 editions
Dennis Ducote of Cottonport and Steve Rabalais of Simmesport were honored
in scholarship tests taken at La. Tech.

“Education is a social as well as a financial process; they cannot be
separated,” said Fred Chatelain, principal of Bunkie Elementary, in an
address to the Rotary Club. He also predicted that higher education would
be free in the coming years.

Miss Beverly Laborde was selected as queen of the Cochon de Lait Festival.

Corporal Brian J. Gauthier of Mansura was awarded the Navy Cross for
heroism in Vietnam.

Mr. John E. Butler, Jr. and Mr. Louis B. Gay were scheduled to speak at the
dedication ceremony of the new Mansura Post Office.

Charles F. Dupuy, a representative of the Equitable Life Assurance Society
of the U.S., received the Career Corps Award.

50 Years Ago

From our April 22, 1976 editions
The school board appointed Leo Fuqua of Marksville as principal of the
Career Development center.

Avoyelleans Darrel Ryland, Chester Coco and Sherwin Juneau
were selected as “Outstanding Young Men of America.”

L.J. Mayeux, Jr. was elected president of the medical student body at LSU.

Nancy Wilson, Reggie DeLoach and Gwen Chellette placed in the State
Literary Rally.

Charles Cecil, who had been working at the Bunkie Coca Cola Bottling
Company for 40 years, was given the “Businessman of the New Year Award” by
the Bunkie Chamber of Commerce.

40 Years Ago

From our April 24, 1986 editions
Kevin Lavalais, Dawn Gaspard, Charlotte Lachney and Heather Brouillette
were selected as winners of the Historic Poster Contest at the Olde Tyme
Arts Fair.

Cottonport qualified for the state finals in Cleanest City Contest.

Evergreen crawfish farmer, Steebo Pearce, said a national and worldwide
crawfish market must be established if the state’s 120,000 acre industry would become viable.

LSU football coach Bill Arnsparger planned to speak at the Cochon de Lait Festival.

Nicolaus Brendan was the first place winner in the 1986 Patriotic Essay Contest.

30 Years Ago

From our April 18, 1996 editions
Leigh Cole from Effie, Miss Louisiana Lagniappe, visited Governor and Mrs. Mike Foster at their home in Franklin.

Mansura Mayor Harold Qubedeaux addressed the Rotary Club of Avoyelles and
issued an invitation to attend the Cochon de Lait.

The Moncla Community Theater put on the comedy, “Stepping Out.” The cast
included Cynthia Poret, Judy Descant, Veronica Moore, Denise Scallan, Konny Zajac, Shannon Jeansonne, Danielle Scallan, Kitty Melancon, Sharon Juneau and Carl Ducote.

Latisha Prater, a member of the Bunkie High Lady Panthers basketball team, was named to the State triple-A first team.

20 Years Ago

From our April 20, 2006 editions
Mayor Boo Fontenot of Simmesport opposed the idea of enlarging the
Canadaville community center from 10,000 square feet to 25,000 and be used
as an evacuation center. Fontenot said the evacuation center was never in
the original agreement.

Sparks flew between Marksville Councilman Richard Tassin and Pastor Charles Guillory, who accused Tassin’s son’s business for flooding in the streets
towards Guillory’s church. Engineer Michael Cooper explained to Guillory that the problem was not the business but below the church.

A former Bunkie policeman, Bryan Bordelon, was arrested on drug charges and
being involved with an underage girl.

10 Years Ago

From our April 21, 2016 editions
The Marksville town council proposed that Main Street and Washington Street
be one way to relieve traffic and congestion. The proposal had to be
approved by the state.

Johnette Johnson of Marksville and a senior at the La. School for Math,
Science and the Arts was chosen to present her “Graduation with Distinction” project.

Lt. Governor Billy Nunngesser enjoyed a slice of Bordelonville cake at the first Homemade Cake Festival. The Lt. Governor also spoke at the 100th anniversary of the Sarto Old Iron Bridge in Big Bend.