Thursday, December 1,1983--3rd Year, Number 10
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BRYAN T. McMAHON
Editor & Publisher
rage of homemade firebombs
at Ponchatoula High School
Y night destroyed the office of
al A J. Bodker and would
Utted the school were it not for
t action of the Ponchatoula
_eer Fire Department•
l police and firemen were on
[ene moments after a security
at the school reported the
,bing at 8:02 p.m,
tel Erlo McLaurin Jr. said that
t n had the fire under control
en minutes. He estimated the
Lhad gotten only a five minute
Slart on his volunteers.
k five fire trucks. 40 firemen
|aSsistance from Independence
l:rnmond to successfully beat
|blaze whic left in shambles the
ase cypress panelled office of
:rincipal ruining many school
L l:ersonal keepsakes in the
[aSt'ov Cocktails" were apparent-
,0wn from the front lawn of the
It , through Bodker's second
0ffice window and the windows
radjoining office. Fire caught in
[CYPress wall of the principal's
, endangering classrooms on
ird floor, some of which suffer-
Oke damage.
high school was my greatest
n since becoming fire chief,"
ented McLaurin. "I have to
end my men for putting in
of monotonous night training
[ill It made the difference."
|'lYing fast on the scene were
bers of the local police force.
Sheriff's Deputy John Dahmer
llis men, and officials with the
.Fire Marshal's Office
ers quickly rounded up the
three explosive bottles of gasoline or
kerosene with rag fuses stuffed in
them that did not explode when they
were thrown at the school. And they
attempted to determine from glass
fragments how many' firebombs did
hit their mark and explode. City
Councilman and volunteer fireman
Dave Perkins guessed as many as
five firebombs found their targets and
went off, igniting their spilled liquid
when the bottles shattered. He made
clear that this was speculation, not
an official count of the firebombs
that went off.
In the pro-dawn hours of Wednes-
day, as this edition was going to
press, city police were piecing to-
gether leads in te case and were
planning to interview suspects. There
was at least one eyewitness who gave
a statement to police.
Bodker, who arrived after the fire
was put out in his office, told teh
Ponchatoula Times he hd no sus-
pects in the firebombing. In spite of
the fact that his office and numerous
irreplaceable artifacts and keepsakes
were ruined, Bodker ws adamant
about keeping the school open.
Asked if there would be classes this
week, he shot back immediately,
Asked if there would be classes
this week, he shot back, "Yes sir.
We'll have school. We won't let a
little thinq like this stop us." Main-
tenance workers were put to the
immediate task of cleaning up the
school for classes Wednesday.
School Board President Danny
Dufreche was one of the firest on the
scene, at the wheel of the fire
department's big Mack truck (in his
capacity as volunteer fireman).
"When I drove the big Mack up l
saw flames in the office. They had
been burning behind a curtain and at
first you couldn't see them. He was
obviously disgusted with the school
attack.
One of the first to tour the school
after the firemen went in was School
Board Member lake Bailey, who
emerged to comment that the
Local family
feuds way to
fame, fortune
Staff Report
It might have started as a game for
the television folks out in California,
but before it was all over the Ordoyne
family of Ponchatoula turned itself
into a group of highly-paid TV
personalities.
Lucien and May Ordoyne, together
with their children Lisa, Phil and
Mrs. Sy McNamara, were the big
winners on Family Feud this past
week, winning $17,650 in cold cash
(less what the tax man takes) and a
list of luxurious gifts,
The pre-taped shows featuring the
River Road family will appear on
ABC television at 11 a.m. the week
of December 26 (Channels 8 and 2
for local viewers).
The action is over for the Ordoyne
family now though, and they are still
basking in the enjoyment of their free
vacation out West and their record-
breaking winning streak.
Mother May Ordoyne says she is
turning her share of the prize money
(given out in five serarate checks) to
daughter Mrs. L.ura Monger of
Richmond, who missed getting on
the show but turned up in California
to cheer on her siblings and her
damage would hve been far worse
had not the volunteers arrived when
they did and handled the job so
professionally.
John Dahmer, whose father served
as local fire chief for years, was quick
to cordon off the front lawn and
classroom areas as his detectives
searched for evidence and then went
door-to-door in the neighborhood
seeking clues. "This is an obvious
case of arson. We'll be working it
with the fire marshal and the local
police." he said.
Both Councilman-At-Large Julian
Dufreche and Mayor Collins Boni-
card commented that a fire at the
high schoo had always been a
serious threat due to the highly-
flammable fat pine used in the
vintage structure.
A follow-up report will appear in the
next editon of The Ponchatoula
Times.
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, MY PONCHATOULA00
it By OLE HARDHIDE it
it The Alligator it
it What has become of Virgil Never one to sit still for long, it
Jenkins the Sign Man, the Henry Arnold was pacing round
happy mad prophet of Poncha- and round my cage the other
it toula, riddle teller, and ban day limbering up his voice for it
• vivant? the auction he's yodeling down
it Virgil, you haven't made an at the Hayride Building Friday, it
appearance in public since you December 7: "What is my bid
stood up for beer and beer for thJsgenuine, bathed in pond it
drinkers everywhere in that water, alligator, including the
parents. memorable and impassioned coins you see here on his back?
" Mrs. Ordoyne said her husband's
share of the prize loot would likely be Council on behalf of an ill-fated Julius Guichet says he found
speech delivered to the City Do lhearb,000... (Whoa Henry)
used to raise the house another the perfect gift f,or dad over at
MalatovCocktatls three feet,' a move doubtless Iocal pub.
No riddles for the schoolchil- My Ponchatoula s own public
prompted by last Spring s catas- dren, no mad impossible calcu- gallery run by The Ponchatoula
Destruction Malatov Cocktails with rag wicks Tuesday s high school blaze, trophic rise of the Tangipahoa River, it lations to boggle the 4-Hers of Artisans in The Craft Box, just a
it
and filled with kerosene or gasoline (Staff Photo) which flows by the couples home. our planet, no position papers quick four footed walk from
LlOnal items damaged in the were rec°vered fr°m the scene of l-Jsa and Phil are said t° have several I on the creeping movement to here. Local artists Maudie
plans for spending their winnings, battle even beer! Now Virgil, Henderson and Dot Perrin have
of P.H.S. Principal A.J. In addition to the money the game
it'll r are spread out in an adjoin- suppose Ole Hardhide just up painted some fantastic country
show contestants won a wide variety and left Ponchatoula undefended scenes on hand saws and table
.aSsroom. The blaze was so hot of gifts, "everything from vacuum like that? (How about a visit to saw blades. Buy dad a saw he
office that it melted several cleaners to,, cameras to Chinese I the cage?) can't use. He'll love you for it," !
t. (Staff Photo) ginger jars. K Hey Joey Kraemer, this gator advises my friend Mr• Guichet.
Atthebaseofthebonanzawasthe hopes you enjoy carrying golf Walking back to my cage 1
expense-paid trip to California, It clubs. That sweet Tracey Ourso overheard an out-of-towner
]kr/./ome-[,/./ome footed by ABC, which included hotel youre marrying Saturday has approach Reggie Pevey looking
accommodations, a rental car, a golf in her blood! (When Dago for some property ,in ,the area.
liberal restaurant allowance, all of
| Ponchatou|a which contributed to what Mrs. it Kraft goes to kiss the bride I'd Are you a, broker?' "Ira broker,
keep a club handy for any time than you,' replied the real estate
i
Ordoyn,e termed 'the best week of over five seconds), man,. ushering him into his
rDIANEDUMAINEMARTINEZ my life. Janet Pevey, the decathalon's office.
it included a Thanksgiving Day answer to pharmacy, has found
l've found a
perfect, enchanting
of this earth
t rest
Principal's office
This was the grim scene Tuesday the principal's office.
night at Ponchatoula High School in
(Staff Photo)
Community Garden Club
a boon to Ponchatoula
By VIOLET COLLIER
Times Garden Editor
PART TWO
During the year 1949 the Men's
Garden Club was organized. I bet
you never even knew we had a Men's
Garden Club. Paul Williams, James
Barranger of our town were very
active members. Dr. E.E. Puls was
president of the Tangipahoa Parish
Mens" Club. They held their meetings
in the Log Cabin. Speakers from the
Reuter Seed Co. came over and gave
lectures on what to plant and how to
take care of your plants and bulbs,
etc.
"[he mayor at this time was Smith
Guther and ne gave them a welcome
speech and of course our club ladies
cleaned and decorated the Log Cabin
and were hc,esse ,c a delicious
diPnvr tirol ;,is ,- , .... d as the one
SEE PAF FOUR
train trip to San Francisco for rail
buff Lucien Ordoyne and the family,
and a car tour of California's vine-
yards arranged by son Phil.
During the game itself, Susan was
cited by her mother as the family
member who had the correct quick
answers that began the Ordoyne
family's assault on the game show's
cash reserves and viewers will be
able to see her excel on the Fast
Money portion of the show. "! think it
broke all records," said a proud
mother.
Given time to reflect back on how
the family finally lost the fifth round
of the contest, after taking all comers
for a week, Mrs. Ordoyne attributed
the fatal fall to trying to keep up with
the fast-paced schedule of the game
show, but mostly to being outfoxed
by themselves. She explains it like
this:
"At first you play for un, and the
answers are obvious. They just pop
out. Then you start playing for
money. Then you tend to complicate
your answer, you give tricky answers
to simple questions." Look for the
Ordoynes on the final day missing
answers such as "card arable" and
"'lumpy gravy."
an excellent reason to travel to
Baton Rouge. If your real desti-
nation is Ponchatoula and
it
Tami Wells was spotted with
her pretty fingers sticking out of
rubber gloves, grabbing cold,
my weary thought!
Loua it is smitten
Co-ol FALL breezes
help
to cleanse
Il us all,
that ! have come
t° a near perfect place;
e best - of open space.
here yet give a nod, a
e of the hand - and
time of day
" Wisdom enough to say
"Welcome"
still not seem to mind tf
eore not home spun.
c. e •
s - blue skies enough for all -
"Could call
tht8 a little country town,
as some do,
be likely correct, but
rather put it down as
--1 • ...my !il ha, n
ow ! have now found "the'
piece of this here Earth -
our home - sweet home
; Ponchatoula
it slimy, gritty oysters and furtively
you're flying in from out-of-state, jabbing a mean looking oyster
it's markedly cheaper to fly into knife at them in a prying process it
the Baton Rouge airport over akin toblg time wrestling. Won't it
New Orleans'• (Thanks Janet, someone buy the pretty co-
it but Ole Hardhide is happy right owner of Aw Shucks a pearl it
it where he's at and this reptile
wouldn't trade your - brrrrrr -
it snow ski weekends in Oregon,
it or your mountain climbing, or
your hang gliding or whatever
it other subzero superwoman sport
I you practice tn that perpetual
daiquiri you call a state, for a
it single sunny afternoon in the
it gator pond).
Aw Shucks, Gary Lavigne,
it that's a real nice permanent
it wave you've got there, fella. ]
bet my artist buddy Terri Bentley
is envious when you trip the
light fantastic together. (l tried
to give my tail a permanent
it once, but the curl just wouldn't
hold).
it Folks over at The Depot are
worried about Teddie Kraft.
"He's been quiet lately," reports
it his favorite can opener, looking
necklace and put an end to this it
spectacle? it
Rumor out Millville way is that
a little diver is expected in the
family of Duane and Andree
Dyer. it
Uptown, Becky Eymard the it
pianist is reported to be having a
serious high-tech thin9 going it
with her drummer. (The town is
not dull, deceptively placid to
the eye of the visitor, true, like a it
picnic scene over a missile silo a
moment before The Day Of.)
Becky's "drummer"incidently is it
an obnoxious little electronic
boxthat emits a chonka-chonka it
psudo-drum sound known to
dissolve human teeth by the
third tune. it
Say Kathy Welles, could you
maybe drop in the mayor's ear
the great bargains and benefits
II
concerned. (Sounds serious). SEE PAGE TWELVE
