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Thursday, April 4, 1985--4th year, Number 27
THE PONCHA TO ULA TIMES
Subscribers pay less
than half price
for home delivery
386-2877
n still favors North-South split
harter victory hailed as hope for parish
By BRYAN T. McMAHON
Editor & Publisher
Politicians and political sages on both
of the parish have proclaimed
fs home rule charter victory as
end of the political civil war in
angipahoa Parish.
"The end of the Frank Edwards era
to this parish," said Amite's
iimpson, who publicly supported
r in the parish seat, where
:rs approved it.
view was shared by many who
were shocked at the precinct-
returns that showed Tangi-
Parish voting in a way not seen
Over a decade.
fact that the charter question
lly passed (5451-5084) after
attempts had been gunned
on two ,us occasions did
the collective political mind
parish courthouse and at city
parish, so much as
precinct returns that showed how it
g to election night radio cov-
on a Hammond commercial
station one might be led to
-ve that the vote was decided in a
north-south parish split, with
Southend turning out more voters,
voted for the new form of
bt lock-step, surely as the
the north opposed it.
could be farther from the
urnpkin Center soundly voted the
down (224-88). Roseland gave
nod (56-50). Three key boxes
to as "Frank Edwards boxes"
d politicians, including
City Hall, voted for the charter,
by tight margins. Ve}ma (just
of Amite) even give its own small
to the charter (15-8). Three
a area precincts voted
the charter (two at Vinyard
tary and the third Precinct 19 at
Section South), and citizens in
Baptist area voted against the
in both precinct boxes there•
Ward 8, Precinct 2 Edwards box
the charter 115-37, with
voters backincl the new govern-
ment 90-86.
Hammond voted heavily for the
charter. Ponchatoula was split, with
some boxes such as the Community
.Center near an even split (34-33 in
favor).
But what the parish political prophets
must now figure out is what the returns
mean for the future. One thing appears
certain, that the north-south political
split seems to have mended, which
throws all of the conventional oolitica]
wisdom in Tangipahoa Parish out the
window.
"'l think a lot of the old walls are
coming down." agreed Sheriff Eddie
Layrisson. "1 didn't feel it was my place
to participate in the campaign for the
charter because it was a decision left to
the people• I am hopeful the charter
change will have the same affect as the
reduction of the school board members
with the public, and that it will restore
confidence in this parish and allow it to
become me pest in the state."
Commented one Ponchatoula polit-
ico who was pro-charter and surprised
by the vote. "'Code Williams (known as
a leader of the pro-police jury northend
political powers) was walking around
the courthouse Monday with a dazed
look in his eyes. I guess I had the same
look and for the same reason: without
anyone's noticing anything different it is
as if all the political cards in the de"
have been shuffled"
The Queens of Louisiana
Rare beauties from all over the State
of Louisiana visited Ponchatoula Friday
as .quests of Strawbem./Festival Queen
Letha Davis at the annual Strawberry the center of this group of festival
Ball, held at the Ponchatoula Auction queens.
Company building. Queen Leflla is in - ..... (Times Photo)
ringfield's Festival has record crowd
By DUANE E. HARRIS
Times Reporter
celebrating to catch up on and it did just
that Friday, March 29 through Sunday,
March 31.
Record breaking crowds lined up
along Hwy 22 and adjoining Hwy 42 to
greet the coming parade which initiated
the festival Saturday at 9:15 a.m.
The parade had assembled on Blood
River Road next to Springfield High
School and proceeded to travel on
Hwy 42 and connecting Hwy 22
through the heart of town.
From main street, the caravan curved
right on Coates Road where it circled
the festival qrounds and returned back
on the same path.
Stretching from one end of town to
mayor Dewey Ratcliff
that the turnout at this year's
mual Volunteer Fireman's Festival in
was the largest ever in the
of the festival.
ft expecting it to be such a
and this is the first time we've
such an enormous response from
public," said Ratcliff who cam-
last year's crowds were so
due to the fact that it had rained
"Veekend making it a sloppy affair."
Was a total write off."
Springfield had two years of
AN EDITORIAL
Teaching Old Dogs
By BRYAN T. Mcmahon
Editor & Publisher
Tangipahoa has begun an experiment in self government. . ..
. 'assage of the home rule charter Saturday by a narrow margin parisn.w!ae
L nothing to fill even the first pothole, did nothing to provide aoeqUaotasl
' government work space did nothing to pick up me nrst plasuc ua
'edtrash.. ................ 1 cord that legally fastens police
a ,--P,UVdl o! me cnarter die cut me UIIIUIIILO " ' "" It did
J the name nome rule
t governments to the state legislature, hence . • • .....
e the administrative powers of government awayL Ir°m.. lsrlc|
r_presentatives police jurors, making legislators_on' o, me :,.w. u,=,t,iv;
r Ish a stron aomlnls[ra
,P. esentativesl parish councilmen. It did estab!" . ,. g ....
nce, the parish presidency, along the same basic nn.es ot power...wn
:.Sent ch have exlsleo Tar SOm nm
if''- tally the same checks and balances, whi
' re federal and state levels of government. " ...... of
ror T-- • ,-, . ., , , v,oleon and ms rrencn system
,.,_ u=,llpanoa rarisn, me laws ox r, ov .L__ L..._,__. ,.... As a
'3/e r In [H ,Htoly uuup, a
r^- ,mance have been left to their own chapte ". ..... " .
• suIt t unoer me once ur system
w- ' decisions will soon be made in Amite tha pc .! y ,_
ul n Kouge wnere me jury nao
t^ d have been made by the legislature in Bato
" 90 !or approval of all major decisions. " ......... L---e rule
c LuI this is not the first parish in modern history u approv,a ,u,, .L
'.rt.er and so lessons can be learned from the succe.sses or taiJures at omer
vcnshes he t te can be fauna in me experience ox
-,- • The best example in t s a
nrnany Parish our immediate neighbor to the east.. ..... on
nner ent just as people nere OlO
., e the people voted for a new governm . • 'th ...... me
=mrday, and the documents were very similar, w.I Daslcany me sa .
ec d the charter there was drafted
c ks and balances, rules and regulations. An
% sOrne of the best people in the parish, as it was here. And the home rule
C rterfor I rabl m St Tammany Pansh
I" m of government failed m'se Y " '" new • ' " ' ' "
ne rea filled the parish comm|sslon
.. son why it failed is that voters " , .
. with the same old-line politicians thai sat on t.ne potice jury.. They never
li 'd the ch ut mmedmtely to sa0otage n wnlcn they ale
TI" after and set abo " ' ' "
L ey couldn't stand to have their feudal administrative powers stripped from
hl ra and content themselves with being legisla, torc°uncilmen. Recently,the
th me rule form of government was scrapped.in :,: =ammany rarisn .wnlle
crowd of politicians gleefully got back the old pouce )ury system, and melr
! rsonal power with it. - , - le choose to aban n an old
i ihe lesson appears to be that wnen a peop do
thm of government in favor of a new form of government it is unwise to put
i, °Id leaders in the new offices .... s
Why? Because you can't teach an old dog new trlcK .
the other were live bands, fire trucks
from Lacombe, Albany, Gonzales,
Baton Rouge and even an LSU training
unit were included, not to mention
Queen Lorie
Springfield's proud fleet of several
trucks including their first 1951 model
unit.
Strawberry Queen Letha Davis led
the queens and kings motorcade.
Springfield's new Fire Queen Lorie
Hoover was positioned close by.
The parade had it all: King and
Queen participants, Boy Scout Troop
165 of Springfield. Springfield's Amer-
ican Legionnaires, a Shriner motor-
cade. an AMVETS group, a small army
of local three wheelers, motorcycles,
go carts, dune buggies, and even a
group of western rustlers riding in four
different covered wagons pulled by
four horses and six mules.
No sooner had Springfield's fire fledg-
lings reached the festival grounds, the
celebration was underway.
The festival hosted two days of
entertainment including Las Vegas
Night on Friday and a dance Saturday
night.
Performers from Connie's Dance
Studio and Hammond State School
See Page Fourteen
Springfield Volunteer Fireman's
Queen Lorie Hoover, accompanied by
escort Jo Jo Davis, graced Saturday
morning's parade through the streets of
Spmgfieki.
(Times Photo by Duane Harris)
Strawberry Queen
Slrawberry Festival Queen Letha
Davis rode in the Volunteer Fireman's
parade in Sprmgf'|eld Saturday.
(Times Photo by Duane Harris)
He is Risen
By .F2 BRd. EY
Fie hung upon the cross that day
The veil was rent in two
The darkness lay across the land
He died that day for you.
Tey laid His body in a tomb
he stone sealed up the way
This man. this Jesus. gone so soon
When He had so much to say.
The ladies came in early morn
To annoint His body fair.
But look! The stone - it's rolled away t.
His body isn't there!
Fialleu)ah! My Lord. He's risen today,
Just like He said He'd do.
Fie rose. the victor over death.
,Salvation . .for me and you!
Ponchatoula Mayor Charles Gideon
commented that while it may be true
north-south differences may be easing.
he still favors splitting Tangipahoa
Parish in two. "I'm still for dividing the
parish five miles south of Independ-
ence because of our population down
here. We need our own government in
the sixth and seventh wards."
Regarding the new charter. Gideon
said its success is totally dependent on
a few key people: "The parish presi-
dent will be the key. We need a good
experienced man. acquainted with
municipal government and the farmers
and the rural people. There are few
people who understani:l the charter in
its entiretv." said the mavor. ,,
SEE PAGE THREE
Mary Carter elected
Staff Report
Mrs. Mary Carter handily won' elec-
tion to her deceased husband's seat on
the Ponchatoula City Council. which
she has held since Councilman Gideon
Carter's death last November.
With solid sulSport fro the black
community, Mrs. Carter laolled 194
votes, to challenger Od8 Kennon Tate
Jr.'s 97. insuring that a black office-
' holder will keela the seat.
SEE PAGE TWO
MY PONCHATOULA
By aLE HARDHIDE
The Alligator
You must come by my newly redecorated home down here by the railroad
tracks. The pond has a fresh coat of paint on its deck and they even took the
time to drain out gallons of great tasting pond water so they could paint the
bottom! They gave me some new plants too! Ponchatoula loves me afteral!!
('bout time).
Yessiree, this newly done over cage makes me puff up with pride, fairly
burst with enthusiasm, makes me stand taller and stride further, all of which
doubtless accounts for ridiculous claims that someone switched me for a
bigger gator when they took me out to redecorate my cage. Any reporter
gullible enough to believe that gator tale is hereby invited into my cage to sniff
for himself the strawberry birthmark under my armpit that marks me as
Ponchatoula's o:.e, only and truly great, green gator (and remember, I don't
use either Left or Right Guard).
Monday night I though they were playing the Villanova-Georgetown
(funny, before the game they always called it the Georgetown-Mlllanova)
game Atop the Gator at john Pevey's new place above Paul's. Johnny
McGary could have filmed a great Red Stripe beer commercial up there (eh
John?) The Doberman Gang from down at the beach were playing the
backwoods equivalent of the Dallas Cowgirls (and this immediately following
the Jaycee's Strawberry Mess Pageant. Guys in dresses and cheerleaders with
foam dripping over five o'clock shadows). What a night. What a game!
Hey Mrs. Berteau, a little Lion told me that you have some secret (for the
moment) honors coming your way sometime soon. Don't ask Travis Edwards
because he's not allowed to tell (Same goes for Bruce Kinchen and Sonny
Wells, and especially Pinchpenny).
Look for Lester Felder as the man to beat when they crank up the parish
assessor's race. The PonchatouJa man who is strong in Amite and respected
parishwide is already signing up the backers, the helpers, and the votes (how
tough is that at tax time?) Lester told me I could swim in his pool on East
Cypress Street if 1 backed him and l told him that if I could swim while his
daughter holds swimming class for the little ones it was a deal. (He didn't say
anything, so I guess he's thinking about it).
The days of "Judge" Danny Pepitone are at an end and they're hustling
him off the city bench before one of the several citizens he's sentenced to
fines, road dutu tc. finds the time to sue the city for every strawberry its got
in federal court, where it is said they frown on those who play judge.
There's volumes to write on that episode (ask me someday about the plan
to dye black colored graduation gown for hizzoner), but the real kicker is this;
Peck Edwards will be the new Ponchatoula City Judge (which will be legal
under state law and good training at least for ale Peck) but guess who has
been assigned to "show Peck how to do it?" You guessed it: Pepitone (shhh,
Peck doesn't know yet. Besides, I thought Peck already knew how).
Some countries wage secret wars, some young folks have secret loves, and
all the time you're likely to find policiticians trying to conduct secret meetings.
Julian Dufreche is the only one I know, however, who is trying to conduct a
secret campaign for Carman Moore's current job. Why be shy? Ponchatoula
could use some more clout in Amite. (Ask Teddy Gueldner, Julian and if my
favorite backscenes pal says run, go for it!)
Maybe Julian is worried that as soon as he goes to Amite to be Clerk of
Court, Doc Get-It-On will succeed with his drive to break the parish in two
and will cut all the bridges leading to the north.
Young sixth grade ladies wanting to meet a fellow who will one day be a
famous scientist would do well to" bring an extra apple to St. Joseph next
week and make a present of it to Jason Wagner, who won a first place science
award at the recent parishwide competition at SLU.
SEE PAGE FouRTEEN