Your account does not include highlighter on images.
Searches Highlighted on Image
National Sponsors
| September 19, 2013 The Ponchatoula Times |  |
|
©
The Ponchatoula Times. All rights reserved. Upgrade to access Premium Tools
PAGE 1 (1 of 8 available) PREVIOUS NEXT Jumbo Image Save To Scrapbook Set Notifiers PDF JPG
September 19, 2013 |
|
|
Website © 2025. All content copyrighted. Copyright Information Terms Of Use | Privacy Policy | Request Content Removal | About / FAQ | Get Acrobat Reader 
|
facebook.com/timesnorthshore
THE NEWSPAPER OF AMERICA'8 ANTIQUE CITY
www.ponchatoula.com/ptimes THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2013 33r`j YEAR
NUMBER 51 50
742
By BRYAN T. McMAHON
One really big reptile
Independence Alderman Angelo Mannino and his son
Bryan pose with the largest alligator ever brought to their
family meat market for butchering. It is said the gator set
a new record for alligators caught in Mississippi. (Photo by
Arlene Hall)
Kid brother of Mannino's state record setting gator, this
big boy is about to lose his swank alligator leather jacket.
(Photo by Arlene Hall)
By BRYAN T. McMAHON
Even Ponchatoula's famed
Ole Hardhide would have to
gasp at the sight of Angelo Man-
nino's 13 foot, six and one half
inch 742 POund alligator, which
came in this past week as the
State of Mississippi's record all-
time catch.
Mannino, who serves his na-
tive Independence as an elected
town alderman, has been cut-
ting meat for 40 years, includ-
ing 30 years skinning and
butchering deer andl5 years
skinning, butchering, and sell-
ing alligator meat at his Mama
Mannino's White Tail Butcher
Shop, 53210 Ragusa Road in
Independence.
: : : ~ : So, as Mannino judicious-
,~:~iil~ ~ ly eyes the monster alligator
:~:. ~ 04 wrestled onto a stainless steel
~~-!i ~: ~, ~ butchering table, you have to
~~ i ,0 take his word for it when he
~ O says the alligator was 100 years
~ tO a~.~
~x 0 ~:~ old at the time he was caught,
J--- ~ ~ and that he is the biggest ever
.--- t. ::[
"~-" ~ handled by his butcher shop.
Maninno noted for the vis-
iting newspaperman that the
bullet that dispatched the mon--
strous reptile to gator heaven
was fired from a small caliber
weapon expertly aimed at the
one small spot on the alligator's
head where it is soft enough to
not deflect the bullet.
One thing the alligator hunt-
er did not want to do was to
get this titan of the Mississippi
swamps angry.
PLEASE SEE PAGE 4
25cents in 1862 Ponchatoula folding money
Well worn example of a twenty-five cent note issued by
the Town of Ponchatoula in 1862 and signed by the town
treasurer James Tucker. (Jim Perrin Collection)
By JIM PERRIN
Historian and Educator
(Part Two of Ten in a Series)
While James Tucker was operating his store on the western cor-
ner of his East Pine Street lot, he and his wife Rachel Rheams
Tucker had a two story wooden hotel constructed on the eastern
end of the same lot.
The hotel, located where the
brick Edwards Building, and
Trail's End Antiques are today,
was named the Packwood Ho-
tel or the Packwood House in
h~or ~f Rachel's first family.
hotel was= a small facility
by today's standards with ordy
about fhur or five bedrooms for
guests(but for a small commu-
nit~ emerging out of the piney
woods it had sufficient accom-
modations.
The date of the hotel's con-
struction is uncertain but as it
was said to have been in exis-
tence before the War Between
the States, which began in
1861, thus a construction date
of about 1858-1860 is probable.
The War Between the States
brought major changes to the
economy of Ponchatoula. The
railroad line through the center
of the town was quickly trans-
formed from a successful pri-
vate business venture into a vi-
tal war asset used primarily by
the newly-formed Army of the
Confederate States. The rail-
road company, the New Orleans,
Jackson and Great Northern,
often locally called the Jackson
line or the Jackson road, began
in 1861 to haul large quantities
of both military supplies and
personnel.
Confederate authorities de-
cided to move their recruit
Our Constitution
is 226 years old!
Dear Mr. McMahon:
It is that time of year again -
September 17 to 23 is Constitu-
tion Week! This is our opportu-
nity to celebrate our nation and
one of the greatest documents
ever written. This year is espe-
cially important, as our Consti-
tution is 226 years old!
In honor of our Constitution,
I shall be glad to deliver copies
of the book "The U. S. Consti-
tution and Fascinating Facts
About It" to your newspapers
for distribution to anyone inter-
ested in picking up a personal
copy at the newspaper office.
Unfortunately, mailing indi-
vidual copies is cost prohibitive,
as is providing multiple copies
for groups. Hopefully, with the
help of your newspapers, some
individuals who are truly inter-
Jim Perrin
training camp from New Or-
leans to a new site in the piney
woods at Tangipahoa, Louisi-
ana, and troop trains passed
PLEASE SEE PAGE 8
Let the
Sunshine in
Mayor Bob Zabbia
Ponchatoula City Hall
September 17, 2013
Dear Mayor Zabb;a:
It has been brought to my at-
tention that last week's report
on the Ponchatoula City Coun-
cil vote at its most recent public
meeting regarding compensa-
tion for elected members of the
City Council contained factual
inaccuracies which I strive to
avoid in my reporting.
Pursuant to the federal Free-
dom of Information Act, and to
provisions in the State of Loui-
siana Public Records Act and
Open Meetings Act, I ask that
you furnish me with answers to
the following questions:
What is the current pay for
an elected member of the city
council? When was the rate of
pay most recently changed?
Which public positions, ap-
pointed or elected, were not
granted a raise in the most re-
cent votes of the Ponchatoula
City Council?
Will you grant me and my
newspaper the courtesy of re-
ceiving the more in-depth pack-
et of information distributed to
council members prior to meet-
ings of the mayor and city coun-
cil, and not just the bare bones
agenda I currently receive, al-
lowing for any exceptions pro-
vided under Louisiana law?
ested in owning a copy of this Thanking you in advance for
book may obtain one by stop- your prompt reply to these ques-
ping by your office, tions, I look forward to helping
PLEASE SEE PAGE 8 PLEASE SEE PAGE 8
rous ta
By KATHYRN MARTIN
(PART ONE OF TWO)
Usually when we hear of a "final resting place" it's
the "final" part that brings sadness.
But for the little chapel soon
to be moved from south of Pon-
chatoula to her final resting
place at Rosaryville, it will bring
only joy as she enters her third,
and this time, permanent, new
life of service.
Now while we have many
long-time residents who know
the story behind the chapel, we
also
have many new ones who've
never heard of it. So this arti-
cle is an attempt to bring back
memories for some folks and
make new ones for others.
Records were not always
kept, so forget about correct
dates and spelling of names and
look instead to get acquainted
with the little building who is
far more than wood and nails
but is alive with a caring heart
that:soon vcill be beatingstrong,
KATHYRN MARTIN
And it is my personal hope
that you too will fall in love
with the chapel as I have dur-
ing the research and writing of
these two pieces - enough so if
we learn of her moving day we
can stay out of the way but go
downtown and see her off
***
PLEASE SEE PAGE 4
By OLE HARDHIDEfrhe Alligator
Look to the other side of this page and meet my g~anddaddy Big,
that's what they have called him since he was little, and that was
a loooong time ago. I see they took a picture of cousin Snappy too,
though neither of them look too snappy in these photos.
Nobody told me that super nice Independence Alderman Angelo
Mannino had a sinister side. I mean, who would think evil of a man
who owns a business called Mama Mannino's? Sure, I know he',
been skinning deer since probably before you were
that's not so bad. I've been known to sneak up on Bambi a time or
two myself when they graze too close to the Tangipahoa. I blame
the mothers, those doe girls (I know, l~t the ones you date spell it
'dough') should explain the facts of death to their tasty offspring.
And if the young gators check themselves out and find no but-
tons or zippers, sooner or later they are bound to real~e there is
yet another way to get out of an alligator suit. Former Ponchatoula
lawman Bryan Mannino could explain it to them, but by that time
it would be too late. ~
I would advise them to schedule a vacation in Madisonvi!le,
where artist Peter Briant on Thursday unveiled the latest Woodeh
Boat Festival poster, a real beaut! And just in time for the Qftober
12-13 elegant gala on the water that is being hosted by our sister
city to the east.
Did you ever notice how Ole Pinchpenny the Publisher attracts
the best writers in this region to sling words in the pages of The
Times? I am talking about talent the likes of Kathyrn Martin, Jim
Perrin, myself of course, the only certified reptile reporter in Amer-
ica May Thomas Kuhn forever rock his porch, and keen-eyed Daddy
John Dudek's poor little boy better be the best on m~und or grid-
iron, or no Wheaties. Do you miss Crazy Dave, Padraig Pearse, or
Erin Pierce if you must speak English, and the mysterious missing
O'Connors? So do I. If you see them, tell these great writers the key
is under the front porch mat, and the light is on for them, the kettle
on the hob. Thank the great gator in the sky that Prof. Dr. Randolph
Howes M.D PhD is faithful, like ice, like fire, because we would
refuse to print another word if he were to go missing. And in the
Town of Independence we now have some costume-wearing crack-
pot claiming to be Uncle Sam, but his writing is coming around.
Maybe it's something in our water, or magic dust blowing through
town with the pollen, which would go a long way toward explaining
the television phenomenon caused by my ole swamp buddy Shelby
Stanga. Do you think it might be the strawberries? I'll ask Kathyrn
Martin; she'll know the way.
+
The Ponchatoula Times - Call 985-386-21177 -P.O. Box 743 - Ponchatoula, LA 70454-0743 - editor@ )onchatoula.com
J