By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The wheels of progress certainly move slowly when government agencies are involved. But Tuesday’s groundbreaking for the Slidell Municipal Marina proves that they still do actually move.

It was way back in 2011 when Slidell Councilman Bill Borchert informed the council that he took it upon himself to seek a Boating Infrastructure Grant (BIG) that would help pay for a $1 million bulkhead repair at Heritage Park, and improve the situation for boaters who wanted to attend events there.

Knowing the city needed to fix the bulkhead, Borchert said he saw the BIG application in a boating magazine and was pleasantly surprised to find that the city of Slidell had been approved for $1.5 million.

The grant would allow the city to repair the bulkhead and also build a total of 65 boat slips on Bayou Bonfouca, with Slidell initially putting up matching funds of $373,000. As the red tape of government agencies delayed the project over and over, Slidell ended up putting up $1.1 million for a total price tag of $2.6 million.

On Tuesday, city officials, state officials and interested parties gathered at Heritage Park for a symbolic groundbreaking that finally allows contractors to get onto the property and start the work.

“I’m just glad we finally got this thing moving,” Borchert said from North Carolina, on vacation and unable to attend the groundbreaking for the project he is most responsible for. “At the beginning I expected it would take about two years to start construction, but the delays pushed this off for nearly five years.”

The biggest problem is that Bayou Bonfouca is actually the site of an original Superfund cleanup project, one of two contaminated sites the feds cleaned up in Slidell in the early 1990s.

Longtime Slidellians will remember that in 1992 the first of those sites was discovered at the former Southern Shipbuilding site on the bayou, where toxic materials were reportedly released into the bayou. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) came to Slidell and deemed the site contaminated, bringing a giant incinerator into the city on Bayou Lane to begin the cleanup.

Shortly thereafter it was discovered that a creosote plant along the bayou had apparently dumped thousands of gallons of contaminated creosote material into the water during a 1970 fire at the plant. Louisiana DEQ officials combined the two projects and spent well over $120 million for the total cleanup.

As city officials tried to move forward with permitting to start construction on the bulkhead and boat docks, Borchert said they had to deal with various federal agencies such as the Louisiana Land Bottom Leases and other Superfund regulations.

For Slidell, however, the result is a massively improved bayou that is acceptable for all forms of water recreation, according to Regional Superfund Coordinator Casey Luckett Snyder.

When the creosote issue was initially discovered, with the contaminated material down in the mud and water, Snyder said the water was actually sterile and investigative divers working the scene received second degree burns from going into the water.

“Now, if you went in the water to swim you could get out and be fine,” she said.

The Slidell Marina project, as it has been named, will begin construction in the next 60 days and is aiming at a completion in February, 2018, according to Mayor Freddy Drennan. He said he is especially happy to see the boat slips coming to Heritage Park because he has heard complaints about that for years.

“Ever since I’ve been mayor I’ve heard that Heritage Park is not friendly to boaters,” he stated. “Well now it will become very friendly.”

Borchert said he hopes the accessibility for boaters will encourage them to come to Slidell for special events, as well as visit the area and eat at local restaurants.

“In Madisonville they have a spot they call the Wall, where boaters pull up and then go into the town to eat at the restaurants and make it a destination for out-of-towners,” he said. “I’m hoping we see that for Slidell in a way that will help restaurants in Olde Towne.”

The marina project will add floating docks with power and water connections, including nine finger-pier slips that can accommodate boats up to 75 feet in length, along with 18 slips for side-tie docking for boats up to 55 feet in length.

There will also be 1,025 linear feet of fixed concrete docks which can accommodate 38 boats at an average length of 26 feet. Boaters needing water or electricity will be able to use a credit card on site to pay.

The bulkhead will see 1,600 feet repaired, including sidewalks along the banks of Bayou Bonfouca, going all the way to the back of Palmetto’s restaurant, an area that is still city property.

Bayou Bonfouca near Heritage Park is still part of the Superfund project that receives a review every five years to ensure the remedy is intact. When it was set up in the 1980s the creosote was dug out of the mud and transported down Bayou Lane to an incinerator where it was burned. The ash was brought back to a site nearby and buried.

Louisiana DEQ representative Keith Horn said the state is still periodically checking the water and bayou for creosote and is still finding trace amounts.

“Yes, the creosote is still there in a very small way,” he said. “We will continue to check the area in perpetuity.”

Two young ladies from Slidell are quietly working at the national level to bring assistance to those with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Seventh grader Emily Floyd (center), 11th grader Sara Howell (right) and Maria Floyd recently represented the state of Louisiana at the Arthritis Advocacy Summit in Washington, D.C., the only three representatives from the state. Emily, a student at Slidell Junior High, was diagnosed with Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis at the age of 9 and is now working to raise awareness about the disease. Also working with her is Howell, a Salmen High junior, who is an Arthritis Foundation Junior Ambassador. In the Washington trip the girls spent the day talking to members of Congress about the disease. Emily served as a Youth Honoree for the Jingle Bell Run in New Orleans this past December and is raising money for the Walk to Cure Arthritis in Baton Rouge this May.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The fate of Slidell’s oldest country club and golf course appears to be bright after the Pinewood Country Club Board of Directors voted on Monday night to support a decision by the shareholders to sell the club to a private investor.

The city of Slidell seemed poised to cut a deal that would purchase most of the 96-acre property after the City Council in February approved $900,000 for the buy. That vote came months after an initial purchase proposal last fall by Councilman Bill Borchert was voted down.

The City Council had a change of heart in February after three Parish Council members came on board and crafted a city/parish deal to use the Pinewood land in a comprehensive drainage package for the eastern St. Tammany region.

But apparently the time from November to February was enough to bring other interested parties into the Pinewood picture.

On Monday night, longtime Slidell resident Chris Smith stunned many when he offered $850,000 of his own money to buy the golf course, while current clubhouse operator Louis Ochoa capped the deal by teaming with Smith to offer a purchase of the existing buildings and restaurant operation.

With the prospect to keep the Pinewood Country Club golf course and clubhouse operation alive and well, a majority of over 40 shareholders opted for the Smith-Ochoa deal.

“The turning point to go with Smith and Ochoa was because we wanted to keep the golf course operating,” one unnamed shareholder said.

Smith, a Slidell resident who grew up playing at Pinewood, then worked over 30 years as an engineer for Shell Oil, stepped to the plate in a surprising move and presented an offer to the other shareholders that would put up his own retirement money to buy the Pinewood golf course.

Smith, 55, said it was Ochoa who kept Pinewood alive the past three years since he was hired to head the restaurant and clubhouse operation. And  he said it is Ochoa’s offer to buy the facility, remodel and expand it that makes the deal worth doing.

“Louis Ochoa was the savior for Pinewood since he came in here three years ago and turned the restaurant and banquet room around,” Smith said. “But with the improvements he will now make, I believe we can generate new interest in club membership and do well.

“Ultimately for me the decision was made because Pinewood is a part of this community and I want it to be here for a long time,” Smith added.

Since the City Council initially turned down the idea of buying Pinewood last November there was varying levels of interest, including home developers, a near-by nursing home facility, a trailer park owner and finally, Smith. All told there had been as many as seven offers for Pinewood in recent months.

“I never thought seriously about buying Pinewood until I saw the city would definitely be killing the golf course if they bought it,” Smith said. “This is a perfect course for kids, a great part of our community, and it increases home values in the area if the golf course continues. That is another reason I hope more homeowners around here will decide to begin supporting the club, whether they are golfers or not.”

Borchert, the city councilman who took his share of heat since last year for proposing the idea of Slidell buying the land, said he was happy the golf course would remain, but mostly frustrated with fellow council members who took so long to approve the purchase.

“If we would have gotten an OK to buy the land in November it would have been a done deal now and we could have done a lot to improve drainage for many people,” he said. “I’m still happy for Pinewood and the fact that the club will survive. I just hope the next time there is a heavy rain and we see people flooding again that they will remember we tried to do something that would have helped.”

Pinewood began to face financial problems shortly after Hurricane Katrina when membership fell and golf play was down. The board opted to borrow $840,000 from Resource Bank, but Smith said the debt obligation took a heavy toll on finances as golf course play struggled to recover.

Smith’s price of $850,000 will pay off the bank loan, then Ochoa’s purchase of the other buildings will pay back many former club members who loaned money to Pinewood, as well as former club pro James Leitz. Those obligations total nearly $300,000. Leitz was among others who had filed a lawsuit against the club in an attempt to recoup some of his losses after he left Pinewood over a year ago and accepted the head pro job at Tchefuncta Country Club.

Part of the new deal will also include a management operating company that includes six investors and current club pro Ted Elliott. It will include sales from the pro shop and provide additional income for course maintenance and improvements.

Smith said his immediate plan is to improve the greens on the course and then address other needs to bring the course condition back to the days of old.

Ochoa plans to remodel the restaurant and club facility, and also construct an events building next to the current 10th tee box.

Borchert said his main concern for Pinewood now is if Smith’s plan fails.

“The city has the money now to buy Pinewood, but if three to five years down the road things don’t work out then we will likely not have the money,” he said. “I wish them the best on their plan and hope it works out. At this point I think we’re all glad to know there won’t be a lot of new homes going up on the Pinewood property—at least that’s a good thing.”

Pinewood General Manager Terri Haithcox wanted to make it clear that everything is operating as usual at the club and “nothing is changing. We are open for business.”

SLIDELL – Voters will go to the polls this Saturday, April 29 to consider renewal of two sales taxes in St. Tammany Parish that fund the operations and maintenance of the Justice Center and the parish jail.

Parish officials, with the support of Sheriff Randy Smith, have reduced the sales taxes from a quarter cent each to a fifth-of-a-cent each, and reduced the term for the taxes to remain in place from 20 years to 10 years. The renewals were both defeated last year in the first attempt to confirm the funding to continue.

Both agencies will now receive approximately $9 million a year from the two taxes, down from $11 million.

Additionally, almost $1 million from the Justice Center tax is now dedicated to the specialty courts in the 22nd Judicial District.

Parish President Pat Brister said the decision to change the taxes to only 10 years came after getting feedback from the public following the defeat last year, both taxes going down with 60 percent or more against them.

“I have talked to a lot of people and was consistently told that 20 years was too long on the tax,” Brister said. “With many other millages only 10 years it made sense to drop the sales tax to 10 years.”

Brister said that if the tax fails it would positively mean the Towers Building in Slidell would close. That facility provides an eastern parish service area for most departments in parish government. If the Towers Building closes it will flood hundreds more to the Justice Center operation.

“That’s not a threat,” Brister said. “We simply wouldn’t have the dollars to operate it.”

The sales tax for the jail operation is equally important considering the parish currently houses 1,100 prisoners, Smith said. He said a failure of the tax would mean that 100 employees would lose their jobs. The jail currently has over 200 employees running it.

“It’s so important to maintain the operation and the safety of the jail as our population grows,” Smith said. “Even though the cost is rising to feed inmates and provide medical care for them, we are not asking for any increase—for that matter we are willing to figure out how to do it with less money from the tax.”

Judge Peter Garcia heads the specialty court program in the 22nd Judicial District system, providing a way to help people with problems that keep landing them in jail.

“We appreciate the parish helping us fund these courts since none of the judges are paid extra money for the time it takes to handle the different courts, but it is still expensive to run them,” Garcia said. “These courts are proven to be effective by getting counseling, treatment or whatever it takes so someone can overcome the problem that keeps landing them in jail.”

Brister said the parish needs the sales tax funding since it comes down to quality of life issues in St. Tammany to maintain these services, and keep the jail operating at a peak level.

“We know the state issues with money are getting worse and we need ways to keep these programs that are important to our quality of life in St. Tammany Parish,” she said. “The residents of St. Tammany need to do what we can to take care of ourselves rather than rely on the state to help, and these taxes are part of keeping the quality of life we have here.”

The specialty courts are proven to reduce jail population, according to a Louisiana Public Health Institute report. Recidivism rates after two years for those who were involved in a drug court were only 5.4 percent, compared to a 36 percent recidivism rate for those who were offenders on felony probation with treatment in a specialty court.

SLIDELL – A team of graduates from the Leadership Northshore Class of 2011 will host the 7th annual Senior Spring Celebration on Wednesday, May 3 at the John Slidell gym, continuing an annual “thank you” to seniors for their contributions in our community. The event is free to the first 400 seniors who sign up and includes a day of lunch, music and door prizes.

The Leadership team created the annual event as a simple way to show seniors that “we appreciate all they have done for our community. This is a genuine, sincere thanks and that’s it. We aren’t trying to sell them anything or signing them up for anything,” said original team member Eddie Vauthier.

Team Silver, as the Leadership group dubbed themselves, is made up of Vauthier, Steve Kernahan, Christine Lowrance, Jarrett Johnson, Catherine Olivier and Carol Haynes.

The Spring Celebration was selected to give seniors something fun to do at a time of the year when there is not traditionally a lot going on for many of them.

“The springtime event was selected because there aren’t any special holiday events like Christmas or July 4 at this time of the year,” Vauthier said. “This provides a platform for them to get out and meet other seniors and just have a nice day.”

Seniors are urged to call and RSVP for the event as quickly as possible since it has been full every year, which leads to others having to be turned away.

The Leadership team has a fabulous lineup of food for the lunch once again, thanks to some area restaurants and public officials who join in the event.

This year’s menu will feature Slidell Mayor Freddy Drennan’s Smoked Brisket, Fire Chief Chris Kaufmann’s Jambalaya, St. Tammany Sheriff Randy Smith’s Alligator Sauce Piquante, Slidell Chief of Police Randy Fandal’s Chicken and Sausage Gumbo, Chef Michael of Michael’s Restaurant with his Carrot Souffle, and The Landing’s Bar & Grill’s Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

Entertainment will be from Rockin’ Ron.

Call to RSVP to 985-285-0133.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Leo Casanave doesn’t pretend he is a younger, cool version of the teachers today.

While some educators might try to fit in with the younger generation, Casanave is proud of what he has accomplished as an old school teacher and counselor in St. Tammany Parish who still promotes the values of his youth. Even at the age of 73, coming out of retirement 10 years ago at the request of the St. Tammany superintendent, he continues to make his mark on children as a school counselor.

Casanave is among those being honored as a “Mighty Man of Valor” by the Alexis Wilkins Scholarship Foundation, with a special banquet set this Saturday, April 29.

A lifelong resident of St. Tammany Parish who grew up in Lacombe, Casanave never imagined he would become a teacher since his father died when he was 11, and his mother raised the children in the family on a meager income working for the Lacombe Nursing Home.

“My father got throat cancer when he was 44 and died, but in our neighborhood it was the uncles and aunts who helped my mama out,” Casanave said. “If us kids got out of line our relatives would say ‘we got to tighten you up.’ And you know what that meant.”

Casanave said his mother still kept him and his twin brother Leon in line, along with his two sisters, who helped their mom watch out for the boys.

“My mama was strict, that’s for sure,” he said. “We didn’t have no fence around our house, but she would go out to the yard with a long stick in her hand and draw an imaginary line around the house and say, ‘don’t you cross this line.’ And we usually didn’t.”

When he graduated from high school he barely thought about college due to the lack of money. He started working with his uncle as a brick mason until one cold winter day when he thought about something better.

“It was so cold that day and I remember thinking, ‘I can’t do this for 50 years.’ So I went to Mr. (Robert) Brooks at St. Tammany High School and he said he would help me go to college,” he said. “He got me a loan for my tuition and got me to school.”

Brooks, a highly respected educator and leader in the African American community for many years in St. Tammany Parish, called the president at Southern University in Baton Rouge and got Casanave in.

“He told the president, ‘you have to help this boy out. He’s got nothing.’” Casanave remembers. “And then he got me a job working in the cleaning department where I made 75 cents an hour. It bought me my meal ticket every month and I had $5 left over.”

Casanave said he always asked for extra work on weekends or evenings when others wanted time off and began to set his sights on becoming a doctor.

“But I knew I would never afford grad school,” he said. “I always liked math and the sciences so that’s what I got my degree in.”

Brooks came back home and was hired at St. Tammany High School in 1965 where he taught for five years before becoming a counselor in 1969. It began a 35 year career as a counselor before he retired in 2004, only to get asked to come back in 2007 by Superintendent Gayle Sloan. Since then he has worked 10 more years and has no intent to stop.

“I always enjoyed this job, working with these children. And now I’ve worked with the children of those kids, and now the children’s, children’s, children,” he said with a laugh.

Casanave was not content to simply help the children in the schools. He took on other volunteer positions in the community, all in an effort to give back to those who gave him a chance for a career that was not involving bricks.

He became the manager of the St. Tammany Federal Credit Union and held that position for 23 years, working there till 8 or 9 at night as a way to make extra money. He became the Youth Coordinator for the Jobs Training Program in the summer, putting in 28 years and helping hundreds of young people get their first job.

“I have kids come up to me today that still say thank you for helping them get the skills to find their first job,” he remarked. “That’s something I’ve always felt good about.”

In Lacombe he was a founding member of the Men of Our Town Civic and Social Club and also served as a commissioner for Fire District #3. He has been an active member of the Sacred Heart Catholic Church, where he has sung in the choir for years, and was a longtime volunteer with the Lacombe Recreation Department.

St. Tammany Principal Vince DiCarlo said that Casanave is still a key staff member today because of the respect he receives from the kids and parents.

“He is a living example of a pure educator in all he does and you can’t put a value on that,” DiCarlo said. “For us to find that for our school, and the commitment he has to these kids, it has been great for us.”

Casanave does smile when asked about the changes in his 50-year career, especially with Social Media and cell phones.

“I think Social Media is a good thing to have today if you keep a cap on it in school,” he said. “We have actually gotten help from kids who used their phones to film kids fighting. They come in to my office and show me the film and it helps us know who was right and wrong.”

He said the biggest difference he deals with as a counselor is that too many parents are quick to support the children in disputes rather than support the schools the way they used to.

“In my early years the parents never went against what we said at the school,” he said. “Now a lot of parents are not as supportive of us as before, siding with the kids rather than the schools.

“When I have to meet with parents about a problem I always tell the other teachers who are involved that we have to ‘sharpen our ax’ before going to the meeting. That just means we need to have all the facts ready to get to the bottom of the problem,” he added.

Casanave still remembers his first job on a Lacombe chicken farm when he was 13 years of age and cleaned the bottoms of the coop.

“I scooped that poop,” he said. “I got $30 a week and the first time I made it I went home and tried to give it to my mama. She said, ‘that’s yours.’ That motivated me and I always remembered that she said ‘if you work for something, it’s yours. But if you want something, you better go get it.’”

As for the honor he will receive this weekend, Casanave said “I feel good to think I’ve helped people. When I retired for three years I was so bored. I’m glad I can still do this and help these kids.”

Casanave will celebrate his 50th wedding anniversary this summer. He and his wife have a son and a daughter.

SLIDELL?– St. Tammany Fire District #1 responded to the report of a two story commercial structure fire at a commercial strip building, located at 843 Robert Blvd. in Slidell.  Firefighters arrived to flames and thick black smoke coming from a 1,200 square foot vacant suite within the 10,000 square foot multi-tenant building.

Firefighters forced entry into the suite to make access to the fire, which was located in the attic of the vacant suite.  It took firefighters almost two hours to bring the situation under control and extinguish the fire.

The tenants in an adjacent suite, Christy’s Music, noticed smoke coming into their upstairs storage area and called 911. 

Firefighters were able to contain the fire to the vacant suite and minimize fire and smoke damage to the other tenant spaces. The fire is believed to have started in the attic of the vacant suite.  The fire is currently under investigation.  No injuries were reported.

For more information about St. Tammany Fire Protection District #1, visit www.slidellfire.org.

Mark Giacone, 41, 125 Euella Dr., Slidell, illegal possession of stolen things.

Ashton Dyer, 31, 237637 Jackson St., Lacombe, two counts contempt of court.

Alvin Frierson, 30, 37418 Sticker Rd., Pearl River, aggravated battery, two counts contempt of court.

Kristy Fields, 32, 209 Napoleon Ave., Slidell, two counts theft between $750 and $5,000, two counts theft under $750, bank fraud, surrender of defendant or bondsman off bond.

Nathaniel Cochran, 40, 112 Hoover Dr., Slidell, first offense domestic abuse battery.

Samantha McCann, 32, 1020 Joe Buccaran Dr., Slidell, DWI second offense, improper lane usage, no safety belts.

Winston Briggs, 23, 26226 E.B. Reu St., Lacombe, simple criminal damage to property, contempt of court.

Brian Judah, 41, 35382 Bookout Rd., Pearl River, aggravated assault with a firearm.

Edward Dubrel, 21, 56405 Almonaster St., Slidell, DWI first offense, hit-and-run, reckless operation of a motor vehicle.

Elliot Galloway, 43, 68052 Hwy. 41, Pearl River, two counts first degree robbery, resisting a police officer with force or violence, probation violation.

Miranda Wheat, 23, 4219 Ash Dr., Slidell, contempt of court.

Doris Johnson, 37, 2191 Park Dr., Slidell, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Brandon Nealy, 30, 4518 Pontchartrain Dr., Slidell, drug court sanction.

Ted Roach, 32, 2113 Jay St., Slidell, housed for court.

Duran Pichon, 37, 27137 Sycamore Dr., Lacombe, possession of schedule I, failure to honor written promise to appear.

Diondre Jones, 28, 1811 Ings Rd., Slidell, housed for court.

Kimberly Childress, 57, 64096 Mangano Dr., Pearl River, theft of goods.

Kristi Bowman, 37, 29125 Clesi St., Lacombe, drug court sanction.

Bruce Biewer, 29, 208 Meredith Dr., Slidell, housed for court.

Solomon Jones, 15, 25445 Batiste St., Lacombe, simple kidnapping, attempted armed robbery, attempted first degree murder.

SLIDELL – A Baton Rouge woman charged with driving while intoxicated in the morning hours on Monday has also been charged with child endangerment after she got into a single vehicle crash on Highway 190 near Pine Street in Slidell.

Brenda Brown, 28, was traveling eastbound on Hwy. 190 coming into Slidell at approximately 11:15 a.m. when she apparently lost control of her car, veered to the right, then after over-corrected back onto the highway, exited the road and crashed into a fire hydrant and a utility pole, according to a report from Slidell Police Public Information Officer Chad Olivier.

There were two young children on the floorboard of the car, Olivier said, who both sustained serious, but not fatal injuries in the crash.

The children were transported to University Hospital in New Orleans where a 4-year-old was examined and found to have a broken shoulder and fractured skull, while a 1-year-old sustained a broken leg and broken shoulder.

Olivier said the two children were wedged on the floorboard against the driver and passenger seats.

Officers reporting on the scene said Brown would not consent to a breath test, but she was still charged with Driving While Intoxicated (DWI) due to visual observation of the police working the case. She was also charged with two counts of vehicular negligent injury, two counts of no child restraint and driving with a suspended driver’s license.

Slidell Chief Randy Fandal said, “Nobody’s child should be placed in danger by drunk driving. This woman was entrusted to keep these children safe. Not only was this irresponsible, but it was also criminal and now she is charged with two counts of child endangerment, in addition to the DWI.”

Brown did have to allow a blood sample be sent to the state crime lab.

She had no previous DWI charges, no any previous criminal history.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Lea Hord and Taska Lipham know there are many summer camps that children can attend as a great time when school is out of session.

But the First Baptist Church summer camp that is being revived this year has a special aspect that the women are excited to offer the Slidell community once again.

First Baptist used to have a summer camp for many years before it was discontinued, but this summer the church is bringing back a camp that is especially geared to allow children with many different situations that might normally keep them from going to summer camp.

“Most camps don’t take special needs kids, but we do,” Hord said. “And we also make a special attempt to reach kids who might be in a low income situation and can’t afford to come. For us this is a ministry and an outreach, a total Christian outreach that will present Jesus on a regular basis.”

Hord is the First Baptist director of Preschool Ministries during the school year, while Lipham is a public school teacher during the normal nine-month school schedule. But both of the ladies have made the summer months a time to reach out to children they have seen all year long who need special consideration for various reasons.

“I teach a lot of low income kids, some who have difficult family situations, and those are many of the kids who really need some extra love and attention,” Lipham said. “We really want to reach them. Kids need to see hope in the world and we will give that to them with this camp.”

The women know that there are many other excellent church camps in the area that teach the Christian message, but the majority of summer camps don’t have the capability to take in special needs children—a real challenge if the staff doesn’t have the expertise to handle those young boys and girls.

Hord said the First Baptist camp will have a special education teacher working with them during the camp, allowing them to be prepared for special needs children, some whom have medication issues that precludes them from going to most other camps.

“One of the reasons a lot of camps don’t want to have the special needs kids is because they can become disruptive during camp and they simply are not prepared to deal with that,” Hord said. “It’s not that other camps don’t have a lot of wonderful staffers who are compassionate with these kids. But you need to have staff members who have the training to deal with it.”

Hord said the First Baptist camp does not use teenagers and goes beyond the basic camp fun that is offered.

She said that when staffers see a family situation that needs help they have frequently gone far beyond camp basics to help.

“This is a total outreach so we will feed kids and their families, we have a food pantry to help at home and we have clothing to give them. We have taken kids in the past who frequently come from single mom homes, and some with single dads. We know they can use help and that is what we want to offer, besides a great summer camp that will be a lot of fun,” she added.

The camp will accept children from age 2-13, with the weekly camps beginning May 30 and continuing until the final week of July 24. Fees are $125 a week per child, with discounts for additional children in a family. There are also discounted rates to have a child at the camp for only two or three days.

Camp hours are 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., and there is before and after care from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

“We want to also help families that can’t afford this,” Hord added. “We had one situation where a mom was living with a friend and sleeping on a couch since she was working, but couldn’t afford daycare. So we helped the child come to camp and worked to help the mom. There are a lot of dire situations and we want to help.

“So many of these children have responded in a tremendous way when they come to our camp and see that they are loved,” Lipham said. “That’s what we want to offer.”

For more information or to register, call 985-788-0272 or 985-643-3456.

LACOMBE – A 26-year-old driver from Bogalusa claimed the brakes on his truck went out as he approached a stop sign in Lacombe, leading to a collision on Monday morning that took the life of a 17-year-old teenage girl.

St. Tammany Sheriff’s Office spokesman Suzanne Carboni reported that Victoria Schneider of Lacombe was a passenger, along with her sister, in the 1997 Chevrolet pickup truck being driven by Jermamie Young of Bogalusa.

Schneider and 23-year-old Olivia Ellis were passengers in Young’s truck as he drove east on West Chestnut St. at 7:30 a.m. on Monday. But as Young approached the stop sign at the intersection with North Pontchartrain Dr. he said the brakes went out on his truck and he couldn’t stop.

The result was a collision with 55-year-old Steve Williams of Lacombe, driving his own 2003 Ford pickup truck that flipped over upon impact and came to rest on the roadway.

Williams and one of his passengers were taken to a local hospital with minor to moderate injuries, while a second passenger in Williams’ truck was uninjured.

Schneider received severe injuries and was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead, while her sister had minor injuries. Young, the driver of the truck, was also uninjured.

Carboni said it was not known if Schneider was wearing her seatbelt at the time of the crash.

Impairment is not suspected, Carboni said, but blood samples were obtained and will be sent to the crime lab for analysis.

“Young claimed the brakes on his truck failed, which is the reason he was unable to stop,” Carboni reported.

No charges have been filed at this time, however, the investigation into the crash is on-going.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – For the past 12 months Pinewood Country Club looked like the loser in the final minutes of a landslide loss on election day. It was only a matter of time before the defeat was official.

The 54-year-old Slidell golf and country club hit on hard financial times after Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and has struggled to survive since then. With a possible bank foreclosure of an $840,000 loan looming the past year, there was almost unanimous agreement that Pinewood Country Club would see the end of its days when golfers played the 18-hole course in the piney woods of Slidell.

Then along came Louis Ochoa and Chris Smith to the rescue.

At a Pinewood Board of Directors meeting over a week ago it seemed that the city of Slidell was set to purchase the club and turn the 96-acre property into a massive drainage project that would provide a positive end for the club, albeit without golfers slamming a little white ball off the tee boxes.

Instead, Smith made an offer to purchase the course and wipe out the bank loan, while Ochoa offered to purchase nearly seven acres of land where he has operated the clubhouse, restaurant and lounge for the past two years in a lease agreement that by all accounts had saved the club a little longer.

The deal totaled approximately $1.2 million and Pinewood shareholders were suddenly downcast no more as they overwhelmingly accepted the offer which has, at least for the foreseeable future, given the historic golf course and club new life.

Smith, a Shell Oil retiree who played golf at Pinewood in his high school days, made a decision to use his own retirement funds for the golf course purchase in an attempt to revive the club that he said is an integral part of the Slidell community.

Ochoa, who began as a small businessman in Slidell in 2012 when he opened NOLA Southern Grill on Gause Boulevard, now has plans for a massive remodeling and renovation project that will also include an entirely new 6,500 square foot events facility next to the spot that is now the 10th tee.

Ochoa, who has proven his entrepreneurial skills in business with nearly 40 rental properties to go with his restaurant and catering business, was able to use those assets as collateral for what he said will be an investment of over $1 million in Pinewood.

“A large portion of my restaurant business is catering and special events and the opportunity to lease the space here at Pinewood the past two years showed me this can be successful,” Ochoa said. “But we do need to put a new look on the place and that’s what I plan to do.”

Ochoa said he will remodel the front of the main building to create a new image for Pinewood, and while he has already done a lot of improvements on the inside—particularly gutting the lounge area and creating a fresh new atmosphere there—he said the work has just begun. He plans to redo the bathrooms in the main building, paint the entire place and “modernize the entire inside.”

Additionally, the pool area will get a new look as he plans to build an outdoor ceremony setting to the side of the pool that is now a grassy area. Phase II at the pool will be to build an outdoor, exposed beam area as well.

The biggest change at Pinewood will be the Sadie Jane events center, creating a 6,500 square foot “Rustic Barn” look that Ochoa said the Slidell area does not have.

“The Rustic Barn look is kind of the new thing. I’ve researched wedding facilities and events centers for the past two years and I think people will love what they call this Rustic Barn look,” he said, adding that the name of Sadie Jane comes from his daughter’s name.

Sadie Jane will accommodate up to 300 people and can handle up to three parties at once.

“It will have that rustic look, but will positively be an elegant venue,” he added.

Ochoa, 44, spent the early part of his professional career learning the restaurant business when he worked at Copeland’s, both as a chef and handling managerial responsibilities. He opened NOLA Southern Grill in May, 2012 as his first personal venture into the restaurant business and has been successful there, particularly creating a strong catering business. However, he said his growth made it apparent he needed a venue of his own.

With Pinewood struggling financially in recent years, particularly in their ballroom, restaurant and lounge business, the club made what turned out to be a critical move by leasing the area to Ochoa.

Smith called Ochoa “the savior for Pinewood since he came in two years ago. He turned that business around and it kept the club alive the past two years.”

Ochoa was originally approached to lease the Pinewood facility for $13,000 a month, but said that was too high before he settled on $6,000 a month.

“It’s not just the $6,000 a month to lease the kitchen and facilities, but utilities have been averaging about $3,600 a month,” he added.

A fundraiser hosted at the club shortly after he took over raised enough money to improve the ballroom and restaurant/lounge area.

“I knew coming here that this was a gamble, but I had been looking for a catering facility and this seemed like the best thing I could find,” he explained. “Now two years later we have made it work.”

He said that sales improved by approximately 20 percent, showing him that he could do even better if he owned the facility—the key facts that led him to seek a deal with the city or anyone who would buy the golf course property.

“I would have been OK if the city bought the course and I was able to buy this portion of Pinewood, but it’s better that Chris did it since the golf course certainly adds more value to what I will have here. Besides, brides don’t exactly want to know they are getting married next to a retention pond,” he said with a laugh.

Ochoa and Smith said they are hoping to be able to close on the golf course and property within 90 days, then Ochoa said he will begin improvements to the existing buildings, and start construction of Sadie Jane, which he expects to have ready for wedding season by next spring.

“I really believe Sadie Jane will be such a great facility that we will draw customers from the entire region, including the Gulf Coast and New Orleans. It will be a unique place to have a big party, wedding or special event,” he said.

Smith has similar plans for the golf course, initially putting money into improving the greens, then working on the rest of the course—maintenance work that has struggled with lack of funds in recent years.

Current Club Pro Ted Elliott will stay on board and is part of a deal to operate the clubhouse.

As longtime General Manager Terri Haithcox is telling everyone, “we are open for business.”

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Voters in St. Tammany Parish are sending a loud and clear message to parish officials in light of the second defeat at the polls for sales tax renewals that fund maintenance and operation of the Justice Center and parish jail.

“Tighten your financial belts.”

Not only are voters vehemently opposed to new taxes, but renewals of existing taxes—and even reductions—are not being supported with voters showing signs of a St. Tammany revolt. Not only have key parish leaders been replaced at the polls in recent years, but sales tax and millage renewals have been getting voted down at a steady pace.

The sales tax renewals that voters decided on this past Saturday, both reduced by 20 percent and taken from 20 years to 10 years, were narrowly defeated at the polls.

The vote for the fifth-cent Justice Center sales tax renewal lost in a vote count of 8,218 to 8,062.

The vote for the fifth-cent sales tax to fund the parish jail went down in a vote total of 8,188 to 8,069.

It was the second defeat in a year for the sales tax renewals. Last April, 2016 both renewals were overwhelmingly defeated with over 60 percent of the voters saying they didn’t want to pay for the taxes originally approved in 1998 to construct and maintain the Justice Center and parish jail.

This time parish officials aggressively got out to speak at every meeting and public gathering they could. The result was that nearly 2,000 more people got out to vote on Saturday and the educational campaign on the two issues did get more votes in favor of the renewals. However, it was still not enough support to swing the vote in favor of continuing the taxes.

In the first vote for the jail, 14,453 voters turned out to cast their ballot, with 8,734 voting against it for a strong 60 percent opposition mark. In Saturday’s vote there were 16,257 voters, but there were still 8,188 against the tax.

For the Justice Center, the first vote in 2016 saw 14,424 turn out to vote with 8,940, or 62 percent, against it. This time there were 16,280 voters with 8,188 still opposing the renewal.

Public sentiment also showed on six other tax issues, with three of the six going down in failure.

Two recreation districts, and one lighting district in the parish, were voted down as the public was asked to continue funding those issues.

Public comments on Facebook critical of parish government were easy to find and it was clear that parish officials hurt themselves in January when they approved five Economic Development District (EDD) sales taxes.

EDD taxes can be voted by the Parish Council without the approval of the public and the council supported five of them for particular shopping areas around St. Tammany, meaning shoppers in those areas are paying higher sales taxes.

Facebook posts consistently mentioned the disgust by voters that the Parish Council approved taxes without the backing of the public, making it clear that was another reason the public decided to say “no” when asked to renew the Justice Center and parish jail taxes.

Parish President Pat Brister had a brief comment after the election, noting that the decisions on how to address the loss of $9 million a year in revenue for each facility is one that will need much discussion and won’t be made quickly.

“It is unfortunate that some of the residents of St. Tammany chose not to support these two crucial sales tax renewals that are critical in supporting essential services to our parish, even after they were reduced by 20%. We will have to look at our general fund to determine what services our citizens currently utilize that will have to be cut, and if employee lay-offs will be required,” said Brister.

Sheriff Randy Smith, in a message on Facebook, said, “The voters have spoken. I will respect their decision. We will move forward and make the necessary changes in order to operate within our new budget.”

Some residents commented that the fact the two facilities would be paid off in 2018 was another reason the parish should be able to operate without the funding.

Brister, Smith and other public officials held a press conference in January, 2017 to tout the fact they were reducing the sales taxes from a quarter-cent to a fifth-cent, and also reducing the renewal from 20 years to 10 years. The parish president said that after the taxes went down in a big way a year ago she heard many residents saying the 20-year original tax term was too long.

Brister has said in the past months of campaigning for the tax renewal that if the Justice Center tax failed it would likely mean the Towers Building in Slidell would be closed, forcing all parish government offices to run exclusively from the already busy Justice Center in Covington. No comment on whether that will happen now has yet come from Brister.

Smith previously said that the parish jail would probably have to lay off half of the 200-man employee force there if the tax failed. Spokesman Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau said it is still too early to make any definitive statements on that matter in light of the tax renewal failing.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – If you want to get quick, public reaction to any breaking news story it is easy to find these days on Facebook.

Comments on why the sales tax renewals for the St. Tammany Justice Center and parish jail failed this past Saturday were rampant as voters expressed their displeasure with several aspects of parish government.

Here is a sampling of those comments:

“A temporary tax means temporary! Too much waste is too much. Everyone including government must spend wisely and tighten their belts. EVERYTHING has increased EXCEPT our salaries!!!!!!!”

–“I’m taxed out in this parish. Even if it’s a renewal we are being over taxed for things that have been paid off. Wait until the school system wants to renew their taxes. Over a third of my taxes are for the school system. I’m a senior on a limited income with no children or grandchildren attending schools here.”

–“It is imperative that elected officials understand their role as fiduciaries—that they must manage the expenditure of tax dollars judiciously. This requires intelligent short-term and long-term planning, intellectual rigor and public transparency relative to the government’s decision-making process, and—even in a parish as wealthy as St. Tammany, a recognition that tax dollars are finite.

–“I am sorely disappointed in the public. I have no words. This was a tax we’re already paying, and it’s so small, when you don’t pay it, it will be insignificant. Non-voters have let down the whole parish.

–“Enough is enough….the people have spoken…….”

–“Prior to 1998 the parish had the money to operate a jail and courthouse. Now after 20 years of population and corresponding revenue growth and with the cost advantages provided by the new facilities, you are going to tell me you don’t have money to operate? You have the revenue. You will operate these facilities without this tax. And you will be voted out of office at our earliest convenience.”

–“Voters are very cautious about taxes in St. Tammany Parish, especially after Pat Brister and the Parish Council passed a sales tax without a vote of the people. What happens now is up in the air….but the actions of our Parish President and Parish Council have created an aura of distrust which I believe will last for a very long time.”

–“Whenever a new home valued over $75,000.00 (requiring the homeowner to pay taxes to the parish) comes on the tax rolls, the parish gets additional tax money. I assume there are quite a number of new homes coming on the tax rolls each year, and I suspect that there are no homes “falling off” the tax rolls to keep the tax revenue even. The parish continues to get more and more taxes without issue.”

–“The failure of the recent tax measures may have been caused by the following: The recent enactment (without a vote) by our parish council of the 1/2 cent sales tax on all stores along the I-12 corridor. There is no immediate budget need for these taxes. Where is this money dedicated? They are now looking for places to spend it.

Uncontrolled spending by parish entities, specifically fire, sheriff, school board, etc. (does one parish really need 12 or more fire districts with their own chiefs, budgets and hierarchy, including the purchase of large fire apparatus that could be standardized)?

St. Tammany Parish has the highest property and sales taxes in the state already.

These agencies should learn to assess their needs and reduce their budgets instead of constantly expanding their out of control budgets.”

–“It was a renewal, not additional taxes and really, in the big picture, did not affect anybody personally although it does impact the jail and justice center. People feel our taxes are too high–people are sick of paying taxes.”

Samantha Partlan, 34, 57308 Oak Ave., Slidell, drug court sanction.

Kilian Willliams, 47, 6348 Farrel Dr., Slidell, drug court sanction.

Warner Larche, 31, 26275 Jackson St., Lacombe, probation violation.

Michael Eckenrode, 45, 1950 Possum Hollow Rd., Slidell, drug court sanction.

Bryan Smith, 23, 66484 Casey Court, Pearl River, drug court sanction.

Joseph Haindel, 23, 1535 Royal Palm Dr., Slidell, probation violation, bank fraud.

Casey McLemore, 37, distribution or possession with intent to distribute schedule I CDS, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Rachel McMillan, 35, 1001 9th St., Slidell, distribution or possession with intent to distribute schedule I CDS, possession of drug paraphernalia.

William Stanley, 32, 123 Cardriff Court, Slidell, possession of schedule II.

James Brueggert, 24, 65015 Ann St., Pearl River, aggravated criminal damage.

Glenn Lopez, 30, 60147 Nina Dr., Lacombe, simple criminal damage between $500-$50,000.

Casey Rowley, 27, 189089 Hwy. 190, Lacombe, possession of schedule I, DWI first offense.

Michelle Stout, 46, 63109 Pine Acres Rd., Lacombe, theft (felony).

Randy Rodger, 28, 59570 Transmitter Rd., Lacombe, theft of goods.

David Polk, 35, 75 Concord Loop, Pearl River, forgery.

Skyla Williams, 26, 37305 Sticker Rd., Pearl River, simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling, theft of a firearm, illegal distribution of schedule II CDS.

Joshua Walker, 32 4219 Ash Dr., Slidell, housed for court.

James Kahrs, 29, 64287 Hwy. 41, Pearl River, domestic abuse battery, simple criminal damage to property.

Shannon Williams, 45, domestic abuse battery.

Aaron McGehee, 30, 65055 Ann St., Pearl River, unauthorized use of a movable.

Amber Keech, 28, 1200 Bluebird St., Slidell, probation violation, contempt of court.

Philip Hartfield, 54, Rt.1, Box 226, Archie S., Pearl River, parole violation.

Alan Charles, 28, 533 Jefferson Dr., Slidell, parole violation.

Gino Bonilla, 25, 484 North Red Bud, Slidell, parole violation.

Dylan Deshotel, 23, 1914 Hempstead Dr., Slidell, parole violation.

Harold Griffin, 38, 209 Rooks Dr., Slidell, parole violation.

LeeAnn Calecas, 34, 35515 Oakridge Ave., Slidell, possession of schedule Ii, disturbing the peace, possession of drug paraphernalia.

John Jordan, 47, 114 Munilim Dr., Slidell, Driving while under suspension for certain prior offenses, hit and run, careless operation, possession of schedule II, possession of drug paraphernalia, criminal sanctions for operating motor vehicle.

Alicia Weaver, 32, 502 5th St., Pearl River, theft of goods.

Dylan White, 24, 119 Yorkshire Dr., Slidell, probation violation.

H San Filippo-Rivera, 28, 57427 Maple Ave., Slidell, bank fraud, forgery, monetary instrument abuse, computer fraud, money laundering.

Steven Barrios, 27, four counts simple burglary.

Rachael Newton, 22, 27032 Jackson St., Lacombe, aggravated battery.

Nicole Markley, 24, 3095 Effie St., Slidell, theft of goods.

Tyron Hickerson, 23, 1032 Andrew Ct., Slidell, contempt of court, distribution or possession with intent to distribute schedule I CDS, possession schedule IV.

Daniel Brown, 30, 337 4th St., Slidell, driving without headlights, improper display plate, possession of schedule III CDS.

Clementine Chaney, 53, 1306 Montgomery Blvd., Slidell, aggravated battery.

Zelie Long, 20, 1692 West Hall Ave., Slidell, theft of a motor vehicle, possession of schedule II, possession of schedule I, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Destin Meyn, 24, 422 Holmes Dr., Slidell, illegal possession of stolen things, possession of schedule II, possession of schedule I, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Keller Bell, 20, 1013 Teddy Ave., Slidell, distribution or possession of legend drug without a prescription, possession of drug paraphernalia.

April Giroir, 32, 40594 Chinchas Creek Rd., Slidell, possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids, possession of schedule IV, possession of schedule III CDS, two counts possession of schedule II, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Michael Bastoe, 37, 35148 Rocky Lake Dr., Slidell, two counts contempt of court.

David Fontenot, 35, 4809 Magnolia Dr., Slidell, contempt of court.

Timothy Guttuso, 34, 30177 Titus Smith, Lacombe, hit and run, possession of schedule I, possession of schedule II, possession of schedule IV.

Brandon Pierre, 31, 23747 Barringer Rd., Lacombe, aggravated assault with a firearm, domestic abuse/battery/child endangerment, possession of a firearm or carrying a concealed weapon.

Scott Nicolosi, 35, 59497 Autumn Dr., Slidell, domestic abuse battery.

Sandra Gonzales, 40, 122 Foxbriar St., Slidell, two counts failure to honor written promise to appear.

Chad Blackwell, 37, 67376 Hwy. 41, Pearl River, possession of schedule II.

Joshua Clark, 24, 6010 Clearwater Dr., Slidell, possession of schedule II CDS, possession of schedule IV, possession of drug paraphernalia.

James Curb, 25, 57306 Beech Ave., Slidell, second degree battery.

Christopher Buelle, 28, 152 Chantilly Loop, Pearl River, domestic abuse battery.

Gerard Degruiter, 31, 1456 Marina Dr., Slidell, failure to honor written promise to appear.

James Lobrie, 52, 2315 Bluebird St., Slidell, failure to return leased movables.

John Lewis, 23, 25682 W. Elm St., Lacombe, possession of schedule I CDS: heroin, possession of 200 grams but less than 400 grams of cocaine, possession of schedule I CDS: marijuana simple, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of schedule IV, two counts illegal possession of stolen things.

Kirk Dunbar, 54, 229 Coin Du Lestin Dr., Slidell, DWI first offense, failure to stop/yield, open container in a motor vehicle.

Malik Horne, 18, 225 Foxbriar St., Slidell, contempt of court, principal to commission of crime, armed robbery.

Chad Brooks, 38, 26325 Sunrise Lake Dr., Lacombe, domestic abuse battery. 

David Vanleusden, 36, 324 N. Summerfield Loop, Pearl River, aggravated assault with a firearm, aggravated obstruction of highway of commerce, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Keir Skinner, 23, 56009 Hwy. 433 K2, Slidell, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, reckless operation of a motor vehicle, failure to use a turn signal.

Todd Cloud, 46, 56381 Hwze Beach Blvd., Slidell, domestic abuse battery/child endangerment.

Crystal Guthrie, 34,69268 John Bennett Rd., Lacombe, aggravated second degree battery.

Jessica Warner, 33, 57257 Hardin Rd., Slidell, contempt of court.

Carl Galatas, 59, 34275 W. Dubuisson Rd., Slidell, third offense operating a vehicle while intoxicated, resisting an officer, driving while under suspension for certain prior offenses, ignoring a traffic signal, open container in a motor vehicle.

Nicholas Glover, 24, 3827 Cambridge St., Slidell, improper lane use, driving under suspension, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of schedule I.

Shaine LeBlance, 18, 1480 Fremaux Ave., Slidell, communication of false info of a school bombing.

Stephanie Bordelon, 26, 37327 Sticker Rd., Pearl River, housed for court.

Jarrell Caine, 25, 116 Trafalgar Sq., Slidell, domestic abuse battery.

Broc Englund, 35, 47800 Pontchartrain Dr., Slidell, domestic abuse battery.

Todd Pea, 25, 26071 E. Jackson St., Slidell, DWI first offense, improper lane use, expired license plate.

Anthony Thompson, 47, 743 Magnolia St., Slidell, two counts contempt of court.

James Patterson, 55, 39025 Henry Rd., Pearl River, failure to honor written promise to appear, probation violation.

Irene Indorf, 30, 110 Ellwood Circle, Slidell, DWI first offense, no driver’s license on person, possession of marijuana or synthetic cannabinoids, possession of drug paraphernalia.

Amanda Fleckinger, 34, 33836 John Crowe Rd., Pearl River, contempt of court.

Jessica Dean, 32, 59497 Autumn Dr., Slidell, domestic abuse battery.

Stephen Boudy, 49, 135 S. Cherrywood Ln., Pearl River, domestic abuse/battery child endangerment.

Melissa Dellatore, 34, 2022 Swan St., Slidell, domestic battery.

Edmund Verret, 67, 59468 Orleans St., Lacombe, telephone communications; improper language; harassment, resisting a police officer with force or violence.

SLIDELL – A longtime Slidell hospital official finally received favorable backing from the City Council on Tuesday night for his property in Club Chamale to be annexed into the city, which opens the door for him to run for mayor in the spring of 2018.

Bruce Clement, the current Chief Operating Officer at Slidell Memorial Hospital who announced his intentions two years ago to run for mayor in 2018, needed to be a resident in the city limits to achieve that goal.

He and his wife, Lisa, purchased a lot in Club Chamale so they would reside in the city limits, a location where they are building a house.

Clement petitioned the City Council months ago to be annexed into the city, but the final approved was hindered by regulations which involved the bottom of Bayou Bonfouca also being annexed into the city to reach the Clement property. Other properties in Club Chamale are already in the city limits.

The request for annexation was on the City Council agenda for the past two months, but continuously got postponed until Tuesday night when Clement was on hand to ask the council to approve his request.

In his comments before the council Clement said his reasons for requesting the annexation was to “become a public servant for Slidell, and also to add to the tax rolls for the city.”

The matter was approved by an 8-0 vote, with Councilman Warren Crockett absent.

The election for mayor of Slidell is set for March 24, 2018.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – The Slidell City Council and Mayor Freddy Drennan were all smiles on Tuesday night at the regular council meeting as they passed the 2018 budget, which included substantial raises for city employees.

Drennan, starting the final year of his eight years as mayor, has consistently stated his interest to find more money for city employees. It was months ago that he commissioned a study for all city pay positions to understand more fully where they ranked in terms of pay, compared to similar positions in the region.

That led to Drennan proposing approximately $750,000 in additional Slidell spending for city raises in the 2018 budget that was unanimously approved by the City Council on Tuesday night.

Drennan explained that the study showed many of the Slidell city workers were substantially behind “regional or market pay scale.” So the proposed city budget for fiscal year 2018, which begins on July 1, will have varying raises for different city employees.

“Some of our employees will see annual raises that may be as much as $4,000 more a year, but all the employees will see a raise at some level,” he explained after the unanimous vote, followed by pats on the back from Drennan to the council, and then from council members back to the mayor.

“We wanted to adopt a better pay plan for our city workers and this new model for our employees is much appreciated,” Council President Jay Newcomb said, adding his thanks to Drennan and other council members for working together and approving the budget earlier than traditionally happens.

The mayor added, “this is an early approval for our budget and shows how well the council and administration worked together. Truthfully, the council and administration were united to get this done and it feels good to do this for our employees.”

On the average the city is giving all employees a 5.3 percent raise, although that varies greatly from one position to the other. In total, Drennan said it cost the city approximately $750,000 more to achieve the raises they sought.

He acknowledged that a number of city employees are still off the regional pay average that the study from Civil Service revealed, but he said the city did as much as possible at this point to improve the pay to those especially below the regional average.

“For those that were considerably below the regional average we brought them as far up as we could, as much as 25 percent higher,” he explained. “Everyone was evaluated and I think that considering our financial position we are in, the city did the best we could.”

The city bylaws also allow the mayor, chief of police and City Council to also receive a similar percentage raise any time the city employees get a raise. With the 5.3 percent average increase for city employees, the council also was given the option to approve similar raises for themselves, the mayor and council, which were all approved by 8-0 votes with no discussion or comments from the public.

In years past the top officials in the city have declined to accept the raises, but this year there were no comments to that effect as all were approved unanimously.

The mayor was earning $113,493 and will get a raise of $6,015 to bring his salary to $119,506; the chief of police was earning $102,251 and will get a raise of $5,419 to bring his salary to $107,668; and City Council members were earning $20,733 in what is considered part-time positions. They will each get a raise of $1,100 a year and now earn $21,832 each.

By KEVIN CHIRI

Slidell news bureau

SLIDELL – Even as a 22-year-old young man, Errol Legier said the rare diagnosis of Macular Degeneration in his eyes is something he refuses to stop his dreams of playing professional football.

But for now, Legier is hoping he can figure out a way to raise $5,000 that he currently needs to purchase very special bifocals that will at least allow him see close to normal.

Legier graduated from Slidell High in 2012, but not without a struggle the final two years after the diagnosis of Macular Degeneration was made. While the disease is not uncommon in senior citizens, it is very rare for someone in their 20s.

“I was a good student up until the 11th grade—not a straight ‘A’ kind of student, but I made good grades and was doing alright in school,” Legier said. But as a junior he began to notice a problem with his vision.

“I could see characters, but they weren’t sharp, and it slowly seemed to be getting worse,” he said.

His mother took him to an optometrist, the kind of doctor who generally does exams for glasses or contacts, but doesn’t have the expertise of the highly trained ophthalmologist. Even with an eye exam there was nothing detected yet to truly understand why his vision was suffering.

“I got my glasses and I was able to get a driver’s license, but my brother also got glasses and in the next few months he kept talking about how great he could see. And I knew I wasn’t seeing that much better,” Legier recalled. His grades began to slip and his schoolwork suffered, all while he was dreaming of playing professional football. He did start for the Slidell High team as a running back as he played four years on the team and was able to manage in the game even though his vision was not great.

With continuing complaints about vision problems, he was able to see an ophthalmologist and was given the heartbreaking news of a disease that few young people his age get.

“I remember hearing what he said, and that my vision was going to get worse and worse–I just started crying,” he said. “I thought my life was over if I was going to end up blind.”

He did receive some extra help in school when he had the diagnosis explained to administrators and was given extra time to take tests since it took him longer to read the material. He was also given larger print textbooks to help. In 2012 he graduated from high school and although trying out for the football team at Southeastern, didn’t make the club and eventually quit college as he was unsure what direction he was going.

“I was in school until the fall of 2015. I like accounting and business management, but I was not sure what I really wanted to major in so I stopped for a short while to figure it out,” he said.

And in the meantime, his dream to play football is far from dead. He is currently playing running back for the local semi-pro football team known as the Bayou Lacombe Cardinals. Their coach has a connection to a tryout camp for the Canadian Football League that will occur for Legier at the end of May.

Legier had a job with a department store, but lost it since his vision made him work slowly in reading the cash register and other aspects of work. Then he got a job at Walmart and walked to work since his vision required he take an eye test every year—something that eventually cost his driver’s license. Still intent to work to save the money he needs, Legier has been training with a life insurance company—a job that requires he walk to the local Starbucks to meet his mentor.

“I’m determined to do something, hopefully my football, but I have to keep looking ahead,” he said. “I’m a person of faith so I have to trust God will work this out, but yes, it does bother me now knowing what will happen to my vision.”

For now, the $5,000 is his goal since the special bifocals cost $1,500 and then there is a $3,000 class he must take to be trained in how to properly use the glasses.

“I’m doing what I can for now and that’s all I can do,” he said.

Age-related Macular Degeneration is the leading cause of irreversible vision loss and blindness in older adults. For those who are younger and develop the early and intermediate form of Macular Degeneration they will likely progress to the advanced disease with vision loss as they age.

Anyone who would like to help Legier in his efforts to purchase his glasses can contact Kevin Chiri at The Slidell Independent at kevinchiri@gmail.com, or by calling 985-774-1352.

COVINGTON — A Covington man is facing attempted murder charges after he tried to run over his girlfriend’s 8-year-old son with his pickup truck, then rammed a sheriff’s deputy’s car on Interstate 12, St. Tammany Sheriff’s Spokesman Capt. Daniel Seuzeneau reported.

According to the Sheriff’s Office report, the mother of the young boy was playing baseball with her son in the yard of their Pine Street Road home near Covington when her boyfriend, Shawn Porrovechio, came outside.

After a brief exchange of words with the child, Porrovechio picked up one of the baseballs and threw it at the child, narrowly missing his head, Seuzeneau reported.  When confronted by the mother, Porrovechio threw a second baseball, striking the mother.

 When the mother requested Porrovechio leave the residence, he got into his black Chevy S10 and accelerated into the center of the yard where the 8-year-old child was still standing. The child ran toward his mother and out of the path of the truck before Porrovechio fled the scene, and the mother called 911.

 Responding deputies observed Porrovechio’s truck on Hwy. 21 and attempted to initiate a traffic stop. Instead of stopping, Porrovechio entered Interstate 12 with deputies in pursuit, with the chase finally ending west of the Hwy. 1077 exit when Porrovechio rammed his truck into a St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s deputy’s car, causing both vehicles to crash.

The deputy and Porrovechio were transported to local hospitals with minor injuries sustained during the crash.

Porrovechio, age 34, of 15135 Pine Street, Covington was arrested on the following charges and booked in to the St. Tammany Parish Jail: Attempted First Degree Murder, Aggravated Battery, Domestic Abuse Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Flight from Officer and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

Porrovechio was also booked as a fugitive out of Jefferson Parish, where he was wanted for two traffic attachments and one attachment for failure to pay child support.

SLIDELL – A St. Tammany Parish grand jury returned indictments in several cases this past week.

Among them was Shane Christian Pagano, 41, of Slidell, who was indicted with the aggravated/first degree rape of a 13-year-old girl, beginning when she was three to five years old and lasting for several years.

The grand jury also indicted Jami D. Cooper, 33, of Bogalusa, with second degree murder Tuesday in the death of a teenager found unresponsive in a Covington ditch after smoking synthetic marijuana.

Cooper is accused of distributing the drug through a middle man to the 17-year-old, who died after using it on March 13, 2016. Cooper has been arrested and is being held in lieu of a $500,000 bond.

Jarbari Pea, 23, of Covington, who was indicted last year on a second degree murder charge in the same case, pleaded guilty to negligent homicide and Distribution of Synthetic Cannabinoids (Schedule 1) for his role as the middle man.

District Judge Scott Gardner sentenced Pea to five years in prison on the negligent homicide charge and 10 years with five of them suspended on the distribution charge. The sentences are to be served concurrently.

The grand jury also indicted Victor Galan, 37, of Folsom, with the aggravated rape of a 10-year-old girl, who had been left in his care.