Baja St. Martin

When I was growing up in Michigan, which was many years ago, it was illegal to have fireworks other than sparklers. Organizations such as Kiwanis could have public firework displays on July 4th and you could go to the park and watch the show, but the only thing you could have at home were these little metal sticks which you’d light and then run around the yard with sparkly things flying off.
I lived in a Michigan town that was about 70 miles north of the Ohio state line and you could legally buy fireworks in Ohio so there was a lot of traffic heading to Toledo on July 4th. I suppose lots of people shot off fireworks even if they risked being arrested.
When I moved to Louisiana I was horrified on the first July 4th to see little kids carrying lighted cigarettes so they could light their fireworks. I just never got used to seeing that and never have felt comfortable with fireworks. When I got older I became more horrified at the amount of money people spent on fireworks! It is kind of fun, however, to sit on my front porch on July 4th and watch the sky show as long as I’m not very close.
I see in the Teche News that Stephensville Elementary will get its teacher back. Principal Staton is really trying hard to increase the enrollment of the school and S.E.S. is offering lots of programs for the students like baseball, swimming, bowling, softball, and others. There are just so many benefits to a small school. I attended big high schools and a large university, but all the way through grade school I went to very small country schools and I think they provided a great foundation, at least for me, to my later years.
I also was distressed to read that Lynette Edwards, the executive director of the COA, had resigned. She and I were negotiating the program to get the COA over here in Lower St. Martin and I was really disheartened to think all our progress would be for naught. Turns out, Erica LeBlanc, Delores Hebert and Cora Derouselle have stepped into the gap and things are moving forward again. A plumber just came to the Belle River site and will give Ms. LeBlanc his estimate of what it will cost to install a hand sink and mop sink which are required for a place to serve lunches.
No news on the FAS/Belle River issue. We assume the DNR is still studying the FAS application for a transfer site permit. We know lots of people who oppose this are contacting Mr. Daryl Williams at the DNR to register their objections. The Atchafalaya Basinkeeper organization is strongly supporting our efforts to stop the DNR from giving FAS their permit and they have been sending letters to people urging them to express their objections.
As you know, I walk on the levee almost every day and I have to admit it grieves me to be walking along and think that possibly I wouldn’t be able to take this route someday if FAS puts their facility there. It would be in the place where my dog and I stopped and fed carrots to the horses pastured there. I used to rattle the metal gate and three horses would come galloping to the fence. When they were munching I’d pull stickers out of their manes. Just a fun ritual.
I had two horses myself once and used to ride them bareback on the levee. Isn’t it ironic to know that I wasn’t allowed to put a stationary horse barn on the levee but the DNR might possibly allow a wastewater facility to be built there. Priorities seem a bit skewed sometimes.

Teche News’ Lower St. Martin correspondent, Linda Cooke, can be e-mailed at lcooke9417@bellsouth.net.