Baja St. Martin

I’m told the price of crawfish to the fishermen has gone up to $1.25 per pound. Obviously, there’s a scarcity. The water has gone down a good bit in the spillway but the past two days it seems to be at a standstill. The dog and I can walk along the banks now, although still in the woods, not on the “beach.” And the mosquitoes are terrible! I’m seeing more Gator-Tails and Go-Devils again with the lower water.
The sheriff will be sponsoring his annual summer luncheon for the Baja folks on Saturday, Aug. 2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Stephensville Elementary School gym. I am so sad that I will not be able to make this event, as I have a prior engagement which cannot be changed. I know the lunch will be great as always. There will be good food, bingo and door prizes. If you are a senior citizen please try to come and meet our officials and other residents.
On July 17, Delores Hebert from the Council on Aging will be in the Stephensville Fire Station once again to sign up more people for the future lunch program. I don’t know how many will come to sign up that haven’t already done so, but Delores will be there and I probably will also, so we’re hoping a few people will show up. I try very hard to spread the word about events such as this, but am often frustrated when I meet someone later and they say, “Why, I didn’t know anything about that!”
I certainly echo Henri Bienvenu’s remark in his recent Pense Donc!! column about the bad luck the parish COA has had in picking executive directors. I personally do appreciate the efforts of Cora Derouselle and Delores Hebert to keep things going in our efforts to expand services to this area.
On Sunday, July 13, I will be driving to Bayou Sorrel to help the Atchafalaya Basinkeeper group with some mailing and enjoy a fish fry at Dean Wilson’s house. The ABK has been a staunch supporter of the parish’s denial of a rezoning permit to FAS.
We here have heard nothing new, by the way. I assume Daryl Williams at the LDNR is still “fixing” FAS’s permit application for a transfer site. I’m not being ugly when I put “fixing” in quotes because Mr. Williams told my neighbor when she went to his office that his job is to correct the application – make sure it’s properly written, etc., and whenever it is not, it’s his job to inform the company (FAS) that this or that needs fixing. When he told us this, I almost choked and still wonder if the DNR “fixes” all applications, and do they ever say no? I guess we’ll find out.
My new neighbor sometimes sits on the front porch of his double wide mobile home – facing Hwy. 997 and the other day he counted 10 FAS tanker trucks passing. I’d thought the traffic was less but apparently not. It’s almost inconceivable to imagine what 50 trucks a day would be like.
We’re finally getting a little bit of rain here in Belle River. I’m hearing about drenchers in Morgan City, Napoleonville and Donaldsonville, but the worst seems to be skirting around us. It rained this morning a little and yesterday afternoon but not for long and not very hard.
Congratulations to the Teche News ad department for their recent awards at the Louisiana Press Association convention.
Two hummingbirds are buzzing around the feeder hanging just outside my window. And my cat is sitting beside my computer watching them and watching a pair of cardinals nearby. So enticing!

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