Theft rocks bayou festival

Good feelings remaining after the third and most successful Shake Your Trail Feather festival last weekend were spoiled temporarily when a person or persons unknown stole gasoline and electric outboard motors from the boat that pushes the entertainment barge down the bayou in the popular “paddle to the party” feature of the festival.
If someone tries to sell you a gray 8 horsepower Yamaha outboard motor and/or a black 30-pound-thrust Minnkota electric trolling motor cheap, please call the Breaux Bridge Police Department at (337) 332-2186.
Meanwhile, up stepped a benefactor who, in the spirit of all the good things redounding from the TECHE Project, donated a 9.9-hp Honda outboard for the skiff.
In the hands of volunteer Dane Thibodeaux, the watercraft of the TECHE Project pull yeoman duty throughout the year, plucking literally tons of trash and debris from the bayou, helping to keep the paddlers of Tour du Teche, the annual race, safe, and even piloting an experiment to remove water hyacinth without the use of chemicals.
The function of Shake Your Trail Feather, which was held Saturday, at Parc des Ponts de Pont Breaux, is to raise funds for and awareness of the many programs supported by the non-profit organization, and to celebrate the designation of a National Park Service-recognized paddle trail along Bayou Teche as well as bike trails leading to the Teche.
Joining the festivities were cyclists hosted by TRAIL (Transportation Recreational Alternatives In Louisiana), an organization created to develop the bicycle trails in and around Lafayette.
“This year’s event was the best yet, and the TECHE Project Council is so pleased to see so many folks coming out to support us and our work on the bayou,” said Trail Feather coordinator Patti Holland.
“We would also like to thank all of the people, businesses, and municipalities that sponsored this event, because without their support it is difficult to make the festival a reality.”