THE ZACHA Y
ADVOCATE& T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
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W e d n e s d ay, J u ly 10, 2024
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10TH YEAR, NO. 39
Pay raise approved for crossing guards Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY
Bridge over White Bayou closed
BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
Zachary’s crossing guards, who help children get to school safely, will soon receive a raise for the first time in a decade. Starting this school year, the four crossing guards will earn $13 an hour, Police Chief Darryl Lawrence said at a special meeting of the School board June 27. “We’re going to absorb that cost in our budget,” Lawrence said. The part-time crossing guards as well as
four full-time school resource officers are paid through a long-standing agreement between the school district and city government, with both entities paying a portion of costs. The contract is renegotiated each year and is usually approved by the School Board and City Council with little fanfare. The board signed off on the renewed agreement at its June 18 meeting. But when the item came before the council June 25, members decided to table it and delay taking a vote after discussion arose about the fact that crossing guards had gone 10 years without a pay raise.
“Shame on us if they’re our employees and they have not gotten a raise,” said council member Brandy Westmoreland, a former School Board member. “But if we’re going to give them a raise,” she added later, “shouldn’t the School Board give us some of it?” Under the contract that was initially presented to both bodies, the school district would give the city $317,330 to compensate resource officers stationed at four school campuses plus
ä See RAISE, page 2G
The East Baton Rouge City-Parish Department of Transportation and Drainage, Traffic Engineering Division, announced July 1 that Port Hudson-Pride Road over White Bayou will be closed until further notice. Alternate routes are Scotlandvllle-Zachary Highway (La. 19) to Church Street/High Street to Old Scenic Highway (La. 964).
Candidate announcements The Plainsman is publishing candidate-prepared announcements for the Nov. 5 elections. Announcements must include the candidate’s age, political party and education. All announcements must be less than 400 words and received by July 19. A color photo of the candidate also should be sent as a high resolution jpg attachment. The statements will be run on a space available basis. For information, call (225) 603-1998.
School supply help sought The Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Committee of Zachary are planning its Back to School Giveaway at the Zachary High
ä See AROUND, page 4G
Teddy Johnson, owner of Teddy’s Juke Joint, shows his disco booth at the longtime establishment.
STAFF PHOTOS BY JAVIER GALLEGOS
Teddy’s Juke Joint celebrates 45 years of keeping blues alive
BY JOHN WIRT
Contributing writer
PROVIDED PHOTO
Zachary recently upgraded 17 overhead streetlights along La. 19 to E. Central, converting them to energy-efficient LED lights.
Lights on La. 19 in Zachary upgraded to LEDs Community news report The city of Zachary recently upgraded 17 overhead streetlights along La. 19 to East Central Avenue, converting them to energy-efficient LED lights with Flat Cobra Head fixtures. Known for their bright white illumination, LED lights convert 80-90% of electrical energy into usable light, making them the most efficient lighting option. These new lights provide excellent visibility and uniform lighting without attracting insects, a news release said. “We thank the crew with Entergy Louisiana for their professionalism during the installation and feel the new lights will improve safety, deter crime, and enhance the appearance of our businesses in the downtown area,” said Mayor David McDavid.
Teddy’s Juke Joint, the world-famous music attraction in Zachary, celebrated its 45th anniversary Saturday. Teddy “Lloyd” Johnson — the venue’s cowboy hat-wearing owner and DJ — booked the Neal family for the special occasion. The Grammy-nominated Kenny Neal, his brother, Lil’ Ray, daughter, Syreeta, and more members of Baton Rouge’s first family of the blues performed. Alex V. Cook, the author of “Louisiana Saturday Night: Looking for a Good Time in South Louisiana’s Juke Joints, HonkyTonks, and Dancehalls,” opens his guidebook with a visit to Teddy’s Juke Joint. Cook’s awe-struck admiration for Johnson’s outlandish establishment has only grown since his book’s 2012 publication. “Teddy’s Juke Joint is magical, the kind of place you can’t believe still exists,” Cook said. “When I first showed up there in 2006, it opened a portal to glittering Louisiana, a reason this place is special. Once you see Teddy carrying on in his cape among the million holiday lights while he rolls out his risqué toasts over R&B songs you’ve never heard before, you are a different person.” Johnson keeps Christmas lights glowing all year long. His joint’s other ornaments include disco mirror balls, mirror fragments, musical instruments, photos of blues musicians and, hanging from the ceiling, a baby carriage, tricycle and little red wagon. “I decorated according to what I could afford to do,” Johnson said in a 30th anniversary story that appeared in The Advocate. “Just stuff I refuse to throw away, or somebody threw away, and I got hold to it. I have booths in here that’s older than me.” Johnson’s fans include Johnny Palazzotto, the local music entrepreneur who founded Baton Rouge’s Slim Harpo Music Awards. In 2010, the Harpo Awards named Johnson one of its blues ambassadors. “Morgan Freeman spent millions in
A close up of the memorabilia hanging above the bar at Teddy’s Juke Joint
Chris Thomas King’s multiplatinum record award hangs above the bar at Teddy’s Juke Joint in Zachary. Grammy winner King is one of many well-known blues artists who have played Teddy’s. Clarksdale, Mississippi, to duplicate Teddy’s Juke Joint and the other real juke joints,” Palazzotto said. “But Teddy’s is the real home of down-home blues, the
place where legends played.” Johnson transformed the shotgun house where he was born in 1946 into Teddy’s Juke Joint. He’s had a long run with the place but the past few years haven’t been good. COVID-19 restrictions hit the business especially hard. “It’s back to full capacity now, but people just ain’t coming out for some reason,” Johnson said on a quiet weekday afternoon. Despite sparse patronage, Johnson still presents entertainment seven days a week. Tuesdays feature blues band Route 61 at 8 p.m.; Wednesday is the Acoustic Circle with Dixie Rose at 7 p.m. The duo Jelly B and the Wolf appears some Sundays. Johnson spins records at 8 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and, when there’s no live music, Friday and Saturday. Before Johnson opened Teddy’s Juke Joint in 1979, he painted houses and traveled widely as a nightclub DJ known as the Painter Man.
ä See TEDDY’S, page 4G