DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT
THE ASCENSION
AD DVOCA VOCATE
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
Nelson to speak to GOP Roundtable Richard Nelson, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Revenue, will be the featured speaker at the Aug. 15 Ascension GOP Roundtable, sponsored by Ascension Republican Women. The doors open at 11:15 a.m., and a meet and greet is set for 11:30 a.m. to noon, with the meeting starting at noon. Secretary Nelson has degrees in biological engineering and law from LSU. He served for seven years in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State, living in Washington, D.C., Germany, and the former Soviet Republic of Georgia. In 2017, he left the Foreign Service to take an executive position in the private sector and moved his family back home to Mandeville. Nelson was elected to the Louisiana House of Representatives in 2019. Cost for the lunch is $30, collected at the door. To prepay, visit paypal.me/ARW225. Reservations are requested. A $5 room fee will be collected for those not dining. RSVP at (225) 921-5187 or email: ARWrUS@ aol.com.
Ducks Unlimited banquet Tickets are on sale for the Sept. 5 Duck Unlimited — East Ascension Chapter’s banquet. The evening includes dinner, entertainment and raffles. For tickets, visit ducksunlimited. myeventscenter.com/event/ East-Ascension-Ducks-Unlimited-Banquet.
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First-day test for Prairieville High BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
The first day of school at the long-awaited Prairieville High School also meant the first infrastructure test for a community of twolane roads. For a little under an hour, buses and parents dropping children off sat in bumper-tobumper traffic down Parker and Hornsby roads. Vehicles stretched through the new roundabout, meant to help with traffic flow, while cars inched along in the school’s parking lot. Despite the congestion, which officials anticipated, the roads cleared by 8 a.m., as tweaks — like closing a gate to help drivers know where to go — were made throughout the morning. STAFF PHOTO BY MICHAEL JOHNSON Randy Loving, the principal of the new school, said school and parish officials would Buses maneuver the traffic at the roundabout on evaluate as the days progressed. Parker Road and La. 929 on the first day of school “The short-term plan is once we’re here for the new Prairieville High School on Thursday in long enough, our parents will start figuring Prairieville. out how we take in and how we let out, and
‘The demand is there’
it’ll flow better,” he said. “I mean, look, in the last minute, the traffic has started flowing.” Robin Broussard, who lives adjacent to the high school, said she felt the situation demonstrated a pattern in the parish. “They build these big infrastructures. And I’m not just talking about schools; I’m talking about subdivisions and other things, and they don’t prepare the road infrastructure to handle what they’re building,” she said. “And so that’s my main gripe about it.” She admitted the morning’s traffic along Hornsby Road wasn’t as bad as she anticipated. But it was a sign of change in a parish that’s struggled to keep up with its rapid growth. Broussard, who’s lived in Prairieville since 1985, discussed how the high school lot used to be a cow pasture and many of the subdivisions were fields. “The traffic on this road is what [La.] 42 used to be,” she added. “And it’s just going to get worse from there, I think.”
ä See TEST, page 2G
Ascension government fills jobs
Found a stray?
Community news report
Cara’s House animal shelter is offering a new program to help reduce its shelter population and provide care for lost or abandoned animals. The Found a Stray program encourages people who find a lost pet to call the shelter and post the animal. For information, call Cara’s House at (225) 675-0400. Cara’s House provides for all the animal’s needs while it’s under foster care.
The retirement of Ascension Parish’s utility operations manager and other internal moves resulted in three promotions to fill vacant and interim positions. Utilities director Bill Dawson retired on May 17, making way for Jason Liccardi’s move from utility operations manager to interim utility director. Ruth Phillips, parish chief administrative officer, also served as the acting chief of staff. Lucy Cason, human resources director, was promoted to chief of staff. MeBabin gan Babin, formerly assistant director of human resources, was named interim human resources director to fill Cason’s seat. The changes were announced Aug. 5. Liccardi has experience in utilities management and a Liccardi commitment to operational excellence, a news release said. In his new role, Liccardi will oversee Ascension Parish’s utility services, ensuring reliable operations, driving efficiency improvements and leading critical infrastructure initiatives. Cason Cason joins the team with experience in strategic planning,
Looking for a kayak rental? Kayaks can be rented at the city’s kayak launch site behind Jambalaya Park along Bayou Francois. Kayaks are $5 per hour. For more information, call (225) 647-2841
Mark you calendar Sept. 26: Volunteer Ascension’s Unveiling Hope fundraiser, The PACE Center, Gonzales. Oct. 18-20: Sorrento Lions Club’s Boucherie and Balloon Festival on Airline Highway in Sorrento. Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate.com or ddenstorff@theadvocate. com. Deadline: 5 p.m. Friday.
STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
A student works in a welding booth at the workforce training center at Donaldsonville High School on July 24 in Donaldsonville.
Technical training center showing success BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT
“I have a 3-year-old at home, so I figured I want a more stable job,” the Gonzales resident said. “ … You can’t go and find a job In Donaldsonville, sparks fly four nights a any day like you can if you’re a welder. So week. There, inside a large building behind I want a better income … my motivation is the high school, adult students hone their my daughter.” A collaboration between Ascension Parwelding skills weekday evenings at a new technical training center. ish School Board and River Parishes ComTaylor Duplessis, 23, has been taking the munity College, the center features two classes twice a week since they began in ä See CENTER, page 4G April.
Staff writer
ä See JOBS, page 4G
Ascension Catholic’s defensive leader tackles 2024 season Ascension Catholic has a longstanding tradition of outstanding linebackers, and the 2024 season is no exception. Add senior Mace Melancon, 5’10,” 196 pounds, to the list. Starting in the middle, Melancon starts his third consecutive season. His mentality matches his position. “Mace has a ton of playing experience, he’s a vocal leader and
Troy LeBoeuf ASCENSION SPORTS
one of the hardest working kids in our program,” Coach Lowell
Narcisse said. “He is a respectful young man that has earned the respect of his peers. Mace would run through a wall if we asked him to, can’t wait to see him lead our defense. Making tackles has been a strong point of the middle linebacker position at ACHS, and Melancon has had plenty of them in his career. “I have made 238 career tackles
in the last two seasons,” Melancon said. “The goal is to help my team in whatever way is needed, just want to win every snap, every game,” said Melancon. Melancon will be calling the defensive signals this season for defensive coordinator Tony Paine, and their connection is like no other. Melancon is a two time powerlifting champ as well.
HOME EQUITY RENOVATE
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“Mace has a high football IQ. He understands our scheme extremely well and acts as a coach on the field,” Paine said. “He is a strong physical presence at linebacker with good speed. He has worked his tail off in the weight room and during conditioning drills. His accomplishments are earned because he is not afraid to
ä See LEBOEUF, page 2G
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(225) 621-2800 | www.ascensioncu.org