DENHAM SPRINGS • LIVINGSTON • WALKER • WATSON • AMITE • HAMMOND
ADVOCATE THE LIVINGSTON-TANGIPAHOA
T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
Darlene Denstorff AROUND LIVINGSTON
Author to sign book at Cavalier House Books Livingston Parish librarian Amanda Jones is signing copies of her book, “That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America,” at 5 p.m. Aug. 24 at Cavalier House Books in Denham Springs. “That Librarian” is the story of Jones’ fight against book banning in the small Louisiana town she was born and raised in and her unwavering commitment to defending intellectual freedom, a news release said. The book also tells other stories of librarians and towns embroiled in this national issue that has touched the lives of librarians, educators, authors and parents and children in both big cities and small towns across the country. Jones has made headlines over the past two years as one of the first librarians in the country to file a lawsuit for defamation against her detractors, attracting support from around the world from fellow librarians, educators, authors, publishers and celebrities including from Oprah Winfrey who mentioned her in her speech at the 2023 National Book Awards. For more information, visit www.cavalierhousebooks.com/ event/librarian-book-launchdenham-springs.
Ducks Unlimited banquet set Tickets are on sale for the Livingston Parish Ducks Unlimited Banquet Aug. 29 at Bass Pro Shops. Tickets are $50 for one person, $80 for a couple, $600 for a table and $1,250 for a VIP table. For tickets, visit LPDU. org. For more information, call Mason Dugas at (225) 921-8887.
Women’s Leadership Conference, expo planned Tickets and sponsorships are available for the Livingston Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Leadership Conference and Expo, set for Sept. 5. To register, visit business. livingstonparishchamber.org/ events/details/women-s-leadership-conference-expo-8577. U.S. Rep. Julia Letlow will be the guest speaker.
Walker’s gas safety survey underway Walker leaders are asking resident to take part in its Gas Safety Survey. The survey is a federal safety regulation, which judges the effectiveness of the city’s safety programs. The city asks that customers and noncustomers because take the survey because “everyone on and around our pipeline needs to be aware of natural gas safety for their well-being,” city leaders announced in a Facebook post. To take part, visit s.blueottersolutions.com/ walker2024.
ä See AROUND, page 3G
W e d n e s d ay, au g u s t 21, 2024
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Couple shares fathers’ stories from WWII BY VIC COUVILLION
Contributing writer
Almost 80 years have passed since World War II, the most cataclysmic event of the past century, ended with the surrender of Germany and Japan. Though the end of the war has long since passed, stories of experiences in the conflict, especially family reminisces, still command interest and attention. Two such stories were shared with members of the Edward Livingston Historical Society at its Aug. 3 meeting at the Main Branch of the Livingston Parish Library System. Husband and wife Bobby
Joe and Penny Bankston discussed the experiences of their fathers in the war. Though their fathers did not serve together, both saw combat in Germany and at approximately the same time. While their stories are similar, each served in his own way while fighting for the same cause. The two were able to retell the tales of their fathers’ involvement in the war because both former Army enlisted men had written accounts of their action in combat during their treks through Europe. Bankston’s father, Leroy Bankston, served in the 250h Field Artillery Battalion and his commanding officer main-
tained a detailed order of battle endured by the group during the war. Penny’s father, Leo D. Patton, kept a personal account of his time of service in the war’s European theater. After learning about the ordeals endured by their fathers, Bobby Joe and Penny decided to travel to Europe and trace the routes covered by their fathers during the war. Their descriptions of the journey across Europe accompanied by pictures showed a contrast of two different times, war and peace. Bankston led the discussion telling of his father’s exploits and recounted that his father
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PHOTO BY VIC COUVILLION
Bobby Joe and Penny Bankston relate the stories of their fathers’ involvement in World War II for members of the Edward Livingston Historical Society at the group’s latest meeting held Aug. 3 at the Main Branch of the Livingston Parish Library System.
Starting pay for teachers goes up BY CHARLES LUSSIER
Staff writer
PROVIDED PHOTO
Someone riding an all-terrain-type vehicle crisscrossed Denham Springs’ only full-size soccer field, leaving deep ruts and upending months of work.
Denham Springs youth soccer fields torn up
BY ELLYN COUVILLION Staff writer
Denham Springs’ soccer field at North Park on Eden Church Road opened for the first time last week, just in time for soccer season, after being closed for more than a year while it was restored from last summer’s drought. “This whole park was buzzing,” said Jonathan Baio, director of Denham Springs’ parks and recreation program. “There were probably 2,000 kids, happy kids.” Then, sometime between Aug. 9 and early Aug. 11, someone riding an all-terrain-type vehicle crisscrossed the city’s only fullsize soccer field, leaving deep ruts and upending months of work. Baio said maintenance workers discovered the damage about 5:30 a.m. Monday. On its Facebook page, the Denham Springs Parks and Recreation Department said, “We’re heartbroken to discover that our youth soccer fields have been completely destroyed by vandalism. Countless hours of hard
work went into restoring these fields after last year’s drought, only to have them ruined with utter disrespect.” “This is a devastating blow to our soccer community, especially our kids. We’re calling on everyone to help us bring justice to those responsible,” the department said. “If you saw anyone on an [ATV or] something similar over the weekend in the park let us know! Please share this post and help us spread the word. Any information is valuable. Let’s come together to rebuild and protect our fields.” “It almost looks malicious,” Baio said. “It was only that field. We had finally got it looking pristine.” The Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office is investigating, a spokesperson said. The 110-acre North Park has four softball fields, six baseball fields, eight tennis courts and a total of 14 soccer fields — most of which are smaller fields available for recreational soccer, for children ages 8 to 14. The field struck by the vandals is competition-sized, at 70 yards
by 120 yards, for players ages 8 to 18. “The drought really killed our field last summer,” Baio said. “The field was pretty much down to dirt.” Over the past year and a half, the recreation department upgraded the field’s irrigation system and reseeded the ground with Bermuda turf grass, a project with a total cost of about $50,000, he said. “We hope the field won’t be down too long,” Baio said. “We’re assessing the situation, and a turf management contractor with the city will give us direction.” In the meantime, he said, at least one competitive soccer club, in Covington, has reached out “and offered the use of their own fields.” Anyone with information about the vandalism at North Park is asked to call the Livingston Sheriff’s Office at (225) 686-2241 or use the Sheriff’s Office phone app to leave an anonymous tip, a sheriff’s spokeswoman said. Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate.com.
The starting salary for public school teachers in the Baton Rouge region these days routinely tops $50,000 a year thanks to a series of locally funded pay raises approved in recent months. Seven of the 12 school districts within the nineparish region — East Baton Rouge and eight surrounding parishes — have approved teacher pay raises over the past four months. They range from $283 more a year in Livingston Parish to a $7,236 raise in East Feliciana Parish. Six of those seven pay raises vaulted starting teachers above the $50k threshold. Pointe Coupee, St. Helena and Livingston parishes are the only districts in the region that pay starting teachers less than that. The districts that have thus far opted against teacher pay raises this year are Baker and Zachary as well as Pointe Coupee, St. Helena and West Feliciana parishes. Some of those districts, though, made notable strides in the recent past. For instance, the City of Baker a year ago increased starting teacher pay by almost $11,000 a year, lifting it briefly to second in the region. Here are annual salaries for starting teachers in the region for select districts: n Iberville, $56,606 n Ascension, $50,533 n East Baton Rouge, $50,000 n Livingston, $47,400 n St. Helena Parish, $41,000 Starting teachers, in this comparison, are those with a bachelor’s degree who work nine months of the year. These figures don’t include various stipends, per-
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Countdown is on for football season openers
Breast imaging locations in Livingston Parish Woman’s Hospital brings breast imaging to Livingston Parish with its mobile mammography coach. The coach makes mammograms more accessible than ever offering advanced 3D mammogram
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Charles Salzer SPORTS ROUNDUP
Football season is already a few weeks old, but with season-opening games coming up in the first week of September there is no room for any time to be wasted. The countdown begins this week with every Livingston Parish team scrimmaging at least one other local team. Like the jamboree games that will take place Aug. 29-30, nothing will be official but ev-
erything will count in the eyes of the coaches. Starters have to be named, depth charts have to be filled out, and game plans need to start coming together. At Live Oak, the Eagles are preparing to host Woodlawn and St. Michael for a threeway scrimmage. St. Michael is coming off one of its best seasons in recent years after it went 8-3 including a home
playoff win in the Division II select playoffs. After that, Live Oak will host Hammond for a jamboree game. It’s all part of a season-opening stretch in which the Eagles play only one road game during the first five weeks of the season. They won’t leave the parish for a game until Oct. 25, when they go to St. Amant. “For the most part, we’ve
been able to get done what we need to get done,” firstyear Live Oak coach Randall Leggette said last week. “Just like any other high school team, we’re dealing with the weather, but we’re making it work. Our guys are excited to come to practice every day and put the necessary work in.”
ä See SALZER, page 2G