SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
DEMOCRAT THE ST. FRANCISVILLE
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, s e p t e m b e r 11, 2024
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Hope helps heal teen’s pain, plants purpose and plan BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER Contributing writer
Leila Ramos stood out as a gifted preschooler and future Mensa member as kid who could solve complex problems and set puzzle pieces straight. A decade later, those complex problems include curbing the fentanyl crisis in the hope that young lives will be saved. Ramos, a 16-year-old West Feliciana High senior, recently discussed her journey from preschool at LSU to founding Hope Resuscitated, a nonprofit focused on educating teenagers and young adults about overdose prevention. Inspired by family losses to overdose, she aims to provide Narcan and raise awareness. Ramos’ educational path includes sev-
eral schools but started at the LSU Lab school preschool program. More than 100 years ago, the school was started as an independent system to provide training opportunities for pre- and in-service teachers and to serve as a demonstration and research center. Ramos has fond memories of working with pottery and developing a love for reading. Testing and assessments found something more substantial than “likes to read.” Ramos, the staff discovered was performing at a very advanced level for her age and she was designated “gifted” as a preschooler. The Mensa Society became a part of Ramos young life soon after her designation. No little kid asks, “Can I be a Mensa when I grow up,” but there she was join-
ing the more than 50,000 members of American Mensa, the largest national Mensa operating under Mensa International. Mensa is a collection of the world’s smartest minds. They range from 2 to 106 and score in the top 2 % of the population on a standardized IQ test. Members can meet and help others through community-oriented activities operated by the Mensa Foundation. Ramos, whose mother is a native of the Felicianas and whose father is from El Salvador, spent the next years in FLAIM, Baton Rouge Foreign Language Academic Immersion Magnet. FLAIM combines academic goals with foreign language
PHOTO BY FRANCES Y. SPENCER
Leila Ramos speaks about her efforts to curb fentanyl overdoses and her future after graduating ä See HOPE, page 2G from West Feliciana High School in May 2025.
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
Stitching group meeting Saturday Christian Sisters in Stitches will have its normal craft meeting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14, at Clinton Methodist Church. People from the community who would like to join are welcome.
Libraries are active Be sure to visit the West Feliciana Parish Library or any branch of the Audubon Regional Library for lists of activities planned for the fall.
Candidate forum set The West Feliciana Chamber of Commerce invites residents to the 2024 Mayoral and Alderman Candidate Forum at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the West Feliciana High School Auditorium.
Mammograms in the area The Woman’s Hospital mammography coach is offering 3D mammograms in Clinton and nearby communities. Physician’s orders are required and appointments are strongly encouraged. Call (225) 683-5292 to schedule. The coach will be at RKM Primary Clinton, 11190 Jackson St., on Sept. 24. Visit womans. org to see the schedule for other communities, including Baker and Zachary.
OLLI Fall Coffee registration OLLI Fall Coffee is hosting horticulture speaker Jessie Hoover of the LSU AgCenter. The Felicianas Chapter of OLLI will hold its fall coffee at 10 a.m. Sept. 16 in Fellowship Hall at First Baptist Church, 12404 La. 10, in St. Francisville. Hoover will share fall gardening tips and talk about Louisiana Super Plants. Guests over the age of 50 are welcome. Registration for OLLI runs through Oct. 2. Classes are Sept. 23 to Nov. 2. Visit OLLI in the Felicianas on Facebook, ce.lsu.edu/olli or contact ollifelicianasmembership@gmail.com for information.
Angola Prison Rodeo tickets Tickets are available for the Angola Prison Rodeo in October. Reserved seating is $20 per ticket. The event includes music by inmate bands, food, and prisoner-made arts and crafts. Children’s activities include pony rides, carnival games and
ä See AROUND, page 2G
STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
As he battles congenital heart disease, Jesse Corcoran, 7, throws out the first pitch Thursday afternoon as his wish for a backyard baseball field is granted by Make-A-Wish Texas Gulf Coast and Louisiana in Slaughter.
BACKYARD BALL
BY QUINN COFFMAN
Staff writer
On Sunday, Jesse Corcoran, 7, of Slaughter, underwent surgery to assist with a congenital heart defect he has had since birth. But on Thursday, he threw out the first pitch on his very own baseball diamond, one built in his backyard on land that had been a cow pasture only a year ago. Despite the heavy rain that soaked the baseball in his hand, and the mud that sucked at his feet, Jesse’s pitch flew all the way into his father Tim’s waiting glove. As cheers shot up from spectating neighbors and friends, Jesse too flew into Tim’s arms. The diamond was a wish Jesse had asked of the Make-A-Wish foundation, one that was granted Thursday after months of construc-
tion by local designers and contractors donating their labor and materials. The field is not just for Little League, either, being 350 feet along the baseline from home plate to the end of right field. Liz Aaron, Jesse’s aunt, got to watch the field go up “from start to finish” from her neighboring property. “I’m just proud that he’s gonna get something that he loves; it will be very well used,” Aaron said, tearing up. “He will be the envy of all of the high school boys, because this is better than what they have.” She said one of her favorite things about living in Slaughter was that you can hear the neighborhood’s kids laughing and playing, that it echoes across the open pasture. Jesse’s field is tucked tightly between two such pastures, down a gravel road off Midway
Road, in Slaughter. While the crowd ate snow cones and Cracker Jacks from under the protection of a white plastic tent, Jesse and the other children ran the perimeter of the new field, barefoot in the mud. Tim, who himself briefly played Major League Ball alongside Jesse’s uncle Roy, addressed the gathered crowd before the first pitch. He talked about all the days of work, of laying the fencing under a 110-degree sun. “This is a wonderful thing; I would’ve loved to do this on my own, but I couldn’t,” he said, thanking Make A Wish and all of the contractors involved. “This was a blessing to my son, to my whole family, to all the kids on Midway Road. It’s going to be a blessing for everybody, so it’s not just going to be Jesse, its
ä See BALL, page 4G
Humans and animals mingle in perfect mix of fun and education at Barn Hill Preserve BY ROBIN MILLER
Staff writer
The Geoffroy’s cat moves so fast that he sees everything around him in slow motion. The spectacled owl has bad night vision and has trouble seeing things up close. And the capybara? Well, he just likes having his belly rubbed, which is what Chandler Castle does moments after entering the fuzzy creatures’ enclosure at Barn Hill Preserve. It’s not only the capybaras’ home but the place that ties these animals together, among others. Some are rare. Others are close to landing on the endangered animals list. And Chandler, along with other animal caretakers and
STAFF PHOTO BY ROBIN MILLER
Visitors get a close look at the flock of parrots in Barn Hill Preserve’s aviary during an ä See VISITORS, page 5G encounter tour.