THE ZACHA Y
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W e d n e s d ay, n ov e m b e r 6, 2024
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11TH YEAR, NO. 4
Juneteenth added to Zachary holiday schedule BY OLIVIA MCCLURE Contributing writer
For the first time, Zachary city offices will close and employees will get the day off for Juneteenth in 2025. It became official when City Council members adopted the 2025 holiday calendar at their Oct. 22 meeting. Juneteenth, which commemorates the ending of slavery in the United States, is June 19. It has been a federal holiday since 2021.
Zachary’s long-standing practice of not including Juneteenth on its holiday calendar prompted tension this summer. In June, NAACP leaders in Baton Rouge sent a letter to Mayor David McDavid expressing their disagreement with the policy. Days later, residents, including former council member Lael Montgomery, attended a council meeting to urge the city to begin closing its offices in observance of the holiday.
Council members were sympathetic to those arguments made in favor of making Juneteenth a paid holiday. But legally, their hands were tied, they said: They couldn’t give workers the day off for Juneteenth this year because the 2024 holiday schedule had already been set. When the 2025 holiday calendar was presented to the council at its Oct. 22 meeting, Juneteenth was missing from the list. The council
voted to add it when they adopted the schedule. City Attorney John Hopewell relayed an explanation he’d received from Zachary’s human resources director. “No one suggested to add that to the list,” Hopewell said. “That’s the reason it’s not there. She doesn’t have any objection to it. It’s just no one has suggested that that’s something they want to do.” “It should have been sug-
gested,” council member Brandy Westmoreland responded. “When it came up in June at the meeting, it was stated that it was a misuse of public funds if we gave the day during the month and it was asked to be notated that when the holiday schedule came out for ‘25 that it would be added.” Besides Juneteenth, Zachary city offices will close for 12 other holidays in 2025. The council adopts and can modify the holiday schedule
each year. Hopewell noted that the addition of a new holiday will represent an expense for the city. But he was sure employees would be happy to hear the news. “I’m relatively certain there’s not going to be a city employee that’s going to come at the next meeting to complain because you guys gave them another holiday,” he said. “I think that’s probably going to be something that they’ll be OK with.”
Leila Pitchford AROUND ZACHARY
Libraries close for Veterans Day All locations of the East Baton Rouge Parish Library will close on Monday, Nov. 11, in observance of Veterans Day. All library resources, ebooks, downloads, and other information are available online 24/7 in the Digital Library at www.ebrpl.com/DigitalLibrary. All you need is a library card to check out resources. For more information about upcoming library closures, call (225) 231-3750.
Veterans Day luncheon set The city of Baker is hosting a Veterans Day Luncheon at 11:15 a.m. at Occasions Unlimited, 2160 Main St., Baker. Veterans can register at (225) 774-7044 or occasionunlimit22@ att.net.
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Zachary’s Salute to Veterans Parade set for Nov. 11 Community news report The Regional Veterans Park and city of Zachary’s first Veterans Day Parade is scheduled for 9 a.m. Monday, Nov. 11. The Zachary Salute to Veterans Parade will follow the Regional Veterans Park’s annual ceremony, which starts at 7:30 a.m., and begins at the Bank of Zachary, concluding at Zachary High School. Veterans of all ages are invited to participate, with local antique car owners offering their vehicles to honor them along the parade route. The antique cars will depart immediately following the Veterans Day ceremony at the Regional Veterans Park, located behind Lane Hospital. Veterans interested in participating can email Darren Spears, Regional Veterans Parade organizer, at darren.spears@zacharyschools. org or call the city of Zachary Mayor’s Office at (225) 654-0287. Local antique car clubs are coming together to support veterans in the parade. If you own an antique car and would like to drive a veteran along the route, email Spears or pick up a driver form at City Hall, 4700 Main St.
The Lodge At Lane decorated with black and orange balloons for Zachary’s trunk-or-treat event.
PROVIDED PHOTOS
Zachary celebrates Halloween with trunk-or-treat
The city of Zachary held its fourth trunk-or-treat event on Oct. 27 in downtown Zachary. Children enjoyed visiting different decorated trunks and vehicles for candy. There was fun in HugYourPeople Memorial Park too with a haunted maze, carnival games and fun on the playground. Attendees enjoyed snoballs, hot dogs, cotton candy and kettle corn.
Members of Chi Eta Phi Sorority hand out treats Oct 27.