DONALDSONVILLE • DUTCHTOWN • GEISMAR • GONZALES • PRAIRIEVILLE • ST. AMANT
THE ASCENSION
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, A p r i l 9, 2025
Our Lady of the Lake expanding Ascension services
Darlene Denstorff AROUND ASCENSION
Plant and bake sale supports garden club The Gonzales Garden Club’s annual plant and bake sale is from 9 a.m. to noon Friday on the lawn at Gonzales City Hall. The fundraiser supports community garden maintenance at Jambalaya Park and Kidz Kove and provides charitable donations to worthy causes. Hanging baskets, native and pollinator plants, homemade sweets and garden items will be on sale.
Hippty Hoppity Easter Market An Easter egg hunt, food trucks, vendor booths, photos with the Easter bunny are planned for Saturday’s Hippty Hoppity Easter Market from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Duplessis Park, 38103 La. 621, in Gonzales.
Donaldsonville auto show Donaldsonville’s Classic Car and Jeep Show is from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at 308 Railroad Ave. Registration opens from 8 a.m. to noon. The fee is $20 and proceeds will be donated to a local food bank. For information, call (225) 450-9753.
Spring Fest at Francois Bend
Prevost Hospital agreement in works
PHOTOS BY WENDY LOUP
Children hunt for Easter eggs Saturday during Sorrento’s annual Easter Egg Hunt at the Sorrento Community Center.
Baskets in hand
Ry’Asia Samuel, 3, hunts for Easter eggs with her mother, Madison Glascock, of St. Amant.
The hunt for Easter eggs was on Saturday during the town of Egg Hunt. Children of all ages found colorful plastic eggs at the Sorrento Community Center. The free event included games, crafts and other children’s activities. Snacks, hot dogs and drinks were provided by several sponsors including the Sorrento Fire Department and
April GOP Roundtable
ä See AROUND, page 2G
Children line up for Sorrento’s annual Easter egg hunt
Sorrento’s annual Easter
Francois Bend Senior Living is hosting a Spring Festival on Friday and Saturday at 326 E. Industry St. in Gonzales. The event will include health fair, silent auction and fish fry plate sale. Proceeds go to Alzheimer’s Services. Christopher Holton, senior analyst and director of state outreach at the Center for Security Policy, will be the keynote speaker at the April Ascension GOP Holton Roundtable, sponsored by Ascension Republican Women. The roundtable starts at 11:30 a.m. April 17 at the Clarion Inn, 1500 W. La. 30, in Gonzales. Holton has directed the Center’s Divest Terror Initiative and Shariah Risk Due Diligence Program. He has been involved in education and outreach in more than two dozen states regarding divestment of taxpayer supported pension systems from foreign companies that do business with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Islamic Republic of Sudan and the Syrian Arab Republic. In addition, he has been involved in state level counterterrorism and counter shariah initiatives in dozens of states.
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Louisiana’s Sweet Spot. — Wendy Loup
The Brumfield children, from left, Jesse, 4, Marie, 3, and Heidi, 6, get there photo taken.
BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer
While officials work out a potential agreement between the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady Health System and Prevost Memorial Hospital for a new facility in Donaldsonville, the system is expanding its operations across Ascension Parish. The health system, which operates the Our Lady of the Lake hospitals in the capital region, is bringing multiple new services to the parish including an infusion center and a clinic for early detection of lung cancer. In a symbolic move, it also shifted the name of its Gonzales hospital to Our Lady of the Lake St. Elizabeth, a reference to its original name. “This name change honors not only our deep connection and commitment to the Ascension Parish community but also the inspiring legacy of St. Elizabeth of Hungary,” the hospital stated in a news release. “Despite the official name change in 2018, the people of Ascension Parish continued to refer to the hospital as St. Elizabeth.”
Continuing population boom Ascension has been one of the fastest-growing parishes in the state for decades. Recently released census estimates show a 1.2% population growth between 2023 and July 2024. Dr. Christopher Trevino, the physician executive at the Gonzales facility and parish coroner, said the growing population is a major reason the hospital is expanding services. “We have to be prepared to meet the needs of the community,” he said. “With parish growth, the facility in the hospital needs to grow with
ä See SERVICES, page 2G
St. Amant FFA members sell plants, furniture from purchasStudents learn thusiasts ing plants and woodwork grown and crecommunication, projects ated by the St. Amant High School chapter of entrepreneurial the National FFA Organization. skills
The sale offered shoppers small and large carpentry projects built by carpentry students, including benches, outdoor furniture, small side tables and planters. The popular studentorganized event serves multiple purposes for both students and the community, said Mandy
BY WENDY LOUP Contributing writer
St. Amant High School students who volunteered for the annual FFA Farmers Market and Plant Sale on March 29 learned valuable communication and entrepreneurial skills. Rainy spring weather did not keep garden en-
PHOTOS BY WENDY LOUP
St. Amant High School senior Madelyn Long, right, shows 4-year-old Michael Savoy how to cast his reel during the FFA Farmers Market and Plant Sale ä See FFA, page 2G on March 29.
St. Amant High School Beta Club members Addison Lavigne, left, and Sarah Simon, both sophomores, fix up the flower displays.
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