PHOTO BY PATRICK DENNIS
Veteran Advocate high school sports writer Robin Fambrough, left, interviews former LSU and NFL football great Eddie Kennison, right, at the Baton Rouge Advocate’s Star of Stars Sports Awards program in May. Fambrough is retiring this summer
Thanks and goodbye to a legend and friend
The first time I saw the article letting us know that Robin Fambrough was retiring from The Advocate was when my wife sent me the online link on June 30 at 9:30 p.m. The second notice came at 5 a.m. the next day when my mother took a picture of the hard-copy article in the paper and sent it to me via text Some people do still get the paper the old-fashioned way Regardless of how you get your news, Robin Fambrough’s retirement should be celebrated by those coaches, players and fans of prep sports who have had the pleasure to read her Advocate column for 34 years
My mother sending me the article is no surprise. She may pick through sections of the paper and even casually skim through the sports, but she always reads Robin’s column. Conversations with mom frequently turn to “so what did you think of Robin’s article today?”
Robin has a special place and esteem in the Brady family She has covered three generations of Bradys. Our family moved from California to Thibodaux in the
Warren Brady ZACHARY SPORTS
late 1970s when my father took a job as the offensive coordinator at Nicholls State.
Robin was writing sports for the Daily Comet, where she covered Nicholls and my twin brothers Pat and Mike, who were senior football players at Thibodaux High. At Thibodaux High they played for Pat Szuch (a Robin favorite) before eventually (long story) playing football at Cal. She probably does not remember it, but she may have covered my oldest brother, Shawn, who transferred to Nicholls and played running back for one spring before he developed irreconcilable differences with the offensive coordinator (from above offensive coordinator
BY ELLYN COUVILLION
Zachary residents gathered at Fennwood Country Club on Friday for the annual Fourth of July celebration. Families gathered for picnics and games before the fireworks.
Community news report
In early June, Zachary High Advanced Placement/gifted English teacher and world traveler Kaitlyn Ducote led the ZHS Bronco Explorers on a journey across Japan on an EF Tour called “The Land of the Rising Sun.” They visited Tokyo, Hakone, Kamakura, Kyoto, Nara and Osaka. Some of the trip highlights were visiting DisneySea and Joypolis in Tokyo, seeing the country’s two largest bronze
Buddha statues in Kamakura and Nara, interacting with the bowing deer at Todai-ji Temple, visiting the Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, eating a traditional kaiseki dinner wearing a yukata, and visiting important cultural sites like the Senso-ji Temple, Kinkaku-ji Temple, Odawara Castle and Nijo Castle. The Bronco Explorers have trips planned for the next two summers and spring break of 2027 Zachary High students interested in joining them should contact Ducote at kaitlin.ducote@zacharyschools.org.
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was our father)
A couple years later she covered brother Scott, who, after graduating from Thibodaux, played football at SMU before they were no more due to the death penalty Robin was there for my father’s induction into the University High Hall of Fame. Robin was still in Thibodaux when we moved to Zachary, and I am the only one in the family that she did not cover in the preps. Back in those day, Al Tircuit was roaming the sidelines and press boxes in north Baton Rouge and Zachary
I reconnected with Robin in the press box of a Zachary high football game where I was doing the radio broadcast and she was covering the game When coach David Brewerton came to Zachary, she let me know in no uncertain terms that things were fixing to change for Zachary athletics. Looks like she got that one right. Years later she was covering my son, Wes, as he and his Bronco teammates won back-to-back
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safeguards. Its leadership has also been accused of prioritizing Baton Rouge over the rest of the parish.
The new task force will
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state football championships. We were in the press box together when Zachary shocked the world and beat West Monroe in the semifinals at West Monroe. My brothers were frequent visitors to Bronco Stadium during Wes’ years as a Bronco. It never failed that I would receive a text before the game with two questions. The first question, “is Robin in the press box?” If the answer was yes, the second question rapidly came through with, “Can we come up and talk to Robin and Kevin (Fambrough, Robin’s husband) before the game?”
Eight years ago, unbeknownst to me, the Zachary Plainsman was looking for someone to write this weekly sports column. Robin caught me at a football game or maybe it was a track meet and made the pitch for me to do something she thought I would enjoy Boy, was she right Looking for a template to write great sports stories? Read Robin’s articles and appreciate her passion for the kids. She also effectively has the ability to introduce you to more than what they do on the field or in the gym.
There are stories within every player and every sport, and Robin is one of the best at drawing that
meet monthly and may also bring their skills to specific projects in their areas of expertise, the East Baton Rouge Recreation and Park Commission said in a news release.
The members of the BREC Superintendent’s Advisory Task Force are:
participate in a Q&A session to provide feedback and pose questions. Each session will include a brief presentation and will also be livestreamed for those who cannot attend in person. Light refreshments will be provided.
Other meetings will be held in St George, Central, north Baton Rouge and south Baton Rouge.
Register for preK for fall 2025
The Zachary Early Learning Center is accepting applications for prekindergarten for the 2025-26 school year
Applications are in the front office, 4400 Rollins Place Road, Zachary Registration is $60 and includes all supplies, field trip shirt and field trips Call (225) 654-6011 for information Office hours are 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m Monday through Thursday
Back-to-school information and events
Parents with students in the Zachary Community School District can find lists of supplies and fees for the upcoming school year at tinyurl.com/523wjk5k A description of the dress code is at tinyurl.com/
msx2j2sz.
story out. On a couple of occasions, Robin asked me to cover a high school football game. There may not be a lot of people who are interested in a district game between Northeast and Istrouma in Pride. Robin was interested, and she knew that it was important enough for both communities to have someone there to tell the story I gained even more respect for her in covering those games. To meet the deadline and have the article posted in the paper the next morning you have to write the article and get it in despite rain delays and other potential mishaps (like no cell service in Pride) relatively early It can be incredibly stressful writing an article and getting it to the editors before deadline. Consider that Robin has done just that on most Thursday and Friday nights for 34 years in the Baton Rouge area and, as was noted in the July 1 article, got up Saturday morning to cover another sport. Stories can be powerful, as is probably best exemplified by my most recent encounter with Robin at the Baton Rouge airport. I was there at 5 a.m. to catch a flight to Colorado. Robin was on her way to Massachusetts to attend Seim-
n Warren Birkett, retired business development consultant.
n Jay Campbell, former president and CEO of Associated Grocers.
n Jay Dardenne, former lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state senator and East Baton Rouge Metro
Back to school events include:
n The Zachary Men’s Club will have food, games and other activities at 10 a.m. Aug. 2.
n The Dr Martin Luther King Jr Committee of Zachary will hold its Back to School Giveaway from 10 a.m. until supplies run out Aug. 2 at the Zachary High School Gym, 4100 Bronco Lane. School supplies, sno-balls and other refreshments will be available as well as the bookmobile. Attendees are asked to bring a canned good to donate. For information or to sign up as a vendor, contact Johnnie Evans (225) 933-6431 or Tina Clark (225) 202-1076.
Breast screening available
The Woman’s Hospital mobile mammography coach will offer 3D screens July 16 at United Methodist Church, 4205 Church St., Zachary Call (225) 924-8268 to schedule. A physician’s order is required, and appointments are strongly encouraged.
At the library in July
Heather Kinsel, the artist of the resin geode artwork display at the Zachary Branch Library, 1900 Church St., will meet with patrons at 10 a.m. July 19.
The display has several pieces inspired by women of the Bible and their stories. The Pride-Chaneyville Branch Library
one Augustus’ induction into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame. How fitting that the person who told the stories from the time Augustus was a little girl, through high school and LSU and grew into one of the greatest basketball players of all time was there to tell the story of her crowning achievement.
There have been other important stories to Robin I am sure, but the gleam in her eye at 5 a.m. let me know this one was special. For three generations of Bradys and Zachary athletics, Robin Fambrough is special. In many ways, her articles and stories reporting on Zachary athletes and accolades have added to the aura of Zachary athletics.
She was there in the Superdome press box during every Zachary state championship run. Robin was there for the Zachary indoor and outdoor track state championships just like she was there for the boys and girls state basketball championships. Many thanks and congratulations on your retirement.
Warren Brady covers sports for The Plainsman. He can be contacted at zachary@ theadvocate.com.
Council member
n David Dellucci, former Major League Baseball player and St. George City
Council member
n Teri Fontenot, former CEO of Woman’s Hospital.
n Rhoman Hardy, former Shell executive.
n Terrie Sterling, health
The following people were booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison or issued a summons by the Zachary Police Department from June 26-July 3: JACK BARKER: 45; 3840 David St., Zachary; fugitive warrant from East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office
JORDAN FONTENOT: 22; 7542 Smith Road, Clinton; theft BRAELON FRANKLIN: 21; 4163 Hidden Pass Drive, Zachary; possession of marijuana, driving under suspension, improper equipment, seat belt violation BRANDON HAWKINS: 47; 2317 Scenic Gardens, Baton Rouge; violations of protective orders
ANDREW KING III: 21; 318 Bon Crest Ave., Baton Rouge; fugitive warrant from Port Allen Police Department
DALTON KNIGHT: 26; 3840 David St., Zachary; possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of Schedule II drugs WINNIE JONES:
failure to appear on outstanding bench warrant
TIRON TURNER: 31; 18733 Samuels Road, Apt. 253, Zachary; failure to appear on outstanding bench warrant
care consultant and former chief operating officer of
Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center
“We are incredibly grateful to these leaders for their willingness to serve and share their time and talents,” Simmons said in the news release.
13600 Pride-Port Hudson Road, will host
“Lethal Luau: Murder Mystery Game” for 20-somethings at 5 p.m. July 16.
Through Aug. 15, the East Baton Rouge Parish Library will have free programs, workshops, story times, concerts and performances for all ages through the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge, “Color Our World.” Learn more at www.ebrpl. com/SummerReading. Track your reading and earn rewards. Sign up at your library branch or online at ebrpl.beanstack.org. Festival coming soon
Downtown Live will present the third annual Zachary Really Hot Air Balloon Festival from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 8 and from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 9 at BREC
The creation of the task force is part of a broader effort to bring “fresh energy, transparency and collaboration” to BREC’s work in the parish, Simmons said. Email Ellyn Couvillion at ecouvillion@theadvocate. com.
Zachary Community Park, 20055 Old Scenic Highway Visit www.facebook. com/p/Zachary-Really-Hot-Air-BalloonFestival-100093362362338/ for the concert schedule and other information.
Having a summer event?
If you are hosting a summer camp, vacation Bible school or other event open to the public, send us the information to run in this space. Emails are zachary@theadvocate.com for the Zachary area and extra@theadvocate.com for the Felicianas.
Send news and events for the Zachary area to zachary@theadvocate.com by noon Friday or call (225) 388-0731.
