Ascension Advocate 07-30-2025

FAMILIES WHO FISH

BY WENDY LOUP Contributing writer

Family memories were made Saturday for more than 100 children during the 64th annual East Ascension Sportsman’s League’s Kids Fishing Rodeo at Twin Lake Estates in Dutchtown.

Many of the children experienced the thrill of catching their first fish while spending time with parents, grandparents and other family members.

The popular free event continues to grow with 115 children participating this year Families fished alongside a pond and lake at the back of Twin Lake Estates.

The EASL invited children between the ages of 2-14 to experience fishing and compete for prizes including trophies and bicycles.

For many Ascension Parish families,

Tanger Outlets Gonzales invites shoppers to kick off the start of the school season with its Back-to-School Bash from 1 p m to 3 p.m Saturday Aug. 2. The event will include a meetand-greet with local athletes, live DJ, inflatables for all ages and emergency and specialty vehicles. For more information, visit tanger.com/Gonzales and connect on Facebook and Instagram Ascension 4 YouthFest returns to Donaldsonville

The Ascension 4 YouthFest Back-2-School event is set for 10 a.m. Aug. 2 at the Hinckley Waguespack Center, 1201 Maginnis St., Donaldsonville School supplies will be distributed and fun activities are planned. Louisiana Retro Con coming to Gonzales Louisiana Retro Con Summer is coming to Lamar-Dixon Expo Center Aug 2-3.

fishing is a passed-down family pastime.

“We used to come with my nephew when he was 11 years old, so we wanted to take our daughters,” Hannah Spell said.

Spell and her husband, Gage Spell, brought along her two daughters Rowen, 3, and Melody, 2, to fish for the first time.

Spell’s father, Barry Jenkins, was one of the jambalaya cooks. Her mother, Frankie, fished alongside her granddaughters.

“Today is a good introduction to fishing,” Jenkins said. “My dad fished with Bassmasters, so I grew up in a bass boat.”

Gage Spell said the event is a way for the family to bond.

“They get to make good memories

Hospital gives students hands-on health care education

BY CHRISTOPHER CARTWRIGHT Staff writer

Symya Brown, who graduated from East Ascension High School in May, hopes to become a radiologist. Gavin Mitchell, a recent graduate from Donaldsonville High School, plans to work in the computer science field. Brilynn Watts, a student at Ascension Catholic High School in Donaldsonville, wants a career as an ultrasound tech or labor and delivery doctor None of the three knew each other until June, when they began a new summer camp program at Prevost Memorial Hospital in Donaldsonville. Six weeks later, they experienced mentoring from doctors and academics, worked in 14 different hospital departments and built new friendships with other students across the parish. Brown plans to study health care and science at Southeastern Louisiana University this fall and said the camp allowed her to both experience day-to-day radiologist work and the larger interconnected hospital functions.

“Each department works handin-hand to make the hospital run smoothly,” she said. “I didn’t realize that until I actually, like, came to a hospital.”

The initiative, which included 26 students and ran three days a week, concluded Thursday Program and hospital leaders, such as Prevost CEO Shelton Anthony, say they are hoping for future installments.

“We decided that we wanted to help out and have a program here that we can be able to shape some

senior Josh Barber ready for last ride

Ascension Catholic High School senior Josh Barber remembers what happened on that rainy morning in December of 2017 as the Bulldogs were ready to head to the Superdome to play for a state championship in football.

“I remember it like it was yesterday, we were rushing to school to leave for the dome, it was raining very hard,” Barber said. “Our car ran off the road, luckily we survived. My older brothers Jamar and Dorian were seriously injured in the accident, but they protected their little brother They missed on the chance to play for a state championship, my plan is to give them another chance to go back and hopefully watch us do it.” Barber was an elementary school student at the time and his brothers were star players for the Bulldogs. Barber was not injured in the accident; the protection he received from his older brothers will be a lasting memory ACHS lost that state championship game but watching

young leaders and give them the hands-on experiences that they need in health care,” Anthony said. “Access to health care in a rural community is limited, but we wanted to open our doors and be a beacon.”

‘They did all of this from scratch’

The program began with Anthony’s pitch to the hospital board. From there, Jamecko Lewis, the program facilitator and a social worker with the Ascension Parish School District, and Kevin Causey, Prevost chief administrative officer brought it to fruition Quincy Richard Jr., Prevost’s compliance officer, said the entire program was built by Lewis and Causey in the span of a few months.

“They didn’t use a template. They didn’t use anything. Everything that you’re seeing the benefits from, they created,” he said. “I don’t want it to go unnoticed that they did all of this from scratch.”

The program included lessons with hospital doctors, hands-on learning —viewing parasite samples through a microscope, wiring an Ethernet cable, the maintenance of a blood work machine — and field trips to LSU and Delgado Community College in New Orleans.

Students with a wide range of backgrounds and interests participated in the camp Jamarius Major, a recent Donaldsonville High School graduate, found himself drawn to the maintenance work that ensures the hospital runs smoothly Watts talked about learning about respiratory therapy and how she helped another student perform intubation on a test mannequin.

Mitchell spoke about the microscope work, saying the samples showed how diseases affect parts of one’s body.

“I got to see exactly what is affected and what the cells look like, like the blood cells,” he said. “And basically see how everything is connected and also affected through different diseases. Like what they do, how they can harm certain parts of your body and how they affect certain cells, how certain cells react to it.”

Respiratory Therapist Gene Polk demonstrates the

student Lamiah Anderson during the

in Donaldsonville on July 15

Advice from medical professionals

Parker Russo, a rising senior at Grand Oaks High School in Houston, attended the program and stayed with his grandparent, who lives nearby He hopes to attend the University of Texas and study public health before pursuing medical school and said his favorite part was speaking with professionals about their careers.

“I really don’t know where I want to go besides, like, maybe a pediatric field. So, I wanted to see what kind of job specialties were happening,” he said.

Russo said he spoke to Dr Benedict Idowu, a local neurologist, about having shadowing experience before applying to medical schools and asked him about possible paths.

“He gave me some advice on how to pay for medical school, so you could go under contract for a rural area,” Russo said.

“They’ll pay for your college tuitions, mostly in their loans, as long as you work there for X amount of years. So, that was pretty insightful.”

Students part of the summer youth program walk down the halls with garbage bins as part of their custodian rotations at Prevost Memorial Hospital in Donaldsonville.

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Prevost itself is a rural facility designated as a critical access hospital by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. It is the closest emergency room for miles around, and Anthony said it is the first stop for many patients in Donaldsonville.

Anthony said he especially enjoyed how the program developed new advocates for rural and critical access hospital.

“To be able to listen to what Parker said about Doctor Idowu telling him about the residency program and then how you could take that information and be able to utilize rural health care to be able to pay for medical school is rewarding,” he said. “And I think he has a better insight because now he can see that that’s a path that probably he didn’t know before.”

AROUND

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Louisiana’s largest video game event is celebrating 40 years of Super Mario Bros. For ticket information visit https://www.louisianaretroconvention.com/.

Cocktail Trail ends July 31

The Louisiana Sweet Spot Cocktail Trail ends July 31 at participating bars and restaurants.

Order a Sweet Spot Cocktail, receive a stamp on your trail passport, collect eight stamps and turn in your passport in for a chance to win prizes.

Passports are available at the Ascension Tourism office in Sorrento, at participating businesses or visit visitlasweetspot com/cocktailtrail.

Summer cinema

The Price LeBlanc PACE Center is hosting a Summer Cinema Series. Each movie will have a 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. showing options.

“The Lion King” plays Aug. 8. Bring your pillow and a blanket for floor seating. Additional concessions available for purchase.

Live @Crescent Park Stop by Crescent Park from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Saturday for Live @Crescent Park for music, vendors and food trucks

Vendors can call (225) 473-3814.

Donaldsonville hosts 2 farmers markets

n Stop by Tractor Supply at 2152 La. 70 in Donaldsonville from 10 a.m to 2 p.m. for the Sunshine Bridge Farmers Market. All vendors are welcome to participate just bring your products and a tent by 9 a.m. For information, call Jessica Schexnayder at (985) 2121473 or Nadine Coleman at (225) 603-3053.

n Shoppers can also pick up produce and other items from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday in Louisiana Square. For information, call Janice White at (225) 717-0031 or Juanita Pearley at (225) 473-4814. Farmers market continues

Pick up fresh produce, crafts and other goods at the Highway 621 Outdoor Market from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at 39275 La. 621 in Gonzales For information, visit www.facebook.com/Hwy621OutdoorMarket.

Food distributions set Ascension Parish’s commodity distribution is set for the second Tuesday of each month in Donaldsonville and the second Wednesday of the month in Gonzales.

Distributions are from 8 a.m to 11 a.m. at the Frank Sotile Jr Pavilion in Donaldsonville and at Lamar-Dixon Expo Center in Gonzales. All recipients must be prequalified by visiting the Ascension Parish Health Unit, 1024 E. Ascension Complex Blvd., in Gonzales or Donaldsonville courthouse, 300 Houmas St., in Donaldsonville. Call Layne Melancon at (225) 450-1006 or email layne.melancon@ fmolhs.org.

Contact Darlene Denstorff by phone, (225) 388-0215 or (225) 603-1998; or email, ascension@theadvocate. com or ddenstorff@ theadvocate.com.

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Hannah Spell and her husband, Gage, help daughters Melody, 2, left and Rowan, 3 to fish for the first time during the East Ascension Sportsman’s League’s Kids Fishing Rodeo at Twin Lake Estates in Dutchtown

fishing, and we are able to introduce the grandkids to it.”

here and spend time with their grandparents,” Spell said.

Making long-lasting memories while possibly discovering a new hobby is one of the goals of EASL’s fishing rodeo.

“We are trying to get children to unplug from their electronics,” EASL Fishing Rodeo Chair Bettye Lambert said. “They can spend time outside and see if fishing is something they would like to continue.

“We have with us today some children whose parents fish and we have others whose parents have never fished before. They have no clue what they are doing, and they are all figuring it out together,” Lambert laughed.

Louis Browning, of Prairieville, fished with his grandson 9-year-old Cameron Pounds, of French Settlement.

“We’ve come the last three years,” Browning said. “Grandparents can give them guidance and support. A lot of the grandparents here are into

The fishing rodeo allowed participants to bring their own rod, reel and cane pole. They had to bring their own live bait, and no artificial baits were allowed. Parents could help bait the hook, but children had to “land the fish” themselves.

Lambert, who has headed the event for the last 13 years, said the fishing rodeo has continued to grow with each passing year

“This whole thing started out at someone’s pond,” Lambert said. “It’s a fun experience and for many it’s their first time fishing.

“Some children run from fish and are scared when they catch their first fish, but then they enjoy it. For some fishing can become competitive.”

Lambert said sponsors have helped keep the event going all these decades later

“Without our sponsors we couldn’t do this,” Lambert said. “We’ve also have a lot of volunteers who help each year.”

For more information about the East Ascension Sportsman’s League visit www.easlonline.org.

LEBOEUF

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Christopher Anthens. Senior Karsten Broden and sophomores Hayden Turner and Dayveon Geason will join the mix. Barber plays running back as well, a position that will need production with the departure of Kentucky State signee Chad Elzy, an all-state running back with over 100 career touchdowns.

Barber is expected to carry the load with senior Trevin Simon, junior Jacob Julien and sophomore Raif Melancon.

“The past three years, I have played some running back and defensive end. Going forward, I will be back as a running back and come off the edge as an outside linebacker I am excited about the opportunity that coach James is giving me,” Barber said.

Taylor James takes over for Lowell Narcisse, who is now at Thibodaux High School, and he likes what he sees from Barber so far

“I have seen Josh grow a good bit this summer from an accountability and leadership standpoint,” James said. “He has pushed himself to the point where he is inviting accountability and having no issues being pushed by his coaches. Josh will play a big part in our scheme on both sides of the ball. He is a talented young man that can impact football games in a variety of ways.”

Barbers’ junior season was a good one on the football field. He garnered all state honors as a defensive lineman on 11-2 team that lost in the semifinals on the D4 playoffs. Barber also plays three other sports and relishes the opportunity to compete.

“I try to stay active all year around, no need to have an offseason,” Barber said. “I go from football — and we have gone deep my first three years — into December Basketball and powerlifting overlap so that is where I must manage my time. Track follows, but nothing else is going on so it’s easier to manage. Just want to help my teams compete for state championships.”

Barber was part of the ACHS basketball team and track teams that won district as well as a member of the state championship powerlifting team.

The Bulldogs lost 14 seniors and some good leadership from last year, but Barber feels like he and his fellow seniors are ready to step up.

“I see leadership as leading the team and making sure everyone is on the same path,” Barber said. “You can’t be an effective leader without having everything in check and my fellow senior teammates will make sure of that in a positive way.

Coach James likes what he sees from Barber and the senior class so far

“This senior class has those leadership qualities; they have played a lot of football being part of two semi finals teams,” James said. “Just like any other group, they must grow and mold as the season goes along. This entire team is a great group of young men; they have outstanding character The coaches are excited to see where this takes us on and off the field.”

Barber’s talents have garnered the attention of college recruiters. There are no favorites at this point, he is just looking for an opportunity “I am ready to go, we had a good summer, transitioned to a new staff and now we must put the work in during fall camp. Getting recognition comes from hard hard work and being a great teammate, my goal is to play college football, it can be at a smaller school. We must build that team chemistry like we had last season,” Barber said.

Barber’s said his main goal is to work in the classroom as well so someone will notice his grades and athletic abilities. All he needs is one chance, he said. Barber is thankful for many things and understands how lucky he is to be where he is today “I want to thank my coaches, my teammates, my friends and especially my family They push me to be great, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. These past three years have flown by with lots of memories, hoping we can make more this season, we have been close to playing for a state championship, time to kick the door down and experience that ride to the dome,” Barber said. That December day back in 2017 is one I will never forget, it wasn’t about winning a state championship. It was more about seeing a young boy start his journey into becoming the young man he is today.

Landry named Coach of the Year Ascension Catholic coach Delmond Landry was named the Division V Coach of the Year in the boys division at the recent Louisiana High School Powerlifting Association business meeting in Baton Rouge.

Landry has led the Bulldogs to three state championships in the last four years including the 2025 state championship. Landry credits his lifters for their dedication and belief in the program. He thanked assistant coach Tony Paine for his dedication to the sport and everyone that has contributed to the programs success and the administration for believing in him.

Landry plans to compete for another title this winter at Ascension Catholic. Troy LeBoeuf covers sports for the Ascension Advocate. He can be reached at troyleboeuf@hotmail.com or ascension@theadvocate.com or on Twitter @Troyleboeuf.

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