SERVING THE PARISHES OF EAST FELICIANA AND WEST FELICIANA
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T H E A D V O C AT E.C O M
Leila Pitchford AROUND THE FELICIANAS
May is Hurricane Preparedness Month
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W e d n e s d ay, M ay 7, 2025
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May is Hurricane Preparedness Month and it’s time to get ready before a hurricane enters the Gulf. Be sure to verify you have appropriate supplies and that your family knows what to do in an emergency.
Feliciana artists wanted The Feliciana Artist Group in conjunction with the Feliciana Wildflower Festival will hold the Largest Art Show in the Felicianas under one roof from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. June 7. It will be in the Clinton United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall at the corner of St. Helena Street and Old South Drive. Feliciana artists interested in showing can call Kathy Martin at (225) 245-1085.
Jackson library plant sale The Jackson Branch of the Audubon Regional Library will have an Indoor Pant Swap from 1-3 p.m. May 23. The event will include a presentation by an LSU Master Gardener. Bring clipping, small plants or seeds to trade. Be sure to check online for other events, including movies at all three branches of Audubon. Also, Audubon Regional Library is holding its annual Design Discovery contest for 18 and under. Participants should turn in a library-themed art piece by July 15.
PHOTO BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Ann Bergeron, of the Granaderos y Damas de Gálvez, hands out information about her organization at the Rum Festival in Jackson.
Rum Festival brings history, rum to St. Francisville
BY MELINDA RAWLS HOWELL
Needle felting demonstration
Contributing writer
A wool needle felting demonstration with Nancy Rothschild will be held at 2 p.m., Sunday, May 11, at Old Crow Gallery, 5689 Commerce St., St. Francisville (behind Birdman Coffee).
The Galvez Rum Tasting Room & Gardens hosted its second Rum Festival as promised with “flavor, music and good vibes” April 26 in Jackson.
Audubon looks at customs Regency Customs at Oakley will be held at 12:30 p.m., 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 p.m., May 10. The event will explore the world of Audubon at Oakley Plantation in 1821 through the customs of the time. The walk and talk through the house explains such things as why being served a cold plate was bad, myths of the fireplace screen, and what is with this dueling. For information, contact the park at (225) 635-3739.
Home and garden event The Feliciana Master Gardeners and St. Francisville Beautiful will hold the St. Francisville Home & Garden Stroll on May 10. Proceeds from the open house, garden tours and afternoon workshops go to 4-H scholarships, school gardens and other community projects. Visit tinyurl.com/4ww7stud for tickets. Tickets are nonrefundable. A plant sale will be held from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Corbel and Farmers Market Barn. It is open to ticket holders and the public. This year’s tour invites visitors to experience six private residences situated in and around St. Francisville’s Historic District for patio and garden tours, and opportunities to step inside select homes to see inspiring floral arrangements. Participating tour sites will be
ä See AROUND, page 3G
The setting for the festivities was the inside and outside of the Spanish-style distillery. Activities were spread in areas that included the spacious green lawn, flowers and seating under umbrellas in the garden area, a covered outdoor stage with more seating and
West Feliciana’s Tristen Harris competes in the Girls 100-meter dash at the Class 4A, Region 2 track meet April 30 at Brusly High School in Brusly. STAFF PHOTO BY HILARY SCHEINUK
tables in the shaded, colonnaded area across the lawn. Scheduled tastings of the three Galvez rums that are blended and bottled on site were held inside where participants were surrounded by paintings including one of historic figure Bernardo de
Galvez. Galvez the rum, named in honor of the Spanish governor of Louisiana, is available in markets across Louisiana and online. Food items, frozen rum drinks
ä See RUM, page 2G
West Feliciana track teams win Brusly meet BY ROBIN FAMBROUGH Staff writer
meters and long jump. Other top local performers, including West Feliciana’s Diamond Peck and Brusly’s Patrick Gales, also excelled while qualifying for the state meet. Though Harris was a marquee attraction for West Feliciana, her jumps teammate Diamond Peck served notice that the Saints could be a threat to win both jumps events at the 4A state meet. Peck had a breakout performance, leaping 39 feet, 61/2 inches to win the triple jump. That mark ranks among the state leaders in all classifications. “The longest jump before today was 38-3,” Peck said. “I just felt good today. Each jump, I felt good. “My goal was to go 39-1, so on my fourth jump I ran as fast as I could and I got it.”
West Feliciana girls and boys track teams captured titles April 30 in the Class 4A, Region II track at Brusly High. West Feliciana’s Tristen Harris won the 200 with a 24.96 mark. Though West Feliciana (girls) and Cecilia (boys) claimed team titles in the meet, most were focusing on gaining top-three finishes to qualify for the LHSAA outdoor championships at LSU. West Feliciana finished with 89 points in the girls division to edge St. Thomas More (82) and Teurlings Catholic (81). Host Brusly was close at 79. Cecilia compiled 74 points to finish ahead of Brusly (641/2) and Westgate (64) in the boys division. The Saints were led by Harris as expected. The South Carolina Email Robin Fambrough at track signee also won the 100 rfambrough@theadvocate.com
Foster child numbers hit record highs in some parishes
pee parishes, where children are shift at a donation center when she picked up from a Walmart. Foster care parents, her The parish consistently has some entering foster care in growing she received a call from the state Department of Children & Family of the highest numbers of children numbers, currently have zero fosresources struggle Services: A 14-year-old girl needed entering foster care in the state. ter homes available. At one point this year, it had more “You can’t turn a blind eye once to keep up with need a place to stay for the night.
Braun, who currently fosters seven children at her Livingston Parish home, can’t bring herself Staff writer to say no. The Louisiana woman On a Tuesday afternoon in Wat- has fostered nearly 100 children — son, Rebecca Braun was working from teenagers to a newborn baby
BY CLAIRE GRUNEWALD
than 220 foster children but only 21 certified foster homes. Braun’s is one of them. The shortage is widespread across the state. West Feliciana and Pointe Cou-
you see what’s out here, and you know that there’s not enough people out here willing to do it with you. … You just stay in the
ä See FOSTER, page 4G