Mel Schwem Sims
JAN 24, 1955 – MAY 25, 2023
A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 4546 Highway 783, Ringgold, Louisiana 71068.
The Red River Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances” – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The obituary will be included in the emails sent to subscribers. Contact your funeral provider or RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.
The Village of Martin has posted new rules for renting their hall. Beginning September 1 all hall rentals will be $100 rental and $100 cleaning fee ( cleaning fee will be returned if hall is clean. ). Also, no water slides or blow up jumpers will be allowed.
Beginning Monday blast off with Vacation Bible School at First Methodist Coushatta. It will be June 19-22, Monday-Thursday Evening from 5:30-8:00. A meal will be served each night.
Ages 4 years to students finishing 5th grade.
VBS at Open Door Fellowship will be June 18-22 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm each evening. The theme is Twists & Turns.
The local Parish Health Unit will be closed June 16, 2023 in observance of Juneteenth and will reopen on June 19th with normal hours from 8AM-4:30PM.
Sunday is Father’s Day. New Life Church will have a special service at 10:30 am. Donuts and coffee will be served beforehand, and they will have a gift for each dad.
Friends of the Library have been busy with projects at RRES and RRAA.
On Monday, June 6th, Joy and Judy Cannon worked with the 5th and 6th grade classes from RRAA on an art project at the library.
On Tuesday, June 7th, they had both 3rd grade classes in the morning and Mrs. Fields’ 4th grade class in the afternoon.
On June 7th and 8th, members of “Friends of the Library” teamed up with Red River Parish Sheriff’s deputies to speak with Red River Elementary students about swimming and water safety skills. The Sheriff’s Office also brought along its rescue boat and discussed boating safety as well.
As many families head to the pool, lake, and river this summer, this is valuable information that will help keep our children safe. Sheriff Edwards and the Red River Parish Sheriff’s Office wish everyone a safe and enjoyable summer.
Red River Academic Academy GEMS (Girls Empowered and Motivated to Succeed) Club took a field trip on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 to reenforce their etiquette lesson that was taught at their May meeting.
The girls went to Natchitoches and ate at Merci Beaucoup Restaurant for lunch. After lunch they explored the beautiful historic district of Natchitoches.
The girls shopped at the sweets shops, candy store, and took pictures at the Riverbank. It was a wonderful and worthy experience for the GEMS. Each and every one of them enjoyed the trip.
By Teddy Allen
The 2023 College World Series begins Friday at Charles Schwab Field in “Omaha! Omaha!,” or, as our LSU friends like to say, Geauxmaha! (Is there no END to this “geaux” stuff?!)
Love or hate LSU, you have to admit — in any moment that passes for sanity, even among the LSU Haters out there — that the college game is better when LSU is good.
And this year, the Tigers are pretty good, or whatever phrase you’d wish to use to describe a team that wins 48 games, a Regional, a Super Regional, and winds up in Geauxmaha.
LSU is back for the first time since 2017, an eternity for Tiger fans. LSU most recently won it in 2009 and won four in seven seasons — 1991, ’93 (Airline High’s Todd Walker was the CWS Most Outstanding Player), and ’96-’97. If the Tigers can win this year, they’ll have seven all-time, second only to USC and one ahead of Texas.
A lot’s going on …
(For the whole story, read Everything Matters in Baseball: The Skip Bertman Story, by our old friend Glenn Guilbeau, (or Guilbeaux, if you prefer. Page 51 is my favorite because yours truly is on it, as is the song I wrote for Skip in 1989ish. Thank you, Glenn. Mighty fine book. Baseball coaches in Louisiana should send the Skipster chocolates every day; he was the difference that made the difference for college baseball in our state.)
So back in the summertime, we offered an Introduction to ‘Sports Talking’ and determined that The World of Sports has a language all its own, and that each individual sport has an even more specialized lingo. A field goal is different in football than in basketball. “Pin” is one thing in bowling and another in wrestling. A skater spins lots and lands; a second baseman spins once and throws.
And on like that.
We wrote about football (played by gridders on a gridiron) and basketball, or roundball, played with a rock, and how in hoops, foul trouble is when you are in danger of disqualification because you’ve done an extreme number of illegal things, not to be confused with foul trouble caused by sitting next to a fan who smells like an old sneaker, or fowl trouble, when the concession stand runs out of chicken tenders.
Now, let’s get ready for baseball or hardball, by introducing some everyday words that mean one thing in baseball (and sometimes, something else in real life).
A hose is an arm and if you throw fast and true, you have a hose. A good defender can flash the leather and has the good hands. Wheels are legs and good ones mean you are fast; no wheels mean you are no threat to steal or swipe a bag/base, but hopefully, you are not so terribly, horribly slow that you can’t score from third on a triple or even on a homer that leaves the yard/park.
Some of the CWS players had a chance out of high school to become bonus babies, or young players who sign for a big bonus payment on top of a salary. A bonus baby is also the second baby out of the womb when there are twins; triplets mean mom gets two bonus babies.
A cut fastball is a ball that breaks away from the arm that threw it; in other words, it breaks toward the pitcher’s glove-hand side. A cut fastball is also a fastball that wasn’t good enough to make the varsity.
A backdoor slider or backdoor breaker appears to the batter to be off the plate — right before it breaks over the plate and late. Bummer for the batter. (In real life, a backdoor slider it is one of us Baptists who used to attend church regularly but now gets to Sunday school late — if at all.)
A tater is a homer run; it’s also the nickname of the 5-9, 285-pound third baseman.
A twinbill is a doubleheader, a twin killing is a double play, and a twinbill killing is when a doubleheader gets rained out.
A yakker is a curveball, also called an Uncle Charlie — “Caught him looking at ol’ Uncle Chuck!” A yakker is also a female yak — a yak her — or one who hunts yaks, or a sick person who can’t keep their food down. A very good curveball hitter is a yakker whacker, sometimes called a yacker smacker.
If a player is on deck he is the next batter up after the one at the plate, and if a plyer is to bat after the batter on deck, he is said to be in the hole — although it began as in the hold, a nautical term like on deck is; in the hold is by definition just beneath the deck of a ship, as in the storage area. So, in baseball if you are on deck, then I am in the hold and batting after you. Nautical terms were common in the 1800s
when baseball started but things evolve, and “in the hold” is sadly gone forever; the great unwashed win again).
So … enjoy the CWS. “Let’s have a clue out there! Here we go! See you at the yard.
Ready BREAK!” Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu
The Red River Parish School System is accepting applications for the position of Assistant Principal for the Red River Elementary School.
The Red River Elementary School Assistant Principal reports to the Principal and Superintendent of Red River Parish Schools. The Assistant Principal is responsible for providing high caliber educational leadership to the school, ensuring the safety and well-being of students, building strong family partnerships, selecting, hiring, supervising and evaluating staff in accordance with district policies, preparing and administering the school budget, and overseeing the school building and its operations and activities.
Salary: 75K starting pay for no experience (supplements are included in salary) Commensurate with experience.
Qualifications:
Provisional Principal, Principal, Educational Leadership or eligible for LDOE licensure once employed in administrative position.
Master’s and/ or Advanced degree from an accredited college or university, with graduate level courses in school administration and educational leadership.
Excellent communications and interpersonal skills.
Experience in staff supervision and evaluation and in budget development and administration.
Knowledge of early childhood/developmental learning and growth, behavioral response and best SEL practices.
Ability to provide inclusive and effective educational leadership of general and special education instructional programs.
Deadline for application submission June 16, 2023.
Apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com or you may contact Nicole Eason 318-271-3150 for more information.
Nicole M. Eason
Red River Parish School Board
Human Resources Department
The Red River Parish School System is accepting applications for the position of Algebra 1 teacher.
Salary for 1st year teacher with no experience: 60K (this includes supplements)
Qualifications:
Valid Teaching Certification (884 Algebra 1, 388 Math 6-12, 389 Math K-12, or 889 Math for Professionals) or
Eligible for a Practitioner’s License as confirmed by a local university or alternative certification program
Apply online at http://www.rrbulldogs.com or contact Nicole Eason 318-271-3150 for more information.
Nicole M. Eason
Red River Parish School Board
Human Resources Department
By Royal Alexander
I have often pondered the principles of marketing.
Whether we are talking about McDonalds, Coca Cola, the NFL, Target, or Anheuser-Busch—and its previously popular Bud Light beer—I would think the most important consideration would be to successfully target (no pun intended) the most likely consumers of the product and then do everything to gain, keep and increase the greatest market share possible.
In other words, as has always been the case in the corporate world before the “social justice” and Woke movements, the fundamental fiduciary duty to shareholders was to maximize profits. Period.
Well, corporate America has changed, and not for the better.
What we are seeing and hearing as Target, Anheuser-Busch, and others lose billions and irreparably damage their brands is the economic “roar” of millions of Americans that we will no longer accept corporate elites shoving cultural imperialism down our throats.
Millions of tolerant, patriotic Americans have finally said enough– “stop force feeding us liberal sexual orthodoxy.”
As a result of these boycotts, Target and Anheuser-Busch have now lost a combined $40.8 billion in market value over their LGBTQ Pride-focused marketing campaigns. (S. Perry. The Daily Signal, 6-6-23). In short, they are bleeding value with no end in sight.
Why have American consumers responded in this way?
Because we’re sick of being bombarded by and graphically exposed to—and we are way past being asked to merely accept alternative lifestyles—“Pride” and transgenderism.
We fundamentally reject the idea that young children are prepared to receive or process any information about human sexuality or have even the slightest capacity to decide—often without their parent’s knowledge—whether they should amputate their own bodies at age 6 because a boy may think for a while that he’s a girl.
Or be forced to tolerate Target’s policy of allowing our young daughters to be followed into the girl’s bathroom by a full-grown man who “identifies” as a woman.
Or the farce that biological men who are “transitioning” to “female” can fairly be allowed to compete against biological females.
Well, the roof blew off when Target “released nationwide Pride-focused merchandise targeting children, including ‘tuck friendly’ swimsuits for boys who identify as girls, but have not yet amputated their sexual organs. For good measure, it also offered kid-friendly products designed by a self-identified “trans Satanist.” (S. Perry, The Daily Signal, 6-6-23).
We really shouldn’t be surprised by Target’s action. After all, this is the same company that was caught partnering with an organization—the Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Education Network (GLSEN)—that hides children’s gender transition from parents and advocates teaching gender ideology at all grade levels. (N. Silverio, Daily Caller, May 26, 2023).
So, why do millions of Americans object to such offensive products and messaging?
It’s because we reject the cold, sterile, and godless view of life, faith and family which distorts gender and biology beyond all recognition. Quite to the contrary, we view ourselves as made in the image and likeness of God and are the creation of the Creator who defined us, body and soul.
And we believe that while the two genders are morally equal in every sense, males and females are vastly different physiologically and acting as though they are the same is not only a Big Lie but it’s a cruelty to confuse the most vulnerable among us about themselves in order to advance a toxic ideology through chemical castration or genital mutilation in order to fill the bank accounts of doctors and hospitals who profit from the billion dollar Sex Change Industrial Complex. According to research, the U.S. sex reassignment surgery market size was estimated at $ 1.9 billion in 2021 and was expected to reach $2.1 billion in 2022.
That’s why parents are so concerned about the targeting of young adolescents on social media to confuse and then persuade them that they are transgender. Parents feel that their children are under siege, and as children have become more isolated and more tied to their telephone screens, there’s been an explosion of children identifying as transgender.
These children are vulnerable to messages that say their problems fitting in can be solved by recognizing that they were born in the wrong body. Tragically though, the puberty blockers and surgeries being handed out to adolescents will cause a lifetime of physical health problems which has led to laws against gender assignment surgery.
May the boycotts continue until this lesson is learned.
By Journal Publisher John Brewer
A friend from church asked me where I had been the past week. Well, I was on a road trip to New Mexico. So, I thought I would let you in on all the “FUN.”
I left here on Tuesday, June 6th. Driving in my 59-year old Mustang convertible. Sally, the Mustang did just fine. On Friday morning June 9, 2023 I proudly raised the Shreveport Mustang Club flag at the National Mustang Show in Albuquerque, New Mexico.
It was a long drive, about 880 miles to get there. And a very long Thursday cleaning and polishing in the hotel parking lot. Due to a miscalculation, I had parked within range of the sprinklers that bring a touch of green to a perched land. I am sure the grass appreciated it more than Sally did!
More cleaning Friday at the show site, the Balloon Festival Park in Albuquerque. All 300 car owners cleaned and polished and sweated to the oldies blaring on the PA system.
Thanks to several lotions and potions that Donna and other Shreveport club members had suggested all the water spots and pollen came off. Yes, there was pollen aplenty. Everything is blooming out here. They have received much more rainfall than usual. And the hills are alive with the green of vegetation.
It was a great trip. It was an occasion to renew old friendships, like Steve who drove his Shelby all the way from Illinois. I got to see the “Cadillac Ranch” just west of Amarillo on I-40. I got ribs at my favorite rib joint, Bodacious in Marshall. The baked salmon salad at the Pyramid Hotel was first rate. And the spectacular view of the plains and mountains made the trip worth it.
Now all I have to do is spend a day getting the bugs off my old Mustang. Then Start getting ready for the next road trip in September.
The Red River Parish School Board is accepting applications for School Food Service Warehouseman Assistant.
Qualifications:
To apply click here “Support Application”. Email your application to kbethard@rrbulldogs.com or applications available at the Central Office.
For more information or to request a job description, you may contact Nicole Eason at neason@rrbulldogs.com.
Deadline for application submission is June 16.
Nicole M. Eason
Red River Parish School Board
Human Resources Department
Red River Parish Public Schools Mission Statement
Red River Parish Schools provide excellent education:
Every Child, Every Day, Whatever it Takes.
Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for June 2-8, 2023
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
We sustainably manage forests and manufacture products that make the world a better place. We’re serious about safety, driven to achieve excellence, and proud of what we do. With multiple business lines in locations across North America, we offer a range of exciting career opportunities for smart, talented people who are passionate about making a difference. We know you have a choice in your career. We want you to choose us.
Weyerhaeuser in Natchitoches is hosting an on-site job fair at their mill on Wednesday, June 26, 2023. We are hiring Entry-Level Production Associates, with the pay starting at $17.50 per hour. The job fair will be held at 234 Industrial Avenue in Natchitoches. Interested applicants may apply online at www.wy.com/careers. After applying and successfully passing an assessment test, pre-register for the job fair by calling 318-354-4055. Excellent benefit packages, bonus opportunities, perfect attendance incentives, and development opportunities are just some of the reasons why Weyerhaeuser is the preferred employer in Natchitoches.
Weyerhaeuser was voted Best of Manufacturing in Natchitoches Parish for 2022. Not only do our associates believe we’re a great place to work, but so does our community!
Join our team by applying and attending our job fair on Wednesday, June 26, 2023. We look forward to meeting you, and are excited to begin this journey with you!
EOE
Vicki Lee Woods
January 19, 1956 – June 11, 2023
Funeral services will be held at 2:00 pm Wednesday, June 14, 2023 at Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home Chapel.
Harold Willis Waters
September 12, 1950 – June 10, 2023
Funeral services were held at 2:00 pm Monday, June 12, 2023 at Fairview Baptist Church.
Mel Schwem Sims
JAN 24, 1955 – MAY 25, 2023
A celebration of life will be held at 1:00 p.m., Saturday, June 17, 2023 at 4546 Highway 783, Ringgold, Louisiana 71068.
The Red River Parish Journal publishes “Remembrances” – unlimited words and a photo, as well as unlimited access – $70. The obituary will be included in the emails sent to subscribers. Contact your funeral provider or RedRiverParishJournal@gmail.com. Must be paid in advance of publication.
Many people from here use the Jimmy Davis Bridge between Shreveport and Bossier City. Take note of this announcement by DOTD:
The Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development advises motorists that beginning on Monday, June 19, 2023, the LA 511 (Jimmie Davis Hwy/70th Street) bridge over the Red River in Caddo and Bossier Parishes will be closed nightly from Monday, June 19th through Friday, June 23rd, from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. each night.
Bro. Richard Kaufman told the Journal that Trevor Thomas will be performing live at Martin Baptist Church on June 24that 6:00 pm. The theme is Laughter, Inspiration and Life Change.
Magnolia Bend Academy introduced new teachers for next school year. They are:
Justin Wiley-Bible
Tonya Wiley-Pre-K
Gabrielle Dyes- 4th/5th/6th Math and Science
Sophia Foshee-Jr High/High School History
Heather Gandy- 2nd Grade
Emma McElwee-Jr High/High School Math
Debbie Blades – 4th/5th/6th ELA and Science.
There is a meeting tonight at Red River High for students in 7th through 12th grades interested in a school fishing team. Bring a parent and meet at 5:00 pm in the vocational building.
Red River Crappie Club June Tournament Results on the RED RIVER:
FIRST PLACE-Ken Roberts / Kennith Scallion- 10.14 lbs.
SECOND PLACE- Justin Keith/ Casey Bolyer- 8.98 lbs.
THIRD PLACE- Jody Vann/ Eden Vann- 8.87 lbs.
BIG FISH- Ken Roberts/ Kennith Scallion- 1.63 lbs.
TRASH FISH- Jody Vann/ Eden Vann- 3.35 lbs. goo.
Report from the Red River Sheriff’s Office for June 2-8, 2023
This information has been provided by a law enforcement agency as public information. Persons named or shown in photographs or video as suspects in a criminal investigation, or arrested and charged with a crime, have not been convicted of any criminal offense and are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
By Katie Bethard, MS, RD, LDN, Director of Nutrition and Health
The classrooms are empty, but the Red River High School Cafeteria will be filled with food in order to feed children during the summer months. The Child Nutrition Program at Red River Parish Public Schools will be providing free lunch for children 18 years and under from June 26 until July 27 Monday through Thursday of the week. The doors will open at 11:00 am and close at 1:00 pm, however it is on a first come first serve basis. We will adjust as needed in order to try and accommodate increasing numbers if we run out.
The lunch is free for any children that are 18 years and under, even if they do not attend Red River Parish Public Schools. In order to receive a meal, children from other schools must bring a student identification card from any school they attend or a Louisiana identification card or driver’s license.
The summer lunch program begins June 26 and runs through July 28 Monday through Thursday from 11:00 am until 1:00 pm in the Red River High School Cafeteria.
Children must eat around campus and cannot take meals to go. If this changes we will update as soon as possible. Each child that gets a lunch, will get a free cold summer treat!
The updated summer menu is below.
Each year, the Red River Parish School Board recognizes employees that have served in the educational system with a service award and pin. This is done in increments of 5 years. This year we recognized two staff members for 50 years of service in the educational system. These amazing and dedicated staff members are Deborah Guidry and Doyle Bell.
Here is the full list of service awards presented:
5 YEARS
Robert Lee Babers, Jr Bus Operator
Tori Dawn Bamburg Red River Junior High
Mary Virginia Hines Central Office
Antoinette Prealow Bus Operator
Jeanette Sibley Food Service
Anthony Simoneaux Red River High School
John Ethan Squires Red River High School
Virginia Woodley Bus Operator
10 YEARS
Crystal Lynn Briggs Red River Elementary
Lindsy Elaine Cook Red River Elementary
Charles R. Crockett Food Service
Julie Diane Inman Red River Elementary
Megan Nicole Inman Red River Elementary
Donnisha Mims Red River Elementary School
Toni Hay Rodgers Red River High School
Mandy Valesa Thomas Red River High School
Hannah Nicole Wren Red River Elementary School
15 YEARS
Casey L Bolyer Red River Elementary School
Christopher Lynn Reed Red River High School
20 YEARS
Turischeva Nicole Bailey Red River High School
Jennifer Breedlove Red River High School
Jack Clark Bus Operator
Patience Hardy Danzy Red River Junior High
Misty Dawn Humphrey Red River Junior High
Kelli S. Moseley Red River Elementary School
Sherry Pickett Red River Academic Academy
Jacqueline Guye Richmond Red River Academic Academy
Jacqueline Lashunna Smith Red River Elementary School
Susan M. Wiliams Red River Elementary School
Rachael Ann Williamson Red River Junior High School
25 YEARS
Debbie L. Bamburg Bus Operator
Carol H. Cameron Red River Elementary School
Martha A. Davis Red River High School
David M. Jones Central Office
Vanessa M. Lloyd Red River Elementary School
Persunda H. Raymond Red River Academic Academy
Cynthia D. Smith Red River High School
Lynda S. Swafford Bus Operator
30 YEARS
Ossie Lewis Red River Academic Academy
Shanna Keath Moore Red River High School
Terri Leone Red River Elementary School
Diane L. Newton Central Office
Marie L. Tucker Red River Elementary School
35 YEARS
Cleve L. Miller Red River Parish School Board
40 YEARS
None
45 YEARS
None
50 years
Doyle L. Bell Red River High School
Deborah F Guidry Red River High School
The Red River Parish Journal welcomes our new reporter, Chloe Spradley. She will be reporting on sports, academics, extra-curricular activities and other events at Riverdale Academy.
Chloe begins her journey in journalism with an excellent piece on the departure of long-time football head coach Jarred Smelser. The Journal hopes to send Chloe on many more assignments in the coming months and years.
By Chloe Spradley
Over the past few weeks, teacher/coach Jared Smelser made a very hard decision to leave Riverdale Academy. He has been at Riverdale for 4 years, and during that time, he has been the history teacher of 9th – 12th grade, baseball coach, and head football coach. He led the football team in 4 district championships, 3 semi final appearances, and 1 state runner up title, ending his career at Riverdale with a record of 42-15.
I got the chance to ask Coach Jared about his time at Riverdale, and this is what he had to say: “My family and I are truly blessed to have been a part of a loving and caring community. Riverdale and Red River have done everything possible to make us feel at home and feel loved. We have invested so much time and love for our kids, school, coworkers and community, and they have reciprocated. This was one of the hardest decisions we’ve had to make as a family but felt this is the direction that God was leading us to. We will always have a special place in our hearts for this community and its schools. Goodbyes are never easy, especially this one.”
He and his family will be dearly missed by all the Riverdale community. There’s never a dull moment with him, as he brings smiles to everyone’s faces and always knows how to lighten the mood.
Coach Jared is a very loving father to his son Cybastian, and wife Cymantha. Everyone will miss seeing them on the sidelines, cheering on our Rebels.
Please pray for the Smelser family as they continue this new chapter of their life!
By Brad Dison
As a teenager, George spent most of his free time cruising the streets of Modesto, California. He owned an Autobianchi Bianchina, an Italian minicar based on the Fiat 500. The car sported a convertible top, and roll bar, and was surprisingly peppy for its size. George liked driving fast.
For most of George’s high school career, he was in danger of failing. George’s mother worried that he would never amount to anything. George’s father reassured her that George was just a late bloomer. George’s father wanted George to follow in his footsteps and run the office equipment store that the family had built. However, George wanted to be a car mechanic and race cars. George and his parents argued over the direction George planned to take in life. Finally, to placate his parents, George decided to go to college. First, George had to finish high school.
It was the end of the school year in 1962, and George was a senior at Thomas Downey High School. His high school graduation was scheduled for June 15, but George did not make it to his graduation. Three days before graduation, on June 12 at 4:50 p.m., George was driving his minicar back to his home at 821 Sylvan Road in Modesto, California. In the era when wearing a seatbelt was optional and seatbelts did not come standard in all cars, George was buckled in. As George neared his driveway, he slowed the car and turned on his left blinker. George looked ahead and saw that there was no oncoming traffic. George turned the wheel to the left and began the turn into his driveway. The last thing George heard was a horn.
17-year-old Frank Ferreira, also of Modesto, was driving at about 90 miles per hour in the same direction George had been traveling. Frank saw the minicar travelling slowly and veered into the left lane to pass. As Frank neared George’s minicar, George began the turn. Frank had little time to react. He slammed on the brakes and honked the horn, but it was too late. Frank’s car hit George’s minicar so hard that George’s car flipped seven or eight times and struck a walnut tree. While the car was flipping, George’s seatbelt snapped, and George was thrown from the minicar. A millisecond later, George’s minicar and Frank’s car struck a walnut tree. George was seriously injured. He lay unconscious near his crushed car. Paramedics rushed George to the Modesto City Hospital. Frank was uninjured.
When George awoke, a nurse reassured him. “Don’t worry,” she said, “you have all of your arms and legs.” “What do you mean?” George asked. He had no memory of the accident. Everybody kept telling George, “You should be dead.” After hearing that several times, George decided that “maybe there’s a reason I’m here.”
Whereas George had little interest in his high school career, he excelled in what became his major area of study in his junior year of college. George’s father was right when he said George was a late bloomer. George’s mother had no reason to be concerned about George’s lack of direction or that he would never amount to anything. According to Forbes, in 2023, George’s net worth was more than $4.9 billion. Had George agreed to go into his family’s office equipment business or had George not survived the car crash, we would never have shared in the adventures of Dr. Henry Walton Jones Jr., nor would we have learned what happened “A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away….” The teenage boy who somehow survived a horrific car crash went on to create the epic Hollywood franchises “Indiana Jones,” and “Star Wars.” His name is George Walton Lucas, Jr.
Sources:
As summer approaches, most teens are looking forward to sleeping in and enjoying their favorite pass times. But for cadets in JROTC, the summer will start with Junior Leadership Camp for underclassmen and full-blown Basic Training for graduates ready to start their military careers.
To honor their efforts, Post 7287 VFW and Auxiliary provided goodie bags. When each cadet finally gets a few minutes break, they will have a collection of munchies. Dawn Brewer is presenting the bags to Sgt. Lawrence Bunton, to share with 11 cadets, 3 in Basic Training and 8 in Junior Leadership.
Members of Red River Junior High’s Club toured Natchitoches City Hall recently. They met with Mayor Williams.
The group learned about City departments & business. The city posted, “It was a pleasure meeting these future leaders.”
JC Dickey of Red River Schools said, “These are our Junior High 8th grade young men. Thank you RRJHS for a great program and the City or Natch for hosting them.”
By Steve Graf
I recently had the opportunity to be the guest speaker for the Hemphill High School Bass Club banquet. It’s always both a blessing and an honor to get to share my fishing knowledge and experiences with up-and-coming anglers. My goal is to always make sure they understand how lucky they are to participate in a sport that can last a lifetime. In most sports like football, baseball, or basketball, an athlete is on a timeline. He has a short time frame to be great and get the most out of his God given athletic ability. But with bass fishing, it’s a sport you may never reach your full potential because it’s a sport that you just keep learning year after year.
But the one thing I really stressed during my message to these young anglers was that there are no shortcuts to being great. It’s no different than being a great shooter in basketball where you must get in the gym and shoot extra. For a baseball player to be a great hitter, he needs to get in the batting cage and take a lot of swings. Bass fishing is no different. To be a great angler, you must spend a lot of time on the water. Nothing makes an angler better than TOW… time on the water.
One skill an angler must have in order to compete at a high level is the ability to cast. Anglers who can cast and put the bait where they need to are the anglers who will be the most successful. So, it’s important to practice your casting, flipping or pitching techniques. Anglers who struggle with casting will not be competitive on the tournament trails. You’ll simply be donating to someone else’s cause.
So many youngsters today want instant gratification in whatever sport they are playing. Bass fishing is a sport that requires time and lots of practice. Patience is another key component to being great. Some anglers learn quickly while others may take a little longer to reach a level where they can compete. The high school and college series fishing circuits have really sped up the learning curve for a lot of young anglers.
The advancement in electronics, especially with forward-facing sonar, has really enabled a lot of anglers to advance and shorten their learning curve. These young anglers today have been raised during the computer age and adapt to today’s fishing sonars very quickly. They’re not intimidated by their electronics like so many of the older generation.
Getting back to the topic of today’s message, there are no shortcuts when it comes to being a great angler. If you want to be one of the best, you must practice techniques, but more importantly, believe in yourself. I asked Kevin Van Dam, the greatest angler of all time, “What’s the number one tool in your tackle box?” His response was not a specific bait or a certain technique, it was one word… confidence. KVD said that it’s the one thing you can’t buy in a tackle store in order to be great. Nothing replaces confidence! Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and please don’t forget your sunscreen.
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