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Feliciana Explorer • Tuesday, March 4, 2014 • Vol. 4, No. 9 • Published Weekly • Circulation 17,000 • felicianaexplorer.com • © 2014

EXPLOREREXPLORERFeliciana

Proud to be the Felicianas' only locally owned, managed, and staffed newspaper.

See WRITERS on page 2

Gathering of Readers and Writers Gaining National ExposureBy James Ronald skains

The 2014 annual Gathering of Writers and Readers in St. Francis-ville held at the Hemingbough Cultur-al Arts Center on Saturday, February 22nd was indeed a class production by Arts for All. The lineup of writers was impressive.

The list included nationally syn-dicated columnist Rheta Grimsley Johnson, New York Times Best Seller author Wiley Cash, Dr. Julie Kane, former poet Laureate of Louisiana and current professor of English at North-western State University, internation-ally acclaimed writer Earnest Gaines and St. Francisville’s own writer in residence, Anne Butler.

One of this writer’s tablemates for lunch was a lady from Memphis who had been passing through Ba-

The four featured writers at the February Hemingbough Event were seated L-R, Anne Butler, Rheta Grimsley Johnson, Wiley Cash and Dr. Julie Krane.

Lane Foundation Unveils New Oncology FacilitySo donors could see firsthand how

their investment will touch the lives of many, the Lane Regional Medical Center Foundation recently hosted an exclusive Sneak Peek of the new Ra-diation Oncology Center located on Lane’s campus.

In less than a year, the Founda-tion has amassed more than $450,000 which is practically halfway to its goal to raise $1M over three years to sup-port the Hospital’s mission of provid-ing access to the very best healthcare services, technologies and programs available.

The Radiation Oncology Center is currently the largest project the Foun-dation is raising money to support.

“A cancer diagnosis can be over-whelming so having convenient ac-cess to high quality cancer care closer to home will help ease the challenges of treatment and recovery,” said Foun-dation Director Theresa Payment. “When you make a gift to the Lane Foundation, it is comforting to know that your dollars stay right here at Lane, helping to provide superior health care to the entire region,” she added.

Lane Foundation supporters Brian Reason, Carolyn Reason, Sue Bunch, Don Reason, and Charlene Reason were on hand for the “sneak peek” last week.

Lane Regional has partnered with Baton Rouge General to open the $4.5million state-of-the-art Radia-tion Oncology Center on Lane’s cam-pus. Led by cancer treatment experts Dr. William Russell and Dr. Andrew

Lauve, the first patients were seen on Monday, February 24th.

For more information on LaneRMC Foundation, please call (225)658-6699 or visit LaneRMC-Foundation.org.

The West Feliciana Parish School Board voted last Tuesday to send a new property tax to voters on the May 3 election. The 10-year, 14-mill tax would be used to pay for teacher re-cruitment efforts and to increase course offerings, update facilities and stabilize the system’s finances. If it passes the voters, then it will raise $3.7 million extra for the district per year.

The school board contends that more and more taxes are necessary to keep the West Feliciana School Dis-trict in the top ten districts in the State of Louisiana.

Tuesday’s vote to put the proposed tax on the ballot was 5-2 with board members Sara Wilson-Rogers and James White voting against and board members Amanda McKinney, Kevin Beauchamp, David Cornette, Milton Coats and Kelly O’Brien voting in favor.

According to school district data, the new tax would mean a $175 annual cost for the owner of a home valued at $200,000. The owner of a home valued at $150,000 would pay $105 a year.

Right now, the West Feliciana Par-ish school system receives 35.96 mills in property taxes dedicated to education, an amount lower than school systems in Zachary, Central, Baker, East Baton Rouge Parish and Ascension Parish. Zachary pays the highest property taxes in the state of Louisiana.

Some voters and activists in the audi-ence felt that instead of just putting the tax burden only on property owners, the tax base should be increased through the use of sales tax.

According to the School Board, the plan would expand students’ college and career opportunities by creating new pro-grams and hiring highly qualified teach-ers and retaining them at a time when there is a shortage of certified teachers and an increased amount of veteran teach-ers retiring. In addition to new programs, the money raised by the new tax would unfreeze staff salaries, add academic sti-pends and increase salary schedules, as well as, money also would be used to im-prove school buildings and athletic facili-ties, including renovations at the West Fe-liciana Parish High School gymnasium.

West Feliciana School Board Puts Tax Increase

on May 3 Ballot

2 Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Email stories and photos to info@felicianaexplorer.com

Published Tuesdays52 weeks a year

EXPLOREREXPLORERFeliciana

4104 Main StreetZachary, LA 70791

Phone (225) 654-0122Fax (225) 208-1165

Deadline for news and advertising: Wednesday, 5 P.M.

Call for advertising rates.

Publisher & EditorDaniel Duggan

Graphic DesignerTina Adams

Account ExecutivesGeorgiana Walls

Ashley Evans

Contributing WriterJames Ronald Skains

New Year HistorianCalla Duggan

Minecraft HackmasterChandler Duggan

The Ginger AvengerCecelia Duggan

Stunt Man in TrainingColton Duggan

WRITERS continued from page 1

ton Rouge when she heard about the Gathering of Writers and Readers: “This was too impressive of an event to pass up. I’m very glad that I de-toured to St. Francisville. It has been awesome.”

The symposium started out with a bang and finished with a flourish. The queen of southern vernacular and red-neck culture writings, Rheta Grimsley Johnson led off the event at promptly 9:05 AM. A great raconteur in spirit, Grimsley reviled the record crowd of 185 attendees with various antidotes of her life and that of her family mem-bers.

Grimsley paid her dues as a jour-nalist with the Memphis Commercial Appeal and the Atlanta Constitution before venturing out into the world of full time writing. Grimsley’s first big time writing feat was: Good Grief: The Story of Charles M. Schulz, the noted cartoonist of Peanuts fame.

Grimsley, a regular columnist in the Baton Rogue Advocate followed that book with: A Vagabond Reporter Encounters the New South. She fol-lowed that literary effort with En-chanted Evening Barbie and the Sec-ond Coming, which Grimsley called a Memoir. Poor Man’s Provence; Finding Myself in Cajun Louisiana was a tale of her and her husband’s time in the Henderson Swamp area of Louisiana. Apparently, Grimsley’s best-loved book personally is Hank Hung the Moon and Warmed Our Cold Cold Hearts.

Anne Butler, a native of St. Fran-cisville has more than a dozen books in print including: Weep For The Liv-ing, and hundreds of newspaper and

magazine articles. Weep For the Liv-ing is a close, upfront, and personal account of the author being shot five times at close range yet surviving.

“As I was being placed in the am-bulance after being shot two hours before and left to bleed to death by my ex-husband, I begin thinking, this will make a good book,” Anne But-ler told those assembled at the stately Hemingbough Cultural Center.

Butler, always the consummate writer/historian, writes this about the ambulance ride that fateful Sunday afternoon: “I clearly remember think-ing as we sped along that I was having an experience few other people ever live to tell about and that it would make a fabulous book. In my mind I organized and wrote it, in minute de-tail. At least I thought I was doing it in my mind; I may have been saying at least some of my thoughts out loud because I also remember Steve fran-tically saying to me, ‘Keep talking to me, Miss Anne! Please don’t stop talking!”

Olivia Pass, Chair and Stephen Winham, Vice-Chair of the 2014 planning Committee for the Writer Event alternated as master of ceremo-nies. Wayne Blake, Julie Morgan, and Kelly Ward were also members of the 2014 Planning Committee. Lynn Wood, who has been described as the heart and soul of the local arts com-munity, was recognized for her efforts in making the February 22 event such an overwhelming success.

Julie Kane, Ph.D., the statuesque redheaded former “Poet Laureate of Louisiana” was next on the program. Kane, a Bostonian by birth, and a 17-year sojourner of New Orleans delighted the attendees with various verses of her poetry. Several of her of-fering from her books such as Rhythm and Booze, The Bartender Poems and Body and Soul were slightly risqué, exposing her Bostonian Irish roots.

Kane noted that in her career as a redhead, the best pick up line she has encounter was: “If all your freckles were together, you would have a great tan.” Other publications by Kane in-clude: Paper Bullets, Jazz Funeral, Voices of the American South, and Rosetta. She also had a “pen” in col-laborating in other publications such as Umpteen Ways looking at a Pos-sum.”

Kane began her academic studies in writing with a BA degree from Cor-nell University, followed that with a M.A. degree in Creative Writing from Boston University and capped off her academic studies with a Ph.D. in Eng-lish with a minor in Creative writing from the Purple and Gold University in Baton Rouge.

Dr. Kane has been a member of the faculty at Northwestern State Univer-sity in Natchitoches for several years teaching creative writing (poetry and creative nonfiction), poetry as a genre (across all time periods, poetic form, contemporary American poetry, and cognitive poetics.

Wiley Cash, tagged as the ‘Enter-gy River Bend Station writer’ due to the contribution by Entergy that made it possible to bring Cash to the St. Francisville event began his presenta-tion at 10:50 AM on the well-paced agenda. Cash is a New York Times best-selling author who honed his writing skills under Louisiana’s leg-endary writer, Ernest Gaines, at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.

Cash, the author of the critically acclaimed author of A Land More Kind Than Home, and the writer of the just released This Dark Road to Mercy, also collaborated on the pub-lication: This Louisiana Thing That Drives Me: The Legacy of Ernest J. Gaines. Cash noted in his presenta-tion: “I wrote A Land More Kind Than Home while attending ULL al-though the book was set in my native North Carolina. During the writing of the book, I was able to live in two worlds at the same time.”

Ernest Gaines, now wheelchair bound but still possessing his indomi-table spirit, made a few brief com-ments and noted his appreciation of the event. He also had words of praise for his protégé, Wiley Cash. Gaines, who left his native Pointe Coupee parish at age 15 in 1948, has a most impressive writing career resume of 9 books, 7 short stories and at least four filmographies.

The Writers and Readers Event at Hemingbough wrapped up with a panel discussion led by the “char-acter,” Charles Elliott. Elliot, now a professor at Southeastern University was the longtime owner of Elliott’s Book Store on Government Street in Baton Rouge.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 3

We have a way with loans.

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See CHANDLER on page 7

Chandler has been a Fixture in Feliciana Forestry for over 30 YearsBy James Ronald skains

“A lot of changes have oc-curred in the forest industry in the Florida Parishes since I came to Clinton some 33 years ago,” Brian Chandler, LSU AG Center Area Extension Forester, told the Fe-liciana EXPLORER. “One of the largest changes has been the loss of sawmills in the area. This cer-tainly affected the market for pine timber, especially for the larger timber.”

“When I came to this area in 1981, I did a lot of work with landowners to help them manage their timberland. Today, most of the timber land in the Feliciana’s and other Florida Parishes is man-aged by individual foresters and timber management companies.”

“My focus over the years has evolved into helping with the lo-cal forestry associations located in my area of responsibility,’’ Chan-dler related. “Four of the seven forestry associations in the state are located in my area. The largest forestry association is the Felici-ana Association with 270 mem-bers. I’ve been the secretary of that association since it started 18 years ago.”

“The Red Stick Forestry Asso-ciation located in the Baton Rouge area is mostly made up of absentee landowners. They are active in ed-ucational opportunities, especially at LSU. The other two forestry as-sociations in my area are St. Hele-na, which only has a few members

Brian Chandler, LSU Extension Forester in the Feliciana’s for the last 30 plus years.

and the Tangipahoa Association which has about a 100 members.”

Chandler’s career journey in forestry that followed a path from Clear Lake, Texas to East Felici-ana Parish had some twists and turns along the way. He graduated from Clear Lake High School just north of Galveston in 1970.

“I wanted to be a forester so my family and I looked at both Texas A&M and LSU before choosing LSU,” Chandler pointed out. “Af-ter getting my BS in Forestry in 1974, I spent some time with the US Forest Service in Utah. But by 1976 I had returned home and in 1978 completed graduate school at

LSU.”“My first forestry job, after

LSU grad school, was at a state forest in western Nebraska. Need-less to say there is not much tim-ber-harvesting going on in western Nebraska, so when the LSU Exten-sion Service Forester job opened up in 1981, I jumped at the chance. For most of my 33 years here, my office was located in Clinton but we moved out here to Idlewild Re-search Station about 4 years ago.”

A lot of Chandler’s activities are channeled toward hosting the LSU Ag Center Forestry Field Days and forums such as the 25th Annual Florida Parishes Forestry

Forum. This year’s Florida Par-ishes Forestry Forum is scheduled for March 14 at the University Center at Southeastern University in Hammond. The Florida Parish-es Forum will focus on Markets, Weather and other Issues affecting forest landowners.

Another area of focus for Chan-dler is the Louisiana 4-H program, which includes 4-H State Forestry Competition, National 4-H For-estry Competition, and the annual State 4-H week at the LSU Baton Rouge campus.

“This is a labor of love for me,” Chandler, who served as the coach of the 2013 Louisiana 4-H forestry national team along with Extension Agent Beth Blackwell of Franklinton, noted. “Our 2013 4-H Forestry team placed 4th out of 13 state teams competing at the July 21-July 25th event.”

4-H teams from Pennsylvania, Alabama and New York placed first, second and third with Louisi-ana at number 4. The 4-H Nation-al Invitational was held at West Virginia University Jackson’s Mill State 4-H Camp and Conference Center near Weston, West Virgin-ia. Jackson’s Mill was the boy-hood home of US military hero, Stonewall Jackson.

While at the Invitational, the Louisiana Forestry 4-H competi-tors, coached by Brian Chandler, competed for overall awards in several categories. The categories

4 Tuesday, March 4, 2014

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Clinton Friends and Family Mardi Gras 2014

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 5

February 22, 2014

6 Tuesday, March 4, 2014

SEND IN YOUR MILESTONE TOinfo@FelicianaExplorer.com

Jackson Lion’s Club Easter Parade Seeking EntriesThe Jackson Lions Club is

sponsoring an Easter Parade on April 19th, the day before Easter. The Parade line up starts at 1:00 pm and the Parade will kick off at 2:00pm.

We plan to start on ELMHS grounds, go around the grounds, go out on Highway 10, turn on Bank Street and then go to Cente-nary State Park for an Easter Egg Hunt for the children.

We are asking for churches, businesses, school groups, horse organizations and others to par-ticipate. If you have music on your float, we are asking you have

ONLY Easter music. The theme of the parade is

“Springing into Easter.”Prizes will be given for the 1st

and 2nd place best float. 1st place will receive a $100 Walmart gift card and 2nd place will receive a $50 dollar gift card. A $25 gift card will be given to the most original/best Easter bonnet.

At the end of the parade and be-fore the horses, we are asking all Jeep owners to ride in the parade with us.

Do come join us for the 2nd an-nual Jackson Easter Parade.

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Tuesday, March 11, 201410:00 a.m. or 6:00 p.m.Baker Funeral Home6401 Groom RdBaker, LA 70714RSVP: 225‐775‐1991

Be Our Guest

Istrouma Area Council Boy Scouts of America Avondale District Holds Annual Leader Recognition Banquet

Picture l-r: Toni Adams, Terry Myers, Gary Adams, Ron Usie

IAC-BSA Avondale District held its Annual District Leader Recogni-tion Banquet on Saturday, February 15, 2014 at Jackson United Method-ist Church, Jackson, LA. Honored at the Banquet were Cub Scout Packs 46 & 61 with the National Summer-time Pack Award, the 2013 Class of Eagle Scouts: Brock Gardner (Troop 225), Stuart Baird (Troop 225), Devin Jarreau (Crew 66), Austin Loyacono (Troop 61), Michael Lord (Troop 51), Jeffrey Patterson (Troop 237), Aaron Day (Troop 51), Dylan Guillaume (Crew 66), Ryan Wilkin-son (Troop 46), Garrison Digh-ton (Troop 472), Nicholas Gosselin (Troop 472), Austin Sellers (Troop 61), Andrew Albritton (Troop 472), Kyle Sellers (Troop 61), Scouter’s Training Award recipients: Tammy & Christian Headrick (Pack 46), Den Leader Training Award: Tammy Headrick (Pack 46 Bear Den Lead-er), and last but certainly not least

the Avondale District Award of Mer-it was presented to Mr. Gary Adams (pictured above) for outstanding ser-vice in the District. Mr. Adams was a

Tiger Cub Parent, Committee Mem-ber and Cub Master for Cub Scout Pack 72 as well as being a Commit-tee Member and Scout Leader with

Troop 472. We would like to say Congratulations to all the Honorees for this year as well as Thank you for your service.

Twentieth Judicial District Attorney, Sam D’Aquilla, sponsored a Boater Safety Classon Saturday, February 15, 2014 at the Jackson Civic Center. Instructed byWildlife and Fisheries Agent Garrett Kimball and assisted by Shane Bourgeois, Crystal Maples, Debbie Bennett and Marcy Robinson who are members of the District Attorney’s Office. The course includes information on choosing a boat, classification, hulls, motors, legal requirements and equipment requirements, many navigation rules, navigation charts, trailering, sailboats, and related subjects that include canoeing, personal water craft and more. Completion of the course will result in the student being issued a vessel operators certification card. LSA R.S. 34: 851.36 Requires that all persons born on or after January 1, 1984, must complete a boating education course and carry proof of completion to operate a motorboat in excess of 10 horsepower. The person may operate the boat if accompanied by someone over 18 years of age who if required has completed the course. The Twentieth Judicial District Attorney’s Office would like to give “Special Thanks” to all who helped to make this event possible especially Agent Garrett Kimball, Shane Bourgeois, Crystal Maples,Debbie Bennett, Marcy Robinson and the Jackson Lions Club. 27 persons partici-pated and successfully passed the course. Pictured above: Cade Maples, Cory Lea, Ross Pritchard, Instrutor/Agent Garrett Kimball and Ariel Bourgoyne.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 7

ClassifiedsDo you want to make a difference in someone’s life? We are look-ing for someone who is loving and attentive but strong and mature to work one on one with a young male who has a developmental dis-ability after school around 2:30 and all day during the summers and holidays. Zachary/Jackson area. Please apply in person at 622 Shadows Lane Suite A Baton Rouge, La 70606 or send your resume to stjohnthebaptisthuman-services@gmail.comMOVING SALE, March 7-9, 8am-6pm, 9727 Deer Run Ave (off Hwy 964 in Zachary between Black-water Rd & Tucker Rd). 2 Year Old Fridge, Box Spring, Mattress, Tools, Furniture, 46” HDTV, Paintings, Clothes, Hardware, An-tiques. Too much to list! All MUST go! (225) 570-8025.Private School in Zachary looking for part-time math teacher. Expe-rience teaching middle school stu-dents helpful.Contact us at (225) 654-4964 for more information.Local sporting goods retailer is hiring outside sales personnel! Work your own hours.. Products include: sporting goods by Easton, Louisville Slugger, and Rawlings; team apparel & goods, specialty items – embroidery, silk screen, and vinyl applications, as well as school and nursing uniforms. High commission rate. Unlimited ter-ritory. Retirees welcome. Contact 225-892-6616 for interview ap-pointment.Help Wanted. Bartender. Thurs-day-Sunday. Teddy’s Juke Joint. Call (225) 658-8029.NOW HIRING @ AMERICANA YMCA! CERTIFIED LIFE-GUARDS & SWIM INSTRUC-TORS. Minimum Age 16+. Flex schedules. We can train you! Great opportunity! Americana YMCA 4200 Liberty Way Zach-ary, LA. (225) 654-YMCA. Ask for Jonathan Lee. AQUATICS

ClassifiedsSUPERVISORS needed for other Y locations across Baton Rouge area. Apply today! www.ymcabr.orgFOR SALE. Motor from 2006 Scag Lawnmower, Briggs & Strat-ton Vertical Shaft 26HP Engine, Running condition, Carburetor Rebuilt, $300 OBO. Horse Saddle & all accessories included, $75 OBO. Camping Tent & all gear (stove, lanterns, cots, linens,etc) $100 OBO. Small boat & Trailer, $100. Call (225) 683-3885. Leave message.Help wanted! Kennel worker East Feliciana Animal Clinic. Apply in person between 12-2pm Mon/Tues/Wed/Fri. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE!FOR SALE. 2 Bedroom House in Clinton on 10 acres. Central heat and air, fireplace, new roof, barn. $170,000. Call (225) 405-7018.Classic 1989 Bronco II, 112K miles. Great body, runs, great in-vestment $4,500. On Time Motors 225-921-21851999 Chevrolet Suburban, High Miles, Priced to sell $2,850. On Time Motors 225-921-21852003 Ford F250 SD Reg Cab Work Truck, 55K miles, Great trade $6,500. On Time Motors 225-921-21851994 GMC Yukon ET, Excellent Condition, $4,995. On Time Mo-tors 225-921-21852003 Ford Windstar, Low Miles, One Owner, 3rd Row Seat $3,800. On Time Motors 225-921-2185Experienced female caregiver seeks employment Call 225-654-8882 for more information.

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All About Self Storage5553 Groom Rd Baker, LA 70714

Below is a description of property that will be auctioned to the highest bidder for unpaid rent in accordance with LA RS: 4759. The auction will be held on Thursday the 20th day of March, 2014, at 11:00 am. The auction will take place at:All About Storage5553 Groom RdBaker, La 70714Attn: Dionne Washington unit # 126Attn: Cartia Stevenson unit # 141Attn: Lula Mae Armwood unit # 154Attn: Kendrica Scott unit# 163Attn: Jefarion Turner unit #212Attn: Edgar Taylor unit #234Attn: Doris Douglas unit #336, 452Attn: Kenterrilyn Matthews unit # 350Attn: Tash Hulbert unit # 359

Attn: Aisha Chevies unit #403Attn: Constance Cannon unit#408

The Public is welcome to attend. Payment will be in cash only. Items will include household items miscellaneous furniture. We will have a minimum bid on all units and we reserve the right to refuse any bid. Thank you, Management

CHANDLER continued from page 3

included tree identification, tree measurement, compass and pac-ing, insect and disease identifica-tion, topographic map use, forest evaluation, the forestry bowl and a written forestry examine.

“We will hold our state 4-H Forestry completion here in the Feliciana’s later this spring to se-lect our 2014 national teams mem-bers,’’ Chandler, who served as a member of the 4-H National Invi-tational Committee for 13 years, explained.

The Farm Credit System, the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, the Society of American Foresters, West Virginia University Exten-sion Service, the American Forest Foundation and the Association of Natural Resource Extension Pro-fessionals of which Brian Chan-dler is a member usually sponsor 4-H Forestry completion events on the state and national level.

If Chandler’s involvement with his “4-H Kids” is not enough to keep him busy, Chandler is one of the Boy Scout leaders in South-eastern Louisiana.

“During our upcoming Memo-rial Day celebration, Boy Scouts from throughout southeastern Lou-isiana will gather at the Port Hud-

son National Cemetery to place 13,000 small flags on military graves,” Chandler noted proudly. “The old cliché that our future lies with our children is never more evident than when observing 4-H kids, and Boy and Eagle Scouts in action.”

Also, this year, Chandler has the distinct honor of having his nomination for induction into in-augural Louisiana Agriculture Hall of Distinction induction class accepted. Chandler nominated Dennis R. Aucoin, Sr. of Clinton.

Aucoin will join nominees Clar-ence Berken, a rice farmer from Lake Arthur who was Louisiana Farmer of the Year in 2013, and the late Ellis S. Martin (posthu-mously), former president of Mar-tin Timber Co. and Roy O. Martin Lumber Co. Martin has been con-sidered for years as a major men-tor of the forest industry in Louisi-ana. The induction ceremony will be held on Thursday, February 27 at White Oak Plantation in Baton Rouge.

Writer’s note: It is somewhat ironic that a suburbanite from the heavily populated south Houston/Galveston area would find his true home in forestland of the Felici-ana’s and become such an integral part of the community.

8 Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Daily, Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, St. Francisville – Civil War Display, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. A display featuring the Civil War in Louisiana will be mounted in the gift shop conference room. The ex-hibit will present various aspect of the conflict, and will be displayed the entire month to coincide with the annual Port Hudson re-enact-ment. For more information call 888.376.1867 toll free or 635.3110

locally.

March 1, Audubon State His-toric Site, St. Francisville – A Wooly Day, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. A costumed history interpreter demonstrates the entire wool textile process, from carding the wool to spinning and dyeing the hand-spun wool yarn. See an original loom in operation and hear how “pop goes the wea-sel.” For more information call 888.677.2838 toll free or 635.3739

locally.

March 7, Rosedown Plantation State Historic Site, St. Francisville – Garden Tour Fridays, 10 a.m. Join site staff on a guided walking tour of the historic Rosedown Gardens and Outbuildings. For more infor-mation call 888.376.1867 toll free or

635.3110 locally.

Audubon PilgrimageThe forty-third annual Audubon

Pilgrimage March 21, 22 and 23, 2014, celebrates a southern spring in St. Francisville, the glorious garden spot of Louisiana’s English Planta-

tion Country. For over four decades the sponsoring West Feliciana Histori-cal Society has thrown open the doors of significant historic structures to commemorate artist-naturalist John James Audubon’s stay as he painted a number of his famous bird studies and tutored the daughter of Oakley Plan-tation’s Pirrie family, beautiful young

Eliza.Carefully selected features this

year—three antebellum homes in the countryside and one townhouse-- il-lustrate the grand good luck of needy historic homes fortunate enough to fall into the hands of dedicated and knowl-

edgeable preservationists.Live Oak, built along Little Bayou

Sara around 1808, is a significant early Louisiana plantation house which was unoccupied, its rear gallery falling off, when rescued and beautifully restored by a longtime preservation activist. Also now in the Weyanoke plantation community, Sunnyside, a fine exam-ple of vernacular architecture built in 1838, was languishing abandoned in a field in Pointe Coupee until a dedicated historian trucked it across the Missis-sippi River bridge and reassembled it, meticulously following its original

floorplan.Nydrie is a handsome raised Creole

cottage from the 1850s that was filled with stored hay until salvaged and relo-cated from Tangipahoa, its broad cen-tral stairs now accessing the upper gal-lery entrance to the main living spaces. In town, the comfortable little cottage called Ardisia, perched on a high lot overlooking the main thoroughfare by the courthouse square, has benefitted from a succession of master builders enhancing its charms through the gen-

erations.

Other features of the 2014 Audu-bon Pilgrimage include Afton Villa Gardens, Audubon (Oakley) and Rose-down State Historic Sites, three 19th-century churches in town and beautiful St. Mary’s in the country, plus the Ru-ral Homestead with lively demonstra-tions of the rustic skills of daily pioneer life. Audubon Market Hall houses the popular antique show and sale, and the Audubon Play will be performed sev-eral times daily on Saturday and Sun-day in recently restored Temple Sinai. Daytime features are open 9:30 to 5; Friday evening activities are scheduled from 6 to 9 p.m., Saturday soiree begins

at 7 p.m.The Historic District around Royal

Street is filled during the day with the happy sounds of costumed children singing and dancing the Maypole; in the evening as candles flicker and fire-flies flit among the ancient moss-draped live oaks, there is no place more invit-ing for a leisurely stroll. Friday evening features old-time Hymn Singing at the United Methodist Church, Audubon Play in Temple Sinai, Graveyard Tours at Grace Episcopal cemetery (last tour begins at 8:15 p.m.), and a wine and cheese reception at Bishop Jackson Hall (7 to 9 p.m.) featuring Vintage Dancers and young ladies modeling the pilgrimage’s exquisitely detailed 1820’s evening costumes, nationally recog-nized for their authenticity. Light Up The Night, the Saturday evening soiree, features live music and dancing, dinner

and drinks beginning at 7 p.m.For tickets and tour information,

contact West Feliciana Historical Soci-ety, Box 338, St. Francisville, LA 70775; phone 225-635-6330 or 225-635-4224; online www.audubonpilgrimage.info, email sf@audubonpilgrimage.info .

New this year is a package including daytime tours, all evening entertain-ment Friday and Saturday, and a Saturday picnic lunch. Tickets can be purchased at the Historical So-ciety Museum on Ferdinand Street. For information on St. Francisville overnight accommodations, shops, restaurants, and recreation in the Tunica Hills, see www.stfrancisville.us, www.stfrancisville.net, or www.

stfrancisvillefestivals.com

March 21-23, Audubon State Historic Site, St. Francisville – ASHS, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. This pro-gram is held in conjunction with the West Feliciana Historical Society’s Audubon Pilgrimage. From Friday through Sunday, in-terpreters, costumed in the style of 1821, take visitors through Oakley House. Outside the home the kitch-ens for the plantation will be pre-paring food using period recipes in the open hearth style. For more information call 888.677.2838 toll

free or 635.3739 locally.

March 21-23, Rosedown Plan-tation State Historic Site, St. Fran-cisville – 42nd Annual Audubon Pilgrimage, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Par-ticipate in the annual West Felici-ana Parish Audubon Pilgrimage weekend, seeing various historic activities on site, as well as enjoy-ing the beautiful spring gardens. A historic down-hearth cooking demonstration will be featured on Saturday. For more informa-tion call 888.376.1867 toll free or

635.3110 locally.

EVENTS IN THE FELICIANAS

There’s something to do every day in the Felicianas. From choir performances and rodeos to Main Street markets and special library programming for children, this area is rich in cultural and social activities. If you have an event you would like the public to know about, send and email to

info@felicianaexplorer.com. Space allowing, your event will be included for free in the Event Calendar section.