by Brad Dison

Many of us make New Year’s Resolutions each year, which is the most popular of all New Year’s traditions.  Whether we keep them or not is a whole other matter entirely.  We kiss our partners at the stroke of midnight and sing “Auld Lang Syne.”  Many of us have grown up watching the ball drop in Time Square.  Die hard Louisianans watch the fleur de lis drop in New Orleans.  (At one time, rather than a fleur de lis, Louisianans dropped a big gumbo pot.)  We yell “Happy New Year” and be as noisy as we can be.  In the cell phone era, we send out as many text messages as we can to wish everyone a “Happy New Year.”  We do the obligatory Happy New Year post on whichever social media platform we prefer. 

Other traditions have fallen to the wayside. Have you ever heard of a New Year’s Tree?  This tradition was popular as recent as a couple of decades ago.  Rather than removing the beloved Christmas tree as soon as Christmas was over, people added decorations or redecorated the Christmas tree to make it a New Year’s Tree.  They attached notes with wishes for the New Year or with New Year’s Resolutions.  The New Year’s Tree became popular in communist Soviet Russia where Christmas celebrations and Christmas trees were banned. 

Here are some other New Year’s Traditions that you may not have been aware of:

• In the Philippines, people celebrate the New Year by wearing polka dots for good luck.
• In Brazil, people wear white for prosperity and good luck.  They also head to the beach to jump seven waves.  They get one wish per wave jumped.
• In Russia, since Christmas festivities were banned, New Year’s became their gift-giving holiday.  Rather than Santa Claus, presents are delivered by Ded Moroz, or Father Frost, aided by his granddaughter, Snegourochka.
• In Denmark, where broken dishes are seen as a good thing on New Year’s eve, people break dishes on the doorsteps of friends and family.  The more shards of glass, the better luck you will have.  They also stand on a chair and “Jump” into January at the stroke of midnight.
• Like Denmark, some citizens in Turkey smash pomegranates on their doorsteps for good luck.
• In Spain, revelers eat 12 grapes at midnight, one at each chime of a clock at midnight. 
• In Greece, people hang bundles of onions, a symbol of good luck and prosperity, on their doors as an invitation to prosperity.  They also cook a coin inside a vasilopita, cake, or sweet bread.  The person who finds the coin is said to have good luck in the coming year.  (Some Scandinavian countries cook a coin inside a rice pudding.)
• In Germany and Austria, people buy good luck charms such as pigs, mushrooms, clovers and chimney sweeps.  Some people buy edible good luck charms made from marzipan. 
• In Ireland, celebrations include banging on the walls of their homes with “Christmas bread” to chase away bad spirits and to welcome in the New Year with a clean slate.
• In Columbia, people grab empty suitcases in hand and run as fast as they can around the block or for a specified distance so the upcoming year will be filled with travel.
• In Singapore, revelers send illuminated spheres, which contain their hopes and dreams, down the Singapore River.
• In Puerto Rico, some throw a bucket of water out of a window as to wash away evil spirits.  They place sugar on their doorstep to welcome good spirits.

What are you your New Year’s Traditions?

Happy New Year from the Bienville Parish Journal!!!

If you like the Bienville Parish Journal, please share this message.

Did you know that you can get local news, sports, information, and live-streamed events sent to your email for free?  It’s true.  

With your free subscription, you will receive local news and sports in your email every Wednesday and Friday morning.

Already get the Journal in your email?  Be sure to tell a friend.

Bienville Parish Journal is your source for local News, Sports, Information, and live-streamed events.

As COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations soar, Gov. John Bel Edwards and the Louisiana Department of Health are urging people to celebrate New Year’s Eve at home and releasing new recommendations as K-12 students prepare to return to school.

The Omicron variant continues to surge throughout Louisiana, and the state is beginning to see the impact.

• As of today’s reporting, the number of people hospitalized due to COVID-19 has increased by 268% since December 16. The vast majority of people currently hospitalized with COVID-19 are not fully vaccinated.
• 95% of 64 parishes are at the two highest risk levels of community transmission.
• Statewide percent positivity for the week of December 16 is 10.7%, up from 3.3% the previous week. This represents a 224% increase.
• A total of 5 new cases of Multi-Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MISC) have been reported since last Wednesday’s report.
• Yesterday 9,378 new COVID-19 cases were reported. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease and Prevention (CDC) and New York Times who track cases by report date, that’s the highest number of cases reported in a single day in in Louisiana since the start of the pandemic. Today’s report of 12,467 new COVID-19 cases breaks yesterday’s record. We know many more cases than this are occurring:

• Many individuals are taking advantage of the availability of at-home tests, which are not included in our counts.
• Recent CDC estimates indicate that for every case that is reported, an additional 3 individuals are infected but do not get reported.

• Average daily incidence of COVID-19 in Region 1 (Greater New Orleans) has exceeded its Delta surge peak.
• Emergency department visits related to COVID-19 have more than doubled since last week. As of December 25, 16.7% of emergency department visits were related to COVID-19; during our Delta surge, the peak was 18.7%. The percentage of emergency department visits related to COVID-like-illness has reached an all-time high in the Greater New Orleans area and Northwest Louisiana.

“I’m very sorry that we’re back here,” said Gov. Edwards. “Unfortunately, we don’t get a vote in what this virus does, but we do get a choice on how we respond. As we close out the year, I strongly encourage you to join me in modifying your plans this New Year’s Eve and not gathering with people outside of your immediate household. This is unfortunately necessary as we work hard to mitigate the impact of this fifth Omicron-fueled surge. What gives me hope as we enter the new year is that more people in Louisiana are changing their minds and choosing to go sleeves up and get the COVID-19 vaccine. So far this month, already 71,797 people have received their first dose.”

“The data are clear,” said State Epidemiologist Theresa Sokol. “COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and percent positivity continue to climb at a startlingly fast rate, and we believe we are just starting to see the impact of the Omicron surge. That is why we must do everything we can going into this New Year’s weekend to slow its spread and stay safe. I am urging families to follow our new public health recommendations as we prepare for our children to return to school – get yourself and your children vaccinated and boosted if eligible, get your children tested prior to the return to school, and continue to wear your masks indoors and outdoors. I know this is very tough and not where any of want to be, but we must do what we can to protect ourselves and our families.”

LDH Guidance and Recommendations

Holidays & general public health recommendations during Omicron surge:

• Celebrate at home with members of your everyday household.
• Get vaccinated and boosted, if eligible, to protect yourself and others.
• Mask regardless of vaccination status. Mask in indoor public places; mask indoors when with people outside your everyday household; and mask outdoors when distancing is not possible.
• Limit exposure to those outside your everyday household.
• Work remotely if possible.

K-12 return to school recommendations:

Omicron spreads easily and very quickly. This variant will cause widespread outbreaks and will likely result in school closures if prevention measures are not strictly followed in these settings.

• Mask universally indoors and outside when socially distancing is not possible. Maintain a distance of at least 6 feet during mealtimes when masking is not possible
• Most outbreaks identified in school settings have been associated with extracurricular activities. It is safest to suspend extracurricular activities while the extremely transmissible Omicron variant is circulating at such high levels in throughout our state, i.e., until statewide incidence is below 200 infections per 100,000 people.
• Do not participate in social gatherings with individuals outside your everyday household (e.g., pep rallies, school dances) until statewide incidence is below 200 infections per 100,000 people.
• Get vaccinated and boosted when eligible.
• Children should be tested prior to the return to school.

Testing:

• At-home antigen tests remain in short supply nationwide and in Louisiana. PCR tests are free, widely available and are more sensitive than antigen tests when it comes to detecting Omicron. Results for PCR tests are available within approximately 24 to 48 hours in most cases.
• It is important to remember that tests are a snapshot in time, and a negative test does not mean you will not test positive later if you were exposed to the virus.
• LDH continues to work to make testing more accessible, and is continuing to add sites across Louisiana ahead of the New Year holiday,
• Do not visit an emergency room to obtain a test. Emergency rooms are for the seriously ill or someone needing immediate medical attention.

The Bienville Parish Sheriff’s Office wants to remind those who will be traveling over this holiday weekend to drive safely, fasten your seatbelts, secure your children in their car seats, and report all reckless drivers to 911.

Happy New Year and may God bless!

According to KTBS, a disabled veteran, says he was left high and dry in Ringgold. He says he paid contractors $10,000 to work on his home and though the check cleared right away the company never started the job.

Monte and LeAnn Thames showed KTBS the contract between them and Energy Savers of America a company based in Monroe, Louisiana. The veteran even showed us the check he wrote them for $10,000 in fact the only thing he couldn’t show KTBS is what that payment got him. For almost a year the couple has tried to get in touch with the company to get the work started.

KTBS did some digging and even tried to contact the company. Our attempts were unsuccessful. It appears the company is no longer in business.

According to Bienville Parish deputies earlier this month investigators issued a warrant for the arrest of Jason Smith and Daniel Hart. Hart has been in trouble for contractor fraud in Union parish and Ouachita Parish in the past.

“All the phone numbers are disconnected, the Facebook pages are gone, even the websites gone. There is evidence there used to be a business but that’s all that’s left, the company vanished,” said Monte and LeAnn Thames.

Monte says usually he does the repairs around the house but this time he says he did his research, and he finally took a chance on hiring someone. After this experience he’s afraid to trust another company.

We checked with the Better Business Bureau. The company’s accreditation and rating has been revoked.

Thames is still hopeful that he could get his money back. Now he is also looking for a trusted company to complete the job.

Yesterday, the Louisiana Department of Health said the U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently issued an Emergency Use Authorization for Pfizer’s Paxlovid (nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets) — the first oral treatment for COVID-19.

The pill can be used to treat mild-to-moderate coronavirus disease in adults and pediatric patients who are 12 years of age and older weighing at least 40 kilograms (about 88 pounds) who test positive for COVID and are at high risk of hospitalization or death.

Paxlovid is available by prescription only and should be initiated as soon as possible after testing positive for COVID and within 5 days of symptom onset.

Prescribers should be aware of the potential for significant drug interactions and contraindications for use with certain drugs. In addition, Paxlovid is not recommended in patients with severe kidney or severe liver impairment. In patients with moderate renal impairment, a reduced Paxlovid dose is needed.

Louisiana has received a very limited number of Paxlovid regimens. These pills have been allocated to a small number of independent pharmacies across the state. If you feel you may be a good candidate for the treatment, contact your provider or medical professional.

Click Here for a Fact Sheet about Paxlovid.

192 – Roman Emperor Commodus survived a poisoning attempt by his mistress only to be strangled in the bath in an assassination plot.

1600 – The British East India Company was chartered.

1759 – Arthur Guinness signed a 9,000 year lease at £45 per annum and starts brewing Guinness.

1775 – American Revolutionary War: Battle of Quebec: British forces repulsed an attack by Continental Army General Richard Montgomery.

1796 – The incorporation of Baltimore as a city.

1857 – Queen Victoria chose Ottawa, then a small logging town, as the capital of the Province of Canada.

1862 – American Civil War: Abraham Lincoln signed an act that admits West Virginia to the Union, thus dividing Virginia in two.

1878 – Karl Benz, working in Mannheim, Germany, filed for a patent on his first reliable two-stroke gas engine. He was granted the patent in 1879.

1879 – Thomas Edison demonstrated incandescent lighting to the public for the first time, in Menlo Park, New Jersey.

1907 – The first New Year’s Eve celebration was held in Times Square (then known as Longacre Square) in Manhattan.

1946 – President Harry S. Truman officially proclaimed the end of hostilities in World War II.

1951 – Cold War: The Marshall Plan expired after distributing more than $13.3 billion in foreign aid to rebuild Western Europe.

1955 – General Motors became the first U.S. corporation to make over $1 billion in a year.

1961 – The Beach Boys played their debut gig under that name.

1963 – Jerry Garcia and Bob Weir played music together for the first time.  They eventually formed the Grateful Dead.

1966 – Monkee’s “I’m a Believer” hit #1 and remained there for 7 weeks.

1967 – Evel Knievel failed in his attempt to jump the Caesar’s Palace Fountain, Las Vegas, and broke his pelvis, femur, wrist, hip and both ankles.

1968 – The first flight of the Tupolev Tu-144, the first civilian supersonic transport in the world.

1970 = Paul McCartney filed a lawsuit to dissolve The Beatles.

1974 – Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks joined Fleetwood Mac.

1976 – The Cars played their first show.

1977 – Ted Bundy escaped from jail in Colorado.

1980 – Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band’s “The River Tour” concert at Nassau Coliseum (Uniondale, New York) lasted almost 4 hours.

1983 – The AT&T Bell System was broken up by the United States Government.

1984 – Def Leppard drummer Rick Allen lost his arm in a car crash.

1991 – All official Soviet Union institutions had ceased operations by this date, five days after the Soviet Union was officially dissolved.

1995 – Cartoonist Bill Watterson ended his “Calvin & Hobbes” comic strip after 10 years.  He believed he had achieved all he could in the medium.

1999 – The first President of Russia, Boris Yeltsin, resigned from office and left Prime Minister Vladimir Putin as the acting President and successor.

1999 – The U.S. government handed control of the Panama Canal (as well all the adjacent land to the canal known as the Panama Canal Zone) to Panama. This act complied with the signing of the 1977 Torrijos–Carter Treaties.

2000 – The last day of the 20th Century and 2nd Millennium.

2009 – Both a blue moon and a lunar eclipse occurred.

2010 – Tornadoes touched down in midwestern and southern United States, including Washington County, Arkansas; Greater St. Louis, Sunset Hills, Missouri, Illinois, and Oklahoma, with a few tornadoes in the early hours. A total of 36 tornadoes touched down, resulting in the deaths of nine people and $113 million in damages.

2011 – NASA put the first of two Gravity Recovery and Interior Laboratory satellites in orbit around the Moon.

2019 – The World Health Organization was informed of cases of pneumonia with an unknown cause, detected in Wuhan, China. This later turned out to be COVID-19, the cause of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2020 – The World Health Organization’s issued its first emergency use validation for a COVID-19 vaccine.

The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) reports today (Dec. 30) that to date that no chronic wasting disease (CWD) has been detected in test results of Louisiana white-tailed deer. LDWF has received test results from LSU’s Diagnostic Laboratory on 147 test samples in Union Parish and 70 in Morehouse Parish.

LDWF has reached its goal of collecting 300 samples from the two-parish area and has submitted the samples to LSU for testing.

The testing is in response to the recent detection of CWD in Union County, Ark., less than 8 miles north of the Louisiana border near Morehouse and Union parishes. CWD is fatal in deer.

LDWF thanks deer hunters who have contributed to the deer testing effort. Hunters can have their harvested deer tested by visiting our CWD testing website by clicking here and following the steps outlined.

CWD has been found in a number of states, including Texas, Arkansas and Mississippi. As of December 29, LDWF had collected 1,109 samples statewide for CWD in 2021 and 13,052 since the inception of the department’s CWD testing program in 2002.

Print this page to work the puzzle.  If you are unable to print this page you can download it by clicking “Download” below.

Instructions:
ZCIRPZCI is EINSTEIN
In Cryptoquotes, one letter stands for another. In the example above, Z is used for two E’s, I for the two N’s, etc. Single letters, double letters, apostrophes, the length and formation of the words are all hints. The code letters change with each puzzle.

TODAY’S CRYPTOQUOTE:

“XEDECCET YB XZA VYCBX NJOLR GOUA EV O 365-GOUA NEER. TCYXA O UEEK ELA.” ~ NCOK GOYBJAH

Previous Cryptoquote solution: “Bienville Parish Journal wishes each of you a very Merry Christmas.” ~ Brad Dison

In my lifetime, I can’t remember there being such division among the American people. Whether it’s a moral or political point of view, we just can’t seem to come to common ground. Likewise, three years ago there was a split in the professional bass fishing ranks. Bass Anglers Sportsman’s Society known as B.A.S.S. and its members (professional anglers) had a parting of ways due to differences of opinion on several topics. The powers that be at B.A.S.S. have done things a certain way since the beginning of time and were not willing to compromise on many of these topics. I’ll now give you my perspective as to what happened and what gave birth to an organization now known as MLF or Major League Fishing.

Pretty much all sports have people that think they know a better way to do things. Professional athletes just might have the biggest egos on the planet. Professional bass fishermen are no different, as egos abound, and many think they are the next greatest angler to ever grace the front deck of a boat. Not all professional anglers have one of these super egos, but there are many that do and some of these guys have their own idea as to how an organization should be run. Basically, what happened three years ago is that tour anglers got together (semi-unionized) and decided to approach B.A.S.S. with their ideas on what changes they would like to see made to accommodate the pro’s better.

Over the years, B.A.S.S. has set the schedule and determined when and where the anglers would fish. They set the rules and regulations for all B.A.S.S. events. Professional anglers wanted a bigger say, especially when it came to the scheduled dates. B.A.S.S. over the years has never taken into consideration special dates like Easter, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Fourth of July, or any other holidays. They said when and where the events were set and expected all anglers to be there no matter what. It was not negotiable! Anglers also wanted more input in some of the rules and how they were applied… like the “no information” rule which is where anglers can’t seek, barter, or retrieve information about a body of water during the dead water period. This has been a controversial topic for years with all professional bass fishing circuits.

So, after the anglers met with B.A.S.S. officials, it was determined that the officials were not willing to give the anglers a say on scheduling events, nor were they receptive to any other suggestions the anglers had. Therefore, 80 anglers decided to venture out and start their own tournament organization where they had a say as to how things were done. They would determine the schedule, set the dates, and make the rules for what they thought would work better. This is what we know today as MLF or Major League Fishing. This idea had actually been in the works for two or three years prior to 80 anglers leaving B.A.S.S. to be a part of the MLF Pro Tour. Now this was a blow for B.A.S.S., but in truth has not really phased B.A.S.S. at all. They are, and have been, the leader in tournament bass fishing since its inception back in the late 1960’s. B.A.S.S. is also home to the greatest tournament in the world….The Bassmaster Classic! This is the biggest tournament in the world and it is all anglers dream to win this event. Professional football players have the Super Bowl, baseball has the World Series and bass fishing has the Bassmaster Classic.

So, for the last three years MLF has waged their own war in the bass fishing world and appears to be fairly strong at this time, but there have been a few signs that things may not be as kosher as MLF wants us to think. Each of the last three years, highly popular anglers have left MLF only to return to B.A.S.S. These have included top name pros like Brandon Palaniuk, Gerald Swindle, Jacob Powroznik, Mike Iaconelli, Jason Christie, John Cox, Justin Adkins and Louisiana’s Greg Hackney…guys who have made a name for themselves and are considered some of the best anglers in the world. If this exodus continues, MLF may not survive. They can’t continue to lose top name anglers to B.A.S.S.

In actuality, professional bass fishing needs this organization to be successful. There too many anglers trying to make a living professionally and having only one organization to accommodate them is just not enough. Major League Fishing is also something new and different when it comes to their format of catching as many bass as you can in a day, rather than just your best 5, which has been the standard for all tournament trails since the 1990’s. MLF requires a little different mindset versus going out and catching 5 big ones. Furthermore, it makes for great TV coverage when every fish counts. This is what MLF promised the anglers who left B.A.S.S., more TV exposure not only for themselves, but their sponsors as well.

The jury is still out on MLF, but hopefully they will continue to enhance and attract more anglers who are looking to fish this style of event. While B.A.S.S continues to be the standard that all anglers hope to reach, MLF for now will have to try and keep as many top name pros as they can if they want to survive. Till next time, good luck, good fishing and don’t forget to set the hook!

Steve Graf

The Bienville Parish Journal “BPJ” will start publishing paid engagement, wedding and anniversary announcements for couples who reside in the parish, who have relatives in the parish or who are getting married in the parish. These announcements will be published each Friday morning.

Information for engagement announcements include:

• Digital photograph of the couple
• The couple’s names
• The couple’s hometowns
• High school and/or college of the couple
• Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
• Ties to the parish
• Wedding time, date, and place
• An interesting fact about the couple

Information for the wedding announcements include:

• Digital photograph of the couple
• The couple’s names
• The couple’s hometowns
• High school and/or college of the couple
• Parents’ names and/or grandparents’ names
• Officiant
• Attendants
• Ties to the parish
• Wedding time, date, and place

Information for the anniversary announcements include:

• Digital photograph of the couple
• The couple’s names
• Where couple was married
• Number of children and grandchildren if any
• Hometown
• Ties to the parish
• Wedding time, date, and place

For engagement and wedding announcement fees and/or to submit information for publication, please email BPJNewsLA@gmail.com.

• On Tuesday, the Hornets took on Jonesboro-Hodge and lost, 55-61.
• The Lady Hornets took on Jonesboro-Hodge and won, 64-57.

Take a look at the current schedule below.

Arcadia High School Boys Basketball Schedule

Arcadia High School Girls Basketball Schedule

Tournaments

• Betty Chevis Hood Warren
  December 08, 1943 – December 27, 2021
  Funeral services were held Thursday, December 30 at Magnolia Baptist Church in Saline. 

 Signs have been erected near Castor and Hall Summit, such as the one above, which show that a portion of LA 507 South near Castor will be closed for 10 days for repairs.  

Make plans for an alternate route between January 3 and January 13.  

Don’t miss a single article with your Free Subscription to the Bienville Parish Journal.  You will receive local news and sports in your email every Wednesday and Friday morning.

Already get the Journal in your email?  Tell a friend.

Bienville Parish Journal is your source for local News, Sports, Information, and live-streamed events.

Louisiana State University recently released its December 2021 Dean’s List.  Two students from Bienville Parish made the Dean’s list.  

• Antavion Moore, Ringgold, College of Engineering
• Gabriella L Turner, Arcadia, College of Human Sciences & Education

Congratulations Antavion and Gabriella!!!

JOB VACANCIES: Talented Teacher: Instrumental Music / Voice

QUALIFICATIONS: Certification according to State Department of Education as a teacher of talented music.

SALARY: Starting salary: According to parish school salary schedule.

DEADLINE: Friday, January 7, 2022, 4:00 p. m.

WHERE TO APPLY:
Linda G. Page, Personnel Director
Natchitoches Parish School Board
P. O. Box 16
Natchitoches, LA 71458-0016
(318) 352-2358

• On Monday, the Lady Tigers played Glenbrook and lost, 55-64.

Take a look at the current schedule below.

Castor High School Boys Basketball Schedule

Castor High School Girls Basketball Schedule

Tournaments

1170 – Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, was assassinated inside Canterbury Cathedral by followers of King Henry II; he subsequently became a saint and martyr in the Anglican Communion and the Catholic Church.

1607 – Pocahantas saved captain John Smith from murder.

1778 – American Revolutionary War: Three thousand British soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Archibald Campbell captured Savannah, Georgia.

1812 – USS Constitution, under the command of Captain William Bainbridge, captured HMS Java off the coast of Brazil after a three-hour battle.

1835 – The Treaty of New Echota was signed which ceded all the lands of the Cherokee east of the Mississippi River to the United States.

1845 – The United States annexed the Republic of Texas.

1860 – The launch of HMS Warrior, with her combination of screw propeller, iron hull and iron armour, rendered all previous warships obsolete.

1876 – The Ashtabula River railroad disaster occurred which left 64 injured and killed 92 at Ashtabula, Ohio.

1890 – Wounded Knee Massacre on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, 300 Lakota were killed by the United States 7th Cavalry Regiment.

1902 – “The Entertainer” was one of several piano rag compositions copyrighted for Scott Joplin by the US Copyright Office.

1913 – Cecil B. DeMille began filming Hollywood’s first feature film, The Squaw Man.

1932 – Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers’ first joint movie “Flying Down to Rio,” directed by Thornton Freeland, premiered in New York City.

1933 – “Sons of the Desert” film, directed by William A. Seiter starring Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, was released.

1940 – World War II: In the Second Great Fire of London, the Luftwaffe fire-bombed London, England, which killed almost 200 civilians.

1949 – KC2XAK of Bridgeport, Connecticut became the first Ultra high frequency (UHF) television station to operate a daily schedule.

1965 – “Thunderball”, the forth James Bond film, starring Sean Connery and Claudine Auger, premiered in Tokyo.

1965 – The Supremes released the single entitled “My World is Empty Without You”.

1967 – Star Trek’s “Trouble With Tribbles” episode was aired for the first time.

1972 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 401 (a Lockheed L-1011 TriStar) crashed in the Florida Everglades on approach to Miami International Airport, Florida, killing 101 of the 176 people on board.

1972 – Life magazine ceased publication.

1975 – A bomb exploded at LaGuardia Airport in New York City, which killed 11 people and injured 74.

1991 – “A Christmas Carol”, starring Patrick Stewart, in a one-man show, closed at Eugene O’Neill Theater in New York City after a limited run of 14 performances.

1997 – Hong Kong began to kill all the city’s 1.25 million chickens to stop the spread of a potentially deadly influenza strain.

1998 – Leaders of the Khmer Rouge apologized for the 1970s genocide in Cambodia that claimed over one million lives.

2003 – The last known speaker of Akkala Sami died and rendered the language extinct.

2006 – The UK settled its Anglo-American loan, post-WWII loan debt.

2013 – Seven-time Formula One champion Michael Schumacher suffered a massive head injury while skiing in the French Alps.

45-year-old A.R. “Pat” Patterson was a successful businessman from Fairfax, Virginia. In his spare time, he and Findall Marbury, a naval architect and friend, designed a small motorboat. As the design process neared completion, they hatched a plan. They wanted to build the boat and take it on a 1,000-mile trip from Washington D.C. to Jacksonville, Florida. For two weeks, they shaped ¼ inch boards and glued them to a light wooden frame. They used a special glue to seal the boards together to prevent leaks. They installed a lightweight awning to protect them from the sun’s rays. When the boat was finished, it was 15 feet in length, and weighed 150 pounds. Pat, alone, weighed 160 pounds. They mounted a used 10-horsepower outboard motor to the boat and made arrangements for the 1,000-mile maiden voyage. Pat’s total investment in the boat was about $35. Just before they were to begin their trip, Marbury was transferred away from the Washington D.C. area. Pat’s 10-year-old son, Tommy, begged to take Marbury’s place, but Pat decided to make the trip alone.

On Wednesday, June 22, 1960, Pat loaded the boat with a pump, some extra glue and cotton wadding, a folding chair, and began his journey. He set off near the Francis Scott Key Bridge on the Potomac River in Washington D.C. at full speed. Pat’s route would take him down the Potomac River, through Chesapeake Bay, and through various inland waterways which allowed him to stay in sight of land most of the way. He expected the trip to take about three weeks.

On Thursday, June 30, eight days after he began his trip, Pat reached Hampton, Virginia. The trip was taking longer than he had expected. On several occasions, Pat’s boat struck objects in the water and sprung leaks. “I started out full speed and with not too much caution,” Pat said, “but when I hit a stake in the Chesapeake Bay—well, I was careful from then on. The hull split like an innertube.” Pat patched the leaks with glue and wadding, sometimes without ever taking the boat to shore, and continued on his journey. He usually spent about 12 hours on the water before making port. At one port, a reporter asked him how he dealt with the loneliness. Pat responded that he was too busy to become lonely.

Pat’s closest call on his journey did not come from leaks or fear of sinking, but from something he had not anticipated. Pat reached Fernandina Beach, Florida, just a few miles from his journey’s end at Jacksonville, and pulled his boat out of the water. He left his 10-horsepower “kicker” on the boat. Just a few feet away was another boat in the water. Some convicts had escaped and made their way to Fernandina Beach in search of a boat to steal. They looked at Pat’s beached boat and motor and looked at the one in the water. They quickly decided to take the one in the water to save time. They paddled away and left Pat’s boat on the beach.

On Thursday, August 11, 1960, Pat finally made it to Jacksonville, Florida. The trip he thought would take him three weeks took him 50 days. Part of the time was spent fixing leaks. Much of his time on shore dealt with newspaper reporters and curiosity seekers. When Pat beached the boat in Jacksonville, a reporter asked him if he was planning to return in the boat. Pat replied that he planned to return home after a few days rest, but not by boat. He made it clear that he had no plans for another boat trip anytime soon.

Pat became somewhat of a celebrity because of his journey. On February 15, 1961, Pat was a guest on I’ve Got a Secret. In this show’s format, guests shared a secret with the show’s host Gary Moore. A four-person panel had a limited time to ask the guests questions to try to uncover their secret. What was Pat’s secret? The ¼ inch boards used in the construction of his boat were waterproof …cardboard. Pat made the trip in his cardboard boat as part of a promotion for his company to prove that the cardboard boxes his company produced were truly waterproof.

Contact Brad at bradsarcade@yahoo.com.

Sources:
1. The Times and Democrat (Orangeburg, South Carolina) June 23, 1960, p.10.
2. The Times Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia), June 23, 1960, p.8.
3. The Atlanta Constitution (Atlanta, Georgia), June 23, 1960, p.8.
4. Daily Press (Newport News, Virginia) July 1, 1960, p.3.
5. The Bradenton Herald (Bradenton, Florida), August 12, 1960, p.3.
6. The Pensacola News (Pensacola, Florida) August 12, 1960, p.2.
7. “I’ve Got a Secret,” Airdate February 15, 1961.

December 20

• Tevin Love (Ringgold)
  • False Imprisonment: Offender Armed with Dangerous Weapon – Felony
  • Possession of Methamphetamine Less Than 28 Grams – Felony
  • Resisting an Officer – Misdemeanor
  • Simple Assault – Misdemeanor
  • Illegal Use of Controlled Drug in Presence of Persons Under 17 Years Old – Misdemeanor
  • Prohibited Acts – Schedule II – 2 Counts
  • Aggravated Assault Upon a Dating Partner – Felony
  • False Imprisonment: Offender Armed with Dangerous Weapon – Felony
  • Theft – Felony
  • Battery of a Dating Partner with Strangulation – Felony
  • Aggravated Flight from an Officer – Felony
  • Reckless Operation without Incident – Misdemeanor
  • Possession or Distribution of Drug Paraphernalia – Misdemeanor
  • Violation of Probation/Parole
  • False Imprisonment – Misdemeanor
  • Possession of Schedule I Less than 28 Grams
• David Jones (Ringgold)
  • Possession of Marijuana 14 Grams or Less – Misdemeanor – 2 Counts
  • Distribution of Methamphetamine – Felony
  • Distribution of Methamphetamine – Felony
  • Distribution of Methamphetamine – Felony
  • Distribution of Methamphetamine – Felony
  • Violation of Probation/Parole
  • Resisting an Officer – Misdemeanor
  • Distribution of Methamphetamine – Felony – 2 Counts
  • Possession of Firearm/Carry Concealed Weapon by Convicted Felon – Felony – 2 Counts

December 21

• Douglas Cloud (Castor)
  • Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemeanor
• Hailey Taylor (Castor)
  • Disturbing the Peace – Appearing in an Intoxicated Condition – Misdemeanor

December 23

• Alex Hoffpauir (Lake Charles)
  • Failure to Appear Warrant – Felony
• Austin Denis (Saline)
  • Aggravated Assault with a Firearm – Felony

December 24

• Allan Linarez (Dallas, TX)
  • Reckless Operation Without Accident – Misdemeanor
  • Driver Must Be Licensed
• Rreuntae Conner (Fayette, MS)
  • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; Other Offenses
  • Maximum Speed Limit
• Michelle Moore (Ringgold)
  • Operating Vehicle with Suspended License; Other Offenses
  • Careless Operation
  • Maximum Speed Limit

December 25

• Thomas Reynolds (Saline)
  • Possession of/Dealing in Firearms with Obliterated Number/Mark – Felony
  • Failure to Appear Warrant – Misdemeanor
  • Possession of Amphetamine Less Than 28 Grams – Felony
  • Illegal Carrying of Weapon in Presence of CDS – Felony
  • Possession or Distribution of Drug Paraphernalia/Unmarried Persons Under Seventeen Years of Age – 1st Offense – Misdemeanor
  • Possession of Methamphetamine Less Than 28 Grams – Felony

As we wrap 2021, which will go down in history as no one’s favorite year ever, especially if you who won the lottery but couldn’t collect it because you didn’t wear a mask to the presentation of the Big Fake Check and therefore were executed on site, probably by being beaten to death with the Big Fake Check, we must stress this:

Everything is going to be OK. Eventually. (I think? I’m pretty sure. Maybe … )

But — and the “but” is important here because the longer you live, the more you realize there is always a “but” (literally) or a “butt” (figuratively) that can mess things up. For everybody.

And by “mess things up,” I mean turn the world upside down. When grownups get involved — especially grownups with egos the size of any hemisphere you wish to choose — it is never a good thing.

Never never ever.

The hair-pulling-out frustration of the past two years has been that the people who have titles and are supposed to be “in charge” of such things and advising us — WE are paying them, for goodness’ sake — keep contradicting themselves with their scientific instructions, then them blaming US for not following orders.

I don’t mind “following the science” if they can tell me what the actual science is. I just don’t want to follow THEM. If science could speak for itself, then we’d be getting somewhere.

But it can’t, so we are stuck with the usual suspects, regular people in high places — remember, they are regular, make-mistakes people — who keep changing their minds. I realize we live in the most fluid situation ever; it would just be nice if once in a while, these Important People who act they Know Everything would be less dramatic in their relaying of information and would, now and then, say something like, “Uh, I was wrong.” We’d even settle for, “I could possibly be wrong.”

Or if they would laugh once in a while … either at themselves or at this sometimes-happy, sometimes-heartbreaking situation. At least then we could tell whether or not they’re robots.

Wouldn’t that be refreshing?

All that to say I am glad Dr. Seuss passed away in 1991 at the rich old age of 87 and is not around to see this. He was a man of few words because he wrote for children. The Cat in the Hat, which I have read at least 2,457 times, and I still have my original, colored-in copy to prove it; GREAT book — is 1,626 words long. (That’s roughly two Teddy columns.) It uses just 236 different words, and the two longest words are only two syllables.

Like me, it is almost 65 years old, having been published in March of 1957. (I am only three or four syllables/years behind.) Unlike me, it is still a source of rich joy.

But Dr. Seuss could not have explained the past two years with just 236 words. Though he was a working man’s genius, he’d have needed to invent a whole other alphabet to sum up 2021, which, to quote an old Christmastime favorite, Is Beginning to Look a Lot Like 2020.

His final book was published by Random House in 1990. Oh, the Places You’ll Go! repeats his constant theme of encouragement to young people (and their parents?), a message to inspire and find the success that lies within. Dr. Seuss was always trying.

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes
You can steer yourself
Any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know.
And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

Except not so much in these pandemic times, which are now endemic times, which the higher-ups are having trouble admitting. Sigh … Been a tough time for everyone. But as we’ve nervous-laughed our way through it, together, though brow-beaten most every day, here we are on the brink of a New Year.

So far, so good. Pretty shaky!, but so far, so good.

And no matter what the smarty pants people too proud to check their egos at the door say, Dr. Seuss was right:

You’re off to great places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So … get on your way!

Contact Teddy at teddy@latech.edu

• On Monday, the Lady Bulldogs played Booker T. Washington in the Airline Tournament.  The Lady Bulldogs won, 61-43.
• Yesterday, the Lady Bulldogs took on Benton in the tournament and lost, 38-49.

Take a look at the current schedule below.

Gibsland-Coleman High School Boys Basketball Schedule

Gibsland-Coleman High School Girls Basketball Schedule

• Cecil Marvin Sanders of Ringgold
  September 25, 1939 – December 25, 2021
  Funeral services will be held Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 11:00 A.M. in Rockett Funeral Home Chapel, Ringgold, LA. Burial will follow in Providence Cemetery, Ringgold, LA. Visitation will be Thursday from 10:30 A.M. until service time.
• Grover Jones of Gibsland
  January 19, 1933 – December 23, 2021
  Funeral services were held Monday, December 27, 2021, at 10:00 a.m. at Rose-Neath Funeral Home in Arcadia, Louisiana.
• Michael Andrew Born
  August 17, 1969 – December 25, 2021
  Funeral services will be held at First Assembly of God Church in Castor on Thursday, December 30, 2021 at 2:00 P.M. Burial will follow in Old Castor Cemetery. Visitation will be Wednesday at First Assembly of God Church in Castor from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M.

by Brad Dison

Christmas songs evoke a myriad of emotions in us.  For some people, certain Christmas songs bring back memories of childhood Christmases from long ago.  Some people enjoy the nostalgia of hearing singers like Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and others croon in their unforgettable styles.  Some people claim they hate Christmas music, but I never believe them.  I believe they listen to Christmas music when no one is looking.  

Just about every musical artist has recorded at least one Christmas song.  (I even recorded one a few years back.  Click here to listen to it.)  Did you know even Bob Dylan released a Christmas album?  Billy Idol released a Christmas album this year… and it’s not bad.  

Below is a list of the top 20 best-selling Christmas songs of all time.  What’s your favorite Christmas song?  

20.  A Holly Jolly Christmas by Burl Ives

19.  Christmas Light by Coldplay

18.  Baby It’s Cold Outside by Dean Martin

17.  It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year by Andy Williams

16.  Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree by Brenda Lee

15. Santa Claus is Coming To Town by Bruce Springsteen

14.  Fairytale of New York by the Pogues Ft. Kirsty Maccoll

13.  Blue Christmas by Elvis Presley

12.  Jingle Bell Rock by Bobby Helms

11.  Happy Christmas (War is Over) by John Lennon and Yoko Ono

10.  Mary’s Boy Child by Harry Belafonte

9.  Last Christmas by Wham!

8.  The Christmas Song by Nat King Cole

7.  The Little Drummer Boy by The Harry Simeone Chorale

6.  Mistletoe by Justin Bieber

5.  Silent Night by Bing Crosby

4.  Do They Know It’s Christmas by Band Aid

3.  Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer by Gene Autry

2.  All I want for Christmas is You by Mariah Carey (This is the most downloaded Christmas song of all time.)

1. White Christmas by Bing Crosby (Bing’s 1947 version of White Christmas is not just the best selling Christmas song in history, it’s the best selling single in history.)