The new bathroom at the Belle River landing is not functioning as of yet. I know the building has holding tanks, but now I wonder what kind of water supply there will be for flushing. I wonder if there’s some kind of pump for bayou water, or tanks on the roof? I guess I’ll see sooner or later.

A man from Holly Construction was at the site with a small bulldozer the other day pushing dirt up around the exposed walls of the holding tank. He doesn’t seem to be finished as of yet, but it looks like he’ll build a ramp up to the bathroom doors.

I did notice last time I was at the landing that a good many of the lights are not working, or at least they weren’t on when I was there. It wasn’t completely dark yet, but some were one, so I assume the others just weren’t working.

Time magazine has a big spread on the new Speaker of the House, John Boehner, and it isn’t very flattering. It mentions that he has been ‘lampooned’ (by Democrats, of course) as a golf-addicted, chain-smoking Beltway insider with a weird orange tan…..” And that he is a ‘weeper.”

Boehner is quoted as saying that his preacher once said, “when the eyes leak, the head won’t swell.”

It will be interesting to see what happens.

I’ve attended two veterans’ ceremonies’ recently and, as always, am awed by the number of young men and women who have served in the military. It always seems like so many for such small communities.

Someone told me once that the number of young men who went into the military, especially in World War II, truly was large compared to the population of their communities.

Some say that they enlisted because there wasn’t much else to do. I’m not sure I believe that, but maybe there is some truth to it.

The vets I’ve talked to were drafted.

There was one man here who was drafted into World War II who spoke only Cajun French and was unable to tell his superiors that he had mumps. A fellow Cajun, who did speak English was able to let the officers know the situation and the man was put in isolation until the appropriate time; then, he was shipped overseas.

I spoke to another World War II vet who had landed on an Omaha beach with the allies. After a year in a hospital, he came home with what was then called ‘shell shock.’

Another vet, Curtis Sedotal, who lived in Belle River but on the Assumption side of the river, died last week. He was on Iwo Jima when the flag was raised on Mount Suribachi.

Sterling Mayon of Belle River passed away recently. You may recall that he and his wife, Lenia, lost a son a few years ago when he was electrocuted while working on someone’s roof.

(Teche News’ Lower St. Martin correspondent, Linda Cooke, can be contacted via e-mail at lcooke9417@bellsouth.net.)