W hen-from the Teche News files
100 Years Ago MAY 9, 1925
The State Convention of the Knights of Columbus has been set for May 31st and June 1st., in New Orleans and a fine program is being prepared for the occasion. At a meeting held last Sunday Past Grand C. T. Bienvenu and Grand Knight S. B. Planchard were selected to represent the local lodge at the convention. J. A. Guerin and C. J. Gauthier were selected as alternates.
The Rycade Oil Corporation closed a block of leases of some nine thousand acres at the locality known as Bayou Chene, in the Atchafalaya swamps. This Company will drill this acreage within the next few months.
Last Saturday there was a large delegation of rice planters from Abbeville and Vermilion Parish to confer with the planters of St. Martin Parish, regarding the serious condition prevailing in the water supply for rice irrigation. During the week the Teche fell nearly three feet, and stopped flowing over the dam at the Keystone locks, and got to be below the pumping stage allowed by the U. S. Government.
50 Years Ago MAY 7, 1975
Last week for the first time in history, women were seated on a petit jury in St. Martin Parish. Female members of the jury included Virgie Derousselle, Breaux Bridge; Karen Lasseigne, Cecilia; Linda B. LeBlanc, Breaux Bridge; Yuline Potier and Monita Russo of Parks; and Lelia Latiolais (alternate) of Catahoula.
St. Martinville’s Francis Prescott was first to reach the finish line as he blazed to a 21.9 clocking in the 220 dash to win that event in the Region Ill AAA track meet. Breaux Bridge’s Robert Valliere was third and SM’s Freddie Babers placed fourth. For his efforts, Prescott was named the meet’s Outstanding Trackman.
The Poche Bridge, located across Bayou Teche between Breaux Bridge and Cecilia, was recently opened to traffic after six months of construction. The La. Department of Public Works provided materials for the new bridge at a cost of $58,546 and all construction work was done by police jury crews. The new bridge has a 24-foot clear roadway and can carry state highway load limits.
25 Years Ago May 10, 2000
A survey of St. Martin Parish public school parents showed that a solid majority like the new school uniform policy that went into effect at all parish schools this session.
The 38’ by 160’ chamber of the Keystone Lock on Bayou Teche below St. Martinville stood empty after crews with the U.S. Corps of Engineers sealed the facility and pumped out the water as part of a major refurbishing of the structure. Because the lock, which allows water traffic access to the upper Bayou Teche at the adjacent dam, wasused only rarely, the federal government turned the facility over to St. Martin Parish. But first extensive repairs were being made so that the complex lock operating mechanisms were in perfect working order before the parish assumed responsibility for the facility Four St. Martin Parish residents, were nominated as Ageless Heroes of Louisiana, earning recognition as inspirational seniors. Irene Duplantis, Rule Guidry and Ward Martin, all of St. Martinville, along with Dorothy Guidry of Breaux Bridge, are among more than 400 Louisiana seniors nominated for the third annual Ageless Heroes awards sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana.
10 Years Ago May 6, 2015
Cecilia’s boys track and eel squad fell two points short of claiming the state Class 4A championship. Cecilia’s District 5-4A nemesis Westgate nosed the Bulldogs out of the title, scoring 45 points to Cecilia’s 43. The New Iberia school had also edged Cecilia for the league title although the Bulldogs gained a measure of revenge by claiming the Region II-4A championship, clipping Westgate with 81 points to the Tigers’ 77.
Honored as St. Martinville Sr. High’s top athlete/scholars during the school’s annual all-sports banquet were Preston Savoy (3.69 GPA), Matthew Hulin (3.68 GPA), and Allie Champagne and Kristen Theriot, each with a 4.031 GPA.
