Marthaville News

August 31, 2017

509

Starting their first year at Marthaville Elem/Jr. High School are Lanie, Melanie and Gavin Clary. Parents are Joey and Lisa Clary of Marthaville. Lanie and Gavin are in Mrs. Stepp’s second grade and Melanie is starting the sixth grade.

Hunter Jennings, 6, a first grade student at Weaver, was not happy at all about school starting. This was what he looked like on that first school morning, but at the end of the day, it was much different. His mom, Christine Fuller, wanted to know how school was and Hunter replied, “It was great, I love my teacher, pizza and green beans!”

Landry Strahan, daughter of Phillip and Stacy Strahan, is all dressed and ready for her first day of testing to enter Pre 4 at Marthaville school.

All ready and smiling for their first day of school is the Strahan family of Silsbee, Texas. Back row is Ella, who is now in the third grade, Cole is in the first grade, sitting is Alden who is now in nursery school and proudly holding the sign with “2017-2018” on it is Emma, who is in Pre K 4. All attend the Word of Life Christian School in Silsbee, Texas. Parents are Adam and Amy Strahan and grandparents are Steven and Laura Strahan of Marthaville and Homer and Annette Withers of Pleasant Hill.

Caitlin and Kimee Moak, daughters of Patty and Josh Moak, are up, smiling and ready to enter the sixth and fourth grade at Marthaville Elem/Jr. High school.

Jr. Miss Queen Jayme French spends time with residents at Nexion Healthcare North in Many.

Teen Miss Tayla Mitchell with Teen Miss Eunice Crawfish Etouffee Victoria Breaux visiting at the St. Martin Pepper Festival Pageant

Miss Shelby Greer and Tiny Miss Emma Fontenot at Natchitoches Fair and Rodeo Pageant

Raegan Ensinger was all smiles on his first day of second grade Florien High School. His parents are Doug and Kasey Ensinger.

Proudly holding up her sign is 3-year-old Ainsley Jordan, who is up and ready on her very first day of school. Ainsley attends Belmont Union Christian Academy in Belmont and she is the daughter of Leslie Powell and Clayton Jordan.

With his back pack and lunch kit, 3-year-old Jackson Durr is another one that is ready for school. Jackson also attends Belmont Union Christian Academy and he is the son of Josh and Maggie Durr of Marthaville.

Wesley and Maggie Jordan are all dressed and ready for their first day in the eighth and fourth grade at Marthaville Elem/Jr. High School. Parents are Tracy and Edye Jordan of Robeline.

Nine year old Aubrey Allen is all smiles on his first day in the fourth grade at Marthaville Elem/Jr. High school. Parents are Stacy and Phillip Strahan. Grandparents are Steven and Laura Strahan of Marthaville, Danny Cook of Florien and Sharon McCormic of San Marcos, Texas.

This window and one more were shot out of the 126 year old Bethany Baptist Church, above, with a BB gun.

By Donna Horn

School started and with it comes the aches and pains of getting everyone back into the habit of going to bed early so they can get up when the alarm goes off. Students do look sharp in their new uniforms and shoes and most were ready for school to get started.

The open house at Marthaville was a big success. It was Aug. 10 and the students and parents were all ready to meet their new teachers and new principal before the first day of school.

The bulletin boards in the elementary and junior high buildings were a huge help for parents. Teachers are always in need of supplies. With the board you could see what was needed, pick an item, sign the broad, purchase the items and send them to school. Teachers give so much to our children so let’s give something back to them.

The PTO is one of the very best. I cannot say enough about this one group of parents who work so hard for the school and teachers. They make it look so easy but it is not. It takes way more than the PTO to do what they do. They have some great ideas on raising money but need the help of everyone to carry through. Support your PTO.

Save the date of Sept. 7 at school. It will be the Family Reading Night. There will be a book character contest, refreshments, wax museum, book fair, games and more. This event will start at 6 p.m. Notes will be sent home with information so parents, be looking for it.

We are now less than a month away from Marthaville Good Ole Day. Call to reserve your booth space, place your program book ad and register for the parade. To get booth space, call Fuzzy Hennigan at 903-474-3338 or 472-1654; for an ad in the program book, call Pat Hall at 472-6707 or Fuzzy; and for the parade, call Karen Rawls at 471-5128.

This marks the 25th year for the festival. Former Gov. Edwin Edwards will be the grand marshal and we are looking for a great turn out. Reserve your spot and do not wait until the last minute.

Happy 52nd wedding anniversary to Fuzzy and Shirley Middleton Hennigan. Their oldest grandson, Will Bell, has started his first semester in law school. Congrats go out to Fuzzy, Shirley and Will.

I hope you have a good week. Make your call early for the Marthaville Good Ole Days Festival. Festival T-shirts are in and I will have more info in next week’s news.

Bethany Baptist Church is located right out of Marthaville on Hwy 1221. It is a small, charming, little church that was established in 1891 and the congregation has every right to be proud of this church. Bro. Billy Burkett of Many has been the pastor there for over 20 years.

I received a call from Barbara Wells, one of the faithful church members, informing me of this church being vandalized by a BB gun over the weekend. Nothing was stolen, the church was not broken into, just two of the windows were shot through and now will have to be replaced.

This church is over 126 years old and two windows will have to be replaced because of a BB gun. How sad is that? Was it by kids that got a BB gun for a birthday or Christmas and the parents didn’t think to tell them to NOT shoot out windows? They could have easily went next door and did the same thing at the cemetery or at Jennings Chapel. Who knows, they may be back or they may be in the same area. No one knows. Sure not many neighbors in the area.

Mrs. Wells is wanting the public to know and I sure want them to know about what took place. Last year after Christmas, my cafe and the Marthaville Service Center both received BB holes through our windows. When you see your neighbor’s grandson out shooting his new BB gun, you pretty much know the rest of the story. Age and responsibility plays a big issue.

This is to give everyone a head’s up about what is going on in and around our community. If your children do have a BB gun, please talk to them and explain what trouble they could really get into if they shoot windows out. If your child is the one that did this, make a stand and bring that child forward. This may stop something very serious in the near future.

On a hill at the very end of Hwy 1221, located near the Natchitoches/Sabine parish line, the Bethany Baptist Church welcomes everyone, even the ones with a BB gun.

The Marthaville Good Ole Days Queens have hit the ground running with their new titles. The girls were crowned June 17 and have already traveled to over 15 events collectively. The job of the queens is to promote our Good Ole Days Festival and invite other queens, festival board members and the general population to join us. The girls have traveled to the Cajun Music Festival and Pageant in Lake Charles, the Gueydan Duck Festival Pageant, the St. Martin Pepper Festival Pageant, the Cameron Fishing Festival, the Natchitoches Fair and Rodeo Pageant, NSU Folk Fest, and the Red River Balloon Rally Pageant, to name a few.

Jr. Miss Queen Jayme French has also traveled to a local nursing home to spend time with the residents there and help out with some activities. The Queens and the Marthaville Heritage Society invite everyone to join us on Sept. 15-16 for the 25th Annual Marthaville Good Ole Days Festival. And if you see our queens in the meantime please let them know what a great job they are doing!