To the people of Natchitoches Parish roads.
On October 15th & 16th, Parish Dump trucks began to run down Allen Beulah Road. They turned left on Durr School Road all day Friday and Saturday. Where were all these loads of rock going? The last I knew the parish did not work on Fridays and Saturdays. I thought it must be something urgent to pay all these men overtime.
This went on through the 18th, 19th, 20th, and 21st, that I know of, and maybe Friday the 22nd, from the Allen end. If there is nothing to hide, why not start at Allen and go to Marthaville to open this road. Why go 15 miles round trip out of the way, per load. I investigated and by accident followed a track hoe truck driver to one of the many large holes in the road they were filling with rock because they were so deep. (on Allen-Marthaville Road) I ask the driver why they were doing all this work on a road that had not been graded in over 6 plus years.
He replied, “I needed to ask John, he told them to do it.”
Now this road has no:
1) No Bus routes
2) No mail routes
3) No cemetery
4) No one lives on it
5) No reason to reopen it
6) There is one deer hunting camp on it
If the Parish has no money to repair our pot hole roads, why use over 100 truck loads to open this one? Plus, all these men for 6 or 7 days. This road has cost tax payers big dollars; not counting the cost of the fuel, it takes to operate these vehicles.
This road’s ditches and large holes from years of 4 x 4 deer dog hunters has been finished, but it is still so bad that nothing but 4 x 4’s will be able to travel it during wet weather. At this time no passenger cars can travel it, except by riding on a wrecker.
1) Why was this done?
2) Why this waste?
3) Why so much expense on a road that will be cut to pieces this winter by deer dog hunters?
I know an old saying explains it. I know you remember this saying: (The difference between men and boys is the price of toys.) This was around 6 miles of roads that benefits almost no tax payers. I read in the Times where the Parish Government is talking about charging Log Trucks for damaging Parish Roads. How much do the dog hunters owe? Log truck drivers are making a living, while dog deer hunters are having fun. How much longer will we allow this road destruction?
One time before this, the same road, except from Weeks Road to Anthony Road, (at Lilly’s chicken house) was reworked because a man said he needed the road repaired because he needed to go to his chicken houses. The road was belly deep in ruts that this man and his deer hunting friends had cut to pieces chasing deer with dogs. At this time the chicken houses had been closed over a year before.
Nick Verrett approved the job just before John was elected.
Let me be clear, Mr. Lilly was not the man who said he needed the road fixed.
I have heard many rumors about kickbacks and other things, but rumors are just that until proved to be true. I repeat that no cars should try to travel this road at this time, and after deer dog season is over it will take a dozer to travel it if we have a bad wet winter. The only resident on this road is a deer hunting camp.
The last time I brought this issue up, I and my pets were threatened. I am not okay with 4 X 4’s cutting up our dirt roads with trucks speeding down or shooting down our roads at running deer.
Maybe the Parish Government and the Tax Payers would like to ask John some of the same questions I would like to ask.
1) Who does this road re-opening benefit?
2) Does it benefit you, John?
3) Who ask you to do this?
4) What are their names?
5) What was their reason to reopen this road?
6) How much did it cost the tax payers?
7) Who is writing this letter to the editor?
Mark Megason
