He had just started college when he ..... He was a skilled diesel mechanic and boat captain. Tommy .... they're the best
Yesterday’s
59 High
Last Night’s
45 Low
AccuWeather (See Page 11)
Warmer today with a high near 70 degrees and a low of 60 Wednesday morning. Rain will move back into the area Wednesday night.
Sheriff’s office joins Grant flood fight
Morgan City advances to bi-regionals
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Home of the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival http://www.stmarynow.com Serving St. Mary Parish Since 1872
Volume 54, Number 57
12 Pages
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
BOARD CLOSES SCHOOLS Shannon and Hernandez to be shuttered to reduce costs BY SHEA DRAKE
[email protected] CENTERVILLE — By a pair of 7-4 votes Monday, the St. Mary Parish School Board carried through on plans to close M.D. Shannon Elementary in Morgan City and J.A. Hernandez Elementary in Franklin to save money as district revenues slump. Public comments from concerned citizens C.E. Bourg, Jean-Paul Bourg and Craig Matthews were not enough to sway the board members decisions to close both schools. Board member Pearl Rack, District 4 representative, pleaded with fellow board members to reconsider the Herndandez closure. Rack moved to table the Hernandez vote but was unsuccessful. Later, she made a subsidiary motion to close all three elementary schools in District 1 and bring those students to Franklin Junior High. In addition, Rack proposed a motion moving Franklin Junior High students to the unoccupied section of Franklin High School. But she was told she could not do so by school board attorney Eric Duplantis. He said the motion would violate the open meetings law. Rack also consulted and read a letter from a Harvard Law School student, suggesting that school zone changes might run counter to the settlement of the district’s desegregation lawsuit. Finally, Kenneth Alfred, District 3 representative, moved to vote on the closure of Hernandez and send students to W.P. Foster and LaGrange elementary schools. Wayne Deslatte, District 7
Above, supporters of M.D. Shannon Elementary School study the agenda for Monday’s special St. Mary School Board meeting in Centerville. At right, St. Mary Association of Educators members Brandan Trahan, Sherry Thompson, center, and Esther Hawkins show fans bearing messages in support of keeping Shannon and J.A. Hernandez open. But, facing long-term and short-term budget obstacles, the board voted to save more than $3 million a year by closing the two elementary schools. The Daily Review/Bill Decker
Y
This time, Sninsky rides for cancer awareness BY ZACHARY FITZGERALD
[email protected]
Inside
representative, seconded the motion to move forward with the vote. The board members who voted yes to close Hernandez are: —Kenneth Alfred, District 3 —Marilyn LaSalle, District 6 —Wayne Deslatte, District 7 —Michael Taylor, District 8 —Anthony Streva, District 10 —Roland Verret, District 11 —Ginger Griffin, District 5 The board members voting no to close Hernandez are: —Joseph Foulcard, District 1 —Mary Lockley, District 2 —Pearl Rack, District 4 —Bill McCarty, District 9 Deslatte moved to vote on the closure of Shannon and send its students to M.E. Norman and Wyandotte elementary schools. Lockley seconded the motion. Board members who voted to close Shannon: —Lockley —Alfred —LaSalle —Deslatte —Taylor —Verret —Griffin Board members who voted not to close Shannon: —Foulcard —Rack —McCarty —Streva The closures are billed by (Continued on Page 12)
Polls show grim outlook for La.’s government B J A Louisiana LaPolitics.com Two new polls out from the Politics University of New Orleans’ Survey Research Center and
Retracing a trip across the country
Andy Sninsky is living proof the human body can overcome adversity that may seem insurmountable. Sninsky, 67, of Newport Beach, California, rode his bicycle through Morgan City Monday to raise awareness about multiple myeloma, a type of blood and bone cancer he was diagnosed with in 2008. Sninsky spent Sunday night at Lake End Park. The visit to Morgan City brought back memories for Sninsky. Almost 48 years ago, Sninsky rode his bicycle with a friend 4,226 miles across the United States from Compton, California, to New York City and visited Morgan City along the way on July 20, 1968. The journey was “life-changing,” he said. Sninsky remembers riding on many Louisiana roads made of
Video story: StMaryNow.com
1968 Daily Review Photo
The Daily Review/Zachary Fitzgerald
This 1968 newspaper photo, left, shows Andy Sninsky in Morgan City when he rode his bicycle across the country. Sninsky provided the newspaper clipping to The Daily Review. Right, Sninsky, 67, of Newport Beach, California, rides his bicycle Monday on Front Street in Morgan City. Sninsky is retracing the route he took in 1968 when he rode his bicycle from California to New York. He is raising awareness about multiple myeloma, a cancer he was diagnosed with in 2008. crushed oyster shells back then. He had just started college when he began his cycling trip with the goal of encouraging physical fitness. “I had never been down south in my life, and I wanted to see an alligator,” Sninsky said.
After his cancer diagnosis in 2008, doctors gave Sninsky 40 months to live. He has been in remission since 2010. That’s the same year he began retracing the route he rode his bicycle over four decades earlier. March is Multiple Myeloma
Awareness Month, and for the past six years, each March, he has ridden one section of the trip he did as a 19- and 20-yearold. This March, he decided to ride the 500-mile stretch from Houston to New Orleans. He (Continued on Page 12)
EREMY
LFORD
LSU’s Public Policy Research Lab reveal that the public has serious concerns about the budget and the direction the state is heading as the Legislature launches into its second session of the year. In the automated UNO poll, Gov. John Bel Edwards’ favorability seems to be improving — 43 percent of survey respondents found the governor favorable while 34 percent found him unfavorable, compared to a 34-44 split just three weeks ago. Edwards definitely fared better than the state Legislature, which received a 15 percent favorability rating and a 53 percent unfavorable. Whether or not people are actually paying attention to the financial fights at the Capitol, 79 percent believe that the state’s budget is in “crisis,” while 11 percent do not think there is a budget crisis at all and 10 percent do not know. Also, nearly 49 percent
blame the perceived crisis on former Gov. Bobby Jindal — 24 percent blame the Legislature and 3 percent point a finger at Edwards. In the LSU poll, nearly twothirds of Louisiana residents, or 63 percent, think the state is heading in the wrong direction, the most on record since the survey group began tracking opinion in 2003. The share of respondents who name the state’s budget as the most important problem jumped from 7 percent in 2015 to 26 percent this year. The UNO poll surveyed 631 active registered voters with automated questions on March 13, with a +/-3.9 percent margin of error. The LSU poll was conducted live Feb. 1-Feb. 26 with both landline and cell phone respondents, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percent. Edwards pay agenda has opponents On the opening day of the regular session last week Gov. (Continued on Page 12)
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Obama in Cuba: Bury Cold War’s ‘last remnant’ HAVANA (AP) — President Barack Obama on Tuesday urged Cubans to look to the future with hope, casting his historic visit to the communist nation as a moment to “bury the last remnants of the Cold War in the Americas.” Obama’s address opened a whirlwind final day on the island that included a meeting with Cuban dissidents and attendance at a baseball game featuring the country’s beloved national team — events made possible by the normalization of U.S. and Cuban relations 15 months ago. “Havana is only 90 miles from Florida, but to get here we had to travel a great distance,” Obama said during his address at Havana’s Grand Theater. Despite the enthusiasm in both the U.S. and Cuba about the new relationship between the former foes, Obama acknowledged the deep differences that persist, including on human rights and democracy. With Cuban President Raul Castro looking on from a balcony, he called for citizens to be able to “speak their minds without fear” and pick their leaders in free and fair elections. The president was cheered enthusiastically when he reiterated his call for the U.S. Congress to lift the economic embargo on Cuba, calling it an “outdated burden on the Cuban people.” The embargo is loathed on the island. During a joint appearance with Obama on Monday, Castro
called it “the most important obstacle” to Cuba’s economic growth.” Obama’s last day in Cuba was shadowed by the horrific attacks in Brussels, where scores of people were killed in explosions at the airport and a metro station. The president opened his remarks by vowing to do “whatever is necessary” to support Belgium. Throughout his presidency, Obama has sought to refocus U.S. foreign policy on areas like Latin America that have received less attention than the turmoil in the Middle East and the terrorism emanating from the region. The White House hopes that restoring ties with Cuba will benefit U.S. relations with other countries in Latin America, which have long bristled at Washington’s freeze with Havana. Critics of Obama’s policy say he’s given up too much with too little in return from Cuba, particularly on the issue of human rights. White House officials pointed to the president’s meeting with dissidents Tuesday as a sign of Obama’s focus on Cuban repression, saying that allowing the gathering was a prerequisite for his entire visit. In brief comments ahead of the private meeting, Obama said the dissidents have shown “extraordinary courage” and noted his opposition to the Castro repressive measures. “Much of this is a matter of us being able to hear directly from the Cuban people and making
La. budget hearings begin with uncertainty BATON ROUGE (AP) — After lawmakers raised more than $1.2 billion in taxes for next year, Louisiana government agencies still face “painful” cuts up to 30 percent of their state financing, the governor’s chief financial adviser told the House budget committee Monday. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne said the cuts for the fiscal year that begins July 1 won’t be “absolutely catastrophic and shut-down government level” since the taxes were passed in a recently-ended special session. “But they’re still going to be significant. They’re going to be dramatic. They’re going to have an adverse impact on a lot of the delivery of services around the state,” Dardenne told the House Appropriations Committee as it opened its budget hearings. The committee, packed with Republicans who opposed many of the tax hikes sought by Democratic Gov. John Bel Edwards, will have to craft a budget proposal about $750 million short of what is needed to continue all programs and services next year. Dardenne said the Edwards administration will offer its recommendations for where to slash spending by the end of the first week in April. He said colleges and the state health department would face cuts of around 12 percent of their state financing, in the governor’s proposal. Other agencies like the revenue, economic development, tourism and education departments could take hits of up to 30 percent of their state general fund allocation in the Edwards administration plan, Dardenne
said. Before the administration can craft its proposals for the upcoming 2016-17 budget year, it must first rebalance this year’s budget. The taxes passed by lawmakers in the special session raised an estimated $300 million for the fiscal year that ends June 30 — leaving a $70 million gap in this year’s budget. Edwards was left to determine where to make those $70 million in cuts. Dardenne said the reductions will be unveiled by Thursday, giving agencies three months to lessen their spending. Higher education leaders and the health department are bracing for steep slashing to their programs. The reductions will come on top of more than $160 million in cuts already made across state government by the governor and lawmakers. Appropriations subcommittees are scheduled to start combing through individual department budgets next week, to determine where they’ll seek to levy cuts, before they’ll have recommendations from the Edwards administration. In the special session, lawmakers backed tax hikes on cigarettes, alcohol, car rentals and more. Business tax breaks were lessened. And lawmakers enacted a short-term, 1-cent state sales tax hike and removed some tax breaks on the state’s existing 4-cent sales tax. The actions weren’t enough to close all the holes. House Republicans blocked many additional tax increases sought by the governor.
Politics
some politicos sitting on the fence that could influence the contest. The latest is Abhay Patel, an economic development professional from New Orleans who is being encouraged to run. The LSU grad is a former Wall Street investment banker who at one time raised in excess of $30 billion for transactions like Hertz’ acquisition of Dollar Thrifty. Patel, a Republican, would be a first-time candidate. He’s currently the vice president of business development for the New Orleans Business Alliance. There’s also quadriplegic activist and attorney Derrick Edwards, likewise from New Orleans, who is officially a candidate and is only starting to campaign. Meanwhile, Democrat Josh Pellerin, president and CEO of Pellerin Energy Group, has engaged a firm to file his federal paperwork for a run in the U.S. Senate race, according to sources familiar with his developing campaign. Key staff, including a fundraising consultant, are being lined up as well. He could self-fund his bid if needed, but has some high-profile friends. During Washington Mardi Gras, Pellerin personally met with President Barack Obama. State Rep. Paul Hollis, RMandeville, is thinking about it, as is GOP Public Service Commissioner Eric Skrmetta of Metairie and Democratic state Sen. Gary Smith Jr. of St. Charles Parish. On the Democratic side, Public Service Commissioner Foster Campbell and Denham Springs attorney Caroline Fayard have announced. On the Republican side, Treasurer John Kennedy, Con-
(Continued from Page 1) John Bel Edwards said he wanted to attack poverty by hiking the minimum wage. “Paying our workers a living wage is a basic principle in a land of opportunity,” Edwards said. “$7.25 per hour is simply not a living wage in 2016.” He called it a “modest increase” that would be passed in over the next two years with a minimum wage of $8 per hour beginning in 2017 and then $8.50 in 2018. He noted 14 states other kicked off the New Year with increased minimum wages. Equal pay for women is another component of his plan. “Single mother households account for the majority of Louisiana families living in poverty and over half of our low income families,” the governor said. On the Senate side, Labor and Industrial Relations Chairman Neil Riser, R-Columbia, expressed doubt that the proposals will move. “I don’t think I can support that,” he said. On the House side, Republicans on the labor counterpart committee outnumber Democrats 10 to seven, although Chairman Patrick Jefferson, DShreveport, has supported similar measures in the past. Dawn Starns, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, is planning to fight the proposals as well.
Names hover over Senate campaign As well-defined as the field is becoming for the U.S. Senate race this fall, there are still
Schools (Continued from Page 1) the administration as consolidations. Students who would have been in the Shannon zone will instead go to Norman or Wyandotte in Morgan City. Students who would otherwise have gone to Hernandez will instead go to either Foster or LaGrange in Franklin. The new school zones have yet to be developed. The plan is for the schools to close at the end of the school year, St. Mary Parish Schools Assistant Superintendent Teresa Bagwell said. A demographer will work to
Rider (Continued from Page 1) began March 9 and plans to finish Friday. Sninsky was fortunate to get across the Sabine River on an Amtrak train just before authorities shut the bridge down due to flooding, he said. Multiple myeloma is a cancer of the bone marrow plasma cells, according to the International Myeloma Foundation website. Myeloma is often slow-moving, but can sometimes be much more aggressive, the website says. Myeloma is called “multiple” because there are frequently multiple patches or areas in bone where it grows. Myeloma can appear as a tumor or an area of bone loss, the website says. There is no cure for myelo-
sure that they have a voice and making sure that their concerns and their ideas are helping to shape U.S. policy,” he said of the meeting. It was unclear exactly which Cuban dissidents were attending the meeting at the U.S. Embassy, a matter of much speculation and scrutiny here ahead of the president’s trip. Though Cuba has been criticized for briefly detaining demonstrators thousands of times a year, its practice of handing down long prison sentences has diminished dramatically in recent years. The issue of political prisoners is hugely important to Cuban-Americans in the U.S. and to the international community. Yet most people on the island are more concerned about the shortage of goods and their own struggles with local bureaucracy. Obama’s address was carried live on Cuba’s tightly controlled state television, offering him a rare, unfettered opportunity to speak directly to the country’s citizens about his vision for the future. His remarks impressed some Cubans watching on TV. “It’s a very important speech,” said Delci Ramirez, a 69-year-old housewife. “It has to be studied, it has to be interpreted. I think he wanted to transmit and do good things for the people. I don’t know if he will achieve that, but that’s what he intended.” As Obama pushed for democracy in Cuba, he redesign attendance zones. “Once the demographer rezones, it will be presented at a board meeting,” Bagwell said. “At that point, we’ll have detailed maps to share with the public.” The second phase will be the bus routes. At the beginning of next school year, the school board will release bus routes. “We review them and make adjustments every year,” Bagwell said. “The bus routes aren’t that radically different because of the consolidations.” Administrators said closing the two schools would save about $3.6 million annually, the biggest single step toward
patching a potential revenue shortfall of at least $4 million in the next school year. Supporters of consolidation said declining enrollment has led to a reduction in state aid. The recent plunge in oil prices has also reduced sales tax revenue for local governments. All the consolidation measures will be incorporated into the budget for the 2016-17 school year, Bagwell said. A special budget meeting is normally held in June. It may be held earlier this year because of budget problems. Bagwell said the Legislature’s deliberations over Minimum Foundation Program funding is another factor in the budget pic-
ture. If there is a decrease in funding or a decrease in student enrollment, the school district is going to have to take another look at the budget., Bagwell said. “All the Legislature can do is vote it up or down,” Bagwell said. “I hate to sound like it’s so tentative, but it is. It can change. “There’s a certain level of funding that we’re pretty assured of. We know that we have a deficit of $4 million but it’s that X factor in the state Legislature that we’re not sure of, and we really can’t project at this time with a level of certainty.”
ma, but it is a very treatable disease. And many patients go on to lead full and productive lives for years, even decades, after diagnosis, according to the website. The cancer “attacks long bones” and caused severe deterioration of Sninsky’s spine, he said. However, Sninsky doesn’t experience any pain today associated with the bone loss. He went through 15 rounds of radiation, eight months of chemotherapy and a stem cell transplant in April 2009. Sninsky almost gave up hope in 2008 because he was in excruciating pain and had to use a walker. He wants people to know there’s a path forward after a cancer diagnosis, but it “takes some real guts to keep fighting,” he said. Sninsky attributes his recovery to the “miracle of modern
medicine” and the “love of God.” “I’ve had a pretty good battle. It hasn’t been easy. And these bikes aren’t easy, either, but they’re fun. And there was nothing about my treatment that was fun,” Sninsky said. Sninsky, now retired, made a career as an adventurer organizing white water rafting trips and kayak tours all over the world. He spent time in Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Slovakia and Hungary. He was still guiding kayak tours when he was diagnosed, but the cancer “stopped everything,” he said. “It’s very rough treatment. When you come out the other side, you’re either in a box or you made it. I made it, and I want to let other people know they can make it, too,” Sninsky said.
He only has one more section of his cross-country trip left to do, the 600 miles from the Arizona western border to El Paso, Texas. Sninsky also received medical treatment in Europe and will travel there May 26 to ride from Zurich, Switzerland, to Budapest, Hungary. He will visit nine countries along the way and give cancer talks. Sninsky has raised over $15,000 through his bicycle trips with all of the money going to research toward finding a cure, he said. To learn more about multiple myeloma, Sninsky’s journey or to donate to the International Myeloma Foundation, visit Sninsky’s page on the foundation website at https://online.myeloma.org/netcommunity/MemberFundraiserBicycleMojave.
Martin ‘Tommy’ Thomas Giroir Jr.
gressman Charles Boustany, Congressman John Fleming, Retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness and former Congressman Joseph Cao, a Republican, of New Orleans are candidates. Former legislator Troy Hebert, who would run with no party affiliation, is expected to run as well.
New legislator Qualifying for late Rep. Ronnie Edwards’ House District 29 has ended and a new representative could be in the seat just a month into the regular session, or later if a runoff is needed. There are five Democratic contenders, including Tyra Banks Sterling, Edwards’ former legislative assistant. Former prosecutor Victor Woods is running as well and should find success in raising money inside and outside the district. A local pastor, Albert White, qualified too. There are two other candidates who formerly faced Edwards in last fall’s election. Edwards beat attorney Edmond Jordan, a fellow Democrat, 5941. Jordan made the late representative’s cancer a campaign issue, questioning her ability to serve. In the 2015 primary Edwards led Jordan 36-29. East Baton Rouge Parish School Board Member Vereta Lee received 25 percent of the primary vote and motivational speaker Daniel Banguel received 10 percent. Both Lee and Jordan are running again. The primary is set for April 9, with a runoff as needed scheduled for May 14. For more Louisiana political news, visit www.LaPolitics.com or follow Jeremy Alford on Twitter @LaPoliticsNow.
made clear that political change rarely comes easily, pointing to America’s own turbulent history. But he held up the current presidential election in the U.S. as an example of how progress can be made over time. “Just stop and consider this fact about the American campaign that’s taking place right now,” he said. “You have two Cuban-Americans in the Republican Party running against the legacy of a black man who is president while arguing that they’re the best person to beat the Democratic nominee, who will either be a woman or a democratic socialist.” Republicans Ted Cruz and Marco Rubio, both of Cuban descent, have sought the GOP nomination, though Rubio ended his campaign earlier this month. The Democratic contest is between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist. Since arriving in Havana Sunday, Obama has blended his official events in Cuba with opportunities to soak in the country’s culture, including a tour of the old city. He was closing his visit by joining baseballcrazed Cubans at the Latin American Stadium for a game between the Tampa Bay Rays of Major League Baseball’s American League and Cuba’s national team.
FOOT WASHING Mason United Methodist Church holding a special foot washing service at 5 p.m. Holy Thursday, March 24. Public invited.
FOOT WASHING New Mt. Esther Baptist Church, 1211 James St., Morgan City, holding a one-night revival and foot washing service Thursday, March 25. Lord’s supper also held. Public invited.
EASTER EGG HUNT Morning Glory Ministries, 1323 Railroad Ave., Morgan City, holding a Community Easter Egg Hunt 11 a.m. Saturday, March 26. Bring an Easter basket.
FAMILY/FRIENDS DAY At Good Hope Baptist Church, Patterson, 11 a.m. Sunday, April 3. Public invited.
ORIENTATION Berwick Junior High School sixth-grade orientation 9 a.m. April 7. Any fifth-grader that will be attending Berwick Junior High next school year is invited.
WAR ROOM First Baptist Church, 1915 Victor II Blvd., Morgan City, hosting a free showing of “War Room” at 6 p.m. April 13.
October 24, 1958- March 20, 2016 Martin “Tommy” Thomas Giroir Jr., a native of Morgan City and longtime resident of Stephensville, passed away Sunday, March 20, 2016, while surrounded by his loving family. He was 57 years old. Tommy was an avid Saints fan; he loved watching and rooting for his Saints with/against his son during football season. He was a skilled diesel mechanic and boat captain. Tommy enjoyed the outdoors, especially in the boat, crawfishing. An excellent cook, Tommy especially enjoyed cooking with his granddaughter. He adored and lived for his family, his son and grandchildren. Tommy will be forever missed but never forgotten. Tommy leaves to cherish his memory his son, Thomas “Tommy” Martin Giroir of Stephensville; three grandchildren, Thomas “Tommy” Martin Giroir Jr., Jocelynn Ann Giroir and Lendon Martin Giroir; his father, Martin Thomas Giroir Sr. of Pierre Part; his dad, Lloyd M. Aucoin of Stephensville; his siblings, Debra Giroir Vidos and her husband, Metz, of Berwick, Tammy Giroir Aucoin and her husband, James “P-noon,” Ronnie Giroir and his wife, Sherie, both of Stephensville, Laurie Percle and her husband, Robbie, of Morgan City; Troy Giroir and his wife, Rachel, of Bayou Vista, and Rhonda Landry and her husband, Paul, of Pierre Martin ‘Tommy’ Part; and numerous nieces, Thomas Giroir Jr. nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews. He joins in heaven his mother, Josephine “Beachie” Aucoin; a sister, Catherine Aucoin; a nephew, Lloyd James Vidos; his grandparents; and several aunts and uncles. The family requests that visitation be observed Wednesday, March 23, 2016, from 10 a.m. until time of services at 2 p.m. at Hargrave Funeral Home. Following services, Tommy will be laid to rest in the Morgan City Cemetery. To view the online obituary and leave condolences via the Internet, browse www.hargravefuneralhome.com Hargrave Funeral Home has been entrusted with the arrangements. www.hargravefuneralhome.com
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