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The Vermilion Parish Police Jury approved a motion to pre-apply for a share in a $10 million grant project coordinated by the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries to match funds for three parish coastal protection projects. Still, some police jurors remain unhappy with the scour issues delaying the completion of the Southwest Point shoreline protection project.
Applications for the Louisiana Outdoors Forever Program grants would be to receive matching funds for the $1.1 million Schooner Bayou structure repair, the Southwest Pass at Southwest Point Project, and the Freshwater Bayou Project. The applications were due Friday, parish engineer Todd Vincent of Sellers and Associates told the police jury.
After receiving approval to submit pre-application papers for those grants, Vincent discussed the Southwest Point scour issues.
“There was a request that we obtain pricing for relocating the existing north breakwater that is showing some effects from scouring,” Vincent said. “The contractor came back with a price of $2.3 million to relocate it and install a mattress, which we all agree is an excessive price. The discussion at the (police jury’s Coastal) committee meeting was whether to continue with other sections of the project, the new installation, and the request is that we do a test section of about a thousand feet on the north side. It would be adjacent to where the peninsula is at the thinnest point. This would be to install the rings, which are in the contract, and to also add the mattress and the ballast. The contract installation would be $23,000, and that’s in the contract. The mattress and the ballast would be about $350,000. The committee requested that I present that for your consideration. Also, we would negotiate that the contractor comes back and install the remainder of the project next summer, with the mattress and the ballast.”
“If it works,” District 8 Police Juror Errol Domingues said.
Domingues then asked Paul Moresi III, the police jury’s legal counsel, what obligation the police jury has to taxpayers if the project fails. The project, funded by GOMESA funds, was delayed as the contractor and ring supplier worked on a cost proposal to add reinforcing steel to the rings used in the structure. The steel reinforcement ensures that if the structure cracks, it does not break apart but is just cracked.
“I think the police jury, as an initial issue, has an obligation to investigate the cause of the failure — was it improperly designed? Was it improperly installed? Was it just an act of God?” Moresi said. “I think at the outset there should be an inquiry made. You are dealing with taxpayer dollars, and if there was a failure in a project, whether it’s this, a building, any type of project where you have a failure, to try to determine was there any type of fault involved, and if so, who was the fault on?”
By act of God, Moresi said, it is something that is unforeseen or is so overwhelming that people can’t anticipate it was happening.
Vincent said that when the scouring issue first came up, the firm hired Tetra Tech, a national consulting firm, to perform a two-phase investigation into the cause of the situation and what protective measures could be taken to prevent the same issue in the remainder of the project.
“We’ve got a draft report on the first (phase of the investigation), and they issued preliminary plans for the second phase, and that’s what we’re using for pricing,” Vincent said. “We don’t have the final report in either phase yet, but I’d be happy to share that with you.”
Domingues said the police jury is not on a witch hunt to find fault.
“But a project of that magnitude, if we’re going to stop it, we have a lot invested,” Domingues said. “All those rings are built. Do we need to stop? Do we need to bring them somewhere else for another project? I don’t know what it is, all I can tell you is after six months, it’s a catastrophe.”
“The magnitude when you look at it, we took GOMESA funds, and we bonded it out for 14 or 16 years, $10.4 million, we shot half of it on this one project,” District 6 Police Juror Mark Poche said.
“And it failed,” Domingues said.
“And it failed,” said Poche. “Whether it’s our fault, his fault, the manufacturer, whoever’s fault, somebody’s fault. There’s got to be somebody that knows how to set this stuff so that this doesn’t happen. Something went wrong here.”
“I just don’t want it to go wrong again,” Domingues said. “We’re going to test this thing for a thousand feet. Then, as a jury, we will use taxpayers’ dollars to do a test right past the failure. If that fails, we will have $2 1/2, $3 million of failure money on that.”
Domingues was told that the test area would cost about $350,000 to construct.
Vincent said the scouring issue is not normal for most similar projects. The soil properties combined with the wave energies ended up causing the scour problems, he said.
“Somebody had to have more foresight at Southwest Pass with the amount of current that’s going through there to recognize the possibility of some type of scouring that could happen,” Domingues said. “That’s why we’ve lost what we’ve lost in that region, because of the excessive currents in there.”
In other business, the police jury approved adding a request from parish resident Paulette Adam to submit a pre-application for grant funds to help deal with drainage and flooding issues around where she and her husband, who live along Hwy. 13 near Bayou Queue De Tortue, the farm in the Mermantau Basin in Acadia and Vermilion parishes. Adam said she contacted District 14 Police Juror Chad Vallo, who held a public meeting in Gueydan about the Mermentau Basin flooding issues.
“I stumbled onto a watershed initiative grant and started writing,” she said. “Mr. Chad has been such a wonderful direction, and I’ve also been in touch with Mr. Todd Vincent. So, to find a positive solution, I’m asking if you would please submit my pre-application (for a grant).”
Adam said it’s been 60 years since flooding issues with the bayou have been addressed.
“It’s a region issue, there’s no question,” she said, adding that Cameron Parish representatives were at the meeting, and she’s talked with Acadia Parish representatives about a cooperative effort to solve the issue.
“Miss Paulette, we definitely will stay with Todd on top of this, and we’re going to do everything possible in our powers,” Domingues said.
Pre-applications for round 2 of the watershed initiative are due at the end of May, Vincent said, and the parish has authorized four projects already. Round 2 is not about providing funds but just getting projects on the board, he said.
Vincent said that in talking to Scooter Trosclair, there’s an 87-day turnaround for floodwaters to get out of the Bayou Queue De Tortue area and the Mermentau River currently, essentially from Indian Bayou westward. With improvements to the Mermentau Basin Project and the East End Locks, it would be reduced to a 24-day turnaround, a significant difference.
“It’s going to help,” Vallo said of the project Adam is seeking to have done. “I guess putting this as the fifth project would keep an open dialogue, which I think is what this point is all about.”

ABBEVILLE — Funeral Services for Mr. Stephen “Steve” Guillory AKA Scorpion, 66, will be held at David Funeral Home of Abbeville at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, May 31, 2023 with Pastor Francis Plaisance officiating. Interment will follow at Graceland Cemetery.
Visitation will be held at David Funeral Home of Abbeville from Tuesday, May 30, 2023 from 1 p.m. with an all-night visitation until time of services on Wednesday, May 31, 2023. With a recitation of the rosary by the Lions Club at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 30, 2023.
Mr. Stephen passed away on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. He was a Veteran in the Navy. He worked for Jake’s Wholesale as a warehouse man and delivery person for 15 years. Then he became a hot shot driver in 1997 for Venture. He moved on to driving eighteen wheelers. For 6 years he drove for Macro. He Spent 5 months in Puerto Rico and then became a driver for Transvac for the past 5 years. He liked to DJ music. He loved spending time with his family, even his trucking family. He was a loving husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, and uncle. He was always willing to help anyone in need.
He is survived by his wife of 28 years Darlene Romero Guillory of Abbeville; his two daughters, Jennifer Bahwell Mire and her companion Ramie of Abbeville, and Kimberly Lemaire Maturin and her husband Gordy of Coteau; his ten grandchildren, John Mire, Jr., Cody Mire, Katie Mallett, Ryan Mire, Seth Mire, Ali Stelly, Evan Maturin, Mallorie Maturin, Bella Stelly, and Brantley Maturin; his six great-grandchildren, Journee Mae Duhon, Kylar Sonnier, Sienna Mallett, Genesis Mallett, Evie Mallett, and Granger Mire and baby Mallett due in January;  his sister, Debra Cormier of Crowley; his brother, Glenn Guillory of Kentucky; his aunt Carolyn Teno of Crowley; his Godchild, Justin Cormier of Crowley; his three sisters-in-law, Jean Bourque of Coteau, Mabel Toups and her husband Larry of Stephenville, and Marlene Frederick and her husband Earl, Jr.; his two brothers-in-law, Ronnie Romero and his wife Charlene, and Wayne Romero and his wife Mary of Morgan City; his special nephew, Larry Toups, Jr. which lived in the Guillory family in Abbeville; and his numerous nieces and nephews.
He is preceded in death by his father, Calvin John Guillory and stepmother Edmae Guillory; his mother, Anita Walker; his son-in-law, John Walter Mire (AKA my Jr.); his brother-in-law, Eldwood Cormier; his sister-in-law, Joan Guidry and brother-in-law Elray Guidry; his father-in-law, Ophe Romero; and his mother-in-law, Wilda Mae Vaughan Romero; and nephew Lance Toups.
Serving as pallbearers will be Gordy Maturin, Ramie Bourque, Ryan Mire, Seth Mire, Wesley Lemaire, and Jason Schexnaider.
Serving as honorary pallbearers will be Brantley Maturin, Larry Toups, Jr., Micheal Meaux Sr., Leonard Toups, Larry Toups, Sr., Kylar Sonnier, Ronnie Romero, Blake Romero, Wayne Romero, Austin Mallett, Katie Mallett, Ali Stelly, Bella Stelly, Mallorie Maturin, Evan Maturin, John Mire, Jr., and Cody Mire Granger Mire, Travis Romero, Jason Romero, Journee Duhon, Evie Mallett, Sienna Mallett, Genesis Mallett, Travis Keiffer, Chris Blevins, Tommy Toups, Kris Potier, and Wendel Bourque.
You may sign the guest register book and express condolences online at www.davidfuneralhome.org
David Funeral Home of Abbeville, 2600 Charity Street, (337) 893-3777 will be handling the arrangements.

January 7, 1943 ~ May 22, 2023

ABBEVILLE — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1 p.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023, at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church honoring the life of Nancy White Thomas, 80, of Abbeville, Louisiana. Nancy passed away Monday evening, May 22, 2023, at home surrounded by her loving husband and family. She will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Fr. Donald Bernard officiating the services. Serving as pallbearers will be Corbett “Chip” LeBouef IV, Ross Herpin, Ryan Servat, Trae Trahan, Michael Dowden and Kenny Hebert.
The second of three children, Nancy was born January 7, 1943, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana to Henry Otis and Frances Burt White. She graduated from Baton Rouge High School and attended Louisiana State University.
After leaving Baton Rouge and spending many years in Kaplan, Louisiana as an accomplished florist and raising her three children, Nancy returned to her roots in Baton Rouge. There, she met the love of her life, whom she has been married to for the last 26 years. Shortly after marrying, and following his retirement, Nancy returned with her husband to Vermilion Parish to be near her three children and grandchildren.
With a true appreciation for nature, Nancy found and cultivated beauty right in her own backyard each day. She enjoyed growing a myriad of plants and flowers, from which she would regularly create various arrangements, bringing a little of nature’s beauty inside. She found great joy in sharing her passion for flowers with all those she loved, as well.
Some of Nancy’s fondest memories growing up were spending summers in Simsboro where she would attend church and bible study with her grandmother. As a great granddaughter of both a Baptist Preacher and a Methodist Minister, Nancy had instilled in her from an early age a very strong faith with deep Christian values.
In her later years, some of Nancy’s most enjoyable times were spent traveling to interesting places, both near and far, enjoying getting to fish on occasion, or sitting at home enjoying simple days working crossword puzzles, as well as crocheting beautiful pieces and gifting them to loved ones to be treasured for generations. However, what brought her the most joy was simply spending time with her family. It didn’t matter if it was a holiday or special occasion, shopping trips or impromptu visits, being with those she loved fulfilled her like nothing else.
Left to cherish Nancy’s memory is her beloved husband, Dr. Fred W. Thomas; her son, Danny Herpin and his wife, Gay; daughters, Shannon Kimble and her husband, Alvin, and Stephanie LeBouef and her husband, Corbett “Cobb” III. She is also survived by her stepdaughters, Christy T. Dowden, and Cindy T. Gates and her husband, Jim; grandchildren, Kate H. Trahan (Trae), Ross Herpin (Brittany), Corbett “Chip” LeBouef IV (Elizabeth), Leah L. Servat (Ryan), Rachel G. Hebert (Kenny), Mollie Gates, Michael Dowden (Amy), and Julie Nally (Tom); fifteen great grandchildren, whom she absolutely adored; her dear sister, Jane W. Gillis; and sister-in-law, Terrie White; and a host of very loved nieces and nephews.
Nancy was preceded in death by her parents and brother, Bob White.
The family asks that visitation be observed at Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic Church beginning at 10:30 a.m. on Thursday, May 25, 2023 until the time of service at 1 p.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to Hospice of Acadiana, 2600 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA 70503 or Vermilion Catholic, A Legacy of Mount Carmel, 425 Park Avenue, Abbeville, LA 70510, in memory of Nancy W. Thomas.
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Abbeville, (337) 893-4661.

ABBEVILLE — Funeral Services for Mr. Zachari Denby, 32, were held at David Funeral Home of Abbeville on Monday, May 22, 2023 at 11 a.m. with Pastor Derek Weber officiating.
A resident of Abbeville, Mr. Zachari passed away on Friday, May 19, 2023. He enjoyed fishing, cooking, and spending time with his friends and family.
He is survived by his wife, Tara Denby of Abbeville; his parents, Arnold and Diane Denby of Abbeville; his sister, Michal Pete and her husband Justin of Lake Charles; his son, Clifford Denby of Abbeville; his step-daughters, Karleigh Simar and Maci Simar of Abbeville;his grandmother, Barbara Trahan; his uncle, Chad Trahan; his aunt, Kathy Denby; his cousins, Jadka Lange, Trey Denby, Derrick Denby, Tyler Humphries, and many more.
He is preceded in death by his heavenly parents, Clifford and Pamela Trahan; his brother, Zachariah Trahan; and his sister, Rebecca Trahan.
You may sign the guest register book and express condolences online at www.davidfuneralhome.org
David Funeral Home of Abbeville 2600 Charity St. (337)893-3777 handled the arrangements.