RSS Feed

September 12, 1940 ~ February 5, 2021

Abbeville — Memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Helen Clark Brasseaux, 80, who died Friday, February 5, 2021 at Maison duMonde Living Center.
She is survived by her husband, Charles Brasseaux; son, Gregory Brasseaux and his wife Lynda; daughter, Vanessa Brasseaux; four grandchildren, Jared Brasseaux and his wife Brooke, Kristin Brasseaux, Brooke Lefort and her husband Zachary, and Hannah Brasseaux; and seven great grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her father, Arthur Clark; mother, Ethel Clark; brother, Joseph Woodley Clark; and daughter, Giselle Brasseaux.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Wednesday, February 10, 2021 from 9:00 AM until time of service. A rosary will be prayed at 10:30 AM.
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.

Positive change never happens overnight; it starts with planting a seed that is nurtured over time.
There are people in Abbeville who want to see that positive change, and they are ready to plant, literally.
Multiple groups are coming together to create “Harmony Park.” The community garden will be located at 820 S. Lamar St. in Abbeville, a property adjudicated to the city in 2008, and is eligible to serve a public purpose.
Keep Abbeville Beautiful’s Charlene Beckett said a donation by Mrs. Phallie Sellers from the Community Foundation of Acadiana, Vermilion Chapter, helped get this project going.
“We received the donation for seed money to create a community garden,” Beckett said during Tuesday night’s Abbeville City Council meeting. “It will be located on the corner of South Lamar and Martin Luther King Drive, because that is the property that the city already owns.”
Keep Abbeville Beautiful (KAB) is just one of the groups involved in the creation of the community garden. Joining the effort is the newly formed iCreate, the Abbeville Garden Club, Abbeville Councilwoman Terry Broussard, whose district includes the lot Harmony Park will call home, and neighborhood volunteers. A committee has been formed to oversee the project. Experts with the LSU AgCenter are also guiding the group.
“The plans to develop a community garden at 820 S. Lamar are underway with all of this support,” Beckett said. “The committee has agreed that there is a need and a desire to beautify and create the garden. The garden will include various fruit trees, vegetables and bedding plants.”
The property is in the process of being cleared and an assessment is being made to designate areas for a Healing Garden with flowering plants, fruit trees, 15 raised vegetable beds, a compost bin and a shed to store the items.
Terry Broussard said this is something she has long wanted to see come to fruition.
“Community gardens allow for the creation of social ties and build a greater feeling of community,” Terry Broussard said. “The garden is part of the beautification project I’ve been focused on. Though we’re in the early stages, I’m feeling excited. I’m equally excited to have citizens from the community give their time, and a huge thank you to The Community Foundation of Acadiana Vermilion Chapter.”
James Broussard, part of the iCreate group, said on Tuesday that this is a worthwhile project. Broussard previously spoke to the Rotary Club of Abbeville and the Kiwanis Club of Abbeville about the garden.
“It is a good opportunity to not only beautify the community,” James Broussard said, “but it is something that we can all be proud to be a part of.
“We are hoping to connect with different people throughout the community.”
That includes people with gardening experience.
“We’re looking for people who have a green thumb,” James Broussard said.
James Broussard, who has worked with youth as part of the city’s Biddy Basketball league, said a major goal of this project is to have youth involved.
“We want to get them interested in something,” Broussard said, “that is a healthy thing to do, from a nutrition standpoint, but also gets them outside and helps the area look better.
“We hope this will be the first of many (gardens) throughout the city.”
Councilwoman Broussard agreed that having youth involved is extremely important.
“We want to make sure that we involve the youth,” she said. “We want to have kids out there.”
Anyone who wants to get involved by giving time and or donations can contact Beckett at (337) 652-2239 or by email at abbevillemainstreet@cox-internet.com. People can also adopt beds in the garden.
“We have discussed soliciting donations to create the beds, and once constructed, individuals or families can adopt a raised bed or volunteer to assist in the success of the garden. Once adopted, they will be provided with the garden plot, water, mulch, compost and gardening information.”

January 28, 1943 ~ February 06, 2021

“Heart of Gold”
A heart of gold stopped beating,
Strong working hands at rest.
A character like no other,
Kindness at its best.
A life lived to the fullest with
Every single chapter.
A smiling face, always joy,
humor and laughter.
Never selfish and always kind,
An honest man with a
Loving legacy left behind.
The very best this world could hold,
Now your Lord and Savior
Has called you home.
Oh death where is your sting?
The angels usher you into heavens glory
As they triumph and sing.
God waiting at the gates
There on His throne
“well done my good and faithful servant,
Welcome Home.
-Author: Brittney Gaspard

ABBEVILLE - Funeral services will be held at 1:00 p.m. on Tuesday, February 9th, 2021, at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, honoring the life of Harris John Gaspard, 78, who passed away on Saturday, February 6, 2021, at his residence. Father Matthew Barzare will officiate the service with burial following at St. Anne Cemetery in Cow Island. Pallbearers will be Gary Gaspard, Tony Trahan, Terry Gaspard and Matthew Guidry, Scotty Gaspard, and Luke Gaspard.
He is survived by his three sons, Gary Gaspard and wife Ronda of Cow Island, Terry Gaspard and wife Eva of Cow Island, Scotty Gaspard and wife Tricia of Abbeville; three brothers, Doise Gaspard, Alton “Tanny” Gaspard and Wilton “T-Neg” Gaspard; one sister, Glenda Raye Delahoussaye; eight grandchildren, Brooke Trahan, Tony Trahan, Kayla Gaspard, Katlan Gaspard, Amber Gaspard, Brittney Gaspard, Maci Gaspard and Luke Gaspard; and eight great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn Hollier Gaspard; parents, Edvard Gaspard and the former Sylvia Rider; and a sister, Glenda Mae Migues.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Monday, February 08, 2021 from 12:00 PM until 9:00 PM with a rosary to be prayed at 7:00 PM; Tuesday, February 09, 2021 from 8:00 AM until time of service.
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.

JESICA KINCAID, USA RICE

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Following President Joe Biden’s inauguration, one potential opportunity for change in foreign policy is the U.S. relationship with Cuba.
So close yet still so far
The Trump Administration had curtailed Obama-era diplomatic and commercial improvements with Cuba, however, those tensions may once again start to thaw, though the level of engagement President Biden will undertake remains to be seen. An open trade relationship with Cuba would benefit many U.S. industries, especially the U.S. rice industry.
“Cuban per capita rice consumption is more than seven times that of Americans and with the capacity to grow less than half of the island’s needs, the country imports roughly 500,000 MT of rice per year,” said Asiha Grigsby, USA Rice director of international promotion in the Western Hemisphere. “For a brief period in the early 2000s, the U.S. was permitted to sell and ship to Cuba and consumers there were excited to have access again to our high-quality rice.”
In 2004, at the peak of the commercial relationship, 176,000 MT of long grain rice was purchased, making Cuba the sixth largest export destination that year.
“During challenging years, like 2020, with tough economic conditions and a sufficient long grain supply, the U.S. could have greatly benefited from an export market just 100 miles from our shores, and potentially outperform some of our export competitors like Vietnam and Brazil,” said Grigsby.
In support of a renewed relationship with Cuba, USA Rice joined with more than 20 other national agriculture trade associations in signing a letter from the U.S. Agriculture Coalition for Cuba (USACC) encouraging the new administration to resume efforts to normalize relations with Cuba.
The group urged restoration of regulations to those in place on January 20, 2017, suspension of Title III of the Helms-Burton Act, and resumption of full operation of the U.S. Embassy in Havana.
Despite support from many in the agriculture community, there remain significant challenges to overcome before a gainful relationship with Cuba can resume. While the Biden Administration has indicated it intends to engage with Cuba, the extent to which they are willing and able to do so remains unknown. Many simultaneous problems, including the COVID-19 pandemic and its ensuing economic crisis, will likely take priority.
Grigsby added, “In addition to the changes requested in the letter, USA Rice also supports lifting of the U.S. trade embargo and removal of third-party financing restrictions for agricultural trade with Cuba, both of which require Congressional action in addition to Administration-driven regulatory changes.”