RSS Feed

Names for free-roaming cats include feral, stray and alley cats.
Some refer to them a bit more affectionately as community cats, saying they belong to the entire community.
Whatever they call them, some see the cats as a benefit to the community, while others see a nuisance.
Those differing opinions drove the discussion during an Abbeville City Council ordinance committee meeting Tuesday night. While it has one that covers roaming of dogs, livestock and fowl, Abbeville does not have anything on the books that pertains to cats.
City Attorney Ike Funderburk said Abbeville is not the only place dealing with a significant number of unowned cats. He referenced to this month’s newsletter from the Louisiana Municipal Association (LMA).
“There must be a shift away from blaming homeless dogs and cats for their existence,” Funderburk said of the LMA article. “Overpopulation is a problem created by humans. We have a moral obligation to address it in a humane way.”
As they want to avoid the cats from being euthanized, many in the audience Tuesday night, including Debbie Garrot, who runs the Vermilion Parish Rabies Animal Control for the Vermilion Parish Police Jury, said there is a humane way to control the cat
population. That is to catch them, have them spayed or neutered and then release the cats. She said there are many people, including herself, who are doing that and covering the cost to have the cats spayed or neutered.
“We are working to get approval to have Rabies Animal Control help in the trapping of these cats,” Garrot said. “We can transport them to Spay Nation (a facility in Lafayette).
“All of that is in the works.”
Dr. Paul Whittington, a veterinarian in Abbeville, agreed with Garrot about finding the best solution for both the people and the animals.
“I know there are people who are upset,” Whittington said of the number of cats. “I challenge people to learn more. I always joke that Bob Barker had it right when he would end the ‘Price is Right’ by saying to spay and neuter your pets.
“It’s just caring a little bit more.”
Vermilion Parish Police Juror Wayne Touchet, who attended Tuesday’s ordinance committee meeting, said he also supports an effort to spay and neuter.
“The population stops,” Touchet said. “Cats are put back into their community, but they don’t reproduce.
“That, in my opinion, is the best option.”
Councilwoman Roslyn White pledged $500 from her discretionary fund to help spay and neuter cats. White offered a friendly challenge to her fellow council members.
“I challenge the other council members to do the same if they can,” White said.
Garrot said she has dedicated 30 years to helping animals and has a special place in her heart for stray and feral cats. However, Garrot said she does understand that there are people who have issues with cats running around.
“I have been notified of the cat situation,” Garrot said, “specifically on Fourth Street. I would like to move forward and try to have some peaceful resolution.”
John Valdetero, who lives in the area Garrot referenced, said cats have caused issues on his property.
“There is an issue in my neighborhood,” Valdetero said. “I recently mowed my lawn and counted 13 piles of cat feces. I have five or six that live under my house, which are not my cats. They bang up against my pipes in the middle of the night. I understand people love cats. I love dogs, but if I owned or fed, every day, 20 to 30 community dogs, and I didn’t contain them, and they went on other properties, at what point am I responsible to the rest of my community?”
Jeri Sonnier, a resident of Fifth Street, said cats are a positive for the community, especially in the Godchaux Park area.
“We have a rice mill two blocks away,” Sonnier said. “We have the bayou two blocks away. Which would you rather, cats or rats? Not mice, rats. That’s what we will have if you get rid of our neighborhood cats.”
During the committee meeting, the council voted to have Funderburk review the issue and bring a proposed ordinance to the full city council at a future regular meeting.
Police Juror Paul Bourgeois Jr., who also attended the meeting, echoed his fellow Juror Touchet that the ordinances in the municipalities in the parish should mirror the police jury’s ordinance, as to create some cohesiveness.
“We should have the same thing across the parish,” Bourgeois said. “If we did that, and followed the ordinance, all of this would take care of itself.”
Councilman Francis Touchet Jr. said the goal is to come together to find something that works best for the people of Abbeville.
“This is an Abbeville problem that we need to address,” Touchet said. “Let’s look at what’s best for the people and their property while respecting animals.”
Mayor Mark Piazza said there would be limitations when it comes to any ordinance that is created.
“We are going to attempt to draft an ordinance that satisfies everyone,” Piazza said. “We are bound by the Constitution. I don’t think that we can legally tell an individual how many cats, dogs, or chickens they can own if they are kept well and maintained.
“We’re going to do our best and come back to this group with a sample ordinance that is uniform with the police jury and other municipalities and hopefully satisfies everyone.”

August 14, 1949 ~ August 18, 2020

ABBEVILLE —Funeral services will be held at 1:00 PM on Monday, August 24, 2020 at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville honoring the life of Diane Luquette Harrington, 71, who died Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at her residence.
She will be laid to rest at St. Paul Cemetery with Deacon William "Billy" Vincent officiating the services. Pallbearers will be Chad Duhon, Darrel Connor, Jr., James Delahoussaye, Darrel, Connor Sr., Nick Plowden and Tony Touchet. Honorary pallbearers will be Christopher Saucier and Mark Harrington.
Diane is survived by her son, Mark P. Harrington (Monica); two daughters, Kris Connor (Darrel) and Nanette Dalahoussaye (James); granchildren, Brandi Saucier, Christopher Saucier (Bridget), Loni Hardy (Allison), Darrel Connor, Jr. (Nita), Laci Plowden (Nick), Shalacey Connor and Destiny Connor; ten great grandchildren; and two brothers, Dunice Luquette and Donald Luquette; her very special person Debbie Palombo.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Paul Luquette, Sr. and the former Agnes Schexnayder; and brothers, Paul Luquette, Jr. and George Luquette.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Abbeville, 209 S. St. Charles St., on Monday, August 24, 2020 from 9:00 AM until time of services.
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.

The day before school began was like no other for Vermilion Catholic’s staff.
Vermilion Catholic Principal Mike Guilbeaux met with his staff in the Vermilion Catholic gymnasium on Wednesday. The teachers sat at least six feet apart because of social distancing. The teachers took up half of the basketball court, while Guilbeaux had a desk set up under a basketball court.
He spent the morning talking through his face covering mask, educating the teachers about what the school year is expected to be like. He also went over procedures dealing with COVID-19 pandemic.
Students at VC and Mt. Carmel will report to school today and Friday.
All elementary students will attend school at Mt. Carmel today.
Vermilion Catholic will implement an A/B Blended model to provide in-person instruction to half of their students on alternating days.
Group A will attend school today and then Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday. Group B will attend school this Friday and then on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and every other Friday.
Teachers and students will have to wear face coverings throughout the day while at school.

School Arrival
Procedures:
Upon arrival to school, students and staff members will be subject to temperature checks, visual wellness screening, and will be required to use hand sanitizer upon entry. Parents will be notified by the school if their student has a temperature of 100.4 or above and the student will be isolated until checked out by a parent. Parents will be provided with next step guidance upon pick-up of their student. Grade levels will enter the school through following areas after 7:15 a.m.:
• Freshman- Front Entrance- Right Side Door (facing the school)
• Sophomores- Front Entrance- Left Side Door (facing the school)
• Juniors- Locker Area Entrance- Right Side Door (Facing from Outside) -
• Seniors- Locker Area Entrance- Left Side Door (Facing from Outside)

Since March, things have not been the same in the sports world. But starting in September, sports will begin to return slowly.
Cross country will be one of the first to return, along with swimming on Aug. 31. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association recently issued a list of new rules to maintain safety at cross country meets.
Cross country coaches throughout Acadiana have been talking about ways to run a meet while implementing the guidelines from the LHSAA.
“We are excited and ready to go,” said Erath cross country coach “Skeeter” Theall. “We missed track in March, so it feels like we are starting over.”
In a way, cross country coaches, runners, and parents are starting over because of how the meet will be run.
There will be several visible changes, including no mass starts. The current options are starting the race in groups of 25 with a starting line wide enough (10 feet wide) for athletes to be 6-feet apart.
Before COVID-19, it was nothing for one cross country meet to have more than 125 runners bunched up at the starting line. Each team has seven runners, and it was common to have 15 teams at an invitational meet.
The first cross country meets are on Sept. 5. In the past, schools would take turns playing host to cross country meets. Because of the restrictions of meet sizes, there will be at least two cross country meets in Acadiana on the same weekend.
On Sept. 5, Erath is hosting a cross country meet, while St. Thomas More is also hosting a meet. Each cross country meet will have only eight teams.
The coaches have agreed to have two starting times for the male and female runners.
There will be a Group A with only 25 runners and a Group B race with around the same amount of runners.
The finish line and the starting line will also be separate.
Another change is that each runner will only be allowed to have two supporters. When Group A is finished running, the runners’ spectators must leave the running area to let Group B runners’ spectators watch.
When the girls are finished racing, no family members can hang around and watch the boys run. Everyone must leave.
The LHSAA has nixed the usual awards ceremony after the meet, and attendance will be limited to two fans per athlete. Masks will be required for all in attendance when not able to socially distance. The lone exception will be for athletes when they are competing.
Because of the fear of COVID-19, Erath has one of its smallest teams in years. There are eight males and eight females running for Erath.
Kaplan cross country coach Amelia Broussard is glad that cross country coaches from the state and Acadiana have figured out how to make it work.
“I am extremely proud of how hard the Acadiana cross country coaches have been working to make this season possible for our athletes,” said Broussard.
The Kaplan cross country team has four males and four female runners, which Broussard said is average.
“I am very excited for this cross country season,” said Broussard. “I have been telling the athletes that our season looks the most promising, so give your all in training and represent the school well.”