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School began around Vermilion Parish Thursday morning.
Social media filled with smiling students on their first day. Students settled in their new desks with their new teachers.
It’s an emotional and exciting time.
It can also be a stressful time for some families who, for various reasons, don’t have the means to purchase school supplies and uniforms.
Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Abbeville have worked with other groups recently to make sure that students in Vermilion Parish are going back to school with everything they need.
Project Backpack, which JA has conducted since 1999, has already supplied nearly 40 students with necessities for the entire year. The group hopes to help many more.
Junior Auxiliary members Tanya Istre and Renee Bertrand spoke Wednesday afternoon to the Rotary Club of Abbeville about the
continued effort. Rotarians donated several bags of school supplies on Wednesday.
“We greatly appreciate the partnership,” Istre said. “We are supper excited about the donations.”
Istre said every little bit is needed.
“We received over 60 names of students that needed assistance,” Istre explained. “We helped around 30 kids last year and that fulfilled the list that we were given.”
Counselors from schools in the parish submit names of students who are in need to the JA. Istre said schools that have not submitted names in the past did so this year.
“What we are finding out is that there are families still struggling from the flood last August,” Istre said. “Some of these families who were working really hard to make ends meet, but never needed to ask for assistance before, are having to ask for assistance now.
“We are doing everything we can to help fulfill that need.”
Istre said the impact is humbling.
“This morning I dropped off some donations at Indian Bayou,” Istre said. “One of the mothers and her children stopped me. I almost cried all of my makeup off. The child hugged and thanked me that she could go back to school with supplies.
“It’s just rips your heart out.”
Istre said the JA is grateful for the partnership with the Rotary Club, the Vermilion Chamber of Commerce and other groups that help make Project Backpack a success.
“The only way we can make this happen,” Istre said, “is for groups in Vermilion Parish- all pulling together to make this happen for these children.”
The effort is going to go on as long as it is needed. Anyone interested in donating can contact JA at jaofabbeville@gmail.com.
“We are going to accept donations as long as they are coming in,” Istre said.

OPELOUSAS — About 50 tourism leaders were queried Tuesday about their ideas on how to improve rural tourism in a meeting attended by Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser at the St. Landry Parish Visitor Center.
“We want to know those ideas and those thoughts whether it is additional off road trips, attractions or things we can put together,” Nungesser said.
“We are excited to learn more and see how we can better coordinate moving people around the state,” he said.
Kelly Pitre, of Eunice and St. Landry Parish Tourist Commission member, said she would like to see a way to reach the younger generation.
“We need to reach young people to grab their interest otherwise we are a dying culture,” she said.
Mavis Fruge, of Arnaudville, said, “I would love to see more signage in French. I would like to see a little less litter and more trees, more flowers .. those things that are pleasing to the eye.”
Yvonne Normand, a St. Landry Parish Tourism Commission member, echoed the need for French language promotion and appealing to youth.
Charlene Beckett, Abbeville Main Street manager, said more connectivity is needed and a Main Street trail needs to flow tourists from north to south.
Alison Miller, Vermilion Parish tourism director, said more kiosks with tourism information are needed because tourism center opening hours are limited.
Danielle Fontenette, St. Martinville Main Street manager, and Patrice Melnick, an Opelousas tourism staffer, said more multi-culture marketing needs to be done.
Another common theme was the need for the use of social media in communicating with tourists.
Nungesser said he moved three jobs from New Orleans to Baton Rouge where one person will seek to fit conventions to rural areas, a second person is to work on organizing tours from major cities to rural Louisiana and a third person will promote tourism opportunities on social media.
A Louisiana Bass Trail was established recently in response to a suggestion, Nungesser said.
“Any idea or thought you have please share it with us so we can make sure we are covering every base to improve tourism in your area,” he said.
“The rural areas of our state are an asset to all of Louisiana,” Nungesser aaid in a news release. “We are highlighting all of the fun things to do by listening to the people who live in these rural areas. They know how to best promote and market their assets in order to draw people to their areas.”
St. Landry Parish President Bill Fontenot said, “This is really all about people coming to be with us. We are the attraction.”
Celeste Gomez, St. Landry Parish Tourism Commission executive director, said the meeting, which was one of four held in the state, was important to hear ideas “...or maybe just to know who to turn to.”
The “roundtable” discussions were also held in Tallulah and Oil City on Monday; Houma on Wednesday; and Hammond on today.
Doug Bourgeois, director of the Louisiana Byways program, led the meetings and Cheryl Hargrove, president of Heritage, Tourism and Culture Partners, conducted them.
A state Office of Tourism news release, stated, “A major draw to our more rural areas of the state is the Louisiana Trails and Byways. This program was set up through the National Scenic Byways Program as a way to draw people to Rural America. The Louisiana program currently has 19 trails and byways that highlight different areas of the state from Historic Route 80 to the Southern Swamps to the Zydeco Cajun Prairie. Information about the byways program can be found at www.LouisianaByways.com.”
In the same news release, Nungesser said, “The Byways are an integral part of bringing people into the heart of Louisiana. You can find great food and drink at a local craft brewery or family restaurant, have a great time fishing or hunting in rural Louisiana or you can dance the night away to Zydeco music at a local joint in rural Acadiana.”

ERATH — On Tuesday, Aug. 8, Erath Middle Principal Wendy Stoute welcomed family and friends of the late Errol Trahan to dedicate a special bench in memory of the school's former assistant principal.
Trahan passed away after a long battle with cancer on Feb. 22, 2016.
Erath Middle Principal Wendy Stoute shared this at the dedication, “Errol Trahan was a wonderful giver and he was happiest when he could help our students and teachers.
“Now because of him we have a place to sit and rest, I know he is happy once again.”
Trahan, a 1969 Abbeville High graduate, began his career in education at Abbeville Junior High from 1974 to 1979. He moved to Abbeville High from 1984 to 1988.
Over the next few years he taught and coached at North Vermilion High, Vermilion Catholic, J.H. Williams Middle School, Erath High and Erath Middle School.
Then he found his home in 2004 when he went to Erath Middle School. He taught one year and then was promoted to assistant principal at Erath Middle School. He officially retired in January of 2016.
In all, Trahan spent 40 years in education.

Caroline David, daughter of Danielle and Lance David, is the most recent recipient of the Healthcare Scholarship awarded by the Volunteers of Abbeville General.
Caroline is a Junior Nursing Student at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette and is expected to complete her degree in May 2019. She currently has an overall GPA of 3.30.
The Volunteers of Abbeville General present this scholarship to students meeting the following criteria: studies are in a healthcare field, student is a resident of Vermilion Parish and has reached a junior or senior status, and student has maintained at least a 3.0 GPA.
All students interested in this scholarship are asked to contact Ms. Gloria Pierce at 898-6494 or 898-6472.
The Volunteers of Abbeville General are currently accepting applications for volunteers to work one day/week Monday through Friday. They provide assistance to staff members and guests, as well as work in the Gift Shop. Anyone 18 years or older that would like to make a difference in the community in this way, while enjoying excellent benefits are asked to contact Ms. Gloria.