Basile Weekly from Basile, Louisiana • 1

161 W. Maple Ave. Eunice, La 70535 www.americansouthbuilders.com 337.546.6322 CUSTOM HOME BUILDER FREE DESIGNING PLANNING BUILDING IN ALL LOUISIANA PARISHES 3 Bed 2 Bath Corner of Park Ave. and S. 13th Street Basile, Louisiana Thursday, December 21, 2017 Where Evangeline, Acadia, St.

Landry, and Jeff Davis meet Your hometown newspaper since 1964 Basile Weekly Home of the Swine Festival Home of the Bearcats Santa visits Basile at Nathan Abshire Museum VISITING WITH SANTA AT NATHAN ABSHIRE MUSEUM- The town of Basile hosted its second annual Santa Claus visit at the Nathan Abshire Museum on Thursday, December 14 in downtown Basile. Pictured (top left) are Santa Day committee members (from bottom up) DeEtte Denette, Mayor Mark Denette, Francine Manuel, (top row) Nikki Miller, Keri Fuselier, Gavin Christ, Santa Claus, Scott Miller, Councilwoman Carmen Olivier, Faron Olivier, and Chad Manuel; (top right) Santa holding his youngest visitor of the night, Riggins Bacon; and (bottom left) Miss Basile queens and Swine Festival queens assisting Santa (Dempsey Butts photos) Acadia resident seeks annexation By: Darrel LeJeune Editor Ben Fontenot, a resident of Acadia parish, attended the Basile town council meeting on December 11 with questions about annexation into the town and the possible appointment of town officials. He also shared his disappointment in the lack of local law enforcement to curtail illegal drug sales in the community. Fontenot explained that he has been back in the community for a little more than four years now and is disgusted with the obvious selling of drugs in his neighborhood (out- See ANNEX, P. 2 Police request to void festival contract denied By: Darrel LeJeune Editor The Basile town council took no action to void a contract between the town and the La.

Swine Festival as per Chief of Police Allen Ivory, request to do so at the December 11 meeting of the council and mayor. The police chief told the council that the festival association had failed to deposit a required $3,000 for security prior to the 2017 festival as per the stated contract. He, therefore, wanted the agreement voided due to breach of contract. As of the night of the council meeting, the festival had not paid for security that the chief requested to the tune of $3,825. Justin Miller, festival president, explained that the association was prepared to pay the $3,000 but nothing more than that as stated in the contract.

Miller also added that the festival pays each officer separately and that the total was not to exceed $3,000. Because of that, he was in the process of contacting each officer (many from out of town) to see if they were expecting payment. He stated that some officers are paid by their own departments for coming to the festival and some volunteer their services thus bringing down the total of $3,825 as reported by Chief Ivory. Mayor Mark Denette told Miller that he should simply pay the $3,000 and let the police chief distribute the funds to the officers who worked the festival. Town Clerk Vickie Briscoe questioned how this should be handled with taxes and social security, etc.

and said she would have to question the CPA on the matter. Town attorney Dave Johnson advised the police chief and council to refrain from voiding the contract, noting that a judge would not care about when the $3,000 was paid just so that it is paid. Ivory mentioned that he was willing to reduce the hourly rate of pay from $15 per hour to $12 per hour to attempt to bring the total security payment closer to the agreed $3,000. Miller said he was willing to look at the new total that he and the police chief could come up with, but also noted that he was concerned about future festival contracts with the town for security and wanted assurance that a cap on the total securiy expenses would be adhered to in future contracts with the town. The festival president added that the need for a cap for the past two years became necessary because the festival fee for 2015 had totalled approximately $5,000, an amount that was much more than usual.

The mayor and the town attorney agreed that a cap amount had to be included in future contracts and adhered to. In other action, the council: Darwin Christ for another three year term to represent the town on the Fire Protection District Board. (by a vote of 2-1) a raise from $11.25 per hour to $13 per hour for Sergeant Van Comeaux, who was recently promoted. Bron Dubroc voted no with Carmen Olivier and Latoya Howze voting yes. Councilmen Robert Deshotel and Hunter Ortego were absent from the meeting.

Chief Ivory report that the LACE program was being discontinued. Christmas Supplement Inside Paper.