RSS Feed

The Vermilion Parish school system is not taking chances when it comes to preparing for high waters in Vermilion Parish.
There are five schools with a flood protection wall around each school.
On Monday, the school system emergency plan kicked into effect and personnel were busying closing flood gates at each school.
The newest schools to get a flood protection wall, Erath High and Erath Middle, are being closed for the first time. Contractors, who have about 99 percent of work complete, were making sure all 12 gates were closed before a tropical system makes landfall in Louisiana. By this morning, the schools are prepared.
“We are taking a proactive measure,” said School Superintendent Jerome Puyau. “We are training our workers. We have teams assigned to every school. We are closing every gate except for one at each school.”
It takes around 15 minutes to have all of the gates closed at each school.
Schools with flood walls are: SeventhWard/Forked Island Elementary, E. Broussard Elementary, Erath High, Erath Middle and Dozier Elementary.
The August flooding was a life lesson for the school system. The good news is that no school with a flood protection wall flooded despite all of the rain. The bad news is that not all of the schools’ flood gates were closed.
“We built the flood gates, but we have had to test them,” he said. “The first time we did, everyone thought someone else would close them.”
A system, the Flood Crisis Plan for Flooding, was put in place. It assigned teams to be in charge of each school. If there is an order to close the gates, the team takes care of it.
“We are taking no chances and wondering who is going to close the gates,” he said. “We don’t want that to happen. We are taking a proactive approach.”
This will be the first test for Erath High and Erath Middle School. After a year, the wall surrounds the two schools.
With the gates closed, water is expected to remain on the school grounds. An impressive drainage system was built under the EMS and EHS. The water is expected to be pumped out of the school ground and pumped into Bayou Tigre located about 100 yards from the football stadium.
Puyau said while these five schools are protected, he is worried about other parish schools flooding due to heavy rain. With the historical flood in August, Kaplan schools flooded. He contacted Kaplan principals and requested they begin lifting things are the ground in case it floods again.
“We are doing all we can do before the rain arrives,” Puyau said.
Puyau said he plans to leave most of the gates closed until the start of school.

At around 3:30 p.m. on Friday, a house on Laura Street (south of the Sportsman) caught fire and burned.
No one was injured in the house fire.
Fighting the house fire, located outside of the city limits, were the Abbeville fire department, along with volunteer fire departments from Henry, Erath, Delcambre, Kaplan and Seventh Ward. They all brought their pumper trucks for water.

Dear Editor:

On Flag Day, June 14, we commemorate the adoption of the American flag. For more than 200 years, Old Glory has served as a symbol of our nation’s freedom and as a source of pride for our citizens. In patriotic parades and musical salutes, we support our local military and recognize the significance of the Stars and Stripes.
Flag Day is also a time to honor our nation’s veterans who have willingly served to protect the flag and the ideals it represents. With each ceremonial fold of the flag, we recognize the principles on which our country was founded: Liberty, unity, justice, and sacrifice.
On Flag Day, I stand with more than three-quarters of a million American Legion Auxiliary members across the nation as we honor our service members and reflect on their commitment to our country.
Whether you are a veteran, the loved one of a service member, or a patriotic citizen, there are many ways to honor local heroes, such as visiting veterans’ homes, assisting with recognition ceremonies, collecting personal memories and photos from veterans to create keepsake journals, or simply flying the U.S. flag in tribute to their sacrifice.
As you wave the flag on June 14, remember that showing your gratitude for veterans does not have to be limited to Flag Day, Memorial Day, or Veterans Day. Throughout the year, join the American Legion Auxiliary in serving veterans, military, and their families who have sacrificed for our freedom.
Thank you to all who have served Old Glory. Happy Flag Day!
American Legion Auxiliary (ALA) members have dedicated themselves for nearly a century to meeting the needs of our nation’s veterans, military, and their families both here and abroad. They volunteer millions of hours yearly, with a value averaging $2 billion each year. As part of the world’s largest women’s patriotic service organization, ALA volunteers across the country also step up to honor veterans and military through annual scholarships and with ALA Girls State programs, teaching high school juniors to be leaders grounded in patriotism and Americanism. To learn more about the ALA’s mission or to volunteer, donate or join, visit www.ALAforVeterans.org.

For God and Country,

Marian Davidson
Public Relations Chair
American Legion Auxiliary Vermilion Unit #29- Abbeville