March, 2025

• 5 March

  It’s Ramadan

  

  Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. The Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan began last week.This is known as one of the five pillars of Islam and all Muslims are obliged to participate.I recall my first Ramadan in Saudi Arabia and it showed the sacrifices that …

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• 5 March

  Strange words that are surprisingly real

  

  Sallie HollisSallie Rose Hollis is a native of Rocky Branch and retired Journalism Professer from Louisiana Tech University. Contact her at sallierose@mail.com. Maybe you’ve run across some of the same online word lists that I have – like “54 Everyday Things You Never Knew Had Names.” Or “34 of the Craziest Words in English.” Or “100 Totally Weird Words (Like …

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• 5 March

  UP Elementary Beta Members Attend State

  

  National Beta members from Union Parish Elementary are celebrating their first-ever Louisiana Elementary Beta State Convention held January 17 – 18, in Lafayette. Eleven Beta members in the 4th and 5th grades at Union Parish Elementary attended the convention along with almost 5,500 other members from elementary schools all over the state. The National Beta State Convention allows students the …

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• 5 March

  “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”

  The term “DEI” is used significantly often in modern politics. This acronym stands for “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion”. In the 2024 election, Donald Trump used the term “DEI Hire” to describe his political rival, Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, who is mixed race Jamaican and Indian. The designation of “DEI Hire” was meant to be derogatory in that it implied Harris …

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February, 2025

• 26 February

  These are a few of my favorite things

  

  Glynn HarrisGlynn Harris is a long-time outdoor writer from North Louisiana and has won more than 50 writing and broadcasting awards during his 47 year career. I was drawn to a verse in the Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Sound of Music that ends “These are a few of my favorite things”. No, I’m not putting in a plug for the vocals …

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• 26 February

  Tough love

  Thomas FieldsThomas “Tuffy” Fields is an author and regular contributor to The Gazette. He can be reached by email at thelouisianaexplorer@yahoo.com. Many years ago I was at CBU 402 in Annapolis, Maryland. The military was finalizing its war in Viet Nam and military units were feeling the pinch as financial cuts were taking place and units were watching costs allocated …

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• 26 February

  Why so much vulger and crude language in Louisiana?

  

  Jim BrownJim Brown is a former Louisiana state senator, Secretary of State, Commissioner of Insurance and a regular contributor to The Gazette. It would seem that the use uncouth swear words have become a way of description throughout the Bayou State, as well as across the country, from the President on down in recent years. The routine use of words that …

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• 26 February

  Local group becomes state affiliate

  

  The D’Arbonne Diggers archaeology study group, a program of the Union Museum of History and Art, has been accepted as a chapter of the Louisiana Archaeological Society. The LAS executive board made the affiliation official at its meeting on February 21 during the organization’s annual convention in Vidalia, Louisiana. “We are proud to be a part of this prestigious state …

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• 26 February

  TDV: Understanding the Impact and Resources

  Teen dating violence is a critical issue that affects millions of young people across the country. February is recognized as Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month (TDVAM), a time dedicated to raising awareness and promoting prevention efforts to stop abusive relationships before they start.According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 1 in 12 high school students in …

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• 26 February

  Farmerville Black Heritage Parade 2025

  

  On February 15th, the Black Heritage Parade arrived in Farmerville Louisiana. Several groups from the local black community gathered to show their pride for their history and culture for Black History Month.Since 1970, February has been considered Black History Month. Originally, from the black educators and black students of Kent State University, the first talks of black history month started …

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