Sherlock Breaux in the Creaux's Nest

MOTHER’S DAY MAY 14 MOST SPECIAL OF ALL

To me one of the most special days of the year is Mother’s Day. For most of us there is no more special person in our lives than the one who brought us here, nursed us through our baby years and molded us into adulthood. Through thick and thin our moms can always be counted on to build a comfort zone around each individual child, often cushioning the tough blows of life. If you are fortunate to still have your Mom, count your blessings. Take a minute to reflect on the life you have traveled together. Make a mental movie of all the great times you had and the special moments with her. Think of how you made her so proud of what now seems just small things but were great accomplishments back then. If you’re just leaving your teenage years, some day you’ll look back and recall these days that Mom made so special. You will realize then how truly special she is. Happy Mother’s Day to all Moms, young and old, may God bless you all the days of your lives, then welcome you home when your final day is done.

TRUMP FOUND GUILTY OF SEXUAL ABUSE

A New York jury on Tuesday found former President Donald Trump liable for sexually abusing writer E. Jean Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, but not liable for her alleged rape. The jury awarded her $5 million in damages for her battery and defamation claims. The six men and three women also found Trump had defamed Carroll by calling her claims a “hoax” and a “con job.” The jury deliberated for only about three hours before returning the verdict. They awarded Carroll just over $2 million on the battery claim and just under $3 million on the defamation claims. Her lawyer Roberta Kaplan said, “No one is above the law, not even a former President of the United States. The verdict marks the first time a former president has been found civilly liable for sexual misconduct.

ALLEN SUSPECT PLANNED ATTACK

According to an A.P. story, the man accused of killing eight people and wounding several others in a mass shooting at a suburban Dallas shopping mall researched when it was busiest and posted photos on social media in mid-April of a store near where he ultimately started his attack. The posts by Mauricio Garcia, whom authorities have identified as the gunman, on a Russian social networking site suggest the 33-year-old had been planning the attack for weeks before he stepped out of a silver sedan and opened fire Saturday. Garcia had a fascination with white supremacy and mass shootings, which he described as sport. Photos he posted showed large Nazi tattoos on his arm and torso, including a swastika and the SS lightning bolt logo of Hitler’s paramilitary forces. The official also said Garcia had a patch on his chest when police killed him that read “RWDS,” an acronym for the phrase “Right Wing Death Squad,” popular among right-wing extremists and white supremacy groups. The attack happened at Allen Premium Outlets, a sprawling outdoor shopping center about 25 miles north of downtown Dallas. Information about Garcia emerged as the community mourned the dead and awaited word on the seven people who were wounded. Statistics show that Allen’s population is about 19 percent Asian, 10 percent Black and 11 percent Hispanic. This is ironic. Allen is also connected to another of Texas’ recent mass shootings. Patrick Crusins lived there in 2019 before he posted a lengthy racist discourse online that warned of a “Hispanic invasion” and drove to El Paso, where he opened fire at a Walmart, killing 23.

THE PASSING OF ROY BENDY

It was a surprise to learn of the passing of Roy Ellison Bendy, age 80, on May 2. During the last month, Bobby Hoosier, Roy’s nephew from California, had visited his hometown, family and friends. He stayed at Roy’s home while here. He told of everything they had done, even attended a rodeo where a relative participated in barrel racing. Bobby spoke about how well Roy was doing. We than learned he had passed away. The Bendy family was Bridge City pioneers, arriving in the area in the mid-1940s. Roy’s parents owned Bendy’s Nursery, the boys were Allen, Johnny, and Roy, girls were Florene, Frances and Jerry, who now is the only survivor. Roy was a tug boat captain but also owned his on tugs. He and his late wife Pat at one time owned a western store on Roundbunch where Dr. Penning’s office is located. Several years ago Roy coached a boxing team. His Bridge City youngsters were a scrappy bunch of good fighters who made a name for themselves. Roy was a good guy who left a bunch of children, grandchildren and relatives who will miss him. I had known the Bendy family for over 60 years and considered them very good friends. Some good stories could be told about all three of the boys who operated different businesses. Hard to believe this large, original family is now down to Jerry, it’s only survivor. A celebration of life will be held at a later date. Please see obituary.

CONDOLENCES

I read on our website that C. Delle Bates, age 80, had passed away April 24. I’m not sure where he lived at the time. He had sold his historical home and art studio on the Sabine River in downtown Orange. He had owned a home in Nova Scotia but I’m not sure that was where he had been living at time of death. C. Delle was a likable guy. He was an artist, and also an inventor, who came up with the idea for partial board. The sale of this invention secured his livelihood for life. If you ever met him you would never forget him. He was different, kind and caring. Please read obituary on therecordlive.com.

TURNING BACK THE HANDS OF TIME

10 Years Ago-2013

Kree hopes to move on. Some three weeks before many local media ran anything on American Idol, even before some family members were aware that Kree was a contestant, we broke the news. The way it came about was that all the contestants, from throughout the U.S., that had made the cut, were brought to Las Vegas. Kree had auditioned in Oklahoma and Pattie Hanks, who lives in Vegas, recognized the name Kree Harrison as a name she remembered of a young girl who sang Percy Sledge songs at Crocket Street and also at an Orangefield function. She found out she was the same Kree Harrison from back home. She emailed us and that’s how we broke the first Kree “American Idol” story. She was born at St. Mary Hospital, in Port Arthur. She left Woodville after the eighth grade. The only public high school she ever attended was the ninth grade in Bridge City, 2004-05. She left Bridge City, as a freshman, to move to Nashville. Kree spent 10 years of her childhood in Woodville and she considers that her home town. She came home over the weekend with the American Idol film crew for a parade in Woodville and a concert at Ford Park. This week the contestants will be reduced to the final two. Most critics agree Kree has the superior voice but that alone won’t win it. It depends on song selection, appearance and viewers vote. Public voting is the biggest factor.***** MSNBC has signed “Hardball” host Chris Matthews to a new, long term contract. As part of the new deal however, he will end “The Chris Matthews Show.” Meanwhile, Maria Shriver returns to NBC and will appear on MSNBC and CNBC. She left television to be first lady of California from 2003 to 2011. She and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger have since split after he fathered a child with their housekeeper. (Editor’s note: It didn’t take long before Chris and Marie were long gone.)*****Retired County Clerk Molly Theriot and her husband Ed are doing just fine after they were in an 18 wheeler wreck near Branson, Missouri a few weeks ago. Ed and Molly came out unscathed.*****Jockey Joel Rosario, won the Kentucky Derby on Orb. Cajun Calvin Borel, came in third on Revolutionary.

25 Years Ago-1998

Longtime newspaper journalist Linda B. Farris opened doors to Mama’s Oldtime Mercantile, at 1205 N. 16th Street. The store has the appearance and atmosphere of the kind of store folks gathered at in the early 1900’s. Linda says, “When I was a little girl, I used to stand on a box at poppa’s store in Canton, Georgia to wait on customers. I have always planned to open an old general store like poppa’s.” (Editor’s note: I don’t know how long Linda’s store stayed open or when it closed. It was a unique store. What became of Linda anyway?)*****Jockey Kent Desormeaux, from Maurice, Louisiana, cousin of the Bonin twins Audrey and Flaudry, from Vermillion Parish, won the Kentucky Derby on “Real Quiet.” (Editor’s note: Speed forward 25 years to last Saturday when Kent was trainer of one of the horses in the 149th Kentucky Derby. His horse came out in the middle of the pack. Kent’s dad passed away last week.)*****Selina Hebert, besides working two jobs, is carrying 17 hours at Lamar. Texas Tech had offered her a full ride for four more years and she has accepted. Her longtime boyfriend, T.J. Knight, will also move to Lubbock, work for a while and finish college. (Editor’snote: This fine young couple, Selina, daughter of Sherrie and the late Owen Hebert, married T.J., the son of Chris and the late Annie Lee Knight. They got their degrees, moved to Dallas and have pursued their careers and raised their children.)*****Ray Cotton’s Longhorn Club, in Vinton, burned. The blaze started at about 6:30 a.m. Sunday morning May 10. This was the third building Cotton has lost to fire. Two others burned in Texas where someone was prosecuted for setting the fires.*****More than 200 people attended Don and Alice Cole’s 50th anniversary party. Spotted in the large crowd were former tax collector Louvenia Hryhorchuk, The mayor of Pinehurst, Judge Pete Runnels, Judge Carl Thibodeaux, the Wade Grangers, Don’s two sisters and Alice’s sister from Mississippi just to name a few. The Cole youngsters did a great job putting the affair together.*****Louis Dugas says he’s noticed that civil lawyers call themselves attorneys. He also noticed when an attorney is arrested, he becomes a lawyer.

45 Years Ago-1978

County Attorney Sharon Bearden is expected to step down. Bearden has been a hard-working DA. A few names circulating as possible replacements are Joe Alford, Mike Shuff, Bill Wright and Jim Wallace, assistant DA.*****Beth and Louis Dugas were in Dallas this weekend and held their grandbaby while son Clay and wife Nina both made their graduation at the University of Dallas.*****In the Little Miss Orange County pageant, contestants are Tammy Titus, Heather Payne, Karla Michelle Buford, Monica Weeks, Denise Smith and Meredith Weeks.*****One hundred Orange County students graduate from Lamar. Honor graduates include Gary Garrison, Roy Juneau, Mary Ann Kennon, Valarie Kirkindall, Lauryl Lopez, Charlotte Moberg, Chris Tiger, Michael Webb, Madelon Minton, Cynthia Degeyter, Susan Miller, Deborah Mulholland, Dorothy Pierce and William Watson.

A FEW HAPPENINGS

Nick Portacci, of Bridge City, and Victoria Ridgway, of Scottsdale Arizona, tied the knot at Dreams Riviera Cancun Resort on April. 29. Nick is the son of Matt and Dana Portacci, formerly of Bridge City, and nephew of Charlie and Karen Warner, of Bridge City. Bridge City grads Preston Pittman, Collin Gros and Tanner Cervenka stood by Nick on his big day. We hear the wedding was hit by a torrential rain during the outdoor ceremony but love won out and the nuptials continued. The couple will make their home in Scottsdale, Arizona where he is employed by Western Alliance Bank.*****Phillip makes bad trip. Usually when I have news about our friend Phillip Welch it’s about some great trip he, Sterling and mom have been on. This trip is different. Last Wednesday he got to feeling really bad so Shanna took his to a Bridge City doctor who immediately call an ambulance to transport him to Baptist Beaumont. Thursday morning he had an appendectomy. I spoke with him Saturday and he was still in ICU but hoping to get home by Tuesday. This kind of attack is not unusual. A few years ago Judge Chad Jenkins was hunting in West Texas when Wendee had to rush him to hospital 60 or so miles away with the same problem. It is a problem that generally hits people in their 70’s. However, beside the two mentioned yours truly, at age 8, fell out on the side of the road with a ruptured appendix and an insurance salesman, working on his debit, brought me 25 miles away to a charity hospital for 10 days. The nuns wrote a plaque saying what a “Brave Little Boy” I was. I still have the plaque. Here’s wishing Phillip a speedy recovery.*****The annual Mauriceville Crawfish Bash had some rain last weekend, but not enough to deter crawfish fans from crowding in for crawish tacos, beer, and of course, the all-you-can-eat boiled crawfish. Rodney and Dr. Amy Townsend enjoyed the fare and it was a busy day for him. Earlier in the day he played in the benefit golf tournament for the Bridge City Strutters. Christopher and Regina Marple took their boys. Gary and Allisha Bonneaux were spotted in the crowd. The Mauriceville Heritage Association sponsors the long-running annual event as a fundraiser for community activities. T's Spicy Tails team won first place this year in the crawfish boiling contest. Other winners were Tails and Ales in second, H.B. Nield team in third, and the Roberts Ford team in fourth. Tails and Ales won first in the open dish competition with Poor Boys and Co. winning fan favorite.*****Father Jim Sichko, who grew up in Orange, is a traveling evangelist for the Pope, but is based in Lexington, Kentucky. This year, he hosted his siblings, including Thereze Sichko of Orange, to the Kentucky Derby.*****Brad and Terrie Childs danced the night away Friday at Benoit's in Vidor. The next day, Terrie and her mother, Dayle Foreman, were sporting colorful hats as they attended a derby-themed bridal shower.*****Randy Ragsdale took to the beach to get a rest from his retirement.*****Rachel Belcher graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, continuing the Belcher tradition of Longhorns. Parents Pat and Michelle also went there.*****Eli Peveto, son of Judge Rex and Robin Peveto, was given the John Gray Presidential Award at Lamar University having the highest grade point average of all the college's athletes. The cross-country running will graduate this coming week.*****Parrish Bird, daughter of T.W. and Lyndia Permenter, celebrated her birthday by taking her grown daughters Marlee Bird and Morgan Latiolais on a trip to New York City. The trio spent a few days taking in the sights plus enjoying the dining and shopping.*****Other birthdays included man-about-the-county James Scales. He took over Santa duties for the late Larry David and there's a good reason. No one can say a bad word about him. Well, we'll have to ask his mom Donna.*****Twins Brylee and Lawson Burtsfield turned 12, while Sofia Wright had a backyard party for her 11th.*****Texas State College System Regent Sheila Faske marked another year, as did Necil Nimitz McCray, Tommy Mann, Cullin Smith, and Gina Catt.*****Monte Morphew turned 60, Corrie Terrie became 26, and Gail Terry Gutierrez hit 85.*****Others who celebrated included Taran Burch, Suzy Permenter, Justin Trahan, and Shelby Sonnier.*****Shon and Becka Landry had an anniversary last week as did David and Belinda Huerta. Annette and Bobby Payne drove all the way to Don's Seafood in Lafayette for their anniversary. Through their years of marriage, they had a tradition of going to the now-closed Don's Seafood in Beaumont on their special day.*****And congratulations to the newly-engaged couple of Jenna Comeaux and Joshua Green.

BREAUX BIRTHDAYS

A few folks celebrating their birthdays in the next few days. May 10: Gerald Taylor, Katie Hubbard, Preslea Thiboceaux, Sharon Wooley, Stacie Dryden and Candace Miller.*****May 11: Pat Collins, Sarah Moreland, Scott Andes, Tami Vanderheiden and Sherry Walles.*****May 12: Tammy Yawn, a special lady and first class waitress celebrates today. We miss seeing her. Joining Tammy are Sierra Allison, Brian Sandifer, Jerry Hardee and Bridgett Bonneaux.*****May 13: Happy Birthday to Jamie Garcia and Kristie Hughes.*****May 14: Madison Lyons, David Gauthier, Nikki Smith and Brad Johansson celebrate today.*****May 15: Longtime Bridge City school councilor Nancy Chenella celebrates today. She and Joe, who celebrated on the 7th, now live in College Station. Joe was also a teacher and superintendent at Bridge City.*****May 16: Mark Simmons, RaeAnn Chapman, Samuel Lucia and Judge Pat Clark all celebrate another birthday. I’m not sure of Pat’s number but I remember him in short pants back in the 50’s.

CAJUN STORY OF THE WEEK

Sostan Thibodeaux and Clovis Comeaux entered a chocolate store in a mall in Lafayette. Wen dey was looking at da candy dem, Thibodeaux stole tree chocolate bars. Wen dey left da store Thib told Comeaux, “I’m da best tief me, I stole tree chocolate bars and no one saw me put dem in my pocket.”

“You can’t beat dat.” Comeaux replied, “You want to see something better, let’s go back to dat shop, I’ll show you real stealing, me. I’ll steal while dat shopkeeper is looking right at me and he won’t even know.”

Dey walked up to da counter and Comeaux axe the clerk, “Do you want to see a great magic trick?”

Da clerk replied, “Yes.” Comeaux say, “Give me dem tree chocolate bars dere.”

Da clerk give dem to Comeaux and he ate all tree of dem. Da clerk him axe, “Where’s da magic, hanh?” Comeaux answer, “Jus look in Thibodeaux’s pocket.”

C’EST TOUT

Mass shootings in the United States surpassed 200 so far in 2023, and it’s only May. The number of deaths could double by years end. Every time there is a mass killing, with an AR15 assault rifle, politicians rush to a TV cameo to send their prayers. Sen. Ted Cruz makes them all and is almost always first. Others fall in with “sorry,” none blame the assault weapon. Their sorry is fake.*****Thank you very much for your loyalty and time. Don’t forget Mother. Take care and God bless.