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If you have any information for the Community Calendar, please email it to justin.schuver@bogalusadailynews.com.

 

Bogalusa Cemetery clean-up day

Saturday, March 27, is clean-up day at the Bogalusa Cemetery. Volunteers are needed. The clean-up will begin at 9 a.m. Bring any tools that you have.

 

District A clean-up day

District A Councilwoman Gloria Kates announces that Saturday, March 27, is District A Clean-up Day, focusing on the city’s nuisance ordinances. Everyone’s help is needed and organizers are calling on all volunteers from: non-profit organizations, schools, community colleges, environmental clubs, service clubs, youth groups, churches, juvenile and adult probation, community service programs and the general public. The focus will be on nuisances such as litter, trash, weeds and wild growth. Volunteers will be assigned to areas, but residents may adopt their own blocks. Please bring mowers, weed eaters, hedge cutters, and choice of cutting tool in order to clean up. Dumpsters will be placed at Poplas and Redmond and Second Street and MLK. Kates requests volunteers should meet up at the corner of Poplas and Redmond, from 8 a.m. until noon. District A extends north to City Limits Road, south to Fourth Avenue, east to Austin Street and west to parts of North Columbia Road. COVID-19 preventive measures will be practiced. Please call 985-241-1819 for more information.

 

Franklinton community clean-up day

The town of Franklinton will have a community clean-up day on Saturday, March 27. The day will begin by meeting at 8 a.m. at the Public Works Department, located at 1108 Lenora St. in Franklinton. Lunch will be served.

 

COVID-19 vaccinations in Franklinton

Franklinton Mayor Greg Route and the town of Franklinton government will be offering COVID-19 vaccinations at Franklinton Town Hall on Wednesday, March 31, from 8:30 a.m. until noon and from 12:30 p.m. until 4 p.m. Please call 985-839-3569 by Monday, March 29, to put your name on a list (ages 16 and up), so the medical staff will know how many doses to bring.

 

Easter Parade of Homes

The Bogalusa Citizens for Art and Culture (BCAC) were so inspired by the Yardi Gras decorations in New Orleans, that the group decided to host something similar for Easter. The BCAC encourages all residents and business owners to decorate their homes and businesses for Easter. Then, submit a picture and your address to “Bogalusa Did You Know” on Facebook or email to BCACCommunity@gmail.com to be posted for judging by the public. The home with the most votes (likes) will win a $100 cash prize. The business with the most votes will receive special recognition and bragging rights, of course. The BCAC would love to see all of the schools decorated, also. All photos must be submitted by Thursday, April 1, at 10 p.m. Whoever has the most votes at noon on Friday, April 2, will win. The longer your photo is up, the more opportunities for votes, so let’s get decorating Bogalusa!

 

Franklinton Easter egg hunt

The town of Franklinton will have an Easter egg hunt on Friday, April 2, from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. at the fairgrounds. Get ready for a fun-filled day of games and surprises for ages 10 and under. Please wear your mask. This event is hosted by the Franklinton Social Planning Committee.

 

Bogalusa Easter egg hunt

The city of Bogalusa will have its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 3, from 10 a.m. until noon at Cassidy Park. There will be free admission. Find the golden egg, and win a new bike. The hunt will have 6,000 candy-filled eggs, and also feature a “special appearance” by special cartoon friends.

 

Easter egg give away drive-through

The Spartanette Service Club will have an Easter Egg Give-away Drive-Through on Saturday, April 3, from noon until 1:30 p.m. at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Young, 919 S. Dauphine St. There is no charge. The drive-through will have candy-filled eggs, and the Easter Bunny will be on hand to greet the children.

 

FOCUS Franklinton community bike ride

Tuesday, April 6, will be the “FOCUS Franklinton” community bike ride. The schedule is as follows: 10:30 a.m. until 11 a.m., meet at Jack Brown’s; 11 a.m., begin one-mile bike ride; 11:30 a.m., end at the Franklinton Branch Library; 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m., activities and vendors. All ages are welcome. No ATVs or golf carts. FOCUS stands for Franklinton Organized Community Unified Support.

 

Testing for home-schooled students

All third-12th grade home-schooled students are invited to participate in the Louisiana Educational Assessment Program (LEAP), which will be administered in Washington Parish schools beginning in April. If you are planning to enroll your student in a Washington Parish school for the 2021-22 school year, it is recommended that your student take the LEAP now rather than testing later for enrollment. All students are welcome to test, even if you plan to continue home-schooling during the 2021-22 school year. Please contact the school in your district before Wednesday, April 7, if your student will participate in LEAP this spring.

 

YMCA chicken plate fund-raiser

The Bogalusa YMCA will be having a smoked chicken plate fund-raiser on Tuesday, April 13. Pick-up will be available from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., and the plates can be picked up at Nothing But Tha Smoke food stand, located at 424 Superior Ave. in Bogalusa. The cost is $10 each.

 

Yoga and meditation classes

Riverstone Gallery and Holistic Art Center, located at 415 S. Columbia St., offers a variety of yoga classes throughout the week. Tuesdays is “Gentle Yoga” at noon — this is perfect for beginners, seniors or anyone who wants to take it slow. Tuesdays also has “Yoga Flow” at 6 p.m. — this class focuses on the breath, and is slow to moderately paced. Thursdays is “Meditation Yoga” for all ages and abilities. Saturdays is “Gentle Yoga” at 11 a.m. — an easy-going pace, with a focus on flexibility and relaxation. Classes are $12 each, or purchase a four-class pass for $40. For more information, call 985-516-6919, or message the center on Facebook.

 

COVID-19 vaccines available

Rural Behavioral Health Services, located at 59448 Highway 10 W. in Bogalusa, has COVID-19 vaccines. Call 985-732-0253 for appointments. Walk-ins welcome. To receive your vaccine, bring a photo ID, proof of insurance (if applicable) and know your date of birth. Hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. until noon and 12:30 p.m. until 4 p.m.

 

Public wi-fi locations

The Washington Parish Library System recently acquired state funding to boost their existing public wi-fi in order to further assist the students of Washington Parish who must do class work virtually. The signal at each branch has been strengthened considerably and usage is unlimited by any number of people. Each branch also has Hot Spots to check out to patrons who have limited access to internet at home or live in rural areas with little internet access. For more information, contact any branch: Bogalusa at 985-735-1961, Franklinton at 985-839-7805, Enon at 985-839-9385 or Thomas at 985-848-7061.

 

Montalbano Patriotic Award scholarship

Applications are available for the Montalbano Patriotic Award and can be picked up at the parish offices of Annunciation Catholic Church in Bogalusa and Holy Family Catholic Church in Franklinton. All graduating high school seniors who are members of either of these parishes are eligible to apply. The application/resume must include a small picture, and a 300-word, double-spaced essay titled, “What it Means to be a Catholic American.” The purpose of this essay and application is to highlight the applicant’s patriotism and Catholicism. Letters of recommendation may also be included. Deadline for the packet to be turned in to the respective church offices is the Friday, April 16. This award is sponsored by the Father Hubert Bordenave Assembly Patriotic Degree in memory of Frank and Ignatius Montalbano for their dedicated service to the Catholic faith and the Knights of Columbus. There will be two one-time awards of $250 each, one going to a member of Annunciation Parish and one to a member of Holy Family Parish.