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While the decision to wear a mask or not wear one to school is not 100 percent decided with school just three weeks away, there is one thing that is 100 percent sure.
Support personnel (secretaries, bus drivers, cafeteria workers, janitors, plumbers, etc.) for the Vermilion Parish School District will be seeing more money on their next paycheck.
At Thursday’s school board meeting, the school board approved Superintendent Tommy Byler’s proposal to simplify the step-pay increase scale while at the same time giving the support workers a pay raise.
Byler gave a power-point presentation to the board members on each department of support workers and a breakdown of the average pay per hour each worker was receiving.
Byler explained to the board members a more straightforward step increase for pay raises and, at the same time, giving all support workers anywhere from a .25 cents to a $2 per hour raise.
The total cost for the pay raises would cost the school system $460,000 a year.
One example is a school secretary who makes $12.51 per hour using the old scale. The new scale puts that same secretary making $13 per hour.
School board member Chris Gautreaux told Byler, “It was a step in the right direction.”
Gautreaux also pushed to support workers in the maintenance department a higher increase because of what a plumber and electrician make away from the school system. Byler said those plumbers do not have a retirement, paid vacation, or paid insurance like those who work for the school system.
Chrystal Comeaux, who is a bus driver, thanked the school board.
“Anything will help,” said Comeaux.

Vermilion Catholic High center E.J. Chiasson may have to wear a name tag for a while so that his fellow offensive linemen know who he is.
Last season, as a junior, he was surrounded by seniors to his left and his right during the Eagles’ semifinal run in the Division IV playoffs.
As the only returning member of the offensive line, Chiasson becomes the most experienced and elder statesman of a new group of linemen for the 2021 version of Vermilion Catholic football.
“Last year, our starting O-line jelled very well even with COVID and everything,” he said. “We practiced every day over the summer.
“Now the second string guys are all on the first team with me, and we get along great, and we’ve meshed well. We understand each other, and it’s like we’ve played together all our lives.”
Being the only junior on an offensive line full of seniors last year was an experience.
“It was a little bit weird,” Chiasson said. “I think the other short guy on the line was 6-1, and I’m 5-8. So I was the shortest guy on the line, but it was fun last year.”
At 5-foot-8 and 205 pounds, Chiasson is not the most physically imposing guy you’ll meet. And it’s a state secret as to how many reps at 225 pounds he can do on the bench press, but when it comes to football field smarts, the VC senior might be a Rhodes scholar.
“I think coach put me at center last year because I knew the majority of the plays, and I was able to work things out,” Chiasson said. “With me being at the center, it allowed the other guys to do what they do best.
“Center is the most challenging position on the football field. You have to do three or four different things at once.
“You have to snap the ball, and you have to pull and pin down, you have to know where the linebackers are coming through and call the blocking schemes. So it’s a very mentally tough and physically tough position to play.”
Not to mention that the center and the quarterback have to be on the same page all the time.
“I had a great relationship with Drew (Lege) last year,” Chiasson said.
“He relied on me to make certain calls, and I relied on him if I was making the wrong calls to fix my mistakes.”
Chiasson considers himself more of a run blocker than a pass blocker because run blocking is where the action is, but he said he could do both as needed in the VC offense.
But with a new offensive coordinator this year for the Eagles, Chiasson has been working overtime to make sure he knows the new plays.
“It was kind of hard at first because last year we based most of our plays off of names, and we’re doing more numbers this year,” he said. “But if everyone can get on the same page, then this offense will be even deadlier than last year.”
And the VC senior feels that the offensive line will be better in 2021.
“I feel like our O-line is going to be a lot better this year,” Chiasson said. “We are going to rely a lot more on our run-game and our passing game this year.”
And he’s not concerned that it may take some time for the line to jell.
“It will be the same as last year,” he said. “We have such a great group of guys that it’s going to come together quickly for us, and I have faith in our guys that we are going to come through and win every single game this year.”
Joining Chiasson on the offensive line are Brennan Broussard, Alex Golden, Caleb Broussard, and Aaron Bertrand.

March 25, 1932 ~ July 22, 2021

KAPLAN — A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, July 28, 2021 at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Roman Catholic Church honoring the life of Joseph Billy Hebert, Sr., 89, who died Thursday, July 22, 2021 at Abrom Kaplan Memorial Hospital. He will be laid to rest at Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Cemetery.
He is survived by his wife of 66 years, Elaine M. Hebert; his son, Bill Hebert and his wife, Gerette of Prairie Grove, AR; his two daughters, Rachel Landry and her husband, Ronald of Kaplan and Lauri Breaux of Kaplan; his eight grandchildren, Rozlyn Cothran and her husband, Brad, Lance Hebert, Blake Hebert, Jordan Landry, Bridget Landry, Alaina Landry, Serenity Morgan and Nora Breaux; his two great grandchildren, Alice Cothran and Marion Cothran; and his brother, Godfrey Hebert of Houston, TX.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Aurille and Ophelia Hebert; his sister, Nona Fay Broussard; and his brother, Jesse Hebert.
The family requests that visiting hours be observed at Vincent Funeral Home - Kaplan, 300 N. Eleazar Ave., on Tuesday, July 27, 2021 from 5:00 PM until 10:00 PM with a rosary being prayed at 7:00 PM; Wednesday, July 28, 2021 from 8:00 AM until the procession departs for the church at 12:45 PM.
All funeral arrangements are being conducted by Vincent Funeral Home of Kaplan, (337) 643-7276 [Service Information 225-5276]. Condolences may be sent to the Hebert family at www.vincentfuneralhome.net.

Dreams precede everything; all actions and all creations. Truly, everything does start with a dream. Dreaming is not an idle activity. It’s not an escape from reality. Dreams are the foundation of all creativity.
The type of dreaming I’m talking about doesn’t just occur while you are sleeping. The thoughts occupy your mind constantly, while you are awake as well as resting. These types of dreams stick in your mind. They become a mental obsession. When your mind is focused on a specific detailed dream, it will lead you toward a path that will transform your dream to reality.
Dreaming is healthy, allowing you to explore different scenarios and options. Without dreams, you can’t venture beyond your perceived limits. For maximum effectiveness, a dream should be as detailed as possible. It shouldn’t be conceived in general terms such as, “if I were rich,” or “if I only had this,” or if I only had that.”
Without dreams, people would still be living in caves. Every element of society is the result of dreaming. Our country is the product of a dream. Dreams precede reality. There are no limits to what you can dream about. Health, relationships, success, finances, career, and lifestyle are all valid topics.
Your dreams shouldn’t be a passing thought or whim. They should embody specifics you have a burning desire for. They should be something you are willing to work for and expend whatever effort is required. Dreams can and do come true, but not by themselves. You have to make them happen.
There are those who have a lotto mentality for their dreams. They are only willing to invest a dollar in the hopes of winning millions. Sure, there will be a winner, but the chance is one in millions that it will be you. When people have this lotto mentality, they are constantly disappointed. As a result they wind up jaded and give up on their dreams. They become resigned to their lot in life and disconnected from the infinite potential that resides within.
People who have given up will try to discourage others by using their own disappointments as evidence that dreams are a waste of time. Typically, being labeled a dreamer has a negative connotation. The implication is that a dreamer is not grounded in reality and is wasting their time chasing rainbows.
The dreamer will often be ridiculed and chided. Without a solid understanding of the value of dreaming, the dreamer runs the risk of abandoning their dreams in the face of peer pressure. Should this happen, it would be a real waste. Without dreams, one is in jeopardy of squandering their future.
Dreams have no constraints. Dreams are the seeds from which you can create a robust life. Guard your dreams. Don’t allow others to influence you to relinquish your dreams. You don’t have to share your dreams nor do you need the approval or acceptance of others.
Turning your dreams into reality requires action, determination, and perseverance. If not for dreamers our country never would have been founded. We would have no telephones, no electricity, no cars, no TV or radio, and no medical breakthroughs. In short, if people throughout history had not pursued their dreams we would still be in the dark ages.
Go ahead and dream. Picture your life any way you would like it to be. Don’t put any limitations on your vision. Keep your dream in the front of your mind and review it daily. Take action and turn your dreams into reality.