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Organizers expected a good turnout for Saturday’s Family Fish Fest in Abbeville.
Consider those expectations exceeded.
More than 600 people attended Saturday’s fishing event, which took place at Lafitte Drive-in Park.
“It went extremely well,” said Abbeville Councilman Francis Plaisance, who helped organize the event. “The final count was 619.
“That’s very good.”
That can also describe the time had by those in attendance.
“People really had a good time,” Plaisance said. “A lot of fish were caught.
“We had no problems, whatsoever.”
Along with the main attraction, the event included various activities. Plaisance thanked everyone who helped make it possible, including representatives of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF), people who made donations and Lance Broussard, who provided and cooked food.
“All the food was eaten,” Plaisance said with a laugh.
Plaisance said he was still receiving compliments from people on Monday morning.
“The reception was tremendous,” Plaisance said. “I just received a call from someone, raving about it.”
Mayor Mark Piazza said he is happy with the results.
“I was pleasantly surprised by the turn out and seeing all the smiles on the children’s faces when they caught a fish made it all worthwhile,” Piazza said.
While it definitely serves as something to build on, Plaisance said details of how fishing will open up at the pond on a more regular basis are yet to be determined.
“In my opinion,” Plaisance said, “I would like to see it open at least one day a week, especially during the summer. That is something I will bring up so that we can work on figuring it out.”
For some, this event opened a new world.
“I heard from some who said it was their kids’ first fishing experience,” Plaisance said. “I actually had a couple of adults who told me this was their first time fishing.”
Plaisance said he was happy to see so many families.
“With some of the (negatives) we have going on,” Plaisance said, “it was a refreshing thing to see families enjoying the day together.”
With its success, Plaisance said he is hoping to have more days like this, when families can come together to fish.
“I hope we can make it an annual thing,” Plaisance said. “We haven’t discussed it any further with Wildlife and Fisheries. I think something similar to this would be really good.
“We’ll see where that goes.”
Again, things are off to a good start.
“It was great all the way around,” Plaisance said.

An Abbeville resident reported to the Abbeville Police Department that someone stole her Ford Explorer from her driveway. Two hours later, she learned the vehicle was involved in a high-speed chase that resulted in a juvenile being killed.
The Louisiana State Police Troop I released the name of the passenger killed in a crash near Opelousas as 15-year-old Trashawn Harrison of Abbeville.
Prior to the crash, a trooper observed a Ford Explorer traveling northbound on Hwy 167 at a high rate of speed and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver refused to stop and a pursuit ensued; however, it was soon terminated by the Trooper due to inclement weather and unsafe speeds.
After ending the pursuit, the trooper discovered the Explorer had traveled off the roadway, struck a parked vehicle, overturned, and struck a utility pole before coming to rest.
Further investigation revealed the Explorer was stolen from within the city limits of Abbeville, hours prior to the crash.
At the time of the crash, the Explorer was occupied by four juvenile passengers including Harrison who was unrestrained and ejected from the vehicle. Three other passengers were also unrestrained and were transported to a local hospital with moderate injuries. The suspected juvenile driver fled the scene on foot and is being sought by investigators at this time. The crash remains under investigation and criminal charges are pending.
The four juveniles stole the Ford Explorer from a home in Abbeville.
Residents who live on Frankie Avenue learned Sunday night, early Monday morning, four juveniles were allegedly checking for unlocked vehicles on Frankie Avenue.
The juveniles were captured on video, and the resident who owned the video camera went house to house, alerting the neighbors to check their vehicles. This was around midnight.
Ashley Bossley and Derrick Frederick walked outside to check their SUV, and they noticed it was not in the driveway.
Bossley walked around the house, searching for it.
“My heart dropped to my stomach,” said Bossley went she realized her SUV was gone. “It was unreal to me.”
Bossley called the Abbeville Police Department to report her vehicle stolen. They took her information and put the alert out to other departments in the area. She praised the Abbeville police officers, who took her statement.
“They were awesome and professional,” said Bossley.
The juveniles could steal their SUV because the keys were left in the ignition, Bossley said.
Three hours later, the SUV was spotted in the Sunset area, according to Bossley. A high-speed chase took place, resulting in a crash.
At around 3 a.m. on Monday, Bossley and Frederick received a phone call from law enforcement letting them know their SUV was involved in a crash, and allegedly a juvenile driving the vehicle was killed, she said. Bossley had no information on the juveniles.
They also learned it could take days or weeks before seeing their vehicle again since it was involved in a fatality.
“When I learned there was a fatality, I wanted to cry,” she said. “I do not wish that on anyone. They made a wrong decision and stole a vehicle which resulted in consequences.”
She is upset this took place in Abbeville, a place where she has lived all of her life.
“I am worried because I do not feel safe anymore,” she said. “This is Abbeville not New Orleans. Abbeville is a small town where you should feel safe.”

Mr. and Mrs. Troy Trahan of Abbeville, LA are proud to announce the engagement and approaching marriage of their daughter, Miss Cailin Trahan of Abbeville to Mr. Grayson Dubois of Kaplan, LA.
Cailin is the granddaughter of Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Parlier of Abbeville, LA and Mrs. Terry Trahan of New Iberia, LA.
The bride-to-be is a 2016 graduate of Vermilion Cathholic High School and a 2020 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where she earned her Early Childhood Education degree. She is currently employed at Delcambre Elementary School in Delcambre, LA.
Grayson is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Dubois of Kaplan, LA. He is the grandson of the late Mr. and Mrs. Dudles Dubois of Abbeville, LA and Mrs. Joyce Braquet and the late Mr. Harold Braquet of Kaplan.
The prospective groom is a 2017 graduate of Vermilion Catholic High School and a 2021 graduate of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette where he earned his Exercise Science degree He is currently employed at MTS Physical Therapy.
The couple plan to marry on July 9, 2021 at St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church in Abbeville, LA.

There’s something good to be said about a high school senior who not only knows what he or she wants to do in life, but why they want to take that path.
Since 1949, the Rotary Club of Abbeville has awarded scholarships to such students, through its annual “What I Want to Be and Why” contest.
“We have awarded this scholarship every year since then,” Rotary Club President Chris Duhon said during Wednesday’s weekly meeting. “Today, we have three worthy candidates.”
Abbeville High’s Gannon Bourque, Erath High’s John Michael Shiner and Vermilion Catholic High’s Joshua Listi attended Wednesday’s meeting as the three finalists. Bourque plans to be an architect, while Listi and Shiner will work to become doctors. A committee reviewed presentations from all the entries from students throughout Vermilion Parish, selecting these three finalists, as well as a winner. The committee made the vote before Wednesday.
“An impartial committee judged these candidates,” Duhon said. “They based it on presentation skills, their plan for community impact and on Rotary ideals.
“We are very excited to announce the winner of this year’s scholarship, Mr. Joshua Listi.”
Listi, the son of John and Carrie Listi, will receive a $2,000 scholarship from the Rotary Club.
“My high school career has been a journey,” Listi said. “I pride myself in my academic achievements.”
Listi has maintained an overall GPA of 4.11 and a cumulative GPA of 3.96. He has a composite score of 32 on the ACT, with a super score of 33. For the past two years, Listi has taken dual-enrollment classes at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. In those classes, he has maintained a 4.0 in math and English.
He is involved with his church, St. Mary Magdalen Catholic Church. He has been an altar server since the fifth grade.
“I have been a volunteer at the Christian Service Center and in my community for as long as I can remember,” Listi said. “My dad is the current director of the Christian Service Center.”
That is where Listi performed his Eagle Scout project.
“I was helping to serve the Thanksgiving dinner that they offer,” Listi said. “I noticed that the cafe filled up quickly. For the people who couldn’t fit in the cafe, the option was to leave with their food, or sit outside with food on their laps.”
“Seeing that wasn’t a dignified way to eat, I made that my Eagle Scout project.”
Listi built six picnic tables and donated them to the Christian Service Center.
“I have heard only good things about them,” Listi said with a laugh. “None of them have broken yet.”
Service is a critical element in what Listi wants to be.
“I want to become a doctor,” Listi said. “The first inspiration I can remember that drew me to that is my dad taking me on a mission trip to Costa Rica. A natural disaster had just hit Costa Rica. We had a physician with us on the mission trip. It was inspiring to see him go into homes and provide primary health care that wasn’t accessible otherwise. This was a poor area that didn’t have basic necessities.
“Seeing this physician and the positive effect he had was very inspiring to me.”
Listi will attend LSU on his journey to becoming a medical doctor. Once that journey is complete, not only will Listi plan to find his way home to Abbeville to become a physician, he plans to return to the same places that initially inspired him.
“I will return to medical missions as frequently as I can,” Listi said. “That’s what I want to be and why.”