Looking Back at March 30, 1972

By: HEATHER
BOGARD
Lifestyles Editor

This week, we take a look back at March 30, 1972.
•Ville Platte Gazette society editor Rosemary Ludeau was the recipient of two awards at the LPW Women’s Convention held in New Orleans. She received first place for her personal column “One Woman’s Viewpoint” and second place in the open competition for her historical feature “When Ville Platte Was Young.”
•The cornerstone ceremony for the new Ninth Baptist Church was held and a formal dedication ceremony was planned for April. Rev. M.L. Thomas was pastor of the church. The new, 10,000 square foot church featured seating for 1,250 people, spacious balconies, kitchen, cafeteria, educational rooms and a nursery.
•The Evangeline Parish School Board announced it was in the process of looking for land in order to build a vocational high school for the parish.
•The grand opening for the Brown’s Thrift City building was set for the following week. The center was rebuilt after it was destroyed by fire the previous year. The shopping center featured Brown’s Furniture Store, Brown’s Jewelry Department, Fabrific Fabrics and Eckerd Drugstore.
•Steve Tate and Kilren Vidrine, students at the College of Agriculture at USL were recognized for their outstanding achievements in crop judging during the Aggie Day ceremonies on campus.
•Judge J. Burton Foret was named as the new president of the Louisiana Council of Juvenile Court Judges for a one-year term. During his term, he anticipated a complete revision of the Juvenile Court Act in order to make the procedures more modern and uniform.
•Jules Ashlock announced his candidacy for the Ville Platte City Judge position.
•Ralph Soileau was named Pine Prairie mayor after incumbent candidate J. Edwin Elliott decided not to run for re-election.
•Davic Fontenot retired after 23 years with CLECO.
•A&P featured an Easter sale including whole cooked hams for 59 cents per pound and leg of lamb for 89 cents per pound. Also on sale were three-pound bag of 8 O’Clock Coffee for $1.99, 60 tablet bottle of Bufferin for 99 cents and Colgate toothpaste for 69 cents.
•Sale items for the grand opening of Eckerd Drugstore included a power mower for $39.99, flash cube box of three flashes for 74 cents, rattan hand bags for 99 cents, three packs of playing cards for 66 cents and one pint bottle of rubbing alcohol for seven cents.
•Movies showing included “The Godson” starring Alain Delon and Nathalie Delon at the Jan Theatre and “Ginger” starring Sidney Barnett at the Platte Theatre.
•Popular songs of March 1972 included “Puppy Love” by Donny Osmond, “Rockin’ Robin” by Michael Jackson, “A Horse With No Name” by America, “Without You” by Nilsson and “Mother and Child Reunion” by Paul Simon.