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Regular Session, 2014
HOUSE CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON NO. 157
BY REPRESENTATIVE HOFFMANN AND SENATOR WALSWORTH
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTI ON
To commend Pinecrest Elementary/Middle School upon celebrating fifty years of service
to students and the community of West Monroe, Louisiana.
WHEREAS, in 1963 the West Monroe community had a vision for a school that
would be located among pine trees on a crest of a hill and Pinecrest Elementary/Middle
School was born; and
WHEREAS, the school opened in September of 1963 with a gym, cafeteria,
principal's office, a sick room, eight classrooms, and an enrollment of eighty-five students;
and
WHEREAS, many families have had several generations who have been affiliated
with Pinecrest, including families with the surnames Sweet, Carr, Lenard, Owens, Massey,
Varner, Hutson, Murphy, Ethington, Dowdy, Jones, Robert, and Robertson; and
WHEREAS, Pinecrest enjoyed the leadership of many individuals committed to
providing a quality education to the children of West Monroe, including Mr. Red Sims and
Mr. Dwight Owens who served as school board members; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Wamul Owens, Mr. Roy Aston, Mr. Roy Lee Simms, Mr. Jimmy
Lee, Dr. Frank Hoffmann, Mr. Michael McCall, Mr. Tommy Comeaux, Mr. Michael Stone,
and Mr. Don Tumey have served as principals at Pinecrest; and
WHEREAS, early faculty members of Pinecrest included Mrs. Ethel Jordan Owens,
Mrs. Merle Murphy Allen, Mrs. Shirley Ward, and Mr. W. Mims, with each of these
teachers teaching two grades in the same classroom; and
WHEREAS, Ronnie Sanford, Alicia Harbor, Doris Griffin, Bess Kuhn Baker, Arden
Chapman, Lamar Cranston, Kathy Franks, Mary Jones, Blanche Rogers, Carmey Ethington,
Evelyn Blakeney, and Irma McCall, and others who have served faithfully as Pinecrest
teachers; and ENROLLEDHCR NO. 157
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Anna Owens and Mrs. Lana Hendrix have served Pinecrest as
secretaries for over twenty years; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Gartha Waggoner, Mrs. Lena Belle Rawls, Karen Sue Evans, Lois
Christy, Ruby Dulaney, Ron Franks, Syvil Haney, Geraldine Jarrell, Minnie Jordan, Crafton
May, Mavis Myers, Nina Robert, and Sybil Robert and others who have dutifully served
Pinecrest as support staff; and
WHEREAS, transportation was limited, and the school used two buses and a station
wagon driven by Mrs. Lillie Mae Williamson, Mr. Travis Martin, and Mr. Clyde Blakeney
to transport students to school, often making two trips in a day; and
WHEREAS, Bill Hargrove, Norma Lenard, Marie Varner, and Wilbert Woodard
have served Pinecrest as bus drivers, safely delivering the students to school; and
WHEREAS, the faithful dedication and service of the current teachers, support staff
and bus drivers are continuing the level of educational excellence and service to the
community which have been the hallmark of Pinecrest Elementary/Middle School; and
WHEREAS, for fifty years, the school has bonded with the community and has
maintained a level of excellence in teaching generations of students.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of Louisiana does hereby
congratulate and commend Pinecrest Elementary/Middle School for providing fifty years
of educational excellence to the West Monroe community.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a suitable copy of his Resolution be transmitted
to the principal of Pinecrest Elementary/Middle School.
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATI VES
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE