By MELISSA PEACOCK

EDGARD – “People remember it (Second Ward High School) as a powerhouse for sports,” said St. John the Baptist Parish Council chairman Cleveland Farlough. “Tradition is history – and history should be preserved.”

There is no disputing the amount of athletic talent on the West Bank. This fall the West St. John High School football team shot to the top, taking the No. 1 seed in the Class 2A playoffs.

The students have the skill and they have the determination. The only thing West Bank athletes lack is the facilities to hone their skills on the field, on the court, and on the baseball diamond.

“My thing, what I want to do with it, is use it for those recreation and education purposes,” Farlough said. “Comments were made that I was in a plan in opposition to Councilman (Lester) Rainey. But the property and the $1.3 million bond issue are separate things.”

Farlough would like to see the fields at Second Ward utilized again – not covered by weeds. That, he said, does not mean he is opposed to building the multi-milliondollar West Bank recreational center on another piece of property.

“It could be a compliment to what he (Rainey) is trying to do,” Farlough said. “It is not in opposition.”

The council tabled an ordinance earlier this month authorizing Parish President Nickie Monica to purchase the property at a cost of $72,000. Plans to purchase the property were put on hold after Monica told the council he was not sure whether the property is large enough to accommodate a recreational complex.

St. John Parish Superintendent of Schools Michael Coburn said he does not expect Monica to recommend the purchase.

“He has indicated that he will not buy it for what the board will sell it for,” Coburn said.

The School Board agreed to sell the property earlier this year. Adding a stipulation to the negotiations, the School Board limited the use of the land to recreation or education on the West Bank.

“I wanted a recreational facility for the West Bank,” Coburn said. “I think President Monica is interested in using the property for a public works facility.”

Farlough and Coburn agree the property has been vacant for too long and are pushing to put it back into use.

“Instead of having this as a junk pile, let’s do something with it,” Farlough said. “It has a tradition of ‘can do.’ That is the kind of thing we want to carry on.”

According to Coburn, the School Board is looking at “other avenues” for the West Bank property – in case the council ordinance fails.