Category Archives: Ascension

A nonprofit arts group formed at the urging of the Episcopal Diocese of Western New York is proposing to turn the former Church of the Ascension in Allentown into a community assembly and performance space, after a prior attempt to create affordable senior housing in the church fell through.

Ascension for the Arts, led by board president and attorney A. Peter Snodgrass, wants to make the large church and parish hall available to theater companies or community groups that need a large gathering space, including for shows.

The complex at 67 North St. is still owned by the Diocese, so Ascension for the Arts which was formed in 2017 signed a lease in November, and will rent out the space for events and other tenants.

The group will probably start with a 100-person capacity in the church nave or sanctuary, "but I think we could grow to 200," Snodgrass said.

But that might require more bathrooms and other changes to bring it up to code, which in turn costs money, he said.

"We just want to get it open, get it moving and then pursue grant funding to make improvements that are needed," Snodgrass added.

In the meantime, the arts group plans to focus on preparing and marketing the separate parish hall, which has an assembly area on the first floor with a small stage, a kitchenette and a couple of bathrooms. That's ideal "if somebody wanted to do smaller productions or educational workshops," said Snodgrass.

The second floor has four offices and a bathroom, so the group hopes to lease that office space to nonprofits, Snodgrass added. That way, the building will start generating revenue that Ascension for the Arts will need to make repairs in the nave, Snodgrass said.

City to review apartments planned for former Church of the Ascension

The plan is a significant departure from the Diocese's original $7 million proposal to renovate the Medina sandstone church into 28 low-income apartments for seniors. The church has been vacant since January 2015, when the 164-year-old congregation moved to the Church of the Good Shepherd at 96 Jewett Parkway.

But the plan relied heavily on obtaining state and federal historic tax credits, as well as low-income housing credits. It fell through initially in 2014 when the National Park Service would not allow alterations to the nave and demanded design changes, prompting the Diocese to pursue a community use for that part of the church while leaving the apartments for other areas. That led to the creation of Ascension for the Arts.

The project appeared to be back on track in late 2017 after winning approval from park service for a historic preservation project, and then winning Common Council approval despite opposition from the Preservation Board. However, it still faced resistance within the Linwood neighborhood and from local preservationists.

Ultimately, officials failed to win the credits they needed last year, so Diocese officials switched direction and again asked the nonprofit if it would just take on the entire building.

Ascension for the Arts is seeking a special-use permit from the Common Council to allow the change in purpose.

The rest is here:

With housing off the table, Church of the Ascension could become community space - Buffalo News

Jr. high, high school rodeos this weekend

Louisiana High School Rodeo Association Southeast Louisiana Junior andHigh School Rodeos are Friday through Sunday at the Lamar-Dixon Expo Center.

Watch as some of the best young cowboys and cowgirls compete in several events. For times and information, visit http://www.rodeosportsnetwork.com/files/20SE.pdf.

Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Stormy is set to perform from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. March 7 in the Donaldsonville DowntownLive @ Crescent concert series.

The band, weather permitting, will perform at Crescent Park.

For more information, call (225) 445-1383.

Cara's House, a nonprofit animal group that operates the parishes animal shelter, is hosting a fundraiser that promises to "egg your house" just in time for Easter.

But this egging is not the messy kind. For a fee, the group will fill your yard with stuffed eggs on Easter morning. The service will be provided for 25 eggs at a cost of $15; 50 eggs for $30 and 100 eggs for $50.

Orders must be placed by April 3.

To order, visiteggtheyardch.formstack.com/forms/egg_the_yard_2020

B.Y.O.C. is a monthly craft club that will meet on the first Tuesday of every month at the Ascension Parish Library in Galvez. Bring your own project (or find inspiration at the library) while you meet and socialize with other crafters in the area. Coffee and assorted equipment will be provided, as well as a selection of instructional material and patterns to get you started. The next meeting will be at 6 p.m. Tuesday.

Dont want to show up empty-handed? The library has partnered with Creativebug to provide free access to thousands of arts and craft video classes. For more information about the monthly craft club or how to access Creativebug, contact the Ascension Parish Library in Galvez at (225) 622-3339.

The Ascension Parish Library is screening "Music Dreams: An American Story," a local independent film that profiles musician/songwriter/music entrepreneur, Henry Turner Jr. and his band, Flavor. The presentation will highlight blues music in Baton Rouge, how reggae influenced the blues, and how to make it in the music business. Film showing and a panel discussion with Henry Turner Jr. and others will be held at noon Feb. 29 at the Galvez branch.

For more information, call the Ascension Parish Library in Galvez at (225) 622-3339.

The Ascension Parish Master Gardeners Association, under the direction of the LSU AgCenter, is holding its spring library series of educational workshops with gardening and landscaping tips geared to both novice and advanced gardeners. The workshops to be hosted by the Ascension Parish Library are:

Louisiana Iris: From the Wild to the Garden: March 3, 6:30 p.m., Gonzales

Patrick OConnor, Iris Hybridizer and board member of the Society of Louisiana Irises, will discuss the five native species of Louisiana Iris and their history, the early discovery of these plants and their progress to modern cultivars through hybridization, current efforts to preserve the wild form, and the growing culture of the irises in water and regular garden soil. To register, call the Gonzales location at (225) 647-3955.

Give Plants the Soil They Need Customing Your Own Potting Soil for Containers and Gardens: March 24, 6:30 p.m., Galvez

Quality soil mixes are ideal for establishing healthy plants. Join Ed Bush, LSU Professor of Plant Environmental & Soil Sciences, as he explores types of soil mixes for different applications such as containers, hanging baskets, raised beds, and garden beds. To register, call the Galvez location at (225) 622-3339.

Continued here:

Around Ascension for Feb. 27, 2020 | Ascension - The Advocate

Last we met, the Doctor gave the Lone Cyberman what he wanted and now she and the TARDIS fam have to save the world from destruction. Hows that for the beginning of a two-part finale, eh? Wellits not as straightforward as it would seem.

We open with an abandoned baby being found and adopted by a nice Irish couple. This backstory will weave in between the future story where the Doctor and her companions find themselves. But, as far as historical stories go, its compelling in its own right and leads to lots of questions as the episode unfolds. The baby grows up to be a boy named Brendan. He decides to be a police officer, but one day is shot pursuing a robber and falls off a cliffonly to survive. (Please tell me I wasnt the only one waiting for Bowie to start playing before Gene Hunt showed up in some ridiculous sports car. Is there life on Mars? Im happy, hope youre happy too)

Then theres the actual action part of the story. The Doc and her companions show up in the last days of the Cyber Wars. Theres very few humans left and those that are have pulled together a rickety ship with the goal of getting to The Boundary, where they may pass into another world and be safe from the Cybermens grasp. After the Doctors protective efforts are destroyed by Cybermen patrol, she and her companions are split up. Graham and Yaz end up with the few human survivors (Yedlarmi, Ravio and Bescot) and Ryan and Thirteen are left behind with one other human straggler named Ethan. The Doctor steals a Cybershuttle, which she and Ethan are able to hotwire quickly into warp drive.

Yaz and Graham stay hopeful and think about what the Doctor would do when the transport ship theyre on begins to fail. They use what burst of energy they have left to push them into the docking space of a Cybercarrier. Once aboard they try and get the ship up and running, its discovered there are thousands of dormant Cybermen still on deck. It doesnt help that the Lone Cyberman can sense where they are and makes his way to the Cybercarrier where he terrorizes a few of the Cybermen awake by drilling into them and making them feel (which technically, they shouldnt be able to do, but the Lone Cyberman wasnt finished so my guess is he wants others to experience what he does.)

Meanwhile, the Doctor, Ryan, and Ethan have found the Boundary, manned by one person by the name of Ko Sharmus (initially believed to be a place, not a person). He takes the travelers to the shore where the portal opens up to reveal Gallifrey. Yaz has also found a way to communicate with the Doctor across the comms channel and warns theyre on their way but everyones in great danger. And if that wasnt enough, the Master pops up at the last second, much to the Doctors dread.

Whew.

The problems that have plagued this whole season continue to persist. The episode has too much going on and its cluttered with characters we may or may not care about (truly, your mileage might vary here). Then theres the whole side story about Brendan. Is he a Cyberman? A time lord? A Cyberman time lord? And if that wasnt enough, throw in a portal to Gallifrey and the Master rattling on about the timeless child and how this is when everything changes. (Oi, quit stealing River Songs lines, dude.) Also, what about Captain Jack? Or Ruth!Doctor from Fugitive of the Judoon?

What has this season even been about? Over the course of the last nine episodes, weve seen Chibnall try for a so-called traditional season of Doctor Who, filled with aliens and long-time baddies. Some episodes have fared better than others (the Nicola Tesla and Mary Shelley historicals are at the top of my list, along with the yet-to-be explained unknown Doctor) but Chibnall has shown us time and again that he still hasnt quite figured out what to do with the Doctor just yet.

Looking back at Season 11, at least the themes feel consistent. Those ten episodes were a meditation on humanity and what it means to be human or have courage and hope. That approach was at least thoughtful. Throwing the Master and the Cybermen back into the mix so quickly this season seems to undo all the work that Steven Moffat did in Season 10 with Peter Capaldis Twelfth Doctor and Michelle Gomezs dazzling and operatic arc as Missy. Im still hoping this latest incarnation of the Master is from an earlier point in time (pre-John Simms would be fab, thanks) or an alternate dimension all together (which would explain Gallifrey popping up at the end of the episode as well as Ruth!Doctor). One things for certain, the Lone Cyberman is truly terrifying and he made my skin crawl as his drilled into other Cybermen. The overall costume design got to shine this episode, too, showing how incomplete the Lone Cybermans build is (while referencing numerous past Cyber designs).

Theres been so much potential with Thirteen and her companions. Ive desperately wanted more for her and the fam storywise, but Im not sure this is it. Still, theres one more (extended) episode to golets see how many loose ends we can tie up, eh? Weve got all the time in the world, it seems.

Help us keep the conversation alive! We publish new content daily that can easily be found by following us onTwitter,Instagram, by joining ourFacebook Page, or becoming an email subscriber here onthe site. Thank you as always for your support of 25YL!

If you would like to write for 25YL leave us a message on our websitehereor send an email to: andrew@25YearsLaterSite.com

Read more:

Doctor Who S12E9: Does Ascension of the Cybermen Actually Rise to the Occasion? - 25YearsLaterSite.com

Doctor Whois going all-in with its two-part finale for the season, and we kick off exactly where the season has been leading tothe Cybermen. This particular villain has been a big part of the franchise and one of its most feared (besides the Weeping Angels and Daleks).

The story has been gradually building up to this point, and its safe to say, this episode reminds us how crazy things are about to get. We begin the season 12 finale as the Doctor, Yaz, Graham, and Ryan land on a planet that looks worse for wear. It looks like the apocalypse has taken its toll on the planet and left behind just a few people in its wake.

This is all thanks to the Cybermen and when the Doctor and her companions land on this planet, its clear their help is needed. Unfortunately, theres not much they can do once they arrive because all their equipment is destroyed, thanks to the flying Cybermen head drones.

Talk about creepy and freaky!

Eventually, the group is split apart as Yaz and Graham find their way onto the refugees ship and Ryan and the Doctor are left behind in the chaos. Once in space, the refugees ship boards a huge carrier that is reminiscent of the Death Star. And its no less dangerous as we soon come to learn that this carrier is a huge vessel carrying an entire Cybermen army.

They are dormant for a little bit, butDoctor Who doesnt waste any time bringing back them to life. Can I just say that it is incredibly jarring and scary to see thousands of them marching around the ship? I fear for whatever mayhem they are going to cause in the finales conclusion.

Meanwhile, Ryan and the Doctor board Ashads ship (remember the lone Cyberman we saw last week?). They end up making their way to a place where a man known as Ko Sharmus resides. Hes been guarding and looking over a portal, and its the key to this mess.

Its the only place Cybermen cant go. So, whats the deal with it? I think we have yet to learn but as the episode comes to a close, a huge reveal shakes us to our core. The Master jumps out of the portal which seems to lead toGallifrey. The home of the Time Lords, the home of the Doctor!

And if thats not crazy enough, throughout thisDoctor Who episode we see a young baby thats adopted by a couple after being abandoned. We see the baby eventually grow into an old man over the years, but its what happens to him following retirement is something to take note of.

As he retires and walks out of the police station, hes greeted by his father and the police officer. But the weird thing is that they havent agedwhats the deal with that? Even weirder? They hook him up to all these wires and wipe his memory away.

Are we talking about something Cybermen related here? Is he the first Cyberman? Is there a connection with Ashad? Tune in next week to find out!

What did you think of part one of theDoctor Whotwo-part season 12 finale? Share your comments below!

More here:

Doctor Who season 12, episode 9 recap: Ascension of the Cybermen - Show Snob

Capital Area United Way recently awarded a $10,737 grant to the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank to assist with mobile food distribution in Ascension Parish.

This funding is part of the Ascension Parish Grant Funding Opportunity, which awarded a total of $100,188 to 10 nonprofits for work in Ascension Parish.

Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

The grant will provide increased access to food and basic needs through three monthly distributions of food boxes to registered participants. These boxes will increase the number of households registered and the number of children and adults who benefit.

This Community Impact Grant will allow us to bring our Mobile Pantry Program to an underserved portion of Ascension Parish, where 17% of the children in the parish face food insecurity, said Mike Manning, president and CEO of the Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank.

Go here to read the rest:

Greater Baton Rouge Food Bank receives Capital Area United Way grant - The Advocate

Patrick O'Kane as Ashad, Jodie Whittaker as The Doctor - Doctor Who _ Season 12, Episode 9 - Photo Credit: Ben Blackall/BBC Studios/BBC America

The Cybermen are here! Good thing humanity has the Doctor and her companions around to save the dayhopefully.

The BBC gave Whovians an early preview of the two-part season 12 finale before it kicks off this Sunday.This first look is full of doom and gloom for the future of mankind as giant planes/ships/machines zoom into the sky through what seems like hyperspace. The clip opens with two characters we havent seen before, but something tells me well be well acquainted with them by episodes end.

Doctor Whoshowrunner Chris Chibnall has promised that the season 12 finale will be very, very epic,and just based on this minute-and-a-half clip, Im inclined to believe him.

Its been a very long time since Whovians have been this excited about aDoctor Who season finale. Just ask Twitter:

I am in absolute agreement over the hype! Season 12 has been nothing short of amazing, and Im eager to see how it wraps up. Weve gotten inspiring stories, incredible dives into history, and a take on the Doctor we havent had before. I think David Tennant and Matt Smith will always be two of my favorites, but Jodie Whittakers version of the character has officially joined them in my top three.

The season 12 finale has a lot in store forDoctor Who fans, and fingers crossed, we will have all our questions answered about the return of the Cybermen, the lone Cyberman, and the Timeless Children. Heres hoping the gang saveshumanity by kicking some major butt!

To stay up to date on everything fantasy, science fiction, and WiC, follow our all-encompassingFacebook pageand sign up for our exclusive newsletter.

Watch Game of Thrones for FREE with a no-risk, 7-day free trial of Amazon Channels

h/tBleeding Cool

View post:

Doctor Who releases first look at Ascension of the Cybermen - Winter is Coming

It has been felt since the first day of the year that 2020 will be a good year for altcoins and the crypto market in general. Especially altcoins, with their performance, the biggest cryptocurrency is called Bitcoin, so to speak.

According to experts, the two altcoins ICON (ICX) and Tezos (XTZ), which made a surprise rally in 2020 and are expected to continue this strong uptrend. Here are the developments that show that ICON and Tezos can perform incredibly this year.

ICON (ICX)ICONs local token, ICX, hit the all-time high of $ 13.16 in January 2018, and began to be called the Ether (ETH) of South Korea. But after the summit, ICX lost more than 99% of its value.

In the past few weeks, cryptocurrency has gained more than 200 percent and has risen above the $ 0.18 level, which is considered to be a very critical level by experts. According to analysts, ICX can rise to $ 0.28 to $ 0.30 in the short term, but if it can find support between $ 0.35 and $ 0.40, a long-term bull run may begin.

There are two reasons for the recent increase in ICON prices; First, the team behind the cryptocurrency has undertaken many developments aimed at increasing the mass adoption of ICX; The second is geopolitical developments. The South Korean government has announced that it plans to promote the growth of Blockchain technology, and ICONs plans and focus of the project seem fully in line with the goals of the South Korean government.

The ICON team recently shared a list of products and services to improve the performance of cryptocurrency. The list includes ICONex, a multi-cryptocurrency wallet, a LoopChain patented Blockchain Core Engine, a unique wallet identifier for the ICONick wallet address, Chain ID, the worlds first Blockchain joint certification service with 26 domestic securities companies and more. According to analysts, ICONs acceptance will increase in the light of all these important developments and the increasing acceptance will be reflected in prices.

Tezos (XTZ)Tezos, which was seen at its all-time low in December 2018 and declined to the 22nd place in the crypto market, did not recover during 2019. Having found support for the rise in November 2019, the crypto coin has been in the uptrend since then, making it 1000% since last year and rising to the 10th place.

Tezos has gained 200% value since the beginning of the year and has also become one of the best performing cryptocurrencies in the market. Experts have not yet been able to pinpoint the reason behind this rise, but positive feelings from many sectors seem to have a large share in this air. Tezos also rose above the $ 2.59 level in early February, and the previous resistance, which was around $ 3.1 in terms of technical analysis, has now turned into support for the XTZ price. For this reason, the uptrend is expected to continue.

The excellent rise of Tezos from the middle of last year to today has provided investors a return of just under 2000% in less than 14 months, and these figures ignited the wick, which will further increase adoption. The increase in the adoption of the cryptocurrency is considered as an indication that the rise will continue.

See the article here:

2 Altcoins Expected to Maintain Strong Ascension in 2020 - Somag News

Ascension Providence Rochester will host Eat, Learn and Live Well: Women are from Venus.

The event will run from 6-8 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 12 in the auditorium on the first floor. The event is free but registration is encouraged.

Women are from Venus is designed to empower women to unite and fight heart disease, said Stephanie Bauer, community health and education department. Attendees will learn strategies for living with and preventing heart disease in their lives and the lives of loved ones.

Attendees can expect a strolling dinner beginning at 6 p.m., followed by heart pumping exercise demos. Then a local survivor will share her story of how she survived a heart attack. Sindhu Koshy, cardiologist at Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital, will conclude with a presentation about why heart disease is different in women and ways to prevent it.

To register, visit healthcare.ascension.org/events or call 248-652-5269.

Go here to see the original:

Ascension Providence Rochester to host heart health event - The Oakland Press

Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital practices an emergency management drill every year to prepare for real-world disasters.

The main objective for the exercise is to identify if the facility can handle a large capacity of patients in a short amount of time.

Volunteers simulated an emergency situationarriving to the hospital by ambulance, police vehicles, street vehicles and by foot. All departments participated and successfully triaged, registered and transported all acting patients in a respectful and safe time frame. A Hospital Incident Command Center System was activated during this drill to exercise leaderships ability to prepare for a real-world disaster.

Local community members that assisted as part of the drill were the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, Rochester Hills Fire Department, Oakland County Homeland Security, Rochester Hills CERT Team (Community Emergency Response Team) and Stony Creek High Schools Drama Students.

It is crucial to establish good and strong relationships with our local community groups to provide our community with a safe environment," said Safety Officer Julia Reinhardt.

Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital is located at1101 W University Dr.

-Submitted by JuliaMarino

Original post:

Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital prepares for real-world disasters - The Oakland Press

GONZALES Former Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa pocketed more than $190,230 in gross salary during his last year in office, parish payroll records show, far surpassing what he and his predecessors had previously made or what the new president is expected to earn this year.

Boosted by a large onetime check for back pay in his final weeks as president, Matassa's total pay before taxes and deductions in 2019 was about $42,230 greater than the $148,000 that he earned annually in his prior three years in office or what his predecessor, former President Tommy Martinez, had earned each year since 2013.

At the time that Matassa began receiving the extra pay, in late October, he was still trying to find a way to pay more than $230,000 in legal bills after his bribery indictment and trial. He wasn't finding success then through the parish's insurer or council members, though the council would end up covering it in full in December.

Success! An email has been sent with a link to confirm list signup.

Error! There was an error processing your request.

Current and former officials say the extra payday for Matassa may have been an unanticipated outcome of an amendment to the parish pay plan that the Parish Council adopted in August 2018 but was not applied to Matassa's pay until this past fall. The plan lays out the job titles and sets the pay ranges of all parish employees.

In a written response Monday,the administration of new President Clint Cointment said the president and Council Chair Teri Casso "were recently made aware of this," had opened a full investigation into what happened and will adopt new policies to prevent something similar from happening again.

"If it is found that any money was paid out improperly, the Parish will pursue all legal options to recover misappropriated funds," the administration said in the statement Monday. "The Administration and Council are working hard to build trust in government. They are disappointed this happened and are taking all necessary action to open Parish Government to full transparency."

Through a public records request, The Advocate obtained the payroll records and check stubs showing Matassa's raise and back pay.

GONZALES Ascension Parish President Kenny Matassa has been unable to convince enough members of the Parish Council to pay more than $200,000

Combined with then-separate salary supplements for the parish president, the change to the pay plan boosted Matassa's annual pay by 18.6%, from $148,000 to $175,456 per year in the final two months of his term, parish payroll records and check stubs show.

The increase also was applied retroactively to Aug. 30, 2018, the date the pay plan amendment took effect, so Matassa also received a onetime payout of$30,228.23 last fall for 14 months of back pay, adding to his earnings in 2019.

GONZALES Ascension Parish government is "well within its authority" to pay the legal defense fees of Parish President Kenny Matassa followin

In addition to the immediate cash, the retroactive check also helped boost almost the last year and a half of salary for Matassa, potentially increasing his lifetime retirement payments. As a parish employee, Matassa is a part of theParochial Employees' Retirement System of Louisiana, the retirement system for parish government employees statewide.

If the employee under the retirement system was hired before Jan. 1, 2007, as Matassa was, the system uses the average of the highest three years of an employee's salary to calculate the retirement benefit. Matassa had worked in parish government for more than 26 years through the end of his term, according to his press statements.

Raise for Matassa? 'Hell, no'

The parish pay plan amendment that enabled the increase for Matassa was adopted during the same committee and council meetings in July and August of 2018 when the council was also discussing a separate item to increase the pay of the future parish president who would take office in January 2020.

Matassa administration officials or council members did not raise the idea that adoption of the pay plan would result in an immediate pay increase for the sitting parish president, then just a month removed from his acquittal in bribery trial in early July, according to recordings of the meetings.

At the time, a movement had just ended to replace the elected parish president with an appointed parish manager. Council members were trying to create a competitive pay level for the new parish president who would take office a year and a half later, they said.

After the stunningly strong Ascension Parish Council defeat of A Better Ascension's proposed home rule charter amendment, one of the group's l

The then-prospective increase, from which Cointment is now benefiting, set the president's pay at $1 more than the highest paid of the sheriff, assessor and clerk of court, which works out to nearly $165,900 in 2020, those parish officials said.

Previously, Matassa and Martinez had been paid $100,000 annually under parish council ordinance and another $48,000 annually in stipends from parish drainage and utility districts, which the new council eliminated this year.

But with the old pay structure for the parish president still in place last fall and the new 2020 changes not yet in effect, the pay plan amendment added a new salary range for the job of parish president to an existing list that had been adopted several months earlier, Matassa and other current parish officials said.

The plan amendment's new minimum pay for the president's job boosted the portion of Matassa's salary set by ordinance at the time the $100,000 part of the salary by$13.20 per hour, the plan shows.

DONALDSONVILLE When the next president of Ascension Parish government takes office in January 2020, that person could pocket a $12,000 pay r

In recent interviews, Casso and other current and past parish council members said they were not aware of Matassa's final salary last year and did not realize their adoption of the pay plan in 2018 would have that effect.

"Hell, no," said former Councilman Oliver Joseph, who sat on the committee that vetted the plan.

The retroactive raise to mid-2018 also may have had another apparent benefit. The home rule charter bars pay increases for the parish president in the last year of a term, which, for Matassa, was in 2019.

Matassa: Give it to the lawyer

In an interview Monday, Matassa shared a similar story as the current officials.

He said that he never asked for a pay increase and didn't realize the August 2018 pay plan would have that effect on his pay. At some point after it took effect, Matassa said, anew payroll software system flagged his salary as being out of line with the new pay schedule, he said.

Once he was informed, he directed finance officials and legal adviser, O'Neil Parenton Jr., to determine what was appropriate.

"When this came up, I said give it to O'Neil and I said, 'Whatever's legal is legal,' and that's what happened. That's as much as I know," Matassa said.

Matassa couldn't say when finance officials first informed him of the salary discrepancy.Cointment officials said this happened in October, andpayroll records show that the change in pay was made on Oct. 22, 2019.

Just one day earlier, former state Alcohol and Tobacco Control Commissioner Murphy Painter, who had quiet support from Matassa, announced he was dropping out of the November presidential runoff election with Cointment, the leading vote-getter, Matassa rival and eventual winner.

GONZALES Murphy Painter, the former state Alcohol and Tobacco Control commissioner, has withdrawn from the race for Ascension Parish preside

In December, well after Matassa had received the onetime $30,228 payment for his back pay and had started being paid at the higher salary rate, the council agreed to pay him $231,829for his legal fees from the bribery case during a council meeting that was shared with residents via a spotty public broadcast and a less-than-clear meeting agenda.

Matassa, who by then knew about his increase since he was getting the bigger checks, nor any other parish officials ever mentioned his higher pay in the public portion of the December meeting where he got money for his legal fees. Matassa, council members and others also met in an extended closed-door session, however.

Change to plan not highlighted

In trying to explain how council members missed the impact that the pay plan would have on Matassa's pay, Casso and parish officials pointed out that the president's pay wasn't in an earlier pay plan revision adopted in February 2018.

Parish council minutes and a contemporaneous copy of the proposed list in council backup materials support this claim.

When the president's salary and other job changes were added to the proposed pay plan amendment eventually adopted in August 2018, the president's pay wasn't highlighted as the other pay changes were, Casso and Cointment administration officials said.

A copy of the proposal from the time and a video recording of a committee meeting on the plan changes appear to support this claim, also.

DONALDSONVILLE The Ascension Parish Council is the only government body in the parish to televise its meetings, sending videos of them out o

In a July 2018 Personnel Committee meeting, then-Human Resources Director Taleta Wesley, who was later fired after clashing with Matassa and who accused the parish of employment and ethics wrongdoing, can be heard confirming to then-Councilman Benny Johnson that the changes in the pay plan were highlighted.

"This is already a document that we had, but the changes that you made to it are in red, correct," Johnson asked.

"That is correct," Wesley responded.

Casso, who sat on the committee with Johnson, said members looked at the highlighted changes and must have missed the unhighlighted line for the president's pay.

Left unexplained by Matassa, Cointment administration officials or council members is who inserted the unhighlighted line to the pay plan in the first place that would end up affecting the then president's pay.

Johnson, then the committee chairman, and Councilman John Cagnolatti, another member of the committee, couldn't be reached Monday by cellphone. Wesley, who is embroiled in discrimination and other litigation with the parish, didn't return a message and text for comment Monday.

What about other employees?

As part of the broad organizational review of parish employment and management practices in the prior council term that led to the pay plan changes, parish officials and their consultants had noted that several long-serving parish employees had maxed out on the old pay scale and could only receive cost-of-living raises.

The Advocate asked Matassa and the Cointment administration officials Monday if other parish employees whose salaries fell under the pay ranges set by the new pay plan had also received increases or lump-sum checks for back pay, as Matassa had.

Matassa said he wasn't sure, but Cointment administration officials said eight other parish employees were affected by the August 2018 pay plan amendment.

The list of those employees wasn't immediately available Monday evening, so it's not clear how or if the plan's adoption affected their pay also.

More here:

Kenny Matassa, cleared of wrongdoing, picks up extra $42K on his way out of office - The Advocate