Home Care In Sibley, LA

Bryan G. Sibley, MD, is a pediatrician in Lafayette, La. and has been an active member of Asbury United Methodist Church in the same city for more than 20 years. Married to Shelley Rosson Sibley, the couple has three children--Lauren, Garrett and Blair.

This already busy husband, father and doctor was about to get even busier when in the beginning of 2000, Dr. Sibley scheduled a 15-minute visit with the Rev. Ed Boyd, who was the senior pastor of Asbury UMC at that time. “Our youngest child (and second daughter), Blair, was born on Nov. 13, 1999. I had scheduled the meeting with Ed to discuss three things—the scheduling of Blair’s baptism; raising money for a mission trip; and scheduling a Sunday service on which my mission group could speak at all four of our church’s worship services.”

Little did Bryan realize that Rev. Boyd was about to send his congregant’s life on an unexpected trajectory. “ I arrived in Ed’s office at the appointed time, and in short order, he answered the questions I had for him. After that, he was gracious enough to ask me about who I was.”

That fateful question was the turning point for the “15-minute appointment,” which became a 90-minute lesson on “my life, background, hopes, dreams plans, and opinions on the topics of our day,” said Bryan. “I digressed into how hard I was working at my job--on most days, more than 20 hours each day—in an effort to build my medical practice, all for the greater good of my family. I am sure Ed had a full calendar and more than a few other items on his agenda that day. However, even if for no other reason than because he is a wonderful man, he sat for a solid hour and listened to my ramblings.”

According to Bryan, once he paused to take a breath, Rev. Boyd look him “squarely in the eyes” and said, “God first, family second, everything else third.”

Bryan took Ed’s advice to heart. Since that meeting, much has happened in his life.

Bryan attended Louisiana Cursillo #142 in January of 2012 and later that year, began a three-year journey toward becoming a Certified Lay Minister in the Louisiana Conference of the United Methodist Church. During that time, he served Port Barre UMC as a supply pastor, leading worship and preaching two Sundays each month. “I also had the opportunity to preach at several other churches in the conference, taught at the Louisiana Conference License to Preach School, spoke during Asbury’s Lenten Lunches and other Asbury events, and at events throughout the Acadiana District,” said Bryan. He was commissioned by Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey as a Certified Lay Minister (CLM) on June 8, 2015 during the Louisiana Annual Conference in Shreveport.

As a CLM, Dr. Sibley recently launched “Living Generously,” a “ministry of stewardship and generosity” at Asbury. He serves as the Acadiana District Finance Chairperson and has served his church as Lay Leader, Lay Delegate to the Louisiana Annual Conference, liturgist, usher, adult and high school Sunday school teacher and as a member of medical mission teams to Mexico and Peru. Bryan is a member of the Congregational Worship Committee, the Finance Committee and the Staff Parish Relations Committee.

In addition, Bryan and Shelley recently co-chaired the “Generations” campaign, which was successful in significantly reducing Asbury’s longstanding debt of over $3 million.

Despite his deep commitment to church work, Bryan was able to carve out the time to write a book, which is entitled God First—Setting Life’s Priorities. The book was published in October of 2016 and has sold more than 2,500 copies.

“In the book, I attempt to share insights about the lessons I’ve learned throughout my journey of faith,” said Bryan. God First presents a “very personal narrative” which focuses on the “principles for living the life God has in store for everyone.”

Each of the book’s 10 chapters is devoted to a different aspect of life as a Christian. These are illustrated through a combination of scripture and Dr. Sibley’s stories.

“I never really knew what the outcome of this book would be,” said Dr. Sibley. “Would people buy it? Would they read it? Would they care? Since the book was published, it seems like four to five times every week, I receive a note or a call or a message from someone who tells me how much the God First message meant to them.”

Several weeks ago, Bryan received this email message from a reader: “Thank you so much for writing your beautifully touching book! It is helping touch lives and souls; And it especially means so much to me. You see, my husband was recently diagnosed with terminal cancer. He has never been a spiritual man...but your book really touched his soul and brought him to Christ. This is the very beginning of what I hope to be a beautiful witness and your book has opened that door! Thank you, thank you!”

“I replied by offering to pray for her husband, by expressing my gratitude for her kind comments, and by reminding her that this was never really about me, but rather it’s about the way the Lord communicated to her husband,” said Bryan.

He added, “This book would likely have not been written, the impact it’s had on peoples’ lives would not have occurred, none of this would have happened if it had not been for a very busy minister who lived into being the best version of the person God created him to be by taking the time to listen to me talk for 90 minutes--then whisper seven simple words, “God First, family second, everything else third.”

To obtain signed copies of the book, as well as book study guides visit www.godfirstthebook.com. Both hard copies and digital copies are available at www.amazon.com.

Story by Betty Backstrom, Communication Liaison for the Louisiana Conference

Between the four teachers retiring from Bird Rock Elementary School (BRES) in June, there are almost 100 years of education lessons to be learned. Before Lori Van Orden, Peggy Ray, Sandy Sibley and Barbara McDonald conclude their longtime careers, they sat down with La Jolla Light to reflect on their experiences at 5371 La Jolla Hermosa Ave.

Kindergarten teacher Van Orden has been at BRES for 19 years. First-grade teacher McDonald has been there for 29 years. Ray has been teaching for 37 years — in second grade at Bird Rock for 14 years and some time teaching through the Department of Defense. Second-grade-turned-first-grade teacher Sibley taught at Bird Rock for 27 years, after six years as a teacher in Connecticut. Oddly enough, in all that time, they agree the school hasn’t changed much.

“That’s a good thing,” said Van Orden. “It’s always been such as a strong neighborhood school with family support and hands-on parents who are here so much. It’s a positive that the school has kept that.”

Added McDonald, “It’s a family and always has been. It takes a village to raise these kids, and we have a great village here, with lots of support from the families in the classrooms.”

The education system, however, has changed quite a bit, they insist — education standards and expectations have become more rigorous and there are higher demands on students and teachers.

“Technology has come into the room and that’s a big thing nowadays,” Van Orden said. “There is also more testing, maybe not at the level we teach, but there is more of it. The curriculum has also been moved up. It used to be that kindergarten was for teaching children how to behave at school, now you’re expected to teach them to read in kindergarten.”

Ray added, “There are more demands placed on teachers now, and while things are being added to the curriculum, nothing is being taken out. We are expected to design the curriculum and lessons (to include everything) as opposed to using a teacher’s manual you can tweak. This means teachers work 10-12 hour days and weekends.”

But, at the end of the day, it’s all worth it for these dedicated educators. Especially when you consider the young age of their joyful pupils. In elementary school, they point out, “every day is the best day ever” and “you are their favorite teacher” and “you’re beautiful.” Sibley said, “School has to be fun for them, especially at this age, or they won’t want to come to school ... and neither will we!”

Van Orden added, “A lot of things are new to them, so you get to watch them experience things for the first time. Being able to see the kids as they go through the grades is something I’ll miss. First, they are yours and you see them grow through the years, and you check-in with them when they’re in second grade and fifth grade and when they come back for visits. Once they are yours, they are always yours. The kind words from parents make this such a fulfilling job.”

Each soon-to-be retiree entered the profession from a different path. For Ray, her “horrible” home economics teacher motivated her. “I thought the teacher was horrible and I thought the stuff you did in home-ec was important and could be so much more fun. I decided I could do (better), so I did. I taught high school home-ec and worked my way down in grades until I reached second grade,” she said.

Sibley, who grew up in Connecticut, said teaching was a natural progression. “I worked for the Park & Rec department during the summer and loved being with kids, so it was the love of kids that got me into teaching. I also have sisters who are teachers,” she said.

For McDonald, teaching was in her lineage. “My dad was an administrator downtown. I have two sisters who are teachers. I think I was born to teach. I don’t know if teaching is something you can learn, it’s a gift you are born with,” she said.

Van Orden said for her, teaching was a second career. “I started in marketing and public relations. But I have two children, now grown, and when they were in school I volunteered in the classroom and in Girl Scouts, and then thought about making a career out of that. My dad was also a teacher.”

By way of parting words, each shared insights into student needs and what they wish parents knew.

Van Orden: “Savor this time with your young child because it goes really fast. We all have adult children now and it does seem like yesterday sometimes that my own were going to kindergarten. With technology, it’s easy to become distracted, so put the phone down and play with your child.”

Sibley: “There is so much going on with children, they get taken from this sport to that play-date, so slow down! And listen to them because they have good thoughts in their heads.”

Ray: “Your kids need to fail in order to learn from their mistakes. Let them fall on their face. Don’t bail them out and do things for them. Change is inevitable, so let your child experience change when you are there to support them. Help them solve problems, don’t solve the problems for them. When they solve something for themselves, it’s like candy for the heart. It makes them feel so good when they’ve done something empowering for themselves.”

When asked if they had a message for the Bird Rock community, they simply said, in unison, “Thank you.”

The last day of school for Bird Rock Elementary, and these four teachers, is Wednesday, June 14.

A yearlong overhaul of La Villita designed to bring more visitors into San Antonio’s oldest neighborhood is causing short-term headaches for the village’s merchants, most of whom were already reeling from the decline in tourism caused by the pandemic.

In August, a major reconstruction of La Villita’s Maverick Plaza began turning a formerly tranquil public square along South Alamo Street into a field of dirt and debris. The goal is to remake the plaza into a hub of culinary culture and enhance the visibility of the village, which also includes artisan shops and galleries.

Completion of the work on the plaza is set for summer 2022, which will mark La Villita’s 300th anniversary. While the construction is underway, bold signs and feather flags installed at entry points to La Villita Historic Arts Village remind potential visitors that the rest of the village is open for business.

“It takes a hardy soul to see all of the construction out front and to still make their way through the village to shop or explore,” said Deborah Sibley, president of the La Villita Tenants Association and owner of Capistrano Soap Company.

Sibley’s company also sells products online and has contracts to supply hotels and other places; those helped her to remain afloat when La Villita closed for almost six months in 2020.

“The City was wonderful in giving us rent concessions during that closure, but I know that it was incredibly difficult for some of the tenants because their entire business is wrapped around the retail sales within that store, and it’s been difficult,” she said.

None of the shops went out of business, but some had not fully recovered when the restoration work began. The village’s 23 tenants have mixed feelings about the timing of the construction, Sibley said.

At folk art gift shop Casa Manos Alegres, Patty Henry said the project and its barricades have created a maze customers must navigate in order to find her shop.

“I have dealt with the grief of this demolition and am sitting in limbo waiting for visitors, tourists, and potential customers to find us through the fences,” Henry said in an email. “We are all very hungry for business and will be here during this process of demolition and repurposing.”

Sibley called it growing pains, acknowledging that the construction affects foot traffic and profits, but the prospect of new restaurants in the area is welcome. “We feel the crunch at the moment but we’re also excited about what will ultimately be here,” she said.

“The transition will lead to something greater,” said Sarah Yates, the City of San Antonio’s general manager of La Villita.

The first time Sibley set foot in La Villita Historic Arts Village was to work a booth at A Night in Old San Antonio (NIOSA) in 1974. She went on to serve as chairwoman of the event several times, then returned to the village four decades later to open her own shop.

“My family started the soap-making business in 1929,” she said of her grandfather Ignatz Kyrisch, a Polish immigrant who lived near Mission San Juan Capistrano and sold his soaps in El Mercado.

Ready for a career change in 2011, Sibley remade Kyrisch’s soap recipes into an all-natural product and opened a pop-up shop in La Villita to sell her Acequia bath and body brand.

In 2014, she moved the business into a quaint La Villita home built in 1870, one of 27 original structures preserved through an ordinance introduced by then-mayor Maury Maverick and passed in 1939.

It was Maverick who had the vision to turn La Villita into an artisan village on the banks of the San Antonio River, Sibley said, preserving and sharing the uniqueness of San Antonio’s mix of cultures.

Since 2009, the city has undertaken a series of efforts to enhance La Villita by renovating the area, attracting new tenants, and staging events in addition to the signature NIOSA during Fiesta. The remake of Maverick Plaza is the latest step in those efforts.

To help La Villita’s tenants weather the construction, downtown San Antonio’s business organization, Centro SA, has posted a representative in the area to help direct visitors, and the city and the La Villita Tenants Association also are planning seasonal events to attract people to the village. One will mark the return of a popular event that hasn’t been held since October 2019, a three-day Day of the Dead event Oct. 29-31. That will be followed by a first-ever Christmas in the Village event Dec. 4-5.

Store owner Alejandro Sifuentes had a shop in Alamo Heights when the opportunity arose to resettle in La Villita. He tossed previous plans to relocate to New Mexico and moved his jewelry-making studio and Equinox gallery into the 1873 Tejeda House.

“This is where the arts began in San Antonio,” Sifuentes said.

The yearlong construction in La Villita isn’t a concern for him, he said. “My biggest challenge is to stay true to the vision and mission of our statement, to continue programming … to better represent our mission and vision of handmade goods and design of exhibitions.”

A midseason position switch did little to contain the brilliance of Jennings star Trevor Etienne, who moved from running back to quarterback without missing a beat.

Surrounded by other stars, Lake Charles College Prep linebacker Daylon Sibley stood out with his ability to make plays all over the field, particularly in big-game situations.

Etienne and Sibley are the Most Outstanding Players on the American Press All-Southwest Louisiana high school football team.

Etienne ran for 1,913 yards, threw for 646 yards, caught 12 passes for 87 yards, returned five kicks for touchdowns and accounted for 38 touchdowns. Etienne, the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars running back Travis Etienne, started the first four games of the season at running back before taking over at quarterback after an injury to starter Austin Ewing.

Sibley led the Trailblazers with 122 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 14 quarterback hurries, two blocked kicks and an interception.

The Coach of the Year is Lake Charles College Prep’s Erick Franklin, who led the Blazers to an undefeated run through District 4-3A.

Bulldogs head coach Rusty Phelps said Etienne was selfless in making the move.

“It was a situation where he had lots of success at running back and could have wanted to stay there, but he made the move because it was best for the team,” Phelps said.

“He did a tremendous job for us. He ran the offense to perfection. He had a lot of experience on the other side of the option after playing with (former quarterback Lawrence Wilridge) and made the change with ease. He did everything — running back, quarterback, kick returns, defense and even punted for us.”

Phelps said Etienne was a great leader for younger players.

“He always sets the example for younger guys, whether it was on the field, in the classroom or in the hallways at school,” Phelps said.

Franklin said Sibley’s combination of mental sharpness, instincts and attitude makes him a special player.

“He has natural instincts for the game and is a sharp kid with a great football IQ,” he said.

Sibley has a knack for being at his best in big games. In Prep’s district-clinching win over Iowa, he made a sack to end a drive and a tipped pass on the final drive.

“He loves those big settings,” Franklin said. “He wants to be in big pressure moments. Some players just want to make plays in normal settings, but he wants to step up when the pressure is on.”

Franklin said Sibley is a tone-setter in practice.

“He is a hard worker, a relentless player,” Franklin said. “He never takes a play off, even in practice.”

AMERICAN PRESS ALL-SW LOUISIANA FOOTBALL TEAM

Big Schools

Offense

Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Cl. Statistics

WR Jamaal Levi, Barbe Jr. 5-8 155 66 rec., 1,538 yards, 19 TDs

WR Keshlon Jackson, LC College Prep Sr. 6-0 170 27-715 yds, 9 TDs

WR Curtis Deville, Iowa Sr. 6-2 190 2,186 all-purpose yds, 23 total TDs

OL Reginald Burks, LC College Prep Sr. 6-2 290 Blocked for a 1,000-yd RB and QB

OL Coby Bertrand, Sam Houston Sr. 6-1 250 Broncos averaged 311 ypg

OL Jacob Kershaw, Iowa Sr. 6-3 210 Iowa averaged 41.8 ppg

OL Jesse Williams, DeRidder Jr. 6-2 290 DeRidder ran for more than 3,500 yds

OL Jalen Guidry, St. Louis Catholic Sr. 6-0 260 StL threw for more than 2,000 yds

QB Jamaal Guillory, Westlake Sr. 5-11 170 1,836 rush/1,010 pass yds, 36 total TDs

RB Devonte Guidroz, LC College Prep Sr. 5-8 170 91 car., 1,128 yds, 12 TDs

RB Caleb Gallashaw, Leesville Sr. 5-9 177 2,270 all-purpose yds, 21 total TDs

RB Ronnie Crosby, DeRidder Jr. 5-9 190 212 car., 1,805 yds, 18 TDs

ATH Trevor Etienne, Jennings Sr. 5-9 218 1,913 rush/646 pass, 37 total TDs

K Spencer Briley, St. Louis Catholic Sr. 5-9 150 34-39 PAT, 8-12 FG long 40

Defense

Pos. Player, School Ht. Wt. Cl. Statistics

DL Ian Richard, LC College Prep Sr. 5-7 200 65 tackles, 12 TFL, 2 sacks

DL Ja’Qualon Pettieway, Westlake Jr. 6-4 280 44 tackles, TFL, 2 sacks

DL JayShawn Mabry, Leesville Jr. 5-8 232 58 tackles, 16 TFL, 1 sack, 1 FR, 1 INT

DL RayKeithan Thomas, W-Marion Jr. 6-0 235 63 tackles, 6.5 sacks, 15 TFL, 1 FF

LB Daylon Sibley, LC College Prep Jr. 5-10 210 120 tackles, 20 TFL, 3.5 sacks

LB Ethan Koonce, Westlake Jr. 5-11 198 148 tackles, 6 TFL, 2 INTs

LB Ross Denison, Iowa Sr. 6-1 210 121 tackles, 8 TFL

LB Kevon Freeman, LC College Prep Jr. 6-0 230 94 tackles, 11 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 11 hurries

DB Brycen Leblanc, Iowa Sr. 6-0 175 71 tackles, 6 pd

DB Kevin Thomas, LC College Prep Sr. 6-0 175 80 tackles, 3 TFL, 6 pd

DB Marcus Duhon, St. Louis Catholic Sr. 5-8 170 57 tackles, 3 INTs

DB Luke Duhon, Iota Jr. 6-0 155 69 tackles, 2 TFL, 5 INTs

P Ethan Piaz, Sulphur Jr. 5-10 185 37.4 avg, long 60

KR Tyree Brown, W-Marion Sr. 6-0 168 560 return yards, 3 TDs

OFFENSIVE MVP — Trevor Etienne, Jennings

DEFENSIVE MVP — Daylon Sibley, Lake Charles College Prep

COACH OF THE YEAR — Erick Franklin, Lake Charles College Prep

BATON ROUGE, La. -- It's safe to eat the fish again from Sibley Lake in Natchitoches.

A fish consumption ban had been in place since 1989 when the lake was found to be contaminated by PCBs that were discharged by a pipeline company at its drainage outlet. Over the years, a hotspot was cleaned and the lake was restocked.

But state agencies maintained an advisory that warned gar, shad and carp should not be eaten and suggested meals of largemouth bass or crappie should be limited to being broiled, grilled or baked and not consumed more than once a week. For channel catfish or striped bass, the advisory said those should not be eaten more than once a month.

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals continued to sample fish and lake sediments from the 2,000-acre man-made lake over the 30-year ban.

“I am proud to see one of our state’s impaired water bodies returned to its designated uses. This was no small feat. The long process to restore Sibley Lake demonstrates the care and commitment of the LDEQ, LDH and LDWF staffs to protecting the public from possible health risks of contamination, and making it safe for everyone to now enjoy,” Gov. John Bel Edwards said in a news release.

READ MORE: LDWF Sibley Lake Management Plan

“This is a singular achievement. It is a victory for environmental remediation, a major battle we have won in the effort to clean all of Louisiana’s waterbodies,” LDEQ Secretary Dr. Chuck Carr Brown said in the same release.

DHH health officer Jimmy Guidry added: “Thanks to a coordinated effort between multiple state agencies, our state, the Sportsman’s Paradise, now has one more body of water in which residents who enjoy fishing can also safely enjoy their catch.

No one currently involved with water quality at a state regulatory agency can recall another instance where a fish consumption advisory issued due to chemical contamination has been rescinded in Louisiana.

The decision to lift the fish consumption advisory came after decades of work by the state agencies along with extensive remediation work by Tennessee Gas Pipeline (TGP). Based on contamination first reported to LDEQ by TGP, a compliance order was issued to the company in August 1988.

“We are very pleased to reach the objective of removing the fish consumption advisory for the future generations of fisherman at Sibley Lake,” said Kimberly Watson, president, Kinder Morgan Natural Gas Pipelines North Region, which includes TGP. “For 30 years, TGP has been committed to the environmental objectives of this project and appreciates the cooperation of LDEQ, LDH and the LDWF, to achieve this goal.”