• Acadian exile, Kosovo compared 
• Duhon reunion continues today
• Cool spell enlarges parade crowd in Montegut 
• Hébert Reunion
• Daigle family grand reunion set for August 14

Cool spell enlarges parade crowd in Montegut By PATRICK THOMAS, Houma Courier, 8/7/99

Jean and Denise Borque fill their necks with  beads during the Montegut parade Friday night.  The Bourques, of Montreal, came to Terrebonne  Parish for the Bourge/Borque/Belliveau family  reunion, one of many Congrès Mondial Acadien  '99 events during the past week.  Photo by CINDY SKOP/THE COURIER.

                     MONTEGUT - Even the weather cooperated splendidly.  The blast-furnace, mid-90s
                     temperatures were cooled by a short, mid-afternoon rain just
                     hours before the summer Mardi Gras-style parade here Friday.

                     "It was outrageous here before the rain," Michelle Chaisson said of
                     the heat. She's a Montegut resident who lives just across Bayou
                     Terrebonne from the parade route. "After the rain finished, everyone
                     started coming in like ants. They've got more people coming in than
                     for a regular Mardi Gras parade."

                     She walked with her friend Stacey Stanaland of Raceland past
                     hundreds of people lining the street and a new blue sign that would
                     commemorate the ceremony after the parade twinning the small
                     Canadian fishing town of Saulnierville, Nova Scotia with Montegut. 

                     "Everything's set up where we're going," Chaisson said - a barbecue
                     and all the other usual parade trappings.

                     The faux Carnival celebration was the latest Cajun-meets-Acadian
                     event of the Congrès Mondial Acadien en Louisiane 1999.

                     A Canadian visitor, Diane Kenny of Nova Scotia, watched her first
                     Mardi Gras parade approaching. "I'm Acadian," she said. "My
                     mother was a Ducet from New Brunswick."

                     She and her husband of 20 years, Daniel Verchery, were delighted
                     with their reception in Terrebonne Parish this week.

                     "I had never met the Louisiana people in such an intimate way,"
                     Kenny said. "It was just like visiting my cousins in New Brunswick -
                     the talk and the hands going. Acadians love to 'taquiner' - tease.
                     They love to joke - rib you - that's very Acadian. It was really
                     impressive - very funny!"

                     As the parade got under way, she soon found herself festooned with
                     beads. "I love it!" she laughed.

                     The parade was fun but low-key. Retiring HTV news anchor Lonnie
                     Thibodeaux wore a white beaded costume. 

                     "It's good to be king! It's great to be king!" he joked. 

                     Glenny Lee Buquet, chairwoman of the state Board of Elementary
                     and Secondary Education, was queen. Former New Brunswick
                     Prime Minister Louis Robicaux, now a senator, was grand marshal
                     of the parade.

                     "I like it because we haven't been to Mardi Gras in forever," said
                     Amy Reece of Virginia Beach, Va., who was visiting her cousin
                     Cherisse Clement of Thibodaux. She grabbed beads out of the air
                     like a professional and remarked, "It's just big enough. Anything
                     bigger is too much."

                     Kim Dupre of Montegut sized up the mood saying, "The crowd's like
                     a normal parade, except it's a little calmer."

                     "It's more family oriented," said her mother, Barbara Poston.

                     Montegut continues to be the site of Congrès activities this
                     weekend. 

                     The Robichaux family reunion begins this morning at 8:30 a.m. at
                     the Montegut Recreation Center. Visitors are welcome. Part of the
                     center has been turned into a Cajun museum with antiques.

                     A Cajun dinner will be served at the Montegut Lions Home
                     beginning at 11 a.m. today.

                     In addition, at the nearby Council on Aging building, senior citizens
                     have been creating a variety of crafts that will be on sale during the
                     weekend, along with homemade cakes, cookies and candies.

                     Today and Sunday, antique automobile clubs will be at the center
                     showing off their cars, and there will be a small engine exhibit.

                     Also today, the Houma-Terrebonne Civic Center will be the site of
                     the Guidry and Petitpas family reunions. The events run from 8 a.m.
                     to 8 p.m.

                     Patrick Thomas is a staff writer at The Courier. He can be reached
                     at 850-1150 or by e-mail at .