TARC royalty takes a ride to remember

The king and queen looked spiffy in their matching all-white formal attire.

The sun glistened off their crown and tiara as the crowd cheered and begged for beads when they rode by perched in a white convertible.

It looked like any other Houma Carnival parade.

That was the point as Bryant Scott, 52, and Stacy Steele, 27, reigned over Thursday’s Terrebonne Association for Retired Citizens (TARC) Mardi Gras parade on the TARC Industries East Houma property.

“I enjoy being the king,” Scott declared.

“I feel good,” Steele said, her mink shawl protecting her from the wind as she waved her scepter.

For the 300 disabled clients served by TARC and the School for Exceptional Children, which is also on the site, the event melds them into the larger Mardi Gras celebrations in the parish.

The half-mile route, which circled around twice, drew hundreds of parade goers. Regular parade participants such as the Shriners, a U.S. Marine color guard, the Oaklawn and Ellender marching bands and local law enforcement agencies were part of the fun.

“They ask if they can come. They solicit us,” said Mary Lynn Bisland, TARC executive director. “We have a list of groups we invite every year and they come.”

“I’ve been in this parade for 24 years, usually riding in a police car or on a motorcycle,” said Sheriff Vernon Bourgeois, who used his own Corvette to escort past King Ron Percle. “It’s a good time with a bunch of great people who appreciate the things they catch.”

Scott and Steele were chosen king and queen by their TARC peers.

One nominee is picked from each of TARC’s 14 businesses – Scott from the wood and metal department, and Steele from the restaurant and gift shop.

Nominees campaign for one day and then the election is held.

“All the nominees’ names are put on a poster, and every client had to pick by picture who they wanted as king and queen,” Bisland said.

The parade was only the apex of an extraordinary day for Scott and Steele.

Instead of the usual bus ride to work, the pair arrived at TARC Industries by limousine for brunch with family and guests.

“I enjoyed riding in the limousine,” Scott said. “The guy came and picked us up at home.”

Scott shared his special day with his mother, Patricia Scott, older brother, Herbert Scott Jr., and sisters, Penny Mitchell, Tammy Gusman and Pamela Miller.

Steele celebrated with her four sisters, Luci Borne, Diane Voisin and Sharon and Wendy Steele, and niece, Tiffany Babin.

After lunch, the royal couple – along with the School for Exceptional Children’s king, Kyle Zamarripa, and queen, Nateka Stewart – was given a proclamation by Parish President Michel Claudet.

A dance and king cake party was held for everybody afterward.

“This is one of my favorite parades of the entire Mardi Gras season,” Claudet said.

For Bisland, who has worked with disabled people for 40 years, the TARC Mardi Gras parade has evolved into a much bigger event than she could have ever imagined.

“When this started 30 years ago, people didn’t take their family members with disabilities out in the open,” she said. “So this was a way for the community to come here and give to TARC. A lot of the people we serve are wheelchair bound, and it’s not easy for the family to take them to parades. So we brought the parades here.”

Today, with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other laws, the public is more accepting of disabled people, Bisland explained.

She said the TARC parade has become a tradition embraced by the community. The Scott and Steele families couldn’t agree more.

“It makes them (TARC clients) feel like a part of the community. They don’t feel like they missed out on anything,” said Wendy Steele. “They have their own special day. It’s not just the king and queen, but all of them. It shows that Terrebonne Parish cares about the special children and adults that live around us.”

It may have taken some time, but the TARC Mardi Gras parade has become an integral part of the overall celebration in Terrebonne Parish.

Its royalty are heralded as graciously as the Krewe of Houmas; its riders bring delight like the Krewe of Hercules. They party just as festively as the Krewe of Kajuns.

“The TARC parade is just a little shorter,” Bourgeois explained. “That’s the only difference.”

“It’s a beautiful thing, because Bryant has been a part of this school for so long. We’re very proud to have him as a king because he’s our brother and we appreciate everything TARC has done for him,” Pamela Scott added. ” It feels really good. The family loves being a part of this with him and seeing that he’s happy.”

Scott has been with TARC since he was six years old. While he lives with his mother in Houma, and has worked the past 15 years at the Cajun Crate Company, TARC Industries’ wood and metal department.

Under a contract with Weatherford Gemoco, Scott and 19 other workers make custom wooden crates to hold oilfield tools.

Scott’s job coach, Marcy Commodore, estimates the Cajun Crate makes 150-200 crates per week, depending on Gemoco’s demands.

“Bryant is a very fast, dependable worker,” Commodore said. “He gets around campus pretty well. Off and on, he also works with the supply department and distributes supplies around campus.”

Steele has been with TARC since she was 18 months old. In 2002, she was chosen the School for Exceptional Children’s queen for the Mardi Gras parade.

She is also a dish washer at the TARC restaurant and gift shop on Grand Caillou Street, a position she’s held for the past five years.

“Stacy would be lost if she didn’t have this job,” her sister Diane Voisin said. “She loves working. It’s such a big part of her.”

Steele lived with Voisin in Bayou Dularge until Hurricane Ike flooded the home. She’s since moved in with her older sister, Luci.

“She’s a great girl,” Borne said of her sister. “She causes us no trouble and is very easy to take care of.”

Despite not being able to live on their own, Scott and Steele epitomize the independent living that TARC wants to instill in all their clients.

“Our whole goal is to one day get them jobs in the community,” Bisland said. “We teach them job skills like coming to work on time, being aware of safety, following rules, taking directions, being able to be supervised just like any other worker. Then we try and find them a job they would like to do in the community. We’ve been pretty successful over the years.”

But it is not all work and no play for the king and queen.

In their respective free time, Scott is a television buff and likes to rest, while Steele love to listen to music.

“Stacy loves all types of music – anything from Elvis to Kenny Rodgers to Uncle Kracker,” Borne said. “She has about 500 CDs. That is what she spends her money on.”

“Bryant is very organized,” Herbert Scott said. “Once he gets home, he takes a shower. My momma has his food prepared. After that, he’ll watch a little TV and by 6 p.m., he’s asleep.”

Bryant Scott, 52, and Stacy Steele, 27, are escorted by Terrebonne Parish President Michel Claudet at Thursday’s TARC Mardi Gras parade in East Houma. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF