Lions Club State Convention to be in Longview

Another packed meeting for the Lions Club on Thursday, Jan. 16. In their latest meeting, Lion Joe DeNatale reminded everyone of sign-ups still being taken at the Linden Public Library for the historical and nonfiction book club.

Lions Club President Richard Bowden announced the upcoming Lions Club State Convention being held in Longview. He also announced that he will be one of the entertainers at the convention.

The special guest speaker was Laura-Ashley Overdyke. Overdyke is the Executive Director of the Caddo Lake Institute. The Caddo Lake Institute works to protect the natural wonder and beauty of Caddo Lake and Wetlands. Home to one of the largest flooded cypress forests in the US, the lake is an internationally protected wetland under the Ramsar Convention.

The lake is also home to the paddlefish. The paddlefish have lived not only in Caddo Lake but also other bayous and rivers in the Mississippi River Basin for over 350 million years which makes them the oldest living species on the North American Continent.

The “American” paddlefish is also the only surviving one of its species on the planet. If you would like more information on the Caddo Lake Institute, please visit them at caddolakeinstitute.org .