Vermilion Parish honors Allen Bares Jr. by renaming street

Wednesday, July 23, marks the one month anniversary of the tragic death of Vermilion Parish Sheriff Deputy Allen Bares Jr. In honor of Bares’s 12 years of service as a sheriff deputy to Vermilion Parish, he was honored on Tuesday.
Family and friends gathered at the intersection of Savoy Drive and Rice Cove Road near the Vermilion Parish Law Enforcement Center on Tuesday.
They were there to observe the new road sign the Police Jury installed. The Police Jury voted to rename Savoy Drive to Allen Bares Jr. Drive, in honor of Bares, who was shot trying to stop a burglary south of Abbeville.
On hand at the corner were Sheriff Mike Couvillon, Col. Kirk Frith, Police Jury President Ronald Menard, Police Jury Administrator Linda Duhon, Abbeville Mayor Mark Piazza, Abbville City Councilman Wayne Landry, sheriff deputies, along with Allen’s wife, Tina, and Allen’s parents, Allen and Lynn Bares.
“It is indeed a great pleasure to see this happen, representing the Sheriff ‘s Office, as well as, the Bares’ family,” Couvillon said.
The Bares family moved inside into the law enforcement center for another presentation.
Commander Tom Rigsby and Quartermaster Terry Eymard of the Post 3798 of Veterans of Foreign Wars presented the Bares family with a national certificate of appreciation.
Rigsby and Eymard handed the certificate to Tina, Allen’s wife.
“This is a special award from our post,’ Commander Rigsby said. “Selecting Allen for the award was simple but difficult. Soldiers share a lot with law enforcement, like death. You never know when something will happen.”
At Monday night’s Police Jury meeting, Sen. Jonathan Perry informed the police jury he is in the process of making part of either Hwy. 167, south of Maurice to north of Abbeville or La. 14, between Erath and Abbeville the “Deputy Allen Bares Jr. Memorial Parkway.”
He explained to the jurors the name of the highway will remain the same and no addresses will have to be changed. The only difference is that there will be a sign naming the parkway.
Sen. Perry said he is leaving it up to the Bares family on which highway they would like the parkway sign to be placed.