ST. CHARLES WOMEN’S CLUB MARKS 50 YEARS ä 4G
THE EAST JEFFERSON
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WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 23, 2015 H
METAIRIE • KENNER • HARAHAN • JEFFERSON • ELMWOOD • RIVER RIDGE THENEWORLEANSADVOCATE.COM
SWEETNESS & LIGHTS
Advocate staff photo by SHERRI MILLER
Holiday lights and decorations on King’s Canyon Drive in the Park Timbers subdivision in Algiers
Rudolph’s nose might have created the original
holiday glow — predating, of course, even the Christmas trees that came into vogue in the New Orleans area around the 1870s. Those were lit, for brief moments of viewing, with candles positioned in holders among the branches. They weren’t the safest of yule lights, but they were the simplest. My, how times have changed. Today’s glorious lights can blink and pulse to music and change color. Through time, however, all these forms of illumination have shared the same mission: lighting the way for the spirit of Christmas to find us. Here’s a look at how neighborhoods around the area are ushering in the Advocate staff photo by RUSTY COSTANZA
season of peace and goodwill toward men.
Santa is one of a plethora of decorations at a house on Melody Drive in Metairie.
See more photos, page 7G.
Advocate staff photo by RUSTY COSTANZA
Lights adorn pine trees on West Esplanade at Melody Drive in Metairie. Holiday lights are on full display along Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Lake Vista. Advocate staff photo by JOHN MCCUSKER
Advocate staff photo by RUSTY COSTANZA
Lights flash in time with music at a house on Lake Trail Drive in Kenner.
St. Martin’s starts work on design center Hand-knit stockings are a family St. Martin’s Episcopal School in Metairie has broken ground on a new facility, The Gibbs Family Center for Innovation and Design. The new 5,000-square-foot building will operate as a design studio, prototype lab, classroom, production studio, woodworking and build shop, and community partnership workspace. It will be equipped with tools and supplies such as 3-D printers, modeling software, and video and audio equipment that will enable the rapid prototyping of ideas, field research and multimedia presentations. “The center’s name honors Marian and Larry Gibbs,
Eva Jacob Barkoff AROUND JEFFERSON
whose family has been involved in the St. Martin’s community for 26 years,” said Rob Norton, director of marketing and communications for St. Martin’s. “Their five children and one grandchild have all attended St. Martin’s, and Marian and Larry have served in a variety of capacities, including the Board of Trustees, the
Board of Visitors, the Mothers’ Club, the Dads’ Club and the Booster Club.” This $1.1 million project was funded entirely through individual and foundation donations. It is slated to open in fall 2016. The design and construction of the project, which will be located on the Haring Road side of St. Martin’s campus, will be handled by two local firms, Blitch Knevel Architects and F.H. Myer’s Construction.
New Year’s in Westwego
If you don’t have any plans yet to ring in the new year, the äSee BARKOFF, page 2G
holiday tradition that has legs
Patricia Finney Daniels welcomed two great-greatnieces into the family earlier this year, but little Stella and Olivia will receive their official welcome this Christmas, when Daniels presents them with personalized red, green and white holiday stockings. “When you get your stocking, you know you’ve arrived,” said Daniels’ daughter, Maggie Simon. “It is a rite of passage.” Daniels, 86, has made more than 120 Christmas stockings for family members, including her three siblings, their
Lynne Jensen
THROW ME SOMETHIN’
children and hers, spouses, grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. But don’t imagine Daniels knitting in a rocking chair. Until she retired in 2000, after 50 years as a forensic serologist with the Orleans Parish
Coroner’s Office, she made Christmas stockings during down time in the crime lab and from a hallway bench at the criminal court building at Tulane and Broad, while she waited to testify. Working was important to Daniels. She was 36 when her husband, James, a riverboat pilot, suffered a fatal heart attack, leaving her to raise four young children, including a 6-week-old. Times were hard, and knitting Christmas stockings was äSee JENSEN, page 5G
2G F Wednesday, December 23, 2015 F theneworleansadvocate.com F The Advocate
Leave room in the budget for pet care This is the time of year when many people decide to add a new pet to the family. While it is never a good idea to give a pet as a gift, if a family has made the decision together to welcome a new dog or cat into the home, it is wise to know going in how much having a pet is going to affect the pocketbook. Pet care is someANIMAL thing that has a RESCUE permanent place TRACI in the household HOWERTON monthly budget. The costs associated with pet ownership vary greatly, depending on the type and number of pets. Planning ahead is essential to ensure all routine expenses are accounted for, as well as the unexpected costs that may pop up from time to time. VETERINARY CARE: Vet visits will be one of the biggest expenditures in the pet-care budget. Plan for regular checkups and vaccinations, as well as monthly heartworm and flea preventatives. And just like humans, pets also may need unexpected trips to the vet for an ailment or injury. Leave some room in the budget for them, as well. If a pet has a chronic health issue, he may need to take regular medication. Pet insurance may help with budgeting for vet expenses. There are many different plans, and factors for costs include age, breed and the overall health of a pet. Do the research to see if pet insurance is a good option. FOOD: Food is an ongoing expense, but it’s not the place to try to cut costs. Avoid buying the cheapest food, as a poor
Guinevere is a quiet kitty waiting patiently for her forever home. Shy and gentle, she finds the noisy shelter a bit scary. She would love to go to a quiet, loving home where she could flourish. The adoption fee is $85, includes neutering, shots, a chip and more. For more information, contact arnokitty@ yahoo.com or come by ARNO’s nokill shelter at 271 Plauche St., New Orleans, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
diet may lead to paying more in the long run for vet care. In addition, if the food contains a lot of fillers, a pet may consume more of it to get the nutrition it needs, which equals to spending more after all. Remember to include costs for treats in the food budget. GROOMING: Long-haired dogs require a trip to the groomer at least once every six weeks. If you have a longhaired breed, such as a Yorkie or Shih Tzu, and want to keep their hair long, these groomer visits can occur as often as once a week. Grooming costs an average of $20-$60 per pet, per visit. When budgeting this category, be sure to include the cost of brushes, combs, pet shampoo, pet toothpaste and other items that are needed for home maintenance between grooming appointments.
BOARDING, SITTING OR DAY CARE: Pets need care when the family is out of town. Vacation budgets should also include the costs of having someone tend to the pets. TRAINING: Puppies and adult dogs alike can benefit from some basic training. This is an expense that should be included in the budget early on but would not be an ongoing cost. ACCESSORIES: Plan to purchase items such as travel crates, kennels, pet toys, leashes, collars and food and water bowls. For cats, figure in the costs of litter, litter box, scoopers, etc.
Events
DEC. 24: “It’s A Wrap” gift wrapping from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Clearview Mall, 4436 Veterans Blvd., Metairie. The Louisiana SPCA will be wrapping gifts for donations to The
Heartworm Fund. THROUGH DEC. 27: During December, the Louisiana SPCA will offer half off the adoption fee for all adoptables. Regular adoption procedures apply. LOST OR FOUND PETS: In Orleans Parish, you can send a photo, description of your pet, date lost/found and your contact info to lostandfound@laspca.org; in Jefferson Parish, send to molsen@jeffparish.net and bbourgeois@jeffparish. net; and in St. Bernard Parish, send to cluna@sbpg.net. Traci D. Howerton is social media editor of Animal Rescue New Orleans, a nonprofit, volunteer-based, no-kill shelter. Contact ARNO at animalrescuecolumn@gmail.com, www.animalrescueneworleans.org or call our recorded information line at (504) 5711900.
Photo provided by Cabrini High School
Cabrini Mother Daughter Luncheon celebrates family, faith, friendship Advocate staff report Seniors at Cabrini High School and the women in their families gathered for the school’s Mother Daughter Luncheon and Fashion Show on Nov. 14 at the Roosevelt Hotel. This year, nearly 500 mothers and daughters, grandmothers, sisters, cousins and aunts came together to celebrate family, faith and friendship through their connection with Cabrini High
Continued from page 1B Westwego Farmers and Fisheries Market will host a New Year’s Eve party from 8 p.m. to midnight at the market, 484 Sala Ave., Westwego. Admission is free, and there will be a concert by the J. Diamond Washington Band. A fireworks display is planned for midnight. Reserve a table for eight for $75, which includes Champagne, setups and party favors. For more information, call (504) 341-9083.
Walking trail opens
Photo provided by Knights of Columbus Msgr. Henry C. Bezou Council 8546
Among the chefs competing in the gumbo cookoff at St. Francis Xavier Parish in Metairie were, from left, David McDonald; Johnny Beckmann; Tim Fox, first; Allen Lorio, second; David Garlipied; and Nathan Galland. Lex Allain also competed, coming in third. St. Edward the Confessor Church, 4921 W. Metairie Ave., will host “Catholics Returning Home,” a six-week program giving inactive
Catholics an understanding of today’s church and introducing them to others who are thinking of returning to their religious roots. The weekly series meets 7
p.m. to 8:30 p.m. on Thursday, Jan. 7, in the Parish Center and continues every Thursday through Feb. 11. For more information, call the parish office at (504) 888-0703.
— and a skills center with live, online tutors. n Tutor.com helps with career assessment, GED and citizenship tests, computer literacy, résumés and cover letters, interview tips and local job openings. All one needs to access the above services is a valid library card.
Homework help
Now is the perfect time for anyone in school to check out ways the library helps students with homework assignments. The Jefferson Parish Library has two main tools for students: n Brainfuse: HelpNow! provides free online tutors from 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week. It features a 24-hour writing lab, helps students create flashcards to study for tests and schedules virtual study sessions with friends. Students can take practice tests in various subjects, including the SAT and ACT. n HomeworkLouisiana provides free online tutoring from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays. It features skill-building exercises, a writing center, test prep center and college center.
Roman battle writ small
Nick Marchetti, a longtime patron of the East Bank Re-
gional Library in Metairie, has created a miniature retelling of the Battle of Allia, which occurred on July 18, 390 BCE. It is located in the display case at the entrance of the library. In the battle, Brennus, a chieftain of the Senones, defeated the Romans and entered the city of Rome. In 387 BCE, Brennus led an army of Cisalpine Gauls in an attack on Rome and captured most of the city, holding it for several months. Brennus’ sack of Rome was the only time the city was occupied by a non-Roman army before the fall of the city to the Goths nearly 800 years later in 410 CE.
Music among the words
Four concerts will occur at the East Bank Regional Library, 4747 W. Napoleon Ave., Metairie, in January. The first event is Memory Lane, a threepiece combo that will perform at 1 p.m. Jan. 7. The library’s annual harp concert, sponsored by the New Orleans Chapter of the American Harp Society, takes place at 2 p.m. Jan. 10. The Trombone Choir of the New Orleans Concert Band performs at 7 p.m. Jan. 13. The Nouveau Orleans Jazz Quartet, which focuses on banjo music, performs at 7 p.m. Jan. 21.
New Year’s resolution
Every week, the East Bank
Regional Library hosts an author event in which an author talks about and reads from his or her book and signs copies for those who want to purchase them. During 2015, EBR hosted more than 115 local authors from all genres — fiction and nonfiction, romance, poetry, literary fiction, young adult and children’s fiction. Book signings are one way the library helps authors promote their words. During 2016, we hope to host at least 130 authors because we believe those who write are valuable members of our communities. All programs at the library are free of charge and are open to the public. For more information about programs at the 15 branches of the Jefferson Parish Library, go to http:// www.jplibrary.net/ or “like” the library’s Facebook page for daily programming updates.
THE TREE KING www.charvetsgardencenter.com
20% Off All Trees With Coupon in Hand Expires 1/31/16
ing to be fun to watch in college,” Cabrini coach Nancy Walsh said. “After watching her grow and mature at Cabrini, I have Spencer all the faith in the world that she will take advantage of every opportunity that comes her way. Though I am very proud to be her basketball coach, her work ethic in the classroom has pleased me the most.”
Cabrini High School senior Victoria Simeon stands with her mother, Jeannine, who delivered a speech on the special bond between mother and daughter during the Cabrini High School Mother Daughter Luncheon.
BARKOFF
If you’re looking for a job, the library can help If you’re looking for a new job, the Jefferson Parish Library can help with your search, especially with advice about résumés and small-business resources. Consider the following: JP LIBRARY n Louisiana LAGNIAPPE Jobs and CaCHRIS reer Center is a SMITH comprehensive site created by the State Library of Louisiana with federal funds. It includes job-search resources, betweenjob resources, résumé help, small-business resources and live online tutoring and other training. n Learning Express Library has practice tests and tutorial courses for civil service exams and popular occupations such as cosmetology, EMS, firefighter, nursing and real estate. It also has computer courses for Adobe and Microsoft, plus job search, résumé help and skill building. n Brainfuse has job resources, a résumé lab, live interview coaching with trained job coaches who can help users target jobs best suited to their interests and qualifications, an adult learning center that offers test preparation — including GED and citizenship tests
CABRINI HIGH SCHOOL: Cabrini High School’s Rakell Spencer has accepted a scholarship offer to play basketball at Texas A&M University. Spencer, a 5-foot-11-inch senior, was All State ’15; All Metro MVP for ’14 and ’15; All-Metro ’13,’14, and ’15; and All-District ’12,’13, ’14 and ’15. As a junior, she averaged 15 points and 10 rebounds per game, leading Cabrini to a Class 4A semifinals appearance. Her career point total at Cabrini was 1,700 with her senior season remaining. “Rakell is a dynamic player who is go-
Photo by SUZANNE C. GRIM
FAITH NOTES LATIN MASS: The extraordinary form of the Mass, the “Tridentine” (Latin) Mass, will be offered at St. Stephen Church (Good Shepherd Parish), 1025 Napoleon Ave., New Orleans, at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday. The Good Shepherd Choir will be heard in this Missa Cantata, under the direction of Brian Morgan, director of music/principal organist, in the Gregorian “Missa de angelis.” Phyllis Treigle will be soprano soloist, with Bart Folse as chanter. For further information, call the Rectory Office at (504)8991378. PRAYER SESSIONS: “Lord, Teach Me To Pray,” a three-part prayer series for women seeking a deeper relationship with Christ, is now open for registration. Part One, “Praying Christian Virtues,” begins in early January. Participants learn to meditate using the prayer method of St. Ignatius of Loyola. Small groups meet weekly with trained facilitators for about two hours and pray privately every day, with assigned passages from Scripture. For more information on locations and to register, call (985) 634-2856. CATHOLICS RETURNING HOME: The evangelization committee at
SPORTS BRIEFS
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held last month to celebrate the opening of the Bellemeade Walking Trail at the corner of Bellemeade and Lapalco boulevards in Gretna. The new trail is located on an acre of parish-owned land and will provide the Bellemeade community with
School. Completing the luncheon was the annual fashion show, which is more costume faux pas than fashion. This year’s theme was “Hooray for Hollywood.” Models were asked to portray characters from the movies, new or old. Favorites this year were fashions from “A League of Their Own,” “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Addams Family,” “Napoleon Dynamite,” “Annie” and “The Wizard of Oz.”
additional green space as well as a recreational and exercise facility. Wrought-iron fencing faces the streets, and wood privacy fencing abuts the adjacent properties. Amenities include paved, on-site parking, a landscaped track covering one-sixth of a mile on a meandering path, pedestrian scale lighting, an irrigation system and interior drainage. Burgdahl and Graves Architects designed the facility with input from the neighborhood association, and with the assistance of Perrin & Carter Inc. and Ellis Engineers. Louisiana Landscape Specialty assisted on the landscape and irrigation design. Rotolo Consultants Inc. of Slidell performed the work at a cost of $378,899, with funding for the project provided by council District 1. Eva Jacob Barkoff writes about the people and events in Jefferson Parish. She can be reached at ejbarkoff@ gmail.com.
CONTACT US THE EAST JEFFERSON ADVOCATE
Published every Wednesday Submissions: Send news by Monday at 5 p.m. to be published 10 days later, as space is available. Original photos will run as space is available and must be highresolution JPEG attachments, 1MB or larger. First and last names must be included, from left to right. Email news and photos to: crescentcity@theadvocate.com Read online at: theneworleans advocate.com/community/ crescentcity
Contact: Karen Taylor Gist The New Orleans Advocate 1010 Common St., Suite 3030 New Orleans, LA, 70112 (504) 636-7434 For Advertising: (504) 636-7421 (classified) (504) 636-7425 (display) 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday Questions about subscriptions? Call customer service at (504) 529-0522 or visit theadvocate.com/ subscriptions. Questions about Red Bag Delivery? Call (504) 262-5998 or email notmc@theadvocate. com
CHRISTMAS EVE AT CHRIST CHURCH “O holy night, the stars are brightly shining. It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth!” --O Holy Night Join us at Christ Episcopal at one of fi ve Christmas Eve five services, heralding the birth of our Savior. 2:00 pm Traditional Festival Service with carols 4:00 pm Festival Service with choir and trumpet 6:00 pm A Jazz Christmas Eve Festival Eucharist 8:00 pm A Quiet Christmas Eve in the historic Chapel 9:00 pm Festival High Mass with choir and brass quartet “Silent Night, Holy Night, All is Calm, All is Bright” —Silent Night Fr. Bill Miller will be preaching at All Services on Christmas Eve. (Note that there is no Christmas Day service so our clergy and staff may have time with their loved ones.) Christ Episcopal Church is located at 120 South New Hampshire Street in Covington, Louisiana
4G F Wednesday, December 23, 2015 F theneworleansadvocate.com F The Advocate
St.CharlesWomen’s Club marks 50 years BY CATHY HUGHES
Special to The Advocate When the St. Charles Women’s Club got its start in 1965, St. Charles Parish had become a hub for industrial investment. Lion Oil Company (Monsanto) construction had begun in 1952 in Luling on the old Ellington Plantation. In 1955, Shell Chemical had opened a plant in Norco on the site of the old Diamond Plantation. Large industrial corporations opened facilities in the ’60s, including Union Carbide (Dow), Hooker Chemical in Taft and Waterford I and II on plantation land formerly used primarily for sugar cane farming. Plans for the Waterford III nuclear power plant surfaced in 1970 and commercial operation began in 1985. The rapid development brought in thousands of workers from out of state. Some came alone, returning home to visit when they could. But others brought along their families, who faced the challenge of building social ties in an area short on recreational facilities. Carolyn Olson, the club’s first vice president, says the St. Charles Women’s Club began as a small, home-based group of these transplants, including Muffet Leaber and Wanda McClung. Frances Greenfield, now living in Texas, was another charter member, according to club historian Teresa Miller. Within the year, Olson said, the club had grown to 60 members. Private homes could no longer accommodate the meetings, which moved to a Luling church. The club continues to meet on the third Thursday of every month at New Life Community Church, 134 Lakewood Drive, which houses the combined ministry of Luling United Methodist and First Union Presbyterian churches. The most recent membership tally was 179. The club’s president is Judy Wilchek, who moved to St. Charles Parish in 1975 to take an administrative job with a chemical plant. Olson has been a member of the group for five years, moving from Kenner after Hurricane Katrina. She said the club was an important part of helping her re-establish a sense of community after the storm frayed so many of her long-standing ties to Jefferson Parish. Miller was president of the St. Charles Women’s Club during Hurricane Katrina. Despite the social upheaval of those frazzled days, the club met as usual on the third Thursday of September 2005, albeit in a temporary location. “The club gave everyone that sense of normalcy,” Miller said. “We were all so glad to see each other and that everyone was OK.” One factor in the longevity of the St. Charles Women’s Club is its interest groups, a dozen or more, which have changed with the times and the tastes of its members. The club’s sewing circle is no longer active, for example, but a movie group has begun. “We like to go see the chick flicks, the movies that our husbands don’t want to see,” Wilchek said. Interest groups focusing on Louisiana history and cooking were of special interest to the newcomers who populated the club in its early days; now, the history and gourmet interest groups have been combined.
Photos provided by St. Charles Women’s Club
Leaders of the St. Charles Women’s Club include, from left, longtime member Betty Kehm, founding member Wanda McClung, first vice president Carolyn Olsen, longtime member Nancy Finstad, President Judy Wilchek and longtime member Carolyn Carte.
Harriet Clark, Anne Haydel and Donna Guillot with wreaths made during a gathering of the craft group of the St. Charles Women’s Club. One recent outing for this group was to Woodland Plantation in West Pointe à la Hache, where they dined in Spirits Hall, formerly St. Patrick’s Catholic Church, circa 1883. “It comes and goes through stages in my life, and I just thoroughly enjoy it,” Wilchek said. Community service is another important factor in the longevity of the St. Charles Women’s Club. The group’s largest annual fundraiser is the spring Teacup Auction, regularly drawing about 300 people, including Women’s Club alumnae Theresa Loving, now living in Texas, and Christine Iwancio, now living in Hawaii. “They spend a week and we have a great time,” Miller said. In all, Wilchek said, the club donates about $20,000 a year to the community in the form of scholarships (40 percent) and grants. “Everything we make stays in St. Charles Parish,” Wilchek said. (The deadline for graduating high school seniors living in St. Charles Parish to apply for a 2016 scholarship is Feb. 16; for information, email Pam Shepard at shepardhp2@cox.net.) One of the presenters at the Christmas party will be St. Charles Women’s Club member Rita Carlson, who had been
Lynn Hymel, Sue Triche and Pam Armstrong sing Christmas songs at Ormond Nursing & Care Center. Victoria Bryant, of ARC of St. Charles, accepts a check from Choyer Parker, of the St. C h a r l es Women’s Club.
The St. Charles Women’s Club logo project to help people with disabilities, especially those who were too young or too old for public school programs. Community support for the project Rosemary Sanders and Pam snowballed, giving rise in 1971 Armstrong participate in a to the ARC of St. Charles, with Penny Party at the Luling Liv- Carlson as president for two ing Center. Residents of the fa- years and many St. Charles cility purchased donated gifts Women’s Club members on the for a penny each, and club board of directors. members wrapped the gifts The ARC project was a turnfor presentation to loved ones. ing point in the club’s evolution. “It brought the commuworking as a special-education nity together,” Carlson said. teacher in West Virginia when “It brought the newcomers toher husband was transferred to gether with the people who had St. Charles Parish for work with lived here for years. People really accepted us. They were so Union Carbide in the 1960s. Carlson saw a need for better special-education services in St. Charles Parish and inspired club members, including Pepper Brown, Ann Sellers and Ann Maroney, to organize a
Members of the St. Charles Women’s Club shop for Christmas gifts for Headstart students. In the front row, from left, are Rosemary Sanders, Gerrie Martinez and Ann Folse. In the back row are Barbara Knoblock, Kacy Kernan, Evelyn Hunter and Diane Rochelle.
happy to have this happen.” Presentations highlighting the club’s history were featured during the club’s Christmas luncheon Dec. 17 at Cedar Grove Tchoupitoulas Planta-
tion in Waggaman. Members at the luncheon will leave with a lapel pin bearing a club logo developed by Carolyn Olson and her son Camus, with the slogan “We are a piece of the puzzle.”
The Advocate F theneworleansadvocate.com F Wednesday, December 23, 2015 F 5G
holidays
A DELICIOUS CATHEDRAL
Advocate photos by SOPHIA GERMER
Children and adults play in 50,000 pounds of snow at Lafreniere Park.
Let it snow! (sort of)
Photo provided by Sheraton New Orleans
St. Louis Cathedral, one of New Orleans’ most iconic landmarks, is replicated entirely of gingerbread in the lobby of the Sheraton New Orleans Hotel, 500 Canal St. Executive chef Mark Quitney and his pastry team’s scene enhances the hotel’s festive decor, which includes its time-honored display of Cajun Kris Kringle and his pirogue full of toys pulled by his trusty alligators, Bourée, Boudin and RouxDolph. Quitney says he plans to expand the French Quarter scene to eventually include gingerbread renditions of the Presbytère and Cabildo as well.
Advocate staff report Despite temperatures that rose into the 80s, about 50,000 pounds of snow fell Dec. 12 at Lafreniere Park in Kenner. The children, along with parents, who enjoyed the tiny taste of winter, didn’t seem to mind that the stuff was made by man rather than by Mother Nature. It was part of Holiday in the Park, which features light displays such as an 18-foothigh Ferris wheel and an illuminated scene from “Star Wars.” The display is open from dusk to 9:45 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and dusk to 11:45 p.m. Friday and Saturdays. A carousel will be open until 9 p.m. every night, at a cost of $1 per rider. Admission is free on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. On other nights, the show costs $3.
JENSEN
Continued from page 1G a way to show she cared. “I don’t knit for money; I knit for love,” Daniels said. Spanning more than 60 years, her Christmas stockings are treasured, especially now that Daniels’ eyesight has grown too dim to knit. Stella and Olivia will be the last family members to receive her personalized stockings. Born and raised in the French Quarter, Daniels was 5 when Mother Navias at St. Louis Cathedral School taught her to knit. Her 14-montholder brother, Peter Finney, started kindergarten “and I threw a fit,” Daniels said. “So the nuns told my mother to bring me to school and I could sit in the back of the class” and learn to knit. Some time later, Daniels knitted her first wearable creation. “It was the ugliest
Omer Habib, 5, sits with a snowman at the park.
sweater you ever wanted to see,” she said. “It was pink with a green collar and cuffs, and I actually wore it.” After graduating from Ursuline Academy, Daniels attended Loyola University and continued knitting. “I made argyle socks for my boyfriends,” she said. Daniels raised her five children in Lakeview and moved back to the Quarter after Hurricane Katrina ravaged their Gen. Diaz Street home. Her weakening eyesight worsened, “and they took my car keys away,” Daniels said of her car-
ing children. “But I could still knit.” That was before a stroke in July took its toll. In recent years, Daniels has taught her daughters to knit, and they are teaching theirs. “And I’ve got the pattern,” said daughter Tricia France, who will make sure the Christmas stocking tradition lives on. It takes “a week or two” to make an 18-inch stocking, Daniels said. Her early ones, sporting Santas, are made of wool that tends to yellow, while her newer ones are acrylic and bright with candy
canes. Including names such as Mom, Daddy, Kathleen, John, Peter and Tom, the stockings hang from fireplace mantels, staircases and makeshift places across the country, including New Orleans, Boston and Washington, D.C. “If you don’t have a fireplace, you find a place to hang your stocking, even a bar,” Simon said. Lynne Jensen writes about New Orleans community events and people. Contact her at jensencolumn@gmail. com.
NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS OF UNINCORPORATED JEFFERSON PARISH & THE TOWN OF JEAN LAFITTE
NO RECYCLING COLLECTION ON FRIDAY, CHRISTMAS DAY If you are scheduled to have recycling picked up on
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25TH,
your recyclables will be picked up on the next day,
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 26TH Photo by LYNNE JENSEN
Patricia Finney Daniels, shown here, has been making Christmas stockings for her family for more than 60 years. ‘When you get your stocking, you know you’ve arrived,’ says Patricia Finney Daniels’ daughter, Maggie Simon. ‘It is a rite of passage.’
ALL CITIZEN DROP-OFF SITES & THE JEFFERSON PARISH LANDFILL WILL BE CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY AND WILL RE-OPEN SATURDAY DECEMBER 26TH
Please call 1-877-747-4374 to report missed pick-up.
The Advocate F theneworleansadvocate.com F Wednesday, December 23, 2015 F 7G
holidays
Advocate staff photo by JOHN MCCUSKER
Holiday lights are on full display along Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Lake Vista.
Advocate staff photo by RUSTY COSTANZA
Toy soldiers, with gingerbread reinforcements, stand guard on Melody Drive in Metairie.
Oh, what fun!
Advocate staff photo by RUSTY COSTANZA
Santa and his sleigh fly over a house on Craig Avenue in Metairie.
A door is adorned for the holidays on Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Lake Vista.
Holiday lights are on full display along Robert E. Lee Boulevard in Lake Vista.
Advocate staff photo by JOHN
Advocate staff photo by JOHN
MCCUSKER
MCCUSKER
NOTICE TO ALL RESIDENTS OF UNINCORPORATED JEFFERSON PARISH & THE TOWN OF JEAN LAFITTE Advocate photo by SOPHIA GERMER
Ashley Shuler gets her face painted during the Royal Teddy Bear Tea brought to Children’s Hospital by the Royal Sonesta in New Orleans on Dec. 16.
The royal treatment
Advocate staff report The patients at Children’s Hospital got a big dose of holiday cheer recently, courtesy of The Royal Sonesta New Orleans. The festive event started with a second-line parade through the halls. Santa, Mrs. Claus, Rudolph and more were there, along with holiday songs, face painting and a story time.
NO GARBAGE COLLECTION ON FRIDAY, CHRISTMAS DAY If you are scheduled to have garbage picked up on
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 25TH, your garbage will not be picked up until
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 29TH (NEXT SCHEDULED COLLECTION DAY)
PLEASE NOTE: THERE WILL BE NO MAKE-UP COLLECTIONS FOR THE MISSED HOLIDAY. ALL CITIZEN DROP-OFF SITES & THE JEFFERSON PARISH LANDFILL WILL BE CLOSED CHRISTMAS DAY AND WILL RE-OPEN SATURDAY DECEMBER 26TH
Please call 1-877-747-4374 to accommodate requests for efficient removal of large bulky waste and to report missed pick-up.
10G F Wednesday, December 23, 2015 F theneworleansadvocate.com F The Advocate
schools West St. John High School contributes cartoon tree to Oaks
Advocate staff report
Gaige M. Wilcox, a junior at Alfred Bonnabel Magnet School in Metairie, meets former U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel while participating in the weeklong National Youth Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C.
SCHOOL BRIEFS U.S. NATIONAL SECURITY FORUM: Gaige M. Wilcox, a junior at Alfred Bonnabel Magnet School in Metairie, was one of about 150 young people from across the country who attended the weeklong National Youth Leadership Forum in Washington, D.C. The program introduced the students to firsthand experiences and challenging career options in national security and related fields. Bonnabel teacher Charles Thirsty nominated Wilcox for the opportunity. Wilcox is the son of Tracey H. Flournoy and Randall Wilcox. COMPUTER-USING EDUCATORS: The coordinator of educational technology for the St. John the Baptist Parish Public Schools has been named to the board of directors of the Louisiana Association of Computer-Using Educators. Bonnie Dinvaut’s appointment was made during the organization’s conference in New Orleans Dec. 7-9. “Technology integration is not an event,� Dinvaut said. “It should be an everyday part of our classroom, just like taking attendance.� Dinvaut will represent St. John the Baptist, Ascension, St. James, Assumption, St. Mary, Lafourche and Terrebonne parishes. GREATER NEW ORLEANS COLLABORATIVE OF CHARTER SCHOOLS: Warren Easton High School Principal Alexina Medley will be 2016-17 president of the Greater New Orleans Collaborative of Charter Schools. Other executive officers of the collaborative will be Kathy Riedlinger, Lusher Charter School, vice president; Sean Wilson, International High School of New Orleans, treasurer; and Claire Jecklin, New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School, secretary. Ken Ducote was recently named executive director of GNOCCS. “We are proud of the accomplishments of all of our charter schools and the continuous support that GNOCCS gives to them, helping them to focus more on student needs,� he said. GNOCCS members schools are Audubon Charter School; Benjamin Franklin High School; Einstein Elementary Charter Schools; Hynes Charter School; International High School of New Orleans; International School of Louisiana; International School of Louisiana, Jefferson; Kenner Discovery Health Sciences Academy; Lake Forest Elementary Charter; Lusher Charter School; Morris Jeff Community School; Robert Russa Moton Charter School; New Orleans Charter Science and Math High School; and Warren Easton Charter High School. AUDUBON ELEMENTARY: John James Audubon Elementary School in Kenner’s students of the month received pins, pencils and goody bags. They are Anthony Gomez, Braylon Mason, Peyton Dupre, Allison Aguilar, Joaquin Alexander, Lisa Litolff, and Doris Quintero Rodriguez. Dilan Fajardo-Diaz’s name was omitted from the November students of the month.
Lake Forest’s use of federal money recognized Advocate staff report Lake Forest Elementary Charter School has been recognized as a National Title I Distinguished School by the National Title I Association. The National Title I Distinguished Schools Program honors up to 100 schools across the country for exceptional student achievement in 2015. The program, in place since 1996, showcases success in two categories: exceptional student performance for two consecutive years and closing the achievement gap between student groups. Title I is an element of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act that provides funding to school districts across the country for educating economically disadvantaged students.
Photo provided by West St. John High School
In the front row, from left, are Jarale Livingston, Dyrianne Tuckerson and Briana Grayman. In the second row are Kira Armant, Kasia Lewis, Kidric Gray, Zian Bryant, Maya Sanders, Marcus Boudin, Tre’Von Barnes, Christina Holmes, James Simon, Ke’ira Frank, Wonzell Dumas, Jamal Walters, Christopher Holmes, LaDaja Populis, Zoe Bryant and Glasia Walker.
Members of the National Art Honor Society at West St. John High School chose the theme “A Cartoon Christmas� for its contribution to the Children’s Christmas Tree Program at Celebration in the Oaks at New Orleans City Park. Each member carved a cartoon character from Styrofoam and decorated it seasonally. The students also created hand-cut snowflakes to adorn the tree, which stands among those lining the walkways of the Carousel Garden and Storyland. National Art Honor Society officers are Christina Holmes, president; Dyrianne Tuckerson, vice president; Glasia Walker and Tre’Von Barnes, treasurers; and Briana Grayman, secretary. Members include Kira Armant, Marcus Boudoin, Zian Bryant, Zo Bryant, Wonzell Dumas, Ke’ira Frank, Kidric Gray, Christopher Holmes, Kasia Lewis, Jarale Livingston, La’daja Populis, Maya Sanders, James Simon and Jamal Walters.
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