The Art of a Lifetime BILL JOYCE INTERVIEWS O. DELTON HARRISON, JR.
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In This Issue 12
Labors of Love
16
Dream Hunt
22
Brady & Bozz Take On The Holidays
34
The Art Of A Lifetime
40
Exquisite Eleven
56
Shreveport Water Works Museum
62
Climbing Comes To Shreveport
69
Shreveport Selects
73
A Parting Thought
PUBLISHERS: Mathew Snyder, Andrew Crawford, Grant Nuckolls ADVERTISING MANAGER: Michael Walker LEAD DESIGNER: Zack Fink LEAD PHOTOGRAPHER: Kathryn Gaiennie
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Bozz Baucum, Jason Brady, Chris Jay, William C. McGrew, Dale Ward, Chrissi Coile Reesby, Kate Pedrotty, Kemerton Hargrove, Angela Vinet CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Michelle Levesque, William C. McGrew, Casey Habich, Stephen Porter DESIGNED BY: Crawford Design Group
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EDITORIAL: editor@shreveportmagazine.com
H R E V E P O RT M A G A Z I N E IS FULL OF THEM. HERE’S TO A BRIGHT FUTURE FOR ALL OF US.
PASSIONATE AND COMMITTED TO A CREATIVE
W SHREVEPORT
I L L I A M S
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LABORS OF LOVE WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHY BY WILLIAM C. MCGREW
ALAN BERRY
W
hat drives us to collect? Is it an emotional connection to something from our past or perhaps the unadulterated beauty of an item that draws us in? More often than not it’s a combination of both of these things. It’s the passion to connect with our former selves and understand what makes us who we are. After searching around Shreveport I found several passionate people who collect things they truly love. From a baseball team a thousand miles away to historical artifacts of a city they call home, meet the men who have spent their lives searching for the unusual, the beautiful, and the things they love.
GARY JOINER Gary Joiner is the chair and professor of History at LSUS. He has been collecting books as long as he can remember. Not only has he amassed around 7,000 books he has also authored close to 30 books himself. Most of Joiner’s massive collection can be found at the Paul Jones Library on the campus of LSUS. Among his prized possessions is a 141-volume set of books of every order given and received by the Union and Confederate Armies during the Civil War.
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Alan Berry really doesn’t remember how he started collecting cars. In high school Berry had a ’64 Ford Galaxie, a car that was the beginning of a lifetime love affair with that time period. In college, Berry bought another ’64 Galaxie convertible, but sold it when he moved to Virginia. Today, Berry has a collection that includes a 1957 Ford Thunderbird, a 1967 Cadillac DeVille, and a 1971 Ford Mustang.
CHRIS BROWN In 2002 a lightbulb went off in Chris Brown’s head. An avid collector of records and Shreveport memorabilia such as photographs, printed material, bottles and records, Brown decided to combine his two loves into a large collection. His collection is a trip through time, ranging from Shreveport Opera House compositions written in the 1890’s to blues and country music from the 1920’s and 1930’s, post World War II Rock N Roll, and 1970’s Soul and Funk. If it was a sound popular on the national scene there was an echo of that in the Shreveport scene and most likely Chris Brown will have something in his collection from that period. Brown works as an archivist at Centenary and his personal life reflects his professional career. His apartment is organized with industrial shelving where records sit and photos of famous Shreveporters hang neatly on the wall. A mid-century modern table sits against the wall underneath a map of Shreveport. Behind that is shelving with mugs, shot glasses from various bars from the golden age of the Bossier Strip like the Whisk A Go-Go and bottles from Shreveport soda places displayed proudly.
JIMMY SANDEFUR When Jimmy Sandefur was 10 years old his sister took him to the old Showtown Drive In to see a movie. That movie was Jaws, and since then Jimmy has been collecting memorabilia. In 2005 Sandefur attended Jawsfest in Martha’s Vineyard, where the movie was filmed. Several of the actors were present at Jawsfest and Jimmy attained a number of autographs. His prized possession, however, is a pair of prop swimming trunks used in the opening of the film, worn by Susan Backlinie. The swimming trunks have knobs on them where two cables were attached and two men would run back and forth on the beach giving the illusion of a shark attacking someone in the water. Backlinie autographed the trunks with “ Jimmy, come on in the water.”
WADE STROTHER Wade Strother first became interested in the Boston Red Sox when he was playing baseball as a kid and the bat he used was a Carl Yastrzemski model. Strother went on to get a job at Disney and during spring training he got to meet one of his idols. Jim Rice and Frank Wright were giving an interview with a reporter. Wright started ragging on Rice and this made Strother laugh. After the interview Strother was getting Wright’s autograph when he asked him who his favorite Red Sox were. Strother answered, “Jim Rice and Dwight Evans” Wright turned to Rice and said “Give the kid your hat.” That hat is still in Strother’s possession and it is one of his prized possessions.
SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM
13
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DREAM HUNT LOVE, LAUGHTER, AND THE THRILL OF THE HUNT WRITTEN BY CHRISSI COILE REESBY
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN GAIENNIE & MICHELLE LEVESQUE
IT’S A FRIDAY AFTERNOON AT MARIONEAUX FARM IN FRIERSON, LA, ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACES IN THE ARK-LA-TEX, ESPECIALLY FOR ANYONE WHO LOVES THE OUTDOORS.
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here are 28 children attending this fun-filled weekend. Christopher, an 11-year old, and his father drove 20 hours all the way from Indiana to fulfill his dream. Each one of these participants has their own set of challenges. Some suffer from the affliction of being bound to a wheelchair or braces, while others experience ailments such as frequent seizures. On this particular weekend, disabilities were not going to discourage these youngsters. Everyone was on an equal playing field, ready to hunt & fish. For many of these kids, it’s an experience of a lifetime just to be here. As I stood there watching all the excitement, I was taken back to my own childhood memories. Growing up in a family full of hunters, going out before the sun came up, decked in camo from head to toe to sit in a blind or stand is something you did every weekend during deer season. Afterwards, everyone would gather over a hot cup of coffee to show off their kill or share their story about the one that got away. To me, this was the norm. It’s just what you do when you live in the South. This time was different, as I soaked in the joy of watching dozens of children make their own special memories. Unfortunately, there are hundreds of disabled youths who have never been able to experience the thrill of hunting and fishing because of special needs—that is until the Dream Hunt Foundation was formed to help make those dreams come true. Here at Marioneaux Farm, I enjoyed a front row seat, as dreams became reality for dozens of disabled children.
SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM
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First, each Dream Hunt guide and cameraman team up with his/her young hunter. Watching these big, Southern woodsmen interact with these children with such tenderness was truly inspiring. I quickly realized these kids are impacting the adults just as much as they’re being impacted. The guides take time with the children, teaching them to site in their rifles at a nearby gun range. The cutting edge technology on these guns helps to remove their handicap— it’s mind-blowing. Digital camera attachments are set up on each scope to help the kids and guide get an accurate shot. Another special device helps a teenager with limited mobility blow through a straw and fire a bullet. I watch each of their faces light up as they get the chance to pull the trigger and hit the target. “That was awesome,” said one of the children. The more kids and parents I talk to the more I realize this is truly a dream come true for them. Afterwards, the kids are laughing and bonding over dinner and the parents and volunteers are getting to know one another. You can feel the excitement and anticipation in the room. For many it’s like Christmas Eve. Everyone then heads to the hotel to get a good night’s sleep as these kids have another big day ahead of them, with fish to catch and deer to harvest. The next morning, everyone is up and ready to go way before the sun comes up, eager to kill a deer. They head to their designated hunting spots which were graciously contributed by multiple landowners in the region, where custom ground stands are set up making it easier for wheel chair access. While waiting for a deer, there are many different quiet conversations going on in the stands between the hunters, guides and participating family members. Several young hunters have success this morning and bring back deer. For those who didn’t get one—they’ll have another chance this evening. Over lunch I listen as everyone laughs and reminisces about their morning hunt. They then head out to a nearby pond to see if the fish are biting, and they are. It’s a
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calm fall day, making it a perfect afternoon to soak in the incredible atmosphere. I sit back and watch these kids reel in fish and experience the thrill of the great outdoors. The joy on their faces when they catch a bass or bream is something I’ll never forget. The family-friendly environment, organization and camaraderie at Dream Hunt are unreal. I can feel the love for this organization and these kids when I talk to Dream Hunt Founder Jeff Warren. I can also hear the passion in his voice as he recalls how the idea of Dream Hunt originally evolved. Recalling an early morning in 2011 when he was sitting in a deer stand and explaining how God spoke to him telling him to do for others, especially when it comes to hunting, what they cannot do for themselves. After much thought & prayer, Jeff landed a meeting with a few board members at Shriners Hospital in Shreveport. That is when he shared his love for hunting and his plan for Dream Hunt. Needless to say, they were blown away, and at the end of the presentation many of them were in tears. Shriners started by sending 5 kids the first year in 2013. From there, word spread like wildfire about the amazing organization and St. Jude, MDA & The Make-a-Wish foundation all started sending kids. “It blew up; in 2015 we took 92 kids hunting and fishing and we’re on pace to take 120 kids in 2016. Dream Hunt Foundation covers every expense for the children and
their families, including travel, lodging, food and all the necessary hunting equipment. We’re the hunting version of Make-A-Wish.” The growth and the lives changed through Dream Hunt weekend is something to be proud of but Jeff is quick to tell me he couldn’t do it alone. He has an incredible team of volunteers that help every step of the way. “We do this for the kids because we want to bless them, but it’s funny, the people being blessed are every guide, landowner, or the person baking cookies to help with the hunt. Each person seems to find a special connection with this organization because they’re able to reconnect to a loved one who lost their battle with cancer or had a disability. These volunteers love serving others but in many cases it brings them back to their own situation,” says Warren. Back at the farm, kids and guides make their trek back into the woods for an afternoon of hunting, eager to make more memories. Some get a kill right away. For others dusk starts to set in before they’re able to take a shot. As it starts to get dark, one after another, the kids and their guides begin arriving at the farm with big deer. I can’t help but laugh as I watch one little guy pull his deer behind his wheelchair with a big smile on his face. There are some proud hunters and the gleam in their eyes says it all. “This is their dream, this is the greatest day of their life,” Warren tells me. Each youngster poses for a picture with his or her prize possession and as tradition would have it when you kill your first deer you put the blood of your kill on your face. The kids watch as their deer are cleaned. The animal meat doesn’t go to waste—they send it home with children and their families to enjoy. In all, 17 kids shoot deer. For many it may not seem like a big deal, but for these kids it’s a life changing experience they will never forget. “So many of these kids are trapped in their bodies and it just levels the playing field, because for one weekend they’re on equal playing turf with everyone else.”
Over a late dinner one of the hunting guides shares a conversation from his time in the stand waiting for a deer, when his young hunter told him “I’ll stay out here all night if that’s what it takes to kill a deer. I’ll stay out here until midnight or even 1am”. It’s those types of stories and dreams coming true that keep Jeff Warren and his team working hard to make Dream Hunt Foundation such a success. “They love doing it, they love being out here.” This is the stuff dreams are made of. Just ask 10 year old Talon, a little guy who grew up hunting and fishing, before an accident at the age of 7 kept him from ever walking again. Through Dream Hunt weekend he was able to shoot two deer. “I really don’t want to leave, this is so much fun, it’s a dream come true” Talon said on his way in. That’s what the Dream Hunt Foundation is all about. It goes beyond the camo and deer—it’s about restoring hope for each one of these children, despite their disability. It’s also about showing they can still do normal things and be included. For Jeff Warren and his crew this is just the beginning of much bigger things to come. “The ultimate goal is to take everyone in America hunting and fishing that wants to go.” That’s a big dream indeed, but Jeff Warren is a dreamer…a dreamer who is creating a world of opportunity and enabling others to live their dreams one hunt at a time.
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Brady & Bozz Take On The Holidays Written by Angela Vinet Photography by Kathryn Gaiennie
At complete opposite ends of the restaurant spectrum we find local legends and chefs extraordinaire Bozz Baucum and Jason Brady. The two came together to talk about their time together in the kitchen and their respective family holiday traditions. Baucum and Brady began by greeting each other as old friends, having begun their relationship at the Cambridge Club when Brady was head chef and Baucum was his employee back in the early 2000’s. Both chefs not only have very different approaches to the kitchen, but also enjoy unique holiday traditions when it comes to food. During the holiday season around the Brady home, the chef himself cooks the main meats, having plenty of fresh game from recent hunts. The delicacies include duck bites and venison, along with a good old-fashioned turkey or leg of lamb. The classics for his family include his favorite dish from growing up, Spinach Madeline, which his mother prepares for him every holiday season. With 20-30 family members at his home, the holiday is a complete family affair with everyone always in good spirits after enjoying some fine wines. Growing up in Baucum’s home with his most cherished Steel Magnolia momma, a fully dressed dinner was promptly served at 6 p.m. every night. After he and his siblings grew up, they decided to ditch the duds and have a more laid back atmosphere with gumbo as a family favorite for the holiday season. One favorite Christmas dish that brings back happy memories is Egg Creole, a delicious Creole tomato sauce with layered eggs similar to lasagna. This was certainly not a traditional goose or dressing meal, but his family enjoyed eating “outside” of the box. There is no question that these two superb chefs have different approaches to cooking, with one valuing a good quality salt and the other keeping coriander close. Although the two might have taken different paths, today both run successful restaurants, have dabbled in dishwashing, value dining experiences, and enjoy a signature style in the kitchen. For Brady whose resume includes owning and operating several restaurants, the kitchen is serious business with nothing less than perfection expected for a sophisticated dining experience. Baucum, owner of Marilynn’s Place, freely admits that food is a fun experience. He can often be found playing with his food, even using a flamethrower in the process. The admiration Baucum has for his long-time friend is apparent, as seen in his nickname for his friend, Brady “Lord Commander of all Things Food”. Quickly, in reply, Brady affectionately discussed the “Bozz Factor”, mentioning that his friend has come a long way from being his employee so many years ago.
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Baucum quips, “Did you tell her about the shoes?” Brady quickly replies, “I STILL have them!” Yes, these two even share a unique pair of zebra print faux fur oxfords thanks to Baucum’s flare and desire to be anything but a boring uncle. Wearing these spectacular shoes, God Bob (as he was called) was the roar of his niece’s third grade class, when he showed up to her private school function with the most fabulous pair of oxfords known to Shreveport. Baucum went on to wear the shoes the following day to work, and Brady flipped out loving them instantly. So, naturally, Baucum ordered his then boss a pair. The self-proclaimed odd couple took very different paths to get to where they are today. Brady chose to study finance, then went to culinary school in South Carolina, and worked in the finest restaurants around Charleston. His paycheck did not matter to him as much as the experience he was able to gain. He settled in Shreveport, his hometown, after fate prevented him from an apprenticeship in France where cases of footand-mouth disease were rampant. Meanwhile, Baucum graduated from Dubrulle International Culinary & Hotel Institute of Canada, a French culinary school before working his way up from bread chopper on the Lindblad Expeditions for National Geographic. He also lived on several cruise ships as a chef before jumping off in Puerto Rico. Eventually, he found his way home and has been cooking up good fun ever since. No matter the road, whether wild and curvy or a straight path, both chefs have arrived at the same place. Mutually admiring one another, these two have a bond that transcends food and are each a powerhouse in their own right. The holidays can be stressful for those who might not be as clever in the kitchen as Brady and Baucum. We asked the two chefs to provide a sampling of some of their favorite holiday recipes. Whether you need a simple appetizer for last minute guests or the perfect roasted leg of lamb with brown butter and mint demi glace, these are the recipes for you.
Bozz Baucum (L), of Marilynn’s Place, & Jason Brady (R), of Jason Brady Restaurant Group
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Roasted Smith Family Leg of Lamb Ingredients
Directions
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1 leg of lamb (8-9 lbs)
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Preheat the oven to 425°
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1 tbsp of vegetable oil
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•
Salt to taste
Cut off and discard the skin of lamb, leaving a light layer of fat
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1 cup of water
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Rub the meat with the oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the thyme
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1/2 tsp of dried thyme
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2 bay leaves
Make 16 gashes in the flesh of the leg and insert the garlic slivers
Broken Brown Butter & Mint Demi-glace
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2 large cloves of garlic, cut into 16 slivers
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2 onions (about 1/2 pound), cut crosswise in half
Place the leg, the thickest side down, in a roasting pan and scatter around it the onion halves (cut side down), bay leaves, and carrot pieces
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1 carrot (about 1/4 pound), trimmed, scraped, and cut crosswise into 6 pieces
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Freshly ground pepper to taste
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•
Place in the oven and bake one hour
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Remove the lamb and pour off the fat from the pan
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Return the lamb to the pan, the thickest side up.
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Pour the water into the pan and continue baking for 30 minutes for
medium-rare lamb (130 degrees internal temperature) If you want the lamb well-done, continue cooking for 30 minutes or longer* Let rest for 10 minutes, slice, and serve.
Ingredients
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3 tbsp of butter
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1/2 of a lemon
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8oz of demi-glaze
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20 mint leaves (chiffonade)
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Salt & Pepper
Directions
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In small sauce pot, heat butter until it starts to brown
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Add demi-glace
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Season with salt & pepper
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Add fresh mint and let it rest for 10 minutes
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Heat and serve
Jason
Chardonnay Poached & Sautéed Potatoes Ingredients
Directions
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2lbs baby Yukon gold potatoes
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Place the potatoes in a deep skillet
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Heat cast iron skillet over medium heat
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Salt
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Add salt and pepper, to taste
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Add butter and potatoes
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Fresh ground black pepper
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1 bottle of chardonnay
Cover potatoes halfway with chardonnay and bring to a boil
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1 bunch fresh thyme
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•
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3 tbsp butter
Remove the browned potatoes from the skillet and place onto a serving platter
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2-3 tbsp fresh chopped parsley leaves
Cook the potatoes in the wine about 10 to 12 minutes, or until tender, depending upon the size of the potatoes
Allow the potatoes to brown on each side, another 5 minutes, and re-season with salt, pepper and thyme
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Garnish with the parsley
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Remove potatoes from wine
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Bacon Wrapped Teal Poppers with Pepper Jelly Ingredients
Directions
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6 wild teal breast (skinless)
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Cut wild teal into 1/2 inch strips
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1lb of your favorite smoked bacon
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35-40 slices of pickled jalapeños
Take each slice of teal and place a cube of cream cheese with a jalapeño
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12oz of cream cheese
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Season with salt and pepper
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Salt and pepper
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Tightly roll with a half slice of bacon
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Secure with a toothpick
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Continue assembling until done
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6oz of pepper jelly
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Grill the poppers over medium-high heat for about 6 minutes, or until bacon is crispy
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Remove from flame and toss in mixing bowl with pepper jelly
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Remove toothpicks and serve
Jason
Roasted Garlic Green Beans with Lemon & Parmesan Ingredients
Directions
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3 medium heads of garlic
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Preheat the oven to 375°
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2.5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
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2lbs fresh green beans, end trimmed
Slice about 1/4 of the top end of your garlic clove off (not the stem end) and peel away the outer layer
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1/3 cup toasted pecans
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2-3 tbsp lemon juice
Place on a sheet of foil and drizzle 2 tsp of oil over top then sprinkle with salt
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2 tsp lemon zest
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1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
Secure in the foil and place in your oven for about 40 minutes until golden brown and tender
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Salt & pepper to taste
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Open and let cool for 10 minutes, then squeeze the stem end to release the cloves
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While the garlic is roasting toss the beans with remaining melted ghee/oil and a generous sprinkle of salt and pepper
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Spread on a large rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and roast for about 32-38 minutes until starting to brown. Toss once or twice while roasting.
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While roasting place a dry pan over med-low heat on the stove. Add sliced almonds to the pan.
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Once beans are done roasting toss with lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped roasted garlic. Spread onto a platter and top with Parmesan, toasted almonds, and more salt + pepper if desired.
•
Serve immediately.
Chop the roasted cloves
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Seafood Gumbo (Yields 2.5 gallons)
Ingredients •
1lb tasso, diced
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•
2.5lbs smoked sausage, sliced
1.5 green bell peppers, diced
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1-1.5 cups medium brown roux
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1 pack LOUISIANA-brand Gumbo base
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1.5 bunches green onion
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1 gallon vegetable stock
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2.5lb of Bergeron’s andouille sausage, sliced
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Salt, pepper, cayenne, white pepper, & hot sauce to taste
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2lbs crawfish tails, rinsed
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8lbs shrimp
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6 gumbo crabs, quartered
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1lb lump crab meat
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Vegetable oil
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1 qt oysters & liquid
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3 lemons, juiced
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1/2 cup minced garlic
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White rice
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1.5-2 yellow onions, diced
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French bread
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1/2 bunches celery, diced
Directions •
Sauté sausage and tasso
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Add vegetables, sweat mixture
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Mix roux with 1 cup of water and blend until smooth, add to pot
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Add 1/2 vegetable stock
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Combine gumbo base with vegetable stock and add to pot
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Add remaining ingredients, except seafood and lemon juice
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Boil for 5 minutes
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Add crawfish, shrimp, lemon juice, and gumbo crab
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Reduce heat and simmer until desired thickness
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Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, cayenne, white pepper, and hot sauce
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Serve over steamed white rice
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Finish with green onion and French bread
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Bozz SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM
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Holidaze Cranberry & Jalapeño Leg of Lamb Ingredients
Directions
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1 3-5lb rolled & netted leg of lamb
•
Remove net. Wash, unroll, and pat dry leg of lamb
For Marinade:
•
Cover with marinade and let sit 4-12 hours.
•
•
1 cup craisins
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•
1 cup chopped fresh jalapeños
Grill lamb over hot charcoal flame (as close to coals as possible) for 5-7 minutes on both sides
Combine all other ingredients and blend in a bowl
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Add seasonings and lemon juice to taste
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1 cup diced red onion
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•
1/4 cup sriracha
Add a cup of olive oil and spread all over leg of lamb
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1/4 cup red wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar
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1/4 cup sweet chili glaze
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1/4 cup hot chili paste
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3 lemons
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1 bunch green onion
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1/4 cup chopped cilantro
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Salt, pepper, fresh herbs, and butter for gravy
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•
Place in deep baking dish
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Cover with beef broth and red wine and braise in over for 3 hours at 400 degrees
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Remove lamb and let stand
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Pour braising liquid into sauce pan and boil to reduce by half
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Melt butter and adjust seasoning to taste
•
Add fresh herbs
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Slice lamb into thick slices and finish with braising liquid
•
Garnish with fresh herbs and lemon wedge
Bozz
Creole Eggs à la Marilynn (Serves 6)
Ingredients
Directions
•
18 Hardboiled eggs
To Make Creole Red Sauce:
To Make Main Dish:
•
1 large yellow onion, chopped
•
Melt 2 tbsp butter
•
•
2 cloves of garlic
•
•
2 green bell peppers
Sauté onions, peppers, and garlic for 5 minutes
In buttered, oven-safe serving dish, add Creole Red Sauce
•
Layer with hardboiled eggs
•
6 tbsp butter
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1 lemon, squeezed
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4oz scoop of AP flour
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2 cups of whole milk
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1 large can of Rotel tomatoes
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1/4 cup of mixture consisting of breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese
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1 bunch green onions, chopped
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Salt, pepper, and hot sauce to taste
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Add Rotel tomatoes and lemon juice. Cook for 5 more minutes.
•
Add white sauce on top of the layer of eggs
•
Set aside for later
•
Repeat steps 1-3
•
Finish top of dish with Creole Red Sauce and sprinkle breadcrumbs and Parmesan cheese on top
•
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until hot and bubbly with a golden, brown top
To Make White Sauce: •
Melt 4 tbsp butter and whisk in flour
•
Stir continuously while you cook until it is light brown
•
Slowly add milk while you stir until consistency is a thick, creamy sauce
•
Add salt and pepper to taste
•
Set aside for later
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TM
TRUE GRIT
WRITTEN BY CHRIS JAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN GAIENNIE
THE ART OF A LIFETIME BILL JOYCE INTERVIEWS O. DELTON HARRISON, JR.
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heir friendship has spanned decades. Their patronage of the arts has reshaped Shreveport. Shreveport Magazine asked celebrated author, illustrator and filmmaker Bill Joyce to interview philanthropist and champion of the arts O. Delton Harrison Jr. about the role of art in his life. Over the course of an early fall afternoon at Harrison’s beautiful South Highlands home, the two discussed art, family and the state of Shreveport’s arts community.
piano. She was on the founding Board of Directors of The Shreveport Opera, which was founded at around the same time as the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra. Shreveport’s very lucky to have an opera and a symphony, and our theatres are wonderful as well. I’m also proud of the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, which is absolutely a jewel. B: Whenever I have visitors from out of town, there’s a couple of things that I always do: I bring them to meet you and I take them to see the dioramas at the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum. Those dioramas are really something.
BILL: Were your parents patrons of the arts? DELTON: My mother was, more so than my father. Daddy got to where he liked the arts, but mother really was a great musician. She played the
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D: We have a very good group now, called the Friends of the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum, which raises funds to keep that incredible museum alive. We have the Louisiana State Exhibit Museum,
we have R.W. Norton Art Gallery and the Meadows Museum of Art at Centenary College. Any city in America would be proud to be home to any one of those museums, and we’ve got all three of them. B: Our museums don’t get talked about as much as they should, I think. We take them for granted. You’ve been involved in the arts in Shreveport for your entire life, and you know the community as well as anyone ever has. You’ve seen how it’s changed. As far as the arts go, what do you think we’re doing right? D: The arts community in Shreveport, to me, is wonderful. Now the responsibility is with the next generation of arts supporters to step up and keep it alive. Keep building on it. Look at Robinson Film Center, for example - most cities twice the size of Shreveport don’t have a facility like Robinson Film Center. Baton Rouge doesn’t have one. I don’t believe that even New Orleans has anything like Robinson Film Center. It’s just been a wonderful thing for our city. I’m so proud of the Shreveport Regional Arts Council, as well, they’ve done wonderful things. There’s no one in this city who works as hard as (Shreveport Regional Arts Council Executive Director) Pam Atchison. She’s so dedicated to making Shreveport better. B: Our arts scene is so vibrant and so strong. I need to be more involved in the local arts scene than I have been lately. I’m taking it a little easier these days. D: That’s alright, you’ve earned a break. You’ve already got your Academy Award. And five Emmy Awards.
opera there’s so much more action taking place. People are stabbing one another, screaming and running all over the stage. I love the opera for the same reasons that I love the movies - there’s a lot going on to keep you entertained! The Shreveport Opera has operated continuously for 67 years, it hasn’t stopped at any time, which is quite an achievement. B: You’re also a great movie buff. You told me once that, as a child, you spent a lot of summers in Los Angeles. D: There were so many things about California in the 1950s that were just wonderful. I met Cary Grant, Joan Crawford and Clark Gable one night after dinner, outside of Romanoff’s Restaurant. I still have the autograph that they signed for me that night. I loved California then, but it’s changed so much. B: Is it true that you befriended Elizabeth Taylor during one of those trips to California? D: Yes. A friend of ours was a member of a downtown beach club in Santa Monica, and my sister and I would go out to the beach about twice a week. One day, we were there and a gentleman introduced us to a young girl who was visiting from England. I said ‘What’s your name?’ and she said ‘My name’s Elizabeth Taylor.’ Well, at the time, I’d never heard of her. She told us that she was filming a movie in town, and that she was enjoying California very much. My sister and I spent several days at the beach with her. We traveled a lot, mother and daddy and I, and met a lot of interesting people along the way.
B: Well, for a while, I just had the two Emmy Awards - we named them “Salt” and “Pepper” - and I kept them in the kitchen. Then I got a third one, and I called it TABASCO® Sauce. Now that there’s five of them, I don’t know what to do with them anymore. I have run out of condiments to name them after. Getting back to your love of the arts. Do you remember your first visit to New York City? Was that when you fell in love with opera? D: Indeed it was. I remember going to the opera with mother in New York City. During World War II, we weren’t able to go to New York, because people couldn’t travel. So, when the war was over, one of the first things that we did was go to New York, where we saw Risë Stevens in Carmen at The Met. I loved it! When we came home, I guess people realized that I liked opera. Four years later, I was elected President of The Shreveport Opera’s Board of Directors, which was overwhelming. I wasn’t yet 30 years old. B: You’re a member of the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Opera, and you’ve traveled all over and seen performances at the world’s greatest opera houses. In your opinion, where is the greatest place on earth to see opera performed? D: It’s still the Metropolitan. While I enjoy the Paris Opera and the London Opera, to me there is still something magical about the Metropolitan Opera. There is something very special about it. B: Opera has a special place among the arts for you, doesn’t it? D: I just love the opera. I go to the symphony and I enjoy it, but at the
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B: Did you go to a lot of museums together during those travels? D: Oh, yes, always. That was a “must” on my parents’ list for us. And not only the art museums, but the museums of natural history, too they loved those. There are wonderful museums in the world, you know, that aren’t all art museums. I really encourage people to explore those museums that focus on science and nature. They’re not filled with famous works of art, but they’re filled with fascinating things that speak for themselves. B: One of the things that I have always admired about you is that you open your home up to visiting guests. You’re an incredibly gracious host. Is that something that you enjoy doing, hosting guests? D: Oh, absolutely. These days, most of the speakers who come to Shreveport to speak to the English-Speaker’s Union stay with me. Our English-Speaker’s Union branch in Shreveport is the largest branch in the United States. It’s bigger than New York, bigger than Dallas-Ft. Worth, bigger than any branch in California. Through hosting others in Shreveport, and traveling around the world, you come to know more and more people. There’s one thing I can say that describes a lot of my life: It’s a small world. You meet people along the way, and you never know who they’ll turn out to be. B: You’ve traveled the world over. You could have lived anywhere that you wanted. Why did you choose to settle down in Shreveport? D: I must say this: When I got out of college, my parents challenged me to stay in Shreveport and make a life here. And I took them up on it.
There’s a lot to get involved in here in Shreveport, and too many people are leaving Shreveport. What they ought to be doing is coming home. B: I believe that a lot more young people are choosing to do what you did, Delton. People leave and they experience big city life, and it’s all great fun. But when they get a little older, they realize that the quality of life in Shreveport is actually very high. It’s fun to live in a larger city that feels like the center of the Universe - to go out and be wild every night. That’s fun for a while, but especially when you start raising kids, Shreveport is a great place. There’s an abundance of art and culture. D: You are so right. The next generation has to keep it going, keep getting involved. Take responsibility. Be the president of something! Don’t just sit around and complain. If you’re complaining about the way that things are, you should do something to change it. We have wonderful young people in Shreveport, like Andrew Crawford, who are doing just that. He’s doing a good job with Rhino Coffee. I think that what SRAC did with the old fire station is just wonderful. It’s made a fantastic addition to downtown Shreveport. We need more of that kind of thing. B: What you have always encouraged me to do is have an impact. People like you have encouraged me, ever since I was a little kid, not just to live but to live in a way that makes a difference. D: I feel very fortunate. I have enjoyed this life, and this city, very much. If I leave it tomorrow, I will leave happy with what I did. And I hope that the rest of the city will be happy with it, as well.
At the conclusion of their interview, we asked Delton to stick around a bit and reflect on his friendship with Bill Joyce. Here’s what Delton had to say about his friend and neighbor, Bill. “I met Bill Joyce when he was getting ready to make his first trip to New York. Some friends told him ‘Bill, you ought to go see Delton. He really knows New York.’ Bill had just written a book and some wonderful things were happening in his career. I asked Bill if he had someone to meet him at LaGuardia, and he said that he was being met by Bennett Cerf—one of the founders of Random House publishing, and one of the most important figures in American publishing at that time. I said ‘Bill, you don’t need me to make connections for you—I need you to make connections for me!’ “I think that his work is unique in that it expresses so much. He has such a wonderful ability to dream up entire worlds. I know adults who buy the books to share with their children, but they end up keeping the books for themselves because they enjoy them so much.
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I believe that Bill is a true genius. One of my favorite moments along the way, observing Bill’s career, was seeing The Rise of the Guardians screened at The Strand Theatre. “We’ve had a lot of happy times at Bill’s house, he and I have. I would go over and see him and Elizabeth, on her birthday and so forth, and we made so many great memories there. “The night that Bill won the Academy Award, I was thrilled. I was happy for him, of course, but I was also happy for our city. I think that it is such a testament to the creativity that you find here that our city can say it is home to an Academy Award-winner. It means a great deal for a community to have someone so talented to call their own.” -O. Delton Harrison, Jr.
Riverview Theater
MARCH 4, 2017 7:30PM
PURCHASE TICKETS TODAY!
www.shreveportopera.org 318.227.9503
855 Pieremont Rd. #140 Shreveport, LA 71105 318-861-3138
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SHREVEPORT WATER WORKS MUSEUM AT THE MCNEILL
STREET PUMPING STATION
WRITTEN BY DALE WARD
“W
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN GAIENNIE
ater, water everywhere, nor any drop to drink.” The Ancient Mariner’s complaint could have easily applied to Shreveport for a very long time after the city was founded by the Shreve Town Company in 1839. Despite being on the banks of a major river, the growing city did not have a source of good, clean water. The Red River itself was dirty, very hard with dissolved minerals, contaminated with salt and wasn’t considered fit to drink. There were some wells, but they were shallow and poor quality. If you were well-to-do, you could afford to buy clean, soft spring water from privately owned springs south of downtown, but it was expensive at a nickel a bucket or fifty cents a barrel. So, what did most people do for a drink of water? They collected rain water off their roof and stored it in big wooden cisterns. Rain water is clean and pure, but how does your roof look? Mosquitoes that spread yellow fever and malaria loved the cisterns, as did various other little critters. Plus, the lack of running water meant there was no sewer system, so Shreveport was more or less continually unsanitary and beset by periodic fires and epidemics through much of its early history. These problems did sporadically stir interest by city government officials in enforcing sanitary regulations and attempting to bore deep, free-flowing artesian wells, but such wells were impossible with the underground hydrology of Shreveport. With each failure, time would pass, memories would fade about the last epidemic, sanitary regulation
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enforcement would lag, and interest in a municipal water system would largely disappear. One reason for the lack of interest was the objection of large property owners (who paid most of the city’s taxes) to the expense of building a system and the “exorbitant” tax that would be required to pay for it. However, this objection was just a matter of priorities, since these same property owners readily agreed to multiple bond issues and subsidies for various railroads to be built in the city that were several times more expensive than a water system. This attitude probably arose because local merchants didn’t see any benefit to themselves (many of whom were buying spring water) and from the belief (probably true) that railroads were vital to the economic survival of the city. This view began to change as a result of a series of serious fires beginning in 1880 that did impact property owners either directly or through their insurance rates. By this time, the talented and long-serving Mayor Andrew Currie had tamed the railroad mania and resultant horrible city finances. Currie was not only mayor, but also a large property holder and an insurance agent who understood firsthand the need for better fire protection that a modern pressurized water system could provide. The drive for a water system got underway in 1882 when Currie sought proposals from private companies, but then sputtered
through as many as five more solicitations until 1886. Problems ranged from too few bidders to a company withdrawing from the completed contract at the last minute. Despite the difficulties, the city had little choice but to turn to private companies because it was still loaded with the debt incurred enticing railroads to come to town. Finally, in 1886 the bidding specifications were rewritten using lessons learned, and on August 12, 1886 a franchise of 30 years duration was awarded to a new successful bidder, Samuel R. Bullock & Company from New York City. Bullock then incorporated the Shreveport Water Works Company in the State of Louisiana, and construction began on a new water plant at the head of McNeill Street adjacent to Cross Bayou and a sewer system was completed in July 1887. Shreveport had water at last! The new water mains had arrived none too soon for most Shreveporters, who now numbered almost 11,000. Running water and indoor plumbing were well-known modern conveniences that had been available elsewhere for many years. Customers quickly began signing up for service to their homes
and businesses. But, before long, problems surfaced and complaints began. Bullock’s design pumped in water from Cross Bayou that was allowed to settle in two large basins, then the “clean” water was pumped out to customers. Cross Bayou was even more muddy in 1887 than it is today, and customers soon told Bullock’s Shreveport Water Works Company that they weren’t going to pay for the muddy water coming out of their tap. The Company had to do something to stay in business, so in 1890 four sand filters were added to further clean the water after its trip through the settling basins. Sand filters are virtually universal at water plants today, but in 1890 this was an evolving technology and the Hyatt sand filters in Shreveport were state-of-the-art at the time. In fact, fewer than 10% of all water systems in America filtered water, which may have contributed to the decision not to incorporate filtration into the design originally. But, as Bullock quickly learned, using water from a muddy, slow-moving southern stream is not the same as taking water from somewhere like Lake Michigan. The filters did a good job, but this early
episode got the Shreveport Water Works Company off to a contentious start with the city it was serving. As the years passed, ownership of the company changed hands several times, including seven years under Peter Youree, before passing to American Water Works and Guaranty (AWWG) in Pennsylvania in 1899. Under AWWG, the company was an early adopter of new technology like filtration. Alum pretreatment of water in the settling basins was added in 1900. Disinfection of municipal water with chlorine began in America in New Jersey in 1909, and AWWG was quick to incorporate this, as well. After adding chlorine disinfection with a powdered compound in 1911, they bought one of the very first liquid chlorine machines to be sold in America when this improvement became available in 1914. The year 1917 was pivotal in the history of water for Shreveport. The original franchise awarded to the water company expired on January 1st, and the city council had refused to renew it. After the opening spat that was solved by filtration, periodic arguments over water rates, low pressure, and poor quality continued for the whole period of the
Library of Congress, Prints & Photographs Division, HAER LA-2
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franchise. (Does this sound like cable TV today!) Available information suggests that the Shreveport Water Works Company on the whole did a good job under the circumstances they found locally and that rates were competitive with other cities. Nevertheless, after acrimonious negotiations the city purchased the system and went into the water business in 1917. The era of private ownership ended. The city was immediately faced with the need to replace worn out equipment and expand the capacity of the water plant since the population of the city was growing quickly and ballooned from 28,000 in 1910 to almost 44,000 in 1920. Water rates ultimately went up, not down, in the face of these expensive upgrades. The city made a fortunate decision soon after buying the water system when they hired Thomas L. “Tom” Amiss to be superintendent in 1917. He was a former AWWG employee and a rising star with them who had worked in the Shreveport plant before being hired by the city. Amiss steered the water system through the early problems under city management and continued to capably lead the department until his retirement in 1962. During the Amiss era, and afterwards, Shreveport’s water system was recognized a number of times with awards from its peers for excellence. In the late 1800’s, the Shreveport water plant was typical of steam powered water pumping and treatment systems found in many cities throughout America. As the years passed, the old steam equipment at most plants became obsolete and were replaced with new electric
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pumps. For several reasons, that didn’t happen in Shreveport, partially because a second water plant was built in 1931 that could be expanded as the city grew while the old plant was left in place. In fact, the steam pumping equipment continued in service until 1980 before rising prices for the natural gas used as boiler fuel finally drove the city to retire the steam equipment. There was a sense even then that this was a historic moment, so there was a retirement ceremony organized on site that was attended by Robert Vogel, the curator of heavy machinery at the Smithsonian in Washington. While he was here, he told city officials that so far as he knew, this was the last operating steam powered municipal water works in America. The McNeill Street Pumping Station was entered on the National Register of Historic Places and then named a National Historic Landmark by the National Park Service in 1983. Later, the American Society of Civil Engineers designated the plant a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark in 1999. This is a rare honor indeed in the world of historic preservation as Shreveport’s water works is in the company of such well known places as the Brooklyn Bridge, Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, Mt. Vernon, and, in Louisiana, the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral. There are literally only a handful of intact, steam powered water treatment facilities left anywhere in America, and one of them is here in Shreveport. Upon retiring the steam pumps, the city replaced them with new electric pumps and
continued to process raw water on site for delivery to the city until 1992, when the historic old plant that had served the city so faithfully for so long was finally retired. Now we’ll turn to some latter day history. Despite all of the recognition, the historic pump house and the steam pumping equipment inside were abandoned and mostly forgotten after 1992 and decay inevitably set in. Finally, in 1998 some local citizens were startled and puzzled when they stumbled across the site for the first time. The main pump room (added in 1921) was filled with large, Gothic-looking steam pumping engines, which were covered with rust and draped with paint debris from the ceiling. The adjacent boiler room in the 1887 section of the building with its big Heine boilers was a little better, but the Heine trademark gold eagles on top were dull with dirt and age and festooned with heroic cobwebs. The old high-service pump room, also in the 1887 building, still held a Worthington steam pump from 1900 (very rare according to the Smithsonian) that looked ready to run again, just like its last day in August of 1980. The original sand filters from 1890, now rusty and littered with debris, were found in the filter room. In the laboratory building, along with other sections of the 16,000 square foot pump house the roof was falling in, making it easy to look up and see the sky. But everything—machinery, piping, tools, and spare parts—was still sitting there intact just about like it had been on the last day of operation.
Some research by the explorers quickly revealed what a historic jewel they had found. It seemed unthinkable to let things continue declining, so a nonprofit corporation, the McNeill Street Pumping Station Preservation Society, was soon formed and a cooperative effort with city government was begun to stop the decline of the old water plant. Since then, with the support of the city, the state, private foundations, and many, many donations from Preservation Society members there have been a number of preservation success stories that have rescued the water works from demolition by neglect. There’s still plenty of work to do, but the Pumping Station is no longer on the list of the state’s most endangered historic sites as it was in 1999. In 2006 the city donated the site to the State of Louisiana to be taken into the museum system operated by the Secretary of State, currently Mr. Tom Schedler. Support from the state, with the active partnership of the McNeill Street Pumping Station Preservation Society, made it possible to create and operate the Shreveport Water Works Museum at the McNeill Street Pumping Station. Since the grand opening of the museum in 2007, thousands of visitors have toured the museum to admire the classic machinery and learn how it provided the clean water that Shreveport needed to protect public health, survive, and grow. There’s a lot of stationary steam power at the Water Works Museum, and the story of steam for transportation and railroads seemed like a natural fit as an added attraction. The Red River Valley Railroad Historical Society had been looking for a place for years to
exhibit their collection of railroad memorabilia ranging from lanterns to china to photographs, so the Water Works Museum offered the railroad society space in an unused auxiliary building. Remodeling was required, which the railroad society did at their expense, and then they designed and installed the exhibits. So, since the grand opening in 2013, the Shreveport Water Works Museum has also offered a nice exhibit of North Louisiana railroad history known as the Shreveport Railroad Museum. Life as a state museum worked at first, but since 2011 the state has been struggling with chronic annual budget shortfalls that have severely impacted museums and are now threatening complete closure of the Shreveport Water Works Museum at the end of 2016. This is currently an ongoing story and the outcome, and the fate of the Shreveport Water Works Museum at the McNeill Street Pumping Station, remains to be seen.
You can follow events as they unfold and find out more about the museum on the Preservation Society’s website shreveportwaterworks.org. And, please visit the museum soon! It’s easy to find downtown at 142 North Common between Caddo and North Market. Call 318-221-3388 for current hours.
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Randolph R. Smith
RCMbrokers.com
Principal Broker/Owner randolph@rcmbrokers.com C: 318.347.3332
T: 318.670.8730 5925 Line Ave, Suite 5 Shreveport, LA 71106
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604 Oak Hill Dr.
$199,000 | 2,264 sq/ft | 3 bed | 2.5 bath
$149,000 | 1,410 sq/ft | 3 bed | 2 bath
$940,000 | 3,886 sq/ft | 5 bed | 3.5 bath
Randolph R. Smith • • • • • •
Born & Raised In Shreveport, LA Graduated From SMU In Dallas, TX With BA In Economics 5th Generation Involved In Real Estate Locally In Real Estate Since 2007 Broker Since 2012 Licensed By LREC
Redken 5th Ave Elite Salon
CRAFTING STYLES FOR EVERY SEASON
Monday - Friday 9AM - 6PM • Saturday 9AM - 3PM 3730 Youree Drive • Shreveport, LA 71105 • 318.861.HAIR
Climbing Comes To Shreveport WRITTEN BY KATE PEDROTTY PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATHRYN GAIENNIE
M
y son, who’s in third grade, recently finished up a social studies unit on Louisiana geography. In addition to learning about our major cities, parishes, and waterways, he also dutifully committed to memory the existence of Louisiana’s highest point, the 535-ft. Mt. Driskill in Bienville Parish. During that process he discovered—as all Louisiana children eventually do—that this place is really, really flat. Based on the topography that they see on a daily basis, I’m pretty sure that neither of my children’s perception of what’s fun and possible in the world currently includes the idea of literally scaling great heights. Thanks to a team of local investors led by Polo Gonzalez, that’s about to change. In mid-December, Gonzalez and his partners are set to open a state of the art climbing gym, G-Rock Climbing, inside the Shreveport Indoor Soccer facility in southeast Shreveport. The gym will be the first of its kind in Shreveport-Bossier, connecting our community with one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and around the world. Climbing has become so popular and competitive, in fact, that it will make its Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo games as “sport climbing.” “Climbing is safe, affordable, fun, social, and mentally engaging,” explains Gonzalez. “We think it’s going to be a very exciting thing to have in this area.”
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GAINING A FOOTHOLD Gonzalez moved to the area about six years ago along with his wife, Carolyn Spaht Gonzalez, who grew up in Shreveport and went on to live and work in several different cities, before returning to Shreveport. After working in finance for most of his career, Gonzalez took some time to think creatively, and began to explore the possibility of bringing one of his personal passions—climbing—to his new community. A climbing gym seemed like a welcome addition to the local sports scene as well as a smart business venture, since there was really nothing comparable within about three hours of Shreveport. “I thought at the time that it would be something that we could get up and running relatively quickly,” Gonzalez says. He chuckles a bit when remembering that prediction now, at the tail end of an intense, detailed, year-long process of research, development, and design. The experience of building a unique and highly specialized business from the ground up has given Gonzalez a healthy appreciation for the complex work that goes on behind the scenes long before any potential customers or users are on the horizon. In the case of G-Rock,
Gonzalez has been fortunate to assemble a group of investors—mostly friends and acquaintances—who are, in his estimation, “people who want to do new things, and try new things, but they also want to do them professionally. All of these individuals are professionals, and they want to do things correctly.” Knowing that there is no room for error in a sport like climbing, Gonzalez and his
partners committed to outfitting G-Rock to international industry standards. They meticulously researched and hired the top worldwide manufacturer of climbing walls, Walltopia, as well as a leading flooring manufacturer, Futurist Climbing. Gonzalez has worked with both companies to design custom climbing walls and flooring for the 5,000 square feet space that G-Rock will occupy inside Shreveport Indoor Soccer. “It’s
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“
CLIMBING IS SAFE, FUN, AFFORDABLE SOCIAL, & MENTALLY ENGAGING a process,” he explains. “Designing the right kind of wall for the space takes a long time, and then the engineering is another huge step. Once you have that, you can start looking at flooring and holds for the walls.” G-Rock will feature top of the line facilities and equipment for two types of climbing: bouldering and top-roping. Top-roping is the more traditional climbing style, incorporating a higher wall and belaying techniques, while bouldering, as a “free” climb, is faster and more dynamic. The key to creating a fun and continually rewarding experience for climbers in both bouldering and top-roping is employing knowledgeable and creative route setters to place the holds. G-Rock is in the process of hiring for this position now. Gonzalez describes the route setter as equivalent to “the chef of a restaurant,” because he or she is tasked with the responsibility of getting climbers to return again and again to meet new challenges in the gym. “This is one of the most important parts of a climbing gym—keeping it fresh and exciting,” says Gonzalez. “You have to have a good route-setting team, and every day their job is to come in and put in new climbs and take out the old ones, or if there’s a huge favorite just to tweak it so it stays fresh and interesting. That’s what keeps your membership engaged.” “IF YOU BUILD IT, THEY WILL COME” Both Walltopia and Futurist sent teams to G-Rock in November to professionally install the equipment that will soon make indoor climbing a reality in Shreveport. So the mid-December 2016 launch of a world-class climbing gym in our community is on schedule, but where—and who—are the climbers? The current absence of indoor climbing in Shreveport, or really anywhere in the immediate region, can be interpreted as either a challenge or an opportunity for the team behind G-Rock. Indeed, Gonzalez shared that one of the most frequent first questions from some of his potential investors was something along the lines of, “Is this something for Colorado, or the West Coast? Somewhere that already has a climbing community?” Only one of the other investors is a climber, although several have children who have climbed
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before in different cities. As usual, Gonzalez was ready with research: “There are many cities in the south of similar size to Shreveport that already have climbing gyms, and there is evidence that they have been successful as soon as they become available. It’s something that’s attractive, and you don’t have to be in the middle of the Rockies to have people interested in climbing.” In Louisiana, there are existing climbing gyms in New Orleans and Lafayette and one under construction in Baton Rouge, and Gonzalez plans to tap into connections in those communities. Based on his research and his own positive experiences with the sport, Gonzalez is firmly on the “opportunity” side of the coin when it comes to the future of climbing in Shreveport. He can persuasively make the case for why this largely unfamiliar activity will appeal to locals: “It’s available year-round— rain or shine, hot or cold—you don’t even have to wear sunscreen.” (Author’s note: Sold!) Gonzalez is also quick to mention indoor climbing’s stellar safety record, its affordability (“Basically, all you need is a good pair of shoes”), and its cross-generational appeal, from young children through adults. He has found that climbing tends to be a very social activity and that climbing gyms can create and sustain strong, active communities. “People make new friends in the gym, and invite their friends—it’s just a really nice social, fun, and good-for-your-body activity. Also, as people get better at climbing, they take what they learned in the climbing gym and take it outdoors, where there are immense possibilities.” Gonzalez would love to see G-Rock become home base for this kind of community, supporting climbing lessons, after-school programs, team-building workshops for businesses, and even a competition team for teenagers and young adults. There are immediate plans for the gym to offer other wellness activities that complement climbing, including yoga and fitness classes. “I think that cross-training is very important,” Gonzalez explains. “Being agile and flexible helps a lot when you climb. People think that it’s just about upper body strength, but it’s not—most of the climbing is done with your legs. Including yoga and aerobic exercise in your training helps a lot to achieve good movement and balance. As you develop these abilities, you’ll enjoy climbing a lot more and become a much better athlete in general.” THE NEXT BIG THING Only time will tell what the climbing landscape looks like in Shreveport a year from now, but Gonzalez believes that the key to G-Rock’s success might lie with the youngest generation—with kids like mine whose idea of a steep climb involves driving up Thrill Hill on the way to school in the morning. “It’s natural for kids to climb things,” explains Gonzalez. “They climb trees, and fences, and furniture! But once they learn climbing technique, they get so much more out of it.” Gonzalez’s own climbing journey has revealed lessons that parents are sure to appreciate, namely that climbing done right is a deeply cerebral experience. “Climbing is intellectual and technical. You don’t have to be super-strong, you just have to learn how to climb to be able to take on big challenges. If you learn to move and balance your body, you’re going to have a lot of fun climbing. If you look online at videos of climbing, you see these skinny teenage boys and girls—they are fantastic climbers! It’s the opposite of muscular—they have just developed good technique.” The research and preparation that Gonzalez and his partners have invested in will bring a world-class climbing facility to Shreveport by the end of this year, and as the gym develops more locals will have the chance to learn why indoor climbing enjoys such a devoted following.
G-Rock Climbing is slated to open in late December 2016. Gym memberships will be offered for $50-$100 per month. More information is available at www.grockclimbing.com.
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AWAY WE FRIDAY 7:20PM
WWW.FLYGLO.COM
SHV 9:ROOSEVELT 00PM
Check in and be sure to grab a drink at the Sazerac Bar!
MSY 8:40PM
FRIDAY
HOTEL in the FRENCH QUARTER
11:LUNCH0at0AM
SATURDAY
DAT DOG on FRENCHMEN STREET So many amazing toppings to choose from- hard to decide.
3:ALLSTATE30PMSUGAR BOWL
9:THE0REVIVALISTS’ 0PM
NEW YEAR’S EVE PARADE in the FRENCH QUARTER Post up on Decatur Street for an extra special time! Woo!
SUNDAY
SPECIAL NYE CELEBRATIOIN Party at the @orpheumnola with guests @seratonesofficial
AFTER NOON TRY ALL OF NOLA
NOON BRUNCH at the The Caribbean Room in the Pontchartrain Hotel is beautiful!
DEPART 11:00AM
MSY
CARIBBEAN ROOM
Enjoy the New Year’s Day Bowl Games!
MONDAY
BREWING’S TAP ROOM-ONLY BEERS!
SHV 12:20PM ARRIVE
Shreveport Selects Each season, our publishers sit down and hand-select their favorite events that will be happening in the Shreveport-Bossier City area.
Cranksgiving
November 25th
Movie in the Park
November 25th
Tinsel
December 2nd
Downtown Christmas Run
December 6th
The Nutcracker
December 9,10,11
Umbrella Challenge
December 10th
Christmas in the Sky
December 10th
Shreveport Symphony
December 17th
Toast: A Red Carpet Affair
December 31st
Clink: New Years Party
December 31st
12-10PM AT GREAT RAFT BREWING
5:30PM AT PROVENANCE’S GREENLEAF PARK
5PM-9PM
SIGN-UP AT SPORTSPECTRUMUSA.COM
PRESENTED BY THE SMB
2PM AT THE AGORA BOREALIS
AT HARRAH’S LOUISIANA DOWNS
7:30 AT THE RIVERVIEW THEATER
8:30PM-12:30AM AT SCI-PORT DISCOVERY CENTER
AT THE REMINGTON SUITE HOTEL & SPA
For more information about these events, check out shreveportmagazine.com
Managing your portfolio is our business 1754 East 70th St, Shreveport, LA 71105
Tim FitzGerald, MSFS, AEP ® Partner
|
318.424.1116
|
tfgfinancial.net
Matt Hudnall, MBA Junior Partner
Estate Planning | Wealth Management | Retirement Planning Business and Personal Protection | Fee Based Financial Planning Tim C. FitzGerald, MSFS, AEP ® and R. Matthew Hudnall MBA, Registered Representatives offering securities through NYLIFE Securities LLC member FINRA/SIPC, A Licensed Insurance Agency, 401 Edwards Street, Suite 1700, Shreveport, Louisiana 71101 * 318-222-4143 Tim C. FitzGerald, MSFS, AEP ® and R. Matthew Hudnall MBA, Financial Advisers offering investment advisory services through Eagle Strategies LLC a Registered Investment Adviser. TFG Financial, LLC is not owned or operated by NYLIFE Securities LLC and Eagle Strategies LLC.
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A PARTING THOUGHT WRITTEN BY KEMERTON HARGROVE
A
s we say goodbye to 2016, our focus shifts to the year ahead: 2017. Or, as I like to think of it, the year I finally do all those things I’ve been meaning to do for the past ten years, but haven’t gotten around to yet. Then again, I said the same thing about 2016. And 2015. You get the idea. I’m not big on New Year’s Resolutions. Namely because they involve bettering yourself in some fashion, and who can be bothered? That said, I must admit it’s a novel idea— a pledge to change your life, to improve as a person. Simply put, I lack the mental fortitude required to pick a resolution and stick to it.
Typically, when tasked to police myself, I’m almost always the good cop. “Yeah, you were going to go to the gym, but the day got away from you. It’s not your fault you watched back-to-back episodes of Maury. It’s excellent television.” The truth is, I have so much to improve on, I’d need several resolutions. I can think of ten things off the top of my head, right now, and they don’t even begin to crack the surface. Fortunately, this is not Kemerton Magazine. It is Shreveport Magazine. So I’ll pivot, and instead focus on what Shreveport can improve, rather than myself, this year.
WITH THAT, HERE ARE MY 2017 SHREVEPORT NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS: •
Build more sidewalks.
•
Stop littering
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Walk places.
•
Throw more parades, just for fun.
•
Bring back the Shreveport Captains. (They’ve become the ‘Laredo Lemurs’, folks. That’s just not right).
•
Start airing both Cowboys AND Saints games. (I don’t know the red tape involved for this to happen, but surely it’s possible).
•
•
Elio Motors: three wheels, four wheels, one wheel; we don’t care. Just finish up whatever you’re working on and call it a day.
•
Comcast mandated to make house calls and actually show up, or at least pretend to care.
•
Can we bring back Don’s Seafood? The old people have nowhere to eat.
•
More murals. Murals are neat.
•
Fireworks to be sold year-round.
Give Thrill Hill a plaque, or sign, or something.
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