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A Walk Down Memory Lane Thankfulness, love, hope for an even brighter tomorrow— just a few of the feelings I feel on a daily basis in this place we call home. Shreveport has always been home, a place of many unforgettable memories — raised in two of our cities most notable neighborhoods, Broadmoor & the Highlands, I have been blessed by a normal, safe, middle-class life. For me, the simple pleasures have included family walks down tree canopied streets, shopping The Enchanted Garden where Pop Rocks candy & unusual trinkets made us children feel lost in magic, setting up with great anticipation for the Highland Parade from my Grandpa Scalf’s home on Dalzell St., riding floats and performing with The Sunshine Generation, dining out at Dominics, and riding my newly salvaged bike up Locust St. to Bayou Dr. just to continue our sweaty trek down the levee to summer fun at Riverside Swim Club— these were happy times. Shall I mention the lasting impression that Leah Miller, Dr. Reginald Dodd, & Sophie Duke had on us school kids back in the 80’s at E.B. Williams Stoner Hill Elementary?!! There are so many incredible people that have made our childhood memories so great! I am forever grateful to many. Through Shreveport Magazine, we intend to “pay it forward”— to highlight many of the best people, places, things, and events happening in our community! We, in The Great River Cities, have so many people with so much talent. But Shreveport-Bossier has come far since my childhood, we now have an abundance of new, amazing local business owners who, for instance, roast specialty coffee beans and cater to the many local coffee houses. SBC has a long list of dance studios offering classes for a wide variety of styles and age groups and an army of home chefs/bakers some of which do the “side-hustle” from their day jobs all to earn supplemental income. We also provide programs such as Art Therapy to help War Veterans cope with the post traumatic stress of combat. Yes, our community is chock full of hardworking, talented individuals who make up the fabric of our lives. In this issue, you will read about so many wonderfully proud things including the old downtown department stores that once provided our townspeople a feeling of comfort, prosperity, and progress. Although, they are now a distant memory, we have an opportunity and real obligation to be a part of the new Downtown Shreveport scene. Between monthly art walks, The Agora Borealis, a local artist market, Shop Local Makers’ Fairs, Shreveport Symphony, Artspace, Robinson Film Center, The Shreveport Aquarium, Rockets Over the Red, and countless other events, we can ALL make a difference! Shreveport Magazine is proud to be a part of this beautiful canvas being painted— the picture of a community who has always been and who will always be uniquely our own! We hope you’ll join us to celebrate this holiday season, into the New Year, and throughout Mardi Gras 2018! May your days be filled with joy and merriment and nights with warmth and love! Positive & proud, Tara John & The Shreveport Magazine Team
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WINTER 2017
In This Issue 10
The Underground Bakers: Big Dreams Start From Home
16
We Grow Together
20
Music Hath Charms… The Shreveport Symphony Celebrates Nearly Seventy Years of Concerts
26
Purchased: Not for Sale
32
A Shreveportrait: Ann Marye George
36
Local Roasters A Story of Coffee House Connections
42
Downtown’s Department Stores Where Memories Were Made
50
Vet/Art Cultivating the Art of Listening
54
Get Up Offa That Thing Raising the Bar for a Community of Dance
60
Masters of Enchantment: A Historic Highlands Wonderland For All Seasons
64
Wintertime Wonderment: Local Things To Do
66
Feed the Positive Dog
Team Editor: Tara John
Subscribe for free at: shreveportmagazine.com
Publisher: Pete John
Advertising: sales@shreveportmagazine.com
Lead Designer: Zack Fink
Editorial: editor@shreveportmagazine.com
Cover Design: Nate Treme Designed By: Crawford Design Group
Lydia Earhart 3
Elles Rock 6
Dr. Catherine Foret 9
Tara John 2 5
Shannon Palmer 8
Kathie Rowell
Pete John 1
Robert Trudeau 4
Liz Swaine 7
Contributors 1. Pete John has been a proud promoter of positivity in Shreveport and is a co-founder of the local lifestyle brand, SHREVEPORTANT. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Chamber of Commerce and is VP of the Downtown Shreveport Unlimited. He’s a true family man, has a heart of gold, and possesses a “make it happen” attitude and grit!
2. Tara John has a lot of interests. After teaching local kids to read, write, and do arithmetic, she became the proud mama of Vera & Nora who bring her endless joy. While focused on rearing her girls with hubby Pete, she wished for a way to instill the “upbeat, feel good, happy” in her littles. Shreveportant & Shreveport Magazine are making these dreams a reality showcasing local stories that warm the heart, encourage activism, and, inspire constructive conversation.
3. Lydia Earhart has a passion for sharing stories that feature creativity, innovation and spark a light-hearted conversation. She is a writer, who believes in the people and inspiring stories she has heard throughout her career in journalism. After writing and editing for a variety of publications in Louisiana, Chicago and New York, she followed her heart to Shreveport.
4. Robert Trudeau has been photographing, writing about and fostering dance education for several decades. He says, “My energies as a long-time teacher at Caddo Magnet HS & as a freelance journalist have long included dance as a priority. As a dancer lacking formal instruction I have found my personal dance expression in the New Orleans-style second line. Strutting on the street in the Krewe of Highland parade with the Blanc et Noir Marching Society is an annual thrill for me.”
5. Kathie Rowell, owner of Kathie Rowell Media, is a freelance writer and media consultant. A former features editor at The Shreveport Times where she wrote a weekly gardening column, she also operates www.louisianablooms.com, a website that celebrates Southern gardening.
6. Elles Rock was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana and is the Student Director at Riverpark Church. She graduated in 2017 from LSUS with a Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication and Journalism. When she’s not working you can find her anywhere there is hot coffee, often with her Australian Shepherd, Indie, in tow.
7. Liz Swaine is a journalist who has written for numerous outlets including the Robb Report and The Outdoor Channel. She has interviewed heroes and villains in places as diverse as Saudi Arabia, Russia and Washington, D.C. An amateur history buff and all-out defender of downtowns, Liz has found her calling at Shreveport’s Downtown Development Authority, where she is Executive Director. She and husband Steve are pilots, motorcycle riders, and dog lovers and are currently rehabbing a 54,000 SF historic building in downtown.
8. Shannon Palmer is a Shreveport photographer with over 20 years experience who specializes in editorial and portrait work. You’ll often find her exploring the nooks and crannies of Shreveport’s downtown—shooting medium format film on her old Rolleicord to develop at home in the darkroom. When she’s not shooting photos, she’s in her printmaking studio working on woodcuts, engravings, and copper etchings to exhibit locally and sell on her Etsy store or website, www.shannonpalmerart.com.
9. Dr. Catherine Foret has a passion for people and pets! She is a total boy mom of two fellas, married to a vet, loves the outdoors, eats fried chicken once a week, likes to paint and garden, and can sometimes be seen as the St. Joseph Catholic School falcon during pep rallies. Dr. Cat, a Shreveport native, is a veterinarian and owner of University Veterinary Hospital and in additional to general medicine, practices advanced oral surgery and dentistry.
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Angela Vinet 12
Nate Treme 15
Everl Adair 18
Jenn Farnell 11 14
Mike Mangham 17
Maggie Pressly
Mandie Ebarb 10
Kathryn Gaiennie 13
Zack Fink 16
Contributors 10. Mandie Ebarb is a ceramic artist, teacher, and curator of both art and words. Born and raised in Shreveport, Ebarb enjoys writing about the local people, places, and things that make Shreveport a better place to live. When she’s not covered in clay you can usually find her promoting local artists at the Agora Borealis or picnicking somewhere along Clyde Fant Parkway.
11. A native to Shreveport, Jenn Farnell of Fernhill Photography, likes dogs. She has also been photographing weddings and portraiture in the area for the past 7 years, finding joy in building relationships with her photo subjects and their dogs. Dogs, cats, apple pie a la mode from Deli Casino, and the outdoors influence her photographic style.
12. Wife, Mother, Science Teacher, Writer, Nature Lover. A former science teacher turned mother, turned writer - Angela Vinet enjoys writing for various publications all over North Louisiana as a freelancer. In her spare time, Angela writes children’s books and often finds peace in nature by hiking, kayaking and camping with her husband of 19 years, Robert F. Vinet, and three young boys.
13. Kathryn Gaiennie has been making portraits since 1980. She is a photographer of people, weddings, and pets. Kathryn loves the generational aspect of her work as she now makes images for the grandchildren of some of her original clients.
14. Maggie Pressly grew up in Southern California but has called Shreveport home for the past 5 years. Since moving to Shreveport she has enjoyed learning the stories of the people and places that make this community so unique. She is an attorney, wife, mother, and enjoys spending time with family, friends and a good book in her free time.
15. Nate Treme is a designer, artist and musician based in Shreveport, Louisiana. He lives in the Highland neighborhood with his wife, Amy, his daughter, Daisy, and his two cats Harvey and Lil B.
16. Zack Fink is a graphic designer at Crawford Design Group. A graduate from Louisiana Tech University, he spends his time focusing on web and editorial design. He likes food and loves his wife.
17. Mike Mangham, along with brother Mark, is co owners of Twin Blends Photography. They research the history of Shreveport through old photographs (mostly negatives) from the LSUS Archives huge collection. They also take old photographs and recreate them by standing in the exact same position as the original photographer then blending those two images together to give viewer an idea of what used to be!
18. Born in Cotton Valley, Louisiana, Everl Adair has also lived in Teas, Tennessee, Virgina, and California, and a brief sojourn in Italy, before returning to her hometown to settle down. Her day job is as Director of Research & Rare Collections at the R.W. Norton Art Gallery. She’s wanted to be a writer since she was five years old and is delighted to be contributing to “Shreveport Magazine” among others.
SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM
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BY ELLES ROCK
The Underground Bakers Big Dreams Start From Home
10 WINTER 2017
W
hen people think of the perfect cookie, cupcake, birthday or wedding cake or even gluten free, all natural pastries, their minds may wander back to the smell of their grandmother’s kitchen or their favorite local bakery. There’s a certain nostalgia surrounding baked goods on special occasions that causes people to go above and beyond, and sometimes pay above and beyond, for the perfect, tasty treats for their parties, birthdays, weddings or other special occasions. Keachia Carter, Regan Wooten, Monika Thompson and Tiffany Kindred have each made it their mission to provide this community with multiple options for the perfect treat for every occasion. Each of these bakers and small business owners have a common thread that sets them apart from the average bakery—they all run their baking operations out of their homes. Whether because baking is just a hobby and they have other full-time jobs, or in an effort to provide tasty desserts for the lowest possible cost for their customers, each of these bakers strives to provide the best treats available from the comfort of their own kitchens. The days filled with the fragrance of your grandmother’s kitchen won’t seem so far behind you when you bite into one of their treats and the memories will come instantly flooding back.
KEACHIA CARTER
Keachia Carter never imagined she would run a cookie business out of her home. In fact, she claims she was “never a kitchen girl” until she started baking cookies at the beginning of this year. It all started when she ordered some decorative shortbread cookies for a wedding shower she was hosting. She took one look at them upon picking up the order and said, “I can do that.” And do that she did. Her daughter’s birthday was right around the corner and it gave Keachia the perfect excuse to try her hand at cookie baking and decorating. With the first few batches she made, Keachia realized that while the cookies were beautiful, they didn’t taste good. “I just thought, what good is it to take all the time to make and decorate cookies if at the end of the party, they were just going to sit on a plate and look pretty without anyone eating them?” said Carter. Keachia began experimenting with different shortbread cookie recipes she could find and it was not long before she had honed and developed a delicious cookie, and in the process, her knack for decorating the cookies only got better. Naturally, her friends and family took notice. “Even though I was putting time and energy into learning the process, it never once occurred to me to sell the cookies. It wasn’t until I was getting multiple orders a week that I knew I had to start charging for them.” Just like that, Keachia’s Cookies was born. In a matter of mere months, Keachia was taking anywhere up to 14 orders within a week, in addition to her full time job in the oil and gas industry. Keachia says that her cookie business has given her the opportunity to reconnect with friends from the past as well as form connections with new people. She takes pride in every part of her process—from the baking, to the decorating, and finally the packaging—she pays close attention to each detail. “I love this business,” said Carter. “Think about it: happy people want cookies. I get to work with happy people all the time.”
Keachia Carter takes up to 14 orders a week, in addition to her full-time job in the oil & gas industry
TIFFANY KINDRED Tiffany Kindred baked her first cake when she was 16 years old. She made a German chocolate cake for her friend’s dad’s birthday, and after that first year she had a standing commitment to bake him a cake every year on his birthday. Despite the German chocolate cake being so well received by family and friends, it never occurred to Tiffany that she would someday run her own baking business. Years later, when pregnant with her second child, Christmas was fast approaching and Tiffany was racking her brain for ways to supplement her family’s income during the holiday season. She remembered that her mom used to make gift baskets full of baked goods and sell them. She thought back to the warm reception of the German chocolate cake and knew she had found her answer. For three years, Tiffany simply sold baked good gift baskets around the holidays, but when the birthday of a close friend rolled around a few years later, the trajectory of Tiffany’s baking took an unexpected turn. “I made one cake for my friend’s birthday and people just started calling me and asking me what else I could make,” said Kindred. It wasn’t long before she expanded from cakes to cupcakes and shortbread cookies as well. Seemingly overnight, Simply Sweet by Tiffany was born. She caters for every sort of special occasion and takes pride in the fact that her little baking side gig has provided a financial cushion for her family in the years she spent at home raising her three young children. At the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year, Tiffany took a job working at her kids’ school. Naturally, the vast amount of events she bakes for these days are school classroom parties. “Easily 70% of my recent business has come from working at the
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school,” said Kindred. In addition to the school parties, birthday parties account for a large amount of the events to which she caters. “I love doing kids’ birthday cakes because they’re always fun and colorful and they give me the opportunity to try out new designs, but I also like doing birthday cakes for people because I just don’t think parents should have to break the bank to give their kids a nice birthday cake,” said Kindred. At the end of the day, Tiffany loves that she has the opportunity to offer the community delicious baked goods with above-and-beyond customer service. “I do everything in my power to keep my customers happy,” said Kindred.
REGAN WOOTEN
When Regan Wooten’s youngest daughter was turning ten, she requested a three-tiered cake like one she’d seen on the popular TV show “Ace of Cakes” for her birthday. Regan set out to find the exact cake his daughter requested. It didn’t take long for him to find, however, that the cake his daughter was requesting was going to cost him roughly $1,200. His daughter took one look at him and said “Daddy, if anybody can make me a cake like this you can,” and he knew he had no choice but to try. Regan, whose only previous baking experience involved making his kids muffins in the mornings for breakfast, not only pulled off the three-tiered cake, but turned the heads of all of the moms at the birthday party. Not even a year later, a Facebook page called “Cakes by Regan” was live and Regan was taking orders. Seven and a half years later, his business, the name of which has since changed to RW Cakes, is thriving. Some weeks he takes anywhere from five to six orders all the way up to 15 to 20 orders. He bakes cakes, cupcakes and cookies for every event imaginable: birthday parties, showers, graduations, retirement parties and even weddings. Regan spends his days as a bank manager at Regions bank and spends his evenings elbow deep in cake batter and cream cheese icing. He has perfected his craft over the years and even expanded into specialty flavors. He makes a key lime cupcake which he zests limes into the batter with a zested key lime buttercream icing that he says is his wife’s absolute favorite. When it comes to being in an industry that is heavily dominated by females, Regan says he doesn’t give much thought to it. Every time he walks into Hobby Lobby to buy supplies, Regan says he’s met with a chorus of “Here comes the cake man!” from a couple of the employees. “I just love making my customers happy,” said Wooten. While he has looked into opening up a storefront and baking full time, he knows that in order to stay afloat he would have to charge his customers much more, which is just not something Regan is looking to do. Rather, he’s investing in a commercial oven for his home that will allow him to make twelve dozen cupcakes every 18 minutes. This will allow him to not only increase production from out of his own home, but maintain the low prices his customers have come to appreciate so much. “Every cake, every time, is a new challenge for me. I work to produce something a little unique with every new order. At the end of the day, I want my customers to know I gave them something handmade just for them,” said Wooten.
12 WINTER 2017
Regan Wooten- bank manager by day; owner of RW Cakes by night
MONIKA THOMPSON
If you had asked Monika Thompson in September of 2016, she would have told you that she was one of the healthiest people she knew. She lived an active lifestyle with a husband and two young boys at home, worked a full time job as a neonatal nurse practitioner and was vigilant about what she ate. Despite all this, to her shock, on October 1, 2016, she was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. While a cancer diagnosis was the last thing she expected to hear at this point in her life, it was the catalyst for Monika to begin looking into alternative diets. It did not take her long to realize that there are many people who cannot eat a traditional diet. She got a crash course in the importance of moderation and her eyes were opened to a large part of the population whose bodies don’t have tolerances for grains, dairy or eggs. As Monika began making strides toward her own health she began baking. While she had always loved to bake, now she was baking with
health in mind, using all-natural, gluten free and locally sourced ingredients. By June of 2017, Monika launched her small business “Scratch House Kitchen,” and was selling her healthy and delicious treats at local farmer’s markets, at Well+Fed LA, as well as working with local catering companies and fulfilling orders for baked goods out of her own home. Only one month later, she received the news that she was in remission from her struggle with cancer. Monika’s selection in healthy treats ranges from cinnamon rolls to granola cookies to energy bites to pumpkin scones. There’s a little something for everyone. “I want people to feel like they have options,” said Thompson. “Whether it is someone who has to adhere to an alternative diet by necessity or someone who is just trying to be more conscious about health, I want to have something for everyone.” Starting a small business surrounding health-conscious baking has also given Monika the opportunity to educate the public and communicate reasonable expectations when it comes to alternative diet options. “My goal here is to offer things that are tasty and approachable,” said Thompson. Monika plans to go part-time at her job as a neonatal nurse practitioner in order to focus more of her time on building Scratch House Kitchen. She has immediate plans to expand her wholesale operations both locally and even towards Monroe, La.
Whether it be baking and decorating cookies for friends and family, cooking their kids’ birthday cakes, providing dessert options for people with a sweet tooth and a passion for health, or making gift baskets full of baked goods for friends and family in an effort to supplement a family income, each of these bakers channeled their motivation into a business venture. While they each would like to open storefronts one day should the opportunity come their way, none of them let the lack of a storefront keep them from pursuing their baking and small business goals. They have made no excuses, and as a result have exceeded their initial goals, all from the comfort of their own homes. The dreams, the passions and the visions for each business have expanded since the beginning, but at the heart of each venture is a common thread—each baker’s love for the craft.
KITCHEN TIPS FROM UNDERGROUND BAKERS “The secret is in the salt. The right combination of sugar & salt makes the best cookie!” -KEACHIA CARTER
“Make sure the butter you use in buttercream icing is always at room temperature prior to making it, that way the buttercream is always smooth.” -REGAN WOOTEN
“The quality of your ingredients really matters, especially for high impact things like vanilla extract and cocoa powder. The store brand isn’t going to cut it.” -MONIKA THOMPSON
“Always chill cookie dough before baking cookies to prevent spreading and to have thicker cookies!” -TIFFANY KINDRED Monika Thompson is creating baked goods with all-natural, gluten free, and locally source ingredients
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BY KATHIE ROWELL
We Grow Together F
ive-year-old Akira Lewis poked her hand into the soil of a raised garden bed, coaxed out a fat sweet potato and proudly dropped it into a grocery sack held by her grandmother, Jackie Jordan. “I like coming up here,” Akira said of the We Grow Together campus in Shreveport’s Stoner Hill neighborhood. “I like to eat kale and carrots.” Nurturing that kind of interest in healthy food is the focus of We Grow Together, an initiative to work towards a healthy regional food system, according to Dr. Grace Peterson, LSU AgCenter area nutrition agent. The plan grew out of Great Expectations: The Shreveport-Caddo Vision for 2030, a master plan adopted in 2010. Led primarily by volunteers, among the initiative’s partners are LSU AgCenter, Red River Coalition of Community Gardeners, Northwest Louisiana Master Gardeners, Slow Food North Louisiana, LSU School of Allied Health, LSU Health, Food Bank of Northwest Louisiana, Martin Luther King Health Center, the Community Foundation of North Louisiana and the City of Shreveport. WGT addresses two goals: that regionally grown food is available to people in this area and that all people have access to nutritious food. “We want more farmers so we can have more regionally grown food available to people in a variety of outlets, including restaurants, stores and neighborhoods,” Peterson said. “And we want everybody in our area to have access to nutritious food.” But there’s more to access than you might think. Obvious barriers include financial access and physical access—Shreveport alone has 19 food deserts, low-income neighborhoods where at least 33 percent of the population live more than a mile from the nearest grocery store. “But there’s two knowledge barriers,” Peterson said. “Do I know what to eat that’s nutritious and do I know how to prepare it in a nutritious way?”’ Addressing these knowledge-based barriers just got easier with an expansion at the WGT campus, located at 1613 Martha St. The city recently finished remodeling a donated house moved from adjudicated property which will serve as classroom/ kitchen/office space, joining the community garden installed nearby about three years ago by the Red River Coalition of Community Gardens. The facility will provide a site for cooking demonstrations
16 WINTER 2017
and health education events for local residents, complementing the ongoing garden education taking place outdoors. It will also serve as a community health hub model where training can take place for volunteers to replicate the program in other neighborhoods, beginning in under-resourced areas. “For people to truly value the importance of nutritious food, they need to see how that impacts their health and so we’ve changed our model from calling it a community food hub to a community health hub,” Peterson said. The first pilot is taking place at the Bernstein Center of Paradise Baptist Church on Hollywood Avenue. Since the facility is a food pantry pickup site, it has a built-in audience and will also draw church members and neighborhood residents. The first Community Health Connections Day, which was held in March, drew more than 100 people who were able to talk with LSU Health medical students, Allied Health students and other trained advocates about topics ranging from diabetes to nutrition to how to read a medicine bottle. Health education and access to healthy food are serious issues in our state. In 2016, Louisiana had the fifth-highest rate of adult obesity in the nation at 35.5 percent, up from 22.6 percent in 2000 (The State of Obesity). As the obesity rate rises, so do illnesses associated with it: hypertension, diabetes, certain cancers, arthritis. Cookie Coleman, founding president of the Red River Coalition of Community Gardeners, grew up in the Stoner Hill neighborhood and taught school there as an adult. She began working with WGT as a volunteer and now has a part-time job as a nutrition educator funded by a grant. Coleman has seen firsthand the health issues caused by poor food choices and believes neighborhood health hubs can foster real change through offering ongoing education in a neighborhood setting where participants feel comfortable. “It’s a vision that I think will work because the programming is really for the community,” she said. “It’s friends and relationships and better health. It’s as simple as a child’s eyes getting wide open to see a carrot out of the ground. If I’ve done that, I’m good.”
Want more information on We Grow Together? Contact Dr. Grace Peterson at 318-741-7430 or GPeterson@agcenter.lsu.edu.
GOAL: GROW MORE LOCAL FARMERS Slow Food North Louisiana has been a leading advocate for locally grown, sustainable food in our area and is serving a leading role in the WGT goal to encourage more local farmers to plant food crops instead of just commodity crops like soybeans and corn. While chapter chairman Angie White doesn’t have hard data, anecdotally she knows some local farmers have added more land to food production. “It is very exciting to see traditional row crop farmers experimenting with it and I hope they will see enough of a return on their investment to keep doing it,” she said. “And recently Mahaffey Farms announced they purchased a long-closed golf course adjacent to their farm that they will expand into and greatly expand their farm store.” Consumers can help encourage expansion by shopping at farmer’s markets. “When you buy from vendors there, ask them if you can come to their farm to see where they operate and how they run their farms. If they are doing it right, they should have no problem with that. By making these kinds of connections and building relationships with our local farmers, we will become a more educated food community. Ask your favorite restaurants if they serve locally grown products, or if it is something they would consider doing if more locally grown food was available to them. Connect those farmers and restaurant owners/chefs to Slow Food so we can add them to the Farmer-Chef Alliance we are helping to grow under the We Grow Together umbrella. Our email is slowfoodnla@gmail.com.”
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The Village Washstand Est. 1976
Wrapping up our 41st Christmas & looking forward to 2018!
HOME FURNISHINGS 6505 Line Avenue
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FINE LINENS
38 Pierremont Common
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SOUTHERN APPAREL
Shreveport, LA 71106
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318.865.8553
Redken 5th Ave Elite Salon
SANTA’S SALON
Monday - Friday 9AM - 6PM • Saturday 9AM - 3PM 3730 Youree Drive • Shreveport, LA 71105 • 318.861.HAIR
Michael Butterman, Music Director of SSO (Photographer: Jennifer Robinson)
20 WINTER 2017
BY EVERL ADAIR
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PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF SHREVEPORT SYMPHONY
Music Hath Charms… The Shreveport Symphony Celebrates Nearly Seventy Years of Concerts
H
ad they had a crystal ball in 1947, the Shreveport citizens who shared a dream of organizing a local symphony orchestra would doubtless have been elated to know that it was being celebrated in 2017, seventy years later, as Louisiana’s oldest continually operating professional orchestra. Music Director Michael Butterman, the fourth in the Symphony’s history, has assembled an exciting array of concerts for the 2017-18 season which include musical genres from classical to Broadway to rock. Salutes to Leonard Bernstein and John Williams alternate with selections of Mozart, Schubert, and Brahms, while the music of the Rolling Stones, Janis Joplin, and Pat Benatar among others will also rock the stage. Broadway stars Sutton Foster and Eric Bergen will appear, as will perhaps the most eagerly awaited guest, Shreveport native John-Henry Crawford. One of America’s most accomplished cellists, John-Henry Crawford began studying the cello at age five in the Centenary Suzuki School founded in 1977 by his mother, Laura Crawford. His CSS teacher was Kristina Vaska-Haas, also a SSO cellist. A bonafide prodigy, Crawford was awarded the Nina and Billy Albert Fellowship at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia when only fifteen. As first prize winner of the Greenfield Concerto Competition, he made his solo debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 2011. He was one of only two U.S. cellists out of 25 selected worldwide to compete in the XV International Tchaikovsky Competition in St. Petersburg, Russia. To date, he has performed in at least twenty-five states and a number of foreign countries, including France, Germany, Brazil, Mexico, Costa Rica, Canada, Belgium, and Switzerland. But Crawford has always made a point of periodically returning to the Shreveport area, appearing several times with the Symphony as well as performing recitals at Centenary, Northwestern, and other local venues. Performing on a 200-year-old European cello handed down to him by his Austrian grandfather, the late Dr. Robert Popper, Crawford will be performing a Cello Concerto by Friedrich Gulda, and the SSO will perform Schubert’s Symphony No. 9, “The Great C Major” in January 2018 at the RiverView Theatre. Having a one-time Shreveport student performing with them is one of the long-term goals of the Symphony. Back in August of 1948 as it was first being organized, the board declared to The Shreveport Times that the symphony “will be open to young musicians developed in schools and colleges of this territory, broadening their opportunities for musical experience . . .” From the outset the longevity of this institution was promoted by the realistic vision of the Shreveport Symphony Society. The officers of the board, President Mrs. Luther Beene, Vice-President Ralph A. Squires (music professor at Centenary), Secretary John Shuey, and Treasurer
John-Henry Crawford performing Dvorak Concerto with SSO in 2015 (Photographer: Jennifer Robinson)
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Centenary Suzuki School students having fun during a recent workshop
Richard W. Norton, Jr. (who quickly established a 10% endowment fund) realized that they wouldn’t immediately have the funds to establish a major professional full-time orchestra right off the bat. Instead, they began with four principles: 1) the orchestra would be formed from residents of the Ark-La-Tex area; 2) it would operate on a modest budget the first year; 3) membership and voting rights in the Society would be open to the public; and 4) the Symphony and Society would devote special attention to bringing an increased appreciation of music to the Shreveport area. They found their first music director in John Shenaut, then a professor at Northwestern in Natchitoches, but formerly a member of the Chicago Civic and Sioux City, Iowa symphonies. So limited were funds for salaries that Shenault lived with the Nortons until a new day job as music professor was found for him at Centenary. In turn, he auditioned and selected
An editorial in the August 1948 Times praised its establishment as an example of “Cultural Progress”
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fifty musicians with day jobs of their own to form the new orchestra. Shreveport supported its new orchestra from the start. An editorial in the August 1948 Times praised its establishment as an example of “Cultural Progress”, while then-Mayor Clyde Fant announced that the week of November 7th – 13th would be “Shreveport Symphony Week”. That first season consisted of only three concerts, the first held at C.E. Byrd High School. Season tickets, sold at all music stores, were $4.00 for adults and $2.00 for students. A special pleasure was its second concert, devoted to Christmas music, which featured Logansport-born soprano Eunye Register, soon to audition for the San Francisco Opera, and a chorus of 560 students from local high schools, including those of Bossier City, Oil City, and Vivian, as well as Byrd and Fair Park. Nearly seventy years later, the Shreveport Symphony still performs in the neighborhood of 200 educational concerts per year as well as a program expanded to ten concerts featuring national stars. Shreveporters today can still take to heart the words of Mayor Fant in 1948, “to take an active interest in furthering the efforts of this worthy organization which is striving to make its fine music an uplifting force in our daily lives, by attending its programs and influencing others to do likewise.”
FACES
& PLACES The history of Shreveport Magazine is long. Started as a business showcase by the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Shreveport Magazine has seen, covered, and celebrated the opening of many business. Below are a few old photos from our yesteryears- taken in 1954.
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KARL
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318-207-1762 • 794 Brook Hollow Dr, Shreveport, LA 71105
BY CASSIE HAMMETT
Purchased: Not For Sale “I think there’s a girl in the ER that’s being trafficked.” The voice of the University Health nurse sounded shaky and nervous. She had attended a hospital-wide human trafficking training weeks before this moment. It’s one thing to learn about human trafficking but it is entirely different to be standing face to face with a pimp, in an ER with a woman laying in a hospital bed, beat to a pulp. The nurse had seen the red flags and picked up the phone to call the emergency hotline of Purchased:Not for Sale, a local organization fighting the fight of human trafficking in Shreveport. The woman in the ER had a name. She was known by Purchased and they had been looking for her. She had disappeared one afternoon from their residential recovery program and hadn’t been seen in weeks. What no one knew was that while sitting at the bus stop one afternoon she had been spotted by her pimp. He pulled over and forcefully put her in his car, and in an instant she was back in the world of prostitution. Day in and day out for five weeks she had been
Human trafficking is the second-largest criminal enterprise in the world, second only to drug sales. 26 WINTER 2017
sold against her will. When she stepped out of line, she was abused. When she didn’t make enough money, she was abused. She was living in a hell-on-earth reality and she saw no way out, until this day, when her pimp decided to bring her in for medical attention, not knowing that he was setting the stage for her rescue. Thirty minutes after making that brave phone call, the nurse stood in a room full of people, all assembled in the hospital to make a plan for the rescue of the woman who found herself in the grips of a life that was threatening to destroy her. She was worth it to everyone standing in that room. She was worth a plan and worth the fight. The plan was in place. The hospital staff would inform the pimp that an x-ray needed to be done. He would not be able to come into the x-ray room and that would buy the team about 20 minutes to get the victim to safety. The door opened and the nurse wheeled her in. She looked around the room and a look of relief spread across her beaten and battered faced. She knew she was safe. The hospital staff blocked off the hallways of the hospital as she was wheeled down the halls, down the elevators and through the back staff entrance of the hospital where a vehicle was waiting to transport her to safety. Her transport was complete with a University Health security team, who escorted her vehicle all the way to the interstate. She was free. Most people consider sex trafficking to be a crime that exists in places far away, but the truth is sex trafficking has grown to become a tremendous problem right here in the United States, and even closer to home, right here in Shreveport-Bossier, our own backyard.
“Sex trafficking occurs when someone uses force, fraud, or coercion to cause a commercial sex act with an adult or causes a minor to commit a commercial sex act. A commercial sex act includes prostitution, pornography or any sexual performance done in exchange for something of value, such as money, food, shelter or drugs.” Those are the definitions—the black and white of sex trafficking— but what does it really look like in our area? The legal definitions fall short in helping us understand the day to day reality of sex trafficking in our city. In Shreveport-Bossier poverty is often the driving force behind sex trafficking. Poverty drives many into a state of survival, which reduces their daily decisions to the question of “what does it take to make it to tomorrow”. Having limited choices and massive needs and vulnerabilities makes an individual a sitting duck for a sex-trafficker. Sex trafficking is a billion-dollar industry world-wide, grossing an estimated $32 billion dollars annually. That translates to $87 million every day. Trafficking is the second-largest criminal enterprise in the world, second only to drug sales. It is estimated that in the United States annually there are 1.6 million children affected by trafficking. With a problem like trafficking so pervasive, so scary and shrouded in darkness, it’s easy to believe that there’s nothing you can do. That one person couldn’t possibly make a difference, but you would be wrong. Human trafficking is a fight that can be won one life at a time. Zooming in the perspective of your fight and focusing it on the life of one individual that is trapped in sex trafficking makes the fight more defined, more purposeful and more attainable. Viewing human trafficking on a macro level can be paralyzing, but realizing that human trafficking is made up of individual lives, and one life is worth the fight, changes the outlook. Purchased: Not for Sale exists to bring rescue, recovery, relationships and resources to women in the sex industry and to victims of human trafficking. Purchased focuses on one life at a time, one victim at a time, and makes a plan to see that one life restored. The fight against human trafficking takes a village—a beautiful village of people who are willing to pull their chair up to the table, lay down their own agendas, and enter into the fight as a single, unified force. Shreveport-Bossier has an incredible village of people that are locked arm in arm against the injustice of human trafficking
in our city. That village includes not only Purchased: Not for Sale, the direct service organization in Shreveport, but also a long list of agencies and organizations that are doing their part to see human trafficking end in our city on a daily basis. Clay Walker, Caddo Parish Director of Juvenile Services and his incredible team, in partnership with law enforcement, the FBI, Gingerbread House and countless others developed the Community Response Team. This multi-disciplinary team exists to prevent and address human trafficking in the lives of juveniles in our city. Together, with members of the community, we are seeing human trafficking lose ground, one life at a time. Human trafficking is best fought collectively, with unique individuals bringing unique skills and passions to the table for the good of the victim. There is something for everyone to do.
Clay Walker, Caddo Parish Director of Juvenile Services and his incredible team, in partnership with law enforcement, the FBI, Gingerbread House and countless others have developed the Community Response Team.
For more information on human trafficking, the signs and red flags visit www.sharedhope.org. There, you can be educated on the problem and what it takes to see it end. To become a part of the solution in our city, visit www.thehubministry.com and read about Purchased. You can sign up for training and find out how you can make a difference, one life at a time.
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A Shreveportrait:
Ann Marye George BY LYDIA EARHART
A
lot of Ann George’s life is based on instinct. This pattern of acting on natural impulses has led George to become a world-renowned, award-winning fine arts photographer. But, she is also somewhat of an anomaly. The pursuit of two careers guided George to two different types of success—finding one passion while another was coming to an end. Her work today has not always been her life. “There’s a whole progression of [my life] that is kind of surprising,” she said. In Shreveport, George may be known to many as a businesswoman or a nurse. North Louisiana has been her home since she was in her early 20s. Growing up in Alexandria, she moved to pursue a career in nursing. Her degree led her to work in the intensive care unit at Louisiana State University Medical Center. After 10 years of working in the ICU, her career picked up with holding management positions in the health care industry, leading her to eventually owning (with a group of local investors and partners) and opening over 20 hospitals under the brand, LifeCare. At the time, George’s career was moving fast. The business she created was growing rapidly and her family kept growing too. But, with multiple sclerosis, George was forced to face something she wasn’t ready to hear. It was time to slow down. As she started to pull back from the business, another passion pushed forward. A business trip to New Orleans led her walking through the French Quarter where she stumbled on A Gallery for Fine Photography. She was intrigued by the building, but ended up finding a piece of art which led her to gravitate toward photography.
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“All of a sudden, I saw this image on the wall. I felt like someone had squirted a syringe full of warm gooey liquid in my chest,” George said. “In that immediate instance, I realized what art was about. I can remember right where that image was in the gallery. It was by a woman named Josephine Sacabo.” The image was titled “Susana San Juan” by Sacabo. As a photographer with over 30 years of experience, Sacabo has been featured in more than 40 galleries nationwide, has won numerous awards and is in many permanent collections. Sacabo spends half her time in Mexico and the other in New Orleans, which gave George the opportunity to meet her. “I said in my heart, one day, I would like to create an image to make someone feel the way this one just made me feel,” she said. Taking that inspiration and enlightenment with her and after stepping away from day operations at LifeCare, George got serious about photography. She started taking workshops, classes and reading any article or book about photography. What launched her photography career was her mentor, who turned out to be Sacabo, after taking a workshop lead by her in New Orleans. Seeing the potential in George, Sacabo encouraged her to enter an art competition. “She taught me to be fearless, because I was so scared to put my work out there. [Sacabo] called
I know now that art communicates and it’s not with words. But there is a rhythm, a diction and symbols that represent feelings and emotions.”
it, ‘kicking me out of the nest.’ [It was] unceremoniously falling—flat out on my butt—and then I got up [from being pushed out of the nest] and flew away.” This was her opportunity for criticism as the competition had thousands of other entries. George came in second place next to Tom Chambers, a noteworthy photographer. “It felt almost like it was a ‘thank you’ gift from LifeCare,” she said. “I still grieve, I had to look at it like a season and God had me there for a reason. And then he moved me out to do something different.” After nearly winning the competition, George continued to work with Sacabo, fine-tuning the photogravure technique she learned in the first workshop she took with her mentor and now friend. Photogravure is an inked process which can alter the state of an image. “There’s a lot of crossover in my work. I paint on my work. I glaze and I watercolor and color pencil on top of my photography. When I used to print my artwork in the darkroom, those images seem to have more depth. When I moved to digital, I lost that aesthetic. I felt like I had to put something else on it to give it some texture or weight or depth, which is why I like to do the photogravure technique. “There’s a certain ceremonial aspect to printing an image and when you just hit ‘print,’ you don’t have the emotional connection, I believe, to the image. I want to take it after [it is printed] and put my hands on it.” As she photographs, George has a keen understanding of what she is looking for in an image. Her work represents her life for the most part, and her images aren’t made specifically to just sell. She may go through hundreds of images featuring the same story, but it is the ones that speak to her that she considers finished. “I may not have an idea of what I am going to do, but then [my assistant and I] work and we end up with something that shows a part of my life or just a metaphor for just something that happens. I fall into it,” she said. “I just let myself go. I may have a plan. I may have a shot list and that gets me [out of being] nervous when I start, because that gives me pressure to create.” With every photograph, George is telling a story. As a storyteller, her personal journey through life centers around the stories told. Her artwork may not give the audience the answer to all her metaphors or give direct insight to what she went through, but her work pieces together life. “One project I did was about a fear. I found my way out of most of the trappings of fear. It’s the story of three chapters of enlightenment. I use the wolf to symbolize fear. And in the consecutive images, the
protagonist is always intertwined somehow with the wolf. In the end, the wolf is always there, but is contained and controlled,” she said. “I would like people to get something from [my work], but it is also my goal to tell the story for me.” In addition to meaning, there is a feeling George tries to invoke. “Pleasure,” she said, “and to enjoy the artwork. It doesn’t have to be much deeper than that. There is a certain language I know now that art communicates and it’s not with words. But there is a rhythm, a diction and symbols that represent feelings and emotions.”
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Towne Oaks Shopping Center 855 Pierremont Rd. Shreveport, LA 71106 318-868-5100
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PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON PALMER
Local Roasters A Story of Coffee House Connections
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Ken Courtney of Kern Coffee, uses an air roaster, giving his coffee different qualities and characteristics
BY MAGGIE PRESSLY
F
or many, the art of drinking coffee is a ritual that has been developed over a lifetime. For coffee drinkers in Shreveport-Bossier, the recent influx of local coffee roasters has provided many more options when it comes to how they drink their coffee.
When asked how he became interested in coffee, Peter Lyons of Lyons Pride Coffee spoke of his childhood memory of drinking coffee milk with his father while reading the comics. It was the social connection coupled with the celebratory aspect and ultimately the association with his family that inspired his love for coffee. Lyons began working in the coffee industry in Los Angeles, working with Starbucks and Whole Foods. After working with different coffee brands, Lyons decided to move home to Shreveport-Bossier and build a coffee company on his terms. Of particular importance to Lyons was the connection between the farmer and consumer, as well as the storytelling culture of the South. Lyons has two goals with his coffee—the primary being consumer education with a non-threatening experience. He wants “to meet you exactly where you are in your coffee journey.” He hopes that he can then help people discover what type of coffee they truly enjoy, as well as how to prepare that coffee. The second goal is to work with marginalized work forces. He hopes to integrate working with BPCC, Southern and LSUS to provide work force training for individuals with disabilities which will hopefully allow them to go out and work in the coffee industry.
Jon Mackey began the coffee roasting program for Rhino Coffee after developing his own small coffee business, Heliopolis Coffees. “I became fascinated by the process of roasting coffee a long time ago, when I started working a local coffee job to pay the bills while I went to graduate school. I read on the internet that you could roast coffee at home in an old popcorn popper, and I dove deep into internet forums, books, and classes, learning everything I could about how it was done. This turned into a small business, which I called Heliopolis Coffees, and which featured a weekly newsletter, home delivery, and a few seasons at the Shreveport Farmer’s Market.” For Mackey, what makes the coffee culture in Shreveport-Bossier unique is “we have people who like a very traditional style of coffee alongside people who like newer methods of selecting and preparing coffee. So it’s not unusual in our region to see a menu that has a dark-roasted coffee or one with a lot of milk, sugar, and even chicory next to manual brew methods that focus on a particular coffee’s unique characteristics, or showcase coffee from emerging markets. It’s also unique because it’s growing.”
Kern Courtney of Kern Has Coffee began roasting coffee after acquiring a sample roaster from a friend coffee roaster in town. He began roasting and delivering coffee and would go on to start selling coffee at the Texas Avenue Makers Fair in 2011. In a short amount of time he found success and was able to become a vendor at the
Ben Carlson of Rhino Coffee checks the beans after the yellowing stage of the roasting process
Shreveport Farmers Market. One aspect of Courtney’s roasting that makes his coffee unique is that he uses an air roaster, which is different than the drum roaster which is used by many roasters. By using the air roaster, there are different qualities and characteristics that are developed in the coffee.
Rather than spend his retirement relaxing, Stan Hutchins decided he wanted to produce the finest coffee in the South, and Plantation Gourmet Coffee was born. Plantation does custom roasting and blending of all organic and fair trade coffee beans from all over the world on their expansive property in Mooringsport, LA. While Hutchins believes that the coffee culture in Shreveport-Bossier is about 30 years behind Seattle and Portland, it is up and coming. He spoke of the history of good coffee coming to Louisiana through the New Orleans port, however much of what is sold by large commercial brands today has been replaced by inexpensive beans that changed the taste of coffee. It is this tradition of good coffee in Louisiana that Hutchins hopes to revive with the coffee that Plantation produces. Hutchins believes that each coffee has a story to tell and that it is the roasters job to tell that story. Jeremy Bohnenkamp is the roaster for Plantation Gourmet Coffee, and he is the mastermind behind the flavored coffee recipes for Plantation. One important aspect of the art of blending coffee is that it allows the roaster to capture something that does not exist in nature. The roasting room on the Plantation property includes shelves of flavors that are combined into an unbelievable number of different flavored coffees.
One needs to only go to the grocery store and look at the coffee aisle to understand that there are plenty of large national brands of coffee from which to choose. The question then becomes why should we choose to drink coffee that is locally produced. For Courtney, there are several reasons. One being the civic pride in drinking coffee produced in this area. Just as important though is Courtney’s
SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM
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argument that “what we have to offer is a good reflection of coffee available everywhere else.” Peter Lyons spoke of the impact of “buying local” not only on our local Shreveport-Bossier economy by employing individuals, but also of the impact on the local communities where the coffee beans originate. He noted that in the United States, only Hawaii and Puerto Rico actually grow coffee beans, so there is a global aspect to the coffee roasting business that isn’t going anywhere. Lyons noted that buying coffee from local roasters is a “way to continue to support local farm to table. They have relationships with local farms in other countries. I don’t know if you are buying nonlocal if you have that guarantee.” For Jon Mackey, there is more than just one reason to drink local when it comes to coffee. He believes that “Local roasters offer a comprehensive look at our area’s knowledge and taste in coffee, and are a great source for learning more about tasting and appreciating coffee, and how to prepare it properly. It’s also much, much easier to get fresh coffee from a local roaster than a national distributor.” Stan and Jeremy of Plantation Gourmet Coffee emphasized the importance of freshness when it comes to drinking coffee. Not only does drinking local coffee support the local economy, you have more of a guarantee that it is fresh. Stan spoke of the coffee that has been sitting on a shelf at the grocery store and the consumer has no idea how long it was sitting in a warehouse before it even made its way to the grocery store shelf. While varied in their approaches to coffee roasting, it is clear that all of the local roasters interviewed for this article share the common goal of wanting the people of Shreveport-Bossier to be able to enjoy the best cup of locally roasted coffee. Whether you are just beginning on your journey of drinking coffee or you are a lifelong enthusiast, I encourage you to go out and try a local coffee you have never tried before and you might be surprised by all of the wonderful options available.
Jeremy Bohnenkamp is the roaster for Plantation Gourmet Coffee, and he is the mastermind behind the flavored coffee recipes for Plantation
Where To Find Local Coffee RHINO COFFEE Rhino Coffee DTWN: 624 Texas St, Shreveport, LA 71101 UTWN: 721 Southfield Rd, Shreveport, LA 71106 rhinocoffee.com
Parish Taceaux Whole Foods Market Wine Country Well-Fed The Shreveport Club
38 WINTER 2017
PLANTATION GOURMET COFFEE
LYONS PRIDE COFFEE
Bon Temps Coffee Bar
724 Azalea Shreveport, LA 71106
450 Clyde Fant Memorial Pkwy #700 Shreveport, LA 71101
Retro 521 521 Barksdale Blvd., Bossier City, LA 71111 retro521.com
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Downtown’s Department Stores Where Memories Were Made
A
couple of years ago, the new owners of the building that once housed the Selber Bros department store at Milam and McNeil Streets invited me to walk through the space. For years, the building had been used only for storage. It was dim and cavernous, filled with dust and boxes, but as I poked around, I saw hints of a finer life. An unopened gift set of Estée Lauder perfume and hairspray, applications for a Selber Bros. credit card inviting me to “enjoy the special privileges of a Selber’s charge account,” as well as envelopes and credit card receipts. I stumbled over what looked to be an old window display, but when I opened it, I discovered it was the 92-year-old proof book containing
42 WINTER 2017
original Selber newspaper ads from 19231925. Advertisements for $5 Mallory hats in spring colors and $35 Hart Schaffner & Marx suits with “smart English flavor” shared space with postings for tailors and salespeople and a newspaper article complimenting Selber Bros. as the most “pretentious (ambitious) store in the state of Louisiana.” By the time I moved to Shreveport in the 1980s, the heyday of downtown department stores was over. Selber Bros and Rubenstein’s were still downtown, but they were coming to the end of their heyday. Palais Royal, M. Levy & Co., Sears, Feibleman Department Store, Hearne Department Store, Winter Company,
Selber Bros during the Holidays (Circa 1960)
BY LIZ SWAINE PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF LSUS
Montgomery Ward, Goldrings, Zodiag Department Store and The Fashion had all closed or moved to suburban malls. It was more than the physical locations that changed—the experience changed as well. The days of dressing up and riding the trolley to enjoy a Saturday filled with shopping and looking in windows, of getting a bag of M & M’s with a purchase of children’s shoes at Selber, or filling an entire tray at Morrison’s Cafeteria because everything just looked SO good were gone, but the memories were not. When it came time to write this article I turned to Facebook for firsthand memories of the department stores of Shreveport past. “BingbingbingbingbingbingbingbingBING.”
The 600 block of Texas St. (Circa 1950)
My Facebook page exploded. “What did you just DO?” asked my husband, Steve, looking first at my computer screen, then at me. “Uh, I just asked people to share their memories of downtown department stores,” I told him as comments filled the page and the number of ‘shares’ climbed. “I guess people have a lot of them.” That, they did. “My brother and I used to run up the escalators at Sears!” “I remember these forest green pants and a cute floral blouse from Selber’s—all the girls in my dorm wanted to borrow that shirt!” “What I really loved was the Moonlight Madness sales downtown. The stores would stay open late and we would shop until we dropped!” “I remember getting hair ribbons and bows for Easter and Sparkle Toe patent leather shoes from Rubenstein’s.” “White gloves and party manner etiquette classes at Selber’s.” “The ‘Sputnik’ beach ball suspended over a Sears vacuum cleaner in the store window right after the Russians launched in the 1950s.” “My wedding dress! It cost $68 at Hearne’s in 1966…and it was a nice dress!” “I’d get on the trolley at Youree Drive for downtown wearing a broad brimmed hat, gloves and heels.” “In the 1950s, my Grandfather went downtown to purchase my Mom a formal gown. He wasn’t comfortable going into a ladies’ shop (The Fashion), so the saleslady and my Mom had to go outside to his car to
get his approval. Can you imagine the looks they must have gotten?” In 1971, Barbara Winkler was 17, newly graduated from Woodlawn High School and on her own. Winkler and her best friend Debbie Cross both had jobs at Rubenstein’s on Milam Street, and shared a unit in downtown’s Townhouse Apartments. They had no car, no television and no phone, but life was a wonderful adventure. They would walk to work each day, eat breakfast at Panos’ Diner (two eggs over easy, bacon, toast and coffee for $3), and since Barbara could not clock in until 8 am, she would sit at the courthouse and watch the squirrels. Dinner was spaghetti and little cans of tomato sauce from the Lo-Mart grocery. “Rubenstein’s was a remarkable place,” she told me. “It just drew you in. People were pleasant and friendly, they gave you the time
Newspaper ad for Tru-Value Dress Shop at 621 Texas Street
of day.” “I know that I was young and probably kind of stupid, but I learned to make good decisions. I wouldn’t take anything for those memories.” Lena Thomason was one of those pleasant people at Rubenstein’s. By 1971, Thomason had already been in the shoe department there for 26 years. Just 16 when she started working in 1945, Thomason came to Rubenstein’s from a job at Morrison’s Cafeteria at the urging of George Trainer, the head of the shoe store. Her first week on the job, Lena earned $55, a princely sum for a 16-year-old in an era when a lunch special cost 50-cents. Thomason cared about her customers. Each
“Rubenstein’s was a remarkable place. It just drew you in. People were pleasant and friendly, they gave you the time of day.” SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM
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Woolworth ad
Sears (Photo Courtesy of LSUS Archives & Special Collections; Noel Memorial Library Jack Barham Collection. Researched by Twin Blends)
October 20, 1948; Rubensteins Ribbon Cutting (Photo Courtesy of LSUS Archives & Special Collections; Noel Memorial Library Jack Barham Collection. Researched by Twin Blends)
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time someone came in, she thanked them for coming, and she asked them to come back as they were leaving. She remembered their sizes and preferences and would call them when things they might like came in. She measured their feet with Shoe Fitting Fluoroscopes and those metal plates called Brannock Devices, and she always had a suggestion if a size wasn’t working. Her job turned into a career, lasting 71 years and spanning three generations. Competition was fierce, but the stores also assisted each other—sometimes. Now 87 years old, Bertha Greer was 13 when she started working downtown in 1943. She was hired at the Tru-Value Dress Shop on McNeil Street, a store that appealed to bargain-minded shoppers. During her years there, Greer ‘did it all’ from maintenance to sales. Just across Texas Street from the Tru-Value was Hearne’s dress shop, a lovely, ‘sophisticated’ store, Greer relates, that was considered more upscale than Tru-Value. Then it happened. The same beautiful black cocktail dress went into the front window display at both stores. Even worse, you could stand on the corner of Texas and McNeil and see both dresses. For the manager at Hearne’s, this needed to be rectified. She wasted no time in paying a visit to Tru-Value and demanding that Miss Gertrude Myers, the manager, “remove the black dress from her window.” Greer chuckles as she remembers that not only was the dress NOT removed, Miss Myers kept it up two weeks longer than was usual. More than just about commerce, downtown Shreveport’s department stores and other retail stores, restaurants and theaters were places where memories were made, saved, and shared with others. Downtown Shreveport has changed, just as the stores have changed. Our new memories won’t be of trolley rides but could feature art walks throughout downtown. They won’t feature shoes from Rubenstein’s, but could include a gift from The Agora Borealis. We won’t be ordering platters from Morrison’s, but we could enjoy coffee and pastries with a group at Rhino Coffee. Instead of catching a John Wayne move at The Don, our new memories might come from seeing a film (maybe even John Wayne!) at Robinson Film Center. Let’s make some memories.
Selber Bros (Photo Courtesy of LSUS Archives & Special Collections; Noel Memorial Library Jack Barham Collection. Researched by Twin Blends)
May 16, 1951; Sears; Mayor Clyde Fant on Shreveport’s First Escalators (Photo Courtesy of LSUS Archives & Special Collections; Noel Memorial Library Jack Barham Collection. Researched by Twin Blends)
Personnel in the drapery department at Sears
Palais Royal at the corner of McNeil and Milam
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SHREVEPORT MAGAZINE RECOLLECTIONS
The history of Shreveport Magazine is long. Started as a business showcase by the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, Shreveport Magazine has seen, covered, and celebrated the opening of many business. Below are a few old photos from our yesteryears.
Shreveport Magazine wants to hear from you. Please like, comment, and share your memories on our Facebook page. 46 WINTER 2017
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Vet / Art Cultivating the Art of Listening
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taring through the pitch-black night, listening for a sound, while trying not to make one himself, Vietnam era veteran Gary Humphries starts to recall memories long forgotten about his time at the Andersen Air Force Base in Guam. Dripping with sweat, he remembers trying not to scream as he cleared the giant spider webs that would wrap around his face. Gary is just one of 32 veterans who has recently participated in a series of art therapy workshops held at the Overton Brooks Medical Center in Shreveport. Gary describes his recent experience with art therapy as a way of letting go, “It’s not a cure all, but it’s the process that allows me to work through things I hadn’t thought about in years.” It happens to everyone in one form or another, those experiences that change who we think we are and how we participate in the world around us. For many veterans the challenge of re-adjusting to civilian life after being in the military can be a long and difficult road. “The military taught me how to put my uniform on but they didn’t teach me how to take it off,” says Scott Morris, a veteran who served in Somalia, Central America, and Iraq. Over the past year and a half, Scott Morris has lost 14 of his military brothers to suicide. After the loss of fellow veteran Callahn Talcott, Scott felt as if this was all too much to handle and decided to seek help from the VA. “Callahn was an incredible artist. I was
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so amazed by the creative things that came out of his head, and I thought I would like to do something like that one day.” While staying at the VA, Scott asked for a pencil and paper and started drawing for the first time. It was this exploration of self- expression that enabled Scott to see his PTSD in a clearer light and seek out other opportunities for creative expression. Shreveport is home to nearly 14,000 veterans, all of whom have their own story to tell. According to the VA, the rate of veteran suicides has increased by over 32% since 2001. Many veterans have a hard time talking about mental illness making it difficult to reach out for the help they need. The VA is beginning to bring in other modalities of therapy and programs to help those who have served this country. Yoga classes are now being offered in the military and many art therapy programs for veterans are becoming more popular across the country. Recently, a series of art therapy workshops funded by a grant from the Louisiana Office of Cultural Development: Division of the Arts that was awarded through Shreveport Regional Arts Council gave local veterans at the Overton Brooks Medical Hospital the opportunity to make artwork that expresses their feelings about their military experiences. Rebecca Thomas, a Board-Certified Art Therapist with a Ph.D. in Psychology and a practicing artist,
collage piece was the most intimidating task but he says he really enjoyed the technical aspects of the technique. “I had a hard time putting so much of myself into that thing! It was very telling,” admits Gary. Dr. Thomas explains that sometimes there is a communication loop that exists between the artist and the canvas. When the veterans describe their experience, one common point is the ability for their work to communicate back to them things they are thinking about in a different way, which can lead to a greater sense of self-awareness. “I was physically and emotionally tired after that first day,” recalls Scott, “I just went home and slept. But, it was at that moment I knew that this art thing could be a way for me to speak without speaking, a way for me to better express myself,” claims Scott. Many of the participants describe the creative process as one that allows them to slow down and relax in order to have greater focus. Instead of relying on, and often times abusing substances to suppress difficult emotions, the participants were able to work through their emotions in a way that has provided a more sustainable form of relief. Not all of the veterans who participated in the workshops had served in combat, and many had not been active duty in years, but they all found ways of relating with one another. “I learned so much from this group of veterans about their experiences and really enjoyed seeing so much kindness and reaching out to others that I do not usually see in other groups,” claims Dr. Thomas. Gary feels the experience would not have been the same without Dr. Thomas facilitating the process in a way that was comforting. It was a calming experience having her there quietly on the sideline lending an ear and a soft voice to guide the group through the process. “Things are less foggy for me now and I am beginning to think more artistically since taking the workshops,” says Gary. Although
facilitated these workshops. “My goals were to offer veterans the opportunity to use a variety of art materials to experience the benefits of art making, to express feelings related to their military experience and to create a receptive opportunity for their art to be seen and responded to by others,” states Dr. Thomas. Each participant was given the opportunity to complete 3 different tasks: an abstract painting using acrylic paint on canvas that expresses a feeling; a collage that depicts how their military experience has changed them; and a mask that represents feelings about military experiences they have felt they must hide. The veterans were then given the opportunity to exhibit one or more of their artworks with the community in an exhibition called VET/ ART curated by the Agora Borealis at Vintage Gallery on Lake Street in downtown Shreveport. The impact on the program participants is undeniable. For Gary, the
Gary describes his recent experience with art therapy as a way of letting go, “It’s not a cure all, but it’s the process that allows me to work through things I hadn’t thought about in years”
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he has had more experience with writing and poetry than with painting, Gary has created at least 15 other pieces of art since taking the workshops this year. Recently, Gary won an adult essay contest with the Mavis Wallette Branch of the Shreve Memorial Library with his essay, “The Spiritually Empowered Woman” and has become more involved in the local arts community. He would really like to see the workshops continue and have more opportunities for the local veterans to experience art therapy and share their work with others. “I have had such a good experience, I want to share that with other veterans by teaching art & writing. I think it is a necessity that we continue with these types of programs,” shares Gary. Scott has also been so inspired by his experiences that he has recently started the not-for-profit organization, the Art of War Project. “Our mission is to connect and engage with veterans so that we can help address and fight PTSD through education, community involvement, speaking platforms, mentoring, art and love”, says Scott. Through the program Scott hopes to make it easier for veterans to find the support they need and explore a variety of creative experiences including art, music, dance, drama, and poetry. “You know a lot of people ask me ‘How do I get involved? How can I help?’ and honestly its as simple as just listening to what our veterans have to say. Find out what their story is,” claims Scott. One of the most significant parts of the workshops for many of the veterans was being able to share their artwork with others in the community. Many of the people who viewed the exhibition claimed that they were able to learn something about the experiences of those in the military. “It has been very liberating sharing that part of myself with others,” says Gary. Sometimes art has nothing to do with whether or not the work is aesthetically pleasing but more about what it can communicate to the viewer. There can be so much gained when we take the time to listen to others, to ourselves and sometimes maybe even the art on a canvas.
SUFFER NOT So again ones bleeding instrument has united with pressed fibers long sought with which to bond thoughout the ages. Words are composed and clamor excited, tears flow or perhaps gray-matter pulses outwardly towards a future not yet lived. However does a word coupled with another, another, and yet another complete a heart that has yet to beat and alter an existing world before the future is corrupted? Should it not be contemptible, a media wielded with such cunning strokes in the hand of a single mortal life-form which fills the veins and ignites life’s engine, it’s consciousness within a micro-universe of self so powerful it dares to chain the awesomeness of a soul? The question has been begged: Are those enlightened few, poets, transcending the written word to hold them close to breast? Or perhaps the poet breed is slowly vanishing into oblivion. We should all suffer not this insult on on one’s motality nor of narrow-browed minds intent on ingorance of the masses. Let us not be weary in our resolution nor grow faint in continence when truth may be that which fails in the end. G. Wayne Humphries
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6970 Fern Ave, Shreveport, LA
|
318-798-1241
BY ROBERT TRUDEAU & LULU MAY PHOTOGRAPHY BY ROBERT TRUDEAU
Get Up Offa That Thing Raising the Bar for a Community of Dance
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tatistics show that six out of ten children participate in extracurricular activities. One of the most popular activities, especially for young girls, is dance—though there has been a recent uptick in enrollment for boys. The dance community in the SBC area is quite large, with a quick scan of the internet easily picking up 10+ dance studios. Odds are you have a child taking dance, or you know someone whose child participates in dance classes. But is it truly a community? Community is defined as a feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals. An in-depth look finds that the term “community” applies more to each studio than the collective dance groups. Most dancers don’t go beyond the doors of their own studio. What changes could be made to improve the dance “scene”, if you will, in our area, for both the dancers, as well as the audience? Discussions with multiple studio owners, dancers, parents, and former dancers strongly point to 3 main suggestions. A dance super committee aka City Company including adults in dance, bigger roles for arts organizations, and dance awareness. Shreveport Magazine believes that pushing beyond the status quo would have a positive effect on dancers, companies and the artistic and economic impact of dance in the region. We are tantalized by the possibilities that might be engendered by a dance super committee. Composed of cooperation-minded representatives of an array of dance studios, this leadership committee would listen to and publish the concerns of studio owners, dancers and parents.
Shreveport Magazine believes that pushing beyond the status quo would have a positive effect on dancers, companies and the artistic and economic impact of dance in the region. 54 WINTER 2017
Arts Dance Studio is located at 4801 Line Ave, long the site of Carol Anglin Dancenter. San Diego choreographer Niara Eustace was guest for a summer session produced by owner Marie Arts. See artsdancecenter.com.
Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, directed by Kendra Meiki, is one of Shreveport-Bossier City’s largest and longest continuously-operating arts organizations. Meiki, Royal Dance Academy-certified, produces the premier Shreveport-Bossier dance event, The Nutcracker. SMB’s training and auditions take place at Shreveport Dance Academy, 2537 E. 70th St. See shreveportmetroballet.org.
Brittany Pureese has established her new dance center, Be Dance, at 6363 Hearne Ave. Suite 203. The dancer-proprietor, a Louisiana Tech grad, trains the Black Ice team here and offers classes that meld ballet and modern to all ages, including adults. See bedancestudio.com.
Dance teachers Amanda Daily, of San Diego, Roshanda Spears (Shufflin Along Llc), Marie Arts of Arts Dance Center, and teacher-choreographer Brandi Elizabeth Jelks. See artsdancecenter.com.
BIG IDEA #1
Might there be a City Company for the SBC at-large? Might there be a City Company for the SBC at-large, not connected in any way to any of the local dance schools? It could be run by a board of local professionals who are involved in business and the arts, with no conflict of interest (i.e. involved children). Such a company currently exists in Alexandria, LA. Mainly funded by grants, students from various dance schools attend regular training classes at their local school, and rehearse for two company performances per year at a neutral location on Saturdays. One concern is whether local dance schools would support this extra training, as it could potentially take away income they receive from their larger, non-recital shows? Grants to perform and teach classes in local schools could be written into this City Company. The grant money could also be used to provide professional dance instruction to students who may not have the opportunity to join a studio, along with scholarships for the underprivileged, and master classes. Though many studios have summer intensives and master classes with nationally acclaimed teachers brought in, these tend to stay mainly segregated,
with each studio/company requiring its dancers to take their own workshop. Teachers should be able to encourage their students to attend community master classes without fear of losing their students to another studio, as it is always a good idea to step outside the box and gain exposure to other styles and teacher techniques. This artistic staff, perhaps rotating, could also bring in nationally known instructors to teach master classes at a completely neutral location so that all students from all around the Ark-La-Tex would feel comfortable attending. With the hiatus of Louisiana Dance Collective, which provided dance opportunities for young adults, the region needs a site and leader for adult dancers. Adult dancers looking for opportunities to dance, and more flexible rehearsal times could also find a place in such a company. A local studio owner once stated that some of the best dancing she did was in her 30’s. So often people think dancing is for children, and as a result many are forced to give it up when they reach adulthood.
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BIG IDEA #2
Is there a bigger role for SRAC & BAC in developing dance in the region? Is there a bigger role for SRAC and BAC in developing dance in the region? Perhaps, there could be one large dance performance sponsored by these two art councils, inviting all companies in the area to perform, with local food trucks in attendance. While there have been collaborations of multiple studios in certain shows, such as Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet’s “Fall for Dance” in recent years, most tend to stick with their own. It is not uncommon for some to attend competitions in other cities, put on smaller performances, and of course, participate in the annual end-of-year recitals. Perhaps a performance at an outdoor venue in late spring or early summer when people are really beginning to get outside could really bring dance to the masses. While the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra has steadily included dance in its concerts, might there be even more that it could do to foster dance performance? Might the Shreveport Opera and even Robinson Film Center increase dance-related programming? These collaborations with the Symphony, Opera, and other art venues may just stimulate the interest of culturally minded people that have not been attending dance performances. One only needs to attend the Shreveport Symphony or Opera to understand that both have long been considered a place to see and be seen.
Not principally a ballet center, Candace Dance Company, Bossier City, is oriented to competition in popular dance, says director Candace Traylor Moreland. See candacedanceco.com.
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Young dancers at Theater School of Dance, Bossier City. Director Emily Seale is one of several teachers who place an emphasis on avoiding physical injuries while building effective dance technique. See theatreschoolofdance.com/.
Sandy’s Dance Center at 111 Dalton St (adjacent to Ellerbe Rd), specializes in teaching adults ballroom, swing, country, Latin and line dancing. There are bridal dance workshops, too. See more at Sandysdance.com.
BIG IDEA #3
Might attendance at performances be stronger if dance awareness was widespread? One of the limitations observed by those who love dance is the regional audience. So, how does a region develop dance awareness? Might attendance at performances be stronger if dance awareness was widespread? With some collaboration, the dance “community” could truly become a highlight of our community. Perhaps a community company, specifically designed to address the needs of the Opera, Symphony, and local theater groups would benefit all involved. Collaboration with venues such as Artspace and Robinson Film Center with multiple day events/shows would also be entertaining. Perhaps patrons would be willing to sponsor dancers, or endorse scholarships that would help send dancers to competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix—the biggest youth ballet competition in the world—and summer intensives around the U.S. where they have the chance to join professional dance schools and companies. With the right support, these dancers could benefit from exceptional training, achieve local performance goals, and be given a chance to
pursue their dreams on the national stage. Nurturing our community of dancers can bring about many benefits including the return of dancers to our great city to train future generations. Imagine media blasts inviting people from a 4-state region to visit the Strand for dance performances featuring performers from across the country as well as outstanding young dancers from our great city and the region. One can imagine an image comprised of legs, leotards and dancers who are flying and pirouetting. Is this an outrageous idea or does dance offer a platform for building tourism? Dance conventions undoubtedly equal tourism. The biggest name in the dance industry is World of Dance, with events in 28 countries. It is a growing industry. Conventions present a seductive series of events for dance-loving students and they fill hotels. Event centers can be filled with workshops, vendors and performances. Will a community or dance leader arise to bind the greater part of this dance energy into a unified force? Can Shreveport-Bossier hope to become a region where pride in dance is part of the consciousness? The opportunity lies in wait. Imagine the medical community featuring dance in neurological studies and public health mavens promoting prevention of diabetes and heart disease by a widespread program of dance. Tourism and economic development leaders could focus on dance conventions and an international meeting of dance artists similar in intent to the Wideman International Piano Competition, now in its 66th year. For those who can appreciate the long-term view, the question might be, “What would Marion Mills do?”
Lotus Studio, 446 Olive St, continues to offer belly dance, yoga, hand drumming and hooping, even as the building has gotten a Caribbean-toned fresh paint job. All ages. Sharon Nixon is the owner.
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So much more than a fun place.
Kelsey and Cody achieved their results with Damon-Q brackets at CSO.
www.CosseOrtho.com
Time It’s about
Busy Schedule? Now offering Evening & Weekend Appointments
9045 Ellerbe Rd Suite 103 Shreveport, LA 71106 318.698.3000 www.hayterlaw.com
BY ANGELA VINET | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENN FARNELL
Masters of Enchantment A Historic Highlands Wonderland For All Seasons
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ome of us have never really grown up and we are not going to—life is too short not to enjoy each day and that’s what we do here.”
-Deb Beckmam Cockrell
It’s not often walking into a store sweeps a shopper away to another place, another magical land where nothing but joy and all things wonderful reside. In Shreveport, such a place exists—The Enchanted Garden. For the past 37 years, Deb Beckman Cockrell has worked 70 plus hours a week to build her boutique, The Enchanted Garden, into something completely unique. She has successfully done this with many devoted customers and second generations now gracing her door stoop. The story of The Enchanted Garden begins with a young Deb, a girl but 6 years old. This ambitious little girl would roam the streets of Erie and Historic South Highlands going door-to-door peddling the trinkets and gifts she made by hand. Her proud parents would host boutique showings for their daughter inviting friends and neighbors. South Highlands has always been a tight-knit community of neighbors, and the young Deb Beckman had a supportive neighborhood who believed in her and bought her wares. She and her brother also made a newspaper to circulate in the neighborhood with news of the latest puppies on the block and dates of boutique showings. Fast forward to college aged Deb who had worked in her brother, Dennis Beckman’s San Francisco boutique for a stint and completed college in Fayetteville, AR and was now ready to come home and open up her own shop. Her banker, who helped get the store off the ground, happened to live down the street. He had watched her over the years, and the young, ambitious entrepreneur was now ready to take on the world. He believed in her and so, The Enchanted Garden was born. There was nothing like The Enchanted Garden in the region 37 years ago when the store opened. This truly one-of-a-kind, fantasy land is felt the moment one steps through the door of the shop. Deb wanted a place where people could see things that they have never seen before. She started with one building with a front room and thought that was all she needed. However, four years later she had nine rooms and a baby to fill with her love as they had purchased the building next to theirs and built what they call a “blessing hallway” to connect the two buildings. With her father sending strangers off the street to his daughter’s shop, her mother who worked at the shop with her for many, many years, and eventually her brother Dennis who joined her from San Francisco, as well as the devotion of her childhood neighborhood, Deb’s contagious happy heart had all of the ingredients to become a legend in Shreveport.
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Traveling to markets from the West to the East coast, Deb and Dennis are self-proclaimed “double trouble” searching for unique items that Shreveporters have not seen before. Boxes from all over the world pour into the store with at least 50 a week full of treasures for every corner and crevice of the store. They often find specific items at market for loyal customers knowing their singular tastes which is a thrill to them when they get to show the customer what they found—just like a treasure hunt. Seasonally changing the decor, if there is cause to celebrate, be assured that The Enchanted Garden has a theme and plenty of glitter to make life sparkle during that season. Deb considers her shop a healing garden, one that’s good for the soul by giving love freely to each and every customer since this special place is much like a home where customers meet and greet while Dennis offers cookies he makes daily. The pride that Deb has in her community shows in all that she does. From donating to just about every function in Shreveport to attending the functions and sending the tourists to other local shops—Deb said she is here to promote the cities of Shreveport/ Bossier. What is alarming to her, is the rate at which locally owned shops are closing. As she pulled a hand-written list of about fifty local shops, there were many lines drawn through the names.
Her store is what she has felt a boutique should always be. As I interviewed her and Dennis, a young child was flying on a broom while his mother happily shopped and two separate customers visited while their gifts were being complimentary wrapped. All of them lost in this place’s charm with umbrellas that change color in the rain and scarves hand made in Nepal, with room after room of gifts in all ranges—this is a one stop shop. Deb shared that some out-of-towners even spend an entire Saturday shopping for Christmas making use of the complimentary gift wrap. Deb has mastered something few have—the art of gift giving. The magic that is The Enchanted Garden is not limited to the wares that are being sold, but rather comes from the love that is shared. It is the love for others shown through the art of gift giving that makes The Enchanted Garden so special. Each gift is a treasure and treated as such there. Deb is the keeper of smiles and encourager of the love that comes with bearing gifts. Generous and kind, loving and free spirited—Deb Beckman Cockrell’s The Enchanted Garden is magical because she pours every ounce of love and thoughtfulness into each item in her store, each gift that is wrapped, and each person that walks through her doors.
Deb & Dennis are “double-trouble” when it comes to finding unique items for Shreveporters
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She won’t believe her
eyes.. Lusk LASIK...the ultimate gift!
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Wintertime Wonderment Local Things To Do Dec. 1
KCS Holiday Express //kcssouthern.com
Dec. 2
YPI’s 40 Under 40
//Shreveport Convention Center
Nov. 18th
Catahoula Wine Mixer
Nov. 25
Rockets Over the Red
//at Provenance Park
//rocketsoverthered.com
Nov. 27
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer: The Musical
Dec. 3-9
Shop Local Artists Week //Downtown Shreveport
//at Municipal Auditorium
Nov. 14Dec. 23
Holidaze Shopping at artspace //708 Texas Street
Tinsel
//December 1st in South Highlands Tinsel shoppers will be chauffeured to multiple stops along Line Avenue, shopping in the area’s most popular stores. Participating stores offer a variety of complimentary food, beverage, entertainment, and discounts to Tinsel shoppers. bit.ly/shreveporttinsel
Fri-Sun until Dec. 17th
Christmas in Roseland //at the Gardens of the American Rose Center
Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet’s The Nutcracker //December 9th and 10th at the Riverview Theatre
The 40th anniversary performances of SMB’s The Nutcracker feature San Francisco Ballet principal dancers Dores Andre and Luke Ingram, a cast of more than 100 local dancers led by Artistic Director Kendra Meiki, and live music performed by The Shreveport Symphony Orchestra conducted by SMB Music Director Kermit Poling.
Dec. 9-10
Historic Highland Christmas Home Tour
Jan. 15
Songs of the Season
Jan. 18
//restorehighland.org
Dec. 13-17
//Downtown Shreveport
//Shreveport Community Church
Dec. 15-17
Disney’s Alice In Wonderland Jr //Shreveport Little Theatre
Krewe of Harambee: MLK Jr Day Mardi Gras Parade
CABARET
//The Strand Theatre
Jan. 27
The Great C Major featuring John-Henry Crawford //The Strand Theatre
Dec. 17
Christmas Tour
//at the Logan Mansion
Feb. 3
Krew of Centaur Parade //kreweofcentaur.org
Dec. 20-21
Sesame Street Live //Centurylink Center
Feb. 10
Krew of Gemini Parade //kreweofgemini.com
Dec. 26
Toadie’s Under the Bridge //at Red River District
Feb. 11
Krew of Highland Parade //thekreweofhighland.org
Dec. 27
Independence Bowl
//Independence Stadium
Dec. 31
Toast
//SciPort
Philadelphia Center’s Resolution Run //January 6th at Betty Virginia Park
Help our community get the New Year started off on the right foot!
2018 Reconciliation Dinner //February 24th
In 1865, a freed slave and chef, Nat Fuller, invited Charleston, South Carolina’s elite, black and white, to sit at a common table and share a reconciliation dinner. Shreveporters inspired by this event held the first Shreveport Reconciliation Dinner in August of 2016. reconciliationshreveport.com
BY DR. CATHERINE FORET | PHOTOGRAPHY BY JENN FARNELL
Feed the Positive Dog A
man goes to the village and he ask to speak with the Wiseman. He tells the Wiseman, “I have two dogs inside me. One dog is positive, loving, kind and gentle. The other dog is mean spirited, angry, quick to judge and is always negative.” The man then says, “I do not know which one is going to win.” The Wiseman quickly says, “I do! The dog you feed the most will win. So, feed the positive dog.” I am a veterinarian. Obviously, I gravitate towards this tale because it is about dogs. Every day we have the option to wake up and look at the bright side of things. It is our choice to have a positive outlook on life. But to one up the Wiseman’s tale, let me share a life lesson from two of my dearest patients. “Whistling Dixie” was a black Labrador, who lived life to the fullest. She never got out of the puppy stage and she ate every meal like she had not eaten in days. Dixie was one of my first regular canine blood donors. She donated 3-4 times a year for years. She offered the gift of life and saved many four legged friends. What can we learn from Dixie? Give of yourself to help others without expecting anything in return. She would bound out of the truck, run into the clinic, dance with excitement in the treatment room, give her donation, and then would dance again. Each time she came she had the same attitude of happiness. Whether it is little acts of kindness for a stranger or something a little more significant for a friend, know that helping others without expecting anything in return will improve the quality of your life like nothing else. Take the time to listen to someone who needs to talk, help someone who
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needs an extra hand, or offer time to a cause that is important—these things matter in life. Ringo “The Man in the Can”, a weimaraner, was a wise fella. Ringo did not like his feet touched. He was a serious day napper that could convince even the best multitasker to stop and take a little cat nap. I would have to say that Ringo got more happiness from a car ride than anything else. What can we learn from Ringo? Enjoy the journey, unplug, and be flexible. When Ringo would go for a car ride, he would stick his head out the window (or sun roof ), smell the air and feel the wind flap his huge ears from side to side. Ringo never asked, “Where are going?” Ringo never cared where he was going. He was just enjoying the journey. Although goals must be set, we often forget that it’s life’s journey that matters most. When we get too attracted to the outcome, we set ourselves up for frustration or even anger if our exact expectations are not met. Next time you set a goal, be open to other possibilities and be flexible along the ride. Be kind. Enjoy the ride. Take naps. Unplug (literally put the phone down). Read a magazine. Give of yourself. Donate your time. Be Flexible. Be a good listener. Be loving. Being positive doesn’t just make you better, it makes everyone around you better. Take possession of your mind and remember that what you feed it is what you will attract.
Feed the Positive Dog.