Shreveport Magazine Issue 13

Cover Photo by Chris Keane, USGA Museum

KARL

R H Construction, Co., Inc. OSENBLAT

318-207-1762 • 794 Brook Hollow Dr, Shreveport, LA 71105

BY WINSTON HALL | PHOTOGRAPHY BY DONNA CHANCE HALL

SB Day Trips Looking for a fun day trip? Try these North Louisiana adventures that are all within a one-hour drive of Shreveport/Bossier!

DRISKILL MOUNTAIN Louisiana is not known for its mountain summits but in Bienville Parish adventurers will find the highest point in Louisiana—Driskill Mountain. You won’t need your climbing gear though as Driskill Mountain is only 535 feet tall. The hill is named after James Christopher Driskill who settled in the area in 1859.

Today Driskill Mountain is privately owned but open to the public.

The 1.8-mile hike is light and offers two paths to the top of the hill. The trail is also dog friendly, but because the trail is privately owned, visitors are asked to respect the land and take out any trash or items they carry in. A marker notes the summit and visitors are encouraged to sign a logbook. Driskill Mountain is located on La. Hwy. 507, about 15 miles south of Arcadia. The trailhead is adjacent to the Mt. Zion Church. Visitors can park in the church parking lot and follow trail markers and signs.

As an interesting side note, the Highpointers Club founder Jack Longacre had a portion of his ashes spread atop Driskill Mounain.

The Highpointers Club is a nationwide organization that promotes hiking or climbing the highest point in all fifty states. For more information visit www.highpointers.org.

BONNIE AND CLYDE AMBUSH MUSEUM Few people have ever captured the collective imagination of the world like the famous outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow.

Simultaneously revered and feared, the violent duo went on a Great Depression crime spree that catapulted them to notoriety. They became the target of a multi-state manhunt that ended in an ambush on a rural North Louisiana highway less than an hour from Shreveport.

That ambush—and the colorful exploits of Bonnie and Clyde—are immortalized in the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in Gibsland,

4 FALL 2018

Louisiana. The museum contains various Bonnie and Clyde artifacts, including a shotgun that belonged to Clyde Barrow, a replica of the car in the ambush and pieces of the actual car.

The museum itself also holds historical significance. It resides in what was once the Ma Canfield’s Café, the last stop Bonnie and Clyde made before heading out of town on Highway 154 and into immortality. (A roadside marker eight miles from Gibsland notes the ambush site.)

The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum is easy to find on Main Street in downtown Gibsland. Their hours are 9-5pm, seven days a week.

Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum 2419 Main Street, Gibsland, LA 71028 CAPTAIN RON’S SWAMP TOURS To many, Caddo Lake has always seemed magical. From bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss to wildlife galore, the lake teems with a mystical essence that has brought people to its banks for thousands of years. Today, visitors can still step back in time on Caddo Lake with Captain Ron’s Swamp Tours.

Located in Karnack, Texas, Captain Ron’s pontoon boat tours last about an hour and takes adventurers through one of the oldest bald cypress groves in North America. Captain Ron, a retired sea captain, entertains visitors with Caddo Lake history and trivia as well as tales of his adventures on the high seas. The tours are also flush with wildlife and fauna, all pointed out by the intrepid Captain Ron. Captain Ron’s swamp tours begin at the dock adjacent to the Big Pines Lodge Restaurant located at 756 Pine Island Road, Karnack, Texas. For more information visit www.captronswamptours.com.

At the summit of Driskill Mountain, a stand contains information about the mountain and a logbook for visitors to sign.

A marker on the side of LA-154 outside Gibsland denotes the ambush site of Bonnie and Clyde.

A replica of the tan Ford V-8 driven by Clyde Barrow, on display in the Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum.

The Bonnie and Clyde Ambush Museum in downtown Gibsland resides in the former Ma Canfield’s Cafe, the last place Bonnie and Clyde stopped before the infamous ambush.

Captain Ron’s pontoon boat docked and ready for the next group of Caddo Lake adventure seekers.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 5

Strong Families = Strong Shreveport "We make that happen by voting, by making our expectations known, and sharing our insights, by pursuing our dreams and by living our best lives right here in Shreveport."

Thanks & Well Wishes: City Councilman Jeff Everson (pg. 36)

Pete John Publisher

Tara John Editor

In This Issue Fall 2018 4

SB Day Trips: Try these North Louisiana adventures that are all within a one-hour drive of Shreveport/Bossier!

10

PTSD You Are Not Alone

14

Cirque du Lake: From Legend to Festival

17

A Closer Look At The Louisiana Startup Prize 2018

23

Civil Rights & Galilee Baptist Church Museum

28

The Romance of the Red

36

Thanks & Well Wishes: City Councilman, Jeff Everson

40

43

Tunnels Under the Strand Theatre

48

An Unbreakable Bond: The David & Carter Toms Story

51

Businesses Reinvesting in Community

56

Historic Places & Long Forgotten Spaces

63

ThisAbility: Matters of the HeART

64

Autumn Events

Melissa Brannan Local Foodie & Chef

Team Zack Fink Graphic Designer

Editor: Tara John Publisher: Pete John Designed By: Crawford Design Group

Advertising: Martin Black martinb@shreveportmagazine.com Subscribe for free at: shreveportmagazine.com Editorial: editor@shreveportmagazine.com

Cover Photo By: Shannon Palmer

Cover Photo by Chris Keane, USGA Museum

Tony Taglavore

Ursula Brantley

AJ Haynes

Writer

Writer

Writer

Tony Taglavore is an award-winning media personality and a veteran of the Shreveport sports scene. A former, long-time television anchor and reporter, Tony is now a broadcaster for the Northwestern State University Demon Sports Network. He also hosts an LSU football show and is the radio play-by-play voice of Captain Shreve High School football. Tony also owns Sweet Lou Media, an advertising agency in Shreveport.

Ursula Brantley is a freelance writer, single mother, and native of Shreveport. She has been writing professionally since 2012 and has written for CoLab Radio, blog site for M.I.T.'s Community Innovations Lab, as well as the SBC's own blog site 20x49. She also attended the NATJA (North American Travel Journalists' Association) Conference in 2013. Ursula is currently a librarian for Bossier Parish Libraries.

A.J. Haynes loves ginger tea prepared with an ungodly amount of honey and time with her records. When she's not listening to records, she's usually writing songs to go on records.

Winson Hall

Scott Anderson

Mary Katherine Arcement

Writer

Writer

Writer

Winston Hall is a piano entertainer and founder of the Shreveport-Bossier Music Museum Coalition. His hobbies include kayaking, camping, and exploring all the beautiful corners of North Louisiana. He and his wife Donna have called Shreveport home for ten years.

Scott Anderson is the lead storyteller at Scooter Anderson Communications. He has more than 25 years of experience in journalism and marketing communications. In addition to storytelling, he enjoys immersing himself in Louisiana’s rich culture and history.

Mary Katherine Arcement is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She currently works in her private practice located in the Shreveport area. In addition to her work as a counselor, Mary Katherine is also a 200 hour Registered Yoga Instructor and a distributor with Young Living essential oils.

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Jeremy Hernandez

Shannon Palmer

Everl Adair

Photographer

Photographer

Writer

Jeremy Hernandez lives in Shreveport, loves urban photography, and arriving by bicycle. A native of Baton Rouge, but has worked and lived around the southeast.

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.

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 and 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.

Chrystalyn Whitaker

Jeff Everson

LeeAnn Monat

Writer

Writer

Writer

Crystalyn Whitaker wears many hats. She's Miss Whitaker during the weekday in her position at English Department head and English I teacher at Booker T. Washington High School. After hours and weekends, she's Poetess Lady Munira: an unabashed spoken word artist and open mic hostess at locally owned Bon Temps Coffee Bar.

Jeff Everson has represented Shreveport’s City Council District B for 8 years. He is a full time real estate professional who also serves on many community boards like the ARC of Caddo-Bossier. He lives with his wife, Dr. Andrea Everson, 2 children (Andrew 6, Frances 2) and 4 dogs in the Fairfield Historic District/ Highland area.

Lee Ann Monat is a cook, writer, artist, health coach and herbalist. She bakes bread and runs social media for Cuban Liquor Co. and sings in the Shreveport Opera Chorus in her spare time. www.lion-art.com

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 9

PTSD

BY MARY KATHERINE ARCEMENT, LPC, LMFT

YOU ARE NOT ALONE

A

young woman walks into a friend’s home and almost immediately is confronted with an all too familiar smell of Old Spice. Within minutes she finds her breath hard to catch, her palms are sweating and the floor appears to be spinning. She is unaware of what is happening until moments later when it hits her: her grandfather, he always wore Old Spice cologne. The smell takes her back to age 6 when the abuse first began. PTSD. A man drives the familiar route home on an ordinary day, and as he approaches the intersection of First and Fern, he recognizes an uncomfortable churning in the pit of his stomach as his heart begins to pound louder and panic seems to rush up. He begins to sob uncontrollably as visions of his crash eight months earlier rush to

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meet him. The same crash that resulted in the death of his beloved wife. PTSD. A soldier arrives home after a six month deployment. Within the first four weeks he notices his jumpiness and inability to sleep.

Instead of connecting his symptoms to his time in Iraq, he brushes it off and blames everyday fatigue. Somewhere in the recesses of his mind, the pictures, the sounds, the smells are an all too familiar pain he doesn’t want to bear. PTSD. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder comes in many shapes and sizes.

According to the National Center for PTSD, it is a mental health problem that some people develop after experiencing or witnessing a life-threatening event, like combat, a natural disaster, a car accident, or sexual assault. The signs of PTSD may present themselves almost

immediately, or they can be delayed for months or years, and/or can be intermittent until properly addressed through psychotherapy and medication. It is normal to have feelings of anxiety and/or depression after a car accident or even a natural disaster, however, the difference occurs when a person is experiencing the following: 1. Re-experiencing the trauma through intrusive distressing recollections of the event, flashbacks, and nightmares. 2. Emotional numbness and avoidance of places, people, and activities that are reminders of the trauma.

3. Increased arousal such as difficulty sleeping and concentrating, feeling jumpy, and being easily irritated and angered.

In 1980, PTSD became an official diagnosis in the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Nearly 50% of all mental health patients have PTSD. With

that said, exactly how common is PTSD in America, more specifically, in men and women? According to The Nebraska Department for Veteran’s Affairs, an estimated 7.8 percent of Americans will experience PTSD at some point in their lives, with women (10.4%) twice as likely as men (5%) to develop PTSD. About 3.6 percent of U.S. adults aged 18 to 54 (5.2 million people) have PTSD during the course of a given year. This represents a small portion of those who have experienced at least one traumatic event—60.7% of men and 51.2% of women reported at least one traumatic event. The traumatic events most often associated with PTSD for men are rape, combat exposure, childhood neglect, and childhood physical abuse. The most traumatic events for women are rape, sexual molestation, physical attack, being threatened with a weapon, and childhood physical abuse.

As a mental health professional for the last 15 years, I have witnessed many forms of PTSD. I have, at times, surprised clients when I mention the possibility that they may be experiencing PTSD. So often people stereotype the disorder and assume a person must experience war, or have been a victim of rape or some other catastrophic event in order to have PTSD. There are times when the reality lies not in the event but rather our response to the event. For example, when I was in my early 20’s I was involved in a car accident that resulted in my car being totaled and my collarbone broken. Although it was a relatively uneventful car accident, months afterwards I still noticed the sweating of my palms and increased heart rate each time I drove in traffic. Even now, over 20 years later, when I am driving down this same road I feel the presence of a slight increase of my heart rate.

For those who experience more traumatic events such as combat or sexual abuse/assault, help should be sought immediately. It is recommended you first reach out to a Licensed Professional Counselor, Social Worker or Psychiatrist to discuss your situation and to determine your immediate needs. Taking this first step is the beginning of putting yourself first in a healthy way. Counseling and medication are often necessary but a rare few can go without medication. When such a person does not receive proper help until years later, they are not deemed helpless but rather they may need more intense therapy. It has been observed that when a person waits for years until they seek help, a great deal of life happens along the way which may or may not have a negative impact on how they are handling the traumatic event. The delay in getting help could result in drug addiction, alcoholism, gambling addiction, promiscuity, depression, panic attacks, anger, racing thoughts, restlessness, insomnia, and/or eating disorders. After a trauma occurs, the brain is designed to go into survival mode. The down side is our survival mode has a tendency to lean towards self-numbing rather than self-healing. We as humans can only withstand so much emotional or mental pain before the mind begins shut-down mode. Things like addictions become desirable primarily because they are an immediate relief and take little to no work or thought.

As you reflect on your life and perhaps wonder if you may be experiencing PTSD, remember that as humans we do not “get over” trauma, but rather we “work through it.” Take this time to reach out to your local mental health professionals and then take a leap into the unknown. Taking care of yourself mentally, emotionally and physically will be uncomfortable, but it is through this discomfort that healthy change begins. If you are experiencing symptoms of PTSD you are already uncomfortable. The questions becomes, which discomfort are you most willing to experience now?

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 11

From

Legend to Festival

“M

any, many moons ago,” an Indian brave won the affection of a maiden from a hostile tribe.

Fearing the anger of the maiden’s father—the chief—the couple fled “through the palmetto swamps, past lagoons purple with iris and under live oaks flaunting ghostly banners of Spanish moss,” to what is now Shreveport.

Eventually the chief and his warriors found the lovers and with nowhere to escape the lovers petitioned to the “Great Father”. “And lo! the pure waters of a lovely lake lay sparkling between them and those who sought their lives.” The chief gave the lovers the symbol for peace and farewell and then disappeared into the forest. “The young couple so miraculously saved, lived for many years on the banks of the lake afterwards known as ‘Silver Lake.’”

Downtown Shreveport is full of history, unique architecture, and so many possibilities. Lake Street has its own unique history and gets its name from what used to be Silver Lake. The charming Caddo legend about the origin of Sliver Lake beautifully characterizes a sense of magic and overcoming the odds that the current business owners of Lake Street embody as they put in the work to transform the southern border of downtown. “Lake Street definitely has its own feel,” says Liz Swaine, Downtown Development Authority Executive Director and Lake Street property owner. “The area is transforming from manufacturing and industrial to art and design. Come to see the creativity, then hang around for trainspotting!”

On July 17th, 2014 a group of businesses on the 400 block of Lake Street opened their doors inaugurating their first Cirque du Lake

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Caleb Persia as Nimnac & Ash Akin as GORP

BY MANDIE EBARB | PHOTOS COURTESY OF THOM JOHNSON OF STUDIO HIGHLAND

opening celebration. Together, an artist marketplace—the Agora Borealis, two architecture firms—iArchitecture and Vintage Design Group—and a granola bakery—Good Granoly, began to breathe new life into the historic block of Lake Street. Over the past four years, Lake Street has continued to grow adding new businesses such as Definition Industries, a screen-printing shop; Digital Logic, a digital marking firm; the Lake St. Gallery which features a new fine art exhibition every two months from local artists; and the home of Sweetport, an ice cream truck that sells locally themed sweet treats. As the businesses of Lake Street have grown so too has the festival and this community of business owners have no intention of slowing down.

Today the Cirque du Lake Festival is held annually on the 3rd Friday in September. From Spring to Marshall, Lake Street is flooded with music, food, art, and entertainment. Intended to mimic a French market, Cirque du Lake is a collaboration of street vendors, entertainers and artisans coming together to celebrate and serve the public. “I was so inspired by my experiences in France, exploring the different handmade items sold in the street markets and watching as artists painted ‘en plein air’. There was just this creative energy watching as artists captured these moments in time. I wanted to recreate that experience in Shreveport as a way of giving back to my community,” says Katy Larsen, owner of the Agora Borealis.

The number of artists and local organizations who come together continues to grow with over 50 vendors who participated in 2017. Every year different local musicians play throughout the festival. Artists such as Outliar, Magnolia Mae, the Wall Chargers, Ziel Zuster, 318 Riddim Band, Alan Dyson, Twang Darkly, and Nate

Treme have performed over the years. Showcasing musicians, artists, and businesses that are unique to Shreveport is a huge part of the festival. “It's a great time to play with fellow art enthusiasts. Seeing the bustling vendors, performers and "foodies" leaves me with such an uplifting energy at the end of the night,” says local artist Rachel Carlson. “Shreveport is fortunate in that it is so very diverse and can be a safe haven for fierce, creative wonderers. I think Cirque du Lake does an excellent job acknowledging that. It is the perfect opportunity for people of any age, culture or distinction to get a glimpse of exactly what ‘Shreveportant’ really means.” Festival goers can enjoy a taco from local favorite Ki’Mexico, drink a local brew from Great Raft or Red River Brewery, indulge in locally themed ice cream from Sweetport, or even learn about great organizations like the Prize Foundation and Friends of the Algur Meadows, all while experiencing what Shreveport’s greatest creatives have to offer.

Cirque du Lake intends to leave festival goers with a sense of pride in their local businesses, and in their community encouraging people from the area to take notice of the exciting achievements that can be accomplished when they work together.

“What is great about this festival is that it gives the public another point of interest to visit in downtown. The more opportunities we have for people to come and explore downtown, the more traffic we will have, and with more people comes the ability for members of our community to feel safe to explore and take notice of the progress we have been making over the past 4 years,” states Jeff Spikes, Owner of iArchitecture. People are investing in the Lake Street area and it is finally beginning to pay off. The more local businesses work together the more opportunities the Shreveport community will have to come together to support our local economy and build a culture of exchange and innovation. At the end of the day, our quest is all the same—to get to meet and inspire one another, and fall in love with the city in which we live. With these ideas in mind, Cirque du Lake is the perfect opportunity for the whole family to come and explore what is happening downtown, get to know their neighbors and experience the magic of what once was Silver Lake. This year’s theme will have a rhythm all its own. So this September 21st make the journey down to Lake St and “lo!” the family fun you’ve been seeking may just so happen to appear before you.

Alan Dyson on keyboard

Ash Akin as GORP of Studio Highland

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 15

Entertaining!

O S S Ea N

LEE GREENWOOD saturday

sept 22

2018 8:00 pm

JERSEY BOYS sunday

oct 21

2018 7:00 pm

friday

2019 8:00 pm

A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS thursday

dec 20 7:00 pm

THE OTHER MOZART

JEFFERSON STARSHIP

saturday

saturday

march 09

april 13

8:00 pm

8:00 pm

2019

T icKET INFORMATION

2018

2018

20 1 8 -2 0 19

jan 25

saturday

oct 13 8:00 pm

SERIOUSLY

PRESERVATION HALL JAZZ BAND

CHINESE WARRIORS OF PEKING

COME CA LL CLICK

2019

to the Strand Box Office at 619 Louisiana Avenue the Strand Theatre at 226-8555 or online @ www.thestrandtheatre.com

SPAMALOT sunday

april 28

2019 7:00 pm

e

AC

Look A t Th

L

er s o

Gregory & Jacque engaging the crowd of eager entrepreneurs

BY AJ HAYNES PHOTOGRAPHY BY JEREMY HERNANDEZ

lthough the less flashy of its sister competitions Film Prize, Music Prize, and Food Prize, the Louisiana Startup Prize has the most lasting impact in terms of revenue and resources.

What sets Startup Prize apart from most entrepreneurial competitions is its absolute transparency. The goal is simple—for inventors to be successful and for investors to be successful. “What I designed is not easy, but is has potential to make the most impact,” Gregory Kallenberg explains. Kallenberg has been the driving spirit and architect of the Prize competitions and burgeoning culture. “My background is working with SXSW on the Interactive side. There, I always saw the greatest growth potential. In many of my conversations with investors here, they would tell me that they’ve always been able to find investments outside of Shreveport. I heard what they needed and saw an opportunity to fulfill that need. I want to see our investors’ money stay at home.” To date, 40% of the Startup Prize finalists have received offers for funding. Not bad for a young competition now entering its 5th year.

The process of Startup Prize is fairly straightforward. Step one: register. However, before you throw your hat in the ring, heed these words: take some time to assess your goals and explore your idea or existing startup venture. Step two: attend one of the Qualifying Events. The Qualifying Events consist of round table discussions wherein attendees get feedback on their ideas as well as advice with everything from financial to tax and even legal advice. With a low barrier of entry, attendees have a myriad of interests, from creating medical devices to opening a bakery. This makes Startup Prize unlike most other networking opportunities in the business world.

"

With a low barrier of entry, attendees have a myriad of interests, from creating medical devices to opening a bakery.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 17

Michael Billings of Cotton Street Farms waits as he gets his questions answered

Mark Newberg leading a roundtable with entrepreneurs

"

Startup Prize lets people know what a creative entrepreneurial society can look like in a town the size of Shreveport. To have this in such a creative setting really reinforces what I hope we're moving towards as a community.

Turaeza Lopez-Hose listening

All attendees are coached to refine their business plans and streamline their trajectory. “There are people that go just for the mentoring and coaching,” says Judy Williams of Williams Creative Group. Williams Creative Group joined Startup as the marketing partners and they hope to continue to cultivate long term success, “Startup Prize lets people know what a creative entrepreneurial society can look like in a town the size of Shreveport. To have this in such a creative setting really reinforces what I hope we’re moving toward as a community.”

Startup Prize has already helped encourage local entrepreneurs in Shreveport as well as encourage regional businesses to relocate here.

Shreveport native Erica Falbaum of Pet Education Project (PEP!) plans to launch her new company soon. PEP! is an education and outreach nonprofit that teaches the core responsibilities of pet ownership.

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They strive to foster humane habits in children and citizens of our community in order to reduce pet overpopulation, abuse, neglect, and euthanasia. Her new company will focus on mainstream educational products for children. She’s currently in the patent process. “I’m thrilled to see how Startup Prize has conditioned local investment groups to consider local businesses.” Falbaum is excited to start an impact driven company in her hometown and hopes to hire solely Louisiana natives.

Since attending last year’s Startup Fest, Wayne Nix has hopes to move from Lafayette to Shreveport soon. He wants to see things continue to improve and to put his knowledge into action. “Everyone at the Startup Prize was too nice,” jokes Wayne Nix with a laugh, “but, really—everyone was nice in a real honest genuine way. What’s great about Gregory Kallenberg is that he’s a true innovator. Greg

Seany Denson of Please Assist Me

Kristi Gustavson, Executive Director of the Community Foundation

tells us, ‘Here’s a door that’s open, walk through it.’” Nix has had major success with his connections with The Biomedical Research Foundation (BRF) and its Entrepreneurial Accelerator Program (EAP), both partners with Startup Prize.

John Chidlow—the 2015 Startup Prize winner—plans to give back to Shreveport and the Startup Prize. Chidlow had great success with his group Innolyzer Labs who plan to launch a “lab-on-a-chip,” which is a product for hydrogen sulfide detection. “I want Shreveport’s Startup Prize to become a dominant nationally known event,” says Chidlow, “It’s truly an environment about sharing the experience and figuring out to grow.”

The culture of inclusivity unique to the Start Up Prize demonstrates a larger shift and awareness of how the business community at-large can progress. “I go to a lot of events like these all over North America, but I’ve never encountered an environment so unique,” says Ali Jones, who recently attended this year’s Qualifying Events.

“At a lot of events like this, the mentors feel almost unreachable.

With StartUp, you have the opportunity to get critical feedback from mentors—not just IG reels and proverbial pats on the back.” Jones is a Slidell native and founder of Cyphtr, a one-of-a-kind staffing agency for employers seeking different levels of assistance. With her platform, Jones provides a better representation of potential business relationships through a visual narrative—representing chemistry and connectivity—informed by data from multiple social media and networking sites. This is way to inform employers outside the traditional resume. In short, Cyphtr creates a user-friendly way for companies to quickly make an exceptionally informed decision.

Although Jones spent months fine-tuning her business plan, she encountered a predicament the day before business plans were due.

At the send-off breakfast that morning, she had a casual conversation with Mark Newberg, director of impact strategies for Womble, Bond, & Dickinson. He expressed excitement about her idea, but really wanted to see how it could help his particular business. “The gears started turning and working together like a clock. His specific problem solving query helped shift Cyphtr in a new direction to reach more people, facilitate quicker development, and change the revenue model from individual-based to company-based,” explains Jones. Because of a chance conversation at the breakfast—outside of the great feedback she already received from the round tables—Jones found a new direction and as a result needed a new business plan.

“I emailed Greg [Kallenberg] & Steven [Knight] in a near panic; that idea for a pivot needed new marketplace assessment, more research, more development...what was I supposed to do?” Jones was relieved and a little surprised when she received an incredibly pragmatic, helpful response—just add an addendum to the business plan and execution model to complete this pivot. “Greg [Kallenberg] told me, ‘don’t just worry about trying to “pitch” your idea; that time will come. Right now is the time for you to get the advice you need.

We’re all here to grow. We hope you make changes affected by what you learn here.’ So that’s exactly what I did.” Jones story shows how each small chance encounter made at Startup is founded in the hope to help elevate and encourage other people. Entrepreneurship can be a very isolating experience, but Startup Prize works to dismantle this culture of myopic isolation and encourage community—not just superficial networking. “I’ve seen how Startup Prize has affected real change,” says the ever-encouraging founder Kallenberg, “We have the potential to cultivate something that can be transformational to the world.”

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 19

Love Where You Live Free Fall Events:

OCTOBER: 1st: 4th: 11th: 18th: 25th:

Junior League SB Pumpkin Patch Opens Farmers Market & Outdoor Concert Farmers Market & Outdoor Concert Farmers Market & Outdoor Concert Farmers Market & Outdoor Concert

2nd: 9th: 16th: 17th: 23rd:

NOVEMBER: Movie in the Park Movie in the Park Movie in the Park Catahoula Wine Mixer Movie in the Park

YourProvenance.com | 318.683.0399 | Off Southern Loop in Shreveport

855 Pierremont Rd Suite 128 Monday-Saturday 10-5:30

Civil Rights

& GALILEE BAPTIST CHURCH MUSEUM

BY CRYSTALYN WHITAKER | PHOTOGRAPHY BY SHANNON PALMER & PHOTOS COURTESY OF NORTH LOUISIANA CIVIL RIGHTS COALITION

W

hen we bring up the topic of “Civil Rights,” our conversations quickly lead to Montgomery, Alabama and the bus boycott. We might think of Little Rock, Arkansas and the Little Rock Nine or perhaps we travel down the Mississippi Delta and muddle through the muddy waters in vain attempts to make sense and memoriam of the senselessly slain Emmett Till. Whichever locale we jump to, Shreveport is certainly not at the top of this list. However, our home has a rich history of civil rights that predates the 1960’s. Unbeknownst to many, its majesty still perfumes the air we breathe and rests stoically about our landscape. Now, nearly 60 years after the doors opened for a final time, citizens are breathing life back into the brick and mortar of one landmark that served as a haven for the disenfranchised and heartwood of both a local community and a national movement—Galilee Baptist Church.

ESTABLISHING THE FOUNDATION To fully understand the significance of a single building, we must understand the role our entire city has played in the fights for racial justice and equity. Why Shreveport? Why not New Orleans or Baton Rouge—which are both much larger metropolises. Moreover, why Louisiana at all? To partially answer these questions, let us go back about a century and a half, to right after the Civil War. In the budding stage of the Reconstruction Era, despite her tarnished past wrought with the evils of human livestock,

Louisiana found her fleur leaning towards a much brighter future that seemingly made “liberty and justice” available to “all.” P.B.S. Pinchback, who has a park named in his honor on Jefferson Paige Road, was both Louisiana and the United States’ first African-American Acting Governor from 1872-1873. C. C. Antoine, who also has a park named in his honor on Milam Street in the Lakeside community, served as a state senator and penned legislation that incorporated the then “Shreve Town” to the Shreveport we know today. He went on to retire from politics, relocate to Shreveport, and open a successful grocery.

With such pivotal black leadership, it appeared that our state would leave racial inequities behind and prosper righteously. It appeared that, at the very least, Shreveport, which holds the remains of Antoine deep within its soil, would carry out the truest essence of its creed atop that sacred earth.

Unfortunately, neither of these circumstances rang true. The fever of Jim Crow blistered the whip-stricken pride of black Louisianians, particularly Shreveporters, for generations to follow. Stained scarlet with the nomer “Bloody Caddo,” our parish was the most defiled in the state, and our state ranked third in the nation in the number of lynchings that took place.

This code of conduct served as the macabre backdrop for much needed revolution and an increase in responsibility for better racial relations—the struggle to turn the fleur back towards the sun again.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 23

ERECTING THE FRAMEWORK The racial reconciliation that was desperately needed in Shreveport made itself known across the country. Booker T. Washington was so moved that he visited our city twice, in 1911 and 1915, to empower thousands, both black and white. Unfortunately, even his fiery charisma could not eradicate the issues plaguing the steadily growing city. The yoke still lay upon the shoulders of those who lived with the climate day in and day out. Clergy, educators, businesspersons, both black and white, worked diligently for change throughout the decades that followed. Then, in the fall of 1958, community leaders felt a new voice was needed to not just stir the hearts of those listening but issue a charge to all willing to work.

The Old Galilee Baptist Church sits at the corner of Williamson and Snow at the meeting point of Allendale, Lakeside, and Downtown.

The Old Galilee Baptist Church served as a haven for the underprivileged and fortunate black communities, alike, for decades until its relocation to its current grounds in the 1400 block of Pierre Ave in 1975.

24 FALL 2018

ENTERING THE FRONT DOOR On August 14, 1958, a 29 year old Martin Luther King Jr. walked into Galilee Baptist Church. Today, we know Dr. King as a martyr for American justice, however, he was relatively new to the scene at this time. His young name was brought to the table by Shreveport’s Dr. C. O. Simpkins. Simpkins, a successful dentist and activist, became acquainted with King during his work with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), of which he was a founding member and King was the president. Simpkins was passionate about voting rights and blacks’ access to politics. For this reason, he also founded the United Christian Conference on Registration and Voting and brought King in to support this initiative.

Dr. Simpkins sat close to King, eager to hear what this blossoming leader had to say and to record the speech. Little did he know he was actually capturing King’s recording debut. Yes, Shreveport made history once again. Dr. King’s hour-long, passion-filled speech offering four facts of acquiring peace, delivered in Shreveport, is his first known recorded speech. It resonated throughout the sanctuary and still resonates throughout the hearts of those who have heard the speech. With such historical significance, it is not difficult to see why our home does not want Galilee to perish. But how do we save her?

EVALUATING OUR FUTURE While there is a large population of Shreveport natives who know nothing about our esteemed history, that is changing with every day.

In 2013, the North Louisiana Civil Rights Coalition (NLCRC) was formed. Charter members knew there to be a strong presence of Civil Rights history in their home and sought to honor and educate others about that truth. While hearts still aspired to carry out the plan, unfortunately, after obtaining nonprofit status in November of that same year, the coalition encountered a bit of a lull. However, over the past two years, NLCRC has begun shoveling coals into the fire once more and working busily to raise funds to ensure their formation was not just a “fly-by-night” but a force that would have just as much staying power and impact as that for which they formed to advocate. NLCRC decided they would turn the regal Old Galilee Baptist Church into a Civil Rights museum. This is a task, indeed, especially since a broken roof has allowed winds and rains to ravage the interior of the building. While the work is extensive, executive director Deborah Allen vows to make this dream a reality much sooner than later.

“On March 12, 2018, the City of Shreveport announced that we will receive $500,000 for physical preservation of the Old Galilee Missionary Baptist Church for a Civil Rights Museum from the U.S. Department of Interior and National Park Service,” Allen wrote in an op-ed article for the Shreveport Times on March 20. This is in addition to a $250,000 match from the City of Shreveport. One might think with such a grand job as “make the first Civil Rights Museum in the region” on the docket, that would be all the organization could handle, however, NLCRC is active in educating the city about our history. Thankfully, NLCRC is far from alone and has been given the green-light to use a dynamic tool for that mission.

"

ONE CANNOT BUILD A FUTURE WITHOUT KNOWING THE PAST.

EDUCATION ON FILM In 2012, the film Beyond Galilee was released by producers T. D. Antoine and Joey Kent. This aptly named documentary tells of Dr. King’s visit to Galilee as well as a litany of other events involving many of the matriarchs and patriarchs within our own neighborhoods. It highlights first-hand reports of the civil rights climate in Shreveport from those who fought in it. Mrs. Maxine Sarpy, Pastor McClain, and Senator Tarver are just a few of the speakers. Seeing and hearing them recall the events that shaped both their lives and our city is sobering and powerful. Over 1,000 Caddo Parish students have been able to feel those effects as NLCRC has shown this movie throughout schools, as well as hundreds of others throughout different organizations and churches. Certainly all who have viewed Beyond Galilee would agree that the documentary is humbling and informative; although, how might they feel if they could view some of the movie’s stars face to face?

That experience came true for a sold-out theater at the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport on Thursday, June 28th. The community organized the showing of Beyond Galilee and topped it off with a panel that consisted of producers T. D. Antoine and Joey Kent, Mrs. Maxine Sarpy, Pastors Blake and Austin, Senator Greg Tarver, Liffort Hobley, and moderated by NLCRC’s Archivist and Lead Oral Historian Dr. Niketa Williams.

The panel moved quickly, but in just that short time, these members were able to delve into feelings and experiences the documentary did not display, answer questions from the audience, and remind everyone just how blessed we are to have inherited a world they worked so hard to rectify.

EXCELLING FORWARD All of the education and events the North Louisiana Civil Rights Coalition has provided thus far have been much needed and beneficial. It is imperative that the Coalition maintain that momentum and continue to thrive. It is estimated that Old Galilee will take $5 million to restore to its original grandeur and repurpose as The Civil Rights Museum, therefore this job cannot be done with just a few. It will take many members and volunteers to make this come alive. You can find NLCRC on Facebook at “North Louisiana Civil Rights Coalition” and sign up to be either a member or volunteer so that you can be not just a beneficiary but have a hand in this noble movement. Allen says she and

the team are looking to see the doors open once again in five years.

There is a popular phrase that states “one cannot build a future without knowing the past.” Shreveport has such a remarkable history, and now, contrary to the common consensus of years past, we stand but years away from our history no longer just sitting in the minds of the seasoned, being closed up in photo albums and books, or, for those fortunate enough to be recipients, rolling off the lips of those on the frontline. Shreveport will hold a treasure: an honorarium for the haven with bricks laid by former slaves, pews worn by faith and fight, walls painted with sermons and strife. Shreveport will hold a Civil Rights Museum that could not be in a more appropriate place with the stories of our past in hopes that we can all build a more prosperous future that earnestly upholds “liberty and justice for all.”

Dr. King’s entire hour-long speech at Galilee Baptist Church is available on Youtube

Seated to the north of the table are Dr. C. O. Simpkins and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King in The Old Galilee Baptist Church.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 25

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The Romance of the Red F

or those who live in the Shreveport-Bossier area, the Red River is a powerful presence, capable of serenity and rampage, alternating between nurturing and destructive. To stroll along its banks, or better yet, float upon its waters is to remove ourselves from our ordinary lives. That other world, the so-called real world with all its debts, obligations, and disappointments, fades away into the shadows of the trees along the river line. You feel caught up in the flow of time itself, the past slipping into the wake behind you, the future up just around the bend. No wonder so many of our songs are about going down to the river to be re-born. The river is godlike—powerful, untamable, simultaneously indifferent and seductive. It is, quite simply, one of the most romantic places on earth.

“RIVERS FLOW NOT PAST, BUT THROUGH US” The Red River, so called because of the color its water takes on from the red clay of Louisiana, begins in the Texas panhandle with two forks. The Prairie Dog Town Fork on the south is formed from Palo Duro Creek and Tierra Blanca Creek, while the northern branch, or North Fork, flows east into Oklahoma. The two meet at the Texas-Oklahoma border, forming the border between the two states as well as a portion of the border between Texas and Arkansas. Near Fulton, Arkansas, the Red turns south and enters Louisiana. Within the state, it forms the border between Caddo and Bossier parishes and flows through Red River, Natchitoches, Rapides, and Avoyelles

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A marke Captain Henry Miller Shreve Clearing the Great Raft from Red River, 1833-1838 by Lloyd Hawthorne (1924 – 2003), courtesy of the R.W. Norton Art Gallery. Shreve’s engineering innovations, especially his patented snagboat, enabled the establishment of a river port on the previously impassable Red River in northwest Louisiana. r on the side of LA-154 outside Gibsland denotes the ambush site of Bonnie and Clyde.

BY EVERL ADAIR | PHOTOS COURTESY OF R.W. NORTON ART GALLERY & BOSSIER PARISH LIBRARY ARCHIVES

parishes before it joins an outflow from the Mississippi River into the Atchafalaya River. All of this area forms the Red River Watershed Basin. The river ranks fourth in the nation in length of navigation and commercial importance, covering a distance of approximately 1,600 miles, some 1,000 of which is navigable most of the year. Its breadth routinely ranges from as much as 1,400 feet to as little as half of that. All that seems rather prosaic. So, where’s the romance?

The dictionary defines “romance” as “A quality or feeling of mystery, excitement, and remoteness from everyday life.” That’s what rivers like the Red inspire in us. When you observe it, particularly from one of the bridges crossing overhead, its roiling red waters make a more than apt metaphor of the river as a great artery, pumping the lifeblood into the heart of a region, and exciting our own blood as well. The renowned naturalist John Muir once said, “Rivers flow not past, but through us; tingling, vibrating, exciting every cell and fiber in our bodies, making them sing and glide.” To enter the world of the river is also to experience ourselves in a new way.

PROVIDING BOTH BEAUTY AND ENTERTAINMENT There are plenty of places in our area of the Red where you can enter its world. The J. Bennett Johnston Waterway with its five locks and dams has provided enormous support for the River community under the guidance of the Red River Waterway Commission. In 2017, 1.7 million people came to the river and so far, 2018 has attracted

Shreveport increased its role as a transportation hub by building bridges across the Red River, including the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad Bridge in 1905, the Texas Street Bridge in 1931-33, and the Jimmie Davis Bridge in 1968.

roughly half a million. Boaters and fishermen cruise its waters, partaking of its bounty, and picnickers and walkers let their thoughts drift like flotsam and jetsam along the currents they watch passing by. Even drivers can enjoy ground level views of the river. While for years, those in transit saw the Red largely from overhead as they passed over one of several bridges, in 1970, the addition of the Clyde Fant Parkway provided a drive along the Shreveport side of the river, and some years later, the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway added a scenic route on the Bossier side.

For those who choose not to lose themselves in contemplation of the river, there are more mundane pastimes along the riverfront. On the Shreveport side, there are a Frisbee golf course, bike trails, and a jogging path. For those seeking new experiences and possibly the hum of air-conditioning, they can be found at the new Shreveport Aquarium, rising from the beautiful building site of the former Barnwell Center, Sci-Port, and the Shreveport Riverview Hall. On the Bossier side, happy shoppers can stroll or take the trolley down the lanes of the Louisiana Boardwalk Outlets, or sit at one of its cafés overlooking the river from its eastern bank and walk off their meal with a leisurely stroll riverside accompanied by live music. For those less enamored of the view, but still anxious for a thrill, there are casinos on both sides of the river, including the Horseshoe Resort and Casino, Boomtown Casino & Hotel, DiamondJacks Casino & Resort, Sam’s Town Hotel & Casino, and Margaritaville Resort Casino.

There are elegant restaurants, trendy bistros, and friendly pubs on both sides of the river as well. And then, of course, every fall brings us the Red River Revel Arts Festival which offers food, culture, art, and music at Festival Plaza on the river. You can purchase a portable meal at one of its 18 food booths, while you stroll around and view the work of more than 80 visual artists and take in the music on two performance stages, along with special activities for the kids, including a children’s art education area.

THE FOUNTAIN OF OUR ECONOMY All of these activities have added not only to the charm of the area, but also to its economy. The Red River has always been a major money maker for the entire region, but never more so than now, particularly after the Red River Waterway Project was launched

by the U.S. Congress in 1968. Since then, the river has generated approximately $9.9 billion in revenue and created, either directly or indirectly, around 120,000 jobs. When the J. Bennett Johnson Waterway was completed in 1994, it provided via locks and dams, a 9-foot deep by 200-foot wide navigation channel 236 miles long from the Shreveport-Bossier area to the confluence of the Old and Red Rivers in south Louisiana. The project provides for regularly realigning the river’s banks by dredging, cutoffs, and training work while stabilizing it with revetments, dikes, and other structural devices initiated by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. The Port of Caddo-Bossier on the Red has become a Port of Entry for Foreign Trade Zone and U.S. Customs and operates a 3,200 Slack Water Harbor with a 400-foot concrete dock and 200-ton crawler crane. A rail network within the port keeps goods flowing out of it to the rest of the country.

It took a lot of political lifting to make this happen, starting with the 1945 crusade for a new barge way begun by Senator John H. Overton (D-La.). The move was fundamentally tabled until 1968 when Senator Russell Long (D-La.) re-wrote the bill, allowing it to bypass the usual public hearing process. As chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, Long was able to convince President Jimmy Carter to take the project off a boondoggle “hit list” and with the help of Representative Joe D. Waggoner Jr. (D-La.) on the House Ways and Means Committee, Representative Lindy Claiborne Boggs (D-La.) on the House Appropriations Committee, and most importantly, Senator J. Bennett Johnston (D-La.), chairman of the Senate Energy and Water Resources Committee who steered the project across five consecutive presidential administrations, he was finally able to get the project to move forward.

The ability to create this port has been the culmination of a 150year dream. For centuries, the Red was non-navigable. The course of its history to a usable waterway is as twisted and winding as the course of the river itself. Much of it involved a huge blockage called the Red River Raft.

RIDDING THE REGION OF THE RAFT The Red was part of history long before European explorers came and so was the phenomena known as the Red River Raft, or sometimes simply the Great Raft. In fact, according to some scholars, it became part of the mythology of the Caddo Indians. Stretching at one point to more than 130 miles of the river, for centuries it limited exploration of the area. Not that the waterway was unused for all that time. In 2017, following the recession of a flood on the Red, Robert Cornett and Jeanna Bradley discovered a thousand-year-old Caddo Indian canoe lodged in the bank of the river. Carefully excavated, the canoe proved to be about 33.5 feet long and roughly two feet wide and deep. Carved from a single tree trunk (the type known as a dug-out), likely cypress, it may well be the largest prehistoric watercraft found in America. State archaeologist Chip McGimsey speculates that a canoe this large was probably constructed next to the river bank and used for traders going up and down the river carrying goods to sell. McGimsey respects the romance of the river, too, stating that merely observing the canoe, “You . . . know instantly what it is and what it was like to ride in it, to work in it, to go fishing in it and do your business.”

The Caddo consistently benefitted from the river, even the Great Raft. It gave them protection from other tribes who had no easy river access to their territory and they learned over time to exploit the

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 29

Boats are used to evacuate victims of one of the Red’s several floods during the last few decades.

Increased urbanization has increased both the dangers and the damages from these events.

the French decided the problem was insurmountable.

In 1803, it became the problem of the newly formed United States of America following the Louisiana Purchase. Most people know that President Thomas Jefferson assigned Lewis and Clark to explore the northern reaches of the new territory, but fewer realize that a similar expedition was sent to investigate the southern portion, including the Red River. Thomas Freeman and Peter Custis led the ill-fated 1806 “Great Excursion” with orders to ascend the Red River in search of its headwaters, documenting flora, fauna, climate, and anything else they came across along the way. With a 24-man expeditionary party and a budget of a monumental (for the time) $5,000, the team went down the Mississippi to Natchez and then proceeded to enter the Red River, boosting their personnel to 50 once they reached Natchitoches.

Continuing north on the river, they received word that Spanish forces were planning to intercept and prevent them from exploring farther.

As no one at the time knew, General James Wilkinson, then American governor of the Louisiana Purchase, was a traitor in the pay of the Spanish government which he had informed about the expedition.

Despite knowing the Spanish were waiting, the Freeman-Custis Expedition continued north, encountering the infamous Raft. Custis wrote, “were the rafts removed so as to admit navigation to this country in a very short time it would become the Paradise of America.”

Heading into Texas, the expedition did encounter the Spanish force, which had four times their manpower. Jefferson had told them that in such a case, they were to return home, and so they did. However, Freeman had successfully charted most of the river and Custis had prepared descriptions of more than 267 plants and animals along the way. It would take three more expeditions and seventy years before the headwaters of the Red were finally discovered, making it the last major western river to be charted.

Meanwhile, the U.S. continued to bemoan the problem of the Great Raft, whose removal would provide a much-needed water route into what was then called the Arkansas Territory where there were several American forts that had to be manned and supplied

changing nature of the environment caused by it. As the log jams shifted, so did stream courses, leaving behind fertile, open fields where the Caddo grew rich crops of corn, beans, squash, and other foods. Historic artifacts and other archaeological evidence tell us a dense population thrived along the river from the Arkansas border to around the Raft before the Europeans arrived. Even then the Raft protected them from white settlement for more than 150 years after the first colony in Louisiana.

European explorers did come to the Red, notably Hernando de Soto in 1542, shortly before he died. His successor in exploring the area, Muscosa Alvarado also crossed it on his way into Texas.

In the early 18th century, the French explorer Louis Juchereau de St. Denys explored most of its length, establishing a major French post at Natchitoches in 1713. The Spaniards had christened it Rio Rojo, but to Athanase de Mézières, French lieutenant governor of the Natchotoches District in 1769, it was the Rivière Rouge. By then, the Red formed the border between Spanish and French territory in the southern portion of North America. De Mézières, like St. Denys before him, searched for an answer to the problem of the Raft, but found none. In truth, the Raft functioned like a living thing.

As pieces of it rotted and broke up to float downstream, new logs and debris added on to the upper end. One year it was here, the next year there. This section was stable enough to walk upon today, but not tomorrow. Where a current flowed through the flotsam one week, it might be dammed shut the next. It was a potent evocation of the philosopher Heraclitus’s proverb, “You cannot step into the same river The angry power of a swollen Red has afflicted locals three times in the past decade. While early Native American farmers utilized the fertile fields left behind from flooding, modern inhabitants face damaged homes and broken highways with losses well into the millions of dollars. twice.” Like the Spanish before them,

30 FALL 2018

In an attempt to control the Red, levees were built in the 19th century. These were not only used for flood prevention, but also in an attempt to direct its course and keep the river flowing swiftly to prevent re-growth of the Great Raft.

regularly, not to mention new land for farming by the ever-expanding population. By the mid-1820s there were settlements in northwest Louisiana and northeast Texas producing cotton and other crops that needed an easy and inexpensive route to market. One convoluted water route from what later became Webster Parish carried cotton on flat boats from Dorcheat Bayou to Lake Bistineau to the Red and on to the Mississippi. It was better than an overland route, but hardly an optimal way to transport goods. In 1828, Congress authorized $28,000 for the removal of the Great Raft. Several men would try, but only one would succeed.

AN ENGINEERING GENIUS TAKES ON THE CHALLENGE AND GIVE A CITY ITS NAME Henry Miller Shreve had begun work at age thirteen when his father died. By age 21, he owned his own keelboat and by 26 a flourishing business. When he spotted Fulton’s new invention, he knew the future belonged to steamboats and built his own, delivering goods down the Mississippi to New Orleans during the War of 1812 and staying to fight, thus acquiring the “Captain” applied to his name in later life. In 1826 at the age of 41, he was appointed the Superintendent of Western River Improvements. While no other had a raft as extensive as that of the Red, blockages were a problem on all rivers. Shreve designed his own snagboat and by 1832 had cleared all obstructions on the Ohio and the Mississippi. That same year, the Army’s Chief Engineer, General Charles Gratiot, wrote to him for suggestions on “opening short canals and deepening bayous with a view to affect a passage around the raft” on the Red. Shreve replied that he could remove the Great Raft with less time, effort and money than it would take to excavate new channels.

It took five years and more than 300 men, but he succeeded, starting at the foot of the Raft at Loggy Bayou and heading north. Part of the problem had been the relative slowness of the Red’s current which allowed debris to drift into piles, some so sturdy that men on horseback could ride across them. Shreve used raft remnants to dam

other outlets like bayous and creeks so the water was forced down the river, raising the speed of the current. By March of 1834, Shreve had reached the present-day site of Shreveport where he eliminated a hazardous 8-mile bend in the river by excavating a new channel and damming off the old section, resulting in the present-day Shreve Island. The old river bed runs along East Kings Highway. But as Shreve continued moving north, the removal became more difficult as the Raft became denser. Still, enough was now open water that settlers as well as water began flowing more swiftly into the area.

Shreve admitted that “The last thirty miles . . . has required as much labor as the first 120 miles.” He and his partners established a settlement called Shreve Town on Cane & Bennett’s Bluff. In 1837, Shreve broke up all but the final 440 yards of the Raft and created a new cut-off, shortening the river by three miles and making Shreve Town, now called Shreveport, the primary settlement. When Congress cut off his money, stunned by the $311,000 the clearance had already cost, Shreve borrowed money to finish the job, clearing the last few yards in 1839. He warned that it was not a job that would stay done without continual maintenance, but almost immediately Shreveport became a major port on the strength of his feat.

Startlingly enough, clearing the Raft didn’t make the Red as navigable as everyone had hoped. The Raft had acted as a series of dams, keeping the water in the river artificially high all year. Once it was gone, the river dropped seasonally and tended to be deep enough for the drafts of most boats only from November through June. The river had always run shallow at certain points. In most of the 1840s the water around Alexandria was only 30 to 36 inches deep, but the current was very strong, creating a situation known as “the falls”.

Usually, boats pulled up just below Alexandria and freight was hauled the rest of the way to Shreveport by wagon, causing quite an inflation in price. This issue of shallow water expressed itself forcefully during the Red River Campaign of 1864 during the Civil War. As the Union forces led by General Nathaniel Banks attempted to use the Red to invade northern Louisiana, one of the last strongholds of the Confederacy, an unseasonal lack of rain left the Red even lower than usual, exposing snags and sandbars that delayed and even halted the progress of the Union gunboats up the river. The Confederates managed to thwart that advance with a notable victory at Mansfield, though their defeat in the war was inevitable by that point. Shreveport became the last capital of the Confederacy for a brief period, but eventually it, too, surrendered.

JEFFERSON’S BOOM TIMES COURTESY OF THE RED RIVER RAFT With the Raft re-establishing itself, the chief navigation route through the region went back to utilizing bayous and lakes in addition to the navigable part of the river. The primary beneficiary of this arrangement was the town of Jefferson, Texas. From roughly the 1840s to the 1870s, it was the most important river port west of the Mississippi, albeit its “port” was actually on Big Cypress Bayou.

The wharves of Jefferson saw goods from all over east and central Texas loaded onto steamboats with no more than a four-foot draught, which then passed down Big Cypress Bayou to a chain of five lakes including Caddo, and then on to the Red River and the Mississippi, finally reaching the international port of New Orleans. Jefferson became wealthy, the seat of fine homes with European furniture, imported liquor, and other luxury goods offered in mansions, saloons,

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 31

and even churches. During its heyday, only the port of Galveston shipped more goods from Texas.

But for Shreveport and other areas north of the Raft, it was still an expensive irritant. After the Civil War, the U.S. government made occasional attempts to fix the problem, cajoled by citizens of the area.

Various attempts were made, but it wasn’t until the efforts of Lieutenant Eugene Woodruff in 1873 that the second Raft was removed from the river. Woodruff followed some of Shreve’s techniques, building dams along the bayous emptying into the river, but also added new technology, occasionally using nitroglycerine to blow out logs and break up portions of the Raft before using his snagboat, three crane boats, and a transport to load them up and carry them away.

Unfortunately, when a yellow fever epidemic broke out in Shreveport that year, Woodruff went to the city to offer his services and ended up dying of the disease. The government denied his mother access to his pension on the grounds that he hadn’t actually “died at his post”.

Woodruff’s clearance allowed far more navigation up and down the Red. The downside was that the water levels of its tributaries diminished significantly, isolating the once great port of Jefferson.

When two railroads also elected to bypass the town, it declined rapidly with more than 70% of its population disappearing by 1890. Today, Jefferson has a population of only about 2,000, yet it has become a significant tourist destination, boasting at least 27 bed-and-breakfasts in the lovely Greek Revival mansions of its heyday. Visitors to the town find a variety of antique stores and entertainment options such as boating on Caddo Lake, as well as a variety of dining options. The Cork Yard is a new wine bar on the riverfront and after a glass of wine, you can take one of Jefferson’s famous ghost tours. The historic home, The Grove, is supposedly one of the most haunted places in Texas and it’s not the only spooky location in the area. Back when it was a boomtown, Jefferson attracted a colorful sort and legend suggested that it was a town that produced a murder a day, ample opportunity for an infestation of ghosts.

SHREVEPORT RECLAIMS STEAMBOAT TRAFFIC During the period when Jefferson was beginning to decline, Shreveport was prospering with some 200 steamboats using the waters of the Red to transport passengers and goods throughout the region. Early steamboats carried romantic names like Laconia, Dacoteh, Red Warrior, and Belle Gates. They carried crops that included pecans, corn, buffalo hides, ammunition, coffee, tobacco, cattle, and, most of all, cotton. A few of these were luxury steamboats, offering a floating hotel for elite passengers that included private cabins and elaborate dinner services. One journalist of the period said that the meals on the R.W. Powell steamboat were the equal of those in any restaurant in New Orleans. An ad in the September 10, 1880 Shreveport Times announced that the steamboat Jo Bryarly would be carrying passengers and freight to New Orleans, while the posher Caddo Belle, “Built expressly for the Trade”, was a “light draught passenger steamer” making landings at Long Prairie, Gilmer, Coushatta, and all other way landings. The next year the Red River Line bragged that its steamers carried the U.S. mail back and forth between New Orleans, Shreveport, Jefferson, Texas “and all points above the Raft”. For local fans of Mardi Gras, in 1883, you could make the round trip to New Orleans for $20 (which included meals and a stateroom) aboard the Jewel, the Danube, or the Yazoo Valley.

With all this enterprise made possible by the river, a headline in

32 FALL 2018

October of 1894 identified Shreveport as “The Great Commercial Metropolis of the Red River Valley” with “Growing Commercial, Industrial and Transportation Facilities.” By 1900, the U.S. Corps of Engineers were able to straighten the channel of the river, and steamboat traffic increased even more as boats could now deliver goods from the mouth of the Mississippi all the way to southern Arkansas and eastern Texas during the entire year.

These were not without their dangers. A number of steamboats had accidents, caught on sandbars, or more often, catching afire.

In 1869, on its way to Jefferson, the Mittie Stephens caught on fire on Caddo Lake and more than half of its 107 passengers died. The prevalence of these sorts of accidents may be illustrated by the 1880 adventures of Miss Mary Norwood. Early in the year Miss Norwood was a passenger on the Maria Louise when it struck a log and sank near the mouth of the Red River. A few months later, she was aboard the Bonnie Lee headed up the Red when its boiler exploded, killing a number of passengers and crew immediately, then sinking near the middle of the river in water roughly 30 or 40 feet deep (fortunately, she survived both). One of the early tasks of the Corps of Engineers was simply removing the wrecks from the riverbed.

AN ANGRY POWER – FLOODS ON THE RED Probably the biggest danger one encountered with the river, however, was floods. No matter how many human agencies sought to control the Red in all its majesty, it soon proved to be ultimately untamable. Every few years the river callously overran its banks, proving to the humans in its floodplains just who was the master.

There were floods long before settlers came, but it wasn’t until the 19th century that each left a written record of devastation. In 1849, the region from Fulton, Arkansas and on down the river went under water, the streets of Shreveport rendered into canals. In the 1870s, a newspaper article claimed that the thousands of acres between the river and Bayou Pierre, “are worthless to the planter because of annual overflow.” Folks thought the river had gotten as high as it might ever get in 1884, but a mere six years later were stunned to have those records broken. The Times reported in May of 1890: Farmers have abandoned their farms. The stock in the bottoms

Shreveport began its role as a major center of commerce as “Shreve’s port” where steamboats traveling to and from New Orleans to Texas, Arkansas and other points via the Red River transported cotton, peanuts, and other regional crops to market.

are in two feet of water, awaiting certain death. There are several hundred feet of railroad track washouts across the bottoms. No trains are running north or south

from this point.

Things hardly improved in the 20th century. In 1908, a headline noted that a “Crevasse in Lucas Levee Lets Red River Flood Cover Large Portion of South Caddo Country” and declared that the fate of a number of Bossier farms and plantations hung in the balance. While the Red River Valley Association was founded in 1925 in order to develop the land and water resources of the Red One of several delightful footpaths along the banks of the Red River on the Shreveport side provides a lovely route for joggers, strollers, picnickers, and those simply seeking a quiet moment of watery beauty.

River Valley, including providing for flood control, Mother Nature didn’t always cooperate. Equally devastating floods struck in 1945 and the regulations and laws of the National Environmental Policy Act. 1957. However, a similar event in May of 1990 was reportedly “not as Other organizations seek to promote other benefits. For instance, catastrophic as it would have been without the system of levees and the Red River Research Station performs a variety of projects intended flood control structures that had been undertaken in the decades to improve the health and diversity of major crops in the northwest Louisiana area like cotton, soybeans, and corn, in addition to doing since the RRVA began its efforts to tame the Red.” Nonetheless, some 700,000 acres were flooded with damages estimated at $20.4 some cattle research, forage evaluation, and water quality evaluations. million. And, as those of us who live locally are aware, floods have There remains the hope that the work of the U.S. Corps of Engiplagued our area in 2015, 2016, and 2017. neers in amending the banks to correct erosion, establishing the locks Part of the damage and danger has come about, as Shelby Poncik of and dams of the J. Bennett Johnson Waterway, and straightening Texas A&M’s Bush School of Government & Public Service, explains, out and deepening the river’s channel will return Shreveport to because of increased urbanization: “So more houses, more industries its previous position as a major river port via barge traffic. Parties building right next to the river. Areas that typically didn’t have any assessing this possibility point out that barge traffic is more efficient type of development there in the first place, so when it floods, we in terms of fuel cost than either railroads or trucks. One four-barge have a problem.” A study from Texas A&M suggested that the best tow can transport 6,000 tons at one time, a feat which would require solution to the problem of floods is to create more green space along 60 rail cars or 150 trucks—and it would require less fuel than they would as well. the river by using government buy-outs to turn farm residential and commercial lands back Unfortunately, barge traffic has been slow to build up on the into wetlands, thereby producing more space river. In the meantime, a host of other benefits have accrued to what for water where it isn’t harmful. The Red River reporter Michael Grunwald of the Washington Post characterized as Wildlife Refuge is working toward this end. “a 236-mile long, 200-foot-wide lake.” The area attracts more than a million boaters, swimmers, water-skiers and anglers each year, and the fishing is so good that the Bassmaster Classic has been held THE FUTURE OF THE RED here twice, bringing ESPN coverage to the river and more than $40 But for all the harm the river can do in a million to the area. contrarian mood, it is ultimately a benefit to the region. Denison Dam not only creates the The history of the Red is one of obstacle turning to opportunity. It lovely recreational facilities of Lake Texoma, enriches our lives, both individually and collectively, yet remains full but has also been generating electricity for of mystery and enigma even as our experience of it grows. Though he was speaking of another river, that expert river man Mark Twain the surrounding area since its construction in captures some of its magic in the following words: “The face of the 1945. This in turn generated revenues of over river, in time, became a wonderful book . . . And it was not a book to $60 million from that power. The RRVA also be read once and thrown aside, for it had a new story to tell every speculates that the generation of hydroelectric power on locks and other dams on the river will day.” Happily, Shreveporters will be perusing the Red for a long also provide similar benefits. The Association time to come. vows that all projects will take into account the impact on the natural environment and obey

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 33

2578 Airline Dr. Bossier City

8690 Line Ave. Shreveport

3730 Youree Dr. • Shreveport, LA • 318-861-HAIR

Thanks & Well Wishes City Councilman Jeff Everson

I

t is hard to believe that eight years have gone by since I first started campaigning for and eventually was elected to the Shreveport City Council. I’m so thankful to have been able to serve, as that time on the Shreveport City Council has given me the opportunity, occasion, responsibility and resources to see Shreveport from a unique perspective. As I watch a new crop of dedicated citizens offering themselves up for service, sharing their ideas and passion for Shreveport, I’m hopeful for her future even while acknowledging her challenges. There are so many things to look forward to in Shreveport’s next chapter, but here are just a few observations that leave me inspired to live in and love Shreveport.

We may not always think of ourselves as having strong follow through, but in a quick review of past campaign issues, I’m left hopeful that today’s issues will be addressed as thoroughly as the issues of the past. In 2010 when I first hit the sidewalks to knock on doors and talk with citizens about their concerns, some of the issues that came up were a need to re-invest in infrastructure, a need for more long-term vision for the city, a concern about the high property taxes, a desire for a more vibrant downtown, and requests for amenities that people had come to enjoy in other places like dog parks and bike lanes. Eight years later, Shreveport is just a few projects shy of completing the work on the 2011 General Obligation Bond, and has reinvested more than $500 million in local city infrastructure from water, sewer, streets, drainage and more.

We’ve adopted and implemented the Great Expectations Master Plan 2030 and cut city property taxes nearly every year to the lowest point that they have been in 35 years. We’ve seen new attractions, amenities, activities, apartments, restaurants, events and altogether new uses in Downtown, and along with that, the restoration or reimagining of many iconic downtown buildings. And of course we’ve got infrastructure to support cyclists, a dog park, and many other amenities that were frequently requested during past campaign cycles. Certainly,

36 FALL 2018

this campaign cycle is going to bring to light the concerns and desires of Shreveport’s citizens and hopefully those issues will be prioritized and addressed like those in past have been. Election years are a great time to speak up, and an even better time to be specific about what you want. Which brings me to my next reason to be hopeful for Shreveport’s next chapter….

Shreveport has an abundance of wonderful, committed, passionate citizens who are willing to work with their local leaders. I’m fortunate to have served Shreveport’s most diverse district, which was one of the reasons I was excited to represent the district. While sometimes there seems to be a focus on the things that differentiate people, the more I served people who fit in different demographic categories, the more I was struck by how much everyone had in common. Everyone likes to feel heard, respected, and considered. Having had the chance to serve such diverse citizens, I can say with confidence that there are wonderful people

Shreveport has an abundance of wonderful, committed, passionate citizens who are willing to work with their local leaders. in every corner of the city who will inspire any local elected official.

Whether it is the volunteers of the Aseana Foundation who took an underutilized public space and turned it into a thriving place to experience cultures from across the world, or Senior Citizens who attend neighborhood meetings well into their 90’s and take the time to call and share their concerns and suggestions. There are businesses like Ki Mexico who grew from a Farmer’s Market favorite to a staple of

Shreveport’s ever growing food & culture scene and citizens who take the time to organize and share helpful information on social media.

We have volunteer advocates like PACE who worked very closely with the City Council to draft legislation to prevent discrimination and a whole community of people who take the time to just make an extra effort to buy something local or support a local business.

It is clear that Shreveport’s people are exceptional and will surely inspire positive results.

Another hopeful sign is that accessibility is evolving and leaders are listening. I sometimes joke that local government has never been more open and the public has never been more dissatisfied with how open government is. It is a reality that we are now exposed to drastically more information, through more diverse mediums, and while government has struggled with how to keep up with that demand for information, I see consistent efforts being made to provide more access to helpful information. My Government Online, for example, is a new program that will debut next year that I’m hopeful will start to drastically improve some of the accessibility to information relative to permits, inspections and even Property Standards. Clean Water Shreveport is another example of a website that tries very hard to provides access to data that helps those impacted by Sewer work to understand what is being done, and how to help set expectations for the process. Of course one of the most important parts of accessibility is being able to get a human voice of someone who cares on the phone. Judging by the number of direct calls that I receive to my cell phone where people ask if they can speak to me and are surprised that they already are, people are generally able to get ahold of their local elected officials. That is important and not the case in some communities.

The only constant is change, and we are getting slightly better at dealing with it—but it’ll take citizens to continue to demand it.

Government is full of changes. Local government has to react quickly

We now have the Great Expectations Master Plan 2030.

While I'm very happy that we have this tool, we as a community have to hold our leaders accountable to knowing the plan, working the plan and reassessing the plan. to changes in Federal or State law, judicial rulings, litigation and even changes in local elections. While it is completely appropriate to be focused on this fall’s elections while they are upon us, let’s remember that election cycles happen almost every year and governments have to work together and even sometimes have competing interests.

Having a plan in place to manage all of this uncertainty and not lose sight of long term goals is incredibly important. When I first came into office, we didn’t have one. We now have the Great Expectations Master Plan 2030. While I’m very happy that we have this tool, we as a community have to hold our leaders accountable to knowing the

plan, working the plan and reassessing the plan. During the 90’s and early 2000’s it seemed like there were quite a few studies that were done and the general impression was that these plans sat on the shelf.

The Great Expectations plan certainly hasn’t simply sat on the shelf, it has actively been implemented. That is reason to be hopeful, but so is the fact that we may make some mistakes along the way. The master plan speaks to a vision that Shreveport and Caddo Parish has for itself—but that vision isn’t static. Priorities may change and the Master Plan is meant to be updated & adjusted just as much as it is to be implemented.

The City of Shreveport is being more honest with itself. Resource scarcity is real. There simply isn’t enough money, people, knowledge, experience, resource, etc. to address every problem that needs to be addressed. That doesn’t mean we don’t want to, it means we have to all work together to figure out the best order and fashion to address the many needs. Most cities face similar challenges, but one thing that I’ve seen over my years in local government is that we are putting the difficult information up front so that we can better understand the challenges and work towards real solutions. This isn’t always easy, but it is necessary if we want to fix the problems of the past so that they don’t linger on as future burdens. Looking through infrastructure reports from the past eight years illustrates how much more accurate our estimates have become, and more and more frequently we are seeing that our limited resources are being used more efficiently.

One very obvious reason to be hopeful is the evolution of our local culture and sense of community. Shreveport’s events, arts, entrepreneurialism, culinary scene, non-profit organizations, music and special places are growing the sense of identity that people have been wanting for years. Shreveport has embraced new ideas and concepts incorporated the old ones and is steadily evolving and creating its own unique identity. Just the existence of Shreveport Magazine is proof positive of this. I truly enjoyed every opportunity to help move forward some of this culture from the City Council, be it authoring ordinances to allow for breweries or food trucks, supporting events, helping new businesses to navigate the system, or simply celebrating their accomplishments. I was able to be there for the first days of the Film Prize, Derby Days, Great Raft and Red River. I have been able to help events like Highland Jazz and Blues and Let the Good Times Roll, and celebrate the Seratones and the legacy of Eddie’s Restaurant.

I have seen Shreveport Common evolve, along with countless other examples, which have all been an absolute privilege. I doubt anyone could contain their hopeful exuberance as they see these people pursue their passions and thrive right here in Shreveport.

While these are just a few of the countless reasons to be hopeful about Shreveport’s future, we know that we have challenges that we’ll have to work together to address. So, while we all have our preferred candidates in this fall’s elections, let’s make sure that no matter which candidate is victorious in any particular race, that Shreveport is the real winner. We make that happen by showing that we care and expecting to be included as a positive player in the future of Shreveport. We make that happen by voting, by making our expectations known, and sharing our insights, by pursuing our dreams and by living our best lives right here in Shreveport. I look forward to Shreveport’s next chapter, will forever be grateful for the opportunities I’ve had on City Council and wish success to all those elected to guide and protect Shreveport’s future.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 37

Shreveport

Bossier City

1914 E. 70th St.

3011 Airline Dr.

fosterortho.com

BEFORE

AFTER

UPTOWN

DOWNTOWN

ORDER.RHINOCOFFEE.COM

THE SEASONS CHANGE AND SOME SURVIVE, OH WHAT A TIME TO BE ALIVE.

Tunnels Under the

Strand Theatre

BY LEE ANN MONAT

W

hen I was asked to write a story about the tunnels under The Strand Theatre I leapt at the chance!

As a longtime theatre lover, and fairly new member of the Shreveport Opera Chorus, I couldn’t wait to get to the bottom of things. As it turns out, the most interesting piece of information regarding The Strand’s Underground, is the lack of information, which I find extremely intriguing.

Let’s start with what we do know…

The Strand was born out of a love for showmanship harbored by the Saenger Brothers. Sons of a local Rabbi, they owned and operated the Saenger Drugstore originally located at the corner of Milam Street and Louisiana Avenue.

The Brothers had a love and confidence in the new born motion picture industry that propelled them into the entertainment world. They originally opened the Saenger Theatre which made way for the more ambitious and grandiose Strand in 1925. The Strand boasted modern facilities such as air conditioning—quite possibly the first public building in town to offer this luxury, and a whole host of other splendors to spoil the public.

With motion pictures on the horizon, the Saenger Brother’s created The Strand as a dual-purpose showplace. It staged Vaudeville performances as well as movies. The films were even accompanied by live orchestral music. The Strand had

40 FALL 2018

a full-time orchestra and organist on staff in its early life.

To preserve the magic of what happens above ground, the Strand has an extensive network of tunnels running beneath the theatre to access the utilities in a discreet manner. The tunnels run from the basement beneath the stage and extend the entire length of the theatre. Some of the tunnels are so small a person has to crouch down while navigating.

And here is where we step into the murkier realm of rumor and legend—some less wholesome pursuits may have taken place down in this underground world.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Jenifer Hill, The Strand’s Executive Director, and she was nice enough to fill me in on what she has learned over the years. I also had the great thrill of going down into the basement area of the theatre to poke around myself.

Just off the lobby is (was) a Gentleman’s Smoking Parlor— there was also a Ladies Lounge on an upper floor. The unique, oval parlor is referred to as the Al Jolson room, named for a gambler who played cards there often. Could there

…“The Strand River”, as the theatre is built on a former lake bed. There are three sub pumps running at all times…

Was there a secret knock? A password? A special ticket stub? be a connection to the 1928 film titled “The Jazz Singer” (The first “Talkie”)? The answer is shrouded in history.

You can still see remains of the parlor’s former splendor in the original speckled tile floor and mirrors that flank the wall. Rumor has it that fellas would bring their ladies to the theatre for an evening of entertainment and would then split off after the show for a game of cards and, presumably, a drink or two. The lounge serves as a lobby of sorts for the tunnel system. The story goes that some of these so called “gentlemen” would disappear into a tunnel (which is still visible) and then reappear into the night—their final destination a cat house, whose location is up for debate. After all the Strand was built during a time of excess and secret indulging—with prohibition in full swing, and the great depression in the (near) future. Shreveport’s Red Light District, a legally designated area for prostitution known as St. Paul’s Bottoms, had been “closed” down a few years before the Strand’s opening, but lots of illegal things were being pursued in secret at that time.

Another theory is that a boarding house above the Saenger Drugstore could have been a brothel, though it could have housed vaudeville performers during their time in Shreveport. Whose to know for sure? There is a similar story attached to the nearby Arlington Hotel, now in severe disrepair. It is said that patrons there would use tunnels beneath the hotel for discreet access to booze and secret rendezvous (they would also walk over to The Strand to catch a show).

Today the former smoking lounge is used for storage due to frequent flooding, thanks to what Strand Employees call “The Strand River”, as the theatre is built on a former lake bed. There are three sub pumps running at all times and raised walkways in the tunnels to give employees dry access to the utilities.

These underground tunnels were also used for more virtuous affairs, such as serving as a bomb shelter in the 1950s.

You can still see some of the few remaining civil defense rations once stored there for public consumption. The tunnels today are of course used for storing cool theatre things.

In my quest to learn more about this Shreveport treasure, I visited Noel Library at LSUS and had the immense pleasure of sifting through stacks and stacks of papers and photos and even the original blue prints from 1923. I found little more than a few words about the smoking room existing, in more recent literature, but found no trace of it anywhere else. Maybe I need someone to teach me how to read old blue prints, or maybe it wasn’t supposed to be a well-known place at the time. Maybe it was for those IN the know. Was there a secret knock? A password? A special ticket stub?

Perhaps Shreveport’s Underground had a “What Happens in the tunnels, stays in the tunnels rule?” I’m sure the Old Girl has more than one story to tell, that only she was privy to! One thing is for sure though, through all her changes, she has always been one classy dame.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 41

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Melissa Brannan LOCAL FOODIE & CHEF

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 43

Braised Short Ribs YIELD:

6 Servings

INGREDIENTS • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

1 Tbs. olive oil 6 each bone-in short ribs (3 to 4 pounds) Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper 1 large onion, roughly chopped 2 large carrots, roughly chopped 3 stalks celery, roughly chopped 4 to 6 garlic cloves, smashed 1 Tbs. tomato paste 1 cup red wine 3 cups beef stock 1 cup water 4 large sprigs thyme 3 bay leaves ½ Tbs. cornstarch

• • •

½ cup fresh breadcrumbs, tossed in olive oil & lightly toasted ¼ cup parsley, chopped Zest of 1 lemon

In a Dutch oven, warm olive oil over medium-high to high heat.

Generously season short ribs with salt and pepper. Working in batches, sear short ribs until well browned on all sides, transfer to a plate and set aside.

• •

Grits, for serving Shredded Brussels Sprouts, for serving (see pg. 18)

Pour out all but 1 Tbs. fat and return Dutch oven to medium-high heat.

Add onion, carrot, celery and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and beginning to soften, about 8 minutes.

Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Deglaze pan with red wine and vigorously simmer until evaporated by about half, about 5 minutes. Add stock, water, thyme and bay leaves and bring to a boil. Return short ribs to Dutch oven, cover oven with heavy duty foil then lid and braise, covered, in oven until fork tender, about 3 hours.

PREPARATION Preheat an oven to 350F.

Carefully transfer short ribs to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.

Strain braising liquid into a small sauce pan and skim off any excess fat. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. In a small bowl or ramekin, stir together cornstarch with 1 Tbs. water until well combined. Slowly whisk into the simmering liquid to thicken. Set aside.

Just before serving, in a small bowl, toss together breadcrumbs, parsley and lemon zest. Place a spoonful of grits on a plate. Top with a spoonful of Brussels sprouts. Place a short rib on top, ladle with a little thickened braising liquid and top with the breadcrumb mixture.

Plate remaining portions and serve immediately.

44 FALL 2018

Shredded Brussels Sprouts YIELD:

6 Servings

INGREDIENTS • • • •

4 Tbs. olive oil 3 to 4 shallots, thinly sliced into rings 1 ½ lb. Brussels sprouts, trimmed and finely shredded Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

PREPARATION In a large sauté pan over medium heat, warm 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until caramelized, about 15 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a bowl.

Return pan to medium-high heat and warm 2 Tbs. olive oil. Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, shaking pan occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add shallots back to pan and toss or stir until evenly distributed and heated through.

Bourbon Maple Rosemary Smash INGREDIENTS • • • • •

2 oz. bourbon 3/4 oz. lemon juice 3/4 oz. maple syrup 2 small sprigs rosemary Thin lemon wheel, for garnish

PREPARATION Place bourbon, lemon juice, maple syrup and 1 sprig rosemary in a cocktail shaker. Using the handle-end of a wooden spoon, roughly muddle the rosemary. Fill with ice and shake vigorously until chilled.

Strain into a double old fashioned glass with ice. Garnish with lemon wheel and remaining rosemary sprig. Makes one cocktail.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 45

THE DAVID & CARTER TOMS STORY

An Unbreakable Bond

BY TONY TAGLAVORE

I

t is an expected, albeit still interesting storyline.

Dad is one of the world’s best professional golfers. From the time his son is old enough to hold one of those plastic, oversized, red clubs, Dad is with son on the range. In the furnace of heat that is a Louisiana summer—after school and every weekend—there is Dear Ol’ Dad, teaching his firstborn everything he knows about the grip and the game.

As son gets older, Dad “encourages” him to play in tournament after tournament, all in preparation to follow the trail left by Dad’s footprints. Those are large footprints, by the way. Footprints left by the shoes of a three-time LSU All-American, a 13-time PGA Tour winner, and a career-earner of more than $44 million.

That’s a lot to live up to. But just 21 years into life as David Wayne Toms’ son, Carter Phillip Toms is well on his way. As a senior at C.E. Byrd High School, Carter won the Louisiana State High School Athletics Association’s Division 1 State Championship. He’s a member of LSU’s golf team. He recently played in the United States Amateur Tournament, at one of the game’s most revered courses—Pebble Beach.

There’s only one problem with this expected, albeit still interesting storyline.

It’s not true.

David did not spend countless hours hovering over Carter, moving his son’s hands up, down and around the club shaft to find the right pressure points.

David did not rustle Carter from his slumber, forcing him out the door for 6am practices.

This expected, albeit still interesting storyline, is as false as the

48 FALL 2018

front of the 14th green at Augusta National.

“I was a big baseball player growing up,” Carter said. “I did not play golf competitively until high school. I started with baseball and soccer—but I was mainly a baseball payer. My Dad was really kind of pushing me toward that because he didn’t want me to have to deal with growing up in his shadow—being compared to him as a golfer—because that’s not really what he wanted to happen. That’s really hard being compared to a Hall of Famer.”

And David knew that. After all, don’t most fathers know what’s best for their children? David didn’t want his son weighed down with a golf bag full of expectations. That’s one reason why David steered Carter towards the diamond instead of the fairway.

But there was another reason—one that was more about David than Carter.

“I loved going to the ballpark,” David admits.

You see, long before his final round, shot-for-shot battle with Phil Mickelson to win the 2001 PGA Championship—his first “major” title—David was flashing the glove—a baseball glove. Until he was 12 years old, David played baseball with future two-time LSU All-American and nine-year major league veteran Ben McDonald.

Then, when he moved to Shreveport-Bossier, David played with Albert (Joey) Belle—a future two-time All-SEC player at LSU and 12-year big league veteran.

But eventually, what happened to father happened to son. The golf bug bit, and took a big bite out of baseball. Carter started hanging out with friends who played golf, and after awhile, hitting the ball with dimples was more enjoyable than hitting the ball with seams.

Carter and Anna give father David a congratulatory hug minutes after he won the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial in 2015.

For David and Carter, quality time together has often meant duck hunting

“When he wanted to start playing golf,” David said, “I was kind of heartbroken as far as him not really taking an interest in baseball anymore because from a selfish point of view, I loved being at the ballpark and I was at the golf course all the time anyway, so I would rather be at the ballpark watching my kid play.”

Now here is where David and Carter’s story has an opportunity to make a U-Turn toward its original expected, albeit still interesting storyline: one of the sport’s best, teaching his son how to play the game and follow Dad’s footprints. But remember, those footprints are long and wide—and lined with water hazards and thick rough.

David knew that. After all, don’t most fathers know what’s best for their children?

Of course they do, which is why instead of becoming a teaching Dad, David became a protective Dad. He got Carter his own swing coach. His own instructor.

Those countless hours of Dad hovering over son, teaching him the mechanics of the game? As invisible as a British Open course enveloped in fog rolling in from the sea.

“As a golfer, for him, there was a lot of pressure to succeed in the game because of me,” David explained, “and I just felt like it was better to try and distance myself for our father-son relationship. I just wanted to be a supportive father. If he asked me a question, I wanted to be there for him, but I didn’t want to be too involved because I thought he would feel better about himself if he did it more on his own and working with other people and other coaches and so forth, and it would be something that he accomplished on his own.”

“I don’t listen to “He should be good because he’s David’s son,”” Carter said. “I just kind of go by myself, and that’s what Dad has always told me: “Don’t listen to that.” I’m not identified as David’s son. I’m Carter.”

Yes he is. Carter Toms, who just happens to have a Dad that has climbed to the top of a very high professional mountain. But when they are together, David Toms isn’t the player who earlier this year won the U.S. Senior Open.

He’s Dad, and that’s just how Carter wants it.

“We really are best friends,” Carter said. “We do everything together. We never fight. When it comes to duck hunting, that’s the only time we ever fight because we’re both so passionate about it.

That’s how we bonded so close. We spent 30-35 days a year together.

Now with me being in college, when I’m home, it’s usually during

A young Carter Toms walks with Dad during the Par 3 Contest at Augusta National in 2008.

duck season and during Christmas break, and that’s all we do every day, and that’s been going on a long time. We spend a majority of our time, especially when it’s just me and him, it’s usually around something to do with hunting and fishing.”

Just as David loved hunting with his father, Carter loves hunting with his father. In fact, one of Carter’s special memories is killing his first two ducks—which by the way he did with just one shot.

That moment was made more memorable because David was in the blind—right next to Carter.

“For Dad to be there was pretty special.”

“I was probably smiling from ear-to-ear,” David said, with just the right tone of fatherly pride.

But it doesn’t take something as special as being with your son when they kill their first ducks to make David smile. That comes naturally, and happens pretty much whenever he and Carter are together.

“There’s so many distractions for kids now days,” David said.

“When you’re in a duck blind or you’re in a boat and you’re outdoors and you’re up watching the sun rise or watching the sun set and you can be there, you’re just hoping to catch that situation where they open up to you and tell you about what’s going on in your life. I can’t think of a better way to do that and that’s what the golf course does for us now, too. When you’re riding with somebody in the golf cart, they can’t get very far away from you. I certainly know it’s helped me—that’s a way for me to be able to catch up with the kids when I’m not home.”

And it’s a two-way street.

“He’s more my best friend,” Carter said. “He’s cool. He’s just a cool guy. A lot of people want to hang out with him. He’s just a really cool dude. I talk to him basically every day, just about anything. We’re really close. We never really fight about anything. He’s real humorous, He’s always joking around. We’re just really good friends.”

Who knows? Maybe they would still be “just really good friends” had Dad pushed son to play between the ropes instead of between the lines.

But maybe not.

It was a shot Dad took.

A shot that had just the right arc, just the right length, just the right touch.

A father’s touch.

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 49

Businesses Reinvesting in Community ANECA Federal Credit union hosts two annual events at A.C. Steere Park — the Easter Eggstravaganza and Pictures in the Park.

BY SCOTT J. ANDERSON

C

harity begins at home, but it doesn’t stop there. Many Shreveport businesses find ways to give back and support the people, organizations and events in the community. In fact, Amber Free, marketing director at ANECA Federal Credit Union, issued a challenge to local companies that aren’t giving back.

“If you’re not doing something, do something,” she said. “You’ve got to do something. It is your social responsibility.” ANECA practices what Free preaches. Take, for example, the credit union’s monthly “Pay It Forward” campaign. “We go out in the community and surprise people,” Free said. “Typically, it’s buying them their breakfast or lunch or a cup of coffee. We do it and we give them a card that encourages them to go do something for someone else. We take the first step, and we usually touch about 25 or so people when we do Pay It Forward. So hopefully we have 25 people out there doing other good deeds for people and start a chain reaction.”

At Cosse & Silmon Orthodontics, event coordinator Holly Moerer said whether to get involved is almost never a question. Rather, the questions are usually where and how to get involved, and even those answers are easy.

“We try to do things that can benefit a large number of our patients,” Moerer said. “We’ve got so many kids that represent so many schools and organizations. There’s not much we say no to.”

Cosse & Silmon has patients from public and private schools across Shreveport, so schools are great partners. Cosse & Silmon has donated money for school playgrounds and Teacher Appreciation Week lunches. Last year, Cosse & Silmon provided safety goggles

to University Elementary School so students could watch the solar eclipse. The orthodontists also partner with area churches, donating toothbrushes and toothpaste for churches to take on mission trips or to include in care packages for soldiers serving overseas.

Sometimes, a company’s charitable events have very personal roots. Denny Rogers, managing partner at Landers Dodge Chrysler Jeep Ram, launched Renee’s Run in 2014. Renee’s Run is an annual 5K race that raises money to fight pancreatic cancer. It is named in honor of Denny Rogers wife, Renee, who died from pancreatic cancer in 2013. Renee was instrumental with Denny in launching the Athlete of the Week program that the Landers dealerships continue to sponsor, including the Athlete of the Week Scholarship program, which has given out thousands of dollars in scholarships. The Rogers’ daughter Brittney was Miss Louisiana 2003, and Renee remained active in supporting pageant competitors.

In addition to the Athlete of the Week program, Landers supports local high school sports in a number of other ways, including sponsorship of the Battle on the Border weekend. Battle on the Border brings together some of the best teams from across Louisiana and neighboring states for a series of games at Independence Stadium.

“It’s 100 percent about investing back into the community,” Derrick Thomas of Landers said. “(Denny’s) been committed to that since he moved here from Lafayette and Lake Charles.” Thomas said supporting high school athletes fits nicely with the dealership’s mission.

“The car business in general is full of competitors,” he said. “We

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believe that sports provide so many lessons. That’s something we all want to be a part of. In sales meetings, Denny always references sports and coaches. We just want to be a part of that.”

Charity doesn’t always have to be about big events or raising money for research. Sometimes, it is just about having fun. Cosse & Silmon has a photo booth that it donates to many local events, and ANECA has its own brand of fun. “We do a thing called Fantastic Friday where we give stuff away,” Free said. “It’s just for fun. It drives business into small businesses around town and we almost always try to partner up with someone who is locally owned, mom and pop, preferably.”

Free has a giant check leaning against the wall in her office. She said with excitement that she is waiting on three more because the one can’t keep up with demand. “We have them dry-erasable for a reason, because we give away a lot of money,” she said. “We give away money to our members. We’ll run contests for fun, just to give away a little prize money.” Free said those member contests often are tied to rewarding good behavior. For example, they have rewarded members for using a debit card with a signature by reimbursing the member for a particular purchase.

Moerer and Free said both companies look for ways to promote Shreveport’s young people when they choose causes and events to

support. Doctors Chris Cosse and Jeff Silmon are avid soccer fans, so their practice is a big supporter of CABOSA and youth soccer.

They also created the Golden Goals program, which helps children with disabilities learn to play soccer and participate on local high school teams.

“Our Golden Goal is a really cool thing,” Moerer said. “To see kids with disabilities be part of the team and see them kick a winning goal.

We not only see the joy on their faces, but we see a group of senior girls on the varsity team celebrate with these kids. I think it is good thing for everyone involved.”

ANECA comes alongside Cane’s every year in support of budding entrepreneurs on Lemonade Day. ANECA employees visit the stands and rate the children and their stands on presentation, salesmanship, attention to detail and other entrepreneurial characteristics. ANECA awards a cash prize to the top lemonade stand.

ANECA’s two signature events are all about family fun. The Easter Eggstravaganza is a community-wide Easter egg hunt at A.C. Steere Park, and Pictures in the Park is a free movie night in the park. “Easter is our largest event,” she said. “It is absolutely impossible to know how many people are there, because they come from all directions at A.C. Steere, but we know how much free popcorn and lemonade we give away.” Free said the community response is the best measure

Cosse & Silmon Orthodontics is a supporter of the annual Toys for Tots campaign.

The Easter Bunny takes photos with children at ANECA’s Easter Eggstravaganza.

The Cosse & Silmon staff collects toys for children at Christmas.

they have of success at these events.

“They will reach out to us,” she said. “It never fails…we always have some unique situation where we have the opportunity to make that event better for someone. After an event, we get tons of response. People are really good about saying thanks, and that’s really encouraging.”

Like the group of deaf students who attended one of the Pictures in the Park events. “They contacted me before the event and asked me if there would be closed-captioning on the movie,” Free said. “I said, ‘Well, no, but I can do that.’ And they were like ‘That would be amazing. We’ve got a group of students we’d like to bring that are hearing impaired.’ I said, ‘Done.’ That’s’ the easiest accommodation I can make. And they came and had a great time.”

Cosse & Silmon also support a lot of community organizations and events. One of their community partners is The Warrior Network, which supports local members of the armed services and their families. The Cosse & Silmon team volunteers to feed families at

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ANECA employees are actively involved as community volunteers.

the Warrior Feast every November and also supports The Warrior Network’s annual Kids Fest.

The practice also donated exhibits at Sci-Port and the Shreveport Aquarium, and it supports the Shreveport Symphony.

But tying charitable work to your company’s mission also is important. Landers is a large supporter of the Shreveport Mudbugs, Thomas said, because the partnership fits with Landers’ outlook.

“Those guys have just bootstrapped themselves to success,” Thomas said of the Mudbugs. “They are a good organization and good people.

That’s what we want to do—help our community do things with good people. Those guys with the Mudbugs have all of those attributes.”

Scott Muscutt, general manager of the Mudbugs, said the organization is grateful for the support. “Landers is one of those (supporters) that if we don’t have them, then the Mudbugs organization simply is not successful,” Muscutt said. “Denny has always been that guy that it’s not a matter of buying a car from him, it’s a matter of making Shreveport a better place to live and play. He takes that as a personal mission statement. He’s so involved because our vision parallels his.”

Moerer said Cosse & Silmon has created a free screening kit they give out at large events. The kit lets families screen a child’s teeth and submit the results digitally to Cosse & Silmon for evaluations.

The practice also supports Airway Aware, a program designed to educate people about sleep apnea related to jaw issues. And they have held contests for free braces. “It’s a blessing to a lot of people when we give free treatments,” she said.

Free said the credit union has been actively involved with the Prize Foundation since the launch of the LA Film Prize because “it brings so much awesome action to Shreveport.” She added that ANECA particularly enjoys sponsoring the Startup Prize, a competition for entrepreneurs. “We love the Startup Prize, which celebrates and encourages entrepreneurship,” she said. “We love businesses. We love entrepreneurs. So we support that. We have financed many of

Cosse & Silmon is a proud supporter of Cabosa youth soccer programs.

their finalists and winners in their endeavors, which has been really cool. Those are not typical loans that other people want to touch.

We do want to do them. We do want to help people get their feet on the ground and get going.”

One of ANECA’s latest charitable initiatives is a scholarship program. The credit union is awarding 10 scholarships of $1,000. Five will go to member families and five will go to area colleges: LSUS, BPCC, Northwestern State, La Tech and Southern. “We want to help people get an education, stay here, and do something awesome in Shreveport,” Free said.

Moerer said Cosse & Silmon’s generosity is a reflection of the leadership. “I have worked with them for 10 years,” she said. “They have hearts of gold. Chris always says he’s been blessed and wants to bless others. They are just two of the most wonderful people. Just good human beings. You see it with the staff, with the patients and in community.”

Free acknowledged it can be difficult choosing what to say yes to and what to say no to. She said that’s where a core mission and values can help a company decide where to put its efforts.

“What we really look for is the connection to what we believe strongly about, which is economic growth and development,” she said. “Is there something about this event or this group that is going to be good for Shreveport, promote a business or a very good community cause like the arts? The arts bring in business and development. Having that artistic area in Shreveport was important because downtown development is important, which is good for residential development downtown. Anything that we can tie back to economic growth and development. What’s good for families. What’s good for the youth. We really focus on our community.”

“Find something that is what your company values. Don’t send a check. Send a check and show up. Send a check, show up, and ask how you can make it better. Send another check. Even if you only do one thing, do it and do it well. Choose wisely, but do something. Do good.”

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855 Pierremont Rd, Ste 138, Shreveport, LA 71106

HISTORIC PLACES & LONG

FORGOTTEN SPACES WRITTEN & PHOTOGRAPHY SHANNON PALMER

FAIRFIELD BUILDING 1600 Fairfield Avenue. Built in 1949, the Fairfield Building was constructed in the International Style of Architectural Design, and was once the home of Commercial National Bank and several other businesses. The property was purchased last summer in hopes of renovating and revitalizing this beautifully designed building.

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CAPRI THEATER 620 Milam Street. Originally named the Saenger Theater after it's owners--brothers Julian and Abe Saenger– it was opened on March 26, 1911. It operated under this name until it became the Capri Theater on March 24, 1967.

THE STRAND THEATRE 630 Crockett Street. Also opened by the Saenger brothers, the Strand broke ground in October 1923. It opened on July 3, 1925 with a production of The Chocolate Soldier. The Saengers went on to open 320 Theaters across the South. Though the Theater was closed in 1977, it was re-opened in 1984, hosting a performance by the Shreveport Symphony Orchestra.

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SALVATION ARMY BUILDING 710 Crockett Street. What is now home to loft apartments was once The Salvation Army Building, dedicated by the Lowe McFarlane Post #14 of the American Legion. The building was completed in 1932, and opened officially on December 4th of that year. The building cost $32,000 to construct, and was the home of the Citadel Corps until 1992.

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ARLINGTON HOTEL 700 Cotton Street. The Arlington Hotel was constructed in 1915 and served as a place for Union Station train travelers to lodge during their time in Shreveport. The Hotel was active until the early 1970s, a few years after a fire destroyed Union Station.

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ANTIOCH CHURCH 1057 Texas Avenue. Designed by Nathaniel Sykes Allen, the Antioch Baptist Church was first dedicated in 1903, and housed the congregation known at that time as the First Colored Baptist Church. For a brief time, the church was known as Union Missionary Baptist Church, but was renamed once again to Antioch Baptist Church.

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TWIN EAGLES 2016 Texas Avenue. Opened in 1922 by Italian immigrant Frank Maranto, it was the home of "Maranto Confectionaries."

Henry and his family resided upstairs from the store that they ran on the ground floor. In 1958, Frank's son Henry took over and it became "Maranto's Liquor Store." In in 1968 it was known as "Lucky Liquor Store #2," and in 1987, Barry Mordv bought the building and renamed it "Twin Eagles."

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For tickets, visit laholyangels.org | @laholyangels 62 FALL 2018

BY URSULA BRANTLEY | PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF HOLY ANGELS, EVERGREEN MINISTRIES, & BOSSIER PARISH TALENTED ARTS PROGRAM

ThisAbility Matters of the HeART

E

very day there are individuals who boldly live their lives, defying the odds after being told that “normal” would never be in the cards for them. Time and time again they prove that no one should be counted out for any reason especially because of disability. They are of all ages, races, and statuses. Some have a loving foundation while others only experience love in spurts or not at all. Regardless of their differences, they all have a right to happiness and selfpride. Individuals with disabilities are capable of more than society sometimes gives them credit. They strive daily to show people that they too possess astonishing talents and have the ability to create breathtaking work.

During his 25 years of teaching, local artist and Bossier Parish Talented Arts teacher, Steve Porter said he noticed that students with disabilities weren’t always included in the projects that he’d previously completed. Often those disabled students who did get the opportunity to participate were met with difficulty. A few years ago, he had a vision for a large scale art project that showcased the talents of children living with mental and/or physical challenges. Porter’s mission was to allow the light to shine on these often overlooked children by bringing a project to their level and letting them have fun creating something that they could be proud to call their own.

After some brainstorming, planning, and discussions with the Bossier Parish School Board, the idea for the ThisAbility Mural began to come to life. Porter chose to name it the ThisAbility Mural because these children are so much more than their disabilities. Blank canvases were sent to all Bossier Parish Schools with Special Education classrooms and the children’s only instructions were to have fun and create from the heart. It took a few months of hard work and dedication, but with the help of teachers, paraprofessionals, and parents, these outstanding children from 30 different schools created a breathtaking 360 feet testament to conquering adversity.

The ThisAbility mural was displayed at Bossier Bringing emotions to life helps give this resident a sense of purpose.

Schools’ first student art

expo, i3 Art Expo. The self-satisfaction and pride these children felt could be seen in their smiles. It was an honor for them to be able to watch others react to the beauty that they brought to life.

Art has proven to be beneficial in the development of individuals with disabilities. It helps them connect with the people and things around them as well as express themselves in ways that are more comfortable for them. In the Shreveport/Bossier City area, there are several organizations that use art therapy as a way to help empower their residents. One of those organizations is Evergreen Life Services. The Evergreen Corporation has many facilities, but only five are equipped with a Cultural Arts Center. Their Haughton Facility happens to be one of those five facilities. Through the Cultural Arts Center, residents are given the opportunity to create paintings, jewelry, pottery, and other items. Some residents are even able to sell their work through Evergreen’s Online Shop. Another organization that encourages its residents to use art as an outlet is Holy Angels, which is located in Shreveport. In 2012, Holy Angels was able to expand and begin their AngelWorks Day Program, which provides participants with jobs in creative arts as well as culinary arts, business services, and horticulture. With the help of staff and volunteers, residents are able to express and embrace their creative side. People can even buy the A student working on their creations of these residents through the David ThisAbility mural artwork Toms Foundation AngelWorks Gift Shop, as well as at the organization’s annual food and art festival, Taste of Shreveport-Bossier.

Inclusion and acceptance shouldn’t come with stipulations or fine print. Just because a person has disabilities does not mean that they are any less capable than the next person. Disabilities can stop individuals from doing certain things, but it does not take away their personality, creativity, or passion. No matter who you are or where you’re from, we all matter and we all have voices that deserve to be heard. Our lives may be different, but we all bleed red. It should be humbling to know that in spite of our differences we are all part of the same human race.

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AUTUMN Events Handpicked Ideas to Find the Fun

Sept. 15th

Sept 26th -27th

DigiFest South

Sept. 29th

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure

at First Baptist Church

digifestsouth.com

at the CenturyLink Center

at Colombia Park

Jack White

Sept. 15th

Jamey Johnson

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Mission Possible 5/10k & Fun Run

Highland Jazz & Blues Fest

Sept. 15th

Sept. 21st

Sept. 22nd

at the Municipal Auditorium

Sept. 29th

Renzi Center Bunco & Bash

Sept. 29thOct. 7th

Red River Revel

at Horseshoe Casino & Hotel

Cirque Du Lake Festival on the 400 Block of Lake St.

at Eldorado Resort Casino

at Festival Plaza

Oct. 3-7th

Oct. 15-20th

Oct. 27th

Heroes Run

Oct. 27th

Aseana Fall Festival

Prize Fest

prizefest.org

American Kitefliers Association Annual Competition at LSUS Campus

Nov. 1st

Oct. 20th

Oct. 20th

Shreveport Convention Center

800 Texas Ave

TASTE: A Festival of Food & Art at the Bossier Civic Center

Fall Wildlife Celebration 150 Eagle Bend Point

Nest Fest

at Eleven Event Center

Nov. 6th Oct. 20th

BREW

Oct. 25thNov. 11th

Louisiana State Fair

at Festival Plaza

at the Fair Grounds

Nov. 17th

ELECTION DAY caddovoter.org/polling-locations Catahoula Wine Mixer at Provenance

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Shaping Shreveport’s Cultural Landscape

May 4, 2019

R.W. Norton Art Gallery

September 7-8, 2018 Betty Virginia Park

October 18, 2018 818 Unadilla St.

Catahoula

Wine Mixer November 17, 2018

Windrush Park at Provenance

November 30, 2018

Line Ave. Corridor Starting at Superior's Steakhouse

Tickets at ShreveportEvent.com

March 22-23, 2019 Betty Virginia Park

S O O N!

@DILLASQUESADILLAS

G N I M O C

TOWNE OAK SQUARE

DILLAS.COM

855 PIERREMONT RD. #135

SHREVEPORTMAGAZINE.COM 67

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