EDGE of the Lake Magazine August | September 2018

P E O P L E

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S P O R T S

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H E A LT H

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A R T

AUGUST | SEPTEMBER 2018

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PUBLISHER Sarah Cottrell

I grew up in a small, rural town in Dorset, England with a population of only 2,000. My father taught and ran the boys boarding school, so everyone in the town knew him and in turn knew me. At the time I hated that, and at the first opportunity headed to live in London followed by Los Angeles.

My father never enjoyed big cities, as he was consistently looking for people he knew.

After I traveled this summer with my son I now understand how he felt. I did the same thing while in London, and never saw a face I knew. It was so nice to come ‘home’ to the Northshore and be among friendly faces again. It always amazes me when people stop me to compliment the EDGE or to pitch a story. I truly love what I do, and getting to travel around the Northshore and meet people is one of the perks of my profession.

We hope you enjoy this issue, including our annual Prep Football preview written by our sports director Mike Pervel, a fascinating story about training camps in Lacombe from our writer Liz Smith and inspiration from beauty editor Caitlin Picou just in time for homecoming. To contact me via email edgepublisher@yahoo.com

PUBLISHER

EDITOR Randolph Hazen ART DIRECTOR Erich Belk STYLE DIRECTOR Patty Beal BEAUTY EDITOR Caitlin Picou COPY EDITOR Mary-Brent Brown CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Colin Bouton Madison Chauvin Charles Dowdy Michelle Goode Meridith Knight Mike Pervel Liz Genest Smith STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Jerry Cottrell CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Carlin Beal Johnny Chauvin Abby Sands Joel Tredwell SENIOR SALES EXECUTIVES Eloise Cottrell Rick Clasen ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Rebecca Blossman-Ferran Erin Bolton Dave Dunaway Michelle Wallace-Croass

ON THE COVER MANDEVILLE-Gazebo at Fontainebleau Photo Abby Sands

The entire contents of this magazine are copyrighted

by EDGE Publishing. @ 2018 with all rights reserved.

Reproduction or use without permission of editorial or graphic content in any manner is prohibited. Please email comments or story ideas to edgepublisher@yahoo.com.

EDGE PUBLISHING • 69170 HWY 190. SUITE 1 COVINGTON, LA 70433 • 985.875.9691

Charo Arnold, Mandeville mom and neonatal nurse, was 16-weeks pregnant with Mila Grace when she was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer.

Our multidisciplinary team of specialists delivered the best possible outcomes: Charo is cancer-free thanks to treatment before and after the birth of her daughter.

World-class breast cancer care, close to home.

Breast cancer is one of the hardest diagnoses a woman can face. Having your treatment close to home can make all the difference. We offer the highest quality care right here in Covington, from our breast-fellowship trained radiologists and National Accreditation Program for Breast Centers to our multidisciplinary team approach including breast surgery, St. Tammany Parish Hospital delivers top ranked breast cancer care close to home. stph.org/WomensPavilion

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010

052

DEL PORTO RISTORANTE

BERNARD MATTOX

MIX MASTERS

014

PEOPLE ABBY SANDS

020

SPORTS

FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS

034

ARTIST

058

CUTTING EDGE OF FASHION VINTAGE

062

COVERT

GUERILLAS IN THE SWAMP

JACK SALTER

066

038

MY TURN BY CHEF: STEVE AHRONS

COACH

FAN

LANE MOORE

042

BROADCASTING CHAUVIN PRESS BOX

048

BEAUTY

HOMECOMING UPDOS

RESTAURANT REVIEW

068

MUSIC

BLUES FESTIVAL

069

AROUND THE LAKE SOCIAL

073

CHARLES OFF THE AIR BIRDS AND THE BEES

Page 052 Bernard Mattox

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LETTER FROM THE PARISH PRESIDENT

Fresh focus Just as students of all ages freshen their focus to return to school, Parish Government is currently reorganizing and prioritizing infrastructure goals. This ongoing directional change includes and even heavier concentration on roads, drainage and water quality projects, and a continued dialogue with the State LADOTD to make projects in St. Tammany, one of the fastest growing parish in the state, a priority.

The prioritization of the widening of I-12 impacts our safety and quality of life, and though we’ve made strides, we will continue to stress its importance to the LADOTD as we have since 2013. Another dimension of this focus involves the improvement and rebuilding of bridges, such as Clipper Drive in the Slidell area currently underway, and the newly completed Tchefuncte Parc Bridge in the Madisonville area which offers larger drainage capacity. Drainage initiatives include the Lake Village subdivision near Slidell; the French Branch detention Pond, also near Slidell, and the Riverwood Drainage project in the Covington area.

See projects in your area at our interactive Progress map at www.stpgov.org/initiatives/ progress.

These investments in our infrastructure, are done with the future in mind. Our major streets plan, or Path to the Future is a visionary plan that includes improvements of existing roadways, and the design and creation of future roads to ultimately increase capacity, traffic flow and safety over the next several decades. We invite you to learn more about how we are working each day to ensure our infrastructure is viable now and well into the coming years at www.stpgov.org/initiatives.

Pat Brister St. Tammany Parish President

THE POWER OF STORYTELLING PR professionals are often asked to help tell their clients’ stories. From Longbranch, a successful recovery center in Abita Springs whose CEO is 18 years sober himself, to the Southern Hotel’s new Garden House, a historic post office lovingly restored and updated to reflect a 1930s era and bring cultural tourism to downtown Covington, there are stories throughout the Northshore that deserve to be told. The question is: how do we tell these stories in a captivating way?

A compelling story requires a relatable issue, a decision process and an outcome that’s personal to both the storyteller and listener. While these ideas may seem simple for a good TV drama, how can businesses and organizations apply them to their marketing strategy?

The New Orleans 100 was formed as a way to tell the stories behind the story in a quick, consumable format.

Sent straight to more than 40,000 inboxes every other week, each free issue is comprised of 15 stories about the people and businesses that make our area unique.

These stories may be shared on social media and throughout our growing network of The 100 Companies, with affiliates as nearby as Houston and as far away as Dubai. Here’s the intriguing part: each story contains exactly 100 words, and each video is exactly 100 seconds long.

With the ever-shortening length of the digital attention span, a 100-word article or 100-second video that conveys a compelling story is an asset.

The team at The New Orleans 100 is excited to partner with Edge of The Lake Magazine for our 2nd annual Northshore Issue of The New Orleans 100, focused on the people and businesses in our vibrant community.

You can see The New Orleans 100 in your inbox every other week by subscribing at TheNewOrleans100.com. For the Northshore issue, visit TheNewOrleans100.com and click on “special issues.”

Betsie Gambel, President Gambel Communications Publisher, The New Orleans 100

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET AWAY WITHOUT GETTING AWAY?

Here’s your chance to win a night at the Beautiful Southern Hotel located in downtown Covington and a gift certificate for OXLOT 9.

Go to edgeofthelake. com, tell us about yourself for a chance to win. Winner to be randomly picked on September 15th.

PHOTO JERRY COTTRELL

The St. Tammany Art Association (STAA), along with the sponsorship and support of local businesses, galleries and restaurants, presented Spring for Art in historic downtown Covington.

During Spring for Art the STAA hosted their Mix Masters competition, pitting bartenders from local restaurants against each other in the hopes of earning the Mix Masters title (and cash prizes). Evaluating the contestants’ specialty drinks were Bruce Falkenstein, Ryan Cotton and Randy Benefield of Gulf Coast Bank.

Spectators were also invited to participate in sampling the cocktails and voted on a People’s Choice award.

The winner of both the People’s Choice and the Mix Masters Award was Del Porto’s Zack Zimmer. Zack prepared a Sicilian Strawberry Lemonade

Sicilian Strawberry Lemonade Muddled Mint and Strawberries Fresh Lemon Juice Citrus Vodka Limoncello Creme House made Strawberry Syrup Club Soda Served over ice and garnished with fresh Strawberries and Mint

Mix Master

Zachary Zimmer Del Porto Ristorante 985 875 1007

Eating healthy, controlled portions, Rinck quickly lost the weight she gained while pregnant with her daughter— and an additional 45 pounds. Her clients, desirous of similar results, asked if she would cook for them. And that’s how Sensible Meals was born.

Ingrid Rinck Sensible Meals is the fastest-growing and largest meal-prep company in the country, and it’s based in Mandeville, LA. The business was created by entrepreneur Ingrid Rinck, a personal trainer with over 20 years of experience in the health and fitness industries.

In February 2014, Rinck received the devastating news that her son had Type 1 Diabetes. She says,“He’s insulin dependent, and his diet has to be regulated or it can be life threatening. So, I made the decision that our whole family was going to change our diet, as well.That meant I really had to follow my own advice and weigh, measure and portion our food properly.”

Sensible Meals offers fresh, affordable (15 meals costs only $80) chef-prepared meals made in a licensed, certified and insured facility with an A+ health rating. Rinck describes the food: “The meals are half diet food and half fun food. We like to include fun meals in your diet so you don’t feel deprived or frustrated, and quit.” In addition to the standard weight loss plan, Sensible Meals offers double protein, paleo and lacto-ovo vegetarian plans.

Sensible Meals provides live assistance to its customers from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, 365 days a year. Ingrid says, “clients really love the personal attention, motivation and tough love our company provides 12 hours a day.” Take one look at their social media pages (@sensiblemeals) and you can feel the excitement from their large client base.

As a local company, it’s important to Rinck to support Louisiana and the regional economy. “All of our employees, even our vendors—the people from whom we buy

our food products—are local. We try to keep our resources in Louisiana rather than buy from the big national brands.”

Sensible Meals outsources their baked items from local bakeries and gumbo from a local restaurant to help keep the money in our economy. Even though Sensible Meals ships nationwide, Rinck is proud of her roots here in Louisiana and loves hearing how much clients across the US enjoy their New Orleans red beans and rice and chicken etouffee dishes!

Rinck never imagined herself at the helm of such a large enterprise and doesn’t take her success lightly. “This is a passion project, and it started because of my son’s illness. I tell him every day that his tragedy is turning into triumph, not only for our family, but for people all over the country.

It’s changing people’s lives for the better.”

You can feel the passion Ingrid has for this company, New Orleans, clients and employees.

www.EatSensibleMeals.com Sensible Meals has 11 easy pickup cities.

Shipping to your doorstep available for $15.

Learn more about Sensible Meals at eatsensiblemeals.com.

The City of

COVINGTON

AUGUST & SEPTEMBER 2018 EVENTS

Sunset at the Landing Concert Fridays, August 17 & September 21 • 6 pm to 9 pm Columbia Street Landing

Covington White Linen for Public Art Saturday, August 18 • 6 pm to 9 pm Historic Downtown Covington

Columbia Street Block Party Fridays, August 31 & September 28 • 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm Historic Downtown Covington Hoops for Kids Saturday, September 8 • 7 am to 3 pm Reverend Peter Atkins Park

Mandeville Live!

Free Trailhad Concerts

6:30 p.m. - 8:30 p.m.

SATURDAYS IN SEPTEMBER September 15 th September 22nd September 29th

Friday Concert & Live Taping of Friday, October 5th Tapings at 5:00 & 6:00 concert begins at 6:30 p.m.

OnSTAGE at the Fuhrmann • Mike Super Thursday, September 13 • 7 pm • 317 N. Jefferson Avenue Attached is a proof of your ad that will run in the August/September issue of EDGE of the Lake magazine. This ad w Farmers Markets **The public invited to participate in thevialive tapings** changes byHampshire Wednesday (07.13.2018) at 5:00 PM. Pleaseismake any changes or approve email.

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Every Saturday • 8 am to Noon • 600 Block of N. Columbia

*No outside food, beverages or coolers. Concessions provided for purchase by local restaurants and non-profit organizations.

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EDGE August | September 2018

013

The Multi-Dimensional Life & Art of

STORY LIZ GENEST SMITH PHOTO ABBY SANDS

To the naked eye, Mandeville photographer Abby Sands appears to be the fortunate beneficiary of a naturally positive perspective and some happy accidents. But if you zoom in through the lens of her life experiences and dogged determination, you’ll quickly realize that to reduce her accomplishments to simple luck and a plucky attitude is to do her a great disservice.

Abby abruptly became a financially strapped, single mother of three small children about 15 years ago. Most of us would give up on any entrepreneurial aspirations and either move near grandma (for her, this would mean Vermont), or go back to corporate life for the steady paycheck and benefits. But these were not options in her mind.

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EDGE August | September 2018

“After the divorce my family said, ‘You need to get a job!’ But I really just wanted to be a photographer,” she states, unapologetically. “I couldn’t go corporate. I had three kids to raise, and had to work around their schedules. I actually worked for a gallery at one point.

It was the only time I’ve ever been fired. I mean, I don’t blame them. I was late, the kids were sick, it was always something.”

Why wouldn’t she relocate to New England, to be close to family members who could offer support and assistance? Her simple answer is, “I don’t do cold weather.

And Old Mandeville is my home.”

Though she’s moved around the country quite a bit, Abby lived in Mandeville from elementary through high

EDGE August | September 2018

ABBY SANDS

school, then found her way “home” 18 years later. She’s also an active member of the Old Mandeville Business Association, Old Mandeville Historical Association and the newly formed Mandeville Artists Guild, lest you doubt her word or dedication.

An art major who learned the basics of photography and graphic design at advertising agencies, and humility and a serious work ethic at New Orleans’ Commander’s Palace, this self-proclaimed “hustler” had her resolve even further challenged when, soon after becoming a single parent and sole provider, Hurricane Katrina struck. First came the flooded house, then the eviction notice.

As for why even that didn’t break her, Abby explains with a shrug, “I’ve never been a woe-is-me kind of person. This is my life, I make the best of it.”

Perhaps never were these words more true, and more demonstrative of her character, than when she infused that hardship with her signature sense of humor and displayed the result in her family’s Christmas card picture in that difficult year of Katrina.

“Even the sofa was out on the front porch. It looked like Sanford & Son. We all sat out there, I had some lemons that I cut up, and I put some yellow food coloring in a pitcher of water. Everyone was filthy and not paying attention.”

And, voila – the old lemons-to-lemonade adage came to life. Her perspective and drive have certainly proven crucial in propelling Abby to the enviable life she currently leads.

Her three children – two in high school, one in college – are all doing well, she’s her own boss, she has an annual gig as a talent coordinator at the Screen Actors Guild Awards in Los Angeles and she travels the world, seeing and shooting exotic locales.

“I don’t know how I pull it off,” she admits modestly. But don’t fall for it. Much of her success has come in spite of some serious hardships. Most creative types are a bit scattered, and often rather undisciplined – but make no mistake, Abby has had to organize, coordinate and manage her life like a welloiled machine. She just makes it look easy, and aesthetically appealing.

She also graciously credits the aforementioned series of disasters with bringing her an opportunity she’d long dreamed of. “I always wanted to live in an old shotgun house, and here I am!”

If you visit her quaint abode in Old Mandeville, and you feel like you’re being watched, or you swear you hear rustling in the underbrush as you approach the front porch, it’s not your imagination. It’s probably the litter of orphaned armadillos living under her house, or the feral cat who’s helping to foster them – both of whom have become beloved extended family members.

Step inside, and you get the sense you’ve entered the inner sanctum of a true creative, where free-spirited character meets organized chaos. The living room walls are haphazardly adorned with art, including her own work and portraits she shot of her children when they were little. The rest of the space is a happy jumble of eclectic furniture, easels, and all manner of artifacts, reflecting both her creative endeavors and everyday life.

Chatting with Abby gives you an immediate snapshot of the bold personality that quite obviously influences her work. Her playful, open and generous energy exudes from her person and leaps off the screen as you scan through the photographs on her website – ranging from weddings and portraits to commercial work to artistic creations.

Her personal assessment – “I’m critical of myself, but I don’t take myself too seriously” – is right on the money, and explains why a session with her is so refreshingly relaxed. It also helps that, like most of us civilians, she’s self-conscious about being photographed.

“It makes it easier to understand people who hate getting their picture taken. You can’t make them sit and pose. We walk, we talk, we get comfortable,” she says. “I want it to be a timeless piece of art that’s relevant to you. Everyone is different, so I go approach each shoot with fresh eyes. I make it personal by pulling out your personality.”

One look at her portrait of a teenage girl in shorts and cowboy boots, laughing unabashedly as she sits comfortably cross-legged on an old brick sidewalk flanked by flowers, or

015

LETTER FROM THE MAYOR

another in a chic dress and high heels, cheerily kicking up a soccer ball under ancient live oak trees, and you’ll never look at your one-dimensional, trapped-in-a-studio, drape- or tuxedo-clad senior picture the same way again.

As delightful as her portraits are, her fine art collections reveal a deeper glimpse into her psyche. Her “Mind Show” collection is a series of high concept images, born from a daydream, which morphed into recurring characters in masks, set against various eccentric backdrops, using a reverse color tint technique that makes these shots instantly recognizable. Some of the most distinctive shots are of her teenage son in a top hat and tails with a friend’s daughter, a professional dancer, in a tutu and toe shoes. When I comment that her son must be an awfully good sport, she says, “He is. Well, I paid him. And he didn’t have a choice,” she adds, laughing.

Abby points to a large image on display in her living room, where the two characters are sitting at a sidewalk cafe, against a wall of vibrant signs and folk art. She admits the dancer’s feet were bleeding and her son was miserable, but the shot is incredible. “And the mask hides it all.”

Her travel collection reflects perhaps the most enviable aspect of her life – her ability to jet off to extraordinary destinations for working vacations (next up is Italy, where she and a friend will take a side trip to a Depeche Mode show, illustrating her claim to be “young at heart, with an old soul”). On these sojourns, she brings “the good camera,” but allows herself to disconnect from emails and social media.

“I’m not a liver transplant surgeon I can do that!” she insists.

One of her most striking photos happened completely organically while visiting Cuba. When asked about it she speaks of the subject, a woman name Esmeralda, with complete reverence.

“I was in Old Havana, just before the ban was lifted – I wanted to hurry before all the tourists moved in -- and when I rounded a corner, there was this striking yellow wall, and this dark-complected woman sitting in a crooked chair, holding a big honking cigar. I was star-struck. I stopped in my tracks and asked if I could photograph her. She picked up her fan, and posed. I took her picture, thanked her, and left.”

Despite the outward appearance that everything just magically works out for the best for Abby Sands, do not doubt, she makes things happen.

Is it her optimistic, offbeat perspective? Tireless work ethic? Boundless energy? Dedication to her art? Ability to network and create pathways for opportunity? Joie de vivre?

The answer, quite simply, is yes.

On the home page of our website (www. cityofmandeville.com) are two links that are important for residents during hurricane season. First, under “What’s New” you will find “Hurricane Preparedness.” It covers a plethora of subjects that will help you, including the latest report from the National Hurricane Center. Even when we are not under emergency status, you can check it every day of the year for current weather updates. Second, there is a link where you can sign up for “E-Briefs” to get emergency notifications by email. During hurricane emergencies, we will email you as often as changes occur, as well as post these notifications on our website.

If you have elderly relatives or someone with special needs, check the St. Tammany Parish website and the Council on Aging for any announcements about open shelters. Also have a plan in place for your family and pets in case of mandatory evacuation. To protect your home, be sure that you keep outdoor furniture, potted plants and ongoing construction to a minimum in order to prepare quickly when it becomes necessary. When a hurricane approaches, it is necessary to remove or tie down any loose objects to prevent projectiles in high winds.

During emergency status, City Hall phones are answered 24/7. Stay safe and call us at any hour for the latest information.

DONALD VILLERE City of Mandeville Mayor

For more information: AbbyPhoto.com

OUTPACE YOUR INJURIES WITH OCHSNER SPORTS MEDICINE INSTITUTE.

Comprehensive team of sports experts including: • Certified athletic trainers • Concussion specialists • Fellowship-trained sports medicine doctors • Performance training coaches • Physical therapists Ochsner Health Center – Covington expansion now open offering more space and amenities including a 60-yard training field and a pool for aquatic physical therapy Same-day, next-day and Saturday morning appointments Locations in Covington, Hammond and Slidell Serving 12+ local schools and programs

To schedule an appointment, call 985.898.7272 or visit ochsner.org/NSsports.

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018

EDGE August | September 2018

Your Everyday Getaway

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FRIDAY NIGHT LIGHTS STORY MIKE PERVEL PHOTO JERRY COTTRELL

ARCHBISHOP HANNAN HAWKS

BOGALUSA LUMBERJACKS

Archbishop Hannan head coach Scott Wattigny

Bogalusa hired Adam Brumfield to guide the

(20-13) heads into his fourth season. Last year the

Lumberjacks, awarding him his initial head coaching

Hawks (9-3) advanced to the second round as a No.

position replacing David Roberts. Brumfield, 39,

8 seed. Coach Wattigny likes his team’s experience

served as Varnado’s offensive coordinator the

level of 18 seniors, including 7 starters on each side

last two seasons, also holding that position at

of the ball. “We lost some key, talented players.

Tylertown, Miss. for two years. He coached 10

However, we have lots of experience and a confident

years at Franklinton, and says his Washington Parish

group returning who know how to compete.” Sr.

coaching experience should pay dividends helping

QB Dawson Millen highlights the offense along

him guide the Lumberjacks in his first season.

with Sr. lineman Frank Bretey. Sr. D-lineman Carter

Brumfield, an all-state center at Parklane Academy

Georges and Sr. DB Cameron O’Brien solidify the

in McComb, MS, graduated from USM in 2003.

defense. The Hawks have six new head coaches on

Coach Brumfield employs a “kids first” philosophy,

their schedule.

hoping to develop student athletes physically, mentally and socially and teaching discipline and positive reinforcement along the way.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Independence (A)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Northlake Christian (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Central Catholic (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Chalmette (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Pope John Paul II (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Franklinton (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

The Church Academy (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Salmen (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

St. Michael (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

South Plaquemines (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Jewel Sumner (A)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Albany (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Thomas Jefferson (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Loranger (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Albany (H)

Oct. 20

7 PM

TBD

Oct. 26

7 PM

Loranger (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Jewel Sumner (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Bogalusa (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Archbishop Hannan (A)

EDGE August | September 2018

021

COVINGTON LIONS

FONTAINEBLEAU BULLDOGS

Covington posted a remarkable 12-1 record

Fontainebleau head coach Chris Blocker returns

with a quarterfinal appearance last season,

for his fourth season. The Bulldogs struggled

winning the Lions’ first District 6-5A crown

through a disappointing 3-7 season, but were

since 2004. Head coach Greg Salter, in his sixth

competitive, dropping three games by five-points

season with 5 consecutive playoff berths, will

or less. FHS features 24 seniors returning with

call offensive signals again. The Lions feature

a wealth of experience. The Bulldogs welcome

17 seniors, returning just one offensive starter,

back eight offensive starters and seven defensive.

RB Jeremiah Driver, and four defensive starters,

Fontainebleau’s captains include Christian Bobo,

seniors Corey Donovan, Juwan Harrell and Avery

Griffin Clements, Brett Johnson, Marvin Lange and

Mendheim with junior Chandler Washington.

Grant Saizan. Sophomore running back Iverson

Salter said defense should be a strength led by

Celestine will again be the Dawgs’ featured back

defensive coordinator Glenn Salter, his younger

carrying the rock. Junior QB Dwayne Bernard,

brother. Coach Salter hopes his team can feed

a starter, who suffered a knee injury in week 4, is

off last year’s major successes and ongoing CHS

competing with sophomore Josh Bailey for the

tradition.

starting job.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Franklinton (A)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Lakeshore (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Holy Cross (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Franklinton (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Dutchtown (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Denham Springs (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Ponchatoula (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Mandeville (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Slidell (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Northshore (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

St. Paul’s (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Hammond (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Fontainebleau (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Covington (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Northshore (H)

Oct. 19

8 PM

Ponchatoula (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Hammond (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Slidell (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Mandeville (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

St. Paul’s (A)

022

EDGE August | September 2018

FRANKLINTON DEMONS

Franklinton

welcomes

first-year

HAMMOND TORS

head

coach

Steve

Jones

enters

his

second

season

Jonathan Barber, replacing Steve Burris. Barber, a

leading the Tornadoes and his 40th coaching

former Demon 3-year starter, graduated in 2003,

season after spending 22 years at Harrison

and is no stranger to the Franklinton staff. Barber

Central High in Mississippi. The Tornadoes

coached DB’s for eight years. The Demons have 18

(1-9) dropped four games by seven points or

seniors returning, four offensive starters and seven

less. Jones serves as offensive coordinator

on defense. Barber feels the Demons’ strength

and Rory Bell returns as defensive coordinator.

will be up front, setting the tone for his team. The

The Tornadoes have 21 seniors, four returning

O-line averages 280 pounds and the D-line averages

offensive starters and all 11 on defense. Sr. DB

250-pounds. Barber is expecting big things from two-

Tyrone Lewis is highly recruited by multiple D-1

way performers seniors Duke Bell and Kian Conerly.

schools. Jr. DT Larry Stewart is the Tors’ most

Coach Barber likes his team’s work ethic and that

reliable lineman along with NG Tyrik Mitchell.

they are practicing extremely hard, saying they are

Sr. TB Edward Ratcliff returns and sophomore

hungry for success.

QB Ryan Roberts is back, a five-game starter last season.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Covington (H)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Denham Springs (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Fontainebleau (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Woodlawn B.R. (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Bogalusa (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Salmen (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Tylertown, MS (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Slidell (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

St. Thomas More (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

St. Paul’s (A)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Salmen (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Fontainebleau (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Neville (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Northshore (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Lakeshore (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Mandeville (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Salmen (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Covington (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Pearl River (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Ponchatoula (A)

EDGE August | September 2018

023

LAKESHORE TITANS

MANDEVILLE SKIPPERS

Lakeshore (14-1) delivered a magical season,

Mandeville Skippers’ new mentor Hutch Gonzales

falling to Karr, 48-26, in the Class 4A state title

takes over from interim head coach Josh Buelle,

game. Craig Jones (36-23), starting his sixth season,

who led the Big Blue (4-6) to the playoffs, taking

lost a number of skilled athletes, but returns 20

over for Guy LeCompte. Gonzales returns to St.

talented seniors. Jones likes the confidence and

Tammany after his first one-year head coaching

experience level, returning six starters on both

stint at St. Thomas Aquinas (7-5) with a quarterfinal

sides, and is poised for another deep playoff run.

appearance. Gonzales starred at Covington and was

Lakeshore hosted and captured the prestigious

an all-conference receiver for Southeastern, playing

Southeast Louisiana 7-on-7 Invitational, featuring

in the CFL and for the N. O. VooDoo. Gonzales

21 teams, and won the USM 7-on-7. Versatile SR.

said his Skippers have responded well with players

Jacob Bernard highlights the offense. Lakeshore

developing leadership skills. So. QB Devan Topp

has three potential QBs in Sr. Parker Orvin and

leads the offense, featureing five returning starters

Jrs. Christian Westcott and Aubrey Womack with a

including Sr. RB Charles Quinn. Defensively, Srs.

strong receiving corps. Jr. DE Zack Bernard, a three-

Ben Bonner and Finn Poulsen bring experience and

year starter, and Jr. SS Adam Randolph rev up the

leadership.

defense.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Fontainebleau (A)

Aug. 31

7 PM

University Lab (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

East Jefferson (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Live Oak (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Hancock, MS (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

TBD

Sep. 21

7 PM

Loranger (A)

Sep. 22

7 PM

Fontainebleau (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

KIPP Renaissance (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Ponchatoula (A)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Lake Area New Tech (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Northshore (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

H.L. Bourgeois (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Slidell (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Franklinton (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Hammond (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Pearl River (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

St. Paul’s (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Salmen (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Covington (H)

024

EDGE August | September 2018

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NORTHLAKE CHRISTIAN WOLVERINES

NORTHSHORE PANTHERS

Coach Tony Agresta (58-31) opens his 10th

Northshore’s Mike Bourg is back guiding the

year leading the Wolverines. NCS (3-8) fell in the

Panthers (5-6, 3-4). Northshore, a No. 28 seed,

first round. Agresta has only four seniors, but

advanced to the playoffs, falling 41-38 in double

the younger freshman and sophomores from last

overtime to No. 5 St. Amant. The Panthers

year gained valuable playing time making the

lost four regular season games by 7 points or

Wolverines young, but experienced. Agresta feels

less. Northshore has 21 seniors including the

this team is ahead of last year’s squad and hopes

experienced tandem of Branyan Bounds and

God’s favor is on this group. The offense features

Dwayne Jones, forming a gutsy one-two backfield

Sr. WR Titus Dillon, who also plays safety. Sr. Jacob

punch. An experienced receiving corps and group

Herrington, a D-1 prospect, plays on both sides of

of O-linemen also return. Sr. Andrew Stein, the

the line. Sr. LB Ian Lopez and Jr. LB Blaine Gros

Panthers’ highly regarded place kicker, dubbed

provide defensive leadership. The entire staff

the “Real Deal” by coach Bourg, returns. Jr. DE

returns, giving NCS valuable continuity in the

Kershawn Fisher is being recruited by LSU and

coaching ranks.

Alabama along with numerous other in-state schools.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Bogalusa (A)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Zachary (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

False River (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Salmen (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Resurrection Catholic (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Biloxi (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Springfield (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

St. Paul’s (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Amite (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Fontainebleau (A)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Independence (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Mandeville (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

St. Thomas Aquinas (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Hammond (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Pine (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Covington (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Pope John Paul II (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Ponchatoula (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

St. Helena (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Slidell (A)

026

EDGE August | September 2018

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PEARL RIVER REBELS

PINE RAIDERS

Coach Joe Harris, 55, is back leading Pearl

Raiders head coach Bradley Seal (31-31)

River after running the program starting in 2001

returns for his seventh season after finishing 7-5

for nine seasons. “I want to help stabilize things,

and advancing to the second round. Seal said his

transitioning to a younger guy in two or three

team has great character kids who are focused

years.” Harris said the Rebels are a bunch of

and very dedicated. The Raiders have play-

good kids who are very coachable. The Rebels (4-

calling continuity with Seal handling the offense,

6) made the playoffs (No. 31 seed). Sr. QB Justin

running a flex base triple option operated by

Dean, a 4-year starter, returns. Coach Harris

Jr. QB Logan Temples. Matt Milton returns for

described Dean as a smart, tough as nails player

his seventh season as defensive coordinator. Sr.

with good wheels. Rebels’ Sr. DE Zach Ussery,

two-way performer Markel Cotton (WR/DB), is

who’s strong and tough, is the team’s most

verbally commited to McNeese State and will be

experienced leader. Sr. LB/FB Austin Stoddard is

one of about five players playing both sides of

a quality two-way performer.

the ball. Jr. LB Drake Westmoreland heads up the defense.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Cohen College Prep (H)

Aug. 30

7 PM

Central Catholic (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Sci Academy (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Varnado (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Pine (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Pearl River (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Riverdale (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

St. Helena (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Haynes Academy (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Springfield (H)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Hahnville (A)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Amite (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

TBD

Oct. 12

7 PM

Independence (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Salmen (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Northlake Christian (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Lakeshore (H)

Oct. 27

7 PM

St. Thomas Aquinas (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Franklinton (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Pope John Paul II (A)

028

EDGE August | September 2018

PONCHATOULA GREEN WAVE

POPE JOHN PAUL II

Hank Tierney, who turns 67 on October 1st,

PJP II welcomes new head coach Charlie Cryer,

enters his 11th season coaching with the Green

who won a 2003 state championship at Vermillion

Wave. Ponchatoula (2-8), featuring experienced

Catholic and spent four years coaching St. Louis

seniors, had a down year and looks to rebound.

in Lake Charles. Cryer played O-line for LSU

The Green Wave runs the spread option triggered

(1980-83). PJP II features eight seniors, returning

by Jr. QB T. J. Finley (6’6”, 232 lb), a verbal

six starters on each side. The Jaguars operate a

commitment to LSU. Sr. RB Tyjae Spears (5’10”,

multiple, run-oriented offense, employing a 4-2-

185 lb), a good runner and talented receiver out

5. Cryer’ son, Chris, who played at Northwestern

of the backfield, is a verbal commitment to Tulane.

State, is calling the Jags’ defensive signals: “Our

Ponchatoula returns four offensive starters and

kids work hard and show toughness. Football is

four defensively. Trey Willie enters his 5th season

all about accountability, discipline and working

in the offensive coordinator role alongside Tim

together.” Jr. QB Jacob Blakeman and Sr. RB

Walters, who is calling defensive signals and is also

Joey Estopinal lead the offense. Sr. LB Micah

in his 5th year.

Saucier and Sr. SS Garrett Cavalier spearhead the defense.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Barbe (H)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Westminster Christian (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Denham Springs (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

St. Patrick (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Loranger (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Archbishop Hannan (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Covington (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

St. Thomas Aquinas (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Mandeville (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

St. Helena (H)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Slidell (H)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Springfield (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

St. Paul’s (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Amite (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Fountainebleau (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Independence (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Northshore (A)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Northlake Christian (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Hammond (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Pine (H)

EDGE August | September 2018

029

SALMEN SPARTANS

SLIDELL TIGERS

There’s a new head guy as Salmen opens the

Larry Favre opens his sixth season and reached

season without mentor Jerry Leonard running the

the coveted 100-victory milestone last year. Slidell

Spartans’ program for the first time since 2003.

(7-4, 5-2), No. 16 seed, fell to No. 17 Dutchtown

Spartans’ longtime assistant Eric Chuter replaces

28-24. Favre says, “It’s the best culture and a great

Leonard calling the shots. Salmen posted an

locker room, best in my time here. With 22 seniors

impressive 9-3 mark as a No. 9 seed, advancing to

and proven leaders players are accountable,

the second round. Chuter said he will continue with

motivating each other. Sr. RB Tito Simmons, “Mr.

Leonard’s philosophy: “doing what we do, putting

Excitement,” a four-year starter, is the Tigers’

the best guys on the field.” Sr. O-lineman Chris Merz

Heart and Soul. Sr. QB Jacob Guidry calls the shots,

(6’1”, 280 lb) anchors the Spartans’ front. Sr. two-

improving as a pocket passer. Highly recruited Sr.

way performer lineman Rashawn Gallaspy (6’4”, 270

CB Ishmael Burdine is narrowing down offers from

lb) will be counted on to anchor both sides of the

Mississippi State, Missouri, Tennessee, Kansas

football for the Spartans.

State and Wisconsin. Sr. LB Kobie Pettis is a true force and quality leader.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Madison Prep (H)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Destrehan (H)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Northshore (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Lake Area New Tech (H)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Hammond (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Walker (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Bogalusa (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Hammond (A)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Loranger (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Covington (H)

Oct. 05

7 PM

Franklinton (A)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Ponchatoula (A)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Archbishop Shaw (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Mandeville (H)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Pearl River (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

St. Paul’s (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Franklinton (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Fontainebleau (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Lakeshore (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Northshore (H)

030

EDGE August | September 2018

Pope John Paul II Catholic High School

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ST. PAUL’S WOLVES

St. Paul’s, a model of consistency in District

ST. THOMAS AQUINAS FALCONS

St.

Thomas

Aquinas

promoted

assistant

6-5A, welcomes back 25 seniors. St. Paul’s (7-5,

Randell Legette to run the Falcons, replacing

5-2) advanced to the Division I Select quarterfinals,

Hutch Gonzales who departed after one season,

No. 7 seed, falling to John Curtis. Kenny Sears

becoming head coach at Class 5A Mandeville

(139-69) enters his 19th year running the Wolves.

High. Legette, in his sixth season at STA, coached

Eight offensive starters return, led by Sr. QB Jack

receivers and special teams. He inherits a program

Mashburn who is being recruited by Southeastern.

that finished 7-4 and has high expectations for his

Sr. WR Nick Stanton will be a featured target. The

talented, young team, which has lots of potential.

defense has six returning starters led by two-way

Legette will serve as offensive coordinator, bringing

performer Jr. Wayne Galloway, who lines up at

in former Saints player Tyrone Hughes to serve as

WR/SS. Sr. Robert Burquoi, pursued by SLU, starts

defensive coordinator. Sr. QB Ryan Dawsey will

at free safety. O-lineman Owen Hnatyshyn is liked

operate the Falcons’ spread offense. Sophomore

by Lamar.

Antron Dillon will play both sides of the ball at RB/ DE.

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

DATE

TIME

OPPONENT

Aug. 31

7 PM

Edna Karr (H)

Aug. 31

7 PM

Christian Life (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Jesuit (A)

Sep. 07

7 PM

Episcopal (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Christian Brothers (A)

Sep. 14

7 PM

Catholic N.I. (H)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Northshore (A)

Sep. 21

7 PM

Pope John Paul II (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Hammond (H)

Sep. 28

7 PM

Independence (A)

Oct. 04

7 PM

Covington (A)

Oct. 05

7 PM

St. Helena (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Ponchatoula (H)

Oct. 12

7 PM

Northlake Christian (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Slidell (A)

Oct. 19

7 PM

Springfield (H)

Oct. 26

7 PM

Mandeville (H)

Oct. 27

7 PM

Pine (A)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Fontainebleau (H)

Nov. 02

7 PM

Amite (H)

032

EDGE August | September 2018

Saint Paul’s School / St. Scholastica Academy

OPEN HOUSE saturday

OCTOBER 27 1 pm

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STORY COLIN BOUTON PHOTOS SALTER FAMILY

LEGACY OF A LION Recently the Northshore lost an unforgettable figure in Jack Salter, best known to many as Covington High’s once long-time football coach, mentor to countless youth and an amazing family man.

Coach Jack had a 256-1108 record in his 34 years of coaching, led his team to a state championship in 1976 and earned three state runner up titles in 1975, 1981 and 1987. His football knowledge was remarkable, but he was best known for the way he treated his players. His eldest grandson, Greg, is in many ways like his beloved grandfather, as he too has answered the call to coach. His childhood football memories are fond and plentiful, “From as early as I can remember, I was at every game — we didn’t miss many.”

034

EDGE August | September 2018

LETTER FROM THE MAYOR

PHOTO BY JERRY COTTRELL

Greg recalls one of the things that piqued his interest in coaching, “Seeing his former players, all of these generations of guys, who would stop by his (Jack’s) house just to say hello and catch up,” Greg said. “I saw how real the coach-player relationship could be and how much impact he had in shaping the character of young men.” As a young and aspiring coach, Greg used his grandfather as a source of guidance. “His first piece of advice to me was to learn every player’s first name. To make sure the kids know that you view them as a person, and not just a body.” This surprised Greg. Jack had countless accomplishments to his name and legendary status, but his first step in his role as good coach was getting to know the players. “One of the most special things about him— he would let you know he was proud of you and he let you know that he loved you,” Greg remembers. “He made everybody feel important.”

The Salter legacy continues with Greg at the helm of the Covington Lions football team. In due course, through his own talent and skill, he has forged a reputation as a winning coach and an excellent leader. In 2017, he led the Lions to an undefeated season, and came very near to a state championship. He knows that even in the midst of his own success, his legacy will be his own to achieve, and his mark in this life will be different from his grandfather’s. But comparisons to his grandfather are nothing new. “I don’t try to be him. Honestly, I just try to make him proud,” he says. “Every success I have will include some piece of him — what he taught me, or how he inspired me— he’s a part of that. He will never be forgotten.”

Greg thinks, talks and breathes football, and he works to be a positive male role model for his players, so that like him, they have an example to help lead them into their futures. “The one quality I want my players to have is to be a good father,” he noted. “It doesn’t matter if they become a doctor or a bum. They will never disappoint me if they are there for their kids. When it’s all said and done as a coach, I know I’m going to be judged on the wins and losses,” he said. “But it’s about so much more than that. I tell my players the scoreboard will never define them, and it will never define me.”

Greg often hears his grandfather in the wisdom he offers his own players. “I can remember a game where one of my players fumbled the ball on the first play, the kickoff return, and when he came back to the sidelines he started to tear up,” he recalls. “I said, ‘Son, I wouldn’t love you any more if you had run that ball in for a touchdown.’ I didn’t even realize it at the time, but it was my grandfather’s own words he had said to me when I was one of his players.” Through his own personal investment and the advice and wisdom from his late grandfather, he hopes to lead his Covington High players to success both on and off the field to fall back on throughout their lives.

Greetings! As we begin the new school year, I encourage drivers to be safe and adhere to the speed limits in school zones. I would also like to take a moment to wish all of the students in our community the best of luck and success this academic year.

I would like to acknowledge the hard work of the Northshore Community Foundation and its task force, which have worked tirelessly to develop the recently announced regional identity – THE NORTHSHORE: NORTH OF YOUR EXPECTATIONS. The City of Covington is embracing this exciting new endeavor that highlights the people and interests of the place we call home. The Northshore’s new branding can be found at www.northofyourexpectations.com, which promotes and shares information about our local lifestyle.

I welcome all to visit downtown Covington this August and September for several upcoming events. In August, White Linen Night for Public Art and The Exchange Club of West St. Tammany’s event, The Ultimate Tailgate Party, will bring end of summer fun. In September, join The Boys and Girls Club for Hoops for Kids, enjoy an On Stage performance at the Fuhrmann Auditorium and volunteer with Keep Covington Beautiful for the litter sweep of the Bogue Falaya River.

I invite all of you to visit our website at covla. com and Facebook page – City of Covington – as well as our Cultural Arts and Events, Recreation, Police, and Fire Department Facebook pages for information and updates.

As always, it is my honor to serve as your mayor.

MIKE COOPER City of Covington Mayor

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E

ven for the most diehard Covington Lions fans, it can be hard to keep your eyes on the game when Lane Moore is on the sidelines. Dressed in his CHS football jersey and a pair of shorts, he stands stalwartly beside the team. But he often can’t resist making his way over to the cheerleaders and joining them in a dance or two — or three. When a dance ends, it’s hugs all around and lots of high fives.

At the end of the game, when the seniors take the field to sing the alma mater, Lane is there too, holding hands, singing and swaying with his schoolmates. But truth be told, for Lane CHS football is not his only passion; he also loves the Covington baseball team and being on the diamond with them.

Lane Moore is a recent CHS graduate with Down Syndrome and his own fan club that basically consists of the entire student body, their teachers and many of the football and

038

EDGE August | September 2018

PHOTOS MOORE FAMILY

baseball fans. Covington baseball enthusiasts know that no game is complete until Lane has had his turn at bat and run the bases. And it’s not unusual for CHS football fans to gather their stadium seats and other detritus at the end of a game only to hear from the press box, “Where are you going, Covington football fans?

The game’s not over yet. Number one, Lane Moore, has the ball.”

And there he goes, lumbering down the field with his teammates — and often the players of the opposing team — running alongside him into the end zone.

Then the fans go wild, Lane enjoys some celebratory chest bumps, and everyone heads home with a smile on their face. The 21-year-old has that way of bringing people together and of taking the sting out of any loss.

“Win or lose, Lane is there,” said CHS Head Baseball Coach Jeff Dragg.

“Even if we don’t have a winning season, with Lane here we’ve had a winning season. Even if we’ve suffered a miserable loss, the boys will remind me, ‘Coach, we gotta’ let Lane hit.’ It means as much to them as it does to Lane. Believe me, he’s had more of an impact on these boys than they’ve had on him. Even if we’ve had a bad season, Lane still thinks we’re the greatest baseball team in the world.”

“It started because he came to all our games,” said CHS graduate Ty Loyd.

“Then he started hanging around after the game and we’d set up a tee, act like we were fielding, and chase him around a bit. The other team usually sat on the sidelines and cheered. Then the fans caught on and started chanting, ‘Run, Lane, run.’ He loved it.”

And it grew from there. “We started off using the tee,” said Dylan Lynch. “But Lane realized that wasn’t the way the rest of us were hitting, and he wanted to be like us. So we took him in the batting cage and started tossing the ball underhand until he got the hang of it. If someone tried to go easy, he’d call them on it. Then Coach Dragg got him his own uniform and just started doing whatever he could to make him feel like part of the team. Coach Dragg will do anything to see Lane smile.”

“If he misses a game, we can’t let him know about it, or he’ll be upset,” added Matthew Fritscher. “At one away game, he didn’t get to hit. I think it was starting to rain and the other team covered the field before he had a chance. So we took him out in right field and we set up our hats like bases, so he could have his hit and chance to run.”

“It’s really great to see the opposing teams get into it,” Coach Dragg said.

“When we played St. Paul’s and Lane got up to bat, both teams fielded for him.

Lane is part of this team and, as long as I’m here, he’ll have full reign. He puts things in perspective and reminds you what life is all about.”

What does Lane have to say about all this? In his CHS letterman’s jacket standing in front of his “Lane Moore #1 Fan” sign, he said with certainty: “I’m the fastest runner of all of them! I made 105 home runs!”

“He can list all the other teams and tell you the score of every game,” said Lane’s dad, Grey Moore. “He really lives for football and baseball season. (He doesn’t care for basketball because he says it’s too loud.) He gives the team a pep talk before each baseball game, he leads them in their pregame stretches and, during the game, he leads the crowd in the wave. If the team isn’t doing well, the coaches bring Lane over to give the players a pep talk.” The family appreciate the support they have received from the CHS community and especially Coaches Salter, John Boudreaux and Dragg.

“I tell them they can’t put their heads down,” Lane said. “They have to hold their heads up and get in the game.”

When Covington experienced historic flooding in 2016, and the Moore’s house flooded, Lane’s teammates jumped at the chance to help. “They found out we’d flooded and nine or ten of the players showed up with Coach Dragg,” said Kendi Moore. “They worked all day pulling out wet sheetrock, tearing out the kitchen countertops, anything we needed.” It was the least they could do for the buddy who’s come to mean so much to them.

“When you think of Covington High baseball, you think of Lane,” said Dylan Lynch. “He’s a big part of the team and a big part of this school.”

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Call 985-951-3222 to schedule an appointment.

Firsts and First Downs from the John A. Chauvin Press Box STORY MADISON CHAUVIN

PHOTO JOHNNY CHAUVIN

PHOTO RANDY BERGERON

One of the most heartwarming parts of watching a Southeastern football game in Strawberry Stadium is hearing, “that’s another lion…FIRST DOWN.” Our current announcer, Mr. Paul Girard, comes to fans live from the John A. Chauvin Press Box. The renovated press box was officially dedicated to the late John A. Chauvin on May 17, 2014, honoring his long and passionate dedication to the radio broadcast of Southeastern football.

“When Southeastern decided to renovate some of Strawberry Stadium, including the press box and Victory Club, I had an idea,” said Nanette Guerin, daughter of Chauvin and dedicated SLU alumna, “I contacted the school to see what would be involved in naming it after Dad.” Guerin said that Chauvin had broadcast more games in Strawberry Stadium than anyone else and was the first one to do it. She thought that naming the press box after him would honor his decades of hard work.

“Daddy would haul all of his broadcasting equipment up the slimy, rickety wooden steps to the makeshift press box at the top.

Sometimes he had the help of a kid or two or four, but he did it every weekend, often more than once – for Hammond High games as well.”

When Guerin sought out the information, she was disheartened to learn that the naming fee was way out of her price range. She waived off the idea before mentioning it to anyone else. A few months later she got a call from the Vice President of University Advancement, Wendy Lauderdale, when she and Dr. John Crain,

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EDGE August | September 2018

President of Southeastern, were at an awards reception for Robin Roberts, Good Morning America co-host and Southeastern alumna. Roberts is a long-time family friend of the Chauvins because she worked for them during her time at Southeastern.

Roberts heard the pitch about naming the press box for Mr. Chauvin and made a large and generous contribution. Lauderdale asked if the Chauvins could raise the rest. Guerin said they would figure it out, and after speaking with her six brothers and sisters, they surprised their mother, Frances, with the news.

“I really had no idea about any of this business for a long time,” said Mrs. Chauvin. “I remember when they told me, and they showed me a mock up picture of the stadium with his name across the top.”

Mrs. Chauvin said that broadcasting the Southeastern games was so important to John for many reasons. The Chauvins owned the local radio stations, WFPR and WHMD, from the time they moved to Hammond in 1958 until 1996, when they sold them and retired. She said, “John went to the school and asked to start broadcasting the games on our station, mainly because no one else was. He was happy to do it.” Their son and current radio personality Johnny-in-the-Morning said that his father knew the importance of the relationships between the community, citizens, businesses and their hometown school. “He started out doing it for free and just got sponsors from businesses in the beginning.

He just wanted the community to hear the games,” said Johnny.

Over the years he spent in Strawberry Stadium, Chauvin got to witness a lot of history. Johnny said that his dad, along with color commentator Foots McCrory, watched NFL star Terry Bradshaw play against the Lions when he was at LA Tech.

They also announced many seasons of Brad Davis’ career at Hammond High. Davis would lead the Tornados to a 1970 state championship before going on to play for LSU and the Atlanta Falcons.

“John was so dedicated to the games that he missed the birth of our fourth child, Steven, in 1960.” Mrs. Chauvin said, “I was in the delivery room and the doctors were actually listening to him because Southeastern was in the middle of a big game against LA Tech in Ruston.”

Johnny said that he knew the press box dedication would eventually be successful when Robin Roberts got on board, considering her love for Mr. Chauvin. “Robin rode her bicycle down to our station one afternoon looking for a job and experience. She wanted to be a journalist, so we set her up with an overnight DJ spot until she eventually started news and sports segments. John helped her with the sports though she didn’t need much, being an athlete for Southeastern,” Mrs. Chauvin recalled. Guerin said that her dad always let Southeastern students use the station to promote their clubs or have short segments for their organizations.

Coming up with that final chunk of money took longer and was more work than the family originally thought they could tackle.

“The seven siblings and our families did a lot but we opened it up to the public as well. Many family friends and community members put up donations, but toward the end we hit a wall and still had a little ways to go. Then I found out that someone had anonymously donated the rest of the goal, and SLU told us we were on track for the 2014 football season,” Guerin said.

In May of 2014, Robin Roberts was receiving an honorary doctorate from Southeastern and was to speak at commencement.

The morning before, she met the Chauvins on the field and announced that the new press box would be named the John A. Chauvin Press Box. The Chauvin family took the field once again on September 9, 2014, before kickoff of the first home football game, to officially dedicate the Press Box. “I remember when I was a cheerleader for Southeastern and I could look up and wave at Daddy, and now his name is right where he should be,” said Guerin. Johnny’s daughter, Chloe, had a similar opportunity – dancing in the stadium as a Lionette last year. Johnny said, “The press box is a commemoration of his love and hard work every weekend for football and for Southeastern. It’s a legacy he left for the community and now we will always have the press box as a physical representation of it.”

COURTESY OF CHAUVIN FAMILY

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120 S. New Hampshire St. Covington 985.892.9156

Grades 8-12 Sunday, Oct. 21 1 p.m.

Ages 3-Kindergarten Wednesday, Oct. 24 9:30 a.m.

www.christepiscopalschool.org Admission to Christ Episcopal School is open to all qualified students, regardless of race, creed, or ethnic background.

CANCER CENTER

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Updos that Inspire Us STORY CAITLIN PICOU PHOTO JOEL TREDWELL

In case you missed it, updos are having a major moment.

We curated our favorites, headed on over to Air Salon & Blow Dry Bar and had their stylists create ďŹ nal looks that will inspire you.

Hollywood Glam Move over Old Hollywood glam girls; braids are everywhere. My favorite part of this look is the added touch of baby’s breath, which gives a simpler alternative to a full-flower crown. Braided layers and a few fallen pieces give us all the boho feels.

You do not want your makeup to take away for your gorgeous updo. An ethereal pink lipstick and subtle glow compliment perfectly. Simple jewelry is a must.

Kayla Brito Hairstylist: Alys Lott Makeup Artist: Ashley Yacovone

Vintage Vixen Now here is a retro look that is so right now. Our Vintage Vixen look is ideal for those who want something different, but still like having their hair down. Soft waves with a simple twist take us to the 40’s instantly.

Since Margaret’s look was fuller, we stuck with a neutral eye pallet and soft dewy glow and finished it with a pink, matte, liquid lipstick. A glossy lip would have been too overpowering. If you opt for a darker lip color I recommend going with a stud earring.

Margaret Eckert Earrings – Suella $125 Dress – POSH Boutique $96 Hairstylist: Mandy Gonzales Makeup Artist: Ashley Yacovone

Air Salon & Blow Dry Bar 985 888 0979 airdrybar.com

Perfect Princess It is hard not to be inspired by Kate Middleton these days. Her classic style feels both perfect and real at the same time. A side-swept, low chignon with a crossover detail is always in-style. Simple and elegant, you can pair this with just about any dress or occasion.

A classic hairstyle like the chignon pairs perfectly with a timeless makeup look. Neutral eyes, no lashes and a mauve lipstick will have you feeling like the Duchess instantly.

Danielle Ledet Hairstylist: Danielle Todd Makeup Artist: Ashley Yacovone

The City of Slidell presents the 2018-2019 Cultural Season Calendar All events offer free admission! Art exhibitions are on display at the Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall, located at 2055 Second Street. Gallery hours are Wednesdays & Fridays, 12-4 pm. Thursdays, 12-6 pm.

Slidell Art League’s Artists of the Year 2018 Slidell Movie Nights at Slidell’s Bayou Christmas Opening Reception: Friday, July 27, 2018 • 6 - 9 pm July 27 - September 7, 2018 • Slidell Cultural Center

White Linen & Lagniappe 2018

Saturday, December 15, 2018 • 7 pm • Heritage Park

Holiday Concert with the Northshore Community Orchestra

Saturday, August 11, 2018 • 6 - 9 pm • Olde Towne Slidell

Friday, Dec. 21, 2018 • 7 - 8 pm • Slidell Auditorium

Patriot Day Concert with the Northshore Community Orchestra

Salad Days Juried Exhibit of St. Tammany Student Art

Sunday, September 9, 2018 • 6 - 8 pm • Slidell Auditorium

Mixed Media Juried Exhibit 2018

Opening Reception: February 8, 2019 • 6 - 8 pm February 8 - March 22, 2019 • Slidell Cultural Center

Bayou Jam Concert - Witness

Opening Reception: Friday, Sept. 21, 2018 • 6 - 9 pm September 21 - October 26, 2018 • Slidell Cultural Center

Sunday, March 17, 2019 • 5 - 7 pm • Heritage Park

Bayou Jam Concert - Christian Serpas & Ghost Town

Sunday, March 31, 2019 • 5 - 7 pm • Heritage Park

Sunday, September 23, 2018 • 5 - 7 pm • Heritage Park

Bayou Jam Concert - Northshore Community Orchestra Sunday, October 14, 2018 • 5 - 6:30 pm • Heritage Park

Bayou Jam Halloween Bashwith Vince Vance & the Valiants

Bayou Jam Concert - Redline

From the Vaults of the New Orleans Museum of Art Opening Reception: Saturday, April 6, 2019 • 5 - 9 pm April 6 - May 24, 2019 • Slidell Cultural Center

Arts Evening 2019

Sunday, October 28, 2018 • 4 - 6 pm • Heritage Park

Saturday, April 6, 2019 • 5 - 9 pm • Olde Towne Slidell

Centennial Celebration: 100 Covers of Slidell Magazine

Bayou Jam Concert - Sgt. Peppers (Beatles Tribute Band)

Christmas Under the Stars

Some Enchanted Evening with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra

Opening Reception: Friday, Nov. 9 • 6 - 9 pm November 9 - December 21, 2018 • Slidell Cultural Center Nov. 30 & Dec. 1, 7, 8, 2018 • 6 - 9 pm • Griffith Park

Christmas in Olde Towne Slidell

Saturday, Dec. 8, 2018 • 6 - 9 pm • Olde Towne Slidell

Sunday, April 14, 2019 • 5 - 7 pm • Heritage Park

Sunday, May 5, 2019 • 6 - 7:30 pm • Heritage Park

Slidell Movie Nights - Summer 2019

June 1, 15 & July 13, 27 • 8:30 pm • Heritage Park

Sponsorships for the upcoming 2018-2019 Cultural Season are now available. For more information, please call Alex Carollo, Director of Cultural & Public Affairs, at (985) 646-4375.

Thank you to our 2017-2018 Cultural Season Sponsors for another amazing year of events!

Renaissance, $5,000: Baroque, $2,500 Sponsors: CLECO Power, LLC • Jazz on the Bayou/Ronnie Kole Foundation • The Slidell Independent Neoclassical, $1,000 Sponsors: Councilman Bill & Laura Borchert • Lori Gomez Art Holiday Inn & Suites, Slidell • Lowry-Dunham, Case & Vivien • Purple Armadillo Again

Impressionism, $500 Sponsors: Dr. Nathan Brown, Northlake Oral & Facial Surgery • Chateau Bleu • CiCi’s Pizza Mayor Greg Cromer • Flatliners Entertainment • Old School Eats Food Truck • Olde Towne Slidell Main Street Olde Towne Slidell Print Shop • Pontchartrain Investment Management • Roberta’s Cleaners • Sabrina’s Sweet Eats Silver Slipper Casino • Slidell Historical Antique Association • Terry Lynn’s Cafe & Creative Catering

(985) 646-4375

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Explorations of an Archeological Artist:

Bernard Mattox 052

EDGE August | September 2018

STORY KIM BERGERON PHOTOS BY JERRY COTTRELL

As a child, Bernard Mattox spent what he refers to as his “Huckleberry Finn” years in the woods along the banks of the Bogue Falaya River in Covington. In 1963 his parents built a home on the river’s shore, and his Sawyer-ish sidekicks were his siblings.

In 1969 his father passed while on a business trip in Missouri, leaving his mother widowed at 38 with five young children. The family moved back to New Orleans, and soon after Bernard attended boarding school in Maryland.

He speaks with much admiration of his mother and remains in awe that she was able to carry the family through extraordinarily difficult circumstances.

“She was just incredible,” he says.

After graduating from high school Bernard attended Tulane University, opting for a major in anthropology. Two years into his studies he embraced the realization that his thirst for knowledge extended far beyond the university’s campus, and he had a burning desire to learn by experiencing the world on his own. So in 1974 he forged ahead, leaving his anthropology and geology studies at Tulane behind.

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The following year Bernard took an elective ceramics class at Loyola. It was his first real experience in creating art, and it changed the course of his life. Though he continued evening classes at Tulane, in 1979 he made the decision to move to Lafayette, where in 1982 he received his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the (then) University of Southwestern Louisiana. He returned to New Orleans and attended Tulane University on a full scholarship, earning his Master of Fine Arts Degree in 1984. Shortly afterward he took the helm of the university’s ceramics department.

Through all of his studies and teachings, the artist remained rooted in the river and the many memories it held in his heart. In 1991 he returned to the banks of the Bogue Falaya. In 2013 he opted for what is now his more secluded studio, deep within the woods of Covington.

St. Tammany Art Association 985 892 8650 sttammanyartassociation.org Saladino Gallery 504 236 8827 saladinogallery.com

Throughout his career, Bernard’s work has been influenced by the likes of Joan Miró, Tapas Roy, Cy Twombly, Pablo Picasso, Willem de Kooning and classical virtuosos like Leonardo da Vinci and sculptors Henry Moore, Constantin Brâncusi and Stephen de Staebler.

He also draws inspiration from the primitive sculptures of African and pre-Columbian Egyptian artists. “And the art of almost all children under eight years old,” he smiles. Ah, the age of innocence.

On a local basis he credits his close friend, Edward Whiteman, as an unofficial mentor, and describes him as a brilliant painter and sculptor.

Bernard’s media of choice are oil paints, graphite and, of course, his first infatuation, clay. Oftentimes he embellishes with found objects. With rare exceptions Bernard does not title his pieces individually, but opts instead to title entire series of works.

“In general, I just believe that titles direct the observer in too narrow a way of experience,” he says. “I try to keep some secrets, some mystery. I intend and hope that the paintings imply more than one layer of meaning – a certain hiddenness requiring some excavation.”

When asked which of his series is his favorite, he names two: “Chasing the Thing: the River Fugue” and “The Archeology of Solitude,” both of which he believes showcase some of the best works of his career. His artwork can be found in the public art collections of the Ogden Museum of Art, The New Orleans Museum of Art and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In the Covington area, Bernard’s art graces the collections of the St. Tammany Parish Judicial Center, the Southern Hotel and the Center for Development and Learning in Covington.

The artist has been described as an “electronic age shaman” with works that are “mythological” and “wonderfully whimsical.”

To experience Bernard’s work — and it is, indeed, an experience — is to delve deeply into mankind’s past and present, exploring a multitude of facets that are in part autobiographical, part anthropological and part archeological. It can be likened to embarking on a journey that begins with the Paleolithic paintings in the caves of Lascaux, meanders through the ancient tomb paintings of the Egyptians and flits through the studios of the many abstract artists whose works have influenced his. The elements which result are collectively and intricately woven with incredible depth and highlighted with architectural accents.

Clearly, there are no limits to this artist’s imagination.

“We are all products of many thousands of experiences, memories and dreams,” he says. “I just try to excavate them — hence the title, ‘The Archaeology of Solitude.’”

LETTER FROM THE MAYOR

Gallery owner Danny Saladino, whose surnamed gallery represents Bernard, says that the artist’s creations are the type of work with which one develops an ongoing relationship, constantly unfolding and evolving.

“Bernard seems to have an innate ability to render and communicate our inner dialogue,” he says. “For me, it’s a surreal feeling to pour over the detailed tapestry of symbols, glyphs and illustrated totems in his work, and arrive at a point of personal discovery. It’s as though I’m trying to understand an oddly familiar, yet long lost language. It’s the chronology of the human condition laid bare and deconstructed, imperfect and undeniably beautiful.”

That ability has led Bernard to a teaching role as well. For four decades, he has provided artistic guidance to students ranging from kindergarteners to graduate students. He also offers private lessons, primarily for sculpture and his first love, the potter’s wheel. He has served as an Assistant Professor of Art at Tulane and Xavier Universities, and for 15 years he taught children’s “Mudbugs” art camps at St. Tammany Art Association.

More recently, his teachings have focused on a trio of men whose lives have been impacted by severe brain injuries. While the three reside in a permanent rehabilitation facility in Hammond, their “classrooms” are the studios of many local artists, including Maggie McConnell, Babette Billeau, Edward Whiteman, Jose Maria Cundin and Bernard’s godfather, renowned artist George Dunbar. The students also enjoy time in developing their artistic talents with the pottery wheel, painting and drawing, supplemented with mini art history lessons.

Their art explorations have brought them to Saladino and Tripolo Galleries, exhibitions at St. Tammany Art Association and to the incredible deWitt murals at St. Joseph’s Abbey. He is hopeful that his students can join him for his upcoming solo exhibition at St. Tammany Art Association.

“I have found that the work I’ve done with these students for the past four years is more rewarding than anything else I have done,” says Bernard. “It’s a lesson in patience, acceptance and gentleness of spirit that is very endearing.”

The artist has a plethora of advice for aspiring artists, including the recommendation that they become what he calls “studio rats” who practice every day, likening such to the discipline of basketball players and “gym rats.” He encourages artists to develop a work ethic that is not dependent on passion or feeling inspired, the former of which he feels is a frequently overused word.

“Creation is a result of the osmosis of daily work,” he says. “This is much discussed in Stephen Pressfield’s book, The World of Art, highly recommended reading.”

Lastly, he says that the rewards of this life are amazing but artists should remember not to be discouraged by the many pitfalls and failures.

“No one escapes those,” he says. “Work anyway.”

In all, Bernard has lived in a studio world for 43 years, and he has every intention of spending the rest of his life surrounded by and creating art.

“If I have to die, let it happen in the Metropolitan Museum in New York,” he says.

Given that the museum’s global collection represents more than 5,000 years of historic and modern art, it seems a rather fitting final resting place for this archeological artist.

Bernard Mattox’s exhibition, “Chasing the Thing: the River Fugue Series” will be on view at St. Tammany Art Association’s Art House from September 8 through 29. The show is free and open to the public.

DEAR CITIZENS OF SLIDELL, My name is Greg Cromer and I am the new Mayor of the City of Slidell.

I would like to thank our citizens who put their faith, hope and belief in me and honored me by giving me this opportunity to serve as your Mayor. Thank you for creating a feeling of excitement in our community and for sharing that excitement with me.

Your enthusiasm for our great city drives me and encourages me.

I am excited about Slidell and the opportunities that lie ahead. The previous City Council set the bar mighty high showing how to work together with the administration and move our city forward. I look forward to working with them, and moving Slidell forward together.

But this new administration is not just about us. It is about you, our citizens and our community. You will drive the change and will determine what Slidell will be in the future. Together, we will make that happen.

It’s said that perception is reality, and together we are going to change our own perception first. We will create a new reality for Slidell: a new reality of regional cooperation amongst or neighbors and parish, state government and federal government. A new reality, not just for those in our city limits, but for all 90,000 people who live in a Slidell zip code and call themselves Slidellians. A reality of a modern government that serves its citizens with convenience, efficiency, openness and respect. Together we are going to take the solid foundation that Mayor Drennan’s administration laid for us and we are going to build that new reality upon it.

Greg Cromer City of Slidell Mayor

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LET’S CONNECT!

VINTAGE clothing STORY PATTY BEAL DETAIL PHOTOS CARLIN BEAL

Has anyone noticed that the word vintage has the word age in it? Was that a coincidence or on purpose? Maybe vint means something! One moment, I'm googling that.... It does! Besides meaning a card game, the wind and the process of making wine from fruit, it's Latin for "twenty" or 2 tens/decades. Of course, just like the Starbucks 20oz venti sized cup of Joe! In keeping with our venti theme I researched about 20 articles and youtube videos looking for a consensus of what qualifies as vintage. Ironically, I found about 20 different answers. However, the vast majority stipulates that clothing from the 1920's through the 1980's are designated as vintage.

The internet vintage "experts" also note that the golden era of vintage is the 20's-60's.

While I have a heightened appreciation of historic fashion and design having worked in the rag trade for 30 years, I wouldn't consider myself a vintage expert or collector. So, armed with my newly acquired cyber education in all things vintage, I set out to find our local Northshore shop owners and vintage connoisseurs for their take on this fashion vibe that combines style, history, mystery and commerce.

Tucked away in its own little hamlet along the Trace in downtown Covington, Rosemary’s Closet is an eclectic and iconic vintage store gem. Stepping into longtime owner Elizabeth Williams’ shop is like going back in time. I found clothes and accessories dating back nine decades! I asked her, “Who buys vintage?” Thrilled that I asked, she quickly replied, “People who are creative, intelligent, and have a sense of humor.” Enjoying her response and candor, I asked how she acquired such an impressive assortment. Elizabeth reminisced about catching the collectors’ bug after her days shopping estate sales here on the Northshore and in New Orleans 25 years ago. “It’s the thrill of the hunt! You have to get it because you’ll never find it again.

It’s a one of a kind.”

Having the feeling I could chat all day with Elizabeth in her quaint little boutique, I pulled myself away to call on a dear fashion friend, Lisa Galatoire, to pick her vintage connoisseur brain. I asked Lisa, “What attracts you to vintage clothing?”

With an elaborate wave of her hand she answered, “Oh I just love that era, the classy, elegant feeling of that time.

I’m fascinated with the patterns, colors, the designs and the impeccable workmanship. It’s like art. You just don’t see exquisite details like that anymore. Like the buttons. The most beautiful buttons!” Mesmerized by her passion, I asked, “Who inspired your love for garments from the past?”

Her other arm swept across between us, “Oh dawlin’, my grandmother was a buyer for a classy ladies’ boutique in downtown New Orleans. I was her only granddaughter so she dressed me to the nine’s. And she never left the house without a full ensemble: the dress, the hat, the purse, the gloves. She was a class act. I remember like it was yesterday, sitting with her, looking through all her old photos in all her beautiful clothes. If only I had her clothes today, I’d wear them myself everyday of the week!”

Combining my information from the internet and my two distinguished guests, here are some qualities to look for when shopping for authentic vintage: 1. Labels – Fabric and often embroidered. Made in the USA. 2. Closures – 20’s-30’s: buttons, hooks or snaps on side seams. 40’s-50’s: metal zippers on side seams. 60’s: metal zippers in center back. 70’s: plastic zippers in center back.

3. Fabric – Quality, substantial weight. Early pieces were natural fabrics.

4. Detailing – Beading, for example, is elaborate and hand done. Not mass produced.

5. Custom fit – Inside seam work is not ‘pretty’ as it was more important to get a perfect fit.

6. Sizing – Runs small for size. A 6 is not a 6, more like a 2 or 4 by today’s standards.

7. Condition – The more pristine, the more valuable.

The clothing store that comes to you because it’s made just for you.

STORY LIZ GENEST SMITH

Guerillas

in the Swamp

Lacombe’s JFK Conspiracy Connection

So, what do you know about the assassination of John F. Kennedy? If you believe the Warren Commission’s conclusion, on November 22, 1963, Lee Harvey Oswald took it upon himself to climb up to the sixth floor of the Texas School Book Depository in Dallas, Texas, aim his rifle out the window, and single-handedly kill the 35th president of the United States as his motorcade passed through Dealey Plaza. The. End.

Or is it?

What about all those conspiracy theories involving the mafia, CIA, and Fidel Castro? If you think they’re all baseless fiction and fantasy, you may just change your mind after learning about some extraordinary events that took place a few short months prior to Kennedy’s death, right here on the Northshore of Lake Pontchartrain.

Are you sitting down? Are you feeling open-minded?

Because, boy, do I have a bombshell for you: The CIA and some shady characters with ties to organized crime reportedly ran one or more anti-Castro guerrilla training camps in Lacombe, Louisiana during the summer of 1963.

Crazy, right? You have no idea. Inquiries I made to locals resulted in a whole lot of incredulous looks and responses. I talked to librarians, historical societies, receptionists, dentists, coffee house regulars of a certain age, you name it – but the most I ever got was a single vague recollection of “the oldtimers mentioning something about that.”

You can find references to these camps in multiple sources, including Oliver Stone’s 1991 blockbuster film, JFK. I, however, accidentally stumbled across this seemingly nutty concept while reading recently deceased New Orleans mob associate Frenchy Brouillette’s highly entertaining and shockingly candid autobiography, Mr. New Orleans. His salacious accounts of South Louisiana’s organized crime activity, dating back to the 1950s, and claims of local connections to the Kennedy assassination are detailed enough to seem genuine – but one man’s tales don’t equal solid facts, right?

I was intrigued enough to begin researching in earnest – and found myself tumbling down one bottomless internet rabbit hole after another because there is no succinct, evidence-based, easily searchable source that pulls everything together.

Researchers with far more intellect and much deeper pockets have spent countless hours, and often decades, analyzing all the facts, documents, theories, and coincidences – not to mention the wild cast of characters – that inevitably turn up when you start digging into anything remotely associated with the Kennedys. My goal was to tune out the broader narrative, and focus solely on these alleged camps. Simple, right?

Yeah, right. Even a trip to Southeastern Louisiana University’s Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies in Hammond, which houses one of the largest Kennedy assassination collections in the country, only yielded confirmation that there’s “overwhelming evidence” that the camps existed. But where’s that evidence? I was determined to dig up something specific – that didn’t involve painstakingly sifting through boxes and boxes of documents.

The Timeline

To truly understand the plausibility of the camps, it’s important to have some perspective on the political climate of that era.

1959 - Fidel Castro overthrows the Cuban government, then headed by U.S.-backed dictator Fulgencio Batista, upsetting three groups: (a) Castro’s political opponents, who flee the turmoil and become exiles in the U.S.; (b) the U.S. government, which fears Castro’s close relationship with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev and the spread of communism so close to our shores; and (c) multiple dubious “businessmen” and infamous mob bosses with heavy investments in Havana’s gambling industry, whose leaders the Castro regime forced out and, in some cases, jailed.

1961 - About 1,400 Cuban exiles, trained and financed by the CIA to overthrow Castro, launch a botched invasion of Cuba’s Bay of Pigs. Kennedy authorized the plan, but wanted to keep U.S. involvement on the down-low. When it all went terribly awry, Kennedy scaled back on the air support, leaving the exiles vulnerable. Some escaped, but 1,200 surrendered, and more than 100 were killed.

1962 - Attorney General Robert Kennedy launches a secret project, code named “Operation Mongoose,” to depose Castro. The plans get out and U.S. tensions with the Soviets increase, bringing the Cold War to the brink of turning nuclear in the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis.

1963 - In late July/early August, an enormous cache of explosives is seized from a house in Lacombe, Louisiana, and a nearby farm suspected of hosting a secret military training camp is raided by the feds. In November, President Kennedy is assassinated. Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested, but is murdered two days later on live TV by nightclub owner Jack Ruby.

Intriguing situation, no? There are so many questionable factors to contemplate when assessing the veracity of the alleged associations between government agencies, exiles and the mafia, which are said to have resulted in the formation of the training camps. Conclusive proof is very hard to come by, but that’s where well-sourced facts come in handy.

Do we know for sure that JFK was in on the plans to depose Castro?

According to JFKLibrary.org, the official website of the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum, “before his inauguration, John F. Kennedy was briefed on a plan by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) developed during the Eisenhower administration to train Cuban exiles for an invasion of their homeland… The ultimate goal was the overthrow of Castro and the establishment of a non-communist government friendly to the United States.”

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Do we know for sure that the mob and CIA were working together?

According to pbs.org, “Though the details are murky and RFK’s involvement has never been proven, it went something like this. CIA operatives, aware that the Mob was eager to renew the profitable gambling business it enjoyed under the Batista regime, hired Mafia hitman Johnny Rosselli to kill Castro. If this wasn’t sordid enough, FBI director J. Edgar Hoover learned of the plot from FBI surveillance of Mob boss Sam Giancana, who just happened to share a mistress with John Kennedy. These machinations have provided much of the fuel behind various conspiracy theories of John Kennedy’s assassination in Dallas in 1963.”

Was Lee Harvey Oswald involved with the camps?

The volume of proof that Oswald had connections to antiCastro groups and the mob in New Orleans, as well as covert government agencies, is quite overwhelming. Plus, witnesses and reports place Oswald busily traveling around the region – from Clinton to Baton Rouge to St. Tammany – during the summer of 1963. There is allegedly an 8mm film somewhere in the Georgetown University archives (prominent government officials claim to have seen it) that shows Oswald in a covert military training camp, and there are even witnesses who claim they saw him and a group of Cuban men in black combat gear conducting military training maneuvers in Madisonville’s Bedico Creek, lending a little support to the theory that there may have been multiple camps.

Some pretty strong evidence comes from the testimony of attorney Robert K. Tanenbaum, a former mayor of Beverly Hills, who served as Deputy Chief Counsel for the House Select Committee on Assassinations from 1976-77. He wound up removing himself from the investigation after becoming frustrated by what he viewed as systemic obstruction, but years later he revealed that “...during that time, the focus of our investigation that was most fruitful had to deal with the anti-Castro, Cuban, CIA connection to the assassination.

And that is to say briefly, we tried to deal with documentary evidence… we had information from unimpeachable sources that Lee Harvey Oswald was a contract employee of the CIA and the FBI. We had information of Oswald being in Clinton, Louisiana with [David] Ferrie and other anti-Castro individuals and various soldiers of fortune types who were contracted employees of the CIA. We came across a film of anti-Castro Cubans… and these soldier of fortune types with the contract employees of the CIA.... Again, it was somewhat shocking to me because I learned when I was in public school, that there was the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines and Coast Guard. I didn’t know about any secret armies that were existing in America.”

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How do we know there was covert activity specifically in Lacombe?

A Times-Picayune article, dated August 2, 1963, reports that the FBI had raided a property the day before, and that “FBI agents discovered a large cache of bomb-making material, including more than a ton of dynamite. The couple [identified in another part of the article as Mr. & Mrs. William J. McLaney] who maintained the residence reportedly loaned it to a Cuban friend. Mrs. McLaney said the friend had been extolled by friends of theirs in Cuba, where they had lived in the pre-Castro era.”

William J. McLaney, incidentally, is the brother of Mike McLaney, who had mob connections and was part-owner of Havana’s Hotel Nacional de Cuba before Castro took power, and was briefly jailed by Castro. The article goes on to list other items seized in the raid, including 20 empty 100-pound bombs and various bomb making materials, such as a 50-pound container of Nuodex, used to make napalm. All of it was seized and there were multiple arrests, but no convictions.

According to several sources, these weapons and explosives were bound for Havana, where they would wreak havoc on oil refineries, thus sending a message to and helping to destabilize the Castro regime.

Why Lacombe?

Sleepy Lacombe seems like such a quiet, unassuming little hamlet. So why would it wind up being the locale of such international subterfuge?

Two factors could explain that. In addition to easy access to the anti-Castro McLaney family’s property, its remote location and swampy terrain were ideal for preparing to invade the Bay of Pigs, a similarly swampy area on the southern coast of Cuba.

Where were the explosives found?

Curiously, the Times-Picayune article doesn’t provide the specific address of the cottage, but they do give some precise details about its location, including the fact that it’s “the second house on a street” that runs “perpendicular to U.S. Hwy 190, east of the city of Mandeville and west of the city of Lacombe… one block to the west of Pontchartrain Street.”

It doesn’t take a detective to locate the house, but it would take x-ray vision – or a personal invitation – to see it. The current residents might be private by nature, or perhaps they’ve been harassed by other looky-loos, because the property is now locked up like a fortress: it’s surrounded by heavy vegetation, an opaque fence, and an imposing gate.

Where was the training camp, and how do we know it existed?

A lot of evidence comes courtesy of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison, who launched his own investigation into the Kennedy assassination, resulting in a trial, a book (On the Trail of Assassins), as well as him being portrayed by Kevin Costner as the hero in Oliver Stone’s JFK. EDGE August | September 2018

In a memo dated March 1967, Garrison’s Assistant District Attorney, Al Oser, describes being taken to the site of a camp

by Angel Vega, who was said to have been a trainee in 1963.

“This location is exactly one mile from the intersection of U.S. 190 and La. Highway 434. The house is three-tenths of a mile to the left of La. 434 on a small dirt road. The house cannot be seen from La. 434.”

This appears to refer to Big 7 Road, which is still a very innocuous, low profile little rural lane. Multiple sources provide images of a house that still exists today, with an enormous spring-fed pool and close proximity to the bayou, which are said to have made this an ideal training site. (Full disclosure: I planned to personally visit the actual house, but after (a) getting a glimpse at the foreboding one-lane dirt road that blindly leads into a dense forest, and (b) reading unsubstantiated accounts of other nosy conspiracy chasers having to rapidly reverse all the way to Highway 434 after being run off the property, my active imagination and I decided against it.)

Even more confirmation comes from a November 21, 2013 Time-Picayune article on New Orleans’ Cuban exiles tied to JFK assassination theories: “North of Lake Pontchartrain, the FBI had broken up a training camp, where men were preparing for another invasion of Cuba. And an eccentric associate of [New Orleans mob boss] Carlos Marcello, who

had been caught hustling guns for a raid on Cuba, was being investigated by Garrison. His name was David Ferrie, and he would become a main player in Garrison’s theory of the assassination.”

Garrison, and many others, surmised that when Kennedy screwed up the Cuba campaign, and Robert Kennedy took on organized crime, they angered all involved parties, causing the camp’s organizers to redirect their target, resulting in the assassination. Allegedly!

Researching this subject was both fascinating and maddening. I would need an issue to myself if I were to share all of the pertinent information I unearthed. It all adds up to a ton of incredibly compelling, but mostly – exasperatingly – circumstantial evidence. Most experts agree that we’ll never get definite proof of exactly what happened, but I suppose it makes the subject all the more provocative.

If you’re similarly intrigued, I invite you to clear your schedule for a week or three, and delve into the insanely complex web of people and information that links New Orleans and the Northshore to Kennedy’s Cuba connections and assassination. There’s a JFK Conspiracy Tour in New Orleans that includes stops at places like Felix’s Oyster Bar and Broussard’s Restaurant. If you take it, mention this article, and maybe they’ll add Lacombe.

My turn: by chef Steve

ABOUT CHEF STEVE AHRONS Steve Ahrons has owned Seiler Bar for the last 9 years and Columbia Street Tap Room & Grill for the last 22 years. He started his food and beverage career in the early 80’s bartending in Uptown New Orleans at popular hangouts like Shanahan’s, Tipitina’s and Fat Harry’s. In ’86 Steve moved to the Northshore and worked at Trey Yuen and Pat Gallagher’s Winner’s Circle. He flew the coop in the 90’s and worked everywhere from Aspen to Hilton Head to Maine and the Florida Keys. Steve now lives in Covington with his wife, Laura, and three children: Caroline, 15, Annie, 10, and Sam, 7.

Ahrons

HAMBONE 544 Girod St Mandeville LA, 70448 louisiananorthshore.com 985.778.0531

One of the unfortunate drawbacks of being in the restaurant business is that sometimes it can take an act of congress to get you out of your own place. Additionally, down or ‘off’ time is usually spent catching up on personal business or, after a particularly long, hard week, using the services of an ice pack, heating pad or Epsom salt bath to get you back into action for the week ahead. That’s why, when approached by The Edge magazine to dine at Hambone and share my experience with its readers, I jumped at the opportunity, and I’m thankful I did.

Hambone is a great addition to our Northshore dining community.

Gumbo, in my opinion, is open to interpretation and shouldn’t be held to any certain guidelines. In many cases it can, however, provide a precursor as to how the rest of your meal will go. The gumbo at Hambone was a home run and immediately had my thoughts jumping to the food that would follow. In addition to the gumbo, my buddy and I enjoyed Oyster’s Marci. The baked oysters with the addition of fennel had me thinking of a lighter version of Oyster’s Rockefeller, which was perfect for lunch. Next out was the pickled shrimp poboy, fried chicken and a side of pork boudin, all of which were exceptional. The pickled shrimp poboy was a perfect summertime alternative to a traditional shrimp poboy – I particularly enjoyed the crunch of the pickled, local vegetables. Fried chicken is a special offered on Wednesdays and didn’t disappoint. The boudin had me regretting that we didn’t order another side dish, and was a welcome addition to our meal in lieu of more traditional sides.

Hambone falls into the growing sector of the restaurant business that provides a casual setting with a focus on serving great food, and they succeed at all levels here!

Lunch was presented in a way that made it easy to share our meal and made it simple to taste several dishes without overeating. The food also reflects sourcing local products, which is key to helping support our local farmers.

Regretfully, I didn’t get to sample breakfast, but I will soon. There’s a theory amongst me and many of my fellow restauranteurs on the Northshore that I-12 draws a fine line in the sand as to where people will dine out.

Those north will likely eat in Covington and those south Mandeville. If that holds true, I’ll be breaking the rules soon for a return visit to Hambone.

STORY MICHELLE GOODE

Galloway, The

The 7th annual

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Bogalusa Blues

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& Heritage

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September 28th

Rip Rock and

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natural setting at Cassidy Park is a great place to sit back, relax and listen to some wonderful music. Put your feet in the creek to cool off after listening to the musicians on two stages. Camp sites are available for tent camping as well as RV parking, both of which allow you to be a short walk away from all the festival activities.

The festival starts Friday night on the main

Harmonica and drum lessons are among the activities for all ages and the Kids Zone features a climbing rock wall, face painting and jump houses. Heritage Banners are scattered around the festival. These banners pay homage to local residents with descriptions of their artistic impact on music and the arts in Washington Parish. Art vendors are on hand showcasing and selling their work.

stage, the “Blues Stage,” with Big Daddy O and

Whether it’s hand made jewelry or paintings

Kenny Neal before Sonny Landreth ends the

there is something for everyone.

night. Then kick it up Saturday with two stages.

The main stage features numerous top blues performers including Crispin Schroeder, Chris Leblanc, Vasti Jackson, Ruthie Foster and Bobby Rush. On the “Heritage Stage” we start out with local musicians Ricky Killingsworth, Joel

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Come just for the day or plan on staying the night so you can wake up to the smells of festival food cooking. For more information, whether it’s about reserving a camping spot or purchasing tickets for the event, check out our website at www.bogalusablues.com

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1. The Taste of Covington took place over a 5 day period. The event included vintners dinners held at local restaurants, a Grand Tasting held at Acquistapace’s Covington Supermarket, a Festa del Vino wine tasting hosted by Mayor Mike Cooper at the St. Tammany Art Association and a Champagne Jazz Brunch held at Annadele’s Plantation.

(Photos by Dan Cobb) 2. Twenty-five graduating seniors from Pope John Paul II Catholic High School received their honor stoles and gold tassels for the National Honor Society (NHS). To become and remain members of NHS students must maintain a 3.50 GPA, and exhibit the necessary qualities of leadership, service, character and scholarship.

3. You Night Empowering Events hosted their annual Battle of the Models 2018 Launch Party at Slidell’s Movie Sets. The event introduced the 48 participates of the 2018 program and showcased this year’s theme: ‘Fierce Beauty Revolution.’ The You Night alums compete on stage against industry professional models.

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4. The Southern Hotel unveiled their newly renovated Garden House with a ribbon cutting and reception.

Southern Hotel owners Lisa Condrey Ward and Alton Ochsner Davis were on hand to give guided tours of the newly restored property that was built in 1937 as the Covington post office. The Garden House now houses five suites, one bedroom and a conference room and is surrounded by landscaped gardens and a courtyard.

5. Ponchatoula American Legion Post 47 was chosen to attend the American Legion Louisiana Boys State University in Natchitoches.

Louisianan Boys State is a premier leadership development program for young men in the state of Louisiana.

6. Mercedes Benz of Covington celebrated their Grand Opening Event with a black and white themed party featuring hors d’oeuvres and cocktails from Keith Young’s Steakhouse and music by The Bucktown Allstars.

7. Greg Cromer was sworn in as the newly elected 22nd Mayor of Slidell at a formal swearing-in ceremony at the Slidell Municipal Auditorium.

8. The Achee family took EDGE with them as they traveled around Greece and the Greek Islands. They are pictured here at the Parthenon in Athens.

9. Annelise and Julianne Greene with Ellie Fradella enjoying Rocking the Rails.

10. EDGE enjoyed visiting the Globe Theatre in London this summer.

11. Eva Barrett took EDGE with her to the England v. Pakistan test match at Headingley Cricket Ground in Yorkshire, England.

12. Trevor and Nick Achee took the EDGE with them to Positano on the Amalfi Coast of Italy.

Want to be featured in Around The Lake?

Send your pictures to edgepublisher@yahoo.com

STORY CHARLES DOWDY

Charles Dowdy is a broadcaster and writer living with his wife and four children on the Northshore. You can hear him each weekday morning from 6 to 10 on Lake 94.7.

Y

ears ago, after my wife told me it was time to have the Birds and the Bees talk with our oldest son, I butchered the whole thing pretty badly. I over explained everything. There was a near fainting, and you could say that about either of us. Afterward, I couldn’t help but think about the time my dad had the same conversation with me.

I don’t remember exactly where we were; I just remember it was the two of us and he was acting like somebody had died and then he thrust a book at me. The title was something like “Little Timmy Learns How Mom and Dad had a Tickle Fight Under the Covers and Used Love and a Little Sweat Equity to Make a Baby.”

I saw where this was going and how pained Dad was, and I tried to ease his discomfort. I said, “Are you telling me my sweet, dear mother was involved in something like this?”

My dad can be a tad proper. So with the book he said, “All right, son, it’s all in there. You know, read it. I don’t think you’ll have any questions. But if you do have questions, read it again, because I’m pretty sure the answers are somewhere in that book.”

Obviously when he went to the bookstore Dad was too embarrassed to browse through the sex books. I’m thinking he found this one in the comedy section. It was six pages long and based on the detailed drawings, it must have been written by a NASA engineer with some kind of disorder. There were stick figures for visual aids and what should have been pretty simple personal hardware was flying in all different directions and in and out of things. It looked like rockets were blasting off everywhere.

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After perusing this book, I immediately knew something was terribly wrong with me, since the male stick figure had an appendage long enough to wrap around the planet. And I really couldn’t get my mind past that. It all blurred before my eyes now that I knew, stick figure or not, that I would never be capable of having one of those tickle fights should I so choose to do so.

Some people say we all want to be like our parents. I know I do. But I also think, in many instances, we want to be for our children what our parents were not. It is a generational, parenting shift that all of us can see if we bother to look.

According to the stories they told me, my grandparents fed my parents bugs because there was no money for food.

They did the whole “walking both ways uphill to school in the snow” thing. And they also made their clothes out of animal hides. I’m pretty sure that means Dad never had to learn about sex from some dumb book and instead figured it out from watching all of those naked farm animals that were apparently wandering around his dirty, bare feet.

Then my father showered his own children, us, with things he did not have growing up, and maybe he didn’t make us work as hard as he should have.

Please don’t think I am knocking my father. There is no one I respect more. He is an attorney, and did a little hard time in politics. If you are ever accused of a major crime, and you actually committed that crime, then I could not think of a better person to get you off. Don’t burden him with the facts. He’ll win in spite of your stupidity or your temporary moment of bloody passion. That’s because he can form a bond with a jury, or a political crowd, as well as anyone. I think it’s because he can figure out their own stories before he gives them his.

A lot of people talk about how quiet my dad can be. I don’t think he is necessarily a quiet person; I just don’t think he says much unless he’s got something to say.

So, at this stage in life, politics is long gone. Dad still practices law and has entered what I call his vegetable growing years. Maybe, for him, the ending will be a little bit like the beginning. Growing what you eat. Animals scurrying about underfoot.

Now my oldest son is probably closer in age to the time he could talk to his own offspring about how life comes to be. It’s just a thought, but maybe Dad could have taken me out to the old farm and let me watch the animals go at it, instead of giving me that dumb book.

Luxury Has A New Address

985-900-1212 8080 Westshore Drive Covington, LA 70433

www.mbofcovington.com