Nola Boomers May/June 2019 by nola family magazine & nola boomers magazine

MAY/JUNE 2019

INSIDE THIS ISSUE The Tenacious

Mackie Shilstone p. 6

how the lynching museum brings clarity p. 8

RUNNING: a marathon runner has what it takes p. 20

for public office can be a Boomerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s calling p. 13

THE NURSING HOME HUNT our best tips p. 17

Summer fun READ

LEARN

EXPLORE

SUMMER FUN offers hundreds of FREE EVENTS FOR ALL AGES and chances for everyone to earn and win prizes.

June 1 – July 20

SUMMER FUN EVENTS Just a few of the many free and fun events include: CHILDREN’S EVENTS:

TEEN EVENTS:

ADULT EVENTS:

• Michelle’s Magical Poodles Programs

• Nintendo Switch Gaming Sessions

• History of the Cocktail Presentations

• Magic Shows with Irwin Royes “The World’s Smallest Magician” • Professor Universe

• Simple Coding with Ozobots Coding Robots

• Bob Ross Paint Party

• Crafting with Heat-Fused Perler Beads

• New Orleans Street Name Spelling Bee

>>> To see the full schedule of events, visit any Library location or nolibrary.org beginning June 1. <<<

SUMMER FUN PRIZES, RAFFLES & contests Registration Prize: Everyone who signs up for SUMMER FUN will earn a registration prize. Reading Challenge: Children and teens can earn prizes and raffle tickets each time they read or are read to for 200 minutes, up to 1,000 minutes.

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Original submissions should use the theme, READ | LEARN | EXPLORE and incorporate at least 7 of the 11 words listed below: Affair, Blossom, Breeze, Explore, Humidity, Insight, Learn, Read, Space, Supernova, Travel 1st Place: Prize at $100 value 2nd Place: Prize at $50 value 3rd Place: Prize at $25 value To see the full rules of entry and to get an entry form, visit any Library location or nolalibrary.org. Submission Deadline is Friday, June 28, 2019, at 5pm. Winners will be announced Friday, July 12. Winners’ Reading Night will be Tuesday, July 16, 6-7:30pm at the Mid-City Library.

managing editor tim meyer tim@nolaboomers.com executive editor laura claverie claverip@gmail.com office manager jenny ziglin jenny@nolaboomers.com edit interns erin cohn chapelle johnson marketing/communications intern lara mekus designer cat landrum 2nd story creative ad production sara youngblood contributing photography twirl photography

info@nolaboomers.com or 504.866.0555  The opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and/or contributors and do not necessarily reflect those of the magazine or its advertisers.  For reprint information, contact ann@nolaboomers.com Business office: 8131 Oak St., Ste. 500, New Orleans, La., 70118 504.866.0555 / 504.861.2229 fax A publication of

To sign up, visit any Library location or nolalibrary.org. SUMMER FUN is sponsored by Friends of the New Orleans Public Library.

may/june 2019 volume 2, issue 3

FR OM L AU R A It is hard to believe that in a blink, this year is now half over. I feel as if my life is traveling at warp speed and going faster each year. Occasionally, this feeling inspires me to update my bucket list to make sure I’m not wasting a moment. What’s on your bucket list? Is it time to update yours? For some Boomers, travel is at the top. My husband and I are trying to tick off as many dream locations as we can, and we’ve done a pretty good job. One trip we haven’t taken is to Montgomery, Alabama, to see the new Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Incarceration and the National Memorial for Peace and Justice. So I was especially pleased when our veteran travel writer, Keith Marshall, wrote about his recent experience at these sites. He added an unexpected leg of the trip to Plains, Georgia, where he and his wife were fortunate enough to hear former President Jimmy Carter preach in his family’s small house of worship, Maranatha Baptist Church. Now well into his 90s, the former president still inspires those around him. Some Boomers dream of making this state better and stronger and thus, are inspired to run for office but don’t know where to begin. Thanks to Elect Louisiana 60+ there are no more excuses for would-be candidates. Elect Louisiana 60+ — a new grass roots, bi-partisan organization — gives Boomers the tools needed to run for state office. This new effort wants Boomers to lend their expertise, time, and voices to our state governance, particularly the State Legislature. There are more than one million men and women in Louisiana over the age of 60. Yet Louisiana currently ranks No. 48 in senior in-home services and No. 50 in senior health. Who is advocating for Boomers in Baton Rouge? If running for office is on your bucket list, get started. This state needs you. The deadline for qualifying for the fall election is August 6-8. Last, we welcome Mackie Shilstone, nationally-known and respected fitness expert and New Orleans native, to our cover. At almost 70, Mackie can run, bike, or exercise with the best of them. Learn how he trains and inspires some of the best athletes in the world and how you can follow his lead. Or at least try. We Boomers have much to offer and a lot to experience, see, and enjoy. Now is as good a time as any to update your bucket list and get going. Time’s a wastin’!

Fearlessly Yours,

Laura Claverie

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BINGO Challenge: All ages can earn raffle tickets by completing activities and getting BINGO on their SUMMER FUN BINGO card.

Adult Writing Contest: Adults, ages 18 and over, are invited to submit a short story, poem, or essay as part of our 5th annual Adult Writing Contest.

publisher ann herren ann@nolaboomers.com

MAY/JUNE 2019 CONTRIBUTORS CONTENTS M AY/J U N E 2 0 1 9 Valerie Andrews Valerie Andrews is a writer and communication strategist in the Greater New Orleans area. She has been published in the Journal for Minority Medical Students, the Nursing and Allied Health Journal, Ascension Parish magazine, and the Loyola Maroon, to name a few.

Katherine Diliberto Katherine has lived, worked, and raised a family in New Orleans. She is a retired school teacher and administrator who enjoys traveling and exploring all the Crescent City has to offer.

FR OM TH E EDITOR Something I learned while working on this issue and never thought about before: nursing homes cannot accommodate married couples. Our aging parents will eventually be separated from each other, either by death or, well, by aging. It makes sense once you think about it. Everyone ages differently, and if our parents are lucky enough to reach old age together, one or both would ultimately be unable to live independently. Some kind of long-term care plan, like a nursing home, would need to be implemented. One parent might suffer from dementia and another might be too frail to lift himself off of the couch. But a nursing home would only have rooms that are equipped to care for one of those issues. Couples are forced to part, perhaps only seeing each other at meals.

Cover Story

Susan Marquez Susan has been a freelance writer since 2001 with articles published on topics from homes and garden to business profiles and more. She is also a member of the Association of Food Journalists and Southern Foodways Alliance.

Fitness master Mackie Shilstone p. 6

REGULAR TOPICS

Travel: Southern Histories

From lynching to Carter

Health: Say ahhhh!

Implanting smiles

Aging In NOLA

Finding the right nursing

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Letter from Laura From the Editor

FEATURES 13

Running for Office home

How Boomers are changing politics

Master Planning Landscapes

Beautifying your own home

Inherited Business

Family values in Mid-City

Fitness: Running at 50

Freebies

ON THE COVER As common a sight as the oaks are, Mackie Shilstone can often be seen pedaling his elliptical bike around New Orleans. Photo by Twirl Photography.

Mackie Shilstone, fitness guru and owner of several GNC stores, is committed to the physical preservation of his own body and the bodies of his clients, the readers of his Nola.com column, and especially Boomers. Keith Marshall Keith began his writing career in 1973 as The TimesPicayune’s representative in Europe, and later served as the newspaper’s classical music writer. He has written travel, art and architecture, and feature articles for major newspapers and magazines

Balancing fitness and life

Free and ‘almost free’ things to do

On the Go

This issue, Nola Boomers also features another story about a man who is committed to lifelong due diligence.

Where, when, and what to do around town

As the writer of Mackie’s cover story puts it, “Mackie Shilstone is a busy man.” He opens up about what led him to fitness; owing six GNC franchise stores; writing seven books; and creating and directing fitness, nutrition, and wellness programs at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, East Jefferson General Hospital, and St. Charles Parish Hospital. Man, I hope to be half as involved in the world as Mackie is when I’m his age. I feel like I need an oxygen tank on hand each time I climb the two flight of stairs that leads to the Nola Boomers office.

Breathlessly Yours, Kate Stevens Kate is a freelance writer and frequent contributor to our sister publication, Nola Family.

Tim Meyer

may/june 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com

A FEW WORDS

Speaking of nursing homes, who knew they could be so complicated? If you’re thinking it might be time that your parents would benefit from a nursing home, due diligence is in order. Our “Nursing Homes: Finding Comfort” article points out that shopping around for a good nursing home is like shopping around for a good car. There’s so much to think about, not only about its location and amenities, but also about the “personality” of the facility.

Made of Shilstone by Kate Stevens

Mackie Shilstone has trained U.S. Army Rangers and professional athletes, but perhaps none of that would have been possible if not for a boy’s need for his father’s approval. Mackie Shilstone is a busy man and the passage of time isn’t going to slow him down. Within five seconds of answering his phone for our scheduled interview, Mackie needs a minute to text a U.S. Army Ranger. He is one of two men that Mackie is helping prepare for the Best Ranger Competition at Fort Benning, Georgia. “I’ve got to get this out,” he says. “It’s very important.” At 68, Mackie is a familiar face in New Orleans. The pre-eminent sports performance manager, fitness expert, and author can often be seen in the mornings riding his bike to Isidore Newman School to work out. He writes a weekly column for Nola.com and has been WWL-TV’s nutrition and fitness expert for the last 22 years. He owns six GNC franchise stores; wrote seven books; and created and directed fitness, nutrition, and wellness programs at the John Ochsner Heart and Vascular Institute, East Jefferson General Hospital, and St. Charles Parish Hospital.

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“I train five to six days a week,” he says, firmly. “I don’t stop for surgery. I don’t stop at all because I know that it will get me.” Last year, after lumbar spinal surgery, Mackie’s neurosurgeon recommended he work his way up to walking two miles a day as part of his recovery. “I did two miles the next day,” he says, adding that his doctor said it was the fastest recovery the practice had ever seen. Mackie then alerts me of another interruption. This time it is friend and onetime client, world heavyweight boxing champion Michael Spinks on the other line. “He’s going to speak to the Rangers to motivate them because he went up against a big man and I needed someone who had fear,” Mackie says.

Shilstone as Grindstone

Mackie’s initial foray into fitness began in earnest — to make his chemical engineer and WWII veteran father proud. As a captain and company commander in the U.S. Army, his father returned home with five campaign medals and the memories of the violent combat he encountered overseas.

Consistency is key for Mackie as he ages. After about seven hours of sleep each night, he wakes at 4:45 a.m., has a cup of coffee with almond milk, and then studies technical journals for an hour, which helps to keep his mind sharp.

It wasn’t till later that Mackie learned his father suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder — a diagnosis that didn’t exist when Mackie was a child. His father coped with alcohol. “He was the bravest man I ever knew, but I just took all this verbal abuse,” Mackie says. When he was in his 50s, Mackie learned the full extent of his father’s war experience from one of his father’s brothers. While in Germany, Mackie’s father and a German soldier both entered a room at the same time. Both men knew only one was leaving alive. “He just lit the man up,” Mackie says. “Now I know that everytime he said sorry to me when I was a boy, I knew he was really saying sorry to that man.” For high school, Mackie went to Baylor Military Academy in Tennessee where he rose through the ranks and graduated as a 1st Lieutenant. But before Mackie could enter the Navy ROTC at Tulane University in 1970, his father pulled Mackie out so he wouldn’t have to face the possibility of war — the possibility of having to kill another man. “And that’s my guilt; I just carry that tremendous guilt,” he says. Desperate to make his father proud, Mackie walked on the Tulane University football team. At 5 foot 8 inches tall and 143 pounds, he was the smallest athlete on any college team in the U.S. at the time. He vowed to get stronger and faster. “I studied,” he says. “I pulled research papers. I said I will become the most knowledgeable in this, and I will let nothing get in my way. I’ve got to show my father I’m worthy to be his son.” During his career, Mackie has volunteered with Navy SEAL teams, the FBI, the DEA, the 159th Fighter Wing, and the New Orleans Police Department, even developing a training program for its cadets. He says this is his way of serving his country, just like his father had. Mackie’s father died in 1989 having lived long enough to watch his son make history overseeing Spink’s transformation from light heavyweight champion to heavyweight champion after beating Larry Holmes in 1985. His father also lived long enough to hold Mackie’s firstborn son.

Two recent columns include how consuming blueberry powder reduces the incidence of osteoarthritic knee pain and another on how walnuts can reduce depression levels in women. “Right now, every Boomer out there has a 46 percent chance of osteoarthritis in their knees before they die,” he says. Mackie then takes pre-workout supplements and probiotics and bikes to the high school where his workout regimen includes cardio, resistance training, weights, and stretching. He returns home, has a homemade shake with fresh fruit, whey isolate powder, matcha green tea powder, and vitamin C from his Mackie RenewAll Multi-Vitamin Mineral formula line. For lunch, he has salad with veggies, almonds, walnuts, and chicken and drinks green tea. Around 3:30 p.m. he will eat a One Bar with 20 grams of protein. For dinner at around 6:30 p.m., he and his wife, Sandy, eat prepared food. Dinner usually includes chicken, fish or turkey, a salad, and sweet potatoes. A treat for Shilstone is a glass of wine after dinner. He partakes in intermittent fasting and does not eat after 8 p.m. He also takes about 30 nutrients a day.

Just Keep Moving For Boomers, Mackie recommends to keep moving: “I think it’s all about movement. We know the research on sitting. We know what it does.” The biggest issues facing Boomers are sarcopenia, the loss of muscle tissue during the aging process; and dynapenia, the loss of strength during the aging process, he says. Boomers can combat this with weight training, interval training, and hormone replacement, if needed. Men should also keep their waist measurements under 40 inches and women under 35 inches because it’s that visceral abdominal fat that will lead to heart disease and diabetes. He also advises people to start making their health a priority. “I just want to go on my terms,” he says. “I want a compressed morbidity — the shortest period of illness pushed late into my life.” But when that time does come — when he gets to heaven — he just wants one question answered: “Dad, did I do a good job?”

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Born and raised in the Crescent City, Mackie seems almost too busy for this slow-paced New Orleans way of life. By April, he has traveled to help tennis legend Serena Williams prepare for upcoming Grand Slam tournaments. Then, it’s on to Fort Benning to meet with the U.S. Army Rangers, and then back to Williams for more tennis.

Dear Dad,

A Pilgrimage from Montgomery to Plains By Keith Marshall

A lynching museum and a former president both seem to deliver a message from the American South pulpit: solidarity. Once the site of a slave action warehouse, the Legacy Museum preserves the memory of those lynching victims who may never be known.

A craggy Robert Kastin, an Angola inmate serving a life sentence from age 17, stares from a screen as he recalls, “You got to live your life from a whistle, cause whistle tells you everything you got to do. It wasn’t never too hot, it wasn’t never too cold. Jus’ cotton and sugar in the fields. A person like you, who came to listen to my story, can relate it to others. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel. You just have to look for the light.” Nearby, speakers blare chants of “2-4-6-8. We don’t want to integrate,” and videos show scenes of shocking brutality. Rows of shelves display jars of soil from every parish and county in which lynchings took place.

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They hang like prisms of an immense Baccarat chandelier; but they reflect darkness, not light. The ominous, uniform steel plinths that hang above visitors as they proceed through the National Memorial for Peace and Justice evoke the bodies that once hung from low tree branches, as African-Americans were lynched. Just over a year ago, the Memorial and the nearby, emotionallywrenching Legacy Museum opened in Montgomery, Alabama — an area that was central to domestic slave trade in 19th-century America. Both projects of the non-profit Equal Justice Initiative, together they tell the story of injustice, from slavery to today’s mass incarceration of African Americans, with graphic detail and sobering but hopeful inspiration.

Sold down the river

It’s essential to visit the museum before the memorial, for history and perspective. Located on the site of a warehouse where slaves were held before auction, the foyer displays videos and graphics that chronicle the domestic slave trade across the South. Quotes from those held here cover the walls. The first exhibit — a dark, cavernous chamber entered on a descending ramp — is lined with cells in which ghostly holograms create heartbreaking images of slaves bemoaning their fate as families are torn apart. In a large room that reviews Jim Crow laws, civil rights struggles, and incarceration by decade, visitors can sit in booths that recreate visits with actual prisoners, video images conveying their story though phone receivers held up to the visitor’s ear.

Final words are solemn: One in three African-American men born in the 21st century will spend time in prison.

On a hill, far away

On an elevated six-acre plot overlooking downtown Montgomery, the $20 million National Memorial for Peace and Justice, funded solely by private foundations, is a commanding presence. The New Yorker succinctly described the site: “From a distance, the lynching memorial appears serene, an architectural feat on a green knoll.” . . . but inside, the serenity mutated into uneasiness.” Inspired by Holocaust memorials around the world, and the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg, South Africa, the dramatic centerpiece is a tranquil pavilion that seems to float above the surrounding grass, where graphic statues of slave families torn apart suggest the darker truth.

The memorial includes seven figures, confronting the human anguish of the transatlantic slave trade.

The 805 coffin-inspired plinths, representing the more than 4,000 lynchings between 1877 and 1950, are at eye level as visitors enter the open-air structure. Engraved on the side of each monolith is the name of the parish or county and names of men and women lynched in those communities. As the interior ramp descends, successive plinths begin to hover, first at shoulder level, then higher above, becoming a vast forest of intolerance that hangs ominously above walls covered with names of victims and eye-witness accounts of lynchings. Black and white visitors stood side-by-side, silent in the cathedrallike solemnity of the venue. Dialogues ensued, perhaps the first time that many had addressed the history of injustice that has separated racial and ethnic communities. An elderly man, leaning on his cane, shuffled along in front of a wall where water cascaded over a memorial to victims whose names will never be known.

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Toward the end of the winding path through the museum’s displays, artwork by African Americans Jon Biggers and Elizabeth Catlett, are like Robert Kastin’s light at the end of the tunnel: A brighter future is possible, but the road is long, the struggle remains.

From One Pulpit to Another

e l i m S o t n o s a e R A

ews

By Valerie J. Andr

Former President Jimmy Carter often delivers an impromptu sermon at a tiny church in his hometown of Plains, Ga.

George Washington, founding father and first American president, is famous for many things, including having wooden teeth, or so the myth goes. We now know the dentures he wore were made of bone, ivory, lead, brass, and gold, along with teeth from horses, donkeys, cows, and other people. But not wood.

Forget the black tie, $50,000 contribution, or membership in an exclusive organization. You can have your picture taken with a former president and First Lady simply by waking up in the middle of the night and arriving at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia, between 2 and 3 a.m. on a Sunday when James Earl Carter, 39th president of the United States, is teaching Sunday school — and chatting about whatever’s on his mind that morning. Headlights flash through the pecan grove that surrounds the small, 30-or-so-member church, as 75-year-old George Williams warns that big purses, knives, nail clippers, and the like won’t pass secret Service scrutiny that will begin at about 7:30. You can take a phone or camera inside, but not both. In the meantime, sleep in your car, with snacks and iced coffee for breakfast.

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But before their entrance, family and friends regaled the congregation with tales worthy of a warm-up act for a major rock star. One of presidential-brother Billy Carter’s daughters recalled, “We had such a good time back then, met so many people. Robert Redford would share a coupla’ Pabst Blue Ribbons. Muhammad Ali would call daddy.” She also made light of the bad things — the best way to survive. “I’d pick up the phone and a man would say, ‘There’s a bomb in your house, and it’s gonna go off in 15 minutes.’ I’d say, could you wait 20 minutes, cause I gotta take a shower?” After the laughter, reverence followed as the Carters entered the sanctuary where a simple wooden cross, crafted by Carter, hangs over the altar.

If George were alive today, his dental woes — and his concern that his false teeth protruded in portraiture — could’ve been resolved with improved notions of dental hygiene and modern dental replacement options, including implants. “Dental implants offer the most cost-effective and long-term solution for replacement of missing teeth with high average life expectancy, providing the patient with the best sense of security and well-being,” according to a report in the National Journal of Maxillofacial Surgery. Keith Marshall and wife, Millie, with former President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn.

Mingling a specific biblical message with folklore, ethical, and moral musings, and the occasional illustrative political anecdote, Carter presented his consistent message: We should be a champion of peace and equality. “If we don’t have a life of joy and peace, it’s our own fault, as He gives us life; He gives us freedom; He gives us the ability to lead a completely successful life.” Removing his glasses, and bowing his head in prayer, Carter concluded, “This is the kind of person I choose to be.” Then it was time for photos. Couples and groups should stay together, but individuals shouldn’t be shy about approaching: “If you come up by yourself,” Carter said, flashing his trademark grin, “I won’t say anything, but I’ll wonder why you don’t have any friends.” Many attendees followed the Carters to The Silo, Plains’s only restaurant, for a typical southern buffet. After lunch, we headed back to New Orleans, which we had left early Friday morning. Our three-day trip was inspiring, but tiring. Boomers might want to take an extra day, or visit Montgomery and Plains separately. Neither should be missed.

This is good news for Boomers, who often experience increased dental issues as they age. One study reported 26 percent of adults, by age 74, will have lost all of their permanent teeth. Tooth loss has a serious impact on quality of life, from problems with eating to change in facial structure. Modern dental implants are about 40 years old; however, research has discovered a primitive stone implantation in Honduran culture as early as 800 A.D. Today’s dental industry uses much more sophisticated techniques and materials, making the incidence of implants much more commonplace. In fact, one study published by the National Institutes for Health placed the number of procedures between 100,000 and 300,000 annually, approximately the same number as artificial knee and hip joint replacements. About three million Americans have implants, according to the American Academy of Implant Dentistry. The success rate runs around 98 percent. Contemporary dental medicine has refined the process that, more than a thousand years ago, was no doubt cringe-inducing. Now, once a tooth is extracted and the gum is healed, a titanium post is surgically positioned in the jawbone. Then a replacement tooth is mounted. The process, which may be done in steps, isn’t as daunting as you might imagine. When Lydia North had an implant in her latter 50s, she saw an oral surgeon for the extraction of her tooth and the screw implant, and her dentist inserted the replacement tooth. She had IV sedation for the oral surgery appointments. “I don’t think either procedure took very long — around 30-45 minutes for extraction and less for the implant,” North says.

Dr. Hammack and the Audubon Dental Group completes about 150 dental implants a year, mostly for patients 55 and older. may/june 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com

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Somehow or other, all 400 visitors on a recent Sunday fit into the sanctuary (early arrivals), Sunday school room, overflow room, overflow of overflow room, and kitchen, through all of which the Carters would walk on their way to the altar around 10 am to begin the day’s lesson.

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Boomers in Office

She chose an implant over dentures because her dentist warned that a partial bridge would attach to and damage her natural teeth. “I know two people who opted for bridges and ended up having to have their adjacent teeth also removed,” she says. “So then they have three missing teeth instead of one.” Once the implant is in place, it’s far superior to natural teeth in some ways. An implant won’t decay. According to the Mayo Clinic, the advantage of implants over bridgework — the traditional way to replace missing teeth — is that implants don’t make noise, don’t decay, and won’t slip or cause bone damage. Unlike dentures, implants don’t require removal for cleaning or restrict what you eat. The recovery for some patients is immediate, like it was for Howard Couvillon, who said he got implants because “I live in New Orleans and like to eat.” Couvillon, who was in his mid-60s when he had the procedure, opted against dentures.

by Laura Claverie

“Dentures cramp my lifestyle, cause angst, and just don’t compare,” he says.

A grassroots movement of Boomers running for public office is taking hold in Louisiana

North’s recovery took a bit longer: “The steps were spread over several months to allow healing between each procedure.” For his procedures, Couvillon chose the Louisiana State University Dental School, whose senior residents in periodontics and prosthodontics are monitored by faculty. “I had a good experience with LSU Dental School previously for some routine dental work, had confidence in the their clinical team, the cost was better than a commercial practice, and I was eligible, cleared, and qualified to take advantage of their services,” Couvillon says. Audubon Dental Group, located in uptown New Orleans, has been placing implants since 1995 and does approximately 150 a year. About 60 percent of those are for patients over 55. Audubon’s implant placement specialist, Tony Hammack, D.D.S., completed a 10-month surgical residency in dental implants and bone grafting. He notes, “For implants to be successful, the patient needs to be healthy enough to tolerate the procedure, heal properly, and the implant site needs to be free of disease.”

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Photos by Peter Ka

“Talk to your dentist about what you would like to accomplish with implants. Discuss any health issues and medications and work with him/her to come up with a plan to meet your goals.”

“I didn’t let the fact that I was past retirement age deter me,” she says. Giarrusso is young at heart and maintains a youthful appearance. “ Our kids are grown and gone, so I had the time to give to the office. Most of all, I still wanted to work and stay engaged in public service.” Giarrusso is from a long line of public servants in New Orleans. Two of her uncles — Joe and Clarence — served as police chief for the NOPD. Joe later served on the city council and Clarence later served as a juvenile court judge. Her cousin, Joe III currently serves on the city council. Joe III’s mother is Judge Robin Michaels Giarrusso. “Public service runs in the family,” she says. Giarrusso is on the forefront of what some hope will become a movement in the state: senior citizens running for elected office.

Implants are not for everyone. While problems are rare, dental implant surgery is still surgery. There is a small incidence of infection at the implant site, nerve damage, sinus problems, numbness, or tingling.

“Who could represent the needs of senior citizens better than someone over 60 years of age?” says Cheron Brylski of Elect Louisiana 60+, a bi-partisan effort to encourage Boomers to run for office.

Dr. Hammack adds, “Some examples of situations where implants would not be appropriate are gum disease in the surrounding teeth where the implant is going to be placed, uncontrolled diabetes, and certain medications.

Elect Louisiana 60+ is an all-volunteer, grassroots effort, funded through personal donations. It grew out of meetings with the Caregiver Collective, an organization founded by the AARP. Its purpose: to encourage older men and women who have reached retirement age to run for office, especially the Louisiana Legislature.

“Sometimes these issues can be dealt with, and implants can be done once the problems have been addressed (i.e., diabetes/ blood sugar properly controlled, gums cleaned and healthy)” Do implant patients note other problems? North says, “The only issue I’ve had with it is that food gets caught around it. The people I know who had bridges had the same problem though.” The cost of an implant might deter some seniors, especially those living on restricted incomes. Couvillon’s dental work — he had full upper and lower implants — was not covered by insurance and ran about $17,000, or, as he said, “as much as a used Lincoln.”

Tired of Being Ignored

Elect Louisiana 60+ views its role as educational, informational, and inspirational. Brylski points out that the state legislature has repeatedly ignored funding efforts to allow seniors to age at home. “Most seniors want to stay at home, but many are denied access to basic services, such as respite care, daycare, and inhome services. All of these are less expensive than nursing homes. Most states offer this assistance and more to seniors.” She also points out that the burden of caring for seniors most often falls on a daughter, who is often also raising grandchildren. “It’s more than a 24-hour job for these women,” she says. Elect Louisiana 60+ wants to change all of this. Their message: You can do this. Seniors have the time, experience, and knowledge to be leaders in state and local government. Be committed to doing good for your age group and others. The organization directs potential candidates on where to learn the basics of running for office, such as fundraising, recruitment of supporters, identifying issues that are important to candidates and constituents and mobilizing voters.

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When asked for his advice to seniors considering implants, Dr. Hammack says, “There are many options, such as replacing single or multiple teeth, using implants to retain a denture with ‘snaps,’ and replacing all the teeth in an arch with a hybrid denture that is permanently attached to the implants.

inserted a titanium rod is — y ar sc ds un so oth It a replacement to d an ne bo w ja e into th have a t dental implants is installed — bu s rate. 98 percent succes

After retiring from state government, and at age 67, Jerel Giarrusso decided to run for a vacated seat in the Louisiana state legislature, representing her district just outside of Baton Rouge. It was her first-time run for political office and seemed like a logical next step.

“People in the state capitol need to do a better job in looking after senior needs.” “According to the 2016 Louisiana census, there are one million men and women in the state over the age of 60. By 2020, this number will grow by nearly 250,000. Their voices need to be heard,” says Brylski. Hugh Eley of Live at Home Louisiana understands the needs of seniors first hand. “Louisiana doesn’t do a great job in caring for seniors,” he says. “The state ranks number 50 in senior health. It has among the highest per capita population in nursing homes and a very high number per capita of seniors in institutions compared to other states. It has some of the highest health care costs of any state in the U.S. People in the state capitol need to do a better job in looking after senior needs. We all need to go to Baton Rouge and fight for ourselves.” Eley also says that in the past eight years, Louisiana fell from number 14 in percentage of long-term Medicaid dollars going to in-home services for the elderly to number 48. “States such as Michigan, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Washington all have excellent senior services programs. Louisiana doesn’t,” he adds.

Putting Heel to Pavement The timing is right for senior candidates in Louisiana. Qualifying for the next general election is August 6-8. The primary will be held October 12 with the general election November 16. These dates are subject to change by the State Legislature, so check the Secretary of State’s website at: www.sos.la.gov.

At almost 70, Jerel Giarrusso decided it was time to make her free time count for something by running for public office.

Giarrusso didn’t win the election in her district, in fact, she came in fifth of just as many candidates. But she has no regrets. She talked about the issues she cared about — stabilizing the state budget; improving infrastructure; education; healthcare and mental health, particularly for adolescents.

“The state legislature needs our knowledge and experience,” she says. “I would tell any senior who might be thinking about running for office to do so. Get your friends, neighbors, church members to support you. Team up with some Millennials to advise you in social media and data gathering. And keep an open mind. Most seniors have plenty of energy left.. We aren’t going anywhere.”

HOW TO PLAN A

BEAUTIFUL LANDSCAPE

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As warmer weather arrives, garden fever takes hold and sure enough, eye-catching blooms from local nurseries and home improvement stores find their way into your cart. But once you make it home you’re suddenly at a loss with what exactly to do with them. How much sun do they need? How much water? Ultimately, they end up getting planted without a real plan in place. Over time, these impulsive and unplanned attempts create a hodgepodge landscape that can leave you wondering how to bring it all together. Our landscapes often become an afterthought when they can — and should — be an extension of our living space. Working with a licensed landscape architect to create a master plan will give you the knowledge you need to build your space purposefully and logically over time.

What are your dream plans? It’s important to step back and think about the overall form and function of your space. You can start by asking yourself, “How do I love to use my space?” You may envision a wonderful place to entertain, an outdoor kitchen, or a fun play space for the kids. More often than not, it’s a combination of several needs. Figuring out how all of these different areas can work cohesively in one space can be overwhelming, and that’s where a professional can help.

Big things come in little packages While a masterplan may sound like something reserved for large-scale projects, it’s often most important in smaller spaces, where utilizing every square foot is essential. A landscape architect can offer creative and effective solutions to make the most of your landscape.

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CREATING A MASTERPLAN IS KEY

Hidden issues Other considerations include, “What are elements of your space that you want to preserve and what are issues that need to be addressed?” A cherished oak tree, drainage issues, or privacy concerns can inform how your plan will take shape. A landscape architect will also be able to identify issues a homeowner may not notice and take these items into account as well. Jason Roussel, owner of Roussel Outdoors

Measure twice, cut once Once your dream list is done and a full site survey is completed, your landscape architect will create a masterplan drawing. This drawing will convey the shape and scale of the space. It is a broad look at the entire site and how all of these spaces will work together holistically. Envisioning it all coming together will likely spark further discussion to hone in on just what works best for your family.

Unique to you

Pilar Barnes, senior landscape architect with Roussel Outdoors

Next comes the fun part. Your landscape architect can work with you to select hardscape and plant materials that will work best for your site conditions and particular design tastes and architectural style. Unique planting

compositions, paired with stone or tile can give your space a unique identity. A fall color accentgarden or a spring pollinator-meadow aflutter with butterflies and songbirds can give your landscape a unique and personal feel.

AGING IN NOLA

NURSING HOMES: FINDING COMFORT by Chapelle Johnson

Step-by-step Finally, with a plan in place, you will be able to get an overall construction budget for your plan and timeline for your project. You know the saying, ‘How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.’ Working with a professional will allow you to phase the work properly, so that you are never redoing a past project in order to begin the next phase. The key takeaway here is: it doesn’t need to be done all at one time. Your needs and budget are key parts of your plan and should always be considered.

Enjoy your new space! At the end of the process you are left with a game-plan and a space you can enjoy for many years to come. Whether you’re prepping your property for sale, accommodating for children or the elderly (or both!) or simply tired of not using your space, the smart way is to move forward with a plan. And then feel free to grab those gorgeous looking flowers and put them right where you planned for them to go!

It’s an agonizing process to watch as your parents’ health, both mental and physical, deteriorate till it’s painfully obvious that they can’t live independently anymore. Your mother shows signs of dementia and your father’s hip pain seems unbearable. She consistently forgets to take her own medications. Last week, he fell, twice — once leaving the doctor’s office and another while in the shower. He was home alone. No matter how excruciating it is to watch, this is the natural course of living. Everyone, if lucky enough to reach old age, will need to prepare for the time when we’ll need to rely on others. Now, you’ve started researching some options for your parents. In-home care can be expensive; your parents aren’t quite ready for hospice, but they need more care than an assisted living facility can provide. Assisted living facilities provide everyday care by helping residents eat, walk, and bathe. It’s usually temporary. A nursing home seems to better fit their needs.

WHAT IS A NURSING HOME?

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“There is no standard definition of a nursing home,” says Erin Kolb, chief operating officer for Poydras Home, a nursing home in the Garden District. One facility might cater to memory care patients — those with dementia — while another may cater to those that need physical care like rehabilitation after surgery or a chronic ailment. And there are some that provide services for both, but not usually in the same building. However, there are some features that represent all nursing homes when compared to other elderly care centers. Nursing homes provide long-term 24/7 medical and living care by preparing meals and monitoring dietary restrictions; tracking medications and health issues; and staffing nurses, nursing aides, and at least one on-call physician; and should be licensed and certified.

“This is probably the most surprising thing people learn when they tour nursing homes,” Kolb says.

Ellen Kemper decided to search for a nursing home for her mother, Lois, after her father died.

Mom and dad, if they both need care, will probably not be housed together. No one ages the same way and no nursing home will be equipped enough to accommodate two people with very different age-related issues in the same room. They may be living on the same campus, but in different buildings, or depending on what’s available, one may be housed across town.

FINDING THE RIGHT NURSING HOME No matter the type of care your parents need, there are a few things that potential residents and their family members should know, like needing a doctor’s order before moving in to a nursing home. But it’s never too early to begin the process. For instance, Kolb recommends touring about three to four nursing homes to get a better handle on what your parents need and want — get on a few waiting lists, which can be done before receiving a doctor’s order. There’s no penalty if a space opens up and your parents aren’t ready yet. Also, determine payment options. Some nursing homes accept insurance, some accept medicaid and medicare, some are partnered with the Department of Veteran Affairs, and some are only private pay.

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After more research, you discover that there’s a whole range of nursing home types and options.

The rest — social activities, visiting hours, payment, number of rooms, types of care, and more — is different for each facility. You and your parents will need to do some homework to find the right facility, which sometimes means separating your parents.

After establishing the type of care your parents need and payment options have narrowed the search, it’s time to get to business. Schedule a tour with some facilities armed with a checklist and a few questions. New Orleans resident Ellen Kempner knows a thing or two about finding the right one. The search for a nursing home that fit her mother’s condition and needs was hard, but ultimately it was the right decision, she says. “My mother’s time spent at the nursing home made her life better,” Kempner says. “Even though she had limitations, she was happy, healthy, and content.” Together, Kempner and Louisiana Ombudsman Tanya Hayes, an appointed public advocate, have a few items for nursing home-shoppers to check off.

LOCATION. It is important to be as close to family as possible for visitation or emergencies. If you can’t find a home nearby, choose another trusted family member who is closer. Hayes suggests to “find a place with great quality first and then focus on the closeness of the nursing home.”

TOUR. Always make sure to schedule a visit to any nursing homes you are looking into before making a final choice. Don’t stop visiting once you choose a nursing home. Kempner suggests that you visit nursing homes unannounced during meals because then “you learn a lot about the treatment of the residents, the staff, and the quality of care.”

STAFF.

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Does the staff have access to continuing education and training programs? Does the administrator look like they care for their staff? How does the staff interact with the residents? Does the staff know residents by name? Make sure the nursing home does not hire people with records of mistreatment or neglect by checking the nurse aide registry.

Make sure the nurses are willing to work with you to ensure all needs are met. Kempner feels there should be a “partnership between you and the staff.”

SERVICES. Look into the services that the facility provides the residents. Hayes believes that the dining experience at a facility is very important. She suggests that you take note of the quality of the meals. Does the dining area look clean? Are plastic or disposable plates being used? Are they given food choices? The kind of activities provided to residents is important as well. What activities are

Tulane students perform scenes for residents of Poydras Home. Its COO, Erin Kolb, says that social activities are important features of any good nursing home.

provided and is there variety around the clock? Are there any activities outside of the nursing home like field trips to buffets and museums? Are the activities tailored to the residents? Are there computers with internet access?

INDEPENDENCE. Moving to a new place can be daunting. Making sure that your loved one has freedom is essential. Look for a facility that allows the residents to make their own choices for meal options, activities participation, bedtime and wake-up times, and bathtime. Hayes says to notice the nursing home’s environment; is it a “I tell you what to do vs. what would you like to do” environment?

RATING SYSTEM. Hayes suggests that you visit the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services website (cms.gov), which has a five-star rating

system for nursing homes that accept federal money. Hayes stresses that you should not look at any nursing homes with less than 4 stars. Kolb adds that these nursing homes are also subjected to an annual survey by the government and are required to publicly display the rating and results of the survey. Always request the results of the survey of any medicaid/medicare nursing home you visit.

CURRENT RESIDENTS. When you visit, how do the residents look? Do they smell like urine? Does the home smell? Do the residents’ clothes look clean? Is their hair brushed? Are their nails clipped? Kempner says, “You’re not only looking out for your parent’s best interest, but you also must be an advocate for other residents who don’t have loved ones to check in on them.”

IT’S TIME TO START LOOKING It’s never too soon, but it could be too late. Poydras Home has this advice for when to know it’s time to start looking for other living and care arrangements for your aging parents. Memory loss. Forgetting appointment times even after being reminded a few times. Mismanagement of finances. Bills are not paid on time more and more often. Differences in appearance. Clothes are mismatched or ill-fitting. Old food left in the fridge. Food sits well past their expiration dates. Mismanagement of medications. Meds are taken at the wrong times or not taken at all. Multiple falls. Falls happen more often with more severe outcomes. Damage to their car. Driving becomes a danger to your parents and other people. Change in hygiene. Hair is not combed, nails are too long, or they haven’t bathed recently.

“I had to re-establish myself as a runner.”

When Life’s a Marathon

She can’t run as many miles as she once could, but compensates by alternating running and biking, with swimming on her lunch break and using the home treadmill. She still has to plan healthy family meals not just for herself, but for her daughter and husband, too. Getting everyone on board is an essential part of the program.

by Susan Marquez

She’s a typical mother with a busy career. She’s also an accomplished marathon runner. At 50, Maria Ducote is training for a marathon in New York City later this year. This is something she’s done before — not her first rodeo. However, before the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon in New Orleans earlier this year, Maria hadn’t competed in a race since she retired from marathons in 2005. As a late-in-life mom — giving birth to a daughter in her late 30s — Maria wanted to focus more on her family and career so she left marathons behind.

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Maria Ducote wasn’t always athletic, but staying fit is an important part of her lifestyle now.

While she says that keeping fit and eating right is more of a struggle now, it’s still an attainable goal. Not every Boomer has to run marathons.

schedule is hard. Dealing with hormonal issues as we age is hard.” Maria studied to be a dental hygienist, but did a very New Orleans thing when she opened a restaurant/bar/catering company. “It was successful, but the lifestyle was killing me,” she says. “I finally had to pull the plug and go back to being a dental hygienist for my own well being.” In 1998, Maria began running. She wanted to meet other people with healthy lifestyles. Turns out, she was good at it. She won her age group in every marathon she ran in Louisiana, qualifying for the World Championships in Hawaii. “I got there on my own with no athletic background,” she says. “I only thought it was hard then. I tell these young women in their 20s and 30s that they need to enjoy what they’ve got.” Despite her own advice, she did take for granted the privileges of a younger body. Training, running marathons, and eating right in her 30s was a breeze compared to staying fit after giving birth and turning 50. “There were hormonal changes and the natural metabolism changes that happen in your 40s,” she says. “I had to re-establish myself as a runner” Getting back in the habit for any marathon runner isn’t always easy, but it’s especially hard for one at 50. “Just much more work now,” Maria says after listing everything that a Boomer’s body has to endure: “your digestive track changes, metabolism changes, joints change, muscles change. I just need more rest now.”

Running for the Ducotes is a family affair.

“Walk around the mall,” Maria says. “Walk whenever you can to start off with. All it takes is 20-30 minutes a day. Get dessert if you want. Do what you want on the weekends, just clean it up the rest of the week.” The most helpful thing you could do for yourself says Maria, is to have a friend by your side doing the same exercise whatever that may be. Maria isn’t sure if she’ll run another marathon after she competes in New York City in November. “We’ll see what happens,” she says. “But staying fit will still be a priority.”

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“Our culture is all about food and drinking,” she says. “To not partake in that is hard. Being a mom and keeping up with my

“I have to find my way of staying fit, but it causes everyone around me to change their schedule,” she says. “I’ve learned to work around preferences by finding products like healthy chicken nuggets and prepping food ahead of time.”

s e i b e e r F PPENING A H S P E E K T UFF THA AND COOL ST

Museums and Exhibits

Tuesday Museum Highlights Tour

New Orleans Museum of Art. Take an engaging and informative tour every Tuesday of the museum’s permanent collection and special exhibitions. Included with museum admission. For more information, call 504.658.4100. 1-2 pm.

Lafayette Square Park. Celebrate hump-day by attending a free outdoor concert! Every Wednesday, 5-8pm.

Free Wednesdays

E-Resources Happy Hour

New Orleans Botanical Garden. Free admission for Louisiana residents, courtesy of the Helis Foundation. 10 am-5 pm.

Free Wednesdays New Orleans Museum of Art. Free admission for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 10 am-6 pm.

Free Thursdays Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Free admission for Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 10 am-5 pm.

Thursdays at Twilight Garden Concert Series Pavillion of Two Sisters at the New Orleans Botanical Garden. This weekly series showcases some of the finest musicians in New Orleans featuring traditional jazz, rhythm and blues, and an assortment of music styles. Mint juleps, wine, beer, soft drinks, water and food are available for purchase. $10/Person. 6-8pm.

Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The weekly music series is held every Thursday night. For more information, call 504.539.9650. 5-8 pm.

Free Sundays Contemporary Arts Center. Free admission to all Louisiana residents, courtesy of The Helis Foundation. 11 am-5 pm.

Museum Partner Pass New Orleans Public Library. The Library has partnered with the Southern Food & Beverage Museum, The Ogden Museum of Southern Art, and Longue Vue House & Gardens to provide free admission for library cardholders who check out a Museum Partner Pass. Every library location has a pass for each of the participating museums. For more information, visit nolalibrary.org.6-8pm.

Milton H. Latter Memorial Library. Learn about the many electronic resources, including e-books and audiobooks, available through the Library. Bring your laptop, smart phone, tablet, or e-reader with you, along with a valid library card. Available every Sunday, 1-2 pm.

Ranger Talk French Quarter Visitor Center. Join a ranger Tuesdays through Saturdays in the visitor center courtyard to discover New Orleans’ history and culture. No talk on federal holidays or on Mardi Gras when visitor center is closed. 9:30 am.

Wetlands Walk Barataria Preserve. Every Wednesday through Sunday, join a ranger for a guided walk on a boardwalk trail through wild Louisiana swamp and marsh. Stop by the visitor center or call 504-689-3690 ext. 10 after 9:30 am. to find out which trail the day’s walk will explore. No walk on federal holidays when the visitor center is closed. 10 am.

Battle of New Orleans Ranger Talk Chalmette Battlefield. Daily at 10:45 am. and 2:45 pm. The visitor center is open and talks are given on Memorial Day and Veterans Day. On all other federal holidays and on Mardi Gras, the visitor center is closed and no talks are given.

Aqua Yoga Treme Rec Center Pool, 900 N Villere St. A free class that takes traditional yoga poses and incorporates them into the water. This is a beginner class focusing on foundation alignment, breathwork, and balance while embracing the element of water. 9-9:45 am. Continues every Monday through May 2019.

Restorative Candlelight Yoga Esplanade City Park, 3443 Esplanade Ave. A gentle moving class to help tune in to the mind - spirit, while providing the body support in deep restorative poses. Reserve your spot at jaibhaktiyogafoundation.org/schedule.html. $8/person. 6-7:15 pm. Continues every Monday.

Free Wednesday Sunrise Yoga at Riverwalk Outlets 500 Port of New Orleans. A community yoga class held year round. Weather permitted, classes are held on the balcony overlooking the Mississippi River. More information available at www.jaibhaktiyogafoundation.org. 6:30-7:30 am.

Thursdays Sunrise Yoga Shelter 1, Lakeshore Drive. Join the tribe for a gorgeous 55-minute all-levels, vinyasa-style flow to the sun rising over the Lakefront. For more information, visit nolatribeyoga. com. Classes are donation based. Rental mats are available for $3. 6:30 am.

Thursday Happy Rides

Senior Walking Cut-Off Rec Center. A program designed to offer seniors an easy, pleasant, social walking experience to improve their quality of life by encouraging active and healthy lifestyles. Weekdays from 10 am-noon.

VSNO Sunrise Run Satsuma Cafe on Maple. An early morning run where the routes are runner, walker and stroller friendly. Every Saturday, 6-7 am.

Open Canoeing & Open Fishing Joe W. Brown Rec Center. Enjoy free canoeing and fishing in the lagoon. All equipment is provided and no previous knowledge is necessary; just bring yourself and be ready to have fun! Fishing instruction is offered to those who are new to fishing. Every Saturday, 10 am-noon.

Tai Chi/Chi Kung New Orleans Museum of Art. Engage in relaxing Tai Chi exercises in various art galleries at NOMA, including NOMA’s permanent collection. $5/person, free/NOMA members & East Jefferson Wellness Center members. Call 504.456.5000 to register. Every Monday, 6pm.

Yoga in the Sculpture Garden Besthoff Sculpture Garden. Whether permitting, enjoy an outdoor yoga class amidst beautiful art. $5/person, free/ NOMA members & East Jefferson Wellness Center members. Call 504.456.5000 to register. Every Saturday, 8 am.

Join Nola Social ride each week for a free, fun bike ride around town. Confirm the meeting location by visiting facebook.com/groups/nolasocialride. 7 pm.

Free Fridays at New Orleans Boulder Lounge 1746 Tchoupitoulas and 2360 St. Claude. On the first Friday of every month, enjoy free indoor rock climbing. Available at both locations from noon-10 pm.

Free Zumba Class The Peristyle in New Orleans City Park. Come ready to dance away stress and have some fun. Wear appropriate workout attire, gym shoes, and bring H2O as you’ll work up a sweat! Class is free and no reservations are needed. 8-8:45 am. Every Saturday through Oct.

Jazz Yoga New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park. All levels welcome! This free yoga class features live piano. Saturdays at 10:00 am.

Bayou St. John Walking Tour The Pitot House. Stroll through 300 years of history while experiencing the ambiance and beauty of New Orleans’ oldest neighborhood. Reservations required, call 504.482.0312 for more information. Every Wednesday through June 2019, 1-3pm.

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Ogden After Hours

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Adult History Class: Neighborhoods of New Orleans

New Orleans Jazz Museum. Learn about the entire city of New Orleans and outlying areas in five two-hour lessons taught by local historians. From the first neighborhood to the expansive suburbs, the class will look at the people and areas that make New Orleans a melting pot of culture. $100-$125/Person. Call 504.523.3939 for more information. 6-8pm. Every Wednesday through June 12.

Wednesdays at the Square Free Concert Series

Learning and Resources

Fitness Fun

NOLA-Bred, Family-Owned

Boogie down at the Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo, May 17-19.

By Katherine Morrill Diliberto

For one Mid-City business, more than just ownership has passed from father to son. Zito’s Plating and Polishing Works is a family-owned small business in MidCity that was founded in 1946 by Henry McCloskey’s grandfather, Charles Zito. Henry began working for his grandfather at a young age. Eventually, Henry became the owner of the business, and seventeen years ago, his son, Corey, began to work with him. Today, in Zito’s 73rd year, Henry and Corey are the heart of this multigenerational family business. Zito’s offers all types of metal refinishing and lighting services. All of the work is done in the shop by a specialist using high-quality materials. Zito’s offers a variety of services, which includes small individual jobs to large commercial projects, and they take great pride in treating each customer as if they were part of their own family.

Different Ages, Different Perspectives Over the years, the older family members imparted their skills and insights, which came from lived experiences, while the younger generation brought their knowledge of current trends in the marketplace to their business model.

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Recently, Corey has applied his knowledge of technology to use social media and internet marketing to grow the business. “From my grandfather, I learned that if I am fair with a customer, I will always have a return customer,” Henry says. “I learned to inspect every item before it went out of the door. When Grandma Zito was alive, she would make sure that all of the work was done correctly. She would inspect every screw. If she saw that something was not right, she would call my grandfather back. She would just say, ‘Oh, Hunsey.’ My grandfather knew what that meant.”

Corey adds, “I did not know my grandfather, but I learned from my dad what he taught him. Running a business is hard work with trials and tribulations. When it is my time to run Zito’s, I’ll have to work hard, but it will be worth it to make sure that the business continues to be successful. I learned from my father to be fair and honest. I also learned to do things for customers as I would want it done if I was doing it for myself.”

Family Pride in Business The McCloskeys believe that their family-owned business has sustained itself because of their clientcentered focus. They have consistently worked together with the common goal to provide excellent service. It is what gives them a sense of worth. “Over the years, many other companies that offer the same services as Zito’s have opened. Each time, people would tell me that they would put Zito’s out of business. Well, those other shops are not here, but Zito’s is,” Henry says. Corey quickly added, “And we will continue to give our customers respect and excellent service at a fair price to make sure that Zito’s will be successful for many more years.” Zito’s Plating and Polishing Works’ legacy is rooted in this family’s deep ties to each other, to their craft, and most importantly, to their clients’ satisfaction. “When I think of Zito’s, I am most proud that I have my son working for me,” Henry says.

MAY

2 Thurs

1 Wed

NOMA Book Club Curatorial Program

New Orleans Museum of Art. Join fellow book lovers as we read and discuss fiction and nonfiction books related to art, artists, art museums, NOMA’s collections and exhibitions. Contact Sheila A. Cork at 504.658.4117 or scork@ noma.org for information and to RSVP for meetings. 12-1pm. Continues May 16.

NOLA Crawfish Festival

Central City BBQ. Celebrate crawfish season with its own festival! Enjoy over 6,000 pounds of fresh crawfish, live music, and competitions at the 4th Annual NOLA Crawfish Festival. $35-$425/ person. 3-10pm.

Swing in the Park

Free Wine Tasting

Faubourg Wines. Grab a glass and fill it up! Faubourg Wines is offering a free wine tasting every week on Wednesdays. 6pm

Wednesday at the Square Concert Series: Get Down & GiveNOLA feat. Deacon John Lafayette Square Park. Lafayette Square. A music series in the heart of New Orleans’ Central Business District. Proceeds from food and drink sales benefit the Young Leadership Council’s community service projects. Opening act from 5-6 pm. Headliner performs from 6:30-8 pm.

Lafreniere Park, Metairie. Bring your lawn chairs, food, and refreshments and enjoy music by the LPO. Free and open to the public. Bring canned food donations for Second Harvest Food Bank. Music begins at 6 pm.

3 Fri

Cirque Du Soleil: Luzia

The Metropolitan Nightclub. Luzia is a Cirque du Soleil production that takes audiences on a journey through a surreal Mexico. Inspired by mythology, modernity, and the natural world, the show captures the stunning beauty of real-world marvels such as monarch butterfly migration and avant-garde architecture through dance, costumes, and the signature acrobatics of Cirque du Soleil. 8 pm.

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“I remember trying to get my grandfather to switch to bead blasting,” Henry says. “It wasn’t easy because he had used a different process his whole life. In his mind he thought, ‘Why change something that works?’”

Father-son team Henry and Corey McCloskey keep their family’s 73-year-old business shined and polished.

o G e h T n O IN NOLA

Wednesday at the Square Concert Series: Cyril Neville’s Swampfunk Hancock Whitney Zoo-To-Do

Audubon Zoo. Featuring live entertainment, local and international cuisine from over 70 New Orleans restaurants, a luxury car raffle, premium cocktails, and a silent auction. $175/person. 8 pm-midnight.

4 Sat

Super Saturday Volunteer Day New Orleans City Park. Enjoy a morning volunteering to help keep the park beautiful. For more information on meet-up location, contact Tyler Havens at thavens@nocp.org. 9 am-12 pm.

First Saturdays Magazine St. Come on over to Magazine St on the first Saturday of every month to enjoy a special day of discounts, exclusive free events, and more! 10 am-6 pm.

Docent-Led Tour

Ogden Museum of Southern Art. A Docent-led tour is available and is free with regular museum admission. 2 pm.

7 Tues

Creating Edible Ecosystems

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9 Thurs

Throwback Thursday!

Louisiana Children’s Museum, 420 Julia St. Play one last time on Julia Street. Join for a grown-ups-only play date. This is your last chance to party like a kid at LCM before the closing of their big blue doors. $25/person. Must be 21 or older.. Bubbles, prizes, small plates, selfie stations, and more. 6:30-9:30 p.m.

11 Sat

May Plant Sale

Pelican Greenhouse, New Orleans Botanical Garden. Monthly plant sale with wide variety of plants including annuals, perennials, roses, gingers, edibles, succulents, and native plants for sale to the public. 9 am-12 pm.

Crawfish Mambo New Orleans

University of New Orleans. Join in the 8th year of New Orleans’ largest crawfish cook-off. Featuring all-you-can-eat boiled crawfish and live music. $35/person, free/children ages 7 & under. 11 am-5 pm.

8 Wed

The NOLA Project Presents The Henchman: A Shakespeare Story

Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NOMA. Enjoy the imagined sequel to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, a crowd-pleasing, outdoor, theatrical production. $12-$25/person. 7pm. Continues through May 26

Champagne Stroll on Magazine St. Don’t miss this free, fun, annual event which draws huge crowds of shoppers to Magazine St! Enjoy beautiful weather, extended shopping hours, and free sparkling wine provided by local businesses. 5-9pm

15 Wed

Creating Bonsai from Garden Center Stock Old Metairie Crawfish Festival & Cookoff

St. Catherine of Sienna School, 400 Codifer Blvd/105 Bonnabel Blvd. Friendly crawfish cookoff, live music, and all-youcan-eat crawfish, jambalaya, and hotdogs. Featuring Honey Island Swamp Band and School of Rock. More information available at stcatherineshop.com. $20/ adult, $10/kids ages 6-10, free for ages 5 and under. 12-8pm.

Annual Krewe of Turtles Parade Brennan’s Restaurant, 417 Royal St. The “Slowest Second Line on Earth” — a 10-float wagon parade in honor of Brennan’s 10 Turtles, led by bagpipers and police escort, will roll for the fifth time through the streets of the French Quarter. 11 am-1 pm.

National Public Gardens Week

New Orleans Botanical Garden. In celebration of public gardens and their contributions to our environment, enjoy a free tour with the price of admission. For more information, contact Susan Capley at scapley@nocp.org or 504.483.9473. Continues through May 18.

Bullet-Proof Native Plants for New Orleans Gardens Oscar JH. Tolmas Center, 5 Victory Ave New Orleans. Experienced environmentalist Marc Pastorek will discuss some of his favorite easy-togrow native plants and landscaping tips. $12/person. For more information, contact Susan Capley at scapley@nocp. org or 504.483.9473. 10:30 am-12 pm.

Garden Study Center, New Orleans Botanical Garden. If you’ve ever wanted to learn the art of bonsai, then this workshop is for you! Create your very own bonsai tree in this three hour hands-on workshop. $35/person. For more information, contact Susan Capley at scapley@nocp.org or 504.483.9473. 9 am-12 pm.

The Victory Belles

The National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine St. Let delightful vocal trio the Victory Belles serenade you with the music of the 1940s. Their repertoire includes all the treasured gems of the WWII era plus patriotic classics. Visit nationalww2museum.org for tickets and showtimes. Continues through June 26.

Wednesday at the Square Concert Series: Kristin Diable & The City Lafayette Square Park. Lafayette Square. A music series in the heart of New Orleans’ Central Business District. Proceeds from food and drink sales benefit the Young Leadership Council’s community service projects. Opening act from 5-6 pm. Headliner performs from 6:30-8 pm.

16 Thurs

Spencer Bohren at Ogden After Hours

Ogden Museum of Southern Art. Listen to the musical stylings of Spencer Bohren, an artist with a love for America’s wealth of traditional folk, blues, gospel, and country music. Ticket prices vary, purchase at ogdenmuseum. org. 6-8pm.

12 Sun

MOTHER’S DAY Mother’s Day Bubbly Brunch

Paddlewheeler Creole Queen, 1 Poydras St. Celebrate mom in a special way this year as you take in the beautiful views of the Big Easy with your family. Enjoy a delicious brunch buffet and bottomless sparkling wine and mimosas. A lively jazz band will be on board for entertainment as the riverboat sails down the MIssissippi. $89/adult, $39/ children ages 3-12, free for children 2 and under. 1:30-4pm.

The Best of Sinatra

The National WWII Museum, 945 Magazine St. Spencer Racca’s hit tribute is headed back to BB’s Stage Door Canteen for a limited engagement of dinner, cabaret, and Sunday brunch shows. Visit nationalww2museum.org for tickets and showtimes. Continues through June 2.

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3700 Toledano St. Learn how to produce your own food while nurturing the plants, soil, and animals in your garden. Get educated on permaculture principles, biology/ecology, and how to fertilize without chemicals! $20/person. For more information call 504.352.1750. 5:30-7pm

Lafayette Square Park. Lafayette Square. A music series in the heart of New Orleans’ Central Business District. Proceeds from food and drink sales benefit the Young Leadership Council’s community service projects. Opening act from 5-6 pm. Headliner performs from 6:30-8 pm.

13 Mon

17 Fri

22 Wed

27 Mon

7 Fri

Wednesday at the Square Concert Series: Mia Borders Billy Iuso Mid-City Bayou Boogaloo 500 N Jefferson Davis Pkwy. Three days of music, food, art, and community along the beautiful and historic Bayou St. John! More information available at thebayouboogaloo.com. 5-9pm. Continues May 18 & 19

Lynyrd Skynyrd: Last of the Street Survivors Farewell Tour

23 Thurs

Smoothie King Center. Don’t miss your chance to see the final tour of Southern rock band Lynyrd Skynyrd! $26.50-$347/ Person. Doors open at 5pm

Plaquemines Parish Seafood Festival

Belle Chasse, La. Head to Plaquemines Parish for a celebration of the parishes’ unique heritage, and feast on great local seafood while you’re at it. The fest also features live music, carnival rides, crafts and the Seafood Queen Pageant. Ad mission is $5. 6 pm‑10 pm. Continues May 18, 11 am‑10 pm, and May 19, 11 am‑8 pm.

18 Sat

Nola Soul & Art Festival

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Cirque Du Soleil: Luzia

1200 Robert E Lee Blvd. Enjoy homemade traditional Greek food, wine, pastries and more! See live, traditional Greek music and join in on traditional dances— Opa! $8/person; tickets available at eventbrite.com. 5-9pm. Continues through May 26

25 Sat

MEMORIAL DAY 28 Tues

Birdfoot Festival

For information about the venues and times. Recognized for its fresh approach and “youthful, rule-bending style,” the Birdfoot Festival brings artists and audiences together to make and experience dynamic live chamber music. Celebrating its eighth season, Birdfoot presents concerts and events throughout New Orleans each year and draws artists and audiences from around the world. Continues until June 1st.

Treme/7th Ward Arts & Culture Festival 814 N. Robertson St., New Orleans. Long known as bedrocks of indigenous art, culture, and history, the Tremé and 7th Ward neighborhoods will be celebrated for their immeasurable contributions. Free and open to the public. Noon-7 pm.

UNO Lakefront Arena. The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra’s volunteers present the annual book sale, which includes collectible books, art, sheet music, CDs, DVDs, puzzles and games. 9 am-8 pm. $15, free after 3 pm. Continues June 2, 9 am-4 pm.

8 Sat

Creole Tomato Festival

3 Mon

The Afrodiziac’s Jazz featuring Mike Dillon

Marigny Opera House, 725 St Ferdinand New Orleans. Ticket prices vary. 7 pm.

APRIL

Bluesberry Festival

Bogue Falaya Park, Covington, La. The Northshore’s newest celebration of the art, will make its debut on this day.

French Market District. Local chefs can bid in an auction for the first Creole tomatoes of the season, and there’s a bloody mary market with different versions of the cocktail. There’s live music on several stages, dishes featuring Creole tomatoes and a “best of the fest” award for tomato dishes. Free. 11 am-6 pm. Continues June 9.

1 Sat

Arts Market New Orleans Palmer Park, 2299 Dublin St. Fabulous art market for the whole family! From crafting for kids to a free workout class and live music, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. 10 am-4 pm. Continues June 29

Symphony Book Fair

Hilton Riverside, 2 Poydras St. A celebration of all things true crime, CrimeCon brings the cases you love to life through immersive experiences, incredible guests, and a ton of mystery and intrigue. Grab a few true crimeobsessed friends and join us in for an unforgettable weekend. Prices start at $379. Continues until June 9.

Cooler than avocado toast. And busier.

New Orleans Oyster Festival Woldenburg Park, 1 Canal St. Go celebrate your love for oysters with other oyster enthusists at the 2019 New Orleans Oyster Fest! There will be local restaurants, oyster farmers, contests, music and so much more! Free. Continues until June 2nd.

Docent-Led Tour

Ogden Museum of Southern Art. A Docent-led tour is available and is free with regular museum admission. 2 pm.

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Louis Armstrong Park. Experience something new this Spring! This festival will showcase many of the city’s local musicians and artists. Spend the day shopping, dancing, and eating! $5-$10/ person; tickets available at eventbrite. com. 11 am-8 pm.

46th Annual Greek Festival

CrimeCon

Bluesberry Festival is a full-day immersive arts experience. The festival will feature both national and regional musical talent on the Westaff Music Stage from, an interactive arts tent, over 30 vendors showcasing original artwork, an Abita Beer Garden, a food truck roundup, a children’s village, and more. $20 in advance, $25 at gate, $65 VIP, and free for children 10 and under. 10 am-7 pm.

14 Fri

Kinky Boots

Saenger Theater. Tony Award-winning Best Musical Kinky Boots brings together fourtime Tony Award-winner Harvey Fierstein and Grammy Award-winning rock icon Cyndi Lauper. Inspired by true events, Kinky Boots takes you from a shoe factory in Northampton, England to the catwalks of Milan. Ticket prices vary. 8 pm. Continues June 15-16 at various showtimes.

New Orleans Summer Psychic Fair

Westwego Farmers Market Friday Night Concert Series

Wyndham Garden Hotel, Metairie. Astrology readers, tarot readers, psychic mediums, energy practitioners, and spiritual advice will be on hand at the daylong fair. Hours 11 am-7 pm. Continues June 16.

484 Sala Ave., Westwego. The concert series offers live music by the Danny Alexander Band, food, crafts, and more. 7-10 pm.

16 Sun

Opera Fusion

St. Mary’s Church, Old Ursuline Convent. Join us for an evening of music as Lyrica Baroque presents Opera Fusion, where chamber music meets operatic drama. Generously sponsored by the Catholic Cultural Heritage Center and New Orleans Opera Association. Ticket prices vary. 7 pm.

18th Annual Senior Citizen Expo

Alario Event Center. The 2019 Jefferson Parish Senior Citizen Exposition provides important health information, community resources, and supportive initiatives to promote wellness, active lifestyles, and improve the quality of life for Jefferson Parish senior residents. The Exposition will feature over 100 exhibitor booths, including health screenings. 8:30 am-1 pm.

15 Sat

June Plant Sale

Ogden Museum of Southern Art. The Ogden Museum of Southern Art is celebrating all the dads on Father’s Day with free admission. 10 am-5 pm.

20 Thurs

FestiGals Women’s Weekend Experience

Jung Hotel & Residences. FestiGals Women’s Weekend Experience is New Orleans’ first and only women-centric festival and is held each summer for women to enjoy themselves, be inspired and become empowered in a safe, festive environment. The festival features a variety of New Orleans-themed activities, designed for women by women. And it includes renowned female speakers, local female entrepreneurs’ seminars, and more. Continues June 21-23.

21 Fri

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Father’s Day: Free Admission for Dads

Architecture & Design Film Festival Louisiana Bicycle Festival Abita Springs, Louisiana. There’s a bicycle parade and ride, bicycle and accessories sales, live music, bike competitions, exhibits of custom bikes, and more. 8 am-4 pm.

Contemporary Arts Center. The Louisiana Architecture Foundation hosts the festival, which screens films relating to architecture, design, and culture and includes panel discussions and other events. $11 general admission. $9 for seniors and students. 4-10 pm. Continues June 22-23, 11 am-9 pm.

NOLA Caribbean Festival

Central City BBQ, 1201 S Rampart St. The NOLA Caribbean Festival is a yearly multi-cultural Caribbean festival showcasing Caribbean cuisine, music, and culture while highlighting New Orleans’ deeply rooted cultural connections as the Caribbean’s northernmost city! One-day pass: $10; two-day pass: $15; kids $5 (cash) at the gate. 5-10 pm. Continues until June 23rd.

Cajun Zydeco Festival Armstrong Park, 701 Rampart St., New Orleans. The only festival that features exclusively Cajun and zydeco music will have great seafood, large arts market, activities for kids, and lots of misting fans to keep everyone cool. Free admission. 11 am-7:30 pm. Continues June 23.

Larry Hartzog’s Twisted Brew Fest

Castine Center, Mandeville. The 21-and-older event features beer from scores of commercial breweries and homebrewers. There’s a People’s Choice contest for homebrewers, food, music, and a pet adoption event by the St. Tammany Parish Humane Society. $30 in adnance, $35 at the door. 3-8 pm.

27 Thurs

Chef Battle

Seven Three Distilling Co. Local chefs have 1-hour to compete to be named New Orleans’ Best Chef. The winning chefs will advance to the Southern

28 Fri

specialty vendors, and a fireworks display. Artists and craftsmen will display their work in the Camellia City Art-in-the-Park area. The Slidell Robotics Team will display its latest robotic invention. $10 for ages 13 and up; $5 for kids 4-12; free for kids 3 and under. 4-11 pm; fireworks at 9 pm

Black Restaurant Week

Citywide. Taking place in major cities across the U.S., Black Restaurant Week celebrates and highlights black-owned restaurants, chefs, caterers, and bartenders. Special Black Restaurant Week menus and pricing are curated by restaurants as they participate in this weeklong celebration of AfricanAmerican, Caribbean and African cuisine. Prices vary. Continues through July 7.

29 Sat

New Orleans Shakespeare Festival

Tulane University’s Lupin Theater. “Much Ado About Nothing” is a favorite among Shakespeare’s comedies. This play presents audiences with a battle of the sexes, fueled by both friends and enemies. Ticket prices vary. 7:30 pm.

Slidell Heritage Festival

Heritage Park, Slidell. Lots of good food, music, games, arts and crafts booths,

Big Top Cake & Pastry Competition

Southern Food & Beverage Museum. This contest allows professionals, home bakers, and students to showcase their cake decorating techniques to a team of professional judges and the public. This year the theme is “Summer Dreams!” You get to vote for the best cake and pastry with the People’s Choice award while enjoying samples of the tasting cakes and the Bakery Carnival, a showcase of local bakeries samples. First come, first served. Free with museum admission 11 am-2 pm.

may/june 2019 | www.nolaboomers.com

FATHER’S DAY

22 Sat

Regional Chef Battle in 2019. Guests are encouraged to interact with the chefs, ask questions, take pictures. General admission tickets include live entertainment, samples from chefs, and voting ballot. Ticket prices vary. 6-9 pm.