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INSIDEPUB.com
DECODING DYSLEXIA •
ENRIQUE ALFÉREZ •
HEROIC WOMEN •
HEALTH & WELLNESS
JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2019 VOL. 34, NO. 1
January-February 2019
Vol. 34, No. 1
Publisher Lori Murphy –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Editor-in-Chief Anne Honeywell
Senior Editor
Managing Editor
Editorial Intern
Contributors are featured on page 16.
Jan Murphy Leah Draffen Adam Rapier
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Señor Art Director
Brad Growden
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Check us out online at insidepub.com. Business Manager Jane Quillin Senior Account Executives
Barbara Bossier
Jonée Daigle-Ferrand
Poki Hampton
Candice Laizer
Barbara Roscoe
Account Executives
Amy Taylor
Advertising Coordinator
Candy Maness Zane Wilson Margaret Rivera
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Advertise phone
(985) 626-9684
fax (985) 674-7721 email sales@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Contribute Please send items for Inside Scoop to scoop@insidepub.com. Photos for Inside Peek, with captions, should be sent to peek@insidepub.com. Submit items for editorial consideration to editor@insidepub.com. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
On the cover
Contact
mail P.O. Box 9148 Mandeville, LA 70470 phone
(985) 626-9684
fax (985) 674-7721 Cover Artist Becky Fos. Find more on page 18.
website insidepub.com Subscriptions 1 Year $18 2 Years $30 email subscriptions@insidepub.com
INSIDE NORTHSIDE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by M and L Publishing, LLC, PO Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 as a means of communication and information for St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana. Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copyright ©2019 by M & L Publishing, LLC. No part of this magazine may be reproduced without written consent of publisher. Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts and artwork. Inside Northside Magazine is created using the Adobe Creative Suite on Apple Macintosh computers.
6
Inside Northside
page 44
contents table of
page 30
Features 18 The Accidental Artist Cover Artist Becky Fos
page 66
30 Reborn after 40 Years The Machado House 36 Carved in Stone Sculptor Enrique Alférez 44 Decoding Dyslexia 72 Heroic Women of New Orleans
Health & Wellness 2019
Begins on page 48 page 72
Departments 12 Publisher’s Note 14 Editor’s Note 16 Contributors 22 INside Scoop 28 IN the Bookcase City of a Million Dreams by Jason Berry 61 Flourishes Extraordinary gifts and home accents 66 INside Look 80 Generous Hearts HeartGift 84 IN Love and Marriage
page 92 8
Inside Northside
85 Inside Peek Featuring Men Who Cook St. Paul’s Jazz ‘N Roll Franco’s Holiday Market Kelly Kicking Cancer Gala An Evening with Suzanne Kasler Boo Fest WYES It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Robert C. Dawson Aneurysm Lectureship Monster Mash 92 IN Great Taste Cozy and Warming Soup 94 INside Dining 98 Last Bite Ceasar’s Ristorante
Live Better—Together. by Lori Murphy Isn’t living better a goal we all share at this time of year? Our resolutions are often about being healthier—losing weight, eating better, more exercise— but we usually think of these as individual goals. We don’t think about the health of our community and how it affects us personally. Fort Worth is an example of a city that does. In 2014, Fort Worth ranked almost dead last for health and well-being. By 2017, the city was on track to being one of the healthiest cities in the nation. A broad coalition of people and
Meet cover artist
Becky Fos and see some of her favorite works on display at
Greige 2033 N Highway 190 Covington, LA
Thursday, Jan. 31, 2019 5:30-7:30 p.m.
programs with a shared vision focused on optimizing policy, building design, social networks, and the built environment to make healthy choices easy for individuals. Cooperation resulted in changes in every level—from workplaces to schools and even restaurant menus. You may have heard about the North of Your Expectations initiative born out of cooperation among many northshore organizations and entities. Many are assessing ways we can collectively contribute to our quality of life and wellbeing. One of these initiatives is the newly organized Live Better St. Tammany series. The programming will include a number of topics and call upon experts from across the community. What a great way to keep your resolutions moving forward and learn ways to live better!
For more information, call
Workplace Wellness and Healthy Eating on the Go
626-9684
January 31, 8:30-9:30 am St. Tammany West Chamber,
Everyone’s Invited!
610 Hollycrest Blvd., Covington
If you have a favorite way to Live Better on the northshore, we would love to hear from you and share your tips with your neighbors. Pop me an NORTHS
HO
email at lori@insidepub.com. My favorite thing to do is walk the lakefront in
RE
NO RTH OF YO
UR
E
X
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C
TA
TI
ON
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Inside Northside
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Mandeville. That is at the top of my Live Better list for 2019.
Libby @ the St. Tammany Parish Library by Anne Honeywell Did Santa leave you a new phone, tablet or e-reader? Here’s more good news. Instead of using your holiday gift cards for books to read onthe-go, get them on Libby—free! Libby is one of the St. Tammany Parish Library’s free apps for downloading e-books and e-audiobooks. It gives library users access to over 20,000 fiction and nonfiction titles through the library’s Overdrive e-book and e-audiobook collection. The Libby app can be downloaded through a phone or tablet’s app store. Compatible devices include phones and tablets with iOS 9 or higher, Android 4.4 or higher and Windows 10 version 1607 or later. The Libby app can also send an e-book to an e-reader device, and e-audiobooks may be compatible with Google Home or Amazon Echo. Setting up Libby is easy. In most cases, you just answer a few simple questions, sign in with your library card and begin searching for books. Library patrons are allowed to checkout up to 10 items at one time and can also put 15 items on hold. Libby gives users the option to checkout items for 7, 14 or 21 days. Items can be returned any time within the lending period, and there are no fines or fees with Libby as each book returns automatically by the due date. The Libby app gives library patrons the ability to take the library on-the-go. It’s free, available 24-7, and can be accessed anywhere you have an internet connection. For more information, go to sttammanylibrary.org/blogs/post/new-overdrive-app-libby/ or visit your nearest library branch. Happy 2019 reading!
ps…And for more on-the-go convenience, read Inside Northside at insidepub. com. Everything in this issue from the start-the-new-year-right Health and Wellness section to warm-you-up onion soup and stories of heroic women of New Orleans. 14
Inside Northside
Contributors Our contributors give Inside Northside its voice, its personality and its feel. Here we are proud to highlight a few of them so that you can put a face with a name and get to know them.
Leslie Cardé Veteran journalist Leslie Cardé began her career reporting for NPR in Los Angeles. From there, she landed in New Orleans as an anchor/health and science editor before moving on to anchor three hours of daily financial news and host an entertainment show for CNBC. She’s reported from the Middle East for CNN, worked as a producer and narrator for E! Entertainment and wrote, directed and produced the award-winning documentary America Betrayed. Leslie currently writes for The New Orleans Advocate and Los Angeles Magazine. She is also a producer/reporter for CBS Newspath. On page 36, she writes about sculptor Enrique Alférez and on page 48, de-stressing in 2019.
Karen Gibbs
Shauna Grissett
Yvette Jemison
Longtime contributor and former managing editor of Inside Northside, Karen B. Gibbs enjoys writing about the fascinating people and places of New Orleans and the northshore. A contributor to Today.com and iVillage.com, Karen recently completed the biography of her father-in-law, a WWII paratrooper. When not writing, she enjoys traveling with her husband and spoiling their grandchild. On page 72, she details the lives of historic New Orleans women.
Shauna Grissett grew up in New Orleans and graduated from St. Martin’s Episcopal School, the University of Virginia and the Fashion Institute of Design’s one-year fashion design program. She worked in New York’s rough- and-tumble garment industry for over sixteen years before returning home. Shauna has been writing a fiction book based on her former life on Seventh Avenue for the past few years. Shauna’s article on cover artist Becky Fos is featured on page 18.
Yvette’s passion for all things culinary extends back to her childhood growing up in a military family. Her recipes and home cooking are influenced by the many places she has lived. She was immersed in the Tex-Mex cuisine of South Texas and has experienced food from Native American Indian reservations to the street food of Turkey. She often attends cooking classes while traveling with her husband and two daughters and has truly enjoyed a well-seasoned life. Yvette presents a savory recipe on page 92.
Other Voices: Susan Bonnett Bourgeois, Sara Essex Bradley, Leah Draffen, Kyle Garner, Candra George, Thomas B. Growden, Poki Hampton and Stacey Rase. 16
Inside Northside
The Accidental Artist Cover Artist Becky Fos “There is no such thing as accident; it is fate misnamed.” — Napoleon Bonaparte
never aspired to be a painter, let alone to have a gallery on famous Magazine Street. In fact, it was a series of unexpected occurrences that led to her future destiny. Well, that and natural talent. Unbelievably, Fos never studied studio art or painting in a traditional setting and says, “I always loved art, but except for in high school, I’ve had no formal training.” Following high school, Fos went to John Jay >> 18
Inside Northside
photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
by Shauna Grissett BECKY FOS, BORN AND RAISED in Austin, Texas,
20
Inside Northside
photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com
Cosmetology School. “My life went in a different direction, and I became a hairdresser. When I had my son, Jude, I had to rethink my career because the hours were so demanding and weren’t conducive to raising a young child. So, I decided to become a court reporter and went to court reporting school.” But, because of a bad case of anxiety with regard to test-taking, Fos couldn’t pass the national exam to earn her license after graduation. “Initially, I started painting to relieve the stress to help me pass the test. That, and I was tired of looking at the bare, white
walls in my house. I needed ‘art’ to decorate but couldn’t afford it and thought I could paint my own. I went to Michael’s with my little boy, bought some really cheap supplies and just started painting. And, that’s how I got started.” Not being able to pass her test after four long years of school might have seemed unlucky but, soon enough, Fos would understand that her life was going exactly according to plan. At the time, Fos was living in Old Gretna. and the hairstylist-turned-court reporter-turned-painter recounts, “I painted this purple cow, went to the frame shop to pick it up and the owner told me that Terrance Osborne wanted to buy it. Terrance said that he loved my art because it was so colorful and vibrant. And the fact that I didn’t go to art school or have any training really impressed him. I couldn’t believe it!” Now, lady luck was beginning to show her hand. Osborne has since become a mentor and friend to Fos and owns two pieces of her work. The frame shop functioned as Fos’s first gallery, and the owner showed her paintings in the store’s windows. “I started selling that way, in the frame shop, as well as on Facebook and Instagram. Then, I did my first festival, Gretna Fest. It was there that I made a connection with someone who owned a frame shop on Metairie Road. He offered me half of his shop to show my art.” Her work proved to be so popular and sold so well that within the first week, a gallery
on Royal Street contacted Fos about representing her. Luck was now clearly smiling down on Fos and her future was coming into focus. After only a few short months on Royal Street, Fos made the decision to represent herself and opened her own gallery on Magazine Street, near Napoleon. “I remember when I signed the lease for my first gallery three years ago, it was really scary. But then I said to myself, ‘What do I have to lose?’ Making that first jump was extremely hard, but you only live once, and I don’t want to live with regrets. I feel so fortunate that I can make a living with my art and provide for my son.” She has since outgrown her first studio and is now located in Gallery B. Fos, on Magazine Street near Jackson Avenue. Fos has amassed a worldwide audience very quickly and is presently looking for gallery spaces in Florida and Texas. Fos’s paintings are bold and energetic, and she is known for her impasto technique, applying wet, undiluted oil paint with a palette knife to the canvas. Her unabashed use of color is the centerpiece of her work and inspires an instant sense of joy. She says, “When I’m at the gallery and see the happy expressions on my clients’ faces, it makes everything worthwhile. It took three different careers, but I finally found my purpose in life, to make people happy with my art.” And, yes, people are very happy with Fos’s art.
Not only does she have local and worldwide client bases, but she is sponsored by two international brands: Lululemon and Evamor Water. “I’m a workout fanatic, and I love CrossFit. I have my daily routine—I wake up, drop off my little boy and I work out. Then, I go to the studio and paint. When I don’t work out, it throws me completely off; I need the endorphins!” In terms of artistic inspiration, Fos cites Van Gogh, Picasso, Basquiat, James Michalopoulos and Terrance Osborne as particular favorites. And what moves her to pick up her palette knife and oil paints? “I gather boundless inspiration from all corners of this wild, beautiful, and colorful city. New Orleans is my muse. And, I continually return to cows and pelicans as subject matter. I don’t know if that’s because I’m from Texas and now live in Louisiana, but they are my favorites. I love to paint pelicans in action, flying in the air and then landing.” One thing’s for sure, and it was obviously written in the stars, Fos’s career and creative energy are soaring, just like her beloved pelicans. “For me, painting is the most authentic way to express myself, and I try to transform the spirit of my inspirations into oil paintings.” Gallery B. Fos is located at 2138 Magazine St., 504444-2967, gallery@beckyfos.com. January-February 2019 21
25-27 Jazz in January. Three-day jazz event presented by Christ Episcopal Church. Jan 25, Cubana Night featuring Adlo López-Gavilán and Yissy Garcia and her Grammy-winning band, Bandancha. Sat 26, Americana Night featuring Louisiana’s own Terrance Simien and his Zydeco Experience and the Blue Water Highway. Two free jazz masses will be held Jan 27, paying homage to Elvis with Rev. Bill Miller’s sermon being titled “If I Can Dream: A Tribute to Elvis Presley.” Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St, Covington. 892-3177.
Jazz in January
christchurchcovington.com.
INSIDE the definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment
January Lakeview Regional Medical Center,
for purchase, 9am; judging of blooms,
Benz Superdome, New Orleans.
Magnolia Room, 95 Judge Tanner
10:30am-12pm; open to the public,
allstatesugarbowl.org.
Blvd, Covington. 6:30-9:30pm.
1-4pm. northshorecamelliaclub.org.
1 Celebration in the Oaks. New Orleans City Park. neworleanscitypark.com. 1-4 The Louisiana Watercolor Society
lakeviewregional.com. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 Live Music Thursdays.
Winter Juried Member Show. Atrium
The Barrel Wine Bar, 69305 Hwy 21,
Gallery, 100 Christwood Blvd, Covington.
Covington.6-8pm. barrelwinebar.com.
christwoodrc.com/atrium-gallery. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 Covington Farmers
5, 12, 19, 26 Camellia City Farmers Market. 1808 Front St, Slidell. 8am-12pm. camelliacitymarket.org. 5, 12, 19, 26 Covington Farmers Market. 609 N Columbia St. 8am-12pm.
4-6 Wizard World New Orleans. Ernest
covingtonfarmersmarket.org.
N. Morial Convention Center, 900
5, 12, 19, 26 Mandeville Trailhead
Market. Covington Trailhead, 419
Convention Center Blvd, New Orleans.
Market. 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm.
N New Hampshire. 10am-2pm.
wizardworld.com.
mandevilletrailheadmarket.com.
covingtonfarmersmarket.org. 3 Marisa Baratelli Trunk Show. Ballin’s
5 Camellia Show. The Northshore Camellia
6 First Sunday Brunch and Bubbly Bar.
Club will host its 11th annual show
Celebrate the New Year with Barrel Wine
LTD, 806 East Boston, Covington. 892-
with over 100 camellia plants available
Bar. The Barrel Wine Bar, 69305 Hwy 21,
0025. ballinsltd.com.
for purchase. Southern Hotel, 428 E.
Covington. 11am-3pm. Children 4-12, $15;
Boston St, Covington. Plants available
non-alcholic menu, $30; unlimited trips to
3, 10, 17, 24 Lamaze Childbirth Class. 22
Limited to 20 participants. 867-3900.
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
photo courtesy: CHRIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
1 Allstate Sugar Bowl. Mercedes-
sparkling bar, $35. barrelwinebar.com. 6 Krewe of Joan of Arc. French Quarter. 6pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 6 Phunny Phorty Phellows. Uptown New Orleans. 7pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 6 Société Des Champs Élysée. French Quarter. 7:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 6, 13, 20, 27 Abita Springs Art and Farmers Market. Trailhead Park. 12-4pm. townofabitasprings.com/ farmers-market. 8, 15, 22, 29 Live Music Tuesdays. The Barrel Wine Bar, 69305 Hwy 21, Covington. 6-8pm. barrelwinebar.com. 9 St. Tammany West Chamber Installation and Awards Luncheon. Presented by Jefferson Financial Federal Credit Union. Tchefuncta Country Club, 2 Pinecrest Dr, Covington. 11:30am-1:15pm. Members, $40; nonmembers, $50. 273-3008. sttammanychamber.org. 10 Business After Hours. Meet and mingle with fellow Chamber members, all while enjoying great food and donated beverages from Champagne Beverage. RE/MAX Alliance, 625 N Causeway Blvd, Mandeville. 4:30-6:30pm. 892-3216. >>
Inside Scoop sttammanychamber.org.
Andrew Carmellini, paired with exquisite
Theater’s huge HD screen while John
11 Northlake Newcomers Luncheon.
wines, and a live auction. Cocktail attire.
Williams’ score is performed live by the
Lunch and white elephant bingo.
Calcasieu, 930 Tchoupitloulas St. 7pm.
LPO. Mahalia Jackson Theater, 1419
Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 North
linkstryjewski.org.
Basin St, New Orleans. 7:30pm. $10-
Causeway Blvd, Mandeville. Doors open,
$140. lpomusic.com. 19 St. Tammany Master Gardener Spring
10:00 am. Members, $26.50; guests,
empower the youth of New Orleans,
$29.50. northlakenewcomers.com.
including fine cuisine and entertainment
Seminar. In conjunction with the LSU
by Ram, Port-Au-Price, Haiti; The
AgCenter. Talks including Sustainable
Theatre, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino,
Vermilionaires; Cha Wa; Original Pinetttes
Landscape Practices and Dual-
875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi. 8pm. 21+ event.
Brass Band and The Roots of Music.
Purpose Plants. Castine Center, 63350
beaurivage.com.
Black tie or costume, mask required.
Pelican Dr, Mandeville. 8am-12pm.
The Sugar Mill, 1021 Convention Center
stmastergardener.org/event.
11 Smokey Robinson. Beau Rivage
12-27 Inherit the Wind. 30 by Ninety Theatre, 880 Lafayette St, Mandeville.
Blvd. 7-11pm. $300-$5,000. Weekend
(844) THE-3090. 30byNinety.com.
packages available. linkstryjewski.org.
14 Baby Care Basics. St. Tammany Parish
19 Bootcamp for New Dads. Taught by
21, 22 Lafayette 148 Trunk Show. Ballin’s LTD, 806 East Boston, Covington. 8920025. ballinsltd.com. 24 Open House. Preschool through
Hospital, Madisonville Conference Room,
veteran dads who orient rookies on the
1202 S. Tyler St, Covington. 6-8pm. Free.
realities of fatherhood. St. Tammany
7th grade. Cedarwood School, 607
898-4083. stph.org.
Parish Hospital, Madisonville Conference
Heavens Dr, Mandeville. 9am. 845-7111.
18 Chef’s Dinner with Andrew Carmellini. Cocktails and hors d’oeuvres by Chefs Donald Link and Stephen Stryjewski followed by a four-course dinner by Chef
24
19 Bal Masque. A carnival celebration to
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
Room, 1202 S. Tyler St, Covington. 9am-12pm. $15. 898-4435. stph.org. 19 Jaws. Watch Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece on the Mahalia Jackson
cedarwoodschool.com. 25 Peter Cetera. Beau Rivage Theatre, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi. 8pm. 21+ event. beaurivage.com.
25-27 Jazz in January. Three-day jazz event presented by Christ Episcopal Church. Jan 25, Cubana Night featuring
City Ballet. Mahalia Jackson Theater, 1419 Basin St, New Orleans. nobadance.com. 26 Girls Health Day. Lakeview Regional
27 King Cake Festival. Taste king cakes from the finest bakeries, enjoy live music and support pediatric programs.
Adlo López-Gavilán and Yissy Garcia and
Medical Center, in collaboration with the
Presented by Oschner Medical Center
her Grammy-winning band, Bandancha.
Junior League of Greater Covington, will
to benefit Ochsner’s Hospital for
Sat 26, Americana Night featuring
host a Girls’ Health Day. The theme “Be
Children. Champions Square/Club XLIV
Louisiana’s own Terrance Simien and his
Healthy, Be Happy, Be You,” incorporates
at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome,
Zydeco Experience and the Blue Water
the topics of girl’s health issues, self-
LaSalle St, New Orleans. 10am-4pm.
Highway. Two free jazz masses will be
esteem, healthy eating, fitness, puberty
kingcakefestival.org.
held Jan 27, paying homage to Elvis with
and changes to expect, ways to prevent
Rev. Bill Miller’s sermon being titled “If I
bullying, and social media/internet safety
Pelican Club. Proceeds benefit WYES.
Can Dream: A Tribute to Elvis Presley.”
tips. Local physicians will provide free
Each course paired with wine. 312
Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New
health screenings like vision screening,
Exchange Pl, New Orleans. 6:30pm.
Hampshire St, Covington. 892-3177.
hearing tests, BMI measurements and
wyes.org/events.
christchurchcovington.com.
blood pressure assessments. “Be a
26 50th Anniversary Evening of Stars.
30 WYES Season of Good Tastes: The
31 Ellisa Sun. Upclose and Musical Lobby
doctor for the day”—experience the Da
Lounge Concert Series at Northshore
New Orleans Ballet Association kicks off
Vinci Robot, limited number of spots to
Harbor Center. 100 Harbor Center Blvd,
its golden anniversary year, celebrating
perform simulated surgical activity using
Slidell. 7-9pm. $16. eventbrite.com.
50 years of Bringing Dance to Life in New
the surgical robot. Lakeview Regional
Orleans. Performances by some of the
Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd,
Join the St. Tammany West Chamber
world’s most distinguished artists from the
Covington. 9:30am-12:30pm. 867-3900.
of Commerce for Workplace Wellness &
American Ballet Theatre and New York
lakeviewregional.com.
Healthy Eating on the Go. 610 Hollycrest >>
31 Live Better St. Tammany Series.
Inside Scoop Blvd, Covington. 8:30-9:30am. sttammanychamber.org. 31 Meet the Artist Becky Fos. Greige, 2033 N Hwy 190, Covington. 5:30-7:30pm. 626-9684.
February 1 National Wear Red Day. Be a part of the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement. heart.org. 1, 2 Rodney Carrington. Beau Rivage Theatre, Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, 875 Beach Blvd, Biloxi. 8pm. 21+ event. beaurivage.com. 2, 9, 16, 23 Camellia City Farmers Market. 1808 Front St, Slidell. 8am-12pm. camelliacitymarket.org. 2, 9, 16, 23 Covington Farmers Market. 609 N Columbia St. 8am-12pm. covingtonfarmersmarket.org. 2, 9, 16, 23 Mandeville Trailhead Market. 675 Lafitte St. 9am-1pm. mandevilletrailheadmarket.com. 3, 10, 17, 24 Abita Springs Art and Farmers Market. Trailhead Park. 12-4pm. townofabitasprings.com/farmers-market. 5, 12, 19, 26 Live Music Tuesdays. The Barrel Wine Bar, 69305 Hwy 21, Covington.6-8pm. barrelwinebar.com. 5, 19 Total Join Replacement Class. Learn how to prepare for surgery, what to expect during your hospital stay and the exercise and activities you will perform after surgery. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington. 1-2pm. Limited to 40 participants. 867-3900. lakeviewregional.com. 6 Krewe of Chewbacchus. Marigny. 7pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 6, 13, 20, 27 Covington Farmers Market. Covington Trailhead, 419 N New Hampshire. 10am-2pm. covingtonfarmersmarket.org. 7, 14, 21, 28 Live Music Thursdays. The Barrel Wine Bar, 69305 Hwy 21, Covington. 6-9pm. barrelwinebar.com. 8 Northlake Newcomers Club Luncheon. Lunch and games. Beau Chêne Country Club, 602 N Beau Chêne Dr, Mandeville. Doors open, 10am; games start, 10:30am. Members, $16.50; guests, $19.50. northlakenewcomers.com. 8-9 Women of Hope Conference. Featuring Lisa Bevere. St. Timothy on the Northshore, 335 Asbury Dr, Mandeville. Use code INSIDE to get $10 off your tickets. womenofhopeconference.com. 11 Baby Care Basics. St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Madisonville Conference Room, 1202 S. Tyler St, Covington. 6-8pm. Free. 8984083. stph.org. 14 Lisette Trunk Show. Ballin’s LTD, 806 East Boston, Covington. 892-0025. ballinsltd.com. 15-18 President’s Day Promo Event. Palm Village, A Signature Lilly Pulitzer Store, 2735 US 190, Mandeville. 778-2547. 16 Krewe du Vieux. French Quarter. 6:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 16 Krewe of Bilge. Slidell. 11am. mardigrasneworleans.com. 16 Krewe of Poseidon. Slidell. 6pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 26
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
16 Krewedelusion. French Quarter. 7pm.
23 Krewe of Pontchartrain, Choctaw, Freret. Uptown New Orleans. 1pm.
mardigrasneworleans.com. 17 Krewe of Little Rascals. Metairie. 12pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
mardigrasneworleans.com. 23 Krewe of Sparta, Pygmalion.
17 Krewe of Pearl River Lions Club.
Uptown New Orleans. 5:30pm.
Slidell. 1pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 17 Krewe of Slidellians, Perseus. Slidell.
mardigrasneworleans.com. 23 Krewe of Tchefuncte. Madisonville.
1pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 21 Family and Friends CPR. Basic training
1pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 23 Krewe of Titans. Slidell. 6:30pm.
for infant, child and adult along with choking skills using manikins. Lakeview
mardigrasneworleans.com. 24 Krewe of Barkus. French Quarter. 2pm.
Regional Medical Center, Magnolia Room, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd, Covington. 7-9pm.
mardigrasneworleans.com. 24 Krewe of Claude, Dionysus. Slidell.
Limited to 12 participants. 867-3900. lakeviewregional.com.
1pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 24 Krewe of Kings. Metairie. 5:30pm.
21 Open House. Preschool through 7th grade. Cedarwood School, 607
mardigrasneworleans.com. 24 The Mystic Krewe of Femme Fatale,
Heavens Dr, Mandeville. 9am. 845-7111.
Krewe of Carrollton, King Arthur and
cedarwoodschool.com.
Merlin, Alla. Uptown New Orleans.
22 George Clinton. Beau Rivage Theatre,
11am. mardigrasneworleans.com.
Beau Rivage Resort & Casino, 875
25 The Effects of Negative Labeling of
Beach Blvd, Biloxi. 8pm. 21+ event.
Behaviors. Informational and lively class
beaurivage.com.
discussion on not labeling our children
22 Krewe of Cleopatra. Uptown New
and their behaviors. Parenting Center,
Orleans. 6:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.
1505 N. Florida St, Ste B, Covington.
com.
10:30-11:30am. Members, $5:
22 Krewe of Cork. French Quarter. 3pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
nonmember, $10. 898-4435. stph.org. 27 Krewe of Druids. Uptown New Orleans.
22 Krewe of Eve. Mandeville. 7pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
6:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 27 Krewe of Nyx. Uptown New Orleans.
22 Krewe of Excalibur. Metairie. 7:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
7pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 28 Knights of Babylon. Uptown New Orleans.
22 Krewe of Oshun. Uptown New Orleans. 6pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
5:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 28 Knights of Chaos. Uptown New Orleans.
22-23 Eagle Expo. Boat tours to view eagle nests, C.C. Lockwood photography
6:15pm. mardigrasneworleans.com. 28 Krewe of Muses. Uptown New Orleans.
workshop, water and nature expo, birds of
6:30pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
prey program, and social with John Flores,
28-March 2 Sunny State of Mind Promo
author of Louisiana Birding. Morgan City.
Event. Palm Village, A Signature
(800) 256-2931. cajuncoast.com.
Lilly Pulitzer Store, 2735 US 190,
23 Krewe of Caesar. Metairie. 5:30pm.
Mandeville. (985) 778-2547.Hospital.
mardigrasneworleans.com.
auduboninstitute.org.
23 Krewe of Olympia. Covington. 6pm. mardigrasneworleans.com.
Send your event information to
23 Krewe of Paws. Slidell. 10am.
scoop@insidepub.com to have it featured
mardigrasneworleans.com.
in an upcoming issue of Inside Northside.
IN the Bookcase
Jason Berry
City of a Million Dreams: A History of New Orleans at Year 300 by Jason Berry
IN 2015, THE BEAUTIFUL JAZZ funeral in New Orleans for composer Allen Toussaint coincided with a debate over removing four Confederate monuments. Mayor Mitch Landrieu led the ceremony, attended by living legends of jazz, music aficionados, politicians, and everyday people. The scene captured the history and culture of the city in microcosm—a city legendary for its noisy, complicated, tradition-rich splendor. In City of a Million Dreams, Jason Berry delivers a character-driven history of New Orleans at its tricentennial. Chronicling cycles of invention, struggle, death, and rebirth, Berry reveals the city’s survival as a triumph of diversity, its map-ofthe-world neighborhoods marked by 28
I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e
resilience despite hurricanes, epidemics, fires and floods. Berry orchestrates a parade of vibrant personalities, from the founder Bienville, a warrior emblazoned with snake tattoos; to Governor William C. C. Claiborne, General Andrew Jackson, and Père Antoine, an influential priest and secret agent of the Inquisition; Sister Gertrude Morgan, a street evangelist and visionary artist of the 1960s; and Michael White, the famous clarinetist who remade his life after losing everything in Hurricane Katrina. The textured profiles of this extraordinary cast furnish a dramatic narrative of the beloved city, famous the world over for mysterious rituals as people dance when they bury their dead.
Jason Berry, an award-winning writer, investigative reporter and documentary film producer, is based in New Orleans, where he attended Jesuit High School, graduating in 1966. He is known for his pioneering investigative reporting on sexual abuse in the priesthood of the Catholic Church in Lead Us Not Into Temptation and Vows of Silence. Berry has been widely interviewed in the national media, with many appearances on Nightline, Oprah, ABC and CNN. USA Today called him “the rare investigative reporter whose scholarship, compassion and ability to write with the poetic power of Robert Penn Warren are in perfect balance.” Berry produces documentaries and writes on culture and politics for many publications. Up From the Cradle of Jazz, a history of New Orleans music was reissued in fall 2009 with new sections on the cultural impact of Hurricane Katrina. His other books include Amazing Grace: With Charles Evers in Mississippi, The Spirit of Black Hawk and Louisiana Faces: Images from A Renaissance. His play, Earl Long in Purgatory, won a 2002 Big Easy award for Best Original Work in Theatre. Berry is also the author of Last of the Red Hot Poppas, a comic novel about Louisiana politics.
by Poki Hampton
30
WHEN DONNA AND DAVID MACHADO found their current home in Gulfport, Mississippi, it had been on the market for three years. Built in the 1970s, the house was in its original condition. The Machados could see past the 40-year-old layout and décor, including floral wallpaper and green bathtubs, to realize the potential of turning this into their family home. “After we closed on the house, the previous owners, who had lived here for 40 years, rented it
Inside Northside
back from us for six months while they built their retirement home. During this time, we were able to make plans for the renovation,” says Donna. “I interviewed five designers and decided that Jennifer Dicerbo of French Mix would work well with me. We really hit it off.” Those six months were valuable, giving them the time to decide on finishes and buildouts before they began their 11-month renovation. Donna says,
photo: SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
Reborn after 40 Years The Machado House
photo: KYLE GARNER
“We took most of the walls in the house down to the studs and replaced electrical and plumbing.� Heart pine floors run throughout the house. Donna was the contractor, but the Machados worked with architect George Denmark to do a buildout off the kitchen for a new laundry room and pantry. An addition was added where the old laundry room and pantry were to make the existing kitchen larger. Now the kitchen is spacious, with plenty of
Before.
light and a view of the water beyond. The 10-foot ceiling was vaulted up into the 22-foot-tall attic space, giving more visual space. Old beams from a barn in North Carolina provide architectural interest. Along with new lighting, new custom white >> January-February 2019 31
photo: SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
raised-panel cabinets, stainless steel appliances, a custom vent hood and plumbing fixtures were added. The pendants are solid iron with a soft brass finish and glass inserts. To top the 11-foot-long island counter, a special slab of quartzite had to be found; the backsplash is of the same quartzite. The family-friendly barstools are upholstered in faux shagreen. New custom cabinets and countertops of the same quartzite renew the existing butler’s pantry.
photo: SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
photo: KYLE GARNER
Before.
“This is a wonderful place to have for entertaining,” says Donna. The existing block paneling in the formal living room was preserved and painted a soft white. Carrera marble replaced the old stone, and a handknotted wool and silk rug from Nepal was laid on the new heart pine floors. The sofa is a custom shelter style upholstered in off-white velvet; custom pillows, including one made of plumes, grace the sofa. The cocktail table is in silver leaf with a glass top. Two Bergère>>
January-February 2019 33
34
Inside Northside
existing furniture. The powder room is a little jewel box with mink-colored grass cloth and a chest converted into a vanity with hand-made crystal knobs and a glass vessel sink. The wall-mounted faucet is in polished nickel. Sconces of rock quartz crystal flank an antique gold-leaf mirror. Another major renovation took place in the master bedroom. Space that had housed hot water heaters was taken into the master bedroom, and attic space was converted into a large walk-in closet, complete with a center island, for Donna. Paneling mimicking that in the formal living room was created to add architectural interest to the walls. The gray-washed wood bed has a flax linen upholstered headboard; quilted velvet Euro shams complement the butter satin duvet. Above the bed hangs a starburst mirror, and mirrored nightstands hold acrylic pillar lamps with cream linen shades. A gray-finished chest sits between French doors dressed in creamy silk draperies. Two Bergère chairs covered in a gray-and-white
photos: SARA ESSEX BRADLEY
chairs in a textured fabric have leather seats and pillows in a Greek key design. Hanging above the hand-painted demilune tables are gold leaf mirrors. The custom silk draperies are in a creamy coconut color. Two original contemporary works of art add a modern touch. Crowning the room is a handmade crystal-with-gold-patina metal chandelier. “We really worked to create a serene, classic feel in this room that was formal but approachable,” says Jennifer. The opening between two living areas was enlarged to create a more spacious feel. The rug in this room is 100 percent wool in watery blues, warm cream and butter. An assortment of textured pillows rests on the sectional sofa, which is slipcovered in washable beige linen; the draperies are in alabaster Belgian linen. Serving as a cocktail able is a tufted leather ottoman. The swivel rocker club chairs are in textured linen. The chandelier is a transitional style of iron and wood. The colors and feel of the two living rooms flow into the dining room, where Jennifer was able to use some of Donna’s
MONEY DOCTOR
Look for the word … Fiduciary!
Q A
Gerald, age 48, asks: How do I know if my advisor is really an advisor and not just a salesman?
An advisor is someone who possesses knowledge and uses it to guide you down the path best suited for you!
An advisor is not someone who sells you investment products and earns a commission for doing so. The investment industry has become an “alphabet soup” of confusion. Most do not understand the difference between which one works for you and which one works for an institution. The first thought that should enter your mind is: Where does (his or her’s) paycheck come from? If it comes from an institution (bank or broker/dealer) then common sense will tell you where their allegiance lies. If you pay them directly, then there is no “middleman” dictating protocol.
animal print top a wool hand-knotted rug. The Old World-style chandelier is wood and iron. The master bath was completely reconfigured to add a double-vanity sink, large soaking tub and walk-in shower. Sconces of polished nickel and glass are mounted between the mirrors. Contemporary artwork hangs behind the oval soaker tub. The flooring is 9-inch marble tiles laid in a herringbone pattern. And a Tibetan hair stool adds a bit of whimsy. Jennifer decorated the Machados’ youngest daughter’s room to be fit for a princess. Ballet-pink walls with a solid iron canopy bed in a rich cream textured finish create a feminine feel. Dressing the bed are a ruffled linen duvet and a satin bed skirt, along with velvet and lace pillows. Sitting atop the fun animal print rug is a loveseat slipcovered in washable linen. The chandelier is made of feathers, and the ball gown-detailed draperies are in pearl silk. The teenage daughter’s loft-style room was created by taking in part of the attic on the third floor. Cool colors create a serene atmosphere any teen would enjoy. Donna says, “We enjoyed working with Jennifer to create our new home. She was very professional, and she understood from the beginning that we wanted a welcoming and familyfriendly home.” “True luxury is when a home is both beautiful and comfortable,” says Jennifer.
Have you ever stopped to think about how your advisor is measured in his or her’s job performance? If they work for a bank, a wire-house, a broker/ dealer, or an insurance company they are measured by how much business they bring in, not by how they perform for the individual client. Sometimes it seems that the most important function of an “advisor” is to make money for the firm, not the individual they are supposed to be servicing. A FIDUCIARY must act in a different manner. The fiduciary is mandated by law, and hopefully their own ethics, to act in your best interest over their own. The fiduciary’s performance is measured by YOU, the client, not some institution. The fiduciary advisor is paid by you, not an institution, therefore creating the right environment for YOUR success. Simply take the time to ask if your advisor is a fiduciary and clarify where his or her paycheck comes from. It could end up being the most important question of your financial life!
W. Mike Stewart AIF, RFC
W. Mike Stewart AIF, RFC • Wealth Management Services 985-809-0530 • wmsgroup@advisormike.com • www.advisormike.com
The massive basrelief Symbols of Communication.
36
ANYONE DRIVING THROUGH New Orleans has undoubtedly seen the magnificent sculptural work of Mexican-born and beloved New Orleans transplant, Enrique Alférez. Although he died in 1999 at the age of 98, his legacy lives on, from the Botanical Gardens of City Park and the New Orleans Museum of Art to the Lakefront Airport. Whether you’re meandering downtown, where you’ll find his 18-foot bronzes of The Lute Player
Inside Northside
by Leslie Cardé and David (with his trusty slingshot) gracing the enormous front entrance of the 909 Poydras Street skyscraper, or ambling through the hallways of uptown hospital Touro Infirmary, the city has been wrapped for decades in a cocoon of chiseled charm by one of the world’s great artists. His grand-scale Symbols of Communication, commissioned by The Times-Picayune when its former headquarters opened on Howard >>
photo courtesy: LIZ JUREY FOR PRESERVATION RESOURCE CENTER
Sculptor Enrique Alférez
This bronze sculpture, Repose, recently sold at auction for over
photo courtesy: NEAL AUCTION COMPANY
$173,000.
January-February 2019 37
Avenue, is a massive bas-relief, three stories high, containing gigantic symbols from Arabic to Morse code and mathematical symbols to Sanskrit. There has been much speculation of late about the fate of the unusual piece when new owners took over the building and it became known that it would eventually be demolished. “It’s heartening to know that the owners have promised to save that great work,” says art conservator Elise Grenier of Grenier Conservation, who has been involved in numerous restoration and preservation projects both here and abroad. “Alférez is an important sculptor on both a national and international scale. To lose his work would be a travesty.” Conserving, restoring and exhibiting the artist’s works has become a theme in the city. The fate of Charity Hospital has been in question since Katrina, when the facility sustained damage and was closed. Alférez’s bas-reliefs adorn the 20-story Art Deco building’s exterior. And the Fountain of the Four Winds, now enclosed in a cyclone fence at the Lakefront Airport, is in need of repair. “Fountain of the Four Winds was created by my
dad in 1936 and was funded by the WPA, the Works Progress Administration under President Roosevelt,” says the artist’s daughter, Dr. Tlaloc Alférez, an Ochsner physician. “It’s a shame to let priceless pieces fall into disrepair. Perhaps it belongs in a location where more people can enjoy it. We have numerous sites where Confederate statues have been removed. Perhaps a welcoming fountain would make more sense on a site like Lee Circle. If Charity Hospital comes down, the history of bas-reliefs in this city will be destroyed, after a hundred years.” Enrique Alférez has a colorful past. As a young lad of 12, he ran away from home but was captured by forces inside the rebel organization of Pancho Villa during the Mexican Revolution. After 10 years, he escaped and fled to El Paso, Texas, eventually landing in Chicago after hearing a lecture by acclaimed artist Lorado Taft of The Art Institute of Chicago. He took a train to the Windy City and during his formative years studied with the renowned artist. “Alférez began with reliefs that spoke to the Art Deco architecture of the city,” says Cesareo Moreno, Curator of the National Museum of Mexican Art in
photo courtesy: NEAL AUCTION COMPANY
Chicago. “His wood reliefs in the old Playboy building adorn the cabs and doors of the elevators there. We tried to obtain them for our exhibit, but the building owners didn’t want them removed, even temporarily. So, we had snapshots.” The Chicago exhibit in question, Arte Diseno Xicago, garnered a lot of buzz when it opened at the end of March to rave reviews. It included the works of 34 famed Mexican artists from Diego Rivera and José Maria Velasco to Jesus Torres and beyond. But, as you approached the exhibit, it became clear that Alférez just might be the star. “For me, Enrique Alférez is the artist who stands out so much,” says Moreno. “We gave his works an entire room, and he was the first artist you saw when you entered the exhibit.” In that main room, amongst the centerpiece La Soldadera, was the stunning Moses. Aficionados of sculpting know that the most difficult parts of the anatomy to replicate are the fingers and the toes. In his Moses, the left foot’s toes are curled around the stone tablets holding the Ten Commandments, as he tells the Jewish people he has just received >>
Moses.
January-February 2019 39
photo: MICHAEL TROPEA
40
Inside Northside
Bust of the late Claire Newman.
photo courtesy: BRANDY NEWMAN
these, pointing skyward as if God has electrified him to deliver the news. The artwork displayed in Chicago was on loan from Alférez’s daughter and was on display until the exhibit ended in August. It was trucked in from her father’s former studio next door to her home. The studio houses a seemingly endless amount of his work, which makes one wonder why it isn’t being exhibited somewhere in the city to be appreciated. There is the breathtaking La Pieta, which shows the Virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene holding Jesus. “My father did his own version of the Pieta, because he believed that one woman couldn’t have held the lifeless body of Jesus,” says daughter Tlaloc. That particular sculpture has a very interesting backstory. In his starving artist days, Enrique crafted the piece as a way to repay the doctor who treated and saved his 8-year-old daughter from encephalitis. This wonderful piece was displayed in the doctor’s home for decades. Upon his death, Tlaloc Alférez
Our Lady of Prompt
photo courtesy: Dr. Tlaloc Alférez
Succor.
learned he had willed it to her with a note thanking her for all of the years of enjoyment he had garnered from her father’s work. “Alférez ordinarily came up with his own ideas for his works, but he would also frequently receive specs from an architect with principles of the project he would be undertaking, or commissions which had been requested, and he would then submit drawings,” says Katie Bowler-Young, Director of Global Relations at The University of North Carolina and the author of the upcoming biography of Alférez, in conjunction with The Historic New Orleans Collection. One such commission came in the ’50s from Alférez’s friend, Bobby Newman, a contemporary of the artist and a former president of the New Orleans Museum of Art. They both loved art, and Bobby wanted a realistic >> January-February 2019 41
rendition of his wife, Claire. “Oddly, it’s now in the home of another Claire Po Newman, my daughter, who is the elder Claire’s granddaughter,” says Brandy Newman, the daughter-in-law of the original Claire, who named her daughter after her mother-in-law. “Alférez certainly captured her essence. Claire was lovely, but she could be a tough taskmaster, and I think this sculpture shows that side of her.” When it comes to realism, Alférez might have gone a bit overboard with one of his sculptures. For all of his religious-themed art you see throughout the city, he had a few qualms with the tenets of organized religion. His father, in fact, was an atheist. So, when Alférez decided to donate a statue of the Virgin Mary to a local church, the parishioners got a lot more than they bargained for. Unbeknownst to anyone in that church, when the statue was delivered, Alférez had it hooked up with tubes and a bloody-looking substance. During the middle of the service, blood started coming from its eyes—to the amazement and horror of the worshipers. “If you knew him,” says Slater, “you knew he could be quite the prankster.” Practical jokes aside, much of New Orleans is enveloped in his religious renderings, whether it’s the beautiful wooden doors of St. Martin’s Episcopal Church in Old Metairie or a perennial favorite, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, a copy of which rests in his uptown studio. It would certainly seem to outsiders that Alférez never really understood the value of his work. In spite of commissions like the one to sculpt maquettes of athletes around the perimeter of Tad Gormley Stadium or those for his larger-than-life pieces throughout the city, the inherent value of his work seemed to elude him. 42
Inside Northside
“My wife, Willa, and I had just bought a small piece of Enrique’s called The Acrobat,” says Slater. “Peggy (Enrique’s wife) told us that Enrique was thinking of going back to Mexico, then tearfully said that the last time they left, he took all of his work to the dump and broke it up. To save his work, Peggy brought over 28 pieces. We had them lined up along our ceiling shelf under the indirect lighting. Over the years, we sold them and sent him the checks. But the point was to save his art. We refused to take any commissions, even though Willa was an art consultant; we were friends. For our work, Enrique would gift us with pieces from his collections. Willa loved his work. She bought the Mother and Child decades ago, and it’s still in our home.” “There is great demand for his work,” says Amanda Winstead, owner of Amanda Winstead Fine Art and a longtime appraiser. “He’s a beloved man who worked well into his 90s and was quite a character. His work is all over the city; it’s beautiful, and people love it. We set a record price for a bronze sculpture entitled Repose that I brought into the Neal Auction Company in December 2016. It was expected to fetch between $10,000 and $15,000. It sold for $173,000 and change.” “During his lifetime, Enrique Alférez was constantly up against the powers that be who criticized his work for his ideas and for its nudity,” says Katie Pfohl, Ph.D., Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at NOMA. “But this was an artist who had the courage of his convictions, and no one today would ever doubt the value of his work.” Visit The Enrique Alférez Studio and view works for purchase from the permanent collection. Call 504-897-2646 for appointments. enriquealferez.com. January-February 2019 43
by Stacey Paretti Rase
44
IT HAS AFFECTED THE LIVES of business leaders such as Bill Gates, Sir Richard Branson and Charles Schwab, as well as world-renowned sports figures Mohammad Ali, Bruce Jenner and Magic Johnson. Famous creators throughout history have struggled with it, including Stephen Spielberg and Walt Disney. Actors Jim Carrey, Whoopi Goldberg and Tom Cruise have spoken about how it has affected their lives. And brilliant, creative minds that have gone on to shape the world as we know it, such as Leonardo da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Pablo Picasso and Thomas Edison, are reported to have had it. The “it” is a learning disability known as dyslexia.
fluent word recognition, poor spelling and decoding ability. It is hereditary, lifelong, can be diagnosed as early as 4 or 5 years old and can be found in individuals with varying degrees of intelligence. It is not curable, but with intervention and specialized therapy, it can be successfully managed. The problem is that many children are not accurately diagnosed. And, in St. Tammany Parish, parents of children who have been diagnosed often have trouble finding resources to help. Fortunately, there is a trained group of local educators who are passionate about the issue and
Most everyone has heard of the disorder, but not many know the facts surrounding it. The most common misconception is that those with dyslexia simply see letters backwards when they read. Other misunderstandings include the belief that dyslexia can’t be diagnosed until around age 8, and that it is something that can be outgrown. But perhaps the most disappointing myth surrounding the issue is that dyslexia as a specific disorder doesn’t exist—that it’s a catch all for a host of learning problems—and that students who struggle with it are lazy and perhaps less intelligent than average. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. The fact is that dyslexia has been scientifically proven to be a specific learning disorder that is neurological in origin, characterized by difficulty with accurate and
whose goal is to change that. This past October, those therapists, along with educators, parents, children, advocates, and community leaders, met for the first annual Dyslexia Awareness Event at Hosanna Lutheran Church in Mandeville. Over 100 people filled the sanctuary, where photos of local children with dyslexia appeared on large screens, each with the caption reading, “I am 1 in 5,” referring to the estimate that one in every five people has dyslexia. The program was designed to build awareness, inform policy, encourage advocacy and bring the community together in order to help St. Tammany Parish children to become literate, lifelong and confident learners. Program coordinator and dyslexia therapist Teresa Abram says the event is monumental for our community on many levels. “I was trained at the
Inside Northside
University of Northern Iowa. I’ve taught in Chicago, Nebraska, Wisconsin and Missouri. I’m now a special education teacher at Tchefuncta Middle School. But I had never been trained how to spot dyslexia. I had students who were clearly bright, but had difficulty reading. I was baffled. I was not prepared to help them.” Then, as fate would have it, Abram heard a talk given by Dr. Jessica Stubbs, a licensed dyslexia therapist. Stubbs is a graduate of William Carey University in Mississippi, where she received her degree in dyslexia therapy and now serves as principal of the 3-D School, Gulf Coast Campus. (“3-D” stands for Dynamic Dyslexic Design; the nonpublic, special-purpose school delivers specialized instruction to dyslexic students and is accredited through the Mississippi Department of Education.) “It was through Jessica that I learned about William Carey’s master’s program,” says Abram. The two-year program includes in-class practicum but is primarily clinical in nature, requiring 720 hours of supervised therapy before certification. It is one of only six university programs in the nation that are accredited by the International Dyslexia Association to prepare teachers to deliver proven, research-based methods of instruction to those with dyslexia. Two programs are offered in Texas, one in Arkansas and three in Mississippi. There are no IDA-accredited teacher preparation programs in Louisiana. But there are eleven educators who are either currently enrolled in the William Carey program or have graduated from there and are providing therapy to students in St. Tammany Parish. “We are the only parish in Louisiana that has a group of educators working on this,” stresses Stubbs, who also spoke on the subject at October’s event. “We have this golden opportunity. These women are experts in the field. Our hope is that parents will reach out to professionals who can help. Once educators learn what they need to do, it’s akin to being a doctor and knowing what medicine to
prescribe. But the current model in our school system doesn’t train teachers on dyslexia. It can be quite confusing for parents.” Amy Ceuvas was one of those parents. Her son Alexander began showing signs of dyslexia at age 6 when he was in kindergarten. “I noticed he wasn’t doing what my older daughter Julia did at the same age,” says Ceuvas. “He would frequently get the letters ‘b’ and ‘d’ confused. Or the number three with the letter ‘e’. The teacher said it was normal, but I kept getting more and more worried. Then, by the
time he was in first grade, he was coming home so frustrated making comments like, ‘I’m dumb. I’m the only one in the class who can’t read. School is no place for me.’ It was heartbreaking.” Ceuvas’ sister Amanda, a St. Tammany kindergarten teacher for over 18 years, introduced the Ceuvas family to Abram. Alexander was evaluated for dyslexia and failed the screening. She says it was a long road getting from where they were then to where they are today. “As a parent, I had to fight for resources. I had to fight for accommodations. It was up to me to know what even to ask for. It was completely overwhelming. And I remembered that celebrities like Tom Cruise have been speaking out about this disorder for decades. This was not a new problem, so why was >> January-February 2019 45
there so little help offered? It didn’t make sense. I even posted on social media asking if anyone local has had a child with dyslexia graduate in St. Tammany Parish. I wanted to know how they navigated the system. I got zero response. I felt so lost.” Alexander was classified broadly in the school system as having a learning disability in reading. He was placed in a language program titled “Project Read” where he was removed from the classroom for approximately thirty minutes a day for reading intervention. “The class helped some. It was a small group, with less pressure, and with more attention,” says Ceuvas. “But it wasn’t until we placed him in true dyslexia therapy that we started to see a big difference.” Alexander began private, after-school therapy with Sally Gerstner in March of last year. He
Amara Moore, Heather Beacom, Amy Cuevas, Lauren Walden and Mel Hebert. 46
committed to a three-year program (all in private therapy must commit to two years, but three is recommended for the best results) and attends hourlong sessions four times a week. The expectation is that he will be reading on level with his classmates by the end of his term. Ceuvas says they are already seeing great advances and Alexander no longer complains about reading. A second-year master’s degree candidate at William Carey, Gerstner says she felt a special calling to the field of dyslexia study. “I worked at Woodlake Elementary, and every year I had at least one dyslexic child in my special ed class. These kids were so smart. They were running circles around other kids in the class when the material was read to them. But they were struggling to read the words themselves.”
Inside Northside
This is a common characteristic of dyslexic students. Ceuvas says Alexander had extreme trouble mixing up his numbers on math worksheets. But when he broke his arm and there was a period of time when he couldn’t write, his teacher began testing him orally and his scores soared. Dr. Cena Hollifield says this is not surprising. The executive director of the three 3-D School campuses in Mississippi and keynote speaker at the Dyslexia Awareness Event explains that the dyslexic brain simply operates differently than the “normal” brain. They use a less efficient neuropathy to decode and read. “Studies go back to the late 1800s,” says Hollifield. “Researchers were intrigued by the unexpected finding of very intelligent kids being unable to learn to read. At first, they supposed it was bad vision, but the children’s vision was fine. Scientific evidence has proven that the root is neurological.” By using a functional MRI (called “functional” because participants perform tasks while under the magnet, allowing measurement of the functioning brain rather than the activity of the brain at rest) researchers have found that the brain of a dyslexic person shows a completely different activation pattern than the brain of a non-dyslexic person when reading. Dyslexics use the right side of their brain to overcompensate for what is lacking on the left side during the activity. Additionally, studies have been done on post-mortem brains of dyslexics that show distinct physiological differences from a non-dyslexic brain. “Dyslexic therapy uses a multisensory teaching method to help “retrain” a dyslexic brain to read more easily. It is a phonetically structured, direct, explicit, language-based remedial program,” explained Hollifield, before showing side-by-side slides of brain imaging taken of children before and after years of therapy. After intervention, the regions on the left side of the brain are noticeably more active where they weren’t previously. Hollifield didn’t just discuss the biology of the disorder. She also stressed the importance of considering the social consequences of not treating dyslexia appropriately. “Evolutionarily, the brain was not wired naturally to read,” she explains. “And just 200 years ago, not everyone was expected to graduate high school or go to college. Now, these
Signs of Dyslexia Delayed speech Frequent ear infections Difficulty rhyming Confused with directions Inability to say the ABCs without singing it Anxiety about school and/or reading Difficulty decoding single words in isolation Confuses small words (does/goes) Transposes number sequences Reverses letters (d for b)
are expectations, and intelligence is often measured by how well a student can demonstrate taking the written word and putting it back on the page. But these studies show that twenty percent of kids are not wired to do that naturally. We have the research that shows we have to teach them differently. These kids are square pegs, and we’ve been trying to cram them into a round hole.” When not treated, these children often go on to fail in school. They may suffer anxiety, depression and lack of confidence. It is estimated that twenty-seven percent of dyslexic children drop out of high school if not treated. Many turn to substance abuse and crime. “We need to help them on the front end,” says Hollifield, “instead of seeing them in correctional facilities on the back end.” Heather Beacom was one of those frustrated students. She remembers being in second grade and having stomach issues that had her calling home to leave school most days. She had trouble reading and her parents suspected vision problems, so she got glasses. But her vision was fine. She would remove whole words from passages when reading aloud and struggled as a reader. “My IQ was above average. But even open book tests were hard for me,” Beacom says. “I made good grades in school, but that was because I cheated my way the whole way through,” she admits. Beacom managed the best she could. Not only did she graduate from college, but she went on to get her master’s degree—in dyslexic therapy. “It was in the first few days of class that I realized the truth. I am dyslexic!” she laughs. Ironically, she also discovered she was pregnant with her daughter Claire >> continued on page 82
January-February 2019 47
Health & Wellness 2019
Make De-stressing a Goal for 2019 by Leslie Cardé
2020 may not be descending upon us until next year, but there’s no reason we can’t have a 20/20 vision of how to make this a healthier time right now. According to a growing body of research, the one thing we want to immediately eliminate, or at the very least reduce in our lives, is stress. It’s
everywhere—at home, in the workplace and in life, generally. You may not be able to get rid of your work deadlines or re-train your spouse or your overbearing boss, but you can certainly find ways to keep their problems from becoming yours by causing undue stress in your life. Stress raises blood pressure, causes headaches and weakens your immune system. So, begin your plan to build up your body to be able to weather the effects of stress. Cardiologists and oncologists whose patients participated in a recent large study have strong evidence to believe that not only does a weekly regimen of exercise lower stress and prevent heart attacks and stroke, but it even prevents cancer, as it strengthens your immune system and wards off cancer cells that can turn deadly. Just 20 minutes a day, or two-and-a-half hours a week does a world of good. Additionally, your body produces endorphins during exercise, which gives you a sense of well-being, in spite of any stressors coming your way. The American Heart Association and the American Cancer Society have just finished tests on thousands of patients and have concluded that running up four flights of stairs in 50 seconds or under without becoming so winded that you fall over is a good test of what sort of condition you’re currently in. If you try this test and cannot complete it, it’s time to work up gradually to a good regimen of cardiovascular exercise. If you’re lucky enough to have gym equipment in your home, or even hallways to run around, it’s time to get your heart rate revved up now. Spend 20 minutes on a treadmill, and gradually raise the incline to really get a good cardiovascular workout. You can do this while catching up on the morning’s headlines, or while reading a book. High impact isn’t required as long as your heart is pumping. It’s recommended that you exercise within 55 to 85 percent of your maximum heart rate, roughly calculated as 220 minus your age. That’s the upper limit of what your cardiovascular system can actually handle during physical activity. Do the math, figure out what your heart rate should be, wear a Fitbit or 48
Inside Northside
other tracking device and get your heart pumping! And don’t forget about the dietary component that should go along with any stress-reducing exercise program. Too much caffeine and sugar (both stimulants) cause stress, so moderation is the key. Alcohol is a known depressant, and depression leads to stress, so keep alcohol consumption to healthy limits. According to the Mayo Clinic, low-risk drinking means no more than four drinks on any day for men and three drinks for women. And, because women generally weigh less than men and have less water in their bodies, the weekly limits are very different—not more than 14 drinks per week for men, but no more than seven drinks per week for women. Eliminate or moderate many of the harmful fats in your diet, but kick it up a notch on healthy fats like avocados and salmon. Take a multi-vitamin, and add in extra Vitamin C and calcium, both stressbusters. And last but not least, at the end of every day, try to find a way to relax, unwind and de-stress. That might mean meditation, it might mean relaxing with your significant other, or even a pet, and it could mean half a glass of red wine. Red wine contains resveratrol, a polyphenol thought to lower blood pressure, have a positive effect on blood fats and even ease joint pain. This particular polyphenol comes from the skin of red grapes, but it can be found in peanuts and berries, as well. So, for 2019, it’s time to put some real thought into de-stressing your life. You will be significantly healthier and live considerably longer as a result. January-February 2019 49
Retina Associates New Orleans Established in 1969, Retina Associates New Orleans has grown to become the premier group of vitreoretinal physicians and surgeons in Louisiana. Their doctors are board certified and
Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri. A former Captain serving in the United States Air Force in
fellowship trained in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases
California, Dr. Cohen is a member of the American Academy of
affecting the retina, macula and vitreous.
Ophthalmology, American College of Surgeons, New Orleans
Retina Associates New Orleans specialists treat macular
Academy of Ophthalmology and Vitreous Society, among others.
degeneration, diabetic eye disease, retinal vascular disease, eye
He has been selected as a featured speaker, moderator or case
inflammation (uveitis), retinal bleeding, retinal swelling, and
presenter at numerous medical conferences. In addition, Dr.
hereditary retinal disease. They perform surgery on macular hole,
Cohen is the author of many peer-reviewed journal articles and
epiretinal membrane, lattice degeneration, retinal tears, vitreous
textbook chapters.
floaters, retinal detachment, ocular melanoma and complications after cataract and intraocular implant surgery. Retina Associates New Orleans proudly serves the greater
Dr. Gwen Cousins earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and her medical degree from Louisiana State University
New Orleans region, Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf
Medical Center in Shreveport. She went on to an Internship in
Coast with eleven offices in Metairie, Covington, Hammond, Amite,
Medicine at Ochsner Hospital in New Orleans and a Residency in
Baton Rouge, Houma, Thibodaux and Gulfport.
Ophthalmology at Louisiana State University Health and Science
Dr. Gerald Cohen earned his undergraduate degree from
Center in New Orleans. Dr. Cousins then continued her training
Louisiana State University and his medical degree from Louisiana
with a Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at The Foundation for
State University School of Medicine, both in New Orleans. He went
Retinal Research in New Orleans.
on to complete an Internship at Touro Infirmary and a Residency in Ophthalmology at Tulane University. Dr. Cohen continued 50
his training with a Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at Barnes
Inside Northside
The recipient of numerous academic honors, Dr. Cousins was awarded the prestigious Slaughter Academic Scholarship at
M E D I C A L
THE FOUNDATION
FOR RETINAL RESEARCH
Retina Associates New Orleans has established
P R O F I L E
Dr. Ronald Willson earned his Bachelor of Science degree cum laude in Chemistry from Union College in Schenectady, New York, and his medical degree with Distinction in Research from the State University of New York at Stony Brook School of
a non-profit organization devoted to clinical
Medicine. He continued his training with an Internship in Internal
research and training of vitreoretinal specialists. The
Medicine at Winthrop University Hospital in Mineola, New York,
Foundation for Retinal Research has contributed to
and a Residency in Ophthalmology at Albert Einstein College of
the development of treatments currently approved
Medicine/Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. Dr. Willson
by the FDA for neovascular wet age-related macular
completed a Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at the Foundation
degeneration, retinal vascular disease and diabetic
for Retinal Research in New Orleans.
eye disease. In addition, The Foundation has trained over forty vitreoretinal physicians since 1977. The Foundation for Retinal Research
A Diplomat of the American Board of Ophthalmology and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. Willson is a vitreoretinal physician and surgeon practicing in New Orleans
is currently recruiting patients with macular
since 2001. He has participated in numerous lectures, seminars
telangiectasia type 2 (MacTel Type 2), neovascular
and medical conferences on various ophthalmic topics.
age-related macular degeneration (nAMD) with
Dr. Stanislav Zhuk earned his Bachelor of Science degree
persistent retinal fluid, geographic atropy (GA)
with Highest Honors in Molecular Biology from the University of
secondary to age-related macular degeneration
Texas, Austin, and his medical degree from the University of Texas
(AMD) and non-proliferative diabetic retinopathy
Southwestern Medical School in Dallas. He continued his training
(NPDR). Interested individuals may contact Mr.
with an Internship at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas in
Corey Marvel at (504) 456-9061.
the Department of Internal Medicine. Dr. Zhuk then went on to a Residency at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas in the Department of Ophthalmology and completed his
Louisiana State University Medical Center. Dr. Cousins has been
Fellowship training in Vitreoretinal Surgery at The Foundation for
a vitreoretinal physician and surgeon practicing in New Orleans
Retinal Research in New Orleans.
since 2007. Dr. Cousins is an active researcher, participating in
Dr. Zhuk is an active researcher and holds an academic
numerous ongoing clinical investigations on diseases of the
appointment at Louisiana State University School of Medicine as
retina, macula and vitreous. She also heavily involved in training
Assistant Clinical Professor.
vitreoretinal specialists. Dr. Kathy Ta earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Cell and Molecular Biology Magna Cum Laude from Tulane University in New Orleans and her medical degree from Louisiana State University School of Medicine in Shreveport. She completed an Internship in Internal Medicine at Ochsner Clinic Foundation in New Orleans and her Residency in Ophthalmology at Louisiana State University Health and Science Center and Ochsner Medical Center in New Orleans. Dr.
Primary Locations: Jefferson Parish, 4315 Houma Boulevard
Ta furthered her training with a Fellowship in Vitreoretinal Surgery at
Suite 201, Metairie LA 70006 and St Tammany Parish, 1311
The Foundation for Retinal Research in New Orleans.
Ochsner Boulevard, Covington LA 70433
Dr. Ta served as Chief Resident and received the Excellence in Ophthalmology Award, The Philip H. Jones Scholarship for Academic Excellence, Medical Student Research Grant Program
Satellite Offices: Baton Rouge, Amite, Hammond, Thibodaux, Houma, Metairie and Gulfport MS
and Distinguished Scholars Award. Dr. Ta is a member of The American Academy of Ophthalmology and The American Society of Retina Specialists.
For appointments, call (504) 456-9061 www.RetinaAssociates.org • info@retinaassociates.org January-February 2019 51
Health & Wellness 2019
IN Better Health by Leah Draffen with Sean McDaniel IN: What was Sean’s condition when he came to you? Dr. Fresh: Sean came into my office to inquire about weight loss. His physician recommended that he lose 40 pounds to have surgery for his hernia. Dr. Stewart Fresh and Sean McDaniel.
WHILE OUT OF SHAPE and needing surgery, Sean McDaniel ran into Dr. Stewart Fresh in a coffee shop. Little did Sean know that his health would soon return with the help of Dr. Fresh and Vantage Point. “I have known Dr. Fresh for many years, as we work in some of the same circles with sports. I ran into him and noticed how much weight he had lost, so I asked him what he was doing. He started to tell me about a health and weight loss program that he offers in his office and gave me some background on it,” says Sean. “I left that day thinking about it and did some research on it. I thought it was a good program for me; however, we had just had twins, and I wasn’t sure that I could afford or dedicate the time to do the program, so I left it alone. Before I knew it, Dr. Fresh called me back, convincing me to do the program.” We sat down with Sean and Dr. Fresh to get a few more details on Sean’s success. 52
Inside Northside
IN: What was your goal, Sean? Sean: I was overweight, out of shape, on blood pressure medicine, had sleep apnea and tired all the time. I wanted to lose 40 pounds within six months. IN: What treatment plan did you and Sean decide on? Dr. Fresh: I recommended a health and weight loss program to bring his weight down. He was able to meet his goal within one month to have the surgery. IN: Sean, how do you feel? Sean: Dr. Fresh coached me through the process of bettering my habits and getting my health back in
order. In six months, I have lost 96 pounds, am no longer taking blood pressure meds, I don’t have sleep apnea anymore, my cholesterol dropped 76 points, and I am no longer tired. I have more energy than ever. I feel like I am in my 20s again! IN: Additional thoughts? Sean: I can’t thank Dr. Fresh enough for convincing me to take back my life. He is very good at what he does, both as my health coach and as a chiropractor. I have sent many difficult cases to him that other people failed at fixing, including myself, and he has always had great outcomes! With 14 years in practice, Stewart B. Fresh, DC, CCSP, is a Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Chiropractic Sports Physician and Certified Health Coach. He is the team chiropractor to the New Orleans Saints. To learn more, visit vantagepointcovington.com.
M E D I C A L
P R O F I L E S
A Better Hearing Solution Dr. Cliff Istre and Licensed Board-Certified Hearing Specialist Heather Corley can help you hear “what living your best life sounds like” with the newest in hearing aid technology. The Livio AI, used by Dr. Istre himself, is the world’s first hearing aid that can track brain and body activity. While also providing superior sound quality, its integrated sensors and artificial intelligence track body and brain health via your smartphone and the Thrive™ Hearing app. This year, fall detection will be added to help families know their loved one is safe. “An additional benefit of the Livio AI is the ability for me to adjust hearing aid settings remotely,” says Corley. “I am able to make changes and send it to a patient’s smartphone to download in their app. For patients who aren’t driving any longer or may travel a lot, it is very convenient.” Corley says, however, that while the technologies of Livio AI are beneficial, it isn’t necessary for everyone. “We have a better-hearing solution for every patient,” she explains. “After a hearing test, we offer a complimentary consultation to discover the greatest needs of our patients and work to meet those needs.” Istre Hearing Care has aids available in a wide range of styles and technology, from economy to higher-end pricing. “What we do here is digitally program the hearing aids to match the results of a patient’s hearing test,” says Corley. “Similar to “readers” versus prescription glasses, our aids are not one-size-fits-all. Each aid is custom fitted to you and does not just amplify sounds like an over-the-counter aid would.”
Istre Hearing Care is located at 350 Lakeview Ct, Ste A, in Covington. 845-3509. Cliff Istre, Ph.D., FAAA Audiologist and Heather Corley, Hearing Instrument Specialist
istrehearingcare.com. January-February 2019 53
first to agree that her staff is a huge part of her success. One of the daily mantras they follow, that is written on the staff’s large message board, is a quote by Maya Angelou. It reads: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Being a dermatologist, you would think that Dr. Stewart and her staff only deal with the skin, but she says: “We see patients every day who are struggling with issues such as hair loss, chronic skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, and debilitating conditions like shingles, to name a few of the many skin concerns that we treat. Many of these conditions we know are brought on or worsened by stress. Yes, there are all sorts of tests we can order and prescriptions that we can write, but one thing that we can’t do for patients is alleviate their stress for them. I often find myself counseling patients on how to decrease their stress level, which is easier said than done for most of us. I tell them to take up yoga, go take a walk by the lakefront, have a glass of wine, do whatever you need to do to try and decrease your stress level.” Dr. Stewart says she often has these conversations with patients, but they go right back to their stressful lives. So when she was approached by her office park neighbors to buy some of their space, that was right next door to her office, she couldn’t say no. She knew exactly what she wanted to do with it—the annex. With the opening of the annex, there is now a now serene setting literally ten steps from Dr. Stewart’s current office where people can go to enjoy, even if just for a moment, a quiet place to
Dr. Martha Stewart The Annex Philosophy
“What I love about Dr. Stewart and everyone in her practice is that when you walk into her office you don’t feel like you’re just a patient. They make you feel at ease and you can tell they genuinely
care products, SPF clothing, make up, and other items, it is also a place where you can enjoy services to make you feel good. Dr. Stewart’s nurses say it’s really nice to be able to tell patients they can go right next door to get a facial or massage or have a cup of hot tea and just sit for a few minutes in peace and quiet. When you enter the annex, you can feel your stress level
care about your issues,” says a longtime patient of Dr. Martha
drop. Your senses are calmed...the smell of lavender, the sound
Stewart. “It also doesn’t hurt that I feel like I am walking into a spa,
of soft spa music, the sight of a natural reclaimed wood wall, a
rather than a doctor’s office.”
relaxing sitting area surrounded by inspirational sayings, and the
Having been in practice for nearly 20 years, Dr. Stewart has developed quite a loyal following helping thousands of patients with their skin care concerns over the years. One thing that her
taste of delicious snacks, fruit-infused water and specialty teas— who wouldn’t want to stay awhile! With the addition of the annex came the addition of two
office staff will tell you about Dr. Stewart is that she is a workaholic,
new staff members. Paula Mora is an experienced cosmetologist
a bit of a neat freak, and is all about the patient experience. “If
who is able to offer her clients advice on products, make-up
you’re anything like me, you hate going to doctors’ offices. So we
application and perform services such as eyelash extensions,
try to make it an enjoyable experience,” she states.
eyelash lifts and tinting, waxing, facials, and more. Melissa Manint
Three years ago, Dr. Amy Ananth, who is also board certified in
54
destress. While the annex is a place where you can buy great skin
is a sought-after massage therapist who loves to be able to make
dermatology, joined Dr. Stewart and shares her values of wanting to
a difference in her client’s lives. Dr. Stewart states, “I truly feel that
provide patients with an exceptional experience. Dr. Stewart is the
if you surround yourself with kind people who love what they do,
Inside Northside
try to find the good in the little things every day, and realize that even the smallest gesture can have a huge impact in someone’s life, you’ll realize that there is a lot to be grateful for.” With the opening of the annex, Dr. Stewart and her staff are giving back to a community that they love. The philosophy of the annex is posted prominently on a wall and reads: “We want you to feel good about feeling good knowing that a portion of all product sales will be donated to a local charity in an effort to give back to the wonderful community
application. “It’s just one way for us to recognize these amazing
that we call home.” Every quarter the annex partners with a
folks who teach us how to live life to the fullest,” says Dr. Stewart.
local organization that does great charitable work for those in
After speaking with Dr. Stewart and her staff, it’s obvious that
our area who are in need. This quarter’s nonprofit organization
their other mantra should be, to quote Maya Angelou again: “Our
is Hannah’s Klozet Foundation, whose initial goal was to provide
mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do
financial assistance for breast cancer patients to help with some
so with some passion, some compassion, some humor and some
of the cost in obtaining post-mastectomy bras. Since its inception,
style.” If you visit Dr. Stewart’s practice and the annex, you will
the goals of the foundation have become so much more than
agree that she and her staff live by those words.
that. Corinne Villavaso, the founder and president of Hannah’s Klozet Foundation, lost her cousin, Hannah, to breast cancer, and is a breast cancer survivor herself. Now, she is fighting to get legislation passed that would require insurance companies to cover certain screening tests and other services that are currently not covered for cancer patients. Dr. Stewart says it’s people like Corinne who inspire her every day and teach her and her staff about gratitude. Because of this, she decided to have a monthly patient spotlight celebrating an inspirational patient. These patients are then treated to a day of beauty including a wellness facial, massage and makeup
Dr. Stewart’s office and the annex are located at 4060 Lonesome Rd. in Mandeville. Visit drmarthastewart.com for more information or call 727-7701. January-February 2019 55
Health & Wellness 2019
Jeffrey S. Pinto, MD, of Paradigm Spine Dr. Jeffrey Pinto, a nationally renowned, locally
Invasive Spine Surgery at Saint Vincent Hospital in
trained orthopedic spine surgeon at Paradigm Spine,
Los Angeles, California.
is a visionary in the field of minimally invasive spine
As a spine specialist, Dr. Pinto is able to
surgery. With his wide range of experience and
bring his entire diverse skill set into play in
dedication to all aspects of his patient’s physical
meeting the diagnostic and technical challenges
and mental well-being, Dr. Pinto truly cares for the
of surgery on the spine. Interested primarily
entire patient and uses his expertise to identify every
in Adult Degenerative spine issues as well as
individual’s unique medical needs.
in Spinal Trauma, Dr. Pinto offers expertise
Raised in Michigan, Dr. Pinto attended
in both Minimally Invasive and traditional
Hillsdale College before moving on to the
“open” decompression and reconstructive spine
University of Michigan Medical School at Ann
procedures. With a down-to-earth personality
Arbor where he completed his residency in
and a friendly bedside manner, Dr. Pinto breaks
Orthopedic Surgery. Within orthopedics, Dr. Pinto
the typical mold of a spine surgeon. Combining
was immediately drawn to the unique diagnostic
cutting-edge techniques with proven traditional
and surgical challenges of spine surgery. A
methods, Dr. Pinto serves patients throughout
desire to further sharpen his skills brought him
southeast Louisiana from offices in Slidell,
to southeast Louisiana and Tulane University
Lacombe, Mandeville and Metairie.
School of Medicine’s prestigious Orthopedic Spine
56
Inside Northside
Fellowship program. Here he studied under Dr.
Paradigm Spine and Interventional Pain
Thomas Whitecloud, completing the program in
Medicine is located at 995 Robert Boulevard in
2003. Dr. Pinto was then invited to spend a year
Slidell. To make an appointment, call 718-1274.
of sub-specialty fellowship training in Minimally
paradigmhealth.net.
Life is Why. Go Red is How.
A woman you know and love may be affected by cardiovascular disease— at any age. It is the Number 1 killer of women, nationally and in Louisiana, claiming the lives of 1 in 3 women. In fact, heart disease now claims more lives than all cancers combined. On February 1, 2019, the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women® movement will celebrate the Annual National Wear Red Day. Women can raise awareness of their Number 1 killer—heart disease—by wearing red, donating to fund cutting-edge research and life-saving education programs that increase heart disease prevention and reduce heart attacks and making a difference in their community by taking action and volunteering. The Go Red for Women campaign and National Wear Red Day is more than a message. It’s a nationwide movement that celebrates the energy, passion and power we have as women to band together to wipe out heart disease and stroke. It’s an easy, powerful way to spread awareness and support the mission of Go Red for Women, which is to provide them with opportunities to prioritize and take charge of their own health; build communities that support and provide access to healthy choices; demand equal access to healthcare for all women and their families; and increase women in STEM in future generations. Heart disease and stroke claim the life of a woman every 80 seconds. Simply stated, there is no greater killer of American women. We need to rally together as a community to make preventative care of heart disease a top priority. Believing you are low risk for heart disease is not enough for a killer that does not discriminate against age, race, social status, neighborhood or gender. Wear your red on February 1.
For more information or to join us for our Go Red Luncheon on March 29, 2019, please visit the New Orleans Go Red for Women website. January-February 2019 57
Get Fit At Home with Fitness Expo
ANYONE WHO IS IN THE MARKET to get healthy, shed a few pounds or better their health in general owes it to themselves to stop in one of the Fitness Expo locations. Fitness Expo, a local specialty fitness company that specializes in high quality exercise equipment for the home or office, has been in business for 38 years and is the expert in the industry throughout Louisiana and Mississippi. The sales associates have
fitness backgrounds and will consult with the customer to help them find the best product for their needs. Fitness Expo urges customers to not be misled by internet and TV gimmicks. President Rodney Rice Jr. says, “I am amazed by how many people have visited our stores and are so upset by the mistake they have made by either buying online or off a TV infomercial. Today, there are so many
Jackie Crochet, CDE, CPT Program Director
1 WEIGH
1 WEIGH
Weight Management yourWAY Jackie Crochet is a busy medical professional at yourMD™Direct Primary Care in Covington. Yet, she’s always loved fitness and had a dream to combine her career in healthcare with her credentials as a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Now, she’s found a way
lines of exercise equipment that are made overseas and are very low quality. We represent brands that have been around since the beginning of the fitness industry and are very particular about the brands that we carry.” The best brands you can purchase for your home are the same brands that you would see in health club facilities, but they have models specifically for the home. On the Fitness Expo showroom floor, the customer will see Precor, Octane, Matrix, Horizon, BH Fitness, Vision, Lifefitness, Inspire, and Hoist. Rice says, “When you come to our showroom, you will see hundreds of machines. We want you to jump on and try our units to find the machine that will help you reach your goals. Ultimately, the best machine is the one you will use.” The bottom line is, if you are looking for fitness equipment, you owe it to yourself to visit Fitness Expo. With up to thirty-six months and zeropercent options, it is easy to fit any budget. Do not fall for the TV gimmicks or the false advertising of quick fixes. Visit Fitness Expo to experience the very best brands, a broad range of price points, delivery and installation and even service after the sale. There is no reason to shop anywhere else.
to blend her passions with “1 WEIGH”, a weight management and wellness program and her affiliation with yourMD Direct Primary Care. 1 WEIGH plans are designed your way and are developed to manage health and weight. Before starting the program, participants undergo a comprehensive health assessment and medical consultation that includes lab and diagnostics to review cholesterol levels, body mass index, A1C levels, blood pressure and more. Following an initial assessment, an individual plan is designed which incorporates exercise, nutrition, medical monitoring and a personal health coach. “Even though I’ve always been active I’ve struggled with my weight. And working in a family medicine clinic every day, I see so many people that also struggle and the impact it has on their lives,” said Crochet. “I’m more concerned today than ever before because kids and teens are now the fastest segment of the population experiencing health problems due to weight. Being overweight can really affect self-esteem which leads to a totally different set of concerns, so I want to help prevent that by helping teens as well as adults.” 1 Weigh offers flexible plans with Per Session, 30-Day, 90-Day and 6-Month options. To learn more about 1 WEIGH, or for a personal consultation, call 985-273-5100 or email jcrochet@yourmd.org.
1 WEIGH is located at yourMD Direct Primary Care at 141 Lakeview Circle, Suite A, in Covington. www.yourMD.org January-February 2019 59
Flourishes 2
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1. Seasonal arrangements, starting at $65. Florist of Covington, Covington, 892-7701. 2. Bevolo’s Williamsburg Lantern. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lighting, Mandeville, 249-6040 or bevolo.com. 3. Mid-century modern two-tiered brass and glass oval bar serving
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cart. American Factory Direct, Covington, 871-0312. 4. 48” Round Tuscany Cast Aluminum Fire Table, Propane, $1790. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008. 5. Assorted Tabasco products, starting at $9.99. Pat’s Seafood, Covington, 892-7287. 6. Durrance buffet, 44” H x 72” W x 24” D. Customization available. The French Mix, Covington, 809-3152.
January-February 2019 61
Flourishes
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1. Casafina place settings and flatware for the bride; Vietri charger. Mélange by kp, Mandeville, 807-7652. 5
2. Lucaris hand-blown titanium crystal wine glasses, dishwasher safe; some with interior ridges for speedy aeration, $10 to $15 per stem. Barrel Wine, Covington, 272-8485. 3. Georgetown portable rechargeable flame lantern. Gulf Coast Lanterns, Covington, 800-910-3275. 4. Large French Louis XVI 19th century gold-leaf mirror, 83” x 56”. Serendipity, Mandeville, 951-2262. 5. One of many wedding plaques available,
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starting at $18.95. DeLuca’s Jewelry and Gifts, Covington, 892-2317. 6. Curated boxes for brides and bridesmaids, birthday girls and girl get-a-ways or Mardi Gras gifts. On Cloud Nine Boutique, Mandeville, 951-2299. 7. Memoirs Console Table by Kohler; various finishes available. Southland Plumbing, Mandeville, 893-8883.
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January-February 2019 63
Flourishes
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1. Pecan Pralines, a true New Orleans treat, $22. deCoeur Gifts & Home Accessories, Covington, 809-3244. 2. Glass hourglasses. Available in a variety of styles and sizes. Greige, Covington, 875-7575. 3. “Furcedes” dog toy, $18. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045. 4. Drew Brees NFL Passing Yards Record collectible plaque. Mike’s Den, Mandeville, 626-9668. 5. StretchTrainer provides ergonomically correct stretching positions for an effective, seated stretching regimen. Fitness Expo, Metairie, 504-887-0880.
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1. Oval 1 ct ruby and .88 cttw diamond ring with diamond halo and splitshank design, $3,295; sale price, $2,300. Deluca’s Fine Jewelry & Gifts, Covington, 892-2317. 2. Long sleeve black chiffon top and long black skirt with ruffle accent and velvet polka dots accented with VSA necklace. Suella, Covington, 302-5000. 3. Faux-fur shrug with hook-and-ring 7
closures, concealed pockets, $179. The Lifestyle Boutique at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0200. 4. New sun suits and short sets by Beaufort Bonnet Company, $42-$58, Serendipity, Mandeville, 951-2262. 5. Classic nightshirt made of bamboo viscose. Hypoallergenic, anti-bacterial, and adapts to the body’s temperature, $65. The Oasis Day Spa, Mandeville, 624-6772. 6. Black shag fur jacket, $52. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1690 and 809-1789. 7. Our #1 wedge is back for spring, $129. Shoefflé, Covington, 898-6465.
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January-February 2019 67
Flourishes
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1. Embroidered North of Your Expectations Hat, $25. northofyourexpectations.com. 2. Mumbo long-sleeve PJs, 0-3mths to 7/8, $33. Olive Patch, Covington, 327-5772. 3. Elyn Pink Tropics Puffer Vest, $178; Kerah Onyx Long Sleeve Lounge, $78; UPF 50 Onyx Weekender Leggings with a Twist, $68. Palm Village, A Lily Pulitzer Store, Mandeville, 778-2547.
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1. Collarless long jacket with leather finish and ¾ sleeves. Ballin’s Ltd. Covington, 985-892-0025. 2. Reserve 100% genuine leather coat, $750. Travel Tech sweater and sport shirt. Jos. A. Bank, Mandeville, 624-4067. 3. Carryall with leather handles, full-sized zip-out changing station, 5 interior pockets, 2 exterior bottle pockets, multiple carrying options; exclusive prints or color block combos, $169. KiKi & Lolli, Covington, 900-2410. 4. Animal print cashmere sweater. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797. 5. Leopard SeaVees™ Slip on platform sneaker made from raw-edge cowhide, $115. Ballin’s Ltd., Covington, 892-0025. 6. Mardi Gras King Cake pajamas, newborn to 5T, $37. Baby’s Corner, Covington, 892-5300.
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photo courtesy: THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, GIFT OF MAJOR GENERAL AND MRS. GEORGE W. TROUSDALE, 1978.73.2
by Karen B. Gibbs
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AFTER CHARLENE MARY SINCLAIR received her New Orleans tour guide license, she knew, as sure as powdered sugar rains from beignets, that she’d be opening her own business. There was no way she could parrot someone else’s take on the city’s history. So, the petite, high-energy entrepreneur, along with two like-minded partners, opened Hidden Treasures of New Orleans tour company, which she operated until Katrina. Her tours featured not only the founding fathers, entrepreneurs and war heroes, but also the women who made their mark on the Crescent City. She extolled women like Margaret Gaffney Haughery, who was a personal favorite. “What this woman did was inspirational,” says Charlene. “I knew the city was blessed with many such remarkable women and wanted to tell my customers (90 percent of whom were women) about these New Orleans heroines.” Here, Inside Publications joins Charlene in celebrating the strong, gutsy and resilient women of New Orleans-past who made a difference in The Big Easy when making a difference wasn’t so easy at all.
During the 1897 yellow fever epidemic, she converted the Camp Street schoolhouse into a distribution center for food, clothes and medicine. This act of charity left her without sufficient money to pay the mortgage on the school. However, thanks to a benevolent banker and two wealthy supporters, she was able to keep the school. After the epidemic, attendance at the free night school soared from 300 to 1,200 in one year. Sophie’s school did not offer a token education but instead taught subjects like calculus, algebra, mechanical drawing, shorthand and bookkeeping. In the early 1900s, Sophie turned her attention to crippled children and opened the first public home for disabled orphans. She also advocated for two disparate but important causes: more public playgrounds and prison reform.
photo courtesy: HE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, GIFT OF MRS. WILLIAM FRANCIS SCHEYD, ACC. NO. 1989.14 A,B
Sophie Bell Wright (1866 - 1912) Sophie Bell Wright was born in 1866 in post-Civil War New Orleans. Her parents, once prosperous, had been left impoverished by the war. At age three, Sophie injured her back and hips in an accident and spent the next seven years in a wheelchair. This kept her from attending school until she was ten. Wise beyond her years and appreciating the value of education, she opened the Day School for Girls in her family home on Coliseum Square when she was only fourteen. She charged fifty cents a month for the classes, which covered academic material through eighth grade. In time, she expanded the school to include boarders. Sophie herself continued studying and eventually became a teacher in the public school while maintaining her own day school. In the 1880s, when child labor was commonplace, Sophie opened the first free night school to afford working children an opportunity to get an education. She knew that education was the antidote to poverty. When the school outgrew its original space in her home, Sophie relocated to 1400 Camp Street, which was closer to the factories, mills and shops where the children worked.
Deservedly, in 1904, Sophie became the first woman to receive the Daily Picayune Loving Cup for philanthropic work. In addition to the award, Sophie received a gift from grateful New Orleanians: a check for $10,000, enough to pay off the mortgage on her school. In 1912, the city of New Orleans made history by naming a public building after a woman, Sophie B. Wright. The building, a modern public high school for girls, is still in operation today. Remarkably, Sophie accomplished all these feats before the age of 46 when she passed away.
Margaret Gaffney Haughery (1813-1882)
Opposite: Sophie B.
Margaret was a young Irish orphan who married Charles Haughery in her homeland in 1835. The couple immigrated to the United States and lived >>
Wright. Above: Margaret Haughery.
January-February 2019 73
Almonaster Pontalba. 74
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Baroness Micaela Almonaster Pontalba (1795-1874) Micaela was the daughter of Andres Almonaster y Rojas, a wealthy man whose land holdings flanked the town square, now Jackson Square. He must have been an influential man because he’s one of the few lay people buried in St. Louis Cathedral. As was the custom in those days, Almonaster arranged the marriage of Micaela to her wealthy cousin, Joseph Celestine Pontalba. Considering Almonaster’s wealth, the small dowry he gave was a disappointment to the Pontalbas. Like other well-to-do New Orleanians, the young couple spent summers in Europe to escape yellow fever. During these visits, they lived in the Pontalba family château. Despite having five children together, theirs was not the happiest of unions. It is rumored that Joseph was a bit on the wimpy side, while Micaela, on the other hand, was strong-willed and
photo courtesy: THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, 1974.25.27.358
Baroness Micaela
in Baltimore, where their first child was born. Unfortunately, Charles was a frail man and the cold weather proved too much for him. Consequently, they relocated to New Orleans, but Charles became ill. Leaving Mary and their infant daughter, Frances, in New Orleans, he returned to Ireland to regain his strength but died shortly after. Months later, baby Frances died, too. Despite the anti-Irish sentiment that prevailed in New Orleans during this time, Margaret held her head high. Through the kindness of a priest, Fr. Mullen, she found work as a laundress and chambermaid at the St. Charles Hotel, now known as Place St. Charles. During that time, she met Sr. Regis of the Sisters of Charity and volunteered to help her with the orphans. Indeed, Margaret Haughery did more than simply help; she contributed most of her earnings to care for these children. When they needed more space, Margaret convinced the owner of a dilapidated house in the Lower Garden District to donate it as an orphanage, promising that she’d fix it up. Incredibly, the house still
stands on Margaret Place, across from the monument that was erected to Margaret in 1884—the oldest monument in the South honoring a woman. After securing a home for the orphans, Margaret set about to nourish them. First, she begged for three-day-old produce so the children could have fruits and vegetables. Then, she bought two dairy cows to supply the orphans with milk. Over time, the herd grew to forty, and Margaret opened a dairy. Because of tuberculosis and yellow fever, the number of orphans increased. This prompted Margaret to use proceeds from the dairy to help build St. Vincent de Paul Orphanage for Infants on Race and Magazine Streets. She then built Margaret’s Steam and Mechanical Bakery—one of the first in the South— where she baked bread for the children and the poor. It’s reputed that, during her lifetime, this industrious, hard-working woman earned over $609,000, almost all of which she gave to help orphans and the needy. Generous to others but frugal with herself, Margaret owned only one shawl and two dresses. When she died in 1882, she left $30,000 to charity in a will that she signed with a simple “X.” Unbelievably, Margaret accomplished all of this without being able to read or write. She was so beloved by the people of New Orleans that the city closed down for her funeral and the governor and the mayor served as pall bearers.
businesslike. Joseph’s father so disliked Micaela that one day he entered her chamber and shot her. Micaela must have raised her hand in defense because the bullets severed four fingers on her left hand. When she fell to the floor, the elder Pontalba presumed she was dead. Despondent, he killed himself. Micaela, however, survived. After being nursed back to health by her husband, she returned to New Orleans. There, she set about beautifying the town square and constructing the Pontalba Buildings, the first apartment buildings in the United States. These two-story edifices followed a style popular in France, with shops on the first floor and apartments above. The cast iron railings, with their distinctive “AP” embellishments, are as lovely today as they were back then. A tough boss, Micaela hired architects James Gallier and Henry Howard, but she then fired them over a mere $200 and assumed the job of overseeing construction herself. Though scandalous, she climbed the scaffolding to supervise workers, not caring that she was exposing her pantaloons to all below. Micaela invited Jenny Lind, aka the Swedish Nightingale, to stay at the apartments while Lind performed at the city’s French Opera House. On one particular evening, over 10,000 people waited below the balcony, hoping to see the world-famous singer. Capitalizing on her guest’s visit, Micaela later sold items that Jenny Lind was supposed to have touched in the apartment, tripling her original investment. When Micaela died in 1874, she was the wealthiest woman in New Orleans. Note: When she was sixteen, Micaela spurned one suitor—none other than the wealthy John McDonogh—telling him that Americans were not worthy of marrying into her family. This grieved >> January-February 2019 75
McDonogh, who was determined to produce a legacy that outshone hers. And he did. He left the city of New Orleans enough money to build thirty public schools for the education of poor white and freed black children.
Myra Clark Gaines (1806-1885) Myra is famous for being the center of the longest court case ever fought in the United States, a fifty-plus-year battle for her inheritance. Myra’s father, Daniel Clark, was a businessman and the first congressman from the Territory of Orleans. He fell in love with and secretly married Zulime Carriere, a “woman of color.” When Zulime gave birth to Myra, Clark asked his friends, Col. and Mrs. Samuel Davis, to
rear her as their own child. He allegedly did this to preserve his political career. At the time of Clark’s death in August 1813, he’d left two wills. The first, dated 1810, gave everything to his mother; the second, a handwritten will dated July 1813, left everything to Myra. After his death, the second will mysteriously disappeared, and the first will was probated. It wasn’t until she was planning her marriage to attorney William Whitney that Myra discovered Clark was her real father. With Whitney’s help, she then filed suit to collect her rightful inheritance. Unfortunately, Whitney died before the case was settled. Myra then married another attorney, who further financed her quest to prove her legitimacy.
photo courtesy: THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, 1989.91.67
Myra Clark Gaines.
Because Louisiana law did not allow illegitimate children to inherit from their father, Myra could only lay claim to her rightful inheritance by proving her parents were legally married. In 1885, Myra died without gaining what was rightfully hers. Four years later, the Louisiana Supreme Court upheld the legitimacy of Daniel Clark’s written will and awarded Myra’s heirs over $500,000. Unfortunately, after paying legal fees, the family was left with just a pittance.
Eliza Poitevent Nicholson (1843-1896) In 1870, at the age of twenty-seven, Eliza Jane Poitevent left her affluent family’s home in the piney woods of Pearlington, Mississippi, to work as a writer in New Orleans. At first, her literary career consisted of submitting poems to the Picayune, but, before long,
she was hired as the paper’s literary editor. As the first professional woman journalist in the South, she shocked her family, who thought women should be in the home and not in the workplace. Perhaps another shocker came when Eliza fell in love with the owner of the Picayune, Colonel Alva Holbrook, a divorced man who was thirty-five years her senior. Unfortunately for Eliza, the marriage angered Holbrook’s ex-wife, who, in a jealous rage, tried to kill Eliza. After two errant gunshots and a headbeating, Eliza was saved by a neighbor. While the former Mrs. Holbrook didn’t end Eliza’s life, the national coverage of the event so upset Eliza that she quit working at the Picayune. Later, Colonel Holbrook sold the newspaper but bought it back at an inflated cost after the new owners ran it into the ground. Unfortunately, the Colonel died in 1896 before he could pay off
the debt, leaving Eliza with a dying newspaper and lots of IOUs. Determined to resurrect the flailing publication, Eliza took over as publisher and transformed the Picayune from a gentleman’s paper into a family-friendly publication that included a society column, a literary section (where Eliza wrote poetry under the pen name Pearl Rivers), weather, a Children’s Corner, a special Carnival edition, cartoons and regular news. Readers loved the new format and circulation tripled. This delighted business manager George Nicholson, who took a shine to the new publisher and married her in 1878, eighteen months after Holbrook died. As the first woman in the United States to own a major newspaper, Eliza open the doors of opportunity to other women (including noted advice columnist Elizabeth Meriwether Gilmer, aka Dorothy Dix) and >>
astounded co-workers by paying men and women employees the same wages. An excellent manager, she upgraded presses and joined the Associated Press. She also wrote editorials advocating for women’s rights to equal pay, better public schools, animal rights and honesty in government. She founded the first SPCA in Louisiana, and in 1884, she became the first president of the National Woman’s Press Association. In 1896, Eliza died of influenza. Her husband, George, preceded her in death by a mere eleven days. Impressively, the Nicholson family ran the Picayune until 1962, when they sold it to a national syndicate.
Elizabeth Magnus Cohen (1820 - 1921) Born on February 22, 1820, in New York City, Elizabeth Cohen was reared and educated in New York. She married Aaron Cohen, a doctor, and, although this union produced five children, only one lived to adulthood. The untimely death of their youngest from measles inspired Elizabeth to become a doctor, too, so that she could “help mothers keep their little ones well.” When her husband decided to move to New Orleans to study surgery in 1853, Elizabeth wanted to join him, but Louisiana did not have a medical 78
Inside Northside
photo courtesy: THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION, GIFT OF MRS. ASHTON FISCHER AND MRS. CARL CORBIN, 1981.369.42
Eliza Poitevent Nicholson.
school for women. Instead, she enrolled in Penn Medical University, one of the first medical schools to accept women. After graduating fifth in her class of thirty-six women, she joined her husband in New Orleans in 1857, the first woman and the fourteenth doctor to practice medicine in Louisiana. Undaunted by the typhoid, small pox and yellow fever epidemics that besieged the city, Elizabeth set up practice on Lee Circle. Although her calling card read “Doctor for Ladies Only,” Elizabeth cared for children, too. At the time, it was thought improper for a woman doctor to treat a man. This prejudice against women in medicine manifested itself in the city’s directory, too, where Elizabeth was listed as “midwife” for the first ten years of her practice. For a couple of years, she was elevated to “doctress,” regarded as less than a doctor. It wasn’t until she’d been in practice for twenty years that Elizabeth Cohen was finally referred to as “doctor” in the directory. Nevertheless, Elizabeth was considered an expert in treating typhoid and other fevers. A leading surgeon, she boasted that she never lost a patient. In addition to medical accomplishments, she also supported movements for women to get an education and to be given the right to vote. In 1887, after the death of her husband and her remaining child, Elizabeth retired from practice. She moved into the Touro Home for the Aged and Infirm, where she ran the sewing and linen room until her death in 1921 at the age of 101. She is buried in the Gates of Prayer Cemetery on Canal Street. Grateful acknowledgement to Women and New Orleans: A History by Mary Gehman and the Historic New Orleans Collection. January-February 2019 79
Generous Hearts by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois
Above: Kyle and Kendra France with Julia and her mother, Dann. Right: The Ochir family. 80
IRONICALLY, MY SERIES ON PHILANTHROPY on the northshore has long been titled “Generous Hearts.” This story, perhaps more than any, fits that description in a very special way. With that said, I apologize in advance for the heart puns. They are just painfully easy in this compelling story… How far would you go to save a child’s life? I start with this very weighty question, like one you have to answer in some emotional truth-or-dare game. For some of us, that answer would take hours, weeks or even years to truthfully respond. But for Kendra and Kyle France, the answer to that question has evolved in real life and in real time. Not in a weekend game of “what if” or “have you ever” … Like many good people in our region, Kendra and Kyle are active and generous supporters of several nonprofits in our community. Their names appear on the wish lists of nonprofit staff near and far. And so, when the leaders of HeartGift brought their mission to Louisiana in 2010, the Frances were on their list as well. But something about this mission touched the hearts of Kendra and Kyle differently, so they generously offered to host a reception in their home to introduce the organization and its heartfelt mission to family and friends. Forgiveness please for puns
Inside Northside
numbers one and two. The mission is simple: HeartGift brings children from around the world to Louisiana to have corrective heart surgery at Children’s Hospital—the kind of surgery that is accessible and, dare I say, common for us in America. While Children’s Hospital routinely provides this type of care to children in Louisiana, the kids born with heart defects living in 93 percent of the rest of the world have no access to this specialized medical care. So back to the soirée at Kendra and Kyle’s house where they welcomed 4-year old Julia and her mother, Dann, from the Philippines, to their home as the stars of their party. There, Dann shared her struggles with Julia’s diagnosis, the challenges of finding help, and her gratitude for Julia’s now-healthy heart and the limitless future for her daughter. Kendra and Kyle were hooked. Six months later, Kendra and Kyle were ready to open their hearts (pun number three) and welcomed
photos courtesy: NORTHSHORE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
HeartGift
“their” child. In addition to providing medical care, HeartGift recruits volunteers to provide housing, transportation, translation when needed, meals and companionship during what would otherwise be a lonely and frightening time. The Frances agreed to be a host family for a HeartGift child, and in October 2012, 6-month-old Ochir and his mother, Sunder, arrived. Ochir was born with a hole in his heart (ventricular septal defect) in a country with no ability to fix this life-threatening problem. Fortunately for him, his mother knew how to find help. Following his diagnosis, Sunder began immediately searching online. She appealed to many organizations, including HeartGift, for help. In July 2012, she received the answer she was praying for. Ochir had been accepted and would come to New Orleans for care. The Frances opened their home and their hearts, (okay, I’ll stop) to their new friends from Mongolia. They became Sunder’s family and support through pre-op visits, surgery and the tiring days of recovery following surgery at Children’s Hospital. Once he was discharged from the hospital, Ochir and Sunder spent a few more weeks recovering with the Frances in Covington. As in many cases with HeartGift, these few short weeks together were just the beginning of a lifelong friendship. The Frances are able to frequently communicate with Sunder and have watched Ochir grow up on Facebook. They are currently planning a trip to Mongolia so he can see his “American parents” again. HeartGift continued to grow and expand over the next several years, and this year, the organization has two special reasons to celebrate. The 50th child to receive surgery in Louisiana was treated in September and is now home in Kosovo and healthy. Additionally, Children’s Hospital has agreed to significantly increase the scope of their partnership with HeartGift and serve even more HeartGift kids next year and beyond. While the hospital is going through their own expansion project, they have invited HeartGift to grow with them. It is in these exciting times for HeartGift that Kendra has agreed to take on an even bigger role with HeartGift—to serve as the Louisiana board chair beginning in January. She is excited to share HeartGift with other northshore residents and hopes to involve more as host families, donors and volunteers. She is also planning a new fun and casual event this spring. “Crawfish and Cornhole – Toss for HeartGift” will be held March 22 in the Sanctuary. More information about HeartGift is available at HeartGift.org. January-February 2019 81
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during her first week of graduate school. Claire is now seven; she is also dyslexic and attends regular therapy sessions with Sally Gerstner. Beacom is now a nationally certified dyslexia therapist (CALT) and a special education teacher at Whispering Forest in Slidell. She is passionate about conducting professional development programs for faculty to educate them on dyslexia. She advocates for legislative change and says her goal is to see effective therapy offered within the regular school day for dyslexic children. She encourages educational leaders to recognize the need that she sees in our parish. “It’s not going to be overnight. But we are making ourselves known. We have a great group of professionals in place that are ready to go.” Ceuvas echoed Beacom’s passion at the awareness event during her time up at the podium. She challenged educational leaders to help affect change at the state level. She believes children should be screened for dyslexia well before second grade, that early education teachers should be taught more about the disorder through professional development so they can spot the warning signs earlier and that better screening tools should be used in Louisiana because many students are falling through the cracks. “I also believe dyslexic kids should receive therapy during school, just like speech or occupational therapy,” she asserts. “The St. Tammany Parish School Board’s district theme this year is ‘We Will.’ But when it comes to dyslexic students, I ask, ‘Will we?’” For more information on dyslexia, visit dyslexiaida.com. To find local therapists, visit the Northshore Dyslexia Therapy and Southern Roots Dyslexia Therapy groups on Facebook. 82
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M A R R I A G E A N D L O V E I N
Davisson-Atkinson
Christina Davisson and Will Atkinson exchanged vows at The White
Magnolia in Kentwood. As the Original Magnolia String Quartet played, Christina graced the aisle in an elegant lace gown carrying an abundant bouquet of lavender, white and burgundy flowers with greenery. Her maids dressed in a mix of lavender and burgundy, and the groomsmen donned classic slate grey suits. Hanna Davison stood as the bride’s maid of honor and tree for unity. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed delicious cuisine by Bayou Bistro and a beautiful cake accented by cascading flowers by The Cocoa Bean. After dancing the night away with DJ Chad Pierce, the couple exited with a sparkler send off. The happy newlyweds honeymooned in Ireland before returning home to Mandeville. 84
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photos: CAROLYNN SEIBERT
Micah Atkinson as best man. Adding to the event, the couple planted an olive
INside Peek
photo: JOEY MICHEL
Men Who Cook
The sixth annual Men Who Cook competition was the most successful ever, raising $300,000 to support the mission of The Children’s Advocacy Center-Hope House in fighting child sexual abuse and serving victims in St. Tammany and Washington parishes. The event also generated a two-year $50,000 annual endowment to help secure the agency’s future. “Our children and our communities are the real winners in this year’s competition,” Executive Director Thomas Mitchell said. “We are just so humbled and fortunate to have such strong community support.” Not only was the event historic for the amount of funds raised, but attendance records also were shattered, as more than 750 attendees mingled, danced, and tasted their way through the delightful evening.
photos courtesy: ST. PAUL’S
St. Paul’s Jazz ‘N Roll Original art by local artists, collectable sports memorabilia, a second line by the St. Paul’s Marching Wolves Brass band, laughter and libations filled the night air at the 29th annual Jazz ‘N Roll. Profits from the party-with-apurpose are used to support a number of programs vital to the quality education of students and faculty, including VEX Robotics, Habitat for Humanity, Wolves on Wheels, and continuing education for faculty. Capital improvements, such as the newly renovated Benilde Hall, receive funding from this signature event, providing students with a college-style union area and the religion, Spanish, and media departments with state-of-the-art classrooms. January-February 2019 85
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5 1. Three Rivers Art Festival concluding with a Meet the Artist Awards party. 2. The Greater Hammond Chamber and the Hammond Garden Club presented the December Link Award to One Thirteen restaurant in Hammond. From left to right: Linda Ross, Bryan Wong, Dr. Rusty Mayer, Jason Wilson, Jewel Jamal and Lee Collins, Mark Hughes, Julie Perise and William Mealer. 3. Three-year-old Ethan Lee appreciates time spent with Santa’s elf, Kristen Ahrend, at North Oaks’ Annual NICU Graduates Reunion. 4. Lacey Toledano, Commissioner of Insurance Jim Donelon and Rhonda Bagby at the St. Tammany West Chamber of Commerce Commissioner of Insurance Luncheon. 5. The St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court staff celebrating the holidays. 86
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INside Peek Franco’s Holiday Market Franco’s Health Club and Spa presented the annual two-day Holiday Market gathering the area’s best boutiques. Guests shopped local with Paisley Boutique, Baby’s Corner, The Denim Bar, ShopElle, Cameo Boutique, Serendipity Children and Home, Simply In Joy, Learning Express Toys of Mandeville, Ruby Ribbon, Kent Jacob Salon, O Spa at Franco’s Athletic Club, Tasc Performance MoveMe Fashion and more! Cocktails and champagne were enjoyed as shoppers browsed fashion, home décor, jewelry, art and gifts.
photo courtesy: KELLY KICKING CANCER
Kelly Kicking Cancer Gala The 2018 Kelly Kicking Cancer Gala kicked off with Fox 8’s meteorologist Shelby Latino introducing Larry O’Mahoney, who thanked everyone for coming and showed a brief video of Kelly’s story. Comedian Marvin Lee, a recurring character on the Walking Dead, performed a routine that had everyone laughing. In addition to entertainment, a silent auction, wine pull and Kendra Scott jewelry pull were enjoyed by guests. As an all-volunteer organization, Kelly Kicking Cancer depends on dedicated volunteers’ time and effort. To date, the foundation has awarded $132,000 in research funds and another $9,000 in scholarships. The Kelly C. O’Mahoney Memorial Scholarship is awarded to a young woman from Louisiana who earns the Girl Scout Gold Award, and the Kelly C. O’Mahoney Soccer Scholarship goes to a young woman from St. Tammany Parish who is going on to play NCAA or NAIA college soccer. The other funds go directly to advanced brain cancer research. January-February 2019 87
INside Peek An Evening with Suzanne Kasler
Greige Home Interiors hosted a book signing with Suzanne Kasler for her latest publication, Suzanne Kasler: Sophisticated Simplicity. An evening of libations and hors d’oeuvres added to the celebration of Suzanne’s book. Proceeds from the sale of Sophisticated Simplicity benefited James Storehouse, a 501(c)(3) community-based non-profit. James Storehouse partners with local public and private child welfare agencies to fulfill emergency requests to expedite safe placement of babies and children and to assist aged-out youth as they transition.
Over 9,000 kids of all ages came out to trick-or-treat at Lakeview Regional Medical Center for the 9th annual spooktacular Boo Fest. The event benefits ACCESS (Adapting and Changing Children’s Environments with Successful Solutions), a locally founded non-profit fund of the Northshore Community Foundation. This popular northshore event once again benefitted children with disabilities and their families and was open to children of all abilities to enjoy the fall-themed activities, including pumpkin decorating at the pumpkin patch, face painting, allabilities games, music and dancing. 88
Inside Northside
photos courtesy: LRMC
Boo Fest
photos courtesy: WYES
WYES It’s 5 O’Clock Somewhere Supporters of public television station WYES wore their favorite island attire during a laid-back evening of great food and live music at the Covington home of Allyson and Mike Sanderson. The event, presented by LCI Workers’ Comp, also included a silent auction which featured weekend getaways, sunset cruises, and much more. All proceeds benefit WYES’ mission of serving greater New Orleans, Southeast Louisiana and the Mississippi Gulf Coast with educational, entertaining and enlightening programming. January-February 2019 89
INside Peek
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3 1. Parish President Pat Brister speaking at St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s groundbreaking ceremony
for the hospital’s next expansion.
2. Cami Fenn and Victoria Ellinghausen helping end hunger with Feed the Children and PepsiCo. 3. St. Paul’s students Paxton Ballard, Paul Stolin, Michael Oubre and Abhijay Purohit with Dr. Oubre, founder of the Pontchartrain Cancer Center, who spoke on the dangers of e-cigarettes. 4. Willie Paretti, Norma Richard and Susan Bonnett Bourgeois at the Southern 4
Hotel’s Holiday Tea. 5. A festive group enjoying
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the Tea. 6. Nicole Allison, Holley Haag, Dawn Gallo and Cindi Shields at You Night St. Tammany. 7. Nancy Thayer, Lisa McKenzie and Elaine Roark. 8. Covington Mayor Mike Cooper after speaking to Covington Boy Scouts about the importance of service to the community. 9. Renee Cheek, Barbara Roscoe, Tammy O’Shea and Lee Amburgery enjoying
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photo: HAROLD SPINNER
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photo: HAROLD SPINNER
the Harvest Cup Polo Classic at Summergrove Farm in Folsom.
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photos courtesy: CULICCHIA NEUROLOGICAL CLINIC
Robert C. Dawson Aneurysm Lectureship True to its mission of furthering brain aneurysm research and support, Brain Support NOLA was delighted to announce the establishment of the Robert C. Dawson Aneurysm Lectureship Fund at the LSU Health Department of Neurosurgery. The fund was set up in honor of Dr. Robert Dawson, a clinical professor at the department in New Orleans and interventional neuroradiologist at Culicchia Neurological Clinic. Brain Support Nola sponsors the Aces Against Aneurysms tennis tournaments at Pelican Athletic Club in Mandeville, now in its 10th year. This year’s ladies’ tourney is April 15, 2019.
photos courtesy: STPH
Monster Mash The 30th Anniversary of Monster Mash benefiting the STPH Parenting Center took place on Oct. 20 at Bogue Falaya Park. This year’s event was presented by Metairie Bank Northshore, and more than $75,000 was raised to support the vital programs and services offered to families in our community for little or no cost by the Parenting Center. For more information about the STPH Parenting Center, visit stph.org/ParentingCenter.
January-February 2019 91
IN Great Taste by Yvette Jemison
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Cozy and Warming Soup DON’T YOU JUST LOVE a cozy bowl of soup on a chilly day? This recipe is cold-weather friendly and filled with layers of flavor as the onions, broth and butter slowly transform into a satisfying soup. The bottom has caramelized onions in a flavorful broth. It is topped with a toasty crouton that has gooey swirls of Gruyère cheese and smoked paprika. I don’t know which I most enjoy, the luxurious soup or the rich crouton. Be sure to make extra croutons because your family will enjoy snacking on them long after the soup has disappeared.
With a few simple tweaks, this recipe can be a great gluten-free or vegetarian dish. Easily make this gluten free by using a gluten-free stock and Udi’s Gluten Free Baguettes for the croutons. For a filling vegetarian dish, use a vegetable stock instead of chicken stock. If Vidalia onions aren’t available, substitute another sweet onion variety or simply use yellow onions. The soup gets its rich taste from the caramelized onions, so you won’t sacrifice taste with any of these adjustments.
Vidalia Onion Soup with Gruyère Croutons Servings: 8 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup olive oil 5 lbs. of Vidalia or sweet onions, about 12 cups cut into 1-inch rings 2/3 cup Cognac 1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) chicken stock 2 teaspoons kosher salt 1 teaspoon black pepper French baguette, cut into 1-inch photos: YVETTE JEMISON
thick slices 6 oz. Gruyère cheese, shredded Smoked paprika Special equipment: extra-large, heavy-bottom pot
1. In an extra-large, heavybottom pot on medium heat, add butter and olive oil until butter is melted. 2. Add onions and stir to separate and coat the rings. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are browned and translucent, about 45 minutes. 3. Add Cognac and simmer on low, uncovered, until liquid evaporates and onions are softened, about 30 minutes.
4. Add stock, salt and pepper and simmer for 30 minutes. 5. Preheat oven to 400°. Place baguette slices on baking sheet. Top with Gruyère cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake until cheese is melted, about 5 minutes. Serve bowls of Vidalia onion soup topped with a Gruyère crouton. We’d like to see your version. Share your creation by tagging us on Instagram at @insidenorthside. For more recipes, go to YDelicacies.com, or follow on Instagram at y_delicacies. January-February 2019 93
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INside Dining MCC: Major credit cards accepted ME: Menu Express delivery RR: Reservations recommended ABITA SPRINGS Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 892-5837. Good fun and great beer. On the Trace. Lunch, dinner. abitabrewpub.com. MCC. Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St., 400-5025. Open 7 days a week. MCC.
809-6313. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. thecamelliacafe. com. MCC.
Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 809-3880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks. Lunch, dinner. MCC. Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 871-6674. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. Kids eat free every Wednesday! Private events and catering also provided. carretasgrill.com. MCC. CC’s Coffee House, 1331 N Hwy pastries and more. Open 7 days a week. Easy drive thru. ccscoffee.com. MCC. The Chimes, 19130 W. Front St.,
Mama D’s Pizza & More, 22054 Hwy. 59, 809-0308. Lunch, dinner. mamadspizza.com. COVINGTON Abita Roasting Company, 1011 Village Walk, 246-3345. abitaroasting.com. Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Lunch, dinner. mamdspizza.com. MCC. Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292. Mediterranean cuisine. albashabr.com. MCC. Annadele’s Plantation, 71518 Chestnut St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic lamb & much more. annadeles.com. MCC, checks. bacobar, 70437 LA-21, 893-2450. International street food with South Louisiana soul. bacobarnola.com. MCC. Barrel Wine Bar, 69305 LA 21, Ste. E, 272-8485. Wine, small plates and more. Live music Tuesdays and Thursdays. MCC. Bear’s Restaurant, 128 W. 21st St., 892-2373. Best po-boys in the world. MCC. Beck ‘n’ Call Cafe, 534 N. New Hampshire, 985-875-9390. Lunch Cafe, Breakfast. MCC.
Inside Northside
803-8368. Hamburgers. MCC.
190., 900-2241. Catering, coffee,
Camellia Café, 69455 Hwy. 59,
94
Bud’s Broiler, 1250 N. US 190, 985-
892-5396. Catering, Sunday brunch, daily lunch specials, 72 beers on tap. Lunch and dinner. chimesbeeru.com. MCC. Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 8936158. Soup and salad specialists. coffeerani.com. MCC. Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill, 434 N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Lunch, dinner. covingtontaproom. com. MCC, ME. Copeland’s. 680 N. US 190, 985809-9659. Creole. MCC. RR. Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190, 892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. thedakotarestaurant.com. MCC, RR. Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine. delportoristorante.com. MCC, RR. Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, 69292 Hwy. 21, 871-2225. Locally-owned and -operated franchise. Kids eat free on Sundays. MCC. DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Columbia St., Ste. C, 875-0160. Italian and seafood. dicristinas.com. MCC. DiMartino’s, 700 S. Tyler St., 2766460. Great food and reasonable
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prices. Lunch, dinner. dimartinos.com.
892-0708. Breakfast, lunch, dinner.
809-0250. Chicken fingers, crinkle-cut
Salty Joe’s BBQ, 43344 S. Range Rd,
MCC.
MCC, checks.
fries, coleslaw, texas toast, signature
956-7099. New southern BBQ.,daily
secret dipping sauce. Dine-in, to-go
specials, lunch and dinner. MCC.
Don’s Seafood Hut, 126 Lake
McAlister’s Deli, 206 Lake Dr., Ste.
Dr., 327-7111. Lunch and dinner.
15, 898-2800. Great sandwiches,
donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.
salads, overstuffed potatoes.
Rob’s Rockin’ Dogs, 400 N. Theard St,
Thomas St., 350-6100. Pizza, pastas.
mcalistersdeli.com. MCC, checks.
234-9201. Gourmet hotdogs, pet friendly
Lunch, dinner. tommysonthomas.com.
restaurant. robsrockindogs.com. MCC.
MCC, checks.
The English Tea Room, 734
and catering. MCC. Tommy’s on Thomas, 216 W.
Rutland St., 898-3988. Breakfast,
Megumi of Covington,
lunch, high tea. Mon-Sat, 9am-6pm.
1211 Village Walk, 893-0406.
Sala Thai, 315 N. Vermont St., 249-
Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600.
englishtearoom.com. MCC, RR.
megumirestaurant.net.
6990. Sun-Thurs, 11am-9pm; Fri-Sat,
Contemporary delights. topela.com.
11am-10pm.Lunch buffet weekdays,
MCC.
Fat Spoon Café, 2807 N Highway
Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers,
190., 893-5111. Breakfast, Lunch,
1645 Hwy. 190, 327-5407. Salads,
Tues-Sun. 7am-2pm. Breakfast
pizzas, calzones. 20 craft beers on
Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St.,
345-1112. A great place to start your
severed until 10:30 on weekdays and
tap. Open 7 days a week. Lunch and
898-2166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs.
day. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.
all day Saturday and Sunday. Reserve
dinner. MCC. mellowmushroom.com.
sweetdaddysbarbq.com. MCC, ME.
Mugshots Grill & Bar, 300
TCBY, 70488 Hwy 21, 892-9000 tcby.
Sal & Judy’s, 27491 Hwy. 190, 882-
River Highlands Blvd., 893-2422.
com. MCC.
9443. Veal is the house specialty.
11am-3pm. salathaibysu.com. MCC. Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St.,
Fat Spoon Café for your next party. fatspooncafe.com. MCC. Gallagher’s Grill, 509 S. Tyler
LACOMBE
mugshotsgrillandbar.com.
salandjudys.com. MCC, RR. Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515
St., 892-9992. Lunch, Tues-Sat 11:30am-2:30pm. Dinner, 5-9:30pm.
New Orleans Food and Spirits, 208
E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban
gallaghersgrill.com. MCC.
Lee Ln., 875-0432. Family owned and
sandwiches and more. vazquezpoboy.
Abita Roasting Company, 504
operated. neworleansfoodspirits.com.
com. MCC, checks, ME.
Water St., 246-3340. abitaroasting.
Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food,
MCC.
MADISONVILLE
com. Yujin Japanese Restaurant and
200 River Highlands Blvd., 327-7420. Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery
Sushi Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire
Crabby Shack & Po-Boys, 305
The Green House Salad Co, 104
and Cafè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste.
St., 809-3840. MCC.
LA-21, 845-2348. Fresh Louisiana
Lake Dr, 898-6380. Signature salads
5, 893-1488. Full service, year-round
made to order. MCC.
bakery. Luncheon salads, panini,
Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr.,
catering, donuts, kingcakes, cupcakes
327-0520. Inspired American food.
Habanero’s, 69305 Highway 21,
and wedding cakes. Tues-Sun, open
zearestaurants.com. MCC.
Ste. 600, 871-9760. Daily specials,
at 7am. nonnarandazzo.com. MCC.
seafood dishes and New Orleans
Osaka West, 804 N. US 190, 871-
Brady’s, 110 SW Railroad Ave., 542-
8199. Japanese. MCC.
6333. bradysdowntown.com.
5252. Dine in or carry out. italianpie.
Ox Lot 9, 428 E Boston St., 400-
Don’s Seafood & Steak House,
com. MCC, checks.
5663. Hotel. Dinner, Sunday brunch.
1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550.
oxlot9.com. MCC.
donsseafoodonline.com. MCC.
com. MCC.
Keith Young’s Steakhouse, 165 Hwy. 21, 845-9940. Lunch, dinner,
HAMMOND
happy hour 2-6. habaneroscuisine.
neighborhood favorites .MCC.
Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 871-
Tues-Fri. keithyoungs.net. MCC. Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar, 702 Water St., 845-4970. Lunch,
La Carreta Authentic Mexican
dinner. MCC, checks. Orlando’s, 304 Hwy. 22 West, 985845-4446. Seafood. MCC.
Cuisine, 812 Hwy. 190, 624-
Pardos, 69305 Hwy. 21, 893-3603.
Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St., 542-
2990. Festive Mexican atmosphere,
Lunch, Tues-Fri; Dinner, Tues-Sun;
0043. Fresh fish, small plate classics,
fresh food from traditional recipes,
Happy hour, Tues-Fri, 4-7pm. Private
house cut steaks, Sunday brunch.
Another Broken Egg Cafe, 1901 US
outstanding service and value. Live
parties and catering. pardosbistro.
jacmelinn.com. MCC.
190, #7, 985-951-2246. Breakfast.
music. Lunch and dinner seven days a
com. MCC.
MANDEVILLE
MCC. Kirin Sushi, 223 S. Cate St., 542-
week. carretasrestaurant.com. MCC. Pat’s Seafood, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., La Casa de Sabores, 324 East
892-7287. Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed
Boston St, 900-2297. Upscale
artichokes. MCC, checks, ME.
Casual Mexican dining, authentic
8888. kirinjapanesecuisine.com. MCC.
The Barley Oak, 2101 Lakeshore Dr., 727-7420. Serving 130 styles of beer,
La Carreta Authentic Mexican
call and premium liquors. Lunch and
Cuisine, 108 N.W Railroad Ave., 419-
dinner. thebarleyoak.com. MCC.
family recipes, patio dining & private
PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy.
9990. Festive Mexican atmosphere,
room options with full service bar.
21, 875-7894. Catch your morning
fresh food from traditional recipes,
Beach House, 124 Girod, 985-
lacasaonboston.com.
buzz at this convenient drive-thru!
outstanding service and value. Live
624-9331. Neighborhood Cafe.
Catering. MCC.
music. Lunch and dinner seven days a
beachhousemandeville.com. MCC.
Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 892-
week. carretarestaurant.com. MCC.
4992. Lunch, Mon-Fri; Dinner, Fri-Sat.
Pizza Man of Covington, 1248 N.
Closed Sundays. lolacovington.com.
Collins Blvd., 892-9874. Checks, ME.
Bistro Byronz, 1901 Highway 190, One Thirteen Restaurant,
985-951-7595. American. MCC.
113 N Oak St, 402-3481. Mattina Bella, 421 E. Gibson St.,
Raising Canes, 1270 N. Hwy. 190,
onethirteenrestaurant.com. MCC.
Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Hwy. 59,
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January-February 2019 95
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K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530.
American cuisine with fresh,
Cuisine, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave., 370-
Featuring Louisiana seafood with
local ingredients. Family-friendly
0930. Festive Mexican atmosphere,
Café Lynn Restaurant and
raw oysters 1/2 price on Tuesdays.
atmosphere. Lunch and dinner. Closed
fresh food from traditional recipes,
Catering, 2600 Florida St., 624-9007.
Express lunch and daily lunch specials
Mondays.
outstanding service and value. Live
Casual fine dining for lunch, dinner and
under $10. Mon-Thurs, 11am-9pm;
Sunday brunch by Chef Joey Najolia.
Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm. kgeesrestaurant.
Pat Gallagher’s 527 Restaurant and
Tues-Fri, lunch: 11am-3pm. Dinner,
com. MCC.
Bar, 527 N. Causeway Blvd, 778-2820.
624-5066. boscositalian.com.
5pm. Catering provided. cafelynn.com. MCC.
music. Lunch and dinner seven days a week. carretarestaurant.com. MCC. SLIDELL
Lunch, Tues-Fri 11:30am-2:30pm. La Carreta Authentic Mexican
Dinner, Tues-Sat 5-9:30pm.
A Touch of Italy Café, 134
Cuisine, 1200 W. Causeway
gallaghers527restaurant.com.
Pennsylvania Ave., 639-0600. Lunch,
Ceasar’s Ristorante, 408 N
App., 624-2990. Festive Mexican
Causeway Blvd, 951-2626. Authenic
atmosphere, fresh food from traditional
Pinkberry, 3460 Hwy. 190, 612-7306.
Italian cuisine. ceasarsristorante.net.
recipes, outstanding service and value.
Pinkberry is the original tart frozen
MCC.
Live music. Lunch and dinner seven
yogurt with premium fresh fruit and dry
Assunta’s, 2631 Covington Hwy.,
days a week. carretasrestaurant.com.
toppings. pinkberry.com.
985-649-9768. Italian. assuntas.com.
Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-
dinner. kathrynandcompany.com.
MCC.
MCC, checks.
MCC. PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy.
0560. Soup and salad specialists. La Madeleine, 3434 US 190, 985-
190, 674-1565. Catering. pjscoffee.
Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause
626-7004. French. MCC.
com. MCC.
Blvd., 201-8905. Po-boys and more.
The Lakehouse, 2025 Lakeshore
Pontchartrain Po-Boys, 318 Dalwill
Daisey Dukes, 1200 W. Causeway
Dr., 626-3006, events 778-2045.
Dr., 985-626-8188. Sandwiches. MCC.
Approach, Ste 13, 951-2140. Authentin
Restaurant open. Call for reservations.
Cajun, all day breakfast and lunch.
lakehousecuisine.com. MCC.
Coscino’s Pizza, 1809 N. Causeway Blvd., 727-4984. Italian. MCC.
bearsgrillandspirits.com. MCC.
MCC.
Blue Bayou Cafe, 1101 East Howze Beach Rd., 985-649-3264. American.
Raising Canes, 3801 Hwy. 22, 674-
MCC.
2042. Chicken fingers, crinkle-cut fries,
El Paso Mexican Grill, 3410 US 190,
LaLou, 200 Girod St., 985-231-7125.
coleslaw, texas toast, signature secret
Blue House Grill, 2170 Gause Blvd
Breakfast. doyoulalou.com. MCC.
dipping sauce. Dine-in, to-go and
W., 985-288-5544. Sandwiches. MCC.
624-2345. Daily specials, happy hour, 2-7pm. elpasomex.com. MCC.
catering. MCC. Leonardo’s Trattoria & Pizzeria,
Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-
2625 Florida St, 788-2550. Authentic
Rip’s on the Lake, 1917 Lakeshore
Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59.,
Sicilian dishes, desserts and bar with
Dr., 727-2829.
809-2929. Breakfast served until
wine and beer. Closed Sundays. MCC.
10:30am on weekdays and all day
6211. thecamelliacafe.com. MCC. Carreta’s Grill, 137 Taos St., 847-0020.
Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod
Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas
Saturday and Sunday. Reserve Fat
Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr., 504-
St., 778-0364. Lunch, dinner.
served in a family-friendly atmosphere for
Spoon Cafe for your next party.
727-1532. Japanese. littletokyosushi.
rustypelicanbythelake.com. MCC.
lunch and dinner. carretasgrill.com. MCC.
fatspooncafe.com. MCC.
com. MCC. Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod
Copeland’s, 1337 Gause Blvd., 985-
Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse,
Liz’s Where Y’At Diner, 2500 Florida,
St., 778-0364. Lunch, dinner.
643-0001. Creole. MCC.
1841 N. Causeway Blvd., 624-9704.
626-8477. Breakfast, Diner. MCC.
rustypelicanbythelake.com. MCC.
Italian. Lunch, dinner. fazziosrestaurant.
Lama’s St. Roch, 1814 N. Causeway
SWEGS Kitchen, 4350 Hwy 22, Ste
Blvd, 445-1450. Daily specials, happy
com. MCC, ME, RR.
Blvd, Mandeville, 951-2135. Seafood
H, Mandeville, 951-2064. Healthy pre-
hour. elpasomex.com. MCC.
and Cajun style entrees. MCC.
made comfort food. SwegsKitchen.
Fresh fish daily, aged beef, traditional
El Paso Mexican Grill, 1100 Robert
Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps
com, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook.
Felipe’s Taqueria, 176 Town Center
MCC.
Pkwy., 985-288-1210. Mexican.
Roule, 792-0200. Fresh organic foods
Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App.,
for breakfast, lunch and takeout.
626-9047. Serving breakfast and
myfrancos.com/dining. MCC.
lunch, daily specials.
George’s Mexican Restaurant,
Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in Azalea
1461 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342.
Square Shopping Center, 674-9883.
Family owned. Fajitas, George’s
Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch and
Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 600 N.
nachos, Carne al la Parrilla. Best
dinner, Mon-Sat. mandinasrestaurant.
Causeway Blvd., 626-4476. Quality
Nathan’s, 36440 Old Bayou Liberty
top-shelf margaritas in town.
com.
China cuisine with Louisiana flair. Lunch,
Rd., 985-643-0443. Contemporary
dinner. treyyuen.com. MCC, checks.
Creole. MCC.
georgesmexicanrestaurant.com. MCC, ME.
felipestaqueria.com. MCC. Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-1161. Lunch, dinner.
Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain
timesgrill.com. ME, MCC.
Dr., 985-649-8055. Creole French. michaelsrestaurantslidell.com. MCC.
Nuvolari’s, 246 Girod St., 626-5619. In Old Mandeville. Italian cuisine for
PONCHATOULA
Palmettos on the Bayou,
Gio’s Villa Vancheri, 2890 E.
fine dining daily for dinner or special
Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant,
1901 Bayou Ln., 643-0050.
Causeway App., 624-2597. Lunch and
events. MCC. nuvolaris.com.
30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666.
palmettosrestaurantslidell.com.
dinner, Mon-Sat. giosvillavancheri.com. MCC. RR.
middendorfsrestaurant.com. The Old Rail Brewing Company, 639 Girod St., 612-1828. Homemade
96
Inside Northside
Peck’s Seafood Restaurant, 2315 La Carreta Authentic Mexican
Gause Blvd. E., 781-7272. Po-boys,
i seafood, burgers and lunch specials.
Deanie’s Seafood Restaurant, 1713
MCC.
Lake Ave., 504-831-4141; 841 Iberville
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St., 504-581-1316. Louisiana seafood Speckled T’s, 158 S Military Rd.,
prepared in Creole seasonings, available in
985-646-1728. Seafood. MCC.
Bucktown or the French Quarter for lunch and dinner. deanies.com. MCC.
The Blind Tiger Slidell, 37330 Lakeshore Marina Dr, 707-1082. Fun
Gautreau’s, 1728 Soniat St., 504-899-
waterfront restaurant. MCC.
7397. Open Monday through Saturday. Dinner. gautreausrestaurant.com.
Vera’s, 2020 Gause Blvd W., 985-
MCC, RR.
690-9814. Seafood. MCC. Gumbo Shop, 630 Saint Peter St., Young’s, 850 Robert Blvd., 985-643-
504-525-1486. Award winning gumbo
9331. Steak. MCC.
and soups, ship nationwide. Lunch and dinner. gumboshop.com. MCC.
NEW ORLEANS/SOUTHSHORE Andrea’s, 3100 19th St, 504-834-
Legacy Kitchen, 759 Veterans Blvd,
8583. Northern Italian and local
Metairie, 504-309-5231. American fare
seafood. Lunch, dinner, Sunday
and crafted cocktails. legacykitchen.
brunch. andreasrestaurant.com. MCC.
com. MCC.
Antoine’s Restaurant, 713 Saint
Louisiana Pizza Kitchen French
Louis St, 504-581-4422. antoines.
Quarter, 95 French Market Place,
com. MCC.
504-522-9500. Casual dining in a fine dining atmosphere with experienced
Bayona, 430 Rue Dauphine, 504-
waitstaff, fresh dishes and made-
525-4455. Fresh local ingredients,
from-scratch menu items. Lunch and
balanced yet complex dishes. Lunch
dinner. lpkfrenchquarter.com. MCC.
and dinner. bayona.com. MCC. Messina’s Runway Cafe, 6001 Brennan’s, 417 Royal St., 504-525-
Stars and Stripes Blvd., 504-241-
9711. Breakfast, lunch and dinner.
5300. Tues-Sun, 8am-3pm.
brennansneworleans.com. MCC. RR.
messinasterminal.com. MCC.
Briquette, 701 South Peters St,
Nola Beans, 762 Harrison Ave.,
504-302-7496. Contemporary coastal
504-267-0783. nolabeans.com. MCC.
cuisine. briquette-nola.com. MCC. Opal Basil, 719 S Peters, New Caffe! Caffe!, 4301 Clearview Pwky.,
Orleans, opalbasil.com. MCC.
504-885-4845; 3547 N. Hullen, Metairie, 504-267-9190. Breakfast, lunch and
Restaurant R’evolution, 777
coffee. caffecaffe.com. MCC.
Bienville St., 504-553-2277. Located at the Royal Sonesta Hotel. Triptych
Carreta’s Grill, 2320 Veterans Blvd.,
of Quail and Oysterman’s spaghettini.
504-837-6696; 1821 Hickory Ave.,
Revolutionnola.com. MCC. RR.
Harahan, 504-305-4833. Mexican, lunch and dinner. carretasgrillrestaurant.com.
Riccobono’s Peppermill, 3524
MCC.
Severn Ave., 504-455-2266. Seafood, filets and Italian. Breakfast and
Criollo Resturant and Lounge at
lunch. Dinner, Wednesday-Sunday.
Hotel Monteleone, 214 Royal St., 504-
riccobonos.com. MCC.
523-3340. Creole dining for breakfast, lunch and dinner. hotelmonteleone.com/
Sala, 124 Lake Marina, New Orleans
criollo/. MCC, RR.
504-513-2670. Cocktails and shareable plates. salanola.com. MCC.
Dat Dog, 5030 Freret St., 504-8996883; 3336 Magazine St., 504-324-
Warehouse Grille, 869 Magazine
2226; 601 Frenchmen St., 504-309-
St, 504-322-2188. Lunch and dinner
3363. datdog.com. MCC.
specials, Monday-Friday. Brunch, Saturday-Sunday, 9am-3pm.
January-February 2019 97
Ceasar’s Ristorante
AUTHENTIC ITALIAN CUISINE is made from scratch at Ceasar’s Ristorante. “Our purpose is to offer guests traditional and innovative Italian recipes that you would find in a restaurant in Italy,” says Ceasar Calovini as his Italian accent shines. For 11 years, Ceasar and his wife Roberta have served made to order classic and contemporary dishes like Osso Bucco with risotto or Shrimp and Lobster Ravioli. The Lasagna Classica is made with sheets of fresh pasta, Bolognese sauce and parmesan cheese. Egg pasta wraps stuffed with spinach, fresh and salted ricotta, parmesan cheese and a little marinara sauce complete the Cannelloni Di Magro, while the Cheese Ravioli can be served with marinara, Bolognese or pesto. Best enjoyed with homemade bread. Accompany dinner with a glass of Italian wine or signature cocktail, including a Rossini, Italian Margarita or Godfather. Choose the Espresso Martini with the Spicy Chocolate Cake, Torta Al Limoncello E Mascarpone or Amaretto Mouse. Ceasar’s lunch and brunch menu offers additional fare somewhat on the lighter side, including appetizers of Classic Bruschetta, Misto Crostini, and Veal Piccata. Salad, soup, crêpe, croissant and sandwich options are endless for those craving such. “We enjoy educating our customers on Italian dishes and invite the northshore to enjoy authentic flavors of Italy,” says Ceasar. “Just imagine you’re by Lake Como before entering our ristorante—we’re sure you will enjoy the food, wine and atmosphere!” 98
Inside Northside
Make your Valentine’s Day dinner reservations today. Ceasar’s Ristorante is located at 408 N. Causeway Blvd. in Mandeville. Open for lunch Wednesday through Friday; dinner, Tuesday through Saturday; and lunch and dinner, Sunday. 951-2626. To make a reservation or view menus, visit ceasarsristorante.net.
by Leah Draffen
photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN
Last Bite