March-April 2020 Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

495

$

INSIDEPUB.com

PHILIP SHARP •

AN ARTIST IN PROVENCE • PAT BRISTER • HOME AND GARDEN

MARCH-APRIL 2020 VOL. 35, NO. 2

March-April 2020

Vol. 35, No. 2

Publisher Lori Murphy

lori@insidepub.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Editor Jan Murphy

jan@insidepub.com

Creative Director Brad Growden

brad@insidepub.com

––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Business Manager Jane Quillin

jane@insidepub.com

Operations Manager Margaret Rivera

margaret@insidepub.com

Editorial Intern Bryce Growden

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Senior Advertising Account Executives

Barbara Roscoe Poki Hampton

barbara@insidepub.com poki@insidepub.com

Heather Doles heather@insidepub.com

Advertising Account Executives Pemmie Sheasby Madalyn Giambelluca pemmie@insidepub.com madalyn@insidepub.com

Account Representatives Jonée Daigle-Ferrand Anne Honeywell Stacey Paretti Rase ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

On the Cover

Cover Artist Bill Stewart.

Find more on page 14.

Contact phone (985) 626-9684 Advertising Sales sales@insidepub.com fax (985) 674-7721 Subscriptions subscriptions@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Contribute

We tell the stories of the northshore and want to hear from you. Scoop calendar additions can be sent to the regional calendar operated by the St. Tammany Tourist Commission at louisiananorthshore.com\events or to us directly at scoop@insidepub.com. Photos for Inside Peek, with captions, should be sent to peek@insidepub.com. For feature ideas and editorial considerations, please reach out to editor@insidepub.com. Send requests for article reprints to editor@insidepub.com. Complete issues are available online at insidepub.com.

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Custom Publishing

A full array of custom direct mail projects are available through the team at Inside Publications. We have experience in producing everything from post cards to hardcover books and can arrange writing, editing, photography, production and distribution. For help in bringing your ideas to life, contact lori@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 ©2020 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.

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Inside Northside

Rollin’ on the River A luxurious home overlooking the tranquil Tchefuncte River. Page 30. page 62

contents table of

Home and Garden

page 56

38 Garden Your Way to Better Health

Departments 10 Publisher’s Note 12 Contributors

Features 14 Determination on Canvas Cover Artist Bill Stewart 30 Rollin’ on the River

A Luxurious Home Overlooking the Tranquil Tchefuncte River

18 INside Scoop 26 Summer Camps 28 IN Other Words The Jazz Fest Cult 36 Traces The Gardinettes

74 IN Love & Marriage 75 Inside Peek Featuring: Greater Hammond Chamber Installation H2O Ground Breaking Lakeview Regional Girls Health Day INsider Events Northshore Food Bank GNO Future The Mystic Krewe of Olympia The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians 83 IN the Bookcase The Look-Alike, by Erica Spindler

46 An Artist in Provence Following in Van Gogh’s Footsteps

52 Flourishes Extraordinary gifts and home accents

62 Meet Philip Sharp Covington’s Very Own 110-year-old Cowboy

56 INside Look 60 Traces Cheryl Ross Brown

86 Haute Plates

70 A Shining Light Pat Brister

66 Generous Hearts What’s Good?

90 Last Bite Half Shell Oyster House

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Inside Northside

84 IN Great Taste Easter Brunch 87 Inside Dining

An Impatient Gardener

by Lori Murphy Impatience is the reason I am not a good gardener.

I try. But, I can’t stop myself from putting the plant in the spot I want it to like to be, not where it will flourish. I over-water when the seeds are actually looking for a bit of faith and independence—and sunshine. The same can be said of me as a parent.

It is hard to stop parenting. Stop over-watering. Learn to give faith, and a little space for sunshine. Though my baby is 27, I can’t say I’ve mastered the art of sitting back and watching her blossom. She is an adult with a great job she loves and has created an incredible life 1,000 miles away from home. She is doing very well. She doesn’t need a constant stream of ideas and advice, and she probably already knows what I’m likely to say about this or that. I am grateful that she sometimes lets me prattle on anyway. It is my anxious impatience that continues to overwater. This spring, she is getting married.

When she visited last weekend, we stayed Uptown and had a great time celebrating in New Orleans. When it got late, I cautioned her to be aware of her surroundings, to be careful. She laughed. “Mom, I don’t think you realize where I live.”

Washington, DC, is indeed a big city, but she is my northshore baby, and growing up in Covington doesn’t prepare you for that. The distance allows me the peace of mind to imagine her at home, safe and sound. In reality, Lauren is independent, savvy and smart, and that is what keeps her safe and sound.

It happens almost without us knowing. Somehow, important ideas make their way from one generation to the next. Most of the important stuff we need them to learn pales in comparison to the infinitely more important things they discover on their own. Real joy for a gardener comes from sitting in the sunshine surrounded by fragrant blossoms after the hard work. This spring, I want to be that mom.

Congratulations, Lauren and Tim. I can hardly wait to see the life you will nurture and grow together.

Contributors Our contributors give Inside Northside its voice, its personality and its feel. Here we are proud to highlight a couple of them so that you can put a face with a name and get to know them.

Carol Hallock

Baton Rouge native and LSU graduate Carol Hallock has been a professional artist for 23 years, 17 on the northshore in her waterfront home. “Most of my paintings include water, as it is so soothing and peaceful to the soul.” As Carol paints from her kayak, Geraldine, the egret, is a favorite subject. She also loves painting fun, colorful New Orleans scenes. I am lucky to be in an area that is so supportive of the arts—including Inside Northside!” On page 46, she writes about Provence, France, where she leads plein air classes.

Yvette Jemison 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 ideas for Easter brunch on page 84.

Mimi Greenwood Knight Mimi Greenwood Knight is a mother of four and a freelance writer with over five hundred articles and essays in print in national and regional magazines, devotionals and fifty anthologies, including two dozen Chicken Soup for the Soul books.

She lives on a small hobby farm in Folsom with her husband, David, where she enjoys gardening, beekeeping, Bible study, knitting and chicken wrangling. In this issue, Mimi writes about 110-year-old Philip Sharp on page 62.

Other Voices: Susan Bonnet Bourgeois, Leah Draffen, Candra George, Poki Hampton, Melinda Myers, Kelly Rasmus and Becky Slatten.

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Inside Northside

Determination on Canvas Cover Artist Bill Stewart

THE IDEA IS ATTRIBUTED to an old Yiddish proverb. We plan; God laughs. No one knows that truth more starkly than Bill Stewart, our cover artist. Several times in his life he has planned and proceeded, only to be turned abruptly this way or that. If you ask him today, Bill will say that responding to those interruptions has made him a better person. That idea makes me like him even more.

Art, as it exists in his life now, came to Bill very recently. Well after not one, but two retirements. After raising a family and travelling the world in his work.

And, perhaps most importantly for our consideration, after a life-changing stroke.

Growing up in Chalmette, Bill tagged along with his dad, a helicopter mechanic at New Orleans Lakefront Airport. There 14

Inside Northside

he had the chance to hang out with pilots, many of them Korean War veterans and Air National Guard members. They were heroes that inspired him to make the first set of plans. He started flying himself when he was just 16, with an eye toward a career as an airline pilot.

Graduating from college in 1972, he went into Officer Training at the Naval Flight School in Pensacola. When the Viet Nam peace treaty was signed in 1973, Bill took the opportunity to go into the reserves and civilian life. It was time for a new plan. Then came blues guitar lessons, sketching, carving and even scuba diving.

He began his career with Dow Chemical, working in process automation.

Retiring after 35 years, he was recruited to work with an engineering company >>

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

by Kelly Rasmus

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Inside Northside

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

before retiring again in 2015. The massive stroke hit him only 20 days later. Suddenly, he needed to plan everything completely over again.

As luck would have it, Bill is a determined person. Being told that he could never do this again or would not be able to do that didn’t stop him for a moment. He was wheelchair bound and told he would not progress further than what he was able to accomplish in the first two years of rehab. Instead of a sentence, Bill took that edict as a challenge, and he has been proving those doctors wrong ever since. After working hard to regain his independence, he bought a home in Terra Bella. While checking out his new home town, Bill and his brother-inlaw came upon Armbruster Artworks Gallery and School in downtown Covington. It was the

start of his next new plan.

The idea of healing through art is time tested. Many have used art, in its various forms, as a method of reducing stress, pushing past limits and escaping pain. It has become a tool for that and more for Bill Stewart. Before the stroke, Bill was a right-handed, left-brained person. That all had to change. “Trying to brush my teeth with my left hand was impossible to conceive,” Bill admits, laughing. This issue’s cover painting with wistful and delicate strokes, is painted with his left hand after endless hours of practice and focus.

According to Gretchen Armbruster, “Bill’s determination to achieve the next level of anything that he is trying is motivation to everyone around him. He stays with every obstacle until he masters it. And master it he does! What a blessing he has been to my school and the other students. He inspires us daily!”

“When I paint, I leave a part of myself on the canvas. I am able to set my emotions on automatic and follow the process,” says Stewart.

Being forced to trust the gift he has been given and keep focused on the journey helps him move beyond the initial idea to something better than he could have imagined. Often, the main challenge is actually about being able to really

see—value, intensity, color and movement.

Some of his first works harkened back to the men in the hangar at Lakefront Airport, telling the stories of them as heroes and mentors. It is among his more important motivations for creating, telling the stories he admires, capturing those memories in a forever form. One of those was from the father of his childhood best friend, Joseph Foto. A waist gunner in a B-24 Liberator over Italy in 1944, he’d been forced to bail out. It took him 40 days to make his way back to camp. That moving story inspired one of the first airplanes Bill put on canvas, but not his last. The first painting he ever sold was one of a Spitfire coming out of the clouds. The time spent meticulously studying the aircraft, creating the painting and culminating with sharing it with friends and family is so gratifying.

Letting God work through him to bless those around

him is a form of repaying the mercy he has been given in art. Those are Bill’s words, not mine. And they are words I could not improve on one bit!

The actual process of painting has been quite a revelation. Bill has learned to allow the flow of his thoughts, experiences and training to bring that first tip of the brush to the canvas and make a mark.

Initially, Bill absolutely hated the idea of painting in watercolor. The medium is completely unforgiving and requires so much restraint. Gretchen “made” him try it, and now he is hooked. He fights against what he calls his “clumsy hand and untrained eye” to create. Like most of us, artist Bill Stewart has to constantly beat back his inner critic to allow the completion of each composition. This struggle to show what is trapped in his heart is what makes his work so moving.

In addition to showing his work in Armbruster Artworks Gallery at 502 N. Columbia Street in Covington, Bill Stewart has been featured by the Healing Arts initiative of the St. Tammany Hospital Foundation and several of his pieces currently hang in the Atrium Gallery at Christwood.

March-April 2020 17

p resen t ed b y

April 18 17th Annual All-You-Can-Eat Crawfish Cookoff It’s the Hospice Foundation of the South’s signature event! The largest one-day event on the northshore boasts over 50,000 pounds of crawfish boiled by 50+ teams competing for the title of “Best Crawfish in St. Tammany Parish.”

Celebrity judges and competing teams decide the winners. Included in your admission is all the crawfish you can eat and local musicians entertaining the crowd of 8,000+. Held in Slidell’s Fritchie Park, admission for ages 13 and up is $30 in advance, $35 at the gate. Children 12 and under are

photo courtesy: LOUISIANANORTHSHORE

admitted free. Advance tickets available on Eventbrite and at all Whitney Banks. Event is rain or shine.

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Benefits March 15 Chef Soirée 2020. The Covington Trailhead and surrounding area will be transformed into an elegant venue for the northshore’s premier fundraising event. The 36th annual Chef Soirée, presented by Chevron, features tasting-size portions of delicious food and beverages from dozens of northshore restaurants and food and beverage purveyors. There will be live music on two stages featuring Zita, The Dominos Band and Supercharger. A highlight of the evening is the drawing of the winning raffle ticket for a 2020 Ford Mustang or Escape, courtesy of Banner Ford.

All proceeds from Chef Soirée benefit the Youth Service Bureau’s programs of advocacy, counseling, education, and intervention for at-risk youth in St. Tammany and Washington parishes, helping them reach their full potential. 419 N. New Hampshire St., Covington. 5pm9pm. $145. chefsoiree.com.

March 21 Louisiana Chapter 3rd Annual Benefit Cook Off. Come join in the fun with the Firefighter Cancer Support Network from 10am to 3pm at the Lakeview Regional Medical Center.

Enjoy interactive activities with the fire department—and the sheriff’s department will have the bomb squad truck. Raffles, music, inflatables and small carnival games, and a wide variety of food to sample. Admission: $5, adults; $2, children 12 and under. For sponsorship, duck tickets or event information, contact Greg Charrier at 705-2319 or email gcharrier@fcsn.net.

March 21 Shamrock Sprint 5K, 1-Mile Fun Run & Family Fun Day & Festival.

Kelly Kicking Cancer will host its annual signature fund-raising event with fun music and DJs at the Covington Trailhead at 419 N. New Hampshire St. Last year’s event raised over $27,000, with close to 300 runners, walkers and families.

>>

Inside Scoop The race day registration and number

this event is camper style casual—use

pick will begin at 7am. The 1-mile fun

your imagination. Food, wine, beer and

run starts at 8am, and the Shamrock

lemonade. Music, and a huge silent

Sprint 5K will begin at 8:30. For those

auction; an amazing array of gift items

March 1-13 Salad Days Juried Exhibition

who would like to walk the route, we

and magical getaways will be offered.

of Student Art. Join the City of Slidell

will begin immediately after the 5K start.

Attendees are encouraged to bring

for its new exhibit. Salad Days is a juried

Race applications can be found online at

new or gently used clothing, shoes,

exhibition featuring the works of St.

kellykickingcancer.org.

books and supplies for young children

Tammany Parish students ages 5 through

April 4 Lutheran High School’s Gryphon

(ages 3-10) to the event. Monies raised

19. Salad Days gives student artists an

Gala XLIII. “A Golden Gala” is the

provide scholarships to Camp World of

opportunity to have their work featured

theme of Lutheran High School’s

Wonder for local children of struggling

in the Slidell Cultural Center at City Hall.

Gryphon Gala XLIII as they celebrate

working parents. The goal is to provide

2055 Second St., Slidell. 646-4375.

50 years! The evening includes a

partial scholarships ($50 a week) for 120

silent auction, hospitality hour, dinner

children between the ages of 3 and 10 to

Form. The St. Tammany Art Association

and live auction. Proceeds will benefit

attend summer camp. 3-6pm. $10-$50.

presents Contemporary Clay: Image &

Lutheran High School. Dressy casual

Pontchartrain Yacht Club, 140 Jackson

Form, on display through March 28 in

attire. Atonement Lutheran Church and

Ave., Mandeville. If you would like to offer

the Miriam Barranger Gallery of the St.

School, 6500 Riverside Dr., Metairie.

support, consider a donation or provide

Tammany Art Association. Contemporary

5pm. $65. (504) 628-7819.

a silent auction item, such as beer, wine,

Clay is an exhibition of ceramics that

trips, food and gift certificates. eventbrite.

explore surface design and its relationship

Come ready to enjoy some old-fashioned

com/e/family-fun-at-camp-wow-world-of-

with form. Works were selected from a

camp games and laughter. The dress for

wonder-tickets-91191001741?aff=ebdss

nationally recognized field of ceramicists

April 19 Camp WOW Family Fundraiser.

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bdestsearch.

Culture and Arts

March 1-28 Contemporary Clay: Image &

by Jeremy Jernegan, head of ceramics

dining at participating Arts Evening

6-9pm. sttammanyartassociation.org/

and former board member at Newcomb

restaurants and opportunities to shop for

spring-for-art/.

Art, and Fellow of the National Council

antiques, furnishings and more in Olde

on Education for the Ceramic Arts.

Towne’s boutiques. Visit www.myslidell.

Art Exhibition. Abita Springs’

St. Tammany Art Association, 320 N.

com for the complete list of artists and

annual En Plein Air exhibition,

Columbia St., Covington. 892-8650.

entertainers.

featuring approximately 75 recent

sttammany.art.

March 21 Arts Evening Cultural Festival.

April 11 Spring for Art. The St. Tammany

April 24-26 En Plein Air Abita Springs

paintings of Louisiana landscapes by local

Art Association and Covington businesses,

artists made on location (in the “open

Join the City of Slidell for the 26th Annual

galleries and restaurants present Spring

air”) during the weeks leading up to the

Arts Evening from 4 pm to 9 pm in Olde

for Art, an annual celebration of the visual,

event. A portion of each sale benefits the

Towne Slidell. Admission is free. This

performing and culinary arts. The free event

Abita Springs Trailhead Museum. 22044

annual event is one of the largest and

showcases new works and one-night-only

Main St. Opening reception, April

most celebrated cultural festivals on

shows at Covington’s art galleries and

24, 6-9pm. April 25-26, 10am-4pm.

the northshore, an entertaining evening

dozens of downtown shops, all by regional

trailheadmuseum.org/en-plein-air.

filled with art, food, live music, dancing,

and nationally renowned artists. Enjoy an

fine dining, antique and boutique

evening of live music at multiple locations

shopping. Over 100 artists and art

(indoors and out), art demonstrations,

organizations will display their works at

dance and other special performances,

Parade. The premier Mardi Gras walking

locations throughout Olde Towne, with

hands-on art activities, dining in dozens of

parade featuring man’s best friends and

live music and entertainment throughout.

locations, and shopping at couture fashion

their families puts some bark into the Mardi

In addition to visual and performing

boutiques, antique and home furnishings

Gras scene! After 25 years of parading

artists, patrons will enjoy fine and casual

stores, and more. Downtown Covington.

along the Mandeville lakefront, the Mystic>>

Family March 1 Mystic Krewe of Mardi Paws

Inside Scoop Krewe of Mardi Paws parade moves to historic downtown Covington. Fittingly, the theme of the 2020 parade is Beyond All Boundaries: Exploring Sea, Air & Space, celebrating the limitless exploration both above and below Earth’s surface.

Participants are encouraged to come dressed as everything from mermaids to astronauts. Downtown Covington. 12:303:30pm. mardipaws.com.

March 28 Abita Springs Whole Town Garage Sale & Flea Market. Each March, hundreds of people in the Abita Springs area all have their garage on the same day, and people from all over the region come to find great deals and a good time. Flea market vendors surround Town Hall and multitudes of families around town have their own sales. Event is rain or shine.

March 29 Woofstock. Make sure to grab the family, four-legged companions included, and head to the highly anticipated Woofstock Festival from 8:30am to 3pm at the Castine Center in Mandeville. Woofstock brings over 3,000 people each spring for one day of peace, love and doggie poop! The all-dog festival, low-cost veterinary clinic and mega-adoption event, brought to you

by Trifexis and Credelio, directly benefits the homeless animals of the Northshore Humane Society. For more information on Woofstock and all it has to offer your family and its furry companions, please visit northshorehumane.org/woofstock.

Food and Festivals March 7 Louisiana Food Truck Festival.

Grab your chairs, grab the family, grab your friends and head to your Northshore Harbor Center for the Louisiana Food Truck Festival. The outdoor festival will feature great food, live music, festival vendor booths and more. In the event of rain, the festival will move indoors.

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Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 11am-3pm.

Admission is free. harborcenter.org.

March 22 Abita Springs Busker Festival.

Sponsored by the Abita Springs Opry and the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival & Foundation, the festival features six bands each year, direct from the streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter.

This free festival was established to preserve and present Louisiana roots music and has grown in popularity with each passing year. Proceeds and donations from the Abita Springs Busker Festival go to support the Abita Springs Trailhead Museum, which works in concert with the Town of Abita Springs to produce numerous free events for the community and visitors.

March 27 NHBA Crawfish Boil. Join the Northshore Home Builders Association for a crawfish boil featuring fun for everyone with all-you-can-eat crawfish, premium open bar, DJ music and a family-friendly Kids Zone. Castine Center at Pelican Park, 63350 Pelican Dr., Mandeville.

6-9pm. northshorehba.org/.

April 1-30 A Taste of Covington Food, Wine, Music & Art Festival. A Taste of Covington Food, Wine, Music & Art Festival, presented by Gulf Coast Bank, April 1-30, 2020, is an annual event revolving around Covington’s stellar restaurants, arts-loving culture and the St. Tammany Art Association’s “Spring for Art” in Historic Downtown Covington, Louisiana. For the first time, food lovers will be able to explore all of Covington’s fantastic dining options, all month long! This year ATOC moves to Vintner’s Dinners two days each week--Wednesdays and Thursday. Each participating restaurant will host all-inclusive dinners of four or more courses with wine pairings, admission pricing varies. Other events include: Fiesta del Vino is held Friday, April 3 from 7:30pm - 9:30pm, The >> March-April 2020 23

Inside Scoop Grand Tasting on Saturday, April 4 from

April 24 Girod Street Stroll. The Old

and under, free. stmastergardener.org.

7:00pm - 9:30pm, and the Champagne

Mandeville Business Association will

Jazz Brunch on Sunday, April 5. Tickets

welcome the spring season with the

and details will be available at www.

Girod Street Stroll. The popular annual

aTasteofCovington.com as the event nears.

event takes place on Girod Street

a gathering for their tenth wedding

from the Mandeville Trailhead to the

anniversary, the host lies bleeding in the

the past 23 years, the Northlake Nature

Lakefront. Patrons will enjoy light tasting

other room, and his wife is nowhere in

Center has sponsored the Great Louisiana

plates by top local chefs and specialty

sight. His lawyer, Ken, and wife, Chris,

BirdFest during the spring migration. This

mint juleps served by more than 30

must get “the story” straight before the

is the time when numerous migrant bird

participating businesses. Patrons must

other guests arrive. As the confusions

species come from Mexico and South

purchase a commemorative mint julep

and mis-communications mount, the

America across the Gulf of Mexico and

cup, which is their ticket to sample

evening spins off into classic farcical

pass through south Louisiana on their

all food and beverages at the event.

hilarity. Directed by Anna Turner. 30

way to their summer territories. Expert

Only 1,500 8-oz. commemorative

by Ninety Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-

birdwatchers as well as novices are

cups are available. 5-9pm. $35.

profit community theatre located at 880

welcomed to attend one or more of the

OldMandevilleBiz.com.

Lafayette St, Mandeville. Fri and Sat,

April 3-6 Great Louisiana BirdFest. For

available birding trips via foot, pontoon boat, or paddled canoes, plus the social

Music and Theater March 1-15 Rumors by Neil Simon. At

8pm; Sun, 2:30pm. $17-$29. (844) THEMarch 20-21 Northshore Garden and

3090. 30byninety.com.

and/or photography workshop. 23135

Plant Sale. Presented by the St.

Hwy 190 East, (across from Fontainebleau

Tammany Master Gardeners Association.

March 27 Pete The Cat. For Pete the cat, life is an adventure no matter where you

State Park), Mandeville. northlakenature.

St. Tammany Fairgrounds, 1301 N.

wind up. So the minute the groovy blue

org/birdfest/.

Florida St., Covington. 9am-4pm. $5; 18

cat meets The Biddles, he gets the whole

family rocking. That is, except for young

Bayou, a two-day event of live music

Saint Joseph Abbey and the 15th Street

Jimmy Biddle, the most organized second

and great food at the Slidell home of

Flyers Running & Walking Club present

grader on planet Earth. But when Jimmy

renowned jazz pianist Ronnie Kole. Enjoy

the annual 1-Mile Race/5K Run/Walk

draws a blank in art class during the last

culinary delights from premier chefs

Monk Run at Saint Joseph Abbey and

week of school, it turns out Pete is the

from the New Orleans and northshore

Seminary College. The Monk Run offers

perfect pal to help him out. Together,

areas, live and silent auctions, and

an exclusive opportunity to run on the

they set out on a mission to help Jimmy

lots of music and dancing. Proceeds

privately owned grounds of the beautiful

conquer second grade art, and along the

benefit STARC, which has served

Saint Joseph Abbey, which are not open

way, they both learn a little something

individuals with disabilities since

for public recreational use. Handmade

new about inspiration. Join Jimmy and

1972, in addition to Easter Seals of

awards by Saint Joseph Abbey monks

Pete on an adventure of friendship,

Louisiana, Slidell Council on the Arts,

will be given. Saint Joseph Abbey, 75376

all the way to Paris and back in a VW

Safe Harbor and the Tammany Trace

River Road, St. Benedict. Registration

Bus! The beloved storybook character

Foundation. “Chateau Kole,” Home of

and packet pick-up, 6:45-7:55am; 1-mile

comes to life in a live-action show as

Ronnie Kole, 35090 Bishop Rd., Slidell.

race, 8am; 5K race, 8:30am. Admission

Hammond’s Columbia Theater presents

3-7pm. $115 per person each day. Free

is free for spectators; racers fees’ vary.

the TheaterWorksUSA production of Pete

parking is available at Slidell’s North

saintjosephabbey.com/.

the Cat, directed and choreographed by

Shore Square Mall (150 Northshore

Tony Award nominee Dan Knechtges. 10

Blvd.) with free shuttle rides to the event.

For a complete listing of fun things

am and 7 pm; adults, $20; students, $13.

JazzOnTheBayou.com.

happening across the northshore, check

columbiatheatre.org.

March 28-29 Jazz on the Bayou. You are invited to the 28th Annual Jazz on the

Wellness March 15 Saint Joseph Abbey Monk Run.

out the up-to-date calendar from the St. Tammany Tourist Commission at louisiananorthshore.com/events.

March-April 2020 25

Summer Franco’s Summer Camp (Ages 5-14): Campers will experience a variety of activities including exciting adventure days and field trips, waterslide, tennis, swim lessons, olympic games, arts & crafts, inflatables, daily lunch and snacks all included! Sessions: May 25-29, June 1-5, June 8-12, June 15-19, June 22-26, June 29- July 3, July 6-10, July 13-17, July 20-24 and July 27-31, and Aug. 3-5 . Located at 100 Bon Temps Roule in Mandeville. francosmandeville.com. 985.792.0200.

Kaleidoscope Camp (Ages 2-6): Fun, themed one-week camps. Sessions: June 1-5, June 8-12, June 15-19, June 22-26, July 6-10, July 13-17, July 20-24. cedarwoodschool.com.

MADD Camp (1st-7th Graders): Music, art, drama and dance camp where cast members design and create their own sets and costumes and experiment with stage makeup and lighting. Sessions: “Kickin’ It Country Style” June 15-26 and “Cruisin’ with MADD Camp” July 6-17. cedarwoodschool.com.

Riverview Camp for Girls (Ages 6-16): Recognized as one of the South’s favorite all-around summer camps for girls, Riverview’s Christian emphasis and exciting programs are appreciated by both parents and campers. One-week sessions: May 31-June 5, June 7-12, June 14-19, June 21-26, June 28-July 3, July 19-24 and July 26-31. Two-week sessions: June 7-19, June 21-July 3, July 5-17 and July 19-31. Located at 757 County Road 614 in 26

I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e

Mentone, Alabama. riverviewcamp.org.

St. Paul’s Theater Summer Camps (Ages 9-13): Join Marian Players Director Gordon Carmadelle for St. Paul’s Theater Summer Camps. Two camps available: Drama and a Musical Camp (co-directed by “Newsies” and “Damn Yankees” Musical Director Jonathan Sturcken). For more information, contact Gordon Carmadelle at g.carmadelle@stpauls.com. Sessions: Drama Camp, June 15-19; Drama Musical Camp, June 22-26. stpauls.com/studentlife/summer-camp.

St. Paul’s Sports Camps (Various Ages): Baseball Camp, June 1-5; Football Offensive/Defensive Lineman Camp, June 4-6; Speed and Strength/All Sports Camp, June 8-12; Football Camp, June 8-12; Soccer Camp, June 15-19; Speed and Strength and Flag Football Camp, June 22-26; Wrestling Camp, July 6-10; Basketball Camp, July 13-17; Football Evaluation Camp, July 16; Basketball Team Concepts Camp, July 20-24. stpauls.com/ student-life/summer-camp.

Creation Sensation Summer Camp: Three camps available. We are offering a three-week drama camp, June 8-27, for ages 8-15, ending with two evening performances of the musical, Disney’s Moana Jr. Three one-week General Session camps for incoming grades Pre-K through 7th with activities based on age range and may include art, athletics, wacky science, set design, animation and more: June

Camps 8-12, June 15-19, June 22-16. Three one-week Busy Bee experience for students entering CES Busy Bees classes in the fall. This session includes arts and crafts, music, movement, outdoor play and more: June 8-12, June 15-19, June 22-26. Camps run 9am-3pm each day.

Please direct any questions to kpusson@christepiscopalschool.org.

Register today at christespiscopalschool.org.

AstroCamp (Grades entering 2-6): INFINITY Science Center and the NASA Stennis Space Center Office of STEM Engagement will host ASTRO CAMP, a series of week-long summer camps. Runs MondayFriday from 8am-3pm, snack and lunch included, June 22-26; June 29-July 3; July 6-10; July 13-17. visitinfinity.com/astrocamp/.

AstroCamp Stars SeaPerch Program Summer Camp (Grades entering 7-10): NASA’s ASTRO CAMP® Space to Ocean –Technology identifies unique relationships between NASA Science Mission Directorate current robotic missions and Naval Research Science & Technology underwater robotics missions. Runs Monday-Friday from 8am-3pm, snack and lunch included. June 8–12. visitinfinity.com/astrocamp/.

Princess Dance Camp: Cinderella, Elsa, Ariel, and Belle! Designed for the youngest members of your royal family, ages 3-6. Princess Dance Camp Curriculum includes lessons in tap, ballet and jazz. The week ends with the Royal Coronation Pizza Party and a magical showoff for family and friends. Princess Camps take place in June and July.

EliteDanceAcademyLLC.com, or call 809-1580.

Rise - The Intensive Camp: If your dancer is looking to RISE to the next level, this intensive is a must!! RISE is ballet- and techniqueintensive, incorporating 20 hours of classes in one week; culminates in a parent showoff. RISE is held at the end of June from 9am-3pm.

Ages 6 and up are welcome to attend. Registration begins May 1.

EliteDanceAcademyLLC.com, or call 809-1580.

Elite Dance Summer Classes: For three weeks in July, your dancer can experience music and motion while they move, dance and shake their way through classes such as jazz, tap, lyrical, ballet, hip hop and many more. For everyone ages 2 years and up. Registration begins May 1.

EliteDanceAcademyLLC.com, or call 809-1580.

March-April 2020 27

IN Other Words

Nom

ads

by Becky Slatten

tters

Squa

The Jazz Fest Cult DO YOU “JAZZ FEST”? Or “Not on your life”?

My (very limited and lazy) research shows that most locals fall into one camp or the other, with a slightly smaller sampling making up the “It depends” category — which is where I fall. Given my advanced age (over 50), my friends and I are solidly in the Jazz Fest target market; I’m usually very tempted by almost all of the Acura stage A-listers, but then I immediately check the weather—I am most definitely a fair-weather fester.

It’s hard to decide which is more miserable, 99 degrees and sunny or rain—and it always rains at least once, thus insuring a muddy track for days.

Raise your hand if you get a little chuckle when you see pictures of the younger crowd frolicking in the “mud” on a rainy day at the festival—you do know you’re at a racetrack, right? Last year, we were very fortunate to go one day as guests of a corporate sponsor, and I’m ashamed to admit that I’m now a complete sell-out for an air-conditioned tent and an upscale port-a-potty.

Perennial Jazz Festers are a breed apart; they’re like an underground cult that comes out of the woodwork in the spring, all wearing the same beat up hat and hippie sandals with a soccer chair strapped to their backs. These seasoned professionals know how it’s done and they come prepared; they map out every meal of each weekend so there’s no chance of missing out on the best of the decadent offerings, like the cochon de lait po’boy or the Crawfish Monica, just to name a couple. There are generally two subsets

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I n s i d e N o rt h s i d e

of experienced Jazz Festers: the squatters and the nomads. The nomads can’t stay in one spot very long.

Clutching their well-worn and marked-up grid of all the day’s acts, they’re constantly on the move, wishing they could be in three places at once. When the nomads need a break, you’ll find them in either the Gospel or the Blues tent cooling off, which is all part of their strategy since they prefer the more obscure musician to the megastar. Nomads tend to be snobby musical elitists who can be found in the audience of Lil’ Nathan and the Zydeco Big Timers and the Xavier Jazz Ensemble, for example, and wouldn’t be caught dead watching Kool and the Gang with the rest of us.

They have some valid points, but I do really love Kool and the Gang.

The squatters are necessarily a competitive and organized bunch because their entire strategy revolves around claiming large parcels of prime real estate as fast as possible, which they sometimes enclose with an impenetrable barrier and then practically move in and hang drapes. Within a few short hours of the gates opening, the outer regions of the main stages look like a shanty town. Squatters are very territorial and don’t take kindly to trespassers, which I completely understand; a friend and I once left our chairs and blanket unattended for three minutes to say hello to a mutual friend, and when we returned our homestead was completely gone and, just like that, we were nomads. Important tip: always leave a guard on the homestead to ward off claim jumpers. By the way, I learned a new expression while researching this article;

did you know that the unique flags flying high throughout the fairgrounds during Jazz Fest so groups of friends can find each other are sometimes called rage sticks? So all the ragers can find each other after splitting up to rage separately.

Rage, as in, party hard—ha-ha. They may be rage sticks at BuKu and VooDoo, but at Jazz Fest, the geriatric Woodstock, they’re still just flags, and they do come in handy for those of us who can’t really see without our glasses.

Which brings me to a few of this year’s headliners: The Who, The Beach Boys, what’s left of The Grateful Dead, Lionel Richie, Stevie Nicks, The Isley Brothers, Deacon John, Aaron Neville.

Using a formula I invented myself, I calculated their combined age to be 1,030 years old, and they’re all still killing it. Pete Townsend and Roger Daltrey are 75 and 76 respectively, just a few years younger than my 80-yearold mother, who, for the life of me, I cannot picture banging away on the drums on the Acura stage. I’m very tempted to brave the traffc and the parking and the crowds to see a number of these iconic legends perform live, but, you know, it’ll all just depend on the weather.

by Poki Hampton

DURING THE MID-1990S, a developer wanted to bring a gambling boat to the stretch of land in Madisonville that had once been the historic Jahncke Shipyard. Outcries from town residents encouraged the building of luxury homes instead. Today, beautiful homes line the waterfront in this tranquil small town.

What could be better than relaxing on the deck, overlooking the Tchefuncte River and enjoying the soft breeze, when the spectacular, unobstructed river view is the star of the show?

“We were living in Nashville when my mother-inlaw became ill, and we needed to move closer to New Orleans. We also wanted a place where our children would have plenty to do. We rented the house next door, and then this came on the market. Initially, we were just going to renovate the kitchen and bathrooms, but we went way beyond that,” says Carmen Burton.

“We ended up gutting the whole house down to the studs, and rewired and replaced all of the doors and windows. The sliding doors on the river side of the house all slide back into the wall.”

Starting in 2016, the extensive renovation basically touched every room in the house. They >> 30

Inside Northside

photos: STEVE RANDON STUDIO

Rollin’ on the River

Beautifully appointed kitchen and dining room boast two Ashley Longshore paintings.

March-April 2020 31

32

Inside Northside

photos: STEVE RANDON STUDIO

completely remodeled the kitchen and lighting and added hardwood floors, an electric entrance gate, a butler’s pantry complete with built-in coffee maker, icemaker and sink, along with two laundry rooms, one upstairs and one down, and an outdoor bathroom.

They also replaced the windows, doors and decking and added luxurious amenities like Sonos surround sound, a security system and the Aroma 360 system, which gently scents the entire house. Carmen picked out each detail of the house, including the custom door knobs from Charleston, South Carolina.

As you walk into the side entrance, you are greeted by the view of the river to your right and a beautifully appointed custom kitchen to your left. The kitchen’s polished Calcutta Gold marble countertops, paneled cabinet doors with under-counter lighting and exquisite designer hardware, are complemented by the Wolfe gas stove and integrated Sub Zero refrigerator and freezer. White leather counter stools with nailhead trim make for casual seating around the large island. A bold Ashley Longshore painting adds a splash of color to the kitchen.

The dining room has a long, rectangular Tuscan table in a distressed driftwood finish, surrounded with vintage-style French ovalback chairs upholstered in marine blue velvet

with geometric velvet inserts. Belgian slope arm slipcovered chairs sit at the ends. Over the double-sided, carved limestone fireplace mantel is another large painting by Ashley Longshore.

“This painting, from the Audrey Hepburn series, pays homage to my mother-in-law, Greta Sehrt, who was a Chanel model.” Two cut-crystal chandeliers hang above the table.

The living room is spacious and airy and decorated to be relaxing and luxurious. A marine blue velvet sofa and patterned chairs sit atop a custom natural fiber textured rug. Views out to the deck, pool and river are unsurpassed. A custom built-in bookcase is painted in a lighter hue of the saturated marine blue color of the sofa. The high ceilings throughout the house >>

Clockwise from top left: The deck overlooking the pool gives a panoramic view of the river; The master closet displays the owner’s collection of designer handbags behind glass doors; Cabin style beds make a fun place for the children to sleep; Calcutta Gold marble countertops and custom cabinets in the large kitchen.

March-April 2020 33

Above: Luxurious master bath with large marble shower and roomy soaker tub.

Right: Master bedroom, in subtle hues,

are finished with oversized cove crown molding.

The wide-plank hardwood floors, in a French smoked-oak finish, also run throughout the house.

Again the views take center stage in the tranquil master bedroom, which is decorated in a soft palette. Large, high end, sliding glass 34

Inside Northside

doors are dressed in cream silk dupioni draperies for privacy. A king-sized, shelter-style bed is upholstered in a creamy textured linen and soft sunset velvet. The lightly distressed almond white night tables are French influenced with linear lines and slender tapered legs. The

photos: STEVE RANDON STUDIO

overlooks the river.

Mongolian sheepskin-covered acrylic bench at the end of the bed adds a contemporary touch. A gas fireplace creates a romantic vibe.

The master bathroom with its oversized shower in Calcutta Gold marble and freestanding soaker tub is sublime. A large crystal chandelier adds sparkle to the room. Paneled cabinet and designer hardware create a timeless vignette.

The large master walk-in closet is the pièce de résistance! Glass cabinets hold exquisite designer bags and accessories, while there is plenty of space for hanging and folded clothing and shoes. A contemporary crystal chandelier and marble top center island complete the look.

Two large bedrooms and a bonus room are upstairs, along with a second laundry room. One of the rooms is decorated with charming cabin-style full beds created with board and batten, complete with roll up canvas curtains. Plaid quilts and patterned shams make for a fun place to sleep.

Stepping out onto the wide deck, you are again dazzled by the river views. The symmetry and proportion of the limestone patio with swimming pool, spa, fountains and fire pits were built last year. There are three new private boat slips, built with underwater lighting, for nighttime fishing, and three jet ski lifts as well.

The casual coastal feeling of the Burtons’ home is fresh while being timeless and serene—a place to relax, entertain and enjoy the beautiful views of the Tchefuncte River. “Madisonville takes us back to a simpler time, before cell phones and cable television, when people spent more leisure time outdoors with their families,” says Carmen. “This is our little tropical oasis.”

Traces

The Gardenettes Blooming since 1942

Gardenettes gathered at Tasker Memorial

THE STATELY MAGNOLIAS in front of Ponchatoula’s former post office, the Bradford pear trees at the library and the cypress stand on Hickory Street have all been there for quite some time.

As visitors and residents pass by, the trees are beautiful reminders of what the Gardenettes have done for well over 77 years.

Formed during World War II by strong women who wanted to make their town and homes beautiful, the club has made many changes to the face of Ponchatoula. The garden at the Collinswood Museum, a focal tourist attraction on East Pine Street, is there because of the Gardenettes. They were set with

Park on North First Street in Ponchatoula to celebrate Arbor Day, the third Saturday in January. District B Councilwoman Rosalind Batiste helped plant a nuttall oak tree to commemorate the occasion.

36

Inside Northside

the task of starting a garden where a concrete building slab rested. The beds had to be raised and laid on top; many fundraisers and raffles were held to get it started.

The present day Gardenettes continue the tradition to help the town make a positive, lasting impression on those who visit or live here. The club meets September through May on the second Wednesday of each month either at the Strawberry Board building in Memorial Park or at a member’s home. Each year, members attend a joint parish meeting hosted by an area club on a revolving basis.

As members of the Louisiana Garden Club Federation Inc., Deep South Garden Clubs Inc., and National Garden Clubs Inc., the Gardenettes interact with others who are interested in conservation, floral design, horticulture studies, environmental studies, live oak registration and generally making their towns litterfree and attractively landscaped.

However, flowers and trees aren’t the only thing the Gardenettes plant.

They’re committed to making a lasting impact elsewhere in their community.

Throughout the year, Boxtops for Education are collected and presented to a local school to be cashed in from the sponsoring companies. Among

photos courtesy: THE GARDENETTES

by Leah Draffen

Left: Gardenettes presented their January Garden of the Month award to Karen and Bill Moran, 13335 Rosewood Drive.

other 2020 projects, a scholarship will be given to a Ponchatoula High School student who is active in Future Farmers of America. Raffles and baked goods sales are some of the ways that members are building the funds.

Most members have been touched in some way by friends and loved ones who have had cancer. That is why they started “Bosom Buddy” bags. The cheerful bags are made by members and distributed through the local hospital to patients to conceal and carry their drip bags. The club has received many thank-you notes for their cutting, sewing and ironing of these bags, averaging over 150 a year.

The women participate actively in the annual Make a Difference Day and in National Garden Week. And on Arbor Day, they work with city administration for the ceremonies in which the mayor joins in on tree planting. To encourage further beautification of their home, awards and acknowledgement are given to civic, commercial and residential properties that uphold superior landscaping.

Membership is open to those interested in learning or sharing their knowledge of gardening with other people who also speak “flowers.” Guest speakers and refreshments are offered at each meeting. To learn more about the Gardenettes, visit gardenettesgardenclub. weebly.com.

March-April 2020 37

Home and Garden 2020

Garden Your Way to Better Health

by Melinda Myers

Gear up for gardening this spring with gloves that fit great and provide support like Foxgloves’ Works gloves. Padding and reinforced fingertips protect your hands and knuckles from scrapes and bruises.

38

Inside Northside

BREAK OUT THE TOOLS and garden your way to a healthier mind, body and spirit. Gardeners know and research proves that getting outdoors, digging in the soil and gardening help strengthen muscles, increase flexibility, reduce stress and elevate our mood.

Include gardening as a major component of your workout schedule. You’ll stretch and strengthen muscles while promoting cardiovascular health and maintaining bone mass. A University of Arkansas study found that yard work as well as weight training significantly maintained bone density in women over 50.

And for those trying to lose weight, add 30 minutes of gardening to your daily or weekly routine to help shed some extra pounds. A half hour of raking burns 162 calories, weeding 182, and turning the compost pile a whopping 250. Gardening several times per week will help keep you and your landscape looking top notch.

Don’t let a lack of time, space or painful joints stop you from growing nutritious vegetables, beautiful flowers or an attractive landscape. Staying active through gardening not only increases flexibility and strengthens muscles, it helps fight anxiety and depression that arthritis sufferers and others often experience.

Those struggling with limited time, space or mobility may want to try container and elevated gardening. Both can be placed on patios, decks or balconies. Select a size and style you can easily reach and one that matches your garden design.

Keep a pair of gloves, pruner and your favorite weeding tool in a bucket near the front or back door. You won’t waste time looking for your favorite tools plus you can take advantage of those small blocks of time to weed, deadhead or pick a bouquet of flowers to enjoy.

Enlist the help of ergonomic tools that allow you to garden longer with less pain and fatigue. Look for designs that keep your back and wrist straight when digging, pruning and raking.

Select tools with soft wide grips to further reduce hand fatigue. Wrap the handles of existing tools with foam pipe insulation for added padding.

Protect your joints and muscles while gardening. Warm up, just as you would for any workout, with a few simple stretches. Protect your knees by using a stool, kneeling pad or one-legged kneel instead of squatting.

Take regular breaks. Gardening in twenty-minute intervals and resting in between to enjoy your handiwork and hydrate will pay off with less muscle strain and fatigue. You’ll then be ready for your next workout session in the garden that will invigorate your mind, body and spirit.

Melinda Myers has written numerous gardening books and hosts The Great Courses “How to Grow Anything” DVD series and the nationally-syndicated Melinda’s Garden Moment TV & radio program. Myers is a contributing editor for Birds & Blooms magazine and was commissioned for this contribution

by Foxgloves (foxglovesinc.com). Her web site is www.MelindaMyers.com.

March-April 2020 39

Home and Garden 2020

essentials 3 2

1

1. Picnic tote bag with cheese board and accessories, $68. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045. 2. Georgetown portable rechargeable flame lantern. Gulf Coast Lanterns, Covington, 800-910-3275. 3. Oyster Shell Birdbath combines uncommon materials and whimsical design into a functioning outdoor art piece; multiple sizes, starting at $299. Greige Home Interiors, Covington, 875-7576.

4. Casual Fireside® Elba 36” round, balcony-height fire table in stock or customize your own. $2,299. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008. 5. Wooden lantern with flameless candle; lantern, $58.95; candle, $44.95. DeLuca’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts, Covington, 892-2317. 6. The Art of Outdoor Living, $58. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522.

4

5 6

Home and Garden 2020

Events

Here We Grow Again: Sustainable Gardening Practices

The Castine Center at Pelican Park Saturday, March 7; 8am to noon Join the St. Tammany Master Gardeners Association for their Spring Seminar.

Registration and Table Talks begin at 8:00 a.m.; program begins at 9:00 a.m. Table Talks will cover Bar Botanicals, Bees, Cast Iron Plants, Food Plate, Native Plants, Urban Vegetables, and Toxic Plants.

Presentations will include “Become a Plant Detective: Basic Plant Diagnostics,” presented by Will Afton, M S; “Increase Plant Diversity to Reduce Plant Pests,” presented by Dr. Christian Stephenson, PhD; and “Gardening in Raised Beds and Containers,” presented by Dr. Christine Coker, PhD. Tickets are $20 per person.

Tickets and more information available at stmastergardener.org/events/2020-springseminar.

Northshore Garden & Plant Sale St. Tammany Parish Fairgrounds Friday, March 20 & Saturday, March 21; 9am-4 pm Over 45 vendors will offer a variety of plants and garden items including roses and other flowers, native plants, daylilies, vegetable plants, shrubs and trees, outdoor furniture and garden art.

The event will also feature educational speakers, a children’s booth, food trucks and “Ask the Expert” table. Proceeds will fund $1,000 scholarships for St. Tammany Parish students attending state universities and majoring in an agricultural field. The event is rain-orshine, but is a covered event. Parking is free. ATM on site.

Admission is $5 per adult; free for under 18, police officers, firefighters & EMT. 42

Inside Northside

Farmer’s Markets

Stop by one of the many local farmer’s markets for locally made goods, fresh produce, handmade crafts, potted plants, and much more!

Abita Springs Art & Farmers Market - Sundays, 11 am – 3 pm at the Abita Trailhead. Fresh produce, prepared and baked goods, local honey, arts and crafts, homemade soaps and other items. Some markets include live music from the plaza stage.

Camellia City Market - Saturdays, 8 am – 12 pm on the grounds of the East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. You’ll find locally grown vegetables and fruits in season, baked goods, meats, eggs, raw seafood and poultry; preserves such as jellies, spices and sauces; handmade arts and crafts, artisan soaps and spa items; and prepared foods, mobile brick-oven pizza and live music on occasion. While you’re at the market, step inside the Chamber to visit the Marketplace, featuring a gift shop and gallery of fine art and crafts by popular local artists, including KLM pottery studio.

Covington Farmers Market - Saturdays, 8 am – 12 pm at Covington City Hall. You’ll want to come early to this popular market so you can visit all the booths, pick up one-of-a-kind, locally made goods, taste samples from the weekly cooking demo or food truck, and begin your northshore weekend with live music from the quaint gazebo stage (music starts at 9:30).

Covington Farmers Market - Wednesday Lunch Market - Wednesdays, 10-12pm at the Covington Trailhead Museum and Visitors Center.

Wednesday market vendors sell prepared foods, lunches to go, and some fresh produce, and occasionally features live music and cooking demos.

Folsom Village Market - Every 2nd & 4th Saturday from 9am – 4 pm at 13401 June St., Folsom. The Folsom Village Market is an open-air, farmers and crafts market. A yard sale is also held in conjunction with the market on months with a fifth Saturday.

Lafitte Street Station Market and Venue - Saturdays, 9 am-1pm at Lafitte St. Station in Mandeville. The Lafitte Street Station Market & Venue brings together local farmers and artisans of food and food products. Offerings include locally roasted small batch coffee, salt free spice blends and infused oils, natural skin care products, beef jerky, locally made wine, confectionery goodies such as fig cookies, pralines and anything chocolate, kettle corn, nitro coffee, kombucha, local honey, fresh-made bread and butter, fresh grown produce, farm eggs, local soups, tamales, and the list goes on. Shopping local keeps options fresh!

Mandeville Trailhead Community Market - Saturdays, 9 am – 1 pm at the Mandeville Trailhead. Handmade crafts, prepared foods, jellies and plants. Live music. Pet adoptions second Saturday of each month.

March-April 2020 43

The Best Kept Secret on the Northshore

CHRISTWOOD CATERS TO MORE THAN JUST ITS RESIDENTS! Over the last 24 years, Christwood, the northshore’s Premier Retirement

ellipticals, NuStep, CyberCycles, and Hoist ROC-IT weight machines. The aerobics

Community, has grown to occupy one hundred and seventeen beautiful acres of

studio offers low, medium, and high intensity classes, yoga, tai chi and more. In-door

senior living surrounded by an abundance of green space and has been a long-

pickleball court and game area makes for great way to stay active and socialize.

standing icon in Covington. From the beginning, Christwood’s mission has been

The 25-yard multi-lane swimming pool, with accessible ramp, makes it easy for all

very clear–to help all seniors live with dignity and independence.

levels of aquatic takers. Additionally, there are fitness specialist on staff and personal

“The residents and staff have always been the heart of our Christwood community,” said Scott J. Jones, the Executive Director of At Your Service by

trainers available to help create a program designed for anyone’s specific needs.

On the heels of the community center’s success, the Lotus Spa at Christwood

Christwood. “And from the beginning Christwood’s vision has also included

opened its doors to the general public as a full-service spa and hair salon for men

expanding into the local community to create, in a sense, a Christwood without

and women. From manicures, pedicures, facial and body waxing, and brow services,

walls,” continued Mr. Jones. “This initiative included reaching out to and

to soothing facials and eight different types of massage, there’s something for your

supporting those who wished to age in their own home, but who could also

every mood. Located inside the community center, this oasis of relaxation also offers

benefit from the amenities and socialization Christwood has to offer.”

a full line of skin care products to pamper and help inspire ageless living.

A little over five years ago that vision became a reality with the opening of The

In keeping with Christwood’s vision, the next addition was the Forever

Community Center at

Fit Kitchen, offering the

Christwood. The state-of-

general public a fresh,

the-art health & fitness

flavorful and wholesome

center, complete with

breakfast and lunch menu

the first and only indoor

that fills body and soul.

heated swimming pool

Additionally, the Forever

in Covington, gave

Fit Kitchen features “Eat

northshore adults 55+

Fit” certified soups, salads,

a great place to stay fit

sandwiches and more for

and socialize. Whether

dine in or take out.

you’re an avid swimmer,

And finally,

experienced exerciser, or

this year Christwood

just seeking to maintain

launched At Your

or enhance your fitness,

Service by Christwood, a

you can do it all at your

comprehensive in-home

own pace in a friendly

wellness and home

and encouraging

maintenance program

environment. The

designed for those adults

exercise room

55+ who wish to remain

boasts user friendly

at home and age in place

equipment including

surrounded by the people

Precor treadmills and

and things they love.

recumbent bikes, Octane

44

Inside Northside

In home wellness

services include personal assistants for those who would like assistance with tasks like the scheduling and keeping of appointments, transportation, personal correspondence, errands, grocery shopping, light housekeeping, meal preparation and more.

For less independent clients, At Your Service offers caring companions who are Certified Nursing Assistant’s and can do all that the personal assistants do, but can also help with the activities of daily living such as bathing, dressing, personal grooming, repositioning and a strong focus on overall personal wellness.

And lastly, for those caring for a loved one, they offer an on campus Adult Day Stay program to give you a much-needed break so you can run your errands and manage everyday life. For as little as two hours or as many as ten hours, leave your loved one with them and rest assured they are well cared for, fed healthy meals and snacks, entertained and engaged in activities designed to stimulate and sharpen cognizance.

What makes At Your Service so comprehensive is it takes support one step further and offers an array of general home maintenance. They realized that maintaining a home can sometimes be daunting, even for the fittest of the fit, but At Your Service can help with a variety of services like gutter cleaning, pressure washing, changing lightbulbs and smoke detector batteries, hanging light fixtures, furniture repositioning, and home organization, just to name a few.

A couple more things that make At Your Service a great option is a guarantee that all of their service representatives are Christwood employees, thoroughly vetted through background checks and drug testing. And just as important, there are no contracts or membership fees. Services are simply A’ La Carte where and when you need them at a price you can afford.

Introductory rates start at just $25 per hour.

For more information, www.christwoodrc.com.

March-April 2020 45

t A s i t r n A in Provence Following in Van Gogh’s Footsteps

by Carol Hallock

Above: Les Bauxde-Provence.

Right: Claire Pasqua, Cecelia Hoyt, Diane St. Germain, instructor Carol Hallock and Gwen Voorhies with our host, Mathieu Brousses (in front).

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Inside Northside

A PHONE CALL. That’s how it started.

My good friend and fellow artist Annie Strack said, “Carol, Carol, I just had the most fabulous time! I just came back today from Provence, France! I recommended you to lead a plein air workshop! (Painting outside.)

My first knee jerk reaction to anything new is a resounding NO! But Annie was so enthused, I thought I would sign up and see what happened.

Maybe I wouldn’t have enough students and wouldn’t have to go. But I did go.

Now I know. Who wouldn’t want to ?

Claire Pasqua, Diane St. Germain, Cecelia Hoyt, Gwen Voorhies, Richard Reynolds and I were hosted and entertained by Mathieu Brousses of

Provence Art Experience. He picked us up in Marseille, France, and whisked us away to our home-away-from-home.

We followed in the footsteps of Vincent van Gogh in Arles (pronounced Arl), St. RÊmy, Les Baux (any good Southerner can pronounce this), The Camargue, and Aix (X) en Provence, all while home-based in a beautiful and comfy bed and breakfast in Arles. This helped to keep the pace slow, as we didn’t have to pack up and go to another hotel each day.

We had the perfect mix of painting and touristing. Our day started with a smorgasbord of breakfast items to choose from, then driving to our painting location.

We painted usually for two hours, then went on to lunch in a local restaurant, >>

WHAT IS PLEIN AIR? A 19th-century style of painting outdoors, or with a strong sense of the open air, that became a central feature of French impressionism.

March-April 2020 47

Top: St. Paul asylum in St. Rémy where Van Gogh was hospitalized.

Center: Fields of lavender. Bottom: Les Carrières de Lumières.

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Inside Northside

played at tourist, then had a gourmet supper with our very own chef and free time afterwards.

Visiting a new place is often hurried and harassed, especially with jet lag adding to the equation. Painting slowed us down, letting the ambience and history soak in so that we could enjoy and learn from our new surroundings—castles, monasteries, lavender fields and olive groves.

Our jaws dropped at the scenery—wheat fields the color of bisque, 2,000-year-old architecture, chateaux—everything old, but so new to us. We visited most notably the castle ruins of Les Baux and the Carrières de Lumières (Quarries of Light).

This light show was 40 minutes of floor-to-ceiling images of Van Gogh’s work in a quarry cave. It was an experience where you “had to be there” to understand the impact.

Les Baux is a ruined castle with an intact town below the castle. The town was so charming and romantic, with nook and crannies and streets with shops winding down gradually to the bottom of the mountain. One of our days was spent at the foot of Les Baux with a picnic below the town and castle ruins. We saw below the olive trees, quaint tile-roofed homes, tall pointy trees and mountains in the near distance.

Many of the places we visited had been painted by van Gogh. There was usually an easel with a copy of his painting on the exact spot he would have stood to paint the scene. We visited his psychiatric hospital, St. Paul Monastery and hospital (still a working hospital) in St. Rémy. At the hospital I thought to myself, how could someone not be healed here? It was so soothing and peaceful. Other places of his we visited: the famous café in Arles where he painted Café at Night. He had also stayed in the hospital in Arles, the Espace Van Gogh.

Some of our crew wanted to attend Sunday Mass. There was a gorgeous church in Arles. What better atmosphere than the stained glass, colonnades, niches and centuries of stone? It was beautiful, with such rich history.

Another day, we visited the downtown Arles market. It was huge, with street blocks of wares. Flowers, hanging chickens, live chickens, spices and anything and everything you could >> March-April 2020 49

Top: Sunflowers.

Above: The market at Arles.

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imagine. We met a piece of home in The Camarque, Europe’s most important wetlands. It looked so familiar, but the flock of wild flamingos was exciting to see.

At Notre Dame des Champs au Domaine de Bouchaud, where the monks grow their own wine, local visitors were playing la pe’tanque, a game of rolling boules (balls) along the ground. It was charming to watch, as it is another popular game that is centuries old. I loved the Roman arches of the

Inside Northside

buildings. I was surprised how Roman the architecture was in Provence—Roman ruins, a coliseum.

The light. Everyone asked about the light, which Provence is known for. I am embarrassed to admit I thought nothing of it until one of our crew mentioned it. In my defense, it rained the first four days we were there, so it was a familiar grey. The light was lovely, though. It was bright, much like home, but it had a softness, while ours is rather harsh. There was also a slight yellow tint to it.

We are excited to share our 10 days of work done on site, as well as paintings based on our photos done at home.

The exhibit is free and will hang March 10-May 1 at the Covington City Hall, 317 North Jefferson, Covington, LA 70433. Reception is March 10 from 5pm to 7pm. For more info, challock@carolhallock.com.

Flourishes

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1. Budding gold-tone candlesticks; small, $29; large, $39.

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Beeswax candle, $32 each. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045. 2. Williamsburg Lantern on Square Yoke; available in three sizes; gas or electric; $675 - $800. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, Mandeville, 249-6040. 3. Antique Persian Heriz rug measures 3’ 2” x 13’ 3”. Nola Rugs, New Orleans, 504-891-3304. 4. Prom corsages, starting at $40. Florist of Covington, Covington, 892-7701. 5. Tan Towel selftanning towelettes, $29. The Annex, aesthetic medical solutions by Dr. Martha Stewart, Mandeville, 727-7701 6. Custom paint-and-fabric spindle chair covered in a Spa Blue Leopard print with matching ottoman. Price for chair and ottoman is $3,475. Bliss Clothing + Home, Mandeville, 778-2252 7. Waves In Motion Kinetic Wind Spinner; 27”w x 81”h; $130. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008.

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Flourishes

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2 1. The Easter Story Egg; seven wooden nesting eggs, $35. Olive Patch, Covington, 327-5772. 2. Graduation Pendant features wide rings of wrought iron in blue accentuated by small exterior squares;

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interiors of the rings have contemporary gold finish to enhance glow. 18.5”h x 18” dia .Southland Plumbing Supply, Mandeville,

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893-8883. 3. Hand-painted wood block cross by local artist, $28.95. DeLuca’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts, Covington, 892-2317.

4. Biltmore Approach contemporary lantern available in gas or electric in three sizes.

Gulf Coast Lanterns, Covington, 800-910-3275. 5. Kendra Scott T-Bar Jewelry Stand in Antique Brass, starting at $80. Greige Home Interiors, Covington, 875-7576.

6. Rose gold metal serving bowls in three sizes; $35 $69. Redoux Home Market, Mandeville, 674-8811. 7. Egg planter available in three sizes, starting at $399. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522.

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INside Look 2

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1. Handmade 18” adjustable etched chain with bee locket; chain $95, locket, $20; $115 as shown. Mélange by kp, Mandeville, 807-7652.

2. Yellow gold, diamond, orange and sapphire ombré teardrop earrings, $2975. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 3. Sandal of pythonprint leather with subtly colored blocked heel, wide Mary Jane strap and peep toe. Shoefflé, Covington, 898-6465. 4. Christian Elizabeth & Co. coral bloomer set with beach hand embroidery and eyelet trim. Kiki & Lolli, Covington, 900-2410. 5. V-neck, cold-shoulder striped jumpsuit. The Lifestyle Boutique at Franco’s, Mandeville, 792-0200. 6. Ophelia Swing Dress in Prosecco Pink Wildflower Stripe Lace, $198. Palm Village – A Lilly Pulitzer Store, Mandeville, 778-2547.

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1. Softly textured top with alternating creamy white and varying shades of blue stripes. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789 or 809-1690. 2. Classic white textured tweed jacket with fringe detail over super-soft sky blue blouse with contrast trim by Ecru; high-rise skinny Joe’s jeans with tie-dye stripe. Ballin’s Ltd., Covington, 892-0025. 3. Powder blue cuffed pant and Jackie O neck top. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797.

4. White gold, aquamarine, sapphire and diamond earrings, $10,250. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, Metairie, 504-832-0000. 5. Summery Body from the Nyssa series by Prima Donna with trendy stripes on the body and feminine embroidery with a lace look on décolleté. Bra La Vie, Hammond, 662-5065. 6. Jude Frances Lisse blue labradorite, triple-diamond, pavé drop earrings, $1,740. Boudreaux’s Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666. 7. 1905 7

Collection Tailored Fit Suit in Bright Blue. Jos. A. Bank, Mandeville, 624-4067.

March-April 2020 59

Traces

by Leah Draffen

Cheryl Ross Brown Living a Dream Deferred

“WE ARE ALL PERFECTLY IMPERFECT. My art celebrates non-conformity and embraces the beauty of self-expression and individuality,” says Cheryl Ross Brown, a self-described free spirit who enjoys cutting and grinding each piece of glass by hand for her mosaic art.

For years, Cheryl put her love of art aside to pursue careers as Mary’s Academy assistant principal and social worker. “I always loved art, but after a hard day’s work, I didn’t have the creative energy to do it. I would get to do a piece during the holidays or school break while I kept telling myself every year at work that, ‘this is going to be my last year,’” Cheryl explains. “Then I would be disappointed in myself because 60

Inside Northside

I would tell my students, ‘step out on faith, follow your passion,’ yet, I wasn’t doing it. Finally, I was sitting at my desk at the end of the school year with the form you fill out saying if you will return the next year. I was crying to my daughter on Facetime, and she finally said, ‘Mom, just do it. What are you waiting for?’”

This time, Cheryl jumped. She filled out the form letting her principal know that she would not be returning.

And after that, all of her creativity flooded back in. Cheryl now spends the majority of her time in her home studio in Slidell, crafting mosaic glass works of art. Gathering inspiration from nature, sketches and other objects, she creates unique designs on canvas, furniture and wood.

Cheryl’s talent has been a mainstay for most of her life. Her skill in mosaic was realized over 20 years ago when she decided to enroll in stained-glass classes at John Sullivan Studio on Magazine Street in New Orleans.

Training under the late John Sullivan and Alain Cuneo, Cheryl learned the history and techniques of stained-glass design. As time went on, she began to broaden her talent by creating mosaic glass art. She says, “Unlike stained-glass art, which requires exact measurements, mosaic art allows me more freedom of expression and the flexibility to create outside the lines.”

With her return to creativity, inspiration began to flourish in the form of flowers and inspiring women as she began her first series and show, In Full Bloom. Last year, her first solo art exhibition was held at the Jazz and Heritage Gallery in New Orleans and was well received by art enthusiasts.

MONEY DOCTOR

Ask the Question!

Q A

W. Mike Stewart AIF, RFC

Jan asks: What questions can I ask a prospective financial advisor before considering hiring him/her?

One of THE most important professionals you will hire in your life

will be your financial advisor! This person will be a big part of the quality of your life and influence whether or not you can actually retire, afford to educate your kids, or take regular vacations. If you hire the wrong person, none of your dreams may ever come true. Ask these 3 simple questions and you will be able to determine if this is the right advisor for you.

1. Are you a fiduciary?

As a nod to Cheryl’s childhood, her mother’s love of flowers, and women’s incomparable natural beauty, the series of female faces featured flowers for hair and, often, red lips.

The red lips are a hint to the meaning of Cheryl’s business name, Pete Karenina Designs. “When thinking of a business name, it was easy. As children, my sister and I would play dress up, which included my mom’s pretty red tube of lipstick. One day as we played, Lisa, who has always been creative and is a writer, named me Pete Karenina (with a long i). Petey then became my nickname, and I sign my work as Pete Karenina.”

Cheryl’s fun and memorable business name is fitting for her bold and bright works. Some of the women in her first show included Miss Universe, Sweet Magnolia and Indigo. Miss Universe has mineral stones for hair representing the planets, as she’s surrounded by gold mirrored glass to represent the sun. Cheryl’s faces include lips and nothing else. “I used a lot of mirrored glass so that when women look at it, they can see themselves,” she says.

“I want it to be a reflection of themselves—and the beauty within themselves.”

After the success of her first show, Cheryl is excited for what’s next and is even more happy with her decision to follow her passion. She says, “Once you do it, you won’t regret it. It took me years, but I’m so happy that I did.”

Fiduciaries, by law, have to work in the best interest of the client.

Non-fiduciaries recommend products that are “suitable”, even if the recommended product is not the lowest cost or most ideal for you.

Non-fiduciaries have a constant conflict of interest because of potential compensation to them for the recommended product or products.

2. How are you paid and what are my all in costs?

Advisors can be paid in a variety of ways that can cause conflicts of

interest. To keep it simple, focus on ‘fee only’ advisors as they only get paid transparent fees and do not get paid for selling products. Any ‘fee only” advisor will gladly share with you all costs associated with the services they offer. There is a difference between “fee only” and ‘fee based”. “Fee based” will charge fees and/or also collect commissions. So my recommendation is to stick with “fee only” advisors.

3. What are your qualifications?

Unlike many professional occupations, there is no one standard for

a financial advisor to be “qualified”. There are MANY designations, but all should be appropriately licensed. Focus on years of experience as well as educational background. This part will be more of using your instincts and determining if you feel comfortable with the answers.

You have financial questions? Call or email Mike today.

W. Mike Stewart AIF, RFC • Wealth Management Services 985-809-0530 • wmsgroup@advisormike.com

To see more of Cheryl’s work, visit petekareninadesigns.com.

Check out Research Materials and Video Library at: www.advisormike.com March-April 2020 61

Meet Philip Sharp

Covington’s Very Own 110-year-old Cowboy

Lifelong northshore resident Philip Sharp and Reiss Saurage, who was born 100 years to the day after Mr. Philip.

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NOT MANY 10-YEAR-OLD BOYS get to share their birthday celebration with a 110-year-old buddy. But Reiss Saurage of Covington did. The fourth grader from Lee Road School was born exactly 100 years after the third-oldest resident of the United States, Mr. Philip Sharp, also of Covington. The two were born and raised just miles—but a century—apart.

And each year, Reiss’ mom, Darlene Saurage, makes sure her son is there to help Mr. Philip blow out his birthday candles.

“Every year, there’s a big birthday celebration for Mr. Philip at New Zion (Baptist Church),” says

Inside Northside

Darlene. But there’s also a party at Sharp’s favorite restaurant, A Lil’ Tast’a Cajun, right across the street from Reiss’ school. “I always pull him out of school to be there and take him to the New Zion party, too, so they can celebrate together.”

Born December 21, 1909 and 2009, they live in the same, small community just north of Covington, but have had markedly different childhoods. Born second-to-oldest of 10 children, Sharp knew what it was like to pick cotton, dig for potatoes, make syrup from sugar cane, care for livestock and hunt rabbit for the family’s dinner. The dozen Sharps lived in a two-bedroom house on 90 wooded acres with nary a neighbor in sight and didn’t have electricity until 1938.

While Sharp lights up when he talks about hanging his stocking over the brick chimney because “they told us Santa was coming,” and how thrilled he was to find it the next day with an apple, an orange and a piece of candy, Reiss’ Christmas morning loot puts a strain on Santa’s reindeer just delivering it. While Sharp can’t recall when he got his first television (“I never did watch it much.”), Reiss is quick to tell us he has his own TV in his room, and his own cell phone and tablet, too. While Sharp was trapping and shooting the family dinner at 10 and doing his part around the farm before walking three miles to school, Darlene says Reiss is good about his weekly chores of emptying the dishwasher and putting away his clothes.

Would Reiss like to walk three miles to school after completing his farm chores? He says he’d be “mostly fine with it.” But after his mom pointed out that would mean waking up hours earlier than he’s used to, he had to give the matter more thought. He

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

1952.

1984.

2020.

did make a point of adding, “One of my friends’ dad is going to teach me how to hunt. So, I’ll be able to do that part.”

Sharp and Saurage both attend New Zion Baptist Church, where Reiss finds him each Sunday for a handshake and hug.

But while Reiss attends a church with a spacious sanctuary, high-tech sound system and other 21st-century accoutrements, when Sharp was ten there were coal oil lamps on the wall of a tiny clapboard chapel, a wood-burning stove in the center of the floor and a family of pigs living under the church. While Reiss’ Lee Road School accommodates 834 students, Sharp went to the two-room Middle Road School with only a handful of kids, one of whom was his future wife, Beatrice.

During my recent visit with the centenarian, his grandson, Kevin McCain, showed me some memorabilia from Sharp’s younger days, including a taxidermized bobcat and black squirrel he shot and a carbide lantern he used for hunting at >> March-April 2020 63

night. “You dropped calcium carbide pellets through this hole in the top, added water, then shut the lid,” says Kevin. “Then, he could light it and hunt in the dark. It’s the same kind miners used underground.”

The two-bedroom home where Sharp was raised was only recently dismantled, with the younger generations claiming doors and windows, the family’s old wooden pie safe, sewing machine and other mementos. And the 90 acres has been divided and subdivided, with each new generation of the family.

The two-room schoolhouse Sharp attended through 7th grade remains boarded-up, not far from his home.

During our visit, Sharp regaled me with stories of the first time he saw a train, which was also his first day of school, and of the old six-family party line which was the first phone he and Beatrice knew.

He talked about going to church with no cars in the

A sketch of Philip’s childhood home.

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parking lot. “You got to church by horse and wagon, if you were lucky,” he says. “We mostly walked wherever we went. If we needed something from a store—which we mostly didn’t—we went to town by mule.” Asked if that was when he was little, Sharp jokes, “Well, I never was too big.” In fact, when he was 107, his favorite thing to tell people was, “I’m 107 and I weigh 107.”

Sharp’s fondest memories are of the 11 years he spent as a genuine American cowboy. When he starts talking about his days in the saddle, his spirited delivery defies his 11 decades of living. “I was a cattle herdsman for LA Tung Oil in the ’30s,” he says. “We had cattle scattered out across 7,000 acres. One day,

Inside Northside

the boss, Mr. McGregor, said he was coming down from Wisconsin, and he wanted to take inventory.”

It was Sharp’s job to round up all the cattle—to “ride them out of the trees”—so McGregor could have them counted. “At the end of that day, I had 2,021 cows rounded up for him to count.” His secret? “You had to have a good dog, and I had a good one,” he says, with an impish grin.

Once all the timber was clear cut in the ’30s and LA Tung had no more cattle for him to round up, Sharp started his own small farm, where he raised cows, sheep and donkeys and his only child, Shirley.

Starting with a single cow, he worked his way up to several dozen. Back then, there were no fences and very few houses in the area. Cattle roamed free from St. Tammany to Washington Parish and right up to the Bogue Chitto River. He said it wasn’t unusual for cows from different herds to mix, and, “You might get a calf from another man’s bull, and he might get a couple off yours.” Fences only became a thing when there were more cars on the road, and it became a hazard to have cows roaming about. Sharp also hauled pine nuts for pine oil and hauled gravel in his old Model T. For 13 winters, he trapped muskrat in the marsh.

He’s only been hospitalized a handful of times, once when a kick from a cow broke his jaw in the 1950s, and another after a fall, this last July. Up until then, he could still be seen—at age 109—driving his old, green truck to church each Sunday, to monthly meetings of the Washington-St. Tammany Electric Cooperative and to Lil’ Tast’a Cajun, a few times a week, never missing his favorite chicken and dumplings each Thursday. You may have seen him featured on Fox 8, when Nancy Parker took a ride with him in that old truck last year for his Thursday dumplings. “She was such a nice lady,” Kevin’s wife, Gwen McLain, says. “After Mr. Philip fell, she sent him a fruit basket and called the house often to check on him. That was not long before she died.”

Not only did Sharp drive at 109, but the last time he got on a horse was well after his 100th birthday. Gwen says, “We bought our daughter, Sam, a horse when he was 95, and he insisted on getting in the saddle to show her how to ride. He still gets on the floor to play with Sam’s little boy, MJ, his greatgreat grandson.”

To meet Philip Sharp, you might guess he’s in his

80s, but certainly not 10 years into his second century. He still takes no medication, just a multi-vitamin each day. Of course, his father lived to 94 and was just as hardy. The family says he eats like a horse and indulges often in his favorite treat—Blue Bell Ice Cream. “I don’t care what flavor it is,” Sharp says, “as long as it’s Blue Bell.” Though he admits vanilla is his favorite.

Since hitting 100, Sharp has received a lot of recognition.

He rode in Covington’s Bicentennial parade, crowned “Most Senior Citizen.” He waved at boys and girls and tossed beads from a golf cart as Krewe of Lee Road King at Lee Road Junior High. GerontologyWiki.org lists him as the third-oldest person in the United States. And lately, folks like me have been clamoring for a little of his time. But he takes it all in stride.

“It’s not like there’s anything I can do about it,” he says.

A quick perusal of the St. Tammany Farmer from the week Philip was born provides a glimpse into what life was like on the northshore at the time.

• An ad for ‘The New St. Joseph’s Seminary and College” at St. Benedict, La. • An ad extolling the virtues of “electric Lights.” Declaring - “Every Man, Woman and Child can SEE!” • H.J. Smith & Sons is the place to go for your wire fencing needs.

• An ad with the freight rates for the Steamer Josie.

• St. Scholastica tuition for primary school? $1.50/month.

• Constipation? Try Chamberlain’s Stomach and Liver Tablets. “sure to produce the desired effect.”

• I wonder if baby Philip was administered white pine mentholated cough and cold syrup when he was sick? Only 25¢ at Tolson & Schonberg.

• A warning that “When flying machines become numerous, the top floor of a skyscraper will be no more private than the ground floor.”

March-April 2020 65

Generous Hearts

by Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

FOCUSING ON THE GOOD is not just some Pollyanna statement made to make us feel better about our lives, our neighbors and our world. Focusing on the good is an intentional and meaningful decision to find, and more importantly celebrate, all that is good within and around us. Kindness, civility, service to others and generosity abounds—but in these times of public discourse filled with vitriol and divisiveness, that genuine goodness often seems to fade into the background.

So, this year—2020 (vision pun intended)— the Northshore Community Foundation is going to intentionally be laser-focused on the good to continually remind us how wonderful this northshore place and our people really are.

Let’s start nationally, since that stage seems wrought with constant controversy and doom and gloom reports. The good news is, in the last year, Americans gave $428 billion dollars of their own money to charities working to serve others. Animals, children, seniors, victims, veterans, art and school, the environment—we as Americans care so much that 66

Inside Northside

we invested in a plethora of good work to make us all better. To put that in perspective, we GAVE AWAY more than the entire gross domestic product of 161 nations like Austria, Norway, Ireland and Argentina.

Great places and great spaces, but did you also know that we have incredibly generous people and organizations doing really good things?

• Last year alone, just through the Northshore Community Foundation, more than $10,000,000 was used for philanthropy and service to others. And we are just one of the nearly 3,200 organizations doing good work on the northshore.

• These dedicated organizations provided 14,000 nights of shelter for those in our region affected by mental illness (NAMI St. Tammany) and those compromised by homelessness (Family Promise). They impacted the lives of more than 550 children by providing safe and affordable housing for their families (Habitat St. Tammany West) and kept the lights on for another 450 families (Good Sams.)

• Nearly 2,000 adults in our region received the valuable training needed to protect the vulnerabilities of children and teenagers (CAC Hope House and Child Advocacy Services.)

• They created multi-sensory options of learning through play for children of all abilities (Children’s Museum of St. Tammany), gave kids with challenges their own ball field (Miracle League) and funded lifesaving heart surgery for kids from all over the world who would otherwise not have a chance (HeartGift). By providing opportunities to enrich the lives of nearly 190 men and women with disabilities, they are giving them a more meaningful and well-rounded life (OPTIONS).

• More than 750 organs were transplanted, and another 436 donors gave their tissues to restore the life, health and sight of the people in our state (LOPA). And those who are working on recovering and healing have been given a beautiful environment filled with healing arts to help them on their journey (St. Tammany Hospital Foundation).

These organizations do not focus on this kind of work to get rich or to climb a corporate ladder. They do this work because they are driven by hearts filled with compassion and a need to make life good for everyone who lives in our area.

You know, if we ourselves just stop, take a breath and look around, we can see a lot of good right outside of our own back door: >> March-April 2020 67

• The Tammany Trace was voted the number one Rails to Trails Conversion in the entire country, offering more than 31 miles of trail winding through greenspaces, parks, bayous and connecting five unique communities while offering an open-air way to experience the northshore’s natural beauty—get out and get some wind in your hair!

• Lacombe-based Northshore Technical Community College is the 7th fastest-growing community college system in the nation, and Southeastern Louisiana University is the third-largest higher education institution in Louisiana. With more than 15,000 students, it offers 45 undergraduate degrees and 21 graduate degrees, all of this with one of the lowest tuition and overall costs in the Southeast.

• On the eastern side of St. Tammany, Camp Salmen is a 130-acre nature park, only a small part of 77,000 acres of lush public land in St. Tammany Parish, with natural beauty abounding that is free and open to the public year-round; it is now connected to our beautiful Tammany Trace.

• Lake Pontchartrain alone has 622 beautiful square miles of freshwater to boat, fish, relax and enjoy.

What good will you focus on today? Your family, your friends, your neighbors, the abundance of our natural resources or the gift of sunshine and even rain? As a region, we are amazingly blessed, and I think that if we all focus on the good, we will all do even more good as a result.

If you are craving more of what good is going on in our community, visit northofyourexpectations.com.

March-April 2020 69

In memoriam

A Shining Light

ST. TAMMANY PARISH HAD A LIGHT that shined steady and bright for all to see. It showed the way for many. If you looked for it, it was most likely found taking the high road, where it inspired others to follow. That light often showed where the ceiling had been smashed to reveal an even higher aspiration and more potential. But as it is with all lights, it dimmed and has gone out.

Patricia P. Brister lit up a room and showed herself to be a guiding and inspiring leader. She broke through barriers and led the way for others (particularly women) to live to their potential with fewer obstacles to overcome. Through a lifetime of work, she has shown the way by being a trailblazing role model for anyone who wants to truly change their world. She leaves behind a legacy and an 70

Inside Northside

example of service, dedication, philanthropy, grace and diplomatic charm that provides lessons and maps for those who want to make an impact in their community and the lives of others.

Ms. Brister left us in early February, too soon for a person of unbounded energy and a burning desire to live her life with purpose and accomplishment.

She produced a list of “Formers� that astonishes even people who knew her well: Former Ambassador to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women; Former National Republican Committeewoman; Former Chairwoman of the Louisiana Republican Party; Former Parish Councilmember; Former Parish President; Former successful business owner; Former board member of countless organizations; and the list goes on and on.

photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

Pat Brister

With each accomplishment, she broke ground, smashed a barrier or busted a ceiling for those who would come after her. She cared not if that person was a female or male. Cared not about their color. Cared not about their ideology. She only cared that all worked with diligence and passion to make the world a better place.

Many words are used to describe Pat Brister: Mom, Mimi (to her grandchildren), determined, dedicated and humble, just to name a few. But the word that has been used the most lately to best describe Pat is service. Service to God, service to her family, service to our country, service to our community, and service to her friends.

First and foremost: Service to God. Pat never wore her faith on her sleeve, but she lived her faith by serving others. A passage in Scripture states: “What you do to the least of my brothers, that you do unto Me.” Pat advocated for disenfranchised women throughout the world. She advocated for victims of human trafficking. She advocated for the mentally ill through her creation of the Safe Haven campus in St. Tammany Parish and her undying support of organizations that provided behavioral healthcare assistance. Pat also advocated for people with special needs through her work for St. Andrew’s Village.

Service to her family. Over the weeks after Pat’s passing, we often heard that there was a private side to the very public figure. Even though she was a public official and had a career full of politics, her first true love was her family: Joe, her husband of over 40 years, who passed away a couple of years ago; her beloved daughter, Jill; her sons Mark, Matt, Ken and Steven; and her cherished grandchildren.

Service to her country. As Ambassador to the United Nations >> March-April 2020 71

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Inside Northside

on the boards of countless non-profit groups and personally contributed to many more.

Service to her friends. Pat was one of the most genuine friends a person could have. No matter how busy she was—leading her parish, taking care of her family, speaking with the President of the United States—she always had time to listen and to help. She would lend you advice if you needed it or give you the motivation to take on one of your life’s biggest obstacles or one of your smallest problems.

Pat Brister was a fighter who had beaten cancer once before. She worked tirelessly for what she believed in and always gave it to you straight. You rarely had to ask her what she was thinking.

She made mistakes, but she would own up to them. She worked hard on everything she did and had a calendar that someone half her age would barely keep up with.

photos courtesy: ST. TAMMANY PARISH

Commission on the Status of Women, Pat traveled throughout the world tirelessly advocating for women and working to uphold their God-given rights for freedom and equality. She worked in politics to fight for what she thought was right and to elect great leaders for our country.

Service to her community.

Pat tirelessly worked and truly cared about her fellow St. Tammany Parish residents. At her memorial service, someone remembered one night in particular Pat was crying when they arrived to have dinner with her. She had just learned that two students in St. Tammany Parish had tragically died.

Although she personally didn’t know the students, or their families, Pat was devastated for them and was on the phone much of the night tracking down mental health experts to assist the family.

She dedicated many years of her life to serving the people of St. Tammany, sat

Pat was featured in our premier issue of Women In Business in 2006.

If you only knew her as a public official, or from afar, you might not have seen the personal side of Pat Brister. You missed knowing her human side and her often-contradictory traits that made her as unique a person as you have ever met. She was a tough competitor who hated to lose, but often took on causes that she knew she would never see solved. She could be as tough as nails, but would often shed tears for people she never knew, like the passing of a homeless veteran or the victim of an auto accident. She could handle her own in the presence of presidents, cabinet secretaries, billionaires, never dropping a name to impress you, but she wouldn’t shut up about her grandchildren. Pat was a dedicated regular at Sunday church and could also make a mean martini. She was a genuinely elegant, stylish, graceful and generous person, but she could cuss like a sailor behind closed doors. If you knew her well, you

loved her. If you never got the chance to know her, you missed out on a oneof-a-kind.

She loved to laugh. She loved to dance and have a good time. She loved her husband and her family. She loved her friends. She loved St. Tammany.

We are all better people for knowing her, and we are a better community for having followed her leadership. But most of all, we had the privilege to have her light shine on us, to challenge us, to inspire us and to show us that a life well lived and sometimes in the service of others, can truly make our world a better place.

So, thank you, Pat. Thank you for your service, thank you for your passion to help others and thank you for being that light of inspiration for us to accomplish great things in our own lives. Thank you for all that you’ve done—we’ll take it from here and try to make you proud.

M A R R I A G E A N D L O V E I N

Gennusa-Dill

Alexis Robin Gennusa, daughter of Wade Anthony

Gennusa and Tammy Robinson O’Shea, and Christopher Andrew Gerard Dill Jr., son of Christopher Dill and Jennifer Rabalais Dill, exchanged vows at Our Lady of the Lake Roman Catholic Church in Mandeville.

Alexis wore a princess gown featuring a bodice of beaded embroidery accented in Swarovski crystals and a ballgown skirt comprised of tulle and trimmed in horsehair with a cathedral veil. She carried a rosary that has been in her family for over 90 years. Her maids donned off-the-shoulder crêpe Dessy dresses in dusty rose from Bella Bridesmaids. Bouquets of roses by Especially for You Floral were carried by the bride and maids.

Following the ceremony, family and friends reconvened at The Greystone to celebrate with food and drinks, accompanied by music from The Boogiemen. The down the front and a mix of traditional wedding cake flavor and strawberry shortcake. The groom’s cake was an impressive life-like version of the couple’s beloved chocolate lab, Daxton.

After much fun and dancing, the couple exited with fireworks by Geaux Pryo before heading to their honeymoon in Germany, Switzerland and Austria. The newlyweds now reside in Madisonville.

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Inside Northside

photos: JORDAN BLANCHARD PHOTOGRAPHY

bridal cake, from Cocoa Bean, featured roses cascading

INside Peek

Greater Hammond Chamber Installation The Greater Hammond Chamber Installation event passed the gavel from outgoing chair Ginger Cangelosi, with Tangipahoa Parish Economic Development, to Rick Sedberry, of Movement Mortgage. Hammond Square/Sterling Properties was honored as Business Member of the Year, celebrating its 10-year anniversary and recent redevelopment and expansion. Gohres Insurance was selected Ambassador of the Year and Kyle Johnson was awarded Young Professional of the Year. The Greater Hammond Chamber recognized five special volunteer award winners including Jennifer Buras, Jessica Shirey, Cris Cochran and Andy Thomas. Judge Grace Gasaway was on hand to swear in the 2020 Board of Directors. “We are so pleased to have such an outstanding group of business leaders serving on the board,� said President and CEO Melissa Bordelon.

March-April 2020 75

INside Peek

H2O Ground Breaking After 32 years in business, Heather Mahoney has broken ground on her new location on Mandeville’s West Approach, the culmination of her dreams since she arrived on the northshore in 2006.

Lakeview Regional Girls Health Day Lakeview Regional’s annual Girls Health Day featured topics of health and social issues for girls ages 8 – 14, with talks and demonstrations on social media and internet safety, Zumba and yoga, puberty, sexual health (optional session because of mature subject matter), seatbelt safety, and how to deal with bullying. The theme “Be Healthy.

Be Happy. Be You. Beautiful.” is part of the GirlsHealth.gov initiative to promote healthy, positive behaviors in all girls.

Other activities included free health screenings and how to perform CPR, as well as “Be a Doctor for the Day,” a simulated surgical activity.

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Inside Northside

INsider Events Above: Inside Northside readers and fans gathered at Rug Chic to meet cover artist Cindy Trist. Cindy’s work lined the walls of the store. Rug Chic provided lite bites, a French King Cake and drinks for guests to enjoy while they browsed Cindy’s pieces and items in the store.

Right: Local food blogger and cookbook author Yvette Jemison held a demonstration class on how to build the perfect party platter. The class was a continuation of the Cook the Cookbook Series that she began with the publication ofEntertain Effortlessly, Gift Deliciously.

March-April 2020 77

INside Peek

Northshore Food Bank The Northshore Food Bank welcomed Covington and St. Tammany Parish officials to the grand opening of its new location in Covington.

The expanded site will make it possible for more volunteers from across the region to participate in its important mission. Megan Ferran and her team at Home Bank made funding possible, and Kent Construction brought the years-in-the-making dream to life. Get involved by logging on to northshorefoodbank.org.

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Inside Northside

GNO Future The Northshore Community Foundation hosted and facilitated a meeting of Northshore stakeholders with Michael Hecht to gather input for GNO Future, the 10-year regional strategic plan. The participants emphasized the priorities of transportation infrastructure, especially the widening of I-12; job growth at a corporate headquarter level; and public policy education on managing smart growth while promoting a healthy economy. The well-attended meeting was held at Christwood Retirement Community.

INside Peek

The Mystic Krewe of Olympia The Mystic Krewe of Olympia celebrated its 55th year at its ball at Castine Center.

Zeus LV, the 2020 King of Olympia, reigned with his Queen, Miss Olivia Catherine Christopher, daughter of Dr. and Mrs. James Warren Christopher.

Serving as maids to the Queen were Misses Mary Claire Ragland Dubreuil, Jordan Renae Hymel, Bailey Marie Lyons, and Anna Ruth Mayronne. Ladies-in-waiting were Misses Isla Josephine Barrios, Ella Elizabeth Burrall, Daphne Nicole Christopoulos, Adele Elaine 80

Inside Northside

Currier, Olivia Ann Currier, Anne Gracen Dragon, Lilla Eve Dragon, Sadie Lee Heintz, Scarlett Grace Mayfield, Madelyn Lou Selking, and Harper Jo Shea. Pages were Masters Porter Charles Boudreaux, John Patrick D’Hemecourt III, Hayes Boyd Kitchen, Grant Edward Selking, and George Townsend Underhill V. The chairman of the floor committee, Mr. Nicholas Richard Ludwig, was assisted by Messrs. John Randolph Eustis, Ronald Albert Gitz, Richard Murphy, Mason Rudolph, Gordon Stewart and Matthew Voelkel.

The Mystick Krewe of Louisianians The Washington Mardi Gras celebration hosted by the Mystick Krewe of Louisianians has been a highlight of the carnival season for over 60 years. The 2020 theme was Red, White and Bayou, highlighting the joie de vivre of our region and honoring unique people and places from across the state. State officials, including

Minority Whip Steve Scalise, shown atop an indoor float, act as ambassadors for all things Louisiana. Greg Hamer reigned as King, with Madeline Noble as his Queen. The northshore’s own Skylar Ballard was a maid in the court, and she enjoyed the celebratory weekend with family and friends.

March-April 2020 81

INside Peek

2

3 1. Realty One Immobilia celebrates its new location in Mandeville with a Grand Opening event. 2. Elaina Arnold, who

1

trains at Elite Dance under the direction of

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Eileen and Michael Arnold, is a Gold Medal Winner and World Jazz Dance Champion after competing in International Dance Organization’s World Championship in Poland. 3. Jamene Dahmer (second from left), honored as Ponchatoula’s Citizen of the Year at the Annual Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce Banquet, with Kyla Broussard, Chamber President;Pat

5

Ferris, 7th Ward Marshal; and Dr. Bill Wheat, State Representative. 4. Mary Lee, Bernard Mattox, Norma Richard and Carlos Sanchez at the opening of Bernard’s solo exhibition at St. Tammany Parish Hospital, The Mattox Chronicles, presented by the St. Tammany Hospital 6

7

Foundation. 5. SSA’s 2020 Athletic Hall of Fame honorees Madeline Rawls and Lindsey Schwaner Warren. 6. Honorees Shiloh Moates, Linda Larkin, Sarada Bonnett, Diane Kramer, and Karla Glynn at the Professional Women of St. Tammany’s 3rd AnnualWomen’s Choice Awards Luncheon. 7. Melissa Ruddick with Covington Mayor Mark Johnsonand

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his wife, Karen, at the Awards Luncheon.

8. Senior members of the St. Paul’s State Champion Soccer Team honored before their last regular season home game.

9. Gray & Graham Salon celebrates its ribbon cutting and official start of business.

10. Hali and Kory Scott with Maddie at her first parade.

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Inside Northside

IN the Bookcase The Look-Alike

by Erica Spindler

SIENNA SCOTT GREW UP in the dark shadow of her mother’s paranoid delusions. Now, she's returned home to confront her past and the unsolved murder that altered the course of her life.

In her mother’s shuttered house, an old fear that has haunted Sienna for years rears its ugly head–that it was she who had been the killer’s target that night. And now, with it, a new fear–that the killer not only intended to remedy his past mistake–he’s already begun. But are these fears any different from the ones that torment her mother?

As the walls close in, the line between truth and lie, reality and delusion disintegrate. Has Sienna’s worst nightmare come true? Or will she unmask a killer and finally prove she may be her mother’s look-alike, but she’s not her clone?

Mandeville resident Erica Spindler’s more than 30 novels have been lauded as “thrillpacked page turners, whiteknuckle rides and edge-ofyour-seat whodunits.” Her skill for crafting engrossing plots and compelling characters has earned both critical praise and Erica Spindler legions of fans. The New York Times and international bestselling author has won numerous literary awards and is published in 25 countries.

COVINGTON LIBRARY RENOVATION

The Covington Branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library has reopened photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

following the completion of its 15-month renovation. Renovations included a new heating and cooling system, new lighting, new automatic doors, new windows, updated bathrooms, and new furniture. The Covington Public Art Fund graciously donated a bronze bust of Walker Percy sculpted by Don Smith.

Hours for the branch will be Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

March-April 2020 83

IN Great Taste

by Yvette Jemison

Easter Brunch QUICHE IS ONE of the most versatile dishes. It’s delicious for breakfast and pairs well with a salad for brunch. Our green onion quiche has a seeded crust that creates its speckled appearance and crunchy texture. The seeds not only add a pop of flavor, but add extra heft, allowing you to build a beautiful crust. When serving salad with quiche, add fresh herbs and a Champagne vinaigrette to enliven the delicate greens. This jar vinaigrette takes almost no time to assemble and will be a great reason to add new bottles to your vinegar stock. When the weekend invites a leisurely meal, treat yourself to the following recipes that may convince you to take your brunch ritual back to the kitchen.

We’d like to see your version. Share your creations by tagging us on Instagram at @insidenorthside. For more recipes, go to YDelicacies.com or follow on Instagram at @y_delicacies.

Green Onion Quiche with a Seeded Crust Servings: 6-8 Seeded Crust Makes 1 9-inch deep-dish crust 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface 2 Tablespoons poppy seeds 1 Tablespoon sesame seeds ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ teaspoon fresh cracked pepper ½ cup chilled unsalted butter 1/3 cup ice water 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar

Having a ball with brunch March 19

11 am - 1 pm

The Sanctuary

Love the idea of hosting brunch, but stress over the details? Join Yvette Jemison, local food blogger and cookbook author, as she shares her favorite prep-ahead brunch tips and recipes. The class is a continuation of the Cook the Cookbook Series she began with the publication of her Entertain Effortlessly, Gift Deliciously book. Signed copies will be available at the class.

For tickets and information, log onto ydelicacies.com or look her up on Instagram at @y-delicacies. Reserve your seat as seating is limited.

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Inside Northside

photos: YVETTE JEMISON

Wednesday,

Special equipment: 9-inch-diameter deep pie dish, pie weights (dried beans or uncooked rice)

1. In a large bowl, whisk flour, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, salt and pepper together.

Grate butter into the bowl and toss to coat with the flour.

2. Stir ice water and vinegar together and sprinkle over flour/butter mixture. Using your hands, combine until dough forms. If needed, add 1 Tablespoon water at a time to incorporate flour.

3. Gather the dough and transfer to a floured surface. Roll out dough into a 14-inch round and transfer to pie dish. Slump dough into dish leaving about a 1-inch overhang. Fold overhand under and decoratively crimp edges.

Freeze for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. 5. Line chilled crust with parchment and fill with pie weights. Bake until crust is golden brown around the edges, about 25 minutes.

6. Remove parchment and weights and bake crust until bottom is dry and crust is deep golden brown, about 15 minutes. Let cool completely.

Do Ahead: Dough for crust can formed into

a disc, tightly wrapped and refrigerated up to 2 days ahead. Crust can be baked, cooled and stored at room temperature up to 1 day ahead.

Green Onion Quiche 8 large eggs 1 ½ cups heavy cream 2 teaspoons kosher salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper ¼ teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg

Prosciutto Salad Servings: 4

1 ½ cups green onions, sliced 1 seeded crust, baked and cooled

5 oz. mixed tender greens (Butter, Bib, Little Gem)

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt, pepper and nutmeg to combine. Add green onions and whisk to incorporate.

3. Pour filling into seeded crust, and place on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake until the filling edges are slightly puffed, center is set but slightly wobbles, 60-75 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool 10 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Do Ahead: Quiche can be baked 1 day ahead. Cool, tightly wrap and refrigerate.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

1 cup fresh tender herbs (parsley, cilantro, mint, dill, tarragon) Champagne Vinaigrette Fresh cracked pepper 6 oz. prosciutto, thinly sliced

1. In a large bowl, toss greens and herbs with vinaigrette until well coated with dressing.

2. Arrange greens on a serving platter. Season with fresh cracked pepper. Top with prosciutto and serve.

Champagne Vinaigrette Makes: 1 cup ¾ cup olive oil ¼ cup Champagne vinegar 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon honey ½ teaspoon kosher salt

1. Combine oil, vinegar, mustard and honey in an airtight jar.

Shake until emulsified.

Do Ahead: Vinaigrette can be made up to 1 week ahead.

Store in refrigerator and shake to re-emulsify.

March-April 2020 85

Haute Plates

Antoine’s

713 ST. LOUIS ST. NEW ORLEANS 504-581-4422

Established in 1840, Antoine’s is the oldest French-Creole fine-

A selection of restaurants and haute dishes found around the northshore and beyond.

Ceasar’s Ristorante

Half Shell Oyster House

La Carreta

MANDEVILLE • 951-2626

COVINGTON • 276-4500

HAMMOND

408 N. CAUSEWAY BLVD.

CEASARSRISTORANTE.NET Located just off the Causeway,

70367 HWY 21

HALFSHELLOYSTERHOUSE.COM Local Gulf oysters and a variety

MANDEVILLE, COVINGTON,

AND PONCHATOULA

CARRETARESTAURANT.COM

dining restaurant in New Orleans.

Ceasar’s offers an Italian classic and

of Gulf Coast seafood with a New

Come see what it is all about and

contemporary menu, plus dishes from

Orleans flair and influence that

food in a fun and festive atmosphere, La

enjoy great food along with a

European recipes. Everything made to

extends throughout our ambience

Carreta offers authentic Mexican cuisine

memorable experience! Make your

order from scratch. Featuring dishes

and menu. Steaks, chicken, pasta and

at several locations across Southeast

reservation today.

that are meant to be shared. Available

so much more. Lunch, dinner, daily

Louisiana. Daily lunch specials, fiesta

for parties and private events.

happy hour, Sunday brunch.

time daily and family friendly.

Nothing Bundt Cakes

1111 GREENGATE DR. #D COVINGTON • 888-6555

NOTHINGBUNDTCAKES.COM

Pat’s Seafood NEW LOCATION!

1905 W. THOMAS ST., STE. V

AND 70456 LA #21, STE

SISENORTAQUERIA.COM

1248 N. COLLINS BLVD. 400 COVINGTON 892-7287

Step into a Nothing Bundt Cakes bakery and let the aroma of

Si Señor

Fresh local seafood and a large

HAMMOND • 393-0090

Whether you are looking for an

Celebrating over 20 years of fresh

Yum Yum Gimme Sum YUMYUMGIMMESUM1@GMAIL.COM 276-9117

YUMYUMGIMMESUM.COM A mobile food truck that travels to

enhanced dining experience or a happy

meet the need of festivals, celebrations,

hour, Si Señor Taqueria is the best

reunions, birthday parties, and corporate,

freshly baked Bundt stir your senses.

offering of deli to-go items, such as

spot for authentic Mexican dining in

church or sporting events. Delicious

Choose from ten luscious Bundt

boiled crawfish, gumbo, crawfish pie,

Southeastern Louisiana. Experience our

foods that no one can resist. Our meals

flavors and forty unique cake designs.

corn and crab bisque, crabmeat au

upbeat atmosphere while enjoying our

can be customized to meet your personal

We also provide easy online ordering

gratin and po-boys. On-site catering

fresh cocktails, like the House Paloma

needs. Give us a call, and we’ll have a

and local delivery!

available.

with fresh agave nectar.

“Yum Yum” good time.

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Inside Northside

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INside Dining New Orleans and the northshore are home to more great restaurants than we could hope to list here. For a comprehensive listing of restaurants in the New Orleans metro area, please refer to Tom Fitzmorris’ nomenu.com.

In this guide, you will find some of the best bets around town. Tom’s fleur de lis ratings are shown.

ABITA SPRINGS Abita Brew Pub a 72011 Holly St., Abita Springs, 892-5837 Abita Springs Café aa 22132 Level St., Abita Springs, 400-5025 Camellia Café Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine, 69455 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs, 809-6313 Mama D’s Pizza & More aa 22054 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs, 809-0308 COVINGTON Abita Roasting Company 1011 Village Walk, Covington, 246-3345 Albasha aa Mediterranean, 1958 Hwy. 190, Covington, 867-8292 Annadele’s Plantation aaaa 71518 Chestnut St., Covington, 809-7669 Barrel Wine Bar Wine, small plates and more, 6x9305 LA 21, Ste. E, Covington, 272-8485 Bear’s Restaurant aa Po-boys, 128 W. 21st St., Covington, 892-2373 Beck ‘n’ Call Cafe 534 N. New Hampshire, Covington, 875-9390 Blind Tiger 19124 Rogers Ln., 9002443 Bud’s Broiler aa Hamburgers, 1250 N. US 190, Covington, 985-8038368 Buster’s Place aa 519 E. Boston St., Covington, 809-3880.

Seafood, po-boys, steaks. Open seven days a week. Lunch, dinner.

MCC. Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 70380 LA Hwy. 21, Covington, 871-6674 CC’s Coffee House Coffee and pastries, 1331 N Hwy 190., Covington, 900-2241 The Chimes aaa Cajun, 19130 W. Front St., Covington, 892-5396 Coffee Rani aa Soup and salad, 234-A Lee Ln., Covington, 8936158 Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill aa 434 N. Columbia St., Covington, 898-0899 Copeland’s aa Creole, 680 N. US

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190, Covington, 809-9659 Dakota aaaa Contemporary Creole, 629 N. US 190, Covington, 8923712 Dickey’s Barbecue Pit, 69292 Hwy. 21, Covington, 871-2225 DiCristina’s aaa Italian, 810 N. Columbia St., Covington, 8750160 DiMartino’s aaa 700 S. Tyler St., Covington, 276-6460 Don’s Seafood Hut aa 126 Lake Dr., Covington, 327-7111 The English Tea Room aaa 734 Rutland St., Covington, 898-3988 Fat Spoon Café aa 2807 N Highway 190., Covington, 893-5111 Gallagher’s Grill aaaa Contemporary Creole, 509 S. Tyler St., Covington, 892-9992 Garcia’s Famous Mexican Food 200 River Highlands Blvd., Covington, 327-7420 Habanero’s 69305 Highway 21, Ste. 600, Covington, 871-9760 Half Shell Oyster House 70367 Hwy 21, Ste 100, Covington, 276-4500 La Carreta aaa Mexican, 812 Hyw 190, Covington, 400-5202 La Casa de Sabores 324 East Boston St, Covington, 900-2297 Lola aaa 517 N. New Hampshire St., Covington, 892-4992 Mattina Bella aaa Breakfast, 421 E. Gibson St., Covington, 892-0708 McAlister’s Deli 206 Lake Dr., Ste. 15, Covington, 898-2800 Megumi of Covington aaa 1211 Village Walk, Covington, 893-0406 Meribo Modern Italian, 326 Lee Ln, Covington, 327-5407 Mugshots Grill & Bar 300 River Highlands Blvd., Covington, 8932422 New Orleans Food & Spiritsaaa Seafood, 208 Lee Lane, Covington, 875-0432 Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery and Cafè 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste. 5, Covington, 893-1488 Outback Steakhouse aa Australianthemed cuisine. 60 Park Place Dr., Covington, 893-0505. MCC. Ox Lot 9 aaa Contemporary, 428 E Boston St., Covington, 400-5663 Pat’s Seafood 1248 N. Collins Blvd. and 70456 LA #21, Ste 400, Covington, 892-7287 Pyre

70437

LA-21,

Suite

100,

Covington, 888 -6129 PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co. 70456 Hwy. 21, Covington, 875-7894 Pizza Man of Covington aaa

>>

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Madisonville, 845-4446

892-9874 Raising Canes 1270 N. Hwy. 190, Covington, 809-0250 Ristorante Del Porto aaaa Italian, 501 E. Boston St., Covington, 875-1006 Sweet Daddy’s 420 S. Tyler St., Covington, 898-2166 TCBY 70488 Hwy 21, Covington,

MANDEVILLE The Barley Oak Serving 130 styles of beer, 2101 Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville, 727-7420 Beach House Neighborhood Cafe, 124 Girod, Mandeville, 624-9331 Bistro Byronz aa American, 1901 Highway 190, Mandeville, 9517595

892-9000 Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys a 515 E. Boston St., Covington, 893-

Bosco’s Italian Café aaa 2040 Hwy. 59, Mandeville, 624-5066 Café Lynn aaaa Contemporary

9336 Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar aaa 323 N. New Hampshire St., Covington, 8093840. MCC. Zea aaa American, 110 Lake Dr., Covington, 327-0520

Creole, 2600 Florida St., Mandeville, 624-9007 Ceasar’s Ristorante aa Authenic Italian cuisine, 408 N Causeway Blvd, 951-2626 Coffee Rani aa Soup and salad, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-0560

HAMMOND

Coscino’s Pizza aa Italian, 1809 N.

Brady’s 110 SW Railroad Ave.,

Causeway Blvd., 727-4984

Hammond, 542-6333.

Creole Tomateaux Authentic Creole

Don’s Seafood & Steak House 1915 S. Morrison Blvd., Hammond, 345-8550 Jacmel Inn aaaa 903 E. Morris St., Hammond, 542-0043 Kirin Sushi 223 S. Cate St., Hammond, 542-8888 La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine 108 N.W Railroad Ave., Hammond, 419-9990 One Thirteen Restaurant New American cuisine, 113 N Oak St, Hammond, 402-3481 Salty Joe’s BBQ 43344 S. Range Rd, Hammond, 956-7099 Tommy’s on Thomas Pizza, 216 W. Thomas St. Hammond, Tope là Contemporary delights, 104 N. Cate St., Hammond, 542-7600 Yellow Bird Café 222 E. Charles St.,

Cuisine, 1851 Florida St., 9512650 Daisey Dukes 1200 W. Causeway Approach, Ste 13, 951-2140 El Paso Mexican Grill 3410 US 190, 624-2345 Fat Spoon Café aa 68480 Hwy. 59., 809-2929.

Fazzio’saa Italian,1841 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 624-9704 Franco’s Grill Fresh organic foods, 100 Bon Temps Roule, 792-0200 George’s aaa Mexican, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 6264342 Gio’s Villa Vancheri aaa 690 Lafitte St., 624-2597 K. Gee’s aaa Seafood, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530.

La Carreta aaa Mexican, 1200 W.

Hammond, 345-1112

Causeway Approach, Mandeville,

LACOMBE

La Madeleine aa French, 3434 US

624-2990 Sal and Judy’s aaaa Italian, 27491 Highway 190, Lacombe, 882-9443

190, 626-7004 The Lakehouse aaa Contemporary Creole, 2025 Lakeshore Dr.,

MADISONVILLE Abita Roasting Company 504 Water St., Madisonville, 246-3340 Crabby Shack & Po-Boys aaa

Authentic Sicilian dishes, 2625

LA-21, Madisonville, 845-2348

Florida St, 788-2550

Steak, 165 LA 21, Madisonville, 845-9940 Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar aa 702 Water St., Madisonville, 845-4970 Orlando’s Seafood, 304 Hwy. 22 West,

Inside Northside

7125 Leonardo’s Trattoria & Pizzeria

Louisiana seafood dishes, 305 Keith Young’s Steak House aaaa

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Mandeville, 626-3006 LaLou Breakfast, 200 Girod St., 231-

Little Tokyo aaa Japanese, 590 Asbury Dr., 504-727-1532 Liz’s Where Y’At Diner aaa 2500 Florida, 626-8477 Mande’s 340 N. Causeway App., 626-9047 Mandina’s aaa Italian, Seafood,

i 4240 La 22, Mandeville, 674-9883 Nuvolari’s aaaa Creole Italian, 246 Girod St., Mandeville, 626-5619 Oak Oven 2250 Florida St., Mandeville, 778-0957 The Old Rail Brewing Company a Homemade American cuisine, 639 Girod St., Mandeville, 612-1828 Pardo’s aaaaa Contemporary Creole, 5280 LA-22, Mandeville, 893-3603 Pat Gallagher’s 527 Restaurant and Bar aaaa 527 N. Causeway Blvd, Mandeville, 778-2820 PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co. 2963 Hwy.

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Legacy Kitchen aa American. 759 Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie, 504-309-5231 Riccobono’s Peppermill aaa Creole Italian, 3524 Severn Ave., Metairie, 504-455-2266 Ruth’s Chris Steak House aaaa Steak, 3633 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-888-3600 Shogun aaaa Japanese, 2325 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504-8337477 Vincent’s aaaa Creole Italian, 4411 Chastant St., Metairie, 504-8852984

190, Mandeville, 674-1565 PONCHATOULA

Poke Loa Louisiana’s freshest poke bowls, 1810 N Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 778-0444 Pontchartrain Po-Boys aaa 318 Dalwill Dr., Mandeville, 626-8188 Raising Canes 3801 Hwy. 22, Mandeville, 674-2042

Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant 30160 Hwy. 51, Ponchatoula, 386-6666 La Carreta aaa Mexican, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave., Ponchatoula, 3700930

Rip’s on the Lake aa 1917 Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville, 7272829 Rob’s Rockin’ Dogs 2890 E Causeway Approach, Ste B, Mandeville, 231-7688 Rusty Pelican aa 500 Girod St., Mandeville, 778-0364 Times Grill a 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 626-1161 Trey Yuen Cuisine of China aaa Quality China cuisine with Louisiana flair, 600 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville, 626-4476

SLIDELL A Touch of Italy Café 134 Pennsylvania Ave., Slidell, 6390600 Assunta’s aaa Italian, 2631 Covington Hwy., Slidell, 649-9768 Blue House Grill Sandwiches, 2170 Gause Blvd W., Slidell, 288-5544 Cafe Luke Breakfast and brunch favorites plus Dinner Theatre, 153 Robert St., Slidell, 707-1597 Camellia Cafe aaa 525 Hwy. 190, Slidell, 649-6211.

Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 1340

METAIRIE Acme Oyster House aaa Seafood, 3000 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504309-4056 Andrea’s aaa Italian, 3100 19th St., Metairie, 504-834-8583 Andy’s Bistro aaa American, 3322 N. Turnbull Dr., Metairie, 504-4557363 Austin’s aaaa Creole, 5101 West Esplanade Ave., Metairie, 504888-5533 Caffe! Caffe! aa Breakfast, 4301 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, 504885-4845; 3547 N. Hullen., Metairie, 504-267-9190 Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 2320 Veterans Blvd., Metairie, 504837-6696; 1821 Hickory Ave., Harahan, 504-305-4833 Drago’s aaaa Seafood, 3232 N. Arnoult Rd., Metairie, 504-8889254 Impastato’s aaaa Creole Italian, 3400 16th St., Metairie, 504-4551545

Lindberg Dr., Slidell, 847-0020 Copeland’s aa Creole, 1337 Gause Blvd., Slidell, 643-0001 El Paso Mexican Grill 1100 Robert Blvd., Slidell, 445-1450 Gallagher’s on Front Street 2306 Front St., Slidell, 326-8350 Nathan’s aaaa Contemporary Creole, 36440 Old Bayou Liberty Rd., Slidell, 643-0443 Palmettos on the Bayou aa 1901 Bayou Ln., Slidell, 643-0050 Peck’s Seafood Restaurant 2315 Gause Blvd. E., Slidell, 781-7272 Speckled T’s Seafood, 158 S Military Rd., Slidell, 646-1728 The Blind Tiger Slidell 37330 Lakeshore Marina Dr., Slidell, 7071082 Times Grill 1827 Front St., Slidell, 639-3335 Vera’s aaa Seafood, 2020 Gause Blvd W., Slidell, 690-9814 Zea aaa American, 173 Northshore Blvd., Slidell, 327-0520

March-April 2020 89

Half Shell Oyster House

“WHETHER YOU’RE IN A T-SHIRT, shorts and a hat right off the boat or in for an anniversary dinner and steak, we cater to everyone,” says Curren Mirando, general manager of Half Shell Oyster House in Covington.

The French Quarter- and coastal Mississippi-inspired atmosphere hosts both casual lunches and celebratory dinners with a menu to fit each.

Local favorites have been Redfish Orleans and Shrimp & Grits. The Redfish Orleans features blackened redfish topped with Gulf shrimp that are sautéed in Half Shell’s original New Orleans-style smoky Cajun sauce and topped with lump crabmeat and parmesan cheese.

“We’re very focused on prepping our own sauces and dressings in-house,” Curren adds. The Shrimp & Grits offers Gulf shrimp in their smoky bacon cream sauce atop seared cheddar cheese grit cakes.

A side option to complement the many steak options—or specialties like the Herb Encrusted Mahi or Almond Encrusted Chicken—is the crowd-favorite Sweet 90

Inside Northside

by Leah Draffen

Potato Crème Brûlée. Other accompaniments include Grilled Asparagus topped with Gorgonzola Butter and Cajun Boiled Parmesan & Garlic Fried New Potatoes.

On Mondays, enjoy all-you-can-eat Royal Reds with a side salad and boiled potatoes for $19; on Tuesdays, $10 for a dozen of raw oysters and $12 for a dozen of charbroiled or Oyster Orleans—a highlight of Half Shell’s menu. And Wednesdays, bottles of wine are $10 off.

Approaching two years this July, the Covington team is having fun in the community. “We really want to help the community and also get out there for the people who may have not had a chance to try our food,” says Curren. “From pancake breakfasts for kids to events for the Boys & Girls Club, we are excited to be a part of St. Tammany.”

Half Shell Oyster House is located at 70367 LA-21 #100 in Covington. 276-4500. Halfshelloysterhouse.com.

photo courtesy: HALF SHELL OYSTER HOUSE

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