July-August 2020 Issue of Inside Northside Magazine

495

$

INSIDEPUB.com

WOMEN FILMMAKERS •

PAMELA BINNINGS EWEN • FAMILY PROMISE • WOMEN IN BUSINESS

JULY-AUGUST 2020 VOL. 35, NO. 4

Home for the weekend. Page 83.

contents table of

page 84

page 42 43 Kerry Milton Senior Vice President/ Chief Nursing Officer, St. Tammany Health System 83 Home for the Weekend

with Money Hill’s Mimi Goodyear Dossett 84 A Dog’s Day 10 Summer Things to Do with Your Pup on the Northshore

Features 12 Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary Cover artist Jan Dicks

Departments

20 Into the Swamp with Jeff Rogers

10 Contributors

22 Women Filmmakers Addison Riecke and Rita Powers 28 One Strong Woman

Pamela Binnings Ewen 38 Helping the Homeless Family Promise of St. Tammany 6

Inside Northside

8 Publisher’s Note 16 INside Scoop 36 Traces Fire Twirler 76 Flourishes Extraordinary gifts and home accents 80 INside Look

40 pa ge 28

86 IN Love & Marriage 90 Inside Peek Featuring: Southern Hotel Anniversary 92 IN Great Taste Savory Summer Pie 94 Haute Plates 95 Inside Dining 98 Last Bite Pat’s Seafood

Swinging for the fences!

Analiese Dovonan and Madelyn Zamb iasi.

In this issue, we recognize Women in Business leadership. There are great examples across our business community, and they are such an inspiration. They champion efforts in both our business and community outreach sectors. Planting the seeds for that passion in the next generation is the goal of the Swinging for Scholarships program of the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.

Ryan Myers with F.H. Myers Construction and James Richardson with Insurance Underwriters were co-chairs of the golf tournament that secured the program funding. The $1,000 scholarships were awarded to graduating high school seniors Analiese Donovan from Covington High School and Madelyn Zambiasi from Lakeshore High School. Both are pursuing LSU business degrees in the fall. Geaux Tigers! : ) Speaking of recognition, Hope House could use your help. (Say that three times fast!) The Children’s Advocacy Center has been extremely busy throughout the Covid crisis this spring. They performed 450 counseling sessions and initiated 112 forensic investigations for victims of child abuse.

They cannot do this work alone and depend on many in the community for help and support. Recognizing those child advocacy leaders as Champions for Children is one way you can help. Nominations are to be submitted online at cachopehouse.org/events before Friday, July 31.

I hope we never stop swinging for the fences as a community. I want to live in a place that is #northofyourexpectations.

Have a great summer,

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Inside Northside

Contributors Our contributors give Inside Northside its voice, its personality and its feel.

Here we are proud to highlight a few of them so that you can put a face with a name and get to know them.

July-August 2020

Anna Strider

Anna is the Manager of Marketing and PR for the St. Tammany Parish Tourist Commission and a proud Southeastern Alumnae (Lion Up!). Born and raised in Virginia, she’s called St. Tammany home for five years and has completely fallen in love with the community and culture. Days off are spent soaking in the Southern sun with her 75-pound Labradoodle, Perre-Gabe. Their northshore adventures together always include a stop at a favorite pet-friendly place to dine and play. She shares her ideas for summer fun with dogs on page 84.

Grace Butzman Growing up in Folsom, Grace Butzman knew she wanted to tell the stories of the unique people and places surrounding her. She graduated from Southeastern Louisiana University this May with a bachelor’s degree in communication and a minor in French and is excited to be a contributor to Inside Northside. When not writing, Grace enjoys painting, kayaking on new rivers and being a second wedding photographer for her sister, Emily Carter. In this issue, Grace shares the story of Miss Mandeville Teen USA, Liliana Geier, on page 36 and writes about Pat’s Seafood on page 98.

Karen Gibbs Longtime contributor to Inside Northside, Karen Gibbs is a wife, mother and grandmother who relishes the freedom and variety that comes with freelance writing.

From lifestyle articles for TODAY.com to health and education pieces for New Jersey family magazine, her subjects are ever changing and always challenging. Her favorite assignments, however, are those about remarkable people like Pamela Binnings Ewen. Read about this talented local author whose latest novel, The Queen of Paris: The Story of Coco Chanel, is garnering praise nationwide. (page 28) Other Voices: Beth D’Addono, Mimi Goodyear Dossett, Candra George, Rachel Harris, Corey James, Mimi Greenwood Knight, Ryleigh Magee, Yvette Jemison, Michelle Preau, Kevin Schurb.

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Inside Northside

Vol. 35, No. 4

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

Advertising Account Executives Barbara Roscoe Poki Hampton barbara@insidepub.com poki@insidepub.com

Pemmie Sheasby Jonée Daigle-Ferrand pemmie@insidepub.com Anne Honeywell Stacey Paretti Rase –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

On the Cover

Cover Artist Jan Dicks.

Find more on page 12.

–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

Contact

phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 Advertising Sales sales@insidepub.com Subscriptions subscriptions@insidepub.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– INSIDE NORTHSIDE is published bi-monthly (January, March, May, July, September, November) by M and L Publishing, LLC, PO Box 9148, Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 as a means of communication and information for St. Tammany and Tangipahoa Parishes, Louisiana.

Bulk Postage paid at Mandeville, LA. Copy­right ©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.

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

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Inside Northside

JAN DICKS HAS A FAVORITE QUOTE: “The whole world is a series of miracles, but we’re so used to them we call them ordinary things.” Author Hans Christian Andersen said that, and to Dicks it perfectly expresses her quest to find the miraculous in the commonplace.

Devotees of her watercolor work love it for just that element—the way a simple bird feather or seed pod can achieve intimate proportion and intricacy. And no one is as amazed as the artist herself.

“In the process of being painted, these ordinary objects take on a personality or tell a story and it always surprises me,” she says. “I’m painting, painting, painting and suddenly realize the subject has taken on a life of its own. It’s a mystery to me how that happens.”

As a child, Dicks was drawn to the visual. “My mom had seven kids in seven years,” she says. “Our home was a wonderful, crazy zoo. And we’re Italian, so naturally very visual.” Like many moms of the time, Dick’s mother sewed, and young Jan found herself drawn to her fabrics. She also loved to sneak wood scraps from her dad’s woodshop and use her brothers’ model paints to recreate the things she’d seen in National Geographic or the Britannica Encyclopedia.

When it was time for college, Dicks headed to The University of New Orleans to study science, switched her major three times and ended up back with her first love—visual art. Her senior year, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago sent scouts to campus and before long, >>

photos: MAUREEN KELLY

Finding the Extraordinary in the Ordinary Cover Artist Jan Dicks

14

Inside Northside

photos: MAUREEN KELLY

Dicks received a letter offering her a full scholarship to their graduate program in printmaking. “I didn’t want to go,” she says. “I was tired of school, and the idea of moving to Chicago terrified me. But they let me defer for one year, and I really pushed myself to make the leap.”

Leap she did. Next thing she knew she was wandering the rooms of one of the world’s great art museums, becoming intimately familiar with a collection that spans centuries—and the globe.

“The school is attached to the museum,” says Dicks.

“Before it opened each day, we students could wander around looking at famous works by Monet and

Gaugin and many other post-impressionists. The museum itself became my teacher.”

Back home again without access to a print shop, she explored acrylic painting before finding her way to the watercolor for which she’s become known. “I love the luminosity of watercolor and love that there’s an element of control and an element of abandon,” says Dicks. “I can analyze a color to recreate it in washes, trying to make it do what I want. But once on the paper, the paint is going to do its own thing.

That’s the beauty and excitement of watercolor.”

John James Audubon was an early inspiration for Dicks, as were other naturalist painters of the 1700s and 1800s, including John and Elizabeth Gould and Mark Catesbe. “Catesbe was doing the things Audubon did much earlier and more primitively,” she says. “He was in North America

gathering specimens for people back in Europe and taught himself to draw to more easily relate the things he was encountering. In Chicago, I walked past a gallery every day that had huge double elephant folio prints of Audubon’s work.

I was able to experience his vision up close and personal.”

For her recent flamingo series, Dicks began by studying vintage prints by naturalist and poet Edward Lear. “I studied his 1837 sketches of flamingoes, the dangling necks and the delicate colors he captured,” she says. “Then my sister, Maureen, and I went to the Audubon Zoo to study and photograph the flamingoes there.” The resulting paintings are actually portraits of two specific flamingos, #80 and #93, which stood out to her.

Dicks admits she has a love/hate relationship with the art markets where she sells much of her work. “Doing a show is an arduous undertaking,” she says. “But that’s where I connect with the people. That intimacy is a critical element in what I do. Intimacy and vulnerability are what I look for in subject matter. It’s what draws me to nature; something in the eyes of the creatures I paint. It’s like they’re saying, ‘I see you, and I see that you see me. Am I safe?’ That concept carries over at the markets. It’s not unusual when someone is looking at the work and telling me their story that we both end up crying.

At a show, I’m the one who’s vulnerable.”

Throughout her career, Dicks has illustrated books, created murals, and taught art to students of all ages.

She garnered an American Institute of Graphic Art Award for her illustrations in The House That Crack Built by local author Clark Taylor (Chronicle Books) and established a successful online store selling her work on postcards, note cards and gift tags, as well as original

work and giclée prints. She’s become known for her notecards, and that’s no accident.

“I love paper, and I love receiving words in the mail,” says Dicks. “It’s hard to find vehicles worthy of the words someone is going to write. That’s what I try to create. And if someone wants to frame the card, all the better.”

Meanwhile, we’ll be watching to see what flora or fauna or everyday object next finds new life and expression under the brush of this gifted and insightful Northshore artist.

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,

Jan’s work can be found online at jandicks.com and is available locally at mélange by KP.

where she enjoys gardening, beekeeping, Bible study, knitting and chicken wrangling.

July-August 2020 15

p resen t ed b y

Light Up the Lake: Independence Day Celebration July 4, 8:30pm Fireworks will begin at 8:30pm; spectators may watch from their cars parked in bays along Lakeshore Drive or

photo courtesy: ROGGER BLOGGER

on the lakefront, respecting social distancing. Mandeville Lakefront, 624-3147.

16

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

Farmers Markets Covington Farmers Market - Wednesday

friends to Abita Springs’ Trailhead & Park on Saturday, July 4, for an Independence

Lunch Market Every Wednesday,

Day Celebration! Fireworks start at 9pm.

10am-2pm Covington Trailhead, 419 N.

Abita Springs Trailhead and Park; 22044

New Hampshire St., 966-1786.

Main St., 893-1493.

Covington Farmers Market

Southern Fried Funeral July 10-18, Fridays

Every Saturday, 8am-12pm Covington City

and Saturdays, 8pm Cutting Edge Theater

Hall, 609 N. Columbia St., 966-1786.

presents Southern Fried Funeral. Dewey

Camellia City Market Every Saturday,

Frye is dead and the rest of his family is left

8am-12pm Camellia City Market, 1808 Front

to pick up the pieces—that is, if they don’t

St., Slidell, 640-7112.

kill each other first. A big-hearted comedy

Mandeville Trailhead Community Market

about family—Southern style. $30-$35.

Every Saturday, 9am-1pm Mandeville

Cutting Edge Theater, 767 Robert Blvd.,

Trailhead Community Market; 675 Lafitte

Slidell, 649-3727.

St., 624-3147.

Abita Springs Art & Farmers Market Every

Sweet Potato Queens, The Musical July 10-25, Fridays and Saturdays, 8-10pm

Sunday, 11am-3pm Abita Springs Farmers

Sweet Potato Queens is a high-powered

Market; 22049 Main St., 892-0711 ext 7.

musical that tells the story of Jill and her closest friends and how they learn to grab

Palmettos presents Jessica Meltz

life by the sequins, feathers and tiaras to live

Fridays through August 28, 6-9pm

their lives on their own terms—as big as a

Palmettos presents melodic tunes by

parade! $27-$45. Cutting Edge Theater, 767

harpist Jessica Meltz, 6-9 p.m., Fridays

Robert Blvd., Slidell, 649-3727.

while you enjoy signature cocktails

Sunset at the Landing Concert July 17,

and delicious dishes. Reservations

August 21, 6-9pm Concerts feature

recommended. Palmettos on the Bayou;

regional and touring artists performing

1901 Bayou Ln., Slidell, 643-0050.

jazz, bluegrass, folk, blues and more. All

Jazz Brunch at Palmettos Sundays through

are encouraged to bring refreshments

September 13, 10am-2pm Join Palmettos

and chairs or blankets for lawn seating.

on the Bayou every Sunday for à la carte

Columbia Street Landing on the Bogue

brunch, featuring live jazz duo and specialty

Falaya River; 100 N. Columbia St.,

brunch cocktails. Palmettos on the Bayou; 1901 Bayou Ln., Slidell, 643-0050.

A Chorus Line June 19 - July 5; Fridays and

Covington, 892-1873.

Northshore Cajun Dance at Abita Town Hall July 18, August 22, 7-10:30pm Free

Saturdays, 8pm; Sundays, 2pm Capturing

dance lessons are offered from 7:00 -

the spirit and tension of a Broadway chorus

7:30pm, then stay to practice what you

audition, A Chorus Line explores the inner

learned with the live music. The band starts

lives and poignant ambitions of professional

at 8:00pm. $12 for non-members, $10 for

Broadway gypsies. Adult, $30; student, $15.

members. Abita Springs Town Hall, 22161

Playmakers, Inc. Community Theater; 19106

Level St., (504) 583-8603.

Playmakers Rd., Covington, 893-1671.

Louisiana Art Car Festival July 25, 8am-2pm

Abita Springs 4th of July Celebration July 4,

Art Car owners and fans gather to admire

9-10pm Bring chairs, blankets, family and

and chat about Art Cars; a panel of local >>

Inside Scoop artists will recognize outstanding entries.

Parking field across from Abita Springs

Slidell, 774-3144.

Arts Evening Cultural Festival August 8,

Town Hall, 22161 Level St., Abita Springs.

4-9pm This annual event is one of the

892-2624.

largest and most celebrated cultural festivals

Columbia Street Block Party July 31 Check

on the Northshore, an entertaining evening

out local shops and restaurants, the

filled with art, food, live music, dancing, fine

Covington Art Market in the St. Tammany Art

dining, antique and boutique shopping.

Association’s Art Alley, and live music in many

Throughout Olde Towne Slidell, 646-4375.

of the neighboring entertainment venues

Up Close & Musical at the Lobby Lounge:

during the event and after hours. 6:30pm to

Amanda Shaw August 20, 7-9pm The

9:00pm. 200-500 block of Columbia Street,

Harbor Center in Slidell invites you to the

Downtown Covington, 892-1873.

second in its “Up Close and Musical”

Tammany Taste of Summer August 1

concert series, with Amanda Shaw. $19-

- September 30 Sponsored by the St.

$110. The Lobby Lounge at The Harbor

Tammany Parish Tourist Commission.

Center; 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell,

St. Tammany restaurants, hoteliers and

781-3650.

attractions offer sweet summer savings.

Ultimate Tailgate Party 10 August 22,

Sign up to get your savings pass at

7-10pm BBQ Teams will compete in four

TammanyTaste.com.

categories, all hoping for Grand Champion

Café Luke Dinner Theatre: Pete ‘n’ Keely,

status. Attendees will get to sample the

A Musical August 1-16, Fridays and

competitive BBQ from teams, with unlimited

Saturdays; 6:30 for Dinner and Show;

beverages and a live performance from

7:30 for Dessert Only and Show Join Café

4Unplugged, while competing themselves

Luke for Pete ‘n’ Keely, a sparkling musical

in both Silent and Live Auctions. $75

cocktail by James Hindman, starring Lori

per individual ticket; sponsorships

Molinary and Rickie Luke with Carol

available. The Covington Trailhead, 419

Cline on piano. $49, dinner and show; $35,

N. New Hampshire St., Covington.

dessert only and show. Café Luke, 153

ultimatetailgateparty.org.

Robert St., Slidell, 707-1597.

Chefs to Watch August 24, Cocktail Hour,

United Way of East St. Tammany’s Red

6pm; Dinner, 7:30-9pm Louisiana Cookin’

Beans & Rice Cook-off Take-out

introduced Chefs to Watch in 2002 as a

August 3, 11am-1pm United Way East St.

way of recognizing talented up-and-coming

Tammany invites you to the 16th annual Red

chefs from restaurants around the Bayou

Beans & Rice Cook-Off, the annual kick-off

State who show passion for traditions while

for the United Way campaign in East St.

delivering fresh, new concepts. Join us for

Tammany Parish. $10 per person; $75 to

an exclusive six-course dinner with wine

enter cook-off. Slidell Municipal Auditorium,

pairings at the Southern Hotel in Covington,

2056 Second St., Slidell, 778-0815.

428 E. Boston St. $150, general ticket;

Gulf Coast Sportsmen and Outdoor Expo

sponsorships available. louisianacookin. com/2020-chefs-to-watch-dinner.

August 7-9; Friday, 12-8pm; Saturday, 10am-8pm; Sunday, 10am-5pm Vendors

from across the Gulf States offer their

For a complete listing of fun things

latest products and services to hunters,

happening across the northshore, check

fishermen, campers and sports enthusiasts.

out the up-to-date calendar from the

$10 per day; $17 for weekend pass. The

St. Tammany Tourist Commission at

Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd.,

louisiananorthshore.com/events.

Into the Swamp photo courtesy: LOUISIANA NORTHSHORE

with Jeff Rogers

by Beth D’Addono

Jeff Rogers and his youngest son, Cooper.

FINDING COMFORT AND INSPIRATION in the Honey Island Swamp and the sloughs and bayous along the West Pearl River is something Jeff Rogers has been doing all his life. Rogers, 46, is passionate about sharing that experience with guests through his tour company, Cajun Encounters, which he founded more than 25 years ago.

Rogers moved with his family from New Orleans East to Slidell when he was four, and he grew up on the water about two miles from where his company is based, just off of Route 90, less than an hour outside of New Orleans. By the time he was nine, Rogers was navigating his own boat through the swamp, “hunting and fishing, doing all the things kids do,” he recalls. Rogers, who now lives in Madisonville with his wife—company CFO Mary Anna—and their three children, finds himself in uncharted waters as the pandemic presents

20 Inside Northside

challenges to all sectors of the hospitality industry.

Rogers recently expanded his operation, purchasing Pearl River Eco Tours from his friend Neal Benson, making his company a real force to be reckoned with in the Honey Island Swamp. As he’s grown the business, the idea was to always deliver a full range of hospitality experiences to guests.

Beyond the boundaries of the swamp, plantation tours and New Orleans tours are offered, with transportation from hotels for guests who prefer not to drive. Smaller groups can book VIP tours for up to eight people, adding another level of personal service to the experience. A few years ago, Rogers added a spacious Cajun pavilion for guests waiting on tours and groups of up to 300 people for crawfish or seafood boils and parties. A gift shop welcomes, with goods inspired by the swamp, and an extended boardwalk stretches through the cypress trees gives guests the chance to mosey on their own.

An entrepreneur at heart, Rogers worked for a canoe tour company in high school, and later at Outback Steakhouse while putting himself through college at Southeastern to study marketing. He says, “I liked hospitality, taking care of people, giving them an experience. I figured why not just go into business for myself?” He couldn’t get a business loan, so Rogers

maxed out his credit cards and used his savings to start Cajun Encounters. When he finally did get money from the bank to expand, 9/11 happened. “My business was shut town. I came close to going bankrupt. That taught me to never leverage myself again.” When Katrina hit in 2005, he was in a good position to hunker down and wait while travel recovered. “Travel is a luxury.

Now again, we have to figure out what our business is going to look like as we move forward in the next few years.”

With safety of team members and guests paramount, Rogers and his crew increased sanitation protocol and outfitted all boats with plexi shields, with social distance a given, as boats run at less than the 22-passenger capacity. “We are finding that people really want to be outside. Our company culture sets us apart, the way we all seek to go above and beyond and get to know our guests.

We want to surprise and delight them, which is why we have so many repeat customers.”

The Cajun Encounters experience on the Pearl River and Honey Island Swamp doesn’t feel like a mass-produced tour.

While some companies use boats that seat 60 and run airboats that require headphones to hear the tour, Rogers is proud to offer a more intimate experience, with knowledgeable captainguides full of inside info, guaranteeing an authentic eco-tour of one of America’s unique ecosystems. You are just about guaranteed to see alligators, wild boar, raccoons, snakes, owls, egrets, and more, all in their natural habitat—and just a few feet from the boat.

Captains like Captain Luka, a first-generation Croat whose family is in the oyster fishing business, bring first-hand experience, an insider’s perspective and wonderful warmth to the swamp tour adventure.

A fervent member of the Louisiana Nature Conservancy, Cajun Encounters prides itself on being vigilant stewards of the Pearl River and the Honey Island Swamp, which covers some 70,000 pristine acres in St. Tammany Parish. “Sharing this amazing place with our guests is our passion,” says Rogers. “We are doing whatever it takes to keep our experiences safe for all concerned. As the world changes, we will meet those challenges.

My feeling is, now more than ever, we need the peace and serenity that is found in our beautiful Honey Island Swamp.”

For a complete listing of St. Tammany Parish operators offering swamp tour experiences, visit LouisianaNorthshore.com/swamp.

July-August 2020 21

Women Filmmakers Addison Riecke and Rita Powers

22

Inside Northside

by Candra George

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

WE ALL HAVE FAVORITE STORIES that live in our heads. Scenes we replay in our minds and TV characters we quote on a regular basis. Television and movies help us escape the bad days, celebrate good ones and even wind down at night. I recently had the chance to dive a bit deeper into the film and television industry, conversing over arancini.

As I listened to two young women talk about projects they were working on, and a work life mysterious to many, I felt it. Kindred spirits.

Mandeville’s Rita Powers found her passion at NOCCA, ultimately graduating from Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts in California. She joined a Louisiana-owned independent production company with a very impressive track record, including films like Black Swan, Everest and Hacksaw Ridge. Cross Creek Pictures works closely with filmmakers to develop, produce and finance feature films with broad market appeal. Since 2010, Cross Creek has released 14 films, with worldwide box office sales of over $1.3 billion and has been nominated for and won many Academy Awards, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and SAG awards.

Cross Creek Pictures’ TV division, also known as Vermilion Entertainment, has a large slate of projects across multiple stages of development and production, which Rita oversees in her position as Senior Creative Director. She compares making a film to being on a sports team. (Rita participated in many different sports, including competitive roller hockey, where she was the only girl on an all-boys team.) “There are so many moving parts and people involved when it comes to making >>

Addison Riecke and Rita Powers.

July-August 2020 23

Right: Addison Riecke.

a film or series. I think my years of participating in competitive sports taught me the importance of ‘team,’ and how everyone needs to be on the same page and willing to work towards the same goal in order to be successful. Making a film is not very different from being on a sports team in that regard.”

Current Vermillion projects include a remake of the Alfred Hitchcock Presents series and a scripted series based on life in the French Quarter during the early 1800s. Rita has always been particularly passionate about finding ways to showcase the beauty of Louisiana through artistic storytelling.

Now 27, she splits her time between Louisiana and L.A. Her smile is wide with excitement as she talks about the new show she is working on. “The French Quarter is unlike any place in America—all it takes is one visit to feel the magic of its expansive history, architecture and culture. The story of how the French Quarter came to be has never been shown like this before, and we are very excited for the opportunity to produce a project like this in our own backyard.”

Across the table from her at our lunch is a veteran in front of the camera. Covington’s 24

Inside Northside

photos: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

Below: Rita Powers.

Addison Riecke began working in television and film at age 7, and by the time she was 9 had been cast in her first show, The Thundermans.

Now 16, Addison has worked with some of the biggest names in the industry—most notably, with Nicole Kidman, Kirsten Dunst and Elle Fanning in The Beguiled, a movie directed, produced and written by Sophia Coppola. The time spent with Sophia was particularly empowering for Addison. The director encouraged her to take an active role in planning the direction she wants for her life.

Addison’s industry experience, natural drive and passion to create led her to start LA Cov, a Covingtonbased production company. She says, “The LA is for Los Angeles and Cov is for home. I wanted to blend my two worlds to create something unique.

The production company will not only give life to my dreams, but will also empower other women of talent. I would love to see a film entirely finished with a staff of female creatives. You just don’t see that in the industry.”

Growing up, Addison was always buried in books, so writing feels very natural. Working in the industry has honed her keen interest in creating a project of her own. When Addison is at home in Covington she is a junior at Christ Episcopal School.

How rare are these two successful young women in film and television?

During every award season, we hear about unequal pay and nominations for big awards, but overall, I wondered how many jobs behind the camera were given to females. It seems that though women account for 51 percent of moviegoers, they are definitely underrepresented behind the camera. On the top 100 grossing films of 2019, >> July-August 2020 25

women represented only 12 percent of the directors, 20 percent of writers and 2 percent of cinematographers.

Kathryn Bigelow is the only woman to ever win the Academy Award for Best Director, for her work on The Hurt Locker, and only five women have ever been nominated (Lina WertmĂźller, Jane Campion, Sofia Coppola, Bigelow and Greta Gerwig). In 2019, movies with at least one female director did employ higher percentages of women writers, editors, cinematographers and composers, so that is a start.

Unfortunately, more than 90 percent of major studio films have no female assistants on set, including gaffers, key grips, or supervising sound editors.

There is definitely an opportunity for improvement.

In television, the story I found was much the same. During the 2018-2019 broadcast network TV season, women accounted for just 31 percent of all creators, directors, writers, producers, executive producers, editors and directors of photography working on broadcast network, cable and streaming programs. In fact, 79 percent of these programs had no women directors and 77 percent had no women editors or creators. This disparity is even more remarkable when compared to other traditional occupations, such as doctors or lawyers, in which females are 50.7 percent and 51.3 percent, respectively. It’s beautiful to see two young women understand and work to offer what female audiences want.

Surrounding and immersing yourself with creative and powerful women only adds to a project.

What I love about Rita and Addison is that they are producing, creating, and facilitating content in both fictional and real worlds. Being a female producer in a mostly male 26

Inside Northside

company, not to mention industry?

Starting a production company in Louisiana at the young age of 16?

This is what the world needs more of—hard working, positive, gutsy role models. We need forward thinking young women who will break new ground and inspire conversation.

As the waitress brings our entrées, Rita speaks of her time at NOCCA. “At school, we were trained in all areas, and they make you learn everything from camera work to editing to directing. I quickly realized that I didn’t want to do everything—that my strong suit was recognizing everyone’s talents and bringing them together to produce something great.”

I still remember a time when I wanted to teach, bake, photograph, write, make art, and hold a corporate job all at the same time. It is hard to sustain for the long term. But, sometimes when we attempt to do it all, we learn where we really belong. As it turns out, my cake layers fall apart; I’m not a great baker.

I am, however, madly in love with photography and story-telling. It’s what I was born to do.

For both Addison and Rita, success is being built around relationships, finding like-minded people in their creative worlds. Both women have strong mentors and take advice. Both Addison and Rita take an active role in the life they want to create. It’s a lesson all of us could learn from. We can use those stories that live in our heads and get serious about creating a great story for ourselves. Leaving Meribo, I have a deeper appreciation for women in the film and television industry, women working together to create.

I also think the next chapter in my story will definitely include more meetings that begin with arancini!

July-August 2020 27

a l e m Pa innings B n e w E One Strong Woman

by Karen B. Gibbs

28

Inside Northside

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

STRONG WOMEN DON’T JUST HAPPEN. They develop their strength over time, learning from their mistakes, overcoming challenges and never giving up. They prefer progress to praise and action to complacency.

Pamela Binnings Ewen, wife of James Lott, mother of Scott, retired lawyer and writer extraordinaire, is a strong woman—and she delights in writing about strong women. As she celebrates the release of her seventh book, The Queen of Paris: The Story of Coco Chanel, Ewen reflects on the events that brought her to this point.

“I thought I’d be a ballerina,” says the petite brunette who had passionately pursued ballet since third grade. However, her party-hardy attitude during her first year at St. Mary’s Dominican College fast-tracked her into the workforce. “I was kicked out and told I wasn’t college material,” she says.

Two years and several jobs later, Ewen was married and supporting her student husband. Eight years later, she was divorced and supporting herself and her four-year-old son, Scott. “After the divorce, I wondered how a woman could earn enough money to support herself and a kid. The answer came to me in five seconds—become a lawyer!” Fortunately, Ewen was working in the dean’s office of Tulane University College at the time and thereby eligible for free tuition.

Seizing the opportunity, she enrolled in pre-law studies with a second major in political science.

Because she was working fulltime, Ewen took classes during her lunch break and after work. And Scott?

He went to playschool during the day and spent evenings in the care of friends who sat with him in the University Center in front of a TV with an order of fries. It was a struggle, but the determined, single mom made it work.

After graduation, Ewen was accepted into Tulane Law School. Her boss at the time, who was the dean of the Law School, asked her how she planned to pay tuition. “To be honest, I had no idea how I was going to pay for it; I just knew I would.” As the summer wore on, Ewen still hadn’t found an answer. Then, like a bolt out of the blue, an idea came! Apply for the Louisiana Legislature Scholarship. Only one was given each year. She had to be the one to get it.

The spunky Ewen personally visited State Senator John Hainkel and asked for the scholarship. After what

seemed like an eternity, Hainkel called from the floor of the Senate to say the scholarship was hers! “John Hainkel changed my life forever,” she says. “I wrote him thank you letters throughout my career because, without him, I would never have been a lawyer.”

Taking classes year round, Ewen finished law school in 2 ½ years. Her first job was with a Corpus Christi law firm, after which she worked for Gulf Oil. Then she accepted a position with a prestigious law firm headquartered in Houston. “I was the first person to be hired laterally as an associate,” says Ewen. “Five years later, I was invited into the partnership—the fifth woman to make partner in the firm. Ewen held this position until she retired in 2004.

Crisis in Faith Long before she grappled with the problem of paying tuition, Ewen struggled with a deeper crisis— one of faith. This anguishing struggle spanned over a decade but, ultimately, there was a silver lining to this dark cloud. While searching for answers, Ewen came across a quote from Simon Greenleaf, a lawyer from the 1850s. He wrote that if Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were witnesses in a courtroom, they’d prove Christianity was true. That was the answer!

She was a lawyer. She’d put the evangelists on trial.

“I searched philosophers, psychologists, archeologists and scientists for evidence to corroborate the evangelists’ stories.” Halfway through her research, it suddenly clicked. “I was driving on the freeway, listening to music, and I realized I did have faith! It was one of the happiest moments of my life!”

Wanting to share her findings with her son, she wrote her faith journey as a book entitled Faith on Trial. “I knew Scott would never sit down and listen to my explanations but, as my son, he’d have to read his mother’s book.” Ewen submitted the book to a publisher in 1998, the same year she was suckerpunched with an unexpected medical diagnosis.

“I was in M.D. Anderson recovering from cancer when I got the acceptance letter from Blackstone Publishing. My agent had it personally delivered by her friend, an Episcopal priest.” Did cancer eclipse the joy of receiving such good news? “Not one bit,” says Ewen. “Perhaps it was the lawyer in me that got me through it—the mindset that I can think of a way to handle anything.” >> July-August 2020 29

A year later, Faith on Trial was released and instantly became a best seller. Ewen was hooked. Soon after, she retired from practicing law and began the business of writing fulltime.

Fighting for Women’s Rights While Ewen’s success in publishing and law seems meteoric, it was not without its challenges. She chronicled some of these difficulties—notably the inequalities women faced during the 1970s—in her trilogy of books, Dancing on Glass, Chasing the Wind and An Accidental Life. The heroines in these books were two young women lawyers in the 1970s who were trying to make it in a man’s world. “I wanted today’s women to know and appreciate what women before them went through.”

Ewen drew upon her own experiences for the books. “It was different for women back then. We couldn’t get utilities turned on without having a man sign for it. I was a single mom. Imagine asking my father or my ex to sign for me. After all, I had been the breadwinner!”

There’s more. “In some companies, if a woman got pregnant, she had to leave by her fifth month and produce a doctor’s letter verifying her due date.”

To make matters worse, there was no guarantee she would be rehired after the baby was born. “As a woman, I couldn’t get a credit card in my name.

Can you believe that? In order for me to take clients to lunch, I had to make arrangements ahead of time so the waiter would not bring me the bill at the table. Instead, I arranged to pay in cash after my guests had gone.”

That pales in comparison with what happened when Ewen was on a recruiting committee for Gulf Oil. “We went to a private men’s club for lunch.

30

Inside Northside

The men chose this place not realizing women were not allowed. Seeing me in the group, the management at first denied me entrance. Then, realizing the caliber of businessmen in the party, he stealthily brought the committee in through a side door and into a private dining room.”

Even after men’s clubs allowed women to join, Ewen encountered some strange, sometimes amusing situations. “When checking out a former men’s club, I was taken through the new women’s locker room and into the gym. As we turned a corner, we came upon a hot tub where a group of men were relaxing—nude! I laugh thinking of this because a couple of the naked fellows were my clients.”

Tackling Human Rights Women’s rights issues were not the only tough topics Ewen confronted in her books. Dancing on Glass highlights the struggles of a businesswoman dealing with the stress of an abusive husband.

Ewen championed children’s rights, too. In the historical novel, Chasing the Wind, she tackled the plight of Vietnamese and Cambodian orphans after the U.S. withdrawal from Saigon. Desiring to be part of the solution, Ewen established a fund for the abandoned orphans.

An Accidental Life, the third book of the trilogy, delves into the difficult choices women sometimes have to make when family and career collide.

Presenting Difficult Heroines Ewen admits she has a penchant for writing about strong women; however, she’s quick to add that not all of them are likeable. From a reader’s point of view, this includes her own beloved grandmother, the heroine in Moon in the Mango Tree. Based on a collection of her letters, this book tells of a very talented, strong, yet stubborn woman living in the 1920s. When her husband decides to become a medical missionary in the jungles

>>

July-August 2020 31

James and Pamela on a recent trip to

of Thailand, she is expected to give up her promising career as an opera singer. “In the 1920s, women’s careers were not considered as important as men’s,” says Ewen. This was something her grandmother originally tried to accept but later found difficult. As the story unfolds, her choices create tension with the reader. “I’ve had people tell me they loved the book but didn’t like my grandmother!”

The heroine in Ewen’s latest book, The Queen of Paris: The Story of Coco Chanel, is even more

photos courtesy: PAMELA EWEN

Rio de Janerio.

complex—and infinitely more unlikeable. Ewen became fascinated with Coco Chanel after reading about her in Hal Vaughn’s 2012 non-fiction book, Sleeping with the Enemy. “I was shocked when I read the previously undisclosed military file on Chanel showing that she was an actual spy for the Abwehr, the German military intelligence.”

Knowing the “what” of Chanel’s activities didn’t satisfy Ewen. She wanted to find out the “why,” too. Thus began five years of in-depth research into Chanel, her family, friends and business, as well as World War II. Ewen discovered that because Coco had no father, brother or husband to depend on, hers was a real fight for survival. “There was no network of social support for women like her, no legislation to protect her rights. Some say she’s a monster, some that she’s misunderstood. I did not write this book to judge, but rather to tell her story, leaving readers to make up their own minds.”

Ewen chose historical fiction as the vehicle to tell Chanel’s story. “Writing it as historical fiction, as opposed to a biography, allows more leeway and the ability to dig deeper into the characters and the

plot,” she explains. “Sometimes it is reasonable to link separate factual events together to come to a new, fresh conclusion—as long as it makes sense and does not conflict with known facts.”

Weaving a Common Thread Looking back on the books she’s written, Ewen realizes that she’s woven a tapestry that traces the progress of women over the past hundred years. In 1920, when her grandmother lived, women had just won the right to vote. Yet even after reaching this milestone, other privileges were sacrificed to the norms of society. For example, women were still not permitted to serve on juries nor control the property they brought into a marriage.

Nevertheless, yesterday’s women continued to fight for their independence. Despite the desperation that sometimes gripped their lives, they forged ahead, inching toward equality. Like Coco Chanel or Ewen’s grandmother, they weren’t always likeable, but they were strong. Thanks to them, women of today can follow their own dreams. What a perfect way to celebrate this hundred-year legacy.

July-August 2020 33

Traces

photo: GEORGIA JONES

by Grace Butzman

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

her school, Mandeville High, where she performed at sporting games, parades and Christmas festivals. The

Liliana Geier Miss Mandeville Teen USA

SPARKLING DRESSES and lipstick smiles are just the surface of what pageants are about. For 16-yearold Liliana Geier, pageants involve confidence, eagerness and baton twirling—sometimes with fire.

Liliana was inspired to pick up the batons after seeing twirlers at a University of Louisiana at Lafayette football game a year ago. Her drive and passion for baton twirling led her to create a twirling position at 36

Inside Northside

first time she added fire to the performance was an experience she wouldn’t forget.

“I was very nervous to twirl fire batons, but when I lit my batons up for the first time, the student section went crazy, and I could feel the adrenaline throughout my body,” says Geier.

Although she participated in regional baton twirling pageants, Liliana wanted to compete on a larger scale. She entered as a contestant for the Miss Louisiana Teen USA Pageant and is proud to represent her community as Miss Mandeville Teen USA in 2021.

Geier has already started practicing for the pageant under the coaching of Catherine Watters, a feature twirler at the University of Washington, who was College Miss Majorette of America in 2011.

The two have been rehearsing question and answers with “cue cards” for the pageant’s interview portion.

Looking for a teen who is a confident and positive role model, the judges speak with the contestants about their successes, hobbies, talents and goals.

Liliana plans to showcase her qualities through her experiences in baton twirling and by being the sophomore class president.

“Being a leader in baton twirling has taught me to be a relatable face of an organization. As an ambassador, I have been focusing on making baton

twirling relevant in the state of Louisiana.

These experiences have prepared me for the job of Miss Louisiana Teen USA,” says Geier.

The role of the pageant crown is connecting with sponsors, encouraging teens to have confidence and being recognized on social media. Geier’s leadership and eagerness to get out of her comfort zone gives her the potential to reach a larger audience. She hopes to inspire others to be confident, reflecting the pageant’s theme, “Confidently Beautiful.”

Geier plans to continue making the art of twirling more recognized in Louisiana, but she also has goals apart from twirling. She promotes student council and youth legislation by encouraging youth to get involved, overcome weaknesses and step out their comfort zone. Along with government, she stresses the importance of academics.

“I find most of the people I know don’t challenge themselves academically; they settle for the easiest school, but you can see more potential in them.”

To advance her education, Liliana plans to attend the Louisiana School for Math, Science, and the Arts, a residential high school in Natchitoches for “highachieving, highly motivated students.”

She hopes the school will help her prepare for college. She dreams of pursuing a career as a surgeon, lawyer or engineer— and of course, her dreams wouldn’t be complete without twirling her batons on a college football field.

At press time, The Miss Louisiana Teen USA Pageant is planned for October 16-17 in Luling, Louisiana, subject to change. For updates, go to misslouisianausa.com.

Helping the Homeless

by Rachel Harris and Ryleigh Magee

Inset: The groundbreaking of the Family Promise of St. Tammany Willie Paretti Day Center on the Safe Haven campus in 2019.

38

Family Promise of St. Tammany

FOR FIVE YEARS, Family Promise of St. Tammany has assisted and supported homeless families, providing 72 families, including 160 children, with more than 17,000 nights of shelter and over 50,000 meals.

FPSTP is actively pursuing support for its soon-to-be-constructed new Day Center, which will serve as the activity center and home base for homeless families served by the organization.

The board and volunteers are driving the second round of a capital campaign to complete funding for this much-needed project. The new Day Center will offer family gathering rooms, kitchen space, state-of-the-art laundry, homework/study rooms and meeting areas.

FPSTP operates through a unique model.

Thirty host church congregations volunteer their building and staff on a quarterly rotation to

Inside Northside

provide guest families with a safe place to sleep for one week. In addition to the overnight stays, FPSTP uses its current temporary Day Center, where families reside weekdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., allowing them to perform daily necessary activities. The Day Center is designed in a home environment that enables guests to pursue employment, tend to their children who are not yet in school, shower, do laundry and other daily activities. >>

Not only does FPSTP provide the guest families with a place to stay, access to resources to perform necessary activities, and transportation; it gives them the opportunity to sustain themselves long-term by partnering with social service agencies. These agencies dedicate their time to the guests by helping them search for houses and jobs, as well offering other services.

Because of the unique model that Family Promise follows, guest families are able to become more independent over time. They are encouraged to engage in daily chores, develop future goals, work toward those goals, learn effective communication and start a savings plan. These activities give the guests the tools they need to be sustainable on their own.

When asked about the role that Family Promise has played in her life, one of FPSTP’s guests stated, “I’m pregnant and have an 8-year-old. I lost my job due to the pandemic and had to leave where I was staying because I couldn’t pay them. I was in my car with no place to shower or take care of my child. Family Promise rescued us. We have a safe place to stay, hot meals, clean clothes and the staff are helping us with our needs. I have faith that with their help, I’ll soon be working again with a home of our own.”

None of Family Promise’s efforts would be possible without dedicated volunteers. Selflessly giving their time to help others, they are one of the main reasons for the organization’s success. Volunteers consist of many different groups of people, including retirees, professionals, businesses, churches and entire families.

One of FPSTP’s most well-known volunteers is former American Idol contestant, Phil Stacey, whose contributions and support of the organization have proven invaluable.

Stacey is a Christian music artist who toured with many different artists, sang for Disney and is now a pastor in his free time. Stacey has done local shows for FPSTP and its guests, the most recent one in January. In light of the recent pandemic, he has hosted Facebook live events across the country. One of Stacey’s live events was a fundraiser and served to raise general awareness of the organization.

(Family Promise of St. Tammany is an affiliate member of National Family Promise, which includes more than 200 branches in 43 states.)

“Family Promise is jumping into the middle of someone else’s battlefield. The families they work with were alone, and then suddenly, they weren’t. They had an organization standing beside them. Helping them. Facing every battle and every hardship right alongside of them. Being a volunteer means you get to do that; you get to be that lifeline,” says Stacey. “You may 40

Inside Northside

not be able to change the world by yourself, but you can change someone else’s world. Family Promise volunteers do it every day. It’s a tremendous joy to be a part of that.”

Anyone is welcome to be a part of FPSTP’s team—all age ranges, individual volunteers, groups, families, congregations and businesses. Your congregation could become a host congregation. Anyone can prepare a meal for the families, visit with them, donate supplies, provide manual labor in the form of bedroom-setup, assist the families and staff at the Day Center and even tutor guests seeking educational assistance. Family Promise also accepts monetary donations.

Family Promise of St. Tammany thanks all of its generous donors and is especially grateful to the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the Northshore Community Foundation, and the United Way of Southeast Louisiana for their response and aid during the COVID-19 pandemic. To learn more about various volunteer opportunities or other ways to help, visit fpstp.org.

MONEY DOCTOR

W. Mike Stewart AIF, RFC

The difference between “Fear” and “Danger.”

Q

John asks: How do I protect my investments from losses

during a rapid fall like we just experienced due to Covid-19?

A

In short, you really can’t, but this is a good time to revisit how

you really feel about the risk. Use this crisis as a perfect scenario to learn the true difference between “Fear” and “Danger”. Fear is THE most powerful emotion we as humans face in our lives. Understanding the impact “fear” has on us is critical to making good decisions. We assume that our fears are valid and make emotional decisions that usually turn out the be mistakes. Especially in Investing, emotion should never play a role.

Those that stay invested without emotion, consistently get better results.

Despite the challenges that the outbreak of COVID-19 presented to FPSTP, such as losing host congregational support because of precautionary measures, its mission remained the same. The staff continued to serve homeless families and children in need by providing them with emotional and physical support. COVID-19 caused Family Promise to utilize the existing Day Center as their 24/7 shelter for the families.

If anything, this pandemic has increased FPSTP’s realization that, more than ever, its

It is critical to be able to distinguish between fear and danger. Fear

is an emotion. It is the risk we perceive. As an emotion, it is often blind to the facts. The chances of dying from a shark attack are minuscule, but the thought still crosses your mind while playing in the ocean. Danger is measurable, and in the case of sharks, the danger is low. Even if fear is sometimes high.

The same is true of your investments and the decisions made

concerning them. The airwaves are infected with pitches of “no risk” and “high returns”. Marketing investment products is dangerous to the average investor. Who doesn’t want safe, but effective investments? Just like you, I listen to the radio and TV and have seen an uptick in these types of advertisements. Every time we have a crisis, these same “safe” pitches turn up the rhetoric. There is no way to have good investment results without some risk, the two are synonymous. No risk means no returns which is the part they gloss over.

Just make sure you understand your long-term investment risk and

stick to the plan; your results will come over time.

mission requires a bigger space. The capital campaign to complete the new construction of the Day Center is essential to the continued outreach and support of homeless families in St. Tammany Parish.

W. Mike Stewart AIF, RFC • Wealth Management Services 985-809-0530 • wmsgroup@advisormike.com Check out Research Materials and Video Library at: www.advisormike.com July-August 2020 41

46 Dr. Christie McHughes Crosspoint Veterinary Hospital

61 Ellen Bajon and Lauren Yarborough EMB Interiors

48 Erica Moreau Grace Funeral Home

62 Abbie Icamina Gray & Graham Salon

50 Rhonda Bagby Humana

63 Anna Normand Little Chopin’s Music Lessons

52 North Oaks Health System 54 Nicole Dorignac Dorignac’s Food Center 56 Lisa Swords Bliss Clothing + Home 57 Jennifer Rice and Team Berkshire Hathaway 58 Pamella Aline Doerr Furniture

64 Brittany Taylor Redoux Home Market 65 The Women of Rubio Enterprises 66 Susan Bonnett Bourgeois Northshore Community Foundation

59 Keleigh Lascari, D.D.S. Cornerstone Dentistry

67 Sandy Badinger, CEO Slidell Memorial Hospital and Ochsner Medical Center – Northshore

60 Gretchen Armbruster Armbruster Artworks

68 Candra George The OWEL Project

42

Inside Northside

69 Lesle Veca V Home & Interiors 70 April Watson Blue Williams 70 Lillian Wagner Clear Water Solutions 71 Mary Kay Morel Nothing Bundt Cakes 71 Caroline Read d’Hemecourt Olive Patch 72 Stephanie Hendry McDaniel Shoefflé and deCoeur Gifts and Home Accessories 72 Linda K. Larkin Patriot Title, LLC 73 Marta Bragg The Villa 73 Betty Brock Yum Yum Gimme Sum

Kerry Milton

by Mimi Greenwood Knight

photo: CANDRA GEORGE mycreativereality.com

Senior Vice President/ Chief Nursing Officer St. Tammany Health System AS A GIRL, Kerry Milton had a heart for seniors. “I loved spending time with the older folks at church, just listening to them and being around them,” she says. “My parents recognized and encouraged it.”

When she was old enough, she accepted a nursing assistant position at the charity hospital in her hometown of Bogalusa. “I still remember buying that seafoam green uniform and showing up my first day. I was so proud.”

Clearly, she’d found her calling. On to LSU and their nursing baccalaureate program in New Orleans, working at Baptist Hospital, during school, and her first “real” job as a medical oncology nurse at East Jefferson. But Milton and her husband, Danny, knew they wanted to live on the Northshore. So, after a brief stint in New York for his job, they landed in St. Tammany and Milton accepted a job at St. Tammany Parish Hospital in 1982. What a different facility it was then.

“Covington had two hospitals, at the time,” says Milton. “I interviewed at Highland Park. Then, I interviewed with Shirley Brown at St. Tammany. She hired me on the spot and quickly became my mentor.

We were just a small-town hospital with five or six critical care beds, a tiny emergency room and little technology. We didn’t do any outpatient care. That was almost unheard of at the time. But Shirley taught me that, at St. Tammany, the patient always comes first, >>

July-August 2020 43

(Left to right): Leslie Kelt, Director of Infection Prevention/ Employee Health; Julie Nevers, AVP Care Coordination; Nancy Ledet, AVP Surgical Services; Kerry Milton, SrVP/CNO; Kathy Felps, AVP Adult Health Nursing Services; Cindy Ingram, AVP Women & Children’s Nursing Services; and Teresa Krutzfeldt, AVP Critical Care Nursing Services. Not pictured: Paula Toups, AVP Home Health/Hospice/ Palliative Care.

44

that anything we do should begin with the question, ‘What’s best for our patient?’. I was blessed with outstanding mentors. Marilyn Wentzel was another.

She instructed me at LSU and really invested in me.

Then after Shirley was Jerry Gomez, an outstanding nurse, administrator and human being who taught me so much.”

A lot has changed since then. St. Tammany Parish Hospital has grown into St. Tammany Health System. Their imposing main campus spills over into multiple city blocks with satellite locations throughout the community. The once small-town hospital now includes primary and specialty care, emergency and critical care, surgical and rehabilitation care, and home health, hospice, and palliative care. There’s a dedicated women’s pavilion, sleep disorder center, wound care suite, and more. And since 2000, there is Kerry Milton heading up an outstanding team of nurses.

“I can’t say enough about this team,” says Milton. “Any success I’ve had is thanks to them.

We came into the COVID crisis not knowing what to expect. No one could have anticipated what the past few months have brought. But these months have shown me what outstanding caregivers we have here, and the challenge has made this team even stronger.”

Milton says the key was developing a six-week plan. “We sat down and tried to anticipate the

Inside Northside

staffing challenges we might face. There was the very real fear of infecting yourself or infecting your family. We wanted to take all the right precautions to keep our nurses safe. We decided to create a seven-day-on/seven-day-off schedule, to limit staff exposure and conserve PPE. We needed to assure six weeks of solid coverage we could count on and we had to quickly educate ourselves in donning and doffing PPE. The staff became experts. We were ready for all challenges.”

Milton says it was a time of innovation under crisis. “The nurses quickly created ways to give our patients the best care while keeping themselves safe. They did things like using longer IV tubing, so they could monitor patients’ IV pumps without entering their isolation room. They created a disinfectant process to extend the life of our masks using UV lighting. The nurses of St. Tammany Health Systems rose to an unprecedented challenge.

They did it because they love their patients and I couldn’t be prouder of the job they’re continuing to do, living out our goal of ‘world-class healthcare close to home’.”

Improvements to St. Tammany Health Systems have not gone unnoticed. Over the past few years, they’ve received seven Women’s Choice Awards being named one of America’s Best Hospitals for patient safety, heart care, stroke centers, cancer care, obstetrics, breast centers and orthopedics. “The

idea behind Women’s Choice is that women influence 90 percent of family healthcare decisions,” says Milton.

“They utilize the latest information from The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and accreditation information to choose America’s best healthcare centers. In these seven categories, STPH ranged between top 8% and 17% in the nation.”

St. Tammany Health System’s nurse residency program also recently achieved accreditation from the American Nurses Credentialing Center Commission on Accreditation. The 161st facility in the United States to receive this accreditation, they’re only the second in the state of Louisiana.

“In 2008, we created a transitional program to mentor our new graduates into becoming confident, critical thinkers,” says Milton. “Our first group of residents to participate was in 2011.

This recognition validates that our program promotes quality and safety by reducing nurse turnover, increasing job satisfaction, and improving clinical competence.”

Milton is a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, chair of the Vizient Southern States Nurse Executive Group, and member of Women’s Healthcare Executive Network.

When not on the job, she loves spending time with her husband, Danny, daughter, Olivia, son, Tyler, and daughter-in-law, Lauren. “I enjoy birdwatching, grow a few tomatoes, love a good glass of wine, going out to dinner and traveling.”

With her heart for seniors, Milton also volunteers at Christwood Retirement Community where she’s served three terms on the board.

St. Tammany Health System is located at 1202 South Tyler Street in Covington.

The main number is (985) 898-4000.

W O M E N

I N

B U S I N E S S you to determine what type of food will be best for its growing body and teach you how to care for your pet’s teeth while they are at home. Finally, a heartworm preventative will be chosen for your puppy or kitten, as both are susceptible to this deadly parasite.

“Vaccinating is something we are always studying. Animals have different immune systems than ours. Science has proven that animals are living longer because of proper vaccinating protocols specific to each pet,” explains Dr. McHughes. “I have patients who are 18 and 20 years old; I believe that is because of good, preventative medicine and the right wellness program.”

Crosspoint’s services include grooming, bathing, boarding, dental care, dermatology heartworm testing, intensive care, hospice/euthanasia, laser therapy, microchipping, nutrition counseling, pain management, pharmacy, radiology, ultrasound, and surgery. Crosspoint Veterinary Hospital also has ‘fearfree’ certified professionals on staff, another way Crosspoint goes above and beyond to try to decrease any anxiety you or your pet may have during your veterinary experience.

Dr. McHughes’ tireless dedication to pet healthcare is accentuated further by her veterinary hospital’s accreditation by the American Animal Hospital Association. This distinction is shared by only 12 percent

Dr. Christie McHughes

CROSSPOINT VETERINARY HOSPITAL Dr. Christie McHughes has always been hungry for a challenge. “Maybe that’s why I love veterinary medicine,” she muses.

And maybe that’s why, after 11 years as a small-animal veterinary associate, Dr. McHughes decided to open her own practice—and build a state-of-the-art hospital to go with it. Well, this

of veterinary clinics in the United States and Canada.

Accreditation requires adherence to over 900 quality standards in everything from pain management and patient care to team training and medical record keeping. “It means we are different from other vets. We are held to a much higher standard,” says Dr. McHughes.

Growing up on a farm full of animals in Amite,

Covington native did just that. In 2015, she opened the doors to Crosspoint Veterinary Hospital,

Dr. McHughes’ interaction with, and caring for, animals

ready to provide quality care for pets and their owners from Mandeville, Madisonville and

began at a very young age. She says, “I always knew

Covington, plus other parts of St. Tammany and the surrounding parishes.

that I would like to help animals in some way when

“In the practice of veterinary medicine, every day is a challenge. Animals cannot tell

I was older. I feel very blessed that my passion for

me what is wrong or what is hurting them. I just have to know,” explains Dr. McHughes. Just

animals has turned into a livelihood.” After graduating

as in human medicine, early diagnosis is key in veterinary medicine. Crosspoint Veterinary

from Covington High School in 1996, she earned a

Hospital has the latest in diagnostic equipment, including x-ray and blood work equipment,

degree in biology with a concentration in zoology

as well as the latest medications and preventative medicine protocols.

from Southeastern Louisiana University and was then

“Our goal is to educate our clients about exceptional pet care, which always includes

accepted to the Louisiana State University School of

a strong wellness program. It is very important to prevent issues whenever possible. At

Veterinary Medicine. Her concentration was mixed-

Crosspoint, we strive to offer the most reasonable, comprehensive veterinary care available.

animal veterinary care, including small animals and

We want our clients to be involved in their pet’s care and well-being.”

equine. In 2004, after receiving her veterinary degree,

Dr. McHughes’ wellness program includes vaccinations, spaying or neutering, and blood work to establish healthy baseline values for your furry family member. She will work with 46

Inside Northside

she began her small-animal general practice career in Covington and then practiced at two other hospitals in

W O M E N

I N

B U S I N E S S

a full-time veterinary associate, Dr. Eugene Jenkins, who is a crucial part of the Crosspoint team, as well as the best receptionists and veterinary nurses and assistants in the area. We strive to make each pet and owner’s experience a positive one.”

Dr. Christie McHughes approaches the challenges of her life the same way she meets the challenges of her profession—head on. Married for 18 years, and the mother of three rowdy boys, her family now has a farm of their own, where they manage cattle and goats on 30 acres. “I love the fact that God has granted me the gift to manage it all.” She says that the Serenity Prayer is used a lot in her life: “Lord, grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”

“In order to be a good wife, mother and doctor, you have to be a good listener and have trust. A good veterinarian must be a good listener and trust the client and what they are telling you. They know their pet better than you do. It’s my challenge to find the answer as to why the concern—a challenge I will give my all to!” the Covington and Mandeville areas.

But it is not just about her veterinary practice. Dr. McHughes takes her passion for veterinary medicine beyond that. “I am very involved in veterinary organized medicine, such as the local, state and national veterinary medical associations, and take a special interest in politics that affect my profession. I also serve as a board member for the Southwest Veterinary Symposium.”

Dr. McHughes also takes pride in her superb staff. She says, “I have

Crosspoint Veterinary Hospital is located at 70323 LA-1077 in Covington.

888-1566. crosspointveterinaryhospital.com.

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Erica Moreau

GRACE FUNERAL HOME:

CARING FOR THE NORTHSHORE COMMUNITY There are many different reasons why a person may decide to work in the funeral planning profession. For Covington native Erica Moreau, the career was more of a calling to help those in her community through a difficult time in their lives.

“After my mother passed away five years ago, there were so

selecting an urn or casket, creating a unique celebration of life.

Moreau believes this industry offers a level of depth and compassion in her work that she’s never seen elsewhere. “I’m so grateful for the special people I get to meet in this position. During arrangement

many aspects of planning a funeral that I wish I had known before. It

meetings, I have the privilege of asking families about their loved ones

felt overwhelming in an already very difficult time. I am now able to

and to learn about the lives they had; listening to their personal stories

take that insight and personally walk our families through those steps.

is a true blessing that I never take for granted,” says Moreau.

I feel that it is a personal obligation of mine to encourage and assist with pre-planning.”

Joining the team as a Family Service Counselor at Grace Funeral

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pre-arrangements—from a tour of the funeral home and cemetery to

Newly serving the Northshore community, Grace Funeral Home and St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden is dedicated to the family experience, offering empathy and expertise for highly personalized

Home and St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden, Moreau has an

celebrations of life. The Eagan family has been in the funeral business

opportunity to guide her customers with compassion through the many

for more than 165 years, starting in the Irish Channel neighborhood of

offerings available for final arrangement plans. As a Family Service

New Orleans in 1854. The Leitz-Eagan firms are among the oldest funeral

Counselor, she meets with families who have just lost a loved one and

providers in the country. Sixth-generation funeral director Joe Eagan serves

navigates the burial, cremation, and memorial options alongside them.

as the General Manager of Grace Funeral Home and St. Lazarus of Bethany

Additionally, Moreau is available to help families with their funeral

Memorial Garden and the Leitz-Eagan businesses on the Southshore.

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Eagan, Moreau and their colleagues all share a common culture of caring and hold a natural gift of empathy. They understand that the

B U S I N E S S closer to your new location.

In addition to taking away an emotional burden during a

opportunity to be available for others when they’re going through

challenging time, there is also an economical side to pre-planning

this journey is sacred. By forming a relationship with the family that

arrangements. “The average funeral cost doubles in price every ten

they’re serving, they are able to build genuine trust and show their

years. By pre-planning arrangements now, our customers are securing

customers they’re cared for.

their price at today’s costs, instead of a potentially higher rate years

“The Eagans are a prime example of patience and empathy.

Everything I’ve learned comes from observing their everyday actions

later,” says Moreau.

The experience that Grace Funeral Home has built upon over the

and care,” says Moreau. “They’ve shown me that to be able to hold

years really shines in the support for unforeseen challenges involved

someone’s hand and usher them through the funeral process makes

with losing a loved one. Through the Bereavement Travel Program,

me feel like I’m making a difference in the world.”

their nationwide network partners with global experts who assist

Moreau and her team are advocates for pre-planning funeral

with time-sensitive travel arrangements. With the Dignity Memorial

arrangements. “We see many families facing the sudden loss of a

Transportation & Relocation Protection Plan, their team of experts will

family member. Without plans made in advance, the family is asked

handle the necessary details to bring your loved one home if there is

to answer over 150 questions at the time of a loved one’s passing to

an unexpected death while far from home.

arrange a funeral and cremation. Pre-arrangements take the burden off of both you and your loved ones.”

There are a number of options to consider when making arrangements, including selecting a traditional burial or cremation and location of burial (ground, niche or mausoleum), flowers, music and

Additionally, planning services through Grace Funeral Home include access to a Compassion Helpline, available anytime of day or night, offering families unlimited access to complimentary professional grief counselors for 13 months after services are provided.

Moreau says, “To be in this field of work takes true passion

finalizing other details. While Grace Funeral Home serves all backgrounds

and patience. We’re often assisting those who are facing some of

and religious affiliations, they have collaborated with the Archdiocese

the hardest moments of their lives. It is a privilege to help families

of New Orleans to fill the need for more Catholic burial facilities on the

honor their loved one’s memory, and I am grateful to serve the

Northshore. Along with funeral arrangements, St. Lazarus of Bethany

Northshore community.”

Memorial Garden offers traditional family plots for ground burials, niches and garden mausoleums across the pristine 50 acres.

“Our team is experienced in facilitating a range of different funeral celebrations, from intimate family services to large crawfish boils. We find the ability to personalize a funeral for our families is most important and want to make sure their unique personality is reflected,” says Moreau.

As life has many twists and turns, if you relocate to a home more than 75 miles from Grace Funeral Home, your plan made by us may be transferred to any other Dignity Memorial Provider

Grace Funeral Home and St. Lazarus of Bethany Memorial Garden are located at 450 Holy Trinity Drive in Covington.

For more information on your pre-planning options, call (985) 635-4745 or visit gracenorthshore.com.

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Rhonda credits her ease of getting through this challenging experience to the great health care system we have available right here in St. Tammany Parish. From her August 2019 surgery at Ochsner Health to her follow-up therapy at the St. Tammany Cancer Center with the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center to her final December 2019 surgery at St. Tammany Health, Rhonda received world-class care.

This entire experience also helped her to better appreciate the importance of living close to good health care providers as we age. She also realized the power of a positive attitude, optimistic outlook and self-care during these trying times.

Women have unique challenges to confront when faced with a personal healthcare issues. This situation was even further compounded by the fact that Rhonda was a long-term health care executive and one of the most recognized health care leaders in our area. The decisions that must be made around how and when to tell family, friends, and one’s

Rhonda Bagby HUMANA

Health and wellness has changed a lot in the thirty years Rhonda Bagby has worked in this field. As

employer and co-workers are just a few. Navigating the health care system, including evaluating health care providers, procedure and treatment options, is very personal. Rhonda chose to keep her experience

the local market leader for Humana’s employer-focused business, Rhonda understands the importance of

very quiet and private until she knew that she was

focusing not just on physical health and wellness, but on overall well-being

on the other side of it. Reflecting on this decision,

In addition to behavior, genetics and environmental factors play a role in health status. Rhonda

Rhonda says that she knew that she was going to

learned this the hard way in 2019 when she was unexpectedly diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer.

make her own decisions and was not interested in

Although she had been living much of her adult life in a “health aware” state and practiced many positive

unsolicited advice or stories of other’s experiences.

behaviors, a routine mammogram in June 2019 detected a suspicious mass in her breast. Both of

Also, by making this choice, she was able to live out

Rhonda’s parents had experienced cancer, with a prevalence in her mother’s side of the family, so Rhonda

most of her days without the cancer being front and

had always been highly aware of the need for routine, preventive screenings and had vigilantly gotten all

center; people did not know about it, so it was not a

screenings appropriate for her age and gender since her mid-30s.

topic of conversation or interest. No doubt, though,

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the downside of keeping a matter like this very private is the lack of support from a broader circle of advocates.

Although she would never wish this experience on anyone, Rhonda feels that her personal growth through this period is one of the most profound life experiences she has ever had. This journey made her a better person both

HUMANA’S GO365 WELLNESS PROGRAM

personally and professionally. Yet, just as she did

In the early years, insurance coverage did not pay for many preventive services and was

not want anyone dabbling in her personal health

viewed as something that was needed if one became sick or injured. Fortunately, many preventive

care plans, she will always respect others in similar

services are now covered at no individual out-of-pocket cost and taking care of one’s self is highly

situations by not wading off into their experiences.

encouraged. The evidence is clear that the decisions we make every day about what to eat, whether

In early 2020, after looking back on the second half

to exercise, if we smoke, and more have significant influence on our health status and outcomes.

of 2019, she sought a route to make the reflection

Today, health plans can be a convenient resource for individuals, families and employers to

of her experience available to anyone who wanted

encourage positive behaviors and well-being.

to voluntarily learn about it or to connect with her

Humana measures overall well-being across four dimensions: Health, belonging, purpose

on how she has used this situation to propel her

and security. Humana’s Go365 wellness and rewards program is rooted in behavioral economics

personal interest in adult longevity. She created a

that encourages personal responsibility for well-being by shifting the mindset to “health aware” and

brand and website called Attitude Altitude that is

incentivizing positive, sustainable behaviors. In a 2019 member survey, Go365 members reported

based on how one’s frame of mind influences how

increasing their weekly exercise by 46 minutes per week, eating 1.42 more servings of fruit and

he or she feels up or down. Building on this concept

vegetables per day, losing an average of 11.8 pounds and over a 20 percent decrease in smoking.

remains a “side hustle” to her professional life.

These are encouraging behavior changes.

Humana recently conducted a study of members who had been continuously enrolled in the Go365 wellness and rewards program for five years. The results showed clear indications of improvement of health, behavior, utilization and cost from engagement in the program. Twenty-five percent of engaged members reported at least 150 minutes per week of physical activity, while

Anyone interested in learning more about this

biometric data showed improved metrics associated with chronic, lifestyle conditions. There were

endeavor or connecting with Rhonda can visit

also encouraging findings associated with lower utilization and improved medical claims cost

attitudealtitude.net to learn more.

Rhonda can also be reached at

for members engaged in the Go365 wellness and rewards program, including 60 percent fewer emergency room visits, 30 percent fewer hospital visits and 22 percent lower claims costs.

rhonda@attitudealtitude.net or at Humana’s New Orleans regional office, (504) 219-5058.

Further information about Humana’s products and services

rbagby@humana.com.

is available at Humana.com or at Go365.com.

July-August 2020 51

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Life sometimes brings about other kinds of unexpected medical issues, too. Conditions such as acute appendicitis or a gallbladder attack can require a visit to the emergency room, resulting in an immediate need for surgery. Our general surgeons offer consultations to our emergency physicians and are often called upon for emergency procedures such as appendectomies and gallbladder removal.

When the unexpected is something more traumatic, such as being involved in a motor

Providing Essential Care When You Need it Most NORTH OAKS HEALTH SYSTEM

vehicle crash or experiencing a different major injury, our trauma surgeons are prepared to step in. Drs. Rosemarie Robledo and Shahrzad Talebinejad are two of the specially trained,

When it comes to health, women often put their family’s needs before their own.

double-board-certified surgeons on the North

It’s easy to put your health on the back burner when life gets hectic balancing time

Oaks Level II Trauma Center team that provides

between work, family and activities. Oftentimes, medical conditions arise that we know need to

immediate, lifesaving care for injured individuals

be taken care of surgically and planned for, but for many reasons are put off to when “the time

24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

is right.” However, when a diagnosis of breast cancer is given, a woman is forced to make her own health a priority and get treatment as quickly and efficiently as possible.

To help assure continued care through every step of the healing process and maximize an

At North Oaks, our surgeons are ready to help in your road to recovery. Drs. Dorothy

individual’s ability to regain as much of their “pre-

Lewis and Jennifer Owens, general surgeons who practice at North Oaks Surgical Associates,

trauma” life as possible, follow up is especially

understand the unique needs of women and the care they look for in breast surgery. Drs. Lewis

important. After discharge from the hospital, those

and Owens are accepting appointments and as members of North Oaks Physician Group can

who have had trauma surgery may be seen at North

provide the ease of continuing your care all in one place through referrals from our primary care

Oaks Shock Trauma Clinic.

and OB/GYN physicians.

In addition to breast surgery, Drs. Lewis and Owens, along with Dr. Darren Rowan, have extensive experience in procedures that are sometimes not as time-sensitive. These include:

In addition to Drs. Robledo and Talebinejad, our trauma team includes medical director Dr. Marquinn Duke, and trauma surgeons Drs. Michael Fahr and Patrick Greiffenstein. Working hand-in-

• Colonoscopy

• Hernia repair

• Colon resections • Laparoscopic procedures

• Non-cancerous and cancerous tumors • Removal of the spleen

• Removal of the thyroid gland • Robotic procedures

hand with the surgeons are physician assistant Jennifer Rhodes and certified nurse practitioners Aaron Bateman, Lorris Bouzigard, and Ellen Wilson.

The team is rounded out by the support of essential clinical staff to ensure the transition to post-trauma life goes as smoothly as possible.

To be at your best, prepare to take care of yourself first. Whether you’ve been putting off that colonoscopy or hernia repair or facing an unexpected

52

Our surgeons work closely with primary care physicians and specialists to diagnose and

challenge such as breast cancer or major injury, the

treat your general surgery needs and to provide post-operative care in a timely manner to get

surgeons at North Oaks are here for you. We stand

you back to your busy life. North Oaks Surgical Associates surgeons are supported by Nurse

ready to help you to get back to enjoying life and

Practitioner Jodee Bernier and an effective clinical team.

spending quality time with those you love.

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Dorothy A. Lewis, MD

Jennifer A. Owens, MD

General Surgery

General Surgery Certified by the American Board of Surgery

“I really take pride in, and am often humbled by, the feeling of having bettered

“Relating to patients and

someone’s life. Helping

their particular situations

people is what I live for, and

is important. Outside

I’m very thankful for the

circumstances can play a

chance to do so.”

large role in the disease and healing processes.”

Rosemarie Robledo, DO

Shahrzad Talebinejad, MD

Trauma Surgery

Trauma Surgery

Certified by the American

Certified by the American Board of

Osteopathic Board of General

Surgery and also the American Board

Surgery and the American

of Surgery in Surgical Critical Care

Osteopathic Board of Surgery in Surgical Critical Care

“I work hard to help my patients achieve a desired outcome. I give my best effort

“It is very rewarding to know

when applying my skills as well as

that I can make a major

experiences, and adjust my judgment

difference in someone’s life on

to every unique situation with the hope

a daily basis. And, with each

of giving every patient an outstanding

situation, I value the diversity

recovery from whatever his or her

of our patient population.”

traumatic injury may be.”

NORTH OAKS SURGICAL ASSOCIATES 15770 Paul Vega, MD, Drive Suite 108B Hammond, LA 70403 (985) 230-7430

NORTH OAKS SHOCK TRAUMA

17199 Spring Ranch Road

15770 Paul Vega, MD, Drive

Suite 210

Suite 108A

Livingston, LA 70754

Hammond, LA 70403

(225) 686-4960

(985) 230-1870 northoaks.org July-August 2020 53

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Nicole Dorignac

DORIGNAC’S FOOD CENTER “Let me first say I could not be a successful woman in business

Ave. in the Lower Garden District of New Orleans. Joseph P. Dorignac

without the support, trust and love of my husband and his brothers,

Sr. was a butcher by trade, passing on those skills to his son, Joseph

as we work together as a team to keep our family legacy alive,” says

Peter Dorignac Jr., fondly known as Mr. Joe. The market grew into the

Nicole Dorignac of Dorignac’s Food Center.

first Dorignac grocery store in the late 1940s, which Mr. Joe opened

Nicole’s husband, Joseph P. Dorignac IV (Jody), and his brothers Jason, Jon Paul and Joel, are now the fourth generation at the helm.

the store expanded to its second location, where it stands today on

Nicole, Jody, Jason and their excellent team of buyers and managers are

Veterans Memorial Blvd. It became a go-to, not only for Southshore,

involved in Dorignac’s day-to-day operations. While Jon Paul and Joel

but for Northshore residents as well because of Mr. Joe’s various

explore other ventures, they continue to be involved and keep up-to-

business ventures. It is now considered a staple by both areas.

date with what’s happening at Dorignac’s. The Dorignac’s team strives to

54

with his mother, Margaret, after Joe Sr. passed away. Around 1964,

Dorignac’s fit well into Nicole’s life, as she already had a passion

keep the same qualities they were built on—quality product, customer

for food. Her knowledge and love of cooking began when she was

service and local items. And there’s an up-and-coming fifth generation

young, cooking with her mother and grandmother. She says, “It was

that’s learning to love the legacy and one day will be carrying it on for

like living with a chef.” She was exposed to an expansive collection of

the future generations to come. Dorignac’s is also known for having a

literally hundreds of cookbooks, and throughout her life, accumulated

multi-generational clientele. It’s not uncommon to see a baby in the

her own cookbook collection and practiced many techniques over the

basket, mother and grandmother all shopping together.

years. From later working in the health food industry and running a

Family is what makes Dorignac’s “Dorignac’s.”

menu/catering business with her husband, she further developed her

The family business started as a small meat market on Jackson

knowledge of nutrition. She also developed strong management skills

Inside Northside

from working from the bottom up in her jobs. Nicole was always passionate about any job she had and now enjoys sharing her secrets of good cooking and food facts every day with the wonderful customers at Dorignac’s. She is always happy to guide customers with ideas on how to prepare foods, even with the most obscure of specialty items.

Dorignac’s is known for hard-to-find specialty items and local produce.

In every department, there are quality items from local farmers and business owners that Nicole and her team happily support. Dorignac’s offers a vast selection of specialty cuts of all different types of meat, stocking choice and prime beef and a variety of chicken and pork as well. Among the other departments you will find extensive services for all occasions. For example, you can order a wedding cake from the bakery, have all your flowers arranged by a licensed, experienced florist, and stop at the catering desk to order hot or cold food for your event. You can also browse through the extensive cheese and liquor departments, and there is always someone to help you pair your favorite wine with a great cheese.

Dorignac’s goes above and beyond to provide for the community. They’ve donated food and supplies to The OWEL Foundation, which offers services to young girls with a foster care background, including “adopting” those who are pregnant. When founder Candra George reached out to Dorignac’s, they responded with an immediate, “Absolutely. What do you need?”

“Dorignac’s service has been great. They make it easy for me to care for these girls,” says George. “I know everything will be taken care of and presented well.”

Dorignac’s was founded on top-notch customer service and has recently found a new outlet to provide to more people: Dorignac’s is working in a fresh and exciting way with Tom and Mary Ann Fitzmorris on The Food Show podcast on WGSO radio (nomenu.com). In the podcast, Nicole discusses with Tom and Mary Ann “the new climate of grocery shopping.” Using their expertise, they talk about hard-to-find items and try to predict current food trends.

“I enjoy conversing and interacting with the customers about cooking techniques and food in general,” says Nicole. “I feel honored to be involved with such an influential part of New Orleans’ food, culture and business.”

Dorignac’s Food Center is located at 710 Veterans Blvd. in Metairie, (504) 834-8216, dorignacs.com.

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Lisa Swords

BLISS CLOTHING + HOME “The home is such an important place, so it’s important you love the space you’re in,” says Lisa Swords, owner of Bliss Clothing + Home.

Lisa willingly shared her passion for interior design by helping friends

space. She is able to use furniture and décor with a classic design and a modern touch to give a new look and feel to any room.

“Many people have antiques in their homes, and I like to help them

turn their homes into a comfortable and inviting atmosphere. After several

treasure the old it with an updated modern feel. This can come from lighting,

years of assisting others, she decided to merge her hobby with her successful

chairs, textures or even animal prints.

clothing store, thus creating Bliss Clothing + Home.

Clients are treated to an experience when visiting the store. While one

“When you love something, you have a passion and a feel for it. It blossoms, and now you’ve found your niche in life,” says Lisa. Lisa’s business

side of the shop is dedicated to designer clothing and accessories, the other

is her passion. She receives joy from remodeling homes and anything with

side is set up as room vignettes, featuring new furniture, slipcovered sofas and

clothing or clothing the home, but the primary aspect of why she loves her

chairs, custom draperies, local artwork, lighting and more. Lisa says, “This side

business is the personal relationships she has built with clients over the years.

of the store provides everything you’d need in your home.”

“I have loved working with and meeting new clients and friends through

For clients who would like guidance in redecorating their living space,

my many years in the retail industry,” says Lisa. “I’ve been able assist with their

Lisa offers personal in-home assistance with projects small, large or starting

wardrobes, and now they trust me with their homes. What more could I ask for

from the ground up. She has helped create new looks for new homeowners,

in my business?”

helping them choose everything from tile to throw pillows. If a client isn’t planning on redoing their full house, oftentimes it will end up that way because of the pleasing transformation she has created. A request for new dining room chairs later expands to furniture and décor for other rooms and eventually leads to a fresh look that ties the whole home together.

Although Lisa has broad experience with renovating an entire house, a complete makeover isn’t always necessary to breathe new life into a living 56

Inside Northside

Bliss Clothing + Home is located at 4450 LA-22 in Mandeville, 778-2252.

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Jennifer Rice and Team

BERKSHIRE HATHAWAY HOMESERVICES | PREFERRED, REALTORS It should come as no surprise to anyone who’s worked with the Jennifer

“We’re here to walk our clients through the home-buying and home-

Rice Team that the focus of everything they do is service. Whether they’re

selling process,” Robinson says. “Whether that means meeting a repairman

helping a newlywed couple find their first home or securing an expansive

at the house for repairs or working with a client who’s not comfortable with

equestrian estate or waterfront property for a client from another state—or

technology, we do whatever it takes to assure both buyer and seller leave the

country—everything begins and ends with customer service.

table feeling happy with their transaction.”

“We’ve all come from a service background,” says Rice. “I came from the hotel/catering industry. Lauren Mendheim came from marketing/graphic design. Puddy Robinson came from healthcare. And Krista Carpenter came from the non—profit world. We’re accustomed to serving people. We each bring different expertise, experience, and relationships and our clients benefit from the combination.”

Rice says the secret to their success is teamwork. “There are no prima donnas here. Each of us has the other’s back and are prepared to do whatever it takes for each other and our client. On a typical day, one of us might say, ‘I need a house with

“Relationships are the most important thing in any industry,” Carpenter said. “It’s even more so in real estate.”

“If my marketing background taught me anything,” Mendheim adds, “it’s how vital it is to walk that fine line between promotion and confidentiality.”

During this time when many industries have slowed down, the Jennifer Rice team is busier than ever. But they’re preceding with caution, observing social distancing guidelines, and wearing masks and gloves when necessary to keep homebuying fun, stress-free—and safe.

As busy as they are, the team is always looking for ways to give back

a huge great room and a boat slip’ and immediately the others are shouting, ‘How

to the community. They’re active in non-profits such as The American Heart

about this one?’ It’s a real collaboration. When you have a good team like this, not

Association, New Heights Therapy Center, UP21, the Jennifer Rice League

only are we stronger as a team, but each of us is stronger individually.”

Harvest Polo Cup, and Special Olympics and are always eager to contribute

Make no mistake. These ladies are working their tails off, but they’re having fun doing it. With clients all over the North and Southshore, they’re known for

wherever they can. The Jennifer Rice Team can be reached at 985-892-1478 or JenniferRice.net.

their luxury collection. But Rice is quick to clarify. “We believe that luxury is loving where you live,” she says. “And luxury comes at all levels. It’s not about what someone else considers luxury. Every house has something special about it. It’s our job to help each client find what makes them happy. That’s luxury to them.”

Another hallmark of this vibrant team is their superior knowledge of local home inventory. Robinson, in fact, has a reputation for pairing people with houses before they’re even listed. “Puddy is a superstar,” Rice said. “When she decided to start selling houses, we knew we wanted to work together. She’s a natural-born realtor.”

Jennifer Rice/Berkshire Hathaway is located at 729 E. Boston St. in Covington, 892-1478, JenniferRice.net July-August 2020 57

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cowhide, not bonded or painted leather. Top-grain cowhide is strong and durable, making a piece last for many years. Doerr also offers a made-in-America bedding line—Shifman is a 100-year-old U.S. company that makes mostly handmade cotton mattresses.

Today, the Mutter family still prides themselves in offering well-made furniture at reasonable prices. Their focus is on the customer, and they strive to provide excellent service, from the first

Pamella Aline DOERR FURNITURE

Pamella Aline draws from her experience in the film industry, fashion modeling and interior

greeting until the furniture is delivered.

Pamella’s private life revolves around her two sons, Braeden and Storm; her fiancé, Dr. James Rehkopf; and her two Golden Retrievers, Caspian and Sahara. Writing is one of her passions,

design to assist customers at Doerr Furniture’s new Covington location. As store manager, Pamella

and she loves to read fantasy and psychological thrillers. A follower

leads her team in offering free design services, helping to create a beautiful, functioning home

of fashion and current trends, she is a movie buff and has worked

for clients. “We want our customers to feel welcome, valued and appreciated,” says Pamella. “We

in the film industry. She adds, “I enjoy hiking in the Smoky

never want them to have an awkward, snobbish, “Pretty Women” moment while in our store. As

Mountains, but my heart and soul belong to the sugar-white

designers, we listen to what our customers want and help them achieve their goals.”

beaches of Florida.”

Doerr Furniture’s story began over 80 years ago when Charles Doerr started a wholesale business that sold rocking chairs. Soon after, he opened Doerr’s current location on Elysian Fields in

Pamella Aline may have many hats in the air, but her main focus is on her customers.

the Faubourg Marigny. They expanded to Covington three years ago.

Charles passed down his work ethic and love of the business to his children. In the 1950s, Doerr’s daughter married Lloyd Mutter, who eventually ran the company. Lloyd and Marilyn’s children began working in the store as teenagers. Julian, Gary, David, Randy and Melanie would later become officers of Doerr Furniture and its mattress business, Bedding Plus.

As a Northshore resident, Pamella is in tune with the upscale luxurious feeling that customers want in their homes. She says, “We offer custom furniture in traditional, contemporary and

Doerr’s Furniture is located at 1645 N. Hwy. 190, Suite 600, in Covington, 900-2425, and at 914 Elysian Fields Ave.

transitional styles.” Most of the furniture in the store is “Made in America.” The hardwood furniture is

in New Orleans, (504) 947-0606 and

made from wood harvested and processed in America. The leather pieces are made from top-grain

(888) 869-4308. doerrfurniture.com.

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B U S I N E S S to create her own practice in a totally different way. She says, “We are all created for relationship. I want my patients to know how valued they are, because my team and I take the time to listen to their cares and concerns and strive to do our best to care for them to the highest degree.

“Colossians 3:23 says, ‘Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men.’ My practice is called Cornerstone Dentistry because my life is centered on The Rock, The Cornerstone of my life, Jesus Christ.

God gives each of us certain gifts, talents and abilities to display His glory and bless others. He graciously gave me the ability of using my hands to change a life through a smile. I’m excited to humbly serve the community of St. Tammany.”

Keleigh truly believes that a healthy smile can make a difference in a person’s life. She listens to a patient’s dental problems and concerns, keeps the patient educated and informed and gives advice about general oral health issues like cavities and gum disease. The patient has peace of mind knowing that their smile is treated by an expert.

Keleigh has a passion for serving people in her community through outreaches and missions. She is excited to take her team on a yearly mission trip to Guatemala to provide dental care and spread the gospel. And with every new patient seen,

Keleigh Lascari, D.D.S. CORNERSTONE DENTISTRY

Walking into Dr. Keleigh Lascari’s office is like entering pure serenity. The warm and welcoming ambiance, along with her team’s calming air, is designed to

Cornerstone Dentistry donates a pair of new ballet slippers to a young aspiring ballerina in the local foster care system. Keleigh , having been trained as a classical ballerina throughout her young life, appreciates how dance gave her a sense of belonging and purpose in life and shaped her identity. She is hopeful to make this same impact.

Dr. Lascari’s office is outfitted with a state-of-the-art dental lab. She

make the patient feel right at home. Tranquil colors, calming music and essential

has the ability in one day to place implants and restore with crowns or use

oils infused into the air help create a relaxed and comforting environment. “I want

implants to stabilize an ill-fitting denture. In the near future, Dr. Lascari will

my patients to feel at peace,” Keleigh says.

be able to fabricate crowns, so that the patient will have only one visit instead

Keleigh’s sister-in-law, designer Corrinn Fisher, was instrumental in creating

of a much longer turnaround time.Dr. Lascari is an active member of the

the office. Corrinn worked on this project from conception, from working with the

American Dental Association, Louisiana Dental Association, Northlake Dental

architect to the smallest detail of the décor. The finishes are beautifully executed

Association and the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce.

to create an open and airy feeling. Keleigh’s husband, Johnathan, was responsible

With faith, anyone can move the biggest of mountains. Dr. Lascari hopes

for designing the high-tech working systems for all of the cutting-edge dental

you put your faith in her as your dental care provider, and she can’t wait to move

equipment in the office. Even her brother-in-law, Dan, created the calming paintings

mountains towards your best smile!

which are hung throughout the office.

Both of Dr. Lascari’s parents were highly successful dentists in Baton Rouge for over 40 years, so becoming a dentist was in her blood. When she was a young girl, she would often sneak in to peer over her parents’ shoulders as they meticulously worked on a patient’s smile.

After graduating from LSU, obtaining her Doctor of Dental Surgery degree and working in a high-volume practice in Hammond for eight years, Dr. Lascari wanted

Cornerstone Dentistry is located at 16564 E. Brewster Road, Suite 104, in Covington. (985) 869-8020. cornerstone-dentistry.com.

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Gretchen Armbruster ARMBRUSTER ARTWORKS

Gretchen Armbruster opened her fine art school and studio in Covington in

many of her students have graced the covers of Inside Northside. Gretchen has

2009. Her popular workshop classes attract students from Metairie, New Orleans,

shared with her students how to navigate prospects in the art business as they grow

Baton Rouge, Mississippi and the entire region. Though classes are offered in all

in talent and experience. They also enjoy adventures together, like plein air painting

mediums, there is a special focus on painting in oils. She says, “I couldn’t have

in locations across the country, a new place every year. This year’s trip to Arizona in

imagined loving a job so much. Teaching such a

the fall will have the students learning to capture the

wonderful group of fun and talented people is a blessing.

amazing light and undulation of the desert mountains.

Some days, it is hard to tell where the work ends and the

Over the years, Gretchen’s paintings have

friendships begin. I know how very lucky I am.”

Armbruster Artworks Gallery and School is located at

graced the walls of countless galleries, and her portrait commissions are in family homes across

502 Columbia Street in downtown Covington. The space

the South. No matter the subject, an Armbruster is

features a gallery of work from Gretchen, her students

always identifiable. “It’s my use of light and contrast

and other fine local artists. “Often people stop in during

of values in a painting,” Gretchen explains. “It’s very

class because they can see the diversity and quality of

dramatic.” As a young artist, Gretchen learned from

the artwork available on the walls of the gallery. Seeing a

local artists such as David Robert Rossbach, Alan

piece being created in real time adds to the experience.”

Flattmann and David Jinks. She studied at LSU, the

Gretchen and her students are right in the middle of every downtown activity. “The

John McCrady School of Fine and Applied Arts and the New Orleans Art Institute.

location is ideal for the many arts festivals that take place in Covington. We love the

Now, as an instructor herself, Gretchen loves fostering the talents of adult

traffic the festivals bring as well as being able to participate in so many great events.”

students of any level of experience. “I tell my students they need to try every medium

One rewarding aspect of connections made through Armbruster Artworks

and learn all of the different techniques because you don’t know your style until you

is taking part in great community projects. The Starving Artist Cookbook Gretchen

try.” She adds, “I love working with a student who has never received instruction and

recently produced with her students and other area artists is a great example of

helping them discover, little by little, that they have great ability.”

that. Artists supplied family recipes and highlighted them with a selection of their work. A very successful fundraiser for the Covington Boys & Girls Club, the cookbook raised $8,000 for the purchase of new computers. It was a fun collaboration and an awesome gift to the community.

Gretchen’s students are some of the northshore’s favorite artists. Their work hangs in galleries and museums, adorns festival posters and wins awards. In fact, 60

Inside Northside

Armbruster Artworks is located at 502 Columbia St. in Covington.

630-6295. armbrusterartworks.com.

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Ellen Bajon and Lauren Yarborough EMB INTERIORS

Settling into a new location, EMB Interiors is excited to help you plan, design and create your new home project. Whether freshening a space, looking for that perfect pair of chairs, or building from the ground up, the new EMB Interiors location has plenty to inspire with two dedicated showroomsEMB Interiors Fine Home Furnishings and EMB Interiors Build By Design.

Owner Ellen Bajon’s 30 plus years of experience works closely with clients and retail customers to understand their individual wants, needs and style, whether for one room or an entire home. For final touches and custom furnishings, EMB’s showroom offers carefully selected furniture, artwork and accessories. Furnishings can also be custom designed and special ordered. “If you don’t see something on the sales floor that suits your needs, we take care in designing a special piece,” says Ellen.

Ellen and her team work together using the talents and strengths of each designer to guarantee a well-rounded experience. They can also assist in the design and implementation of new construction and home renovations.

In the new Build By Design showroom, clients can get inspired while browsing the selections of stone, tile, flooring, hardware, and more for all custom home design needs.

EMB Interiors is located at 1685 N. Causeway Blvd. in Mandeville. 626-1522, embinteriors.com.

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along the way. She says, “My stylists are learning that they can build a career and become financially independent while doing something they love.”

One of the core values for her team is being open to growth. “In order to continue to grow in our personal life and career life, we may sometimes be forced out of comfort zones and into experiences where we may fail, but often these failures will present new opportunities for growing into the best version of ourselves.”

Abbie has remained focused on continuing her education and keeping up with current trends, and she expects the same from her stylists. With

Abbie Icamina

GRAY & GRAHAM SALON Bringing luxury haircare to Madisonville was one of Abbie Icamina’s

nearly 100 professional certifications among her team, clients are sure to get the most up-to-date hair care and techniques. Nine talented stylists and two estheticians have joined Abbie at Gray & Graham Salon, and it is still growing!

Call or come in for a consultation and find the best stylist to meet your

many goals while opening Gray & Graham Salon in the heart of her adopted

hair care needs. While sipping on mimosas or bourbon, clients are sure to

hometown. Upon graduating from the Aveda Institute in 2003, Abbie built her

have an enjoyable experience in a stylish, welcoming atmosphere. All in the

career and loyal clientele working in some of Mandeville’s best salons. Even

heart of Madisonville!

then, her focus was clear: to own her own salon and provide top-notch haircare and service for the Northshore.

Abbie and her team at Gray & Graham Salon are truly bringing luxury haircare to Madisonville.

Madisonville has been home for Abbie and her two boys, Grayson (13) and Graham (10), for 15 years. Their home is just a few short miles from her salon, close enough that her boys will frequently ride their bikes over to hang ground up—for her boys.

Gray & Graham was always the goal, her own business close to home, to fill a niche in a town that did not have a salon of this caliber. Abbie’s focus within her salon is to grow her stylists in their careers, building financial freedom for them 62

Inside Northside

Gray & Graham Salon is located at 101 St. Ann St. in Madisonville.

(985) 792-7256, grayandgrahamsalon.com.

photos: EMILY SONGER

out with their mom. After all, that is why Abbie built this business from the

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believe students’ success in music is deeply dependent on finding the right music teacher. Someone who knows the subject well and understands how to inspire others. I wanted a career where I could make an impact on someone’s life. Guiding my students through their musical studies is honestly an honor for me. It is so rewarding to watch them achieve their goals.”

In 2019, once her musical studies were complete, Anna moved to Denver, Colorado, where she opened Little Chopin’s Music Lessons. She and her family moved back to Mandeville later that year and opened a second division of her company.

“I am proud to say the Colorado-based branch is continuing to expand in the Denver area. We are happy to be home with family and friends and are expecting our first child in November,” Anna happily shares. “I am excited to bring my

Anna Normand

LITTLE CHOPIN’S MUSIC LESSONS Growing up in South Louisiana and studying music go together like red beans

passion for music back home—to carry forth my mission of inspiring others to learn and to share my passion for music with my new students.

“As experienced and passionate music teachers, we at Little Chopin’s Music Lessons believe in giving our students positive, constructive ways to learn. Whether

and rice. Musical inspiration is everywhere! But taking your dreams to the next

you’re learning an instrument for the first time or have been playing for years, we

level, whether it’s to perform, conduct or teach—well, that requires something extra

can work with you. Our music lessons are designed according to the individual

special. And Anna Normand has that something extra special.

student’s needs, with an emphasis on confidence-boosting activities.”

Owner of Little Chopin’s Music Lessons, Anna has brought her musical

Little Chopin’s Music Lessons offers 30-, 45- and 60-minute lessons; students

inspiration back home to Mandeville and is teaching what she loves. Her love for

can take once or twice a week. The first lesson is always complimentary. The

music was fostered at a young age when she began studying piano privately. And at

instructors travel to Covington, Mandeville, Madisonville and the southshore.

the age of 10, she incorporated the classical flute into her repertoire.

During high school, Anna was a member of the Greater New Orleans Youth

“I am constantly thinking of ways to expand my business, to inspire more students and make music fun for all,” says Anna. “I am not afraid to take risks, and

Orchestra, which toured in France, performing at large concerts in various cities.

I am always pushing myself and my business. I depend on my intuition and skill

Subsequently, she was accepted to the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts High

to move my business forward, and our prospective students will see after their first

School to further advance her studies in flute, which required extensive time

lesson that we are different. They, too, will find the inspiration and passion that I

commitments. From there, her music career quickly blossomed, and just two years

found so long ago. They will experience instruments and music in a different way.”

later, at the age of nineteen, she found herself in the beautiful city of Boston, studying

Welcome home, Anna. Let the music play!

classical flute performance at the renowned Berklee College of Music. In pursuit of further enrichment, she transferred to the Boston Conservatory two years later. Anna’s high standards for her studies fueled her desire to continue to learn and perfect her art.

As her passion grew, so did her desire to share her talents with others. She says, “I realized that what was most important to me was to help others to recognize

Little Chopin’s Music Lessons can be reached at (985) 302-7329.

the immense beauty this instrument encompasses and exudes. I wanted to teach. I

littlechopinsmusiclessons.org. annakatenormand@gmail.com July-August 2020 63

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Brittany Taylor

REDOUX HOME MARKET A store where you can shop from 70 places in one room really does exist.

find the style they like. And if you’re in between styles, Redoux is the perfect

The vendor-based Redoux Home Market is literally a one-stop shop for

place, because you can shop from a little bit of everywhere,” says Taylor

quality interior design, gifts and much more from a wide variety of distinctive

Although known for interior design, Redoux offers items beyond

business owners. Lesle Veca Designs, White Elephant, Luché Interiors and

furniture and décor. Customers can shop for jewelry, accessories, baby

well-known artists like Christina Pappion are just a few of the shops to browse

clothing and gifts, antiques, linens and paint just to name a few. From classy

through. Owner Brittany Taylor says, “Redoux is a small business that supports

chandeliers and furniture to decorative trinkets and baskets, Redoux has it all.

more than 70 other small businesses.”

Redoux’s vendors present much more than items to sell—they present their talents and passions. Along the walls of the store, people can see the clever, handmade pieces like oyster décor and dough ornaments, as well as more

“Since our vendors bring new merchandise in literally every day of the week, our loyal shoppers know that every time they come in the store will look different,” says Taylor.

Redoux holds almost 85 percent new merchandise, which is something

upscale, modern art pieces. In addition, the store features the creative vendors

Taylor has worked hard to make known. After Taylor purchased the store nine

behind the products. Taylor says, “The vendors here amaze me with their talents.

months ago, she overcame the challenge of rebranding the previous store’s

They really are the highlight of the store. I am proud to take a backseat and let

consignment stigma into a higher-quality shop. Over time, the misconception

them shine. The special touch of the vendors is what sets us apart from other

of “consignment” strayed further away.

stores in our area, and as evidenced by the waitlist we currently have for vendors, there is no shortage of passion and talent in our area.”

“This is such a fun and unique store. I don’t think you can walk into another store and get the same feel and merchandise as you do here,” says Taylor.

Each vendor brings an exclusive item to display that contrasts with the other merchandise while still creating an altogether harmonic and engaging atmosphere. By having vendors that aren’t similar to each other, each vendor can showcase their own theme and personality in the store, like the New Orleans-themed décor and gifts found in Taylor’s personal booths. Redoux holds multiple interior design styles of Farmhouse, French Country, Modern and more to please all style preferences.

“A lot of other stores specialize in a certain style. But here, anyone can 64

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Redoux Home Market is located at 2983 Highway 190 in Mandeville. 674-8811

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The Women of Rubio Enterprises The success of Rubio Enterprises’ restaurants traces back to the success of their hands-on managers—many of them women.

and part-owner Ashley Castella strives to keep the restaurant active by involvement with the Ponchatoula Chamber of Commerce and supporting local

At Salty Joes, Si Senor and twelve La Carreta locations, women managers

schools and local fire and police departments. Ashley’s drive and expertise come

and their teams work tirelessly to provide the best experience for their community.

from her dedicated 15 years of learning “the front and back” of the restaurant

Most worked their way up to the position, beginning as servers in the restaurant

business, going from server and bartender to manager and part-owner. “I

and becoming a manager and/or part-owner because of their diligent work. Saul

worked hard, I worked up, and Saul gave me the opportunity,” says Ashley. She

Rubio, owner of Rubio Enterprises, recognized their drive and knew they deserved

still has the same work ethic and is hands-on every day in the restaurant.

a manager position,” says marketing and design coordinator Mary Royer.

Strong management skills are exemplified not only at the La Carreta in

A strong work ethic instilled in Nicole Anthony from early on led her

Ponchatoula, but in Baton Rouge as well. Manager and part-owner Charlene

to become manager and part-owner of Salty Joes in Hammond. From day

Mealer, previous server for four years, works with her husband, William, to create

one on the job, Nicole worked with her team on how to increase the growth

a community-based environment, beginning with their employees. “We work

of Salty Joes. By coordinating the restaurant’s food, look and events, Nicole

among our employees, not over them,” says Charlene. “We show them the same

was able to build a positive place for her community. “We want to make

amount of respect and are here for them the whole way.” La Carreta’s healthy work

a difference in someone’s day,” says Nicole. “By greeting our guests and

environment gives Charlene and her team a successful restaurant in return.

providing them with a wonderful experience, we want them to feel like they’re the most important person.”

show not only lead to their own success, but also to the success of Rubio

The La Carreta location in Ponchatoula follows the same objectives: creating a successful restaurant and staying active in the community. Manager

carretarestaurant.com

The dedication and professionalism Charlene, Nicole and Ashley Enterprises. “Our managers do so much for our company,” says Mary. “None of it would be possible without them.”

saltyjoesbbq.com

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work throughout Louisiana.

In her role at the Foundation, Bourgeois leads a team, ironically of all women, to leverage resources to make an impact. Perhaps the most powerful measure of that impact she and the Foundation team have had on the community is in the amount of philanthropic fuel that has moved through it since inception - more than $58 million. Nearly $20 million of that has been in grants to other nonprofit organizations serving the greater good, in good times and in bad. And quite a few bad times there have been.

The Northshore Community Foundation was actually started because of a disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and it has continued to be a leader in local disaster response ever since. Since the dark times of physical, human and economic devastation following Katrina, the Foundation has deployed emergency response funds for the BP oil spill, Hurricane Isaac, the 2016 great floods and now the Covid-19 pandemic. “The tragedies are diverse, but the impact is consistent. We get relief funds to the front lines quickly, to serve people in the most desperate times,” says Bourgeois.

Susan Bonnett Bourgeois

NORTHSHORE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION With a passionate drive to impact their community and the culture of the Northshore, female leaders like Susan Bonnett Bourgeois inspire others, serve as role models and work tirelessly to build a better place for us all.

Growing up with a mother who was a public health nurse and a

Grateful nonprofit agencies across the Northshore are so glad that they do. “I cannot emphasize enough what it means to me and this organization to know that Northshore Community Foundation is there supporting us in spirit, funding us, teaching us and cheering us on,” says Terri Turner-Marse, CEO of the Northshore Food Bank.

In addition to their critical emergency response efforts, the Northshore Community Foundation works in three areas: helping people and companies maximize the impact of their giving, supporting other nonprofits in their important

father who led the local YMCA, one could say philanthropy and service

work, and driving civic leadership initiatives. Creative, flexible solutions are a specialty.

are in Susan’s blood. So, in 2006, when she was offered an opportunity

“Susan has been, and continues to be, the driving force for the exponential growth

to start a local foundation to serve the Northshore, she loved the idea

and wide reach of the Foundation,” says Todd Richard, Chairman of the Foundation’s

and dreamed of its potential. Fourteen years later, Susan’s leadership

board of directors. “Her leadership and understanding of the needs and opportunities

has turned “a good idea” into a $27 million organization that serves

on the Northshore have served us all very well.”

the Northshore in good times and bad.

As President and CEO of the Northshore Community Foundation,

“I often tell people that I have the best job in the world. I get to use my professional energy and talent to support and enhance the place that I call

Bourgeois uses her prior political professional experience in new and

home. I think many women have figured out that a career in nonprofit service

innovative ways. A college internship at the White House in the Office

makes that possible,” says Bourgeois. “My advice to any woman entering the

of National Service (the 1,000 Points of Light office) solidified the two

field would be to embrace change, have a strong, determined voice and, above

ever-present elements of her professional career. First, she learned

all, be passionate about what you do and who you do it for.”

how much public policy, and usually some politics, impacted peoples lives. Secondly, she saw that people giving back in big and small ways often changed lives and communities even more than public policy.

Those elements then led her to roles in both nonprofit fundraising and politics, serving as Special Assistant to Louisiana Governor Mike Foster, working for President George W. Bush and owning her own consulting company that did resource development and public policy 66

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807 North Columbia Street, Covington 985-893-8757 NorthshoreFoundation.org

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the respect and trust of the SMH Board, our partner Ochsner, physicians and staff, and we are confident in her ability to be a strong leader for our hospital and clinics, as well as the community,” says SMH Board Chairman Dan Ferrari.

Badinger came to SMH in 2012 from Cypress Pointe Surgical Hospital in Hammond. During her tenure there she served as chief financial officer, where she established significant operational and financial processes for the then-new facility. Badinger also served as chief financial officer for two other Northshore hospitals.

ABOUT SMH

Slidell Memorial Hospital is

“I am dedicated to serving the

a full-service, 223-bed acute care

communities of East St. Tammany. I look

not-for-profit community hospital

forward to leading SMH and OMC-NS

located at 1001 Gause Blvd., in

during this time of great change in

the heart of Slidell. Founded in

healthcare,” says Badinger. “The heroic

1959, SMH serves as a primary

healthcare professionals at SMH and

healthcare resource for families

Ochsner are inspirational. The resilience

in St. Tammany Parish, La. and

and allegiance I have witnessed here,

Pearl River County, Miss. In 2016,

the CEO of the Slidell market, including SMH, Ochsner Medical Center

especially during the COVID-19 crisis, make

SMH and Ochsner Health System

– Northshore and related clinics and outpatient facilities. Badinger,

me extremely proud to be a part of this

entered into a joint operating

who has been interim CEO since December 2019, has served as Chief

team. I am humbled to be their leader.”

agreement to offer area residents

Sandy Badinger, CEO

SLIDELL MEMORIAL HOSPITAL AND

OCHSNER MEDICAL CENTER – NORTHSHORE Sandy Badinger is a pathfinder. And luckily for Slidell Memorial Hospital, the path she created led her there.

It was announced in April that Sandra “Sandy” Badinger would be

Financial Officer of the Slidell Joint Operating Agreement (JOA) for four years, and as SMH Chief Financial Officer since 2012.

Badinger brings with her more than 24 years of experience

Badinger holds a Master of Business

access to expanded local care.

Administration degree and a Bachelor of

SMH works in an integrated

Science degree in accounting from the

environment

in healthcare accounting and finance to the position. She has held

University of New Orleans. Married with

Medical Center – Northshore,

leadership positions in diverse and multi-hospital systems in the

two children, she is an active member

collaborating with leadership,

Greater New Orleans region. She says, “I have had the pleasure of

of St. Jane de Chantal church. She sits

physicians and staff to share

working with the amazing team at Slidell Memorial for the past

on the St. Tammany Chamber Board, the

best practices, grow services and

eight years and at Ochsner since 2016, and I am looking forward to

Northshore Extended Care Hospital Board

implement advanced, patient-

continuing the progress we’ve made for our community.”

of Managers, the Ochsner Health Network

centered technology.

In her role as CFO, Badinger was hugely instrumental in progressing JOA operations. SMH and Ochsner Medical Center –

with

Ochsner

Executive Committee and the Northshore Rehabilitation Hospital Board.

Northshore have added 270 jobs since the collaboration began.

Badinger also played a vital role in the successful implementation of the Epic electronic medical record system. Additionally, she has led a series of bond refundings for SMH, resulting in a savings to taxpayers of more than $2.7 million over the remaining life of the bond issues.

“Sandy has consistently demonstrated outstanding leadership, especially as interim CEO through the current coronavirus crisis. She has

Slidell Memorial Hospital is located at 1001 Gause Boulevard in Slidell. 985-280-2200.

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B U S I N E S S interview them about their jobs. The photoshoots were glamorous, with makeup and gowns; the subjects exhibited beauty and strength. She then posted them on social media. “I knew we had something special when we placed two people into rehab as a result of one of our videos,” says Candra. “So we asked ourselves, ‘What can we do as a team?

Where can we make the biggest impact?’”

Today, The OWEL Project is teaching in schools and hosts workshops for girls ages 10 and over. Experts (the OWELs) teach, mentor and coach on topics like career exploration, study habits, conflict resolution, résumé writing, how to interview for a job, how to get internships and money for college, among others. Candra says, “Our most popular class is Conflict Resolution & Communication and Social Media Conduct. We have been blessed to teach girls at Northlake Christian and Cedarwood schools this year. It’s wonderful to see administrations with a proactive approach to the mental health of their students.”

The OWEL Project also has a heart for girls aging out of foster care. In partnership with James Samaritan and The Northlake Crisis Pregnancy Center, they work specifically with those who are pregnant and at risk of losing their babies to the foster care system. “It is humbling to be in the proactive approach to foster care. Most of these girls need help with

Candra George

THE OWEL PROJECT—ORDINARY WOMEN, EXTRAORDINARY LIVES

school, resources, and just someone to show up for them.” To date, OWEL has supported 24 girls and their babies.

Candra says, “We want to change their trajectory,

Candra George is an advocate, a mentor and a coach. She’s also a storyteller. “As a

showing them that no matter their background, skin color,

documentary photographer, I tell the stories of strong women to empower girls to be them.”

or what society tells them, they can change their story, and

With a keen photographer’s eye and an iPhone, Candra began The OWEL Project— Ordinary Women, Extraordinary Lives—an organization focused on educating young women toward personal,

their babies’ and generations to come.”

Candra credits OWEL’s success to her phenomenal

professional and emotional growth. She says, “Our mission is to be the source for role models,

team. “These women are engineers, educators, therapists,

mentorship and money—to showcase to girls all of the opportunities and careers available. We aim to

doctors, entrepreneurs, soldiers, artists, even a political

equip them with real-life applications and the guidance needed to have a solid foundation in life.”

oceanographer and a submarine designer! They have

OWEL finds women already established in their careers, experts in their field, and tells their

experience overcoming poverty, addiction, abuse and

stories through a photography and interview process that is showcased online. Candra says, “We

disease and include caretakers, cancer survivors and single

show girls regular, everyday women—ordinary only in that you could pass them on the street and

moms. They are world changers.”

not realize their greatness.” These real-life role models, attainable heroes, tell of their struggle

Changing the world, one girl at a time.

and success and can relate to and inspire girls.

Candra’s motivation for OWEL stemmed from her having been impacted by strong women over the years. She says, “As a young girl, I didn’t realize the impact female role models had upon me. Women of faith and passion, women who have looked adverse circumstances in the face and laughed. Their voices still echo in my head.” She wanted to show her nieces all the options they had—and broaden their perspectives. “I want them—all girls—to understand that no matter where they come from, what their childhood looks like, what celebrities, or even their families say, they can accomplish greatness.”

She started by calling a few successful women friends, asking to photograph them and 68

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For more information, visit theowelproject.com.

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Lesle Veca

V HOME & INTERIORS A refreshing style and thoughtful home design are what you’ll find at V Home & Interiors.

More than 25 years ago, Lesle Veca turned her passion for creating inviting living spaces into a career with her design business, Lesle Veca Designs. After years of working with clients on projects to renovate, decorate and design their

locals and have continued to work with her after they’ve moved because of the relationship, trust and personal attention they’ve experienced with her. Often, her clients’ friends will contact her after seeing her work, thus expanding her client base.

“Everything began as word of mouth,” says Veca. “After seeing a friend’s

homes and custom furniture pieces, Veca finally decided to follow her dream to

house I had decorated, people would reach out to me. I take this as the highest

open her own storefront, V Home & Interiors on Hwy.190 in Mandeville.

of compliments. I truly love what I do, and I get so much joy helping people

While still working with homeowners and builders on site, Veca and her husband, David, are helping customers find the perfect furniture and decor

achieve their desired look. “ Veca enjoys meeting with clients, and now through V Home & Interiors,

from their beautiful new showroom. Veca supplies a unique and recognizable

she is able to expand her design offerings while still working directly with

style that instantly breathes new life into any space.

clients each day. “We’ve only had the new store for a very short time,” she says,

She says, “I have a specific aesthetic. I’d say my style is very light and

“but everyday my husband and I look forward to coming into the showroom.

refreshing. It’s a mix of timeless and modern with lots of neutrals and creams.”

Veca’s soft style is shown through her various selections of furniture, rugs, lighting, mirrors, art and other interior design pieces. Through this new business endeavor, she’s excited for the opportunity to consult with her clients in her in-store design studio. She also offers custom-designed pieces, including drapes, bedding, wallpaper, pillows, fabrics and more.

Veca doesn’t only provide service to her local community, but to clients across the country. Many of her distant clients began working with her as

V Home & Interiors is located at 2981 Hwy. 190, Suite 100, in Mandeville.

(985) 231-7411, vhomeinteriors@yahoo.com.

July-August 2020 69

W O M E N

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P R O F I L E S

April Watson BLUE WILLIAMS

“I’ve always been an advocate,” says April Watson. “That sense of justice is why I went to law school.” April earned her Juris Doctorate degree from Loyola School of Law. She began her law career handling business litigation in the

Lillian Wagner

CLEAR WATER SOLUTIONS “Smooth seas never made a skilled sailor” is a mantra Lillian Wagner has

aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. During that time, she gained both state and

learned to live by. Living in Louisiana her entire life, she has had to learn a thing or

federal trial experience and has worked as outside tax litigation counsel for the

two about water—but not the Gulf water you might be thinking of. These waters are

Louisiana Department of Revenue since 2004.

far closer to home than our coastline. These are waters that flow through our city and

With fifteen years of litigation experience involving business, trusts, estates, and successions, April joined Blue Williams in 2019. “Most of my work centers on small business, trusts and estates because I enjoy working with families,” she says. “I handle

wells and into our homes across the region, carrying hidden dangers that can be as deadly as the open water. Our systems can bring healthier water to your family.

Lillian has been involved in health and fitness most of her life, but she

both estate planning and litigation. A lot of attorneys will draft your will or trust, but if a

wanted to dive into body physiology and disease control to help unhealthy

problem arises many will not litigate it. Working in the courtroom helps me see where

people become well again. When her stepfather was diagnosed with colon

problems generally arise and that knowledge makes me a better lawyer.”

cancer, holistic medicine became her focus. Working in the water business for

She is a member of the New Orleans Bar Association, the Louisiana State Bar Association, and the Federal Bar Association. April has served on the boards of multiple non-profits, including CASA New Orleans and the Association for Women

three and a half years, she’s learned some alarming things about the water we put in our bodies every day.

In 1994, the FDA set an allowed level of lead in bottled water at 5ppb.

Attorneys, and currently serves on the 2019-2020 Loyola University Alumni

Unfortunately, there are no effective medical treatments for lead poisoning, and

Association Board of Directors. April’s desire to give others a better life also led to

the consequences of exposure can be very dangerous. Symptoms like fatigue,

her opening a unique gallery and make-your-own glass art studio on Magazine

joint pain, memory loss, head and stomach aches are often mistaken for other

Street. She adds: “While taking a class in Florida from my now business partner, I

illnesses. Clear Water Solutions can remove and/or reduce heavy metals such as

told her that we should open a shop in New Orleans – a city full of art lovers and

lead and other harmful contaminants, including chlorine and chloramine.

creators. Three years from that conversation, we opened The Shard Shop.”

When not helping clients at Blue Williams or aspiring artists at The Shard

Lillian says, “To be crystal clear—just because there is a legal limit of water contaminants set by the state, it doesn’t mean those levels are safe. All have

Shop, April can be found at her Uptown home with her husband, two kids and

harmful side effects. Your family deserves better.” Let Clear Water Solutions put

rescue Doberman—or heading off to an adventurous vacation to hike, snorkel or ski.

your water to the test.

Contact April at 504-830-4962 or awatson@bluewilliams.com.

To learn more, visit bluewilliams.com or shardshop.com/nola.

For a free test of the water in your home call Lillian of Clear Water Solutions

The attorney responsible for this advertisement is Steve Pizzo, who can be reached at

at (985) 302-4771 today. getclearwaternow.com.

3421 N. Causeway Blvd., Suite 900, Metairie, LA 70002 504.831.4091

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W O M E N

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Mary Kay Morel

NOTHING BUNDT CAKES

Little did Mary Kay Morel know that a random phone call would be the start of a business that would fit perfectly in her life.

It began with a friend from North Carolina, an entrepreneur who told her

P R O F I L E S

Caroline Read d’Hemecourt OLIVE PATCH

After moving back to her hometown, Caroline recognized the need for a boutique that offers classic and trendy children’s clothing and accessories. When a retail space in downtown Covington opened up, she decided to take the leap.

With the support of her husband and family, she opened Olive Patch

Nothing Bundt Cakes wanted to establish a location in Covington. After being a

on Columbia Street. Five years later, and with baby number three on the way,

stay-at-home mom of three for 15 years, Morel decided to take this opportunity

Caroline and and the shop have blossomed into true community treasures.

and became not only the bakery’s owner but also what Nothing Bundt Cakes calls an operator, who is hands-on in the bakery’s day-to-day life.

During Morel’s six-month training for the job, she was pleased to find how well Nothing Bundt Cakes’ values matched with hers. The bakery’s franchisees

She credits her team for much of her success. “I am so blessed to work with people who love the store and our customers almost as much as I do. It helps me manage the balance of work and home life.”

Olive Patch offers a cheerful, family-friendly atmosphere. It’s a staple stop

hold themselves accountable to having the spirit of a champion, a servant’s heart,

for locals, looking for hard-to-find, exclusive brands. Expectant mothers build

making genuine connections and being your best self. Since the bakeries pride

baby registries, and visitors shop for that perfect local gift to take back to the

themselves on excellent service, very few of the 300 locations in the United States

kids. All offerings - from baby to tween - are hand-picked by a busy mom who

and Canada have failed because of poor management. Nothing Bundt Cakes is “a

knows what it takes to keep children looking cute and fresh on-the-go. Locals

recipe for success and happiness,” says Morel.

also look forward to year round events, such as book signings by local authors,

Morel works with her tight knit family of employees 40-plus hours a week, and sometimes 50 around the holidays, but she manages to balance work, life

photos with Santa, and art classes for kids.

“I’ve been shopping at Olive Patch since we relocated here, and I

and her family. “It’s a difficult task for any working mom, and there’s not a secret

always feel welcomed and loved. She even remembers my son’s favorite

recipe that works for everyone, but there are four things I try to do,” says Morel.

colors and interests. It’s visiting friends, and getting to shop at the same

Her four tips are staying organized, making meaningful time with family, making

time,” a customer quipped.

time for herself and practicing her faith. “I don’t think we would be as successful if I didn’t practice my faith and do these things.”

This is Caroline’s favorite part of her business. She says, “Our customers have become like family, and I am so blessed to have the gift of watching their

When Morel is in the store, she receives joy by giving joy. Anyone who

children grow up.” Caroline’s attention to detail, impeccable customer service,

enters the bakery can expect to be a guest instead of a customer. Choose up to 10

and her willingness to serve her community ensures that Olive Patch will be a

cake flavors with the signature butter cream cheese frosting—the top four flavors

local classic for many years to come.

are chocolate chocolate chip, white chocolate raspberry, red velvet and lemon.

Or try their signature “everyday celebration” confetti cake. After all, who says you need an occasion to celebrate?

Nothing Bundt Cakes is located at 1111 Greengate Dr. in Covington.

(985) 888-6555, covington@nothingbundtcakes.

Olive Patch is located at 222 N. Columbia Street in Covington.

(985) 327-5772. facebook.com/olivepatch222.

July-August 2020 71

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Linda K. Larkin PATRIOT TITLE, LLC Linda Larkin, Marketing Director for regional powerhouse Patriot Title, describes the company as a modern real estate service provider. “We are specifically geared to handling the complex details of settling and

Stephanie Hendry McDaniel SHOEFFLÉ AND

closing real estate purchases, sales or refinances. Our services are the result of years of specialization in the real estate industry and are fully insured,” says Linda.

“We are a local business and our involvement in the community, especially

DECOEUR GIFTS AND HOME ACCESSORIES

the St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce, has always been an important part of our

With a big dream and a big heart, I opened Shoefflé on July 29,

commitment to help local businesses and local business people grow and market

2005. Fifteen years later I sit here with the same love in my heart for

themselves!” Another organization that has been a part of their philanthropic outreach

being an entrepreneur. Is it all glamorous? No. Does it pay the big

is Habitat for Humanity, with Patriot Title acting as a sponsor and participating in

bucks? No. But, I can honestly say that I wake up every morning and love

home builds. Linda says, “These are just two of the many ways we give back to our

what I do for a living. I love helping customers find the perfect shoes

community—it is an expectation shared throughout the team.”

and accessories to complete their look, in turn making them feel more confident and beautiful.

A Slidell resident for more than 40 years, Linda has a notable history of personal civic leadership and service, receiving numerous awards, including the Chamber’s

Five years after opening Shoefflé, a door opened for me to have a

“Ambassador of the Year Award.” She was the first recipient of the local “Athena Young

second business. So, with a few nerves and a lot of passion, I launched

Leadership Award,” which is presented to one exceptional individual who has achieved

deCoeur Gifts and Home Accessories on September 24, 2010. I felt our

excellence in her business or profession, has served the community in a meaningful

quaint city of downtown Covington needed a gift/home décor boutique to

way, and has assisted women in reaching their full leadership potential. In January

add to our local shopping community. It has been such a fun venture, and

2020, the Professional Women of St. Tammany named her one of their “Women’s

I am now fortunate enough to have it attached to Shoefflé. My customers

Choice” Honorees, and in February 2020, Linda was named the Queen Samaritan “70”

have the freedom to wander into each store and shop around for the perfect

for the Krewe of Slidellians voted on behalf of the Slidell Women’s Civic Club.

gift and perfect pair of shoes. It truly is “the perfect pair!”

I have been blessed beyond belief to have two boutiques within my local community. The client loyalty is unlike anything I have ever experienced. I am

Linda Larkin has found many ways to empower women and give back to her community. In her free time, she especially enjoys mentoring local high school teens and spending time with her family—particularly her two nephews and niece.

also very blessed to have such an amazing team to work with. They are more than employees to me they have become a part of my family. It truly takes a village to make life run smoothly and I am so thankful for my village of clients, friends and family. They have shown me love and support these past fifteen years. Thank you for believing in me and helping make my dreams come true.

Patriot Title, LLC has offices in Slidell, Mandeville, Chalmette Located at 228 N. Columbia Street, in Covington.

985.898.6465 shoeffle.com 72

Inside Northside

985.809.3244 decoeur.net

and Bay. St. Louis, Miss. Linda Larkin can be reached at 985-705-7127, lindalarkin@pattitle.com.

O R T H O P A E D I CWS O M E N

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Betty Brock

Marta Bragg THE VILLA

YUM YUM GIMME SUM

Most people are too busy building their own résumé to stop and think about helping someone else to success. However, for Betty Brock, it’s her dream come

WOW! Twenty years! As the saying goes, “Time flies when you’re

true. Brock always had a knack for running a business and felt it was her true calling to

having fun.” We really do like to have fun when working! We love dressing

open a food truck and give young people the opportunity to acquire work experience.

our customers, who have turned into friends, who have turned into family.

From the first day we opened our doors, it’s been a family affair. I started

She remembers a vivid conversation she had with the Lord asking, “Are you sure this is what you want me to do?” Shortly thereafter, she noticed a

in 2001 working with my daughter Nichole. When she started her family a

vehicle sitting in someone’s yard, perfect for a food truck, so she expressed her

few years later, Nichole took a break to raise her three little girls. Elizabeth,

interest to the owner. The truck owner never received an offer on the vehicle

my youngest, joined me at The Villa in 2013, after graduating from college.

before Brock inquired about it, but that same week 10 other people were also

It wasn’t long before we got Nichole back into the store, and we have been

interested. The owner declined the offers and said, “This truck is for Ms. Betty.”

running entirely on family ever since. Each of us brings something different to

The confirmation to pursue her dream was about to become a reality.

the table, but our shared love for fashion is always constant.

Fashion is ever changing, so we constantly watch the horizon for

In 2013, Yum Yum Gimme Sum hit the road with Brock and her young people ready to roll. She recruited some local youth she knew and invited

clothing lines that bring you the best of the best, no matter your age or

them to be on her team. They took the business from selling only snowballs

size. Covid-19 reminded us not to rest on our laurels. Like many successful

to catering to parties and events with carnival food, jambalaya, pasta and

companies, we needed to adapt quickly to new ideas. Comfort clothes

other requested items. Brock says the events are the “excitement part of the

were of high importance with everyone stuck at home; Zoom meetings

business,” because they’ll never know what the next exciting venture will be.

changed the meaning of ‘work wear’ and our online store was our main

“The food truck business has been growing ever since,” says Brock

source of sales.

“There’s a different phase of the truck each year. We adjust to the vision that is

In the age of Instagram and Facebook, the way people can shop and connect with us has changed. But fear not—we are always thrilled to see

before us, and we all learn it together.”

Brock teaches the youth how to be on time, wear uniforms, and not be

the person who walks in our door! We enjoy helping you adapt fashion

afraid to speak up. Her plan is to eventually have one of the young adults take

trends for that special occasion, date night out or just running errands.

over the food truck. She is also prayerful that the 20 youth she’s helped thus far

We are looking forward to dressing you for another 20 years with our next

will have the courage to start their own business. Brock’s work ethic is an example

generation of girls.

of her favorite quote by Maya Angelou, “People will forget what you say, people will forget what you did, but people never forget how you made them feel.”

The Villa is located 1281 N. Causeway Blvd., #1, in Mandeville.

(985) 626-9797, thevillamandeville.com.

Yum Yum Gimme Sum is located at 21200 Fern St. in Covington.

276-9117. yumyumgimmesum1@gmail.com.

July-August 2020 73

Christwood Without Walls

CHRISTWOOD CATERS TO MORE THAN JUST ITS RESIDENTS!

Over the last 24 years, Christwood, the northshore’s Premier Retirement Community, has grown to occupy 117 beautiful acres of senior living surrounded by an abundance of green space and has been a long-standing

dressing, personal grooming, repositioning and a strong focus on overall personal wellness.

For those caring for a loved one, an on-campus Adult Day Stay program gives

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

you a much-needed break so you can run your errands and manage everyday life.

clear—to help all seniors live with dignity and independence.

For as little as two hours or as many as ten, leave your loved one and rest assured

From its inception, Christwood’s vision has always been to expand into the local community to create, in a sense, a Christwood “without walls.” This past November it did just that, launching its newest division—At Your Service by

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 that it takes support

Christwood. At Your Service is a comprehensive in-home wellness and home

one step further and offers a variety of general home maintenance options.

maintenance program designed for those adults 55+ who wish to remain at

Maintaining a home can sometimes be daunting, even for the fittest of the

home and age in place surrounded by the people and things they love.

fit, but At Your Service can help with a variety of services like gutter cleaning,

In-home wellness

pressure washing,

services include

changing lightbulbs and

personal assistants

smoke detector batteries,

for those who would

hanging light fixtures,

like help with tasks

furniture repositioning

like scheduling and

and home organization,

keeping appointments,

just to name a few.

transportation,

Another thing that

personal

makes At Your Service

correspondence,

a great choice is a

errands, grocery

guarantee that all of its

shopping, light

service representatives

housekeeping, meal

are Christwood

preparation and more.

employees, thoroughly

For less

vetted through

independent clients,

background checks and

At Your Service offers

drug testing. And just as

caring companions

important, there are no

who can do all that the

contracts or membership

personal assistants do,

fees. Services are simply

but can also help with

À La Carte where and

the activities of daily

when you need them at

living such as bathing,

a price you can afford.

74

Inside Northside

Christwood also offers The Community Center at Christwood, a state-of-the-art health and fitness center, complete with the first-and-only indoor heated swimming pool in Covington, that gives northshore adults 55+ a great place to stay fit and socialize. Whether you’re an avid swimmer, experienced exerciser or just seeking to maintain or enhance your fitness, you can do it all at your own pace in a friendly and encouraging environment. The exercise room boasts userfriendly equipment, including Precor treadmills and recumbent bikes, Octane ellipticals, NuStep, CyberCycles and Hoist ROC-IT weight machines.

The aerobics studio offers low-, medium- and high-intensity classes, yoga, tai chi and more.

An in-door pickleball court and game area offer great opportunities to stay active and socialize.

The 25-yard, multi-lane swimming pool, with accessible ramp, makes it easy for all levels of aquatic takers. Additionally, there are fitness specialists on staff and personal trainers available to help create a program designed for anyone’s specific needs.

Located inside the community center is an oasis of relaxation—the Lotus Spa at Christwood, a full-service spa and hair salon for men and women. From manicures, pedicures, facial and body waxing and brow services to soothing facials and eight different types of massage, there’s something for your every mood. The Lotus Spa also offers a full line of skin care products to pamper and help inspire ageless living.

For more information, www.christwoodrc.com.

July-August 2020 75

Flourishes

1

2

3

4 1. French Quarter Lantern on yoke bracket. Available in 7 sizes; gas or electric; $475-$1,300. Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights,

Mandeville, 249-6040.

2. Kerastase Resistance hair care collection rebuilds weak hair and damaged hair, $35-$66. Gray & Graham Salon, Madisonville, 727-7256. 3. Seasonal arrangements starting at $65. Florist of Covington, 892-7701. 4. Stephanie Johnson makeup travel case, $55. mĂŠlange by kp, Mandeville, 807-7652.

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5

6

7

5. Variety of handwoven 2’ x 3’-ish rugs from many different countries. Nola Rugs, New Orleans, 504-891-3304.

6. Hand-rubbed stone vessel on handforged iron base by Jan Barboglio.

Greige Home Interiors, Covington, 871-

8

7576. 7. Structured tote bag with slim profile in durable all-weather woven fabric, with top zipper closure, $44. deCoeur, Covington, 809-3244. 8. Glazed stoneware planter with raised flower buds, $149. Niche Modern Home, Mandeville, 624-4045. 9. Blaze Challenger Island with power burner, grill, outdoor refrigerator, double drawers and double access doors.

Southland Plumbing Supply, Mandeville, 893-8883.

9 July-August 2020 77

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Inside Northside

Flourishes

1

2

3

1. Cleobella tote with leather straps, woven detailing and lined interior, $175. Bliss Clothing + Home, Mandeville, 778-2252. 2. Beatriz Ball’s melamine Vida Collection features functional sculptural works of art in a satin finish, $19-75. V Home & Interiors, Mandeville, 231-7411. 3. Striped Walton wet/ dry bag for beach and pool; silicone wine glass with fun sayings; Two’s Company nautical picture frames. $10.99 to $42. Redoux Home Market, Mandeville, 674-8881 4. Paradise Bay contemporary gas or electric lantern available in two sizes in black or copper. Gulf Coast Lanterns, Covington, 800-910-3275. 5. Large 38” laying frog statue, $129. Outdoor Living Center, Covington, 893-8008.

6. Single oyster bowl in gold & silver enamel, $180. EMB Interiors, Mandeville, 626-1522.

4

6

5

July-August 2020 79

INside Look 1 2

3

4 1. Ippolita sterling silver, turquoise, hematite and blue topaz earrings, $425; bangle, $795. Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry, New Orleans, 504-832-0000. 2. Red embroidered halter top, $54.

Articles of Society high-rise jean shorts, $51. Lifestyle Store at Franco’s, Mandeville, 727-0270. 3. Red and white tie-dye dress with smocked waist. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1690. 4. Anvy Kids red and blue crab brother and sister sets. Kiki & Lolli, Covington, 900-2410. 5. Kensington modern waterproof ankle boots in white patent with snake print side panels for easy entry, $70. ShoefflÊ, Covington, 898-6465.

5

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Inside Northside

7

8

9 6. Blue and white striped tie-front shirt by Finley; elephant pendant on navy cord by Catherine Canino; dark indigo Icon ankle jean by Joe’s.

Ballin’s, Covington, 892-0025.

7. Engagement ring with 1.01 oval center diamond, diamond halo and side accent diamonds set in 14 karat gold, $8,995. DeLuca’s Fine Jewelry and Gifts, Covington, 892-2317.

10

8. Coolibar reversible Zoey ribbon hat, $49. Annex at Martha Stewart, Mandeville, 727-7701.

9. Ruffle strap dress. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797. 10. Dress of 100 percent lightweight cotton poplin with blue florals against a white backdrop, navy trim and bow, $84. Red saltwater sandals, $40. Felt star headband, $20.

Olive Patch, Covington, 327-7752.

July-August 2020 81

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Inside Northside

Home for the Weekend

photos courtesy: MONEY HILL

with Money Hill’s Mimi Goodyear Dossett MONEY HILL, a century-old family business, has a long history of adapting and changing with the times.

Not surprisingly, these years of evolution found them perfectly placed to be an oasis for families to shelter in place, for parents to work from home, and for all to enjoy the outdoors, open spaces and amenities long since established on this beautifully high piece of ground in St. Tammany Parish.

This spring, as special rules and circumstances changed American life dramatically, people all over the country settled into their houses, tried to adapt their work and business, and found themselves spending much more time than ever in their backyards with family. While we are finally seeing life and activities get slowly back to normal, something in us is forever changed.

Here in Louisiana, amazingly beautiful weather for most of the spring made quarantine life a little more bearable, sometimes even fun, and no place was this more true than at Money Hill, where daily golf rounds were as heavy as the busiest weekend.

The entire community got out and walked, biked, paddle boarded, fished and enjoyed the sunshine.

The chef’s daily specials were picked up at the club or delivered by golf cart to an appreciative and friendly group of resident families, and most came to realize quickly that in good times or bad, your surroundings make a difference in your quality of life, and that being healthy and happy can actually be a life-saving prospect for all of us!

As the country has started to open up, everyone seems to be thinking along those lines, and the real estate market everywhere is responding with unbelievable vibration and activity. Lookers are out and about. Good interest rates, a housing shortage that has been building for years since the ’08 crash, and a few months of time for household projects that might never have been finished, have inspired people to put their houses on the market and to go look for new ones. Further, a surprising

number of people are looking for open land to build. Customization seems to be the new home and lifestyle theme as people adjust to working from home, home schooling, the idea of multiple generations living under the same roof, and the prospect that a virus can send us all back home at any time indefinitely and unexpectedly. Some trends, like working remotely and telemedicine, have been accelerated, but others, such as migration to urban areas and retirement homes and villages may need to be rethought.

If you are rethinking the idea of where you live and what you need, a good place to start is by taking inventory of how your needs and wants have changed as a result of COVID-19 and 2020.

Many people are moving aging parents in with them, and some of the younger generation who have returned to their homes from city jobs or colleges may not be leaving anytime soon. Grandparents forced to socially isolate from their kids and grandkids are realizing how important time together is. Numerous friends and relatives are looking for adjacent lots and homes, closer to the people they care about.

Knowing whether we will have a resurgence of the virus and a new quarantine, which businesses will be able to come back or thrive in a new environment, and how commercial real estate will be affected by the pandemic are all anyone’s guess. But in residential real estate, one thing is certain: if and when you are instructed to go home and stay home, you want to make sure that home really is where your heart is!

Customdesigned golf condos now available.

Starting at under $300,000.

July-August 2020 83

A Dog’s Day!

10 Summer Things to Do with Your Pup on the Northshore.

by Anna Strider

FINDING GREAT PLACES to go and things to do with your four-

hike, Fontainebleau State Park in Mandeville and Fairview-Riverside

legged friend is key to any great summer checklist. The northshore

State Park in Madisonville are sure to provide an inimitable setting.

has it all—dining options, outdoor recreation and even some cozy,

Our Northlake Nature Center’s trail is a gem that leads you along Bayou

canine-friendly digs for a staycation weekend. Pack the pooch’s favorite

Castine for a close-up Louisiana bayou and birdwatching adventure.

squeak toy and get ready for an adventure.

1. GRAB A COLD SCOOP

On a hot Louisiana summer day, a scoop of your favorite

You and your pup will love the new friends you’ll make at the local dog parks. Take advantage of fenced-in, off-leash play areas

frozen delight is just the way to cool you and your dog down.

with pools and water stations as well as sand and grass play areas.

Delicious twists of shaved ice topped with an assortment of

Best yet, there are benches for you to sit and relax. In Mandeville,

flavored syrups and ice cream stuffings make the snoball a

visit Pelican Bark Park, the Pretty Acres Dog Park in Covington and in

summer staple. Order a sugar-free flavor for your dog and top

Slidell, Camellia City Bark Park. They are ideal spots for both the kids

yours with all the fixings to satisfy the ultimate sweet tooth.

and dog to release some energy.

The sugar-free, chicken-stock-flavored snoball is a must order at Pelican’s SnoBalls in Mandeville or Slidell. If you are cruising

5. PLAY ALONG THE WATERFRONT

Walk, run, ride or catch a frisbee on the Mandeville lakefront.

around town, swing through BOP’s Frozen Custard drive-thru in

This 1.5-mile trek is an immaculate setting, offering a paved path

Mandeville to request the doggie delight for a sweet ride.

along the shoreline, with multiple-step entrances to access the water

2. SIT, SIP, & SNIFF

A fun day out is sure to work up an appetite, so fuel up at one

for a dip or fetch of a stick. Lakeshore Drive begins with a perfectly set sandy-beach area to soak up some rays while the pups cool down with

of the northshore’s local dives. If you’re in Mandeville strolling the

a splash in Lake Pontchartrain. The middle of the stretch is an open

lakefront, stop for a waterfront view and your choice of local draft beer

grass area ideal for pups to chase their favorite ball. Get on the water in

at The Barley Oak. Meander down for live music and a doggie burger

Covington and bring your pup paddle boarding with Canoe and Trail

(or hot dog) at the Beach House Bar & Grill. If you’re treasure hunting

Adventures along the Bogue Falaya.

at the Sunday Abita Market, walk up the block to the Abita Brew Pub, Abita Springs Café or cruise on over to Abita Brewery and kick back on

6. SHOP YOUR TAIL OFF

Who can deny a freshly baked treat? We know we can’t! Café du

the patio. After a puppy play date at Slidell’s Camellia City Bark Park,

Bone Dog Bakery & Boutique in Slidell is your dog’s sweet tooth stop.

check out Bruiser’s Hot Dog Place for a gourmet hot dog for everyone’s

Your pooch will beg for the homemade, all-natural Beg-nets, flavored

taste. Arrive by car or boat to The Chimes in Covington and enjoy

treats and celebration cakes. Bring your dog into Zorro’s FUNZone for

Louisiana regional specialties on the bi-level, hangout porch. The Blind

Dogs in Mandeville for a complete doggie makeover. Let your pup pick

Tiger locations in Covington and Slidell showcase a porch that’s made

out their new designer apparel before hopping into the self-scrub tub;

for beer for you and belly rubs for the pooch.

finish their new do with a savory treat to make for a perfect day.

3. TAKE A HIKE

With our outdoor lifestyle, it’s no surprise that northshore

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4 . GO OFF LEASH

7. BROWSE THE FARMERS MARKETS

Weekends in our towns feature local farmers markets with

State Parks are put to great use by pets and their owners. Whether

artists, designers, farmers and food from all over the parish. There’s a

you’re popping up a tent for the weekend or taking a day trip

booth for everyone to look at, including your pets. With pet-friendly

Inside Northside

soaps, apparel and artwork for any ultimate dog house, it’s no wonder your dog’s assistance in choosing the perfect accessories is needed. Starting on Saturdays, the Mandeville Trailhead Community Market, Slidell’s Camellia City Farmers Market, and Covington Farmers Markets provide an entire day for you and the pup to browse. On Sundays, the Abita Springs Farmers Market is the perfect way to end the weekend.

8. SUPPORT NORTHSHORE HUMANE SOCIETY

It’s a dream come true when you can attend an event with your pup while raising awareness and funds for other pets. The Northshore Humane Society makes this possible by hosting numerous annual events, but every Sunday you can join the brew crew with your pup at Chafunkta Brewing Co. for their Pups and Pints BeauxGeaux (buy one, get one) where 10 percent of the proceeds goes back to the Northshore Humane Society.

9. STAY A WHILE

A family staycation, or vacation of any kind, is not the same without your trusty companion, as they are an essential member of the family, too. For a unique and relaxing get-away without going away try a cozy B&B like Splendor Farms or About Trace B&B for unparalleled spots for you and your fourlegged family to stay.

10. GIVE A RESCUE DOG A RIDE. Don’t have a dog? Join Canine Cabbies

with the Northshore Humane Society. “Rescue” an adoptable dog with a day out of the shelter.

Take them on a fun visit to any local, pet-friendly establishments on the northshore—such as a coffee shop for a puppuccino. Not only will you and your family have lots of fun, you’ll be giving a homeless animal a treat—or maybe even a forever home!

While this is not a complete list of options, it is a great start to creating memories for your family.

Check out the Northshore’s Calendar of Events for more dog-friendly adventures.

July-August 2020 85

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

Goodyear-Musgrove Family and friends celebrated the marriage of Kelsey Miller Goodyear and William Cody Musgrove at The Civic Theatre in New Orleans. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Richard Goodyear of Madisonville; the groom’s parents are Mr.and Mrs. Bryan McLain and the late William Wade Musgrove.

The bride wore a non-traditional Martina Liana design from Town and Country that featured intricate beading and layers of lace.

An abundance of candles and greenery with silver and gold accents and colorful florals by Crystal Vase Flowers was topped by string lights and a disco ball to create a festive ambiance. Guests enjoyed creative cuisine from Black Pearl

photo: COREY JAMES PHOTO WEDDINGS

Catering, the bride’s almond cake by Swiss Confectionary and

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Inside Northside

a five-tier, Mardi Gras-themed groom’s cake from Gambino’s as they danced to the music of Souled Out. Highlighting the reception was Cody’s playing the guitar while Kelsey and her dad danced, ending with You Are My Sunshine. Amanda Price of Amanda Price Events coordinated the evening.

Following a brief visit to Los Angeles, the couple is at home in Lafayette. They plan an extended honeymoon in Europe later.

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

Ladner-Hemphill

I N

The wedding of Covington’s Kaitlyn Christian Ladner and John Christopher Hemphill of Madisonville was celebrated at The House at Charropin Beach in Covington, officiated by family friend Judge Will Crain. The bride is the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Keith Ladner; the groom’s parents are Mr. Gary Hemphill and Missy Lacroix and Mrs. Catherine Hemphill.

Because of the quarantine, the ceremony was a “perfect elopement,” with only the couple’s parents and some siblings present. For the many family members and friends who could not attend, the ceremony was livestreamed on Facebook. Not included in the festivities officially, a group of “wedding crashers” arrived via a boat on the river and hid in the trees to watch.

The bride’s dress, ‘Lesley’ by Enzoani from Linen Jolie in Metairie, was customized with sleeve details; the lace of her custom Enzoani veil matched her dress. Unfortunately, her bridesmaids were unable to attend, but two groomsmen were present.

Following the ceremony, the planner of the impromptu day, Kenny LaCour of Grand Events Nola, arranged three tables outside.

Floral arrangements for the ceremony and dinner were provided by CJ’s Florist. The nine guests (including the bride and groom) enjoyed dinner prepared on-site by Chef Kim Kringlie of The Dakota Restaurant. A photos: MICHELLE PREAU PHOTOGRAPHY

highlight was a homemade pepperoni pizza appetizer, in honor of the couple’s love of pizza. Zoe’s Bakery of Covington provided the wedding cake, their signature white chocolate and strawberry flavor. Speeches from the guests were a heartfelt conclusion to the evening.

The bride and groom had a “mini-honeymoon” in Watercolor, Florida, and will be going to Canada at a later time. They currently live in Covington. The couple plans to celebrate again in March 2021 with a church ceremony and their originally planned reception.

July-August 2020 89

INside Peek Southern Hotel Celebrates Anniversary June 1 marked the 113th anniversary of the Southern Hotel in Covington, the sixth since its grand re-opening.

Champagne toasts marked the occasion, including one offered by owner Lisa Ward.

Socially distanced at the gathering because of Covid19, Lisa mused that the hotel had survived WWI, the Spanish Flu pandemic, WWII and being a Greyhound Bus station. Restored to its original splendor, it holds a special place in the hearts of the community.

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1. Bruno and Rick “Papi” Schroeder enjoy living off the land at Schroeder Pond in Covington. 2. Ms. Daigle, of Henry L. Mayfield Elementary School, created a “graduation” stage and held a ceremony for each individual student and their family. Here she is pictured with one of her students, Abigail.

3. Fontainebleau High School seniors gathered in Deerfield subdivision for a parade of recognition on what was to have been their graduation day.

4. Chase Jenkins graduated in May from Mississippi College with a degree in electrical engineering. 5. Emma and Margaret Bossier spending Mother’s Day outdoors. 6. Dr. Denny Taylor celebrated his 80th birthday with his wife, Claire, and friends at the Seiler Bar. 7. Congratulation to Ashley Gennusa on her recent graduation from LSU School of Dentistry as a registered dental hygienist. She is shown here with her parents, Tony Gennusa and Tammy O’Shea.

IN Great Taste

by Yvette Jemison

Savory Summer Pie

92

Inside Northside

Savory Summer Pie Servings: 6 Pastry Crust Makes 1 9-inch deep-dish crust 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour, plus more for work surface ½ teaspoon kosher salt ½ cup chilled unsalted butter 1/3 cup ice water 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

1. Whisk flour and salt together in a large bowl. Grate the butter into the bowl, and toss to coat with the flour.

2. Stir ice water and vinegar together in a cup and sprinkle over the flour and butter. Combine the flour and butter with your hands until a dough

photos: YVETTE JEMISON

WHEN SUMMER TOMATOES finally arrive, it’s so tempting to eat them as they are, but they’re incredible when used to create a main course. If your home garden or local farmers market is filled with juicy tomatoes, it’s the perfect time to try this savory summer pie.

This hearty pie can be served for breakfast, dinner or a weekend brunch. The sharp cheddar flavor layered with caramelized onions complement the peak season tomatoes. The all-butter crust can be prepared up to 2 days ahead if your tomatoes need a few more days to completely ripen. When your window sill is lined with ripe tomatoes, transform them into this savory pie for the perfect summer meal.

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.

forms. If needed, add 1 tablespoon water at a time to incorporate flour.

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

Poke holes on the bottom with the tines of a fork.

Freeze for 20 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425°F. 5. Line the 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.

Pie Filling 1 pound applewood smoked bacon 3 medium yellow onions, sliced 1 ½ pounds tomatoes, sliced thick Salt and pepper 2/3 cup Dukes mayonnaise 8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. Cook the bacon in batches in a large skillet on medium heat until browned and crisp.

Transfer the bacon to a paper towel lined plate.

Snap each slice in half when the bacon is cool enough to handle.

3. Drain the rendered bacon drippings, reserving ¼ cup in the skillet. Add the onions and cook on medium high heat until caramelized, about 40 minutes.

4. Begin layering the pie by spreading half

of the caramelized onions on the bottom of the pastry crust. Layer half of the tomato slices on top of the caramelized onions. Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper.

Spread half of the mayonnaise on the tomatoes. Arrange half of the bacon on the mayonnaise. Spread half of the cheddar cheese over the bacon layer and gently press down on the layers. Repeat the layers with the remaining ingredients.

5. Place the pie dish on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until the cheese is melted and the top is lightly browned, 30-40 minutes. Let the pie cool for 5-10 minutes before slicing. The pie can be served warm or at room temperature.

Yvette Jemison’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.

July-August 2020 93

Haute Plates

Half Shell Oyster House

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

Nothing Bundt Cakes

70367 HWY 21

1111 GREENGATE DR. #D

HALFSHELLOYSTERHOUSE.COM

NOTHINGBUNDTCAKES.COM

COVINGTON • 276-4500

Local Gulf oysters and a variety

COVINGTON • 888-6555

Our goal is to bake a cake that

one thirteen

Pat’s Seafood

113 N. OAK ST.,

1248 N. COLLINS BLVD.

ONETHIRTEENRESTAURANT.COM

STE 400, COVINGTON

HAMMOND • 402-3481

one thirteen restaurant seeks to enliven the senses through an

AND 70456 LA #21,

892-7287 • 400-5800

Fresh local seafood and a large

of Gulf Coast seafood with a New

not only reminds you of home but also

inspired mid-century-modern setting,

offering of deli to-go items, such as

Orleans flair and influence that

opens you to a new world. And while

graceful service and new-American

boiled crawfish, gumbo, crawfish pie,

extends throughout our ambience

that’s no easy request, the handcrafted

cuisine that simply tastes delicious.

corn and crab bisque, crabmeat au

and menu. Steaks, chicken, pasta and

recipes are more than up to the task.

Menu items include chicken, beef,

gratin and po-boys. On-site catering

so much more. Lunch, dinner, daily

Each recipe uses the finest ingredients

seafood, wood-fired flat bread, and

available.

happy hour, Sunday brunch.

to bring you Bundt Cake perfection.

house-made desserts.

Roux 25

82010 HIGHWAY 25 FOLSOM

796-4466

ROUX25.COM

Salty Joe’s

Si Señor

43344 S. RANGE RD.

1905 W. THOMAS ST., STE. V

SALTYJOESBBQ.COM

SISENORTAQUERIA.COM

At our one-of-a-kind dining

Whether you are looking for

HAMMOND • 956-7099

HAMMOND • 393-0090

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

YUMYUMGIMMESUM.COM A mobile food truck that travels to

Established in 2018, Roux 25

destination, dishes are made with the

an enhanced dining experience or a

meet the need of festivals, celebrations,

is a farm-to-table gastropub located

best local ingredients from the land to

happy hour, Si Señor Taqueria is the

reunions, birthday parties, and

in Folsom featuring craft cocktails and

the sea. Pecan wood in the smoker gives

best spot for authentic Mexican dining

corporate, church or sporting events.

creative dishes using local ingredients.

slow-smoked meats the intricate flavors

in Southeastern Louisiana. Experience

Delicious foods that no one can resist.

Open Thursday to Saturday for happy

of BBQ that you love. If it’s fire-touched

our upbeat atmosphere while enjoying

Our meals can be customized to meet

hour, 2 to 5 pm, dinner, 5 to 9pm, and

flavors you crave, enjoy our grilled

our fresh cocktails, like the House

your personal needs. Give us a call, and

Sunday for brunch, 11am to 2pm.

meats, burgers, and fresh seafood.

Paloma with fresh agave nectar.

we’ll have a “Yum Yum” good time.

94

Inside Northside

New Orleans and the northshore

and more, 6x9305 LA 21, Ste. E,

629 N. US 190, Covington, 892-

are home to more great restaurants

Covington, 272-8485

3712

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.

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, 985-803-

ABITA SPRINGS Abita Brew Pub a 72011 Holly St., Abita Springs, 892-5837 Abita Springs Café aa 22132 Level

8368 Buster’s Place aa 519 E. Boston St., Covington, 809-3880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks. Open seven days

St., Abita Springs, 400-5025

a week. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Camellia Café Traditional seafood and

Carreta’s Grill a Mexican, 70380 LA

New Orleans cuisine, 69455 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs, 809-6313 Mama D’s Pizza & More aa 22054 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs, 809-0308

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.

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

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 190, Covington, 809-9659 Dakota aaaa Contemporary Creole,

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 1248 N. Collins Blvd., Covington, 892- >>

July-August 2020 95

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g 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, Madisonville, 845-4446

Inside Northside

7125 Leonardo’s Trattoria & Pizzeria

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

96

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, 4240 La 22, Mandeville, 674-9883

i 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.

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

2829 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

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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 PONCHATOULA 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, 727-

s

Veterans Memorial Blvd., Metairie,

190, Mandeville, 674-1565 Poke Loa Louisiana’s freshest poke

n

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

Legacy Kitchen aa American. 759

July-August 2020 97

Last Bite

Pat’s Seafood and Cajun Deli

WITH A NEW LOCATION on Hwy. 21 in Covington, more residents of the Northshore community can experience Pat’s Seafood and Cajun Deli as a community staple. Some have been coming to the original Collins Blvd. store since they were children.

“There’s a reason we call Pat’s the neighborhood seafood market. It’s a reunion for people when they come in because everybody knows each other,” says owner Lisa Patrick.

After being on the Southshore for 51 years, Pat’s Seafood has been serving customers on the Northshore for 31 years with a wide range of fresh seafood and Southern cooking. Guests can pick up fresh fish such as catfish, tuna, grouper, speckled trout, drum and amberjack and select from crabs, oysters, shrimp, and a customer favorite, crawfish. They also enjoy Southern entrée dishes, including seafood gumbo, stuffed crabs and artichokes, pasta and po-boys and can purchase their choice of sides— we suggest shrimp salad.

In addition, Pat’s new location has expanded the lunch 98

Inside Northside

by Grace Butzman

service and offers a variety of entrées from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Some staple meals are fried catfish and shrimp baskets and po-boys; additional daily specials include crawfish bread and crab meat grilled cheese with tomato basil. The original location has a limited selection at lunch, featuring po-boys and seafood baskets. Under the expertise of Pat’s two chefs, Zack Woodruff and Evan Roff, Pat’s strives to choose meals their customers are enjoying the most.

Pat’s quality and quick service are perfect for easy meals.

For those days where you don’t want the hassle and expense of buying all your gumbo ingredients at the grocery and would rather a quick and tasty pre-made meal, Pat’s is for you—and now perhaps closer to your home.

“We opened our new location because of the growth in the area,” says Patrick. “I enjoy meeting the new people.”

Pat’s Seafood and Cajun Deli is located at 70456 Hwy. 21, Ste. 400, Covington, (985) 400-5800; and at 1248 Collins Blvd., Covington, (985) 892-7287. Facebook.