Inside Northside Magazine September/October 2011 by Inside Publications

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VAASTU VISION • IN THE ARTS • JAHNCKE SHIPYARD • A HAIRY TALE

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011 VOL. 26, NO. 5

September-October 2011

Vol. 26, No. 5

The community magazine of the northshore, serving St. Tammany and Tangipahoa parishes. Publisher Lori Murphy –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Associate Publisher Poki Hampton Editor Jan Murphy Art Director Brad Growden Managing Editor Katie Montelepre Editorial Staff Writer Stephen Faure Contributing Photographer Abby Sands Miller Contributors are featured on page 14. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Business Manager Jane Quillin Advertising Account Executives Brenda Breck Poki Hampton Shawna Hunt Candice Chopin Laizer Jolie McCaleb Barbara Roscoe Interns Akila Ananth Jenny Bravo Michael Gegenheimer Joseph Skinner –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– For advertising information phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 email sales@insidenorthside.com –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Please send items for Inside Scoop to scoop@insidenorthside.com. Photos for Inside Peek, with captions, should be sent to peek@insidenorthside.com. Submit items for Inside Input or Dining Guide to editor@insidenorthside.com. –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Contact Inside Northside P.O. Box 9148 Mandeville, LA 70470-9148 phone (985) 626-9684 fax (985) 674-7721 website www.insidenorthside.com Subscriptions 1 Year $18 2 Years $30 email subscriptions@insidenorthside.com ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

On the cover Artist Milo Stephens-Asche –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– INSIDE NORTHSIDE MAGAZINE 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 ©2011 by M and 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.

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page 116

departments 12 Publisher’s Note 14 Contributors

page 50

20 Inside Scoop 32 Worthy Causes New Heights Horses for Heroes. 36 IN Better Health Cherie Meyers.

38 End of an Era The final space shuttle launch.

87 IN Good Company Jeannie Emory of Bra Genie.

50 Vaastu Vision Design for positive energy. page 90

108 Flourishes Treasures for your pleasure. 112 IN Fashion With Jenifer Besh. 116 Inside Look Sapphire attire.

61 A Cruise Down Memory Lane Maddie Norman’s 80th birthday. 68 Building a Place in History The Jahncke Shipyard. 76 A Hairy Tale My encounter with the Honey Island swamp monster.

127 IN the Spotlight Lose Dat.

82 Financing a College Education

129 IN the Spotlight 2011 Tiger Tour. 140 IN Great Taste Local favorites to try at home.

(Follows page 98)

54 Turning the Boys of Fall into the Men of Tomorrow The northshore’s high school football coaches.

121 IN Love and Marriage Notable northshore weddings.

128 Inside Peek

Harvest Cup Polo Classic 2011 Special Pullout Section

contents features 16 Big Dreams, Big Goals Cover artist Milo Stephens-Ashe.

84 Book Report The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot.

90 IN the Arts The 2011-2012 cultural season.

table of

141 Inside Dining 146 Last Bite Chef Joey Najolia of Café Lynn.

100 Tailgating with the Saints Down Unda 104 Under the Stage Lights Backstage at Rent.

profile 74 The Women’s Pavilion of St. Tammany Parish Hospital 126 Dr. Marija LaSalle SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

It’s Polo Time! by Lori Murphy With the fall comes plenty of opportunities for outdoor play, but few are as philanthropic as the Harvest Cup Polo Classic, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this year. The polo matches are a lot of fun, but most of all, they are part of the largest fundraiser for a host of projects supported by the Junior League of Greater Covington. And, like most big endeavors, it does indeed take a village! So, on behalf of the League, I would like to thank Dunavant Wealth Group, Covington Brewhouse/Champagne Beverage, United Way and Lee Michaels for joining us as Community Partners of the League, as well as all of the other sponsors who so generously support this event. This year’s Classic offers a very special opportunity–Chef John Besh will be on hand to sign his beautiful cookbook. To kick off the Harvest Cup revelry, Inside Northside is joining Honda of Covington to present the Artists of Polo art show on Thurs., Sept. 15, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. It is a free, fun way to get a peek at the beautiful artwork that will be auctioned off at the Polo event and enjoy the music of Christian Serpas and Ghost Town. Christian is excited about the release of their new CD, Open Road, and has offered to give the northshore a preview at this special Meet the Artist party. Thank goodness the Honda of Covington dealership has a nice big dance space! Hope to see you there! All are welcome!

p.s. I am pleased to introduce the newest member of the Inside Northside team. Alaina Nicole was born July 23 to our Candice and her husband, Tommy. Congratulations! 12

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Contributors

Karen Gibbs Proud mother of three grown daughters, Karen Gibbs lives on the northshore with husband Mike, mom Jackie and Lucy, their squirrel-chasing schnauzer. A frequent contributor to Inside Northside, she enjoys meeting interesting people and telling their stories. Lately, however, Karen has been captivated by one wee person in particular—her first grandchild, Joshua, who lives too far away in New York. Since his arrival, Karen admits that she shamelessly brags about him to anyone who will listen—even strangers. A member of the Northshore Literary Society, Karen also enjoys cooking, theatre, working on book projects and RVing with Mike.

Jenny Bravo Jenny Bravo is a junior at Louisiana State University, majoring in English with a minor in psychology. She plans to attend nursing school after graduation. Through her internship at Inside Northside this summer, Jenny has gained a better understanding of the dedication involved in magazine production and has had the opportunity to meet inspiring northshore residents. She enjoys singing and acting and has spent many summers performing in local theatres. When she isn’t at school, Jenny spends time in Covington with her family and friends.

Michael Gegenheimer Michael Gegenheimer graduated from St. Paul’s High School and is attending Louisiana State University, where he is studying print journalism in the Manship School of Mass Communication. In high school, Michael wrote for Saint Paul’s student newspaper, The Paper Wolf, for two years, and during his senior year, he was the Saint Paul’s student journalist for the Times Picayune. As a summer intern at Inside Northside, Michael gained valuable experience in the field of magazine journalism, broadening his spectrum of abilities.

1144 N. Causeway Blvd. Mandeville 985.626.4557 benedictsplantation.net.

Contributors: Akila Ananth, Rusty Burns, Maria Davis, Poki Hampton, Cindy Harlan, Megan Hill, Abby Sands Miller, Roy Robinson, Terri Schlichenmeyer and Webb Williams.

Thursday, September 22, Tchefuncta Country Club

Wardrobe styling, fine jewelry and Chanel BeautĂŠ make-up provided by Saks Fifth Avenue. Hair styling by H2O Salon and Spa.

Luncheon, 11:00am or Dinner, 6:30pm

Above: Heart of Fashion committee members (standing) Jete Crosby, Dody Redman, Jennifer Rice and Brenda Breck; (seated) Annette Dowdle, Heart of Fashion chairs Lendon Noel and Jeanine Riecke; Saks Fifth Avenue VP/General Manager Carolyn Elder. The committee also includes Lori Murphy and Debra Ethridge. Right: Founding chairs Allyson Sanderson and Sue Lavin with Steven Putt of Saks Fifth Avenue. Presented By

HAUTE COUTURE SPONSOR

Floral arrangements for the Heart of Fashion event will be provided by Petals and Parties.

All proceeds from The Heart of Fashion will benefit the advancement of pediatric care at St. Tammany Parish Hospital.

Get the Look of Fashion! Friday, September 16, 9am-3pm at H20 Salon and Spa.

Book any service and 50% of the proceeds will benefit the advancement of pediatric care at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. Looking fabulous never felt so good! Call Phoebe at 985-951-8166 x 103 to book your appointment today!

in art together doing theater, which is how they met. Now they spend a lot of time together—at home painting together, on the road showing and selling art together and displaying their work on their joint website. The couple began painting after Katrina hit and wiped out their home on Highway 11 in Slidell. Milo was traumatized, remembering, “I was a mess. I’d never seen anything like that; I was a bit of a basket case.” Not long after the storm, Mickey injured his knee and needed surgery. “The doctors couldn’t see him for two months and said he needed two months for recovery. So we had four months,” Milo says. “After a week of watching movies, we went to Hobby Lobby and bought some paint. He taught himself watercolor; I taught myself acrylic.” Both eventually moved on to oil as their favorite medium. “We sold

Big dreams, big goals by Stephen Faure SHE’S GOING TO BE FAMOUS. At least, that’s the plan, and she’s making a great start. After painting for only a bit over five years now, Milo Stephens-Asche’s rendering of the Junior League of Greater Covington’s Harvest Cup Polo Classic was chosen for this year’s Harvest Cup poster and Inside Northside’s September/October cover. “When I was a kid, I wanted to be a famous actress. I told my grandmother I was going to be Miss America and that I was going to have a limo, and she would get a limo with her name on it,” says the effusive Milo. Milo and her husband (and fellow painter), Mickey Asche, started their journey 16

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several pieces before Christmas that year, and it wasn’t much longer before Mickey took a big leap and quit Chevron to paint full-time.”

Milo’s Style While Mickey started with and continues to specialize in painting wildlife and landscape scenes, Milo’s preferred subjects have ranged over time from figurative work to her newest interest, painting birds in whimsical settings. But whether she’s portraying sad and brooding nudes or birds playing with a Rubik’s Cube, she’s always trying to connect her emotions with those of the viewer. “I think one of my least favorite things is when I see a painting and have no idea what it’s about or >>

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

Cover artist Milo Stephens-Asche

Meet the Artists!

Meet cover artist

Milo Stephens-Asche and the artists of the Harvest Cup Polo Classic and see some of their favorite art works on display at

Honda of Covington 100 Holiday Square Blvd., Covington

Thursday, September 15, 2011 5:30-7:00 p.m. For more information, call

626-9684 Music by: Christian Serpas and Ghost Town Thanks to our sponsors: Arabella • Azure Spa • Pat Brister deCoeur • English Tea Room Fat Spoon Cafe • Le Beau Papier Party Cup Express Saia’s • Shoefflé • Voo Doo BBQ

Everyone’s Invited!

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

where the artist was coming from. I want my pieces to connect with people.” During her gloomy-woman phase, Milo remembers, “My favorite thing was when we did a show in Colorado and a woman came in and started crying. It was awesome. I thought, ‘Cry baby, cry! Let it out!’” Her latest works are more on the lighthearted and whimsical side and draw on her childhood experiences. The new pieces are also inspired by their frequent trips to area swamps, woods and marshes, photographing birds for Mickey’s wildlife scenes. “After doing that a while, you just get that itch, ‘I think I want to paint that bird.’ But I wanted to tell a story of sorts, and I wanted to be whimsical.” The result is a series of oils featuring birds painted in details correct for the species interacting with pieces of her life. A painting of kingfishers on a chessboard is titled King Me. (“My father was an avid chess player.”) One of crows with a stack of scary horror novels is called The Murder Book Club. (“I loved scary murder books and there’s

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the play on words, a group of crows is called a murder of crows.”) The Figurative Artist, a woodpecker shaping a puppet from a block of wood, is a play on her years as a figurative artist. (“The wooden figure is in the pose of Rodin’s The Thinker.”) She says, “It’s kind of a play on words on each of the paintings, so each would tell a story.” That viewers connect emotionally with her work, even in these whimsical pieces, came to life when she showed one of the paintings to her family. “I did a painting with three little red-wing blackbirds and a tall grackle. The way the grackle was positioned just had a neat but imposing character to it,” Milo says. “I put the painting where my cousins could see it; it was amazing the

conversation that started because of that painting. It brought up all those old memories of me being a bossy cousin to them, keeping them in line! I realized I was on to something with that!” It’s been fulfilling for Milo, who says painting the birds realistically fulfills her need for sophistication as an adult artist, while the whimsical settings let the child in her paint. “As long as those two people in my head feel like they’re expressing themselves, it gives me balance. I’ve come up with a ton of them; I’m far from done and I hope I’m only going to get better.”

The Harvest Cup Polo Classic Poster Milo’s submission last year was not selected for the Harvest Cup poster, but it was featured as part of the event’s patron party. She says 2009 was the first year she heard about the match and submitted a painting. “I didn’t know what to expect; I had never even been to a polo match. Then, last year I submitted to win again and thought for sure I had it. But I didn’t. I was definitely going for it this year.” She’s grateful for the exposure the event has given her, as she and Mickey have their sights set on national shows. While Mickey was selected for shows in Charleston and Atlanta, Milo is making her first national submission for the next show in Charleston. “We don’t want to stay in our simple life. We have big goals; we have big dreams. We want to go national. I think I always wanted to be a household name!” Plus, Milo says, “I still gotta work for that limo for grandma!” Milo’s work can be seen at the couple’s new gallery, Asche Studios and Art Gallery in Old Towne Slidell; Just Picture It in Mandeville; at Terri Galleries in Metairie; and online at AscheStudios.com. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

INSIDE The definitive guide to northshore events and entertainment.

October 29 Monster Mash. Benefiting the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center. Bogue Falaya Park, Covington. 10am-3pm. 898-4435.

October 30 Harvest Cup Polo Classic. Polo matches, food and beverages, music by Cowboy Mouth (right), live and silent auctions, raffle. Junior League of Greater Covington fundraiser. Leah Farm, Folsom. 11:30am-5:30pm. JLGC, 892-5258. jlgc.net. Our Scoop runneth over… Because of the overwhelming number of upcoming exciting events, this issue’s Scoop only includes some of what’s going on in September and October. For a more

September 1 Preparing for Childbirth. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 6:309:30pm. Free. Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. 1-25 Swoon’s Thalassa Exhibit. New Orleans Museum of Art, One Collins Diboll Circle. (504) 658-4100 or noma.org. 1-30 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Tom Cain. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. Free. Nancy Clark, 626-3144. 1-30 Slidell Art League Artists of the Year Exhibit. Slidell Cultural Center, 2055 Second St. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us. 1-Jan 29 The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood. Historic New Orleans Collection, Williams Gallery, 533 Royal St. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org. 2-11 Thoroughly Modern Millie. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr., Slidell. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. 641-0324. slidelllittletheatre.org. ♥ 3 Baby Chat for Siblings. For siblings and 20

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complete listing of events—and all the details—visit our online Inside Scoop calendar at insidenorthside.com.

parents. Conference Center, St. Tammany Parish Hospital, Covington. 10am-noon. Free. 898-4083. 3-24 Camellia City Market. Griffith Park, 333 Erlanger St., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free. Danny Blackburn, 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org. 3-24 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. Donna Beakley, 845-4515 or mandevillemarket@gmail.com. mandevilletrailhead.yolasite.com.

STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 9:30-10:15am. $24 per month; members, $15. 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org. 7 Culture Collision. Preview of the 20112012 cultural season by cultural organizations. Mingling, music, drinking, eating, special offers, giveaways. The New Orleans Museum of Art, One Collins Diboll Circle. 5:30-9pm, after-party in the Sculpture Garden. (504) 658-4100. noma.org.

3-28 Covington Farmers Market. Wed, Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8amnoon. Free. 966-1786.

7-28 Botox Wednesdays. Indulge yourself. Dr. Kelly Burkenstock’s Skin•Body•Health, 2040 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. Limited appointments available. $265/area, $665/whole face. 727-7676.

♥ 6, 13, 20 Play Pals. For parents/caregivers and children 16-30 months. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11:15am. $24 per month; members, $15. 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org.

♥ 8 Look Good, Feel Better. Professional cosmetologists offer tips to enhance appearance during cancer treatment. STPH Outpatient Pavilion, 16300 Hwy. 1085, Covington. 6:308pm. Free. RSVP requested, 898-4581.

♥ 6, 13, 20 Pre-K @ Play. For parents/caregivers and children 2 1/2-4 years.

8 Newborn Care Class. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 7-9pm. Free.

Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. ♥ 8, 15, 22 Cuddle Buddies. Parents/caregivers and infants 8-15 months, STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org. 9 Northlake Newcomers Annual Meetand-Greet Coffee. Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. 10am. infonewcomers@aol.com. 9 Who’s on First? Block Party. 1st and Erlanger Sts., Slidell. 5:30-9pm. Free. Gene Duvic, 639-3340. 9-24 The Marvelous Wonderettes. Musical comedy. Cutting Edge Theater, 747 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Fri, Sat, 8pm. 649-3727 or Brian@cuttingedgetheater.com. cuttingedgetheater.com. 9-25 Footlight Frenzy. Playmakers Theater, 19106 Playmakers Rd., Covington. Fri-Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm (except 9/11). 893-1671. playmakersinc.com. 10 Madisonville Art Market. Tchefuncte Riverfront, Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 6247216. madisonvilleartmarket.com. 10 Pink Ribbon Fling. Gala benefiting the Cancer Association of Greater New Orleans. House of Blues, New Orleans. 7pm. Liz Bodet, (504)-583-5550. 10-Oct 8 New Dawn Exhibition. Artist Ruth Siporski. Henry Hood Gallery, 325 E. Lockwood St., Covington. Thurs-Sat, noon-5pm; also by appointment. 789-1832.

Life Well Planned

10, 24 Hammond Market. 2 W. Thomas St., Hammond. 9am-3pm. Free. 277-5680. dddhammond.com. 11 Patriot Day Ceremony: A Day of Remembrance. Remembering 9-11. 9-11 Memorial Plaza, Heritage Park, Slidell. 6:30pm. Free. Kim Harbison, 646-4307. 13 Professional Women of West St. Tammany Luncheon. Birth Order. Speaker: Dr. Robert Hurst. Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. 11:30am. pw-st.org. 14 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street. The Best of Rodgers & Hammerstein. The Inn on Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7pm. Free. Beth Ables, (504) 524-7611. innonbourbon.com. 15 Women of Infinite Possibilities Monthly Meeting. Speaker: Abby Shields from Danielle Inn. Christwood Retirement Center, Hwy. 21, Covington. 10am-noon. womeninfinitepossibilities@gmail.com. >> wipgroup.org.

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Inside Scoop 16 Concert in the Courtyard. Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St. 6-8pm. (504) 5234662. hnoc.org. ♥ 16 Look of Fashion. 50 percent of proceeds benefit pediatric care at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. H2O Salon and Spa, 3908 Hwy. 22, Mandeville. 9am-3pm. Phoebe, 951-8166, ext. 103. 16 Sunset at the Landing Concert. Columbia Street Landing, Covington. 6-9pm. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com. 16-17, 23-24 Stone Soup. Actors 5-10 years old. The Swan, 70326 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs. Fri, 7pm; Sat, 2pm and 7pm. $7. Creative Arts of St. Tammany, 590-3645. DramaAndMusic.com. 17 5th Annual Dutch Battle Memorial Ride and Gumbo Cook Off. Downtown Hammond. 8:30am-5pm. Mary Thornhill, (225) 567-1475 or (504) 452-6416. macorg.com. 17 Abita Opry. Live Louisiana roots music; pre-show on front porch. Abita Springs Town Hall. Doors open, 5:45pm; show, 7-9pm. Kathy, 892-0711. abitaopry.org. 17 Annual Fall Arts and Craft Show. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 10am-5pm. steinhauerproductions.com. 17 Average White Band. Columbia Theatre, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 7:30pm. 5434371. columbiatheatre.org. 17 B.A.K.E. Fest, Oh So Much More Than A Bake Sale! Benefits Children’s Hospital in New Orleans. Ohana Pier, 1311 Gause Blvd., Slidell. 11am. Hyland Taylor, 640-2837 or hylandtaylor@gmail.com. bakeforkids.org. 17 Life on the Spectrum: A Couple’s Perspective. Autism Symposium. Crossroads Church, 1006 N. Oak St., Hammond. 9am-4pm. Free. Northshore Families Helping Families, 8750511 or NFHF@bellsouth.net. fhfnorthshore.org. 17-18 3rd Annual Louisiana Gator Fest. St. Tammany Trace Trailhead Caboose, 21490 Koop Dr., Mandeville. Sat, 10am-10pm; Sun, noon-8pm. Lisa Pratt-Maddox, 867-9490. 18 Third Sunday Concert Series. Cedric Bridges, Lindsay Piatolly and Allison Way sing music from Les Miserables, Jekyll and Hyde, Company and others. Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St., Covington. 5pm. Free. 892-3177. ♥ 19, 26 Children in the Middle. Simultaneous two-night sessions for divorcing >>

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SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Inside Scoop parents and their children. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 79pm. Adult session: $35/person; $45/couple. Children’s session: $10/child (max $20/family). 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org.

Fifth Avenue and Inside Northside; dinner, silent auction, Saks fashion show and surprise giveaways and gifts. Tchefuncta Country Club, 2 Country Club Park, Covington. 6:30pm. Limited seating available. Nicole Suhre, 898-4171. nsuhre@stph.org.

21 East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce Monthly Luncheon. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 11:30am-1pm. 643-5678. kara@estchamber.com.

23 Fall 4 Tea. Health benefits of tea. Jan Lantrip, registered pharmacist. Refreshments, tea tasting. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. 2pm. Reservations, 898-3988.

21 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street. The Inn on Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7pm. Free. Beth Ables, (504) 5247611. innonbourbon.com.

23 Love in the Garden. Benefits New Orleans Museum of Art. Besthoff Sculpture Garden, NOMA, 1 Collins Diboll Circle. Patron party, 78pm; garden party, 8-11pm. (504) 658-4121. noma.org/love.html.

22 Chamber After Hours. Networking. Whitney Bank, 545 W. Pine St., Ponchatoula. 5:30-7pm. 386-2536. ponchatoulachamber.com. ♥ 22 Heart of Fashion. Benefits pediatric care at St. Tammany Parish Hospital; sponsored by Saks Fifth Avenue and Inside Northside; cocktail luncheon, silent auction, Saks fashion show and surprise giveaways and gifts. Tchefuncta Country Club, 2 Country Club Park, Covington. 11am. Limited seating available. Nicole Suhre, 898-4171. nsuhre@stph.org. ♥ 22 Night of Fashion. Benefits pediatric care at St. Tammany Parish Hospital; sponsored by Saks

23 Miracles Can Happen. Benefiting Mary Payton’s Miracle Foundation. Benedict’s Plantation, 1144 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. Patron party, 7pm; doors open, 8pm. Marypaytonsmiracle.com. 23 New Horizons Youth Service Bureau Celebrates 35 Years. Food, drinks, music. Cate Square, 200 W. Charles St., Hammond. 11am-2pm. Free. 345-1171 or esawyer@nhysb.com. youthservicebureau.org. 23 The Original Krewe of Orpheus 2011 Golf Tournament. Benefiting the Youth Service

Bureau. Covington Country Club. Registration, 10am; start, noon. Jim Day, 630-1362. 24 Breastfeeding Class. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 10am-noon. Free. Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW. 24 Folsom Community Farmers Market. Railroad Ave., Folsom. 7am-noon. Free. Susan, 796-5607. villageoffolsom.com. ♥ 24 Free Fall Health Fair and Screening Day. St. Tammany Parish Hospital Paul D. Cordes Outpatient Pavilion, 16300 Hwy. 1085, Covington. 8-11:30am. Free. 871-6095. 24 Madisonville Bicentennial Celebration. A day of festivities honoring the history of Madisonville. Samantha Goodwin, 778-7790 or madisonville200bday@gmail.com. 25 Sunday Concert Series. Naydja Cojoe & the Jazz Experience. Mandeville Trailhead Amphitheater. 4:30pm. Free. Alia Casborné, 6243147. cityofmandeville.com. 28 Coffee with Mayor Cooper. A casual “coffee and conversation” gathering with the mayor of Covington. Covington Trailhead. 9am. Free. Aimee Faucheux, 892-1873.

28 Opera on Tap. Casual 90-minute concert of opera, Broadway and more. Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., Abita Springs. 7-8:30pm. Free. (504) 529-3000. neworleansopera.org. 28-Oct 1 The Pirates of Penzance. Southeastern Opera/Music Theatre Workshop. Pottle Music Building Auditorium, Hammond. 7:30pm. 543-4371. columbiatheatre.org. 28-Oct 2 Tangipahoa Parish Fair. Parade on Fri. Tangipahoa Parish Fairgrounds, 400 Reid Ave., Amite. 10am-10pm. Johanna Hubspeth, 474-5263. 29-Oct 2 St. Tammany Parish Fair. Covington Fairgrounds, 1304 Columbia St., Covington. 892-8421. 30 Brews Arts Festival. Beer tasting, art exhibit. The Hammond Regional Arts Center. Morrison Park and N. Cypress St. 5-8pm. 5427113. 30 Columbia Street Block Party. Street festival and classic car display. 200-500 blocks of Columbia St., Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com. 30 Mahler Symphony No. 1. Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Carlos

Miguel Prieto and pianist Gabriela Montero. First Baptist Church, Covington. 7:30pm. (504) 5236530. LPOmusic.com. 30 St. Stanislaus Homecoming Tailgate Party and Game. St. Stanislaus Athletic Complex, 415 Bookter St., Bay St. Louis. Tailgate party, 5-6:30pm; game, 7pm. Susan Estrade, (228) 467-9057, ext. 251. alumni@ststan.com. 30-Oct 2 Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Benet Hall, Saint Joseph Abbey, 75376 River Rd., Covington. Fri, 7:30pm; Sat, 11am and 2pm; Sun, 2pm. jpas.org. 30-Oct 29 Women Build Construction. Women volunteers build homes for Habitat for Humanity. Tues-Sat, 9am-3pm (registration required). Volunteers are asked to contribute $30 to the project. 893-3172, ext. 222 or volunteer@habitatstw.org. habitatstw.org.

or pcookmeyer@earthlink.net. namisttammany.org. 1 Lousiana Swing Concert. Abita Town Hall, Abita Springs. 7pm. Milly Vappie, 635-4977 or info@caota.org. caota.org. 1 The Pirates of Penzance. Southeastern Opera/Music Theatre Workshop. Pottle Music Building Auditorium, Hammond. 7:30pm. 5434371. columbiatheatre.org. 1-2 Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood. Jefferson Performing Arts Society. Benet Hall, Saint Joseph Abbey, 75376 River Rd., Covington. Fri, 7:30pm; Sat, 11am and 2pm; Sun, 2pm. jpas.org. 1-2 Tangipahoa Parish Fair. Parade on Fri. Tangipahoa Parish Fairgrounds, 400 Reid Ave., Amite. 10am-10pm. Johanna Hubspeth, 4745263.

October

1-3 St. Tammany Parish Fair. Covington Fairgrounds, 1304 Columbia St., Covington. 8928421.

1 Frame of Mind 2011. Art exhibition and gala benefiting National Alliance on Mental Illness St. Tammany. St. Tammany Art Association, 320 North Columbia St., Covington. 7-11pm. Nick Richard, 626-6538; Perry Cookmeyer, 237-3920

1-8 New Dawn Exhibition. Artist Ruth Siporski. Henry Hood Gallery, 325 E. Lockwood St., Covington. Thurs-Sat, noon-5pm; also by >> appointment. 789-1832.

Inside Scoop 1-29 Camellia City Market. Griffith Park, 333 Erlanger St., Slidell. Sat, 8am-noon. Free. Danny Blackburn, 285-3599. camelliacitymarket.org. 1-29 Mandeville Trailhead Community Market. 675 Lafitte St. Sat, 9am-1pm. Free. Donna Beakley, 845-4515 or mandevillemarket@gmail.com. mandevilletrailhead.yolasite.com. 1-29 Women Build Construction. Women volunteers build homes for Habitat for Humanity. Tues-Sat, 9am-3pm (registration required). Volunteers are asked to contribute $30 to the project. 893-3172, ext. 222 or volunteer@habitatstw.org. habitatstw.org. 1-31 Fanfare. Month-long celebration of the arts, humanities and sciences. Southeastern Louisiana University campus; Columbia Theatre, Hammond; and other area venues. 543-4366. columbiatheatre.org. 1-Jan 29 The 18th Star: Treasures from 200 Years of Louisiana Statehood. Historic New Orleans Collection, Williams Gallery, 533 Royal St. (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org. 2 St. Paul’s Jazz ’N Roll. Dancing, auctions, cuisine from local restaurants. St. Paul’s School, 917 S. Jahncke Ave., Covington. 5-9pm. 8923200, ext. 1270 or development@stpauls.com. 2, 16, 30 Bayou Jam Concert Series. Bobby Ohler and the Harbor Band (10/2); Double Header with Lauren Turner and the U.S. Air Force Academy Band and Falconaires (10/16); Halloween Bash with Vince Vance and the Valiants (10/30). Heritage Park, Slidell. 5:307:30pm. Free. 646-4375. 2, 23, 30 Sunday Concert Series. Mandeville Trailhead Amphitheater. 4:30pm. Free. Alia Casborné, 624-3147. cityofmandeville.com. 3-28 Covington Farmers Market. Wed, Covington Trailhead, 419 N. New Hampshire St., 10am-2pm; Sat, 609 N. Columbia St., 8amnoon. Free. 966-1786. 3-31 11th Annual International House of Blues Foundation Art Exhibit. Columbia Theatre, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. Mon, Wed and Fri, 11am-4pm. 543-4366. columbiatheatre.org. 3-31 Mandeville City Hall Artist of the Month. Mandeville Community Center senior artists with instructor Charles Flattman. Mandeville City Hall, 3101 E. Causeway App. Mon-Fri, 9am4:30pm. Free. Nancy Clark, 626-3144. 3-Nov 21 Drama Workshops. Ages 8 and up. Louisiana Center for Theatrical Arts, 4499

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Sharp Rd., Mandeville; 2200 Rue Denise, Hammond. Beginner, $135; intermediate, $150. Registration, 517-6637 or louisianatheater@gmail.com. lcta.biz. ♥ 4, 11, 18 Play Pals. For parents/caregivers and children 16-30 months. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11:15am. 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org. ♥ 4, 11, 18 Pre-K @ Play. For parents/ caregivers and children 2?-4 years. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 9:3010:15am. 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org. 5-26 Botox Wednesdays. Indulge yourself. Dr. Kelly Burkenstock’s Skin•Body•Health, 2040 N. Causeway Blvd., Mandeville. Limited appointments available. $265/area, $665/whole face. 727-7676. 6 A Grand Opening Celebration and Trunk Show. Three Divas and a Sugardaddy. 2306 Front St., Slidell. 10am-6pm. 288-5550. 6 Read for the Record. Junior League of Greater Covington. Help break the record for the largest shared reading experience. Koop Drive, Kids Konnection, Mandeville. 9:30am-1:30pm. jlgcreadfortherecord@yahoo.com. ♥ 6, 13, 20 Cuddle Buddies. For parents/caregivers and infants 8-15 months, STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 10:30-11am. 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org. 7 St. Scholastica Academy’s 13th Annual Dove Golf Classic Tournament. Benefiting SSA’s athletic program. Tchefuncta Country Club, 2 Country Club Parkway, Covington. Shotgun start, 8:30am. Elaine Simmons, 892-2540, ext. 130 or esimmons@ssacad.com. 7 Take it to the Tracks. Music by Ernest Scott at the first Friday block party. 100 block of N. Cate St., Hammond. 6:30-9:30pm. Free. 2775680. dddhammond.com. 7-16 Grand Réveil Acadien (Great Acadian Awakening). Celebration of Acadians in Louisiana. Events in New Orleans (Oct. 7-8), Houma (Oct. 9-10), Lake Charles (Oct. 11-12) and Lafayette (Oct. 13-16). (800) 688-2732. Gra2011.org. 7-23 Morning’s at Seven. Slidell Little Theatre, 2024 Nellie Dr., Slidell. Fri and Sat, 8pm; Sun, 2pm. 641-0324. slidelllittletheatre.org. 8 Madisonville Art Market. Tchefuncte Riverfront, Madisonville. 10am-4pm. Free. 6247216. madisonvilleartmarket.com. 8 Wish List and Custom Design Event. Food and wine. De Boscq Jewelry, 2602 Florida St., Mandeville. 5-9pm. RSVP by 9/30. 674-0007. >> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Inside Scoop 8-9 Slidell Newcomers 29th Annual Sell-ABration Arts & Crafts Show. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. Sat, 10am-5pm; Sun, 11am-4pm. Free. Linda, 641-2021 or NCSellABration@aol.com. 8, 15, 22 Pumpkin Festival at Red Bluff Farm. 15110 Hwy. 1078, Folsom. 9am-4pm. 796-0452. redblufffarm.com. 8, 22 Hammond Market. 2 W. Thomas St. 9am-3pm. Free. 277-5680. dddhammond.com. 9 The Garden Party at Summergrove Farm. Benefit for New Heights Therapeutic Riding. 18379 Hwy 40, Covington. 1-5pm. 796-3677. newheightstherapy.org. 9 Sunset Symphony and Culture Splash Northshore. Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra concert. Greater New Orleans Youth Orchestra opens for the LPO; cultural arts organization expo preceding concert. Lakeshore Dr., Mandeville. 3:30pm. Free. Alia Casborné, 624-3147 or acasborne@cityofmandeville.com. cityofmandeville.com. 11 Professional Women of West St. Tammany Luncheon. Speaker Susan LeBlanc. Beau Chêne Country Club, Mandeville. 11:30am. pw-st.org.

12-13 Cole Bros. Circus of the Stars. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. 4:30pm and 7:30pm. Ticket prices vary. ColeBrothersCircus.com. 12 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street. Italian opera. The Inn on Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7pm. Free. Beth Ables, (504) 524-7611. innonbourbon.com. 13 CHAI Me. Refreshments and chai tasting. The English Tea Room, 734 E. Rutland St., Covington. 6:30pm. Reservations, 898-3988. 13 Salute to “Turandot.” The Inn on Bourbon and The New Orleans Opera Association. The Inn on Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St. 7pm. Free. Beth Ables, (504) 524-7611. innonbourbon.com. 14 Annual Chamber Golf Tournament. East St. Tammany Chamber of Commerce. Oak Harbor Course, 100 Harbor Center Blvd., Slidell. Registration, 11am; tee time, 12:30pm. Jobeth, 643-5678 or jobeth@estchamber.com. 14 Maritime Mania Party. Patron party for Wooden Boat Fest. Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum, Madisonville. 7:30-10:30pm. 845-9200. woodenboatfest.org.

14 Northlake Newcomers Luncheon. Reservations required. 845-0013 or infonewcomers@aol.com. 14 Who’s on First? Block Party. 1st and Erlanger Sts., Slidell. 5:30-9pm. Free. Gene Duvic, 639-3340. 14-16 Crescent City Blues and BBQ Festival. Lafayette Square Park, 580 St. Charles Ave., New Orleans. Fri, 5:30-7:30pm; Sat-Sun, 11am-8pm. Free. (504) 558-6100. jazzandheritage.org. 14-16 Festival of the Lake. Fundraiser for Our Lady of the Lake School. 316 Lafitte St., Mandeville. Fri, 5-11pm; Sat, 11am-11pm; Sun, noon-7pm. Free. 626-5671. ollparish.info. 14-29 The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Cutting Edge Theater, 747 Robert Blvd., Slidell. Fri, Sat, 8pm. 649-3727 or Brian@cuttingedgetheater. comcuttingedgetheater.com. 15 20th Annual Fall for Art. Live music, gallery openings, art demonstrations, boutique shopping, fine dining. Featuring the Art of John Scott: From the Private Collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art. Downtown Covington. 6-9pm. Free. Cindy Pulling, 892-8650 or cindy@sttammanyartassociation.org.

15 Abita Opry. Live Louisiana roots music; preshow on front porch. Abita Springs Town Hall. Doors open, 5:45pm; show, 7-9pm. Kathy, 8920711. abitaopry.org.

Francis Animal Sanctuary. Hosts Margaret Orr and Norman Robinson. Entertainment by Supercharger. Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington. 7-11pm. sfas.org.

15 Newborn Care Class. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, Covington. 7-9pm. Free. Registration, 866-4LAKEVIEW.

15-16 Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival. Benefiting the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. 10am-6pm. 845-9200. woodenboatfest.org.

15 Oktoberfest. Food, fun, music and beer on tap “under the water tower.” Heiner Brau Brewery, 226 Lockwood St., Covington. Noon-8pm. heinerbrau.com.

15-Nov 12 Gail Hood and Yvonne James Exhibition. Henry Hood Gallery, 325 E. Lockwood St., Covington. Thurs-Sat, noon-5pm; also by appointment. 789-1832.

15 Puccini’s Turandot. The New Orleans Opera. Semi-staged performance at The Morial Convention Center, 900 Convention Center Blvd. (504) 529-2278. neworleansopera.org.

16 Third Sunday Concert Series. NOVA chorale. Christ Episcopal Church, 120 S. New Hampshire St., Covington. 5pm. Free. 892-3177.

15 Ponchatoula’s Party in the Pits BBQ Cookoff. Downtown Ponchatoula. 10am-5pm. (800) 617-4502. ponchatoulachamber.com. 15 Wild Things 2011. Environmental and conservation exhibits; canoe tour on Bayou Lacombe. U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Bayou Lacombe Centre, 61389 Hwy. 434. 10am-5pm. Free. 882-2000. 15 Wish Upon a Paw Gala. Benefiting St.

17 3rd Annual St. Andrew’s Village Golf Tournament. English Turn Golf & Country Club, New Orleans. Registration, lunch, 10:30am; shotgun start, noon; dinner and awards party after play. (504) 305-1617. donna.breaux@saintandrewsvillage.org. saintandrewsvillage.org. ♥ 17, 24 Children in the Middle. Simultaneous two-night sessions for divorcing parents and their children. STPH Parenting Center, 1505 N. Florida St., Ste. B, Covington. 7-9pm. Adult session:

$35/person; $45/couple. Children’s session: $10/child (max $20/family). 898-4435 or ksupan@stph.org. 18-22 Washington Parish Free Fair. Celebrating 100 years! Washington Parish Fairgrounds, Franklinton. Opening Tues, 7pm; Wed-Sat, 10am-midnight; parade, Wed, 10am; rodeo, Wed-Sat, 7pm. Jeannine Bickham, msshutterbug@bellsouth.net. freefair.com. 20 Chamber After Hours. Networking. Middendorf’s Restaurant, 30160 Hwy. 51 S., Manchac. 5:30-7pm. 386-2536. ponchatoulachamber.com. 20 Southeastern Wind Symphony Performance. Columbia Theatre, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 7:30pm. 543-4371. columbiatheatre.org. 20 Women of Infinite Possibilities Monthly Meeting. Speaker Davis Brister from Merrill Lynch. Christwood Retirement Center, Hwy. 21, Covington. 10am-noon. womeninfinitepossibilities@gmail.com. wipgroup.org. 21 Concert in the Courtyard. Meschiya Lake and the Little Big Horns. The Historic New Orleans Collection, 533 Royal St., New Orleans. 6-8pm. >> (504) 523-4662. hnoc.org.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Inside Scoop 21 The Joseph A. Champagne Jr./Gene Bennett Memorial Golf Tournament. Sponsored by St. Paul’s Alumni Association. Tchefuncta Country Club, Covington. Mike Richard, 892-3200, ext. 1274.

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21 St. Stanislaus Golf Tournament. Benefiting the St. Stanislaus Alumni Association projects. The Oaks Golf Course, 24384 Oak Island Dr., Pass Christian. Susan Estrade, (228) 467-9057, ext. 251. alumni@ststan.com. 21-22, 28-29 Boo at the Zoo. Halloween event for children up to age 12. Audubon Zoo, New Orleans. 5-9pm. AudubonInstitute.org. 21-22, 28-29 Zombie Prom. The musical! The Swan, 70326 Hwy. 59, Abita Springs. 7pm. Creative Arts of St. Tammany, 590-3645. DramaAndMusic.com. 21-Dec 16 Andy Warhol’s Celebrities. Exhibit from the New Orleans Museum of Art. Slidell Cultural Center, 2055 Second St. Opening reception: Oct 21, 7-9pm; gallery: Tue-Fri, noon4pm; Sat, 9am-noon. Free. 646-4375. slidell.la.us. 22 Opera on Tap. Jazz’n the Vines, 81250 Old Military Rd. (Hwy. 1082), Bush. 6:30-9pm. 8929742 or winery@pontchartrainvineyards.com. pontchartrainvineyards.com. 22 Mark Morris Dance Group. New Orleans Ballet Association. Mahalia Jackson Theater, 1419 Basin St. 8pm. (504) 522-0996. nobadance.com. 22-Jan 29 Prospect.2. New artistic practices from around the world. Venues throughout New Orleans. Wed-Sun, times vary by location. prosepctneworleans.org. 25 “Look Good, Feel Good” Fashion Show and Luncheon. Slidell Memorial Hospital Women’s Health Alliance. Northshore Harbor Center, 100 Harbor Center Blvd. 10am1pm. 649-8689 or marketing@smhplus.org.

Missy Hymel, LOTR, CHT, CKTP, Dolly Smith, MPS, LOTR, CHT, David Myers, MOT, LOTR and Stephanie Accardo, MOT, LOTR.

26 Opera on Tap. Casual 90-minute concert of opera, Broadway and more. Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., Abita Springs. 7-8:30pm. Free. (504) 529-3000. neworleansopera.org. 12, 26 Opera Returns to Bourbon Street. Bon Operatit! and Friends. The Inn on Bourbon’s Puccini Bar, 541 Bourbon St., New Orleans. 7pm. Free. Beth Ables, (504) 524-7611. innonbourbon.com.

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27 Cocktails with Larry Miller. One-man show—comedy, theater, music and a twist of truth. Columbia Theatre, 220 E. Thomas St., Hammond. 7:30pm. $38-$44. 543-4371. columbiatheatre.org.

28 Columbia Street Block Party. Street festival and classic car display. 200-500 blocks of Columbia St., Covington. 6:30-9:30pm. Free. 892-1873. cityofcovingtonla.com. 28 Harvest Cup Polo Classic Patron Party. Black and White Masquerade Night. Gourmet food, libations, entertainment, auction, raffle. La Maison, 21516 Hwy. 36, Abita Springs. 7:3010:30pm. Phoebe Whealdon, 778-8283. jlgc.net. 28 Scary Face Pancake Giveaway. Kids 12 and under design and dine on their own free scary face pancake. IHOP, 325 N Hwy. 190, Covington. 7am-10pm. ihop.com. 28-29 Fraternal Order of Police Chili Cook-Off, Best Wings Competition and Car Show. Benefiting Hospice, C.A.S.A., Options, Habitat for Humanity and others. Downtown Hammond. Fri, Best Wing Competition, 5-10pm; Sat, Chili Cook Off, 7am4pm. 969-4101 or fop34chilicookoff@gmail.com. 29 A.C.C.E.S.S. Boo Fest. Benefiting children with disabilities and their families. Lakeview Regional Medical Center, 95 Judge Tanner Blvd., Covington. 10am-2pm. Free. Northshore Families Helping Families, 875-0511 or nfhf@bellsouth.net. fhfnorthshore.org. 29 Chili Cook-Off and Fair. NorthlakeMandeville Rotary Club. Music, games, food and more. Madisonville ball fields. 10am-3pm. Free. 796-0689. mandevillerotary.org. 29 Folsom Community Farmers Market. Railroad Ave., Folsom. 7am-noon. Free. Susan, 796-5607. villageoffolsom.com. â&#x2122;Ľ 29 Monster Mash. Benefiting the St. Tammany Parish Hospital Parenting Center. Bogue Falaya Park, Covington. 10am-3pm. 898-4435. 29 Trick or Treat in the Park. Includes hay rides. Bogue Chitto State Park, 17049 State Park Blvd., Franklinton. 6-9pm. Free. Denise McKinney, 839-5725. 29-30 Olde Towne Slidell Fall Antique Street Fair. 10am-5pm. 1st, 2nd and Erlanger Sts., Slidell. 710-9122 or 641-6316. slidellantiques.com. 30 15th Annual Harvest Cup Polo Classic. Polo matches, food and beverages, entertainment, live and silent auctions, raffle. Junior League of Greater Covington fundraiser. Leah Farm, Folsom. 11:30am-5:30pm. JLGC, 892-5258 or jl_covington@bellsouth.net. jlgc.net. 30 TerraBella Pumpkins-in-the-Park. Hay rides, pumpkin painting, food and inflatable bouncers. TerraBella Village, Covington. Noon4pm. terrabellavillage.com.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Worthy Causes New Heights Horses for Heroes by Stephen Faure formerly North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) Horses for Heroes program for injured veterans and first responders, New Heights’ program just came out of the gate in May of this year, with Matt as the first rider. Located in the rolling hills horse country in Folsom, New Heights Therapeutic Riding helps children and adults with physical, learning or mental disabilities through controlled interaction with horses. Director Sue Cheveallier and her husband, Clint, started New Heights after retiring from their careers with the non-profit organization Volunteers of America. “We bought a horse farm with the idea we might start something like New Heights. We toured some other facilities in Oklahoma and Texas and got so interested in it. We started with just a couple of kids while we were trying to build the farm up,” she recalls. But, she says, the program is no longer conducted on their property because, “All of a sudden, we found that taking care of 40 horses was not retirement.” After they held classes at different locations, John Melton invited them to come to Leah Farm. Sue says, “It’s been such a good match. He’s been a great benefactor to us.”

IN 2005, MARINE MATT COLE was serving his second tour of duty in Iraq—he had been part of the first wave crossing into Iraq in 2003—when insurgents attacked his base at Haditha and shrapnel from a mortar shell severed his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed from the chest down. The Covington veteran has endured regular sessions of physical therapy as part of his recovery. Recently, Matt also began taking part in New Heights Horses for Heroes equine therapy program. Inspired by the Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International (PATH International, 32

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

New Heights had been talking about instituting a program for veterans and first responders in the same vein as PATH Intl.’s for a couple of years before getting it off the ground in 2011. Lane Carson, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs, met with New Heights in January. “Lane set up meetings for us with the staff of the veterans home in Jackson and we are planning a field day to bring some of the veterans to New Heights for an introduction to therapeutic riding.” As the first veteran to take advantage of the program, Matt has been very pleased with the way riding fits in with his regular physical therapy regime. “I’ll be doing physical therapy the rest of my life to stay in shape, maintain upper-body strength and circulation in the legs,” he says. “It’s amazing how simply sitting on the back of a horse is helping out

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

New Heights Horses for Heroes

with my posture and my back pain. It’s forced me into a good posture that I can’t maintain without a back rest.” Sue notes that for paraplegics like Matt, equine therapy enables types of motion that aren’t as easily accomplished when laying on the floor in a clinical setting. “When you’re sitting on a horse, the muscles around your spine are getting the very same motion as if you were walking. So if you’re unable to walk, you’re still able to get strength in those muscles, to get the stamina to sit longer, to sit straighter and have a better posture.” Riding provides a mental boost for Matt and other riders undergoing therapy that comes simply from being, like the heroes of the Old West, tall in the saddle. “When you’re in a wheelchair, you’re always looking up at people. All of sudden, here you are on a horse and they are looking up at you. On the horse, the rider feels powerful,” says Sue.

From Creation to Completion

Matt agrees. “It’s a confidencebooster. You’re controlling a huge animal, and it’s a lot of fun to be tall and going through the course.” Instructor Catherine Insley explains how controlling a large animal helps patients with brain injuries, as well as autistic children. “Every time you sit on a horse, you’re multi-tasking. You’re turning and stopping, thinking about the horse, the horse’s attitude and all that’s going on. A lot of what goes on with the riding is that it’s a big confidence-builder—they can get on and accomplish it.” Catherine, who has been working with Matt, says, “For Matt, the goal is to ride independently, which is an obtainable goal. Some of the riders we have want to go to horse shows and compete. Matt could be right in there with the rest of them.” While it just so happens that a

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Marine Corps veteran is the first to take advantage of New Heights Horses for Heroes, Sue says, “It’s more than just veterans. Our program is for veterans and first responders. We’ve talked to the State Police and the Sheriff’s Department, and they are now working with us to involve first responders in the program.” New Heights and Leah Farms will host the New Heights Special Olympics Equestrian Invitational on Oct. 1. New Heights’ annual gala, The Garden Party at Summergrove Farms, will be held on Oct. 9. The organization raises funds for rider scholarships, to help cover operating costs not covered by fees charged to riders and to help New Heights maintain its policy of not turning away anyone who is unable to pay. For more information, call 796-3677 or visit newheightstherapy.org.

NAMI St. Tammany Frame of Mind 2011 NAMI St. Tammany will host its second annual Frame of Mind art exhibition and gala Oct. 1 from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. at the St. Tammany Art Association in Covington. The event will feature art created by local mentally handicapped artists, as well as food, drinks, live musical entertainment and a silent auction. All of the proceeds from the sale of the pieces will go to the artists, while proceeds from ticket sales, the silent auction and sponsorships will benefit NAMI St. Tammany. The National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

For more information on sponsorships or tickets, contact Nick Richard at 6266538 or Perry Cookmeyer at 237-3920. 34

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

IN Better Health

by Stephen Faure

Health Concern: Metastatic breast cancer. Treatment: Chemotherapy, surgery and a positive attitude.

“I’VE NEVER BEEN ONE to dwell on

with reconstruction, based on the fact

those films said; there’s something wrong.” The doctor suggested an

that this was such an aggressive cancer.” “When they finished all the surgery, I was cancer-free. They decided I did not need radiation and that I should go on with my life,” Cherie remembers. “That was in March 2009. In October 2009, I had a backache. I’m not one to complain about aches, but I knew this was different.” A PET scan indicated that her cancer had returned; she had advanced metastatic breast cancer. She says, “It was

ultrasound and found the tumor. “If I hadn’t kept pressing, I might have walked away that day and not found out anything for another year. The cancer was very close to my chest wall, so the mammogram just missed it,” says Cherie. Cherie is no stranger to medical procedures. She’s a professional administrator and had taken the position as director of surgical services at

very traumatic when they told me where

the bad,” says Cherie Meyers. That attitude has kept Cherie alive and living after receiving one of the toughest

Fairway Medical Center a few months

the cancer had spread—my bones, my

before her diagnosis. “I’m originally from

liver, my lymph nodes and my spleen.”

diagnoses a woman can face: breast cancer—and one of the most difficult

course. I’m living on the northshore,

types of the disease. “I have triplenegative, which means I have no hormonal receptors they can treat to keep the cancer from coming back.” How Cherie was diagnosed early enough to be successfully treated is a story every woman should keep in mind. Looking in the mirror one day, she thought one of her breasts looked different from the other. A slight difference, she says, “Just a little, nothing that anyone would have noticed. I went to my gynecologist, and he examined it and said he didn’t feel anything but would send me for a mammogram.” After she had the mammogram, the radiologist could find nothing wrong. 36

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

St. Bernard Parish. Post-Katrina, of and I’m loving it!” she says—although she admits she hasn’t lost her accent! As director of surgical services, Cherie is faced with a full plate, scheduling procedures, equipment and personnel for seven operating rooms, two endo suites and a procedure room. After she received her diagnosis, Fairway’s staff suggested that she see Dr. James Carinder, an oncologist at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. He told her she had a very aggressive form of cancer and that she should undergo chemotherapy first, which she did. Then, she says, after speaking to surgeon Celeste Lagarde at Fairway, “I decided to go ahead and have a bilateral mastectomy and ancillary node bisection

Dr. Carinder recommended more chemotherapy. While getting chemo, Cherie was periodically scanned to see how the treatment was progressing. After six months, she got a surprise. “Never did I expect that after six months, the doctors would tell me there was no evidence of the disease.” That was in May 2010. She’s scanned every three months now and has remained cancer-free. Despite the fact that her cancer could return, Cherie has maintained her positive attitude and kept living and working. “My staff tells me it’s inspirational that I get up and come to work everyday. But it’s because I live my life. To me, it’s like others who have to live with diabetes. It’s what everyone should do anyway.” In a way, her cancer was a positive

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

with Cherie Meyers

Cherie said to her, “I don’t care what

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experience. Not that she doesn’t wish it had never happened, but she recognizes how close it’s brought her family. “My husband, my daughter, my father, my friends—they stand by my side. I’ve never been alone with this, and I think that made a big difference. I know what a great support system I have—that I’ve always had. As for Fairway Medical, they’ve taken care of me through all of this. I’ve been here throughout the course of my treatment. They’ve always supported me. I never had to be concerned about my job—one less thing for me to worry about.” Cherie came to accept the fact she had cancer and decided to have the attitude that it was “just another bump in the road.” She’s lived accordingly and maintained that positivity. “I have to have a good attitude. I have a 16year-old daughter; I’ve got to make it and pay for college!” SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

End of an The Final Space

The space shuttle Atlantis takes off on

DRIVING TOWARD THE KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, I couldn’t help noticing a sense of déjà vu. The road, four lanes suspended over a wide body of water, gives

media. Out of 5,200 persons who applied for NASA’s latest “tweetup,” 150 were selected. Tweetups are what users of the internet social media service Twitter call

way to a level path through marshland that stretches

their informal get-togethers, usually organized online

as far as the eye can see. Looming on the horizon was a very large building that, at that distance, was the

through “tweeting” (messaging) on Twitter. I’ve been to

sole feature in an otherwise blank skyline.

for afternoon coffee or lunch or for an evening cocktail

Why I was feeling a sense of déjà vu became clear: this is almost exactly the same scene that lies before you as you drive into New Orleans from Slidell—a road spanning over water, then rolling into the marsh, with an unnaturally huge building rising up on the horizon. It’s not a big mystery, as the huge building rising out of the eastern New Orleans marsh, and the even bigger building looming over the Florida marsh, are inextricably connected by a path to outer space, and both have NASA’s distinctive logo emblazoned on their sides. All of this hit me as I was driving to witness a milestone: the final launch of NASA’s Space Shuttle

or two. NASA decided to take tweeting-up to the extreme and began hosting events in conjunction with

Program.

its final mission, designated STS-135, the last of the Space Shuttle Program. 38

It Was Because of the Internet I was invited to this historic launch through the magic of the internet and NASA’s adoption of social

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

many tweetups locally; they’re usually small gatherings

its activities, which include space camp tweetups, tweetups during flight operations at Mission Control in Houston (as in, “Houston, we have a problem.”), tweetups for shuttle landings and tweetups, like the one I was invited to, for shuttle launches. NASA began using Twitter in 2008, when employees at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in California realized the service would be a way to update interested people on the progress of the Mars Phoenix Lander. Soon, an employee was tweeting in first person as if she were the Phoenix Lander. She explained that because Twitter messages are limited to 140 characters, and saying something like “the spacecraft has traveled …” took a lot of space, she simply began saying, “I traveled …” and a phenomenon was born. Shortly thereafter, Mars Phoenix was up to

photos: STEPHEN FAURE

by Stephen Faure

Era Shuttle Launch 75,000 followers and NASA realized they had a great way to spread awareness of their mission. NASA has hosted over 20 tweetups since then. NASA’s Stephanie Schierholz said the agency will continue to host tweetups as long as the budget lasts and people are interested in them. “Social media

that I had been selected for the NASA launch tweetup. I started to explain that I grew up watching launches on TV as a kid, I remembered the moon landing and … “Shush it. Boring.” Unlike my unappreciative friend, I did grow up with a healthy appreciation for the space program. I

allow us new ways to reach out, which is especially

vaguely remember (I would have been 3 or 4 years

relevant, as many traditional media outlets have been eliminating their space beat reporters. We’re hoping

old) watching one of the Gemini missions launch on our black-and-white TV. When I was in first grade,

to achieve higher engagement and involvement in the nation’s space program and to get the word out as widely as possible about all the (in our opinion) very incredibly cool things we’re doing,” Schierholz says. I got the word about the NASA tweetups late in the game. One of the people I’ve been following on Twitter for years attended the tweetup for the shuttle launch on May 16, 2011. About two weeks after that, she tweeted that it was the last day to sign up for the next NASA tweetup. I went to NASA’s website, filled out the form and promptly forgot about it. Two weeks later, I received the e-mail saying I had been selected.

my brother and I built a model Saturn V rocket that was taller than both of us, and we were this close (I’m pinching my fingers together with about a quarterinch gap) to watching Apollo 11 launch Neal Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins to the moon. We were living in New Iberia, La., and my dad was great at piling us all into the Country Squire and going on a long vacation every year. The summer of 1969 happened to be a Florida vacation. We were in Fort Walton when Apollo 11 launched. Then we traveled to Miami, where I fell asleep in front of the TV just a few minutes—I tried so hard to stay awake—before Neil Armstrong took his one small step and his giant leap all in one breath. Mom says she woke us all up and made sure we were watching, but I must have been asleep with my eyes open

Astro-Fanboy “Space shuttle launch? I can’t think of anything more boring in the whole world.” That’s the actual response I got from a friend of mine when I shared

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

because I didn’t realize it until she told me. She was always making sure we witnessed space history and says she made certain my older brother was looking at the TV (he had to have been about 7 months old) when Alan Shepherd was the first American launched into space in 1961. Through the 1970s, we watched all of the Apollo missions. Although I do have an independent memory of Apollo 13 being in trouble, at the time it just didn’t seem to me to be the big deal that it really was—as was depicted in the movie Apollo 13. The last Apollo mission was to meet up and dock with the Russian Soyuz space module orbiting the earth. I remember my great-aunt Gert was there, as was my grandmother. Gert (along with all my mother’s family) was a teacher and made sure all of us kids were watching: “Look, it’s the handshake in space!” In 1981, I was a freshman at college and anticipated the first shuttle launch. I remember dreaming the night before the launch that I was somehow watching the launch from Baton Rouge (dreams are crazy, no?) and that I watched the shuttle launch but that it blew up in sky. That wasn’t really a premonition of Challenger; there was a lot of talk about the untried technology and how blowing up was a definite possibility, which must have crept into my dream. I was very happy nothing like that happened. In 1984, I was working in a camera store in New Orleans in the photo lab. One of our customers worked at Michoud, where the shuttle’s main fuel tank was manufactured. He had gotten VIP employee access to one of the launches and let me keep a copy of one of his photos. His description of what it was like to feel the launch planted the seed, and I always kept in the back of my 40

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

mind that I would make the trip to witness a launch. I kept up with the shuttle as best as a twentysomething with a lot on his plate could do, but it was Challenger, unfortunately, that was the next milestone to stick in my mind. I really remember that day; it was cold, and I had ridden my bike to class. In class, I wondered if my mom was watching the launch, because she was a teacher and this was the one with the teacher in space. I decided I’d go straight home and catch the replay. When I got home and turned on the TV, it was the replay, but it wasn’t right. It was the replay of those two twisting pillars of smoke coming out of the solid rocket boosters as they started to fly apart uncontrollably after the main tank exploded, tearing Challenger to pieces. After a few seconds, I still hadn’t realized what had happened, but Dan Rather’s voice kicked in to tell me. After that, graduation, work and life happened. The shuttle returned and became, once again, routine. In 2002, I was reading about an upcoming shuttle launch. I thought, “I have some extra time. There’s nothing stopping me from driving down there and watching a launch.” And I was ready to do it, too, only to hear about some problems and a very long launch delay that was to extend way past my personal window of opportunity. Then the Columbia tragedy happened the next year, and I pretty much put any thought of traveling to see a launch out of my mind.

Above: All that’s left 40 seconds after lift-off is a pillar of white exhaust leading into the cloud cover. Left: On display at the Kennedy Space Center’s visitor complex are full-size replicas of NASA’s historic rockets,

photos: STEPHEN FAURE

including the shuttle’s external tank, manufactured in New Orleans at the Michoud Assembly Facility. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

testing. Stennis is also connected to the Intracoastal Waterway and, as its director, Patrick

Which brings me back to now. When I got that e-mail that I had been selected, I realized it would be a great thing to share with Inside Northside’s readers.

Scheuermann, told me, “There’s an old saying, ‘From Apollo to the shuttle program, to the future of space flight, if you want to go into space, you have to go through Hancock County, Mississippi.’” Both Michoud and Stennis will remain vital parts of the future manned space program. After telling him that I remember hearing the roar of engines being tested at Stennis from my home in Slidell when I first moved there, Scheuermann said he remembers the roar when the entire cluster of three main shuttle engines was once tested there. NASA’s next generation Space

The Gulf Coast Connection

Launch System will require similar tests of

Our designated parking area at the Kennedy

multiple engines at once. “I’m looking forward to

Top: STS-135 launch Tweetup attendees pose next to the famous countdown clock at the Kennedy Space Center’s press viewing site. Above: The author with astronaut Col. Doug Wheeler and the shuttle Atlantis on the launchpad in the background. 42

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building I saw driving in, the one that reminded me of the building rising out of the New Orleans marshland. The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at KSC is by far the larger of the two. It’s connected to its Louisiana cousin, the Michoud Assembly Facility, by the Intracoastal Waterway. (They call it the MAF. I’ll call it Michoud as I’ve been doing all my life.) That’s an important fact. The rockets that sent man to the moon got their start at Michoud, which manufactured the first (and most massive) stage of the giant Saturn V rockets that powered the Apollo program and then placed them on barges for the trip to KSC. They had a stop to make just across the border in Mississippi at what is now the Stennis Space Center (which, out of habit, I’m just going to call Stennis) for live-fire

hearing that next cluster of engine tests because we test single engines a lot. Those clusters of three or four or potentially five engines will be making noises that this community hasn’t heard in a while.” It brings home, he said, the importance of Stennis’ 125,000-acre acoustic buffer zone, a national asset. The connection between Michoud and the VAB remained vital after the Apollo program. The shuttle’s liquid fuel tanks are manufactured in New Orleans. Just as with Apollo, the giant components are shipped by barge to a dock a few hundred yards from the VAB.

It’s Elmo Our tweetup began the day before the scheduled launch in a large and (thank God!) air conditioned tent that was situated not far from the big countdown clock we’ve all seen on TV in front of NASA’s extensive press site. For years, the

photos: COURTESY NASA

Space Center (KSC; there are a lot of abbreviations used when talking about things at NASA) happened to be in the shadow of the very large

major networks have had their own multi-story buildings there to use as platforms to film the best views of all the launches. Approximately 1,500 national and international media members were on hand for Atlantis’ launch. Although it’s about three miles from the launch pad, the press site is as close as most anyone (including the vast majority of NASA employees) can get. The group of 150 people selected for the tweetup was a very diverse crowd from all around the country and the world. Everyone introduced themselves. There were many engineers and computer people, which one would expect for a NASA tweetup. There were also a model, a couple of Brits, a deaf lady, a man from Japan, six Twitter.com employees, a producer from MSNBC and a guy with a humidity-ravaged but otherwise perfect ’70s-era giant Afro who, it turns out, is the backstage host for the Jay Leno Show. At my table were a physician who researches malarial diseases in Melbourne, Australia, and an award-winning composer of dance music. Social media, from NASA’s perspective, “is primarily another way to fulfill our mandate and goal to communicate what the agency is doing as widely as possible,” says Schierholz. NASA TV is another. While NASA administrators and astronauts spoke to the crowd, the tweetup was broadcast live on cable and satellite systems as

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

well as streamed on the internet. A special surprise came as astronauts Mike Massimino and Col. Doug Wheelock (“Wheels,” or @Astro_Wheels, his Twitter name) hosted a talk with famous Muppet Elmo that was broadcast to schools around the country. It was a semi-serious Q&A with the astronauts answering questions any kid might have about being in space. The funniest moment of the day was when, despite being told to keep things family-friendly, a woman in the crowd asked Elmo, “Do you know what a cougar is?” Some quick thinking on Elmo’s and the astronauts’ part deflected the question into the realm of zoos and animals, but the woman managed to get in “Meet me out back and I’ll show you!” before they moved on to the next question. Speakers ranged from administrators and planners to scientists and engineers working on space station experiments. Many touched on the future of the space program now that the Space Shuttle Program has been canceled. While there will be a gap before manned launches are seen again at KSC (2016 at the earliest, it seems), unmanned launches as well as the design and testing of the next generation of U.S. space vehicles mean KSC and the other NASA facilities will remain busy. Wheelock, an old-school type astronaut, was a test pilot for the Army. Many post-Apollo era astronauts are not in the military; there are engineers, biologists, chemists and geologists. Wheelock flew on one shuttle mission and did a six-month tour on the International Space Station. During his missions, he accumulated over 20 hours in space walks. His firsthand accounts of being in space leave no doubt that the experience will remain etched in his mind the rest of his life. I’m so glad he shared his observations 44

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

with us. He wasn’t allowed to drive a car for a month after being on the space station because of the disorientation. Watching the sun set and rise every three minutes as the shuttle and space station orbited the earth at over 17,000 miles an hour. Watching from space as auroras danced around the earth’s poles, sometimes so high it seemed the space station was in them. Walking in space, looking back at the black-andwhite hulk of the shuttle, then turning around and, he says, “Looking at earth, it’s like an explosion of color.” He talked about performing a spacewalk when he looked away into deep space. He felt himself floating inside his suit—and then panicking, thinking he was not going to stop but float away—and kicking his have gotten away with it. He was fired nonetheless. Our first stop was the launch pad. The road to the pad runs alongside the 130-foot-wide crawlway that the giant crawler-transporters used to bring launch vehicles from Apollo to the shuttle out to the launch pad. We passed one of the empty crawlers on the way and passed a lot full of tour busses lined up to take the public tours to an observation tower about a quarter-mile from the launch pad, where Atlantis was in place being readied for launch. We were

experience! It’s no surprise that he said he still has

headed for a much, much closer view. At about 2 p.m., the tweetup attendees and our hosts arrived just outside of the launch pad in an

Above: Astronauts

dreams that he’s in space.

area that was roped off for our safety about 700 feet

Mike Massimino and

from the shuttle. Cape Kennedy is a marshy wildlife refuge on the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. We were

Col. Doug Wheeler

told that going outside the rope meant we would be exposed to alligators, snakes and who knows what else. As a card-carrying Looziana swamp creature, I ignored the hyperbole. They timed it so that while we were at the launch pad, they would be doing a maneuver with the shuttle, retracting the rotating service structure. Sure enough, while everyone was taking pictures, a large structure that had been protecting the shuttle (and hiding most of it from view) slowly and silently swung out of the way, revealing Atlantis for everyone to see. I asked Wheelock (after I got my picture taken with him, Atlantis in the background) what would happen if I were on that same spot during the launch. Would I be fried? He said no, but that my insides would be liquefied by the noise coming from the shuttle’s engines. (The next day, after feeling what that sound did when I was >>

“wingmen” when

heals inside his boots to remind himself that he was still tethered to the ship. What an unbelievable

photos: STEPHEN FAURE

Let’s Hijack a Shuttle! Being invited to the tweetup meant we got to enjoy an array of perks not available to the public. We enjoyed the behind-the-scenes access to astronauts and administrators (and Elmo) and were to be taken on a special tour of the facilities. After lunch, we were herded onto buses and on our way. By pure luck, astronaut Wheelock ended up on my bus. Another employee, our designated NASA escort, blurted out as soon as we left the parking lot, “We’ve got an astronaut on board. Let’s hijack a shuttle!” We got to listen as the two exchanged war stories, including the one about the employee who tried to sneak a parachute inside the VAB to make a BASE jump. He was stopped by a security guard who noticed he had a lunch pack he had never carried before. They said if he had only brought his lunch in that thing for a week beforehand, he would probably

act as Elmo’s

the astonished Muppet is confronted by an overly adoring “cougar” of a fan. Left: M&M’S have been flying with the shuttle crews since the first launch in 1981. The company produced customized candies for the final launch, which NASA shared with the Tweetup attendees.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

were built, but never flown when the program was

Our next stop was a rare tour of the Vehicle

canceled, is on display. Suspended from the ceiling of

Assembly Building. They told us to get off the bus, go

its own cavernous building, it’s broken up into stages.

into the door, take a left, look up and say, “Wow.”

You can get a feel for how really big the Apollo

This counterpart to Michoud covers eight acres and is

mission rockets were, especially the first stage built

526 feet tall. One Shell Square is taller, but the VAB is hollow inside (it’s the tallest single-story building with the tallest doors in the world) and you can look up all the way to the roof of the cavernous building. The moon rockets were assembled inside, as were all of the shuttles, which, after returning from orbit, were refurbished and brought inside, lifted up vertically and then mated to the giant fuel tank and the two solid rocket boosters. The building’s vast emptiness spoke literal volumes towards the finality of the Space Shuttle Program. A sign normally filled in with the status of the shuttle being worked on and its expected rollout date was blank. That really brought it home. The shuttle program was all over. Afterwards, we were brought to the Saturn V complex, where one of the three moon rockets that

here at Michoud.

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Launch Day It had rained most of the first day. Thunderstorms peeling off a tropical wave south of KSC rolled through the entire time we were in the tent. The launch was scheduled for 11:26 a.m. the next day— Fri., July 8—and they said there was a 70 percent chance the weather would not allow a launch. The way physics works—I can’t explain further; that’s one reason I’m not an astronaut—there is only a 10minute-per-day window that the shuttle can launch into an orbit that will take it to meet up with the space station. That window gets about 20 minutes earlier each day. Launch could take place Saturday or Sunday if necessary. If it didn’t happen on Sunday, it would have to be delayed for at least a week afterward, as an

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

three miles away, I believed him.)

unmanned rocket was scheduled for launch that week. Our hosts told us that NASA would meet at 1:30 a.m. to decide whether to start fueling Atlantis for launch. They would make an announcement at 2 a.m. If they were not fueling the tanks, the launch would be delayed until Saturday. If they were going to fuel, the launch still might get scrubbed, but we should start heading back to KSC immediately. One million people were expected to be

ASSET ONE

GROWING!

crowding the roadways in and out of KSC to watch the launch, so we had better get going to beat all that traffic. I was staying 40 miles away in Orlando at the same hotel as about 30 other attendees. We met in the lobby at 2 a.m., got the word that the tanks were being fueled, split up into carpool groups and headed to KSC. Reaching the site, we were greeted with the stunning vision of Atlantis glowing on the launch pad, bathed in spotlights. At 5:30 a.m., everyone was

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gathered back in the tent for more speakers. Then we were scheduled to go in front of the countdown clock for a group photo after waving to the shuttle astronauts in the aptly named Astrovan on their way to board Atlantis. One of our last speakers was retired astronaut Bob Crippen. It was a fitting choice for the last shuttle launch; Crippen piloted the very first shuttle mission and flew three more times afterwards. He went on to become director of KSC after the Challenger disaster. As time got closer and closer to 11:26, we kept waiting for any word of delay and heard none. Then, it got to the point I was thinking, “Well, maybe this might actually happen.” But knowing how many times launches got scrubbed at the last minute, I still didn’t really believe it would launch on time. I finally went outside and claimed >a> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

An empty sign in the Vehicle Assembly Building tells the tale: there are no more shuttle launches planned.

spot in between some shorter people and in front of some taller people on the edge of the lagoon to the right of the countdown clock. I had stayed up the night before and hadn’t slept for about 30 hours at that point, knowing we had to be ready to leave at 2 a.m. The lack of sleep was a problem because it really didn’t register when people started counting down, “seven, six, five … ” At that point, I said to myself, “It’s really happening…” and

our first launch through a viewfinder. I listened, but not that well. I wanted my own pictures and kept following the shuttle and pressing the button. I forced myself to put the camera down. I still couldn’t hear it, but as I put the camera down, I felt a puff of cool air hit. At the same time, the roar reached me. Within a second, I could feel it crackling in my chest, remembering what Wheelock said the day before at the launch pad about the noise liquefying your insides. I was looking at the shuttle and saw that the flame coming out of bottom of the rocket boosters was the brightest white light I’d ever seen. I said to myself, “Wow. That is bright!” And then it was gone. Poof! Or

photo: STEPHEN FAURE

raised my camera up just as I could see the white exhaust billowing out of either side of the launch pad and hear people screaming and clapping. They had warned us not to watch

boom! Just like that, gone through the overcast cloud layer that hung over KSC. We could still hear and feel the engines as the shuttle went down range, but that was it. The exhaust plume hung in the air, and its shadow from above the cloud deck reached out across the sky perpendicular to the smoke trail beneath it. I looked around. A fellow tweetupattendee, a guy well over 6 feet tall and built like an ex-linebacker, was bawling like a baby, reaching out to hug another of our fellows. People wandered around. “Wow.” “Incredible.” TV crews rushed around, trying to get people’s reactions. Right before I found my spot, I had taken out my digital recorder I use when conducting interviews, turned it on and placed it on a concrete footing for one of the tents, out of the way so it wouldn’t get stepped on. I retrieved it and headed inside. There was silence as the TV monitors inside showed the rest of the launch, as Atlantis, now hundreds, maybe thousands, of miles away, continued its eight-minute flight to orbit, shedding the solid rocket boosters and liquid fuel tank along the way. We waited a few hours for traffic to die down before heading back to Orlando. We exchanged photos, talked about how it all felt. I uploaded some photos to Facebook and kept watch on Twitter after carefully shepherding my launch photos from my camera to my laptop. There was a get together at the hotel later that evening. I went to get something to eat, returned and heard the excited crowd in the lobby. I felt too tired and grumpy to socialize, but I heard one thing being said over and over as I waited for the elevator: “THE most exciting experience of my life!” I answered, to myself in my inner New Orleanian dialogue, “Yeah, you rite!” For more photos and to hear the audio SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

by Poki Hampton WHEN AMITA ADHVARYU CAME to and Akila Ananth the United States from India, she was determined not to leave her culture behind. In designing and building her Mandeville home, the busy emergency room doctor and mother of two followed the principles of the ancient Indian system of design known as Vaastu Shastra. (See sidebar.) “When Amita first met with us she was drawn in by one of our homes she had walked through. It already had a lot of the Vaastu Shastra aspects Amita was looking for. This is how we

prayer. A carved white altar is decorated with colorful fabrics, emblems and candles. The kitchen is also located in the northeast section of the house so that when the sun rises in the east in the early hours of the morning the light can come in. Having a kitchen in the east also signifies good health for the women of the family. Copper-colored accessories serve to accent the warm tones of the granite countertops and the tile. The double oven is encased in a whitewashed brick veneer. Cream-painted cabinets by

started a relationship,” says Shanna Cole of Integrity

greeted by an Om, the Hindu symbol of the absolute. Right: The carved white altar in the prayer room is decorated with colorful fabrics, emblems and candles. Opposite: The handpainted emblem stained into the concrete on the breakfast room floor marks the location of the time capsule buried beneath the slab. 50

gods are in front of a mirror on the buffet. In the northeast corner is Amita’s temple, or prayer room. This room should remain clutter-free so that a person’s mind can feel light, free and airy. The small, quiet open space focuses on the main goal of

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Above: Guests are

Builders. While her home may look like a traditional suburban dwelling on the outside, complete with copper lanterns by Bevolo, within resides a unique spiritual energy flow. The house faces north, which, according to Vaastu Shastra, allows for prosperity and health to enter. The foyer is faux finished in a creamy textured paint dusted with gold that catches the light and adds a glow to the entrance. The floors of polished concrete are stenciled in a warm cocoa brown design. Heavy crown molding, arched entrance doors and a traditional chandelier from Pine Grove Electric are in keeping with the house’s traditional exterior. An arched opening leads into the dining room, which is a study in simplicity. Several plaques depicting Hindu

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

The entrance hall has arched French doors, polished concrete floors with a stenciled border and fauxfinished walls dusted with gold dust.

Milltown Cabinets and the recessed and pendant lighting, also by Pine Grove Electric, keep the area bright and airy. On the east side of the house is a broad entrance meant for family and friends. Under the door, the stencil of the sun is located in the floor. This stands for the sun rising in the east and the start of a new day. The southeast area

embroidery, giving a clean, crisp appearance to the room. The arch holds two pierced iron lanterns. A private bath, with fixtures from Southland Plumbing, makes this guest room the perfect retreat. The heartbeat of the home, however, is located right in the center of Amita’s house. It is an obelisk—a time capsule—imported all the way from India and buried in the ground. “In the process of building the

of the house

house, many trees were cut down and much ground

represents fire,

torn apart, so the time capsule is essentially an

energy and

apology to mother earth for treating her in such a

electricity, and it

way,” Amita says. Above ground, a beautiful hand-

should be the most

painted emblem stained into the polished cement floor

weighted area of the home. Accordingly, this is the location of Amita’s garage. The covered porch on the south side of the house has a custom-made traditional Indian porch swing. Soft

marks the obelisk’s location. Vaastu Shastra involves mathematical calculations and proportional relationships in architecture. Seemingly, much has to do with the location of rooms in a home and the direction in which things are facing, but Vaastu is really all about positive energy. What you change in your home and where you place things should remind you of why you did it. Amita says, “It is ultimately about how you live your life. We are all energy, and we should all create and infuse positive

pillows in Indian motifs make it a comfortable place for the

energy. What you put into your home is how you

children to sit and read during the day. The

feel about yourself. If you make your home an auspicious place, you will infuse that energy on

gauze curtains give a sense of privacy to the

others.”

area. There are no pools, large outdoor

Above: Painted a soothing light blue, the guest room is a perfect retreat. Right: White carved Indian mirrors and accent pillows in both traditional Indian and lively floral prints give an air of authenticity to the room. 52

would prevent the energy from coming into the house. The southwest area represents Earth— family, love and heat—and is the location of the leader of the household. Correspondingly, it holds Amita’s master bedroom, which is decorated with a wide pallet of earth tones. Bedrooms are an auspicious part of the home. A person sleeping should always have his head in the south because in Indian tradition, when a person dies, his head is put in the north, in the lap of God. The northwest portion of the home holds the tranquil guest bedroom, which is painted in sky blue hues to represent the air element. The airiness of the space is designed so that guests can come and go like the air. Accent pillows are chocolate brown with white

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

photos: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

spaces or doors in this area because they

Vaastu, which in Sanskrit means “dwelling place,” has evolved to mean the location and design of a structure. The word shastra means “teaching” or “science.” Originating in India, Vaastu is thought of as a sacred science that helps the inhabitants of a structure live a stressfree life in balanced harmony with nature. Great Indian structures such as the Taj Mahal were built using the principles of Vaastu Shastra. Vaastu Shastra is based on directional alignments that incorporate two intertwined concepts. The first, Vaastu Mandala, or human form, represents the surface of the earth and allows the heavenly bodies to be incorporated into the home. The second is the concept of the five elements. Vaastu Shastra combines all the five elements of nature and balances them with the person and the material. These elements are: Earth. The earth creates a magnetic

field and gravitational force. The north and south poles affect everything on our planet. Water. Our bodies are mostly water,

along with the plants and animals on the earth. Water takes the form of ice, steam and the rain flowing into our rivers, ponds and seas. Air. Air is the life-supporting element

and the source of life. Human comfort is in direct relation to the humidity, airflow, temperature and air content. Fire. Fire represents light and heat,

which relate to energy and vigor. Space. Space provides shelter to all

of the elements and conducts the energy sources within the universe. These sources include physical energies, such as light and sound, and psychological and emotional energies, such as intellect and intuition. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Turning the boys of fall into the

men of tomorrow The northshore’s high school football coaches by Michael Gegenheimer

stadium blind out everything but the field. For the 22 young men on the field, the constant roar of the crowd sounds like a dull hum as exhaustion begins to sink in. However, there’s no time to think about that because

Above: St. Paul’s head coach Ken Sears gives the Wolves a prepractice talk. Right: Mandeville’s head coach Guy Lecompte shows proper technique to his punter. 54

only one thing matters. The ball snaps, and a massive collision of man and shoulder pads creates a path of destruction that leaves some mere spectators. As the quarterback drops back, an adrenaline rush courses through his body, and he knows he must either quickly accomplish his task—or face the inevitable. At this point, the players hear nothing, see nothing and feel nothing except what lies in front of them. Football has been described as the closest thing to war without people actually dying. The players who walk onto the field on Friday night walk in boys, but, win or lose, they will walk out men. This is the story of the coaches behind that change and what it takes to turn these boys of fall into the men of tomorrow. “God put me on this Earth for one thing, and that’s to work with young men,” says Guy Lecompte, head coach of Mandeville High. “Seeing your players succeed in whatever it is they are trying to

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accomplish, whether it be on the field, in the classroom or in life, that’s the most rewarding part of being a coach.” Seven of the northshore’s largest high schools belong to District 7 in the 5A classification. District 75A is no stranger to success. Five of the then eight

photos: MICHAEL GEGENHEIMER

IT’S FRIDAY NIGHT, and the glaring lights of the

teams (Hammond recently dropped from 5A) in the district made the playoffs last year. Saint Paul’s made it all the way to the quarterfinals after earning a third overall state ranking with an undefeated regular season, including the district title for the fifth time in the last six years (Mandeville won in ’08). Saint Paul’s head coach Kenny Sears attributes their success to a tremendous dedication to hard work. “It’s not so much putting in the time, but making the time count in terms of preparation during the off season, summer workouts and practices. You want to make it good quality efficient hard work.” Sears goes on to say, “We try to empower our seniors in particular, and other leaders on our team, because ultimately it’s their team. My job is just to hold them accountable.” Artie Liuzza, head coach of Slidell High, has a much more practical approach to coaching. “If we can get the most out of every player we have, then we are successful. How does that translate into wins and losses? I don’t know. But in high school we can only take what comes in the door, and we can only do the best with what we have.” Coach Liuzza recalls that some of his best memories at Slidell are of the times when a kid walked in as a freshman and could barely play but earned a starting spot as a senior through hard work and team leadership.

“We’re student athletes, and student comes first.” Many coaches, however, remember not only the kids that were able to make it on the field, but also those who were able to achieve success off the field. And, as all these men will admit, success off the field starts in the classroom. “Football will eventually be over for all of us,” says Mike Mataerne, head coach at Fontainebleau High. “The kids >>

have to have the grades to be successful outside of football.” In his short two years as head coach, Mataerne has instituted a program for his players that requires them to turn in weekly progress reports for their classes. If they are struggling in a class, they have to attend tutoring sessions before going to practice. Northshore High’s athletic tutoring program was also initiated by their current head coach—Mike Bourg. Many people are familiar with former Northshore standout left tackle, Chris Faulk. What they might not know is that Faulk almost didn’t make it out of high school because of bad grades. When Bourg saw that Faulk was in danger of having his athletic talents go to waste, he took it upon himself to see that Chris got his high school diploma. Coach Bourg approached Northshore High English teacher Mary Wahden to tutor Faulk. Wahden accepted the challenge and worked with Faulk until he graduated. He will be starting left tackle this year for LSU. After seeing how much the tutoring helped Faulk, many other players approached Bourg asking for help. He then started a mandatory tutoring session once a week for all of his players, even those not struggling, to work with a group of five or six teachers. The program has since spread to include all athletic programs in the school, not just the football team, thanks to the work put in by Bourg and Wahden.

More Than Just Coaches

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I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Anyone who speaks to these coaches for longer than two minutes realizes that they are much more than “just football coaches.” They try to be father figures and role models for kids within the environment of a football team. As in the case of Northshore’s

Coach Bourg, some coaches take the “father figure” role quite seriously. Over the past four years of his tenure, Coach Bourg has always developed a strong relationship with his players. Many of them return to visit him and his children, who have been active in the program as ball boys and girls. A few years ago, when he saw one of his players struggling with home life and having nowhere else to go, Coach Bourg and his family invited the young man to live with them. When asked about what it really means to be a man, Covington High’s Coach Malter Scobel says, “Being a man is not driving around in a Lexus or having a million-dollar house. Being a man is knowing that your family can count on you when times are hard. You have to represent your family in the right way at all times and make sure you aren’t doing anything that can bring harm or shame to them. When the games are on the line and times are crucial, guys who are not accountable are gonna make bad plays, which are going to hurt the team, which, in turn, is going to hurt their teammates— and your teammates are your family.”

But Winning Still Counts… Ironically, probably the most successful coach on

Coincidentally, Tierney’s lone championship came at the hands of District 7’s last championship appearance. In 1987, Tierney faced off against Covington’s legendary Jack Salter, and, despite Salter’s experience (two-time runner up and a state title in ’76), Tierney went back to the West Bank with the trophy in a 14-6 victory over the Lions.

the field is also the newest head coach to District 7. Ponchatoula’s first-year head coach, Hank Tierney, is

northshore coaches. Covington’s Scobel played tight

most known for his long-time tenure at Archbishop

end for Tierney at Shaw and coached with him at

Shaw High School, where he won the ’87 state title in Class 4A and was a three-time runner up in ’88, ’97

Shaw and West Jefferson. Mandeville’s Lecompte also

and ’00. He also ranks fourth in all-time wins in the New Orleans metro area, with 221 victories, and is within close grasp of being in the top 25 for the state.

Cross, Saint Paul’s Sears played against Tierney’s Shaw teams. Fontainebleau’s Mataerne coached against Tierney while Mataerne was an assistant at Brother >>

Tierney has many other connections to

played for Tierney at Shaw. While playing at Holy

Above: St. Paul’s offensive line coach Joe Dickens runs his photos: MICHAEL GEGENHEIMER

players through drills. Left: Malter Scobel, Covington head coach, watches over his players. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

St. Paul’s coach works on receiving drills.

Martin, and Slidell’s Liuzza coached

brothers that gives up sweat, blood and

against Tierney while Liuzza was still an

body all for the same cause. According

assistant at Slidell. Coach Tierney takes over a solid

to Coach Sears, the everyday struggle is

team for which he was the offensive coordinator for the past three years. The Green Wave is not all that unfamiliar with the championship stage. Ponchatoula won a state title over Bastrop in 1940 at the 1A level (there were only 1A and 2A then) and returned to the finals in 1951, but lost to Ruston. Since then, Covington, under Salter, and Slidell, under Wayne Grubbs in ’86, are the only District 7 teams to reach the state finals.

“We represent Saint Paul’s, and when you wear that blue and gold, you’re more than just a Saint Paul’s football player; you represent everyone who has ever been a part of the Saint Paul’s community and, more importantly, you represent all of our values,” he says. It’s the same way with the other programs in the district, whether the navy and gold of the Covington Lions, the blue and white of a Mandeville Skipper or the green and white of the Slidell Tigers. Each school holds dear its traditions and its history, and each week those traditions and that history are defended under the lights on Friday night. When you walk into the offices of

The members of each team form a bond with one another—a fraternity of 58

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

photo: MICHAEL GEGENHEIMER

The Name on the Front of the Jersey…

what brings his players closer together.

coaches around the district, pictures of past players hang around the room. In Coach Liuzza’s office, the “Slidell Wall of Fame” plays host to pictures of players who were able to make it to the next level, successfully playing college ball, or even further. In the Mandeville coaches’ office, game day pictures of past district battles hang to honor those who fought for the Skippers. The faces of the district have changed over the years with the inception of Fontainebleau in the summer of 1994, Saint Paul’s moving to 5A in 2001 and the recent drop of Hammond from the 5A rankings. But through all that time, the people of the northshore have come together on Friday nights to cheer on their teams. And whether it be at Jack Salter, Hunter, the Dawg Pound, the Swamp, Sidney Theriot, McGinty or Panther stadium, after the last seconds tick off the clock, the boys that walked onto the field are forever changed, thanks to the men who led them through the battle.

2011 Rivalry Games Sept. 23 St. Paul’s vs. Covington High at Jack Salter Stadium Sept. 30 Mandeville High vs. St. Paul’s at Hunter Stadium Oct. 28 Fontainebleau High vs. Mandeville High at Sidney Theriot Stadium Nov. 4

Hammond High vs. Ponchatoula High at The Swamp

Nov. 4

Northshore High vs. Slidell High at McGinty Stadium SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

A Cruise Down Memory Lane for Maddie’s 80th birthday by Karen B. Gibbs

EIGHTY YEARS YOUNG, Maddie Norman planned a party that was unabashedly unconventional, exceptionally educational and, well, unique. What this octogenarian mother of four and grandmother of 10 did, literally, was take her family on a trip down memory lane—really, a cruise on memory’s bayous. That’s right. For Maddie’s 80th birthday, she, along with 18 family members and other guests, boarded three boats and floated down Bayou Liberty, visiting the houses of her maternal ancestors, the Cousins (that’s pronounced COO-

zan). As they traveled from house to house, Maddie related the history of her family in St. Tammany Parish, a story she’d spent nearly 10 years discovering. Maddie’s interest in her family’s genealogy began long ago with her daughter Michelle’s high school assignment to write about her family tree. When Michelle questioned her mother about details of her family, Maddie was stumped. “I realized I didn’t know anything.” Intermittently, over the next 10 years, Maddie searched libraries and >>

Top: Some of Maddie’s family boarding the boats. Above: The Cousin/Tabary family on the front porch of the family house on Neslo Road in Bonfuca, now Slidell. Left: The birthday girl herself, Maddie Norman.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

courthouse records to uncover her family’s story. She even traveled to France to decipher her family’s historical documents firsthand. However, although she understands French fairly well, the records she accessed were written hundreds of years ago in a language that is very different from today’s vernacular. At that point, Maddie realized she’d researched enough. “I quit cold turkey. There’s no end to it. It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle. You’re always looking for the next piece.” Even though Maddie is no longer researching the family tree, she nevertheless enjoys reading

Above: Maddie’s grandchildren in front of the Terence Cousin family tomb in Dubuisson Cemetery. Right: The Tabary children at the turn of the century, possibly going to school. Below: Another François Cousin plantation home today on Main Street in Lacombe, now undergoing extensive renovation.

about local history, especially Judge Frederick Ellis’ book, St. Tammany Parish: L’autre Côté du Lac. “I enjoyed it immensely,” Maddie says. While reading Ellis’ many references to the Cousin family, Maddie admits that she “began to see them as people. I never thought about that before. They were real people. They were running the Union blockade across Lake Ponchartrain for the Confederacy and had their schooners confiscated. At the time, New Orleans was held by the Yankees.” 62

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Her mother’s paternal greatgrandfather, Terence Cousin, (tayRAHNS, says Maddie with proper French inflection), was held in house arrest by the Yankees at his home, “Tranquility,” on Bayou Liberty. She adds, “When the soldiers came to question his brother, Anatole, (Maddie’s mother’s maternal great-grandfather) whose home was located on nearby Bayou Paquet, a servant went to the door and told them that the entire family had smallpox, so they left them alone.” Maddie has firsthand knowledge of the Cousin residence on Bayou Liberty where her mother grew up. “I have happy memories of that place. We spent our summers there. I remember we had watermelon at eleven o’clock every day. After eating the watermelon, we would scrape the pieces down to the rind and try to float them in the ditch.” Laughing, Maddie continues, “They had the biggest grasshoppers there. We used to catch them and put a string on their back legs and attach the string to a matchbox bottom. Then we’d watch the grasshoppers pull the matchbox. We thought that was so much fun.” So how did a genealogical search morph into a birthday cruise down memory lane? Maddie’s daughter Suzanne Reese explains, “I was in town from Memphis (for All Saints’ Day) to help my mom and her sister with the cleaning of the family headstones and tombs. What I got was a huge family history lesson! I had heard about the area called Bonfouca back then (now >> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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Slidell)—but to hear about it with the genealogy my mother knew so well was intriguing.” That same day, Maddie told Suzanne that she’d like to celebrate her 80th birthday by taking a boat ride on the bayou to see the family’s ancestral homes. “I told her that would be awesome, and that she could tell all her children and grandchildren the same stories she told me,” adds Suzanne. Maddie agreed, and they both decided they’d start looking for a boat when the weather got warmer. In April, the mother-daughter duo visited five area marinas searching for a boat. “With all the boats and marinas nearby, you think it would be a piece of cake to get a boat, but it wasn’t,” Maddie explains. “No one would rent us a boat in Mandeville, Slidell or Lacombe. We didn’t know what to do.” Suzanne recalls thinking, “Well, if we can’t get the boat, why can’t we at least try to see if we could see the houses? That’s when I picked up my phone and called Charlotte Collins, daughter of the owner of the François Cousin house, an old historic property in Slidell. I tried my best, nervously, to explain who I was and why I was calling. Charlotte was as interested in us as we were in her!” What a huge blessing Charlotte turned out to be! Through her postKatrina efforts to save the house, she became curious about the early settlers of the bayou. She even compiled a book of art depicting various sites in the area. (Entitled Rooted in Liberté,

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Left: At the end of their trip, Maddie and her family stopped to get a snowball in Old Town Slidell.

she hopes to have it published next year.) “My father, my husband and I could relate to Maddie’s memories of this amazing landscape, so unspoiled since her childhood,” Charlotte explains. “Our family decided we wanted her wish to come true.” “She was a gem,” exclaims Suzanne. “She was exactly the one I needed to talk with.” Not only did Charlotte’s family have two boats on site, she had also given guided tours before. She was very familiar with the bayous and the properties. Charlotte invited Maddie and Suzanne to visit her before the party. Maddie says, “Charlotte showed us some old bricks from the Cousin family brick business of long ago. I learned how important the family was to the development of St. Tammany Parish. Charlotte’s father, William, remembered my Uncle Gus, who died in 1969. Uncle Gus worked at a bank in Slidell. They did business together.” This visit sealed the deal for Maddie’s celebration. With Charlotte providing the boats and the navigation, and Maddie serving as tour guide, her dream became a reality. On July 9, the day after her official birthday, Maddie and her family met Charlotte at the François Cousin house and traveled by boat down Bayou Liberty to “Tranquility,” the home of Maddie’s great-grandfather. “The Terence Cousin house is something I always wanted to see from the bayou,” says Maddie. “It was on my bucket list.” The family stopped to take pictures. Then, they went down the bayou to the bridge at Highway >>

From top: Maddie on her fifth birthday; Maddie’s mother and her two uncles as children; Cousin family members. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Maddie with Bill Lowry, the current owner of the François Cousin house where Maddie held her 80th birthday party.

90 and the Tammany Trace, to what once was Maddie’s grandmother’s land, where Maddie spent many a summer. As the family passed the property, Maddie shared stories of her summers there. After the cruise, the celebrants returned to the François Cousin house and enjoyed a catered lunch. Coincidentally, the caterer they chose was Charlotte’s nephew, Christopher Case, who grew up in the François Cousin house. Relaxed and refreshed, the birthday entourage traveled by car to Dubuisson Cemetery, where the idea for the event was born. From there, the family drove to Anatole Cousin’s house on Bayou Paquet, where the servant fooled the Yankee soldiers by telling them the family had smallpox, for more photo ops and a walk to the bayou. Festivities concluded the next day with Mass at Sacred Heart Church in Lacombe. Another François Cousin 66

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

house is situated across the street from the church. While Maddie and her guests were not able to go inside the house, they did get to see it from the outside and take photos. It’s a safe bet that Maddie Norman and her family had sweet dreams that night—dreams of long-ago kin, gallerywrapped Creole houses and grasshoppers pulling matchboxes on a lazy bayou shore.

Maddie’s daughter, Suzanne, first told Inside Northside about her mother’s 80th birthday plans. She shares the following: “Mom is selfless and unconditionally loving. She’s very smart. In 1972, she earned her master’s degree in fine arts.After our dad died in 1990, we saw our mom do things she never did before. She became very independent and traveled quite a bit, visiting her children and grandchildren outof-state and even going to Europe. She’s especially happy when she’s with her 10 grandchildren. She’s taken each one of them, when they reached 10 years of age, on individual weekend trips to a destination of their choice in the United States. More recently, each year at Christmas, she has taken the five or six oldest grandchildren to cities such as Paris and Rome for a week.The next invitation is to London.

It’s Your Choice, Choose Us

I hope by writing about my mom’s birthday celebration, Inside Northside will encourage others to research their PHYSICAL

genealogy. People live all over the world now,

THERAPY

and stories of families get lost. In my mom, we had the perfect person to acquire this information from, and that is what we did for her 80th birthday. Just as she wanted.”

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Building a The Jahncke Shipyard place in history

Joiners preparing a ship frame; SS Abbeville and SS Bayou Teche in background. 68

back in time to 1917, they’d be astounded to find not homes along the waterfront, but the skeletons of five enormous ships towering over the surrounding structures. They would have been standing on the property of the Jahncke Shipyard, which encompassed much of Madisonville’s current footprint near where the baseball fields and Maritime Museum are today. The shipyard employed some 2,200 workers to construct six wooden ships in fulfillment of a contract with the U.S. Navy, an effort that constitutes the largest industrial effort in the northshore’s history. Though World War I ended before all of the ships were finished, the shipyard changed the face of Madisonville forever. Fritz Jahncke emigrated from Hamburg, Germany, to New Orleans in 1870 at the age of 19 to work as a mason. Fritz was enterprising, eventually starting his

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own company and building a reputation. Jahncke Service Incorporated began paving the mud sidewalks of Uptown New Orleans, which in the late 1870s was considered revolutionary. In another farsighted move, Fritz rented a steamdriven hydraulic suction dredge to gather sand and shells from the Tchefuncte and other area rivers for use in concrete throughout New Orleans. He was the first to use such a dredge in this way; previously, workers dug up the materials with shovels. With this advancement, Fritz dramatically increased the efficiency and speed of construction in New Orleans. He’s credited as the first person to install paved sidewalks and streets in the city. Jahncke Service continued to grow, with Fritz expanding into the shipbuilding business to build the boats he needed and to service his fleet. In 1900, he purchased one-half interest in the existing Baham Shipyard in Madisonville on the Tchefuncte, and

photos: COURTESY OF WALTER F. JAHNCKE COLLECTION

by Megan Hill IF PRESENT-DAY MADISONVILLE residents traveled

bought the remaining interest in 1905. Madisonville was the perfect location for Fritz’s growing business. “Because of the river, it was just the spot,” says Rusty Burns, a local history enthusiast with an interest in the Jahncke Shipyard. The river gave Fritz access to the raw materials he needed, while allowing him easy access to the lake and to New Orleans. Fritz continued expanding business on both sides of the lake, acquiring yards, warehouses, docks, storage facilities and equipment. He’s largely credited with the development of the New Basin Canal, which he used to transport raw materials from the northshore. In fact, once he started using it, Jahncke was the canal’s largest user. Later, he helped build the Port of New Orleans. When Fritz died in 1911, he passed his company on to his sons, Ernest Lee, Paul F. and Walter F. Jahncke, and the shipyard soon had another purpose. In 1917, the U.S. Navy awarded Jahncke Service a contract to build six wooden-hull ships. Though Fritz died before the United States entered World War I,

down with his sons and say, ‘This is on the horizon.’” “But he was well into the acquisitions in 1909,” says Rusty. “A lot of the land was already purchased.” The family isn’t sure whether to give credit for the contract to Fritz or Ernest—or both. Ernest became assistant secretary of the Navy under Herbert Hoover after the war. “He had to have

there’s some speculation that he and his son, Ernest,

had all these contacts in Washington and the Navy to

might have foreseen the conflict and purchased land

have done that,” says Davis Jahncke, principal of Jahncke & Burns Architects and a great-grandson of

and equipment for that purpose. “Fritz Jahncke fought in the Franco-Prussian war

Fritz. Davis says this position may be proof he had

for Prussia, so he was familiar with the political environment of Europe when he emigrated,” says Steve Jahncke, who worked as a salesman at Jahncke Services and is a great-grandson of Fritz. “I know he went back to Germany in 1909, and it’s entirely possible that he picked up on the vibes of what was going on then. He could have been astute enough to put two and two together and to come back and sit

Madisonville’s Bicentennial On Sept. 24, Madisonville will honor its history with a Bicentennial Celebration. The festivities include an appearance by President Madison and his wife, Dolly; an architectural lecture by Sally Reeves; storytelling by the Silk Lady; a home tour; a Civil War exhibit; and a slideshow about the Jahncke Shipyard. The

Above: A ceremonial landmark for production—laying a keel. Left: The SS Bayou

celebration will close with music and food at

Teche with pontoon

the ballpark.

lifting her stern to

For

information,

contact

assure passage over

Madisonville City Hall at 845-7311 or visit

the shallows of the

townofmadisonville.org.

Tchefuncte River and the Mississippi Sound. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Clockwise from right: Launching of SS Pontchartrain, April 6, 1919; SS Bayou Teche in water completion; installing floor timbers, looking aft.

the political connections necessary to get the war contract. As is often the case with family histories, Davis and Steve have varying memories of family lore. Word of mouth has changed the stories slightly over the generations, and many details have died along with the people who knew them. Perhaps the best

would have weighed around 3,000 tons upon completion. The building effort must have been frenzied. The workers constructed the ships and the ways to launch them simultaneously because time was short. There were no housing facilities in the area, so Jahncke Service also had to construct

documentation of the shipyard during the war is the hundreds of photographs made from glass plate negatives collected by the family. The photographs show construction of five cargo

boarding houses for the workers. “It was such a major effort to capitalize that whole yard, to do what they did. They had to capitalize this whole town, this whole region,” Rusty says. “The building of sawmills—and think of all the transportation needed, vessels and tugboats and pushboats and on and on and on. And housing. There was a real shortage of housing in Madisonville [at that time]. It had to be a tremendous effort.” Though Madisonville was already a town at this point, it grew with the shipyard. A bank, houses, ballparks, social pavilions and other businesses 70

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photos: COURTESY OF WALTER F. JAHNCKE COLLECTION

steamships, each of which was 300 feet long and

sprang up around the shipyard. Jahncke Service also dug the cove where present-day Marina del Ray sits in order to accommodate the launching of the ships. In addition, a massive effort to mill old-growth cypress and oak from the surrounding area changed the complexion of the forests. The SS Bayou Teche was launched in March 1918, and the SS Balabac on Sept. 29, 1918. The finished boats were floated on large pontoons to ferry them across the shallow areas at the mouth of the Tchefuncte, across Lake Pontchartrain and through the Rigolets to the Mississippi Sound. The war’s hostilities ended Nov. 11, 1918, less than two years after the United States entered. The Jahncke Shipyard had completed and delivered only two of the six ships in the contract. The exact history of the ships during the war is unclear. On June 28, 1919, the United States and its allies signed the Treaty of Versailles with Germany,

except for minor details, and were launched later, the SS Abbeville on Jan. 19, 1919, and the SS Pontchartrain on April 6, 1919. Photographs show a fifth, unnamed ship under construction at the same time as the others, though it was never completed. Rusty says it was ferried to the east side of the river and burned, and its hull is still visible today when the water is low. The skeletal remains of the massive ship stick out of the water just south of Marina del Ray. Operations at the shipyard and in Madisonville didn’t completely end with the war, but the pace slowed significantly as Jahncke Service returned to normal operations. “Jahncke had a significant volume of work during World War I,” says Sally Reeves, a New Orleans historian >>

BREVILLE • LE CREUSET

Two other ships were completed,

GAIL PITTMAN • YETI

formally ending the state of war.

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By local artist Gretchen Armbruster Oil painting workshops. Call for a schedule. Art instruction for beginners and advanced artists. All materials are included.

985.624-5604 www.armbrusterartworks.com SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

construction. Throughout its history, the company supplied concrete or other building materials for many well-known structures in New Orleans, including the Elysian Fields overpass, the Canal Building, Charity Hospital, Jackson Brewery, the Falstaff Brewery and the Sears Roebuck Building. The entire company, including its various entities, eventually dissolved. “By the late 1960s, the family got to fighting among

Triple-island Ferris-design hull.

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currently undertaking a survey of Madisonville’s historic homes and buildings. “When the war ended, many people were out of work. Before that, they were the largest employer in town. It turned out to be sort of a bubble.” Jahncke Service continued running the shipyard and supplying concrete for

took hold,” Steve says. The company was sold and the shipyard in Madisonville came under new ownership. It was finally closed around 1970. Today, the only remnants of the shipyard are a handful of unassuming concrete foundations in the green space between Main and Pine streets, near Bordeaux Street. The foundations once held winches to hold the ships and steam

photos: COURTESY OF WALTER F. JAHNCKE COLLECTION

themselves and classic corporate greed

engines to power the shops. Rusty and Davis agree that the venture wasn’t very successful. “They really expected the yard to do a lot more than it did. It just didn’t prove to be as productive as they wanted it to be, and I would say the reason for that is because the war ended so quickly,” Rusty says.

impact on Madisonville. “It had marvelous influence, but on the other hand, it was shortlived,” Sally says. She points out that the presence of the shipyard meant no homes could be built in that area until it was torn down. To this day, there’s a disconnect, she says, between the north and south parts of Madisonville as

“For what it took to build the entire

divided by Highway 22. On the south side are

infrastructure, it could have gone on for 20 or

mostly new homes that could not be built until

more boats,” Davis says. “So it couldn’t have been

the yard closed, whereas the north side is full of

financially successful.”

older homes.

Fritz Jahncke, had he lived to see the effort. His company’s motto read: We Shall Build Good Ships Here At A Profit If We Can At A Loss if We Must But Always Good Ships The Jahncke Shipyard might not have made the company rich, but it had a significant

Apart from the visible impact of the shipyard, its presence built up the town in a surge of activity that set a foundation for the future. “It was a boom of prosperity that got Madisonville out of the doldrums it had been in since the Civil War,” Sally says. “It was so productive for the economics of St. Tammany and Madisonville,” says Rusty. “It revolutionized Madisonville.” Without the shipyard, Madisonville might look very different today.

Coquille Cottage

The Shoppes at

“Madisonville Lighthouse” by Judy Merrell

But perhaps that wouldn’t have disappointed

Best new shop on the northshore! Antiques, art and one-of-a-kind finds.

504 Water St., Madisonville | 206-9226 SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Artistic Spaces Make Healing Places

The Women’s Pavilion of St. Tammany Parish Hospital

The recent launch of The Women’s Pavilion of St. Tammany Parish Hospital marks the latest milestone in the hospital’s commitment to providing excellent healthcare to every woman of every age—no matter what her healthcare need. Located in Holiday Square at I-12 and Highway 190 in Covington, the 9,500-square-foot Women’s Pavilion melds the latest in diagnostic and screening technology with compassionate care in a healing arts setting

experienced staff has increased diagnostic

designed to maximize patients’ emotional well-being.

capabilities that include more room for breast

The treatment and services offered by the

Rachel Chappetta, Terri Riecke and Lynell Duplechain. 74

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ultrasounds and the latest in MRI technology dedicated to breast procedures. Some of the care provided at the pavilion includes

Women’s Pavilion

digital screening and diagnostic mammograms, bone-

expand on care

density scans, pelvic and breast ultrasounds and

originally provided

biopsies. The facility also houses expanded space for

in Mandeville at the

massage and other treatments for post-mastectomy

hospital’s Breast

lymphedema, nutrition services, a nurturing setting for

Center. In the new

support groups and a medical reference library.

location, the

“The hospital is focused on excellence in health in

influences help us accomplish that,” says Pam Ballard, Women’s Pavilion manager. The pavilion continues the legacy of exemplary care begun at the Breast Center, a legacy that includes an expert radiology team specializing in breast health, patient consultation with radiologists during all diagnostic procedures and bilateral, full-breast ultrasounds when radiologists spot suspicious tissue in one breast. Daniel Rupley, MD; Sharon Toups, Sr. VP/COO; and William Wells, MD.

While most centers examine

a global sense, and the pavilion enhances our ability to

only a target area of tissue during diagnostic

provide that level of care specifically to women,” says

procedures, STPH specialists utilize a bilateral, full-

Sharon Toups, STPH chief operating officer.

breast ultrasound in such cases as an additional check

Breast screenings and other tests and treatments are

for possible tissue changes in the patient’s other breast.

delivered in a relaxing setting infused with soothing artistic

“We take the opportunity to examine both breasts, not

features to promote a feeling of calm among patients and

just the targeted area,” says STPH breast radiologist Dr.

staff alike. Decorative elements—from carefully selected

Daniel Rupley. “That is part of our commitment to

paintings and sculptures to calming fire and water

treating the whole patient, not just a focused area of

features—reflect the Healing Arts Initiative of the St.

tissue.”

Tammany Hospital Foundation, which promotes the power of art in the healing process.

Patients who are diagnosed with breast cancer will have access to the best in comprehensive cancer

“We treat patients not just medically, but also by responding to their emotional needs, and the healing arts

treatment close to home through the Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center at St. Tammany Parish Hospital. The integrated cancer program of STPH and Mary Bird Perkins has been accredited since 2003 by the American College of Surgeons in recognition of the quality of its care and services. The program includes integrated support and treatment, education, outreach and rehabilitation. “Our strategy of deepening that partnership reflects our focus on women’s health at all stages of their lives,” Toups says. “Like the Women’s Pavilion, it is another way we are serving every woman across her life span.” The Women’s Pavilion of St. Tammany Parish Hospital is located at 301 N. Hwy. 190, Suite C-2, Covington, LA 70433. For more information, please call (985) 773-1500.

The Women’s Pavilion is being outfitted with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

by Webb Williams I GREW UP WATCHING MONSTER MOVIES during the ’50s and ’60s at my Dad’s show, the Pitt, and, like most kids, I loved getting scared. King Kong, The Wolfman, Frankenstein and others did the trick. Even the drive-in flicks like Plan 9 from Outer Space had their moments, although the production values were as laughable as the bad acting. When I learned that family was coming to visit from Houston with some of my favorite nephews and nieces, my wife, Cathy, and I talked about activities that would be fun for the kids, like maybe a swamp tour. That would be something different for city kids. I had this on my mind when early one evening I 76

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was shopping alone in Slidell. I got off the beaten path and got the worst haircut of my life at a barbershop that looked like a good old-timey shop, but the barber turned out to be a butcher. Oh well, I thought. It’ll grow back eventually. I started to return home to Mandeville when I noticed a crude sign directing: “Swamp Monster Tours—5 miles.” It was getting dark, but I figured I’d pick up some brochures and see what the deal was to check it out for the kids. The road turned into a gravel road with those ridiculously deep ditches on either side that our parish seems to love to dig. The gravel road narrowed to a long dirt road and then became a winding red clay road that looked like it was under construction. I was about four miles into my quest when a deer suddenly ran in front of my car. I swerved to avoid it, and, you guessed it, I got my front wheel stuck in the doggone ditch.

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

My encounter with the Honey Island swamp monster

It was pretty chilly and dark by that time, and I reached into my jeans for my cell phone. Not there. Great. Oh well. The swamp tour place was only about a mile further, so I walked along the road with the faint glimmer of the moon lighting my way. It looked like a thinly cut, blue-gray thumbnail. The hootie owls were calling back and forth along the road, and I wondered if the swamp tour people were still there—and if I could use their phone. Off to the right, I sensed something before I saw or heard it. A chill came over me as I spotted a small campfire in the distance. I walked toward it, hearing the burning twigs crackling in the fire, but there was no one there. I heard something snap behind me, spun around, lost my balance and stumbled over a cypress knee. I fell backwards, seemingly in slow motion, and felt the back of my head thump hard on the base of a huge, ancient cypress tree. I was out cold for who knows how long. I awakened slowly and felt the back of my head. It was sore, but it had been mysteriously treated with a soft pad of moss that seemed to be infused with some sort of medicinal-smelling herbs. I regained my focus on my surroundings and was startled by the deep, resonant voice of someone behind me. “You’re okay. I fixed your head. Here, drink this.” My eyes settled on a man-like creature over 7 feet in height with gray-black long hair everywhere except his face, which was dark and weathered. His eyes were pinkish red and piercing, and seemed to look into my soul. He was fierce looking and larger than any humanoid creature I’d ever seen. But there was a kindness and gentleness in him as he handed me a cup of water. “Go ’head—drink it.” As I drank the cool, refreshing water, he squatted down to stoke the >> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

He laughed a slow, deep laugh that almost seemed to echo and turned to look me square in the

chuckle, “Well, at least I ain’t bald no more.” After inquiring, I learned that in 1962, Dr. Morgus’ rather large

eye. He looked down and sighed.

assistant, Chopsley, had a twin brother

“I ain’t no monster.” He shook his

who was quite the ladies’ man, but was

head from side to side, flailing his long hair. “No way.” “How did you come to live here in the swamp?” I asked. The campfire’s glow revealed the creature’s brooding face as he told of his predicament. He downed his massive head into his hands and groaned. “Dr. Morgus. Morgus the Magnificent.” I exclaimed, “What? Morgus? I know him.” (Morgus the Magnificent is the legendary mad doctor

who hosted horror movies on TV from the ’50s to the late ’80s and beyond. Unfortunately, many of his onthe-air experiments went awry, some with terrible consequences.) “How do you know Morgus?” I asked. “Morgus made me like this.” He looked up, and the clouded light from the sliver of a moon shimmered on his weather-beaten face and all the long hair around it. He looked me in the eye and seemed to

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balding. Fast. Here before me beside this little fire in the Honey Island Swamp was that twin—the missing link to the mystery of the Honey Island Swamp. Turns out the bizarre swamp creature I’d just befriended, who’s been the subject of decades of monstrous speculation, was the result of yet another Morgusian scientific experiment gone wrong. Way wrong. This so-called “Swamp Monster” of legend was no more than a poor soul whose fate had run afoul of a follicle-enhancement

photo: COURTESY OF THE MOMUS ALEXANDER MORGUS INSTITUTE

fire, working quickly and with no wasted motion. He was anything but monstrous or terrifying in his demeanor, but still I realized that I had actually stumbled upon the habitat of the fearsome Honey Island Swamp Monster. And yet, he was more like a primitive doctor-friend of sorts, having tended my head wound. “You don’t … seem like a monster,” I said, clumsily.

experiment gone wild. “No hair, no girlfriends. Too much hair, no girlfriends, neither!” He raised his giant arms over his head, expressing his frustration. The gentle giant explained how it all came to pass. He told me that Dr. Morgus had taken him on as a patient because he felt bad about what had happened to his brother Chopsley. Morgus’ assistant, Chopsley, was a former medical school classmate and an early

pestered by the media, thus bringing scrutiny to Dr. Morgus’ rather questionable experiments. He placed his still-sedated twin in Morgus’ hearse and drove him across the lake to a desolate spot near the Honey Island

experiment subject in Morgus’ “face transplant” surgery. Unfortunately, Chopsley laughed before the procedure could heal, and this left him without a face. As a result, he wore a full-head mask at all times thereafter.

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Losing his face but not his faith in Dr. Morgus’ madcap capabilities, Chopsley persuaded his rapidly balding twin brother to trust the doctor in a radical new hair growth stimulation experiment. As fate would have it, this was again an experiment gone waaaaay wrong, with hair filling up Morgus’ upstairs laboratory. This situation was totally unacceptable to Morgus and Chopsley’s irritable landlady, Mrs. Fetish, who threatened immediate eviction. Chopsley had no choice. He had to take his hairy twin brother somewhere he wouldn’t be ridiculed or

Swamp. Dropping him off with a gallon can of pork and beans and a can opener, Chopsley bid a silent farewell to his twin, who, since the experiment, had grown 2 feet in height, 50 pounds in weight, and about 6 inches of hair >> all over his body. That was December 1962.

The Honey Island Swamp Monster was first reported in 1963 by a retired air traffic controller, Harlan Ford. Even though he was an avid amateur wildlife photographer, he never really got a clear photo of my hairy new acquaintance. However, a Super 8 film with a fuzzy distant image of the creature was found in Ford’s belongings after his death in 1980. Like Bigfoot sightings, photos and videos, nobody behind the camera seems to have been able to zoom in or get a sharp focus on such creatures, called “humanoid cryptids.” If only I’d remembered my cellphone, I could have gotten some perfect portraits of him with my camera function. Here we were, sitting and talking like old buds, and I had no way to prove that my first-hand experience wasn’t just another hoax. According to my hairy new friend, his nearly 50 years surviving in the swamp have been a great learning experience for him. He doesn’t really consider himself a monster—he’s just a follically challenged, big, lonely guy. With no other creatures like him, he longs for company, but of his own kind. He’s learned to detect and avoid humans from about a mile away. “They smell funny,” he says. “BANG! BANG! BANG!” Out of nowhere, our comraderie was violently interrupted by rifle shots cracking distantly in the swamp. He scooped me up like a ragdoll and ran like the wind away from the gunfire. They were probably hunters shooting illegally at this time of night, but that didn’t matter to me or my “monster” friend. It was like flying 5 feet off the ground as we sped to a clearing that turned out to be the road I came in on—and the doggone ditch I fell into with my car. “Get in,” the monster said, as he casually and effortlessly proceeded to lift the front end of my car out of the ditch and turn the entire vehicle around. “Go, GO!” he said, pointing back the way I came. He tapped my windshield and waved with a smile as I took off down that dark, lonely road. I headed home with the privilege of having met and befriended the most ellusive creature of our day—and he may have saved my life. I reached behind my head and realized the moss and herbal dressing that he used to heal my head wound had fallen away. But there was no pain, not even a trace of discomfort. The drive home seemed eternal as I set my cruise control to 70 along I-12. It was late. I finally arrived back home, and Cathy was still up, worried where I’d been. I told her what I could, but had to agree that before explanations, a shower was in order. I seem to have picked up swamp fragrances that might be deemed peculiar to most people. She also said I really needed to get a haircut. I stared in disbelief at myself in the mirror, and agreed. 80

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

experience improved academic success. There are myriad resources available for families and students to learn about the ins and outs of paying for college. Louisiana has one of the best tuition assistance programs in the nation, TOPS, or Taylor Opportunity Program for Students. These government, nonprofit and professional organizations are also designed to help: • Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance, osfa.la.gov • Louisiana Education Loan Authority, lela.org • 529 College Savings Plans, sec.gov/investor/pubs/intro529.htm • National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, nasfaa.org

Financing a College Education by Cindy Harlan

WITH AN ECONOMY IN FLUX and college costs at historic heights, students and families will undoubtedly exercise caution when making college decisions and will pay close attention to their financial wellbeing. In the process of applying to college, many students are faced with real-life financial concepts for the first time. A public university’s tab for tuition, housing, books and fees can run up to $20,000, and some private schools are as much as $55,000 a year. Families can save effectively if they start early, contribute regularly and invest wisely. Parents may contribute to a tax-advantaged 529 plan, grandparents may give savings bonds and teens may get a job to start building their nest egg. A student working at minimum wage for 10 hours a week can save about $7,000 within a few years. Additionally, national research indicates that students who work part-time learn to manage their time efficiently and

• • • • • • •

USAFunds, usafunds.org/Pages/default.aspx Sally Mae’s How to Pay for College, salliemae.com Money Skills for Real Life, gearup-moneyskills.org FinAid, finaid.org GoCollege, gocollege.com Scholarships.com, scholarships.com Meritaid.com, meritaid.com

When researching the best method for financing a college education, note that there are four types of aid: • Scholarships, including TOPS, are based on merit, or a student’s academic performance, and do not require repayment. • Grants are typically based on need and do not require repayment. • Loans may come from state, federal or private programs and DO require repayment. continued on page 138

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Annual

Moon Da t s e nce rv a H benefitting Covington Food Bank All Saints Ministries

Saturday, November 5, 2011 Castine Center - Pelican Park 7:00p.m. - 11:00p.m. $65 Per Person 893-3003 for Tickets Four Unplugged Buffet by New Orleans Caterers (Jeff Curtis) Open Bar - Martini Fountain Beer Donated by Champagne’s • Dessert by Zoe’s Fine Bakery Money Given Every Half Hour 7:00-10:00

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Pat Brister is poised to change countless lives for the better.

Book Report by Terri Schlichenmeyer

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Poised and prepared. A meticulous planner, Pat made it known two years ago that she was eager to lead St. Tammany Parish to new heights in parish planning, economic growth, and preserving the quality of life that is unique to the northshore. As Parish President, she will coordinate our legislative agenda to prioritize St. Tammany’s needs. She will work to ease traffic congestion, improve drainage conditions, and promote building better roads. She will fight for better funding for planned economic development. She will work to streamline spending, and create a summit of the parish’s mayors to better coordinate efforts between the incorporated and unincorporated parts of St. Tammany. Pat Brister is poised to change countless lives for the better.

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WHEN THE DOCTOR said you needed

Crow South, dropped out of school in

a booster shot, it made you wince. You’re all grown up and you know that a vaccine is nothing but a poke, a sting and lots of protection. No big deal. So why is there a little-kid part of you that wants to wail when the needle approaches your arm (or worse)? Few people ask for shots, but if you’ve ever been treated for hemophilia, leukemia, the flu, Parkinson’s disease, an STD, lactose intolerance, appendicitis or dozens of other illnesses, you owe big thanks to one woman who never volunteered to help you. Read more in The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot. Born in Roanoke, Virginia, in 1920, Henrietta Lacks grew up in the Jim

the sixth grade and had her first child by age 14. The boy’s father, a man who later became Henrietta’s husband, was her first cousin. Though she’d sometimes complain about and saw doctors for an abdominal “knot,” it wasn’t until after the birth of her fifth child that Henrietta was hospitalized for pain and bleeding. Prior to that, doctors’ notes indicated nothing amiss, but it was then that a cancerous tumor was found on the side of Henrietta’s cervix. In great pain, burned by radiation, and wasted by disease, Henrietta died in October 1951. But long before she died, someone took several thin slices of her

tumor as a matter of course, for use in the lab. What researchers discovered astounded them. Although “normal” cells die after a certain time, Henrietta’s cancer cells didn’t. Her cells, dubbed HeLa, actually grew and were durable beyond anything scientists knew. Within months after Henrietta’s death, her cells were growing around the world, used for research, and grown again. But the life and journeys of HeLa cells are only part of the story. Though science gained vast knowledge about the human body and disease thanks to Henrietta, the Lacks family was late in learning that her cells were alive and being used for experiment and profit. Details were withheld, explanations were often incomplete and misinformation was common. New laws were written because of Henrietta Lacks, and lawsuits were filed. And the family still fights for better recognition of her contributions to the world. Mixing science and medicine, African-American history, racial issues and a journalist’s enthusiasm, author Rebecca Skloot writes of extreme patience and doggedness in pursuit of the truth about a woman who was anonymous for way too long. Skloot is a fantastic storyteller, and her sympathy with the Lacks family surely gives this book a different feel. I very much enjoyed how she wove the family’s personal history with medical sleuthing, cultural touch points and the kind of persistence that makes a great book. If you’re looking for a story that will shock you, amaze you and perhaps anger you more than a little bit, pick this one up. For you, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is definitely worth a shot.

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JOSEPH REAGAN, CPA

PARTNER

RONALD A. GITZ II, CPA PARTNER

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14279 Highway 1085, Covington, LA 70433

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

JEANNIE EMORY—affectionately referred to as the “bra genie”—has dedicated her business to helping women look and feel their best through personalized service. Jeannie’s bra-fitting salon, Bra Genie, opened in Mandeville in 2008, but her experience in retail and the bra business began long before that. After earning her bachelor’s degree in merchandising from LSU in

INGood Company

1989, she worked as a buyer for Maison Blanche in Baton Rouge. Then, in 1999, she began working for Lunaire, a bra manufacturing company specializing in sizes C to DDD. In her position as the retail coordinator for Lunaire bras, Jeannie serviced the Louisiana Dillard’s department stores, training employees about the products and how to fit women for bras. It was through this experience that she saw firsthand the need for expert bra fitters—“I realized women were desperate for help.” This discovery motivated her to take the first step toward becoming the “bra genie.” In February 2005, Jeannie opened “Hooked on You”—a bra-fitting service in her home. She offered one-on-one bra-fitting sessions by appointment only to help each woman find the bra size and shape that would help her look her best. “My business really started with big-busted gals,” she says. “But then, women with A-cups and B-cups called and said, ‘We need help, too!’” As her business grew, Jeannie realized she needed

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

a little help, so she hired a bookkeeper and part-time freight person. She had gone from taking appointments a few days each week to seeing clients six days a week. The reason? “Great fit and fabulous products. I’m so proud of what I did because it was scary, risky and seemed a little weird to some.” Jeannie’s 2,000 grateful clients began to refer her as the “bra genie,” so when she opened a store in Mandeville in 2008, it seemed the most fitting name for the front of the building. Now, just three years later, over 16,000 women enjoy the services of Bra Genie’s staff. The store started as appointment only, but now walk-ins are welcome as well. The wait is usually about 20 or 30 minutes, a little longer on Saturdays. Clients come not only from the northshore but also from New Orleans, Baton Rouge and as far away as Mississippi because, as Jeannie says, “Nobody else does what we do!”

Jeannie Emory of Bra Genie

by Katie Montelepre

A Personal Fitting Experience Bra Genie is staffed by Jeannie and twelve other women who come from all walks of life—college, apparel design, banking, sales and personal shopper—and range in age from 19 years old to 50plus years young. “It’s like a family for us—we’re very supportive and care about each other like sisters,” Jeannie says. “It’s what I always envisioned.” Each woman in the “family” is a fitter, though some are at different levels. “Expert fitters” at Bra Genie have helped with over 100 fittings before receiving the title because fitting bras “is not as simple as selling men’s pants—you have to learn bra math and how each of the different styles we carry fits,” >> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

Jeannie explains. An expert fitter, sometimes with the help of a junior fitter, is assigned to each client. The fitting process, which lasts about 30 minutes, sometimes begins with a walk-through of the store’s inventory so the fitter can get a feel for the types of bras the woman is looking for. Next, in

sizes and shapes quickly because Bra Genie maintains an inventory of 7,000 bras. Band sizes range from 28 to 48, with cup sizes AA through K. “We’ve really got it all—it’s very, very rare that we don’t have what you need,” Jeannie says. “My motto is ‘You have to have it to sell it.’ If you can’t find it here, you’re

the prettily decorated fitting room, the

probably not going to find it.” She

fitter takes three different measurements.

travels to Las Vegas in the spring and to

Then it’s time for trial and error to

New York in the summer for three-day

discover the perfect fit.

markets, where she buys heavily—“I

room—which has enough room for a mom or a best friend, too—the fitters do the legwork, gathering styles and sizes to find the right bra. Because they do this all day, almost every day, it’s usually not long before the search is over. The fitter helps the client into the bras and evaluates the fit to make sure that the client leaves with perfect-fitting styles. They’re also able to find the right

take pride in having a lot of bras.” The results of a fitting often astonish women. Sometimes, “it’s like having a breast lift—with the right bra, the torso is elongated,” Jeannie says. When women with neck and back aches find an effective bra, their pain practically disappears. Bra Genie also offers camisoles, shape wear, panties and bra-sized swimwear. “We get women into swimsuits who haven’t

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

While the client stays in the fitting

worn one in 10 years!” she says. Jeannie likens the Bra Genie fitting experience that she and her staff provide to the modern brafitting stores in New York and to the services offered many years ago at the Krauss department store on Canal Street. She says, “It’s old school bra fitting, but with a real modern twist—the bras are not ugly. We try to provide the customer service they need.” This

fitted improperly; if so, they’ll exchange it at no cost. “I treat my customers fairly and with dignity,” Jeannie says. She also encourages them to treat their bras right. Each customer receives bra care recommendations and is told in no uncertain terms, “Don’t cook your bras!” In other words, don’t machine wash and definitely don’t machine dry even a cheap bra. Bra Genie offers hand washing products as well as a rinse-free product. For

year, Bra Genie was nominated by the International

those who insist on putting their bras in the machine,

Lingerie Rating company Intima for an Intima Best

zipper bags and washing balls are available. But always remember to let them air dry—do not “cook” your bras.

Shop Award in the Personal Touch category. In addition to the free personal fitting sessions,

Bra Genie also offers many accessories such as

Bra Genie offers a “wish list” service to each client.

silicone inserts, dimmers, invisibelts, perfume

The wish list keeps track of products a client likes and is especially helpful when a friend, husband or mother wants to buy the perfect gift. Gift cards and free gift wrapping are available. And for those who live outside the local area, free shipping is offered. Bra Genie’s liberal return policy is an additional benefit for the client—just bring it back, unworn, with the receipt within 30 days. If a bra is bothering a woman when she wears it, she can make an appointment within 30 days to determine if she was

brooches and clear and decorative straps for strapless bras. But the most-appreciated service that the “bra genie” and her staff offer is the rewarding personal bra-fitting session. “Women are thanking us every day,” Jeannie says. “It’s a happy place. I’m truly blessed to do what I do.” To book your bra fitting, call 951-8638. Bra Genie is located at 2281 Hwy. 190 in Mandeville. For more information or to read testimonials, visit thebragenie.com.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

The 2011-2012 Cultural Season

the Arts IN Culture Collision

Above: The Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood. Right: Fanfare’s Cocktails with Larry Miller.

On Sept. 7, the New Orleans Museum of Art will host the third Culture Collision from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., followed by an after-party in the Sculpture Garden. The evening of mingling, music, drinking and eating brings together cultural organizations from the southshore and northshore

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to encourage participation in the cultural arts scene. A wide variety of organizations, ranging from performing arts groups and theaters to museums and radio stations will have tables—many with special offers and giveaways. NOMA, 658-4100.

Culture Splash On Oct. 9, Culture Splash Northshore’s cultural arts expo on Lakeshore Drive in Mandeville will feature non-profit organizations that offer programming on the northshore (not just northshore organizations). The expo will take place in conjunction with the free 3:30 p.m. Sunset Symphony concert by the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. Alia Casborné, 624-3147 or cityofmandeville.com.

photo: COURTESY OF JPAS

FALL MARKS THE BEGINNING of the season for many cultural organizations, both on the northshore and the southshore. Take advantage of two special events, Culture Collision and Culture Splash, that are offering a fun way to kick things off—and use the information in this article to spot your favorites and mark your calendar early!

Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra will open its northshore season with Mahler’s Symphony No. 1 Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church in Covington. On Oct. 9, the LPO will perform at the Sunset Symphony in Mandeville. Other performances in the Covington series include Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No. 5 Oct. 28, A Baroque Christmas Dec. 16, an all-Mozart concert Jan. 13, Grieg’s Piano Concerto March 16, and Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto No. 3 May 11. The LPO’s Some Enchanted Evening concert in Slidell will be held in April. The LPO will also offer its Classics and Jefferson series on the southshore. For more information, call (504) 523-6530 or visit LPOmusic.com.

Jefferson Performing Arts Society The Jefferson Performing Arts Society’s northshore season begins with three presentations of Fiddler on the Roof: Nov. 18 at Saint Joseph Abbey in Covington; Nov. 20 at Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell; and Dec. 2 at the Columbia Theatre in Hammond. A special fundraiser for JPAS featuring local all-star talent will be A Night of Opera and Broadway! Nov. 13 at the Northshore Harbor Center in Slidell. Throughout the season, additional productions will be held at several northshore venues, including performances for younger audiences beginning Sept. 30 with Petite Rouge: A Cajun Red Riding Hood at Saint Joseph Abbey. For detailed season information, call (504) 885-2000 or visit jpas.org.

New Orleans Opera For one night only, the New Orleans Opera will present Puccini’s Turandot. Puccini’s final masterpiece, the legendary fable of the bloodthirsty Princess Turandot, will be featured in a special semi-staged gala performance Oct. 15 at the >>

photo: COLETTE BLONIGAN

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Morial Convention Center in New Orleans. Other performances include Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera (A Masked Ball) Nov. 18 and 20, Strauss’ Salome March 2 and 4, and a special doublebill of Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci and Orff’s

Carmina Burana April 27 and 29. Now in its fifth season, Opera on Tap has performances in New Orleans, but you can quench your thirst at Abita Brew Pub Sept. 28, Oct. 26, Feb. 22 and April 4 while enjoying a free, casual, 90-minute concert of opera, Broadway and more by the finest young local and regional singers. Opera on Tap will also perform Oct. 22 at Pontchartrain Vineyards. For more information, call (504) 529-2278 or (800) 881-4459 or visit neworleansopera.org.

New Orleans Ballet Association The New Orleans Ballet Association season kicks off Oct. 22 at the Mahalia Jackson Theater. The 2011-2012 season will also feature the New Orleans premiere of Jacoby & Pronk Contemporary Dance Artists at NOCCA’s Freda Lupin Memorial Hall Nov. 11 and 12; Shen Wei Dance Arts Jan. 21; Stephen Petronio Company March 2-3 (also at NOCCA); Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Above: Andy Warhol’s

Right: The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra. 92

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photo: COURTESY OF LPO

Elizabeth Taylor.

April 21; and The Joffrey Ballet May 12. For more information, call (504) 522-0996 or visit nobadance.com.

nce upon a time there was a little boy named Harrison Richard. Harrison was an ambitious

Fanfare and the Columbia Theatre

child with a zest for learning and energy

Now in its 26th season, Southeastern Louisiana University’s

for action. When Harrison was three,

2011 Fanfare season will begin with The Pirates of Penzance by the

he began school at Cedarwood and as he grew, he took advantage of the

Southeastern Opera/Music Theatre Workshop Sept. 28 to Oct. 1.

many opportunities offered to him.

Performances and events continue

He played soccer, basketball, baseball

throughout October on Southeastern’s campus and at other Hammond venues. Fanfare highlights at the Columbia Theatre include the month-long International House of Blues Foundation Student Art Exhibit and Contest as well as the everpopular Wind Symphony performance Oct. 20 and Cocktails with Larry Miller Oct. 27. The Columbia Theatre opens its

and also excelled in academics. Harrison was determined to be the best he could be! He even discovered his leadership skills on Cedarwood’s Student Council. Harrison went on to St. Paul’s High School where he eventually became Student Body President. He not only accomplished his goals but exceeded them by graduating with a 4.57 GPA and was honored as St. Pauls School’s Valedictorian of their 100th year graduating class. He was offered entrance into ten

regular season with Average White Band Sept. 17. The Frog Prince on Nov. 17 is the first 2011-2012

prestigious colleges and universities and

Pajamas and Play offering for a young audience. The Nutcracker celebrates the holidays on Dec. 9 and 10. The Jefferson Performing Arts Society will bring three performances to Columbia: Fiddler on the Roof Dec.2, Hairspray Feb. 10 and How I Became a Pirate April 19. Other 2012 highlights are the Champian Fulton Quartet Jan. 27, Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men Feb. 25, The Hullabahoos March 9, Pam Tillis March 24 and New Orleans’ own Irma Thomas May 4. For more information, call 543-4366 or visit columbiatheatre.org.

will continue his “Foundation for Life” as a

accumulated $382,000 in scholarships. Harrison will attend Duke University and

Fall for Art Art of John Scott: From the Private Collection of the New Orleans Museum of Art will be the featured exhibit of

life-long learner. He has big dreams and an educational foundation that will pave the way to living happily ever after.

Success begins in preschool! Come and see for yourself at our Open House October 20 at 9 am

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Downtown Covington’s 20th Annual Fall for Art, which showcases dozens of artists and draws some 4,000 visitors each year. On Oct. 15, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., shoppers, art lovers and music enthusiasts alike will enjoy live music, gallery openings, art demonstrations, boutique shopping and fine dining. The Scott exhibit will be on display in St. Tammany Art Association’s main gallery Oct. 8 to Nov. 5. For more information, to become a sponsor or to volunteer, contact Cindy Pulling at 892-8650 or cindy@sttammanyartassociation.org.

NOMA’s Andy Warhol’s Celebrities Slidell Cultural Center exhibit The king of pop will be coming to the northshore this October. Not Michael Jackson. We’re talking about the original king of pop art, Andy Warhol. The Slidell Cultural Center has teamed up with the New Orleans Museum of Art for an exhibit that will feature 14 Warhol original limited silkscreen prints and lithographs, a rare chance to see work by one of the most famous artists of his generation. The exhibit, titled Andy Warhol’s Celebrities, is in collaboration with the NOMA on the Northshore series that has brought many of NOMA’s pieces to Slidell, Under Robert Phillips’ stellar leadership, GNO Property Management consistently provides the Marigny Trace Property Owners Association with outstanding service, improving the value of the subdivision’s property and ensuring its growth and stability. – Lovelle Blitch, Realtor®

Covington and Hammond. This is the first time that NOMA has teamed up with another organization to exhibit a large number of Warhol pieces; usually, only single pieces are loaned out. Featured works include Warhol’s Elizabeth Taylor, Mick Jagger, Mao Zedong and Marilyn Monroe. The Warhol exhibit will be on display Oct. 21 to Dec. 16, with the opening reception Oct. 21, 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call 646-4375 for more information or visit slidell.la.us.

Slidell Cultural Events

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In addition to the Warhol exhibit, the fall season brings a myriad of other events to Slidell. Bayou Jam features Bobby Ohler and the Harbor Band Oct. 2; Lauren Turner and the U.S. Air Force Academy Band Falconaires Oct. 16; and a Halloween Bash featuring Vince Vance and the Valiants Oct. 30. Nov. 5 is the Arts Evening, and December brings Christmas Under the Stars. Mark your calendars now for the Some Enchanted Evening concert with the Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra April 21. For more information, call 646-4375 or visit slidell.la.us. Editor’s note: All information is subject to change.

Harvest Cup Polo Classic Sunday, October 30 • Noon-5:30 p.m. at Leah Farms in Folsom 100 General admission • $750 Reserved table for six • $25 VIP Lounge access • $20 VIP parking

Call 985.892.5258 or go to jlgc.net to purchase tickets.

Junior League of Greater Covington invites you to attend

Black & White Masquerade Night To celebrate our patrons of the Harvest Cup Polo Classic at La Maison in Abita Springs

Friday, October 28 • 7:30-10:30 p.m. Gourmet food by La Maison • Live entertainment • Delicious libations SHOT IN THE DARK SWAG BAG RAFFLE • Every raffle participant is a winner The grand prize is a Royal Caribbean 7-night cruise for two!

AMAZING LIVE AUCTION ITEMS Featuring celebrity auctioneer, WDSU’s Travers Mackel. Beautiful original artwork by Camille Barnes.

From Lee Michaels Fine Jewelry: Women's cross charm bracelet, a $995 value. Men's cufflinks, a $1,050 value.

Limited tickets available, $100 per person. • www.jlgc.net • Black and white masquerade attire requested.

JUNIOR LEAGUE OF GREATER COVINGTON Women building better communities

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“I come from a land down unda” Tailgating with the Saints Down Unda. by Michael Gegenheimer

Above: The party is rolling at the Saints Down

Unda tailgate. Below: Doc Mancina, wearing the

famous “Greg Head” hat, poses with Jimmy Buffet

THE NEXT TIME YOU’RE WALKING past the I-10 Poydras down ramp on your way to a Saints game, don’t be alarmed if you hear several hundred people chant, “Are we plants?! Or are we animals?!” That’s the sound of one of the hottest tailgates this side of Tiger Stadium. In 2006, Mandeville’s Dave “Doc” Mancina, Chris “Blackman” Blackwell and “Coach” Eddie Rouyer— deemed the “Chosen Few”—teamed up to create what has since become known as the “Saints Down Unda” and have never looked back. Named for their location, the Down Undas have made a name for themselves in the tailgating world. Their signature calling card is the “Greg Head,” named by local sports broadcaster Jim Henderson for its similarity to the way Saints defensive coordinator 100

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photos: COURTESY OF DAVE MANCINA

before his “private” show for the Down Undas.

Greg Williams’ hair sticks up out of the visor he typically wears. The story goes that when Henderson asked the Down Undas for a hat, Doc swooped in and made a deal that would forever change the history of the group. Doc told Henderson that he would give him the hat off his head if Henderson promised to wear it on his sports show. Henderson agreed, and since then, the Greg Head has caught on like wildfire throughout the Who Dat nation. Doc is a self-proclaimed “New Orleans music groupie” and has always been able to provide a music kick to get the tailgate rolling. But of course, no party is complete without enough food to go around, and that’s where Blackman comes in. The tailgate is set up as a large potluck-style event, but Blackman and the other Chosen Few have been known to put on quite a feast. New Orleans music legend Kermit Ruffins has even stopped by to help roast pigs for the

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Down Undas. As for Coach? Well, his job may just be the most important. Enough beer to keep all those Who Dats happy— and we all know how much the Who Dats like their beer. But you’re welcome to bring your own ice chest, too. For the noon games, the tailgate is toned down a bit, with about 100 people showing up, and Doc is the DJ. But for the night games, especially those Monday night classics, the party really starts rolling. Almost 400 Down Undas come out to party with the live bands that get the good times rolling. Did we mention that even Jimmy Buffett has stopped by? Yes, the king of the Parrot Heads visited the Down Undas for the NFC championship game. As Doc recalls, no one recognized the star at first. It wasn’t until he was introduced to Buffett by Quint Davis, the founder of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Fest, that Doc realized who it >> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

101

Above: Die-hard Saints fans Blackman and Lea-Lea Blackwell. Below: The Down Undas carried their New Orleans charm to Miami for the Super Bowl.

was. Just like Henderson, Buffett had to

the best trade of your life,’” recalls Doc.

have one of those Greg Heads. So, in

“And it was.” Recently, the Chosen Few decided to

typical Doc fashion, Doc struck up a

change things up a bit for the betterment of the community. “We want to do our part by donating money to local worthy causes,” says Doc. As of now, the Saints Down Unda is not a moneymaking venture. To pay for events and bands, they try to scratch up as much money as they can by having a couple of guys put

photos: COURTESY OF DAVE MANCINA

deal with Buffett (who is a big Saints fan, by the way) that he would give him a hat if he would wear it—while performing for the Down Undas, of course. The crowd quickly grew to over 500 people as word spread about the performance. “When I told him the deal, he said to me, ‘You’re about to the make

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some money in; occasionally, they may even “pass the hat around.” But this year, the Down Undas hope to sell some merchandise, including hand-decorated walking canes to be used in the group’s famous second line marches to the dome. The Down Undas will also graciously accept any donations. While no partnerships have been made with any specific charity foundations, the group is in contact with several. “The Down Undas have grown into their own energy,” says Doc. “People know that if we’re coming, it’s gonna be a party. Our goal is just to have fun, and that’s what makes New Orleans different from other places. We’re friendly, and we’re not afraid to get a little crazy. It doesn’t matter if you’re blue collar, white collar, black or white—you’re a fan, period. We have members as young as 2 months old and as old as 92 years—it doesn’t matter.” The Down Undas do ask that you register with the Chosen Few before going to the tailgate, but they’re pretty lenient about acceptance. The only requirement is you have to be looking for a good time, and you must dress appropriately. “We don’t want people walking up in just blue jeans and a tshirt,” Doc says. “We want people who are gonna wear wigs and hats, crazy shirts, things like that. For Halloween, we had one of the craziest costume contests you’ve ever seen.” So, the next time you’re looking for a party on your way to the Saints game, you might want to stop by the Poydras down ramp. But remember—when they ask you if you’re a plant or an animal, you’d better be an animal! If you’d like to become a member of the Down Undas, or if you just want to check out pictures and videos of past tailgates, visit saintsdownunda.com.

vo by Jenny Bra

Backstage at Rent WHEN YOU’RE SITTING in the audience waiting patiently for a play to begin, you don’t think of what’s going on behind the stage. You don’t realize the amount of members’ hair or the glue that secures their fake eyelashes or the pounds of makeup caked onto their faces. When you arrive at the theatre, they’re in the dressing room pulling on their tights and checking to make sure all of their costumes are there. When you sit and watch a fully put-together production, you don’t quite understand what it took to get there. This summer, I played Mimi in the musical Rent, a role I’ve been imagining since I first saw Rosario Dawson’s portrayal on the big screen. I can still remember driving home that night with my mom and one of my friends, singing “No day but today!” out of the moon roof. From then on, I was determined. I listened to the soundtrack religiously and jumped at The cast of Rent gathers before the opening curtain goes up. 104

the chance to see the real thing on the Broadway stage. My family and I sat in the sixth row, and when the cast ambled on stage in a carefree fashion as if they didn’t even know the audience was there, I became even more enthralled.

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Last summer, at the closing of a production of Cats at Playmakers Theater, they announced the next summer’s musical as Rent. A cast member at the time came up to me and said, “You have to audition for Mimi.” I crossed my fingers for the entire year, standing by as I heard rumors of the show being canceled because the play might be too controversial. The show follows a group of young artists in New York City’s East Village, struggling with addictions, falling in love, dealing with death and fighting with disease. At times, it has the members of the audience in deep belly laughs, but a few scenes later, tears are streaming from their eyes. The show focuses on the characters and their relationships with one another, and to perfect the soul of the role is to perfect the play. Playmakers performed the school edition of this musical, which is not much different from the original; though it restricts some of the language, the message and the controversy remain the same.

photos: CHARLOTTE VOELKEL

hairspray that’s coated onto the cast

After they found a director, Larry Gray, who was willing to put on a tough show like Rent, auditions were held in March. I went to Playmakers with my copy of Out Tonight, Mimi’s signature song, and a short dance routine. I auditioned with two other people, one of whom would later earn the part of Mark and would become one of my good friends. There was also a cold reading that I had not been warned about, but thankfully, since I knew the play, I could put the appropriate emotions into the words that I knew were meant to be eulogies at a funeral scene. Through an e-mail, I learned that I had been called back, and a few grueling days later, I was back in the theatre. Everyone who had been asked back gathered around a piano with our vocal director, Duane Blake, whom I had worked with in Cats and Les Miserables. In groups, they had us sing key numbers like Will I and Seasons of Love. When they placed me in a group with very talented singers, some of whom I had previously worked with, I knew that the director was considering us for lead roles. Two other girls were with me. I knew one had Mimi on her mind as well, so I wasn’t overly confident. After ushering us all into the lobby, they called a

our notes and harmonies were accurate, so that when the real rehearsals began, there would be no musical discrepancies. Hearing everyone sing his or her respective parts sealed the reality of the show for me. This wasn’t going to be some run-of-the-mill community theatre show. It was going to move people. When our vocal rehearsals ended, our acting rehearsals began, which meant that we would be on

choice few of us back in, and I assumed that we’d be singing through some more material. To my shock, our director told us that we were all cast. He proceeded to read through a list of names with our parts. There was this odd quiet as he said the names he’d scribbled on a yellow legal pad. When he said, “Mimi Marquez, Jenny Bravo,” I felt this rush of surprise and joy and giddiness all wrapped up into one. It had begun.

Rehearsals Waiting the two months until we got into rehearsal was nearly unbearable. I spent the time researching the part thoroughly, watching the movie, the screening of the last Broadway performance and YouTube videos. I even read the biography of Anthony Rapp, the original Mark, and his journey with Rent from the New York Workshop to the Broadway stage to the silver screen. Come rehearsal, when we all joined together for the first time, I was ready. Our first few weeks were spent perfecting our vocals. We met for three hours with our pencils and our librettos to make sure that all

stage blocking. The process of blocking involves walking through scenes and placing characters where they are supposed to be. It took about two weeks to finish blocking the two acts. From there, runthroughs began, which meant all of the lines had to be committed to memory so the actors could move freely without the handicap of a book. During blocking, we also had to learn choreography. Several times, Gina Bennett of Northshore Academy of Dance came with her assistant to teach us rhythms in La Vie Bohème as well as a tango scene for the song Tango Maureen. >>

Top: Spencer Bagert helps apply makeup before the show. Above: The cast gets into costume and makeup.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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She also helped me learn some of my choreography for Out Tonight, which is a dance routine that I performed on a platform and a table in leopard-print high-heeled boots. All of our costumes came from our own finding. Different from other shows I’d been in, I was given the privilege of bringing my own style to the character and it helped me to connect with her on a more personal level. I went with several friends from the show to Goodwill and thrift stores in Covington as well as Baton Rouge. Everything that I got was a find—a three-dollar pink coat, leopard boots to mimic Mimi’s Broadway roots, a blue slip that I used as a skirt and even some fraying leather boots I found in the back of my closet. Once I got those leopard boots with their spiky,

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tall heels, I made sure to practice with them during every rehearsal. By the end of the show, they were as easy to walk in as sneakers. Rehearsals come with plenty of trial and error. As our director liked to say, “It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission.” He encouraged us to experiment with our characters and to expand on our blocking, and if he didn’t like it, he’d correct us. For instance, I took the liberty of pouring craft glitter in my hair every night to shake off the platform in the beginning of Out Tonight. Because there was no correction, I took it as approved.

Live On Stage There is nothing quite like an opening night. After a month of living with a play, day in and day out, there is only so far that it can go before you add an audience into the mix. Without the applause, the tears and the laughter, and without

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the feel of engaged eyes on you, there is nothing to feed off of except the energy of the cast. I spent opening day pouring tea down my throat and resting my voice for the four opening-weekend performances. Once the clock struck 6 p.m., I packed up my car with my makeup bag, my hairspray and my comb. The backstage of Playmakers Theatre is relatively small, but so is the cast. There is one long mirror for hair and makeup as well as two small dressing rooms for the guys and girls. It took about an hour for me to tease my hair and to apply all of my makeup. I wore this crazy, metallic blue eye shadow that caught the stage lights and long fake eyelashes that made my eyes pop. I had to test the microphone that I used for Out Tonight to make sure the sound was just right for the speakers. Then, I checked to make sure all of my costumes and props, such as the candle for Light My Candle, were there. After everyone was dressed and it was 10 minutes to show

time, the cast gathered in the green room, which is where cast members who aren’t on stage wait, to raise our energy level. Typically, someone gave a motivating speech and then we all did something fun like chant our favorite lines from the play in a rap. At five minutes until show time, we got in our places.

photo: CHARLOTTE VOELKEL

This is when we are really supposed

when necessary. A crowd that goes above and beyond with its responses usually renders an exceptional performance. A quieter audience that may appreciate the show just as much requires a bit more work on the actor’s part. The cast has to try and draw appreciation out of them. There is nothing quite like the

to look into our characters. We leave

feeling of a great performance. The

everything behind us that is our own

audience knows it, the director knows

and assume the persona of the role. We

it and the entire cast knows it. It pulls

tell each other to break a leg and then we

real emotion from everyone and leaves

wait in silence, praying and hoping that everything goes right. There’s so much to worry about in that short time. Are the lighting cues going to be right? Is the band going to stay on beat? Am I going to drop a line? What happens if I miss a cue? But, when it comes down to it, all the questions in the world can’t prepare

them invested in the story. For me, this happened a number of times during Rent’s run. There was this moment during the funeral scene in Act 2 where I could feel the loss so profoundly that tears started running down my face. There was sniffling through the crowd and the

you for when you’re Jenny Bravo in on stage. Something costume for her performance of is bound to go Out Tonight. wrong. The house lights go out. The stage light goes out. Slowly, the lights come up on the set. We all rush onto the stage in a frenzy of hoots and hollers, hooking the focus of the audience from the start. When I look out into the crowd, it is a blur of faces in the first few rows lit by the blinding stage lights and darkness past that. As actors, we don’t really look at an audience unless a certain scene, like Seasons of Love, calls for it. Otherwise, we just look at the whole and not individual faces. An audience has the power to make or break a show. A great audience is one whose members respond to what they are watching, laughing loudly at the appropriate times and being solemn

cast alike. That’s real theatre. That’s when you know you’ve affected someone. Being in Rent was like being on an emotional roller coaster. I’d come home exhausted, sleeping all day and night. At the same time, I think it’s the show that has meant the most to me. Playing Mimi, I got to feel like a real person on stage with a real struggle and a real vulnerability, rather than just another character. The power of Rent lies in its great heart. That’s what kept the seats filled and the smile on my face every night. I’m grateful to have participated in something so powerful and so important. Editor’s Note: Jenny interned with us at Inside Northside this summer. Despite her busy schedule—including Rent—she gave a star performance with us, as well!

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Enhance your garden with this ornamental replica of Louisianaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

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Wine down in style! Jeweled fleur de lis wine glass,

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Tiger baby?

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Swim little

fishy, swim if you can! Painted metal fish by Keith Villere, $90. Fielding Gallery, Covington, 377-2212.

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Welcome autumn! 18”

earthenware leaf by artist Amber Poole, $88. Pineapple Gallery, Mandeville, 626-0028. 8

Matched pairs for a

matched pair! Mr. and Mrs.

cosmetic bags and spa slippers: slippers, $21.90 each; bags, $18.90 each.

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IN Fashion with Jenifer Besh by Maria G. Davis The first word that comes to my mind when describing Jenifer Besh is “WOW!” She is a beautiful, uber-organized, incredibly polished woman with a subtle grace about her. Being an attorney and married to chef John Besh would be a busy life on its own, but tackling the schedule of her entire family requires something more than just organization. It requires laserprecise details. She not only wrangles her brood of four growing boys (Brendan, 15; Jack, 10; Luke, 8; Andrew, 7), but often slips into an alternate, more glamorous life as wife of a busy popular chef. If you add to that the fact that Jenifer is never underdressed, or even remotely near that, then you are left with the same word I

MD:Well, my first question is the one that everyone looking at these pictures will want to ask. You are the mom of four boys. Just how do you look so good? JB: I have to say, I do like my exercise. I enjoy running and spinning. But honestly, I have always been really thin, and since my pregnancies I have sort of filled out, if you will. So, really, this is me just filled out a bit. MD:Okay, back to the gym for me! But seriously, you dress your body very well. I have never seen you in ill-fitting clothes or in something that did not suit you. JB: I am a firm believer in fit. I cannot say enough about taking the time to find the perfect fit for your body. I have come to realize that you have try on many different things, even if it is 30 pairs of jeans, to get the right look. MD:I completely agree with that. What did it take for you to “get” that concept? JB: After my first child, I was just wearing Wool pencil skirt, $530; poplin blouse, $480; and tweed cardigan, $580; all Brunello Cucinelli from Saks Fifth Avenue. Pave shrug earrings, $5,600, and black Tahitian pearls, $5,045; De Boscq Jewelry. Ebel Beluga diamond bezel watch, $5,250; Boudreaux’s Fine Jewelers.

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whatever was comfortable and easy, because I was a new mom. But, after I got back into shape, I started to want to do

photos: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com Photographs taken at Money Hill Golf and Country Club. Hair and makeup by Stephanie Cerise of Kent Jacob Salon.

came up with—WOW!

more and look better. I really put the effort

sure that the fit is right for me.

Vince black ponte knit riding

into looking my best and what flattered my

MD:How has your style changed?

pants, $235; Saks Fifth Avenue.

figure.

JB: I don’t know that it has changed, per se. But

Silk cami, $59, and Due per Due

I have gotten better at choosing my looks. I

jacket, $144; The Villa. Black

did wear more of a uniform when I was

tote, $64; Suzanne’s Gift

practicing law, because I always wanted to

Boutique. Pave diamond cross,

to add just enough edge to my look to take it

be appropriate for my clients and to be taken

$11,432; diamond ring, $8,000;

from boring to chic.

seriously. Now, I dress with a little more

and tennis bracelet, $8,000; all

emphasis on the fun—but always fit, fit, fit.

De Boscq Jewelry. Double white

MD:Everyone has a style personality. What is yours? JB: I prefer a very classic look with a twist. I like

MB:Do you remember describing an outfit to me once as “sexy secretary.” Is that what you mean? JB: I do remember that. MD: Thank you, by the way. I use that phrase all the time. JB: That’s funny! But, you get what I mean. A

MD:What about your fashion regrets? What would you do over if you could? JB: I regret wearing those large, flowing maternity dresses. When I was pregnant it

look back then. And, I regret not taking the time to find the right things for me, which I

Shoefflé.

cannot emphasize enough.

JB: I really am a dress girl. I love my skirts and

MD:You said to me that you feel as though you

my dresses. Again, it goes back to what fits

have two fashion lives. What do you mean

my shape. I know that I look best in a skirt

by that?

though, and I wear them often, but I make

Jewelers. Indigo boots, $129;

have liked to have had today’s [pregnant]

pops. That is what I go for.

and that is what I live in. I do have jeans

pearls, $2,375; Boudreaux’s Fine

was not cool to show off your body. I would

little classic, with a little something that MD:What are you most comfortable in?

gold hoops with two Tahitian

JB: Well, I have the life of a mom, which requires one set of clothes and effort. Then, I >> SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

113

IN Fashion

Missoni tweed skirt, $495, and solid blazer, $725; Brunello Cucinelli white blouse, $480; Marc Jacobs panther scarf, $178; all from Saks Fifth Avenue. Clarks Society shoes, $129; Shoefflé. BCBG Max Azria handbag, $148; The Villa. Black, cream and white Tahitian pearls, $10,490; pave hoop earrings, $8,399; three-row diamond bracelet, $15,570; all from De Boscq Jewelry. Fleur de lis ring, $20; Columbia Street Mercantile.

our schedules are written down and in front of me. I focus on one day at a time, and I plan for each day. If I have more than two things in a day, I know I can call my parents, or John’s parents, or my sisters. They say it takes a village, and I believe that. MD: Are you organized in the kitchen as well, or do you get help from John with that? JB:What John does for me is really set me up for the week; he does big things all at once. So, if he cooks several chickens, or cooks steaks, have the other—what I call glamorous—side

many days during the week. I prep my

of my life, where I travel with John and we are

vegetables and have my meals pretty much

whisked away to high-end places. I need

planned for the week.

another wardrobe for that. Thinking of both

MD:Describe your life in a few words.

parts of my life and making pieces work for

JB: Busy mom of four boys.

both requires a lot of organizing on my part.

MD:You seem to handle the pressure very well. Is

MD:There is no way you can live the life you do without being organized. How do you make it all come together? JB: I plan everything. You cannot find me in the

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I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

your life overwhelming at times? JB: My life is a blessing. When things aggravate me, I try and let that go, because I have my family around me, and I always remember

grocery store and tell me something and have

that. In the end, that is what matters, and I just

me remember it. I live by the calendar. All of

try to take it all in stride.

photo: ABBY SANDS MILLER www.abbyphoto.com

then I know I have that protein for however

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SAPPHIRE ATTIRE 1

Halo-style sapphire and diamond princess

ring set in white gold, $13,125; sapphire and diamond broach, $3,150. De Boscq Jewelry, Mandeville, 674-0007.

18k yellow gold

and sterling silver hinged cuff bracelet with blue topaz from Barbara Bixbyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Queens Muse Collection, $2,250. Boudreauxâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-1666.

Cobalt blue silk dress

from glam with elastic waist, blouson top and split sleeves, $92. Columbia Street Mercantile, Covington, 809-1789.

Marine blue

silk dress by Yoana Baraschi, $324. The Villa, Mandeville, 626-9797.

John Medeiros Laurea bracelet with

interchangeable sapphire stones: bracelet, $78; stones,

$37 each. Three Divas and a Sugardaddy, Slidell, 2885550.

Miss Me studded paisley boot cut jeans, $98.

Shoelicious 21, Covington, 893-4080.

18k white gold

sapphire and diamond ring, $5,350. Reine Diamonds & Fine Jewelry, Slidell, 201-7415.

7 116

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

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B AT O N R O U G E

2 1

SAPPHIRE ATTIRE 1

18k white gold ring with blue

sapphire and 0.40cttw round brilliant cut diamond, $2,550. Loweâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Jewelers, Mandeville, 845-4653.

Sapphire-

colored clutch with silver accent, $52. Azure Spa, Mandeville, 727-7799. 3

Gradient-colored 3.5ct sapphire

earrings set in 14k white gold, $750. Champagne Jewelers, Slidell, 643-2599. 4

Multi-color swirl pattern tunic/dress

by bacci, $26.99. Private Beach, Mandeville, 237-6040.

Sleeveless

belted cobalt blue silk Sadie dress by Waverly Grey, $220. The Mix, Mandeville, 727-7649.

Short navy blue taffeta

dress with pleated sweetheart bust and beaded waist, $373. Southern Bridal, Mandeville, 727-2993.

Swarovski

rhinestone cuff by Haute Bride. Olivier Couture, Mandeville, 674-6994. 8

Christian Louboutin suede bootie,

$895. Saks Fifth Avenue, New Orleans, (504) 524-2200.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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1 2

SAPPHIRE ATTIRE

Rhapsody in Blue Vizzini blue suede handbag with sapphire crystals,

silver accents and turquoise satin interior, $285. Creations de Main, Mandeville, 231-7388.

UV protection from San Diego Hat Company,

$32. Suzanne’s Gift Boutique, Covington, 871-1581. 3

Sapphire perfume brooch with Swarovski crystals

by Braza, $14. Bra Genie, Mandeville, 951-8638.

Sapphire ruched cocktail dress with chiffon

lining and oversized keyhole back, $54. Paisley, Mandeville, 727-7880.

Strapless tiered mini, $56.

Apricot Lane, Lakeside Shopping Center, Metairie, (504) 849-0900.

14k white gold ring with 1.09cttw diamonds

and 1.96ct sapphire marquis, $5,995. Moseley’s Jewelers, Mandeville, 626-5098.

Travel jewelry organizer in lattice

design by Bella, $15. OSpa at Franco’s, Mandeville, 7920270.

Sapphire and diamond ring set in 14k white gold,

$695. DeLuca’s Expressions in Gold, Covington, 892-2317. 9

Celestial Diva clutch wallet, $185. Shoefflé, Covington,

898-6465; Baton Rouge, (225) 924-7100.

8 9

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A N D

M A R R I A G E

Raymond-Meith

Jaclyn Elizabeth Raymond, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Christopher Raymond and Mr. and Mrs. Rykert Toledano, and

L O V E

Justin David Meith, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Meith, were married in a sunset ceremony on the shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Mandeville. Rev. Larry Madden of St. Timothy United Methodist Church presided over the ceremony.

I N

Because the couple had fond memories of time spent on the area’s rivers and lakefront, the entire wedding celebration— including the rehearsal dinner at The Lakehouse—took place on the Mandeville lakefront. The ceremony was held under mossdraped oaks and a canopy built by the bride’s stepfather, Rykert Toledano, and decorated by her aunt, Paula Osborne. The couple will use the frame for a swing in their backyard. Given in marriage by her father, the bride wore a sleeveless reembroidered lace empire-fitted gown. Her bouquet of white roses and hydrangeas with yellow calla lilies from Flowers and Fancies of Mandeville matched the men’s boutonnieres. The bridesmaids wore canary yellow strapless silk empire-styled dresses and carried sprayed pink hydrangeas. Cathy Carriere of Metairie, a family friend, provided guitar music for the ceremony and played the ukulele version of Somewhere over the Rainbow for the recessional. A reception featuring music by Four Unplugged followed at Pontchartrain Yacht Club. The three-tiered square wedding cake had layers of confetti and strawberry flavors. The groom’s chocolate confetti cake depicted his pastimes with a swamp photos: CHUCK BILLIOT PHOTOGRAPHY

scene, a fisherman and a hunter. Following their honeymoon in St. Lucia, the couple returned to their home in Covington. The special day—from spontaneous moments to portrait shots—was captured by Chuck Billiot Photography. “We could not be more pleased,” says Lacey Toledano, mother of the bride. “He did a perfect job.”

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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A N D

M A R R I A G E

Daniel-James

Northshore residents Kristen Marie Daniel and Jonathan Tapp Olson James invited family and friends

L O V E

to an intimate chic country wedding at Hawkesdene House in the Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. One hundred guests attended the outdoor ceremony, which utilized local northshore venders even though it took place hundreds of miles away. I N

The entire wedding party and some of the guests stayed on the property for the long weekend. The rest of the guests stayed at other mountain locations. “Normally, a wedding is a one-day event for most of the out-of-town guests,” Kristen says. But,“we had a cocktail party on Thursday, the rehearsal dinner on Friday, the wedding on Saturday and a farewell brunch on Sunday!” The bride, wearing an Anjolique gown of ivory Godavari silk with a beaded lace bodice and chapellength train from Southern Bridal, carried a bouquet of cream peonies and ranunculus. The bridesmaids wore Alfred Sung Niagara (blue-green) dresses in varying styles from Southern Bridal and carried flowers in shades of yellow. After the mountaintop wedding, guests enjoyed the cool weather during the reception under an openair pavilion. Round tables featured birch-branch vases ranunculus as centerpieces. The Abita Blues Band provided music and fun for the celebration. “The owners of the property made the entire week a dream come true!” says the grateful bride. A few weeks after the festivities, the couple enjoyed a weeklong honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas. 122

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

photos: CLAIRE ELYSE PHOTOGRAPHY

with alternating yellow and cream peonies and

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

123

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M A R R I A G E

Thomas-Burgess The wedding of Kathryn “Katy”Thomas and Steven Burgess Jr.was celebrated at First Baptist Church in Mandeville.The Burgess Family Bible was used during the ceremony.The bride’s dress from Southern Bridal featured a sweetheart neckline and a floral design.As a special touch, the couple’s fathers played guitars together, and a saxophone added a New Orleans feel to the ceremony. At the reception at The Lakehouse, the couple toasted with bride-and-groom wine glasses from Olivier Couture.After the celebration,they second lined

I N

L O V E

photo: MELISSA BREEDLOVE PHOTOGRAPHY

A N D

to the waiting limo to depart for their honeymoon in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.

O’Brien-Albert and Max Albert took place at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Old Mandeville. Following the ceremony, Dr. Jazz and the New Orleans Sound led the guests in a second line to the lakefront. A perfect sunset added to the ambiance as the bride and groom celebrated with family and friends at The Lakehouse. After the festivities, the couple enjoyed a cruise to Costa Maya, Belize, Cozumel and Roatan, Honduras.

photo: DONALD PAGE PHOTOGRAPHY

The afternoon wedding of Shannon O’Brien

Mula-Lewis The wedding of Madeleine Mula and Griffin Lewis was officiated by the groom’s brother at Watson Memorial on St. Charles Avenue in New Orleans. The bride’s photo: FOLLOWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Call for Submissions Share the storybook beginning of your

dress from Olivier Couture featured

“happily ever after” with our readers through the

a mermaid silhouette with an

romantic pages of Inside Northside’s IN Love and

Alençon lace-adorned sweetheart

Marriage department. To have your wedding

neckline. “When they opened the

considered for publication, send a bridal portrait

doors, I felt such an overwhelming

and 50-100 words about the wedding to

sense of pride walking towards Griffin and being my father’s daughter,”

editor@insidenorthside.com or call 626-9684.

Madeleine recalls. “It was just me and my two best men for a brief moment.” The bride’s uncle’s band, 5 Finger Discount, played at the reception at The Chicory. The couple honeymooned in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

125

Left: Periodontal disease invites bacteria which can lead to heart disease.

The Link to Heart Disease Dr. Marija LaSalle YOU ARE PROBABLY AWARE that one out of every two

your mouth, persistent

people will die of heart disease. Did you know that many

bad breath or a

of these deaths are from heart disease brought on by

change in the way

poor oral health? If bacteria were allowed to design a

your teeth fit together.

perfect home, it would be the site at the base of nearly all

The risk of

human teeth—in the area between the gum surface and

developing heart

the tooth. This area is consistently at the correct

disease is increased

temperature, extremely moist, slightly saline and is rich in

by 168% in people

microscopic nourishment; it is the perfect home. Once

who have periodontal

established, the bacteria simply “hitch a ride” through

infection.

the body’s highway system—the bloodstream. This blood

Dr. Marija

is then pumped through the heart. The disease which occurs next is subacute bacterial

LaSalle has been practicing dentistry for more than 20 years and is the

endocarditis, a severe infection of the lining of the heart.

only female periodontist in West St. Tammany. She is

When this happens, bacteria collect at an earlier-damaged

strongly led by the moral obligations of the profession to

site in the heart. The damage could have been caused by

help educate friends, family and her neighbors on the

congenital defects, rheumatic fever or other causes. Often,

northshore about the risks associated with periodontal

victims are unaware of this pre-existing damage.

disease. Other services offered in her practice include

Periodontal disease is often silent; the symptoms may

bone grafts, tissue grafts and periodontal maintenance.

not appear until the advanced stage of the disease and may include red swollen gums, bleeding while brushing

To schedule a consultation with Dr. LaSalle at

or flossing and gums that are receding or pulling away

Northlake Periodontics, please call (985) 727-1133. She is

from teeth, causing the teeth to look longer. Additional

located at 1580 W. Causeway Approach, Ste. 5, in

symptoms may include loose or separating teeth, sores in

Mandeville.

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IN the Spotlight Lose Dat Team Weight Loss Challenge

The Finale Party for the 10-week Lose Dat Team Weight Loss Challenge at Franco’s attracted about 400 people. The party in the transformed gymnasium included food, a full bar and a Kent Jacob Salon runway show featuring new looks in hair and makeup for those who wanted to “reinvent” themselves. Some of the models, who wore clothes from The Mix and UAL, were actual participants in the competition! Two large projection screens showed images of the participants’ progress over the course of the program. The Red Riding Hoods and Wolves team, led by trainer Rob Jacob, took home the top team prize for highest average body fat percentage lost, with an average of 7.64 percent among the 18 members. The overall body loss champion was Al Johnson of the Green Stallion team, who not only lost the most body fat, 15.9 percent, but also lost the most weight— 39 pounds. The program consisted of over 150 participants who lost

photos: COURTESY OF MICHAEL JON NEFF, PAUL ANGELLE AND CANDICE LAIZER

a total of 1,700 pounds and an average of four percent body fat over the 10 weeks. Congratulations to all of the participants!

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

127

INside Peek

ughs and , Catherine H Allison Beau who is , hs ug abeth H honoree Eliz . ar debut this ye making her

Proud parent s Julie and Semmes Hug with her sist hs er Meg Perr y.

Lange Gambel, Susan Meyers, M olly Gambel and Jill Champagne at the Tonga Tim e luau.

Otway and Sandra Den ny with party co-hos tess, Mimi Fa rrell.

r Dorsey. Illing with Elino Scott and Susan

Priscilla Morse Party co-hostess er, Mallory. with her daught

PH VP and chief Kerry Milton, ST th Randy wi er, fic nursing of Mary Bird Kinchen, chair of nter Greater Ce er nc Perkins Ca identâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Council. Northshore Pres

Chuck Walsten and Don Collin s.

Randy Waesche ; Chryl Corizzo; Todd Stevens, pr CEO of Mary Bir esident and d Perkins Cancer Center; and Kend at a gathering of ra France the St. Tamman y Hospital Founda board and the M tion ary Bird Perkins Presidentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Coun cil. 128 I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

IN the Spotlight 2011 Tiger Tour

Over 200 lively LSU fans gathered at Tchefuncta Country Club for the 2011 Tiger Tour hosted by the Tammany Tigers. The annual summer event provides a way for local Tiger fans to support LSU while learning about the successes of its student-athletes. Special guests included LSUâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s head football and baseball coaches Les Miles and Paul Mainieri, LSU Chancellor Dr. Michael Martin and Tiger Athletic Foundation CEO Major General Ron Richard. The evening featured a banquet meal as well as interactive games and trivia contests. A variety of LSU items were auctioned, including Number One Tiger Fan by George Rodrigue. For over three decades, the Tammany Tigers have been the voice for LSU fans in and around St. Tammany Parish. The chapter is affiliated with the Tiger Athletic Foundation and aims to support LSU student athletes both on the field and in the classroom. Over just the last nine years the group has funded pledges totaling over $365,000. The Tammany Tigersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; newest pledge of $100,000 will go toward the improvement of the north face of Tiger Stadium.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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INside Peek H n Build 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s WATC Co-chair of the Wome an Sus ers mb me h n wit program Yvette Jemiso McCants. Blanchard and Laurie

Kathy Giardina, Leo nette Loe, Sylvia Re ine and Alison Alvarez of Three Divas and a Sugardaddy host the East St. Tammany Chamber After Ho urs.

ild 2011â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Women Bu ol embers Car WATCH m ilyn ar M d an Ballantine h co-chair Wenzel wit ur so at cial ho Patty Finan i. an R Coffee hosted by

Curtis Louisiana artist Tami ats art Ellis views her Hope Flo tes Sta ited Un the at print Library of Congress.

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

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Caruso n Miss), Erin ank (Souther irb Fa iss) were y M m n A er s apace (South SSA graduate st ui cq A e in d Carol (Alabama) an dance teams. their colleges’ r fo ed ct le se

s awards at a rned numerou ea am te r eer camp. ee St. Paul’s ch ssociation ch heerleaders A C rn te es hw Sout

Mary Kathryn Viller e (left) and Eileen De preo (right) present dona tion from SSA’s Fal aya Fling to Safe Harbo r’s Kim Kirby.

SSA collected toiletries for Safe Harbor. Back: Caroline Dussom, Rachel Despeaux, Safe Harbor’s Kim Kirby, Kristen McDaniel and Emily Lambert. Front: Catherine Schroeder, Michelle St. Romain and Sophie Giberga.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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INside Peek Brooke Heap, Shoefflé owne r Stephanie Hendry and Al i Blasiar.

s mother, ings and hi Zach Cumm ’s Meet t de tis si ar th er or N Cov at Inside gs in oefflé. m Sh um C at rty Dana the Artist pa

Hodge with artists John Renee Maloney h. and Francie Ric

Sarah Beth Williamson, IN Fashion subject Peter Link and at Susan Morgan . rty pa t tis ar e th

Abby Miller, Mr. an d Mrs. Dan Milham and Christ ina Rukavina.

Sue and Dr. Bo b Capitelli.

and John Evans, Suzy Graham John Evans, Debbie ndation’s Fou tal spi Ho ny ma Graham at the St. Tam . ion rat leb Recognition Ce Annual Leadership

Julia Pearce; Chuck Reese, who accepted ” the “Adrian Award e gn pa am Ch for the Beverage Company; d Dr. Adrian Cairns; an Charley Strickland.

Annette Dowdl e, Bobby Baro usse, Harry Warner and Melody Ba rousse.

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

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I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Varicose Vein Treatment

George E. Barnes, MD Board-Certified Cardio-Vascular Surgeon

180 Greenbriar Blvd., Covington, LA 70433

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Providing non-invasive, in-office procedures that allow our clients to return to normal activities soon after leaving.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

133

INside Peek Christy Charlie and joy the en Maestri h their it w er is Friendra ren. ch three ild

Bill and Dottie Zimmerman at the 6th Ann Polo Friendra ual iser at the Fo lsom Equestria Center and Le n ah Farms.

nce and oscq, Ned Plaisa Aaron Capdeb on ideas at te din collabora Brandon Cowar ent. ev el od m re welry the De Boscq Je

Dr. Jay Addison, Ste phanie Miller Murphy, Peggie Ma y and Bevil Knapp with one of the po lo ponies.

Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

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I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

(front to b ack, left to right) Nico le York, Kelly Sella rs, Jayme Gibson; C hastity Stevens, K irby Dupuis, Ju lie Albrecht; R uby Williams, Ja mie Blaney; Su zanne Blanchard, Louise Wiltz, Cind y Pasentine and Carol Miller enjo y a ladies’ day out at Azure Spa by Dr. Burk enstock.

Global Wildlif e Center welcomes its new baby giraffe. lifett Short inside Dana and Garre oa ah ip ng Ta the size teepee at sitors Vi d an n tio en Parish Conv t. American Exhibi Bureau’s Native 20th reunion. 1 celebrate their SSA Class of ’9 e th of rs be Mem

Lt. Gov. Jay Dardenne, Priscilla Robert Wheat, John E. Walker, brate the reaccreditation of the Lawrence and Fred E. Smith cele n by Historic New Orleans Collectio the Louisiana State Museum and eums. the American Association of Mus

It’s Geaux Time!

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Store for Sports-themed Merchandise Order products online at www.geauxforthegold.com

INside Peek Medical Celebrating Oschner thday bir ’s ore Sh h ort r-N Cente Scott rt, po ven are Polly Da lor and Tay y Ka ux, rea ud Bo David Donaldson.

Newly-named members of th e Slidell Little Th directors gather eatre board of to plan the upco ming season. John Crosby, Ci ndy Saia, Jeff St . Romain, Jolie McCaleb and Tommy Cr osby look on as Cayman Sin clair (third from right) presents a $1,0 00 donation to Habitat for Humanity St. Ta mmany West fro m the Sanctuary for Ar t event.

stie lly, Lindsay Vanas, Kri Doree Cancienne-Ke e rat eb cel vira Ro h na Parrish and Savan ear anniversary. Shoelicious 21’s one-y Susanne and Fred Dwyer ho sted a foie gr dinner with Ch as ef Cesare Ca lovini at their Mandeville la kefront home.

d Slidell w Orleans Saints an Jay Romig of the Ne rdi ba Lom the h an wit mayor Freddy Drenn ell. Tiffany event in Slid Trophy at the Art of Ashley Espona l and Sam Ca mp receive a Community Partners Awar d from Northshore Fa milies Helpin g Families’ Lynda Bradle y for their sp onsorship of NFHF’s soar au tism initiative .

Baytown Disc o’s star Eva Lo ngoria with Cayman Sinc lair of The La kehouse at Fontaineblea u State Park.

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and Tom Peggy and Sal Perino were d) ate (se in and Sue Lav ner guests. din ky luc the g on am Send your submissions to peek@insidenorthside.com.

COLLEGE

from page 82

• Work-Study means that the college or federal government provides a part-time job to contribute to educational expenses. Colleges are the best sources for financial assistance, so never exclude a college from consideration just because of its sticker price. Financial aid officers can assemble ‘packages’ that may include a combination of financial aid, institutional scholarships, grants and loans. When considering student loans, note that federal loans carry a lower interest rate than private lenders. Students and families must first determine their eligibility for two distinct types of aid. The two main types of federal student loans are: • Federal need-based loans, which are available to applicants with lower incomes; and • Federal non-need-based loans, which are unsubsidized loans available to all families. Non-need-based federal loans come with slightly higher interest rates. One of the most popular non-need-based federal loans, the unsubsidized Stafford Loan, is available to everyone and can offer students a chance to earn a degree with less financial anxiety. Athletic scholarships are available to top student athletes, and “scholar athletes” are especially appealing to colleges. A considerable amount of financial aid is also available for women with athletic ability because federal law, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, 20 USC 1681-1688, requires equitable distribution of athletic scholarships. Families should consider completing The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, regardless of their perceived financial standing. The FAFSA is needed when applying for TOPS and submitting the form does not require acceptance of subsequent offers. Begin the process of filing the FAFSA early and utilize the FAFSA4caster, https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s1, as an early indicator for eligibility. Financial aid eligibility is determined by calculating student need, which is the difference between the Cost of Attendance and the Expected Family Contribution. When contemplating college costs, a combination of financing methods will probably be most suitable. Take advantage of tax-deductible strategies and be mindful of all deadlines. The adage “first come, first served” certainly applies to any type of college financial assistance. 138

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Private Parties and Showers Breakfast, Lunch and High Tea Amazing Selection of Loose-Leaf Teas

Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm 734 Rutland St, Covington (985) 898-3988 www.englishtearoom.com

• Local Seafood • Daily Lunch Specials Under $10 • Let Us Cater Your Next Event or Tailgate 2534 Florida St., Mandeville • 985-626-0530 Mon.-Thurs. 11am-9pm • Fri. and Sat. 11am-10pm kgeesrestaurant.com

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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IN Great Taste

N’Tini’s Shrimp Creole and Grits 2 Tbsp butter 1 cup diced trinity (onions, bell pepper, celery) 1 Tbsp minced garlic 1 lb peeled raw shrimp 1/2 cup white wine 2 Tbsp Zatarain s seasoning or similar all-purpose seasoning 1 quart red gravy (homemade or store bought) 1 cup heavy cream 1 handful of chopped green onions

The Grill Room at the Windsor Court Hotel

4 servings of grits, based on package directions

Abita Beer Braised Pork Sandwich

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

5 lbs pork butt roast 2 Tbsp cinnamon

Saut veggies, garlic and shrimp

5 Tbsp paprika

until veggies become slightly tender

5 Tbsp salt

and shrimp start to curl and turn

2 Tbsp pepper

pink. Add wine. Cook out the wine,

5 Tbsp brown sugar

which will finish cooking the veggies

1 six-pack Abita Amber beer

and shrimp. Add seasoning and red gravy and bring to a simmer. Add

Cube the pork into 2-inch pieces. Mix the spices and sugar. Rub the pork with the dry spice mix and marinate overnight. Place the marinated pork in a pot and cover with Abita Amber beer.

Bring to a boil and then place in oven for

cream, return to a simmer and finish

4 hours at 325 degrees. Remove the

with chopped green onions. Prepare

pork and use any remaining liquid for a

grits according to package

jus. Place generous serving of pork on a

instructions. Once cooked, stir in

toasted bun.

cheese. Spoon shrimp and sauce into bowls and top with cheesy grits.

Note: The Grill Room serves the pork on a toasted brioche bun with house-made pickles and Napa cabbage slaw made with cured tomatoes, green apples and chives.

Chef Pete DeMarcay of Benedict’s Plantation. Benedict’s Plantation is host to some of the northshore s most memorable events. Weddings, anniversaries, family reunions, corporate meetings and more can all be celebrated there. Creating a custom menu for each event, Benedict s experienced staff serves spectacular dishes The Grill Room’s executive chef, Drew Dzejak. 140

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made from only the freshest Louisiana ingredients.

INside Dining MCC: Major credit cards accepted ME: Menu Express delivery RR: Reservations recommended

appetizers, sandwiches, salads, soups and burgers. Live music Thurs-Sat nights. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME.

ABITA SPRINGS Abita Barbecue, 69399 Hwy. 59, 8920205. Ribs, brisket, chicken, pulled pork and boudin. MCC.

Copeland’s, 680 N. Hwy. 190, 809-9659. Authentic New Orleans cuisine. Lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch. Online take-out orders at copelandsofneworleans.com. MCC, ME, RR.

Abita Brew Pub, 72011 Holly St., 8925837. On the Trace. Good food, great beer. Lunch, dinner. MCC. Abita Springs Café, 22132 Level St., 867-9950. Southern cooking for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Tue-Sun. MCC. Breakaway Cafe, 71667 Leveson St., 809-8998. Tue-Sat 10am-5pm. Camellia Café, 69455 Hwy. 59, 8096313. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. MCC. Mama D’s Pizza & More, 22054 Hwy. 59, 809-0308. Great pizza, sandwiches, pasta, fresh homemade bread. Lunch, dinner. COVINGTON 407 North, 407 N. Columbia St., 8093131. Seafood, steaks, sandwiches. Lunch and dinner Mon-Fri; dinner Sat. MCC. Acme Oyster House, 1202 Hwy. 190, 246-6155. Established 1910 in New Orleans, 1995 on northshore. Seafood, sandwiches, local favorites. Lunch, dinner. MCC. Albasha, 1958 Hwy. 190, 867-8292. Mediterranean cuisine. MCC. Annadele's Plantation, 71518 Chestnut St., 809-7669. Yellow fin tuna, domestic lamb & much more. MCC, checks. Bear’s Restaurant, 128 W. 21st St., 8922373. Best po-boys in the world. Bonefish Grill, 200 River Highlands Blvd., 809-0662. Specializing in market-fresh fish cooked to perfection over a wood-burning grill. bonefishgrill.com. MCC. Buck’s Saloon and Steakhouse, 1600 N. Hwy. 190, 893-9005. Steaks, seafood, BBQ. Dinner. MCC. Buster’s Place, 519 E. Boston St., 8093880. Seafood, po-boys, steaks. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Dakota Restaurant, 629 N. Hwy. 190, 892-3712. Contemporary Louisiana cuisine using local and seasonal ingredients. MCC, RR. Del Porto Restaurant, 501 E. Boston St., 875-1006. Northern Italian cuisine. MCC, RR. DiCristina’s Restaurant, 810 N. Columbia St., Suite C, 875-0160. Conveniently located next to the new Covington Courthouse. Italian and seafood. MCC. Downtown Drugs with the Original Soda Fountain & Café Cabaret, 322 N. Florida St., 892-7220. Nostalgic soda fountain for lunch and after school, six days a week.

rabbit and voodoo crawfish rolls. Family owned and operated. MCC. Nonna Randazzo’s Italian Bakery and Caffè, 2033 N. Hwy. 190, Ste. 5, 8931488. Italian bakery items, luncheon salads, soups and sandwiches. MCC. North Island Chinese, 842 N. Collins Blvd., 867-8289. Northshore Empress, 31 Louis Prima Dr., 871-6975. Osaka 21 Japanese Restaurant, 70340 Hwy. 21, 809-2640. Osaka West Japanese Restaurant, 804 N. Hwy. 190, 875-0409. Pat’s Seafood Market and Cajun Deli, 1248 Collins Blvd., 892-7287. Jambalaya, gumbo, stuffed artichokes. MCC, checks, ME. Pelican Market Café, 70457 Hwy. 21, 893-6666. MCC. PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 70456 Hwy. 21, 875-7894. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru! Catering. MCC.

El Portal, 1200 Business 190, 867-5367. English Tea Room, The, 734 Rutland St., 898-3988. Authentic English cream teas. Special event teas, English scones, crumpets and cakes. Serving breakfast and lunch. Mon-Sat 7:30am-6pm. englishtearoom.com. MCC, RR. Four Seasons Chinese Buffet, 600 N. Hwy. 190, 893-3866. MCC. Gallagher’s Grill, 509 S. Tyler St., 8929992. Lunch and dinner, Tue-Sat. MCC. RR. Ground Pati, 814 N. Hwy. 190, 8934208. Steaks, burgers. Kids menu. MCC. Isabella’s Pizzeria, 70452 Hwy. 21, Suite 500, 875-7620; 1331 Hwy. 190, 8091900. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta. Italian Pie, 70488 Hwy. 21, 871-5252. Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out. MCC, checks. Jerk’s Island Grill & Daiquiri Bar, 70347 Hwy. 21, 893-1380. JerksIslandGrill.com.

Tommy's Pizza, 2105 N. Morrison Blvd., 345-9726. Pizza, pastas. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Schwing’s Restaurant, 1204 W. 21st Ave., 893-1899. Fresh seafood and home cooking. MCC. Sicily’s Pizza, 301 N. Hwy. 190, 8930005. Pizza, lasagna, salad bar, dessert pizzas. MCC, ME. Sorelli’s Brick Oven, 321 N. Columbia St., 327-5541. Sweet Daddy’s, 420 S. Tyler St., 8982166. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. MCC, ME.

Thai Spice, 1531 N. Hwy. 190, 809-6483.

WOW Cafe & Wingery, 1600 N. Hwy. 190, 898-4969. Buffalo wings, wraps, salads. MCC.

Cheesesteak Bistro, The, 528 N. Columbia St., Covington, 875-9793. Original cheesesteak sandwiches, soups, salads, gumbo and super spuds. Breakfast, lunch. All under $10. MCC, checks.

McAlister’s Deli, 206 Lake Dr., Suite 15, 898-2800. Great sandwiches, salads, overstuffed potatoes. MCC, checks.

Yujin Japanese Restaurant and Sushi Bar, 323 N. New Hampshire St., 8093840. Japanese cuisine and sushi in a casual atmosphere. MCC.

Coffee Rani, 234-A Lee Ln., 893-6158. Soup and salad specialists.

Mellow Mushroom Pizza Bakers, 1645 Hwy. 190, 327-5407. Salads, pizzas, calzones. MCC. mellowmushroom.com.

New Orleans Food and Spirits, 208 Lee Ln., 875-0432. Grilled fish, smothered

Tope là, 104 N. Cate St., 542-7600. Contemporary delights. MCC. Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 2100 N. Morrison Blvd., 345-6789. Innovative quality Chinese food served in Imperial surroundings. MCC, checks. VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2108 W. Thomas St., 345-1131. Taste our Magic. MCC. Yellow Bird Café, 222 E. Charles St., 345-1112. A great place to start your day. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

Thai Chili, 1102 N. Hwy. 190, 809-0180.

Mattina Bella, 421 E. Gibson St., 8920708. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Columbia St. Tap Room & Grill, 434 N. Columbia St., 898-0899. Daily specials,

La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 108 N.W Railroad Ave., 4199990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music. Lunch, dinner, seven days a week. MCC.

Sala Thai, 315 N. Vermont St., 249-6990.

Vasquez Seafood & Po-Boys, 515 E. Boston St., 893-9336. Cuban sandwiches and more. MCC, checks, ME.

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt, 104 Lake Dr. #1, 898-6362. menchies.com.

Kirin Sushi, 223 S. Cate St., 542-8888. First Japanese sushi restaurant in Hammond! Dragon roll, Kirin roll, sake. MCC.

Pepper Tree Grill and Bar, 2037 W. Thomas St., 345-5525. MCC, checks.

Louie & The Redhead Lady Too, 324 E. Boston St., 809-8050. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. louieandtheredheadlady.com. MCC.

Columbia St. Seafood, 1123 N. Columbia St., 893-4312. Seafood platters and po-boys.

Jacmel Inn, 903 E. Morris St., 5420043. Casual fine dining. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Sage Café, 501 N. Hwy. 190, 893-3580. Breakfast, lunch and dinner prepared from scratch with attention to detail. Drink specials. MCC.

Thai Taste, 1005 Collins Blvd., 809-7886.

Megumi of Covington, 1211 Village Walk, 893-0406.

Hon Yum Chinese Restaurant, 1905 W. Thomas St., 230-0888. Chicken, shrimp, tofu specialties. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Old MacDonald’s Smokehouse, 1601 N. Morrison Blvd., 542-7529. BBQ brisket, ribs, chicken and sausage. MCC, checks.

Thai Thai, 1536 N. Hwy. 190, 809-8905.

Carreta’s Grill, 70380 Hwy. 21, 871-6674. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. MCC.

Don’s Seafood & Steak House, 1915 S. Morrison Blvd., 345-8550. MCC.

Pizza Man of Covington, 1248 N. Collins Blvd., 892-9874. Checks, ME.

Lola, 517 N. New Hampshire St., 8924992.

Calypso Patio Bar & Grill, 326 Lee Ln., 875-9676.

Cocoa Bean Bakery and Cafe, 910 E. Main St., 345-2002. Specialty cakes, pastries. Serving breakfast and light lunch. Specials. thecocoabeanbakery.com. MCC.

Zea Rotisserie & Grill, 110 Lake Dr., 327-0520. Inspired American food. MCC. HAMMOND Adobe Cantina & Salsa, 1905 W. Thomas St., 419-0027. Fine Mexican cuisine, good spirits, great friends and fun. Ceviche (marinated fish) and Mexican pasta. Live band. adoberestaurant.com. MCC.

LACOMBE Janie Brown’s Restaurant, 27207 Hwy. 190, 882-7201. Casual dining with a great atmosphere. MCC, checks. La Provence Restaurant, 25020 Hwy. 190, 626-7662. Owner John Besh combines hospitality with French cuisine and welcoming hearths. Dinner, Sunday brunch. MCC, checks. RR. Sal & Judy’s, Hwy. 190, 882-9443. Great food and line of retail products. Family owned for 27 years. Veal is the house specialty. MCC, RR. MADISONVILLE Badeaux’s Drive In, 109 Hwy. 22 W., 845-7221. Family dining. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. Cafe Madisonville, 410 Covington Hwy., 792-4506. Soups, salads, sandwiches and lunch specials. Coffee’s Boiling Pot, 305 Old Covington Hwy., 845-2348. Boiled seafood in a family atmosphere.

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Featherlocks available in an array of colors can be applied to your hair to add subtle or dramatic highlights without damage or altering color.

1645 N. Hwy. 190, Covington (Next to Mellow Mushroom)

985.249.7575 lavantagestyle.com

Transform Your Skin Unique skin products backed by the creators of Proactiv® Solution. • • • • •

Anti-Aging Sensitive Skin Acne/Scarring Sun Damage 60 Day Money-back Guarantee!

JANA LAIRD POND

985-966-6475 http://janapond.myrandf.com

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i n s i d e

Friends Coastal Restaurant, 407 St. Tammany St., 845-7303. Key West meets New Orleans in this island casual dining atmosphere. Lunch, dinner. MCC. RR. Frog’s Pizzeria, 302 Hwy. 22, 845-9500.

star chef Gio Vancheri. Lunch, dinner MonSat. MCC. RR.

Hong Kong Restaurant, 2890 E. Causeway App., 626-8222. MCC.

Morton’s Boiled Seafood & Bar, 702 Water St., 845-4970. Relaxed atmosphere, seafood, daily specials. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Isabella’s Pizzeria, 2660 Florida St. (in the Florida Street Market), 674-5700. Salads, gourmet pizza, sandwiches, paninis, calzones and pasta.

Water St. Bistro, 804 Water St., 8453855. Casual ambiance on the Tchefuncte. Lunch, dinner Wed-Sun. MCC.

Italian Pie, 4350 Hwy. 22, 626-5252. Pizza, salads, pasta, sandwiches. Dine in or carry out. MCC, checks.

MANDEVILLE Andale! Margaritas & Grill, 643 Lotus Dr., 626-1534. Breakfast, lunch and dinner; sizzling fajitas, chili relleno el comal. andalemargaritasgrill.com. MCC.

Izumi, 2660 Florida St., 624-8664. Sushi, Japanese specialties. MCC.

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 1809 N. Causeway Blvd., 674-9090. Bears po-boys and more. MCC. Benedict's Plantation, 1144 Lovers Ln., 626-4557. Traditional New Orleans cuisine. Dinner, Sunday brunch. MCC. Bosco’s Italian Café, 2040 Highway 59, 624-5066. Broken Egg Café, 200 Gerard St., 6243388. Excellent choice for brunch! Pasta, specialty salads, sandwiches. MCC. Café Lynn Restaurant and Catering, 3051 E. Causeway App., 624-9007. Casual fine dining for lunch, dinner and Sunday brunch by Chef Joey Najolia. MCC. Casa Garcia, 800 N. Causeway Blvd., 951-8226. Redefining Mexican food one meal at a time. MCC. Causeway Café, 527 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-9997. MCC. Chili’s Bar & Grill, 3420 Hwy. 190, 7272771. Fajitas and the Awesome Blossom. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME. Coffee Rani, 3517 Hwy. 190, 674-0560. Soup and salad specialists. Coscino’s Pizza, 1817 N. Causeway Blvd., 727-4984. New York hand-tossed pizza and Italian foods cooked on stone using the finest ingredients. MCC. Country Kitchen, 2109 Florida St., 6265375. Fat Spoon Café, 68480 Hwy. 59., 8092929. Breakfast, lunch Tue.-Sun. MCC. Fazzio’s Seafood & Steakhouse, 1841 N. Causeway Blvd., 624-9704. Fresh fish daily, aged beef, traditional Italian. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME, RR. Franco’s Grill,100 Bon Temps Roule, 7920200. Fresh organic foods for breakfast, lunch and takeout. MCC.

Available For Functions Evenings & Saturdays

Grillot’s Restaurant & Oyster Bar, 2100 Florida St., 624-8849. World-famous BBQ oysters, steaks and lobsters. Delivery available. MCC.

Keith Young’s Steakhouse, 165 Hwy. 21, 845-9940. Steak, crab cakes. Lunch TuesFri, dinner. MCC.

Barley Oak, The, 2101 Lakeshore Dr. 727-7420. Serving 130 styles of beer, call and premium liquors and lunch and dinner. thebarleyoak.com. MCC.

d i n i n g

Juniper, 301 Lafitte St., 624-5330. Progressive Creole cuisine. Lunch, dinner, brunch. MCC, checks. K. Gee’s, 2534 Florida St., 626-0530. Featuring Louisiana seafood. kgeesrestaurant.com. MCC. Kickstand Café and Bike Rental, 690 Lafitte St., 626-9300. La Carreta Authentic Mexican Cuisine, 1200 W. Causeway App., 624-2990. Festive Mexican atmosphere, fresh food from traditional recipes, outstanding service and value. Live music. Lunch, dinner, seven days a week. MCC. La Madeleine French Cafe, 3434 Hwy. 190, 626-7004. Little Tokyo, 590 Asbury Dr., 727-1532. Louie & The Redhead Lady, 1851 Florida St., 626-8101.

Sonny Garcia and Lisa Garcia Schwing invite you to the northshore’s fabulous new breakfast and lunch spot!

Unique Dishes, Casual Fun Atmosphere… Specialty breakfast omelets, egg dishes and waffles. Lunch menu includes specialty salads, 9.5 ounce homemade hamburgers and a variety of sandwiches made with home-cooked corned beef and other select meats. Hot lunch specials daily. Open Sunday-Friday, 7am–2pm Breakfast served until 10:30am weekdays; Breakfast on Sunday, 7am–2pm.

68480 Highway 59, Mandeville (next to American Factory Direct) 985-809-2929 • www.fatspooncafe.com

“Eat Life With A Fat Spoon!”

Macaroni Grill, 3410 Hwy. 190, 7271998. Penne rustica, pasta Milano, other Italian favorites. Lunch, dinner. MCC, ME. Mande’s, 340 N. Causeway App., 6269047. Serving breakfast and lunch, daily specials. Mandina’s, 4240 Hwy. 22 in Azalea Square Shopping Center, 674-9883. Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat. Maw Maw’s, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., Ste. 11, 727-7727. Soups, salads, stuffed potatoes, sandwiches, po-boys. Maxein’s Coffee House, 115 Girod St., 626-9318. Megumi Japanese Cuisine, 4700 Hwy. 22, Suite 11&12, 845-1644. Yakimono and sushi bar. Lunch, dinner. MiMamacita’s New Mexican Cuisine, 2345 Florida St., 674-1400. Great food and margaritas. Lunch, dinner, catering. MCC. Monster Po-Boys, 1814 N. Causeway App., 626-9183. Lunch, dinner. N’Tini’s, 2891 N. Hwy. 190, 626-5566. Steaks, martinis. Lunch specials. Mon.-Sat. MCC. Nuvolari’s, 246 Gerard St., 626-5619. In Old Mandeville. Gnocchi, escargot, filet mignon, linguini fruta di mare. Dinner. MCC.

George’s Mexican Restaurant, 1461 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4342. Family owned. Fajitas, Georges nachos, Carne al la Parrilla. Best top-shelf margaritas in town. MCC, ME.

Obelisk Wine Bar & Art Gallery, 22 St. Ann Dr., Ste. 2, 674-4215.

Gio’s Villa Vancheri, 2890 E. Causeway App., 624-2597. Sicilian specialties by 5-

Pal’s Ice Cream and Yogurt Shop, 2201 Eleventh St., 626-0293. Only 8 all-natural

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d i n i n g no-fat yogurt, banana splits, smoothies. Soups, sandwiches. MCC.

breakfast, German-style lunch. MCC, checks.

Petunia’s Place, 2020 Hwy. 59, 6743436.

SLIDELL A Touch of Italy Café, 134 Pennsylvania Ave., 645-0084. Seafood, veal, steaks, daily specials. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

PJ’s Coffee & Tea Co., 2963 Hwy. 190, 674-1565. Catch your morning buzz at this convenient drive-thru! Catering. MCC. Rag’s Old Fashioned Po-Boys, 4960 Hwy. 22, 792-1744. Herbie roast beef with Swiss and ham, muffalettas. MCC, checks, ME. Rip’s on the Lake, 1917 Lakeshore Dr., 727-2829. Ristorante Carmelo & Pizzaria, 1901 Hwy. 190, 624-4844. Family-oriented Italian cuisine. Lunch and dinner. MCC. Rusty Pelican, 500 Girod St., 778-0364. Lunch, dinner. MCC. Sake Gardens Japanese Restaurant, 1705 Hwy. 190, 624-8955. Sesame Inn, 408 N. Causeway Blvd., 951-8888. Finest Chinese cuisine. Smoothie King, 1830 W. Causeway App., 626-9159. Smoothies. MCC, checks. Subway, 1665 Hwy. 190, 674-0733. Sandwiches, salads. Low-fat available. MCC. Sweet Daddy’s, 2534 Florida St., 6260208. Pulled pork, brisket and ribs. MCC, ME.

Bistro de la Reine, 2306 Front St., 2884166. Sunday brunch, live entertainment, fine wines and spirits. Open seven days a week. MCC. Camellia Cafe, 525 Hwy. 190, 649-6211. Traditional seafood and New Orleans cuisine. MCC. Carreta’s Grill, 1340 Lindberg Dr., 847-0020. Great Mexican cuisine and margaritas served in a family-friendly atmosphere for lunch and dinner. MCC. Eddie D’s, 39510 Hwy. 190 E., 847-1000. Java Jungle, 1071 Robert Blvd., 6490380. Specialty coffees, casual dining, lush tropical setting. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Taqueria Noria, 1931 Hwy. 59, 727-7917. Lunch, dinner. Times Bar & Grill, 1896 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-1161. Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. ME, MCC.

La. Pines, 1061 Robert St., 641-6196. Meet under the water tower for Ahhhfullwaffles, Sugar Watcher specials. Breakfast, lunch. MCC, checks.

TJ’s Burgers, 3925 Hwy. 59, 871-5353; 2820 E. Causeway App., 674-6650. Burgers, chicken, fries and more. Lunch, dinner. MCC.

Mandina’s, 2111 Gause Blvd., 690-6679. Seafood, Creole and Italian. Lunch, dinner Mon-Sat.

Trey Yuen Cuisine of China, 600 N. Causeway Blvd., 626-4476. Quality China cuisine with Louisiana flair. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Michael’s, 4820 Pontchartrain Dr., 6498055. Steaks, seafood, veal, duck, eggplant au gratin. Extensive wine selection. Dinner.

Vianne’s Tea Salon and Café, 544 Gerard St., 624-5683. Freshly baked scones, homemade soups and a full caf menu with over 40 gourmet teas. Breakfast, lunch. MCC.

Palmettos on the Bayou, 1901 Bayou Ln., 643-0050.

VooDoo BBQ & Grill, 2999 Hwy. 190 E., 629-2021. Taste our Magic. MCC. Zydeco Café, 68480 Hwy. 59, 871-8748. Po-boys, pasta, burgers and more. PONCHATOULA Middendorf’s Seafood Restaurant, 30160 Hwy. 51, 386-6666. Rockefeller’s Restaurant, 147 N.W. Railroad Ave.,370-0930. Catfish Delacroix and Trout Mardi Gras are among the festive specialties. MCC, checks.

I N S I D E N O RT H S I D E

Bear’s Grill & Spirits, 550 Gause Blvd. 201-8905. Bears po-boys and more. MCC.

KY’s Olde Towne Bicycle Shop, 2267 Carey St., 641-1911. Casual dining in former bicycle shop. Kids menu. Lunch, dinner. MCC, checks.

Vigroux Po-Boys, 2625 Florida St., 2317314. Lunch, dinner.

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Assunta’s, 2631 Hwy. 190 W., 649-9768. Italian food, extensive wine selection. Dinner. MCC, checks.

Phil’s Marina Café, 1194 Harbor Dr., 6410464. Smoothie King, 150 Northshore Blvd., 781-3456. Low-fat health drinks. MCC, checks. Steak Out, 1325 Gause Blvd., 645-8646. Eat in or delivered to you. MCC. Tacos and Beer, 2142 Front St., 6414969. Lunch, dinner and late-night. Times Bar & Grill, 1827 Front St. 6393335. Famous hamburgers, starters, steaks and more. Lunch, dinner. ME, MCC.

Sister’s Coffeehouse & Cafe, 18440 Hwy. 22 E., 370-9424. Warm, friendly atmosphere, unique food, gourmet coffees, teas. MCC, checks.

Wine Market, The, 2051 E. Gause Blvd., 781-1177. Deli restaurant, lunch, 11-3pm. Sandwiches, soups, salads, wraps. MCC and checks.

Taste of Bavaria Restaurant & Bakery, 14476 Hwy. 22, 386-3634. Charming Bavarian bungalow, European-style

Young’s Restaurant, 850 Robert Blvd., 643-9331. Steaks, seafood, nice wine selection. Dinner. MCC, checks.

r e a l

e s t a t e

s p o t l i g h t

10/12 PROPERTIES, LLC Real Estate Brokerage and Consulting

Ashton Ray

This Andy McDonald-designed French Provincial home is a must see! This beautifully maintained home has an open floor plan and boasts wood floors, 11-ft. ceilings, triple-crown molding, a wood-burning fireplace, a wall of windows in the kitchen and living room and much more! Contact Melanie Geier (504) 495-2820.

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Melanie LaFleur-Geier

Sergio Mesa

Office space available for lease! 2,535 square feet on East Causeway Approach next to the new TJ’s Burgers! Contact Brantley Ray (985) 351-5763 or Sergio Mesa (504) 390-5229.

REDUCED! Vacant land on Highway 190 in Mandeville. 3.85 Acres. Zoned HC-1. Contact Brantley Ray (985) 351-5763 or Sergio Mesa (504) 390-5229.

• Residential • Commercial • Industrial • Specializing in the Interstate 10/12 Corridor

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Brantley Ray

Real Estate Brokerage and Consulting 985.626.8200 • 1012properties.com

The Village Executive Office Suites 2895 Highway 190, Mandeville (Upstairs from Martin Wine Cellar)

(985) 727-6700 • www.pelicanvillage.com SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2011

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Last Bite

Chef Joey Najolia of Café Lynn

by Stephen Faure THERE’S A SPOT IN MANDEVILLE where the Gulf Coast meets the Mediterranean Sea. A geographic impossibility, you might say, but anyone who’s found Café Lynn knows it’s not a gastronomic fluke. Chef Joey Najolia is an alumnus of Delgado’s

very similar to what Chef Chris cooked, Southern France-Provencal and New Orleans-type food,” Joey says. “We make everything except bread inhouse—our mayonnaise, sauces, soups and our pasta dough are made here.” While Chef Joey says his favorite dish is Café Lynn’s quail (pan roasted with lemon, herbs and a demi-glace sauce), he says customers favor his

distinguished culinary education program and some of

fresh seafood offerings, with Redfish Logan (pan-seared with a pistou sauce)

the finest kitchens in the area, including the Grill Room

being the most popular. Café Lynn’s signature offering is seafood-stuffed

at the Windsor Court and La

eggplant. Crabmeat Cannelloni and Oysters Alfredo illustrate his

Provence in Lacombe. The

Mediterranean take on fresh Gulf seafood and house-made pasta.

eight years spent there under Chef Chris Kerageorgiou’s guidance greatly influenced Chef Joey, whose dishes blend French provincial elements with fresh local ingredients. “The food that I cook here is

The first person to greet diners at Café Lynn is often Brandi Najolia, the restaurant’s manager and wine consultant. She’s also the chef’s wife; the two met while working at La Provence. “We do a Champagne brunch on Sunday, with a glass of Champagne or a Mimosa on the house,” says Brandi. “We do Sangria, also. It’s a fun brunch, with traditional items like Eggs Benedict, Eggs Sardou and Joey’s shrimp grillades and grits, plus non-traditional dishes like our seafood-stuffed eggplant and panéed chicken with a fried egg.” Chef Joey and Brandi have revitalized the former Burger King at East Causeway Approach and Highway 190. Plastic and chrome have given way to a cozy provincial interior, with tables covered in white linen, a full-service bar and an impressive wine selection, which Brandi handpicks. “I really enjoy building my wine list,” she says, noting that she has personally tasted each wine served. “Someone always shows up with something new to taste, and I never turn anybody away. Somebody has to do it.”

photo: THOMAS B. GROWDEN

Café Lynn is located at 3051 East Causeway Approach in Mandeville. Catering services are available, and Café Lynn participates in charitable events each year including the Harvest Cup Polo Classic and Jazz on the Bayou. Call 624-9007 or visit cafelynn.com.

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